The University hosted its annual Admitted Student Open House Activities Fair on Saturday, April 21 in Gerhard Fieldhouse. Most student clubs and activities attended the fair, which set up stations to allow the fall’s incoming first-years to browse what they could potentially be a part of next year.
“Admitted Student Open House is the most significant activity the University undertakes to help potential members of the incoming class see why Bucknell is the best choice for their college experience,” Dean of Admissions Robert Springall said. “Our role in Admissions is to facilitate the day.”
The University expected 500 families to attend, so food and refreshments were provided to accommodate that estimate. The clubs and activities present ranged from LARPing to club sports to musical groups.
“Admitted Students Day was a great opportunity to interact with the upcoming class. The Activities Fair was packed, and all the new kids were very excited to be Bucknellians. As a tour guide, I got to really meet the kids and show them their soon-to-be home,” Asha Harvey ’15 said. “Parents were really interested, asking many questions about the dorms and such. I also got the opportunity to really show the kids the Arts Residential [College] halls which was so nice because that is what I am a part of on campus. I got to show them the ins and outs and where I live. The day and fair just proved how well-rounded Bucknell is, and how the incoming students have such an array of activities to chose from.”
Other tour guides shared similar views.
“I found the experience to be especially rewarding as a freshman tour guide, because I could alleviate any fears that I knew I had coming into Bucknell. At the same time it was a weird feeling knowing that I was in their shoes just a year ago,” Brett Walter ’15 said.
The activities fair started at 11:45 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m., giving students more than enough time to browse their interests and enjoy a light lunch. Numerous faculty and upperclassmen were present to meet and greet the new soon-to-be first-year students.
“It is the people from every academic department, our student life and co-curricular programs, and 100 student organizations who really welcome and inform prospective students and their families. The stories of Bucknellians at their best is the heart of the day’s event, and those stories are often why students who come to this event choose to enroll here,” Springall said.
Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council sponsored the first “Go Greek Week” this past week to display positive Greek involvement on campus and in the surrounding area, and to promote positive Greek values to first-years.
Each day from April 16 to April 22,, the Go Greek committee sponsored a number of events in support of Greek organizations. These events included free cake in the ELC Mall, an a cappella concert in Smith Quad and a Greek Life study break with free food for students outside the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library.
“I had so much fun attending the ‘Go Greek Week’ events, especially facilitating the comradeship between the students and faculty at the basketball game. We look forward to working with next year’s chairs to continue improving the success of the event. We enjoyed the time devoted to this project and thank you to everyone who helped make this week a reality,” Alexis Birnberg ’13 said.
The week not only focused on promoting Greek life to students, but to faculty as well, with many events being dedicated to faculty interactions with Greeks on campus. Events like the faculty vs. Greek basketball game promoted cooperation and team building between faculty and Greek students. Some events were designed to show appreciation toward faculty, such as sending thank-yous, hand-written by members of various Greek organizations, to each department on campus.
Overall, “Go Greek Week” proved to be successful in promoting positive aspects of Greek life, with students and faculty deeming the week a successful experience that will only improve with time.
The 2012 Relay for Life event will be held in Gerhard Fieldhouse from 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28 to 3 a.m. Sunday, April 29 to support the American Cancer Society and celebrate those who have battled cancer.
Despite ardent efforts, including a Lewisburg Freez night in which a portion of all proceeds were donated to Relay’s efforts, fundraising is behind what it was at this point prior to the event last year. But members on the planning committee are confident that with the large jump in donations in the past couple of weeks, fundraising will surpass levels in years past. Last year, University students ultimately raised $103,850 in the fight against cancer. As of Wednesday, there was only $50,115 raised.
“At this point last year I believe we were a few thousand dollars ahead, but unfortunately we think it might be due to removal of philanthropy dollars and mandatory hours for community service,” Elena Thomopoulos ’14 said. “However, we have no doubt there will be a strong presence of Greek Life at the event.”
“The Freez night was extremely successful for both fundraising and advertising purposes. We made over $400 selling T-shirts and will be receiving a portion of the Freez proceeds from that night,” Sinzer said. “It was wonderful to see the campus come out and support the event.”
As of Wednesday, 856 members were signed up on 79 teams.
“We are expecting a very good turn out. We changed the time from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. to accommodate more individual schedules with finals coming around and we have received lots of positive feedback,” said Emily Sinzer ’14, one of this year’s Relay co-chairs.
The Relay began on campus in 2006 and is planned by the University’s Relay for Life Committee, chaired this year by Sinzer and Eliann Shadmi ’14. They have been involved in every facet of planning the event with the help of Amanda Alexander, a representative from the American Cancer Society, who provides them with information about ACS and helps with other official matters like counting money and making sure that ACS guidelines are followed.
The University has both a Colleges Against Cancer club and a Relay For Life committee. The club works on several cancer awareness activities all year long, while the Relay committee focuses on planning the Relay event. Both of these groups partner with the American Cancer Society.
“Both the co-chairs and the committee have all been personally affected by cancer and have found this event as a wonderful way to fight back against a disease that takes too many lives,” Sinzer said.
“The students plan all the details of the event, from lining up entertainment acts to acquiring food donations to recruiting teams, and they do a great job,” Alexander said. “It is really a great event and we have lots of students involved who are passionate about the cause.”
Teams are made up of various campus groups ranging from Greek organizations, to sports teams to first-year halls. Much of the registration and fundraising has occurred online on the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life website. On the website, each team is able to manage its members, set a fundraising goal and make a statement about why its members chose to relay.
Delta Gamma members of the Class of 2014, for example, wrote that “At the event, our sisters will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Saving lives from cancer starts one team, one participant and one dollar at a time. Our team is doing its part to make sure that cancer never steals another year of anyone’s life.”
The website also enables participants to see the top fundraising teams and individual participants. As of Wednesday, Kappa Kappa Gamma Seniors was the top fundraising team and Kate Bloom ’12 and Emily Partridge ’14 are the top two fundraising individuals.
Many campus groups will make an appearance on Saturday night, even putting on performances for participants. The Bison Chips, Bison Girls Dance Team, The Off Beats, Truck Bed Band, Two Past Midnight, Beyond Unison, We Brake for Nobody and Doug Bogan plan to provide entertainment into the wee morning hours. In addition to performances, there will be moon bounces, a mechanical shark, Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Rita’s Water Ice and Dunkin’ Donuts.
More information can be found on the American Cancer Society’s official webpage.
The Flying Bison has arrived on campus, and it’s here to stay. At 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, the colorful food truck pulled up to the Kenneth Langone Athletics and Recreation Center with Bucky the Bison in the passenger seat. The mobile culinary vehicle will offer fresh and authentic dining items for breakfast, lunch and a late-night period from midnight until 3 a.m. The truck will accept dining and campus dollars.
“Our main concerns included offering different options for students on campus, which will make dining more convenient,” David Freeland, the resident district manager of Parkhurst Dining Services and primary designer of the truck, said. “We’re not going to have all of the options that the Bison has, but the idea is that we will specialize in certain menu items and they will be fresh and tasty. The truck will be a destination station–-you’ll go because you really want what is being offered.”
The truck will be at the Klarc “U” 7:30-9 a.m. Monday through Friday, between Dana Engineering Building and Delta Upsilon Fraternity 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. also on weekdays and at Vedder Circle midnight-3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
“These locations are subject to change if business demands and students suggest a better location,” Valerie Keller-Lee, general manager of retail operations for Dining Services, said.
Students are excited for this new late night dining option.
“Although I’m not really sure how to feel about the food truck, I know that if it’s open from midnight to three in the morning, I will definitely be stopping by for a snack after a night out,” Shaquille Anderson ’15 said.
The Flying Bison lunch menu features Korean BBQ-inspired items like Jumbo Sweet Garlic Chili Wings, Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork Wonton Taco and Mandu Pan Fried Dumplings. The lunch menu will vary approximately every two weeks, rotating from Korean BBQ to gourmet grilled cheese options and Indian-style cuisine.
“I think this is a good idea,” Maddie Seymour ’15 said. “I’m going there for lunch as soon as possible!”
For all-the-time offerings, the Flying Bison will serve garden salads, sandwiches and soups of the day, assorted soft drinks and treats such as the caramel sandwich cookies, lemon bars and whoopie pies. Breakfast at the food truck will include Starbucks coffee, yogurt, fresh fruit and items like grilled homemade cinnamon buns, fruit crepes and grilled croissants with caramelized pear, arugula, fried egg and havarti cheese.
“I can assure you that unveiling a food truck was not in the job description,” President Bravman said on Wednesday before he officially cut the ribbon in front of the Flying Bison.
Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) sponsored the 2012 Black Arts Festival, which ran from April 19 to April 22 and featured 15 organized events.
A University tradition, the Black Arts Festival is a highly anticipated event that has been recognized for many years by the University community. The event was revived in 2009 and has been growing larger every year since. BSU was primarily responsible for planning and coordinating the festival, but co-sponsors included the Office of Multicultural Student Services, Development and Alumni Relations, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the President, the Dean of Students Office, the Parents Board, BSG, BASA, ACE and the Offices of Alumni Relations/Career Development Center.
“I find the Black Arts Festival important because it is a time for minority students to come together and put on events and workshops on campus that not only educate the greater community about the black arts, but also provide some fun alternative social events for students to enjoy outside of the regular weekend activities,” said Doneeca Thurston ’12, president of the BSU.
A kickoff reception in the Terrace Room on April 19 marked the start of the 2012 Black Arts Festival, followed by a monologue and keynote address by Donald Molosi in Bucknell Hall. Molosi is a prominent African actor who discussed his inspirations and involvement in the world of theater. His identity as African played a major theme in his address, especially in his monologue “Blue, Black & White,” which discusses race and culture in Botswana.
Friday’s events continued the excitement generated by Thursday’s successful kickoff. Several workshops were offered in the afternoon, including a poetry/spoken word workshop, a theater workshop led by Molosi and a dance workshop covering African, Caribbean, hip-hop and belly-dancing styles taught by students Aliyah Johnson ’14 and Saba Davis ’14.
Friday evening also consisted of Praise Gate 2012! and a free-style dance, rap and beat-boxing competition at Uptown. The overall winner of the battle was Dave Lackford ’12, but the event had many talented contenders.
“I think it would be a great addition to this campus’s culture if black arts could be implemented into the main stream culture. Or maybe that’s what makes the black arts great, that they’re a sub or counter-culture,” Lackford said.
“The BAF is important to me because it is a celebration that indulges in the arts like music, theatre, poetry and dance. I’m always excited about attending the events because they are so different from what I do in the classroom on a daily basis as an engineer,” BSU member Megan Reid ’14 said.
Saturday morning featured a “Black History Alive and Memphis Trip” presentation in Seventh Street House and a Block Party that featured live music, food, t-shirt decorating, inflatables, henna tattoos, tie-dye, caricatures and vendors. BASA, CARE, YOR Health and the “Our Haitian Brothers” organization also had booths at the Block Party to promote awareness about their respective organizations. Morgan Davis ’12 then brought the crowd to Walls Lounge for a hair workshop.
“I attended the Hairtacular event this year and learned about society’s view of different hair types, colors, textures and got a chance to have dialogue with people who have had different hair experiences–whether the experiences were about doing their hair or how other people perceived them based on their hair,” Reid said.
Students who had worked so hard to organize the Black Arts Festival were rewarded on Saturday evening with a performance from up-and-coming R&B/Soul artists Elle Varner of Los Angeles and K-Von the Great, a young artist from Cleveland who raps about real-life struggles in today’s world. After the concert, students attended the “Black-Out” after-party semi-formal in the Center Room, which featured DJ Nitecrawler.
“I would like to get more Bucknell students involved by encouraging them to come to our events. The BSU is for everyone to enjoy and be a part of, and the fact that it has the word ‘black’ in it should not discourage students from joining our organization or attending our events. I can see that with the name ‘Black Student Union,’ the average Bucknellian can assume that our organization caters to a particular group of people, but that is most certainly not the case,” Thurston said.
Professor of English Saundra Morris, Lauren Rambo ’12 and Pat Zailckas ’13 are this year’s runners up for People of the Year.
In addition to teaching English, Morris serves as a Posse Mentor for the 2011-12 Boston Posse Five. In the past, she has administered the Social Justice Residential College. This year, she helped lead the Occupy Wall Street/Lewisburg March and participated in the Black Student Union March for Trayvon Martin. Morris also served on the LGBT Advisory Board. She publishes on and teaches American poetry with specialties in Ralph Waldo Emerson and American Romanticism.
“I am glad that The Bucknellian and students have honored what I try to achieve–a combination of academic rigor, professional publication, love for my students and Posse Scholars, passion for my subject and devotion to issues of social justice,” Morris said.
Her students see this commitment and dedication.
“Professor Morris is my English adviser and, more importantly, my mentor. Her dedication to students is infectious, her commitment to holistic learning is unparalleled and her love for Diet Coke is unrivaled,” Liz Yale ’12 said.
Rambo is the current president of Activities and Campus Events (ACE), a member of Chi Omega Sorority, an intern in the Office of Admissions and a research student in the Bucknell Baby Lab and Child Language Research. She has been closely involved with all four of these organizations throughout her college experience and has earned multiple leadership roles in them.
“All of these things have made my experience at Bucknell what it’s been. [I’ve] enjoyed being a part of the changes that all of these activities have gone through. Bucknell has been so important to me over the last four years,” Rambo said.
“Lauren is a phenomenal leader on campus. She is incredibly dedicated, passionate and positive about all she is involved in. Around campus many know Lauren as a great leader, but more importantly as a kind, genuine and deserving Bucknellian,” said Callie Frieler, assistant director of campus activities and programs. “As the President of ACE this past academic year she was instrumental in restructuring and planning our large series events. As a senior she will be greatly missed. She has had quite the impact on campus as a student leader as well as a mentor for her classmates to look up to.”
Zailckas is enrolled in the five-year chemical engineering and management dual-degree program. He is a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, and this is his second year as an active member of the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Last year, he was secretary and this year he is president of IFC. Zailckas also participated in Bucknell’s Institute for Leadership in Technology and Management (ILTM) and attributes much of his growth as a professional and leader to this program; he said it was a “crash-course on effective leadership and management techniques.”
“Although I have had plenty of success this year as IFC president, I really do owe a lot of it to the entire IFC executive board as well as Kevin Foster, assistant director of residential education for fraternity affairs, for all of their dedication and support in working to initiate overdue positive changes within the fraternity system here at Bucknell. I cannot thank these men enough for helping me become the leader I am today,” Zailckas said.
“Pat and I have known each other since freshman year, when we found out we were going to be roommates. He’s a genuine guy who is dedicated to his studies and trying to make a difference on the Bucknell campus, especially in Greek life,” Dotun Odewale ’13 said.
Congratulations again to Morris, Rambo and Zailckas on being this year’s runners up to The Bucknellian’s People of the Year award.
As Christina Cody ’12 sits in the Student Center, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the mid-day ELC crowd, she exudes a calm spirit. Tucking her brown hair behind her ears, she leans forward to describe her fascination with the University’s social culture, which is the core focus of her Double Take Project. As she explains her discoveries about the campus culture and her desire to help students feel less lonely, it makes complete sense that she has been chosen as one of this year’s People of the Year.
A senior from Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Cody is a theatre major and a dance minor. Most of her campus involvement centers around the theatre department, as she directs and performs pieces throughout the year and also works as a teaching assistant. This year, Cody has dedicated much of her time to her work on Double Take Project, which has become the basis of her senior thesis.
Christina Cody
Double Take Project began during her junior year, far before the release of the Campus Climate Task Force report. But the report came as a happy accident because she was able to use its findings in her thesis.
“My main goal was to gather a cultural representation of Bucknell’s cultural scene,” Cody said. “It was kind of like theatre anthropology but nothing that formal. I wasn’t looking to make a new campus report, but I wanted to show things from the student perspective.”
As a part of her project, Cody interviewed 36 students on campus. She then transformed those interviews into a one-woman show where she performed the stories of those she had spoken with.
Those interviews also became part of a radio show. WVBU airs the story of one person each day. Cody also used her interviews to create a script and short performance for Take Back the Night, and she stood outside of the ELC with a sign that said “Tell me a story about the social scene” each day for a couple of weeks. She also conducted workshops with many organizations on campus.
“My work was about the social scene, but it was also about promoting trust and change through the use of theater techniques,” Cody said. “And the biggest thing I learned is most students have public and private personas. In workshops, students were often very reserved but in interviews, they shared very private things. Many students said they feel alone or are afraid. Basically, there is a lot of pressure to seem like you’re happy with everything which results in a lot of loneliness.”
Assistant professor of theatre and dance Anjalee Hutchinson has nothing but praise for Tina’s efforts to better student life through her senior project.
“Tina Cody is a bit of a Bucknell theatre program rock star,” Hutchinson said. “It has a bit to do with her tremendous talent, that’s definitely part of it–but a lot more of it is about who she is. She has this insatiable internal drive/hunger for performance, for theatre, for life. If The Bucknellian had a ‘most likely to’ section for their seniors–I wouldn’t say Tina would be most likely to be on Broadway. I’d say she’s the one who’s most likely to change the world.”
Cody’s fellow students also have very positive things to say about her overwhelming calm and her remarkable ability to promote change. Laura Neely ’13 participated in one of Cody’s workshops this spring.
“Tina holds such passion for creating an environment built around open communication,” Neely said. “Working with her was a very rewarding experience. Tina’s view of Bucknell and the social life which accompanies it is refreshing, and I can see the positive impact she has made on the entire Bucknell community.”
Professor of theatre Gary Grant also feels that Cody has made a tremendous impact on the community during her four years on campus, but especially during her senior year.
“If you saw her play Dolores Montoya in last weekend’s musical ‘The Wild Party,’ you know that this woman is a talented actress,” Grant said as he presented her with a leadership award this week. “But this year, she stepped out of the bright lights and applause because she had a vision of a Bucknell where men and women treated each other with respect. Tina gave voice to what she heard in interviews and turned her research into action. Her Double Take Project was definitely what Bucknell needed to hear in the way that Bucknell needed to hear it.”
As she nears graduation, Cody’s advice to her fellow University students is three-fold. First, she would like to remind her fellow students that they are not alone. Second, she urges students to be honest and real with themselves and each other as much as possible.
“I really think that our biggest problem on this campus is that we focus on external issues and the big picture,” Cody said. “But I think it’s more about working on yourself and figuring out who you are. I honestly believe that if you have a strong sense of self, you won’t get swept away in the pattern.”
And third, Cody advises students to meet with the administration and get to know them. She insists that if you can find a way to get your ideas out there, the administration will be on your side.
“I just want people to take action,” Cody said. “If you believe in an idea, try to make it happen here because it can.”
Cody hopes to continue her work with human justice through theatre techniques in India next year.
“But that’s just a dream, a massive dream. Can you ask everyone to think about a question for me? In my interviews, the last thing I always say is this: Ask yourself, if you could shout out just one thing to all Bucknellians and everyone could hear you at once, what would you say?”
Lynn Pierson’s official job title, “Assistant Director for Community Service,” does not do her justice. Since originally coming to the University in 2006 to work for the Office of Housing and Residential Life, Pierson has made a memorable mark on the campus and surrounding community working for the Office of Civic Engagement.
“I’ve been busy,” Pierson said, but this is a gross understatement. According to Pierson, the best part of her job is its variety. “I am able to interact with so many different students, staff and community partners. I also am able to see our students really making a positive difference in our area.”
Lynn Pierson
Pierson organizes and participates in community service projects such as the Community Harvest, First-Year’s Day of Service, Sept. 11 Week of Service, Hunger Awareness Week, Black History Month, Spring Thaw Out, Women’s History Month and the Lewisburg Community Garden.
Pierson has not shied away from getting her hands dirty, either. She recalled one particular instance about gardening in the Lewisburg Community Garden. “I was standing on a pickup truck in the back shoveling manure, and I’m thinking, ‘How did I get here?’”
Pierson is also a Posse Mentor, Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate, a member of the LGBT and WRC advisory boards and chair of the annual AIDS Walk.
Posse member Jose Rivera ’12 praised Pierson’s work ethic and vigor. “She’s dedicated to doing quality work. Reliable, energetic and kind is the best way to describe her. She’s rarely down, and you can always expect to hear a ‘Fabulous!’ from her.”
Pierson also spends a great deal of time working with Greek organizations and their respective community service chairs. Some programs that she helps to organize include Turkey and Trimmings Baskets, the Giving Tree and the Polar Bear Plunge.
Janice Butler, director of civic engagement and service learning, singled out Pierson’s ability to identify areas of need within the community where University students can positively contribute.
“Lynn puts in a lot of work trying to meet students where they are and guiding them in their volunteer work with community groups. She has a great rapport with a number of students and helps match their interests with community needs,” Butler said.
There was an especially large demand for volunteersthis past year due to the ongoing recession and the September flooding. Pierson personally helped and encouraged Greek organizations to provide relief toward these efforts, from making blankets and hats to baking.
Additionally, she has participated in several service trips, such as the Civil Rights Spring Break Trip to Memphis, the Bucknell Brigade trip to Nicaragua and recently a trip to Morocco with Hillel.
The trip to Nicaragua was, “a little bit of a life changing thing that I didn’t expect,” Pierson said. “I went down and discovered some things about animal rights and came back a vegetarian.”
Lynn Pierson grew up in Erie, Pa. and attended Penn State Behrend College in Erie. Pierson said she enjoyed working with other college students, which led her to attend graduate school to complete her master’s degree so she could continue working with students.
“I came from a very middle class family, so college was kind of a new thing. Grad school was a whole new ball game for them,” Pierson said.
One specific program which Pierson has helped bring to campus is the Bucknell Community College Scholars Program. The program provides people who may not have previously been able to attend universities the chance to do so. Students from local community colleges are recruited to enroll in a six-week summer program at the University, and if they are successful they have the opportunity to enroll full time on campus under an academic scholarship. For the past four years, the program has been funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, but the University recently agreed to fund the program on its own.
“That has been incredibly heartwarming, to see people that otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to go to college necessarily,” Pierson said. “They’re not the typical Bucknellians; they’re typically older folks with families, or have been in the military for a number of years, or international students. It’s been wonderful.”
Looking back, Pierson said that she did not expect to be on campus this long, but is glad she’s stuck around. “It’s been a full six years … there’s never a dull moment.”
Three University students, Michelle Havrilla ’12, Jane Suglia ’14 and Alexa Widawsky ’14, qualified to compete in the national Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) conference in San Antonio, Texas on June 24-27, 2012. They secured their spots after successfully competing at the annual PBL Pennsylvania State Conference in Gettysburg, Pa. on March 30 – April 1.
“We had a great time at the conference and were really proud of everyone’s performances. It was great to listen to professionals share their ideas on topics ranging from project management to marketing, and we are looking forward to attending the fall conference in Philadelphia,” Suglia said.
PBL is the collegiate division of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and is the nation’s largest student-run business organization. The organization works to prepare its members for success in business-related fields after school. As a first-year, Havrilla started a PBL chapter on campus. Now, four years later, many University students participate in PBL events like on-campus workshops, resume critiques, etiquette dinners, speaking events related to business topics and off-campus conferences.
Eight University PBL members attended the Gettysburg conference, which included competitions, speakers, workshops and networking opportunities with some of the top business professionals in the United States. At the conference, Suglia and Widawsky competed in a team event called Business Decision Making. The two students won second place and qualified for nationals. Havrilla competed in an Individual Public Speaking contest and won first place, securing her place at nationals as well.
“I am very excited and honored to have the opportunity to attend the PBL national conference this year! At the state level, I delivered a five-minute speech focusing on one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 20th century, Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s determination, strength of character and commitment to making people happy are only a few of his many attributes that FBLA-PBL members should strive towards in their future endeavors,” Havrilla said.
After acting as president of PBL for three years, Havrilla has passed her position down to Alexa Widawsky ’14 this year. PBL continues to accept new members.
“I have been involved in the FBLA-PBL organization since I was a freshman in high school. Eight years later, I can truly say that FBLA-PBL is more than a business club; it is a professional organization that has helped me to develop into the young woman that I have become today,” Havrilla said. “The people I have met throughout my experiences along with the knowledge I have acquired through various workshops and conferences have had an enormous impact on preparing me for the business world.”
Two University student groups have received a $10,000 Projects for Peace grant from the Davis Foundation. The grants will support the improvement of youth technology skills in Puerto Rico as well as a retreat aimed to empower youth through academic excellence and cultural awareness in Botswana. Both projects will be implemented starting in June.
Jose Saavedra ’13 and Stefan Ivanovski ’12 are the creators of the first program, “Puerto Rico Se Anima.” The program aims to teach creative thinking techniques and 2D animations to about 50 high school students from the Nuestra Escuela organization.
According to their website (http://www.latcreativa.org/prsa/), their goal is to “provide students with the necessary skills and tools so they can become active social agents of change within their immediate communities and the wider region of Latin America and the Carribean.”
Saavedra believes that the arts dignify the soul.
“For me the focus is a bit different. It’s all about giving back to people. I wanted to ground the arts in reality and further help [these kids] in the long run. [Hopefully, our project will] help foster a culture of teamwork, cooperation and leadership among the youth,” Ivanovski said.
The pair chose Puerto Rico for their project location because they believe life on islands is much more difficult because resources are not always readily available.
“There aren’t as many resources, shipping is difficult and [there is a shortage of technology available.] Also, Puerto Rico has the second biggest police force in the world. There is a lot of repressed violence,” Saavedra said.
Saavedra is selling his artwork for $5 a piece this week in the Elaine Langone Center Mall to raise more money for this project.
The second recipient of the Davis Foundation Projects for Peace grant is “Boloka Ngwao – Preserve Your Culture,” a program that aims to inspire tomorrow’s youth leaders from historical culture.
Lebo Letsie ’12 created the program. She came up with the idea through firsthand observation while living in Botswana.
“I saw this as an opportunity for positive change back home. [I hope] it will have long lasting effects and that it will inspire people to become leaders and do things for their community,” Letsie said. “[This program aims to] encourage youth to achieve more in life. We want to make them well-rounded individuals. Hopefully, [this program] will equip them with the skills to succeed in the future.”
As far as logistics go, the program is organized as a “retreat” that aims to “re-connect Botswana youth with their culture [and] equip them with basic leadership tools and skills that they will use as they transition into adulthood.”
“Each day will have a past, present and a future component. There will be four groups of people with approximately 20 kids per group. Each of the four groups will go on a four-day retreat,” Letsie said.
Letsie believes it is important to give back to one’s community.
“I have been very fortunate because of other people’s kindness,” Letsie said.
