All posts by Ashley O'Keefe

Exploring Self Perception At Upcoming Cultural Event

BY ERICA MILOSH

On April 12 in Daniels Auditorium there will be an interactive “Career Fair” style event intended to explore identity and perspective. Participants will enter the auditorium and be given a new identity and resume. There will be six booths at the “fair” that each participant will visit; the idea is to collect as many stamps as possible at these booths.

Professor Cathy Temple, and Senior English major Marquice Jackson designed the event. The idea came about last fall semester when discussing how to experience the working world from other perspectives.

Teachings from philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, have also influenced this project. One quote in particular, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth,” should be kept in mind as students peruse the fair.

“We want to show students that other people don’t experience the world the same way you do,” Cathy said.

The “fair” can be classified a social experiment intended to make students question why some individuals are more desirable than others in the job market and how people are viewed by institutions. Other factors, unknown to most students, affect employability.

“The dream is for everyone to be treated equal, but not everyone is treated the same,” Cathy said.

Cathy and Marquice encourage the Nichols community to attend the event and learn about how the world works for everyone differently. At the end of the fair, Cathy and Marquice will reveal a valuable lesson about the resumes and the reality of the working world.

This interactive experience will be held April 12 in Daniels Auditorium at 3:30 p.m.

Humanities Students Embark on Charity: Water Campaign

BY ERICA MILOSH

According to charitywater.com, 663 million people in the world live without clean water. That’s almost twice the amount of people living in the U.S. Humanities Program Chair, Dorrie Nang, and her students decided to raise money in order to help those in need of clean water. All of the donations will benefit Charity: Water, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing clean water to every person in the world.

Professor Nang said that a few motivated students became interested in making a difference after watching a film about the need for water in her Around the World in 80 Days course. Students Jessica Rotondo, Taylor Robohm, Nicole Penniman, and Briana Doyle are planning a series of fundraisers to help more people acquire access to clean water.

Professor Nang and her students are busy scheduling raffles, coin drives, bottle drives, and a Charity Water Ball. The water ball will be a semi-formal dance with a student DJ and appetizers for the attendees. Tickets for the ball will be on sale early March, at the cost of $10 a person. All of the proceeds from the tickets will be donated to the charity.

Water is a fundamental and required aspect of life that everyone takes for granted. The students are passionate about the cause because people’s lives can be changed drastically for the better once they have access to clean water. Traveling to collect water consumes precious time. Children often miss school because they are helping to collect water and many women walk up to 8 hours a day to get to a water source that isn’t even clean. If everyone had access to water, children could stay in school, health would improve for all, and the women who spend hours traveling to get it could focus on improving their own lives.

Professor Nang and her students hope to raise $3,000 between the collective projects. They plan for the Charity Water Ball to be the biggest attraction to raise awareness in the Nichols community. The water ball will be held on April 2 in the Athletic Center from 8 p.m.-12 a.m.

Opportunities for All at Leadership Expo

BY ERICA MILOSH

A Leadership Expo was held in Fels Lounge on February 9 from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Several tables were set up promoting leadership opportunities and organizations along with on-campus employment opportunities.

There were pamphlets filled with information for students interested in joining Bison Academy or the Emerging Leaders Program. Bison Academy is a series of leadership workshops offered by Student Life. Workshops range from basic, intermediate, and master. Students will receive a certificate of completion at the Student Leadership Awards once they’ve finished the program. The Emerging Leaders Program is a four-year program that helps students develop their leadership skills. The program explores what qualities a leader should possess and how leaders have an advantage in the job market.

There were several job opportunities available through Residence Life, the Academic Resource Center (ARC), and the Admissions Department. Residence Life is looking for Resident Advisors and Community Managers. The ARC is in need of writing fellows and tutors, and the Admissions Department is hiring Ambassadors. Other job openings include Orientation Leaders and Teaching Assistants for first year PDS courses. The Student Government Association was also present to accept new members.

The Leadership Expo is one example of how easy it is to get involved on campus, find employment or a leadership position. Every semester there is a need for TAs and RAs; every campus position builds up a student’s resume and work ethic. There are plenty of jobs and leadership opportunities for every student so everyone has a chance to succeed.