"Exactly one week after I finished taking my finals I found
myself sitting at JFK airport, looking at 40 new faces and ready for a life
changing adventure ahead of me. I was finally going on my Birthright! For those
of you who do not know, Birthright is an organization that allows Jewish young
adults, from ages 18 to 26, to go to Israel for a free ten-day trip. During the
ten days, I traveled with my group all over the country. The amount of
activities we accomplished and sights we saw was overwhelming. From rafting
down the Jordan River, floating in the Dead Sea, sleeping in Bedouin style
tents, hiking Masada, riding camels, walking around the city of Tel Aviv and
praying at the Western Wall. On the fourth day of our trip, our group was
joined with eight new faces. These were our soldiers from the Israeli Defense
Force (IDF). At age 18 all Israeli citizens must join the IDF, the army. What
this means is that the soldiers who joined our trip, were our age-mostly 19 or
20 years old. One night, I roomed with Mai, who is one of our female solider
who serves in Gazi. Her and I began talking and we realized how similar we
were. We both were the oldest in our family, had one younger brother, and
unsure with what we want to do with our lives. She was even born only ten days
before I was. A realization that Mai had is the best way I know how to
summarize my trip to Israel. Upon learning that we were only a few days apart
in age she turned to me and said “Wow! I could be finishing up my second year
of University right now” and I responded with “Yes, and I could be in your unit
serving in Gazi.” In that moment we both realized the difference between being
Jewish and being an Israeli. The entire culture of the state of Israel makes it
a different experience. From living in a land that is holy to many world
religions, to being required to go the army at age 18, and (if you are Jewish)
living in a country where the majority of the population has the same faith as
you. You would think that it would be easy to be Jewish in a land where it is
the norm, but yet 40 Americans were able to show eight Israeli’s what Judaism
means when your religion is an active choice."
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Summer Spotlight: Gen Flynn
"This summer, I traveled to the Lycian region of Turkey along with Kristin Otto, a rising senior at DePauw, and Professor Foss, a classics professor, in order to gain a better understanding of the landscape, history, and peoples of ancient Lycia. The goal of this project was to research the ways in which the peoples of this area utilized the unique topography of the region to build successful settlements and to understand the relationships between the various peoples in this area. To accomplish this, we visited approximately 2-3 archaeological sites daily and focused our attention on a number of features, including the following: use of language(s), burial practices, ancient road and cistern structures, archaeological preservation techniques, and construction techniques. I greatly enjoyed participating in this study because it provided me with a richer understanding of the ancient Mediterranean through the eyes of the ancients. It also allowed me to travel Turkey and explore an unfamiliar culture and religion. This trip helped me to better grasp the methods employed by archaeological researchers and taught me to become more observant to the features of archaeological sites. Overall, this trip proved to be a unique educational experience and greatly improved my understanding of the ancient world."
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
DPU Panhellenic Receives Honors!
On Monday, the National Panhellenic Conference awarded 33 colleges and universities across the nation for their outstanding work for the Panhellenic community on their campus. NPC has been recognizing student-managed Panhellenic Councils for more than 50 years, and only the top schools are honored with either Achievement or Excellence awards. The Panhellenic Council at DePauw received the Achievement Award.
"NPC received scores of nominations to recognize the outstanding work and achievements of undergraduate sorority women who are working together," said Nicki Meneley, executive director of NPC. "These awards are given to those who are following the exemplary standards set for Panhellenic women."
Schools are graded on a "7/7" system, a point given for each of the 7 core functions of Panhellenic. DePauw recieved a score of 5/7, being recognized in excelling in Recruitment, Panhellenic structure, communication with NPC area advisory, judicial procedures, Panhellenic programming, academics, and Panhellenic community impact and relations!
"NPC received scores of nominations to recognize the outstanding work and achievements of undergraduate sorority women who are working together," said Nicki Meneley, executive director of NPC. "These awards are given to those who are following the exemplary standards set for Panhellenic women."
Schools are graded on a "7/7" system, a point given for each of the 7 core functions of Panhellenic. DePauw recieved a score of 5/7, being recognized in excelling in Recruitment, Panhellenic structure, communication with NPC area advisory, judicial procedures, Panhellenic programming, academics, and Panhellenic community impact and relations!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Summer Spotlight: Erin O'Brien
"After being crowned Miss Indiana
South last spring, I had the amazing opportunity to compete at the Miss Indiana
Scholarship Pageant this June in Zionsville! The pageant had five categories:
Interview, Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, Talent, Evening Gown, and Onstage
Question. I spent the months leading up to the big pageant practicing and
preparing for each of these phases!
I love competing in pageants
because I always grow and better myself after every competition—whether I
come
away with the crown or not. This hobby has helped me become an
articulate,
well-rounded, and mature young woman. For me, pageantry is about
improving
myself, and also making a difference in my community. Though I did not
win this year, I had the time of my life representing DePauw and
Southern Indiana.
It was so inspiring to meet the 31
other contestants. At the heart of the Miss America Organization is
community
service, and each contestant has her own personal platform that she
promotes. Each
contestant was so passionate about her platform. I loved learning about
all of
their accomplishments, as well as sharing my platform, which involves
encouraging young women to explore STEM fields. At the end of the
week, I walked away with 31 new sisters and very fond memories to always
cherish."
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Summer Spotlight: Emily Vincent
Hanging out with miniature Julina Pigs |
"This summer I had the opportunity to participate in an animal care internship at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. In the mornings I worked in the zoo's commissary, which is the department in charge of creating diets for all the animals in the zoo- no small task! The best part about working in the commissary was getting to go "behind the scenes" at many exhibits during our daily food deliveries. I had the rare chance to see animals such as manatees, rhinos, and cheetahs up close. Each afternoon I worked in the Children's Zoo with many different species of domesticated barnyard animals, providing me with experience in another area of zoo keeping. I loved my internship because I was able to work closely with exotic animals and learn from experienced zoo keepers about this field. I hope someday to become a veterinarian at a zoo, so this internship provided me with an amazing first step into the profession"
Feeding a manatee |
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Summer Spotlight: Kreigha Henney
"I am currently writing this blog post from a front row arena seat inside of the current emptiness that is The Sears Centre in Chicago. In a few days, the position where I currently sit will be filled with fans, athletes, photographers, and journalists all gathering for the same sole reason: gymnastics. This summer I have been interning with the events department at USA Gymnastics which is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity that includes traveling to cities like Kansas City, Louisville, Hartford, and my current location of Chicago. My internship includes a wide variety of jobs that ultimately incorporate many aspects of my communications major. From registration to awards to media and live webcasting, I never know for sure what I'll end up assisting with on any given day. The job opportunity actually came through a DePauw Alum, who also happens to be an alum of the Panhellenic Community. If I have learned nothing else from this experience, it is that when taken advantage of, our DePauw network is something to be truly grateful for, and more specifically, our bond through the Panhellenic community. I work with two women who were active in our DePauw Panhellenic community not too many years ago and this experience has made me appreciate the bubble that we too often take for granted. At the end of the day, having something like DePauw in common with these women has made working in a new place not only more comfortable as a work environment, but has genuinely made me feel at home."
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