Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Final Summer Spotlight: Melanie Studnicka

"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."




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!

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."