TEDx Comes to St. Lawrence

This fall, for the first time, St.  Lawrence University opened its

doors to TEDx, an independently run event featuring 10 student, professor and alumni speakers united by the common theme,

In Pursuit of Harmony. This student-driven event united 100 audience members, more than 30 organizers, and 10 speakers in St.  Lawrence’s Peterson-Kermani Performance Hall on November 12, 2016. An additional 783,

including several viewing parties, joined in via the livestream.

Rutendo Chabikwa ’17 from Zimbabwe used storytelling to remind people of the importance of self-care and reflection in her presentation titled “When Life Serves You Curve Balls.”

“Our community is working on becoming more open, and what better way is there to create and influence future leaders than to bring together ideas that challenge and push us to think differently and critically about our own communities,” Rutendo says.

Karim Creary ’17 of Bermuda, in his talk “Am I being a jerk?”, showed the community how to put oneself in another’s shoes to understand different values and perspectives. “On my island, Bermuda, there was quite a few protests against the government because certain people saw new policies as racist and certain people didn’t understand where those sentiments were coming from,” Karim says. “I felt that there needed to be more dialogue

between these groups rather than just condemnation, so I started to think about how I could facilitate these conversations.”

In fact, Alyssa Stahr ’19 of Syracuse, New York, facilitated another conversation in her presentation, “Sixty Seconds Apart.” “I talked about the physical and personality differences between me and my identical twin sister,” Alyssa says. “Far too often, we as a society place people with similar values into one group, exempting them from any type of individuality.”

Rutendo says, “We all want to contribute to the world, but sometimes we forget that we cannot do that until we are at ease with who we are first. I hope people are able to leave the venue with some optimism about life and are able to see their own lives as beautiful regardless of the ups and downs they face.”

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to sharing ideas in the form of short, inspiring talks—the TEDx events.

BY IMMAN MERDANOVIC ’17

A Publication of the St. Lawrence University Parents Committee Winter 2017

PARENTSCOPE

JOIN US FORFAMILY WEEKEND

October 6-8, 2017

COMMENCEMENTSUNDAYMAY 21, 2017

It is 6 p.m. on a tuesday night, do you know where your children are? If they’re in the First-Year Program (FYP) course

Making a Difference, they might be in jail.It’s not what you might think. Several

St.  Lawrence students attend Community Game Night every week at the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, a low security jail in Canton. The FYP, instructed by Liz Regosin, professor of history and Jennifer Hansen, dean of First-Year Programs and professor of philosophy, focuses on giving back to the community in different ways. The class is divided into groups that participate in various forms of Community Based Learning (CBL), a component of classes that puts St. Lawrence students out into the community.

Regosin describes the CBL component through the experience of her students. “For all of the students partaking in community based learning, once you go out there and interact with people, all of those issues begin to take on a relevance that they might not have if they just learn about it in the classroom.”

The class focuses on what a thriving democracy should look like and raises the question; how can we make a difference and what does that look like? Students do this by examining issues facing our country such as; high rates of incarceration, an expanding wealth gap, uneven educational experiences, food insecurity, and higher incidents of racialized police brutality. They do this through working within the local community to see first-hand these challenges.

Each group is broken up into sections that go out into the community outside of class time to do their own research and observation. Some go to Campus Kitchens, which provides and serves meals to those with food insecurity. Some participate in a Book Club at the jail, and some attend Community Game Night at that same facility, just to name a few places where they have a presence.

The inmates that participate in these programs are all workers at the facility, they go

through a hiring process and work long hours. Programs like these are perks for those who give back during their stay. The interactions between the students and inmates make it clear that they are all willing participants and happy to be a part of the evening.

On Game Night, once the students check in with security, they enter a classroom along with a group of inmates and break up into smaller groups to play various table games, such as Mexican Trains and cards. Immediately everyone is laughing and joking with one another, rehashing events from the week and telling jokes from previous game nights. Despite the program only being a few short months, it is obvious that both the students and the inmates have made meaningful connections.

“At first I was hesitant to pick this FYP, but we really all like it and it’s opened my eyes,” said Meredythe Hanlon ’20, “the experience has totally been worth it.”

“They [the jail administrators] have been really good about opening their doors to St. Lawrence University and other programs with the idea that people who are incarcerated are members of the community and they will not spend their entire lives in jail,” says

Regosin. “In the county jail, those inmates are people that

are coming right back into this community, which is why it’s called Community Game Night.”

BY LIZ MILLER ’17

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Game Night at County Jail

Liz Regosin, professor of history

Online Laurentian Lecture Series

Put yourself back in the classroom with St. Lawrence faculty by visiting our

Laurentian Lecture Series archive.

Titles include:

• Science by the People, Science for the People: The Rise of Citizen Science

• Deconstructing “Tribe” and the Politics of Ethnicity in Kenya

• Modern Hockey Statistics: An Introduction

• Bullying-Prevention Programming and the Arts: Creative Ways to Address the Bullying Epidemic

• Global Palestine: Thinking Beyond Conflict

See the complete list of lectures: alumni.stlawu.edu/laurentianlectures

For st. lawrence athletic teams, support from parents and families is the name of the game. Many families are extremely involved in athletics at St. Lawrence, the dedicated fan base that is always there, regardless of

how far away the competition is.“You know, no matter what, they’re going to be there for you,” says Jennifer

Scudder ’18, a member of the women’s basketball team. “Even when my family can’t be there, there are other families there to support me. It’s like I have twelve sets of parents right now.”

The families of the men’s lacrosse team are a great example of this dedication. The parents ensure the Saints always have fans for game day, at home or away. “I’m always impressed and amazed at the number of parents that are able to get to our games, even in the middle of the week,” says Head Coach Mike Mahoney ’93.

Beyond attendance, the families put a lot of time into organizing events for the teams. Richard Roberts, whose son Jack graduated after the 2016 season, was the lacrosse team’s unofficial lead parent. “Everybody was ready to work together to help out any way they could,” Roberts says. “And I’ve never seen anything like it in my life at any other school. It’s very unique to St. Lawrence, without a doubt.”

Even though his son is no longer in college, helping out the team has had a lasting impact for Roberts. “What’s really cool is that we have all stayed in touch with each other,” Roberts says. “It’s almost like we have our own fraternity of parents.”

The parents set up tailgates, both home and away, so that the players and families can share a meal after games. This gives students a chance to spend time with their families before getting back on the bus or the parents leave campus. “We’re very appreciative of the support of the parents and the families,” Mahoney says. “It makes it that much more enjoyable for our players and it really adds to their overall experience here.”

Roberts considers his experience as a St. Lawrence parent as one he will never forget. “It is so symbolic of how supportive the school is to the team and to all students,” Roberts says. “It transcends athletics.”

BY JULIE ROGERS ’17

St. Lawrence Families:

Part of the Team

With SLU to ChinaBY IMMAN MERDANOVIC ’17

The vibrant culture of Shanghai together with the traditional spices and sounds of the Orient have made China one of the top study-abroad

destinations for students from all over the world. St. Lawrence students have the opportunity to learn about China through the partnership between St.  Lawrence University’s Center for International and Intercultural Studies (CIIS) and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).

Students can choose to pursue either the humanity/social science track at East China Normal University or the sciences/technology/engineering/mathematics (STEM) track at the China Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. At both institutions, students take a Chinese language course and three elective courses, which are all taught in English.

“The classes were conducted in such a way that we not only learned new vocabulary every day,” says Elizaveta Dyatko ’17 of Belarus, who participated in the China study-abroad program as a sophomore, “but we also read texts and had group discussions on such topics as Chinese lifestyle, human rights in China, economic development of the country, environmental pollution and the ways to solve it.”

For some, studying abroad in China turned into a much longer adventure. Austin Dempewolff ’11 went as a junior, returning after graduation to Shanghai, where he now oversees the program.

“I think that [learning Chinese] really adds to the adventure and builds much stronger ties between you and your classmates,” says Dempewolff. “As you watch your language skills improve, you learn to adapt and thrive in the new environment.”

While in China, most students stay with host families. Dempewolff says, “Staying with a host family (that doesn’t speak English) is by far the best way to improve your Chinese and it gave me a lot of insights into local culture that I never could have learned in a classroom.”

The students have a three-day weekend, during which they take part in trips, which range from “flying to Bali for a beach vacation to trekking across mountains in rural China,” Dempewolff explains. St. Lawrence students also have the opportunity to do an independent internship in China through the CIIS office.

As Asia Program Director Helen Huang explains, the program in China mimics the

support system at home in Canton, New York, but the most valuable aspect of the program stems from the students being

immersed into a completely different culture and then challenged to redefine their perspective on the world and on China in particular.

“It really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Dempewolff says, “and forced me to try a lot of new things.” Elizaveta Dyatko ’17

Nineteen St. Lawrence University students took part in the inaugural SLU Connect Albany event during

the fall mid-semester break, while a group of 21 students spent part of their winter recess in Montana as part of the first-ever SLU Connect Mountain States.

The SLU Connect program first launched in 2015 in Washington, D.C., with the concept that students needed exposure to alumni in high-powered professions in order to better prepare them to compete for coveted internships. Now in its third year, students meet with alumni and parents in various professions and take part in panel discussions, networking events, site visits and workshops. The program expanded this year, allowing students to connect in Albany, touring the state Capitol and meeting with Laurentians in the capital region. In Montana, they discovered that successful careers exist in towns both big and small.

For Hannah Kingsley ’18, a junior from Gouverneur, New York, it was her first time visiting Albany. “I’ve spent my whole life in New York, so it was great to finally see our capital.”

As editor of student-run The Laurentian Magazine, Hannah was extremely interested in visiting the Times-Union newspaper and getting a chance to meet with its editor,

Rex Smith, who is married to St. Lawrence Trustee Marion Roach Smith ’77.

“When I used to think of a newspaper, I thought of a small room with a few reporters and editors,” she said. “But, then you go inside this big building, and you begin to understand how many people it takes to run that operation—people in advertising, people working the press, people doing finances. It helped me understand that, while a company may look like they do just one thing, that doesn’t mean that they don’t need people with all different skills to work there.”

Jennifer Evans ’19 grew up in Richmond, Massachusetts, a small town located between the Berkshire Mountains and the New York State border. As an environmental studies and

sociology combined major, she was interested to learn more about career opportunities in rural areas. After taking part in the Mountain States program—which was spearheaded by Trustee and Parents Committee member Joanie Hall P’17—Jennifer thinks a career out West just may be in her future.

“I saw a lot of opportunities for working in small towns or rural areas that I never even thought of before,” said Jennifer, who is also a member of St. Lawrence’s Ski Club. “I could see myself going back after graduation.”

Students heard from alumni, parents and professionals who work in careers such as environmental conservation, banking and information technology. They then had a chance to deliver their own elevator-pitches during a speed networking event held at the Yellowstone Club. And of course, they got to ski.

“Being able to talk to alumni with the same interests as me has really helped me zone in on what interests me, what I could see myself doing and where there are opportunities,” Jennifer said. “There are actual jobs out there, and you can create a lifestyle for yourself beyond just being a ski lift operator.”

For more information about SLU Connect programs and opportunities, visit www.stlawu.edu/career-services.

SLU Connect Expands to Albany & MontanaBY RYAN DEUEL

I saw a lot of opportunities for working

in small towns or rural areas that I never even

thought of before.Jennifer Evans ‘19

Being a senior, i find myself reflecting on my childhood a lot. You’re caught in this limbo of “in less than a year I’m going to be an adult” and “one more year to just be a kid.” In my

reflection on childhood, I always remembered how excited I was to learn about anything. I especially loved to visit museums, not some-thing every 10-year-old is excited about.

One of my favorite museums to visit was the George Eastman Museum in my hometown of Rochester, New York. My childhood love for this museum came full circle in summer 2016, when I had the opportunity to work there as an intern under the wing of Eliza Kozlowski ’86, director of communication and visitor engagement.

I made this connection through Shadow-A-Saint, a program Career Services offers that allows a student to shadow an alumnus/alumna or parent for a day to experience a sliver of what it’s like to be in their position. Over winter break, I shadowed Eliza, her and I clicked (like many Laurentians), and she offered me a summer internship to get experience in the communications world.

Have you ever heard of George Eastman? He’s practically a legend in Rochester. Eastman was an innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company. He made the use of roll film and photography popular (almost like the Snapchat and Instagram of the late 1800s). Not only did he create new technology that took the world by storm, he was also a man focused on creating a strong community and worked to give others opportunities to an education. Sound familiar?

Working as an intern, I was surprised at the similarities between the values of Eastman and St. Lawrence.• Eastman was focused on equal opportunities for

everyone. Like Eastman, St. Lawrence strives to make sure every student has access to diverse learning environments.

• Eastman knew the importance of education, donating money to programs as well as funding colleges to make sure people had the opportunities to be successful in life. The education I have received at St. Lawrence is undeniable. I have found that everyone who attends St. Lawrence is passionate about learning, and professors are passionate about teaching and learning.

• Eastman knew the importance of having a wide range of interests and knowledge. Not only was he a businessman, he was also interested in photography, art, travel and much more. With a liberal arts education from St. Lawrence, I have the opportunities to dabble in a variety of courses, yet still find a connection between them all.

• Like most Laurentians, Eastman was dedicated to his community’s success, and that part of his legacy has continued on in his organization. At the beginning of the summer, I was under the impression

that I was going to be a typical intern; dealing with files, phones calls and maybe coffee runs. However, my experience was quite the opposite. I was given the opportunity to be a real part of the team. I was able to voice my ideas, which were discussed, and some even implemented in social media campaigns. That sense of team is carried on throughout the entire organization. Every different department works together and strives toward one common goal—to keep George Eastman’s legacy alive. I get that same essence of team and community when I come home to St. Lawrence. Every individual is working together as a community.

In my adventures at the George Eastman Museum when I was younger, I learned and adopted these values as my own. And now, as I reflect on the past three years I have spent at St. Lawrence, I see how powerful these values are. Luckily, I have been able to learn so much at both of these institutions, and I’m excited for the future.

How A Hometown Museum Prepared Me for SLUBY TAYLOR LINCOLN ’17

IMPORTANT DATESstlawu.edu/academic-calendars

This calendar is subject to revision by the University.

Parent Leadership Giving23 Romoda DriveCanton, NY 13617

Non Profit Org. U.S. PostagePAIDPermit No. 994Syracuse, NY

The main articles in this newsletter were written

by the student interns in Communications—

just another example of one of the many internships

(this one for academic credit and on campus)

that St. Lawrence offers its students.

Left to Right: Imman Merdanovic ’17, Liz Miller ’17, Julie Rogers ’17

So Who Are These Writers, Anyway?

FALL SEMESTER 2017 August30Classes Begin September15-17Homecoming October6-8Family Weekend12-15Mid-semester Break November18-26Thanksgiving Recess December14Classes End22Final Exams End

SPRING SEMESTER 2018 January17Classes begin

February15-18Mid-semester Break March17-25Spring Break April27Festival Day May4Classes End12Final Exams End20Commencement!