2020 Fall The Honorable Mention

Emily Calhoun (’20). Photo courtesy of Dave Parrott Honors College alumni give back to the community through COVID-19 testing BY SARAH HALL 2020 has proven itself to be one of the most challenging and eventful years in global history, marked primarily by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the hardships faced in this new setting, many have found ways to cope and continue leading near-normal lives. Others have taken this a step further and used this time to reach back out to their communities. Aaron Smith, Maya Rockwell, and Emily Calhoun all graduated in May, and are now working for various agencies involved in COVID-19 testing. Admittedly, graduating in 2020 was a bit more daunting than expected for all, given the sudden economic halt. Despite this, these alumni used their skills and knowledge in ways they did not anticipate. After an unexpected but seemingly ordinary conversation with one of his peers, Aaron Smith found himself volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps soon after graduation. He became one of the first volunteers to start COVID-19 testing during the early stages of the pandemic. “We started with five of us at a time working out of the back of a medical truck, going to different testing sites,” Smith said. “It was the wildest at the beginning, having no idea what the day would bring.” Some days he would start out the day testing vitals on a hundred people in a quarantine shelter, then receive a call for a hotspot in the city in need of rapid testing. Some weeks would require 100 hours of work to keep up with the testing demands. Maya Rockwell began working around the same time as Smith. She, too, began working out of the back of a truck, Continued on page 7 COVID-19, Arts PAGE Despite & Performance provides students with communityFOUR building seminar · PAGE FIVE · Fall 2020 Volume 19 Issue 1 Redefining community: How the Honors College has maintained intentionality amid the pandemic Honors amid COVID-19: Students, staff adapt to virtual space BY ZIDIA GIBSON First-year communication major and Honors student Lucas For example, Valdez noted, Honors is “pretty famous for Arico (’24) finalized his college decision right as quarantine their discussion-based format and discussion learning, which protocols began in his hometown of Palos Verdes, California. looks a little bit different now.” Arico was excited to meet new people and begin his college When face masks and online discussion features like the chat experience. window and the mute button on Zoom are added, promoting “I figured by this point, everything will be back to normal,” and fostering communication between students becomes more Arico said. “Worst comes to worst, we’re still wearing masks.” complex. Little did he know, the next six months would bring 35 Despite these barriers, Valdez believes there is a bright side million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over a million to virtual learning. deaths worldwide, “Students who might according to the World have been more shy to Health Organization, and speak can now have the a plethora of public health chat to say what they “Students who might have been more shy to speak regulations. need to say,” she said. At the onset of fall “That’s something I used can now have the chat to say what they need to say.” semester, Westminster to struggle with a lot, College enforced various especially when I was a mitigation practices. first-year student, because Katie Valdez (’21) Arico’s classes are a mix it was so hard for me to of in-person and virtual speak up in class.” meetings, he must don a Valdez and the rest face covering whenever of SHC gather weekly he leaves his dorm room, and he to discuss and plan events for the is obliged to practice physical Honors College. distancing. “I’ve got to say that [SHC] are “To be honest, I did not think I wonderful folks with a lot of initiative would be able to do a lot of socializing and they’ve planned some great events due to social distancing, but [my online,” said Steph Santarosa, assistant friends and I] have found a way,” director of the Honors College. Arico said. With virtual plans in motion To create as traditional a college though, the coming and going of experience as possible, Arico and his students throughout Nunemaker friends hike on the weekends, go out Place has dramatically decreased. to eat, and host game nights. “We used to have a lot more “We try to be outside so we can students stopping by Nunemaker to help familiarize ourselves with the study downstairs,” Santarosa said. surrounding areas and just be with “I miss students just coming to my each other,” he said. office and chatting, and the organic, The Student Honors Council unplanned interactions that happen.” (SHC) also implements various online As a result, these physical events, including weekly virtual study distancing measures regulate how nights, the Chai and Chat series, and much time people can spend together Zoom panel discussions with guest in buildings like Nunemaker. speakers. As Santarosa said, “We’ve put “Our goal with planning events, SHC President Katie Valdez (’21). so much effort the last few years especially right now, is building Photo courtesy of Ceci Rigby into letting people know, ‘You know, community,” said Katie Valdez (’21), [Nunemaker] is your space’ and now we president of SHC and fourth-year justice studies major. “It’s have to say, ‘If you’re going to take some candy, you have to hard for Honors to build our community as tightly knit as we take it to-go.’” have in the past with everything going on with the pandemic.” 2 What it’s like to be a peer mentor through a pandemic B Y G W E N D E LY N S A L A Z A R Rebecca Dennis (’21) and Brynlie Green (’23) are both peer lateral-entry students, which means they joined the Honors mentors through the Westminster Honors College, a position College after their first year. Instead of focusing on guiding that involves supporting both first-year and lateral-entry students. students through the general learning curve of college, Dennis Although that support looks said most of her work goes into different in 2020, Dennis and Wednesday Conversations, which Green work to stay available and are weekly meetings among the meet their mentees’ needs. cohort. Brynlie Green is a mentor This year, those meetings are for traditional-entry students, themed around the pandemic. meaning those who join the “This year’s topic is wellness: Honors College their first year. the first one was yoga, and most The biggest difference she noticed recently about using meditation due to the pandemic was the initial in your writing process,” Dennis introductions. said. “The speaker talked about “I remember being at my own meditating and then freewriting as first-year orientation, where we an exercise for mental health and a were hugging and shaking hands tool to help with getting everything and sharing phone numbers,” out of your brain for an essay.” Green said. “This year was so Both Green and Dennis different.” would advise those who consider Focusing on familiar aspects of becoming a peer mentor to think the traditional mentoring program about the commitment to their helps the adjustment though, mentees. according to Green. “There is no right way to be a “Several things were peer mentor, and it’s so helpful to fundamentally the same,” she said. have mentors from across different “We still sent all peer mentees a backgrounds and experiences,” Peer mentor Rebecca Dennis (‘21). handwritten welcome letter, we got Photo courtesy of Jaedri Wood Green said. “Think about what to walk them through orientation, would have helped you succeed as and now we’re still meeting a first-year student and monthly with each mentee. try to apply that to how While things are so you’re interacting with your “Find out what your mentors have to offer. Use your different, there’s still the mentees.” mentors for networking. We’re a good resource as same air of familiarity.” As for advice to current Green uses regular checkmentees, the peer mentors someone who has expertise and we can help.” ins to provide support to suggest making the most of her mentees through this the program. Rebecca Dennis (’21) unusual year. “The Honors College has “I text them each at least so many possibilities and once a month and learn resources to help students about how life is going, succeed, especially as a firstif they’re enjoying their year student,” Green said. classes, and if they have any short-form prompts coming up,” she “The best thing that you can do is reach out to take advantage of said. them!” Friendship and homework assistance are the best methods to Dennis agreed, noting mentors can be used beyond the college stay in touch, according to Green. realm. “I make sure to let them know that I’m always available to “Find out what your mentors have to offer,” Dennis said. “Use help.” your mentors for networking. We’re a good resource as someone Rebecca Dennis has spent the last two years peer mentoring who has expertise and we can help.” 3 Despite COVID-19, Arts & Performance provides students with communitybuilding seminar BY BRENDAN SUDBERRY Arts and Performance has become one of the most sought- events,” Potter said. after classes offered by the Honors College. Part of what makes To account for these expectations and to satisfy that course this class so enticing for students is the inclusion of interactive outcome from previous terms, Potter and Kruback have welcomed activities and events in the curriculum. virtual performance viewing opportunities. It’s also known for the sense of community it fosters “In some ways, the streaming events have opened throughout the semester. more doors,” Potter said. Like all classes this year at “Internationally-renowned Westminster College, Arts and organizations like the Performance has undergone Metropolitan Opera and the changes to comply with COVID-19 National Theatre have a lot guidelines set forth by the college, of streaming content now.” as well as by local and state officials. Potter said he hopes the Spencer Potter, chair of the ability of students to access high theatre department, teaches an Arts quality content free from their and Performance seminar alongside homes is something that continues art professor Matt Kruback. Potter once the COVID-19 pandemic is explained that this semester the over. course employs a hybrid modality. Finally, Potter said although This means that students have community-building requires the option to attend class in-person different kinds of effort when done under social distancing guidelines remotely, he believes the changes or remotely through the use of the class has experienced because technology. of COVID-19 have allowed them “For the first couple of weeks, to focus on facets of community everyone attended in person and they would not have otherwise as the semester has progressed, we explored. have about half joining us online The course content and and the other half joining in strategies for community building Spencer Potter, associate professor of theater and professor person,” Potter said. “It took a little used by the professors were based in the Arts & Performance class. getting used to and the technology on a series of “Big Questions” the Photo courtesy of Guy Smith and hardware learning students collaboratively curves were something, but created at the start of the it feels like we’ve settled term. The questions not “I can’t imagine the national protests against police into our groove and that only dealt with art and the flexibility has allowed design, but also considered violence, calls for racial justice, and [the] national students to join the class in the ways in which art can health crisis didn’t shape students’ concerns and the most comfortable way interact with movements questions.” for them.” for social change. In addition to format, “The students the course content has were focused on arts issues Spencer Potter, theatre department chair changed quite extensively surrounding inclusion, according to Potter. For equity, and class,” Potter example, some class said. “I can’t imagine the requirements have been omitted from the syllabus. national protests against police violence, calls for racial justice, “At the core of previous Arts and Performances courses was and [the] national health crisis didn’t shape students’ concerns and attending and experiencing a range of performing and fine arts questions.” 4 Redefining community: How the Honors College has maintained intentionality amid the pandemic BY ANDREW FRANKS For the Honors community, the pandemic has set this last year apart from any other. A force of destruction, COVID-19 has forced us into isolation and thrown a rock into the cogs of our world. In doing so, it has pushed us not only to redefine our lives but to redefine our lives as they sit in cohort, to redefine community itself, a continuous effort shared by students and staff alike. Amid all the changes, Richard Badenhausen — the founding dean of the Honors College — said he’s been impressed with the dedicated efforts of members of the Honors community to enact meaningful responses to this collective emergency. “I’m really blown away by the dedication of the faculty to ensure that the Westminster learning environment still exists under these new conditions,” Richard said. “Everything is twice as hard and takes three time as long.” Regardless, the faculty have taken the time to adapt their classes — and their creativity has taken his breath away. Reflecting on the contents of one of his recommended readings, Rebecca Solnit’s A Paradise Built in Hell, Richard said societies have historically risen to the challenge of catastrophic situations similar to the current pandemic. “The way groups have typically responded is by forming community,” Richard said. “And they collaborate together on Stephanie Santarosa, assistant director of the Honors College. problem-solving in creative ways.” Photo courtesy Boyer Gallery However, there is a catch. “You might say people like me,” Richard said with a smile, “get in the way of community and collaboration.” Though the Honors College still holds Tuesday Conversations People in positions of power can impede problem-solving in person, they take place in a space where students can perform efforts. This idea has driven Richard to try to be a “helper” as social distancing. In addition, the activities and presentations opposed to a “hindrance.” This includes taking a step back from throughout each session engage students with different aspects of faculty members’ decision wellbeing. making and stand ready to On top of that, while offer support. the attendance policy for “I’m really blown away by the dedication of the And he’s been Tuesday Conversations is faculty to ensure that the Westminster learning impressed, Richard said. now more flexible, Steph environment still exists under these new conditions.” Steph Santarosa, notes that participation in for instance, remade the the activities has not been Tuesday Conversation in its lacking. Richard Badenhausen, dean of the Honors College entirety to fit the new reality “Even with the flexible facing students. attendance policy, most “Even before the students attend most pandemic, we had plans sessions,” Steph said. “It’s to redesign Tuesday Conversations to incorporate mindfulness encouraging to read and hear about what they are learning and practices and a wellness theme,” said Steph, assistant director of seeing our first-year students start to develop community and the Honors College. benefit from a Westminster honors education.” 5 “We told the students to spend two hours doing something related to mental health and wellness,” Kara said. To accommodate for the concerns and desires of students, the two professors have worked to allow learning and discussion both in person and virtually, with each instructor dedicating themselves to each half of their class’s hybrid modality to keep the class connected. “Some students will come in online via Zoom. The others will be in the classroom,” Kara said. “The way it typically works is that I am in the classroom and Han is online.” Han has kept an eye on the students participating online while Kara has engaged with students in the classroom. Despite the hybrid model, online options have proven helpful, Kara said. Even the relatively impersonal online chat function has had its advantages. “I’m noticing students who wouldn’t be willing to say something in a conversation will put it in chat,” Kara said. Despite the pandemic’s impact, students have been willing and able to participate in their classes and to be a part of the Honors community. The Dean of Honors has found himself impressed with their determination, especially the first-year students. “They’ve decided to start their college careers in the middle of a global pandemic,” Richard said. “That takes some courage and strength and stubbornness.” ASW President Obaid Barakzai (’22). Photo courtesy of Marketing and Communication Office Richard and his co-instructor Jeff Nichols have also allowed their first-year Welcome to Thinking students the choice of attending — intending to avoid putting needless pressure on them. “Not one student has missed a class yet,” Richard said, at the midpoint of the semester. Connie Etter said her two different sections of Welcome to Thinking have had no specific attendance policy either. Etter centered her classes around an approach of trusting students in lieu of policing them and putting them under suspicion. “I’m so impressed with students’ commitment to the class,” Connie said. “They show up, and not just on a surface level.” Connie deeply values putting trust in her students, and said she has not been disappointed. With the weight of the pandemic, she and her co-instructors have worked to further encourage community in their classes. For instance, they dedicate half of each class session for small group discussions, as well as frequent impromptu activities help to make students feel comfortable. “We get to know each other,” Connie said. For the Science, Power, and Diversity seminar, which encourages students to think about the intersections of justice and science, professors Han Kim and Kara Barnette have done well to adjust for students in a time when most everyone could use some slack. Knowing that many students are burnt-out, they even gave students a day off to maintain their mental health. Yongtai Li (’21) Photo courtesy of Clubs and Orgs Fair 6 Interesting to him is how first-year students have been navigating their transition to college. Despite the need for social distancing, the desire for collaboration helps to keep students engaged. “It’s interesting how much hunger there is for human connection during this time,” he said. Richard added that juniors and seniors already had many of their friends and connections sorted out, but first-years are having to establish those bonds at a period where it is harder to engage in personal interaction. “The main takeaway from this is people are experiencing this challenge in different ways, depending on their class standing,” Richard said. Katie Valdez, (’21) president of the Student Honors Council (SHC), agreed. She is also impressed with the engagement of the first-year students in the SHC’s events. “I always love to see the first-year students come out because they’re always very enthusiastic about it,” Valdez said. Some students, particularly upperclassmen, now live with their fellow Honors students. Yongtai Li (’21) and Obaid Barakzai, (’22) Westminster’s student body president, have been living together since the beginning of fall semester. Due to a strict no-guest policy and an understandable anxiety towards attending any in-person events, Li and Barakzai have had the chance to get closer as friends. “He was very willing to help me,” Li said on the topic of writing his blog posts for Data/Society/Decision-Making, a class in which students learn and think about the philosophy and ethics of data. Both students even found joy in learning about each other’s respective disciplines. “He taught me a lot about economics and philosophy,” Li said, “And I taught him about physics.” In fact, Li and Barakzai found that the isolation offered time to reflect on their disciplines, among other things. Beyond reflecting on his field of study, Barakzai remarks that he has found himself to be more decisive. “I think being quarantined gives me a lot of time to think further into the future,” he said, “And to center my schedule well around both work and self-care.” Though he is not currently taking an Honors course, Barakzai did have one last semester when the pandemic began. He said he noticed an immediate difference in how all of his classes felt. “I just suddenly lost the opportunity to see my peers,” Barakzai said. “Everything turned into an online chat.” As an extrovert, he said he felt put-off by the erasure of personality and tone through the technology employed in his virtual classes, feeling too that it became difficult to facilitate indepth discussions. Regardless, Barakzai has been doing his part to help Honors students through the pandemic, and he has used his time to sit and reflect on his role in the Honors community. “I think it doesn’t impede the progress and growth of my relationships with my Honors peers moving forward,” he said. “The quarantine has created a space for me to revisit my friend circle and reach out to friends I haven’t spoken to in a while.” Along with several professors and other experts, Barakzai spoke at an SHC event early in September to provide tips for time management, mental health, and financial wellbeing — an event that SHC president Valdez said helped to address and assuage students’ concerns. Taken altogether, the Honors community has weathered this catastrophe well. Despite the challenges presented by the need for social distancing, the community has adapted to teach students about maintaining their wellbeing — while also allowing students room to adjust as needed. Continued from page 1 awaiting the first call of the day that would often draw them to Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals, primarily nursing homes and congregate settings. She noted that the populations in many hotspots were non-white, and explained the ease of spread in areas of lower socioeconomic status and higher-congregate density. However, she was happy to say that many people in these settings were grateful to have testing “come to them, rather than having to drive elsewhere.” One of the bigger challenges of the work was the increased government involvement in the process, transforming the work from “freeform chaos to a highly structured system,” according to Rockwell. However, she also stated the experience was valuable in understanding the pandemic first-hand. “The more information you can have, the better off you are,” she said. Samples collected in Salt Lake are sent to the Utah Public Health Lab, where Emily Calhoun works. Calhoun started out in the sample receiving lab, but now works in extraction where she performs mass PCR tests (a type of COVID-19 testing) to identify positive cases. “Working during a pandemic with an infectious disease that we know nothing about…is both exciting and terrifying,” Calhoun said. She talked about the importance of reminding our community of the severity of this pandemic and the importance of “holding each other accountable,” but also the importance of continuing to support each other and to “fight through this together.” Honors alumni Aaron Smith (’20) and Maya Rockwell (’20). Photos courtesy of Maggie Regier 7 Student profile: Remi Lindberg How a first-year student is making Westminster her home during the pandemic BY ZIDIA GIBSON For Remi Lindberg (’24), a first-year neuroscience major and and Jeff Nichols, play a role in fostering connections between Honors student, building connections during college was “kind faculty and students. of like a string of events.” Partly what helped Lindberg find a “I would imagine I could get to know them more if COVID-19 community on campus is her extroverted personality — being wasn’t a thing,” Lindberg said. “But they share stories and you get social comes naturally to her. a feeling of who they are.” “For me, it was fairly easy to make friends Despite the pandemic altering normal class because I’m fairly outgoing and I enjoy the structure and dynamic, Lindberg feels like company of others a lot,” Lindberg said. she’s already a part of a group here on campus. At the beginning of the semester, she “Being in the Honors College puts you in collected Snapchat accounts and phone a smaller community already,” Lindberg said. numbers to connect with other students. “Everyone is just so close because we’re having Being in an apartment with five other women a conversation in class, rather than a lecture.” also created a community. With friends, Lindberg likes making plans “I love the apartments,” Lindberg said. and leaving campus to explore the city. “We “My roommates are awesome. Being able to go on hikes and eat a lot of food and drink close the door, and then come out and have boba tea and go grocery shopping,” she said. people there I can talk to — that’s nice.” Finding and becoming part of a community The structure of her classes also Remi Lindberg (’24). on campus is different for every person, and contributed to helping Lindberg build Photo courtesy of Jo Englert making friends can get tricky during a global closer relationships with fellow students. pandemic. Yet for Lindberg, there happened to “When classes began, it was ten times easier to find my people,” be a little bit of chance. Lindberg said. “Professors would put me in breakout rooms and “Who would have thought that during orientation,” she said, groups which forced me to meet people, who have eventually led “I would meet the people I hang out with the most in my first me to other people.” semester here?” Her Welcome to Thinking professors, Richard Badenhausen 2019-2020 HONORS COLLEGE STUDENT WRITING AWARDS Category I Kathryn Jensen “Work Becomes Play and Play Becomes Work (and Murder)” Category II Lienne Cupal “The Fairest of Them All” Samantha Paredes “The Neglect of Reason throughout History” Category III Sophie Caligiuri “The Joke’s on You: How The Dark Knight Portrays the Societal Benefits of Crime” Best Essay of the Year Lienne Cupal “The Fairest of Them All” 8 Let’s Get Your Perspective How has the pandemic altered your view of maintaining community? Kellie Gerbers Sophie Caliguiri Student perspective There are a lot of things to miss. When trying to pinpoint exactly what it is I miss the most, I draw a blank. A series of snapshots flash across my memory, making it impossible to pick just one. I think I miss Richer Commons at the first sign of sunshine the most, where students gather to sun their shoulders and prolong Honors student Sophie Caliguiri. the submission of assignments. Photo courtesy of Ceci Rigby Or maybe I miss the 10 minutes between classes, walking through campus with the cold air pressing against my cheeks—I always saw a friend on the way. Or actually, mostly, I think I miss: sharing a meal with friends and coworkers, my professor’s animated gestures as they talk about something they love, vivid group discussions, carpooling, club meetings, a hug on the way to wherever, and my friends’ faces. These snapshots are all the little things I took for granted. I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “community” ever since receiving this prompt, and I’ve come to the conclusion: What’s community if not the whirlwind, dizzying memories one holds close—almost forgetting, until they are absent? There comes a time that it becomes so natural, you stop thinking about your membership or your place, and you move through the day knowing that somewhere you belong. There are a lot of things to miss. But, there are also a lot of things to welcome, too. It’s now the shared turmoil of technical difficulties, easing the tension with a big, group laugh. It’s a text received during a Zoom lesson, an old friend saying “I see you!” It’s the excitement of innovation on an electronic format. It’s complimenting someone’s multi-colored mask, seeing the posters on your classmates’ walls over Zoom, finding unique ways to connect, laughing at the absolute mess we have found ourselves in. Mostly, it’s being kind to yourself. Community has the ability to change — and never hesitates to do so. It’s up to us to decide if we can set aside ideas of normalcy and begin to fit the shape that community has chosen to take. It’s uncomfortable, it’s strange, it’s silly, and it’s (if you look closely) lovely. When I see the efforts of my classmates and of my professors to stretch themselves just a little further to reach this point—I forget all the things I am supposed to be missing, and remember all that there is still to embrace, to smile upon, to love. I think that we will make it through, don’t you? For those I haven’t met, I’m Kellie (she/her). I teach in the Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) program and Welcome to Thinking/ Environments in the Space of Art for the Honors College. I was asked to write a short Honors and outdoor education piece on how the pandemic has and leadership professor Dr. Kellie shifted my view of maintaining Gerbers. Photo courtesy of Ceci Rigby community. Let’s start with the obvious—this pandemic stinks. Like…really stinks. People are losing their lives, loved ones are getting sick, many are suffering job loss, increased anxieties—the list goes on and on. In my role as a faculty member, I have witnessed in others and experienced personally increased stress in my daily roles/ responsibilities at Westminster. It’s especially hard to witness students and fellow colleagues suffering. More than ever, our communities matter. 2020 has encouraged me to shift what I consider priorities in my classroom. For me, that has meant shifting my perspective on learning. I don’t want learning to feel punitive—and don’t get me wrong, sometimes judgement leads to rough consequences—especially in an outdoor education context—but when I can help create a learning environment where students and faculty feel empowered and excited to learn, rather than fearing a letter-grade outcome (or needing to achieve perfection), that’s a pretty great feeling. I’ve had to let go of some of my previous “truths” about academic learning related to midterms, final projects, attendance policies, etc. Please don’t misinterpret that as a lack of accountability for me or for students. It’s a shift in how we interpret personal responsibility for learning. It means more flexibility. It means opening space for dialog and feedback. I hope that in co-creating class environments that celebrate [and look forward to] learning, rather than fearing negative consequences of not achieving perfection, students can reflect back on their fall 2020 semester and say, “I’m glad I did that.” Your fellow classmates are here to support you. Your faculty and staff are here to support you. You can do this. Stay the course. “ Wh at’s co mm u n i t y i f n ot t h e w h i r l w i n d, dizzy ing “I ’ve had to l et go of so m e of my previ ous ‘truths’ me mo rie s o n e h o l d s c l o s e — a l m o s t for getting, until abo ut academ ic l ear ning rel ated to m idterms, final t h ey a re a b s e nt ? ” pro jects, attendance po l icies, etc.” Professor perspective Hi Honors Community, -KG 9 NEWS & NOTES Ben Rackham (’09) was part of a team of researchers at MIT who discovered an earth-size planet that rotates around its star every 3.14 days, a finding announced in a paper in Astronomical Journal entitled “π Earth.” Ben developed the algorithm that predicted when the planet would pass by its star and be visible to telescopes. Lindsey Roper’s (’09) co-authored essay “Incorporating Writing into College Biology Using Student-Created Open Educational Resources” appears in a recent issue of The American Biology Teacher (2020). Dallin Van Leuven (’10) started a new position as Programme Manager in the Academic Unit at the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ). Cooper Henderson (’11) graduated in May with his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and has started the General Manger Development Program at Danaher Corporation. His first assignment is in Colorado at a subsidiary that manufactures instruments and reagents used to test water quality. Caroline Hill (’11) just graduated from University of California Hastings, College of the Law and has relocated to Denver, CO where she passed the bar and is starting a new position. Erika Rodriguez (’11) completed her PhD in Comparative Literature at Washington University and has started a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Humanities and Assistant Director of the New Commons Project at the University of Maine at Farmington. Allie Roach (’12) recently left her job with NovoNordisk to accept a new position with Gilead Sciences in Seattle as an Associate Scientist specializing in in vivo pharmacology to discover and develop novel therapies for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases and fibrotic pathologies. Nicole Bedera (’14) published a long essay explaining changes to federal guidelines around managing sexual misconduct this past spring online in Time Magazine. Stephanie Held (’15) finished a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and is now working as the Communications Specialist for New Moms, a Chicago-based nonprofit partnering with young families experiencing poverty. Hailey Henderson (’15) graduated with an MFA in acting from the University of Washington in spring 2020. Megan Peters (’15) has started a new position with AmeriCorps Vista in Helena, MT helping the Early Childhood Coalition execute their strategic priorities. Shianne Gray (’16) returns to Westminster as the new Manager of Advancement Events after earning her MFA in Arts Administration at Southern Utah University. Adia Thornton (’16) has moved from the marketing department of CHG Healthcare to Westminster College as a new Marketing Manager. Hannah Williams (’16) received the SPS Student Leader Award this past spring in her nonprofit management program at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies in New York City. Jackson Shaver (’16) received his MD degree from the University of Washington and is headed to an emergency medicine residency at Baylor Scott-White hospital, Texas A&M University. Mackenzie Bledsoe (’18) received the 2020 Student Success Award in her capacity as Program Coordinator for Westminster’s Dumke Center for Civic Engagement. Did you do something notable? We want to know! Email your news and notes to Richard Badenhausen at [e-mail]. 10 Carolyn Janecek (’19) has been appointed the Assistant Managing Editor of the Colorado Review at Colorado State University. Adrik DaSilva (’20) has started his training at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine. Annette Donald (’20) has started the MA program in Sociology at Boston College this fall. Diana Khosrovi (’20) has started her service as a Peace Corps Ambassador in Ukraine. Maggie Regier (’20) now works as the Manager of Alumni Engagement at Westminster College and was elected the youngest member of both Sugar House Community Council and the Westminster Women’s Board. Morgan Shaver (’20) has begun medical school at the University of Washington. Rebecca Blanton (’21) is serving as a communication intern with the Salt Lake County Office for New Americans. Marina McTee (’21) now works with the Sugar House Community Council video series “Sugar House Strong” highlighting local businesses to support them through the pandemic. Cami Mondeaux (’21) was hired as a digital content producer for KSL NewsRadio where she covers local breaking news and the 2020 election. Obaid Barakzai (’22) is the Westminster student body president and had a co-authored editorial on carbon dividends published in The Salt Lake Tribune in October entitled “A climate solution everyone can support.” Saydi Anderson (’23) was named second team all-conference for RMAC in women’s cross-country for her outstanding performance in the RMAC championships. Meet the members of SHC Katie Valdez (’21), SHC President I have had a lot of opportunities to maintain community with my Honors peers this semester through SHC events, as well as through my role as First Year Peer Mentor Coordinator. I’ve gotten to sit in on, participate in, and facilitate many great discussions and activities with my peers this semester, including Tuesday Conversations, SHC Chai and Chats, the Bastian Diversity Lecture Series, and more! So, in my experience at least, I’ve still felt a very strong sense of community in the Honors College despite some of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought about. Katie Valdez (’21). Photo courtesy of Ceci Rigby Lia Baez (’21), SHC Vice President I won’t lie - maintaining community within Honors amid a pandemic has been challenging, but I’ve found that putting together SHC events and participating alongside fellow Honors students has allowed me to meet new people and discuss important local and global issues outside a classroom setting. I’ve also taken advantage that my Honors classes are still largely discussion based and I get to have more conversations with my peers than I do in other virtual/hybrid classrooms. I appreciate the fact that both spaces give me an opportunity for some semblance of “normal” human interaction. Lia Baez (’21). Photo courtesy of Ezra Schofield Juli Sandhu (’23), SHC Treasurer I am maintaining community with my Honors peers this year by going to study nights every Sunday via zoom and tuning into the Chai and Chat events! My favorite event from Honors this year so far was the “Destress and Stretch” yoga during mid-term week. It was nice to do some yoga with friends and take a break from studying. I joined SHC to make the honors community as welcoming as possible and to create impactful events to connect students and inform students about the issues facing our world today. I have really enjoyed serving on SHC this year and am excited to put on more events this year! Juli Sandhu (’23). Photo courtesy of Carolyn Sandhu Brynlie Green (’23), SHC Historian This year has been the first of its kind in every way imaginable, and that means all new territory to plan events with. Because of this, as an Honors Council we elected to keep this year to totally virtual events in order to be safe and accessible. Doing events in the digital space is a bit of a roadblock in the way of building a community, as it’s so different and new, but we’ve been working on some really creative events that allow for that connection between peers to still be made, and provide each other with that “honors feel” that we all miss from last year. It’s been really important to me that we are finding a balance in our events between being socially active and being informed, and I think our events so far have been right in that sweet spot to allow for community building even in this strange time. Brynlie Green (’23). Photo courtesy of Amber Welch Sophie Caligiuri (’22), SHC Secretary It’s no substitute for the real thing, but SHC has made it a goal of ours to provide at least one virtual event a month for Honors students to come and bond within their community. We have recognized community building as an especially pertinent concern of Honors students this academic year (for good reason!) and we have tried to maintain as much (virtually) face-to-face contact as possible. It’s a good opportunity for students to be able to log on and feel as if they are still part of a tight-knit community, even if it’s just from their dorm rooms. 11 Sophie Calligiuri (’22). Photo courtesy of Fatima Santos H O N O RAB LE MENTION E DI T O RS 2020-2021 Cami Mondeaux (’21), Managing Editor, is a communication major with a minor in sociology. Passionate about journalism, Cami has dedicated her college experience to telling stories — engaging with several publications across campus. When she’s not working on homework or reading news articles on election updates, you can find Cami hiking in the canyons somewhere or spending money on an overpriced cup of coffee. Marina McTee (’21), Layout Editor, is a communication major at Westminster College. She is specializing in journalism and content creation. She hopes to combine her passion for journalism with her passion for all things media and work for a media outlet such as SLUG Mag or Vice someday. She is dedicated to reporting news and creating media specialized for the internet world so it is accessible to all. Vanessa Eveleth (’23), Copy Editor, is a communication major with a love for writing. Vanessa has deep appreciation for the power of words. Writing has been part of her life since she was seven years old, and she intends to continue writing in various ways across Westminster’s campus. If not writing, Vanessa is likely to be tucked away in a cozy corner on-campus with a book in one hand and a hot drink in the other. Ceci Rigby (she/hers) (’22), Photo Editor, is an environmental science major. Lover of all things photo and film related, Ceci has enjoyed being the photo editor as a way to bring her passion for photography to campus. Check out the Westminster Art Crowd Instagram (@wacs_ art) to see some of her and other students’ work, as well as other cool art opportunities! Letter from the Editors You’ve been hearing it for months: “We’re in unprecedented times.” No one really expected this to happen. It’s been difficult to adjust. But it’s amazing to see how society has adapted to a completely different world. People have shown up for each other — friends, family members, and strangers alike have put their differences aside to opt for solidarity. Here at Westminster, the Honors College has prided itself on community. Year after year, cohorts of students have created bonds that last lifetimes. Friendships, mentors, and professional networking are manifested within the walls of Nunemaker Place and are carried with students well beyond graduation. This year, we chose our theme to be “Redefining Community.” Although things look different — with social distancing and isolation becoming the norm — the Honors College has never wavered in maintaining community among its members. It’s something that has remained constant in a world that seems to be ever-changing. Honors College Westminster College 1840 South 1300 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 westminstercollege.edu/honors · · Fall 2020 Volume 19 Issue 1