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(02/18/15 11:17pm)
Correction: The original article stated that TEDx Elon would start Feb. 21 at 12 p.m. The event will actually start at 1 p.m.
When Elon University junior Johanna Rosen agreed to handle public relations for last year’s TEDx event, “Innovation Into Practice,” she had no idea that she would be organizing another conference just a year later.
Nonetheless, Rosen, with the help of co-director Meredith Berk, a junior, has tied it all together.
A collection of speakers who are “Waiting on the World to Change” will show just how that is possible at Elon University’s second TEDx conference on a variety of social and judicial issues.
The co-directors’ varied interests led to the theme’s development.
“[Berk] is really interested in the education and the anthropology side of things, and I was interested in the justice system,” Rosen said.
Once Rosen and Berk’s license application was accepted by the TEDx program, they began to build a planning
committee.
Soon after they announced their need for volunteers, the committee worked with Elon’s “I Am That Girl,” a global organization dedicated to improving self-esteem, self-image and self-awareness in girls and women, to bring the co-founder of the organization, Emily Greener, to speak at the event. Greener agreed to fly from Los Angeles to speak at the conference.
This was both exciting and unexpected for sophomore Alli Lindenberg, president of I Am That Girl.
“I am very fortunate to know Emily,” Lindenberg said. “I’ve met her several times, and she is a wonderful woman. Of course, I wanted the rest of my chapter to have the opportunity to meet her, but this was more an opportunity for Emily to spread her voice and message.”
Lindenberg is excited to see one of her role models on stage.
“Her experiences through fighting for a better world for girls give her a powerful platform,” Lindenberg said. “She is perfect for this TEDx event because Emily works for a positive change in our world every day, and we are waiting on the world to embrace and use that change for the better.”
Five others will join Greener to discuss global change in the fields of criminal justice, education, leadership and economics.
Theresa Newman, co-founder of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic, where Duke University students study the cases of wrongful convictions, will speak on the process of exoneration in her talk “Waiting is a Beast.” She works with the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations that provides free services to incarcerated individuals trying to prove their innocence.
Former Elon student Jennifer Thompson, who was raped in 1984 at age 22, will present “And Then the World Changed Me,” a talk about judicial reform and the healing power of forgiveness. In 2010, she co-wrote the book “Picking Cotton” with Ronald Cotton, the man she mistakenly identified as her rapist.
Chairman David A. Levy of The Jerome Levy Forecasting Center is an economist, investor and hedge fund manager. The Forecasting Center uses a profit-centered approach to economic forecasting and consulting. Levy will present a talk called “Where Profits Come From: The Critical Question Never Asked.”
Harry Cohen, an executive coach, believes universal and undeniable principles can guide behaviors in positive ways. His talk on “Heliotropic Leadership” will address how the intentional practice of virtues such as gratitude, compassion and forgiveness can inspire anyone who comes into contact with such
a leader.
Ian Brady, an application designer from Chicago will present “The Evolving College Industry,” which addresses a new college system for the 21st century. After he was misdiagnosed with ADHD, his struggle with traditional learning became even more difficult. But it led him to discover design as both a passion and an outlet for his creativity.
Rosen, Berk and their team are excited to present this lineup to Elon students. Rosen reflected on the dynamic group of speakers.
“I wanted to find a different speaker that would be able to connect with a different person in the audience because that’s what I feel TED does,” Rosen said.
“Waiting on the World to Change” will start on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. at Yeager Recital Hall. Audience members are encouraged to arrive by 12:45 p.m.
(02/11/15 11:16pm)
Elon University is ranked ninth by the Princeton Review for its study abroad program, and students certainly take advantage of it. According to the university’s Global Education Center (GEC), 72 percent of Elon’s 2014 graduating class studied abroad at least once.
Compared with a national average of less than 10 percent, this earned Elon a No. 1 ranking in the Institute of International Education’s 2014 Open Doors report for the number of students who studied abroad in the 2012-2013 school year.
This fall, more than 400 students engaged in study abroad programs, doubling the figure recorded for fall semester international study in 2009. This winter, more than 700 registered to study abroad for January, in countries such as Costa Rica, India and Ireland.
Though Elon’s numbers for international study continue to grow, there is still a stark contrast between figures for semester programs and Winter Term programs. Both options have differences in their advantages, disadvantages and impacts on students.
Senior Morgan Kimbel knows firsthand that Winter Term and semester study abroad experiences are not created equal — she’s done both. Fall 2013, she studied abroad in London at the Foundation for International Education, one of three Elon Centers Abroad. This winter she studied abroad again, this time in New Zealand with the adventure-based ecotourism program.
Each study abroad program varies in time and place, as well as impact.
“I left my Winter Term experience in New Zealand feeling like I was capable of anything,” Kimbel said. “This trip made me a stronger person and made me closer to the people who I had these experiences with.”
The GEC describes Winter Term study abroad courses as “intensive three- to four-week courses … taught by Elon faculty.”
More than 30 of these courses are available each year, and class sizes range from 16-30 students, all of whom participate in a 1-credit seminar course together during the preceding fall semester.
The preparation and camaraderie developed during that time allow groups to hit the ground running as they explore a particular part of the world over a short period of time.
“This course pushed me outside my comfort zone [by] doing adventurous activities with people I did not know well prior to the trip,” Kimbel said.
One of the major attractions of a Winter Term study abroad is that each day is a bit different, and all are busy.
This is often reflected in the cost of Winter Term courses, which ranges from $4,000-$9,000. A schedule full of adventures often requires students to incur high costs of transportation, dining, lodging and class activities that accumulate quickly on such a fast-paced course that often includes travel to multiple cities or countries, along with additional meals and personal costs.
In Kimbel’s case, the course led students and faculty all around New Zealand. During this time she developed such a passion for the country that she wants to go back for a longer stretch of time.
“I definitely would have gone there for a semester,” Kimbel said. “I loved the adventure-based elements of the country’s culture, and I think it would have been a wonderful experience to spend a whole semester there instead of only three weeks.”
She said a longer time in New Zealand would be valuable, but it would not replace her time in London. She experienced more significant growth during that fall semester abroad.
“My experience there taught me so much about myself,” Kimbel said. “Spending a whole semester in a place had a longer-lasting effect on me, while studying abroad for a Winter Term changed me in a short period of time.”
This analysis, reflection and introspection are part of what the GEC wants students to get out of study abroad programs. At a school like Elon where most students approach international study as a question of “where” rather than “why,” this is an important concept to keep in mind.
The GEC’s answer on its website is long, but the part Kimbel said resonated with her says, “Study abroad gives you the chance to look at life through a different perspective, to learn more about colorful individuals and the idiosyncrasies of cultures. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about yourself, too.”
Students have to decide how they can continue to benefit from a valuable experience abroad in the rest of their time at Elon and after. Kimbel may have figured it out.
“[London] truly grabbed hold of my heart,” Kimbel said. “In fact, I have chosen to move to London for a year of grad school after I graduate in the spring.”
Kimbel’s experience living in London has helped shape her post-graduate path. While she is unable to decide which country she liked best, she found that the semester abroad gave her more opportunity for long-lasting growth and connection to a new country.
In that way, studying abroad is very similar to attending Elon. Not only is the experience what students make it, but also the more time and energy students invest in the experience, the more they have to gain.
(01/26/15 4:18pm)
A little more than 50 days ago, a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the death of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. People across the country tuned in the evening of Nov. 24 to hear St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch announce the verdict.
A handful of those viewers were Elon University students sitting in the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE), who watched in shock and disbelief. The silence of mixed emotions lasted only a short time — the students, including sophomore Kennedy Ojimadu and junior Jonathan Glover, quickly launched into a discussion about what could be done.
“With the release of that information we were all frustrated, surprised,”Ojimadu said. “There were a lot of emotions in the room. But we wanted to put it toward something productive, something that we could possibly do here on campus.”
Word of a potential protest spread quickly around Elon, with students brainstorming via text message and social media and CREDE acting as an unofficial command center. When senior D’Netria Spear joined students in CREDE, she made a suggestion that would be the impetus for a string of actions on campus.
“[Spear] really is the one who kind of came up with the ‘Let’s take it from having this discussion to an action,’” Glover said.
The frustration of the students initially led to ideas for controversial chants and signs, but the group decided another way might be more effective.
“It became the question of, ‘What’s more important, showing how angry you are or getting your point across?’” Glover said. “And that’s when it got toned down into a silent protest.”
The protest was held during Elon’s annual Luminaries celebration Dec. 6. Students held signs and candles but remained silent. Spear said the message seemed unclear.
“There were some negative comments that came from it,” she said. “Out of the negative, I saw that a lot of people felt like it was too aggressive, or was an inappropriate time to protest.”
The feedback gave her the idea for an event that would allow students to showcase artistic representations of their opinions on social justice in the United States and beyond. She decided to call it “Let Us Breathe,” a phrase that trended on social media. It later became the mantra of protestors upset by a lack of indictment against the officer involved with the death of Eric Garner.
“‘Let Us Breathe’ was an idea that I had to say, ‘We’re not going to protest, we’re just going to talk about these issues, but let’s talk about them artistically,” Spear said. “Let’s dance, let’s sing, let’s do spoken word, let’s show you art.”
“Let Us Breathe” will be a safe space for students to express their own experiences or perform songs, dances or poetry. Spear has reached out to a cappella groups, performing arts students and other talents to reach a broader audience for this event, which is set for Feb. 5.
In planning this event, which is co-sponsored by CREDE and Elon’s National PanHellenic Council, Spear has developed a clearer view of why diversity remains an unresolved issue at Elon.
“I feel like ignorance is a big issue on Elon’s campus,” she said. “People just don’t know how to deal with other people that aren’t like them. Oftentimes it makes us uncomfortable. So I think that if we can promote awareness about this issue in particular, then it will give that space for people to know how to communicate about it in the future.”
She hopes this event will lead to greater understanding of why people nationwide were upset by the deaths of these men.
While the event aims to allow students to express themselves and their opinions, Spear will see each act that signs up. This screening process was put into place to ensure the event remains respectful and, above all, aims to include the Elon community in a discussion instead of placing blame.
“I want people to understand that this event is not to target anyone,” Spear said. “It’s not to say, ‘This is your fault.’ It is an event to stress that point of awareness. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want it to be an open mic event. I want it to be [about] awareness and to provide understanding.”
Glover agreed, adding that he aims to continue the momentum of the initial protest and the upcoming artistic showcase. He and a few other students plan to stage another peaceful protest this spring. He said these actions are in protest of the system responsible for these deaths and grand jury verdicts — they do not aim to place blame on members of the Elon community.
“We’re not mad at Elon,” Glover said. “They didn’t do anything. We came to the conclusion that we’re not upset at Darren Wilson either. We’re disappointed in the system that allows him to get away with it. So that’s the point that we really need to bring across.”
Spear and Glover, who are leading plans for “Let Us Breathe,” invite students from all backgrounds to attend. They welcome those who support the protests as well as those who do not.
“I want enlightenment. I’m not asking for you to agree. I’m asking for you to understand,” Spear said.
“Let Us Breathe” will be held at 7:30 p.m Feb. 5. in the Numen Lumen Pavilion’s McBride Gathering Space. Prospective showcase acts should contact student coordinator D’Netria Spear at dspear2@elon.edu before Jan. 29 to sign up.