Purdue Student Life Perspectives Spring 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PURDUE STUDENT LIFE PERSPECTIVES SPRING 2018 STUDENT LEARNING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INCLUSION STEWARDSHIP UNITY A WORD FROM OUR VICE PROVOST Purdue’s history and traditions are rich and vast, but Purdue history during spring semester is EXTRAORDINARY! Spring Fest, Grand Prix and fountain runs are celebrations marking the end of winter and PERSPECTIVES the promise of a new season. Purdue commencement is another new beginning; watching the procession of students winding around Editor the engineering fountain while the Purdue Bell Tower plays music Dr. Beth McCuskey associated with Purdue and connecting with the platform party as Vice Provost of Student LIfe they march through Hovde into the glorious Elliott Hall of Music (the home of commencement for nearly fifty years). Generations Writer/Copy Editor of Purdue students have crossed the Elliott stage with degree in Matt Vader hand, marking the beginning of a promising future. I always enjoy the commencement festivities, especially realizing that this is the Copy Editors STUDENT LIFE beginning of a new, life-long Purdue relationship with these students. Cassia Dean SNAPSHOT This year I have traveled with many students participating in study Cheri Frank Students working together abroad trips. I spend a great deal of time reflecting on what these Carol Houston at the Emily Mauzy Vogel journeys teach me while I watch the students learn and I am always Bob Mindrum Sophomore Leadership truly touched witnessing the power of communication through the Development Experience. universal language of music. In this copy of Perspectives you will find Writer/Copy Editor This overnight retreat focuses on strengths-based Kristen’s story on how her study abroad experience influenced her Matt Vadar future and changed her life. approaches to inclusive leadership. As demand for student housing increases, so have the number of our Art Direction/Design learning communities and students participating in these programs, Jackie Perkins extending their classroom experiences and relationships to their living space. The Executive-in-Residence program continues to offer current Content Generators CONTENTS Boilers mentorship and networking opportunities that our uniquely Pam Dexter skilled, engaged, professional and talented Purdue alumni support. Amanda Dunkle The Faculty-in-Residence Program has been reintroduced in the legacy Kevin Maurer FEATURES HAPPENINGS of Amelia Earhart and you can read more about the program and our faculty member, TJ on page 14. Todd Wetzel 4 Student Life Travels 8 Student Life Supports As we celebrate the end of the semester, the beginning of life outside Perspectives is a seasonal publication from A Student Abroad Smith’s Support All About Connections of Purdue and the value of the Purdue degree I leave you with the the Office of the Vice Provost of Student Life. words from the student-created honor pledge: “As a Boilermaker An electronic version of this publication and Student Life Interns 7 9 Student Life Strengthens pursuing academic excellence, I pledge to be honest and true in all that I past issues can be found at: Student Interns Contribute to Student Life Experience do. Accountable together—We are Purdue.” April 2017 LEAP Program Making Impact Through Assessment Student Life Congratulates Hail Purdue! www.purdue.edu/vpsl/perspectives Student Life Listens 10 Gephart Named Music Educator of the Year Student Advisory feeds Student Life Student Life Welcomes Student Life Honors 11 12 Zane Reif Tabbed Director of Purdue Union Dr. Beth McCuskey Honor Pledge Task Force Seeks to Transform Vice provost of Student Life Purdue University 14 Student Life Unites Vawter Hall’s Family in Residence Purdue Student Life Perspectives /// 3 “When I joined Purduettes I thought it was just a singing STUDENT LIFE group, but it’s so much more than that,” said Beese. “We learn how to put together a great resume, how to make an awesome elevator pitch, how to mingle with someone – all things that I didn’t understand in high A Student Abroad: Kristin Beese Learns school. I think that a lot of the professionalism I Beese sightseeing with fellow Through International Experiences Purduettes while in Costa Rica. TRAVELS learned from Purduettes really helped me get my Beese teaching English to fourth-graders in Italy. internship experiences at would often invite Beese and her “It was insane,” said Beese. “I was Senior Kristin Beese has traveled the group performed created a While serving as an intern for Google Google.” roommates over for meals. The preparing myself for the worst-case the world as a result of learning connection with a restaurant owner in New York City in the summer experience of being immersed in scenario where we were going to opportunities created at Purdue. and his wife, who were celebrating of 2016, Beese began researching In addition to studying in Florence, Italy along with five other students miss the train and we might have to their 50th wedding anniversary. a way to study abroad while Beese helped teach English to she didn’t know, Beese said, helped spend the night and be late to class Beese’s international educational simultaneously seeking to obtain an fourth-grade Italian students once a her in her transition to her internship the next day. A big part of studying experience includes traveling to international internship experience. week. Beese was inspired to pursue “It was really awesome in Switzerland. abroad was going with the flow and perform in Costa Rica, studying The result was a semester study the opportunity after teaching abroad in Florence, Italy and holding to have those close being positive about it and I learned abroad experience in Florence, Italy, for Girls Who Code, a seven-week “The really great thing about study an internship with Google at the that from PMO.” connections with total followed by a 13-week internship summer program that seeks to abroad was that it was a great YouTube office in Zurich, Switzerland. Beese earned with YouTube in inspire girls to pursue careers in way to start my time abroad with Living in Switzerland was a major While Beese, a computer science strangers,” said Beese. “I Zurich, Switzerland. computer science. Among Beese’s everyone being in the same boat,” adjustment for Beese. She had to major, was interested in travel and thought wow, that was favorite memories of her time said Beese. “Gaining that confidence adjust to the country’s efficiency considered learning opportunities During the process of applying teaching English in Italy came at and independence was a really great of services, noting that public abroad as part of her decision to amazing. I need to go for and ultimately obtaining the end of each day, when students transition into interning abroad. I transportation was nearly always attend Purdue, it was the spring her internship experiences with abroad again through sang along with songs from English- think if I immediately interned exactly on time. She even had break trip to Costa Rica with the Google, Beese leaned heavily on Purdue.” speaking pop stars such as Justin abroad without that semester-long to adjust to sorting trash into Purduettes in 2016 that ignited the practical skills she learned through Beiber. immersion in Europe, I would have four different bins based on the passion that would make learning Purduettes. been overwhelmed.” composition of waste material. As abroad a reality. Beese lived in an apartment with the only American on her work five other study-abroad students The emphasis the Purduettes put on In preparation for the trip, Beese and team at YouTube, there were also while she took four classes in the maxim of “adjust and move on” the Purduettes learned several songs language barriers to overcome Florence. Her class schedule resulted was something Beese drew from as in Spanish and received instruction and an adjustment to the more in three-day weekends, which she experienced setbacks abroad. on Costa Rican culture. The women’s reserved style of expression found in afforded Beese the opportunity to One such case was when she had to vocal performance group, part Switzerland. travel to various cities across Europe, leave a bus stuck in traffic and run of Purdue Musical Organizations, including Brussels, Budapest, Prague, for 20 minutes to catch a train that “I think that I became a much traveled the country performing Berlin, London and Paris. Beese was returning to Florence. Beese and stronger software engineer and in venues ranging from cities and visited a total of 15 countries during her traveling partner barely made it a much stronger person because resorts to churches. Connections her study and internship abroad to the train station before the train of doing that,” said Beese. “I didn’t through music transcended experiences. left, avoiding a situation that likely realize how many differences there language barriers and were a big would have meant missing class the would be between an internship in part of the meaningful experience Beese also developed a treasured following day. the US and an internship abroad.” for Beese. One of the Spanish songs relationship with her landlord, who 4 /// Purdue Student Life Perspectives Purdue Student Life Perspectives /// 5 STUDENT LIFE INTERNSStudent Interns Contribute to Student Life Experience Lady Gaga. Jersey Boys. The Wizard For Ayres, this means focusing on going to school,” said Ayres. of Oz. Brad Paisley. Rent. It’s no secret social media. Ayres typically posts that Purdue Convocations attracts details about upcoming shows, “Some people think it’s Beese thrived in her role over the was able to return to her hometown, “Purdue is definitely the best some of the biggest and brightest shares information and content impossible to work while course of her internship. Most of Minneapolis, to perform with the choice I’ve ever made,” said stars of the entertainment industry to about performers and provides going to school.