Academics

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he's been chased by hoods in Harlem, and practically trampled to death in a concert riot, yet Renee Marchese smiled when she spoke of her summer in New York. "I love ambitious people," Marchese said. "There's not a single person in New York who doesn't have a dream."

That definitely includes Marchese, an English and telecommunications major whose dream of interning in New York became reality last summer after winning the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Scholarship. More than 800 telecommunications students applied for the scholarship awarded to only 10 junior and senior undergraduates in the nation.

The application required a teacher recommendation and general form return, then a three-page research paper on a given topic. Twenty-five applicants were then selected and flown to New York to attend a four-day conference geared toward telecommunications students, faculty and the industry. The conference was a learning process as well as a final determining factor in the selection of the scholarship winners.

Her ability to communicate helped her to win the respect and friendship of the professionals and other applicants that accompanied her at the conference. After submitting a final paper entitled "What Did You Learn," she and nine other scholarship winners were selected and placed in summer internship programs that complimented their specific interests. Marchese was chosen to work for "Entertainment Tonight," a Paramount Studios owned and syndicated program offered nightly throughout the nation.

Working as assistant segment producer, Marchese booked interviews, researched feature stories, and assisted in production. Her position required her to contact such well-known persons as G. Gordon Liddy, Mary Tyler Moore and Jane Pauley. Occasionally, she would hit the streets to interview passers-by for a special question-and-answer weekly series. Her position also required her to attend many IRTS functions, leaving very little time for herself. "As an intern, you are one of 10 people chosen. All room and board expenses as well as salaries are paid by IRTS." Marchese emphasized, "I was obligated to go to all the cocktail parties, banquets and benefits where the top names in the industry would be appearing." Glamorous as it may seem, the pace of the summer was rather exhausting and occasionally dangerous. During a Diana Ross concert in Central Park where "Entertainment Tonight" was shooting footage, a bomb exploded in the midst of the huge crowd and a stampede resulted. Marchese was nearly trampled to death, but she managed to grab onto a tree and hang on until the onslaught of rushing people subsided.

Another frightening incident occurred when Marchese had to pick up some footage, and she was given the wrong directions. She ended up in "this really bad part of town, up near Harlem" where she was pursued by a bunch of yelling, leering men. Fortunately, she sprinted into a grocery store and hid behind a large guard. "I don't have a lot of fears," Marchese said. "I would go home late on the subways and not be worried. I'm going to live my life. I'm not the type to constantly worry." "I grew up more in one summer than I ever have in my life," she says. From riots to hoods to long, hectic work days, Renee Marchese has over-achieved and still possesses an insatiable curiosity and spirit.

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ome of Scott Gudeman's friends called him the "Ghost," not because he could pass through walls unnoticed and not because he was an avid Casper the Friendly Ghost fan either. Gudeman's friends called him that because after 8 a.m. he vanished from their sight until 11 p.m. when he finally finished the day's classes and meetings and had found time to study.

Scott Gudeman, a senior majoring in political science, plans to go to medical school and pursue a career as a doctor. "I began college thinking I'd go to law school, so I took political science classes, but then I became interested in medicine and decided to pursue that instead," said Gudeman.

He stayed with the political science major and fulfilled those degree requirements as well as completing 40 science credits he needed for a medical career. He considered orthopedics and neurosurgery, but said he'd wait until he's been exposed to all aspects of medicine before making a decision.

Gudeman was nominated as a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship, which involves two years of study at Oxford University in England. If he won the scholarship, he said he would study philosophy or history because the medical training there is different from what is required of medical schools in our country.

Gudeman was very involved with campus activities in his four years at I.U. working on the Union Board Concerts committee for three years, and for one year serving as president of Union Board. He enjoyed working for Union Board because it plans so many educational and social activities for the campus.

He admitted that Union Board took up a good part of his day, but its well-structured system of directors helped to spread out the work and make his job manageable.

Gudeman also spent time serving as president of the Board of Aeons, a 12-member student advisory group to President John Ryan that investigates campus issues. He enjoyed that responsibility and the fact that he worked on a personal and relaxed basis with President Ryan.

In addition, he managed to keep his grade point average at 3.8, and modestly admitted that he is a Phi Beta Kappa, which is the highest academic honor awarded to the top five percent within a specific major. He was also recognized as a member of the Mortar Board and Blue Key honorary societies, and he also served on the Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Board.

Even though he was bound by a tough and busy semester, Gudeman smiled and laughed a bit when his roommates agreed with his nickname "Ghost." He enjoyed his commitments and his lifestyle here at I.U. because he realized what a unique time and place college careers take place in. In the future, he would like to travel and work in areas other than Indiana, but he would like to return to I.U. someday and perhaps teach a class in medicine or in political science.

Jill Balaban

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or some people a 3.9 G.P.A. would be unattainable unless they were chained to a desk in the most deserted corner of the 10th floor graduate side of the library for 15 hours a day. This myth is shattered by Greg Elsner, a senior bio-chemistry major who maintains a 3.9 G.P.A. and isn't a slave to the library. "I get tired of everyone thinking you spend all your time at the library when your G.P.A. is that high. Everyone is so overly competitive here," Elsner said. "They should just learn to relax. You need to set goals for yourself and then you have a direction to be guided by," he added.

Elsner has always known what profession he's wanted to enter, and his relaxed attitude about school comes naturally. He has known that he wanted to be a doctor since he was "this tall," he says as he smiles and gestures to show a 5-year-old's height. He doesn't think he'd be fulfilled with any other career. "I've always had a certain fascination with medicine," Elsner said. "Medicine is worthwhile and satisfying — it's helping people, and I think I'll be good at it," Elsner said.

Elsner, who is from Crawfordsville, Indiana, moved straight into the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house when he came to I.U. During his sophomore year he was elected vice president of the house and has since served as chairman for subcommittees in charge of events such as Little 500 and the house's philanthropy project. Even though some of Elsner's best memories at I.U. revolved around his fraternity, he moved into a house off campus this last year and said he enjoyed the change of atmosphere.

Elsner was honored as a Phi Beta Kappa, a distinguished award based on excellence in academics for majors within the College of Arts and Sciences. Elsner was also honored for academics his freshman year by becoming a member of the Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta honorary fraternities. "It's rewarding after four years of hard work to be recognized with this honor," Elsner said. "It makes it all worthwhile."

Elsner was accepted to the I.U. medical school his junior year because he had already completed the science requirements. In the future Elsner said that he wants to be very successful in medical school and get a residency at a good hospital.

As for his personal life, Elsner feels it will all fall into place. When it comes to the future though, Elsner stressed being relaxed and methodical in pursuing what you want from life. His secret to success doesn't include being a slave to his books, but knowing when to assert self-discipline. Jill Balaban

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hen senior Becky Erickson was considering attending I.U., her friends said she'd hate being so far away, and her sister warned her not to expect the straight A's she had earned in high school. But Erickson proved them wrong by graduating with a cumulative 4.0 G.P.A. and by learning to love the small midwestern town of Bloomington that was so removed from her native California.

Erickson was first attracted to I.U. because of the theatre program. Unlike many apprehensive freshmen, she dived right into the available activities by becoming part of the Monroe County Big Sister program and serving as assistant director for the Blue Moon Children's Theatre, an organization that assists parents in directing theatre programs for their children.

However, Erickson's interest turned toward philosophy because she felt the theatre department was too political. Recalling her earlier experiences, she said, "It was definitely not what you knew, but who you knew." Finally she ended up pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology, where she excelled in both academics and extra-curricular activities.

Recognized for her outstanding academic achievement and willingness to work, she was appointed to student representative positions on both the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board and Policy Committees. These boards examine problems directly affecting Arts and Sciences students. "I've really tried to express the student's point of view in the issues we've discussed, and, as a result, I've seen some beneficial changes in course requirements that will be announced next fall," she said.

Erickson was also awarded a position on the Blue Key and Mortar Board societies and received a Vice-Presidential Scholarship, which included membership on a student advisory board to vice president Gros Louis.

One of her most rewarding experiences was working as a resident assistant in Forest Quad during her junior year. "I learned more about myself in one year than in any other period in my life," she said. She wanted to return to the position, but the time commitment was too much for her. "In that position you need to be able to give your all, and I knew with all my other activities, I wouldn't be able to put in the amount of time I felt was required," she said.

Described by professors as mature, diligent, ambitious and motivated Erickson also earned professional respect in several areas of research. At the Second Annual Sociological Intercollegiate Symposium in 1983, Erickson was described by Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Gary Sojka, as being "one of the most outstanding presenters from among the selected group of undergraduate sociologists from around the Midwest."

After graduation, Erickson will be heading back west to attend graduate school, either at Washington State University or at Stanford University with a tentative concentration in social psychology. The friends she's made and the campus she's grown so attached to might eventually draw her back to the Midwest, and as she shakes her blonde mane of hair away, she admits, "I really do like Bloomington a lot -- who knows, maybe someday I'll come back."

Sarah Leary and Cyndi Hunter

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here is a kind of intangible force that most successful business persons possess. You can see it, feel it, and almost taste it, yet it's difficult to describe and almost impossible to define. Drive. Motivation. Competitiveness. Charisma. The words just begin to outline that particular quality that breeds leaders and shapes the decision makers of tomorrow. One person who has many of those qualities is senior Cheri Batista.

As a five-year honors MBA candidate, Batista has maintained above a 3.9 G.P.A. The program she was involved in allowed her to take MBA classes during her junior and senior years with the option of fulfilling the degree requirements for an MBA in five years. However, her immediate goal was to attend Stanford, Harvard or Wharton on a deferred admissions plan where she would work in a corporation for two years and the begin the coursework to complete her MBA degree after that. "Only about five percent of the students go straight from an undergraduate program into the MBA track at these schools," Batista said. "Most of them work for a while before they enter."

As an extension of her classroom learning experiences, Batista participated in an internship program with Abbot Laboratories during the summer after her junior year in Gurnee, Illinois. "I was really lucky, because instead of getting stuck punching numbers, I got really involved in the decision making," Batista said. She worked in financial planning and had the opportunity to help do all the forecasts for the Abbot Labs Hospital Products division. One project included analyzing the price increases in their different product lines and deciding which moves would be the most beneficial to the company. She also had the chance to present her ideas to the corporate board members. "I really got to do things that made a difference," she said.

Definitely not just a bookworm, Batista has managed to be very active in various organizations in addition to her internship work. Her primary involvement was in the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. Serving as senior vice president her junior year, Batista coordinated activities including the Rush program, a trip to Chicago to see various investment banking firms and other community events. Each semester the fraternity pledges only 25 people out of the 200 applicants they receive. The process is very involved, and most of Batista's responsibilities revolved around operating a smooth Rush program. Another event she really enjoyed working on was co-sponsoring and planning a running race with the Athletic Attic. Her interest in that particular program probably stemmed from her interest in running and other competitive sports.

There are many reasons for Batista's interest in business. "I used to think it was the money," she said, "but it's really a way in which you can get things done in an acceptable manner. You can make changes in this world when you're in business." One of her long-term goals or dreams is to be able to make changes by getting into corporate lending. "In that type of job, you are able to control where the money in this country goes. Our whole financial system could collapse if the economy of some of the countries we lend to fell apart. I want to be able to help the right people. I want to make the right changes," Batista said.

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hances are if you've ever picked up a copy of the Indiana Daily Student, you've read something written by Steve Sanders. A senior majoring in journalism and political science, Sanders has reported on issues ranging from the Bloomington county elections to I.U.'s campus and administration. Sanders is a candidate for both the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships awarded to students who not only excel in their studies, but are also involved in extra-curricular activities. Because he has enhanced his education with practical writing experience, Sanders is well on his way to establishing himself as a well-respected, full-time journalist.

Sanders grew up on the southwest side of Chicago where his earliest memories include the news media. "My mom used to take my sister and I on those educational fieldtrips; you know, to the Merchandise Mart, museums, and to the Tribune and Sun Times offices," he said. "I remember looking through the huge glass windows of the newsrooms at all of the hustle and bustle." He eventually became a part of the newsroom frenzy at the Chicago Tribune after he decided on a writing career in high school.

Jayne Byrne, later elected Chicago's mayor, was holding a press conference for all high school journalists and their editors. Hoping that the event would spark interest, Sanders decided to draft an article for the News Herald, a local paper with a circulation of about 30,000. "I badgered the editor to take the article," he recalled. "He bought it and I worked for the News Herald every day after classes during my senior year."

Because of his experience with the News Herald, Sanders had a sizeable portfolio of clippings to submit to the IDS, and he landed a position on the staff as a freshman. At first it was difficult to balance his studies and reporting. He was so involved with the IDS that he frequently missed classes. "But being the first person in my family to go to college, I soon had serious guilt pangs. I figured that if I had the chance to get a better job through education, then I had better take things more seriously," he said. Sanders has done just that by maintaining a 3.49 G.P.A. "That's marginal," he said objectively.

For his Chicago Tribune job, Sanders happened to be in the right place at the right time. "For two weeks I filled in as the education copywriter's substitute who had gotten sick while uncovering a story on the results of standardized test scores."

If Sanders had a few extra moments at I.U., they were usually spent in Ernie Pyle Hall, home of the IDS. "Some people feel that the IDS is limiting because staff members work, live and party together. But there are a variety of people involved with the paper. All or most of them are journalism majors, but it's by no means a typical group."

Sanders decided to resign as copy-desk editor, or "chief nit-picker" as he jokingly refers to it, in order to concentrate on his G.P.A. for the scholarships. "While working on the News Herald, I decided what I wanted to pursue as a career," Sanders said. He wants the professional life of a journalist, and he's out to get it.

Susan Fillichio