The Medallion, Issue #29 - January 2021 by Honors Student Association at FSU

the

a publication by the FSU Honors Student Association

Issue #29 January 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2-5

INTRODUCTION TO HSA AND THE MEDALLION

Learn about what the Honors Student Association does each semester and about our newsletter's rebranding!

6-13

2020 IN REVIEW: HSA AND ITS STUDENTS

Discover some of the events that HSA held this past year as well as how our honors students have been keeping themselves busy during quarantine!

NEW YEAR, NEW 14-18 RESOLUTIONS

Read through the New Year's resolutions of your fellow honors community and learn some methods for focusing on your mental health in 2021!

introducing... our new name!

We are so excited to announce that the HSA studentrun newsletter has undergone a rebranding! Moving forward, we will be known as The Medallion!

This renaming of the newsletter will also include a few changes in our content. The Medallion will be focusing more on spotlighting members of the honors community and diversifying the voices present in our content. We want the students in HSA to feel comfortable expressing their experiences and sharing their opinions in this community!

To reach out to our students, we will become more active on our social media accounts. Follow us (our accounts are listed on the last page of this newsletter) and look out for our posts! We will be hosting giveaways, asking for submissions, opinions, recommendations, and anything that you are willing to share with us.

Here's to the new year, the new semester, and the new HSA publication. We cannot wait to get started! Your Editor-in-Chief

Karyna Bugos

letter

from your new HSA President

Hello honors students,

Welcome to a new year of new memories, new opportunities, and new beginnings! My name is Beth Skinner and I will be serving as the President of the Honors Student Association for 2021. As an organization, The Honors Student Association (HSA) seeks to enrich the experience of honors students by providing resources, hosting events, creating service opportunities, and prioritizing the needs of the honors community. The honors community has done an incredible job adjusting to life in the midst of COVID-19. As a student, I have personally seen the tremendous effort put forth by the staff to ensure that all of us are provided with the resources and support that is necessary to navigate difficult times. I have also had the wonderful opportunity of seeing first-hand the resilience of my fellow honors students. From the patience and curiosity from our incoming freshman to the dedication and hard-work from our outgoing seniors, this has proven to be a year of triumphs over troubles. All that being said, HSA has been strong and dedicated to the honors community through all the ups and downs over the last year. From socials to virtual service events, the HSA Executive

Board has tirelessly worked to create an experience accessible to all honors students. Through collaboration with other organizations, communication with the honors staff, and a desire to serve others well, the executive board of the Honors Student Association has and will continue to enrich the time students spend in the Honors Program. As we look toward the future, HSA has an exciting array of events and opportunities each month. We are looking forward to seeing the Peer Mentoring Initiative grow and for the honors community to continue receiving the support they deserve. In January alone, we have upcoming events that include virtual yoga, career enriching panels, socials, and a community service event. We are very much looking forward to a semester of student engagement and collaboration. In all that we do, we are committed to catering to the needs of honors students. We welcome suggestions and ideas and encourage every single honors student to take advantage of what we have to offer. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to serve you and I look forward to interacting with you at some of our events!

Beth Skinner

Your President,

ABOUT HSA

THE HONORS STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Completely run by students for students, The Honors Student Association (HSA) works to strengthen the honors community within FSU and promote wellness, service involvement, and academic development. Because the sheer size of FSU can often seem daunting, the HSA works to cultivate a connected, smaller community of likeminded students. Each semester, the HSA coordinates a plethora of events and activities such as guest speakers, intramural sports teams, service days, and holiday get-togethers to foster togetherness between honors students. Often, these events would take place on Landis green or in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows (HSF) building which houses and serves as a gathering place for students in the Honors Program.

The Honors, Scholars, and Fellows (HSF) Building

The 2018 HSA Field Day team

ABOUT HSA

THE TRANSITION DUE TO COVID-19 Unfortunately, face-to-face events promoting resources for students and social engagements became a thing of the past with the onset of COVID-19.

Even so, the HSA has made a seamless transition to providing resources for students virtually- working diligently to ensure that students have a multitude of ways to get involved and stay active within the honors community. The Fall semester was packed with virtual events to foster community service and physical, mental, and academic success.

Dog toys made for the Humane Society

An HSA Yoga day taking place in the Landis Sky Lounge

Community service continued with events such as making dog toys for the Humane Society and raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For mental and physical health, the HSA will continue its yoga days and intramural sports leagues as well as virtual Wellness Days that encourage students to stay active.

ABOUT HSA

THE TRANSITION DUE TO COVID-19 CONT. While physical distancing can make it feel easy to be disconnected, the HSA has ensured that students have a way to be socially involved from their laptops. Virtual movie, trivia, and game nights are just some of the ways the honors community has transitioned while continuing to foster our tight community within FSU. Although we may not be able to gather in HSF for the foreseeable future, HSA is here for every student within the Honors community in these virtual times, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited to keep making the most of this academic year. The view from the fourth floor of HSF

Check out this virtual tour of HSF to experience the building from home! https://hsf.fsu.edu/about-us/video-tour Be sure to keep up with our social media (@fsuhonors on Facebook and Instagram) to be in the loop about event dates, resources, and links!

HSA 2020 IN REVIEW

LETTERS FROM ISOLATION Reaching out to Tallahassee's senior citizens in an effort to spread some holiday cheer, HSA sent handmade cards to those living in assisted living facilities.

LIGHT THE NIGHT HSA's Light the Night team raised $613 dollars for leukemia and lymphoma research! The team accomplished this by hosting a virtual painting night and accepting virtual donations.

HSA's Peer Mentor Initiative! To build relationships with the newest students in our program, the peer mentor initiative matched upperclassmen with first-year honors students in similar majors and career paths. In its first semester, the program held trivia nights, virtual gaming nights, and check-ins between mentors and mentees!

IN 2020,

WHAT DID THE HONORS COMMUNITY DO?

No one expected for the school year to come to a grinding halt on the Friday before Spring Break or for a pandemic to dominate the headlines and our lives all year. Despite the struggles, loss, and difficulties we have all faced in these 'uncertain times', we have managed to find some positives. Here's what some of our fellow honors students were able to do in 2020.

WE EXPLORED! JANUARY: VALENCIA, SPAIN "This is a photo of me when I was studying abroad in Valencia, Spain and took a weekend trip to Barcelona with some friends." -Leah Dantin

JULY: ALASKA "I kayaked across the Kenai Peninsula and visited Portage Glacier."-Mateo Guillamont

DECEMBER: NORTH CAROLINA "This was taken a couple days ago at Carolina Beach, NC. Yeah, skimboarding in December without a wetsuit is COLD!" -Averi Dickinson

AND EXPLORED SOME MORE! DECEMBER: PROVIDENCE CANYON STATE PARK Jordan Singer spent her quarantine hiking and relaxing in nature.

DECEMBER: OAHU, HAWAII "I ended 2020 skydiving for the first time over Oahu. After a really garbage year I just wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and start making good memories again." Marissa Tellam "This is a photo of me when I was studying abroad in Valencia, Spain

WE MADE MILESTONES! NOVEMBER

"In November we beat North Carolina and won the ACC Championship!" -Kristina Lynch

"I had a drive through highschool graduation in May!" -Grace Bouloy

MAY

Pictured is Kamryn Reynolds after graduating high school in May!

WE SPENT TIME WITH

FURRY FRIENDS! OCTOBER

"I joined the Hiking Club at FSU in October. My dog and I have been loving it and have met so many new friends!" -Anna DeJonge (ft. doggy Monella)

AUGUST "I visited a reindeer farm to learn more about the animals and the conservation efforts that are taking place in Alaska to protect the migration patterns of caribou." -Mateo Guillamont

OCTOBER "This year I trained my cats to do different tricks! This is Stanley learning his first trick. Since this, he has learnt hand shakes, fist bumps, and high-fives." -Chloe Smith

AND MADE NEW MEMORIES! SEPTEMBER "In 2020, I spent a lot more time outdoors than I usually do! I was able to sit and appreciate what is right in our own backyards without the fear of deadlines in the back of my mind." -Jordan Singer

NOVEMBER "My friends (Julia Freeman, Meredith Freeman and Natalie Genton) and I competed in the NoleMazing race in November!" -Abby Ellis

NEW new resolutions! YEAR

We asked our Instagram followers to share their New Year's resolutions with us! Read through to see if you can find your resolution listed! My new year's resolution this year is...

My new year's resolution this year is... "To be more involved on campus!" -Kristina Lynch My new year's resolution this year is...

"To raise my GPA!" -Maurissa Tellam

"To exercise more!" -Samantha Leon