CONTENTS
COVER STORY: COURTING SUCCESS IN THE BIG APPLE
Vol. 7 I No. 1
Written By
BY DREW STEEDMAN ’13 Photos By
2 INSIDE ITHACA 3 IN CLASS 4 OUTSIDE ITHACA 5 AFTER ITHACA
7
ADAM BAKER
12 10 7
FROM IC TO M.D. BY KRISTIN LEFFLER ’14
A VOICE THAT TRAVELS
BY NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
14
16
DEFENDING THE PLANET
BY KACEY DEAMER ’13
20
18
HOMEWARD BOUND BY NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
22
FROM THE GROUND UP
TURN OF EVENTS
AWAY WE GO
BY NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
BY PERRI RUMSTEIN ’13
BY EVAN JOHNSON ’13
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INSIDE ITHACA
BRIGHT IDEAS WIN BIG Students came together last November to share their new product ideas at Ithaca’s second annual Business Idea Competition. Four of 12 teams took top prizes. The members of each winning team received $5,000 for their business ideas or products. Tim Reynolds ’14 won in the product category for the KettleShell, which turns any dumbbell into a kettlebell. Jaclyn Cheri ’15 won in the service category with an app designed to decrease the amount of food waste produced by grocery stores.
Lindsay Tomaro '14
Tim Reynolds '12
Mia Thomas ’13 and the team of Alex Comstock ’13 and Gianni Bersani ’13 tied for first in the health category. Thomas developed a shoe insert to improve walking patterns in autistic patients who toe walk, while Comstock and Bersani created a service for fast eye exams for everyone via exam kiosks. Additional funding is available from the alumnus who sponsored the competition if teams continue with their plans and reach certain milestones. See the winning pitches at ithaca.edu/businessidea2012.
IC Welcomes Visitors to Campus Ithaca College is always abuzz with visitors who come to campus to share their expertise with students both in and out of the classroom. Here are a few recent ones: b This April, executive producer and writer of Modern Family visits the college as the speaker for the Park Distinguished Visitor Series. Dan O’Shannon has won multiple Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series for his work on the show. b Pulitzer Prize–winning author Sheryl WuDunn discussed her book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, as part of the Peggy R. Williams Difficult Dialogues Symposium. b Sonali Samarasinghe, a Sri Lankan journalist and human rights activist, taught scholarly conversation seminars in the honors program. b Broadway legend Patti Lupone visited Ithaca College last December to teach master classes to musical theatre students and hold a public question-and-answer session.
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Judges of the Business Idea Competition
S’Park Your Learning
Students in S’Park: Igniting Your Future in Communications, a new course designed to inspire Park students’ educational experience, get to interact with some of the media industry’s heaviest hitters. Last fall, students were treated to guest lectures via Skype by ABC News anchor David Muir ’95, Disney CEO Bob Iger ’73, and television producer (Harry’s Law, The West Wing) Bill D’Elia ’69. Muir emphasized the importance of networking and keeping in touch with college professors, while D’Elia told students to be open to many career opportunities. Throughout the course, students brainstorm solutions and creative new applications of media to address challenges such as audience-generated content and new patterns of media consumption.
IN CLASS
A Big Investment in Business Students’ Futures A School of Business alumnus invested in the future of Ithaca students—literally. This generous, anonymous donation will help create an investment track for finance students. It is also supporting a new hedge fund course that gives students the chance to manage a hedge fund with real money.
“Having a hedge fund class rounds out the investment experience for students interested in careers in this field,” says Zuckerman. Learn more about the investment track at ithaca.edu/business/investment.
“The class helps students learn about what makes hedge funds different, functionally and legally, from other investment company structures,” says Mary Ellen Zuckerman, dean of the business school. “Since there is real money tied to the class, students will be able to generate and put to work appropriate investment ideas.”
X-RAY VISION
The new course sets IC apart from other schools by giving it three undergraduate courses managing real money in three separate funds—equity, fixed income, and hedge.
Last semester, the chemistry department installed a single crystal X-ray diffractometer for students to use in the lab and for research. This state-of-the-art equipment will allow researchers to analyze the crystal structure and properties of cells and to fully determine the actual location of every tiny atom in a compound. By understanding the structure, the researcher can then make predictions about the properties and possible real-world applications of these materials.
Museum Studies Comes to Ithaca College Love museums and learning about art? IC’s new concentration in museum studies may be for you. Launched last fall by the Department of Art History, the concentration will feature traditional classes and frequent field trips. Courses will include hands-on work in Ithaca College’s Handwerker Gallery, visits to Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art, and field trips to other regional museums so that students can
apply what they’ve learned in their classes in a museum setting. Paul Wilson, an assistant professor of art history says, “One of the motivations for the program is helping students think about what they can do with a degree in art history.” Museum and gallery administration, education, publishing, advertising, architecture, and historic preservation are just a few potential career paths for art history students.
Students have already begun using the diffractometer, and more students will get a chance this semester in the new Introduction to X-Ray Crystallography class. While fairly common at large research universities, single crystal X-ray diffractometers are still rare at undergraduate institutions. “With the addition of the singlecrystal XRD to our other chemical instrumentation,” says assistant chemistry professor Janet Hunting, “our students will now be even more prepared for excellence in graduate school and the real-world.”
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OUTSIDE ITHACA
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPRING BREAK This year, more than 40 IC students skipped the usual sun and sand and instead participated in the college’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB), a service immersion program that offers students the opportunity to engage in community service outside of Ithaca.
From IC to Emmy
Students traveled to five different locations in Florida, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Ithaca College alumni and faculty continue to prove that their talents are award-worthy. Several were nominated for Emmy Awards last year in the prime time and news and documentary categories.
Grace Woodward ’14 went to West Virginia to observe the effects of mountaintop removal in mining coal. A sociology major on her third ASB, Woodward says participating in the program has been a transformational part of her Ithaca College experience.
Associate professor Tom Nicholson received a 2012 news and documentary Emmy Award nomination for outstanding science and technology programming for Fabric of the Cosmos, a four-part series for Nova.
“I need to know more about environmentalism and community organizing," she says. "What better way to combine the two?”
Ben Feldman ’02 received a 2012 prime time Emmy Award nomination for Assistant professor Marlena Grzaslewicz outstanding guest actor in a drama received a 2012 prime time Emmy series for Mad Men. Award nomination for outstanding sound editing for nonfiction programming. David Muir ’95 received three 2012 news and documentary Emmy Award nominations.
Faculty Travel the Globe
Screen studies professor Patricia Zimmermann gave two lectures in Hong Kong as part of a U.S. State Department initiative to foster cultural exchange and understanding.
Saxophone professor Steve Mauk taught master classes and performed in four concerts in conservatories across China.
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Evan Mediuch ’99 received a 2012 prime time Emmy Award nomination for outstanding picture editing for reality programming.
Members of IC faculty are always sharing their knowledge, expertise, and research at conferences around the world. These are some of the faculty who have been traveling the globe recently:
Assistant theatre arts professor Kathleen Mulligan traveled to Islamabad to continue her Fulbright work empowering women through voice.
Music professor and conductor Jeffery Meyer traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, to lead the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic in its sixth appearance at the International Sound Ways Festival. Assistant professor Nicholas DiEugenio joined Meyer in Russia for a violin concerto.
AFTER ITHACA
Bowie’s Career: Off with a Bang! PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
It’s hard to believe an actor could have a fear of public speaking, but that was exactly what kept John Ross Bowie ’93, perhaps best known for his role as Barry Kripke on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, off the stage for so long. “I wanted to be an actor, but I was pretty freaked out by public speaking,” says Bowie, who was an English major at IC. It wasn’t until he became a DJ for WICB, and later assistant music director, that he overcame his fear. Bowie began pursuing acting at the age of 27 and has been working steadily ever since. He’s currently developing a sitcom for CBS called The Second Coming of Rob and a sci-fi comedy animated pilot called Dark Minions. Bowie will be voicing one of the Dark Minions leads, and fellow alumnus Andy Daly ’93 also has a role. “Acting is great, but I like a lot of aspects of this business. Producing and writing hold a great deal of appeal for me. Directing looks kind of exhausting, but you never know.”
Healing Olympians Jonathan Mulholland ’96 has the magical touch. After graduating with a B.S. in exercise science and earning his doctor of chiropractic from the Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minnesota, Mulholland now treats athletes of all levels, including medal-winning Olympians from New Zealand. The chiropractor and strength and conditioning specialist has also treated members of the American bobsled and skeleton teams. “Because most injuries are of the overuse variety, my job is to give my clients regular treatments, so they can withstand the stresses of training.” As a former track star and current Iron Man competitor, Mulholland knows what it’s like to be an athlete. His job allows him a front-row seat at athletic events, and he continues to set career goals for himself. “I’d love to work a Tour de France,” he says. “It’s on my professional bucket list.”
ULTIMATE ATHLETE Have you ever dreamt of being the ultimate fighting champion? Ryan Ciotoli ’02 can train you to be one. The three-time all-American wrestler twice made it to the finals of the Division III NCAA tournament. After graduating from Ithaca with a degree in physical education, he stayed at IC as an assistant wrestling coach until 2008. While coaching at IC, Ciotoli developed a passion for mixed martial arts (MMA). He eventually began competing and later started Bombsquad, a team of local MMA fighters. Now Ciotoli owns and operates Ultimate Athletics, a fitness and mixed martial arts training center with locations in Ithaca and Syracuse. The Bombsquad— including reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones—trains at Ultimate Athletics and has sent fighters to the UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellatore championships. SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 5
Head to ithaca.edu/fuse to find multimedia extras and bonus content for stories from this issue, as well as new features, photos, and exclusive updates from the Fuse student staff.
CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
FEATURE: IC BACKSTAGE WITH LEGALLY BLONDE
FEATURE: PICTURE OF HEALTH
The costumes, the props, the last-minute preparation—take a peek at the performers behind the scenes of IC's recent main-stage musical production.
FEATURE: CAPTURING NEW
PERSPECTIVES OF #ICLIFE
Find out what happens when our student social media team leaves disposable cameras at different locations around campus on a sunny fall day.
Professor Stewart Auyash educates the next generation of health policy makers and communicators in the public and community health major.
MULTIMEDIA: PAST ISSUES New to Fuse? Browse our virtual archives and see every issue of our magazine from years past to discover more stories.
Check Out
SOCIAL Follow Fuse on Facebook and Twitter. SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 6
KRISTIN LEFFLER ’14
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(From left) Professor Andy Smith and Sarah Rabice '14; (right) Andrew Becker '14 and Professor Jean Hardwick.
internships. The 10 faculty members that make up the IC Premedical Sciences Advisory Committee help students identify their medical
“THE RIGOR OF IC’S COURSEWORK PREPARED ME FOR THE ACADEMIC CHALLENGE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL.” facilitator at the Cornell Team and Leadership Center, he’s always on the move. Welcome to life on the premed track. “To get into medical school, you have to focus on academics, leadership, responsibility, and research,” says Becker, a biochemistry major. “The most challenging part is the time commitment. You have to really, really love it.” Becker is one of many IC students who is taking advantage of the college’s premed option. The premed option is open to students in all majors. However, they must take the biology, chemistry, and physics courses that medical schools require. Students gain experience in their desired field through research, shadowing, and
career goals and stay on track to achieve them. “We call the premed option a state of mind,” says Jean Hardwick, biology professor and chair of the committee. “It’s not a major or minor; it’s what you plan to do after you graduate. Any student from any major may choose to do this. Most students do come through sciences because that’s what they love, but your undergraduate career is your opportunity to explore an area in depth, and it doesn’t have to be science.” Students who are studying in disciplines from music to communications have registered for the premed option. The flexibility and freedom of the coursework is partly why Sarah Rabice ’14 decided to attend Ithaca. “When I was looking at schools, I met with the head of the science
PHOTOS BY ADAM BAKER
Andrew Becker ’14 doesn’t relax. The word isn’t in his vocabulary. Whether he’s running to biochemistry or architecture class, organizing a Premedical Society meeting, volunteering at Cayuga Medical Center, or working as a leadership
department to discuss my options,” says Rabice, a biochemistry major. “There are many opportunities available here for undergraduates that really aren’t available at larger universities. None of the other schools I saw had such interdisciplinary studies and seminars.” Students are encouraged to conduct research with faculty members during the summer. Rabice worked for eight weeks last summer with biology professor Andy Smith researching the structure and mechanics of bioadhesives. “The summer is a wonderful time for me and my students to get into a lot of depth on a project and also to think more about the big picture,” says Smith. This faculty-student collaboration is not only integral to the students’ learning, but it also comes in handy when it’s time for letters of recommendation for medical school applications. “Professors get to know you extremely well in a research lab. That means those letters of recommendation are meaningful and have a lot to say,” Hardwick explains. “Students get a lot of advice, and they are often more confident in their choice.” Rabice would like to pursue a career in oncology but is keeping her
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PHOTOS BY ADAM BAKER
options open. Getting into medical school is no easy feat. The national rate of medical school acceptance is less than 50 percent. “So many students want this as a career path, and there are a limited number of seats,” Hardwick says. “Ithaca is above the national average for applications: we’re closer to 60 percent acceptance. We also help those students who aren’t getting in decide what to do, whether it be strengthening their application for the next time or finding an alternative path. I tell students to work really hard but keep an open mind; you might discover there’s something else out there you love even more than medicine.” Hardwick has guided many students through the premed program, including Lauren Houdek ’09, who is currently at the University of Pennsylvania medical school pursuing a career in pediatrics. “The rigor of IC’s coursework prepared me for the academic challenge of medical school,” Houdek says. “My work with the Premedical Society affirmed my desire to go to medical school and taught me valuable lessons about leadership and service.” As the current leaders of the Premedical Society, Rabice and Becker
have started a resource guide for the society, with contact information for internships, a timeline for coursework, and tips for taking finals. The department also keeps a list on file of alumni who often provide student internships. Looking back on her experiences at IC, Houdek is thankful for the community she found in IC’s premed program. “All the premed students knew and supported each other,” she says. “It was very encouraging to be surrounded by a group of good people who all understood and sympathized with any challenges you were facing in the program.” Faculty members like Hardwick are also good support for students. “My goal is to help my students get the most they can out of their undergraduate experience. It’s about helping students find what they’re best at and what they’re passionate about,” Hardwick says. “If this is something you’re truly passionate about, just know you’ll have to work hard. But, if you work hard, that’s the key to success." a
OFF to
MED SCHOOL! Our graduates have gone on to many medical schools, including:
b Albert Einstein College of Medicine b Drexel University b Duke University b Georgetown University b Howard University b New York Medical College b Ohio State University b Pennsylvania State University b State University of New York at Buffalo
b State University of New York at Stony Brook
b University of Colorado b University of Connecticut b University of Florida b University of Pennsylvania b University of Vermont Learn more about the premed option at ithaca.edu/fuse-pre-med.
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NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
A Voice
That
Travels As a prospective student, Skott Freedman knew Ithaca College was the place for him within an hour of visiting the campus with his mother. He hadn’t even visited any other college or university before seeing IC. “I told my mother, ‘This is it. I’m going here,”’ he recalls. Several years after graduating from IC in 2001 with a degree in speech-language pathology, Freedman was offered the opportunity to teach at his alma mater. He knew he couldn’t pass up the job and returned in 2010 as an assistant professor. “The thought of coming back was really exciting for me— just to be on the other side of the desk and know what it’s like from this angle to be a professor,” he says. Freedman’s path to teaching wasn’t particularly straightforward. After graduation, he spent three years on the road, touring alone as a singer-songwriter. He released five albums, some of which were reviewed by the New York Times and Billboard magazine. He also camped all over the country and spent a month touring in Australia. SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 10
“I used to play some of the local coffee houses in Ithaca, so for me, it was a natural progression,” Freedman says. “I knew I was going to be a speech-language pathologist, so I thought, ‘Now is the time to really try out this music thing.’” Shortly after Freedman finished his Ph.D. at San Diego State University in 2009, he moved back to the East Coast. Now, he works with some of the same professors who taught him as an undergraduate. He teaches classes on children’s language development and leads the collaborative language research laboratory, where he works with students on a variety of research projects ranging from studies on how adults learn new vocabulary to college students’ perceptions and awareness of autism. “I never could do just one experiment for the whole year,” he says. “My personality needs to be doing lots of different things at lots of different times.”
PHOTO BY ADAM BAKER
“I LOVE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS. I PROBABLY LEARN MORE FROM THEM THAN THEY LEARN FROM ME.”
Freedman’s chapter in Calls beyond Our Hearing: Unlocking the Secrets of Animal Voices discusses the possibility of animals communicating in a similar way to humans.
To that point, Freedman recently contributed to a book on animal communication by journalist Holly Menino titled Calls beyond Our Hearing: Unlocking the Secrets of Animal Voices. In Freedman’s chapter, “Slow Boat to China," he discusses potential connections between the human word and the communication observed in animals (see sidebar). Freedman says his passion for speech pathology began as an undergraduate at IC, where he realized that his field not only gave him the opportunity to study and do research but also to help other people who have a difficult time speaking or expressing their thoughts. “If you’re not able to talk or communicate for yourself, what does that do to your quality of life?” Freedman queries. “That really inspired me to consider, ‘What
can I do to help people who don’t have this ability or who have lost the ability to communicate?’” For Freedman, returning to Ithaca not only gave him the chance to explore the lakes, gorges, and trails he loved as an undergraduate but to give back to the school as well. The best part of being back in Ithaca, he says, is working with his students. “Part of why I came back was not just to be a professor and have that boundary but also to have the chance to interact differently than the last time I was here,” he says. “I love being involved with the students. I love working with them, and I like having fun with them. They’re so energetic. They’re so optimistic, and I probably learn more from them than they learn from me.” a
Though Freedman says animals can communicate, it is difficult to determine how they communicate with humans. “Most of us would say our dog or cat communicates with us. When we get home, our pet starts meowing or barking, and we say, ‘Oh, he’s happy to see me.’ But there’s something different about having a conversation with another person. The words we use are symbolic, but we also have to agree on the same code. If I’m anywhere in the world and I smile at someone or give them a thumbs up, that’s probably going to come across the same way [to everyone]. But if I say, ‘Hey, great job,’ and no one speaks my code, or English, we’re not going to be able to communicate. With what we know from research, there’s not much to support the idea that animals can communicate symbolically the way humans can.”
Learn more about IC’s program in speech-language pathology at ithaca.edu/fuse-skott-freedman.
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DREW STEEDMAN ’13
COURTING SUCCESS Big App le IN THE
I know I’ll never be a professional athlete, but sports have always been a huge part of my life—whether I was playing on the field or accompanying my dad to his various jobs in the industry. After I graduate from IC this semester, I hope to find a job in either sports sales or marketing, and my internship experience while at Ithaca has given me an incredible start. When I first heard of the Ithaca College New York City (ICNYC) program, I knew it would be my ticket to the start of my dream career. The semester-long program centers on an internship and coursework. Once I was accepted into the program, I immediately began applying for a number of different sports internships in the city.
prepared for a meeting with Chinese clients. On other days I’d be in the office doing a number of things to get ready for that night’s game. It wasn’t always a nine-to-five job. My boss would often entertain people for Knicks games as a way to facilitate business. It was largely my responsibility to meet potential partners and clients as they arrived and bring them to the court to watch warm-ups. This was my favorite part about my internship because in many cases I was making dreams come true! Kids and parents alike were beside themselves to get close to Knicks players. It reaffirms my desire to go into sports because it is an industry that positively affects so many people. Aside from my decision to attend Ithaca College, I know that enrolling in the ICNYC program was the best choice I could have made to get my career started. Although I had studied abroad in London, living in New York City was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The pace of the lifestyle was truly unique. If you want to challenge yourself, seek out an experience in the city.
""LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED. IF YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF, SEEK OUT AN EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY.""
My number one pick was Madison Square Garden (MSG). The possibility of an internship at MSG attracted me from the beginning, and, with the help of a contact I made at a previous internship, I was able to get my foot in the door at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Before long, I was working behind the scenes of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Liberty franchises.
MSG is a world-class facility, and I knew my experience there would be invaluable. As someone who was born and raised in Boston, I had a little bit of an adjustment to make in being around New York sports fans. I was able to put my loyalties aside though because I recognized how fortunate I was to work for this respected venue and these successful franchises. You could say that I hit the internship jackpot. Just as the games at MSG are fast-paced and ever changing, so was my work. Some days I’d work on just one specific project. For example, I researched the NBA’s influence in China and passed the information to my boss as he SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 12
The ICNYC program bolstered my confidence about my career choice. I know that whatever my first job will throw at me, I have probably experienced it in some capacity at MSG—and I will say just that to my future interviewers. My time at MSG has given me a snapshot of the kind of career in sports marketing the future holds for me. I thank Ithaca for giving me this unbelievable opportunity. If it were not for the college’s decision to charter this program, my path toward a sports career would be drastically different. If you have the chance to take advantage of this program, don’t hesitate to do so. The investment you make will pay multiple dividends in personal development. a
S
ICNYC In addition to exciting internships, the ICNYC program offers some distinctive courses: • Art and Architecture in New York City • Urban Sociology in New York City • Political Campaign Imagery • Travel Writing • Commercial Law PHOT O BY ADAM BAKE R
Learn more about ICNYC at ithaca.edu/oip/nyc.
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BY KACEY DEAMER ’13
"WITH THE KEY COURSES I TOOK IN JOURNALISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, I WAS WELL PREPARED FOR BOTH OF THE EXPERIENCES I HAD THIS SUMMER."
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SAVING THE WORLD, ONE ARTICLE AT A TIME From the time I could form a sentence and read a story on my own, I knew I wanted to be a writer. And after reading an article about global warming in eighth grade, I realized that I wanted to educate and inspire people through the written word. I wanted to write about the environment in a way that moved people. When I began my college search nearly six years ago, I knew I was looking for a school that would allow me to combine journalism with environmental studies. Ithaca College was my answer, my haven. At Ithaca I have developed an insatiable academic appetite. My combined field of study in the Schools of Communications and Humanities and Sciences is rigorous, but I can honestly say that I love what I do. Through Ithaca College’s professors and alumni, and my own unfailing determination to make things happen for myself, I have had opportunities to cover the Supreme Court and attend an international climate conference in Mexico. These experiences brought me to a summer internship with independent magazine Mother Jones at its Washington, D.C., bureau. Mother Jones does not have a formal summer internship program except for a six-month-long full-time postgraduate program that is offered only at their San Francisco home office. But I wanted a summer internship, and I wanted to work at Mother Jones's smaller D.C. office. So I reached out to Kate Sheppard ’06, an IC alumna and staff reporter at the D.C. office whom I had met previously. I told her about my plan, and she agreed to send my résumé— and a recommendation—to her superiors. After weeks of asking Kate for status updates, I was finally given the go-ahead on the internship. I moved to D.C. two weeks after the end of the spring semester and started my internship as a summer online editorial intern, writing about science and the environment, among other issues. It was a dream come true. A small office, the D.C. bureau essentially gave me the opportunity to act as a reporter rather than do typical intern tasks. I got to pitch stories to the editors, work on research projects, and even review a documentary for the magazine.
Kate became my friend and mentor. So when she was notified that Focus the Nation’s ReCharge! retreat was looking for young people who were involved in reporting (or as they call it, storytelling) about clean energy, she thought of me. I had to end my internship at Mother Jones early so that I could participate in the retreat in Mt. Hood, Oregon, but the experience was well worth it. I was chosen as a storyteller delegate for the retreat, and my work as an environmental activist was placed in a social context. I was delighted to meet other like-minded people in the world who were hoping to accomplish the same things as I was. It was one of those experiences that will always stay with me, that I’ll be able to look back on to remind myself that I’m not alone in promoting environmental awareness. Months after working at Mother Jones and being a delegate at the Focus the Nation retreat, I am even more committed in my mission to work as an environmental journalist and to inspire people to take action toward reversing the effects of climate change and other environmental wrongdoings. I credit my coursework at IC for my technical skill in journalism and my general knowledge and understanding of environmental issues. With the key courses I took in journalism and environmental studies, and my work on student media, I was well prepared for both of the experiences I had this summer. a
Focus The NaTioN Each summer, Focus the Nation sends 20 rising clean energy leaders from across the country to spend one week in Mt. Hood, Oregon, to explore and discuss clean energy issues in an area of the country where energy is accelerating toward renewables. The delegates represent technicians, innovators, politicians, and storytellers. Read more at focusthenation.org/programs/recharge.
Read more about Kacey at ithaca.edu/ready/kaceyd.
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INSIDE ITHACA
BY NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
HOMEWARD BOUND
IC alumnus returns to the Virgin Islands to teach music
When Luben Daniel ’12 left the U.S. Virgin Islands to study music at Ithaca College, he already had the perfect future job in mind: he wanted to return home to teach music.
away from home was difficult for him at first. But he learned to adapt to life away from his friends and family—and brave Ithaca’s cold winter weather.
Now, his experiences have brought him full circle. Daniel is the new band director at his former high school in St. Thomas— the very place where he first realized his passion for music and became inspired to study it in college.
“I know myself better,” he says. “I know my preferences, my strengths, my weaknesses, and I know how to act upon them.”
Daniel says that the experience he gained through student teaching, taking classes, and performing in the music school’s concert, symphonic, and steel bands helped him sharpen his skills as a musician and teacher. “The program transformed me into an all-around educator, flexible and capable enough to adapt and achieve success in virtually any situation,” Daniel says. “It was all worthwhile, hands-on prep for instruction, assessment, and management of students.” Daniel says he also developed a sense of confidence as a performer. During his senior year, he took on the E-flat clarinet—an instrument he had never played before—in the symphonic band. He says that he was nervous about playing a solo during one of the band’s performances, especially on an instrument that was so new to him. But when the time came, he stood up and played the part perfectly. The challenging music education curriculum wasn’t the only thing that prepared Daniel to take on a teaching position after graduation: Being more than 1,500 miles
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By the time graduation came in May, Daniel had just one last requirement to finish: his senior-level student teaching course. With help from his pedagogy professor, Penelope Woodward, he taught music to students at a local high school in Trumansburg and finished his degree in June in time to return to his family— and his dream job waiting for him—in St. Thomas. Daniel plans to one day earn a master’s degree. For now though, he hopes to inspire students with music—much like he was motivated to perform and learn more in high school. “I’ve found my purpose in life,” he says. “All I wish to do with my skills and knowledge is give back to my community and the generations after me, just as those before have done for me.” a Learn more about IC's music education program at ithaca.edu/fuse-music-ed.
PHOTOS BY STEVE SIMONSEN
“This is literally my dream job,” he says of the rare opportunity to get a teaching position at his high school. “All I wished to do was come back home and teach. To be given an opportunity to teach at my alma mater that I just left four years ago is a huge plus and is simply amazing to me. I never expected it to happen so fast.”
Daniel’s hard work and perseverance paid off when, in the fall of his senior year, one of his former music teachers told him that the band director position at Charlotte Amalie High School was available and recommended he apply for it. After several interviews, Daniel got the job. In order to start on time, though, he had to finish his degree—and fast. The position was set to begin before Daniel graduated from IC. So he and his professors worked together to create a schedule that would allow him to finish his degree early and be ready to start his new job.
MUSIC EDUCATION:
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
INSIDE ITHACA “THE PROGRAM TRANSFORMED ME INTO AN ALL-AROUND EDUCATOR, FLEXIBLE AND CAPABLE ENOUGH TO ADAPT AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN VIRTUALLY ANY SITUATION.”
ON:
ARE ?
Jeff Ball ’03, M.M. ’08, is the artistic director and founder of the Grand Street Community Band and the director of bands at a public high school in Brooklyn.
Brian Diller, M.M. '12, is associate lecturer of music at the University of Wisconsin– Eau Claire, where he serves as interim director of the wind symphony.
Sophia Miller ’06 is the assistant conductor (and sometimes serves as the conductor) of the Prelude Chorus.
Rebecca Graham ’11 is the director of music at the New Roots Charter School in Ithaca.
Casey Georgi ’11 recently volunteered at the Mzuzu Academy to teach music to underprivileged children in northern Malawi.
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BY NICOLE OGRYSKO ’13
From
Ground For athletic training major Chris Toone ’13, his entire worldview changed in 2010 when he studied abroad and visited poverty stricken Senase, a small village in Ghana.
“The school had no walls, no ceilings,” he explains. “When I went there it was raining inside the classrooms. The teachers couldn’t actually teach in the classrooms because everyone was huddled in the center.” After visiting the village, Toone and a few of his classmates in the Semester at Sea program were inspired to help. While still abroad, they formed the Senase Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to empower the people of the village and address problems of malaria, water quality, and access to medical care. After founding the Senase Project, the students received a $500 SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 18
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS TOONE '13
Student starts international nonprofit
grant from DoSomething.org, and, through other donations, contributions, and fundraising events, they raised over $6,000 in 2011. The money helped to purchase new uniforms for the students and contributed toward a new four-room, solid-walled school, which was built in cooperation with the Ghanaian government. The group’s fundraising efforts have also led to plans for a medical clinic, slated for construction this spring.
to 13 different countries where he learned to overcome language barriers and visited small villages with no access to clean water or ground transportation. For the entire voyage he sailed with Archbishop Desmond Tutu who spoke with the group about apartheid and what to expect when visiting a third-world country for the first time. Toone says visiting these countries helped lay the ideological foundation for the Senase Project.
Semester at Sea is a study-abroad program open to students of all majors. Students spend a semester on a ship, taking classes and visiting a variety of countries. Toone traveled
“South Africa impacted all of us who are involved with the organization,” he says. “Capetown was a completely westernized city. But if you went 10 minutes out of the city, that’s where
“IF I CAN SUCCEED AT ITHACA COLLEGE, I CAN SUCCEED IN OTHER PLACES BASED ON THAT WORK ETHIC, DETERMINATION, AND MOTIVATION.”
you saw the shacks and tent houses. Seeing that contrast was unsettling.”
Cayuga Medical Center, where he will be helping with the outreach program.
Back on the Ithaca College campus, Toone is focusing on courses and internships that will give him more experience for aiding in the development of the Senase Project medical clinic. Athletic training may seem a far cry from the kind of medical intervention needed in a third-world country—but Ithaca’s program has an emphasis on general medical knowledge and is giving Toone skills and expertise beyond sports, with a curriculum that includes medical classes and observation hours. Toone plans to broaden his foundation in medicine even further with an internship at the
“I’m hoping that all of that knowledge will translate into basic medical care for the village,” he says. After graduation, Toone plans to continue work with the Senase Project while pursuing graduate school or an athletic training position in the United States. He also expects to oversee the medical clinic construction in Senase. “If I can succeed at Ithaca College,” he adds, “I can succeed in other places based on that work ethic, determination, and motivation.” a
HUMANITARIAN
CLUBS AT IC If you’d like to give back to the community, IC has got plenty of organizations to choose from. Food for Thought Habitat for Humanity IC Hope for Haiti IC Love Knows No Bounds More Than Me Foundation STAND: The Nation Student AntiGenocide Coalition Up ‘til Dawn Learn more about IC's public & community health program at ithaca.edu/fuse-public-health.
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PERRI RUMSTEIN '13
of TURN EVENTS DISCOVERING MY PASSION FOR PLANNING
Some college seniors don’t roll out of bed until 11 a.m. Not me—for the third day in a row, I am up in time for sunrise. It isn’t because I love getting up early. It’s because I need the extra hours to get everything done. My voicemail is full and my to-do list is endless. I am exhausted, but I love it. Such is the life of an event planner. Before taking an event management class during my sophomore year, I had never even considered a career in the field. For one of the class assignments, I worked with a team of my peers and used the specs for a real venue to create an event proposal that included coordinating with vendors and sticking to a budget. The following year, I took a related upperlevel course, Applied Corporate Event Management, and I was hooked.
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The biggest lesson I learned during the conference is that in the world of event planning, complications are inevitable. What truly matters is how you deal with them. On one of the training days for student event assistants prior to the conference, the power on campus was turned off for routine maintenance. The dining halls were closed, and the management staff was responsible for feeding the assistants. We had boxed meals for lunch and dinner for more than 40 people, but having no power meant there wasn’t a single operating refrigerator on campus. My solution involved moving about 80 meals into the refrigerator in my offcampus apartment in an hour’s time. Determination, creativity, and a positive attitude were the keys to problem-solving that week, whether it involved making last-minute changes to the day’s schedule or filling the empty gas tanks of a fleet of golf carts after the pumps had closed. This real-world experience showed me that event planning would be a challenging and exciting career. I’ve come so far since starting college. Before IC, I didn’t have the con-
fidence to step up in leadership roles. In fact, cold feet almost kept me from coming to Ithaca. Luckily, the Office of Admission staff worked with me to address my apprehensions. They went out of their way to encourage me, and with renewed confidence I was ready for Ithaca College. It was because of the attentiveness of the admission staff that I decided to work for them as a President’s Host tour guide and become one of the first faces prospective students see when they come for a visit. This job acted as a stepping-stone for much of my personal growth and involvement on campus. It honed my communications skills, which are vital as a tour guide. Effectively telling parents and students about my college experiences and answering questions all while walking backwards is not as easy as it looks. I worked hard, and by the end of my junior year, I was promoted to co-chair of the President’s Host Committee. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, as I made lifelong friends and was introduced to the world of event planning. As graduation looms in just a few weeks, I know I’ll be ready to tackle whatever challenges come my way. Thanks to IC, I am prepared for the next chapter of my life. a
PHOTO BY ADAM BAKER
I put my classroom skills to the test when I was given an opportunity to hire, train, and supervise student staff for an on-campus conference that was being attended by more than 700 admissions professionals. I was on call 24 hours a day for the weeklong conference to help direct the student staff, answer questions, transport people around campus, and assist with the setup of social events. I was also on hand during
special events to help the professional staff with any last-minute tasks.
""THE BIGGEST LESSON I LEARNED IS THAT IN THE WORLD OF EVENT PLANNING, COMPLICATIONS ARE INEVITABLE. WHAT TRULY MATTERS IS HOW YOU DEAL WITH THEM.""
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE
Looking to become a student leader like Perri or just strengthen your leadership skills? The Student Leadership Institute is a series of interactive workshops designed to help students develop and refine personal leadership skills. Participants may choose to take part in a series of sessions and earn a certificate or attend any individual session they would like. PHOTO BY ADAM BAKER
Learn more about the integrated marketing communications program at ithaca.edu/fuse-imc.
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Club Quarters, New York City EVAN JOHNSON ’13
IC’s remote locations combine classes and internships with big-city life Pendleton Center, Los Angeles
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City
Every year thousands of American college students pack their suitcases and head off on the adventure of their lives. In addition to studying abroad, Ithaca College students have the opportunity to earn credits and take advantage of internships away from South Hill through Ithaca’s own programs in New York City and Los Angeles.
New York City Program—ICNYC One of the foremost intersections of culture and commerce in the world, New York City is the perfect option for students who are interested in the fast-paced fields of communications, business, and the arts. The program is open to students from all five schools for the fall and spring semesters. If they so choose, their very first experience in the city could be arranging their own housing through the program while studying and working. In addition to taking classes managed directly by IC at the Club Quarters World Trade Center location, students intern at prestigious companies such as Hearst Magazines, Madison Square Garden (see “Courting Success in the Big Apple” on page 12), and G2. Students draw on connections with thousands of Ithaca alumni in the greater New York area to gain valuable networking experience. “To me, the program is an opportunity for both companies and students,” says Michael Kaplan ’85, direct marketing instructor and vice president and group account director at G2 USA. “Interns aren’t just there for one or two hours per day—they’re working full days for most of each week for 15 weeks.” Kaplan describes ICNYC as a “rich environment” that helps students grow in more than simply academic or professional ways. “This is enhanced reality 101,” he says. “It’s a great real-time experience, and if you’re looking to really test the waters, this is it.”
Los Angeles Program Students at the James B. Pendleton Center in Los Angeles complete internships in communications fields, including film and television, public relations, journalism, and photography. While taking classes, students live in apartments leased by the college and are classified as on-campus residents. Colleen Cunha ’13 says the availability of the Los Angeles program played a role in her decision to go to Ithaca College. She interned four days per week at The Morning After, a five-minute sketch comedy on Hulu. Cunha says she feels empowered by her experience. “I did exactly what the writers did,” she says. “I had just as much input as everyone else. I’m lucky because it was a small enough company that I was able to get to know everyone right away. They trusted me, and they liked my writing. I didn’t feel like an intern. I felt like a writer.” The L.A. program is only open to students in the School of Communications. As with ICNYC, the program is open in the fall and spring semesters, but, unlike ICNYC, it also has a summer program. Students are able to draw on the existing connections with the more than 2,000 IC alumni in the broader Los Angeles area and have access to an extensive database of organizations and companies. Cunha’s own internship was the result of networking with previous interns. Like Cunha, Brittany Gilpin ’12 also decided to attend IC partly because of the Los Angeles program and, because of her experience, she feels as though she’s
“THIS IS ENHANCED REALITY 101. IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO REALLY TEST THE WATERS, THIS IS IT.” found a career path in public relations that suits her. “I feel like I’ve found something that I’m excited to go to every day and work hard at,” says Gilpin. “It’s challenging and rewarding. It’s everything I am looking for in a career.” a
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. If you’re wondering where you might intern when you join one of these exciting programs, here are just a few of the places our students have interned in the past. b City Parks Foundation b Helen Keller International b Mark Summers Casting b Merrill Lynch b Saturday Night Live b UK Film Festival Learn more about IC’s study-abroad programs at ithaca.edu/oip and read about more options, including the Ithaca College London Center, at ithaca.edu/fuse.
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The School of Business building from the Peggy Ryan Williams Center
A view of the pond from Muller Chapel
A snowy view north from the Whalen Center for Music
PHOTOS BY JACOB BEIL '15, MICHELLE BOULÉ '13, JACKIE CELONA '15, AND COLLEEN CUNHA '13
Inside
Beautiful blue sky from the School of Business atrium lounge
OUT
Our Fuse photographers took photos of their favorite indoor spots for interesting outdoor views.
Windows of the Ithaca College library
Sunrise from the Athletics and Events Center lobby
Center for Natural Sciences greenhouses SPRING 2013 ITHACA COLLEGE FUSE / 24
The academic quad from the Muller Faculty Center