Student Life

DePauw University has a long history with nursing.  If you have considered continuing your education with an accelerated nursing degree,  here is a perfect opportunity to explore your options!

Marian University for St.Vincent Health invites you to consider a career in nursing.  With no current wait list, GPA requirement of 2.8 (or 3.0 in last 60), and classes offered May, August and January, now may be the perfect time to look at your options!

This is a new program and four DePauw alumni have graduated with two alumni currently enrolled. 

Grant '09 participated in panel designed to provide firsthand Q&A with others who chose nursing as a second career.  He enjoys a successful career in ICU, and looking at obtaining his masters towards a career as a nurse practitioner.

Questions about nursing?  Contact:

Kris Shallenberger
Outreach Coordinator
Marian University for St.Vincent Health

Have you considered a career in health care?

The Center for Student Engagement helps students craft careers in health care. 

The annual "Energy Games" competition kicks off this week. This year, the competition is a three-part challenge. It includes a dorm competition, Greek competition, and the first-ever Asbury vs. Harrison challenge. Each building will be judged according to its percentage reduction in water and electricity usage. The tie breaker will be determined by the amount of waste recycled by each building. The competition ends on March 10.

If you are one of those people still wondering, "how do I make the biggest energy saving?" It's simple! Challenge your habits. Cut out showers, unplug mini-fridges, turn off the water when brushing your teeth, only do full loads of laundry, and use public spaces that are not part of the competition for studying. These spaces include Roy O. West Library, Julian Science and Mathematics Center, Peeler, Watson Forum, and the Green Center for Performing Arts. Every year students in residence halls compete to reduce their water and electricity consumption. Those who win usually get some form of prize. This year it's exciting to see the competition expand to include Greek houses and academic buildings since the majority of DePauw students live in fraternities and sororities.

Let the energy games begin & may the odds be ever in your favor!

Allison Orjala '14, Intern in the Office for Sustainability contributed to this post. She is a junior Spanish and Conflict Studies double major from Minneapolis, MN.

Competing in NCAA athletics offers terrific preparation for professional life.  However, it is often difficult for students to articulate what they gain from athletics.

During winter term the Center for Student Engagement offered a session to help student athletes think about how they can use their athletic experience to build a strong bridge to their professional life.

Past athletic behavior will predict future professional behavior.  What employers and internship sponsors  value about athletes as employees:

• Dedication.
• Practice.
• Goal setting.
• Risk taking.
• Teamwork.
• Feedback and coachable.
• Culture of success.

Key liberal arts skills:

• Manage a project from start to finish.
• Be an effective leader and member of a team.
• Read, understand, interpret data.

Key team skills:

• Setting goals.
• Understanding a role.
• Welcome coaching.
• Hold each other accountable.

Key professional concerns of employers:

• Can you do the job?
• Will you do the job?
• Will you embarrass me in the community?

As one student said, "The talk tonight was informative and helpful. I didn't realize that many of the daily activities as an athlete prepared me for the professional world. The most helpful aspect defining the how easily skills from swimming have prepared me for a career in science. I actually found a connection between the scientific method and a swim season. This talk definitely enabled me to more easily relate my success in swimming to what I want do in graduate school. Overall, the talk was both enlightening and encouraging."

Another student said he went back and it helped him a lot last night with his Goldwater research application.

How have your athletic experiences helped you succeed in school and work?

The staff of the Center for Student Engagement work with students to make the transition from college to career.  The workshop will be repeated during the spring semester.

I am Nigel Bruce, a second year Bonner Scholar. Last semester I was granted the opportunity to serve as the PR Chair for Bonner as well as one of the Congress Representatives.  As the PR Chair I have the pleasure of blogging for perspective Bonners to inspire interest.  I've also designed our annual Bonner T-shirts, which is a grand ritual that comes with a Bonner feast.  As the Congress Representative I've flown across the country to interact with Bonners from all over the nation to conjure ideas of progression on every Bonner campus.  This is a great opportunity to meet other Bonners as well as connect with Staff members for valuable exposure.  In the Greencastle community I serve at the retirement home.  This has been one of the best experiences I've had at DePauw.  Sharing stories, laughing, playing games, and having the space to express personal emotions has allowed me to truly appreciate the senior citizens.  I've built a couple wonderful relationships that I hope will last for years.  Overall, Bonner has helped build my cultural capital and lead me into directions that I was oblivious to. 

Service, community, commitment and love are the guiding principles by which this scholarship is governed. As members of the Greencastle and Putnam County community we feel it is imperative that we fulfill our public responsibility outside of the DePauw community.  Students explore a numerous amount of opportunities for service, such as spending time with the elderly in the local retirement home, mentoring grade school students, and even working in the Mayors office.  Many students go beyond the standard and create their own ways to serve; the possibilities are endless!

How do you engage in your community?

The staff in the Center for Student Engagement work with the Bonner Scholars, and provides service and volunteering opportunities for all DePauw students.

Without a doubt, it's a crazy time of year for all DePauw students.  We are wrapping up the semester, so not only are finals just around the corner, but it seems as if every class has extra assignments that are all due....right now.  At a time when academics can stretch us to our limits, small acts of kindness such as the creation of the DePauw Compliments Facebook Group can really make a difference.  Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/DepauwCompliments

Basically, anyone can anonymously submit compliments to another student, faculty or staff member and they will be posted on the group page.  It made my day to see this group created and embraced in the support of our DePauw community!  This group really demonstrates the essence of student life here at DePauw. 

Who would you recognize on a page such as DePauw Compliments?? 

This past Sunday provided a wonderful opportunity for students and community members.  The School of Music brought the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to DePauw for an amazing performance featuring Milos Karadaglic, a classical guitar player.  He played beautifully and I enjoyed the mix of classical guitar with a traditional orchestra.  That was something I hadn't heard before.  The tickets were free for students, and Kresge Auditorium was packed!

After the ISO finished their performance, the audience applauded so enthusiastically for so long that they even gave an encore performance!  The best part is that the ISO is coming back to DePauw again second semester...I cant' wait!

I love being a College of Liberal Arts (CLA) student at DePauw because while I am not actually part of the School of Music (SOM), I can enjoy the concerts and events such as these frequently!  The music school provides over 150 concerts and performances a year, so there is always something to watch!  

November is an important month for any DePauw fan because of the Monon football game.  This athletic event is the last football game of our season where we play Wabash College.  The winner of this esteemed challenge receives the Monon Bell, a large bell that used to sit on top of a train, painted half gold for DePauw and half red for Wabash until the following year's game.  This tradition has been going on since 1890 and is one of the oldest college athletic traditions.  Check out this video which highlights the history of the Bell!

For several weeks prior to the Monon game, student life revolves around the healthy rivalry between DePauw and Wabash.  For a small liberal arts college, this rivalry is comparable to a Big 10 school!  The swimming, ultimate frisbee team, and rugby teams all have Monon competitions, a showdown of each particular sport against Wabash for a year's worth of bragging rights. 

Unfortunately, DePauw lost the game this year, and the bell will remain at Wabash until next November when it can return to its rightful home...DePauw!!

For any science major at DePauw, a large portion of our academic course load comes from the time we spend in lab.  Most of our main classes have a once weekly, three hour lab attached to them where we gain some experience and improve experimental technique.   

The benefits of a small liberal arts college can be easily observed in the science lab setting.  Not only is our course professor in the lab with us, but he/she walks around and answers questions and guides a student's troubleshooting when processes don't go as planned.  Our professors know our names and enjoy helping us through any problems we have. 

This week in my Chem 240 or Biomolecules course, our weekly lab involved testing for different carbohydrates (sugars).  This lab was interesting because each lab partner pair brought in materials to test.  We had everything from cereals, popcorn, and bread to Halloween candy.  After deciding which tests to run and what sugars we wanted to test for, my lab partner and I decided to test three different cereals for monosaccharides, reducing sugars, and ketohexoses. 

Here's our result for the Benedict's Assay which shows that we have several reducing sugars in our samples!

After performing the tests, my lab partner and I wrote our lab report....Just another day in Chem lab!!

     There is no where else I would have rather been Tuesday night than at DePauw's Election Watch Party. Our Union Building Ballroom was filled with students and professors from every political background discussing and watching the nights results. Surrounded by multiple TV projections and official polling data screens, you couldn't help but become a mini expert in the 2012 Election.

     As found in all successful college special events, free pizza and cookies  were available to all. You could even pick up a Republican or Democratic decorated cup, as seen on the left. I admit I picked up two- one of each!

    Besides the physical atmosphere, it was the conversation between students and professors that truly made the evening great. Our radio and TV stations, WGRE and D3TV respectively, also had a strong presence as they made sure the campus was kept in the know. Joining them, three panels of selected professors and students took turns discussing relevant topics such as: the Ethics of Voting, Women in the 2012 Election, and Outside Influences on the Election.

       Though groups were facilitating discussion, I was most stuck by the impromptu academic conversations between campus members. With respect and reason we listened to one anther's opinions, adding our own thoughts and ideas to create a wider conversation about politics in the United States. No matter blue or red, each member of campus had something of value to bring to the table. It was the opitome of a liberal arts edcuation, as the Election Watch Party was a meeting ground for diverse ideas, experiences, and differents takes on the 2012 Election.

Some extra pictures:

JR and Sam decorating the Ballroom. Don't worry, they had some help!

Ryan, JR, and Sam having great conversation about the future of the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Carroll, Chris, Pat, and Anisha checking polling updates during a study break.

Two of our election maps that watched national, states, and local elections.

Our fourth panel, which discussed "Beyond the Candidates: Outside Influences on the Election."

Welcome back from Fall Break, world! (What's that? You thought Fall Break lasts all of fall, too?! I agree--breaks are always all too short--but that's the great thing about student life here at DePauw University: there's never a moment missable!)

Thursday, October 11, I had the incredible pleasure of meeting with Mr Bill Rasmussen, former DePauw student, a mind behind the Media Fellows Honors Program, and the Magic behind ESPN. I've got to admit: this series of 175 Years of DePauw has introduced me to some notable, notable alumni, and it's made me only prouder to be a student of the university--one from a world faraway, one International; one capable of engaging and easing with a myriad minds I'd otherwise hardly have access to. Listening to Mr Rasmussen's story, his start from the very scratch, as well as the ability to talk with him briefly while anchoring my World News section for DePauw's own news show, The Source--humbled and honoured me so: not only was Mr Rasmussen extremely patient and considerate about addressing student questions, he was so, so very down-to-earth and free with the students, mingling with them, becoming their very own. I then had the immense pleasure of talking with him again during my TV Production class, whereby we discussed Film Criticism a bit--and I was again raptured by just how willing and warm Mr Rasmussen was, awarding and aiding me in the time and inspiration I sought. It's these sorts of things--meeting marked minds, and yet finding them so very easy and humbling to be around--that has me awed and incredibly grateful to be here at DePauw!

He'll be here in another couple of weeks, so be sure to watch out for him if you're at DePauw, and if not--throw me a question you'd like to ask him!

(Oh, and do watch The Source, folks! World News is always good to be worded on. :) )

DePauw Unversity students are incredibly involved on campus. From raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to raising money for Suicide Prevention Education on college campuses. As director of Building Tomorrow I try to highlight the importance of building primary education schools in Uganda. Yesterday former President Bill Clinton (who came to speak to DePauw students last November) and his foundation gave Building Tomorrow $500,000 to help build 6 new schools!

To find out more check out the artilce in the Indianapolis Star: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120924/NEWS/209250330/1001/news?nclick_check=1 

The Building Tomorrow DePauw Chapter is hosting an Eat for Education event at Dairy Castle Wed. October 3rd - proceeds will go towards building a DePauw University Building Tomorrow School in Uganda. I hope to see you there! 

As students, we are reminded of DePauw's academically challenging environment especially during weeks like this.  Midterms have kept almost all of us busy for the past two weeks, so at this point, we're all looking forward to our full week-long fall break!! 

While we have been studying and writing papers constantly this week, there have also been some amazing study break opportunities to take advantage of.  

Last weekend was one of the athletic hallmarks of the school year.  For the Old Gold Football game, many alums come back to see DePauw and interact with current students.  It was also Dad's day at my sorority, so my dad came down to watch the game with me!

  Another student life favorite event happened last night.  The Greek God and Goddess competition is a dance competition between all of the fraternity and sorority houses.  The level of effort put into routines ranges from several hours of practice to several weeks of practice and all of the houses show off their routines in the Lily Gym.  Kappa Alpha Theta won for the sororities, and here's their winning routine if you want to check it out! 

Last night was also one of the Guest Artist Performances hosted by DePauw's School of Music.  Voces8, a British acapella group, sang in Kresge!  Not only did they perform for students, faculty, and Greencastle residents, but they also worked with the music students throughout the day and hosted a master class.  During their performance, they took a break from their planned pieces and called up the DePauw Chamber Singers to perform a piece for the entire audience.  It's opportunities like these that make me appreciate my small liberal arts college environment where as a science major, I can still enjoy the incredible events hosted by other departments, or in this case, the School of Music. 

A crusader for peace and author of the Arias Peace Plan, former two-time president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Oscar Arias spoke at yesterday's Ubben Lecture in Kresge Auditorium located in the School of Music. The former President's visit and lecture comes a few weeks after DePauw University's first ever International Education Week (IEW) Celebrations themed after the Millennium Development Goals, a topic that reverberated throughout Dr. Arias' speech. After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Arias founded the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, and the Center for Peace and Reconciliation to work for demilitarization and conflict resolution in the developing world.

"We make our world more dangerous when we invest in war instead of moral choices."

-(President Oscar Arias)

In his speech, Dr Arias asserted that even though we could not have prevented the earthquake in Haiti,  we could have prevented what followed. The provision of clean water could have prevented the cholera epidemic. What followed after the earthquake was not inevitable. It was not just unfortunate but immoral, he said. The President also discussed how poverty is a major barrier to education, especially among older girls in developing countries. Dr. Arias' Center for Human Progress helps to promote equal opportunities for women in all sectors of Central American society. He also reminded the audience that the power to eradicate preventable diseases is in our hands. "If we reduced the U.S military spending by only 5%, we could provide enough mosquito nets to protect the entire populations of developing countries from malaria three times over, but we are caught up in military spending," he remarked.

"Moral Leadership has always been about making the choices that enhance Human Life."

-(President Oscar Arias)

Dr Arias also emphasized the need to protect the environment for future generations to come. I had the chance to ask President Oscar Arias what the toughest challenges in meeting the Millennium Development Goals are, what needs to be done and by what means? The President is a staunch proponent for disarmament, cutting millitary spending, and channelling resources where they are needed the most. "We declared peace to the world when we decided to get rid of our army. We chose the right path... We don’t have to spend our resources this way but we do it by choice... The decision to choose life does depend on us and the choices that we make... There is a reason to believe in a better future, a future that our children deserve... What we need is a world guided not by greed but by our ideals... If we all prioritized our moral choices our countries would never, never be the same," he responded.

"As a student, it's very difficult to find free time to get involved, but I think as DePauw students we prioritize and contribute our time to causes that really mean something to us."

-(Molly Nolden, '10)

Tonight I had the chance to meet CNN's chief political correspondent and moderator for the upcoming presidential elections debate, Candy Crowley. Crowley visited DePauw University today to speak at the Ubben Lecture Series, made possible by a generous gift from DePauw Alumni Timothy and Sharon Ubben, both graduates of 1958. I am grateful for the uncommon opportunities that DePauw continues to offer me everyday. As an international student, I have been following the election campaign from afar, but I am interested in what the candidates have to say about the U.S Foreign Policy towards Africa. So, during my conversation with Candy Crowley, I asked her to ask the presidential candidates -- during the foreign policy debate -- how they are going to ensure that the slaughter of innocent civilians in Sudan does not continue on our watch and with tacit U.S support. A petition is available online. After dinner, Candy Crowley gave her lecture "Campaign 2012: A View from the Frontlines" in the Kresge Auditorium located in the School of Music. My favorite quote from her speech was, "This race really is about what do you want your government to be responsible for?"

An important part of my student life on DePauw's campus is my involvement in the Catholic Student Association (CSA).  I love St. Paul's, the Catholic church within walking distance of campus. Fr. Darvin is so student-focused and he does a lot for the college students when we're here!  His first homily of the year always says something along the lines of, "When you guys are at DePauw, this IS your home church." 

The exec board members of CSA do an amazing job of planning events such as Fr. Darv's at Marv's (lunch at Marvins with Father), laser tag, student Mass in Meharry Hall once a month (on DePauw's campus), monthly student Mass at St. Paul's followed by dinner, and many other events.  Tonight was our monthly student Mass at St. Paul's followed by a home-cooked meal.  The ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread, pasta salad, and a full table of desserts filled our poor college student bellies after a great Mass.

Students do all of the readings, Eucharist ministering, and the singing (cantor, pianist and choir) is led by School of Music students.  Overall, it's a great time to spend in worship with fellow student Catholics. 

As a top liberal arts school, DePauw is known for rigorous academics. I'm not a morning person, but waking up early to go to Blue Door Cafe and study is one of the best ways to get the weekend started productively- especially when I'm studying for the LSAT. Always great Chai and breakfast to start my studying off right! Where's your favorite place to study on the weekend?

On Wednesday, I had the amazing opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Mansukh Wani, one of the co-discoverers of Taxol, a crucial anti-cancer drug.  This special event was hosted by the Biochemistry department and Dr. Wani gave a lecture to anyone interested in the afternoon.  I was lucky enough to hear Dr. Wani speak three times on Wednesday: once in my Cancer Biology class, at his open lecture, and again in the evening at my Science Research Fellows Seminar.  The best part is, these experiences are not unusual at a liberal arts school like DePauw!

Dr. Wani is an incredible man.  In his mid 80s, he still travels and speaks about his days working with Dr. Monroe Wall and the years they spent in the lab synthesizing the anti-cancer drugs Taxol and Camptothecin.  He even showed us pictures of him and his coworkers from the 70s!  The opportunity to not only listen to Dr. Wani, but also ask questions about his life, scientific research, and advice is one of my favorite things about DePauw's academics.  The learning extends beyond the classroom and as students, we have the ability to meet, speak with, and question professionals in a variety of disciplines. 

After his lecture, Dr. Wani took pictures with some of us (celebrity status) and even passed out his business cards telling us to contact him if we were interested in doing medicinal chemical research-he had contacts he could set us up with.  Can you say networking?!? 

It was a great lecture, and all of us took away pieces of the advice he gave including, "Never give up...if I had, Taxol wouldn't exist," and "Do something you love, not what your parents want you to do, or what society wants you to do."

I spent my Fourth of July weekend all over the place. On the Thursday preceding the holiday, my summer roommates and I kicked everything off with a grill out. We had brats, hot dogs and hamburgers. Of course, we engaged in everything American, and I was able to brush up quite a bit on my cornhole game. For those that are unfamiliar, cornhole is a game played predominantly in the Midwest, using two boards and corn-filled bags. It is similar to horseshoes, but a lot easier. Here's a wikipedia link, if you are truly confused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhole

Over the weekend I was able to head home to my hometown of Batesville, and spend some time with my family. I was also able to catch a Cincinnati Reds baseball game. Personally I enjoy watching sports and any time I can catch a Pacers or Reds game, I go for it. There have been several times that I've left DePauw University with friends or teammates to catch a Pacers game. It's a short 50-or-so minute drive to downtown Indy from the campus of this liberal arts college.

I made it back to campus on Monday (the Fourth) just in time to catch the city of Greencastle's firework display in Robe-Ann Park. It was a warm, clear night. The park is a two minute walk from the east end of campus. It was full of community members and families eager to catch the fireworks. After watching something such as a fireworks display on the Fourth of July, I really got the sense that people were united. It's patriotism, right? However, after I left the park I realized that people aren't just proud to be Americans, but also identify proudly with their respective cities. After the fireworks were over, there was a loud applause, and families slowly (and almost reluctantly) dispersed back to their homes across town. It's hard to explain, but I really got the sense that everyone there was proud to be a member of the Greencastle community. And after spending six semesters, a summer and two winters on campus here at this private liberal arts college, I can say that I feel some of that pride too.


 

With the summer almost half way over, I can officially say I am almost ready for life after college. I can’t say I’m not excited for the fall when there are more things to do and more people around the private liberal college campus, but I’m learning some real life skills and starting to realize that graduation may not be the end of the world.

Three of my good friends on campus this summer, as well as some other friends who join in every once and while, have gotten down a good weekday schedule that we stick to fairly regularly. Here’s a typical rundown.

1. Work. I go into work at the DePauw University admission office every day until 5. I get to meet cool people, show off one of the best liberal arts colleges, and work on some paperwork in my down time. It brings together the best of office work and working with people in one convenient location.

2. Run and/or bike (except on our off days). I’ve always thought it would be awesome to run a half marathon, or, in other words, 13.1 miles. So, when I brought this goal up to my friend, Zach, he was more than willing to “train to with me.” While training isn’t really coming along as fast as I would have liked, we are up to six miles and still working up. We started out on the 5K path that the DePauw Republicans group set up for the annual 5K they sponsor. However, we’ve been branching out and now do some loops through town as well as use the trails in the DePauw Nature Park.

3. Cook. After our runs, we are normally famished. Since the Hub doesn’t serve food in the summer very often, we each switch off buying food for dinner and then we all cook together so we learn some cooking skills. Primarily, we’ve been eating a lot of pasta, but we’ve tried some new cuisines like chicken breast and Stromboli’s. It may not be fancy, but every cook has to start out somewhere.

4. Study/Movies. As DePauw is one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges, many students plan to go to medical or graduate school. Similarly, I’m preparing to apply for graduate school in the fall. On nights in which I am feeling motivated, I’ll take out my GRE book and work through some practice problems or take a practice test. Other nights, some of the people in my building will rent a movie and relax or sit around and talk or play games. On nights we’re feeling adventurous, we’ll explore the greater Greencastle area. With a little patience and imagination you can find some pretty cool things to around town.

So, that’s my summer in a nutshell so far. It’s pretty chill, and I’m enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of a small liberal arts school during summer.