Good Fashion, Good Cause
Ruby Nguyen at he 2011 Fashion Show, photo by Hung Do Le '12
Keuka College’s Multicultural Student Association (formerly the Bearers of Ancient Kultures Club) will hold its 10th annual fashion show Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Weed Physical Arts Center.
Some 30 Keuka College students, along with seniors from Penn Yan Central School, will take part in the event that that raises funds for sickle cell anemia research.
One of the highlights will be a performance by David Rush, who had a hit single (Shooting Star) in 2009 and is touring with Pitbull. The DJ is Rochester-based DJ Gweedo, who has performed at Pulse Nightclub, The Penny Arcade, Pineapple Jacks, and Frequency’s Night Club.
Some of the modeling scenes include “Recycled,” “Urban Style,” “Inner Animal,” and “Embracing Your Culture.” Poetik Clothing Co. has donated clothes for a scene.
Senior Allie Walker, a Penn Yan resident, is executive director of the fashion show while senior Ngoc (Ruby) Nguyen, a former fashion model in her native Vietnam, heads up the Fashion Show Committee. Poetik, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), and the Office of Alumni and Family Relations are sponsors of the event.
Tickets are $4; $2 for faculty and staff and may be purchased at the door. Students are free. Ticket buyers have the option of upgrading to VIP status for an additional $1.
Fort Drum Delivery an “Eye-Opening” Experience
College Chaplain Rev. Eric Detar had mixed emotions when the last of the College’s three shipments to the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) in Afghanistan was “returned to sender.”
“I was disappointed that our Keuka College t-shirts and various supplies didn’t get to the soldiers but on the other hand, ‘return to sender’ meant that they had returned home and I was happy for them,” said Detar.
Detar’s emotions turned to all-out joy when he, Resident Director Tim White and three students presented the t-shirts to their adopted platoon in person at Fort Drum Nov. 18.
“We were invited to attend the CAB’s uncasing ceremony,” said Detar, who was accompanied by Samantha Chesnut, a freshman sociology major from Mexico, N.Y.; Kathryrn Drueschler, a freshman childhood education major from East Aurora; and Amanda Collins, a sophomore early childhoodASL major from Manchester, Conn.
When CAB deployed to Afghanistan two years ago, its colors were cased—taken down, rolled up, and placed into a protective case. Upon its return to Fort Drum, where it is part of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, the colors were uncased, unfurled, and flown.
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Mighty Mito Stroll
Story by Ryan J. Nichols ’12, Photos by Sarah Marquart ’14
Sophomore Emily Wilson, an occupational studies major from Binghamton, organized a walk on campus Saturday, Oct. 22, to raise awareness of mitochondrial diseases.
Wilson is acutely aware of mitochondrial diseases; her younger brother Tyler was diagnosed with “mito” when he was 18 months old.
Mito results from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90 percent of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. There are many different forms of mito, and they can affect different parts of the body. People who suffer from mito do not all share the same symptoms and some people may be affected more severely than others. In Tyler’s case, it is not know what form of mito he has.
Wilson said Tyler has difficulty walking and talking. He uses a machine to help him communicate better, but when he is at home, he uses sign language to talk with his family. Emily said mito is progressive and affects people differently.
I (Heart) Me Club Debuts at Keuka
You don’t have to be a beauty queen to believe in yourself and your dreams.
Nguyen models a dress for Keuka's spring fashion show, sponsored by BAKU (Bearers of Ancient Kultures United)
That’s what Ngoc “Ruby” Nguyen, 21, of Hanoi, Vietnam believes. In her home country, Nguyen has modeled fashions for online magazines. She was also a student at Keuka’s partner school, the International School – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, choosing to study in Keuka Park about a year ago. Her modeling skills served her well last spring as coordinator of Keuka’s annual multicultural fashion show, sponsored by BAKU (Bearers of Ancient Kultures United). Yet while she certainly loves beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories, Nguyen says she is about much more than shiny hair, perfect skin or a fan club following.
That’s why she helped form the “I (Heart)* Me” Club at Keuka early this year. So far, some 34 people, including one man, have attended meetings where Nguyen and other members work together to build self-confidence, self-esteem and a positive mental image. Indeed, “Embrace Self-Esteem” is the motto for the club.
“So many girls don’t think they are beautiful. They have problems with image: not pretty enough, not thin enough, not good skin, not good hair,” she explains. “I think the media says, ‘You’re not good enough. You have to use this product or something to be beautiful.’ Why put yourself under such pressure?”
Nguyen says each meeting has a dual focus: tips on outer beauty are a part, yes, but a connection is always made to inner beauty, self-confidence and strength of character. (more…)
Fits Like a Glove
Students, faculty, and staff from across campus recently put on their dancing shoes–and pink gloves–to raise breast cancer awareness.
The were filmed at various campus locations dancing to singer Katy Perry’s Firework. In addition to pink gloves, pink shirts and pink feather boas can be seen in the video. Some students used American Sign Language to sign a portion of the lyrics.
The video–Keuka’s version of the Pink Glove Dance–was posted on such social media outlets as YouTube and Facebook.
Designing ‘Til Her Hands Fall Off
While finishing up part of the set design for the Keuka College spring play last semester, Danica Zielinski broke her hand.
The then-freshman pushed ahead, however, eager to finish her set work and fulfill duties as assistant stage manager for Rabbit, Nina Raine’s dark comedy, staged at the Barn, Keuka’s theatrical performance space.
“I have arthritis and was doing splatter-painting when I heard a crack. But I kept going until I finished and went to the doctor after the set was done. It hurt, and sure enough, I was in a brace for about two months,” Zielinski recalled.
Perhaps that sacrifice made news that her set design won a merit award, from the Kennedy Center American College Theater (KCACT) Region II festival competition, all the more sweet.
“I was ecstatic,” said the Congers resident.
Red accents enhanced the black themes in Zielinski's set design for Nina Raine's dark comedy, "Rabbit."
“She’d never designed a set before, which makes it remarkable she received that [award] on her first design,” professor of theatre Mark Wenderlich said, adding that Zielinski auditioned for an acting role as a first-semester freshman and he didn’t pick up on her design talents until he observed her drawing during rehearsals. (more…)
ESL “Summer Institute” Provides Chinese Students a Head Start
Hoping to keep as cool as possible amid near 100-degree temps, the class of 16 Chinese graduate students watches as video clips projected from weather.com play onscreen.
The image of triple-digit numbers scattered across the map of the U.S.A. lingers for a moment, before instructor Patricia Speers speaks.
“How hot will it be in Washington, D.C. today? What did the experts say you have to do when it gets hot?” asks the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)/academic skills counselor for Keuka College’s Center for Global Education. “What’s the ‘a/c’?”
“Air conditioning,” many reply in unison.
The morning class is part of two offered daily for six weeks this summer that are designed to acclimate incoming international students to the differences of classroom listening and speaking, and academic reading and writing in their second language – English. The program has been dubbed the ESL Summer Institute, and the Chinese graduate students and another seven undergraduates, including one Vietnamese student, who will enroll in Keuka business and management programs this fall, started classes July 11.
According to Vernon Larson, associate vice president, Center for Global Education, he and Dr. Gary Smith, vice president of the Center for Professional Studies, realized last year that the bright students coming from partner universities in China and Vietnam began fall classes without a transition, not just to immersion in the English language, but the unique culture of the American college classroom.
“Here, there is a lot of discussion, and in China, the teacher just tells us,” says Yao “Sophie” Sun, who will start a one-year program this fall to earn a Master of Science in management with a concentration in international business. Sun already earned a bachelor’s degree at Jimei University in Xiamen, one of the four partner schools offering Keuka degrees in China.
Plenty of Options for Multi-Talented Senior
Editor’s Note: This is the 7th in a series of stories saluting members of the Class of 2011. We asked division chairs for story ideas and they in turn contacted faculty members for ideas. We believe they came up with some terrific profiles.
If all the world’s a stage, Amber Smith has three she is intently looking into as she considers the next chapter of her life: hip-hop dance, acting or maybe owning her own business.
The Canandaigua resident will graduate Sunday with a bachelor’s degree in management from Keuka College, but has invested plenty of time acting in campus plays, serving as president of the Arion Players (drama club), and fine-tuning leadership skills in the business and management program.
Immediately following graduation, Smith plans to seek a full-time job and work on a master’s degree in management through Keuka’s Accelerated Studies for Adults Program (ASAP), which enables adults to earn degrees in 18 months or less attending night classes once a week.
“I’m currently looking at Cornell Cooperative and attempting to do something through 4-H,” Smith said, noting she did marketing work for a local 4-H camp for one of her Field Periods. At Keuka, each student is required to complete a 140-hour hands-on internship – known as the Field Period – each year. Smith has also conducted Field Periods in China at one of Keuka’s sister schools, in human resources at F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, and in marketing assistance at non-profit Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park in Canandaigua.
Should she pursue a career in the corporate world, Smith is not likely one to be intimidated by public presentations or pulling projects together under a deadline. That’s because Smith has held a number of acting roles in her four years at Keuka in addition to coordinating events such as an all-arts or improv night, said Mark Wenderlich, associate professor of theatre. (more…)
“Installing” an Appreciation for Art
Colorful, two-sided pyramids dotting the lawn between Allen Hall and Strong Hall. An oversized wire spider scaling a tree outside Jephson Science Center. A giant pen in the College colors scrawling out “lightner library” on a wall inside the building, while nearby, brightly colored paper origami birds dangle from the ceiling in symmetrical “V” formations.
These are final projects for Keuka students taking Sculpture I or II from Melissa Newcomb, assistant professor of art. Known as an “installation,” each of the large-scale pieces, some crafted by students working solo and some working in pairs, were placed in different locations around campus, to brighten buildings, hallways, stairwells, lawns and elsewhere to raise the profile of the art program. Some of the installations, like the giant pens inside the library, will be permanent. Others will be on display through the end of the semester.
Students in the class trekked across campus Tuesday and Thursday to survey each other’s work. Questions and comments popped up from different ones as each installation was discussed and students shared their design techniques, the cost to build each piece, and the amount of time invested.
SIFE Team Again in Top 10% Nationwide
After delivering a 24-minute multimedia presentation – from memory – to the business executives judging a national competition, sweating it out in the corporate boardroom won’t be nearly so intimidating to Keuka College students.
Good thing too, because a number of corporate recruiters were paying close attention this past week as members of Keuka’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team returned to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete for the title in SIFE’s two-day national competition, which runs concurrent with a job and career fair. Despite the pressure, Keuka’s team finished third of eight teams in its league, one of 20 leagues competing for recognition in professional presentation skills as well as success achieved operating in-depth community projects.
SIFE is an international, non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. There are 1,500 SIFE teams in 40 countries. Participating students form teams on their campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
In Minnesota, Keuka team members showcased the range of projects they completed during the 2010-11 academic year. Highlighted projects included a program to help the campus “go green,” a canned goods drive for a local food pantry, a game show curriculum to teach elementary kids financial skills, and donor marketing for the Finger Lakes Natural History and Cultural Museum Project, a local non-profit museum in development, to be built five miles from campus.
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