USC Times 5/9/2013
3
FINDING FRIENDS IN CLASS BY LIZ
MCCARTHY
D
avid DeWeil was one of the first people Bewer Eberly met on campus as a freshman four years ago. DeWeil was his University 101 instructor then. But when Eberly walks across the stage during commencement, DeWeil will be there as his friend.
Clear Skies Ever stare at the moon through a hunk of
In the four years that Eberly, a senior biology student, has been on
the Carolina campus, he has developed a close relationship with DeWeil, assistant principal of Capstone Scholars. Immediately the two bonded during the First-Year Reading Experience over their love of the popular TV show “The Office,” their hometown and their spirituality. “His passion
for students and campus is inviting,” said Eberly,
beach glass? OK, the view through the main telescope
who was recently awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan award, the university’s highest honor for
at USC’s Melton Observatory was never as cloudy as that, but because of a misshapen mirror and approximately 130 years of use
undergraduates. Likewise, DeWeil said he knew after that first
and abuse, the heavens seen through it have
conversation that he would be a part of Eberly’s
never appeared quite as clearly as they
four years at Carolina. As a sophomore Eberly took a position as an
should — until now. Last year, using a grant from the College
undergraduate assistant in the Capstone Scholars
of Arts and Sciences, observatory Director
program. By his junior and senior years, Eberly
Alex Mowery began a series of improve-
became the peer leader in DeWeil’s U101 class.
“He cuts through the small talk to the deeper conversations that I’m particularly fond of.”
“Our conversations moved from talking about
ments to the nearly century-old observatory and the even older telescope it houses.
how to make our course better to talking about Jesus or marriage or life,” Eberly said. “That’s one of the
Among other things, Mowery has had the
things I love about David. He cuts through the small talk to the deeper conversations that I’m particu-
telescope’s hand-ground 19th-century mir-
larly fond of.”
rors professionally polished and, yes, even
DeWeil, ’02 media arts, knew he wanted to work on a college campus after his experience at Caro-
slightly reshaped. Once they are reinstalled
lina when staff members at USC’s campus ministry organizations had the same impact on DeWeil, shar-
in the coming weeks, he anticipates a mo-
ing their life with him, he said. “I saw firsthand the type of growth a person could experience during those four years of college,”
ment of unprecedented clarity.
DeWeil said. “I loved the idea of being able to mentor young students and help them move along in the
“The large mirror was supposed to be a perfect parabolic shape, but when it was tested it ended up measuring something like
growth process.” Now, as Eberly moves on to attend the School of Medicine, DeWeil said he has seen a big change in his student.
97 percent parabolic,” says Mowery. “Now we’ve corrected that, so it’s going to be bet-
“I will definitely miss being able to teach University 101 with him. I viewed him as my equal in many ways,” he said. “I can see the impact that I have made in his life and vice versa. I’ve learned a lot from
ter than it’s ever been.” — Craig Brandhorst
S ystemwide
him. He made me want to continue to have an impact on others.”
Q
&
Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, a librarian at USC Lancaster’s Medford Library
A
How are librarians creatively using social media to engage students? Facebook is definitely part of the academic librarian’s social media toolkit, and many librarians also use Pinterest to show off new or rare book covers that are unique to their library collections. We also use lots of technology tools for teaching and learning.
How are students using academic libraries when studying abroad? I hope to find that out as I move forward in my scholarship here at USC Lancaster. A project I’m seeking funding for focuses on the information seeking behaviors of American students studying in South Korea. I’m looking at how they use academic libraries and the effects of culture shock on these processes as they pursue their education in a new and very different culture.
What about access to continuing education in rural libraries? In my research with Deborah Tritt (USC Aiken, Gregg-Graniteville Library), we have learned that for many information professionals, state and local library associations — like the South Carolina Library Association - play an important role in providing access to opportunities for professional development, scholarly communication, and informal and formal networking.