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sanctuary schools: the popular policy facing an uphill battle in texas pg. 40

#Springbreak Hacks

pg. 26

/ Nannying 101 pg.22

PUPPY PTSD SWIFTE

pg.16

Pratt’s MEGAN LIGHTY Is Bringing a Humanistic Touch to Industrial Design pg. 10

THE STUDENT STARTUP POISED TO CHANGE RIDESHARING pg. 34

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SWIFTE: A MODEL PROPOSAL PAGE 34 Meet Justine Avoudikpon and Sofia Demay, the creators behind the innovative carpool app

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T HE TA B L E OF C ON T E N T S M A R C H 2 0 17 • S T U DY B R E A K S . C O M

ONLINE THIS MONTH

#COLLEGEHACKS

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With these Spring Break

PAGE 26 tips, the only thing you’ll be throwing up will be your hands

GROUP WORK

By Liam Chan Hodges

THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY

PAGE 14 Beyond Homeschooled at non-traditional students

WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR?

transition to college

PAGE 22

By Michel le Cr iqu i

With a Nannying degree

Kansas State University helps

COVER SPOTLIGHT Photography by Austin Yattoni

from Sullivan University, students can turn their part-time job into a career

By K ayla K ibbe

SA NCTUARY NOW

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Despite student support,

Meet Dr. Lopresti-

universities have hesitated

Goodman, the Marymount

to promise illegal students

STUDENT EXHIBITION

professor studying PTSD in dogs

By Joseph i ne Wer n i

protection

By R i ley Her u sk a

PAGE 10

UNIVERSIT Y REPORT

Pratt student Megan Lighty is bringing a humanistic approach

PAGE 18

to industrial design

The biggest news from

By Aliyah Thomas

colleges across the country

EXTR A CREDIT

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PAGE 46 Amanda Springob, a motivational speaker and TEDx presentator, discusses courage

By L i nd sey Dav i s

STUDENT ISSUES

THE MEAL PL A N

PAGE 20

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MEET THE PRESIDENT

In NCAA basketball, the one-

There is no better

PAGE 48

and-done rule hurts both the

time than March to

The University of Oregon’s

players and the sport

kale yourself

Quinn Haaga talks the

By Da n iel C. W i lc ox

By Ter r y Ng uyen

allure of culinary school

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T A B L E C O N T E N T S

THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY PAGE 28 U of I student Bennet t Kamp is the newest face of Chief Illiniwek

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CONTRIBUTORS

student writers Study Breaks is written exclusively by a team of student interns from across the country. These writers work with the editorial team to pitch and submit one piece a week for the website, in addition to writing for the monthly print magazine.

JOSEPHINE WER NI

LINDSEY DAVIS

MICHELLE CR IQUI @michellecriqui

@jcwerni University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Iowa State University

James Madison University

English

English & Journalism

English

Office Hours

Extra Credit

Group Work

PAGE 16

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TER RY NGU Y EN

ALI YAH THOMAS

A ARON LY NCH

@nguyenterry

@aliyahthomas

USC

Mount Saint Mary College

Front Range Community College

Journalism & Political Science

English

Journalism

The Meal Plan

Student Exhibition

Around Campus

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DA NIEL WILCOX

LI A M CHA N HODGES

CR ISSONNA TENNISON

@mauimongol

@cjtennison

UTSA

Frankling and Marshall College

UCLA

Psychology

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Student Issues

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Swifte: A Model Proposal

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Summer internships run from May 28th to September 28th, and applications close May 14th. If interested, email editorial@ studybreaks.com with “Student Writing Internship” in the Subject.

Introduce yourself in the body, making sure to include your name, school and major. Please attach at least two samples of your work. Ideal writers are intelligent, funny and talented, though no formal experience is necessary.

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What’s Your Major?

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K AY L A K IBBE

HA NNAH BOEHME

K IR A VA NDENBR A NDE

R ILEY HERUSK A

@kiravdb.photo

@rileyelizabeth23

UCLA

Austin College

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International Development

English & Psychology

Design

Swifte: A Model Proposal

Sanctuary Now

Illustration

Photography

PAGE 40

Sanctuary Now Illustration PAGE 40

PAGE 34

EMILY BENSON

JENNA ROSS MARTI

JOHN BENFER

@emilyannettephotography

@jennamarti

@jbenfer98

Marymount University

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Kansas State University

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or all the benefits that technology has afforded the media, namely improved immediacy and the ability to empower marginalized voices, the undeniable victim of these advancements has been complexity of message.

It is a common lament that sound bites reduce nuanced issues into the comforting, yet misrepresentative binary of right versus wrong, but it seems that in recent years, the problem has only worsened. The issues that stem from this kind of reductive thinking have multiplied, and recently, specifically in the world of politics, the concept of bipartisanship has long since been dismissed; in its place is a heated animosity, in which each side provides its own facts and moderated conversation is out of the question.

In an atmosphere of intolerance, where differences of opinion cannot be suspended, there is little hope for growth. As Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it,” and it is this open-mindedness, however temporary it needs to be, that is a prerequisite for mutual understanding. Jumping to conclusions, ad hominem attacks and the urge to point the finger at someone before it is pointed at you: These are hallmarks of our current social climate, and they will only be eradicated with an intentional, if sometimes uncomfortable application of empathy.

It is with that understanding that we chose to cover two of our feature stories, the profile of Bennett Kamp and the spotlight on sanctuary campuses. For Kamp and many Illini alumni (pg. 28), what appears to be cultural appropriation to onlookers is to their community an expression of solidarity. And in Austin College student Riley Heruska’s examination of sanctuary schools (pg. 40), what appears to policymakers to be a blatant defiance of immigration law is to their community an outgrowth of empathy. Both sides have been vilified by their critics and championed by their supporters, and perhaps neither is wholly in the wrong.

Still, even complexity itself can be measured on a spectrum, and some ideas—in fact, often the best ones—are quite simple. Take Sofia Marie DeMay and Justine Avoudikpon’s concept for their app “Swifte”: The Uber of carpooling (pg. 34). The team of two, who attend UCLA and the University of Georgia respectively, were one of eight groups of student entrepreneurs who advanced to the final round of the Student Startup Madness, a tournament-style competition that culminates at SXSW later this month. Check out their profile on page 34, and then follow their journey at @GetSwifte on Twitter to see if they will be taking home the coveted prize.

F

A NOTE FROM THE EDI TOR

a time for tolerance

MARK STENBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF @MarkStenberg3

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ONE-LINERS

FROM THE VAULTS

“Try letting your emotions out in a constructive way, like yoga, painting or masturbation. One of them is much more fun than the others. (You guessed it, yoga.)”

Lindsay Biondy, University of Pittsburgh What to Do When Your Sex Drives Don’t Line Up “Why in the world am I talking about dogs and dog shit you may ask? Well, because it’s a metaphor, my friends. It’s one of them damned metaphors.”

Liam Chan Hodges, Franklin and Marshall College Dogs and Dog Shit on America’s Front Lawn “The bottom line here is that feminism has big-

nf lnetwork.com

Your Professor Is Wrong About Trigger Warnings Written by Reed College student Shiloh McKinnon, the piece reflected the frenzied political atmosphere that students found waiting for them at the beginning of the fall semester.

At the time, campus carry, trigger warnings and political correctness were hot-button topics; now, under a Trump presidency, the issues seem to have taken a backseat.

ger fish to fry these days, so if you want to give your boyfriend head, do it.”

Kayla Kibbe, Connecticut College Subverting the Oral-Sex Double Standard: Have We Gone (Down) Too Far? “P.S. You can hate Chad from Kaitlyn’s season of ‘The Bachelorette.’ He was way too much.”

bizwest

Isabella Waldron, Scripps College

SPOTLIGHT

How to Watch “The Bachelor” Without Feeling Like Trash

Your iPhone Has a Password, Shouldn’t Your Pistol?

Alli Guaman, a student at Marymount Manhattan College, had little reason to suspect that her first online piece would garner nationwide attention. Instead, after her interview with the gun’s creator, an MIT undergrad, found popularity on Reddit and made its way to “The Huffington Post,” Guaman found herself inundated with emails from gun trolls. Was the attention worth the hundreds of “My safety is my password” ripostes?

“Eventually, the contestant selects the individual they deem to be the least likely to spend the rest of their life rewriting the Book of Revelation in feces on the wall of an insane asylum.”

Terry Mooney, Ohio State University Why Now More Than Ever, the World Needs Jerry Springer’s “Baggage”

FIVE TED TALKS THAT WILL GET YOU THROUGH 2017

By Olivia Wicks trom, PSU

Why You Should Talk to Strangers

By Kio Stark

Should You Live for Your Resume…Or Your Eulogy?

By David Brooks

The Beaut y of Being a Misfit

By Lidia Yuknavitch

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator

By Tim Urban

What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejec tion

By Jia Jiang

ONLINE CLASSES This month on the website, learn how to: Destroy the patriarchy // Burst the college bubble you are almost certainly living in // Identify techniques designed to impede college voters // Properly punch a man’s face // Appropriately enjoy Eddie Huang // Defend Tom Brady // Defend Future // Rip Lena Dunham a new one // Get your MFA (for free!)

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STUDENT EXHIBITION

MEGAN LIGHTY

By Aliyah Thomas, Mount Saint Mar y College

Industrial design is about more than just the chisel and the blade, and while much can be said about her life in Salt Lake Cit y, Utah, it wasn’t long before New York Cit y opened MEGAN LIGHT Y up to dif ferent perspec tives on life. Being a student of Industrial Design at Prat t Institute helped Light y to position herself amidst fellow undergrads to discover who she is as a person, student and an ar tist. ¶ She spoke with “Study Breaks” on her college career at Prat t, recognition of her work and the lifelong impac t of industrial design.

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“Let ’s Grow,” a design by Light y, teaches children how to care for plants

STUDYBREAKS.COM

ALIYAH THOMAS: How did you get into industrial design?

MEGAN LIGHT Y: Initially, I applied to Prat t for Interior Design. In my second week of classes, I realized that I imagined myself working with people and objec ts rather than spaces, so I transferred into Industrial Design.

When I was young, I spent a lot of time deconstruc ting cardboard boxes and building any thing I could imagine: from cash registers to shoes that allowed you to “skate” on the carpet.

I was intrigued by how objec ts worked. Industrial design is the per fec t field for me, because it ’s a balance bet ween engineering and creativit y.

AT: Coursework and projec ts for industrial design exhaust a good bit of time for you, but has it also become a pastime?

ML: Yes, definitely. I don’t see it as work at all.

Thinking about graduating and get ting a job is exciting to me.

I look for ward to working with people and solving problems ever y day. I feel for tunate to have something I’m so passionate about at a young age.

AT: What kinds of things t ypically influence your work?

ML: My obser vations of ever yday life and current global/ local issues are a huge influence on my work. I can spend hours people-watching, seeing how they interac t with objec ts, each other and their environment—you’ll find many interesting problems and habits just from doing this. My minor at Prat t is in Sustainabilit y, which is also a huge influence on my work. I especially think about sustainabilit y from an environmental justice perspec tive, recognizing the fac t that both people and the environment need equal

measures of our at tention.

AT: How has being a student at Prat t made an impac t on you?

ML: My professors at Prat t in Design and Liberal Ar ts have been the toughest and the best I’ve ever had. I thrive on being challenged. The competitive environment Prat t and New York Cit y provide has allowed me to grow both as a person and a designer. Prat t taught me to ask questions, think independently, have an opinion and to stand strong for what I believe in.

AT: Take me through the process of creating a new design. Is the process dif ferent ever y time?

ML: I maintain a core struc ture for my design process. However, it ’s impor tant as a designer to keep this process open. I expec t a unique series of events to guide my progress rather than a plan to control it. My initial inspiration frequently sparks from obser vation.

This inspiration leads me into a lot of research.

I meet and talk with exper ts and users of my subjec t and go through series of 2D and 3D sketches. These are rough ideas that involve any thing from chipboard and wire, to sanded blue foam. My desk is always a chaotic mess of images, drawings and protot ypes.

I work best when I have all of my ideas out on paper and in front of me. I ac tively work back and for th with my user, testing my protot ypes with them. This allows me to narrow down my design.

From there, the final details of form and function are made and that ’s it! My process is never complete without going through many, many setbacks. I’ve learned design is all about trial and error.

AT: You were selec ted to design the Legends Award at a benefits gala last year. Tell me a bit about what that experience was like.

ML: I was selec ted by Professor

MARCH 2017 //

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Photo by Nick Schultz

Alvaro to design the 2016 Legend’s Award for Prat t ’s benefit gala. It was a tremendous honor to be recognized

by Alvaro and Prat t. It was a great learning experience for me.

The award was my first design that has been manufac tured (on a small scale) and given away.

Knowing that my design is sit ting in the homes of successful

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professionals is ver y exciting as a young designer, and I’m honored I was able to represent my class and school.

AT: Teachers are obviously a large par t of the learning process, so would you say that working with professors like Alvaro Uribe has helped you along the way?

ML: Working with a professor and designer as successful as Alvaro

has helped me understand what it takes to design in the real world.

School is only able to teach you so much. When you star t working with clients, a budget, etc., you really have to think realistically. Despite constraints and doubts I put on myself, Alvaro has always pushed me to be more courageous and confident in my ability to design.

AT: At this point in your college career, you must have created so many dif ferent pieces. What ’s your favorite one that you’ve designed?

ML: I’m not sure I could pinpoint a specific piece.

For me, designing is all about the experience and the process.

In that case, one of my favorite experiences was this past summer.

I had the oppor-

STUDYBREAKS.COM

hard to believe that four years have gone by and that I’m graduating! Despite my love of being a student, I’m looking for ward to working on projec ts that can be made a realit y.

I’m searching for jobs at the moment, but I’m open to many possibilities.

I’d like to take a chunk of time to travel af ter graduation. That ’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile.

AT: Where would you ideally like to go with industrial

design?

ML: Whenever I explain industrial design to someone, I explain it as a way of thinking, a cer tain creative process.

Industrial design is unique in that it has so many applications.

I’m interested in many dif ferent direc tions, so it ’s par ticularly hard for me to narrow down what I want to do.

I do know that I want to work with people whose exper tise dif fers from mine. I thrive in settings where I can

learn from other professionals, as well as teach my own exper tise.

My passion lies in designing to improve environmental and social issues.

This sounds ver y broad and I prefer to keep it broad. I don’t define myself purely as a produc t designer. Although I love working with objec ts, it ’s impor tant for myself as a designer to approach problems with an uncer taint y of what the final outcome is going to be.

Photo by Daniel Turna

tunit y to work at Lehigh Universit y’s Mountaintop Initiative with a group of students on a projec t named “Aging and Technology.”

I’d always been eager to work with people from other disciplines.

There I was able to work with mechanical engineers, a medical student and a social scientist. We all brought ver y unique perspectives and spent much of our time in deep discussion about what aging and technology meant to us. We debated quite a bit over our dif ferent views and ways of working! But, it wasn’t until this experience, when I had to validate what I believed in, that I realized how much I’d learned at Prat t.

AT: How dif ficult is it to be confined to a cer tain timeframe?

ML: Unfortunately, there’s always a deadline. That’s the hardest thing for me. I have so many ideas that it’s hard for me to narrow them. I always want to keep exploring! But, I guess that’s what is wonderful about thinking creatively; there are endless possibilities.

AT: Do you have any definitive plans after graduation?

ML: Not yet. It ’s

MARCH 2017 //

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STUDENT GROUPSHOWCASE WORK

The Fight to Destigmatize Homeschooling At Kansas State University, Beyond Homeschooled works to ease the transition of non-traditional students into college.

By Michelle Criqui, James Madison University Photography by John Benfer, Kansas State University eaving behind the structure of high school life for the independence of college can often be a nerve-wracking experience. But, for homeschooled students, the transition usually comes with its own unique set of challenges, such as adjusting to a new learning environment and encountering stigma from fellow classmates.

Anna Kucera, a junior Biological Engineering major at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, described the change as being like transferring from “a class of one to a class of everyone.” Although Kucera happened to meet several other homeschoolers during her freshman year, she noticed that there was a lack of resources to assist formerly homeschooled students in their transition to college. This inspired her to create the student organization Beyond Homeschooled in August 2015.

“We connected with the admissions office to get our information sent out to incoming homeschoolers, so they know we are a resource on campus,” Kucera says. “The idea [for Beyond Homeschooled] was that our path makes us who we are. We were homeschooled — we wear that proudly. But it’s past tense. We are beyond that, but it still makes us who we are.”

Since its inception, Beyond Homeschooled has sought to form a supportive community and foster lasting friendships through weekly meetings, during which members hang out and get to know each other better.

L

“The goal is to create friendships and just [provide] support,” Kucera says. “We have a common background that very few share. It’s nice to have others with similar nature.”

The organization also strives to fight back against the stigma that typically surrounds homeschooling, which claims that homeschoolers supposedly have inadequate social skills and won’t be able to keep up with the rigor of a college education. Sarah May, a senior Computer Science major and the club’s media coordinator, experienced this firsthand within her major program.

“If I tell [my classmates] I’m homeschooled, they kind of take a step back and are like, ‘Well, you seem so smart though!’” May says. “I’m actually a non-traditional student here; I’m in my mid-20s. So I have a lot of younger freshmen who look at me and say, ‘Why are you in the College of Engineering if you were homeschooled?’ It’s because of the stigma that if you were taught at home, you can’t learn. But it’s actually the complete opposite.”

According to Kucera, most members of Beyond Homeschooled are “very high-achieving,” and have completely healthy social lives. Also, despite coming from different backgrounds, many homeschoolers bring with them experiences and skills that set them apart and give them an advantage at the collegiate level.

“One of the best things that came from homeschooling was [that] I could manage my time and I knew how to study,” Kucera says. “I had a digital curriculum that I worked with, and I was my own taskmaster. I completed my deadlines. Just having the fortitude and determination to teach yourself was one thing that I greatly took away from homeschooling.”

Thanks to Kucera’s efforts, Beyond Homeschooled is an established resource for incoming college students from alternative academic backgrounds, providing an inviting space for friendship, advice and assistance in the transition.

THE STUDY BREAKS DOSSIER GROUP: Beyond Homeschooled COLLEGE: Kansas State Universit y NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 27 FOUNDED IN: 2015 GROUP PRESIDENT: Anna Kucera, junior Biological Engineering major MEETINGS: Friday evening hang-outs WHY JOIN?: If you’re looking for suppor t for the of ten-dif ficult transition from homeschooling to college life, Beyond Homeschooled provides the resources and assistance that most universities don’t in order to help you adjust to a new academic landscape.

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Solving Puppy PTSD Dr. Lopresti-Goodman works with the Beagle Freedom Project to care for dogs that have been the subject of labratory experimentation.

By Josephine Werni, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Photography by Emily Benson, Marymount University

O

ver the last seven years, Dr. Stacy Lopresti-Goodman of Marymount University has studied post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in non-human animals, specifically primates and dogs. ¶ As part of her research, Lopresti-Goodman traveled to Los Angeles for a week this past November in order to meet and observe five beagles that were rescued by the Beagle Freedom Project. Due to their small size and sweet, docile disposition, beagles are used more than any other dog breed for lab experimentation.

How do dogs exhibit symptoms of PTSD? Is it similar to the way that humans do?

Yes, it’s very similar. Humans, chimps and dogs alike express many of the same easily observable symptoms of PTSD, such as intense emotional reactions to things that may remind individuals of the initially traumatizing event, avoidance of those reminders, being easily startled, having trouble sleeping and so on.

Was there anything that you observed during your time with the rescued beagles that surprised you?

I was extremely moved by the way that the caregivers talked about their animals, seeing how strong their bonds were and how much healing had occurred. The caregivers told me that when their dogs first came out of the labs, they were fearful and timid. After spending some time in a loving environment, they gradually

learned how to play and be a real dog for the first time.

When it comes to adopting or fostering a dog that is suffering from PTSD, what sorts of special needs should caregivers be taking into consideration?

I’d say that above all, caregivers should just keep in mind to be patient. Some of the dogs who’ve lived in laboratories have never been outside before. They may have never walked on stairs or seen grass.

Because everything is so new to them, the way they behave when you bring them home will likely be different from the behavior of dogs from shelters.

Other than being paired with loving caregivers, are there other common methods of rehabilitation for the victims of lab experimentation?

Yes. As with humans, treatments vary based on an individual’s needs, but research shows that anti-anxiety medication

and behavioral training can be helpful.

Is it difficult to get these animals out of the labs?

Definitely. I think that it’s partly due to the type of research that they’re used in, specifically chemical toxicity testing. Some dogs die as a result of the experiments that they’re used in, and laboratories are reluctant to release those that don’t. This is actually one of the issues that the Beagle Freedom Project is working on.

What strides has BFP made toward getting more dogs out of laboratories and into loving homes?

They’ve rescued approximately 750 dogs from laboratories, and they’ve been working on state legislation that would require laboratories to adopt the dogs out at the end of experiments, instead of euthanizing

them. It’s called the Beagle Freedom Law, and it’s been passed in California, Nevada, Connecticut, New York and Minnesota.

What is the most effective way for individuals to help out with the lab animal rescue efforts?

I think it’s important for individuals to lobby their state legislators in support of laws that help to get those animals rescued and adopted out. For example, I’ve lobbied lawmakers here in Washington D.C., and brought students with me to lobby on Capitol Hill on behalf of bills that would help protect chimpanzees in the United States.

It’s crucial to offer support for laws such as the Beagle Freedom Law. After all these dogs have gone through in those laboratories, it’s important that they have the chance to lead a normal dog life.

THE C.V. NAME: Stacey Lopresti-Goodman SCHOOL: Mar ymount Universit y RESEARCH INTERESTS: Trans-species psychology, psychology education and human perception and cognition TEACHES: General Psychology, Biological Basis of Behavior, and Abnormal Primate Psychology PETS: Two cats named Baby and Mr. Lit tle Jeans, and a dog named Penelope

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UNIVERSITY REPORT

Around Campus The biggest news from colleges across the country.

By Aaron Lynch, Front Range Community College

THE SPOTLIGHT: TRUMP’S MUSLIM BAN nternational scholars at campuses across the U.S. are facing an uncertain future, as no one can predict what will become of President Trump’s 90day travel ban. Many Middle Eastern students have been stranded in their home countries, and those who made it back before the ban cannot leave and re-enter. For now, as protestors demand that Christian and Muslim refugees be treated equally, the restraining order that blocked the president’s executive order awaits further litigation. However, the actions of the Trump administration have left many students further disenchanted with the daily melodrama of the Oval Office.

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

THE BUZZ

Dabbed if You Do… The Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Indians, the UNC Tar Heels and the Atlanta Falcons all suf fered stunning, upset losses during championship games in the last year. What did they all have in common?

Players from each of these teams were photographed “dabbing” before they had sealed the deal. (This also applies to Hillar y Clinton.)

Economics 101 In exchange for a percentage of their future income for a fixed number of years, a new plan would allow Michigan students to attend classes tuition-free.

Password Protec ted The American College of Education, a for-profit institution based in Indianapolis, fired an IT employee last year, but didn’t realize he had changed the password on one of their administrative accounts. Now, without access to course material for 2,000 students, the school has turned to their former employee, who’s only willing to help for $200,000.

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Golden Gate Budget San Francisco became the first U.S. city to

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

offer free community college to anyone who has lived in the city at least one year, regardless of income level or credit history.

A Slap on the Wrist After using excessive force to arrest three college students, three Tuscaloosa police officers will receive

remedial training and return to work.

Education Doomed Betsy Devos was confirmed as secretar y of education by a vote of 51-50, where the historic tiebreaker vote was cast by Vice President Mike Pence.

“I bet it’s brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program, after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre. And most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”

KELLYANNE CONWAY, political counselor to President Trump

MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS AGGIES RECYCLE Texas A&M will increase sustainability efforts and awareness by marking compostable food containers served in the cafeteria. THE WHITE RISE OF TEXAS Members of the white supremacist group American Vanguard visited campuses around Texas to distribute propaganda and recruit new members. BEAR-FACED LIE Court documents have revealed that former Baylor head coach Art Briles was more aware of his football players’ widespread misconduct than he originally admitted. UNEMPLOYMENT STARTS HERE Gov. Gregg Abbott and the Texas State Senate have frozen all hiring at state-funded institutions through August 2017. LONGHORN LONG-FORM The UT student newspaper, “The Daily Texan,” hosted a panel of professional reporters to discuss the future of integrity in journalism. BOOK ’EM Lockheed Martin has vowed to partner with UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering to sponsor four innovative projects on campus.

Image via Washington Post

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STUDENT ISSUES

The One-and-Done Conundrum With so many talented players leaving the NCAA after just a year, the transience of the sport’s biggest stars may be crippling it.

By Daniel Wilcox, University of Texas at San Antonio ike many Americans, I usually don’t pay attention to college basketball until March Madness. There are far too many teams to keep track of, the rankings are incomprehensible and the season isn’t long enough for narratives to develop in any compelling way.

The NBA, on the other hand, claims all of my focus during the regular season. Tonight, I’m watching a seemingly meaningless game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s a typical night for Philly; they’re losing. They lose often these days, a growing pain that’s a byproduct of their “process,” the explicit plan to endure years of futility in exchange for the opportunity to stockpile high draft picks. Those players, theoretically, should amount to post-season success in the years to come.

But not tonight. Tonight they’re losing.

During the broadcast, the play-by-play announcer informs viewers that 76ers guard Sergio Rodriguez is the oldest player on the team, clocking in at a creaky thirty-years-old. What a fossil, right? When I heard this, I had to check for myself.

Sure enough, Rodriguez is one of only three Sixers who were born in the years before Bill Clinton was president. Most of the guys on the roster are scarcely out of their swaddling clothes.

What accounts for this preponderance of youth? What’s most alarming about Philly’s roster is how many of their players only played a single year in college: Nerlens Noel, one year at Kentucky; Joel Embiid, one year at Kansas; Jahlil Okafor, one year at Duke; Ben Simmons, one year at LSU. In 2005, amendments to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement prohibited

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high school players from draft eligibility immediately after graduation. The rationale was sound enough: Too many high school kids were foregoing college altogether in the pursuit of big-time NBA money. There were a slew of busts, and without any form of college education, many of these young men had nothing to fall back on when their NBA careers didn’t pan out.

So, I can’t argue against implementations that pressure young athletes to attend college for at least one year. That said, I have to ask myself, are these kids getting anything substantial in a single year of college? Shouldn’t they stay for the full four years?

Basketball is the only one of the major sports in which college athletes dip out of school early. The practice is unheard of in football, where players are expected to graduate. This isn’t on account of any NFL mandates; the common belief is that that no player under the age of twenty-two can reasonably expect to compete at the professional level without years of amateur training. The same philosophy applies to hockey and baseball.

Does this mean that young basketball players should pursue this route? You could argue that, given the chance, college football players would jump to the NFL as soon as possible, just as their basketball counterparts do. Ditto for athletes in other sports. Only the de facto limitations within those sports stand in their way.

Let’s put this discussion in a perspective outside of basketball. Suppose we had a young musician who, after one year of college, decides that they’ll drop out and seek a music career without a degree. This is not an entirely ludicrous proposition.

There exists one major complication, though. Our hypothetical musician has the comfort of knowing that there is no expiration date on music. The teenage basketball player is not blessed with this assurance. The average length of an NBA career is 4.8 seasons, so if you enter the league, expect to be out by the time the next president is elected.

And what does an NBA player have to look forward to after they’ve exited the league? Typically, financial ruin. Once the millions are gone they’re gone, and that’s assuming you even earned that much in your short NBA stint. And, with only one or two years of college under your belt, employment options may be limited.

The outlook is not wholly bleak, though. Consider Greg Oden, who was drafted 1st overall by the Portland Trailblazers in 2007. Like the 76ers mentioned above, he played only one season at Ohio State before entering the NBA. He’s widely regarded as one of the biggest busts in history, having only played a total of 82 games in his career, with knee injuries keeping him sidelined throughout.

After multiple attempts at a comeback, Oden faced the looming realization that his basketball career was over. Rather than allow the vicissitudes of his life to destroy him, Oden returned to Ohio State in 2016 to complete work on his degree. Basketball may no longer be an option for him, but he had the foresight to use the pieces he had in play to secure a brighter future for himself. Bankruptcy does not have to be inevitability.

Advocacy for student athletes in this regard is still a long way off. During the tournament this month, the NCAA will run commercials reminding you that most of their athletes are going pro in something other than sports. That may be true, but let us not forget that the ones who are going pro in sports likely face the most uncertainty in their futures.

Image via shutterstock

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WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR?

This Month, We’re Studying:

Nannying

By Kayla Kibbe, Connecticut College emember when you were applying for your first job and your mom said you could put babysitting your little brother on your resume? Students seeking a Professional Nanny degree from Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, took it seriously. Those who have completed the 12-month intensive program are more than just glorified babysitters, though. Since 1988, the program has prepped students for rewarding careers as some lucky family’s modern day Mary Poppins. Or livein mistress. Pick your stereotype.

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POTENTIAL JOBS

MYTH AND TRUTH

NANNY Governess, au pair. Call it what you want, it’s the obvious choice here. Whether live-in or out, full time nannies are responsible for the daily care of children whose parents can afford to legally neglect them.

MYTH: Nannies are just babysitters.

TRUTH: It’s actually a very competitive field, increasingly dominated by highly educated professionals who play a critical role in shaping the intellectual and personal development of children. Translation: I WENT TO COLLEGE, DAMMIT. /// MYTH: Nannies are just there to sleep with the wealthy fathers.

TRUTH: Check your heteronormativity. Maybe they’re sleeping with the moms, too. /// MYTH: Nannies are always women.

TRUTH: Speaking of subverting gender norms, the twenty-first century is more than ready to welcome the rise of the manny. He might also be sleeping with the dad.

REALITY TV STAR Back in the early aughts, TV went through a phase where nannies were all the rage.

From “Nanny 911” to “Beverly Hills Nannies,” a professional Nannying degree could just be your ticket to fame.

NOTABLE ALUMS MARY POPPINS Best known for coining your favorite impossible to spell word and feeding kids sugar by the spoonful. Also for being Julie Andrews.

MARIA FROM “THE SOUND OF MUSIC” Nun-turned-governessturned-trophy-wife. The Austrian Dream. Is also Julie Andrews.

JANE EYRE The original nanny who married her employer, this nineteenth century heroine set a precedent for some of your favorite celebrity cheating scandals.

CHRISTINE OUZOUNIAN Speaking of celebrity cheating scandals, here’s the nanny who ended Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck back in 2015.

KEY TERMS BABYSIT TING What professional nannies do not do. Don’t make this mistake.

S TA R T I N G S A L A R Y

$36,660 BOARDING SCHOOL The nannying field’s main competitor

CHILD DEVELOPMENT Children are born and then they develop. There is an entire field of study devoted to this fact.

POT T Y-TR AINING The art of teaching a human not to shit itself.

CHARGE Technical term for a child under a nanny’s care.

See also: “ward” and “accident.”

FUN FACT CONVERSATION STARTERS “Isn’t it funny how people are so desperate to fulfill a cultural narrative emphasizing the impor tance of the nuclear family that they’re willing to have kids they don’t want and pay you to take care of them?” /// “Can you do the Fran Drescher laugh?” /// “So where do you stand on the nanny-cam debate?” /// “If you minor in French, do you get to be an au pair?”

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This season’s “Bachelor” villain Corinne Olympios raised eyebrows after telling America she has a personal nanny. The 24-year-old said of her now infamous caretaker: “Raquel keeps my life together, okay? I have tried so many times to make cheese pasta, and I can’t make cheese pasta like her.”

Images via univision /// artsdesk

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THE MEAL PLAN

The First Kale Smoothie You’ve Ever Wanted With Spring Break and March Madness on the horizon, you’re going to need a lit tle liquid roughage

By Terry Nguyen, USC

arch may bring a little bit (or rather, a lot) of madness around the corner of student life, but you really can’t blame it, as the month is hyperactively filled with impending midterms, college basketball and mid-semester activities. It’s a month that unfortunately lacks national holidays and general excitement, except, of course, in the field of sports—though really, how many of us are that psyched for the NCAA finals? Nevertheless, in honor of March Madness, your Meal Plan is going to to take a slightly maddening turn, since this month’s recipe features a smoothie.

The smoothie and juice phenomenon has surely taken ahold of your campus by now, with thin, toned girls carrying around yoga mats and sipping on pressed juices on their way to lecture. Jamba Juice and Nektar are more of a luxury than a lifestyle, and, to be fair, very few have the time or the money to follow through with a proper juice cleanse.

So, for anyone with acai tastes but a fruit snack budget, we bring you not just any smoothie recipe, but an easy, do-it-yourself kale extravaganza, considering you have a blender and a few fruits on hand.

Yes, kale, that peculiar slogan printed on a variety of Etsy t-shirts after Beyoncé wore it in her “7/11” music video. Kale, the four-letterword mystery of a vegetable: too green, too healthy and too bitter for your collegiate taste buds. It is supremely healthy — a bit too healthy for the average student diet — but juiced up with a couple of fruits, the bitter bite of kale (and its fellow evil vegetables) will become subdued into a refreshing, iced-up smoothie.

It’s three months into 2017 and a midweek smoothie cleanse isn’t going to hurt your abandoned fitness resolutions, but it will definitely help your chances at appearing vaguely health-focused.

Leave behind any grumbles and complaints, since we’re going inclusively vegan for this recipe (and vegans definitely make sure you know when they’re going vegan). Grab your nonexistent yoga mat and head to the produce section of the nearest Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or another mildly organic supermarket of your choosing.

Snap a picture of the finished product, text it to your parents with a snarky caption and express to the world your newly-found sense of health enlightenment, because of course, in March, the world has truly gone mad.

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INGREDIENTS: 1 CUP of almond milk ½ CUP of pineapple juice 1 ½ CUPS of chopped kale ½ CUP of fresh diced pineapple 1 banana

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Combine all ingredients and blend on high until smooth 2. (Optional) Serve with pineapple and banana slices

STUDYBREAKS.COM

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#COLLEGEHACKS

S T U DY B R E A K S PR E S EN T S

#SpringBreakHacks

With these tips, you can make the best week of the year just a little bit better.

By Liam Chan Hodges, Franklin and Marshall College In the brief window of time between early- and mid-March, a vast migration occurs across the North American continent. Thousands of young Homo sapiens will travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to find warmth, pleasure and a metric kiloton of lite beer. The question for all aspiring spring breakers is, of course, “How do I afford this shit?”

Well, if god loves you and decided to bless you with aristocratic parents who substitute parenting with purchasing, you’re set. But, for the rest of the peasants out there who aren’t as lucky, you’re going to have to be a little bit crafty. Worry not though, here’s how to have the ultimate Spring Break adventure.

VISUAL RULE Sunburn Severity 50% WTF

T H E E N D OR S E M E N T

Canada While everybody scampers down south to Cabo, Cancun, Miami or SoCal, the gentle giant to the north goes untouched.

For those of you above the Mason Dixon line, it’s only a day’s drive, maybe two if you want to go slowly, to the Canadian border.

I know the sun, sand and surf all sound sexy, but do you really think people want to see you shirtless? Keep your clothes and your dignity, and head on up to the land of maple syrup, poutine and Canadian bacon, because let’s face it, everybody has a beach body in a parka.

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20%

“Nice tan”

30%

“You need lotion for that burn?”

#COLLEGEHACKS

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON SPRING BREAK Share a Room If you’re not comfortable with the idea of sharing a bed with two or three of your friends, they’re not your friends.

It’s a scientific fact that nothing bonds friendships quite like a cuddle puddle.

Go Home Go back to your home town and run that shit. After all, staying with your parents is free, and nothing says “I made it” like a 20-yearold showing up to high school parties in their mother’s minivan.

Go Camping Showers, beds, mosquito-free living—that crap is overrated. Grab your friends, a tent, some cheap alcohol and go get rugged.

Just make sure that you remember to leave some food out by the tents if you’re in bear country, that way the bears know you’re chill.

Gold Dig You’re attending an American university which, spoiler alert, means it’s definitely expensive as hell, and is definitely home to some very wealthy boys and girls. Find one and let the good times roll. You can always bounce once their checks do.

STUDYBREAKS.COM

R E G A R DI NG

Day Drinking It’s Spring Break, and that means two things are true: You’ve spent a decent amount of money to get somewhere awesome, and you’re about to drink a decent amount. However, before you go all “Animal House” down in Port Aransas, keep in mind that you may want to remember your trip. Sure, blacking out at 3 p.m. and being charged with public urination has its perks, but all that fun is powerless against the pain of a 5 p.m. hangover and a total inability to recall the last twenty-four hours.

Some people say that the best memories are the ones you won’t remember. Funny thing is, they probably don’t remember saying that.

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THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY Despite an NCAA ban and growing accusations of cultural appropriation, Chief Illiniwek lives on at the University of Illinois.

By Kristian Porter, Northern Kentucky University Photography by Austin Yattoni, University of Illinois

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he stands are packed in State Farm Center. A sea of blue and orange erupts in the famous “I-L-L-IN-I” chant, as the students of the University of Illinois cheer on their Fighting Illini. Hidden amongst the roaring fans is a man dressed in regalia, headdress full of red, white and black feathers, standing in the Alma Mater pose.

Ten years ago, Chief Illiniwek would have ran onto the court at halftime to perform the traditional dance to the “Three in One,” a blend of three different university songs played by the U of I’s band. Today, however, he remains in the crowd.

In February 2007, the University of Illinois issued a statement discontinuing the performances, name and logo of Chief Illiniwek, the former symbol of the school.

In order to remain compliant with the NCAA’s ban on institutions using American Indian imagery while hosting events for the organization, U of I chose to terminate the use of the Chief, a symbol that had been engrained in the university’s culture since 1926.

Despite the ban though, the Chief has lived on. A student still comes to every game, appearing in the crowd dressed in full regalia, posing for pictures and even performing at local high schools.

Currently, the student chief is Bennet Kamp, a sophomore with a family line littered with a Illini alumni.

“The University of Illinois has always been a big piece of my life,” Kamp says. “I only applied to one school.”

Bennet Kamp was chosen in February 2016, after an extensive auditioning process, to become the newest “unofficial” Chief Illiniwek.

The student portraying the Chief is chosen by the Council of Chiefs, an organization composed of alumni who formerly performed as the Native American symbol.

In order to audition, students were required to learn the

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history and traditional dance of Chief Illiniwek, as well as interview with three members of the council.

“We had to learn the history of the Illini Confederation and specifically the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma,” says Kamp.

The Peoria Tribe are the closest living descendants of the Illini Confederation, the group of tribes believed to be the inspiration behind the Illinois namesake, who were forced to move to reservations in Oklahoma in the nineteenth century.

“ILLINIWEK” TRANSLATES TO “THE COMPLETE MAN.”

Chief Illiniwek became the official symbol of the university on October 30, 1926, when a Native American war dance was performed during the halftime of the football game against the University of Pennsylvania. Ray Dvorak conceived of the idea, and Eagle Scout Lester Leutwiler created the costume and performed the dance based on his experience in the Boy Scouts.

Since 1926, 39 students have represented the Chief, including one woman, Idelle Stith, in 1943, who took on the role of “Princess Illiniwek” due to a shortage of men during World War II. According to the Council of Chiefs, the word “Illiniwek” translates to “we are men,” or “the complete man.”

Its usage has always been justified by the student body as honoring Native American culture and representing a sense of togetherness among the university.

To Ben Kamp, the Chief has always represented unity.

“The Illini Confederation was formed to combat this new establishment of settlers coming in. It’s always been, even in its history, a symbol of unity and coming together, and that’s really representative of what the Chief has meant to the university over the last 90 years,” Kamp says.

To Ivan Dozier, the portrayer of Chief Illiniwek from 2011 to 2015, the Chief represents honor.

“It represents the best aspects of our school, our past and present students, and the Native peoples that came before us. The symbol links us all together in a way no other symbol could, and the strength and power only reflect the best sides of Illinois. The Chief shows us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, and that being a student at Illinois sets us apart with quiet dignity,” Dozier says.

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Not everyone shares in this set of beliefs, however.

To some, this idea of unity is far from Chief Illiniwek’s real representation. Instead, to them, the symbol is one of racial discrimination and cultural appropriation.

“All race-based human mascots are offensive and insulting racial stereotypes,” says Jay Rosenstein, Media and Cinema Studies professor of the University of Illinois. “That goes double for a public institution that claims to respect and be a welcoming place for all people.”

Rosenstein created the documentary “In Whose Honor?” about the use of American Indians as sports mascots, and the film aired nationally on PBS, garnering much praise and a Peabody Award nomination. He’s been very outspoken on the subject of Chief Illiniwek over the years.

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79 PERCENT SHOWED SUPPORT FOR CHIEF ILLINIWEK, WHILE 21 PERCENT WERE OPPOSED.

To Rosenstein, arguments of symbolism hold little water.

“What he represents in an individual’s own mind or imagination is irrelevant,” he says. “According to the NCAA, the governing body for college athletics, after several years of research on the subject, they concluded that Chief Illiniwek is ‘hostile and abusive.’ What more needs to be said?”

The controversy over Chief Illiniwek goes all the way back to the mid-70s, when Citizens for the American Indian Movement (AIM) stated that the Chief was a “mockery not only of Indian customs, but of white people’s culture,” and that “the continued use of Indian history as entertainment degrades the Indian and disgraces the white race by revealing an ignorance of tribal cultures.”

Then, in 1989, Spokane Tribe member Charlene Teters began protesting the usage of Chief Illiniwek at athletic events after watching the reactions of her children seeing him perform during halftime. Her daughter was cring30

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ing in her seat, and Teters made it her mission to educate the world on the racism involved in using Native American imagery.

Many students had stated that the use of Chief Illiniwek was creating a hostile learning environment for Native American students and, in 1994, members of the Native American Student, Staff and Faculty for Progress (NASSFP) accused the university of being in violation of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, claiming discrimination and failing to respond appropriately to the complaints of the students.

When the NCAA became involved in January 2006, the university tried to extend the usage of the symbol as long as it could, requesting an extension into May, but the National Collegiate Athletic Association wouldn’t hear their appeal. Finally, in 2007, Chief Illiniwek, then played by Dan Maloney, current president of the Council of Chiefs, danced his final dance during the football game against Ohio State University.

While there has been a push by the Council of Chiefs and some students to reinstate the symbol to the university, it hasn’t gone anywhere yet. There are still universities, such as Florida State University, who are allowed to use Native American imagery because they maintain a relationship with the representative tribe (in FSU’s case, the Seminole Tribe) and have their support.

The Council of Chiefs had hopes of working together with the Peoria Tribe to come to a compromise and establish a Chief Illiniwek that represented their culture in a way that honored it, but John Froman, the current Chief, has stated that the tribe is not willing to participate without the endorsement of the university.

They were pitched the idea of a new Chief that “would be a respectful portrayal of the Peoria culture.” According to the Council, that was obviously not the previous Chief. “The previous Chief was not in any way representative of Peoria culture,” they said to Froman. The

previous Chief was dressed as a member of the Sioux tribe—not at all representative of Plains Indians like the Illini Confederation.

“Bringing back the Chief is not a way of respecting the Native American culture,” Froman said in an interview with a local Champaign newspaper.

The controversy has certainly not ceased with the discontinuation of the Native American imagery. The current climate of the University of Illinois is one of division on the topic of Chief Illiniwek.

In a poll that was conducted in February 2008, it was found that, of the approximately 23 percent of the student body who participated, 79 percent showed support for Chief Illiniwek, while 21 percent were opposed.

According to Rosenstein, the mascot is opposed by anywhere from 25-35 percent of all the student body and alumni.

While it seems that more are in favor of the Chief than against, both sides seem to agree that there is a lack of education involved in the usage of the symbol.

“I will say that most of the community is pretty uneducated about the full history and symbolism, which is unfortunate, but gives us a clear goal of education,” Ivan Dozier says. “Not a single person I’ve talked to

“WHAT HE REPRESENTS IN AN INDIVIDUAL’S OWN MIND OR IMAGINATION IS IRRELEVANT”

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over the years who is against the Chief has had all of their facts correct. To me this paints a clear picture— that we need to get everyone educated about the issue first and come to opinions later.”

Dozier also spoke on the harassment he’s received because of his portrayal as the Chief. “I’ve received a couple death threats here and there,” Dozier says, “as well as a lot of people saying that I’m a disgrace to my heritage or that my ancestry is made up.”

The heritage he’s referring to is his connection to his Cherokee ancestors. Dozier is one of only two (the other being Idelle Stith) who have been part Native American. He believes that his heritage has put him in an interesting position, in which he’s able to hear and understand the views from both sides of the controversy.

“I think that my heritage helps break down stereotypes a little bit. Too often people assume that I am against the Chief when they learn of my heritage,” Dozier says, “so I think that my unique perspective can help people on campus to judge issues like these on an individual basis rather than a racial one, which I think is an important mindset to try to foster for pretty much any issue, really.”

Jay Rosenstein Media and Cinema Studies Professor

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“WHEN A GROUP SAYS, ‘LOOK, YOU’RE DISRESPECTING US AND MISAPPROPRIATING OUR CULTURE,’ YOU DON’T JUST GET TO DECIDE THAT YOU’RE NOT”

Being Native American, Dozier has been met with conflicting opinions by some of his family members. “The silver lining there is that I trust and respect the views of my family, and so I have had the chance to open a dialogue and get to understand why a lot of people are offended by the Chief,” Dozier says. “I think that opportunity of discussion and understanding is valuable to share with a community that is clearly divided.”

Bennet Kamp doesn’t see such a clear division amongst the students.

“I wouldn’t say that there is a split in the student body,” Kamp says, “more of a greater indifference.” Kamp has observed, through his time as the current Chief, a general positivity from those who have had parents or family members attend the university. Those who are against it, he thinks, are those who haven’t had a personal experience with the symbol.

Megan Schaefer, a senior at the University of Illinois, does have a personal connection with Chief Illiniwek.

“I grew up going to games here, basketball especially,” Schaefer says. “When you’re a little kid, seeing the dance and everything was so cool. I didn’t actually like sports, so the halftime dance was basically the highlight of the long road trips.”

While she maintains that part of her misses the fond memories she had with her family, she believes the university did the right thing in banning Chief Illiniwek’s usage.

“When a group says, ‘Look, 32

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you’re disrespecting us and misappropriating our culture,’ you don’t just get to decide that you’re not,” Schaefer says.

Professor Jay Rosenstein attributes some of the blame to the University of Illinois’s lack of involvement. “I would say a majority of the current student body would support the Chief.

That is partly because the institution hasn’t done anything to educate its students about the issues relating to Chief Illiniwek and American Indian mascots and imagery in general,” he says. “I think if that was done, it would probably be about an even split among students.”

Ivan Dozier is in agreement with the professor on this particular issue. “I think the university could do much more to defend the symbol and its proud history by properly educating the public on its many nuances.”

What can’t be argued is that Chief Illiniwek has taken on a life outside of the university. Whether it’s in praise or in condemnation, talk of the usage of the Native American imagery extends far beyond the campus perimeter.

“The Chief has never just been a university symbol, it’s always been a very big impact on the community,” Kamp says. “The surrounding cities don’t have a sports team. U of I has always been their team and the chief has always been their symbol.”

The community, specifically the alumni of U of I, are dedicated to the chiefs. Many families are just like those of Ben Kamp—they pass down the Fighting Illini as another family tradition.

“There is a pool table in my family’s basement completely upholstered in orange and blue,” Kamp says. “I had no choice but to come to this school.”

The issue of cultural appropriation has also made its way into the national conversation. The use of Native American imagery for sports teams like the Washington Redskins is heavily debated.

According to Rosenstein, cultural appropriation can be summed up in the same way he explained it to his four-year-old daughter. “How would you feel if someone dressed up like you,” he says, “and while they were pretending to be you, acted in a stupid and foolish way that you would never act?”

He says that the issue of cultural appropriation is especially significant to Native Americans because there’s such a long, ugly history between them and white institutions. “Ever since the appearance of Europeans in North America, cultural appropriation of Native Americans has been occurring,” he says. “Ask yourself this: If you were them, wouldn’t you be more than a little bit tired of it by now?”

There seems to be no clear answer to this controversy, as organizations like Students for Chief Illiniwek continue to fight to reinstate the chief as the official symbol of the university, and the NCA A and the university continue to enforce the ban. For now, the University of Illinois continues to move forward without a mascot, but are actively polling students for opinions.

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From left to right Justine Avoudikpon and Sofia Demay

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A MODEL PROPOS AL Co-founders of the app Swifte, Justine Avoudikpon and Sofia Demay, plan to take community carpooling to the next level at SXSW’s Student Startup Madness Competition this month.

By Crissonna Tennison, UCLA Photography by Kira Vandenbrande, UCLA

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When Justine Avoudikpon and Sofia Demay first met each other while studying abroad at the University of Lyon in France, neither had any idea that they would collaborate to build an innovative new carpooling app, or a new friendship.

“You’re speaking in front of people you generally never would get an audience with.

You’re meeting other entrepreneurs from schools across America that, at least by our measures, are really, really good...And on top of that you’re at South by Southwest, the epicenter of digital media for five to seven days every year.”

Avoudikpon, a fourth-year Finance major at the Univer“ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE sity of Georgia, and Demay, a fourth-year International INVOLVED WITH STUDENT STARTUP Development and Entrepreneurship major at UCLA, have MADNESS BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF already presented Swifte at a number of other competitions, ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON CAMPUS” including the largest start-up competition in the Mediterranean, Banque Du Liban Accelerate 2016. Before Swifte, both of them had pursued separate On March 13, 2017, Avoudikpon and Deprojects. Avoudikpon participated in nationmay will present their app, Swifte, to invesal competitions in high school to gain fundtors at the Student Startup Madness finals at ing for a restaurant business she wanted to SXSW. Seven other college start-ups will be start, while Demay worked in corporate and in attendance to compete in the final round nonprofit environments before gaining expeof the national competition, but winning first rience with early stage start-ups. place is not a priority for the rideshare innoTheir idea for Swifte came while studying vators. “We’ve kind of already won in a way, abroad in France, where both girls marveled because of all these amazing connections at the popular carpooling systems in place. we’ve made and the coach and just the opporEven though they were the only Americans tunity to go regardless,” Demay says. studying at the University of Lyon that seStudent Startup Madness creator Sean mester, their plans to hang out kept being Branagan agrees. thwarted by a variety of miscommunications

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and an incident in which Demay got hit by a motorcycle.

Upon returning to the U.S., they each independently started working in incubators, or accelerated business development classes, on carpooling apps for American university students. Before long, they realized that they were working on the same idea.

“I was just posting about it on Facebook,” Avoudikpon explains. “Like, ‘I have this cool new app guys, you should check it out.’”

Demay adds, “I saw what she was doing, and we got in contact and said, ‘Look, we want to do the same thing, why not help each other out?’”

That exact ethos is the driving force behind Swifte. The app connects drivers with riders who are going to similar destinations. Drivers charge fares that riders pay through the app, allowing them to use one car and split gas. Since carpooling removes the hierarchical contractor-client relationship that characterizes apps such as Lyft and Uber, there is a greater chance for friendships to be built or enhanced, all because people are sharing resources to get to their respective destinations. While anybody can download and use the app, their marketing efforts are largely focused on university students, who often face transportation issues when it comes to socializing or visiting family.

“Freshman year at Georgia I had no car,” Avoudikpon elaborates. “I live in Atlanta, so going back and forth on the Megabus was su-

per slow, or it just didn’t come at all, which was unfortunate. You’re just waiting for hours for the bus to come, but it never comes.”

Adds Demay, “I feel like it really was a need that we both wanted to face. We were like, ‘You know what? If no one else is going to do something about it, maybe we should.’”

That self-starter attitude is exactly the kind of quality that Branagan, who teaches entrepreneurship at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, hopes to celebrate and enhance through the Student Startup Madness competition.

“The number one commonality of entrepreneurs is not that you’re born with it or you’re an outgoing person or you’re a technical person or any of that nonsense that we hear. The number one is [being] action-oriented, especially in the face of uncertainty.

So, when markets and technologies and behaviors are changing, that’s when entrepreneurs seem to act. And that’s when a lot of other people don’t.”

Two hundred student start-ups applied this year for the tournament-style competition, with judges whittling the contestants down to 64, then 32, before choosing the groups that comprise this year’s “Entrepreneurial Eight.”

Groups are judged based on four broad criteria: they must present “scalable digital businesses” with a lot of room for growth; they must have a strong team composed of multiple members with diverse skill-sets; they must have a large market, and they must have “traction,” meaning their apps have already been built and are already attracting customers.

This year, Avoudikpon and Demay will be joined by teams from such schools as Carnegie Mellon, NYU, the University of Michigan and Case Western Reserve University. The entries are diverse, ranging from a website connecting students who suffer from chronic health problems, to interactive teddy bears that allow people separated by thousands of miles to hug each other.

“All of the people that are involved with Student Startup Madness believe in the power of entrepreneurship on campus,” Branagan explains. “That it’s better to start something and learn, than study it or think about it or take a job and hope later you’re going to start it. Your odds of success increase the sooner you start; the more you start the more you learn. It’s a learn-by-doing kind of thing.”

The competition will provide Swifte with a lot of exposure, something the duo is always on the lookout for.

“We’re really trying to just get our name out there, especially because it’s a student driven competition,” says Demay. “We’re STUDYBREAKS.COM

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“GETTING BETTER” AT ENTREPRENEURSHIP SEEMS TO BE AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT GOAL FOR THOSE LOOKING TO STAY ON TOP OF CURRENT ECONOMIC TRENDS

going to some [competitions] in the future that are for a wide audience, so it’s kind of nice to be in one that is catering to students and toward investors who are interested in investing in student run start-ups.” They are also interested in “getting the SXSW group to pioneer” the launch of their new feature, which involves creating groups for events.

One of more mundane challenges so far has been raising money. Much of their funding has come from their own savings, as well as the help of family and friends. Gaining funding from investors has been a paradoxical process, with investors typically interested in funding start-ups that have verifiable

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results—results that cost money to achieve.

Now that they are starting to gain “traction,” however, the path to more money has become a little less toilsome.

Enthusiastic support from fellow entrepreneurs has made the struggle worthwhile.

“Getting the validation from people was really nice,” Demay reflects. “To be able to get feedback from students in Lebanon, who said, ‘Look, one day you should bring this to Lebanon, we would love to help you.’ All the connections we were able to make from that were really great.”

Participating in competitions has accelerated Avoudikpon and Demay’s learning process by teaching them how to effectively

communicate with investors.

Referring to the Banque Du Liban Accelerate competition, Demay says, “Every five minutes we would have three people coming up and speaking to us. Throughout that experience we started just saying certain things, seeing what would work, what wouldn’t work...I mean, we’ve never owned a business before. How do you do financial projections; it was a huge learning curve.”

It has also brought them firsthand knowledge of the challenges associated with being women of color in a white, male-dominated field. Avoudikpon says, “In Lebanon a person walking by asked us, ‘So, is it just you two?’ and we’re just like, ‘Yeah…’”

“Yeah,” Demay continues, “We’ve gotten some comments like, ‘Oh wow, you started this?’ and we’re like, ‘Why couldn’t we?’ It’s hard to always get the level of respect that you feel like you deserve, but at least we have each other. It would be a lot harder if we were one founder.”

Indeed, Demay and Avoudikpon make it a

point to surround themselves with an elaborate support system composed of teachers, advisors, fellow students and each other.

When Avoudikpon first came up with the idea for the app, she was encouraged by an advisor that she met up with in Barcelona during her semester abroad.

“I was like, ‘I have this idea I want to start,’ and he said, ‘Well, why not do it?’ I responded, ‘Because I’m broke? Because I have no money?

And I don’t know how to start an app.’”

Despite her misgivings, her advisor sent her helpful information about the basics of running a start-up, forging a business relationship that continues today.

Since its conception in March 2016, the Swifte team has expanded to ten members, some of them friends of Demay and Avoudikpon, some of them interns through University of Georgia’s International Student Identity Card (ISIC) program. She gained another advisor through her participation in the WBENC SEP, a women’s business conference, in 2016. Through Student Startup Madness, both Demay and Avoudikpon gained a coach to provide feedback and support in preparation for the event.

Avoudikpon and Demay’s appreciation for the role of community in their success is palpable when they talk about their vision for Swifte.

“We really want to create something that’s more than a carpool app,” Demay STUDYBREAKS.COM

describes. “We want you to be able to meet other students; we want you to have valuable, engaging conversations; we want you to expand your community while helping the environment, saving CO2, saving time and money.”

the time, because you’re in the same community,” says Demay.

The competitive aspect of Student Startup Madness may seem to conflict with their harmonious quest, but Branagan feels differently.

“There’s different ways that you are competitive. There’s the competitive ‘I want to mash you down to nothing,’ and there’s the competitive ‘I want to be better than you at this, and you want to be better than me, and in the end we both get better.’ And that’s the competition that we’re really driving for.”

“Getting better” at entrepreneurship seems to be an increasingly important goal for those looking to stay on top of current economic trends.

“I do really feel like entrepreneurship is where the change is going to happen in the future,” Demay says. “People are jumping around jobs more; people are willing to try new things. I feel like as long as there’s still those incentives out there, to be able to make large profits and be able to make social differences or help change the world, entrepreneurship is just going to keep getting larger and larger.”

Branagan concurs. “You’ve heard things like, ‘Oh, well, the market’s hot right now, it’s a bubble,’ and things along those lines.

And, no, this is a boom. I was in the bubble; it wasn’t like this at all. It was a lot of guessing.

And this actually has users, and successes and failures that are driven by markets instead of just investor money. So it’s an exciting time.”

“WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO MEET OTHER STUDENTS; WE WANT YOU TO HAVE VALUABLE, ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS; WE WANT YOU TO EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY WHILE HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT, SAVING CO2, SAVING TIME AND MONEY.”

Avoudikpon adds, “I carpooled one time from Lyon to Nice. There were five of us in the car, so he took us to the nice neighborhood of Lyon...he didn’t have to do that, but he went out of his way just for us because we were tourists. That could be so cool for students to just find a person on campus who lives near you who may become your best friend in the future. Right now I use Swifte in Atlanta and I have friends from just that experience alone.”

“These are lasting relationships most of

Though the field may be complicated, both diplomatically and professionally, the pair’s favorite component of entrepreneurship is the relationships they have forged.

Demay says, “It’s been incredible to have an idea that we do wholeheartedly believe in. Both of us are so invested; we really feel like this is it. And so to be able to have all these mentors and these support systems and friends become involved has been a really cool experience.”

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Undocumented & Undeterred As the fight over illegal immigration intensifies, sanctuary schools have become a battleground issue throughout Texas. The question is, will legislators listen to students?

By Riley Heruska, Austin College Illustrations by Hannah Boehme, Minnesota College of Arts and Design

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hen President Donald Trump was elected to office in November 2016, an enormous, passionate outcry from many American students ensued. College students throughout the country gathered together and put on impassioned displays of political and social activism, from demonstrations about open-carry policies to protests against racial discrimination.

Immigrant students wept in fear for their families, and those who participate in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) anxiously waited to find out if they’d be allowed to continue their studies in this country.

Suddenly, a new buzzword began flying around campuses throughout America: “sanctuary.” Students of all race, gender and ethnicity want to feel protected, not only by their government, but also by the schools they attend. As colleges and universities became places of increasing division and political discourse, various student-led groups began to establish their place in the chaos, and student safety is now on the top of their agenda.

At the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University, one of these recently-created groups has stirred up controversial conversations in its call for immigrant student protection. Students from both universities have come together in the name of a common cause, despite residing on different campuses. The group, dubbed “The Sanctuary Task-

W

force,” is led by students who ask that the rights of undocumented and resources, counseling services and housing assistance would be proimmigrant students, as well as minority individuals, be defended by vided to those in need. their universities. More specifically, UNT and TWU students are bat“With the help of others in the group, I co-wrote and edited a petling to label their campuses as “sanctuary campuses.”

As David Lopez, a UNT senior and president of the Chicano/ Latino group “Mueve,” explains, “THEY ARE UNEDUCATED,” SHE SAYS. “THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW “On a sanctuary campus, the administration prevents ICE (ImDIFFICULT IT IS TO GAIN CITIZENSHIP IN AMERICA. THEY DO NOT migration and Customs Enforcement) and border control from KNOW THE AMAZING AND DEDICATED STUDENTS THEY WOULD BE entering school grounds to deport undocumented students. The HELPING. THEY JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT A SANCTUARY CAMPUS main purpose is to protect undocumented students, especially WOULD DO TO HELP ALL STUDENTS.” those involved in DACA.” Although American schools would not legally be able to withstand the investigation or deportation of a student if pressured to comply by the government, tition to be submitted to the school,” Taskforce member Lopez says. sanctuary campuses would extend as much protection as possible to “Undocumented students would feel much safer if UNT became a immigrant students’ security and comfort. Undocumented students sanctuary campus, and we need to know that our university cares would be treated with as much respect as any other student, and legal about its most marginalized students.”

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ON A SANCTUARY CAMPUS, THE ADMINISTRATION PREVENTS ICE (IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT) AND BORDER CONTROL FROM ENTERING SCHOOL GROUNDS TO DEPORT UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS. THE MAIN PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVED IN DACA. Sanctuary Taskforce member and recent UNT graduate Stephanie Rachel Herrera, a sophomore at TWU studying Child DevelopPlancarte has a personal connection to the movement that fuels her ment and another member of the Sanctuary Taskforce, refuses to participation in the group. After obtaining her degree in International believe that warnings like Abbott’s will prevent the implementaStudies with a concentration in Peace Studies, she partnered with Dation of safety protocols for undocumented students. vid Lopez in the creation of the petition. “I just graduated and I have “State funds are important, but students need to be representdual citizenship,” Plancarte said. ed and protected,” she says. “If Abbott really wants to veto fund“The reason I just stated these two facts is because they make up ing, he would have to do so with the agreement of the House and my privilege. If there is something going on that you yourself are not the Senate, which I doubt will happen. We aren’t going to give up affected by, then you are privileged to not have to struggle because from this simple threat. We will keep fighting for what we deof it. It is because of my privilege that I stand up for my close friends mand and deserve.” who have DACA, my family members who are undocumented and my Like Plancarte, Herrera feels personally affected by the discusclassmates.” sion of immigration. “I have friends at UNT and TWU that are Plancarte sees no reason for UNT not to become a sanctuary students under DACA and would be terrified if their safety was in campus. “UNT is an institution that prides itself on diversity,” danger,” she says. “I also have friends that are of different minorishe says. “Therefore, backing a movement like this would only ty statuses that need to be represented. I, myself, am a disabled help the institution. If undocumented students do not feel comHispanic female and feel threated by the recent election.” fortable at UNT, they can in fact choose to transfer to a different The Sanctuary Taskforce has attempted to raise awareness school, perhaps one that does care about their needs. [As a reabout the petition on TWU and UNT campuses via various methsult], UNT would lose a lot of money, so if the petition is accepted, ods. “A lot of people did not know what the sanctuary movement it is a win-win.” was until we had our first rally,” Lopez says. “Thanks to rallies, UNT and TWU are not the only Texas schools with students social media and us getting the word out, a lot more people have who advocate for sanctuary campuses. The University of Texas become interested in not just signing the petition, but also in joinat Austin, Texas State University, University of El Paso, UTD and ing Latin organizations and becoming more politically active.” the University of Houston, as well as others, have students who Despite the Taskforce’s fervent attempts to push the petition, have made similar demands of their administrations. “The idea for our petition was inspired by other schools participating in the sanctuary movement,” Lopez admits. “We looked at schools like the University of Houston and took “THEY ARE UNEDUCATED,” SHE SAYS. “THEY DO NOT the steps we needed to.”

Lopez and other members of the SanctuKNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GAIN CITIZENSHIP IN ary Taskforce know that the establishment of a sanctuary campus is possible. By November AMERICA. THEY DO NOT KNOW THE AMAZING AND 2016, more than 25 universities in California were offering sanctuary, and dozens of univerDEDICATED STUDENTS THEY WOULD BE HELPING. THEY sities across the country are requesting similar accommodations for the undocumented stuJUST DON’T KNOW WHAT A SANCTUARY CAMPUS WOULD dents. However, not every state is so eager to welcome the controversial idea DO TO HELP ALL STUDENTS.” The concept of sanctuary campuses pushes the boundaries between education and government, and, as a result, has been met with extreme debate, especially in the conservative state of Texas. When calls for sanctuary campuses began to reach the members are under the impression that many administrators the ears of legislatures after President Trump’s election, Texas are reluctant to hear their pleas. “UNT’s president has been very Governor Greg Abbott vowed in a tweet on December 1 to halt unwilling and unhelpful in the process of meeting our demands,” funding for any state university that deemed itself a sanctuary Lopez says. “Even if he doesn’t use the word ‘sanctuary,’ we want campus. Heated discussions about the legality and necessity of him to guarantee that there will be no cooperation with ICE or sanctuary campuses broke out on the news, in classrooms and border control and that our undocumented students will be properhaps most importantly, amongst administrators and legislatected on campus.” tors.

Herrera has hope that the administrators at TWU will respond

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“I’M GLAD THAT SOME CAMPUSES HAVE BECOME SANCTUARIES AND THAT SOME ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE REALLY LISTENED TO THEIR STUDENTS,” LOPEZ SAYS. “IF SOME ADMINISTRATIONS WON’T DO SO, IT’S FOR SELFISH REASONS, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN STUDENTS’ WELL-BEING.” more positively to the petition for a sanctuary campus. “We have always been a campus for the underrepresented, and I’m ready for us to represent this group of students, as well,” she says. “I would be amazed to be supported by my college campus. To hear that the administration supports me and all other marginalized students on campus would be very powerful.”

Regardless of the reluctance on the part of administrators, the Taskforce has witnessed a surge in student support. They also believe that the movement has brought the campuses together in the wake of the presidential election. “At every rally or protest we’ve hosted on both campuses, there have been huge turnouts for only a day or two each of advertising and promoting,” Herrera says. “This gives us hope that we are not alone in our thoughts, and that we are united as a student body. Despite the few people that decide to speak against our movement, we are pleased to have unified ideals across campuses.”

Despite the evidence of strong student support, civilian and legislative backing has been slow to obtain. Many wonder how such a blatant lack of cooperation of schools with the law is legal. Lopez argues that the process would be legal, saying, “University campuses are paid for by students, and although some are considered public property, the administration has the power to not allow police or border control on campus if they choose to do so.” He believes that Governor Abbott’s tweet about sanctuary schools actually supports the idea that they could legitimately exist. If they weren’t a viable and legal option, why would the government even address the issue?

Herrera shakes her head at those who oppose the idea of sanctuary campuses. “They are uneducated,” she says. “They do not know how difficult it is to gain citizenship in America. They do not know the amazing and dedicated students they would be helping. They just don’t know what a sanctuary campus would do to help all students.”

While Herrera and the other Sanctuary Taskforce members have continued to fight for attention and legitimacy, as well as for their recently submitted petition, Texas legislators have been preparing to deal with the controversial issue. Most seem to be working against the implementation of sanctuary campuses, expressing concerns about the issue’s legality and the effects it would have on relations with police and border control.

On February 1, Governor Abbott publically referenced sanctuary campuses for the second time in his state of the state address, saying that the issue would be fast-tracked through the legislature. “If

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Governor Abott really does cut funding for any schools that become sanctuary campuses, it would be an economic disaster,” says Lopez.

He doesn’t believe it will happen, and most members of the Taskforce agree with him.

Plancarte bristles at the governor’s lack of support. “He needs to stop choosing money and self-interest over future Texan education,” she says.

She believes the conservative nature of Texas, and its legislators, has made the process of establishing sanctuary campuses more difficult.

Although Texas schools are struggling more than some to become sanctuary campuses, other colleges across the nation have also failed in their mission. Arkansas, Georgia and other states express similar concerns to those voiced in Texas. The big question still remains, despite endless debates: Can sanctuary campuses legally extend protection to students, no matter what the government says about undocumented immigrants or DACA participants?

“I’m glad that some campuses have become sanctuaries and that some administrations have really listened to their students,” Lopez says. “If some administrations won’t do so, it’s for selfish reasons, not because they are truly interested in students’ well-being.”

Herrera also argues that some administrators are fighting against sanctuary campuses for the wrong reasons.

“They are only concerned with the documentation status of whoever is being helped, which is an immature view,” she says. “Undocumented students are students too, and deserve to be treated like so.”

The Taskforce has not been shaken by Governor Abbott’s statements or the general hesitancy expressed by the public.

“Whether the president of UNT and others are willing or not, there is a willingness in us to keep moving forward with this proposal,” Lopez says. “Our Sanctuary Taskforce is still meeting, and we will continue to discuss further steps. Even if our school isn’t deemed a sanctuary school, we want to know that our marginalized students will be protected. It’s an issue of life for them.”

Over the next few months, the issue of sanctuary campuses will continue to attract attention from civilians, students, administrators and government officials. Although the future of such campuses seems hazy, students like Lopez, Herrera and Plancarte plan to continuously fight for the rights of immigrant students however they can. They take the matter seriously, and in their opinion, so should everyone else.

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EXTRA CREDIT

http://amandaspringob.w ixsite.com/amandaspringobspeaks

Get ting to Know:

AMANADA SPRINGOB

By Lindsey Davis, Iowa State University Photography by Jenna Marti, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Not many college students can say that they’re a sought-after motivational speaker, but Amanda Springob has always been somewhat of an exception. After her own battle with depression and anxiety in high school, Springob felt it her duty to shed awareness on the matter, so teenagers like her could feel empowered to speak up about mental health issues.

Since 2014, Springob has shared her story and insights with thousands of junior high, high school and college students at conferences, school assemblies and TEDx UW-Milwaukee, where she presented her speech “Saying the Hard Things: The Power of Speaking Up.”

I really spend a lot of time working on speeches and other projects. I guess you could say work is my hobby.

My favorite lifestyle blogs are Sea of Shoes and the Gardner Quad Squad. I really like watching old musicals too.

To me, empowerment is all about putting forth something so great that other people are inspired to be great too. It could be a political movement, a piece of art, a speech, whatever.

I talk about Beyoncé a lot with empowerment, because she’s the first person who really empowered me.

What really got me going were her lyrics. Beyoncé has so much conviction and emotion in everything she creates, and that was the thing I really needed to hear at that point in my life.

I was very insecure and dealing with depression, and that was first time I felt compelled to speak up about things I believed in.

Her power told me I could have power too. That’s something I try to give to others now—the notion that they can do anything they aspire to do.

Glennon Doyle Melton’s talk is my all-time favorite. She is a recovered addict, bulimic and depres-

Name Amanda Springob

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sive who has now written two bestselling books and founded a non-profit. She is incredibly well spoken and her story resonates with me no matter how many times I see it.

I also love Andrew Solomon’s talks. He is a mental health writer and gives some of the best definitions of different mental disorders that I’ve heard.

And I love Megan Washington, who is an Australian singer with a speech impediment. Her story is great because despite great odds, she found her voice and uses it to create meaningful work.

I think older generations give mental health a bad rap. They believe people are just being dramatic and should “get over it.”

They look at millennials and call them lazy and overly sensitive, so millennials with mental illness have two separate layers to break through when trying to tell people about their issues.

That makes it hard. But I do think millennials are powerful and that their outspokenness is changing the way people view mental health.

I’m proud to be a part of that movement, and I hope it’s one that will continue to f lourish in the coming generations.

School University of WisconsinMilwaukee

Year Sophomore

Major Communication

Hometown Spencer, Wisconsin

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president Meet the

What is your major?

Planning, Public Policy and Management. My minors are Environmental Studies and Business Administration.

What is your dream job?

I would actually love to be the manager of the San Francisco Giants.

What is your favorite meme?

I enjoy the hooded kermit memes. Me and my roommates love to craft our own.

What academic focus most interests you?

Environmental and health policy. I also really enjoy geology, I almost minored in it.

What music are you into at the moment?

Milky Chance, Frank Ocean, Father John Misty and Bon Iver What is your favorite place on the internet?

I only really use the internet for work. I tr y to spend some amount of time of fline.

But, if I had to choose a fun website, it would definitely be Clickhole.

Where would you be if not in college?

Hopefully in culinary school if I could afford it What will you never understand?

The Kardashians

What is your favorite Instagram account?

Cats of Instagram and Dr. Lindsey Fitzgerald

What qualities do you most admire in a person?

Honesty, wit, passion and a great sense of humor

What is your typical outfit?

I love turtlenecks and cowl necks with jeans and boots since it is cold in Eugene, but I much prefer dresses in warm weather.

What is your most marked characteristic?

My work ethic and my sarcastic flare What angers you?

People who complain about things but don’t want to do anything to help change them.

What is important to your right now?

Making sure the student community at the U of O feels supported, considering everything that is going on in national politics.

QU I N N H A AGA

Student Body President of Oregon University What is your motto?

“Think globally, act locally.”

What historical figure do you admire?

Nelson Mandela What fictional character do you most identify with?

Liz Lemon What is a secret talent of yours?

I love to tap dance.

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Who are some of your favorite authors?

Wally Lamb, William Faulkner, Isabelle Allende and Maria Semple, to name a few

What movie has had the biggest impact on your life?

“The Duchess.” I think this is one of the most beautiful and inspiring depic tions of what it means to love someone and how to be a suppor tive par tner.

Where do you take most of your selfies?

I honestly don’t think I have ever taken a serious selfie. I am a HUGE fan of SnapChat filters though. I would say I take most of my SnapChat selfies on my couch or in the ASUO office?!?

What is your most treasured possession?

This figurine that my late uncle car ved for my mom.

It is supposed to represent me and my two brothers.

He gave it to my mom at my grandma’s funeral and I keep it hanging above my door. It is so beautiful and reminds me of both him and my grandma.

What is your definition of failure?

I define personal failure as not doing something to my fullest capacity or not giving my all to something.

What makes you nervous?

Letting people down. I also get really nervous about missing flights

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+ALSO:

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