I belong here , because of music

Crystal Zimmerman, Hye Kyeong (Hannah) Cho, Nickolas Carlson

Saint Martin’s University music faculty were invited to make music in Bulgaria. This trip came about because of piano instructor, Hye Kyeong Hannah Cho, and her connections to the Vrasta Symphony Orchestra where she received her master’s degree. She was invited to play a concert with the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra, and she decided to invite Nickolas Carlson, staff accompanist and lecturer, and conductor of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra, to conduct the orchestra, and, Crystal Zimmerman, lecturer and applied voice teacher, and director of the Saint Martin’s University Chorale, to sing.

This is a huge accomplishment for Saint Martin’s University and its music department as faculty members represented the University on foreign soil.

The orchestra was made up of players from around the world. Spain, Italy, France, Russia, South Korea, and even the United States, to name a few. People from different back- grounds, cultures, family structures, governments, languages, and religions all coming under one banner: Music.

Zimmerman shared, “I read somewhere that there has been no human culture that had no music at all. That it is universal among our species. Music has held a prominent place within every boundary and has the ability to cross those boundaries in a way that few other things have been able. At rehearsals, we would all smile together when something went right, and grimace together when it fell apart. The notes on the page, the melody, harmony, rhythm, emotional intent, and the undercurrent of life all culminated in a final performance on September 15th, 2022.

There was a sense of trepidation, if I am being honest, about being in Eastern Europe with a war happening so close. A feeling of unease at the language barrier and cultural unknowns. Even a bit of imposter syndrome that an orchestra, half a world away, would accept me. By the third rehearsal, all these fears had disappeared. We had become a team.

We were no longer from everywhere else, from different cultures, different religions. We were moving as one, in the same direction, with the same goals, the same dream. We had come to an understanding.

When there is struggle and then triumph, and you are alone, you have grown as an individual. But, when you struggle and triumph, and you are together, you have grown not only as an individual, but as a society. When you grow together you are able to see where you fit, where you contribute, where you can rely on others. You are able to see where you belong. And we all belong together and to each other. Belonging is a commodity that cannot be taken for granted, it must be cultivated.

Because I have music, I can belong anywhere. I can contribute, I can learn to count on others, I have a home. Music has given me a place not only within the community of Saint Martin’s University, but in the world, and I am grateful for that every day.”

Zyon Rodriguez

4 th Year Sociology and Cultural Anthropology Student

Rodriguez, a senior at Saint Martin’s, was approached by Dr. Ronald Gordon to work with the Freedom Writers Foundation (FWF) in writing a story to be published in the book, Dear Freedom Writer Stories of Hardship and Hope from the Next Generation. A sequel to the original Freedom Writers Diary, where the original freedom writers respond to the next generation’s experiences and stories. The FWF supplied each student author with their own computer so that they had the ability to write their own stories.

After many Zoom meetings, writing, revising, and editing his story, Rodriguez attended a symposium and book launch in Long Beach, California that was fully funded by the Associated Students of Saint

Martin’s University (ASSMU). There he had the opportunity to meet the original Freedom Writers, Erin Gruwell, and the other student authors published in the sequel. Gruwell accompanied them during various activities, including recreating experiences she previously had with the original Freedom Writers. These experiences included visiting the Museum of Tolerance, where they heard a moving speech from a Tutsi woman who survived a genocide in Rwanda and created community through the “line game.” To close out the trip, the FWF set up a public book signing event for the new authors, where Rodriguez received his own signed copy. Rodriguez is very grateful to have shared his story with others around the world. This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Dr. Gordon, the FWF and ASSMU.

Robert Hauhart, Ph.D., J.D. Professor, Society and Social Justice

Professor Robert Hauhart, Ph.D., J.D., professor in the Department of Society and Social Justice has been invited to give a series of lectures and conduct workshops at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Professor Hauhart received this opportunity through the Fulbright Scholar Award, which will be his second time since 2019, to visit the Postgraduate School and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. During his visit in November, he will be leading workshops and presenting lectures to faculty and students on two of the books he authored, Designing and Teaching Undergraduate Capstone Courses (2015) and Seeking the American Dream (2016). Reflecting on the Fulbright award, Professor Hauhart said, “both faculty and students can search out these Fulbright opportunities and maybe they’ll really be great experiences. It just turned out that way for me.”

Irina Gendelman, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Society and

Social Justice,

Professor,

Communication Studies

Professor Irina Gendelman, Ph.D. has been awarded the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Arts, Design & Architecture Teaching Fellowship. The Teaching Fellowship program allows professors from across the globe to travel and teach in different countries. Gendelman has been chosen to lead academic workshops at UNSW in 2023 due to her expertise in placebased teaching and her unique usage of technology in the classroom. Gendelman seeks to establish friendly bonds between herself as a representative of Saint Martin’s and the faculty of UNSW in the hopes of sparking rigorous cooperation between both schools.

Jeff Birkenstein, Ph.D. Professor, English and Irina Gendelman, Ph.D.

Professors Irina Gendelman, Ph.D., and Jeff Birkenstein, Ph.D., have been invited by the Modern Language Association (MLA) to present a follow-up to their 2018 presentation/ project titled “From the Beginning: Indigenous Storytelling of Food and Medicine.” In short, their project set out to teach students about indigenous culture through storytelling. Instead of learning through lectures, the students learned about indigenous culture through stories told by elders of the Nisqually tribe. Gendelman and Birkenstein plan on expanding the scope of their follow-up project to demonstrate the value of non-traditional, story-based education associated with indigenous culture.

Matondo Wawa, Ph.D. Instructor, Business

Dr. Matondo Wawa, Business Instructor, was invited to speak at several business forums in October, including the International Business Forum of Las Vegas (IBFLV) on October 1st and the 22nd Annual Africa Day Business Forum. “I am proud of the African Chamber of Commerce because its activities align with my work of promoting the acquisition of capital investments for economically sustainable enterprises to create self-supporting and scalable businesses,” shared Dr. Wawa.

Dintie S. Mahamah, Ph.D., P.E. Chair, Civil Engineering, Director of MSEV program, Professor, Civil Engineering

The Puget Sound and its multiple waterways are hosts to a variety of aquatic animals. Of the aquatic creatures that call the Puget Sound home, salmon are one of the most susceptible to human activities such as overfishing or dam-building. To address the issue of decreasing salmon populations, Professor Dintie Mahamah, Ph.D., has joined the board of the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG).

Mahamah plans to use his expertise in environmental and water resource engineering to help the SPSSEG preserve the delicate salmon population and increase awareness of this issue among the Saint Martin’s community.

Joseph Scott, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music

This past summer Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Joseph Scott presented at two international conferences in Europe. Scott’s article, Exploring the Harmonic Wedge in Paul Hindemith’s Symphony in B flat, was accepted for presentation at the International Society for Research and Promotion of Wind Music Conference in Bolzano, Italy. He also presented his research on Belgian composer Arthur Meulemans at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles conference in Prague, Czech Republic.

Roger Douglas, Ed.D. Dean of International Programs and Development

It is important for Saint Martin’s to establish relations with universities across the globe, as cooperation can lead to innovation. During a U.S. Commercial Service Trade Mission to India, Dean of International Programs and Development Roger Douglas contributed to building rapport between Saint Martin’s and various Indian universities. While in India, Douglas helped organize two student recruitment fairs and meetings with Indian universities.

His efforts have proven to be fruitful, as a significant number of Indian students have applied for undergraduate and graduate programs at Saint Martin’s University. We congratulate Douglas for his efforts in growing our international student population.

Andrea

Kunder, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Physics

Humanity has long been intrigued by the starry night sky. This interest in the stars is alive and well here at Saint Martin’s. To expand their knowledge of our galaxy, Dr. Andrea Kunder, along with three astrophysics students, took a trip to the Siding Springs Observatory in Australia this past summer. The goal of this trip was to use the 4-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope to study two globular clusters located in the Milky Way galaxy. Kunder and her students have come away from this trip with a greater appreciation for the universe and our galaxy.

Gina Armer, Ph.D., MBA Director, Master of Business Administration Program, Associate Professor of Business

The School of Business is hosting a study abroad trip to Denmark in May of 2023! This international travel experience will include visiting the Lego factory headquarters in Denmark, various cultural sites, and government and non-profit organizations. This weeklong trip is estimated to total $3,500 per person, including airfare and accommodation. Participants will be staying on campus at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. The School of Business is gathering names of interested parties, including senior students from other disciplines, faculty, staff, and alumni, in addition to senior undergraduate business majors and MBA students. Please email your interest to Dr. Gina Armer, MBA Program Director, at GArmer@ stmartin.edu to be added to our email distribution list as updates become available.

Jamie Olson, Ph.D. Professor, English

Saint Martin’s University English Professor Jamie Olson, Ph.D., is the recipient of a Fulbright Award in Tbilisi. Olson’s award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Scholarship Board enabled him to teach English at Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia this fall. His work involves translating Georgian poetry with colleagues, researching literature and culture of the Caucasus for publication, and building institutional connections between Ilia State University and Saint Martin’s University. “I am honored to receive my Fulbright, and I am excited to spend time in Tbilisi, a city I have never visited,” shared Olson. “For a poetry specialist like me, the country of Georgia is the perfect place to undertake my project, since poetry is deeply ingrained in the culture, and I look forward to learning more about it by working with local scholarsand poets.”

Lori Sirs, DSW, LICSW Program Director of Social Work, Assistant Professor, Social Work

Dr. Lori Sirs and Professor Gaby Hyre accompanied 5 social work students to the Latino Social Work Organization’s national conference in Seattle from October 6-8. It was incredibly powerful to hear from speakers from all over the country as they shared their work and vision for the future. The conference was hosted by the University of Washington School of Social Work and NAMI, Washington Chapter. Breakout sessions addressed such topics as addressing the supervision, support, and training needs of Latinx Social Work Practitioners, Latinx higher education in social work focused on increasing access to higher education for students and professionals, and the value and role of mentorship for Latinx social work students and professionals. The conference was organized around a focus on the future of social work practice, during and after COVID-19, and the implications for social workers, social work education, and the Latinx community. Students in attendance included: Ana “Rossy” Chacon-Labato, Nick Kaipov, Daisy Miranda, Cristina Tapia, and Allison Weide. For most of the students, this was their first opportunity to attend a major conference and they are excited to share and implement the information they gained with fellow students, and in their internship sites

Nick Coffman Director, Office of Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry hosted its annual New Student Retreat to help guide students through finding their faith, themselves, and their community. The New Student Retreat was held on the first of October and students spent the night at the Gwinwood Retreat Center, just south of campus. The 22 attendees were able to listen to student leaders speak on their experiences of finding their place at Saint Martin’s as well as engaging in activities and group sharing sessions. This experience of openness and dialogue about finding community had a lasting impact on the new students. One attendee reflected on the retreat by saying “I have grown to appreciate silence and listening. Sometimes, I would fill the silence, but during the retreat, we welcomed it.” They went on to add that their experience changed their perspective on their faith. “I want to welcome Him and learn about what I can do to build my relationship with God.”

Some college students, both at Saint Martin’s and elsewhere, face unique challenges while pursuing their degrees, such as having to work long hours or pulling all-nighters to complete their assignments. For Saint Martin’s undergraduate Abudeen Dumbuya, his challenge was to attain his full citizenship status while juggling his work and school life.

Dumbuya is originally from the western African country of Sierra Leone. In 2009, his father moved to Washington to provide for his family. Unfortunately, Dumbuya’s father contracted Leukemia in 2016, which prompted Dumbuya to fly from Sierra Leone to be with his dad at the hospital.

Tragically, Dumbuya’s father lost his fight with Leukemia in May 2017.

Understandably devastated by his loss, Dumbuya sought to pursue a career as a doctor in order to help others afflicted with illness. “When I was there [at the hospital], I saw the doctors having one-on-one conversations with my father about his treatment. That triggered me to want to be in that field.” After graduating high school in 2019, Dumbuya began attending Saint Martin’s that following year to achieve his goal.

Since attending Saint Martin’s, Dumbuya has worked diligently to achieve his goal of becoming a doctor. He is currently undertaking a Biology Pre-Med degree, which is a foundational first step in pursuing most vocations related to medicine. Additionally, Dumbuya has worked at the local South Sound Behavioral Hospital to gain experience in the medical field. “I used to work 12-hour night shifts. Now I’m working part-time hours so I can focus more on school.”

After multiple attempts to register as a permanent citizen of the U.S., Dumbuya was granted full citizenship status this past Fall. When asked about his post-graduation plans, Abudeen said, “I plan on taking a year or two off to relax. I do plan on staying in the U.S. so I can eventually go to medical school.”

We congratulate Abudeen on becoming a permanent U.S. citizen and we wish him well in achieving his goal to become a full-time medical practitioner!

This past August, student-athlete Michiko Magnant got the rare opportunity to attend the 2022 World Junior Ultimate Championship for ultimate frisbee. Held in Wroclaw, Poland, the championship pitted Magnant against some of the best youth ultimate frisbee players in the world. Despite the stacked roster, she and her teammates clawed their way to victory and brought home the gold medal. Riding high on her wave of victory, Magnant expresses her intent to play ultimate frisbee in the future. “My hope is to keep playing at the highest level that I can for the longest I can.”