T H E T O R C H N EWSL E T T E R
Beyond the Classroom It is only a few minutes until 7 p.m., and a sluggish mass has congregated at the Center for Leadership and Service, a retro auditorium nestled within H Quad. Below a sea of lime green ceiling panels, an audience of sleep-deprived Scholars has settled. For most of us, the first wave of midterms is only now beginning to recede into the abyss from which it had come, giving us the precious time to attend this Tuesday night’s Scholars event and go “beyond the classroom.” The humdrum of the room courteously dies down as the host commences the panel discussion; however, it is not until the panelists introduce themselves that suddenly our interest is piqued. As the speakers go down the line, stating their names, year, majors, and programs, the atmosphere of the crowd morphs from one of nonchalance to curiosity, for sitting before us are seven of the University Scholars Program’s brightest and toughest students; seven epitomes of
what we underclassmen secretly hope to become: “super-students.” What follows is a summary of the most relevant pieces of information on succeeding “beyond the classroom,” according to the valuable experiences of Gabrielle Khalife (‘17, Red Watch Band), Ashneel Raj (‘19, Scholars Fellow), Erica Ferer (‘17, Student Ambassador), Alessandra Riccio (‘18, Resident Assistant), Taylor Brant (‘17, Orientation Leader), Eric Margolis (‘18, Commuter Assistant), and Matthew Henninger (‘17, AIDS Peer Educator). Now, as a shameless cynic, I believe that selfishness is what drives our actions. Hence, the question we all wish to ask, but not dare say, bubbles to the surface: how does applying to one, or more of these programs benefit me? The second most obvious aspect one can gain is experience. As important as lectures and classwork are, hands-on individual research and field projects are equally crucial for college and
6
post-college career development. Erica Ferer of Student Ambassadors, notes that S.A.s are required to master the “elevator pitch,” a concise, persuasive sales pitch, because they attend various events as representatives of Stony Brook University. If nominated, and admitted, students train to “interact with all kinds of people” at large events such as “40 under 40” and Admitted Student’s Day. On the other hand, non-academic programs help students gain experience in less conspicuous, but equivalently important, ways. Matthew Henninger says that AIDS Peer Educators are encouraged to push past their comfort zone by having to talk about culturally taboo topics, such as sex and disease. In doing so, students not only acquire interactive skills but also, more importantly, learn how to quell discomfort and practice empathy. Since these programs are highly selective (most require a nomination, interview and a minimum GPA ranging from 2.5 to 3.0), the