Periplus Summer-Fall 2018

Periplus

A publication of the UNCW Honors College

VOL. 13 ISSUE 2–3 Summer–Fall 2018

New Leadership in Honors.............................2 UNCW at NCHC...........3 Studying Happiness Abroad.............................4 Photo Gallery..................5 Student Spotlights..........6 A Walk to Remember....8 First-Years on Florence.........................10 Congratulations to the Graduates......................11 Letters from the Editor and Director..................12

Dr. Bingham at the Oct. 30 welcome reception hosted by the university. Jeff Janowski/UNCW

New Leadership in Honors Dr. Bingham learns to #lovethedub

Nikki Kroushl Class of 2019

“T

he dream, five years from now, would be to have a named College, some more scholarships, and a building or at least the blueprints,” Dr. Shawn Bingham says, summarizing a few of his goals for the Honors College.

Bingham is a new face on the second floor of Randall Library. Last spring I was disappointed to learn that Dr. Kate Bruce, the UNCW Honors College director of nearly 20 years, would be returning to teach full-time in the psychology department. I thought, I’m a senior—the new director won’t have much of an impact on my Honors experience.

(To read more about Dr. Bingham, continue to next page.)

Feature

New Leadership in Honors

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cont.

erhaps that’s true. Dr. Bingham’s plans for Honors are long-term, and the first year or two of his job will be spent learning and evaluating the current functions of Honors. Even so, his style has grown on me.

Alongside three other students, I traveled with him and other Honors faculty to the National Collegiate Honors Council conference in November. A week later I played Uno with his daughters at a Wilmington Fellows game night. I have heard his ideas, watched him seek feedback from students, and witnessed his nerdy puns.

ors (plus a few relevant departments, perhaps ETEAL or the Office of International Programs).

“There’s just so much you can do when you have a space that’s designed for Honors education,” he says.

At the University of South Florida, Dr. Bingham spent three years as the Honors College’s Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. He lived among 1,200 USF Honors students for five years as a faculty-in-residence. He’s well aware of how space and environment impact Honors education, which is part of the reason for the most imminent change for Honors: the move to Cornerstone.

“Having lived in a residence hall as a faculty fellow, I would like to learn more about what’s being done in the residence halls and maybe get faculty more engaged there,” Dr. Bingham adds.

The move confirms what we’ve seen, even over the three and a half years I’ve been a college student—the Honors College is growing every year. Under Dr. Bingham’s leadership, we can hope to see an increase in resources without losing the community feel and small class sizes that have made it a home.

Dr. Bingham and Dr. Grove playing some original Nintendo games on Dr. Grove’s Nintendo Switch.

Dr. Bingham knows a lot about jokes—one of his recent books is about humor and disability. This semester he taught HON 210: Consumer Culture and Shopping Society. His discipline is sociology, but his work is unmistakably interdisciplinary.

“I think a piece of Honors is figuring out how things that seemingly don’t relate actually relate,” he explains.

“Job number one for me is to help students wrap a context around what they’re studying.”

Developing interdisciplinary work is one of Dr. Bingham’s top priorities. In our conversation—which he suggested take place at PCJ, rather than in his office—he mentioned developing a medical humanities minor and “blue studies” coursework, which ties humanities concepts to marine sciences.

His other priorities: diversity in Honors students (across lines of gender, race, class, and field of study); additional funding for student support, especially for Honors study abroad; and a new physical space for Hon-

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We Are UNCW profiled Dr. Bingham after his initial hiring last summer.

Bradley Pearce/UNCW

“The big thing is… Honors colleges function best when their success does not rely on one person—a dean or a director or whoever is at the helm,” Dr. Bingham observes. “They rely on everyone getting involved, whether that’s faculty across campus, or students taking ownership over what’s happening, or alumni getting involved, or donors making travel possible for students who have never been out of the state. It’s the involvement of everyone that really makes honors colleges work.”

Feature Emily Grose Class of 2020

Talk Nerdy to Me: UNCW at NCHC

Y

ears ago, there were very few Honors programs at colleges and universities. Today, however, nerds flock to conferences like the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual gathering to discuss how to recruit more nerds, help develop current nerds, and show off special nerds.

My trip to the November 2018 NCHC conference in Boston was unforgettable. Honors faculty and staff from all over the country came together to collaborate, debate, and create new ideas in interdisciplinary studies, cultural engagement, undergraduate research, and student involvement. Students also converged as session presenters, moderators, poster presenters, or curious learners.

Of all the things I learned in Boston, the most significant to me was that we Honors students are the representatives of our institutions, hometowns, and generation, and we are the future.

I had been to one conference before, but NCHC was a different beast. There were at least five sessions to choose from in every fifty-minte block. With so many options, I could attend sessions that piqued my interest and then go support the UNCW students who were presenting. One aspect of NCHC I loved was the “hallway talks”: spur-of-themoment conversations between conference attendees

conference reflection

Several of UNCW’s NCHC attendees: Dr. Bruce, Emily Grose, Sarah Bischoff, Caleb Horowitz, and Dr. Bingham.

when ideas and collaboration occurred at their finest. No matter what conference you attend, there will always be moments of great minds coming together.

I was able to take an active role in the conference by serving as a student moderator. Student moderators introduced the presenter for the session, introduced the topic of the session, and moderated the Q&A portion.

The best part of being a student moderator was attending seminars I would not have normally. For example, I moderated a session on “Transgressor Two-Year Students” hosted by Northern Virginia Community College.

NVCC was a prime example of how community college students can also complete honors projects. NVCC has worked diligently to create an honors program specifically tailored to the community college setting.

I also moderated a session titled “Peer-Mentoring Programs.” Central Michigan University has a mentoring program for freshmen, similar to the Honors Mentors program we have at UNCW. By attending the session, I could compare systems between institutions and consider how UNCW might improve the mentoring program to benefit freshmen. Central Michigan University extensively trains their peer mentors to help freshmen with the transition to college through programs on emotional intelligence, sexuality and gender identity development, cultural and social development, mental health, and much more. I suggested to Dr. Bingham that CMU’s peermentor training be incorporated into our very own program and improve the transition for UNCW Honors freshmen. Student moderating helped me strengthen my presentation skills, attend unique sessions, and learn about different honors programs.

I would highly recommend NCHC to anyone interested in conferences, even tentatively. At first, I was hesitant to attend because I fthought I didn’t have enough to contribute to the conference. However, if I had decided not to attend simply because I didn’t have a poster or a paper to present, I wouldn’t have learned so much from other Honors students. I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to our ever-growing program at UNCW. I wouldn’t have learned that being nerdy is the new “cool” in school.

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Feature

study abroad

Victoria Migneco Class of 2020

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View from a glacier hike. All photos courtesy of author.

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id you know that Iceland is among the happiest countries in the world? Neither did I—until I learned and experienced it for myself. This past spring, I took HON 121: Happiness Emphasis, taught by Dr. Rebecca Rampe. We learned about the factors that contribute to happiness, talked about the world’s happiest places, and read about Iceland’s unique levels of happiness.

In May, traveling with Dr. Kara Pike Inman’s Exploring Global Citizenship seminar, we took our newly acquired knowledge abroad to Iceland. There we interviewed locals and discovered why Icelanders are so happy.

Iceland has a population of around 335,000 and an area slightly smaller than Kentucky; one would expect it to feel, well, small. But, in fact, it was just the opposite: Iceland was larger than life. The Icelandic scenery was bold and striking, just like the broad-chested Vikings revered in the Icelandic Sagas that every local can quote by heart. The lack of trees let me gaze across the divergent landscape for miles. Mountains, volcanoes, glaciers. Rivers, waterfalls, beaches. Fissures, hot springs, geysers. This little country contained unfathomable wonders. Our class experienced one of Earth’s most geothermally active areas, donned crampons and icepicks and hiked up a glacier, relaxed in the Blue Lagoon, ate geothermally baked bread, snorkeled the fissure between two continental plates, and kayaked among the dramatic views of faraway mountains. By the end of this trip, my jaw hurt from gaping at everything we saw.

And we barely scratched the surface of this country’s

Studying Happiness Abroad natural marvels.

During our experiences, we learned about Icelandic culture, interviewed locals, and experienced aspects that contribute to Icelanders’ happiness. We learned, among many things, that Iceland is a very physically active country—partly because of the amazing scenery just asking to be explored. Even in the cold and dark months, Icelanders find ways to stay energetic, mostly by exercising in one of many heated outdoor pools. Additionally, Iceland has free healthcare and education, which alleviates some stress of its citizens.

Being in a geothermally active location, Iceland makes good use of this natural energy for heating the majority of its houses and water. We discovered that living sustainably in this way also contributes to their happiness.

I believe that Iceland’s natural scenery also plays a role in their happiness—the dramatic views and powerful forces can easily humble a person. The scenery induces self-reflection, so it’s no surprise that Iceland is known for producing more writers and publishing more books per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Before this course and our time abroad, I was surprised to hear that this seemingly small country was so happy. But now, after experiencing and learning so much alongside fellow classmates and professors, I’m not surprised in the slightest.

Snorkeling between tectonic plates.

Highlights See more photos on the Honors Facebook page.

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Student Spotlights

student spotlights

Honors students share their Summer and Fall 2018 experiences!

Amanda conducting base measurements for determining yearly sediment accretion in the NEER’s newly obtained wetland site.

Kelly Arnold cataloging pottery at Old Salem.

Cristal Albor ’20 studied abroad in the Dominican Republic over the summer.

Kelly Arnold ’21 spent the summer volunteering on an archaeological dig in Old Salem.

Olivia Backston ’20 studied abroad in England and became a Study Abroad Ambassador.

Amanda Ceroli ’19 spent the summer in Charleston, Oregon, at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) for her NOAA-Hollings internship, investigating the wetland’s resiliency to sea level rise.

Caleb Horowitz ’18 and Abby House ’19 spent the summer researching student uprisings for Dr. Mark Boren through a SURCA (Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award) grant.

Rebekah James ’20 studied abroad in Townsville, Australia.

Jules King ’19 interned with the FBI’s branches in Charlotte and

Wilmington in the summer and fall, respectively. She also created an event series, HawkTalks, which brings panels of alumni back to UNCW to talk about their careers.

Nikki Kroushl ’19 spent the summer interning with Macmillan Publishers in New York City. She also presented at the Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con International.

Kayli Childs ’20 interned at the District Attorney’s office in New Hanover County.

Ana Cobb ’20 interned at Hatteras Island Ocean Center in Hatteras, NC, also volunteering with the National Park Service.

Samantha Fisher ’19 volunteered as a mentor for the Watson College of Education’s Junior Seahawk Academy over the summer.

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Marissa Schmoecker with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps.

All photos provided by students.

Arbor, MI, as an animal husbandry intern.

Rebecca Powell ’19 interned at the Coastal Horizons Rape Crisis Center as their Prevention and Victim Advocate Intern. She was also accepted to the Master’s of Clinical Social Work program at Columbia University.

Natalie Rauch ’19 interned with Leslie Cohen’s North Carolina House of Representatives campaign this fall.

Samantha Fisher helps Junior Seahawks make reusable bags from recycled billboards.

Stephen Lambros ’21 spent two weeks this fall volunteering with World Central Kitchen, feeding people in shelters after Hurricane Florence.

Sarah Nicholson ’21 spent time at the Creature Conservancy in Ann

Marissa Schmoecker ’21 spent 10 weeks in the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ Conservation Corps as a crew member helping mitigate erosion.

Savannah Simpson ’20 volunteered as a husbandry intern at the Fort Fisher Aquarium.

Nicole Webster ’19 received a SURCA grant and presented at State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS).

Hannah Whitaker ’19 spent the summer as the Outreach Coordinator for the NOAA Hollings Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office.

Kylie Wright ’19 spent the summer as a teaching assistant at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.

Julia Singer ’20 studied abroad at James Cook University in Australia for Fall 2018.

student spotlights

Alexis Sales ’20 interned with Trident Marketing in their accounting department.

Sarah Nicholson helped care for kangaroos at the Ann Arbor Creature Conservancy.

Nikki Kroushl presents her poster at Comic-Con International.

Jules King at firearms practice during her FBI internship.

Want to see your accomplishments in print? Fill out the annual Honors survey about whatever you do next summer— and don’t forget the photos!

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Feature

study abroad

Nick Roche Class of 2020

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A Walk to Remember

El Camino de Santiago— alongside my peers and an incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable professor— was the best thing I have done in my life thus far.

I would be doing the entire experience an injustice in attempting to explain exactly what it was like. I can inform you that it was a difficult challenge both mentally and physically. I experienced almost every possible human feeling— sadness, elation, exhaustion, confusion, joy, pain, peace—along the way. The journey was extremely difficult and taxing at times.

We walked in the freezing rain and blistering heat. We Walking El Camino: miles of trails with no signs of civilization. All photos courtesy of author. walked up intense, seemingl Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage that people ly neverending inclines to Roncesvalles and our knees from across the world have been walking for hungroaned as we slowly crawled down Alto del Perdón on dreds of years. The Camino starts in a different location, our way to Puente la Reina (Bridge of the Queen). But physically and psychologically, for all of los peregrinos, but it ends in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain with each pilgrim overcome with a range of emotions.

Over the course of thirty-four days, eight UNCW students walked over 500 miles under the guidance of Profe Valerie Rider. On May 10, 2018, we began our trek in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France behind the Pyrenees Mountains. After eating dozens of unique Spanish meals, meeting and befriending countless pilgrims from countries around the world, and tending to innumerable aches and blisters, our group arrived in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain on June 12.

I’m not sure why I chose to sign up for and walk El Camino. I went into the pilgrimage with the hopes of discovering that purpose along the way. Although I still cannot pinpoint what drove me to commit and complete this adventure, I can confidently say that walking

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A flecha amarilla—one of the signs that guides travel along the Camino.

An example of the beauty of the Spanish countryside along El Camino.

A statue at Santiago de Compostela, the final destination.

about all of these places and people during our class in the Spring 2018 semester, exploring them completed that learning experience.

As interesting as it was to learn about and then walk through Atapuerca (the location where the oldest human remains were discovered on the continent of Europe), visit the cathedral in Burgos, and view the monument dedicated to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, it was even more soul-satisfying to learn about myself and my peers. The deep, thought-provoking, emotional conversations we held while walking alongside one another for hours at a time allowed us to open up. In just a short few days, we formed a unique bond that a group of people can only form while traveling together on something like El Camino de Santiago. It is a feeling that is indescribable. Even though our Camino is over, the memories I have of my time in Spain preserve those wonderful feelings.

If any part of you is curious about El Camino, I suggest doing some research or contacting the very approachable and helpful Profe Rider. Walking El Camino is like nothing else. The sense of inclusion is beautiful.

The sights are breathtaking. The feeling of accomplishment upon completion is gratifying. If you do anything in this life, I encourage you to walk El Camino de Santiago. Even if you begin the journey without really knowing why you are doing it—like I did—I promise you that an answer will come to you along the way. El Camino de Santiago, though full of ups and downs, is a path that clears the minds and refreshes the souls of all of its pilgrim. It is different for each pilgrim: a time of individual exploration. Yet it brings all of its pilgrims to the same state of fulfillment. It’s a journey. It’s an adventure. And it’s something that I will most definitely do again in the future.

study abroad

the physical challenges of this pilgrimage are conquerable. We met a woman from England in her 60s who was trekking alongside us on one of our days. There were dozens of pilgrims in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. We even met a blind man who followed his daughter along El Camino by holding the end of a hiking pole as she held the front. Though our feet were beaten and bruised upon our arrival in Santiago, we could not help but feel extremely proud and satisfied with having successfully completed such a feat.

Beyond the physical aspects of El Camino are the endless historical places and people that line the Camino and make it ever more fascinating. After having learned

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Feature Sidney Wollmuth Class of 2022

feature

I

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First-Years Reflect on Florence

never considered the negative factors that come with living close to the ocean in my final decision to attend UNCW. Therefore, at the beginning of my first semester, I didn’t take the threats of a hurricane seriously.

Even as my new friends expressed concern at the radar on their phones, I laughed it off and changed the subject.

I lived in a blissful bubble of ignorance right up until the moment we were directed to evacuate campus. That’s when I finally realized: oh, this is actually happening.

Despite the disruption and devastation caused by Hurricane Florence, UNCW Honors freshmen have persevered socially and academically.

Danny Alexander says what ultimately drove him to choose UNCW was the focused attention that the Honors College would provide. “I was deciding between [UNCW] and another university, and the Honors College was the thing that pushed me over because I knew that my academics would be focused and I [would] have people that I could reach out to,” Alexander explains.

Brenna Hutchings notes that she chose UNCW for the close-knit community of Honors. “It made sense to have the option for smaller class sizes and more academic opportunities,” Hutchings says.

Although times have been stressful, first year students are quick to note the help they received during the hurricane and its aftermath. Gabby Vasquez mentions Dr. Crawford’s outreach. “He said, ‘Please respond to this email, so I know that you are alive and okay,’” Vasquez elaborates. It was comforting for her to know that “everyone [was] in the same boat,” she says. “Sometimes you might feel really lonely or stressed, and [you think that] you’re the only one who’s feeling that way. But then everyone I’ve talked to feels the exact same way, so I’ve learned that I’m very rarely alone in how I feel [at school].”

Chris Hamel admits that the lost class time psyched him out a bit. “I was in the zone coming into college, then [the hurricane happened and] I got out of the zone for a month: just eating food, playing video games in my house.” However, the disruption taught him some valuable time-management skills.

First-year students have learned quite a bit about navigating college life. Alexander has begun to take care of himself more. “Making sure that you show up to your

classes on time, that you’re eating, that you’re getting stuff done, that you’re staying on top of things... that’s the tricky part,” Alexander stresses. He manages his emotional wellness through running or playing his Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, Vasquez finds solace after a long day of studying in Netflix’s hit show “Queer Eye.”

Above: Brenna Hutchings Right: Danny Alexander relaxes with a furry friend over the hurricane break.

Grace Meile says her biggest learning experience in college was discovering how to live with other people.

“I really love it,” Meile says, smiling. “I like the community.”

Unsurprisingly, the Honors freshmen plan to accomplish big things in the future at UNCW. Hutchings emphasizes her goal to “get involved in as much undergraduate research as [she] can.” Vasquez aims to become a better writer and “more intelligent and considerate of the world.” She doesn’t seem to think this will be too hard with all the opportunities Honors provides. As she says with a laugh, “They don’t mess around in the Honors College.”

My first semester of college only reinforced the reasons I felt UNCW was the right school for me. The way the Wilmington community supported each other during the hurricane and in its aftermath demonstrated the sheer willpower of our beach town to persevere through hardships. I am proud to study in a place of such strong character. In the rush of this semester, I have learned how to organize my time effectively, finally utilizing Google Calendar as my dad has told me to do for years.

This spring I will participate in the First Year Research Program. I cannot wait to see what other opportunities are in store for me.

C ongratulations,

fall graduates!

Photos courtesy of Jeff Janowski/UNCW.

University Honors with honors in...

Anthropology: Kaitlyn Michelle Lowrance Biology: Lindsey Louise Bockover English: Caleb Dean Horowitz Environmental Science: Bracy Wingfield Heinlein, Evan Wilson Hill Departmental Honors with honors in...

Film Studies: Kyle Raymond Myers-Haugh Marine Biology: Emily Clare Manuel Mathematics: Thomas Richard Billman III Nursing: Laila Amira Jefferson Oceanography: Ellis Kalaidjian Philosophy and Religion: Stefanie Nicole Zapf

Music: Hannah Grace Compton Oceanography: Colleen Nicole Brown Interdisciplinary: Rebecca Scott Powell

Psychology: Meghan Grace Connolly, Brenna Gentile, Jessica Lynn Locke, Sarah Michael Marks Recreation Therapy: Samantha April Scherer Interdisciplinary: Amanda M. Cook, David Joseph Giordano

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Periplus Staff Editor-in-Chief: Nikki Kroushl Assistant Editors: Sidney Wollmuth Cat DiCaprio Caleb Horowitz Martina Litty Featured Writers: Victoria Migneco Nick Roche Emily Grose Sidney Wollmuth Masthead Photography: Ashley Spillane Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bill Atwill

From the Editor:

In Your Corner:

Last semester was not what any of us expected, especially those who had to navigate their first semester at UNCW. Between the lost class time, the displacement and property damages, and the mental health impacts, I think we are all glad that fall 2018 is over. More than any year before, this spring brings a new start.

The city we love is still recovering from Florence, and so are we. Despite the challenges, I am grateful for many things the last semester brought me. I’ve spent the past few months forming new friendships, learning to salsa, crossing items off my senior-year bucket list, appreciating the ocean breeze, and reflecting on how lucky I am to live in this resilient and beautiful town. I hope, for all its challenges, that the fall semester has helped you grow. I hope it has made you braver and readier for the obstacles and joys of life ahead. (I know I’ve gotten a lot of experience with #adulting!)

Here’s to making the spring semester just as memorable as the fall—but hopefully for very different reasons.

To begin, begin. –William Wordsworth During my first week in Honors, I received a prized jump drive from Dr. Bruce. I quickly learned that it would take thousands of these to contain the knowledge of all that happens. Since then, it has been a year of beginnings: meeting many of you, learning the resilience of this community, and developing plans to build on the strong foundation here.

Honors is an experimental, playful environment where we develop students who can problem-solve beyond a major or discipline. And in this issue of Periplus, you’ll read about students already doing that: who see the connections between the classroom and community and who can put their major within a global context.

New beginnings bring transitions, and that will be true here in Honors. Please know that will come informed by your thoughts, insights, and experiences. I look forward to meeting you and hope that whether you are a current student, a parent, or an alum, you will reach out to me. (For the record, I contest the reporting herein of my puns as “nerdy”!)

Nikki Kroushl Editor-in-Chief

Shawn Bingham, Director UNCW Honors College

601 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28403 www.uncw.edu/honors 910.962.4181

Give the gift of Honors to future Honors Students

giving.uncw.edu/honorscollege