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Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s my why?”

Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing

What I really mean is, have you ever asked yourself, “What’s my purpose?”

Recently, I was on Forbes.com and saw an article titled Do You Know Your “Why?” 4 Questions To Find Your Purpose. In the article, I was immediately drawn to a tweet posted that stated – a clear sense of purpose enables you to focus your efforts on what matters most, compelling you to take risk and push forward regardless of the odds or obstacles. Why am I sharing this? Because this tweet defines a Juniata College lived experience.

After reading both the tweet and the article, I found myself reflecting back on my past eight months at Juniata College serving as Vice President of Enrollment; my move to Huntingdon, PA to join the Juniata community; and my many interactions with Juniata College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.  Why did I find myself reflecting?  Because I instantly made the connection between the article and Juniata College where students, faculty, staff, alumni, and yours truly land to find purpose… or their WHY.

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The Juniatian

I wanted to do something big before I graduated; I wanted a big project in order to go out with a bang! The Juniatian has been the project for me. It’s been a roller coaster of a journey and it’s really just getting started.

It began when administration had to make the executive decision cut newspaper as a course. This was devastating to many of us. However, it was the opportunity for the newspaper to become something even bigger than it was.

Over the summer, I worked very closely with the Provost and administration to figure out what we could do to evolve the paper into something new and different. I learned a lot from this experience. Not only did I get to sit face to face with my president (not exactly something you get to do at other universities) and give a sales pitch (I still remember how sweaty my palms were!), but I also got to work closely with the Provost who then helped us take the next steps.

The Dean of Students, The Provost, my friend and I.
The Dean of Students, The Provost, my friend and I.

 

One of the most exciting achievements that came from the summer was the creation of the paid positions. We were able to create paid positions for Juniatian staff.

Because we are one-hundred percent student run, it’s students who run the interviews for these positions. So, this week I held interviews in our office. It sounds so official, I know! It’s been such an experience to be recognized for initiative, work with administration, and interview students.

I am honored to be in the position I am in and I look forward to what comes next. I am so fortunate for the opportunities Juniata has allowed me to surround myself with.

Unlock Your Voice

For the past two years, I have been involved with Lift Evr’y Voice and Unlock Your Voice here at Juniata. These two events are courses taught every other year at Juniata through the English department. Our class (which is typically, no more than ten students) works together for the majority of the fall semester, planning a coffeehouse-style event celebrating specific groups of people. For Lift Evr’y Voice, we choose to celebrate African American literature. For Unlock Your Voice, we honor women everywhere by performing music and poetry written by anyone who identifies as a woman.
Lift Evr'y Voice
We picked a theme, created images and ideas, sent out emails, bought supplies, recruited volunteers, and ultimately transformed the Ellis Ballroom into a dimly-lit, beautifully decorated coffee shop with lots of sweet treats. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to pull together an event like this, but it is always amazing to see the final product a few minutes before we start our show.
This year, we had the most volunteers ever, and had about 20 performances throughout the night, ranging from slam poems to ukulele covers, and everything in between. We had both men and women participating, and some women actually read material they wrote themselves! We had a huge turnout, and it was so lovely to see so many wonderful people (faculty and students) come together to promote something that is so important in our society (and especially to me).
Lift Evr'y Voice
Every year the English Department switches the course every other year (i.e. this year we did Unlock Your Voice, so next year will be Lift Evr’y Voice) but I believe it’s a wonderful opportunity for people to come and speak up about certain issues, by delivering beautiful poems and songs and sharing the beauty of literature with the campus community. I wish I could work on an event like this every semester because it’s very inspiring for me, so I’m excited to sign up to work on Lift Evr’y Voice next year!

My Favorite Study Spot

As a tour guide, I’m often asked about the best places to study on campus. While I’m happy to talk about that on a tour, I’m also going to use this opportunity to craft a definitive guide to my five favorite study spots.

 

The first is the English department’s lounge in Founders Hall. Perhaps I’m a bit biased as an English POE, but I think the bookshelves, chairs, and natural lighting have a lot to offer. The windows offer great views of campus, and there’s no better time to be up there than when the rain is tapping against the windows or when snow is falling. The lounge is perfect for reading assignments, and also for three or four people to create a productive study or work environment. When productivity fails, or you just need a break, you can take a quick lap around the hallway of the fourth floor or peer out the windows.

 

The lounge on the fourth floor of Founders is definitely my favorite.
The lounge on the fourth floor of Founders is definitely my favorite.

 

The hidden study room in the upper floor of the Brumbaugh Academic Center’s C Wing is an excellent choice for a study group of roughly six people. It has a table for a few students, and armchairs for a few more, with floor space if you need it. The windows offer great natural light during the day, too. This room is somewhat hidden by the men’s restroom, so there are a good portion of students who don’t know that it exists. This is a great place to go with friends around the times of midterms or finals to commit to getting work done.

 

The room in BAC’s C Wing (with the blinds down).
The room in BAC’s C Wing (with the blinds down).

 

Classrooms also make excellent study areas. I prefer those in Founders (again, I may be biased). I really like the larger tables because I can spread all my materials out and study in a state of organized disorganization. Even though they have the most room, classrooms are most fun to take for yourself. On the other hand, you can also gather in them with many friends.

 

My favorite solo or duo studying spots are in the Von Liebig Center for Science in the back corners. The armchairs are comfortable and I love the giant block tables. This is also in close proximity to Jitters in case coffee (or tea!) is a necessary element in your studying process. If you go to the one on the second floor, you can work behind the lab coats and scare the science students when they go to take them.

 

The library is an obvious choice. I like to use the desks that are in the basement. There’s something about sitting in a desk in a row that compels me to get down to business and write a paper or study for an exam. The concept of a quiet floor doesn’t seem quite natural to me, so I usually avoid the top floor. However, I do really enjoy sitting in the chair next to the stump table.

 

The tree stump table is a popular (or should I say, poplar?) spot for me.
The tree stump table is a popular (or should I say, poplar?) spot for me.

 

There are my five favorite places to study on campus, in no particular order (after Founders, of course). I’m sure there are many other places around campus that would make excellent locations, but I am either unaware of their existence or they don’t fit with my homework or study needs. Hopefully you’ll now have an idea of where to scope out a study session when you get here!

Top 5 things I love about Juniata

Whenever I encounter students considering coming to Juniata, they always ask me the same few things.

“What is the social scene like?”

“How are the classes?”

“Do you like the size of the school?”

These questions are usually fine, but then I get the one question that is so hard to answer: “What is the best thing about Juniata?”. It’s a tough one. I mean, think about it. In answering that question, I’m trying to pick one thing that summarizes everything that Juniata is to me, and that’s near impossible. So, I’ve decided to make a list. A countdown list of what Juniata’s best is, at least in my opinion. I hope it helps.

 

  1. Trips – One of my favorite aspects, and one of my mom’s least favorite (sorry Mom!)

So far this year, I’ve gone on a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium, and to a 4-day professional conference in North Carolina, and its only October. The reality of Juniata is, there are trips happening constantly, they go all over, and they’re incredible. I know people who’ve gone to NYC, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and so many other amazing places on Juniata or club sponsored trips. If you’re looking to travel, and travel with a great group of people, Juniata is a good place for it.

Lake

  1. Proximity to home – This one, my mom likes

Juniata really is in a great location. We’re 3 hours from D.C., 3 hours from Philadelphia, 3 hours from Pittsburgh, and fairly close to a lot of other places, such as NYC. Generally, if I don’t know where someone is from, I assume it’s 3 hours away, because we’re pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything.

 

  1. Huntingdon – A charming mix of old and brand new

Huntingdon is a fantastic little town. There is a plethora of coffee shops, thrift shops, little stores, and beautiful old buildings. Its small enough to always feel at home, and large enough that you always manage to see something new.

 

  1. Tenting – It’s awful and wonderful all wrapped into one freezing week

Tenting is an amazingly awful experience. It’s a hilarious week of talent competitions, 3am challenges, impossible tasks, and a lot of air horns being blown. It’s also a week of freezing your butt off, and realizing at 4 am that you have an exam in less than 12 hours that you forgot about. I would definitely recommend it.

 

  1. Everyone – You can’t beat the people

I’ve come to realize that out of everything, the people here are my absolute favorite part of Juniata. Professors, facilities, hall mates, classmates, dining hall workers… they’re some of the best people I’ve ever met. The thing is, everyone around here is willing and wanting to help you. Juniata is a community of wanting each other to be happy, and that fact is evident in everyday life.

Friends

I hope my little list was informative and helpful in your journey of selecting a school, but there’s only so much you can get from writing. If you get the chance, you should come check it out for yourself.