Andrews University Agenda

Andrews University Agenda http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/ News and Events at Andrews University en-us Copyright 2024, Andrews University Wed, 25 Dec 2024 11:48:00 +0000 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 11:48:00 +0000 webmaster@andrews.edu webmaster@andrews.edu Summer Plans: STEM Majors http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60202 04.13.2021  As a child, summer was a long expanse of freedom. It was almost too long, as the days would stretch on lazily, punctuated by the few vacations my family would take. I remember my erratic sleep schedule when I was younger, as school no longer would dictate my circadian rhythm. Summers were for sleeping in, waking up close to noon, and taking another cat nap late afternoon. Indulgent and relaxing, summers years ago always seemed to sprawl into an eternity.          As a university student, summers are barely a blip. Gone are the cat naps, the lackadaisical attitude, and the loafing around. Summers are now for summer classes, summer jobs, graduate school applications, entrance exams, internships, shadowing—the list never ends. Summer can be a chance to cram in all the vacation an individual did not take during the school year, or better yet, a chance to cram in more items on the academic agenda. The vacation is now seen as a chance to better oneself, and to get ahead of that college degree to get into the workforce. Although these objectives are undoubtedly necessary, it is important to keep in time that this free time is also a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and family. I interviewed some Andrews University students to see what they have planned, academic or otherwise, for this upcoming summer. What are your summer plans? Isabella Tessalee (junior, chemistry): For some reason, I can only think in list format. This summer, I plan on studying for the MCAT, and taking the MCAT. Shadowing at a clinic, doing medical school applications, and recharging and spending time with family in between. It can be overwhelming thinking about everything I have on my plate, but I recognize that starting is the hardest step. Alec Bofetiado (junior, medical laboratory sciences): I will be taking summer biochemistry classes, then vacationing in Cancun with my family. We don’t really have a plan about what we’re going to do in Cancun; we’re just going there and then seeing how it goes. Then I’ll be taking the MCAT, and taking summer clinical chemistry, which is an MLS class. Julianne Magakat (senior, medical laboratory sciences): I think my summer looks like shadowing dentists and some vacationing with family and friends before dental school. Probably with the Riverside Dental Group for shadowing, and my friends and I are trying to road trip up the California coast so we’ll see if that happens. Andras Muranyi (junior, biology): MCAT. And applying to professional schools and taking entrance exams. Dara Atmadja (junior, biochemistry): I’m planning on taking a couple of summer classes for the first month; then I’ll be shadowing a dentist while finishing up my applications for dental school. Franky Paypa (sophomore, pre-physical therapy): Uhhhhh. But I have no plans. I’m going to lounge around and play with my baby brother. Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:53:23 +0000 Student Features: The Story Behind the Car http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60201 04.13.2021 Would you mind telling me the history behind your car and if it has any sentimental value to you?         “Well, it’s kind of a long story,” Aimé Irumva (senior, medical laboratory science) says. “I bought my car after my first car stopped being dependable. I needed to head back to Mexico as soon as possible  so I didn’t have time to be picky. I knew Japanese cars were very dependable and durable so I just picked the first Honda I saw on the list. I drove it down to Mexico to renew my documents and spent the whole summer there. I drove it back all the way to Andrews and it’s pretty much held on.”         Irumva continues, “I remember buying it on a whim but it’s become a very big part of my life. It’s attached to some of the best memories. My year in Monterrey and the friends I made there, the nights driving around blasting music with my friends, and even the events I’ve been able to go to that I would not have otherwise gone to had I not had a car. I have made tons of friends because of that (that’s particularly important because I live off-campus and this is my first year at Andrews). I have had tons of deep talks in my passenger seat and loads more. Bottom line, my car isn’t just a means of transportation, it’s a vault of memories and experiences.” He adds, “It may not be the Aventador but at least it’s mine.”         Javann Zonicle (sophomore, aviation), the owner of a Honda Civic LX Sedan, tells us about the dependability of his car. He says, “I love my Civic and I have had minimal problems with it. It's very fuel-efficient and it has great handling. Even though it's a fairly small car, it definitely provides enough interior space for my needs. Since getting the car I've put about 19,000 miles on it and I've only scheduled routine oil changes and maintenance such as tire rotation, and fluid check. The Civic is a nimble little car that Honda has been offering to consumers around the globe since 1972.”         Zonicle remarks, “One thing I love about mine is that it has a digital dashboard which makes it unique from other cars in its class.  As a college student, I believed that a Civic was one of the most practical choices for a car hence, I went out to the local Honda dealership and acquired one. I love my car and I can confidently say that I'm a Honda fan.”         “When I got back from my first year of college abroad, I was given an option by my parents,” says Jonathon Woolford-Hunt (sophomore, sociology, global studies). “Corona was running rampant and I was told that I could either do school from home full-time or do school on campus full time. However, if I came on campus I would not be able to come back into the house until either the end of the year or until I got vaccinated. I was very conflicted and I finally made a bargain with them. I said if I have to stay outside the house I need a car. Being the loving parents that they are, they gave in and decided to give me a car. The choice was between my mom and dad’s cars, and I ended up being given my mom’s car.”         Woolford-Hunt reminisces that “Between the two cars, I definitely got the better end of the deal but in saying that, this car had so many issues. It’s steering wheel would lock up and the heating wasn’t working but at least it was mine.” he adds appreciatively. “As time went on I learned how to accommodate for the issues and it drove pretty smoothly. If you would have asked me as a kid what my first car would look like I would have never thought of my little black beat-up wagon. But nonetheless, I am very grateful for what I have.” <div>  </div> Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:51:55 +0000 AAPI Issues On Campus: A Dialogue http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60200 04.13.2021 Recent events have heightened awareness of regular injustices toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community that have otherwise been ignored. To reflect on AAPI students’ experiences on our campus, we interviewed two officers of cultural clubs: Ephraim Palmero (graduate, community and international development), the 2019-20 AFIA Cultural Vice President, and Steven Injety (junior, data science), the 2020-21 SASA President. In response to their accounts of friction between University policies and the cultural clubs, Masy Domecillo (senior, biology) and I (senior, psychology) reflect on these issues, as a part of the AAPI community on campus. "I was in charge of submitting co-curricular events for Filipino American History Month back in 2019. One of the events was to teach a native Filipino dance called Tinikling. This led to a conversation with the Director of Co-Curricular Education, who told me that in order to approve my co-curricular event, I couldn't call it a 'dance' and he had to rename it as a 'cultural movement or immersion' something of that nature. While it was eventually approved, I didn't give it much thought until I had conversations with officers from other cultural clubs and associations regarding similar experiences with how dances are treated and viewed by student life.” -Palmero Jessica Rim (JR): Sometimes our goals to be both a culturally diverse campus and religious institution seem to conflict, especially when it comes to dance. I think traditional dance does not have to be repackaged and excused as a cultural experience when that is what it already is, and these name changes convey the message that cultural dances may somehow be offensive even when they are being taught in a fun, engaging way as a co-curricular event. Masy Domecillo (MD): I really think that the naming distinction is arbitrary. I understand that the Adventist church has traditionally held a stance against dance, in general, but I think that particularly applies to secular dances. Even within our own religion, different churches worship differently. I’ve definitely been to churches with dancing, and I don’t think that dancing, or “religious movements,” has any indication of detracting from the inner spiritual life. “For the Ice Cream Social, we normally apply henna to those who sign up. We have been doing that for years. We were then informed we would not be allowed to do it, because it looks similar to tattoos and the previous Student Life Director had said she received complaints. Henna is not a religious tradition, it is a cultural tradition. We campaigned for it via our IG and took the issue to AUSA and then to the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, who graciously assisted us in allowing us to continue our tradition.” -Injety MD: Henna is ingrained in South Asian culture, and I particularly admire SASA for offering it to all their members during the Ice Cream Social. It’s such an intricate art! Even if the complaints were about how henna can resemble tattoos, familiarity with the tradition shows that this is a cultural practice that is at most, semi permanent, and does not depict any offensive imagery. I think henna is a great way to introduce people to South Asian culture, and I’m glad that they were able to bring it back. JR: I think the misunderstanding that henna is equivalent to tattoos shows how we tend to misperceive unfamiliar customs in the terms that make the most sense to us. Especially since people enjoy getting henna art during club sign ups and there are no conflicting religious meanings to this, I am glad that this tradition will continue. “One can't help but think of the colonial, xenophobic, and imperialist behavior with which Western institutions historically viewed foreign practices and customs. It is also hypocritical that cultural dances are permitted for specific cultural nights; however for co-curricular events throughout the year, they must be rebranded. Language, food, and dances are essential to promoting authentic cultural experiences. Restricting one of them not only restricts the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in sharing our stories, but also limits other minority communities from sharing theirs as well." -Palmero JR: I agree that cultural dances can bring discomfort to those who are used to a Western aesthetic, which has often designated anything foreign into the same dark, dusty corner. Rather than stick to more familiar aspects of sharing food and language, I think we should be able to more fully, and consistently, portray the vibrant uniqueness of each culture by including dance, which will show that not every group of cultures is one uniform mass. MD: That is such a good point! The entire reason we have such a myriad of cultural clubs in AU is that we want to share and experience our own and other students’ cultures. Experiences such as co-curriculars are meant to inform us, and such as in this case, rebranding cultural dances only adds to unfamiliarity. I agree that foreign traditions can be uncomfortable, but events such as these help people expand their own worldviews. “I believe the issue with the henna, it made us feel like there was a bias against us. It was something we have been doing for years, and all of a sudden it got cut after one or two complaints. However, we also felt supported by the Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, and the office of Diversity and Inclusion, as they quickly resolved the issue. That strengthened our faith in AU, and enabled us to express ourselves in a better manner.” -Injety MD: I definitely agree that although this incident may seem “minor”, this was an opportunity to open a dialogue about cultural differences. Perhaps a proactive approach that our campus could take with these issues is to have a dialogue about them, because I think these issues stem from a clash between cultural and religious practices. I’m glad that we had the AAPI forum, but there’s still a lot that we can discuss and reconcile. JR: I also think this should be more regularly discussed, especially since we may have always ignored the issues in representing the AAPI community. And if these activities are so easily cut due to complaints, it feels as if they are avoiding the underlying issues, once again, about unfamiliarity. However, it is encouraging that we are surrounded by people sincerely attempting to make cultural diversity an aspect of our campus life. Although these instances appear to be simple, isolated misconceptions - that certain cultural practices do not align with university guidelines - they in fact occur because non-Western cultures are perceived as foreign and strange. This is not intentional; however, this inaccurately frames traditions such as “Tinikling” and henna in religious connotations. As a community that values cultural diversity, it is crucial to expose our members to various aspects of different cultures so that we do not think of them as alien, nor make our cultural diversity merely nominal. Continuing this discussion with clear, timely attempts to address the ambiguity towards the AAPI community remains incredibly vital in educating others about cultural traditions and facilitating open-mindedness.   Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:50:36 +0000 The Wellness Column: Decluttering Your Room Pt 2 http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60186 03.03.2021 At any particularly hectic point in the semester, some people may find themselves opening their door to a room that reflects their frazzled mental state. Upon stepping over some opened cardboard boxes, a hidden textbook may trip them, leading to a flailing motion that knocks off water bottles and drops a binder full of loose paper. After this destructive chain reaction, shame washes over and realization hits: it is time to clean.         Most people seem to fit into one of two categories when it comes to organization and cleanliness. The first includes those who consistently keep things in order, making their personal spaces always presentable and refusing to let any bit of disorder disturb their pristine domain. The second category consists of people who thrive in chaos, particularly proud of their ability to stick their hand into any pile of objects, fumble around, and extract the target of their search. As someone who often has an assortment of papers and books strewn across my desk, I admit that I belong to the second group. Like many others, consistent disorder does not bother me, especially in the form of seemingly innocuous clutter.         However, being able to tolerate mess does not mean that it never causes stress at all. As any viewer of the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo will realize, clutter can lead to loss of productivity and feelings of failure, leading to stress. This is important to note because stress is not only detrimental to the body through physiological changes such as increased blood pressure, but also an increased tendency to overeat, especially sugary and fatty foods. After realizing that being unorderly is a questionable lifestyle choice, the added stress may wear down the body and make it more difficult to resist crunching on the emergency stash of chocolate bars and cookies.         Besides reducing stress, organizing personal spaces can also lead to greater productivity. In between bursts of room cleaning sessions, too many books and papers that are irrelevant to the current task are on my desk. It does not help that I also tend to scribble down ideas on innumerable scrap pieces of paper, making it difficult to find them later. With so much visual stimuli competing for attention, it is easy to become distracted, despite knowing that not all of them are important. Once papers are placed in drawers, books are shelved and closed, and writing utensils are herded into a pencil case, there are distinct rectangles formed by my laptop, one relevant textbook, and a notebook for scrapwork to the side. With only a few things to look at to complete my work, I do not have to split my attention across multiple points in my visual field and can fully focus on the immediate task.         Furthermore, I have realized that doing a thorough reorganization of your room can provide an opportunity for reflection and relaxation. While tidying up my dorm room to clear floor and desk space, I listen to a podcast or audiobook that I normally cannot make time for. If I simply want to relax, I also sing, as cleaning does not take much thought and occupies the vision and hands. Or this may be a time to organize mentally as well. As a sort of meditation, I can think about the next course of action, reflect on how the day has gone, or organize my emotions to clear the mind from noise caused by a frantic lifestyle. Because it feels as if I am being productive by either multitasking or clearly seeing progress while cleaning, this does not feel—and is not—a waste of time.         In order to keep your room or any space from reverting back into a chaotic state, the best way is probably to take short amounts of time to tidy things up at the end of the day. Taking a mere ten minutes to clear away any trash, place things back into their drawers, and make sure any article of clothing is tossed into the laundry bag or stored properly will be more than enough time. We can reduce stress that can inconspicuously accumulate by making small changes, maintaining an open, uncluttered room and state of mind. Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:27:06 +0000 The Wellness Column: Decluttering your Room Pt 1 http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60185  03.03.2021 A Youtuber uploads her special vlog sharing how she spends her morning time. While other people are sleeping, she wakes up at 4:30 am, to work out. After the workout, she takes a shower and reads the newspaper. Occasionally, she summarizes interesting articles in her journal. Some other vloggers study foreign languages for two to three hours or read a book with a cup of coffee or tea. This has been done by many young people around the world: miracle morning. There are more than 400K posts on social media with the hashtag #miraclemorning. The term came from a book written by Hal Elrod called The Miracle Morning in 2016. “Miracle morning” is a self-improvement habit that one can engage by starting the day in early morning by doing some activity such as reading, studying, or exercising. It has become one of the fastest-growing and most engaging online communities.         The way an individual does their miracle morning can be different from another. People start introducing a “routine” to their morning, by choosing certain activities. These days, many college students and other working young people cannot find their own free time for self-improvement due to the number of daily tasks they have. Miracle morning allows them to have their own free time in the early morning before they go to school or work to develop themselves by doing things that they want to do. Also, they can be continuously motivated to stick to their new morning routine by connecting with the online miracle morning community from all over the world. Elrod, on his <a href="https://miraclemorning.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(58, 123, 170); text-decoration-line: none;">website</a>, comments that “together, by waking up every day and dedicating time to elevating our own individual consciousness, we can elevate the collective consciousness of humanity and make the world a better place.” He recommends to create one’s own routine based on the SAVERS method which stands for: Silence that allows us to orient ourselves. Affirmations that form the beliefs that improve self-esteem as we repeat with the intention of changing our way of thinking, which will eventually sink into our subconscious. Visualization that directs our focus and generates images of our future that motivate us to grow.  Exercise that improves our physical and mental health. Reading, which becomes one of the healthiest habits for our mind. Reading inspires us and helps us to nurture a positive attitude. Scribing that helps us to evaluate our progress.         One of the biggest effects of miracle morning that participants pointed out was increase in self-esteem and self-trust. The feelings of accomplishment are the factors that keep people motivated. A professor at the University of California as well as a Youtuber, Sunny Jeon shares her review on miracle morning challenge after her three years of miracle morning: “By repeatedly doing things that seemed impossible to do in the early morning, you can trust yourself. With that self-trust, I think we can try a lot more things, given any circumstance, and grow in resilience.”         There is no doubt that these practices will improve our lives by increasing productivity and well-being. In reality, it might be a stressful challenge to fill up the morning time with new habits, especially during this pandemic. However, the important thing to keep in mind is that as we try and persevere, we can enhance our lives by creating positive inertia for the rest of the day.  Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:24:45 +0000 Favorite Meals: Café Edition http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/60184 03.03.2021 The Terrace Café is the centerpoint of food in Andrews University. Students at varying times come in every day to have their daily meals. The Terrace Café serves a variety of ethnic foods, from samosas to flautas, an underlying reference to the University’s cultural diversity. Here are some favorites of AU students: Jan Pagunsan (senior, medical lab sciences): Pea and Potato Samosas Justin Johnson (senior, medical lab sciences): Italian Crispy Tofu with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce Bernadette Flores (graduate, speech language pathology and audiology): Peas and Potatoes Samosas Ben Thompson (junior, aviation mechanics): Grilled Cheese Landon Brown (senior, biology): Sam’s Chicken Sandrine Adap (freshmen, computer science): Sam’s Chicken Trystan Gammon (senior, nursing): Sam’s Chicken Nels Wangsness (junior, biochemistry): Chickpea Curry Brent Laporre (junior, medical lab sciences): Parmesan Eggplant Hope Malabrigo (junior, social work): Flautas Karen Garcia (junior, pre-physical therapy): Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce Owen Pagunsan (junior, general studies): Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu Janee Mitchell (junior, biology): Sam’s Chicken Julianne Magakat (junior,  medical lab sciences): Alfredo and Marinara Pasta Thu, 24 Mar 2022 02:23:28 +0000