HONORS PROGRAM FALL NEWSLETTER Message from the President: Emily Pachunka

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
HONORS PROGRAM FALL
NEWSLETTER
Honors Student Association
Madison Larimore, Co-editor
Harim Won, PR Officer
September 2015 Issue
Message from the President:
Emily Pachunka
Well, it is finally here! Fall semester always seems to be a time
filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a readiness to dive right
in. As you all hopefully remember, last spring we worked hard
as an Honors student body to initiate changes within our student
organization. Finally, we are ready to see this new group in action:
the Honors Student Association (HSA). As all University Honors
Program students are automatically members of the HSA, you are
invited to attend meetings, plan events, and partake in all of the
“honor-ific” events we have going on.
One goal of the HSA this year is to create more opportunity
for the Honors community to gather together and engage in
thought-provoking conversation. We are planning to host debates
for the Honors students to discuss current issues, take sides, and
defend their perspectives. We want to organize movie nights in
the Pep Bowl to watch films that not only entertain, but also ignite
dialogue regarding the controversial or societal concerns of that
time. The HSA is hoping to challenge ourselves to participate in
more community outreach and service over the next year as well.
But to achieve all of these goals, we need your help! We ask you
to be an active member of the HSA and keep your excitement and
enthusiasm through the next two semesters. If you have
questions or new ideas for the HSA, feel free to contact me at
[email protected]! Have a great year and go Mavericks!
1
Summer Vacation Updates
Where in the World was Justin Korth?
Justin Korth, HSA Treasurer
[email protected]
As well as the treasurer of the Honors Student Association, I am a junior
accounting, finance, investment science, and banking major. My summer was
filled with traveling and attending career-oriented conferences. It kicked off
with a 5-week trip to Europe, where I visited Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany,
Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Spain, with my favorite
place being the Austrian Alps and my favorite city being Prague in the Czech
Republic.
Upon returning to the United States in July, I started two internships: one as
an audit intern at Seim Johnson, a regional CPA firm; and another one as an
investment analyst intern for Nebraska Angels, a venture capital group. I also
attended three accounting and finance conferences in Omaha; Milwaukee,
Wisconsin; and Houston, Texas. Finally, for work, I traveled to western
Nebraska and rural Iowa.
After visiting many places and learning many new things, I am excited to bring my experiences back to UNO
and help other students succeed. As some advice to younger students, truly cherish your time while in college.
Being enrolled in senior-level classes, interning, and attending numerous conferences, I don’t find much time
to enjoy the normal college experiences. Spend your freshman and sophomore years getting to know as many
people as possible and having fun, because your life will soon become very busy. Cultivating and keeping
personal and professional relationships will pay dividends down the road as you approach your professional
career post-college.
Summer Medical & Dental Education Program 2015
Harim Won, HSA Public Relations Officer
[email protected]
This summer, I had the privilege of spending six weeks attending classes at the University of Nebraska
Medical Center and living in Scott Hall for the Summer Medical and Dental Program (SMDEP). Established
by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the program was started to give aspiring premedical and predental
students exposure to the challenges and lifestyle of medical and dental students. UNMC is honored to be one of
twelve other program sites of SMDEP, including such institutions as Duke, Yale, and UCLA.
As a little bit of background, I came to UNO as a freshman student knowing that I wanted to become a medical doctor. However, the more I became involved in undergraduate research, the more I thought that a career
in research might better suit me. I decided that I would attend the program and gain a better understanding of
what medicine is truly like. In February, I was ecstatic to find out that I had been accepted at UNMC and looked
forward to spending my summer there.
2
Summer Vacation Updates (cont.)
During the program, we attended classes that supplemented courses we take as undergraduates while also presenting them from a medical/dental perspective. In addition to classes, the premedical students spent Fridays in
the gross anatomy lab at UNMC, and the predental students drove down to the College of Dentistry in Lincoln.
Perhaps one of the best things about SMDEP was being surrounded by students who have demonstrated dedication to their life goals in the same way that I have. Even though the group was the most diverse I have ever
experienced (students from all different states, races, ethnicities, religions, family and social backgrounds), it
was easy to build camaraderie with my fellow scholars because of the common goals for success that we shared.
If you are a freshman or sophomore premedical or predental student interested in learning more about the
program, please feel free to contact me!
UNMC Munroe Meyer Institute Internship Reflection
Claire Cunningham
As my sophomore year came to a close, I realized that I had to begin thinking about which area of psychology I
might be interested in as a future career. I was interested in finding an internship that would combine my two
interests—language and psychology—in this one potential career. I spent the final months of my sophomore
year going to psychology conferences and research talks, researching majors and graduate programs, all while
trying to successfully balance my current coursework.
One conference in particular, the University of Nebraska at Omaha hosted Early Childhood Psychology conference, piqued my interested. At the conference I was connected with an internship opportunity through UNMC
at the Munroe Meyer Institute’s Autism Care for Toddlers (ACT) Clinic. This summer I was a therapist for two
different children with autism.
The two children I worked with made remarkable strides this summer. The therapists, supervisors, parents, and
other helpers made all their progress possible. I cannot disclose specific information regarding their programs
and specific ages because of confidentiality protection, but they both did improve quite a bit. They are at very
different places developmentally, with one able to speak many more words than the other. This is mostly
because of the age difference. I will continue working with one of the children for the next year, and I am very
3
Summer Vacation Updates (cont.)
excited to see the progress that she will continue to make during the transition to preschool! The other child that
I worked with this summer has a different therapist for the next year, but will continue to be in the ACT clinic.
This internship has opened my eyes not only to a completely different world of psychology, but also to a deeper
and more accurate understanding of autism. I had absolutely no idea what autism entailed, or how amazingly
strong those diagnosed with it are. The children that I worked with at the clinic are all extremely hard working.
At just a few years old they are working more than twice as hard as other children their age to bridge the gap.
They are not any less intelligent, they just learn in a different way. Working with children with autism is a very
rewarding field. Working with a child for weeks and months on a skill, such as saying their name, and then to
have them say it is such an inexplicably great feeling. There are lots of hours of work, tears of frustration, and
giggles that go into each moment of triumph. The progress that one child can have in a matter of months is truly
amazing.
The parents and guardians of the children are equally great. Most of the parents and guardians of the children
we work with in clinic are very devoted to their child’s wellbeing and therapy, and their love for their child is
shown through this commitment. The parents don’t simply drop their children off, and the hard work doesn’t
only occurs in the clinic. These parents and guardians continue the hard work at home, guided by the clinic’s
parent training. Also, when a development happens outside of clinic, the parents come in the next day with
videos and notes, excitedly chronicling the triumph. It is very encouraging to see children with this type of
committed guardian, knowing that they are in the best possible atmosphere to help them succeed in life. I will
continue to work at the clinic for the next year, and plan to learn much more! I am very grateful to have had this
opportunity to explore this wonderful new area of psychology. The ACT clinic is doing great things, and it has
been a privilege to work and learn there.
Shane’s Travels through Europe and Israel
Shane Cavlovic, Honors Program Student Worker
To further my studies in Medieval history and archaeology, I obtained a FUSE Grant and spent the beginning part of the summer
conducting archaeological surveys in County Roscommon, Ireland,
in what is known as a medieval “high-status Gaelic lordly site.”
Since so many of these types of sites in this area are severely under
researched, they have been lost to the landscape – making
worthwhile excavations nearly impossible. However, in conjunction with NUI Galway and Western Aerial Survey, we were able to carry out aerial drone surveys, gradiometry scans, and resistivity measurements to determine accurately where excavations should take place.
After that was finished, I had a little over a week until my next job started in Israel (I was luckily able to visit
Croatia, Italy, and Greece!). With support from the Martin Fund, my work in Israel started in Arsuf (also known
as Apollonia) where I aided Tubingen University in their excavation of the fortified Crusader city. From there I
was able to return to Montfort Castle in Western Galilee to resume excavations of a structure within the castle’s
outer fortifications. Evidence uncovered from the current and previous season has led Dr. Adrian Boas to conclude that this structure served as the knights’ stable.
4
Summer Vacation Updates (cont.)
Summer Internship in Dublin, Ireland
Anthony Hughes
During the summer I had a political science based internship with Councillor David O’Connor, Chairman of
Dublin County Council, in which I shadowed him at a number of public events, chairing meetings of the county
council, working with his staff and council colleagues both in the office and out, as well as researching planning
proposals and constituents’ concerns throughout Dublin.
The process by which I received the internship was a good deal more informal than a number of internships
for which I’ve applied in the past. I would argue that if you demonstrate a clear commitment to public service,
and simply wish to shadow or follow politicians or civil servants at any level, it can be as simple as writing to
a public figure you know of or getting involved in party or community work, where interaction and networking
with public officials is quite common. Although David O’Connor has been a family friend for many years, the
culture in Irish politics is far more locally oriented and therefore more accessible for people to take part in the
process. More often than not, the fact that you offer your voluntary services to politicians can be just as good
as an accomplished resume, in that you can cultivate your own professional experience while the politicians can
rely on bright, young, capable, and eager people to help with their work for free: a win for both sides!
My own experience over those three months was just like that. During the time I worked with Chairman
O’Connor I had the chance to take part in numerous events around the country, getting to see how politicians
from all levels collaborate with one another and coming to understand what they accomplish together. For
example, in June, I joined Cllr. O’Connor in opening a new UN-sponsored biosphere in Dublin Bay, which
grants the citywide coastal area unique global status for conservation efforts, wide-ranging research, and public
enjoyment. The daylong experience was filled with meeting numerous public officials like Richard Bruton, the
Minister for Enterprise, one of the highest-ranking cabinet ministers in the country, Senator Darragh O’Brien,
the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland Paul Schellekens, and civil servants from all levels. There was also a great
turnout from members of the community: parents and children who will use the new public space for kite flying
and long walks on the beach, young university researchers who will carry out extensive examinations on marine
and wildlife in the biosphere, and environment activists and enthusiasts who will flock to the area and enjoy all
the natural beauty that the biosphere offers. All at once, the opening day of a globally protected green space
brought together the whole community and the public representatives who serve them in an afternoon filled with
a wide variety of civic enjoyment with just as extensive a buffet of tea and scones for the assembled guests.
In July I accompanied David and his wonderful wife Breege to the
Irish countryside where he opened a new cultural center alongside
President Michael D. Higgins. The event was set in a typically
picturesque village called The Naul, where thatched-roof pubs
and cottages are liberally adorned with hanging floral baskets like
beacons along the narrow sweeping country roads, the air filled by
scents of tulips and strawberries drifting from nearby allotments
– whilst their pleasant aromas were intertwined with the stench of
local cattle. With lashings of champagne, orange juice, and canapés
for the several dozen locals assembled in the center’s courtyard, the
stage was playing host to a young traditional music group, known
as a ceili, who played numerous jigs and reels as even younger Irish
5
Anthony and President Michael D. Higgins
Summer Vacation Updates (cont.)
dancers vested in sequin-studded dresses and curled wigs tapped their way to our
viewing pleasure. The ceremonial opening itself, complete with a presidential
fanfare and unveiling of a commemorative plaque, was one of dozens the President
carries out each year and one of many that David will host during his twelve-month
chairmanship. The opening of the arts center in particular reflects the President’s
commitment to culture and the Irish character in music, literature, and media; I had
a chance to speak to him briefly after the ceremony about his own poetry, for which
he was known before going into politics, and I could see the esteem he still holds
for the written word as a vehicle for culture as well as public service.
In August I joined David at the Moroccan embassy for that country’s national day
celebrations, an occasion that drew a large number of diplomatic and political
personalities for a day filled with lively music and fabulous cuisine. The event
was held in the port city of Dun Laoghaire about half an hour south of Dublin City,
where the pristine marina set the backdrop for the embassy reception. During
the day I had a chance to speak with embassy staff not only from Morocco, but
from the U.S., Kenya, Australia, India, and the Netherlands, just to name a few. The Ambassador and his wife
greeted us at the front of the reception hall, where we posed for photographs and exchanged compliments. The
reception provided an often unseen side of interaction between different countries’ officials, where no formal
negotiations or policy speeches have to be made, but where conversation about cricket or sailing and enjoying
good food was the order of the day.
The entire internship this summer was filled with not only the practical, everyday activities between offices,
meetings, and events that one might expect of work experience. Having learned invaluable lessons about active
public service and about the many individuals who take part to help their communities, whether in elected
office or within the public sector, has reinforced my own passion for politics and helped me affirm that I can be
of service in so many ways to my community, whether locally or nationally. My summer with Dublin County
Council is one I shan’t soon forget, and I encourage every student to do whatever you can now and in the years
ahead to cultivate those vital skills and experiences which will lead you along your own path to self-discovery
and crafting your futures.
6
Facebook Pictures from this Summer
Share your photos and stories with us at https://www.facebook.com/UNOHonorsProgram!
Erin Dabbs
Jenny Bright
Sara Smith
Mallorie Wright
Madison Larimore
Amber Loon Johnson
Sarah Nickolaison
7
Living in the Honors Living Learning Community
Experiences as an RA for the Honors LLC
Alexander Swenson, Resident Assistant
During my freshman year, I was certainly involved in the Honors Program and had many great experiences.
Even though I am only two weeks into my sophomore year, I can already tell that becoming the RA for the
Honors Living Learning Community is going to make my relationship with the Honors Program even more
engaging and exciting.
It all started in early August with RA training. The first two days of training were spent off-campus on a retreat
just so the staff could have some fun and get to know each other. Once the retreat was over though, the real
work began. The next week and a half consisted of long, grueling days spent learning policies, procedures, and
skills. It felt like I had started school two weeks early. The training was hard but all the information was very
important. Once training was finished, I was “officially” an RA, but that meant it was time to get ready for
move-in day. Although move-in day was possibly more tiring than training, it was awesome. I really enjoyed
meeting all the new residents and their families. I learned that my building is a very diverse group with people
from as far as Colorado and as close as right down the road at Creighton Prep. Being the RA for the Honors
LLC is enhancing my honors experience, not just because of all the new Honors Program members I have met,
but because of how much I get to collaborate with Dr. Morrison now.
I have already started planning my building programs for first semester and Dr. Morrison has been very helpful with the process. I’m looking forward to doing these building programs because I believe they will be fun,
engaging, and make my residents’ experience in the community a good one. After two weeks on the “job”, I can
say that being the RA of the Honors LLC is adding a new dimension to my honors experience. My building is
filled with exceptional people and I hope that I can bring a new dimension to their honors experience too.
College Experience in the LLC
Lucas Houser, Resident
For many incoming freshmen, the last year has gone by more like a checklist: apply to schools, get good grades,
go to senior events because you’re only in high school once, choose a school, keep getting good grades, sleep
on occasion, apply for housing, say goodbye to your friends of the last four years, and keep getting good grades.
With every step of the way drawn out for us since last August, by the time we were ready to head for college we
felt we had all of our ducks lined up in a row alphabetically by name. The only thing missing was the task of
finding a network of people to fall back on.
Unfortunately for many, this is the most terrifying of all the tasks to be accomplished. Sure the optional forced
socialization the first week somewhat helps us to realize how lost everyone else seems to be, but without continuous interaction, the socialization just leads to a whole lot of awkward encounters. This is where I have found
the Living Learning Community to be the most helpful. The only part of the socialization that was forced was to
read a book about boys on a ship (I think that’s what it was about), but having that initial ice breaker has made
all the difference in our little dorm in Mav Village. We all interact with one another. We make food for each
other, and to guide us all is Alex, our mother.
8
Spotlight on an Honors Colloquium Class
We look out for our community. We hang out. We have fun. We study together, and we learn together, and to be
able to have a full college experience like this within the first two weeks of school without having to leave our
building is a pretty amazing thing. To have been able to find this strong of a support group and build this many
relationships early on has only led to the complete alleviation of all fears I had coming into college, and trepidations of future obstacles are minimal thanks to the community I have to rely on. Thank you everyone.
(Sorry to Alex. It fit the rhyme scheme)
Honors Program Students Study PR Ethics
Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Isaacson Professor
Seventeen University of Nebraska at Omaha Honors Program
students studied public relations ethics during the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA) Ethics Month meeting in September.
The students in HONR 3000 “Free Expression and Social Media” Colloquium attended a PRSA Nebraska
luncheon at Anthony’s steak house on September 1st. Gil Cohen, executive vice president Omaha Magazine
spoke about business and the need to remain true to personal ethics, even when a client does not tell the truth.
“Don’t change your ethics when the rules of the game change,” Cohen said.
Students participated in roundtable ethics discussions with Omaha-area PR professionals. Some said a PR
person must be ready to quit a job rather than compromise ethics.
The class, taught by Isaacson Professor Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, focused the week by studying and writing
about the PRSA Code of Ethics. Following the luncheon, students discussed how to apply ethics theory and
best practices.
Upcoming Events and Announcements
Honors T-shirt Design Contest
Dr. Lucy Morrison
Want to make your mark on Honors? We are running a contest for the
design for the new Honors T-shirts for the year! Please follow the rules
below:
1) Only one entry per active Honors student permitted (you should put
your NUID in one corner of the design submitted); all entries should be
turned in as hard copies to Mrs. Lupe Green in Kayser 208 NO LATER
THAN Wednesday 30th September.
9
Upcoming Events and Announcements (cont.)
2) Please submit your design for the shirt (back and front) on a piece of letter-size paper. Shirts can ONLY be
black OR white OR gray and can have NO MORE THAN two ink colors on the solid background color.
3) All designs MUST include “University Honors Program” and the University “O” symbol on them; designs
should only be on front and back—or could have the “O” as front or back with the other side as a design.
Appropriate, brand-correct usages of the UNO
“O” and the Honors Program logo
FUSE Friday | Friday, October 2nd at 12:00 PM
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Harim Won
UNO supports faculty-mentored undergraduate research and
creative activity endeavors via the Fund for Undergraduate
Scholarly Experiences (FUSE). As long as a UNO student will
be a student the next academic year, grants of up to $4500 are available for research activity. Students will need
to be able to commit time to the project and prepare either a poster or oral presentation for the annual Research
and Creative Activity Fair at Criss Library. The Honors Program will be holding the FUSE Friday event for
Honors students to come learn more about the grant and ask questions. Many Honors students have either been
awarded a FUSE grant in the past or are working on one currently and will be there to answer questions about
the application process, what they are doing, and anything else that comes up. Undergraduate research and
creative activity is one of many ways that Honors students at UNO distinguish themselves and fulfill their full
potential. I hope to see you there and to hear about the grants for which you are subsequently funded!
If you would like to contribute a piece to our next newsletter, contact us at
[email protected]! We can give you topics to consider, or you may
present ideas of your own. Please make sure any submissions are emailed to the
above email address by Monday, November 16th.
Kayser Hall 208 | 402-554-2696 | honors.unomaha.edu
The University of Nebraska at Omaha does not discriminate based on gender, age,
disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin,
or sexual orientation.
10