About Me

I'm a student journalist at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. 

My Latest Work

Holiday Music Recommendations from Around the World

Icy weather, hot chocolate, Christmas trees. The holiday season has officially started - and here is your much-needed holiday playlist recommendation that does not include “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Each song originates from a different country, and I hope you will feel the holiday sensations whether you fully understand the language or not. I recognize that this playlist is by no means exhaustive, and feel free to write a letter to the editor if you think I have missed some great songs.

A Look Into Contemporary Music at DePauw

On Sunday, Nov. 20, the DePauw Contemporary Ensemble club held their first concert of the year, featuring contemporary works from DePauw students, namely first-year Tyler Sharkey, sophomore Blake Wilmot, senior Teresa Shunk, sophomore Ross Gardner, and many more.

According to William Pearson, professor of music and faculty advisor of the Contemporary Ensemble club, the concert presented a range of genres and styles, including classical music, musical theatre, and improvisation.

“We've got some

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa talks Living in the “Upside Down”

Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO of Rappler and the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, delivered the Timothy and Sharon Ubben lecture at DePauw on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Described as a person who “brings to light what some would rather keep in the dark” by English professor Eugene Gloria, Ressa presented her perspectives on the stakes of journalism in the digital age.

“How do we act as citizens in an age of exponential lies?” - Ressa posed the question. She said lies are spreading si

“You've got to really want to do it”: Annabelle Terry and Anne Odeke talk acting and theater

Five actors representing the Actors From the London Stage (AFTLS) company held their week-long residency at DePauw from Monday, Oct. 10 to Friday, Oct. 14. The residency included visits to DePauw classes, an open workshop with the student theater organization, Duzer Du, and the Oct. 12 performance of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” This year’s residency marked 30 years of partnership between DePauw and the AFTLS.

The actors and actresses were Roger May, Claire Redcliffe, Anne Odeke, Annabelle Terry, a

COVID-19 protocols and possible rising cases on the DePauw campus

As winter is approaching and most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted from DePauw’s campus, there have been concerns in the DePauw community about the possible rising number of COVID cases.

“We are very aware that the history of COVID has been that, in the winter, we see a rise. We are not seeing that rise on campus, but we're watching,” Chief of Staff Sarah Steinkamp said.

She contributed students’ impression of rising cases on campus to the fact that COVID-19 cases happen in clusters and

My Top 5 Favorite Songs (and Lyrics) from Taylor Swift's 'Midnights'

Taylor Swift’s newest album “Midnights” dropped last Friday and all 13 songs (plus 7 songs in the 3 a.m. version) have been the background music of my mind ever since its release. Swift described the album as the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout her life, “a journey through terror and sweet dreams.” Indeed, I feel a mix of emotions listening to the songs, from pure sadness and hopelessness to true happiness and acceptance.

While the pop genre of the album certainly makes it m

2022-2023 financial aid and work-study minimum wage unpacked

There has been an overall 2.67% increase in DePauw tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year, including a $1,500 or a 2.84% increase in tuition, a $14 increase in the comprehensive fee, an $80 increase in on-campus housing, and a $222 increase in the default meal plan, according to an email sent out by Student Affairs at DePauw on April 6.

Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid Leslie Middleton said this rate is comparable to colleges and universities around the nation and that it is

Dexter Thomas discusses Japanese hip-hop music, culture, and working with no expectations

Dexter Thomas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and correspondent for VICE News, came to DePauw on Tuesday, September 13, and gave a speech titled “Japanese Rap Music and Remixing the News.”

J.P Olsen, the new director of the Pulliam Center, described Thomas as “a polymath who does it all very well.” Thomas is also the first speaker that Olsen brought to DePauw as the new director.

Thomas’ presentation on Tuesday night addressed his research on Japanese hip-ho

Green Dot program creates a culture of care on DePauw’s campus

On Sunday, September 11, the first Green Dot training of fall 2022 was organized for DePauw students.

According to Heather Wright, associate director of Student Wellness programs, Green Dot is a bystander intervention program that aims to equip students with the tools they need in order to step in situations around sexual assault and interpersonal violence. The program initially started in 2015 when DePauw received a grant through the Department of Justice and sent staff to the Green Dot headqu

DePauw appointed its first Vice President for Institutional Equity

Dr. Dionne Jackson, DePauw’s first vice president for Institutional Equity, has laid out her goals and visions for diversity, equity, and inclusion on the DePauw campus.

Prior to serving at DePauw, Jackson worked in the major office at Little Rock, Arkansas as the chief equity officer. She has also worked in higher education for 16 years, namely at Hendricks College in Conway, Arkansas.

“Students have been a very central part of my professional and personal life. And that's what brings me back

Self-care tips and university programming in Final Exams season

With final exams around the corner, Mental Health and Wellness Educator Malorie McGee and Mental Health Peer Educator Alexa Harris ‘24 shared self-care tips, as well as university programming and resources that will be available for students.

“We feel that people are overwhelmed. Especially this semester, everyone's very stressed, which is to be expected. But that doesn't mean that it makes it any easier on the students,” Harris said.

McGee added that times of higher stress tend to be around t

Art Walk 2022: Artistic diversity and community on the DePauw campus

Art Walk 2022, an interdisciplinary art festival on the DePauw campus, took place from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1.

“My favorite thing about Art Walk this year is just how much of the breadth of involvement that we had… Almost every art club on campus is involved, almost every artist is involved,” Senior Elena Collins, founder of Art Walk and artistic director of Art Walk 2022, said.

As the artistic director, Collins led the organization process, planned activities, and did research sinc

Class of 2026 enrollment numbers indicate preliminary increase since last year

According to the Vice President for Enrollment Management Mary Beth Petrie, as of Friday April 15, DePauw has admitted more than 3,500 students into the Class of 2026. Petrie said this number is the same as in previous years, but added that over 400 students have committed to DePauw, which is higher compared to the number around the same time last year. The new class also has the highest number of Indiana students in the past four years.

“I think that things are, of course, changing in the worl

Field professor of Creative Writing talks DePauw and why we write

Lee Ann Roripaugh, this year’s Mary Rogers Field and Marion Field-McKenna Distinguished University Professor for Creative Writing, was invited to DePauw University to teach a Poetry Writing class in Spring 2022.

According to DePauw website, the Mary Rogers Field and Marion Field-McKenna Distinguished Professorship “brings nationally recognized and practicing writers to DePauw as visiting faculty members” with endowment from J. David Field.

Joe Heithaus, professor of English, said the creative

Smooth Transition: Blend to open, triggering possible Cafe Allegro relocation

Located in the Lilly Center, Blend Smoothie Bar served smoothie and juice before the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been closed for a year and a half, it is scheduled to be reopened before spring semester ends, according to Travis Linneweber, associate vice president of finance & administration. The exact date is still under discussion.

John Hecko, general manager of Bon Appetit at DePauw, said the place was closed during the lockdown, and the staff who used to work there have been assigned to diffe

Potential changes to COVID-19 protocols on campus after spring break

DePauw’s COVID-19 Mitigation Team is considering changes to the COVID-19 protocols on campus. According to an email sent out March 2, an update will be provided prior to spring break, which begins March 26.

According to Chief of Staff and leader of the COVID-19 Mitigation Team Sarah Steinkamp, new CDC guidance “moves us from thinking about protecting the entire population to protecting individuals, and it moves some of the decision-making from the institution or the county to an individual.”

O

Inclement weather resulted in virtual classes - Was it necessary?

DePauw university offices were closed due to inclement weather from Wednesday, Feb. 2 to Friday, Feb. 4. All classes were moved online and professors were advised not to travel to classrooms.

Students expressed mixed opinions regarding the cancellation of in-person classes. Some appreciated this decision as it was out of concerns for professors and students’ safety.

“They're looking out for the students and the professors, especially the professors because of [the travel conditions],” sophomor

2022 Greek recruitment results

Another year of Greek life recruitment was virtual for most part, as COVID-19 status on DePauw campus has remained red since the week of January 17th. Fraternities and sororities had round 1 and round 2 of recruitment online, while the last round was in-person.

The decision was made based on DePauw policy to limit social gatherings to 25 or fewer people. “There's no reason why we need to be, you know, clashing with the university and trying to fight our way to have 30 people in an event or 40 p

Global Spotlight: International Bazaar and International Education Week

International Education Week was organized from Nov 15 to Nov 20, with its highlight being the International Bazaar on Nov 20. The events were hosted to promote cultural diversity among the DePauw community, according to Elizabeth Haymaker, director of international student affairs.

“It's really just a joyful moment, really celebrating one another and also sharing with one another and the wider DePauw and Greencastle and Putnam county community,” Haymaker said. She thought that joy came from pe

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