Spring 2017

Issue Archives

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Features

Finding Myself at SU

Everyone doodles a few times in their lives, but it was always something more to me. It started with comic books and Saturday morning cartoons. Sure, kids are supposed to love those things, but I had an extreme fascination with them. I tried drawing those characters, and traced thousands of them for practice, but I never could get it right the first, second or even third time.

The Holiness of Everyday Life in the Holy Land

Susquehanna’s Global Opportunities (GO) program is aimed at giving students a broader view of the world. We live in a global economy, so from a practical standpoint, our students need exposure to different cultures. But beyond the practical, our lives are far richer when we’re open to diverse viewpoints and people different from ourselves. It’s how we grow. Despite variations in faith, race, ethnicity, language, gender identity and sexual orientation, we share a common humanity.

A President Takes His Leave

L. Jay Lemons never set out to be a college president. A child of the 1960s and ’70s, the Scottsbluff, Neb., native left home for Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1978 to further his education and to run for Woody Greeno, the school’s legendary track and field coach. His plan was to pursue a career in teaching and coaching. But fate had a way of intervening, leading him first to one college presidency and then another.

Also in this issue

Last year, Angelo Martin stepped up as the new director of Public Safety. Susquehanna Currents recently caught up with Martin and asked him to reflect on his experiences at SU so far.

Who would have thought that what we eat could reveal so much about our philosophies and the social issues affecting our country today? Students in the class Eating Ideologies in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century France, a combination of a French literature seminar and senior capstone class for French majors, learned just that last fall.

Forward Thinking

For many trying to lose weight, one of the first steps in the process is eliminating sugar and replacing it with calorie-free alternatives.

Susquehanna University has received a $7.1 million gift from an anonymous donor to establish the Susquehanna Service Leaders Program, in which SU students will serve community organizations that support youth development in the Susquehanna Valley. The gift enables the university to support all aspects of the program, including the hiring of a program coordinator and will fund scholarships for the first six cohorts of students. The incoming Class of 2021 will have 10 SU Service Leaders, and in four years the program will be fully enrolled with 40 students, 10 in each class.

Student-Athlete Honored for Achievement, Leadership and Service

The university has had its share of great student-athletes, accomplished both academically and in their sports. Many have made an impact in the community as well, but perhaps none more so than Steven Weidlich ’17 of the men’s basketball team. He has combined all three markers of excellence into his collegiate career and earned national recognition for his accomplishments.

New Athletics Staff Join “The Team”

With the new year came new staff in the Office of Athletics Communications. Veteran sports information director Kelly Vergin (pronounced ver-GEEN) became the university’s new director of athletics communications, and Molly Payne was hired as the assistant director.

Alumna Gives Back to Team in Honor of Former Coach

Susquehanna has a proud and storied history when it comes to coaches who have worn the orange and maroon. It is rare, however, for an assistant coach to have a major impact on a sports program.

Summer Research Contributes to Grad School Success

Postgraduate success stories are nothing new for Susquehanna. In fact, 98 percent of the Class of 2015 is employed or in graduate school, and rates above 90 percent are regularly reported in the university’s annual postgraduate surveys.

Business Grads’ App Keeps You in the ‘Loople’

As a newly minted college graduate, Phil DiMuro ’12 spent his time away from the office doing what most young grads do—socializing.

New Admission House Offers New Opportunities for Prospective Students

Susquehanna’s new Admission House opens this year on the corner of University Avenue and the entrance to the university’s main parking lot. The $7 million construction project, which began last spring, is fully funded by contributions from the Board of Trustees. The 15,500-square-foot building was designed by architect Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

From Our Own

First Word

2017 promises to be a year of exciting change for Susquehanna University. As we look ahead to the future with eagerness and anticipation, it’s a welcome opportunity to also reflect on our university’s distinguished history, and especially the outstanding leadership provided by L. Jay Lemons.

End Notes

In January, Associate Professor of History María Muñoz and Scott Manning, dean of global programs, led a group of Susquehanna students on the university’s first Global Opportunities (GO) study trip to Cuba. Jonathan Gaboff ’17, a finance major from Jackson, N.J., contributed this personal essay based on the first paper he wrote for the required reflection class that follows every GO experience.