By: Katherine Seeley

As a Communication major, having a place to work near my professors has always been an idea that I liked. It would allow me to ask them questions if they were in and give me an opportunity to talk to other Communication majors or minors. When I heard that the Comm department was going to redo the area outside of their offices, I was ecstatic. 

 In Andrews, the small building on the top of the hill across from the Registrar’s office lies the Communication Department along with the Chemistry, Language and English Departments. When you first walk in, you see the labs located on the first floor, but on the second floor of this building lies the Communication Department. There is a little area in between the Communication professors’ offices’ along with some of the science professors’ offices that have been redone to welcome students to study, do homework and congregate with each other. 

In this space, there are four mini whiteboards, a huge whiteboard, a round wooden table that has a few books and a plant in the middle with white chairs for students to sit at. On another wall, there are two brown comfortable chairs with a small table in the middle that holds copies of “The Waltonian” on it. They have put a nice area rug down that matches the table and chairs and a bulletin board in the small hallway of the room that houses all the concentrations a Communication major can choose from along with what classes to take in each concentration. 

There is another table pushed against the wall with three stools for students to sit at if all the other chairs are taken. Another great feature of this room are the many outlets found along the walls and on some of the tables. While this hub has been redone by the Communication Department, it is open to all students who would like to study or chat there. There are a few finishing touches that need to be added, like the bulletin boards being decorated and a clock being hung up, but the majority of the room has been finished and we invite you to come and use it. 

I have used it quite a bit since it has been done. Before, I would rarely see anyone there. Now, there are a lot of students who come and do work when they want a change of scenery from their usual homework spots. I like using this area because I feel more productive because of how aesthetically pleasing it looks and if I have a question regarding homework, my professors are right there for me to ask. It is a quiet place to study and I like going there when I need a different place to get things done other than the library and my dorm room. This is a great space that has been redone nicely and I think everyone should come and see how great it is.

By: Katherine Seeley

Many people dread taking their Gen Ed courses in college, especially if it is science or math (unless you are into these subjects, then it is probably more appealing). As someone who is not science-minded, I struggled to try to find what science class to take. As I was scrolling through the course catalog, it hit me. Geology.

Yes, geology. The study of rocks is the science class I landed on. While I had my doubts, it has been an interesting class so far. Geology is a spring semester class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00-11:50 a.m. This is a natural science course and people who are interested in natural resources, energy, outdoor activities, crystals and other aspects of nature will love this class. 

There is no required lab time for this class, but every Friday we do an in-class lab activity based on what we have learned from the lectures. One of the labs we did consisted of us going out and finding a rock, describing how it looked and felt and then comparing it to the rocks down at Walton pond. This was a nice lab because we were able to complete it on our own and bring it back for the following Friday’s lab. 

The professor is funny and laid back. He includes many pictures of different rocks and the different processes rocks go through. The homework load is very light. We have three tests during the semester, one of which is the final and a faith-based paper arguing about the geological timeline of the earth from two different points of view. We get to pick if we want to write from a faith-based standpoint or a secular standpoint or both. I like it because of how manageable the class is when it comes to homework. We rarely have any physical homework but we do have a lot of reading from our textbook. I feel like that is a fair trade because we can read a chapter for a week and not have to answer questions about it. The reading sets us up for what we are learning for the week and helps with our lab activities. 

Even though it is only the beginning of the semester, my favorite part of this class is the lab days. If we get done before class ends, we are able to leave early. If we are struggling, the people in the class are open to helping each other out along with the professor. If we cannot figure something out, the professor will walk us through it.

So far, it has been an easy class and the material is understandable. For someone who is not science-minded, I feel like I have a good grasp of the concepts we are learning. I recommend this class to people who are looking for a more simple science to fulfill their Gen Ed. I believe people should take this class because it has a manageable workload and you will learn a lot about how rocks are formed, along with what geologists do and why it is important to study geology. 

By: Katherine Seeley

Eastern University is full of clubs that many people can be a part of. Clubs are a great way to get involved with people who have similar interests, make friends and get to know people in your major or minor. One of the clubs on Eastern’s campus is Chem Club. Chem Club has two co-presidents, Keilah Olmeda and Emily Newman, both seniors. There is also the vice president, junior Hannah Wilson, and treasurer/secretary senior Grace-Hope Stevens. Their advisor is Dr. Bundens, a professor at Eastern. There is no set meeting time for this club. When there are major events going on around campus, like homecoming, they will meet together or discuss what they want to do. 

“Our main goal is to host events and provide support for those majoring in the chemical sciences as well as those interested in chemistry,” Olmeda said. Having a support system is great with such a rigorous study. There is always a beginning of the year event which is called a Chem Meet and Greet. This is open to everyone interested in learning more about the chemical studies and those majoring in chemistry so they can come together and meet everyone in the program.

“This event is always so much fun as we gather with new and returning students as well as professors and enjoy some food, drinks, games and fellowship,” Olmeda said. One of the games that they played was charades with the category of “ all things chemistry.” Hannah Wilson described this as a “fun game” and “everyone there had a good time.” It is a great welcome to incoming students who want to get to know their professors and more about the program. It is also a great opportunity for those within the major to grow their relationships with their professors and help the incoming students to feel more comfortable.

One of the things that Chem Club started to do a couple years ago was making care packages. Olmeda said, “Those majoring in the chemical sciences received care packages. We have handed them out at different times throughout the year in hopes to provide some support and a little pick-me up.” 

“Another thing Chem Club has done is hosting different seminars during times like National Chemistry Week,” Olmeda said. “We had a club table at homecoming this year and past years.”

Chem Club has done a lot on this campus and has high hopes for the future of this club. Their future plans they hope to enact are a Chemistry Christmas Party and giving out care packages for finals week. When asked, Wilson explained why someone should join Chem Club. 

“Students majoring in or interested in chemistry should join Chem Club because of all the fun we have. Since most of us are older and have been studying the chemical sciences, we are able to help the first year students and guide them through the school year. It is a nice community of people who are like minded and it is full of people you can rely on for support. This is a hard major, so having that moral support on campus can really change your perspective and help you through it.” 

Olmeda ended by saying, “We hope to spread the word about Chem Club and our events to students who might not be majoring in the chemical sciences but are still interested in chemistry.” 

If you are interested in learning more about or joining Chem Club, contact the leadership team and look out for more events hosted by Chem Club!

By: Katherine Seeley

Students looking for immersive learning experiences, one of the greatest parts about Eastern, are able to find many options here. DoctorsinItaly, a program offered through Eastern, is located in Europe at the Bocconi University with various cities in Italy having different shadowing hospital programs. DoctorsinItaly is a health-tech startup that was launched by Bocconi University. 

This fellowship program was established in 2018 and is tailored to different health professions. People who join this program can combine intensive clinical rotations at hospitals in Rome, Milan, Bologna and Genoa. Kailey McGovern, an Eastern graduate, is one of the students who has attended this program. Her mission is to internationalize healthcare, making it more accessible through technology. 

“In May of 2022, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do a two-week fellowship program in one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world Rome, Italy,” she said. “Through this, I was able to experience different fields of medicine, including dermatology, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery and more.”

McGovern goes on to say that developing a strong relationship with each of the physicians was a main component of this experience. “During my experience, there were a total of 10 fellows all coming from North and South America,” she explained. “The diversity of the students further enhanced the program and allowed for an intense cultural experience.”

She explained how she found the program through her advisor and it is easily accessible through shadows.doctorsinitaly.com. There are different programs that offer a two, three, four or five week program depending on what the student is looking for. “This is great for a student looking for immersive showing hours and depending on the program you can obtain 40-90 shadowing hours.” 

The 5 week program is great for college students looking for credit because you can apply the hours you take for accredited hours, while also learning about Italian healthcare. 

“This experience showed me the difference between American healthcare and universal healthcare in Europe resulting in a much different interaction between patient and healthcare providers,” she said. “From what I experienced in Italy the hospital, along with the physicians, had a much more relaxed lifestyle than those in America. This allowed for more learning opportunities and the patients were very appreciative of our desire to learn about healthcare.” 

The program had managers which were Roman citizens who helped them easily navigate the city. While learning in these intensive programs for hours, McGovern still had some time out of the hospital to experience Italian culture. 

“Outside of the days in the hospital, which were typically 4 days a week, other fellows and I had the opportunity to immerse ourselves into Italian culture with cuisine, museums, cooking classes, cathedrals and beautiful Roman architecture,” she said.

Wrapping up our time together, McGovern explained how she is currently in the process of applying to Physician Assistant programs in the Philadelphia area. While she is doing that, she is working as a medical assistant for dermatology to practice getting hands-on clinical experience. 

If this is something students are interested in, they can contact their Eastern advisor, view the website,  shadows.doctorsinitaly.com to find out more about the program or contact Martina@doctorsinitaly.com. 

By: Katherine Seeley

As a Communication major, I get to take a diverse stream of classes that not many people would think of taking. One in particular that I am enjoying this fall semester is Conflict Management. It is taught by the wonderful Dr. Julie Morgan, who is head of the Communication department. Conflict Management teaches students how to handle conflict between two or more people. 

We go over different concepts, like emotions, positions of power, bullying, interpersonal relationships and many more. This is a class that any major should take because it will help people in their future endeavors such as friendships, workplace relationships, intimate relationships and family relationships. We dive in depth about what causes conflict, how each party perceives what is being said in conflict and apply each concept to conflict we have in our lives.

Jayme Fisher, a senior Communication major, said, “Conflict management is therapeutic because we talk about our problems in a safe environment. When we do that, Dr. Morgan gives us constructive criticism on what we should do, how we should handle it, or if it has already happened, what we did well and what we could have done better.” She also explains that she likes hearing her classmates’ input on some of her conflict issues. It gives a better understanding because of the different perspectives each person has on an issue. 

I enjoy taking the class because I hate conflict. Part of the reason that this class piqued my interest is because I wanted to learn how to manage the conflict I have going on in my life. I try to handle conflict constructively but that can be hard if the other person is not as open to constructive conflict. In this class, we talk about the difference between destructive and constructive conflict, which is extremely helpful. As humans, we are not perfect but if we learn how to handle conflict better, we can salvage interpersonal relationships we care about. It has given me a better understanding of why I hate conflict, how I can get better at it and how we can communicate constructively. 

Saige McKenzie, a junior Communication major, said, “The things we learn in class are applicable to everyday life. In other classes, there is a waiting period to use what we learn. We get to use our own experiences in class. There were times I had been going through conflict and was able to talk about it while in class. It gives us an opportunity to use our own issues.” She goes on to say that in the class we get to know our peers better, especially in the Communication major. 

We handle hard topics too, like abuse and manipulative behavior. We handle smaller conflicts as well as intrapersonal conflicts, which are conflicts with oneself. If you do not know Dr. Morgan, she is a great professor to be teaching this class. She breaks it down in understandable ways, uses her own examples and helps us explore our close relationships in three papers we write. 

I highly recommend taking this class if you want to better understand conflict. We take a conflict styles test and analyze what our results mean. We support each other in this class and are a listening ear to everyone who shares their conflict with us. We try our best and help others with any conflict they may face. This is one of the classes that is most beneficial and I am glad I am taking it. It is the type of class that you could take over and over again and come out with something new each time.