Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Happy Graduation., Joy Zanghi

SURGE

High school graduation is often considered the first step into a life of new beginnings, independence, and quasi-adulthood. It is a time of celebration, a time to recognize that all of those years of hard work have paid off. Of course, there are graduation presents from family members to reward all of that work and congratulate the graduate for beginning of the rest of their lives. My graduation present, though, is something I hope I never find a use for. [excerpt]

Thank You, Jennifer Mccary, Anonymous

SURGE

Today, Jennifer McCary, the Associate Dean for Violence Prevention and Resolution, Director of the Women’s Center, and the Title IX Coordinator, will be leaving Gettysburg College to assume a new position as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at her alma mater, Bowling Green State University. In her new role, she will be overseeing the Women’s Center, Multicultural Affairs, TRIO, Project Search, Title IX, and LGBTQA+ and Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. This will be a significant change for Jennifer, who focuses most intensely on Title IX and Violence Prevention here at Gettysburg. [excerpt]

Studying Abroad With A Mental Illness, Meghan E. O'Donnell

SURGE

Whenever anybody asks me about my experience studying abroad, I lie. I tell them that it was transformative, that I returned a more confident, learned, and enlightened person. I tell them all of the things I wish were true, pretending that all of the dreams I had about how studying abroad would affect me were actually the reality of my experience. [excerpt]

Hbo, America, And Me., Mai Trinh

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Last year, I took a trip to Philadelphia with one of my friends. I had the combined energy level of a first-year college student, an international student studying abroad and a newcomer to America. Visiting a major American city for the first time, I saw the things in real life that I had only experienced by watching HBO back home: the glassy skyscrapers with thousands of tiny people moving inside them; the green “LEAGUE ST” sign above a black and white “ONE WAY” sign; the never-ending crowd of people busily crossing the street; the man leaning against a traffic pole …

Fearless Friday: Emily Vega, Emily Vega

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This Friday, we’re celebrating the great work of Emily Vega ’19. Emily is from New York City and created her own major here at Gettysburg, titled “Conversations from the Margins: Personal Narrative and Public Image.” According to Emily, this major allowed her to pursue her interest and journalism while also focusing her work on how marginalized communities are represented in media. She takes courses in many disciplines to fulfill her major requirements, but especially in English and Sociology.

Fearless Friday: Alexa Laboy, Alexa J. Laboy

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Alexa Laboy ‘18 for all of her impressive work in our campus community.

Pacifism Against The Alt-Right, Anonymous

SURGE

In 1944, Dr. Ancel Keys took 36 volunteers and used them as subjects for what would become known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. These men were all conscientious objectors to war who wanted to find a nonviolent way to help those affected by the Nazi regime. One solution was to participate in Dr. Key’s study to evaluate systematic rehabilitation of those who had been starved, such as the victims in Stalingrad—and later in Hitler’s concentration camps—had been. They contributed a great deal to the allied powers, and to those the study was designed to help, while not fighting Nazis …

This Is What It Means To Be A Daca Recipient, E. R. P., M. P.

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Since 2012, over 800,000 DREAMers, like ourselves, have been given the legal right to work, apply for a driver’s license, and, most importantly, live without the fear of deportation. We complete background checks and pay $495 in fees every two years to maintain our DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Haya Mohanna, Haya M. Mohanna

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Haya Mohanna for all of the work she has done in our community. She has received Fearless Friday recognition during her first year at Gettysburg College, and upon graduating this coming May 2017, we’d like to honor her again! [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Laurel Downie, Laurel Downie

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In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Laurel Downie for all the work she does in our community, especially towards organizing “Take Back the Night” for Sexual Assault Awareness Week. [excerpt]

Do You Really Want To Walk In My Shoes?, Anonymous

SURGE

There is a problematic irony in the philanthropy event, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, which took place on campus this week. [excerpt]

Bystander Behavior In His Fucking House, Anonymous

SURGE

My first semester at Gettysburg, I was at a fraternity party with a group of friends from my floor. As a first-year who spent the majority of her Saturday nights in high school watching Netflix with friends, I was still growing accustomed to the utter chaos which defines our college’s primary social scene. Despite my inexperience, even I knew to be worried when a visibly intoxicated girl stumbled past, pulled behind a guy towards the stairs. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Julie Schuldt & Hannah Dallman, Julie Schuldt, Hannah Dallman

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Julie Schuldt and Hannah Dallman for all the work they have done in our community as well as working on Gettysburg College’s first “Study Abroad Symposium.” [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Chelsea Paige Johnson, Chelsea P. Johnson

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Chelsea Paige Johnson for her sociological research on race and socioeconomic status among first year students. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday Naima Scott & Caroline Lewis, Naima Scott, Caroline Lewis

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In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring Naima Scott and Caroline Lewis for all the work they have done in our community as well as working on this year’s Vagina Monologues. [excerpt]

No One Like Me, Gisselle Flores

SURGE

“What are you interested in majoring in?”

“Umm, I’m not sure yet, but probably mathematics.”

“Oh.”

I am then faced with a look that says, “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” or “Yeah, good luck with that.” Sometimes people actually vocalize these thoughts to me, and their judgement has always brought a dark cloud of doubt into my head. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Andeulazia Hughes-Murdock, Andeulazia Hughes-Murdock

SURGE

This week, SURGE is highlighting the fearless work of Andeulazia Hughes-Murdock ’18. Andeulazia, originally from Chantilly, Virginia, is a junior at Gettysburg College and majors in Spanish/Latin American Studies. As a dedicated member of the campus community, Andeulazia sought a variety of leadership opportunities, and is currently the PanHellenic President, President of the Class of 2018, and the Program Coordinator for the Center for Public Service at Sherfy Farm, as well as, the Campus Manager for University Tees. With these leadership roles, Andeulazia hopes to “help lay the foundation to bring about changes that need to happen, such as making …

Fearless Friday: Piper O'Keefe, Piper D. O'Keefe

SURGE

This Friday we celebrate the fearless leadership of Piper O’Keefe! Piper is a senior studying globalization and political science. Currently, Piper is the president of the College Democrats, a fellow with the Eisenhower Institute, and involved with the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO). [excerpt]

This May Mean Doing Things A Bit Differently From Here On Out, Jerome Clarke

SURGE

OccupyPennHall failed.

Embittered by a failed election and its hateful aftermath, students parked themselves in protest. The act precluded and followed an irruption of a faculty meeting. Therein, sitting professors tuned into pleas for student-teacher solidarity. Protesters then took to the campus fulcrum and braced themselves for a sneak-peak of winter. The supposed movement was spur-of-the-moment: a visceral stillness in the wake of an absurd, precarious life. [excerpt]