• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2016-10-27_Vol84_No02_10

B4 october 27, 2016 FEATURES Before they were educators: Dr. Alicja Lipsky Staff Writer Tucked away in one of Still- well buildings side hallways sits the quiet, orderly office of Dr. Jennifer Schiff. As the Director of the International Studies program, Dr. Schiff oversees program develop- ment, academic enrichment and student advising. She also teaches a number of political science courses within the international studies curricu- lum. Dr. Schiffs journey to West- ern Carolina University is a surprising one. Perhaps no r rone could be more surprised f than her. A Virginia native, ' Dr. Schiff grew up in close | vicinity of Washington, D.C. : Unsurprisingly, this location : gave rise to a passion for his- : tory. After earning a Bachelor : of Arts from the University of : Virginia and a Master of Arts : from Cleveland State Univer- * sity, she became an archivist * preserving and cataloguing historical documents for a mu- seum in Virginias Tidewater area, a significant historical region. The work proved enjoy- able but was quite solitary. A primary challenge was the constant process of grant *eetee eee writing. Like many museum workers, Dr. Schiff and her colleagues relied on grants to fund their research and proj- ects. Each year, they would have to renew their case, prov- ing each project (and job) was worthwhile. As she described, It was very demoralizing to have to justify that what you were do- ing was important. It eventually became clear some sort of change was needed. Change presented it- self in an unexpected manner, however, when Dr. Schiffs husband was assigned a new job posting by his company. The position required the pair to relocate to Malaysia. Naturally, this came asa significant shock. Never hav- ing the opportunity to travel outside of North America, she had been content to stay focused on this country. Throughout her life and education, the primary focus had been American history and current events. Suddenly, she was submerged in a slew of completely foreign cultures and environments. In the following years, Dr. Schiff experienced life in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Tt really opened my eyes alot. There are a lot of dif- ferences, but people are the same, Dr. Schiff reflected about her travels. The defining moment of Dr. Schiffs experience in Asia came when the entire country of Malaysia suffered a water shortage as the result ofa government conflict. Even in the developed city, Dr. Schiff, her husband and their neighbors were forced to live without running water for a month. This ordeal completely changed her outlook on global politics, and ultimately, her career path. As an American of a middle class background, Dr. Schiff had never before directly experienced the impact of international conflict nor had she ever needed to consider drinking water a precious re- source. Watching internation- al negotiations in the news while living with the reality of water scarcity led her to ques- tion why these sorts of things happen. On returning to the United States, Dr. Schiff pursued a doctorate in International Studies from Old Dominion University. Her primary aca- demic focus was, and still is, water scarcity and its impact on the international commu- nity. Teaching was not the career path she had in mind when entering the doctoral program. Yet as a graduate student, she was given the opportunity to teach some introductory political science courses to undergraduates. She found opening students eyes to the world around them, getting them interested and involved in interna- tional discussion extremely rewarding. On completing her doctorate, she decided to look for a professorship position. As the academic market would have it, Western Caro- lina had an opening for an assistant professor in its new international studies pro- gram. After interviewing for the position, she accepted the offer and moved to start this new chapter. According to Dr. Schiff, the political science department and its faculty proved very welcoming and supportive throughout her transition to this new career. She has also greatly enjoyed working with Western Carolina students, noting their kindness and interest. When asked what advice she has for students, Dr. Schiffs answer was sitapuaiasd ate. Dr. Jennifer Schiff What you think youre going to do often isnt what you end up doing. Take every opportunity, take internships, find mentors. We want stu- dents to be go-getters. Dont be passive, she said. Taken from someone that has lived that story, these ap-. pear to be wise words. The international studies program was created by The Western Carolinian Jennifer Schiff Photo by Breanna Taylor/STAFF Western Carolina University in 2010. The program seeks to expand on the university cur- riculums global outlook, in addition to preparing students for success in the world of international business and government. For more infor- mation, contact Dr. Jennifer Schiff at jsschiff@email.weu. edu or check out the depart- ment webpage at wcu.edu. ICA promotes diversity and new experiences for all students Madeline Smith Staff Writer Intercultural Affairs (ICA) is a department dedicated to preparing students to thrive in a diverse and intercon- nected world. Located on the second floor of the A.K. Hinds University Center, ICA is a place where all Western Carolina University students are welcome to be themselves ' and broaden their perspec- _tives. The department was established around six years ago when Western Carolinas multicultural office and wom- ens center joined forces. The department is designed to create a safe space for diver- Clubs, groups, programs and organizations such as Project C.A.R.E., Black Student Union, LGBTQ community and more are housed under this department. ICA is a place for diversity and comfort. ICA is a place where open-mindedness and diversity conversations take place on campus. I feel like the ICA is underappreciated. A plethora of people dont know how much the ICA contribute to the lives of mi- norities on campus or people who dont identify with the majority, Western Carolina junior QuaShawn Pernell stated. I think ICA gets a bad rep sometimes, because people feel uncomfortable due to an abundance of Afri- can American students that hang out in there. Overall the ICA is a second home for the minorities on campus where we all can come together, have wonderful dialect and ~ wah sity, minorities and inclusion. Fslwlolol > A OF; Ceo a PlelermleleMPrle] alstslrein)(Q] 3 SH Hoo & nee ase pogoee| i Janceent 618 Set by Poins be uplifted by one another. During the year, ICA hosts many different events and programs that help spread di- versity and inclusion across campus. These programs provide a safe space for stu- dents and faculty to discuss important issues and under- stand one another. This year, ICA began two new programs dedicated to this: Cultural Awareness Sensitivity Educa- tion and TV and Talk. Cultural Awareness Sensitiv- ity Education, or C.A.S.E, is about exploring the limits and finding ways to increase awareness of different topics while someone facilitates. It also offers an outlet for different groups to communi- cate. For instance, Tacquice Davis, Associate Director of Intercultural Affairs, led a C.A.S.E program titled Walk in My Shoes. Students were required to separate based on ethnic backgrounds and then share their concerns and thoughts. The point of the event was to increase communication between the divided groups and allow them to understand where each group was coming from. Tacquice Davis stated, T made them do what they thought of each other...walk- ing in each others shoes. White versus minorities. We did mock cases to understand how each and every one feels about one another and the topics. It started at 6 p.m. and was supposed to end at 8 p.m. They were there until 9 p.m. While C.A.S.E is a more sensitive program, TV and Talk is a program dedicated to understanding how the media portrays and influenc- Puzzle from www.alberichcrosswords.com es our lives and perception. Under Kham Ward, Direc- tor of Intercultural Affairs, ICA is reaching out to the community in order to spread awareness. For instance, ICA and Last Minute Produc- tions paired together to host a LGBTQ program in order to increase awareness about their community. A clip of the Orlando Massacre was presented allowing Western Carolina students to gain perspective and to remember that in the end, it is all about standing together. Shangela from the hit televi- sion series RuPauls Drag Race also spoke about loving yourself and your neigh- bors, and the importance of acceptance. She performed along with several other drag queens and kings in order to raise awareness about her community. What I like about ICA is coming together and explor- ing different backgrounds... People all over campus com- ing together in unity to learn about each others lifestyles; learning about one anothers ethnic backgrounds. Inter- cultural Affairs is like a second home for me. I can talk to different people from different areas, Cody Pears- all, junior, stated. ICA is like family. We stick and come together as individuals with different opinions and per- spectives on topics that are going on in the media today. ICA has been family to me ever since I first stepped onto Western Carolinas campus and gives me the courage to complete my college experi- ence. The most reoccurring N A ae _f Mol Al DL ELT CS question that pops up when ICA is mentioned in a conver- sation is who is actually able to utilize ICA? The $500,000 lounge and office space was built for minorities to have a place to be themselves. This does not mean all students are not allowed to utilize this space. Every student is welcome to sit down and chat with the individuals present in the office at any time. ICA is a place where students are prepared for the world interconnectivity through diversity. Our office space theme; inclusion, where we hope to learn, change and grow the student population at Western Carolina Univer- sity, said Ward. ICA also takes trips during fall and spring break called Intercultural Emersions. This semester, ICA offered a trip to go to New Orleans, Louisiana from October 15-18 to experience the beautiful, rich culture. T can teach you about culture from a book, but a student will always remem- ber how they felt after being submerged in a new culture, stated Davis. New Orleans is a completely different atmosphere com- pared to Sylva. With the loud jazz music, creole food and eccentric atmosphere, students were definitely sub- merged into a new culture. The first stop once the students arrived was to the Whitney Plantation. On the plantation, the students got to learn about the hard labor the slaves endured during the sugarcane season, a pro- cess that lasts all year long. The next day, the students enjoyed a brunch on a steam- boat drifting along the Mis- Photo by Madeline Smith/STAFF Students at Dennies Seafood restaurant during their trip to New Orleans with ICA. sissippi River. On the final full day, students gave back to the community by participat- ing in community service. Once in New Orleans, there were many places to visit and food to try. On their time off, students were able to explore the wonderful French Quar- ters of New Orleans, visit the botanical garden, try beig- nets and visit the Basilica of Saint Louis King of France. Getting involved in ICA is very simple; just walk through the door. It all starts with a conversation. Then, hopefully, life-long relation- ships will develop. If you would like to know more information about the Office of Intercultural Affairs and how to get involved, visit the office on the second floor of A.K. Hinds University Cen- ter or contact them by phone at 828-227-2276. MOG OSGShSel 7p biKicnard ARE E Lo. enAWErE -BTTI5/317/9/6141218 fel siti Ri al n| clef ci Riel alts! nA Re Puzzle from www.sudokuoftheday.com

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
  • Text
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2016-10-27
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.5" x 11.25"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2016-10-27_Vol84_No02
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library