Club Engagement at Slippery Rock University

When covid-19 hit, clubs at Slippery Rock University were greatly influenced. Some clubs met online and some stopped meeting altogether. It was also difficult to recruit new members for clubs when all club activities were online. As a result, most clubs were desperate for new members when SRU returned to in person classes in fall 2021. I think it would be interesting to do a story on how club engagement has changed as a result of the pandemic.

This article would start with a pie chart with the different categories of clubs offered at SRU. I think that a line graph detailing club engagement over the years at SRU would be necessary for this article to show how engagement has changed. I have also noticed in my musical theatre society club at SRU that there seems to be a large number or freshman and very few upperclassmen. I’m curious about whether this is how it has always been or if this is a result of the pandemic. This difference in class levels could be an issue for leadership in clubs and how the clubs are run in the future. A bar graph might be able to properly display if there is a significant difference between class levels.

This story is newsworthy because it is in close proximity to SRU and has an impact on everyone who is involved in a club which includes a lot of students. Information on the different types and categories on clubs can be found on the SRU website and on Core. For the other information in this article, I would have to talk to student engagement and talk to the different clubs. For the video interview, I could interview someone from student engagement or a president from a club who had noticed change in club structures.

Nowruz Celebration

March 22, 2022 5:34 (Slippery Rock)

A celebration for the start of Spring called Nowruz was celebrated at Slippery Rock University. The celebration located in the student center on the SRU campus included festivities including dancing, food, decorations, games and henna tattoos. Students danced the night away while listening to cultural music and celebrating the first day of Spring. There was a wide spread of cultural food including dates, baklava, croissant, cheeses, grapes, vegetables and pastries. This celebration was brought to SRU by the Middle East Studies Center, Arabic Club and The Office of Global Engagement. Through this celebration, students were given the opportunity to learn more about a very popular holiday celebrated throughout the world. A traditional Nowruz table spread was on display to teach students about the different symbols associated with the holiday. Colored eggs symbolize fertility, vinegar symbolizes age and patience, and apples symbolize beauty and youth. Nowruz celebrated in 12 different countries throughout the middle east and Asia. At the SRU Nowruz celebration, flags were displayed representing each country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rMbQWj4Z3I

Professor Ahmad Khalili talks about the traditions surrounding Nowruz. The celebration lasts two weeks with lots of food and visiting friends and family. On the final day of Nowruz, everyone leaves their house and celebrates in the streets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06QUe_HbP68

Dancing breaks out at the Nowruz celebration as professors teach students traditional Arabic dances.

Theatre student Megan Best has her henna tattoo done by artist Rekha Rane.

Sara Pfisterer and Maya French talk while enjoying traditional Nowruz food.

Click here to go to a map of the countries that celebrate Nowruz.

Changnon Chronicles

Michael J. Changnon was an influential professor at Slippery Rock university. Changnon was hired shortly after graduate school by Martha Gault, the first art chair at SRU, to teach photography and found the photography program at SRU. Throughout his years of being an artist, Changnon created different metaphors with his work depending on the era of his life. Each charcoal drawing is a representation of him and his moods. After 34 years of working as a professor at SRU, Changnon died at the age of 58. Thankfully his memory has not been forgotten. The Michael J. Changnon Memorial Art Scholarship in Photography was created for SRU students shortly after his death. His work is displayed in the Westmoreland Museum of Art, Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh Public Schools and Heinz History Center. From February to March, SRU held an exhibit in the Martha Gault Gallery in remembrance of the 20-year anniversary of Changnon’s passing. His wife Susan Changnon was given the opportunity to give a speech in memory of her late husband.

I have created a timeline depicting Michael J. Changnons life as an artist and how SRU is remembering him. https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1O-QBMBXR1-EsT4GrUJymodpNhnEBuEdYxXApzPKJ8RA&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650