This past week, The Grizzly proudly had six of its editorial staff members present at Ursinus’s annual Celebration of Student Achievement (CoSA) event. Our members were given the opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned throughout the year to share their knowledge and experiences with others. Their presentations covered a wide range of academic disciplines and topics. The first presentation featured three of our members, including Opinions Editor Sidney Belleroche, Sports Editor Adam Denn, and Photo Editor Georgia Gardner along with fellow student Elisha Wilson. The group covered their semester-long independent study on the Germantown Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) – a community center and residential living space for formerly un-housed men. Throughout the semester our editors created promotional content for the center such as welcome videos, informational graphics, and social media content which they presented at CoSA.
When asked about the project’s meaningfulness Gardner said, “It was very meaningful hearing the stories from people finding a place at GLEC…I found this experience extremely rewarding.” Gardner was also involved in a second presentation which discussed Ursinus’s UCrew and the group’s impact on the community. In the health and sciences field, News Editor Renee Washart presented her research on the impacts of the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) on exercise and metabolisms in mice as part of the Heart and Muscle Metabolism (HaMM) Lab. At CoSA she specifically discussed the differences in physical characteristics that mice displayed after being exposed to Prozac for a short period of time. Then she presented research on the levels of exercise in both male and female mice before and after exposure to the drug.
This presentation has been in the works for over a year, as Washart first proposed this topic in the spring of her freshman year. After beginning research last fall, Washart finally had the opportunity to showcase her findings and plans to further her research this summer. The Grizzly’s Editor-in-Chief Kate Horan also participated at CoSA, where she presented on two different topics. Her first presentation was done with fellow student Evan Chartock as part of their Disability & Media Course, where the pair was tasked with proposing a book that prominently features a disability for Ursinus’s CIE course. The two chose to propose Caroline Knapp’s Drinking: A Love Story, which focuses on alcoholism. In the presentation Horan highlighted Knapp’s ability to relate the disability of alcoholism to a “deeply human experience that people can empathize with,” and the importance of incorporating the book into CIE syllabus to help combat ableism, stigmas, and stereotypes regarding alcoholism.
Her second CoSA presentation was done on her spring internship at Sunbury Press. Horan shared her experience working as an editorial and digital marketing intern for the publishing company, as well as the work she completed, which included editing a young-adult fantasy novel, and social media and blog content for the company’s digital platforms. When asked about her interest in the topic, Horan responded “I am so passionate about literature, and this has carried over into my interest in the publishing industry.”