Beloit College Senior Bench Chapter of Mortar Board

Beloit College Senior Bench Chapter of Mortar Board Welcome to the page for the Beloit College Senior Bench chapter of Mortar Board

Here is our March newsletter! Happy Spring everyone!
04/06/2021

Here is our March newsletter! Happy Spring everyone!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Checking in with Lincoln today!"My name is Lincoln Budasi (she/her/hers) and I am a...
10/13/2020

Hope everyone is having a good week! Checking in with Lincoln today!

"My name is Lincoln Budasi (she/her/hers) and I am a senior studying Biochemistry and Literary Studies. In addition to being the RA of Peet and a student programmer in SEAL, I am Theta Pi Gamma President, Programming Board Director, a Mortar Board member, a BPHI member, a SHARCC member, and a Rho Lambda member. Few fun facts about me: I like playing Catan, going on boats, and my favorite color is green.

I flew back home to Guam when COVID hit and spent the summer volunteering for the local public health lab. I also went to the beach a lot and spent time with family because restrictions weren’t as bad then. I also attended a couple protests in regards to BLM and local military-buildup issues.

Social justice, to me, is very personal. A lot of the social justice I partake in deals with the United States injustice towards indigenous people. I try to focus on land back movements, war reparations, and cultural renaissance initiatives. To partake in any social justice is to put the needs of your community first; to practice empathy and compassion at all times; and to critically analyze your own thoughts and actions in an effort to deconstruct colonial beliefs and systems. And social justice burnout is real! Please take care of yourselves and reach out to those who are actively oppressed. You cannot successfully help any movement if you are not physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually up to the task."

Here is the September Newsletter from our Beloit College Senior Bench Chapter of Mortar Board! Cheers to a great start!
10/01/2020

Here is the September Newsletter from our Beloit College Senior Bench Chapter of Mortar Board! Cheers to a great start!

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with Fiona! Here’s what she has to say: “I hope you all had a great weekend and a...
09/22/2020

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with Fiona! Here’s what she has to say:
“I hope you all had a great weekend and are staying safe! My Name is Fiona and I am from Downers Grove IL. I am a double major in Anthropology and Spanish with a minor in Museum Studies. This year is my second year as captain of the Cross Country team, but I am also a runner in the track program as well. Additionally, I am a violinist in multiple ensembles on campus and am an active member of Theta Pi Gamma and am a Collections Assistant at the Logan Museum. Though my experience was cut short due to COVID, I spent a majority of last semester studying abroad in Quito Ecuador. Pictured is a photo of me at Vulcán Tungurahua, one of the many volcanoes I lived near! This summer I was a WAICU intern at the Beloit Historical Society where I curated an online exhibit celebrating the centennial of the 19th amendment. After graduation I plan on pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector. Social justice to me means being an informed active citizen and holding your actions and privilege accountable. It also means working towards an equitable society where systems of oppression are dismantled. A huge wing of social justice is women’s rights, to which we lost an amazing leader, the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on Friday. I encourage you all to spend a few moments if you haven’t, reflecting on her impact on women’s rights as well as for democracy. For that I will end this message with a quote from AOC “The choice isn't what I'm breathing in, the choice is what I exhale...and right now, at least for this moment, I feel a need for all of us to breathe fire.”

Checking in with Rose Williams today! Here is her note:"Happy Monday and happy 3rd week of senior year. I am Rose Willam...
09/15/2020

Checking in with Rose Williams today! Here is her note:

"Happy Monday and happy 3rd week of senior year. I am Rose Willams. I am from Melvin IL. This is a very small town in central IL. It is near Champaign (U of I) or Bloomington (ISU). I am a MCI Biology Major.

In my time at Beloit I have been involved with Alpha Sigma Tau, worked as a subject tutor for many different subjects, and played on the tennis team for two years. Additionally I worked as a tutor in the Beloit school district through a program called AVID.

I did not have any internships or jobs this summer and chose to spend time with family. I live on a farm so there was plenty of upkeep work to keep me busy. This semester I plan to start looking for grad school programs for Neuropsychology and a lab position to fill a gap year in order to help boost my application to grad schools.

Social justice means creating a world centered around equality. Unfortunately, the world we live in is structured to favor a select demographic. Because of this, we have to actively fight for equality. It seems like social justice should be simple and every mother would teach their children the golden rule but something is failing us. Human rights are turned into political issues and twisted into something they are not."

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with new member Amy! ¨Happy Labor Day, everyone.My name is Amy. I was born in Seo...
09/07/2020

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with new member Amy!
¨Happy Labor Day, everyone.

My name is Amy. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Downers Grove, Illinois. I am double majoring in Environmental Biology and Cognitive Science. Outside of class, I work at the library front desk and am involved in multiple clubs / organizations here on campus including the Beloit College’s women's cross country team, Dance Club, Chelonia, and International Club.

Social justice means eliminating unfounded hierarchies or systems that favor one group over another. Disparity in power and privilege in the United States has resulted in a situation where the self image of a marginalized person becomes stunted by the images projected onto that person by the members of the dominant culture. In order to dispel the issues of racism, classism, etc. in this country, I believe we all have a responsibility to work towards building a more just and equitable society by engaging in our communities and reeducating ourselves.

I wish everyone a safe and healthy semester.¨

Today is the last day to enter the Beloit Campus Parking Permit Lottery! Donate any amount of money to this link http://...
09/07/2020

Today is the last day to enter the Beloit Campus Parking Permit Lottery! Donate any amount of money to this link http://beloit.afford.com/paynow?storeid=2337 and have your name entered for a campus parking permit!!

Today we are checking in with our member Gabija Laskonyte! Here is what she has to say:"My name is Gabija Laskonyte, and...
09/07/2020

Today we are checking in with our member Gabija Laskonyte!
Here is what she has to say:
"My name is Gabija Laskonyte, and I'm from Portland OR. I'm majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Health and Society, and I plan to take a gap year after graduation and then go to medical school. This year I am one of the Head Coordinators of Girls and Women in Science, the president of the Pre-Health Professionals Club, a programmer at the Health and Wellness Center, and I work off campus as a phlebotomist at CSL Plasma. Last summer, I worked as a Medication Aide at a local assisted living facility and took a couple online classes, and during my gap year I am hoping to work as a phlebotomist at OHSU in Portland, OR.

To me, social justice means being informed on the issues and making a real change in the world. While it is important to understand social issues, you must back up this with action or nothing will ever change. Action can be anything including signing petitions, donating money to reputable organizations, voting, protesting, working at a non-profit, or some other creative form of action like the BLM video made last May that donated its Adsense money to various charities (https://youtu.be/bCgLa25fDHM, no longer working because of the terms and conditions of Youtube). We have to continue to stay informed about current events and take action to make a better world for ourselves and the next generation. "

This week we are checking in with new member Alyssa! “Hi everyone,My name is Alyssa Morris and I am a senior biochemistr...
08/25/2020

This week we are checking in with new member Alyssa!

“Hi everyone,

My name is Alyssa Morris and I am a senior biochemistry major with a studio art minor. I am from Aurora Illinois and I play softball at Beloit. I also TA and tutor for mainly chemistry and have been part of SAAC since freshman year.

This summer I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Professor Labby on pigments synthesis research. I compiled protocols for pigment syntheses usable in undergraduate chemistry labs. This experience was a nice bridge between art and chemistry, I really enjoyed my experience and learned a lot. In addition, I had my first virtual poster presentation about soil nutrient levels and how that impacts antibiotic producing bacteria at the Tiny Earth Symposium. I also worked as an in home caregiver at Cure Home Care, where I assist elderly patients and help them remain as independent as possible.

To me, social justice means that all people deserve equal social, political, and economic opportunities and rights. We need to be constantly learning and striving to be genuine human beings who are kind to one another. I think that self awareness and the ability to learn from different perspectives is essential to ensuring that everyone has those equal rights and opportunities”

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with new member Sy Dragon! Here’s what she has to say: “Hi Everyone!My name is Sy...
08/18/2020

Happy Monday! Today we are checking in with new member Sy Dragon! Here’s what she has to say:
“Hi Everyone!

My name is Sy Dragon, I am completing my final year at Beloit College majoring in International Relations and I am from Los Angeles, California.

I am on the Lacrosse team at Beloit and was also a member of SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee) for the last two semesters. I work as a tutor at the writing center and am involved with IM's as well -- both working and playing.

This summer was a lot of family time (given covid-19) but I was also able to do an online intensive Arabic course through the American University in Cairo, which was really fun (minus the 4am classes!) I am currently in Copenhagen and will be for the next few months. Next week I start remote courses through Amideast, continuing my Arabic studies online as I am not able to study abroad this semester.

Social Justice is a movement, not a moment and to me this means continually working towards a more equitable society by creating awareness of injustices, empowering those who have been systematically and otherwise oppressed and holding those who have committed injustices -- or those who have been complicit in unjust acts -- accountable. I'm excited to see what this semester brings for us in striving to create a more just society.

Hope everyone is well and safe.

Cheers,
Sy”

08/15/2020

As mentioned on Monday, the Senior Bench chapter's executive team dutifully attended the Virtual Mortar Board National Conference this past weekend. Seva Poitevin, our Membership Chair reports that for her, the most meaningful part of the conference was listening to presenters explain "in detail about the selection process and how we can improve it year by year."
Seva is a vibrant addition to the chapter and executive team. Her ideas are valued and we can't wait to work together in making them happen- the Mortar Board way!

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700 College Street
Beloit, WI
53511

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