My Experience as a “Student Upstander” at the Lemkin Summit to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities 2018

By Ricardo Pierre '18

With Honor Society high schoolers from Asbury Park, NJ

Genocide is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. The neologism was first coined by Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer of Polish and Jewish decent. Lemkin devised genocide from genos a Greek word for tribe or race and -cide a Latin word that means killing.

On Saturday, February 10 through Monday, February 12, 2018, I attended the Lemkin Summit to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities, a conference named in Raphael Lemkin’s honor. The conference took place at American University and featured a panel of experts who spoke on topics ranging from tools the U.S. government can use to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities, to financial tools to counter the nexus of conflict and corruption, and the current dynamics in various conflicts areas. The Lemkin Summit allowed me the opportunity to venture into a topic about which I was previously not privy.

While at the conference, a Congolese woman named Neema Namadamu spoke about how the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have experienced the phenomenon of the resource curse known as the paradox of plenty. The paradox of plenty refers to resource-rich countries that fail to reap the full benefits of their natural resource wealth. Countries that have an abundance of natural resources tend to engage in conflict at a higher rate and are largely authoritarianist nations. Issues like this and many more where discussed at the conference. I also heard chilling stories from citizens of Darfur, Sudan recalling the sounds of gunshots as they were falling asleep and when they would rise in morning, stories that were all too familiar to citizens of fellow conflict nations.

With Enough Project founder, John Prendergast

During my time at the conference, I also had a one-on-one conversation with John Prendergast, the founder of the Enough Project, which is an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. The Enough Project was the program that provided me the opportunity to attend the Summit as a Student Upstander. John told me about the indefinable horrors he’s seen with his own eyes and relayed to me the massive role the United States can play in helping countries like Congo.

My final day in Washington, D.C. was spent lobbying to Senators and Congressmen from my home state of New Jersey. As a group leader, I was accompanied by a group of Honor Society high schoolers from Asbury Park, NJ, and we worked to get cosponsors on two policies. The U.S. is regarded as the most influential nation in the world. By taking a tougher stance against countries that engage in mass atrocities, America can help put an end to corruption and human rights violations. My weekend at the Lemkin Summit gave me an immense knowledge on the past and continuing political climate that African nations are in and I look forward to engaging in philanthropic efforts in the future.

My group at NJ Representative Chris Smith's Office in Washington, D.C.

"Breakfast Buddies" Mentoring Program Encourages Academic Excellence and Good Citizenship for Fifth Grade Boys

By Tom Steele, Director of Academic Initiatives for Athletics

Ferrum College students (back row, left to right) Justyn Forbes, Lawrence Baranski, and Ricardo Pierre, are "Breakfast Buddies" for this group of fifth grade boys at Lee M. Waid Elementary School.

It’s Thursday morning, 7:00 AM. Most Ferrum College students are just stirring or still asleep. However, members of Ferrum’s Brother4Brother mentoring program are on their way to Lee M. Waid Elementary School in Rocky Mount to be “Breakfast Buddies” with a group of 5th grade boys.

Now in its third year, the Breakfast Buddies program is designed to provide a positive, male role model for the fifth graders and encourage them to excel in academics and as school citizens. “The Breakfast Buddies program has been an integral component in developing social skills for our fifth grade students,” said Sheree Thomas, the school counselor at Lee M. Waid who hosts Breakfast Buddies. “The positive interaction brought to the table by Ferrum's highly motivated and well-mannered men of standards leaves a positive impression on our youth,” continued Thomas.

During each Breakfast Buddies program, the College students share breakfast with the fifth graders, talk about the topics of the day, and spend positive time together. Sometimes, the Brother4Brother mentors help the young men who get into trouble at school get back on track. According to Ferrum senior Ricardo Pierre, the outreach is important because, “I am able to offer them a judgement-free ear and share with the guys things I wish I knew at their age.”

Breakfast Buddies is focused on men learning to share with each other and holding each other accountable. “Breakfast Buddies is a great chance to uplift young men and to be someone they can talk to,” said junior Lawrence Baranski.

In addition, encouragement is always a focus at the breakfast meetings. Junior Justyn Forbes said, “I think that it is good to give these kids some encouragement from college students to do well in school.”

As a bonus, some of the fifth graders in the Breakfast Buddies program are now serving as mentors for kindergarteners at Lee M. Waid. This is a point of pride for Baranski. “We are showing them that even they can become a mentor to younger men,” he said.

Not self, but others. This is the Ferrum College way.

Ferrum College: A place full of magical experiences. A place where I have found a family.

By Angela Patricia Velasquez Hoyos, Fulbright Spanish Language Assistant 2017-2018

My name is Angela P. Velasquez Hoyos. I was born in Anserma Caldas, Colombia, but during the last 10 years, I have lived in Pereira, Risaralda which is located in the coffee region in Colombia.

I hold a Bachelor degree in English language Teaching from Technological University of Pereira and a Master Degree from Caldas University in Manizales Caldas Colombia. I have spent six years teaching English and research which is something that I really enjoy doing. I am a curious person who loves reading, hiking, listening to music, traveling, and talking to people.

When I first knew I was going to Ferrum College, I got very excited because I heard great comments about people from Virginia. To be honest, the comments were not enough to describe what I have experienced in this wonderful campus - love, kindness, and true friendship - this is my international family I will never forget. It has been five months since my arrival to Ferrum and I have not had any day in which I have not felt excitement to explore the campus.

In the fall semester 2017, I had great students in my Spanish 101 class. It was very rewarding to see the progress they made throughout the semester. In this spring semester, I am teaching Spanish 102, and conversation. I hope that my students enjoy the classes as much as I do.

Regarding my experience at Ferrum, I think it has been amazing. I am surprised because I am doing some sports that I never did in Colombia. I have played racquetball, I have joined the Zumba and the yoga classes in the YMCA, and I have gone hiking with Ferrum Outdoors. I definitely won’t be the same person when I travel back to Colombia. There are many things I have learned, thanks to this experience.

This semester, I am looking forward to showing you some cultural aspects of my country. You may see more of my photographs here.

Helping Produce Successful Outdoor Recreation and Education Conference Results in Lasting Partnerships

By Aaron Conover '93
Director of Ferrum Outdoors

Aaron Conover '93

In the summer of 2015, I was asked by the Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Department to be a host team committee member and the volunteer coordinator for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) Annual Conference, which was to be held in Roanoke in November 2017.

AORE supports the needs of outdoor educators and recreation professionals who are affiliated with non-profit organizations and actively engages in issues and policies that impact the outdoor industry and its members. AORE also provides opportunities to exchange information, network and support other colleagues and students who are in the outdoor recreation field. The culmination of the AORE mission and goals is the AORE Annual Conference, which is held in different locations in the United States. Past host cities have included Portland, Atlanta, Seattle, and Minneapolis; having Roanoke selected as the location for the 2017 conference was extraordinary.

As an AORE member representing Ferrum College, I agreed to join the host team committee and became one the key players in bringing the 2017 AORE Annual Conference to Roanoke. We had a large amount of work to do to highlight how amazing our region is and to put on an awesome conference that would equal or surpass previous gatherings. This was also the first year that host team committee members where from multiple agencies and organizations. The dedicated crew of fourteen consisted of representatives from three different parks and recreation departments - Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and the Town of Blacksburg; five regional colleges and universities - Hollins University, Roanoke College, Radford University, James Madison University, and Ferrum College; and the Boy Scouts of America.

Volunteerism is the tradition of AORE and is necessary for the onsite operation of the annual conference. I was tasked with coordinating the promotion, registration, training, and scheduling of over 150 attendees who needed to fill 325 volunteer spots during the four days of the conference. The 2017 AORE Annual Conference drew 640 attendees from across the country. It was a team effort, for sure, between the Host Committee, AORE and Event Garde, LLC, the agency managing logistics.

Some Host Team Members

The biggest reward for the time and effort it took to serve on the host team committee and as volunteer coordinator was being able to represent Ferrum College and our outdoor community in such an integral and prominent way. The day to day interactions with the volunteers and many of the other attendees while stationed at the registration desk allowed me to really highlight the positive attributes of the region as well as Ferrum College. The conference may have lasted only four days but the partnerships and network developed between the host team and AORE members will be long lasting. The conference truly lived up to its theme of “Shaping a Community of Adventure”.

Study Abroad 2017: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

Greetings from Yichang, in the Hubei Province of China!

Joshua Sanders '18 and Dr. David Johnson in China.

My name is Joshua Sanders and I am a rising senior at Ferrum College pursuing a B.S in chemistry. This summer I have been privileged to study at the China Three Gorges University (CTGU) in Dr. Huang Ying Ping’s lab thanks to the generous financial support of the Boone Honors Program. Additionally, I’ve had the honor to work in the same research group as Dr. David Johnson, professor emeritus of Ferrum College, who has been crucial in building bridges and making connections between students of Ferrum College and CTGU.

To be boring and scientific, I’m investigating the catalytic abilities of metal-doped biochar to degrade organic pollutants via Photo-Fenton chemistry. Regular human-speak, I’m looking at the ability of a cheap, easily produced, and environmentally-friendly way to clean up wastewater from pharmaceutical, textile, and industrial production facilities.

Biochar is basically organic material, such as peanut husks, sewer sludge, plants, and other organic stuff, which has been pyrolyzed (or burned and turned to carbon in a low oxygen environment.) Think of ground up charcoal powder, like the activated carbon you use in some aquarium filters, that’s been made from what would otherwise be trash or waste material.

In my case, the biochar was made from a plant that selectively absorbed copper from the soil, meaning it could help “clean” soil before being turned to biochar. An added benefit of a metal-doped biochar is that depending on the metal absorbed, the biochar product can be used in Fenton reactions. In addition to phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils, the absorbed metal ion is used to generate other chemical species that can attack the pollutants and either absorb them from the water or turn them into less harmful molecules, water, and oxygen gas.

Biochar has become very popular recently due to its wide variety of applications including its ability to “scrub” pollutants from water, soil and air; produce biofuel; and reduce the amount of waste to be managed. Biochar is an attractive and interesting avenue to pursue in the field of climate control and environmental pollution control.

You can see more of my photographs here.