Today’s class was all about project development and continuing our conversation about potential partners and areas of focus.  Last class we narrowed down a couple areas that we wanted to continue to explore and one of those was HATponics, an organization that focuses on sustainable agriculture through the hydroponic farming.  Today, we Skyped with the CEO of HATponics, Ryan Cox, who showed us examples of the farming technology that he has implemented in several countries and discussed how Periclean Scholars could be involved.  Our very own David May made this contact last semester and he led the discussion.  We submitted individual questions that David asked and we were able to gain insight on the different stages involved in being apart of a HATponics project.

After this Skyping session, we discussed this organization and the possibilities involved as a group and then we planned different groups to split into to research not only HATponics more, but other organizations that we are interested in.  By next class these different groups will present on what they found so that we can move closer to narrowing our focus in Namibia.

In terms of Periclean Scholars here at Elon, we stressed the advertising and media push for the Cookies to Go-Go Event hosted by the Class of 2016. Most of us took steps on Facebook and Twitter to promote this event!

Lastly, we discussed last minute induction plans, as well as what kind of “swag” we want to present to the new inductees. Also, plans for mentor-mentee pairing and relationships were brought up. Overall, we are very excited about meeting the new Pericleans and helping to show them just how incredible the Periclean Program is!

 

Peace, Love & Periclean <3

This past Saturday the class of 2017 paid a visit to the Elon Challenge Course for four hours of communicating, listening, and bonding. We learned a lot about each other and about ourselves, especially when it comes to effective cooperation methods.

We were split into pairs for one of the first activities we did, Follow the Leader. The first time, one person in the pair was blindfolded, while the other person had to speak to them, telling them where to go and what to do without touching them, in order to keep up with the Leader, one of our Campus Rec guides. The second time, the other person in the pair was blindfolded and the other person, instead of speaking to them, could only use their hands to lead them, which was especially difficult when the Leader wanted them to skip! This activity demonstrated to us how communication methods are mostly dependent upon the person and can be easier or more difficult for different people.

After our group was split in two, both teams did a series of team building exercises. One of our favorites was The Wall, an activity in which the team had to figure out how to get every person up and over a giant 12′ wall without equipment. Both teams, although we did the activity separately, had the same strategy. First, each team had two people lifting another taller person so that they could reach the top edge of the wall and hoist themselves up and over to stand on the platform on the other side. After that, the person at the top of the wall would grab the wrists of the person being lifted and help pull them up and over. From then on, two people stood on the platform at the top and would help lift the person trying to get up the wall. The most challenging part was at the end, when the final person had to get up the wall without two people to lift him or her. Both teams had the tallest person left at the end, and that person jumped while someone at the top of the wall grabbed their wrists and pulled them up. This activity showed us that even daunting obstacles are surmountable when you take the time to plan accordingly.

All in all, the Challenge Course was a valuable experience for our class because it provided a lot of insight into communication, teamwork, and effort. We can’t wait to put what we learned to the test in class and we look forward to more bonding in the future!

 

Hello there, my name is Isabel Incorvati! I call several different places home, but my permanent address is in Alexandria, VA, about 20 minutes away from Washington, D.C. I am a political science and international studies (with a European concentration) double major, with a professional writing minor. When I am not in class or with other Pericleans, I enjoy spending time with my sorority sisters (I’m an Alpha Chi Omega!), going hiking with my boyfriend, practicing my French, and sampling all of the flavors at Smitty’s.

There are a lot of reasons why I applied for Periclean, and many of them have to do with the extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people I may not ever meet. Making a lasting impact on a community is not something that everyone can do in their lifetime, and I was not about to pass up that chance. Regardless of whether or not I am able to go to Namibia, at the end of my time at Elon, I will have contributed to something that will enrich the lives of the people that live there, hopefully for generations to come. Moreover, bonding with faculty as well as my peers and developing strong relationships with both is an absolutely delightful outcome of Project Pericles that I cannot wait to experience.

I believe that above all else, I bring people skills to the Periclean table. I have worked in customer service for two years now, and it has been extremely valuable in terms of teaching me when it is appropriate to listen and when it is time to share my ideas. Those cooperation abilities are essential to work with a large group of people. Additionally, I have learned how to clearly and concisely explain concepts to people that they may not have ever heard of. Interactions between our cohort, as well as between our cohort and outside groups, are so central to Periclean that it would be impossible to get anything done without them. I look forward to the journey that is Project Pericles!