Author: scohen
Carnegies Show Up!
In this image there are 17s, 18s, 19s, and 20s, not pictured we had returning 16s and even 15s. Carnegies keep showing up, even after graduation!
November 2016. A University campus is a dynamic place, and students, staff, and faculty have opportunities beyond the classroom to engage with important issues and ethics. The CGO often participates with other student and campus organizations, and makes its presence felt by their consistent contributions and outstanding participation in events on and off campus. Pictured here are some of the three dozen Carnegies who turned up on a Friday afternoon to show support for their fellow students and share in the concern for a safe campus and a tolerant society.
CGO Seniors Prepare for Graduation: a testimony from Jan Raether
UO Senior Jan Raether
Jan Raether came to the University of Oregon from Pittsburg, PA for a change of scenery and is leaving with so much more. One of the first freshmen to join Carnegie Global Oregon’s residential FIG program four years ago, Raether takes the time to reflect on how the CGO has impacted his journey through college.
“Getting to know different people, from different backgrounds, from different places in the country at different points in their life has just been really eye opening,” said Raether.
Raether is a Residential FIG Assistant at the University of Oregon graduating with a degree in Geography. Over the past couple years his coursework has focused on climate change and environmental racism. When asked what ethical issues he is most passionate about he chuckles and says, “It changes every week, I swear!”
When Raether looks back on his four years with the CGO, he talks about meeting Sister Helen Prejean, a highlight of his college career.
“Getting to hear somebody that is so passionate about something and who has maintained that passion so late into life is really inspiring,” said Raether. “It’s daunting trying to figure out what you’re passionate about but knowing that there are people out there that can maintain that passion until their late 70’s is so inspiring.”
How Carnegie Global Oregon Helped Kate Connolly Pursue Her Dreams
Kate Connolly studying abroad in Spain last fall.
“What is that quote?” CGO student Kate Connolly asks herself. After pausing for a moment she repeats the words of Socrates. “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Connolly, 22, is a senior at the University of Oregon double majoring in International Studies and Spanish with a minor in Nonprofit Administration. Originally from Chico, CA, Connolly was one of the first freshmen to sign up for Carnegie Global Oregon’s residential FIG program four years ago. A decision she feels has changed her life.
“Just in the CGO I’ve learned about so many issues in the world and issues on campus that I wouldn’t have necessarily thought about otherwise and I wouldn’t have connected with the things that I’m passionate about otherwise,” says Connolly.
The ethical issues that Connolly is most passionate about are social justice and education and how the two of those interact. Connolly has been involved with the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program for two years alongside CGO junior Patrick Miller. The two also run Side by Side, a new program that consists primarily of Inside-Out alumni and CGO students. Side by Side is what Miller describes as an “inspired straight” program that empowers youth to reach for academic opportunities.
“It’s really incredible to see it actually happening,” says Connolly. “It’s one of those things that since I became a part of Inside Out I’ve been hearing about this idea and now it’s actually happening.”
Connolly is also the co-president of University of Oregon Beyond War, a local group that is a part of the national movement towards a world without war and violence. Beyond War throws on events called “Breaking the Silence” that encourage the community and students to talk about a variety of issues like incarceration, immigration and homelessness.
Sharing Food and Wisdom with A Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum, 2nd from the left, 2nd row from the bottom, joins with CGO students and some of her friends
On April 17th we were fortunate to have lunch and a conversation with Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the famous Mayan human rights activist from Guatemala. Our meeting took place in the Many Nations Longhouse on campus, and began with a festive meal and a light atmosphere. The Q&A revolved around the importance of advocacy and community, and Rigoberta stressed the important role that youth have to play in advancing critical causes around the world and right here at home. A wonderful setting and a fabulous guest helped us enjoy a beautiful afternoon talking about activism and ethics!
CGO’s Patrick Miller talks about Inside-Out program and prison ethics.
UO junior Patrick Miller traveling in Mendoza, Argentina.
Patrick Miller, 22, is a junior at the University of Oregon studying Planning, Public Policy and Management. Originally from Portland, OR, Miller signed up for the CGO as a freshman after taking a year off from high school to do a City Year in Boston, MA.
“I got here and I got connected to the CGO and it’s a great group of people,” said Miller. “We’re doing a lot of interesting things on campus and it’s a really good community that’s benefited me for the past 3 years.”
One of the many programs Miller is involved in is the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program. In this program, led by CGO director Shaul Cohen, UO students take classes side by side with inmates who are currently serving a sentence in prison. Miller explained how the program changes common misconceptions of inmates.
“You go there and see these guys and you kind of have the perception of, oh he did this crime he’s a terrible person,” said Miller. “But they are some of the smartest and most compassionate people you’ll ever meet.”
CGO Student Spotlight: Brittany Lang
In a buzzing café on campus, Brittany Lang sits stretched out behind an overstuffed backpack. Already too caffeinated from the previous night’s study session, she politely opts out of another cup of coffee.
Originally from Tempe, Arizona, Lang, 22, is now an Oregon resident studying Product Design at the University of Oregon. Lang was one of the 20 freshmen that signed up for Carnegie Global Oregon’s first Freshman Interest Group (FIG) program four years ago. Looking back now, she reflects on how that small decision has shaped her academic career. Read more