“Given the pandemic restrictions, I was wracking my brain over the summer, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my classes,” he says. “It was a fraught moment, not knowing if we would be able to have class in person the entire semester or get shut down.”

As he mulled his options, DuBois received a call from the California-based collective to submit photos for the postcards they print and distribute to hospitals across the country. Images paired with poetry in both English and Spanish are provided to isolated patients and their caregivers. It occurred to DuBois that this could be a project for his new photography students, and he pitched the idea to Art for the Isolated founders Joshua Watson and Juliet San Nicolas de Bradley.

“I asked them how they would feel about a class of first-year college students learning during a pandemic and trying to make work that addresses a real need,” he says. “They went for it.”

In the following weeks, they discussed the types of images that would be suitable and put a plan in place. The problem was the poetry—who was going to write it? Archival poems were available but didn’t seem quite appropriate.

“Then I thought maybe we could work with student poets,” DuBois says. “Joshua and Juliet liked that idea, too.”

DuBois didn’t know any poetry professors, but looking online he discovered entry-level poetry workshops taught by Sarah Harwell, associate teaching professor and associate director of the creative writing program in the . Long impressed by her work as co-director of the Living Writers Program, he contacted Harwell and found a willing collaborator.

“I was thrilled with the idea,” she says. “The semester loomed in front of us, filled with unknowns, Zooms and possible lockdowns. This project seemed to be a way to make meaning out of the chaos of the year.”

Overcoming the Challenges

The logistics of coordinating the two classes took some effort, according to DuBois, but once in place, the collaboration and teamwork blossomed. The students were asked to think of their work as a gift to someone, offering comfort and solace. They discussed how to determine what recipients would want or need to receive as a gift. With that in mind, the photographers created images that the poetry students wrote poems for, and the poetry students wrote poems to inspire the photographers. The result was 18 photo/poetry pairs in all.

“What people in hospitals would want to see was the biggest thing I kept in mind while taking photographs,” says Megan Brianna Jonas ’24, an art photography major. “Patients in quarantine have seen nothing but the walls in their room for days on end. They wouldn’t want to see another confined space but a reminder of the outside world and freedom.”

The impact of the coronavirus was a constant consideration and obstacle for both groups. The poets were free to roam the world in their imaginations—writing about such topics as Ireland, the beach, a snail, a trip with a grandmother. But like their VPA colleagues, they still had to deal with restrictions to their own personal freedom, feelings of isolation and worries about the pandemic.

The lack of mobility meant the photographers had to work around stringent coronavirus limitations to take their pictures. As first-year students, they didn’t have cars, had concerns about riding buses and were limited in the number of people with whom they could interact.

“The restrictions did force me to be more creative with my images,” says art photography major Naomi Strong ’24. “To socially distance and avoid as much contact with others as possible, I challenged myself to use subjects other than people in my shots.”

A trip to a local park offered her the unexpected opportunity to photograph a dog watching people tossing a football.

“It was tricky because dogs aren’t aware that they are modeling and aren’t fond of sitting still,” she says. “But in the end, I really loved how the photos turned out.”

Not only was DuBois’ novel idea of working together with another school a first for him and Harwell, but it was also the first time Art for the Isolated collaborated with a university. Some of the students’ work will be used for the organization’s large print run, and others have been archived for a potential project in the future.

“We appreciated the student engagement with the project from start to finish,” says Watson. “The work they made in response demonstrated creative approaches to the limitations of quarantine and a concern for those affected most by the pandemic.”

The collaboration brought dimensions to learning that wouldn’t have been available otherwise.

“The students got to experience how another art form can influence, modulate and enhance their own art,” Harwell says. “While the organization we collaborated with is called Art for the Isolated, the actual process was the opposite. The students created art in connection to others.”

As a grand finale, the classes held a , attended by the faculty, Art for the Isolated staff, the students and their families. It was a satisfying end to a semester that had started with such a high level of trepidation.

“The students earnestly went for it and rose to the challenge,” says DuBois. “It was a great, great way to learn and I would do it again, in a heartbeat.”

Students in the master of fine arts program in design have been working with the Food Bank of Central New York to raise community awareness of a new, innovative food delivery service. Elements of all of the students’ designs were combined into a final campaign of table posters, recipe cards, shopping bags and refrigerator magnets featuring food safety reminders.

For the past year, students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ have been working with the Food Bank of Central New York to raise community awareness of a new, innovative food delivery service. A mobile pantry allows the Food Bank to do direct food drops at key locations throughout the Central New York region, especially at times such as the holiday season, when school lunch programs are not available for local children.

The Food Bank had partnered previously with the M.F.A. in design program in fall 2018. At that time, several teams of students explored a range of ideas, including a vehicle designed to allow Food Bank personnel to travel to area neighborhoods, distributing food samples. So, for this latest need, the Food Bank came to the design program once again for concepts.

The students and professors were eager to take on the project, since it offered a chance to work directly with a client on a real-world assignment. “This experience aligns with the goals of my teaching efforts to incorporate community-based initiatives into my work with students,” says Professor Michele McCaffrey, who collaborated with Professor Don Carr on the project. Many of the graduate design students are international, and the community-based effort benefitted them by offering enhanced learning opportunities outside the campus experience.

The M.F.A. students took part in a few brainstorming sessions during the summer, then developed those ideas through the fall semester. Their goal was to enhance product variety and distribution using the Food Bank’s outreach plan. Specialized cooler bags were provided by PepsiCo as part of the company’s program, which aims to make nutritious food more physically and financially accessible to low-income families.

At the end of the semester, Professor Michele McCaffrey and the M.F.A. students participated in two hands-on events that brought the classwork and community outreach aspects together. The group met at the Food Bank’s facility, where they packed 140 bags of meat protein to be distributed to families.

“We’re delighted that PepsiCo is partnering with our design students on food security in the Central New York community,” says Gary Girzadas, the University’s executive director of corporate and foundation relations. “We look forward to future collaborations with PepsiCo, an important business and recruiting partner, supporting learning opportunities for our students and impacting the community.”

Each student created four unique branding and messaging ideas for the initiative, then presented the work at a meeting with key Food Bank staff. The project was especially challenging, since much of the imagery created had to be understood easily by people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Elements of all the designs were combined into a final campaign of table posters, recipe cards, shopping bags and refrigerator magnets featuring food safety reminders.

“The biggest gain for me was working from the initial design to the final project launch and practical use,” says Jiayu Kang G’21. “I now have a more intuitive feeling of the whole process and believe it will play an important role in my future career.”

Service to the Community

At the end of the semester, McCaffrey and the students participated in two hands-on events that brought the classwork and community outreach aspects together. The group met at the Food Bank’s 75,000-square-foot facility, where they packed 140 bags of nutritious meat protein to be distributed to families.

At the end of the semester, Professor Michele McCaffrey and the M.F.A. students gathered at the Food Bank’s facility, where they packed 140 bags of meat protein to be distributed to families.

Their second event was to join the Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry truck at the ���ϲ����� City School District’s Dr. Edwin Weeks School. There, they assisted Mobile Pantry coordinator Renzo Quesada in making sure the items that had been repacked by the class, along with boxed produce and bread products, were distributed properly to the families receiving the goods that day. Each bag contained approximately 10 pounds of food, translating in total to 1,400 meals, according to Peter Ricardo, Food Bank of Central New York’s product donations manager. “Our thanks to the class and Professor McCaffrey for their great efforts on this meaningful project,” he says.

According to McCaffrey, students who have never worked with real clients or encountered communities in need of food found this project to be a profound learning experience. In comments written at the end of the semester, her students agreed. “We cooperated with real customers, which has not only increased our design experience, but also our ability to communicate with them,” says Shane Zhang II G’21, whose work was chosen for the final design graphic. “We also helped the Food Bank in community service—I’ve never been involved in such an event before and am so glad to have gained many valuable experiences through this project.”

School of Design students review their group’s work on plans for a United National pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai.

It was a coincidence that resulted not only in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) design students, but a first for the college’s School of Design itself. Rebecca Kelly, assistant professor of communications design, was looking for ways to engage her students in a real-life design project, with emphasis on the need for future designers to think and work globally. At the same time, the United Nations was seeking assistance in designing its presence for Expo 2020 Dubai, highlighting the organization’s 75 years of existence. By pure happenstance, Kelly saw the U.N.’s general call to universities for help designing the exhibition “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” She responded, offering all of the design majors as collaborators with the international organization, and was accepted.

To create the project’s parameters, Kelly worked with colleagues throughout the School of Design—Marc Stress, communications design; Seyeon Lee, environmental and interior design; Meriel Stokoe, museum studies; and Louise Manfredi, industrial and interaction design. “It was the first time the entire School of Design collaborated in a single, international project,” she says.

During the course of the semester, that spirit of unified purpose flourished among the students, as well. “My biggest take-away from this project was the power of collaboration,” says Emily Braunstein ’21, a communications design major. “Working with students from other majors allowed me to see all of the disciplines in progress and witness the power of a community. We all brought our skills and design capabilities to create something we were proud of.”

During the semester-long course, the students worked in teams to create five different design concepts, complete with three-dimensional (3D) mock-ups. Close attention was paid to making the designs conceptually sound, visually attractive, engaging and interactive, and physically accessible. “We lived, breathed and dreamt about this project for months,” says Jane Ciminera ’21, a dual major in communications design and women and gender studies. “It was truly an amazing experience working on an interdisciplinary project—especially with the environmental design students. They helped us to be more aware of accessibility standards when designing a space—creating renderings, floor and ceiling plans, and mood boards for us all to explore.”

Firmly believing that the students deserved to showcase their talent before the client, Kelly was determined to raise the funds needed to bring nearly 60 of them to the U.N. “Thanks to our generous funders, we raised more than $6,000 to give students the invaluable experience of actually presenting their work—in person—to U.N. representatives at their headquarters in New York City,” says Kelly, who kept the funding secret, then surprised the students with an announcement that they were all going to the United Nations. She laughs, recalling the challenges of getting all those people, as well as the 3D mock-ups, through stringent U.N. security.

Attending the student presentation on Dec. 4, 2019, were Maher Nasser, director of outreach division and commissioner-general of the U.N. at Expo 2020; Jayashri Wyatt, special assistant to the director and chief of exhibits at the U.N. Department of Global Communications; Amanda White, creative director of the U.N. Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai; and Trine Schmidt, associate expert in communications and partnerships at the U.N. Department of Global Communications.

Schmidt notes that while the U.N. has a long history of collaborating with universities, this was the first time the organization worked with students who collaborated across various disciplines to design a U.N. pavilion. “We were very impressed with the insights, rational and designs presented to us by the teams,” she says. “When we presented the challenge to Professor Kelly in early 2019, we didn’t dare expect the amazing results we saw. VPA proved to be an ideal partner, as the faculty involved understood the significance of the work of the U.N. in tackling global challenges, as well as the design challenge itself.”

Due to open with more than 190 pavilions in October 2020, Expo 2020 Dubai will have widespread exposure, drawing millions of visitors from around the world. Kelly expects the strong connections forged with the U.N. during this project to produce long-term benefits for VPA and ���ϲ�����, which have already received positive publicity through social media posts by U.N. representatives. “The best projects are always those that lead to others,” she says. “For a program to earn open-ended future collaboration with such a prominent and renowned partner—that’s my idea of a best-case scenario.”

Emily B. Pearson ’21, an environmental and interior design major, is grateful to the design professors and the United Nations for giving the students the chance to take part in such an impressive, real-life project. “Developing and presenting ideas for the United Nations pavilion at Expo 2020 was an opportunity we never thought we would have,” she says. “Presenting our work at the U.N.—and seeing our designs used to change the world—really put into perspective the many opportunities we have here as VPA students.”

Stephen Cross

“My role is the guy who brings the arts into the science room,” says Stephen Cross, associate professor of acting in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Department of Drama, of his collaborative efforts with Upstate Medical University and the ���ϲ����� VA Medical Center. As artistic director of Building Company Theater, Cross has created original theater works that address the difficulties medical residents endure in their training. The company administers Cross’ research project, Education Through Theater Arts (ETTA), a program he began in the early 1990s in his native Nova Scotia, Canada.

“The company I founded there, the Irondale Ensemble Project, was a group of artists who created theater exercises that could be transferred to non-theater social service organizations,” he says.

Cross brought that concept with him when he came to ���ϲ����� a dozen years ago and has since worked with numerous local organizations, including the Onondaga County Justice Center, Oasis Senior Center, city and rural school districts, and refugee and migrant worker advocacy centers.

News of the ETTA program spread, catching the attention of Dr. Stephen Knohl, director of resident training at Upstate Medical University.

“Dr. Knohl contacted me because he was interested in using the arts in his program as a way to improve the medical residents’ communication skills,” Cross says. “It was a perfect, ready-made fit.”

Two cast members from “Prognosis Poor.”

Twice a month, medical residents from Upstate participate in role-playing exercises, building their talking and listening skills, non-verbal communication, physical relaxation, team work, confidence and self-esteem.

“While it’s challenging to solve problems in a game format, the residents find it refreshing—they relax, breathe, tap into their creative personality,” Cross says. “They have a genuine, empathetic desire to save lives, reduce pain, extend life.”

Collaborating with Cross are Kay Frank, Upstate’s program researcher, and Sue Henderson-Kendrick, the medical center’s director of graduate medical education. The ETTA program will garner national visibility when featured in a poster presentation given by Frank at the Innovations in Medical Education Conference in Los Angeles and at the American Council for Graduate Medical Education Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The latest Building Company Theater play, “Prognosis: Poor,” which depicts the sometimes difficult realities faced by medical residents, is a direct result of the ETTA/Upstate collaboration. Two years ago, the outreach expanded to include resident doctors serving at the VA Medical Center. One of the developments there has been the “Military Monday Radio Hour,” a 45-minute theater work designed to sensitize medical residents to the specific needs of those who have served or are serving in the military.

For all of the productions, Cross writes the scripts and drama department students play various roles. As many as nine students participate in ETTA during the academic year, and for some, the experience has led to changed career aspirations.

“First-year students come into the performance program with their eyes set on Broadway, film, video or television,” Cross says. “Some find that competitive world is not necessarily in their nature and are drawn to work that has to do with community outreach. They see the possibility of a different career direction, like drama therapy or community engagement, because of their ETTA experience.”

Making the arts more accessible has always been Cross’s own career goal.

“My foundational belief is that the arts belong to everybody, not just in a certain space or venue,” he says. “The arts are a very human thing and belong everywhere.”

Seniors who give will receive a special orange, white, and silver cord to wear with their cap and gown.

While any amount is gratefully accepted, seniors who give at least $20.15—in honor of their class year—will receive the cord, according to Kristen Duggleby, assistant director of leadership annual giving. “Sometimes people don’t give because they think $20.15 doesn’t amount to much, but that’s not true,” she says. “Giving a little bit does go a long way. That $20 really adds up. Last fiscal year, gifts of $100 or less added up to $1.1 million.”

So far, it’s been a record year, with more than 300 seniors stepping up to give. Duggleby credits the dedication and enthusiasm of the members of the Class Act committee with the campaign’s success. “The committee members are really passionate about getting the message out to their classmates,” Duggleby says. “It’s not easy to ask for money, but they’ve really taken the ball and run with it, talking about the campaign to their classmates every chance they get.” The group has been so persuasive that they’ve even convinced underclassmen to donate.

Donors can choose to give to whatever part of ���ϲ����� means the most to them. Maryann Akinboyewa ’15 specified her donation to go to the and the Remembrance Scholarship, which honors the 35 SU students who lost their lives in the bombing of Pan Am 103. “I had the pleasure of being a Remembrance Scholar this year and I’m grateful to have had the honor to work with 34 other student leaders on campus,” she says. “And it’s a pleasure to give back and support future Whitman students.” Kyle Fenton ’15 designated his gift to support Otto Tunes, the a cappella group he helped found. “Without giving, the organizations and programs that exist within the University would stop functioning,” he says. “It is the people who selflessly give that allow these programs to grow and excel.”

Also new this year, students get to sign their names on a “leaf” and hang it on a symbolic giving tree. “We’ve never had a tangible way to recognize students’ commitment to giving,” Duggleby says. “But the reaction to the giving tree has been huge. Students see it and ask questions about it, then they want their name to be there, too.” The tree has been displayed at numerous places and events around campus, including the , the Grad Fair and Whitman Wednesdays. .) It will be prominently featured at the Senior Picnic on Shaw Quad, where Duggleby and the Class Act committee hope it generates continued interest and inspires graduates to support the University.

“This class has been so generous in creating a legacy of giving to the University,” Duggleby says. “We hope as they go on with their lives as alumni, they will continue to maintain that connection.”

For more information, visit .

Now in its fifth year, the trip—known as SBinSV—has become a much-sought-after experience and the competition to be chosen for one of the few spots is fierce, according to the trip’s coordinator, Shay Colson, director of West Coast relationships at the (iSchool). The immersion is open to students across all schools, colleges and disciplines, who must complete an application process that includes making a video in which they describe what they would consider an ideal company or organization to visit.

Shay Colson

“Our students this year range from sophomores to master’s degree candidates, representing the iSchool, , , , , and ,” Colson says. “The course is load-bearing—three credits—so there are significant academic portions during each day.”

And what a jam-packed schedule it is—as many as 25 company visits in just five days, as well as evening activities with group members and area alumni. “This trip is a chance for our students to immerse themselves first hand in what is perhaps the most impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem the world has ever known,” Colson says. “They get to visit companies large and small to understand not only how and why each one works, but how they work together to contribute to innovation and success.”

During past trips, students have visited such organizations as Google, Tesla, LinkedIn, Twitter, Evernote, Tilt, Cisco, GE, Stanford University, Coursera, Leap Motion, Livefyre, MobileIron, Splunk, the Computer History Museum and more.  The immersion has proven to be popular with students and with the organizations, as well. “We now find ourselves in the fortunate position of having companies contact us to visit them,” Colson says.

Networking opportunities abound

Being able to meet ���ϲ����� alumni in San Francisco and Silicon Valley is a significant benefit to the students, giving them a chance to network with successful entrepreneurs and to envision what kinds of companies they may want to work for in the future. “We have reached the point where students are routinely being hired as interns and employees as a result of these visits,” Colson says. “Students who previously participated in the trips are now hosting us at their companies. The outreach from the alumni to our students speaks volumes about what it means to be Orange.”

Daniel Goldberg ’15, an information management major in the iSchool, has participated in SBinSV. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says. “You’re able to go inside these companies and really get a good feel for how they operate and function day to day. It’s not just a tour; you are truly meeting with company heads, executives and most cool—SU alumni.”

Andrew Farah

Andrew Farah ’09 G’11, cofounder and CEO of , a spin-off of ���ϲ�����-based boutique software agency , recently relocated to the Bay Area. A former iSchool staff member, he previously served as a facilitator for SBinSV. This year, he will welcome students to his West Coast corporate offices—located in his living room. “Nearly every company we’ve visited realizes ���ϲ����� is a breeding ground for talent and begins to recruit,” he says. “Many of our student alumni are later employed by past site visits. Every year, on the ride back to the airport, the students unanimously raise their hands and say: ‘I think this trip just changed my life.’”

To ensure that the trip is affordable for students, airfare to and from San Francisco, hotel accommodations for five nights, all meals and bus transportation for group travel is paid for through generous donations from the iSchool Board of Advisors.  “Students are responsible for contributing only $500 toward the cost,” Colson says. “We couldn’t do this trip without the support of the Board of Advisors—they make it all possible.”

Cheryl Strayed, right, answers a question during a Q&A after a screening of “Wild” in Los Angeles on Nov. 20. From left are moderator Jenelle Riley, Nick Eversman, David Rubin and Nancy Haecker.

A special screening of “Wild,” a movie starring Academy Award-winner Reese Witherspoon, based on the New York Times bestseller by Cheryl Strayed G’02, was held Nov. 20 at TCL Chinese 6 Theater in Los Angeles. More than 200 people attended the event, including ���ϲ����� alumni, students in the SU in LA semester, parents of current L.A. students, faculty and friends of the University. Following the screening was a Q&A session, moderated by Jenelle Riley, deputy awards and features editor at Variety. Panelists were:

• Strayed, the bestselling author of “Tiny Beautiful Things,” and the novel “Torch,” in addition to “Wild.” Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post Magazine, Vogue and Salon. She has contributed to many anthologies, and her books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Strayed earned a master’s degree in fiction writing from the ;
• Nick Eversham, an up-and-coming actor who plays a young hiker Witherspoon encounters during her solo trek across the Pacific Crest Trail in “Wild;”
• Nancy Haecker ’91, a location manager who has worked on everything from major feature films, including “The Postman,” “Into the Wild,” “The Judge,” and “8 Mile” to small independent films, television and commercials. She is president of the Location Managers Guild of America; and
• David Rubin, a casting director who has assembled the casts for such films as “The English Patient,” “The War of the Roses” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” He is the casting consultant for HBO and chairman of the casting directors branch at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

“We are excited to be able to offer our students and alumni these wonderful opportunities to meet and learn from such accomplished professionals,” says Joan Adler, assistant vice president of Regional Programs/Los Angeles. “After the screening, the moderator and panelists stayed to talk with members of the audience. Cheryl Strayed stayed even longer, posing for photos, signing books and chatting with our students, alumni and guests.”

Those attending also had a chance to meet and mingle at a pre-screening reception, and viewed a short video about ���ϲ�����’s Creative Writing Program by John Craddock, director of Mediaworks in the .

“Wild” opens on Dec. 5.