Laura Pavelik is a rising junior and PA Major here at PhilaU. As a member of the Honors Student Association executive board this past year, she had the opportunity to help plan the event “A Walk Through PhilaU.” Read on to hear all about it!
What is A Walk Through PhilaU?
A Walk Through PhilaU was an event hosted by the [Honors Student Association (HSA)] and Student Government (SGA), which aimed to showcase the diverse PhilaU spirit and gave individuals the opportunity to do this in a variety of mediums. We collected the submissions and put the student work on display in an art gallery-like environment where students, faculty, and staff could appreciate and acknowledge all of the ways PhilaU has impacted them.
What types of work was submitted and did students react well to what other students contributed?
SGA and HSA did not specify what in particular we were looking for because we really didn’t know. This event was completely new and no other event has really resembled what we were hoping to accomplish! We asked for students to submit in some form of media a way that represents their time here at PhilaU and describe why in a short sentence. It was so interesting to see all of the submissions come in! We did not have any pictures that were the same. While there were definitely some themes (i.e. campus images, friend pictures, design sketches, etc), it was really inspiring to see how everyone perceived their time at PhilaU! This was also a common remark by students, faculty, and staff at the gallery night!
How was the turn out? Did students seem to appreciate the work that occurs on campus?
We got over 125 submissions, which was huge! We were definitely not expecting that many! I think the students were really pleased with how it turned out and were really moved by the event. More specifically, I think it was great for the seniors as they were able to almost take a walk down memory lane and see the highlights of PhilaU and what they will miss most once they graduate. I saw a few seniors get teary eyed and this was an amazing feeling for so many to have such a strong emotional connection to their personal experiences at PhilaU!
Did you contribute anything to the gallery?
I submitted two photos for the gallery! One was my friends and [me] in DC because I believe that PhilaU is best represented by the friends and experiences you have with those friends. That’s what makes PhilaU awesome, the people. Never before have I met so many talented and genuine people in my life! I also submitted a picture of the intersection of Henry Ave and School House Lane in the snow in the ram van because the scenery on campus is beautiful and it makes it so much easier to appreciate and enjoy the work I am doing when I’m constantly surround[ed] by a beautiful campus!
Do you see A Walk Through PhilaU as a way to remember the identity of PhilaU during the time of our merger with Jefferson?
Yes absolutely! With the merger coming up (well when we first were designing this campus-wide project), we thought this particular project was a great way to bring the PhilaU community together and ensure that we still have that sense of community throughout the upcoming transitions. I think it was really beneficial for students and other members of the PhilaU community to recognize that their PhilaU experience is shaped by much more than themselves. Rather, a lot of factors play into how awesome PhilaU really is. This was by far my favorite part of doing the project – enlightening and even reminding people that yes, PhilaU is an identity of its own, but also it is the people and experiences that are associated with PhilaU, not necessarily the name. Even with the merger, people’s sense of community and identity shouldn’t change because we are all a part of a #PhilaUProud community and that will always be a part of my college memories at least.
Will this event reoccur and will you be a part of organizing it next year?
I will not be on the board of HSA in the upcoming year, however the individuals assuming the positions are definitely interested in seeing this event again and I couldn’t be more excited! With that being said, I would not be designing it but maybe just lending a hand here and there. It would be interesting though to see PhilaU memories on one side and Jefferson memories on the other and have images in the middle where the two schools started to merge (i.e. when Jefferson came to our Relay for Life). I was really proud of how this event brought the school together and I believe next year it would be crucial in maintaining that same sense of community!