The graphics majors are Benjamin Black, Bekah Charlston, Alyssa Cheatham, Drew Clark, Jessica Dunlap, Stuart Foti, Jon Hammond, Felix Setordzie, Samuel Thomas, Marina Whitney, and Ken Baughman. The fine arts majors are Gabrielle Alioto, Genevieve Bergeson, Caroline Korthals, and Kendall McMurray.

The work included in this exhibit is among the most powerful and compelling work completed during each student’s time at Principia. As capstone portfolio instructor Duncan Martin said, “[The exhibit] goes beyond the things that people have been doing in class to something that actually expresses themselves.”  Martin observed his students increasingly expressing their individuality as the show approached.

The gallery was launched on April 21 with an opening show held for the public.  The event was well-received, and over 100 students, faculty, administrators, and community members attending. Visitors were able to browse the gallery and discuss works with the artists.

In addition to the visual works featured in 11 + 4, each student wrote an artist statement and autobiography as part of their capstone writing class with Assistant Professor Danne Rhaesa. These selections inform visitors of the purpose and direction of each artist’s work. The gallery also features a collection of portraits taken by Thomas to introduce viewers to the artists.

Martin recalls that at the beginning of the semester, Rhaesa and he had posed the questions: “Who are you as a designer?  Or an artist? What distinguishes you from everybody else? What is it that’s important to you?”  The answers to these questions are evident in the work on display in this year’s senior show.  A wonderful diversity in both medium and style makes 11 + 4 a very captivating display, as each piece is distinct.  It is clear from this exhibit that these seniors are all finding their artistic niche and have powerful work to take with them after graduation.

The public is cordially invited to visit the exhibit at their leisure until commencement this May. The work is currently on display in the Maybeck Gallery of Radford Art Studio at the bottom of the Chapel Green.

England – Fall 2014

Chrissy Steele, a theater professor, and Heidi Snow of the English department will embark on another trip to England in the fall of 2014.

The program will look much like it has in previous years, including acting classes at the Globe Theatre in London, individual research at The British Library and a full-cast Shakespeare production on campus following the in-country experience.

But according to Steele and Snow, these traditional programs will place heavier emphasis on the question of what it means to be an artist  – both in Shakespeare’s lifetime and in today’s world. Steele acknowledges that the question will largely center around the performing arts, but she also adds: “I think Heidi and I have talked about wanting to also be aware of art in other places and the inspiration that comes from seeing the world through an artist’s eyes.”

Snow highlights the unique nature of the Principia abroad by explaining that other schools sponsor programs that allow students to study at the Globe or at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon. She adds that very few programs allow students to experience both and none she has heard of expect abroad participants to return to campus and put on a play. Snow says: “Even if students are feeling that they’re completely out of their comfort zone in terms of their acting, they know they have no choice. They’re going to come back on campus and they’re going to have to stand on stage and they’re going to have to present this character in a believable way.”

Both Steele and Snow point out that the England Abroad is open to all majors, as everyone should be willing to challenge him or herself and each other and try new things in terms of performance and study.

Steele explains: “You really do have to work together, support each other, challenge each other so that there’s this group dynamic that develops that’s really special.”

The Middle East – January 2015

Janessa Gans Wilder, founder of the Principia-based Euphrates Institute, and Barry Huff of the religion and philosophy department will tag-team a four-week abroad to the Middle East in January 2015.

Wilder explains the theme of the pilot program as central to the concept of peace and transformation, which ties “the ancient and historical piece to the modern-day conflict that’s actually going on.”

Wilder served for five years as a U.S. government political analyst on the Middle East and has recently led two separate trips to the region – one with Euphrates and the CELL program and one with an adult group earlier this year. As a diplomat, Wilder first traveled to Israel in 2006 and crossed into Bethlehem without a military escort to talk with Palestinian shopkeepers about the conflict. Wilder explains that she was “totally hooked” from that moment on.

As a religion professor, Huff is looking forward to watching students see the Bible “come alive” as they explore the sites featured in the New and Old Testaments. Huff explains that he is excited “to study the Bible not just in a classroom in School of Government 201, but to actually study biblical texts in lands where they were written and where many of the events they portray occurred.”

Huff first experienced Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan as part of an independent course in college. Huff returned to the region while working on his Ph.D. and “has taken 49 courses related to the history and literature of ancient Israel, taught fourteen courses on this topic, and given over 250 talks on the Bible,” according to a brief professional biography presented to the Abroad Office.

Both Huff and Wilder explain that the January 2014 program will provide an interdisciplinary look at a region and a conflict “that more than any other in the world needs healing,” as Wilder explains it.

Argentina – Spring 2015

Paul Van Slambrouck, an associate professor in the mass communication department and co-leader of the Spring 2015 Argentina Abroad alongside language professor Cecily Quintanilla, says the trip is centrally focused on the question of leadership in a country with a long history of violence and upheaval. He explains the period of military rule between 1976 and 1983 as a “hugely convulsive period” for Argentina in which many young people were disappeared and targeted by the government. Van Slambrouck poses the question: “If you do that to your next generation of leaders … how do you recover?”

According to Van Slambrouck, who says he has a strong interest in South American culture, Argentina is currently at a critical moment in its history. The country is coming out of the extreme economic meltdown of 2000 and is currently under the government of a woman president, which suggests a kind of progressive trend within Argentine culture. By the time the Principia group travels abroad in 2015, the country will be ramping up toward yet another pivotal election.

Van Slambrouck explains that the issue of leadership extends beyond the world of politics into civic organizations, non-profits, and the arts community. He also notes that students may find this demonstration of leadership culturally different from what we’ve grown accustomed to as Americans.

Although in-country travel plans have yet to be finalized, Van Slambrouck explains that while the group will spend time in Buenos Aires – a high fashion, European-style city with a strong café culture – he hopes to experience “the other Argentina,” including possibly rural Patagonia or Igauzu Falls on the border between Argentina and neighboring Brazil.

While Van Slambrouck and Quintanilla are affiliated with specific departments on campus, the Argentina abroad is open to applications from all majors and class levels.

India and Nepal – Spring 2015

Sociology professor Sally Steindorf and philosophy professor Chris Young will team up to combine two abroad programs – India and Nepal – for the first time in Spring 2015.

Although details of the trip have yet to be finalized, Steindorf and Young envision a fairly even split in time spent between the two countries. Although both programs will be abridged to make room for travel between the two countries, Young says he would love to repeat a two-week trek in the Jumla region of Nepal, which he describes as having been “an overwhelming success” on the 2010 abroad.

The fall 2010 Nepal Abroad also included a week of travel in India, and Young explains that the thought of spending more time in that part of the world is exciting to him.

Steindorf says one of her favorite parts of the India Abroad experience is the variety of research opportunities students have, including extensive interviews with locals. In addition to academic, ethnographic research, both professors envision this experience as a chance for students to use a medium of their choice – radio, video or writing – to document the stories they discover while abroad.

Steindorf says she hopes students will develop a stronger global awareness on this abroad. Steindorf reflects on her experience as a student on a Principia Abroad with John Williams as a moment when she first realized she would like to study and live abroad after college. She adds: “And so I just feel like if that part of the abroad can inspire someone else in the same way to want to live abroad, whether it’s through a P.h.D program or through the Peace Corps” that would be a special benefit of having led another abroad.

While Steindorf and Young are still working to determine final courses for the abroad, Young says in the meantime: “I look at the classes on abroads as having a primary responsibility of getting students completely involved in the culture instead of being a passive tourist … the classes should offer ways of getting them to immerse themselves completely.”

Kazakhstan – May 2015

John Williams, a professor in the political science department, will lead a trip to Kazakhstan in May 2015. The four-week abroad will give students an opportunity to better understand the concept of nation building as it applies to a country established just twenty ago. Williams explains that when the Soviet Union collapsed, the Kazakh people suddenly had the chance to create their own sense of nationhood after having been “absorbed” into Russian culture and heritage for several hundred years.

According to Williams, the people of Kazakhstan inherited a number of problems from the Soviet regime, including the atrocious degradation of the Aral Sea and use of land for nuclear testing, which left strips of land barren and unusable. Consequently, Williams explains that the problem-solving skills which have emerged in Kazakhstan demonstrate that its people don’t “paper over what they’re facing.”

Williams hopes to introduce students to a culture and a setting most Americans know little about – especially if their understanding of the country is informed largely by the movie Borat.

In reality, Kazakhstan has developed into a dynamic, multifaceted and multicultural nation. The new capital, Astna, was developed just within the past ten years. Williams describes it as a “boom town” that developed seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The big city of Almaty and the mosques and madrasa of the south help to illustrate the range of experience Kazahkstan has to offer.

Williams says: “It’s that entire span of almost modern European to a throwback to the old Kazakh tribes.”

Williams, who developed a global perspective as a child growing up in India and Thailand, says he is always looking for ways to expand his horizons. As much as the abroad will provide students with historical, political and cultural knowledge, Williams explains that his true purpose for traveling is character development and spiritual growth.

Iceland Abroad

While the Principia community winds down toward the end of yet another school year, the Iceland Abroad group ramps up for a three-week trip starting two days after commencement. Lauren Hinchman, who is leading the trip with support from Anderson House Resident Counselor Reid Charlston, explained that the students participating in the abroad have been enthusiastically preparing all term.

In an effort to help the group get to know one another, Hinchman explains that each student has been paired with a new peer group each week and expected to spend some time together socially outside weekly abroad preparation classes. Hinchman says that everyone is expected “to write a short paragraph about each person from their group that week and talk about why they’re excited to get to know that person better…”

Hinchman adds: “Most of the classes we … start with some kind of teambuilding or bonding icebreaker-type activity.”

In addition to group bonding, Hinchman noted a focus on readings about Icelandic culture and lessons on geography, history and the environment. The focus of this mini-abroad is sustainability and conservation and will include in-country coursework with Dave Oakes of the CELL program – otherwise known as the Center for Ecological Living and Learning. According to Hinchman, Oakes “has led many abroad groups in Iceland and is looking forward to teaming with Principia for this program.”

Vincent Herr, a junior and Iceland Abroad participant, explains the ecological focus of the trip with great enthusiasm. He says: “The abroad will focus a lot on the idea of sustainablity and ecological living, something everybody can and should learn about. I am excited to see new ideas of how to live with our environment in a sustainable and peaceful way and how to use this knowledge to progress a specific society as a whole – whether the Icelandic society or any other in the world.”

As much as the group has already prepared to travel abroad, Hinchman adds: “At the same time I’m intentionally keeping it a little bit mysterious. I’m not telling them everything. I don’t want to set in stone any preconceived notions.”

One thing that is firmly established is the group’s “home base” at the Solheimar EcoVillage, a small, largely self-sustaining farming community for mentally challenged adults. Hinchman noted that the men and women who live on the farm are treated very kindly, “as though they don’t have any limitations.”

In addition to experiencing life on the farm, the abroad students will have the chance to participate in several day trips, including an all-day hike up a Snæfellsnes glacier, which happens to be located on top of a volcano. Hinchman notes: “This all-day challenge, where students will be wearing crampons and carrying ice axes, will certainly push students both physically and metaphysically.”

The group of seventeen will also stay overnight on the Westman Islands, home to the largest breeding puffin colony in the world. Another highlight includes planting enough trees to offset the group’s carbon footprint for the entirety of the program, including air travel.

In an effort to help the group et to know one another, Hinchman added that each student is paired with a new peer group each week and expected to spend some time together socially outside weekly abroad preparation classes. Hinchman said that everyone is expected “to write a short paragraph about each person from their group that week and talk about why they’re excited to get to know that person better…”

In addition to roup bonding, Hinchman noted a focus on readings about Icelandic culture and lessons on geography, history and the environment. The focus of the min-abroad is sustainability and conservation and will include in-country coursework with Dave Oakes of the CELL program [can you elaborate a bit on what you might like to explain about CELL?]

photo courtesy of Brent Bennett

As much as the group has prepared to travel abroad, Hinchman said: “At the same time I’m intentionally keeping it a little bit mysterious. I’m not telling them everything. I don’t want to fix in stone any preconceived notions.”

One thing that is fixed in stone is the group’s “home base” at the Solheimar EcoVillage, a small, largely self-sustaining farming community for mentally challenged adults. Hinchman noted that the men and women who live on the farm are treated very kindly, “as though they don’t have any limitations.”

In addition to experiencing life on the farm, the abroad students will have the chance to participate in several day trips, including an all-day like up a glacier on top of a volcano. Although Hinchman noted that the event may not be the most academic element of the trip, trekking with crampons and ice axes will certainly be memorable. The group of seventeen will also stay overnight on the Westman Islands, home to the largest puffin colony in the world. Another highlight includes planting enough trees to offset the group’s carbon footprint for the entirety of the program, including air travel.

Dave Oakes from CELL…a big part of the coursework in Iceland
Counting off, numbers in Icelandic…learning a little bit over there … everyone we’ll be in contact with speaks English over there.
‘There’s not much of a need for it except cultural exposure”
planning trip in October to Iceland. … went everywhere we’re going.

All day hike on a glaciar…glacier on top of a volcano
Will be a memorable experience.
Crampons and ice axes
Overnights on Westman Islands….largest puffin colony in the world.
Home base at Solheimer (eco-village) … challenges people live there and operate almost self-suffieciently
Treat them as though they don’t have any limitations. Take great care of them

The purpose of the course is a combination of things. We’re setting a metaphysical foundation for how we will operate on the abroad, and so we start every class section with readings that the students are taking time to prepare. Most of the classes we also start with some kind of teambuilding or bonding icebreaker-type activity.
Reading assignments that have been helping them to learn about Icelandic culture as well as geography, history, a little about the envro
Learning names of places

Reminders to be getting in shape, lots of walking/hiking
Many of them haven’t traveled internationally …
Weekly assignments “I put them in groups of four and they have a homework assignment that is to get together socially for an hour just to get to know each other and then they have to write a little short paragraph about each person from their group that week and talk about why they’re excited to get to know that person better and why they’re happy they’ll be abroad with them.
Each week they’re with a group of people they haven’t met before
“It’s a very diverse group. It’s almost even we have 15 so it can’t be perfectly … about half of them are biology, environmental science folks and the others are not.
Sustainability and conservation

Supported by Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, AMENDS hosted its first summit earlier this month at Stanford University, from April 10-14, after selecting 40 youth leaders representing 17 countries from a large pool of applicants. The delegates were paired up before the summit based on their regions and interests and assigned mentors with whom to discuss and develop their initiatives.

In an article from the Stanford University News, AMENDS co-founder Elliot Stoller said, “We wanted them to learn from each other, to figure out how to do what they’re doing better, to ensure to them a network of like-minded people and, ultimately, to empower them and amplify their voices.”

The 40 delegates included Iraqi Firas Al-Dabbagh, a founder of the Islam Counter Extremism Network, Mohammad Aljishi of Saudi Arabia, founder of a Society of Activists for Human Empowerment, Lubna Alzaroo, Palestinian founder of “Sharing Stories,” and Principia’s own Heather Libbe, who graduated in 2011 and is currently the Euphrates Institute’s Fellows Program Manager. Libbe gave her 10-minute AMENDS talk (à la TED talks) about the Euphrates Fellows program during a session on April 11. Sessions were titled “Technology, Social Media, and Innovation,” “Building Civil Society,” “Peace and Conflict Resolution,” and “The New Middle East.”

Libbe said: “Participating in AMENDS helped me see that it is possible for people from all over the world to come together for dialogue. I definitely gained a deeper appreciation for heads of state who have to do this on a much larger scale, representing entire nations in the decisions they are making. This helped me realize the importance of metaphysically supporting these individuals each day.”

In addition to their own AMENDS talks, delegates took part in an opening ceremony with an address by Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco, a leadership dinner, a networking dinner, and two sessions of speeches and panel discussions by various world leaders, from Sami Ben Gharbia, a Tunisian political activist and Foreign Policy Top 100 Thinker to Thomas Riley, the former US Ambassador to Morocco.

Libbe added, “It was also really fun for me to be able to share Euphrates, Principia and Christian Science with individuals from all different backgrounds. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to meet inspiring individuals from all over the Middle East and hear about their initiatives. It’s pretty neat to be able to talk to people from Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Territories all in one day!”

Both the AMENDS Global Summit and the Euphrates Summit: Our World Beyond 9/11 last October brought together agents of change working to bring peace and well-being to their communities and countries. Similar to the young AMENDS delegates, Euphrates’ Warriors for Peace, first featured at last year’s summit, are individuals under 40 working toward peace and/or sustainability in the Middle East.

Here at Principia, next year’s Public Affairs Conference will focus on “Empowering Youth Around the World”— another opportunity to connect and inspire the young people just beginning their careers in our rapidly changing global village.

“What’s that you say? An upgrade?” Yes, it’s safe to say that our archaic phone system is in need of replacement. Richard Booth, Chief Technology Officer of both Principia campuses, has been working on establishing a new system at Principia for some time now. Booth said the outdated phones are becoming more difficult to repair as the system falls out of use. He explained: “We’re at risk of having a part breaking [in the current system], and not being able to replace the part, and in essence, not having part or all of a phone system if that were to happen.” According to Booth, the current phone set-up is not sustainable – the original manufacturer no longer exists. “It feels like the room phone is kind of past its prime. It’s no longer where the action is for anybody and . . . mobility is what’s driving all of us,” said Booth.

The current phone system is scheduled to change over in December 2012 to a “mobility integration” system. Booth explained that whether you are a student, faculty or staff member, a wide range of devices will be able to be used to make calls with the extension given to each member of the Principia community. Devices such as basic phones, smart phones, iPod touches, iPads, and computers can all be integrated to send and receive phone calls via one’s extension. “[The devices] can be used to act like a system phone in many ways,” said Booth.

By December, the current phones will be taken out of all rooms and will not be replaced. The phone network of Principia will be run completely wirelessly through personal devices. For those who lack this technology, Booth recommended an upgrade. Since over 98 percent of Principia students at least own a personal computer, there is a very small percentage of people that will have to look into buying a device that can be used to support their Principia phone extension.

The application for this integration is called Jabber. Whether one is on a smart-phone, computer, or Wi-Fi device, he or she will be making and receiving calls through Jabber. According to Booth, the Jabber app looks very similar to the phone app on a smart phone, the only difference is that the Jabber user is limited to calls within the Principia system. Furthermore, according to Zach Retzlaff, the Telecom Director, faculty, staff, and students will be able to use the Jabber app off-campus to make and receive calls using the 4-digit Principia extension. All that’s needed is a WiFi hotspot or a cell carrier’s data network. Christian Richardson, Student Body President and CIS representative for Student Senate, said, “It’s a much more direct way of communication.” With the system gone mobile, students no longer need to be in their rooms to receive a call. They can be anywhere on or off-campus and if their 4-digit extension is dialed, they will receive the call. The new system allows everyone to be more accessible and available, and the ability to reach someone will be even easier.

Richardson worked with Richard Booth in seeking student input about the desired look of the future system. This input was taken into consideration when discussing and implementing the new phone system for next year.

One of the most appreciated features of the new system could very well be the larger storage space allotted for voicemail. The current system allows a maximum of 10 messages to be stored collectively between new and saved messages. Although storage won’t be unlimited on the new phone system, Retzlaff assured us that “there will be a lot more storage available for a lot less cost to maintain it.” Users also will have the option to have voicemails sent to their e-mail, which will include a sound file attachment of their message. This will allow for unlimited storage of voicemail messages.

A sub-theme of the most recent Public Affairs Conference was the importance of student activism and the power of our

young generation. Community members asked questions about how they could ameliorate world problems, and speakers shared their enthusiasm about young people and their general inclination to care about the state of their communities and the world.  Whether you attended the conference as a delegate or not, we feel this lesson is one from which all Principians can benefit.

In a recent meeting with College President Dr. Jonathan Palmer, the conversation turned to the value of dialogue between community members and the need for students to advocate for issues about which they feel passionately. Dr. Palmer explained that he would like to “improve and expand the conversation on key topics” and have students lead those discussions more regularly.

We already care about issues that affect our world and our daily lives: issues like the semester transition or – dare we say it – homosexuality.  But if all we ever do is take a cursory interest in problems we feel need to be addressed, positive change cannot happen at the rate it needs to. In fact, several of this year’s PAC speakers made the point that a single person may find it difficult – even impossible – to change the world. If, however, one person has an idea and others support him or her in helping it to fruition, change will occur more naturally.

Of course, the editors aren’t saying that we’re personally doing all we can to tackle the problems of this community or our world. We hope to practice what we preach at Principia and beyond. Just because we live in the “Prin Bubble” doesn’t mean we have to be complacent.

There are many ways to begin effecting world change as part of such a small community. It’s actually pretty simple. Run for a spot in student government, write for the Pilot, take up a cause that you care about, volunteer in our community, or just branch out and make a new friend. Though these steps may seem inconsequential, smaller efforts can culminate in global transformation.

As Jim Henson, a childhood inspiration, once said, “My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.”

Why not start now?
Sincerely,
M. & K.

Principia College expenses are also divided into three main areas: the operating budget, which provides for Dining Services, power and water utilities and supplies such as paper towels, pencils, and light bulbs; the salary budget, which pays faculty and staff; and the capital improvements and investments budget, which includes all expenses that are not needed regularly and often consist of repairing or replacing parts of the infrastructure, such as roofs, parking lots, or furniture.
Ideally, Principia College’s annual budget, which includes the operating and salary budget, would be solely based on the income from tuition, room, and board, and donations from the outside. That, however, has not been the case in recent years. Even when drawing from the endowment, ideally no more than five percent of its overall worth is meant to be used on a yearly basis. That percentage enables the overall endowment worth to remain stable, while taking more than the five percent effectively reduces the overall worth. Again, for the past several years, Principia has used more than that five percent.
While Principia drew 5.56% of the endowment’s worth in 2007/8, it drew 7.05 percent in 2009/10 and 6.99 percent in 2011/12. Looking at this fact, Grimmer stated: “Each year we plan to [reduce our income draw from the endowment] under five percent […]. However, we have found ourselves in situations in recent years where the economy was not so good. One result of this was that more families had need, and so we found ourselves needing to provide more financial aid.” Grimmer underlined that fact with numbers: “On average, students are only paying about $12,000 a student, but tuition, room, and board is over $30,000 a student. That gap has to be paid for by something or someone. And that difference ends up being paid from additional draw from our endowment and gifts from friends of Principia.” In addition to increased expenses for things like financial aid, Principia has had to spend money on the installation of sprinkler systems in all the dorms across campus “to meet the Illinois mandated life safety upgrades for all student dormitories across Illinois to be completed by January 2013. […] Principia’s desire to meet this legal commitment has required that we continue with substantial capital spending plan.”
While it has been necessary to continue to spend more in recent years, Grimmer also sees value in the way the administration approaches spending: “We try to really operate under the principle of wisdom, economy, and brotherly love. It is not about ‘have’ and ‘have not’s. For the most part, everybody that I deal with is very thoughtful about how they use Principia’s resources for their specific department activities. […] I see very much a willingness to be aware of the overall and greater need.”

College President Dr. Jonathan Palmer must carefully consider “wants” vs. “needs” when examining Principia’s budget and expenditures. photo / Andrew Briggs

To get a picture of Principia College’s financial standing this year, it helps to look at the gap between income and expenses for the College. Operating and salary budgets amount to a little more than $23 million. Revenue from tuition, room, and board, after subtracting those amounts Principia spends on financial aid, amounts to about $6 million. That means that around $17 million has to be paid by the endowment and annual donor contributions. This number does not include any capital investments, which also have to be paid by the endowment. Addressing this fact, Grimmer stated: “We find ourselves in a unique situation among colleges, where we need our endowment to supply the majority of our operating expense budget. We cannot just raise the price, and we cannot simply enroll more students. We have a target audience and what we bring in is what there is.” Underlining the careful consideration of the spending, Grimmer added: “I think what we spend is what it takes to operate the campus. And I can sincerely and honestly say that I don’t see a lot of extravagance.” She continued: “I think people are very cognizant of the fact that when we are spending money from the endowment we are spending what people very generously have given to Principia, because they care about Principia’s mission and educating students. And there is a sense of wanting to be wise with that.”
Dr. Palmer is aware of the situation as well. In order to keep expenses at a necessary minimum, Dr. Palmer and the administration examine the budget with great care: “We have been very careful with our budgets over the last couple of years. We look carefully at every budget line every year to see if we are meeting the need, and in some cases [we are] not […] able to meet the want.”
While Principia College is trying to reduce its overall expenses to preserve the endowment, the administration also plans a series of projects over the coming years. Building the Core Academic Building is only one component of Principia’s Master Plan, which aims to transform vast parts of the campus and introduce new forms of technology and equipment to its facilities. It could almost seem contradictory to plan these expansive projects while trying to save money. Dr. Palmer explained: “We don’t have a do nothing option. The buildings that we are contemplating replacing need to be renovated or replaced. We can’t just wait for another twenty years; we really have a drive to do something. […] Our hope is that [these plans] position us for the next hundred years.”
Financing the proposed Core Academic Building is not part of Principia College’s operating budget itself. Grimmer explained: “That project is not funded within […] the College budget. The advancement office is working to bring in new financial support so that we can move forward with this building and other major capital expenditures associated with the College Master Plan.” Thus Principia’s plans for the future are dependent on donors from on and off campus.
While Principia’s finances are undergoing a period of intensive demand and need, the overall goal for Dr. Palmer is clearly a long-term one: “We will make this continue to be a compelling place for students to be here for their study and growth in Christian Science, for their growth intellectually, socially, athletically, and morally … [Principia] is a global institution, which is why people will come from Berlin, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, or Montevideo. That is who we are and we want to make sure to support that in every way possible.”

Dean of Academics Dr. Scott Schneberger said the future of Principia College brings a new age of “exploring frontiers of advanced classroom technology.” The 50th Alumni Class donated over half-a-million dollars to benefit Principia’s students, faculty, and staff. The class decided that building a technologically-advanced classroom would be the best way to benefit the community.

The library is one of many builings currently available to students looking for a quiet atmosphere to do their homeowork. Junior Liza Hagerman takes advantage of the space to work on her sketches for Graphic Design I. photos / Mia Shotwell

Dr. Schneberger said this classroom will “break geographic boundaries for education and facilitate interactive learning in a highly advanced technological environment. Students will be able to collaborate with other universities worldwide.” This alumni class recognized the need for Principians to be ambassadors of higher education, represent Christian Science throughout our global community, and expand awareness of our liberal arts offerings.

Academic Technology Director Christian Borja is still developing a strategic plan for the room’s design, but some impressive technology has been promised. For example, two large displays will be installed at each end of the classroom. Borja said these displays will have “multi-touch capabilities for collaboration. This will allow people in the room to work together on the screens by touching them. The room will have videoconference capabilities to bring people into the classrooms. There will also be technology to allow people [off-campus] to participate and collaborate in the classroom activities whether the displays are being used or not.” This means that a professor living abroad could teach a course via advanced videoconference.

Dr. Duncan Charters, the Chair of the Language Department, uses various media inhis Spanish classes. photos / Mia Shotwell

It is College President Dr. Jonathan Palmer’s goal that every student be fluent in at least two languages by graduation. To that end, the new classroom will support the trend of multilingualism and prepare students for cross-cultural communication in professional settings. By having the potential to connect with classrooms worldwide via online videoconference, there is no limitation to the languages students can learn.

Language Department Chair Dr. Duncan Charters said this technology will “promote stronger international relations with other universities in both our language programs and in other areas.” This classroom is not limited to the language department, but intended to fit the needs of every academic department.

Let’s ask a bold question: What’s the deeper purpose of this kind of academic development? Dr. Charters said this 21st century classroom will have the “potential for us to connect with other Christian Scientists across the world. Then we can reach out to others who could benefit from what we have to offer.” He continued: “It is important that citizens across the globe can get close to the language of Mary Baker Eddy’s revelation. This shows our interest in facilitating English skills among potential students abroad as well as other people who could not come to the Elsah campus.  Just as The Christian Science Monitor is an ambassador for the Christian Science movement through the quality, objectivity and hope inspired by its constructive news reporting, Principia has the potential to communicate its educational vision to the broader higher education network by offering a unique quality of educational programming online.”

As a student body of highly motivated liberal arts extraordinaires, the potential of this classroom is infinite. The design of this classroom will be very flexible. Borja said its furniture will not be bound by cement or innumerable screws, but “showcase many multi-purpose characteristics. The strategic flexibility of this multi-purpose furniture will enable students to share the space harmoniously.”

enior Josh Curry and classmates work in the School of Government computer lab, which serves as the temporary language lab. photos / Mia Shotwell

Students can individually or collaboratively communicate with other students or academic scholars in a team or mentor-based fashion. Students will be able to push boundaries, think more broadly, and develop meaningful connections with other learners at Principia and beyond. Dr. Charters also said this classroom will “create job opportunities for students who wish to pursue specific languages we don’t offer in the classroom here. These experiences would facilitate career opportunities that may involve what are designated as ‘critical language.’ Interactive dialogue with partner schools (such as “La Amistad” school in Uruguay) has already shown its value.”

Last but not least, one final question arises: What will this cutting-edge technology inspire for further on-campus development? There are big plans for renovations of academic buildings across campus, including the library, School of Government, School of Nations, and Concourse. Ultimately there will be one School of Government comprised of administrative offices, the Student Union, and the Core Academic Building. The 21st century classroom may help to determine the design and technology incorporated in future projects. With this knowledge, the new buildings scheduled for reconstruction across campus will be filled with world-class technology that best benefits and blesses students at Principia and beyond.

Lazy Zipper practices, including member Lucy Weber, Jordan Anderson, Ben Frederick, and Abbie Steckler, are full of surprises and keep onlookers guessing until the end. photo / Samuel Thomas

Lazy Zipper, for those who don’t know, is the improv comedy club on campus. Officially started in 1999 by a group of students, Lazy Zipper has been providing the Principia community with comic relief for 13 years. The club is completely student-run with a student director and producer leading the group to success. The current club consists of 12 members, seven of whom are returning members, and five that are completely fresh to Lazy Zipper. Abbie Steckler, a freshman and new member of the club, said: “I first heard about Lazy Zipper at [Camps] Newfound and Owatonna, where so many of the counselors would always talk about how much fun it was.” Steckler also mentioned that she loves the rehearsals. “They are always the highlights of my week,” she explained.
Zipper members meet for six hours each week and work on sharpening their quick wit, familiarizing themselves with the rules of improvisation, as well as preparing for their annual show. Earlier this semester, the team traveled to Chicago to watch the Second City Improv Group perform. The shows they attended inspired the members of Lazy Zipper, and with three extra weeks of the semester to prepare for their big show, the group felt this year’s performance should be unlike any other. Director Christian Richardson said: “We all really enjoyed the fast-paced shows in Chicago, full of music interludes and black-outs, and we decided we wanted to implement some of the same things into our show.”

Lazy Zipper Director, Christian Richardson, gladly shares his wisdom with the rest of his teammates. photo / Samuel Thomas

The club has traveled to Chicago twice in the last four years. Producer Ben Frederick said, “I think both of those trips affected the team greatly. The first time we learned some new games and loved the blackouts. The second time we were very inspired to write skits.” Lazy Zipper performs more than just once a year. Over the past few years, the team has performed in the Mid-Winter Arts Festival, the Parents Weekend Variety Show, and a show at the end of each semester to provide students with a study break during exam time.
Lazy Zipper plays an important role in campus life. The club is more than just a bunch of funny people being goofy on stage. Melanie MacWilliams, a member of the club for the past three years, said: “Aside from bringing joy to campus, I think Lazy Zipper shows our community what can happen when a group of people love and respect each other so wholeheartedly. We put so much work into our improv, and I think it contributes to campus in such a positive way. Just a bunch of people lovin’ each other on stage – couldn’t hurt.” Cam Wells, also a Zipper for the past three years, said: “I like to think that Lazy Zipper makes a contribution to Principia. People like to laugh, and if we can provide something to laugh at, then we’ve done something for others.” This reveals perhaps a part of Lazy Zipper’s purpose, to uplift the campus through good-hearted and clean humor. Unlike many other improv comedy groups and comedians in the world today, Lazy Zipper strives to show it’s possible to keep jokes clean and still be hilarious. “[Lazy Zipper] brings the right sense of humor to Prin,” said Richardson.

Jordan Anderson and Abbie Steckler cheer on their fellow group members during rehearsal. photo / Samuel Thomas

Group dynamic plays a huge role in the success of the club. Bekah Charlston, a senior who has been on Lazy Zipper since her freshman year, said: “Every year, the team dynamic has grown exponentially. Having a unified, cohesive group is crucial in improv and each year the team has grown closer and stronger.” Steckler said “Everyone brings something completely different to the team, and it makes our improv so varied and multi-layered.”
When Lazy Zipper first started, the shows consisted primarily of scripted scenes, which originated during the rehearsals, according to Dan Schneider, one of the first Lazy Zipper members. Schneider added that Lazy Zipper had “quality script writers” during this time. Around 2002, the shows evolved into their current format, made up in large part of improv games performed on stage.
As long as there are comedians on Principia campus, there’s no end in sight for Lazy Zipper. And as Reverend Dr. Talmage said, and Mrs. Eddy quoted, “there are wit, humor, and enduring vivacity among God’s people.”