Changes

= <u>Strategy #56: Connecting, Diversifying, and Reinvigorating the Campus&nbsp;Spirit (Fall 2019)</u> =

== <span style="font-size:x-large;">'''Tactic #1: Solving the Campus Event App'''</span> == <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I believe that the first step to make the campus more innovative and entrepreneural is the improvement of interconnectivity. In order to achieve that, my idea targets a <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">specific problem that the </span>campus has experienced throughout the years of digital communication, which is campus event emails. Therefore, the solution is to create an app that integrates functions from the original Union College app, but engages better with the users by having the newsfeed showing the most recent events and annoncements from clubs, departments, and communities around campus without having your email clustered with random messages. So the app will not only show what is happening around campus, but also show you your class schedules, class location, grades, dining schedules, and so much more that the original app has, but is not user friendly enough and is not designed well.</span>

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In order to achieve this, I will work closely with Yu Ellen (the chair of the IT department at the college) to first create a muse website powered by wordPress, which would allow users to input their message to the campus. I believe this would work because Union College has a subscription to wordPress and the creation of a simple website wouldn't require high maintenance. Furthermore, creating an app is of higher maintenance, but by using the same original app, we would just work on styling and designing; and adding a the newsfeed function within the app to show the events or announcements posted from the muse website through their API. Laslty, we would also work with the student forum to strategically iterate the design of the product. Thus, this solution would be low cost, realistic, and it would definately change the way our campus gets informed. Therefore, this project is not only serves as an exciting example of what innovation and entrepreneurship does, but also reinvigorates campus interconnectivity and the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovationmotivates other students.</span>

 &lt;div&gt;</div>== '''<span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 17pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tactic #2: Entrepreneurs of the Nott (EON)</span></span>''' == <span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With this idea comes a complicated history. Far from an original concept of this cohort, entrepreneurial activity at Union and the greater Schenectady/Albany/Capital Region areas is alive and humming. The problem is Union boasts no organized structure to further student ventures in en<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">trepr</span>eneurship when there is clearly a population who would benefit. As discussed in other content on this page, there used to be an entrepreneurship club named Union College Entrepreneurial Organization. We decided it would be most effective to completely rebrand and (almost) start again from scratch. At the same time that it is important to implement some of what the old club used to provide, this is a time where Union looks to move forward with its new president, new strategic plan and hone in on a refreshed set of values.</span></span> <span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EON is in its early stages, but has received very encouraging support from people of all disciplines. Always evolving, we hope to put in place an environment that connects students, alumni, faculty, and community members around the goal of creatively solving societal problems. Even if this kind of “end product” is not a goal for some students, we want to provide education about design thinking to anyone that will listen. Hopefully there will be updates to come</span></span> <span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blake Newcomer</span></span> <span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&lt;div&gt;</span></span> &lt;/div&gt; == '''<span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 17pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tactic #3: Religeous Representation Rooms (R Cube)</span></span>''' == <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fc9c937e-7fff-aa5e-8ce8-3f356d7a822c"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Union lauds itself for its diversity in many areas. Across socioeconomic, religious, social, and political divides, Union tries its hardest in order to ensure that as many people as possible can be as comfortable as possible. However, I’ve noticed an alarming lack of representation for other religions besides Christianity with small groups being created for major religions such as Islam and Hinduism with others, such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and so on not having any representation on campus whatsoever. These are all religions with incredibly rich cultures and practices and these religions are not properly represented on campus with the current resources allocated to them. That is why I propose that we convert some of our Idea Labs on Union’s campus into prayer and meditation rooms for people who follow any of these religions! For example, if you follow the Islamic faith and it’s time for midday prayer, one might be hard pressed to find a private and quiet place to pray, especially if they have to travel far from home. That is where the Religious Representation Room (or R Cube) comes into play! Within the room, there will be a plethora of materials for people to read and view such as prayer books of these different religions, how to properly pray according to the customs of each religion, and more. These rooms will be a hub for both enlightenment as well as cultural diversity and enrichment as people from any background are capable of walking into the room and meditating or learning about the religion by actively, and correctly, participating in their religious practices. What my current prototype lacks in artistic creativity, it makes up for it in its efficiency. Many of the materials required to create these rooms are quite cheap and the product of such a small amount of expenditure would greatly outweigh the negatives and could lead to a more connected campus, both interpersonally as well as spiritually. I have rooms for Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and Judaic prayer with many more on the way depending on the access to rooms!</span></span></span> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fc9c937e-7fff-aa5e-8ce8-3f356d7a822c"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve shown many compatriots my rather lackluster artpiece of the potential layout of the R.R.R and I have been inundated with amazing ideas on how to improve it and on how to push it even further to represent more people. Many people are excited about the concept, even the people whose religion is properly represented by Union. The tests also allowed me to open my mind to the resources already available on Union’s campus and how I can work with those already existing resources to create something better.</span></span></span> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fc9c937e-7fff-aa5e-8ce8-3f356d7a822c"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This project is feasible, not only due to the lack of monetary cost within it, but also because of the guidance of other students and faculty members on campus who have a more personal connection to these religions and know how to properly represent them within the RRR. By contacting and working with other religious figures on the campus such as the leaders of our Chabad house, Shmuly and Laiky Rubin, as well as the Muslim student Adviser, Genghis Khan, the planning behind creating these rooms becomes significantly easier and it also allows for us to build connections between the different religious groups on campus.</span></span></span>   <span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madison Holley</span><div>&lt;div&gt;</div><div></div> == '''<span id="docs-internal-guid-e31f6d48-7fff-9b20-5804-9a53066a6a39"><span style="font-size: 17pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tactic #4: Encourage more Women in Computer Science</span></span>''' == &lt;/div&gt;<div><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-532a5571-7fff-1e9a-3c96-6f77f40e5707"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not many women in computer science is a phenomenon that I noticed at Union. My aim is to encourage more women to get involved. Knowing how to code is an essential skill and innovation is interconnected with coding. Creative ideas can grow and be developed through computer science. But yet not many women are pursuing a computer science or computer engineering major. That might occur because of stereotypes making women unwelcomed, lack of technological education and even because people think that tech careers are antisocial, or computer science is hard or the work environment is hostile to women. We do not highlight enough role models of women in computer science.</span></span></span>   <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For all these reasons I thought of some possible solutions and according to the feedback I received from my fellow students we agreed that if we could bring successful women of computer science to present their experience they could further motivate students and promote more women. To organize Coding Competitions (Hackathons) with good prizes and for professors to assign team projects outside of the classroom to increase the diversity of the field and make it a fun learning process are two great ideas to get this done. In general a good step would be to offer students the chance to attend conferences, workshops, career fairs and seminars on that field.</span></span></span><div><br/></div><div><span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aikaterini Petridou</span></div></div>