Tuesday, October 15, 2013 | TechNews

 

Shimer College gets dressed up for new president's inauguration

Matti Scannell
A&E EDITOR

On September 20, Shimer College
oflicially inaugurated their fourteenth president,
Susan Henking. The inauguration ceremony,
which took place at the Standard Club in the
loop, was a way of formally recognizing Susan
Henking as president although she has worked
at Shimer Collegé since early 2012 following an
exhaustive national search.

The ceremony began with four
VanderCook music students playing as a
procession of robed representatives of colleges
and universities, past presidents of the college,
members of the Shimer board of trustees,
Shimer faculty, four student representatives,
each representing a current Shimer class,
representatives from city and state legislatures,
the chair of the Board of Trustees, and the
President herself, entered the room.

Following the processional, Dean
of the College, Barabara Stone, was the first to
speak. She began by thanking various parties for
being present including Shirner’s past presidents
Don Moon, Bill Rice, and Ed Noonan. She gave
President Henking the promise that “we will

Person you should know:

Melisa

  

Lopez

Ioannas Joseph
TECHNEWS WRITER

Just over a year ago, a change was
seen in infrastructure when the One Stop was
introduced to the MTCC, it is the hub for the
registrar, financial services, academic affairs
and student accounting. With such a move,
there was a need to have someone experienced
in all of these facets to head this department,
and it was placed into the capable hands of
Melisa Lopez. She has unequivocally been a
valued asset through her seventeen year tenure
as a Coordinator and Assistant Director of
Educational Services (renamed Undergraduate
Affairs).

Lopez obtained BS. in Consumer
Affairs and MSED in Education in Guidance
and Counseling with a concentration in
College Student Personnel from Eastern Illinois
University and ultimately wanted to work in
schools. Lopez cited IIT as her first job out of
school, to “get that experience and move on”
after doing consecutive degrees.

When asked what the exact scope of
her responsibilities are as the manager of the
One Stop she simply states, “making students
happy.” The demands of the job are seasonal,
and every individual case is different, but the
end goal is all the same. Ensuring that the needs
of the students are accommodate. “One—on-one
counseling, being able to point them [students]
into the right direction, being a sound board,
someone they can talk to...” are some of the
ways employed by Lopez to address student
issues.

“Never feel like you’re trapped in
what you’re studying... the most likely careers
are thing you don’t look for,” was one piece of

make sure you continue to be challenged.”

Next, Nancy Nickel, President of
the Shimer College Alumni Association spoke
of the joy felt when Susan Henking became
president of Shimer, “if walls could talk, they
would have shouted for jo ,” she said. Glendalyn
Booker, Bursar and Business Office Manager
of Shimer, recalled one morning in which
President Henking approached her, notebook
in hand, asking “What can I do to help the
business oflice?” To Ms. Booker, this moment
embodied the Shimer motto “Non Ministrari
Sed Ministrare” or “Not to be served but to
serve.”

Brenton Stewart, member of the
class of ’14, drew on his own experience with
President Henking in the early days of her
presidency; he spoke of an instance in which

she toasted to student workers and “really made '

us feel like equals.” Following Stewart’s speech,
(which ended with a remark that caused our
dear President to go scarlet in the face and
would be indecent to repeat in front of our more
modest readers) Margaret M. Mitchell, Dean
of the University of Chicago (UofC) Divinity
School, spoke. President Henking received her
master’s degree from the University of Chicago
Divinity School and Dean Mitchell spoke of

advice that Lopez wanted to leave with ever
student at IIT. Lopez is a testament of this,
having started off as an accounting major and
never thinking that she would have ended
up in Higher Education after completing her
Consumer Affairs degree.

One addition to IIT’s undergraduate
experience which Lopez thought was lacking
was a Peer Helper Program, but a similar
initiative spearheaded by the Office of Campus
Life was implemented as the Peer Mentor
Program as part of the First Year Experience.
When proposed the idea of academic and career
advising as a joint venture for student advising,
her thoughts were, “I think that’s good but I
don’t know about the first year because students
know what they want... the relationship
between the two advisers should be built.” She is
vehement that students should seek internships
and co-ops during their undergraduate career
to gain real-world professional experience.

Lopez has one of the most inviting
oflices on campus, with super hero figurines
on her filing cabinets, her children’s school
art, and cousin’s comic book art posted on her
walls. “It’s somewhere I am more than I am at
home.” Lopez stated when speaking on her office
décor. Outside of the confines of IIT, Lopez is
currently serving as a girl’s scout leader for her
oldest daughter.

Although well-equipped, Lopez is
adamant when speaking on the functionality of
the One Stop, “We want to know what students
want from us. . .we want to know how to serve
you better,” and hopes that the Student Speak
survey will provide more insight into that. Next
month, Lopez will be celebrating her 18th year
anniversary at IIT and if you see her around
congratulate her on a job well done.

the pride that UofC had towards its alumna for
receiving the presidency position.

John Anderson, President of IIT, or as
he refers to himself “Shimer’s Landlord,” spoke
of how the presence of VanderCook College
of Music, and Shimer College on IIT’s campus
allows provides students with an “intellectually
rich menu of opportunities” that one would
be hard—pressedtofind elsewhere in the US.
Pat Dowell, the alderman of the third Ward of
Chicago, spoke of how Shimer’s goals are similar
to that of a great democracy in that Shimer seeks
to have an active citizenry that engages everyone
in the process of change.

Next, Chuck Middleton, President
of Roosevelt University, proclaimed that the
selection of Susan Henking as the fourteenth
president speaks not only of the quality of the
leader but also the integrity of the institution
that selected her. Finally Sally Brown, Chair of
the Board and member of the Shimer College
class of ’63, spoke of Shimer’s history of being
“dangerously optimistic” and the certainty of
the board that Susan Henking should be our
president, as she would continue that tradition.

The Oath of Office was then
administered by Brown and followed by
Henking’s own Inaugural Address entitled,

“Because Our Lives Depend Upon It” in which
she talked about how “like all of us, Shimer is a
work—in-progress.”

As a Shimer student, this event
allowed me to examine how lucky we are to
have so many different parties involved in the
development and maintenance of our incredible
school. We are lucky to have an amazing
president who is so committed to improving our
educational experience and aflirming Shimer
communal values. We are also lucky to have
staff, faculty, and a board of trustees equally
committed to these goals.

During the reception in the Grand
Ballroom following the ceremony, the Assistant
Director of Admissions, Adrian Nelson said, “It’s
this kind of event that reminds me why I love
where I work.”

As the various speakers who
participated in the greetings to the president
during the ceremony show, Henking’s
presidency is meaningful not only to the student
community but also to the IIT, Chicago, and
academic communities. I am extremely proud
to have a president who is able to connect not
only with politicians and administrators but
also able to have meaningful interactions with
the students of her institution.

 

 

 

  

GRZZK

—ofthe——

WEEK

 

 

 

etAlexandra Miller.

 

“Love as ifyou'll live forever, live as ifyou‘ll die today”

 

Year; Fourth

Major: Civil Engineering

Greek Affiliation; Kappa Phi Delta
Emmy/n: Bedford, NH

Constantly being surrounde

think."

 

Leadership mm a HT: President of CMAA—IIT, Treasurer

Kappa Phi Delta, Leadership Academy Scholar, ARC Tutor

Hobbies: Knitting, crocheting, Greek football, watching the Patriots, hiking

HwhuGreck lifedevelopedcyouuapemn
by some of the most intelligent,

hardworking people I have ever met challenges me to continue

pushing myself to grow and be the best version of myself that I

could possibly be. I know that I have high standards to live up to,

but also that they are my safety net, and they'll pick me up when I fall.

What would be your advice for an mourning student?

Find your support system. For me, it was here in the Greek system. It

may not be there for everyone, but as long as you find a group of people

that will be there for you and encourage you to find a school/ fun balance

as school and life gets challenging, you'll be able to make it through.

Ifyou wuldfisitanycountxylntlwworld. where would yougoandwhy?

Spain. I've always wanted to explore their culture, taste their food,

listen to their music (maybe even learn to dance to it).

What's something most people don’t know about you?

My friend says "For your size, you're a lot tougher than people would

“dim?

What’s one of our favorite questions to get a. conversation going?
What do you elieve in? And how does that make you who you are?

Questions? Email orderofomegaiit@gmaiLcom