By Kyle Kern, Co-editor in chief
Susquehanna students’ passions were showcased at a new event hosted by DICE and University Innovation Fellows, UIF, on April 4.
Participating students had tables in Mellon Lounge where they individually displayed their passions. The event had various participants including artists, music producers, photographers and comic reviewers, explained Tate.
DICE, or Design, Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship, partnered with UIF after the Fashion Club jump-started a similar event last semester, said Vice President junior Christian Coleman of the DICE organization. The club presented the idea of this event to DICE and UIF.
“At last year’s event, the Fashion Club promoted and implemented ‘the Creator’s Night Out’ where, much like this event, individuals could showcase their passion,” Coleman said.
Senior Eric Rivlin was one of the innovators presenting at the event. Rivlin writes and edits comic reviews for Comicverse. com. “I’ve been pretty much always into comics, always been a nerd,” he said.
Rivlin showcased some of his favorite comic books at his area at the event as well as some of his reviews. “It feels good, I feel proud, and a little bit nervous because of having to present my work to the public,” he said.
However, Rivlin continued that it was good experience for the future when he hopes to be publishing reviews more often in the public eye.
“This event is very meaningful and we’re hoping to host more of these events in the future,” said sophomore Dan Yim, a University Innovation Fellow.
Yim said that he expects the event to be back for the next academic year.
Although meaningful, Yim expressed challenges in bringing it all together with students of diverse majors, passions and ideas.
The event had its own meaning to sophomore Kaila Snyder who brought her own paintings to the showcase. “I feel like these events are really important to the university as the arts aren’t as focused on here,” said Snyder. “It allows them to show off their skills and their passion.”
Rachel Tate is a senior at Susquehanna and is a part of the UIF program that is run out of Hasso Plattner Institute of Design school at Stanford University.
“We, here at UIF, are hoping to change the main question that students are asked at college from ‘What is your major?’ to ‘What is your passion?’”, said Tate, also a University Innovation Fellow.
In changing the question from ‘What is your major?’ to ‘What is your mission?’, Tate had her own experience going from defining herself with her major to defining her mission. “My mission, or passion, is to educate and to inspire young adults,” Tate said.
Junior Parker Schoch, another participant in the event, exemplifies the difference in major and passion expressed by Tate. “Even though he is a Pre-med major, he produces music as his passion,” Tate said. At the event he greeted fellow students and played various mixes off of his productions.
His love of music started after listening to a song by Krewella in ninth grade, explained Schoch, “I was like wow, I want to do that, and I found it was a good way to express my emotions.”
First-year Eric Braker had been asked by other participants to try out the event. “I focus on nature photography and videography, but mostly on fly fishing.” He said it was his first time presenting his photos at Susquehanna.
Braker was one of 20 students who participated in the Creator and Innovator Showcase.
Tate expressed later that she hoped the event would spark a sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship culture at Susquehanna in the future.
“The next cohort of fellows are already starting to collaborate about future projects,” Tate said.
Creators and innovators are all around us and we often don’t know it. This event gives such individuals a chance to shine Tate said.
In regard to the UIF and the Creator and Innovator showcase Tate said, “Start with love, empathy and passion.”