Embracing Intellectual Growth: The Academic and Creative Life of the University
The goal of this category is to "get involved in the intellectual and creative life of the University."
Joining an Academic RSO
As an event for the academic and creative life category of my PDP project, I decided to join Gamma Iota Sigma in the beginning of the 2020 fall semester.
I came to Central Michigan to pursue a degree in Actuarial Science and Statistics. Central is well known for their strong academic programs in these areas, and also for the many successes of their alumnus. One of the things that makes CMU’s Actuarial program stand out is its tie to Gamma Iota Sigma. Gamma Iota Sigma is an academic fraternity that focuses on encouraging student interest in the fields of insurance, risk management, and actuarial science. They achieve this by educating students about the different job possibilities one can have with these degrees, and also by providing exposure to real companies by inviting employers to speak to the group during their weekly meetings. When I learned of this opportunity, I thought of the many possibilities it would put in front of me that would allow me to learn even more about my field, and from the perspective of employers. I think being able to hear from different companies exactly what they are looking for in a new employee would be one of the most beneficial things I could do in order to prepare myself for entering the workforce after graduating. By joining this group, I am also expanding my academic and social involvement in the university, both of which were goals I set for myself when starting my freshman year.
Gamma Iota Sigma meets every Tuesday for about an hour. As of right now, all meetings are being held virtually through WebEx. Usually, we have a guest in our meetings, someone who works in a field relating to insurance, risk management, or actuarial science. So far, we have had the opportunity to listen to three different speakers. Each presentation has been very different, but always very informative and engaging. One speaker held more of an open discussion style presentation, asking different members of our group what our ideas and input were on certain topics. Another speaker talked about his own career path and all the changes that have come and led him to the job and experience he has today. We usually end meetings by going over any further announcements and talking about any upcoming events.
I personally do not know much about all the different opportunities that are available with a degree in Actuarial Science and Statistics, but by attending these meetings, I have already learned more in three weeks than I ever have by doing my own online research. Being given the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives regarding the countless opportunities that will be available to me in my field has been inspiring and motivating. It has really assured me that I am heading down the right career path. I am more excited now than I was when I decided on a major because I am even more educated on everything I can do with this degree, and also how I can make it my own by choosing from a variety of different job opportunities all over the country. This group will help me to stand out to my future employers and assist me in advancing my professional perspective. I chose to participate in this group to embrace my intellectual growth, and I have no doubts that Gamma Iota Sigma will not fall short of this goal.
Your Vote is Your Voice: Voter Suppression and Voting Rights
As an event for the academic and creative life category of my PDP project, I attended a faculty chat with Dr. Norma Bailey on voter suppression and voting rights on Thursday, September 10th, 2020.
Since I have turned 18, I have grown an interest in politics because now I feel like I have a say with my right to vote. Voting is something I have always been excited to do. I feel it is a responsibility each citizen has, and I plan on fulfilling this responsibility with every opportunity I can. However, I feel that it is just as important to go and vote as it is to educate yourself beforehand. When I learned of this discussion, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about our right to vote and what it means to exercise it. I also thought it would be a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote through the 19th amendment.
Before the meeting, I watched two videos. The first video we were required to watch discussed the actions of the Civil Rights movement in Selma, talking about the struggles and efforts many United States citizens went through in trying to receive their right to vote. The second video overviewed the 2018 midterm election in Georgia, detailing all the ways voters were suppressed, and still are to this day. Then on September 10th, a group of my peers from Honors 100 and I sat down with Dr. Norma Bailey to discuss voting rights and voter suppression. Dr. Bailey started off by going over important dates in history that involved voting laws or rights being established. We then broke off into partners to discuss our thoughts on the two videos we had all previously watched. After sharing ideas with the whole group, Dr. Bailey furthered our discussion by moving on to the topics of the Voters Rights Act of 1965 and the Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder, overviewing both. Dr. Bailey went over what voter suppression is, how voting is involved in every aspect of our lives, and the importance of it. We brought the discussion to a more present-day tone by learning about all the different ways people can get involved with the efforts of voting rights, in the community and at Central.
I had no idea how unaware I was about the problem of voter suppression. From participating in this activity, I learned about the brave people that started the movement back in the 1960s geared towards creating equal opportunity for all, but it is still something we continue to fight today. People are not given equal opportunity, and it astonished me to learn about all the ways this is happening in current times. I always thought voting was straightforward, something you go and quickly do, taking a half-hour out of your day to complete. However, this is not the case. Voting precincts are being closed, people are not receiving their absentee ballots in the mail, lines at precincts grow to be five hours long, and people are being purged from the list of registered voters in the United States. These are all efforts that are being taken in our current world to suppress voters. Talking about this made me realize how important it really is to take advantage of the opportunity you have to vote, as it is not something that everyone is given. It also taught me how dire it is to get involved in speaking up for the importance of equal opportunity in voting.