Corinne Simisky ’08 is studying issues that affect humanitarian services, globalization and international aid.
Amy Gold ’09 is focusing on “Health and the Whole Self.”
Wyatt Heard ’09 is assessing the moral and ethical implications of property.
All three are Organizing Theme majors who designed their own program of study based on their passion for their topics. They are combining disciplines and taking classes from three or more different departments.
“These are students whose interests are too broad to settle upon one major, who really have a compelling question they want to figure out,” says Melinda Lawson, assistant director of advising for Union’s OT program. “The Organizing Theme major is designed to accommodate those students who have a strong, well-defined intellectual or scholarly curiosity that goes beyond typical boundaries.”
While double majors and inter-departmental majors continue to be popular options at Union, the Organizing Theme major is a different breed altogether.
“The chosen theme defines not only the students’ theses, but the courses they take,” Lawson explains.
Lawson, who is a visiting assistant professor of History, and a number of the 14 current OT majors got together recently for an end-of-year dinner at Hale House. They were joined by Dean of Undergraduate Education Kimmo Rosenthal and Dean of Interdisciplinary Programs and Special Programs Doug Klein.
“I love being an OT major and having the freedom to study subjects beyond the boundaries of one single major,” said senior Nancy Borowick of Chappaqua, N.Y. “I took advantage of this opportunity the moment I learned about it, and it has truly changed and enhanced my educational experience at Union beyond my expectations.”
Borowick combined her passion for photography, foreign culture and anthropology to probe “Representations of Culture and Identity.” Her study of Schenectady’s thriving Guyanese community resulted in her senior thesis, “Maintaining Traditions in America: The Guyanese of Schenectady,” which included a Steinmetz Symposium photo exhibition.
Borowick’s classes were concentrated in the Anthropology, Modern Languages and Visual Arts departments.
For Corinne Simisky, of Shrewsbury, Mass., the path to an OT major began with the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. Simisky was in the original group of Union students who joined relief efforts in New Orleans in December 2005.
“The New Orleans trip helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life – become an administrator in international relief organizations,” said Simisky, who also has retained the English major she started out with. “Originally, I was looking into medicine, but I was always more interested in the social aspect of medical policy and practice. When this OT major fell together, I decided to go for it. As soon as I came back, I started taking classes that were geared toward sociology and political science.”
Lawson and advisors Melinda Goldner and Byron Nichols “really encouraged me to do an OT that had to do with humanitarianism,” Simisky said. Nichols suggested she include philosophy “to give me an ethics base. That’s really helped.”
Last spring, Simisky and another student presented the importance of a “pay it forward” approach to community service and humanitarian aid at Steinmetz Symposium. Simisky has since helped draft the proposal for Union’s community service mini-term.
Simisky spent the winter term in Barbados (with OT major Elizabeth Mazzota), where she taught English to local girls and organized a seminar on issues related to HIV, AIDS, relationships, positive body image and family life.
“Another part of my OT is the impact that globalization that has on humanitarian aid and vice versa – to what extent is humanitarianism the new excuse for nationalism and imperialism?” Simisky said. “It’s something that’s come up in all my classes.”
Union’s current OTMs, and their topics of study, are:
Samantha Beatty ’09, “Public Opinion and Persuasion”: Explores the impact of gender, age, culture and technology on decision-making and communication. Departments: Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology
Nancy Borowick ’07, “Representations of Culture and Identity”: Understanding a people and a culture through their images. Departments: Anthropology, Modern Languages, Visual Arts
Albert Bramble ’08: “Structure, Design, and Architecture”: Explores the design, architectural history and engineering behind structures. Departments: Mechanical Engineering, Art History, Visual Arts
Stephanie Burlton ’07, “Film through Culture and Philosophy”: Understanding how different societies use their culture to create artistic expression; impact of film and media on culture. Departments: Philosophy, Anthropology, Modern Literature in Translation
Lindsey Burt, “Photography, Film and Media”: Explores the impact of technology on art; researching, interpreting and creating different types of media. Departments: Art History, Studio Fine Arts, Modern Literature in Translation
Amy Gold ’09, “Health and the Whole Self”: Explores the impact of genetics, environment, and human choices on overall health. Departments: Biology, Anthropology, Psychology, Chemistry
Kathryn Grant ’07, “Art Conservation”: Understanding the analysis, restoration and preservation of historical objects. Departments: Art History, Studio Fine Arts, Chemistry, Biology, Physics
Rebecca Haldane ’07, “European Studies”: Explores the history, government, and culture of different European nations. Departments: Political Science, Spanish, French, European History
Wyatt Heard ’09: ‘What Should Property Be?”: Explores the moral and ethical implications of property, definitions of ownership and the differences among personal, public, and private property. Departments: Engineering, English, Philosophy
Molly Koch ’07: "Communication and Media Studies." Departments: Art History, Psychology, Visual Arts
Jessie Lovdal ’07, “Journalism, Media and Society”: Understanding journalism and its relationship to politics and society. Departments: Political Science, English, Visual Arts, Sociology
Elizabeth Mazzotta ’07, “Media Studies and Communications”: Departments: Theater, Political Science, English
Corinne Simisky ’08, “Studies in Humanitarianism, Globalization, and International Aid”: How social, political, and philosophical issues affect humanitarian services and international aid. Departments: Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy
Kate Swartz ’07, “Communication”: Understanding human and media-based communications, including theory, history, ethics, policy and organizations. Departments: Political Science, English, Visual Arts.