November 12, 2004: Volume 62, Number 10

Three campus finalists chase a Watson

A global look at environmentalism. A modern day epic journey in ancient lands. A lute-playing trek through Central Asia.

Those are the topics of three seniors chosen as finalists by the campus committee for the coveted Watson Fellowship.

Erin Kane, Maximilian Seel and Adam Grode were being interviewed on campus this week by a national representative of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. The winners of the $22,000 travel-study grants will be announced in March.

Forty-three Union students have received Watson Fellowships since the program began in 1969.

Kane, of Southington, Conn., has proposed "Environmentalism Abroad: The Natural World in the Global Community" to focus on differences and similarities in how individuals and societies relate to and understand the natural environment. She would like to travel to New Zealand, Ecuador, South Africa, India and Ireland to consider how, along with the U.S., those nations can share effective environmental efforts.

The campus Watson committee cited Kane's background in geology and psychology. "This mixture of physical and social sciences will give her a unique perspective on the issues involved in conservation and resource management in the countries she will visit," the committee wrote of her. "She has done geological field work in several parts of the world, and is a seasoned traveler. She is also an award-winning photographer and an artist, with an interest in preserving the environment not just physically, but in visual images as well."

Seel, of Houghton, Mich., proposes "A Modern Epic Journey through the Ancient Lands of Classical Myth," which would take him to sites in ancient Greece and Rome to "follow the footsteps of the gods and heroes of classical mythology to bring alive the texts and language pronounced by many to be dead," he said. Besides using his journeys to follow Roman and Greek myth, he plans to use his knowledge in Latin to transform his journal entries into a modern-day English and Latin epic poem.

"The idea of a college student taking an "epic" journey may seem outlandish at first, but for Max, this represents a long-standing dream, and one for which he is very well suited," the committee report said. "Max has a deep affinity for the classical myths, and takes an uncommon joy in working with the intricacies of their language and forms.

"The ancient themes speak strongly to Max, and he brings them to bear on modern problems in vibrant ways.

"Anyone who can make writing Latin poetry and reading it aloud his passion, while still remaining well liked by all, is truly someone to be reckoned with.

Grode, from Philadelphia, has proposed "Long-necked Lutes from Baku to Bishkek: A Musical Journey in Central Asia." This would have him travel along the Silk Road in Central Asia, a route not just of commerce but of musical styles and instruments developed from centuries of cultural syncretism. He plans to travel to five Central Asian countries and, by learning to play the long-necked lute indigenous to each, lay a foundation for understanding the region's rich culture and musical heritage.

The campus committee cited Grode's record of making his own path, starting the Arabic Workshop for 20 Union students interested in studying the language, creating his own major in Eurasian studies.

"He uses his music as a means of developing connections with others," the committee said. "He has done this to good effect during a previous trip to Russia and another to China. In each case, his interest in the traditional music of those cultures gained him access to social environments that normally would not be available to western tourists.

"Faculty members who have worked with Adam all note that if anyone can have a successful year in the former Soviet Republics of Central Europe, he will. "

The campus Watson committee consists of Joyce Madancy, history; Charles Batson, modern languages; Ann Anderson, mechanical engineering; and Davide Cervone, mathematics (committee chair).

Last year, Nori Lupfer of West Lebanon, N.H., was named a Watson Fellow. An accomplished aerial freestyle skier who competed at the international level and performed on three tours with the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus, she studied "Circuses and Stunts: Photography of Entertainment in Motion." The adventure took her to Brazil, Switzerland, France, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic and Russia.

<< Previous Story Nocturnal assembly topic of...

Next Story >> Exhibits