A burst of energy filled Wilson College’s Dance in America class on November 7 as acclaimed dancer Jess Beach transformed the dance studio into a vibrant hip-hop stage. Beach's liveliness filled the room as students, ranging from novices to seasoned dancers, immersed themselves in a high-energy urban fusion class, learning not just dance moves, but also the cultural significance of hip-hop.
“My goal for you today is to take away something you can show off at the next wedding you go to or a night out with your friends,” Beach said. “If you have rhythm, I’ll help you find your groove. If you don’t have rhythm, just follow along.”
Beach presented a hip-hop buffet in a high-energy style that taught not only classic steps but also the community and communication embedded in hip-hop cultures. She walked the class through moves like the matrix, rock step, grapevine, Brooklyn rock, and six step. As the students grew comfortable with each move, they layered them together until the class learned a full, choreographed routine.
“I never grew up doing hip-hop,” said Rachel Biesecker ’26. “I love things like this because it’s a chance to try something new in a low-judgment area. You can fall down and nobody will care.”
Wilson’s dance minor incorporates these hands-on experiences for students to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the dance forms they study. Executing the steps shifts perspectives and changes the relationship to the dances learned in class, making it personal, communal, and meaningful.
“Dance is a distraction from what is going on in the world,” Beach said. “It’s a place where I’ve always felt safe. It’s a sanctuary where we get to play. There is no space for noise or static in our brains — just the steps.”
At an opening reception held in the Bogigian Gallery of Lortz Hall on Wednesday, November 6, Wilson College Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Adam DelMarcelle announced the winners of the 14th Annual Juried High School Student Art Exhibition.
DelMarcelle said this was an incredibly hard show to judge and described the importance of the show as two-fold. “This is a way for Wilson College to do community outreach in a really important way. The idea of us promoting our programs with the hope that students come here is one thing, but it’s more about us letting students know that what they do is massively important to their communities.”
The senior winners were:
The three undergraduate winners were all 10th grade students at the Barbara Ingrim School of the Arts who submitted photographs. They were:
Honorable mention went to:
This exhibition is an opportunity to be inspired by visions of creativity and celebrate regional excellence in the visual arts. The show includes works of art from entries submitted from Franklin, Adams, Cumberland, and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania and Washington County, Md.
Presented by Wilson’s School of Arts and Sciences, the exhibition runs through December 2 and features 45 pieces on display in the Bogigian Gallery on the second floor of Lortz Hall. The Gallery, named in honor of Wilson College benefactor Hagop Bogigian, is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Wilson College recently received a grant from WellSpan Health and the Summit Endowment that will assist the College in upgrading equipment that supports studies in nursing, healthcare, and exercise science education. WellSpan Health and the Summit Endowment provides grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that address health issues impacting Franklin County or Shippensburg, Pa. residents.
The grant will provide learning opportunities through the maintenance and purchase of new healthcare equipment, including an upgrade to an existing pediatric simulator and the purchase of a new metabolic cart. Using a pediatric simulator provides hands-on learning that will enable the students to feel more confident when assessing patients in a clinical setting. Providing students access to a metabolic cart will allow them to measure metabolic wellness and develop unique programs for the community that promote weight loss, disease prevention, management of chronic conditions, and overall well-being.
“The items purchased or upgraded through this donation will give students access to a higher level of technology that will enable them to assist others in the greater Franklin County community,” said Mindy Guinard, Ed.D., director of Nursing and Health Sciences.
With the high demand for skilled workers in all health and wellness careers, Wilson remains dedicated to preparing her students with the skills required to succeed in these patient care professions. Upgrading equipment and providing students with hands-on experiences will help prepare them for clinical settings after graduation. In addition to the equipment upgrades, Wilson College will participate in several health initiatives both on and off campus during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Political science major, Tristan Worlock '25 was stationed in front of Brooks Science Center on Constitution Day, encouraging students to register to vote while handing out free ice cream.
"A lot of students, especially around my age, think that their vote doesn't matter due to the Electoral College system. But in order for the Electoral College to cast a vote for the state, they need popular votes, so people need to get out and vote." he said.
Tristan is currently working as an intern for Wilson College to spearhead Wilson's involvement with ALL IN to Vote, a project of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. This project aims to increase college student voting nationally.
“Having the right to vote for whoever you like, with no political persecution, is one of the basic human fundamentals that Americans have, and I believe it's taken for granted by many. It’s important students understand that they need to get out and vote.”
When asked why he chose political science as a major at Wilson College Tristan replied, “I was a business major, but I didn’t see myself going into the world of business. I love politics too much. I've always been a history nerd. It's been my favorite subject, and that slowly turned into learning about the history of political ideologies throughout time. With that, I started to inform myself more on American politics and world politics in general. After that, it kind of all smashed together.”
How has Wilson College played a role in Tristan’s future? He enthusiastically explained, “I’m a transfer student, and this is the fourth college I've been to. It's been a complete turnaround. Two years ago, I thought I did not want to go back to school at all. But my best friend graduated from Wilson last year and he brought me here, and I've loved it ever since. This is the best possible choice that I could have made for myself.”
Tristan plans to be back at encouraging students to vote on Election Day. He will working a table providing students with guidance on where they can go locally to vote.
The Wilson College Orr Forum on Religion invited the community to hear the perspectives and experiences of Palestinian and Israeli Peace Activists Osama Illiwat and Rotem Levin.
This duo, known as "Salt of the Earth", travels the country sharing stories of their personal experiences as a path toward collective safety and liberation.
“We are for humanity. No one will be free if the others are living under occupation. No one will be safe unless everyone is safe,”
Conferences are a great way for college students to learn about the latest research in their field, network with other professionals, and gain experience presenting their own work. Students from the Wilson College history program and history club attended the Pennsylvania Historical Association meeting, October 10 through 12, in Johnstown PA.
There were three undergraduate student poster presentations, one graduate student presentation, and a presentation by Maxine Wagenhoffer, Director of the Hankey Center for the History of Womens Education, while Bonnie Rock-McCutcheon, Assistant Professor of History & Ancient World Studies, was the coordinator of the Student Research Session.
Posters:
Anne Wolfrum '27, Queer History in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Matthew Line '25, Native Americans of Pennsylvania: The Cultural Protection and Preservation of the Susquehannock-Conestoga People
Jeremiah Loyer '27, Wilson College and Its Effect on the Civil Rights MovementPresentations:
Ciji Holthaus (Master of Humanities graduate, Spring '24), Women of Wilson College: Wartime Response During World War II, 1941-1945
Maxine Wagenhoffer, Political Identity at Wilson College: Wilson Women and the Republican Party
On October 28, Wilson College held the second Common Hour of the 2024-25 academic year in the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics, and Technology. The event featured presentations by faculty scholars Dillon Beede, M.M., Ed.M., director of choral activities and chair in music, and Melanie E. Gregg, Ph.D., professor of humanities.
Beede discussed his research regarding “The (Trans)formational Choir: Insights into Identity, Pedagogy, and Policy from a Trans and Gender Expansive Choir.” Beede’s study focused on the work of a trans and gender expansive choir with the aims of sharing their perspectives, their pedagogical approaches, as well as the social environments they co-create and the ways in which that environment facilitates and supports identity development. He said, “It is the written, spoken, and unspoken agreements in the organization that create a space in which identity exploration is able to unfold.”
Gregg’s presentation “Advancing Communication Equity: The Case for Neuroqueer Crip Techno Heteroglossia in AI Development and Beyond” focused on centering the leadership perspectives and experiences of neurocognitive minorities and people with speech-related disabilities in the development of AI-powered assistive communication. Her research, devoted to communication equity, is based on the fair and just access to communication opportunities, tools, and resources suited to unique circumstances and needs. She said, “Communication has always served as the lifeline for societal thriving, but in this era when technology is making communication easier and faster than ever, it is time for us to reimagine our understanding of communication and assert unequivocally who has the right to communicate and how.”
This fall, the Common Hour sessions coincided with plenary sessions of Wilson’s first-year seminar course (FYS), providing an added opportunity for FYS faculty to present their research to the FYS seminar students while also sharing with the broader community. The faculty presentations helped model both the end-product of FYS and the passion and dedication to research and learning that is so integral to Wilson. In Spring 2025, Common Hour will return to its roots, focusing on faculty research presentations in more intimate settings, allowing for plenty of time for questions, conversation, and consideration. The College’s annual ArtsFest celebration will incorporate an arts-related Common Hour presentation in April.
Wilson College hosted a vaccination clinic for students, staff, and faculty and at the same time a health fair was held.
Nursing students promoted hand washing and healthy drink choices–comparing sugar and caffeine in common drinks.
The vaccination clinic and health fair were both successes and there are plans to grow the health fair even larger next year.
Campus celebrated Sarah Wilson Week with a trivia night, capture the flag, Halloween events and a special look at the life of Sarah Wilson.
EVENS vs. ODDS - students went head to head during capture the flag.
Brooks Science Center was hopping during the annual Halloween Spooktacular.
WCGA hosted a Trunk-or-Treat for the community. Wilson clubs decorated trunks and handed out candy and treats to kids in costume.
Sarah Wilson Week wrapped up with a presentation by Maxine Wagenhoffer, Director of the Hankey Center, on the life of Sarah Wilson, the College's most generous donor. Items from the Hankey Center archives relating to Sarah Wilson, such as the family bible and photos of Sarah, were on display for students to examine.
Five Wilson College students will each receive a $3,000 scholarship from a grant awarded by The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Since 2015, TERF has generously provided Wilson student recipients with over $112,000 in scholarship awards, including this year’s grant of $15,000.
TERF’s mission is to support Thoroughbred health and welfare by funding scholarships, educational programs, and equine research with a priority to make racing safer. Students majoring in equine studies, equine-facilitated therapeutics, veterinary nursing, or animal studies, are eligible for the awards, which are granted based on student need, academic achievement, and equine-related aspirations.
This year’s recipients are Wynter Cooley '25, Veterinary Nursing major with a concentration in Equine Medicine; Jasmine Gruver '25, Equine Studies major; Kendi Long '26, Equine Studies major; Makayla Reiter '26, Veterinary Nursing major with a concentration in Equine Medicine; and Regina Snyder '26, Equine Facilitated Therapeutics major.
Gruver '25 expressed her commitment to equine studies when she said, "After graduation, I hope to have a job where I can continue to work on the training of horses because that is what I enjoy doing the most. I know becoming a trainer takes a lot of time and dedication, but it is something that I have been passionate about my whole life."
Wilson’s scholarship recipients participate in programs led by Janice Holland, associate professor and director of Equine Studies, and Tammy Ege, assistant professor and director of Veterinary Nursing, who ensure scholarship recipients receive top-quality education in their respective fields.
To learn more about the TERF scholarships and awards, visit https://www.terfusa.org/
