As a senior, remote learning is an unusual way to wrap up college; but what eclipses this reality is, of course, how COVID-19 is affecting the entire world. Though individuals across the globe are being asked to retreat and isolate, I find myself reflecting on how this situation is creating more intentionality, consciousness, and empathy surrounding social engagement.

Dr. Patrick Shade, associate professor of philosophy at Rhodes College, is the author of the book Habits of Hope. His teaching and research interests include medical ethics, care ethics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of education.

Rhodes faculty reflect on teaching remotely. The takeaway? Even in a time of “social distancing,” Rhodes faculty are finding creative ways to maintain close connections with their students.

Maleelo Shamambo, a neuroscience major and French minor at Rhodes College, is one of only 47 college seniors nationwide to receive the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $36,000 grant for one year of independent study and travel outside the United States after graduation. Her project is titled “Pills and Potions: Indigenous Knowledge in Modern Medicine,” and she seeks to explore how different communities integrate traditional knowledge systems into modern science and medicine while charting the traditional and scientific value of indigenous medicinal plant specimens.

Scott Newstok, professor of English at Rhodes, has published his edition of Michael Cavanagh’s Paradise Lost: A Primer. Cavanagh, a Grinnell College professor who was Newstok’s mentor, passed away before he could revise his manuscript. Newstok worked with Cavanagh’s family to complete the volume, which introduces first-time readers to John Milton’s 1667 epic poem.

A team of five Rhodes seniors recently won the local competition of the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Institute Research Challenge, and now will match wits and analytical skills against other student teams advancing to the regional competition to be held April 20-21 in New York City. They are Ted Bilden (business), Liza Esther (economics and business), Elliot Gorski (economics and business), John Medich (mathematics and economics), and Andrew Morton (business).

“I like helping people create resumés and showing them how to communicate with employers. I feel like I have been given a lot of responsibility, designing programs for students. The position has really solidified my skills in terms of creativity and leadership,” says Taylor, who is pursuing the community health track of the urban studies major and is interested in becoming a registered nurse or nurse practitioner. “I feel like working in Career Services has also helped prepare me for applying to schools for nursing.”

With primary elections underway throughout the U.S., Dr. Michael Nelson, a recognized Presidential scholar and the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes, is discussing his new book on Bill Clinton’s place in American politics.

Members of the Rhodes community and local residents gathered in the Bryan Campus Life Center Feb. 25 to hear 100-year-old Sam Weinreich share poignant moments of one of the most horrific times in history. He and his 95-year-old wife, Frieda, are the oldest Holocaust survivors living in Memphis. “You are looking at a piece of history, because there are not too many people around anymore who can tell you exactly what happened,” he told a packed room.