Departments Across Campus Donate Personal Protective Equipment to Local Health Care Workers</h1> <article> <h1>Departments Across Campus Donate Personal Protective Equipment to Local Health Care Workers</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:24:10 +0000</p> <span>Departments Across Campus Donate Personal Protective Equipment to Local Health Care Workers</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-03-26T14:24:10-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 14:24">Thu, 03/26/2020 - 14:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ��’s Student Health Services and faculty and staff in the Science Center recently donated their inventory of medical supplies to Mercy Health—Allen Hospital and Welcome Nursing Home to help protect health care workers dealing with the <a href="/news/corona-virus-updates">COVID-19</a> outbreak.</p> <p>In the past week, Mercy’s emergency department received a substantial donation of N-95 face masks, surgical masks, face shields, gloves, disposable lab coats, and safety glasses from Student Health Services and the <a href="/node/3346">biology</a>, <a href="/chemistry">chemistry</a> and <a href="/biochemistry">biochemistry</a>, and <a href="/neuroscience">neuroscience</a> departments.</p> <p>Aimee Holmes, an advanced practice registered nurse in Student Health, said the staff felt compelled to donate because they knew there was a need. </p> <p>“Every time I saw nurses and doctors on the news desperate for personal protective equipment, I knew we had to do something. With so few students on campus, we knew we would not need all the equipment that we had. We felt it should be with the medical staff on the front lines,” Holmes said.</p> <p>Student Health made an initial donation of 100 N-95 masks and 25 face shields to Mercy, and 80 N-95 masks and 25 face shields to Welcome Nursing Home. </p> <p>“After the initial donation, we decided to take another look at our inventory when we heard that the hospital was still in need,” Holmes said. Student Health donated an additional 100 gowns, 16 deluxe protection kits and 3,000 gloves. </p> <p>Forrest Rose, the building manager for the <a href="/science-center">Science Center</a>, coordinated a donation of protective equipment from the teaching and research labs, which included 108 boxes of gloves, 14 boxes of disposable lab coats, 25 N-95 masks, 360 surgical masks, and a small quantity of face shields and safety glasses.</p> <p>“Since most of our labs will be conducted remotely for the remainder of the semester, we do not have an urgent need for the stock of supplies we keep on hand to keep students and staff safe in the lab setting,” Rose said. “We couldn't sit by and let our supplies sit in cabinets or on shelves when the hospital could use them to help save lives. That’s why we donated—to save lives.”</p> <p>Scott Jasko in 91ֱ��’s transportation department helped Science Center staff load a 6x3 flat cart piled four feet high with supplies, and they were delivered to Mercy’s ER the next morning. After their donation, Rose said the hospital informed him that they could use all of the nitrile gloves the labs can spare. “We are going to rise to the challenge,” he said.</p> <p>“We appreciate everything that local health care providers are doing to take care of this community, and we want to make sure that they are staying safe,” Holmes said. “Although what we have given is not much compared to what is needed, if the supplies that we give can protect one person for one more day, then it’s worth it.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-03-26T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/26/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2362">Health and Wellness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2764">Science Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25246">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25306">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A large cart of personal protective equipment from the 91ֱ�� Science Center labs was delivered to Mercy Allen Hospital emergency room.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Forrest Rose</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Beyond Athletics: New Health and Wellness Center Pushes Campus to “Be Bold”</h1> <p>eulrich — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 18:58:21 +0000</p> <span>Beyond Athletics: New Health and Wellness Center Pushes Campus to “Be Bold”</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-07-23T14:58:21-04:00" title="Monday, July 23, 2018 - 14:58">Mon, 07/23/2018 - 14:58</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Since her appointment as president in 2017, President Carmen Twillie Ambar has advocated for demonstrating the value of liberal arts more clearly. She says that this is possible by “tapping into 91ֱ��’s DNA of being bold.” Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos says that the new health and wellness center is all about the 91ֱ�� community coming together and being bold.</p> <p>“I have lots of respect for President Ambar—her boldness and willingness to jump out and inspire the community. To be bold, it takes physical strength and emotional stability, which is where the center comes into play,” says Winkelfoos. For her, boldness is about “making self-care a priority,” and advocating for “the marriage of physical health and emotional wellbeing.”</p> <p>Winkelfoos says that the process of developing programming in the new facility has been both calculated and natural. “It fits our needs, not just our wants, which is perfect modest thinking for a place like 91ֱ��,” she says.</p> <p>Rather than building an ostentatious facility with little value to the community as a whole, the center was born out of a response to needs voiced by campus members.</p> <p>Head Women’s Softball Coach Sara Schoenhoft has been instrumental in wellness programming efforts and says that the new facilities will allow her to instill in her players an attitude of “wellness for life,” not just during the season. But, she says that transforming narratives around wellness is an effort aimed at the entire campus, not just student athletes.</p> <p>Winkelfoos considers wellness a need, one she says nurtures sound minds and bodies. “We go to school, work, and play in a high level academic environment—a place that’s going to challenge you personally, professionally, and academically. When you have that type of pressure, it builds up and the more you feel tight, the less you’re able to focus and think clearly.”</p> <p>Winkelfoos explains that, to carry out 91ֱ��’s commitment not just to higher learning, but to social justice work as well, the interconnectedness of mental and physical wellness must be at the forefront of the conversation. By recognizing the pressure on students not only to perform academically, but to constantly think critically and thoughtfully about the world they live in, the center provides both a nexus and safe haven for students to prioritize taking care of themselves.</p> <p>“Stress should not be a badge of honor, self-care should be,” Winkelfoos says. “The greatest gifts we can give our students is an education of how to care for yourself after you leave 91ֱ��.”</p> <p>From programming for introverts (“Podcast Cardio”) to monthly self-care seminars, the center makes what Winkelfoos calls “that hard connection” between physical and emotional wellbeing. A conference room in the facility will serve as a drop-in space for Counseling Center office hours as well as a resource hub for the Office of Disability Resources and the Center for Student Success.</p> <p>By offering an accessible one-stop shop for mental health resources, Winkelfoos says that the center is working to “break down the stigma of going to the Counseling Center and asking for help.”</p> <p>Winkelfoos and Schoenhoft say that the wellness center programming has been designed to make introverts and lay people alike feel more comfortable working out in an environment that is not so athlete-centric.</p> <p>Students can expect free or low-cost programming available to them, including instructor-guided spinning and yoga classes as well as a TRX room (body weight exercises). In addition, the new facility will offer counseling center drop-in hours and cocurricular nutrition classes offered through the Athletics and Physical Education Program.</p> <p>The health and wellness center will open its doors at the beginning of the fall semester. During Orientation, incoming first-year students will be able to take part in group fitness classes and even snag some free Yeomen swag.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-07-23T12:00:00Z">Mon, 07/23/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Patricia ’63 & Merrill ’61 Shanks Health and Wellness Center is about more than revamping the existing athletics facilities. The center was built with the intent of bringing the campus community together by fostering healthy connections between body and mind.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2771">Athletics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2411">Athletics & Wellness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2362">Health and Wellness</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/natalie-winkelfoos" hreflang="und">Natalie Winkelfoos</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Exterior of health and wellness center facilities</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Frank Talk About Injuries</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 17:43:05 +0000</p> <span>Frank Talk About Injuries</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-06-07T13:43:05-04:00" title="Monday, June 7, 2021 - 13:43">Mon, 06/07/2021 - 13:43</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After receiving acupuncture treatment for a hand injury in 2001, acclaimed violinist Pamela Frank suffered nerve damage in her arm that put her career on hold for more than a decade. She returned to the stage in 2012 but continues to enlighten young musicians on the importance of mindful playing.</p> <p>Frank and physical therapist Howard Nelson presented a two-day residency in 91ֱ�� this April that featured a master class, a workshop documenting Frank’s injury and recovery, and one-on-one sessions with students in which they were able to assess and address issues they were each facing. Frank shared the following thoughts with us during her visit.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>How much did you think about health-related issues such as “movement analysis” before you sustained an injury of your own?</strong><br> <br> Not at all! In fact, I ignored many small aches over decades and never felt I had any issues.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>How pervasive are the bad habits you see in young conservatory musicians today?</strong><br> <br> Most people have underlying problems that they do not think are significant or do not seek help for. Some of these may develop into full-blown injuries. Young people are more at risk because they think they are invincible. It is impossible for us to know the percentage of musicians who play with a significant pain problem, but there is no shortage of players who are seeking our help. </p> <p></p> <p><strong>Are there particular factors that most commonly lead to problems among musicians with whom you have worked?</strong><br> <br> There are many factors that we see repeated that can lead to pain and injury. For example:</p> <p>• Sub-optimal fit of their shoulder/chin rest combination to their anatomy. This could cause the overuse of neck muscles or the muscles on top of their shoulder to work harder in order to stabilize the instrument.<br> • Improper muscle use—i.e., using more muscles than are necessary for the task.<br> • Head stays fixed, not free. <br> • Postural alignment veers too far from “neutral” for too long.<br> • Moving the body in a way that makes it difficult to hear their sound well or that can contribute to pain.<br> • Not taking enough breaks when practicing or using a computer, or not performing a beneficial intervention (such as stretching) during breaks.<br> • Postural habits to avoid: head forward, head to the left (looking at fingers), torso rotated too far, actively pulling shoulders down, left arm pinned to the body.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>Are there strategies you can share for avoiding these problems?</strong><br> <br> • Identify the movements or postures that irritate you, and minimize or eliminate them.<br> • Take short breaks (~30 seconds) every 20 minutes while working at a computer or practicing.<br> • Stretch to the opposite position from where you play.<br> • Don’t stand static with your instrument on your back.<br> • Play with the music stand as high as is comfortable at home and in rehearsal (without blocking the view of other players).<br> • Use a mirror and videotape to notice if you are out of neutral.<br> • Try to make your instrument and environment adapt to your anatomy. Modify your shoulder/chin rest as necessary.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>How does one go about locating the proper specialist to help with a given problem?</strong></p> <p>Don’t be afraid to talk to everyone you know about your problem: parents, friends, teachers, mentors, colleagues, and especially to your doctor, who can lead you to an orthopedist (specialized in the body part that bothers you), a physiatrist (rehabilitation medicine), or another specialist. Physicians can prescribe physical or occupational therapy. Occupational therapists more often work with hand and wrist problems.</p> <p><strong>Through your work with students, you’re modeling attributes of today’s entrepreneurial musician: You took a challenging situation and turned it into a path of empowerment, for yourself and for others. At what point in your recovery did you realize that your own tribulations might serve as inspiration for others?</strong><br> <br> The longer and more painstaking the rehabilitation took, the more I wondered if I would ever conquer the problem. I can’t describe the gratitude I felt and still feel to be able to play again. But as with any rehab, one is never “done.” Maintenance requires mindfulness, which I will happily practice for the rest of my life.</p> <p>My goal has nothing to do with entrepreneurship. If I can help destigmatize injury or help others “come out of the closet” by sharing my story, then it will have been worth the struggle. I will never take my recovery for granted and hope to forever inspire others to address their issues in an open and timely way.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Violinist turned mindfulness practitioner Pamela Frank shares her strategies for healthy playing.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-06-28T12:00:00Z">Wed, 06/28/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2362">Health and Wellness</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33036">Baroque Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33041">Baroque Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36206">Viola</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35986">Viola da Gamba</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36156">Double Bass</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Pamela Frank (right) works with a student violinist in 91ֱ��'s Stull Recital Hall.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Julie Gulenko '15</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ��'s Apollo Theatre to Show Performance Anxiety Film Nov. 30</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:25:42 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ��'s Apollo Theatre to Show Performance Anxiety Film Nov. 30</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-01-31T15:25:42-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 31, 2017 - 15:25">Tue, 01/31/2017 - 15:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>John Beder knows well the joys of being a musician, and he knows the sometimes debilitating fears.</p> <p>A percussionist since childhood, Beder took part in youth orchestras and attended a performing arts high school, then continued his studies at Boston University.</p> <p>And like many of his fellow musicians, Beder became accustomed to popping an occasional pill to calm his nerves at audition time. Beta blockers—commonly prescribed for the treatment of hypertension—have long been used by anxious musicians, though few dare to admit it. For many, it seems, use of the drug is viewed as a sign of weakness, or as a means of gaining an unfair advantage.</p> <p>Intrigued by the murky subject, Beder pursued it for his first feature film, a new documentary called <i>Composed</i>. In it, dozens of classical musicians—many of them from major American orchestras—share their passion for music and their sometimes crippling fears of performing and auditioning. Among those interviewed are 91ֱ�� Conservatory faculty members <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/strings/faculty_detail.dot?id=21193">Peter Slowik</a> (viola) and <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/woodwinds-brass-and-percussion/faculty_detail.dot?id=27131">Robert Walters</a> (oboe and English horn), who performs with The Cleveland Orchestra. Filmed over a nine-month period in 2015, <i>Composed</i> also includes the insight of mental-health professionals who help artists overcome their anxiety.</p> <p>Released last month in New York, the film will be shown at 91ֱ��’s <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/apollo/">Apollo Theatre</a> at 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 30. Presented by 91ֱ�� Conservatory, the exclusive screening is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Beder, Slowik, 91ֱ�� Professor of Singing <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=20627">Salvatore Champagne</a>, Associate Dean for Academic Support <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/dean/dean-detail.dot?id=12568ec2-1e52-48f1-a0f2-c7f2a9c0439f">Chris Jenkins</a>, and a representative from the <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/office/counseling-center/">91ֱ�� College Counseling Center</a>.</p> <p>“I was fascinated by the discussion surrounding beta blockers,” Beder says of his inspiration. “It started that way, and it started with the fascination with how I used them and talked about them with my percussion friends—but otherwise didn’t have open conversations about something that everybody seemingly was using.”</p> <p>The project soon widened in scope to focus on the phenomenon of performance anxiety and the multitude of ways—healthy and otherwise—musicians cope with it, from alcohol to meditation, and from hypnosis to yoga.</p> <p>“I made this film specifically for musicians, hoping that others who experience stress in their lives can find something to relate to and something that might help them in their own moment of high stress,” says Beder, 30, who made <i>Composed</i> with only the help of his wife and numerous friends who assisted with filming.</p> <p>Early returns have been encouraging. At screenings in recent weeks, Beder has been touched by an outpouring of gratitude—even tears—from viewers, many of whom are shocked to learn that they are far from alone in their anxiety. (In fact, the film notes, 98 percent of musicians admit to feeling performance anxiety at some time or another.)</p> <p>“Any musician who has spent any time preparing something for an audience knows that feeling of hoping that it will be received well,” Beder says. “At one point, I just hoped that someone—at least one person—would watch the movie and say that it was good. If that person was my mom, that would be enough.</p> <p>“Then you keep adding on these hopes and dreams and expectations for it. Eventually, I hoped that someone would say, ‘Thank you. You’ve helped me in some way. You’ve shown me something that makes me feel better. That makes me a better person. That makes me feel empowered.’”</p> <p>Learn more about <i>Composed</i> at <a href="http://composeddocumentary.com/">composeddocumentary.com</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-11-15T12:00:00Z">Tue, 11/15/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2361">Apollo Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2362">Health and Wellness</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Tough Semester? There's a Dean for That</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:03:39 +0000</p> <span>Tough Semester? There's a Dean for That</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:03:39-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:03">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Chris Jenkins’ path to the Holy Land wouldn’t make a very good movie.</p> <p>“I googled ‘viola teaching’ and ‘West Bank,’” he says. “I found a job and applied for it, and there I was.”</p> <p>There he was, teaching wide-eyed young students in Ramallah for the past year, making do with very little and making musicians where at first there had been only underprivileged, undereducated children.</p> <p>“The students were really cool and very energetic,” says Jenkins, who quickly learned not to take for granted such Western luxuries as e-mail and telephones and functional computers.</p> <p>“Sometimes they didn’t understand why music was important. Teaching them that is the most difficult thing—trying to help them get in touch with their feelings. It’s not reinforced so thoroughly there as it is here. Here in America, we have things like <em>American Idol</em> in our pop culture, so it becomes a given that you express yourself through music.”</p> <p>Appointed over the summer as the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music’s first assistant dean for academic support, Jenkins has been expressing himself through music for as long as he can remember. And he knows well the challenges that go along with a life built around intensive study.</p> <p>Born and raised in Manhattan, he focused on music theory and psychology as an undergrad at Harvard. “But I confess,” he quickly adds: “Most of what I did there was play in chamber music groups.”</p> <p>He continued his studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned a master’s degree in viola performance under the tutelage of Martha Katz. It’s also where his horizons began to expand from classical repertoire to jazz, then to Indian sounds, and to numerous other stops along the musical map. He honed his improv chops at the Manhattan School of Music, gaining invaluable experience on the side. He performed with the New York Philharmonic and toured with Diana Ross. And somewhere along the way, he experienced a crucial epiphany.</p> <p>“I was freelancing and playing in ensembles and subbing on Broadway, and it sort of occurred to me that there were other things I was into that I figured I’d better explore before I got too much older.”</p> <p>And so he enrolled in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, earning a master’s degree and setting a new course that united his musical passions with an administrative calling.</p> <p>For seven years, he served as dean of the Sphinx Performance Academy, a music program for underrepresented youth. It was in this role that he found himself visiting the 91ֱ�� campus four consecutive summers, and where he found a welcoming world far different than any he had previously known.</p> <p>As dean of academic support, Jenkins’ role is to guide students through the rough patches that are all but inevitable amid 91ֱ��’s rigorous regimen. “We’re here to help them learn how to realize their potential and how to recognize the pitfalls that can happen when they’re overextended,” he says.</p> <p>Overextension can be a way of life at 91ֱ��, where even students who are singular in their focus can find themselves challenged to balance demanding schedules. Added to that are the many who commit themselves to the pursuit of double majors and even <a href="/node/24686">double degrees</a>—a signature option at 91ֱ��, where violinists might also specialize in neuroscience, or where composers split their time with politics.</p> <p>It’s a comprehensive education like few others, though it’s one that Jenkins knows well.</p> <p>“Having been a music student at Harvard, I understand that split academic and musical focus—what it’s like when you’re in regular classes all day and you’ve got to practice all night,” he says.</p> <p>As the fall semester wears on, more and more students are making their way to Jenkins’ door. He looks forward to each one of them, with an upbeat and congenial personality that’s freshly road-tested in Ramallah.</p> <p>“Most of all, I’m just trying to connect with students and present myself as open and friendly and relaxed,” he says. If it works for him, he figures, it just might work for them too.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2014-10-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/01/2014 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2362">Health and Wellness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Chris Jenkins arrived in 91ֱ�� in the summer of 2014, after spending a year teaching viola students in the West Bank.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>