Meet your orientation leaders
We'd like to extend a hearty "welcome to Macalester", from your 2009 Orientation Leader (OL) staff! A short bio and photo of each of the OLs are included below.
- Each OL works with a group of incoming students who are registered for the same first year course.
- Your OL will lead you through the entire orientation process, including getting to know campus, academic life, living at Mac, and connecting with other students.
- Your assigned OL will contact you in August prior to your arrival on campus.
- Explore below to learn more about this year's stellar crop of student leaders...
Maggie Jacoby
OL for Transfer Students
Los Angeles, CA
’11, History
Favorite activities include: MJO.
Advice for first year students: “Be open minded meeting new people/doing new things.”
Ellen Fitzharris
OL for Transfer Students
Seattle, WA
’11, Psychology
Favorite activities include: Ultimate Frisbee, Fresh Concepts Improv
Advice for first year students: “Be sure you make time to have a lot of fun.”
Vera Sidlova, Maggie Hutchison , Suzy Puican, Tricia Wendt
Vera Sidlova
Czech Republic
’11, Political Science, Psychology
Favorite activities include: Lives of Commitment, teaching ESL and MCSG.
Advice for first year students: “Meet people, really get to know them. Do spontaneous and silly things: dance in the quad, have tea parties, EXPLORE the neighborhood, build a fortress in your lounge, etc.”
Maggie Hutchison
Evanston, IL
‘12
Favorite activities include: Lives of Commitment, Symphony Orchestra, Flying Fingers, Ultimate Frisbee, Colleges Against Cancer, working at the Admissions Office, and intramurals.
Advice for first year students: “Go to dinner at 5 and stay until 7:30 when Café Mac closes- it’s worth it to eat a leisurely dinner and get into long conversations with interesting people.”
Susann Puican
Chicago, IL
‘12
Favorite activities include: Women’s Hockey, Mac Unitarians, Women’s Rugby, MPIRG, and WMCN.
Advice for first year students: “Bring things from home that make you feel cozy. Bring lots of blankets and pillows so that your bed is a safe haven. Bring posters, pictures and books so that you can make your room a home away from home right away.”
Tricia Wendt
Jakarta, Indonesia
’11, Political Science
Favorite activities include: Orchestra, volunteering, volleyball, and working on the Annual Fund.
Advice for first year students: “Bring pictures!”
Zoe Fullem, Sam Delserra, Lindsay Daniels, Olivia Posner
Zoe Fullem
Albany, NY
‘12
Favorite activities include: Crew, MPIRG, volunteering off campus, and intramural soccer.
Advice for first year students: “Feel free to explore every option you’re interested in and then decide later what you want to continue. Keep trying to expand your friend circle- always try to meet new people.”
Samantha Del Serra
Scranton, PA
‘12
Favorite activities include: Sirens, the Hildegard Singers, and dance.
Advice for first year students: “Get to know as many people as possible- even the people you think you won’t have anything in common with. You have the chance to be who you want to be without a history- take advantage of this opportunity!”
Lindsay Daniels
Bloomsburg, TX
’12, Russian Studies
Favorite activities include: Model UN, and Hall Council.
Advice for first year students: “Don’t forget to give friends and family your address- getting mail is one of the best parts of the day.”
Olivia Posner
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
‘12
Favorite activities include: MPIRG, club lacrosse, work study, and volunteering in Environmental Education.
Advice for first year students: “Don’t miss opportunities to meet new people. You never know who will end up being one of your good friends!”
Kelsey Schuette, Mary Neely, Lauren Martinez
Kelsey Schuette
Lakeville, MN
’10, Global Health and Humanitarianism
Favorite activities include: being a tour guide, an OL, and working as a Biology TA.
Advice for first year students: “Afraid you’ll have to sit awkwardly alone at the dining hall? Never fear! You can always sit at the bar and end up meeting very cool people that way.”
Mary Neely
Springfield, MO
’11, Classics
Favorite activities include: Mac Protestants and the CRSL, working in the library and the Classics Department.
Advice for first year students: “Be excited! Fake it if you have to. Pretending you’re too cool for orientation doesn’t make it any better or make you cool. It just means you’re not going to get anything out of it. Make an effort, even a little one. I promise you’ll get something out of it.”
Lauren Martinez
Redmond, WA
‘12
Favorite activities include: Mac Protestants, Health Promotions, and being in the Anthropology Department.
Advice for first year students: “Think long and hard about your packing list. Don’t wait too long to get off campus. Take advantage of all the friends you can meet in the first week!”
Isaac Sparling, Robert Hemphill, Emma Kaplan, Lorin Leake, Emma Cohen, Meg LaFarge, Lauren Dutkiewicz, Adam Jones
Isaac Sparling
New York, NY
’10, Computer Science
Favorite activities include: Mac Bike, Mac Gamers, and Computer Science Honor Society/Mac Problem Solvers.
Advice for first year students: “Coffee isn’t a substitute for sleep, but it’s delicious. Try lots of new things!”
Robert Hemphill
Park Ridge, IL
’11, Political Science
Favorite activities include: Mac CARES, MPIRG, EXCO, the Sustainability Advisory Committee, Mac Dems, MCSG, and Choir.
Advice for first year students: “Sit with different people at Café Mac. You will make new and interesting friends. Bring movies, music and instruments to bond with.”
Emma Kaplan
Los Angeles, CA
‘12
Favorite activities include: Dupre Hall Council, Social Responsibility Committee, Mac Forum, being generally enthusiastic, and intramural dodge ball/kickball.
Advice for first year students: “Be yourself! Smile! Don’t forget your keys!”
Lorin Leake
Whites Creak, TN
‘12
Favorite activities include: Concert Choir, working at the Leonard Center, being a chapel assistant at the CRSL, and volleyball.
Advice for first year students: “Make time for homework. It will be difficult to find a balance at first because school isn’t physically separated from one’s social lifelike in high school. Find a study space to stick with (floor lounges are not best). Don’t get involved in too much. Mac students are renowned for having multiple interests and pursuing them all, but start out slowly and make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself from the very start. It is always nice to have the time to just sit and chat with friends and explore the cities.”
Emma Cohen
Brookline, MA
‘12
Favorite activities include: Mac Players, being a tour guide, tutoring, being a Scotch Tape groupie, and being a non-competitive basketball “cheerleader”.
Advice for first year students: “Bring duct tape, don’t assume anything about anybody, and meet as many people as you can during orientation!”
Meg LaFarge
Denver, CO
’11, English
Favorite activities include: Choir, Thistle, and being a tour guide.
Advice for first year students: “Try to make at least one new friend every day of your first week at Mac. It’s okay to be terrified (I was), but put yourself out there and you’ll be really glad you made the extra effort.”
Adam Jones
Baltimore, MD
’12, History and Religious Studies
Favorite activities include: Choir, Flying fingers, WMCN, and Café Mac.
Advice for first year students: “Bring extra socks- they seem to get lost; Always lock your door. Boots, boots, boots!”
Jaye Gardiner, Diego Ruiz, Christina Fitzsimmons , Jack Wickham
Jaye Gardiner
Chicago, IL
’11, Biology
Favorite activities include: Mac YARN, DISC, being a Biology major and a Chemistry lab TA.
Advice for first year students: “Have fun, everyone is in the same boat.”
Diego Ruiz
San Francisco, CA
’12
Favorite activities include: Independent media jobs (generationpix.org, Out Loud Radio), and working as an Admissions Office Assistant
Advice for first year students: “Be nice to your OL group! You’re not too cool to hang out with them, and it’s more than likely they’ll end up being some of your best friends.”
Christina Fitzsimmons
Camp Hill, PA
’11, Biochemistry
Favorite activities include: Women’s Rugby, WISM, Mac Pic, the Astronomy tower, and working as a Biochemistry Research Assistant.
Advice for first year students: “Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try new things/meet new people.”
Jack Wickham
Ridgefield, CT
’12
Favorite activities include: The Mac Weekly, QU, Scotch Tape, Mac for Justice in Palestine, and intramural basketball.
Advice for first year students: “Bring a fan. Don’t be too self-conscious; everyone’s in the same situation as you are.”
Roman Raymundo
Wichita, KS
’11, Art History
Favorite activities include: Amnesty International, Emerging Scholars’ Program, and Adelante.
Advice for first year students: “Take time for yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk to people.”
Tom Poulos
Irvine, CA
’11, Sociology
Favorite activities include: I am a writer for the Mac Weekly, and am involved in MacDEMS.
Advice for FY students: “Get involved!”
Yan Huang
Shanghai, China
’12
Favorite activities include: This year, I was involved in the APA show, International Kidsfest, and the Asian Festival.
Advice for FY Students: “Make friends from as many states and other countries as you can.Participate in group activities (volunteer opportunities, student organizations, etc.) Take advantage of Mac’s resources to pursue your goals/dreams.”
Peytie McCandless
St. Paul, MN
’11, English
Favorite activities include: Choir, Allies Project, White Identity Collective, Jazz Band, voice and piano lessons.
Advice for first year students: “Pack a really warm jacket. Think about what’s really important to you so you have a sense of what activities you want to get involved with.”
Dustin Studelska
Grafton, WI
’12, History
Favorite activities include: I work at the Health and Wellness Center with some other students, and I am on the baseball team.
Advice for first year students: “You are probably smarter than you think you are so don’t psych yourself out before you get a chance to succeed in college. You’ll get the hang of the whole college thing pretty quickly. Also, call your parents once a week if you can, it makes them happy.”
Peter Truax
Hugo, MN
’10, Geography
Favorite activities include: Macalester Traditions, SMILE, Mac Pic, and being in the Geography Department.
Advice for first year students: “Everything is more complicated than it seems; push yourself to understand it all the same.”
Matt Kazinka
Iowa City, IA
’11, Environmental Studies
Favorite activities include: I'm pretty deeply involved in the campus sustainability movement, through my job as the Sustainability Assistant in Facilities Services and the student org MacCARES. I also play trombone in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band here. Off-campus, I've spent a lot of time working on a youth summer program for sustainable community development called the Summer of Solutions.
Advice for first year students: “When you get here, try three things you never thought you would try before coming to college. Join a cultural org, pick up a martial art, take bagpipe lessons, or go vegan for a month - whatever it is, surprise yourself and challenge yourself to grow.”
Tempestt Gilmore
Jackson, MS
’10, Cognitive Neuroscience Studies, Anthropology Minor
Favorite activities include: Bodacious Hip Hop Dance Team
Advice for first year students: “Don't be afraid to ask questions if there is something that holds your interests.”
Karen Maeda
Portland, OR
’12
Favorite activities include: MCSG, Pluralism and Unity, the Host Family Program, Japanese Tutoring, and intramural dodge ball/kickball.
Advice for first year students: “Be yourself. This is your chance to start over new.”
Kazusa Yamashita
Kanagawaken, Japan
’11, Anthropology
Favorite activities include: Coed Club Volleyball, Mac Swings, Asian Student Alliance.
Advice for first year students: “Keep yourselves warm, enjoy the outdoors when it’s warm, take advantage of the Twin Cities, walk, bike, explore, and challenge yourself to new things!”
Needham Hurst
Indianapolis, IN
'11, Economics
Favorite activities include: Sitting @ Mac (Buddhist meditation organization), Macalester Multifaith Council, Lives of Commitment (as a FY and a Sophomore), Lilly Summer Fellows.
Advice for first year students: "Try not to put people in boxes."
Morgan Jones
Portland, OR
’11, Economics
Favorite activities include: The Lilly Project through Lives of Commitment, the Action Fund Committee, intramurals, and Habitat for Humanity.
Advice for first year students: “Don’t be afraid to bite off more than you can chew the first couple of months here! It can be easier to scale back commitments than to jump into them sometimes and it’s impossible to know how something will actually affect your schoolwork or well-being unless you try it. The groups here provide so many opportunities to actually do something and to miss out on that for no reason other than that you didn’t look for it from the beginning is unfortunate.”
‘09 Orientation Coordinators
Tirelessly, we are working towards your arrival this Fall!!
Katie Agnew
Zimmerman, MN
’11, Mathematics, Environmental Studies Minor
Activities: Program Board Chair 2009-2010, MPIRG, Volunteer at Simpson Shelter
Hobbies: Watching TV and drinking smoothies
Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese
Advice to first years: “Get involved in stuff that appeals to you, its the best way to meet people with similar interests!”
Eva Beal
Pittsburgh, PA/ Goteborg, Sweden
’11, American Studies, Urban Studies
Activities: Tutoring, Allies Project, White Identity Collective, environmental justice
Hobbies: Baking cookies and eating bread and butter
Favorite Food: Cookies, mac and cheese, chocolate frosted chocolate donuts
Advice to first years: “Be like Katie. Sing like Ruddi. Dance like me. No, but for real, take the time to get to know yourself.”
Ruddi Tamakloe
Accra, Ghana
’11, Computer Science, Psychology Minor
Activities: Afrika!, Hildegard Singers, Mentoring
Hobbies: Listening to loud music, singing, watching good movies,
Favorite Food: Anything with spice!!, ANYTHING from home, chocolate!
Advice to first years: “After a while Mac begins to seem small, burst out of the bubble and meet new people. Taking an ACTC class is one way to do it!”