Homecoming Week at Northern Vermont University is being celebrated a little different this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the week leading up to Saturday’s “Homecoming @ Home” event lineup, current NVU community members and alumni are encouraged to participate in a social media Spirit Week. Today’s theme is to recognize faculty and/or staff who have held a special place in your heart and influenced you. The Critic extended the opportunity to write about these people to our club members, and this is what they had to say…
Denise Doyon
By Alexandra Huff
In the early hours of the morning, most residents sleep through the cleaning of their suites and bathrooms. But for those early birds in the Poland/Rogers residence hall, you get to meet Denise, a sparkle of joy.
Denise has helped make every 8:30 AM class endurable by putting a smile on my face every morning. I remember that choosing to live in Rogers for my second year was very intimidating because I was going to be living with upperclassmen and, in theory, strangers. I moved in early for Peer Leader training in the weeks before school; the suite halls were silent aside from my shoe squeaks and certainly did not help my anxiety. That all changed when I met Denise. I was rushing out the door and through the bathroom to the first scheduled training session when I saw her, prepping my suite for the arrival of other students and maintaining the mess I had already begun to make. Instantly, with a simple “hello” and a smile from Denise, I knew I was going to be alright and that Poland/Rogers would be my home for the rest of my residential college career.
Whenever we were set to go on our week-long breaks, Denise would leave heartfelt messages in the lobby wishes us well and safe travels. She would provide the occasional snack or gift that we could grab on our way out the door. And if you didn’t leave campus during those times, she looked after you, too. Even amidst our sudden move to remote learning in the past spring semester, Denise’s kindness held strong among the students fearing what was to come.
Truly, if you speak to any resident of Poland or Rogers, they will tell you word for word “I love Denise.” She puts the students first and checks in on us, even after we have graduated and moved past the Lyndon campus. Denise remembers, and we love her for it. I think I speak for everyone whom she’s ever come in contact with when I say “thank you.”
Kelly Glentz-Brush
By Becca Fauteux
I’d like to shout out Kelly Glentz-Brush as a favorite professor of mine. She’s taught me since my very first semester at NVU-Lyndon (back when it was still Lyndon State) and even took over as my advisor when Barclay Tucker went on his sabbatical. Her specialty is graphic design, particularly print design, and her passion for the subject is absolutely contagious. Without her influence, I wouldn’t be as confident with my work, and I’d definitely be foggy on what my identity is as a designer and illustrator.
Our relationship hasn’t always been smooth sailing; I can recall my fair share of moments where we butted heads about design ideologies and the choices I made for a project. But that’s something I love about Kelly: her honesty. When I ask her for feedback, I know she will tell it how it is and not sugarcoat her criticism to save my feelings. I’m a big softie, and little old freshman me would break down and cry if anyone said anything remotely negative about my work. Kelly was one of the professors that helped me learn to take criticism and even come to embrace asking for feedback.
She also helped me realize my identity as an artist. I used to struggle a lot with labeling myself and understanding what my style was, and I still do to a limited extent. But Kelly’s classes forced me to reflect and create my image. To stand out amongst my peers, I skewed toward 80’s graphics and classic punk culture as influence for my work in her classes, and she was nothing but encouraging of my exploration. My hunger to explore this aesthetic led to my adoption of the two into my drawing and design style, which in turn solidified where I wanted to go with my work going forward.
Thank you Kelly, for helping this hipster punk find her identity and creative voice. I’ll see you in class!
Meaghan Meachem
By Alexandra Huff
People often ask students the story of how they first decided where to go to college. My answer always follows the journey of my fourth grade teacher driving my mum and I to what was then Lyndon State College for the annual Spring Day celebration, and my decision solely revolved around the feeling of homeliness I felt when stepping out of the car. I leave out the details of the students I met at Spring Day, or the professor that sat down with me and my company to make a plan to achieve my dreams.
When I told Meaghan Meachem I wanted to study Electronic Journalism Arts to eventually move on to work for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), I thought she would laugh at me or roll her eyes. I remember sitting in a chair, scared out of my mind, and being met with a kind smile and a list of classes I would need to take to graduate and get into the WWE. I won’t lie, and I’ve never told Meaghan this, but I was starstruck at the undying support she was giving to this little high school junior who she’s never met before and who may to even come to this university.
When I returned to the rebranded Northern Vermont University – Lyndon campus, seeing Meaghan again reminded me of why I am here. Still, on my hardest days where I am worn to the bone, being able to see her in the halls and knowing that there is someone who has my back every step of the way gives me that extra energy to push through it all.
Meaghan Meachem does it all. She gives feedback on projects in and out of class; she gives us the tough love we need to be prepared for the real world; and she is there for students on the days where you just need to sit in a room with someone and cry. Meaghan acts as my professor for multiple classes, my boss in News7/NewsLINC, my personal advisor, and even the advisor to The Critic, of which I am Editor-in-Chief. Without Meaghan’s support, I promise that I would be running around flailing my arms in panic, not knowing what to do with my life.
Thank you, Meaghan, for being everything at all times in the day. Thank you for your tough love, your uplifting speeches, cookies, and pictures of Finn (follow him on Instagram). I cannot say this strongly enough–I don’t know where I’d be without you here.