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14 FALL 2011 . S T. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Katie McHugh ’11
Major: Biochemistry
Hometown: Lowville, N.Y.
Favorite Course: Organic Chemistry
Much to my surprise, Organic
Chemistry was not the night-
mare I had anticipated for so
long. Strangely, it was rather more like
an elegant dance. I refer, of course, to the
movement of electrons; my fervent eforts
to understand the material could by no
means be considered elegant.
Really, I found Organic Chemistry
to be an immense puzzle. Tere were so
many variables to consider, so many rules
to abide by, so many rules to break. I
found myself nervous before exams, not
because I was afraid, but because I was
excited to solve the puzzles that were re-
markably deceptive. Learning to navigate
the maze of electron movement, or in
essence to understand the complexities
of certain chemical reactions, was utterly
thrilling.
My passion for solving puzzles mani-
fested itself through this course, sparking
my desire to enter into a profession where
I would constantly confront mysteries and
conundrums. And what better body of
mystery is there to explore than the human
body, as a physician?
Raymond Price IV ’13
Majors: History and Anthropology/
African Studies
Hometown: Shawnee, Pa.
Favorite Course: Confict in Africa
When one takes a history course
entitled Confict in Africa,
certain negative images come
to mind, of famine and fghting. Prof.
Matt Carotenuto, however, chose to focus
on a far diferent sense of confict on
the continent: the plethora of social and
demographic changes that the region has
undergone in recent decades. Trough the
lens of alcohol consumption in Ghana, for
instance, I learned how societies manage
and rein in young men who might other-
wise become unruly.
Although this might be fascinating in
and of itself, the course’s greatest beneft
was in simply expanding my notions of
what constitutes confict. Confict ofen
means more than the horrors of the 20th
century; it can also be found in more
nuanced areas of study. Such areas, while
not producing the attractive headlines of
better-known conficts, nonetheless have
stories to tell, and represent topics I intend
to explore further.
Ahmed Nofal ’13
Major: Economics
Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel
Favorite Course: Analyzing
Contemporary Media
Prior to attending St. Lawrence, I
was very uncertain about what to
expect out of it. Tis feeling slowly
disappeared during Analyzing Contempo-
rary Media, my First-Year Program (FYP)
course taught jointly by Professors Fred
Exoo of government and Kerry Grant of
English.
Because of the way the course was
designed, it served suitably in my transi-
tion between two worlds. Exploring
readings focused on the media cover-
age – especially the American one – of
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and of
other non-political issues, helped me gain
a more profound understanding of the
world. Learning how to analyze difer-
ent writings about business and political
issues, and attempting to read between
the lines, ofered an unparalleled exercise
in open-mindedness. Te skills taught by
Professors Exoo and Grant were frst-class.
Without any doubt, all of these factors
radically helped in making my adjustment
to college efortless.
Organic Chemistry was an
elegant dance.