The Statement
THE STATEMENT
Students of the Year 2012 to 2013
- Illustration by Alicia Kovalcheck
BY HALEY GOLDBERG
In these eight pages, you can read the stories of the 11 nominees we felt embodied a “Student of the Year.” They’re students working to aid communities near and far, advocating for justice on campus, representing the University proudly on the field, on the court and overall making this campus a better place.
Students of the Year: Josh Buoy and Stephanie Hamel
- Teresa Mathew/Daily
BY JENNIFER CALFAS
For LSA seniors Josh Buoy and Stephanie Hamel, their film endeavors began in middle school, with a class project entitled “The Afrenchists,” which depicted French kings in the style of the television series “The Apprentice."
Students of the Year: Trey Burke
- (Adam Glanzman/Daily)
BY DANIEL WASSERMAN
Since the moment Trey Burke committed to playing one more season last April, the ensuing 12 months seemed to come out of a fairytale.
Students of the Year: Elisabeth Hindert
- Natasha Janardan/Daily
BY AARON GUGGENHEIM
Elisabeth Hindert, an LSA senior, is the head of marketing for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group that works to connect student-athletes with the community, and the director of I Will, a student campaign to educate students and raise awareness about sexual assault at the University
Students of the Year: Sripriya Navalpakam
- Katherine Pekala/Daily
BY KAYLA UPADHYAYA
Sripriya Navalpakam isn’t just an entrepreneur: She’s an activist. A Business sophomore, Navalpakam knew she wanted to go to business school when she was in eighth grade.
STUDENTS OF THE YEAR 2012-2013
Students of the Year: Meaghan O'Connor
- Todd Needle/Daily
BY ALICIA ADAMCZYK
While many college students barely have time to heat up a bowl of ramen noodles, LSA senior Meaghan O’Connor has baked over 1,000 cupcakes this year. But the Grand Rapids, Mich. native isn’t trying to fill an insatiable sweet tooth — she’s hoping to inspire students around campus.
Students of the Year: Denard Robinson
- Photo Illustration: Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
Denard Robinson was on the phone. He was on his way to a workout with the Washington Redskins. The LSA senior wanted to talk about a graduation bucket list.
Students of the Year: Kevin Mersol-Barg
- Terra Molengraff/Daily
BY JENNIFER XU
Anxious, restless and disarmingly modest in manner and speech, Public Policy senior Kevin Mersol-Barg does not resemble your typical political figure. Whereas some great orators have relied on theatrics to get their point across, Mersol-Barg’s speech patterns are completely and utterly drama-free.
Students of the Year: Brian Garcia
- Marlene Lacasse/Daily
BY STEVE ZOSKI
A student’s first year at the University can be overwhelming, but as a passionate performer, student, artist and advocate for social justice, freshman Brian Garcia is already beginning to make a difference.
STUDENTS OF THE YEAR 2012-2013
Students of the Year: Jennifer Ryan
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ALEXA DETTELBACH
Jenny Ryan is a lot of things. She’s an LSA senior, a point guard, she was the captain of the 2012-2013 women’s basketball squad and she’s a third team All-Big Ten selection.
But above all else, Jenny Ryan is a Wolverine.
The Saginaw native will go down as one of the best women’s basketball players in program history, both on and off the court.
Students of the Year: Rama Mwenesi
- Teresa Mathew/Daily
BY HARSHA NAHATA
Meet Rama Mwenesi, a senior studying industrial and operations engineering. Mwenesi is the co-founder of E-MAGINE, a multidisciplinary organization that works to provide Internet access to rural, marginalized populations across the world.
Visual Statement: Faces of Fleetwood
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ADAM GLANZMAN
A photostory about the Fleetwood Diner
The Statement
Conversations: Advice for the University newbie
- Teresa Mathew/Daily
BY THE STATEMENT STAFF
University Provost Phil Hanlon — who has been a University faculty member since 1986 — and Manish Parikh, Business senior and current Central Student Government president, met in Daily's newsroom to look back on their time at the University. Parikh graduates this spring, and Hanlon will leave to serve as president of Dartmouth College.
The Fans of Fairness
- Teresa Mathew/Daily
BY HALEY GOLDBERG
Ted Hillary has attended 24 men’s basketball NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four games and over 2,500 basketball games throughout his life — averaging about 95 games per season. But at the age of 64, Hillary had a new experience with basketball this year: filling out a March Madness bracket.
The Statement
The Science of It All: The nose knows
- Illustration by Megan Mulholland
BY JENNIFER XU
I once had an MCAT teacher who was unable to smell anything for an entire year. After undergoing a bad eating experience at an Indian restaurant, he woke up to discover that his sense of smell had vanished. He spent the good part of a year with an effectively plugged-up nose, eating all kinds of foods indiscriminately with little enjoyment.
