New University Video Promotes Diversity

By Sonal Tulsyani
Staff Writer

FDU’s newest video discusses just how life-changing college can be. For leaders and followers alike, it argues that this university is the place to make things happen, and this is the place to grow as a person.

“This is a university that places a great deal of emphasis on transforming lives,” President Christopher Capuano said in FDU’s newest video.

The video, which has 952 views and 12 likes on YouTube, discusses the secrets to the success of FDU’s science and engineering programs It also demonstrates that, while the university’s focus on the STEM field is steadfast, the commitment to a top-notch liberal arts education is unwavering.

“They get transformed because they learn how to actually use the scientific method and put it into practice,” said Professor Dr. Marion McClary when talking about the impact made on the science students at FDU.

He talks about what students in the program learn, how they learn it and how it prepares them for their field. Just by watching the video, it is obvious that the professors know that what they do matters and impacts every student they get. But this is not as obvious in some of the admissions videos of other colleges and universities.

“Our programs emphasize hands-on education,” said Professor Alfredo Tan, director of the Gilbert Haase School of Computer Sciences and Engineering.

In this part of the video, not only is it explained how the engineering program stands out in regards to preparing for the real world, but it is also shown. Illustrating the emphasis on building work experience with machines, tools and equipment used in companies that students will eventually work for, on top of the traditional college experience, makes this a unique university.

And the newest video not only shows why this university is a leader in global education, but also how it educates students to become leaders globally themselves. The opportunity for hands-on experience is not only mentioned for the science and engineering fields of study, but also for the liberal arts programs.

In the study abroad programs in Vancouver and Wroxton that were mentioned in the video, there is much to learn about the culture and the government that students bring back with them when they return to campus. Not all universities boast about their study abroad opportunities, but FDU is among the few that describe what that does for people while they are still in college.

While there are some who would undoubtedly have their own opinions about a video that only received 12 likes, there is something to be said about the way the message of the video is delivered. The viewers get to see this university from multiple perspectives, including student athletes, honors students, sorority members and faculty.

On one hand, the audience hears staff from both campuses talk about the programs they run, their mission statement and their approach to accomplishing their goals. On the other, the students in the video are those who are involved on campus and they talk about how their experiences shaped them.

Viewers see what it means to be a member of a club, a sport, a sorority, a fraternity, L.I.F.E House, Global Scholars, the honors program and more and know that it all means the same. The students here aren’t necessarily only just one of those things. They are more than just where they are from, what they are majoring in and what sport they play, and that is what makes this place special. This is where students find themselves doing more than what they came here to do.