From time to time, I will call upon an elite squad to address issues about which I know next-to-nothing.

Roll Call:

Noelle L. Brandmier writes the “Frame by Frame” series on art and animation from Rochester, NY. Noelle is a fourth year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is studying animation in RIT’s School of Film and Animation. Although she appreciates all styles of animation, she concentrates on 2D and the traditional form of art. She recently won 2nd place in RIT’s Get Viral Video contest and is currently working on the High Falls Laser Animation show. Her interests include reading, video games, people, and ice cream.

Jessica Butler writes the “Design in Mind” series on architecture and design, including green architecture and the latest trends of the design world, from Philadelphia, PA. Jessica is currently a senior architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania. She enjoys discussing anything related to architecture, graphic design, art, and sustainability. She also considers herself to be a foodie, enjoying the many restaurants that Philadelphia and New York offer. In her spare time, she likes to cook, work on design projects, learn how to code websites, and also has a passion for photography.

Sarah Kashubski writes the “Living in a Swing State” series on political science from State College, PA. Sarah is a senior at Penn State University and an honors student majoring in Political Science, German, and International Studies.  While her primary political interests lie in the international field, they leak over into women’s issues, health care, and domestic policies.  She lived in Germany this past semester and studied the EU while traveling throughout the continent.  This summer, though, she’s spending time in Washington, DC, taking classes at Georgetown and interning at the George Washington Center for Global Health.  Sarah is writing her honors undergraduate thesis on the effects of presidential debates on vote choice.

Ian Kollar writes the “In the Zone” series on sports from Freeland, PA. Born and raised on a steady diet of sports fed by his grandfather and sports editor father, Ian loves it all. Especially fond of baseball, basketball, volleyball and golf, he’s also an athletic supporter of many Philadelphia sports teams. Aside from being a senior in college, he finds time to work in a newspaper sports department and also coaches various youth sports teams. Somewhere in between all that, he finds time to do other, non sports-related things.

Alex Nakahara writes the “What If?” series on technology and engineering from Philadelphia, PA. Alex is currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania in mechanical engineering, and a self-professed nerd. His interests range from aerodynamics and energy to soccer, Ancient Greek, music and baking. He plays viola in the Penn Symphony Orchestra, is on the club golf team, and is a slave to the engineering lab.

Nicholas W. Semeniuk writes the “Drill Sergeant” series on energy issues and technologies from Philadelphia, PA. Nicholas is a student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a BS with concentrations in accounting and finance and a BSE majoring in mechanical engineering with an energy focus.  He has held positions with a leading energy focused private equity firm assisting with investment valuation, industry research and fundraising efforts.  He is actively engaged with leading research in the energy industry.  At Wharton, Nicholas is involved with multiple boards including the Dean’s Advisory Board, the Leadership Ventures Board, the Technology Advisory Board and is a TA for an operations management class.

Margaret C. Walker writes “The Cautionary Prophet” series on theology from Philadelphia, PA. Margaret is currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a major in Religious Studies, with a focus on belief and intuition — preferring the mystical to the structural in all facets of life. She is also minoring in psychology and comparative literature, focusing on German pseudo-philosophers, and she is writing a thesis on non-tangible mental powers, such as self-healing and intuition. Beyond evaluating the motivations of men, Margaret enjoys the culinary arts, cheap action movies, and building bicycles. In her spare time, she explores and critiques restaurants in Philadelphia.