Allegheny News and Events

Senior Samantha Bretz Sets Her Sights on Becoming Miss Pennsylvania

Allegheny College senior Samantha Bretz will compete for the title of Miss Pennsylvania in June, now that she already carries the banner of Miss Crawford County.

Allegheny senior Samantha Bretz from Adrian, Michigan, won the title of Miss Crawford County. Photo Credit: Julie Haemer-Scott/Cambridge Springs

Bretz was crowned Miss Crawford County 2018 in February, competing against eight other contestants in Conneaut Lake. She won the interview, talent and evening gown awards as well as the first-place scholarship. Bretz performed a ballet routine to the Cupid Variation “Act III: Amour” from Don Quixote, a routine known for requiring impeccable balance and lightness.

“In the interview room, the judges asked me ‘Why are you here today?,’ Bretz recalls from her February pageant competition. “I replied ‘Crawford County is the reason.’ Out of all the places in the world I’ve traveled to, this is the place where I discovered a passion for experiential education. Now I’ve made it my mission to bring creativity, collaboration, and reflection to classrooms across my communities. I work toward a future where students can develop a sense of purpose in their education and can learn by play rather than by rote.

“For me, it’s all about personal development,” says Bretz, who is from Adrian, Michigan. “Each category of the competition challenges you to express your best self, and that comes from the preparation and practice. Titleholders should be able to eloquently communicate their thoughts and ideas, exude passion for their platforms, exhibit poise and confidence, think on their feet in stressful situations, and work toward presenting their talent beautifully.

“Once crowned, a titleholder has a “year of service” promoting her personal platform by advocating and leading in her community. I started competing as a creative means to fund my education. The Miss America Organization is the leading scholarship provider for women in the U.S., and I have been fortunate to receive multiple scholarships toward my Allegheny education.”

On campus, Bretz is an economics major and minoring in both French and dance and movement studies. She has been involved for her four years with the Orchesis Dance Company, serving as both choreographer and president, and has been a member of Delta Delta Delta, the Jazz and Dance Ensemble (JaDE), the Allegheny College choirs, Lambda Sigma sophomore honor society, the Finance and Facilities Committee, and Omicron Delta Epsilon. She volunteers with Civic Engagement, is employed as a Center for Business and Economics fellow, and interns for the Gifted/Talented middle school enrichment program.

Last year, Bretz competed in a pageant in Michigan and won the title of Miss River Raisin Festival. For Bretz, pageants have helped her to become the best version of herself — able to speak confidently, keep well-informed, and further her passion for progressive education methods.

“I would not be the successful individual I am today without the Miss America Organization,” says Bretz. “For my very first pageant interview, I was shaking in my heels as the judges asked controversial questions about current topics. By staying informed and engaging in civil discourse with my peers, I became so much more self-assured in expressing myself, and now I can confidently give an opinion on any topic in front of any audience.”

Bretz has accepted a position with Boston Scientific as a finance leadership development program associate immediately following her graduation in May. Her experience at Allegheny, as well as the rigorous practice of interviewing through the Miss America Organization, has helped her to become an ideal candidate for the position, she says.

“Even after I stop competing, I will always have this passion for education and will continue to seek ways to change the world,” she says. “It’s not just a crown in a beauty contest, but a platform to create meaningful change, and that’s what I love about Miss America. … Who knows what new and exciting opportunities await? Next stop, Miss Pennsylvania!”

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Allegheny Presents Its Annual International Film Festival

The Allegheny College Department of Modern and Classical Languages will present its free 2018 International Film Festival, a five-week series of foreign films to be shown at The Movies at Meadville at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays between Jan. 31 and Feb. 28.

The series begins on Jan. 31 with the 2017 French film “Faces Places” in which 89-year-old Agnes Varda and 33-year-old French photographer and muralist JR team up to co-direct this documentary. They travel through the villages of France in JR’s photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories, and producing portraits of the villagers. The movie documents these encounters as well as the unlikely friendship the filmmakers formed along the way.

A film of Arabic origin, still to be selected, will be screened on Feb.7.

On Feb. 14, “Coming Home,” a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou and released in 2014, will be screened. The story is about a former political prisoner (Chen Daoming) who tries to help his wife (Gong Li) regain her memory and rediscover their love for each other.

“Julieta,” a Spanish film directed by Pedro Almodovar and released in 2016, will be shown on Feb. 21. In this film, a chance encounter causes a woman (Emma Suárez) to reflect on the tragic circumstances surrounding the disappearance of her daughter.

On Feb. 28, “Axolotl Overkill,” a German film directed by Helene Hegemann and released in 2017, will be screened. In this movie, Mifti, a 16-year-old, begins to develop an obsession with Alice, an enigmatic and much older white-collar criminal.

The movies are open to the public. The theater is located at 11155 Highland Drive. Free round-trip shuttle service to the theater will be provided for students, departing North Main Street at Brooks Walk at 6:10 and 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
The films were selected by the Allegheny faculty, coordinated by Associate Professor of Spanish Wilfredo Hernández.

Photo Caption: “Faces Places,” a French film, is a documentary by filmmakers Agnes Varda and JR.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

2018 International Film Festival Starts

The Allegheny College Department of Modern and Classical Languages will present its free 2018 International Film Festival, a five-week series of foreign films to be shown at The Movies at Meadville at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays between Jan. 31 and Feb. 28.

The series begins on Jan. 31 with the 2017 French film “Faces Places” in which 89-year-old Agnes Varda and 33-year-old French photographer and muralist JR team up to co-direct this documentary. They travel through the villages of France in JR’s photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories, and producing portraits of the villagers. The movie documents these encounters as well as the unlikely friendship the filmmakers formed along the way.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Ludewig, Reeck Present at Literature Symposium Roundtables

Assistant Professor of German Julia Ludewig and Associate Professor of French Laura Reeck presented on roundtables at the GLCA World Literature Symposium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 1-3.  Their contributions to the roundtables were based on position papers titled “Distributed Visual Storytelling in Reineke” and “The French Case: Questions of Diversity in the Global Literary Ecology.”

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Ludewig, Reeck Present at Literature Symposium Roundtables

Assistant Professor of German Julia Ludewig and Associate Professor of French Laura Reeck presented on roundtables at the GLCA World Literature Symposium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 1-3.  Their contributions to the roundtables were based on position papers titled “Distributed Visual Storytelling in Reineke” and “The French Case: Questions of Diversity in the Global Literary Ecology.”

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Riess Short Story Translation Published

Associate Professor of Modern and Classical Languages Barbara Riess’s translation of the short story “Brutal Mirage” by Guillermo López-Prieto was published in this month’s Cuban Counterpoints: Public Scholarship about a Changing Cuba.

Riess will be taking a group of 12 Allegheny students with Prof. Brittany Davis to Cuba for an Experiential Learning Tour, “Revolutionary Products,” on May 18.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research