15 October 2021 • Alums New Druids Bring Character, Loyalty and Leadership

The newest inductees to Hobart College’s Druid Society, the highest honor society for Hobart students, were announced at the Homecoming and Family Weekend football game on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The Druid Society was founded in 1903 to honor students that further the ideals of Hobart by advocating for the values of character, loyalty and leadership. At HWS, Druids oversee Hobart Student Government elections to ensure accuracy and fairness are prioritized during the election process. The Druids also act as advisors for their dean on matters associated with Hobart culture and heritage. They are responsible for preserving, interpreting, and contextualizing the Hobart heritage.

Advisor to the honor society and member of the Druid Class of 1993, Associate Dean of Hobart College David Mapstone ’93, P’21 says the selection process evaluates the “quality and depth of student involvement on campus. We look at their work and how character, loyalty and leadership, the core values of the society, are exemplified, what students stand for, and how they carry themselves on the HWS campus.”

Adam Farid ’20, a member of the Druid Class of 2020, served on the selection committee for this year’s cohort. “This year’s class is made up of an outstanding and eclectic group of Hobart seniors who I believe are all deserving of this honor,” he says.

This year’s inductees include: Dimosthenis Chrysochoou ’22, Stewart (Stewy) Falso ’22, Andrew Guedea ’22, Sarim Karim ’22, Moritz Marchart ’22, Nassir Whitley ’22 and Charles Widing ’22.

Dimosthenis Chrysochoou ’22 is a physics major. He is part of NASA’s RockSat-C Program, where he is helping to design,build, and test a rocket payload that will be launched into space at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Chrysochoou is also completing an independent study using drones to monitor the growing population of algal blooms in the Finger Lakes region. This fall, he began the joint-degree in engineering program that HWS offers in cooperation with the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.

Stewart (Stewy) Falso ’22 is a double major in economics and history with a minor in entrepreneurial studies. Falso is a member of the Hobart Cross Country team and was elected captain in 2020. He is the head O’Laughlin Ambassador in the Office of Admissions and the Treasurer of Kappa Alpha Society.

Andrew Guedea ’22 is a media and society major with a minor in entrepreneurial studies. In 2019, Guedea worked as an intern for the Latino Equality Alliance in Los Angeles, California, where he contributed to the coordination of LGBTQ+ summer programming, community outreach and development. He is a junior board member for the Latin American Organization. He also works in the office of IT Services, where he was promoted to senior mentor in recognition of his work ethic and passion for helping others.

Sarim Karim ’22 is an international relations and economics double major. Karim is the founder of the Muslim Student Association at HWS and previously served as the co-president of the South Asian Student Association. A member of the HWS Debate Team, Karim placed eighth in the world in the English as a Second Language division at the World Universities Debating Championships 2021.

Moritz Marchart ’22, an international student from Germany, is majoring in economics with a double minor in math and Mandarin. Marchart is a member of the Hobart Rowing team. He also volunteers with Family Promise Volunteer in Geneva, where he helps coordinate boarding and spends time with families who are homeless. Marchart serves as an Economics Teaching Fellow and study mentor. 

Nassir Whitley ’22, a double major in writing and rhetoric and Africana studies, is a member of the Orange Key Society. He received the Bampton House Acceptance Award for his leadership on campus. Whitley is an active member of the Caribbean Student Association and Sankofa. He is also a member of the Salisbury Diversity Fellows and works in the Office of Student Activities.

Charles Widing ’22 is a double major in biochemistry and education. He has been named to the Dean’s List every year. Since 2019, Widing has been a Teaching Assistant for the Biology and Chemistry Departments and is an Athletic Study Mentor for Hobart Soccer. Widing is a research assistant studying membrane biofouling and is in the process of publishing a co-authored scientific paper.

In the photograph above, Whitley, Marchart, Karim, Guedea and Falso are inducted into the Druids.