Chris Prener ’08, of Fairport, NY, spent a semester of his college career living in an area once characterized by bombs, guns and political contention.

Prener, a graduate of Fairport High School, studied at MaGee College, University of Ulster, which is located in a volatile region of Northern Ireland that was once home to a deep ethnic conflict.  The months that he spent living in the dorms “gave me incredible insight into life in Northern Ireland both now and during the 30 years of violence,” he says.  All of his roommates were directly affected by the widespread sectarian strife, which is the centerpiece of an honors thesis that Prener is writing.  The thesis is an in-depth comparative analysis of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the contention between Israel and Palestine.

Seizing the opportunity to meet new people and develop new talents in college, Prener is involved in the Outdoor Program at St. Lawrence and has been an EMS since his first year.  “Both of these organizations stuck out at me when I toured SLU because I knew they would allow me to continue with the activities I had been doing in high school, he says.”  Lots of people look up to him: Prener is a guide and climbing wall staff member at the Newell Field House.  “I’ve put a lot of these skills to use rock climbing around New England,” he notes.

“SLU has offered me an incredible range of opportunities, which is what initially attracted me to the school,” says Prener, who is a double major in sociology and history.  He is also taking a course in Arabic at SUNY Potsdam.  Upon graduating from St. Lawrence, Prener hopes to earn a Ph.D. in sociology.