September 2011 Archives

Linda Gregerson is a poet who loves multiple voicing. She admitted to this slightly self-effacingly somewhere near the middle of her poetry reading in the Foster Auditorium last Thursday. It made every poetry student in the room want to run up and hug her, comforting her with, "It's okay, we love you, we appreciate every 'she,' 'you,' 'they,' 'us,' and 'I' perspective you managed to cram into a single poem."

This past week, students in every poetry class on campus were reading either Magnetic North or The Woman who died in her Sleep in preparation for Gregerson's arrival. So when Gregerson finally did arrive, all white blonde hair and pixie stature, the crowd watching her was a self-contained interpretive community (shout out to Stanley Fish!) coming to her reading from equal preparation.

Normally, I go to readings by authors in the Mary E. Rolling Reading Series because I figure I better take advantage of the opportunity to hear an author read their work live. But this time, I had the added benefit of foreknowledge of Gregerson's poetry. From my poetry seminar with Robin Becker, I had the poems from The Woman who died in her Sleep on repeat in my brain for over a week before the reading.

At the reading, Professor Becker introduced Gregerson. Of course I had heard Robin Becker do her fair share of poetry reading in class, but there's something about putting her behind a podium and a microphone that heightens the drama of her voice, which already gives the feeling that something is truly at stake. Even Becker's prose had a stylized attention to rhythm, so much so that when Gregerson approached the podium and kissed a greeting to Becker, her first words were, "I think I should just have you read my poems."

But Gregerson's no slouch with her voice either. She opened her reading strong with the one-two punch of "Sweet," from Magnetic North and "For the Taking," from The Woman who died in her Sleep. She's not afraid to look at you when she reads or give her characters voices besides her own in the poem. Her readings were always an engagement with the audience.

Throughout, Gregerson was tightly hilarious in her delivery. In "Sweet," Gregerson reads the line, "Sweet, he said./ Your mother's wrong but sweet," there was a brief pause for laughter here. Gregerson appreciated the laughs in a later poem she read called "The Selvage." Describing a story her daughters told her about canvassing for Obama, she wrote the lines, "they used the word/ we've all agreed to banish from even our/ innermost thoughts, which is when/ I knew he was going to win." When a light skittering laughter made its way across the room, Gregerson said, "I love when people laugh there."

At the end of her reading, Gregerson returned to "The Selvage" to talk about its evolution as a poem. This was great to hear from the poet's own mouth the journey she took and the struggle she had with her own words. She explained how later in her writing life she turned to writing dramatic monologues.

"I like this dramatic monologue business," she said, "because it's an exercise in restraint for me."

But outside of the dramatic monologues (which she has written for Dido, St. Peter, and Ananias to name a few), she said she could never quite manage to write a short poem. Her poems usually occur in several movements. After writing the first movement of "The Selvage," which detailed the story about canvassing for Obama, Gregerson initially congratulated herself on finally writing a short poem! But the next morning when she came to the poem again, she shook her head and realized, "Nope, I just can't end it here. The ironies are predictable and the images clichéd." It takes a strong poet to realize when your own work isn't right. Gregerson wasn't afraid to struggle with her stunted attempt at a poem instead of abandoning it altogether.

Gregerson said she's learned a lot by forcing herself to write, either through commissioned pieces (which she announces as her "Favorite!") or through not being afraid to keep writing until she feels the writing is done. By the end of her reading, which she joked about as being long and arduous, Professor Bill Cobb opened the floor for the post reading discussion. His contribution to the talk, as hilarious as was his interaction with Rebecca Rasmussen, was to make a surprise announcement to his Intro to Creative Writing Class.

By way of posing a question to Gregerson, Professor Cobb said, "They don't know it yet, but my intro class is about to get their first poetry assignment," here he paused so that the members of his class at the reading could absorb his mischief, "So...do you have any suggestions for them?"

While browsing some of the collections housed at the Penn State library, I found myself pulled to the Allison-Shelley Collection of German Literature in English Translation. Though this may sound like a random choice, I was interested in German translations because I'm working with two as primary texts for my honors thesis: Goethe's Faust and Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus. Because of this personal connection, I wanted to take a look at some of the other works in translation that we have on hand, and the collection did not disappoint. I found out that the collection houses some of Goethe's work, as well as a very large children's collection.

Exploring this collection at length was really quite fun, as I adore children's books to begin with and these were particularly awesome children's books. There were also some cool adult books, particularly Goethe, so let's start with that. First of all, can you say original German publication of Goethe's Faust? It was truly amazing to see one of the small, square copies of Faust as it was originally published. Next to this tiny copy is Sylvia Plath's own copy of the English translation of Faust. Yes, that Sylvia Plath. Her own hand-written annotations are inside it. Next to this copy owned by a famous person lies a copy that is owned by a non-famous person: me. This is your standard, modern-day Norton Edition of the English-translated Faust that can be purchased by college students across the nation at this very moment. I thought it fun to show the progressions of subsequent publications of Goethe's work. It was also fun to let my own copy share the table with such greatness in the literary tradition. Take a look at the slideshow at the bottom of this post to see photos of each text.

On to the children's books! One thing to be said here is that there is no end to the creativity when it comes to German-translated children's stories. Let's start with a well-known classic: Hansel and Gretel. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and well done, but perhaps the best aspect of this edition are the pristine dolls that accompany the text and match the illustrations of Hansel and Gretel exactly. The dolls and illustrations make this copy of Hansel and Gretel unique and beautiful.

No discussion of German-translated children's literature is complete without mentioning the Brothers Grimm. They essentially created the fairy tale genre with their written collection of German children's stories. It is safe to say that the translation of these into English shaped children's literature for us as well. A copy from the first English printing is in our collection, published in two editions: the first in London in 1823 under the title German Popular Stories and the second in 1909. This second publication was a limited edition with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. This copy is significant not only because it is a limited publication, but because the library actually has one of the original, hand-drawn chapter illustrations. The figure is a cute little imp-like creature.

The English-translated German pop-up books were perhaps the coolest things I have seen recently in the library. This might sound strange to you, but trust me, if you see them, you would understand. Pop-up books dating from the late 1800's to early 1900's are totally awesome and you must see them for yourself. There was one pop-up book from 1932 of German fairy tales (I've chosen a picture from "Jack the Giant-Killer" to show the pop-up style). The best pop-up book, however, is from 1891 and called Look Alive! It's filled with short stories that are accented by moving illustrations. My personal favorite was the one of Santa, who is actually, along with the Christmas tree, a German import. The illustration of Santa coming through the door to surprise the children is simply adorable.

Comic books are another amazing German import accessible at the library. Early comics came to us via the German tales of Max and Moritz: two obnoxious children in constant trouble. Their stories, coupled with many pictures of their exploits, basically started the comic tradition. The author of Max and Moritz, Wilhelm Busch, wrote another comic-book-like tale called The Mischief Book, which we also have in our collection. Pictures and rhymes are paired together in what is clearly a comic book style. All these exciting German imports make me glad that I decided to explore the Allison-Shelley collection and even happier that I picked translated German books for my thesis. I hope you all have a chance to explore this collection at some point!

Greetings, Penn Staters. I hope that all the returning students have returned to campus with worthwhile summer experiences under their belts and that the new students (welcome!) are finding University Park to be a welcoming community.

During the last academic year, I started a series of blog posts titled "Dispatch From the Other Side" that is designed to provide some guidance for students interested in pursuing a career after graduation (in contrast to the students who plan to attend professional or graduate school). You can find those posts by searching on the blog. I hope some of last year's readers are returning.

For those who are new this year, I'll include a brief introduction. I am a Penn State College of the Liberal Arts alumnus. I graduated in 2010 with a B.A. in Political Science and two minors (Communication Arts & Sciences and Dispute Management and Conflict Resolution). After graduating, I immediately began work for a political non-profit in Washington, DC. I spent several months there before I left at the end of 2010 and started at a company in Virginia. I create web content and work as a business development specialist.

I am planning to structure this blog series this year just as I did last year, although I would welcome feedback and happily make adjustments. Tell me what types of information you would like to see and how you would like me to present it. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to answer all questions, but I am confident that I can track down answers from friends who have graduated from the College with different experiences than me. Don't hesitate to ask questions (related to the post content or not) in the comments. You can also find me on Twitter, where I would be happy to read feedback and questions.

I don't want this post to grow too lengthy, so I won't introduce a new topic today, but I will invite you to review some of our old Dispatch posts and the comments. Did many of you attend the career fair? If you did and have questions about your experience, leave them in the comments. If you have a firm strategy for following up and building rapport with employers you met, I think it would be wonderful if you could share those in the comments so that others can learn from them.

Please also consider leaving ideas for future topics in the comments. It's very useful for us writers to know just what our audience is seeking!

In my first post, I wrote a bit about my educational background and previous internship experience at the Senate. In this post, I would like to talk specifically about my experience interning at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. where I had a wonderful experience.

Working at the Woodrow Wilson Center was very different from my experience in the Senate. While both internships were very interesting and engaging, congressional internships are fast paced, interactive, and oftentimes stressful. This was very different from my experience at the Woodrow Wilson Center. The whole organization emits a sense of calm and it is filled with bright, sophisticated scholars as opposed to anxious and frenzied congressional staffers. Many of the scholars are university professors or journalists from around the country who are not constrained to the same rules or time lines that politicians are. Instead most the scholars are working on specific books about a multitude of different issues from around the world.

Each intern is assigned to a specific scholar. I was assigned to work primarily with Neal Gabler and it was truly a pleasure working for him. Mr. Gabler has a variety of interests and has worked in several professions. Primarily he is a professor and journalist but he is also a published author and a political commentator. He has contributed to numerous publications including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Esquire, New York Magazine, and Vogue. He has also appeared on many prominent television shows including the Today Show, CBS Morning News, Entertainment Tonight, and Good Morning America. His time at the Woodrow Wilson Center was dedicated to writing a biography of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a project I was particularly fond of.

One of the best aspects of working at the Woodrow Wilson Center was that there was no "typical" day. Each morning I would arrive at work around 9.00 a.m. and meet with Mr. Gabler and discuss the day's agenda. Some days he would have me research articles and publications at the Wilson Center while others he would have me travel to the Senate Historical Archives or the Library of Congress to find information for his project. I was allowed to personally attend interviews with prominent political figures, which really made me feel involved in the project.

The Woodrow Wilson Center has a wide variety of research tools at its disposal. It has a large library as well as access to an assortment of research programs like LexisNexis. As an intern at the Center you can get complimentary membership cards to the National Archives and the Library of Congress, which last for years. The Center also encourages students to use their resources and connections to do their own research for thesis papers or school assignments. It is a fantastic way to interact with prominent professors and journalists and it could be a great networking opportunity. While I was assigned to work primarily with Mr. Gabler I also had a chance to speak with lots of other prominent scholars.

My Senate internship was extremely interesting and engaging but very different. Each day I was responsible for certain tasks like answering phones or corresponding with constituents - all of which had to be done at a fast pace and in a specific order. At the Woodrow Wilson Center I never felt rushed or stressed. I could take time to really comprehend what I was researching and preform my tasks in a more meticulous manner. However, my congressional internship was equally as motivating and interesting. If you have a strong interest in research and would like to network with prominent journalists and professors from around the country than the Woodrow Wilson Center would be a great place to start.

Feel free to contact me about any questions you have. I'll be happy to answer them for you.

In episode 29 of Liberal Arts Voices Susan Knell joins the program to discuss her new role as the Director of the Career Enrichment Network in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Susan Knell comes to the Liberal Arts most recently from Penn State's Eberly College of Science where she served as the Director of the Career and International Education Offices. Susan attended Penn State for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. As an undergraduate, she majored in English and minored in Business and the Liberal Arts. She then went on to receive her secondary education certificate and Master's in Education, Counselor Education from Penn State as well. 

Dean Long and Susan spend the majority of the podcast discussing the motivations that led to the creation of the College's new Career Enrichment Network and the plans for its future. The Network will provide assistance to liberal arts students participating in local and international internships, education abroad programs, and research.  It will also focus on helping liberal arts undergraduates make a smooth transition from college to their careers.  

"The transformative gift given by Doug and Julie Rock to endow the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts chair has enabled the College to move quickly to build the Career Enrichment Network. We are very lucky to have an experienced and creative leader in Susan Knell to head up this initiative. An education in the liberal arts has always been about empowering students to live a fulfilling life. Now more than ever, that goal involves helping our liberal arts students navigate the transition from college to the world of meaningful work."   

I grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania and am a mother of three living with my spouse in Unionville, Pa. I am a junior at Penn State, working towards my BA in Women's Studies and Art double major with a concentration in painting and a minor in Latina/o Studies. My artwork celebrates my Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry from a feminist perspective and combines my academic interests as well.

I enjoy fusing together the historical and contemporary academic research from a feminist pedagogical standpoint, processed and reflected through my artwork. My art  centers on my personal experiences as a feminist Latina in a way that articulates a larger vision of cultural consciousness and intersectionality, where issues of class, race, and gender inform and challenge our understanding of power and solidarity.

My process is layered with writing, research, and actively working thru and into my paintings with body, cultural context and intellectual backbone. I mostly work with acrylic and oil paints as well as mixed-media in abstraction. In each of my paintings, I try to formulate a language that is expressive of a raw emotional state of a given moment. This creative process has allowed me to find my voice and discover new aspects of myself, both personally and academically. I try to complicate understandings of the self - how our identities are lost and regained, created and re-invented, contested and negotiated in making sense of the new, the old, and our historic and contemporary realities. I envision art as a language that creates space for conversation about shifting migrations of racial and gender identities. I have been quite fortunate to find such an enriching dialogue between my Women's Studies and Art majors.

In June of 2011 I was afforded the opportunity to participate in an embedded education abroad program to La Habana, Cuba. This trip was the culmination of a course cross-listed in the Women's Studies, Anthropology, and African and African American Studies departments, titled "Latin America & Caribbean Cultures: Race & Gender in the Americas." This academically intense environment offered an opportunity to see a new perspective, different from what I have learned in the classroom and in my personal life.

If there is any marvel of the 21st century to be noted in the history books, it would be the emergence of the social network. As an eager Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) once said, "by giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent." (1) This statement could not be any truer. Social networks have expanded throughout many outlets of the world and have provided many services that have enhanced the communication process drastically. In recent years, social networks have also been developing professional careers too. That is exactly why Linkedin, the professional social networking website, has become so important for students all around the nation.

Linkedin is more than just a website where you can post your resume. In your Linkedin Basic (and free) Account, you can truly be in full control of the network that is you. You could expand on your resume by marking specific accomplishments that couldn't fit on the CV. You could provide links to other professional blogs, websites, portfolios, or whatever else you may have to show your entire professional profile. You could connect to peers and colleagues from your past, and utilize those connections to enhance the job searching process. You could even ask for recommendations from your colleagues to show what you have done and show how you have affected the people around you while doing it.

One of the more important features (at least in this writer's eyes) of Linkedin is the ability to join groups. At first, I completely overlooked this feature of LinkedIn. However, my curiosity got the best of me when I joined a Linkedin Sports Marketing group last year, and I haven't stopped joining groups since. This is an incredibly vital feature that has led me to more connections than I could make otherwise.

One great way to make connections is to join the LinkedIn Group Penn State Career Connection (which can be found here). In this group, there are tons of PSU alumni who are posting job openings in their companies all the time. Students can use that portal to promote themselves in the job hunt too, and alumni can reach out to them from there. The College of the Liberal Arts has also recently started its own LinkedIn group, which students and alumni are encouraged to join for networking purposes.

Students can benefit in many different ways from utilizing this website correctly. They could even land their next job because of it. Linkedin is one of the more important websites of the 21st century, and will definitely affect the job landscape in the future.

(1) http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_zuckerberg.html

Learning how to be an ethical being and true to your raw soul is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks in life.  Growing into ourselves, learning who we are, and admitting to our shortcomings takes courage.  In fact, it may take a lifetime to figure ourselves out.  Can we be alone with ourselves at the end of the day and enjoy the company we keep even in the barest of moments?  Are we honestly good people?

After reading Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy through an ethical lens with Dr. Sherry Roush in her Italian course, I began to ask myself these moral questions.  One cannot help but evaluate themselves while reading The Divine Comedy. 

The reader follows all of Dante's ethical dilemmas and learns moral lessons as Dante takes the pilgrimage through the underworld and beyond.  Along the way, Dante the pilgrim learns of the roots of sin, righteous zeal, and the suffrage involved in the purging of sin to reach one's ultimate happiness/goal, among many other things. 

Dante's arduous odyssey indirectly demands the reader to re-evaluate their own conscience and face their fears that are often horribly uncomfortable.  However, it is out of this discomfort that we have the most potential for growth.  The pilgrim is subjected to horrid discomfort in order to differentiate good from evil.  Sometimes we must see the ugly in order to learn how to be good. 

Perhaps one of the lines from the Comedy that spoke to me most was from Canto XXII when the soul of St. Benedict says to Dante, "The flesh of mortals is so weak: on earth a good beginning does not last as long as the oak's springing to the acorn's birth " (ln. 85-87, pg. 230, Musa). 

We as mortals are indeed weak, but we can work to be good, because we have the free will to make that choice.  We only hope that we can have the courage to choose good, and seek the path of righteousness in our own life and take up our challenges just as Dante is called to do in the comedy.        

The aforementioned message, among many other moral messages, jumped out at me upon completing The Divine Comedy.  I felt so inspired.  I knew I had to share this with others, and make this brilliant text, with its valuable lessons, more accessible to non-literature and Italian students.  Hence, the birth of my Capstone project for the Italian department.

For my Capstone project I have decided to share Dante's epic tale the best way I know how to share something special to me, and that is through the medium of dance.  Specifically, I am currently organizing a dance production inspired by Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. 

In addition to studying Italian at PSU, I am also a dance major through integrative arts.  At the end of the last spring semester I held auditions for my Capstone project.  I currently have twelve dancers who are now educated on the comedy thanks to Dr. Roush, who came in and guest lectured to my cast on the comedy.   

I am truly grateful for Dr. Roush and the College of the Liberal Arts.  Thanks to the generosity of the Italian department and the College of the Liberal Arts, I have been able to buy equipment this past summer and build set pieces for my Capstone production.













I am very, very excited to have the opportunity to combine my passions at Penn State and I hope you can make it out to the show, which is entitled, Lost in the World, the Journey of Bea!    The show will take place this December, 2011, and the proceeds of the show will benefit Penn State Project Haiti.  Look for posts to come with more details on show times and venue!  

After leaving the office on my last day, I hopped in Betsy (my dishearteningly decrepit '99 Subaru Legacy) and chugged to my favorite fishing spot. I'd been introduced to the creek back when I first started fly fishing; I know every hole, riffle, and pocket, and the number of times I've been outsmarted by the fish there is jaw-dropping. But this day, I had a new plan. My boss had told me of a great spot just downstream of where I'd always wandered, and I'd decided to break my old routine.

After a treacherous wade across the slick streambed, I parted a curtain of willows and gazed at the pool. The stream had widened and slowed, and its whirling waters were glazed with a cool afternoon sunshine. Leafy branches, animated by the breeze, speckled the surface with their pleasant shadows. The water slid onward, powerful yet sedate, and even though the bottom was in plain view--with every swirl, ripple, and bubble clear to my eye--I felt insignificant, and humbled.

Suddenly, a shadow lifted from the windowed creek bottom. Its hue shifted from black to almond brown as it rose, and then it broke the surface, slick speckled spots flashing black and clear in the sunlight.

I quickly crouched, and, guessing completely at what the brown trout was eating, knotted on a fly. With recklessness I lashed the fly through the air, and then settled it onto the gliding water. The swirls of current pulled my offering downstream, and revealed their mysterious paths.


I came into the first day at my internship with only interests: I liked writing, and I liked fly fishing, and I was pretty good at editing. Why not put them together (and get a great resume booster for grad school and beyond)?

Yet in so many ways, my time at Fly Fisherman magazine has given me much, much more than I originally sought. Of course, I still got the resume boost, and great experience. But what I didn't count on was the major rediscovery of a hobby that I had forgotten, a true, legitimate experience in editing, re-editing, and re-re-editing (writer's note: the repetition is just to get across the, you know, repetition), and the discovery that I could see myself pursuing further education, and even a career, in journalism. All the editing, calling authors, creating contracts, and even a little bit of writing(!) gave me a fulfilling pride and enjoyment. I've been searching for a career that could give me just that.

In a confusing, scary time of my life, my internship took me in a comforting direction. Whether or not I will continue on its path, the very nature of making me aware of my future has been an important step in growing up.


Sometimes, the water flows just right. The smooth, eddying currents, mysterious, fickle, and powerful, bend their will on the gently floating fly. The drift carries our tempting faux-morsel to precisely the right spot, which is often not even where we sought to send it. By chance of the currents, of nature, or fate, or predestined action--call it what you will--we are given our reward, and are changed because of it.

The trout, dappled with leafy sunshine, rises, and with youthful exuberance takes the fly.

It goes without saying that searching for a job in today's economic climate is an arduous task for a recent college graduate, especially with a liberal arts degree. It is difficult to translate a liberal arts education into qualities that potential employers seek when hiring qualified candidates. A degree in the liberal arts is often joked about as being a "useless" degree, and for many graduating seniors it is easy to accept this cynicism when faced with such daunting obstacles. Liberal arts graduates are overwhelmed by the sheer variety of possible careers. Instead of feelings of exhilaration at your options, you're instead left with fear and paralysis. The perceived ambiguity of a liberal arts degree can be a hindrance in a job market that places high value on specific qualifications and skills.

These were the feelings I felt as I approached graduation earlier this year. I had degrees in Political Science and Crime, Law, and Justice, and as I weighed my options late into my senior year I felt that my hard work in the College of the Liberal Arts had been in vain. Like too many liberal arts students, I had planned to enter law school after graduation. But after researching the costs of a law education and the unfavorable employment numbers, I realized that law school may not be the right option for me at this time. Law school seemed like an easy fix to my problem because I was completely unaware of what I could do with my liberal arts degree other than more schooling. This realization came to me two months before graduation. I had not thought to visit career services and had not received career advice of any kind.

So I made the difficult transition from student to job market. I had to learn independently how to write my resume, how to draft appealing cover letters, how to interview well and how to market my degree to employers. I learned these lessons the hard way by trial and error, missing out on many fantastic opportunities because of simple errors that could've been avoided. I struggled to translate my experiences in the classroom into qualifications that employers look for in potential employees. I didn't have enough tangible work experience for most positions, a fact exacerbated by a tough economy flooded with more qualified unemployed professionals. I also had no guidance as to what entry-level careers were open to me with my degrees, and I was left to the mercy of cold calls, online job databases, unpaid internships, and whatever research I could find on my own.

Finally, I received an email from the advisors at the Crime, Law and Justice/Sociology Department. A Penn State Alumni from the College of the Liberal Arts had contacted them about positions as Paralegal Specialists with the Antitrust Unit of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. It turns out the federal government values liberal arts majors because many of the skills learned - critical thinking, document analyzing, intellectual flexibility -are perfectly suited for government law. I asked for more information, emailed the Alumni, interviewed for the position and was hired last month. I never would've found this position researching vague government websites or entering keywords into an online job search engine. A simple email coupled with the advice of a Penn State graduate at the Department of Justice who guided me through the process was vital to my current employment. How many other students aren't as lucky?

The value of a liberal arts degree cannot be overstated, but it would have been nice if the transition from student to workforce was a bit easier. In many ways, Penn State provides these tools through their career center, one of the best in the country. However, at such a large university the career center is limited in providing advice specifically for liberal arts majors and the correct counseling on how to market their degrees. It is also difficult to be adequately educated on all the opportunities that the College of the Liberal Arts provides to their students. The College provides so many exceptional and challenging opportunities that can greatly enhance a resume, but many students are completely unaware of these opportunities. It is unfair and easy to blame students for their own ignorance. How can even the most motivated students know about every opportunity at a university of this size (especially transfer and branch campus students)? And how many students look for opportunities and fail to find them? I know I would've greatly appreciated the guidance if I had been forced to think strategically about my post-graduate career earlier in my college career. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Art Actually is still around! After a successful semester of arts blogging in the spring, I'm back to reprise my role as art lover and blogger extraordinaire (in addition to my daily disguise as English major.) It's my senior year, which means I've got this campus down pat. I know what's going on when and where. I'm determined, I've got a plan, I'll be taking on my limited time with my Penn State Bucket List in hand. But even after four years of seeking out the arts underground at Penn State, and half a year of writing about it, I have to shake my head and chuckle at the fact that I can still be surprised by what goes on at Penn State.

The plan was to meet Mark Bartels, a recent convert to the theatre, by the fish tank in the HUB. No Refund Theatre was opening its fall season in 111 Forum with a two man show. On the way, I met my ever sassy sidekick, Jen Kach. And on our way to the forum, the funniest thing (if you're in the mood to appreciate a pun on a Latin class comedy) happened. The three of us had a celebrity run-in with Matt Nathanson.

Matt Nathanson's concert surprised us. Pollock road was closed off for a Block Party in front of the HUB the first weekend of the semester. Belly dancers were on the stage when Jen and I first walked into the middle of the street. Sound poured out of the speakers in a great echoing thud that reminds you you're one of many.

And then the crowd surged forward. Matt Nathanson was throwing his guitar strap over his shoulder. Here's the thing about Matt Nathanson. When you first hear him play "Come on Get Higher" (the song that Nathanson is most famous for), "Wedding Dress" or "Modern Love" you imagine he's every bit the sensitive brunette that takes on every affair of the heart with the help of his acoustic guitar. And his doughy-built doe eyed face smacks of eternal softness... until the day you see him perform at your school, all groomed scruff and loose cannon mouth.

I never expected Matt Nathanson to tell me that the best stories happen when you're naked or that he was going to eat Sabarros out of house and home after the show. My Matt Nathanson doesn't say such things. My Matt Nathanson only knows how to fall in love. Apparently, he also knows how to deliver an eyebrow-raising good time. His show was part musical chill session that the whole audience can sway to and part comedy tour.

Matt Nathanson loves his audience as much as he loves his music. He responded to shout outs from the crowd as if he were joking around with friends, and he explained one song as, "You know that girl who's so beautiful, with the long blonde hair that's so shiny you just want to touch it and run your hands through it. But then when it's lying down on the pillow next to you and you do finally touch it, you notice these devil horns hiding underneath...but you still don't really regret her because she's just that hot...yea that's what this next song is about...[cue devilish smile to the audience]" Out of anything else, when you see Matt Nathanson you will remember that Cheshire grin, especially when it hangs over you in the twilight like it did on the night of the Block Party.

Later, back at my apartment, we found out that No Refund Theatre was actually opening their season later in September. I had gotten the weekends confused. Looks like the Theatre Musketeers (Jen, Mark and I) are still good to troop over to the Forum for the actual season opener. In the meantime, we got to enjoy a surprise concert and an unknown side of Matt Nathanson. Proving, yet again, that you never know what you'll find in the Penn State arts scene. All you can do is go looking for it, which is what I'll be doing with my senior year (and on this blog!)

Welcome (back) students! Newcomer or not, the first few weeks at Penn State should be an extremely exciting and entirely new experience. It is rather likely that for the rest of the semester, you'll be seeking to feel as relaxed as you did during the first week at Penn State. With the help of some green space, the desire for a nearby stress-free environment can be met.

For as long as I've been a student at Penn State, I've been searching places on or near campus that are sort of hidden in plain view. What sparks the search is a personal tendency of never really settling down, believing there has to be something or someplace I haven't fully experienced, or that I overlooked every time upon passing.

Thus far, I have found a few that have given me hours of serenity despite the constant hustle and bustle of people all around me. I use them for time to write, time to think, time to--well, breathe.  It's a way of clearing my head. I don't discard my busy schedule while I'm there; rather, I think of it as a place where I can unhand all distractions.  

Since they're all either on or within a mile of campus, it's easy to go to them, even during the busy school week. Here are 5 of my favorite stress-free escapes.

Episode 28 of Liberal Arts Voices is also our first podcast of the 2011-12 academic year.  To all our dedicated listeners out there, we are happy to say we're back!  What better way to start our season than with a thrilling conversation on a current hot topic: food ethics.

Brill Professor of Women's Studies, English, and Science Technology and Society Susan Squier and History major and Paterno Fellow Lisa Lotito join Liberal Arts Voices to discuss numerous issues at the center of contemporary food ethics debates.  This podcast was inspired by the recent event "Key Issues in Food Ethics: A Paterno Fellows Town Hall Forum" in which faculty members and first-year aspiring and admitted Paterno Fellows discussed similar topics.

Professor Squier, Dean Long, and Lisa continue the conversation on this episode of Liberal Arts Voices. They consider a variety of relevant topics and questions. What do people think of when they hear terms like organic, local, and sustainable?  Is there a disparity between expert knowledge in this field and beginners' understandings of these issues? What is our responsibility to the production and consumption of the food we eat?  How do personal, social and economic factors contribute to an ontology of ignorance? (You have to listen to the podcast to figure out what ontology of ignorance means). What do undergraduate students think about these issues and why?  How is or should Penn State be engaging with these issues?

If you are interested in these issues, make sure to check out the Rock Ethics Institute's 2011-12 Lecture Series on Food Ethics.  Distinct faculty members and specialists will be speaking on campus throughout the year on a variety of topics related to food ethics.  In the meantime, listen to Episode 28 of Liberal Arts Voices:

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 28

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voices through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

Each academic year a multitude of students venture into higher education. As the Multicultural Equity Programs Director for the College of the Liberal Arts, I have the opportunity to work with a variety of undergraduates. Often students wonder how they will fit in this new milieu and what is expected of them. Every student must sort through their wish list to identify the path they will follow. Being inquisitive is a starting point for continuing your success. "Success is peace of mind which is the direct result of satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming" John Wooden.

I always encourage my students to start their first year at Penn State with a plan. It is never too early to think about studying abroad, participating in internships, or applying to graduate school. Factoring in these opportunities early in your undergraduate education will better situate you to achieve your goals. Below, I have provided a brief outline that might make sense for you, especially if you are considering graduate school:

First Year (Self-Discovery)
Explore your interests and abilities;
Visit and talk with your academic adviser;
Develop effective and efficient study habits and skills (you might even set a goal of making the Dean's List);
Participate in out-of class activities that enhance your learning (you can check out PSU's events calendar to see what exhibits, lectures, and events are happening on campus);
Visit Grad Fair and Career Day events to observe;
Do something each week that makes you happy.

Second Year (Assessing Options)
Define and establish your personal, life, and career goals;
Start to make contacts in your chosen career area - maybe even try to shadow alumni;
Identify potential mentors from professors, staff or graduate students;
Search for relevant internship/co-op opportunities (the College's internship website is a great place to start);
Get involved with faculty research if possible;
Keep discuss your goals with your adviser and mentors.

Third Year (Engaging Your Goals)
Examine and confirm your career choice;
If you are considering non-profit, government, or corporate positions, make use alumni contacts;
Strengthen your mentoring relationship and discuss your plans with your adviser or faculty mentor;
Research appropriate graduate programs and visit school if possible;
Apply for summer research or internship experiences (it is always a good idea to begin this search and apply for positions early, anywhere between late-fall to early spring);
Attend graduate/professional and career fairs to establish contacts;
Research admission test/exam dates and schedule yours!

Fourth Year (Making a Choice)
Register to take admissions test if not already completed;
If you still haven't, sign up for one of the Career Fairs sponsored by PSU's Career Services;
Start applying to graduate school (apply early since most universities use electronic applications and comply with deadlines);
While you wait to hear the results from job interviews or graduate school applications, soak up the rest of your time here at Penn State!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this post further, please feel free to comment on this post or email me directly at efm1@psu.edu. I wish you the best of luck on your journey here in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State.