September 2010 Archives

Monday, October 4, 2010
6:00 p.m.
HUB Robeson Center - Auditorium

Bill McKibben will speak on Monday October 4, 2010, as part of the annual Colloquium on the Environment Speaker Series. His lecture, "The Most Important Number in the World," is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the HUB-Robeson Center. A book signing will immediately follow his lecture. The event is free and open to all.

Bill McKibben frequently writes about global warming and alternative energy and advocates for more localized economies. In 2010, The Boston Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist" and Time magazine described him as "the world's best green journalist." In 2009 he led the organization of 350.org, which coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called "the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind," with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries. MSN named him one of the dozen most influential men of 2009.

"Penn State continues on its path to achieve a 17.5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 and is currently working on the next plan. We are looking forward to Bill McKibben's presentation and hope to be inspired to do even more," explained Steve Maruszewski, Assistant Vice President of Physical Plant and Manager of the Finance & Business Environmental Key Initiative.

McKibben is the author of numerous books. His first, The End of Nature (1989), is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. In March 2007, McKibben published Deep Economy: the Wealth of Communities and a Durable Future. It addresses what the author sees as shortcomings of the growth economy and envisions a transition to more local-scale enterprise. In April of 2010, he published Eaarth. In Eaarth, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth.

No, I wasn't eating the cheese fries (I'm a sucker for sweets and cakes, but draw the line at fried "food"). I was serving them.

I never bought Freshman Football Tickets- so expensive! So, after hearing everyone rave about the football game experience, and a considerable amount of non-buyer's remorse, I decided to work my way into this Saturday's PSU v Temple game.

Literally.

I signed up to work in the ACF concession stand on the ground floor next to Gate E. (go there next time *hint hint*)

I spent the day draped in a light blue worker's uniform, rushing back and forth with large collector's cups of mountain dew, and orders of fried chicken. I bunned and bagged hotdogs. I passed out stacks of hamburger cartons, and tubs of popcorn. And I met maybe more than 400 (hungry) Penn State fans. Some older than my grandparents. Others snoozing in baby strollers.

Before today I'd never realized how big PSU is, not as a school but as a culture. I saw first hand a multi-generational network of students, alumni, friends and families. Hell, I served them all personal cheese pizzas. I'm not a foot ball fan per say, but it's heard to not feel infected by the excitement, and more than that, by the sense of community.

WE ARE??! How many times did I hear (and answer) that famous cheer today. It's not just "We Are Penn State," for me now, it's more of an "I Am Penn State Too."  I'm slowly beginning to feel like something greater than myself. Part ACF, part of this school, part of a greater group of people that spans majors, generations, and centuries. Something powerful. Something united. & something that smells like concession stand popcorn.

So by the end of the day, having only actually seen the game for a mere five minutes, my knees ached, by hands were burned in places from the hot metal trays and melted cheez wiz, and my eyelids beginning to sag tiredly. I was exhausted. But, I was happy. And maybe, just maybe, one step closer to finding a place in this universe.

It has probably dawned on you already: being a Paterno Fellow puts students in an elite category--and sets them up for tremendous post-graduate opportunities. Like Marshall, Rhodes, Fulbright, Udall, Churchill, and Mitchell scholarships, fellowships, and awards (among others). Visit Penn State's University Fellowship Office web site to learn more about these opportunities.

Because Paterno Fellows will graduate with honors, with service and leadership achievements, with dual majors (or 24-credit minors), and with internship and/or study abroad experiences, they are well positioned to get these very prestigious awards. Junior Paterno Fellows should start thinking about these things now, and it's not too early for sophomores to get this on their radar as well.

So that you can learn more about how to take advantage of those opportunities, we've scheduled two things:

1. On October 20, Ruth Mendum of the University Fellowships Office will make a presentation to interested Fellows at 4:30 pm in 124 Sparks. She'll outline the possibilities, discuss the details, and in general set you up (if you are interested) for the application process. It'll be over in less than an hour.
2. Then students who are interested in making applications can count on one-on-one assistance (however much of it you would like) from Dr. Heather Murray, who has lots of experience in this area.
   

Please come on October 20.  There's no obligation to apply for anything afterward--just an opportunity for you to see if this is right for you. Why not come and learn what your hard work has prepared you to enjoy?

Today I had an early breakfast at Ivring's with a friend. (If 8:45 is considered early morning still) An energy bagel (mmm flaxseed and raisins) smeared with a melty mix of peanut butter and honey. Plus a half decaf, half regular cup of coffee. Maybe two cups of coffee.

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My name is Kate Thompson. Well, Katharine Elizabeth Trimbur Henry Thompson, but you can call me Kate (more for your benefit than mine). I'm a freshman with intended majors in Anthropology and Communication Arts and Sciences. Most people, I'm told, participate in The Paterno Fellowship as a way to gain entry into Schreyer. I'm a tad unconventional. My deal- I'm already a Schreyer Scholar. So what lured me to The Paterno Fellowship? A single word, on a single bulleted sentence, in a single PF Pamphlet (have you seen the new ones? They're lovely!). One. Single. Word. Travel.

Like most Penn State students, I grew up in PA. But, unlike most Penn State students, I grew up in a small sheep and goat farm outside a small town. An island of agriculture in the sea of suburbs. So while people down the road chatted with their neighbors, picked up their morning papers and walked their dog, I was side lined. My neighborhood was a field of corn. Picking up the Saturday edition of the New York Times ment a half-mile walk down our winding gravel driveway (it's very scenic, I assure you). And I've done a lot of walking. Walking to school, walking our goats (I used to try walking our rabbits as a little girl, but it never ended well), but mostly walking around the same small town for eighteen years.

When I arrived at Penn State my legs were all cramped up from lack of leg room. They tingled with the pin pricks and needles that come with cramped quarters. Don't get me wrong, I love my home. But I need to stretch out. Penn State here had me at "hello." The Paterno Fellowship had me at "Travel."

For me, This program is more than a chance to gain leadership skills, and earn academic honors; it's a way for me to loose myself in the wide world extending beyond the one I've known. To escape into a new internationality. Not to run away from something. But rather towards it. A chance to unfold a map out on my desk, point my finger to a location that catches my fancy, and then watch it open like a flower into vivid dimensional realities of peoples and cultures and ideas. I'm ready world. Oh, and I promise, I'll write.

 

Hi everyone - my name is Gina and this is my very first entry on The Paterno Fellows Program blog!

To let you know a little bit about myself, I am currently a junior in the College of Liberal Arts, working on my B.S. in Psychology (Biological and Evolutionary Sciences option) and a minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies. I officially became a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar in April 2010, during the spring semester of my sophomore year. This past summer, I spent time assisting a post-doctoral research team in the Psychopathology Research Unit at The University of Pennsylvania and this semester I have begun work as a research assistant in the Child Attention and Learning lab here at Penn State. I am interested in attending graduate school for clinical psychology and hope to find an internship for summer 2011 that helps me solidify my area of interest within the field.  

For my first post, I would like to ask all of you as Paterno Fellows: what are some topics you would like to see written about in the PFP blog? There are countless possibilities for blog topics, but in order to make sure I supply all of you all with information that is useful, interesting, and relevant, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

To get you started, here are a few broad ideas for this semester that I have considered so far:

• Coverage of PFP and campus events relevant to the Liberal Arts.
  

• Presentation of discussion topics relevant to Penn State, the world, or the PFP with opportunities for student comments and debate.
  

• Interviews with and information from professors and students regarding their research work, relevant experiences, or other topics of interest.
  

• Information for aspiring and enrolled Paterno Fellows about opportunities the program has to offer and the many ways you can go about achieving your academic goals.

Do any of these categories stand out to you as interesting? While you were reading, were there any specific topics within these categories you thought of that you would like to see? If so, please feel free to leave a comment on this post with your suggestions! If you would rather send your suggestions via email, don't hesitate to contact me at gmm5114@psu.edu.

Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from many of you very soon! =)

Ahh, the Freshman Fifteen. There's nothing more quintessential to the college experience!

We come from high schools. From homes. From places where everything is parceled out in neat and balanced portions- academics, activities, acquaintances. We're comfortable. We're creatures of habit- that know who they are and what they like and what they like to eat it with. Then, suddenly, we're here. It's like walking down a hallway and opening the door to the wrong room- stumbling in on a completely new and unknown gathering of possibilities, already in full swing. Everything is available in huge quantities: classes on every subject under the sun (how did the dinosaurs go extinct?), clubs for every interest (oh hey Harry Potter!), and friends for every type of person.

 So much muchness.

The temptation to reach out and take heaping handfuls of every opportunity from this smorgasbord of possibilities is nearly overwhelming! So that's what I'll be writing about: the newness and muchness of this University as observed through very fresh eyes. A story in the making about the sheer abundance of possibility: the Paterno Fellowship, clubs and events galore, the trials and tribulations of life as a freshman. And of course, the food. Fifteen minutes, here, another fifteen there, spent jotting down some notes as I taste test this new universe of a college I now call home. So come with me- and dig in!

Who Is It For?  How Do You Get Started?

As you probably know by now, the ECC is one way that you can fulfill your communication requirement for the Paterno Fellows Program. But that isn't all--the ECC is a great way for ALL Paterno Fellows to polish, demonstrate, and publicize their communication skills. It's available for all Liberal Arts students, but it's especially appropriate for Paterno Fellows because people with a professional e-portfolio of their work have a distinct edge when it comes to graduate school and law school applications, or when they apply for a first job or internship.

So I'm particularly interested in getting juniors who are Fellows going on their portfolios.  If you are a sophomore, you probably already have a good start on a portfolio because you took LA 101H last spring semester--now you're ready to continue the process.  If you are just starting you freshman year, wait on it for now--you'll learn all about the ECC in your LA 101H course in this coming spring.

Sophomores and juniors interested in pursuing the ECC?  Then follow these steps:

1. Email me (Michelle Smith mcs288@psu.edu) to declare your interest in the program. I'll get back in touch with additional resources, possible workshops to help you, and other ECC-related news.  As coordinator of the ECC this year, it's my job to answer your questions and see that you are guided through the process.
2. Check out our website to learn more about the portfolio requirements and the various resources in place to help you create a successful portfolio.

About Me

My name is Michelle Smith, and I'm the new coordinator of the Excellence in Communication Certificate. I recently earned my Ph.D., and I teach various rhetoric and writing courses at Penn State: English 15, English 30, English 202D--and the new LA101H course that should be familiar to many of you. I'm excited to help you all pursue and achieve this distinction.

It was good to see so many first-year Paterno Fellows aspirants at the Palmer Museum on Friday.  (Thanks to Holly Dickey, Billie Moslak, and Jillian Balay in LAUS for setting up the event, as well as the many museum staff members who welcomed us so hospitably.) It is also good to see Virginia Woolf tattoos appearing unexpectedly on campus--hey, let your friends know that they ought to go over to take in the Bloomsbury Exhibit as well.

Some of you have asked about the faculty presenters.

Virginia Woolf was "played" by Professor Susan Squier. In addition to offering a first-year seminar this term, Professor Squier teaches courses in science studies and in literary modernism. She also leads a summer study abroad program in London that many of you will be interested in.

Professor Chris Reed was the MC and also played the role of Roger Fry. He too is teaching a first-year seminar, and regularly teaches classes in his specialty: visual culture. He organized the Bloomsbury Exhibition.

Professor Mark Morrisson, interim head of the English department,  played Duncan Grant. In addition to teaching courses in British modernism--he loves James Joyce--he sometimes leads summertime study abroad programs in Ireland that you might enjoy.

Museum employees Joyce Robinson and Dana Kletchka impersonated Vanessa Bell and Dora Carrington. Rather well.

And I played John Maynard Keynes. Rather badly.

Let me know if you have comments and reactions to the show. In the meantime, take a look at at the slide-show of photos from the event: