January 2011 Archives

Last semester the Paterno Fellows Advisory Board agreed to the following Special Events for the current semester--one each for January, February, March, and April. Get these on your calendar now!

January 10

Paterno Fellows Recognition Event
This one was fun, wasn't it? In case you missed the Daily Collegian story (and photo) on this event, check it out on their website.  If you want to hear more, enjoy this short video on the event which can be found on the LAUS at PSU You Tube page. And if you'd like to see additional photos, look at the PFP Recognition Ceremony set on the LAUS at PSU Flickr site. 

Late February

In the final days of February (or perhaps the first days of March: date TBA soon), Fellows and aspirants will be able to attend, for a very modest price, a performance of The Beaux Strategem, a famous seventeenth-century comedy. Before the play, we expect, students will be able to get a snazzy short preview of the performance from the play's director, from a couple of the performers, and from PSU Evan Pugh Professor Robert Hume, the world's leading expert on the drama of the period. Here's the School of Theatre's description of the play.

March 23

After Spring Break we'll have tickets for at least sixty Paterno Fellows to attend a performance of the hit Broadway play The Color Purple at Eisenhower Auditorium. (It's likely that Sue Paterno will be able to attend the event, just as she attended the Toni Morrison lecture with Fellows last spring.) We'll again have a pre-show reception (with refreshments) that features an overview of the show, and we expect some of the performers to be on hand for that reception as well.

April 17

Paterno Fellows are making the April 17 5K Run for Special Olympics into a special Paterno Fellows cause. This fundraiser race, held the day after the Blue White football game, will attract hundreds of runners (as well as walkers like me), and it is requiring the help of dozens of Fellows to pull it off on race day, under the leadership (I believe) of juniors Lauren Perrotti, Lydia Scott, and Erin Morton. Don't be surprised if you see them distribute information on how you might take part.

Hello Fellows and Aspirants! Hopefully you all had a great break and are beginning some amazing semesters. I would first like to thank all of the Fellows and Aspirants who were in attendance during the recognition event last Monday on the behalf of the entire Advisory Board. I thought that the turnout was very impressive and that the overall proceedings went quite smoothly and hopefully you all felt the same way. In case you missed it (for classes or otherwise), I will give you a quick recap of what happened.

Throughout the event, our musical guest, "Irreconcilable Differences," which consists of six members of the Penn State history faculty, played a variety of songs including the Alma Mater. Following their initial performance, Associate Dean Long welcomed everyone to the event and explained what it signified--a transition into a program founded upon honor and integrity. Next, Dean Welch presented Joe Paterno with the Sparks Centennial Medal which he was unable to receive at the fall of 2009 College of the Liberal Arts Centennial Reception because of his coaching duties. Ginnelle Sroka, a Fellow and Advisory Board member, gave a wonderful speech about the opportunities that the program has allowed her to take advantage of. The Paternos were then presented with their own sweatshirts, which matched the ones that all entering Fellows received. Next, Associate Dean Upneja of the Schreyer Honors College spoke about the admittance of the Fellows into the Honors College and what really makes an honors student. Finally, after a short closing from Dean Long, all in attendance enjoyed refreshments and some one-on-one time with the Paternos.

I feel as though this event exemplified some of the best qualities of the College of the Liberal Arts and the amazing endeavors of its students. It was definitely a night worth attending. Hopefully such attendance and enthusiasm will be present at the various events that the Advisory Board is planning for this semester. More details about these will be available to you in the coming weeks but I am surely excited for them. Hopefully I will see you there.

In the meantime, take a look at some photos from the Paterno Fellows Program Recognition Ceremony.

The recent shootings at an Arizona "congress on your corner" meeting have lent a new sense of urgency to conversations about the state of civic discourse in the United States. When Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik cited "vitriolic rhetoric" as a factor in the shootings, he sparked debates about the metaphors, images (e.g., crosshairs), slogans, and commonplaces that comprise American political discourse. In response to these debates, the Center for Democratic Deliberation presents a "Flash Forum"--an event organized with due speed to respond to the exigencies of the moment--to give members of our campus and community an opportunity to consider the issues raised by the tragedy in Tucson.

Does language matter? Are violent metaphors partly to blame for the tragedy? Are the calls for civility misguided or on point? What traditions offer helpful approaches to the debates about language and action, about individuals and communities, about freedom and responsibility?

Leading scholars on campus from a wide range of disciplines will share their thoughts on these matters and involve you in the discussion.

Featured Presenters:

• Matthew Jordan, College of Communication
  
• Jeremy Engels, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences
  
• Ellen Dannin, Dickinson School of Law
  
• John P. Christman, Philosophy, Political Science, and Women's Studies
  

Date: Friday, January 21
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Place: Foster Auditorium, Pattee-Paterno Library

As you know, one major benefit of being a Paterno Fellow is access to a guaranteed $1500 - $2500 that you can put towards your education abroad trip and/or internship experience.

However, please note that you must submit an application to officially receive these funds.  Paterno Fellows should use the standard College of the Liberal Arts Enrichment Funds Application, being sure to check the appropriate box (Aspiring Fellow or Admitted Fellow).  All students who have been admitted to the Paterno Fellows Program (including Schreyer students who have indicated they are pursuing the PF program and making progress towards requirements) are guaranteed at least $1500 towards their experience, provided they submit the application in advance of embarking on it.  Students who are Aspiring Fellows will be considered on a case by case basis.

Are you studying abroad or doing an internship this spring but have neglected to submit this application?  Please contact us immediately at laenrichment@la.psu.edu.  Other inquiries about enrichment funds can be directed to this address as well.

Deadline approaching....

Thanks to the generosity of Gretchen A. Birkle ('86), the Center for Democratic Deliberation CDD) is pleased to announce a new annual award for students who help to advance the Center's mission of promoting engaged citizenship and public deliberation.

The Nancy and Joseph Birkle Student Engagement Award will recognize at least two students in the College of the Liberal Arts--either graduate or undergraduate students--who have made significant contributions to public deliberation and debate by "speaking out" about important political or social issues, or by promoting more informed and productive public deliberation on the Penn State campus, in the State College community, or in the nation and world beyond.

Honorees will be awarded a significant cash prize and a commemorative plaque at the end of Spring term.

We invite you to consider yourself as a nominee for this new award. In addition to being currently enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts at University Park, nominees must also in some way participate in programs or activities supported by the CDD or one of its partners.

Nominations for the 2010-2011 Birkle Student Engagement Award are due by March 1, 2011. Contact CDD Co-Director J. Michael Hogan (jmh32@psu.edu) with any questions, or you can visit the CDD website for more information.

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish: it will satisfy your hunger but it won't taste good." It's a quote after my own heart. Honest and catchy- and even more profound when spoken by the same man who first said it.

Joe Paterno stepped into the academic area to celebrate along with the deans and staff of the Liberal Arts and Schreyer Honors Colleges the first annual Paterno Fellows Program Recognition Ceremony. This past Monday, 211- yep, I counted- students were raised from the status of "aspirant" to "fellow."

'Fellow' is a funny word. According to my American Heritage Dictionary -let me pull this off my shelf now- it means more than "a member of a learned society" or "a[n] [under]graduate student receiving financial aid for further study." For us, those definitions are obvious, but perhaps not obvious enough. 'Fellow' is synonymous with associate, comrade, partner. This struck me as I stood amongst the applause and the assembly of gray hooded sweatshirts (thank you, by the way). As diverse as we are, in our varied disciplines and dreams- we are still working for a common reason. Whether in a field study in Kenya or in a research lab on campus, we are working in unison to better ourselves, our futures, and that of this university.

The success we celebrated earlier this week may have been as delicious and as varied as the desserts on the side tables. But it's all the same food group. One that, to me, tastes an awful lot like fellowship.

Would you like to be considered for the Presidential Leadership Academy?  First-year students are now welcome to begin the application process for this valuable opportunity, one that's right in keeping with the Paterno Fellows agenda.

Established in spring 2009, the Academy is a three-year leadership development opportunity for a select group of students, who are admitted toward the end the spring semester of freshman year. The application process has now begun. (About 15 of the students selected in the first two classes have been Paterno Fellows aspirants, so we know that the opportunity is especially open to you.) 

Through the Presidential Leadership Academy, students develop leadership skills, especially the ability to explore multiple dimensions of an issue and to welcome diverse viewpoints.  A highlight of the Academy is a one-credit introductory seminar led by the President of the university, and there are numerous off-campus and on-campus special events and opportunities. Check out the details on their website.

Interested students may apply directly for membership in the Academy, or (better) they can be nominated by members of the university community.  My recommendation would be to come to an info session for Liberal Arts freshmen interested in the Presidential Leadership Academy on Tuesday, January 25, at 4:30 in 124 Sparks--you'll learn how to improve your application, and you'll also learn how to get feedback on your developing applications.

Deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday, February 14, 2011. Students nominated for the Academy will be asked to complete the application process, which includes a resume, one essay question, and two letters of recommendation.