November 2011 Archives

We still are... hurt.
We still are... angry.
We still are... confused.

After talking with a number of my friends and classmates, it's undeniably clear that we still have no idea how to feel or how to react to what has happened in our community and what will happen to our community in the future. In search of some resolution, we've tried protesting and rioting. We've tried a peaceful vigil. We've tried to rally around one another for a sense of comfort and support. Yet I'm still not sure if any of us have found that stability or reassurance that we've been searching for.

One of the main reasons for this lingering sense of anxiety is that we have heard no clear answers. There's been a shroud of mystery hanging over the entire situation. We've received little to no answers or explanations from anyone at the university. Instead we've had to rely on the twisted reports of the news media and Twitter feeds in order to find out what is going on in our own home.

If only we could know some of the reasoning behind the actions of the board of trustees such as firing Joe Paterno and having Graham Spanier resign while Tim Curley kept his job during the past few weeks. If only we could ask the Board of Trustees or the administration just a few questions to help us make sense of this complicated mess.

And so, the Paterno Fellows Advisory Board would like to know your opinion on some of these issues:

For instance:
- What was your initial reaction to hearing about the scandal? How has your viewpoint changed has the situation has progressed?
- After going home for Thanksgiving, what impressions (if any) have you received from your home community about Penn State?
- If you could ask the Board of Trustees and/or administration one question, or get one issue of the scandal clarified , what would it be?

We ask that you give us your thoughts. Objectively, maturely, and most importantly, honestly.

And above all, always remember:

We still are... committed.
We still are... determined.
And We still are... going to set things right.
We still are... Penn State!
Thank you.

Like almost all of you, I'll be doing some traveling over the Thanksgiving Break.  Because of what's been happening here and because of my position with the Paterno Fellows Program, I'm expecting lots of questions. So I've been thinking about what my answers might be--and thought I'd share those answers just in case you find them useful.  (Incidentally, I'm also expecting to get lots of expressions of support.  The emails I've received tell me there's still an awful lot of respect for PSU out there.)

Question:  What exactly is going on up there?
Answer:  I wish I knew.  Everyone wishes that. But we are all feeling all kinds of confusion because at this point much remains to be known and confirmed. Exactly who did what, who knew about it, and what did they do about it and when? We don't know exactly what happened or the various degrees of culpability or how things might be changed to make similar incidents less likely and less frequent. Of course we have heard about all the (natural) speculation and of course the gruesome charges in the grand jury report, but there's so much yet to find out.  Some of it could be additional bad news, but there could also be good news. 

Hey, I'm part of the academic scene, and that means I withhold drawing conclusions until the data is in.

We are outraged and chagrined that children on Penn State grounds have apparently been damaged.  Our annual THON charity is all about helping children, so these charges are especially horrifying to us.

And we are exhausted. The whole thing has exhausted our energy and our emotions, and it's distracted us from our work. It's nice to have this chance to get our energy back.  And some of our spirit.

Question:  What was that riot all about?
Answer:  Everyone regrets that it happened on that very emotional Wednesday night. No one excuses it. Certainly no one is proud of it. But at the same time, it involved relatively few students, and the media did exaggerate greatly the extent of the disturbance. To me the vigil more faithfully represents what Penn State is all about.

Question:  How does it all affect the Paterno Fellows Program?
Answer:  The idea of the program and the ideals that it stands for are intact. It still stands for challenging students to be their very best in terms of academic performance; leadership, service and ethics; and communication, critical thinking, and intercultural awareness.  The other night the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board reaffirmed that.

Question:  What about the name of the program?
There are no plans to change the name of the program. Rash decisions often turn into bad decisions. We, our alums, and students need to learn a lot more about what what happened.

What's impressive to me is that Paterno Fellows are especially determined to do something concrete and specific in the longer term as a result of this incident--an annual event? a charity or cause to support?  The vigil in support of abused children showed what our students are fundamentally about, and Paterno Fellows will be putting together something in that same spirit. And they believe--this is important--that what the program stands for is going to be determined by what they do here and in life more than by whatever the program is named for.  Their determination is palpable: "how can we do better?"

Question:  But hasn't the university been damaged?
Answer:  No doubt. In the short run. But I'm convinced that the university is not forever damaged; as one of my colleagues emphasized to me, the university has a strong foundation, and students won't be "hurt" by being associated with PSU or at a disadvantage for jobs and internships. Lots of great students will continue to come here, and in fact we are actually going to come out of this better in the long run.

Question:  What are you doing as a faculty member?
Answer:  Like the students, part of me is angry, part is confused, part of me is stunned, and a lot of me is very sad.  But fortunately I have a lot of support, including the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) program. I am teaching a first-year seminar right now, and I devoted some class time to discussing the incident in the hope that I might be helping the students to cope. But what happened is that the students are actually helping me to cope. Their values and their idealism and their regard for each other and for what Penn State stands for are remarkably helpful to me. Invigorating and therapeutic. The community is something special, really, and now that you mention it, now I can't wait to get back.

Last evening the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board shared their thoughts with me and Associate Dean Chris Long concerning the current crisis and how it might affect the Paterno Fellows Program.  The discussion was so wide-ranging that I cannot summarize it well--but I will try.  Attending were advisory board students Christine Theberge, Olivia Hoover, Nathan Hollister, Doug Smith, Brian Prewitt, Coral Flanagan, Ben Stewart, and Sean Dooling; Paterno Fellows Max Keire and Lauren Perrotti; and Dean Long and me.  Laura Dzwonczyk participated by email.

Two specific outcomes, both related to hearing more of your thoughts:

1. A "message board" is available for you to share your thoughts: respond to this posting with your comments; or respond to other postings from Paterno Fellows that you will see in this blog space.  Think of this medium as our way of sharing information and ideas. Non-Fellows and non-aspirants can read your comments and comment as well--we can't stop that--but we expect that the overwhelming number of comments will be from Fellows and aspirants.
   
2. "Facilitated small group discussions" will be arranged, we expect, so that Paterno Fellows as a cohort can come together to ask questions, offer comments and viewpoints, and share ideas.  Watch for an announcement, and please participate.

(Also: see my blog entry on Going Home:  FAQs for suggestions on how to cope in the short run, as you are discussing the whole matter with family and friends over the break.)

The Advisory Board will discuss your comments and suggestions and needs and observations at its next meeting on December 6.

The discussion last night began with statements of frustration; students feel that they have not been adequately informed as to the rationale for Board of Trustee actions; that information seems to be coming from everywhere except the university; and that they would like answers to all kinds of questions.  A list of such questions is being formulated by the group so that answers might be solicited from likely providers; but the Advisory Board would also like your input.  They encourage you to make your views known.

The discussion shifted to specific short-term actions that Paterno Fellows might take.  Paterno Fellows themselves wish to be responsible for what the program stands for:  perhaps it means adding nuance and complexity to what an iconic name like "Paterno" means; perhaps it means taking up specific focuses within the ethics, leadership, and service imperatives of the program; in any event, the Board will be looking to DO SOMETHING distinctive as Paterno Fellows.  Long-term it might mean that Fellows adopt a specific charity or take on a specific group project or conduct a particular activity as a regular part of its mission.  Those in the room stated that they are proud of the ideas and ideals that the program stands for.  In essence it will be Fellows themselves who define what the PFP stands for.

What about the "Paterno" part of the Paterno Fellows?  The students came to the consensus that so far not enough has emerged to make them wish to distance themselves from the name Paterno.  Students appreciate what Joe Paterno has accomplished and has stood for in his life; the program recognizes not just Joe Paterno but the entire Paterno family; and students do not wish to join in on any rush to judgment but instead insist on critical examination and thoughtful reflection and the collection of additional information.  Students claim not to "idolize" Mr Paterno uncritically (as the media implies) but to respect what he and his family have stood for through their actions.  At the same time, there was a recognition that further fact-finding and reflection certainly might lead students to call for something different.  The protection of children is a matter of utmost seriousness, all agreed, and opinions in the room ranged from strong, vigorous support of the name to wariness.

As I read over this summary, it feels very inadequate. I am leaving things out inadvertently, and I ask those who were there to elaborate by recording your own sense of what transpired.  This summary also fails to reflect the passion in the room, the give and take in the discussion, the thoughtfulness and respectfulness in the room, the imperative to "do something" and to make sure it's the right thing.  The matter requires us to be at our best.  Please add your own thoughts in the coming days and weeks.

The events of this awful week are still unfolding, and as they unfold I am mindful that many of you have strong feelings and strong thoughts about it all.  All Penn Staters feel involved and affected, and Paterno Fellows feel a special involvement.

Next Tuesday evening I will be meeting with the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board to discuss possible means for sharing our ideas, understandings, and responses.  Then I'll be back in touch once again.

In the meantime, I know that you share my conviction that the Paterno Fellows Program is fundamentally about an idea and a set of ideals, all of them revolving around students.  You represent those ideas and ideals magnificently.

Do you want to travel and explore life in developing communities?
...and apply your knowledge to empower marginalized people?
...and engage in research endeavors that lead to publications?

The Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program provides several transformational integrated learning, research and entrepreneurship opportunities. HESE brings together passionate students and faculty from various disciplines to develop innovative and practical technology-based solutions to address compelling global challenges. Paterno Fellows can participate in seven sets of real-world ventures that range from low-cost greenhouses and ceramic filters to telemedicine systems, cellphone apps and innovative science education programs. Students will be working on various aspects of research, design, field-testing and implementation of these ventures in the Spring 2012 semester with travel to Kenya, Tanzania, Nicaragua, India or the US for three weeks in the Summer (Travel is optional).

Interested students are required to take both EDSGN 452 and EDSGN 497 during the spring semester.  Students can receive regular (or honors) three credits for EDSGN 497 (EDSGN 497H) and have the option of traveling to project sites in the Summer and participating in a follow-up honors course on reflection and research dissemination in the Fall semester. Credits count towards a certificate in Engineering and Community Engagement and the minor in Sustainability Leadership.

These courses are open to undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and all semester standings. Only 35% of participating students are engineers and every single college is represented...Enter the intersection!

Read a blog post from Amy Copley (BS, International Politics & Applied French, 2012) discussing her experiences working on HESE ventures:

I've been working as a part of the HESE Affordable Greenhouse Venture team for several months now, and I couldn't be more excited about our progress and the future of our venture!

The greenhouse venture focuses on providing a low-cost greenhouse technology to small-scale commercial and subsistence farmers because it can help them increase their agricultural productivity by up to 50%. While the initial greenhouse team designed and field tested the greenhouse in rural Kenya and Tanzania, my teammates and I are currently creating an operable business model that will ensure the sustainability and scalability of our venture.

During my time working on this venture, I've engaged in developing and presenting several different types of business pitches, designing our venture website, and preparing application materials for submission to national and international grant opportunities. As an international politics major with a passion for food security, taking this class has been particularly meaningful to me because I feel like my teammates and I are working towards achieving real-life social, economic, and environmental goals that will someday impact the future global food security landscape. Although learning the technical intricacies of developing a sustainable business plan has been challenging at times, our in-class discussions, group interactions, and team meetings with Prof. Mehta have made us all well-versed in the concepts and practices that lead to successful social enterprises.

The most exciting part of this experience is knowing that soon we'll be traveling halfway across the globe to implement the business plans that we're developing in class. No other course at Penn State has given me the chance to apply the knowledge I've acquired in class to such a real-world opportunity. I've found that the HESE classes really teach you to become a skilled public speaker, a knowledgeable business person who understands and can explain engineering concepts, and a successful social entrepreneur, because when you're traveling and working abroad you will assume these roles and responsibilities as you're developing relationships with local partners, pitching your venture to potential investors, and working on the ground to get your venture up and running. I highly recommend the class to anyone interested in taking part in a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural initiative that makes a difference in the lives of people all over the world.

For more information, please visit www.hese.psu.edu

Watch HESE teams in action in Kenya on the Global Penn State TV Program:

The Paterno Fellows Database enables students to view and edit their Paterno Fellows Program requirements. The first time you likely logged into the database was when you accepted the Paterno Fellows Program challenge during FTCAP. Aspiring and admitted Paterno Fellows should continue to access the Paterno Fellows database to update their records as they progress through the program to ensure the database reflects timely and accurate information.

Fellows and aspirants can access the database by visiting the following link: https://pfp.la.psu.edu. Students can also visit the "Current Students" section of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies website and click on the "Check my Status" link in the Paterno Fellows box to enter the database.

The database contains information (name, ID, address, etc.) that is pulled directly from eLion. However, students are able to update Paterno Fellows Program progress requirements in the database, including:

• Ethics Course Status
• Communication Excellence/Foreign Language Status
• Study Abroad/Internship Status
• Service Leadership Status
• Capstone Research/Creative Project Status
  

If you believe you have completed one of these requirements, you should log into the Paterno Fellows database, change the status of the specific requirement to "Claimed Satisfied," and leave a brief description of the activity/requirement. Your adviser will receive an alert and mark the requirement complete after verifying it.

The database is designed to allow students to keep track of their own progress in the Paterno Fellows Program and to communicate clearly with advisers and program administrators. Updating your records in the database is a critical step toward fulfilling the Paterno Fellows Program requirements. This will ensure that your progress in the program is being tracked effectively and efficiently. Junior and senior Admitted Fellows are particularly encouraged to make sure their records are accurate.

If you have any concerns or need assistance, please direct an e-mail to PaternoFellows@la.psu.edu.

There are still several low-priced tickets available for Paterno Fellows and their friends to attend "Kiss Me, Kate" on Wednesday evening.

"Kiss Me, Kate" is a musical comedy loosely inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.  The performances at Penn State will feature the students in PSU's renowned musical theater program.  And the on-campus performance scheduled for 7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 9 has been particularly arranged to appeal to Paterno Fellows.  Come! Bring friends!

The show, set in Baltimore (and not England), is one of the most popular ones to ever appear on Broadway. It has had over 1000 performances in New York, and its 1999 revival won several Tony Awards.  Here's how it's described by the Penn State theater program:  "Cole Porter's wit meets Shakespeare's humor in one of American Theater's most beloved musical comedies.  Kiss Me Kate is the raucous and romantic backstage story of a musical [troupe] that goes out of town in 1948.  It's "Too Darn Hot' in Baltimore where formerly married actors Fred and Lilli are cast opposite each other in a musical version of 'The Taming of the Shrew.'  The sparks fly onstage and off using a classic score which includes 'So in Love,' 'Another Op'nin', Another Show,' 'From This Moment On,' and 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare.'"

One of the special appeals for Paterno Fellows is the price--just $5.  (Paterno Fellows and aspirants can purchase a ticket for themselves and their guests at that price.)  Another of the appeals is a post-show "cast party" that will give Paterno Fellows and their friends a chance to meet the student-performers after the show, right in the upper lobby of the Playhouse Theater, over some nice food and drink. (Those who take advantage of this offer are expected to attend the cast party.)  To obtain tickets, see Billie Moslak in 119 Sparks--first come, first served, as long as our supply of tickets lasts.

Incidentally, the Director of the show (Travis DeCastro) is making it possible for students who wish--this part is completely optional--to get a preview of the show at 5:30 pm.  If you'd like, you can hear him give an overview of Cole Porter's career ("Kiss Me, Kate" saved his career), and you'll be invited backstage to hear about the sets, the costumes, and the special challenges presented by the production.

I am very happy to remind all Freshmen Paterno Fellows and aspirants that you are required to take L A 101H "Rhetoric and Civic Life" this spring 2012 semester.