The Paterno Fellows Program http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/ en Copyright 2013 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:49:27 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Reflections Upon Graduation, by Josh Branch BranchGraduation.jpgOn a sunny day in May, under the big white tent on the Sparks Building lawn, the second graduating class of Paterno Fellows gathered together to celebrate their accomplishments, and to share their excitement about what the future might hold. Joshua Brady Branch shared his reflections in his speech before his fellow graduates and their families.

I decided to apply to this program because it asked more of students. You weren't allowed to just skate by with the minimum to graduate; the Paterno Fellows program demanded more--another major or minor, an internship or study abroad experience, community service, and a sound ethical mind. It took every Liberal Arts student who craved something more and facilitated an environment where fellows don't compete against one another; they challenge one another.
Read the full text of Josh's speech here: BranchPFSpeech.pdf

View photos from the May 4 Paterno Fellows Ceremony and Reception here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausatpsu/sets/72157633553382815/ and http://www.picmyphotos.com/ (password Paterno).


]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/06/reflections-upon-graduation-by-josh-branch.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/06/reflections-upon-graduation-by-josh-branch.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:49:27 -0500 New Special Living Option for Freshmen New Special Living Option for Freshmen:  Liberal Arts Paterno Fellows House

First-year students in the College of the Liberal Arts who are intending to become Paterno Fellows may select this Special Living Option, where residents are committed to aspiring to the signature honors and leadership program. This program is only offered to Liberal Arts students, in cooperation with the Schreyer Honors College. Students will enroll in suitable honors courses during freshman year, seek academic excellence, and participate in the program's other offerings. Residents will enjoy cocurricular and extracurricular opportunities associated with the Paterno Fellows Program, as well as in-house offerings and mentoring activities that contribute to their social and academic success.

The SLO is open to all first-year students in the College of the Liberal Arts who are self-selecting as Paterno Fellows aspirants. Students enrolled in the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) with a serious interest in Liberal Arts and with a commitment of taking four honors courses in their first year at Penn State may also request this SLO with permission of program staff (email for permission).

Students may choose or change their housing preferences before June 1.

Location: Sproul Hall, East Halls

For more information: http://www.hfs.psu.edu/housing/housing/special-living-options.cfm#liberalartspaternofellowshouse


]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/05/new-special-living-option-for-freshmen.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/05/new-special-living-option-for-freshmen.html housing special living option Thu, 23 May 2013 09:27:20 -0500 New ethics course: France and the Holocaust in Film and Literature PFP Ethics Course requirement, and if needed, you can have it sub as a GH (Humanities) and/or IL (International Cultures) course on your degree audit.

The course tentatively includes an optional week-long study tour to Paris to further our study of France and the Holocaust.

Also, if you are considering a minor or major in French, you may be able to use the course toward 3 cr. in that major/minor.  Please contact adviser Julianna Chaszar at jxc50@psu.edu if you are interested in that option.

See the flyer for details, and feel free to write to Prof. Silverman at wzs1@psu.edu if you have questions.
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/05/new-ethics-course-france-and-the-holocaust-in-film-and-literature.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/05/new-ethics-course-france-and-the-holocaust-in-film-and-literature.html Courses Mon, 20 May 2013 14:42:20 -0500 Lili Hadsell and Sean Dooling Are Birkle Award Recipients birkle201213.jpgThe Nancy and Joseph Birkle Student Engagement Award recognizes Liberal Arts 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 or productive public deliberation on the Penn State campus, in the State College community, or in the nation and world beyond. Nominees must in some way participate in programs or activities supported by the Center for Democratic Deliberation or one of its partners.

This year, two Paterno Fellows are among the Birkle Awardees:

  • Lili Hadsell received the award for her role as coordinator of Penn State's chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), an on-campus group that advocates for the rights of workers who produce Penn State's collegiate apparel.

  • Sean Dooling is being honored for his key leadership role in Pinwheels for Prevention, an awareness and fund-raising campaign in support of Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania.
Learn more about their efforts at http://cdd.la.psu.edu/outreach/birkle-award-for-student-engagement.

Congratulations Lili and Sean!
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/lili-hadsell-and-sean-dooling-are-birkle-award-recipients.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/lili-hadsell-and-sean-dooling-are-birkle-award-recipients.html Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:44:16 -0500 The World We Want twww.gifDo you have an idea for a social action project, but lack the funds to see it through? The World We Want Foundation is accepting applications for grants of up to $5,000 for community service and social change projects. Applications must be sponsored by an eligible non-profit organization, with a leader/mentor age 21 or older.

For more information and the application form, go to: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=418800002


]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/the-world-we-want.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/the-world-we-want.html Funding Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:32:53 -0500 Taryn Noll Receives Stand Up Award noll.jpgCongratulations to Paterno Fellow Taryn Noll, who is a recipient of the Rock Ethics Institute's Stand Up Award. The Stand Up Award honors Penn State undergraduate students who have the courage and fortitude to take an ethical stand for a person, cause or belief, and thereby demonstrate ethical leadership concerning this issue. This award and the individuals and stories it honors will remind the entire Penn State community of how often the extraordinary act is possible in ordinary circumstances.

Taryn is being honored for her ethical leadership in developing a network of support for young adults at Penn State who are dealing with a loved one's diagnosis of cancer. Listen to Taryn tell her story at http://rockethics.psu.edu/leadership/standup/2013/noll.shtml.]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/taryn-noll-receives-stand-up-award.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/taryn-noll-receives-stand-up-award.html Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:08:53 -0500 Visit the Pinwheels Garden! pinwheel.jpgHello everyone! Happy spring and end of semester! Just a little over 1 more week until classes end.

But do you know what doesn't end? The fight to prevent child abuse.

Did you know that more than five children die every day as a result of child abuse?

Did you know that between 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates? (Stats found on ChildHelp website)

pinwheel image courtesy Penn_State.jpgLast year, you may remember the enormous success the College of the Liberal Arts had with the Pinwheels for Prevention Program, an event sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse PA to raise awareness about child abuse and the prevention efforts. If you don't, you can watch a video or read stories about it.

This year, a few students in the Gamma Sigma Sigma sorority and Paterno Fellows Program teamed up to make the 2nd annual Pinwheels garden at Penn State. In fact, we are "planting" the garden today around 1pm! Come stop by the Pinwheels garden outside of Sparks Building near the Pattee Library.

You can help us too! Spread the word to a friend or share this post on Facebook or Twitter. Take a picture by the garden and upload it to Facebook or Flickr. Every bit counts towards making people more aware of the issue!

Although we've already had our 2 HUB-table sales, you can still donate by:
Remember, "we all play a role in the healthy development of our nation's children."

Help play a role in making Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness month an even greater success. We've already seen events like Rock Against Rape and the Only Do It With Consent shirt giveaways doing a fantastic job at spreading awareness. Help us do the same!


]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/visit-the-pinweels-garden.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/visit-the-pinweels-garden.html Gamma Sigma Sigma Paterno Fellows Pinwheels for Prevention Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:06:06 -0500 Are you new to Paterno Fellows and PSU? leopard.JPGI remember when I first learned about the Paterno Fellows program. A single page of information tucked into the rest of my Penn State Accepted Student packet that arrived in my P.O. box in May three years ago. In small font on the glossy page was a short description of the requirements of the program, and a student's endorsement. It was a good introduction, but it wasn't enough.

So if that letter didn't paint a picture of the full scope of the Paterno Fellows experience, what would? Well, allow me to paint a few pictures for you.

Paterno Fellows is where you go. Being a Paterno Fellow gave me the financial assistance I needed to study abroad in Kenya and Tanzania. Imagine a soft, watercolor sunset spreading above the windswept grasses of the Serengeti. In the dark silhouette of an acacia tree, a leopard leaps along the trunk and settles to rest on a branch. You can just make out the twitches of her tail as she watches you, watching her. As your camera clicks away, you think, "Well, she's not the Nittany Lion, but she's pretty darn amazing too!"

Paterno Fellows is what you see. As a Paterno Fellow, I've been able to watch theater performances, visit exhibits and hear lectures I otherwise wouldn't be able to attend. Now, imagine you're back from Africa and sitting in a plush seat in the Schwab Auditorium. On stage, four actors from a British theatre company act out The Merchant of Venice. Though you've read Othello, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet, you've never had time to explore this gem of Shakespeare's creativity. The play is a new and exciting adventure as the plot unfolds and the twentieth century performance hall rings with renaissance English.

Paterno Fellows is how you feel. As a Paterno Fellow, you hold yourself to high standards in regards to your moral choices, your academic efforts, and your participation in school events. Each of your actions and choices reflects your commitment to better your school as an intellectual institution and yourself as an intellectual individual. You will take challenging honors courses, attend classes on ethics, and strive towards excellence in leadership and communication. Picture yourself at graduation, your head bowed as you receive your golden Schreyer Honor's College medal. In that moment, the words of the alma mater settle on your heart as realize your experiences with Paterno Fellows have shaped and molded you in these four years. You see now how much your love and loyalty to Penn State has challenged you to be the best student you can be, and now how all that effort has set a bright and hopeful future before you.

Being a Paterno Fellow is more than a checklist of requirements, a set of goals, or an itinerary of events. Truth be told, a single page is never enough to contain the full spectrum of experience you will have as a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Honors Scholar. But the good news is four years can be just enough!

]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/are-you-new-to-paterno-fellows-and-psu.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/04/are-you-new-to-paterno-fellows-and-psu.html Student Bloggers Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:30:00 -0500 Summer 2013 Arabic Language Study Abroad Opportunities NCUSAR website.

Application deadlines are quickly approaching, so if you are interested, don't delay in checking the site for details!
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/summer-2013-arabic-language-study-abroad-opportunities.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/summer-2013-arabic-language-study-abroad-opportunities.html Study Abroad Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:47:45 -0500 "Morality, Ethics, and Digital Life" Carrie James, Research Director and Principal Investigator at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, presents "Morality, Ethics, and Digital Life," on April 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

james.jpgEngagement with digital media--including use of social media and content sharing sites--is a routine aspect of life today. These media are particularly salient in the lives of young people, many of whom can't imagine their lives without them. Whether acknowledged or not, there are moral and ethical dimensions to the many decisions routinely faced and made in online communities--for example, decisions about self-representation and self-expression; disclosure of personal information; and creation, appropriation, and sharing of content. In this talk, Carrie James will explore moral and ethical dilemmas in digital life. She will share findings from a multi-year, qualitative study of young people's approaches to online life and consider the implications, particularly for education.

For more information and to download the poster: http://www.rockethics.psu.edu/bios/james.shtml
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/morality-ethics-and-digital-life.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/morality-ethics-and-digital-life.html Events digital life ethics morality Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:53:42 -0500 Ethics Course Requirement list of approved ethics courses to get started.  If you wish to propose another course for consideration, you should write to the Director. ]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/ethics-course-requirement.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/ethics-course-requirement.html Courses ethics Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:53:50 -0500 Excellence in Communication Certificate Excellence in Communication Certificate (ECC) recognizes Liberal Arts students who demonstrate superior skill in various types of communication (oral, written, visual, and electronic). Throughout their undergraduate career, Liberal Arts students can collect their essays, research papers, speeches, visual designs, electronic media, or creative writing that might be revised and perfected to include as components of an e-portfolio, which students submit for evaluation to earn the ECC. Students who earn the Excellence in Communication Certificate will emerge as versatile communicators who know how to engage a variety of audiences, write with precision and style, think with complexity and maturity, speak with passion and originality, employ fully the possibilities of electronic media, and conduct themselves as communicators with honesty and compassion.

Completion of the ECC fulfills the Paterno Fellows Communication requirement.

Important Update: The deadline for the Excellence in Communication Certificate has been extended to Monday, April 15, for students who intend to complete portfolios this semester.

Don't miss your chance to earn this credential. The best part is receiving helpful feedback on your e-portfolio, which is a wonderful addition to graduate, internship, and job applications. Contact your ECC adviser or ECC Director Jessica O'Hara with questions.
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/excellence-in-communication-certificate.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/excellence-in-communication-certificate.html Excellence in Communication Certificate Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:29:04 -0500 ENGL 202H Writing in the Humanities: Adult Literacy Fellows -- Consider this course when choosing your fall classes:

Offered every spring and fall semester to all students regardless of major, ENGL 202H provides Penn State students with a unique opportunity to earn honors credits, fulfill their ENGL 202 requirement, and engage in meaningful community service.

Course activities include participating in lively discussions about thought-provoking texts such as Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System, Jonathan Kozol's Shame of the Nation, Jean Anyon's Radical Possibilities, Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, and Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's Half the Sky.  Through these discussions and associated writings, policies are explored, values are challenged, and attitutes are examined.

In addition to being challenged and engaged in class, students will also find satisfaction working one-on-one with an English as a second language (ESL) learner or an adult who is pursuing a general equivalency diploma (GED) or who is enrolled in a job-training program.

Prerequisites: ENGL 015, ENGL 030, or ENGL/CAS 137H/138T, and the successful completion of 27.1 credits.

For additional information about the course, please download the flyer, visit the course website, or contact Lorena Waselinko at law17@psu.edu.

 

]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/engl-202h-writing-in-the-humanities-adult-literacy.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/engl-202h-writing-in-the-humanities-adult-literacy.html Courses Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:14:51 -0500 Graduation Reception set for May 4 at noon noon to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, the day of graduation.  All graduating Fellows are expected to come, and parents and family members will be invited too--as well as faculty advisers and thesis supervisors, university and Schreyer Honors College administrators, and other honored guests.  Fellows will receive a special gift in recognition of their achievements.  The ceremony will take place on the lawn between Sparks and Burrowes Buildings, and refreshments will be served.

You can view photos from last year's event at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausatpsu/sets/72157629683411260/. 
]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/graduation-reception-set-for-may-4-at-noon.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/graduation-reception-set-for-may-4-at-noon.html Events Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:43:45 -0500 Editor Positions available at Journal of International Affairs Hello fellow Paterno Fellows-

The Penn State Journal of International Affairs is looking for new members! The Journal is a student-produced, interdisciplinary, academic journal with an international perspective on political affairs, diplomacy, economics, security, terrorism, geography, the environment, and other subjects of global focus. If you're interested in learning more about the current team or our most recent issue, go to www.psujia.org. 

The Journal is produced once per semester, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, the Paterno Fellows Program, the Strategic and Global Security Scholars program, and the College of the Liberal Arts. Submissions are accepted during a set period, and the editorial staff then evaluates each submission based on content strength and relevance. Chosen submissions are then be developed and fine-tuned based on interactions between writers and editors over the course of the semester. 

We would like to formally invite you to participate in this opportunity. We are currently looking for high-caliber, motivated students to join our team, facilitating the editorial process and assisting in the production of the Journal.  As current Executive Editors graduate, there will be opportunities for leadership positions within the organization.

If you are interested  in applying for a position, please send a cover letter, relevant international affairs writing sample, and resume to peter@psujia.org by March 22.
 
We look forward to hearing from you!
 
Sincerely, 

The Journal Team
Peter Gorman
Patrick Boynton
Michelle Sarver
Harrison Rogers

]]> http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/editor-positions-available-at-journal-of-international-affairs.html http://blogs.la.psu.edu/paterno-fellows/2013/03/editor-positions-available-at-journal-of-international-affairs.html Leadership Opportunities Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:15:20 -0500