The Brandywine Blog

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The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs hosted a call with President Obama on Monday, May 7, to discuss the fight to keep federally subsidized student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1.

Sixteen local college students, including Penn State Brandywine freshmen Samantha Golay, of Sharon Hill; Christopher Kramer, of Media; and Tara Landis, of Malvern, were present in the Mayor's office for the call. Only two of those 16 students actually spoke with the President, and Kramer was one of them.
 
A story about the call is posted on the White House blog: http://1.usa.gov/Jg8JsJ.


Golay is the 2012-2013 president of the Lion Ambassador organization, a group of students on campus that provides campus tours and assists in the recruitment of future Penn State students. Ambassadors inspire visiting high school students to attend Penn State University and serve as their first examples of academic excellence. She is a business major.

Kramer represented Penn State Brandywine's Student Government Association, and is a member of THON (the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world) and a Lion Ambassador. He is interested in pursuing either business or political science.

Landis is also a member of THON, as well as a Lion Ambassador. She is a psychology major.

The President was joined on the call by Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, who took questions from participants. Mayor Nutter tweeted about the event, and Kramer addressed the press afterwards.

- Helene Bludman, Staff Blogger

Two weeks, nearly 300 miles, two women, and nothing but their own two feet. That's right. Penn State Brandywine's very own Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska will celebrate her love of Pennsylvania and the importance of a healthy lifestyle by walking from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia beginning on Sunday, May 6.

"This is a self improvement project," Chancellor Wisniewska said of her 300-mile trek with her friend, Marie Thibault. "This is about our love of walking and our love of Pennsylvania. We are curious about the small towns and want to meet the people who live there."

Their journey will begin at Seton Hill University in Pittsburgh, continue through the rural areas along Route 30, and will end on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum on Monday, May 21. "We're going to run up the steps like Rocky with the whole city of Philadelphia cheering us on!" Chancellor Wisniewska said, laughing. "And then we'll find a restaurant and enjoy a nice meal."

The most exciting part of the journey will be the people they meet along the way. Chancellor Wisniewska said she hopes people from colleges and universities, as well as alumni, and area residents, will meet and walk with them as they pass through towns and cities on their route.  Their families and friends will join them on the last day of their walk.

A pace car driver, Mike Amato, will ride along side them for the duration, carrying lunch, Gatorade, and other essentials. They will walk during the daylight only, approximately 20 miles per day, and have been welcomed to sleep at the homes of colleagues and friends along their journey.

Chancellor Wisniewska has connected with Shippensburg University President William Ruud, Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor David Gnage, former Penn State York Chancellor Don Gogniat, and Gettysburg College President Janet Riggs. Several of them have opened their homes or connected them with local friends, while a few plan to put their walking shoes to work as they join the women on their journey.

To keep up with Chancellor Wisniewska's progress, follow her on twitter (@ChancellorSoph) or follow the campus' Twitter account (@PSUBrandywine) and Facebook page. We'll also post updates on this blog.

And most importantly, if you see these two ladies and their pace car along the road, offer them encouragement, walk along side them, or even take a photo and send it to Risa Pitman at RLP29@psu.edu for the campus to share on social media.

They will walk along Route 30 East through the following towns:
Should this schedule change, we will notify you through social media.

May 6: Begin at Seton Hill University, through Pittsburgh
May 7: Ligonier
May 8: Stoystown
May 9: Schellsburg
May 10: Everett
May 11: Harrisonville
May 12: Chancellor Wisniewska will return home via car for Middletown Township Community Day at the Brandywine campus. She will be driven back and will pick up where she left off tomorrow.
May 13: McConnellsburg
May 14: Chambersburg
May 15: Gettysburg
May 16: Thomasville
May 17: Hallam (PA-462 East)
May 18: Lancaster (PA-462 East)
May 19: Parkesburg (PA-372 East, PA-82 North)
May 20: Downingtown (U.S. 30 BUS, U.S. 309 East)
May 21: Paoli, Valley Forge, and into Philadelphia (PA-352, PA-252, U.S. 30 East)

By Sarah DeMartino, Sophomore

Undergraduate research was something that took me by surprise. I was a freshman, only a week out of high school, when I had FTCAP (Penn State's version of freshman orientation). I was choosing classes and talking with my adviser, Dr. Daniela Martin. We were discussing my interests and what I'd been involved in during high school, when she told me about a project she was starting on gender and study abroad. I had participated in some international clubs in high school, Model United Nations, for example, and so Dr. Martin's project sparked my interest. She asked if I wanted to help her with it, to be a part of her research team, and I was awestruck. I stuttered back a, "Y-yes!" and from that point on I was an undergraduate researcher.

 
I was nervous at first as I hadn't had much experience with gender or psychology, but I learned quickly and those nerves dissipated. The one part of undergraduate research that I've always loved is how hands on it is; I've learned as I've worked, and although I started off with minimal knowledge, my understanding of the subject has grown immensely.
 
Undergraduate research has given me the opportunity to delve into a subject I wouldn't have otherwise explored. Heck, I didn't even know there was a field of study out there examining study abroad and gender. I've been given this wonderful opportunity to expand my passion for the international realm through a lens I never imagined existed.

Undergraduate research allows students to study what they are passionate about and to explore possible career options before they graduate. Will I continue to do this kind of research in my career? I'm not certain, but I've picked up skills and confidence I would not have gained otherwise. I've learned new technologies and programs used to sort and analyze data, for example, that I may not have had the opportunity to learn had I not become involved with research.

But what makes undergraduate research truly unique is that this work will be read, studied, cited, and built upon by other individuals. Knowing that the research will be directly contributing to a growing field of knowledge by sharing that work and collaborating on it with other people makes all the hard work worthwhile. Part of sharing that knowledge means going to conferences, and while it may seem nerve-wracking, attending such events is actually really fun and rewarding. Conferences allow researchers to meet and talk with other professionals working in that field. For me, that has always been one of my favorite parts of undergraduate research. I've always felt so excited to meet people interested in the same subjects that I am.

I have been to several conferences, one was Penn State Brandywine's EURECA (Exhibition of Undergraduate Research Enterprise and Creative Accomplishment). EURECA, which will be held this year on April 17, was especially important for me as I was not only sharing the research that Dr. Martin and I had been working on, but I was able to collaborate with my peers -- my fellow students. We had grown close as a group of research students. At EURECA we stood side by side, presenting, to our school, the projects in which we had all invested our time and effort. That atmosphere of camaraderie and support, I think, can only be found in events like EURECA.

EURECA also let me share my research with my Penn State community and give back what I had learned. The professors and students were quick to pose questions and delve into the work I was so passionate about. As a result of my EURECA presentation, I was then asked to present at the Penn State Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will be held at the Brandywine campus on April 19, and so presenting at EURECA gave me the opportunity to showcase my research at an even bigger event. It opened a new door for me.

All in all, I not only recommend students get involved with undergraduate research, but also that they embrace sharing it at events like EURECA. Going to conferences is a key step in learning about the work other people do, perfecting one's own project, and building upon and sharing it with people. That, after all, is what knowledge is for.  

Penn State Brandywine will host this year's Penn State Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 19 -- just two days after EURECA. Students with outstanding presentations at EURECA will be invited to present at the Symposium and compete against their peers for top awards. For more information about the Symposium, click here.

by Jennifer Santangelo, Senior


This year is the one hundredth anniversary of Girl Scouts of America, and as such, has been dubbed "The Year of the Girl" by Girl Scout officials. In celebration of the organization's storied history, Penn State Brandywine launched "We Are ... Girl Scouts Across Time: The Girl Scout Time Capsule Project."

This time capsule, which was buried on campus  this month and will be opened in 25 years, contains letters, thoughts, and memorabilia pertaining to girl scouting. Students, faculty, and staff who were once active in Girl Scouts were asked to donate something to be included in the time capsule.


My troop, #57090, of Media Elementary, Delaware County was fortunate enough to participate in this project. I have eleven fifth grade girls who have been together as scouts since kindergarten. Sadly, the 2011-2012 school year will be our last together. The girls in our troop will move onto middle school, and continue on with the troop that is already established there, if they so choose. It has been a very rewarding and fun-filled six years; watching the girls grow from Daisies to Junior Scouts has been amazing.

We have done a lot of fun things over the years. Our activities ranged from participating in fashion and variety shows, to visits to water parks and camping, and of course, the annual cookie sale!



In addition, our troop was active in civic engagement. We have volunteered our services at women's shelters, hosted toy drives for needy children, and have organized food drives for the homeless. It was through our civic engagement efforts that we became acquainted with Dr. Laura Guertin, associate professor of Earth sciences at Penn State Brandywine. She has been a guest speaker at several troop meetings.

During Dr. Guertin's last visit with us, she had the girls compose letters (pictured above) for inclusion in the Penn State Brandywine time capsule. Each girl wrote down her favorite Girl Scout experience; all of the girls chose one of the aforementioned activities as her favorite Girl Scout memory. The girls then decorated their letters with Girl Scout stickers, courtesy of Dr. Guertin. Each letter was accompanied by a picture of the girl who had written it. When told that they could be present for the unveiling of the time capsule in 25 years, the girls were flabbergasted!

We are so grateful to have been asked to be a part of this momentous event. The excitement of the girls was palpable, and even contagious! Being a part of the time capsule was such a wonderful experience for our girls. It was fun to listen to them talk about what they thought the world would be like in 25 years when the capsule is reopened. This worthwhile project will be something our troop will always remember. It meant even more to us because this is our last year together. Now we will have something to remind us of the fun times we have shared -- even if it is 25 years into the future!

 

As a student teacher finishing up her final year at Penn State Brandywine, Elizabeth Panos is combining her acting experience and teaching skills to show her first graders at Upper Merion Bridgeport Elementary School that bullying is never the answer.

Panos found her love of theater (she left college briefly to study acting in New York City) is a valuable teaching tool. She's using role-play to challenge her six- and seven-year-olds to find better ways to handle peer conflict.

"I don't use the word 'bullying,'" she said. "They think everything is bullying, even accidents. I just talk about treating each other with kindness. I know it's an anti-bullying lesson but they don't know that."

Her method is simple.

She began by using peer mediation while student teaching at Aronimink Elementary and in the William Penn School District over the last few years. "I had students talk out their problems, apologize, explain what they would do differently next time and then shake hands or hug. Furthermore, I had them role-play simple and complex situations in the classroom. Simple means someone stole my pencil or called me a name. Complex means hitting," she explained.

After going through this same exercise with her students at Upper Merion, where she's been teaching since the fall, Panos began asking them, "Is that a simple problem or a complex one?" every time they tattled on each other. She then had them work in groups to discover and role-play solutions for each.

Her method is working.

She recalled a few times when a student ran up to her and said, "Miss Panos, Miss Panos! ... Wait, it's 'simple,' I'll do it!" They then go back and say to the person who was mean to them, "'That's not nice, don't call me that.' Then the other student apologizes and they go back to what they were doing," she said. "Tattling still exists, but they're becoming aware of it and sometimes solving the problems on their own, which is where I think it all begins."

To tackle the issue of peer pressure, Panos came up with a role-playing scenario where a student is pressured by a peer to steal a pencil from another student's desk. "Three volunteers demonstrated the bullying scenario and then the students broke into groups to brainstorm and practice better ways to handle the situation. Two groups then acted out the right thing," which was asking to borrow the pencil instead of stealing it. "Another girl just ignored the peer pressure. I prompted one of the students in the role-play to goad her to steal the pencil and she said 'NO, it's not nice!'"

As a reward for solving their problems respectfully and on their own, Panos awards stickers. "Ten stickers earns them a V.I.P lunch with me. I bring in a table cloth, some music, a palm tree center piece," she said. For 20 stickers the student becomes a special helper for the day and so on. Turns out, they love one-on-one teacher time.

"It's been working so far!" she said excitedly. The other day "was the first day I gave everyone except two kids a sticker." That's 21 stickers compared to the more typical three per day.

She said the full-time teacher in her classroom is embracing her lessons and use of arts and theater, but at first she was "a little iffy due to the scripted nature of the curriculum, but she's on board because she also feels it's something important they need to learn. We work out ways to fit it in without interrupting mandatory content areas. We co-teach. We really work together and help the kids."

Panos is hoping to reach teachers and administrators beyond her classroom.

"I want to spread this around. I want to meet with the principals and explain what I'm doing because then they can incorporate this into their schools."

After coming up with much of the anti-bullying curriculum and role-playing on her own, Panos connected with an organization called Stand Together, a global community against bullying.

"I was noticing that my ideas were working, but these are proven to be successful," she said of the Stand Together's anti-bullying curriculum for K-12.

At the end of January she embraced "No Name-Calling Week," created by Stand Together with the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Her students brainstormed messages to give to other students to stop name-calling. Then they created posters with nice words to replace bad names, and Panos displayed the posters on the bulletin boards outside the classroom.

"I've been wanting to do this for a really long time," she said. After graduating in May, Panos hopes to "work somewhere where I can be creative and use my skills. I can do it in my classroom but it's nice to get to do it for other kids after school, too. I really want a place with after-school programs." Then later down the road, perhaps a principalship. "Then I'll have the authority to incorporate these programs. But you know, baby steps. I need a teaching job first."

by Risa Pitman, Staff Blogger

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series called "Where Are They Now?" Follow along as alumnus Teron Meyers tracks down Penn State Brandywine alumni and chronicles their quests for stable careers in a challenging job market. Meyers graduated in 2010 with a degree in communications and is working at a pharmacy as he seeks a stable career of his own. 

For most college graduates, that long-awaited day when they confidently walk onto the stage in the Penn State Brandywine Gymnasium to receive their degrees brings much joy. Now, at the pinnacle of their academic careers, many new graduates are asking, "What's next?" 

Having graduated at the peak of a recession, Paul Hurych '08 IST had concerns as an up-and-coming professional. But this tech-savvy grad emerged with few kinks to show.

Hurych began his college career in the fall of 2004 when the campus was still known as Penn State Delaware County. Throughout the next four years he was an active member in various organizations: vice president of the Information Science and Technology (IST) Club and president of the Student Government Association (SGA). He also was a Jane E. Cooper Honors scholar and graduated with high honors.

Having a strong fascination with computers and technology, Hurych was naturally drawn to his major. 

For two years after graduation, he worked as a software developer for McBee Associates in Wayne, before taking his current position at Akcelerant Software, in Malvern -- a move he hopes will help him in the future.

Although his road to a stable career has had few bumps, Hurych did face a few challenges. He remembers that very few companies were hiring when he began his job search. Just getting his foot in the door for an interview proved to be difficult, but not impossible.

"I was one of the lucky members of my graduating class. I had a job lined up for me after I walked," he said. And a little advice: "With the job market being as tight as it is, having a referral for a position will give you a definite advantage over other applicants."

In addition to his work, Hurych is still very much involved at his alma mater. With a knack for leadership, he presently serves as the vice president of the Penn State Brandywine Alumni Society. 

He said the best piece of advice he can give to recent and soon-to-be graduates is to use the large network of Penn State alumni for assistance. He attributes receiving an internship, as well as his current position, to the help of Penn Staters.

Hurych hopes to continue his career in software development, with aspirations of project management down the line. A master's degree in software engineering is on the list, too. Full of Penn State spirit, Hurych knows one thing for sure; he will always stay connected with the Brandywine Alumni Society.

by Teron Meyers '10 Com

Since 2003, Diane Shorter (Student Affairs Office) and I have led campus and community members with knitting needles and crochet hooks in hand to create handmade items for nonprofit organizations with an identified need. We call ourselves Knittany Lion Needleworks.

Last year, we asked our volunteers to help us make scarves for the Pennsylvania athletes competing in the 2011 Special Olympics USA. We were thrilled to be able to send 83 scarves that year to be worn by the athletes as they marched in during their opening ceremonies and during the games. 

We had requests to help this organization again, so we picked up our needles and hooks to help the 2012 Special Olympians in Pennsylvania. We knew this was a popular project with our volunteers, but we did not anticipate even more volunteers helping to create 119 handmade scarves in this year's Special Olympics USA colors of blue and red. 

Volunteers from Granite Farms estates made and donated nearly half of the 119 scarves, while others came from current students, alumni, parents, and community members. 

I have a feeling we will see this project on our list for 2013 so stay tuned!

For more information about Knittany Lion Needleworks, which will soon become an official club on campus thanks to an initiative led by freshman Theressa Ha, click here. 

-- Dr. Laura Guertin, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences