Behrend Blog

Behrend Reacts: What advice would you give to a new Behrend student?

Published on September 11, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

The first couple weeks of college are filled with exhilaration and eagerness as new students flood campus and attend classes for the first time.

We asked returning students what advice they would offer first-year students for taking on the rest of the school year as exam dates draw nearer and weather turns colder.

Sam Anderson, junior, Environmental Studies, from Kane, Pa: “Practice solid study skills. You have to put the work in to learn the material.”

Tara Campbell, sophomore, Business Management, from Cranesville, Pa: “College is a lot different from high school; you have to be disciplined and responsible for yourself. No one is going to hold your hand through it.”

Isaac Howard, sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, from East Springfield, Pa: “Don’t procrastinate. Time management is a crucial part of being successful.”

Bridget Heller, sophomore, Nursing, from Erie, Pa: “Focus on your school work, but do not forget about the social aspect of college. This time is about learning, but also discovering who you are.”

Gracie Wiles, sophomore, Nursing, from Clarion, Pa: “Try not to freak out and stress about all of the changes. College is a big adjustment, but remember that everything is temporary and it will all be worth it in the end. You have to keep a positive attitude.”

Nick Spurgeon, junior, Marketing and Psychology, from Erie, Pa: “Make as many friends as possible. It will make your time more enjoyable here, and those people will become connections later in life.”

Miko Breski, sophomore, General Arts and Sciences, from Erie, Pa: “Get involved in everything you can. If you don’t, you are not taking full advantage of this time and freedom.”

Vee Butler, senior, Arts Administration, from Bethel Park, Pa: “Try not to be shy, and meet everyone. When you come to college, you are a blank slate and free to be whoever you want. Use it to your benefit.”

Dalton Beatty, junior, Accounting and Finance, from Conneaut Lake, Pa: “Get to know your professors and the faculty. They are here to help you no matter what and can help you find jobs and internships in the future.”

Mackenzie Yoho, sophomore, Labor and Employment Relations, from Ellwood, Pa: “Get involved, even if it is with only one club. I’ve met some of my best friends through the clubs and organizations offered here.”

Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Nicole Krahe at ndk5089@psu.edu.

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Student earns wings

Published on September 9, 2014September 11, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Miranda Boatman took a deep breath as she boarded the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. After two-plus weeks of training, the time had finally come.

Within minutes, the Penn State Behrend junior childhood and early adolescent education major would be more than 1,200 feet above ground. Then she would jump from the aircarft and fall at speeds exceeding 130 miles an hour.

“Once we’re in that plane, and they open that door, that’s when it gets real,” said Boatman. “There’s only one way down.”

The Bellefonte, Pennsylvania native spent three weeks this summer completing the Army’s Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. The course is better recognized by its nickname — Jump School.

“They teach you how to do a PLF — parachute landing fall,” said Boatman, a member of The Pride of Pennsylvania ROTC Battalion (which includes students from Penn State Behrend, Gannon University, and Mercyhurst University). “For me, it wasn’t as bad because I’m smaller, so I hit the grounder lighter.”

The training schedule that leads to the completion of an airborne jump is significant. It’s broken down into three weeklong intervals: ground week, tower week, and jump week.

Once the training has been completed, participants are expected to be able to execute jumps, deploy parachutes, land safely, pack swiftly, and move to a designated rally point.

Boatman said the training could be tedious at times, especially during ground week, but it’s a tried-and-true process.

“With ground week, you start on a (34-foot) platform and start swinging back and forth. They say they’ve been teaching these same methods for over twenty years, and it obviously works,” Boatman said.

During week two, participants practice jumps from 250-foot towers. The week is devoted to teaching all of the different phases of parachute flight.

The training process is far from easy. According to Boatman, more than 150 participants in her training group were dropped from the training because their jumps were not proficient during weeks one and two.

Those who made it to week three were in for some real, high-flying fun.

Boatman made a total of five jumps from the aircraft, including a night jump that proved to be the highlight of her experience.

“After you hit the ground on that jump, you knew you were getting your wings, so that was pretty great,” she said. “Everyone’s adrenaline was going after that jump, and everyone had their own little story about it.”

Boatman’s success in jumping should not come as a surprise. It’s in her blood.

Her father, John Boatman, completed the same training years earlier before serving in the National Guard. He was on hand for his daughter’s jumps and presented her with her airborne jump wings on the final day of the training.

Boatman plans to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the National Guard after her graduation in 2015. She’s thankful for the experiences ROTC has given her, especially her unique “summer school” venture.

“I just had such a great summer,” she said. “ROTC has provided me with so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I wouldn’t have been able to jump out of a plane. That’s just not something a normal college kid gets to do.”

A club for everyone (and 12 you probably didn’t know existed at Behrend)

Published on August 29, 2014September 2, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

There are a lot of good reasons to get involved in clubs on campus:

Make friends.
Have fun!
Enhance your resume.
Develop time management skills.
Gain some leadership experience.
Eat for free.

I attended the Club Showcase on Wednesday in McGarvey Commons and there were so many clubs and organizations that the showcase spilled out of the commons and filled the entire Wintergarden area, too.

Clearly, whatever your background, interests, or activity level there is a club, organization, or group for you.

Here are a dozen clubs that caught my eye. Some are new, some are unique, and some are clubs you might not have known even existed at Behrend:

Nanashi: The Anime Club

Before you go, brush up on 100 most essential words in Anime.

The Behrend Fencing Group

Touché!

Renaissance Martial Arts Club

Doesn’t that sign (lower right) “Fight with Swords!” just about say it all?

Asian Student Organization

In the past, this group has put on some really entertaining, interesting, fun, and well attended events — including a festive Spring Festival celebration.

Human Relations Programming Council (HRPC)

Who doesn’t want to make the world a better place?

Women Today

’cause, ladies, we need to support one another.

Commuter Council

The commuters want a lounge to hang out in between classes. Join the club to help make it happen.

Tone-Acious – the Behrend A Cappella Group

Music to my ears.

Agriculture Club

This group’s twice-a-year Behrend County Fair is your chance to ride a mechanical bull — right in McGarvey Commons! Don’t miss it.

Fresh Face Forward

Because beauty doesn’t have to be toxic (to animals, you, or the environment).

RAK: Random Acts of Kindness

A group who goes around campus doing nice things anonymously. How awesome is that? It was an unstaffed booth…of course. Shhhh…..we’ll never tell who is involved.

Crossfit Club

Leave college 15 pounds heavier — not from late-night pizza or free cookies, but from working out like a boss. Sounds like the perfect after-class stress relief!

For More Info

You can find information about any of these clubs…and check out any of the more than 100 clubs on campus here.

Behrend Reacts: What club are you thinking of joining this year?

Published on August 28, 2014August 28, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

When Penn State President Eric Barron was introduced in May, he presented the following analogy.

“When students decided to come to Penn State and pay their tuition, they purchased a sports car, but too many of them will only drive it 20 miles per hour.”

Translation? Take advantage of all the opportunities available to you at college and GET INVOLVED!

New students had an opportunity to see everything Penn State Behrend has to offer Wednesday at the Club Showcase in McGarvey Commons.

We asked students what clubs piqued their interest.

Courtney Bolton, first-year student, Nursing: “The dance team because I have been dancing since I was 3-years-old. I’m not ready to give it up yet.”

Taylor Sterrett, first-year student, Nursing: “I liked the club volleyball team because I played volleyball in high school.”

Shayne Watson, first-year student, Speech Pathology: “I signed up for the Republican club because I don’t like our current president.”

Nick Angelo, senior, Computer Engineering: “Well, I’m the president of Triangle Fraternity, so I’m recruiting. It’s still early, but we’ve got a couple of names, so that’s good.”

Tom Prinzi, senior, Plastics Engineering: “The International Student Organization. It is not only for international students, it’s also for anyone looking to break barriers and make friends. They have really nice dinners, too.”

Justin Leonard, junior, International Business: “Behrend Club Hockey. It gives you the opportunity to play at a competitive level while still having fun and being part of a family.”

Josh Kolarac, first-year student, Communication: “I’m interested in joining BVZ and The Behrend Beacon because it will help out with my major.”

Rayni Modecki, first-year student, IBE: “I signed up for THON because it sounds like a lot of fun and it’s a good cause.”

Andrea Gaez, first-year student, Industrial Engineering: “I came here from Panama, so I joined Theta Phi Alpha and The Multicultural Council to make new friends!”

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10 signs life has returned to normal

Published on August 25, 2014August 25, 2014 by Behrend Blog1 Comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

As a staff member who works at the college year round, I can tell you that the summer months are peaceful and serene.

At first.

But after a few weeks, the novelty of a great parking space wears off and you realize that no Bruno’s or Elements café (both close in summer) means no morning Starbucks and the empty pathways become a little too peaceful and campus starts to feel kind of lonely.

Summer is a nice reprieve, but it’s truly wonderful and exciting when students and faculty members return. Suffice to say we missed you.

We went out today in search of 10 signs that life has returned to normal on campus:

1. Foot traffic.The pathways around campus are full at class change (and 65% of students are looking at their digital devices while they walk. No judgment here — I’m the one you see walking around with my nose buried in my Kindle, but sometimes it’s nice to look around, too. We have a beautiful campus).

2. Nearly filled parking lots. (So much for always finding a spot in Reed. It’s OK, though. I don’t mind walking a little farther. It’s does a body good. Now, come February….)

3. A full house outside of Bruno’s and at nearly every student work station around campus.

4. Customers (and three registers open) at the book store.

BTW — that’s me up there in that photo. See that smile? It’s genuine. We’re all quite happy to have you back. See that notebook? I’m almost always carrying one because I never know when I’ll find a story. If you’ve got one to tell, stop me and chat me up.

5. Paws’ STARBUCKS is open again. STARBUCKS is open again. STARBUCKS is open again. STARBUCKS IS OPEN AGAIN. (What? Me? Overcaffeinated? Maybe…because STARBUCKS IS OPEN AGAIN! Cue the angels singing).

6. Paws is scooping Berkey’s again. I scream…you scream…we all scream for ice cream, but you know what? They don’t sell it in the summer. (Doesn’t that just seem cruel?)

7. Student organizations are handing out free food (and other stuff). Fact: If you leave college without 4 Frisbees, 12 reusable shopping bags, 25 free T-shirts and 15 extra pounds, you didn’t do it right.

8. Bruno’s is open again, which means we can get our chicken wrap fix.

9. There are people in the library again….lots of them. (I guess this means I’ll have to start whispering in the library again).

10. Elements Café is open. You know they sell STARBUCKS coffee, right?

Welcome home, everyone! Looking forward to another great year!

International internship leads to amazing experiences for Behrend student

Published on July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Nico Carbo’s heart beat wildly as he stood on a cobblestone street in Pamplona, Spain, waiting for the sound of hooves and the roar of the crowd gathered behind the barricades. Dressed in the traditional garb—white pants and shirt, red bandanna and a red scarf tied around his waist—Carbo’s primary concern was staying on his feet.

“All I could think was: Don’t fall or you’re done for,” he said.

A 1,500-pound running bull doesn’t care what is in its path. It’s tempting fate, then, to step out and run in front of it. But that’s sort of the point at the annual running of the bulls in Spain, which began as a way to move bulls from Pamplona’s corral to its bullfighting arena and became an annual show of bravado by daredevil young men.

Today, thousands of participants from all over the world dash through the streets trailed by charging bulls each morning of the St. Fermin Festival, which is held annually July 7-14.

Among the runners this year was Carbo, a junior International Business and Marketing major, who is interning as the community manager at EME Catedral Hotel, a five-star boutique hotel in Seville, Spain.

Carbo ran with the bulls not just once, but twice – taking a jog with the snorting half-ton animals on July 7 and 8.

I met Carbo in late April when I interviewed him about a research project he is working on (coming in the next issue of Behrend magazine) and that’s when he told me he had an internship in Spain and he intended to run with the bulls while he was there. Well, I couldn’t let that story go untold, so I emailed Carbo last week to find out how it went.

Where did you run?

I ran with the bulls in Pamplona. We started on calle Santo Domingo.

Is it just men that run? Are women allowed to run?

It is mostly young men, but women are allowed. On the two days I ran, I only saw two women.

How far is the run?

It is 820 meters (roughly a half mile), and the entire thing lasts less than five minutes. I wanted to wait until I saw the bulls before I started running.

How many bulls are there?

They say there are six, but there are actually ten. They initially let out eight bulls first and then there are two that are sent after them to push through any bulls that might have gotten separated from the pack.

How fast was the pace of the run?

The bulls are very fast. It is impossible to run with them the entire time. I ran in front of them for about 20 meters before I had to get out of the way. The bulls get to the arena in about three minutes.

What was the experience like?

I would describe it as beautiful insanity, if that makes sense. I hardly slept the night before because everyone was partying in the streets until daylight.

Were you ever frightened?

Yes, and anxious. The runners do a traditional chant to an image of San Fermin three times before they release the bulls at 8 a.m. By then, my heart was beating very fast. But once I heard the rocket go off (signaling that the bulls have been released), my sole goal was to run and stay alive.

Did you worry about falling?

Yes. There are a lot of people who run and a lot of them are drunk. There are also people who trip and end up pushing you, so I was concerned about that, too. The first day two people fell right in front of me. I was able to jump over the first one and go around the second one. On the second day, a guy in front of me was recording on his phone, and he dropped it. He bent over to pick it up and almost got gored in the head by a bull.

What has your internship experience been like so far?

My colleagues are very friendly and it’s a great experience to work with people internationally. Even though I work in Spain, I work with many French people.

What’s next on your bucket list of things to do in Spain?

I want to go to La Tomatina, which is a tomato festival in Valencia, Spain. It’s basically a giant tomato fight.

Sounds messy, but much safer than trying to outrun a pack of angry bulls.

Here’s a video Carbo sent of the end of the run, shortly after entering the stadium:

Behrend alumna reaches milestone with release of first book

Published on July 18, 2014October 30, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Author Heather A. Slomski ‘03, a Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, alumna, always knew that she wanted to write.

She’s been drawn to stories—both reading and writing them—ever since she was a child, and so it makes sense that her son, 19-month-old Oscar, is turning out to be a voracious reader himself.

Slomski, who earned her B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing in 2003, and her husband, Vincent Reusch, spend most of Oscar’s waking hours engrossed in children’s books.

“It’s one of the best parts about being a parent,” Slomski says.

Publishing a book herself was a goal that was always driving Slomski, who has had stories published in TriQuarterly, American Letters & Commentary, Columbia: A Journal of Literature & Art, The Normal School, and other journals.

Mission accomplished.

Her crowning achievement comes this fall. That’s when her first book, The Lovers Set Down Their Spoons, will be released from the University of Iowa Press. The book, is a collection of fifteen short stories, was a labor of love for Slomski.

She worked on it while pursuing her M.F.A. at Western Michigan University and then afterward when she held the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville.

“Not everything I wrote fit together,” says Slomski, who also is an adjunct professor at Concordia College. “It actually took me a long time to feel as if I had a finished manuscript.”

Yet, when it was finished, Slomski says she had a strong sense of accomplishment. The book has already made waves, receiving the 2014 Iowa Short Fiction Award, a national award given to a first collection of fiction in English and administered through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

“It’s really rewarding because I feel good about the individual stories and the collection, but I feel validated for it to be recognized and win this award,” Slomski says.

Slomski says her two favorite stories are the title story and the last story in the collection, “Before the Story Ends.”

“I like the title story a lot because it takes the structure of a play and kind of exists on the border of drama and fiction,” Slomski says. “The last story has some magic to it, and it’s also an exploration of loss, and I felt I achieved something with that story. The two stories almost don’t fit in the same book, but they do. They have totally different tones but both deal with loss in a very different way. The title story actually ends up being about gaining something, which is, of course, the opposite of loss.”

Slomski has already begun work on her next project, The Starlight Ballroom, a novel that tells the fictional story of the lives and deaths of her paternal grandparents.

The Lovers Set Their Spoons is currently available for preorder at Amazon.com and can be purchased at this link.

About Heather A. Slomski

High School: McDowell High School, Erie

Education: Earned B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Penn State Behrend; earned M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University.

Fellowships and Awards: From 2008-2010, Slomski held the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville, where she taught fiction and organized a two-day literary festival titled “The Story of Form.” She was awarded a 2013 Minnesota State Artist Initiative Grant, which afforded her travel money to spend six weeks in Krakow and take a course release from teaching. While there, she conducted research for her novel-in-progress, The Starlight Ballroom. She also was awarded the 2013 Minnesota Emerging Writers’ Grant, which allowed her to take a course release, so she could continue working on the novel.

Influences: Steven Millhauser, Lydia Davis, Charles Simic, Anne Carson, Angela Carter, Bruno Schulz

Favorite book as a child: “I would say the book I kept turning to was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe because it has that mix of reality and the fantastic. As a child, and even as an adult, you just don’t question it and say ‘This could never happen,’ or ‘This is not how the world works.’”

Advice for aspiring writers: “Find a writing schedule—a time and a place where you can write, every day, if possible—and stick to it. Also read a lot. Continually seek out new authors to read, and take care not to overlook literature in translation, literary journals, or writers who publish with small presses.”

For more information, visit Slomski’s website at heatheraslomski.com.

Behrend faculty and staff recommended reading – Part II

Published on July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Did you get through all those titles I gave you last week? No? Slacker! (Just kidding, of course). Break out your to-read list because I’ve got some more suggestions for you straight from lips, er, keyboards of the book-loving faculty and staff members at Penn State Behrend.

Without further ado, recommended summer reading part two:

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin is one of the shortest and most powerful books I’ve ever read. It was published fifty years ago, and I read it as a teenager and reread it five years ago. It is nonfiction and tells how the author, through medication and dye, transformed himself into a black man to experience what it was like to be black in the south in the 1950s. It’s hard to believe how recent this history is.” — Dr. Eric Corty, associate director of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of psychology

“I’ll second Black Like Me. I read it several years ago and it really sticks with you. I use Ann Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down in class, and every time I read it I’m stuck by how well she captures both the culture clash of the new Hmong refugee and the western medical model’s failing. For fun, I’m reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It consists of eight historical novels written about the Scottish Jacobite upraising and those who eventually immigrated to America. I’ve heard there is a TV series about it being filmed in Scotland now.” — Dr. Dawn Blasko, interim associate dean for Academic Affairs and associate professor of psychology

I recommend House of Breath , Come, The Restorer and Arcadio, all by William Goyen, who is considered in Europe to be one of the greatest writers America has ever produced. Ironically, he’s little known here. All his stories and novels are wonderful, but the books recommended are, in my opinion, his best three novels. The House of Breath was his first novel and Arcadio was his last (published posthumously). Enjoy. — George Looney, professor of English and creative writing

I would recommend The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. Not only is he one of the best science fiction writers ever and not only did he receive his fourth Hugo Award for this novel, but this book is really imaginative and captivating. Heinlein depicts an entire society on the moon (and its rebellion against Earth) several years before we had even step foot there. This novel is science fiction at its best. — Dr. Amy Carney, assistant professor of history

I found The Presidents Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy to be inspiring. It’s about how current and former presidents have cooperated through time to accomplish great things. For fiction, I recommend Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. It’s a great story about “life, death, and hope in the Mumbai undercity.” — Dr. Greg Filbeck, professor of finance

I’ll recommend One Summer: America in 1927 by Bill Bryson. Bryson is a classic storyteller known for his bestsellers such as A Walk in the Woods and A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, but One Summer is the book we all should have all read in some high school or college history class. It consists of juicy and amazingly true stories of Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Henry Ford, Calvin Coolidge (who seems to have been the worst President ever), and many others of that era. It’s fun and kind of makes you feel intellectually thin for not knowing more history. — Dr. Darren Williams, professor of physics and astronomy

I recently discovered that British author Mary Stewart (The Crystal Cave, among many others) died this year at age 97. Her suspense and romance novels featured independent females in exotic locales and they enthralled me as a teenager. I’ve been picking them up at yard sales for years and want to re-read them this summer. She also wrote several Arthurian novels that were very popular. — Jane Ingold, associate librarian at Lilley Library

I just finished Delivering Happiness a Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh who is the CEO of Zappos. I had heard that Zappos was a tremendous company, and I like inspirational books. It was good for me to read something out of my field, too. It caused me to do a lot thinking outside of the (shoe) box. — Ann Quinn, lecturer in biology

Mr. Spaceman by Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Olen Butler is an intensely clever, funny, and poignant book. The prose is spare and lovely. The plot weaves historical events from the flight of the Kitty Hawk through the Vietnam War into a larger, compelling story about Desi, the spaceman of the title, his wife, Edna Bradshaw, their cat, and a bus of twelve people he abducts. — Ruth Pflueger, director of the Learning Resource Center and lecturer in English

The Atomic Chef by Steven Casey contains true stories of human error and things that go really wrong and why, from switching embryos to getting locked in an ATM room. I actually use this as a textbook in my upper-level human factors psychology classes. The Zen of Zombie Better Living Through the Undead by Scott Kenemore is a fun and easy read. It is kind of like Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff but from a zombie’s point of view. The Sword of Truth is the first in a large fantasy series by Terry Goodkind. And, finally, 1408 by Stephen King is an interesting, shorter horror-type story. They made it into a movie a few years ago, but it didn’t do the book justice. — Dr. Heather Lum, research associate in psychology

Secret Lives of Faculty Members: Dr. Paul Becker

Published on July 1, 2014July 7, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass

Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

There’s much more to Penn State Behrend’s faculty and staff members than what you see on campus. In this occasional series, we’ll take a look at some of the interesting, unconventional, and inspiring things that members of our Behrend community do in their free time.

NAME: Dr. Paul Becker

DAY JOB: Associate professor of mathematics, Penn State Behrend

HOBBY/SECOND JOB: Blueberry farmer

FARM: Blue Confusion blueberry farm, 8911 Old French Road

Three seasons of the year, Dr. Paul Becker teaches calculus and algebra and other mathematics courses at Penn State Behrend. Come summer, however, he’s in the blueberry business.

He didn’t mean to be. The job sort of came with the property that he and his wife, Sharon, bought eight years ago on Old French Road in Summit Township.

“When we bought the house they told us there was a blueberry farm in back,” he said. “But it was March and there was three feet of snow on the ground. We had no idea it was as large as it was.”

When all the snow melted, they discovered 866 blueberry bushes.

Customers begged them to keep the farm open.

“Some families have been picking here for almost 40 years,” he said. “We have one family that drives from Cleveland every summer to carry on the blueberry picking tradition.”

Becker and his wife consulted with the Penn State Extension Center who taught them how to prune, fertilize, and care for the five-acre farm, which they named Blue Confusion.

When the berries ripen in late July, the public is invited to pick their own baskets of berries. Becker, his wife, and their five-year-old son, Logan, work in a small shed out back, weighing the berries and collecting money.

Becker says selling is the easy part. The pruning, fertilizing, and mowing require more physical work.

“Pruning begins in early spring and goes until early summer,” he said. “And the mowing takes eight hours. I use the tractor between rows, but I have to use the push mower to get under each bush.”

Lest you think he might trade his faculty ID for barn boots and overalls, you should know it’s not a very lucrative business. Becker says they typically break even, but he’s not in it for the money.

“It’s a hobby, really,” he says.

HOW HE LIKES HIS BERRIES: “I like them fresh on top of a bowl of cornflakes,” Becker said. “And we make a lot of blueberry pancakes and muffins here, too.”

Becker with his son, Logan, and dog, Bo.

*** Do you have a suggestion for a candidate for a future Secret Lives of Faculty/Staff feature? Email hjc13 at psu.edu.

In need of a new read? Check out these titles recommended by Behrend faculty and staff members – Part I

Published on June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 by Behrend Blog1 Comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Ah…summer. Time to kick back with a good book. We asked some of the faculty and staff members at Penn State Behrend to share their suggestions for summer reading.

If, like me, you always forget which books you want to read in the future, try one of these strategies.

1. Make a list using the “note” feature on your smart phone or tablet, and you’ll always have your list with you when you’re browsing at the Lilley Library or out shopping.

Or…

2. Create a wish list at an online bookseller (I use Amazon) and add titles to your “to read” list when friends recommend them. It’s a convenient and easily-accessible way to keep track of books you want to read. (Tip: See if you can borrow the book through the Lilley Library before you purchase. I’m linking the books below to Amazon just so you can see the covers and read customer reviews, if you wish.)

OK….get your pencil/mouse/smartphone ready because you’re going to want to add a lot of these books to your list. I’m going to give you half the list today & the other half next Thursday, July 3).

I am finishing Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. A bit too much description of the sometimes drug-addled state of the protagonist, but a good summer read. Also discovered a very talented Sardinian writer, Michela Murgia. Her best known work, Accabadora, is translated into an excellent English version and is just haunting. — Dr. Sharon Dale, associate professor of art history

Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind is on my summer reading list. I’ve heard that it is a wonderful story that provides a unique perspective into the growing population of people diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Oh, and it includes Disney references, so I’m happy. — Dr. Carrie Payne, coordinator for strategic proposal development.

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham is an interesting look at what might possibly have led to humans being who we are today. Much evidence is given through prior anthropological work and cases. There’s not too much jargon and it’s easy to read. Also, Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen. It’s a very sarcastic and witty tale of a typical nature-loving protagonist versus an environmental destructive antagonist. — Dr. Mike Naber, lecturer in geosciences

I am reading The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by social psychologist W. Pennebaker this summer. This is a very insightful book on how “words… are like fingerprints… windows into people’s personalities.” — Dr. Carol Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

As one of Behrend’s resident sport fanatics, I’ll recommend Play Their Hearts Out by Sports Illustrated writer and Pulitzer Prize winner George Dohrmann. The non-fiction title chronicles Dohrmann’s eight years spent covering the grassroots AAU Basketball scene and the seedy nature of the sport. In the book, he details how coaches almost view their players as investments and reveals the questionable role that sneaker companies play in youth basketball. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, this tale of corruption, greed, and power makes for a must-read. — Steve Orbanek, marketing communications specialist.

Anything by Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers). He is one of the most popular storytellers who brings a different flavor to social trends. Drive and A Whole New Mind are two of my favorites by author, Daniel Pink. I’d also recommend Emotional Intelligence and Focus by Daniel Goleman, who is a psychologist who has an amazing talent for explaining today’s wicked issues with psychological theories. Creativity, Inc., written by Pixar CEO Ed Catmull is an amazing book. And, finally, The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane is a must-read for everyone. — Dr. Pelin Bicen, assistant professor of marketing

Redeployment by Phil Klay has received great reviews. It’s is a book of short stories by a former Marine who served in Iraq. Each story is written from the point of view of a different narrator – foot soldier, chaplain, foreign service officer, to name a few. The stories are compelling as they provide insight into the challenges and suffering of war from different perspectives. — Dr. Rick Hart, director, Lilley Library, who reminds us to “Think of the Lilley Library’s ‘Browsing Collection’ for your summer reading needs!”

I just finished The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-Prize winning book about a 13-year-old boy who miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother and is abandoned by his father, only to be taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Don’t let the book’s bulk (2.1 pounds in hardcover) scare you off – The plot flies. — Chris Palattella, marketing communications coordinator

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman. This is a non-fiction book about Huguette Clark, an heiress to a huge fortune amassed by her father. Of course, all this money led to lots of family drama. Huguette lived the last twenty years of her life in a hospital while her two New York City luxury apartments, her mansion on the coast of California, and her country home in Connecticut sat empty, except for the property caretakers. Interestingly, I just read an NPR story that said many of Huguette’s belongings will soon be going to auction. — Dr. Mary-Ellen Madigan, senior director of enrollment management

That should get you through the week. 😉 I’ll post more next week — Thursday, July 3!

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