Author: Behrend Blog

10 things I learned about survival at College for Kids

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

My daughter, Lauren, 10, spent last week making rope out of bark, building a fire with one match, foraging for edible plants, and creating a shelter with leaves, mud, sticks, and phragmites.

No, I didn’t drop her off in the woods, cackling “fend for yourself, baby girl.” (We’re only two weeks into summer break so I’m not that sick of my kids yet. Talk to me in mid-August, and I may sing a different tune). She attended “Surviving the Outback” class at Penn State Behrend’s College For Kids.

On the last day of class, the instructor, Tim Lucas, a survivalist and owner of Premier Martial Arts in Erie, invited parents to see what their kids (ages 8-12) had been learning and doing all week.

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If you ever find yourself lost in the woods or otherwise living the primitive life, here are ten things I learned during my one-hour survivalist lesson with Lucas:

  1. When it comes to survival in the wilderness, your four priorities in order of importance are: shelter, water, fire, and food.
  2. You can live for two weeks with just shelter and water. “Shelter is most important,” Lucas said. “You’ve got a couple days to find water and weeks to find food, but exposure can kill you quickly.” According to this site, you can live without shelter for three hours, without water for three days and without food for three weeks.
  3. Jewelweed, a common Pennsylvania weed, is a great poison ivy cure. If you’re exposed to poison ivy, crush the jewelweed in your fingers to make a pulpy mash and cover the poison-ivy exposed skin with it. More on that here.
  4. Cattails are one of the most valuable plants for survival. They provide not only food, but also tinder, insulation, and shelter material.
  5. Aside from a sharp knife, one of the most useful tools for wilderness survival is an arm-length, wrist-thick throwing stick. Properly thrown sticks can be used to take down a small animal (raccoon, rabbit, etc.).
  6. You can make twine/rope/cordage using the bark from dead trees and using your fingers to shred and twist it. “Look for trees with dead bark, and strip off long sections of the softer layer between the wood and the outer bark,” Lucas said.
  7. Phragmites, cut and bundled, make great sleeping mats, blankets, chairs, and shelter cover.
  8. When building shelter, be sure to put down a thick (several inches) layer of leaves (or phragmites) to separate your body from the ground, which can get very cold.
  9. Build a fire ring with an opening toward you/your shelter to conserve and aim the heat. The stones should be nose high when sitting in front of it.
  10. Daisies and clover are edible not just for rabbits and deer, but for humans, too. In fact, many wild plants are edible.

So what are your kids doing this summer? There are still openings in many exciting, fun, and educational (don’t tell the kids that though) classes at College for Kids (Click on the registration link to see which classes still have openings) Who knew summer school could be so much fun?

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Demonstrating their throwing stick skills.

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My daughter, Lauren, in the phragmites chair outside the shelter.

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Mud, grass, leaves, phragmites and more were used to build the shelter. Notice the stone fire ring with the opening pointed toward the chair/shelter, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Secret Lives of Staff: Doug Lee

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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.

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If you’ve ever played or watched sports, you know how emotionally charged the singing of the National Anthem can be. It’s not uncommon to see players and fans moved to tears by The Star Spangled Banner.

Doug Lee, a groundskeeper at Penn State Behrend, is one of those vocalists who can make big, strong ballplayers weep. Lee, who has a bass voice, has sung the National Anthem before several Erie SeaWolves games over the last few years. And, after his Penn State Behrend colleagues found out about his hidden talent, he was asked to sing at a few events on campus, too, including a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association softball tournament.

Lee grew up in a musical household. In fact, his father graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as a classical pianist.

“There was always music playing at the house,” Lee said. “I was in the church choir and youth choirs from the time I was a boy.”

Lee’s father never pursued music as a career though, choosing instead to work at the family business — a golf course in Hermitage, Pennsylvania.

It was at that course that Lee’s landscaping career took root. He enjoys working outside and has been known to sing a little on the job at Behrend.

“I sing to my headphones a lot,” he says with a laugh.

He also sings to the congregation at Fairview Presbyterian church every Sunday as a member of the church choir.

Asked to recall the first record he ever owned (and, yes, it was all vinyl back then, kids), Lee smiles and says that it was a Grand Funk Railroad 45 rpm record, given to him by his grandparents, who had bought him a “fold-down record player.”

“I think the song was ‘American Band,’” he said. “They had no idea what they were buying. The guy at the record store told them it was popular.”

Today, Lee, who is a husband and father of three (24, 19 and 14), says he likes nearly all genres of music, but prefers alternative or new-age rock. He has an affinity for Matthew Good, a Canadian rock musician, and Mike Oldfield, an English musician who blends progressive rock with world, folk, classical, electronic, ambient, new-age sounds.

But, when he sings, Lee said he sticks to folk music, hymns and, of course, the Star Spangled Banner. “I don’t have a very contemporary voice,” he explains.

While Lee’s voice may not be contemporary, it sure is impressive. Have a listen for yourself – check out his 2011 Erie SeaWolves National Anthem performance:

 

 

Behrend has been the perfect fit for T. Reed Ferguson Award winner

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Paul Lukasik

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

As a Buffalo, N.Y., native and avid Bills and Sabres fan, Paul Lukasik seemed destined to attend college in his home state. In fact, he didn’t even plan to look at colleges outside of New York.

He’s glad he did, though.

“Penn State Behrend was the only out-of-state school I applied to,” Lukasik says. “Once I came here, I knew this was the place for me.”

Lukasik, who recently finished his junior year as a Project and Supply Chain Management major at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, says he found college daunting when he first arrived. He knew no one, and the entire area was unfamiliar to him.

So, he devised a plan.

“My strategy was to get as involved as I possibly could,” Lukasik says.

In his three-plus years at the college, Lukasik has been a member of Kappa Delta Rho, Reality Check, and Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. He’s also served as a resident assistant and on the budget committee for the Student Government Association.

Lukasik’s contributions to the college were recognized April 27 at Penn State Behrend’s sixty-fifth annual Honors and Awards Convocation when he was named the recipient of the T. Reed Ferguson Award. The award recognizes a junior who has demonstrated scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through his or her academic and out-of-class involvement and gives promise of further achievement in the senior year.

Lukasik’s success has carried over outside of the classroom. This past year, he began working as a sourcing intern at GE Transportation. He continues to work in that position over the summer

Lukasik says he learned the need to be active and involved as a young child. His grandparents founded the Fair Haven’s Church in North Tonawanda, N.Y., and he was always helping out.

“It’s been instilled in me,” Lukasik says. “I really just try to make the most of my time, and I just like to help people.”

Lukasik will have the opportunity to help more people this fall when he takes over as president of Reality Check, a community service organization on campus. Every year, the group goes on an Alternative Spring Break, a week-long service trip. The group went to New Orleans this past year and worked on rebuilding houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Lukasik says he has enjoyed the opportunities to help others that Penn State Behrend has given him. He also recognizes how the college has helped him.

“Behrend is the perfect size, has a great group of students, and I can’t say enough good things about the Sam and Irene Black School of Business. Looking back, to when I was a freshman, I’ve just really evolved,” Lukasik says. “I had every intention of eventually transferring to University Park, but after my freshman year, I just knew that wouldn’t be possible.”

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Connecting Behrend to the Bayfront and beyond – Hit the trail!

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

I’m an avid runner and I live just a few miles from Penn State Behrend. Several years ago, when the Commonwealth was clearing land to make way for the Bayfront Connector, they ruined some of my best running routes. I harbored a grudge against the Bayfront Connector for a while because of that. But then, persuaded by the convenience of traveling to downtown Erie in 10 minutes, I reluctantly began using the road and noticed there was a meandering blacktopped path to the right of the road.

What’s this? Could they have thought of the runners and walkers and bikers? Could it actually run the entire length of the road? No, they wouldn’t have thought of us.

(Yes, I do tend to be skeptical, but in my defense, I worked for the newspaper for fifteen years and you just kinda end up that way when you’re a journalist).

I’m happy to tell you that I was dead wrong.

Trail history

Indeed, there is a wide paved recreational path (similar to the Multipurpose trail at Presque Isle State Park) that runs continuously alongside the Bayfront Connector from Penn State Behrend to Frontier Park on Erie’s west side.

The idea for a landscaped trail alongside the road took root during PennDOT’s public hearings about the planned connector.

“The trail really was a whole community effort,” said Ray Schreckengost, executive director of the Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority. “Bill Petit was the district engineer who incorporated it into the design.”

“There was a rallying cry from the community to ‘humanize the connector,'” Petit said. “We started to rethink the project, knowing that we needed to do something special.”

A committee of various interested community members formed and presented ideas to PennDOT. Soon, the meandering trail featured landscaping, decorative noise walls and stonemasonry dividers along the connector, was part of the plan Petit said.

How to get on the trail from Behrend

The Bayfront Connector trail entrance is in the back left corner of the Erie Lot, by the sign that says “Behrend Fields.”

You can also get on the trail from the Logan House on Station Road. Trailhead is to the left of the parking lot.

Where you can go (and mileage)

Distance via the Bayfront Connector Trail from Behrend (Erie lot entrance) to….

Shannon Road — 1 mile

38th Street — 1.5 miles

McClelland Ave. – 2 miles

Broad Street – 3.5 miles

12th Street – 4.5 miles

6th Street – 5 miles

Bayfront Parkway – 5.5 miles

Dobbin’s Landing (foot of State St.) – 6.5 miles

Frontier Park – 8 miles

The paved path ends at Frontier Park, but you can ride/run/walk down to Sixth Street and use the bikeway lane all the way to Presque Isle State Park for an 11-mile (one-way) trip from Behrend.

Here’s a map of the entire Bayfront Connector Trail  (with mileage markers) from Behrend to Sara’s restaurant at the foot of Presque Isle State Park.

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It’s about 5.5 miles from Behrend to this sign at the foot of the bayfront where the Bayfront Connector meets the Bayfront Parkway (trail continues along Parkway).

It’s about 6.5 miles from Behrend to Dobbin’s Landing (above) at the foot of State Street.

It’s about 11 miles if you go all the way to Sara’s at the foot of Presque Isle State Park. Bring some money so you can refuel with a foot-long Smith’s hot dog, curly fries, and ice cream!

What you’ll see

There’s much more to be seen than grass and trees. It changes from the manicured green lawns of Penn State Behrend to an inner-city setting with factories and 6-lane intersections to a bustling bayfront with gorgeous lake views.

The Bayfront Connector has been designated a National Scenic Byway and is part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, owing to the scenic vistas and intrinsic qualities that make it different from your run-of-the-mill ribbon of concrete slicing the landscape.

Elevation

Good News: It’s all downhill from Behrend. Bad News: It’s all up on the way back (you know, when you’re good and tired). So, you may want to get a family member or friend to pick you up. (This map includes an elevation chart).

What you need to know

The path may appear to end at various roads/places along the way. It doesn’t. Just look ahead and you’ll see where it starts again.

One place that the trail pickup is not obvious is at State Street. To get on the trail again, cross State Street and enter the parking lot for the bait shop/miniature golf course. Run/walk/bike to the back of the lot and turn right and you’ll run into the path again just past the Bayfront Convention Center.

Safety

I’ve run/biked/walked this entire trail countless times myself, with friends, and with my kids and have never once felt unsafe on the trail, but it does go through the woods in some spots and it goes through areas of the city that some people avoid.

My advice: Take a friend and a cell phone. Also, I would not recommend using the trail after dark. The only portion of it that is lit is the part on Behrend property from the college to Logan House on Station Road.

Trail surface

Most of the trail is blacktop, which is kinder to a runners’ knees than cement and is great for biking/roller blading.

Winter use

The trail is not maintained (read: shoveled) in winter. Bad for runners/walkers/bikers — great for cross country skiers.

Questions?

I’ve covered every inch of this trail/road by car, foot, and bike, and I’m happy to take your questions at hjc13 @ psu. edu.

So….what are you waiting for? Go explore!

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Behrend award winner seeks to spread college students’ stories

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Stacy Rabat

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

When Stacy Rabat was a junior in high school, her father, Khalil Rabat, abruptly suffered a heart attack, went into a coma, and died.

The experience was devastating for Rabat, but she says it’s taught her how precious life can be and to think before judging others. Because of her experience, she yearns to connect with other people and hear their stories.

That’s why Rabat, a sophomore marketing major at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and this year’s winner of the Irvin H. Kochel Award, and another Penn State student, Rachael Hazen, have entered into a venture titled Scream Your Story. The two are working to create a blog or website that provides an outlet for people to share their personal stories and experiences.

“You can be sitting in a room with someone and have no idea what that person has gone through,” says Rabat, who received the award at the sixty-fifth annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 27. “It’s good to take a step back and realize that not everyone is going through the same things you are, and you don’t want to be judgmental.”

The website is still in its infancy, but Rabat hopes to work on it extensively this summer and into the fall semester. Hazen, who spent the previous two years at Penn State Behrend, plans to work on it from University Park, where she’s enrolled for the fall.

“We want to ask people what hardships they’ve been through, and we want them to send in their stories,” Rabat says.

With one contributor in Erie and another in University Park, Rabat says she expects the blog to grow significantly. She also plans to start including videos, too.

Rabat’s drive is indicative of the Irvin H. Kochel Award, which is presented annually to an outstanding student who demonstrates qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through their involvement in programs and services that positively influence fellow students and the college community.

Rabat has been very involved in her time at Penn State Behrend. She served as the THON chair and is a member of the Student Government Association, the Lambda Sigma national honor society, and formerly a member of the Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority. Rabat attributes much of her success to her own unique story.

Her father also remains a motivating force in her life.

“He was my best friend. I think of him every day,” Rabat says.

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Childhood memory drives senior award winner to succeed

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Kristina Peszel

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Call it extra motivation. Call it an added incentive. Call it a chip on her shoulder.

However you label it, it’s clear there’s something that drives Kristina Peszel.

“When I first went to grade school, I was one of the youngest kids in my class. Because of that, I felt as if people questioned me and my ability,” says Peszel, a senior English major with the professional writing option at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. “Since then, it’s driven me. I have always had this need to stand out and prove myself.”

Mission accomplished.

In her time at the college, Peszel has been a standout student, as evidenced by the Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award she won at this year’s Honors and Awards Convocation on April 27. The award recognizes a student whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship have been directed into student programs and services.

Peszel was thrilled to have been chosen for the award.

“It was really exciting, and it felt like recognition of everything that I’ve done on campus,” Peszel says.

It was a much deserved honor.

The Erie native has a 3.96 GPA and is the lead writing tutor at the Learning Resource Center. She’s served as the vice president and secretary for both the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority and Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. She’s also been a member of the Lion Entertainment Board, Reality Check, Studio Theatre, and a contributing writer for the Behrend Beacon.

Through her campus involvement, Peszel learned that she prefers to be busy. She thrives on activity, one reason she believes she’s been successful.

“If I have enough time to watch television, I feel as if I’ve forgotten something,” says Peszel, who will graduate in December.

Things have not slowed down this summer for Peszel, who is interning at Erie Insurance in the company’s IT department. The work she is doing relates directly to her experiences as lead writing tutor in the Learning Resource Center.

As a tutor, Peszel often edited various engineering papers, which provided her with skills and experience in technical writing. It has led her to think of her future in a different light.

“I realized that I’m not just a humanities student, but I can do the technology thing too,” Peszel says.

Ruth Pflueger, director of the Learning Resource Center, has worked with Peszel for the past three years at Penn State Behrend.

“Kristina is remarkable in the number of students she has impacted during her time at Behrend. She has tutored literally hundreds of students and also has a leadership role in the Learning Resource Center, organizing the Composition Support Program and mentoring new writing tutors,” Pflueger says. “Her professionalism, energy, and sincere desire to help others succeed will serve her well in all her future endeavors.”

With one semester left until graduation, Peszel plans to make some great memories and leave a legacy.

“I like surrounding myself with genuine, good people who like to help others,” Peszel says. “We can be remembered for all kinds of things, but how we affect other people’s lives is most important.”

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Behrend graduate and award winner lands job with Big Four audit firm

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Meilyng Gonzalez-Adams had been planning for days, and her personal sales pitch was ready.

The senior International Business and Accounting major knew 149 companies would be in attendance at the spring Career and Internship Fair at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and she was ready to make an impression.

But life is full of surprises.

On March 19, just one day before the career fair, Gonzalez-Adams was invited to an impromptu interview with representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ office in Cleveland. It didn’t take long for the Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native to cancel her plans for the next day.

“PricewaterhouseCoopers called me that evening, and I called my mom and said, ‘I got a job offer, and I am not going to the career fair tomorrow,’” recalls Gonzalez-Adams, who will start her job as a tax associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the world’s Big Four audit firms, in September.

The job offer from PricewaterhouseCoopers was the culmination of four successful years for Gonzalez-Adams, this year’s recipient of the Thomas H. Turnbull Award. The award, which recognizes a Penn State Behrend student who has contributed to the college community through outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship, was presented to Gonzalez-Adams at the sixty-fifth annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 27.

The award’s description fits Gonzalez-Adams. She was active during her time at Penn State Behrend as she graduated with a 3.79 GPA and served as a resident assistant and treasurer for the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. She was a member of Penn State Behrend’s Lion Scouts, Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the national honor society in business.

Gonzalez-Adams credits her parents, Evan Gonzalez and Olga Adams, for much of her success. The two were young when Gonzalez-Adams was born, but they both attained college degrees.

The drive displayed by her parents resonated with Gonzalez-Adams and motivated her to get involved from the moment she arrived at Behrend. She says she had some helpful guidance along the way though.

“From the moment I contacted Mary-Ellen Madigan, (director of enrollment services), in Admissions until today, everyone has been amazing at Penn State Behrend,” Gonzalez-Adams says. “I know I wouldn’t be who I am or going where I’m going without the faculty and staff here.”

The feeling seems to be mutual.

“Meilyng is an extraordinary individual and has made a lasting impression on me, the admissions staff, our visitors, and the campus,” says Andrea Konkol, associate director of admissions.

According to Konkol, the college has extended its recruiting efforts to Puerto Rico, and Gonzalez-Adams has been vital in making students feel welcome.

“In September of 2012, I held a reception in San Juan for the parents of our current students. Every one of those families knew who Meilyng was because she had taken the time to seek out and befriend their son or daughter as soon as they arrived on campus,” Konkol says. “For students arriving to a college so far from home, it is comforting to have a friend that understands what it’s like and to serve as ‘big sister.’”

Gonzalez-Adams says she enjoys helping. She recognizes the growth she’s made at Penn State Behrend, and she hopes others can have a similar experience.

“I go home and people say, ‘You’re completely different from the person you were in high school,’ and I like hearing that,” Gonzalez-Adams says. “I like that Penn State Behrend was able to help me with that.”

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Behrend campus recycles 7,219 pounds of electronics

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

What does 7,219 pounds look like?

Imagine two hippopotamuses, fourteen gorillas, or two cars, and you’ll have an accurate picture of the amount of electronics collected May 8 at the first Electronic Recycling Event at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

The event, co-sponsored by the Greener Behrend Task Force and Lion Surplus, allowed Penn State Behrend faculty members, staff, and students an opportunity to dispose of used electronics in an environmentally friendly way. Television sets, monitors, hard drives, printers, and DVD players were among some of the most collected items.

The 7,219 pounds filled ten pallets. From Erie, the items will be taken to the Lion Surplus facility at University Park to be sorted and sent out to various recycling vendors.

“With a television, the plastic, glass, and parts inside will be separated and go to different vendors,” said Annette Bottorf, a computer technician for Lion Surplus. “We are totally green. Nothing will go to the landfill, and when we contract a company, they have to guarantee us the same thing. Everything will be recycled and reused.”

Ann Quinn, faculty adviser for the Greener Behrend Task Force, said she was impressed with the turnout for the event, and she would like to see it return in the future.

“We really exceeded our expectations, and we filled a need,” Quinn said. “It also did not cost us a thing, which is wonderful.”

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For Outstanding First-Year Student, the sky is the limit

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Bangladesh women do not typically come to America to pursue a college education, but there’s nothing typical about Ramisa Fariha, this year’s recipient of the Outstanding First-Year Student Award.

For starters, the Narayanganj, Bangladesh, native, who recently completed her first year as a Biomedical Engineering student at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a diehard professional wrestling fan. She draws inspiration from her favorite World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, Batista.

As a child, Fariha would watch wrestling with her brother, Sajjadul Karim Chowdhury. They both had their share of favorite wrestlers, but there was something about Batista that resonated with Fariha.

“Batista’s favorite quote is, ‘Work hard and the sky is the limit,’” Fariha says. “That’s become my favorite quote.”

But it’s more than just an inspirational catchphrase for Fariha. It’s a guiding philosophy that she has taken to heart.

Fariha has a lofty goal.

“In my country, a woman is always blamed when she cannot give birth, even when it’s not her fault,” Fariha says. “I want to one day create an artificial ovary, and I want it to be non-mechanical, so it can work inside the human body.”

While she knows her aim is high, she’s confident that hard work will get her there, and she’s wasted no time at Penn State Behrend, swinging for the fences in her very first year.

Not only does she have a 3.82 GPA, but she is a member of the Lion Entertainment Board, event correspondent for The Behrend Beacon, Residence Life Service Leader for Center of Service, a member of the Lambda Sigma national honor society and the 2014-2015 elected president for the Muslim Student Association.

Fariha says she thought of Batista often during her studies and even rewarded herself with a silver Batista pendant after winning the Outstanding First-Year Student Award at the sixty-fifth annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 27.

She says she also attributes some of her success at Penn State Behrend to the warm welcome she has received. She describes Dr. Mary-Ellen Madigan, director of enrollment management, as a “second mother,” and says her professors and friends have also made her feel at home.

Fariha says winning the award, which recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates outstanding promise of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through achievements in his or her first year of study, was a moment she will never forget.

“For me, when I heard Kelly Shrout, (presenter and associate director of Student Affairs), say ‘Bangladesh,’ that was the proudest moment of my life,” she says. “A lot of people think of Bangladesh and only think about the negative things.”

Fariha says the award made her family very proud. Her father, Ahsanul Karim Chowdhury, is one of the top lawyers in Bangladesh and has always emphasized education. Fariha’s mother, Laila Nahar Chowdury, taught her to work hard and to not take anything for granted. Her brother, Sajjadul Karim Chowdhury, has encouraged her at every step along the way.

“This award shows that I’m here to do something special,” Fariha says.

Fariha says she is excited to return to Narayanganj this summer, so she can watch wrestling with her nieces and start a new generation of fans. She knows some people say professional wrestling is fake, but she doesn’t care.

“If you start to rationalize everything, you lose the fun in life,” Fariha said.

Fariha hopes that more students from Bangladesh will consider coming to Penn State Behrend in the future. From the moment she started to look at colleges, Fariha said Behrend just felt like home, and she believes other Bangladesh natives could have a similar experience.

Her best advice to new students?

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There will always be people who will like who you are and some who don’t,” Fariha says. “I would change nothing about my first year at Penn State Behrend because I’ve been myself.”

Raise a toast to good public speakers

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

On a rainy Tuesday evening in late April, twenty-five Penn State Behrend students gathered at Nunzi’s Place to test techniques they had learned in CAS 100 Effective Speech. They dressed up for the occasion. The women wore dresses and cardigans. The men wore business casual attire. A few even wore ties. They sat at banquet tables arranged in a horseshoe formation around a podium.

To the left, at a small table discretely tucked in the corner, Dr. Miriam McMullen-Pastrick, lecturer in speech communication, took notes.

No pressure there, right?

But, pressure is sort of the point at the Toasters’ Banquet—an end-of-class tradition for students in McMullen-Pastrick’s classes.

“I want to put them in situations they might actually have to face when they are making post-graduate contributions to the world,” she said. “In their future, they may have to give opening remarks at an event, or introduce a VIP at a corporate banquet, or debate funding cuts at their child’s school board meeting. These are real situations they are likely to face at some point in their lives. The banquet gives them a chance to practice.”

Each class organizes their own banquet, collecting money from classmates for dinner, creating and printing programs, and voting on which classmates should receive awards — some serious and some not-so-serious.

On that rainy Tuesday that Section 005 had their banquet, Andy Peterson, a junior Physics major, gave opening remarks. Brian Ristau, a freshman Engineering major, introduced Jacob Roth, a sophomore Earth and Mineral Science major, who gave an informative speech. Zach Reese, a junior Mechanical Engineering major offered a toast.

And, so it went, with all twenty-five students taking at least one turn at the podium, offering a variety of entertaining, informative, and persuasive speeches, debates, toasts, and introductions until Guiliana Latella, a sophomore Nursing student, gave the closing remarks.

Between all the speeches and presentations, they enjoyed a small feast—pizza, pasta, meatballs, antipasto, and dessert—during which they were encouraged by McMullen-Pastrick to work on their dinner conversation skills.

Throughout the evening, the students laughed, joked, and listened attentively to one another. But, as McMullen-Pastrick might remind you, part of being a good speaker is being a respectful and intense listener. “They learn by listening to each other with focus and purpose,” she said.

McMullen-Pastrick typically teaches three sections of CAS 100 each semester and attends a banquet for each. In the Spring 2014 semester, she attended her 175th banquet.

“Teaching public speaking is my passion because it has such a major impact on the educational  insights and personal confidence of the  students,” she said. “It changes them optimally, for the better, for life.”

 

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