Category: Student projects

Take our photo challenge! #behrendpix

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The Office of Marketing Communication’s awesome work-study student, Nicole Krahe, with help from OMC staff, has put together our very first Instagram photo challenge. We encourage anyone (students, faculty, staff, visitors, alumni) who are on campus to participate!

Here’s how it works. There is a “theme” for each day  and you just need to snap a photo that corresponds to that theme and upload it to Instagram with the tag #behrendpix. Go ahead & get creative! The themes, listed in the graphic below, are open to your creative interpretation and some are deliberately vague. At the end of the month, we’ll award prizes to the students who took the best photos.

Are you up to the challenge?

november photo challenge

 

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

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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.

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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:

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Nanashi: The Anime Club 

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

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The Behrend Fencing Group

Touché!

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Renaissance Martial Arts Club

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

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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.

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Human Relations Programming Council (HRPC)

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

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Women Today

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

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Commuter Council

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

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Tone-Acious – the Behrend A Cappella Group

Music to my ears.

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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.

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Fresh Face Forward

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

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

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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Accounting and Finance major competes in Oh-Penn For Business College Business Plan Competition

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Tara Sitter 2

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Tara Sitter does not plan on becoming an entrepreneur after graduation, but she has a great first product if she ever changes her mind.

Sitter, a junior Accounting and Finance major, was recently a finalist in the Oh-Penn For Business College Business Plan Competition. The competition was held April 12 at Grove City College. Participants were required to present a ten-minute PowerPoint presentation on their business idea.

The Erie native’s business idea was the Bumper Box, a built-in toolbox that fits into the front bumper of a truck. She developed the concept with classmates in her FIN 451: Intermediate Financial Management class.

The idea for the Bumper Box was inspired by the fact that many trucks are equipped with toolboxes in their truck beds, which takes up hauling space. There would be more room in the bed if a toolbox were instead installed toward the front of the truck.

Sitter was confident in the idea, so she entered the Oh-Penn For Business College Business Plan Competition. After submitting her brief proposal, she was chosen as a semifinalist.

Her next task was more labor intensive.

“I literally had a week to put together a ten-page paper,” Sitter said.

Fortunately, Sitter was able to simply revise and update a paper she had written for class. She was notified in the beginning of April that she was one of nine finalists.

During the final competition, Sitter presented her Bumper Box idea to four judges and several Grove City College students.

While Sitter did not end up placing in the competition, she said there were many other benefits that came from it.

“I really wanted to go out there and practice my public speaking,” Sitter said. “There’s only so many opportunities in which we get to do that.”

Many of the judges also offered helpful suggestions for improving the Bumper Box.

Perhaps the door to a future career as an entrepreneur might not yet be shut.

“I think if the opportunity presented itself, I would love to pursue manufacturing the Bumper Box,” Sitter said.

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Penn State Behrend “STAND UP” campaign concludes with pig roast and concert

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Patty Pasky McMahon learned years ago that change doesn’t happen overnight, especially when it comes to affecting systematic problems such as dating violence or bullying.

“If you want culture change, it can’t just be hit-and-run,” said McMahon, director of the Health and Wellness Center at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. “Dating violence, bullying, it’s been going on forever and a day. We can’t just accept that things are staying the same.”

That was the thinking behind “STAND UP,” a yearlong campus-engagement campaign promoting integrity, respect, tolerance and diversity at Penn State Behrend that concluded last week. The campaign, sponsored by the Health and Wellness Center and the Janet Neff Sample Center for Manners and Civility, addressed the health-and-wellness issues that most threaten college students, including drug use, relationship violence, stalking and sexual assault.

A number of student organizations joined in to support the efforts throughout the year, including the Lion Entertainment Board, the Behrend Beacon, BVZ Radio, Reality Check, Student Government Association, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Delta Chi, the Student Activities Fee Committee, the Multi-Cultural Council, the Student Athletic Advisory Board, Theta Phi Alpha and Alpha Sigma Alpha.

“STAND UP” kicked off in September 2013 with a concert by the Romantic Era, followed by a fireworks display. Each subsequent month featured an event, including a movie in Junker Center, a Penn State tailgate party, a chili stand and a pool party. “STAND UP” concluded Friday, April 4, with a pig roast and concert by the M-80s.

One of the keys to the programs’ success was making sure that each event was unique, McMahon said.

“That ensured that we would be targeting a different segment of the campus community each month,” McMahon said.

Finding unique events is easier said than done, but Vee Butler, a junior arts administration major and executive director of the Lion Entertainment Board, was satisfied with the selections for “STAND UP.”

“Coming from the programming board, we know how hard it is to find events that peak interest in students and also send a positive message,” Butler said. “‘STAND UP’ did an amazing job of choosing events. The chili stand was brand new and everyone talked about it, and the fireworks show definitely brought out some new faces.”

The events were fun, but they were also effective in promoting the positive message; students had the opportunity to speak out against numerous health-and-wellness issues at the events.

Student attendance was also strong throughout the year. That was true at the campaign’s conclusion with nearly 150 students present at the pig roast.

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Behrend students hone interview skills at Business Blitz event

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Jen Powell remembers the stress that goes hand-in-hand with the job interview process. The sweaty palms, the increased heart rate, the inability to concentrate—these symptoms are par for the course when preparing for a job interview.

“You never know what to expect in a job interview. Preparing for an interview can be very challenging,” said Powell, a 2008 Penn State Erie, The Behrend College graduate who now works as a financial analyst at FMC Technologies.

Powell hoped to help students better prepare for job interviews by volunteering her time Feb. 5 at Business Blitz, a speed networking event at Penn State Behrend.

The event, which was co-sponsored by Behrend’s Financial Management Association (FMA) and the Society of Undergraduate Economists (SUE), was held in McGarvey Commons and used a combination of Behrend students and alumni to simulate the job interview process. More than twenty alumni and sixty-five students registered for the event.

A Behrend alumnus sat at every table in the room, and students rotated from table to table every eight minutes. For the first ninety seconds of each session, the student would offer his or her elevator speech to the alumnus. The alumnus then offered feedback during the remaining time.

The event’s goal was to help students become more acclimated to the interview process and professional interaction.

“It’s important for students to know how to talk to professionals,” said FMA treasurer and junior finance major Brooke Landram. “Communication is so important.”

Artur Szastak has had difficulty in his job search, so he decided to participate in the Business Blitz to hone his interviewing skills.

“I feel you either make it or lose it in the first 60 seconds of talking to someone, and this can be good practice for that,” the senior finance major said. “When you come into an interview, it’s almost as if you’re being judged, and it takes you out of your comfort zone. That initial shock starts to wear away with the more experience you get.”

The trial interviews were just one part of the Business Blitz event.

Following the speed networking sessions, students stayed to network with the alumni in attendance. Alumni were also given a book that included the résumés of every student who participated in the event.

“You can make some great connections here in Erie,” said SUE president and senior business, economics, and marketing major Brittany Martinelli. “Hopefully this event continues for a long time.”

For more information on the Business Blitz event, please email Professor of Finance Dr. Greg Filbeck at mgf11@psu.edu.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemoration offers great message

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may no longer be with us, but his dream is alive and well.

Monday marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and organizations across the country are prepared to celebrate Dr. King and his legacy. You can count Penn State Behrend among those organizations.

In honor of Dr. King and his dream, the college will hold the 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemoration. Numerous themed events will be held during the week, including an “I Am His Dream” March, a community service project, viewings of the film The Butler, and more.

Andy Herrera, director of the Educational Equity and Diversity Office, chaired Penn State Behrend’s MLK Committee this year and helped plan many of the events.

I talked with Herrera about the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the activities planned at Behrend.

Steve: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemoration has been a regular tradition at Behrend. Why is this an important week for the college?

Andy: I’ve been at Behrend for the past eleven years, and I’ve chaired the MLK Committee for most of those years. I’m very proud of the fact that Penn State Behrend has always been recognized in the Erie community for its MLK programming. We’ve had speakers ranging from Al Sharpton to Jesse Jackson. I recognized that when I started, and I wanted to continue the tradition of strong MLK programming.

It’s very important for two reasons. The first is the significance of that era in our nation’s history. It’s important for us and our students to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. It was not just about Dr. King, but he was the driving force behind that. The second reason is the message. The message of peace, justice, and equality for all is outstanding. It’s important to commemorate, celebrate, and promote the historic value and message within our campus community, especially to our students.

Steve: This year’s theme is titled “We Are His Dream.” How did you choose that theme?

Andy: Activities and events are planned by the Behrend MLK Committee, which includes faculty, staff, and students. A college-wide invitation is made in September and then different participants come together for discussions about the commemoration. For example, I ask each member of the committee, ‘Why are you on this committee? Why is this important to you?’ Everyone then shares their perspective on why it is important to them, and then we start looking for a theme. We may come up with a theme then and there, or we may look at possible events and performers to provide us with a theme.

When we were looking for performers this year, we ran across Michael Fosberg, who has a play called Incognito. The play details Fosberg’s life experience of being adopted and growing up to find out his father was an African American, which was an incredible realization for him. He then starts to try to figure out his background and identity. The story sounds incredible, so we decided to invite Michael and have our theme revolve around identity. We then started to think about who we are as a college. Of course, we are Penn State. But we also believe we are the type of community where all are respected, where there is equal justice, and where there is harmony. Hey, that sounds like Dr. King’s dream. So, in a way, we are his dream.

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Steve: How has the MLK Commemoration changed since you started at Behrend eleven years ago?

Andy: When I first started, the luncheon used to be a breakfast, and we wanted to do it before everyone went back to work, so it would be at 7:00 a.m. If we were lucky, we would have one student show up. At some point, we decided to turn it into a brunch, and it helped. This year, we made it a lunch to help us fit in the march. The events have remained similar, though. We always try to have events that are meaningful and entertaining. We also try to do at least one community service project. This year, we will be partnering with the Erie City Mission to feed needy families. In the past, we have done Habitat for Humanity, and we did a college fair for Diehl Elementary School.

Steve: I can tell that a lot of planning and preparation goes into all of these events. What’s the ultimate goal in mind?

Andy: I think the ultimate goal is for people to learn about this time period. Students have some level of knowledge now, but it’s always good for them further learn about these moments in our nation’s history. Most importantly, I want them to be inspired to become better people.

Steve: Do you see the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemoration remaining a staple here at Behrend?

Andy: This is something that I think we’ll continue to do for as long as I’m here. This occasion is a good time to pause and ponder about that era and how it impacted our society for the better. Every year, I think this MLK Commemoration lends itself to a moment of reflection. Hopefully we can continue to learn about it, and also find inspiration in knowing that the efforts made during that time period have helped us become a better society and community.

Scheduled events:

Monday, Jan. 20:  Incognito. Acclaimed author and performer Michael Fosberg shares the story of his personal journey to discover himself, his roots, his family, and the difficult history behind the tragic American complexity of “race.”
Campus Family Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., McGarvey Commons
(Presentation begins at noon).

Tuesday, Jan. 21: Students and MLK Commemoration Committee members will visit the Early Learning Center and conduct activities with the children related to MLK.
Early Learning Center, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: The Butler. The Lion Entertainment Board presents the story of White House butler Eugene Allen, who witnessed great social change while serving eight different presidents over thirty years.
9:00 p.m., Reed Auditorium
(The film will be shown again at 9:00 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, and at 10:00 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25.)

Thursday, Jan. 23: “Who’s Cooking What?” The MLK Committee will partner with the Erie City Mission to help serve lunches to needy families. The committee will fundraise to purchase the ingredients, and students and volunteers will serve the families.
8:30 a.m., Erie City Mission

Engineers = cool (Track the Behrend shuttle bus in real time)

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Holli Levan boards “the e” Behrend shuttle bus

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

When I started working here two years ago, if you would have told me that engineers would become some of my favorite people to deal with, I’d have thought you sprained your brain doing a few too many Suduko puzzles or something (engineers like those, right?).

Engineers are all about math and science and, well….writers are not. I figured that I’d have nothing in common with these sensible, logical, numbers-loving people.

My mistake was assuming that sensible, logical numbers lovers = no fun.

Silly me.

Engineers do all kinds of fun things around here such as sticking a receiver on the Behrend shuttle  that tracks the bus in real time.  Then, following it up with a hilarious FAQ page that made me giggle for the next three days.

The funny man behind the FAQ is Dr. Chris Coulston, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who oversaw the engineering students — Daniel Hankewycz and Austin Kelleher — who worked on this project.  Dr. Coulston is endlessly energetic and cheerful, always entertaining, and has a knack for explaining complicated engineering projects in such a way that anyone can understand (Um, I guess that’s why he’s a teacher).

(By the way, Dr. Coulston can also run like the wind for miles and miles and miles — like 100 of them in a weekend. But that’s a story for another day, kids.)

So, the next time you think engineers are boring, read this.

And the next time you’re waiting for the campus shuttle bus to arrive, check this.

And for the love of the world wide web, stop using Internet Explorer!

~ Heather

P.S. Cool engineering projects aren’t limited to campus. In fact, most of the projects that our students work on are for outside industry partners.  They have helped rescue draft horses, designed award-winning supermileage vehicles, and improved the bubble exhibit at the ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum.

Community Service Team collecting items for soldiers

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By Heather Cass

Publications and Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Rhonda Reynolds a food service worker in Dobbins Dining Hall and founder of the Housing and Food Services’ Community Service Team, is always looking for opportunities to give back. (There’s a reason Rhonda was chosen to receive the 2013 Achieving Women Award!). So when she recently met Tina Lindsey, who told her about her son, R.J., a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Tank Bn., 2nd Marine Division currently serving in Afghanistan, Rhonda wanted to help (of course).

“Tina told me how much her son and the other guys look forward to getting care packages and I thought maybe that would be a good thing for the Community Service Team to get involved with,” Rhonda said.

“It’s like Christmas every time they get a box,” said Tina Lindsey, who said her son would be serving in Afghanistan until at least February.

The H&FS Community Service Committee, which includes, Shelly Sonney, Char Snyder, Dan Hutchins, Bill Underhill, Renee’ Pure, Sally Newcomer,Bonnie Stearns, Annie Rogala & Brenda Horvath, agreed it would be a great project as did Mike Lindner, director of Housing and Food Services, who gave the team permission to put donation boxes in campus dining facilities.

The team will collect nonperishable items (list below) until Nov. 22. Shortly after, items will be boxed up and shipped off to 2nd Tank Bn., 2nd Marine Division in Afghanistan.

Donations can be dropped off in the “Operation Care Package” boxes located in Bruno’s Cafe, Dobbins Dining, Clark Cafe, Elements, and The Galley.

What should you buy?  Here’s a printable list you can take shopping with you:

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~ Heather

Making a game of Ancient history

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Students in Dr. Glenn Kumhera’s 406W Research in Medieval Sources class used the research work they completed this semester to create a board game, titled Gesta miserororum or “Deeds of the Ill-fated,” to teach players about eleventh-century Europe.

They unveiled the game last night and invited faculty members, friends, and administrators to Reed 114 to play a game or two.

The students not only produced the board and developed the game concept, but they created more than 600 individual cards, too.

Who knew learning about ancient history could be so much fun?

Oh, right, we did!

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