Archive for November, 2006

Free Lunch! Frank Deford from Sports Illustrated

Published by
Dr Brady
November 30, 2006 in Events and SHC. 0 Comments


I have 3 tickets to the Faculty Staff Club Luncheon on Monday, December 4 at 11:30 am at the President’s Hall, Penn Stater. The speaker is Frank Deford, NPR commentator and Senior Contributing Editor at Sports Illustrated. Very witty man. It should be fun.

If you would like to go please email me at cbrady AT psu.edu. It will be first come first serve! (I will also drive over, so no need to worry about transport.)

BIOGRAPHY

Frank Deford is among the most honored and versatile writers in the country, his work appearing in virtually every medium. In the spring of 1998 he returned to the staff of Sports Illustrated, where he had worked from 1962 through 1989. Deford is a correspondent on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” and he appears on National Public Radio each week on Morning Edition. His NPR column is posted on SI.com, and he contributes other commentary to the site as well.

Deford is the author of 12 books, including his most recent novel, The Other Adonis: A Novel of Reincarnation (Sept. 2001). Two of his books, the novel Everybody’s All-American, and Alex: The Life of a Child, the story of his daughter who died of cystic fibrosis, were made into movies. Deford also wrote the original screenplay for the film comedy Trading Hearts.

Among his many honors, Deford is a member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. Six times he was voted Sportswriter of the Year by his peers in that organization. The American Journalism Review has cited him as the nation’s best sportswriter, and twice he was honored as Magazine Writer of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review.

Deford has been presented with a Christopher Award and with distinguished service to journalism awards from both the University of Missouri and Northeastern University. He has won both an Emmy and a Cable Ace arard for his television work.

A graduate of Princeton University, Deford served as the Editor-in-Chief of The National Sports Daily in its brief but celebrated existence. The Sporting News has described Deford as “the most influential sports voice among members of the American print media,” and the magazine GQ has called Deford “the world’s greatest sportswriter.” For the past dozen years Deford has served as the national chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A native of Baltimore, Deford currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

end of the semester/holiday musings

Published by
Kate
November 29, 2006 in Miscellanea. 0 Comments

Ok…so the semester is winding down and that’s a good thing, right?  The holiday season is fast approaching and I find my mind wandering more easily from my work…I start thinking of Christmas trees, lights, present-shopping, baking cookies, singing carols, and watching movies.  It’s hard to concentrate on something like a research paper when you know that in a few weeks, the holiday season will be upon us. 

 

As the semester draws to a close, students find themselves suddenly faced with looming deadlines that they’ve known about for a long time but that appear a lot more daunting this side of the Thanksgiving Break (i.e. I have a 12 page paper due for one of history classes that I’ve known about since day one…but like the procrastinator I am, I’m only just doing my research).  The weeks before finals are jam-packed with teachers finishing up material, the end of semester-long labs, meetings wrapping up till January…there is just so much going on, that sometimes I wonder why we do it all.

 

But, I know that come the end of finals week, it’ll all have been worth it…all the paper writing, studying, reading, meeting-going.  I always get a little sad to leave PSU (although I love going home)…next semester, one of my good friends is studying abroad in Rome and it’s strange to think that she won’t be right down the hall anymore…To distract myself I like to do things like browse stores online, plan parties (I host a 20 person sit down dinner where I cook for all my friends…lol), and listen to Christmas songs while doing work

 

So yeah…lol…these next few weeks will be hectic…for everyone…wow…as I reread this I realize I didn’t really say anything…just the ramblings of an SHC student…goodluck with finals everyone! 

State College – A Photo Journal

Published by
Chris
November 28, 2006 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments
Seeing as how I’ll be hunkered down for the next few days struggling through an unfortunate convergance of “things that must be done,” I humbly submit to you, dear reader, a filler post. Yes, I recognize that this isn’t much at all; however, perhaps this compilation of Happy Valley photos may show you State College in an thought-provoking light. Dated from the winter of ‘05 through this fall, these photos represent a bit of the interesting bits of State College. Enjoy!
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First Movement – Fall colors on a main walk towards downtown. One of the ubiquitous bookstores appears at the end of walk.
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The night before the last day of finals. The street’s a little deserted – everyone’s either left town or is cramming that last alkyl shift into an already-packed brain. However, if you take a snowshoe walk ’round the town,
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you might find some unexpected things…
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A test windmill on an ag plot close to the Beaver Stadium. Somehow I doubt it used much anymore.
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Old Main: another cool sight at night. Seriously, though, it’s much more impressive at a groggy six-in-the-morning. :D
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A banner on Calder Way.
There are things of sublime beauty here, if you only take the time to look up.
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or down
(monarch butterfly near our 36-hole golf course (such a cool place, btw))
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or around.
(farm about 15 min walk from campus)

on Family Carnival

Published by
Sera
November 28, 2006 in Events and Thon. 0 Comments

i feel like i’m blogging about thon all the time… i guess it’s just a big part of my life here. the weekend before break was family carnival, which is just what it sounds like: all the thon families that can make it come up, and we have a carnival with game and craft booths for the kids. this year we had a pirate theme. the SHC thon family came up, and some of our alumni came in as well, and we all ran around after the kids and had fun. :D some photos:

Pirates Billy and Kristen
Captain Billy Jackson and Captain Redhead

Billy plays whac-a-mole
Billy plays whac-a-mole… i thought this was the best game there. the people stuck their heads out of the holes in the table and the kids had to try to bop them on the head with their inflatable mallets. :) quite amusing.

Billy's tresire chest
Billy decorates his “tresire chest.” isn’t that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen???

SHC Tutoring

Published by
Dr Brady
November 27, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

From Donna:
Just writing to share with everyone that the Student Council will kick-off a new initiative this evening by piloting an “Honors Tutoring Session.” Attached is information that was shared with Scholars interested in participating as tutors. Sessions will be held in C-7 on Mondays through December 15 from 8:00-10:00 p.m.

To date, the following Scholars have signed up to participate:

Schreyer Scholars
Baron, Drew
Barreto, Alejandro
Finkelman, Brian
Flynn, Sean
Grover, Simran
Klein, Josh
Krahe, Sarah
Krench, Megan
Kunkel, Katherine
Liu, Leah
Lucas, Chris
March, Mark
Mekarski, Kara
Saunders, Tara
Stern, Matt
Taticchi, Mark

The SHC Student Council is piloting an
Honors Tutoring Program

Students have expressed an interest in getting help with material that is covered exclusively in honors courses.
• As you probably know, the honors section of a class usually requires a more detailed understanding of the coursework, or in some cases, introduces new material completely absent from the regular version of the class. It has come to the attention of the Schreyer Honors College Academic Committee that there is no place for students to get help with their honors-course related questions. While the tutors available in the general resource room possess a strong understanding of the material in the regular sections, they aren’t familiar with the honors course material and are therefore not always able to help.

This is where you come in: The Honors Tutoring Program will be designed specifically for honors courses …and who better to tutor than YOU?
• You’ve taken the class already! In addition to the prestigious title of being an Honors Tutor, it’s a good way to gain leadership experience and a great community service activity to get involved in. If the program is running successfully, you might even get a free t-shirt for being a tutor!

Time commitments will depend on your schedule, the number of tutors available to help with a class, and how much response there is from students who need help.
• Right now, the plan is to run the tutoring resource-room style, i.e. a specific timeslot set aside for individual classes and/or subjects. To begin, there will probably be a one- or two-hour window once a week for each subject, with tutors in the room available to help. Once the program is running and we get a feel for what subjects need the most help, we can adjust the schedule accordingly; if one class is a big hit, maybe we will use more tutors and add another weekly spot, or if there are classes that aren’t getting a big response, we might cut back the time allotted.

Need help? Want to help?
• Send an email with your name, year, and a list of the courses you would be willing to tutor and/or a list of the courses you would like to see tutoring available for (no ENGL30 please) to Megan Krench, mak5065@psu.edu.

This program needs YOU if it is going to be a success!
Hope to hear from you soon!

break or no break

Published by
Matt
November 26, 2006 in Food and Work. 0 Comments

phew!  what a break!  i must say, i’m very happy with my decision not to go anywhere for thanksgiving.  good old state college for me.  traveling is just too crazy this time of year, not to mention expensive (especially if it’s to louisiana), and i got a mediocre amount of work done (though not nearly enough).  i must say, i probably had well over 15 generous invitations to spend thanksgiving with various friends and their families.  it became almost humorous because i would tell someone i’m not going anywhere for thanksgiving, and it would be immediately followed by a “come home with me!”  seriously, every time.  otherwise, though, my break was quite relaxing and uneventful.  and don’t worry, my mom sent me thanksgiving food, and i also had a makeshift thanksgiving leftover dinner friday night with a friend’s family who lives in state college. 

i can’t believe there are only 23 days left until my last final.  i am really looking forward to a break from all this loom.  i don’t think i’ve had a loom-free week (or even day) in quite some time.  i always have some huge assignments and/or tests EVERY week and its starting to get to me.  and on that note, i have to go study for my physical chemistry exam.

Remember those trace-your-hand turkeys?

Published by
Meg
November 21, 2006 in Clubs, Events, SHC and Scholar News. 0 Comments

Trace-your-hand-turkeys. That’s the first thing I think of when someone says “Thanksgiving;” elaborately decorated turkeys I used to fashion out of paper and glue and feathers (and sequins and bobble eyes). Basically, any and all art supplies available to me were used in the making of a professional hand turkey.

I am just so happy to be home! It’s great to sit here and think about things like that, without worrying about what’s due tomorrow. Thanksgiving really is a much needed break from the college pace. Eating pie, watching football– that’s what life should be about!

School, was, as usual, really busy this week. Professors like the idea of wrapping up a unit right before Thanksgiving so you don’t have it hanging over your head, and try to come back to the same stuff after five days off. Unfortunately, all professors seem to have adopted this philosophy, so the few days before Thanksgiving is basically pre-finals week, with EVERY class throwing a test at you.

So lots of school work is really the main thing I have been up to lately. On Friday night, my friends and I took our chemistry work to Starbucks downtown, so we were at least able to feel like we had done something fun instead of doing homework on a weekend. It really wasn’t too bad! Then, there was the last football game on Saturday against Michigan State. It was so sad to watch Paul Posluszny play his last game! But next year, our team will be national champions. Or so says my dad.

Another big project I’ve been working on lately is the creation of an Honors Tutoring Program. As long as I’m on the subject, let me bring you up to speed on why such a program might exist.

HONORS COURSES 101

  • The honors section of a class usually requires a more detailed understanding of the coursework, or in some cases, introduces new material completely absent from the regular version of the class. The small class size and discussion-based philosophy of learning allows for students and teachers to go above and beyond the scope of standard coursework. In some classes, there might be a special term project at the end, such as a research paper or a creative piece that integrates the material you have learned in class with broader concepts in education and society.

Basically, honors classes are much more in-depth than your run-of-the-mill memorize-your-notes-fill-in-the-bubble test. While this makes for an awesome learning experience, it also leads to some very difficult homework assignments and exams. Recently, it has come to the attention of the Schreyer Honors College Academic Committee that there is no place for students to get help with their honors-course related questions. There are already resource rooms in place for many subjects, but the programs are designed around the material covered in the regular section. While the tutors available in the general resource room possess a strong understanding of the material in the regular sections, they aren’t familiar with the honors course material and are therefore not always able to help. This is where the SHC Student Council picked up…

I am chair of the Academic Committee of the Schreyer Honors College Student Council, and someone had mentioned the idea to us of beginning a peer tutoring program specifically designed for honors courses. After an entire semester of brainstorming, information sessions, recruiting, and LOTS of planning and logistics, my committee is FINALLY tying together the final plans! Starting next week (the week of November 26), we are launching the Pilot Honors Tutoring Program. We selected eight classes that we knew students traditionally have difficulties with and got upperclassman who had already taken those courses to volunteer their time to tutor for three weeks. If the program runs well, we will pick it up again next semester. If not… well, hopefully that won’t happen.

Do you want to see the email announcement that just got sent out about it?! I know you do. It’s very exciting:

“PILOT PEER HONORS TUTORING PROGRAM
Beginning the week of November 26, the SHC Student Council is sponsoring a pilot peer tutoring program for the following honors classes this semester. Times will run as follows:

Mondays, 8:00-10:00: MATH 140H, MATH 141H, MATH 230H, MATH 231H
Mondays, 8:00-9:00: ECON 2H
Wednesdays, 8:00-10:00: BMB 251H, CHEM 12H, CHEM 38H
*EXCEPTION: There will be no CHEM 12H on Wednesday, November 29. The CHEM 12H tutoring for that week will be held on TUESDAY, November 28 instead, from 8:00-10:00.

Tutoring will be held in C-007 Atherton Hall, and will continue through the week of December 10. All students enrolled in the honors course are encouraged to attend! If you have any questions, or if you are interested in being a tutor for any honors class, e-mail Megan Krench, chair of the SHC Student Council Academic Committee at mak5065@psu.edu.”

All that work, summarized in one paragraph-long announcement. Amazing.

I hope everything works out well! I will keep you all posted… Until then, enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Crying, Gypsies, and Being a Man

Published by
Adam
November 20, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments
  • PSU Football
  • I need a break
  • Daniel Craig

PSU FOOTBALL
Saturday’s game was senior day… and while everyone’s said it already, senior days are very emotional. Still being a youngin’ (sophomore), i still can remember my senior year, and how things were coming to a close all around me  and i’m sure everyone can remember those final performances, games, trips to the bathroom etc. And it’s always sad seing greatness leave the school as well. I’m not going to repeat what the collegian’s already said, just go read it. But i do want to share my own story.

Last year, for some reason i decided to go to class early (geosci 40- the sea around us!) in Walker building. It was pretty empty so i decided to sit in the downstairs lobby for a little bit. A few minutes later this guy sits down across from me. He was huge… he had to be a football player. Actually, it was Paul Pozlusny. Whoaaaaaa. I could tell by the cut on his nose. After playing some mental chess i decided to actually talk to him. I think i would have had an easier time getting that first sentence out if it was Kiera Knightly (do me!… i’m kidding of course). “how’s practice going?” I said… I felt like such a dumb-ass. But he was very personable and we talked about preparations for the Orange Bowl (this was late November) and how Texas was going to beat USC. It was only a few minutes, but it was very memorable and really showed me how nice a guy he is. I really wanted to ask him if he decided to enter the draft or not, but i figured that was a personal matter… it’s a good thing he didn’t.

So as greatness passes on, we’ll all miss the leadership this year’s seniors provided, but the great thing about college sports, is that someone always steps up into the shoes. And if anyone did read the collegian today, they saw one of the most bitchin’ pictures ever…

That is so manly.

Dan Connor… yes, i have a dan connor story as well. Connor went to Strathaven High School, which is my high school’s (penncrest) rival. You can guess which team won this football battle. Dan Connor was a two time defensive player of the year, and athlete of the year his senior year (because of his shot-putting abilities as well). If my statistics are correct, he’s first in delaware county in tackling, and second in rushing (behind Kevin Jones, who went to Cardinal O’Hara, and is now the star running back for the Detroit Lions). Dan Connor is a man… he kills people on the football field (and off almost with arrows… but we won’t mention that… oops already did). And dan connor was in my driver’s ed class… and i’m quite proud of that.  End of story.

I NEED A BREAK
This upcoming break is very much appreciated. I’ve been quite burned out lately with schoolwork, personal affairs, and work at McClanahahahan’s… so much that i’ve decided that i’m going to quit life and travel the world as a gypsy. Did you know that gypsy tears keep AIDS away? That’s from Borat… don’t quote me as saying that. But anyway, i’m going to coach soccer and powderpuff football, and travel the world with my gypsy troupe.

Not really, but sometimes i want to with all this work i’ve been doing. But no worries. I’m pretty certain that i won’t remember being stressed out when i have a nice, secure job in a few years (knock wood)… so stay in school!

The end :) maybe i should cut out that last section… it sounded nice in my head i swear.

DANIEL CRAIG
Speaking of manly… Daniel Craig is almost as manly as Zinedine Zidane and Chuck Norris. No, he’s manlier actually.

Basically, the new James Bond, Casino Royale, is the best bond ever, and is actually an oustanding action flick on its on. For me, i watch Bond movies just because it’s bond. They’re not really that good, but it’s the ambiance of the whole thing. Ya know? But Casino Royale beautifully reinvents the bond series by going back in time to when Bond first becomes a 00 agent. It’s the perfect combination of action, sex, cheesy crap, and straight up bad-assness. Shit, he gets shot with a giant nail gun, kills the guy, then pulls the 8 inch nail out of his shoulder. He defribulates himself! I have to stop before i give too much away. Basically, if you love action movies you have to see this. If you think all the other Bond’s suck because 10 guys with ak-47s can’t shoot Bond, you have to see this (cause the action is much more believable). Daniel Craig is perfect, Eva Green is hot (see her in “The Dreamers”) and seeing the origins of Bond’s cockiness and suaveness is great.

Bond: You’re not my type
Eva: And what type is that?
Bond: Single

Ok i have to spoil this part to prove my point… During one scene Bond is being tortured by being bludgeoned in the balls (i shudder at the thought). He takes it like a man… and when the villain asks for the information, Bond replies by saying “Could you relieve the itch on my balls?”

Bitchin’

[|~ :-D

Published by
Chris
November 20, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

oh man oh man oh man oh man oh man

thanksgiving is so close :D

My thoughts: the best part of Thanksgiving is not necessarily the holiday itself, but the general lethargy of campus activities right before the break. No longer a hectic hustle-bustle, now the feel on campus has shifted into a easy-going excitment that dictates hanging out with good friends, saying excited goodbyes, and celebrating the fact that, despite the snap of cold weather, things are good in the world. I can’t wait for home.

the end of one season and the begining of another

Published by
Kate
November 19, 2006 in Events and Sports. 3 Comments

So yesterday, Penn State’s football season came to an end (minus the bowl game in January of course).  While the game itself was forgettable (though we did win 8-4 for the season), the event itself was bittersweet.  It was Senior Day at Beaver Stadium and the last time that the players, blue band members, lion, senior section, and others would be part of the life of the stadium as students.  Personally, I cried when they announced the Paul Posluszny .  He is such an amazing player and from everything I hear, he was a huge part of the success of the team.  Not only that, but he’s a great student and a humble guy.  I will def. miss having him on the field next year.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with my Saturdays from now on.  Game Days take over my weekend and now, they’re over…tear…but I’m really excited for next year.  Can’t wait!

 

While Football season is over for the most part, the holiday season is just beginning…Thanksgiving Break is quickly approaching and I am very excited to get to spend sometime at home.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss Happy Valley when I’m home, but I’m a little burnt out on classes and work at the moment (who isn’t?)  My friends from home and I have a very exciting couple days planned out.  On Friday, we’re going into Philadelphia down to Penn’s Landing where they have a big outdoor ice skating rink.  Friday is the first day it opens and as a promotion for the new movie Happy Feet the New Jersey State Aquarium is going to have real…live…penguins (yes penguins) on the ice for the ribbon cutting.  I am beyond excited…I LOVE penguins…they are so cute.  I’m also going to see the new movie Bobby about RFK’s assassination and possibly this movie called History Boys which was adopted from a Tony winning Broadway show.  I love Thanksgiving Break because it means Christmas is right around the corner.  I’ve already started listening to Christmas music (is that bad??) lol…so yes…the next week should be very eventful.   

 

That’s all I’ve got for now.  I’m working on research for my history paper on court jesters (17th century documents have really strange ways of spelling words…i.e.  the word jester is Iester…go figure)…and I am thrilled and amazing by the continued generosity of the Schreyer’s…their latest donation just goes to show how much potential the Honors College has to improve and expand in the future.

 

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!!

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