Day: October 17, 2018

Students of the New Millennium Enter Brandywine

Posted By under Campus News

By: Cole Young, Lion’s Eye Staff, cry5060@psu.edu

It’s the start of another year at Brandywine, and with it brings a new generation of students. This freshmen class is the first group of students born in the year 2000.

Famed American philanthropist Tom Steyer once said, “We will pay a heavy price if we insist on navigating the 21st century with a 20th century mindset.”

With them they’ll bring a new mindset and new ideas that will make them successful in the 21st century. The last few weeks these students have been spending time getting adjusted to college life. We were able to catch up with them and ask a few questions.

Penn State Brandywine was some people’s first choice, and a little further down the list for others. Many picked the campus, because it was close to their home. Other freshmen explained that they enjoyed the small campus, and the reduced cost compared to University Park.

So what made students choose Penn State? Three students explain what they liked about Brandywine.

“It actually wasn’t my first choice believe it or not. I remember the day when they brought us to hear other students’ stories about Brandywine. When they talked about the proximity to home and all the opportunities available it really piqued my interest,” said Vaishalli Devarakonda.

“It was fairly local and it was a lot cheaper than a lot of the schools I was looking at, and it has a really good engineering program,” said Sean Callahan, a mechanical engineering major.

“The faculty here are super helpful and nice, and that was a plus for me,” said Jordan Esterling.

As they’ve adjusted to college life, incoming students have been fans of many facets of Penn State Brandywine. So far, they’ve been enjoying the small class sizes, the Penn State community, and more.

Callahan said, “I really like the campus, the open feel and it’s a really nice look. The people here have been really nice so far.”

“I like the small class sizes, and the attention that professors are able to give to you is great,” said Esterling.

“I really like the atmosphere here after being in high school for the last four years. It reminds me of that. It’s comfortable, while at the same time it’s new enough to not be boring to me,” said Sean Hackett.

Students have come to Brandywine to pursue a wide array of majors. Brandywine has a lot to offer and they are taking advantage of it. Many were attracted by all that Penn State Brandywine has in store for them.

“I’m an English major, and I chose that because I’d like to be able to tell stories in a professional capacity,” said freshman Eric McGinty.

“My major is mechanical engineering, and I picked it because I have a strong foundation in math. I enjoy solving problems and most other things that engineers do,” said Callahan.

These newcomers are also taking advantage of Brandywine’s many clubs and activities. Whether they’re trying something new, or picking up where they left off in high school, these freshmen are getting involved.

McGinty said. “I’m involved in the writing club and the acting club. While they haven’t really gotten going yet, I’m looking forward to the opportunities that I’ll get in these clubs.”

Overall, except for a few complaints about commuting, the new group of freshmen are enjoying Brandywine. They claim to enjoy what it has to offer, and like what they see so far during the first semester. Hopefully, they’ll be able to discover everything Brandywine has to offer and excel in all their pursuits.

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Labor Day: Not Just the End of Summer

Posted By under Campus News

By: Meghan Coyle, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, mtc5382@psu.edu

Labor Day is typically associated with the end of summer, and, for some, that means one last trip to the beach, a long weekend, or just a day off from work or school to relax. Although many enjoy the day off relaxing or soaking up the sun, it’s important to know the historical significance and reason why Americans have off on Labor Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, “The first government recognition came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886.” The person who originated the idea isn’t entirely known, and, according to history.com, “Many credit Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union…” The first official celebration of Labor Day was with a parade in New York City on September 5, 1882, which was a Tuesday that year.

Now, in 2018, 136 years after that first celebration of Labor Day, is Labor Day celebrated differently?

The U.S. Department of Labor website states that, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

Some schools give students a day off on Labor Day, as was the case with Penn State Brandywine.

Penn State Brandywine students were treated to a day off from school for Labor Day, giving them a three-day weekend. Sam Shanahan, a human development and family studies (HDFS) major spent her long weekend doing a wide variety of things.

She said, “Friday night, I did homework. Saturday was fun. I chilled for the first half of the day, walked my dog and went to the Phillies game. That (the Phillies game) was the highlight of my weekend. Sunday, I went to the gym. Monday (Labor Day), I played with my cockapoo.”

There are plenty of ways to spend a long weekend, but it was also nice for students to just have the day off from classes.
Brandywine student Tahjir Ellis spent his Labor Day where most people aspire to spend their Labor Day, besides the beach, and said, “I went to a barbecue.”

History.com lists parades, picnics, barbecues and fireworks displays as some of the many ways Americans celebrate Labor Day each year. Clearly, there are many ways to celebrate Labor Day and the long weekend that often comes with it, but it’s also important to keep in mind the real reason behind the holiday: to honor American workers’ achievements.

Changes, but the Same Goals for Brandywine sports

Posted By under Sports

Brandywine men’s basketball holding PSUAC banner and trophy after winning the title. Photo Credit; Brandywine athletics.

Connor Crawford, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, clc6080@psu.edu

Athletics is an area in sports that is constantly changing. Players change and leave, team rankings change, and personnel change. Athletics at Brandywine is no different. Change is a thing that everyone and every team has to deal with; the key thing is to see how these things affect the teams.
Brandywine’s Coordinator of Athletic Programs Jeffrey Scarpone, talked about the new head coach for men’s basketball. “Coach Justin Dunbar-Stevens was hired in July and seems to have everything moving well for the team. He was an assistant coach for a few different schools and knows the D3 league pretty well. Now he finally gets his shot at a head coach job. The basketball team has a lot of returning players, so they are expecting another great season out of the men’s basketball team,” said Scarpone.

They won the conference championship last year so the returning players know what it’s like to win and can help the younger guys out. “We are expecting big things out of men’s basketball again, just like last year.”
The women’s soccer team also has a new coach. Elise Pratt, who played division one soccer, is a recent grad (2017) from University of Delaware. Although it’s only been a short time, Pratt is enjoying working with the returning team. They lost their first game 4-3 against Wesley College—a tough team in the league.

Brandywine women’s soccer is looking to be competitive again in this league. They have their sights set on another conference title, which would be the team’s third conference title in a row.
Scarpone’s goals for all fall sports is that they all stay competitive.

Last year men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball all went undefeated and won their conference titles. So from that Scarpone says, “the three team sports in the fall played very well and look to do the same this year as they stay focused and competitive.”
The men’s and women’s cross country teams are all off to a good start, as one of the freshman Brian Able, won the Delaware Valley invitational. He is Brandywine’s first male runner to win a race in the invitational. Freshman Katherine Mooney finished second place in her first her race. So both of those teams are off to running starts. The men’s golf team finished seventh in September. They are in their second year back after not having a team for nearly five years. Overall “Penn State Brandywine’s sports teams look to have very good seasons, and stay competitive in conference play,” said Scarpone. Good luck to all Penn State Brandywine fall athletes for a healthy, successful season.

The Commons Building is Up and Running

Posted By under Uncategorized

By: Laura Wilson, Lions Eye Staff Writer, lcw5189@psu.edu

As part of the on-going Penn State Brandywine expansion, which began with residence life in Orchard Hall and a Student Union, the Commons/Athletic Center has received a makeover. The Commons renovation was started in late May 2018 and completed late in September 2018. These renovations have added many new additions to the campus. According to Brandywine’s website, “The project cost $3.4 million dollars, which was funded by campus donors, match funding from University Park, the Brandywine Student Facilities Committee and Penn State’s Office of the Physical Plant.”

The completion of the Commons building has brought many new and improved amenities to Penn State Brandywine. “These include a new commuter lounge, nurse’s station, athletic training room, a new police services office and an expanded, state-of-the-art fitness center,” according to Brandywine’s website.

The renovations benefit many different areas on campus. One of the larger programs it will benefit is the athletics programs. The new fitness center and athletic training room are two of the perks of these renovations.

“A lot of our student athletes didn’t work out here on campus because it was so condensed in years past, so the fitness center is going to be tripled in size. We are also getting over $100,000 worth of new equipment. The athletic training room will also triple in size. One of the biggest changes is that we are getting air conditioning in the gym,” said Athletic Director Sarah Kurpel.

The process did not come without some hardships. Although most of the work was scheduled for the summer months, many professors, coaches and athletes were displaced during the renovations. They found temporary offices throughout campus.

“One of the biggest problems was that it displaced all of us and specifically the students,” said Kurpel. Athletes who were around in the summer were unable to train or work out while the gym was closed and, “Since the gym was not available, the volleyball team had to practice off campus.”

The new renovations may have presented some obstacles, but go see for yourself if the craziness was worth it.