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Road to Europe Begins at Brandywine

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By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Writer, mqm5415@psu.edu

One of Brandywine’s unique opportunities for students is the study abroad program.

It’s a one-week trip to a country in Europe which provides students with a taste of culture from another continent. Last year, Brandywine students had a fantastic voyage in Greece, where they experienced its scenic views and ancient history.  Before that, trips to London and Italy gave students a refreshing taste of culture and inspired their imagination.

This Spring Break, Penn State Brandywine will have three trips going on simultaneously: Ireland, Paris and Cuba. The trip to Paris was originally going to be held over Thanksgiving break last semester; because of the terrorist attacks, it was changed to March 6-13 for the safety of the students.

There are various classes for students to take, depending on the trip.  Each class appeals to students of almost any major or minor.  Students going on the trip to Paris are enrolled in either Introduction to the Arts in Paris led by Professor Dr. Paul Green, Black American Writers taught by Dr. Kimberly Blockett or Cross Cultural Psychology by Dr. Pauline Guerin.  Each course is worth three credits and the work for each class is online.

For Ireland’s Spring Break trip on March 4 to 12 there are several different courses including: Family Disorganization, Wellness Theory, Irish Art and Philosophy and the Foundations of Linguistics. Linguistics professor Evan Bradley is excited for the Ireland trip and speaks about the trip’s purpose.

“In a general sense, the whole concept is giving exposure to the world and other cultures,” Bradley said.  “In an academic sense for linguistics, we can do research for the difference in the pronunciation of words in another culture, and get a wider view on things worldwide.”

The Cuba trip on March 5 to 12 is for students taking courses in Civic and Community Engagement or Ethics and the Design of Technology. Art History Professor Dr. Paul Green describes that experience.

“You could take multiple courses for one trip and have the opportunity to graduate with a minor in International Studies,” Green said.  “It would look great on any student’s resume.”

Students who were unable to travel this semester can look forward to future trips. Those who want to keep in touch with the program and find more information about it can go to the website brandywine.psu.edu/global-programs. Each trip costs less than $2500, which is affordable.

No matter what trip each student is participating in, it will be an experience he or she will not regret.

Updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Young and Hungry: Women’s Softball

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Meghan Burton, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, mcb@psu.edu

The 2016 Penn State Brandywine women’s softball team might be young but they are hungry.

The team is led by head coach Mark Caserta and assistant coaches Christine Mattis and Clarissa Harris.

Caserta’s coaching style focuses on positive energy and encouragement. Captain Julia Allman (Broomall, Pa./ Marple Newtown) explains how his style works.

“He has so much confidence in every single player, from the beginning to the end of the season,” Allman said.

This positive coaching style and a young team filled with talented players led the team to finish the 2015 season on a high note, as the team claimed the PSUAC softball title.

Some key players that played a part in that victory and are returning this spring could be called the fabulous five. These women are all sophomores looking to defeat their biggest rival Penn State Hazelton again. They include: Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa. / Kennett), Julie Foeldes (Kendall Park, N.J. / South Brunswick), Robynn Gannon (Lansdowne, Pa. / Archbishop Prendergast), Jen Patterson (Springfield, Pa. / Springfield) and 2015 All-American Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West).

“Our team as a whole is an awesome unit, because we click on the field and are all such good friends,” Foeldes said.

Following up on this upcoming season, the team is looking forward to numerous things.

“I am looking forward to seeing how well all of the new freshmen do on our team,” Allman said. “They all seem really aggressive and have love for the game.”

 

Potential On-Campus Fashion Show

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By: Joel Koshy, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, jxk5149@psu.edu

Senior Meaghan Paige is hoping to put together a fashion show at Penn State Brandywine by April of this year.

The Brandywine senior majoring in Communications Arts and Sciences is motivated to act.  And that motivation to work in fashion is deeply rooted. Paige’s passion for fashion began as a young girl; she always had a passion to sketch clothes during her free time and travel which has also had a huge impact on her career plans.

Paige believes that hard work and dedication is key, and has helped her to pursue a career in the fashion industry. It wasn’t always easy for Paige. Her first job was at a local Quizznos, putting together subs for hungry customers. The money she saved up she would buy supplies for her clothing line.

In the fall of 2015, her hard work truly paid off. She had the opportunity to display her clothing line during the New York Fashion week.

“It was a great experience to see the variety of artists who were at the show, and it definitely helped me get a better understanding of the fashion industry,” Paige said.

Since then she’s been wanting to put together a show for her fellow peers at Brandywine. Right now, she’s talking with clubs on campus to help her put together this event. She would like to make this a free event for all students and faculty on campus to help her brand.

The clothes that she plans to put on display would be the same as the ones she displayed during the New York Fashion week. The goal is to put together this show by April, before she graduates in May. Paige said it would be a huge personal achievement for her and her business.

Stand for State – Be a Green Dot

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By: Nicole Graham, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, ndg112@psu.edu

Green Dot, one of Student Life’s Stand for State Programs, was introduced to Penn State Brandywine students on January 28.

This program encourages students to make a positive choice by protecting each other from harmful situations.

“The goal of Stand for State is to empower members of the Penn State community to be active participants in preventing harmful/hurtful incidents (Red Dots),” Ronika Money-Adams, Brandywine’s Student Affairs Director, said.

One example of a “Red Dot” would be if a classmate was being harmed by a significant other. One can turn a Red Dot situation around to become a “Green Dot” by causing a distraction or calling the police for assistance.

A Green Dot is an introduction of an opportunity; it’s the decision to intervene in a potentially harmful situation like offering a ride or calling a cab for a peer or classmate who is under the influence.

Green Dots can be regular students who take a stand to keep others protected from harm by having watchful eye. Harmful people and/or situations are called the Red Dots. The program was formed to allow student take control of potentially dangerous situations. Money explains more about the Stand for State Program.

“The Stand for State Program was created as a result of the work of President Barron’s Sexual Assault Task Force,” Money said. “What’s exciting is that many of our students are already creating Green Dots.  They are serving as the designated driver, they’re calling for help when they see something suspicious, and they’re calling a friend over if a situation seems uncomfortable.”

Green Dots are direct actions that prevent Red Dots from happening. Currently there are 200 Penn State employees who are trained by the Green Dot organization to be prepared if and when threatening situations arise. Of the 200 Green Dot employees, 150 are instructors. This empowers the professors to be of assistance in and out of the classroom.

For more information, students can contact Student Affairs.

Not Your Typical Class

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By: Deja Footes, Lion’s Eye Editor, dmf5475@psu.edu

Students can design a newspaper, can attend on-campus events and can interview faculty, staff and students.

These activities describe what happens in 205 Main on Mondays and Wednesdays during common hour. Students are learning journalism in a hands-on environment and are earning credits too. If you are looking for some extra credits and have a passion for writing and journalism, COMM 001/002 Newspaper Practicum and Editing is the class for you!

For those who aren’t familiar with COMM 001/002, it is a newspaper class/club. Students can take this as a class for either 1 or 3 credits, or as a club just for fun. Your grade is based on writing, photography, editing and other contributions to creating the student newspaper, The Lion’s Eye. The bonus is it’s hands-on learning for how to become a journalist. This is a perfect way to get involved in student life.

A student is required to attend campus events of his/her choice, interview participants and report on it. There is also the chance to write about exciting TV shows, politics, sports or any other topic that could be potentially interesting, all with a PSU Brandywine audience in mind.

The class meets in 205 Main on Mondays and Wednesdays during common hour. Stop by to see what is going on and to meet the staff.

Updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

The New Waiting List

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Sara Piatetsky, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, svp5316@psu.edu

As the spring semester kicked into gear, the Writing Studio introduced an online scheduler for appointments.

The Writing Studio, Penn State Brandywine’s very own writing centric lab, made appointments even more accessible this semester. As many of the campus’ features become available through online reservation such as the study cells (reserved work space in the back of the library, perfect for group projects) and media commons rooms, students are now able to schedule appointments online to meet with staff of the Writing Studio.

Though appointments have always been available, the staff has made it easier for students to reach out for the assistance they need. Students can now schedule appointments, well in advance, for anything from brainstorming to assistance with proofreading one’s drafts.

Along with scheduling appointments, the online scheduler also offers a waiting list option, much like the waiting list for scheduling courses. Now when students are stuck on a paper or maybe need some additional peer editing last minute, it’s as simple as filling out a form and receiving a notification when there is an opening in the studio.

“Students have started using the online scheduler and it’s working well,” Dr. James Berkey, Director of the Writing Studio, said. “They’ve been able to schedule appointments on their own and, when needed, cancel them ahead of time, which is nice because it then opens up that time for another writer. The waitlist feature promises to be useful, but only a handful of students have had the need to use it so far. I imagine it will be more useful later in the semester, when the Writing Studio is traditionally busier.”

Not only is the online scheduler convenient, but also it’s easy to use. Students simply register with their PSU email and select the date and time they would like to make an appointment. Students can even choose their tutor if they have a preference.

“I think it’s convenient that you can make appointments now online,” Ciera Britton, a junior corporate communications major, said. “Now when I receive an assignment I can quickly log in and schedule an appointment before my paper is due instead of waiting and possibly forgetting.”

It’s never too early to prepare for an upcoming assignment and the online scheduler allows students to schedule up to three weeks in advance! Get ahead of semester by registering at https://brandywine.mywconline.com/ or do it the old fashion way and stop by the Writing Studio located in the Vairo Library.

Pre-Season Thoughts on Brandywine Baseball

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Brian Bosco,  Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, bwb5310@psu.edu

As spring approaches, the warmer weather shines light on the coaches and players on the Brandywine Baseball team.

After a disappointing end to the 2015 season, the Lions look forward to a fresh start as they have a new mentality and are preparing for the road to a championship.  The new year has meant new players along with a pitching coach who is ready to push these players to their limits.

Head coach Bill Haines along with assistant coach Toby MacCart plan to lead the team to success, and this year they have new strategies that will help accomplish their goals. The Brandywine baseball team lost in the semi-finals of the 2015 playoffs to Penn State Beaver.  Key changes for the 2016 season were made after that loss.

“Personally, my goal is for my team to buy into the new culture and way of coaching I have developed through some minor changes,” Haines said.  “They may not even notice some of the small changes but hopefully will see the big impacts.  My goal is to always have my team come together and play together for one another.  One of my big motto’s for this year’s team is ‘STRONGER TOGETHER.’”

Improvement comes by players working together.

“If we establish a culture from the beginning with the thought of doing everything we can to be successful and play as hard as we can for every one of our teammates then we will be very successful and win a lot of games.” Haines said.

Coach MacCart is the new pitching coach for the team, and is a crucial part of this reconstruction process.

“Self-belief is the most important factor,” MacCart said.  “If a player believes he can have success, then that will provide all of the motivation to continue to improve.  If the team struggles, so will player attitudes and that will affect how we finish the season.  If we believe in ourselves and in each other we will find success on and off the field.”

It is clear that the coaching staff is dedicated to this team, however it will be up to the individual players to work on their own aspects of the game, and better the team as a whole.  With a team of mostly underclassman, it will be up to the seniors to help instill this new culture into the younger players, and ensure the Brandywine Baseball program is headed in the right direction for years to come.

 

 

New Student Initiated Fee Proposal Receives Approval from Administration

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Alexis Cavalli, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, acc5407@psu.edu

Penn State students will no longer have to pay three separate fees, on top of tuition, as President Eric Barron and the administration passed the Student Initiated Fee set to be implemented this upcoming fall.

Currently, Penn State students pay a Student Activity Fee, Facilities Fee and a Technology Fee which equate to an additional $992 a year along with tuition. This rate is flexible and usually rises every year in order to compensate for department spending.

The new fee will allow money to be efficiently separated into four categories which include Student Activities, Facilities, Recreation and Services based on need.

“We are constantly finding new initiatives to improve our campus, but sometimes these considerations do not fall into the standard categories,” Olivia Shiner, Brandywine’s Student Government President, said. “One example, is the unprecedented funding request from the Student Activities Fee for a psychiatrist at Brandywine. The new fee structure will allow less ambiguity when allocating funds that best fit.”

The new proposal does not include a Technology Fee because technology is now considered to be a part of the classroom experience. Therefore, that fee does not qualify to be separate from academic essentials. Barron has decided to separate out that fee but will keep tuition the same by paying the fee down with a dollar-for-dollar transfer into tuition.

As for the Student Governments, who have spent so much time and energy advocating this bill, they are excited to finally see it passed.

“I think that this fee is extremely beneficial. With this new structure put into place we now know we can just pay one straightforward fee instead of two or three separate fees,” Alex TenBroeck, Council of Commonwealth Student Government Southeast Caucus Director & Mental Health Ad Hoc Committee Director said.

Again, the new Student Initiated Fee will be implemented Fall, 2016.

 

From Blocking Shots to Saving Lives

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By: Symantha Marrero, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, sjm5946@psu.edu

It’s almost every kid’s dream to become a college athlete or a police officer. One woman in particular has a shot to fulfill both of those dreams.

Melanie Kempf, a 20-­year-­old student at Penn State Brandywine, is your average girl. She loves to listen to music, spend time with friends and family and to be active. There’s a catch—she’s a 6-­foot center who’s on the path to becoming a state trooper.

A college athlete typically plays for the duration of their time at school, which four years. Kempf’s time on the basketball court, as well as in the classroom, has been cut two years short because of her upcoming task.

The process to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper is rigorous and exhausting. Not only do physical demands need to be met, but also written exams and polygraphs are expected to be passed as well. Once these expectations are completed, the final stage is the academy, where cadets partake in hardcore physical training, in addition to police training for six months.

The physical training includes an intense amount of running, pull­-ups, push-­ups, lifting and even swimming. The police training, which will likely be Kempf’s favorite part of the time spent at the academy, includes how and when to use a firearm, how to drive a police vehicle properly, how to “cuff” people, as well as self­defense.

Perhaps the best part of the entire process is graduating from the academy and starting the first “assignment,” wherever that may be. Finishing this semester at Brandywine brings Kempf that much closer to her goal.

Kempf reminisced about leaving the game of basketball behind.

“Since I was able to walk, I always had a basketball with me,” Kempf said. “Now, it’s like I’m losing a piece of me that had always been there.”

Kempf starts for the Lady Lions and averages just under 18 minutes a game. She’s a huge factor in the team’s success. Basketball isn’t her only talent, however. She also played on the women’s volleyball and soccer teams at Brandywine.

“Mel has the biggest heart I know,” former teammate Colleen Kennedy said. “She gives her all at anything she sets her mind to. I think she’s going to make the perfect police officer.”

Ride-alongs are what sealed the deal for Kempf. After researching and being inspired by family members in the force, Kempf began going on ride-alongs and quickly learned just what it takes to be a police officer.

“Going on these ride-alongs have assured me this is what I’m supposed to do,” Kempf said contently.

From gruesome scenes of suicides to speeding over 85 MPH to chase down a wanted man, Kempf wants it all.

“This is what I’m supposed to do, protect and serve my community, family, friends, everyone,” Kempf said. “I see myself being a police officer within the next two years, ideally a PA state trooper. As long as I’m a police officer, I’ll be happy!”

Until then, she’ll settle with making baskets on the hardwood.

Future Planning

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Latech Murphy, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, Lnm107@psu.edu

Career Services at Penn State is a great place for students to seek help in deciding which career path fits their passions, strengths and skills.

Normally when students hear about career services, they think of activities related only to the job search process. Many are unaware of all of the resources available.

“There are more free resources available to students than they realize,” Christine Allen, Brandywine’s Coordinator of Career Services, said. “I would love to sit down with students and help them.”

Career services’ new initiative is to encourage students from year one, as a freshmen, to start early and to make good use of the services and gain relevant experience in the form of volunteering, part-time employment and internships.

Deciding which career path to take consists of many aspects: increasing self-awareness, exploring career options, and gaining the knowledge, skills and experience that will help a person to determine career choices. The process is different for each individual and the Career Services’ staff assists in developing career goals and planning steps to reach those goals.

“I am so happy our school offers these services to all students because it’s an awesome way to help us with our career goals,” Kevin Hopkins, a Brandywine junior, said.

Students can get help with creating a resume and cover letter, preparing for an interview and researching employers. Students are encouraged to upload their resume to the job board on the Career Services’ network and sign up to the Nittany Lion Career Network.

Allen and her team work closely with the advising center to offer career counseling. Career counseling offers an opportunity to discuss one’s life and career goals. Counseling may include assessment, which helps one to identify and organize interests, strengths, weaknesses, abilities and values as they relate to career fields.

Students interested can stop by 104 Main to schedule an appointment with Career Services Coordinator Christine Allen.