Pancake and Maple Sugaring Celebration at Tyler Arboretum

Posted By under Op/Ed

By: Brooke Byrne, Lion’s Eye Editor, bzb5183@psu.edu

Families came together for pancakes and fun lessons on tapping trees for syrup when Tyler Arboretum’s maple tree celebration was welcomed back to Media on February 28.
This “flipping out” feast encouraged guests to visit learning stations set up around the arboretum to learn more about trees and their sap. Once attendees had a better understanding of this process that only happens in this corner of the world, they even had a chance to tap the trees themselves. After all this talk of syrup, guests were treated to a special all-you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes and sausage.
One of the hard workers behind this fun event is Penn State Brandywine’s own Laura McPhail. McPhail is a communications professor here and also works in public relations for Tyler Arboretum. “We start planning for major events like the Pancake Breakfast at least four months in advance. There are lots of logistics that have to be worked out, volunteers have to be identified and trained, ingredients have to be procured, sponsors have to be solicited, and we have to get the word out, among many other details,” said McPhail.
The planning for this event helped to ensure a great day, which benefited not only those in attendance but also the arboretum itself. “All proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast and Maple Sugaring Celebration support general operations. Admission dollars help provide horticulture collections, summer camps and many other ways to protect, preserve and share our natural and historic resources,” said McPhail. Admission to this event also allowed guests entry into the arboretum for the day where they could explore on their own the land that they were helping to save.
Whether for the nature, the learning experience, or just a fun day out, plenty of people and their families went to Tyler Arboretum and left satisfied. “I always have fun at the events here,” local high school sophomore Rebecca DePiero said. “My friends and I like this one in particular because the food is always delicious.”
To ensure that all guests are this happy and determine the success of events like these, there are surveys available for attendees to fill out. “We also monitor social media comments and gather statistics from admission numbers. And of course, the best assessment of success is the smiles we see as people leave our events happy,” McPhail said.
For information on future Tyler Arboretum events and how you can help make a difference, visit TylerArboretum.org.

Need a New Show to Watch? Better Call Saul

Posted By under Uncategorized

Better Call Saul
By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, mqm5415@psu.edu

In 2008, an AMC television program fell from heaven and onto our screens and Netflix accounts and it was called Breaking Bad. In five seasons the show chronicled the transformation of Walter White, a mild mannered high school chemistry teacher, into a methodical drug kingpin by cooking the best crystal meth in the world. Word-of-mouth and internet streaming elevated Breaking Bad to the most beloved TV show of the past decade and reached its peak popularity at the time it came to an end two years ago, leaving the audience wanting more. The show had over a dozen memorable characters fans loved (or loved to hate); but one who stood out in particular was a quick-witted lawyer named Saul Goodman played by comedian Bob Odenkirk. So creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould revisited the rich world they created in a comedy spinoff called Better Call Saul.
AMC’s newest show is a prequel about the criminal lawyer, only the Saul Goodman everyone loves hasn’t become Saul Goodman yet; he goes by his real name James M. McGill. (Like Saul Goodman is actually a real name). The life of the lawyer James McGill is just as bizarre as Saul Goodman; his office is in the back of a nail salon where he often drinks alone. He occasionally visits his brother’s house who is allergic to electricity and wears a space blanket; he finds ways to grow his law business with outrageous actions that usually lead to trouble. The show also takes advantage of the rich characters created in the previous show and uses them in humorous situations involving McGill but still remain true to their memorable personality. Fans will rejoice at seeing one of their favorite characters Mike Ehrmantraut return to the screen while also wondering why he’s working as a parking lot attendant for the courthouse.
The opening sequence of the first episode is similar to how a Breaking Bad season begins: taking place after the events of the season and previewing how it’ll come to a finish. Shot in black-and-white, Saul Goodman is shown after the events of Breaking Bad working in a Cinnabon shop at a mall in the middle of Omaha, Nebraska. Despite having no dialogue, it’s made clear that he’s miserable and lonely, and misses his old life so badly that he watches videotapes of his old commercials to relive his glory days. It’s uncertain if the show will ever revisit this part of his life again, as it’ll probably depend on how well it does in ratings. The next scene goes all the way back to the main setting in 2002 where James McGill enters the court room late and attempts to defend the criminal actions of three nineteen year olds. To reveal what the nineteen year boys did to get on trial would spoil a shocking and hilarious reveal, but McGill does his best to make the guilty kids look innocent. By the time the episode ends with McGill trying to pull a con with the help of two skater boys, the plan spirals out of control and the last shot reintroduces a character that will have fans excited to see again. The following three episodes are also introduced in scenes that highlight parts his life that don’t relate to the main story, but gives the viewer some little clues as to who James McGill/Saul Goodman really is. One time he’s shown pulling off elaborate cons, and another is him in jail begging his older brother to help him get out, these flashbacks serve as pieces to the puzzle that is the life of one of the most intriguing characters in television today.
Just to get it out of the way: No, Better Call Saul, through its first four episodes, is not as gripping as Breaking Bad was, but what show is? That still doesn’t mean that it hasn’t delivered on very high anticipation considering the pressure the makers received to deliver a worthy follow-up to an all-time great show. The witty dialogue and outrageous events in Better Call Saul continues to unravel toward what should be a gigantic sized climax and have reveal to audiences just how James M. McGill transformed into Saul Goodman. New episodes of Better Call Saul air every Monday at 10:00 PM on AMC, and previous episodes are available to watch on amctv.com and
OnDemand.

Let’s Talk About It

Posted By under Uncategorized

By: Avery Smith, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, acs5678@psu.edu

Police brutality against African Americans has been in the forefront of the news and a controversial topic in the United States for the past few decades since the civil rights movement. Events like Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Gardner in Staten Island, New York and Tamir Rice and John Crawford in Cleveland, Ohio are just a few examples of police shooting unarmed African American citizens. Since many people appear outraged, as evidenced by increased protests all across the country, Penn State Brandywine’s Student Affairs personnel offered a discussion session for students to express their views on these events and the perceived injustice and police brutality in today’s society.
Stephanie Jones, associate director of student affairs and Ronika Money-Adams, director of student affairs and engagement, hosted an open discussion called “Speakout: Beyond Ferguson” to talk about these incidents of police brutality. However, student affairs didn’t want to talk just about police brutality and racial injustice.
“Our goal is to have a forum where we can share information about current events, or current social issues and share that information with the students, and to learn what the students know and talk about it,” said Stephanie Jones.
Planning for three speak out events each semester to get students engaged and talking about social issues and events in America and around the world is in the works.
At the event, students were served jambalaya and formed a circle at the start of the discussion. Students were asked to be polite and respectful of everyone and everyone’s opinion.
They were also asked to make up rules for the discussion. Some of the rules that they came up with were no foul or derogatory language; no laughing when someone is talking and respectfulness when other people are talking.
Some questions included the protest in Ferguson, Missouri and the positive and negative effects of it and what can be done so something like this never happens again? This forum wasn’t a raise-your-hand-and-wait-to-be-called-on event. It was a mature and respectful conversation about injustice in America.
“I think listening to the stories and the experiences and the background of others definitely fosters this environment for understanding and having these discussions are really important,” Jones said.
Every student is encouraged to join these open forums. Be on the lookout for the next “Speakout” discussion.

For The Dreamers All Year Long

Posted By under Uncategorized

THON Raises $13,026,653.23!

Ana Elmasllari, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, ave5065@psu.edu

On the third weekend of February, over 700 Penn State students stood for 46 hours without sitting or sleeping at the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) for the weekend of Thon. The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon’s mission, also known as Thon, is to conquer pediatric cancer by supporting their families and staff though the Four Diamonds Fund. This year, after long hours of canning in the cold and more, Penn State Students raised a total of $13,026,653.23 for the kids. Students, volunteers and Four Diamonds families joined together in Penn State’s BJC, and for 46 hours volunteers give the kids and their families a chance to forget about cancer. This year over 700 students, called dancers during Thon Weekend, were registered to participate in the 46-hour-long, no-sleeping, no-sitting dance marathon.

Greek life, sports clubs, special interests organizations and others participate in raising money and a lot of them are assigned a Four Diamonds family. The organizations have built special relationships with their Thon children and their families and during Thon Weekend they all get a chance to spend time with each other. Their support teams, the dancer’s orgs or teams, are standing on the stands cheering them on. During the weekend a number of different events happen like the kid’s fashion show or the pep-rally that most if not all of the Penn State sport teams take place in. This year the best performance during the pep-rally went to the men’s hockey team. There are many other performances by students, bands and the Four Diamond Kids as well.  It officially starts on Friday at 4 p.m. and it runs until Sunday 6 p.m. with the total raised announced at the last minute making every hour spent there worth it.

 

There is so much life and happiness during Thon Weekend. that every time someone yells out “We are,” you know the whole entire BJC will respond with “Penn State.”

Doing Happiness With Matt Glowacki

Posted By under Uncategorized

By: Brooke Byrne, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, bzb5183@psu.edu

On Wednesday March 18, students were treated to the happiest 50 minutes of their day when Matt Glowacki spoke during Penn State Brandywine’s Happiness Week.
Throughout his presentation about “doing happiness,” Glowacki taught students about communicating with people they love, gave tips on how to increase happiness, and explained how every person’s own perception of the outside world plays an important role in how happy we all are.
One of Glowacki’s biggest points of the day was that our happiness is all about the way that we view events that happen. One way to do this, he said, was to change the channel of our minds. He showed us the importance of this by playing a movie montage in which clips from well-known films were taken out of context to reveal a more uplifting message. Looking at things in this way takes practice and an open mind. “The people in your life who are the least happy are the ones who are most sure,” Glowacki said. He explained that this means the people who close their mind and anticipate that a week will be bad or a class will be disappointing are usually proven right.
This sort of thinking not only affects ourselves, but also everyone we come into contact with throughout the day. Glowacki gave tips on things we can all do to have our happy thoughts make others happy too. For example, he said that people who call us can hear us smiling over the phone, so by smiling when we record our voicemail outgoing message, we can reach a variety of people in a simple way. Smiling is an easy way to show people you’re happy and having a good life.
Darryl Thomas, a student who attended the Doing Happiness event, enjoyed hearing about Glowacki’s own life and some of the obstacles that he has faced. “I liked when Matt shared his story with us and seeing him smile while he talked about everything,” Thomas said.
Thomas and other students in attendance not only got to play with bubbles and eat free food, but some also even got to participate and win prizes during several portions of this happy event. Some of this included a demonstration on the importance of a six second hug, a lesson on how to correctly eat a piece of chocolate and a little game of Let’s Make a Deal.
The Doing Happiness event was a fun addition to our campus’ Happiness Week. Enthusiastic attendees and a passionately animated speaker created a memorable afternoon that sparked a desire at Penn State Brandywine to spread happiness around to all whom we encounter.

Courageous Conversations

Posted By under Op/Ed

By: Paula Scott, Lion’s Eye Editor, pms5152@psu.edu

On February 12 students gathered in the Lion’s Den to get a sweet tooth fix while talking about a hot topic. Sociology and psychology Professor, Erin Kelly, discussed with students the importance of courageous conversations while students snacked on cupcakes and other treats from the
candy bar. Erin spoke about the uneasyness people feel when discussing sex related topics because “someone made it taboo.”
“There are more positive consequences if you talk about sex openly,” she said.
Having conversations with those you are intimate with, friends, peers, and people you trust, is so important. One of the main reasons she mentioned that it is essential to engage in courageous conversations, especially with your partner, is so that you are both on the same page and that you develop a feeling of safety.
Erin opened the floor to students to ask questions and encouraged students to actively participate in courageous communication. Although hesitant, she persuaded some to speak out and passed around index cards for everyone to write an anonymous question.
Students didn’t leave empty handed; a candy and condom bar was open to students to fill a goodie bag to take home.

Career Fair Provides Students with Opportunity

Posted By under Uncategorized

tn

Career Fair Provides Students with Opportunity

James Berridge, Lions Eye Staff Writer- Jrb1055@psu.edu

 

Penn State Brandywine hosted its semester annual career fair for Business, Communications, and IST majors.
The career fair on Wednesday, March 25, invited a variety of businesses in the area to join the Brandywine campus in hopes of providing students with job and internship opportunities. Students were asked to wear professional dress and come prepared, with resume in hand, so they could meet as many companies as possible in the short time that they had.

The companies that participated in the career fair included Unites States Liability Insurance, Intern U, Stratus Interactive, Pennoni Associates, Almac Group, Penn State Great Valley, Evolve IP, 101.1 More FM, Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry and WSFS Bank.

Internships are very important for college students. Besides the fact that most majors here at Penn State require an internship in order to graduate, they also provide the student with certain lessons that can only be learned in the professional environment. Plus, they can be a great start to a potential full time job.

“I already fulfilled my internship requirement to graduate this semester, but I view an internship as just another opportunity,” Paul Scott, a senior corporate communications major, said.

“The more you can get under your belt, the more you learn about your major and the better your resume looks.”

Scott also joined in the Career Fair for possible job opportunities.

“Most college seniors do not have a full-time job lined up for them as soon as they graduate, so career fairs are a great way to get your resume out there and get the ball rolling,” Scott said.

Attending career fairs can also be very beneficial to the companies that are looking to hire. Career fairs are able to provide potential employers with a face that matches his or her resume. For this reason, it is important to dress professionally. Though career fairs are very beneficial, they can be short. It is important to have one’s resume updated, review background on companies that one wishes to visit during the fair, write a cover letter to share with potential businesses, and show confidence. A good first impression is very important.

Kate Wysocki, the event coordinator, helped make this event happen and deserves a big “Thank you,” from all the students that attended the PSU Brandywine Career Fair. It was a great success, and hopefully, it continues to gain popularity in the future.

Wysocki is the Career Counselor/Employer Specialist at Penn State Brandywine

Posted By under Op/Ed

By: Lion’s Eye Editor, Victoria Marotta; vim5121@psu.edu

She started in August of 2011, and is quite extraordinary; she teaches CNED 100, Career Exploration and CNED 280 and Job/Internships Search and Professional Skills. Bringing a level of achievement to Brandywine, Wysocki earned her Masters of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. Wysocki has worked in higher education for 10 years in a variety of areas including Residence Life, Student Activities, University Conduct and Athletics/Intramurals.

“I love it all, but of course Career Services is my favorite,” Wysocki said. “My passion has always been engaging students in their own development and providing many educational and practical experiences to encourage their confidence and future.”

Career services provides students, from their first year to the day they graduate (and beyond), the resources necessary to find success. Wysocki said she loves watching a student grow and find a passion and create future goals around it. Students at Penn State Branydwine have so much to

offer, and Wysocki and the career services are just one of the several resources at Brandywine that helps guide them to endless opportunities.

“I went to the Career Development Center at Lycoming College and received the guidance I was searching for and from that it led to a career in higher education and helping others to find the same clarity,” Wysocki said.

Current and potential students should take full advantage of Penn State’s career services so that they can branch further into their overall career, and Wysocki is a counselor who could help these students reach their career goals. It’s so important for current and prospective students to be able to have access to career counseling.

“Unfortunately many students are unaware of what it is we do,” Wysocki said.  “As said above we can help students from day one and even past graduation. It is important to note that even alumni are welcome to visit our office, or any Penn State office of Career Services throughout the Commonwealth.

Although many students are unsure of what they want to do with their future, they are not alone.  It is a very difficult decision to make, especially coming directly from high school.

“It is important for students to realize this is a common feeling and that they are not alone,” Wysocki said.  “Our office offers several ways for students to self-assess and explore career and major options through theory and practice. Students are welcome to make an appointment with a Career Coach, myself or Christine Allen. We also offer CNED 100, Career Exploration, a two-credit course, to help first year and second year students to explore themselves, different majors, and careers but more importantly to learn valuable resources to have with them their entire career journey.”

Some of the valuable resources Career Services provides includes help with internship/job search, resume/cover letter writing interview prep and mock interviews, self-assessment, professional skills and even graduate school prep. As well as offering valuable resources, the office provides events such as Human Services Career Day, Business, Communications and STEM Career Day, Alumni Networking, Mock Interviews for HDFS 490, BA 420, and CNED 280 and lastly, a Fashion Show and Etiquette Luncheon (co-sponsored with Student Affairs).

“Gaining experience before you graduate is very important,” Wysocki said.  “Internships are a great way to do this! Many students find when they graduate that even entry-level positions require some experience. Internships allow for students to build their resume, be competitive in the job search, create new connections, and potentially gain full-time employment from the internship. Our office offers many resources to help students to find internships and jobs.”

To find out more information on Penn State Brandywine’s Career Services, go to:  brandywine.psu.edu/StudentServices/CareerServices/careers.htm or visit Advising and Career Services in 104 Main Building.

 

 

Brandywine Ice Hockey

Posted By under Sports

By: Dan Ketler, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, dmk5614@psu.edu

The 2014-2015 Penn State Brandywine Ice Hockey season has come to an end, after a long and hard fought journey. The club team won the regular-season championship with an impressive seventeen wins and six losses. They advanced to the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference Playoffs (DVCHC) as the top seed. The team dominated the playoffs and went on to compete in a best of three championship series against Rutgers.

The series halted at a 1-1 tie and was headed into a third and final game, but the Lion’s senior goalie, Andrew Hieber, suffered a slightly torn MCL and was unable to play in the championship. With no back up goalie to fill in, the Lion’s were unfortunately forced to forfeit the championship to Rutgers. The team was plagued with multiple roster issues throughout the season and this continued to be a challenge for the Lions as the season went on even in the earlier stages of the season.

“Basically, we headed into our season knowing it was going to be a rough road because of the amount of players we had,” junior defensemen Frank Leonardo said. “We started practicing in September with only fourteen players and one goalie.”

This proved to serve as a bad omen for the team when they reached the championship and their lone goalie was injured.

“Our goalie hurt his knee in Sunday’s game and we were waiting for a second opinion on the severity of the injury. He has a 30% tear in his MCL and he is done for the season.” Brandywine’s Head Coach Paul Gilligan stated, “our season is over.”

This was Coach Gilligan’s 12th season coaching the Lions and he has done a tremendous job leading them to victory. Gilligan had helped lead Brandywine to the American Conference Tournament every season and led the team to DVCHC title in 2012. Despite the 2014-2015 season’s unfortunate turn of events, the team worked hard and did the best they could with their roster issues.

Leonardo added, “Tough ending to a tough and hard fought season.”

One thing that is certain is that Lion’s Ice Hockey has a promising future. Nearly half the team is comprised of freshman including the team’s leading goal scorer, Jonathan Thompson. Thompson and his teammates plan to regroup in the offseason and return to the 2016 championship with a vengeance.

Many students at Brandywine are unaware of the fact that the school has an ice hockey team. They are a club team—which means they are funded through student activity fees rather than the school itself. They usually play at Ice Works in Aston or Ice Line in West Chester. Silently, the team has been working hard and going on various championship runs to make the Penn State Brandywine community proud.

Although the Lion’s Ice Hockey squad was struck with an unfortunate injury from which they were unable to recover, a heart-broken Brandywine Ice Hockey team will plan to regroup in the offseason and return stronger than ever, for the 2015-2016 season, to capture the DVCHC crown. Be sure to be on the look out for next years schedule to cheer on Brandywine’s Ice Hockey team.

Brandywine First-Timers react to THON weekend

Posted By under Op/Ed

By: Paul Alberici. Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, paa5102@psu.edu 

THON weekend is considered by many Penn State students to be one of the best weekends of the year and THON 2015 was no different.

For many people from Penn State Brandywine, this was their first time experiencing the impactful weekend. THON brings Penn State students from all across the commonwealth together to celebrate the end of the fundraising year with the Four Diamonds’ families.

“My reaction (to THON weekend) was breathtaking,” said Samantha Dimarco, a freshman at Penn State Brandywine, who has plans to transfer to University Park in the fall and hopes to be on the dancer relations committee. “The entire thing left me speechless.”

Brandywine had one of its biggest fundraising years to date, raising a record-breaking $40.952.11; the total moved them up to the #7 slot for highest fundraising effort among commonwealth campuses. Part of that success was attributed to the number of consistent members the group had, which was even higher than last year. Many of these new members were freshman and sophomores who had a rough idea as to what THON was about.

“I had seen people canning in the streets before,” said Allyson Pyle, a Penn State Brandywine sophomore. “But I never knew how big the organization was until I got to Brandywine. I regret not joining sooner!”

It seems that every member who went to THON this year enjoyed a different aspect of the weekend, from the line dance which is new each year to seeing how much fun the kids were having. But there was one aspect of the weekend almost every member loves.

“Family Hour (was) definitely (my favorite part),” said Derek Osborn. “It just showed me everything that we’re doing for the kids does make an impact, it does change lives and none of the hard work we put into it is wasted.”

Family hour is the time near the end of the weekend where Four Diamonds’ families come and tell their stories of dealing with cancer, sometimes with their child by their side and other times with only a picture to hold and tears in their eyes. This part of the weekend is capped off with a slideshow of many of the children who are no longer alive after losing their battle to cancer. This portion of the weekend serves as motivation to continue fighting for a cure.

THON has a two-part mission: to provide financial and emotional support to all the families as well as to spread awareness as to what they do and why it is important to help out. Although each THON member dedicates their effort and commitment to the children of the Four Diamonds Fund, some members have a much more personal reason to join in the fight to defeat pediatric cancer.

“I THON not only for all of the kids out there and their families who need our help and positivity to better their futures, but also for some people in my life who have been affected by cancer, specifically my Pop, my Uncle Ray, Brayden Chandler who lived up the street and my friend Mike Gade.” Casey Algeo, a sophomore with plans to attend University Park this coming fall and hopes to join the dancer relations committee, said, “These people are the main reasons why I THON and will continue to THON after my college experience comes to an end. In my personal opinion, there should never be an end to helping people, specifically those who are affected by a horrible disease such as cancer.”

With the book now closed on the THON 2015 fundraising season, many members are eager for next year to start so they can get back to work.

“Because of THON weekend I just want to do even more for these kids,” Osborn said. “I’m going to give it my all next year and try to raise as much money as I can for these kids!”

It is this type of dedication and excitement that keeps veteran THON members hopeful for the future. As long as this chain of dedication continues with new members, THON will continue to be successful for years to come.