Archive for September, 2009
A Trip to Worthington Scranton
About a dozen Alumni Association staff took a van to Dunmore, Pa., yesterday to visit Penn State Worthington Scranton—it was the latest in a series of visits to get to know the non-University Park campuses a little better.
We had overcast weather, so we didn’t get to see the campus at its photogenic best, but you can see that it’s on a hill and it has a great view of the adjacent valley and the mountain ridge beyond it. (The campus locals weren’t 100% clear on the name of the ridge, but from looking at an atlas, I’m thinking it’s Moosic Mountain?)
We met with the chancellor, Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, as well as the alumni person (Deb Johnson), communications person (Amy Gruzesky ’90), and development person (Maria Russoniello). We learned about stuff like the history of the campus (it dates to 1923) … how it got its name (Worthington Scranton was actually the name of a guy—an industrialist and philanthropist in the area) … the various two-year and four-year majors that the campus offers … and what the campus’ challenges are.
The photo at the left, by the way, is of the “View Cafe,” which is kind of a combination cafeteria and lounge—and, as you can see, it does offer a great view. This is just one little piece of a very long wall of windows looking out onto the valley and ridge.
I always find it interesting to hear who makes up the student body at Penn State’s non-University Park campuses. At Worthington Scranton, it’s all commuter students—there are no residence halls—and it’s a lot of returning-adult students. One out of every eight full-time students at the campus also holds a full-time job. And in this economy, they can’t afford to give up those jobs, so the campus has to offer the classes when the students can take them, which means offering evening and even Saturday classes.
Our executive director, Roger Williams ’73, ’75g, ’88g, pointed out that that’s why it’s useful for us to visit these campuses: “We live in a bubble at University Park,” he said, referring to the fact that Centre County’s economy is the healthiest—and its unemployment rate the lowest—in the state. The campuses away from University Park, he said, “are on the front lines of the state’s economic challenges.”
We also got a tour of the campus, led by Deb Johnson, Amy Gruzesky, and a student by the name of James Murphy, who is president of the Blue & White Society at the campus. (The photo above shows Johnson, Murphy, and Roger Williams.) We saw the new Business Building, which was just dedicated earlier this month, as well as the James P. Gallagher Conference Center, and several other buildings.
I was especially intrigued by a weird but interesting sculpture (see photo at left), a family of four rendered in I’m not sure what—bronze, maybe?—with a verdigris finish. I couldn’t find the name of the work or the name of the sculpture, and the campus locals weren’t sure about its story either. If anyone could fill me in, I’d love to know.
We finished up by spending some time in the area that houses the nursing program; Worthington Scranton offers both a bachelor’s and associate degree in nursing, and it’s one of their most popular majors. And they have some pretty high-tech equipment: sophisticated, computerized mannequins that can simulate a variety of medical conditions that the students need to be able to respond to.
We did a story in the magazine on these simulators about 10 years ago when Penn State’s College of Medicine first got them; they were very novel at the time. They’re still pretty fancy—and not cheap—so I was impressed to see that Worthington Scranton has four of them, including a pregnant woman and a “SimBaby.”
While we were checking out the nursing suite (which is just five years old), one of the instructors, Milt Evans, poked his head in the door and offered to give us the details of how the simulators work. That’s Milt in the red shirt in the photo at right.
You can see a quick slide show of 15 photos from our visit to Worthington Scranton here.
Tina Hay, editor
Flynt Leverett on Iran
Today’s New York Times features an op-ed written by Flynt Leverett, professor in Penn State’s School of International Affairs, and his wife Hillary Mann Leverett. The topic is the United States’ ongoing attempts to engage the Iranian government, specifically in regard to Iran’s continued nuclear work, and it’s one Leverett knows well: Before joining the faculty at Penn State, he served at the CIA and the National Security Council.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Free Shakespeare Outside Our Office
I’ll say this straight up: I am a huge fan of William Shakespeare.
My senior year of high school, all I wanted for Christmas was a leather-bound edition of his complete works, and Santa came through in fine fashion. My love of Shakespeare even survived an uncomfortable experience in ENGL 444, when I was inexplicably chosen by the professor to come to the podium and explain Twelfth Night to the class. That would have been bad enough even without the extenuating circumstances: I had woken up late and arrived in class unshowered. And wearing glasses left over from fourth grade.
All of this to say how thrilled I am that the School of Theatre is putting on a free performance of Romeo and Juliet – right outside my window! The performance will be on the lawn of the Hintz Family Alumni Center during the week of Homecoming, Oct. 13, 14, and 15. (That’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.) Curtain is at 6:30 p.m., so I’ll be able to grab a primo viewing seat immediately upon leaving the office. (And I will, I promise, be clean and wearing my contact lenses.)
If you aren’t as well situated as I am, you can still enjoy the show. The College of Information Sciences and Technology is helping to facilitate a live webcast. And the University Resident Theatre Company will perform a slightly shorter version of the play that can be used in classes, along with a working script and other background information. You can also follow along on their rehearsal website, which has cool practice notes, including this staff favorite from Sept. 8: “Travis asked if we could further discuss the securing of our weapons.”
Here’s hoping that follow-up discussion went well.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
What Went Wrong at Beaver Stadium
Probably the less said about last night’s loss to Iowa, the better, huh?
But for those who are interested in analyzing what went wrong, Walt Moody of the Centre Daily Times has a pretty interesting rundown of all the different ways that the Hawkeyes beat Penn State. (You may have to register for a CDT account to read the piece—it’s free, but it takes a few minutes.)
And, if you’re really a glutton for punishment, you can read a Wall Street Journal blog in which reporter Pete McEntegart recounts the game in excruciating, minute-by-minute detail. It’s definitely interesting and at times quite funny, but a little painful nevertheless.
Tina Hay, editor
The Arboretum is Coming Along Nicely
The Alumni Association’s all-volunteer Executive Board is in town for its regular meetings, and last night we hosted them at a reception and dinner at the Penn State Arboretum, which is along Park Avenue right next to the new law school building.
The photo at right is of the fountain in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens—it was still under construction when the Alumni Association staff visited the Arboretum in July, and as you can see it’s now finished and looking good. The buildings in the background are the new Forest Resources Building and new Smeal Business Building.
The Arboretum is still a work in progress: The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens are partly done, and the overlook pavilion (see the photos at left) is finished and already hosting events like our reception and dinner last night, but the Arboretum will continue to be developed over the next several years, funds permitting. (The project depends heavily on private funding.)
Click on any of these photos for a closer look.
The part I’d most love to see come to fruition is the conservatory, as described on the Arboretum Web site:
The Conservatory is a 10,000 square foot glasshouse that will stand as a spectacular focal point as viewed from the East SubCampus Allée as well as from many points in the Arboretum. It will be a winter refuge for visitors, unlike anything else in the region, featuring tender and tropical plants. The Conservatory will also offer opportunities for students to study plants of the tropics.
In any case, what’s been completed so far is lovely, and well worth a visit. I can’t wait to see how much has been completed by next April, when the official dedication of the Arboretum will take place.
Tina Hay, editor
‘Twas the Night Before Iowa…
…and all was pretty calm at Beaver Stadium tonight. No rain—yet. And while the stadium was lit up like it will be at this time tomorrow night, it was a little empty, as were the parking lots. This is a view from the south end zone/club seats area near Gate B. (Click to see a larger version.)
Around the corner from that, near the student entrance, Paternoville was all lit up, but pretty quiet. Some students were just lounging on their sleeping bags inside their tents; others were standing around talking.
I heard a few Penn State students talking to two Iowa fans who had happened by; the Penn State students were advising the Iowa fans to be careful about where to go downtown and how much to flaunt their Iowa status. “Not everyone will be as nice about it as we’re being,” the one Penn State student cautioned.
I asked a student who was just hanging out in his tent why he wasn’t at the pep rally over at Rec Hall, and he said, “I never go to the pep rally. This [meaning Paternoville] is like a week-long pep rally.”
How long had he been camped here? “Since 5:30 Monday morning.”
Tina Hay, editor
Ted Anthony on Pittsburgh
In conjunction with the G20 summit in Pittsburgh this week, Associated Press national writer Ted Anthony ’95 offers a nice little tribute to the city. Ted grew up in Pittsburgh and now lives there again after a 20-year absence. He writes with affection about how the city has reinvented itself for the 21st century.
Tina Hay, editor
Nittany Lion Shrine: Ready for Its Closeup
Like a lot of Penn Staters, I’ve got a bit of an attachment to the Nittany Lion Shrine. What can I say? My wedding photos were taken there.
So of course I made it a point to stop by this week as the shrine underwent digital 3D scanning, which will enable it to be rebuilt or repaired in the event of severe damage.
It turns out that the guys doing the scan, Greg Robinson and Kyle Herr of Survice Metrology, were just as excited. “We don’t usually get to be outside like this,” Robinson said. It turns out that while the stuff on Survice’s website highlights the really cool stuff, such as scanning a priceless Sphinx at the Metropolitan Museum of Art so that it’s preserved for posterity, a lot of the job is pretty routine. Satellite dishes. Hydroelectric plants.
And they weren’t inflexible on the “off-limits” thing, either. When a group that had come all the way from Atlanta appeared, they moved the equipment out of the way so the travelers could get the photo they came for.
The process itself, honestly, wasn’t all that compelling to watch. Robinson and Herr marked the statue with some reference points that looked as if they were pounded into the limestone, but turned out to be simply attached with blue painters’ tape. That’s a trick they picked up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“They tested the tape, and they let us use it on the 4,500-year old Sphinx,” Robinson said, smiling. “So if it’s safe for that, it’s safe for this Nittany Lion.”
They had brought an automatic scanner, but that wasn’t working. So Herr (right) worked over the statue by hand, and as he did so, you could watch the Nittany Lion appear on a computer monitor. Late Tuesday afternoon, only the paws were visible. (You can see for yourself in the photo below. All of these shots, by the way, were taken by our editor, Tina Hay ’83.) By Wednesday morning, however, it was possible to see almost the whole lion, minus a few holes.
Later Wednesday, to supplement the scanning, the guys bathed the shrine in white light, which gives them additional data for the scan. You can get a sense of what that looks like with Tina’s picture above, which shows the stripes.
It’s nice to know that in case of emergency, the Nittany Lion Shrine could be rebuilt. But there are other long-term plans, too–including possibly animating the shrine and making it move. WPSU producer Kristian Berg, who was onsite with a camera crew, is hoping to find a way to make that happen.
I’m rooting for that, too.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
Running Barefoot
One of our favorite freelance writers, Christopher McDougall, is getting a lot of attention for his new book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.
McDougall writes about a tribe of amazing distance runners in Mexico—the Tarahumara Indians—and what they know that recreational and competitive runners in the rest of the world could stand to learn.
“For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it,” according to a Random House blurb about the book. “Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence.”
One of their secrets? No running shoes. They just run barefoot.
McDougall has been on the Daily Show to talk about his book with Jon Stewart, and was the subject of a story in yesterday’s Baltimore Sun, to name just two of the many pieces of media attention he’s gotten. The book is No. 7 among hardcover nonfiction releases on this week’s New York Times best-seller list.
Chris was an Associated Press writer some years back and then became a freelancer. He wrote a number of great features for us back in the 1999–2002 range; the one that sticks out most in my mind was the tale of Norina Wolfe Bentzel ’81, an elementary-school principal in York, Pa., who fought off a machete-wielding intruder at her school one day and saved countless children’s lives in the process.
We haven’t tried to assign anything to him in recent years—he’s been busy with book projects and articles for the New York Times and others. But if we had a story that we thought he’d find appealing, I wouldn’t hesitate to give him a call and see if by any chance he’d be available. In the meantime, I’m extremely happy for him and the great success he’s having with his latest book.
Tina Hay, editor
Ty Burrell & Keegan-Michael Key Go Prime Time
Probably the best-reviewed show of the new fall TV season is Modern Family, an irreverent new sitcom shot in “mockumentary” style, which premieres tonight on ABC. (Some critics are saying it reminds them of Arrested Development, which should be all you need to know). One of Modern Family’s stars is Ty Burrell ’97 (pictured) and he’s apparently one of the reasons the show is so promising: The L.A. Times calls him “hilarious,” and The New York Times says he’s “fantastic.”
Ty’s not the only Penn Stater making a debut of sorts tonight: Keegan-Michael Key ’96, formerly of MADtv, is a new cast member on the second season of the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
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