Master of Business Administration program in Pittsburgh will
host three fall events for prospective students.

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Penn State’s part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program in Pittsburgh will host three fall events for prospective students.

MBA program director John Fizel will discuss curriculum, course content, credit exemptions, application requirements, financial aid resources and GMAT preparation at information sessions to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 27. All take place at 6 p.m. at the Regional Learning Alliance, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township.

The Sam and Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers an AACSB International-accredited MBA program in a hybrid format of online learning and classroom instruction at the RLA. The degree can be completed in nine semesters; applicants who completed undergraduate courses in business within the past seven years may be eligible for credit exemptions.

The MBA is offered by Penn State Behrend in partnership with the Pittsburgh-area campuses of Beaver, Greater Allegheny and New Kensington.

For more information or to register for a session, visit https://psbehrend.psu.edu/admissions-financial-aid/graduate-admissions/rsvp-or-request-information-for-graduate-programs  or email PSBehrendMBA@psu.edu or call the Penn State Behrend Office of Graduate Admissions at 866-374-3378.

Alle-Kiski Society's annual bowlathon is a family event.

Alumni group planning upcoming events

6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15, Conference Center

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- The Alle-Kiski Society of the Penn State Alumni Association will hold its first meeting of 2016 at Penn State New Kensington. The campus gathering is set for 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15, in the Conference Center.

The executive board, headed by president Vera Spina Greenwald, a former campus student and 2003 Penn State graduate, plans events that benefit the society’s endowed scholarship at the New Kensington campus. In the past five years, the society has donated nearly $60,000 to its campus scholarship, increasing the endowment from $51,000 to $109,000. For the 2015-16 academic year, the society awarded a record $5,500 in scholarships to four New Kensington students: Lynsie Headley of Ford City; Alissa Dolensky of Lower Burrell; Adis Juklo of Pittsburgh; and Carley Carnahan of Lower Burrell. Since 1998, the society has awarded $53,500 to 59 campus students.

The alumni group holds three annual fundraisers that are geared to the endowment -- Alumni Bowlathon (March 13), Night at the Races (April 30), and Alumni Golf Scramble (Aug. 1). The bowlathon is open to alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of Penn State. The entry fee is $20 and includes three games and shoe rental. Four- or five-person teams may sign up or individuals may sign up and be assigned to a short-handed team. Event sponsorships are available for $250 and $500, and lane sponsorships are $50 and $100. For information, call John Spadaro at 724-337-8536.

For registration and sponsorship forms, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/46442.htm

The Alle-Kiski Society also engages in various campus and alumni projects throughout the year. It interacts with former and current students by sponsoring social events and other networking activities. The society recently donated $750 to the campus THON committee. In the spring, it sponsors a reception for the Academic and Student Achievement Awards ceremony. In the fall, it holds a TV football party and food drive during the Penn State-Michigan game (Sept. 24).

In addition to raising money, board members are active on campus. They serve as a resource at many student functions, including admissions events where they to talk with prospective students, and career events where they discuss job opportunities with soon-to-be graduates.

All alumni, parents of Penn State students and friends of Penn State are encouraged to attend the meeting. Based on the New Kensington campus, the society represents more than 7,000 alumni living in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

The meeting venue rotates among the campus, Tarentum Elks Lodge and JG’s Tarentum Station in Tarentum.

For more information, contact Bill Woodard, 724-334-6049, uxw1@psu.edu

For more on the Alle-Kiski Society, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Alumni/alumorg.htm

Spring 2016 Meeting Schedule

Feb. 15, Penn State New Kensington, Upper Burrell, 6:30 p.m.
April 18, Elks Lodge, Tarentum, 6:30 p.m.
May 16, Elks Lodge, Tarentum, 6:30 p.m.
June 20, JG’s Tarentum Station, Tarentum, 6:30 p.m.

Susan Dale, staff assistant for Academic Affairs at Penn State New Kensington, helps a student apply another green handprint to a Stand for State poster as a show of support.

Bystander intervention program
promotes responsibility

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. – Green is the new blue and white at Penn State New Kensington. Green as in Green Dot and Stand for State, an innovative Penn State program that empowers Penn Staters to stand up for one another.

Stand for State is a University-wide initiative that promotes bystander intervention and its place in preventing sexual and relationship violence. Bystander intervention is based on the fact that people make decisions and continue behaviors based on the reactions they receive from others. The program promotes a sense of responsibility, which gives the bystander motivation to step in and take action.

The culmination of two years of planning, Stand for State uses a bystander intervention curriculum created by Green Dot, a national leader in violence prevention education. Green Dot is built on the premise that in order to reduce harm in a community, a cultural shift is necessary -- that each person can play a role in creating a safe environment. A critical mass of people need to engage in new behaviors that will make violence and harm, called red dots, less likely in local communities. Red dots represent a moment when words, choices, or behaviors contribute to sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking, bullying or abuse. The new behaviors are called green dots. A green dot is pulling a friend out of a high-risk situation, checking on a colleague who you are worried about, or telling someone to back off. Simply put, a green dot is an individual choice at any given moment to make the community safe. The key tactics for intervening and removing someone from harm’s way are Green Dot’s Three D's: direct, delegate and distract.

“Stand for State is a program for students, encouraging them to be positive bystanders,” said Lauren Blum, assistant to the director of student affairs and coordinator of the campus’ Stand for State program. “They will be given the resources to change the culture around dating and domestic violence, stalking and sexual abuse.”

The New Kensington campus kicked off the movement Jan. 25 with a weeklong awareness campaign. Giveaways, games, Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream, information booths and information sessions were a part of the festivities for making bystander intervention a part of Penn State’s culture. In addition, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to show support for the cause by signing a poster with a green handprint and making green buttons.

“We will be looking for faculty and staff to get involved and support the program by encouraging their students to be active in the program,” Blum said.

Seven staff and administrators from the New Kensington campus joined 200 of their counterparts from across the University for Green Dot's bystander intervention training, where they learned techniques to combat sexual misconduct. The workshops focused on providing participants with the skills to recognize potentially problematic situations, step in and diffuse the situations when appropriate, and seek help when needed.

The campus trainers are: Wesley Sheets, public safety manager; Paula Dove; administrative support assistant for Student Affairs; Susan Dale, administrative support assistant for Academic Affairs; Tracy Gustafson, administrative support assistant for Athletics; Sarah Conte, assistant coordinator of academic and career services; Theresa Bonk, director of student affairs; and Blum. The trainers will implement bystander intervention workshops for student leaders.

There are two upcoming training dates for students -- noon to 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26 and 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 22. To RSVP or for more information, contact Lauren Blum at 724-334-6063 or ldb14@psu.edu

 
Lauren Blum, left, assistant to the director of student affairs and coordinator of the campus’ Stand for State program, explains the program to Penn State New Kensington students during the Volunteer and Human Rights Advocacy Fair.

While the Bystander Intervention is initially focused on sexual and relationship violence, it will be expanded to include bystander intervention for mental health-related issues, bias-related incidents, and risky drinking and drug use.

Stand for State is part of a Penn State’s effort to combat sexual assaults. In February, President Eric Barron endorsed recommendations, including creation of a bystander intervention program, presented to him by a University task force.

“Stand for State is an integral part of our strategy to fight sexual violence and establish Penn State as a leader in making campuses safer," Barron said. "It’s encouraging that so many have taken time to attend sessions and be trained, and I commend them for being part of the solution. For Penn Staters looking to take a stand and make a difference, this initiative is an emphatic first step.”

For more information on the University campaign, follow #StandforState on social media or email standforstate@psu.edu

Displaying the traditional Four Diamonds sign as one, Penn State New Kensington THON dancers Ben Lesko of New Kensington and Wati Kumwenda of Malawi are ready to dance "For the Kids."

Wati Kumwenda of Malawi and
Ben Lesko of New Kensington will represent campus

“It is with your feet that you move... but it is with your heart
that you dance...” -- Aalaynah Thompson

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. – They traveled different roads to get to the campus, but Penn State New Kensington’s THON dancers will follow the same route to University Park for THON Weekend, Friday to Sunday, Feb. 19 to 21. Watipaso Kumwenda, a native of the Republic of Malawi in southeast Africa, and Ben Lesko, who hails from the city of New Kensington, were selected to represent the campus at what is believed to be the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

Officially known as the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, THON is a 46-hour, no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State. The theme of the 44th edition is “Believe Beyond Boundaries.”

“I like that it’s a unique student-led philanthropic organization,” said Kumwenda, a sophomore Biomedical Engineering Technology (BET) major. “We are dancing for a great cause to raise awareness of childhood cancer and to provide support, both emotionally and financially, to children and families.”

Like their counterparts across the Penn State Commonwealth campus system, Kumwenda and Lesko are raising money for their favorite charity, the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. THON’s mission is to defeat pediatric cancer in the world. The campus duo will be dancing for the hopes and dreams of children with cancer, and raising millions of dollars for cancer research.

“Every day we go through our lives, and sometimes we take for granted the life we have and the things we can do,” said Lesko, a senior in the Information Sciences and Technology program. “For these kids and their families, these simple luxuries we have, they would give almost anything for.”

Wati Kuwenda
Kumwenda, who holds a bachelor’s degree in medical engineering from Swansea University in Wales, gravitated toward the New Kensington campus because of the BET program, one of only three accredited programs in the country. Biomedical technicians operate, maintain, troubleshoot and repair medical equipment.

“I underwent various clinical internships and found the hands-on aspect of biomedical technical work to be invigorating,” said Kumwenda, who will earn an associate degree in May. “I discovered how highly sought-after biomedical technicians were in Malawi and resolved to gain the best hands-on experience in the field, so I could make a difference back home.”

Kumwenda grew up in Blantyre, the second-largest city in Malawi and home to 1.1 million residents. She attended St. Andrews International High School, which has a student body that comprises 40 nationalities. Besides quality academics, the school emphasizes extracurricular activities, including sports and clubs.

Since matriculating in fall 2014, Kumwenda has embraced campus extracurricular activities. She is the resident assistant of the Nittany Highlands Apartments, a campus-affiliated, privately-owned housing complex adjacent to campus. She serves on the boards of numerous student organizations, including Campus Activities Board, Global Student Organization, and Multicultural Club. In addition, she is a member of the Lion Ambassadors and Orientation Leaders.

Kumwenda also has a job on campus as polycom classroom facilitator for the campus’ telecommunications system. She serves as a conduit between fellow students and campus professors. Polycom allows collaboration among geographically dispersed groups, such as students at other campuses, via video and voice distribution. Kumwenda troubleshoots problems that may arise during classroom use of Polycom services.

Off-campus activities include attending the Black Leadership Conference in Higher Education, where she earned the Outstanding Student award, and honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by performing community service in Monaca in Beaver County and McKeesport in Allegheny County.

When she is not studying, volunteering or working, Kumwenda can be found in the Forum Theatre, rehearsing on stage or working behind the scenes. In the past two years, she was the stage manager for “The Toxic Avenger,” Little Red Riding Hood in “Into the Woods,” and assistant director for “Beyond Therapy.”

After graduation, Kumwenda will continue her stay in the United States to complete an internship in a Pittsburgh hospital, which will provide clinical experience in the biomedical field. She will return to her homeland to embark on a biomedical engineering career. To help improve health care in her native country, teaching will be a part of her professional career.

“I have many goals, including becoming certified in as many biomedical and clinical engineering areas as possible,” Kumwenda said. “I plan on becoming a contractor and offering my services to local hospitals. I want to train other Malawians in the field to uplift and maintain the biomedical technology industry in my country.”

 Ben Lesko and Wati Kumwenda have prepared for THON and are ready to dance for 46 hours to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

Ben Lesko
While Kumwenda traveled more than 8,000 miles to matriculate at the campus, Lesko had a more modest journey of only five miles. He chose to attend the campus because of the quality of its four-year information sciences and technology program and to save money.

“Penn State New Kensington is local and has the major I wanted,” Lesko said. “I can commute and graduate with the same Penn State degree I would get from University Park.”

Like most THON dancers, Lesko is involved in numerous campus activities. He serves as vice president of the Campus Activities Board and as an orientation leader. He also plays for the campus baseball team.

His in-class and out-of-class work provided opportunities for tuition assistance. Lesko is the recipient of two campus scholarships -- Penn State New Kensington Advisory Board Trustee and Dr. N.A. Kopelman and Freda D. Kopelman Trustee. The Advisory Board scholarship is geared toward upperclassmen who are campus leaders, i.e., Lion Ambassadors, Student Government Association officials and student club officers. The Kopelman scholarship, created by Jim and Eileen Kopelman in 2009, is awarded to students who have achieved superior academic record.

In between extracurricular activities, Lesko fits in three jobs: assistant in the Student Activities office; front desk assistant in the Athletics Center; and server at Longhorn Steakhouse at the Pittsburgh Mills mall.

Prepping for the marathon
For the past month, Kumwenda and Lesko have prepared, physically and mentally, for the endurance test. Workouts, regimented sleep schedules and healthy eating are a part of a routine to get them primed for THON weekend.

“I work out to get my endurance up,” Kumwenda said. “I’m getting much advice from previous THON dancers and moralers.”

“Before the holidays, I cut out three-fourths of my sugar intake, and I feel great about that,” Lesko said. “I also cut out all caffeine. I've been told by many dancer veterans that this will help out.”

Lesko also can get first-hand advice from his family. Two of his uncles danced at THON and married two THON dancers. The THON alumni continue to support the cause through annual donations.

“My aunt told me to have fun and enjoy the experience,” Lesko said. “It is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

The Lesko line of Penn Staters includes Ben’s brother, Brandon Lesko, a biomedical engineering technology major, who will graduate from the campus in May.

 Students from Penn State New Kensington cheer on the dancers during THON 2013.

THON weekend
The campus terpsichoreans will join more than 700 students from the 24 Penn State campuses at the Jordan Center. In Greek mythology, Terpsichore was the muse of dancing.

According to Shannon Josefoski and Shawna Fluhme, campus THON co-chairs, the number of dancers going to University Park from each campus is based on the amount of money raised by the campus the previous year. Last year, New Kensington students raised $28,000, fourth-best total in campus history. The $52,390 raised in 2011 remains the campus standard.

The dancers were chosen by an eight-member interview committee comprised of students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni. The selections were based on participation in campus THON activities, such as spaghetti dinners, bingo bashes and other events.

Kumwenda and Lesko won’t be on their own once they hit the dance floor. The University Park THON committee assigns each dancer a moraler who attends to their needs during the marathon. Be it food, drink, or inspiration, the moraler's responsibility is to help the dancers get through the event.

In addition to the moralers, the campus is supporting the dancers with about 50 students and friends in the stands who will provide an upbeat atmosphere throughout the marathon. Lesko was a part of last year’s campus contingent.

Josefoski, a resident of Natrona Heights, and Fluhme, a native of Plum, will supervise the campus’s THON efforts from the stands of the Jordan Center. Surrounded by campus supporters, the co-chairs will develop and organize schedules, and manage shifts and breaks.

The New Kensington dancers will have a grand send-off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, with a campus-wide "pot-luck" dinner in the Conference Center. The participants need to “carbo-load,” and students, faculty and staff are encouraged to bring an assortment of pastas and other high-energy foods to help the duo boogie all weekend. To RSVP for the THON send-off dinner, contact Lauren Blum, student life coordinator, at 724-334-6063 or ldb14@psu.edu

 Seven hundred dancers converge on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center.

Statistically speaking
Final totals for New Kensington and all the other Penn State units will be announced at the conclusion of the marathon. In the past five years, the New Kensington THON committee has collected nearly $200,000.

Since 2002, campus students have raised $300,000 to support pediatric cancer patients, families and researchers, who are working to find better treatments and, ultimately, cures for forms of cancer that afflict children. Approximately 100 new families receive support each year.

“As a dancer, I want to show these kids and their families that I am thinking of them and I'm there for them,” Lesko said. “They are not alone in this fight. That's the drive I have, that's what keeps me going in the THON organization, and that's what I will cling to during the tough hours. That’s just what THON is, it is simply ‘For the Kids,’ that is why we dance, that's why we THON.”

A live webcast of the event can be viewed at http://thon.org/webcast.

Donations
Giving to THON can be made by visiting http://donate.thon.org/

(To credit Penn State New Kensington, donors should go to “General Organizations” and
click the button that designates “New Kensington”)

For more on THON, visit http://www.thon.org/

 Five-year Flashback (2011): Nicole Thoma, Deanna Mazur, Kiki Wilkinson and Megan Pulaski danced their way to a campus record total of $52,392. Kelly Sieja chaired the historic campus THON committee.

My Vote Matters! is a new student organization at Penn State New Kensington that educates and registers young voters.

My Vote Matters! inspires
young college students to get involved

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. – The 2016 Presidential primary elections are shaping up as a clarion call for the next generation of voters, and students at Penn State New Kensington are heeding the call.

Millie Brasser, a sophomore corporate communications major, founded a committee, My Vote Matters!, to map out a strategic plan and organize activities. The group’s mission is to educate and register first-time voters. The students are dedicated to enlightening young voters on the importance of getting involved in the political process, be it on a local, state or national level. The group doesn’t espouse the views of any political party or candidate.

“Our goal is to make a difference for young people in our country,” said Brasser, a resident of Tarentum. “Students should be proud of our country.”

The project is based on a national model that was detailed in the book “Soul of a Citizen.” Written by Paul Loeb, the book encourages participation in civic activities. While people may think that their vote doesn’t matter, Loeb provides anecdotal evidence of how elections can turn on a scant number of votes and how one vote can turn into hundreds and thousands when like-minded citizens become players in the game of politics.

Last year’s local elections in Westmoreland County offer a case in point. In West Newton Borough, Anthony Berarducci was re-elected to council by one vote, 326-325. In the City of Arnold, which is located about six miles from the campus, the new mayor, Karen Peconi Biricocchi, fended off her opponent by 67 votes.

Brasser read the book as a part of her Foundations: Civic and Community Engagement class. She was moved to write the author, who answered her email with a call to action and a list of the resources for starting a My Vote Matters! chapter at the New Kensington campus.

“When he replied back, it just made my day,” said Brasser, whose academic pursuits include minors in International Studies and Civic Engagement. “He suggested using the ‘Campus Election Engagement Project’ to get started.”

The “Campus Election Engagement Project” is a national nonpartisan endeavor that helps America's colleges and universities motivate their 20 million students to register, volunteer in campaigns, educate themselves, and turn out at the polls. Administrators, faculty, staff are encouraged are called upon to help engage campus students.

Brasser formed the committee with seven other students -- Kyle Waraks, Derrek Koblinsky, Broderick Gerano, Jon McCabe, Sarah Steighner, Danielle Richardson, Aaron Holness, and Cecily Petrarca. They set out to register students to vote, educate students on issues and candidates, recruit volunteers, build election excitement, and get out the vote.

“College kids are so incredibly apathetic when it comes to this,” said Koblinsky in reference of voting. “We want to inform students beyond just registering to vote.” “I want a secure America for future generations,” said Koblinsky.

 
My Vote Matters! team: (left to right) Craig Hammond, associate professor of history, Sarah Steighner, Broderick Gerano, Millie Brasseur, Derrek Koblinsky, Jon McCabe, Aaron Holsness, and Abhinav Aima, instructor in communications.

The team held its first registration session Feb. 3 during lunch hour in Café 780. Thirty-five campus students signed-up to vote at the inaugural session. Registration drives will be held twice a week until the April elections.

“I have one of the greatest teams on the campus,” said Brasser, native of Peru. “Their devotion, passion, and willingness to work beyond my expectations prove to me every day their commitment gives hope for the future of this country.”

The committee has the support of Kevin Snider, chancellor of the campus and Andrea Adolph, director of academic affairs. Craig Hammond, associate professor of history, and Abhinav Aima, instructor in communications, serve as advisers to the group.

"The manner in which this group has moved forward this year is a tremendous credit to Millie and to all the students involved in this group,” Aima said. “They are all working hard to set up events on campus and disseminate information."

Special events are planned to help build election excitement. A “Diplomatic Dinner” is set for Thursday, Feb. 25, in the campus Conference Center. Guest speakers include two state representatives, Eli Evankovich, R-Murrysville and John Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, and Erin McCelland, who waged an unsuccessful campaign in 2014 against incumbent Keith Rothfus for Pennsylvania’s 12th District of Congress.

"When I came to the United States from India in 1996, it was a culture shock to see the level of apathy and disengagement among the students and the political process,” Aima said. “I have always believed that a politically active and engaged student population is the lifeblood of any democracy, and to see students on our campus this year, energized to spread awareness about political participation, is a very good sign."

Brasser has been passionate about politics ever since she left Peru in 1990 because of an unstable government. She immigrated to New York and then moved to Washington, D.C, before settling in Tarentum to attend Penn State New Kensington because “Penn State offers the best education in the country.”

Since her arrival at New Kensington, Brasser has been in a whirlwind of extracurricular activities — both on campus and in the community. Besides My Vote Matters!, she founded the Global Student Organization, a student club that promotes a global culture between national and international students. With over 50 members, the club is one of the largest on campus.

“I started the international club to bring together people of all cultures to get different perspectives,” said Brasser.

An adult learner, Brasser also serves as an orientation leader and a volunteer for the Better Block program in the city of New Kensington. She pays her tuition by working in the Admissions office, and earning a Penn State Alumni Association Trustee scholarship.

For more about My Vote Matters!, contact Brasser at mjb6270@psu.edu

 
Millie Brasser, center, founder of the My Vote Matters! student organization at Penn State New Kensington, gets her team ready for one of the group's twice weekly voter education and registration drives during lunch hour outside Café 780.

Students accepted for the fall 2016 are honored at a reception on campus. Chancellor Kevin Snider will welcome the class of 2020.

High school students, transfers and
adult learners can tour campus

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- It is not too late to apply to Penn State New Kensington for fall. The campus' admissions office is holding an Application Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15, for high school students, transfer students, and adult learners.

The New Kensington admissions staff will be on-hand to guide prospective students through the application process. Those who complete the application will receive a waiver for the $50 application fee.

Additionally, applicants to New Kensington will receive admissions and scholarship decisions within two weeks if they meet the following criteria prior to visiting the campus:

-- fill out the online application, https://admissions.psu.edu/MyPennState/index.cfm/login/index

-- email nkadmissions@psu.edu or call 724-334-LION with the user ID for the MyPennState account to receive an application fee waiver;

-- submit the application once confirmation of the fee waiver has been received;

-- obtain official high school transcripts, proof of SAT/ACT scores, and any necessary college transcripts and bring them the day of the appointment.

Students and their families are invited to stop by the admissions office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Appointments are recommended.

For other admission events, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Admissions/admevents.htm

Tia Langnes, right, records manager for the Education Abroad staff of Penn State Global Programs, hands free passports to Penn State New Kensington students.

Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
and Penn State team up for international opportunities

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Loaded with passports for campus students who wish to study abroad, the Passport Caravan, in partnership with Penn State, made a stop Jan. 20 at Penn State New Kensington.

Thirty-five New Kensington students were awarded passports by CIEE, a nonprofit organization that focuses on international education and exchange. For more than 65 years, CIEE has helped thousands of people gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world by offering comprehensive exchange programs.

The partnership is part of a shared goal by CIEE and Penn State to make the study abroad experience more accessible. Passport Caravan is a series of events providing 1,000 free passports and scholarships to students at 11 colleges across the United States. It is CIEE’s first step toward reaching its goal to issue passports to 10,000 U.S. college students by 2020. Penn State joins as a partner institution aiming to double the number of Pennsylvania students who study abroad and increase funding opportunities to support international education.

Penn State's overall strategic plan highlights the internationalization of the campus and classrooms as an area of focus. The University is working to increase its study abroad participation to one in three students at University Park and one in four students at its other campuses.

Tia Langnes, records manager for the Education Abroad staff of Penn State Global Programs, handed out grants to the fortunate students to cover the cost of a passport. More than 70 campus students applied for the free passports and less than half were selected from all majors on a first-come, first-serve basis. The limited number of passports were available to campus undergraduates who are U.S. citizens applying for a passport for the first time.

Students shared their hopes of being able to study abroad and volunteer abroad, and their desires to develop a global mindset and learn from other cultures.

Kate Manni, assistant director for embedded programs and special initiatives at Penn State, accompanied Langnes to the campus. Manni, who was the keynote speaker at New Kensington’s “Dinner and Dialogue” events in the fall, met with the campus Student Government Association to talk about opportunities to study abroad.

 After receiving free passports, Penn State New Kensington students are heading to England, France, Spain, Ireland, and Italy to study abroad.

Cuba trip on the horizon
New Kensington students can put their new passports to use right away with a summer excursion to the Republic of Cuba. The 10-day journey during the first week of June is the capstone of four summer classes -- Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies; Ibero American Civilization; Discovery of the Real Cuba: Understanding its Economy and Culture Contributing to its Competitiveness; and Information Technology in an International Context -- that run from May 11 to 29. The courses satisfy one of the program requirements for a Certificate in International Studies.

The trip will be a mixture of learning opportunities and leisure activities designed to provide an overall educational experience.

“This is a good opportunity for students who are interested in acquiring out-of-classroom experiences through travel abroad,” said Rujirutana “Dr. A” Mandhachitara, associate professor of business administration and one of the event organizers. “The trip also fits well with the campus’ strategic goal to increase international experiences and exposure to cultural diversity among our students.”

Last year, eight students spent two weeks in the Kingdom of Thailand in Southeast Asia. The summer excursion was the capstone of a global marketing and international studies class taught by Mandhachitara. Students attended presentations on how Thai companies attract foreign customers and the differences between Thailand and the United States on cultural norms and values, educational systems, and social structures. For R. J. Hines, it was an experience of a lifetime.

“The idea of traveling to another country gives college students an opportunity to not only gain experiences they won't find in the classroom, but also experiences they won't find it within their own country,” said Hines, a senior in the Business Administration program. “Students get to experience a different culture and learn how they live, how their economy works, how the food tastes, and how the locals live."

For more information on the Cuba trip, contact Dr. A, at 724-334-6769 or rum20@psu.edu

 Penn State New Kensington global programs student, Marissa Russo, sits atop the renown Cliffs of Moher in southwestern Ireland. The cliffs rise 390 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and appeared in several films, including "The Princess Bride."

A semester (or two) abroad
Leaving the New Kensington campus in Upper Burrell for a semester to learn at a university in a foreign country has drawn an eclectic mix of students. In the past five years, three students have experienced he joy of learning abroad as a part of the campus’ Global Programs initiative. The program provides students with a variety of opportunities to study in foreign lands for varying periods of time -- a week, summer, semester, or year. The objective is to offer students a broader education than can be obtained through classroom experiences.

Tansey Ochs, an administration of justice major, studied at Avans University of Applied Science in the Netherlands during summer 2011. She spent four-weeks learning about issues of criminal justice from a Dutch perspective. Class work explored such issues as the history of this approach, its rationale, and the way it works out in daily practice.

“I learned about the criminal justice system of the Netherlands, and how their system compares to other European countries, and to the United States' system," said Ochs, who graduated from the campus in 2012.

Gabriel Gardiner, an adult learner in the Organizational Leadership program spent two semesters -- fall 2012 and spring 2013 – learning Portuguese at Eduardo Mondlane University, the oldest and largest university in Mozambique in southeastern Africa. His two-semester course load comprised 30 hours of language training and two statistics classes.

“To quote King Charlemagne, ‘to have another language is to possess a second soul,” said Gardiner, a native of Madera, California. “I have a strong conviction in the importance of learning another language. To speak to others in English, a language they understand, is important, but to speak to people in their own language is how you win them.”

Current campus student Marissa Russo, a senior information sciences and technology major, enrolled in the University of Limerick in Ireland for the fall 2014 semester. She experienced the contrasts in learning environments between the American and Irish higher education systems. Languages are taught at a faster pace in Europe. Her Spanish course provided an example of the divergence in learning styles.

“European professors assume that students already know three languages by the time they get to college,” said Russo, who will earn her bachelor’s degree in May. “By your fourth language, you should know how to learn it, so it’s a very fast pace. I took a Spanish 1 course, which would have counted as Spanish 1 and 2 at American universities.”

Global Programs
Since 2004, nearly 170 campus students have traveled to Spain, France, Italy, China, Greece, Peru, Galapagos Islands, Ireland and Thailand. In conjunction with the trips, students are required to take a related course that enriches their understanding of the destination and its culture. Upon return, participants present their experiences through narratives and slide shows to the campus community. The presentations enable others to share in the immediate travel experience and help to generate excitement in students, as well as faculty and staff, to become involved in future trips.

For the past nine years, the campus has embarked on the promotion of greater awareness and understanding of world issues, international trends and global policy debates. Each year, the campus adopts a country or region of the world to inspire teaching and scholarship. Cuba is this year’s “Country of Focus.” Students, faculty and staff will explore and reflect on various aspects of Cuba’s history, culture and economic, social and political reality throughout the semester.

Beginning with China in 2007, the campus’ international presentations have included Ecuador, India, Spain, Kenya and Tanzania, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Canada, and Turkey.

For more about campus' Global Programs, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Academics/InternationalPrograms/intlprograms.htm

Penn State New Kensington engineering students Sandra Muhhuku, left, and Lindsey Grasinger, defend their research, “The Effects of Different Loads on a Bridge Truss,” for reviewer Jeff Roth, assist professor of administration of justice at the campus.

Annual event held in conjunction with Career Days

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Students at Penn State New Kensington will have the opportunity to present their research in a public forum at the ninth annual Research and Creative Exposition from 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, in the campus Athletics Center.

The exposition provides students, under the guidance of a faculty adviser, with the opportunity to choose a topic, conduct research, draw conclusions and present their information in a public setting. A concurrent job fair in the Athletics Center also gives students and visitors the chance to speak with potential employers from the region.

Students will display their written research in a poster format at the innovative event. Posters are designed to convey the project's significance to scholars in the field and potential significance to the general public.

A panel of reviewers from the campus and local businesses will evaluate each project. They will talk with students about their research, ask questions and take notes. Participants are judged on content, display and oral defense of their project.

Last year, 70 students researched 53 projects that were exhibited. Students explored a variety of issues, from the effects of sleep deprivation on grade-point averages, to the advantages of green roofs, to a study of Uber's customers.

Career Day complements the research component by creating new opportunities for the students and faculty to build stronger contacts with local industries through sharing of career information while also highlighting the campus' many research and creative avenues.

Representatives from 34 companies will discuss career options, internships and job opportunities for current students and recent graduates. Organizations attending Career Day represent a variety of fields, including business, engineering, science, information technology, psychology, marketing, administration of justice, communications, finance, accounting, social services and human services. Campus faculty will also talk with the business representatives as companies focus on career paths within their organizations that relate to academic disciplines.

For more on the research exposition, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Academics/ugradresearch.htm

In a show of support for campus dancers, silhouetted Penn State New Kensington students give the traditional four diamonds sign FTK (For the Kids) from the stands at the Bryce Jordan Center during THON 2014 at Penn State University Park.

Destination is Bryce Jordan Center for
annual marathon weekend

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Penn State New Kensington students Wati Kumwenda and Ben Lesko packed their Dr. Scholls and are ready for their journey this weekend, Feb. 19 to 21, to University Park for the 44th edition of the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, aka THON, which benefits the Four Diamonds Fund and the fight against pediatric cancer. The students, chosen by the campus THON committee headed by co-chairs Shawna Fluhme and Shannon Josefoski, will represent the New Kensington campus.

The campus dancers join 700 students, from all Penn State campuses, who will stay on their feet for 46 hours to raise money for children with cancer. Since 1977, more than $127 million has been raised for the charity through the collective efforts of 15,000 student-volunteers. Over 3,000 families have been assisted by the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey.

THON begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues until 4 p.m. Sunday. Events, such as a pep rally and fashion shows featuring Four Diamonds children, keep the dancers enthusiastic throughout the weekend. The final four hours include recognition of families battling childhood cancer and the unveiling of the fundraising total. A live webcast will be streamed throughout the event. To view the webcast, visit http://thon.org/Webcast

Kumwenda, a second-year biomedical engineering technology major from Malawi in southeast Africa, and Lesko, a senior information sciences and technology major from New Kensington, received a grand send-off Feb. 17 with a campus-wide “pot-luck” dinner. The terpsichoreans needed to “carbo-load” and students, faculty and staff brought an assortment of pastas and other high-energy foods to help the pair keep pace with the weekend festivities.

Fluhme, a junior business management major from Plum High School, and Josefoski, a junior business marketing major from Highlands High School, will supervise the campus’s THON efforts. The co-chairs will develop and organize schedules and manage shifts and breaks.

The campus total is a secret until the final totals for all campuses are announced at the conclusion of the marathon. Since 2002, the campus has collected more than $310,000. A year ago, THON breached the 14 million-dollar barrier, collecting a record $14.1 million. THON is believed to be the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

Giving to THON can be accomplished by visiting http://donate.thon.org/
(To credit Penn State New Kensington, donors should go to “General Organizations” and
click the button that designates “New Kensington.”)

For more about the New Kensington THON efforts, contact Lauren Blum, student life coordinator, at 724-334-6063 or ldb14@psu.edu

For more about the dancers, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/46445.htm

For more about the co-chairs, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Information/News/46441.htm#NEWS46441

For more on THON, visit http://www.thon.org/

A La Sagra's Flycatcher out on a limb. (Photo by Allan Hopkins)

Biology students study the birds of Cuba, 
the campus' country of focus

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. – Not since the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic movie, “The Birds” has the campus been aflutter about endothermic vertebrates. Last semester, first-year biology students at Penn State New Kensington created a blog about birds native to the Republic of Cuba, the country of focus at the campus.

The “Birds of Cuba” was a first-year engagement project for the fall biology class, Basic Concepts and Biodiversity, taught by Bill Hamilton, assistant professor of biology. Students learned about the evolution of the major groups of organisms, including the fundamental concepts of biology. Hamilton’s class focused on more than 20 species of avian endemic to Cuba.

“Each student in the class chose a native bird species of Cuba,” said Hamilton, who blogs about trails in western Pennsylvania. “Using online databases and the library, students gathered general and scientific information about their birds. These species pages represent the compilations and syntheses of their research.”

The warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates were researched and posted on the blog site. Ranging from the Antilliean palm sprint to the Cuban blackbird to the Loggerhead Kingbird, the birds were described in detail and accompanied by photos. The project was designed to help students learn to research, as well as gain knowledge about the island nation, which campus students have been studying since the fall semester.

“I learned the importance of research and the difficulty of finding and using worthy resources,” said Ryan Keiffer, a freshman landscape contracting major. “The research also gave me a little understanding of the climate and conditions in Cuba.”

Keiffer, who runs his own business, Keiffer Landscaping, studied La Sagra's Flycatcher, a small bird that belongs to one of the largest groups of birds in the world. It is known for its distinctive call, a “slightly slurred whistle zweenk or rising wink, repeated twice,” according to Keiffer’s research. It is endemic to the islands of the western Caribbean -- Cuba, Bahamas, and Grand Cayman -- but sometimes vagrants to south Florida and can occasionally be found as far north as Alabama. The collective nouns for flycatchers is “outfield” and “zipper.”

”Although it is a relatively simple and plain looking bird, it is extremely uncommon,” said Keiffer, the recipient of a Hazel L. Hug scholarship from the campus and a Daniel J. Eichenlaub Trustee scholarship from the College of Agricultural Sciences. “Little research has actually been done on the bird."

The Plum native expects to graduate in 2019. Although the New Kensington campus does not offer the landscape contracting major, its 2 + 2 program allows Kieffer to fulfill his general education requirements before moving on to the University Park campus to complete his bachelor’s degree studies. New Kensington’s learning environment helps Keiffer keep up with his studies and on top of his company.

“Penn State New Kensington offers smaller class sizes, and that appealed to my learning style,” Kieffer said. “I commute and it is close to home, which I really like. I could have gone to a community college, but I wanted to go to New Kensington because of the prestigious level of education.”

For Keiffer’s research on La Sagra’s Flycatcher, visit
http://sites.psu.edu/birdsofcuba/birds-of-cuba/la-sagras-flycatcher/

To view the “Birds of Cuba” blog, visit http://sites.psu.edu/birdsofcuba/

 Bill Hamilton, assistant professor of biology at Penn State New Kensington, walks the Oak Trail section of the campus' nature trail. Hamilton's biology students constructed the trail in 1985.

Biologists’ blogs
Hamilton, along with his wife, Deborah Sillman, senior instructor in biology at the campus, write about the birds, insects, mammals and flowers that herald the arrival of the seasons. On their blog site, "Ecologist's Notebook: Reflections on the Natural World of Western Pennsylvania," they report on their observations around their Apollo house and on local nature trails, as well as the campus trail.

Their primary observation venues are the Roaring Run Trail and the Rock Furnace Trail in Apollo. The 5-mile long Roaring Run Trail follows the Kiski River and terminates at the village of Edmon. The 1.5-mile Rock Furnace Trail follows Roaring Run from its confluence with the Kiski River to Brownstown Road in Apollo. The trails are maintained by the Roaring Run Watershed Association.

The biologists posted their 11th observation of winter Feb. 11. “Why Do We Feed Wild Birds?” is about Hamilton tabulating his annual cost ($750) and time (92 hours) to take care of birds, as well as squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and deer, and weighing it against the benefits. Not surprisingly, he writes, “It is, indeed, a pleasure to be part of the natural world! It’s a feeling worth much more than the cost. We should all strive, though, to give our birds as healthy a diet as we can and also as a clean and as predictable a feeding place for them as possible!”
The first blog on the coming of spring should be posted during the last week of February. Maybe sooner if that prognosticating groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is spot on about an early spring for 2016.

To view their blogs, visit http://sites.psu.edu/ecologistsnotebook/

Nature trail and virtual trail
In addition to blogging, the husband-and wife team oversee the maintenance of the campus nature trail, which turned 30 in October, and the virtual nature trail, which is still a young teenager at 14.

Constructed in 1985 by Hamilton’s biology students, the trail serves as environmental education resources for the campus community and local school districts. It meanders through a forest on a ridge before heading down to a ravine. White ash, red and white oak, and yellow poplar trees stand sentry on the ridge, while American beech and red maples guard the stream that cut the ravine.

“You can hike the loop of the trail just to feel the peace and quiet and restfulness of the place,” Hamilton said. “It also can be hiked with the intent of identifying trees, wildflowers and mammals.”

The Alcoa Foundation invested in the refurbishing of the trail in 2007. New signs and a system of tree markers were installed. In addition, more trails were added to the original pathway. Former campus student Chris Hone, a graduate of the School of Forestry at Penn State, located and identified 25 species of trees along the trail. Hone’s work was condensed into an arboretum guide.
Envisioning the benefits of an electronic version of the trail, the Alcoa Foundation invested in the campus' virtual trail. The virtual version went online in 2002 and continues to be a popular destination for school districts. It is a practical alternative to a field trip.

“The Virtual Nature Trail still draws almost 3,000 visitors a month,” Hamilton said. “It has over 100 species pages describing the plants and animals that can be found along the trail.”

For more about the nature trail, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/46362.htm

To view the virtual trail and the arboretum guide, visit http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/

Musical comedy opens Nov. 19 for three-day run

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Director Bill Mitas, instructor in theatre arts at Penn State New Kensington, has selected a student cast for the three performances of the fall stage production of the rock musical, ”The Toxic Avenger.”

The cast, currently in rehearsal, features -- Colin Bibza as Melvin Ferd the Third and Toxie; Raven Terrill as Sarah; Sam Kravik as Mayor; and Laura Gensamer as Ma Ferd. In addition to the main characters, the cast includes Jonathan McCabe, Nathan Traini, Majid Elshorafa, Juliann Motosicky and Ian Challender.

The comedy focuses on Melvin Ferd the Third, the town nerd who takes an involuntary dip in a vat of toxic waste after raising concerns about the dubious nature of the mayor’s waste management strategies. In an auspicious turn of events, he emerges from the vat as the Toxic Avenger, a deformed but cut Superhero, who seeks vengeance on just about every reprobate in the area. Also known as Toxie, Melvin is out to save his hometown of Tromaville from the duplicitous mayor and his morally bankrupt minions. The love interest of the socially inept Melvin is Sarah, the beautiful and blind librarian, who sees Toxie as a hunk of virulent love. The show is geared to mature audiences.

The play is based on the 1984 film of the same name. Music and lyrics are by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, who also wrote the book for the movie. The production opened off-Broadway in 2009 and ran for 300 performances. It earned the Outer Critics Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical.

The campus production will run for three days, Nov. 19 to 21, in the Forum Theatre. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. each night.

For more information, call 724-334-6032.

Cast and Crew

William R. Mitas -- director; Beth Minda -- vocal coach; Juliann Motosicky -- choreography

Colin Bibza -- Melvin Ferd the III/Toxie

Raven Terrill -- Sarah

Sam Kravik -- Mayor

Laura Gensamer -- Ma/Nun/ Judy/ Shinequa/Little Girl (Rescued Cat) /Little Old Lady

Jonathan McCabe -- White Dude/ Folk Singer/Bozo/CoCo/Thug

Nathan Traini -- Black Dude/Sluggo/Professor Ken/Jazmin/Lorenzo

Majid Elshorafa -- Doctor/ Sal the Cop/Waste Management Exec/Fred (the Local Guy) /Lamas

Juliann Motosicky -- Old Lady(Edna Ferbert)/Diane

Ian Challender -- Juan/Hip Dude/ CSI Guy/Waste Management Exec/Hooker/Toxie Junior

Penn State New Kensington student Sean Davis makes a last minute check on his Rubik's Cube-solving robot before a demonstration for high school students at the Mathematical Association of America's Math Competition Feb. 17 on campus.

Sean Davis demonstrates feat at
Mathematical Association of America competition;
Dylan McAnallen completes cube the old-fashioned way

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. – A robot built by a Penn State New Kensington student solved Rubik’s Cube in less than two minutes Feb. 17, at a demonstration during the Mathematical Association of America Math Competition at the campus.

Sean Davis, a junior in the Information Sciences and Technology (IST) program, constructed the robot out of Legos as a project for his math class. Solving Rubik’s Cube involves math algorithms.

“I have always been into robotics,” said Davis, who hails from Huntsville, Alabama. “I thought it would be cool to see if there was a robot that could do it.”

Davis built the robot using Lego Mindstorms, a kit that allows users to create custom robots. He installed MindCuber, a software program that executes the needed moves by distinguishing colors.

“The robot first uses a color sensor to scan the color position on the cube,” said Davis, a graduate of Gow School, a college-prep boarding school outside of Buffalo, New York. “It then uses the results to calculate the least number of moves necessary to solve the cube.”

After one of the high school math students volunteered to scramble Davis’ cube, he put it in the “hands” of the robot. What ensued were the twisting and turning of the cube accompanied by a steady whirl sound, and approximately 100 seconds later, viola! a completed Rubik’s Cube with each of the six faces displaying one of the six colors -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue and white.

Although Davis can create a robot to solve the puzzle, he doesn’t know how to unlock the secret of the cube.

“I have never solved it on my own, which is why the robot is even more impressive to me,” Davis said.

YouTube video of Davis and the Rubik's Cube-solving robot

Dylan McAnallen

One campus student who does know how to complete the cube is Dylan McAnallen, a military veteran and sophomore in the Mechanic Engineering program. McAnallan preceded Davis on stage and showed the high school students how beginners can defeat the cube, using the layers, eight corners or 12 edges methods. McAnallen opted for the layer method and went through it step-by-step. Although the layer method is the easiest, it is not the most efficient.

“The layer method is one of the slower methods due to its simplicity,” said Miller, who learned how to solve it by watching a YouTube video. “I’ve used other methods, and my best time is one minute, 50 seconds.”

 
Penn State New Kensington student Dylan McAnallen
explains some of he basic methods for solving Rubik's Cube.

A product of Butler High School, McAnallen served four years in the Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged two years ago with the rank of Sergeant E-4. He enrolled in the engineering program so he could design vehicles that are safer when hit by an IED, improvised explosive device.

“I want to work for OshKosh or Force Protection when I graduate,” said Miller, who lives a few miles from campus in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of New Kensington. “They make the tactical vehicles for the Marine Corps.”

When he is not in the classroom, he can be found on the mat. A member of the campus’ intercollegiate wrestling team, McAnallen wrestles in the 197-pound weight class. He was named Penn State University Athletic Conference Student-Athlete of the Week Jan. 26, for his victory in the Ship Builder Invitational in Newport News, Virginia. The post-season begins Feb. 27 as McAnallen heads to the National Collegiate Wresting Association (NCWA) Mid-East Qualifiers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland. The top five in each weight class advance to the NCWA national championships, March 10-12, in Kissimmee, Florida.

Davis and McAnallen were given the opportunity to present their Rubik’s Cube expertise by Ge Mu, instructor in mathematics, and Ji Xiang, assistant professor of mathematics. Having guest speakers is a tradition for the math competition, but having campus students do it is a first.

“By having student presenters, I believe it is a good opportunity to show the excellence of Penn State New Kensington to the community,” said Mu. “It also motivates students' creativity.”

The two students earned the honor by their performance at Mu and Ji’s Math Happy Hour event. Twice a semester, the husband-and-wife mathematicians organize presentations that are open to the campus community and feature special mathematics topics, as well as games and food. Rubik’s Cube was the topic last spring, and Davis and McAnallen stood above the rest of students by grasping the concepts and presenting their findings.

Prior to the campus students putting on the demonstration, Ji gave the high school students some basic facts about the Rubik’s Cube game, such as how many positions for a Rubik's Cube (43,252,003,274,489,856,000, about forty-three quintillion) and the smallest number of steps to solve a cube, called God’s Number (20). He also introduced advanced algorithms for solving the cube.

Mathematics Association of America
Nearly 80 students from high schools in the western Pennsylvania region, including Burrell, Kiski Area and Valley, took the 25-question, 75-minute, multiple-choice examination in secondary school mathematics. The problems are solved with pre-calculus concepts. Mu and Ji organized the event and administered the test.

Formerly called the American Mathematics Competition, the challenges are held annually and administered to more than 200,000 high school students to help identify the students with truly exceptional mathematics talent. The main purpose of the competitions is to spur interest in mathematics and to develop talent through solving challenging problems in a timed multiple-choice format.

The math competition is one in a series of examinations, followed in the United States by the American Invitational Examination and the USA Mathematical Olympiad, that culminate in participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad, the most prestigious and difficult secondary mathematics examination in the world. Students who are among the very best receive indication of how they stand relative to other students in the country and around the globe.

In addition to organizing national contests, Mu and Ji are the co-directors of the Mathematics League, an annual academic competition among the eight local high schools. Sponsored by WEDIG (Westmoreland Economic and Development Initiative for Growth), and held on the New Kensington campus, the league puts the students' math skills to the test by giving them the opportunity to go head-to-head with each other.

Each school is allowed three teams of five students, competing against all the other teams in each round. Students answer two sets of eight questions within the 25-minute limit for each set. The questions in algebra, geometry and other areas of mathematics are developed by Mu and Ji.

Heading into the final round, March 1, the leaderboard is crowded as the Kiski School A team scored 20 points to open a two-point advantage over Freeport A and a four-point lead over Armstrong A. Scores carry over to the final round. Yunzhe Li of Kiski School is the individual leader with nine points followed by T.J. Pascucci of Freeport and Abbas Merchant and Wei Zhang of Kiski with eight points.

The Saltsburg college preparatory boarding school is the defending Math League champ and has won the title, beginning in 2010, a record six consecutive years.

For additional information on MAA, Math Happy Hour and Math League, contact Mu at 724-334-6030 or gxm929@psu.edu

 Xiang Ji, left, assistant professor of mathematics, and Ge Mu, instructor in mathematics, prepare for a demonstration by two of their campus students of solving Rubik's Cube. The husband-and-wife team organize the annual Mathematical Association of America's Math Competition for high school students.

The team held its first registration session Feb. 3 during lunch hour in Café 780. Thirty-five campus students signed-up to vote at the inaugural session. Registration drives will be held twice a week before the elections.

State reps Eli Evankovich Joseph Petrarca
headline the discussion

6-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25, Conference Center

UPPER BURRELL, PA -- In an effort to mobilize the college youth vote, the Penn State New Kensington student organization My Vote Matters! is sponsoring an evening social featuring local politicians from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25, in the campus Conference Center.

The event, “Diplomatic Dinner,” will feature presentations by state representatives Eli Evankovich, R-Murrysville, and Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, Jeremy Honhold, from the office of U.S. Representative Keith Rothfus, R-12th and Erin McCelland who is running in the Democratic primary for the right to face incumbent Rothfus in the general election in November. The guest speakers will gear their presentations to campus students and discuss the importance of getting involved in politics and registering to vote. They will not espouse policy or campaign positions. An interactive question-and-answer session with the audience will follow.

“It really is simply about getting to hear people involved in politics speak about how and why others should be engaged and become involved,” said Sarah Steighner, a senior in the Communications program and member of the My Vote Matters! committee.”

The event is open to campus students and there is no cost. The buffet-style dinner features chicken and shrimp.

To RSVP for the dinner, email mjb6270@psu.edu

My Vote Matters!
My Vote Matters! was established last semester to educate and register first-time voters. The group, led by Millie Brasser, a sophomore corporate communications major, is dedicated to enlightening young voters on the importance of getting involved in the political process, be it on a local, state or national level. The group doesn’t espouse the views of any political party or candidate.

“Our goal is to make a difference for young people in our country,” said Brasser, a resident of Tarentum. “Students should be proud of our country.”

Formed under the auspicious of the Student Government Association, the committee comprises eight members -- Kyle Waraks, Derrek Koblinsky, Broderick Gerano, Jon McCabe, Danielle Richardson, Aaron Holness, Cecily Petrarca, Steighner and Brasser. They set out to register students to vote, educate students on issues and candidates, recruit volunteers, build election excitement, and get out the vote.

“College kids are so incredibly apathetic when it comes to voting,” Koblinsky said. “We want to inform students beyond just registering to vote. I want a secure America for future generations.”

The team held its first registration session Feb. 3 during lunch hour in Café 780. Thirty-five campus students signed-up to vote at the inaugural session. After the first two weeks, more than 70 new voters are on the rolls.

The registration drive continues until the last week in March. My Vote Matters! sets up registration tables held twice a week, noon to 1 p.m., Monday and Wednesday, in Café 780 or the main lobby next to the Junction coffee bar. New voters must register by March 27 to be eligible for the April 26 primary elections.

After the primaries, the group will expand its voter reach to the city of New Kensington. Brasser's goal for the fall semester is to register young voters for the general elections in November.

For more about voter registration drive, contact Brasser at mjb6270@psu.edu

Angie Fisher, administrative support assistant for Student Affairs at Penn State New Kensington, holds her granddaughter during her Dec. 17 retirement dinner. Fisher worked at the campus for 38 years.

Angie Fisher and Nancy Miller's
campus experiences spanned five decades

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- In the past couple of months, students, faculty and staff at Penn State New Kensington said goodbye and good luck in retirement to two longtime staff members, Angie Fisher, administrative support assistant for student affairs, and Nancy Miller, co-director of continuing education, who combined for 80 years of service to the University. They were feted recently by family and friends.

Known as Angie to the campus community and Missy to the rest of the world, Fisher closed out her 38-year campaign Dec. 17 with a dinner in the campus Conference Center. Former and current colleagues, as well as her son Michael, roasted and toasted one of the most student-centered staff members on campus.

Among her numerous connections to students, Fisher served as the adviser to the Muticultural Club and chaperone for student trips, including the annual sojourn to the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education in Philadelphia. Her most memorable excursion was taking a group of 35 students on a one-day, 500-mile odyssey to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of President Barak Obama in 2009. Fisher even secured a few inauguration tickets from the office of U.S. Rep. John Murtha, and five lucky students, drawn from a lottery on the bus, got a closer view of the proceedings.

Theresa Bonk, director of student affairs, worked with Fisher for the past 12 years. As a retirement gift, she presented Fisher with a framed invitation to the inauguration and a picture of Obama.

“Angie will be missed greatly in student affairs as she has made a lasting impression and touched the lives of so many while here at Penn State New Kensington,” Bonk said. “As a champion and advocate for all students, especially the underrepresented population on campus, Angie was devoted to making things better.”

Fisher was the go-to person for many students on campus. International students were especially fond of her, and she helped them adjust to the new culture. During holidays, she often invited students who could not go home to her house.

“If students needed a ride to get groceries or go to the Social Security office or to find someone to cut their hair, Angie would take them or find a way for them to get there,” Bonk said. “She was the first one to volunteer to help anyone in need and the last one to leave an event in order to make sure that everything was taken care of, and everyone had left the building.”

With her finger on the pulse of the student body, Fisher was a prolific writer of nominations for student awards -- campus, University, and statewide. Because she was so close to students, her nominations carried weight and often resulted in those students winning awards. For the past three years, a New Kensington student has won a scholarship at the Black Conference meetings.

“It was the special touch that she had with students and her modest way of engaging them that we will miss the most,” Bonk said.

Fisher worked under two Student Affairs directors -- Larry Pollock and Theresa Bonk – and both were in attendance. Pollock, chancellor emeritus, headed the office for 30 years before being appointed chancellor in 2003. Bonk, the current director, succeeded Pollock.

 
Nancy Miller. left, with her husband, Jim Miller, and daughter-in-law, Trina Hemphill, at her retirement luncheon Jan. 26.

Nancy Miller
Miller worked at the campus for 42 years and shared a common connection with Fisher – working for Pollock.

“I ran into Larry in the summer of 1973 when I was on campus, and he told me of an opening in Student Affairs,” Miller said. “I applied, interviewed and was hired in October. It was certainly an easier process than it is now.”

Miller’s co-workers, family and friends sent her into retirement with a luncheon Jan. 26. The Continuing Education staff of Pat Hollinger, co-director, Beth Nury, administrative support assistant, and Debbie Novak, STEM and youth programs coordinator, put together a power point presentation of the “Top Ten Things We Will Miss About Nancy Miller.” With a bow to her idiosyncrasies, the number one item was “Everything.”

“Nancy made Continuing Education and Penn State a better place to work,” said Hollinger, who worked with Miller for nearly 20 years. “She was my mentor, my co-worker, my colleague, my lunch buddy, my traveling companion, but most important, my friend.”

A Penn State alumna, Miller attended the New Kensington campus for two years before earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology/social welfare from the University Park campus. She received a master’s degree in student personnel services from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating from Penn State, Miller returned to the campus as assistant to the director in the Student Affairs office. She served in that capacity for five years before moving to other offices under the auspicious of Pollock -- First-Year Testing, Consulting and Advising Program (FTCAP), now known as New Student Orientation; Career Services; and director of a Pennsylvania Department of Education program.

Miller also had a stint in the Admissions office before settling into the Continuing Education office as the area representative in 1996. In her position, she worked with corporate clients, such as Penn DOT, Duquesne Light and CEC Inc. She and Hollinger were named co-directors of Continuing Education in 2011.

“In my different careers, I have worked with a lot of really great people, but working with Nancy Miller was different,” Hollinger said. “She was my ‘go-to’ person, since she was more seasoned in the Penn State ways. I wish her a long, happy and healthy retirement, and I will miss her deeply.”

For the past 40 years, Miller had a front-row seat for the evolution of the campus. In the 1970s, more women began seeking college degrees and entering the higher education workforce, changing the make-up of the campus’ student body and programs.

“When I was a student, the male to female ratio was 7:1 with mostly engineering or education majors,” said Miller, a resident of Allegheny Township.

Today, the student body comprises 57 percent men and 43 percent women. Many students are enrolled in one of our 10 bachelor’s degree programs and stay on the campus for all four years. There are five associate programs and nine minors. In addition, students can now begin any of Penn State’s 160 bachelor’s degree programs at New Kensington and complete the degree at University Park or another Penn State campus.

The administration of the campus also has changed over the course of Miller’s career. “Back in the day” as old timers are apt to say, most department heads were male. That model has reversed itself.

“When I began my career at Penn State New Kensington, I was the youngest and only female administrator at the campus,” Miller said. “Now there are mostly females in key administrator positions, such as academic affairs, student affairs, admissions, development and continuing education.”

During Miller’s tenure, she witnessed the technology revolution that has made the campus one of the most technology-advanced in Penn State Commonwealth College system. The day-to-day operations of the campus became more efficient, inside and outside the classroom, with the advent of computers, cell phones, internet and email. Even copiers, ubiquitous on campus today, were a tool that the campus didn’t utilize at that stage.

“We used mimeograph and ditto machines, and hand folded and stuffed mailings,” Miller said. “Students had to stand in long lines in the gym with data cards in order to try to register for classes. The fact that they can register and take classes online is a great accomplishment.”

Amid the electronic explosion, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of campus students. Miller sees today’s students and yesterday’s students as personifications of the indomitable Penn State spirit. Since the campus’ inception in 1958 in a remodeled high school building on Fourth Avenue in New Kensington with 78 students, that spirit has remained the essence of a Penn State education.

“We’ve always had a great group of students, and it was great to work with SGA (Student Government Association) and work-study students over the years,” Miller said. “Students today are still friendly and polite, and more tech savvy.”

Since 2003, Penn State New Kensington students, faculty and staff have been immortalized with their names etched on the coveted Chancellor's Cup, emblematic of bowling superiority at campus. Who will join the pantheon of greats in 2016?

Alle-Kiski Alumni Society's Bowlathon

1-4 p.m., Sunday, March 13, Wildlife Lanes, Lower Burrell

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. — The Chancellor's Cup, emblematic of bowling supremacy at Penn State New Kensington, is up for grabs as campus students, faculty and staff test their mettle in the annual event to determine the best bowlers on campus.

The intramural tournament is held in conjunction with the Alle-Kiski Society's 14th annual Alumni Bowlathon from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 13, at the Wildlife Lanes in Lower Burrell. Hosted by the alumni society, the family-fun event is open to alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of Penn State. The entry fee is $20 and includes three games and shoe rental. Four- or five-person teams may sign up or individuals may sign up and be assigned to a short-handed team.

Lane sponsorships, the backbone of the fundraising effort, are available for $50 and $100. Tournament sponsorships are available for $250 and $500. All proceeds benefit the Alle-Kiski Society's endowed scholarship at the campus. For the 2015-16 academic year, the society awarded a record $5,500 in scholarships to four New Kensington students: Lynsie Headley of Ford City; Alissa Dolensky of Lower Burrell; Adis Juklo of Pittsburgh; and Carley Carnahan of Lower Burrell. Since 1998, the society has awarded $53,500 to 59 campus students.

Last year, more than 180 alumni and friends filled Wildlife Lanes to capacity and raised $7,100. John Spadaro, a 1982 Penn State graduate and a member of the society’s board of directors, has chaired the event since its inception.

The cup currently resides with the Old Timers, a staff team of Bubba Hileman, Chet Howell, Tim Perroz, Steve Perroz and Carol Perroz. The Old Timers have hoisted the cup a record eight times. The Mean Four own two titles, and Juicers, Fun Fest and Half-Keglers, the inaugural cup holders, are one-win-wonders.

For information, contact Bill Woodard, 724-334-6049 or uxw1@psu.edu

For registration and sponsorship forms, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Information/News/46442.htm#NEWS46442

Alumni, friends and family can donate to the food bank and then enjoy some Penn State football when the Lions take on the Buckeyes on Oct. 17

Alumni can donate nonperishable items at door to benefit
Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Food Bank

Nittany Lions at Buckeyes
Saturday, Oct. 17, Elks Lodge, Tarentum
7 p.m. - Pre-game reception; free food; cash bar
8 p.m. - Kickoff

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- The Alle-Kiski Society of the Penn State Alumni Association is sponsoring a food drive beginning at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with its televised Penn State football game tailgate party at the Elks Lodge on Sixth Avenue in Tarentum.

Penn State fans are encouraged to bring canned food and nonperishable items, such as paper products and infant/baby supplies, to the game. The alumni society will donate the collected items to the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Food Bank, which serves the local region.

Kickoff for the Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes is at 8 p.m. The pregame reception will begin an hour before kickoff. Refreshments are provided along with a cash bar.

The Alle-Kiski Society is based at Penn State New Kensington and represents more than 7,000 Penn State alumni living in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

For more information, contact Bill Woodard at 724-334-6049 or uxw1@psu.edu

For more on the society, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Alumni/alumorg.htm?cn613

.

The Penn State New Kensington women's volleyball team hopes to celebrate a first-round win in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs.

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Penn State New Kensington’s volleyball team is in a familiar place -- the conference playoffs. For the second consecutive year, second-year coach Amy Sigmund Kostek has guided the New Kensington Lions to a berth in the Penn State University Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Kostek’s team is in fifth place with a 7-4 conference record. Five PSUAC away matches remain in the regular season – 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, at second-place Penn State Beaver (10-1); 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, against first-place Penn State Brandywine (12-0) and sixth-place Penn State Schuylkill (7-5) in a quad match; and 2 p.m., Sunday, against ninth-place Penn State York (4-8) and fourth-place Penn State Mont Alto, (10-2).

The Lions will be battling for a higher seed as the first four teams will host the opening round of the PSUAC playoffs on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Eight playoff berths are available for the conference title that is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, at Rec Hall on the University Park campus.

The team is led by a trio of outside hitters, sophomore Shania Eckman and freshmen Bethany Weiblinger and Brittany Wolford.

Soccer
With a 2-4-1 record and in eighth-place in the PSUAC, the soccer team has two away league games on the regular season schedule –- Sunday, Oct. 18, at Penn State Mont Alto (1-5) and Saturday, Oct. 24, at Penn State Brandywine (5-1). Two wins could propel the Lions into sixth place, the final playoff spot. The top two finishers in the league earn byes into the Final Four. The championship game is set for Sunday, Nov. 1, at the University Park campus.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Sam Lauris, the soccer team is looking to make the postseason for the fifth time in the five-year existence of the program. The Lions are led by sophomore midfielder Cole Wilson. Cole leads the team in points with 11 goals and three assists. Cole scored a team-record five goals Oct. 4 against Penn State Worthington-Scranton. For his efforts, the Oakmont, Pennsylvania, resident was named PSUAC Player of the Week.

Golf
The men’s and women’s golf team, with second-year head coach Tom Crombie at the helm, played in the PSUAC and USCAA golf championships, Oct. 12 to 13, at the Penn State Blue Course in State College. All PSUAC golf campuses compete for the conference team and individual championships, After the first day, the Lions were in sixth place in the team competition. Marcus Signore was team-medalist with an 86.

Final golf results were not available when this story was written.

For scores, schedules and information on campus athletics, visit http://psnkathletics.com/landing/index

Freshman Patrick Fegan chips on the 18th hole during a home match Oct. 6
against Penn State DuBois and Penn State Mont Alto. He made the par. 

Students and parents can learn more about Penn State New Kensington at upcoming Penn State Day and Be a Student Day events

Penn State Day

6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21

Be a Student for a Day

9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- The Office of Enrollment Management at Penn State New Kensington is offering two events for prospective students and their families to discover the benefits of attending the campus.

Penn State campuses from across the state celebrate the annual Penn State Days from Saturday, October 17, through Friday, October 23.  Penn State New Kensington's Penn State Day Open House is 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the campus Forum Theatre. Students and families can explore Penn State, including the various campus locations, over 160 bachelor's and 20 associate degrees available, admissions, financial aid, student life, and much more. Participants can meet campus staff and faculty and tour campus with current students. Refreshments will be served.

Prospective students can get a glimpse of college life first-hand at the New Kensington campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, as a part of the "Be a Penn State Student for a Day" program. Students will experience a college class, interact with current students, go on a campus scavenger hunt, and learn about making the transition from high school to college. Attendees can enjoy a free lunch in Cafe 780. Additional "Be a Student" days will be held during the spring 2016 semester.

To register for these events, call 724-334-LION or 888-968-PAWS

For more on admissions events, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Admissions/admevents.htm

Penn State New Kensington's Brussels tapestry, “The Story of Joseph and Potiphar's Wife,” will be auctioned at Sotheby's on Oct. 17.

Sotheby’s to auction campus’
17th century tapestry

“The Story of Joseph and Potiphar's Wife”
10 a.m, Saturday, Oct. 17

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. — Carole King made millions on her “Tapestry” album. Penn State New Kensington hopes to make thousands on its tapestry artwork.

The campus has teamed with Sotheby’s to auction a 17th century Brussels tapestry called “The Story of Joseph and Potiphar's Wife,” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, in New York.

Sotheby’s is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art. The 271-year-old auction house estimated the 11-foot-by-10-foot piece's worth at between $12,000 and $18,000. New Kensington is believed to be the first Penn State campus to consign an item to Sotheby’s.

"We offered this piece up for auction with mixed emotions,” said Kevin Snider, chancellor of the campus. “We're sad that it is leaving our campus, but delighted that this piece will likely end up in the hands of people who will make sure it is adequately preserved and appreciated for years to come.”

The campus came into possession of the tapestry in 1968 as a part of the Roy A. Hunt collection. Hunt was president of Alcoa from 1928 until he retired in 1951. He remained with Alcoa as chairman of the executive committee until 1963. He died in 1966 at the age of 85. Two years later, Hunt’s four sons donated the tapestry, as well as other art objects and furnishings, from their parents' Pittsburgh home. In addition to the Brussels tapestry, the gift included furniture, rugs, and a 116-piece collection of rare 19th century French Langeais china.

The tapestry and collection was the first exhibit in the new campus Art Gallery, which was dedicated on Sept. 13, 1968, two years after the campus moved from the city of New Kensington to its present location in Upper Burrell. During the ensuing years, the tapestry moved to various locations around the campus. Its most recent home was outside the office of the theatre instructor on the wall of the Information Technology building. It was removed several years ago during a repainting project and stored in a long-forgotten location.

A year ago, Snider set up the campus art committee, which was tasked with enhancing student learning and improving campus aesthetics through visual art. Chaired by Tina Sluss, Art Gallery director and administrative support assistant for development, the committee inventoried all art works at the campus. Sluss and Bud Gibbons, professor emeritus of visual arts at the campus and former Art Gallery director, serendipitously found the discarded tapestry under the stage of the Forum Theatre. Also hibernating with the tapestry was an antique library table and several paintings. Despite the dank conditions, the tapestry was in good shape. The colors were vibrant and the edges only slightly frayed.

“We knew the tapestry was worth getting appraised,” said Sluss, who curates the gallery’s monthly art exhibits. “Michael Malley from East End Gallery in Pittsburgh conducted the appraisal and then forwarded the information to Sotheby’s.”

Photos of the tapestry were also sent to Sotheby’s. The venerable auction house researched the piece and found it to be a valuable textile art from the Renaissance period. It calculated the worth and recommended an auction. The campus was now a player in art world.

Sluss took the tapestry to New York, Sotheby’s headquarters. She was met by handlers and receiving specialists who gave the “Joe,” as the tapestry has come to be known, the white glove treatment.

“Sotheby’s was very welcoming and professional,” Sluss said. “It was a cultural experience for me. There were so many beautiful antiques and furnishings being received that day.”

The auction house examined the piece in more detail and delved into its history and meaning. The center of the tapestry is surrounded by a border of 25 colorful illustrations. The narrative is presented in a counter-clockwise arrangement. In the left foreground are two men, with Potiphar on the right, negotiating Joseph's sale into slavery. Potiphar's wife looks on in the right foreground. In the right background, Joseph flees the lustful embrace of Potiphar's wife, leaving behind his cloak. In the center background, Potiphar's wife presents Joseph's cloak to Potiphar, accusing Joseph of trying to seduce her. In the left background, Joseph is escorted to a castle-like prison.

Tapestries were essential during the Middle Ages and Renaissance because of their functionality and portability. The woven pieces were learning tools, used for storytelling and moral lessons. Wall art provided warmth in the winter, as well as decoration. It also muffled sounds in drafty castles. In addition, noblemen could roll them up and easily transport them between residences.

Alumni and friends are welcomed to bid on “The Story of Joseph and Potiphar's Wife” online. The campus tapestry is Lot 601. It will be auctioned as a part of the European Decorative Art collection. Proceeds from the sale will fund cultural arts activities.

“The sale of this piece will go to support our efforts to preserve and expand our campus' legacy in the arts,’ Snider said. “What a great way for art to give back to art."

For more about Sotheby’s bidding process, visit http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/watch-live.html

To view the tapestry, visit
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/collections-european-decorative-arts-n09408/lot.601.html

The Brussels tapestry lies on the floor of the Forum Theatre stage prior to transporting it to Sotheby's in New York.

The lower right corner of the tapestry's border, which is composed of 25 illustrations.

The Penn State New Kensington women's volleyball team hopes to celebrate a first-round win in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs.

UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Penn State New Kensington’s volleyball team is in a familiar place -- the conference playoffs. For the second consecutive year, second-year coach Amy Sigmund Kostek has guided the New Kensington Lions to a berth in the Penn State University Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Kostek’s team is in fifth place with a 7-4 conference record. Five PSUAC away matches remain in the regular season – 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, at second-place Penn State Beaver (10-1); 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, against first-place Penn State Brandywine (12-0) and sixth-place Penn State Schuylkill (7-5) in a quad match; and 2 p.m., Sunday, against ninth-place Penn State York (4-8) and fourth-place Penn State Mont Alto, (10-2).

The Lions will be battling for a higher seed as the first four teams will host the opening round of the PSUAC playoffs on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Eight playoff berths are available for the conference title that is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, at Rec Hall on the University Park campus.

The team is led by a trio of outside hitters, sophomore Shania Eckman and freshmen Bethany Weiblinger and Brittany Wolford.

Soccer
With a 2-4-1 record and in eighth-place in the PSUAC, the soccer team has two away league games on the regular season schedule –- Sunday, Oct. 18, at Penn State Mont Alto (1-5) and Saturday, Oct. 24, at Penn State Brandywine (5-1). Two wins could propel the Lions into sixth place, the final playoff spot. The top two finishers in the league earn byes into the Final Four. The championship game is set for Sunday, Nov. 1, at the University Park campus.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Sam Lauris, the soccer team is looking to make the postseason for the fifth time in the five-year existence of the program. The Lions are led by sophomore midfielder Cole Wilson. Cole leads the team in points with 11 goals and three assists. Cole scored a team-record five goals Oct. 4 against Penn State Worthington-Scranton. For his efforts, the Oakmont, Pennsylvania, resident was named PSUAC Player of the Week.

Golf
The men’s and women’s golf team, with second-year head coach Tom Crombie at the helm, played in the PSUAC and USCAA golf championships, Oct. 12 to 13, at the Penn State Blue Course in State College. All PSUAC golf campuses compete for the conference team and individual championships, After the first day, the Lions were in sixth place in the team competition. Marcus Signore was team-medalist with an 86.

Final golf results were not available when this story was written.

For scores, schedules and information on campus athletics, visit http://psnkathletics.com/landing/index

Freshman Patrick Fegan chips on the 18th hole during a home match Oct. 6
against Penn State DuBois and Penn State Mont Alto. He made the par.