Chancellor Snider, right, traded licks with student Matt Peterson at last year's Grease Dinner Theatre in Cafe 780.
MOONLIGHT BREAKFAST
10:00 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12
Non-Stress Week Activities
Monday-Friday, Dec. 17-21
Late-night study sessions before finals week may have student brain synapses in a state of chaos, but at Penn State New Kensington, student digestive systems will be in a state of serenity. Chancellor Kevin Snider, who oversees the feeding of student minds, has taken on the additional responsibility of feeding their stomachs.
Snider will personally serve the sustenance at the campus’ first “Moonlight Breakfast” that opens its doors from 10-11 p.m., Wednesday, December 12, in Café 780, the campus cafeteria. The chancellor, along with Lauren Blum, student life coordinator, will dish out free waffles, along with the accoutrements--strawberries, blueberries, chocolate and whipped cream. Juice and coffee will be available to keep the students slaked and those neurons firing.
As an added bonus, the chancellor will swap his serving spoon for a guitar and play a few riffs for students. Snider, who keeps his acoustical guitar in the office, is a solo artist who performs occasional gigs at various campus functions.
“Students are on campus studying for finals at all hours of the night,” Blum said. “We will be encouraging students to take a much needed study break.”
The breakfast is the newest addition to the campus’ annual “Non-Stress Week” schedule of activities. During the final week of classes, Dec. 10-14, students can enjoy the calm before the finals storm with daily activities designed to reduce stress and promote a laid-back atmosphere, at least for five days. Finals run Dec. 17-21.
The best tension-relieving activity is “Massage on the Go,” which features a free chair message by professional therapists. Tired neck muscles and general tightness of the back, brought on by eight consecutive hours of researching the polymerization of oxiranes with a lithium-containing initiator, can be alleviated by the gifted hand of the masseuse. And while the students are in the chair, they can indulge in paraffin wax treatments that moisturize and soften the skin, especially the hands and feet. Massages will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 11, in the lobby of the Forum Theatre.
Other activities include: men’s basketball home games at 7 p.m., Dec. 11, against Penn State Fayette, and 8 p.m., Dec. 14, versus Penn State DuBois; Board Game Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 12, in Café 780; and Bubbles, Coloring and De-stressers, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 13, in Café 780. All non-stress week events are free.
“All activities are opportunities for students to relax and have a stress-free study week before finals,” Blum said.