A pair of ol’ reliables – therapy dogs in Madigan Library and Midnight Breakfast in the Keystone Dining Room – reappeared on schedule this past week to help students navigate any end-of-semester turbulence.
Student Development Assistants from the office of Institutional Advancement engaged the campus community in various “give thanks” initiatives throughout the month of November.
They teamed up with Dining Services encouraging peers to “paw” it forward at various campus eateries by donating their flex or declining meal-plan dollars, all in support of The Cupboard and the battle against hunger.
A pair of traditional events helped kick off the holidays Thursday: a festival of Fall Family Fun at the Dunham Children’s Learning Center and Penn College’s annual free Thanksgiving dinner. Parents and grandparents attended the center’s celebration, held each fall in joyful appreciation as the semester draws to an close. A short distance away in the Keystone Dining Room, students enjoyed an employee-served menu that included turkey, filling, gravy, corn, mashed potatoes, beverages and dessert.
Filipino Chicken AdoboPutting the campus community on the map
As part of International Week, Capitol Eatery has been featuring cuisine from the homelands of some of Penn College’s students – serving food from Korea, Myanmar, Puerto Rico, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Guam and Grenada. To add to the observance, a large map has been displayed and students asked to pinpoint areas around the world that their ancestors were from. Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Campus neighborhoods were alive with the shrieking, giggling sounds of Halloween again this season, as a crowded slate of activities helped Penn College students, employees and friends toll the witching hour. Among the boo-tiful bounty were The Village’s annual family night; welding’s “Arc Asylum 5.0,” which has grown more elaborately eerie each year; a “Trunk or Treat” automotive showcase; a “Karaoke Costume Party,” sponsored by the Student Engagement Office; Dining Services’ colorful Halloween Boofet; creative co-workers and students in “Guess who?” garb; and horticulture students’ whimsical scarecrows in nearby Way’s Garden.
Educational “know your pour” activity takes aim at risky, reckless drinking.Friends gather in CC Commons, where food was plentiful and TVs broadcast a pigskin smorgasbord.And speaking of food …… Dining Services delivered the goods, per usual.
Food and football were the featured attractions this past weekend, but safety and accountability were the vital message as Student Affairs sponsored a Game Day get-together in CC Commons. The “tailgate” was the culminating event in a week of activities that included themed bingo and Quizzo events, TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) alcohol responsibility training, and an Alcohol Awareness Fair that hosted vendors and the PennDOT Distracted Driving Simulator. (The traditional “Golf Cart Beer Run” was canceled due to rain.) “The educational opportunities that take place during Alcohol Awareness Week place strong emphasis on personal responsibility, awareness of health consequences and bystander intervention techniques,” said Jennifer McLean, associate dean of student affairs. “Through awareness and simulated experiences, we work to help students make informed and responsible decisions about their behaviors around alcohol.” Saturday’s activities included an interactive “know your pour” event; information about safe and responsible alcohol consumption; and instructive games employing impairment goggles: cornhole to demonstrate how gross motor skills are influenced while drinking, and pool to demonstrate how judgment and spatial reasoning are affected by alcohol. Students were also educated on Penn College’s Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty policies, in place to help them get help when they or their friends have overconsumed. Photos by Juvy A. Orillaza, student photographer
Unique stoneware is arrayed in CC Commons.Dining Services catering attendant Crystal E. Way (left) serves Hope Miller-Cupp (foreground) and Donna K. Culton, both employed in the college’s Human Resources Office.A tasty, inexpensive way to fight hungerAngie E. Myers (center), director of annual giving, encourages Soup for the Soul participants to “Paw It Forward.”Paw prints, bearing the names of Penn College donors to The Cupboard, are destined for public display on campus.
Thursday’s Soup for the Soul event, at which 90 people were warmly served chicken tortilla or cheddar broccoli soup in handcrafted bowls (created and donated by students in David A. and Deborah L. Stabley’s ceramic classes, as well as General Services’ Gary T. Pandolfi), benefited the Penn College’s food pantry. The $8 donation on behalf of The Cupboard, located near the CC Commons site of the fundraising lunch, also included roll, dessert and a beverage. During the meal, Institutional Advancement kicked off its “Paw It Forward” campaign to aid The Cupboard. Donations during the next month will be recognized with paw prints to be displayed in the Keystone Dining Room. Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Trio Los Claveles, from Rochester, N.Y., entertains dinner patrons.Students line up for tasty dishes “from the kitchen.”Naim N. Jabour, assistant professor of architecture, stands ready to discuss an upcoming trip to Spain.Penn College offers a growing number of study abroad programs, from short-term stays to semesterlong adventures and internships.
Students this week took note of Penn College’s place in the global community, from cultural celebration to international study. Tuesday’s Hispanic Heritage Dinner, a collaboration of Student Engagement and Dining Services in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), filled Capitol Eatery with authentic cuisine and live music. On Wednesday, in a Global Experiences Expo facilitated by College Transitions & First Year Initiatives, faculty and students who have traveled abroad answered questions outside the Keystone Dining Room about their experiences. Photos by Juvy A. Orillaza, student photographer
The CC Commons crew displays school spirit.The Capitol Eatery kitchen squad, ready for action
Dining Services staff is wishing “Good luck” to all Penn College sports teams this year by donning Game Day T-shirts whenever the Wildcats play at home. The employees pictured at left, for instance, suited up in honor of the women’s “Battle for the Lumber” soccer match against Lycoming College on Wednesday night. Photos provided
Throwing caution to the early-autumn breeze, armored contestants prepare to do battle in the Rose Street Courtyard.Savory meat-filled hand pies fleshed out the evening’s menu (and those who partook)!The cellphone may be out of place, but this helmeted reveler (Jonah A. Ziegler, an electronics and computer engineering technology student from Pottstown) is decidedly not out of costume.Feats of skill and dexterity include axe-throwing …… and archery demonstrations.
Dining Services’ popular Renaissance Feast returned Tuesday evening to the Capitol Eatery’s “Grand Hall,” where students and employees were invited to don period finery and enjoy ample food, displays and entertainment. Among the activities were live music, tarot readings and a plant-your-own-succulent project. Photos by Juvy A. Orillaza, student photographer
Oppressive heat was no match for Saturday’s impressive help to first-year students, as accessible members of the campus community eased the anxiety and/or excitement of entire collegiate carloads. Anecdotal evidence confirmed a corresponding drop in stress levels with every helping hand, and – as there was ample representation from administration, faculty/staff, alumni, student-athletes and their classmates – that’s a lot of hands! The first day of Welcome Weekend ended with a convocation procession into Rose Street Commons, along with introductory remarks, the return of a favorite hypnotist and fireworks to light the official start of the Fall 2019 semester. Activities continued Sunday, including a special orientation focused on the challenges that veterans and military students may face in their first-year transition to college. And on Monday, students grabbed their schedules, campus maps, a steely dose of confidence … and snacks from Wildcat Welcome stations conveniently located on the road to early morning classes.
Among the latest additions to the Pennsylvania College of Technology community are new full-time faculty members for the Fall 2019 semester, as provided by the Human Resources Office (all effective Aug. 15).
Bloom answers questions in an herbal roundtable. (Seated in the background is Jeremy R. Bottorf, coordinator of athletics for club sports, intramurals.)Pawlik supervises the preparation of salad dressing, with just the right blend of flavors …… and a wide smile, folded in for good measure!A nutritious place in the sunWhat’s even more fun than making delicious food? Yup, you guessed it.
Camp ESCAPE visited the Keystone Dining Room on Monday, preparing homemade Italian and ranch dressing with fresh ingredients from Penn College’s herb garden. Helping the youngsters with the recipes were Dining Services’ Noelle B. Bloom, assistant director; Rebecca L. Pawlik, registered dietitian; and Andrea N. Breon, KDR head cook. Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Penn College Dining Services recently took home two prizes in the Mrs. T’s Pierogi Contest, open to all college and universities who participated in National Pierogi Day events on Oct. 4. The college’s original recipes, featured on campus as part of the 10th annual observance last fall, were awarded third place and honorable mention. Third prize went to the Keystone Dining Room’s Cuban Pulled Pork Nachos (left). Created by head cook Andrea N. Breon, the recipe included slow-roasted pork shoulder, pulled and tossed in BBQ sauce, topped with thinly sliced deli ham and diced dill pickles, then drizzled with a creamy house-made horseradish Dijon sauce on top of a bed of lightly browned and crisply seared Mrs. T’s Mini Cheese Pierogies. Taking an honorable mention was CC Commons’ General Tso ‘rogies (pictured at right). That recipe, developed by Mike S. Dinan, head cook for CC Commons, called for sautéed mini-pierogies tossed in a sweet and spicy teriyaki-style sauce with julienned carrots, broccoli, roasted peppers, and finished with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The dishes may be featured from time to time in college dining units; in the meantime, why not try them at home? Recipes Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Penn College Dining Services recently took home two prizes in the Mrs. T’s Pierogi Contest, open to all college and universities who participated in National Pierogi Day events on Oct. 4. The college’s original recipes, featured on campus as part of the 10th annual observance last fall, were awarded third place and honorable mention. Third prize went to the Keystone Dining Room’s Cuban Pulled Pork Nachos (left). Created by head cook Andrea N. Breon, the recipe included slow-roasted pork shoulder, pulled and tossed in BBQ sauce, topped with thinly sliced deli ham and diced dill pickles, then drizzled with a creamy house-made horseradish Dijon sauce on top of a bed of lightly browned and crisply seared Mrs. T’s Mini Cheese Pierogies. Taking an honorable mention was CC Commons’ General Tso ‘rogies (pictured at right). That recipe, developed by Mike S. Dinan, head cook for CC Commons, called for sautéed mini-pierogies tossed in a sweet and spicy teriyaki-style sauce with julienned carrots, broccoli, roasted peppers, and finished with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The dishes may be featured from time to time in college dining units; in the meantime, why not try them at home? Recipes