Wednesday’s Cultural Cafe, served up by Dining Services in commemoration of Black History Month, provided a sampling menu – three different stations focused on three distinct cultures. Participation in the CC Commons dinner qualified students to compete for a variety of raffle prizes.
Photos by Juvy A. Orillaza, student photographer
For the third consecutive year – and the fourth time overall – Student Affairs at Pennsylvania College of Technology has been honored as one of “The Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by the publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Penn College is one of 27 colleges or universities to receive the 2020 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs honor, with the honorees to be published in the March 5 edition of the magazine.
Representatives of the schools will be recognized during the American College Personnel Association’s annual meeting, to be held March 2-5 in Nashville, Tennessee.
For the convenience of students and their parents during the start of the Spring 2020 semester, a number of Penn College offices and areas have extended their hours.
Faculty and staff in the Penn College nursing program adopted The Cupboard for the holidays. The Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry for students, operated by Dining Services. Organized by Pamela W. Baker, assistant professor of nursing, the two-week food drive yielded 181 food items and $150 in cash. During the Fall 2019 semester, almost 90 students visited The Cupboard to obtain food.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.