A fascination with abandoned buildings and landscapes inspired Enola resident Michael Hower to begin working in digital photography seven years ago. His current body of work, “Graffiti Scapes,” focusing on ghost towns of the Mid-Atlantic, is on display at The Gallery at Penn College now through Oct. 6.
A reception is set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, featuring a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
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.
A bronze sculpture of a left fielder, the latest installation in the communitywide “Bases Loaded” project, was unveiled in a brief ceremony near Penn College’s main entrance Friday morning. Wearing No. 14, in commemoration of the institution’s 1914 founding, the player stands at the northeast corner of the turning circle outside the Student & Administrative Services Center. “Our connection to the Little League program is one we’re very proud of,” said President Davie Jane Gilmour, a member and former chair of the Little League International Board of Directors. Fresh from a college picnic for Little League Baseball World Series participants prior to Wednesday’s Grand Slam Parade, Gilmour noted that the eyes of the world are on Williamsport … and the statue “brings a little piece of that world to our campus.” Wildcat baseball and softball players joined in the unveiling, which was attended by a number of Wildcat student-athletes, coaches and administrators, as well as college employees. In addition to the president, speakers were Jason Fink, president and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce; and Amy J. Brooks, of Susquehanna Trailways, who chairs the Chamber’s Visitors Bureau Operating Committee. Other statues – strategically placed to call attention to the area’s abundant attractions – are at Market Square, the Trade & Transit Centre II Plaza, the Original Little League complex, BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, and the UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport Regional Medical Center campus. The project was launched in 2014 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Little League Baseball and will culminate in 2021 with the 75th anniversary of the Little League Baseball World Series.
With convenient proximity to the start of Wednesday’s Grand Slam Parade route, and historic community ties to Little League Baseball, Pennsylvania College of Technology warmly welcomed visitors to the 73rd annual Little League Baseball World Series (Aug. 15-25). For the 11th year, the college hosted a Wednesday picnic for players, coaches, team “uncles,” umpires and officials outside the Bush Campus Center; students and employees also participated in the evening’s parade through Williamsport, for which five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson served as grand marshal.
The latest “Bases Loaded” sculpture, a left fielder to be installed near Penn College’s main entrance, will be unveiled in a public ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
Pennsylvania College of Technology held its Summer Commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport. Dylan G. Otis, presented with associate degrees in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis, was the student speaker. In addition to degrees conferred by college President Davie Jane Gilmour and state Sen. Gene Yaw, chair of the Penn College Board of Directors, the college presented an Alumni Mentorship Award to 2007 graduate Andrea (Niklaus) Reed, an administrator at UPMC Susquehanna Muncy, and an Excellence in Teaching Award to Terri A. Stone, assistant professor of nursing programs.
Graffiti photography, industrial sculpture, multimedia folklore and vintage comics are among the engaging lineup of artistic adventures offered by The Gallery at Penn College’s 2019-20 season. The gallery’s 14th season will also shine the spotlight on fiber artists, as well as on graduating seniors in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s graphic design and architecture and sustainable design majors.
A total of 275 students have petitioned to graduate following Pennsylvania College of Technology’s summer sessions. A commencement ceremony is set for Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Community Arts Center.
The student speaker for the 11 a.m. event will be Dylan Gary Otis, of Wyalusing, who will be presented with Associate of Applied Science degrees in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis.
A “life celebration” of Veronica M. Muzic, an inspiration to students and colleagues throughout nearly five decades as a faculty member and administrator, was held Saturday in Penn College’s Student & Administrative Services Center. The three-and-a-half-hour gathering attracted a cross-section of those who benefited from Muzic’s no-nonsense counsel and dedicated leadership – family, faculty/staff, former students and community members – and who marked the day with remembrance, reverent and otherwise, sprinkling their anecdotes with laughter and honest tears. Among those offering remarks were Marcianne Muzic Laycock, one of the honoree’s two daughters; niece Lisa Halberstadt, who read “When Great Trees Fall” by Maya Angelou (a March 1987 visitor to Williamsport Area Community College as part of a Women’s Series initiated by Muzic); President Davie Jane Gilmour; and Lynn Hanson, now a professor at Francis Marion University and co-director of the Baruch Institute for South Carolina Studies. The event also included music from a Williamsport Symphony Orchestra quartet and informal tours of “Veronica’s Garden” on the building’s second floor. Muzic, who died June 18 at the age of 82, joined WACC as an English instructor in 1968 and was awarded its first “Master Teacher” award in 1982. She retired as vice president for academic affairs/provost, served part time service as a special assistant to the president and holds emeritus faculty status.
A public celebration of the life of Veronica M. Muzic – a life that included a half-century of devoted service to the college, its students and her co-workers – will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in Penn College’s Student & Administrative Services Center.
The first 90 minutes will allow guests an opportunity for informal gathering and to visit “Veronica’s Garden” on the second floor, where a Williamsport Symphony Orchestra quartet will perform. Remarks will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by impromptu reminiscences from the floor. “Business casual” attire is suggested.
Muzic, who died June 18 at the age of 82, joined Williamsport Area Community College as an English instructor in 1968 and was awarded its first “Master Teacher” award in 1982. Her years of teaching and administrative leadership culminated in her retirement as vice president for academic affairs/provost, part-time service as a special assistant to the president and induction into the company of emeritus faculty members.
Penn College’s essential Connections program continues through the summer, giving students and their families a comprehensive summer entrée to the exciting new experiences – and the inevitable challenges – of campus life. Daytime programs help in navigating textbook purchases, meal plans and financial aid, while the evening gives way to less-stressful (but no less beneficial) pursuits.
Photos by Tim Wegman, student photographer
“Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” – a collaboration among the Smithsonian Institution, the World of Little League Museum and Penn College – kicked off a 10-week local engagement Sunday with a public reception on the first floor of Madigan Library. The engaging showcase is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program, which enlists rural partners in hosting traveling exhibits. In addition to items reflecting the pervasive influence that athletics has on American society, “Hometown Teams” aptly includes representative pieces from collections within the community, some of which have never been displayed publicity. Members of the Historical Organizations of Lycoming County, schools, individuals and groups are among those lending artifacts for the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 8. Among those attending the official opening was Morgan Parrish, reporter for WBRE/WYOU, whose coverage aired during Sunday evening’s newscasts.
The Community Arts Center has announced its 26th season.
Nearly 1.5 million guests have enjoyed events at the downtown venue since its spectacular reopening in 1993, and millions more are on the way. Making sure that there is something for every taste and every age has become an Arts Center hallmark. The CAC hopes you enjoy this season filled with nationally renowned talent, entertainment, variety and quality shows!
Baseball, soccer, hockey, bowling, kickball and surfing are among the competitive sports that draw participants from around the country and world. Still more gather on the sidelines to cheer for their favorite athletes and teams. Nowhere do Americans more intimately connect to sports than in their hometowns.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Madigan Library, in cooperation with the World of Little League Museum, will celebrate that connection as it hosts “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” from June 30 through Sept. 8. An opening reception for the traveling exhibit will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 30, on the first floor of the library.
Little League International and Pennsylvania College of Technology sponsored a lively “Send-Off to Cooperstown” event Tuesday night for Montoursville’s own Mike Mussina, who will take his place among the ranks of baseball immortals next month.
Mussina, who will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 21 for a stellar 18-year pitching career with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, was honored in a 90-minute session at the Thompson Professional Development Center on the Penn College campus.