Food-lovers found sweetheart deals at Dining Services’ Valentine’s Day buffet, held in advance of the holiday … and in spite of not-so-nice weather. Tuesday’s mouth-watering Capitol Eatery menu included lobster ravioli, pork persillade, roasted fresh vegetables and homemade bread.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
Tiana M. Rawls-White, a culinary arts technology major from Northumberland, captured the 2019 “Penn College Star” title with a prize-winning vocal performance among seven accomplished challengers. Singer Amber L. Way, of Port Matilda, enrolled in applied health studies: occupational therapy assistant concentration, placed second; and mechatronics engineering technology student Kyle B. Linscott, a Williamsporter who sang and played guitar to original music, was the third-place finisher. Jarred J. Jones, whose talent was BMX tricks, was chosen as “Fan Favorite.” Four other musicians performed: singers Skyla E. Feerrar, Danielle M. Fidler and Kai K. Marshall, and Perry R. Leslie Wheat, who played original music on bass guitar. Students Cole A. Gehman and Trevor J. Route shared master-of-ceremonies duties at the sixth annual talent show, held this past week in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium under the sponsorship of the Wildcat Events Board.
Penn College recently partnered with the Beloved Community Council, Lycoming College and STEP AmeriCorps during “Dream Week,” leveraging the power of volunteers to help tackle local challenges and advance the Martin Luther King’s vision of equal opportunity. The planning committee this week held its wrap-up meeting and provided additional photos of the various events that honor Rev. Dr. King’s mid-January birthday and facilitate community collaboration on the eve of February’s Black History Month observance. Among those activities were a downtown Peace Walk and memorial tribute to community leader Richard C. James, a joint service project on behalf of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and engaging conversations on race, culture and politics.
Yellow ribbons, T-shirts and banners provided a vibrant contrast to the wintry landscape – and a vital symbol of support – as the Penn College community raised its collective voice for suicide prevention. In the annual Yell(ow) It Out observance, all were encouraged to wear the appropriate color and post on social media using the #pcthope hashtag to show their solidarity. Resource tables were located across campus providing information on suicide prevention and education. Ribbons and T-shirts were available, and students wrote messages on flags that will be displayed outdoors. The observance also included QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training for students and employees, empowering them to intercede when they notice someone experiencing depression or having potentially suicidal thoughts. The effort attracted the attention of WNEP’s Kristina Papa, who compiled a news segment that debuted at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Elementary and middle school students and their families are invited to a Science Festival on the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus on Thursday, Feb. 21.
The festival is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. in the college’s Field House and features hands-on activities designed to spark excitement about science, math, engineering and technology.
The Field House will be filled with fun activities and demonstrations presented by local organizations that include businesses, high school and college faculty and students, and the Society of Plastics Engineers’ PlastiVan. The event is intended to make learning fun.
“Art can go where the law has not. Art can lead public discussion to a tipping point,” said Cheryl Jefferson, executive producer of “The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions,” during a campus talk on Thursday. Jefferson and Charles Gniech, curator of the exhibition, delivered their remarks at an evening reception in The Gallery at Penn College. Attended by a large crowd of students, faculty, staff and community members, the gathering offered an opportunity to explore the collection of thought-provoking works created by 21 artists. The aim of the fine art exhibition is to raise awareness of global human rights violations and promote social change. “The Art of Influence” is on display through Feb. 28. Located on the third floor of Madigan Library, the gallery is open from 2-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1-4 p.m. Sundays.
A traveling museum honoring the contributions of African-American inventors, from George Washington Carver’s groundbreaking scientific discoveries to the lesser-known faces behind societal icons, helped the Penn College community observe Black History Month. Sammie L. Davis, coordinator of diversity and cultural life, facilitated the unique collection of inventions on the first floor of Madigan Library from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Curators Clifton Brown and Leland Scott were on hand to interact with visitors and answer questions about the displays, each of which includes a patent date, biographical sketch, and additional historical information and facts. “People are often surprised to learn who is responsible for inventing or improving upon so many of the products and items we see and use every day,” said Brown, a Chrysler retiree who founded the pop-up museum (and related exhibits that celebrate other African-American notables, from sports figures to musicians to civil-rights pioneers). “And I want people to know that there’s enough history to celebrate year-round, not just in February!” As the state’s first Gold Star Library in the PA Forward Star Program, Madigan Library was a natural to house the Ohio-based exhibition; African American History on Wheels epitomizes the “civic and social literacy” skill that helps form the five-sided foundation of the commonwealth’s library initiative. For a complete list of campus programming, check out the Diversity and Community Engagement portal site or this year’s poster: Black History Month
Most photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer
Free dental care – including screenings, sealants, fluoride varnish treatment and education – is available to children ages 7 to 15 on Saturday, March 2, in the Pennsylvania College of Technology Dental Hygiene Clinic.
The event is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists’ Association as part of its Sealant Saturday initiative. Sealant Saturday events are held across the state.
The Penn College event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. The college’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is on the second floor in the west wing of the Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center.
Pennsylvania College of Technology recently held a grand reopening celebration for Nature’s Cove, one of its 10 dining units.
Nature’s Cove updated its dining room with new cabinets and countertops, a larger soda fountain and updated merchandising coolers, additional seating with new dining room chairs, and a fresh coat of paint.
The generous support of Pennsylvania College of Technology students by two donor groups – The 1914 Society and The Pillar Society – was readily affirmed in the Community Arts Center’s Capitol Lounge on Saturday evening.
The 1914 Society recognizes individuals and families who make an annual commitment of $1,000 or more to the college; The Pillar Society’s members have named the college or the Penn College Foundation as beneficiaries of planned gifts.
President Davie Jane Gilmour greeted donors and thanked them for their enduring support of Penn College, while Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement, provided an overview of how their far-reaching thoughtfulness impacts students.
The Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, with 18 locations that employ a number of Penn College alumni, was honored Wednesday for its inspiring generosity and ongoing dedication to Wildcat Athletics. Through scholarship support, mentorship and other substantial contributions – including new scoreboards in Bardo Gymnasium – the Alexander family’s financial commitment was noted by the Wildcat Club as “creating lasting impact for our student-athletes and the athletic facilities they call home.” Among those on hand for Corporate Partner Day during a basketball doubleheader against the College of Saint Elizabeth was Aubrey Alexander, a 2009 business administration graduate and member of the Penn College Foundation Board of Directors.
The Financial Aid Office at Pennsylvania College of Technology will help current and future college students and their families complete the 2019-20 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The FAFSA online application is required by colleges and universities to determine student eligibility for federal and state grants, federal loans and some scholarships.
Penn College’s free FAFSA completion session is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 24, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The session will be in Room 1049 of the Student & Administrative Services Center on the college’s main campus. Students enrolled or planning to enroll at any college or university are invited. Students who are 23 or younger should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Penn College students and employees are encouraged to participate in “Dream Week” activities centered around the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, beginning with a Peace Walk through downtown Williamsport on Saturday, Jan. 19.
The walk will form at First United Methodist Church, 604 Market St., at 10 a.m.; transportation will be provided from the Bush Campus Center Loop at 9:30. Refreshments and a musical celebration, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” will follow in the church.
Members of the Penn College community are encouraged to contribute life-saving blood during this month’s collection for the American Red Cross. Online appointments are available for the visit, scheduled from noon-6 p.m. Jan. 15-16 in Penn’s Inn (Bush Campus Center, second floor). Pediatric cancer patients also will be helped by the two-day drive, as $4 will be donated to the Four Diamonds Fund on behalf of Penn College Benefiting THON for each unit of blood collected. College Health Services will provide special T-shirts to successful donors, and director Carl L. Shaner – noting the snowy disruption of a November Bloodmobile – has “fingers crossed that the weather is good!” The specter of winter looms large over the Red Cross’s collection efforts, as the need for donors doesn’t get a snow day. Weather-related Bloodmobile cancellations add to a shortage that has already hit emergency levels, so faculty/staff and students are urged to consider rolling up their sleeves.
Pennsylvania College of Technology held its Fall 2018 commencement on Saturday, Dec. 22, in the Community Arts Center, bringing down the curtain − as winter officially arrives and the new year nears − on another season of academic success. The student speaker was Katherine Lynne Mertes, of Williamsport, who was awarded a bachelor’s degree in residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration. Also addressing the Class of ’18 was Joanna K. Flynn, associate professor of mathematics, who was presented with the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award in May. Civil engineering technology alumna Margaret A. Jackson received the Alumni Achievement Award during the ceremony, at which more than 300 degrees were conferred by college President Davie Jane Gilmour and Steven P. Johnson, president of UPMC Susquehanna and a member of the college’s Board of Directors.