News about Faculty & Staff

Five members of Penn College’s active military community made quick work of their year-end assignment on Thursday afternoon, hanging stars and other ornaments on the Veterans Holiday Tree outside Madigan Library. General Services employees strung colored lights before Thanksgiving, and this week’s crew – capitalizing on the time-saving use of wire, rather than individually placing each star – closed out its mission in less than a half-hour. The tree is across Hagan Way from The Major General Fred F. Marty, USA Retired, Veterans & Military Resource Center, whence the decorating team mobilized: Chet Beaver, coordinator of veteran and military services; and students Nathan L. Caputo, of South Williamsport, building construction technology; Nick J. Hammer, of Lock Haven, information technology: network specialist concentration; Emily J. Jones, of Avis, accounting; and Andrew Placencia, of Reading, automotive technology management. There are 339 stars on the tree this year, honoring members of the Penn College family who self-identify as veterans or active-duty servicemen and women.

First-shift horticulturists from General Services laid the far-above-groundwork for decorating the Veterans Holiday Tree outside Madigan Library, stringing the underlying red, white and blue lights that honor the Penn College family’s servicewomen and men. The tribute will resume on the afternoon of Dec. 3, when a crew led by Chet Beaver, coordinator of veteran and military services, will add stars and other ornaments denoting the nearly 300 campus community members who have self-identified as active-duty or veteran military personnel. The tree on the northeast side of the library has been decorated annually since 2017; its successor on the other side of Hagan Way was felled due to disease.