Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

2015 Paterno Fellows Honors Thesis Awards

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Congratulations to the recipients of the 2015 Paterno Fellows Honors Thesis Awards!  Each will receive $500 in recognition of superior research and rigorous exploration of an original topic.

Trevor Brandt is a Paterno Fellow graduating with degrees in History and Political Science, with minors in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and German. He is the recipient of the award for Best Honors Thesis in the Humanities for “I Am a Roman Citizen: The Shrinking of Roman Identity during the Macedonian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire.”

Katherine Busalacchi, a Paterno Fellow graduating with a degree in Anthropology, with minors in Spanish and International Studies, is the recipient of the award for Best Honors Thesis in the Social Sciences for “Opportunities for Collaboration with Traditional Healers in HIV Prevention and Education Programs in South Africa.”

And the winners are…

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Congratulations to the winners of the Second Annual Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest:

First Place: Elizabeth Rush, ’16, Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, Communication Arts and Sciences, and Spanish

Second Place: Natalie Morrissey, ’18, Schreyer Scholar, Chemical Engineering

Third Place: Joseph Nakpil, ’15, Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, Comparative Literature and Russian

Honorable Mention: Dhiren Kapoor, ’16, Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, Economics, and Supply Chain and Information Systems

Honorable Mention: Noah Lingwall, ’17, Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, History, and Global and International Studies

Honorable Mention: Marissa Kandziolka, ’18, Paterno Fellow Aspirant, Economics

Watch for their winning essays to be published in the coming weeks on Voices!

Paterno Fellows Recognition Ceremony, January 28

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The annual Paterno Fellows Recognition Ceremony takes place on Wednesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Worship Hall, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. This event celebrates the achievements of students who have been admitted to the Schreyer Honors College and the Paterno Fellows Program over the past calendar year. The program will include presentations by Lauren Perrotti, PF ’12; Victoria Woods, PF ’15; Beth Rudoy, PF ’13; and Briana Adams, PF ’16; as well as winners of the Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest. A dessert reception will follow the Ceremony.

This event is free and open to the public.  All aspiring and admitted Fellows are expected to attend, and others are welcome to join in!

Dress is casual. Please dress for the weather!

Discovery Grants Workshop

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Students are encouraged to attend a workshop on Tuesday, January 27, from 4:00–5:00 in W023 Pattee Library on applying for Discovery Grants to support summer research.  The deadline to apply for the grant is February 13.  All junior honors students should consider applying for Discovery Grants.

All students are invited to participate, but this workshop will be most useful to juniors. Advance registration is not necessary.

Presidential Leadership Academy Information Session

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When: Thursday, January 15, 4:00 p.m.

Where: 124 Sparks Building

First-year students are encouraged to apply for membership in the next Presidential Leadership Academy class. The selection process takes place spring semester and activities begin in the fall.  Interested? Come to this info session! We’ll give helpful hints and address frequently asked questions. Current Liberal Arts Presidential Leadership Academy members will be there to offer their perspectives on what makes a successful application and what the PLA involves and offers. (You can still apply without coming to the session.)

Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest

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The Paterno Fellows Program proudly presents the Second Annual Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest. Our purpose is to encourage Penn State undergraduate students to explore ethical values and intercultural issues, and their talent for expressing their views in writing.

Essays should be no longer than 800 words and will be judged on originality, relevance, and creativity. The contest is open to all full-time baccalaureate students who are enrolled at any Penn State campus for at least one semester of the 2014–15 academic year.

Please select ONE of the following prompts:

  1. “All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
    What are the differences among these three, and how can they best collaborate?
  2. “The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations to have as little political connection as possible…. It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” ~ George Washington
    How should we understand this historical legacy? Do you think that the United States should continue to foster democracy across the world? Why or why not?
  3. “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ~ Charles William Eliot
    What is your favorite book, and how has it changed your world view or impacted the way you live your life?

All winners will be acknowledged at the annual Paterno Fellows Recognition Ceremony on January 28. Winning essays will be published on Liberal Arts Voices. Winners will receive $500 for first place, $400 for second place, and $300 for third place.

Submit your essay no later than January 16 at voices.la.psu.edu/essay-contest.

Paterno Fellows Class of 2014 Graduation Ceremony

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chloe

Chloe Weaver addresses students, faculty, and families at the 2014 Paterno Fellows graduation ceremony.

On May 10, 2014, the third graduating class of Paterno Fellows was honored at a ceremony and reception on the Sparks Building lawn. Approximately 80 students graduated as Fellows this academic year. Chloe Weaver, Class of 2014, spoke about her opportunities as a Paterno Fellow, a Liberal Arts education, and what the future holds.

As Paterno Fellows in the Liberal Arts, we not only have the tools, but we also have the expectation, to go beyond classroom learning and to, for the first time, taking off these training wheels we’ve become so accustomed to. We are taught how to communicate in a global marketplace and to understand philanthropy as a way of life—to give back what’s been given to us. We are expected to recognize the ethical intensity of daily decisions and to lead our lives as moral role models. We are given the cushion of research grants and encouraged to ask the big questions. We’re all idealists who want to leave the world better than we found it, and so many of us want to put that passion into a career.

Read the full speech here: WeaverPFPspeech

View photos from the May 10 Paterno Fellows Ceremony and Reception here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lausatpsu/sets/72157645316329173/ and http://www.picmyphotos.com/ (password Paterno).

Paterno Fellows Honors Thesis Awards

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Congratulations to Andrew D’Aversa and Sara Treumann, recipients of the first annual Paterno Fellows Honors Thesis Award!  Each will receive $500 in recognition of their superior research and rigorous exploration of an original topic.

Andrew D’Aversa, a Paterno Fellow graduating with degrees in History and Management with a minor in Economics is the recipient of the Paterno Fellows Humanities Honors Thesis Award for “Delmonico’s: The Creation of the Modern American Restaurant.”

Sara Treumann, a Paterno Fellow graduating with degrees in Philosophy, Women’s Studies, and Political Science is the recipient of the Paterno Fellows Social Sciences Honors Thesis Award for “The Burden of Consent.”

College Town Film Festival Announces Competition

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The College Town Film Festival (State Theatre, April 16–19) is running a competition for Best Trailer for the Festival.  The trailers should be between 1:30 and 3:00 minutes long, and should promote the idea behind the Festival.  They can be creative short stories, or anything that will attract positive attention to the Festival and make people want to go.  We want to challenge students to think outside the box in the spirit of indie film, so anything goes.  The winner’s trailers will screen at the State Theatre in the weeks leading up to the Festival and during the Festival.  The winning entry will receive $200, the second place entry will receive $100, and two runners-up will receive $50.  Entries should be turned in or sent to Professor Matthew Jordan <mfj3@psu.edu> in an appropriate way by March 7, 2014 (before Spring Break).  Decisions will be made within two weeks.

The College Town Film Festival is a four day event, April 16-19, at The State Theatre that will feature approximately 10 independent films and a dozen shorts, and will bring in Film Makers, Actors and Writers to talk with students about the films they have made. The films are chosen based on based on fit of topic with units and areas within the University, and based on the availability of the creators. The films will be introduced and framed by faculty, who will then help lead the discussions after the film with students and the community.

For more information, please contact Matthew Jordan <mfj3@psu.edu> / (814) 863-1243.

Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program

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The application for the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program is now available.  Submit your mentee application by December 1 for priority consideration.

The Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program welcomes Liberal Arts students to apply to be connected with a Liberal Arts alumni mentor. Students are matched with alumni in a field related to their major. Mentors work with students to reflect on their experiences and goals, develop new skills, and network for the future. Preference is given to juniors and seniors, but sophomores are encouraged to apply.

Contact Heather Baruch-Bueter (hzb100@psu.edu) with any questions about the program.

For more information, and to complete the application, go to: http://laus.la.psu.edu/network/mentoring

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