Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Mardi Gras Jazz Event for Fellows

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Your Paterno Student Advisory Board has arranged a great way for you to celebrate Mardi Gras, Tuesday, February 16:  with some jazz!  For just $5, as a Paterno Fellow or aspirant you can attend the Monterey Jazz Festival 7:30 p.m. performance in Eisenhower Auditorium AND a special pre-performance chat with some of the musicians (and some appropriate-for-the-day food and drink) beginning at 6:15.  Claim your ticket by coming to 119 Sparks as soon as you can.

You may also bring one non-Paterno Fellow/aspirant with you if you’d like, for the same $5 price. (Student tickets for this event are normally priced at $20.)  We have arranged for special seating together in a top location.

Also Note: if you take advantage of this opportunity and buy a ticket or two, you must commit to attending the pre-performance discussion (featuring one or more of the performers!) beginning at 6:15.  Come to Eisenhower Auditorium at 6:15 and you will be directed to the room for the pre-performance food-and-discussion.
 
Final Note: The first 25 people to claim tickets will be guaranteed a spot.  After that we will try to secure a space for you, and expect to secure it; but we cannot guarantee it. (This has to do with arranging for special rates.)

Visit Penn State’s Center for the Performing Arts to find out more about this event.

Alicia Partnoy Lecture

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On Friday, January 22nd, I headed to 402 Burrowes with other students and faculty in anticipation of seeing author Alicia Partnoy discuss her works and her past as an Argentinean prisoner of war. In her talk, “From Prison-Writing to YouTube: Testimonial as Tools for Survival,” Partnoy recounted her capture by the Argentinean army in 1977 for publicly opposing the government and their policies. After being locked up with hundreds of other female prisoners in a 9×9 meter cell in a prison called La Escuelita, Partnoy began to write poems, later published in her poetry anthology Revenge of the Apple, as a means of building what she calls “a bridge of solidarity” between her and her fellow prisoners. The sense of community formed among the female prisoners is one of the reasons Partnoy refers to literature as a “tool for survival.”

Partnoy is a huge part of the movement towards gaining recognition and demanding action for the disappearance of Argentineans that she says still occurs today. When asked why she felt it was so important for her to be a part of this cause, Partnoy answered, “We in academia can speak for others because we have the authority.” As an English major, I couldn’t have agreed with this statement more. What is the point of building a reputation as an author if not to speak for those who aren’t in a position to communicate their problems? This talk led me to think about how different our lives as Americans would be if our rights were not protected by the Constitution, and if we instead had to risk our safety to convey our thoughts.

Partnoy also discussed YouTube as a more democratic form of testimonial, which led me to believe that YouTube will play a large role in future testimonials. It is on YouTube, after all, that you can truly express yourself with little threat of censorship. And what better way to reach the masses about important social issues than through something as universal as YouTube?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

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Written by Autumn Griffin, Liberal Arts sophomore

Make it a day on… NOT a day off!

As many of you know, today is the MLK Day of Service. Dr. King dedicated his life to service to the community and more importantly to the nation. I truly believe he would want us to celebrate his birthday by giving back to our own communities in some way.

For the past few months, Meg Penza, Veronica Ariel, and I have been working to coordinate the Day of Service on campus. We have researched and contacted sites, narrowed them down, recruited volunteers, trained team leaders, organized transportation, and the list goes on. The past few months have been a bit hectic, but we are all excited that the day is here and we are sure all of our hard work is going to pay off!

I would encourage everyone to get involved today. If not through the Day of Service, just do something to make someone else happy: call your grandparents, take your dog on a walk, donate a dollar to Project Haiti. Every little bit helps and everyone is capable of service.

I’ll close by reiterating my opening statement: Make it a day on… NOT a day off!

Please visit Penn State’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Web site for more information on today’s events schedule.

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