Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Program Spotlight: Ronda, Spain: Spanish Language and Culture

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Posted By: Career Enrichment Network

Photos and Content contributed by Jonathan Muth

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Jonathan Muth, majoring in Finance, Accounting, and Spanish spent his summer in Ronda, Spain. Learn more about his experience in Spain, below.

I chose the faculty led summer program, in Ronda, Spain. The most important parts about the program for me, were the location, the ability to stay with a host family and a smaller city in Spain that was not heavily influenced by English. After hearing that Ronda offered a six week program for nine credits, I attended the information session and the program directors did an excellent job showing me just how amazing the program was in its first year. I chose to study abroad in the summer because I did not want to leave Penn State during the fall or spring with my extracurricular activities and other major classes.

The program allowed me to push myself to move from a Spanish minor to Applied Spanish major. I still have plenty of work to complete to achieve the degree, but the nine credits in Spanish during the summer made the opportunity possible. Because of studying in Ronda, I now realize the best way for me to learn a language is through immersing myself in the language for 24 hours a day, therefore my ability to speak the language improved dramatically and will allow me to make the most out of the remaining Spanish classes I will take at Penn State. My biggest weakness has been the lack of time I put into speaking the language, so attending a program in a small town like Ronda allowed me to be forced to speak Spanish at all times because I had no other choice.          

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From living in an uncomfortable environment that forced me to adapt to gaining so much more out of the program than just a higher Spanish-speaking level, I made the most out of the program and if you wish to go on a study abroad program you have to keep the same open mind. This is the only way you will be able to have the life-changing experience so many students receive while studying abroad.

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My favorite activity was the Picnic Marathon I completed 20 miles outside of London, UK that I originally decided to complete because I wanted to be able to say I have completed a marathon on two different continents. However, the race ended up meaning more to me than that because I was able to get to know many of the runners as we were all struggling together through what has been deemed “the hardest marathon in Britain”. I also enjoyed the training program I completed while in Ronda, Spain for the study abroad program because it allowed me to truly explore Ronda and the other cities we visited.

At Penn State, my biggest involvement comes through THON, where I serve as the Assistant Treasurer for the Finance Committee for THON 2017. I also stay involved at Penn State through an a cappella group, The Pennharmonics, a business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and the Club Cross Country team. I have accepted an internship with KPMG next summer.

Upon graduation, I hope to one day receive the opportunity to work in Europe at KPMG, a Big 4 accounting firm, and I now understand that Madrid, Spain would be the best European city for me to work. The largest barrier preventing me from working in Madrid previously was unsurprisingly the Spanish language, but after the program I have the confidence to be able to apply for the summer internship rotation opportunity in Madrid, as well as the possibility to take a rotation in Spain for two years with KPMG. Therefore, I will be able to combine my technical background in Finance and Accounting with my liberal arts background in Applied Spanish to truly prepare myself to make an impact at KPMG.

Liberal Arts Enrichment Funding from the College, this funding is available to all students with at least one major in the College. To learn more about study abroad, be sure to attend the Education Abroad Fair this Fall, taking place in the HUB on October, 12 from 11am-4pm. You can also schedule an appointment with Jackie Smith (jds54@psu.edu ), Global Experiences Coordinator on Network Symplicity

Johnson & Johnson End of the Year Bash

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IST FTK won $1,500 for the kids last year, this year IT COULD BE YOU!

Come join Johnson & Johnson Friday, April 24 at the IST lawns from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for the second annual End of the Year Bash!

Enjoy refreshments, DJ, tailgate games, and networking while competing to win money for THON 2016!

Minimum six members per team. Teams must be affiliated with an official student organization

SIGN UP HERE: http://tinyurl.com/nwvps65

Meet Andrea Chung, Marshal for Labor Studies and Employment Relations

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Andrea Chung is the daughter of Jongwon and Insoon Chung of Poughkeepsie, NY.  A Schreyer Scholar, she is graduating with a degree in Labor Studies and Employment Relations.  Andrea participated in internships with Penn State’s Career Services Office, Penn State’s Human Resource Development Center, Geospatial Data Analysis Corporation, and with Energizer Corporation in Madrid, Spain.  She served as THON chair for the Penn State Chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management, mentored students in the Asian American Students in Action Program, and volunteered with the Starfinder Program and the Mid-State Literacy Program.  After graduation, Andrea will begin a career in human resources with Amazon.

Escorting Faculty Marshal:  Mark S. Anner, Assistant Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and Political Science

By Robin Robinson

LAUC: THON 2012

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LAUC Dancers at THON 2012
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

In the midst of this turbulent year for all of us at Penn State, one of the most prominent questions was how this terrible scandal would affect THON 2012. Not surprisingly, Penn State students worked harder than ever For The Kids. The record breaking total of $10,686,924.83 was beyond anyone’s expectations. A similar story is true for the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council. An organization consisting of no more than thirty students, LAUC could not be more proud of the dedicated members who put in time and effort toward reaching our THON goals.

Thanks to the success of LAUC’s THON 2011 efforts, the Council was rewarded with two guaranteed dancers for THON 2012. We were honored to have Rob Turchick and John Zang represent us for 46 hours on the floor of the BJC. They did an incredible job!

This year, the Council was able to organize a trip to Pittsburgh for the first canning weekend. Never before had we started out on such a strong note with over $1000 raised. Throughout the year LAUCers were enthusiastic to attend and participate in events such as the THON 5K, THON Dodgeball, and various THON sponsored fundraisers. Additionally, one of our initial goals was to improve upon our alternative fundraising. No Shave November was a hairy competition that provided entertainment and funds to add to our THON total. As a new idea, LAUC decided to plan a late-night bake sale where we sold everything from cupcakes to Oreo truffles. The sale was such a fun and successful night, with rehearsed slogans and dancing members, we decided to hold another one a few weeks later. Together the sales brought in $736.80. Our final canning trip to Philadelphia was a weekend full of Cranium battles, Bananagrams, generous donors and a grand total of $2,005.25.

With these extraordinary efforts, combined with THONvelopes and THONline fundraising, LAUC surpassed any goal we could have possibly imagined. We couldn’t be more excited to announce that the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council’s total for THON 2012 is… $9205.92!!!

Thanks for everything LAUC!

Your THON Chairs,

Katie Klonicki & Sarina Katz

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 38 “THON and State Patty’s Day”

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Liberal arts majors John Zang and Rob Turchick join Dean Long for episode 38 of our bi-weekly podcast Liberal Arts Voices to discuss THON and State Patty’s Day.

John and Rob begin the podcast by discussing their experiences as dancers in last weekend’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). For those who do not know, THON is a Penn State student-run annual initiative to raise money in support of pediatric cancer research through the four diamonds fund at Hershey Medical Center. This year, Penn State students raised a staggering $10.6 million that will go to children and families facing the many forms of pediatric cancer.

This year, John and Rob filled the two dancer spots earned by the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) for raising $5,600 last year. John and Rob share how they stayed awake and standing for the 46 hours of the Dance Marathon. John and Rob also talk about how LAUC successfully raised $8,400 this year. Congrats to LAUC for their efforts this year!

The second half of the podcast shifts to a discussion of State Patty’s Day, an annual student created holiday occurring this weekend focusing primarily on drinking. The group talks about the recent movement encouraging students to think differently about State Patty’s Day, especially in light of the events on campus last fall and early spring. John and Rob shed some light on the variety of responses about the holiday within the student body and across the variety of student organizations. Dean Long talks about his recent blog post with LAUC President Lauren Perrotti focusing on the different service initiatives planned for this weekend.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 38 “THON and State Patty’s Day” 

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voice through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions to laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

Join PFP’s New THON Org!

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Hello! Meghan Gillies and I are hoping to start up a THON organization for Paterno Fellows and aspirants.

This is a great way to get involved with a life-changing cause and meet other Paterno Fellows.

If you aren’t aware what THON is check out their website (www.thon.org/) and you’ll find all you need to know. But basically, THON is the world’s largest student run philanthropy and  raises money for kids with pediatric cancer. This year we raised over $9.5 million For The Kids!

If you are interested in joining e-mail both of us at dlm5322@psu.edu and mag5418@psu.edu. This isn’t binding, we are just trying to get an idea of who’d want to get involved.
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Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 23

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In episode twenty three of Liberal Arts Voices, undergraduate students Marlee Kattler and Noelle Smith join the program to discuss their impressions of THON 2011. 

THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. The THON website describes the organization as “a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.” THON has raised more than $78 million since its inception in 1977. This year, THON raised a record breaking $9,563,016.09 for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

In this podcast, Marlee talks about her experience as Campus Outreach Faculty Communications Captain for THON 2011. She sheds light on all of the practical components that go into making THON a success, including a variety of fundraising initiatives throughout the year. 

Noelle spends some time discussing her role as THON 2011 Administrative Assistant for the Communications Committee. Noelle also shares her experiences as a first-time THON dancer. She talks about her training strategies and all of the things that helped to get her through the 46 hours of dancing.

Lastly Marlee and Noelle, both seniors at Penn State,  reflect on their favorite THON memories over the last four years.  If you would like to learn more about THON’s mission and philanthropy goals or to find out how to get involved, visit their website.  

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 23

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voices through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices. 

LAUC THON Fundraising Reaches New High

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LAUC Members at THON
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

The Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council raised a whopping $5,600 this year for THON. Like the overall total for THON, this is a new record for LAUC. They bested their previous record by over $2,000.

What accounts for this overwhelming success? THON Chair Lauren Perrotti says that canning was definitely the group’s most effective fund-raising tactic. Both new LAUC members and seasoned leaders carpooled together and braved the cold on each canning weekend. In addition to helping LAUC meet its THON goals, these experiences “really brought the group together,” says Lauren.

In other years, LAUC was selected in the THON lottery system and was able to choose two students to dance on behalf of the group.  Although they didn’t have that kind of luck this year, the LAUC members maintained their enthusiasm for the event. As a group they attended the Pep Rally and collectively supported the dancers and the Four Diamonds families from 6:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the final day of THON.

LAUC member Gabby Rosemblum, who also served on the Rules and Regulations Committee, estimates that she spent a total of 40 hours at the Bryce Jordan Center during THON. She says that serving on her committee and joining LAUC  “were two of the best decisions that I’ve made so far at Penn State. The people that I met in both of these organizations are all incredible and I have grown very close to them. It felt amazing when LAUC raised so much money for THON, especially since we are a smaller organization. It truly shows how dedicated people are and it was wonderful to know that we each helped to make a difference.”

Kudos to all of the members of LAUC!  We’re proud of you and your very impressive efforts this year. If this upward trend in your fund-raising abilities continues, who knows what next year will bring!

4 Diamonds. 3 Letters. 1 Cause.

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We have 9,563,016.09 more reasons to smile. Wow. It’s still sinking in.

THON 2011 happened in a flash and the hard work that all of the THON volunteers put in this past year has really paid off.

I guess we can start with last week leading into THON…that seems like a lifetime ago! Well Wednesday night I COULD NOT SLEEP…I was so excited for THON that my mind was a-racing. But don’t worry, I finally got some beauty sleep.

Thursday I packed up everything that I would need for the weekend as I was going to be moving into the BJC at 7 am Friday morning. I packed my bag, some snacks and my pillow and I was set to go. I tried to get to bed at a decent hour Thursday night because I had my alarm set for 5:50 am. I thought I would have trouble waking up at that hour, but as soon as my alarm went off I popped right out of bed. I was so excited…THON was finally here.

My roommate was kind enough to drive me and a few of my fellow Co-Captains up to the BJC before the sun had even come up. We had our first Captain meeting once we got there and then we got to work. We had to help transform the BJC into that magical place known as THON.

We loaded and set up cots for the sleep-shift rooms. Captains get two four hour sleep shifts throughout the weekend and but we also were in charge of setting these rooms up. It was so cool to see the BJC transforming throughout the day and to see the behind the scenes efforts of all the volunteers.

My committee members arrived at the BJC at 8 a.m. to decorate their information booth. As Communications Committee Members, one of their responsibilities is to work the THON Information Booths. This requires them to be knowledgeable about all things THON and about the set up of the BJC. To make each booth more fun, the Committee members get to pick a theme and decorate the booth. The theme for out booth was “Video Games”…it looked amazing! Who doesn’t love a good Pac-man? Once the booth was done the committee members were free to go until the Human Tunnel.

What is a Human Tunnel you may ask? Well, all of the Committees line the path from the Multi-sports Complex (where the Dancers meet pre-THON) to the BJC. Everyone cheers on the dancers as they work their way to the BJC where they will soon be standing without sleep for 46 straight hours. Communications was the first group on the course and my Committee was so excited for THON to start.

Dancers stood at 6 p.m. and the excitement in the air was contagious. Little kids were running around with squirt guns, coloring books and some great music…THON was officially underway. The place was packed and already bumping with energy. My committee had four shifts throughout the weekend and they were prompt and on time to all of them. I have never been more proud than I was this weekend after seeing my committee truly enjoy the essence of THON. During every shift, they get floor time where they had the chance to dance, play with kids, and visit their friends who were dancing. They got to interact with some of the children and got in some serious water gun fights, which they lost of course.

One of my favorite parts of THON is looking down into the sea of colored t-shirts on floor. These shirts are the colors of all the 14 different Committees that help to make THON happen. Each of these Committees is so important and vital to the success of THON. Everybody involved in THON makes it what it is and we are all bonded by a common cause. In the words of JoePa…”When they say We Are Penn State…this is what they are talking about.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.  

I can’t believe that THON has come and gone in a blink of an eye. I am so excited to see what THON 2012 will bring.  We will not stop until the day that we can dance in celebration. My Captain from last year sent me an email this Tuesday, after THON was over, in which he said that THON is not just an opportunity to receive something, but an opportunity to give something. I will take all that I have received from THON with me for the rest of my life. 

“When you bring together good people for a common cause, there really are no limits.”
-Together Without Limits 2011 

For The Kids, For The Future,

Marlee

THON Countdown Begins!

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I know it’s been a little while since I’ve blogged for LAUS@PSU, but THON is rapidly approaching and I have been super busy. In less than two weeks, THON 2011 will be here and the thought is overwhelmingly exciting. It honestly feels like just yesterday that I was a new Committee Member going to my first shift for THON 2010. How fast time flies!

Since my last post, a lot has happened. First of all, my Committee went on the third canning weekend, this time, to my “home sweet home” in good old Landenberg, PA. It’s lovely this time of year, bitter cold and smells like mushrooms. What more could a group of college students ask for?

Let me say one thing, my Committee members are troopers! During this canning weekend, there were weather advisories warning people not to go outdoors because of the frigid temperatures. But that did not stop us. We were up bright and early on Saturday morning, greeted by a delicious breakfast spread that my wonderful mother put together. Once we cleared the sleepy fog from our eyes, we bundled ourselves up in tons of layers, piled into the cars, and set out for a day of canning FOR THE KIDS. That is really what kept us going that day – just knowing that we were helping to make a difference in the lives of many children and families.  Twenty minutes into canning, the tops of my fingers went numb – great. But we started doing last year’s line dance to stay warm and the donations started flowing! After a long day of a canning, we returned to the warmth of my house to defrost our bodies and count the money. We did a great job and I was proud of my Committee members for being so dedicated.

A few weeks after the canning weekend, my Co-Captain Louise and I hosted a pre-THON meeting for any interested faculty members. It was a small group but it was extremely productive and beneficial. We got to hear their ideas about increasing THON involvement and got some great starting points for For The Future (FTF). Right now, one of the events that we are planning for the faculty and staff THON weekend is a behind the scenes tour of the BJC. We will also teach the participants the line dance which they will eventually get to perform on stage…lucky them! These will be fun events and a great way for faculty and staff to see THON from a different perspective.

This weekend is the final canning weekend. My committee is not going canning this time.  Instead, I plan on going home for the weekend to rest up before the big weekend next week (February 18-20, 2011). THON is approaching very quickly, so get excited and make sure to come check it out. I promise, you won’t regret it! Look for a post next week about the week leading up to THON…it’s going to be a whirlwind but I can’t wait!

FTK,
Marlee

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