This fall, the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) created an internship program to get freshman students familiar with the politics and Robert's Rules of student government. It looks like the program was a success, as many freshman interns are currently looking to extend their involvement with UPUA by getting elected to a representative position.
UPUA Chief of Staff Matt Smith lead the interns in their weekly meetings and tried to teach them about the university in various ways, including exploring archives, studying how the faculty senate functions, and working with UPUA officials in various capacities.
Have you been to the HUB lately? If so, you’ve probably seen the boardwalk in the Pollock Road entrance. While that is not the class gift itself, it’s meant to excite people for what’s to come: the Marsh Meadow Boardwalk and Overlook at the Arboretum.
The Arboretum finally opened to the public this year, and the class of 2010 chose to present the University with a gift that reflects both their time here and has use in the future. Seniors have already pledges tens of thousands of dollars to fund the building of a boardwalk and overlook across the James J. and Lynn D. Ramage Marsh Meadow in the Arboretum.
If you’d like to keep up with the 2010 Senior Class Gift, check out their blog, their website, or even just walk through the HUB.
Penn State offers over 160 undergraduate majors - no doubt a daunting number. The average college student changes majors two or three times throughout their college career. I’d be willing to bet that many of you reading this haven’t declared a major yet or are unsure if the one you’re currently in is “the one.” Wouldn’t it have been nice to have been exposed to what a particular major entails before you took the $14,000 leap?
This coming July, Penn State’s Smeal College of Business is offering a “Stock Market Madness Camp: An Introduction to Trading and Analysis.” Read on for the full scoop on the program.
In the midst of Obama's health care success came another, albeit less publicized, fulfillment of a campaign promise. Congress endorsed his plan to overhaul the federal student loan system. Now the legislation moves on to the Senate, where leaders think they have the votes to get it passed.
The most major of the bill's effects on student-loans is that $61 billion in savings from switching to Direct Loans will be reallocated to support the Pell Grant program, which provides need-based tuition grants to students.
The 3rd Annual IdeaPitch Competition is a generator of that which America needs most in these hard economic times-- entrepreneurial businesses.
Hosted by the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Smeal College of Business, IdeaPitch allows teams (of which only one member has to be a Penn State student) to compete for resources and venture capital funding. The format of the competition is similar to what one would face in pursuing money from an established venture capital firm.
The grand prize is $2000, but unless you're starting a blog, that won't get you very far. In addition to the cash, the winning team gets office space in the Keller Building, the chance to participate in the Garber Practicum and potentially receive money from the Garber Fund, and free access to any legal services the team may need.
Past overall winners have been primarily technological. Last year's winner was a piece of software that linked together study aids for all the major college admissions tests. Before that was a group that offered a synthetic version of drywall.
This Friday will be the "Final Eight" round, where prizes will be presented.
The large white and yellow structure that graced on the Pattee Mall last week was produced by Dave Celento, a professor of architecture, and his architecture class. The installation is officially called the Digital Daffodil Pavilion.
Students in last fall's ARCH 497C Digital Fabrication created the installation as a class project, but it was only constructed last week. The delay seemed to have worked out well, as the design seems perfect for spring.
All the elements were designed digitally and constructed using a computer controlled mill by the students. The design itself was inspired by flower petals and, unlike many of the sculptures around campus, students are encouraged to interact with the pavilion, rearranging petals or simply sitting inside.