Before gracing Happy Valley with his presence, President Graham Spanier got his undergraduate and master's degrees at Iowa State. I'd say they've served him pretty well—so well, in fact, that Iowa State is having Spanier as their keynote speaker at the 50th anniversary celebration of ISU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Said Michael Whiteford, the College's dean, "That he is a university president and an Iowa State sociology graduate makes his return to campus for our college's 50th anniversary all the more meaningful."
Our beloved G-Span will leave us when he travels to Ames, Iowa, to give his speech: "What You Can Learn Sleeping in the Residence Halls," an apt reflection of today's college students. It's an appropriate subject for the venue, as going to college is infinitely different from 50 years ago. And he, of anyone, would know, from actually sleeping in the residence halls among the rank and file each move-in weekend.
ISU quotes Spanier as saying, "I always enjoy returning to Iowa State, since it brings back so many fond memories." Memories of going back and forth between the library and chapel, of course. No, but really, any man who has participated in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and is the president of one of the biggest universities in the United States is the definition of well-rounded, to the point where you wonder if he's for real.
More power to you, G-Span, you've showed us how real you are. Go show your alma mater what you're all about.
English 497 is a class that most of us will never take. "Narrative, Oral History, New Media Technologies" allows students to document their recent experiences in the Iraq War.
Penn State created this course in the spring of 2009 to provide an outlet for those adjusting from military service to college life. According to the class website, "Students gained hands-on experience in documentary filmmaking and oral history interviewing while learning pre- and post-production video techniques."
Through videos, writing assignments, and blog posts, the students shared their memories to educate others as well as to examine their experiences on a personal level.
Dave Walker, a 28-year-old from Danville, recently took the class and graduated from Penn State. Says Philly.com, "Walker's stylishly produced film tracks the contrasts in attitudes and experiences between an enthusiastic ROTC student looking forward to military service and that of one of Walker's friends who served in Iraq."
The students' blogs and videos are available on the website, so check them out if you'd like some personal accounts of the Iraq War.
The 2010 Senior Gift Committee is now taking applications for next year's Committee. Anyone graduating in May, August, or December of 2011 is eligible to participate in this nearly 150 year old Penn State tradition.
Past gift include nearly every PSU landmark (besides Old Main), including the Nittany Lion Shrine and the Allen Street Gates. Past committees have also provided student and research support through scholarships and endowments.
If you’re an enthusiastic extrovert with a passion for Penn State, then fill out that app and have a say in how your class will be remembered. Will its gift be an awesome Tyrannosaurus Rex building with classrooms in its fire-breathing head, or a nice bench?
We here at Onward State absolutely feel that everyone should have a good time, but not if it involves breaking the law and can cause serious damage to yourself and others. Police reports show that "In less than three hours State College Police arrested three drunk and dangerous drivers with very high blood alcohol levels early Thursday morning, January 14, 2010, in downtown State College." These men, aged 27 to 66, had blood alcohol levels of at least three times the legal limit of 0.08 each. According to the same report, "there were 908 drunk drivers arrested in Centre County and nearly 400 in State College alone [in 2009]."
That is an extraordinarily high percentage from State College. We may be the number 1 party school in the country, but there comes a moment where it goes from having a good time to becoming a hazard for everyone around you. There have been incidents where drunk drivers have killed students in recent times. At the risk of sounding like a public service announcement, you never know when bad decisions can end your life or another's, so please be safe.
A new social networking site called ineedcollege.com has recently come into our lives… and it’s about as useful as a rusty fork jammed between your toes. Well O.K., maybe it’s not quite that bad but these folks are trying to pull a Lloyd Christmas and tape the head back on a dead bird, then package it to us […]