SGA Presidential elections will be held on Tuesday, March 30, and Wednesday, March 31, 2010.

Voting will be conducted online and will commence at 12:01 a.m. on March 30 and conclude at 11:59 p.m. on March 31.

Candidates for this year’s election are:

President

• Zena Lewoc
• Kevin Napoli
• Quanisha Smith

Vice President

• Elizabeth Gross
• Travis Oberweis
• Nurislombek Ibragimov

A write in vote for “Teacher of the Year” will also be held. Vote for your favorite faculty member.

Voting instructions are outlined below. Please exercise your student right to help select the campus student government leadership for 2010-2011.

Voting instructions:

• Click on https://elections.psu.edu/hn
• Enter your User ID and Password. Submit.
• You will see the names of the three tickets which are running for election. Click on your choice for president and vice president. They are on the same ticket.
• Write in your choice for “Teacher of the Year”
• Click on “Review”
• Review your selections. If satisfied, click on “Submit Vote” or “Return” to make revisions.
• You will receive a thank you and indication that your choice has been accepted.
• The election process is now complete.

NOTE: You cannot access the election web site until 12:01 on March 30.

If you experience any problems with the voting process, please contact the Office of Student Affairs in 105 Butler by calling 570-450-3160.

In celebration of the upcoming holidays, the Greater Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association will host photos and refreshments for children with Santa and the Nittany Lion on Wed., Dec. 1, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Harlam Lounge of the Administration Building at Penn State Hazleton. This event is free and open to the public.

The Alumni Chapter requests that parents and children attending the event bring a new, unwrapped toy of any size in exchange for the photo. The toys will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House at Geisinger Medical Center.

Parents are welcomed to bring a camera to take advantage of this great opportunity for holiday keepsakes and greeting card photos.

For more information, call Carole Shearer, Penn State Hazleton alumni and development specialist, at 450-3016.

Marlene Guers, interim director of Academic Affairs and senior instructor in mathematics at Penn State Hazleton, died November 19 at her home after a brief illness.

She was appointed interim director of Academic Affairs on Aug. 1, 2010, during the medical leave of Director of Academic Affairs Monica E. Gregory. She was named assistant director of Academic Affairs on July 1, 2010. Guers joined Penn State Hazleton in 1981 as a part-time instructor in mathematics. She became a full-time instructor in 1982 and was promoted to senior instructor in mathematics July 1, 2001.

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary Lawler said, “Marlene was a long-time educator recognized for her genuine passion for helping students learn and succeed at mathematics. She stepped in to serve the campus and faculty members several times during her career. The entire Penn State family extends condolences to the family and shares in the loss of a dynamic educator and administrator.”

Penn State Hazleton students were recently honored for receiving scholarships from Barnes & Noble, operators of the campus bookstore. Pictured with the students are, from left, Nancy Thompson, regional manager, Barnes & Noble; Crystal Otero, assistant manager, Penn State Hazleton bookstore; Amanda Gipson, freshman, Drums; Kelly Pandolpho, freshman, Cedar Grove, NJ; Alicia Giersdorf, freshman, Limon, Colorado; Jenessa Tomassacci, freshman, Drums; Dr. Dwayne Hilton, director, Student Services and Engagement; and Linda Major, manager, Penn State Hazleton and Penn State Wilkes-Barre bookstores. Also receiving a scholarship was Eric Huttemann, freshman, Glassboro, NJ.

The group provides tours and information to prospective students and their families visiting the campus for open houses and other visitation events, provides support for off-campus activities and on-campus events, including commencement and Academic Achievement Awards ceremony. Lion Ambassadors also help to encourage and share Penn State pride and enthusiasm with current and future students, alumni, and friends.

The Lion Ambassadors invite the community to meet the Nittany Lion and remind students who want to attend Penn State that applications are now being accepted.

For more information, call Penn State Hazleton's Admissions Office at 450-3142.

The play, which has its roots in Greek antiquity and mythology, addresses issues as prevalent today as they were then - issues such as the status of women in society and the nature of political power. 

The play is also a study of personalities. Medea is a woman of passion, a flaw which rules and ultimately ruins her life. Antigone is a woman of principle which she holds sacred in her life, as well as in death. King Creon is the man, who caught between the actions of Antigone and Medea, wrestles with his role as king and the power it encompasses.

Readers of the title roles will include Erika Funke, the voice of Arts Scene on WVIA-FM, as Antigone; and Maria Jacketti, an adjunct instructor at Penn State Hazleton, as Medea. Clark Luis, with a background in theaters in New York and Minneapolis, will read the part of King Creon. Other readers include Chris Norton, director of WVIA-FM, Fiona Powell, Bianca Roman, Marianna Oplinger, Wayne Funk and Stephen Barna.

Penn State Hazleton’s THON committee will host a Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, 2 Weis Lane, West Hazleton, on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Tickets, $6.00 for adults and $4.50 for children, will be sold at the door or by calling the campus Student Affairs office at 570-450-3183. All proceeds go toward the fight against pediatric cancer.  

Penn State Hazleton THON captains will help to serve the food at the breakfast, which will also feature a visit by the university’s mascot, the Nittany Lion. 

Short for the Penn State IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon, THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Penn State students spend almost one year fundraising, with efforts culminating in February in a 46-hour dance marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center at the University Park campus. All monies raised are donated to the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.  

In addition to the breakfast, students will also participate in “canning” – standing at area businesses with permission and asking people for donations – a long-standing THON tradition.

Canning weekends are scheduled for Jan. 21-23, and Feb. 11-13. Students will “can” from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at several area locations including Gould’s ShurSave, Conyngham; Boyer’s Food Market, Hazleton; and Walmart, Hazleton. For more information on donating to Penn State Hazleton THON’s fundraising efforts, go to: www.clubs.psu.edu/hn/thon/.  

In 1973, a small group of Penn State students held the first dance marathon with 34 dancers raising $2,000. Since then, THON’s presence in the Penn State community has grown exponentially and now consists of more than 15,000 student volunteers and 700 dancers. The dance marathon has raised more than $69 million for the Four Diamonds Fund which helps families with costs of treatments not covered by insurance and other expenses that may affect the welfare of afflicted children. Additionally, the fund supports the medical team and pediatric cancer research.

Last year, Penn State Hazleton ranked third in Penn State Commonwealth Campuses by raising over $27,000.

Photo caption:

The Nittany Lion is pictured with Penn State Hazleton THON captains participating in the Nov. 14 Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee’s, West Hazleton. Captains and their areas of responsibility, include, from left: front row, Sukanya Parasher, public relations; Doris Diaz, merchandise; Alyssa Romero, canning; Paulina Jones, events; Andrea Quintero, canning; Letizia Schianodicola, community liaison; and Tara Perpignan, merchandise. Back row, Danielle Zavala, public relations; Jen Simpson, events; Samantha Fuss, family relations; Matthew Bremy, technology; Bill Riccette, events; David Updike, community liaison; and Mike Pirtle, overall THON chair.

The Pride of Place award recognizes a member business or organization whose exterior property physically improves or enhances the community and environment in the Greater Hazleton area.

Dr. Lawler said, “We have committed considerable, time, effort and resources to enhance Penn State Hazleton and make it a source of beauty for the Greater Hazleton area. Our faculty, staff and students take great pride in our campus environment which is often described as one of the most picturesque Penn State campuses.”

Over the last three years, the campus and the Office of Physical Plant at University Park have invested more than $1.7 million for numerous projects, including:

• Extensive design and implementation of new plantings on the mall walkway, between a number of major buildings, and along the entrance to the campus from Route 93; 

• Development and creation of the loop around campus; 

• Complete reconstruction and re-design of the mall walkway that spans the length of the upper campus; 

• Design and implementation of new light posts across campus to better match the historical nature of the campus buildings; 

• Design and purchase of new benches and receptacles across the campus to create a uniform experience for students; 

• Development of enhanced recreational sports court with embed University emblem; 

• Major renovations to the sidewalk infrastructure of the campus; 

• New exterior signage for all of campus buildings; 

• New directional way finding signage including pivotal campus pillars; 

• and the addition of Penn State banners as visitors enter the left loop and along the mall walkway.

Lawler added, “The appearance of our campus is a key factor when families visit with prospective students. We have designated goals in our Campus Exterior Architectural Plan (CEAP) and Strategic Plan, and are committed to continue these improvements in a way that parallels our commitment to the development of quality academics within the classroom.”

Penn State Hazleton's next cultural event on Tues., November 9, will feature a theatre of the body – an incredible combination of mime, dance and gymnastics called PUSH Theatre. The performance will take place at 8 p.m. in the Slusser/Bayzick Building at the campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Performances by PUSH cannot be described solely in words. The shows are about movements and the emotions from which they spring. Audiences watching a PUSH routine might see representations of pain, grief, separation, aggression and reunion. Cast members mold themselves into living sculptures, execute moves of dancers and gymnasts and display humanity in their postures. One tilt of the head looks comic, another tragic.

Members of the ensemble formed a decade ago by husband-and-wife team, Darren and Heather Stevenson, are gifted gymnasts, actors and dancers. They’ve entertained Olympic hopefuls at the U.S. Classics Gymnastics Championships. But they’ve also performed a routine called “Soldiers” for audiences touched by both Gulf wars and choreographed a number called “-abled” using walkers and crutches for performers with disabilities in their home city of Rochester, N.Y.

Additional information and performance clips are available at www.pushtheatre.org.

The next performance in the series, scheduled for 8 p.m, Thurs., January 27, will feature the sounds of tenor saxophonist Michael Karn, along with Manhattan Jazz.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (570) 450-3180.

The next installment of the Arts and Music Series will feature the words and music of award-winning performer Jack Gladstone at 8 p.m., Tues., Nov. 2, in the Slusser/Bayzick Building at the campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Regarded as a cultural bridge-builder, Gladstone relates stories of his people told by his grandmother, a member of the Blackfeet nation, to audiences in songs accompanied only by his guitar.

Gladstone’s lyrics, drawn from 15 albums released during a quarter century, take in the breadth of the Blackfeet country around Glacier National Park in Montana where he co-founded a Native America Speaks lecture series. His songs speak of the oneness between people of different cultures, between the physical and the spiritual, between mankind and nature.

While retelling myths, folktales and histories, Gladstone retains the perspective of the Blackfeet and remains the keeper of his grandmother’s stories.

He has traveled as Montana’s troubadour to the Capitol Christmas Tree ceremony, received a human rights award from Montana State University and headlined in performances at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian.

Gladstone also has an honor to which Penn Staters aspire: A Rose Bowl ring won at the University of Washington, which he attended on a football scholarship.

Additional information and music are available at http://www.jackgladstone.com

The next installment of the series is scheduled for Tues., Nov. 9, with the extreme physical performance of PUSH Theatre at 8 p.m. in the Slusser/Bayzick Building.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (570) 450-3180.

Penn State Hazleton's Arts and Music Series kicks off a new season on Tues., Oct. 19, with a Middle Eastern dance company performing at 8 p.m. in the Slusser/Bayzick Building at the campus. The event is free and open to the public.

As finger cymbols click and veils shimmer, the dancers glide onto the stage. They are the women of Abzahrah. They come from the Lehigh Valley, but their name descends from the Aspara, the sensual, supernatural women who danced in palaces of the gods in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Their dancing transports audiences through rhythms, symbolic movement and a hint of mystery into the cultures of Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Turkey.

The company’s founder and instructor, Amala Gameela leads weekly dance classes and continues to study with masters in the United States and Egypt. She has led Abzahrah in performances throughout the Tri-State region such as Bethlehem’s Musikfest and Hazleton’s First Night as well as appearances at night clubs, weddings, corporate gatherings and private celebrations.

A college-trained environmental scientist and avid ornithologist, has staged performances to benefit wildlife. A Nubian dance that she performs is noted for its bird-like moves.

More information on the group is available at http://www.amalaraqs.com.

The next installment of the series is scheduled for Tues., Nov. 2, with Native American singer and poet Jack Gladstone performing at 8 p.m. in the Slusser/Bayzick Building.  

The race begins at the Penn State Hazleton Gymnasium, with registrations held 8:00 to 9:45 a.m. The course is a fast 5K, finishing at a lower elevation and with no significant uphill portions. The course leaves and returns to the campus via Route 93. A water station will be situated on the course.  The youth race is a 1-mile run all within the Penn State Hazleton campus. For runners’ safety, no strollers, pets, bikes or roller blades are permitted.

Awards will be presented to the overall male and female overall winners finishing in first, second and third places. Medals will be awarded to the male and female runners in the following age groups:  14 and under, 15-16, 17-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and over. For the one-mile youth race, medals will be awarded to males and females in the following age groups: 8 & under, 9-10 and 11-12. Additionally, post-race random drawings and raffles will be held.

Registration fees are $20 for adults age 19 and over and $15 for youth runners.  All runners will receive a free breakfast and Penn State Creamery ice cream during the awards ceremony. Spectators may also register for the breakfast and ice cream for $10.

THON, short for the Penn State IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Penn State students spent almost one year fundraising with efforts culminating each February in a 46-hour dance marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center at the University Park campus. All monies raised are donated to the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

To obtain a race registration form, go to http://neparunner.com/e10.html. For additional information, contact Rob Gould at robgould@hazletonymcaywca.org.

Dr. Monica Eve Gregory, director of Academic Affairs at Penn State Hazleton, passed away Sept. 27, 2010, at her home following an extended illness. 

She became director of Academic Affairs in March 1998, after serving as acting director starting in July 1996. In her position, she was responsible for faculty initiatives, faculty hiring and mentoring, and campus academic programs. Dr. Gregory joined Penn State Hazleton in 1988 as assistant professor of psychology and was promoted to associate professor in 1994.

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary Lawler said, “Dr. Gregory was a tireless advocate for continually improving educational opportunities for students by bringing the most qualified and innovative faculty members to Penn State Hazleton. The entire Penn State family mourns the loss of a very dedicated and vibrant administrator.”

Under her leadership, the campus began offering baccalaureate degree programs, the first of which, business, was launched in 1998. Six bachelor’s degrees are now offered with the most recent addition of general engineering announced in July. Dr. Gregory also helped to increase the number of associate degree programs at the campus and was instrumental in developing assessments of these programs.

 “Monica took great pride in the campus itself, and in the faculty,” said Marlene Guers, interim director of Academic Affairs. “She was open to new ideas in teaching, academic programs, course offerings, and scholarly pursuits, all of which greatly benefitted students and faculty.”

Penn State Hazleton Faculty Senate President Maureen Gaffney said, “Monica was a true faculty advocate and very supportive to those seeking tenure. She had a deep commitment to the honors program and faculty research and scholarship. We will always remember her commitment to higher education and the pursuit of scholarly activity.”

Her service to the campus and university was extensive. Most notably at the campus level, she was current co-coordinator of the Campus Honors Program, a program she re-established in 1990 and grew to record levels of student participation. Her work on this program was used as the basis for creating the Commonwealth College Honors Program across Penn State’s undergraduate campuses outside University Park.

A staunch supporter of faculty working directly with students, Dr. Gregory assisted with the creation of the campus Undergraduate Research Program, and last year formed a committee to organize funding for the program and for students traveling to conferences.

She was actively involved in the campus Strategic Planning Committee, Diversity Committee, Mentor Program, Commission for Women, Recruitment and Retention Committee, and Marketing Committee. She was also highly engaged in faculty governance through committees including Faculty Affairs and Research, and represented the campus on the University Faculty Senate.

Dr. Gregory created the campus Lecture Committee which arranged for notable speakers from a variety of disciplines to visit the campus and community and which provided campus faculty with a forum to present research findings and lead informal discussions on their areas of interest.

She was recognized for her contributions to adult learners at Penn State Hazleton with an induction into the Phi Sigma Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society.

She also participated in outreach efforts including the Woman-to-Woman Conference and Adventures in Learning for junior high school students, and as a judge for the annual History Day competition.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Gregory also performed extensive research with senior citizens focusing on the human memory and how the mind processes information with the findings published in professional journals and presented at national conferences.

Her professional memberships include the American Psychological Association, American Psychological Society, Eastern Psychological Association and the American Association of Higher Education.

Her personal interest in nature and conservation led to her local involvement in projects around the Nescopeck Creek Watershed. An avid bird-watcher, she enjoyed traveling to various parts of the country to pursue her passion and, along with her husband, created a birding checklist for Nescopeck State Park.

A Vermont native, Dr. Gregory earned two bachelor degrees, the first in German from the University of Vermont and the second in psychology from Mercer University, Georgia. She also earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Gregory’s career also included active duty with the United States Air Force from 1973 to 1979 as a German language linguist for the Air Force’s Electronic Security Command in the former West Berlin. During her final year of active duty, she served with the National Security Agency at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland.

She is survived by her husband, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Alan C. Gregory, four brothers, a sister, and many nieces and nephews.

Additional information is available at: Standard-Speaker. 

According to the movie’s Web site, www.papersthemovie.com, there are approximately 2 million undocumented children who were born in the U.S. and raised in this country. These are young people who were educated in American schools, hold American values, know only the U.S. as home and who, upon high school graduation, find the door to their future slammed shut.

Directed by Anne Galisky and produced by Rebecca Shine of Portland, Oregon’s Graham Street Productions, the film follows the personal stories of five undocumented students and the national grassroots movement working to pass the DREAM Act.

It also includes expert commentary from political, academic and civil rights leaders across the nation including Senator Robert Menendez, Karen Narasaki of the Asian American Justice Center, Clarissa Martinez De Castro of NCLR, Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign, and Kent Wong of the UCLA Labor Center.

This free event is sponsored by Northeastern Pennsylvania Diversity Education Consortium (NEPDEC), Penn State Hazleton, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Concerned Parents of the Hazleton Area (CPHA).

For more information, contact Penn State Hazleton’s Office of University Relations at 450-3180.  

Voting instructions:

• Go to: https://elections.psu.edu/hn

• Enter user ID and password. Click "submit."

• The names of the candidates who are running for election will be visible. Click on your choice for senator. You may only vote for one.

• Click "review" to look at your selections. If satisfied, click "submit vote" or "return" to make revisions.

• You will receive a thank you and indication that your choice has been accepted. The election process is now completed.

Please note: The election web site is not accessible until 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 14. If you experience any problems with the voting process, please contact the Office of Student Affairs in 105 Butler by calling 570-450-3160 or emailing dah2@psu.edu.

Community Day, the celebration of campus and the area, will be held Sun., Oct. 3, across the campus. Information is available and will continue to be updated at Community Day.

New this year is Children's Activity Zone with a variety of free events ranging from spin art to gemstone mining to an inflatable obstacle course. Penn State Hazleton's Thon Committee, which raises money for the university's annual dance marathon to benefit children with cancer at Penn State's Children's Hospital, is sponsoring this event along with a basket raffle to raise money.

From the community, participants include:

• Hazleton Art League with artists Sam Cesare and Marie Hayes. Cesare will perform a ceramics demonstration and make-it, take-it craft for kids, while Hayes will offer students a drawing station to create artwork.
• PawsAbilities - Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club. Group members raise puppies for The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey. The Seeing Eye has been providing guide dogs for the blind for 80 years, and to date have matched over 15,000 dog guides with blind persons. PawsAbilities members get the puppies when they are about 7 weeks old. The puppies are socialized by exposing them to as many people, places, and environments as possible. Just about anywhere the raisers go, the puppies go as well. Once the puppies are about 15 months old they go back to The Seeing Eye to continue their journey to become a dog guide. More information is available at: http://papaws.org
• Penn State Master Gardener volunteer program – The master gardeners support the mission of Penn State’s Cooperative Extension by utilizing research-based information to educate the public on best practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship. The Master Gardener program was established to assist Cooperative Extension in reaching the consumer horticulture audience. The program provides interested individuals with extensive training in many phases of gardening. In return, participants dedicate volunteer time to teaching horticultural information based on university research and recommendations. The Luzerne County Penn State Master Gardeners are a group of about 30 volunteers who are part of the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service, operating under the direction of the Extension office in West Pittston.  
  
  The master gardeners will provide activities for children and adults at Community Day. Several Master Gardeners will offer activities designed to teach children about insects around their homes, and give them a chance to make an insect craft project to take home.  Other Master Gardeners will offer a display and demonstration on perennials in the home garden, and answer questions from visitors about home gardening and landscape.
• and Hazleton Philharmonic Big Band Sound will perform musical favorites from that ever-popular era of the Big Bands.

Paul Makuta, Penn State Hazleton’s Phi Beta Lamdba (FBLA) state champion, sits quietly while his two advisers talk about the award ceremony in Harrisburg.

Associate Professor of Business Administration Sherry Robinson looks like a proud parent as she starts to tell the story of his triumph that goes like this, “With a room filled with students from colleges and universities all over the state, including Pittsburgh, Bucknell and Dusquesne, the judges call the top three finishers in the business communication competition to the front of the room and Paul is one of them.”

Robinson pauses for effect and then continues, “They read the name of the third place finisher and it’s not Paul.”

Robinson pauses again to ask a rhetorical question to Makuta and Paul McDermott, business program coordinator and instructor in Business Administration, “How many times have I told this?”

Quickly she jumps back into the story, “We’re going to nationals!” she says, seeming just as exited as when it actually happened. Regardless of what would happen next Makuta clinched a spot in the national competition in Nashville, Tennessee, by finishing in the top two.

Robinson composes herself and continues, “Second place…not Paul! I was so excited I almost set the sprinklers off.”

McDermott was just as excited, saying he was ready to get on the table and jump around.

It was a celebration for Makuta and for the successful return of Phi Beta Lambda, the collegiate version of Future Business Leaders of America, to Penn State Hazleton. The organization made a comeback on campus this year being reinstated with 18 active members.

Just like in business, the club is trying to cash in on Makuta’s success. The two advisers put him on a mini PR speaking tour around the campus.

Makuta mentioned on his speaking tour that, when he first arrived at the competition, he was impressed by the level of professionalism shown by the students at there.

“(To) see students in that capacity was the best aspect of it,” Makuta said.

That was probably all Makuta was able to notice when he first arrived in Harrisburg because he was given his challenge right away. By using proper grammar and acceptable letter format, Makuta had to write a business letter describing why the mayor of his town should come to his company’s function. Makuta had three paragraphs to get the job done, but that wasn’t the hardest part. The hardest part, according to Makuta, was writing the letter - with a pen and piece of paper.

The junior business major overcame the challenge and punched his ticket to nationals in Nashville in July. In the fall, he may come back to campus a national champion.

Regardless, Makuta will come back with an impressive title attached to his name, president of Penn State Hazleton’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda. His goal, along with his advisers, is to expand the club and keep it competitive with other chapters.

Phi Beta Lambda groups earn points based on events they hold throughout the year. The club is looking for interested alumni and professionals to be involved and assist in contributing to the club’s success. Alumni and those interested are even welcome to attend the state competition where they can be guest speakers, coaches or judges.

This year, McDermott was a judge for the current business issues competition with the topic of government bailouts. The students researched the topic for a period of time and then picked out of a hat to see what side of the issue they had to support.

The benefits of joining Phi Beta Lamba extend to most students, even those who aren’t business major. Those who attended the competition were impressed with the wide range of venues, ranging from digital video production to telecom to Web site development.

There are other benefits to becoming a member of Phi Beta Lambda. Makuta first joined the club to bolster his resume and, being a good business man, got more than he bargained for... in a good way. Now he’s the club president and a state champion.

When asked what made him happier - winning the award or making his two professors and advisors happy - he simply smiled and said making them happy. After all, an award is nice but tempting one of your professors to jump onto a table and start dancing is something few students are able to accomplish.

Update: At the 2010 Phi Beta Lambda National Competition in Nashville, Tenn., Paul Makuta captured fifth place in the business commmunication event.

View the winners at: http://www.fbla-pbl.org/pbl.asp?landingpage=2010competitiveevents 

Insight/Outlook July 2010 (PDF)

Complete story:

Adult student wins FBLA/PBL state competition

 Paul Makuta, Penn State Hazleton’s Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA) state champion, sits quietly while his two advisers talk about the award ceremony in Harrisburg.

Associate Professor of Business Administration Sherry Robinson looks like a proud parent as she starts to tell the story of his triumph that goes like this, “With a room filled with students from colleges and universities all over the state, including Pittsburgh, Bucknell and Dusquesne, the judges call the top three finishers in the business communication competition to the front of the room and Paul is one of them.”

Robinson pauses for effect and then continues, “They read the name of the third place finisher and it’s not Paul.”

Robinson pauses again to ask a rhetorical question to Makuta and Paul McDermott, business program coordinator and instructor in Business Administration, “How many times have I told this?”

Quickly she jumps back into the story, “We’re going to nationals!” she says, seeming just as exited as when it actually happened. Regardless of what would happen next Makuta clinched a spot in the national competition in Nashville, Tennessee, by finishing in the top two.

Robinson composes herself and continues, “Second place…not Paul! I was so excited I almost set the sprinklers off.”

McDermott was just as excited, saying he was ready to get on the table and jump around.

It was a celebration for Makuta and for the successful return of Phi Beta Lambda, the collegiate version of Future Business Leaders of America, to Penn State Hazleton. The organization made a comeback on campus this year being reinstated with 18 active members.

Just like in business, the club is trying to cash in on Makuta’s success. The two advisers put him on a mini PR speaking tour around the campus.

Makuta mentioned on his speaking tour that, when he first arrived at the competition, he was impressed by the level of professionalism shown by the students at there.

“(To) see students in that capacity was the best aspect of it,” Makuta said.

That was probably all Makuta was able to notice when he first arrived in Harrisburg because he was given his challenge right away. By using proper grammar and acceptable letter format, Makuta had to write a business letter describing why the mayor of his town should come to his company’s function. Makuta had three paragraphs to get the job done, but that wasn’t the hardest part. The hardest part, according to Makuta, was writing the letter - with a pen and piece of paper.

The junior business major overcame the challenge and punched his ticket to nationals in Nashville in July. In the fall, he may come back to campus a national champion.

Regardless, Makuta will come back with an impressive title attached to his name, president of Penn State Hazleton’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda. His goal, along with his advisers, is to expand the club and keep it competitive with other chapters.

Phi Beta Lambda groups earn points based on events they hold throughout the year. The club is looking for interested alumni and professionals to be involved and assist in contributing to the club’s success. Alumni and those interested are even welcome to attend the state competition where they can be guest speakers, coaches or judges.

This year, McDermott was a judge for the current business issues competition with the topic of government bailouts. The students researched the topic for a period of time and then picked out of a hat to see what side of the issue they had to support.

The benefits of joining Phi Beta Lambda extend to most students, even those who aren’t business major. Those who attended the competition were impressed with the wide range of venues, ranging from digital video production to telecom to Web site development.

There are other benefits to becoming a member of Phi Beta Lambda. Makuta first joined the club to bolster his resume and, being a good business man, got more than he bargained for... in a good way. Now he’s the club president and a state champion.

When asked what made him happier - winning the award or making his two professors and advisors happy - he simply smiled and said making them happy. After all, an award is nice but tempting one of your professors to jump onto a table and start dancing is something few students are able to accomplish.


Update: At the 2010 Phi Beta Lambda National Competition in Nashville, Tennessee, Paul Makuta captured fifth place in the business communication event.

View the winners here

Alumni Reunion - Sun., Oct. 3, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Highacres Cafe (campus dining facility)

Community Day - Sun., Oct. 3, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. in various locations across campus

Alumni Organizations

Give to Penn State Hazleton

This new degree, with a focus on alternative energy and power generation, will be the only such program offered within the Penn State system. Students will be accepted into the program starting in fall 2010.

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary Lawler said, “We are both excited and proud to be bringing this new engineering program focusing on alternative energy to Penn State Hazleton.  It affords our students incredible opportunities to be at the forefront of a vital growing industry.  Additionally, the new program will bring valuable educational resources to the greater Hazleton area and northeastern Pennsylvania, as we become a leader in alternative energy.”

Associate Professor of Engineering Wes Grebski, who led the effort to design the program said, “Students will be able to earn a baccalaureate degree in engineering without leaving the area; the entire program is available locally.”

Grebski stressed the importance of working closely with the business and educational communities to sustain the success of the program. “This program can’t exist in isolation,” he said, adding, “We are working with K-12 and other higher education partners to ensure students are prepared for the program. We are also working with business and industry to develop project topics, internships and job opportunities.”

The degree program will help prepare students to enter the alternative and renewable energy sector, as well as the power generation industry. Graduates will have extensive training in these areas, along with a critical understanding of the environmental, social and economic aspects of the power generation industry.

Penn State Hazleton has offered associate degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering technology for more than 40 years and is a leading location for students starting a Penn State engineering baccalaureate degree.  

The addition of the engineering degree program brings the number of bachelor’s degrees offered at Penn State Hazleton to six. The other programs include Business, Information Sciences and Technology, Letters, Arts, and Sciences; Organizational Leadership, and Psychology. 

For more information on the new Bachelor of Science Degree in General Engineering with Alternative Energy and Power Generation track, contact the admissions office at 450-3142.

The program, an 18-month non-credit curriculum offered in the evening and on weekends, begins June 22 in a newly renovated classroom and laboratory in the lower level of the Slusser/Bayzick Building. Students will take classes at Penn State Hazleton and attend clinical studies at area partner facilities.

“Penn State Hazleton has been an educational partner in the Greater Hazleton area for more than 75 years. We are pleased to bring new programs to the region, especially a program like this that fulfills the dual purpose of the outreach mission of the University while addressing the statewide nursing shortage,” said Dr. Lawler.

Sally McGuire, director, Penn State Hazleton Office of Continuing Education announced that Patrice M. Rimbey, Hazleton, has been named program coordinator of the Penn State Hazleton Practical Nursing Program. A healthcare professional for more than 18 years, Rimbey has served in a variety of positions as a medical laboratory technician, registered nurse, clinical coordinator and director of surgical services. She also has been an instructor at Lehigh Carbon Community College and has developed educational programs for nurses as part of her duties as a clinical coordinator. 

Rimbey earned an associate degree in medical laboratory technology from Penn State Hazleton, an associate degree in nursing from Luzerne County Community College, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Wilkes University.

Rimbey said, “This is the only practical nursing program in the area to offer classes in the evening and on weekends, which allows students to continue to work while taking classes.”

The program consists of four levels of instruction focusing on:

• “Structure and Function of the Human Body” and “Fundamentals of Practical Nursing”
• “Concepts of Basic Medical-Surgical Nursing Care”
• “Nursing Care of Adults and Children”
• and “Nursing Care of the Adult.”

The nursing program is designed to provide students with knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment to provide effective nursing care under the direction of a licensed professional health-team member. Students who successfully complete this program will meet the requirements to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Information on the practical nursing program may be obtained by calling Rimbey at 570-450-3110. 

Participating in Penn State Hazleton’s ribbon cutting for the Practical Nursing program were,
front row, from left, Gary Guldin, statewide program manager, Penn State Practical Nursing
program; Patrice Rimbey, program coordinator, Penn State Hazleton Practical Nursing; Sally
McGuire, director, Penn State Hazleton Continuing Education; and Sharon Rohrbach, D.O.,
member, Penn State Hazleton advisory board. Back row, from left, Michele Mahovich,
representing State Rep. Todd Eachus; Maryanne Petrilla, Luzerne County Commissioner;
Lori Reiner and Laura Jones, clinical instructors; Dr. Gary Lawler, Penn State Hazleton
chancellor; Keith Rohrbach, Ph.D., CEO, MedQ Systems, Inc.; Tony Cusatis, vice president,
Relationship Manager, KNBT; and William Curley, executive director, Statewide Continuing
Education, Penn State.

Mark Pavlik, head coach of the Penn State men’s championship volleyball team, will be the guest speaker for the annual dinner meeting of the Greater Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. The event will take place on Mon., July 12, at Mea’s Restaurant, 8 W. Broad St. (in the historic Markle Building) in downtown Hazleton, with a cash bar starting at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to Pavlik, Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary Lawler will provide a state-of-the-campus update and chapter vice president Mary Homanko ’74 will provide a review of the group’s activities during the past year. Attorney Theresa Brennan ’86, dinner chair, will serve as host. During the evening, two autographed Penn State footballs and other prizes will be given away. 

Having been involved in all aspects of the Penn State men’s volleyball program as a player, assistant coach and head coach, 2008 AVCA National Coach of the Year Mark Pavlik is entering his 17th year at the helm in Happy Valley.

Capturing the 2008 NCAA National Championship and helping build the Nittany Lions into one of the premier men’s volleyball powers in the nation, Pavlik has compiled a career record of 390-113, winning more than 77 percent of his matches. Within the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), Pavlik’s teams have been even more dominating, racking up 173 wins and only suffering five league losses in 16 years (.972).

In 2010 after winning the program’s 22nd overall and 12th straight EIVA Tournament title, Pavlik’s squad advanced to the NCAA Championship. With a 3-0 sweep of Cal State-Northridge in the NCAA National Semifinals, the Nittany Lions advanced to NCAA Championship match for the third time in the past five years. It was Penn State’s sixth overall appearance in the championship match.

A 1982 graduate of Penn State and the 2007, 2008 and 2009 EIVA Coach of the Year, Pavlik has experienced Penn State from all perspectives. As a player, he was a setter under legendary coach Tom Tait. For five years prior to his promotion, Pavlik served as Coach Tom Peterson’s top assistant, during which time the Nittany Lions compiled a 111-39 record and made four NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by the 1994 national title.

Pavlik has drawn from his various experiences to develop a unique coaching philosophy that stresses hard work in practice, a relaxed approach to competition and a determination to develop the well-rounded person and student-athlete. He also feels some of the best coaches are the most observant and can convince young people of what it takes to succeed in life, not just on the court.

Pavlik has guided some of the nation’s greatest players during his tenure, including Ivan Contreras and Matt Anderson who were both named AVCA Players of the Year. He has also coached 19 different players to 37 All-America awards and at least three of his players have earned first team All-EIVA accolades each season.

Over the past 20 years, Pavlik has gained considerable experience coaching at the international, national, collegiate and high school levels. He was a member of the AVCA Board of Directors as well as chairman of the AVCA All-America committee. Pavlik was also named EIVA Coach of the Year from 1995-97 and served as the Head of Delegation for the defending Olympic Champion USA men's volleyball team at the America's Cup in Brazil in September, 2008.

Some of Pavlik’s other coaching experiences include serving as an assistant coach at Derry High School in Derry, Pa., serving as head coach of a 17-and-under junior boy’s team in York, Pa., and also as an assistant coach for the women’s teams at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Juniata College. In addition, Pavlik has been a member of the staff of the World University Games on three occasions, and also coached the U.S. National Team to a silver medal at the 1995 NORCECA competition in Edmonton, Alberta.

Reservations for the dinner are required by July 6. Cost for the event is $35 per person with proceeds benefitting the Greater Hazleton Alumni Chapter Scholarship Fund at Penn State Hazleton.

For more information, contact Theresa Brennan at tmb@brennanlegal.com or 570-455-7700.

Director of Academic Affairs Monica E. Gregory presented the candidates to Chancellor Gary M. Lawler who conferred fifty-one associate degrees and fifty baccalaureate degrees to students completing programs of study at Penn State Hazleton. 

Paul A. McDermott, business program coordinator and president of the Penn State Hazleton Faculty Senate, served as the faculty marshal and led the academic processional.

Pasco L. Schiavo, Equire, president of the Hazleton Educational Council, the campus advisory board, extended special recognition to the graduates and those who supported them in their educational endeavors.

Blair E. Bell ’76, president of the Greater Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, inducted the new graduates into the Penn State Alumni Association.

The keynote address was delivered by Berwick native Susan Saint Sing ’78 Lib, ’04 PhD H&HD, a noted athlete, coach, author and educator. She is head coach of the crew program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.

While on a lacrosse scholarship to Penn State, she fell while doing gymnastics and broke her neck and back. She suffered paralysis and major soft tissue damage, which caused her to attend a pain control center for ten years. During her recovery, she discovered a link between spirituality and sports, an area she has intensely studied, researched and educated others. In November 2009, she was invited to the Vatican where she had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI and spoke to a group about spirituality in sports.

Her experience includes serving as program director of the U.S. National Rowing Center, head coach of men’s and women's crew teams at Xavier University and Penn State, manager of the United States National Rowing Team, and volunteer rowing coach at the United States Naval Academy.

Saint Sing is the author of eight books, with her most recent work The Eight: One Season in the Tradition of Harvard Crewing released in March of this year. 

Saint Sing earned her bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Fine Arts from Penn State, her master's degree in Health and Nutrition Science and Exercise Physiology from the University of Cincinnati, and her doctoral degree in Kinesiology from Penn State in 2004.

She resides in Stuart, Florida.

Degrees, graduates and their hometowns are:

Associate degrees:

Letters, Arts, and Sciences: Lauren M. Bard, Hazleton.

Electrical Engineering Technology: Gordon O. Allen, Albrightsville; Steven A. Blasko, Hazleton; Jason J. Matuszkiewicz, Sheppton; and Nicholas A. Petrole, Tresckow.

Mechanical Engineering Technology: Joseph P. Abrahamson, Marion Heights; Barry L. Demansky, Jim Thorpe; Allen E. Haas, Slatington; Michael A. Mill, Larksville; Taylor S. Newton, Jersey Shore; Sebastian V. Riotto, Barnesville; Stephen S. Strickler, Mountaintop ; Stephanie E. White, Brooklyn, NY; and Joshua T. Yencho, Drums.

Business Administration: Allison L. Barletta, Hazleton; and Mary A. Morrison, Hazleton.

Medical Laboratory Technology: Suha M. Kazimi, Kingston; Tatjana Marko, Drums; Jennifer L. Nelson, Hazleton; and Anita M. Vanwert, Jessup.

Physical Therapist Assistant: Erin M. Anderson, Campbell Hall, NY; Douglas J. Bendetti, Pottsville; Amanda L. Brown, Tunkhannock; Amy L. Carachilo, Carbondale; Sandra D. Fonzo, Wilkes-Barre; Mark A. Giglio, Old Forge; Andrew W. Healey, Pittston; Amy L. Hosking, Kunkletown; David S. Humenansky, Orwigsburg; Richard E. Ketchner, Shavertown; Daniel A. Knappenberger, Lehighton; Laura R. Kotwica, Mount Carmel; Bobbi L. Krammes, Schuylkill Haven; Jenna M. Lenig, Coal Township; Allison A. March, Montoursville; Melissa M. Masinick, Shenandoah; Michelle J. Meyers, Danielsville; Alyson G. Midwinter, Trucksville; Lisa N. Miller, Lititz; Stacie A. Palermo, Berwick; Nicole M. Piskorick, Drums; Katie J. Rearick, Sunbury; Ryan Scarcella, Hazleton; Kimberly A. Schoffler, Frackville; Matthew R. Sklarkowski, Sayre; Jaron J. Talotta, West Hazleton; Robert D. Wallace, Mountaintop; Shaun P. Yasalonis, Newtown; and Ashlee J. Zeigler, Waverly.

Baccalaureate degrees:

Applied Psychology: Erica L. Banicky, Pittston.

Letters, Arts, and Sciences:  Yuliya I. Carron, Mountaintop; Brandon L. Dickman, Weston; Brett M. Ednie, Harleigh; Nicole M. Ferguson, Elizabethtown; Jose M. Gil, New York, NY; Ryan A. Grega, Hazleton; Katie-Maureen Holahan, Hazleton; Kelly J. Kapes, Weatherly; Matthew P. Lessack, Mountaintop; Lauren K. Loch, Wilkes-Barre; Kelvin Moreno, New York, NY; Kenny Moreno, New York, NY; Kerri J. Romig, Weatherly; Luis A. Rosario, Jersey City, NJ; Tara M. Synoraski, Drums; Donna T. Tweed, Jim Thorpe; Randi L. Wardingo, West Hazleton; Melissa M. Williams, Teaneck, NJ; and Elaan M. Yefchak, West Hazleton.

Information Sciences and Technology: Preetom Bhattacherjea, Howell, NJ; Samuel J. Chodur, Nesquehoning; Joseph B. Cimaszewski, White Haven; Timmie L. Haynes, Hazleton; Kevin J. Jordan, Hazleton; Matthew G. Krone, Freeland; Joshua B. Smith, Milford, CT; Kyle J. Yanchunas, Berwick; and Keiser R. Zamora Sanchez, Hazleton.

Business: Jennifer M. Baranovich, Nesquehoning; Jacob T. Carrelli, Conyngham; Neil P. Ciotola, Hazleton; Asia J. Cornick, West Hempstead, NY; Brian J. Dentz, Conyngham; Jessica Endick, Mahanoy City; Michael R. Graaf, White Haven; Christopher A. Hetkowski, Hazleton; Jennifer L. Holland, Freeland; Brandon R. Kowalczyk, Hazleton; Jennifer Kunkel, Weatherly; William P. Lutz, Franklin; Adrian Parkes, East Stroudsburg; Colin M. Rimshaw, Conyngham; Steven S. Sellati, Berwick; and Teneka J. Yuhas, McAdoo.

Distinctive Honors

Students who are in the top twelve percent of their graduating class in their college, and who have completed the required number of credits receive special recognition. The twelve percent is divided into two percent “with highest distinction,” four percent “with high distinction,” and six percent “with distinction.”

Elaan M. Yefchak,  West Hazleton, graduated with “highest distinction.”

Michael A. Mill, Larksville, graduated with “high distinction.”

Jennifer M. Baranovich, Nesquehoning; William P.  Lutz, Franklin; Colin M. Rimshaw, Conyngham; and Keiser  R. Zamora Sanchez, Hazleton, graduated “with distinction.”

Frank C. Kostos Awards
Carl S. Frankel, assistant professor of biology, announced the Frank C. Kostos Award recipients who achieved the highest grade-point averages in their respective degree programs: 

Sophomores Basant R. Nassar, Bloomsburg, a biology major, and Laura Ariza, Stroudsburg, an international politics major, tied for the honor for the full-time sophomore enrolled in a Penn State degree program.

Elaan M. Yefchak, West Hazleton, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in Letters, Arts, and Sciences during the ceremony, was honored as the graduate earning the highest grade point average in a Penn State Hazleton baccalaureate degree program.

Tatjana Marko, Drums, who earned an associate in science in Medical Laboratory Technology degree, was recognized for the highest grade-point average of a graduate in a Penn State Hazleton associate degree program.

President Graham Spanier announced the campaign across the university on April 23, noting that the goal of raising $2 billion by 2014 would help to ensure that the university can continue to offer an outstanding education to students from every economic background while benefiting the public through research and service.

At Penn State Hazleton, a goal of $6 million has been announced, with more than $2.9 million raised to date.

“Penn State Hazleton has been an integral part of the Hazleton community for more than 75 years and has provided access to educational programs to local students, as well as those from across the country,” said Chancellor Gary Lawler. “Continuing and improving access to a Penn State degree through scholarships for students is the number one priority in this fundraising effort.”

Ensuring student access and opportunity through scholarship support is one of six key campaign objectives. The other priorities of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students are:

•  enhancing honors education and encouraging innovation across the curriculum;
•  enriching the experiences of students beyond the classroom and preparing them for global leadership;
•  building faculty strength and capacity through support for dedicated teachers and scholars at every stage of their careers;
•  fostering discovery and creativity through interdisciplinary research initiatives; and
•  sustaining the tradition of overall quality for which the University has become recognized around the world.

“This campaign is critically important to the young people who begin their college education here, and it is also important for the future of our community which greatly benefits from a vibrant, growing Penn State campus,” said Kevin Salaway, director of Development and University Relations.

He continued, “Students today face challenges which were unimaginable a generation ago. Global competition and a tight job market demand the highest level of preparation for those entering the workforce. At the same time, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed. Today, the cost of one full year of college equates to about half of the average starting salary for college graduates.”

Alumni and friends of the university and campus are support the campaign, even during difficult economic times, according to Attorney Pasco Schiavo, the campus’ campaign volunteer chair.

 “Penn State’s alumni and friends have recognized that the destiny of the University is in their hands,” said Spanier. “Through For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, our supporters will help us to affirm our role as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America.”

For more information on For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, contact Kevin Salaway at 570-450-3175 or kjs27@psu.edu.

“Let there be dark skies . . .”

That could well be David Miller’s favored call to arms – or telescopes.

The veteran Penn State Hazleton professor of physics will talk about the dark sky, astronomical pioneer Galileo, and his own love for astronomy during a free public talk at 7 p.m., Tues., April 20 in 1 Kostos Building at the campus.  

The event marks the annual Mylar Giri Lecture in the Natural Sciences which is sponsored by the Faculty Lecture Committee and honors the late campus physics professor for whom it is named.

Miller, who is finishing his 27th year with Penn State as he readies for retirement, wants people to especially understand Galileo’s part in the development of astronomy as a science. 

“I think that Galileo has had an important part in the whole development of the whole contemporary culture,” Miller says.

“The present interest in this talk comes out of the 400th anniversary of the use of the telescope. In particular, in January 1610 Galileo used it to find the moons of Jupiter. Above and beyond his many discoveries, some of which I shall mention in the talk, I feel that Galileo as a person represents a continual struggle toward the achievement of correctness in conduct as opposed to those who would immediately subscribe to others’ ideas.” 

Watching and studying the night sky is, above all, a great pastime and it’s easy for one to get started with astronomy, Miller says. “One can start by looking at sky charts or going to a computer and using a search program to find out about certain planets or stars.” And, he says, there are many top-notch field guides to outer space on the book market.

Acquiring a telescope is a natural follow-on investment, he says.

“For between one and two thousand dollars, one can purchase a quite good telescope. Even $200 binoculars can be used for a start of the study of the nearer planets.”

Listeners of Miller’s forthcoming talk will also learn:

What are the best field guides to stars, etc.?

“There are many sky charts available on the computers, at which I regularly look. Even an old “Star Atlas” gives some idea what is present at any time of year. Then one can go to the computer and find out the needed information about rise and set times. Google or Yahoo are also sometimes useful to learn more about what one sees.”

What do you want people to really learn and appreciate about the stars and the galaxy and space?

“At the present we are learning a lot about very distant stars. A great many other structures are also present such as nebulae, novae and supernovae. Also, with higher resolution telescopes, like those in orbit on Hubble and others, one can see into distant galaxies. In the Milky Way, the research on the big ‘black hole’ in the middle is very interesting.

“This is perhaps related to the problem of the dark matter and dark energy which often is being discussed.”

Miller might also discuss the mounting problem of “light pollution” and how it affects astronomers’ work.

NASA, among many Internet sources, offers a wealth of on-line material about astronomy, issues like light pollution, and more at www.nasa.gov

Among the agency’s Internet-based resources is this fact sheet about the pollution of the night sky by artificial lighting: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast01nov_1.htm

For more information on this event or others at Penn State Hazleton, call the Office of University Relations at 570-450-3180.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship program provides matching funds from the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees, resulting in larger scholarship awards to deserving students with financial need. This is the second scholarship established by the Security Savings Charitable Foundation at Penn State Hazleton; the first was established in 2002.

 “The Security Savings Charitable Foundation recognizes the role of Penn State Hazleton in the local area and the region and the important educational opportunities provided to students,” said Peter B. Deisroth, administrator, Security Savings Charitable Foundation. “The legacy of Security Savings assisting residents of Greater Hazleton continues through the creation of this scholarship.

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary M. Lawler said, “On behalf of the Penn State Hazleton community, we thank the Security Savings Charitable Foundation for supporting the university’s new campaign, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. The foundation established the first scholarship during the previous fundraising campaign, and the continued support to provide students with a pathway to success is greatly appreciated.”

“Security Savings Charitable Foundation has been a great supporter of Penn State Hazleton for many years,” said Kevin J. Salaway, director of Development and University Relations. “This is the second major scholarship established at the campus by the foundation and we are all grateful for Security Savings Charitable Foundation’s continued support.”

Scholarship endowments established at Penn State Hazleton generate financial awards in perpetuity for deserving students attending the local campus.  Trustee Matching Scholarships provide matching funds from the university resulting in the doubling of the financial awards generated.   “This program is a great way for a donor to the campus to double the impact of their gift,” Salaway added.

For more information on the Trustee Matching Scholarship program or other giving options, contact Kevin Salaway at

570-450-3175 or kjs27@psu.edu.

From left, Peter Deisroth, administrator, and John Raynock, chairman, Security Savings
Charitable Foundation, recently established the Security Savings Charitable Foundation
Trustee Scholarship at Penn State Hazleton with a check presentation to Gary Lawler,
chancellor, and Kevin Salaway, director, Development and University Relations.

Noted athlete, coach, author and educator Susan Saint Sing, Ph.D. ’78, is slated to be the featured speaker at the fortieth annual Commencement ceremony at 7 p.m., Fri., May 14, in the gymasium.

Saint Sing's eighth book, “The Eight: A Season in the Tradition of Harvard Crewing,” was published in March. While on a lacrosse scholarship at Penn State, she fell while doing gymnastics and broke her neck and back. She suffered paralysis and major soft tissue damage, which caused her to attend a pain control center for 10 years. During her recovery, she discovered the link between spirituality and sports.

In November, she was invited to the Vatican where she had an audience w/the Pope Benedict XVI and spoke to a group about spirituality in sports.

A resident of Stuart, Florida, she is also a crew coach at Stetson University.

Support for the fourth annual Symposium on Contemporary Women’s Issues at Penn State
Hazleton has been provided by PPL. Participating in a recent check presentation were,
from left: seated, Rashida McDuffie and Kemah Hutchinson, Penn State Hazleton students
and planning committee members. Standing, E. Lee Beard, area business woman and
symposium benefactor; Gary Lawler, chancellor; Martha Herron, regional community
relations director, PPL; Antonette Williams, administrative assistant and planning committee
member; Tracey Morgan-Chopick, assistant to the financial officer and planning committee
chair, Rachel Tricarico, Penn State Hazleton student and planning committee member;
and Carole Shearer, alumni and development specialist and planning committee member.

All area women invited to attend this free event

Denise S. Cesare, president and CEO of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, will be the keynote speaker at Penn State Hazleton’s fourth annual Symposium on Contemporary Women’s Issues. The event, free and open to the public, will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 18, in the Evelyn Graham Academic Building at the campus. This year’s theme, “Empowered for Life: Live Well, Eat Well, Be Well,” will focus on various topics to help women of all ages and backgrounds achieve personal and professional success.

Following the keynote address, the afternoon will consist of breakout sessions, open forum for discussion, refreshments and information stations. Attendees will receive a free gift bag of samples and coupons and be registered to win door prizes, including Vera Bradley™ items, given away at the end of the program.

Speaker Denise S. Cesare is president and CEO of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, an Enterprise health care leader and integrated health management company that offers personal health management, secure mobile access to personal health information, extensive workplace services and health benefits through its international subsidiary, AllOne Health.

A Wilkes-Barre native, Cesare graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in commerce and finance and a major in accounting from Wilkes University. Throughout her more than 27-year career with Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Cesare has held roles of increasing responsibility before being named president and CEO in 1999. A former licensed Certified Public Accountant, Cesare is currently a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and serves on the board of several local organizations, including The Commonwealth Medical College and Wilkes University.

Known for her passion for improving the quality of life for all northeastern Pennsylvanians, Cesare has a long track record of community leadership. In 2002, she established The Blue Ribbon Foundation, an organization, funded by Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, that assists local health-oriented nonprofits to prevent illnesses that drive up medical care costs, and ultimately, improve the health and well-being of the regions served by Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Additionally, Cesare has worked with the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s office to establish the Children’s Advocacy Center for abused and needy children. Most recently, she can be counted among the small handful of key regional leaders who helped bring The Commonwealth Medical College to northeastern Pennsylvania.

Breakout session topics, descriptions and presenters include:

• Taking Care of the WHOLE You will focus on taking care of the whole person, ranging from understanding personal energy allotment and the fueling/draining dichotomy to learning that personal solitude is acceptable and not selfish.
  Presenter: Cathy Colangelo, ’84, B.S., PHR CC; Your Life is Now/Life Enhancement and Career Coaching
   

• Portion Distortion will guide participants through healthy, but tasty, food choices for different times and life cycles.
  Presenter: Amy Cartwright, B.S., M.S., R.D., L.D.N.; North East Bariatric Center
   

• A break for traditional “tea” and healthy food snacks, patterned after talk given by Amy Cartwright. 
   

• Massage, and Pilates, and Yoga – Ah, Sigh… will offer stress reduction techniques to improve overall health. Included is an interactive demonstration in the lobby, in which guests can participate. Casual dress for the event is encouraged for attendees to participate in the demonstrations.
  Presenters: Penn State Hazleton staff and faculty members Beverly Labosky, ACCE, academic coordinator of clinical education and instructor, Physical Therapist Assistant program; Bonnie Bernhard Sukana, NETA-certified group fitness instructor, certified pilates instructor, and administrative support assistant, Office of Student Affairs; and Kathryn Maxwell, D.Ed., CHES; career counselor and academic adviser.

A panel discussion with the keynote speaker, presenters, and local alumna and retired physician Dr. Sharon Rohrbach will be held to wrap up the day and will include a Q&A on personal health and wellness issues, careers in the healthcare industry, and career and family balance. Following the discussion, door prize winners will be announced.

Funded through an endowment established by local business woman E. Lee Beard, the Women’s Symposium at Penn State Hazleton is designed to engage women’s interest in topics related to professional and personal development. Each year, the symposium focuses on a different theme, and all women are encouraged to support and attend the events. 

Additional support for this year’s event is provided by the Avon Products, Inc.; Penn State Commission for Women, Penn State Hazleton Student Activities Fund, and Penn State Hazleton Women’s Symposium Committee. Locally, support has been offered by PPL. 

On Sunday, April 18, the event will begin with check-in starting at 12:30 p.m. The symposium starts at 1:00 p.m. Reservations to attend the symposium are required, and seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat, call 570-450-3180.

Avon Products Inc. donates to Women’s Symposium 

The tournament will be held in a four-person scramble format with a 1:00 p.m. shotgun start. Registration will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The price includes greens fee, cart rental, hot dog and beverage coupon which can be used during registration or during the round, family style dinner after tournament, complimentary Sugarloaf Golf Club logo golf ball, $5 off coupon for all golfers, 10% off coupon for all pro shop purchases, and loads of prizes.

For sponsorship and registration information, please visit: Hazleton Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament.

Registrations and sponsorships are now being accepted for the golf tournament

hosted by the Greater Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association

set for Friday, May 7, at the Sugarloaf Golf Club. Pictured, from left,

are Carole Shearer, alumni and development specialist,

Penn State Hazleton, the Nittany Lion, and Blair Bell, president, Greater Hazleton

Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.

Mary P. Quinn, senior manager, Avon Foundation for Women, said, “Avon is the company for women and we place the highest value on programs focused on advancing opportunities for and empowering women. We are proud to support this important program for women at Penn State Hazleton.”

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary M. Lawler said, “On behalf of the planning committee and Penn State Hazleton, we thank Avon Products Inc. for their generosity and support of this important effort. Advancing learning and development opportunities for young women is a key priority at Penn State Hazleton and across the university, and we are proud of the impact of this initiative. Each year, the symposium attracts a wider audience ranging from Penn State students to members of the area community and beyond.”

Funded through an endowment established by local business woman E. Lee Beard and her husband, Bill, the Women’s Symposium at Penn State Hazleton was designed to advance dialogue and exploration of unique challenges faced by young women as they pursue personal and professional development during their formative years.

“We are very pleased with the growth of this initiative over the years and excited that Avon Products Inc. sees the value in what we are doing and is willing to invest in the symposium,” said Mrs. Beard.

All women are encouraged to attend and support the event. More than 250 women have attended the previous symposiums and benefitted from the experience. As it continues to increase in popularity, the symposium has become a much anticipated event by women of all ages and life experiences.

Additional support for this year’s event is provided by PPL, the Penn State Commission for Women, and Penn State Hazleton Student Activities Fund.

This year’s Symposium on Contemporary Women’s Issues will be held Sun., April 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Evelyn Graham Academic Building at the campus with the theme “Empowered for Life: Live Well, Eat Well, Be Well.” Denise Casare, F.A.C.H.E., president and CEO, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, will provide the keynote address. Breakout sessions will follow on topics including “Taking Care of the Whole You,” “Portion Distortion – A guide to eating well,” “Massage, and Pilates, and Yoga….Ah, Sigh,” and an open forum question-and-answer session.

For more information, contact the Office of Development and University Relations at 570-450-3180.

Mary P. Quinn, right, senior manager, Avon Foundation for Women, presents a check from
Avon Products, Inc. in support of the Women's Symposium Contemporary Women's Issues
at Penn State Hazleton to Carole Shearer, alumni and development specialist, Penn State Hazleton.

Students in Penn State Hazleton’s theater classes are gearing up for a performance in a new black box format in the theater of the Slusser/Bayzick Building at the campus from April 15-17.   

According to Eric-Michael MacCionnaith, instructor in Integrative Arts, “Students in four theater courses have been assisting with the transformation of the upper level of the Slusser/Bayzick Building into a multi-functional space for a variety of performances.”

The black box theater consists of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor, allowing for a variety of floor plan configurations. For this performance, the stage is in the center of the audience to create a more intimate and dramatic environment.

The renovations to the theater of Slusser/Bayzick Building include painting the walls and ceiling, reconfiguration of the current stage area, lighting and sound upgrades, and installation of new curtains.

Preparations are being made for performances of “Fuddy Meers,” a comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire, running at 7 p.m. April 15-17 in the Slussser/Bayzick Building. Tickets are available at the door each evening and cost $7 for the general public and $5 for students.

The theater students are building on a program established through a gift to the campus by local alumnus and patron of the arts Dominic Landro. The program, which debuted in fall 2006, is designed to engage students’ creative interests, enrich the student experience, and showcase student talent at a program open to the public.

“It’s very exciting to be part of rebuilding a program that was once very active on campus,” Dr. MacCionnaith said. 

Dr. MacCionnaith teaches four theater classes including “Introduction to Acting,” “Introduction to Theater,” “Acting Production,” and “Technical Production.” He currently oversees 62 students in everything from acting to set design to promotion of events.

“The students are involved in a variety of aspects of theater production and gain a wide range of experience preparing for and promoting a performance. There are numerous artistic opportunities for students which take place in this liberal arts and educational approach to theater.” he said.

Students are also learning from assisting with performances in the community. According to Dr. MacCionnaith, students have been collaborating with the Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts (PTPA) in Hazleton on productions and once the Hazleton Area School District’s Alice C. Wiltsie Performing Arts Center is completed, he would like students to support productions there, as well.

In addition to the theater experience at Penn State Hazleton, Dr. MacCionnaith is working to establish a short-term study abroad program for students with the University College Dublin.

Dr. MacCionnaith began teaching at Penn State Hazleton in the fall 2009 semester after serving as artistic director at the Renegade Theatre Project in Eugene, Oregon, for eight years and an educator at the high school and collegiate levels. He earned a doctoral degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon and a master of science degree in Research Psychology and dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Theatre and Speech all from the University of Tennessee.

In addition to private support, the University is also investing in the performing and visual arts as evidenced by the addition of a full-time faculty member in theater and the transformation of the Evelyn Graham Academic Building lobby into a gallery.

For more information on the April 15-17 performance of “Fuddy Meers” or the theater program at Penn State Hazleton, visit www.hn.psu.edu or call 570-450-3180.

About the performance:

7 p.m. April 15-17, Theater of the Slusser/Bayzick Building at Penn State Hazleton

David Lindsay-Abaire’s comedy “Fuddy Meers” is the story of Claire who has a rare form of psychogenic amnesia that erases her memory whenever she goes to sleep. This morning, like all mornings, she wakes up a blank slate. Her chipper husband comes in with a cup of coffee, explains her condition, hands her a book filled with all sorts of essential information, and he disappears into the shower. A limping, lisping half-blind, half-deaf man in a ski mask pops out from under her bed and claims to be her brother, there to save her. Claire’s info book is quickly discarded, and she’s hustled off to the country house of her mother, a recent stroke victim whose speech has been reduced to utter gibberish. Claire’s journey get even more complicated when a dimwitted thug with a foul-mouthed hand puppet pops up at a window, and her driven husband and perpetually stoned son show up with a claustrophobic lady cop that they’ve kidnapped. Every twist and turn in this funhouse plot bring Claire closer to revealing her past life and everything she thought she’d forgotten. It’s one harrowing and hilarious turn after another on this roller coaster ride through the day of an amnesiac trying to decipher her fractured life. This poignant and brutal comedy traces one woman’s attempt to regain her memory while surrounded by a curio cabinet of alarmingly bizarre characters.

Actors and their roles include:

• Amanda Crossett as Claire

• Megan Cerezo as Gertie

• Greg Korin as Limping Man

• George Yencha as Millet

• Alpher Sylvester as Richard

• and Alicia Nordtrom as Heidi 

Tickets are available at the door each evening and cost $7 for the general public and $5 for students. 

Made up of four sisters - Joan, Angela, Gráinne and Marie Thérèse Diver - the Screaming Orphans have been playing traditional Irish music since their youth and draw on a variety of influences ranging from the Beatles to REM and the Indigo Girls to Abba, with a focus on melody-driven songs. Their sound has been compared to the Bangles and the Cranberries.

Raised in County Donegal, Ireland, the sisters decided as teenagers to form a rock band. They performed at a concert in Kildare that also featured Sinead O’Connor, who asked them to sing backup for her and open her show. The sisters then began touring across Europe, North America and Canada, including appearances with David Letterman and on other shows. They have recorded with Peter Gabriel and also provided backup vocals for a song on the Chieftains’ “Tears of Stone” album.

The festivities will start early with a reception to promote the upcoming campus Women's Symposium scheduled for 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Sun., April 18, in the Evelyn Graham Academic Building.

Many thousands of hibernating bats – the flying mammals are major predators of airborne insects, like mosquitoes – are dying in caves and abandoned mines in the Northeast from a fungus wildlife biologists are studying around the clock.

The most obvious symptom associated with the die-off is a white fungus encircling the noses of some, but not all, of the affected bats. This has led to the name "white-nose syndrome," which is actually a collection of related symptoms, including a fungus. It is not clear how this fungus alone can cause bats to die, however; impacted bats deplete their fat reserves months before their normal springtime emergence from hibernation, and starve to death as a result.

A research biologist from East Stroudsburg University will discuss WNS and more in a free public lecture at 7 p.m., Wed., Feb. 24, in 109 Evelyn Graham Academic Building at Penn State Hazleton. Sponsored by the Faculty Lecture Series Committee, Dr. Howard (Sandy) Whidden’s lecture is titled “Pennsylvania Bats: A Conservation Crisis.” A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

Bat biologists across the country, including scientists with government wildlife agencies like the Pennsylvania Game Commission, are evaluating strategies to monitor the presence of the disease and collect specimens for laboratory analysis. Biologists are taking precautions (using sanitary clothing and respirators when entering caves) to avoid unintentionally spreading a disease in the process. Bat populations are particularly vulnerable during hibernation as they congregate in large numbers in caves, in clusters of 300 individuals per square foot in some locations, making them susceptible to disturbance or disease. The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of bats known to hibernate in New York, for example, do so in just five caves and mines.

Because bats migrate hundreds of miles to their summer range, the impacts of WNS are expected to have significant implications for bats throughout the Northeast.

Dr. Whidden, assistant professor of biology at ESU, is a mammalogist whose research interests have included moles and shrews. At East Stroudsburg, he teaches conservation biology, general ecology, mammalogy, and introductory biology.

People who find sick bats in the coming warm-season months are encouraged to report their sightings to the Game Commission at www.pgc.state.pa.us .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers a list of frequently asked questions about WNS at www.fws.gov/northeast/pdf/white-nosefaqs.pdf .

For more information on this event or others at Penn State Hazleton, call the Office of University Relations at 570-450-3180.

Hasia Diner, the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History at New York University and the director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History, will be the featured speaker for Penn State Hazleton's lecture series at 7 p.m., Thurs., March 4, in 1 Kostos Building. The event is free and open to the public.

Her lecture is titled "America's Lure of Plenty: Immigrants, Hunger, and the Journey to America" and will address themes she developed in her book "Hungering for America: Italian, Irish, and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration" (Harvard University Press, 2001) which was nominated for a James Beard Award for excellence in food writing. She will examine how immigrant attitudes about food and starvation reveal important historical and cultural trends in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  

Dr. Diner is the author of several books on American Judaism and immigration, including "The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000" (University of California Press, 2004), "The Lower East Side Memories: The Jewish Place in America" (Princeton University Press, 2000) and is co-author of "Her Works Praise Her: A History of Jewish Women in America from Colonial Times to the Present" (Basic Books, 2002).  Her most recent book, "We Remember with Reverence and Love" (NYU Press, 2009), examines the issue of post-World War II American Jews publicly memorializing those who died in the Holocaust. Professor Diner has also contributed to several documentaries of American history, including the recent program "The Jewish Americans," which aired on PBS stations in 2008.

Dr. Diner earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, master's degree from the University of Chicago, and doctoral degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

The final installment of the lecture series will feature Penn State Hazleton Professor of Physics David Miller presenting the annual Mylar Giri Memorial Lecture. Dr. Miller's lecture title is "On the Path of Galileo" at 7 p.m., Tues., April 20, in 1 Kostos Building.

For more information about this event or others at Penn State Hazleton, the Office of University Relations at 570-450-3180.  

Penn State Hazleton's Arts and Music Series continues with Michael Fosberg’s autobiographical presentation of “Incognito” (www.incognitotheplay.com) at 8:00 p.m., Tues., Feb. 9, in the Highacres Café, the campus dining facility. The event is free, and the public is cordially invited to attend.

For the first 32 years of his life, Michael Fosberg was raised believing he was white. But in 1992, he discovered he was actually black – and had a history, family and ethnicity he’d never before known. He shares the story of his discovery and how it affected him in a one-man show that he has presented in theaters, high schools, colleges and performing arts centers across the United States.

Educational yet thought-provoking and humorous, Fosberg’s story is the ultimate tale of self-discovery and includes issues such as race, diversity, family history, divorce, adoption and finding a father.

Fosberg’s appearance at Penn State Hazleton comes during African American History Month and will inspire discussions not just on race, but also on inclusion and stereotypes. It particularly speaks to those struggling with identity, family, self-awareness and acceptance.

The final installment in the Arts and Music Series will be held at 8 p.m., Tues., March 23, in the Slusser/Bayzick Building and feature the Screaming Orphans (thescreamingorphans.com), a pop-rock band of four Irish sisters who stay true to their roots while drawing on a variety of influences, from Simon and Garfunkel to REM, with a focus on melody-driven songs.

For more information on this event or others at Penn State Hazleton, call the Public Information Office at (570) 450-3180.

“The Speakers Series showcases the wide variety of scholarship and the diverse nature of our faculty and their work,” said Assistant Dean of Admissions Jay Shively.  “The topics selected have tremendous potential to engage prospective law students—they cover a broad range of topics and will attract a diverse audience based on the ideas that will be presented.  It’s not often that undergraduate students have the opportunity to connect with scholars of this caliber.” 

A complete lineup of topics and speakers can be found at http://law.psu.edu/speaker_series .

Lectures are open to the public, but the events will focus on students interested in attending law school who can join in-person in the Lewis Katz Building in University Park and Lewis Katz Hall in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  More than 40,000 prospective students are also invited to join via Webcast. 

Participating in the creation of the CAN DO Trustee Matching Scholarship at Penn State Hazleton were,
from left, front: CAN DO Community Foundation Treasurer Donald M. Pachence, CAN DO Community
Foundation President Gary F. Lamont, Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary Lawler, and CAN DO
Chairman of the Board John J. Spevak. Back: CAN DO Community Foundation board members Nancy
Stasko, Eugene M. Dougherty, Earl C. Berger, Robert J. Moisey, Art Sweeney, and Penn State
Hazleton Director of Development and University Relations Kevin Salaway.  

The CAN DO Community Foundation Board of Directors recently established the CAN DO Trustee Matching Scholarship at Penn State Hazleton, a new scholarship that will benefit students from Greater Hazleton who attend the local campus of The Pennsylvania State University.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship program provides matching funds from the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees, resulting in larger scholarship awards to deserving students with financial need. This new scholarship augments the CAN DO Scholarship established in 1997 at Penn State Hazleton to provide scholarships to local students.

“The CAN DO Community Foundation is pleased and proud to establish a trustee matching scholarship at the local Penn State campus for a local student,” said Gary F. Lamont, president of the foundation. “Penn State Hazleton has provided excellent educational opportunities for Greater Hazleton for more than 75 years, and Penn State has been a tremendous supporter of CAN DO. Together, CAN DO and Penn State will offer excellent educational and career opportunities to the youth of Greater Hazleton for years to come.”

Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Gary M. Lawler said, “Penn State Hazleton’s partnership with CAN DO is a wonderful example of the campus’ commitment to the area. CAN DO was one of the foundations leading the way in the campus’ last fundraising campaign and once again is showing support for university’s new campaign, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. CAN DO recognizes the value of an educated workforce and we greatly appreciate their dedication and leadership in providing access for students." 

“CAN DO has been a stalwart partner with Penn State Hazleton on many levels, and we enjoy a robust collaboration with them to promote economic development,” Kevin J. Salaway, director of Development and University Relations said. “This is the second major scholarship established at the campus by CAN DO. The entire campus community is grateful for CAN DO’s commitment to education and to the campus.”

Scholarship endowments established at Penn State Hazleton generate financial awards in perpetuity for deserving students attending the local campus. Trustee Matching Scholarships provide matching funds from the university resulting in the doubling of the financial awards generated.  “This program is a great way for a donor to the campus to double the impact of their gift,” Salaway added.

For more information on the Trustee Matching Scholarship program or other giving options, contact Kevin Salaway at 570-450-3175 or e-mail kjs27@psu.edu.

A large majority of funds collected are from “canning.” Students are permitted to stand at businesses with large cans and ask passers-by for donations. Canning weekends are scheduled for January 22 to 24 and February 12 to 14. Students will “can” from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at several area locations including Gould’s ShurSave, Conyngham; Boyer’s Food Market, Hazleton; and Walmart, Hazleton.

According to Bademan, “We are extremely grateful to community members, businesses, alumni and friends who have supported our efforts. Each year, Penn State Hazleton continues to be a leader among Penn State campuses in raising money. We hope to continue that proud and worthy tradition this year.”

Bademan added, “Please support the fight against pediatric cancer. Any donation, large or small, helps Penn State students to help families with sick children.”

According to Bademan, students have been working hard this year to help raise money to fight pediatric cancer. Since August, students have held a variety of events including dodge ball, volleyball, basketball and other sports tournaments, t-shirt sales, and karaoke contests. These events will continue until THON weekend, February 19 to 21.

Last year, Penn State Hazleton’s THON Committee raised more than $35,000 and placed third for money raised among Commonwealth Campuses. Overall, the THON organization raised a record-setting $7.49 million.

In 1973, a small group of Penn State students held the first dance marathon with 34 dancers raising $2,000. Since then, THON’s presence in the Penn State community has grown exponentially and now consists of more than 15,000 student volunteers and 700 dancers. The dance marathon has raised more than $61 million for the Four Diamonds Fund which helps families with costs of treatments not covered by insurance and other expenses that may affect the welfare of the afflicted child. Additionally, the fund supports the medical team and pediatric cancer research.

For more information about THON or to donate online, visit www.thon.org. Please designate donations to the Hazleton campus.