UHP Spring 2015 Newsletter

California University of Pennsylvania Honors Program Spring 2015

SHAB Throws a Presidential Social PAGE 2

Spring 2015 Graduating Seniors

PAGES 4 & 5 An Interview with Dr. Fox PAGE 6

University Honors Program News Honors Advisory Board Awards

HONORS ADVISORY BOARD OUTSTANDING HONORS PROGRAM GRADUATING SENIOR AWARD Justin K. Antolin May 2014

HONORS ADVISORY BOARD OUTSTANDING HONORS PROGRAM SERVICE AWARD Bridget A. Rogan May 2014

HONORS ADVISORY BOARD OUTSTANDING SENIOR HONORS THESIS AWARD Traci M. Davis May 2014

HONORS ADVISORY BOARD OUTSTANDING HONORS PROGRAM SERVICE AWARD Brittany A. Kusniar May 2015

Honors Professor Questionaire 1. What job would you have if you weren’t a professor?

I find it hard to imagine not being a professor. It’s what I have wanted to be for as long as I can remember.

But if pressed, I would say I would like have a job that allowed me to do things and write about them -theater / film / music critic, travel writer, etc.

2. Would you rather be in a real version of The Walking Dead or

Jurassic Park?

Living in a world that had real dinosaurs is a dream I’ve had since I was seven years old.

3. What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were in college?

How to talk to people I don’t know.

4. What do you like best/worst about being a professor?

Having the opportunity to help

people learn things they did not know before and being able to learn things from them that I did not know before. That and being in a profession where the wearing of bow ties is considered acceptable.

5. What is one of your greatest accomplishments in life?

Having a job that (99 days out of 100) I look forward to when I wake up in the morning.

Featuring Dr. M.G. Aune

PAGE 2

Presidential Love Honors Students Show Their Love for Their Favorite Presidents

By Brianna Monfredi he California University Honors Program hosted a love shack fiesta on Thursday February 19th to celebrate two holidays most would probably not put together, Valentine’s Day and Presidents day. The party began around 6:30 pm with students showing up in the Honors classroom with a flirtatious drawing of Abraham Lincoln to welcome them. There was music, games, and really yummy American flag icing cupcakes served with a fruity punch and cherries. Some of the featured games we had set up were a voting booth where students can vote for their favorite hunkiest president and a photo montage, courtesy of Amelia, where students can place beard cut outs of the presidents and other various facial hairs they

T

wore. I had a really great time watching people choose which prop they wanted to use for their photo and listening to the great debate on whether John F. Kennedy or Theodore Roosevelt had a nicer smile.

The service project that we did, I thought completely matched the theme of the party. We decided to make Valentine’s Day cards for volunteers at the American Red Cross and include how much we appreciate others who are willing to volunteer their time and make a big difference in raising money for great causes. Though I am not very artistic and could only come up with some simple card ideas, many of the cards looked amazing and everyone did a fantastic job at thanking and saluting the Red Cross, whom I’m sure was probably very pleased to receive those. I was surprised to see that many students come

to the social which I felt they did because it was something unique and new that probably made students really curious as to what the social was going to have, and like always everyone, including myself was very happy to be a part of the event. After the party had died down, I had counted and tallied up the votes of who the hunkiest president was. It had been a really close tie between JFK and Teddy Roosevelt with JKF coming out on top with one more vote, while a few others followed along. I am definitely looking forward to the many other social events that the honors committees are looking to host and I encourage everyone to attend because not only do we get free food and can make arts and crafts for good causes, but it also gives everyone a chance to make new friends and learn more about each other in the program.

Left: Presidential Cupcakes. Right: Honors Students making cards for Red Cross volunteers.

Above: Bryan Moore salutes the camera with a cupcake.

Newsletter Staff Editors

Zoe Scripter Amelia Lipkind

Contributors

Brianna Monfredi Kirra Lent Bryan Moore Aaron Haegele

Emily Warne Brad Britvich Hannah Kovscek

Honors Program News

Honors Program Staff

Director- Dr. M. G. Aune Associate Director- Dr. Craig Fox Secretary- Kim Orslene

PAGE 3

Pin the Bow Tie on Dr. Aune SHAB hosts the traditional Bow Tie Social

By Hannah Kovscek ttending the University Honors Program Open House in fall 2013 was what originally drew me towards applying to Cal U. I was excited for the challenges that I knew were ahead, and was inspired to become more involved with the program once I was accepted. This ultimately led to me running for a position on the Student Honors Advisory Board last semester. I was appointed the co-chair of the Social Committee, which held its second event of the spring semester on March

A

19th. To continue the tradition of hosting a bow Tie themed social each year, the party revolved around a “BYOB (Bring Your Own Bow Tie) to the Beach” theme.

Students were encouraged to bring their own neckpiece to the social, as Dr. Aune made a special appearance to teach proper tying techniques. Fun music was played in the background as students lined up to play “Pin the Bow Tie on Dr. Aune,” featuring a poster designed by the Social Committee Co-Chair, Bryan Moore. In addition, lemonade and fruit was provided to snack on, along with a stunning cake topped with a blue and yellow fondant bow tie.

Throughout the event, Honors students also had the opportunity to make Easter chicks to give to people at the Center in the Woods. Brynna Sherony, chair of the Service Committee, said that the senior citizens were excited to receive the crafts. I love that the monthly social/service events are not only an opportunity to catch up with other UHP students, but also allows us to give back to the community. The Social Committee is currently planning an exciting event for the beginning of the Fall 2015 semester, so keep a look out for emails—you don’t want to miss it!

Left: Skyler Boehm poses for a picture. Middle: Leah Seader shows off Bryan Moore’s drawing of Dr. Aune. Right: Bow Tie Cake.

SHAB Welcomes New Members New Member Speaks About SHAB Leadership

By Bryan Moore

B

eing a part of SHAB has proven to be a very novel, very multifaceted process. There’s so much that goes into being an officer, especially a committee chair, and while it can seem a bit overwhelming at times, it’s all been worth it in the end.

SHAB-only meetings are a very comfortable environment.

Our president, Lindsey Gasper, has our main topics outlined and printed for us to discuss and take notes. Anyone who has something to say gets a chance to speak, and all opinions are considered when a complication arises. The group itself consists of some of the friendliest people you could meet, from seasoned veterans and honorary members, to the several freshman members (myself included) who have only been around a few months.

Honors Program News

These attitudes don’t stay in the office; outside of SHAB meetings, members are just as friendly and supportive, and I’m thankful to call many of them friends.

In the SHAB-HAB joint meetings, processes are handled a bit more professionally, but members are still just as openminded to new ideas. I was pleasantly surprised by how no opinions were discounted due to lack of experience, and it was Continued on Page 4

PAGE 4

Graduating Seniors

Dr. Edmund Matecki Honors Thesis: The European Union’s Strategies and Law Requirements Within the Fraud of Creative Accounting

Katrina B. Andreyo

Elizabeth A. Brown Honors Thesis: A Proposed Update of the Geologic Map at Rotary Park, California, PA

Dr. Daniel Harris

Emily G. Dickey

Professor Nancy Carlino Honors Thesis: The Major Articulatory and Phonologic Characteristics of Turkish-Influenced English Shane Donovan Honors Thesis: Reining in Corporate Inversion: A Political Quandary

Dr. Paul Hettler

Autumn M. Franklin Honors Thesis: Serial Killers: Are They Biologically Created or Socially Constructed?

Dr. Emily Sweitzer

Chelsea Gilliland

Dr. Louise Nicholson Honors Thesis: Examining Genetic Diversity Among Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma Caeruleum) in the Monongahela River Joshua G. Gebauer

Honors Thesis: A Case Study of Bragg Scatter on the KPBZ Radar Lindsie K. Hammaker

Honors Thesis: Perceptual Differences Across Generations of American Dialects

Dr. Mario Majcen

Professor Nancy Carlino

Nicole M. Kuhta Dr. Margaret Christopher Honors Thesis: Exploring Relationships Between Religiosity, Stress, and Trauma Brittany A. Kusniar

Honors Thesis: Career Anxiety and Life After Graduation

Professor Gary Seeyle

SHAB Welcomes New Members Continued Continued from Page 3

By Bryan Moore fascinating to watch ideas and opinions come together to work closer to a solution on how to make the Honors Program operate at its maximum potential.

Being co-chair of a committee, I have only two semesters worth of experience in seemed incredibly daunting, but with the help of our stalwart team and the management skills of my cochair Hannah Kovscek, the SHAB Social Committee has put together several welldone events with above average turnout.

In all, being a part of SHAB has been a great experience this semester. I’ve gotten a better look at how the Honors Program runs, met the excellent people in charge, and got

SHAB Members Pose for a Picture During the Bring Your Own Bow Tie Social

to throw a pretty rad bow tie party for UHP Director Dr. Aune. I hope to extend my involvement in SHAB in the coming years I have here at Cal U, and I highly advise any prospective members to do the same.

Honors Program News

PAGE 5

Tabitha A. Maurer

Dr. Lindsey McGuire Honors Thesis: The Relationship Between Depression Symptoms and Stress Among Collegiate Basketball Student-Athletes Taylor D. Melidona

Dr. Laura J. Hummell Honors Thesis: Women in Technology: The True Limitations of Bias and Stereotypes in the Classroom Stephanie N. Moore

Honors Thesis: Feed Me: An Educational App for Feeding Interventions

Professor Nancy Carlino

Emily A. Murray

Honors Thesis: Sustainability and the Importance of Local Food Systems

Dr. Sarah Meiss

Kembia T. Munsanje

Honors Thesis: Congressional Obstructionism and Presidential Resolve: Who Blinks?

Dr. Melanie Blumberg

Ashlyn R. Neiffer Professor Spencer Norman Honors Thesis: Talking About Abuse: A Design Campaign for the California University of Pennsylvania END Violence Center Michael S. Ortenzo

Honors Thesis: How do you Love me? An Inquisition of Love and its Theories

Dr. Holiday Adair

Shawn M. Reese Dr. Carol Waterhouse Honors Thesis: Weird Birds: On Writing a Collection of Short Stories Samantha Rudy Dr. Cynthia Persinger Honors Thesis: Creative Activism: Examining Relationships Between Art, Psychology, and Public Relations Melissa K. Truby Honors Thesis: Return on Shockvertising

Dr. Alfred Tarquinio

2015 PASSHE Expectations One Student’s Hopes for the Summer 2015 PASSHE Trip

By Kirra Lent hen people imagine traveling abroad they usually picture visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Big Ben in London. Sometimes you will hear students talk about mission trips to Costa Rica or Africa, and family vacations to the Bahamas.

However, I have never heard of (and I bet most others have not either) a travel abroad program to Norway. Before even hearing about the trip, I had the intentions of traveling to someplace unique, a country or city often overlooked by eager students in search for study abroad destinations, so when I was chosen for this opportunity I

W

could not have been more excited.

Of course, I am a little nervous, mostly for the plane ride since I have not taken a flight anywhere that has lasted more than two hours. However, my excitement for the trip overrides my fear of flying. I think one of the most exciting aspects of Norway as a country is it’s distinctive geographical set up.

The fact that they have natural landmarks that are so completely different from most other places on the planet as well as culturally rich cities makes it such a cool place to explore and venture. In terms of specific experiences the trip will offer, picking a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize will definitely be a highlight. I look

up to so many of the people who have received the prize in the past, and the idea that I have the ability to help choose another contender for deliberation is unbelievable.

When I arrived at the trip orientation at West Chester University about a week ago, I could barely contain my excitement. The leader of the Honors Program at WCU is so bubbly and entertaining, and the two professors who will be accompanying us and teaching the coursework for the program are so intelligent that I know the trip is already going to be a success. I am looking forward to it, and I cannot wait to share my experiences when I return!

The PASSHE Summer UHP students for 2015 are Rachel Costantini and Kirra Lent

Honors Program News

PAGE 6

An Interview with Dr. Craig Fox Honors Student Discusses HON 330 With Professor

By Brad Britvich Could you give me a brief overview of the class? t’s basically a close reading of one of the classic texts of twentieth century philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations. We’re doing it in, as I said, a very close reading, so in most cases we’re going line by line and word by word, just trying to understand the very strange structure and style of his writing.

I do it from a standpoint assuming people have no prior knowledge of him or even prior exposure to philosophy and starting from scratch to try and understand this important work of philosophy which is also very popular outside of philosophy as well.

I

How does the honors philosophy class differ from your regular philosophy classes? did teach it four or five years ago just as a regular philosophy class and organized it pretty similarly.

In that class though I assumed there would be more familiarity with the philosophical branches we would be going in to. We were able to have more discussions that related to historical questions.

I used to think that way very important for understanding the book but I’ve come to realize that the historical background is not as important because I think that there is still something someone who isn’t steeped in philosophy can still get out of the book.

I

In your class you focus primarily on the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. What originally drew your attention to him? first studied him in college in a survey course and I was intrigued by the puzzle of his writings. This is why I became a philosophy major in the first place. I was first influenced by Emmanuel Kant who is a really difficult philosopher to read with really dense writing. I remember having to write a paper on Kant and just liking the puzzle aspect of it, and trying to figure out why he is saying what he is saying, which is something we do in this class. I liked that aspect of trying to put together the puzzle pieces and the style of this this book and it’s puzzle-like challenge which offers a payout once you understand what he is saying and his justification for his claims.

I

Left: Professors Fox and Aune debating philosophy.

Right: Dr. Craig Fox.

NCUR 2015

Honors Freshman Travels to Spokane,WA for NCUR

By Aaron Haegele n April 16-18, six students from the University Honors Program and four students funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research here on campus, attended the 2015 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. NCUR is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study. This gathering of young scholars welcomes presenters from all

O

institutions of higher learning and from all corners of the academic curriculum. Through this annual conference, NCUR creates a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement, provides models of exemplary research and helps to improve the state of undergraduate education. At this year’s conference there were over 3000 oral, poster, and visual arts presentations. 390 colleges and universities were represented from 42 states and seven countries.

This year, one freshman, two sophomores, one junior, and six seniors from Cal U presented their research. From scientific posters, to a collection of short Honors Program News

stories, and honors theses, Cal U students shared their findings and presentations. The conference was an excellent opportunity to share and present to a community of like-minded scholars. The students also enjoyed their time outside of the conference in the city of Spokane from delicious dinners to exploring the nearby sate parks and trails. From burgers to authentic Ethiopian “Injera” there was no doubt the students delighted in the food during this year’s trip. Overall, the conference was enjoyed by all who attended; filled with opportunity, networking, social interactions, and of course some delicious food.