The Honor Roll WINTER 2015
> Pittsburgh Speaker Series: Alan Alda
Witten by Allison Dushack
> Lunch with a South African Political Analyst A lucky group of Honors Students recently had the privilege of having lunch with South African political analyst and economist Daniel Silke. During our lunchtime discussion we talked about how competitive South Africa is in the world market and its political system. We also discussed the difference between South African and American culture. Mr. Silke was very interested and informed on American issues and politics. Written by Hannah Arnold
>> THE FIRST ANNUAL “THESIS PROPOSAL NIGHT” WAS HELD ON CAMPUS DEC. 5.
I had the pleasure of going downtown to meet Alan Alda along with seeing his presentation at Heinz Hall. Alan Alda is mainly known for his first acting career in the hit series, M*A*S*H. He recalled memories of his life that made him who he was today, moments he thought to be special. He talked about traveling the country with his dad, a Burlesque actor, and watching him perform. He was fascinated by the acting, the chorus girls, and the whole show. He knew he wanted to be an actor. He shared multiple memories in which Alda concluded that, "The only thing we have is the present moment." Overall, Alda was very humorous in his presentation and personable. It was inspirational getting to hear his story.
> A Creative Project to Remember As a lover of all things theater, I was quite pleased when I found out Tanner Sebastian was writing a play, Remembrance, for his honors thesis. While I have nothing against traditional theses, I think it takes a certain energy to craft a successful piece of stage work. And let it be known his play was immensely successful. Not only was I brought to tears, but after leaving I was gripped by philosophical questions. Additionally, Remembrance rendered a theater’s worth of twenty-something college students silent. Thank you Tanner for the fantastic work. You did Honors proud. Written by Amber Pramann
To celebrate 2014's Constitution Day, 90 year old WWII veteran and Moon Township resident Carl Walpusk addressed a packed Rogal Chapel. Walpusk and his comrades, whose plane was shot down over Germanoccupied Serbia in 1943, hid from the axis powers for 33 days until being rescued by the U.S. government during Operation Haylard. In 2007, author Gregory Freeman immortalized the rescue mission in The Forgotten 500. Walpusk’s lecture to the RMU community served as a reminder to everyone in attendance that the freedoms we have would not be possible without the sacrifices made by so many Americans over 70 years ago. Written by Nicholas Buzzelli
> Reflection on my FYSP Experience The Honors FYSP experience this past summer has provided several benefits for me. At the Welcome Luncheon on Move-in Day, I had the opportunity to meet other honors students who shared the same drive and determination to succeed. My favorite part of FYSP week was the dinner and book discussion at Dr. Dell’Omo’s house. It was an absolute privilege to be invited to such a formal and engaging event. During the entire course, the faculty and upperclassmen inspired us to be model students and citizens to both RMU and the community. The Honors FYSP course engaged me before classes even began! Written by David Bendig
>> MARK YOUR CALENDARS: THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT RMU APRIL 24, 2015.
> WWII Vet Featured as Constitution Day Speaker
> Q&A with a Rooney Scholar In the small nook of Robert Morris University's library, big ideas on international politics were being discussed on a chilled November evening. Victor Khrul from Moscow State University warmly accepted questions in this Q&A session, providing thorough answers for many inquiries, ranging from the current heated Russian political environment to the power of propaganda and education abroad. The information shared left the audience satisfied yet pondering further on the realm of foreign affairs. The talk spurred on side discussion as we departed, still grasping a glimpse of the Russian state of affairs and how they connected Moon Township in the greater picture of power and politics. Written by Savanah Buhite
> Take Note
Nick Buzzelli named SCJ’s Student Journalist of the Year Alexis Jones’s honors thesis accepted at the Marketing Theory and Practice conference Marulla Quirk’s original research accepted at the NRHC festival. Tanner Sebastian’s play Remembrance read at the KC/ACTF festival.
Honors students had the opportunity to learn about city planning at a presentation by newly-appointed City of Pittsburgh Planning Director, Ray Gastil. Although Gastil has only been here a few months, he already has a vision for the future. Gastil served as director of City Planning in Manhattan and Seattle and taught at various universities throughout his life. He draws on that experience, as well as the models of other great cities around the world, to plan the future of Pittsburgh. A small group of students and faculty had the opportunity to have lunch with Gastil after the presentation. They discussed various upcoming projects, such as the new PNC building downtown, a possible expansion of public transportation, and retaining highly talented Pittsburgh Area college grads. Written by Molly Watterson
> Studying Abroad in Ireland This past May, I had the honor of studying abroad in Ireland as part of Jim Vincent’s Joyce and Yeats class. Traveling with his Mythology class, our group visited the legendary places of Ireland’s folklore as well as the beautiful landscapes and bustling cities that were inspiration for poet William Butler Yeats and author James Joyce. We began in Crossmaglen, a town overshadowed by its dark history. We stopped in Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, and added our messages of peace to the Peace Wall. We stayed on the bogs in Omagh and in a haunted hotel (we think) near Sligo. Sligo’s charming people and rich music made it my favorite stop on the trip. We ended our journey in Dublin, the Republic’s capital. I encourage all to go on this trip if possible. Written by Tanner Sebastian
>> THERE WERE THREE BOOK CLUBS THIS FALL: GUYLAND, LIFE AFTER LIFE, AND GANG LEADER FOR A DAY.
> Lecture and Lunch with Ray Gastil
> Breaking Enigma: A Roundtable with the Co-Director Professor Monica VanDieren interestingly combined cryptography, history, and mathematics in her roundtable titled “Mathematics of Enigma.” Dr. VanDieren’s presentation looked at various forms of encryption, how they were used in the past, and ways in which they can easily be decoded with mathematics. The presentation focused on the Enigma machine, its components, its importance in World War II, the revolutionary Polish mathematicians that were able to predict the keys and decode messages sent from the Enigma machine, and the first programmable digital computer created by Alan Turing in order to decode the Enigma more efficiently. Each member of the audience, a large crowd of both students and RMU faculty, were given his or her own paper Enigma machine and shown how to use it. Written by Nicole Stone
> Researching Titanic the Musical Professor Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre presented the research she had done in preparation for directing the Colonial Theatre's production of the musical, Titanic, which was showcased on campus in November. Professor Burgess-Lefebvre mentioned that all of the characters in the musical were based on actual people who had been on the ship. She discussed how this assisted her in bringing their stories to life on stage. Beyond the characters, Burgess-Lefebvre also gave various anecdotes and conspiracies as to what actually transpired on the Titanic in its final hours. Having had the chance to attend a performance of the show in November, her roundtable gave me a greater appreciation for what I saw on stage.
> Welcome Back Pirates Outing Honors students kicked off the semester by attending a Pirates game at PNC Park. It was a great way for everyone to catch up after summer break, and also make some new friends. The Pirates beat the Cubs 7-3! Written by Kendra Slis
Written by Robert Dougher
>> HONORS ALUMNI TORI MIKULAN’S THESIS WAS PUBLISHED IN FIRE ENGINEERING.
> Going to Grad School
Written by Stanley Marciniak III
Allison Dushack Amber Pramann Nicholas Buzzelli Savannah Buhite Stanley Marciniak III Molly Watterson Nicole Stone Tanner Sebastian Robert Dougher David Bendig Kendra Slis Hannah Arnold
4490-10-15
The “Going to Grad School Seminar” consisted of an interactive discussion with a panel of RMU’s graduate education experts: graduate admissions staff, career center advisors, test preparation staff, and University faculty. Driving part of the panel discussion, Honors Program codirectors Dr. VanDieren and Dr. Harold aided in the explanation of the graduate applications process, admissions, and education. The importance of selecting a program to meet a student’s individual needs as well as resume-building and test preparedness, were highlighted. The panel’s invaluable advice provided deep insight into the decision to attend graduate school, and the opportunity enriched the knowledge of all students who attended.
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