FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2001 “They try to be diverse. They should have found a better African American.” Kamilah Gordon 810 04 FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS individualized with a particular focus on the area in which it is taught. “My ultimate goal in first year seminar is to guide students to the correct major,” says Chris Coulston, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. “If 1 am allowed to define the purpose of the course, then certainly I achieve the goals.” For his class, these goals include familiarizing the students with the College and one another, giving them the opportunity to interact closely with a faculty member in their major, and providing them with an overview of computer engineering. “In the School of Business (SOB), all students take the same seminar regardless of their anticipated major," says Dr. Peg Thoms, associate professor of management. These students are introduced to various aspects of business and prepared for the type of work involved if they choose a major in this field. “1 believe that the SOB has been successful in achieving our objectives,” Thoms said, "but we continue to try to improve our seminars.” While faculty have encountered varied complaints from students about the seminars, ranging from “pointless” to "too much work for one credit.” they still appear to be doing some good. According to the preliminary results of a study of FYS effectiveness at Behrend, most freshmen during the 1999/2000 school year found that they were CALL IT TOYOTA’S aCOLLEGE GRADUATE FINANCE PLAN INCLUDES $5OO TO GET YOU GOING! now there’s a Toyota College Graduate Finance Program some of the advantages: • No Down Payment • No Payment for 90 days • Finance up to 72 months • Get $5OO Cash Back From Toyota ... in addition to any other current Toyota customer incentives! o if you’re within 4 months of graduation >r if you graduated within the past 2 years isk your Toyota dealer for all the details. www.gettoyota.com byota College Graduate Finance Program available to qualified appli ants thru Toyota Financial Services. Not all applicants will qualify. Some factions and limitations apply. Cash back otter abject to geographic and offer expires 6/30/01. See dealer for details “I was excited until I found out that they can celled Spring Fever.” Jackie Cavicchio English 05 better prepared for college after taking the seminar. Stress levels among students who completed an FYS were lower than those of students who hadn't. "It’s really too early to know for sure how effective these courses have been.” says Tracy Haimi, a lecturer in chemistry, noting that the first students at Behrend who had to take an FYS still have two years of college left. "I think these seminars could be very rewarding, but perhaps students would receptive to what they have to offer if they [the seminars] were electives and there wasn't that feeling of being forced to be in this class.” The downside to this, she continues, would be that the students who would most benefit from this type of course <3g> TOYOTA START UP MONEY. QUESTION OF THE WEEK FROM FRONT PAGE " would probably not elect to take it It remains to be seen whether Behrend graduates, looking back on their education, will cite First-Year Seminars as among their most useful or memorable classes. In the meantime, Behrend faculty continue to study feedback from students in order to ensure that the seminars fulfill their purpose of easing the transition into college life. “I'm not impressed.” Jarrod Stantlin Operations Mngt. 06 Dr. Peg Thoms, assistant professor of : (j) management (above) 3 and Chris Coulston, assistant professor of £ electrical and com x puter engineering (left) teach first-year seminars. Highlander NEWS ■BEifr “I’m not a Shaggy tan it didn’t really matter to me.” RESIDENCE RATES of $77 million of this money will be used for technology upgrades, root replacements, elevator repair, heating, plumbing, and electrical repairs. Penn State’s expansion will include increased resident capacities on several campuses. The $ll4 million will be divided among three campuses. University Park is constructing 1,525 new living spaces to add to their large student population. Harrisburg will create 350 additional housing spaces, and Behrend 150. Five dining halls will be renovated along with 14 residence halls across the Penn State system. The Graduate How Do We Compare? ACADEMIC YEAR 2000-2001: Room & Board Rates of Big Ten & Regional Universities (standard double room & meal plan 3 equivalent) Northwestern Temple U Rutgers ~ , , " '.s ' Pittsburgh "" Michigan " v * s's'»7<|o’|j Indiana ~~ SS.aViJ Illinois ' jAA \ v .; -T,: . Ohio Sute U : sS,377|| Purdue . $5,170 | i L— i i i-rqr Minnesota H*H| 1 | j lg=E... -l.fi-■ Penn State SA>>IO | Wisconsin S4»>l4_|| Michigan State "' "'' $4»471~)| lowa ~ ' " s4.a»<T| 1 *'i,ooo *2.000 $3,000 >4.000 *S,OOO *6.000 iTooo lOURTESY OF HOUSING AND FOOD SERVICES MARCH 2001 STALL STORIEt Jason Alward Finance 04 15 ' - “I love Shaggy. We need some excitement on campus Julian Brown DUS 01 Circle apartment complex at University Park will also be included in this large project. These improvements alone will cost $76 million. When compared with other schools Penn State has a positive r;iting for cost of room and board. Penn State is one of the least expensive colleges: "Even with the increase Penn State still ranks in the bottom third of Big Ten schools for food and housing costs. Northwestern costs over $7,000," Miller said. "The other Big Ten schools haven’t even made their increases yet. Penn State came out with theirs early.” Tundra Erie’s wooly mammoth on display by Hillary Hawranko staff writer There is an interesting but little know bit of trivia surrounding Erie County: it is the home of the most complete wooly mammoth skeleton known to exist. And the Behrend community will have the opportunity to find out more interesting features about Erie County at the Harhorereek Historical Society’s special presenta tion titled “Ecological Treasures in Northwestern Pennsylvania" on Wednesday. April 4, at 7:00 p.m. in Knowledge Park. The purpose of this presentation is to raise awareness of the distinct ecological features of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Scientists believe the remains of the wooly mammoth were deposited in Lake Erie during prehistoric limes. Another feature of the program will be the nearly extinct clubshell and northern riffleshell. These species in habited French Creek, where their populations still prosper. More infor mation about these unique creatures will be available at the presentation. The Harborcreek Historical Society’s current project Is to protect the Chambers schoolhouse, located near the Rose Construction office building on Buffalo Road at the Walbridge intersection. If any con struction begins there, the Chambers schoolhouse will be destroyed. The Harborcreek Historical Society is in the process of having the schoolhouse relocated, in conjunction with the Harborcreek Township Supervisors, For more information on this project or the “Ecological Treasures in North western Pennsylvania" presentation, contact Louise Smerick, president of the Harborcreek Historical Society, at 899-6022, x 260. The Harborcreek Historical Soci ety, located in the first building on the left at Knowledge Park, has made nu merous efforts to educate people about the historical facts of this com munity, and is continuing to do so. According to the organization’s mis sion statement, “The Harborcreek Historical Society promotes aware ness of the history and heritage of the Harborcreek area and its environs and encourages the identification, collec tion, and preservation of materials lor those purposes.” Dedicated by Gov ernor Ridge on October 18, 1999, Knowledge Park has aimed to provide many development opportunities. Todd Sampsell, spokesperson for the “Ecological Treasures in North western Pennsylvania” presentation, is the Watershed Conservationist for the Western Pennsylvania Conser- vancy. Aside from introducing the au dience to the Conservancy, Sampsell will also incorporate details about the French Creek Watershed Conserva tion Project, Glacial Lakes in North western Pennsylvania, and the North west Field Station at Lake Pleasant, home of the wooly mammoth re- The Western Pennsylvania Conser vancy has worked to protect over 204, 000 acres of natural land in Western Pennsylvania since its founding as the Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association in 1932. More information about this organization can be found on their website at www.paconserve.org. HE BEHREND Beacon online! www.chibs.psu.edu/ i beacononline/ ;
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers