November 20, 2006 DUS office offers and direction for Continued from page 1 and then we will introduce them to every business related major at Penn State. Majors like Spanish with a Business Option; Finance; Energy, Business and Finance; Hotel Restaurant Instructional Management, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, Agricultural Business Management and the list goes on. We help students develop educational plans, to schedule courses which are required, and which will test their interests and abilities.” • As for the steps students can take to narrow down their choices, Carlson said “...Students need Photo courtesy of MARIN KNDORITIS/Copitol Times The DUS office, located on the 2nd floor of Olmsted by the Learning Center, offers students guidance on possible majors either here at PSH, or other Penn State campuses. There are also computers available for students to register for classes within the office to realistically consider their interests, abilities and values. They need to be very honest with themselves. To support them in this process we use a program called the DUS Navigator 101: Educational Resident hall living is complex Continued from page 1 freshman, communications. “We’ve even knocked on her door before but she never answered. The lights are all on but she’s never there.” This isn’t old news to even the current CA’s. “I hear that their CA is not as available as they would like them to be or they don’t even know who their CA is,” said Jasmine Cunningham, CA for the 7000 and 8000 buildings. The frustration of never having a CA around when needed can lead to dire consequences. The tension mounts and suddenly what was once an eager venture into making friends becomes a hostile environment where a personal bubble has become a fortified wall of cold shoulder steel. The mood can swing from fun and easy going to uneasy silence, creating an environment of stress and concern. The grades begin to drop, once-clear focus becomes agitated unrest, and a period of time that was meant to be a once in a lifetime experience becomes something that leaves memories of resentment. Small details once taken for granted while living a home now have the potential to create rifts in friendships Hartzler: more than meager mathematics Continued from page 1 didn’t hesitate to say. It’s annoying because a lot of time is wasted at the meetings, said Hartzler. I’d rather use my time productively he said. Though he enjoys teaching, Hartzler said that he would not mind being an attorney. He even thought about it in graduate school. But because he did not know much about the profession, he didn’t consider it a possibly. One thing he wishes he had been able to achieve in life is tenure to be a full professor. Hartzler has lived in Pennsylvania his whole life, except for the five years he lived in Indiana where he purchased and developed five/six pieces of land. He lives in Mount Joy in Lancaster with his wife. His four children, who are now adults, also live in Pennsylvania. Of his four children, three graduated from Penn State with bachelor’s degrees in economics, structural design and THE CAPITAL TIMES Planning for the First-Year Student. DUS Navigator 101 consists of a series of lessons and assignments that help students clarity their interests, consider their abilities, and explore academic opportunities so they are able to develop an informed educational plan. We also recommend job shadowing and link students to alumni and community members who can share their personal career stories.” The DUS is also a part of all the campuses, linked between them closely and also a part of University Park as well. The network, as a result, allows all the advisors to share ideas and communicate. This also allows them to provide the best help to students. Although interests are a major part of looking at a major, academic strengths are just as important. Carlson said that and ruin a semester, if not a year. Problems with noise, dishes and cleanliness top the list of reported problems between roommates. These problems are so common that nestled within a 27 page Resident Student Guide are some “Housekeeping Hints” and other tips to get along with roommates. Seven out of 10 of these guidelines explicitly state to communicate with a roommate, while the remaining three imply it. In the event that students are unable to do this with each other, then it becomes time for the CA to step in and perform their duty. Some CA’s acknowledge the need to perform more than what is required, and carry the load of other CA’s. “Anyone can come talk to me, resident of my building or not, and mainly everyone knows this,” said Cunningham. While resolving the stress of a conflict is one of the main tasks of a CA, there is also the academic aspect to watch. Some students have even been known to take their homework to their CA (or a CA that is not even their own) to get help. The CA’s play an important role in construction engineering technology, and business. His other child received her master’s degree in physical therapy from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. Family is extremely important to Hartzler. He and his wife bought a farm because they felt it would be a good place to raise their children. They wanted their children to be able to complete projects and work he would give them on the farm so they would learn good work ethics. “Our lives were really centered around the children,” he said. The farm now belongs to his children, who bought it from him. Hartzler has traveled to several places around the globe. They include Bolivia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Tanzania and Tanzanica (a small island located off the coast of Tanzania). One place he would like to visit is the Canadian Rockies because guidance students the DUS created the Math, Chemistry, and English exams all freshmen took before attending PSH to analyze a student’s strong points so they can be successful in their area of study. However, she also said, “...we are most concerned that we assist students in making the most of their Penn State education. We are very impartial...students may feel pressure from their parents, friends, or even professors to select a particular major, but DUS advisors are committed to helping students find the major they want.” The DUS, in addition to helping students find their major, also helps them in other ways. For freshman, this is the First Year Testing, Counseling and Advising Program. This program, in effect, helps students make the transition from high school to college. The DUS also, on a person level, helps students through its connections to the Learning Center for academic troubles. They also use the Health Services for more personal issues students face in the stressful college environment. So, the DUS is, in effect, the gateway through which students can enter into to find out more about their major, and in many cases decide on what it is they would like to pursue. What do you want to do? Do you like dealing with people, numbers, or are you more politically inclined? These are the sort of questions we, the few and the proud of the “undeclared,” must ask ourselves as we slowly but surely decide on amajor. Luckilyforus,wehaveanamazingstaff willing to work with us and guide us. Being an “undeclared” student doesn’t seem like the bad way to go anymore, and we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we have everything we’ll ever need at our fingertips, and all we need is a simple appointment with the DUS. keeping The Village running smoothly, but the students also need to be responsible forthemsel ves. The current living situation lends itself to a larger feeling of autonomy. Refrigerators, microwaves, stoves, sinks and laundry machines in every room are a step up from most campus living. For most it means calling their residence their apartment rather than a dorm. The responsibility of living in these places means also having the responsibility to take care of their neighborhood. “I think that the environment is as safe as residents make it,” said Erica Wurm, “Residents need to be willing participants in the programming that is provided and they need to be willing to provide feedback so that the topics/activities are ones they want or need.” The grass could actually look green and the pavement clean if it weren’t for a collection of cigarette butts and toilet paper scattered all over the ground. Some CA’s are more than willing to approach students while others may not be, but the ultimate way to live a life of independence and fun is for students to empower themselves. it is beautiful, he said. The craziest thing he has ever done was trying to create a specialty coffee flavor by mixing Yingling Lager and regular coffee. Hartzler describes himself as a positive, conscientious and intense person. Hartxler's lift of favi; 1. Food: Cornmeal mush, which is boiled cornmeal that is fried. It's simple and it tastes good. 2. Drink: Cafe Mocha. He's a regular coffee drinker. 3. Music: Gospel. 4. Would-be animal- Red Tail hawk because of its elegance. 5. Sport: Spectator sport football, participation sport- tennis.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers