Vol. 46 No. 6
JiTy&r.
By RABYIA AHMED
Staff Reporter
RZAIO9@PSU.EDU
Believe it or not, storytelling is a
profession. She especially likes to
tell stories of her job experiences in
businesses. She uses the classroom
as one of her outlets and the other
by work produced through
her research.
After working in business for 25
years, Jo Tyler, assistant professor
of training and development,
decided she wanted to teach at the
college level. Working in companies
such as Armstrong World Industries,
Hewlett Packard Company, United
Technologies Corporation and
others, she worked her way up each
time, thus, allowing her to formulate
her beliefs of the good and bad in
the business environment.
Originally, after receiving her
bachelor’s degree in English and
secondary education, she planned
on teaching English, which she soon
learned wasn’t the best choice
for her.
“I loved the idea,” said Tyler “but
it just wasn’t enough to pay back
my student loans.”
So, to defer her loan payback, she
decided to go back to school to get
her master’s degree in technical
writing, which built more loans. She
admits it wasn’t the best idea, but
that the education was worth it.
During the 25 years of work, she
knew that she would someday go
back to teaching. In 1999, Tyler
attended the Teachers College
at Columbia University for her
doctorate degree in adult learning
and leadership adult education
guided intensive study (AEGIS).
Since then, she granted her
own wish and taught at places
like the University of the Arts
in Philadelphia and Columbia
University before coming to Penn
State Harrisburg last fall.
In the classroom, she does not
lecture. Instead, she conducts an
environment for students where
they interact with each other. Many
of her students are non-traditional
students who are at least 24 years
old and have some work experience.
Of course, she tells her life-in
business stories along the way, too.
She believes they help students to
Please see TYLER on Page 4
INDEX:
italli
40 years
By PETE STRELLA
Of the Press and Journal
When Penn State Harrisburg
opened in 1966, the college had 18
students and a single Korean War
era computer left behind by the U.S.
Air Force.
Lyndon B. Johnson was president
and Joe Patemo had just
taken over as Penn State’s
head football coach at
University Park.
Forty years later, Patemo
still has that job today.
While the football team’s
revered leader has grown
old, Penn State Harrisburg
has grown up
Once the site of
administrative offices
for the' Olmsted Air
Force Base - which was
decommissioned in 1965
- university officials
have nearly completed
the awkward transition
from drab military base to
landscaped campus with
3,900 students.
Known as Penn State
Capitol Campus when it
first opened, Penn State
Harrisburg still hosts
most of its classes in the
long, three-story Olmsted
Building at the campus’
north end.
Scheduling nightmare
continues to plague seniors
By MATTHEW MAHONEY
Assistant Editor
MLMSO39@PSU.EDU
Picture the student: Eagerly seated
in front of a computer, degree audit
next to the keyboard with certain
course numbers and abbreviations
highlighted. In a matter of moments
this student will be able to access
e-Lion and register for the final
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WRITING FOR MEDIA
Photo courtesy of •Lion
What appears on eLion may not exactly be what appears on a student's de
gree audit. Students are encouraged to speak with their advisor on matching
proper courses.
semester of courses that he, or she,
needs in order to graduate.
Type in the URL, user ID and
password go in next, and then the
schedule of courses. Carefully typing
and selecting each option, the student
Police Report
Opinion
But one by one, auxiliary functions
have moved out of Olmsted to find
new homes elsewhere on campus.
The campus now includes a slick
three-story library, convenient
student housing complex, a
comfortable food court and
competitive sports.
Many of those changes have been
The projected front view of the improved Olmsted building. This will include a larger lobby, glass windows, and a designated smokers' area
that will cease complaints of smokers standing outside the main doors. Building construction should commence within the near future.
meticulously reads each course to
find the specific one needed, but with
each scroll of the page the course
fails to appear. Quickly the student
realizes that between the degree
audit, the student’s personal key to
knowing what courses he or she has
to take, and the available courses are
not matching.
This is something that affects nearly
every undergraduate student at Penn
rm UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR
Schedule of Courses
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State Harrisburg. Out of 46 degree
audits surveyed, only two had all of
the required courses available.
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Please see COURSE on page 4
December 12, 2006
News 4 - 5
Club News 6 - 7
of PS
added within the past decade.
“It’s changed a lot, even in the
eight years I’ve been here,” says
Catherine McCormick, who enrolled
as a student at the campus in 1998
and is now and adjunct professor.
“I can’t think of any changes that
have been negative.”
The Beginning
Protect yourself with self defense
By LORENA ROEDAN
Staff Reporter
LMR23S@PSU.EDU
“It’s not just self defense, it’s about.
self control, body discipline, and mind
discipline...and breath techniques.
It involves yoga. It involves
meditation. It’s an art, not a sport.”
- Elvis Presley
Would you know how to defend
yourself if you were the target of
an assault or crime? Did you know
there are simple techniques that can
offer you a sense of security and
protection? Benjamin Rocuskie is a
fifth Degree black belt and instructor
of Kinesiology 57, Self-Defense,
for the fall 2006 semester at Penn
State Harrisburg.
For 20 years Rocuskie has taught
Karate and Tai Chi to families,
students, and even the elderly. He
teaches two nights a week at the Holy
Name of Jesus Church in Lower
Paxton Township and taught summer
classes at HACC.
According to Webster’s Dictionary,
self-defense refers to protection of
one’s self when attacked. Throughout
the course, Rocuskie reminded
students that avoiding a bad situation
is the first objective. You should not
insinuate a confrontation and only use
physical defense when attacked.
There are also ways to stay safe
and avoid a potentially dangerous
situation. For example, only travel
through well lit areas at night, avoid
being alone, and immediately lock
your doors when entering your vehicle.
Trust your instinct; if something does
not feel safe get away fast. Use your
commonsense and remain calm.
Defusing or resolving the
confrontation is the second objective.
“Vulnerable parts of the body such as
the inner thighs, nose, eyes, throat,
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A Minute with Mauti
Time to study for finals
Spice it up with Ann
Geek Comer.
The Olmsted Air Force Base was
about to close and Pennsylvania
Gov. William W. Scranton knew
Middletown’s economy might close
along with it.
Hoping to make the. best of a
bad situation, Scranton wanted to
convince Penn State President Dr.
Eric A. Walker to open a graduate
Photo by LORENA ROEDAN/Capital Times
The self-defense class is a popular class at Penn State Harrisburg. It teaches
students how to defend themselves against attackers, as well as techniques to
keep safe day-by-day.
ears, and groin can render the attacker
and give you the opportunity to
fulfill the final objective; escape,”
said Rocuskie.
A variety of techniques that can
apply when sitting down, laying in
bed, or in a vehicle are also taught.
“Learning self-defense is like buying
insurance; important to have, but you
hope never to use it.”
This semester 52 PSH students were
taught physical defense techniques,
as well as issues ranging from
date rape and avoiding dangerous
scenarios. They consistently
practiced how to maneuver and
get out of situations such as wrist
grabs, choke holds, and bear hugs.
One of those students was senior Cory
Bishop, whosaidhepreferredbenefiting
from a class teaching personal safely
rather than the usual gym
sports. He would also highly
recommend the course to
Campus Calendar.... 7
Sports 8 - 9
school using the 16 buildings left
behind by the U.S. Air Force.
Walker took Scranton’s advice a
step further, suggesting the school
host junior- and senior-level courses
to maximize Penn State’s investment
in building classrooms, hiring
faculty and purchasing laboratory
equipment.
The 178-acre Penn State Capitol
Campus opened in May 1966
as one of only three colleges in
the U.S. to offer junior-, senior
and graduate-level courses at
one location.
Undergraduate courses were
limited to humanities, similar to
liberal arts, and social studies.
The student population exploded
to 1,000 within the two years.
The Transition
While the college was widely
praised for its aggressive, open
minded and forward-thinking
approach to higher education,
several aspects of campus
life reminded everyone that a
military base once occupied
the territory.
Barbed-wire fencing remained
at some parts of the campus into
the 1980 s.
Students living on-campus were
set up a half-mile away from
the Olmsted Building in former
military base apartments known as
Please see 40 YEARS on page 4
female students.
Sophomore Monique Perry
agrees, and said it has increased her
confidence and taught her different
ways of escaping various scenarios.
“I would like to see a more advanced
self-defense course in the following
semesters," she said.
Allen K. Urieh is kinesiology
instructor for the Behavioral Science
and Educational Department. Rocuskie
approached Urick two years ago about
teaching Self-Defense at PSH, which
was introduced for the first time this
semester. Due to space availability
it will not be offered in the spring.
Urich said the goal of his department
is “to offer as much variety from one
semester to the next and to expand
towards different disciplines and
activities.” He hopes to bring back
Kinesiology 57, Self-Defense in fall
2007 and is considering a Tai Chi
course in upcoming semesters.
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