February 9, 1996 — LION'S EYE — Page 7 Exchange Students Head To Thames Valley in London By Jaclyn Fried This week, two Delco students will be leaving the United States, headed for England. Michele Aita and Jackie Reis will spend their spring semester at the Thames Valley University in London. Their journey is part of an exchange program between Penn State Delco and Thames Valley, currently under the direction of instructor John Terrell. The program was started by Delco’s chemistry professor John Tierney, who is on sabbatical in England this year. Of the five students who applied, Michele and Jackie were the most qualified. Both have travelled before. They are the second group of Delco students to go to England. Last year, it was David Sloane and Sean Project. Worthington. In exchange, Thames Valley sent two students here this past fall, Algie Alphonse and Gemma Chandler. During the fall of 96, two more English students will come. The semester’s tuition for Michele and Jackie is the same while they are in London. They will rent a room close to school and commute their daily. The school is similar to Delco in that it consists entirely of commuter students and it is twenty minutes from downtown London. Classes begin February 19, after a week of orientation. They have a two week spring break during which they can travel to Wales, Paris or any other nearby country. Mr. Terrell is happy to be part of this program and thinks, “The girls are headed for quite an adventure.” Gerald Gant, Student Service Corps, tutors a young student at White Rock Church Photo by Jaclyn Fried Virtual Course Is Reality By Nicholas Felici Imagine learning in a virtual classroom, a surreal medium through which knowledge and creativity flow through cyberspace and your teacher can be as familiar as a chat partner. You will... and Penn State will continue to bring it to you. Last semester, Dr. Severance’s 20th Century Poetry course was taught under a process called ‘distance education,” and which used E-mail as the basis on which to communicate without a traditional classroom setting. This ‘virtual class’ was a new experience for everyone, and not everything went exactly as planned. The idea to bring distance education to Penn State Delaware County Campus and experiment teaching over E-mail was first brought to light by Sara Weldon, who trained the students on how to use E-mail for the course. Dr. Madlyn Hanes supported the idea, and Dr. Severance took over from there, unable to fathom what she was about to encounter. Most problems sprung up within the first two weeks of the course, when there were roadblocks on the information highway. The computers here on campus failed and no one could log-in to the system. The course itself, though taken on by encouraged pioneers, received mixed reviews towards the end. “Many people missed the traditional classroom format,” Dr. Severance noted. “Some people, used to years and years of hiding behind students sitting in front of them and keeping quiet, now had to log in and write to the entire class on their thoughts and opinions. In essence, they were forced to talk and express their views.” The program, though despite some bugs and gliches, was overwhelmingly considered a success. Many hours a day were required out of Dr. Severance in order to distribute assignments and take in students’ thoughts and ideas. James Foltz, (Sixth Semester English Major) said, “The course was unlike any I, or most of my classmates, had ever experienced.” During fall semester the exchange students to Delco from Thames University in London were Gemma Chandler (left) and Algie Alphonse. Campus Update Clubs ‘Spring’ Back to Life By B. Feick Delco’s numerous clubs and organizations continue to be active during spring semester. The following activities and events were reported at a recent Student Government Association meeting. Adult Student Organization — Pretzels are now on sale in Room 105 Main since the “honor system” outside 101 Main was not working out. Another Craft Show is set for Sunday, March17, in the gym. Both projects benefit scholarships for adult and traditional age students. Black Student League — Weekly events for the entire campus are planned during February for Black History Month. (See schedule on Page 1.) Engineering Club — Speakers and another engineering design contest are planned for the spring semester. Karate Club — Members meet every Tuesday and Thursday 6-7:30 PM and Sunday at 10:00 AM in the auxillary gym. A recent membership drive was successful, and the club has a new advisor, Dennis Dozier from the Business Office. Keystone Club — A membership drive is in progress. Theresa Walls Honored With Lion‘s P.A.W. Award By Lisa Colucci This past December, Theresa Walls, instructional services staff assistant, was awarded the Penn State Delaware County Campus Lion's P.A.W. award for outstanding performance and achievement in the workplace. In 1993, Theresa received the John D. Vairo award, and in 1989, the Outstanding Staff award. Theresa Walls is the only Delaware County Campus employee to be the recipient of all three campus awards. She was also recognized by the SGA last year for her service to the Penn State community. “I love my job; it is a challenge. You never know what is going to happen next,” said Theresa. For sixteen years Theresa has done anything and everything to help keep the campus running smoothly. She makes sure that student identification cards are processed correctly, and that all audio-visual equipment requested by faculty is supplied. Also, she organizes and distributes the course evaluation forms. Theresa is well respected for her service on various committees: the special events committee, the counseling and advising program for freshmen, and the staff assistants representatives committee. “Theresa Walls is dedicated and hard-working. She is a very valuable employee,” commented Sara Whildin, Head Librarian. For two semesters Sara Whildin supervised Theresa as she successfully ran the instructional services department on her own. Theresa Walls accomplishes many important tasks to help the Penn State community. continuously Lion Ambassadors — Members meet every Wednesday during common hour in the club room, and recently welcomed a number of new members. The club recently delivered a second collection of school and sports supplies to Toby Farms Elementary School in Upland, including two basketballs signed by Rollie Massamino. Muslim Student Organization — Members meet weekly on Thursdays during common hour for fellowship and study groups. Nittany Christian Fellowship — Members meet weekly and are currently studying the sermons of Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of Black History Month.. Student Athletic Association — Co-ed basketball intramurals are underway every Monday and Wednesday during common hour in the gym. Additional players/teams are encouraged to sign up in room 136 of the Commons/ Athletic Center. Student Service Corps — Members meet every other Monday in the club room during common hour and plan to attend a Service Learning Seminar at University Park. The White Rock Tutoring Program helps youngsters in the Chester projects, and students are encouraged to help out. Theresa Walls, P.A.W. winner for 1995, loves to serve the Penn State commun- ity. Photo by Jaclyn Fried Happy Valentine’s Day
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