students. amount of four year degrees here at Delco can leave students not wanting November 4, 1996 — LION’S EYE — Been There, Done That: Meet Kirk! By Greg Jurkowski “So, when y’all gonna do an article about me?”, so said one of the big men here on campus recently. No, not Dr. Tomezsko, or Walt Ent, or the infamous Frank. It was said by one of the unsung heroes of this campus, a man whose hard work and dedication has made him a great asset to Penn State Delco: Kirk Handfield. Kirk is a part-time student, taking 10 credits. When not attending classes, he can usually be found working for either Security or Maintenance at Delco. Kirk puts in a total of 40 hours for both jobs, working straight through Sunday nights and going to classes Monday mornings. One of Kirk’s favorite games is Stratego. He also likes other Milton Bradley games, especially Connect Four. Kirk likes to talk about football and about the newest Simpsons episode. He's also a member of the Gospel Ensemble and the Activities Fee Committee here on campus. : After graduating from Bartram New Business Degree Soon At Delco By Maureen McAndrews ~ “I don’t want to transfer to University Park!” - Many of us here at Penn State Delco have heard that statement many times from fellow The somewhat limited or able to transfer to University Park in a bit of a dilemma. - Starting next fall, there will be a new business degree here which is meant to help students at Penn State Delco who don’t have the option of completing their degree at University Park. Those students interested in majoring in the business field will be offered an option of staying here at Delco for their four years and earning a business degree from this location. A new Business Baccalaureate Degree for the Commonwealth College can be expected to take effect in the fall of 1997, pending approval by the and other ships. these Kirk Handfield shows his Penn State pride. : : Photo by Greg Jurkowski High School, he joined the Navy and was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga for four years. He saw different ports of call and had the opportunity to smell the sea air of the Persian Gulf. He worked in a program loading nuclear arms onto the Saratoga Whenever one of Kirk’s shipmates asked him if there Board of Trustees in the spring. According to Mr. Richard Barrett, Business Administration professor and member of the new business degree committee, “The degree is a professional degree versus the traditional academic degree offering within the Smeal College of Business ~ Administration at University Park.” Mr. Barrett defines the degree generally as “a management degree having regional employment interests in mind.” The degree specifically will utilize “skill sets required in today’s _workplace to assist students in becoming employable upon graduation.” Mr. Barrett emphasizes skills specifically as- “communication, problem-solving, and computation based,” among other skills important for a business major. “The unique features of this degree include alternative learning experiences, such as team projects, - Why Ride 2 Hours To Delco; For $2 Join The Van Pool By Laurie Koechert You can’t miss it as you drive through the campus parking lot. It’s white with a blue roof with the words in blue lettering spelling out “Penn State”. The van seems to be on the road frequently. But who is actually riding in the new campus van? The campus van is only one example of what the campus is trying to offer for students who have problems with transportation or who spend long hours on buses trying to get to school. The van is being leased from University Fleet Services and one of its purposes is to transport students who live in South Philadelphia to school every morning to avoid the two hour bus rides. Unfortunately, not many students from that area are taking advantage of this opportunity due to ~ getting other rides or not being fully informed of this offer. The campus hopes to include parts of South West and West Philadelphia in the pick up route. A $2.00 charge for the ride helps pay for the driver of the bus. Any students who are interested in the van pool may fill out a form in student life located on the second floor of the Commons building as soon as possible because the route for next semester will soon be set up. The Delaware County Transportation Management Association and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission both helped with the van pool and also with car pooling. A scatter map was created to show the location of each student's home to heip set up a system of car pooling and van pooling. A comprehensive listing gives the names of students in each area to help set up a car pool. : The campus hopes to set up a car pooling system for the benefit of the students. Students can see how much money can be saved in one semester and realize that this is a good way to find a ride in emergency situations and a good way to meet the people who not only live in their neighborhood but who also attend the same school. Anyone interested in setting up a car pool may do so by stopping by student life located on the second floor of the Commons building. were any nuclear arms onboard, all he could say was, “I can neither confirm nor deny that.” In January of ‘94, Kirk’s four years of duty were over. He was put on reserve duty, and went home. He lived with a friend of his in a house which belonged to his friend's parents. He applied to Penn State and planned to attend classes in Spring of ’95, but a stranger changed all of that for him. While walking home one night in August, Kirk fell prey to a mugger. The mugger shot Kirk once in the leg and twice in the stomach. He was rushed to the hospital and went into surgery. After that he returned to live with his parents to recover from the incident and had to put his college plans on hold until he was given a clean bill of health. Kirk was given a work release in January of ‘95 and started attending classes at Delco in the Fall of "95. As much as he says he hates being here on campus all of the time, he really does love it, and we're lucky to have a guy like Kirk around. integrated course work, and experiential learning,” Mr. Barrett stated. He is certain that these “hands- on approaches will give students the opportunity to actually apply what they're learning in the classroom while they are an undergraduate.” When asked to comment on the curriculum of the degree, Mr. Barrett said “A Senior Experience will be required as part of this degree work. This could be some sort of a job experience, such as an internship, office practicum, or a research project that requires students to show competencies in business prior to graduation.” This Senior Experience is not required within the Smeal College of Business Administration at University Park, but it is an innovative approach to the new business degree here. Mr. Barrett emphasizes that this degree is designed to “prepare students to go right to employment.” The new degree doesn’t have specific areas of study as does the one at University Park, but offers “concentrated study in - business areas in the junior and senior years of the program.” “Self-directed” can best sum up how students enrolled in this degree will be able to “work on learning objectives without all lecture type classes.” State trooper Robert Dodge speaks to students about the effects of drunk driving. The event was part of Alcohol Awareness Week on October 24. April Best, volunteer ot the mori, April Proves To Be The Best By Donald Wasylyk April Best, a third semester business administration major, has been voted Volunteer of the Month by the Student Service Corps and the Volunteer Service Center. April's unwavering focus on giving back to her community and her steady involvement with CLASP (Community Leadership After-School Program) makes her the ideal choice for this honor. CLASP, a tutoring program in conjunction with the White Rock Christian Church in Chester, was founded last fall to benefit children in the Chester School District. From the very first session, April displayed a rare eagerness to make a difference, devoting a great deal of time to the program and generating strong rapport with the students. After a brief pause for last spring’s basketball season, April returned to the tutoring program as determined as ever, offering her services for the CLASP summer program, a five-week endeavor offering the children both academic and athletic pursuits in conjunction with the YMCA. She personally coordinated this program, recruiting tutors, collecting numerous resources, and establishing an enriching curriculum which guaranteed a enjoyable and successful outcome for the children. This semester, - April's involvement in CLASP is absolutely vital. As the CLASP director, she continues to broaden the limits of the program, offering ever-expanding activities to generate enthusiasm _ among students and tutors alike. And April certainly has enough motivation to go around. Despite the time and dedication she has contributed to the CLASP program, she has maintained an impressive GPA. She strives for a degree in business, a goal which she pursues with the same passion she has imparted in her other accomplishments. Reliability. Drive. Organization. April Best utilizes each of these noble chararacteristics to ensure the quality and the integrity of not only the CLASP program, but everything she does. Congratulations to April, the Penn State Volunteer of the Month. Her effort to reach her goals benefits not only herself, but her community and campus as well.
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