Want to see the world??

Happy Friday my fellow Penn Staters! This will be my last post for the semester. This week I will talk about the numerous study abroad opportunities the Pennsylvania State University offers. I decided to talk about this topic after waiting outside my academic advisor’s office; I perused the various study abroad pamphlets which gave me the idea for this post. Many students at Penn State are afforded the opportunity to visit different countries and learn their language and customs while earning college credits. Penn State offers many majors and minors that can be pursued in other nations. One program that really grabbed my attention were the study abroad summer programs that involve Australia and New Zealand, two countries I have always wanted to visit.

From the continent of Asia to Europe, a Penn State student can go wherever his or her studies take him or her. Global Penn State, the organization in charge of studying abroad, has two main goals for students who decide to pursue their studies overseas: Global Citizenship and Global Leadership. Studying abroad can enhance a student’s acceptance of other cultures and customs. Studying abroad will also create a link with Penn State and the rest of the world and allow the student’s to experience the wonders of the world.

Check out this link to see all the places Penn State students can visit during their four years of college:

http://www.global.psu.edu/GIS/Portal.cfm

I am positive that a large percentage of Penn State students want to get out and explore the world and what it has to offer while they are in college. Penn State is a large university and it is able to give it’s students a great amount of places to further their studies. I have included a video that will talk about the opportunities that Penn State Global and more specifically the Penn State offer to e astudents.  Penn State goes to great lengths to make sure that its students do not just stay in State College for their four years of college.

Link to the movie if video doesn't work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ2Y3Ilb8EU

Information Obtained from: youtube.com

Global Penn State- http://www.global.psu.edu/global/#community

Penn State and the Law

Good morning Penn Staters! Looks like are nice weather is gone for the now and it has been replaced by the wind and cold but I am sure it will be back soon since it is almost April. This week in my blog I will discuss the law school that is present here on campus. As a future lawyer and Penn State lawyer, I found it appropriate to talk about this important institution that Penn State offers to its graduates as well as other graduates from other colleges. Penn State Law can be found in the new Lewis Katz law building that was built in December 2008 which is located by Park Avenue and right across from the East Halls dormitory complex. Penn State Law also operates out of Carlisle, PA in the Dickinson Law School.

The Lewis Katz building is not only a new, modern building but it also offers an exceptional law program that graduates outstanding lawyers every year. When I had free time last semester, I visited the Lewis Katz law building and was impressed by the resources that the building has to offer. A really interesting fact is that not only can you be taught in person by a law professor here at State College but you can also have video conference class with a law professor from the Dickinson Carlisle law school.

It is exciting to know that Penn State not only offers an exceptional under graduate program but it also offers great opportunities like the Penn State Law program. The Dickinson School of Law is high on the list of American Law School rankings list and currently outranks law programs like that of Villanova, another Pennsylvania based law school. Dickinson makes outstanding attorneys and provides exceptional attorneys to Pennsylvania as well as the rest of the country. One day I hope to attend Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law just like my father and many of my other family members.

American Law School Standings: http://www.top-law-schools.com/rankings.html

Information and Image Obtained from: http://law.psu.edu/the_penn_state_law_experience

CATA Buses and Being Friendly to the enviroment

Penn State has been improving its image as a “green” university in the past few years. Penn State has been collecting compost from various cafeterias and other eating establishment, we can all associate the brown napkins with Penn State’s new green approach. Penn State’s most recent step to reduce pollution and environmental hazards has been the purchase of a number of new, red and white CATA buses. The CATA buses are a quintessential part of getting around this large campus but do we really know what they are all about.

CATA is short for the Centre Area Transportation Authority which was established in 1974. CATA provides transportation in five different municipalities:  the Borough of State College and the four surrounding townships of State College: Patton, Ferguson, Harris and College. CATA provides nearly seven million rides per year to Centre County residents and Penn State students. In 1993 CATA replaced its diesel fuel powered buses with clean burning natural gas powered buses. In 2005 CATA’s buses were the first transportation department to use natural compressed gas to power a fleet of passenger buses. Natural gas burns more efficiently than regular unleaded gasoline as well as diesel and puts out less emissions and pollution.

Natural gas is not only more efficient but it is cheaper than other mean of fuel and compressed national gas is produced locally. CATA has introduced new buses recently as many of you have probably seen. Personally I find the new buses rather comfortable compared to the older buses and they are also cleaner but I am sure that will not be the case in a few months after heavy use by the student populace.

                It is nice to see that Penn State and CATA are working together to try to make the environment healthier through the use of compressed national gas powered buses.

Video Found at:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBYU7KbSbzY&feature=player_embedded

Information Obtained from:

http://www.catabus.com/AboutCATA/index.html

How about that weather!?

Well it looks like spring is finally here, in March. This post is going to talk about, yes, the weather and spring. The weather for the last week has been fantastic and it looks to stay that way for a while yet. With this great weather myself as well as many other Penn State students have been soaking up the sun, playing outside, and generally looking forward to the end of the semester and a nice long summer. It was extremely refreshing to see people tanning this week and playing sports. Spring a Penn State is certainly an outstanding time of the year.

There are many outdoor activities to participate in at Penn State to make the best of this phenomenal weather.  After the dreary weather of the fall and winter, it is very refreshing to be able to go outside in shorts and tee shirts. One can utilize the various basketball, tennis courts, and many other sports fields for outdoor recreation. These facilities can be found all around campus. One of my favorite things to do outside on campus during nice weather is to throw football or Frisbee with my friends on my dorm floor. I am not sure how other students feel about the early arrival of spring, but as for me I love the nice weather and I am also ecstatic for my nice long summer break that will be here in a few weeks.

I hear people complain all the time about how dark, dreary, and cold the campus at Penn State always is. But they are wrong obviously, Penn State has had some outstanding weather in the past few weeks and it seems it is lightening the mood here. It is very interesting how a little sun and warmth can brighten the moods of thousands of students as well as their professors. Nice weather on a college campus certainly does work wonders.

President Bard will not run for reelection and New Board Members expected

Good morning Penn Staters, Spring Break is finally upon us! We made it through forty eight hours of dancing and the infamous State Patty’s Day drinking and partying holiday. It is about time for a nice, long break from our studies and work. But before I sign off for spring break week I have important news to talk about. This important news has to do with the resignation of T.J. Bard, the UPUA president as well as the three board of trustee positions that are going to be filled by three of eighty six candidates.

First up, President TJ Bard. President Bard has effectively resigned his office of student body president. Earlier this week, President Bard announced that he would not seek reelection for student body president. Bard is a Greencastle, Pennsylvania native and first took office as a sophomore in the year 2011. President Bard did not want to talk about his decision of not running for reelection, instead he proclaimed that he still had three weeks of work left. The Penn State Student government meeting was extremely short at less than half an hour. President Bard had been at the helm of the student government through one of the toughest years in Penn State history.

In addition to President Bard resigning his office and reelection hopes, three board of trustees members are to be replaced with three new officials. For the three positions there are eighty six candidates, which is a huge number compared to the six candidates that ran for three board seats in 2011. This just goes to show that the alumni are not exactly happy with the boards decisions in the Sandusky scandal. Although such a dark event brought out all the candidates for the board, it is refreshing to see that the alumni candidates do actually want to make a change and restore confidence in Penn State. The voting for board members is set to begin April 10^th, 2012.

UPUA Meeting

Information and Pictures Obtained from:

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/03/01/bot_candidate_list_released.aspx

http://onwardstate.com/2012/03/01/upua-finishes-prematurely/

New Students!

Good morning Penn State students and fans worldwide! Last week Penn State and its philanthropy group, THON raised close to eleven million dollars for children with pediatric care. What a feat and they said nothing good came out of this university after the past few months!

Now onto this week’s post about Penn State. For the last few weeks I have seen countless groups of prospective students touring the campus and taking in the sights and sounds. It is certainly refreshing to see large amounts of high school seniors and even younger kids touring the campus and thinking about coming here for a world class education. I remember, as I am sure you do, the first time I visited the campus and thought about starting my college education here.  Up until senior year of high school, I had no intentions of coming to Penn State, I was afraid of the size of the campus and also my whole father’s side of the family went here but I wanted to go somewhere different.

That was until I came on an accepted students day after reluctantly applying after my dad convinced me too. I immediately fell in love with the school when I came here in March, I loved everything from the talks with the advisers to getting “We Are” shouted at us by East Halls and then our tour group screaming back “Penn State”. After that day I knew for sure that I was going to come to study political science here in the College of Liberal Arts.

I am excited to see that Penn State is still drawing in large amounts of interested of high school students. Even after everything happened my tumultuous freshman year, kids and parents still love and trust this school and everything that it stands for. I find it very reassuring every time I see a group of high schoolers walking by enjoying the campus and thinking about applying here. That is the future of this institution!

LT Michael Murphy, PSU graduate and American Hero

This week in my blog about Penn State life I would like to take the time to tell the story of a hero that graduated from Penn State. The hero I am going to talk about is Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy who was killed in action during the campaign in Afghanistan. LT Michael “Murph” Murphy was born in Long Island, New York and was active in sports and even was a lifeguard at his local beach.

Lt. Murphy attended Penn State from 1994 to 1998 were he was a great ice hockey player and an exceptional student who majored in political science and psychology. Murphy graduated with honors as well. After he graduated Murphy made a life changing decision and decided to abandon his dreams of going to law school and exchanged his dream of being a lawyer with the dream of becoming an officer in the Navy and a member of the elite, special forces group: the Navy SEALs. In September 2000, Murphy attended Navy Officer Candidate School. Murphy was commissioned an officer and immediately began training as a SEAL in Coronado, California.

Lt. Murphy was sent to fight in the war on terror in Afghanistan after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. On June 28^th, 2005 Murphy was tasked with leading a four man in support of a much larger operation when three goat herder’s gave up Lt Murphy and his men to Taliban forces.

The Taliban had a much larger force but Murphy and his men inflicted heavy losses on the enemy force and displayed outstanding heroism even after the entire rescue force that was supposed to extract the SEALs was killed by a rocket. Murphy fought on and repeatedly exposed himself to fire so that his men would live. For his actions, Murphy was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military award available. In order to enlighten everybody on Lt. Murphy’s courage, heroism, and sacrifice, you can visit this sight to view his full citation- http://www.navy.mil/moh/mpmurphy/oc.html

                LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHYLearning about Lt. Michael Murphy makes me proud yet again of this university and the people it produces. I am also proud to strive to serve in the same military that Lt. Murphy so bravely served in.  Penn State was extremely lucky to have Lt. Murphy study here. He was a true hero who embodied the spirit of selfless service to our great nation.

Information and images obtained from: http://www.navy.mil/moh/mpmurphy/oc.html

Here is a new movie that depicts actions of Navy SEALs such as Murphy. The movie features actual Navy SEALs or I would not have included it. This can be a portrayal of what SEALs like Murphy went and go through. It is called Act of Valor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw2hI5Y8VI8