Recently in Events Category

During the first two weeks of February in 2010, honors scholars collected jars of peanut butter & jelly for the Philabundance "Spread the Love" collection drive. The scholars collected 15 jars of peanut butter and 13 jars of jelly. For more information about the drive, visit: http://www.philabundance.org/events/spreadthelove2010.asp

The Socratic Symposium was run a little differently in Fall 2009, as we had three honors scholars defend their senior thesis!  Congratulations to Adrienne, Dana, and Emily for an outstanding job and successful completion to their senior research.

Sensational Lives: Byron and Robinson's Lives Mirrored in Literature  --  Adrienne Showalter, honors in English

Building a Huggy Pillow Volunteer Network for Hospital Cardiac Units  --  Emily Robb, honors in civic and community engagement

Am I Your Slave? William Parker and "The Freedman's Story"  --  Dana Gibson, honors in English and American studies

 

The Honors Program presents a seminar series connected to our theme of "leadership and civic engagement." We have invited to campus organizations that have moved beyond simple volunteering and using a "Band-Aid" fix for community concerns. Honors Scholars, along with the entire campus community, came together to how these organizations are implementing innovative ideas and strategies for creating and maintaining sustained change for populations with an identified need. The Fall 2009 seminar series focused on the theme of education and literacy.

Monday, September 28: Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, Jason Raia, Vice President of Education. The Freedoms Foundation was established after World War II to honor patriotism and good citizenship. This non-profit organization with over 30 chapters nationwide provides a wide range of educational and awards programs for students, teachers and citizens to gain a greater awareness and appreciation of the principles and responsibilities of a free and democratic society. http://www.freedomsfoundation.org/

Friday, October 23: First Book-Philadelphia, Ted Robb, Chair, Jennifer Pitt, Secretary. First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy--access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 60 million free and low cost books to disadvantaged children and the programs that serve them. In 2008, First Book Philly provided 17,244 books to 2,168 kids in the Greater Philadelphia area. That's 8 books for each child to take home--a mini library in neighborhoods where suitable children's books are simply not available. http://www.firstbook.org/firstbookphilly/ 

The campus Green/Sustainability Committee asked everyone on campus to GO GREEN in celebration of Global Climate Week.  The UN General Assembly was having a climate summit on Tuesday, September 22, and was urging the international community to show their support for a global agreement to combat climate change.  At Penn State Brandywine, the honors scholars wore green to be a part of the international community recognizing Global Climate Week http://www.sealthedeal2009.org/. 

Our newest honors scholars have done it again, cutting coupons for our military troops and their families overseas.  In under an hour, before the honors orientation began, the students cut $1,680.61 worth of coupons for the U.S. Navy base in Sigonella, Sicily.

Each semester, honors scholars and their faculty research advisers gather together for the Socratic Symposium. The Symposium is an event that allows students to share the classwork and research in which they have been engaged. The Symposium celebrated the significant accomplishments of the Brandywine honors scholars for Spring 2009, including the National Collegiate Honors Council's Honors Service Day. Below are the titles of the honors option poster presentations at the Symposium.

• An Independent Study of Honors Concepts of Discrete Mathematics, Daniel Sprik, MATH 311M

• CRM Past, Present and Future, John Formento, MIS 204/SCM 200

• Robotics Lego NXT Mindstorm and MATLAB, Tuan Ngo and Qian Ye, E E 210

• Multiple Narratives of the Christiana Riots, Dana Gibson, ENGL 310H and AM ST 296

• International Business and the Australian Jewelry Industry, Diane Paolo, I B 303

• America's Middle Class, an Attack on the Heart, Christopher Collins, PL SC 496

• Using the Grid System to Document Smithsonian Dinosaur Type Specimens, Jennifer Choi,
EARTH 496

On January 22, the Honors Scholars were treated to a private tour of the photography exhibit created by CEO and Founder of Traveling Mercies, Aldo Magazzeni.  Aldo was born in Italy yet began his undergraduate career at Penn State Brandywine (then Penn State Delaware County).  In October 2007 he founded Traveling Mercies, a non-profit 501(c) (3) foundation "dedicated to helping others, while creating a vehicle to remove barriers between cultures so that individuals can share their strengths, assets and blessings with each other.  Human equality is most important and can only be achieved through compassion, love and sharing our life experiences."

Aldo is currently exhibiting his photographs from the people he has met and his work in Kenya and Afghanistan.  Aldo led two discussion for the scholars on the use of photography to communicate a message and how one can help others and have a global impact.

Thank you, Aldo, for your inspirational discussion!

On December 4, 2008, honors scholars and their faculty research advisers gathered together for the Socratic Symposium. The Symposium is an event that occurs every semester to allow students to share the classwork and research in which they have been engaged. The Symposium celebrated the significant accomplishments of the Brandywine honors scholars for Fall 2008, including the National Collegiate Honors Council's Honors Service Day. Below are the titles of the honors option poster presentations at the Symposium.

Advanced Math Topics

Daniel Sprik, MATH 230H

Small-scale Agriculture: How it functions, How it Survives

Risa Stacey Lisle,  STS 296H

"Rescue Mission" Robotics Project

Tuan Ngo, CMPEN 271H

(no title provided)

Si Cong Wang, CMPEN 271H

Fair Trade to Fully Organic: L'e Bella Natural Kisses

Emily Robb and Lindley Jones, SCM 301H

 

Released in 2006, the documentary "Hacking Democracy" details the holes that exist in America's electronic voting system.  Scholars gathered on Election Day to view what one woman discovered when all she wanted to learn is what happens to her vote after she pushes the voting button.  Despite the inconsistencies and questions raised in this Emmy-nominated documentary about what happens to a vote, all scholars agreed that they were proud to have engaged in a historic presidential election and will continue to engage in the democratic practices allowed by the Constitution.

In keeping with the honors mission of civic and community engagement, the scholars decided to do what they could to help the victims of the 2008 hurricanes. What better way to raise funds than through a bake sale! The scholars baked a wide variety of food and sold their delicious desserts at the Great Media Garage Sale. In total, the scholars raised $324 for the American Red Cross.