PCToday - Front Page

Job Outlook Remains Steady in Up-and-Down Economy

Feb. 9, 2012 - 4:21 p.m.

Why would 21 Fortune 500 companies – including heavyweights General Electric, PepsiCo, Honeywell International, DuPont, John Deere, Corning and Textron – visit a career fair in central Pennsylvania in the midst of economic uncertainty? Because, experts say, even when the economy slows down, skilled, specialized positions can be hard to fill. Employers stay hungry for workforce-ready graduates. That explains the presence of the Fortune 500s at Penn College’s most recent career fair. “Our programs provide skills that are critical regardless of economic conditions,” said Jennifer McLean, Penn College’s director of career services. “It doesn't matter what the Dow Jones is at when you need health care or a working HVAC system for your building. These are not luxury items. … We produce graduates who fill needs that occur without regard for the economy. This makes many of our programs essentially recession-proof.”

Penn College Wrestlers Finish Third in National Tournament

Feb. 12, 2012 - 7:08 p.m.

Competing Sunday in the Penn State University Athletic Conference/United States Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling championships, Penn College placed third as a team and crowned two individual champions. Freshmen Derek Leiby, of Troy, in the 149-pound weight class, and Logan Gresock, of Wadsworth, Ohio, at 174, claimed titles in the nine-team tournament at Rec Hall in University Park and helped the Wildcats to 108 points and a third-place team finish behind No. 1 Newport News Apprentice School and No. 2 Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) University. Among PSUAC schools, Penn College was at the top with Penn State DuBois second in the conference and fourth overall.

Penn College Welcomes New Employees

Feb. 12, 2012 - 3:21 p.m.

PCToday continues its regular feature – welcoming new full-time and regular part-time Penn College employees, as reported by the Human Resources Office.

Industry-Sponsored Wedding Cake Competition Invites Viewers

Feb. 10, 2012 - 11:24 a.m.

On March 2, the public is invited to view intricately decorated, multitiered cakes created by Penn College’s baking and pastry arts students. “Butterflies” is the theme for the cakes, which will be displayed as part of a contest developed for the students by an industry leader in the world of wedding cakes. Students have spent about eight weeks of class time on their cakes. The students’ cakes will be displayed for the public from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Mountain Laurel Room of the Thompson Professional Development Center at Penn College. A ceremony to announce the winners is scheduled at 1 p.m.

College Expands Tutoring Services to Reach More Students

Feb. 9, 2012 - 3:40 p.m.

In a continuing effort to make sure students have access to the support services that can help them succeed in their college coursework, Penn College Academic Success Center has expanded its tutoring services to new locations in 2011-12. In addition to services at the Tutoring Center and Writing Center in the Klump Academic Center, tutors are available in a variety of labs on campus, as well as in the Madigan Library and Dauphin Hall, bringing support services to students where they spend their time.

Penn College Wrestlers Set for Postseason Competition

Feb. 9, 2012 - 3:32 p.m.

At least 10 Penn College wrestlers will be among those competing Sunday for individual honors when the Penn State University Athletic Conference/United States Collegiate Athletic Association championships are held in Rec Hall on The Pennsylvania State University’s main campus.

'Murder Mystery Dinner' to Be Served With New Orleans Flair

Feb. 9, 2012 - 3:14 p.m.

Tickets are available for this year's Murder Mystery Dinner – "Big Lies in the Big Easy" – set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Mountain Laurel Room of Penn College's Thompson Professional Development Center. Prices are $15 for students and $19 for faculty and staff; the event is sponsored by the School of Hospitality's catering class and the Student Activities Office.

WEB Event Offers Huggable Gifts at 'Bear' Minimum Prices

Feb. 9, 2012 - 2:20 p.m.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Wildcat Events Board's Create-a-Gift event returned to the Bush Campus Center lobby Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon. The annual activity gives students the opportunity to stuff plush bears – at $6 for one or $10 for two – as presents for a "special someone" or other.
Photos by Michael S. Fischer, student photographer

Autographed Ripken Jersey Raffled in Baseball Fundraiser

Feb. 9, 2012 - 10:44 a.m.

The Penn College baseball team raised $850 by raffling a signed Cal Ripken jersey to help fund its Spring Break trip to a tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Tickets were sold over several days in the Keystone Dining Room, and the drawing took place at halftime of Wednesday night's men’s basketball game. The lucky winner? Daniel R. Pringle, a building construction technology major from Havertown.

'Wildcat Pride' T-Shirts to Be Sold at Lunchtime

Feb. 8, 2012 - 4:55 p.m.

"Wildcat Pride" T-shirts will be on sale in the Keystone Dining Room lobby from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays from Feb. 13 to March 1. Buy a T-shirt for $10 and wear it to any home athletic event.

Bison Battalion Facilitates Scouting Programs at Area Malls

Feb. 8, 2012 - 4:52 p.m.

The Bison Battalion – the Bucknell University-based ROTC program comprising Bucknell, Bloomsburg and Susquehanna universities, Penn College and Lycoming College – assisted in Saturday's Boy Scout shows at the Lycoming and Susquehanna Valley malls. At each show, students facilitated the registration process, helped in setting up the venue, and gave away ROTC water bottles, bags, footballs and USB hubs to participants who performed a task. Those assignments included push-ups, sit-ups, gymnastics and retrieving an area code for England from the AT&T store.
Photos provided by Bison Batallion

Black History Month to Be Observed at Penn College

Feb. 7, 2012 - 5:02 p.m.

A lineup of comedy, music and commemorative cuisine will be offered as Penns College hosts several activities for the campus community and the public in observance of Black History Month.

Back-and-Forth Battle Ultimately Goes Students' Way

Feb. 7, 2012 - 4:45 p.m.

The students came onto the basketball court looking for an easy win, and that's just how their Monday game against a staff/faculty team began. In a story that took both halves to play out, they hung on for a 62-54 victory in Bardo Gym. Early in the game, intramural assistant Jeremy Bottorf said, the students could not miss (and the staff/faculty team couldn’t buy a basket). Students built a 20-point lead, but staff/faculty battled back as Allen Regan – who led all scorers with 21 – chipped away with 3-pointers. It wasn’t until about three minutes left in the first half, when Regan hit his fourth 3-pointer, that the students realized their single-digit edge. Terribly outrebounded, staff/faculty started boxing out the big men and the pendulum soon swung in their direction. The second half could not have started any better for the staff/faculty team and Wildcat athletic director Scott Kennell, who appeared to be a man on a mission as he scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. The staff/faculty team went on a 10-2 run to start the half, taking a 33-32 lead. The students fought back and soon the game was a seesaw matchup. Still on a run, the staff/faculty team cashed in on missed free throws and were able to keep pace. Jami Hughes and Mike Hersh had key steals, and Regan, Wyatt Decker and Matthew Strayer ran the fast break perfectly. Angel Stroud, Chet Rogers and Rick Wyland worked hard under the boards, outrebounding the students in the second half. Students regained and increased their lead late in the game as four students scored in double figures. Blake Smith, Emanuel Small and Mohamed Idries each scored 14 points, and Kyle Parkins added 12. Larz Fernandez chipped in with 4 points, and Ryan Hushon and Will Montague each added a bucket. Staff/faculty kept climbing back, helped by a student team that made only two free throws in 13 attempts, but the students claimed a hard-fought win. In addition to Regan and Kennell's totals, Angel Stroud chipped in 6 for staff/faculty, Decker added 5 points, and Wyland and Strayer each had 2. "A big 'Thank you' to everyone who participated in what was one of the best staff/faculty-student basketball games in a long time!" said Bottorf, who also provided photos.

College Faculty Member Works With Middle Schoolers on Fundraiser

Feb. 6, 2012 - 12:58 p.m.

A Penn College faculty member’s volunteer time presenting “Brown Bag Lunch” sessions at Curtin Middle School resulted in both a hands-on manufacturing experience and a $185 fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. John M. Good III, instructor of automation and computer-integrated manufacturing, presented eight sessions for the sixth- to eighth-grade students, offering them insight into the world of manufacturing engineering with such topics as robotics, hydraulics, pneumatics and computer-aided design, and nanotechnology. With the students’ interest, Good developed a product for them to manufacture – a sled ornament made from five popsicle sticks and three toothpicks. Sleds were sold for a $1 donation at a winter choral concert, benefiting the Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

‘ComiXnite’ Resumes This Month at Penn College’s Madigan Library

Feb. 6, 2012 - 11:01 a.m.

A new round of weekly ComiXnite programs, a continuation of a grant-funded series that debuted last fall, will be held throughout February at Penn College’s Madigan Library. “The 2012 program promises to deliver innovative presenters and creative, experiential learning,” said librarian Judy J. Zebrowski, one of the coordinators for ComiXnite. “From zombies and superheroes to cartooning and illustrated journaling, program participants will capture the excitement of the graphic novel and comics universe to learn, create, share and network with other comics enthusiasts.” Partially funded with a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, the programs will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays during February in Room 200 of the library.