Fall 2013 Distinguished Honors Faculty Series with Dr. Jeremy Blum ~ 1 of 2

 

          How did the 16-day government shutdown affect students at Penn State Harrisburg?  While some of us encountered difficulty accessing federal websites for our research, others missed the opportunity to visit the Pentagon.  Despite the cancellation of the highly anticipated Segway tour, eleven Honors students made their way to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. with Dr. Jeremy Blum, Associate Professor of Computer Science, on October 5, 2013. 

          After enjoying a delicious Tex-Mex lunch at Austin Grill in downtown Washington, we walked to the International Spy Museum which was about two blocks away.  Dr. Blum wondered if we could find anything related to Edward Snowden in the Museum.  Perhaps it was a little too sensitive for the Museum to collect, but for James Bond fans, they were treated with an exhibit about Ian Fleming and his World War II experience that inspired the creation of  Dr. No, the first Bond movie. The Museum also showcased the history of spying across cultures, from the Japanese Ninja to the Greek Trojan Horse. Believe it or not, according to the Museum, the city with the highest spy population is our nation's capital, and George Washington is "America's First Spymaster."  Indeed, one of the highlights of our trip was seeing George Washington's original letter to Nathaniel Sackett, an American who collected intelligence for Washington about the British troops in 1777.  The Museum would like to share this authentic document while maintaining its quality, and it is only on display for two months annually. Fortunately, we were able to have a glimpse of it before it hibernates. 

 

                      

 By Rosemary Yee

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies ~ September 20, 2013

          Let's face it.  Neither New York Mets nor Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series 2013.   However, whether you choose to cheer for St. Louis Cardinals or Boston Red Sox, we would like to share our fun-filled baseball trip with you.

          

      

          Have you ever watched a baseball game at a ballpark or stadium?  With Honors Program Director Dr. Ronald Walker and American Studies Associate Professor Dr. John Haddad as our guides, about fifty students hopped on the bus to Philadelphia's Citizen Bank Park to enjoy a game of New York Mets against Philadelphia Phillies on this beautiful fall evening.  While many of us are baseball fans and have watched a live game before, it is a brand new experience for some of us.  Soon after Dr. Walker welcomed everyone aboard, Dr. Haddad gave us a brief history of baseball since the late nineteen century.  We learned how the media turned baseball into a big part of popular culture in America as well as other countries influenced by American culture, such as Japan and Cuba. Prior to our arrival to Philadelphia, our baseball background knowledge was further enhanced by viewing Ken Burn's Baseball during the two-hour bus trip.

 

         Sitting in Section 143, our group was joined by more than 33,000 enthusiastic fans at the Citizen Bank Park.  Phillies fans had been patiently waiting for the Phillies in the first few innings because the Phillies was falling behind.  Meanwhile, we saw how the baseball field was groomed every now and then while beer vendors were busily running up and down the aisles to satisfy eligible consumers.  The climax came when Phillies' Darin Ruf had a three-run double during the fourth inning.  Phillie Phanatic, the Phillies' mascot, made a brief appearance by riding on his all- terrain vehicle and dancing with the cheerleaders from Drexel University.  Not long after the seventh inning stretch, some spectators realized that the Mets was likely the winner and they had better take off earlier to beat the traffic.  Although the Mets topped the Phillies 6-4, our baseball experience did not end here. We concluded our Friday night with The Natural, a movie based on Bernard Malamud's baseball novel, on our way home.

 

By Rosemary Yee

Pizza with Professor Series: Dr. Richard Ciocci ~ September 19, 2013

          Dr. Richard Ciocci, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, introduced the idea of sustainability to about twenty Honors students in September.  Do you realize any recycling bin on campus?  Dr. Ciocci reminded us that Penn State has been doing a good job recycling.  Most importantly, he encouraged students to put recyclables into their respective categories.  Our custodians are advised to throw away a whole bag of recyclable paper if a plastic bottle is found in it. He also asked students to guess what some recycled objects were made from.  All of us had a hard time guessing a black block which turned out be made out of Styrofoam.  Besides recycling, Dr. Ciocci wished to find out how many cell phones students went through since they owned their first ones.  While most of us are using our second or third cell phones, a few of us are enjoying their fifth ones!  He then brought up the sustainability triad, where society, environment, and economy were closely related.  As he shared some news articles with us, he interpreted that Human Impact (I) on the environment is the product of Population (P), Affluence (A), and Technology (T), i.e. I = PAT.  With the projected increase in global population and affluence in the foreseeable future, the only way to minimize human impact on the vulnerable environment would be decreasing the use of technology or making good use of our technology.  Though it is not an easy goal to achieve, and changing our current lifestyles is easier said than done, can you come up with some ways to be more environmental friendly?

By Rosemary Yee

Surviving Your Thesis

You’re feeling pretty good about life now that you’ve decided on your thesis topic. No stress, no worries. You still have nearly a year before it’s due, so it’s all good, right?

Not exactly. Do you remember that old saying of how time flies fast? Oh yes, it really does whiz past when you’re not looking. You may have a job, four or five other classes, family responsibilities, volunteer time, and you even manage to squeeze in a few moments for yourself. It’s called living life, and it is all good stuff. 

However, if you haven’t had any previous experience working on a large, long-term project, you may be in for a surprise when time sneaks up on you, taps you on the shoulder, and says, “Hey, dude. Your thesis is due next month!” Time lets out an evil “ha-ha-ha” as it slides off to pester its next victim, leaving you frozen, unable to move—chills reaching down to your bones. 

You finally thaw, move, manage to breath. Your mind goes into overdrive, and you spend the next month never sleeping. You become a library nomad, traveling from one research location to another. You’re in and out of labs as you pull together the last bits of data you need to write your thesis. You keep panic at bay with caffeine – large, large doses of it, until you finally complete your thesis and have to re-program your heartbeat to a normal rhythm. Congratulations, you survived!

Did it really have to be that way? No. 

Here are a few tips to help you navigate your thesis:

• Create a time-table for yourself and stick to it as much as possible.

• Mark quotes while you conduct research, so the quotes are easy to find later. You may want to create a reference list just for quotes, even if you don’t end up using them. 

• If your thesis requires you to travel to gather primary sources, plan those days out in advance. You’ll need to match your schedule to the hours your research center is open.

• If you need to conduct interviews or get expert opinions, leave plenty of time to coordinate with other people.

• Submit chunks of your thesis to your readers early, so you have plenty of time for revisions, instead of waiting to send the entire thesis. Your readers have lives too and have been kind enough to support your endeavors.

• Thank your readers and anyone else who has helped you reach your goal. 

Incorporate the above tips early and your life will be much easier and more enjoyable. 

Written by Sheri Flemming