Gespräch mit Mr. Hartzler (Conversation with Mr. Hartzler)

Alex Hartzler speaking with student

It was a pleasure to have Alex Hartzler visit our campus and talk to Honors students on October 25^th. I had heard a great deal about “the Alex Hartzler” before meeting him; he is the man who generously supports our honors program at Penn State Harrisburg, which we are all grateful for. I honestly expected him to be boring and lacking in sense of humor. Oh boy was I proved wrong. Mr. Hartzler is actually an amazing, witty, and altruistic man, who wants nothing but for our generation to get international experience like he did when he was a student.

Mr. Hartzler is the donor of the Hartzler Travel Award for the Honors Program. He visited our campus to share his travel experiences and how they have shaped him as a person. The conversation also provided me with the opportunity to learn about how he became involved in the Capital College Honors Program.

A 1990 Penn State Harrisburg graduate himself, Mr. Hartzler has strived for success since graduating. He was an Executive Vice President and partner of Webclients.net, and started the Harrisburg Young Professionals group in our capital city.  He is currently a partner at WCI Partners, LP, concentrating on "acquiring, rehabilitating, restoring and re-selling historic homes" in Harrisburg and other urban areas.

He used his travel experiences to help him build his magnificent career.  During the session, he shared his fond memories of Germany and how making connections internationally helped him in later life.  His traveling also helped him with his communication skills in different languages.

Being from a different country, I was curious to know if that held any advantages compared to those who were born in America.  He told me that students who were born in a different country can sometimes have more opportunities than others.  They already have a basic knowledge of a different culture, and they can use that to their advantage.  

Mr. Hartzler was adamant that students should take the opportunity to travel, whether in school or when they graduate. Having traveled to many countries himself, he expressed that he learned something new and different from each country he visited. I couldn’t agree more, because even though I was also brought up in India and the US, I think there is much more for me to discover in the world.

With his travel award, Mr. Hartzler has afforded honors students an opportunity that other students do not have.  His generous donation gives us the financial support that we need to travel.  But he did more than just give us money; he also took the time out of his day to come and share his inspiring story with us.  It was a worthwhile conversation for curious students in the Honors Program!

Written by Jyothi Kakuturu

Back to the Past in Eckley's Miners' Village!

Students and Chaperones at Eckley's Miners' Village

This past Saturday, September 29^th, found Penn State Harrisburg’s Honors students fully engaged and interested during a trip to Eckley’s Miner Village. The trip was an opportunity for Honors Students to learn more about the life and daily struggles of miners in Eckley during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Students learned about how the mining business began in Eckley and how miners lived on a day to day basis; and we got to tour the village.

Eckley Miners’ Village was a coal mining site found in 1854 that grew with industry and the need for anthracite coal. The village was comprised of mine workers, who were largely Irish, coming to America from Eastern Europe in search of better living. Due to the fact that the entire village and coal site were owned by the coal company, miners had incredibly structured lives and very little freedom.

Houses in Eckley's Miners' Village

Miners lived in very poor conditions and were frequently exposed to danger in the coal mines. A miner usually made no more than $100 monthly, which was very little considering rent, medical expenses, food, and etc.  A typical home for a miner would be two stories and shared by his family as well as a boarder, so that all expenses could be met. There would be a small kitchen with a traditional stove that only ran on coal. Also, there might be at most two wooden beds of which about twelve people slept. Upstairs there would be boarders and a small tub for washing and laundry. Usually, the wives tended to the children, cleaning, and maintaining the expansive garden that surrounded the home.

At the time, the company owned the village, including the only local store. Therefore, many things were overpriced and unaffordable for the typical miner, who frequently ended up with a debt.  Thus, it was common for the families to have their own gardens and grow food like potatoes and cabbage to provide sustenance for the family.

Working in the mine was even more strenuous than living in destitution. In addition to long days and little pay, miners had to use explosives to blast coal from the earth with very little protective gear. Even worse, they were responsible for obtaining their own tools; so if they could not afford protective gear or things like a shovel- that became problematic.

After a day of learning and touring, students were given the opportunity to taste polish food prepared by the tour guide, Jolene Busher, and her mother. The meal consisted of salami slices, pickled eggs, sweet bread, and farmer’s iced tea. Students were appreciative and indulged in the dishes! At the end of the trip, Honors students left with more knowledge on the type of labor that shaped the country and more specifically, the living conditions of miners.

In 1960, the village was taken over by the State and later opened as a National Historic site in 1971. So, stop by and visit! Learn about Ekcleys’ Miner Village. To learn more, visit http://www.eckleyminersvillagemuseum.com/ .

Brianna Alexander

Photo Credits: Stephanie Ponnett 

Time Traveling in Philadelphia

When you think of Philadelphia, one of the first things you might think about, other from Philly cheesesteaks, is history.  When you think of Philadelphia with the Honors Program, you start thinking about visiting different historical sites and lectures that you would probably prefer to sleep through.  However, the Honor’s trip to Philadelphia was nothing of the sort.  Visiting the sites and listening to great, interesting historical facts from a Penn State alum was nothing like the boring history class that one would expect.

Honors Students infront of Stenton House

The first stop was the Stenton House, former residence of James Logan, who is not as well known as William Penn and Benjamin Franklin but certainly as important.  In fact, James Logan was a mentor to Benjamin Franklin, who visited Stenton House.  Walking through the well-preserved home, one can just imagine Benjamin Franklin sitting at the front of the house after being let in by a servant waiting for James Logan to see him.  But not even the thought of Benjamin Franklin humbly waiting on James Logan could eclipse Logan’s book collection, perhaps one of the best preserved book collections from Colonial times.  The entire trip through House with our guide Dennis Pickeral, the director, was a step back in time as we saw glimpses of how people lived in the past.

After the Stenton House, where we also met with Dr. Boudreau, we stepped back into the present by visiting The Bourse, a food court with anything and everything available--Philly cheesesteaks included.  Not only did we enjoy food, it was also a time for a few of us to sit and chat.  One of the best parts of the trip was getting the chance to socialize with fellow Honors’ students.  After all, we are a community of learners, and it is always a good thing bond with those in such community, especially people who have no qualms with reenacting scenes from Rocky, running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

We again stepped into the past when we met with archeologist Debbie Miller, a former Penn State Harrisburg student.  She talked us through the process of archaeological digs, specifically her work at the National Constitution Center dig site.  It was fascinating to see the painstaking process of putting together pieces of the past--literally.  At the dig site, they found thousands upon thousands of broken crockery and are in the process of putting them together in order to decipher lifestyles from history.

Debbie from the National Constitution Center showing students some artifacts from the dig

We then had Dr. Boudreau as our guide, giving us interesting tidbits about Philadelphia as we made our way to Independence Hall.  Many of us could have probably done without knowing that Philadelphia streets used to be filled with sewage and animal carcasses, but you never know when that information could come in handy. Our group did the traditional tour of Independence Hall, many stops for pictures included.

Throughout the entire trip, we went back and forth through different time periods, soaking up the vast history of Philadelphia.  But we weren’t done yet.  We couldn’t leave Philadelphia without having gone on a Duck Tour.  Yes, a Duck Tour.

We boarded the “duck” and took off through the streets of Philadelphia.  Our guide told us some of the historical facts, most of which we had already heard, but he made sure to keep our group up to date with current information.  None of us will forget the hilarious stop outside the bridal store, driving into the water, or waving hello to every pedestrian we saw.

Students after the infamous Duck Tour.

Finally, we boarded the bus and set off for home, filled with happy memories.  The trip was both a learning opportunity and a chance for fun socializing.  Our program is filled with many different personalities, and when you combine them, these trips can lead to more fun than you could possibly imagine.  Just think, next time you could be doing the YMCA dance while on an amphibious vehicle.

Written by  Jeshanah McLeod,  junior English major in the Honors Program at Penn State Harrisburg

Honors Business Students Tour Chicago's Financial District

As individuals in the finance world, we are relentless and determined.  This proved to be true for the weekend of October 20-23.  The officers of the Finance Club, including myself, used time management and lots of persuasion to get the Chicago Trip approved for 2011.  The trip proposal included costs for the charter bus, the hotel fees, and the description of what the whole plan focused on, our tour through the financial district.

Our journey started in the parking lot of the Olmsted building where we met our bus driver, Joe.  We spent the next 11 hours on that bus.  We were all so excited for Chicago; the sleepless night barely phased us.  Once we had arrived at the Club Quarters hotel located in the Chicago Loop, we anxiously readied ourselves for what the day had in store for us.

Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) was first on our itinerary.  As Dr. Cusatis and myself led the group of the other 19 students down a few wrong turns, we made it.  After passing through security and riding the elevators up seven stories, we had a bird’s eye view of the trading floor.  Most of trading in the technological savvy world that we live in is done electronically.  But before the high speed of the internet, computers, etc. trading was done through open outcry.   Just as the name suggest, it was professionals in the exchange yelling out orders and using hand signals, which were first used in the 1970’s,  to complete transactions.  The CBOE still uses this form of trading in certain parts of their operation.  We were fortunate enough to see this up close and personal as our tour guide, Russell, led us through the floor.  It was amazing to see some of the best in the business in action.

Our journey then took us to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) across the street, which had merged with CBOE in July 2007.  CME is a financial and commodity derivative exchange and are based out of Chicago.  Here we were able to see two different levels of open outcry trading take place, though only through the visitors view from above.  The CME’s trading floors were much larger and had more activity than we had previously seen at CBOE.  On the trading floor of CME you can distinguish one company from another and one job position from another by the color of their jacket.  For example, the corporation Cusatis&Crew who are trading in the pit might wear bright pink jackets to differentiate themselves from corporation Dr. T Traders who wear sunshine yellow.

Two students, including Evelyn Lenhart (right), VP of the Honors Program Club, on the Trading Floor in Chicago!

The group then had an hour or so for lunch.  Some of us decided to enjoy our meal at the Elephant & Castle which connected to our hotel.  Morningstar was next.  We were greeted by Melissa and Jessica who would be educating us on the ways of Morningstar for the next 45 minutes and then finishing with a tour of the building.  Morningstar is a leading provider of data and information within the financial industry in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.  As students of Penn State Harrisburg we have complete access to Morningstar Direct, which I take advantage of on a daily basis.  I would recommend anyone who is going into Finance to get certified on Morningstar as soon as possible; a lot of the top firms that you could potentially work for after graduation use Morningstar.

Before Dr. Cusatis started providing his genius expertise to students at Penn State Harrisburg, he had worked with a very intelligent woman in trading named Patricia Chambers (Patty).  Patty now works at Newedge as a Vice President for the upstairs sales desk trading futures.  And that’s where we were lucky enough to end our tour, on the trading floor of Newedge.  As a leading entity in global multi-asset brokerage, Newedge is a world leader in multi-asset execution and are based out of Paris.  Patty showed us around while speaking about her background and explaining what the company does.  It was one of my favorite parts of the day.  When she was finished and we had asked all of our questions, we left Dr. Cusatis to catch up with his dear friend and made our way back to the hotel.

This trip was fantastic.  It was a great opportunity to see how this industry works and to network with professionals.  We all had a wonderful time and can’t wait until our next trip.  The plan for the Spring ’12 semester is New York City.  If you would like to join us you can speak to any of the officers of the Finance Club.  Cheers!

PSH Finance Club Group picture on their Chicago Trip

Written by Emily Padjen, Senior Finance major in Honors Program at Penn State Harrisburg