Curiosity never retires so people keep right on being interested in things, that’s almost a mantra for Charmaine Kissinger, Olive Paddon, and Gussie Petron, three 70 plus women who were bored and ready to make more of their retirement.  Thanks to their thirst for knowledge and mental stimulation, Penn State York now has an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, otherwise know as OLLI.

OLLI is a nonprofit, volunteer driven organization established to enrich the lives of mature adults living in York County by providing a variety of educational and social enrichment activities.  OLLI at Penn State York is one of more than 100 lifelong learning institutes across the nation that is supported by a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation.    The grant was made available locally though Penn State which now has three OLLI sites, University Park, Mont Alto and York.   A grant of $4,000 was provided to York’s OLLI.  In addition to this funding, Penn State York just recently received word that OLLI has received a venture grant ($7,500) from the York County Community Foundation through the Fund for York County and the Chester Thomas Foundation Fund.

A chance meeting of the trio, who call themselves a cog (Charmaine, Olive, Gussie) in the wheel of learning, at the Jacobus Library was the beginning of what would later become OLLI.  They started talking about what could be done to provide adult learners with educational opportunities and more.  The idea of offering courses of interest during the day for adult learners without the stress of tests, requirements, and official textbooks appealed to them.  

For adults who never want to stop experiencing life and learning, Penn State York invites you to be a part of a community that celebrates learning in a relaxed and accepting environment.  Learn more about this exciting new organization in York at an open house on Sunday, Jan. 27 from 2 – 4 p.m. in the Conference Center at Penn State York.  OLLI is open to all adults who love to learn.

Tickets are on sale now for country artist Bucky Covington in concert on Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.   Covington, an "American Idol" season five finalist, adds a new twist to the notion that winning is everything. The eighth-place finalist on the hit TV show has now parlayed his "Idol" experience into a burgeoning country music singing career. His CD, Bucky Covington, released earlier this year on the Lyric Street Recording label, features his chart topping hit, “A Different World.” Clear Channel Music has named Covington one of the top five best of new music in 2007.  For more information on Covington, visit his Web site at http://buckycovington.musiccitynetworks.com/.

Jypsi, a foursome of young artists with an up and coming song on the radio, “I Don’t Love You Like That,” will play an acoustic set prior to Covington.

Tickets are $27 and $15. For tickets and information on the variety of programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900.  The box office will be closed from Dec. 22 – Jan. 1 but tickets are available online at any time.  With seating for just over 1,000, the Pullo Center offers an intimate venue with full theatre capabilities.  The theatre opened at the campus in August 2005.

“We are embarking on a journey along with the rest of Penn State to help children with cancer,” said Roderick Bell, coordinator of Paw Search, one of the Penn State York THON co-chairs, and a freshman at the campus.  “This is a journey to help kids with cancer and their families with their fight. We have been called to action. Paw Search is just one of the ways we plan on using to raise money to help.”   

The campus sends two dancers (maybe four this year) to take part in the 46-hour marathon set for Feb. 22. - 24 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College.   Last year the event in State College raised more than $5.2 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.  Penn State York raised just under $10,000 last year and hopes to raise more this year.

Paw Search features a collection of talent that will be presented within a two-hour time frame.  Performances include The Milton Hershey New Horizon Jazz Singers, a karate demonstration by Kim's Karate, Nittany Catwalk Modeling Squad (Penn State York modeling group), up and coming rap artists, poetry, dancing and stepping.

Tickets for Paw Search are $10 and can be purchased the night of the show at the door or in advance in the Student Affairs office at Penn State York.  Tickets can also be purchased from Penn State York’s Student Government Executive Board -  Roderick Bell, Todd Gutierrez or Jessica Olan.

Cash donations are being accepted through Tuesday, Dec. 11. Drop off your cash donation with Cathy Sheaffer in the Advising and Career Center in the Main Classroom Building at the campus. Donations are also being collected by Penn State York students and faculty members wearing STOP ME stickers. Penn State York’s Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) Club is sponsoring the campaign. Please direct any questions to Audra Weaver, CAS Club president, at arw166@psu.edu or April Miller at alm485@psu.edu.

Tickets are on sale Nov. 30 for two upcoming performances at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center), Top Secret:  The Battle for the Pentagon Papers on Feb. 13, 2008, and the Broadway hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.

Top Secret:  The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, now on national tour, will be presented at the Pullo Center on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.  The L.A. Theatre Works production of the play focuses on the ethical issues arising from the publication of the Pentagon papers, which detailed the history of the United States’ involvement in Vietnam from the end of WW II until 1968.  In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a high level researcher and former State Department official, obtained a copy of the secret papers and leaked them to the New York Times which began publishing excerpts from them.   After the Nixon administration obtained an injunction against the New York Times, the Washington Post began its own publication of the papers.

Top Secret raises many ethical issues including governmental secrecy and deception, whistle-blowing, journalistic responsibility, and governmental responsibility and deception in justifying its actions in war.   The issues raised by the play are especially timely now since many of the same issues have arisen with regard to the war in Iraq.  The play is brought to York thanks to Penn State York’s Grumbacher Program on Ethics and Humanistic Studies funded by a generous grant from the Grumbacher Family Foundation.

L.A. Theatre Works brings this important period of history to life, starring Stacy Keach (cast is subject to change). Tickets for the performance are $29.

On a lighter note, the Broadway traveling tour of the hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is set to take the stage at the Pullo Center on Saturday, Feb 23 at 7:30 p.m.   Set on the Riviera, this comedy follows two con artists as they take on the lifestyle of the rich and shameless and end up with a lot more than they bargained for.  The New York Post called this show “one of the liveliest, funniest, best-performed musicals in years.”   Tickets for the performance are $59.

For tickets and information on the variety of free and ticketed programs available at the Pullo Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu/ or call 717-505-8900.  With seating for just over 1,000, the Pullo Center offers an intimate venue with full theatre capabilities.  The theatre opened at the campus in August 2005.

To purchase gift certificates or for more information about the Pullo Center’s  season call 717-505-8900 or visit the Web at http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/.  The Pullo Center is a state-of-the-art, 1,016-seat theatre, with full production capabilities and audience amenities offering the best features of large theatres in an intimate setting.
 
Sponsors for the Pullo Center are WHP CBS 21, The CW 15, The York Newspaper Company, PNC Wealth Management/Hawthorn, Barton Associates, Precision Custom Components, Sovereign Bank, and Penn State York’s Grumbacher Program in Ethics and Humanistic Studies.

Manel Wijesinha, associate professor of mathematics, will talk about the country of Sri Lanka and share information about its people and culture.   The goal of the series is to introduce people to a variety of cultures.  The First Friday Series is sponsored by the Penn State York Diversity Committee.  Please bring your lunch and plan to take part in this informative program.

The schedule has included presentations on the countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Finland.  A presentation on Japan is set for Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, and features Kaoria Ishida, assistant professor of communication arts and sciences.

The faculty member chosen for this award is selected by a committee of three former recipients of the award, plus two student members. This committee depends on nominations and supporting information that is provided by students.  Prior award recipients from the past three years, Deirdre Folkers (2005), Noel Sloboda (2006), and Michael Jarrett (2007), and staff of the Advising and Career Center, Jane Emery, Monica Grigera, Dina Wulinsky, and Linda Matesevac, are not eligible for the award.

Nominations may be submitted electronically using the online form or the form can be printed out, completed and returned to the faculty staff assistant on the second floor of the M. S. Grumbacher Information Sciences and Technology Center (ISTC) or to the staff assistant to the chancellor in room 121 Main Classroom Building. Please ask the staff assistant to place your nomination in Noel Sloboda’s mailbox.  Nominations must be received by Thursday, March 27, 2008, at 5 p.m.

The campus goal this year is to raise $1,000 to send bucks, sheep, and rams to the coastal and northwestern districts of Orissa State in India: Puri, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, and Sudergarh.    Last year the campus raised $636.05, enough money for two water buffalo and a goat for the Lusime Women’s Draft Cattle Project in Zambia.

Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.   This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for more than 60 years.   Help Penn State York help others to feed themselves.

For more information on this project, please contact Ann Fetterman, instructor in English, director of the writing lab, and the point person for volunteer activities on campus, at (717) 771-4162 or axf25@psu.edu.

Tickets are on sale now for the brand new children’s show Go, Diego, Go LIVE!  The Great Jaguar Rescue set to premier at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) on Jan 22. and 23, 2008.   Show times are 7 p.m. on Jan 22 and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Jan. 23.

Cast and crew will rehearse this new children’s show in early January at the Pullo Center and then take it on the road across the county.  Go, Diego, Go LIVE! The Great Jaguar Rescue is the story of Diego, Nick Jr.’s action-adventure hero, along with his sister, Alicia, and cousin, Dora.  The group is off on a mission to get Baby Jaguar’s growl back from the Bobo Brothers.  Without his growl, Baby Jaguar can't start the Animal Carnivale, the biggest party of the year. Diego and Baby Jaguar need the help of everyone in the audience to get to the Great Pyramid and get his growl back from the Bobo brothers

Diego and Baby Jaguar head out on an adventure-packed quest to get the jaguar’s growl back. Along the way they rescue animals in the rainforest, dance through a coconut tree forest, traverse a raging river with a giant waterfall, and are helped along by the special appearance of Diego's cousin, Dora. Everyone also learns how each of us is special in our own way.

This Broadway-level production is created by the same team as the record-breaking Dora the Explorer Live, which was seen by over 3 million people. The show is interactive, with every child in the audience getting their own Jaguar mask, which they then use to help rescue animals during the show. Audience members sing, do the cha-cha, travel down a rainforest river, and learn how each of us is special in our own way.

The show also includes familiar songs from the TV show, plus 12 original new songs created exclusively for the live show by the song writing team of George Noriega and Joel Someillan, the creators of the music for Go, Diego, Go! on TV.

Tickets for Go, Diego, Go LIVE! are $36, $27, and $18. For tickets and information on the variety of programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900.  With seating for just over 1,000, the Pullo Center offers an intimate venue with full theatre capabilities.  The theatre opened at the campus in August 2005.

Penn State York’s Drama Club takes to the stage for David Ives’ popular and critically acclaimed collection of one-act plays, All in the Timing.  The performances are set for Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. in the campus’ Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.  The performances are free to all students and $5 to others.

All in the Timing has been celebrated for its comic ingenuity, for its ability to explore and challenge conventional views of language, time, history, and drama.  According to The New York Times, Ives is “wizardly…magical and funny…a master of language.”  Time writes that Ives’ work “aerobicizes the brain and tickles the heart…Ives is a mordant comic who has put the play back in playwright.”

Directors for the production are Penn State York students Maryan Captan, Ben Duffey, and Jessica-Leigh Olan.  The set designer is Jason Hopkins and the costumer is Abigail Hammer.  Performing are Todd Gutierrez, Casey Lynch, Sean Higgins, Marsha Brigante, Samantha Kwait, Miles Myers, Maryan Captan, Abigail Hammer, Ken Gordon, Zachary McCrary, Christopher Leverette, Marla McDaniel, Jamie Golden, and Steve Daugherty.  Stuart Stelly, instructor in English at Penn State York, is the adviser for the group and can be reached at (717) 771-4185 or tss11@psu.edu.

In the event of an emergency, Penn State York may need to communicate with students or those designated by students as their emergency contacts, so this fall the University is working to ensure it has accurate contact information for all students. Now that this information has been compiled, Penn State is initiating the students' subscriptions to PSUTXT, the University's text-message alert system. 

This messaging system was used recently at Penn State York when classes were cancelled in the Main Classroom Building due to a suspected gas leak.  This system will also be used during the winter for campus closings, snow schedule delays, and other incidents that may impact the campus community.  The system will be used for emergencies only.

“If there is an emergency situation on campus, students will be instantly notified,” said Bill Vangreen, director of safety and security at Penn State York.   “This is one more tool in our communication system at Penn State York and throughout the University that can help us keep students safe and well informed.  Students should definitely sign-up for the text messaging system.”

Students not already subscribed to PSUTXT will be subscribed automatically, using the cell phone information they have entered in eLion, beginning Monday, Oct. 8.

Students will know that the subscription was initiated when they receive a four-digit verification code from e2Campus on their cell phone. At that point, students need to log into PSUTXT by going to http://live.psu.edu/psutxt. Once at the login site, students use their access account ID as the username, and the four-digit verification code as the password. Logging in this way will complete the subscription, and the student then will be able to set individual account preferences.

PSUTXT, a one-way communications tool designed to get emergency information to subscribers, was initiated in August 2006 as one means of emergency communication to the University community. The system is used in conjunction with Penn State Newswires and the Penn State Live Web site. Subscription to PSUTXT is free, although individual cell phone carriers may charge for text messaging.

For more information, e-mail AMountz@psu.edu and include PSUTXT in the subject line.

The Fast Horses, a Minnesota-based Lakota (Native American) performing family, will visit Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Nov. 13  at 7:00 p.m.   This free performance is part of the cultural and performing artists series sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company.  Tickets are not required for this event.

The Fast Horses have been performing together worldwide since 1998.  Their career has spanned three continents, six countries, forty-four states, and one providence. They credit their success to the fact that they love what they do - entertaining and educating people.

Transcending age, language, and culture, The Fast Horses’ performance focuses on the evolution of Native American music and dance and their similarities with, and influences on, other cultures. This intimate relationship with performing is expressed through poetry, humor, magic, audience participation, juggling, storytelling, costumes, fire, song, and dance. This performance is a feast for the eyes and ears of young and old alike.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this unique group.   For more information on The Fast Horses, visit their Web site at http://www.thefasthorses.com/

Penn State York is celebrating its seventh annual fall commencement on Friday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at the campus.   Barbara Korner, Ph.D., the new dean of the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State, is the commencement speaker.   Penn State York's commencement will be broadcast live on Comcast Cable channel 18.

In addition to hearing from Korner, Penn State York will continue its tradition of open microphone where graduates can speak for a moment.  The top graduating senior in Penn State York’s baccalaureate programs, Jennifer W. Schueneman, information sciences and technology; top associate degree graduate, Kurt A. Eberle, mechanical engineering technology; and top master’ degree graduate, Cherrissa M. Gibson, master of education in teaching and curriculum; will speak for a few minutes.

It is most appropriate that Korner speak at Penn State York’s commencement this year since in the fall 2007, the campus was granted permission to begin offering the theatre minor through the College.  As dean of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture, Korner oversees seven academic units plus the Center for the Performing Arts, Palmer Museum of Art, and Pennsylvania Centre Stage. The college offers more than 20 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in architecture, landscape architecture, art history, integrative arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. With approximately 1,600 undergraduate students and 360 graduate students, plus more than 200 faculty and 120 staff, the College of Arts and Architecture boasts a strong presence on the University Park campus, offering hundreds of musical and theatre performances, exhibitions, and related events each year. 

Prior to coming to Penn State in June 2007, Korner, who holds the rank of professor of theatre, served as associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Florida for seven years. While there, she also spent a year as interim dean of the College of Fine Arts.

Korner holds a Ph.D. from Ohio University in interdisciplinary fine arts, a master’s in theatre performance, and an undergraduate degree in theatre production. She has been recognized as a distinguished alumna of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University. She is the writer and performer of Responding to the Call: African-American Women Preachers. With Carla Waal, she is the co-editor of Hardship and Hope: Missouri Women Writing About Their Lives.   She has served on several regional and national arts and cultural boards, including two terms as vice president for ATHE. Most recently, she was elected to the board of directors for the International Council of Fine Arts Deans. She maintains an active role as a performer and presents communication, leadership, and strategic planning workshops to a wide range of organizations and institutions.

Penn State York will award 41 master of education in teaching and curriculum degrees;  32 baccalaureate degrees: one bachelor of arts in communication arts and sciences; one bachelor of arts in English; one bachelor of arts in letters, arts, and sciences; 16 bachelor of science in business; three bachelor of science in electro-mechanical engineering technology; three bachelor of science in human development and family studies; three bachelor of science in information sciences and technology; and four bachelor of science in science.  The campus will also award 35 associate degrees:  12 in business administration; one in electrical engineering technology; five in human development and family studies; four in information sciences and technology, six in letters, arts, and sciences (liberal arts), and seven in mechanical engineering technology.   

Six former Penn State York students who completed their degree work at another Penn State location will return to their home campus, York, to receive their degrees during the ceremony.  Penn State York offers the first two years of more than 160 Penn State majors and those students comprise most of the campus.    Three master’s degree candidates who completed their degrees at Penn State Harrisburg will also return to York to be recognized. 

The campus will also recognize 28 baccalaureate students who began their work at Penn State York and are eligible to move on to University Park or other campuses to complete their degree work.

A reception, sponsored by the Penn State York Alumni Society, will follow the ceremony.

Tickets are still available for Last Comic Standing at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.   The show features the 2007 Last Comic Standing winners, and four finalists from NBC’s hit comedy series.  Winner Jon Reep, and his four fellow comedians, Lavell Crawford, Ralph Harris, Amy Schumer and Gerry Dee, will take to the stage for an evening of laughs from the comic voted by America as the funniest in the world.

Tickets for Last Comic Standing are $39. For tickets and information on the variety of programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900.  With seating for just over 1,000, the Pullo Center offers an intimate venue with full theater capabilities.  The theatre opened at the campus in August 2005.

Save the date, Nov. 1, 2008, for the Smith Undergraduate Science Research Symposium (SUSRS08) at Penn State York in the Conference Center, Main Classroom Building.  Science students and faculty of the 19 commonwealth campuses are invited to participate and attend the SUSRS08.   Smith Symposiums have been held in October 2002 and 2006.

Discipline-based science undergraduate research projects conducted by students that are supervised by faculty, or projects investigated by faculty with assistance of students, are part of this refereed symposium proceedings publication.  In addition, faculty projects addressing research issues at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, and beyond) are part of the non-refereed poster presentations.  The symposium proceedings include the refereed and non-refereed abstracts and articles.   In addition to the poster presentations, selected papers from each discipline will be presented.

To view a complete schedule and list of poster sessions visit http://www2.yk.psu.edu/smithsym/.

For more information on the symposium, please contact Haiduke Sarafian, Ph.D., John T. and Paige S. Smith Professor of Science and chair of the symposium committee, at (717) 771-4093 or has2@psu.edu.

Students will be paired with a current Penn State York student and sit-in on classes, tour the campus, and spend the day just like a college student.  Lunch is provided free in the Lion’s Den Café at the campus.  The program allows students to experience college life and get to know the campus.  Please call Penn State York Admissions at least one week prior to the date you’d like to attend at (717) 771-4040 or (800) 778-6227 to register.   You can also register online at http://www.yk.psu.edu/ and visit admissions.

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra will perform on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center).  This performance features the extraordinary talents of more than 100 exceptionally gifted musicians between ages 13 and 25 who are students at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Alumni of this institute hold 18 percent of the principal chairs in America's leading orchestras.   Four students from the York Youth Symphony Orchestra will have the opportunity to meet with Curtis Symphony students prior to the performance.

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra is recognized as one of the world's most renowned conservatory orchestras. Their performance venues include Carnegie Hall in New York; Philadelphia's Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; and now, the Pullo Center.  

One of the world’s leading music schools, Curtis provides full-tuition scholarships to all of its 164 students, ensuring that admissions are based solely on artistic promise. A Curtis education is uniquely tailored to the individual student, with personalized attention from a celebrated faculty and unusually frequent performance opportunities. This distinctive “learn by doing” approach to musical training has produced an impressive number of notable artists, from such legends as Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber to current stars Juan Diego Flórez, Jennifer Higdon, Hilary Hahn, and Lang Lang.

Mark Russell Smith leads The Curtis Symphony Orchestra with violinist Aaron Rosand and soloists from the Curtis Opera Theatre.  The program includes Wagner’s Prelude to Act I from Tristan und Isolde, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, Brahms’s Violin Concerto featuring Rosand, and R. Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite with students Amanda Majeski, Rinnat Moriah, and Katherine Lerner. Smith, a Curtis graduate, is music director of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. The concert is part of the 2007–08 series of Jack Wolgin Orchestral Concerts.

As music director of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra since 1999, Smith has created innovative and approachable programming. In June 2007 he became director of new-music projects at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and artistic director of orchestral studies at the University of Minnesota, a combined post that enables him to take his commitment to excellence and passion for education to new audiences.  A champion of the music of his time, Smith has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and members of the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota in Hún Qiáo (Bridge of Souls).  As a guest conductor, he has led the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. His international appearances include engagements with the Nomus Music Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia.  

Smith studied with Max Rudolf and Otto-Werner Mueller at Curtis. Upon graduation, he was appointed assistant conductor of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Singers.

Tickets for The Curtis Symphony Orchestra are $35 and $25.  For tickets and information on the variety of programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu/ or call (717) 505-8900.

Talk with college and university representatives and discover how you can earn a degree or certificate in business, marketing, accounting and more.   Find out what you need to get started and complete an affordable education without leaving Hanover.  For more information please call Penn State York at 771-4067 or HACC’s Gettysburg Campus at 337-3855.  

Travel back to the age when MTV really played videos and the compact disc was brand new.  Rock Historian Barry Drake presents 80s Rock:  Music in the Video Age, on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center at Penn State York.  This free program, sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company, is open to the public.

Drake combines his extensive knowledge of music and abilities as a dynamic entertainer in his multimedia presentation. Get ready to discover or rediscover the 80s with Drake at Penn State York.

As the 80s began there was a well needed burst of energy in rock & roll.  The 70s had left many people disappointed and wondering whether anything positive could come from a twenty-five year old music form.  Fortunately the 80s proved that rock & roll was capable of reinventing itself with new music styles, artists and attitudes.  The decade began with the election of Ronald Reagan and the death of John Lennon. 

On a more positive note, MTV and compact discs gave us a new way to experience the music of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, U2, R.E.M., Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, The Police, Prince, Aerosmith and even Milli Vanelli.

Drake, often called a walking encyclopedia of rock & roll, is a graduate of Manhattan College and has been involved in the world of music since buying his first rock & roll record in 1954.  He grew up in New York City and saw everyone from Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry at the Brooklyn Paramount in 1957, to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at the Filmore in 1967.  In 1965, Drake became a performer and songwriter and in 1970 was signed to Capitol Records.  Since then, Drake has recorded three albums and has extensively toured the United States and Europe. 

In 1984 Drake added rock & roll lectures to an already busy concert schedule.  His lectures have become the most popular shows on college campuses.  Drake is the five-time winner of the Campus Lecturer of the Year Award by The National Association for Campus Activities and the three-time winner of the Campus Lecturer of the Year Award by Campus Activities Magazine.              

For more information on Drake visit his Web site at http://www.barrydrake.com/ .   Check out http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/ for more information on the variety of free and ticketed programs at Penn State York.

Working with resistant adolescents is the topic of a workshop set for Saturday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Penn State York.   The workshop is sponsored by Penn State York’s Community and University Partnership (CUP) and features Elizabeth Coyle, Ph.D.

Frustration or helplessness is often experienced by individuals working with adolescents who resist taking advantage of available services that could provide them with help and instead continue to exhibit destructive behaviors.   This workshop will offer some real tools to make working with resistant adolescents more successful.   Coyle will present techniques that address adolescent resistance during interviewing and treatment.  She will also provide strategies for presenting or interrupting the self-destructive cycles associated with eating disorders, aggression and violence toward self and others, and runaway/truancy behaviors. 

Coyle is founder and sole proprietor of Professional Development Services.   She provides training and consulting services on issues of violence prevention, responding to challenging behaviors, managing change and transition, and team building in schools and businesses.  She also teaches a graduate course on developmental problems in children and adolescents at Penn State York and is a lecturer in the education department at Elizabethtown College where she teaches child and adolescent psychology, inclusionary practices, childhood and adolescent mental health disorders, and school violence prevention.

CUP’s workshops are designed for educators, human service providers, and other professionals who work with children, youth, and families.  These workshops may be taken for Act 48 credit, Penn State Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or Social Work CEUs.  The fee for Working with Resistant Adolescents is $85 and includes all workshop materials and coffee and donuts in the morning.  Lunch is on your own.  To register or for more information, please contact Beth Gill-MacDonald, CUP coordinator, at 717-771-4047 or bxg5@psu.edu.

Future workshops include Enhancing Cultural Competence Working with LGBT Youth, Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 6 – p.m., $50; and Utilizing Social/Emotional Developmental Benchmarks in Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment Services for Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., $85.

The Community and University Partnership (CUP) is a collaboration between Penn State York and area human service, educational and community organizations. The partnership seeks to link the resources of both the University and the community to address critical issues facing children, youth, and families. The mission of CUP is to promote healthy children, youth, and family outcomes through university and community collaborations that are research-based and foster mutual learning and benefit to all partners.

Seats in the front two rows of the orchestra, 32 seats, will be made available for $20 (cash only) for every performance of Rent, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony® Award-winning musical, at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) at Penn State York.  The $20 tickets go on sale at the Pullo Center box office on the day of the performance, two hours prior to the show and are available to anyone, cash only, with a limit of two tickets per person. 

“In keeping with the spirit of the show and the vision of Jonathan Larson (the show’s creator) we are happy to be able to offer prime seats to people who otherwise would not be able to purchase them,” explained original Rent producer Kevin McCollum.  “Jonathan was himself a struggling artist and his dream was to create a universal piece of musical theatre that’s available to everyone.”

The tradition of the $20 tickets was started in New York when the show moved to Broadway after a sold-out run in a small downtown theatre.  Since that time people have lined up as early as the night before to guarantee their purchase of the $20 tickets.  The producers of the show are committed to continuing the tradition of offering orchestra seats for $20 in each city the show will play.

Rent returns to the Pullo Center at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 15 and Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb Avenue.   The $20 tickets are available at the Pullo Center box office only.  For general ticket information, call (717) 505-5900 or visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/.

Rent, the Broadway musical and winner of four Tony Awards and the 1996 Pulitzer Prize, returns by popular demand to Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) Oct. 15 and 16.   The Broadway touring company of Rent takes to the stage at 7:30 p.m.  The cast will be rehearsing the show at the Pullo Center during the week of Oct. 8.

Rent is about being young in New York, being brave and being scared, being in love and being in trouble, having hope for today and faith in tomorrow.   Rent captures the heart and spirit of a generation.  Inspired by Puccini's La Boheme, Rent is a musical that celebrates a community of young artists as they struggle with the soaring hopes and tough realities of today's world.  Now in its tenth “season of love,” Rent has made a lasting mark with songs that rock and a story that resonates.  Rent contains mature themes and adult language.  Visit their Web site at www.siteforrent.com

Tickets for Rent are $49. For tickets and information on the variety of programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900.  With seating for just over 1,000, the Pullo Center offers an intimate venue with full theater capabilities.  The theatre opened at the campus in August 2005.

Free tickets to the tenth annual Women’s Show are available to Penn State York students in the Student Affairs office on campus.   The Women’s Show, Oct. 6 and 7, in Memorial Hall at the York Expo Center, is two days of exhibits, seminars, entertainment, demonstrations, and shopping.   Many prizes will be awarded and the first 250 attendees each day will receive a free official Women’s Show tote bag. The event benefits York County libraries.

Penn State York is among a number of sponsors and is offering a blue and white motif for the Lion’s Den café.  The show hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tickets are $4 for the general public and may be purchased at the door.   For more information about the 98.5 Peak, Memorial Hospital,  ­ York Daily Record/Sunday News Women’s Show, call 717-637-3831 or visit online at www.thepeak98.5.com.

Singer, songwriter Livingston Taylor will bring his music about green grass and sunshine, first loves and lasting friendships to Penn State York on Friday, Oct. 12 when he performs at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on campus.  Taylor’s performance at 8 p.m. is sponsored by Penn State York’s Cultural and Performing Artists Series and the York Newspaper Company.

Livingston Taylor, best known for writing and performing the song “I Will Be in Love with You” comes from a family of musical talent that just happens to include an older brother named James.   Better known to his fans as “Liv,” Taylor’s musical talent is touted in countless publications and he is thankful for the opportunity to perform.  He has written hundreds of songs and has 15 albums (CD’s) under his belt including his most recent one, There You Are Again, released in 2006.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1950, Taylor grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  He says he first got into music when he sang along in his crib with a Tuberose Snuff commercial which was popular on the radio in the south at that time.   

Taylor teaches stage performance techniques at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he is a professor, writes children’s books with his wife Maggie, and does more than 100 shows a year which includes club, theatre, college, and full symphony.  Taylor plays guitar; a Taylor (no relation) guitar – 910; banjo, a Stelling “Super Star” five-string; and the piano. Taylor has written most of his repertoire and in addition to song writing and performing, he is a private pilot and flies a Cessna 205/A named “Bertha.”

A natural on stage, Taylor shares his thoughts on being a performer, “It’s no mean feat, making a living as a professional musician for 30 years, “ he said.  “No mean feat.   But to do it with style – ah, there’s the beauty.”

An Evening with Livingston Taylor promises to be an entertaining evening

and one area music lovers won’t want to miss.   Check out Taylor’s Web site at www.livtaylor.com

Tickets are $10 for the general public.  Thanks to the Student Activity Fee, Penn State York students receive a $10 discount on ticketed performances making the Taylor concert free.   To receive the discount, students must present their student ID at the box office.   For additional tickets and information, please call 717-505-8900 or visit the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on the Web at http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/. For more information or to schedule an interview with Taylor, please call 717-771-4128.

Discover all that Penn State York has to offer during the fourth annual Penn State Day Open House Saturday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Meet faculty, staff, and students, tour the campus and sample a class.  Learn about Penn State York’s programs, from the first two years of more than 160 baccalaureate majors to the nine baccalaureate programs, seven associate degree programs, masters degree program, and a variety of credit certificates that can be completed without leaving York.   Check out the new theatre minor and the RN to BS in Nursing program.

Come and explore the variety of educational opportunities for people of all ages.

Visit the Information Fair throughout the day and learn about a variety of programs at the campus from seven varsity sports to student clubs and activities and undergraduate research opportunities.  There’s a lot happening at Penn State York.  Discover the possibilities. 

For more information please call 717-771-4040 or 1-800-PSU-6227. Check out our Web site at http://www.yk.psu.edu/ and click on the Nittany Lion icon. Registration is encouraged but not required.  Pre-register and receive a free Penn State T-shirt.

Schedule of Events
 9:30 a.m.      Registration - Pullo Family Performing Arts Center

10:00 a.m.     Opening Remarks

10:30 a.m.     Sample Class

11:20 a.m.     Tour of Campus

12:15 p.m.     Lunch and a taste of Penn State Berkey Creamery Ice Cream

  1:00 p.m.      Academic Overview – How do I to choose a major?

  1:15 p.m.     Admissions – How do I become a Penn State student?

  1:30 p.m.     Student Aid – How do I finance a Penn State education?

  1:45 p.m.      Closing Remarks for Penn State Day

Abul Hasan, associate professor of physics at the campus, will talk about the countries of Bangladesh and Pakistan and share information about their people and culture.   The goal of the series is to introduce people to a variety of cultures.  The First Friday Series is sponsored by the Penn State York Diversity Committee.  Please bring your lunch and plan to take part in this informative program.

The schedule includes presentations on Turkey on Nov. 2 by Ali Kara, professor of business administration; Sri Lanka on Dec. 7 by Manel Wijesinha, associate professor of mathematics; and Japan, Feb. 1, 2008, by Kaoria Ishida, assistant professor of communication arts and sciences.

A group of Penn State York students who are members of the Hispanic Student Association (HAS) and the Human Development and Family Studies (HD FS) Club at Penn State York talked about their service learning experience in Puerto Rico during the summer on Friday, Sept. 21, at noon at University Park.

Alexa Bejaran, business major; Joyce Collazo, letters, arts, and sciences major; Latashia Gilkes, applied psychology major; Isamary Lucena, criminal justice major; Mary Jo Mullenax, HD FS major; Monica E. Reese, business major; and Dalynet Torres, HD FS major; took part in the presentation.  Their summer experience was made possible with assistance from a Student Group Travel Grant awarded by Penn State’s International Programs.   The students were able to participate as volunteers in a summer camp, Campamento Cemir, held at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazan in Santurce, Puerto Rico. 

The group was accompanied to University Park by Sukhdeep Gill, associate professor of HD FS;  Monica Grigera, Latino counselor; and Harriet Darling, senior instructor in HD FS; all from Penn State York.

Christina Kaissi, assistant coordinator of the Delaware County intermediate unit, is the featured speaker in Penn State York’s Human Development and Family Studies (HD FS) speakers’ series that kicks-off on Thursday, Sept. 27 noon at the campus.  The program, in Room 107 of the Main Classroom Building, is free and open to the public.  Kaissi’s topic is “Working with Children with Autism and Their Families.”

Kaissi has more than ten years experience working with children with disabilities and their families.  She has extensive knowledge of programs and practices used in wrap around services and behavioral support.  She is an adjunct faculty member at Delaware County Community College and Wilmington College.  Currently a doctoral candidate in Individual and Family Studies at the University of Delaware; her research focuses on parent satisfaction with educational services for students with disabilities.

The world premiere of Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy, an all new children’s show, opens the Broadway series at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) at Penn State York Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  This show is being created in York with set building, rehearsals, and the opening taking place at the Pullo Center and then it’s off on a national tour.   Special reading sessions for children are set prior to the performances on Sept 29. at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Penn State York’s Lee R. Glatfelter Library.  Tickets for the show are $23 and $16 and are on sale now.

The story for the show features Arthur the aardvark, of PBS fame, who receives a visit from the Tooth Fairy when he looses his first tooth.   Arthur’s little sister,

D. W. is jealous and devises a plan to tick the Tooth Fairy.  The live show, 90-minutes in length, features 10 original songs along with music from the Arthur television series.  The television series as well as this new stage show are based on the Arthur book series which is illustrated and written by Marc Brown.   Brown also plays an integral role in the storyline of this new production.

For more information about The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center’s season or to order tickets, visit www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900. Tickets are on sale about two months prior to the show except for those interested in the new flex package option - purchase three or more shows and save at least 10 percent and get tickets at any time for any show. The Pullo Center is a state-of-the-art, 1,016-seat theatre, with full production capabilities and audience amenities offering the best features of large theatres in an intimate setting.  

Season sponsors for the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center are WHP CBS-21, CW 15, and The York Newspaper Company.

Gary L. Collison, Professor Emeritus of American Studies and English at Penn State York, died on Sept. 19, 2007, after a lengthy illness.   During his more than 30 year career at the campus he taught courses in American studies, American literature, humanities and writing as well as honors courses.  He provided students with unique learning opportunities and encouraged them to play an active role in the community through volunteer work.   He initiated a program to recognize students for their community service, which is now a part of the campus’ annual awards program.

"Gary was a superb teacher who was truly loved by his students and colleagues alike.  He was the driving force behind the establishment of the American Studies major at Penn State York," said Joel M. Rodney, chancellor of Penn State York.  "After his retirement, Gary continued his research and his service as editor of Markers, the Annual Journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies.   He also served as an unofficial mentor to his younger colleagues.  He will be sorely missed," said Rodney.

Throughout his career, Collison has received numerous research grants and has incorporated his research interests into classroom experiences for students.  It was not unusual to find Collison and his students visiting a local cemetery to study the gravestones.  His research projects include early German-American gravestones – identifying, photographing, and interpreting pre-1850 decorated vernacular stones in Southcentral Pennsylvania.  He published numerous articles and papers and made presentations throughout the United States and Canada.

In 1997 Collison published his first book, Shadrach Minkins:  from Fugitive Slave to Citizen, a work that earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination.  Published by Harvard University Press, the book tells the story of the life of a fugitive and was the culmination of more than 10 years of research done by Collison.  His work also earned the prestigious Gustavus Myers Award, which recognized his book as one of 14 outstanding American books published in 1997 from among 300 nominations.  The Myers Center identifies and reviews outstanding books written each year about discrimination and bigotry, and about ways to develop equitable future communities and societies.

Collison earned a Ph.D. in English from Penn State University in 1979 and to complete his doctorate work, transcribed, introduced and annotated part of the letters of Theodore Parker, a 19^th-Century leader in the New England Abolition Movement.   Collison earned  a masters in English from Bucknell University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Lehigh University.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York, 925 S. George Street, York.   A viewing will be from 10 a.m. until the time of the service Saturday at the church.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Gary Collison Scholarship Fund, Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York, PA   17403.

Penn State York’s Cultural and Performing Artists series kick-offs with the acoustic guitar sound of Javier Mendoza on Thursday, Sept 27.  This free performance is set for 7 p.m. in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center Center at the campus.  This series is sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company.  Tickets are not required for free performances.

Mendoza blends rock and roll with his Spanish roots and combines those elements with classical and modern rock influence to deliver a unique transnational sound.    He has just released his seventh full-length album produced by David de las Heras who was involved with Vincente Amigo's Flamenco Grammy-winning album "Ciudad De Las Ideas."   Mendoza’s new album blends American folk-pop with Flamenco and Electronica and some rock oriented material.  This release is a follow-up to his all Spanish CD “Asolas . . . en un pasaje de mi vida” released in 2005.

Mendoza sings in English and Spanish and has been brought to campus to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 in York.   Earlier in the day on Sept. 27, Mendoza will lead a brown bag workshop “Latinos in Pop Music” at noon in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community.   This program is also free and open to the public.   To learn more about Mendoza, visit his Web site at http://www.javiermendoza.com/ .

For more information and a full schedule of Penn State York’s free program visit http://www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu/performances.php or call (717) 771-4045.

The artwork of Ophelia M. Chambliss is on display in Penn State York’s Lee R. Glatfelter Library through Dec. 18.  The exhibit “Rhetorical Concepts in Visual Format” is a series of visuals which began from thumbnail sketches and doodles in Chambliss’ notebook during a rhetoric class at Penn State York.   The works are representations of the rhetorical concepts studied in a rhetoric class taught by Jane Sutton, associate professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State York.

“Rhetoric was a foreign concept to me and illustrating the visuals has helped me grasp a greater understanding and appreciation of the concepts.  I believe that the images were also helpful in helping others to understand the concepts as well,” said Chambliss, Penn State York student and fine artist.  “Being an artist, right-brained thinker, grasping the complex concepts of rhetoric was better understood when translating them into images that could be applied to multiple situations," she said.

The images in the exhibit are abstract and to the viewer appear like an assemblage of curves and colors.  With the explanation, which accompanies each of the paintings, Chambliss hopes the viewer can better decipher the content.

Chambliss has worked as a professional designer, graphic artist, and art director in the educational publishing industry.  Originally from Chicago, IL, she relocated to York, PA, in 2000.  Chambliss is a full-time student at Penn State York pursuing a degree in Communication Arts and Sciences.  She also is a practicing fine artist  and an adjunct professor at York College of Pennsylvania.  Chambliss has an extensive show that catalogs her history as a much displayed and celebrated fine artist who has exhibited throughout the country.  In addition to a number of solo and group shows, she has shown with some notable artists over the years and has participated in a number of distinguished juried shows.

Exhibit hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 - 6 p.m.

Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy, An Evening with Livingston Taylor, Rent, Penn State’s Blue Band, NBC’s Last Comic Standing Live!, and Ring of Fire are just a few of the performances scheduled for Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center’s 2007 – 08 season.  

The third season begins with the first in a variety of free programming through the campus’ cultural and performing artists series featuring guitarist Javier Mendoza on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.   This series is sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company.  Mendoza blends rock and roll with his Spanish roots and combines those elements with classical and modern rock influence to deliver a unique transnational sound.  Mendoza sings in English and Spanish and has been brought to campus as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 in York.

Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy opens the Broadway series with an all new show Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  This is a brand new children’s show with set building, rehearsals, and the show opening taking place at the Pullo Center in September and then it’s off on a national tour.  Special reading sessions for children are set prior to the performances on Sept 29. at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Penn State York’s Lee R. Glatfelter Library.  Tickets for the show are $23 and $16 and are on sale now.

October 12 brings singer/songwriter Livingston (Liv) Taylor to the stage for “An Evening with Livingston Taylor” at 8 p.m.  Taylor’s professional career has spanned more than three decades and during that time he has toured with Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac, and Jethro Tull.   Taylor has recorded 13 albums and three retrospectives.   He maintains a concert schedule of more than 100 performances a year and has written most of the music he performs.  A number of the songs he wrote have been recorded by his brother, James Taylor, including “I Can Dream of You,” “Going Round One More Time,” and “Boatman.”  Tickets for this performance are $10 and on sale now.

The Broadway touring show of Rent, winner of four Tony Awards and the 1996 Pulitzer Prize, returns to the Pullo Center by popular demand for performances on Oct. 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m.  This national tour will again rehearse at the Pullo Center prior to the performances in York and the continuation of the national tour. 

Rent is about being young in New York, being brave and being scared, being in love and being in trouble, having hope for today and faith in tomorrow.   Rent captures the heart and spirit of a generation.  Inspired by Puccini's La Bohéme, Rent is a musical that celebrates a community of young artists as they struggle with the soaring hopes and tough realities of today's world.  Rent contains mature themes and adult language.  Tickets for Rent are $39 and $49 and on sale now.

An annual event in Penn State York’s free series, Barry Drake, rock historian, returns to campus on Thursday, Oct. 25 for  “80s Rock:  Music in the Video Age.”

The program is at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.  Drake, often called a walking encyclopedia of rock and roll, takes the audience back to the 80s with his multimedia presentation.  The 1980s began with the election of Ronald Reagan and the death of John Lennon.  This era was also the beginning of MTV, compact discs, and the unforgettable music of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, R.E.M., Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, The Police, Run-DMC, Prince, Aerosmith, and even Milli Vanilli.

November is an unusually busy month at the Pullo Center with The Curtis Symphony Orchestra; Penn State’s Blue Band; NBC’s Last Comic Standing Live!  tour; and The Fast Horses, a Native American performing family.

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra takes to the stage on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. with more than 100 exceptionally gifted musicians between the ages of 13 and 25.   Under the direction of Otto-Werner Mueller and David Hayes, the orchestra performs a three-concert season in Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as well as programs elsewhere in the region, and at Carnegie Hall. The real-world training has enabled Curtis alumni to assume prominent positions in major orchestras across the United States, Canada, and abroad. Recent visiting conductors include Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Alan Gilbert, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Peter Oundjian, Simon Rattle, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Robert Spano, Michael Stern, Yuri Temirkanov, and David Zinman.   Tickets for the performance are $35 and $25 and are on sale now.  This performance is sponsored by PNC Wealth Management and Hawthorn.

November 9 brings the marching band sound of the 310-piece Penn State Blue Band to York at 8 p.m.   The Penn State Blue Band, recognized as one of the nation’s finest college marching bands, is coming to the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at Penn State York to show off their Penn State pride.  The Blue Band boasts more than 300 members and performs to capacity crowds in 107,232-seat Beaver Stadium – home of Penn State Nittany Lion football.  The Blue Band has performed at every major bowl game in the United States, including the Rose Bowl and the Tournament of Roses Parade.   The 2007-08 season is the 108^th year of the Blue Band’s proud, tradition-filled history.  Tickets are $10 and on sale now.   This performance is sponsored by Barton Associates and Precision Custom Components.

Get ready to enjoy an evening of great stand-up comedy when NBC’s Last Comic Standing Live! tour hits the Pullo Center Sunday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.   Finalists from the Emmy-nominated television show Last Comic Standing will take to the stage for a laugh-fest of fun.  These are the comics America voted as the funniest in the world!  Tickets are $39 and on sale now.

The Fast Horses, a Minnesota-based Lakota (Native American) performing family will share their heritage through poetry, humor, magic, and audience participation on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Pullo Center.  This free performance is set for 7 p.m.  and features a family who began performing in 1998 and whose career has spanned three continents, six countries, 44 states, and one province.  They credit their success to doing what they love, entertaining and educating people.  The performance focuses on the evolution of Native American music and dance and their similarities with, and influences on, other cultures.  The Fast Horses include juggling, storytelling, costumes, fire, song, and dance as part of their unique show.

The new year starts off with another brand new children’s show, Go, Diego Go, LIVE! The Great Jaguar Rescue Jan. 22 and 23.  Diego, Nick Jr.’s action adventure hero, along with his sister, Alicia, and cousin Dora, are set off on an action-packed mission to get Baby Jaguar’s growl back from the Bobo Brothers.  They’ll need the audience’s help to rescue animals, navigate through the rainforest, and bypass a giant waterfall to get to the Animal Carnivale, iAl rescate, amigos! (To the rescue, my friends!)  Show times and ticket prices are not yet set.

“Unique” is described in Webster’s dictionary as ‘different from others in a way that makes something worthy of note.’  That may be the perfect description for the acoustic music of Fort Pastor coming to the Pullo Center on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.  This is a free performance.  A blend of their Australian and American roots; charismatic acoustic guitars are pounded as often as strummed, with the odd didgeridoo, darabuka, djembe and mandolin thrown in to create an earthy, soulful whole.  However, it’s not just the music that separates this band.  This band is a social movement.

Ardently expressing their views on war, social issues, and love within their music; Fort Pastor is out for social justice.  So much so that they have created their own foundation called the “Social Justice Army (SJA).”  Fans of the band join the ‘Army’ and commit to serving their community one hour a month.  With local chapters of the SJA being formed all over the country, people are learning more about the issues their local communities are facing and are working to make changes.  From homelessness to fair trade, Fort Pastor wants their fans to be informed of the problems this generation is facing.  Their music serves as the inspiration and motivator for change.   Fort Pastor has gained the respect of organizations such as Bose, Shure, Slide Didge, and G7th; the band tours relentlessly around the world.  Even though Fort Pastor has shared the stage with the likes of Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, Bebo Norman, Christopher Williams, Maeve, Greg Greenway and dozens of others; they continue to build their underground Army for social change, one passionate concert at a time.

Top Secret:  The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, a historical docudrama, comes to the Pullo Center on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.  The L. A. Theatre Works production of the play Top Secret:  The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, now on national tour, raises many ethical issues including governmental secrecy and deception, whistle-blowing, and journalistic responsibility.  This performance is being brought to the area by Penn State York’s Grumbacher Program in Ethics and Humanistic Studies.  Starring Stacy Keach (cast is subject to change), Top Secret explore an important period in history and is based on interviews and documents contained through the Freedom of Information Act.   The play follows the debate played out as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee’s staff sorts through the classified documents and tries to decide if publishing them violates national security.  The play includes their momentous decision and the legal wrangling that followed leading up to the historic decision that reaffirmed the First Amendment.  The United Sates government’s relationship with the media, the citizenry’s right to information, and the First Amendment are all critically explored against the canvas of the Vietnam War and the secretive Nixon White House.  Tickets are $29 and go on sale Nov. 30.

Steven Anthony Étienne McGinley (Étienne) physical comedian and juggler brings his talents to the stage on Thursday, Feb 21 at 7 p.m. as the free cultural and performing artists series continues at Penn State York.  Étienne was born in a small house in a small town in the small state of Maryland to a big family.  His mother wanted him to be a priest and his father wanted him to join the army, but he discovered juggling instead.   He has traveled around the world performing and the symbolic moment of his career was playing French love songs on a tuba for a Chinese audience in Italy.  For more information on Étienne visit http://www.veryfunny.com/.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the smash hit lifted directly from Broadway, is set for Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at The Pullo Center.  Set on the glorious and glamorous Riviera, this play is a delicious comedy that follows two con artists as they take on the lifestyles of the rich and shameless – and end up with a lot more than they bargain for.  The New York Post called Dirty Rotten Scoundrels one of the liveliest, funniest, best-performed musicals in years.  Tickets are $59 and go on sale Nov. 30.  The show is sponsored by Sovereign Bank.

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is set for Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. performed by the world famous Aquila Theatre Company.  The Aquila Theatre Company’s production follows the epic story of the rise and fall of one of the world’s most notorious leaders. Set in a world of political intrigue and strained domestic relationships, the production explores the moral and political dilemma of Marcus Brutus. Should he join the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar, conquering hero and his trusted friend? Or, should he allow one man’s tyrannical ambition to overcome the very ideals that Rome was founded upon?  The choice that Brutus makes has the power to destroy the old world order and to ignite a fierce civil war. Aquila’s production asks the audience to consider the price of democracy and freedom and the consequences that can befall a society when it is asked to defend its core beliefs.   Tickets are $29 and go on sale Jan. 25.

Back by popular demand, Wayne Hoffman illusionist and mentalist, brings back Mindy Candy, a bigger and better show on Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m..  Hoffman packed the 1,000-seat performing arts center last season and the audience screamed for more.  This is a free show. Since 1994 Wayne has performed Mind Candy for hundreds of thousands of people across the United States. His name is now synonymous with professional mystery entertainment. The show includes some of Wayne's signature effects such as his infamous “soda can effect” and his pre-show predictions of his audiences actions.  Wayne can even make women appear from nowhere right on stage!  During all of the shows, Wayne constantly has people participate both individually and as a group. The audience doesn't just watch the show; they become part of the show. No other form of entertainment allows for this kind of interaction. Wayne's shows are an intricately woven script of magic and illusion that spins a web of deception around the audience and helps capture their imaginations. Be careful what you’re thinking….he might be listening!

The Pullo Center’s 2007 – 08 season closes with Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash on Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.   The life and music of the “Man in Black” ignites the stage in this new Broadway touring musical.  The show features 38 signature songs from the legendary troubadour.  Hits include “I Walk the Line,” “Hurt,” “Jackson,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and the title track “Ring of Fire.”  Stories of passion, redemption, humor, and salvation set the stage ablaze in this musical celebration of one of the world’s most famous rebels.  Tickets are $55 and on sale Feb. 29.

Throughout the year, the Pullo Center’s resident companies, the York Youth Symphony Orchestra (YYSO) and the York Junior Symphony Orchestra (YJSO) offer performances.  The YYSO performs Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.; March 2 at 3:30 p.m.; and May 4 at 3:30 p.m.  Tickets are $7 for all seats.  The YJSO performs on Nov. 18 at 3 p.m.  and April 6 at 3 p.m.  Tickets are $7 for all seats.

For more information about The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center’s season or to order tickets, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/ or call 717-505-8900. Tickets are on sale about two months prior to the show except for those interested in the new flex package option - purchase three or more shows and save at least 10 percent and get tickets at any time for any show. The Pullo Center is a state-of-the-art, 1,016-seat theatre,with full production capabilities and audience amenities offering the best features of large theatres in an intimate setting.  

Season sponsors for the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center are WHP CBS-21, CW 15, and The York Newspaper Company.

Current students at Penn State York and those considering the campus as their choice for higher education will have an opportunity to pursue a theatre minor beginning in the fall.  While new to the campus, this is not a new academic minor at the University.

“We think this addition of a minor in theatre provides college-bound students in our service area one more reason to seriously consider Penn State York.   We are proud of this wonderful addition to our curriculum,” said Joseph McCormick, director of academic affairs at York.  “The theatre minor will create the opportunity for collaboration between Penn State York faculty and students and local and regional theatre companies, thus enhancing the relationship between theory and practice.”

Penn State’s theatre minor is designed to be an enhancement to a major area of study and personal enrichment.   While a student in any major may earn a theatre minor, York currently offers nine baccalaureate majors that can be completed at the campus and the minor is a fitting complement to four of the majors:  American Studies, Communication Arts and Sciences, English, and Letters Arts, and Sciences.  Introductory theatre courses have been offered at the campus for a number of years. 

Students in the minor at York will be able to take advantage of the campus’ newest facility, the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) which opened in August 2005.  The 1,016-seat state-of-the-art theatre is hailed as one of the finest, most modern facilities among the Penn State campuses.   Prior to the Pullo Center’s opening, the campus was considering the academic programs that might benefit from the resources of this new facility with its full production capabilities.    Joel M. Rodney, chancellor at Penn State York, pursued discussions with the University’s College of Arts & Architecture and earlier this summer the minor was officially approved for fall 2007.

Members of Penn State York’s Drama Club will also benefit from the addition of the theatre minor.  The minor will allow them to earn academic credit as well as pursue their artistic interests and projects.   All students will have the opportunity to earn academic credit through courses related to the minor.  

For more information on Penn State York’s new theatre minor please call the Admissions office at (717) 771-4040 or the Advising and Career Center at (717) 771-4053.    Information is also available on the Web by clicking on academics and reviewing baccalaureate minors.

Enjoy some of Penn State’s Berkey Creamery ice cream and learn more about your connection to Penn State in Lancaster. The Lancaster Center offers Penn State courses and programs including: credit certificates; an associate degree in business administration; courses in the associate degree in letters, arts and sciences; and numerous noncredit professional development certificates.   Learn more about the new Geographic/Geospatial Information System (GIS) certificate program beginning for fall.

In an effort to meet the evolving educational needs of the Lancaster County community, a partnership was established at The Lancaster Center between Penn State York, Penn State Harrisburg, and Penn State Great Valley. Students can earn a bachelor of science in business degree at Penn State York, with the beginning classes offered in Lancaster. Upper-division classes continue to be added for credit students interested in this four-year degree.

Through a partnership with Penn State Great Valley's Graduate Center, students can take graduate courses in the principal certification in educational leadership program. By partnering with Penn State Harrisburg, The Lancaster Center offers the training and development credit certificate program and the master of business administration (MBA). This MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the primary accrediting agency for programs in business administration and accounting.  Most courses at The Lancaster Center are offered in the evenings but recently the center began offering courses for high school students interested in taking college courses while in high school. Through dual enrollment, eligible high school juniors and seniors can get an early start on college.

For information, call (717) 299-7667 or (800) 828-6233. Visit us online at http://www.lancastercenter.psu.edu/.

Grosz, owner and publisher of BlueWhite Illustrated, will be the featured speaker. Grosz, a Penn State alumnus and former lacrosse player, will discuss the 2007 Penn State football season. BlueWhite Illustrated, which covers Penn State's football and sports recruiting, is a national and international publication published 28 times a year with more than 10,000 subscribers.

The dinner event includes a silent auction featuring Notre Dame and Ohio State tickets and a raffle offering a set of tickets for the season.  Banquet tickets are $26 for club members and $30 for non-club members and the deadline for reservations is August 9.  To make reservations, contact the York Chapter hotline at (717) 843-0551 or mail your payment to:  The Penn State Alumni Association, York County Chapter, Attention Ricki Hevner, P.O. Box 3893, York, PA  17402.

Through interactive exercises, participants will discover how to spend less time but learn more studying a textbook using the "SQ4R" method, the do's and don'ts of note-taking, and how to become a more effective and productive student. The program includes the booklet "Improving Your Study Skills."

Cora Dzubak, Ph.D, director of Penn State York's accredited Learning Center, is the course instructor. Dzubak will cover topics including learning styles, time-management, textbook usage, test-taking strategies, study skills and a variety of other topics designed to help students learn.

Cost for the course is $50. For more information, call (717) 771-4050 or visit the Web at http://ce.yk.psu.edu and go to programs for youth.

An opening reception for the summer art show “Last Party on Earth, Part Two” featuring the work of Ben Harris, a Maryland Institute College of Art graduate, is set for Thursday, May 31 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Lee R. Glatfelter Library at Penn State York. The opening reception will take place in the periodicals lounge of the library and is free and open to the public. The exhibit continues through August 17.

Harris has worked professionally as an illustrator and 3D animation contractor for videogame companies including Sid Meier's Firaxis Games and Big Huge Games

Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

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While the focus of this course is for general educators, others who participate in the education, counseling, or therapy of students with autism/PDD will also benefit from its content. The course consists of two components—face-to-face classroom interactions with local autism experts, and DVD lectures delivered by Pamela Wolfe, associate professor of special education and academic director of Penn State’s autism certificate and autism specialist programs. By participating in the 12-classroom hour course, which can be taken for 2 credits, or Act 48 credit hours, teachers can learn about classifications and assessments of autism and related conditions, approaches for teaching children with autism, and strategies for partnering with specialists and parents. Brenda Hartman, supervisor, Autistic Support Program, LIU # 12 is the instructor for the course.

“So many general classroom teachers in Pennsylvania are faced with the special challenges of working with autistic kids,” said Ed Donovan, director of education and health programs for Penn State Continuing Education, “But they feel they are not adequately trained to do so.” Penn State, he noted, is in an “ideal position” to deliver consistent training to classroom teachers because of its statewide campus system.

Diagnoses of autism are on the rise, with the most recent statistics available indicating a national average of 1 in 150 children afflicted with the disorder. For the past eight years, Penn State has worked closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and its Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN) to address the increasing demands on special education teachers in the state. The University also hosts the largest National Autism Conference in the U.S., with more than 2,700 attendees in 2006. In addition, Penn State has received several national awards for autism programs, including a thirty-minute documentary entitled Children and Autism: Time is Brain, which is featured in “Students with Autism in Inclusive Settings.”

This course is also being offered at 19 other Penn State locations and some offerings began in April in observance of National Autism Awareness Month.

“Students with Autism in Inclusive Settings” will be offered at Penn State, The Lancaster Center on Mondays and Wednesdays from June 18 through June 28.

To register or for more information visit the Web site at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/cape/autisminclusive.

For information on the course in York please call Annie Haines at 717-771-4197 or e-mail her at azh2@psu.edu or Beth Gill-MacDonald ay 717-771-4047 or bxg5@psu.edu. In Lancaster, please call Bea Landis at (717) 299-7667 or e-mail her at bkl1@psu.edu .

“The Producers,” the Mel Brooks musical comedy, will make its York premiere at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center for a two-day engagement June 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. This is your only chance to see this show in our area and tickets are on sale now. “The Producers” has left Broadway as Brooks moves on to his next project of bringing “Young Frankenstein” to the stage.

Based on Brooks’ Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, “The Producers” is the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant. Together they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than needed for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference. Their “sure-fire” theatrical fiasco is none other than the musical “Springtime for Hitler.” USA Today hales “The Producers” as “the funniest, most fearlessly irreverent thing ever seen on stage.” The show has also been called a blissful spectacle that will leave you delirious.

“The Producers” swept the 2001 Tony Awards, receiving the most awards in Broadway history. Tony Awards including best musical, best book of a musical (Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan), best original score (Mel Brooks), best scenic design (Robin Wagner), best costume design (William Ivey Long), best lighting design (Peter Kaczorowski), best orchestrations (Doug Besterman), and best choreography and best direction of a musical (Susan Stroman).
The creative team for “The Producers” is comprised of Nigel West (direction), Leigh Constantine (choreography), David Peterson (scenic adaptation),Jimm Halliday (costume coordinator), Paul Miller (lighting design), Shannon Slaton (sound design), Bernie Ardia (hair and make-up design), and John Mezzio (musical direction). All designs are based on original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman; and original designs by Robin Wagner (sets), William Ivey Long (costumes), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting), Steve Kennedy (sound), Glen Kelly (musical arrangements and supervision), Patrick Brady (musical direction/vocal arrangements) and Doug Besterman (orchestrations).

Tickets, which are $55 and $66 to the general public, can be purchased by calling (717) 505-8900 or (866) 468-7619 or at ticketweb.com. Box office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Pullo Center has seating for more than 1,000 and offers full theater capabilities in an intimate setting.

“The Producers” is produced by NETworks Presentations. Founded in 1995, NETworks has produced and managed tours in the United States and abroad including: Cameron Mackintosh’s “Oliver!”; “Cinderella” starring Eartha Kitt; “Show Boat,” “Ragtime;” “Jekyll & Hyde;” “Seussical the Musical;” “Fosse;” “Rent;” and “Sweet Charity” starring Molly Ringwald.

For more information on “The Producers” the Mel Brooks musical, please visit the tour Web site at http://www.producersontour.com.

Penn State York will celebrate its 37th annual spring commencement at 6 p.m. Friday, May 18, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at the campus. William J. Althaus, former mayor of the City of York and an international consultant on democracy and local government, is the commencement speaker. The campus will award associate and baccalaureate degrees and recognize master's degree graduates during the program. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

Althaus is an international consultant on democracy and local government specializing on development assistance to emerging democracies in Eastern Europe. He has most recently served as director of the Decentralization Project of the United States Agency for International Development in the Republic of Macedonia. He has led official delegations to Taiwan, Japan, Israel, France, the Council of Europe, and the Dominican Republic. He also managed delegations in the United States from El Salvador, Panama, Poland, and Albania.

Althaus was born in York, Pennsylvania, and holds a baccalaureate degree from Johns Hopkins University and received his Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law. From 1976 to 1981, Althaus practiced civil law in York.

In 1981 he was elected mayor of the City of York, the youngest mayor ever elected in York. He was reelected in 1985 and 1989. When he chose not to seek a fourth term, he was the longest-serving mayor in the City’s history.

In 1990, as mayor, Althaus negotiated and lobbied successfully for City Council approval for the donation of Rotary Woods to Penn State York, creating a clean, green space for the Penn State community and all citizens of York to enjoy. Thanks to his efforts and the 33-acre donation, the campus increased in size to more than 50 acres and is the home of the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, Lee R. Glatfelter Library, and the Penn State Woods.

Althaus served as president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and has been a member of the Advisory Boards to: the United States Trade Representative, the National Organization on Disabilities, the State and Local Legal Center, the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies, the Albanian-American Trade Association and the US Council for Puerto Rico Statehood, and was a founding trustee of the Inter-American Cities Foundation. He served two terms as a presidential appointee to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

In 1992, Althaus was elected president of the United States Conference of Mayors, the non-partisan leadership organization of the mayors of America’s principal cities. He was responsible for guiding policy development and was the spokesman for the major cities of the United States. During his tenure as mayor he met frequently with and advised Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton on urban issues.

From 2001 until April 2007 Mayor Althaus resided in the Republic of Macedonia and worked on democracy and governance issues throughout the region. In May 2007 he returned to York and continues his work with Development Alternatives, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland.

In addition to hearing from Althaus, Penn State York will continue its tradition of the open microphone where graduates can speak for a moment. The top associate degree, baccalaureate, and master’s degree graduates will also say a few words. A number of former Penn State York students who completed their degree work at an upper-division campus of Penn State will return to their home campus, York, to receive their degrees during the ceremony.

A reception, sponsored by the Penn State York Alumni Society, will follow the ceremony in the John T. and Paige S. Smith Atrium and mezzanine areas of the Pullo Center.

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A comedy for mature audiences, "Beyond Therapy" centers on Prudence and Bruce, two neurotics who find each other through personal ads. Both are being treated by self-centered psychiatrists who are themselves "beyond therapy." Penn State York Student Jessica Olan-Edge was the director who led a small cast including Marla McDaniel, Dave Lehman, Dustin Heffron, John McLucas, Jamie Golden and Michelle Albright. The drama group, under the direction of Stuart Stelly, instructor in English at Penn State York, will be back on stage in the fall.

Penn State York students, faculty, staff, and friends celebrated the life of Carol M. Dorworth, late faculty member in the biology department at Penn State York on Thursday, May 3 in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center. 

Pictured right is Kayla Arendt, a student at Penn State York, as she shares her memories of Carol M. Dorworth during the celebration of life service May 3 at the campus.

Throughout the evening her students, colleagues, and friends told stories of a hard working, caring person who gave of her best and expected the best from her students. Speakers shared remembrances of field outings to Mill Creek in York and the difficulty, and yet fairness, of exams and lab work. Some of Dorworth’s former students traveled from University Park to attend the celebration of life service and pay their respects to honor an outstanding teacher.

As part of the program, the poem “Dirge Without Music” was shared by John W. Dawson, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Penn State York and then remarks were made by Joseph P. McCormick, director of academic affairs at Penn State York; Donald A. Gogniat, retired campus executive officer at Penn State York; and Joel M. Rodney, chancellor of Penn State York. Students then took to the podium to share their stories about the faculty member they loved.

“Now I understand that we were like her children,” said Mary Brooks, a former student of Dorworth’s and a Penn State graduate. “Her expectations of us were like those of a mother with her child. She expected the best.”

Ranna McNeil, a science major at Penn State York, remarked that Dorworth had changed her life and brought at the best in her. She also recalled Dorworth’s tenacity in her goal to have a greenhouse at Penn State York. The Starbuck’s Greenhouse, a dream of Dorworth’s, was dedicated on September 19, 2006. Seven weeks later, November 12, 2006, Dorworth died after a prolonged illness.

During her 14-year career at the campus, she taught a variety of science courses in York and Lancaster including environmental science, introductory biology, and genetics. A dedicated environmentalist, she actively worked with students to plant saplings and flowers throughout the campus. The Carol M. Dorworth Campus Beautification Fund has been established at Penn State York to continue the work Dorworth started in planting bulbs and other plant life to beautify the campus. Those interested in supporting the fund should checks to the Development Office at Penn State York and indicate they are for this fund.

Dorworth received a Professional Development Grant from the former Commonwealth College in the spring 2005 semester to attend a Geographic Information System (GIS) training workshop in Costa Rica, held in summer of 2005. This workshop was a part of her vision to introduce GIS hand-held technology into some of the courses that she taught, a vision cut short by her untimely death.

She held a Ph.D. in wildlife and fisheries science from Louisiana State University; a master of science in natural resources from Cornell University, and a bachelor of science in biology from Penn State.

Registration is under way for Penn State York's 25th annual youth soccer camp set for July 23-27 at the campus. The camp is designed for both female and male soccer players of all ability levels, ages 8 through 13.

Players are grouped according to age and ability level during the first camp session. Camp hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Under the direction of George Miller, recently retired Penn State York soccer coach, players will participate in a total athletic experience including stretching and conditioning, drills, position analysis, rules of the game and team play. In addition to Miller, the camp staff includes some area high school soccer coaches who bring years of experience to the field.

Lectures, demonstrations, films and instructional videotapes augment physical activity. Drills, games and other activities take place on the soccer fields at Penn State York.

The fee for the five-day camp is $170 for the first family member; additional family members are $150 each. Camp fee includes instruction and coaching, camp ball, a soccer T-shirt and lunch each day. For information or a brochure, call Penn State York at (717) 771-4050. Enrollment is limited to the first 115 registrants.

A celebration of life ceremony is set for Thursday, May 3 from 6 – 8 p.m. to honor the life and contributions of Carol Dorworth, late faculty member in the Biology Department at Penn State York. The ceremony is open to the public and will take place in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center at the campus. Members of the campus community, including students, faculty, and staff, will take part in remembering their colleague, teacher, and friend beginning at 6:15 p.m. Dorworth’s family, in British Columbia, is unable to attend but have provided the text for the celebration of life program. Her brother Charles Dorworth wrote, “Gloria and I will sit together at the waterfall where Carol is at rest at the time of the memorial service, and possibly send a spirit if hope and kinship for the occasion.”

Dorworth died on Nov. 12, 2006, after a prolonged illness. During her 14 year career at the campus, she taught a variety of science courses in York and Lancaster including environmental science, introductory biology, and genetics. A dedicated environmentalist, she actively worked with students to plant saplings and flowers throughout the campus. “Carol had a passion for her subject which communicated itself to the many students whose lives she touched. She was a tireless advocate for the campus’ greenhouse project and played a key role in making the greenhouse a reality,’ said Joel M. Rodney, chancellor at Penn State York. “She is sorely missed.”

Dorworth received a Professional Development Grant from the former Commonwealth College in the spring 2005 semester to attend a Geographic Information System (GIS) training workshop in Costa Rica, held in summer of 2005. This workshop was a part of her vision to introduce GIS hand-held technology into some of the courses that she taught, a vision cut short by her untimely death.

She held a Ph.D. in wildlife and fisheries science from Louisiana State University; a master of science in natural resources from Cornell University, and a bachelor of science in biology from Penn State.

For photos from Unity Day, check http://x02.ur.psu.edu/pi_gallery/thumbnails.php?album=878.

Take the survey and have a chance at winning an iPod!

Penn State York will celebrate its ninth annual Unity Day on Wednesday, April 11, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. when students, faculty, staff, and members of the York community are invited to celebrate diversity.  Students, faculty and staff will share food items that represent their heritage and those who attend can participate in an international food sampling from a number of countries.  Regardless of your heritage, Latino, Pennsylvania Dutch, African-American, Indian . . . Unity Day has a place for you.   The celebration takes place in the Penn State York gym in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.  Displays will be set-up with items that reflect the origin or ancestry of faculty, staff, and students.  A variety of performances are scheduled beginning at 12 p.m. 
  
Unity Day at Penn State York is the culmination of the work of the Penn State York  Diversity Committee, which includes students, faculty, and staff.   A variety of multicultural events have been planned throughout the year to provide a forum for the campus and community to learn about diversity.

Students in Fred Haag’s design class, art 010, created designs for Unity Day and the campus community selected a T-shirt design from among them.   A design by Peter J. Haldeman, a Penn State York freshman from York, was selected for the shirts. Those participating in Unity Day will wear the specially designed T-shirts.   Goals for Unity Day include creating teachable moments to learn about diversity and to provide an opportunity for the campus and community to suggest ways Penn State can create a multicultural environment. Unity Day is sponsored in part by the Penn State York Student Government Association and the campus diversity committee.

Flags fly at Penn State York representing the homelands of students, faculty and staff almost year round, and symbolize campus pride in the ethnic heritage of campus members and their commitment to providing an environment where all opinions are valued and respected.     Unity Day is an opportunity to educate, understand, and appreciate the differences between each other and discover the many similarities.   To sign-up to participate in Unity Day, contact Art Henne, instructor in English and chairperson of the Penn State York Diversity Committee, at 717-771-4154, awh2@psu.edu.                                                                  

The songs and stories of Ireland come to Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center  when Harry O’Donoghue brings his talents to stage at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.   In addition to O’Donoghue’s performance, local dancers from the Coyle School of Irish Dance will perform.

A native of the east coast of Ireland, O’Donoghue began playing guitar at age 20 and was soon performing with local groups.  In 1979, he founded the group Terra Nova which later that summer won the prestigious Best Folk Group Award at the Dublin International Music Festival.   Less than a year later, Terra Nova was touring America and eventually landed a recording contract in 1985.  When Terra Nova performed its last concert in 1987, O’Donoghue embarked on what has become a successful solo career.  Initially, O’Donoghue concentrated on songwriting while releasing several critically acclaimed albums.

With guitar in hand, O’Donoghue engages his audience with stories, anecdotes, and songs relating to Irish history and culture, past and present.  He has performed, by invitation, with the Savannah Symphony and has shared the bill with international recording stars including Mary Black, Andy M. Stewart, Cathie Regal, The Fureys, Danny Doyle, Natalie Mac Master, The Wolfe Tones, The Shannon Castle Singers, and Tommy Makem.

This performance is part of Penn State York’s free cultural series sponsored by the York Newspaper Company and the campus.   No tickets are required.  For more information, please call (717) 771-4128.

"America's Foremost Commentator on Everything," Lewis Black, will visit Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (Pullo Center) on Sunday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. to share his special form of humor.  Penn State York students, faculty, and staff can purchase tickets now with tickets on sale to the general public Monday, March 26.

Listen to a short clip from Lewis Black [1.84M mp3]

Black is a weekly political commentator on, COMEDY Central’s "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and has starred in comedy specials for the network. As a stand-up comedian, he has performed at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, The Montreal International Comedy Festival, The Irish Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland; and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Black has found a home on the stage as an actor, playwright, and stand-up comedian. He has performed his caustic, cranky, bile-spewing, dead-on social and political comedy throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

Black is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. As a playwright he has authored more than 40 plays that have been produced in theatres across the country, including "Czar of Rock and Roll" (Alley Theatre) and "Crossing the Crab Nebula" (The Alliance Theater), which was later produced in New York at the Ensemble Theatre starring Terri Garr. In addition, Black co-wrote and performed, "The Laundry Hour" with Mark Linn Baker (Joseph Papp's Public Theatre). His theatre credits include "Indians" (McCarter Theatre), "Self-Defense" (Long Wharf Theatre), "Our Father" (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and "Dead End" and "Johnny-on-the-Spot" (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Lewis has spent many a summer acting and teaching stand-up as an artist in residence at the legendary Williamstown Theatre Festival. He lends his teaching and playwriting talents to the Tampa University Arts Festival, and he is developing a comedy festival at his alma mater, North Carolina University at Chapel Hill. In 2005 Garry Marshall's Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles produced Black’s play, "One Slight Hitch."

As an actor, Black has appeared in such films as "Jacob's Ladder," "The Hard Way," "The Night We Never Met," and Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters." Currently Lewis stars In "Accepted" (Universal, summer 2006). He co-stars with Wilmer Valderrama ("That 70's Show") in "Unaccompanied Minors" (Warner Brothers, Christmas 2006), and co-stars with Robin Williams in "Man of the Year" (Christmas 2006) directed by Barry Levinson.

His television acting credits include, "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," "Homicide," "Mad About You" and "Law and Order." Lewis has been featured on CBS Sports' "NFL Today" and the Final Four coverage. He is also a regular guest on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Black received the award for "Best Male Stand Up" by The American Comedy Awards in 2001. In 2004 he was recognized by The Pollstar Awards for his blockbuster comedy tour, "Rules of Enragement." In 2006 he received a Grammy nomination for his comedy CD of the same name.

A milestone for Black was starring in a one-hour stand-up special for HBO, "Black on Broadway," which was also a successful DVD release. His second HBO special from the Warner Theater, in Washington DC, "Red, White and Screwed" aired June, 2006. He authored his first book, Nothing's Sacred (April 2005 Simon and Schuster) which debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Black works as a professional mentor with the 52nd Street Project teaching inner city youth. He also raises money for several scholarship programs including The William Foeller Scholarship at Williamstown Theatre Festival where he also teaches. He is also active in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Tickets, which are $49 to the general public, can be purchased by calling (717) 505-8900 or (866) 468-7619 or at ticketweb.com beginning March 26.  Penn State York students can purchase one ticket at a special price of $29 for the first 250 students and $39 for the next 200 students and these tickets are available only in the box office at the Pullo Center.  Faculty and staff may also purchase tickets now through the box office at $49.  Box office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 
Mark your calendar now for Friday, April 6 at 8 p.m. when Cirque Dreams, Jungle Fantasy comes to the Pullo Center.   Tickets are on sale now.  Check out other performances at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center by visiting http://www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu/.  The Pullo Center has seating for more than 1,000 and offers full theater capabilities.

Download the Report to the Community

Explore the Worlds of Engineering, Science, and Information Sciences and Technology on Saturday, March 10, when Penn State York opens its doors to middle and high school students.  The program, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., offers a variety of hands-on activities for students including: Creating Web Pages with “Style” with Suzanne Gladfelter;  Lego Mindstorm Robotics with Michael Marcus; Be a Crime Scene Investigator with Dr. Bob Farrell; and The Colorful World of Chemistry with Dr. Andy Landis.  Stay an hour or the entire time.  Other topics include SolidWorks CAD Design, Efficient Bridge Design, Use of a Video Camera as a Tool to Analyze Motion, Hacker for a Day, and Center of Gravity.  Penn State York faculty will lead students in a variety of activities that introduce them to science, engineering, and information sciences and technology.

Beginning at 2 p.m., watch the breaking of the bridges during the Great Bridge Building Competition being held in conjunction with Explore the Worlds. The event, sponsored by the Lincoln Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society for Professional Engineers, offers high school students a chance to construct a bridge and then test it to see how strong it is.  Bridge kits are still available and can picked up at the Lee R. Glatfelter Library or the Admissions Office at Penn State York; Penn State, The Lancaster Center; at 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster; or at C. S. Davidson, 38 North Duke Street, York.  Completed bridges must be on campus by 1:30 p.m.  For additional details on this event please contact Tim Koppenhaver at 845-4805. This program is free and open to the public.

For more information on Explore the Worlds, visit the Web at www.yk.psu.edu/explore/ or call 717-771-4040 or 1-800-776-6227.

Schedule and Workshop Descriptions

9:30 a.m. - Workshop Registration
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. -  Workshops
1 - 2 p.m. -   Complimentary Lunch 
2 p.m. -      Bridge Building Competition (Watch or participate!) - Pre-registration for bridge competition is required.

SolidWorks CAD Design
Don Coho, instructor in engineering
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Learn the basics of SolidWorks by constructing a 3-D design of your own.. 

Be a Crime Scene Investigator
Dr. Bob Farrell, assistant professor of biology
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
The world of forensics is becoming more sophisticated each day. The techniques and methods have not only revolutionized the criminal justice system, but have also captured the imagination of a very large television viewing audience. In this workshop, students will have an opportunity to learn about the standard techniques and equipment commonly used to solve crimes; some of the myths surrounding the discipline will also be dispelled. Questions about Penn State's new Forensics major will be answered.

Efficient Bridge Design
Dr. Chuck Gaston, assistant professor of engineering
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
Using only "Lego-type" blocks and a limited amount of masking tape, design and build a bridge which will be weighed and then tested to destruction.  The measure of efficiency is (maximum load supported) / (bridge weight).

Creating Web Pages with "Style"
Suzanne Gladfelter, senior instructor in information sciences and technology
11:00 a.m.
Modern Web sites incorporate W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standards-based design to separate style from structure. These Web sites use XHTML (eXtensible Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to implement accessible Web pages. In this hands-on, “make and take” lab, we will learn some basic Web design principles and modify a simple W3C standards-compliant web page.

Lego Mindstorm Robotics
Michael Marcus, associate professor of engineering
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
Come build and program a robot vehicle complete with touch sensors.

Hacker for a Day
Larry Newcomer, associate professor of information sciences and technology
10:00 a.m.,11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
Explore the tactics, tools, and techniques that real hackers use to penetrate systems

Center of Gravity
Kip Trout, senior instructor in physics
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

Understanding center of gravity and balance is important in sports, engineering and everyday safety. This workshop will have multiple stations set up for investigating center of gravity and balance. When is your bottle of soda easier to spill – when it is full or when it is half empty? What is the best way to jump over a high jump bar? Why is it best to open one drawer at a time on a filing cabinet? Come find out answers to questions like these, and learn some center of gravity tricks you can do at home to amaze your family and friends.

The Colorful World of Chemistry
Dr. Andy Landis, instructor in chemistry
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

When atoms combine to form compounds, colorful and sometimes violent reactions can take place. The nature of these reactions will be shown through a series of hands-on demonstrations involving the colorful chemicals that compose fireworks and the explosive reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.

Performances are now sold out! Thomas & Friends are making tracks to Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center March 14 in their first live touring stage show in North America, Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage in “Thomas Saves the Day.” The shows at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. are produced by HIT Entertainment and ThemeSTAR.

This all-new 90 minute musical adventure stars Thomas, and his engine friends, Percy and Diesel. Also along for the ride are Sir Topham Hatt™, Controller of the Railway, the train engineers and other friends from the Island of Sodor. See how Thomas and his friends work together as ‘Really Useful Engines’ to get the railroad ready for Sodor’s Magic Lantern Festival.

Tickets, which range from $19 to $29, can be purchased by calling (717) 505-8900 or (866) 468-7619 or at ticketweb.com. Check out other performances at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center by visiting www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu. Group tickets are also available by calling (717)-505-8900. Groups of ten or more priced at $25 and $17. The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center has seating for more than 1,000 and offers full theater capabilities.

Created by a father for his son, Thomas & Friends is the #1 preschool toy brand in the U.S. (source: The NPD Group/Consumer Panel Tracking: YTD October 2006). Today, families in more than 100 countries enjoy fun and adventure with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, please visit http://www.thomasandfriends.com/.

Cutting the caffeine, eating right, exercising, and just trying to stay healthy are top priorities for Penn State York students Swara Shah, 20, and Kelley Dennis, 19, as they get ready to head to University Park to represent the campus in the Thirty-fifth Annual IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, “Many Hearts One Home,” set for Feb. 16 ­ 18 at the Bryce Jordan Center.  This is the first year the Thon event takes place in the Jordan Center.   Thon, as the dance marathon is affectionately known, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the country and its goal is to raise money to help fight pediatric cancer.

This year round fund-raising event benefits The Four Diamonds Fund, Conquering Childhood Cancer, at the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, PA. The year culminates in a no-sitting, no-sleeping, two day dance marathon. Throughout the past 34 years, the students of Thon have raised more than $41 million and have helped thousands of children and families fight pediatric cancer.   Last year the event raised more than $4.2 million.  The mission of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is to conquer pediatric cancer by providing outstanding emotional and financial support to the children, families, researchers, and staff of The Four Diamonds Fund.

During Thon weekend, more than 700 dancers and thousands of supporters come together at University Park in the hopes of one day finding a cure for pediatric cancer. Whether standing for 46 hours as a dancer, entertaining the crowd, taking care of the facility, or even sitting in the stands, every person at Thon plays a small part in creating an amazing atmosphere of love, compassion, and understanding. This atmosphere inspires the students to fund raise throughout the year and tells the families of The Four Diamonds Fund that they have the care and support they need. This collective effort, involving more than 15,000 students, has become one of Penn State's greatest and most unifying traditions.

For Shah, Dennis, and members of the campus’ Thon committee headed by George Kapterian, local Thon chairperson and two-time dancer, the year has included a variety of fund-raising efforts from Thon-A-Palooza, a mini dance marathon involving area students; two band nights; and manning the coat check at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.  Beginning Monday, Feb. 5 the group will be selling Sweet Willows Creamery ice cream outside the Lion’s Den on campus.  York has raised about $8,000 and hopes to break a campus record of $10,000.

Shah, 20, is a sophomore majoring in business and a graduate of Dallastown High School.  Shah is very close with the family that Penn State York sponsors and over the past two years has grown very close to Madison “Maddie” Hill, “York’s Thon child.”  Hill, 9, of Dover, PA, has been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma since October 2005 and will be undergoing treatments through July 2008.  “I am dancing for the kids of course, but also because Thon has become part of my heart and soul and in the past two years I have dedicated most of my free time to doing Thon activities and planning them out.  Maddie has also become like a little sister to me and I am dancing for her, as well as all the other kids.”

Dennis, 19,  an anthropology major and dance minor, is a graduate of Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill.  She hasn’t  been involved with Thon as long as Shah, but has her own reasons for believing so strongly in Penn State’s cause.  “My best friend, whom I had known since elementary school, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was in eighth grade.   He spent over a year in and out of Duke University Hospital and Hershey Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital.  I spent so much time at both locations and watched too many children suffer through their battles with cancer.   You cannot imagine what cancer does, not only to the kids diagnosed but also to the family and friends as well.  Anyone who has been in that situation knows how important our cause is to those families.  It has been five years since my friend died, but I have never forgotten him or those children.   That’s why I dance,” Dennis said.

With such a passionate team behind Penn State York’s cause, local Thon chair Kapterian is confident the campus can reach its goal of more than $10,000.  “I believe with the committee’s heart and determination as well as the support of Penn State York students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends, we can totally do it.  After all, it's for the kids!”

There’s still time to donate.  Anyone interested in supporting the dancers from Penn State York can send checks made payable to:

Penn State Dance Marathon
c/o York Student Government Association
1031 Edgecomb Ave.
York, PA   17403

Checks sent to the local campus will be credited to the local dancers and
then added to the final total at University Park.

E-Baby, spoken word poet, brings his artistry to Penn State York Thursday, Feb 8 at 7 p.m. E-Baby will paint pictures with words, not a brush, in the Sparky & Clark’s Coffee Bar located on campus in the John T. and Paige S. Smith Atrium connecting the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center and the Lee R. Glatfelter Library. The performance is free and open to the public.

Blending a unique fusion of rap and poetry, Washington, D.C. native E-Baby’s realistic, funny, and caring style of poetry engulfs audiences of all ages, races, and personalities. He will perform poems from his latest CD, My Thoughts Are in This Ink.

E-Baby’s credits boast the 2001 Blackwoodsonline.com Grand Slam Champion; 2005 Capitol Jazz Fest Poetry Slam second place winner; 2002 Poetology.com third place winner; and 2003 Nuydrican Poet’s Café semi-finalist.
Known as a poet that gives complete silence its own sound, E-Baby’s performance is sponsored by Penn State York and the York Newspaper Company as part of the campus’ free cultural and performing artists series. Mark your calendar for these free performances: Friday, Feb 23 at noon for LeCount Holmes as Frederick Douglass: The Man in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center and Thursday, March 29 at 7 p.m. for Harry O’Donoghue, Irish folk singer, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.

New York-based Russian folk dance and musical ensemble Barynya takes to the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. The program is free to the public. No tickets are needed.

This unique group of soloists: musicians, singers and dancers were trained and have performed with the Mooiseev Dance Company, Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company, Ensemble of Black Sea Navy Dancers and Riverdance. Barynya plays traditional Russian instruments such as balalaika, garmoshka, gusli, lozhki, kugikly, domra, bayan, tresshotki and vertushki. Barynya performs in colorful stage costumes: sarafans, rubashkas, sapogis and kosovorotkas. These dynamic performers also will share some Russian folk tales and fairy tales along the way.

This program is part of Penn State York's free cultural and performing artists series sponsored by the campus and The York Newspaper Co. For information on free and ticketed performances at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu online.