![Vega acknowledged
that trying to work out what
kind of added component
honors students work with
best has been a challenge.
Some of the honors students
are not science majors and
may lack some needed
background knowledge, said
Vega.
For those who may end
up taking Vegas class, it is
important to note that it is
certainly unique from other
honors courses and other low-
level science courses offered
at the Science and Technology
Center in general.
The nature of the
science [meteorology] is a bit
different from most other
science courses given the fact
that it is entirely iterative. Of
all the different earth science
courses I teach, meteorology
is the only one that continually
builds itself from day one until
the end of the semester. If
concepts are not mastered
early in the course, then later
topics will not be completely
understood, Vega said.
I continually try to
adapt in an attempt to hone in
on the best way to garner
student understanding. It is,
and forever will be, a work in
progress.
SHA Update
By Megan Beary
With October quickly
approaching, the Student
Honors Association has some
big plans for Clarion
University and the Clarion
community!
Planning for our
annual event, Haunted Dorms,
is now underway. You can
come experience all of the
scares and terrors on Oct. 29
from 8:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. in
Ballentine Hall. Trust us
when we say that this event
will be bigger and better than
ever! Keep an eye out for
more information coming
soon. We hope to see you all
there, and be sure to invite
your friends!
Have you ever
wondered what the Student
Honors Association is and
what we do? We are an
Honors Program affiliated
club, but you do not have to be
in the Honors Program to join!
Feel free to meet us anytime
during the semester. Our next
meeting will be held on Oct. 8
in 166 Ralston Hall. We
would love to meet you!
Become a member of
SHA on Facebook and then
join us in the real world!
https://www.facebook.com/gr
oups/ClarionSHA/
You can like SHA on
Facebook as well!
https://www.facebook.com/Cl
arion-University-Student-
Honors-Association-
248467378540159/timeline/
We have biweekly
meetings and do some
awesome stuff here on
campus and in the
community.
You can also like our
Honors Program on
Facebook too!
https://www.facebook.com/cla
rionhonors?fref=ts](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/chcfall20151-150930155847-lva1-app6892/85/Clarion-Honors-Chronicle-9-30-2015-6-320.jpg)
More Related Content
Similar to Clarion Honors Chronicle (9/30/2015) (20)
Recently uploaded (20)
Clarion Honors Chronicle (9/30/2015)
- 1. Honors Program changes usher in new office, freshmen, workers By Kaitlyn Mulligan It is no secret that things have changed on campus this year. Over the summer, many of Clarions services and offices relocated into the new and improved Becht Hall. The Honors Program is no exception. Set on the third floor directly across from the elevator, the new honors office in Becht 315 is now more strategically placed on campus to inform prospective students about what honors can offer them. The hope is that smoother visits and a more central headquarters will result in more involvement and better communication throughout the program. The new office is already becoming useful. Honors Student Director Eric Zavinski said, This will certainly help our Honors Program, and this year The Clarion Honors Chronicle Courtesy of the Clarion University Honors Program 9/30/2015 Edition II, Volume I Editors Word For all of you who are new to the program or who werent here in the spring semester, welcome to The Clarion Honors Chronicle: the Clarion University Honors Programs official monthly newsletter. As you read on, you will see our typical lineup of content which will always include a top story informing you about the honors program on the local, regional or national level on page 1. Then, my writers and you, the reader, dive into our spotlight features. We make sure to consistently touch base on the parts to our whole program that make us great. This means that (Continued on p. 7)
- 2. weve had one of our biggest freshman classes ever with 60- plus new students. One of the biggest benefits from the move is that the new office is keeping the program more organized than ever. The Becht office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It deals with Honors courses, scheduling, advising and all things paperwork. Program Director Dr. Rod Raehsler and Program Manager Megan Laird have office hours in Becht every week. If it so happens that they are not around, a student worker will be available to answer all questions or forward any concerns. When the program found out about the move last year, many were hesitant to get on board because originally it was thought that the Ralston space would be lost. Fortunately, Room B3 in Ralston is still part of the program as the new student lounge. Students are welcome to come and hang out in the lounge or use the computer lab. Printing is also still available. Student workers like Student Director Zavinski, Recruitment Coordinator Kate Hammond, Graduate Assistant Natalie Bond and Social Media Coordinator Andrew Skubisz have their office space in Ralston. Where Becht handles more official issues, Ralston continues to be a relaxing, helpful place for students. Its like we ended up getting the best of both locations, said Zavinski. Printing was a huge concern involved in this move. With two locations and a high printing bill from previous years, it was important to keep printing around but also to make sure that the program was being smart about it financially. Like last year, printing is still free, but the rules have changed a bit. In Ralston, students must bring their own paper, and they can print in black-and- white without a problem. To print in color, documents must be sent to Laird in Becht Hall. They must be approved, and then she can print the documents remotely from the Becht office. Laird does not have office hours on Tuesdays or Thursdays, so students that need color printing must plan ahead if they want it free from honors. In addition to new printing rules and a brand new office, student workers have changed since the spring. As stated previously, Eric Zavinski is the new honors student director. Kate Hammond now has the position of recruitment coordinator. Andrew Skubisz is the official social media guru of the Honors Program. A familiar face to the program, previous recruitment coordinator for the past three and a half years Natalie Bond has come back after graduating as the new graduate assistant for the program. They have office hours in the B3 Ralston student lounge. New and exciting things are happening for the improved Honors Program. Though the move was a scary idea at first, it is leading to a more organized and efficient program. New leaders and a huge freshman class are bringing new life to Clarions honors. It is the hope that these changes will be beneficial for years to come.
- 3. A Trip across the Pond - Student Spotlight By Marissa Dechant Over a year ago, on September 13, 2014, I left the Pittsburgh International Airport for a semester abroad in Sunderland, England. I had no way of knowing that less than a year later, I would be driving from my home in Franklin, Pennsylvania to Niagara Falls, Ontario to meet up with my former roommate and Canadian friend, Madison Pascal. Study abroad can play a significant role in a student's life. It is a time for learning, travelling and forging friendships across borders and oceans. These relationships are important to sustain because these people are fellow global citizens, these people have shared the late nights out and early morning day trips to neighboring cities, and these people are built-in travel companions. I drove up to Niagara on July 31 for a weekend of cruising the falls, wine-tasting and sauntering through the city's downtown area. I had not seen Madison since leaving England last December, and when I pulled into the hotel parking lot, she and her boyfriend Kelsey were sitting outside waiting for me. Seeing Madison again was surreal, but we picked up right where we left off--the same jokes, the same stories, the same sense of spontaneity- -it was as if we were back wandering along the European cobblestone. While our friendship had remained the same, there was no denying the change of setting. There is a certain sadness that lies under reuniting with someone you have lived and traveled with for three transformative months of your life. There are so many memories and adventures you will forever share, but it will never be the same after getting on the flight back home. Madison and I will share our day trips to Durham and Edinburgh, walking Madison Pascal (left )and Marissa Dechant (right ) recent ly got t he chance t o reunit e.
- 4. Sunderland's empty streets after a night of dancing and making vegetable stir fry and lobster nachos in flat 19. We will always have riding bikes and eating Dutch pancakes in Amsterdam, perusing London's National Gallery and climbing the myriad stairs for a late evening view of Prague Castle. I experienced more culture during my semester abroad than I have throughout the rest of my life in the United States, and having friends who hold those same memories bonds us for life. I do not know if I will ever see some of my more foreign study abroad friends again. As for Madison and I, we have gone from two floors in a flat separating us to 1,600 miles and a country border. We plan on maintaining our love of travel and adventure by visiting each other when we can. Study abroad is life- changing, whether for the better or the worse. From my foreign friends to newfound wanderlust, it has been all for the better for me.
- 5. Course Feature By Lauren Corvino As part of the Honors Program at Clarion University, students are required to complete a selected science or math class. This fall semester, that class is HON 230 Special Topics: Meteorology with Dr. Vega. Vega has been with Clarion University for years and has more recently taught its students in special honors science classes. The HON 230 class this semester, Meteorology, centers on the dynamics of the atmosphere. It investigates the processes involved in the creation and change of weather. It examines the composition and structure of the atmosphere, energy and energy transfers, seasonality, general circulation, clouds and cloud formation, precipitation and various types of storms, Vega summarized. He goes on to say that students of the class should gain an understanding of how the atmosphere changes from daily to seasonal to annual to longer time scales. Such knowledge is integral toward understanding the basic tenets of the planet, which is necessary to preserve and adapt to changing planetary conditions. The more knowledge one has, the better the decision-making process The ramifications could be a better understanding of the local forecast, or it could be an understanding of natural and anthropogenic changes to the planetary system. Even voting choices could, and should, be impacted by a factual knowledge base, said Vega regarding the benefits of his course. With global warming such a hot topic in politics and the media over the past few decades, as well as with elections coming up in about a month, Vega is certainly adamant that students should be well-informed to make the best decisions. Some often wonder how different teachers styles and curriculums must be to cater to a widened audience of honors students rather than those interested in just science for example. Vega affirms that there is actually very little that changes in his teaching methods. Id say it changes very little relative to the particular course taught. For honors, I typically try to bring in an added component to deepen knowledge beyond what the average student gains in the same type of course. The students are of a higher level than average, so I feel they can handle a bit more information. I want to challenge all students. Dr. Ant hony J. Vega Professor, Biology and Geosciences
- 6. Vega acknowledged that trying to work out what kind of added component honors students work with best has been a challenge. Some of the honors students are not science majors and may lack some needed background knowledge, said Vega. For those who may end up taking Vegas class, it is important to note that it is certainly unique from other honors courses and other low- level science courses offered at the Science and Technology Center in general. The nature of the science [meteorology] is a bit different from most other science courses given the fact that it is entirely iterative. Of all the different earth science courses I teach, meteorology is the only one that continually builds itself from day one until the end of the semester. If concepts are not mastered early in the course, then later topics will not be completely understood, Vega said. I continually try to adapt in an attempt to hone in on the best way to garner student understanding. It is, and forever will be, a work in progress. SHA Update By Megan Beary With October quickly approaching, the Student Honors Association has some big plans for Clarion University and the Clarion community! Planning for our annual event, Haunted Dorms, is now underway. You can come experience all of the scares and terrors on Oct. 29 from 8:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. in Ballentine Hall. Trust us when we say that this event will be bigger and better than ever! Keep an eye out for more information coming soon. We hope to see you all there, and be sure to invite your friends! Have you ever wondered what the Student Honors Association is and what we do? We are an Honors Program affiliated club, but you do not have to be in the Honors Program to join! Feel free to meet us anytime during the semester. Our next meeting will be held on Oct. 8 in 166 Ralston Hall. We would love to meet you! Become a member of SHA on Facebook and then join us in the real world! https://www.facebook.com/gr oups/ClarionSHA/ You can like SHA on Facebook as well! https://www.facebook.com/Cl arion-University-Student- Honors-Association- 248467378540159/timeline/ We have biweekly meetings and do some awesome stuff here on campus and in the community. You can also like our Honors Program on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/cla rionhonors?fref=ts
- 7. Under Eagles Wings By Jacob Beckey It is the start of something new here at the Clarion University Honors Program with new lives to be lived and new identities to be forged. It is an exciting, yet inherently overwhelming time. It is the beginning of the school year, and freshman are being deluged with the countless unfamiliar experiences associated with college and want nothing more than to feel in control of their lives once again. Luckily, incoming honors students have an immensely useful resource to help them regain control of their lives: the mentorship program. The mentors have been through it before, and they have helpful information, insight and advice to offer to the newcomers. Eager to learn more about their mentees and to encourage effective communication between all honors students, the mentors organized a gathering at the Reinhard Villages Pool Area on Sunday, Aug. 30. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor event, and a fair majority of students took advantage of the opportunity to socialize with their mentors and friends. In addition to an array of snacks and beverages, there were also the staples of every good party: corn hole and ladder golf. The event lasted for roughly two hours and everyone genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves in what was the first of many mentor- mentee events to come. The picnic reminded me that there are few things in life as fulfilling and rewarding as being an active member of an intellectual community. The honors program creates an opportunity for its members to engage with individuals that have similar interests and ambitions. By holding social events, the program creates a sense of camaraderie between its members. It is being a part of a group, a collective dedicated to the success of its members, which serves to greatly alleviate the stress associated with college. And as the year goes on, members can look forward to many more mentor-mentee events that will do just that. (Editors Word continued) ...we always highlight at least one exemplary student every month. They are, of course, what honors exists for and what makes us unique! We then strive to write about a new class offered only within our program in every issue. This will give new students something to look forward to and older students something to look back on or learn about since honors courses frequently change. The Chronicle also provides updates regarding the Honors Programs mentorship activities and Student Honors Associations events, both of which you should look into in the near future. If youve read this far, I thank you for supporting the Honors Program of Clarion University! Please share this newsletter and upcoming
- 8. volumes published at the end of every month during the fall and spring with your students, teachers, friends, peers and alumni. The staff here wish to continue being your best place for news and features regarding the best of what Clarion has to offer. - Eric Zavinski Import ant Informat ion From your Editor-in-Chief: Eric Zavinski If you would like to write for The Clarion Honors Chronicle, please contact me at (814)688-2468 or E.A.Zavinski@eagle.clarion.edu. Reminder: Seniors, make sure to check your eagle mail and CU connect for more information as to your upcoming senior presentations. You can contact the Honors Office at (814) 393-2585or at honorsprog@clarion.edu. We are located at 315 BechtHall, and our student lounge is in the basementof Ralston Hall in Room B83. A student worker will be in the main office to greet you at all times between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Email Natalie Bond at N.A.Bond@eagle.clarion.edu for the hours of the lounges operation if you need it. A glance back in t ime at t he spring 2015 senior present ations. Many seniors delivered t heir research wit h passion on t hat April evening.