Elizabethtown College CampusNewsExtra News 
Back to top 4/5/2009 Elizabethtown College Recognized for Service Elizabethtown College recently was honored for its focus on service with two national recognitions. For the third consecutive year, the College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. In addition, Elizabethtown was included in the 2008 edition of “Beyond the Books, Colleges and Universities Service-Learning” publication. According to Elizabethtown College President Theodore E. Long, these recent honors Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.
In addition, Elizabethtown has been chosen as an AmeriCorps campus and currently has five AmeriCorps Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania participating in service projects. The College’s faculty and staff are very supportive of service to the community and work alongside their students. Stephen Goldsmith, vice chairman of the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service that oversees the Honor Roll, notes that the service efforts of American colleges are even more imperative now. “In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever. College students represent an enormous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of our toughest challenges,” Goldsmith says. “We salute Elizabethtown College for making community service a campus priority, and thank the millions of college students who are helping to renew America through service to others.” The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is presented during the annual conference of the American Council on Education. Back to top 4/5/2009 Scholarship Day Featured Keynote Address by Dr. Paul Farmer Dr. Paul Farmer, recognized humanitarian and a founding director of Partners in Health, was the keynote speaker for Scholarship and Creative Arts Day 2009 at Elizabethtown College. Highlighting Elizabethtown’s annual celebration of student scholarship, Dr. Farmer will offer an address, titled "Rethinking Health and Human Rights."
Author or co-author of more than 100 scholarly publications, Dr. Farmer has written extensively about health and human rights and about the role of social inequalities in determining the distribution and outcomes of infectious diseases. He is the recipient of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the Salk Institute Medal for Health and Humanity, the Duke University Humanitarian Award, the Margaret Mead Award from the American Anthropological Association, the American Medical Association’s Outstanding International Physician (Nathan Davis) Award, the Heinz Humanitarian Award, and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 1993, he was awarded a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation “genius award” in recognition of his work. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1982 from Duke University and his medical degree and doctorate in anthropology simultaneously in 1990 from Harvard University. Back to top 4/5/2009 OSA Launches a Student Activities Research Campaign Elizabethtown College is constantly changing. Seniors prepare for graduation day, new students are accepted, and new programs and activities spring up on campus. Recently, one College organization started some change of its own by asking the campus community’s advice in identifying potential areas of improvement for its programming. And tonight, April 6 at 9 p.m., Elizabethtown students will have an opportunity to participate in this change at a Town Hall meeting being held in the Event Space. Highlighted with the creative tagline “Wii Want Your Input,” a research effort sponsored by the Office of Student Activities (OSA) was launched campus wide at the As part of this effort, 16 focus group discussions were conducted with students in the College’s residence halls during February. The focus groups – which involved more than 60 students – were prompted with questions about their thoughts and feelings about the scope of student programming and the roles of both OSA and S.W.E.E.T. According to Kupchella, preliminary research findings have shown two reoccurring themes. “There is a willingness among students to pay for more off-campus trips,” she says. “Students also would like to see the return of a concert.” As a reward for attending the focus group, students who participated were given the chance to win a Wii gaming system or $250 cash. Dana Simmons ’09 was the lucky winner. As previously mentioned, the second of two Town Hall meetings will be held tonight to give campus community members a chance to voice their thoughts and concerns in an open forum setting. Participants can register to win a Wii system or the choice of $250. The committee also is gathering data through a student survey, which was launched via e-mail on March 30. The survey delves into more detailed questions about students’ expectations and perceptions of OSA and S.W.E.E.T. All students who complete the survey will be eligible for a $50 gift card. The deadline for participation is April 28. In addition, the research committee is almost finished conducting individual interviews with senior staff and interested stakeholders. Finally, a comment box is available outside of the OSA Office for students to express opinions they may be apprehensive to express in an open forum. Insights from the research are expected to be released to the community either later this year or early next fall. If you have questions about this project, please contact Toni M. Kupchella at kupchellat@etown.edu. by Rachel Rohland ’09 Back to top 2/23/2009 Blue Jays Send Used, but Useful Gear to Zambia On Thursday, Feb. 19, several boxes of lightly used Blue Jay athletic equipment and apparel were delivered to Rockville, Md., on the first leg of a long journey to Zambia, Africa. The equipment, while outdated and not able to be used by the College’s Athletics Department, will continue to be of service to families in need overseas through the missionary work of former Blue Jay volleyball player Tracy Lloyd Murray ’82 and her family. The effort began in September 2008 when Murray contacted Volleyball Head Coach Through International Partnership Ministries, Inc., the Murray family works with children and families across Zambia with the goal of promoting healthy living and education. The athletic gear is used primarily for relationship building. For more information on the organization, please visit www.ipmworld.org. To help with the Blue Jays next shipment of gear, please e-mail Coach Kreider directly at kreiderr@etown.edu. Back to top 2/22/2009 SIFE’s Scouting University Offers More than Merit Badges Interesting parallels and serendipitous connections mark the partnership between Jordan Ridge and Samantha Sibley, co-leaders of this year’s SIFE Scouting University. The sophomore international business majors – along with the rest of the organization’s members and a remarkable number of volunteers – coordinated the largest scouting event in SIFE’s history on Jan. 31. The day-long conference not only offered the 525 youthful participants an opportunity to earn a couple of merit badges, it also gave many of them an important first glimpse into college life. The connections between Ridge and Sibley began even before they applied to Before deciding on Elizabethtown, the two sophomores enjoyed separate meetings with Jill Hugus ’08. Hugus was Sibley’s tour guide; Ridge stayed with Hugus on an overnight. Through their contact with the Class of 2008 alumna, the young women learned about Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and the organization’s motto, “A mind for business, a heart for the world.” Ridge was so impressed she got involved with SIFE even before graduating from high school. Sibley participated in a similar organization in high school, and tucked the knowledge of the organization in the back of her mind. During Sibley’s first year at the College, she was reminded of the organization by a hall mate, who just happened to be Ridge. The pair’s friendship and involvement in SIFE has grown ever since. Now in its sixth year, Scouting University provides an opportunity for Boy and Girl Scouts to earn two merit badges – with more than 70 to choose from – in a single day. This year, about 50 faculty, staff, students and community members taught sessions for a record-size group of Scouts from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. According to Ridge, the benefit of this program is much more than just a couple of merit badges. “We promoted not only involvement in scouting, but also in higher education,” she says, pointing to statistics that show that teenagers who spend time on college campuses are more likely to consider furthering their education beyond high school. Enrollment at this year’s event was up 40 percent from last year. The co-leaders attribute this success to eight months of extensive planning and the assistance they received from others. Ridge shares, “We tried to think of everything that could go wrong and plan for it, so we were prepared. We also consulted those who came before us.” Some of their predecessors served on SIFE’s Executive Board. Of the group, Sibley says, “Our Executive Board was one of the most experienced SIFE’s ever had.” The Executive Board includes former scouts and seniors Alaina DeToma and Jon Lewis, who served as Head Girl and Boy Scout Counselor. SIFE President Matt Miller ’09 and Director of Marketing Steve Vernaci ’09 created Scouting University’s inaugural online registration. First-year SIFE member Matt Matyas served while he learned, preparing to lead this effort as all other SIFE members previously involved will either be studying abroad or have graduated next year. by Audra Farren '09 About the photograph: Shown above are the Scouting University coordinators from the past six years, including (front row, l – r) Jordan Ridge ’11, Samantha Sibley ’11, Amy Smith ’10, (back row, l – r) Jonathan Schultz ’06, Jonathan Lewis ’09 and Benjamin Osterhout ’05. Osterhout ’05 is a member of SIFE’s Business Advisory Board and helped create and coordinate Scouting University in its inaugural year in 2004. Back to top 2/22/2009 Students Lend A Hand to Hurricane Victims While many Elizabethtown students spent the final week of winter break enjoying friends and packing to head back to school, one group of Elizabethtown students dedicated the time to helping others rebuild their lives. In partnership with the disaster response missions organization Lend A Hand, a group of 34 students, staff and local community members – shown in the photograph below – traveled to Texas to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Rita, which caused $11.3 billion in damage on the Gulf Coast in September 2005. According to Director of Civic Engagement Nancy Valkenburg ’71, the Elizabethtown group quickly made an emotional connection with those they’d be helping in Port Arthur, Texas. The homeowners shared courageous stories of their experiences with Hurricanes Rita, Wilma and Ike. “From our very first day, we considered ourselves blessed not to have gone through such frightening experiences, and we were even more inspired by all who had to go through so much,” says Valkenburg. Junior Matt Torresani says the group not only learned a variety of skills in manual First-year student Heather Slifko got a chance to work on her Spanish skills with one of the homeowners the group assisted. “She spoke only broken English, but she was always glad to carry on conversation about her family, her faith and her experiences,” Slifko reflects. “What stands out most from my talks with Mrs. Perez was her sincere and overflowing gratitude for our help. One gesture that can be understood in every language is a hug, and Mrs. Perez always had enough to go around.” Leaving behind them a new roof, kitchen and other improvements, the group certainly made a positive impact on the Port Arthur community. More importantly, though, than the home improvements, Valkenburg believes that the goodwill they shared will make a lasting impression on those they helped. “The students of Elizabethtown College provided fellow volunteers and our new lifelong friends in Texas an insight into the quality of our youth today and a new hope for the future.”
Stephanie Carroll ’11 Ginger Fleegal ’09 Jessica Hargest ’09, along with her sister, Lisa Hargest Amy Haun ’11 Valarie Hetzler ’12 Ryan Kasyan ’09 Lorin Mellinger ’12 Stephanie Patterson ’11 Alexandria Reardon ’11 Logan Reis ’11 Heather Slifko ’12 Matthew Torresani ’10 Michael White ’11
Sharon Sherick, along with her daughter, Morganrae Sherick Nancy Valkenburg ’71
Nathan Blass, a student from Shippensburg University Back to top 2/22/2009 SMILEs Abound at Children’s Math and Science Event Learning math and science concepts can be challenging work for children. But thanks to the efforts of Elizabethtown College’s science and mathematics education students and faculty, more than 100 local children learned with a SMILE at the inaugural Science and Math Institute for Learning in E-town held Saturday, February 7. The event—a first-time collaboration between the math and science education disciplines at Elizabethtown—sparked the children’s interest in the subjects and provided a great experiential-learning opportunity for Elizabethtown’s education majors. During SMILE, kindergarten through fifth-grade students from the Elizabethtown The children were guided from one concept to the next by their “Adventures in Science and Math Passports,” which were stamped as they completed their work at each station. And at the close of the day, the children were given CDs with instructions for the science experiments and math tangram puzzles so parents can help replicate the activities at home, using common household materials. Senior math education major Amy Huttenstine (shown above), one of the math activity leaders of SMILE, said the event had a “fun and exciting atmosphere” and the children really enjoyed the “hands-on approach.” “I thought that [it] went very well, and I hope that it continues after I graduate,” says Huttenstine of the program. The soon-to-be teachers running the stations learned just as much as the students, notes senior elementary and special education major Crystal Illigasch (shown left below with Valerie Miebach '09), who is co-president of the College’s chapter of the National Science Teachers Association. “All who participated took away valuable lessons and strategies to further enhance their professional development as teachers.” Illigasch reflects. NSTA Co-President Jen Ketchen, also an elementary and special education major, states, “It was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with the Elizabethtown School District and provide students with experiences in science and math education.”
More than preparing our students for their future career, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Math Club Advisor Debbie Gochenaur feels that the SMILE program is valuable opportunity for the College’s students to practice living out the school’s Educate for Service motto. “This sort of volunteerism is a great chance for students to make connections outside of their majors and to recognize that this sort of service goes beyond your job,” she says. This first collaboration of the mathematical sciences education and science education disciplines at Elizabethtown combines separate programs conducted by the disciplines. Previously, the National Science Teachers Association hosted the Super Science Saturday, and the math education hosted Family Math Nights. Gochenaur said that the school district and parents are already excited for next year’s event. by Nate Derr ’11 Back to top 2/22/2009 Chemistry Majors Honored for Excellence Elizabethtown College’s Rho Eta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the National Honor Society in Chemistry, inducted Nick Wetzel ’10 (shown left, below) and Rob Panish ’10 (shown right, below) in January 2009. To be considered for membership in Gamma Sigma Epsilon, Elizabethtown College In addition to his academic pursuits, Wetzel is a peer mentor trainer, president of the Outdoors Club, and chemistry tutor. Of this honor, he says, “The induction is a reinforcement of the hard work I have been putting in on the path to my future.” Wetzel hopes to teach chemistry at the high school or college level after graduation. Panish also is gratified by this honor. “It represents an acknowledgement of all the hard work and effort I’ve put into the field of chemistry,” he says. In his free time, Panish enjoys weight lifting and is currently preparing for his first bodybuilding competition next fall. Upon graduation, he will use his chemistry degree to enter the pharmaceutical field or graduate school. The Rho Eta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Epsilon was installed on April 6, 2006. In its four academic years of existence, there have been 12 members inducted. More information about this national honorary is available at this website. by Jacob Keeler ’09 Back to top 1/6/2009 A Tree for the Season A Tree for the Season Reminding all of the meaning of the holiday season, a Christmas tree laden with donated soup and stockings stood majestically at the center of the Marketplace through the close of the fall semester. The brainchild of Elizabethtown’s Dining Services organization, the Giving Tree effort In mid-December, the tree’s metallic branches were dismantled in partnership with John and Eileen Hatchner Smith, both alumni of the Class of ’74, and their company, John Smith Real Estate Group. Just in time to brighten the holidays of those in need, the bountiful harvest was divided between Water Street Rescue Mission in Lancaster, Pa.; the Elizabethtown Food Bank in Elizabethtown, Pa.; and the Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg, Pa. About the Photograph: (Shown l – r) Catering Manager Kathy Christopher, Residential Dining Chef and Production Manager Charles Downs, and Dining Services staff member Aaron Shaiebly take a moment from their holiday festivities to pose by the Giving Tree. Tidings for those in need adorned the tree until being donated to local food banks and rescue missions. |
are a sign of the College’s continuing commitment to service. “Elizabethtown’s mission is centered on delivering an education for service in the largest sense, and these recognitions confirm once more that this campus is actively engaged in building a better community around us,” says Long. “We are honored to be recognized in this way.”
According to Director of Civic Engagement Nancy Fritz Valkenburg ’71, these honors are recognition that the College is living its “Educate for Services” motto. “Every year, our programs strengthen and expand to include more service to those in need locally, nationally and internationally. The College participates in both large immersion events, such as ‘Into the Streets’ and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, as well as on a daily basis with community service work study, academic placements and volunteering in area schools and with nonprofit agencies,” she says. “Elizabethtown students tutor and mentor children and adults regionally from Lancaster to Harrisburg. Many students also participate in alternative fall and spring breaks. Recent projects include helping to rebuild homes damaged by hurricanes and floods in Mississippi and Texas, trips to Indian reservations in New Mexico to make repairs to the homes of elderly and disabled residents, and service-learning trips with faculty to Mexico, Ireland, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Africa.”
Dr. Farmer (shown right with a young patient), a medical anthropologist and physician, is the Maude and Lillian Presley Professor of Social Medicine in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and associate chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. In his position as Partners in Health director, he provides direct health care services and undertakes research and advocacy activities on behalf of those who are sick and living in poverty. His work draws primarily on active clinical practice and focuses on diseases that disproportionately afflict the poor. Dr. Farmer has pioneered novel, community-based treatment strategies for diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis. 
beginning of the semester to get to the heart of the College community’s perception of both OSA and the student-run entertainment group, Students Working to Entertain E-town (S.W.E.E.T.). The effort is being conducted by Director of Student Activities Toni Kupchella and a committee of students comprised of S.W.E.E.T. members Samantha Schneider ’10, Annette Sestito ’10, Greg Shedlock ’12 and Krysta O’Connor ’12; OSA student assistants Heather Rhoads ’11, Amanda Markowicz ’10, 
Mike White ’11 and Julie Modge ’11; and publicity chair Carmen Fusco ’09. The semester-long project – which will collect data regarding the scope of programming for both OSA and S.W.E.E.T. – has the goal of providing insights into the College community’s needs regarding student activities at Elizabethtown. Through a variety of channels, students, faculty, staff and administration will be able to voice their opinions and needs for this important part of campus life.
Randall Kreider to request athletic equipment for her missionary work through International Partnership Ministries, Inc. Over the next several weeks, the Blue Jay volleyball team collected, organized, washed, and packed used gear. Other Blue Jay teams also joined the effort by contributing items such as old baseball hats, tennis balls, shorts, T-shirts, and more. According to Coach Kreider, the prize item might be an older, but unused, tennis net that was generously provided by Tennis Head Coach Matt Helsel – an item specifically requested by Murray. “I’m looking forward to seeing a picture of a Zambian child dressed in a Blue Jay volleyball jersey, wearing an E-town baseball hat, hitting one of our tennis balls over Coach Helsel’s tennis net,” says Coach Kreider.
Elizabethtown College. Early in Ridge’s college search, Elizabethtown’s Educate for Service motto caught her attention. She made her final decision to choose E-town because of our International Business (IB) Program. On the other hand, Samantha initially was interested in the College for the IB Program, but her mind was made up because of our service focus.
labor – such as demolition, carpentry and roofing – but they also had the opportunity to learn about themselves. “We seldom take time to think about the roof over our heads, but the little old lady in Port Arthur, Texas, will never forget the people who fixed the roof that had plagued her home for years,” says Torresani. “This trip gave me a new perspective on being thankful for all that the things I have.”
School District learned the basics of math and science as they participated in fun-focused activities, such as tossing a bean bag, rolling dice, Sink and Float, and making “Oobleck.” Seemingly just an enjoyable way to pass the time, each of these activities fostered learning of fundamental science and math concepts, such as reasoning, observation, inquiry, estimation, measurement, geometry and patterns/algebra. 
For Dr. Marla Jones—site director and mobile educator of the College’s Science in Motion program, and advisor of the College’s chapter of the National Science Teachers Association—the experience of watching her students put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom was very rewarding. “It’s really wonderful to watch our students as they see the children ‘get it,’” Jones says. “The children’s parents are always very impressed with the professionalism of our students and their thought-provoking questions.” 
chemistry or biochemistry majors must demonstrate outstanding scholarship, exceptional leadership, and a strong commitment to the field. Candidates must be elected by the organization’s membership, have completed chemistry or biochemistry major courses through sophomore year, have a minimum grade point average in chemistry or biochemistry major courses of 3.3, and present a letter of recommendation from a chemistry or biochemistry faculty member. 
sought donations of just $1 from campus community members to sponsor a stocking or soup can. In a few short weeks, campus contributions—supplemented with a donation of four cases of soup received directly from Campbell Soup Company—decorated the tree with more than 400 cans of soup and 400 stockings filled with coloring books, crayons and stuffed animals. According to Catering Manager Kathy Christopher, the project of creating the holiday tribute was a job fitting for a team of Santa’s elves. “Our volunteers worked more than eight hours assembling the tree, attaching the ornaments—each with a message of holiday cheer from the donor—and then blanketing the frame with 300 feet of paper chain,” says Christopher.Back to News Index
