PCN Holds Town Hall Meeting on Election 2012 at Carlow University

Televised political debate came to Carlow University for one night this election season when the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) organized a panel discussion to discuss the election and what it means to Pennsylvanians.

“Part of what drives my interest in this election is thinking about how we can engage citizens more directly in the political process, and particularly starting that process as early as possible in citizens’ lives,” says one of the evening’s panelists, Carlow’s Allyson Lowe, PhD, chair of the political science department.

“We need to make sure that we capture not just all votes, but youth votes, women’s votes, and the concerns of all citizens, so that whether we are a central state, swing state, or a state that feels like it is getting a little bit left behind in this really competitive race, that everyone’s votes are counted and heard.”

More than 60 Carlow students, faculty, staff, and a couple of Sisters of Mercy attended the panel discussion that took place on Thursday, October 11, in the St. Agnes Center of Carlow University. PCN’s Larry Kaspar emceed the event, and the panelists, in addition to Lowe, included: John Pippy, former state senator and current CEO of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance; Cyril Wecht, forensic pathologist and former Allegheny County commissioner and coroner; and Rebecca Nuttall, a reporter with the New Pittsburgh Courier.

The turnout for the event was significant because the PCN crew reported that the questions and enthusiasm from the audience here made the Carlow panel discussion the best broadcast of that week. In fact, Carlow’s event outpaced a similar event held in State College, Pa., the night before, when only two people showed up to be in the audience.

View the Town Hall Meeting broadcast here. The Carlow broadcast is at the bottom of the page (right above the photo).

Core Value: Hospitality

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The world may seem large, especially to a high-school student, but for a few students from western Pennsylvania who had the opportunity to tell the story of the One Young World Summit, it suddenly didn’t seem as big.

“When we accomplished the mission of One Young World, it was almost as if the world got smaller; there was a spirit of humanity and a spirit of peace,” says Sophie Belch, a junior at Riverview High School.

Belch was grateful to have the opportunity to be involved with One Young World Youth Reporters, and with the help of Carlow University’s Youth Media Advocacy Project (YMAP), she achieved her goal. The Youth Reporters program enabled up to 40 high school journalists to receive training and then cover the global conference held in Pittsburgh October 18-22.

“The youth reporters functioned most capably alongside professional media, and in many cases, scooped the pros with interviews and unique stories,” says James Kelly, PhD, LSW, of Carlow University, who is one of the co-facilitators of YMAP, along with Jennifer Snyder-Duch, PhD, an associate professor of communication at Carlow University.

YMAP partnered with the World Affairs Council and One Young World to offer a Media Boot Camp at Carlow University in June that equipped high school students from 26 school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania to cover the summit as youth reporters. At a second two-day boot camp in October, supported by The Heinz Endowments and a Spark Award from The Sprout Fund, students learned skills related to storytelling and story development, and how to use various media—including video, audio, photography, blogs, writing, and infographics.

“Our goal was to provide an intensive youth journalism project that engaged high school students in globally focused, fact-based reporting and well-reasoned opinion pieces,” says Snyder-Duch. “The One Young World Summit presented a unique opportunity to immerse local students in global issues and help them hone their journalism skills.”

For the students who received the opportunity to attend the One Young World Summit as youth reporters, it is an experience they will never forget.

“I am touched and honored that I had the opportunity to work with and interview the delegates,” says Belch.

Core Value: Discovery/Quest

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Carlow University Celebrates Global Awareness Days November 6 and 7

Carlow University will recognize, embrace, and celebrate cultural diversity during its annual Global Awareness Days on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and Wednesday, November 7, 2012.

On November 6, starting at 11:45 a.m., there will be an international food tasting in Frances Warde Hall lobby with food from Aladdin’s, Sushi Fuku, Golden Palace Buffet, Ola Appetit, and homemade Irish treats. As the day progresses, there will be other events around campus including a Native American performance by the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, international trivia, and a lecture by Rachel (Ting-Ting) Chung, PhD, assistant professor in the Master of Business Administration program at Carlow University, entitled “Asian: Wired, Weird, or Wonderful?”

The Global Awareness events continue on November 7 with an international luncheon with Umoja African Arts Company at noon in Tiernan Hall Cafeteria; “From Pittsburgh to Rome: Our Study Abroad Journey,” a presentation by Carlow students who have studied abroad; a Brazilian Capoeira martial art dance instruction and performance; and a screening of Madame Brouette at 8 p.m. in the Frances Warde Hall commuter lounge.

For more information about Global Awareness Day, please contact Carlow University’s Center for Global Learning at 412.578.6010 or cgl@carlow.edu.

Core Value: Sacredness of Creation

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Carlow University’s volleyball team (currently 16-11) accepted a bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's (USCAA) National Championship Tournament at SUNY Canton, in Canton, NY, on November 2, 3, and 4, 2012. The Celtics are seeded third in the 10-team tournament.

Carlow finished the regular season home schedule on Tuesday, October 23, with a 3-0 victory over La Roche College when it honored seniors Chelsea Schuetz, an art therapy major from Bethel Park, Pa.; Caitlin McCormick, a nursing major from Connellsville, Pa., and Erica Powell, a biology/perfusion technology major from Aliquippa, Pa.

Carlow traveled October 26-28 to Ohio and Kentucky to finish the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Celtics won three of their four games to bring their conference record to 4-6 and will expect to be the six, seven, or eight seed for the KIAC tournament November 9 and 10 at Cincinnati Christian.

"The wins this weekend mark the first 20-season win for Carlow volleyball since 1998, when the team finished 23-10," says George Sliman, director of athletics. "The girls plan to finish the season strong and carry the momentum into the playoffs in the coming weeks."

Core Value: Leadership

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Sociologist Tammy Anderson to Speak About Rave Culture at Carlow University

Come see what all the “rave" is about. Tammy Anderson, PhD, will be speaking at Carlow University on Thursday, November 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in room 107 of the A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and Technology. She will talk about the research in her book, Rave Culture: The Alteration and Decline of a Philadelphia Music Scene.

“Anderson clearly has a passion for the subject matter and a keen focus on the decline of a rave culture which is to be commended,” says Karenza Moore of Lancaster University. “There is a need for in-depth consideration of post-rave club cultures as embedded in global, national, local, and virtual spaces. The thoroughness of Anderson’s empirical work, and her engagement with the date is useful and gives voice to young (and not so young) people and culture.”

Anderson, associate professor and researcher in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at The University of Delaware, has published two papers on raves and the electronic dance music scene in top sociology journals: The Sociological Quarterly (2008) and Sociology Compass (2007).

Anderson received her PhD in sociology in 1991 from the American University. She worked in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work at Central Michigan University, and later became a post-doctoral research fellow at the Health Research and Policy Centers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“The purpose of the research was to explore the significance of electronica in youth culture today and its connections to collective identity and positive and negative human agency,” says Anderson.

This event is free and open to the public.

Preview Anderson's book on Amazon.com here.

Core Value: Discovery/Quest

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Carlow University soccer was awarded the number one seed in the conference tournament in their first season in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC).

The Celtics completed competition in the KIAC with a 1-0 win over Point Park University Wednesday, October 24, at Founders Field. The victory raised their conference record to 6-0 and made them undefeated in conference play for the season.

Carlow’s win and number one seed secured a first round bye and home field advantage for the second round on Tuesday, November 6, and the championship on November 10, should the Celtics advance.

Carlow at 11-1-1 also accepted a bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's (USCAA) National Championship Tournament being held in Asheville, NC, on November 2, 3, and 4, where they are seeded third in the opening round.

Congratulations to the soccer team’s seniors, Marissa Accamando, a nursing major from Cranberry, Pa.; Lindsay Bacco, a nursing major from North Huntingdon, Pa.; Amanda Cotherman, a nursing major from Irwin, Pa.; and Stephanie Dwinga, a biology/perfusion major from Carnegie, Pa.

Core Values: Leadership

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Mary Burke Named 2012 Darden Fellow by Old Dominion University

Mary Burke, PhD, director of the doctoral program in counseling psychology at Carlow University, has been selected as a 2012 Darden Fellow by Darden College of Education at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Va.

Mary Burke, PhD

The Darden College of Education Fellows program recognizes outstanding alumni. Potential fellows are nominated by their respective academic departments and the Darden College of Education makes the final selections. As part of the program, the awardee will return to their alma mater to share their life experiences and provide inspiration to students and faculty.

“I am honored to receive this award,” says Burke, an alumna of ODU, who earned both her BS and her MS in counseling and human services. She earned her PhD from the APA-accredited Counseling Psychology program at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.

Burke’s primary teaching interests are in theories of counseling, clinical techniques, and the mental wellness of underserved groups. She is also involved in scholarship related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender mental health, social class, and trauma.

Burke’s commitment to social justice and equality is demonstrated in her research, teaching, and activism. In 2004, Burke co-founded the Project to End Human Trafficking (PEHT), where she serves as executive director. PEHT is a non-profit organization that works regionally, nationally, and internationally to raise awareness about the enslavement and economic exploitation of human beings. Burke has also begun anti-trafficking coalitions in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland.

Core Value: Leadership

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New Office of Career Development Aims to Have All Students Placed in Jobs or Graduate School before Graduation

Carlow University students, faculty, and staff can expect to hear much more about career development in the near future as the new Office of Career Development pursues its goal of 100 percent student placement before graduation.

“Our goal is to make sure every student is placed in a job or graduate school by the time they graduate,” says Erin Bridgen, the director of the Office of Career Development. “We are partnering with students, faculty, and staff across campus to make this happen.”

Bridgen and Office of Career Development coordinator, Kate McConnell, have been working since early September establishing the new office, acclimating to the Carlow culture, and developing plans to meet their goal.

Bridgen comes to Carlow from Penn State Greater Allegheny, where she was the assistant director of career services. Prior to that, she worked at the University of Pittsburgh as a career consultant for math, science, and technology majors. She began her career as a human resources manager after completing her MS in Industrial and Labor Relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

“My background in HR allows me to bring an employer perspective to career services,” says Bridgen. “I know what employers expect to find in successful candidates and I’m able to build strong employer relationships to better match students with opportunities that will allow them to achieve their career goals.”

McConnell directed the undergraduate Career and Leadership Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business Administration for 10 years before becoming an employment specialist for the Pittsburgh Board of Education, where her work was focused on helping students with disabilities in high school get into the workforce.

She has a degree in theatre arts from Chatham University; attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London; and has her elementary education teaching certification. She was once employed by the Carnegie Museum of Art in the children’s studio as a storyteller-in-residence.

“I use my diverse past experiences to help students understand the importance of articulating their life stories to future employers,” says McConnell.

The first major initiative for the new office is a four-year career development plan that begins with New Student Orientation and ends with a student accepting a job or seat in graduate school. The plan also includes support for alumni career changers.

During a student’s first year at Carlow, the Office of Career Development will offer programs and activities that will help students discover their interests and passions. In the second year, students will explore careers and fields and, in the third year, they will discover what jobs are available. The fourth year is focused on obtaining a job.

“The plan sets students up for success by graduation,” says Bridgen. “Starting the very first day, we will help students begin exploring what they want to do and how to get there.”

Some of the programs the Office of Career Development plans to offer include:

• Industry/career-specific programs and networking opportunities (for example, social/human services careers);
• On-campus recruiting—bringing employers to campus to recruit Carlow students;
• Site visits and job shadowing;
• Workshops on résume writing, job search preparation, interviewing, etc.;
• Classroom presentations and collaborations with faculty; and
• Inviting alumni back to campus for career discussions and networking with current students.

A second major initiative of the new office is the centralization of student internship programs. Internships are currently coordinated through faculty, and Bridgen and McConnell plan to work closely with them to develop a systematic process to ensure students are adequately prepared for internships, jobs, or graduate school. “We’re encouraging each student to do at least three internships,” says Bridgen. “Research shows that three internships are necessary for obtaining the experience employers need and leads to a larger network with valuable connections.”

The third and largest initiative for the new office is to infuse career development into the Carlow culture. “Everyone needs to know about our plans,” says McConnell. “It will take everyone in the University community to support student success—resident assistants, staff, and faculty all play especially large roles.”

Bridgen and McConnell are available for career counseling. Students will soon be able to make appointments online via the CareerAssist database. Additionally, the Office of Career Development page on MyPortal will be home to many career resources for students—software, links to websites, documents, etc.

Students still need to take responsibility for career development, say Bridgen and McConnell. They teach students to say, "That's the job I want and the Office of Career Development will help me get there.’”

Core Value: Student Progress

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For upcoming campus events, please visit MyPortal.

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