What role do women have in sports journalism? First year Schreyer scholar Haleigh Swansen is working alongside Dr. Hans Schmidt at Penn State Brandywine to determine how much has changed about this topic in the past 30 years. She also just took first place – and won $150 – in a contest run by the Schreyer Honors College asking students to submit short videos describing their current research! You can watch her video here. Great job, Haleigh!

http://youtu.be/4OQJTt_fFxU

Happy Thanksgiving, Penn Staters! While we’re all gathered around the table, surrounded by our loved ones, and making plans for “Black Friday,” honors scholars Lauren Lomas, Naaila Malik and Damien Melendez have spent the week studying abroad in beautiful Barcelona. ¡Qué interesante! We can’t wait to hear the stories they come back with!

On Wednesday, December 11, honors scholars enrolled in 301H will host a public debate during common hour (12:30 – 1:30pm) in 113 Main. The debate relates to the current theme of the Honors Program, which is sustainability. GMO (genetically modified organism) foods are quite controversial, and we have all heard much about them, but are they helpful or harmful with respect to sustainability? This is precisely the topic at hand.

The first team of scholars will argue that GMOs are more viable than non-genetically modified organisms because they play an important role in increasing sustainability, provide additional health benefits, and have positive environmental impacts.

The second team of scholars will argue that GMOs are not required for food sustainability. GMOs are not a necessary evil; they have some negative attributes which outweigh the benefits for food sustainability.

What do you think? Stop by, and you may learn something that changes your mind!

On Monday, September 23, all honors scholars had the unique privilege of being invited to spend an evening with the chancellor of Penn State Brandywine. The gathering was hosted by Dr. Myra Goldschmidt at her home in Media, PA.

This event was an excellent opportunity for students to network with alumni and faculty in an informal setting. There was much good food and good company to be had. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle, eat, drink and be merry!

Any current honors scholars, alumni or faculty who were invited but could not attend this gathering are always encouraged take advantage of other opportunities in the future.

To start the fall semester at Penn State Brandywine, a group of more than 30 honors scholars enrolled in STS 130H volunteered their time to help local food charity, Philabundance. These students will be spending the next few months studying world food problems, and the first-hand experience packing over 12,000 lbs. has already left an impact on them. Many students made remarks about how wonderfully meaningful the experience was.

Philabundance was founded in 1984, with the simple belief that no man, woman or child should go hungry. Since then, it has seen massive growth due to an outpouring of support from the community. It is the primary hunger relief effort in the area, focusing on the greater Delaware Valley.

According to the 2010 Hunger in America Study, the Delaware Valley is one of the hardest hit areas in the nation:

• About 27% percent of Philadelphians live below the poverty line.
• Local agencies have seen a 26% increase in need over the past year compared to a 22% increase from the year before.
• One in every three children live in poverty.
• Each year, more than 900,000 individuals are at risk of food insecurity in the Delaware Valley.

Thanks to the honors scholars for generously donating their valuable time to such a worthy cause!

This Thursday, August 16, honors scholar Sarah DeMartino will be leading a discussion about Fair Trade chocolate, and the campus community is invited to come and enjoy s’mores while learning about the chocolate industry. Sarah is one of Penn State Brandywine’s Fair Trade TrailBlazers, a group of concerned students, faculty, and alumni who recently helped our campus earn Fair Trade University status. For more information about this Thursday’s event, read Sarah’s recent post on the Fair Trade at Penn State Brandywine blog.