How did PSU Berks Do?

Attending Penn State University for four years, I have quite a lot to say about it. As I am set to venture out of college in a week or so (following my own academic plan) I figured I would help out prospective students wishing to come to the university. Specifically, we are talking about the Berks Campus.

The following article will grade penn state on a balanced criteria, and a weighted one. For a balanced criteria, each “criterion” has equal weight. In the weighted grade, I list the most important factors (to me) in a college. Each slot will be assigned a grade of 1-5, F,D,C,B,A, respectively.

Let’s start with the balanced grade.

Employment Opportunities	100%
Library System	95%
Education	85%
Clubs	75%
Food	75%
Crime	70%
Free Speech	70%
Housing	53%
Accommodations	50%
Academic Policy	45%
Student Voice	45%
Student Culture	40%
IT System	35%
Parking	35%

Berks excels in five main areas: Employment Opportunity, Library Systems, Education, Clubs, and Food. This is data taken over the past four years, and not the last year. Here are the top 5:

Employment Opportunity/Career Services (A)
The campus offers a wide array of jobs students can take to earn additional income. A shopping center also exists right off of campus, offering more job opportunities. When I was told “no” by retail America, my current boss gave me a position years ago at the restaurant here on campus. It has helped me to pay my bills and have running around money that I could manage. I could argue for more pay, but it is a JOB, and in Recessionist America, a job is a savior. Also in this category is career services. They will not stop until you have every possible advantage going into the workforce. They are EXCELLENT resources.

Library System (A)
The library system kicks ass. The library, now becoming overcrowded, offers computers, study rooms, database searches, access to journals and periodicals exclusive to the academic scene, and more. Librarians go out of their way to help students. If I need something, I go to the library to find out. Excellent resource.

Education (B)
This is what you are coming to school for. You have your crackpot professors, but overall, at least in the college of engineering, the education is good. It isn’t amazing, but it is good. For a public Ivy, Penn State has expanded my mind, made me smarter, and has helped me to approach problems. I cannot vouch for the electrical department. You will need to go elsewhere for that degree- here the grading system in that department are “you get a 100, or you get a 0”. I can vouch for the mechanical and manufacturing departments. This opinion may be biased because I major in mechanical engineering, but you tell me if “100, or a 0” works out for you. It didn’t for me. On the majority, grading is fair. Professors are forgiving, but not lenient.

Clubs (B)
Berks has a healthy selection of clubs for your needs. THON, Video Games, Cultural Relations Clubs, Sports [on that note sorry, I can’t help people looking here for sports- not involved), Rock Climbing, Campus Events, etc. This foundation is strong, and Campus Life is (mostly) good at helping clubs enrich student life.

Food (B+)
This item may be controversial to a lot of people. A lot of people hate Tullys food, and some like it. I happen to like it. I say this with an unbiased opinion (because I work there): the food is decent to good depending on who makes it. There is a good selection, and for in house items, a student meal plan slashes 65% of the price off. You can’t beat this for soda, grill items, entrees, etc. Third party items (boxed dinners, etc) are regular price to 10% off. Some people dislike the food. This is because idiots did not make it properly. I systematically began selling pizza on weekends when I made it because I improved the quality with ingredients we already had. You can’t beat some of the value at Tullys, even at fast food restaurants. Our meat is grade A, and our chicken comes from Purdue and Tyson, excellent companies who deal with poultry (chicken). It is good stuff. For commuters: look elsewhere. Residents: The meal plan is an excellent deal.

Maintenance and Groundskeeping (B-)
Gotta mention these people. Maintenance, as a whole does an excellent job on campus. Groundskeeping keeps the campus looking beautiful. They truly do an awesome job.

The rest of them:

Crime (C)
Largely, this has not been an issue on campus. Very few fights break out (a few dozen a year) and no one has brought weapons to school shooting up the grounds. There are two very large problems at Berks: 1) theft, and 2) drugs. The most common thefts include backpacks, purses (would you believe women leave their purses, unattended in the open?), bicycles, and computers/computer parts. The drug problem is almost exclusively with marijuana, but the police may tell you different. Police services are not a privately hired group, or mall cops. These police are part of the Berks county system of police. They are REAL COPS. They have semi auto 45 caliber handguns, tazers, everything. Presence of the police on campus is excellent. I am sure rape occurs on this campus, but according to the statistics (which are required to be released), there were about 10-15 cases reported from 2007-2011. Check me on those. I feel safe on this campus. Since Berks began initiatives to grab disadvantaged students from major surrounding cities, it has brought crime to the campus.

Free Speech (C)
This is also a controversial topic on college campuses across the United States. Where does hate speech begin, and freedom of speech end? You are allowed to speak your mind on campus. Student activists have been allowed to protest versus radical Christians who are preaching on campus. Freedom of speech is important, but you better be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions. Most people (80-90% of people) simply walk by and don’t pay attention, regardless of their beliefs. People should be docked for annoyance, but I am not being harassed. Legally- they can continue what they are doing, it is known as the student freedom of speech clause.  As for hate crimes, they don’t go unpunished.

Housing (D)
Housing has been good to me for the most part, but I had conniptions with them. Firstly, students abused the system just to harass me (forcing me to become a roommate or suitemate to my dismay). Housing did little to stop this. Housing did little to intervene, and on the whole, Residence Life does suck. Sorry guys, but NO RA in the past four years has helped me, standing there not knowing what to do. RAs are split into three types: the ones who don’t care, the ones who care, but stay on the sideline, and the tiny minority who lay down the boot. Housing needs to improve.

Accomodations (F, nearly Abysmal)
We are now getting into the “F” range of grades. The university has done little to accommodate comfort to students. Accessibility is largely not an issue, as it is required by law. The desks are tiny, and I cannot fit into them. A lot of students complain about them, and for FOUR YEARS the university did nothing. Air Conditioning either did not work on this campus, or it was turned off, until one week until finals week, both in the residence halls and other buildings. We complain, but the university does nothing. The campus is overcrowded with 3,200 students, and all labs, classrooms and facilities are becoming overcrowded (this impacts class size little in my case). The university does nothing to alleviate the traffic as it works on a new building. Tuition hikes are bogus and nonsense, despite admitting more people.

Academic Policy (F)
Academic Policy is bogus. I am talking about the entire system here. There is a restriction to drop credits, and you have to go through hoops to get paperwork done for anything. Disputes exist with paying bills, and the allowance of some radical professor policies is ludicrous. For example, one professor says “NO test make-ups under any circumstance”. They got grilled on the SRTE, and I am grilling the University here for it. If you withdraw from a class, they indicate it on your transcript if you were failing that class or not. Bogus.

Student Voice (F)
A student government exists on campus, but they have many promises they do not fulfill. Students have a voice, but the government is fractured into two camps who rarely get anything done. SGA policies for clubs are also bogus, and this extends into campus life. I am discussing loopholes in the rules regarding events and community service that make it a real boner for clubs. Funding is almost non-existent.

Student Culture (F)
This is highly controversial and is my own opinion: Student rationale, logic, respect, and attitudes have all degraded each and every year. This is a cultural problem rather than a Penn State problem: people are disrespectful to professors, themselves and visitors. Students have no regard for the rights of others, and end up getting reprimanded or arrested for it. This doesn’t reflect all student culture, but it reflects a significant portion of it. The culture has lead to higher crime, increases in failing grades, more disrespect, and a degradation of language. Sometimes, someone is speaking English, not broken English, so fast and with so much cultural jargon that I need to ask them to slow down and speak plain English.

IT System (Abysmal)
The next two topics don’t deserve an F. They are blatantly bad. IT here is abysmal. Computers are broken, outdated, slow, don’t work, and the IT department has few answers to students. In the dorms, I get 0.15mb/s average. This is abysmal. IT claims the new lines have not been laid yet. SGA promised this 2 years ago, but has failed to mobilize on it. Bureaucracy, eh? The integrity of the IT system has gone from bad to worse ever since the campus became overcrowded. The campus has no answer for the students other than “we are working on it”. I was told this years ago.

Parking (Abysmal)
Parking is abysmal. I have to park a half to ¾ a mile away because parking is limited and inconvenient for residents on campus. Freshman should not be allowed to have vehicles on campus to cut down on traffic.

Overall balanced grade: 64% (D) Berks has its nice features, and perhaps it is for you if you can deal with the negatives. I recommend a visit, and ask many questions, even taking this guide with you. It’s a nice campus, and it has good plusses, but many minuses it needs to work on. Let’s just get to the weighted grade since I described everything: weighted: 61% (D). I don’t want to harp on this campus for being a bad campus: The value for your dollar is low but the education is excellent. I recommend going elsewhere, but if you need the weight behind the degree, want somewhat good food, good club selection and excellent resource staff, Berks is a good choice. Don’t think colleges out there exist with B’s and A’s- they are VERY few far and between. Berks was a positive experience overall for me, for my education and my future. Make your choice carefully.

College Costs Rising

That was a no brainer- everyone knows that the costs of college are rising. My tuition went up $2,000-$3,000USD this year, and what's more, they want over $800 for my books this semester. If you have some kind of a smart brain, you would think of some other alternatives, and there are smarter alternatives. Those darned college kids, using their brains... I go to www.amazon.com and purchase my books, but I have heard of and seen other good sites.


Amazon.com asked for $295 when Penn State wants $650 for textbooks, minus lab equipment.


Something is wrong here- it seems like extortion! That is exactly what it is. The rental service is a good idea (from the Penn State bookstore) if you plan on chucking the book after the semester ends, and don't want to deal with the hassle of selling it yourself. The bookstore is realizing that students are going elsewhere to buy their books. Their answer to this crisis? raise prices on their textbooks.


Now that I am no longer a resident, I am going elsewhere to buy my supplies. If I need batteries or cough drops, I'd consider going into the Penn State store. They want an arm and a leg to frame your diploma (something like $250+) and Jo Anns or Michaels will do it for around $90, and produce a similar finish.


They take enough from your tuition costs. Don't buy your books from the university.

Tulley's

I went down to Tulleys today to get something to eat. I was in Jumbo China last night, and figured I would analyze the places I go to eat (Jumbo was excellent, by the way). Tulleys is the campus cafeteria for the Penn State Berks Campus. I have worked there as an employee, and eaten there as a customer. This review is from a customer's standpoint, from an employee standpoint, I have had excellent people to work with and a productive time at Tulleys (not bored with the work, food is always interesting!). With my history of page points, if you were searching for Tulleys in Google, you probably found this post.


Food Quality: * * * *
You either like the food at Tulleys, or you hate it. Most people will tell you that Tulleys serves above average quality food for a campus setting. I agree with this statement. The food isn't dynamite, but for the price that it is (if you are on a student meal plan), you might as well invest money to eat here if you are living on campus. For commuters- I would choose a different place to eat main entrees.

The best food for your money comes from dinner and breakfast. Since commuters are off the campus by night, your best chance at the best food comes from breakfast. The cook assigned to breakfast goes by the name Deb. For what she is given, she makes excellent omelets and other food items. The sandwiches prepared by the students, if they know what they are doing, are usually pretty good as well. Deb adds ingredients to her potatoes, making them a hit on campus. Her bacon is also of exceptional quality, as well as her pancakes. These pancakes are comparable to my mothers at home, and IHOP.

I have also had dinner on campus- if students are cutting some of the meat correctly, you can have an awesome BBQ beef brisquette (spelling?). The cooks working here take pride in their work. Although taken away, I thought the lunch chef made excellent pasta and chicken for the whirl-a-gate. He still makes good stir fry and especially good lo mein, primavera, and bean rice. He has passed knowledge on to a few of his assistants, and I am able to replicate (and sometimes surpass) the average quality we put out on our stir frys.


Price: * * *
The price depends on who you talk to. For students living on campus, or are at campus frequently, the meal plan is the way to go, with in house items at 65% off. I can get 20oz of fountain pepsi for 50 CENTS. For commuters, you may want to stay away from the more expensive entrees. The grill has some good combo values, though. This year especially (with Heather behind the grill), the burgers have increased in their quality.


Cleanliness: * * * *
I usually see someone, somewhere cleaning. I take pride in cleaning the chef's area near the end of my shift if I have time, and I always swing in to try and help. Today I saw employees stocking, arranging products, and cleaning the tables. Tulleys is usually very clean- rarely do I see some kind of mess, and if I do, employees take care of it.


Selection: * * * + .5
This is another touchy subject. During main business hours, where people are flooding the cafeteria, you will have a lot to choose from. For third party products (Frito Lay, Pepsi, etc) there is always a good selection. I always see fruit, and the deli station is almost always open. When I went in today, I saw nothing on the grill, very little pizza, and the main hot line was open for business. This is all cool, but it limits my choices. Never-the-less, I enjoyed the brunch I had today. Sometimes, late night classes hinder your food choice when you are hungry after class- either I eat before class, or I may not have "as wide" of a selection because business is slowing down.


Overall: 3.9/5 (Great)
Tulleys isn't a bad place to eat. They offer quality food for a cafeteria at a reasonable price. Be warned: some of the food choices are not health savvy, and alternative options do exist (the deli bar, fresh fruit (yum), salad bar). If I was on campus next year (which I will be, as a commuter), and I needed a quick lunch, I would probably head to Tulleys and pick something up. Power to Friday's chicken tenders! They are the BEST!


Recommended Food Items:

Breakfast
+Potatoes/Home Fries/Hashbrowns
+Breakfast Sandwich (Health conscious? don't order ham, sodium trap)
+ Egg omelette
+ Eggs (inspect to make sure student is keeping them fresh, I stir every 5-10 minutes)
+ Sausage links
+ Bacon (omg, the bacon is excellent. YES, I used "omg".)
+ Country Style Eggs
+ Turkey Bacon

Lunch
+Quesadillas (Chicken Especially)
+Vegetable Primavera
+Chicken Cordon Bleu (excellent, beware: sodium trap)
+Lo Mein
+Orange Chicken
+Chicken Stir Fry (Chicken, Mushrooms, Squash, Broccoli, etc)
+ Sloppy Joe (FRESH made, I have had to make these before, tasty!)
+ Flank Steak
+ Penne
+ Grilled Italian Chicken Breast


Dinner
+ Rotissery Chicken (beware sodium trap)
+ Salmon
+ Perch (delicious)
+ Beef Tacos (bring back the soft shell, teach employees to portion!)


Other meals
+ Deli
+ French bread pizza
+ Matt Huff or Sam's Pizza
+ Heather or Missy's burgers
+ Steak fries
+ French Toast
+ Bagels (excellent)
+ Coffee
+ Rice

"Voices" of the Reading Eagle Discusses Social Changes within High Schools

Back when I was in high school, cliques were in charge. You had your sports jocks, geeks, band kids, and a plethora of other groups. People wished to find social acceptance within their group, and where high school got nasty was when stereotypes and prejudice came forth between groups. I chose not to get involved with any of it when I was in high school, and I focused on myself.


I was surprised to read in Voices that high school students (at least in the Berks area) feel that the way cliques work is changing. Zeba Hussaini, the article's author, interviewed a student named Alex, a senior at Exeter. He thinks that political correctness and equality drove home the idea of widespread acceptance. Somehow I think tolerance is emerging in high schools, in a time an age where selfishness and and a lack of prudence run rampant.


The article was enlightening, and it is interesting to read what the next generation of college students is saying. College has been a socially accepting experience for me, and I am happy that those in high school with peculiar interests, whether it be anime or partical physics (or both) are, or are becoming socially tolerant. We need more people like this in high school, college and the world.


In a time where budget cuts are rampant within public schools, educators need to seize onto this social change and offer programs to challenge and satisfy the needs of higher level (more intelligent) students. Every student, regardless of their level of education, should get the material(s) that they need. What they do with it and how they choose to progress will determine where they end up in life. Preparation for college has been the name of the game for the past 5 years, and the PA department of education has done well preparing intelligent students for college.


Students: keep challenging yourself and keep going. Find your interests and tail them. There is NEVER anything wrong with overachieving- just do so in modesty.


(References- Hussaini, Zebi. "'Geeks' Shatter Stereotype." Voices of the Reading Eagle [Reading, PA] 2 Mar. 2010: 1. Print.)

Major Snowstorm Shuts Down Campus for Two Days; Cancels Classes for Three

Penn State Berks faculty and staff return to campus Friday, reminiscing about the recent snowstorm that canceled classes for three days in a row, and shut down non-vital operations for two and a half days.


As commuters ventured home early before the storm, vital personnel resorted to sleeping overnight at the campus to feed and care for the some 800+ students that remained (on campus). Staff put in long and hard hours, with the assistance of student employees to make sure that students had some kind of a quality meal to eat at Tulleys. By the end of the day Wednesday, the potato chip isle was nearly cleared and the beverages nearly gone.


There are mixed feelings about the snow- some are amazed that nearly two feet of snow dropped on the Reading area, some are excited to have a five day weekend. Students were observed sledding down the hills towards the Perkins Student Center, and a major snowball fight occurred near Laurel Hall at the soccer field. Some students were under the breezeway sledding like penguins; some were seen sledding in their laundry baskets.


Cleanup crews on Friday are still clearing parking lots on campus. Commuter students were not permitted to park in any lots on Wednesday and Thursday. There is one commonly held rule among college students: if you don't have to come in to class, don't go to campus. The campus is open Friday for normal operations, but students are staying home. There are a few; however that are sad about cancelations. "Since classes are canceled Friday, no one has a reason to come in" Robert Dean, a student said. "With no student population here, there really is no point to holding club activities".


Classes should resume Monday. With the storm fresh on their minds, students and local residents alike are now aware of the fury of Old Man Winter this year. February has begun; and so has the snow.

Unprepared for the College Experience?

A very common thing happens when people arrive at college: they are unprepared for the experience that awaits that academically and socially. I came into college as a very bright person; and I found that I was unprepared for the college experience; but education in high school (college prepatory, or "honors") courses used college level requirements for grading papers and assignments. This education helped me to prepare for college; it made the transition a whole lot easier. I find today, as a junior I can walk into almost any building and have to say hello to someone I know, may know, or don't know, and at least wave to someone. Your social network is so large at a 2600-3500 student campus that you can gain access to anything (well, almost) that you need. A few tips on college, from an engineering student's perspective:


+Pay attention in class, especially if it is material related to your major. You should have a genuine interest in the subject; and having a professor that explains it well helps one adjust even more. You may have times where you have a bad professor; I am in that boat now. Instead of scratching my head for hours, I am going to read the text, and if I don't understand it, go elsewhere to learn binary and hex. (Computer Science, bah).


+Do your work. Simple enough right? but sometimes, in college they don't require you to do the homework. This doesn't mean you should forget about it- at least try the homework, and ask for help if you didn't understand something. I did some math homework last night, and I have a few questions for the professor. He said he would come early to help out, so I will shoot him an email and we will meet 30 minutes before class (in the classroom) and go over problems. He is very accomodating. If you don't do the work, especially in math and engineering, you aren't going to "get it".


+Explore your hobbies (even if it is partying). If you can balance work, school and your other obligations with play (my case is video games) then you are contibuting to your overall health. On that note, stay healthy.


+Buy Textbooks second hand or online; don't be stupid. The bookstore charges an arm and a leg for books; I would have had to pay $460 for books this semester; online I paid $237. Anyone that knows basic arithmetic will know that is around 51% savings. Bad economy or not: it is more money in YOUR pocket.


+Ask questions. Ask why something works that way, or why a result is so. ASK! There is no "stupid question" other than the one not asked. You are here to understand the material, and by asking, you may have helped other people out, although this IS about you; it may have benefits down the road (study buddies? although I prefer to study alone, but I have teamed up before).


+ Keep a calendar and stick to your schedule. The syllabus is God for any course. A calendar helps me visually see when something is coming up for our club, and schedule around other things so I get my crackers AND my cup of tea.


+ A TI-83, TI-84, or TI-89 OR above is one of the best investments I have ever made, along with the associated "For Dummies" book.

Campus Life At Penn State Berks

Penn State Berks had an open house today and I figured "why not, I will write a campus life post" to help answer any questions a person may have. Through dilligent Google searching, I have had people find my posts before. After all, blogger is a google brand. Herein, "UP" (you will hear this term a lot) is university park, or the main penn state campus (hence "penn state main").

1) How many students are on campus?
A: As of Fall 2009, 2600.

2) What is the male to female ratio?
A: 2.6 to 1. Last year it was the other way around, so this constantly fluctuates.

3) Why did you choose Berks?
A: a couple of reasons. It was smaller than UP and offered the same accredited programs UP could have offered. Although UP has more programs, I found the one I wanted at Berks, and it was a 4 year. Throughout housing at Penn State, Berks, in my opinion is the nicest for what you pay. Gramps Spanier (the grand chancellor) has commented that Berks is his favorite sattelite campus. Second, its proximity to home. It is an hour away from home, so if I need to go home I can. Third, Reading, PA is a pretty cool city- you can find almost anything you need here. None of those were in any order of importance, but those were the main reasons. I preferred a smaller campus.

4) How do most students graduate?
A: A majority of students are here for two years, then transfer up to UP. Some, like myself elected to choose 4 year degrees and we will graduate here at Berks.

5) How many residents are there?
A: approximately 800. Competition for rooms on this campus is mind blowing, you MUST get things in the day, preferably the hour, they open. I submitted a housing contract 2 hours after the deadline opened, and I was guranteed the second spot from last before the waiting list began.
6) How is parking at Berks?
A: any student level can park here, but parking is atrocious. Often you have to park way in the back, and there are never enough close parking spots. Traffic OUT of the Reading area begins usually at 4:00pm, but has been known to start at 2:00pm. Traffic during rush hour around here is atrocious; there is only one artery out of Reading to Allentown, and that is the main one, 222, which can become busy in spots, mainly because of traffic lights and bad engineering.

7) Back to question #5, what is a sattelite campus?
A: Penn State has a vast network of campuses. A sattelite campus is any Penn State campus that is not the main one; University Park. Berks is known as a sattelite campus; it was formerly called the "Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute".

8) What are the rooms like?
A: For what you pay, not too shabby. Carpeting, HVAC, Fridge, not bad. The student to bathroom ratio is 4 students to one bathroom. At UP, it is usually 10+ to one bathroom. The national average is 20 to one bathroom. In the rooms, two rooms are connected side by side to one bathroom, which has a toilet, shower, and two sinks. The rooms are approximately 270 square feet if I measured correctly; 15 feet by 5.5 feet. Use the space properly, and it is a lot of space. You get a armoire, dresser, and a desk too; all natural wood. For the money, Berks has the best housing. Bathrooms are cleaned once a week (day 1 you should be given a schedule) but it is up to you to clean your room. Entrance to the room is by key. There is a second bolt for protection (in the door, not a chain). The door has a metal interior, but don't be fooled, this will NOT stop police battering rams =p. Email me or comment if you want more information about rooms. Singles are available, but not to underclassman (because of a high suicide rate among all national colleges).

9) Any jobs on campus?
A: yes, they don't pay like a king, but they are something. I work at the cafeteria and the team there is awesome. I work 8 hours a week and I cannot work morer than 20 hours; housing/food services (herein HFS) is strict about that. I work on the hotline and serve warm breakfast. I also help prepare lunch. There are also jobs off campus, but they are hard to find due to the 2008-2009 Financual Economic Crisis.

10) Ok... how is the food on campus?
A: Decent, over three years it has gotten much better. People complain that Tulleys (the cafeteria) has bad food. This isn't entirely true, a gentleman I know makes amazing pizza and has taught people how to do it like he does; some of the hot line items are great, but the bad food occurs when people who were not educated on how to make it, make it. The food tastes decent on campus. As a resident you have a 65% a la carte discount on in house items (not third party, for example, Doritos). It is a good deal I would take advantage of. Payment is by cash or card. You can also put money on your card at the register, even put money on Lioncash (needed to do laundry, no coins for laundry). Food prices have gone up, so shop wisely.

11) Any clubs?
A: I think over 40 clubs. There is everything from anime club to college democrats to THON (they do dance charity stuff) to Robotics. I am the president of the gaming club, and it is a lot of fun. Get involved with something you like, either way, it is something to put on your resume that you were invovled on campus. We do a lot of fun things in my club related to all types of games, including campus tournaments.

12) What is the police presence on campus?
A: It isn't a law enforcement lockdown, but the police are there, all the time. You will see them come into Perkins and eat sometimes, but usually they are in their vehicles. YES, I have seen them do illegal maneuvers (such as driving off the road behind campus, over the grass and into the parking lot, talk about IMPATIENCE). They are usually lax about some things, but blatant violations will get you a ticket. They have 1 or 2 all terrain Segways that WILL get up to 15-17mph on grass, but they rarely pull them out. These guys (and gals) can run. They are equipped with cuffs, a gun, baton, the works. These are REAL COPS, not mall cops or hired security.

13) Crime on campus?
A: Surprisingly low. The worst offense in 2007 was a bicycle theft. The worst offense in 2008 was a drug raid bust. There is a low incidence of rape here on campus, but it does happen. Riots never happen; I have never seen a physical fight on campus. There have been small incidents of graffiti, but that issue has gone away entirely in 2009. The worst altercations? They happen in student government if there is drama =p. I feel safe on this campus. Still lock your stuff up, though.

14) How is the network?
A: Crap. Half the time it takes 10 minutes to log into university computers, if you are lucky. My dorm internet usually works just fine. In 2008 the network failed a lot, but its stability has been improved for 2009 beyond.

-Robert Dean
-3rd year student, 3yrs resident

Any questions? make a comment or email me.

Content with College Progress

Looking at my progress in college, I am satisfied with where I am at, but not with the environmental conditions (economy, etc, misc). It will take me an additional semester or two to complete my degree, but I believe the extra semester will establish a stronger base in areas that I am weak. I will admit that I have weaknesses, even in my own major- but I am working on them.

Michigan CRUSHED in a lead by Penn State: Nittany Lions 8-0

One thing binds all Penn State students together, regardless if you like it or not: college football. For 9 years Penn State has been defeated by the Michigan Wolverines. Tonight was an amazing game of football up unil the end of the 3rd quarter. The Wolvernines were agressive in the 1st quarter, but the Nittany Lions fought back and won the game. One wonders how we will do against Ohio State next week, a notoriously hard opponent. One of the biggest rivalries in the Big 10 Conference is Michigan Vs. Ohio State, but now Ohio State must worry about the Nittany Lions. I was never really into football until I came to Penn State; many will tell you the same thing. I also lost my voice!

GLORY!

Penn State Berks 50th Anniversary

FES from Venezuela: College of Engineering at Berks

Excerpt from Penn State Berks:

Barbara Lombardi, a materials engineering major at Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, Venezuela, is completing her summer internship at Penn State Berks, where she is working in the college's engineering laboratories. The internship began on June 7 and will conclude on September 9, 2008.

During the internship, Lombardi worked with ceramic gas sensors that detect the presence of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The goal was to learn how sensors are integrated into a system and to investigate the materials physics behind how the sensors operate and how they convert a physical parameter into an electronically measurable property.

Lombardi worked under the supervision of Dr. Dale Litwhiler, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State Berks. Litwhiler purchased the actual sensors and then he and Lombardi built circuits and developed software to control data acquisition equipment to create gas detection systems.

When asked about the practical applications of the internship, Lombardi explained, "This information is useful for monitoring the quality of air and it is less expensive because we construct it. If Professor Litwhiler can build a network of sensors, he can install them in all the classrooms at the college to monitor air quality."

During the internship, the role of teacher and student were reversed when Lombardi taught Litwhiler about ceramic gas sensors.

"I wasn't as familiar with the material physics of gas sensors, but through her work, she was able to explain to me how these devices work," comments Litwhiler. "It was a good way to share knowledge."

Litwhiler and Lombardi had a limited budget, so they improvised on how they tested the sensors, building test chambers out of coffee cans. They used their breath to test for carbon dioxide and car exhaust to test for carbon monoxide.

After Lombardi returns to Venezuela, she will complete her studies and plans to graduate in January 2009. She plans to either take a job in industry or pursue post graduate study in advanced ceramics, possibly in Italy where she has family.

When asked why she decided to travel all the way to Penn State Berks, Lombardi stated, "I wanted to improve my English and have the opportunity to conduct research. In the school I attend in Venezuela, they do not do much research."

The internship also had benefits for the college. Litwhiler will be implementing the air quality monitoring system on a trial basis in some of his classrooms this semester.

Around Penn State Berks, Part 1

Being back on campus has been great- there are a lot of new people to meet and things to do. For those considering college next year, I figured I would write up an article (series) on going around Penn State Berks. This week I will make it my duty to stop in and take photos of various places around campus. Let's get started!

Here is our Lion Shrine, located outside the back of the Franco Building. Franco is largely for business majors and many math classes are held there (Calculus, Statistics, etc). Franco is also where the registrar is located. It is a relativly new building. In between Frano and the Thun Library are some construction markers- they are building a new building there that will be for engineers. The building will feature shops to satisfy the needs of instructors- milling machines, lathes, tools, CNC, you name it the facility will probably have it. The Baja buggy will also be moved over there. They are expecting completion by 2011 (does a lot of good for me).

Some of my room unpacked two days ago. The crates on the side hold my books- they are milk crates and they are very handy for holding books. More books on my shelf and the black bin is for modeling supplies. I also have out my Star Wars Mighty Mugg collection and my recently completed Tallgeese III. TV is there for Wii play and TV watching.

Don't screw off- these guys are EVERYWHERE. There are usually cops watching the center of the Village and Woods complexes and the parking lot. You will find cops around campus riding segways, which I doubt one can outrun with relative ease. There is a heavy presence of police here- we are 10 miles outside of Reading, PA (the car theft capital of the country in 2007). The area is relativly safe- the biggest crime in three years was that someone stole a bike- off campus someone was stabbed in a nearby apartment (not a part of Penn State). A far as I know they did catch the guy.

Back of the Woods Complex. The Woods is the newest dorm installation to Penn State Berks and it houses approximatly 900-1,000 students. Berks students really are the spoiled bunch of the Penn State Student system- We have the best digs and furnished lounges to boot. Rooms are connected together via one bathroom, so four people to one bathroom (it works out well). The Woods complex has study rooms, laundry rooms on every floor (except the 4th floor) and a small computer room in the Ivy Lounge. I recommend the 4th floor- you hear no noise above you, however it is a chore to climb four stories- they turn the elevator off and reserve it for those who truly need it.

Once I can edit some more photos (some did not convert to 800 x 600?) I will post more information. I figured this information would be useful for those looking at Penn State Berks.

Back In Again- Reporting from Penn State

As I thought, University Park has not turned my internet on yet so I am forced to remote post (I carry the word document on my flash drive and do the classic copy/paste into blogger) until I can get internet access back in my room (via ethernet).


Things are going alright for the time being. I like my suitemates; they are very considerate and are rational like myself. They are freshman though- which is fine- I applaud their sincerity and I wish every other student here would follow their example. My roommate is cool too- though I have not seen much of him lately. He was not back in the room last night so I am a little worried about him.


I have managed to get Cable TV working and thanks to my mother I have a small 13 inch TV hooked up in my dorm room- she gets the job done. I put out my Mighty Muggs (recently got Jango Fett and General Grievous) and my Tallgeese III as well. I was an idiot and locked my keys in my cupboard today- thankfully housing had a pair of bolt cutters (it makes me cringe that these "high quality" padlocks are snipped in a second).


I am thrilled to be back on campus and to continue my research. I am looking forward to diving into Penn State's databases, but unfortunately my article writing takes a back seat to classwork and freetime. In short, I need to do my Physics homework before writing articles about things that interest me- that will probably be a thing I can do on the weekends.


In physics we are covering waveforms (easy) and in Strength of Materials we are starting axial loads and analysis of internal forces on a member/body. In Product Design (quickly becoming my favorite) we are learning machining processes and in a few weeks welding (I can't wait). Processes including using a milling machine, lathe and grinder- basically stuff that can remove fingers. My education from high school (3 years woodworking and a year of manufacturing techniques) helped to establish an overall foundation in machine safety- don't be stupid.


Not suprisingly almost every face in all of my classes are ones I have seen before at some point. As EMETs and METs move on with their education, classes become smaller and topics are more thorougly discussed. It's good to eat at the cafeteria again and it is amusing to watch the nervous freshman. I am so happy to be back on campus and I can't even begin to ponder going home again for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Another Modeler's Merkava Tank. I would love to give mine a flat coat of desert sand and then weather it with my pastels- I have the right ones for the job.

I would love to do this camo job on my M113- Personally the Browner shade is too vibrant here, but does the job, though.

*Sighs* I have picked up a few more models to add to my evergrowing stash (CURSE SALES!). I bought an M113 Personnel Carrier today at HobbyTown USA (Vietnam era armor) and the other day at Trains and Lanes I picked up the Israeli Merkava and the M4 Sherman "Jumbo". All were on sale. The Israeli Markava should be a fun and easy build (albeit time consuming) and so should the Sherman- but I want to do a camo job with the M113. I just bought a Pegasus ME-262 Messerschmitt too! *sighs* looks like thats getting pushed back, too. I will also be making progess on the Enterprise when I can get the time in.

Oh, That Which I Crave is Blue and White

I'm by no means a slacker- I am bored this summer and couldn't find a better image.



I am getting very BORED this summer, and hopefully work tomorrow will keep me busy until the end of August. I love Penn State! I love burying my nose in the library for 3+ hours! I love my major! I love talking to professors and other people within my field! I like playing with things that can very well kill me! GAH I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY NOW. It is a heartbreak to be away from campus this long, and it has been what, a month and a half since I completed my last final?





I am so eager to start that I am pre-reading the text for the next few courses! The nice thing about some of these courses is that the sister course uses the next half of the book you had the previous semester- so I will use "The Fundamentals of Manufacturing" not only for IET 101, but for IET 215 and IET 216 as well. To get the best kick start to my next semester, I am going to read my notes again and make sure I am ready to tackle stuff like CNC coding, Axial Loads, Shear Stress of shafts (I had no idea there was shear stress exerted throughout a shaft until I read the book! I figured there was some kind of stress).





Since I am not taking Calculus I this semester, I am saving myself a miserable semester and I will be about as productive (a little more productive) this semester than last semester- they are throwing in MET 206 now which is Dynamics (study of moving bodies). Semester 4 (Spring 2009) is where things get hard. EET 114, Calculus I and two other courses which I can't recall the names of. 4 classes! Why should I be complaining! Because Calculus, especially at Penn State is really friggin' hard. Electrical Engineering isn't my strong point either- I am somewhat weak with it and it is one of the subjects I will buckle down on this summer and over Winter 2008 break.





I SHOULD be taking Calculus I this semester (semester 3) but it will put me on overload. Taking this summer was supposed to fulfill the credit- and unfortunately in week (3) of 6 it became statistically impossible to pass (I had to get 90's when I was scoring 70's even on a curve) so I had to drop the course. I feel bad about it, but many people that were in that class said this was their 2nd or 3rd time taking Calculus I. The instructor also did something that really pissed me off- and I won't go into details about it. So I may be set back a little bit- as long as semester 5 has courses that are not dependant on me passing Calculus II then I am fine. If not, or I must pass Calc II by the end of semester 4, then I am in trouble. I may need to add an extra year to getting my degree to pass. The benefits- hey I get a year off, but the bad is that I am not learning and that I would be behind. Many people take extra time to finish, however.





Luckily Semester 3 is just a sweater and not a nail biter. I plan on working hard and I would like to get in the library even more often to bury myself in research journals, technical articles and news that surrounds the realm of Engineering. Boredom is my enemy right now- I like to keep going and I want to continue to learn all that I can. A month max is all I need to recharge and prepare myself for what lies ahead. I am addicted to this stuff! I want to keep going and I want to get better. Year 1 opened a whole new world to me, and I have three to go (let's hope).

Summer Classes Begin

I don't want to necessarily gain an edge ocver my classmates, but rather I would like to get ahead on Calculus. I am taking Math 180 (Calculus) at a local community college up in Bethlehem, PA (Northampton Area Community College). If I would have taken Calculus at Penn State, I would have had to cram Calc into a very busy schedule- and overload my credits since Calc is 4 credits. In order for the credits to transfer, I need to get a C or better in Calculus. Since I have nothing better to do other coexisting with a job this summer, I can have complete and utter concentration on my work- increasing my chances for success.

Calculus is an upper level of mathematics developed by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz around the 17th century. It involves derivatives, limits, infinitesimals, and integrals, among many other sub topics. In my field, Calculus is used from finding the area of a complex shape to the volume of it. Calculus is also used in finding the area of graphs, works slopes, and is used widely in finite element analysis.

Back at Penn State I am going to advance all the way up to what is considered Calculus IV, or differential equations. I forget what the label of what Math 250 was, it may have been differential equations. In that case I would take it up one step further. It's going to be a hard and difficult road, but I am ready to give it my best shot.

And after coming back from my first class in Calculus today, I have only one thing to say about it.



Mommy 0___0.

About them Finals

Well, if you are reading this I am probably beginning my Physics final. This week is all about final exams for Penn Staters, and we have been working hard this semester and studying our brains out in order to savor and earn every last point that we can. In all honesty I do not see a point to final exams, but I do understand that tradition and a desire to test if we paid attention all semester is necessary. I can't say much about final exams because practically everyone reading this blog has had one, will have one, or is having one within a couple of days to a couple of hours =p. I won't be able to post for a bit. Maybe if I head down to Grings Mill and sail the USS Missouri; other than that I will need until Thursday. It's time to buckle down for finals!

Penn State Berks- Police Officers Go the Way of Segway

When you visit Penn State Berks, you can never be sure of what you will see or do. I came back to campus this morning and as I ate my breakfast under the Magnolia Tree near a Lion Shrine I saw someone heading towards the library.... on a segway! I thought that was cool and went back up to my dorm room. It turns out that the dude on the Segway was the Police Chief for this campus, and he was riding all around campus on this thing. I came to the door of the dorm complex and there he was! I took video and a few pictures to give to the campus newspaper.

I talked with him and the campus received three Segways to try out during a trial period. The police will use these Segways to more easily patrol the campus. Each Segway costs about $5,000USD and $1600USD for a replacement battery. It contains five gyroscopes and it can go up and down hills with no problem. I thought Segways were banned- apparantly not for the police!

USMC Visitor to the Penn State Berks Campus

I was out the other day because of the beautiful weather, and out of nowhere a fighter jet pops up above my head! At first I thought it was an F-15 Eagle but it was a USMC FA-18 Hornet. I was suprised by just how loud those turbofans are! He was circling around the Reading Airport doing landing runs for practice, which is a common practice for any jet fighters that come our way. This year we have been graced by the presence of an F-117 Nighthawk, C-17 Globemaster, a pair of A-10 Warthogs, a B-52 Stratofortress (better not have had any nukes on it) and now an FA-18 Hornet. So "what is with all the military fighters lately!" I think I found the answer. Penn State Berks must be a common intersecting point on many training mission flight paths because we get "frequent" guests that fly over the campus, including an almost daily sighting of a military SH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

Penn State Berks Hosts Veterans Remembrance Day

Penn State Berk's SGA (Student Government Organization) is hosting Veteran's Remembrance Day, a time to reflect on the service of our men and women in the armed forces. Today is a day for students to thank those they know who are currently serving our country in all sectors of the millitary. Today is a day for myself to reflect on the service these people have done for this country as I do many days out of the week as I build my models and think about my future. Some of these people have given everything so that those in this country may be free. Some of these people have given their lives so that I may move on to my future in safety.

I would like to thank each and every member of the armed services for protecting our country. I appreciate every last detail and job that is performed which is vital to the success of our armed forces. As a thankyou, I hope to work for Northrop Grumman not only because I want to, but because I want to help. I know I don't owe an ounce of debt, but I feel it is my duty and obligation to help those who help us.

There were quite a few recruiters onc ampus today: An Air Force representative, Army Personell and I believe the Marine Corps. I managed to shake the hand of one of the recruiters as a thankyou for their service (I thought it would be inappropriate as a civilian to salute, although we can I chose not to). If you walk around campus today, you will see hundreds of mini-flags planted along the walkways between the Perkins Student Center, the Thun Library and the Franco Building.

Do You Want Some Insight Into Penn State Berks? Part 1 of 2

Overall Penn State Berks is a great campus, and if you are looking to apply to Penn State and attend the Berks Campus I hope my post can be of some help. Here are a few key points to comment on:




Alertness











The Pennsylvania State University has an incredible system in place for warning systems. If classes will be cancelled for the day due to weather, within 5-10 minutes 3,000 students will hear about it mainly through the Berks Weather Hotline or the recently popular PSUTXT service. If there is a crisis, lockdown, or severe weather, or some other odd occurence that requires public attention, Penn State has the systems in place to warn students immediatly.







Ammenities


















Hey I have to say, the ammenities (appearance of the campus itself and luxuries) are great. There are quite a few lounges around the campus, and the Student Government Association (SGA) is attempting to convert the Lion's Den into another recreational area. They have also done an excellent job with the game room/center (below Tulleys), we have two pool tables, a foosball table, a pingpong table and many arcade games (yes, the ones in the booths you put coins in). The game room is complete- Penn State bar stools, tables and even custom Penn State chandoliers above the pool table. The lounges are comfortable, the library offers rooms for private study, and the Woods Dormitory complex offers study rooms throughout the complex. I also dig laundry rooms on every floor but the 4th.






Classroom Size/Experience

















Ehhh now we get a bit hairy. There are a few beefs I have with this system, however don't misconstrue what I am about to say- the education is top notch around here for the most part. Here are a few of my beefs. Many classrooms, especially in Luerssen (Luerssen was the first building erected) have very small desks in them. THESE DESKS ARE MADE FOR TINY PEOPLE AND I DO NOT FIT IN THEM. Penn State tried to accomodate other students by putting in other types of desks, however I always have to leave those seats to other larger students. They need to change the desks because not only are they extremely uncomfortable, you WILL drop whatever is on it- from books to pens to calculators to food and drink (it happens all the time). There are also some "not so great" professors and instructors out there, but by the time I got into the College of Engineering I figured out who the bad professors were. For the most part classroom sizes have been kept small, but some classes ("those classes EVERYONE takes, such as Calculus" are huge). Expect a dropout rate of around 75%-80% in Math 140 (Calculus I).













Club/Sports Activities

You will find a club here for your interests at Penn State Berks. We have everything from an Anime club to a Baja (racer) Club to the Punkin Chunkin Club, Bowling Club and Auto Clubs to name a few. In fact students are encouraged to begin new clubs. I have very little time for them so I am only active in one club (in my case, the Punkin Chunkin Club). There are many sports to chose from. The Beaver Community Center also has a gym which is OK, however the Chancellor has commented on improving the gym's quality. If you need something to kill time with on campus, there are many clubs around doing many things. At the last check, I think there were 30 or 40 active clubs with an 80 total.

Environment Friendly

Penn State is extremely close to becoming a 100% green campus. The Chancellor has made it clear that she wants the campus to go green to help the environment. Penn State is a huge recycling supporter and makes every effort to put out recycling cans everywhere. Believe me when you get around campus you WILL see them everywhere. Please use them! Berks also offers a newspaper readership program (it is free with your Student ID Card). Although some recycle the newspaper when finished, I tend to put my copy back in neatly when I am done with it, just incase the paper was hot for the day. Typically by dinner time a good 60%-80% of the papers are usually gone, so I'd say the program works. By 2910-2011, solar panels will be installed on some of the buildings, in particular I know Luerssen is switching to solar power.

Hazards

There are some hazards on campus, however Penn State does combat them. Be very careful during the winter- you can fall and trip down that hill or flight of stairs. I have slipped on campus before (next to Tulleys) and I have also slipped in the parking lot (residence parking) due to ice. Be VERY careful! They will lay down salt for students, but again be careful of where you tread and how you do it. Sometimes it is better to walk in the snow. Generally wet floors are mopped up or are dry enough to walk on.




I will type more later when I have the time!