Students in Connie Kirker's drawing class at Penn State Brandywine have been hard at work this semester designing a mural for Overbrook Elementary School in Philadelphia.

The students toured Overbrook Elementary and met with youngsters and administrators there earlier this semester to discuss a theme for the mural project, said Kirker. In the end, it was decided that the mural would combine elements of the history of the school, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2008, such as the school mascot (the owl), the school color (yellow), and the school song, with features representing the neighborhood in which the school resides, including Victorian-style buildings.

"We really didn't want to do something generic, like students holding hands or something, but rather something that really illustrates the identity of the school," said Kirker, assistant professor of integrative arts.

Students in the class said they enjoyed meeting the youngsters at Overbrook Elementary School, and hope the mural will be a focal point of the school for years to come. Once the design of the mural is complete, Kirker's painting class in the spring will work with students at Overbrook Elementary to bring the mural to life. This should be a great way to expose the youngsters to art, since the elementary school does not have an art program.

"This project is great. The kids were pretty excited that they would be able to help with the project, and hopefully this will energize the school to start an art program," said Theresa Merritt, a sophomore business student.

Ryan Connor, a senior business student, noted: "It was great to talk to the kids and ask them about what they were interested in and about the school. Everyone will see what we created when the mural is finished, and it's really exciting to be a part of this project."

This project is part of a larger collaboration between the two schools, which also includes Penn State Brandywine's Elementary Education in Multicultural Settings degree program providing training, as well as student teachers, to Overbrook Elementary School.

"Back home in Sudan, I never saw a computer. When I came to this country and saw it for the first time, I thought it was a TV. I had heard about computers previously, but I had this visual of them being these gigantic machines," said Abdelaziz Elmadani, holding his arms several feet apart for emphasis. Elmadani, of Philadelphia, is a junior material science and engineering student who moved to the United States with his family four years ago.

For Mohammed Ishaque, a sophomore business major who also moved to Philadelphia four years ago with family, but from Bangladesh, the story was much the same. "I lived in a small village, and I never saw a computer over there," he said. "At first, I did not have any idea what does it do, how does it work. Now I work with computers everyday and I can't live without them."

In their current positions in the IT department at Penn State Brandywine, the students are learning a great deal about computer technology, applying this knowledge in support of the campus' computing environment and earning good money they can use to help finance their education. As two of 17 work-study students in a department that resembles the United Nations, Elmadani and Ishaque also are learning invaluable lessons about other cultures -- and life. Those who make their careers employed in the department wouldn't have it any other way.

(Pictured from left to right: Theresa Walls, Mohammed Ishaque - front,
Abdelaziz Elmadani - in back, Gordon Crompton, and Raquel Tonge)

For Theresa Walls, an IT staff assistant who is referred to as "Mother Theresa" by students and staff working in the department, for her willingness to nurture and discipline, receiving calls from students who have long since graduated who want to discuss their careers, relationships and just about anything else, assures her the department has made its mark.

"All of us in this department are good mentors in our own way," she said. "It's great to see all of these students from different cultures working together and learning each other's culture. We really take pride in making a difference in the lives of the students who work for us, as well as those who have graduated."

As Gordon Crompton, senior systems consultant, sees it, his job is a great deal more than installing computer software and repairing broken PCs. "To me, as a staff person, it's all about the students. I want to help out as many students as I can," he said. "We have many students working for us who don't realize their own potential, and we're here to help make sure they make the most of their ability."

Students, present and former, have noticed. Raquel Tonge, a junior biology and IT work-study student who lives in Brookhaven, said: "I have learned a great deal, including how to take computers apart and put them back together. It's a good environment. If you want to talk to people there about something, there's always someone there who you can talk to. At how many jobs can you say that?"

Tonge, who also is known as "Little Theresa," "Smiley" and a host of other colorful nicknames by her IT colleagues, grew up in the Bronx. She is one of at least a dozen students in the department who hail from areas outside of the Philadelphia region, though her move wasn't nearly as drastic as those of Elmadani or Ishaque.

Elmadani, who is affectionately known as "Four-Door Sedan," a play on words based on his homeland, said this richness of cultural diversity has been a blessing. "We come from different cultures and backgrounds, but many of us have had similar experiences to get to this point," he said. "It doesn't matter what country we come from, or what religion we are -- we work well together as a group, and even with our bosses, we're all like a family."

As for former students, when Sabrina Johnson, a 2005 human development and family studies graduate and work-study student in the IT department, wants career advice or tips on life, she will often call on IT staff members at Penn State Brandywine.

"The people who work there taught me about professionalism -- how to work with people, the importance of being on time and taking the job seriously and about doing your best. It's great to have them in my corner, so to speak. I haven't severed my ties, and I don't think I ever will," said Johnson, an African-American who attended the predominantly African-American Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia. "That particular department has a lot of diversity, and it gave me more of an open mind as far as working with a number of people from different cultures and backgrounds."

In addition to learning from the experience, Johnson said the mentorship that was provided to her is something that she has been "paying forward."

"It's nice to have someone who is looking out for you and trying to help out, and I find myself doing the same thing," said Johnson, an admissions representative for Allstate Career, a truck-driver training school in Lester.

"Pride in Our Heritage, Strength in Our Future!"

Thanks to all the students, alumni, faculty, and staff who took the time to vote!

The Classroom Building at Penn State Brandywine will soon officially be renamed The Edward S. J. Tomezsko Classroom Building -- and known for short on campus as the Tomezsko Classroom Building. The ceremony is slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, in the newly renamed building. During the ceremony, Penn State Brandywine Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska and Delaware County Council Chairman Andrew J. Reilly will thank Tomezsko for his two decades of service to the campus.

Former chancellor Tomezsko led the campus from 1986 to 2005. Under his leadership, the campus continued a legacy of providing an affordable and first-rate education to those interested in obtaining a Penn State degree. He was instrumental in raising funds to construct the Commons/Athletic Center and the Classroom Building, which opened in 1988 and 1998, respectively.

In August of 1996, when plans for construction of the Classroom Building were taking hold, Tomezsko was able to secure a lead gift from David Lipson, currently chief executive officer of MODA Technology Partners in Fort Washington. Lipson was a student of Tomezsko's on his way to earning a liberal arts degree from Penn State in 1965.

"Ed was the driving force to build the structure and was the prime fundraiser behind the effort. Naming the building for him is recognition for his many years of service to the greater Penn State community; to the Delaware County Campus; and to the students," said Lipson. "A number of years ago when I served on the Board of Advisers, I would walk around campus with Ed and he seemed to know every student by name and would stop and chat with everyone we encountered. I was always amazed at his closeness to the undergraduates and his eagerness to assist those who asked for his help."

Current Chancellor Wisniewska, just the third leader of the campus in four decades, agreed that the renaming of the building in Tomezsko's honor was appropriate.

"If it wasn't for Ed's efforts, the building may never have come to fruition," she said. "When you also take into account his years of dedicated service to the campus, I can't think of a more worthy person to have the building renamed after."

For his part, Tomezsko, of Media, said he greatly appreciated the honor, as well as his nearly two decades leading Penn State Brandywine.

"Having the Classroom Building named in my honor is a great thrill, and I am humbled by the recognition. A lot of people have done a lot of excellent work over the years to make the campus what it is today," he said. "My greatest sense of accomplishment comes from the fact that we were able to develop a first-rate faculty, and a very welcoming student community during my time at Penn State Brandywine. The campus has evolved into a multicultural campus where students from all different cultures are comfortable, and that is a great source of pride for me."

Paul Greene, associate professor of ethnomusicology and integrative arts at Penn State Brandywine, has earned the Society of Ethnomusicology's Klaus Wachsmann Prize for a book he co-edited along with Thomas Porcello titled, "Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures." The prize, which is awarded every two years, is given to the best publication in the ethnomusicological study of musical instruments. "Wired for Sound" argues that sound studio technology has ushered in a new age of musical instruments and music-making around the world. The prize was made official at the Society for Ethnomusicology Conference held earlier this month. In accepting the award, Greene thanked Penn State Brandywine for its support. "This volume would not have been possible without the campus' support for my research, and the support of Penn State for my field studies to Nepal," he said.

This fall, a small group of Esparragoza's students are working on a specialized wheelchair that can help a person with a disability remain comfortable in her chair throughout the day's activities without the need for painful transitions. Due to past vertebrae issues, the young woman with whom the engineering class is working suffers from neck and spine pain, as well as digestive problems. These conditions make it very uncomfortable when she has to be moved from the wheelchair. Her frustration with this manifests itself in the form of self-injurious behavior. "Our goal is to design a chair that is comfortable, one where she doesn't have to be moved for food and/or daily activities. We can improve this young woman's life by minimizing the number of transitions she faces during the course of the day" said Esparragoza.

The proposed supportive designs being studied will address the chronic health and pain issues that this woman encounters. Dr. Esparragoza and his students are working on this wheelchair project with Melmark, a Berwyn, PA-based, not-for-profit organization that serves children and adults with special needs.

The next project Esparragoza has planned for his students involves the construction of an 18-cubic-foot refrigerator fully accessible for those confined to a wheelchair. For this particular assignment, students at Penn State Brandywine will collaborate with students from universities in Colombia, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The ultimate goal is to have students present their work at an international conference.

Penn State Brandywine senior Jennifer Johnson, of Media, was so excited recently when she learned she had earned a 2007-08 Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, she could hardly contain herself.
 
"My first reaction was, 'ahhh!', then I started crying and shaking, and I couldn't speak," said the energetic 24-year old student at Penn State Brandywine. Johnson, a native Canadian who won the scholarship from the southern Quebec/northern New Hampshire office of Rotary International, had her pick of most of the countries of the world to continue her studies for one year and perform community service on behalf of Rotary International. She could have chosen a stable, relatively well off country like Australia or England. Instead, she picked the African country of Ghana and the University of Ghana.
 
"I only wanted to go to Ghana or Beirut, and a week after I made them my top two selections, there was unrest in Lebanon that prohibited my going there," she said, noting that her final destination hasn't been confirmed as yet. "I want to be a humanitarian affairs officer who raises the standard of living in developing countries. There's such a misunderstanding between the developing and developed world. There are problems in these countries and by studying their culture I can better understand their needs."
 
If Johnson is taking the road less traveled in choosing Ghana, it's certainly nothing new. After graduating high school in the province of Quebec, Canada, as a 16-year-old, Johnson went to college for four semesters before departing without any real plan for China, where she lived for three years. She later would live in Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Russia, before ending up in Delaware County nearly three years ago.
 
"I didn't know anything about China, but I was kind of tired of school at the time and didn't know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to go somewhere. People in Canada and the U.S. think you're supposed to go to college after high school even if you don't know what you want to do, but that was wrong for me," she said. "In China, I taught preschool for a government-run kindergarten for three years, and then I sort of wandered around for a while trying to figure things out, visiting countries that most people never get to see."
 
One of the most interesting, painful memories for Johnson was when her appendix burst while she was living in Laos. After getting an IV from a local hospital, Johnson illegally crossed the border into Thailand because she thought she might get better care there. The IV got damaged while Johnson finagled her way through a barbed wire fence, and by the time she got medical attention, the situation had worsened.
 
"When the doctor at the hospital examined me, I screamed. He said that if I had gotten to the hospital five minutes later, the game would have been over–that I would have died," she recalled.
 
When she came to Delaware County to become a nanny for a local couple, life settled down a bit, but Johnson's thirst for adventure–and the opportunity to help her fellow man–has never wavered.
 
She is currently president of the Making a Difference Everyday (M.A.D.E.) community service club at Penn State Brandywine, which, among other things, painted a mural at an Easter Seals facility across the street from campus. She also aided the American Red Cross in Philadelphia when the organization brought Hurricane Katrina victims to the area in the summer of 2005. This type of giving has long been part of Johnson's makeup.
 
"I worked at a community center and made meals for Meals on Wheels when I was 14 years old. I've always been a nurturer; I've always just wanted to take care of people," said Johnson, who majors in Letters, Arts and Sciences. With all of her desire to help others, Johnson said Penn State Brandywine has been the right place for her.
 
"People here are so helpful and will bend over backwards to help you. I told (faculty advisor) Dr. Nancy Wyatt what I wanted to do with my life and she saw the scholarship opportunity, and knew it was right for me," she said.
 
The Penn State Brandywine campus community is understandably proud of Johnson's achievement.
 
"The Penn State Brandywine campus, through its Minor in Civic and Community Engagement and a host of other endeavors, continually seeks to do positive things in the community. Jenny is an excellent student, and a fine example of someone who is willing to go the extra mile to help others," said campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska.

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Press Contact: David Jwanier, manager of public information, 215-881-7446 or 215-260-6504 (cell).

Using immigration as the theme, The Tortilla Curtain was chosen as the campus-wide book for this academic year.  The "Tortilla Curtain" is the name given to the border which Mexicans must cross to reach California. The book chronicles a couple that crosses the border to California for a better life, and winds up getting more than they bargained for after meeting up with an affluent American couple. Working  across many disciplines, The Tortilla Curtain deals with many contemporary issues, including social responsibility, discrimination, politics, economics, family structure, and the environment. 

During the fall semester, over twenty courses are using the book, including most First-year seminars, and classes such as Contemporary Literature, Freshman Honors English, Intro to Drawing, and Theatre.

The author, T Coraghessan Boyle, distinguished professor of English at University of Southern California, is the author of over 19 works of fiction and winner of many noteworthy honors and awards. The Tortilla Curtain is not only his most successful novel, but as Boyle comments “… my most controversial novel.”

A series of events is being planned on campus based around the theme of the book and showcasing this explosive issue that is at the forefront of our national political arena. Check back periodically as new events are planned.

For more information on the program and upcoming events, please contact:
Patricia Hillen
First-Year Seminar Campus Coordinator
Instructor of English and American Studies
312G Main
610-892-1372
pah14@psu.edu

During spring break, as part of Penn State's International Program, six students - along with faculty/staff members Barbara Daniel and Norma Notzold and nine adults from the community - focused their service project on hard-hit Mayan villages near the town of Santiago in Guatemala (read more).

(Excerpt from Penn State's International Mosaic magazine, Volume 10, Number 1, Spring 2006. You also may download the entire magazine.)

For more information on other scholarships and endowments, e-mail our Financial Aid Office.

If you would like to help support the educational needs of Penn State Brandywine students, e-mail our Development Office.

In an effort at finding greatness in our midst, Philadelphia magazine has searched the local communities and has brought us the "true gems" of the Philadelphia area. One of these "gems" is right here on the grounds of Penn State Brandywine. In Philadelphia magazine's "Best of Philly®" August issue, the campus was awarded the honor of having the  "Best Outdoor Tennis Courts 2006" in the Philadelphia area.

Philadelphia magazine said "God bless Ethel Sergeant Clark, whoever she is. Her trust allowed for the construction of the best outdoor courts in the area, on the Delaware County campus of Penn State, in Media. The courts--three of which are lit for nighttime play--are well protected from wind, smooth enough to host a bowling tournament, and numerous enough (11) that you won't be kept waiting. The only drawback: You need to heed the school calendar. Because these are campus courts, the school's phys ed classes and teams get first dibs."

Who was Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith?

Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith was born into a prominent Philadelphia family in February 1885. Smith grew up in Philadelphia and although she resided there with her husband, Harrison Smith, the couple spent most of their married life at the Smith family estate in Radnor, Delaware County.

The American Legion consumed much of Harrison Smith's interests, a Colonel in the Cavalry Officers Reserve Corps. Over the course of the years, Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith joined her husband in these activities and held numerous local, state, and national posts within the Ladies Auxiliary. But her true love was tennis, particularly at the Merion Cricket Club, where she was a longtime member.

Smith encouraged and supported the advancement of women's tennis both locally and nationally and established the United States Lawn Tennis Association Girls' Sportsmanship Trophy which is awarded each year to a young woman competing in the Association's annual tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. She also established a similar award in connection with the annual Middle States Lawn Tennis Association Tournament held at Merion Cricket Club.

Without a natural beneficiary for her wealth (the Smiths did not have children) and with her husband having predeceased her, Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith chose to benefit the general welfare through charitable grants to be administered by her named Trustee.

Initiated by the Trustee after her death in 1975, a private foundation was fashioned with the residue of Mrs. Smith's estate and dedicated to benefit charitable organizations located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with primary emphasis on serving community needs in Delaware County.

Since the Fund's inception on July 7, 1977, the principals involved desired to honor Mrs. Smith's memory in a lasting fashion through tennis, her life long love. In 1992, the Fund established a Tennis Complex at Penn State Brandywine. This eight court tennis facility is used for student physical education activities and competition, and is also open to the public.

(Biographical information from The Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial Fund Report)

Penn State Brandywine's Dr. John Tierney, of West Chester, is the recipient of the 2006 Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Chemical Science.

The award, sponsored by the Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society, and Merck & Co., was presented at the May meeting of the Philadelphia Section.

Tierney, an Associate Professor of Chemistry, joined the campus in 1983. He is a graduate of Reading University and Hatfield Polytechnic, both in England, and Temple University.

To learn more about Dr. Tierney, his teaching, research, and other interests, visit his personal webpage.

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Griffith was athletic director at Penn State Brandywine from 1988-2004. She has served as head coach of the women's field hockey teams, men's and women's tennis teams as well as the coed team tennis squad, and was named Tennis Coach of the Year in 1988.

She was presented the award in ceremonies at University Park on Monday, April 24. She was introduced by campus athletic director Joe DiAntonio, and Marty Ogle, athletic director at Penn State Mont Alto, who spoke on her behalf.

Griffith, who holds degrees from Temple and West Chester universities, was an outstanding athlete in her own right. She was elected to the Temple University Hall of Fame in 1983, and the Delco Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Academically, her Scholarly/Research Interests include the Commonwealth Educational System Research Consortium.

The award is named in honor of the former Dean of the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and later Vice-President and Dean of Penn State's Commonwealth Education System, and is presented annually to a coach, faculty or staff member who serves campus athletic, intramural and recreation programs with distinction.

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The project, part of the campus' service initiative program, was supervised by Professor Laura Guertin and John Palka, a returning adult student at the campus who received his associate's degree in 1979 and is now studying for his bachelor's degree.  John is a former cardiac patient himself, and showed the students what patients do with the pillows for breathing exercises during recovery from heart surgery.

The pillows are heart-shaped and were sewn them from scratch with bright, fun colors

Blankets on Fire  Blanket Drive held February 16

In conjunction with a newly-created minor in Civic and Community Engagement, volunteers at Penn State Brandywine held a very special blanket drive on February 16.

"Blankets on Fire" was a project of the Knittany Lion Needleworks group, which makes blankets as part of Project Linus, a national volunteer organization whose mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, homemade, washable blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

"The date was chosen for our blanket drive as it corresponds closely with National Blanket Day on February 18," said Laura Guertin of Media, assistant professor of Earth and mineral science at Penn State Brandywine, who organized the group.

The Delco campus "needleworkers" are made up of dedicated faculty, staff, and students. To date, the group has made and collected several hundred blankets that have been donated to Project Linus.

According to Guertin, the theme "Blankets on Fire," is a tribute to the hard work of firefighters. "We also displayed the 25 or so blankets that the ladies at Granite Farms Estates have been working on for the past few months," she said. Over 30 students, faculty, and staff made 22 blankets during the hour-long program. Combined with other blankets that were made by other groups and turned in that day, the Needleworkers produced 93 blankets that day.

For more information about the Knittany Lion Needleworks group, Project Linus at Penn State Brandywine, or how to get involved, call group coordinator Diane Shorter at 610-892-1279.

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The program, "Democracy and Leadership in Public Administration and Conservation," will be held on Monday, April 10, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the Commons/Athletic Center, Room 203 (Large Conference Room).

Secretary DiBerardinis will speak about the state's efforts in organizing and facilitating community groups to work towards protection of the state's natural resources.

The campus community and general public are invited to attend the discussion, which is aligned with the campus' new minor in Civic and Community Engagement.

Penn State Brandywine is located on Route 352 and Yearsley Mill Road, one mile north of Granite Run Mall. For information on the Lecture Series, call 610-892-1427. For more about Penn State Brandywine, visit the campus website at www.de.psu.edu.

The overall format of the Lecture Series is as follows: Each panelist will discuss their past and current experience in the non-profit community service field, and give background about their organization and agency mission. The discussion will also include information on how students can prepare for careers in the non-profit sector.

The campus established this lecture series to honor the memory of the late PA State Senator Clarence D. Bell, and to perpetuate his devotion to serving the population of Delaware County. The grant for the seminar series was acquired from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community & Economic Development.

About the Senator: Pennsylvania State Senator Clarence D. Bell, who died July 26, 2002 at the age of 88, served Delaware County's 9th District for more than four decades. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving public official in Pennsylvania and was considered the "dean" of the Senate. Widely-known as a champion of veterans, unions, consumers, and motorists, the senator also was instrumental in the development of Penn State Brandywine, playing a key role in obtaining state funding for all of the major buildings now on the campus.

For more information on the Clarence D. Bell Public Service Lecture Series, visit our Center for Civic and Community Engagement website.

The campus established this lecture series to honor the memory of the late PA State Senator Clarence D. Bell, and to perpetuate his devotion to serving the population of Delaware County. The grant for the seminar series was acquired from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community & Economic Development.

The campus community and general public are invited to attend these lively panel discussions, which are aligned with the campus' new minor in Civic and Community Engagement.

Penn State Brandywine is located on Route 352 and Yearsley Mill Road, one mile north of Granite Run Mall. For information on the Lecture Series, call 610-892-1427. For more about Penn State Brandywine, visit the campus website at www.de.psu.edu.

Highlights from the Previous Events

The campus kicked off the Bell Lecture Series on January 23, with "What Does it Mean to Be Penn State?" Panelists included John Vairo, first CEO at Penn State Brandywine; George Franz, current director of academic affairs at Penn State Brandywine; and Fran Alloway from the Delaware County branch of the Penn State Cooperative Extension.

The inaugural session began with an introduction to Sen. Bell, a very good friend of John Vairo. Mr. Vairo then continued with a history of the Delaware County campus, and discussed what it means to be a land-grant institution. Fran Alloway discussed the PSU Extension program and its connections and projects in Pennsylvania. Dr. Franz finished with a report on the status of the campus and what it is doing for civic and community engagement.

Program Two: The second program was held on February 13. The program featured "Non-Profits Working for the Community." Panelists included Bill Clark, President/Executive Director of Philabundance; Maria Thuy, Program Director of the Indo-Asian American Council; and Sheri Houpt, of the Housing Partnership of Chester County.

Philabundance is the Delaware Valley's hunger relief organization. Founded in 1984, Philabundance has provided food for over 60 million meals. The group's role is to collect donated surplus food and distribute it to local organizations serving people in need.

Maria Thuy, Program Director of the Indo-Asian American Council located in Philadelphia, discussed the multiple community services their group offers, including a charter school. She also discussed the Delaware County campus' long-term relationship with the Council in providing PA Literacy Corp students to work with adult students at the center.

Sheri Houpt is an active member of the Penn State Alumni Association and serves as Program Manager at Housing Partnership of Chester County, a non-profit group under contract with the Chester County Department of Development that provides education and resources for first time homebuyers. In addition she has developed other initiatives to educate homeowners facing foreclosure, credit card problems, etc.

Program Three: The third program was held on March 20 and featured "Business Serving the Community." Alan Hirsig, retired CEO of ARCO Chemical Company, discussed ARCO's community engagement programs, and also about the directions a retired CEO can take to contribute to the wider Philadelphia community. Maribeth Baker, principal at Vanguard and chairperson of Vanguard Volunteers, discussed how Vanguard contributes to the community and how the company encourages employees to do so as well.

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Michael DeRosa, professor of chemistry, is spending this year in Slovakia on a Fulbright Scholarship. He will periodically be sharing his experiences and insights with the Penn State Brandywine community. Below are some of his most recent correspondence:

Posted May 9

This is a collection of miniblogs on life in Slovakia.

Nech sa paci: Slovaks are very polite. On buses the young are expected to give up their seat to an older person. To my chagrin, I have been at both ends of this exchange. It is amusing to watch senior citizens: “No you take the seat”—the body language used needs no translator. You open doors for women and help them with heavy packages on buses and trains. Here or when I visit other universities, at doors and elevators, it is “FIFO” (first in, first out). When you sit down to eat it is polite to say “dobre hut” which, translated literally, means “good taste.” “Nech sa paci” is probably the most emblematic Slovak expression. I hear it used almost everyday in Slovakia. It translates as “here you are.” But it is more than that. When you go up to a counter the clerk will say “nech sa paci” when it is your turn and when you get your purchase or change. When someone opens the door for you they will say “nech sa paci” to indicate you should go through. You are all by yourself in a six-passenger train compartment. The person coming in will point at a seat and ask if it is OK to sit down. You respond “nech sa paci” as you wave your hand to indicate the seat is free. Recently our landlady brought us up some homemade goodies. She said “nech sa paci” as she presented us with the plate and “dobre hut” as we took it and thanked her (dakujem).

Ping-Pong: Table tennis is a major sport in Slovakia and in all of Europe. At the local Tesco (a British company that took over the K-Mart stores here) there is a section devoted to the sport with a variety of paddles for sale. When I was about 10-years old I started playing at my local Boys’ Club and I have been playing it on and off since then. At Delco, I have regularly beaten students young enough to be my sons and more recently — grandsons. Here, I play on Monday mornings and get trounced by men 10 years older than I am. It is very inspirational to watch them move around the table as they smash the ball past me.

Haircuts: Trying to get a haircut when neither person speaks the other’s language is very interesting. There is a lot of hand waving to indicate that I want a trim and then more gestures from the barber to make sure she understands what I want. The shop that I picked turned out to be a training school for haircutters and beauticians. I should have guessed it when I noticed that there was only one “mature” person in the place and everyone was wearing identical T-shirts. The clincher was when the young lady called over the instructor to check her work. During my last hair cut both the student and the instructor worked on my hair. The instructor was giving the student expert advice on how to cut the tricky part around the ears. The whole experience costs a buck and a tip is not expected.

Dentist: Hand waving does not work with a dentist. I went to one to have a cracked filling repaired. Miro, my departmental host, made the appointment and accompanied me to translate. The office is in the student dormitory next door to the science faculty building. It is small but modern. The dentist digitized my x-ray and had it up on a computer screen as he worked. My dentist in Media still uses a light box to look at x-ray films. The cost was 789 SK ($26.63). There was a charge sheet outside of the office. At 850 SK, a crown was the most expensive item. Miro indicated that I had paid about twice what he would have with his insurance. You can see why Eastern European “tooth tourism” is growing. One thing that was the same — my 9 a.m. appointment started at 9:20 a.m.

My computer learns Czech: Web mail is wonderful. From a public library in Homer Alaska or a smoky Internet Cafe in Istanbul, you can be in instant contact with family and friends. The problem comes with foreign language keyboards. On Slovak and Czech keyboards the “Y” and the “Z” are reversed. It is enough to drive “zou crayz”. Trying to find the @ symbol could be another whole blog entry. I added the Slovak keyboard to my computer on the premise that even if I could not pronounce my students’ names I could at least spell them correctly. One day I noticed the Czech flag in the upper right hand corner of my Mac. Not only had it picked up Czech but it had also turned itself on. Once this happens the document is flagged as Czech, and you cannot use the English language spell checker. I figured this out after correcting the same typo three times.

Doors: No matter how many doors a building has, only one of them will be open. And it will not be immediately obvious which one it is. All the professors in the department keep their doors closed. You knock and wait for them to say “ano” (yes). I usually keep my door open. But the first thing most people do when they come in is to shut the door behind them. Classrooms are closed and you need to get the key every time you hold class. One of the instructors had the door closed with the key still inside. The fire department had to come and climb in the window to open the door.

Eggs: Eggs come in decades not dozens. And it took us a while to notice. Have not been able to find out why.

Three frozen men: In Slovakia, winter usually makes one last appearance in May. Temperatures drop around May 11-13. The name days for these are: Pankrac, Servac and Boniface. They are known as the “Three Frozen Men.”

Easter customs: Several weeks before Easter Sue was called to the window by one of the other teachers. The first graders were all lined up and at their head there was an effigy of a woman known as Morena. They were going down to the river to throw her in. Morena represents winter and darkness. Throwing her in the river harkens the coming of spring. Another custom takes place on Easter Monday. A young man visits his sweetheart and as she answers the door, dumps water on her. He will also chase her with a willow switch. For this, his sweetheart rewards him with an egg or candy.

Movie theaters: As soon as you walk into a movie theater in Banska Bystrica you sense that something is wrong! Then it hits you: there is no concession stand—no giant tubs of popcorn, no super-sized fizzy drinks.

Credits and credit books: Course credit is a relatively new idea for Slovakia. The aim of the Bologna Agreement (1999) was to set up a EU wide system of comparable degrees based on a credit system. Courses would be recognized and transferable throughout the EU. Before this agreement, Slovak students needed a certain number of courses, not credits, to graduate. Figuring out how many credits a course is worth remains a work in progress. At the beginning of their university studies, students buy a small (3X5) credit book. Students bring their credit books for their professors to sign at the end of each semester. This is an official way of noting that the student has been to class and the grade received. This was the way that I found out that one of my students (a triple major) was taking 18 courses (not a typo) and had 38 hours of class a week. The normal load for dual majors is 11 courses. At the end of five years the student graduates with undergraduate and masters degrees. Professors have a corresponding large class load and 20 hours a week is not unusual. The GPA scale here is inverted with “A” worth one point—the lower your GPA, the higher your academic standing. The lowest passing grade is an “E.”

Endnote: Slovaks and Eastern Europeans are often characterized as being restrained. But if you want to see a Slovak smile say “nech sa paci” as you open the door for them.

Posted May 1

This blog is dedicated to food and, as with all good meals, it will include dessert.

Most days I eat lunch at the University cafeteria or mensa with chemistry or English faculty. Lunch is subsidized for all employees. Meal tickets are sold twice a month and Slovaks pay about $0.80 for lunch. I pay about three times as much. For this you get soup and meat (occasionally fish) served with potatoes, rice, pasta or dumplings. Sometimes you will also get a salad or dessert. There are usually three or four choices that are posted two days before. You stamp your meal ticket with the number of the lunch you want and put it in a slot. Today I had cream of cauliflower soup and meat with pasta. The vegetarian selection was vegetable dumplings with tofu and the sweet plate was three pieces of cake.

I find that there is a reasonable amount of variation. But my coworkers, who have been eating the food for many years, complain about the lack of variety. I have found that if the soup is excellent than the main dish is so-so or vice versa, Sometimes the cook nails them both. Slovaks eat incredibly fast—by the time they are done, I have barely finished my soup. Once you finish you bring your tray back and flatware, dishes, cups and trays are each placed in separate places.

I have now eaten in three other University cafeterias in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The system is basically the same at all the schools. At the Technical University (Bratislava) you use a smart card instead of tickets to select and pay for lunch. In Brno, the menu is translated into English. They are trying to do that at Matej Bel University but the English faculty often cannot figure out the English equivalent. Dishes with vegetables are said to come with "sky" and "cauliflower brains" are cauliflower scrambled with eggs. They have no idea what Moravian sparrow is. In Banska Stiavnica I ate at the restaurant next door, which is part of a food services high school. There is table service  but you still hand in your meal ticket to the server. At the end of the semester you do not get a refund for any unused tickets. Instead you trade them in. My unused tickets equaled a jar of Nescafe.

Dumplings form an important part of the Slovak and central European diet. But what exactly are dumplings? Raviolis, won tons, matzo balls, gnocchi, pelmeni and pierogi (there is an incredible place in Krakow that specializes in these) are all types of dumplings. In Austria and Germany you can get soup in which sits a baseball-size dumpling (nudlen), filled with bacon bits. Greek dumplings—loukoumades—are deep fried like zeppoli and served with honey and dusted with cinnamon…best when piping hot. In the interest of science, I have sampled all of these.

Bryndza halusky is the Slovak national dish. Bryndza is a sheep cheese and halusky are potato dumplings (like gnocchi). The dish is garnished with pieces of bacon. To make halusky you pour the potato dough through a metal plate that has holes into boiling water. This is new school. Old school, you scrape pieces of potato dough into boiling water and each halusky is unique. In another type of dumpling the dough is formed into a loaf, cut into half-inch thick slices and boiled in water. Four slices are served with sauce, meat and cabbage. I can only manage about three slices. Fist size sweet dumplings are filled with jam, poppy seeds or canned peaches and may have syrup poured on top of them.

Desserts…where do I begin? Vienna and Prague have wonderful cafes with display cases full of pastries and cakes, each one more delicious looking than the next. Bratislava has the Café Meyer and Maximillians, the latter specializing in hot chocolate. Dublin has the Queen of Tarts. The outside is painted red and inside, small tables crowd around the fruit and cream tarts. Istanbul has its teahouses offering cookies and cakes to go with your glass of tea.

Each country has a special dessert to offer. Poland has gofry (waffles) with various toppings. Fresh blueberries and whipped cream make an unbeatable combination. Greece is more than just baklava. And Italy?  It is incredible what you can do with ricotta, cream or almond paste. Sue’s favorite breakfast (siracusa) was to have a ricotta canoli each morning. The Baltic countries and Russia have squares filled with cheesecake-like fillings. Most of the time we would point to what looked good and I therefore have no idea what they were called. Slovakia has palacinky (crepes) filled with jam, nuts and smothered in whipped cream. I had some last night. During the fall there is gastonova, a cream made from chestnuts, that is the perfect ending to a meal of roast goose. Kremisch is the Slovak signature dessert. It looks like a Napoleon without all the layers. The top is hard and covered with chocolate. You eat it like an Oreo. It is also popular in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Then there is strudel, which originated in Turkey but of which you can find different versions all over central Europe. You can have a classic version at the Café Lourve (Prague) where Kafka and Einstein ate theirs. I had a marvelous cheese strudel, with just the right amount of lemon, at a café near the church featured in the wedding scene in “The Sound of Music.” In Banska Bystrica, the Arcade Café is the place to get your strudel. It is amazing what the addition of a little cream cheese can do to the taste. I don’t know about you, but all of this has made me very hungry.

Endnote: I met my match at the Cremeria Milano in Prague. I ordered a hunk of an incredible black forest cake with hot chocolate—the kind you need a spoon to eat. The waiter asked if I wanted whipped cream. What could I do but say "yes." But instead of a dollop on top of the chocolate, he brought me a cocktail glass full. A memorable dessert even if I could not finish it all.

Posted April 4

We missed the coming of spring to Banska Bystrica. Ten days before the official start of the season we went to Vienna to meet our son Michael and his wife Jenn for a week of skiing in the Austrian Alps. We left in the middle of winter, trudging through fresh snow to the train station, and came back to spring. On the train ride back from Vienna we could see the changes. Fields that had been snow-covered, a week before, were now bare and in places you could see green grass. In town, sidewalks were clear, and for the first time since November, I could walk without wearing boots.

Nature does not need a calendar to know when winter is over. Birds have been streaming back from their winter homes along the Mediterranean and in Africa. During the summer and fall wagtails were the most noticeable birds around our house and along the nearby Hron River. They left in November with the first snow. Now they are back, flicking their tails as they hunt for tidbits on the old snow and in patches of grass. Pussy willows are blooming and the apiary near my campus has bees buzzing around.

The bird feeder at our house has new customers. We have gone from three species during the winter to over a dozen at the feeder and in the abandoned yard next to our house. European goldfinches with red face masks, blue tits with yellow breasts and blue caps, green finches with yellow wing tips, redpolls with bright red breasts—we are averaging a new species a day. We keep our bird guide and binoculars by the kitchen window as we wait for the next spring arrival.

Endnote: On our last night in the Alps, I found myself hurtling down a 3.8 km toboggan run. Learning how to steer by dragging a foot or a hand as an act of self-preservation. I did win the race and my son had to pay for the hot chocolate and pastries.

A Small Village in the Austrian Alps

Posted March 14

The Zmrzlina Method

Learning to speak Slovak is not easy. There are seven cases to deal with—German has only four. Endings can be masculine, feminine or neuter. There are the š, c, z, y,á, í, ú, ä, and é sounds to deal with. For me, a native Spanish speaker, consonants are my downfall. Try the following Czech (very close to Slovak) tongue twister: strc prst zkrz krk. Fulbrighters received about five hours of excellent instruction in early September. However to be able to communicate you need the intensive language training that Peace Corps volunteers get. Communicating with coworkers, bus drivers and clerks is a daily challenge.

Most of my colleagues speak little or no English. The head of chemistry speaks German. We smile and say dobrý den when we meet and dovidenia as we leave. Ahoj (Hi!) is also heard a lot. If you ask a young person if they speak English, they will usually say no. But if you say something in English they will generally answer back in English. Their parents speak Russian or German, grandparents German and great grandparents Hungarian — linguistic evidence of the regime changes over the last century. I find myself doing a lot of pointing. Conversations can start in halting English and finish in halting German.

At the Bratislava train station there is a kiosk where I buy bus and tram tickets. I will ask for the tickets in English, the clerk will ask me what type and how many in German, I will tell him how many in either Slovak or German and then thank him in Slovak (dakujem). And only when I think about it, does it seem strange. You pick up words just from walking around or from daily activities. Playing ping-pong is great for learning numbers. I can now tell if I should tlacit‘ (push) or tahat‘ (pull) a door. And that I have to push or pull the door marked muzi (men) not zeny.

We shop for groceries at Kaufland. You bag and weigh your own produce. The scale you use has nice teaching aides in the form of little pictures of fruits and vegetables, with the Slovak name underneath. Tomatoes (paradajky ) and potatoes (zemiaky ) are no problem, but there may be three different kinds of apples (jablko ) to identify. We have the same problem with cucumbers (two kinds) and zucchini; their pictures look almost identical.

One day, walking back home from the University, I had one of those “AHA” moments in front of my favorite zmrzlina store. As with most great ideas, the basic concept was very simple. The zmrzlina store served 18 varieties of ice cream. Each day I would sample a different flavor of ice cream. This would establish a direct synaptic link between my taste buds and the language center of my brain: I would literally be learning Slovak by swallowing and digesting words.

There have been some technical difficulties in implementation. One difficulty is the nature of the Slovak language. I found that I was learning ‘walnuty‘ instead of walnut. And it takes three words to describe their incredible hazelnut ice cream — too many words to swallow at one time. Three of the flavors, including banana, tasted exactly the same with the only difference being their color. With the coming of winter, the store shifted to selling hot dogs and my lessons stopped. Lessons are a bargain at 20 cents each. Come spring I will start them anew. And as teaching professionals, we know that repetition is the key to learning.

Endnote: In Rome, Gelateria della Palma, has 100 flavors of gelato. What a way to learn Italian!

Posted February 27

SNOW!

As I write this, the sky is blue and light pours through the window. Outside sunlight glistens off two days worth of fresh snow.  Birds, at the feeder, are foraging for sunflower seeds. A few minutes away the Hron river rushes by. Its snow covered banks crowded with mallards looking for handouts. Drakes, with iridescent green heads and bright orange feet, stand out against the snow. All around us are picture-postcard views. But now for the nitty-gritty details…

Banska Bystrica, where we are living, is in the heart of traditional Slovakia. Slovakia is located in the center of Europe. We enjoy a continental climate: hard winters and blistering summers. This winter, by all accounts, has been harder than usual. We have had snow on the ground since November 21. Jan, our landlord, pushes and shovels the snow after each snowfall complaining bitterly that it is a katastrophe. The same cannot be said for the city. They plow the roads but the sidewalks get scant attention. Snow on the sidewalks gets compacted and, with thawing and freezing, turns to ice.

Before I came to the Delaware Valley I had not heard of black ice. Here the ice doesn't lurk and hide waiting for the unwary, but is a crust one, two or more inches thick covering sidewalks and parking lots. When they do attend to the sidewalks they attack the ice with picks and pry bars. Most Slovaks take the snow and ice in stride. There is a different way of thinking here - it's winter - what do you expect.   I have seen one woman wearing crampons, others using skiing poles and senior citizens picking their way through snow and ice using one or two canes. But most amazing are the stylish young women wearing boots with three-inch heels. They walk briskly, with their heads high and backs straight, through the snow and ice, lapping me in my clunky L.L. Bean boots.

Endnote: I mentioned to a colleague that in the US "slip and fall" lawyers would have a field day. He said that most people just ignore the law about shoveling their sidewalks.  As for suing…forgetaboutit!

Posted February 15

View from Piazzale De Rosa

My father was born in 1889 in Barile, Italy. Potenza is the largest city close to Barile. We used it as the base from which to visit Barile about 40 kilometers away. On the map of Potenza, near the Potenza Superiore railroad station, can be found Piazzale De Rosa. Was this a tribute to a famous ancestor? I had to check it out, take pictures, and record it for posterity! I had visions of a plaque, bust or maybe even a statue. We took a bus to the train station and followed the map to the area in front of an historic church where Piazzale De Rosa was supposed to be located. There was no statue of any size or shape, no plaque and, not even a road sign, to mark the spot. Passersby were mystified when asked about the Piazzale. The only things in front of the church were a parking area and a bus shelter.

If my search for Piazzale De Rosa was a bit of a disappointment, the visit to Barile was more than I had hoped for. The Barile train station is about 200 feet above the village center. To reach the center you have to descend a series of steps that serve as a street in and out of the village. Following the directions given to us at the train station café we walked, past the stares of the villagers, down to the anagrafe office where vital records are kept. I gave the clerk my father's name and birthday. He went up a spiral staircase, brought down an old leather bound register and looked at the index; my father was the 19th birth recorded in 1889. Opening the register to #19, he showed me my father's birth certificate: time and place of birth, the doctor that delivered him, parents names, witnesses and at the bottom, the florid signature of my paternal grandfather—Giuseppe Garibaldi De Rosa. It was an incredible moment spanning 116 years.

Endnote: Piazzale De Rosa and a nearby street are named in honor of Francesco (aka Pacceco) De Rosa, a 17th century religious painter. Three of his paintings can be seen at the Museo Nazionale di San Martino in Naples. Whether we’re related is still a mystery I hope to uncover.

Posted February 1

Seismos

At 1:30 p.m. on January 8 off the coast of the island of Kythira (Greece), a magnitude 6.9 earthquake was taking place. Two hundred kilometers to the south we were touring the ruins of Knossos on the island of Crete. The first hint of the quake was the interpretive sign in front of us starting to vibrate: slowly at first, as if one of us had bumped into it, and then faster and faster as we watched fascinated. Before either one of us could say "earthquake," there was no need for words as the ground started to move and the plastic sheeting covering some of the ruins began to shake violently. Hooded crows and a hawk burst out of the trees--the cawing of the crows echoing and mingling with the barking of a dog--then silence. All of this took, at most, 60 seconds.

When we got back to the hotel, the quake (seismos) was the lead story on local TV. The hotel clerk told us that she was afraid the building would come down. There are frequent tremors here but this one was stronger, and lasted longer than the ones she was used to.

Endnote: There was little property damage and only a few minor injuries. The quake merited only a few lines buried inside the International Herald Tribune.

Posted January 8

Christmas Comes to Slovakia

Slovakia does not celebrate Thanksgiving and therefore there is no 'Black Friday' to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. Here the Christmas season began in mid-October with chocolate Santas filling supermarket shelves. Why so early, became clear on December 6th. This is the day that Svat Mikulá  (St. Nicholas) brings candies and small presents. Jeiko (Baby Jesus) arrives on Christmas. As for the chocolate Santas, a week later they were on sale in stores all over town.

During the Communist era it was Dedo Mráz (Grandfather Frost) who ushered in winter and brought presents on both December 6th and on Christmas. Once the Iron Curtain fell, back came Svat Mikulá, Jeiko and, with capitalism, Santa Claus.

During Christmas, markets are set up in squares and plazas all over Europe. In early December, here in Banska Bystrica, the market opened with about a dozen stalls featuring mainly food and pun (punch). The pun is a hot wine drink containing rum, tea, lemon, cloves and cinnamon; it goes nicely with the klobása (sausage) that the stalls also sell. Last weekend about a dozen more stalls opened selling ornaments and delicious honey cakes. Another traditional food is bread smeared with lard and onions on top - a delicacy we did not try.

We went to Vienna for the Christmas Market. Vienna's largest Christmas market is held in the park in front of the Rathaus (City Hall) with over 140 stalls selling all types of food and Christmas ornaments. On sale are hand-painted glass ornaments made in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Some of the other ornaments are identical to those in the Christmas store at Granite Run Mall. The big attractions are the punsch and glüewine. The later you go to the market, the more young people there are, drinking and partying.

Sauerkraut soup (kapustinca) is a traditional dish served during the Christmas season in Slovakia. I have also been told that it is a sure remedy for a hangover. The soup has sausage, mushrooms and other ingredients which depend on the region that it comes from; the base is always sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is put up in the fall and after two months it is at its best and ready to be served at Christmas. I had some of the soup on December 6 in Banska Stiavnica and it was very good. Last week when I went there to give my class, the head of the environmental program was cooking sauerkraut soup for their party the next day.

The Chemistry Department had their Christmas party on December 15. We all gathered together (faculty, staff and grad students) to toast the season and then enjoy kapustinca. I had seconds.

Endnote: In Slovakia New Year's Eve is called Silvester after the saint's name day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Mike De Rosa