Friday, November 20, 2009
To help recognize November as Native American Heritage Month, Penn State Live posed a few questions to A. Gregg Roeber, professor of early modern history and religious studies at Penn State and co-director of the Max Kade German-American Research Institute. In 2008 Roeber edited the book "Ethnographies and Exchanges: Native Americans, Moravians and Catholics in Early North America," published by Penn State Press. It was inspired by an international conference the institute hosted on the occasion of the English translation and publication of the Diaries of David Ziesberger, one of the first Moravian German-speaking missionaries and ethnographic observers of the Lenape.
Roeber's book examines the diaries, letters and journals of early European missionaries settling in America who survived only because of the help of Native American groups. These writings are valuable resources for recovering information about the religions, cultures and political makeup of the "First Peoples."
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Friday, November 20, 2009
For the third consecutive year, the Big Ten Network will present the exclusive, live announcement of the annual Big Ten football awards during Big Ten Tonight: All-Conference Selection Special at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 23. The show will reveal the All-Big Ten teams as selected by both the coaches and the media. Coaches will select a Big Ten Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Freshman of the Year. Media will also honor the Dave McClain Coach of the Year while the coaches will pick an Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year.
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Friday, November 20, 2009
Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts has launched its centennial video, which can be viewed at http://live.psu.edu/youtube/XjrXdqiLtoU online. The 11-minute video highlights some of the college's well remembered faculty and alumni as well as students and key events from the past 100 years.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Penn State student-athletes continue to graduate well above their peers nationwide, earning record-setting academic performances, according to statistical information released earlier this week by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA's annual study of institutions nationwide revealed that Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a record-tying Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 89 percent, compared to a 79 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 1999-2000 through 2002-03. "Penn State places great value on the academic success of our student-athletes. These numbers clearly show the dedication of our students, our academic staff and our coaches," said Penn State President Graham Spanier.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Penn State will upgrade its West Campus steam plant starting in 2010 as part of its ongoing plan to promote greater environmental stewardship and ensure reliable heating for campus buildings. Over the last several years, Penn State has aggressively pursued environmental strategies that will reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and position it as a leader in "green" practices among universities nationwide.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
With the trend in locally raised food, the "heritage turkey" is experiencing a surge in popularity. R. Michael Hulet, associate professor of poultry science at Penn State, said many of these colorful birds (with equally colorful names such as Black Spanish, Bourbon Red, and Slate) are the commercially-bred turkeys of yesteryear. Heritage turkeys are a niche market, and "they are expensive to grow, because they don't produce as much meat per feed," said Hulet. "They allow local producers to diversify what they farm, and people say that, because they take longer to grow, there's a little more texture and 'turkey-ish' taste to the meat."
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