Valley Magazine | Spring 2015 by VALLEY Magazine

Beauty & Health

table of

contents

Haute Sport Spring 2015 Fashion Spread

How to Work Out Like a Lionette

The Secret to Landing Your Dream Job

BEAUTY& HEALTH 8 | Fresh & Flavorful Seasonal eating on a budget.

spring 2015

on the cover

Gabrielle Herman: A War of Her Own 22 | Split Divorce takes a major toll on children of separated parents, even into college.

44 Music Festival Style Guide

Planning the Perfect CrossCountry Road Trip

fashion 44 | Music Festival Style Guide

10 | The Art of the Eyebrow

23| A Cupcake a Day How Molly O’Malley finds her sweet escape from classes.

45 | Men’s Fashion Staples Style investments every guy should consider.

11 | How to Work Out Like a Lionette It’s not all high kicks and splits.

24| Quiz: How Your Professional Style Represents You

46 | Haute Sport Spring 2015 Fashion Spread.

12 | Summer Hair Affair Three hairstyles that pack the heat.

25 | The Secret to Landing Your Dream Job

54| Campus Style How to complete a killer #streetstyle look.

16 | Makeup Made Easy Four Genius DIY Hacks.

campus culture

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

28 | Drugged The shocking risk you’re taking every time you go out...and how to be prepared.

56 | Pitch-Slapped A look into Penn State’s a cappella scene.

30 | Kenya Crawford: Answering Opportunity

57 | Teaching the Impossible A chat with Richard Robichaux from “Boyhood”.

18 | Guy Code Hear from some guys on campus about love and relationships.

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19 | Blue and White Blues

32 | Thou Didst Mold Us Dear Old State The Penn State bucket list you didn’t even know you needed.

20 | Collegiate Ties Will your friendships last after graduation?

34 | Gabrielle Herman: A War of Her Own Say hello to our Spring 2015 cover girl.

entertainment

58 | Planning the Perfect Cross-Country Road Trip From point A to point B, we have you covered. 61 | Throw A Party: Murder Mystery 62 | Your Summer 2015 Reading List

Valley Magazine

V Penn State’s only student-run life and style magazine.

editorial division

business division

spring 2015

Valley Magazine is published once per semester and distributed for free on Penn State’s main campus in University Park, Pa.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to recognize other students for their academic and extracurricular accomplishments and to feature local style, entertainment and lifestyle trends. Valley Magazine is named after Happy Valley and was founded in September 2007 by former Penn State students Nicole Gallo, Meredith Ryan, Katie Zuccolo and Kathryn Tomaselli. The Spring 2015 magazine is Valley’s fifteenth issue.

To contact Valley Magazine: editor@valleymagazinepsu.com

join us Are you a current Penn State student interested in joining our staff? Visit our website for more information.

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editor-in-chief design director photography director web director fashion director managing editor copy editing director valley vids director web master beauty & health editor self-improvement editor campus culture editor fashion editor entertainment editor copy editor

Samantha Allen Kailyn Moore Travis Witmer Amanda Hunt Madeline Fass Sabrina Evans Corinne Fierro

writers

Kelly Gibson, Margaret O’Brien, Christine Dua, Christopher Covert, Vanessa Cardy, Alexis Desrosiers, Andrea Navarro, Ashley Felice, Ava Graham, Carolita Joseph, Jillian Acri, Kacie Iwasyk, Kimberly Hutchison, Megan Wesley, Meghan Reinhardt, Natalia Tyndall, Sarah Baker

photographers

Christopher Covert

Jose Ponte, Skylar Yuen, Cori Howarth, Danielle Gallo, Kristen Robertson, Madeline Klebe, Meghan Tranuskaus, Stephanie Distasio, Susannah Foos

Emily Keifline

designers

Erica Kasan

Natasha Tereschak Taylor Fowler Jillian Selzer Jennifer Meyers Leah Mason

business director advertising director events director pr/marketing director financial director social media director

Rachael Kline Carolyn Lanza Annie Ryan Allie DeBor Kayla Sredni Jillian Baker

Nikki Rose, Carly Weisenfeld Printed by Nittany Valley Offset

Kasey Lam, Natalie Frund, Sabriana Pimentel, Kate Perkins, Lindsay Zacharia, Jacqueline McNenney, Jaimie Harraka, Kristen D’Amelio, Megan Smoter, Rebecca Myers, Alexis Komatsu, Jessica Harris, Emilia Pascarella, Abby Kelly, Kristella Pappas, Amy Wein, Jordan Berk, Gaby Baum

events managment

Lindsay Buckmeier, Emily Carmosino, Dana Singer, Alexa Royle, Samantha Lessen, Sarah Jordan, Emma Stewart, Summer Ziernicki, Nicole Trayer, Haley Levitt, Sydney Bair

advertising

Simone Greene, Katie Seibert, Rachel Reid, Anna James, Rebecca Bryden, Jordan Berk, Kerin Jennings, Marissa Boardley, Alex Halley, Grace Nissi, Amy Wein, Katie Levine

Kimberly Winters, Alex Mos, Jordan Barnett, Kelsey Linn, Sara Silversmith, Alyssa Cichy, Taylor Shipton

stylists

pr/marketing

finance

Samantha Chou The content and opinions of this publication reside solely with the authors and not the Pennsylvania State University or the University Park Allocation Committee.

board of advisors

Pamela Monk, Ron Smith, Jill Shockey

Valley Magazine

Beauty & Health

beauty&health

Name Devon Murray Hometown Mechanicsburg, Pa. Major Nutritional Sciences,

Dietetics Option

Year Senior WHAT sHE DOES

Penn State Fitness Instructor, marathon runner, fitness blogger

why she does it

letter from the

“Working out is such an empowering thing. It’s a complete mind and body experience. I like the challenge. It’s not about the calories you burn or how far you run. It’s about the feeling you get when you finish a hard workout and you thought you couldn’t do it, but you proved to yourself that you could.”

editor This quote speaks on behalf of every single one of us and our own journeys. No one’s life is easy, despite the fact that many of us feel weak admitting it. Many of our feature stories, including Gabrielle’s, focus on the undoubtable truth that it’s okay to not be okay all the time, and that more importantly, it takes serious reflection time to overcome some of our struggles. In fact, it can take years. Flip through our pages and you’ll notice that many of our features have the same message. One of our features, Molly, went through a devastating self-image issue and went on to establish The Penn State Cooking and Baking Club. Our self-improvement section opener, Ally, was diagnosed with depression and transformed her negative energy into being a positive change in Active Minds. Four students opened up about how their parents’ divorces affected them. And each of these stories uncovers more strength with each admitted weakness. Because as our cover girl says, “a weakness is not a weakness.” As human beings, we are always transforming. We are always learning new things and innovating new ways to live our lives. In the midst of

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all the change can be emotional and physical damage, and sometimes this damage can seem irreparable. Gabrielle is living proof that the best outcome can arise from the worst event. Although she stumbled her way through her last years of high school and even into college, she’s now on her way to grad school to fulfill a passion she wouldn’t have discovered had it not been for her experience. At the beginning of this semester, we had a similar revelation and decided it was time to ask ourselves—who is Valley Magazine? Since our inception in 2007, we’ve tried it all— we once had two cover girls, we dared to be different by featuring heavier content, we took our online presence from a mere blog to a well-read professional website and the list goes on and on. I am proud to say our fifteenth issue mirrors precisely what Valley Magazine stands for, and I hope you enjoy our graduated look. A huge thanks to Amanda for being there throughout this crazy semester of redesign. Thank you Leah, our past EIC, for beginning what is now our answering years. Thank you Sabrina for managing from afar. Thank you Kailyn and Travis for working your creative minds

spring 2015

airing it out

“I started my blog in November. It’s called ‘Power of Perspiration.’ It’s basically my journey with fitness and how I started out and healthy recipes that I’ve made. I did one post about how to read nutrition labels. The back of the box is where you get the real details.” tirelessly to help us achieve our new look. Thank you to my wonderful print and web writers who keep me grounded. Thank you to Rachael and our business staff for being our pillar of strength. And thank you to all the students, professors and State College community members. Nothing we achieved this semester could be done without each and every one of you.

switching it up

“I obviously love long-distance running, but I also like HIIT workouts since they’re quick and effective. I do incorporate weight training two or three times a week, but everyone calls me the cardio bunny because I really love doing cardio. I also love Insanity and P90X. I do those at home, especially when it’s cold out. If you only have an hour, pop in a DVD!”

I will leave you with this little piece of advice from the great Oprah Winfrey: “Live your best life.”

Devon’s blog: powerofperspiration.wordpress.com

Try to make every year your best year, and don’t be afraid to take the time to answer the questions you spent years asking. You owe yourself that much and more.

Sami Allen

Take Care,

Photo by Jordan Barnett

hen I was interviewing this issue’s cover girl, Gabrielle Herman, she read this quote to me: “There are years that ask questions and there are years that answer.”

halfway there

“I started out running half marathons. I did eight of those. If you asked me three years ago if I could run a half marathon, I would have said ‘definitely not.’ Marathon running is really just a mental game. Once you run 18 miles you can run 26.”

Beauty & Health

fresh flavorful Seasonal Eating on A Budget

After months of the same itchy sweaters and boring bowls of soup we only pretended to like because they kept us warm, it’s all over. Pack away the parkas and toss the chili recipe aside: it’s time for a change. Corinne Fierro explores some great produce options to kick your spring eating into gear.

ith spring come the fresh fruits and vegetables that make cooking fun again, and we’re here to showcase some of the season’s most flavorful produce. We selected asparagus, strawberries, cherries, mango, leeks and avocado to give your blah dinner a new range of flavor. Plus, the breakfast and dinner dishes can last for up to five days, so you’ve got your weekly meals covered.

The ultimate bonus: cooking at home will help you save money for those warm-weather Kiwi trips we’ve all been waiting for.

Lunch: Spring Salad with Spinach, Chicken and Mango What you’ll need: 1 chicken filet, 1 mango, 1⁄2 lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, spinach

What to do:

stick of butter, 3⁄4 cup sugar, 1⁄2 cup flour, 1 cup of oats, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon, 1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg, 1⁄2 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. salt

Rinse spinach, pat dry and add to a medium-sized bowl. Roast chicken in the oven with salt and pepper on 375 degrees until fully cooked. In the meantime, cut the mango into small, bite-size pieces. Add chicken, mango pieces and pumpkin seeds to spinach. Juice the lemon half over the salad and follow with a few splashes of olive oil. Sprinkle goat cheese, salt and pepper over the salad and toss to finish.

What to do:

Dinner: Primavera Risotto

Breakfast: Strawberry-Cherry Crisp What you’ll need: 2 cups of strawberries, 2 cup of cherries, ½

Grease dish with oil or cooking spray. Pour in sliced strawberries and cherries. Prepare the topping by melting the butter and adding in the salt, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to a mixing bowl and combine. Spread the topping over the berries. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.

What you’ll need: 1⁄2 bunch asparagus, 1⁄2 bunch leeks, 1 cup

Arborio rice, 1 32 fl oz. container chicken broth, 1 onion, garlic, pre-grated Parmesan cheese (Note: Serves 4)

Snack: Avocado Toast What you’ll need: 1 avocado, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, bread of your choice

What to do:

Start by toasting a slice of bread. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the avocado out with a knife. Spread the avocado like butter onto the toast and sprinkle with seasoning.

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spring 2015

Cut the asparagus into bite-size pieces, cut the leeks into thin rings, chop the onion finely and mince the garlic. Sauté garlic and onion until golden. Add asparagus and leeks and cook for three minutes. Add rice and mix. Add one cup of broth, stir constantly with a wooden spoon until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Continue to add broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. Add the final cup of liquid a little at a time, adding only enough to be quickly absorbed until the rice is cooked and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan, add Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Photos by Travis Witmer

What to do:

lionette

the art of the

how to work out like a

EYEBROW The eyebrows “on fleek” trend has everyone scrutinizing their own brows to see if they measure up. Eyebrows can make or break your face, and not having any is just plain scary (don’t lie—you’ve Googled “celebrities with no eyebrows” at least once). But with so many shapes and techniques out there, shaping your perfect brow is often easier said than done. Christine Dua looks into what techniques you can learn on your own in between trips to the salon.

ANASTASIA Beverly Hills Brow Duality | $23

Wax On, Wax Off ANASTASIA Beverly Hills Mini Duo Angled/Spooley 7 Brush | $18

Perfecting your split-jump and high-kicks isn’t the only way to work out like a Lionette. Writer Margaret O’Brien sits down with three of Penn State’s Lionette captains Rachel Bove, Allison Chambers and Katie Shearin to get the lowdown on how these ladies keep up their fitness enough to win all those national titles, and score a few tips ourselves!

“We take precaution in waxing when it comes to Threading might be painful at first since it the customer’s health,” Weidhaas says. “We use plucks away each individual hair. However, unsoy wax and it’s good for two things. First it is an- like waxing, threading doesn’t take off any skin timicrobial and second, it is anti-bacterial. This around the brow or require any hot liquids, prekeeps the pores clean by being anti-sanitary. So venting irritation. it’s not sticky and it takes on the hair, not the skin.”

Tweezing Touch-ups If you’re not ready to undergo the waxing strip just yet, tweezing is another great way to keep your eyebrows looking neat. The trick when tweezing is simple: less is more. Just like creating the perfect winged liner, perfecting your brows takes practice, patience and persistence. Try filling in the shape of your desired brow with an eyebrow pencil before tweezing, and then tweeze whatever doesn’t fall into that shape. Be careful not to over-tweeze—sparse eyebrows are out and full eyebrows are in.

NYX COSMETICS Eyebrow Cake Powder | $6

BENEFIT Gimme Brow Volumizing Gel | $24

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If you want a slightly more advanced technique, threading might be for you. Originally popular-

spring 2015

Once you’ve perfected your brows, highlighting and filling is key. Luckily, there are special tools made just for maintaining your brows. Makeup brands such as Anastasia Beverly Hills Brows, NYX and Benefit have great products that include eye gels, DIPBROW pomade, eyebrow pencils and concealing/highlighting pencils. The great thing about using makeup to perfect your brows is that you can get the right combination of colors to match your hair color and skin tone.

Achieve Your Look Finding the method that’s right for you isn’t always easy, but with us here to help keep you and your brows on-point, you’ll be looking fierce in no time.

Photos by Travis Witmer

Don’t Dread The Thread

Makeup Maintenance

Photos by Travis Witmer

TWEEZERMAN Mini Slant Tweezer| $16

lunge

2 sets of 25 lunges per leg

ized by Eastern cultures, threading uses a sharp clothing thread to pluck away unwanted hairs, creating the perfect arch.

Waxing is one way to maintain the eyebrow shape you want. The safest way to wax is getting it pro- Victoria Entz, a junior majoring in rehabilitafessionally done in a salon. You can also do it at tion and human services, talks about her first home, but make sure you know what you’re doing experience getting her eyebrows threaded. and use proper care. “I recently got my eyebrows threaded at the EyeChristie Weidhaas, head nail technician and eyebrow Threading 17 salon downtown,” she says. brow esthetician at Looks Hair Design in down- “Honestly, I was skeptical because I always get town State College, talks about her clientele and my brows waxed, but this is the best my brows ever looked.” why she prefers waxing to other techniques. ANASTASIA Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade | $18

Beauty & Health

he Lionettes have quite the rigorous success, as it prevents injury and makes the deworkout schedule, practicing for about manding practice easier on their muscles. three hours a day, four days a week. During practice, the Lionettes work hard to per- “We especially do a considerable amount of fect their routines and improve their techniques. lunges and splits to make sure our legs are reIn addition to regular practice, the Lionettes also ally stretched before kicking and turning during have conditioning. They get up bright and early practice,” Bove says. at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, when they’ll do anything from springs with team trainer Mark Lozinski to The Lionettes do leg stretches and backbends a Boot Camp class in the White Building. religiously to keep them feeling loose, limber and kick-line ready. “During Nationals, season practice will be longer,” Chamber says. “Some weekends, we have Don’t Forget About Diet nine to five on Saturdays and Sundays, or it can A nutritious diet plays a key role in maintaining go even later to 11 p.m. if we need the extra one’s fitness, and the Lionettes are no exception. practice.” The girls share some of their favorite healthy snacks to keep energized throughout their gruBut, for those of us who aren’t on an organized eling schedules. team, getting ourselves to work out regularly can be a real challenge. Thankfully, you can fol“We eat a ton of veggies, hummus, salads, eggs low this simple schedule and reap the Lionette and Quest bars,” Chambers says. “Protein is benefits. very important in order for our muscles to recover from hard practices and workouts. I drink Get to Work Shakeology because it keeps me full and is a “Throughout the week, each member is required quick meal I can have on the go before or after to work out on their own aside from our prac- practice.” tices and group workout,” Bove says. “I would say that a normal workout for us at the gym is “The best advice I have is to stay driven,” 20 minutes of cardio such as running on the Shearin says. “Getting in shape doesn’t happen treadmill, arc trainer, elliptical, etc., followed by overnight and staying in shape takes a lot of lifting and then finishing up with a core workout self-motivation. Set goals and reward yourself that is mostly crunches and planks.” when you meet them. Start small and work toward bigger ones. Find a friend that will encourThe Lionettes recommend making the most out age you to stay focused during your workouts.” of your hour-long working by doing 30 minutes of cardio such as jogging or using the elliptical, Although we don’t all have to get the crowd 20 minutes of lifting with a mixture of machines pumped up at sporting events or bring home and free weights and 10 minutes of stretching national championships, doing our best to live a and ab work out (like those seen on the right). healthy lifestyle is something we all should aim for, whether or not we kick high enough to get there.

Stretch it Out

The Lionettes also say that pre-workout stretching is absolutely crucial to the team’s health and

backbend

plank

crunch

Hold for 30-60 seconds

Hold for 3 sets of 30-60 seconds

2 reps of 30 crunches

sun goddess Photo by Travis Witmer

Recreate this Mediterranean look by spritzing sea salt spray around your whole head and working your hair into a fishtail braid. Top off the look with a touch of bronzer on your cheekbones.

au naturel

top-notch top knot

Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer, dare to play up your natural hair! Our modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curly locks were accentuated with hair gel, so choose the product that defines your hair at its very best. Finish the do with your already perfect smile.

A classic knot gets a punky spin. Gently tease the top layer of your hair and gather into a bun on top of the head. Add winged eyeliner for full effect.

Photos by Travis Witmer

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spring 2015

Makeup made easy

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Let’s face it—we’re more worried about sleeping in than investing time in our beauty regime. But with a copy of Valley at your fingertips and makeup guru Jillian Selzer to do some of the best DIY snooping for you, makeshift makeup has never been easier.

Family Studies

Year Senior WHAT sHE DOES

President of Active Minds, Grief Counselor at Tides Family Service, Teaching Assistant, Member of the Centre County Mental Health Advisory Board, Programming Director Intern at Tides Foundation

life’s a beach

stomping out stigma

With summer right around the corner, we all want those effortless beach waves only Blake Lively can seem to pull off. This ingredient combo will help you channel your inner Serena van der Woodsen.

“Active Minds is an organization that works to raise awareness and education about mental health and reducing stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Our main point is for it to be a changed conversation because right now, it’s something that’s not talked about.”

In an empty spray bottle, combine:

sealed with a kiss

- 8 fl. oz. of warm water - 2 tsp. coconut oil - 2 tsp. sea salt - 1 tsp. hair gel for hold

Licensed makeup artist and junior print journalism major Brittany Kint encourages branching out from your normal products. “The natural ingredients [in tea] put vitamins and minerals in your skin to reduce puffiness,” Kint says. Before applying your makeup, place a cold, damp tea bag over each eye. Let sit for five minutes, then pat your eyes with a wet washcloth. Tip: Green tea acts as an astringent to reduce bags under your eyes, while the caffeine in black tea will also reduce dark circles. Looks like you don’t need to down that venti mocha latte with two extra shots of espresso after all.

A box of 12 individual Kool-Aid packets runs at about $2.50 at Walmart –cheaper than any lip stain on the market. Pick your desired color and empty packet contents into a small ramekin. Before you apply, moisturize with lip balm. Then dampen your finger, dip into the powder and apply to your lips. The more coats you put on, the richer the color will be. When finished, go over it with a Q-tip to evenly distribute the color.

scrub-a-dub-dub You don’t need to hit Lush for the perfect body scrub. Follow this simple recipe for bright, exfoliated and refreshed skin.

- 2 cups brown sugar - 1⁄2 cup honey - 1⁄4 cup olive oil

spring 2015

Photos by Travis Witmer

switching it out

In a bowl, combine:

Mix together and gently scrub on skin. Rinse off and reap the benefits.

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live life with kindness

“Regardless of circumstances, regardless of physical traits, depression is feeling low, worthless, extremely tired no matter what for no reason. The reason is there’s a chemical imbalance. Once you can realize and accept that, you can become educated more on what depression really is. You really never know what someone’s going through. Some problems are just invisible. I feel like the best way to conquer that problem from a day-today basis is to just go through life with kindness, whether it’s the smallest act, I think that it can be life-changing for somebody.”

Photos by Travis Witmer

To de-puff your eyes after an intense all-nighter, look no further than a caffeinated tea bag.

reaching out

“My freshman year of high school I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, which I was pretty hush-hush about. It was a struggle for the rest of high school with me going to counseling and figuring out whether or not I wanted to be on medication. I just wanted to feel normal on my own.”

“If you ever forget to get lip stain at the store, you can look right in your pantry,” Kint says. “Kool-Aid leaves a nice hue to your lips, and better yet, it tastes much better.”

Spray moderately onto damp hair, scrunch and let air-dry. For more defined waves, twist sections of hair periodically as your hair dries.

a quali-tea morning routine

Beauty & Health

Name Ally Fiorenzi Hometown Montville, N.J. Major Human Development &

“Know that regardless of how absolutely empty and less whole of a person you may feel like, you are still worth the world to at least me and I don’t even know you. You are valued by somebody, and it’s taken me a long time to accept saying ‘Hi, I’m Ally and yes I have depression.’ The main advice I can give is that you are not alone and there are so many other people going through exactly what you’re going through.”

Self-Improvement

GUY

blue-and-white

blues

CODE

Males and females: we butt heads, we fight and we can’t seem to get over this hurdle of hormonal disaster that causes our relationships to give us migraines. Why is the most natural thing in the world– love–also the hardest? Jenny Meyers sits down with four guys and asked them life and relationship questions to get their side of the story.

Valley: When you first start talking to a girl, what do you look for? Zach: “I love seeing a girl with beautiful eyes

that light up when she’s talking about something she cares deeply for, a truly genuine smile and a laugh that makes everyone around her laugh. The looks are what bring me in, but the personality is what keeps me around.”

Valley: Why do you think guys and girls disagree on so much when it comes to being in a relationship? Zach: “I think that today’s ‘hook up’ culture really makes the way men and women approach relationships considerably different. The romance and effort that was traditionally involved in dating and relationships in the past isn’t around anymore, and it’s causing expectations of men and women to be different.”

Luigi: “I think it’s because we’re at such an experimental age in our lives that even if you do want to settle down with someone, subconsciously you want to explore and see what else is out there. I think that applies to both men and women.” Valley: Why do guys and girls find approaching

each other so complicated? What is the disconnection?

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Diagnosing Depression

According to McKinnon, clinical depression is diagnosed when a patient exhibits at least five of the following symptoms for at least two weeks: depressed mood or lessened interest or pleasure, significant weight loss or gain, problems sleeping, loss of energy, trouble concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or recurrent thoughts of suicide.

Lucas: “I think both sexes find approaching one another so difficult because they fear rejection. To me, in today’s day and age, most times you approach the opposite sex, they assume that you are trying to hit on them and they immediately become uncomfortable and often times difficult to talk to. If both guys and girls just stop assuming everyone is trying to hit on them and just accept that someone’s trying to get to know them, they will find that it could lead to less awkward encounters and more friendships or possibly even relationships down the line.”

Although there are many competing theories, Dr. Arbitell attributes clinically diagnosed depression to a chemical imbalance in the brain that is often genetic or triggered by an external stressor. “It’s a very tender balance between the functioning of various brain chemicals,” Dr. Arbitell says. “All it takes is for one of those elements to be out of whack and the rest of the system suffers.”

Practicing Acceptance

Whether or not your emotional distress meets the textbook guidelines discussed above, McKinnon says anyone experiencing depressive symptoms can benefit from exploring instead of repressing their feelings by taking a holistic look at their symptoms with what he refers to as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Mike: “Probably because of societal influences.

This is not meant as an indictment of either gender or people in general, but merely a set of observations on how we behave. A successful relationship takes a delicate balance of desire, timing and luck that is often hard to obtain.”

Illustration by Dan Blaushild

Luigi: “The first thing I look for in a girl is a sense of humor and the understanding of sarcasm. If a girl is naturally funny and can make a joke or a pun out of the conversation she is a winner in my book. If a girl can understand sarcasm and not take everything seriously all the time, she just keeps getting better. That being said, there is a time to kid and a time to be serious. A girl who can distinguish between the two is worth more than gold.”

Zach Firestine sophomore marketing major Luigi Garcia senior management information systems major Lucas Pierce sophomore communication sciences and disorders major Mike Bacior sophomore criminology and economics major

Photo by Travis Witmer

the BOYS

If you’re stuck in an emotional rut you’re convinced is more than a case of the blues, is it time to seek help or chalk it up to college-related stress? To better map out this maze of emotions, Sabrina Evans talks to State College licensed social worker, Andrew McKinnon and local psychologist, Dr. Michelle Arbitell about how to recognize the signs of true depression.

“[A person] can try to avoid those unpleasant feelings or thoughts by taking medication, by trying to change those thoughts or feelings,” McKinnon says. “Or, alternatively, they can accept these thoughts and feelings, and instead of focusing on changing or getting rid of those, they can refocus their core values.”

McKinnon argues many cases of depressive symptoms can be combated by confronting emotions rather than numbing them with medication. In most situations, medication is only administered if the patient is at risk for suicide or self-harm, McKinnon says.

Coping with Depressive Emotions

Both McKinnon and Dr. Arbitell agree that in lieu of or in conjunction with counseling, maintaining healthy personal habits such as sleep, exercise and diet is a sturdy foundation upon which to start coping with depressive symptoms. According to Dr. Arbitell, isolation from friends and family can have devastating effects on your emotional well-being. “Developing a strong social life by getting involved on campus and staying connected with loved ones from home can help ease negative symptoms,” McKinnon says. “Contemplating the type of person you want to be and getting a better grasp on your core values will open the door for accepting your emotions instead of repressing them,” McKinnon says. “You ask honest questions about the severity of your feelings and concerns before moving forward.”

Reaching Out for Help

“If what [you’ve] been doing isn’t working anymore, then [you] need to check out counseling,” Dr. Arbitell says. Whether or not you know your stress is intense enough to be called depression, says McKinnon, if you’re suffering, you deserve answers, many of which can be found through counseling. “There’s nothing wrong with seeking counseling – in fact, there’s a lot right with it,” McKinnon says. “It facilitates discussion and normalizes the idea of talking to someone else about your problems.” Visiting Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a solid first step in finding relief.

Self-Improvement You just spent four years finding and maintaining your closest friendships to date, but have you asked yourself what will happen after graduation? One anonymous Valley writer is asking just that.

e are so close to graduating. I’m sure a lot of you seniors are thinking this or others keep hammering it into your heads—almost aggressively—but we have an incredible amount of things to think about. Where will we be a year from now? Will we have an income? Who will we miss the most?

collegiate

Who will we miss the most? That’s the question I’ve been obsessing over for weeks now.

ties

Over the past four years of being here, I’ve made some great friends. Each day I’ve been with them has been an adventure—from Kiwi dates and shameless walks to the frats to Gossip Girl marathons and dozens of orders of Wings Over, I feel like we’ve slowly built a lifetime worth of memories.

Photo by Travis Witmer

Coming to main campus was a whirlwind of pamphlets with smiling students embracing each other on the front, a Lion Ambassador yelling over the crowd about the multitude of clubs we could join and the list went on and on.

spring 2015

Like my friend, I had such high expectations for college friendship that I’m finding myself curious about where I’ll stand with those I’ve collected after we throw our caps into the air and move to different cities. I imagine walking across the stage and hearing their cheers as I take my fake diploma and shake the dean’s hand, meeting up perfectly afterward to take post-grad photos and then…the image isn’t clear.

The other day, one of my closest friends confided in me that I was her best friend in college and that she was having anxiety about the fact that she wasn’t going to have many friends coming As much as it sucks, this is something everyone out. has been through before—their high school graduations. If you were lucky enough to make I think she was referring to that thing our moth- friends from childhood, I’m sure it was hard to ers tell us after a bad day in high school—that leave them and go to different schools and evenwe’re going to make our true friends in college. tually keep in touch by creeping on each other’s My mom told me that dozens of times, and I Facebooks. fully believed her. Middle school and much of high school was a constant battle of making sure I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that I wasn’t the butt of the joke that day, that my for many of us, this will be our future with our friends were actually my friends or if they were current besties. And though I can’t imagine it talking about me behind my back. It wasn’t a now, this is a very real prospect for many of us. good time for me and my mom soothed me by turning my head toward the future. And this is okay.

College was going to be the place where I made my friends for life.

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ships, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was and am in the same boat. Despite having her and a few others close by for random heart-to-hearts or Sunday night pizza, there was never a single person whose friendship I didn’t worry about at one point or another. It wasn’t perfect with any of them, and there were times I thought maybe the relationship I had with each friend wasn’t going to last past college.

I made a lot of acquaintances, some of whom became close friends and confidants, the ones who know every detail about my love life, my awkward encounters and my greatest achievements, sometimes even before my own family. But since my friend expressed this concern about what graduation could do to her friend-

Please believe me when I say that there is nothing I want more than to keep my relationships and I am sure many of you want the same. But to disconnect a little in the chaos of new jobs, new apartments and new people to see every day is completely normal, and I’m trying to accept it. And what I’m trying to say is that you should too. Some alum friends gave me this piece of advice that is helping me resolve my anxiety one bit at a time: “Enjoy the time you have with your friends now. If they are true friends, you’ll find your way back to each other.” I’m determined to believe I’ll be okay and so will my friends, and that despite the distance or the time constraints, we’ll find our way back if we were meant to.

split

Self-Improvement

A Cupcake

a Day

Divorce is a burden financially, mentally and emotionally, but sometimes pressure creates diamonds and struggle can end in success. Penn State students shared their experiences with divorce and what hardship has taught them.

With a school as big as Penn State, it’s difficult for any student not to find a club or organization they aren’t passionate about. But what happens when you can’t find your dream club in the diversity of PSU’s 1000+ extracurriculars?

By Taylor Fowler

“The last time I saw my father was on the other side of a prison glass wall when I was six. I haven’t seen him since,” Domino says. Domino, junior, says she and her mother frequently stayed in women’s shelters to escape her father’s unpredictable and violent behavior. It was “like a planned fire drill” for Domino to flee to the basement when he came home. He eventually was taken to prison on drug-related charges, where she only visited him a few times. Her father’s habits depleted the family’s bank account. Domino says she lost her home and lived with friends until her mother found an apartment. To afford rent, Domino says they sold everything.

Her father planned to move to Florida when Jones graduated high school, but when he met and married a younger woman, he moved during her junior year. Jones says she was disappointed with her father’s broken promise and now filled the gap he created. She quickly learned to be proactive and take care of responsibilities on her own.

The club meets twice a month in the Henderson kitchen to bake and cook recipes to their hearts’ content. Since its inception, the club’s membership has quickly grown from the original 10 members to a staggering 700 listserv subscribers. The biweekly meetings feature different menus with step-by-step preparation for foodies of all skill levels. Along with her love of baking, O’Malley plans to take her supply chain degree into the culinary world post-graduation. She says she’d like to get into the production of different types of food as well as participate in bakery production. Her experience in the Penn State Bakery helped shape her interest in supply chain.

Photos by Travis Witmer

spring 2015

“[Baking] has been a hobby of mine my entire life,” O’Malley says. “When I came to Penn State, I wanted to do something for fun that had to do with baking. But at the involvement fair, there was no such thing. I started asking around, and once people started showing interest, it was something I knew I could start.”

Megan Flood

To read more about their stories, visit our website.

or senior supply chain management major and Drexel Hill, Pa., native Molly O’Malley, it was time to take matters into her own hands. During her freshman year, O’Malley noticed there was no club solely dedicated to cooking and baking–her biggest passion. So to remedy the situation, she founded the Penn State Cooking and Baking Club.

When she went home for winter break sophomore year, Flood’s parents told her they were getting divorced. Her friends lent a sympathetic ear, but Flood says they could not fully understand her situation. Being an only child creates a unique bond and she says not having siblings meant not having someone to fully relate to.

“I remember waking up one morning and seeing people and tables in our yard,” she says. “My mom came in and said ‘pick out your three fa- “It made me more self-sufficient,” she says. Regardless of her parent’s animosity, she says vorite outfits and three favorite toys and we’re she knows the love between her and both of selling the rest.’ This is what we have to do.” Jones believes if her father hadn’t left, she would them respectively is still strong. lack the motivation she has now. Her biggest acCollege was her clean slate. She applied to one complishment is hosting a successful talk show “That’s really important in divorce,” Flood says. university, got accepted, and says she planned to on The LION 90.7 FM, SaigeJonesRadio. “Sometimes people get to hate one of the parents make the most of it. Her mother and step-father work around the clock to pay her tuition while “People need to know that they can be whatev- or be resentful... I try not to let that happen.” Domino works two jobs to pay rent. er they want to be no matter what the circumShe says she believes things could have been difstance,” she says. “Work hard and you can make ferent, but she understands their differences and Determination and coffee keep Domino going, happen whatever you want to make happen.” her future has not flawed because of it. After she says. From becoming a Penn State fitness college, she still looks forward to having a marinstructor to landing a New York internship, riage and family. Domino says she has gained exceptional experi- Josh Bojewski Sophomore Bojewski’s parents split when he ences paving her path to a better future. was one year old. He felt disconnected from “Life does take its course, and unfortunately “I’m not going to let my past define me or tell them but says he understood their differences as families get broken up,” Flood says. “But that me what I can and can’t do,” she says. “It’s hec- time went on. He lived with his mother in Erie doesn’t mean that the family you knew has to tic and exhausting and stressful, but I wouldn’t and saw his father biweekly. When his mother be different… you can still have a family aspect moved, he lived with his father and says things even if it’s not traditional.” change it for the world.” changed.

valleymagazinepsu.com

By Jillian Selzer

“[My father] is oblivious to how school works because he never went to college,” he says. “It “I wouldn’t be who I am without my parents be- doesn’t seem like he really cares.” ing divorced,” Jones says. Regardless, Bojewski says he has not been maJones’s parents divorced when she was four jorly affected by the divorce. He says people years old. Growing up, Jones, senior, lived with get to an age when they realize they have to her mother 20 minutes from her father, which do what’s best for them, and he has done that. allowed for frequent visits. Taking initiative has become important to him and he says he knows the importance of being “I’m totally blessed as far as having a good situ- involved in his children’s lives when the time ation with my parents being divorced,” she says. comes.

Saige Jones

Photo by Travis Witmer

Graceanne Domino

“I absolutely loved it there [at the bakery],” O’Malley says. “I liked it because we were continually pumping through goods. Certain things had to be shipped by a certain time, and it connected to me because I eat at the eateries on campus. I was actually helping make the product that went to campus.”

O’Malley’s life wasn’t always cupcakes and rainbows. As a high school student, she suffered from cystic acne. The pain and redness got so bad that at one point O’Malley was forced to attend weekly doctor’s appointments to alleviate the discomfort. With a clearer face and her final year of college almost down, O’Malley has some advice for others who have experienced the same struggle. “I see people a lot differently now,” O’Malley says. “I never really had a problem with my own appearance, but I know a lot of other people do. But I realized the struggles people go through that you wouldn’t know normally.” After having fought her own battles in high school and progressing from it, O’Malley believes the best thing to do when struggling is just to open up and be honest. “It’s not going to make you feel better to keep it yourself. Don’t ignore it. Don’t give up on yourself. There’s always something you can do to make yourself feel better.”

red velvet cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes

2 ½ cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream ½ cup milk 1 bottle (1 oz.) red food color 2 tsp. vanilla extract Mix: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat: butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed for five minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup ⅔ full. Bake: in preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan five minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Spread with cream cheese icing.

Self-Improvement

how your What is your favorite piece of clothing to wear to an interview? 1 professional style represents you A. Black blazer B. Sweater dress C. Bold statement necklace D. I switch it up every time

What is your favorite color to wear? A. Black B. Pinks, purples and blues C. Depends on the outfit D. Anything super bright and colorful

3 4

Do you own a blazer? A. Of course, over five B. Yes! A couple of cute ones for when I need to dress up C. Just one of a designer brand D. What’s a blazer?

Which outfit do you wear on your first day of work?

A. A black blazer with a button down and black slacks B. A business casual dress from Macy’s with stocking and heels C. A sweater dress with leather leggings and heels and a big statement necklace D. The first button down I find in my closet

How much money are you willing to spend on a business outfit?

By Jennifer Meyers

You will most likely score a job in business or law, and you strive to be taken seriously by your employers. You are mostly seen in all black or dark colors and are almost always dressed in business formal attire. You will occasionally throw in a colorful button-down now and then, but you’re more focused on becoming a CEO than being funky with your outfits.

the secret to

Landing Your

Dream Job

If you picked mostly B’s…

You’re Sweet and Neat

Your cute and neat style is the perfect fit for a career as a teacher, pediatrician or anything else that will keep you on your feet all day. You are a fan of a sweater dress with stockings and comfy booties, but are always prepared to dress more formal when necessary. You look ready for work and your outfits are comfy enough to get you through the day!

Having an impressive resume and knowing interview basics are essential in the job hunt, but what else should you be on the lookout for? Taylor Fowler spoke with Penn State staff and students about the seemingly insignificant details that may just determine whether you get the job.

If you picked mostly C’s…

You’re Funky, Fierce and Fabulous

You are striving for a job in the magazine, fashion, beauty or film industries. You see yourself strutting down the streets of New York or LA in your new Louboutins, leather leggings and designer pea coat. You want to impress your employers with your experience and killer style.

he College of Communications Assis- Penn State Career Services Counselor Rebecca tant Dean of Internships and Career Reitz says that non-verbal interactions and first Placement Bob Martin says to start, it’s impressions really make a difference. important for students to brand themselves in a particular area. He says students need to know “One of the things to remember is that even if their career path in order to create a memorable you’re waiting for the interview to begin, don’t look like you’re disengaged,” she says. message.

If you picked mostly D’s…

You’re a Laid Back Lucy

You own a few pieces of business clothing in your closet, but you avoid dressing up as much as possible. You may not have an idea of where you’re going to end up in a few years, but you’d rather be your own boss and make your own rules than follow anybody else’s. You might hope you open your own restaurant, bar, spa, hair salon or start another business for yourself one day – but you’ll still never be caught dead in a pantsuit!

“If you can’t in five seconds tell someone what you want to do and back it up with supporting evidence of why you can do that job, why would they help you?” he says, suggesting you have your own “elevator-pitch” prepared for all professional interactions and interviews.

Illustration by Jordan Barnett

A. $200+ B. $100-$200 C. $50-$100 D. Less than $50

You Mean Business

Photo by Travis Witmer

VALLEY quiz

If you picked mostly A’s…

After getting connected, Martin says to effectively present yourself across all spectrums, including cover letters, resumes, social media presence and face-to-face interaction.

Reitz says to stay off your cell phone while in the building and to be friendly with everyone you encounter, even the secretary or receptionist, because you never know who is part of the hiring process. Senior marketing major Brittney Yates says that to make herself known, she attended the Smeal College of Business and Bryce Jordan Center career fairs and an information session for TJX Companies, with whom she landed a job after graduation.

“It’s not about just applying and that’s it,” she says. “You have to go the extra step… and just show your face as many times as you can.” Before landing her career with the company, who owns TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, Yates says she had no retail experience and that just being personable helped get her the job. “You can’t be too casual with them, but you have to show a personal side of you rather than just firing off answers,” she says. Yates says being memorable is key and one thing she recommends is asking for advice on making the interview stronger after it concludes. “They always seem surprised when I ask them that,” she says. “But it’s good because if you have multiple interviews with them, you can use [the advice] for the next one.”

CAMPUS CULTURE

Beauty & Health

Name Casey O’Neill Hometown Erie, Pa. Major Political Science Year Senior WHAT HE DOES

Atlas, THON Dancer Relations Committee member, Public Relations Co-chair for PSU Chapter of Active Minds

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION

“Last October, I saw a panel in the HUB about suicide and depression and that interested me. I decided to take a look and see what it was about. It was an open forum for anyone to come in and talk about any personal experiences with the matter, and if they were seeking help or needed answers on how to get that help. It was moving for me to see others who come together and talk about their issues. The biggest problem surrounding mental illness is that no one talks about it because of the stigma that surrounds it.”

GET INVOLVED WITH PURPOSE

“I’m unique in the sense that I am in my fifth year of college but just transferred here last year after living in Florida for three years. I definitely wish I had more time here. This place truly is remarkable. Whatever situation you’re in, just get involved with something you truly care about. If you get involved with something you truly care about and watching it blossom into something outstanding and possibly life changing, for yourself or others, is truly remarkable.”

DEFINING SUCCESS

Photo by Skylar Yuen

“I’m going into political science, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going directly into the government. I would like to do a lot of things like Active Minds does, such as working for a nonprofit, or maybe even start my own nonprofit. At the end of the day, I’d like to be in a situation where I’m helping people. If that means I’m not making a whole lot of money or living as luxurious as some of my classmates may be, that’s completely fine with me. As long as I can make some sort of a difference and I can see it impact people on a grand scale, that’s success to me.”

valleymagazinepsu.com

spring 2015

Campus Culture

Happy Valley isn’t always so happy. Sometimes, it can be scary—especially if you find yourself at a party and are handed a drink by someone you don’t know well (or at all). Perhaps you know someone who has been drugged. Either way, we can’t change the creeps, but we can change the outcome. Emily Keifline will help you identify and come out of the scary situation of being drugged.

t was a typical Friday night at Penn State. “Sometimes it’s hard to know if there was someMusic was blasting from downtown balco- thing more than alcohol involved if someone nies and Beaver Canyon was littered with passes out,” says Barbara Sheaffer from the students. Lauren* was at a party in her building Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. “There where she knew almost everyone. Safe enough, are people who might have only had two drinks right? Unfortunately, she wasn’t as safe as she and they know that shouldn’t leave them in their current state. These are the kinds of things I thought. would recommend someone who has been vicAfter only one drink, Lauren started to feel dizzy timized to say.” and excessively drunk. She decided to go back to her apartment to lie down, and that’s the last Judy Pleskonko, a nurse and director of the Sexthing she remembered before her roommates ual Assault program at Mount Nittany Medical found her passed out on the bathroom floor four Center, agrees with Sheaffer. hours later. “People who have been drugged may experience memory loss, muscle relaxation, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are similar to alcohol. It’s important to know your tolerance,” Pleskonko says.

Lauren’s roommate Heather says she was terrified when she found Lauren lying unconscious on the bathroom floor, but she did her best to remain calm. “I was shaking because I opened the door and hit her head, and I didn’t know if she was alive,” Heather says. “But as soon as I shook her and said her name, she woke up.” Lauren had returned to her apartment as soon as she started feeling dizzy and her roommates had been home when she returned, so she could rest assured that no one had followed her home.

If someone you know tells you they believe they’ve been drugged, it’s extremely important that they be taken seriously, Sheaffer says. Even if the victim is conscious and alert, Sheaffer recommends visiting the hospital to get a blood or urine sample to determine what substances the victim may have been given. If the victim is unable to be roused or they believe they may have been sexually assaulted, Sheaffer urges seeking medical attention immediately. If you find yourself or a friend in this situation and aren’t sure where to turn, Mount Nittany Medical Center has advice nurses on staff 24/7 who are available to help you take the next step. Unfortunately, many people who are drugged also end up being sexually assaulted. According to Sheaffer, it’s a more common problem in our society than people realize. She recommends victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault get psychological help, but only when they feel ready.

Heather called Mount Nittany Medical Center and told Lauren that she would take her to Counseling and Psychological Services on campus when she was ready. Although Lauren had escaped without being physically harmed or vi- “The big thing is to get support and assistance,” she says. “No one should feel that they’re alone.” olated, many are not as lucky. *Last name excluded for confidentiality

valleymagazinepsu.com

spring 2015

Photo by Travis Witmer

“I was so confused,” Lauren says. “I had no memory of walking to my bathroom and I only had one drink.”

Campus Culture

KENYA CRAWFORD Answering Opportunity

If there are any blank spaces, you can bet Kenya Crawford will write her name. Whether she’s helping to stop HIV/AIDS overseas or enhancing campus for Penn State’s LGBT community, Crawford answers every time opportunity knocks, and opens the door for success.

By Sabrina Evans

he big table nearest to the elevator of “I saw it as an opportunity to open doors for [the third-floor Paterno Library belongs to communities I represent],” she says. “I wanted Penn State senior Kenya Crawford. to show them that…no matter what your social identities are, no matter what your background “I probably study there every single day,” she is, if you’re passionate about something, you says, laughing at how neurotic it must sound. “I can accomplish the world.” love it because I like to spread out all my stuff– take out my planner, my binder, my notebook, When she isn’t wearing her crown, Crawford is my laptop and my big bucket of coffee.” busy compiling data and running analyses as a human development and family studies (HDFS) Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, you might ask? major, with minors in psychology and sexuality “Starbucks, every time.” and gender studies. What Crawford hopes to achieve after graduation–complete graduate school to get her PhD, practice as a licensed psychologist, work with the United Nations on enacting policy and eventually end up working in academia – reads like the resume of someone who has retired after years of mapping out a successful career.

As a research assistant in the College of HDFS Family Relationships Project and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, a program that funds research projects for undergraduate students preparing for graduate school, Crawford discovered her passion for research, describing it as an “opportunity to create knowledge.”

Needless to say, Kenya Crawford likes to keep a tight schedule.

One of Crawford’s favorite quotes, by Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, says, “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” Crawford says she sees many of her studies as an opportunity to explore what has yet to be studied, researching blanks in sexuality and family systems theory in an effort to fill the holes.

And yet, much of Crawford’s success has been the product of opportunity, not planning. Most of us know her as our 2014 Homecoming Queen. However, Crawford never considered penciling ‘Homecoming Queen’ into her fouryear college plan. Instead, she accepted the nomination as a humbling opportunity she never could have prepared for but was more than willing to embrace. “When I first received the nomination, I didn’t see myself as worthy,” Crawford says. “I thought there were many other individuals on campus who were really doing such great things and deserved the title.” Photo by Travis Witmer

But it wasn’t until later, after standing speechless on the field at Beaver Stadium when her name was announced over the loudspeaker declaring her the fifth African American Homecoming Queen and first queer Queen, that Crawford was able to see the potential this opportunity afforded her.

Much of Crawford’s involvement on campus follows this same structure: seeing an opportunity to improve something, and seizing it. Having traveled to Africa during her junior year of high school to help build a school in a rural village in Malawi, Crawford came face-to-face with the victims of HIV and AIDS and returned home impassioned to help ease the struggles of those she had met on her trip.

HIV/AIDS, she decided to team up with Joanna Brooke, who founded Penn State’s Keep a Child Alive chapter Crawford’s freshman year, to help lay the foundation for the organization’s presence on campus. As a non-profit organization dedicated to providing treatment and support services for families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India, Keep a Child Alive exists to help a community where help is scarce. “I didn’t want that experience [in Malawi] to be solely a two week experience where I took these cool profile pictures and touched the lives of so many great people and that was it,” Crawford says. “I wanted the impact to be something that was continuous.” As one of two student members on Penn State’s Commission for LGBT Equity, an advisory board that works to improve the climate and diversity on campus for LGBT students and faculty, Crawford has taken action beyond her research to enhance the campus environment for queer students, doing so most recently by becoming the first Residence Assistant of ALLY House, Penn State’s LGBT special living option. “I would say the most challenging part about being an RA anywhere is not being able to plan for anything,” Crawford says, laughing again because she knows she’s starting to sound predictable. “I could be sitting in my room working on a paper and a resident will come to me and I’ll drop everything to deal with whatever the situation is.” Even though a knock on her door doesn’t always fit into her schedule, having the opportunity to help one of her residents makes it worth it.

Crawford, like most Penn State freshmen, attended the involvement fair in the HUB upon “If there’s an issue, I find a way to fix it,” Crawarriving at school in hopes of finding a club ford says. “That’s just kind of the person I am.” or organization that suited her interests. But when she couldn’t find a group dedicated to

Campus Culture

thou didst mold us

dear old State As graduation becomes a reality and the “real world” no longer refers to an MTV show, all graduating seniors have been forced to process their college experience and make some sense of where all of this time went. Business Director Rachael Kline reflects on her time as a Nittany Lion and shares what she has learned is the true Penn State bucket list.

s I assess my preparedness for my fulltime job this August, and roll the “A” word (alumni) off my tongue, I question: Am I ready? Do I have what it takes to succeed? What I have realized is that the most crucial skills college provides cannot be acquired in the Business building, Carnegie or the library’s beloved Harry Potter room. The most important things are not unearthed in textbooks or understood in exam grades and office hours. Eight semesters in, I am confident that I have read nearly every Penn State bucket list that has been published over the past four years. After hiking Mount Nittany, arguing with the Willard preacher, eating at the creamery far too many times, and bringing Mike the Mailman cookies, I found a more appropriate to-do list for the lucky lions with some time left in the happiest of valleys. Penn State is a bubble, and I know this to be true. But we live in an environment where magic is possible and dreams are reality. Be bold. Encourage others. Grow curious and stay humble. So when your future employer asks “What are you most proud of ?” during an interview, you’ll struggle to choose just one achievement. When you walk across the stage in one year, two or three (lucky), you’ll exude gratitude and fulfillment. Move in with your best friends, stay up too late and talk to strangers. Work to build a better human and never stop improving. That’s the real Penn State bucket list.

valleymagazinepsu.com

1 2

Take advantage of leadership opportunities available across 1,030 student organizations.

Attend a meeting for a club or campus organization whose listserv you have been receiving (and ignoring) emails from since freshman year at the involvement fair. Pizza club anyone?

3 4 5

Have a conversation with your professor beyond the course content. Stargaze at the Davey Lab Observatory, guaranteed to be the best view on campus.

Build rapport with the classmate to the right of you whose name you still don’t know six weeks in.

spring 2015

6 7

Check out Webster’s bookstore and ask the manager what the best novel in the store is, and buy it. Buy coffee for the person behind you in the Starbucks line and ask the cashier to inform them that their drink has been covered, but to please pay it forward.

8 9 10

Make sure to thank every CATA bus driver when you step off the bus.

Watch a TEDTalk once a week, and of course attend the TEDX Penn State conference.

Ride a bike around campus for a day if you’ve never done so (bonus points for not hitting pedestrians!).

GABRIELLE

HERMAN a war of her own by Samantha Allen

abrielle Herman is a Brooklyn girl, born and raised, and you can’t mistake it. One of her signature outfits is a white and black Brooklyn jersey with black combat boots or old Converses. Her Italian heritage prompts her exuberant, friendly attitude while the city life has made her street smart.

“If someone’s asking what size shoes you wear, you don’t say seven. You say, ‘not yours.’” Gabrielle, or “Gaba” as she calls herself, identifies this phrase as one of many jokes only New Yorkers fully understand. Gabrielle’s family and support system is her mother, two older sisters from her mother’s previous marriage, her uncle and her grandparents. Gabrielle says that her mother raised her to be independent and focused on her studies. “She said school comes first,” Gabrielle says. “Your career will never wake up and tell you it doesn’t love you anymore. You can’t make stupid decisions.”

Photos by Travis Witmer

Her parents met in New Bern, N.C. Her father was in the U.S. Army Reserves and her mother was a waitress. The pair got pregnant unexpectedly and had Gabrielle on March 10, 1992.

sweater: connections

Her parents were never married and as a result, her father wasn’t a constant presence throughout her childhood. Despite this, she was a daddy’s girl and they had a casual relationship. Her father eventually served in the Army and because of this, she identifies as a proud supporter of the nation’s troops. A massive American flag hangs on the wall above her bed, she

Beauty & Health

Cover Story keeps her dad’s dog tags close wherever she is and her favorite holidays are Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. Soon after September 11, 2001, many veterans, including Gabrielle’s father, re-enlisted for a multitude of incentives—housing, healthcare, dental and even guidance. Sgt. Herman specifically looked to his deployment as a chance for his own fulfillment of the American dream. Deployment offered him a chance to begin again.

Sgt. Herman wrote her letters and postcards outlining only the good and the vague to keep her from understanding the gravity of his situation, while letters to her mother detailed his worries and his dangerous surroundings, many times signing off, “Take care of our girl.”

Because he was absent for most of her childhood and teen years, he lost touch with his daughter as she grew into a young woman and relied on childhood favorites to bond with his daughter. “Even until I was 16 years old, he thought Happy Meals were it. That was the solution to all the She remembers what it was like as a child to have a parent deployed overseas: “I grew ac- problems,” Gabrielle says. customed to his absence. But, this time, it was different. I couldn’t see or speak to him even if I On March 5, 2005, four years after his re-enlistment, Sgt. Herman was severely wounded, “five wanted to,” Gabrielle says. days before my birthday,” Gabrielle says. “He She opens her tattered blue scrapbook, her most cherished possession, to a particular page—photos of her dad in his military uniform line the edges, and front and center is a photo of the pair dancing at Gabrielle’s communion reception.

She turns the page, pointing to a photo of them on a fishing boat making funny faces. “This was who my dad was. The only thing he loved more than me was fighting for his country.”

A Turn for the Worse Gabrielle continues to turn the pages, pointing to photos of him in his uniform and him on his motorcycle, one of his most favorite things in the world. “I always considered him to be my best friend. He could do no wrong,” Gabrielle says. “I can vividly remember my father coming home on leave when I was in the 8th grade. He walked in dressed in his uniform and we all started crying. I was excused from school and he took me to McDonald’s, our favorite spot.” Other than surprise trips home, the two had no contact aside from letters. “There was nothing else back then—no cell phones, no Skype. They couldn’t tell you where they were so you just didn’t know. You were in the dark until you got a letter,” Gabrielle says.

Sgt. Herman suffered several war-related injuries, including severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It was not long before his behavior showed unusual tendencies. Gabrielle says her father was a heavy drinker prior to his deployment–a common behavior among deployed soldiers. As a result of his drinking, he was later diagnosed with Liver Fibrosis. The effects of the war were so intense that Sgt. Herman had terrible night terrors and couldn’t sleep. Even the sight of a Hummer would trigger his anxiety.

“the only thing he loved more than me was fighting for his country”

“It was at a restaurant around the corner of my house, and I made him dance with me right in the coat check area. I cried because for some reason I needed to dance with my dad,” Gabrielle says, smiling. “It’s weird now because I’ll never be in white dancing with him again. This picture will be up when I’m dancing with someone else.”

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his old self at home with them—or so she had thought. While everyone else was cheering for his return and calling him a hero, Sgt. Herman was not done fighting wars.

didn’t talk about it much. All I know was that it was an IED [improvised explosive device] and he was thrown from his convoy. He shattered all the plates in his back, had shrapnel lodged in his gums, had his top row of teeth removed and became deaf in one ear.” He had minimal recovery—he was expected to use a cane into the distant future and he was never able to ride his motorcycle again. In terms of his value as a soldier, Gabrielle’s father was almost idyllic. His awards (in total: Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal [2nd award], National Defense, Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal W/M Device and combat action badge) mirrored his dedication to his country. She recounts how funny it was when he would take his dentures out to be silly. He was back to

spring 2015

“Before, he was courageous, friendly, and spoke to anybody, whether it was a stranger at the bank or a homeless person. I noticed a drastic change in him. He became aggressive, detached, and free of feeling any emotion,” Gabrielle says. “Our relationship had deteriorated so badly, I felt that he no longer loved me. He was just in so much pain.” After being wounded in 2005, Sgt. Herman received 100 percent disability. In 2008, his medical description read: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with alcohol and drug/ abuse and traumatic brain injury (also claimed as depression, an adjustment disorder and a personality disorder).

It took three years from the time he returned home for medical professionals to offer him help. “He relied on the military for guidance, but it failed him without proper care,” Gabrielle says.

On May 16, 2009, almost exactly one year after being diagnosed with PTSD, Sgt. Herman was found in his bed unresponsive as a result of an adverse reaction to combined effects of methadone, hydrocodone and ethanol [alcohol]. He was given a full military funeral.

Losing Oneself, It’s Not so Hard to Do The loss of her father sent Gabrielle into a deep depression that would be hard to break for years to come. “At his funeral, I felt I had to be strong for people,” Gabrielle says. “When I went up to give my speech, I was more like, ‘Thanks dad for

Beauty & Health shirt and jacket: Connections my good looks.’ I was trying to lighten the mood. I got back to my hotel room, and I knew After a grueling two years of losing herself in I suppressed my emotions so anger and confusion, Gabrielle began to talk much, and then I started growherself through the questions she’d spent so ing aggressive tendencies.” long trying to answer about her father’s death.

Nowhere to Go…But Up

Gabrielle didn’t understand why “If only I could put myself in his shoes, I could her father chose to leave her or see how much hurt and how much pain it was, why he felt he couldn’t find the and how you wouldn’t want to be here after seestrength to make himself better. ing what he saw,” Gabrielle says. “I was never suicidal, so I don’t know what that’s like. I don’t “I thought I wasn’t a good enough know what it’s like to just say, ‘I’m done. Get me reason to stay. Why didn’t he out.’ I can’t judge that.” think about what it would do to anyone around him? Why was it She began to remember the valuable things so selfish?” Gabrielle says. her father taught her despite all the negativity surrounding the family at the time of his return Gabrielle had trouble putting from deployment in 2005. herself in her father’s shoes. She was stuck on the fact that he died She remembered that while he was deployed, during such a crucial time in her she felt neglected as if her father was cheating life, which resulted in a period of on her affection with another woman, and that rebelliousness. She cut her long woman was America. She blamed the war and brown hair into a fauxhawk and those the United States was fighting against for got multiple facial piercings and the heartache of having an absent father. When tattoos. She also began substituting she expressed these concerns to him, he did his the affection of others for the love best to make clear to her what he was fighting she had for her father. for. “I lost him when he was supposed “It was never about the race or ethnicity. It was to instill who I was—to approve or just something that had to be done. My dad disagree on somebody. Here I was fought for people of different nationalities and looking for the love my dad couldn’t races to be able to be free here. I was mad at give me anymore, and I wasn’t trying Iraq, my dad would say to me, ‘Look over there to find it in myself,” Gabrielle says. –here’s someone who’s Muslim and lives here peacefully. This isn’t their fault,’” Gabrielle says. Gabrielle stopped showing affection toward those around her and started living as As she was slowly coming to terms with her though she had nothing to lose. father’s death, she also acknowledged the disservice that was done to him when he did not “Depression is something that people are like, receive help for his emotional troubles until it ‘You’re depressed. You’ll get over it.’ It’s not was too late. Because of what he went through, that easy,” Gabrielle says. “The thing about she looked at her own depression in a new light mine was that I had no care in the world. I used and decided to make a change while she still to think I could die and I didn’t care. Everyone had control. was trying to help me. I was always this happygo-lucky kid. I was raised so well. And then I One of the most important pieces of advice just started to snap out.” Gabrielle was given was from her older sister, Christine—that she didn’t have hobbies and Starting senior year of high school, Gabrihaving a passion is pivotal for growth. elle struggled to remember the person she once was. She found herself participating in “I just told myself after a while, ‘I know you’re unhealthy activities and making poor friend tired, Gaba, but you need to get up. You need choices. She knew she was slipping away and to find this creative energy. You need to work yet she couldn’t pull herself out for almost two with it. If you allow yourself to be taken over years. by an illness, you’ll lose yourself forever,’” Gabrielle says. When she started college at Penn State Mont Alto, she was at an all-time low.

The Years of Healing

“When I was a freshman, I locked myself in my room. I would eat and sleep. That was it. Acknowledging that she had a problem was not I wasn’t making healthy decisions. I let it con- the end of her troubles, but she began to fine sume me,” Gabrielle says. tune her ways of channeling her emotions with

Cover Story

shirt and sweater: Connections the help of a special mentor and HDFS [Human Development and Family Studies] professor, Dr. Robin Yaure. “I was still in my prime of just being so hurt when I met Robin. I came into Mont Alto as pre-vet. I thought that was what I always wanted to do, since sophomore year [of high school] when I worked in an animal hospital,” Gabrielle says. Gabrielle says Dr. Yaure pushed her harder than any other student in the class because she recognized a potential that Gabrielle wasn’t satisfying. She even held her grade back in order to help her gain the courage to pursue what she was meant to do—aid the military. When she transferred to University Park, Gabrielle found a position as an assistant peer counselor at the Office of Veterans and was obsessed with the full-time job from the start. Working at the Office of Veterans gave her a new direction. “I was entitled to receiving Chapter 35 Benefits [Dependent’s Educational Assistance Program], which helps dependents with educational assistance,” Gabrielle says. “Because I am familiar with the military lifestyle, it was very easy for me to fall in love with my job and the people I work with.” Gabrielle also found additional mentors and friends among her professors on main campus, Assistant Professor and Director Dawn Taylor, Senior Instructor Sarah Kollat and Jennifer L. Crissman Ishler. Ishler’s class, HDFS 411: The Helping Relationship, taught Gabrielle the valuable information she uses today as a Veterans counselor.

To learn more about the story behind Gabrielle’s foundation For YOUR Glory and how to donate, visit our website.

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day-to-day workload varies—one day, she’s pro- selor and was disappointed by what she saw. cessing certification request forms and the next day she’s providing students with information “On campus, people don’t want to talk about on how to access resources and funds directly their feelings. Instead, they crack open a botavailable to them. tle. That’s how problems are solved here. But they’re not solved,” Gabrielle says. “We have all “I was allowed to assist in developing a future these free counseling services, but everyone’s too sponsorship program for incoming freshmen afraid to use them. You can go to your friends to ease their transition from military personnel but they have their own stuff going on, so are to students at a large university,” Gabrielle says. they really giving you the best advice?” There are several veteran students employed for work-study at Penn State, so even her peers Since having trained in her major and in the identified with her. Veterans office to become a better and more professional counselor, one of Gabrielle’s bigSince becoming involved with the Office of gest goals is to humanize depression, and more Veterans, Gabrielle feels the people she works importantly, to teach others not to shame it. with are like family. The atmosphere in the of“When did making fun of a mental illness, when did being afraid to be so screwed up that you have to hurt those who aren’t afraid, become okay? Why isn’t depression okay to accept?” Gabrielle says.

“depression is curable, and it’s something people need to know”

When people ask Gabrielle if she thinks they’re acting crazy, she shares her favorite quote from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland: “Have I gone mad?” “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” Gabrielle was recently accepted into NYU Silver School of Social Work and the Mental Health Counseling M.S. Program at Long Island University in Brooklyn. Her ultimate goal is to be a counselor and she plans to take this passion all the way.

Gabrielle often counsels her friends and considers counseling to be a part of her everyday life, but she would likely not have realized this had she not gone through what she went through. She says that she hopes to shed new light on depression and other mental illnesses for her dad—for whom the chance that came a little too late.

fice is open and offers professional companion“The most important skill I’ve learned, and I ship and a good counseling session—something could never thank her enough, is to not only at- many veterans desperately need after returning tentively listen, but hear,” Gabrielle says. “Com- from deployment. munication goes beyond what is being said, it is often what is not. When I counsel people, I can “We take pride in serving students who have easily sense verbal and nonverbal discrepancies. sacrificed so much for our country. I’ll always “Depression is curable, and it’s something people genuinely care and want the best for each vet- need to know. You need to find that place and It provides solace and understanding.” eran I meet,” Gabrielle says. “I look at some of be humble and focus on yourself,” Gabrielle Gabrielle learned to be empathetic with others these people and I see me and I see my dad, and says. “Having a weakness is not a weakness. If and gain their trust by promising confidentiality. I realize how much I’m helping these people anything, you are strong for being able to admit that you have flaws.” More importantly, she learned that she couldn’t sometimes.” save everyone. That realization inspired her to start a founda- To learn more about the story behind Gabri“You need to teach them how to help themselves,” tion specifically to help veterans and their fam- elle’s foundation For YOUR Glory and how to Gabrielle says. “That’s why I want to work with ilies. She launched the foundation on Veterans donate, visit our website. veterans. So they have a chance—something my Day 2014 and named it For YOUR Glory. dad didn’t necessarily have.” While she was helping those at the Veterans ofGabrielle works 40 hours a week at the Office fice and starting her foundation, she also took a of Veterans as an Assistant Peer Counselor. The look around campus through the lens of a coun-

fashion

Beauty & Health Name Hannah Carmody Hometown Darien, Conn. Major Broadcast Journalism Year Junior

WHAT sHE DOES

Founder of HanMade Jewelry*, sister of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, Penn State Fitness Instructor, THON Dancer Relations Committee member

how she got her start

“I started my company this summer. I worked at a make-your-own jewelry store on the Jersey Shore. I had an internship that completely fell through, so I applied at a local jewelry store and started working there. I got really inspired there–I love jewelry and crafts. Now I have a website that my brother created for me. I sell my necklaces to students on campus, at trunk shows and through my website.”

THE icing on the cake

“I love jewelry. I’ve always loved jewelry. It’s creative enough where you can have your own sense of style with it. For me, these necklaces are simple enough for everyday. You almost forget they’re there, but they go with every outfit. It’s effortless. I’ve always loved clothes, but jewelry has always felt like the icing on the cake.”

the fun in business

“It’s really fun and a great conversation piece. I love jewelry and I love that it makes people so excited. A lot of people think it’s so cool that I made it, and it’s nice that my friends can tell other people that I made [their jewelry]. I also have amazing customers I call “HanFans” that I feature on my website. Every time I sell a piece of jewelry, I take a picture of who bought it and put them on the site. It’s a great way to make people feel special and get the word out about my jewelry.”

130 S. Allen St. State College, PA 16801 www.connectionsclothing.com 814.237.5462

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Photo by Jose Ponte

where she’s going

“In the future, it’d be awesome to make more of these simple necklaces, but so far, I don’t know where this will go. I plan to move specialty orders (like different necklace sizes) onto my website so customers can tell me exactly what they want. The ultimate dream would be for HanMade to turn into a successful business.”

You can buy Hannah’s jewelry at www.hanmadebyhan.com and follow her on Instagram at @hanmadebyhan

men’s

FASHION STAPLES Hey guys, it can be hard to think about your closets when you have a whole life to live and more important things to worry about, right? Maybe putting together the perfect outfit isn’t one of your priorities, especially in college. But for some of you, the real world is creeping closer and closer, and that means graduating your closet from college boy to working man. Natalia Tyndall talked to Matthew Lannan, sales associate at Dwellings, and Abisola Awolusi, manager at Express and creator of the blog Just2Bizzy, for tips on what style investments you should be making $$ Worth a hard day’s pay now to prepare for later. Cardigan

$ Not too expensive Tie

Photo by Travis Witmer

With a million different colors and patterns to choose from, ties are the perfect way to subtly express your personal style. Liven up a subdued outfit with a patterned tie or tone down a loud outfit with a solid color.

Refined Leather Belt

A plain black belt is something you need whether you’re at work or out on the town. They seriously go with everything.

Don’t be afraid to get a little indie-casual. Lannan recommends investing in a shawl-collared cardigan because you can dress it up or down, it’s so versatile.

Leather Banded Watch

Even in a casual setting, adding a leather banded watch polish your outfit, even if you only feel like khakis and a T-shirt.

Button-Down Shirt

This look is great on just about anyone. Who knew an extra touch of denim could class up an outfit? Awolusi recommends even a chambray button-down shirt to do the trick.

$$$ An authentic investment Tailored Sports Jacket

It’s time to ditch that old hoodie you swear is so warm you could wear it in an ice storm. You’ll need one of these babies to get you through the chilly days without looking sloppy. “You want to get a tailored, well-defined, nice sports jacket that can go from work to casual,” Lannan says.

Refined Work Boots

These boots are making a major fashion statement and we’re sure you’ve noticed them around town. If you want to get that rugged look without looking like you just came from a construction yard, these are the ones for you. They come in dark to light neutral colors and are work-worthy and yard work-worthy. Win-win.

Beauty & Health

Photography by Travis Witmer | Art Direction by Kailyn Moore | Styling by Madeline Fass, Nikki Rose, Carly Weisenfeld

SKIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL BLACK CROP TOP: FOREVER21 BLUE PANTS: FOREVER21 WHITE CROP TOP: DWELLINGS PURPLE SWEATER: TOP SHOP

HAUTE SPORT

Beauty & Health TROUSERS:FOREVER 21 BAG:DWELLINGS SANDALS: FOREVER21

SKIRT: FOREVER 21 23 CROP TOP: LF STORES SHOES: ADIDAS

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spring 2015

Beauty & Health

SKIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL SWEATER: TOP SHOP BLACK CROP TOP: FOREVER21 SANDALS: FOREVER21

HOOD/CROP TOP: DWELLINGS CLEAR JACKET: TOP SHOP SUNGLASSES: STYLIST’S OWN

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spring 2015

Beauty & Health

SPORT JACKET: FOREVER21 CROP TOP: BLUE IV BAG ON BOARD: DWELLINGS

HAT:STYLIST’S OWN PANTS: FOREVER21 BOMBER JACKET: FOREVER21 SHOES: ADIDAS

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Fashion

style campus

ENTERTAINMENT

Name Matt Fell Hometown Wayne, PA Major Telecommunications Year Junior WHAT HE DOES

Former THON Rules and Regulations and Morale Committee Member, Dancer for THON 2015 for Club Croquet, two-year Contestant in THON’s Got Talent, Marketing Chair for Songwriters Club

Military Green Army green isn’t just for fall anymore. Pair a military-inspired jacket with a feminine dress for chic contrast this season.

Finding his sound

“Sophomore year of high school, I was in a hip-hop/rap duo and people really enjoyed it. I don’t know if they enjoyed it because they were making fun of me or what, but [it] was definitely an embarrassing and funny time. Now I live in an apartment with three guys in one bedroom, so my bed is my studio. I have a guitar, mini keyboard, MIDI, a microphone and a lot of software on my computer. It’s pretty much all digital. That is how most of my songs are made.”

ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY

“I think what sets me apart is that I am really big on recording music. Not many musicians have all of the equipment and knowledge. I write all of my own music. I guess I just write about what I am feeling which sound so lame, but honestly when something happens to me I just write about it. I have a bunch of files on music on my computer both from my rough days and my good days.”

ON STAGE AT THE BJC

“Last year and this year my organization Club Croquet has been in THON’s Got Talent. We got to play on stage at the BJC during THON weekend in front of everyone. We ended up getting first place after playing covers of ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille and ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avici. There was so much love in the room that all of fears of messing up and doing something stupid just went away. It is the best feeling. We are in the finals again for THON’s Got Talent this year. We are playing ‘Yellow’ by Cold Play ‘Steal my Girl’ By One Direction.”

MONOCHROME

We’ve chosen white to lighten things up for spring, but try mint, denim or your favorite color monochrome for a sleek puttogether look.

We’re loving these loose fitting jeans’ comfortable-yet-stylish look. With so many waist heights and colors, the wardrobe pairings are endless.

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Photos by Jose Ponte

BOYFRIEND JEANS

Photo by Travis Witmer

HIS DREAMS

“My dream would be to run a studio of any kind. I’m really not biased with my musicians but I would definitely want to go more in the pop music direction. That would be pretty cool.”

Entertainment

teaching the

impossible Having recently starred in the Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe winning film “Boyhood,” Richard Robichaux, Penn State’s head of acting in the School of Theatre, shares his story as both an actor living out his dream and a professor helping his students reach theirs. By Sabrina Evans

Pitch-Slapped by Penn State A Cappella

ecruits from across the country and “I’m interested in training people who not around the world don’t flock to Penn only know how to do the job, but also know State just for the football. In fact, Penn how to create the job. I’m looking for perforState offers an opportunity to be a part of an mance-makers,” Robichaux says. acting program that consistently makes the top 10. Thousands of hopeful applicants are whit- Originally from Texas, Robichaux recently tled down to a talented few in this program. joined Penn State’s theater staff in August of 2014, almost a month after the release of the critically acclaimed film “Boyhood,” in which Robichaux stars as the main character’s boss, a restaurant manager. The film has since won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and was nominated for numerous awards including Best Picture at this year’s Oscars.

With “Pitch Perfect 2” coming out on May 15, the spotlight is on the campus a cappella scene. Each group on campus gives off its own signature vibe and original sound, making music using only what their mamas gave them. Jennifer Meyers has the scoop on some of our favorite groups.

The Statesmen

Shades of Blue

The Coda Conduct

Describe your group in three words:

“Quirky. Energetic. Family.”

What’s your favorite part about singing a cap- What makes your group different from other pella? a cappella groups on campus?

“We don’t have to remember to bring instru- “We exceed the definition of just an a cappella ments.” group. We’re a close-knit group of friends that’s like a family.” Secret group talent: “Splits. Because we can.” What’s your favorite part about

singing a cappella?

The Pennharmonics

“It’s such a unique genre and allows people to hear their favorite tunes replicated by human voices and familiar songs in a different style”

Describe your group in three words:

“Talented. Crazy. Family.”

What makes your group different from other a cappella groups on campus?

“The Pennharmonics are known for having a darker style (our colors are black and silver) and we reflect this in the music that we sing. We definitely like to give our own ‘Penns flare’ to every song.”

What makes your group different from other a cappella groups on campus?

“In the last three years, we have recorded two singles and competed in the International Championship of A Cappella three times!”

What’s your favorite part about singing a cappella?

“We’re using our own bodies as instruments and we’re responsible for the entire musical process. It makes us feel that much closer to music.”

Savoir Faire A Cappella

None of The Above (NOTA)

Describe your group in three words:

“Female. Driven. Sassy.”

What makes your group different from other a cappella groups on campus?

“Savoir Faire is currently Penn State’s only active all female a cappella group!”

What’s your favorite part about

spring 2015

“A lot of people say you just need to get your foot in the door,” Robichaux says. “But where the hell is the door? What I think Penn State helps young actors do is show them the door.”

“Support through music.”

What makes your group different from other a cappella groups on campus?

“We were the first co-ed group [on campus]!”

What’s your favorite part about singing a cappella?

“There is something really special and almost singing a cappella? “When you perform with other people you not magical about singing with a group and creat- “It takes every lady in Savoir Faire to create, re- only share that performance high, but you also ing those crazy harmonies you can’t get as a solo hearse, and perform every single song in our set.” place a deep trust in everyone else on stage with singer.” you.”

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“Boyhood” is Robichaux’s second movie with director Richard Linklater, who also directed “Bernie,” a film starring Robichaux alongside Matthew McConaughey and Shirley McClain. Having grown up poor with little, if any access to the acting industry, Robichaux emphasizes the importance of an education that not only provides his students with instruction, but also with opportunities.

Photo by Travis Witmer

What’s your favorite part about singing a cappella?

“Coda-licious. Electric. Emotive.”

Photos provided by Richard

“Bros. Cardigans. Singing.”

many ways that when I was 20 or 25 that I had had a teacher that had the kind of experience I have who could have told me some things about the actual practice of doing this, not just theory.” Balancing his role as a professor and an actor outside the university is a task Robichaux says is “difficult and complicated.” However, the only jobs Robichaux agrees to take these days are ones that will benefit him professionally as a professor and give his students the opportunity to network with some of his “fancy friends” in the business. Most recently, Robichaux has been working on the set of the upcoming film “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” starring Jason Sudeikis and Jessica Biel, with music arranged by Justin Timberlake. “The success that ‘Boyhood’ received was thrilling,” he says, “but I think any actor will tell you their highlight is whatever they’re currently working on. And I’m just really in love with this project. It has a really beautiful heart.” To be able to call himself an educator and an actor is something Robichaux says he never dreamed could be possible but insists isn’t impossible.

It was during his time studying theater and acting at Stephen F. Austin University and Rutgers University that Robichaux discovered his love for theater and learned how to harness it into “People do it all the time,” he says. “If we can get a career. past the idea that it’s impossible, we can finally get down to work.” “That is a debt I have yet to repay. It changed the course of my life,” Robichaux says. “I wish in

Entertainment

enn State alumna, Sarah Beck, made every second an adventure last summer, as she made it all across the country with just her boyfriend, a few destinations and a Ford Focus.

But let’s make this vacation special, and not in a day trip to the beach special, but in a cross-country road trip special.’

Beck, class of 2014, traveled to every different sector of the United States. From visiting a family of bears at Smokey Mountain National Park in T.N. to having to navigate through endless desert to arrive at Yosemite National Park in Nevada, Beck says she couldn’t have been more thrilled with her experience.

While in music videos and in movies you see people driving and loving life with the top down, in real life, a destination is definitely more desirable than the open road. Want to go see the Rockies in Colorado? Solid. Want to plan your trip around Comic Con in San Diego? More power to you. There are also an amazing handful of music festivals happening all over the country in the summer time. Lollapalooza in Chicago and Outside Lands in San Francisco are popular means of destination, but the decision is all up to you.

While Beck and her boyfriend, inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Maryland, both wanted to have that sense of adventure, she said they really were just looking to see what part of the nation they liked best to settle down. “Neither of us had been to the West Coast. We’re both very open minded people, so we wanted to discover what was in our own background,” Beck says. “We wanted to explore where we could possibly make roots.” They took a trip to a vineyard in San Francisco. They stayed at a campsite outside of the Grand Canyon. The two even managed to stalk the hometown of singer John Mayer outside of Paradise Valley, Montana. But in the end, the best part of their trip was just being able to travel and having the freedom to go outside of their comfort zones in the best way possible. “The road trip was actually very meaningful for us in the sense that we felt more knowledgeable of our very own country,” says Beck.

“To look at what we did on a map is absolutely ineffable.”

Why spend your impending summer days watching summer dramas on Netflix when you could be creating your own? Pack your bags, take our hand and allow Kelly Gibson to guide you through the journey of planning your own summer cross-country road trip.

Before you totally sell your summer short with work and adult responsibility, consider Beck’s plan, or a similar plan. You probably have been in the same area of the country or even state your whole life. Isn’t this the right time to go explore?

Photo by Travis Witmer

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Not everyone can afford a round trip flight and a hotel in London, but maybe you can afford some rest stop food and a rental car. Your summer is your own, and you can do whatever you want with it. Taking time off from an internship or part-time job to go on vacation is never a bad idea.

Decide on Your Destination

Secure Your Ride The next thing to do to plan the vacation of your dreams is get your rental car. Unless you’re in the minority of 20-somethings that have a brand new vehicle that glistens when it moves, this is a necessary investment for this trip. As long as you’re of legal age, 21, you can rent a car from several vendors, such as Avis Budget or Advantage. Locations to pick up your vehicle are as close as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The average cost ranges from $20-30 a day, so if you and all your girlfriends plan the days of your trip and split the money, it shouldn’t be too expensive. Step two: check!

Book Your Overnight Stay In a perfect world, cars would have levers that you could dramatically pull that lead to secret bedrooms and bathrooms. But realistically, you can’t live in your car. With no stops, you could make it from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, Calif. in a little over 40 hours, but what fun is that? Your butt will be sore, your eyes will be tired and staying at hotels will allow you to experience first hand what each state you visit is like. You can stay at a shady hotel in Nebraska just to realize it’s in the middle of nowhere. You can spend the night at a Marriott in Chicago just to see if it really is the Windy City. Make every moment an adventure, and it’ll be a trip you’ll never forget. Your bags are already packed. Just pick a place to go.

summer road trip

PLAYLIST Here are some perfect tunes to blast in your long car ride. These songs will definitely make you feel like the wind is blowing through your hair.

“I’m Gonna Be”

- The Proclaimers

No brainer. This is a Penn State favorite, and you’ll feel like you’re hanging out on the road with Marshall Erikson and Ted Mosby. A win, win.

“A Thousand Miles” - Vanessa Carlton

You’re lying if you say you’re sick of this one. Have someone pretend to play piano to recreate this music video, even if you’re not in the bed of a truck. That looks unsafe, anyway.

“Summer Love”

- Justin Timberlake

This was totally your MySpace song in 7th grade, and might still be today if you remembered your MySpace password. Perfect cheesy, summer pop song.

“California Girls” - Katy Perry

There will be times when the journey seems too long, but allow Ms. Katy Perry to remind you where you’re going. Nothing comes close to the golden coast!

“Move Along”

- The All-American Rejects

Okay, it’s impossible not to scream this song. It’s just empowering. You’re leaving your responsibilities at home and taking on a crazy, reckless adventure. It’s very appropriate and badass. Plus, this song was one of the biggest hits of our middle school years, and nothing is better than All-American Rejects in their prime.

Entertainment

throw a party:

MURDER Mystery After all, a little party never killed nobody. By Amanda Hunt

Proper Attire If you’re a fan of board games, you might already have a clue of what to wear. From Ms. Scarlet to Professor Plum, invite guests to dress as their favorite character from Hasbro’s Clue. Another option is to pick a time period–the roaring, Gatsby-like 20s or the mobster eras of the 30s and 40s. It’s a party with a dark secret. When in doubt, dress in red or black–and no amount of faux fur is too much.

Décor Set up the crime scene by outlining a body silhouette on the floor and running yellow caution tape around the room or across the door and windows. On a free wall, hang an old white sheet or tape a few poster boards together and draw height lines to create the backdrop for a mug shot photo booth–and don’t forget the letter board, #guilty.

Photos by Stephanie Distasio and Susannah Foos

Activities

valleymagazinepsu.com

spring 2015

On the menu “Watch Your Back” Skewers “Killer Shrimp Cocktail” “Death by Chocolate” Brownies “Bloody” Shirley Temples “Antifreeze” Punch

playlist 1 “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” –

Fergie (feat. Q-Tip, GoonRock)

2 “Secret” – The Pierces

3 “Dollhouse” –

You can’t host a murder mystery party and leave the mystery unsolved. For smaller gatherings, play a real-life version of Clue. Have guests pick out of a hat to assign characters–and even if you have more than six people in attendance, we’re sure Mrs. Magenta and Sergeant Pepper would love to play too!

Melanie Martinez

For larger parties, start up a game of Mafia. Assign roles by writing them on slips of paper or index cards and have guests pick out of a hat as they arrive. There should be an investigator, a doctor, three mafia members, a moderator and civilians. For details on how to play, visit our website!

Timberlake (feat. JAY Z)

Special thanks: Valley’s Events Team for planning the event and providing food and decorations. The brothers of Delta Tau Delta for lending space in their house.

4 “Born to Die” – Lana Del Rey

5 “Bang Bang” – will.i.am

6 Murder - Justin 7 Russian Roulette Rihanna

8 Another Way to Die Jack White & Alicia Keys

Entertainment

YOUR SUMMER 2015

READING LIST There’s something powerful about reading a good book. It starts when you think you’ll just read just a few pages, but then you lose track of time—only to realize that you read the entire book in one sitting. Whether you like to read on a daily basis or in your spare time, Vanessa Cardy found the best books—old and new alike—to get you on the edge of your seat. If you like fantasies The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro. This intensely moving story begins with a couple that sets off across a forsaken land of mist and rain to find their son whom they haven’t seen in years. This novel encompasses a balance of lost memories, love, war and revenge.

If you like biographical novels Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman. This collection revisits the lives of fascinating and unforgettable women in history, shining a light on talent that only attained a small amount of fame. With Bergman’s imagination, these women receive the attention they so rightly deserve.

If you like thrillers We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

This clever and addicting novel is centered around the Sinclairs, a beautiful and distinguished family who spend their summers away on a private island. Love, lies, tragedy and heartbreak ensue to form an ending, gut-wrenching twist.

If you like short stories Get In Trouble by Kelly Link.

Each story in this nine-fold collection takes readers into a brilliantly constructed fictional universe. From hurricanes, astronauts, evil twins, and bootleggers to Ouija boards, iguanas and superheroes is captivated in this one-of-a-kind fiction.

If you like historical fiction All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

valleymagazinepsu.com

spring 2015

Hazel, a symbol of inspiration, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Despite the shrinking of her tumor, life has been anything but easy. At a support group for kids with cancer, she meets Augustus Waters, who rewrites her happily ever after.

If you like self-improvement #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso. Sophia spent her early 20s hitchhiking, committing petty theft and dumpster diving. She later became the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal, an online fashion retailer. This book provides advice and insight for young adults seeking a unique path to success.

If you like humor Yes Please by Amy Poehler. This rich and varied collection embraces stories, lists, poetry, photos, advice and life mantras. Poehler will make you think as much as she will make you laugh with her honest, personal, and respectable compilation of words to live by.

If you like suspense The Girl on the Train by Larry Brand. Rachel, a girl with a boring and predictable life, lives and breathes the same routine, day in and day out. One day, she sees something shocking and inadvertently becomes entangled in what happens next, flipping her life upside down.

Photos by Travis Witmer

When the Nazis seize Paris, a father and his blind daughter flee to the citadel of Saint-Malo. The daughter, Marie-Laure, meets a German-born orphan named Werner, and their stories collide in a magnificent illumination.

If you like romance The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

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