A Letter from the Editor
By Sophia Shaloka, 2nd year Biology Education Major
Hi H.S.A Members! I am so excited that we have been able to start off this school year in person and meet all of the wonderful H.S.A members face-to-face! To the first-year and second-year students, I hope that you are enjoying campus life and building relationships with your honors peers. To all other students, I hope that returning to campus has been a positive experience for you. Just by seeing the large group of students who attend H.S.A meetings every Thursday, I can tell this is going to be a great year! As the new editor of H.S.A Happenings, I’m eager to help foster a creative space for all of those in H.S.A. Whether you like reading, writing, designing, or editing, there is a place for you on the newspaper team. This year is filled with new opportunities, interactions, and experiences that I want YOU to share. I, as well as the other members of H.S.A, would love to hear what you have to say. Working with the H.S.A Happenings newsletter is a great way to get involved and share your passions with others! In this edition, we want to hone in on the shift from online to in-person schooling and the positive impact it has had on the community.
With face-to-face interactions comes more opportunities for building connections and serving others.
I hope that you enjoy reading this edition as much as I enjoyed editing it, and I wish you the best of luck with classes this semester!
Sincerely
Welcome Note from the H.S.A President
Carlyn Crisi, H.S.A. President 3rd year Early Grades Prep Major
Welcome back H.S.A! It is so nice seeing everyone back on campus after a year and a half at home. As we transition back into school, work hard, stay healthy and also find time to do what makes you happy. Take advantage of all the new opportunities given to you, and don’t forget that the Honors Student Association Leadership is here to help you if you need anything. Thank you for your dedication to and leadership in Honors and H.S.A! We can’t wait to see you all at our meetings on Thursdays at 8:15pm in the Schmucker Science Link 151.
Have a great year everyone!
3 Tips to Help Your Future Self
By Abby Boquist, Secretary of H.S.A. 2nd year English Education Major
Happy fall, everyone! Now that the semester is in full swing, here are three quick tips to help your future self:
- Save feedback on major papers and assignments. Many professors enter their feedback directly into D2L, but beware: this feedback might disappear after the semester ends. Feedback is useful long after the class. You can use it to identify strengths when applying for jobs and internships, note which professors might write positive recommendations, and reference it in future projects- especially in majors that require a portfolio before graduation!
- In reading-heavy classes, record the main idea of each reading (just a sentence or phrase is fine!). By making a list of topics as you go, you’ll have a list of references ready to go when the time comes to write a paper or review for an exam.
- Set realistic expectations for yourself. You have a lot going on right now: classes, jobs, clubs, activities, and a new social environment, to name a few. It is not physically possible to give 110% to everything you do, or to be perfect at everything you do. Get involved and set goals, but don’t forget that at the end of the day, you are human!
Take care of yourselves, and have a lovely October!
Adopt-A-Block is Back!
By Owen Cutler, Adopt-A-Block Director, 2nd year History Education Major
Now that students are back on campus, in-person service events can finally return. This means that the popular service opportunity, Adopt-A-Block, is back! Adopt-A-Block has West Chester University groups, including H.S.A, go into town and clean up a section of our community.
At the end of September, H.S.A members walked into West Chester to clean up the town. The group spent the morning walking into town and picking up trash. H.S.A gave back to the community and cleaned up the block at the corner of South Walnut and Magnolia. Over two dozen H.S.A members showed up to polish our block and make West Chester beautiful. We were ultimately able to fill two large trash bags cleaning up West Chester.
Thank you to everyone who came out!
Presidential Picnic
by Holly Liebenberg, H.S.A. Public Relations Coordinator, 2nd year Marketing Major
On Tuesday, September 21st, President Fiorentino and Dr. Fiorentino invited the Honors College for a special picnic at their estate, Tanglewood. The weather was beautiful, and purple and gold tents were set up throughout the backyard. The evening started with a rendition of the West Chester Alma Mater by the Honors Student Association Choir, led by Brian Lynch. Next, attendees were invited to eat dinner, which was provided by Aramark. The menu included all of the classic picnic foods, such as hamburgers, pasta salad, and cookies; there was something to enjoy for everyone! While eating dinner under the tents, Honors students of all grade levels were able to socialize with one another. Once everyone was fed, there was additional time to mingle and ask the president questions about his job, the past virtual year, and how he feels about being back on campus. Overall, the presidential picnic was the perfect way for Honors students to be introduced/welcomed back to campus life.
H.S.A. Library System
By Audrey Carson, H.S.A. Historian, 2nd year Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Major
One of the newest additions to the West Chester University Honors Student Association for the 2021-2022 school year is the H.S.A. Library System. This system aims to help students save money on textbooks while also connecting them with other students who take similar classes. The system is made up of two major components: students who donate textbooks and students who need textbooks.
Those who donate textbooks can do so by semester or they can donate to the library system permanently. They fill out a form that asks a series of questions relating to both their textbook and the class it is for. Students who donate textbooks to the H.S.A. Library System receive one hour of service per textbook.
Those who need textbooks can rent them out for the semester or through the duration of their class. The students go through a similar process where they fill out a form that asks a series of questions relating to the specific textbook they need and the class they need it for. Textbooks are given on a first-come-first-serve basis and only given if another student donated them to the system prior.
Although the H.S.A. Library System has just started this year, we hope to grow it for years to come. The link for the form to donate or request a textbook is in each “H.S.A. Weekly Update” email. Any additional questions about the system can be directed to 2021-2022 H.S.A. Historian Audrey Carson at AC951371@wcupa.edu.
Official H.S.A Members....
Credits:
Created by Leela Rose, Graphic Design Editor | Edited by Sophia Shaloka, Director | Leela Rose & Allison Farrell, Assistant Directors | Dr. Martin & Professor Wooten, Faculty Advisors | Created with an image by 422737 - "pumpkins vegetables harvest"