Making waves across the pond and beyond
These profs really rock
So you want to be a writer?
New social space on the horizon
Susquehanna University Choir: performing near you
Meet a student
An Aussie state of mind
Survival Guide: 10 (new) tips for college financing
SU's Top Ten status
Keep on track: Admissions/Financial Aid Timeline

Making waves
            across the pond and beyond

It would seem that a philosophical New Yorker, a backpacking Chinese student and a basketball-playing, former Israel Defense Force soldier would have little in common. But common ground is exactly what they found when their lives intersected on the campus of Susquehanna University.

Senior finance majors Ori Duek, left, and QiMeng Cao, right, enjoy the world-famous ice cream of Vienna, Austria, while studying and performing internships in the city last fall.

Benjamin Plum '05, QiMeng Cao '06 and Ori Duek '06, overcame their language and cultural differences to become fast friends, roommates and even business partners. Now the three men are working to overcome those same barriers in the business world.

Last spring, the men did a joint independent study with James Brock, dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business. The result was the formation of China - Israel Direct Trading, LP (CIDT). Their goal: overcome the cultural hurdles that have stifled direct trading between the two countries.

"By accident, we discovered that there's a huge demand for Chinese goods in Israel, but most of the imports from China into the Israeli market come through third-party distributors in the United States and European Union countries," Cao says.

Following three months of market research, CIDT became the first of its kind to facilitate and develop relationships between Chinese suppliers and industrial customers in Israel for such heavy production materials as polypropylene and silicone nitrate, automobiles, and tire recycling technologies. "There's a huge market and little competition," Duek says.

CIDT's reputation continues to spread in the Israeli domestic market, and the company has secured exclusive representation contracts with both Chinese and Israeli firms.

All this, while going to college and studying abroad. Plum does CIDT's public relations and marketing planning from the U.S., while Duek and Cao run the business from Vienna while studying international business and performing internships. So what if they come home from classes to find messages in three different languages on their answering machine? They still take time out of their busy lives to enjoy the sweeter side of life.

"We are enjoying the rich history, art and music of Vienna, together with my personal favorite -- the best ice cream in the world," Cao says.

-- Victoria Kidd, News & Editorial Manager

      Between lectures and test prep,
these profs really rock

Jason Rose '05 (left) takes the stage with Faculty Lounge during a concert last year in Degenstein Center Theater.

What do you get when you mix an academic administrator, a classical music composer, a Jewish studies scholar and a German historian?
Really loud rock-n-roll.

They call themselves Faculty Lounge, and the play on words is no accident. Members of this self-defined "garage pop" band are vocalist David Imhoof, assistant professor of history; lead guitarist Laurence Roth, associate professor of English and Jewish studies; bass player Terry Winegar, professor of psychology and dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences; and drummer Patrick Long, assistant professor of music.

Jason Rose '05, an accomplished guitarist who recently wrote and recorded 17 songs for Island Records, worked closely with the band while studying history and music technology at SU. He says playing rock-n-roll with his college professors was a bit intimidating at first. "I didn't want to let them down. They had given me such a cool opportunity to play with them, but then, once I got more comfortable with them, I realized how easygoing and supportive they were," Rose says.

Rose calls the members of Faculty Lounge "awesome." This, despite their propensity for creating spreadsheets chronicling all the songs they've played in different venues, and Long's habit of quoting Nietzsche in casual conversation.

The band formed in August 2002 as a simple pastime for the scholars, a way of shedding their professional skins and rekindling their youthful love of rock-n-roll. But before long the band was playing live and garnering a lot of attention from the campus community.

They even graduated to writing and recording original music. Their first CD, recorded at a nearby studio, is simply called Faculty Lounge. "We decided to avoid the pretension of a title all together," Imhoof joked. "Yeah," said Long, "as long as there is no bar code, we didn't see the need for a title."

While they may not be getting rich off royalties, they are finding a fortune in the way students relate to them.

"I got to see them as real people," Rose says. Before working with the band, Rose says, "All I knew from the two members that I had in class was that they were cool professors who I really respected. I had no clue about anything else beyond that, but when I got to play with them, I got to connect to them on a personal level, which only made my respect for them grow."

"I think this is a testament to SU and the kind of tight community it provides," Rose says.

-- Victoria Kidd, News & Editorial Manager

So you want to be a writer?

Tom Bailey, during a book signing in October 2005 for his first Random House release, The Grace That Keeps This World. The novel was nominated for The National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction.

Novelist Tom Bailey, associate professor of English and creative writing, tells you what it's really like being a professional writer.

What is the daily life of a working writer like?
TB: John Gardner called it a yoga: a way. I think of my life as a process, as much so as writing itself. I wake to write each day at 5:30 a.m. and write until 11 o'clock or so, exercise, eat lunch, and head to the university to teach.

Why teach too?
TB: Teaching is its own reward. I count myself lucky that I'm able to devote my days to doing and talking about the thing I love most, writing fiction.

You have essentially two careers that you love. So what's the down side?
TB: I have a young family, too -- so make that three careers! Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to dedicate to all my loves.

So why juggle so much?
TB: Writing fiction, teaching, and being a father all make me aware of being alive in an extraordinary way. Every moment is filled with a kind of impact -- a literary pulse, if you will. Writing helps me note those things significant in my life. I can't imagine a better way to use my heart -- or my mind.

New social space on the horizon

The grand opening of Susquehanna's new social space, Trax, is slated for this spring. Constructed from an existing building on campus, Trax will give students a new recreational facility for such activities as dances, costume parties and for-fun poker nights. Trax will feature a dance floor, DJ booth, game area, bar, performance stage and outdoor patio. It will be open Friday and Saturday nights from about 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and on select nights, a limited amount of beer and wine will be served to Susquehanna students 21 or older.

"The goal of the social space is to provide students of all ages with a late-night fun spot right here on campus, just a short walk from their residence halls," says Noreen Huth '05, social space coordinator for student activities and area coordinator for residence life. "Those students who are of legal drinking age will have the added benefit of learning about responsible consumption," Huth says. After their photo identifications are cross-checked against a list of students 21 or older provided by the registrar's office, students will be given wristbands with three color-coded tabs on them, signifying how many drinks they may consume during the evening. The number allowed per student of legal drinking age will be determined by national standards used to combat binge drinking -- one per hour with a one-hour "cool down" period, Huth says.

Architectural rendering of Trax using digital imagery overlapping photography of the storage facility from which the club is being built.

The Susquehanna University Choir's annual tour dates are:

Meet a student

Heather Matta, Class of 2007

Major: Chemistry

Hometown: Westfield, Massachusetts

Activities and honors: Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Geo Club, Chemistry Club, dean's list, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, 2004 Academic All-American, 2005 First-Team All-Conference and All-Regional

Why Susquehanna: I wanted a smaller college environment that would help me excel academically and athletically without the pressure to choose one over the other. I also love the fact that as an undergraduate I am able to use expensive laboratory equipment that I would not have access to at a larger school. The campus is also one of the most aesthetically pleasing ones that I have seen.

Favorite faculty member: My physics professor, Dr. Richard Kozlowski (or Koz), because he challenges me to believe in my own knowledge of different things... and he makes lecture exciting with many jokes!

Career Plans: I plan on attending medical school after graduation from Susquehanna. I would love to become either a pediatrician or an obstetrician, or possibly even go into the surgery aspect of medicine.

    An Aussie
state of mind

Danielle Purciello '07 scuba dives in Australia's Great Barrier Reef during the 2005 Focus Australia trip.

Australia has a way of staying with you, according to Danielle Purciello '07. This fall, while floating down the Susquehanna River in a kayak, the biology major from Nutley, N.J., says, "I was expecting to see a crocodile, or waiting for Dr. Richard to spot a snake in a tree."

Along with nine other students and two faculty members, Purciello explored the city of Sydney, the deserts of the Outback, and the rainforests of Cairns on the Focus Australia trip last summer. Focus Australia is one of many opportunities for Susquehanna students to study abroad. Held over summer break, it offers a travel opportunity to students who may not have room in their schedules to go abroad for an entire semester.

While there, the group shared experiences like platypus spotting, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, playing coconut football, petting kangaroos and climbing the world-famous Sydney Harbor Bridge.

"We knew each other going into it, but we really got to know each other," Purciello says. "We were in Australia for twenty days, sitting on long flights, doing everything, learning everything together."

To prepare for the trip, the Focus Australia group took two courses -- one on environmental psychology and another about biological issues in Australia. Their professors, Dave Richard, professor and head of the Department of Biology, and Mary Lou Klotz, associate professor and head of the Department of Psychology, then accompanied the students on the trip.

Traveling to the land down under was a breath of fresh air for Purciello. "I needed to go and experience something completely different from home, from the Shore, from Selinsgrove," she says. Now that she has, Purciello says, "I feel like I need to go to a million and one other places." She will be studying in Spain this spring.

-- Erin Markel '07

Besides studying abroad for an entire semester or year, Susquehanna students can choose among a variety of shorter travel abroad experiences:

• China Study Tour: Led by a professor, students travel throughout China for two and a half weeks during summer break. They earn two credits while getting to know Chinese families and seeing sights such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Imperial Summer Palace. Planning for a similar trip to India is underway.
  
  
• SU CASA: Susquehanna University Central America Service Adventure is an opportunity to help others in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Belize. The trips are offered over winter and summer breaks by the chaplain's office and can be taken for credit.
  
  
• Summer in London: A chance to take core classes while having the city of London at your fingertips. Students live in flats rented by the university and are taught by SU faculty. Classes have included a literature course about the London underworld and British theatre.
  
  
• Spring Breaks Abroad: On these trips, organized by professors to offer an alternative to the traditional spring break, students tour places like Paris, Berlin and Vienna, with plenty of free time to explore independently. The next trip, to Rome, will be in 2007.
  
  

   Survival Guide
10 (new) tips for college financing

compiled by Helen Nunn, Susquehanna University director of financial aid

Helen Nunn, director of financial aid, discusses the application process and financial aid options with Tyler Wolfe, a sophomore at Selinsgrove High School.

1. Figure out your "short list." Identify the colleges that best meet your academic, extracurricular and geographic criteria. Investigate schools that represent a range of costs. Don't let a higher cost keep you from seeking admission. Some schools, including Susquehanna, offer significant financial aid programs which often equalize your cost among several schools. The chance that more of your financial need will be met is actually greater at a private college or university.
   
   
2. Know what you must do to apply for financial aid. Find out what types of aid are available at the schools you like best. Also find out which aid application forms are required and what each school's deadline is. College and university catalogs, financial aid brochures and Web sites, and admissions and financial aid staff are your best resources for this kind of information.
   
   
3. Know the difference between scholarships and need-based financial aid. Merit-based scholarship aid may be awarded to students with exceptional abilities in academics, music or other areas. Need-based aid is available to students whose families need help in meeting college costs. Not all schools offer both types of financial aid, but many of them do.
   
   
4. Know the deadlines you must meet. Apply for all the types of aid for which you want to be considered. Try not to rely on the advice of helpful friends. Everyone's situation is different and everyone's financial aid experience is too. Don't exclude yourself from the process because your neighbor didn't qualify for scholarships or other forms of financial aid.
   
   
5. Know how to compare the aid packages (the combination of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study awards) you receive from different schools. Be sure that in each case you understand:
   • your family's bottom-line cost for the year,
   • the amount that you are being asked to borrow, and
   • the amount that you are being asked to provide through student employment.
   Consider the final cost to you rather than the listed price of the school. Understand how much of your expense can be met through financial aid programs. At every school, many students pay less than the listed price thanks to financial aid.
   
   
6. Has there been a recent change in your family's financial status? The financial aid office can consider special circumstances only if you provide the updated information. A financial aid package can even be adjusted after the academic year begins. It's important to keep the lines of communication open.
   
   
7. Do you know about other kinds of long-term, low interest loans and monthly payment plans? There are a number of opportunities for your parents to borrow or to spread their payments out over the course of the year. The interest on some loans is now tax deductible. Be sure to check out this feature.
   
   
8. Be a saver. It's never too late to start saving. Put aside a portion of every paycheck, graduation gift, or other funds that come your way. It's important to have a nest egg for unexpected needs at school and saving is also an important lifetime habit to develop.
   
   
9. Line up that summer job. Now is the time to be thinking about your earnings and savings power for summer. Most new high school grads can easily earn upwards of $2,500 working a 40-hour work week throughout the summer, providing spending money for the coming school year.
   
   
10. Discuss having a credit card with your parents. If you use it carefully, a credit card can be a helpful tool when you're away from home! It's a great opportunity to learn financial discipline by managing your own account. For example, with a credit card, you can use online resources to buy and sell your textbooks and really save money. Paying off the balance each month is an important lesson to learn before you go away.

Your goal is to select the college that offers you the best long-term value for the price and where your educational needs will best be met.

Bottom-Line Advice:
Do your homework to be sure you have the tools to reach your goal.

SU's Top 10 status

What do Caesars Palace and Susquehanna University have in common?

Stephen A. Lake, a 55-year-old Las Vegas pit boss and independent public relations consultant who has made a hobby of visiting college campuses during his vacations. In spring 2005, he included Susquehanna University in his travel plans. Later that year, he ranked SU as one of his top 10 choices in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education. During his visit, Lake visited with Jeffrey Whitman, associate professor of philosophy and head of the Department of Philosophy, Religion and Classical Studies. "He was exceedingly nice. I can't say enough good things about him," Lake said. Lake also was impressed with the beautiful landscaping and said the campus "had a certain calmness to it."

To tour the campus for yourself, while learning about the college search process, including suggestions for application essay writing and admission interviewing, come to Susquehanna's "Choosing The Right College" junior and sophomore open house Saturday, April 29, 2006.

Keep On track:
A Susquehanna Admissions/Financial Aid Time Line

For more information, call 570-372-4260 or 800-326-9672