Top Three "Secret" Libraries Around Campus - Alison Riley (Sophomore, Bioengineering)

Everyone has heard of Pattee and Paterno - but when you can't find a desk in the stacks and all of the comfy armchairs in the reading room are full - what do you do? Few people know that there are lots of other libraries besides the main library -  here are three of my favorite "secret" libraries around campus!

1. The Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library

Located in 201 Davey Lab, right across the street from the HUB and connected to Osmond, the Davey Library is a great spot to go if you're looking to rent out any Math or Science textbooks for a few hours. Davey also has a bunch of great private study rooms that you and some friends can reserve to study for that big exam coming up.

2. Earth and Mineral Sciences Library

With small rock formations on display around the books, it is definitely the coolest library around. This small library is always deserted, considering the only people who seem to know about it seem to be in the college of Earth and Mineral Sciences!

3. Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library

Located in the North part of campus, the Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Larch!) library is in a great spot; there are hundreds of architecture design projects all over Stuckeman Building. The curving bookshelf display case and open classroom in the lobby make this a unique and fun place to study!

So those are my top three favorite unknown libraries, but to close I'll let you in on a little-known fun fact about Pattee: after 12 am, the Extended Hours Room on the first floor starts serving coffee for all of its late-night studiers! Definitely something to check out.

So shake up your regular study routine and check out one of these awesome spots - with new surroundings and few people around, you definitely won't regret it!

Code for A Cure - Alfredo Ramirez (Junior, Engineering Science)

Code for a Cure

How being an Engineer helps me fight Pediatric Cancer

Engineers affect the health, happiness and safety of our world. You’ll hear that a lot from us. And it’s true. The kinds of problems that Engineers tackle and the solutions they invent have the potential to make a huge impact on everyone.

But here’s something you may not have realized: you don’t have to wait until you graduate to start making a difference as an Engineer. You can start changing the world here. Now. While you’re a Penn State Student. Two ways you can get started is through an organization like Engineers without Borders or the Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program. Both of these allow you to design solutions to real-world problems in developing countries (and go there to implement them!) while still an Engineering student.

Another way to make a difference is through THON. Well sure, you say, but can’t anyone THON? How does being an Engineering come into play? Trust me, only an Engineer could THON the way I do. You see, I’m a Technology Captain and the Lead PASS Developer for THON 2013. The PASS system is an Event Management System that manages and tracks floor access during THON Weekend. It’s a program, a piece of software. And it’s coded entirely from the ground up by students at Penn State. My job is to lead six other developers in designing and implementing the PASS System, striving to make it a commercial-grade piece of software. As a Computer Science Major, I have the opportunity to apply the programming skills and software engineering principles I’ve been taught in my classes to help fight Pediatric Cancer, a worthy cause if there ever was one. There’s not a lot of majors that give you the chance to actually use what you learn in class in order to make an impact while you’re still in school and that’s one of the things I love about Engineering.

There are many way to make a difference as an Engineering student at Penn State. How will you make a difference? 

Does analytical thinking run in the family? - Brian Adams (Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering)

This question has me curious.  Does analytical thinking genetically get passed down from generation to generation?  My grandfather began his career parking cars in his parking lot in Rochester, NY.  If the car needed work done on it, my grandfather fixed whatever needed to be repaired on site in his repair shop.  He was very mechanically inclined and passed down this trait to three of his sons.

My two uncles and my dad, in my opinion, inherited analytical thinking from my grandfather.  Both of my uncles started off early in this field when they were kids.  My one uncle built himself a go cart from spare car parts, and the other built a motor bike with just a normal bike and a motor.  Later in life they both worked as mechanics and know how to fix pretty much anything.

My dad continues with this ingenuity.  He started out installing bar systems for local bars and pubs across New York State, with no engineering background.  After that, he owned and ran two gas stations, one of which had a repair shop.  My dad worked as the head mechanic for many years.  My dad, just like my uncles, has never needed directions to put something together and is my “go to” person when I don’t know how to do something.  This is even true for computers!  Computers didn’t even exist when my dad went to high school, yet he knows a heck of a lot more than I do about the subject and even built his own computer.

And I am currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering.  So...does analytical thinking run in the family?  I haven’t been able to find any medical evidence proving so, but I sure think it does!