Families of Penn State Berks students will experience life on campus, while alumni will have an opportunity to reconnect with former classmates when the college hosts its annual Family and Homecoming Weekend, from Friday, Sept. 23 to Sunday, Sept. 25. This year’s event has a science fiction theme titled “Berks and Beyond” and attendees are urged to wear their favorite sci-fi or Penn State apparel. The program will include activities for the entire family, including social and athletic events that showcase the campus. Most events are open to all attendees, but preregistration is required for the Picnic Lunch and the Alumni Reunion Luncheon.
Co-founders of the nonprofit organization Beauty Redefined, Lindsay and Lexie Kite will discuss the issues surrounding body image and body shaming at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium, Penn State Berks. The Kite sisters, both doctoral graduates from the University of Utah in the study of media and body image, have dedicated themselves to helping people redefine the meaning and value of beauty. This event is free and open to the public.
Prospective students are invited to a day of tours given by Penn State Berks Alumni Lion Ambassadors, as well as current student Lion Ambassadors, beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 24 at the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. Participants and their families are invited to stay after the tours and join the annual Penn State Berks Homecoming Weekend festivities.
Students beginning their first year at Penn State Berks received their first homework assignment well before they showed up on campus for the first day of classes. The assignment, part of the campus’ Common Reading Program, is to read "Living College Life in the Front Row" by motivational speaker Jon Vroman, who will discuss his work Oct. 12 in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.
Penn State’s annual celebration of Constitution Day will take place on Friday, Sept. 16 at University Park, with events happening throughout the month of September across Penn State campuses.
Penn State Berks students and staff traveled to Belfast, Ireland to work on initiatives related to youth, hunger, and homelessness–all major issues facing citizens of Northern Ireland.
Penn State is marking Sexual Assault Awareness month this April with a range of events and initiatives across the Commonwealth that offer educational opportunities, focus attention on the issue and bring the community together to stop sexual misconduct.
The past two weekends were particularly busy ones for Penn State campuses statewide, as the University held nearly three dozen commencement ceremonies, including roughly a dozen on the University Park campus. Penn State Altoona and the Dickinson School of Law got things started, as both held commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9. The rest of the campuses and Penn College held ceremonies May 15, 16 or 17. In all, the University awarded approximately 10,875 diplomas to students University-wide who are completing 588 associate, 8,627 baccalaureate, 1,083 master's, 131 medical, 212 law and 234 doctoral degrees. While not all Penn state campuses or colleges were able to provide photos of their commencement ceremonies, quite a few have sent them to Penn State Live. In addition, Penn State Public Information photographer Andy Colwell made it to several commencement ceremonies at University Park.
