A Message from the Dean
Dear Thiel Parents,
Despite the fact that it didn’t get cold enough to freeze our ice-rink and we didn’t get enough snow to hold our first on-campus snow tubing activities, we were able to celebrate a superb Winter Weekend. As you scroll down the newsletter you will see highlights and photos from some of the events. Thank you to all the parents and families that made it to campus to celebrate with us. It was great having you, and I think we were able to catch a few of you in some of the photos below!
As the Dean of Students, and even more so as an alumnus, I was especially proud of the way our students represented Thiel College to our guests. Even before the guests arrived, we had a number of students help freshen up the campus and volunteer their time and energy to do some “spring” cleaning in February. A special thank you goes out to all of the students involved in those activities and to the entire student body that participated in festivities. We are very proud of your sons and daughters!
This weekend will also be another big one as the Admissions Department will hold our annual Academic Departmental Chair Scholarship Competition. Saturday and Sunday we will welcome many prospective students and their families to compete and learn more about Thiel College. It is always great to have these families here and to witness their enthusiasm for next step in their son’s or daughter’s life.
Along with the important admissions events taking place, the campus will also have the opportunity to enjoy a live, sold-out concert from performing artist Mac Miller. Mac Miller is an up and coming artist from the Pittsburgh area, and he has been on tour at many other colleges and universities this year. The concert will be held at our William Passavant Center, and the doors will open at 7 p.m.
Finally with Spring Break right around the corner I have included a link to the break letter that we send to all students. The letter contains information about check-out from the residence halls, travel arrangements, meal plans, and more. Please take a look at the letter for more information about the break schedule and procedures. The link can be found under the Parent Resources section on the right side of this newsletter.
Thanks again for subscribing to this newsletter, and I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy some time with your son or daughter over the Spring Break!
Sincerely,
Mike McKinney, ‘02
Dean of Students
Honor Roll
Sigma Tau Delta Inducts Five New Members
On Sunday, Feb. 19, the English Department inducted five students (Kendall DeLashment, Caitlin Ferry, Kayla Ohlin, Calla Parker and Leanna Yeager) into the Alpha Iota Kappa Chapter of the International English Honorary Society at a ceremony in the Sawhill-Georgian Room of the Howard Miller Student Center. Congratulations to all!
Campus Activities
Snap-shots from Winter Weekend
President and Mrs. VanAken, Rick Johnson and Ed Greffenstette of the Dietrich Foundation, Anne Dietrich Diemer and Michael Diemer, and seniors Audrey Rattay and Kraig Smith. The Dietrich Foundation and family members were presented with a t-shirt signed by the entire Thiel student body during the basketball games on Saturday, Feb. 11, as a thank you for the generous gift from William S. Dietrich II. View our entire Winter Weekend photo album on Flickr!
Athletics
Tomcat Wrestlers Reclaim PAC Championship
In one of the closest Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Wrestling Championship finishes to date the Tomcats claimed the 2012 team championship, outscoring two-time reigning champion Waynesburg University by just three points. Congratulations to the Tomcats and wish them luck as they travel to Case Western Reserve this Saturday to compete in the Midwest Regional Tournament.
Student-Athletes of the Week
We also want to congratulate the most recent Thiel College Athlete of the Week recipients! We are so proud to have you representing us on court, course, or playing field! Please see the list of recipients below, and read more about Thiel College Athletics at the Thiel Athletics Site.
Corey Brown, a senior wrestler and criminal justice studies major from Greenville, Pa. became the fifth Tomcat wrestler to earn 100 career victories on Saturday, finishing 3-0 and helping the Tomcats to a 3-0 dual meet mark at Case Western Reserve University’s annual Si Ostrech Meet. He improved to 102-24 overall and 32-1 this season in fashion, earning a 22-9 major decision win against RIT’s Dan Haughton, registering a pin fall victory of CWRU’s Frank Hu (1:13), and posting a 21-7 major decision victory over Patrick McKernan of Muskingum.
Brown, the third Tomcat wrestler to hit the century mark under head coach Craig Thurber, joins Kyle Brown ’07 and Corey Murphy ’07. He is currently listed as the nation’s second-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) individual rankings. The first Tomcat wrester to garner all-American honors on three occasions, Corey has earned Dean’s List recognition in each of his seven semesters and has twice earned a spot on the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll. Brown has also been named a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) after each of his last two seasons. He has been named PAC Wrestler of the Week three times this season and was selected as a PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Month for December 2011.
Kelly Barzak, a junior women’s basketball player and elementary education major from Warren, Ohio averaged 23.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks and shot 73 percent from the field last week, helping the Tomcat women’s basketball squad finish out the 2011-2012 regular season 2-0. She scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting in Wednesday’s 76-54 road win at Chatham University and tied her season high scoring output with 26 in Thiel’s 63-59 win over Grove City College in their home finale Saturday afternoon.
Barzak is currently first in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) in blocked shots (72), second in field goal percentage (.537), fifth in rebounding (7.6 rebounds/game), and ranks sixth in points per game (14.2 points/game). As of February 16 she was ranked 12th among her Division III counterparts in blocked shots per game (3.0) and 29th in field goal percentage. She has been named to the Dean’s List on four occasions and has earned a spot on the PAC Academic Honor Roll four times. She also was named a Capital One Academic All-District selection for her performance as a member of the women’s volleyball squad during the 2011 season and was selected as an honorable mention pick following the 2010-2011 women’s basketball season after garnering second team honors following her freshman campaign.
The Performing Arts
Thiel Players Performing “Little Shop of Horrors”
The Thiel Players have recently cast and begun rehearsing their spring musical Little Shop of Horrors. The show was written by Howard Ashman, with music by Alan Menken. The show opens Thursday, March 29 at 8 p.m. in the William Robinson Theater.
There will also be shows Friday and Saturday, March 30/31 at 8 p.m. There will be a special matinee performance on Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are free and reservation information will be available in March.
Choir to Tour Western United States
The Thiel Choir continues to prepare for its April 22 Home Concert in the Johnson Chapel here at Thiel College. The concert is at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The Thiel Choir will embark on a twenty-day, nine concert western states tour culminating in a concert in Portland, Oregon, a final night at a church camp on the Pacific Ocean and a flight back to Pittsburgh from Portland. Repertoire for the opening set of the concert and tour includes an opening motet by the renaissance composer Palestrina and organ accompanied piece by the English composer John Rutter. Native American pieces along with works thematically related to the earth and earth justice comprise the middle portion of the program. The last set includes hymns and spirituals. Among the sights the choir will visit on the tour are Mount Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
For more information about the concert or tour, please call 724-589-2149. Information about the concerts on tour can be found on our main site.
Events
Safe Zone Training
Monday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m., LHR
Professor Ted Hoover and colleagues will join us for an hour session on the importance of safe zone training and how to implement training year around.
International Women’s Day Celebration
Monday, March 5, 5:30p.m., LHR
“Support Yourself, Support Her”
Peek ’N Peak Ski Trip
Saturday, March 3
Sign-ups in the Student Life Office
Parent Resources
Important: Spring Break Memo
Academic Calendar
Student Activities Calendar
Thielensian (Student Newspaper)