A Message from the Dean
Dear Thiel Parents,
Welcome back for another exciting semester at Thiel College! To those of you just joining our newsletter community, a special welcome goes out to all of you. I hope you find this communication both informative and enjoyable. Right now, the stage is definitely set for this semester to be a much celebrated period in Thiel’s history.
In just a few short weeks, the College is prepared to celebrate our annual Winter Weekend. If you browse the schedule in today’s Upcoming Events section, you will see we have an incredibly fun-filled program in store for everyone. It will include our Black & White Ball, snow tubing, hot-tubs, and even the new outdoor ice-skating rink we’ve constructed. However the most significant happening will come in the form of an announcement. On Saturday, February 11, President VanAken will announce our plans for the monumental $25 million fund bequeathed to Thiel College by the late William S. Dietrich, II! Excitement is truly an understatement for what this gift means for Thiel College. So please join us in saying - THANK YOU BILL!
As the semester goes on, I also plan to share several more reasons why this year will be unlike any other. For this newsletter though, I hope you are able to find time to read about some other happenings and accomplishments at Thiel. I would also like to make special note of a new section we will be including in future mailings. You will see below that we have added a section called The Honor Roll. The Honor Roll will regularly feature our students of the month and highlight other traditions and accomplishments related to teaching and learning at Thiel College.
Again I want to thank you for subscribing to the newsletter and the Thiel College experience!
Best Wishes,
Mike McKinney, ‘02
Dean of Students
Honor Roll
Students of the Month
Amy Matchett, a senior English and psychology major, thrives on an academic challenge and works very diligently at each task she undertakes. The faculty of the College is proud to recognize her as Student of the Month.
In addition to earning a place on the Dean’s List for seven semesters, Amy has served as representative on the English Department scholarship selection committee; chair of the community service committee of Lambda Sigma; president of Sigma Tau Delta; editor of The Phoenix; writing lab tutor and writing consultant; admissions student call-team worker; speaker at student visit days; member of the Student Government Association; nominee for Who’s Who Among College Students; and recipient of the Vira Heinz Scholarship.
A double major in actuarial studies and mathematics, Scott Hunkus has earned a GPA of 4.0 and Dean’s List recognition for seven consecutive semesters. As a husband and father, Scott must manage his time carefully in order to achieve work/life balance and to excel in his studies.
In his Dec. 2007 application for admission to Thiel, Scott wrote: “When we are children, parents and teachers are always telling us that we can be whatever we want to be. That is a very powerful truth that I have just begun to realize … I can be whatever I want to be, and right now I want to be a college student.”
Scott’s most immediate challenge is to take and pass his actuarial examinations. Given his past performance, we have no doubt that Scott will achieve his goal. Again, in his own words as a prospective student, Scott speaks of his motivation to work hard and do well: “I want my parents to say ‘that’s our boy.’” At Commencement this May, thanks to Scott’s perseverance and worthy goals, they will get that chance. Professor Jie Wu summarizes Scott’s career at Thiel: “This student is a good example we should learn from.”
Family Matters
Thiel Family Council
You are invited to participate in the Thiel College Family Council. The Thiel Family Council is a group of parents and family members who offer their insight, experience and service to the College; serving as a mechanism to positively influence the students’ living and learning environment through their interaction with the administration. Membership offers families a special connection with one another as well as many opportunities to participate in the Thiel community.
For more information about joining, please contact Lauren (Oman) Zuschlag at loman@thiel.edu.
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Campus Activities
MLK Celebration
On Monday, January 16, the College celebrated Martin Luther King Day with poems read by the students, a dance performance by Avon Milton, and songs by the Thiel College Gospel Choir. Guest Speaker Pastor Christian Littleton also delivered a wonderful message about “Pursuing the Dream”. The event was coordinated by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.
Build-A-Bear at Thiel
As pictured above, the Office of Student Activities brought Build-A-Bear to the students!
Athletics
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.
Athletes Of The Week
| 1/24 | Dante McCoy | Men’s Volleyball |
| 1/24 | Rianne Thornton | Women’s Basketball |
| 1/17 | Nic Jones | Men’s Track & Field |
| 1/17 | Valerie White | Women’s Track & Field |
| 1/10 | Corey Brown | Wrestling |
| 1/10 | Kelly Barzak | Women’s Basketball |
It’s Buffalo Hunting Season in Greenville!
On Saturday, February 11, the Thiel College basketball teams will compete against the Bethany College Bisons. The women will play at 1 p.m. and the men at 3 p.m. President VanAken has declared Buffalo Hunting Season in session! So don’t be surprised if you see some wardrobe changes between games. The women are sponsoring that competition as a “Play for Kay” Pink Out game, and then you may see some camouflage for the second game of the hunt. Please join us in cheering our teams on.
Events
Winter Weekend
February 10 & 11 • Thiel Campus
Click here to learn more.
Mac Miller Spring Concert
Saturday, Feb. 25 • Passavant Center
Doors open at 7 p.m.
Opening Act starts at 8 p.m.
All students receive ONE complimentary ticket. Additional tickets can be purchased for $20 from our main site starting January 30.
Black History Month
Chapel Service
Sunday, Jan. 29, 6 p.m.
Johnson Memorial Chapel
With guest speaker Pastor Jeff Sherman, musical performance by Slippery Rock University gospel choir and mime performance by Thiel College (TC) Soldiers.
Student Panel
Monday, Feb 13, Noon
Lutheran Heritage Room (LHR)
Student panel of an African American Experience at Thiel College. Get a close experience of what it is like to be an African American student at Thiel College and in the Greenville Community. Learn what initiatives helped or did not help these students with this transition.
Black History Trivia Game Show
Monday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., LHR
This event is open to students, faculty and staff. Teams will consist of two-to-four members. Topics will include: African Americans in education, politics, sports, movies, music, and history. Please RSVP to jwebb@thiel.edu if you’d like to register a team to participate.
OBC Annual Soul Food Feast
Sunday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m., LHR
With guest speaker Jimmy Pugh. Live performance by California University gospel choir and great food that will have you coming back for more.
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.
Parent Resources
Academic Calendar
Student Activities Calendar
Thielensian (Student Newspaper)