Thiel Happenings

Hundreds of students expected for Mercer County college fair Oct. 1 at Thiel College

About 700 students are expected to attend the Mercer County Guidance Counselors College Fair and Career Day on Thursday, Oct. 1 at Thiel College.

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Ellsworth raising MD awareness at Thiel football game

Today, Billy Ellsworth was in the same place he has been every Wednesday for the last five years. The 14-year-old boy from Coraopolis, Pa. was in a medical office getting an intravenous treatment for his Duchenne muscular dystrophy (MD).

On Saturday, the Montour High School ninth-grader will be a world away from those sterile and clinical offices and at midfield of Thiel College’s Alumni Stadium. Ellsworth is taking part in the opening coin flip of the football game between Thiel and Case Western Reserve at 1 p.m. Saturday as part of the Coach to Cure MD game-day charity partnership. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was four. Life expectancy for boys suffering the fatal disease is the mid-20s.

“As a mom you want to turn back the hands of time,” Billy’s mother, Terri, said. “All moms feel that way, but it’s even more the case when your child has a terminal disease.”

The devastating muscle wasting disease results in progressive loss of muscular strength and function. One in every 3,500 boys has this type of muscular dystrophy. No cure or approved treatment exists. But that could be changing as Ellsworth continues to work raising awareness of the disease.

This is the fourth year Ellsworth is participating in the Coach to Cure MD game-day promotion. He is strong enough to walk on the field Saturday for the coin toss because he is the only boy in Pennsylvania—and one of just 12 in the country—getting an experimental treatment for his MD. Ellsworth has been trialing the experimental drug for the past five years. The drug could be approved by the end of the year, Terri said.

“The majority of boys his age are already in wheelchairs,” Terri said. “There are boys his age who can’t use their upper bodies. This would be the first drug for MD. It is a historical thing.”

The Coach to Cure MD is a partnership between the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) in which over 600 colleges and universities and 11,000 coaches across the country participate. Thiel players will be wearing Coach to Cure MD patches on their jerseys Saturday.

“Coach to Cure MD is a great cause that we enjoy supporting every year through the AFCA sponsorship,” said seventh-year Thiel head football coach Kurt Reiser, M.A. “This year is special because we get to host Billy for the game and allow him to experience Thiel College football and our game day atmosphere. Being a member of our football program is more than wins or losses on game day, it’s about our players growing as men and understanding the importance of giving back.”

• Donate to the research fund online or by texting "CURE" to 90999 on a mobile phone to make a $5 donation.
• View Billy’s Wish Fund.

VanAkens host international students

President Troy D. VanAken, Ph.D., and Dr. Annette VanAken hosted about 20 international students and members of the Greenville-based American Scholar Group for hors d'oeuvres at the President's residence on Monday.

Video showcases ceramic artist's Thiel College opening

Ceramic artist Christian Kuharik's work is on display in the Weyers-Sampson Gallery through Oct. 16.

Student News

Management class experiences real world challenges

Professor Angelo Giannini, M.B.A., and his Principles of Management students participated in three Thiel College challenge course activities last week.

• The wall is a 10-foot high vertical challenge. Students must cooperate as a group to get every member of the group over the wall.
• The rope walk is a suspended rope, one foot above the ground, along a path of trees. Students must negotiate various obstacles to reach the finish.
• The trust fall has a student stand on a platform four feet above the ground and fall backward into the interlinked arms of eight students.

"The purpose of the course is to have the students experience the principles and techniques discussed in the management class," Giannini said. "They learn firsthand about teamwork, effective communication, leadership and motivation."

Watch student presentations from the first Thiel Forum of academic year 

The first Thiel Forum was held Sept. 17. Students made presentations covering international travel and research on learning styles.

Watch the presentations:

• Sean Oros '15 discusses international travel's impact on creative writing, specifically his London experiences.
• Katie Allgeier '16 talks about studying Irish literature, learning Gaelic and discovering family roots in Ireland.
• Ivey Shorts '16 speaks about her life changing experience in India.
• Dominic Licata '16 and Dan McFetridge '16 present the findings of their research on learning styles.