Daniel Fox Youth Scholars Institute
2013 Programs
General Psychology: Normal, Abnormal, and Paranormal Behavior
Instructor: Dr. Lou Manza, Chair and Professor of Psychology; Director of Youth Scholars Institute
Description: Why do some people have two brains? Can subliminal messages influence our behavior? Is psychic ability and ESP, real? Why do we remember certain events, but not others? How are people lured into cults? Why do some people view cheating as ethical? Are reports of alien abductions legitimate? Why do people develop psychological disorders? The general topic areas that will be explored in an attempt to answer the above, as well as other questions, will include neuropsychology, perceptual processes, memory, paranormal phenomena, motivational processes, social psychology, developmental psychology, psychological testing, and behavior disorders. Students will participate in a variety of interactive activities, including conducting their own data-based investigation into a psychological topic of their own choosing, participating in experiments illustrating behavioral principles, and engaging in debates concerning controversial topics in psychology, all of which are aimed at making psychological principles come to life in the classroom. The goals of the class are to (a) give students an appreciation of how psychologists study human behavior, (b) show how psychology influences everyday life, (c) discuss career opportunities available in psychology, and (d) provide students with a snapshot of academic and social elements of college life.
Music Entrepreneurship
Instructor: Josh Tindall, M.B.A., Adjunct Instructor of Music
Description: During this exciting week, we will explore the music industry from many different aspects. Students will learn how to create, polish, market, and manage their own unique musical offering. Whether the student’s interest is in being a solo performer, performing in a group, or eventually owning their own musical enterprise, this course will lay the groundwork and show them the skills and basic techniques they will need to succeed regardless of genre or style. Students will watch fun and informative videos from some of the best known performers in the industry. They’ll take a trip to Lebanon Valley College’s state of the art recording studio to learn the tricks of recording artists. Students will also hear from guest speakers and produce their own original recording as a class. Best of all, students will have fun tailoring this course to their own needs so that by the end, they will not only learn the skills needed to launch their career, but will also have a personalized plan to turn their musical dreams into reality.
International Business: What Makes a Business Global?
Instructor: Kimberlee Josephson, M.S., Adjunct Instructor of Business Administration
Description: What classifies a business as international? Most trade and investment is intra-regional, not global; however there has been a recent surge in new multinational firms being classified as “born globals.” The rise in technology and the decline in trade barriers are the main forces driving globalization. In this course, we will explore the factors contributing to the shifts in business strategies and the emerging trends in international business. Globalization has dramatically changed the world marketplace, so students will be introduced to the concepts and theories behind international trade, investment, and marketing in order to better understand how businesses operate in this interconnected world. Students will learn the advantages and disadvantages to different entry modes businesses take when entering a foreign market. They will also learn why and how the value chain may be globally dispersed to leverage quality and/or reduce costs. Moreover, students will receive a background on the fundamentals of international marketing and how the four Ps (product, place, price, and promotion) are assessed according to different cultures and market trends. Students will have the opportunity to conduct a case study on the company of their choice and apply both SWOT (which looks at a company/industry according to Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and PEST (studying an organization’s macro-environment concerning Political, Economic, Social, and Technological issues) analyses based on their findings. Overall, this course will equip students with a better understanding and appreciation for how firms cope with economic conditions, marketing and advertising practices, and cultural differences.
The United States as World Policeman
Instructor: Adam Bentz, Adjunct Instructor of History
Description: This class will offer students a fast-paced introduction to American foreign policy, political history, and social history from the 1890s to the present. We will look at major American interventions into world affairs from our country’s imperial adventures to the ongoing War on Terror. Specifically, students will learn the justifications, timelines, and results of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, World Wars I and II, Korea War, Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, and U.S. involvement in the Middle East since 9/11. Students will also conduct an in-depth investigation of a particular intervention of their choice, by way of locating and reviewing appropriate source material (newspaper articles, speeches, journals, letters, etc.) pertinent to their topic (for example, students might explore the decision to drop the atomic bomb through the words of President Truman, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, an average G.I., and a survivor of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki attacks).
Biotechnology
Instructor: Dr. Walter Patton, Associate Professor of Chemistry; Director, Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Description: The term “biotechnology” was coined in 1917 when a Hungarian engineer, Karl Ereky, set-up a large scale operation to convert raw materials into more useful products. His idea to feed molasses to pigs, in order transform one food stock (sugar) into others (protein and fat), formally established biotechnology as a scientific discipline. However, the use of biological systems to produce useful substances dates to several centuries B.C. when early civilizations first learned how to make leavened bread and beer, processes that could not be accomplished without yeast. Today, biotechnology provides new drugs, energy sources, industrial materials, and even foods. Among the most important developments in biotechnology that affects the food we eat, is the generation of genetically-modified crops. Modifications to the genetic code of grain crops, such as corn and wheat, have provided resistance to environmental pests; pests that would otherwise require insecticides to protect the valuable crops from the devastation. When the average person reaches for their favorite breakfast cereal or enjoys a cold soft drink, they don’t realize they are consuming a food that contains a product of a genetically-modified organism… an organism whose DNA was modified from that found in nature. In this Youth Scholars course, you will learn how a proteinaceous toxin from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis has made corn more resistant to environmental pests (e.g., the European core borer) and thus, has made crops more productive and the world’s food supply more stable. Early in the week, you will learn about proteins and how the Bt toxin protects crops that are modified to express it. Later, you will use molecular biology methods to analyze food samples and determine if they contain a grain that was genetically modified to express Bt. On the last day, you will give an oral presentation highlighting your findings.
Actuarial Science: Math for Fun and Profit
Instructor: Dr. Patrick Brewer, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Description: Actuaries are business professionals who manage risk by using math and statistics. If you like math and want to know more about being an actuary, come spend a week with us exploring the profession. We'll learn some math, meet some actuaries, and go on a field trip to a consulting firm.
Students applying into this class MUST have completed the 11th grade by the start of the Youth Scholars Institute.
Animal Behavior & Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Stacy Goodman, Professor of Biology, and Dr. Becky Urban, Assistant Professor of Biology
Description: This program is designed to introduce students to the fields of animal behavior and animal ecology. Animal behaviorists study how behaviors develop and the function they serve. Ecologists, on the other hand, study the relationships between organisms and the living and non-living components of the environment. Behavioral ecologists specialize in both fields; they study the behaviors that influence how animals survive and reproduce in varying environments. Participants will learn basic concepts of both fields, and discuss global environmental issues and potential career opportunities. Students will also conduct a series of lab and field studies. Lab studies include creating a mouse ethogram and studying spatial learning in rats. Field work will be weather dependent, but possible opportunities include: stream invertebrate sampling and a mark and recapture study with painted turtles. Please be prepared to get wet and dirty!
The Native American Experience: Fields and Films
Instructor: Dr. Daniel Simpkins, Lecturer of Sociology
Description: The first global scale conflict was the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War). This struggle for control of colonial empires between France and England arguably began in Pennsylvania. The war pitted the French and their Indian allies against the British (and Americans) and their Indian allies. Understanding the war is challenging because of its geographic scale and the diverse European and Native American nations that fought for a variety of causes. Adding complexity to the study of the era is the large number of fascinating individual actors. Nevertheless, it is worth the effort to gain an understanding of the conflict as it set the stage for the subsequent American Revolution, Pontiac’s Rebellion, and even the War of 1812. We will set the stage in Lebanon County and adjacent counties at the outset of the conflict, and explore outward in time and space to Pennsylvania and beyond. We will visit some local areas of interest such as the Rohland Farm trading post, the Moravian Cemetery, Fort Zeller, Light’s Fort, and probably several fort sites at the Blue Mountain water gaps. We will watch and discuss several movies portraying the era. Students will do some individual research, and we will discuss their findings and explore the questions they raise.
World War II in History, Film, and Fiction
Instructor: Dr. Rebecca McCoy, Associate Professor of History
Description: This course is for any student who has ever wondered about the historical accuracy of films such as “Pearl Harbor” or “Schindler’s List,” loved historical novels, or thought about how historians reconstruct the past. The central question of the course is “How do we know about the past?” What kinds of sources do historians, journalists, and film makers use when they portray the past? How do these people put a “spin” on the past? To what extent do we use mythmaking about the past for political ends? How are historical writing, film making, and fiction different? What obligations do teachers, historians, writers, and film makers have to be honest and accurate? In short, we will explore the boundaries between history and fiction. To give the course a focus, we will explore selected aspects of World War II, including the nature of Nazi Germany, U.S. involvement, and the Holocaust. World War II was a watershed in modern history, having a profound impact on the world we know today. The war inaugurated vast changes in the technology of war, the explicit adoption of racial political ideologies, and industrialized killing. In the aftermath of the war, the world launched into the Cold War and European power shrank as former colonies gained their independence. Finally, the experience of the war forced an unprecedented level of mythmaking as some countries tried to ignore or forget, and others emerged with a heroic version of their role. All of these themes raise important and timely questions about the nature of democracy and dictatorship, the way in which Americans and Germans have constructed our sense of national identity since 1945, and the issue of ethnic cleansing. During the class sessions, we will watch some documentaries and a popular film and discuss the ways that they represent historical events. We will discuss the use and interpretation of evidence, and examine some historical sources. We will also explore the ethical requirement to portray the past accurately. One of the highlights of the course will be a visit to the Lebanon County Historical Society in order to see the kinds of materials that professional historians actually use to construct the texts and books that we read, and to think about how museums present history to the public.
Can You Make it in College? Yes, You Can!
Instructor: Libby French, M.Ed., Assistant Professor of Education
Description: This course will offer students that currently have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) an opportunity to look through the lenses of college life. Students will learn how to navigate a college campus. Discover what services are offered on campus to support this experience, their needs, and what it takes to be a college student. Student self-advocacy and self-management skills will be a primary focus. Discussions, videos, activities, and games are tools we will use to disseminate this valuable information. Campus experts will provide a variety of discussions and presentations tailored to the student’s needs. Join us.
Learning About Psychology Through Film and Television
Instructors: Dr. Michael Kitchens, Assistant Professor of Psychology, and Jennifer Kitchens, M.A., Adjunct Instructor of Psychology
Description: We get excited about the hero’s triumph over the “bad guy,” sad about the break-up, and intrigued by the unusual. In short, we recognize the psychologically relevant events that occur in real life that are captured in movies and television shows. This course will explore elements of psychology (including human development, individual differences/personality, emotional processes, social life, and mental illness/psychotherapy) in action through movies and television. These media sources are intriguing because we can relate to them. In this course, then, we will view a number of movies and television shows to describe the underlying psychological processes at work. For example, we will examine the fact and fiction of attraction found in romantic comedies (e.g., How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), the accuracy in the portrayals of mental illness found in movies such as Fight Club, and the social processes illustrated in the “everyday interactions” found in Seinfeld and other popular television shows. Overall, the goal of this course is to (a) introduce students to broad concepts in psychology and (b) examine psychological phenomenon found in film and television.
Going Gothic: Traversing Time and Medium with Masters of the Macabre
Instructors: Elizabeth Julian, Acting Director of the Writing Center; Adjunct Instructor of English, and Sally Clark, Adjunct Professor of English
Description: Since Horace Walpole wrote the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, in 1765, Gothic literature has thrilled readers across time and cultures. The genre itself has transformed in myriad ways, taking on new elements and redirecting others as it overlapped other genres and adapted to keep readers enthralled. We will explore the foundations of Gothic fiction, read and analyze some classic American stories by Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, and transition into 20th century works, including Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca. Perhaps even more famous than du Maurier’s novel, Alfred Hitchcock’s film version displays his uncanny ability to capture and define important Gothic elements and keep his audience riveted. We will analyze how Hitchcock translates the Gothic into film and TV; we will then use our understanding to progress through 20th century classic TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and films by more modern directors. In addition to literary and film analysis, students will have the opportunity to craft and present their own Gothic literature and debate the current role of Gothic fiction in the 21st century.
Songwriting and Recording Workshop
Instructor: Jeff Snyder, M.S., Professor of Music; Director of Music Business
Description: This program will explore all aspects of being a songwriter. The participants will analyze great songs of the past, which includes exploring the music, lyrics, melodies, and hooks that made the songs great. Then the participants will write original songs, either as a group or individually. This will be followed by learning about what to do with music once it’s written, including learning about publishing, copyrights, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, royalties, and everything else songwriters and composers need to know about. Once the songs are written, the students will learn preproduction techniques to create the tracks (the beds) for the music using the latest professional music software and hardware in a professional recording studio. Once the preproduction is completed, participants will each take part in recording overdubs such as vocals, guitars, etc... This includes learning professional recording methods and techniques. A culminating CD of the songs will be made at the end of the sessions. This workshop will be taught by the professor who teaches the electronic music and digital audio classes for LVC’s music recording technology degree, is the director of the Music Business Program, and serves as the area coordinator of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
Creative Interactive Group Improvisation
Instructor: Joe Mixon, M.M., Adjunct Instructor of Music
Description: This music program is for students interested in developing skills in guitar, piano, bass, or percussion; some background with these instruments is helpful but not essential. Participants will explore various styles of improvisation, including blues, rock, folk, reggae, and beyond. The program will also include critical listening and analysis, internet research of musical styles and artists, and daily hands-on jam sessions. The week will culminate in a studio recording session.
Theater Workshop: Acting and Directing, from Page to Stage
Instructor: Dr. Kevin Pry, Associate Professor of English
Description: This theater program is designed for students interested in acting, directing, and script analysis. Students will be introduced to acting techniques for modern and classical plays. Individual monologues, two-character scenes, and more complicated scene study will be covered, as will play texts from the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary American drama.
Immigration—An Experiential Course
Instructor: Dr. Kathleen Tacelosky, Chair of Languages; Associate Professor of Spanish
Description: Students will engage the topic of U.S. immigration from social, historical, political, linguistic, and personal perspectives. Specifically, participants will consider the causes and consequences of immigration to the United States, interact directly with immigrants and refugees in the local community, and reflect on their experiences.