PSU marks 50th anniversary with weekend of service
MIDDLETOWN » As a freshman living in Penn State Brandywine’s newly opened Orchard Hall, Christine Gorman knew she had a number of people to thank for the opportunity to reside on campus.
Washing a Riddle Hospital ambulance and EMS chief’s vehicle was one way she could show her appreciation.
Gorman was one of more than 400 students, faculty, staff and alumni who celebrated the campus’ golden anniversary last weekend by participating in 50 service projects in 50 hours. Their 750 volunteer hours expanded beyond the grounds to benefit local, state and international organizations.
“There were a lot of people involved in building our residence hall and I wanted to let them know how much it means to me,” said Gorman of Norristown. “This was one way to give back and be part of the university’s 50th birthday.”
Originally known as Penn State Delaware County, the commonwealth campus admitted 236 students and held its first classes Sept. 25, 1967, in a rented building at Sixth and Penn streets in Chester. The facility moved to its current location in December 1970 when the main building was completed on the site of a former dairy farm. The campus has subsequently added a library/ learning center, commons/ athletic center and technology-based classroom building and last month debuted the first residence hall and student union. Since its opening, more than 100,000 students have earned a degree or started their studies in higher education.
The projects gave a nod Brandywine’s history while looking to its future. As the original building was a former supermarket over a roller rink, the activities kicked off at noon Thursday with roller skating in the college gym. They concluded 2 p.m. Saturday with a volleyball game benefiting Side-Out Foundation, which joins with the volleyball community to inspire research and hope against breast cancer.
“We have been celebrating all year and thought a focused service initiative would be a great way to end,” said Director of Marketing and Communications 50/50 coordinator Bill Tyson. “Fifty projects in 50 hours was a unique, although daunting, effort that could really add an exclamation point to what we’ve accomplished on this campus.”
The in-between hours were filled with activities for every talent and interest. On-campus volunteers hosted an American Red Cross blood drive, https://d.adroll.com/cm/ aol/outhttps://d.adroll.com/ cm/index/outmade lunch bags for clients at the Life Center of Delaware County and collected gently-used footwear for ShoeBox Recycling. They assembled professional clothing for Career Wardrobe, accepted donations for Alex’s Lemonade Stand and collected canned goods and picked tomatoes from the campus garden for Media Food Bank.
Freshmen enrolled in Intercultural Community Building spent Friday’s class making blankets, sewing pillowcases and writing letters of encouragement to hospitalized children. The latter featured fun pictures and messages.
“I want to work with kids someday,” said Kymberlee Waples of Upper Darby. “I have five sisters and know drawing keeps them happy and occupied.”
Others, like James McCullough, of Brookhaven, wrote letters of support to military personnel and first responders as part of Operation Gratitude.
“I have family in the military,” he said. “My dad is a veteran and I have great respect for the armed forces.”
Students and staff ventured off campus to assist with groundskeeping at Rocky Run YMCA and Tyler Arboretum, hosted the Emerald Ball at the Redwood Center in Upland for residents of Fair Acres Geriatric Center and made midnight deliveries of Penn State Creamery ice cream and Penn State Bakery cookies and cakes to emergency services personnel working the overnight shift at the Upper Darby Police Station, Riddle Hospital emergency room and Delco 911 center.
In some instances, students volunteered for more than one activity and Tyson was pleased with the results.
“It took an enormous amount of planning and coordination to ensure this was done well,” he said. “It was really amazing to see it all come together and know the impact we made within our community.”