Social Change Project
One component of participation in the Presidential Leadership Academy is a social change project, which is the focus of the PLA's The Role of Knowledge in Society (HONOR 301H) course. The project is completed in the spring of PLA students' sophomore year, and all 30 students work together as a group to research and propose possible solutions to a difficult social problem that affects Penn State's campus. Proposed solutions are formally presented to University officials at the end of the semester.
In Spring 2010, the topic was high-risk college drinking behaviors, an issue that is present at nearly every university in America. Reasons for this focus included Penn State being ranked by The Princeton Review as the #1 Party School for 2009-2010, as well as the tragic, alcohol-related death of a first-year student in fall 2009. Both the Penn State administration and the State College community were looking for workable solutions to reduce the prevalence of high-risk drinking behaviors among Penn State students, and the majority of the the policy suggestions made by the Presidential Leadership Academy students were put into action.
The following are elements of the project, all of which were written during the Spring 2009 semester. To view and/or download a .pdf version of each paper, click on the title.
In Spring 2010, the topic was high-risk college drinking behaviors, an issue that is present at nearly every university in America. Reasons for this focus included Penn State being ranked by The Princeton Review as the #1 Party School for 2009-2010, as well as the tragic, alcohol-related death of a first-year student in fall 2009. Both the Penn State administration and the State College community were looking for workable solutions to reduce the prevalence of high-risk drinking behaviors among Penn State students, and the majority of the the policy suggestions made by the Presidential Leadership Academy students were put into action.
The following are elements of the project, all of which were written during the Spring 2009 semester. To view and/or download a .pdf version of each paper, click on the title.
A Changing Culture: An Analysis of High-Risk College Drinking Behaviors: This research paper discusses the many aspects of culture that may contribute to the high-risk drinking behaviors that persist at colleges across the nation.
Executive Summary: Alternative Activities: This paper is an executive summary of suggestions for the creation and implementation of late-night and weekend activities that do not involve alcohol consumption. The paper addresses the role of on-campus, downtown, and Greek-life-related activities to offer alternatives to drinking. These suggestions were included in the formal presentation to University officials at the conclusion of the semester. There’s much more to having fun than drinking: This is an article I authored for publication in the Centre Daily Times, a regional newspaper. The focus of the article is the "alternative activities" policy suggestions that are outlined in the Executive Summary: Alternative Activities paper. |