THIS MONTH'S HEADLINES:
- ANNUAL POLITICAL SCIENCE DINNER AT OLIVE GARDEN APRIL 24
- STUDENTS SPEND SPRING BREAK IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
- PENN STATE BEHREND STUDENTS INTERVIEWED IN WASHINGTON FOR ERIE NEWS NOW
- NEW MOCK TRIAL CLUB FORMING ON CAMPUS
- EVENT AT JEFFERSON EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY IN ERIE ABOUT FIRST 100 DAYS OF TRUMP’S SECOND TERM
- PRE-LAW NEWS
- STUDENT GROUP NEWS
- FACULTY IN THE NEWS
- FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES
1. ANNUAL POLITICAL SCIENCE DINNER AT OLIVE GARDEN APRIL 24
The annual Behrend Political Science Dinner will be at the Olive Garden at 5945 Peach Street in Erie on Thursday, April 24, at 7:00 p.m. The dinner is in honor of graduating POLSC majors, whose meals will becovered. Anyone else is welcome to join the group and buy their own dinners. To RSVP, email Robert Speel at [email protected] no later than Tuesday, April 22.
2. STUDENTS SPEND SPRING BREAK IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
A group of sixteen Penn State Behrend students spent Spring Break in Washington, D.C., as part of the course PLSC 177N taught by Dr. Robert Speel. While there, students visited with leaders of the United States Institute of Peace and the American Council on Education and visited the National Archives, the Kennedy Center, and the U.S. Supreme Court chamber, all of which have been in the news in the past month due to political turmoil in the capital.
Among the highlights were meetings with Behrend alumni, including Guy Reschenthaler, U.S. Representative from the Pittsburgh area, and Sam Epps, the current president of the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, and meetings with diplomats and employees of the embassies of Canada, South Korea, and Türkiye.
Some Canadian students from Toronto Metropolitan University joined the group during the week.
The photos are from the North Portico after a White House tour, with the Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture outside the Canadian Embassy, with Congressman Guy Reschenthaler, with Sam Epps of the AFL-CIO, at the Einstein Memorial, and the view from the Kennedy Center balcony.
Photos were taken during the spring 2025 PL SC 177N: Politics and Government in Washington, D.C., trip.
Students in front of the view from the Kennedy Center balcony.
Students at the Einstein Memorial.
Students with Sam Epps of the AFL-CIO.
Students with Congressman Guy Reschenthaler.
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture outside the Canadian Embassy.
Students in front of the North Portico after a White House tour.
3. PENN STATE BEHREND STUDENTS INTERVIEWED IN WASHINGTON FOR ERIE NEWS NOW
After a visit to the Library of Congress, Penn State Behrend students were interviewed for a news segment on Erie News Now.
4. NEW MOCK TRIAL CLUB FORMING ON CAMPUS
Pre-law adviser Melissa Shirey and Behrend student Noah Langley are helping to form a new Mock Trial Club on campus. The group will next meet on Monday, April 21, at 6:00 p.m., in 42 Kochel to select officers and make plans for next year. For more information, contact Attorney Shirey (see more information below).
5. EVENT AT JEFFERSON EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY IN ERIE ABOUT FIRST 100 DAYS OF TRUMP’S SECOND TERM
What's Happening in Washington, D.C.? A Look at the First 100 Days of the Trump Presidency
Date/Time: Monday, April 7, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
Location: Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State St, Erie, PA 16508
Speakers: Steve Scully, Jay Cost, Amie Parnes, and Molly Reynolds
History may judge the first 100 days of the Trump presidency as the most consequential since FDR. At a time in which we are seeing seismic changes in American politics, three leading experts, covering all points of view, will provide insights and analysis on this important moment in our nation's history. In a panel discussion led by Steve Scully, host of The Briefing on SiriusXM and JES Global Summit chairman, these experts will assess the politics and policies that have shaped the early months of the forty-seventh president and offer their insights on what may be yet to come over the next four years.
- Jay Cost is the Gerald R. Ford Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), columnist for National Review, and contributor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is the author of several books, including A Republic No More: Big Government and the Rise of American Political Corruption.
- Amie Parnes is a senior political correspondent at The Hill and is the co-author of a newly released book, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.
- Molly Reynolds is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a leading expert on Congress, and the author of Exceptions to the Rule: The Politics of Filibuster Limitations in the U.S. Senate.
A book sale and signing will follow the discussion.
Students may be able to attend for free. For more details, contact Dr. Speel or contact the JES directly.
6. PRE-LAW NEWS
Office hours for April:
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, April 7, 2025: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, April 14, 2025: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, April 21, 2025: Mock Trial club meeting, 6:00 p.m., 42 Kochel
- Monday, April 28, 2025: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Melissa Shirey, pre-law adviser, 155 Kochel, [email protected].
7. STUDENT GROUP NEWS
Two campus political groups have recently revived and are making plans for next academic year:
Model United Nations
Executive Board:
- Secretary-General (President): Sreekar Kakumani
- Under-Secretary-General (VP): Beauregard (Elijah) Hernandez
- Secretary: Kendall DeMarco
- Treasurer: Alejandro Pinedo
- Head of Secretariat Membership (Recruitment): Ava Hartung
If you would like to get involved, contact faculty adviser Lena Surzhko-Harned at [email protected].
Behrend Political Society
Kendall DeMarco will lead the Behrend Political Society next year. To get involved, contact Kendall at [email protected].
8. FACULTY IN THE NEWS
Dr. Maggie Shum, assistant professor of Political Science, presented her work "Voice After Exit: Diaspora, Transnational Linked Fate, and Political Preferences Abroad" at the Hong Kong Conference hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned, associate teaching professor of Political Science, had several interviews about recent events in U.S.-Ukrainian relations and the Russian War on Ukraine, including:
- "Peace Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine," Internet TV, gdh.digital, Turkey. March 14, 2025
- "Roundtable: "Russia and Ukraine have reached a fragile and vague ceasefire agreement at most, and a lasting ceasefire is unlikely," Newspaper, The Paper, China. March 13, 2025
- "Debacle at the White House - The only winner is Putin," Internet, Shaye Ganam Show, 880 CHED in Edmonton, Canada and QR 770 in Calgary, Canada. March 4, 2025
- "Trump and Zelensky meet at the White House," Radio, The Briefing with Steve Scully, SiriusXM POTUS Channel 124, Washington, D.C., February 28, 2025
- "What Trump’s statements could mean for Ukraine, Zelenskyy, and the broader global community," Radio, KUOW, Seattle’s NPR station, Seattle, Washington. February 24, 2025
She also spoke on the subject at the Jefferson Educational Society on February 24 and published an article on the subject online:
- Surzhko-Harned, L. (2025). "The only ‘winner’ here is Putin: Ukraine unites in response to Trump-Zelenskyy spat and resigns itself to new reality." The Conversation.
9. FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES
All students and alumni are invited to like the Penn State Behrend Political Science Facebook page to get updated news and find out about events.
Photos and posters for upcoming events get posted on the Penn State Behrend Political Science Instagram page.