Political Science Newsletter - November 2020

THIS MONTH'S HEADLINES:

  1. SPRING 2021 COURSES AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
  2. TWO FORMER CONGRESSMEN TO SPEAK ONLINE TO PENN STATE BEHREND
  3. "ASK A DEMOCRAT" ONLINE FORUM AT PENN STATE BEHREND
  4. MODEL UNITED NATIONS MEMBERS WIN AWARDS
  5. FACULTY IN THE NEWS
  6. STUDENT GROUP NEWS
  7. FACEBOOK PAGE

1. SPRING 2021 COURSES AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

All PLSC courses can be used toward the Political Science (POLSC) major and toward the Politics and Government (POGO) minor. All Sociology courses can be used toward the Sociology minor. Spring 2021 courses in Political Science and Sociology also can be used to meet the following specific degree requirements.

GS:

  • PLSC 001 - American Politics: Principles, Processes, and Powers
  • PLSC 003 - Comparing Politics around the Globe
  • PLSC 007N - Contemporary Political Ideologies
  • PLSC 014 - International Relations
  • PLSC 017N - Introduction to Political Theory
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • SOC 001 - Introductory Sociology
  • SOC 030 - Sociology of the Family

GH:

  • PLSC 007N - Contemporary Political Ideologies
  • PLSC 017N - Introduction to Political Theory
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics

Inter-Domain:

  • PLSC 007N - Contemporary Political Ideologies
  • PLSC 017N - Introduction to Political Theory
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics

US:

  • PLSC 001 - American Politics: Principles, Processes, and Powers
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • PLSC 428 - Gender and Politics

IL:

  • PLSC 003 - Comparing Politics around the Globe
  • PLSC 014 - International Relations
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • PLSC 299/499 - Foreign Studies: Canada
  • PLSC 428 - Gender and Politics

Study Abroad:

  • PLSC 299/499 - Foreign Studies: Canada (virtual study abroad - check with your adviser to count this for study abroad requirements)

Writing Across the Curriculum (W course requirement):

  • PLSC 484W - Foreign Policy of Soviet Successor States

Crime and Law option in POLSC major:

  • PLSC 178 - Organized Crime, Law, and Politics
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics

International Relations option in POLSC major:

  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • PLSC 299/499 - Foreign Studies: Canada
  • PLSC 439 - The Politics of Terrorism
  • PLSC 484W - Foreign Policy of Soviet Successor States

Public Policy option in POLSC major:

  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • PLSC 489 - Public Administration

Crime, Law, and Psychology minor:

  • PLSC 178 - Organized Crime, Law, and Politics
  • PLSC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics
  • PLSC 439 - The Politics of Terrorism
  • PLSC 489 - Public Administration
  • SOC 406 - Sociology of Deviance

Women's Studies minor:

  • PLSC 428 - Gender and Politics

Fully on campus in-person courses (as long as campus remains open next semester):

  • PLSC 155 - Understanding Tyranny
  • PLSC 178 - Organized Crime, Law, and Politics

2. TWO FORMER CONGRESSMEN TO SPEAK ONLINE TO PENN STATE BEHREND

On Wednesday, December 2, at 4:00 p.m., two former members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Jim Gerlach (R-PA), will speak about "American Politics and Policy After This Year's Election." Congressman Rahall served in the House between 1977 and 2015, four of those years as the chair of the Natural Resources Committee. His grandparents emigrated from Lebanon to West Virginia. Congressman Gerlach served in the House from the Reading, Pennsylvania, area, between 2003-2015. He served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in Harrisburg prior to that.

The two former Congressmen will be discussing and answering questions about what this year's election results signify about American politics and policy decisions in the near future. The event is sponsored by the Political Science program, the Penn State Behrend Public Policy Fund, and Congress to Campus, a program run by the Former Members of Congress organization in Washington, D.C. FMC is a bipartisan non-profit group that promotes civility and working together in politics and educational programs about democracy, public service, and legislative institutions to Americans and international audiences.

All are invited to join the webinar event and ask questions.

3. "ASK A DEMOCRAT" ONLINE FORUM AT PENN STATE BEHREND

On Tuesday, December 8, at 6:30 p.m., Behrend College Democrats, the Behrend chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society, and the Behrend Model United Nations team will present "Ask a Democrat" with prominent Erie political consultant and campaign strategist Caitlin Handerhan, the former director of the Behrend Public Policy Fund. Handerhan will discuss and answer questions about the future of the Democratic party and Democratic platform positions.

Join the event on Zoom on December 8.

4. MODEL UNITED NATIONS MEMBERS WIN AWARDS

Earlier this month, the Penn State Behrend Model United Nations team finished third at the online Lake Erie International Model UN Conference. Several Model UN Team members won awards at the conference:

  • Marissa Litzenberg - superior delegate
  • Raul Garcia - excellent delegate
  • Dylan Free - excellent delegate
  • Lily Rasmussen - excellent delegate
  • Grant Filbeck - excellent delegate
  • Jeremiah Hassel - excellent delegate

Congratulations to Penn State Behrend's Model UN team!

5. FACULTY IN THE NEWS

Dr. Kilic Kanat, associate professor of Political Science, wrote an English-language column for the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah about this month's U.S. presidential election titled "Divided States of America."

Dr. Robert Speel, associate professor of Political Science, has published two online articles titled "A History of Contested Presidential Elections, from Samuel Tilden to Al Gore" and "Trump 2024? Presidential Comebacks Have Mixed Success" in the past month that appear on a number of news sites, including Live Science, Fast Company magazine, Salon magazine, and Yahoo News. He also was interviewed by BBC Radio for a live show from the Marriott Courtyard Erie Bayfront, by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a live radio show on their Nightlife program, for the Voice of America, for several articles for the TT Swedish news agency that appeared on new sites and in newspapers across Sweden, for KNX Radio in Los Angeles, for two articles on Politifact, and for the Sunbury Daily Item, and the Erie Times-News, about why Erie County switched from Trump to Biden this year.

Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned, assistant teaching professor of Political Science, spoke during three online academic panels in the past month. On October 27, she joined Dr. Robert Speel and other panelists for an online discussion about "Hidden Issues in the 2020 Elections" for the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie. On October 28, she participated in a virtual conference hosted by Korolenko Poltava Pedagogical University, Ukraine on a panel entitled “Life in New Sociocultural Norms,” which addressed issues of immigration, cultural assimilation, and multiculturalism in a globalized world. On November 16, she joined Dr. Paul James Cardwell, Professor of Law at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, for an online discussion about Great Britain's departure from the European Union, an event sponsored by Penn State's Schreyer Honors programs as part of Penn State's International Education Week.

6. STUDENT GROUP NEWS

  • Model United Nations meets Mondays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The group is preparing for an online Model NATO event sponsored by Howard University and NATO in February. To get involved, contact President Marissa Litzenberg at [email protected].
  • College Democrats meets Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The group is discussing the future of the Democratic party and hopes for the Biden presidency. To get involved, contact President Grant Filbeck at [email protected].
  • To get involved with College Republicans, contact President Sydni Holt at [email protected].
  • To get involved with the Behrend Political Society, contact President Cole Troutner at [email protected].

7. FACEBOOK PAGE

All students and alumni are invited to like the Penn State Behrend Political Science Facebook page and get updated news and find out about events.