Brandon Bentzley and Mike Hvasta, senior physics majors, Justin Nieusma, junior physics major, and Rachel Sherman, junior physics/secondary education major, will be spending a week of their summer vacations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The group, called Team DPX, was recently selected as one of 40 teams from across the nation that will have the opportunity to perform an experiment in NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Program.

Two of the candidates chosen as possibilities for the position of provost/executive vice president visited the College last week.

Concetta Stewart, dean of the School of Communications and Theater and associate professor of communications at Temple University, and Elizabeth Paul, interim provost and vice president and professor of psychology at the College, were chosen by the Provost/Executive Vice President Search Committee after interviews.

Kristen Daskilewicz, senior women’s and gender studies major, described the Women’s Center as “empowering.” Last semester, however, the organization lacked the power and ambition it generated in previous years.

“When (Fall 2007) came, most of our active members had graduated, were student teaching and I myself was abroad for the semester,” Daskilewicz, who now serves as president of the Women’s Center, said.

Construction on two new student apartments is scheduled to begin this semester and should be completed by August 2009, the College recently announced via mass e-mail.

In addition to the two new student apartments, the College announced four other projects for Spring 2008, including construction of the new Art and Interactive Multimedia building, several renovations to Brower Student Center and the replacement of Packer Hall’s roof.

While the rest of the College’s students study for finals and start packing to go home for Winter Break, Genevieve Faust, senior interactive multimedia and communication studies major, is preparing for a trip she called “a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As part of International Education Week, Holly Didi-Ogren, assistant professor of modern languages, prepared a presentation on ethnicity and “invisible minorities” in Japan.

The presentation, which included a screening of the Japanese film “Go,” directed by Isao Yukisada, was held on Thursday, Nov.

Barkada, the Filipino student organization, held its event “The Debut” on Friday in the Cromwell Hall main lounge. The event was Barkada’s first since being approved by the Student Government Association last spring.

According to Christine Buenafe, junior finance major and treasurer of Barkada, in the Philippines, when a girl reaches the age of 18 she is formally presented to her family, friends and community.

When Frank Warren, creator of “PostSecret,” started the Web site three years ago, few people thought he would have any success.

“When I told my father I was collecting secrets from strangers for an art project, he didn’t know what to think,” Warren wrote.

Kaitlin McCann, senior elementary education and English major, was recently elected vice president of Circle K International, an international service club sponsored by Kiwanis International with over 13,000 members.

McCann, who has been active in volunteer organizations since high school, said her position will include many new responsibilities.

The American Museum of Natural History is currently displaying “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids,” an exhibit designed to provide an in-depth look at the creatures that have captivated our imaginations since childhood.

The exhibit, which opened on May 26, features more than 30 beasts that exist in legends around the world – from Japan to Peru to Switzerland – and have their origins in different time periods throughout history.

Everyone knows what it’s like to be faced with a difficult situation. According to Holly Haynes, assistant professor of philosophy and religion, overcoming difficulty is all about taking small steps with your friends by your side.

On May 5 Haynes was in a car accident, which left her with three broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Whether or not they agree with the war in Iraq, many people feel the need to show support for the men and women who are sent overseas to fight.

According to Carol MacLeod, chair of the Special Events & Community Building Council for the Staff Senate, this feeling was what inspired her to initiate a drive to support the New Jersey National Guard members who were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a child, Kim Pearson, professor of journalism, had many dreams, most of which revolved around becoming a scientist.

Since Pearson was 8 years old, however, she has considered herself a writer, even when she was studying organisms under a microscope while majoring in politics at Princeton University.

Using a combination of rap and personal stories, Mohammed Bilal delivered a lecture on Sunday entitled “Twelve Steps of Appreciating Diversity.” Bilal, a former member of MTV’s “The Real World,” was this year’s keynote speaker for Welcome Week.

Bilal opened the lecture by asking if anyone from the audience ever learned that differences were wrong.