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Ford's Focus
The entire community experienced a tragedy this week with the loss of member of our family. Natalya Podnebennaya was a second shift supervisor in District 62 who died tragically on Monday. Our thoughts and prayers are with Natalya's family and friends during this extremely difficult time. I would like to remind anyone who needs assistance in dealing with this loss that the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to help at 866-799-2728.
We are planning to include a memorium for Natalya in the next edition of News & Views. You are welcome to send any memories or photos for inclusion in the memorium to Susan Bedsworth at sjb5001@psu.edu.
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Welcomes
Amy Day began working as a facilities supervisor in Area 3. Her first day was Oct. 26.
 Shawn Miller accepted a position as an area facilities maintenance mechanic. His first day was Oct. 26.
 Michael Owens accepted a position as a plumber/fitter. His first day was Oct. 19.
 Jeremy Swanger began a position as a utilities maintenance mechanic. His first day was Oct. 26.
**If your picture was not included, we would be glad to include it in a future edition. Please contact Susan Bedsworth to set up a time to have your photo taken.
Farewells
Kim Brownson, maintenance worker, accepted a position with the College of Engineering. Her last day is Oct. 30.
Peter Prohaska, stockroom clerk, is retiring after 16 years. His last day is Oct. 30.
Jim Snyder, custodial worker, accepted a position in Auxiliary & Business Services. His last day was Oct. 25.
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Penn State ICA Sends Its Thanks
Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour sent a thank-you note for all the hard work put in during the string of five consecutive home football games. "With the end of my second fall homecoming at Penn State, I'm reminded of the unique nature of connection, tradition and family here in Happy Valley. I hope each of you, amid the hustle and craziness of your Penn State responsibilities, take a moment to reflect on the many connections and memories that have been formed because of the efforts of all of you for our home football games.
"I want to thank each of you for the role you've played in helping Penn State get through this unprecedented string of five straight home games. I am fully aware that this has been a hardship on our entire community. Not only are we through to the other side, but I must say that the feedback I'm getting is that we've done so with flying colors from a customer service standpoint. Thank you to all who have exhibited what is clearly the best of what Penn State has to offer.
"I appreciate everyone's cooperation and understanding and willingness to do whatever it takes to put our best foot forward."
Beautiful Landscapes
Dave Monk, dean of the College of Education, wrote in to express his thanks for a job well done. "Thank you and your colleagues for the great new landscaping between Chambers and Rackley buildings. The plantings are terrific and boost the visual appeal of the area quite significantly. Thank you for all you do to keep Penn State in such good shape."
ERAPPA Rising Star
Rick Phillips, maintenance engineer, was honored by ERAPPA with the Rising Star Award. The Rising Star Award is designed to encourage further participation in ERAPPA among those who have already made significant contributions in the region or chapters. Phillips has been involved at the chapter and regional level of APPA since 2006. He's served in various roles ranging from committee member for the ERAPPA 2010 Host Committee to his current role as 1st Vice President. He earned his Certified Educational Facilities Professional certificate in 2014.
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Aryn Santrok, a student employee in EHS, is part of a student soil-judging team representing Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. After placing second in the Northeast Regional competition, they have qualified for the national championship held in Kansas this spring.
In the regional competition, hosting by Ohio State University, the Penn State team finished behind squads from the University of Maryland but ahead of teams from Ohio State and Delaware Valley College. Other competing schools at the contest, held at Malabar Farm, were Bloomsburg University, the University of Rhode Island, Richard Stockton College and Wilmington College.
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The item in the Oct. 9 issue of News & Views was a bolt alignment tool used to hang pipe level and straight. They are used by the crew in the sheet metal shop .
Item from the Oct. 9 edition:
The next "Tools of the Trade" item is below. What do you think this is and/or what is it used to do? Email your guess to newsviews@psu.edu.
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On Nov. 5 at 11:30 a.m., OPP Electrical Integrity will be performing a blackout test for the OPP Building. This will help determine the reliability of all our systems to restart after a power disturbance.
The test will start at 11:30 a.m. with the utility power being shut off at the primary transformer. At that point OPP will be without power, and systems will shut down with the exception of those having UPS backup power. After a shot outage, less than 30 seconds, the building power will be restored via the standby generator. If the generator or control system should fail to properly transfer the load, utility power will be restored immediately. At that time, OPP technicians will be checking equipment and systems to determine any weaknesses requiring correction.
Upon completion of the transfer to generator power, utility power will be restored from the primary transformer. The retransfer from generator power to utility power will take place without any power disturbances. This will be an annual test that will normally take place in the spring of each year to ensure proper operations of cooling systems.
Questions/Concerns?
Contact: Ed Thomas
Phone: 814-380-0491
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Each edition of News & Views will include an interesting Penn State factoid. Some will be about OPP, while others will be about different parts of the University. Know an
interesting tidbit? Send it to newsviews@psu.edu. As long as we can verify its authenticity, we will share it.
 In 2014, University Park produced 14,163 tons of solid waste, but 56 percent of it was diverted from the landfill. An impressive 3,676 tons of plastic, metal and paper was recycled and a whopping 4,315 tons of organic material was manufactured into compost or mulch. |
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 In an effort to help us all stay healthy, we'll be sharing tips, stretches and workouts you can do at your desk, on your break or at home. We would also love to hear from you! How do you get more movement into your day? Share by emailing newsviews@psu.edu, and, with permission, we'll share your submissions in an upcoming edition of News & Views. Check out this great infographic on ways you can stay healthy at work. Tips range from increasing your physical fitness to reminders to keep healthy snacks with you. Find out what works for you!
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Steve Oskin, operations engineer, and several technical service employees, joined a group of students who have an interest in solar energy to install a solar array near the OPP building. The array will generate power to offset the power that OPP's electric vehicle fleet needs.
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In an effort to increase safety at work, a concept known as 5S was recently introduced in OPP to help improve a number of storage spaces. 5S is a workplace organizational method using five Japanese works: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke. These words describe how to organize a workspace for efficiency, effectiveness and safety by identifying and storing items that are used, maintaining the area and items and sustaining the newly found order.
To put it simply, there's a place for everything, and everything has a place.
The benefits of 5S in workplace organization include improved safety, the formation of a solid foundation upon which to build continuous improvement, giving employees a sense of ownership, involved and responsibility, and a reduction in waste.
The 5 Steps
- Sort - Sort out and separate what is needed and not needed in an area.
- Straighten - Arrange items that are needed so they are ready and easy to use. Clearly identify locations for all items so anyone can find them and return them once a task is completed.
- Shine - Clean the workplace and equipment on a regular basis to maintain standards and identify defects.
- Standardize - Revisit the first three steps of the 5S on a regular basis.
- Sustain - Keep to the rules to maintain the standard and continue to improve each day.
Using the steps in the 5S method, OPP was able to reorganize a number of work areas, reduce unwanted clutter, improve safety and improve morale. Before and after photos are below.
Before
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| North Campus Chiller Plant Chemical Room.
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After
Before
After
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As sometimes happens, one of our own has exhausted their available paid time due to a personal medical situation. Human Resources is currently accepting donated vacation days for Matt Day, utility maintenance worker.
If you are an active OPP employee and would like to donate a vacation day to Matt, please email Susan Oswalt by Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. Your email can say, "I wish to donate a vacation day to Matt Day." Don't forget to include your name.
All donations will be anonymous. Thank you, as always, for your generous support of this program.
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 The flu vaccine clinic has been open for registration. To make an appointment, visit http://ohr.psu.edu/health-matters/flu-shots/. Flu vaccines are free to any current Penn State employee and their spouse/partner enrolled in health benefits. If an employee's spouse wishes to receive a flu shot and does not have Penn State health benefits, the cost of their flu shot is $24. Retirees and children are not eligible for this program.
OPP is hosting one final session in Room 150A&B. Please enter the 105B side.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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 In each edition, we are including information and links to retirement information found both on the web and from Penn State's Office of Human Resources. Remember, regardless of your age, it's always important to plan ahead for retirement.
Investing Terms to Know
One of the first steps to feeling empowered with your finances and investments is to educate yourself. Below is part two of a list of investing terms you should understand to help you feel more confident when it comes to planning your future.
1. Bear or bull market - A metaphor used to describe the investor environment related to the stock market. A bear swiping its paws downward indicates a downward market, while a bull with its horns pointing upwards indicates investor optimism and a rise in stock prices.
2. Diversification - An investment strategy where investors have a variety of investments such as stocks, bonds and money market funds, which minimizes risk.
3. Buy and hold - Another type of investment strategy where investors buy stocks and hold onto them. This is based on the philosophy that long-term gains provide a nice return.
4. Mutual fund - These pool funds together from several investors which are then used to buy stocks, bonds and other securities by a fund manager.
5. Initial public offering - Also known as an IPO. It occurs when a private company transforms into a public company and sells shares of stocks to outside investors. An example would be when Twitter went public in 2013.
6. Dividend - A payment of profits to shareholders who invest in a company.
7. Inflation - An increase in the price and value of goods and services.
8. Expense ratio - The annual operating expenses for a fund. It's expressed as a percent.
9. Bonds - This is a debt security, where the investor loans money to the government or corporate entities. The organization then makes interest payments and pays back the loan in full.
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Dedicated to Diversity
Diversity in OPP
In an effort to spotlight some of the diversity we have here in OPP, we'll be sharing words and phrases from the different languages many of your coworkers speak. If you speak a second language or know some words and phrases from your ethnic background, email newsviews@psu.edu and you could be featured in an upcoming issue.
Susan Bedsworth, marketing communications specialist, is of mixed European heritage. The maternal side of her family is Slovak, while the paternal side of the family is a mix of Irish and English. While growing up in Maryland, Susan visited her maternal grandparents regularly in their small steel town north of Pittsburgh where she was exposed to the Slovak language, traditions and foods via her maternal grandparents, who were first-generation Americans.
Susan and her family continue to keep the traditions alive particularly around the holidays.
Basic Phrases
- Ahoj (Ah-hoy) - Hello
- Dobry den (Do-bree den) - Good afternoon
- Dobru noc (Doe-brew nots) - Good night
- Dakujem (Dya-ku-yem) - Thank you
- Ako sa mas (Ah-ko sah massh) - How are you?
- Lubim ta (Lyew-beem tah) - I love you
- Prosim (Pro-seem) - Please, you are welcome
Traditions
- Broom under the table on New Year's Eve - Was meant to sweep out last year's troubles and bring in good luck for new year.
- Sharing an apple (cut into slices passed around the table at holiday meals) - Was meant to keep you all together for another year.
- Bowl on table with straw at Christmas - Was meant to represent the manger.
Foods
- Holubky (Hole-ub-key) - stuffed cabbage rolls
- Halushky (Hal-oosh-key) - potato dumplings with cottage cheese and bacon
- Loksha (lok-sha) - Mixture of bread, milk, butter, sugar and poppy seeds
- Oplatki (O-plat-key) - Wafer
- Fanky (funky) - Funnel cake
- Strudla (Strewd-la) - Pastry
- Babovka (Bah-bov-ka) - Heavy potato pancake
Dia de los Muertos
Join members of the Hispanic Community and celebrate the Day of the Dead, a holiday celebrating the spirits of the dead. When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 1-4 p.m. Where: Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County
What is your language? How does it sound? How is it different from the others around? How many friends can you make when you know a dozen different ways to say "Hello!" Come find out - and bring along a friend - to the Bilingual reading corner. Let the adventures begin!
- Where: Barnes & Noble, State College, Pa.
- When: Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Dates:
- Nov. 21: Welsh story time with Elizabeth Pyatt
- Dec. 19: French story time with Melinda Fricke
Everyone is welcome no matter what language you speak! This even is open and free to the public.
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Reserve your seats for Taste of the Town today! Proceeds benefit the Centre County United Way and its 35 partner agencies.
What: Taste of the Town
When: Sunday, Nov. 15, 6-10 p.m.
Where: The Penn Stater - President's Hall
Cost: $50/person or $450/table of 10
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Daylight Savings Time ends on Nov. 1, 2015. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour. Enjoy that extra hour of sleep, but be prepared for darkness setting in a bit earlier in the evening.
This is also a great time to remember to check and change the batteries in your smoke and CO alarms, as well as performing a visual inspection of any fire extinguishers in your home. Make sure everyone in your household knows where they are located and how they are operated.
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 As a way of showing appreciation to Penn State Faculty and Staff, Penn State Athletics is extending an exclusive offer to join the Penn State Sports Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, when Penn State hosts its sixth home game against Illinois.
As part of the All-U Day, the faculty and staff ticket package includes:
- Discounted ticket offer for all Penn State Faculty and Staff
- Scoreboard message in game that welcomes all PSU Faculty and Staff members
Tickets in the exclusive offer are available at two different price levels:
- Upper Side 35-Yard Line - $90/person (Normally $117)
- Upper South End Zone - $60/person (Normally $87)
* All tickets are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. ** Seat are not guaranteed until payment is received. To purchase more than 10 tickets, game day parking, or for more information, please contact Will McGrath at wwm12@psu.edu or 814-867-2536.
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Support Penn State Block and Bridle by purchasing meat from their semi-annual sale! Orders are due by Nov. 5 and will be ready for pick-up on Nov. 19-20.
Block and Bridle will be selling a variety of meat products from the Penn State meats lab. Products include a variety of sausage, ground beef, summer sausage and boneless games.
Hannah Lux
Meat Sale Chair
324 W.L. Henning Building
University Park, Pa. 16802
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Do you have football tickets you can't use? Consider donating them to the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. The YSB makes sure that organizations, like Big Brothers Big Sister and other local outreach programs, receive the benefits of these gifts.
The YSB can take tickets via drop off at 325 West Aaron Dr. or contact Andrea Boyles at aboyles@ccysb.com or 814-237-5731.
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As part of an effort to simplify misconduct reporting at the University, the Office of Ethics and Compliance has implemented a new universal hotline for reporting concerns about all misconduct.
The phone number for the combined Penn State hotline is 800-560-1637. Reports can also be made online at http://hotline.psu.edu. An independent third party administers the hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reports can be made anonymously and without fear of retaliation.
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 Want to visit New York City and benefit the United Way too? Consider the College of Engineering United Way Fundraiser trip to NYC. Bus departs at 6 a.m. and returns to campus at 1 a.m. Enjoy nine hours to shop, sightsee and more.
When: Saturday, Dec. 5
Cost: $60
Contact: Sally Kelley (sjk4@psu.edu) or Jane Reese (jzr1@psu.edu)
Deadline: Reservation due by Nov. 18
Payment: Check only made out to COE United Way
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Snow Shoe to University Park CATA Vanpool
The CATA Mountaintop Vanpool has seats available for both full and part-time riders with pickups in Pine Glen, Moshannon and Snow Shoe. Riders work across the Penn State campus and downtown State College.
Schedule: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
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Have something to sell? Let us know! E-mail Susan Bedsworth with your item(s), details, contact information
 and photos. We will include it in the next edition of News & Views. And don't forget about OPP's Yammer Group "Up for Grabs." Just sign in with your University ID and password to post your item. Lion Surplus
Lion Surplus handles the removal of University-owned equipment in environmentally responsible ways, such as sales, bids and auctions. Their store, located at the corner of Services Rd. and Big Hollow Rd., is open to students, faculty, staff and the public. The inventory changes daily, but the store routinely has gently used furniture, computers and other electronics, scientific equipment, and much more.
Follow Lion Surplus on Facebook to keep up to date on inventory and special events.
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Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.
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You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the 
