Adventures in Shanghai!

Hi WEPO ladies! My name is Mimi Overbaugh and I am soon to be a senior studying Mechanical Engineering at Penn State. This year, I am the WEPO 2014 Spirit Lead! I am so excited to get to know each and every one of you during the orientation in August. Until then, I hope you are getting to know the Leadership Team through the many fascinating blogs.

This past May, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Shanghai, China to represent Penn State’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. I traveled alongside with Katie Ciccaglione, who is the WEPO ’14 Professional Development Lead, and Katie Kirsch, who is a Penn State Mechanical Engineering alum. Together, our team taught a four-day workshop at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to Chinese students about effective technical presenting and writing skills.

The experience was memorable for so many reasons. The first unforgettable part was interacting with the Chinese students during the workshop and one-on-one consultations. Before the trip, our team was a little nervous about the language barrier. While the students learned English in school, we were unsure of their skill level and retention of our workshop material. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the students were extremely engaged in the workshop. For instance, they were asking the same questions that American students asked, meaning they understood the content of our lessons. While some students were hesitant to use their English in a group setting, they were more comfortable and confident in a one-on-one setting. During consultations, we were able to talk with one student at a time and give them suggestions on their slides or papers and also answer questions they had. In the meantime, we also learned about the research they are doing at their university. From creating prosthetic hands to improving automobile assembly line productivity, their research is groundbreaking, complex, and interesting.

Not only did we teach the workshop, but we also explored the city of Shanghai for three days in our free time! Because Shanghai has a population of about 25 million people, you can imagine how crowded it was. Regardless, we were able to see some incredible places, learn about the history of China and Shanghai, and have an unforgettable time.

      Pearl Tower- If you look at Shanghai’s skyline, you will notice a very tall tower that looks like a needle with some large, red spheres along its distance. This infamous tower is known as the Pearl Tower, and we were fortunate enough to tour it! We went to the very top of the tower, which is at 351 meters tall or about 12,000 feet tall! The tower also had lower levels to view the city’s skyline. From all views, the skyline was breathtaking. One of my favorite parts of the different viewing levels was a glass floor level. You walked out on the glass floor and it looked like you were standing on air! While it was a little nerve-wracking, it was also really awesome :) Not only were there viewing levels, but there was also a Shanghai history museum with wax figures and an arcade!

      East Nanjing Road- This road is famous for high-end shopping. While we didn’t do any high-end shopping while we were over there (I wish…), we walked along the road to see all of the shops and lights. At the end of the road is what is called “The Bund.” The Bund is basically a river walk that allows you to see the entire city from a beautiful point-of-view. On one side of The Bund is “New Shanghai,” which was built relatively recently and includes the Pearl Tower. On the other side of The Bund is “Old Shanghai” which has the historic buildings and beautiful architecture. Fortunately, we went to The Bund in the evening so we were able to see the city in lights!

·     Yuyuan Garden- Yuyuan Garden was one of the most beautiful places we visited in Shanghai. About 400 years ago, a wealthy government official built a garden in Shanghai for his parents. As he traveled across China, he would stop at his many real estates, including this garden. Now, the garden is a tourist attraction. Yuyuan Garden was a beautiful place, where you just walk around the enormous garden and look at the beautiful plants and architecture. Outside of the garden, you can shop in little market areas where people are selling bamboo art, paintings, sculptures, and more. There are also shops to buy tea, scarves, and other souvenirs. As you are walking, you see the classic Chinese architecture with the curved roofs.

     Temples- We had the chance to go to a Buddhist temple while we were in the city. It 

        was breathtaking! The statue of Buddha was so big, and people were there 

        worshipping. In addition to praying to Buddha, there were many other statues that 

        people prayed to. It was also crazy to think that there were Monks who lived behind the temple while tourists were walking around.

     The Fake Market- As you can imagine, in the Fake Market, people sell plenty of bags, sunglasses, shoes, and more. However, we focused on buying a lot of souvenirs there! It was a lot of fun to barter with the Chinese salespeople and look at the trinkets. Luckily, our Chinese guides loved to barter too, so they helped us with the language barrier!

The workshop and sight-seeing was absolutely incredible! We also did other fun things, like sing karaoke, go bowling, and watch the Spiderman movie in theaters. In addition to these two aspects, another unique experience that I appreciate was getting to know the Chinese culture and our two Chinese guides who were students at the university. We really were submerged in the culture from Day 1. For instance, they have some unique foods that we tried! I think two of the craziest foods we tried were bullfrog and abalone, which is a type of sea snail that we ate raw. While chopsticks did not come to us very easily, our survival instincts kicked in and we were eventually able to use them to eat! Not only was the food neat, but it was also so interesting to get to know our guides, Diao and Xu. We were both very intrigued with each other’s culture and openly asked questions that we were curious about or shared interesting information and customs.

At the end of the trip, I can say that our visit to Shanghai has been the most memorable and rewarding experiences I have had in my engineering education. I learned so much that I never could have learned in a classroom. I will always remember the friends that I made half-way across the world, and hope to visit again someday!

Mimi Overbaugh is a senior in Mechanical Engineering, and she is the Spirit Lead for WEPO '14!

The Perks of Supplemental Housing

Hi WEPO ladies! My name is Mimi Overbaugh, and I am a junior studying mechanical engineering at Penn State. This year I will be a mentor for WEPO ’13, and I am so excited to meet you all soon!

Within the next couple of weeks, you will be getting your housing assignment for your freshman year at Penn State. While it is exciting to finally know where your home will be for the next year, it can also be nerve-wracking if you receive a “supplemental” housing contract. Basically, supplemental contracts exist, because Penn State has to house as many students as possible. Therefore, they are required to use larger rooms in dorms to house 4-8 students.

During my sophomore year, I lived in a supplemental room.  I was really nervous to be living with 5 other women who had different majors, schedules, and lifestyles, but I decided to go into the situation with an open mind. If you find yourself in a similar situation, do not fret!! Here are some reasons why you should be excited about living in a supplemental room:

You have more space and are free to rearrange your furniture whenever you want.  When you get to your room, you will be surprised at how big it is. The layout and type of furniture (bunked vs. regular beds) vary from room to room and from building to building. However, I would suggest emailing housing when you get your room assignment, and they will supply you with a room layout so you can better plan for what to bring. Some of the rooms are 2 stories, with a lofted closet area, whereas others are one giant room. In my room, we each had a twin bed, a desk, a dresser, and there was a separate room for closets and microfridges. Once people moved out during the second semester, we had double the storage space! You and your roommates can also rearrange the furniture so that you each have your own personal space, which I found to be helpful (in double rooms, most of the furniture is fixed). Plus, if you participate in WEPO, you get to move into your room early, meaning you can pick the best spot.

WEPO'12

You get the chance to meet more people. When you live in a supplemental room, you could have up to 7 roommates, or as few as 3. Living with more roommates exposes you to people with different majors (since you will be spending a lot of time with your engineering friends!) and different backgrounds. You get to request 3 of your roommates, so chances are you might already know someone when you move in! Regardless of if you know any of your roommates, you don’t have to be best friends with them. However, friendships sometimes form in unexpected circumstances, so if you have an open mind and are willing to get to know your roommates, you can broaden your circle of friends.

You most likely will have the opportunity to leave your supplemental room for a double room at some point.  Because students transfer to different campuses, move onto their sorority floors, or move for other reasons, there may be openings in a regular, double room. If these openings occur, you will be notified by housing that you have the opportunity to leave your supplemental room. If you choose to do so, they help you with the move by letting you borrow a van and carts to transfer your belongings to your new room. If you decide that you like your supplemental room, you can also choose to stay, like I did. It is nice to know that you may have the option of moving out if you do not like your current living situation.

If some of your roommates decide to move out, you have a giant room for only a couple people.  If some your roommates decide to move out and take the option that I mentioned above, then you might have a giant room for just a few of you. There were originally 6 of us in my room at the beginning of the year, and by the second semester, we were down to 4 of us. Most of the time, my roommates were not there so I was able to have peace and quiet to get work done.

Remember, if you are offered a supplemental contract, it is not the end of the world. It could actually be a great experience, so make sure you go into the situation with an open mind. If you ever have any questions about living in a supplemental room or Penn State in general, feel free to reach out to me! I am so excited for you to begin your journey at Penn State!

Mimi Overbaugh is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering and will be a Mentor for WEPO'13! To read more about Mimi visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!mimi-overbaugh/cifm

10,686,924 Reasons to Smile—Penn State’s THON

Hi everyone! My name is Mimi Overbaugh and I am super excited to be a rover for WEPO 2012! I am a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After finishing my freshman year, I can look back and say that I am very proud of myself for getting involved in a lot of different activities outside the classroom. As new students in a completely different environment, it is very beneficial to branch out and try new things (and it’s probably easiest to get involved your first year too). Although I loved all of the clubs and organizations I joined, such as EON and SWE, I can say without a doubt that the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) changed my life in so many ways.

What is THON?

Penn State’s THON is the largest run student philanthropy in the world that raises money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer. THON now has over 15,000 student volunteers, 700 dancers, and has raised more than $78 million benefiting the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State’s Hershey Children’s Hospital since 1973. A year’s worth of hard work culminates in one weekend in February where dancers stay on their feet for 46 hours in the Bryce Jordan Center. It is a truly touching and life-changing experience that will have impact on everyone involved.

Ways to get involved

            Organizations

If you get involved in any organizations at school (and I sincerely hope you take advantage of the hundreds of groups available to you!), you can participate in THON with your org. Almost all organizations have members that are committed to THON’s effort—they usually hold weekly meetings, are assigned a THON child, fundraise, and thus have dancers as well. For instance, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) was paired with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and together, they helped to raise money for THON and participated in the weekend’s festivities. This option is great for those who want to get further involved in an organization that you are already in.

            Special Interest Organizations

In addition to your general organizations, such as SWE, you can also get involved in one of the many special interest organizations that unite for the common cause of THON. Their goal is to raise very large amounts of money specifically for THON, and therefore these groups tend to be a lot bigger than your general organizations. For instance, one special interest org, called Atlas, has a few hundred students working to raise money.  They also hold regular meetings, while their fundraising is a bit more intense. One advantage to this type of group is that you can meet a wide variety of people while still having a blast.

            Committees

In order for THON to operate as smoothly as it does, there are many webs of volunteers who work hard together to ensure a successful weekend. There are 11 different committees (Communications, Donor & Alumni Relations, Merchandise, Hospitality, Finance, Morale, OPPerations, Public Relations, Special Events, Rules and Regulations, Entertainment) that each have a different color and responsibility during the weekend and the months leading up to it. In order to obtain a committee position, you must fill out an application and have an interview. If accepted (high acceptance rate), then you are placed onto a committee. A committee is led by a captain (who is in turn led by an overall) and there are usually between 20 and 40 people. Your captain leads weekly meetings (usually starting in October) and you participate in different activities depending on your specific committee, such as spirit events and training sessions. During the weekend of THON, you are given work shifts and help to run the BJC. Although each committee is different, they all work together and are crucial to the success of THON.

My THON experience

Because a lot of my family went to Penn State and participated in THON, I knew that I wanted to join as well, because I wanted to feel like I was a part of something much bigger than myself. I decided that a committee position best suited me, because I wanted to join a close knit group of people. On the application, you put your first two choices—mine were Morale and Hospitality, which are typically the two most competitive ones. After going through the interview process, I unfortunately was not offered either of my top two choices; however, I did get placed onto a Rules and Regulations (R&R) committee.  Needless to say, I was a little bummed out, but I did not let that discourage me. I decided to make the best of my situation, and make a difference in any way possible. It was one of the best decisions I made during my freshman year (along with attending WEPO!!!!). There were only a small percentage of freshmen out of the 40 kids, so I stepped out of my comfort zone by taking on the role of “Ice Breaker Chair”.  I was able to form friendships, even with the upperclassmen, who become some of my best friends at school. As the year went on and we became more involved, we invested so much of ourselves to the committee and THON, and it was so rewarding. When the weekend came, we felt very prepared and confident that we could successfully do our jobs. I was actually picked to hold a special position during the weekend—as a part of a Pass Team that helped move people on to and off of the floor, I was lucky enough to interact with VIP guests! Because I excelled over the course of the weekend, I was one of the committee members chosen to get an Incentive Pass, which is a pass that allows you to be on the floor for the last four hours (a pretty big deal—especially for a freshman!) I got to experience Family Hour, where the families talked about their struggles with cancer, as well as a concert performed by Go Go Gadjet, and the reveal of the total, an unbelievable $10,686,924.83!!!! It was the most rewarding weekend that I have ever experienced, and I urge all of you to get involved in THON in some way, because it will change your life!

“Kids dream about growing up to be many things: firefighters, teachers, doctors, professional athletes, and even superheroes. A child with cancer dreams about the chance to grow-up.”

Visit www.thon.org for more information. One day we will dance in celebration, but until then we will dance for a cure. For The Kids—FTK!!

Mimi is a sophomore in Industrial Engineering. She is a rover for WEPO 2012.