Chris Palladino’s Blog

This semester has been crazy busy with the election season in full swing. The first week of school several of the social studies students and I decided that we should view the acceptance speeches together for both conventions. We decided to open this up to the entire student body, and there was a significant amount of interest. After the second convention, it was suggested that we have a party to watch the election returns on November 4. I invited a core group to our house to plan the event. As we were talking in the kitchen, my wife Heather made a simple suggestion that snowballed into an Election Gala!

On November 4, 2008 Philadelphia Biblical University hosted our first ever Election Day Gala. It was sponsored by the Center for University Studies and hosted by the Social Studies Education majors. Over 100 students dressed in formal attire began arriving at 8:00 p.m, to socialize, watch the returns, and nibble veggies, nuts, cheese, and crackers, or sip punch or drink coffee. By the start of the event, the tables were set, the twinkly lights were on, the piano added ambiance, and the results began pouring in with anticipation from each state’s announcement. By 12:30 a.m. the election was over, concession and acceptance speeches were made, and the social studies majors began cleaning up. As we fellowshipped, we were elated with the turn out and the level of interest among young people especially those represented at our university. The committee worked very hard to make all the arrangements, prepare the food and drink (Thanks, Starbucks!), decorate, and make the event fabulous in every way. Their work paid off.

Posted by Chris Palladino at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PBU’s campus in Northern Wisconsin is situated on a peninsula in Lake Owen, and is aptly named the Wisconsin Wilderness Campus. For the specially designed one-year program, various professors are occasionally invited to teach a section of a course. I finally got my turn with Student’s Life and Calling. On October 24 my family and I packed up and drove west. Three days later we arrived in upstate Wisconsin. Here are some of our highlights:

Seeing the changing landscapes and fall foliage across the Midwest

Being in the car with my wife and children without interruption

Running on trails in South Bend, IN, Wisconsin Dells, WI, on the way out and at Pokagon
State Park in IN and Settler’s Cabin Park in PA

Running on the glorious trails near WWC which included Telemark Resort, the Rock Lake Trail, and falling into three foot bogs around the corner from Lake Owen

Canoeing and kayaking with my wife and children on Lake Owen

Star gazing at the most beautiful sky I have ever seen with my wife and a couple of students
I
nteracting with the students inside and outside of class, whether it was a classroom discussion on learning, art, music, etc., playing ping pong, or covering some local trails with them

Listening to the American Girl Felicity series in the car

Listening to the outdoor stories and adventures of WWC Director Mark Jalovick

Watching my children leap into the jumping pit full of large foam cubes

Observing the students at WWC teach my son how to do a forward flip without his hands, or how to shoot pool, or taking my daughter on a nature photography hike and allowing her to take the pictures herself and keep the film

Stopping at the Toledo Zoo in OH on the way home

Gaining a glimpse into the special environment that is Wisconsin Wilderness Campus

Posted by Chris Palladino at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)