Chalked Up: Freedom snowplow design gets award; RMU shares info on new café partnership
Beaver County's creative students have once again impressed judges during PennDOT's annual "Paint a Plow" contest.
The competition, which is hosted in connection with Winter Driving Awareness Week, allows schools to show off the artistic skills of their students through original designs on snowplow blades. During this year's contest, Freedom Area High School's design was named the "Judges' Pick" and was given praise for it's creative design.
For their design, students from Freedom had a festive piece of artwork with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer driving a truck. Extra care was put into giving the reindeer a seatbelt while driving, stressing the importance of the safety device when driving. The plow also featured plenty of colorful Christmas lights, making an eye-catching design for the snowplow.
Beaver Falls High School was also a participant in this year's competition, with students designing a plow that featured the pirate captain Luffy from the "One Piece" series. The plow showed this year's motto in a speech bubble, with the character sharing the idea that "Seatbelts are always in season!"
This year's "Fan Favorite" award went to the design created by students at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. All of the submitted designs can be viewed on the Paint the Plow website and the art from the local competition can be found within the section for PennDOT's District 11.
Robert Morris University announces partnership with Saxbys
Robert Morris University has announced it will begin a partnership with Saxbys, bringing the popular campus dining option to their Moon Township campus. According to officials, the cafe is set to open in the fall and will be a student-run business.
“At RMU, we believe in incorporating the spirit of entrepreneurship into everything we do," said Michelle Patrick, the university's president. "We’re thrilled to partner with Saxbys to provide this unique entrepreneurial opportunity for our students and to enhance the experience of our entire campus community.”
The new cafe will replace the existing Wheatley Cafe, a dining space that had undergone several major shifts in recent years as the campus did a large-scale redesign of its dining options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the cafe had offered "grab-and-go" options and Mexican food for students.
The new campus dining spot will also feature a student cafe executive officer, which allows for a student leader to take the responsibility of running the branch location as a part of "The Saxbys Experiential Learning Program." Other job opportunities for students will also be offered at the cafe, with the university mentioning the opportunity for "paid internships and leadership opportunities directly on the RMU campus."
Saxby's has partnerships with several college campuses across Pennsylvania, including locations at Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh. According to their online menus, no two locations are "exactly alike" and the offerings at each cafe can differ by college.
“As The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform continues to expand, we remain committed to partnering with institutions that share our vision of empowering students, and RMU’s mission to foster entrepreneurial skills and an entrepreneurial mindset in all of its students makes this partnership a perfect fit," said Nick Bayer, founder and CEO of Saxbys. "Providing students with transformational opportunities to be engaged, successful and career-ready is a shared goal between Saxbys and RMU, and we couldn’t be more excited about our partnership."
Other education news to note:
Point Park University has announced it has been forced to move its spring graduation date due to "unforeseen circumstances" with PPG Paints Arena. According to reporting from Erin Yudt of The Globe, the date was moved from Saturday, April 27, to Friday, April 26, after the university was informed of a scheduling conflict with Tim McGraw's "Standing Room Only" tour. Students have shared displeasure with the moved dates, as they fear some family members may not be able to attend the adjusted dates.
Blackhawk High School was selected as the "People's Choice" award winner in the City of Pittsburgh's annual gingerbread display contest earlier this month. The students' design, which showcased a fairytale scene of Rapunzel's tower, received nearly 3,500 votes from community members and took home the top prize.
The Ellwood City Area Historical Society is offering four $1,500 scholarships for students in the Ellwood City Area and Riverside school districts. All students can apply for the two available Robert and Janice Barensfeld Scholarships, which require an essay on the topic of a "prominent person of the Ellwood City Area." Students pursuing education careers can apply for two available Marlene Painter Scholarships, which require an essay on "why [you] want to be a teacher." Applications can be received from school guidance counselors or the Ellwood City Area Historical Society and must be returned to the historical society before noon April 1.
Nick Neupauer, the current president of Butler County Community College, has announced he will retire at the end of this year. The Ellwood City native has served as chief executive officer for the college for 17 years, which is nearly a third of the time the college has been open and the longest tenure of anyone in the position. The community college will work on a "smooth transition plan" for their next leader.
The Beaver Valley Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is now accepting applications for their various scholarships that support women in Beaver County. Awards are offered for three eligible high school seniors, two "non-traditional" students and one student returning to their studies. Additional scholarships will also be offered for one female law student who has completed a year in their program and another is offered for female students of CCBC. Application information can be found on the AAUW website and will be accepted until March 22.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Chalked Up: Freedom snowplow design gets award; RMU shares info on new cafe
