On Wednesday, Apr. 17th, the convocation center lobby was adorned with art displays and posters to showcase PennWest students’ creative and academic endeavors of the semester.  As students, staff, and families piled in, students were ready to present their projects.

The event showcased student work from all disciplines, with art displays, lab investigations, theater performances, and research projects, giving students the opportunity to share their passions and interests with their peers.  

Sophomore Alyson Ogden and Freshman Emma Taylor presented a research project proposing that PennWest offer an online service for mental health support. 

“We polled students at PennWest, and we found that the majority of students prefer talking virtually about their mental health,” said Taylor. 

“We compared PennWest to Fairfield University, which is a small school in Pennsylvania, similar to ours.” Ogden said. “They use a program called Uwill, which is a 24-hour telehealth program.  Using this program at our college would add only 10 dollars to our tuition, and we think that’s something PennWest could really benefit from.”

At 11 a.m., Joylette Portlock, the executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, gave her keynote address titled “Pathways to Sustainable Regional Progress: Forging a Better Future, For All.”  In her address, Portlock highlighted how sustainability goes beyond simply environmental protection, as it reaches to areas like social equity, economic visibility, and many other disciplines as well.

Portlock expressed that she wants students to understand that they can use their personal interests and passions to make an impact in sustainability efforts.

“If I have one take-home message for you today, it’s that you can take your passion for these topics into whatever rooms that you are in,” said Portlock.  “So this isn’t a conversation about the greenest job ever…it’s a conversation about fashion. It’s a conversation about event-planning, it’s a conversation about entertainment.  It’s a conversation about government, and it’s a conversation about so many different things.”

Following her address, Portlock participated in a panel discussion with PennWest professors Sarah Meiss, Azadeh Block, Candace Riley, and Sabrina Hykes-Davis.  

The group discussed student projects in the area of sustainability and environmental impact.  Then, each professor explained specific sustainability efforts in their personal field.  The group then took questions from audience members regarding their work in sustainability and initiatives at PennWest.

Following the keynote address, students had another opportunity to present their work and explore the work of other students. 

Ryann Sape, Jordan Wendell, Barakat Baoku, and Peyton Hancharik present their project

At 2:30 p.m., the final segment of Strike a Spark began, which gave theater students the opportunity to showcase their work.  Students performed excerpts from the PennWest California Theater Department’s two plays from this semester, “She Kills Monsters” and “Big Fish.”