2002 Freshman Sendoff / Summer Picnic
It just keeps getting better and better!! I'm talking about our annual Freshman Sendoff and Summer Picnic on Wednesday, August 14, 2002. As in recent years, the summertime gala was hosted by the Kreider Family — and attended by approximately 50 chapter members and their families, returning students, and students who will soon begin their college experience at Happy Valley.
The grill was kept busy turning out burgers and dogs, the dining room table groaned with a heavy assortment of carry-in dishes, and the coolers brimmed with a frosty assortment of beverages. And a special note is made here of the traditional and tantalizingly delicious "Peachy Paterno" ice cream laboriously concocted and hand-churned by Marguerite and Lou Sharp. It's always a crowd favorite!
An evening shower scuttled plans for the outdoor student recognition ceremony and forced us to move inside. But there was no dampening of high spirits and enthusiasm anytime throughout the evening.
As your loquacious webmeister, I could babble on and on about the fun, food, and recognition activities enjoyed by everyone. Instead, I would direct your attention to the pictures and brief descriptions that follow . . .
You guessed it! The Kreider Family residence at 2858 College Hill Court in Beavercreek is where the action was on Wednesday, August 14, 2002. Can you see the tell-tale signs of a Penn State family?
Art Feliciangili and Ed Daniel enjoy the camaraderie and relaxation of the Kreider's deck — and the anticipation of good food and cool libations.
And speaking of libations, it sure didn't take Don and Bill long to figure out where the coolers were located.
Bob and Lynn enjoy a quiet moment by themselves, but pause in their ruminations long enough for a photo op.
Were we talking about food? There are ample quantities are you can plainly see. Yum! Yum!
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And while we're on the subject of food, no one ever accused Jim and John of being reticent about filling up their plates. Jim is obviously pleased with himself, but we wonder about John. Is he experiencing pre-dinner heartburn?
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John Romer, Andy Hackett, and Steve Kreider assumed the awesome responsibility of cooking up the meat. Please allow me to accord these young gentlemen with the ultimate compliment (in vogue during my own college days at Penn State): "Ya done good!"
Is this a cute father-daughter couple or what? Mike Pascale and Emma graciously consented to pose for the camera, and this is the result.
Here's a glimpse of the 50 or so attendees we mentioned at the top. Looks like a lot of smiles to me — except for Sally Valeri's gasp at the hat on the table!
Can you believe that Lou and Marguerite just celebrated their Golden Anniversary? Edie Kreider presented them with a gold-foiled cupcake with candles. Congratulations, Lou and Marguerite — and best wishes for 50 more!
Here's a pic of the best-looking college kids you'll ever see! Top row (guys), from left to right: John Romer, Jeff Kreider, and Steve Kreider. Middle row (gals), from left to right: Leah Critchley, Jenna Gallas, Sara Millilo, and Lorri Bazzel. Bottom row (guys), from left to right: Andy Hackett, Ross Bendik, and Chris Weed.
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Chapter Prez Vic Folwarczny introduces three of the ten Dayton area students who will enter Penn State as freshmen this fall. The students (l to r) are Jeff Kreider and Jenna Gallas from Beavercreek, and John Romer from Dayton.
Two of the evening's special awards were the Stravinski Scholarship winners. Here we see Prez Vic making the award and a very pleased Steve Kreider accepting it. Steve is the elder son of the All-Penn State Kreider Family. His major is Recreation Parks Management, and he'll graduate in Spring 2004. Congratulations, Steve!
Our second Stravinski Scholarship winner is Lorri Bazzel, who hails from Tipp City, Ohio. Lorri is majoring in Meteorology and will graduate in Spring 2003. She's a member of the American Meteorology Society and a meteorology peer tutor at Penn State. Lorri also enjoys participating in intramural sports. Congratulations, Lorri!
Here we see Vic presenting Chris Weed with a photo of the Nittany Lion Shrine. The photo is autographed by Beavercreek's very own Mike Zollars, Penn State's new Nittany Lion mascot. Chris comes from Huber Heights, and majors in chemical engineering. Good luck in your 2002-2003 school year, Chris!
Another recipient of an autographed Lion Shrine photo from Vic is Leah Critchley, a Penn State sophomore from Troy, Ohio. She is enrolled in the College of Arts & Architecture and is majoring in graphic design and photography. Leah and your faithful webhead had an interesting discussion on the various features of digital cameras. Best wishes for academic success this year, Leah!
It wasn't just Dayton area Penn Staters who graced us with their presence that evening. Here's Vic introducing Sarah Millilo, one of two students from State College visiting Dayton. Thanks for being part of our Freshman Sendoff, Sarah. Also pictured is Edie Kreider, one of the chapter's movers and shakers.
Here's Ross Bendik, a prior winner of the Stravinski Scholarship, getting ready to accept an autographed Lion Shrine photo from Vic. Ross hails from Dayton and is enrolled in Penn State's College of Business Administration. Good luck and best wishes for the coming school year, Ross.
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Vic extends a warm Dayton welcome to another visitor from State College, Andy Hackett. Thanks for helping us send off our freshmen, Andy, and best wishes for the 2002-2003 school year.
Those Pascale kids sure are cute — wonder where they get their good looks? How did Mike and Chris ever get little Sarah away from Marguerite? Marguerite looks like she's done this kind of thing before.
In the sad news department, we learned that Paige and Larry Walko are leaving the area soon and moving to Naples, Florida. We wish them well in this transition process, and hope they'll stay in touch.
Chris Pascale consented to pose for the camera, and again we see wee Sarah. Too cute!
