Fall 2012 Newsletter
Live It, Protect It, Explore It!
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Navigation:
Welcome • Jacobs Legacy • Quiz Bowl • NRPA Awards • Fisher Scholarship •
Dinner & Auction • Midnight Fun Run • David Smith • Tour de Pink •
First Professional Conference • RPTA 325 in the Water • Santa Barbara Bowl • RPTA Club • Rho Phi Lambda • New Jobs Blog • Jacobs Interview •
Meet the Staff • Donate
FROM MY LITTLE WOODEN DESK…
By: Dr. Bill Hendricks, Department Head
Wow! This has been one incredible fall quarter. We started the academic year off with a new crop of students who met the most rigorous admission standards in the 36-year history of the program. We have also reached an all-time high of 320 undergraduate students.
In this edition of The Report you will read about many other fall quarter highlights including the NRPA Academic Quiz Bowl Championship in Anaheim, numerous honors for our Rho Phi Lambda Chapter and alumna Amy Lepp, and examples of our faculty pushing the envelope for innovation and creativity to provide “learn by doing” educational experiences for our students. Moreover, our alumni continue to be shining stars! RPTA alumnus David Smith, President of Angels RBI, shares his successes and his roots in the major. We are also proud to announce the Jodi Hamp Fisher Scholarship Endowment created by Jodi’s friends and family in her memory. Read more.
LEAVING A LEGACY, A FAREWELL TO ONE OF THE VERY BEST
By Anthonia Edgren (RPTA '13), Editor, The Report
In a college career, students sometimes find those select professors that inspire them to challenge themselves and reach for their full potential - ones that they regard as mentors and inspirations. The Cal Poly RPTA department is comprised of professors who do just that, but none more so than Professor Jeffrey Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs doesn't just offer career advice or helpful office hours; he inspires his students to follow their dreams, to live their best life, and to wholeheartedly help others.
Most students in the department have had the privilege to have Dr. Jacobs as a professor at least once, usually in RPTA 205 or in RPTA 360. But even those who have not had him have heard what an amazing person and professor he is. From the charismatic way that Dr. Jacobs enters a classroom, to his genuine interest in your well being, class performance, and questions. From his style of teaching that makes one feel comfortable and challenged all at the same time, to the passion he has for life that he demonstrates in everything he does. Dr. Jacobs is a legend and an inspiration. Read more.
BACK TO THE WINNER'S CIRCLE: RPTA CAPTURES SECOND NATIONAL QUIZ BOWL TITLE IN THREE YEARS
By Kevin Mould (RPTA '14), Staff Writer
In addition to capturing several prestigious awards (read below), Cal Poly RPTA further cemented its place on the national stage by winning its second Academic Quiz Bowl title in three years on October 17, 2012 at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Annual Congress in Anaheim. The team, consisting of Jamie Dehn (captain), Jordaine McGinnity, Kevin Mould, and Hayley De Carolis (alternate) put on a dominant performance at the event that included four other teams: Cal State Long Beach, Fresno State, Texas A&M, and Brigham Young University (2011's national champion).
See the full press release here: http://calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2012/November/quizbowlteam.html
RPTA ALUMNA AND HONORS SOCIETY WIN TOP AWARDS AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
By Dr. Brian Greenwood, Associate Professor
The Quiz Bowl National Title was not the only award that Cal Poly RPTA received at the 2012 NRPA Annual Congress in Anaheim. The department continued to make quite an impression in winning three separate awards. 
Amy Lepp, who graduated in 2012 with a degree in RPTA, was awarded the Rho Phi Lambda Outstanding Undergraduate Student Scholarly Activity Award, and Cal Poly's Alpha Mu Chapter of Rho Phi Lambda, the academic discipline's honors society, received the Chapter Incentive Award. Moreover, Cal Poly's Alpha Mu Chapter received the 2012 NRPA Outstanding Student Club Award. Read more.
RPTA SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT ESTABLISHED IN ALUMNA JODI HAMP FISHER'S NAME
Family and friends of Cal Poly alumna Jodi Hamp Fisher have created a scholarship endowment in her memory. In honor of the 1997 Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration grad, who died in March after battling cancer, the scholarship will support the educational costs of students majoring in RPTA. Preference will be given to students with a career interest in the outdoors.
Fisher is known for giving out free ice cream in Cayucos on her 44th birthday, hugging President Obama at the airport in San Francisco, and appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres show – all items on her "fun list" as she fought inoperable cancer. Those who want to join Fisher's family and friends in recognizing her inspirational legacy and contributions to others, are asked to add their support. Read more and link to donation.
RPTA'S ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION: "THE ROOTS OF EDUCATION"
By Hannah Baker (RPTA '13), Staff Writer
The annual RPTA dinner and auction is in the works to be an incredible experience for students, alumni, parents, and RPTA family alike! With a vintage theme of The Roots of Education, the event looks to be as classy and enjoyable as ever. The auction planning committee has been working long and hard each week, so one can only imagine what great efforts they have put into this much anticipated department fundraiser.
Not only does the auction portray what an amazing RPTA program we have at Cal Poly, but it opens the doors for others to donate and benefits RPTA students and the department. The planning committee hopes to appeal to as many people as possible with a final goal of raising around $25,000. The committee had its preliminary meetings in early March to discuss what they hoped the auction would look like and how the theme would be incorporated. Some brainstorming took place over summer as well, but the bulk of the planning and finalization of the event was determined over fall. Read more.
RPTA "GETS ITS GLOW ON!"
By Hannah Baker (RPTA '13), Staff Writer
"Get Your Glow On" was the ongoing slogan for this year's Cal Poly Midnight 5K Fun Run. A group of nine students from Dr. Goldenberg's RPTA 210 class worked closely with the Special Olympics of San Luis Obispo County to put on the 5th annual event. With an 80's theme in place, there were volunteers and runners dressed to impress and supporting a good cause at the same time!
The process of creating the fun run started as soon as Fall Quarter began. Weekly meetings took place at the Special Olympics office with the students and the Special Olympics supervisors. Each student was involved in planning different aspects of the event such as registration, promotion, pre/post race activities, and sponsorship. Read more.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DAVID SMITH
SWITCH TO RPTA WAS RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
By Laurel Thomson (RPTA '15), Staff Writer
David Smith (RPTA '97), president of the Los Angeles Angels' RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program, found his recipe for success with Cal Poly's RPTA program. When he first matriculated to Cal Poly, Smith was an Engineering Technology major. Soon thereafter, Engineering Technology was cut as a major due to budget issues, and Smith found himself looking for a home. During his first quarter at Cal Poly, he worked as a Basketball official for Recreational Sports. His supervisor was an RPTA senior, which is where he first learned of the RPTA major. When his major was cut, Smith officially transferred into RPTA and declared sport management as his emphasis area. Smith continued to work for Recreational Sports and later went to become an Intramural Sports Supervisor. He claimed that because he was an athlete "sports and recreation [were] in [his] DNA." This made RPTA a perfect fit for him. Read more.
GOLDENBERG BIKES FOR A CAUSE IN TOUR DE PINK
By Laurel Thomson (RPTA '15), Staff Writer
On October 12, 2012, Dr. Marni Goldenberg began what she refers to as "the most intense physical thing I've ever done." Dr. Goldenberg participated in the Tour De Pink, a nearly 200-mile long bike ride along the west coast of California for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC). The YSC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the issues faced by those who are diagnosed with breast cancer under age 40. The organization makes it their goal to let young women with breast cancer know that they are not alone, and to raise awareness for their cause. In order to participate, Dr. Goldenberg had to raise a minimum of $2,500, which she did within a couple of weeks. She began the Tour De Pink on October 12, at Giant Bikes, one of the bike ride's sponsors, in Thousand Oaks, California. On the first day, she rode 68 miles to Manhattan Beach, and then another 71 miles down the coast to Dana Point on day 2. On her final day of Tour De Pink, Dr. Goldenberg rode the last 55 miles of the bike ride to the Oakley headquarters, another one of the ride's sponsors, in Foothill Ranch. Read more.
REFLECTIONS ON MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE
By Kevin Mould (RPTA '14), Staff Writer
When I first accepted my position on the Quiz Bowl team last spring, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I guess that this is true for most things in the sense that other people can tell you about a place or experience all they want, but you can never truly know until you've done it yourself. It was in this position that I found myself over the summer as I prepared, and even more so in the fall as the date of the 2012 NRPA Congress rapidly approached. I knew plenty of exhibitors were going to be there, and that our department faculty were going to give presentations, but I still wondered: How was everything going to look? What kind of people would I encounter? What will the other Quiz Bowl Teams be like? Read more.
RPTA 325 DIVES "HEAD FIRST" INTO WATER-BASED OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP
By Anthonia Edgren (RPTA '13), Editor, The Report
The RPTA department offers many classes that make other Cal Poly students jealous, one of those being RPTA 325: Water-Based Outdoor and Adventure Leadership. This quarter, RPTA 325 was all about facilitating and fostering water-based outdoor leadership skills both in and outside of the classroom. Under the guidance of Dr. Goldenberg, the class had the task of planning a field trip down to the very last detail, and executing it on a weekend excursion. Read more.
DID SOMEBODY SAY, "FIELD TRIP!"?
AN RPTA 420 EXCURSION TO THE SANTA BARBARA BOWL
By Hannah Baker (RPTA '13), Staff Writer
Imagine yourself standing center stage, looking out onto a beautiful venue full of natural beauty and history. This vision became reality for students in Professor Kendi Root's RPTA 420 class this past Fall Quarter. As a recurring field trip, the class visited the Santa Barbara Bowl to learn the ins and outs of promoting and hosting an event. As a mid-size venue in a beautiful picturesque location, the Santa Barbara Bowl has hosted countless musical artists including rock, folk, jazz, orchestra, and symphony performances. Students of RPTA 420 were lucky enough to gain full exposure to this premier concert venue. Read more.
RPTA CLUB: "FALL"ing INTO ACTION!
By Laurel Thomson (RPTA '15), Staff Writer
Fall quarter has been a busy one full of friends, food, and fun for the RPTA club! Under the leadership of President Brittany Glasnow ('13) and Vice President Kiefer Reischl ('14), the RPTA club has been hard at working recruiting new members and getting involved in the recreation, parks, and tourism field. Members volunteered at the Morro Bay Harbor Festival as they have in years past. Club members had the opportunity to meet great people and help a local community host an incredible event! Read more.
RHO PHI LAMBDA DAZZLES IN FALL
By Anthonia Edgren (RPTA '13), Editor, The Report
Rho Phi Lambda, RPTA's honors society, is consistently recognized for reinforcing academic commitment and success and has been known for its highly anticipated career fair each winter. As mentioned above, Rho Phi Lambda has taken that success to a new level in being named the 2012 NRPA Outstanding Student Club. This award was made possible because of Rho Phi's dedication to developing future industry leaders and providing students with industry and professional opportunities as demonstrated by their annual career fairs.
Rho Phi Lambda also initiated eight new members on November 14th, 2012. The initiation and festivities were held at the Granada Hotel and Bistro in Downtown San Luis Obispo. Attendees enjoyed a quaint candlelit atmosphere accompanied by delicious hors d'oeuvres and a celebration of their dedication to scholarship, leadership and service. Read more.
LOOKING FOR A JOB, INTERNSHIP, OR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE?
CHECK OUT RPTA'S NEW JOBS BLOG
By: Dr. Bill Hendricks, Department Head
We have changed our process of notifying students and alumni about job, internship, and volunteer opportunities in the recreation, parks, and tourism industries. Instead of email messages we will now post announcements on a blog site. This will allow everyone to access postings at their convenience and in one place.
For current and future opportunities please use the new Cal Poly RPTA Jobs blog at: http://calpolyrptajobs.blogspot.com/
If you are representing an organization looking to hire interns and employees, you can still email opportunities to one of the faculty, and we will gladly forward RPTA major and career relevant announcements to the blog for posting.
We trust that you will find this new resource beneficial and efficient. If you have not already done so, I would also recommend that you "like" our new Facebook Community page at https://www.facebook.com/CalPolyRpta. The Cal Poly RPTA Facebook Community page now has themed daily messages. Check it out!
PARTING WORDS FROM DR. JACOBS
By Anthonia Edgren (RPTA '13), Editor, The Report
As Dr. Jacobs prepared for his new adventure in Michigan as the Executive Director of Camp Henry, I sat down with him for an interview so that he could share some final thoughts.
Q: What will you miss most?
"The thing I will miss most about Cal Poly is the students. I never had a favorite class, the subject didn't matter. It was the 10 weeks that I got to spend with students, learning and getting to know them that I enjoyed."
Q: What would you want to be remembered for?
"I would want to be remembered as a faculty member who genuinely cared about the students."
Q: What is your message to students?
"I encourage students to make whatever space they are in more positive. That when you walk into a room, you make it happier." Read more.
MEET THE STAFF OF "THE REPORT"
Staff for "The Report" are nominated by RPTA faculty for demonstrating excellent writing skills in RPTA classes. Student writers then coordinate with the editor and faculty advisor Dr. Brian Greenwood to develop and write articles.
The editor for 2021-2013 is Anthonia "Toni" Edgren (RPTA '13). This is Toni's third year as editor!
Kevin Mould (RPTA '14) and Hannah Baker (RPTA '13) are returning staff members who began in Fall 201, and Winter 2012, respectively. Laurel Thomson (RPTA '15) began this fall as a new staff member. Welcome, Laurel!
Make a Donation
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