Winter 2015 Newsletter
Live It, Protect It, Explore It!
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Navigation:
Welcome • Dinner & Auction • Lindsey Paterson • More than a Motto •
• NRPA Charlotte • Kevin Lin • Jamie Dehn •
New Zealand • Meet the Staff • RPTA Club • Donate
FROM MY LITTLE WOODEN DESK…
By: Dr. Bill Hendricks, Department Head
The Cruisin’ California, the theme of our 2015 auction and dinner fundraiser on Feb. 28th at the Santa Margarita Ranch, resonates soundly with me – a fourth-generation Californian a lifetime of Golden State experiences. The memories flow easily as I write this newsletter introduction: a trip through the Redwoods; ballgames at Candlestick Park and Cal’s Memorial Stadium; horseback riding on Mount Diablo; skiing at Lake Tahoe; swimming at the local pool; high school grad night at Disneyland; Santa Cruz beaches; the California missions; camping at Lassen Volcanic National Park; the Red Bluff Roundup; a Day on the Green concert; backpacking in the Eastern Sierra; starting our honeymoon at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco; hiking on Mount Tamalpais; the Napa and Central Coast wine regions; shopping in Santa Barbara; walking across the Golden Gate Bridge; a swim in the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle; surfing in San Diego, and on and on. It takes literally thousands of employees to provide these California experiences for you and me. In essence, this is what our students learn about and what our alumni do every day. Our graduates manage your most memorable experiences. Read more.
EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: RPTA HOSTS ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION FUNDRAISER
By Jenna Arocha (RPTA ’17)
Get your motors revved up for the RPTA Department’s annual dinner and auction fundraiser. This year the event will be held Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Santa Margarita Ranch. Why get your motors revved up? Because you’ll be “Cruisin’ California” with this year’s theme, experiencing various regions of beautiful California and its amazing tourism and hospitality industries.
The planning committee, comprised of 19 undergraduate RPTA students, has been working hard since last spring to bring the RPTA community the best auction dinner event yet, according to auction director and RPTA graduate student Megan Hobbs. “What is so unique about the auction and dinner event is that it is planned and run entirely by students, applying Cal Poly’s ‘Learn by Doing’ philosophy to bring together alumni, faculty, students, parents and friends." Read more.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: LINDSEY PATERSON
By Alyssa Beatton (RPTA ’16), Co-Editor
Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration (RPTA) alumna Lindsey Paterson ('14) is completing the Voyage Program, a yearlong hotel management training internship at Marriott International’s Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel. After landing a job at the Cliff’s Resort in Shell Beach her second year at Cal Poly, Paterson decided she wanted to work in the hospitality industry and switched her major from graphic communication to RPTA.
For the past five months, Paterson has been the assistant front desk manager, supervising employees, handling guest issues, and supporting the entire hotel team. The Voyage Program is multifaceted to ensure interns learn every aspect of running a hotel. During the first part of the program, Paterson attended leadership training classes, the first of which was a SPIRIT leadership class, an introductory course she described as similar to RPTA 257: Leadership and Diverse Groups. Read more.
RPTA'S ROLE IN LEARN BY DOING BOOK AND CONFERENCE
By Alyssa Beatton (RPTA ’16), Co-Editor
Note: Information in this article has been excerpted from an article by RPTA Professor Brian Greenwood with his permission. To view the original article, follow the link: http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2014/September/motto.html
RPTA professors Brian Greenwood and Keri Schwab are currently working with two other Cal Poly faculty and staff members to write a book that will highlight Cal Poly’s unique Learn by Doing philosophy. Read more.
A TRAVELOGUE: THE 2014 NATIONAL RECREATION & PARK ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONGRESS
By Jennifer Kiesewetter (RPTA ’15), Cal Poly Quiz Bowl Team Member
The academic year started off with a bang for the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Department by sending four students to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress. We traveled to Charlotte, N.C., with Professors Brian Greenwood and Bill Hendricks to attend Congress and attempt to reclaim the NRPA Academic Quiz Bowl championship title.
Team members Mike Higgins, captain, and Josh Pighetti, Hayley DeCarolis and I have all been on the team for two years, and were proud to finish our final year with a win. We met over the summer and communicated via email to keep up our knowledge, and our efforts paid off! At the competition, we first defeated Brigham Young University and University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”) and then defeated East Carolina University in the second round. Our team swept the competition in park maintenance and management categories. After months of preparation, it was an honor to win and represent Cal Poly and the RPTA Department as the best in the country. Read more.
NEW FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:
PROFESSOR KEVIN LIN
By Anna Bach (RPTA ’17), Co-Editor
The RPTA Department is pleased to welcome Professor Kevin Lin to the family! Lin moved from Pennsylvania to Atascadero in June 2014. Since then, he and his wife, Autumn, have adjusted to life in California and at Cal Poly.
Lin hit the ground running, teaching a popular RPTA course, Convention and Meeting Management, which draws from his wide range of experiences and expertise in large-scale conventions. He updated the course to include a stronger focus on business expositions rather than hospitality, giving RPTA students a wider breadth of content. Starting next year, Lin will teach two or three classes in the Event Management concentration. Read more.
ALUMNA JAMIE DEHN FINDS FULFILLING ROLE WITH CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALITY EDUCATION INITIATIVE
By Jenna Arocha (RPTA ’17)
RPTA alumna Jamie Dehn (2013) has found a fulfilling job working for the California State University (CSU) system as program coordinator for the Hospitality Management Education Initiative (HMEI). After graduating with a concentration in event management, Dehn worked at UC Davis as an event coordinator for the College of Agriculture. During her time there, she planned a commencement ceremony for more than 1,400 students and several other events for the college. “I really enjoyed working in the university setting and found myself looking for jobs at other universities once my contract with UC Davis ended,” she said. After reaching out to RPTA Department Head Bill Hendricks for job recommendations, Dehn landed her current job in the CSU. Read more.
RPTA IN NEW ZEALAND
By Arianna Kamp (RPTA ’15)
Calling all RPTA students! Next fall, how would you like to personally assess the risks associated with an outdoor adventure company, experience outdoor and adventure leadership through various backpacking trips, or take part in and evaluate many other outdoor activities? Thanks to the hard work and careful planning of Professor Marni Goldenberg, students can take part in all these activities while also receiving credit for it. And did we mention it’s all happening in New Zealand?
Students will earn 12 required course units toward their RPTA degree by successfully completing RPTA 342, 325 and 360 (Risk Management for Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, Outdoor and Adventure Leadership, and Assessment and Evaluation of Recreation Parks, and Tourism, respectively), all of which will be offered under Goldenberg’s leadership in this new study abroad opportunity. The 10-week program will primarily include field-based Learn by Doing classes and outings throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Read more.
EXCITING 2015 RPTA CLUB UPDATES
By Arianna Kamp (RPTA ’15)
If winter quarter is any indication, 2015 is shaping up to be a standout year for the RPTA Club. Newly appointed club president Evan Weiss brings an exciting leadership style to one of the best clubs on campus. Weiss, alongside RPTA club members Emily Bishop, Natalie Tuckett, Jon Hoffman, and Rachel Romanelli are looking to mix things up with an array of new trips, events, volunteer opportunities, and guest speakers. 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. Keri Schwab to develop and write articles.
The co-editors for 2014-15 are Alyssa Beatton (RPTA '16) & Anna Bach (RPTA '17). Alyssa & Anna honed their skills as staff writers and are now in their first year as co-editors.
The staff writers for "The Report" include one returnee, Ari Kamp (RPTA '15) and one new writer in Jenna Arocha (RPTA '17). Read more about the staff.
Make a Donation
If you are interested in donating to RPTA, please click the link below.