MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The following is a collection of events happening around Penn State Harrisburg next week.
Events
New Tech Meetup of Central PA – 5:30-7:30 p.m., March 18, Morrison Gallery, 101 Madlyn L. Hanes Library. Hear from student entrepreneurs participating in Startup Challenge Weekend and meet up with local tech entrepreneurs. Registration information can be found on the Harrisburg LaunchBox website.
Nowruz – 11 a.m.-1 p.m., March 19, Oliver LaGrone Cultural Center, W132 Olmsted Building. Celebrate the Iranian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Persians and other Iranian peoples but is now celebrated by many ethnicities worldwide.
Student Startup Challenge Weekend – March 21-22, Room 210, Capital Union Building. Meet the future innovators of our region! On opening night, attendees can hear from entrepreneurs Stephanie Shirley, founder of Bennis Public Relations, and Scott Shirley, founder of Pledge It and meet student innovators who will participate in a pitch competition. Full schedule and registration details are available online.
"An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland" – Film Screening and Discussion – 2 p.m. March 23, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center. The Harrisburg Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Kulkarni Cultural Series present a screening of the film about civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, followed by a discussion with Mulholland and her son, filmmaker Loki Mulholland. Penn State students can register on Engage for free admission plus the book “Back to the Counter” by Loki Mulholland (limited quantities, first come-first served). All others can purchase general admission tickets online or at the door. Tickets are $15 for the screening only, or $25 for the screening and book.
Lecture
Award-Winning Author Kate Messner – "The Superpower of Curiosity" – 6-7 p.m., March 17, Morrison Gallery, 101 Madlyn L. Hanes Library. Author Kate Messner will present “The Superpower of Curiosity,” which explores how to encourage kids bound for historical, STEM, and other careers. Hosted by the Madlyn L. Hanes Library and the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education. Registration is required.
In-person exhibits (ongoing)
"Women as Food: An Exhibition on Depictions of Women as Edible Objects" – Through April 29, third floor, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. Featuring original color postcards from the archives' largest collection, this exhibition explores and challenges historical stereotypes of women as chickens, peaches, sweets, and other food puns as highlighted in printed ephemera from the Alice Marshall Women's History Collection. The exhibition was curated by Payton Becker, archives graduate student assistant and American studies doctoral student at Penn State Harrisburg. It can be viewed when the library is open. For more information, contact Heidi Abbey Moyer, archivist and humanities reference librarian (hna2@psu.edu).
The 2nd Student Art Exhibition – Until May 5, first floor Art Wall, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. Curated with the assistance of Denise Saunders in the School of Humanities and the Archives team, Katelyn M. Miller and Payton Becker, this student art exhibition will feature 10 charcoal drawings and self-portraits created by students in the School of Humanities.
The Classroom and Beyond: Student Life at Penn State Harrisburg – Through August 2025, first floor, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. This exhibit celebrates students and the evolution of student life at Penn State Harrisburg, including materials from the College History Archives. "The Classroom and Beyond," features over 30 unique items that date from the mid-1960s to the present, organized in seven different categories: academics, alumni, athletics, international students, student clubs, student publications, and the Harrisburg Rock Festival, which was a campus tradition from 1970 until 1978.
Archives and Special Collections Greatest Hits – Through August 2025, third floor Reading Room, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. From the Alice K. Marshall Women's History Collection to the Three Mile Island Collection, the "Greatest Hits" showcases a wide range of materials that are on display in the Reading Room of Archives and Special Collections. It is available for viewing whenever the archives is open (Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and by appointment.
"State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda" – Through August 2025, first floor Linda Schwab Holocaust Gallery and Reading Room, Madlyn L. Hanes Library. In partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies and the Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities, this poster exhibition is based on the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's exhibition by the same name, which was produced in collaboration with the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Program. The posters encourage viewers to "think about what propaganda is, how it works, and how to respond when it aims to divide people and promote violence," according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.