Who We AreThe Penn State Student Performing Arts Council (PAC), started as a group of students who wanted to break down the walls between performing arts organizations and promote cooperation and collaboration to further the mission of each individual organization and of performing arts in general at Penn State.
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Our HistoryPAC was officially established as a student organization on December 16th, 2014. Since then, a relationship has been established between PAC and Penn State’s Student Affairs as well as the Center for the Performing Arts. These relationships have led to many diverse partnerships, and opportunities for the performing arts organizations at University Park.
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Our Mission |
The mission of the Penn State Performing Arts Council (PAC) is to foster a culture in which performing arts can flourish by serving as a resource to student performing arts organizations and their liaison to the University.
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About Us |
One of the Performing Art Council’s greatest achievements has been holding a meeting which was attended by 42 performing arts leaders of 23 organizations along with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, the Director of the Center for the Performing Arts, and the Director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts - all of whom support PAC as the voice of the student performing arts organizations at Penn State.
Now a university-affiliated organization registered under Student Affairs, the Performing Arts Council - equipped with a hardworking executive board, talented genre ambassadors and a brand new communications committee - looks forward to future endeavors that continue to elevate the status of the performing arts at Penn State. |
Our Members
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The Performing Arts Council is a diverse group of student representatives from various similar groups across the University Park campus. We organize ourselves internally in the following groups:
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2020-2021 Executive Board
Bridget Hartshore, President

Bridget is a junior majoring in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She is a member of The Penn State Thespian Society and No Refund Theatre in addition to performing with Penn State Choirs. She has been a member of PAC since her freshman year and loves this organization. Bridget has been involved with theatre, choir, and orchestra from a very young age and is so thrilled that she got to continue to share her passions in college.
Brian Krall, Vice President

Brian Krall is a Junior Biology major from Bordentown, New Jersey. Being involved with arts organizations across campus such as The Penn State Thespian Society and No Refund Theatre is the reason he loves Penn State and he cannot wait to work on PAC in the coming year. As Vice-President he works to create new resources and community engagement opportunities for arts groups at Penn State. Brian is also a proud Lion Ambassador and loves working to empower and share the arts across campus.
Riley Herman, Director of Digital Entertainment

Riley is a junior majoring in Theatre Studies & Advertising. As a Vice President of Communications for PAC, Riley focuses on graphic design. When she is not designing for PAC, she is working on shows for the School of Theatre, attending meetings for the DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship, and interning for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, playing the ukulele, and sharpening her photography skills.
Stephanie Libertucci, Director of Public Relations

Stephanie is a sophomore majoring in Public Relations with minors in Theatre, Arts Entrepreneurship, and Digital Media Trends & Analytics. On campus, Stephanie is involved with Public Relations Student Society of America, Happy Valley Communications, and is involved with THON. Along with this, she is a Front of House Staff Member at Eisenhower Auditorium. Although she isn’t a performer, Stephanie has a lot of love and passion for the arts. In her spare time, you can usually find her watching a musical or taking in the campus views.
Jess Naegele, A Capella Community Relations

Jess is a junior Marketing major from Bucks County, PA. She is a member and the Public Relations manager of The Pennharmonics, one of Penn State’s co-ed a cappella groups. When she’s not singing, you can find her hanging out with her sorority, or somewhere off campus with a camera in hand. Jess is passionate about a cappella and the arts community, so she is excited to step into this role alongside Tommy
Tommy Bennett, A Capella Community Relations

Tommy is currently a Sophomore studying Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. While he is a member of PAC he is also involved in the arts communities on campus as he is also a member of The Singing Lions and Tapestry. In addition, he is also a member of the DMAX Club and is a big advocate for mental health. While this is his first year on PAC, he is excited to see how the council can work to improve the arts community and work with Jess in collaboration to aid the a capella community.
Jordan Fritsch, Dance Community Relations

I am a Sophomore majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management with the hopes of one day working for the Walt Disney Company in Walt Disney World. Dance has always been a passion of mine and am so lucky to be a part of Tapestry Dance Company on campus to continue my love of dance. This is my first year on PAC and I am very excited to see how I can help impact the Performing Arts community and continue my passion for the arts in my college career.
Gina Wilamowski, Arts Community Relations

Gina Wilamowski is a Senior majoring in Music with a concentration in Voice. She is involved in various performing arts programs across Penn State such as Penn State Opera Theatre, Penn State Choirs, No Refund Theatre and The Penn State Thespian Society in which she acts as its Treasurer. In addition to being involved in the arts Gina serves on the Penn State University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) which distributes funds to university affiliated organizations for events, travel experiences and other expenses. Gina is excited to take on this new position in PAC which she will use to collaborate with various organizations to promote and further community interest and engagement in the arts.
Arushi Grover, Secretary

Arushi is a freshman studying Computer Science. As secretary for PAC, Arushi works to manage the PAC Listserv and aid in internal communication between PAC and Penn State’s arts organizations. Her involvement with The Penn State Thespian Society, No Refund Theatre, and University Choir on campus prompted her interest in joining PAC to support Penn State's arts community, its organizations and its members. In her free time, she enjoys working on theatrical shows, serving as Corporate Communication Chair for Penn State’s Society of Women Engineers, and singing and playing the piano.
Caroline Newman, Director of Sustainability

Caroline Newman is a Junior majoring in Earth Science and Policy and minoring in Earth and Sustainability. She is the treasurer of Savoir Faire, one of Penn State’s a cappella groups, and is involved with THON. Caroline is extremely passionate about both sustainability and the performing arts, and is looking forward to working alongside the PAC executive board to make the Penn State arts community more sustainable.
AdvisorHope Falk, Student Engagement Manager |
Hope is the Student Engagement Manager for the Center for the Performing Arts and Student Affairs at Penn State. In her role as Student Engagement Manager Hope is responsible for engaging students with CPA's performances by providing opportunities for meaning-making, learning and further connection with the artists. She is also passionate about the intersection of art and wellness and runs a workshop series called Mindful Making that offers students one-off art making opportunities as a self-care practice. She is thrilled to be working with PAC and is looking forward to assisting them in expanding their programs.
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