The honors program hosted this
semester’s first pizza plus session with
psychology professor Dr. Edward
Schicatano. Schicatano discussed
understanding and overcoming stress.
In order to access funding, graduate
with honors and remain in good standing
with the honors program, students must
earn two participation points per year.
Pizza plus sessions are a few of the many
opportunities where students can earn
these points and eat free pizza.
These pizza pluses are also accompanied
by a presentation. This year, Dr. Jonathan
Kuiken, history professor and Jennifer
McLaughlin, honors and scholars program
coordinator, invited Schicatano back to
present.
“We actually put a poll out every year to
honors students about topics they would
like to hear about and this one is the first
that everyone wants to hear about,” said
McLaughlin. “We try to give the students
the coping skills they need to get through
the school year, and honors students are
particularly hard on themselves.”
Dr. Schicatano previously did this
presentation in the spring of 2021 and
due to high demand, Dr. Kuiken and
McLaughlin decided to bring it back. They
chose a hybrid option for the event so that
many students could have the chance to
attend.
McLaughlin noted that even though
the pizza helps draw students towards the
presentation, most students are drawn to
this one in particular because everyone is
overwhelmed with stress and because “who
is more stressed than college students?”
As the event began, students came into
the room and were immediately offered
different kinds of pizza to enjoy while
watching the hour-long presentation. Dr.
Schicatano started off by covering what

stress was before moving on to the causes
of stress, the effects of stress, how stress
affects the body, strategies for overcoming
stress, information on the NeuroTraining
and Research Center in Breiseth and
different kinds of coping skills for stress.
“The part where he talked about everyone
experiencing stress and how you find a
method to cope was my favorite,” said Nick
Superko, a P2 pharmacy major. “It was my
favorite because it’s true and we all have to
find what works for us. Everyone has their
own methods and you have to find what
works for you.”
Quinlan Toomey, a P2 pharmacy
major, noted that it was interesting to
learn how mental health is connected to

biological health through different brain
hormones. Toomey and Superko found
through the presentation that “meditation
is interesting” and that they might try
meditation as a future coping mechanism
for stress.
There is no other university in
Pennsylvania that has a neuro training
and research center like the one on this
campus. At the NeuroTraining and
Research Center interns offer cutting-edge
neuroscience techniques that can help
with stress and improve focus, which is
called neuroplasticity.
The center even offers meditation
programs that show you how to meditate.
It is free of charge and the hours are as

follows: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday and
Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
At the end of the presentation, Dr.
Schicatano opened the floor to questions
and feedback. Students then asked
questions regarding coping skills and
many thought it was interesting they used
some coping skills without realizing it.
“I like giving this presentation because it
helps people,” said Dr. Schicatano. “That’s
the intention but my thing in life is helping
people and having people be happy. If
there is something that I can do to help,
like having people look at old pictures to
cope, for instance, I did my job.”