Student-produced video wins Penn State bid to host LABash

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has been selected to host the 2018 LABash landscape architecture conference, an annual student conference held in North America and hosted by a different university each year. To host LABash, university groups were encouraged to film and submit videos to the national committee, which were then shown at the closing ceremonies of the 2016 conference. The winner, the Penn State Department of Landscape Architecture, was chosen by applause.

Will Talero, president of Penn State’s Landscape Architecture Student Society (LASS), and the other LASS officers worked together to brainstorm ideas for their winning video submission, “The Larch King.” It was created and produced by third-year landscape architecture student Jonathan Ringenbach, who has a background in video design/production, including serving on a production committee for THON. Jesse Brown and Hummingbird Creative Media provided aerial footage for the video.

“Everything came into place logistically, and we were actually able to film, edit and produce the video in about two days,” explained Ringenbach.

LASS will be in charge of planning the conference, which will provide networking and community building opportunities for participants. Students are currently developing committees and working on a theme for the event. 

“We're delighted that our students are eager to showcase Penn State by hosting LABash 2018," said Eliza Pennypacker, professor and head of the Department of Landscape Architecture. "Their ‘bid video’ says it all — they're clearly proud of the creativity, opportunity and spirit they find here. And we, in turn, are extremely proud of the combined enthusiasm and professionalism that distinguishes their video presentation of Penn State landscape architecture.”

2018 will mark the fourth time that Penn State has hosted LABash since 1982.

To learn more about the Department of Landscape Architecture at Penn State, visit http://stuckeman.psu.edu/larch.