Ukulele Kid: Like Father, Like Daughter in BU Psychology Department Bloomsburg University’s

Unofficial Troubadour

By: Novalea Verno

have become a crowd favorite. While out playing, he is often greeted with fistbumps and head nods from those passing by. His appearance sparks many posts on the app YikYak and even the occasional group chat is lit up with texts resembling ‘ukulele kid is on the quad.’

Some students even join in the fun by singing along to whatever tune he is serenading campus with at the moment.

His love for music began at a young age. His first instrument was the piano and then the guitar. His trademarked instrument, the ukulele, was introduced to him a few years later by a friend.

“My one friend had a ukulele and I was like ‘dude that’s so cool.’ So I switched over to that and it’s my main instrument right now,” said Guzevich. His family also had a significant influence on his passion for music.

The Guzevich family is a household name among a unique niche of music listeners- polka enthusiasts.

Guzevich’s dad, Henry Guzevich, is a grammy nominated polka artist.

By: Carly Busfield

Bloomsburg University instills a sense of community among the Husky pack, but also family. Dr. Mary Jo Larcom is an assistant professor of Psychology at BU and an alumnus. Her father, who passed only last year at age 76, Dr. Lloyd Richard Larcom was also a Psychology professor at the time while she was in attendance.

Warm days at Bloomsburg University mean students pouring into the academic quad, lingering between classes and soaking in sunshine either while laying on the grass or swinging on a hammock. Students know that good weather means the campus’s unofficial minstrel will be taking center stage on the quad, singing and strumming along on his ukulele for all to hear. The harbinger of good times and sunshine has been nicknamed the ‘ukulele kid.’ The man behind the name is Jacob Guzevich, a junior marketing major student.

Guzevich’s impromptu concerts

“It’s all love… nothing but love,” said Guzevich when asked about the response from students. His choice of location for playing allows him to interact with a lot of students. Guzevich’s goal in hosting these jam sessions is to provide students in all stages of their day with a bit of joy.

Whether they’re running late to class and in need of a motivational soundtrack to accompany their sprint or have just received a disappointing grade and are in need of a pick-me-up, Guzevich is there to assist.

“That’s what I’m here for. [I’m] here to spread the love,” said Guzevich.

“I think of my dad as a normal person. But, in this own little world, like in this small niche of polish people, they go crazy for him,” said Guzevich.

Guzevich plays in his dad’s band, sporting his signature ukulele, along with his brother who plays bass.

“I’m trying to bring the [ukulele] to polka music. The old people… eat it up. All the old grannies… love it,” said Guzevich.

The legacy Guzevich will be leaving behind as he enters his senior year is not merely a compilation of antics on the quad. More than that, it’s the accumulation of moments shared with strangers that can only be accomplished through lyrics and melodies sung by a pure soul. Here’s ukeing at you, kid.

Dr. Mary Jo Larcom graduated from BU in December 2005 and furthered her career in her father’s footsteps by joining the teaching staff. Her area of expertise involves the psychosocial changes in older adulthood and the experiences of older adults relating to their psychological well-being, social interactions, and emotions. He earned a Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in Psychology. He earned all his degrees at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He taught for 33 years at BU. He also taught at his alma mater, Ohio State University, for 3 years while he was in graduate school. When she was a student, he was teaching courses in child and adolescent development. He actually used examples from his two daughters’ childhood within his class concepts. Initially, she shared, “Because of this, I thought it would be too weird to take a class taught by my dad.”

Growing up, she attended Bloomsburg Area School District elementary, middle, and high schools. Many of the student teachers who taught her classes had her father as a professor. He was fond of telling the class stories involving her and her sister, they said. Her father’s pupils were mostly elementary and secondary education majors. Dr. Mary Jo Larcom currently teaches Adulthood and Aging in addition to

Principles of Gerontology, and she tells her undergrads stories about her day and his experiences as an older adult. It’s fascinating to see how the tables have turned.

“I didn’t think at all about becoming a professor because my dad was a professor and I wanted to “forge my own path” in psychology”, she continued. However, her time spent within “Theory and Practice of Academic Psychology” (which is more commonly known as the “TA class”) inspired her to be driven in teaching. In this class, students serve the role as teaching assistants (TAs) for the mass-enrollment sections of PSYCH 101.

“Looking back on it, I don’t mind that my dad told stories about me as examples of child and adolescent development. I have a feeling that he does not mind if I share his experiences with my students. I think he would be happy if my students could learn from his experiences.”, she has grown to believe over her time spent at BU. Larcom truly enjoyed her job as a TA, so it didn’t feel like labor. She served as a TA for two semesters, and that experience helped her realize how much she adores instructing psychology. She didn’t mind that she was taking the same career route as her dad.

By the time she made the decision to attend graduate school and pursue a career in academia, specifically in teaching. Her heart swelled with pride as she continued her father’s legacy.

“I had very diverse learning and extracurricular experiences – although not a requirement for the psychology major, I took 10 lab courses in biology and chemistry, for two years, I was a writer and a section editor for The Voice, I took second language courses in Spanish and Russian, I was a member the Women’s Coral Ensemble for seven semesters, and I was on the Program Board.”

Larcom loved her time at BU and was actively involved in both her studies and extracurricular activities. She completed an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, and graduate school required extreme specialization. Her experiences were a time of exploration full of opportunities.