- Three seniors forego flips flops for sledgehammers on midterm break
- Dynamic young talent of Celtic Tenors to perform at St. Bonaventure University
- Bryan Smith joins St. Bonaventure as interim director of Media Relations
- SBU's 'The Last Second' and 'Vocallusion' to perform at Music for the Mountain concert
- From the director of Technology Services: strong passwords the key to online security
- Vocation service learning trip to Panama offered to SBU students
- Department of Computer Science to host 18th annual programming contest
- St. Bonaventure students to attend Commission on the Status of Women
- SBU's Event Management Services offers new resources for planning events
- Career Center News ...
- Newsmakers ...
- Friday Forum
____________________
Three seniors share why they're going on Gulf
Coast service trip
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y.
(Feb. 22, 2006) — They walked into the Biloxi, Miss., house with
sledgehammers. Some began gutting the man’s house. Others started dragging
out all of his belongings, from the clothes in his closet to the change
left on a dresser.
It was a scene a handful of St. Bonaventure University students and faculty repeated for three days last October amid the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. They left Biloxi exhausted and returned to campus invigorated.
Their enthusiasm has exploded, reaching across disciplines and generations to encourage 250 members of the University community to accompany them back to the Gulf Coast during midterm break.
The BonaResponds group will leave campus after classes Friday, March 3, and arrive in the Gulf Coast the next day, when they’ll be divided into five relief camps — Biloxi, Long Beach and Bay St. Louis in Mississippi and St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans in Louisiana.
SBU senior Meghan Backus joined the first volunteer effort in October 2005. As a journalism/mass communication major, the trip intrigued her from the start. She was amazed by the destruction and touched by the people who needed so much help. She documented her visit in a video, determined to share it with the campus community.
Christine Francis, a management major from Seneca Falls, N.Y., also went to Biloxi last fall.
“I went for a three-day stay. After two I started to feel a part of a family and torn away from it when I left. You feel close with the community,” Francis said.
“I’ve never been this passionate about anything. When I went to Mississippi I knew I wanted to continue to do this for the rest of my life,” she said. So she went back to the Gulf Coast during Christmas break. It was hard being away from her family during the holidays for the first time, but it was worth it to know her actions truly made a difference in other people’s lives. “You know they’ll remember you for the rest of their life,” Francis said.
SBU Senior Becky Kessler of Rochester said the support for the spring break trip is obvious across campus, where students can be seen proudly wearing their “BonaResponds” T-shirts.
“Students want to be part of something this big. They want to be a part of the largest service trip in school history,” Kessler said.
She also credits the large student participation in part to Backhus’ video, in which members of the service trip and members of the Biloxi community shared their experiences.
For Francis, the experience now has her focused tightly on compassion for other people. And that has been a reawakening for her.
“After graduation I really
want to work with a non-profit. I would like to travel (outside the U.S.)
and help others,” she said.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
Dynamic young talent of Celtic Tenors to perform at St. Bonaventure University
If you think
that all tenors from Ireland are alike, think again.
In 2002, in the midst of traditional Irish tenor groups appearing on the American music scene, The Celtic Tenors were beginning their own world tour, pioneering a new style never before seen on classical stage.
The three young dynamic vocalists will bring their new and unique audience experience to the Olean area for “An Evening with the Celtic Tenors” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21. The performance will be held in the San Damiano Room of Francis Hall (former Francis Chapel) on the campus of St. Bonaventure University.
The Celtic Tenors — Matthew Gilsenan, Niall Morris and James Nelson — are now established internationally as Ireland’s most successful classical crossover artists.
The group has toured Germany, Holland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and has appeared at festivals in Latvia, Lithuania, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore. In December 2004, U2 lead singer Bono arranged for them to sing at the birthday party of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former President Bill Clinton described them as “The best singing group I have ever heard. Their version of Danny Boy quite honestly brought tears to my eyes.”
Their newest album, “We Are
Not Islands,” is a new departure: a collection of 13 contemporary love
songs, six of which were written especially for the group by some of the
most respected songwriters of our time. The title track “Non Siamo Isole,
which features a guest appearance by Brian Kennedy, is by
multi-award-winning British songwriter Simon May, and there is a new song,
“Still By Your Side,” by popular Cork songwriter Jimmy
MacCarthy.
The Celtic Tenors were signed on the spot to an
international record deal, following an impromptu
audition in London
in 2000, an event so unprecedented that it soon became the talk of the
music industry. Their debut album, “The Celtic Tenors,” went immediately
to No. 2 on the UK classical charts. It went to No. 1 in Ireland and
Germany (where it went platinum twice) and won the Echo Award (the German
Grammy) for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2002. Their second album,
“So Strong,” was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
Tickets for “An Evening with The Celtic Tenors” go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2,4 and are priced at $10 for students and $25 for the public. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Reilly Center Ticket Office, at all Tops Friendly Markets, by phone at (888) 223-6000 or online at tickets.com. For more information call the ticket office at (716) 375-2500. All seating is reserved.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
Bryan Smith joins St. Bonaventure as interim director of Media Relations
Bryan S. Smith
of East Aurora has been appointed interim director of media relations at
St. Bonaventure University, effective March 1, announced University
president Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D.
“Bryan Smith brings a very impressive record to this role. He understands that we seek new strategies and concepts in our search for more frequent and high profile news coverage of our SBU community and its multiple activities,” said Carney.
“I am enthusiastic about this appointment at St. Bonaventure, and I look forward to meeting the campus community soon,” Smith said.
Smith has spent a considerable amount of his professional time in the commercial airline industry since 1985 and has worked and lived in Pittsburgh, Pa., Washington, D.C., and New York.
He worked as manager of inflight communications for U.S. Airways from 1985 to 2002 and director of communications/marketing at JetBlue Airways from 2002 to 2004.
Most recently he served as director of flight operations communications for Chautauqua Airlines, where he created, designed and published communications products for three certificate regional airlines, including Republic Airways Holdings, Chautauqua Airlines and Shuttle America. He was responsible for corporate branding and positioning policy, including external media communications.
Smith has had a lifelong interest in media and the arts. In 1980, he joined a Media Study project in Buffalo with Jerry O’Grady, who was affiliated with the University at Buffalo.
“It was exciting to be creative and work with many talented artists, including filmmaker James Blue and video artist Bill Viola,” he said. “A small team of us from all over the country produced a series of documentaries in film and for radio as a member of one of the most vital urban media centers in the country.” The group explored progressive ideas about society and art, showing documentary and experimental films, in an atmosphere constantly changing, developing, and restructuring contemporary thought.
Shortly thereafter he became a writer for “Weekend at Your Service” with Andy Thomas at WEBR Radio in Buffalo. Their popular call-in show increased in ratings from dead last to first in six months.
Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Edinboro University.
He is trained in wilderness emergency first aid and is active in Nordic and alpine skiing, mountain and racing biking, and he travels to Tuscany, Italy, regularly to attend a cooking school in the medieval city of Arcidosso.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
SBU's 'The Last Second' and 'Vocallusion' to perform at Music for the Mountain concert
A free community concert will
be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, in the San Damiano Room in Francis Hall
on the St. Bonaventure campus.
It will feature SBU’s men’s a
capella group – The Last Second – and SBU’s women’s a capella group –
Vocallusion. An array of delicious desserts and beverages will also be
available.
“The Last Second and Vocallusion are student-run a
cappella singing groups,” said Peter Ghiloni, adviser to the group. “Over
the past three years they have become two of the most outstanding musical
ensembles on campus. They rehearse multiple times every week and have a
varied repertoire.”
“As their adviser and vocal coach I am very
pleased with their commitment and progress. The groups will sing
selections separately and together. Songs range from percussion vocal to
oldies to standard ballads,” said Ghilohi.
The concert is a gift to
the community from the fifth annual Mountain Auction, whose patrons and
supporters of Mt. Irenaeus mountain retreat bid thousands in support of
the concert.
The concert is free and open to the public, although
donations in support of the Mountain Auction will be accepted.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
From the director of Technology Services: strong passwords the key to online security
As more and
more services are available via the Web, at St. Bonaventure and elsewhere,
many users have concerns about the security of the personal information
accessible via the Web.
The first line of defense for almost all online applications is your password. A strong password is one of the best ways to secure access to your online information. This is true for online banking, shopping, and yes, even access to MySBU.
This week’s Tech Tip reviews several best practices when creating passwords, as well as how to change your SBU password. I strongly urge you to follow these practices when creating/changing your password for not only your SBU account, but for all of your online applications. This Tech Tip, as well as all previous tech tips, can be found here: http://www.sbu.edu/student-services/technology-services/administrative-support/technology-tips/index.htm.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
Vocation service learning trip to Panama offered to SBU students
Mary Rose Kubal, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of political science, and the Rev. Cheryl A. E.
Parris, director of social ministries at St. Bonaventure University, will
co-lead a Vocation Service Learning Trip to Panama, tentatively scheduled
for May 16-27.
“SBU students, faculty and staff interested in a
vocational educational experience may apply,” said Parris.
“Students
are asked to have a 3.0 GPA in order to be considered for the trip. The
total cost will be approximately $900 and payment plans are
available.”
“We currently have six students signed up and are
looking for more participants,” said Parris. “Sixteen people at most can
sign up because of transportation capacity.”
A Vocation Service
Learning trip has three focus points: The first is vocation. Students use
knowledge gained in classes in a professional environment. This helps them
discern whether they will continue in their chosen major. The second part,
service, is what causes the discernment; and the third part is learning
about other cultures. The trip will also incorporate materials from SBU
classes into the experience.
Last year, during a trip to Panama,
most of the students worked at two schools: Instituto Episcopal San
Cristobal, a private Episcopal school, and Escuela Repúblia de Haiti, a
public school for children in kindergarten through ninth grade.
“We
plan to go back to the schools to at least visit,” Parris said. “We
probably will do the adult computer literacy class because it was a big
hit.”
This year, during the first
two days of the trip, Wednesday and Thursday, participants will receive
information and education about Panama. Friday, participants will visit
work sites and introduce themselves. Saturday will give students free time
to explore, and Mass is planned for Sunday.
“This is opportunity
can be considered a praxis – basically, living what you say you want to
do,” Parris said.
Individuals interested in participating in the
Panama trip may contact Parris by phone at (716) 375-7813, or by e-mail at
cparris@sbu.edu.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
SBU's Department of Computer Science to host 18th annual programming contest
Sixteen teams representing high schools as near as Allegany-Limestone and Hinsdale and as far away as Edison, N.J., Columbia, Md., and Claymont, Del., will participate in the 18th Annual High School Invitational Programming Contest, at St. Bonaventure University.
Each team consists of four
students accompanied by a teacher/adviser. The annual contest is hosted by
SBU’s Department of Computer Science.
An orientation is scheduled
for 8:30 a.m. in Dresser Auditorium of the John J. Murphy Professional
Building on campus. The competition runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and
will use several computer labs on campus.
An awards ceremony is
scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Dresser Auditorium.
For more
information, contact Dr. Steve Andrianoff, associate professor of computer
science at SBU, by phone at (716) 375-2053 or by e-mail at andrianoff@sbu.edu.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
St. Bonaventure students to attend Commission on the Status of Women
University
minister the Rev. Cheryl Parris, along with two St. Bonaventure University
students, will be attending the United Nations’ Commission on the Status
of Women in New York City during spring break. This is the commission’s
10th anniversary.
Parris will attend as a representative of the
Episcopal Church and is one of 20 delegates from the denomination.
Officially, the Commission, which is an international event, will run from
Feb. 27 through March 10. Because of their class schedules, students
Alicia Lengvarsky, a junior from Allegany and Ardyth Van Scoy, a junior
from Limestone, will report March 4 and stay through March 11.
The
Commission focuses on the UN’s Millennium Development Goals as they
pertain to women. The eight Millennium Development Goals range from
halving poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal
primary education all by the target date of 2015.
“Basically, it’s
a couple thousand women from all over the world talking about women’s
issues,” Parris said.
Lengvarsky and Van Scoy will have a number of
side events to attend. Because of security reasons they won’t be able to
attend all discussions, but they will be able to watch from monitors
inside the UN’s conference rooms.
This is Parris’ first time
attending, and she hopes the St. Bonaventure students will share their
experience with the rest of campus. “I hope the women will make a
presentation to the student body about what they witnessed and learned as
part of Women's History Month,” she said.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
SBU's Event Management Services offers new resources for planning events
St. Bonaventure University’s Event Management Services is changing its reservation policies in order to better serve the campus community.
In order to filter all campus events through Event Management Services and to avoid scheduling conflicts, all people interested in planning a university-related activity are now required to fill out an “Event Request Form.”
“Forms are available in our office (Rob 118) or by calling ext. 2094,” said Pamela Say-Witter, coordinator for Event Management Services.
Anyone planning an event at or associated with St. Bonaventure University, regardless of location, should complete an Event Request Form. This ensures placement of the event on the Central Calendar and consultation with trained event staff. “It allows us to identify possible conflicts, interruptions, and to notify other departments such as Security, Maintenance and Housekeeping,” she said.
Event Management Services directly reserves boardrooms, informal meeting rooms, dining and reception rooms, and multipurpose rooms. The staff also assists in obtaining the proper information or contacts when reserving other facilities on campus. “We encourage students, faculty, staff and administrators to view our office as a valuable resource,” Say-Witter said. “We coordinate setups and special requests, assist in finding vendors, publicize events on the Web and University calendar, and connect you with catering services.”
Department heads were sent copies of the Event Request Form and room reservation guide this week.
The forms are also available online: visit www.sbu.edu, click Offices, then Event Management Services. To view event listings, select the calendar on the home page.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
For information on practice in-person and phone interviews,
"Managing Your Career," teacher recruitment days (USA now open), and
CareerFest '06, be sure to check out this month's Career
Directions at the Career Center Events Web page.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
Dr. Leslie M.
Sabina, professor of music, recently published three original
musical works. In December 2005, Kendor Music, Inc. released Sabina’s
“Blues-Go-Round” and “Chilled Out” as part of its Jazz Ensemble series,
and his saxophone quartet arrangement of the standard “The Nearness of
You” as part of its Ensemble Series.
Additionally, the British
periodical, JazzUK, published two of Sabina’s jazz solo transcriptions as
part of its Woodshedding feature. Trumpeter Thad Jones’ 1955 solo on
“Corner Pocket” appears in the Jan./Feb. 2006 issue and saxophonist
Cannonball Adderley’s 1975 “Jive Samba” solo appears in the current
March/April 2006 issue.
•••
Dr. Kimberly S. Young, associate professor of management sciences, had the article “An Empirical Examination of the Client Attitudes towards Online Counseling” published in the CyberPsychology & Behavior. The article examined 48 online clients and their attitudes toward the delivery of mental health services over the Internet. She also had the article “Prevention and Education for Internet-Addicted Employees” published in The Journal of Employee Assistance, the national journal for the Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The article outlined strategies that focus on prevention and educational training programs to deter and curb employee Internet abuse in the workplace.
Click here to return to the top of the page
_____________________
All SBU faculty, staff and administrators are welcome
to all the Friday Forums.
Date: Feb. 24, 2006
(this Friday)
Speaker: John
Mulryan
Time: Lunch starts at noon, Forum goes from
12:35 to 1:30 p.m., including Q&A
Place:
University Club - Above Hickey
Title: "The St.
Bonaventure University 'English' Department- Evolution or
Revolution?"
Click here to return to the top of the page