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Sept. 21, 2006

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University's oldest study abroad program offers more than strong academics

Spanish bullfights, fiestas and flamenco dancers are just the beginning of the experience offered by St. Bonaventure University’s study abroad program in Seville, Spain.

Spanish bullfights, fiestas and flamenco dancers are just the beginning of the experience offered by St. Bonaventure University’s study abroad program in Seville, Spain.

The University’s longest running study abroad opportunity allows students to immerse themselves in Spanish culture, while at the same time continuing normal progress toward their degree – with no knowledge of the Spanish language required.

Dan Hettrick, who studied in Seville during the spring 2006 semester, said the program fulfilled one of his longtime aspirations.

“Being a Spanish major, I always had the inclination to study abroad in Spain, and, in retrospect, my decision to go through the St. Bonaventure sponsored program in Seville proved to be the best decision I could’ve made,” Hettrick said. “Seville is truly unique to the rest of Spain. It is a very historically rich city. The city is full of energy, and it’s here where the Spaniards show what it truly means to live life to the fullest.”

Keller is not alone. Maureen Nold was just as thrilled with her experience in Seville during the fall 2005 semester.

“I can say that the time I spent in Spain was the best experience of my life!” Nold said. “It was amazing to acclimate myself into a new and wonderful culture with lively, loving people and great food. I was absolutely blessed with the opportunity to spend time in Europe. I fell in love with Seville, and to this day I keep in contact with my Señora.”

In 1984, as a newly joined member of the College Consortium of International Studies (CCIS), St. Bonaventure partnered with Broward Community College in Florida as a co-sponsor of the Seville program. Broward College, a two-year institution, began the program in 1979.

Over the years, thousands of American students from more than 400 U.S. colleges and universities have studied in Seville.

“Our partnership gives us a good balance of public/private and two-year/four-year education, so we’re able to accommodate just about any student that comes through the pipeline who wants to go to Spain,” said Alice Sayegh, director of international studies at St. Bonaventure University.

Institutions that regularly send their students through the St. Bonaventure Seville program include Cornell, University of Massachusetts, University of California system and Colgate University.

In cooperation with the International College of Seville (ICS) and the top-ranked University of Seville, the Seville program gives students the choice of semester, year-long or summer study. Course options are broad, ranging from the social sciences, business, European studies, and, of course, Spanish language. All courses are fully approved and transferable.

Diane Keller, who studied in Seville this summer, said she would recommend the program to anyone.

“My professors at the University of Seville were amazing instructors, and a few even went out of their way to take us out in the city on their own time,” Keller said. “The directors of the institute were also wonderful in providing for us anything that we might need. It was there that many students from all over the U.S. formed tight bonds with each other, bonds that still remain even after we’ve parted our ways.”

No matter the duration of their stay, students will find their time in Seville a rich educational experience, both in and out of the classroom.

“During my time there, I was exposed to an entirely different way of life - a different culture centered on the kinds of differences that truly make one appreciate diversity. Indeed, I valued these differences as much as I did the very opportunity I had to be there,” Keller said. “Though the term ‘study abroad’ implies that the purpose of such an endeavor is to study in a foreign country, I’d have to say that the experience itself of living in Seville proved to be of equal importance in that it taught me more about the culture and society of Spain than one could ever learn through reading textbooks. Nevertheless, I had a fulfilling academic experience there as well.”
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Day trips and field excursions offer students a first-hand look at a city so thoroughly Spanish that it has long been the symbol of the entire nation.

“The students were from all over the country so that made it interesting,” Keller said. “My house mother, Maria Jose, was a wonderful, vivacious person who made me and my housemates very comfortable from the beginning. She was very attentive to our needs but also gave us space to roam around Seville and learn for ourselves what the Spanish culture was like.”

Seville is located in Southern Spain in the center of Andalusia, a romantic region dotted with historic cathedrals, towers, churches and palaces. The city is home to one of Europe’s loveliest parks, located just minutes from the student classrooms. With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, the warm Mediterranean climate of Seville supports an array of flowers and bushes that sprinkle the city with color and perfume.

In addition to the abounding history and tradition, Seville is home to all the amenities expected of the kind of progressive and modern city that it is. Students will find large hotels, modern transportation systems, restaurants, hospitals, banks and all other necessities of college life.

While studying in Seville, students often take full advantage of their experience by traveling throughout Spain and Europe. Keller chose the program for the travel opportunities.

“I chose to study in Spain because I wanted to improve my Spanish on a speaking level. I could have gone to South America but the option of going to Spain enabled me to travel around Europe after my program,” Keller said.

While in Seville in the summer of 2002, Renee Koprowski visited Cordoba, Paris, Lisbon and Portugal. She is now much more comfortable with traveling abroad. “It really taught me how to be independent,” she said.

For more information on St. Bonaventure’s study abroad program in Seville, visit www.sbu.edu/intstudies or contact Alice Sayegh at (716) 375-2574 or asayegh@sbu.edu.

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University's collaborative clinic provides valuable service

The St. Bonaventure University School of Education has opened the doors to its newly reconstructed collaborative counseling clinic and would like to invite the public to an open house on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The clinic, located on the first floor of the Plassmann Hall annex, offers academic, behavioral and mental health services to children, their families and adults in the community. Students of the counselor education graduate program at St. Bonaventure work with clients in both group and individual settings.

The advanced-level student counselors will be trained to address problems such as anxiety disorders, academic intervention, disruptive behavioral problems, and health-related and child abuse issues.

Dr. S. Alan Silliker, associate professor of counselor education, said the counseling clinic is more about promoting optimal development than fixing problems.

“Not too long ago a lot of schools in the area began to develop family support centers. It was the first effort by schools to provide services to students and families outside of school hours, which created budget needs,” Silliker said. “For this University to start augmenting these services is a tremendous help for the schools.”

Construction of the collaborative clinic was completed between the fall and spring semesters of 2005. The clinic is fully operational with live video and audio feeds coming from each of the seven clinic rooms.

Dr. Craig Zuckerman, chair of the Department of Counselor Education, said the electronic monitoring enhances the quality of the counseling sessions, as well as the educational instruction.

The master’s-level counselors work at the clinic to fulfill the 60-hour service requirement of the practicum in counseling course, which they take the second semester of the four-semester program. Before the creation of the clinic, students went off-campus to fulfill the requirement.

“When students were working with clients at off-campus sites we had no control over the cases given to the students, and even less control over supervision. No one was watching during the sessions,” Zuckerman said. “When we receive referrals, we match students with clients and carefully monitor their sessions. We can intervene to make suggestions when needed.”

After the clinic sessions, which run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. every Thursday, the students gather for class. Zuckerman and Dr. Barbara Trolley, an assistant professor of counselor education, provide feedback on the students’ counseling skills and instruct them on treatment plans and intervention tools.

The clinic obtains its client base through referrals from school counselors, healthcare and mental health facilities and social service programs. Each counseling session is supervised by a licensed psychologist or nationally certified doctoral-level clinical counselor. A fee of $100 covers all services offered during any semester.

The creation of the clinic was a collaborative effort within the University’s School of Education. The clinic occupies space previously reserved for the University’s reading clinic, directed by Dr. Joseph Zimmer, assistant professor of reading education. Zuckerman said everyone has been more than cooperative in sharing the space, and the renovations have benefited everyone involved.

The physical construction was made possible by various grants and private donors.

For more information, call the clinic at (716) 375-7670 or e-mail Dr. Craig Zuckerman at czuck@sbu.edu.

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Bonagany to feature food, entertainment and fine art

“If we build it, they will come,” said Steve Plesac, director of Student Activities at St. Bonaventure University. Last fall, “they” came in large numbers and the first-annual “Bonagany” festival was born. Allegany village and town residents, University students, families and staff gathered on Main Street in Allegany to enjoy each other’s company and also the amenities the community has to offer.

The highlight of SBU’s Family Weekend 2006 is again the family-friendly festival that celebrates friendship with an afternoon of live music, entertainment, food, fine art and an SBU student club and organizational fair. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, participants get to sample what the community has to offer and local residents can catch a glimpse into what students are passionate about outside the classroom.

“The event has components built into it that will bring parents back, such as the SBU student club and organization fair,” said Plesac. Parents look forward to the opportunity to help them grow stronger with their fundraising efforts.”

Those who plan on attending should bring a comfortable pair of shoes and their appetite. “There will be more art and more food this year. It’s going to be bigger and better,” said Plesac.

The Fleetwood Mac tribute band Rumors will perform free of charge at the Allegany Town Hall Square. A local folk band My Good Friend Crow will perform in the Artist’s Ally between Five Star Bank and Ray’s Carpet-ette.

Stop by the Linger Longer Café and choose from a full menu of cuisine and gourmet coffee or listen to Tim Wright Live and Unplugged from 8 to 10 p.m. Other local restaurants, such as The Mason Jar and Don Lorenzo’s, will participate. For a quick bite, vendors from Randy’s Up the River, Zeno’s Pizzeria, Larry’s Food Wagon and many others will be there.

The alcohol-free event will feature something for people of all ages, including inflatable amusements and a horse-drawn wagon. For a small fee participants can ride an inflatable mechanical bull. Plesac said money raised from this attraction will go to help an SBU organization such as its soup kitchen, The Warming House. There are free activities for kids, a Chinese auction, fine art, crafts and apparel for the whole family.

Many events will take place on campus Saturday. The Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, the oldest and largest honor society for first-year students, will hold its induction ceremony in the University Chapel, in Doyle Hall, at noon. A luncheon for the new inductees and their guests will follow in the Doyle Dining Room.

The “Bonagany” festival beginnings were humble. A committee made up of Allegany residents, University administrators, faculty and students met to address common issues that arise in college towns. Plesac said some concerns that periodically needed to be addressed included noise levels and landlord situations. Beyond those issues, the committee tried to improve relationships among University and community members.

“It’s not just us and it’s not just them,” said Plesac. “We thought, is there something we could do to bridge the community together in a positive way, meet each other and show support for the town and University?”

Today, “Bonagany” has become somewhat of a tradition, mixing old with new. Families can venture off-campus for more than just dinner out at a local restaurant. The previous club and organizational fair that used to take place on campus during SBU’s Family Weekend was moved to Main Street last year. “The committee then built around this anchor event,” said Plesac, “adding art, entertainment and vendors.”

“Bonagany” chairperson Lori Tiller said the energy of members of St. Bonaventure University and the town and the village of Allegany, along with grant money from the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, has been well spent to make this event a great success. “It is the perfect pairing of the University and the community,” said Tiller.

Last year’s success was also due in part to sunny weather. If the weather is uncooperative this year, the fair and music will be located under the covered complex at the Allegany Fireman’s Park off North First Street.

After the festival, be sure not to miss evening entertainment at the University. These events are open to the surrounding Allegany and St. Bonaventure community.

At 8 p.m., catch comedian Dwayne Perkins as he takes the stage at the Reilly Center Arena. A relatively new face to the comedy scene, the Brooklyn-native knows how to stir up a crowd. He has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Late Show and Premium Blend. Doors open at 7 p.m.

At 9 p.m., Modern Classic Live’s “The Beatles: White Album” rocks the Reilly Center Arena. This ninth album was released at the height of The Beatles’ popularity, and is often hailed as one of the major accomplishments in popular music. Songs include John Lennon’s “Julia,” Paul McCartney's “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” and George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

Tickets for the Sept. 30 concert are $18 dollars for adults, $12 for students and can be purchased at the SBU Ticket Office in the Reilly Center.

For a complete list of festival events and updates, visit the University’s Web site at www.sbu.edu.

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Student filmmaker's scary script may win serious cash

St. Bonaventure University student Matthew Detisch may be taking home a scary amount of cash. Detisch is preparing to enter his self-written, directed and produced feature film, “The Wolf at the Door,” into the 2006 Fylmz Festival in Nashville, Tenn., where he will have the opportunity to win a grand prize cash total of $100,000.

Detisch’s film is also an official selection of the 2006 Great Lakes Film Festival and will be playing Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4:30 p.m., in Erie, Pa., at the Roadhouse Theatre For Contemporary Art.

Detisch, whose other films include “Axe Murder Hollow” and “Episode on South Street,” hopes his latest emotional thriller will earn him a victory.

“I wanted to make a movie that doesn’t fit easily into any one genre,” Detisch said. “It’s a cop movie, a family drama and a violent thriller rolled into one.”

The 91-minute, narrative feature dives into a murder that is everything but what it seems. “The Wolf at the Door” is a violent, emotional and devastatingly real journey into one man’s darkest hour.

“My goal was to make a movie that on the surface is a relatively straight forward police procedural,” Detisch said, “but as certain things occur in the story, the film turns on a dime into a very serious, very emotional story about a family torn apart by death and divorce.”

Shot on location in Detisch’s hometown of Erie, Pa., the film stars Shannon Solo, Jason Merriott, Mike Tesore, Tracey Lecker, and Clinton Young. Music is by Greg Johnson with additional music by Tony Longworth, and it was produced by Scott McGrath.

Detisch is a junior journalism and mass communication major at St. Bonaventure University. He works as the opinion page editor for The Bona Venture, the student newspaper, is a member of The American Advertising Federation, and as a lab assistant in the Koop Broadcasting Laboratory in the John J. Murphy Professional Building.

More information on his film can be found at http://www.greatlakesfilmfest.com/film_fest/2006/films/wolf.html.

Any questions or comments should be directed to Bryan S. Smith, director of Media Relations, at (716) 375-2376 or bsmith@sbu.edu.

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Quick Center to have speaker

Activist/ photographer Steve Cagan will speak on Thursday, September 21 at 7:00pm in The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Beginning in 2003, Steve Cagan began traveling to El Chocó in the Colombian Pacific Coastal Region to photograph its AfroColumbian population (part of Colombia’s large black minority). Starting on August 15, an exhibition of seventy photographs from Cagan’s El Chocó project opened at the Quick Center. Entitled Photo Passport II, El Chocó, Colombia, the exhibition is the Quick Center’s second in a series of photography exhibitions concentrating on a particular place and culture.

In the 1990s, this insular world was dramatically and tragically disrupted by the encroachment of Colombia’s bloody civil war. Many believe the war is really about the multimillion-dollar development opportunities represented by the El Chocó district: the rich stores of gold, sugar cane, coffee, bananas and tropical hardwoods, and the associated infrastructure “megaprojects” which would depend on control of the river district. And possibly bring about the destruction of the rain forest.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this engaging activist photographer speak about El Chocó, his photography and the ethical issues that his work brings up.

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Auditions to be held for anthem singers

The St. Bonaventure University Army ROTC is looking for a few good singers. The ROTC will hold open auditions for national anthem singers who are interested in performing at St. Bonaventure men’s or women’s basketball games this season. Auditions will be held on both Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 in the Reilly Center from 2-4 p.m. and also from 6-8 p.m. An adult must accompany anyone under the age of 18.

For more information or to schedule an audition time, contact Ed Zackery at (716) 375-2571 or via email at ezackery@sbu.edu.

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Western New York Catholic looking for senior story ideas

The Western New York Catholic will be publishing its annual "Senior Supplement" in the November issue.

If you know of anyone 55 years or older who is active when it comes to volunteering in parishes, Catholic schools, or other Catholic organizations, would you please forward me your idea? We'll need name(s) and contact information so WNY Catholic reporters and photographers can work on the stories.

Please respond to Bryan S. Smith no later than Thursday, Sept. 28 by calling x2376 or at bsmith@sbu.edu.

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Funds from NYS make Quick Center cultural resource for schoolchildren

State Senator Catharine Young (R-Olean) announced the award of a major grant to The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University. The surprise announcement took place during the annual reception of The Guild for the Quick Center on Sept. 7, which launched the opening of the center’s exhibition and performance seasons.

The $50,000 grant will help the Quick Center roll out a traveling ArtMobile, a mobile arts education bus, which will target K-12 schoolchildren in rural areas whose districts often do not have the resources to send them to the museum. The funding will go toward contract services, equipment and supplies for the reconfigured passenger bus.

There are more than 50 school districts in the center’s six-county service area, including 43 in New York state alone. The impetus for the ArtMobile came as the Quick Center staff watched the closing and consolidation of several area schools in the past several years. School districts also have less – if any – money for field trips or busing students to special events. So, the museum staff proposed to Senator Young, why not bring the museum to kids?

“This funding will help reap educational rewards in a number of ways,” Senator Young said. “Given the rural geography of the Southern Tier, having a ‘traveling museum’ allows students expedient access to the creative arts without the inconveniences of long-distance travel.”

“We are so grateful to Senator Young for her generosity,” said Joseph A. LoSchiavo, executive director of the Quick Center. “Her immediate understanding of the impact this initiative will have on this area demonstrates her commitment to providing quality arts education. We are also thankful for the opportunity to share the resources of the University through this innovative project.”

An additional grant of $12,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) will also go toward the center’s arts education programs.

In attendance at The Guild reception were Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., St. Bonaventure University president; Erick J. Laine and his wife, Marianne, who is the chair of The Guild for The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts; Al Frink, assistant secretary for manufacturing and services, U.S. Department of Commerce; artists Ellen Steinfeld and Steve Cagan and collector C. W. Lattin, whose exhibitions recently opened at the center.

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the Quick Center is always free and open to the public. For group tours or general information, call (716) 375-2494, visit www.sbu.edu or e-mail Quick@sbu.edu.

Career Center News ...

For more information on Getting Into Law School Programs, the Greater Western New York Law School Fair, On-campus Recruiting and On-campus Recruiting Orientations visit the Career Center Events Web page.

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