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Sept. 18, 2008

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SBU to honor three at Mark Hellinger Award Ceremony

St. Bonaventure University’s Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication will recognize two standout 2008 journalism graduates and a top journalism alumnus at the Mark Hellinger Award Ceremony on Sept. 26 in New York City.

The award luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. at the New York City Athletic Club.

The Mark Hellinger Award, established in 1960, honors Broadway playwright and Hollywood producer Mark Hellinger. Each year a graduating senior journalism and mass communication student who demonstrates academic excellence and promise in the field of communications receives the award. Tanya Reynolds, ’08, of Glassport, Pa., will be presented with this year’s award.

Reynolds’ excellence at St. Bonaventure extends beyond her achievements in the classroom. In addition to making the dean’s list every semester for four years, Reynolds served as the features assignment editor and editor-in-chief of student-run newspaper The Bona Venture and co-coordinated the 2008 American Advertising Federation campaign plans book. She worked as a disc jockey at WSBU 88.3, The Buzz, and served in the Public Relations Society of America and on the campus liturgical committee.

Outside of Bonaventure, Reynolds used her communications experience to complete internships with The Chautauquan Daily newspaper and with the Chautauqua Theater Company as a marketing and public relations associate. After graduating magna cum laude, Reynolds began a job with Dorchester Publishing in Manhattan as a marketing and sales assistant in September.

“Tanya exemplifies all we hope for in a journalism student,” said Lee Coppola, dean of the school of journalism and mass communication. “She has numerous academic achievements, but she also has the character to carry on the tremendous tradition of this award.”

Chris Michel, ’08, of Wilson, N.Y., will receive honorable mention for the Hellinger Award. While at St. Bonaventure, Michel served as editor-in-chief of The Bona Venture. He now attends graduate school at St. Bonaventure and works as a reporter for the Salamanca Press.

The journalism school will also present Greg Mitchell, ’70, with the Alumnus of the Year award. Throughout his 40-year career in journalism, Mitchell has authored eight acclaimed books for major publishers and served as editor for the Crawdaddy, Politicks, Nuclear Times and Editor & Publisher magazines. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. Since Mitchell signed on as editor of Editor & Publisher magazine in 2002, the publication won 11 Jesse H. Neal Awards, the top prize for the business press. His column, “Pressing Issues,” was one of four finalists for the Online News Association’s award for best column in 2005.

Mitchell published his most recent book, “So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits – and the President – Failed on Iraq,” in March 2008. So far, the book has generated media praise from Vanity Fair, the Los Angeles Times and many other publications.

The Alumnus of the Year award was established in 1981 to honor a journalism and mass communication graduate who made outstanding contributions in the communications field and also to the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony is Mike Vaccaro, a 1989 St. Bonaventure graduate and recipient of the Hellinger Award. Vaccaro got his start covering the St. Bonaventure basketball team for the Olean Times Herald and then went on to hold newspaper jobs in Newark, N.J., Kansas City, Mo., and Fayetteville, Ark. He is also the author of “Emperors and Idiots,” a book documenting the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and “1941: The Greatest Year in Sports.” Vaccaro currently writes for the New York Post as the lead sports columnist.

Any questions regarding the award ceremony should be directed to Sue Ciesla at sciesla@sbu.edu or (716) 375-2520 or Kathy Boser at kboser@sbu.edu.

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SBU professor to give lecture on 'the Bible and the Death Penalty'

Capital punishment has been a topic of heated debate for years now, with people on both sides often citing the Bible in support of their positions.

Dr. Christopher Stanley, professor of theology at St. Bonaventure University, will examine the debate in a presentation titled “The Bible and the Death Penalty” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, in the Dresser Auditorium of the John J. Murphy Professional Building on the west side of the St. Bonaventure campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Stanley, a recipient of St. Bonaventure’s 2005 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Publishing, will review the biblical texts that have been used by supporters and opponents of the death penalty and assess the validity of these arguments.

“This talk represents my effort to sort through the many problems that arise when people use the Bible to support their views on capital punishment,” said Stanley.

“I hope that people will come away with a deeper awareness of the complexity of the religious arguments on both sides of the issue, and perhaps even be challenged to rethink their own positions,” he added.

Stanley received his master’s degree in biblical studies from Regent College and his Ph.D. from Duke University in religion, specializing in the New Testament. He has authored three books and numerous scholarly articles on the social world of early Christianity.

Stanley is a member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS), an elite international association of New Testament scholars, and chairs the “Paul and Scripture Seminar” of the Society of Biblical Literature. He has lectured and taught courses in a variety of countries around the world. He spent the fall semester of 2007 in Ireland on a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship.

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Join the SBU family during Family Weekend 2008

St. Bonaventure University students look forward to spending time with their families each fall during Family Weekend, an event that helps kick off the academic year by inviting students’ families to become part of the Bonaventure family.

The Campus Activities Board, in association with the center of Activities, Recreation and Leadership, is sponsoring Family Weekend 2008 for students and their families from Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21.

Students and their families will have an opportunity to learn more about the University during a reception with the University President Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D, as well as to celebrate the special friendship with our Allegany neighbors, alongside a variety of activities.

Schedule of Events

Friday, Sept. 198 p.m.-12 a.m. – Music in the Rathskeller – The Rathskeller, an on-campus nightly hangout for students, will be featuring the band Usual Suspects.

Saturday, Sept. 20

8 a.m.-3 p.m. – 13th annual Family Weekend Golf Tournament at the University Golf Course – There will be no green fees and carts are $12 on a first-come, first-served. Students may register at the Richter Center.

9-10 a.m. – Coffee with University President – Come meet with Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., University president, in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Complimentary pastries and beverages will be provided.

10:30-11:30 a.m. – Alumni Reception – This will be held at the Athletic Hall of Fame Room in the Reilly Center, for graduates and their families.

10:30-11:30 a.m. – First Month & Beyond – Dr. Roger Keener, director of the Counseling Center, will host a discussion about a typical student’s first month at St. Bonaventure and what parents and students should expect. It will be held at the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room in Doyle Hall.

11 a.m.- 5 p.m. – Bonagany – There’s something for everyone on Main Street in Allegany. With a student organizational fair, Allegany restaurants showcasing their favorite dishes along the sidewalk and inflatables in the parking lot of First Tier Bank, there will be much to do and see.

11 a.m. - ROTC Fall Awards Ceremony – This program recognizing outstanding officers and cadets will be held at Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. – Mt. Irenaeus Open House – Walk the trails, meet the friars, and enjoy the view at this beautiful Franciscan mountain retreat. Meet at the chapel at 1 p.m. for reflections and prayer. Directions to The Mountain available in the Thomas Merton Center or at www.mounti.com.

12 p.m. – Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society – This prestigious induction ceremony and luncheon for the freshmen Honor Society will be held in Doyle Dining Hall.

2- 4:30 p.m. – Family Swim – Students and their families can enjoy a dip in the Bonnies swimming pool in the Reilly Center.

8-11 p.m. – Casino Night – A night to remember, students can relax with their families, enjoy the entertainment and play cards at the Hickey Dining Hall.

8 p.m.-12 a.m. – Music in the Rathskeller – Students can mingle with friends and family as a DJ spins tunes through the night.

Sunday, Sept. 21

10:30 a.m. – Family Weekend Mass – A serene end to the weekend, Mass will be held in the Reilly Center Arena.

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Oxford switch a smashing success

Trinity College, one of Oxford University’s 39 independently run colleges, transformed study for St. Bonaventure University students this summer as the Francis E. Kelley Oxford program celebrated its 21st year with an exciting move.

Program director Br. Basil Valente, O.F.M., began the search for new academic possibilities at Oxford nearly four years ago. His focus led him to Trinity College. Why make the move from Somerville College, home of the program for years, to Trinity? According to Valente, Trinity College went out of its way.

“Trinity College wants St. Bonaventure there,” Valente said.

Valente made the decision to switch locations last summer during the Francis E. Kelley Oxford program’s 20th anniversary. Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., President of St. Bonaventure, and the Board of Trustees helped during the transition. This summer, the 27 St. Bonaventure students joined those from schools such as Georgetown, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the University of Georgia, Valente said.

Tim Condello, a senior sociology major, experienced the change, participating in the program for the past two years. He recently served as the Oxford student assistant for St. Bonaventure’s campus. Condello hopes to participate again in summer 2009.

“It’s older and more prestigious,” Condello said of Trinity. “It offers a much better cultural environment.”

Valente admits he was impressed by Trinity’s 24-hour library access, Internet capability and amount of wireless technology.

“We were given a variety of learning venues,” Valente said.

Although the central location of the program changed, classes and events remained true to the tradition of a summer in Oxford. During the six-week long program that runs July and August, St. Bonaventure students take either two or three classes that have an emphasis on British lifestyle and culture. A class comprises seven or more students and their tutor in an intimate, seminar-style setting. However, a number of these classroom settings appear more like a living room area than a classroom at Bonaventure. Grades are based on the papers and tests assigned by individual tutors, and then transferred to each student’s transcripts.

Investments, World Views, International Political Economy, Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Composition, Modern Ireland (1603-present), Arts and Literature, Shakespeare, Inquiry of the Natural World, and Music Appreciation were among the classes offered to St. Bonaventure students. The director may add classes year to year depending on student interest.

“It’s all student driven based on student degree audits,” Valente said.

Condello chose to partake in British and American Media and Culture as well as International Business (Marketing).

Anne Dlugosz, a senior and philosophy major, spent her first time in Oxford studying Shakespeare and literature. She also tackled the “Natty World” class, what Bonaventure students call Inquiry in the Natural World.

“I enjoyed both classes and had somewhat of a science background,” Dlugosz said. “I was one of the few people who took biology before.” She credits this past knowledge to earning some of the highest grades in the program.

In addition to classes, students live on the Oxford campus and have the opportunity to attend high tea, non-credit based lectures, formal banquets and group events. Day trips to London, the Globe Theatre, Stonehenge, Oxford and Windsor castles, outdoor Shakespeare performances such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and a tour of Buckingham Palace added to the cultural experience.

“There is also a certain block of time you can go to another country,” Condello said. He chose Paris, France. Other students this past summer chose to travel to Munich, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Galway, Ireland; and Prague, Czech Republic, during their four-day weekend of personal travel.

“I went to Munich with six other people,” Dlugosz said, “and it was amazing.” They had two full days to explore. She and a friend also went to the Bavarian region and saw the Alps.

Another positive change in the program was an addition to Valente’s directorial staff, counselor Cathi Beatty. As associate director alongside Fr. Daniel Dwyer, O.F.M., Beatty acted as a resource for students.

“Br. Basil thought it was a good idea to have a counselor on the directorial staff,” Beatty said.

Students sat down with Beatty for personal interviews last semester. She was then able to pinpoint and address the issues that individual students were facing and may possibly face during their time abroad. Beatty put together a booklet for students, meeting with the group beforehand, and was available in Oxford. She describes her involvement in the summer 2008 session as a positive, proactive step.

The summer 2009 schedule has been set, and Trinity College will again be home to the program’s students. For an application or more information on the 2009 Francis E. Kelley Oxford program, visit http://oxford.sbu.edu or e-mail Valente at bvalente@sbu.edu, Beatty at mbeatty@sbu.edu, or Oxford student assistant Shannon Holfoth at holfotsm@sbu.edu.

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Warming House and SBU support Hunger Action Month

Thursday, September 18, 2008
St. Bonaventure University will host “Fasting and Feasting for Hunger Awareness” on Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Doyle Hall Dining Room to support the nationwide Hunger Action Month.

The event, sponsored by the Warming House, is open to all students, faculty and staff who choose to fast for the day as part of a national effort to bring attention to the hunger crisis in the United States.

“It is important to be aware of the millions of people who go hungry in our own country,” said Zachary Rodriguez, student coordinator of the Warming House. “We tend to think about the people who go hungry in Third World countries, but it’s a huge problem even here in Olean and Allegany.”

After a day of fasting, all participants are invited to share a simple soup dinner in Doyle Dining Room with regular guests from the Warming House who will be bused in for the event. Mike Billoni, the marketing and public relations director for the Food Bank of Western New York, will speak at the event. Billoni will provide insight into the hunger problem facing the country and specifically the Western New York area.

“The goal of the fast is awareness,” said Trevor Thompson, director of the Warming House. “Students will wake up on Monday and feel solidarity with those who unjustly go hungry.”

For more information or to sign up for the event, e-mail Zachary Rodriguez at rodrigzt@sbu.edu or Sarah Specchio at specchse@sbu.edu.

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Career Center News ...

The Career Center’s On Campus Recruiting season is quickly progressing! Resume submissions deadlines are fast approaching for companies such as Deloitte & Touche, Freed Maxick & Battaglia, IBM, Lockheed Martin and Mengel Metzger & Barr. To view the current recruiting calendar, click here.

Please note that in order to participate in on-campus recruiting, students must first attend an On Campus Recruiting Orientation. Orientations will be offered September 19th, 24th and 25th. Please contact the Career Center for details.

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Friday Forum

All SBU faculty, staff and
administrators are welcome to all the Friday Forums.

Date: Friday, Sept. 19, 2008
Speaker: Richard Reilly
Time: Lunch starts at noon, Forum goes from 12:20 to 1:30 p.m., including Q&A
Place: University Club - Above Hickey
Title: Dare we Aspire? Mike Fische has outlined three areas of strategic focus under the rubric “Becoming Extraordinary 2012.”
Cost: $3

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