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Math contest hosted at St. Bonaventure University Middle school students from across western New York descended on St. Bonaventure University Feb. 6 to display their mathematical prowess in the regional phase of the 2010 MATHCOUNTS competition, a national contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Contestants worked both individually and in four-person school teams on questions designed by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the main sponsoring organization. The four schools competing here, with their coaches, were: Allegany-Limestone Middle School (Kathy Stamets), Cheektowaga Central School (David Guzzino), Falconer Central School (Stephanie Rhinehart), and Tapestry Charter School from Buffalo (Garett Farrugia). In team competition, Tapestry Charter School finished in first place, Falconer Central School in second place, and Allegany-Limestone Central School in third place. The top three individual scorers, in order, were Michael Ginsberg of Cheektowaga Central School, Ryan Dukarm of Tapestry Charter School, and Zachary Darrow of Allegany-Limestone Central School. Locally the contest was financially supported by St. Bonaventure University and an anonymous grant. The top school teams and the top individuals received trophies. The top three teams have been invited to the New York State competition to be held on March 13 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. The top individuals from the state contest will advance to the national competition May 6-9 at Walt Disney World. Other organizations providing financial support for the contest at the national level include CNA Foundation, ConocoPhillips, National Defense Education Program, Northrup Grumman Foundation, Pitsco Education, Raytheon Company, Texas Instruments, 3M Foundation, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
Computer science programming contest draws teams from three states St. Bonaventure University is set to host its 22nd annual High School Programming Competition on Friday, Feb. 26. About 120 different high school programming teams have participated over the competition’s 21-year history. The competition, which only drew local teams in its early years, has hosted teams from as far as California. There are more than a dozen teams registered for this year’s competition coming from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and New York. “We have a very strong reputation for having a well-run competition with challenging problems,” said Dr. Steve Andrianoff, associate professor of computer science at St. Bonaventure and competition director. “Several of the schools attend other programming competitions and relate that ours compares favorably.” Each team, which consists of four students and an advisor, will work in a computer laboratory located on campus; they will all receive the same six to eight problems to solve. Scoring is based on the speed at which each team submits correct solutions. Most of the competition requires the teams to write a complete program that meets particular specifications and details, but there are some problems that stress the importance of thorough testing when writing a program. Last year’s champions, from McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, are returning this year to attempt to defend their title against a field that includes four first-time participating teams, including Phillips Exeter Academy of New Hampshire, Mercer (Pa.) Area High School, and Nichols School of Buffalo. For more information visit the contest’s Web site at www.cs.sbu.edu/contest. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ Anne Ciolek named Human Resources director Anne Ciolek of Allegany has been appointed director of Human Resources. Ciolek has served as interim director since April 16, during which time she was instrumental in supporting the Employee Benefits Advisory Committee’s evaluation of a new health benefits approach for St. Bonaventure University. “Anne has demonstrated during this interim period that she not only has the talent and intellect necessary for this important role, but that her personal drive, creativity and commitment to serving the faculty and staff of St. Bonaventure University are remarkable,” said Brenda McGee Snow, senior vice president for Finance and Administration. Ciolek will oversee all aspects of human resources, including recruitment; employee staff training, development and evaluation; payroll; and benefits administration. Prior to her service as interim director, Ciolek served 11 years as payroll manager, and three years as payroll clerk. She earned an associate of arts degree from Jamestown Business College and is pursuing a certificate of Human Resources Management at Cornell University. “I am excited and honored to serve the university in this capacity and would like to thank everyone who has been instrumental in making this opportunity possible,” Ciolek said. In December, Ciolek was appointed secretary of the Board of the Health Benefits and Welfare Educational Trust of Western New York. The university will conduct a regional search to fill a position in the payroll office.
____________________ Differences Are Us: Student Panel Forty-seven students across seven university programs, along with members of the University's Disability Committee (Dr. Anne-Claire Fisher, Dr. Paula Scraba, Craig Sinesiou and Phil Winger) attended the "Differences Are Us" workshop Monday, Feb. 15, in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center. Dr. Barbara Trolley, the chair of the committee, indicated the purpose of the workshop was to open up a dialogue among students and enhance awareness around disabilities. The audience heard the personal accounts of four panel members: a student with a physical disability, a student with a learning disability, an alumni with a hearing impairment, and a student with a sibling with a developmental disability. The panel discussed challenges such as: changes in demands and assistance from high school to college, others not understanding invisible disabilities, infrequent but occasional stereotypical comments in classes, ineffective medications or ones with side effects that impact focus and sleeping, not having a lot of extra free time, and accessibility concerns such as the placement of ramps in buildings. Additional areas of discussion included the desire to "try to do it alone" and not self-identify, versus asking for support from the Disability Services Office; the desire to explain that they are not trying to do less than other students, but they may need alternative formats to complete the same assignments; and needing programs for all types of disabilities. Closing suggestions by the panel included: "don't be afraid to ask questions," "educate others," "stand up for your beliefs, self-advocate," "start as a grizzly bear and end up as a teddy bear in teaching children with disabilities" (i.e., children need structure in the beginning), "don't yell at children with disabilities," "make sure directions are clear," and "talk directly to people with hearing impairments—not behind them." Perhaps one of the panel members said it best when she indicated, "normal is just a setting on a dryer!" Additional questions regarding disability services on campus may be directed to: Adriane Spencer, Coordinator of Disability Support Services, (716) 375-2065 or aspencer@sbu.edu.
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Former Ambassador to Morocco to discuss U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East The Father Mychal Judge Center will welcome the former Ambassador to Morocco to campus March 15. The title of the presentation is “A Principled U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East.” “I will quote St. Francis and make a recommendation in this regard as part of the talk,” Gabriel said. Gabriel has an extensive background in international affairs, with his experience convening multilateral policy forums involving national security, environmental, trade and energy issues. He has been active in advising the U.S. Government on Mideast policy matter and has been involved in matters of Russian and European nuclear non-proliferation and safety. From November 1997 to March 2001, he was the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco during which time a new U.S.-Morocco strategic relationship was launched on political, military and economic levels. Gabriel is president and CEO of The Gabriel Company, LLC, which represents American corporations and international interests on investment projects and policy strategies. He is also active with non-profit organizations. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a member of the Global Advisory Board of George Washington University, a founding member and vice chairman of the American Task Force for Lebanon, a member of the boards of Amid East, the Keystone Center, the Tangier American Legation Museum, the Casablanca American School and the American School of Tangier. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Gannon University. Along with his presentation, Gabriel will be meeting with faculty, staff and students on campus that afternoon. A reception is scheduled to take place following the presentation. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
SBU Theater students to present 'Reality Bites: One Act Festival V' Theater students and faculty members are gearing up for a biennial rite of spring on the St. Bonaventure University campus – the presentation of four one-act plays in a production that repeats itself over four nights. “Reality Bites: One Act Festival V” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, March 24-27, at the University’s Garret Theater adjacent to Devereux Hall. There will be an audience talk-back session after the performance on Friday, March 26, during which the cast, crew, designer and director will discuss the production and take questions from the audience. Performed will be works by Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, both Nobel Prize winners; David Ives, a noted Broadway and Off-Broadway writer whose one-act plays have been popular with SBU Theater audiences; and Lawrence G. Smith, an Artie Award-nominated playwright who has had several works performed regionally, including one that’s playing at Buffalo’s Alleyway Theater. The Garret Theater entrance inside the quad at Devereux Hall Audiences will be taken on a journey through the strange and unusual, from being trapped in a manipulative desert to watching a noted historical figure reliving his own demise over and over, said Dr. Ed. Simone, chairman of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and head of the SBU Theater program. The evening includes Pinter’s hard-hitting examination of state-sanctioned torture, an exploration of loneliness, as well as silent pieces for two moving bodies in the style of Japanese Buto. The production “is meant to amplify SBU’s commitment to nonviolence and social justice and to look at how we realize our lives in time and space,” said Simone. “The four plays and the movement pieces are reflections of different aspects of an awareness of the human condition as it is and as it might be. There’s comedy, but there’s some very powerful argument made in these pieces as well.” The production contains adult language and subject matter and is meant for mature audiences, he cautioned. Rebecca Misenheimer, assistant professor of theater at St. Bonaventure, is the production’s designer and technical director. The cast includes SBU theater majors Ryan Kasperski, Emily West, Karim Troncelliti, Liz Mohun, Lizzy Vivino and Ashley Waterman, theater minor Clint Lienau, as well as these SBU students from other disciplines: Cameron DeOrdio, James Torres, Mike Dlugosz, Sean O’Shea and Katie Desautels. Also performing is 11-year-old Tyler Richmond from the Olean Theatre Workshop. The show will also feature live, original music performed by Olean composer and percussionist Moses Mark Howden, an adjunct music instructor at SBU, and members of the University’s percussion ensemble. The stage manager is Monica Edwards and assistant stage managers are Catherine Turner and theater minor Corrie Damulis. Student technicians include theater majors Erin Lowry, Chris Britten and Paul Finley, as well as these students from other disciplines: Hannah Coon, Katie Reusch, Mary Harner, Tawanna Jones-Smith, Mallory Diefenbach, Tanisha Gamble, Christiana Eckel, Justin Carter, Carolynn Harrington, Sarah Schweiger and Leanna Chojnacki. Seating in the intimate Garret Theater is limited and performances of previous SBU Theater productions have been sold out. To reserve a seat for “Reality Bites: One Act Festival V,” call the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts box office (716) 375-2494. Any unsold tickets will be available as free “student rush” seats beginning at 6:30 p.m. the night of each performance. Students must show their ID. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ SBU students tell high-schoolers why 'Catholics Go Green' ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Although he was wearing brown, Br. Kevin Kriso, O.F.M., and three SBU students were welcomed at a Buffalo youth convention to share why “Catholics Go Green.” Br. Kevin was joined by St. Bonaventure students Morgan Beacker, Tony Zambito and Zack Domes at the Diocesan Youth Convention in Buffalo Feb. 13. The group led the discussion “Catholics Go Green” during a breakout section offered to the 700 Catholic high school students attending the three-day event. Br. Kevin said the SBU team discussed why good science and Catholic/Franciscan approaches are important when it comes to the environment. “The care of the environment is the care of the poor. For instance, pollution. The people who suffer from pollution the most would be the poor,” he said. “All of our actions have justice dimensions to them,” said Br. Kevin. The group also gave the high school students suggestions on how to be more environmentally friendly, and they debunked some common excuses given by teens who are not yet committed to “going green.”
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Friday
Forum Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ Dr. Carl J. Case, professor of business information systems, and Darwin L. King, professor of accounting, presented their paper "Microblogging at the Fortune 50: An Examination of Twitter Implementation and Usage" at the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences 17th Annual Conference held in Las Vegas on February 18-21, 2010 Click here to return to the top of the page
Your Career in Primetime: A Week of Career-Related Programming and Workshops Culminating in the “Season Finale” of CareerFest! Be on the lookout for workshop listings! Students can now pre-register for CareerFest 2010! Registration is not required to attend, but pre-registrants will be entitled to many pre-event opportunities, including pre-printed nametags, drop-in resume reviews, resume copies on professional paper and more! For more information on CareerFest, click here. For more information on this and other Career Center events and workshops, visit the Career Center’s events calendar. Click here to return to the top of the page
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