| ______________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
| ______________________________________________________________________ |
| Feb. 4, 2010
|
____________________
President of Northern Ireland college to visit SBU, reflect on what it means to lead a Catholic university in his country The Father Mychal Judge Center at St. Bonaventure University will host the president of a Northern Ireland college the week of Feb. 14 as the two institutions deepen their relationship and discuss opportunities for collaboration. As part of his visit to St. Bonaventure, Peter Finn, president of St. Mary’s University College, Belfast, will give an open lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in the amphitheater of the William F. Walsh Science Center. The topic of his address will be “Reflections on Leadership of a Catholic Higher Education College in Northern Ireland.” Throughout the week, Finn will meet with St. Bonaventure faculty and staff who are working to develop relationships, research projects, and curricular connections to St. Mary’s UC. Last June, a group from Bona’s traveled to Northern Ireland to develop contacts at St. Mary’s UC and Queen’s University, among other entities. The new Mychal Judge Center will offer an innovative cross-cultural experience as it enables students, faculty and cultural exchanges in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States. “When I began exploring potential partnerships in Ireland, one of my first conversations was with Peter Finn,” said Larry Sorokes, director of the Mychal Judge Center. “We’ve had many discussions on the significance of the Irish reconciliation, the common challenges we face as Catholic higher education institutions, and the importance of providing our students with rewarding international experiences. As I considered possible speakers for the Fr. Mychal Judge Center, I hoped that Peter could be among the first. We’re excited to welcome him and his family to campus.” Appointed head of the college in 2008, Finn has been responsible for a number of innovative developments at the institution, which will celebrate 110 years this September. During the 1990s he was instrumental in setting St. Mary’s down the road of internationalization through the EU Erasmus program. In 2000, he established a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts that was modeled on his experience of liberal arts colleges in the United States. In recent years he has been responsible for academic and administrative restructuring designed to enable the college to respond in a flexible way to new and developing circumstances. His research interests are in the role of institutional ethos in improvement and high performance. Finn’s work at St Mary’s connects him primarily to education in Northern Ireland as the college’s main role is still in teacher education, but he also emphasizes developing links with the college’s local business and political community. The recent National Student Survey in the UK placed St. Mary’s tied for fourth place in student satisfaction among more than 160 universities in the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2009, Finn was appointed by the Minister for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland to an Expert Group on the International Dimension in Higher Education and he also serves on the UK Erasmus Committee of the British Council.
Background on the Father Mychal Judge Center for Irish Exchange and Understanding In establishing this center, St. Bonaventure recognized the strong Irish heritage of its founder, Nicholas Devereux, the centuries-old and significant contributions of the Franciscan friars in Ireland, and the university’s long-standing commitment to servant leadership and social entrepreneurship. Fr. Mychal Judge, O.F.M., was famous for the many ways in which he was committed to serving the poor, friendless, and disenfranchised. He was a counselor, pastor, fire chaplain, and peacemaker, and his work focused on the promotion of reconciliation, whether in addressing the AIDS crisis of the 1980s or the Irish peace process of the 1990s. Fr. Mychal died a hero’s death on Sept. 11, 2001, while serving as chaplain to New York City firefighters at the World Trade Center. Fr. Mychal was a graduate of St. Bonaventure and a former administrator at Siena College in Albany. More information about the Mychal Judge Center at St. Bonaventure is available at www.sbu.edu/judgecenter.
Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
Bring your valentine to 'A Night at The Operetta' at St. Bonaventure's Quick Center Soprano Virginia
Herrera and baritone Michael Weyandt will perform duets and love songs
from Viennese, French, Spanish and American operettas at 7:30 p.m. on
Friday, Feb. 12, in the sixth concert of the Friends of Good Music season
at St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Accompaniment will be provided by pianist Elizabeth Hastings and the concert will be narrated by Joseph A. LoSchiavo, executive director of the Quick Center. Operetta is a genre
of light opera – light in terms of music and subject matter – and characteristically
has a romantic plot interspersed with songs and spoken dialogue.
LoSchiavo will guide the audience through the evening, explaining the settings of the works being performed and providing background information about the composers and the different performance styles. A noted opera stage director, LoSchiavo has directed productions for the New York City Opera National Company, the Kentucky Opera, the Arizona Opera, Wolf Trap Festival in Washington, D.C., and many others. Herrera is a strong proponent of Zarzuela and has performed many roles in this genre with Teatro Nuevo Mexico in Santa Fe and in her native Mexico. She has appeared on many opera stages around the United States and starred in the concert “The Best of German Opera and Operetta” at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. Herrera’s voice is featured in the soundtrack of the Mexican short film “Under the Rubble,” which was nominated for best short film at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Weyandt was described by the Boston Globe as a voice “bright and clean” for his recent performances as Masetto in the Tanglewood Music Center’s production of “Don Giovanni,” under the baton of James Levine. He has previously sung the role of Guglielmo in “Cosi fan tutte” at Tanglewood, again with Maestro Levine, in addition to numerous baritone roles at Indiana University, where he received his master’s degree. Pianist Hastings returns to the Quick Center for her fifth appearance after conducting the very successful performances of the opera double bill “The Three Hermits” and “Hester Prynne at Death” by Stephen Paulus in 2008. She is the music director of the Liederkranz Foundation and Opera Theatre and has guest conducted at many opera companies. She is also a sought after coach and accompanist in New York City. Ludwig Brunner, director of programming at the Quick Center, said the concert is a great lead in to Valentine’s Day, which is just two days later. “Since most of these operettas are about love, the pursuit of love, or unrequited love and feature songs such as ‘Ich bin verliebt’ (‘I’m So In Love’) by Lehar or the popular duet ‘Wanting You’ by Romberg, this will be the perfect occasion to bring your spouse, partner, or a date and revel in the romance of the music,” said Brunner. This performance
is supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts. For each Friends of Good Music performance, The Quick Center will open its galleries one hour before the performance and keep them open throughout the intermission. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Museum admission is free and open to the public year round. For more information, visit www.sbu.edu/quickcenter. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
VITA sets up tax shop again at Olean mall Operating hours are Monday through Friday at the Olean Center Mall, with morning, afternoon, and evening appointment times available. On Saturdays in February, volunteers will be at the Franklinville Elementary School on Feb. 6; at the Little Valley office of the Business Development Corporation on Feb. 13; and at the Randolph Free Library on Feb. 20. The Saturday hours of operation are 1-3 p.m., and interested persons are encouraged to call 2-1-1 or (716) 373-0123 to see if they qualify. To qualify for free tax return preparation and electronic filing, Cattaraugus County workers must have a family income of $49,000 or less. Candidates will go through an entrance interview to see whether they qualify for free assistance. Those who qualify must bring a valid picture I.D., Social Security cards, all W-2 forms, and Forms 1099 to their tax preparation appointment. Since 2004, the University’s VITA program has brought federal and state income tax benefits to people with low and moderate incomes by providing free income tax preparation and e-filing. The program focuses on workers who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit available to low- and moderate-income workers with earned income. VITA students set a new record in 2009, preparing 500 tax returns with $750,000 in tax refunds for local taxpayers, an almost 25 percent increase from 2008. Since 2004, VITA has helped Cattaraugus County residents earn $2.35 million in tax refunds, and prepared 1,500 tax returns. Accounting majors and alumni from St. Bonaventure University volunteer to make the program possible under the leadership of Dr. Susan Anders, professor of accounting and adviser for the VITA program. Volunteer tax preparers engage in many hours of training and must pass rigorous IRS certification tests. For 2010, 75 percent of the volunteer tax preparers are certified at the advanced level. The St. Bonaventure VITA program operates in partnership with the Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services and the United Way of Cattaraugus County, which provide resources for the activity. The Bonaventure Accounting Association provides around 40 volunteer student tax preparers each year, along with experienced alumni and friends of the university. SIFE students handle the marketing and promotions for VITA, as well as client screening and booking appointments. For more information, contact SBU’s VITA program at 2-1-1 or (716) 373-0123, or visit www.irs.gov.
Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ More than 100
St. Bonaventure University students braved freezing temperatures Friday
morning and teamed up with city of Olean firefighters in a boot drive
that raised approximately $5,400 for earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Students
and firefighters were positioned at busy intersections in the city,
holding out fire boots to accept donations from passing motorists. "We had a group of students who worked feverishly the past five days, recruiting students and coordinating activities with Olean firefighters," said Palmer.
____________________
SBU offering counseling sessions to area families The St. Bonaventure Counseling Clinic will be offering group and individual therapy sessions to the surrounding community.
The Family Behavior Group sessions will focus on families who have a child recognized as having behavioral and/or emotional problems. Parents will learn to better understand emotional and behavioral disorders, and their effects on the family, and share experiences in a supportive group setting while going through educational and community systems. Siblings will be taught to cope with and normalize situations that result from having a sibling with an emotional and behavioral disorder. Siblings will also share experiences with others in a group setting.
Identified children will practice problem solving, social and self-control skills while working in a structured environment.
The counseling clinic’s Wellness Group will teach families healthy physical activity and nutrition habits. Topics include nutrition, physical activity, eating habits and healthy lifestyle changes.
Both group sessions begin on Feb. 16 and run through April 27.
Individual, one-on-one counseling sessions are currently running through April 27.
“The Counseling Clinic is here to help the community become mentally healthy,” said Dr. Mary Adekson, associate professor of counselor education. All therapy sessions are 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The counseling clinic is located on the first floor of Plassman Hall. Maximum donations of $100 are accepted, but not mandatory. For additional information contact Erika C. Nenno, clinic coordinator, at (716) 375-7670 or Dr. Craig Zuckerman at (716) 375-2374. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ St. Bonaventure to celebrate Bona Pride during Homecoming 2010 Answer: Bona pride! Alumni
the world over will show their Bona pride as St. Bonaventure celebrates
Homecoming 2010. On Friday, Feb. 12, alumni are asked to show their
school pride and join faculty, staff and students by wearing their
Bona attire or favorite Brown and White outfit to work. “There will be a sea of Bona Brown and White across campus Feb. 12 and I know our alumni are excited to be part of it, whether they are able to make it back to Bona’s for the weekend or not,” said Joseph Flanagan, director of Alumni Services.
Those who participate in Bona Pride Day can show off their pride by taking a photo or video of themselves and posting them on the university's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bonaventure. University offices and departments that don their Bona gear should be on the lookout for the SBU Campus Prize Patrol throughout the day on Feb. 12.
Rathskeller 8 p.m.
Friday,
February 12 Wear your Bona gear or favorite Brown and White attire today!
Young Alumni Career Panel “From
Here to Career: What I Wish I Knew. 4 - 5 p.m.
Alumni/Student Networking Reception “Meet and Mingle” Hall of Fame Room, Reilly Center 5 - 6 p.m.
Senior/Alumni Happy Hour The Skeller 6 p.m.
Karaoke
Night 6 - 11 p.m.
SBU Hockey vs. University of Rochester William
O. Smith Recreation Center 7:30 p.m.
Saturday,
February 13 12:30 p.m.
SBU
Men's Basketball vs. Richmond
Post-Game
Reception featuring your The Skeller 4 – 7 p.m.
Sunday,
February 14 Reilly
Center Arena Mass University Chapel, Doyle Hall 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
ISBU Trustee Emeritus Robert R. Jones elected 2010 chair of the Board of the National Association of Home Builders St. Bonaventure University Trustee Emeritus Robert R. Jones of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., was elected 2010 chair of the Board of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the International Builders Show, which took place Jan. 19-22 in Las Vegas. “It is an honor to represent the industry I have been a member of for more than 35 years,” said Jones. “I look forward to working with my fellow board members in advancing policies that will help move homebuilding toward greater prosperity in the next year.” Jones, the president of Robert R. Jones Homes, specializes in land development and the design and construction of single-family luxury homes throughout southeastern Michigan. During his career, he has earned a reputation for excellence and established a continuing commitment to the homebuilding industry at the local, state and national levels. Jones is also a Certified Green Professional (CGP) as well as a Certified Graduate Builder (CGB). Jones, a 1958 graduate of St. Bonaventure, has a long, distinguished history of service to his alma mater. As a member of the Board of Trustees and later as chair, he served an unprecedented 23 years from 1975 until 1998. The chair of the first successful capital campaign at the university, Jones most recently was Honorary Co-Chair of the Anniversary Campaign for St. Bonaventure and continues to play an active role as a Trustee Emeritus with the Board of Trustees. Named the Alumnus of the Year in 1978, he was awarded an honorary degree in 1989, received the St. Francis Medal in 1999, and the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room was dedicated in his honor for his service to the University. In addition to receiving national level awards for quality building, Jones has worked to increase the professionalism of the industry’s building arm in Michigan. During his term as president of the Michigan Association of Home Builders, the largest administrative reorganization of the association occurred resulting in a modern, efficient and powerful unity of effort on behalf of MAHB members. Prior to being elected 2010 NAHB board chair, Jones served as first vice chair. He also served as chair of the Single Family Small Volume Builders Committee in 2006, as well as chair of NAHB’s Resolutions Committee in 2005, and was previously a vice chair of the National Council of the Housing Industry. Jones believes
in giving back to the industry as well as to his community, and has
held many business, civic, education and philanthropic leadership
positions. He served on the Michigan Residential Builders and Maintenance
and Alteration Contractors Licensing Board from 2002 to 2006; as council
member of the Governor’s Michigan Land Use Leadership Council in 2003;
and on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 2004
to 2009. Jones also served as chair of the Board of Directors at St.
Joseph Mercy Hospital-Oakland. Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
Friday
Forum Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________ Dr. Kimberly Young, professor of management sciences, served on the review team for the textbook “Leadership: Theory, Application, and Skill Development” 4th edition by Drs. Robert Lussier and Christopher Achua. The textbook outlines leadership theories and models at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
Upcoming
Career Center Events: • Student-Alumni Career Program: February 12 in the Hall of Fame Room • From Here to Career: What I Wish I Knew, 4 to 5 p.m. • Meet & Mingle Student-Alumni Networking Reception, 5 to 6 p.m. • For more information on these and other Career Center events, visit the Career Center’s newly updated calendar.
____________________
|