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| March 5, 2009
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Carter receives Canadian grant to develop summer course on border relations Dr. Neal Carter, associate professor of political science at St. Bonaventure University, has received a $9,500 grant from the Canadian government to support the development of Canadian content courses, including a six-credit course for summer 2010. The course features a two-week trip to four major cities in Canada. About $5,000 of the grant will help defray travel expenses for the students who take the course, now being developed by Carter and Dr. Jeff Slagle, assistant professor of English. The course — a seminar version of the World Views course (CLAR 108) taught every fall by Carter — will be merged with a section of Arts and Literature (CLAR 109) to account for the six credits. Both courses are Clare College (core program) requirements for all St. Bonaventure students, but are offered each semester in a number of sections and taught by several different faculty members. Carter’s section of World Views focuses on identity and intergroup contact in general, but uses the United States-Canada border and international relations as a point of emphasis. The new summer course will focus on comparisons of the United States and Canada, as well as their international relations. How the Arts and Literature course will be integrated into the curriculum has yet to be determined, Carter said. Course time spent in Canada will include sessions with both countries’ diplomatic corps, politicians, practitioners, members of the tourism industry, and professors in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, as well as visits to relevant museums and landmarks. The remaining $4,500 of the grant will be used to research the development of the class and the procurement of course materials, the cultivation of contacts for student trips, and the creation of a plan of study for the course. Some of Carter’s research will be devoted to enhancing two existing classes: Canadian Politics (POLS 370) and his traditional section of World Views (CLAR 108). Carter’s grant follows a $5,000 Program Enhancement Grant received last fall to promote the development of Canadian Studies at the university. These funds are being used to support guest speakers as well as the development of a Canadian Studies concentration within the new International Studies major. These courses will also support the new International Relations concentrations in political science and history. The summer course offering will focus more on Canadian culture than his traditional fall class, Carter said. “Many of my students live close enough to the border to have a personal interest in gaining understanding about the relationship between the U.S. and Canada,” Carter said. “As conditions develop in the world, a firm understanding of the similarities and differences of the two countries will become increasingly important.” Click here to return to the top of the page ____________________
SBU,
hospital honor enormous generosity of Olean man He lived more than 90 years in a non-descript house on Wayne Street, made $5.85 an hour in 1975, his 38th and final year at Dresser Industries. A simple man of modest means, Frank T. Gelsomino Jr. died Aug. 13, 2007. His legacy will be felt in Olean forever. Scrimping and investing wisely, tracking TV stock tickers faithfully and making daily calls to his broker, Gelsomino amassed a fortune and made sure two pillars of the community — St. Bonaventure University and Olean General Hospital — were the richer for it. He left the university more than $1.6 million and donated $700,000 to the hospital. Gelsomino’s generosity was remembered Friday by both institutions, first at a midday reception at St. Bonaventure, and then at the dedication of a Gelsomino family portrait — painted by Sharon Long — at Olean General. Relatives and friends of Gelsomino attended both events. “Words could never adequately convey what this remarkable man has done for us,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president. “I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with him at length before he passed away and I was so impressed with his desire to help others get the education he was unfortunately denied.” The Great Depression struck just as Gelsomino was about to graduate from Olean High School. College wasn’t an option. Near the end of his life, macular degeneration robbed Gelsomino of most of his vision, but he never lost sight of his desire to help others after he was gone. His donation to St. Bonaventure established the Gelsomino Family Scholarship Fund. Some of Gelsomino’s wealth came from inheritances from his parents and sisters. “It was his desire that his donation could help local students attend St. Bonaventure who might not otherwise be able to,” said SBU’s Bob Keenan, who helped Gelsomino set up the scholarship fund. Townhouse 21 on the east side of campus has been renamed Gelsomino House in honor of Frank and his family, Keenan said. “That was his wish,” Keenan said. “I was showing him the townhouses one day and a student was nice enough to give us a tour (of Townhouse 21). That’s why he picked that one.” Gelsomino also had a heart for health care and, through the Olean General Hospital Foundation, he set up the Gelsomino Family Endowment in memory of his parents, Frank and Catherine Gelsomino, and his sisters Josephine and Eleanor, all of whom he credited for making his gifts possible. “Through this endowment, the Gelsomino family’s desire to provide state-of-the-art health care for generations will come to fruition. Five percent [of the endowment] annually in perpetuity will fund critical equipment and important projects of the future in their name,” said Karen Fohl, OGH Foundation president. Gelsomino’s enduring legacy will be the love he felt for the place he lived for nearly a century, Fohl said. “Frank was not a famous person, or a world traveler or a business leader. Instead, Frank was like most of the thousands of us who live and work in this community, weaving a simple tapestry in life that might be indistinguishable from all the others being woven around him,” Fohl said. “He served his country as a soldier, he dearly loved his parents and sisters, and he weathered difficult economic times. “But what made Frank
Gelsomino’s life stand apart from so many others, and what ultimately
cemented his lasting legacy, was his generosity to his community and
his goal of making it a better place than he found it.” Click here to return to the top of the page _____________________
Members
of Ugandan service team to make April 1 presentation in New York Five St. Bonaventure University students will go to New York City April 1 to present the work they have done in the rural Ugandan community of Bethlehem. The presentation to alumni, family and friends will take place at 7 p.m. at The Heritage Center at KPMG LLP, 345 Park Ave., between 51st and 52nd streets. Last May, five students and Professor Pauline Hoffmann worked in the small, impoverished community of Bethlehem to establish a micro-finance agency to improve local conditions. Embrace It Africa is a project of St. Bonaventure’s award-winning Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter. The group spent two weeks at the Bethlehem Parents School and Orphanage, where they worked with students, teachers and community members in an effort to alleviate the problem of poverty through long-term economic sustainability. Since their return to school in August 2008, the Embrace It Africa group has continued to raise funds and awareness in preparation to return to Uganda this May. While the group membership has changed slightly, the goals and focus remain the same: to reach out to the community of Bethlehem and provide service to those who need it most. Members of the Embrace It Africa team are graduate student Andrew Mantilia of New Canaan, Conn.; seniors Erin Danahy of Buffalo, Lindsay Pohlman of Orchard Park and Zachary Rodriguez of Oneida; and freshman Lauren Morris of Nunda. The hour-long presentation will include a slideshow of pictures and information about the Bethlehem project, followed by a question-and-answer session. The group made several on-campus presentations about the project during the fall semester. “We are thrilled to be able to share our project with even more members of the St. Bonaventure community,” said Pohlman, Embrace It Africa project manager. “The opportunity to bring on-campus projects to the New York metro area is an exciting way to share how current students are reaching out to the global community.” Rachel Siepierski of Williamsville and Matthew Keenan of Caledonia made the trip to Uganda but have since graduated. For more information, contact the Embrace It Africa team at embraceitafrica@sbu.edu. With more than 70 members, SIFE is the largest student service organization at St. Bonaventure. SIFE is open to students from all majors, and focuses on economic empowerment and education. SIFE runs one of the largest service trips in the world and its own economic development zone in the Bahamas. SBU’s SIFE chapter ranks in the top 5 percent of SIFE teams nationwide. Click here to return to the top of the page _____________________
USC
professor to visit for two weeks Dr. Patrick James, director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern California, will be visiting St. Bonaventure University March 9-20 as a Lenna Endowed Visiting Professor. James is one of the world’s top scholars in international relations and comparative politics. He will address audiences of students and scholars on a variety of topics, from offensive realism to global governance. James will be giving a lecture at 7 p.m. on March 10 in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center. His lecture is free and open to the public. James will also visit the Jamestown campus of Jamestown Community College to address the President’s Roundtable at 7:45 a.m. on March 18 in the Weeks Reception Room in the Arts & Science Building. James is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Louise Dyer Peace Fellowship from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Milton R. Merrill Chair from Political Science at Utah State University, the Lady Davis Professorship of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Thomas Enders Professorship in Canadian Studies at the University of Calgary, the Senior Scholar award from the Canadian Embassy, Washington, D.C., the Eaton Lectureship at Queen’s University in Belfast, the Quincy Wright Scholar Award from the Midwest International Studies Association, and the Distinguished Scholar in Foreign Policy Analysis award from the International Studies Association. James is the author of 11 books and has published more than 100 articles and book chapters. He is president of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States and vice president of the International Studies Association. James earned his doctorate from the University of Maryland, College Park. Hosting a scholar of his caliber “will enhance the new international studies major at St. Bonaventure,” said Dr. Neal Carter, associate professor of political science. The Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship brings top scholars of their fields to St. Bonaventure and Jamestown Community College. The program, established in 1990, is funded through donations from Betty S. Lenna Fairbank and the late Reginald A. Lenna of Jamestown.
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The passion of Flamenco Vivo: Carlata Santana to sizzle at SBU's Quick Center The world renowned Spanish company Flamenco Vivo: Carlota Santana will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The program, “Fiesta Flamenco,” is being presented by Friends of Good Music in association with The Quick Center. Flamenco Vivo bridges cultures around the world to push the boundaries of traditional flamenco, infusing it with fresh energy and excitement. “Unforgettably hot dancing” is how The Washington Post described a performance by the Spanish dancers and musicians. Artistic Director Carlota Santana, named “The Keeper of Flamenco” by Dance Magazine, conjures vibrant performances from an ever-expanding repertoire of new music, original dramatic works, and a bold mixture of dance vocabularies, including Hispanic-American influences. True to its founding vision, the company commissions new works with original choreography and music and has premiered a series of dramatic, cutting edge works. The live music will be provided by two vocalists and two guitarists. Santana co-founded the company in 1983, and since then the company has continued to grow and flourish, performing at such venues as Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, The New Victory Theater, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Summerdance Santa Barbara, Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, The Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota, and throughout Europe and South America. “Watching the company’s performance is a reminder of how closely related so many dance forms are,” said Ludwig Brunner, director of programming at The Quick Center. “You can see elements of flamenco in American tap dance and hear echoes of flamenco in the traditional music of the Gypsy and Jewish cultures. The variety of the program including flamenco, tango, 4/4 rhythm dance and rumba and the sheer energy and passion of the dancers will dazzle our audience.” Tickets for the performance are $18 at full price, $15 for St. Bonaventure staff and senior citizens, and $5 for students. For tickets and information, call The Quick Center at (716) 375-2494. This performance is supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts. For all performances at The Quick Center, the museum galleries open one hour before the start of the performance and remain open throughout intermission. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Museum admission is free and open to the public year round. For more information about The Quick Center, go to www.sbu.edu/quickcenter.
Click here to return to the top of the page _____________________ Early Women of Bonaventure: Trailblazers and Hellraisers St. Bonaventure alumnae from the ’50s and ’60s will share their experiences as some of the first resident women on campus during two panel discussions on Monday, March 16. “In honor of the University’s 150th anniversary and in celebration of Women’s History Month, St. Bonaventure is proud to welcome these extraordinary women back to campus,” said Dr. Emily Sinsabaugh, vice president of University Relations. Three women from the Class of 1962 will lead a discussion during the 150th Anniversary Mary Devereux Luncheon, slated for noon on March 16 in Doyle Hall Dining Room. St. Bonaventure senior Emily Dillon will serve as moderator for the discussion and Monica Anda, ’10, will join the women as a panelist to lend a current student’s perspective to the discussion. A cameo appearance by at least one of the alumnae’s classmates will balance the dialogue. The luncheon is open to the campus community but reservations must be made by March 10 by contacting Deborah Post at dpost@sbu.edu or (716) 375-7673. The alumnae panelists will be Marguerite “Marge” (Ballak) Drake of Allegany, Patricia “Pat” Dunn of Boston, and Donna (Donato) Peppy of Jamestown. That evening, the 1962 classmates will be joined by additional alumnae from their era and current St. Bonaventure students for a panel discussion. The evening program will begin at 7 p.m. in Rigas Theater of The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on campus. The panel discussions have been dubbed “Early Women of Bonaventure: Trailblazers and Hellraisers.” “We’re looking forward to some engaging dialogue to learn more about what trails our faculty, staff and students are blazing today,” Sinsabaugh said. The “Early Women of Bonaventure” programs are sponsored by the Office of the President, University Relations and The Women’s Studies Program.
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SBU Theater announces cast for spring production of 'The Seagull' St. Bonaventure University’s theater program will be taking a chance on love in Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” for its spring production. The play is about
a young, struggling writer named Konstantin who wants his stories to
be told and his mother, Arkadina, is a famous actress who is uninterested
in her son’s life and dream to be a writer. He is in love with Nina,
a woman who is in love with Arkadina’s love interest, Trigorin. The
play tells their story and how people have the tendency to reject love
that is freely given and seek it where it is withheld. “It’s long overdue,” he said. “Chekhov is one of the cornerstones of our theater and he’s an absolute gem for students to use for emotion and character work.” Auditions for the
show were open to all students and the cast is a veritable cross-section
of the university, including theater majors and students from many other
disciplines. The play is a true ensemble piece; while Konstantin, Arkadina,
Nina and Trigorin could be called the main characters, everyone in the
cast has a significant part. Even though this is Waterman’s first appearance with SBU Theater, she has experience with the program; she was an assistant stage manager in last fall’s production of “Dead Man Walking.” Sorokes and Henry have both appeared in numerous SBU Theater productions including “Reckless,” “Dead Man Walking,” and the popular one-act festivals. In preparing for their roles, the cast does some unusual things to develop character and to ensure a detailed performance. Waterman is wearing high-heeled shoes every day because her character is “a little bit of a diva.” “I’m taking inspiration from Meryl Streep in her role in ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ and Ann Bancroft in “The Turning Point,’” Waterman said. Adam Sorokes finds a personal resonance in the role of Konstantin. “I find Konstantin to be really interesting and I see myself like him, an artist starving to do something that he thinks can’t be done,” said Sorokes. Sorokes said it’s the actor’s absolute mastery of the text that allows him to develop a successful character. “Know your lines early and cold,” he said. “The Seagull” will be Sorokes’ final appearance with SBU Theater. Brittany Henry, also making her farewell SBU Theater appearance, focuses on the greatness of Chekhov and his ability to move audiences. “I hope the audience understands why this is considered a classic piece, and that they’ll get involved in the lives of the characters in the show,” said Henry. The production is designed by Becky Misenheimer, assistant professor of theater at SBU. The set will contain very painterly elements that utilize skills taught in her scene painting class and also reflect the “dreamy” nature of the play’s setting — a farm on a lake in the Russian countryside. “One of the characters refers to the lake as ‘magic’ because everyone falls in love when they’re near it,” Misenheimer said. “We’re using that and artistic influences like Maxfield Parish and period portraiture to create our show environment.” “The Seagull” will run Wednesday through Saturday, March 25-28, at 7:30 p.m. in The Garret Theater on the SBU campus. An audience talkback, a regular feature of SBU Theater productions since 2005, is scheduled after the Friday, March 27, performance. Tickets for “The Seagull” are available by calling (716) 375-2492. They are $8 for the public, $6 for subscribers, seniors and employees, and free student rush seats are available at the box office beginning at 6:30 p.m. the night of the show with a valid student I.D. Other cast members and the technical crew, whom Simone calls “techtors,” include:
Trigorin — Karim Troncelliti, ’11, Brooklyn Masha — Liz Mohun, ’10, Cowlesville Sorin — Ryan Kasperski, ’10, Olean Dorn — Joe O’Halloran, ’09, East Islip Paulina — Erin Lowry, ’11, Shanghai, China Shamareyev — Jason Pagliaccio, ’09, Depew Olga, the Cook — Shannon Gawel, ’12, Hamburg Medviedenko — Clint Lienau, ’10, Pittsboro, N.C. Oona, the Maid — Maria Hayes, ’12, Akron Yakov — Chris Britten, ’11, Schenectedy Gregor, the Butler — Alex Sanders, ’09, Howell, N.J.
Techtors: Catherine Turner, ’12, Barnstable, Mass. Katie Reusch, ’12, Depew Mickey Geary, ’10, Dunkirk Mary Puusalu, ’12, Chemung Monica Edwards, ’12, stage manager, Binghamton Click here to return to the top of the page _____________________ Sandra Joireman to speak on property rights in Africa A former St. Bonaventure University professor will return to campus March 17 to share her thoughts and research on property rights in urban Africa.
Dr. Sandra Joireman will present “The Search for Order: Property Rights in Urban Africa” during a public lecture at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center. The community is invited.
Joireman is associate professor and department chair of politics and international relations at Wheaton (Ill.) College.
What causes differences in economic well-being, political stability, and respect for freedom and individual rights among nation states? Increasingly, academic research has pointed to differing institutional environments as the most significant reason for cross-national variation in important economic and political variables, Joireman says.
“In particular, well-defined and enforced property rights, freedom of contract, and the rule of law turn out to be of great importance in comparative histories, theories of development, and empirical studies of growth and welfare. However, there has been only limited work on understanding why certain institutional frameworks are more effective than others in producing economic growth and political stability,” said Joireman.
Joireman earned a her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, then did post doctoral work at the University of Oxford. Following her work at Oxford, she joined the faculty at St. Bonaventure as an associate professor of political science from 1997-2001.
Joireman is the author of two books, “Property Rights and Political Development in Ethiopia and Eritrea: the State and Land, 1941-1974” and “Nationalism and Political Identity.” A forthcoming book, “Church, State and Citizen,” is slated for release by Oxford University Press this year. She has also authored numerous refereed articles, book chapters and reviews.
Joireman serves on the board of directors of Bread for the World, an organization that seeks to combat hunger locally and globally, and for Upendo Village, an AIDS care center in Naivasha, Kenya.
Her visit to St. Bonaventure is sponsored by the International Studies program, Clare College, Department of Political Science, and the School of Arts and Sciences.
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Dr. Kimberly Young, professor of management sciences, had a paper published in the International Journal of Cyber Criminology. The paper, Understanding Deviant Behavior Online from an Addiction Perspective, outlined 22 forensic cases that Young worked on as an expert witness. These were federal or state criminal cases involving traveling or online sex offending that Young evaluated from an addictive or psychological perspective. Click here to return to the top of the page _____________________
Student actors appear on diocesan TV Alex Sanders, a journalism/mass communication major, and Erin Lowry, a double major in J/MC and theater, were invited to appear in an episode of the Buffalo Diocese’s television program “Matters of Faith.” Appearing with them on the program is faculty theater director Dr. Ed. Simone. Lowry, Sanders and Simone were interviewed by the show’s host, Kevin Keenan, and discussed their emotional and spiritual reactions to their work in the fall 2008 SBU Theater production of “Dead Man Walking.”
The "Matters
of Faith" episode aired earlier this month and will repeat at 1:30
p.m. Wednesday, March 18, on Olean Channel 6.
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