______________________________________________________________________

 


______________________________________________________________________
Feb. 23, 2006

 

  1. Three seniors forego flips flops for sledgehammers on midterm break
  2. Dynamic young talent of Celtic Tenors to perform at St. Bonaventure University
  3. Bryan Smith joins St. Bonaventure as interim director of Media Relations
  4. SBU's 'The Last Second' and 'Vocallusion' to perform at Music for the Mountain concert
  5. From the director of Technology Services: strong passwords the key to online security
  6. Vocation service learning trip to Panama offered to SBU students
  7. Department of Computer Science to host 18th annual programming contest
  8. St. Bonaventure students to attend Commission on the Status of Women
  9. SBU's Event Management Services offers new resources for planning events
  10. Career Center News ...
  11. Newsmakers ...
  12. Friday Forum

____________________

Three seniors share why they're going on Gulf Coast service trip

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (Feb. 22, 2006) — They walked into the Biloxi, Miss., house with sledgehammers. Some began gutting the man’s house. Others started dragging out all of his belongings, from the clothes in his closet to the change left on a dresser.

It was a scene a handful of St. Bonaventure University students and faculty repeated for three days last October amid the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. They left Biloxi exhausted and returned to campus invigorated.

Their enthusiasm has exploded, reaching across disciplines and generations to encourage 250 members of the University community to accompany them back to the Gulf Coast during midterm break.

The BonaResponds group will leave campus after classes Friday, March 3, and arrive in the Gulf Coast the next day, when they’ll be divided into five relief camps — Biloxi, Long Beach and Bay St. Louis in Mississippi and St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans in Louisiana.

SBU senior Meghan Backus joined the first volunteer effort in October 2005. As a journalism/mass communication major, the trip intrigued her from the start. She was amazed by the destruction and touched by the people who needed so much help. She documented her visit in a video, determined to share it with the campus community.

Christine Francis, a management major from Seneca Falls, N.Y., also went to Biloxi last fall.

“I went for a three-day stay. After two I started to feel a part of a family and torn away from it when I left. You feel close with the community,” Francis said.

“I’ve never been this passionate about anything. When I went to Mississippi I knew I wanted to continue to do this for the rest of my life,” she said. So she went back to the Gulf Coast during Christmas break. It was hard being away from her family during the holidays for the first time, but it was worth it to know her actions truly made a difference in other people’s lives. “You know they’ll remember you for the rest of their life,” Francis said.

SBU Senior Becky Kessler of Rochester said the support for the spring break trip is obvious across campus, where students can be seen proudly wearing their “BonaResponds” T-shirts.

“Students want to be part of something this big. They want to be a part of the largest service trip in school history,” Kessler said.

She also credits the large student participation in part to Backhus’ video, in which members of the service trip and members of the Biloxi community shared their experiences.

For Francis, the experience now has her focused tightly on compassion for other people. And that has been a reawakening for her.

“After graduation I really want to work with a non-profit. I would like to travel (outside the U.S.) and help others,” she said.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Dynamic young talent of Celtic Tenors to perform at St. Bonaventure University

If you think that all tenors from Ireland are alike, think again.

In 2002, in the midst of traditional Irish tenor groups appearing on the American music scene, The Celtic Tenors were beginning their own world tour, pioneering a new style never before seen on classical stage.

The three young dynamic vocalists will bring their new and unique audience experience to the Olean area for “An Evening with the Celtic Tenors” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21. The performance will be held in the San Damiano Room of Francis Hall (former Francis Chapel) on the campus of St. Bonaventure University.

The Celtic Tenors — Matthew Gilsenan, Niall Morris and James Nelson — are now established internationally as Ireland’s most successful classical crossover artists.

The group has toured Germany, Holland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and has appeared at festivals in Latvia, Lithuania, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore. In December 2004, U2 lead singer Bono arranged for them to sing at the birthday party of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former President Bill Clinton described them as “The best singing group I have ever heard. Their version of Danny Boy quite honestly brought tears to my eyes.”

Their newest album, “We Are Not Islands,” is a new departure: a collection of 13 contemporary love songs, six of which were written especially for the group by some of the most respected songwriters of our time. The title track “Non Siamo Isole, which features a guest appearance by Brian Kennedy, is by multi-award-winning British songwriter Simon May, and there is a new song, “Still By Your Side,” by popular Cork songwriter Jimmy MacCarthy.

The Celtic Tenors were signed on the spot to an international record deal, following an impromptu
audition in London in 2000, an event so unprecedented that it soon became the talk of the music industry. Their debut album, “The Celtic Tenors,” went immediately to No. 2 on the UK classical charts. It went to No. 1 in Ireland and Germany (where it went platinum twice) and won the Echo Award (the German Grammy) for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2002. Their second album, “So Strong,” was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

Tickets for “An Evening with The Celtic Tenors” go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2,4 and are priced at $10 for students and $25 for the public. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Reilly Center Ticket Office, at all Tops Friendly Markets, by phone at (888) 223-6000 or online at tickets.com. For more information call the ticket office at (716) 375-2500. All seating is reserved.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Bryan Smith joins St. Bonaventure as interim director of Media Relations

Bryan S. Smith of East Aurora has been appointed interim director of media relations at St. Bonaventure University, effective March 1, announced University president Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D.

“Bryan Smith brings a very impressive record to this role. He understands that we seek new strategies and concepts in our search for more frequent and high profile news coverage of our SBU community and its multiple activities,” said Carney.

“I am enthusiastic about this appointment at St. Bonaventure, and I look forward to meeting the campus community soon,” Smith said.

Smith has spent a considerable amount of his professional time in the commercial airline industry since 1985 and has worked and lived in Pittsburgh, Pa., Washington, D.C., and New York.

He worked as manager of inflight communications for U.S. Airways from 1985 to 2002 and director of communications/marketing at JetBlue Airways from 2002 to 2004.

Most recently he served as director of flight operations communications for Chautauqua Airlines, where he created, designed and published communications products for three certificate regional airlines, including Republic Airways Holdings, Chautauqua Airlines and Shuttle America. He was responsible for corporate branding and positioning policy, including external media communications.

Smith has had a lifelong interest in media and the arts. In 1980, he joined a Media Study project in Buffalo with Jerry O’Grady, who was affiliated with the University at Buffalo.

“It was exciting to be creative and work with many talented artists, including filmmaker James Blue and video artist Bill Viola,” he said. “A small team of us from all over the country produced a series of documentaries in film and for radio as a member of one of the most vital urban media centers in the country.” The group explored progressive ideas about society and art, showing documentary and experimental films, in an atmosphere constantly changing, developing, and restructuring contemporary thought.

Shortly thereafter he became a writer for “Weekend at Your Service” with Andy Thomas at WEBR Radio in Buffalo. Their popular call-in show increased in ratings from dead last to first in six months.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Edinboro University.

He is trained in wilderness emergency first aid and is active in Nordic and alpine skiing, mountain and racing biking, and he travels to Tuscany, Italy, regularly to attend a cooking school in the medieval city of Arcidosso.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

SBU's 'The Last Second' and 'Vocallusion' to perform at Music for the Mountain concert

A free community concert will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, in the San Damiano Room in Francis Hall on the St. Bonaventure campus.

It will feature SBU’s men’s a capella group – The Last Second – and SBU’s women’s a capella group – Vocallusion. An array of delicious desserts and beverages will also be available.

“The Last Second and Vocallusion are student-run a cappella singing groups,” said Peter Ghiloni, adviser to the group. “Over the past three years they have become two of the most outstanding musical ensembles on campus. They rehearse multiple times every week and have a varied repertoire.”

“As their adviser and vocal coach I am very pleased with their commitment and progress. The groups will sing selections separately and together. Songs range from percussion vocal to oldies to standard ballads,” said Ghilohi.

The concert is a gift to the community from the fifth annual Mountain Auction, whose patrons and supporters of Mt. Irenaeus mountain retreat bid thousands in support of the concert.

The concert is free and open to the public, although donations in support of the Mountain Auction will be accepted.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

From the director of Technology Services: strong passwords the key to online security

As more and more services are available via the Web, at St. Bonaventure and elsewhere, many users have concerns about the security of the personal information accessible via the Web.

The first line of defense for almost all online applications is your password. A strong password is one of the best ways to secure access to your online information. This is true for online banking, shopping, and yes, even access to MySBU.

This week’s Tech Tip reviews several best practices when creating passwords, as well as how to change your SBU password. I strongly urge you to follow these practices when creating/changing your password for not only your SBU account, but for all of your online applications. This Tech Tip, as well as all previous tech tips, can be found here: http://www.sbu.edu/student-services/technology-services/administrative-support/technology-tips/index.htm.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Vocation service learning trip to Panama offered to SBU students

Mary Rose Kubal, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, and the Rev. Cheryl A. E. Parris, director of social ministries at St. Bonaventure University, will co-lead a Vocation Service Learning Trip to Panama, tentatively scheduled for May 16-27.

“SBU students, faculty and staff interested in a vocational educational experience may apply,” said Parris.
“Students are asked to have a 3.0 GPA in order to be considered for the trip. The total cost will be approximately $900 and payment plans are available.”

“We currently have six students signed up and are looking for more participants,” said Parris. “Sixteen people at most can sign up because of transportation capacity.”

A Vocation Service Learning trip has three focus points: The first is vocation. Students use knowledge gained in classes in a professional environment. This helps them discern whether they will continue in their chosen major. The second part, service, is what causes the discernment; and the third part is learning about other cultures. The trip will also incorporate materials from SBU classes into the experience.

Last year, during a trip to Panama, most of the students worked at two schools: Instituto Episcopal San Cristobal, a private Episcopal school, and Escuela Repúblia de Haiti, a public school for children in kindergarten through ninth grade.

“We plan to go back to the schools to at least visit,” Parris said. “We probably will do the adult computer literacy class because it was a big hit.”

This year, during the first two days of the trip, Wednesday and Thursday, participants will receive information and education about Panama. Friday, participants will visit work sites and introduce themselves. Saturday will give students free time to explore, and Mass is planned for Sunday.

“This is opportunity can be considered a praxis – basically, living what you say you want to do,” Parris said.

Individuals interested in participating in the Panama trip may contact Parris by phone at (716) 375-7813, or by e-mail at cparris@sbu.edu.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

SBU's Department of Computer Science to host 18th annual programming contest

Sixteen teams representing high schools as near as Allegany-Limestone and Hinsdale and as far away as Edison, N.J., Columbia, Md., and Claymont, Del., will participate in the 18th Annual High School Invitational Programming Contest, at St. Bonaventure University.

Each team consists of four students accompanied by a teacher/adviser. The annual contest is hosted by SBU’s Department of Computer Science.

An orientation is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. in Dresser Auditorium of the John J. Murphy Professional Building on campus. The competition runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will use several computer labs on campus.

An awards ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Dresser Auditorium.

For more information, contact Dr. Steve Andrianoff, associate professor of computer science at SBU, by phone at (716) 375-2053 or by e-mail at andrianoff@sbu.edu.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

 

St. Bonaventure students to attend Commission on the Status of Women

University minister the Rev. Cheryl Parris, along with two St. Bonaventure University students, will be attending the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women in New York City during spring break. This is the commission’s 10th anniversary.

Parris will attend as a representative of the Episcopal Church and is one of 20 delegates from the denomination. Officially, the Commission, which is an international event, will run from Feb. 27 through March 10. Because of their class schedules, students Alicia Lengvarsky, a junior from Allegany and Ardyth Van Scoy, a junior from Limestone, will report March 4 and stay through March 11.

The Commission focuses on the UN’s Millennium Development Goals as they pertain to women. The eight Millennium Development Goals range from halving poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education all by the target date of 2015.

“Basically, it’s a couple thousand women from all over the world talking about women’s issues,” Parris said.

Lengvarsky and Van Scoy will have a number of side events to attend. Because of security reasons they won’t be able to attend all discussions, but they will be able to watch from monitors inside the UN’s conference rooms.

This is Parris’ first time attending, and she hopes the St. Bonaventure students will share their experience with the rest of campus. “I hope the women will make a presentation to the student body about what they witnessed and learned as part of Women's History Month,” she said.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

 

SBU's Event Management Services offers new resources for planning events

St. Bonaventure University’s Event Management Services is changing its reservation policies in order to better serve the campus community.

In order to filter all campus events through Event Management Services and to avoid scheduling conflicts, all people interested in planning a university-related activity are now required to fill out an “Event Request Form.”

“Forms are available in our office (Rob 118) or by calling ext. 2094,” said Pamela Say-Witter, coordinator for Event Management Services.

Anyone planning an event at or associated with St. Bonaventure University, regardless of location, should complete an Event Request Form. This ensures placement of the event on the Central Calendar and consultation with trained event staff. “It allows us to identify possible conflicts, interruptions, and to notify other departments such as Security, Maintenance and Housekeeping,” she said.

Event Management Services directly reserves boardrooms, informal meeting rooms, dining and reception rooms, and multipurpose rooms. The staff also assists in obtaining the proper information or contacts when reserving other facilities on campus. “We encourage students, faculty, staff and administrators to view our office as a valuable resource,” Say-Witter said. “We coordinate setups and special requests, assist in finding vendors, publicize events on the Web and University calendar, and connect you with catering services.”

Department heads were sent copies of the Event Request Form and room reservation guide this week.

The forms are also available online: visit www.sbu.edu, click Offices, then Event Management Services. To view event listings, select the calendar on the home page.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Career Center News ...

For information on practice in-person and phone interviews, "Managing Your Career," teacher recruitment days (USA now open), and CareerFest '06, be sure to check out this month's Career Directions at the Career Center Events Web page.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Newsmakers ...

Dr. Leslie M. Sabina, professor of music, recently published three original musical works. In December 2005, Kendor Music, Inc. released Sabina’s “Blues-Go-Round” and “Chilled Out” as part of its Jazz Ensemble series, and his saxophone quartet arrangement of the standard “The Nearness of You” as part of its Ensemble Series.
Additionally, the British periodical, JazzUK, published two of Sabina’s jazz solo transcriptions as part of its Woodshedding feature. Trumpeter Thad Jones’ 1955 solo on “Corner Pocket” appears in the Jan./Feb. 2006 issue and saxophonist Cannonball Adderley’s 1975 “Jive Samba” solo appears in the current March/April 2006 issue.

•••

Dr. Kimberly S. Young, associate professor of management sciences, had the article “An Empirical Examination of the Client Attitudes towards Online Counseling” published in the CyberPsychology & Behavior. The article examined 48 online clients and their attitudes toward the delivery of mental health services over the Internet. She also had the article “Prevention and Education for Internet-Addicted Employees” published in The Journal of Employee Assistance, the national journal for the Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The article outlined strategies that focus on prevention and educational training programs to deter and curb employee Internet abuse in the workplace.

Click here to return to the top of the page

_____________________

Friday Forum

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

Date: Feb. 24, 2006 (this Friday)
Speaker: John Mulryan
Time: Lunch starts at noon, Forum goes from 12:35 to 1:30 p.m., including Q&A
Place: University Club - Above Hickey
Title: "The St. Bonaventure University 'English' Department- Evolution or Revolution?"

Click here to return to the top of the page