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Author Rebecca Skloot to = discuss=20 =91Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks=92 during September visit to = St.=20 Bonaventure

Rebecca Skloot, author of the All Bonaventure = Reads (ABR)=20 selection for 2010-2011, =93The Immortal Life of Henrietta = Lacks,=94 will=20 discuss her best-selling book during a September visit to campus. =

Skloot will give a free public lecture at 7 p.m. = Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the Reilly Center Arena. Small group = discussions=20 with St. Bonaventure students are also planned for her visit.

=93The Immortal Life=94 is the enthralling story = of Henrietta=20 Lacks, the forgotten woman behind one of the most important tools = in=20 modern medicine, and of Lacks=92s descendants, many of whom feel = betrayed by=20 the scientific establishment. Lacks=92s cancerous cells =97 the = first to grow=20 and survive indefinitely in culture =97 revolutionized medical = research.

The book speaks to many themes =97 medical = ethics,=20 scientific research, the experience of African Americans in the = second=20 half of the 20th century, and the availability and cost of health=20 care.

=93Importantly, the book speaks to the = Franciscan values=20 underlying an SBU education, and we believe that the students in = the=20 incoming Class of 2014 will have a rich opportunity to explore = those=20 values as they discuss the book in classes this fall,=94 said Dr. = Nancy=20 Casey, director of the First-Year Experience program.

The book will be distributed at summer = Orientation=20 sessions to first-year students, along with a reading guide = prepared by=20 the University=92s ABR committee. Students will be asked to read = the book=20 and reflect on it prior to the start of school. Students will = engage in=20 conversations and activities throughout Orientation, Welcome Days, = University 101 courses and various campuswide events during the = 2010-2011=20 academic year.

St. Bonaventure Provost Dr. Michael J. Fischer = is asking=20 all incoming students, as their first official college assignment, = to=20 write a one- to two-page reflection on the book. A group of = faculty and=20 staff will read each paper and select a group of winning essays. = Winners=20 will be recognized in the fall and will have the chance to meet = Skloot=20 when she comes to campus in September. Other activities for the = fall=20 semester include an All Bonaventure Views movie festival.

Colleagues across campus collaborated to create = engaging=20 ARB 10 orientation and fall programming. For a Where in the World = Is=20 Henrietta Lacks campaign, the Lacks family granted permission to = use their=20 personal photo of Henrietta, featured on the book=92s cover, from = which a=20 life-sized Henrietta cutout was fashioned; this model will trek = around=20 campus to emphasize the worldwide magnitude of her cells=92 = impact.

=93The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks=94 took = Skloot more=20 than a decade to research and write. The book, published Feb. 2 by = Crown,=20 an imprint of Random House, debuted at No. 5 on the New York Times = bestseller list Feb. 21. Born in 1920 in Clover, Va., Henrietta = Lacks was=20 a poor tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave = ancestors.=20

In 1951, she developed a strangely aggressive = cancer, and=20 doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took a tissue sample without her = knowledge. She died without knowing that her cells would become = immortal =97=20 the first to grow and survive indefinitely in culture.

HeLa cells, as they are called, were essential = to=20 developing the polio vaccine. They have aided in the development = of=20 in-vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping, and have helped = us to=20 better understand the workings of cancer and innumerable viruses. = Even=20 today, HeLa is the most widely used cell line in labs worldwide, = bought=20 and sold by the billions.

An excerpt from the book appeared in the = February issue of=20 =93O, The Oprah Magazine,=94 and Oprah Winfrey plans to = collaborate with=20 television producer Alan Ball to make an HBO film based on the=20 best-selling book. Members of the All Bonaventure Reads Committee = are Mary=20 Jo Brockel, Christopher Brown, Nancy Casey, Eric Danielson, Jean = Ehman,=20 Carol Fischer, Ann Lehman, Adriane Spencer and Ann Tenglund.

Mt. Irenaeus, the Franciscan = Mountain Retreat=20 in Allegany County, launched its six-week Summer Evenings of = Re-Creation=20 series on Wednesday, June 30.

=93Peace=94 is the recurring = theme in=20 this summer=92s weekly series that invites participants to attend = Mass,=20 share a dish-to-pass supper, then congregate for reflection and = discussion=20 around a particular topic.

=93We will focus on the theme of = =91Peace Be=20 With You: The Spirit of Christ Renews the Church and the = World,=92=94 said Br.=20 Kevin Kriso, O.F.M., a member of the friar community at Mt. = Irenaeus and=20 coordinator of the summer series. =93Within a world full of = economic,=20 political, ecological and religious turmoil, how can one get a = handle on=20 things? The answer is in the message of Jesus: Peace be with = you,=94 said=20 Br. Kevin.

All sessions are free and open to everyone, = regardless=20 of religious affiliation. In fact, diversity is encouraged. =93We = enjoy a=20 diverse group of people to help broaden our discussion,=94 said = Br.=20 Kevin.

Each Wednesday evening session begins with Mass at = 4:45=20 p.m., followed by a dish-to-pass supper at 6 p.m. The group will = then=20 adjourn to the Chapel at 7:30 p.m. for discussion about that = week=92s=20 topic.

The dates and topics of the Summer Evenings of = Re-Creation=20 series include:
June 30: Peace Be With You
July 7: Peace in = the=20 Midst of Chaos
July 14: The Cosmic Christ: Finding Your = Direction=20 Magnetically
July 21: Peace in the Family
July 28: Peace in = the=20 Church
Aug. 4: Seeking True Peace in God and Not in = Attachments
For=20 directions to Mt. Irenaeus, go to www.mounti.com or call=20 716-375-2096.

Mt. Irenaeus, established by friars from St.=20 Bonaventure University, just celebrated its 25th anniversary at = its=20 hilltop location near West Clarkesville.

Newsmakers

Dr.=20 Ed. Simone, chair of the Department of Visual and = Performing Arts=20 and director of the Theater Program, has been elected to the = Liaison=20 Committee for the Buffalo/Rochester Region of Actors' Equity = Association.=20 The Liaison Committee works with Equity's national office in New = York to=20 help create performance opportunities for the area's professional = actors=20 and stage managers, promote regional awareness of Equity's work = and=20 history, and make recommendations regarding contracts and = relationships=20 with regional theater producers.

A number of St. Bonaventure University = programs were=20 represented at the Association of Franciscan Colleges and = Universities=20 2010 AFCU Symposium, June 8-11, 2010, at The University of St. = Francis in=20 Ft. Wayne, Ind. The theme of the symposium was =93Educating for = the Care of=20 Creation: Contemporary Verses for the Canticle of the = Creatures.=94

There was representation from many of the other 22 = Franciscan universities and colleges in the United States. = Programs across=20 academic disciplines, campus life and administration were present = at the=20 three-day symposium.

St. Bonaventure University was represented from = the School=20 of Business by John Stevens, Kathy Premo and Joe Coate; School of=20 Education by Paula Scraba; Franciscan Center for Social Concern by = Sr.=20 Suzanne Kush; and the Perugia Center program by Mike Chiariello. = They were=20 also joined by the new dean of the School of Arts and Sciences = Wolfgang=20 Natter and the president of Hilbert College, Cynthia Zane.

The following programs made presentations at the = AFCU=20 Symposium: Michael Chiarello - Franciscan Heritage = Program-(Perugia)

Joe Coate, Kathy Premo and John Stevens - Creating = Franciscan Based Educational Experience in the St Bonaventure = School of=20 Business: the Genesis of Two Best Practices

Paula J. Scraba and Todd Palmer - Globalization - = Franciscan=20 Perspectives: Preaching a New View for Care of Creation through=20 International Service Learning.

Paula J. Scraba - Build with Living Stones- = Meditative=20 Reflections: The Images for the Integrity of Creation- A = Franciscan View=20 of the Environment: Brother Sun and Sister Moon vs. The Economy = and Global=20 Reality.

The next gathering of the 22 Franciscan colleges = and=20 universities will be the 2012 AFCU Symposium June 12-15, 2012, at = Viterbo=20 University, LaCrosse, Wis., with the theme of Franciscan = Leadership. All=20 campus programs are welcomed to submit proposals for the 2012 AFCU = Symposiums.

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