Archives Newsflash January - February 2010 February 23, 2010 NewsFlash Page 1 Kenneth Briggs, assistant to the director of financial aid, helps a College Goal Sunday participant understand how to fill out a federal financial aid form. Three Kings Day at Eastern a Huge Success! Eastern President Elsa Núñez, along with city officials and state legislators, greeted nearly 600 enthusiastic area residents on Jan. 6 as they converged on the Francis Geissler J. Gymnasium to participate in Three Kings Day. Area children received gifts; enjoyed pizza, sandwiches, punch and soda; saw a puppet show; and danced to Latino music presented by the band, Arnaldo Rivera and Friends. President Núñez told the audience that she was very proud to host Three Kings Day at Eastern. Windham Mayor Ernie Eldridge exclaimed, “I have never been to a more fabulous celebration in my entire life,” and said that the Town of Windham owed a debt of gratitude to Eastern for hosting Three Kings Day. Proclamations from Windham Schools Superintendent Doreen Fuller and State Representatives Susan Johnson and Denise Merrill were also shared with the audience. Above, children are captivated by an entertaining puppet show. Also, audience members joined in a parade to dance to the music of Arnaldo Rivera and Friends, who blended bongos, guiros, trumpets, guitars and keyboards on traditional classics such at “Alegre Vengo,” “Burrito Sabanero,” “Los Tres Santos Reyes,” and “Danos la Paz.” College Goal Sunday At College Goal Sunday, held on Jan. 31, 81 students and parents (50 families in all) received help in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Participants also heard from Eastern volunteers about the University’s programs and received other general information about state and federal financial aid. College Goal Sunday was offered at 13 locations throughout the state, targeting low-income families, high school seniors and juniors, minority students and first-generation college students who might need help in completing various financial aid applications. The event was sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators; the Connecticut Association of Educational Opportunity Programs; the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administration; and the Lumina Foundation. “I was very happy with the way the day turned out,” said site coordinator Neville Brown, assistant director of Eastern’s Financial Aid Office. “It is gratifying to know that we were able to help so many families deal with the intricacies of the financial aid application process as they prepare for their sons and daughters to enroll in college next fall.”
Transcript
Archives Newsflash January - February 2010
February 23, 2010 NewsFlash Page 1
Kenneth Briggs, assistant to the director of financial aid, helps a College Goal Sunday participant understand how to fill out a federal financial aid form.
Three Kings Day at Eastern a Huge Success!
Eastern President Elsa Núñez, along with city officials and state legislators, greeted nearly 600 enthusiastic area residents on Jan. 6 as they converged on the Francis Geissler J. Gymnasium to participate in Three Kings Day.
Area children received gifts; enjoyed pizza, sandwiches, punch and soda; saw a puppet show; and danced to Latino music presented by the band, Arnaldo Rivera and Friends.
President Núñez told the audience that she was very proud to host Three Kings Day at Eastern. Windham Mayor Ernie Eldridge exclaimed, “I have never been to a more fabulous celebration in my entire life,” and said that the Town of Windham
owed a debt of gratitude to Eastern for hosting Three Kings Day. Proclamations from Windham Schools Superintendent Doreen Fuller and State Representatives Susan Johnson and Denise Merrill were also shared with the audience.
Above, children are captivated by an entertaining puppet show. Also, audience members joined in a parade to dance to the music of Arnaldo Rivera and Friends, who blended bongos, guiros, trumpets, guitars and keyboards on traditional classics such at “Alegre Vengo,” “Burrito Sabanero,” “Los Tres Santos Reyes,” and “Danos la Paz.”
College Goal Sunday
At College Goal Sunday, held on Jan. 31, 81 students and parents (50 families in all) received help in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Participants also heard from Eastern volunteers about the University’s programs and received other general information about state and federal financial aid.
College Goal Sunday was offered at 13 locations throughout the state, targeting low-income families, high school seniors and juniors, minority students and first-generation college students who might need help in completing various financial aid applications.
The event was sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators; the Connecticut
Association of Educational Opportunity Programs; the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administration; and the Lumina Foundation.
“I was very happy with the way the day turned out,” said site coordinator Neville Brown, assistant director of Eastern’s Financial Aid Office. “It is gratifying to know that we were able to help so many families deal with the intricacies of the financial aid application process as they prepare for their sons and daughters to enroll in college next fall.”
The University Meeting on Jan. 21 provided an update on the Strategic Plan in the face of challenges brought on by state budget deficits; salutes to staff members for years of service; and some good old-fashioned fun in the form of a game show that brought staff and faculty up to speed on the University’s upcoming accreditation visit.
Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez provided the audience with an update on the University’s financial position, referring to the volatile economy and reiterating her intention to submit a balanced budget. She said the University will keep its sight set on its goal of ensuring that students receive a high quality education even as it braces for further cuts in the state’s next biennial budget. Núñez said how the University responds to the challenge will be a defining moment for Eastern.
During the meeting, several individuals were recognized for their years of service to the University. Amy Coffey, associate dean in the School of Arts and Sciences; Lisa Curtiss, media assistant in Media Services; Trudy Hyatt, information specialist in Information Technology; and Athletic Director Joyce Wong were presented with awards for 10 years of service. Steven Frederick, supervising stationary engineer in Facilities Management; library technician Richard Kokoska; and LaShawn McBride, coordinator of human resource programs, were presented awards for 20 years of service. Mark Masinda, building maintenance supervisor; Jean-Pierre Godbout, maintenance supervisor; and Robert Molta, sports information director (unavailable for photograph), were honored with 25-year service awards. Danielle Kaminski, administrative assistant to the president, and Karen Karas, CSUS administrative assistant, were honored as they retired from University service.
Academic Affairs Vice President Rhona Free and Alumni Affairs Director Michael Stenko led the audience through the game show, “Not So Trivial Pursuits,” to share some of the work being done on the NEASC reaccreditation self study. Prizes were awarded and Biology Professor Marty Levin provided light-hearted entertainment as “Caffeine Man.”
Eastern’s Chatterton Finishes 41 Marathons to Help End Poverty in America
Governor M. Jodi Rell was among a list of dignitaries saluting Eastern Health and Physical Education Professor Charles Chatterton after he finished running his 41st marathon at Skinner Road Elementary School in Vernon on Dec. 22. The marathon project, “Taking Strides to Brake the Cycle of Poverty,” was designed to raise public awareness about the 41 million people living poverty in America. The 41 marathons run by Chatterton totaled 1,078 miles through 11 states and the nation’s capital. Chatterton ran 41 marathons in 40 months, beginning in September 2006.
Citations were read from Governor Rell, Eastern Connecticut State University President Elsa M. Núñez and Vernon Mayor Jason McCoy.
The biggest cheer for Chatterton came from students attending Skinner Road Elementary School. Chatterton told them, “The marathon is just a run; what’s important is that we all try to do something about helping the 41 million people climb out of poverty. I hope we will all do our part.”
Eastern Presents “The Norwich Nine” to High School Students
Members of the Theatre Program at Eastern took the original Reader’s Theatre play, “The Norwich Nine,” on the road last month. “The Norwich Nine” is the story of nine Norwich men who fought in the Civil War and died in a prisoner- of-war camp in Andersonville, GA. The play, produced and performed by Eastern students, was presented to
600 students on Jan. 7 at Norwich Free Academy and to 200 students on Jan. 8 at Windham High School.
In 1866, officials from Norwich traveled to the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia to retrieve the dead bodies of the Civil War soldiers. The men and boys were disinterred, returned to Norwich and honored for their service before being buried in Yantic Cemetery.
“We gladly brought the show to Norwich, in particular, as it is the town’s local history,” said Ellen Faith Brodie, director of theatre at Eastern, who directed the play with theatre major Shane Williams Kegler ’10. “And Windham High School
is where one of our actors, Michael Lessard, an Eastern alumnus who majored in history and theatre, is a full-time history teacher and a graduate student at Eastern.”
Several other Eastern students and faculty collaborated on the play. It was written by Eastern Communication Professor Edmond Chibeau and alumnus Matt Hulten. History Professor Barbara Tucker and history students Heather Brine, Kelly Harrison, Katie Lewinstein, Elizabeth Tefft and Jennifer Vickers also conducted original research on the play.
“The results of the collaboration were a surprise,” said Tucker. “Some of the men who were reported to have died at Andersonville and who have a gravestone at the Memorial Gun site did not die in the Civil War. They were found alive decades later, living in New England.”
Day of Remembrance: Japanese Internment
On Feb. 2–5, the Eastern community participated in “Day of Remembrance: Japanese American Interment,” a look back at Japanese Americans who were detained in internment camps in the wake of the attack of Pearl Harbor. The three-day event was sponsored by the Intercultural Center.
KUDOS
Lisa Rowe Fraustino Wins Children’s Literature Award
Congratulations to English Professor Lisa Rowe Fraustino. Her newest book, the middle-school novel, “The Hole in the Wall,” won the 2010 Milkweed Prize for Children’s Literature. Fraustino, who also serves as a faculty member in Hollins University’s graduate program in children’s literature, has won several awards for her novels, “Ash, Grass and Sky,” “I Walk in Dread,” and the picture book, “The Hickory Chair.”
Raouf Mama, Winner of Benin’s 2009 Trophy of Excellence and Merit in Literature
Congratulations to English Professor Raouf Mama, who has been awarded Benin’s Kwabo Trophy of Excellence and Merit in Literature for 2009. The Kwabo Trophy of Excellence and Merit was founded by Trophies Vies Valeurs, a Beninese non-governmental organization, for the purpose of recognizing and honoring the achievements of the Beninese Diaspora in the arts, science, technology, business and other fields.
Mama achieved the rare distinction of going from being an English-as-a Second-Language student to being an award-winning writer and English professor in the United States. He is the only storyteller in the world today who tells and performs folktales from his native
Benin in English, French, Yoruba and Fon. He has been collecting and writing down oral tales from Benin for more than 20 years in an effort to help save Benin’s folktale tradition from permanent loss. His book, “Why Monkeys Live in Trees and Other Trickster and Sacred Tales from Benin,” was the winner of the 2008 National Multicultural Children’s Book Award.
June Bisantz Selected to Decorate North Carolina Train Line
June Bisantz, professor of visual arts, has been selected by the North Carolina-based transportation company Charlotte Arena Transit System (CATS) to present her public art project titled, “The LYNX Blue Line Extension (BLE) Light Rail Project.”
The BLE light rail project is an 11-mile extension of the LYNX Blue Line, the North Carolina train division of the CATS transit system. The public art will be incorporated into 13 proposed stations, including seven park-and-ride lots.
The selected artists’ panel includes 16 artists from around the country, and was picked by the CATS’ Art-in-Transit Advisory Committee after a nationwide call-to-artists. More than 383 artists submitted their credentials in response to the call.
Akus Gallery Has a “Sweet Tooth” through March 28
The Akus Gallery is presenting “Project Detonate” by renowned graffiti and fantasy artist Yosiell Lorenzo. His exhibition titled “Sweet Tooth” began on Jan. 28 and runs through March 11. An opening reception took place on Feb. 4 in the gallery.
“Sweet Tooth” is a combination of Lorenzo’s older work, including graffiti art, silk-screens and digital graphic paintings, and his current retrospective work with oil paintings. Lorenzo’s art incorporates unusual influences such as hip hop, graffiti, graphic novels and Japanese anime cartoons.
Akus Gallery Director Elizabeth Peterson says, “Yosiell is a prolific painter and graphic designer who produces and markets everything he creates, and he makes it all look effortless.”
The Akus Gallery is located in the lower level of Shafer at the corner of Windham and Valley Streets in Willimantic. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information call (860) 465-4659 or visit www.easternct.edu/akusgallery.
Eastern Sports 25 Athletes Gain Conference Academic Awards
Five three-time winners headline the list of Eastern student-athletes on the 2009 Little East Conference All-Academic Team. They include Sam Buczek (Milford) and David Tignonsini (Vernon) in men’s cross country; Kim Church (Farmington) and Sarah Swann (Oxford) in women’s soccer; and Maxim Fantl (West Hartford) in men’s soccer.
A total of 25 Eastern student-athletes earned spots on the team, which recognizes student-athletes who have attained sophomore academic status or higher and who have compiled an overall grade-point average of at least 3.30 through last spring.
Chris D’Ambrosio, a winner of more than 100 matches as a head women’s soccer coach on both the high school and collegiate levels, has been chosen for induction into the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association (CGSCA) Hall of Fame. D’Ambrosio has the most victories of any coach in the 24-year history of the Eastern program, having compiled a 119-60-16 record (.651) over the last 10 years. In an 11-year span as head coach at Coventry High School between 1987 and 1997, D’Ambrosio was 108-64-25 (.612).
On Jan. 10, Eastern Hall of Fame Coach Rick McCarthy was enshrined as a member of the second class of inductees into the Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame. McCarthy began the Eastern men’s and women’s lacrosse programs on the club level in 1995 before taking over the men’s program for seven years on the intercollegiate level. He led the Eastern program to a 91-19 record and 11 conference regular-season and playoff championships. In fall 2008, McCarthy became the first representative of the Eastern men’s lacrosse program to gain induction into the Eastern Connecticut State University E-Club Hall of Fame.
Feb. 24: 3–4 p.m.; Student Center Theatre. University Hour–Al Duncan. Al Duncan is a renowned motivational speaker. He uses an upbeat, interactive style to motivate students and encourage them to get out and do something!
Feb. 24: 6–7:30 p.m.; J. Eugene Smith Library, Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony. These awards recognize members of the campus and the community-at-large whose actions demonstrate distinguished service in promoting the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Eastern in the News
• The Jan. 4 edition of The (New London) Day reported that Fred Herbert, former Eastern administrative dean, now 80 years old and a member of the Civil Air Patrol, has broken speed records for flights from Fishers Island to Portland, ME, and from Hartford to York, PA.
• The Dec. 22 edition of the Litchfield County Register Citizen reported that Our Baseball Haven has selected
Brian Leighton, former assistant coach at Eastern from 2000-2004, as the team’s general manager. • The Dec. 21 edition of the Norwich Bulletin reported that Ralph Yulo Jr., emeritus of science education, was
to present at the Stargazer program on Jan. 15 at the Connecticut Audubon in Pomfret in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope.
• The Dec. 20 edition of The Day.Com reported that Heather Capalbo ’06 has fulfilled the requirements to be a
certified public accountant. • The Dec. 19 edition of Mansfield Today reported that Eastern was accepting nominations for the 2010 Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award.
