News from January 2009

Quest Mt. Washington trip

MtWashington
BU's Quest program sponsored a climbing trip of Mt. Washington, N.H., from Jan. 16 to 19. The climbers braved 60 mph winds, 30 below zero temperatures and white out conditions to reach the summit. While everyone made it to the final ridge, five of the 15 team members made to the summit.

Newspaper columnist speaks in mass comm. classes

The president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) was a guest speaker, Monday, in several mass communications classes. Samantha Bennett, featured columnist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was a lecturer in two senior seminars, and spent several hours working with the staff of Spectrum magazine. Bennett has a B.A. in English from Yale, and an M.A. in professional writing from Carnegie-Mellon. She worked as an editor in New Haven, Conn., before coming to Pittsburgh 14 years ago as a copyeditor, then as web editor, and for the past decade as a columnist. She was brought to campus by Walt Brasch, professor of journalism and a 15-year member of the NSNC.

Phillie Phanatic

phanatic
The Phillies Phanatic does calisthenics in the Kehr Union Ballroom Friday afternoon as hundreds of students and community members line up to see the Phillies championship trophy.

U. Store initiative benefits Earth Day fund

The University Store is continuing "Using Less, Caring More" during the spring semester. "Using Less, Caring More," an initiative to reduce use and waste, rewards students and other customers who choose not to accept shopping bags when they make purchases. Each customer who declines a plastic shopping bag receives a custom-designed wooden nickel to place in a jar designated for the Green Campus Initiative's Earth Day fund. On Earth Day in late April, the University Store will make a donation equal to the total dollar amount of wooden nickels in the jar.

According to Beth Christian, manager of the University Store, the "Using Less, Caring More" theme serves as an inspiration for continuing efforts to reduce consumption and promote recycling within the University Store.

Talks focus on international issues

The International Studies Living and Learning Community is hosting a lecture series through the spring semester. All of the lectures are at 7 p.m. in the Living and Learning Community Center in Columbia Residence Hall, room 119. The series is free and open to the public. The lectures include:

  • Thursday, Jan. 29 - "Why Study Abroad in Africa?" by Ekema Agbaw, professor of English
  • Wednesday, Feb. 4 - "The United States in the Age of the Pacific" by Sheng Ding, assistant professor of political science
  • Wednesday, Feb. 18 -"Migrant Education Opportunities for Students" by Susan Dauria, associate professor of anthropology, and Caryn Terwilliger, assistant professor of early childhood and elementary education
  • Wednesday, Feb. 25 - "Germany's Hauptschule: Success or Obstacle to Integration for Germany's Immigrants" by Peter Doerschler, assistant professor of political science
  • Wednesday, March 11 - "A Case Study of Ethiopian Coffee" by Margaret O'Connor, associate professor of business education and business information systems
  • Wednesday, March 18 - "Ain't I a Human?" by Diana Zoelle, associate professor of political science
  • Wednesday, April 1 - "Fighting for Their New Home: Immigrants in American Wars" by Nancy Gentile Ford, professor of history
  • Wednesday, April 8 - "Community Participation in Wetland Management in Bangladesh" by Shahalam Amin, associate professor of envionmental, geographical and geological sciences

Global Warming Teach-In planned for Feb. 5

The BU Campus Green Initiative Campus Green Initiative and the student environmental group Helping Our Planet Earth (H.O.P.E) will sponsor a daylong symposium on global warming Thursday, Feb. 5, at 9:30 a.m. in the Kehr Union Ballroom.

The symposium is part of the National Teach-In on Global Warming, and BU is one of more than 600 colleges, universities and high schools across the United States participating in the event. The teach-in is an effort to engage educators, students and citizens in a broad discussion of issues related to global warming.

The symposium will consist of 10 panels of BU faculty, staff and students and speakers from the community. Topics being explored during the panels include food and climate, existing and alternative energy sources, characterization of global warming in the media, political and economic dimensions of climate change and regional impacts of global warming.

Student-athletes named to fall PSAC top 10 team

Two BU student-athletes have been named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Fall Top 10 team. Honored for their work both academically and athletically were Jon Ochs(Wind Gap/Nazareth) and Jamie Vanartsdalen (Huntington Valley/Lower Moreland). The PSAC Top 10 Awards, which are selected by the PSAC's sports information directors, recognize student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and in the area of competition. Details from Sports Information.

Students invited to join BU Model OAS

BU has been selected to participate in the Washington Model of the Organization of American States held in Washington, DC, April 7-11. Along with 34 other universities (about one-third from foreign countries), BU will represent a nation in the Western Hemisphere. During the 5-day simulation delegates to the model will debate issues of the hemisphere, including: poverty, education, mutual defense and peace.

During the semester, interested students will meet weekly to prepare for participation. As part of the model, BU students will have communication with the staff of the embassy of the country BU represents and will have a briefing at the embassy on the first day of the model.

Interested students are encouraged to contact Mark Usry at musry@bloomu.edu and attend an organizational meeting on Monday, Feb. 2, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Sutliff Hall, room 110.

Students: Look for housing info

Current students who have paid their fall 2009 housing deposit should receive their sign-up/HOST information early next week. This packet will contain a HOST instruction sheet (with important reminders), a sign-up Schedule and a housing card. If you have not already, give some thought between now and then to roommates and what housing you may want to apply for. As a reminder, the roommates you list on your orange apartment housing card MUST match the roommates you entered in MyHousing. If there are any changes to your requested roommates since you entered them initially on MyHousing, you MUST go back in now and update that section.

The first dates of the process begin Feb. 2 and 3 for those students who wish to apply for one of the newly constructed campus apartments or keep their same MPA, MOA or Kile apartment. Other dates will follow for those students who are applying for the first time to MPA, MOA or Kile or who wish to keep their current residence hall room. Please refer to the HOST sign-up schedule, to be included in your housing packet and also posted on the residence life website.

We are encouraging current campus students to consider signing up for campus apartments as we anticipate housing in the residence halls will be very tight.

Student dies in auto accident

A BU senior from New Columbia died Sunday, Jan. 18, from injuries he suffered in an auto accident along Interstate 81 near Carlisle. According to an article in today's (Jan. 20) Daily Item, Aaron M. Klinger, 22, was a passenger in a northbound vehicle that struck the guardrail and traveled across both northbound lanes before rolling into the median.

Klinger, an exercise science major, was the son of Becky and Michael Klinger, BU's computer operations supervisor. A graduate of Milton High School, he worked part-time at Evangelical Community Hospital's Fitness Center.

Friends will gather at Christ Wesleyan Church, 363 Stamm Road, Milton, Thursday, Jan. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 23, from 10 to 11 a.m. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. in the church, with burial to follow in Milton Cemetery, Milton.

The family will provide flowers. Memorial donations may be made to the Pregnancy Care Center, 9 N. Third St., Lewisburg, Pa. 17837.

Students witness inauguration events

Six BU students are in Washington, D.C., today witnessing events surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president. The students have been participating since Jan. 9 in Leadership in a New Era, sponsored by the Osgood Center for International Studies, according to Diana Zoelle, associate professor of political science. The program focused on issues confronting the new president and the U.S. government in areas such as foreign affairs, the economy, race relations and understanding among religious faiths.

The BU students, their hometowns, years and majors are: Austin Brunson, Camp Hill, junior, political science; Ashley Caliguire, Clark, N.J., junior, secondary education and mathematics; Wyatt Mosley, Bethlehem, junior, political science and economics; Lauren McLaughlin, West Chester, junior, political science; Raeesa Khan, Bloomsburg, senior, philosophy and political science; and Tina Piquet, Bloomsburg, senior, health physics.

After returning to the campus Wednesday, the students will begin work on a panel presentation on ethical realism, Zoelle said. The presentation will be offered to the campus community later this semester. For students, faculty and staff unable to travel to the nation's capitol, a TV tuned to inaugural coverage is set up today in the Kehr Union Hideaway.

Mindfulness Class

Sharon Solloway and four of her Personal Mastery and Advanced Mindfulness Practice students were invited to present at Georgetown University's Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship symposium, "Teaching to Connect the Heart and Mind," in December. Solloway was invited to present her work in teaching mindfulness practice in the university classroom and her development of a survey instrument to measure growth in mindfulness practice. Her students were invited to present an afternoon breakout session presenting the ways mindfulness practice has impacted their personal and academic lives. Shown from left are Shamir Shaw, a freshmen from Philadelphia; Solloway; Tyree Arnold, a sophomore from Philadelphia; Samantha Morton, a freshmen from Yeadon; and Stephen Deiter, a freshmen from Harrisburg.

Wilcher wins 4-H Farm Show scholarship

BU's Kristin Wilcher, sophomore, was acknowledged at the annual Farm Show Scholarship Recognition and Buyer's Appreciation Breakfast. Each year, the organization awards more than $630,000 in scholarships. This year, in addition to 23 recipients, Wilcher received a scholarship worth $3,750. The scholarships are awarded to students enrolled in a post-secondary educational program and have been a former Farm Show livestock exhibitor. Wilcher is a former 4-H member, has shown market swine at the Farm Show for eight years and has received master showman honors.

Six students recognized

Six students in BU anthropology professor Faith Warner's Principals of Cultural Anthropology Course were among the top 50 winners in Public Anthropology's Community Action Website's Third Fall "Action Period." The competition involved students writing letters to agency officials and tribal leaders on the issue of informed consent regarding the taking of blood samples from indigenous peoples for genetic research. The students were selected from among nearly 1,700 students from twelve universities in Canada and the United States. The six students are, from left: Sean Crampsie, a senior political science major from Whitehall; Kristy Turnbull, a sophomore history and anthropology major from West Chester; Dustin Mark, a freshmen management major from Mifflinburg; Jenna Kaehler, a fall 08 graduate in speech pathology and audiology from Hanover; Aaron Nichols, a senior computer and information systems major from New Milford; and Jessica Albright, a freshmen special education major from Lansdale. Turnbull placed among the top six students. To learn more about the public service activities of the Center for a Public Anthropology, please visit www.publicanthropology.org.

Orientation Workshop Leader applications available

If you are interested in becoming an Orientation Workshop Leader (OWL) for 2009-2010, applications are now available. To apply you must have at least 12 completed credits; a 2.0 or higher GPA; and be in good academic and social standing. You can pick up an application at the following locations:

  • Jan. 12, 13 and 15 – Kehr Union Lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Jan. 12-15 – Student Services Center lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Orientation Office – Room 203, Student Services Center from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
  • Information Desk in Kehr Union
  • Residence Halls – for students living in the halls

Applications are due Feb. 13. If you have any questions, please call 389-4595 or e-mail storient@bloomu.edu .

Sale brings $9,000 for United Way

BU's Trash to Treasure Sale Saturday raised more than $9,000 for the Columbia County United Way. More than 200 people attended, some waiting in line beginning at 4:30 a.m. The funds raised does not include a donation that a recycler will also provide the United Way. This is the largest amount that has been raised in the January sale, exceeding last year's January total by $4,000.

Adult Fitness Center spring hours

The Adult Fitness Center, Centennial Hall, room 135, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 to 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m. (closed weekends and holidays). The Center is free for all faculty and staff and includes weight machines, free weights, and a variety of cardio equipment.
Michael DiGiorgio

Campus chronicler on board

DiGiorgio
Michael DiGiorgio, BU's media services manager since last fall, creates videos of Bloomsburg University for broadcast on BU-TV, You Tube and other media. Before coming to BU, DiGiorgio worked for Video Taping Services in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., where he was responsible for video transfers, commercial editing, duplication and videography for clients such as South Jersey's NBC 40, the U.S. Coast Guard, Shore Memorial Hospital and Trump Entertainment.

He earned a bachelor's degree from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey where, as a Macintosh technician, he taught students to use Final Cut Pro software for non-linear editing and DVD authoring. He also directed, produced and edited training videos and documentaries.

At BU, DiGiorgio has videotaped campus events and speeches, including President David Soltz's inauguration, author Michael Eric Dyson's lecture and the BU Community Orchestra's fall concert, and B-roll for a PASSHE production. He taped a question posed by Michael Shepard, professor of geology and geosciences, which closed the Saturday, Jan. 3, edition of WGAL-TV's "Capital Blue Cross Brain Busters." A few samples of his work are posted at www.youtube.com/user/BUTVCH8.

Need a brochure, a poster, an advertisement?

BU's Publications Guide has been revised for 2009. The guide includes instructions for the proper use of BU graphics, design tips and advice on planning projects. Also updated, is the BU Style Guide, which details the university's editorial style on everything from writing dates and times to the official names of campus facilities. Both guides can be downloaded as PDF files from the Media Page.

Noubary cited in Sports Illustrated

BU's Reza Noubary, professor of mathematics, computer science and statistics, was cited by the South African Sports Illustrated Web site. Noubary was cited in connection with Jamaican Usain Bolt's record Olympic 100m sprint time of 9.69. The article notes that Noubary had previously calculated an "ultimate record" of 9.44, but even this could now be too high.

Living off campus? Let us know where

All students at BU (except those who will be living on campus), including graduate students, must register their local address including house number, apartment number (if applicable) and street where they will be living while taking classes for the 2009 spring semester. This should be done by going to STINF by Friday, Jan. 23. It is very important our records be accurate because of emergency issues, parking permits, and financial aid review. If you are a non-degree student reporting your address or have any questions, please call the office of student standards/off-campus housing at 389-4734.

Important due dates for teacher ed. candidates

Students seeking admissions into the teacher education departments in Teacher Education are required to submit their admissions application by March 1 for summer admittance. This application process is necessary to enroll in upper level teacher education courses in those respective programs and must be approved by your advisor. Questions can be directed to Angela Laubach at 389-3810 in 3128 McCormick or your academic advisor. Future admission packet due dates are: July 15th for fall 2009 admittance and Oct. 1 for spring 2010 admittance. Details on the Remember page.

CA applications available for fall 2009

Residence Life is now accepting applications for new CAs (Community Assistants) for fall 2009. To apply, interested students must pick up an application at the residence life office between Jan. 12 to 21. Applicants must have an overall GPA of 2.25 or higher and not currently be on any judicial sanction. For more information about the CA life, www.bloomca.org. Questions about the CA selection process can be directed to George Kinzel, assistant director of residence life.

Study Abroad in Central or Northwest Europe this summer

There are still several spaces available for the Central Europe and the Northwest Europe short-term faculty-led study abroad programs for Summer 2009.

Highlights of the Central Europe Program include: Munich and Dresden, Germany; Salzburg and Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and, Karlovy Vary and Prague, Czech Republic. Along the way students will visit factories, cathedrals, synagogues, castles, palaces, the crown jewels of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and more.

Highlights of the Northwest Europe Program include: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France and London, England. Along the way students will visit factories, cathedrals, synagogues, castles, palaces, the crown jewels of the British Empire and more.

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