Volume 31, No.16
January 14, 2000
Contact: Terry Day (570) 662-4844
tday@mnsfld.edu      

Keeping The Dream Alive

     Mansfield University will mark the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, January 17 with an observance at noon in the North Hall sixth floor community room.
     The theme for this year's observance is "King's Dream from the Perspective of Two Generations: Then and Now." Jannis Floyd, chair of the event, says it’s important to remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership and example in the battle for civil and human rights. "Most of our students weren’t born during the time King led the civil rights struggle," Floyd says. "We want them to know about the struggles and advancements that have been made so that this isn’t just a commercial holiday."
     The program will feature comments from President John Halstead and speeches by Annie Cooper, director of Multicultural Affairs, and freshman Sara Duncan.
     The Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance is sponsored by the President's Advisory Board for Diversity, the Multicultural Affairs Office and the Student Activities Office. All are invited to attend.

Weather Or Not

     Winter can bring sudden changes in weather conditions and uncertainty. It is Mansfield University policy to remain open in all but extreme circumstances.
     The MU Weather and Emergency Line (570-662-4499) will provide official announcements about university class and work schedules when weather affects or has the potential to affect travel to and from campus.
     Any change in normal university operations will also be announced as early as possible through the media. The following television and radio stations will be notified:

Radio Stations                                            Television Stations

KC 101.5, Liberty                                     WETM, Elmira
WNBT, Wellsboro                                     WENY, Elmira
WHGL, Troy                                             WBNG, Binghamton
WSBK, Williamsport                                  WYOU, Scranton
WRAK, Williamsport                                  WBRE, Wilkes-Barre
WMIL, Williamsport
WILQ, Williamsport
WHOT, Williamsport
WZXR, Williamsport
WATS, Sayre
WAVR, Sayre
WTTC, Sayre
WELM, Elmira
WLVY, Elmira
WOKN, Elmira
WPGI, Elmira
WWLZ, Elmira
WENY, Elmira
WNGZ, Elmira
WINK, Corning
WCBA, Corning
WGMM, Corning
WCLI, Corning

New Bench Boss

     Joe Gilbert, the offensive coordinator for the NCAA Division I-AA University of Maine Black Bears, was named the 20th head coach in the 109-year football history at Mansfield University on December 20. The announcement was made by MU President Dr. John Halstead, who introduced Gilbert to the Mansfield community and area media at a press conference in Decker Gymnasium.
     "We are excited to welcome Joe Gilbert back to the Twin Tiers as our head football coach," Halstead said. "After conducting a national search with more than 60 candidates, it became clear that Joe Gilbert was the right choice at the right time for Mansfield University. A proven success both on and off the field at four different collegiate programs in his 13-year coaching career, Coach Gilbert impressed us with his enthusiasm and organizational skills along with a sincere interest in academic quality, alumni relations and an in-depth knowledge of Mansfield University. He is recognized by his peers as an outstanding coach and an exceptional recruiter of quality student-athletes. It is indeed an exciting day for Mansfield University and our football program as we head in a new direction."
     This is a homecoming for Gilbert, a Horseheads, NY native, who is highly regarded by football coaches in the Twin Tiers, where he has been very successful in recruiting football players for the University of Maine. "It's hard to describe how good it feels to be coming to Mansfield University as the head football coach," said Gilbert. "The more I went through the interview process, the more I knew this was the place I wanted to be. This is the first time in my college coaching career that I've actually moved closer to home and I'm excited about being close to my family. I truly believe there is a great opportunity here and we can create a winning attitude and football tradition at Mansfield University."
     An assistant coach at Maine for the past six seasons, Gilbert served as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 1994-95 before being promoted to offensive coordinator before the 1996 campaign. Prior to coaching at Maine, Gilbert was the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Division I-AA Northeastern University from 1991-94 and line coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania in 1989-90. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Albany in 1987-88.
     Gilbert was a standout at Horseheads High School where he earned All-Twin-Tier honors before attending Hamilton College. A four-year starter on the offensive line at Hamilton, Gilbert was a three time all-conference selection and became the first Hamilton player to earn first team All-American honors his senior season.
     A 1983 graduate of Horseheads High School, Gilbert earned a BA in government at Hamilton College in 1987. He and his wife Cheryl are expecting their first child in May.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• President Halstead invites everyone to the University Days coffee hour Friday, January 14 at 10 a.m. in Manser Hall. He will share with the faculty some of your student success stories.
• Campus electrical power will be interrupted on Saturday, January 22, and Saturday, February 5. Both outages will begin at 8 a.m. and will affect most, but not all, campus buildings. The January 22 shutdown will last an hour and the February 22 outage is expected to last four hours. The computer network will go down but telephones will operate. Please protect your electrical equipment. The outages are part of the campus wide infrastructure project, which will upgrade many campus utilities. If you have any questions call Larry Clark at ext. 4906.
• Mark your calendars. The date for "Mahalia", the musical that tells the life story of gospel singing great Mahalia Jackson, has been changed to Wednesday, February 2 at 8 p.m. in Straughn Hall. Tickets are $5 at the door for the general public. The event is free to MU students, faculty and staff. "Mahalia" is sponsored by the MU Fine Arts Committee.
• Anyone in need of business cards for the spring semester please send your information to Ann Klinger, Beecher House or e-mail her at aklinger@mnsfld.edu. Deadline for ordering is Friday, January 21.
• The Mansfield University Festival Chorus is preparing for the spring and any faculty, student or staff interested in joining can call Peggy Dettwiler at ext. 4721 for more information. The chorus will perform "Requiem" on April 8-9. The concert will be dedicated to the memory of Edward Brown. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, January 18 at 7 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
• The holidays and a widespread flu outbreak have put a drain on American Red Cross blood supplies. To donate blood you must be in good health, at least 17 years old and weight 110 pounds or more. Call the Tioga County Chapter of the Red Cross at (570)724-2941 for more information and to schedule an appointment to donate.
• Edward Ryan, Criminal Justice, and Mark Polonia, Multimedia Resources, have produced a series of 11 videotapes in criminal justice. The tapes consist of student debates, lectures on corrections and criminology, role plays in forensic counseling by students and an international conference on terrorism. The tapes are available for educational purposes. Call ext. 4680 for more information.
• The Center for Lifelong Learning is offering two 30-hour courses to prepare applicants to take the state real estate exam. For more information call ext. 4851.

SPORTS UPDATE

     The men’s and women’s basketball teams both opened PSAC East play with wins over East Stroudsburg Wednesday at Decker Gymnasium.
     Damoun Lopez led six players scoring in double figures with 18 points as the Mountaineer men edged the Warriors 89-85. Tommy Harvey added 17 to move into second place on MU’s all-time scoring list with 1,533 points. He needs 92 points to become the school’s all-time leading scorer. The Mounties are now 10-3 on the season.
     The MU women staged a second half rally to top East Stroudsburg 59-53 in their conference opener. Heather Nichols led the Mountaineers with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Mounties are now 3 and 9.
     Mansfield hosts West Chester on Saturday. The women’s game starts at 1 p.m. and the men follow at 3 p.m.
     The swimming team sees its first action of the New Year on Saturday, travelling to Edinboro.

LIBRARY LISTINGS

These bestsellers are now on the shelves at North Hall:

Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson
John Glenn: A Memoir by John Glenn with Nick Taylor

THE BOTTOM LINE

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
--Martin Luther King Jr.