Volume 31, No.18
February 4, 2000
Contact: Terry Day (570) 662-4844
tday@mnsfld.edu         

Move Over Molly

     After 12 years of dedicated service to Mansfield University "Molly," the campus voicemail system, is being retired. "Molly" will be replaced by a state-of-the-art system, which should be fully operational on Monday, February 21.
     During the week of February 14 the Information Technology Department will hold training classes on the new system. Classes will be held daily at 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Alumni Hall board room. In addition to some hands-on experience with the new voicemail system, you will learn how to set up your mailbox, record a greeting and have your questions answered by the experts.
     Class size will be limited so advance registration is required. Call x4841 to sign-up or x4834 with any other questions about the conversion. "Molly" will stay on line to answer calls until February 24.

Baltimore Bound

     The Mansfield University Concert Choir, under the direction of Peggy Dettwiler, will perform at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Convention February 16-17 in Baltimore, MD. It is one of two university choirs from the 12-state eastern division invited to perform. Approximately 800 choral directors will attend.
     The Concert Choir will present two performances. On Wednesday, February 16 it will perform at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. The choir's convention performance will be held on Thursday, February 17 in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.
     The Choir’s program will include selections from the Renaissance to the 20th Century, from the motet to the spiritual. Performing in four different languages, the Choir will present works by Sweelinck, Bach, Hogan, Gavilan, Wehi, Ellington and others. The featured selection is a powerfully expressive composition by Norman Dinerstein, When David Heard, which describes the grief of King David upon the death of his son, Absalom.
     The 48-member group has been invited by taped audition each of the last eight years to perform at state, regional, national, or international choral conventions. The choir toured Europe in 1996 and 1999 and has produced two CD recordings.

Love Of Music

     Two things come to mind when people think about February in the Twin Tiers. Valentine’s Day and the Mansfield University Music Department’s annual Pops Concert. This year’s Pops Concert will take place on Sunday, February 13, at 3 p.m. in Steadman Theatre. The concert will feature the MU Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Kenneth Sarch, and the MU Concert Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Adam Brennan.
     This year’s theme is a salute to America and a centennial celebration of one of America’s greatest composers, Aaron Copland. The Orchestra will play selections including American Patrol, and Copland’s John Henry. It will also perform selections from Fiddler on the Roof in a tribute to American musical theatre and The Syncopated Clock by American composer Leroy Anderson. The rousing Bugler’s Holiday will feature three outstanding trumpet soloists.
     The Concert Wind Ensemble will open the program with Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Outdoor Overture. Other selections by the Wind Ensemble will include pictures of Americana through works such as Heart of America, Second American Folk Rhapsody and An American In Paris. The concert will close with a combined performance by the Orchestra and Wind Ensemble in John Phillip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever.
     The MU Symphony is made up of music majors along with several community musicians. The orchestra tours annually. This year’s performances include stops at Lycoming College, Hanover High School and the State Capitol in Harrisburg.
     The MU Concert Wind Ensemble is known for its deeply musical and intense interpretations of cutting edge literature for the wind band. The Ensemble has become widely recognized as one of the finest musical ensembles in the East. Future performances by the Ensemble include a student conductor’s concert in February and a concert in April in which the group will perform A Child’s Garden of Dreams by David Maslanka.
     Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students. MU Students with ID are $1.

Louise Sullivan-Blum, Languages and Literature, has had her memoir accepted for publication by the University of Wisconsin Press. The memoir, currently titled A Lesbian in God's Country, deals with her experiences living in rural Pennsylvania as a lesbian and becoming pregnant by alternative insemination, and will appear in Spring 2001.

STUDENT SCENE

     The MU Forensic Team started the semester off by capturing the Travelling Trophy at the Binghamton University Southern Tier Classic January 29-30. The Travelling Trophy is awarded each year to a team that, over time, demonstrates consistent winning at the tournament. This year, under the direction of Sharon Carrish, Communication and Theatre, Mansfield finished third in the 12-team field. Leading the way for MU was Darren DeVoue who took first place in poetry interpretation and improvisational pairs, which teams students from different teams together. He also finished second in dramatic interpretation and captured third place in pentathlon, which is the competition for best overall performer. Carl Madonna brought home second place honors in persuasive speaking, third in improvisational pairs and teamed with DeVoue for fourth and Kari Weller for sixth in dramatic duo interpretation. Karen Holgate took second in improvisational pairs, fifth in prose interpretation and finished sixth in special extemporaneous speaking and dramatic interpretation. Jan’ell Natson scored a fifth place finish in dramatic interpretation and improvisational pairs and a sixth in prose interpretation. Heather Borden finished sixth in informative speaking.
     Andrew Longoria, Communication and Theatre, took students Jonmichael Brennan, Jedediah Lane Linsley, Katie Mason, Marissa Mickelberg, Sarah Sperling, and Joe Cetta to the Region II Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival at Clarion University January 11-16. Mason, Mickelberg, and Sperling were nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan scholarship competition. Brennan, Linsley, and Cetta served as audition partners. MU was also invited to portray a scene from its latest production, Christopher Kyle's The Monogamist, for presentation. The festival included theatre workshops and several regional productions.
     The Mansfield badminton team had a good showing at the Crystal City Open in Corning January 29. Paul Kile defeated teammate Rich Lupinsky in the men’s D singles final. John Walzer and Lucas Jones defeated Yip Meow and Lupinsky in men’s doubles. With his normal doubles partner unavailable, Club Advisor Shaker Ramasamy, Chemistry and Physics, teamed with female player Darlene Squires of Bath, NY for second place in men’s B doubles. Ramasamy also took second in men’s B singles.

Julie McIntyre has been promoted from nine month to 12 month Admissions Counselor.
Nancy Christman has been appointed Program Coordinator for the Tioga County Health Survey.
Michael Cerasuolo has been appointed Assistant Football Coach.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Mansfield students are reaching out to help their peers affected by last month’s tragic residence hall fire at Seton Hall. On Monday, February 7, 9-11 p.m. in the Cedarcrest Recreation Room the Cedarcrest Hall Council will host a night of games, food, and socializing to help benefit the students who lost their possessions in the fire. To help this cause the Cedarcrest "Snack Shack" will be open and 25 percent of the profits from the evening will be donated to the Seton Hall students. Any and all donations are welcome. For more information call Joe Miller at x4938.
• Students are needed for the MU accreditation study. The self-study, which begins with a planning process this semester, will not be completed until spring 2002. Students who can serve for the full period will be given preference. Faculty are encouraged to announce this opportunity to their students. Interested students need to send a letter expressing their interest and describing the skills they would bring to the process to Dr. Peter A. Keller, Middle States Accreditation Self-Study Coordinator, c/o Department of Psychology, 407 South Hall. Students who have a resume should include it. Materials are to be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than February 10. Questions may be directed to Keller at x4772.
• The Center for Lifelong Learning starts its Saturday Art Series on February 5 with Painting, instructed by Mindy Kahl. On February 19 Leslie Kramer will teach Printmaking. Ruth Anne Miller will teach Fibers on February 12 and Crafts on March 4. There will be two classes on February 26: Panorama View of Art History with Bonnie Kutbay and a Multicultural Slide Series with JoAnne McGee. Registration is limited for all classes. Call x4851 for information.
• The theatrical group, SST Communications, will perform Thursday February 17, 1 p.m. in Manser North Dining Hall. The subject of the presentation is "More Than A Misunderstanding: Sexual Harassment on Campus." The program is free and open to all campus community members. SST presents serious topics in a dramatic, fun and hard-hitting way. The presentation is sponsored by the Human Resources Department, MU Affirmative Action and the President's Advisory Board for Diversity.
• The Office of Student Affairs wants everyone to start thinking about next fall and mark your calendars with these important dates. Opening Weekend: August 26-27, Storytelling Festival: September 20-23, Fabulous 1890's Weekend and Parents/Family Day 1: September 29-30, Homecoming: October 7, Fall Break: October 14-17, Fall Foliage Weekend and Parents Family Day 2: October 21.

SPORTS UPDATE

     Senior guard Tommy Harvey scored 17 points to break Mansfield University's career scoring record with 1,629 points, but Mansfield University lost 98-91 to visiting Kutztown Wednesday evening in a PSAC game.
     Harvey, who needed 13 points coming into the game to break the record, set the new mark with a layup in traffic with 3:19 to play. The men lost to Millersville Saturday, 71-68.
     The women's basketball team lost Saturday to Millersville, 87-61, despite 16 points from sophomore Allyson Buss. The Mounties played first-place Kutztown University tough Wednesday, but fell 71-57 despite 13 points each from sisters Jen and Heather Nichols. The swim team won its second-straight meet Saturday, 58-34 over Wells College, behind three first place finishes each by freshman Cristina Jacome and senior Jaime Ragukonis.
     The indoor track & field team competed at the Fourth Annual DuCharme Relays Saturday at Dickinson College, with the men's team winning the pole vault in team competition. Kyle Kintner cleared 13'6" in the pole vault.
     The Mountie women placed second in the pole vault, with Kim Carman clearing 7'6".

LIBRARY LISTINGS

These bestsellers are now on the shelves at North Hall:

False Memory by Dean Koontz
A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer

THE BOTTOM LINE

"Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights. It is the means to help our children and thereby increase self-respect. Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."
--Malcolm X