Volume 31, No.24
March 17, 2000
Contact: Terry Day (570) 662-4844
tday@mnsfld.edu             

Excerpts of President Halstead’s Remarks to the Faculty Assembly, March 15

     There will be a change in the General Education program by fall 2001. I have strong confidence in you, the faculty, to design and implement the new Gen Ed requirements in a timely way--after all, the curriculum is the purview of the faculty. As an institution, we need closure on this important issue to move on to other academic priorities such as new programs, academic standards, faculty scholarship and Middle States accreditation.
     Therefore, I am announcing today my decision to phase-out our present  Gen Ed program and begin a new one fall 2001. The fact that I am making this statement should come as no surprise as General Education has been a priority in my past remarks at Faculty Assembly, Fall Convocation, the beginning-of-the-year breakfast as part of University Days, and during my inaugural address last April.
     Again, this decision is made with my full confidence and continued support for shared governance, particularly my confidence that you, the faculty—as is your proper role—will develop the final plan. It is my understanding that you will use the normal academic mechanisms of AAC, APC, University Senate—and a faculty implementation committee which I will appoint shortly—to get a final proposal to me from the Senate by mid-Fall, 2000 to assure an orderly transition.
     Our students deserve no less. Let’s get it done together!

Minimum Message, Maximum Exposure

     While thousands of college students headed for the beach over spring break MU Student Cheryl Costas went to the White House. The sophomore from Canton, PA spent the week working, except for one 24-hour period that still has her head spinning.
     Costas was selected by the AFL-CIO to represent the millions of Americans trying to survive on minimum wage. President Clinton’s bill to raise the minimum wage has passed the House of Representatives and is now being considered by the Senate. A Rose Garden ceremony was planned to help promote the plan. Costas got the call that she was wanted in Washington at 8:30 last Tuesday morning and she was on a plane at 4:30 that afternoon. This was also her first-ever plane flight. "It was like a dream," she said.
     Cheryl Costas’ real dream was to deliver a message to anyone who would listen about the plight of poverty level families. The mother of four, whose husband is disabled, worked three part-time jobs at one time and now handles one full-time as a grocery clerk while carrying a full course load at MU. "Raising the minimum wage to $6.15 an hour may not seem like a lot, and it may not solve all the problems, but it will definitely help get some bills paid and put food on the table," she told the White House Assembly. "It is hard to realize how much this means to us, unless you have lived the life of making the minimum wage."
     President Clinton praised Costas repeatedly in his comments. "What else can you ask this woman to do?" he said. "She’s kept her family together. Her husband has a disability, she’s supporting four children. She’s going to school full-time. Now, how can Congress justify saying no to her?"
     Politics aside she hopes her message is received and the minimum wage is raised, but escaping the kinds of jobs she has done for 22 years is the reason Costas is at Mansfield. With her criminal justice administration degree she plans on being able to provide a better living for her family. "Not having to tell my kids, I’m sorry, there isn’t enough money to buy you new clothes, would be great," she says.
     As for her trip to the White House Costas still has a hard time believing she really did it. She has plenty of pictures, taken by fellow MU student Gail Van Cise who accompanied her. She spent 15 minutes in the oval office talking with the President and several Senators before walking to the Rose Garden along side Clinton for the ceremonies.
     Seeing your picture in the New York Times and having the President of the United States call you "an inspiration to the country" is not a bad way to spend part of your spring break. But for Cheryl Costas the real dream will come, she says, when she receives her Mansfield degree.

A Different Drum

     Sight, sound and spectacle will blend in a dynamic show when the award winning Empire Statesmen present a variety show on Saturday, March 18, 4 p.m. in Mansfield University’s Straughn Hall. The show will feature a special performance by the MU Jazz Ensemble.
     The Empire Statesmen, an internationally known drum and bugle corp from Rochester, NY, were recently named "The Drum Corp of the Decade." The group travels during the summer to compete against the top drum corps on the east coast of the United States and in Canada, and have also performed in Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda and England.
     The variety show is filled with music, dance and laughs for the entire family. The Statesmen will perform selections from Phantom of the Opera and A Chorus Line, as well as other tunes like Elk’s Parade and I Go To Rio. There will also be appearances by the indoor colorguard and dance solos.
     The MU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Michael Galloway, will add to the evening’s entertainment with a special performance.
     Tickets for the Empire Statesmen are $5 for adults, $3 senior citizens and students, $2 for MU students with ID. Children, ages 10 and under, are free. All proceeds benefit the MU Bands.

Legally Speaking

     Associate Justice Ralph P. Cappy of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will be the featured speaker at the inaugural George P. Maxey Lecture Monday, March 27 in Manser Hall at 6:30 p.m.
     The lecture will recognize Mansfield University's outstanding criminal justice administration and social work majors. Judge John Leete of Coudersport, a criminal justice administration instructor at MU, will talk about Maxey, and MU President John Halstead will host the event.
     One of the most distinguished graduates of Mansfield, Maxey also earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1913, he was elected the district attorney of Lackawanna County and in 1934 was elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In 1943, Maxey was elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and served in that capacity until his death in 1950.
     "Maxey, coming from a local mining family and accomplishing everything that he did, is an inspiration for our current students, no matter what background they have," said Dr. Gale Largey, professor of social work, anthropology and sociology at MU. "He played a key role in gaining the right to unionize for employees, and was a champion of civil rights."
     Cappy earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965, and his juris doctor degree from the Pittsburgh School of Law in 1968. He served as the public defender of Allegheny County and as a Judge for the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County before assuming his current position.
     The lecture and dinner is open to the public, with a charge of $15 for adults and $5 for students. Seating is limited. To make reservations, call Mark Robarge at x4493, or Nancy Sidell at x4489.

All That Jazz

     The 18th annual MU Jazz Festival Concert will be held Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
     Sponsored by the Music Department and the MU chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators the concert will feature the MU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Michael Galloway, and this year's guest artists, The Mike Holober Quintet with jazz great Tom Harrell on trumpet.
     This will be pianist Holober's second visit to Mansfield, this time with a completely new quintet. Holober continues to gain widespread recognition on the contemporary jazz scene as a versatile pianist and an imaginative composer. He has an all-star quintet for the MU Festival.
     At the top of the list is trumpeter Tom Harrell. Phil Woods calls him "The best musician I've encountered in 40 years of playing music." Harrell has performed and recorded with the top names in jazz, including Woods, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans, the Mel Lewis Orchestra, Charlie Haden and Lee Konitz.
     The rest of the quintet has equally strong credentials. Saxophonist Tim Ries has performed with Dave Liebman, Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard, Red Garland, Maria Schneider and Donald Byrd. His recording and performance credits include work with such diverse talents as Donald Fagan, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Incognito, Blood Sweat and Tears, Bob Belden, David Lee Roth and The Rolling Stones.
     Since arriving in New York in 1988, Scott Colley has been one of the most in-demand bassists on the jazz scene, supplying driving momentum behind a variety of players from guitarists Jim Hall, Mike Stern, Pat Metheny and John Scofield to saxophonists Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson and Clifford Jordan, pianists Kenny Werner, Andrew Hill and Fred Hersch, and drummers Brian Blade and Billy Hart.
     Drummer John Riley’s career includes gigs and recordings with artists such as John Scofield, Mike Stern, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Miles Davis. He currently performs with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Bob Mintzer, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and Gary Peacock.
     One of the top jazz ensemble in the region, the MU Jazz Ensemble regularly presents concerts on campus and is a frequent guest at schools and various functions in the Twin Tiers. Later this year the group will appear as guests at the District VIII Jazz Festival in Sayre, PA. The Jazz Ensemble tours annually, and will soon be releasing its third CD to accompany previous releases, "Strike Up The Band" and "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big."
     Tickets for the concert are $5 for adults, $3 for students. For information call x4710.

STUDENT SCENE

Paul Kile, Rich Lupinsky and Shaker Ramasamy represented MU at the Pennsylvania State Badminton Championships at Reading on March 4. Ramasamy, MU club advisor, and Pat O'Neil from Penn State won the C division in men's doubles. The Mansfield club will hosts a tournament on March 25.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Music Department will present a concert featuring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach on Friday, March 24, 8 p.m. in Steadman Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public.
• Applications for the position of Director of the Center For Effective Teaching are now being accepted. The position is for 2000-20002 at a minimum and there is ¼ re-assigned time associated with the position. Applicants are asked to submit their vita and a detailed letter outlining the goals one would have for the Center, the applicant's qualifications which would contribute to the success of those goals, and activities which might be sponsored by the Center for Effective Teaching. Applicants also must submit three letters of recommendation from faculty colleagues. The deadline for applications is April 5, 1 p.m. Send application materials to Sandra Linck, Associate Provost, 509 North Hall.
• Spring Commencement will be held Saturday, May 6, 11 a.m. Faculty, staff and master’s candidates must place orders with the bookstore for their academic attire by March 24. Undergraduate candidates and music therapy certificate recipients are not required to order attire. The bookstore will have their regalia ready for pick-up after April 21. Potential graduates should contact the Records Office, South Hall 112, regarding their graduation and honors eligibility status. The commencement program will include the level of honors achievement. During the ceremony the Herald will acknowledge honors recipients. Any MU employee wishing to present diploma cases to a graduating spouse or child should notify Mary Lou Stroud, North Hall 512, immediately to make their arrangements. Call x4355 for more information.
• The campus bookstore is holding a moving sale. All clothing and supplies are 20 percent off. Over 2,000 books- paperbacks, reference and old textbooks-are on sale for $1. The sale will continue until the bookstore moves to its new location in Alumni Hall.
• The Center for Lifelong Learning is offering three computer workshops for business and home; Introduction to Windows 95 on March 25, Word Processing on April 8 and Create a Web Page on April 29. All workshops are held in 207 Simon Elliott and taught by Jane Baney. The cost is $50 per workshop. For information call x4851.

LIBRARY LISTINGS

THE BOTTOM LINE

"If I went back to college again, I'd concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively."
--Gerald R. Ford