Volume 31, No.2
September 3, 1999
Contact: Terry Day (570) 662-4844
tday@mnsfld.edu
The 143rd academic year began Monday with the annual convocation ceremony. A sunny sky seemed to signal the optimism of the new beginning as the faculty processed across campus in full academic regalia.
After the procession the faculty, staff and students gathered in Straughn Hall where President John R. Halstead told the audience that Mansfield is "a great place with great people and a great future. Get to know your university and be an advocate, a champion, for its values." Halstead said.
Halstead also urged the assembly to take learning seriously by professing its importance and by creating a scholarship of teaching.
Dr. Janis Floyd, who joined the MU Education and Special Education Department in 1994, spoke on the importance of lifelong learning. She told the audience that she grew up in the '50s and 60's during segregation. "My grandmother told me to ‘get all the learning you can because they can't take that from you.’" Floyd voluntarily attended two kindergarten classes a day, which set a pattern for learning throughout her life.
In high school she and friends decided they wanted to visit Africa. The group raised money, formed an entertainment troupe and traveled to Africa where they entertained at various venues for three weeks. "It was an education for me," she said. "I learned that Africa is not the way it was portrayed in Tarzan movies, that people lived in houses, drank Coca Cola,and had cars. Wild animals were in zoos and preserves and didn't roam the streets."
She gave students several pieces of advice. Among them were: "Take risks. Don't let others define your boundaries; Know the history of this university, this town, county and region; Take hold of knowledge. Knowledge is power. It's a lifelong pursuit, and no one can take it from you."
MU welcomes nearly 1,000 new students this year, one of the largest incoming classes in two decades.
New Faculty Named
Eleven new full-time, tenure tracked faculty members join the MU community for the 1999-2000 school year.
They are: Jane Benjamin, Education and Special Education; Frank Chua, History; John Crossen, Languages and Literature; Andrew Gaskievicz, History; Shellie Gregorich, Music;Vincent Jenkins, Academic and Human Development; Lou Labuski-Brown, Academic and Human Development; Linda Rashidi, Language and Literature; Mark-Daniel Schmid, Music; Matthew Syrett, Library; Kathryn Sue Young, Communication and Theatre.
Storytelling '99 Features Top Tale Tellers
It's hilarious! It's serious! It's dramatic and thought provoking! It's a world of stories in an evening.
The Northern Appalachian Storytelling Festival (NASF) is celebrating its 19th year with one of the best and most varied group of performers to appear together on the Straughn Hall stage from Friday, September 17 to Sunday, September 19. NASF has developed a reputation as one of the "finest storytelling festivals in the United States."said Dennis Miller, director of Public Relations.
This year's performers include Donald Davis, Elizabeth Ellis, Ed Stivender, Almeta Whitis and Dovie Thomason. Feature shows are $7 general, $6 for students and seniors. Ghost story show is $3 for everyone. Saturday afternoon shows are $5 for everyone. For persons interested in the art of storytelling, Donald Davis will conduct a two-day workshop for adult storytellers Thursday & Friday, Sept.16-17. Tuition is $135. Elizabeth Ellis and Almeta Whitis will teach Master classes on Saturday, Sept. 18. Fee is $35 each or $60 for both sessions.
Call 570-662-4781 for information or reservations or visit the Storytelling website at http://www.wso.net/storyfest
Grant Recipients Honored
A reception to honor grant recipients for the 1998-99 school year was held on Friday, August 27 in the North Hall Traditional Reading Room. President Halstead presented certificates of appreciation to the faculty and students whose projects, research and programs resulted in funding.
A school record of nearly $1.4 million dollars in external grants was raised last year. Projects involving faculty research, faculty-student research, laboratory improvements, education and training programs and public service programs received grants. The University Faculty Professional Development Committee and the MU Foundation, Inc. awarded internal grants to faculty and students for research, conference presentations, library collection development and curriculum development projects.
Teresa Whitt, Education and Special Education, presented a lecture on school violence at the 32nd annual Special Education Conference in South Carolina this spring. Whitt’s lecture focused on the need to teach students to develop intrapersonal skills needed for self-discipline, interpersonal communication skills, skills needed to diffuse and avoid conflict and learning to accept and respect the diversity of others.
Kenneth Sarch, Music conducted two of his string orchestra works at East Mecklenburg H.S. in Charlotte, N.C. this spring. He conducted the Colonial Williamsburg Suite, which is now being published, and an Arabic dance, which will be published next year. Sarch also adjudicated the annual Texas Music Educators Solo and Ensemble Festival at the University of Texas at Austin this spring. The event attracted more than 16,000 students from Texas and music professors from all over the country.
Jay Gertzman, English, presented his paper "Modernist Publishing, Censorship and ‘Being false to Your Gods’: D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Seltzer, a ‘Risky Little Jew’" at the International D.H. Lawrence Conference in Paris, France this summer. Gertzman also had his paper "New Letters from Thomas Seltzer and Robert Mountsier to D.H. Lawrence" published.
Larry Uffelman, English, presented a paper, "Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South: the Novel in Progress," at a conference dealing with "Victorian Publishers and Publishing," sponsored by the Gaskell Society in London, England this summer.
The field hockey team opened the 1999 season Wednesday with a 5-3 win over Mercyhurst College at Spaulding Field. Freshman Gretchen Reshke scored two goals and added one assist in her first collegiate game and junior Jamie Huffcut scored two goals, including the game winner. The Mountaineers continue their season opening homestand on Friday, September 10 against Marywood.
The football team kicks off the 106th home opener when it hosts
WestLiberty (WV) State College at Karl Van Norman Field starting at 1 p.m. Fifth year head
coach Joe Viadella is looking to get the season off to a positive start and revenge last
year's opening game 33-27 setback at West Liberty.
Jim Taylor's men's and women's cross-country teams will take to the
fields for the first time this season when they travel to SUNY-Brockport this Saturday.
Fans can catch a glimpse of the baseball team when it plays its annual 100 inning game this Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at Shaute Field. The team then travels to Ithaca for a single game Sunday morning.
"Live as if your were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever."
--Mahatma Gandhi