Volume 29, No. 5
September 19, 1997
Scott A. Miller
Contact: MU PR Office 662-4844
NEWS
1890's Weekend: Fun for the whole family
The Fabulous 1890's Weekend returns for its sixth year Sept. 25-27, bringing fabulous fireworks, a one-of-a-kind parade, the old west and the world's first night football game to life in Mansfield.
The gala Weekend revolves around the fact that the world's first night football game was played in Mansfield on September 28, 1892. The match pitted Mansfield University against Wyoming Seminary and was one of the highlights of the Great Mansfield Fair.
To celebrate this historic event, the university, the Chamber of Commerce and the entire community join forces to create a colorful family weekend.
This year's Fabulous 1890's Weekend begins Thursday, Sept. 25, with an old time Tabernacle Service sponsored by the Mansfield Ministerium on Smythe Park.
A new feature this year will be events in town all day Friday, sponsored by Mansfield's downtown merchants. The events include an 1890's school room, Victorian games for children, a blacksmith demonstration, sidewalk sales and 1890's snacks, a honey demonstration, Victorian farmer's market with horses, Candle-making demonstration, an herb shop, restaurants serving Victorian period food, and a Victorian photo booth sponsored by Photos by Dart.
Friday night will include crafts, food, music, soccer games and an old west re-creation in Smythe Park.
The Weekend moves into full swing Saturday with the Fabulous 1890's Motorless Parade at 11 a.m. According to 1890's Cochair Dennis Miller the unique aspect of the parade is that there are no motors. "Everything is horse or people driven," he said. "The parade has gained a reputation for its dignity and its color." Costumes from the 1800's, horses, magnificent carriages and marching bands bring back the flavor of the 1890's. The parade is sponsored by CoreStates Bank.
Other activities include:
Balloon Rally. Experience the breathtaking beauty of the graceful balloons floating up and over the rolling Pennsylvania mountains. Better yet, sign up for a ride . It's an experience you won't forget. Balloons fly at dawn and dusk, weather permitting.
1890's Football Re-enactment. Members of Alpha Chi Rho have the only team in the world that can accurately re-create football the way it was played in the 1890's. It's rugged, fast-paced, and often humorous. Find out why it was called "the killer sport." This is the only place in the world where this historical re-creation can be seen.
Fabulous Fireworks. Commemorating Mansfield's role in America's history, the 1890's fireworks have gained a reputation for being intense and grand.
Aimed West! The West was still wild in the 1890' and the Tioga Valley Saddle Club adds some western flavor with cowboys, dance hall girls, a soft drink saloon and a variety of activities, including horse rides for the kids.
Family Entertainment. The Seneca Moon String Band will perform songs that hearken back to our cultural heritage. The group's five musicians play more than 40 instruments and are fun for the whole family, Miller said. The ever-popular Professor Marvel will be back by popular demand. Banjo players, storytellers who bring life to our regional heritage, magicians and clowns will round out the day-long series of shows in two tents and on the grounds. "The family-oriented entertainment creates a leisurely, fun day as you experience the color and friendliness of Mansfield in the 1890's," Miller said.
Children's Area. To give parents time to leisurely shop at all the craft booths, the 1890's Weekend provides a fully supervised children's area with games and activities. The popular area is sponsored by the Laurel Health System.
Fabulous 1890's Duck Race. Sponsored by the Mansfield Kiwanis Club, this fund raiser for charity has grown each year both in participation and prizes. This year the drawing will be done on the grounds so you can be part of the excitement!
A $2 Fabulous 1890's button provides admission to all the Weekend's events. In addition to the above sponsors, The Weekend is made possible by a generous grant from CoreStates Bank, Pepsi-Cola and The Mansfield University All-Residence Hall Council, Laurel Health Systems, as well as all The campus and community groups who volunteer their time.
Lecture series opens with Internet censorship talk
The MU Lecture Series will look at Internet censorship as corporate conspiracy, racial politics and Nazi Germany, religious liberty at the Millennium, and the natural world with five free lectures this fall.
The series opens with the topic "Moral Panic and Internet Censorship: the Communications Decency Act and Its Aftermath" Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 3:30 p.m. in Manser Hall's North Dining Room.
Lloyd Stires, a member of the psychology department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania will review events leading to the passage of the Communications Decency Act and discuss the resolution of the American Civil Liberties Union's legal challenge to the legislation by the Supreme Court. He will argue that banning "indecency" on the Internet is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment rights of children and adults. He will further argue that a moral panic over pornography on the Internet is part of a larger strategy of media corporations and government to gain economic and political control of cyberspace.
Other lectures include:
All events are prepared for a general audience. Refreshments and informal discussion will follow each event. The University Lecture Series is sponsored by the Provost's Office at MU.
Faculty grant opportunities announced
The MU Faculty Professional Development Committee will soon announce grant opportunities for 1997. Packets containing grant guidelines and application materials will be sent to all faculty and selected staff members by the week of September 22.
The grant opportunities for fall 1997 include the SSHE Faculty Professional Development Council grant categories, the MU Faculty Professional Development Committee grant categories, and the SSHE Social Equity grant categories.
This year, the MU Faculty Professional Development Committee has added a new category and additional funding for Curriculum Enrichment Projects.
The various grants have different deadlines so grant seekers should check the calendar in the packet for important dates. A workshop is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9, at 3:30 pm in 204 Memorial to assist grant seekers with proposal preparation.
Questions may also be directed to Walter Sanders, MU Faculty Professional Development Committee chairperson at 4592, or Betsy Brune, Grants Development Director at 4809.
Saturday, Sept. 27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Steadman. Kathy Robinson of Temple University will present a workshop on Multicultural Music Education. Robinson is a nationally know music educator. She most recently was a guest teacher in South Africa. Her session will focus on children's games from Ghana. there is a small fee to students and faculty. For information, contact Rob Amchin, music, at 4712.
Have an Updater announcement? Send it to Scott A. Miller
Helen Biblehimer, health sciences, and Ed Washington, English, represented MU at the State System of Higher Education's 1997 Summer Academy for Teaching. the week-long conference provided intensive exposure to contemporary theories and practices related to college teaching.
The field hockey team won its home opener against Marywood University Tuesday afternoon by a score of 3-2. The win evened MU's record at 1-1. Mansfield scored first at the 20:55 mark of the first half on a goal by Christy Sunchych on an assist by Heather Dittman. Marywood answered at the 10:14 mark. Mansfield retook the lead in the second half on a goal by Jamie Huffcut with an assist from Tandy Carey. Mansfield added an insurance goal at the 27:43 mark on a goal by Shanna Vitale (Kristen Dunton). Mansfield will travel to SUNY-Albany on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. game.
Freshman Brianne Liddick was the 12th place overall finisher at the 7th Annual Pat Peterson Invitational cross-country race hosted by SUNY-Oswego. Liddick, a Elmira Southside graduate, crossed the line with a time of 19:55 in the 5K women's event. Liddick was the top finisher for the Mountaineers and also won last week's meet with Baptist Bible College.
The football team gave Westminster College, the fifth-ranked NAIA team in the country, all it could handle in the first half before falling 34-12. The Mountaineers would jump out to a 6-0 lead when senior quarterback Mike Keating capped off a 13-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard run with 7:34 left in the first quarter. Randy Teter's extra point kick failed but he would add field goals of 37 and 39 yards to complete MU's scoring on the day. MU led 9-6 at the half. Senior Jason Donadi ran for 111-yards, 90 of them in the first half, on 21 carries and picked up another 85 yards in kickoff return yards to lead the Mountaineers. Donadi moved into fifth place on the all-time MU rushing list with 1,787 yards. The Mountaineers, now 0-2, host Ithaca on Saturday at 1 p.m.