We continued to celebrate this week with two great 50th Anniversary events—the Religion & Immigration discussion “God’s Heart Has No Borders” on Tuesday and a showing of the showcase film from the ’70s, The Godfather, in the plaza outside the Edgerton on Thursday. The panel shared their thoughts on the obligations of Catholics to be inclusive—something that our new pope has had a lot to say about recently. With heat warmers and complimentary popcorn and pizza, the plaza is a great place to see a movie. Your last chance for this semester will be next Thursday with a showing of the ’80s showcase film, Rain Man.
The
Breads and Spreads program that was implemented by a group of students last
year kicked off this week with a discussion on being gay in a straight church.
Breads and Spreads is an opportunity for members of the community to share some
food and discuss timely issues facing the faithful in today’s world.
Congratulations
to SHU student Helen Serafini who will be competing for a place on the Olympic
figure skating team this weekend. We wish her the best of luck in this next
step on the road to Sochi, Russia.
Congratulations also to the Student Athletic Training Organization on raising more than $1,600 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during the Light the Night walk. More than 100 students participated in raising money for this important cause.
Barbara
Hill from ACE was here last week for her site visit and evaluation of our Study
Abroad program. She met with me and the rest of the senior leaders as well as
the project committee and provided some feedback and suggestions. The team is
excited to implement her ideas and begin to achieve the aggressive goals they
have set for themselves. We will continue to update you on their progress
throughout the year.
I had a chance this morning to stop by and meet John Maloney, winner of this year’s College of Health Professions Community Partner Award. John was a facilitator for the Outdoor Adventure Challenge Ropes Course at Winding Trails in Farmington until his retirement last year after 34 years of service. He developed and fostered a partnership with our physical therapy faculty to help our students transition into a demanding collaborative learning environment. Since then, students have attended Winding trails as part of their orientation experience. The award is given each year to an individual or corporation who has demonstrated exceptional collaboration to further the educational goals and mission of the College of Health Professions.
This is Family Weekend and some great activities have been
planned—everything from a Dueling Piano concert and bingo to my traditional
continental breakfast on Sunday before the Family Mass. I am looking forward to
meeting the families of our students throughout the weekend’s activities. A
highlight will be the Family Tailgate party and football game as the Pioneers
attempt to remain undefeated in a battle against the reigning NEC champs, Wagner.
There is also a tailgate party for faculty and staff. We are hoping for a big
crowd wearing a sea of red as the team attempts to go 6-0. Don’t forget to
gather at the Chapel 45 minutes before kickoff to pray for the team and march
up the hill with the band.
On Sunday, we will host the NEACAC (New England Association of College Admissions Counselors) Regional College Fair for the second consecutive year. We are expecting approximately 1,500 visitors from the area and throughout New England to attend. It is a great honor for us to be asked to host this fair two years in a row and an opportunity to show off our beautiful campus in this anniversary year. I encourage any faculty or staff who have children in the college search process to stop by the Pitt Center on Sunday.
Have a wonderful weekend with your families!