Those of us who knew Alvin Clinkscales are mourning his passing today. He was a special man who certainly made a difference in the lives of the people here. He was especially beloved by the students—in particular the many athletes he mentored. His funeral will take place here in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit tomorrow morning at 10. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and colleagues during this time of loss.
This week, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we commemorated the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Those who attended saw the documentary film Defiant Requiem, the story of a group of Jewish prisoners—most doomed to die in the gas chambers at Auschwitz—who while at the Czech prison camp of Terezín in 1944 performed Verdi's Requiem before the very Nazis who had condemned them to death. The piece, which was originally intended as a musical rendition of the Catholic funeral mass had been turned by Czech opera-choral conductor Rafael Schächter into a proclamation of the prisoners’ unbroken spirit and a warning of God’s coming wrath against their captors. It was also our honor to host Murry Sidler, who went to Terezín with a full orchestra and the Catholic University of America’s chorale ensemble—along with surviving members of Schächter's chorus—to perform the Requiem in tribute to those who first sang it there. The program was completed by the beautiful music of members of our own SHU choirs.
You would have to be living under a rock not to know about our double fumble return for a touchdown against Monmouth last weekend and the video of the play that went viral, garnering more than two million hits on YouTube this week. Congratulations to SHU’s Big Red Sports team, made up of undergrads in the communications program, MACOMM grad students and MACOMM alumni, for capturing the play and splicing the various angles into a video that not only went viral, but was seen on ESPN’s Sports Center, Fox Sports and Eyewitness News just to name a few. Thanks also to Paul Pabst and Bobby Valentine for using their great connections to get the word out about this spectacular play. And did I mention Moses Webb who exemplified our pioneering spirit in his refusal to give up on the play until he was in the end zone? Well done, all!
If you haven’t seen the latest issue of our University magazine, you should check it out. This issue—commemorating our 50th anniversary—could be the best one yet. For starters, the cover is a four-panel pullout of Nathan Lewis’ “Spirit of SHU” mural. Inside there are highlights from our 50-year history, an excerpt from Dr. Higgins’ “1963” book, profiles of legacy families and much more. You can see the electronic version here. Thanks to the Marketing and Communications folks for their great work.
Last Saturday, approximately 20 of our student-athletes and Bobby Valentine headed to Ninety Acres Park right down the street off Park Avenue to help a local Boy Scout troop rake the park and clean up garbage. This was part of the SHU-North End Partnership that was facilitated by Bridgeport City Council members Michelle Lyons and Thomas McCarthy. Our students had a great time interacting with the Bridgeport City workers and Michelle Lyons, and a lot of work was accomplished. Thanks to Tom Bovino ’15 for organizing the effort on our end.
The Jail N’ Bail fundraiser was back this year to raise money for Special Olympics of Connecticut. Organized by John Kichinko of Public Safety, with plenty of help from the SHU community and beyond, the event raised $5,300. I hope everyone had a great time. My thanks to all who filled out warrants and/or raised bail for this great cause.
A huge congratulations to the women’s cross country team on winning the 2013 Northeast Conference Championship last Saturday. Next up for the team is the NCAA Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx next Friday. We wish them the best of luck.
Those of you who drive on campus may have noticed the addition of several speed bumps. Let them serve as a reminder to all of us that driving a bit more slowly will not make a difference in when we get to where we’re going, but it may just possibly prevent injury to a member of our community. Thanks for your patience.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, you have plenty of options. The women’s basketball team is playing St. John’s at home this evening at 7 in the Pitt Center. Tomorrow, the football team takes on Duquesne at noon as they continue their quest for an NEC championship. Tomorrow night, the men’s basketball team is at the Webster Bank Arena to take on crosstown rival Fairfield University. If you are more interested in the arts than sports, plan to attend the Missa Gaia concert Saturday night. The program, which celebrates creation, will include the recorded sounds of whales, wolves, birds, and seals along with the beautiful voices of our own choirs.
Whatever you decide to do, have a safe and relaxing weekend!