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I am always excited when I hear about students representing SHU with grace and generosity. Monday, I received an email from a parent touring the University with her daughter. She commended us for the actions of a student who paid for their lunch when she couldn’t use her credit card and was short of cash. It’s a small gesture, but it meant a lot to them. I appreciate the faculty and staff who are so generous and thoughtful, the students who demonstrate SHU’s welcoming nature and, especially, their parents, who instilled excellent values in them long before they became Pioneers. It was a wonderful beginning to the week.
Our students have also been giving compliments. This week, the SHU Panhellenic group hosted Confidence With Heart Week. Activities included giving out compliments, guest speakers, fitness and body image workshops and more. The program is part of a self confidence initiative sponsored nationwide by chapters of the Kappa Delta Foundation to empower and educate women. A big thanks to our students for a heartwarming display of solidarity.
The Farrington College of Education and the SHU Education Club hosted a technology conference in the Martire building on Monday. The conference featured Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Teachers, an organization that mentors financially challenged students to help them succeed in high school and beyond. Central High School students attended the event and learned about creating digital presentations, animation, apps and more.
Tuesday, professors Joe Carter, Ali Ryerson and Leco Reis filled the Chapel with jazz. They were joined by La Voz de Tres joined them in a presentation of traditional Latin American music, as well as original works. It’s delightful to hear that so many students attended to support their teachers, and I’m grateful to our faculty for sharing their creative gifts.
Wednesday was a day of remembrance. It was Veterans Day, and the class of 2017 took the opportunity to encourage students, faculty and staff to submit notes of gratitude to be mailed to the troops. We are grateful to all the armed forces—past and present—for their service and their courage.
Wednesday was also our annual Kristallnacht commemoration, where we reflect on the “night of broken glass,” that forecasted the Holocaust. It was a moving program as the choir performed beautifully, and local residents who survived the concentration camps lit candles in memory of those who were lost. Fairfield Rabbi Marcelo Kormis also reminded us of the lessons we can learn by continuing to remember and acknowledge these horrendous acts.
Wednesday was also a time for celebration. That afternoon, students treated classmates to a flash mob performance outside 63’s in honor of Diwali, the traditional Hindu festival of lights. Their performance was a delightful reminder of how our students use creativity to share their personal experiences, and it was just a preview of a larger Diwali celebration happening Saturday evening.
While our students celebrate foreign traditions like Diwali on campus, they also immerse themselves in other cultures by studying abroad. Next week, SHU participates in International Education Week to celebrate the adventures so many of our students experience. The Office of Global Affairs has planned events focused on foreign food, arts, academic opportunities and more. You can follow the activity on social media with hash tags #shuglobal and #IEWeek2015.
Thursday, the Jack Welch College of Business hosted Linda McMahon and Campbell Brown as part of Linda’s “Women Can Have It All” series. Campbell is a former CNN and NBC news anchor and the co-founder of the news site The 74, which focuses on childhood education. Together, she and Linda discussed perspectives on women in leadership and offered sound advice on how to make your dreams a reality. I thank them for taking time out of their busy lives to visit with our students and serve as role models to our future business leaders and journalists.
Last month, I wrote about biology professors Jennifer Mattei and Mark Beekey receiving a $148,000 grant to help them continue their coastal restoration work at Stratford Point. I am happy to report that a formal announcement of the award was made Thursday at a ceremony celebrating the achievement. In addition to representatives from SHU and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and several other local politicians attended to show support. Congratulations again to Jennifer and Mark on their continued achievements.
Religious studies professor Christel Manning is also meeting with great success this week. Christel recently published her book Losing Our Religion: How Unaffiliated Parents Are Raising Their Children. The book explores how parents who don’t subscribe to a particular faith approach their children’s spiritual formation. The book has received wonderful coverage online. It’s great to once again see SHU faculty receiving national recognition for their work.
And while we are handing out kudos, I don’t want to forget to congratulate the faculty and staff of the master’s in finance and investment management program. They received word this week from the State of Connecticut that the MSFIM program has been officially designated a STEM program. That is great news for the Welch College of Business.
The weekend is full of activity for everyone at SHU. In addition to our athletes competing across the region, and the Diwali celebration kicking off International Education Week, SHU’s 4 Heart Harmony ensemble performs their Concert Against Bullying Saturday evening in the Chapel narthex. The concert is a tribute to the power of music has to help us overcome our differences, and I hope you attend to lend them your support.
On Sunday, we will host our largest-ever open house for prospective students and their families. More than 1,000 families have registered to attend. I know I can count on all of you to give all our visitors a warm welcome, answer their questions, tell them about our special community and show them SHU at its best.
After the past few rainy days, we can expect a little sun. Enjoy it, and have a great weekend.
The Halloween spirit lasted all weekend here at SHU. Sunday, students bid farewell to October with a pumpkin carving contest co-sponsored by campus ministry and Chartwells. The winner carved a great pumpkin featuring Charlie Brown, and there were six runners up. Father Buckles will cook dinner for them all. I congratulate all the students and hope the meal is delicious.
It’s always a delight to see our students thinking about how to engage with the world. This weekend, a group of students presented at the CT Campus Compact/Wesleyan University Social Justice Leadership Conference. Moderated by Matthew Kaye, director of SHU’s Office of Volunteer Programs and Service Learning, our student Pioneers held a panel discussion about their perspectives on international service programming. Many thanks to our students for their passionate service to others.
In that same spirit of giving, I want to encourage all of you to donate to our Thanksgiving Food Drive. You can donate non-perishable items to our Office of Volunteer Programs and Service Learning until November 17, or bring your donation to our Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on November 18 in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Student Government has also kicked off its annual turkey drive with a goal of providing 500 turkeys to our neighbors in need. No matter how you choose to give, I hope to see you in the Chapel for what promises to be a beautiful celebration.
Monday, NFL quarterback Jim Kelly met with the SHU community as part of our Student Affairs Lecture Series. During his talk, he explored what it means to be tough and live with courage. He shared his own experiences with toughness, from the obstacles he faced to achieve NFL stardom, to seeing his young son through a life-threatening disease. As we all work through personal difficulties, it’s encouraging to see an example of someone who has learned to tackle life’s troubles with grace.
Also on Monday, SHU was represented on MSNBC by Katie Burke, executive-in-residence at our School of Communication and Media Arts. She spoke on the network’s Morning Joe show during a discussion of young and rising personalities in the political field. Katie joined the University this fall, and we’re overjoyed with her contributions to the school.
The University also had a visit from faculty at Bergen University College in Norway. They got to know our faculty and worked to establish research partnerships, online learning opportunities, possible student exchange programs and more. Their visit to Pioneer Nation stems from SHU’s inclusion in a broader academic partnership with Norway. To our Norwegian friends, vi ses! I look forward to seeing what new opportunities will emerge for our students.
Recently, we received word that Julie Mujic, assistant professor of history, was published in The Atlantic, where she wrote about students’ educational opportunities. Her article explored the parallel topics of education reform and the way gaps in access to education sustain our country’s problem of income inequality. It’s a fascinating and heartbreaking look at how fear of those we don’t understand excludes individuals from access to opportunities they deserve. Thank you, Julie, for expanding education reform discussions on such a national scale.
Wednesday, SHU grad Kevin Nealon ’75 appeared on NBC Sports Network’s Dan Patrick Show. Kevin spoke about his time on Saturday Night Live, his debut on The Johnny Carson Show and everything in between. Here on campus or on TV, it’s always great to see you, Kevin.
The Maryknoll Society has published an interview with Michael W. Higgins, SHU’s vice president of Mission and Catholic Identity. Michael, who has written and studied about the life of Trappist monk Thomas Merton, visited with the Maryknoll Society to discuss the relevance of Merton’s life and his vision of humanity’s struggle with unity.
Wednesday evening, we hosted our annual Hesburgh Lecture Series with James Frabutt ’95 as the featured speaker. The lecture honors the late Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, former president of the University of Notre Dame. This year’s lecture coincided with the fifth anniversary of Horizons at SHU and focused on best practices to help schools improve safety for the children.
It was great to see many faculty and staff in blue jeans and buttons for our Blue Jean Blue Out day. Those $5 donations will support the Colon Cancer Society and honor our own Coach Nof. It was a fun way to come together to fight cancer.
This afternoon, our Stamford Graduate Center is hosting a workshop on futures markets and the economy. Co-sponsored by our doctor of business administration in finance program and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group Foundation, the event addresses economic topics such as futures market returns, inflation and more through presentations by SHU faculty and CME economists. DBA students also will have a chance display their research projects.
Still on the subject of the DBA, the program has been nationally ranked as one of the best low residency DBA programs nationwide. Nonprofit Colleges Online ranked SHU as part of its Students Before Profits award series. Our inclusion emphasizes that at Sacred Heart, we put our students first and ensure quality education for those who choose our offerings.
The Jack Welch College of Business also offers one of the Top 10 undergraduate accounting programs in Connecticut, according to Accounting Degree Review. The review places SHU second in the state. Congratulations to our faculty, staff and students in the College of Business for the hard work that makes all these accomplishments possible.
This weekend promises plenty to do on campus. Our theatre arts program’s musical They’re Playing Our Song continues tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Don’t miss it! I saw it last weekend and was thoroughly entertained. If you want to start the holiday season early, be sure to catch the SHU Dance Ensemble’s Holiday Spectacular Extravaganza Saturday evening. In the sports arena, the football team takes on Dusquene and women’s volleyball challenges Robert Morris at noon on Saturday. The men’s ice hockey team will play Holy Cross at 7 p.m. Then on Sunday, it’s men’s soccer against Fairleigh Dickinson and women’s volleyball against Saint Francis at 1 p.m.
Fall-like weather is predicted for the weekend. Enjoy it!