What a whirlwind of a week it has been. It was great seeing all of the returning faces on campus and wonderful greeting so many new freshmen. Thank you to our residential life and student affairs teams and all the Welcome Week volunteers for making move-in a success for all students. I hope everyone enjoyed the activities and became well acquainted with roommates, campus and professors.
Last week we had a chance to preview the marching band’s halftime show for the coming season. Anyone who loves the music of the late 1990s and early 2000s will enjoy this performance. The band performed hit songs from boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and N’SYNC. I am looking forward to seeing the show again and again this fall!
Thank you to the staff and students at Bergoglio Hall who were inundated with visitors on Tuesday as we held the hall’s official dedication ceremony. Rabbi Abraham Skorka, close friend of Pope Francis, who the hall is named after, blessed the facility along with several other rabbis from local temples. It was a memorable occasion. The celebration continued into the evening when the Rabbi and Fr. Anthony Ciorra united as the God Squad for a colloquia event where they answered questions from the audience about interfaith relations.
On Wednesday, staff, faculty, administrators and students greeted our freshmen and new students at our opening convocation. Inside the William H. Pitt Center, students listened to motivational speeches and were encouraged to keep open minds, embrace change and create opportunities. We were serenaded by the band and chorus and by senior class president Addison Chau. Addison sang his own rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” He riddled his song with SHU references and was cheered on by the new students. Superb job, Addison, and everyone responsible for such a great event.
This week we found out that SHU is once again listed in The Princeton Review’s Best 381 Colleges list. We are thrilled to be included in such a competitive listing. The listing supports SHU’s commitment and dedication to education and is especially important because comments from students are highly weighted.
Over the past two days, our library was transformed into an 18-hole mini golf course. Students played a round of golf and were scored. The 16 students with the lowest scores competed in a head-to-head single elimination tournament. Sounds like a fun and creative way to find out all the library has to offer!
Congratulations to 1975 alumna Barb Susi who was recently featured on News 12 as a hometown hero for her commitment to the community. One of the many places that Barb volunteers is the McGiveny Community Center in Bridgeport. The center provides a safe learning environment for children and also gives them hope. We are proud to call Barb a Pioneer.
Professors Anna Greer and Bronwyn Cross-Denny had an article on the results of a survey they took with patrons of area food pantries published in the Family & Community Health Journal of Health Promotion and Maintenance. This example of cross-disciplinary cooperation and service to the community was sponsored by the College of Health Professions. Congratulations!
Biology professor Jennifer Mattei is currently at the 2016 International Union for the Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress in Hawaii. She is presenting her work on coastal habitat restoration and the importance of estuaries to the survival of the American and Asian horseshow crab species. President Obama also spoke to the 7,000 attendees about the important of marine biodiversity conservation, so Jennifer is in great company.
Please remember to register for the President’s Gala. The event, hosted by yours truly, takes place Friday, September 9, on the Pitt Center lawn. Dress to impress (bowties welcomed). It will surely a night to remember.
Yesterday, students in our master’s of accounting program enjoyed their orientation dinner. This is a great way for students to meet their peers, get to know their professors and have a little fun. Thanks to Barb Tarasovich for coming up with such a creative way to kick off the school year.
Attention freshmen! On Saturday, participate in the Pioneer Penny Parade. Bring a penny and line up at the library to drop your penny in the library foundation. Stick around because around 2 p.m., the freshman class will form a giant 2020 for a photo I’m sure we will see many times in the next four years!
Our student-athletes are already starting their season. Women’s field hockey plays Lock Haven today at noon. Women’s rugby faces Molloy Saturday at 11 a.m., and our women’s volleyball team will participate in the SHU Hampton Inn Shelton Invitational this weekend. Good luck to all.
Enjoy the long holiday weekend.