There has been plenty to do and see on campus these past couple of weeks. Watch the latest installment of my video blog to hear all about the great events on campus, such as those connected with Social Justice Week, a standing-room-only talk with Bishop Caggiano and the fantastic band concerts last weekend. Enjoy these days as we head into the final push of the semester.
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March 2017
President Petillo's Blog: March 24, 2017
Spring might officially be here, but it certainly has not felt like it. However, it is nice to see more Pioneers out and about as the days get longer.
If you have not done so already, I urge you to read the editorial I wrote for the Fairfield Citizen about the inadvisability of taxing private colleges. Please encourage legislators, local politicians, your family, friends and neighbors to think about the value and benefits that private colleges bring to everyone in Connecticut.
Our beautiful Bergoglio Hall was featured in Talking Stick Magazine, a bimonthly publication focused on housing news, innovation and professional development. The sophomore residence hall was featured as the magazine’s “spotlight.”
It was another busy weekend here, beginning with the SHU-hosted CT History Day with dozens of students from nearby high schools visiting campus for the second straight year. Also, on Saturday, we heard members from our choirs perform in the Choral Masterworks Concert as they presented Fauré’s Requiem.
Frank Martire, chairman of SHU’s Board of Trustees and executive chairman of Fidelity Information Services, participated in the Dean’s Leadership Series on Wednesday. He provided students with knowledge and advice on what it takes to run a successful business and be a good person. I want to personally thank Frank for taking the time out of his busy schedule to share his insights with our students.
Last weekend members of the Irish Dance Ensemble marched in Bridgeport’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. The group had a great time representing SHU. On Wednesday at the Edgerton, we saw the ensemble showcase their talent at the annual Claddagh Dancers performance.
The new SHU Fit workout center at West Campus is officially open to faculty and staff. On Wednesday, many took the trip to our new campus to check out the facility and find out what it has to offer.
As a way to inspire young writers, the Department of English hosted Literary Spotlight on Thursday. Three writers read passages from their latest works. Students were able to ask questions and get advice.
Organizers are gearing up for this year’s Relay For Life. Teams signed up on Thursday in University Commons and had some fun playing games and dressing up for a photo booth. Relay For Life is a great cause, and I encourage you to participate or donate.
Today we welcome all of the high school seniors who have been accepted to SHU’s College of Nursing. I hope our potential Pioneers have an enjoyable visit. I know I can count on all of you to offer a warm welcome.
Next week, La Hispanidad is hosting Social Justice Week. A variety of events will take place during the week, including a safe zone training, a cultural night, a diversity workshop and lectures. The week’s premier event happens on Thursday, when guest speakers will share their stories related to social justice.
Today we commemorated the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Campus Ministry and Residential Life hosted a reception in Romero Hall at the Christian Witness Commons with Salvadorian-themed refreshments as they recognized a man who dedicated his life to fighting social injustices.
As always, there is a lot going on this weekend. Our Art & Design Student Exhibit continues at the Art & Design Gallery. See our students’ incredible work through April 21. SHU’s Dance Ensemble will perform its Spring Finale show Friday and Saturday. Our talented student and guest dancers will perform in a variety of dance genres. On Saturday, SHU Bands is hosting “Pioneer Blast!” where the pep band will bring its high-energy sound to the Edgerton, performing music from artists such as Aerosmith, Ozzy Osborne, Metallica and more. Then on Sunday, the Band’s percussion group, Heartbeat, will present a concert, “Pulse.” Also, if you have not seen it yet, this weekend is your last chance to catch the theatre arts program’s Spoon River Anthology in the Little Theatre.
Congrats to our Winter Guard team who are the Winter Guard International East Power Regional Champions. They beat 12 other guard teams over the course of two days, finishing first in their class. They are seeded seventh out of 65 teams. The team is preparing for the World Championship competition in Dayton April 6-8. Good luck!
Congratulations are also in order for senior hockey player Justin Danforth who has signed with the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Justin is the first player in SHU hockey history to play in the AHL. Great job, Justin!
Our student-athletes have another busy weekend. Our men’s tennis team plays Saint Francis today at 1:30 and faces Mount St. Mary on Saturday at 11. Our women’s tennis team also plays Mount St. Mary on Saturday at 11. Men’s lacrosse plays Hobart at 1 on Saturday in the Face Off For a Cause tournament to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, and our women’s softball team plays Maine at 11 and 1 on Saturday. Good luck to our student-athletes playing home and away.
Be sure to follow me on social media, and enjoy the weekend!
President Petillo's Blog: March 17, 2017
I hope students enjoyed the day off from classes on Tuesday during what will hopefully be the last major snowstorm of the semester. I want to thank all those who worked tirelessly before and after the blizzard to make sure our campus was up and running and our students were safe, dry and well fed. Your work ethic and dedication to Sacred Heart did not go unnoticed. I don’t want to leave anyone out—you all know who you are—but I particularly want to acknowledge the folks from SHU Dining, Public Safety, Campus Operations, Residential Life and Student Life. Thank you.
It has been a busy first week after spring break. Many students and faculty are getting back into the swing of things after volunteering abroad on mission trips and in the states for Habitat for Humanity. Through the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning, students and faculty went to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Columbia, and students and faculty involved in Habitat helped build homes in Iowa, North Carolina, California and Michigan. Teresa Thetford, program director for the physician assistant program; Christina Gunther, director of global health programs; and Constance Glenn, a professor in the College of Nursing, went to Uganda for a site visit. I look forward to hearing more about your trips.
Last weekend, we held our annual CAPP Mass and breakfast sponsored by the Isabelle Farrington College of Education. We heard from Bishop Frank Caggiano and Sr. Mary Grace Walsh on the mission of Catholic education. It was a great celebration of education and educators.
On Thursday, we held our Welch College of Business research forum. Special guest, Professor Paul Baines of Cranfield University’s School of Management, presented his research paper on “Measuring the Effectiveness of Police Social Marketing as an Aid to Counter-terrorism Communications.”
Earlier today, the College of Nursing sponsored the St. Vincent’s Mammography Coach on campus, providing easy access to mammograms for faculty, staff and area residents.
A few members of SHUpermen sang at an 80th birthday surprise for a longtime Mitchells employee. Mitchells, a clothing store in Westport, is owned by Bill Mitchell, a SHU trustee. It was fun to join the SHUpermen for this special birthday.
I am excited to see the theatre arts program’s newest play in the Little Theatre, Spoon River Anthology. Be sure to get your tickets for the show running this weekend and next. Our student-performers always do an amazing job.
This weekend kicks off our annual admitted student days. On Sunday, we welcome the students who have been accepted to our College of Health Professions. Be sure to give our future Pioneers and their families a nice, warm welcome.
As we approach our first admitted student day and embrace the others that follow, we are excited to offer our new Pioneers the opportunity to begin their college careers at our SHU in Dingle Campus in Ireland. The Freshman Fall in Dingle program is designed to provide intended biology, exercise science and health science majors, as well as those who have been accepted to the honors program, a semester abroad that fits seamlessly into their curriculums. Sophomores can also spend fall in Dingle. For more information visit, http://www.sacredheart.edu/academics/shuindingle/programs/
Professor Bob McCloud, who is on sabbatical in Dingle, was recently part of a gathering to explore the possibilities presented by the Internet of Things, an emerging use of technology. Bob, a computer science professor, and others explored and developed the use of new technology to facilitate the creation of new businesses and jobs. Great work, Bob!
Today, for the second consecutive year, our women’s basketball team will be making an appearance in the postseason. SHU will travel to Jamaica, Queens, to take on St. John’s University at 7 p.m. for the opening round of the WNIT tournament. The game will air live on ESPN3. Good luck, ladies!
Looking for something to do on Saturday? Stop by the Student Art Exhibit at the Art & Design Gallery between 1 and 6 p.m. Awards will be presented at 2 p.m., and refreshments will be served. You can also hear SHU’s combined choirs, accompanied by the orchestra, harp and organ, as they offer Choral Masterworks. The full performance will include Gabriel Faurē’s famous “Requiem” and “Cantique de Jean Racine.”
On Saturday, our men’s lacrosse team faces Robert Morris at noon, and our women’s lacrosse team plays UMass Lowell at 3. Our women’s tennis team takes on Providence College at 1 on Saturday. Good luck to all our student-athletes playing home and away.
Be sure to follow me on social media for my view on the great things happening on campus.
Have a great weekend!
President Petillo's Blog: March 3, 2017
What an incredible week to start off the Lenten season. There was much to see, do and celebrate.
Senior and women’s ice hockey team member, Teagan Ketchum, received the surprise of her life when her brother, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, showed up at Shelton’s Sports Center of Connecticut at the beginning of the women’s ice hockey game last weekend. Teagan had not seen her brother, Trevor Ketchum, for 14 months and was shocked to see him approach the ice before the faceoff. Fortunately, we were able to capture the moment. Our post has received well over one million views, and several news outlets, including ESPN, reported on it.
Our CrossFit gym took part in a workout day to raise funds for a little boy from Trumbull, Cameron Simpson, and the rare genetic disorder he has, Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC). Across the state, gyms worked out for the AHC Foundation, an organization developing research for treatments and a cure for the disease. Thank you to those who participated.
Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with amazing music and dancing. Joe Carter, director of academic music programs, performed with Professor Ali Ryerson on Tuesday as part of our faculty concert series. They celebrated the music of Brazilian composer Moacir Santos. We also saw the smooth moves of our students, faculty and staff at Dancing with Heart. Students teamed up with a faculty or staff member and literally danced their hearts out on stage at the Edgerton Center. Wednesday night, The Center for Irish Cultural Studies, the Gaelic American Club of Fairfield and the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society presented Lúnasa with Karan Casey at the Edgerton. Another great performance.
We heard from a panel of faculty from our School of Communication & Media Arts on Tuesday night as they discussed issues surrounding the media in a colloquium titled “Fake News, Real Problems.” They shed some light on the timely topic. The School of Communication & Media Arts also held an opening reception for a student photography exhibit on Wednesday afternoon, featuring the work of Nicole Croteau and Nicolette Turza. The exhibit was arranged by Professor Rick Falco. Stop by the SCMA office area to see the powerful images. Congratulations, Nicole and Nicolette.
SHU has applied for a federal grant in conjunction with the police departments from Trumbull, Fairfield and Bridgeport. The grant is for a comprehensive program between SHU and external agencies for the reduction of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on campus.
We have two new additions to our SHUsquare page. Students can learn more about media literacy and digital culture from professors Bill Yousman and Lori Bindig. They can also read alumnus Chris Minardi’s ’15 take on his experiences after SHU.
Speaking of alumni, I always enjoy reading about what our Pioneers are up to. Jason Guberman ’08 is doing incredible things. Jason and others are trying to save Jewish history in the Middle East. You can read all about his work and his organization in Newsweek.
Professor Nathan Lewis, whose artwork you can find in Linda’s and Bergoglio Hall, has his own solo exhibition, “Mythologies, Fragments, Fiction.” It opens Saturday at the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery in Stamford. A reception will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. If you get the chance, stop by and check out his amazing work.
As you know, construction is going on at the former Jewish Home site to make room for our campus expansion. Part of that expansion will include a New Jersey-style diner. I have asked members of student government to help come up with a name—similar to the way students named 63’s and Red’s. Stay tuned to hear what they suggest.
Congratulations to our indoor women’s track & field and cross country team on winning the 2017 Women’s Northeast Conference Indoor Track & Field Team Championship. These championships are earned after months of training and commitment from student-athletes and coaches. Well done.
Our women’s basketball team is the number two seed in the 2017 NEC tournament and will begin their march to the NCAA tournament on Sunday here at home against St. Francis Brooklyn. A win on Sunday, and the Pioneers will host the NEC semifinal on March 8. The Forever Pioneers are buying every student, faculty and staff one ticket to each home postseason game.
In addition to the women’s basketball game, our men’s volleyball team plays Harvard at 7 tonight. Good luck to all our student-athletes playing home and away.
As you know, this coming week is spring break. Enjoy your time off, and whether you are relaxing at home or volunteering abroad, stay safe and have fun.