Exams concluded on Saturday, and I hope our students are enjoying the time off.
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Christ Church Choir performed Handel’s Messiah to a sold-out audience at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit Friday night. Among the soloists was alumna Allegra De Vita ’11 whose beautiful voice wowed the crowd. It was great to have her back on campus.
At our employee Christmas party last week, employees were asked to donate a toy for a drive held in conjunction with the Fairfield Police Department. Representatives from the Department came to campus to collect the many games, dolls and other items that were donated. Thank you to all who gave so generously.
The SHU community also participated in our annual Adopt-A-Family drive. Clothing items and toys were wrapped for local families who might otherwise go without at holiday time. Members of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning and the wrestling team picked up the bags of goods and then delivered everything to St. Charles and Golden Hill United Methodist Churches in Bridgeport. Each year, our community does a great job of helping those in need.
The College of Nursing held an intimate undergraduate pinning ceremony on Monday afternoon. We celebrated the hard work and achievements of seven nursing students along with their families and friends.
On Wednesday night, alumni, parents, students and friends gathered for a pre-game reception before the men’s basketball game against Seton Hall at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Thanks to the great group of alumni and fans who came out to support the team. Special congratulations to Sean Hoehn ’19 for scoring his 1,000 career point!
We were thrilled to hear graduate student and veteran Nick Quinzi given credit by U.S. Representative Jim Himes for his role in the Serve Act, which has been passed by the House of Representatives. Himes talked about a conversation he had with Nick that led to the creation of the Serve Act. If passed by the Senate, the bill will make it easier for veterans receiving Post-9/11 educational assistance to find documentation verifying their compensation and benefits.
Congratulations to student Tyler Beauchesne on his acceptance into the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles West 57, which is a nationally juried student competition. Tyler was selected from more than 1,000 students nationally.
Congratulations also to Norbert Becker, a member of our Board of Trustees, for his selection as the most influential person in the Luxembourg economy by Paperjam magazine. Number two was Alain Kinsch, who is a new member of our Board of Regents in Luxembourg. Paperjam creates a top 100 list of movers and shakers every two years.
Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa and a Happy New Year. However you choose to celebrate and rejuvenate, please enjoy yourself. I look forward to seeing everyone in January refreshed and ready for an exciting and successful spring semester.