Campus Champion

Frank Evangelista
In hosting the New York Jets on campus this summer, hundreds of College employees went the extra mile in meeting the NFL team’s many needs. Frank epitomized that “can-do attitude.” He and Scott Chierchio headed the two locker room crews totaling 13 employees that worked from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week. Frank and Scott ensured that the Stadium Complex locker room areas maintained or exceeded the Jets’ stringent, hospital-grade, cleanliness standards. In doing so, they helped to make the Jets experience at SUNY Cortland a successful one.

The formal dedication of the $10 million SUNY Cortland Education Building and Child Care Center will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, on the building's front lawn along Prospect Terrace.

President Erik J. Bitterbaum will preside over the ceremonies, which are free and open to the public. A reception and facility tours follow the event.

Scheduled speakers include Sen. James Seward, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, Child Care Center Director Johanna Hartnett, SUNY Cortland Distinguished Young Alumnus and Windsor (N.Y.) School District Superintendent Jason A. Andrews '97, longtime associate professor of education at the Campus School and Associate Director Emerita of Admissions Angela Thurlow and SUNY Cortland Education Club officer Cari Scoppa.

The 31,000-square foot, three-story Education Building and Child Care Center has a Georgian contextual redbrick façade that features a large glass entranceway.

"The building provides a gateway from the middle campus to the academic quad," said Nasrin Parvizi, associate vice president for facilities management. "The design is very appropriate and blends the new with existing buildings."

Construction was completed in January 2009, when a second phase began with the $6 million renovation of adjacent Cornish Hall. The 44-year-old structure will be transformed into new spaces for offices, dedicated classrooms and computer rooms serving the School of Education departments. Work is slated to finish by Spring 2010.

Holt Architects of Ithaca, N.Y., provided the blueprint for the Education Building and Child Care Center. The first floor extends wider than the upper two floors and is dominated by the SUNY Cortland Child Care Center. Designed by noted childcare center planners Horizon Design, the center has eight rooms to serve 100 children ranging from infants and toddlers to pre-K ages.

A playground is nestled between the new building and Van Hoesen Hall. A $133,600 grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, awarded in June 2007, was used to equip the site. The funds also furnished one room each for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children.

The state-of-the-art playground features playhouses made out of shrubs, greenery and mazes of plantings, a bike track, toddler and preschooler climbers, swings and gliders, small play houses, benches and a storage area.

The Education Building second floor houses the Field Placement Office and features a science demonstration classroom that seats 60 students, while another 60-person capacity classroom can be utilized as one single or two separate rooms.

The top floor has offices for the operations of the dean and associate dean of the School of Education and the chair of the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department. Eight faculty offices and a conference room also are located on this floor.

Parvizi said that the building has met Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification standards, meaning that the materials and programmatic goals associated in its design and construction have met the nationally accepted benchmark for high performance green buildings.

Students began returning to SUNY Cortland on Aug. 27 and, in all, College officials expect 7,143 students to be enrolled for the fall semester. Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 31.

Welcome Week, which began on Aug. 28, offers a number of events to help new students connect with the campus community and assist them in their transition and adjustment to college life. They include:

On Monday, Aug. 31, a "Transfer Student Welcome Picnic" featuring a barbecue will take place behind Randall Hall at 5 p.m. In the event of rain, the picnic moves to Corey Union.

The high energy entertainer Dan Lornitis will keep students laughing in the Corey Union Function Room at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Lornitis leads his volunteer comedians through a safe and hilarious interaction with the subconscious mind. It's all in good fun and good taste. The event is sponsored by the Student Activities Board (SAB).

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the program "So You're in College - Now What?" begins at 7 p.m. Participants will discuss issues for first year and transfer students, including residence hall living, partying, homesickness, new relationships and peer pressure.

At the same time, the Red Dragons field hockey team competes against Rochester on the Stadium Complex White Field. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for non-Cortland students, with free admission to SUNY Cortland students with college ID and children under 12.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, the "RHA Block Party," sponsored by the student Residence Hall Association (RHA), will celebrate the new academic year beginning at 7 p.m. in the Bishop/Shea Quad. The event will feature an assortment of carnival games, inflatables, ultimate tie dye, karaoke, prizes, music and giveaways. Rain moves the party to the Corey Union Function Room. A transfer student social, called "Building Connections," also begins at 7 p.m. at Main Street SUNY Cortland, 9 Main St.

Classmates can get to know each other over a round of miniature golf during the "Cortland Nites - Miniature Golf at Shipwreck Golf" event at 9 p.m. Transportation will be provided from the Corey Union steps. Cortland students can play the first round for free and subsequent rounds for $5.

Also on Friday, the student organization Men of Value and Respect (MOVE), hosts its annual "Welcome Back Party" for new, transfer and returning students at 9 p.m. in the Corey Exhibition Lounge. Water will be sold for $1 per bottle.

On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, students will get the chance to experience The Great New York State Fair. Buses will depart from campus at 2 p.m. for the fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y., and return at 9 p.m. The $6 cost includes fair admission and bus transportation. Tickets may be purchased in Corey Union, Room 406.

Also on Monday, the "Multicultural Life Welcome Back BBQ" will be held at 1 p.m., in Suggett Park. All new and returning students are invited. For more information, call the Multicultural Life Office at (607) 753-2336.

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, a coffeehouse featuring refreshments and classmates offering a turn at an open mic will start at 9 p.m. in the Corey Union Exhibition Lounge.

Welcome Week is sponsored annually for SUNY Cortland students by the Student Activities Board, Auxiliary Services Corporation, Campus Activities and Corey Union, Residence Life and Housing, student Residence Hall Association, Advisement and Transition Office, Monster.com, Health Promotion Office, Vice President for Student Affairs Office, MOVE, Multicultural Life Office and Cortland Nites.

An exhibition titled “Drawn to Diversity: Exploring Advertising,” created by Alfred University students, will be displayed from Aug. 31-Sept. 10 at two different locations in Cortland, N.Y.

Presented by SUNY Cortland’s Multicultural Life Office in collaboration with Main Street SUNY Cortland’s Beard Building Gallery, the artwork will be first shown from Monday, Aug. 31, until Friday, Sept. 4, in the Beard Building Gallery in downtown Cortland at 9 Main St., and then from Saturday, Sept. 5, until Thursday, Sept. 10, in Dowd Gallery on the campus.

SUNY Cortland Distinguished Service Professor Samuel Kelley, whose academic specialty is communication studies, will discuss the importance of the portrayal of diversity in advertising during the opening reception at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Beard Building Gallery. The reception and exhibitions are both free and open to the public.

Each year, Alfred University students choose a topic that examines expressions of diversity in the media arts.

“Alfred University students produced this exhibit when they observed that a local supermarket’s Black history display merely featured boxes of Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix and Uncle Ben’s Rice,” said Noelle Chaddock Paley, SUNY Cortland’s interim director of multicultural life. “This exhibit was a response to the need for education in our supermarkets and the public at large. Putting a new spin on diversity education, this program uncovers the truth behind many common food products and advertising campaigns. The exhibit features advertising posters that bring new meaning to ‘food for thought.’

“I think we as a community get really comfortable seeing particular images and don’t think to challenge them,” said Paley, who also lectures in Africana studies and philosophy at SUNY Cortland. “The students at Alfred produced brilliant work that really made me stop and think. I knew I had to bring this exhibit to Cortland. I am even more excited that we get to share this exhibit with the Cortland community at large.”

The Beard Building Gallery is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (607) 753-4270. The Dowd Galley is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment with Dowd Gallery Director Andrew Mount at (607) 753-4216 or dowdgallery@corland.edu.

The Beard Building Gallery is a collaboration between SUNY Cortland, the Cultural Council of Cortland County and the Cortland Downtown Partnership.

For more information, contact Paley at (607) 753-2336 or noelle.paley@cortland.edu.

SUNY Cortland has scheduled the following events through the end of the Fall Semester, including concerts, lectures, plays, a musical, a conference, a gospel music festival and other programs. Events are open to the public at no charge, unless noted otherwise.

Hypnotism: The high energy entertainer Dan Lornitis will keep students laughing in the Corey Union Function Room at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Lornitis leads his volunteer comedians through a safe and hilarious interaction with the subconscious mind. His personal engagement with the volunteers creates a spontaneous atmosphere as they obey uproarious suggestions like giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a stuffed bunny or talking to the President of the United States over a secret shoe phone. It's all in good fun and good taste. Sponsored by the Student Activities Board (SAB), the event is part of the College’s Welcome Week activities presented each year. For more information, call the Campus Activities and Corey Union Office at (607) 753-2321.

Lecture: Jerome O’Callaghan, SUNY Cortland associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and a professor of political science, will give the College’s national Constitution Day speech on “All You Need to Know About the First Amendment in One Case” during a noon sandwich seminar on Thursday, Sept. 17, at SUNY Cortland. Presented by the College’s Institute for Civic Engagement, the talk takes place in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge and is free and open to the public. In 1943, Justice Robert Houghwout Jackson, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, decided a case that tested just how far government could go to unify the country. His decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, according to O’Callaghan, was controversial, inspirational, profound and divisive. It shaped the liberal view of the First Amendment for generations. For more information, contact O’Callaghan at (607) 753-4312 or Professor and ICE Director Richard Kendrick at (607) 753-2481.

Concert: SUNY Cortland’s Campus Artist and Lecture Series will present “Swing Café” on Saturday, Sept. 26. “Swing Café” is a classy acoustic swing, jazz, and rockabilly band that plays around New England at clubs, parties and concerts. Combining lead and harmony vocals, archtop guitar, mandolin, double bass and drums, the band has a smooth stage presence. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. in the Corey Union Function Room. Admission is $3 for SUNY Cortland students, $5 general admission. Children 10 and under will be admitted free. Tickets may be obtained through the Campus Activities and Corey Union Office, Corey Union Room 406, or at the door one hour prior to the performance. For more information, call (607) 753-5574.

Community Roundtable: A panel of railroad scholars and buffs will give a presentation on “Railroads in Cortland County: Past, Present and Future” from 8-9:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, in SUNY Cortland’s Park Center Hall of Fame Room. The panel will discuss the historical uses of rail service in this area as well as current and potential tourist destination opportunities. Sponsored by the President’s Office and the College’s Center for Educational Exchange, the event is free. Refreshments will be served at 7:45 a.m. For more information, contact the center at (607) 753-4214.

Motivational speaker: National motivational speaker Renee Damon will offer a personal account of how her addictions took away her personal choices, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at SUNY Cortland. The event is part of SUNY Cortland’s Fall 2009 “Wellness Wednesday Series” featuring speakers, exhibits, self-help workshops and other programs intended to help students adjust to college life. Presented by the College’s Judicial Affairs Office, the program titled “Taken Away” will begin at 8 p.m. in the Corey Union Function Room. Not only will Damon take students through the horrific role drugs played in her life, she will also share the benefits to living a clean and sober lifestyle. For more information, contact Catherine Smith, the College’s health educator, in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1, or at (607) 753-2066.

Conference: SUNY Cortland’s Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies will hold a conference titled “Succeeding as Women in Higher Education” from Friday, Oct. 23-Sunday, Oct. 25, at the College. Keynote speaker Sarah Fenstermaker, a professor in the Sociology Department at University of California, Santa Barbara, has written extensively about gender inequality. She will speak at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The full schedule and registration form is available on the conference Web site at www.cortland.edu/swhe. Admission is $125 for those who register until Sept. 30 and $140 after Oct. 1. For more information and to register, contact the conference at gender@cortland.edu or the Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies at (607) 753-5784.

Musical drama: SUNY Cortland’s Department of Performing Arts will present six performances of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Sweeney Todd” during October and November in the Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. The musical thriller about the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, will be performed at 8 p.m. on Fridays, Oct. 23 and 30 and Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 1. The performance is for mature audiences. Tickets, which are $16 for general public, $14 for senior citizens and SUNY faculty/staff, and $7 for high school and college students, will be on sale at Jodi’s Hallmark Shop and at the door. For more information, check the department Web site at www.cortland.edu/performingarts or call (607) 279-2811.

Concert: Tribal Revival will perform from 8 - 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, during a coffeehouse in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge. This local group specializes in improvisational and blues-based roots rock. SUNY Cortland’s “Rock and Blues Ensemble” will be the opening act. Refreshments will be served. The event is part of SUNY Cortland’s Fall 2009 “Wellness Wednesday Series” featuring speakers, exhibits, self-help workshops and other programs intended to help students adjust to college life. For more information, contact Catherine Smith, the College’s health educator, in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1, or at (607) 753-2066 or cathy.smith@cortland.edu.

Gospel Choir Festival: The annual African American Gospel Music Festival will feature guest choirs from campuses across New York State including SUNY Cortland's own Gospel Choir on Sunday, Nov. 1, at SUNY Cortland. The festival will begin at 4 p.m. in Corey Union Function Room. It is organized by the Africana Studies Department and hosted by the SUNY Cortland Gospel Choir. Admission is $2 for students, $3 for faculty and senior citizens and $4 for the general public. A reception will follow the performances. Directing Cortland’s Gospel Choir will be Robert Brown. For more information, contact Samuel Kelley at (607) 753-4104.

Community Roundtable: A panel of presenters will discuss “Fungi and Human Affairs” from 8-9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, in SUNY Cortland’s Park Center Hall of Fame Room. Area research professors will focus on the effects of fungi on people and planet Earth. Sponsored by the President’s Office and the College’s Center for Educational Exchange, the event is free. Refreshments will be served at 7:45 a.m. For more information, contact the center at (607) 753-4214.

Concert: The College Singers, under the direction of Professor of Music Stephen Wilson, will perform a fall concert of Broadway music at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the SUNY Cortland Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. Presented by the College’s Performing Arts Department, admission is free. For more information, check the department Web site at www.cortland.edu/performingarts or call (607) 279-2811.

Concert: SUNY Cortland’s College-Community Orchestra, under the direction of Ubaldo Valli, will present its fall concert of classical music on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. in the Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. Admission is free. For information, check the department Web site at www.cortland.edu/performingarts or call (607) 279-2811.

Concert: The Choral Union of SUNY Cortland, a college-community choral group conducted by Professor of Music Stephen Wilson, will present its Fall Concert consisting of classical choral music on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. in the Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. Presented by the Performing Arts Department, the event is free. For more information, check the department Web site at www.cortland.edu/performingarts or call (607) 279-2811.

Community Roundtable: A panel of presenters will discuss “Is That Park Accessible? Ask the New York State Inclusive Recreation Resource Center at SUNY Cortland” from 8-9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, in SUNY Cortland’s Park Center Hall of Fame Room. The group will give an overview of the work of the New York State Inclusive Recreation Resource Center and its statewide impact for people with disabilities. Sponsored by the President’s Office and the College’s Center for Educational Exchange, the event is free. Refreshments will be served at 7:45 a.m. For more information, contact the center at (607) 753-4214.

Concert: SUNY Cortland’s Department of Performing Arts will present its annual Holiday Concert of seasonal choral and instrumental music on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. in the Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. Admission is free. For more information, check the Performing Arts Department Web site or call (607) 279-2811.

Drama: SUNY Cortland’s Department of Performing Arts will present three evening performances and one matinee of the “‘The Long Christmas Dinner’ and Other Short Plays,” in the Dowd Fine Arts Theatre. The presentations will take place at 7 p.m. from Thursday, Dec. 10, through Saturday, Dec. 12, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13. Tickets, which are $12 for general public, $10 for senior citizens and SUNY faculty and staff, and $5 for students and children, will be on sale at the door only. For more information, check the Performing Arts Department Web site or call (607) 279-2811.

The Auxiliary Services Corporation of SUNY Cortland (ASC) will celebrate the grand opening of its newly renovated dining facility in Neubig Hall at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.

The dining facility opened following an extensive $3.5 million renovation project over the summer.

While the Neubig dining hall has undergone many changes since opening in the late 1950s, this latest renovation represents the largest and most dramatic improvement the facility has ever seen.

“The project was undertaken based on feedback received from students beginning in 2004,” said ASC Executive Director Pierre Gagnon. “At the time, students expressed a strong desire for more dining choices and better value leading to the development of the all-you-care-to-eat (AYCTE) dining concept. In response to this student feedback, the Neubig dining facility became the home to the AYCTE experience at SUNY Cortland.”

The ASC management team soon realized the existing facility was not meeting the AYCTE needs of the student body.

“Our facility, in terms of layout and equipment, was preventing us from providing the level of service we wanted and our customers deserved,” noted William McNamara, the ASC director of dining services.

Recognizing the need for ASC to accumulate funds to help finance the Neubig renovation, the Student Government Association and the Student Dining Committee opted to reduce hours of operation in existing dining facilities as a cost saving measure.

“The level of student involvement and commitment to the project was instrumental in our success,” McNamara said.

Completed over two phases beginning in November 2008, the project was conceptualized by Porter and Porter Consulting, a company that specializes in designing dining facilities for colleges and universities. The consultants conducted focus groups with students, faculty, staff and administration in February 2006.

“Putting this project together required a real team effort,” said Dan Davis, ASC’s director of facilities, equipment and planning. “We had tremendous support from the College’s facilities staff and had some of the best players in the industry working on this.”

March Associates of Utica, N.Y., served as the project architects while HMC Incorporated of Columbia, Md., supplied all of the equipment and custom millwork. LP Ciminelli of Buffalo, N.Y., was the construction manager.

The dining room was completely remodeled in phase one. Upon entering the room, the eye is now drawn to a massive circular serving area with stations for a variety of food items. At the center sits a large Mongolian grill, on which chefs prepare dishes to order from ingredients hand selected by the customer. The dining room also sports a large salad bar featuring a daily assortment of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Phase two of the renovation began in April and involved refurbishing the kitchen area and serving line. New state-of-the-art equipment was installed. The serving line now features grilled items, hot entrees, deli items and a cold stone-style ice cream station.

“We wanted to focus on freshly produced food made in front of the customer, so we eliminated the majority of the back of the house and are focusing on cook-to-order action stations,” noted McNamara. “This allows us to keep food fresh and customize individual orders while reducing waste.”

Students got their first taste of the new concept when Neubig first reopened in January 2009. The final project was unveiled when Neubig reopened in July.

“I feel as though the newly renovated Neubig is the heart of dining services on campus,” observed senior health science major Aaron Batchelder of Rouses Point, N.Y. “Not only does it offer a vast variety of foods, it also allows students to lead a healthy lifestyle if they so choose. The flat screen TVs, as well as the friendly staff and the comfortable seating, provide for an enjoyable and memorable atmosphere. In my opinion, Cortland ASC is leading the way in college dining services.”

Founded more than 50 years ago, ASC is a not-for-profit organization that provides dining services, vending, bookstore, student ID cards and other essential services to the campus community. ASC is governed by a board of directors made up of students, faculty, and College administrators. ASC employs more than 400 regular staff members and students and is the largest employer of students on the SUNY Cortland campus.

The Auxiliary Services Corporation of SUNY Cortland (ASC) will celebrate the grand opening of its newly remodeled College Store in Neubig Hall on Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26. The event, during Family Weekend, will feature sales and giveaways.

The revamped facility took several years of planning and six weeks of actual construction.

“The College Store looks awesome,” said junior health science major Jesse Campanaro of Monticello, N.Y., who is president of the Student Government Association. “I think it will attract students and families. ASC really did an amazing job, I think students will be blown away by the new appearance.”

“Our intention was to provide students with a better space to shop in, one that is more open and inviting and easier to move around in,” said Terence Cahill, director of the College Store.

The greatly expanded bank of registers makes for much faster checkout during busy times, he said. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, new overhead lights, and banks of spot lighting flood the store with light. The wall that separated the book department from the rest of the store has been removed, a dramatic change creating a large, unified store.

“The store is more convenient for students,” noted graduate English major Rachael Goodrum of Hubbardsville, N.Y. “I like the way the textbooks are connected to the main store now.”

The computer demonstration and display area features the newest of Apple computers as well as a variety of PCs offered at educational discounts.

“The project was actually begun many years ago,” said Cahill. “My predecessor worked with several architects and produced some initial designs. When I began at the store in 2007, I was directed to pick up the project again.”

David Burgess of Drayden Design Group in Lexington, Ky., was engaged to complete the architectural plan. Part of a larger renovation program at Neubig Hall, the $650,000 project began in late April and was completed on June 12.

During construction, the College Store was relocated to the basement of Neubig Hall, maintaining operations through finals, end-of-semester textbook buyback and Commencement.

“Our mission is to provide service to students, so closing was not an option,” Cahill said. “We cut back on all but essential services in order to squeeze into such a small space but in the end we were able to provide students with the supplies they needed for finals and commencement.”

In keeping with the College’s mission to achieve sustainability, the College Store offers a new inkjet refilling program that allows customers to recycle and reuse their inkjet cartridges for a fraction of the cost of buying new. The bookstore also sells recycled textbooks offering substantial savings over the cost of new books.

“Students taking advantage of the store’s Prepack Program get first crack at used textbooks and the convenience of having their books packed and waiting for them when they return to campus,” Cahill said.

Founded more than 50 years ago, ASC is a not-for-profit organization that provides dining services, vending, college store, student ID cards and other essential services to the campus community. ASC is governed by a board of directors made up of students, faculty and administrators. ASC employs more than 400 regular staff members and students and is the largest employer of students on the SUNY Cortland campus.

SUNY Cortland will host the Fall 2009 “Wellness Wednesday Series” featuring speakers, exhibits, self-help workshops and other programs intended to help students adjust to college life.

Sponsored by the Health Promotion Office and the Student Development Center, the series will take place each Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge, unless otherwise noted. The events are free and open to the public.

On Sept. 2, two SUNY Cortland student affairs representatives will discuss “So You’re in College: Now What?” Michael Holland, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, and Richard Peagler, director of counseling and student development, will address issues for first year and transfer students, such as residence hall living, partying, homesickness, new relationships and peer pressure.

On Sept. 9, Louise Mahar, the College’s assistant director, recreational sports for fitness, will offer “A Non-Threatening Introduction to Yoga.” Participants will experience a beginner level yoga class and should dress in loose comfortable clothing and bring a towel.

On Sept. 16, participants can “Walk the Walk of Student Services” at an open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Van Hoesen Hall and Corey Union. Visitors will be able to meet the student services staff and view the facilities of the University Police, student health service, counseling, student disability services, health promotion, substance abuse prevention, career services, residence life and housing, Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP), Emergency Squad, Tomik Fitness Facility and recreational sports, as well as Auxiliary Services Corporation and nutritional services. Vice President for Student Affairs Office staff will meet students in the Corey Union lobby. Refreshments will be served and prizes raffled.

The “Take Back the Night” March, sponsored by Cortland Against Another Rape (C.A.A.R.), will take place on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. on the steps of Corey Union. Participants will walk with candles throughout campus and the community to raise awareness about sexual assault.

The Southern Tier AIDS Program will offer a presentation titled “Living With HIV” on Sept. 30. An individual who has HIV will offer a personal story on living daily with this disease.

On Oct. 7, national motivational speaker Renee Damon will offer a personal account of how her addictions took away her personal choices. Presented by the College’s Judicial Affairs Office, the program titled “Taken Away” will begin at 8 p.m. in the Corey Union Function Room. Not only will Damon take students through the horrific role drugs played in her life, she will also share the benefits to living a clean and sober lifestyle. Her inspirational story will empower everyone.

On Oct. 14, a panel of faculty, students and community members will focus on “Someone You Know is Gay. Does It Really Matter?” The panelists include: Kathryn Coffey, SUNY Cortland assistant professor of health; and Vicki Wilkins, SUNY Cortland professor of recreation, parks and leisure studies. The discussion is intended to increase an awareness and understanding of how everyone is impacted by diversity in human sexual orientation and gender identity.

Mary Dykeman, public health educator at the Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health, will give a talk on “Things Your Mother Never Told You … About Sex and Contraception” on Oct. 21. There will be an open discussion on the difference between knowing about and using birth control. Dykeman will explain what, why and how things get complicated when it comes to contraception.

On Oct. 28, the Wellness Wednesday series will host a coffeehouse featuring the sounds of Tribal Revival from 8 - 11 p.m. This local group specializes in improvisational and blues-based roots rock. SUNY Cortland’s “Rock and Blues Ensemble” will be the opening act. Refreshments will be served.

On Nov. 4, Louise Whittleton, a registered dietician for Auxiliary Services Corporation (ASC), and health promotion interns will present “Strive for 5: Veggies and Fruits” at various tables set up on the first floor of Corey Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Whittleton and the interns will explain why humans should eat these healthy foods every day and how to get them into one’s diet.

Mecke Nagel, a SUNY Cortland professor of philosophy, and Nanette Pasquarello, director of judicial affairs at the College, will present “Wellness and Restorative Justice,” on Nov. 11. A discussion with presenters about restorative justice and creating a healthy campus climate will take place.

On Nov. 18, the campus and community are invited to take part in the “Great American Smokeout ~ Pledge to Quit” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the first floor of Corey Union. Health promotion interns will be available to help individuals sign the pledge on Wednesday to quit for the day on Thursday.

For more information, contact Catherine Smith, the College’s health educator, in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1, or at (607) 753-2066 or cathy.smith@cortland.edu.

The annual United University Professions (UUP) Welcome and Welcome Back Picnic will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at Yaman Park pavilions I and II. UUP academic and professional staff, their families, partners and guests are welcome.

The event will be catered by Bob's BBQ of Homer. A vegetarian entrée is available upon request; all side dishes are meatless.

The ticket price will be waived for all new academic and professional staff, and for UUP members who bring a new staff member. The ticket price of $5 will be charged for all others, including children 13 years and older. There is a children's play area adjacent to the picnic pavilion.

Advance reservations are required by Friday, Sept. 4. For more information, call the UUP office at (607) 753-5991. The office is located in Old Main, Room B-18A.

Campus Artist and Lecture Series (CALS) Lecture Grant Applications are now available for the 2009-2010 academic year. Applications are eligible for a maximum award of $500.

The fall semester deadline is Thursday, Sept. 10, to receive funding for lecture programs taking place in September, October, November and December 2009. Applications received after Sept. 10 may not be eligible for any fall semester funds remaining.

The Spring 2010 semester deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 3, in order to be considered for lecture programs taking place in February, March, April or May 2010. Applications received after Feb. 3 may not be eligible for any spring semester funds remaining.

For more information or to request a copy of the CALS Lecture Grant Application, contact Sandra Wohlleber at (607) 753-5574 or via e-mail at sandra.wohlleber@cortland.edu.

Students are invited to participate in the Student Employment Fair set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in Corey Union's main lobby.

Students will have the opportunity to meet with hiring managers to discuss part-time positions and complete applications.

Anticipated openings are available in child care, retail, clerical support, recreation, hospitality, human services and education.

For more information and a list of organizations represented at the fair, contact Student Employment Services at (607) 753-2223.

SUNY Cortland employees are asked to review and update their information on the electronic campus directory. This directory lists name, title, department, phone number, office location and e-mail address for each College employee.

To ensure accuracy in the printed 2009-2010 Faculty and Staff Directory, which will be available on campus in mid-October, employees are being asked to review their information electronically. State employees can access the maintenance screen by entering www.cortland.edu/directory, or by selecting Faculty/Staff Resources on the SUNY Cortland home page at www.cortland.edu, and then choosing "Directory Maintenance" under "Faculty/Staff Directory." Once a Cortland ID number and birth date are entered, access to personal information is granted. Faculty and staff also may update information in the Faculty/Staff Expertise Database on this page.

    ASC employees should submit directory changes to ASC Assistant Executive Director Michelle Brackin via e-mail to michelle.brackin@cortland.edu or by phone at (607) 753-2431; Research Foundation employees should submit changes to Brent Danega in the Human Resources Office by sending an e-mail to brent.danega@cortland.edu or by phone at (607) 753-2414.

    Employees may elect to include home addresses and/or telephone numbers in the printed directory.

    Checking for accuracy is encouraged. Changes should be made by Tuesday, Sept. 8, to be reflected in the next printed directory.

For more information, contact the Publications and Electronic Media Office at (607) 753-2519.

Noelle Chaddock Paley was named interim director of SUNY Cortland's Multicultural Life Office, replacing Don Sawyer III. She began her duties on June 4.

Paley, who joined the College in September 2008 as a lecturer in the departments of Africana Studies and Philosophy, will continue in that capacity while a search for a permanent director is conducted in the coming year.

Reporting to C. Gregory Sharer, the vice president for student affairs, Paley is responsible for developing and implementing programs, workshops and services to enhance awareness and appreciation of diversity, multiculturalism and pluralism. She coordinates intellectual discourse among students, faculty and staff to promote the social benefits of diversity and multiculturalism. She also serves as a student advocate to ensure fair and equitable treatment and investigates ways to increase multicultural representation and enhance student graduation rates. Paley advises student organizations and supervises a professional staff member and student workers.

SUNY Cortland students honored her in the spring as an “Exemplary Woman of Color.”

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in philosophy, interpretation and culture on a Clark Fellowship at SUNY Binghamton, where she previously earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development. She has served as a graduate teaching assistant there.

In May 2006, SUNY Binghamton presented her with its Human Development Faculty Award for Scholar Activist as well as its Human Development Faculty Award for Outstanding Commitment to Racial and Gender Justice.

Her areas of teaching and research include mixed race identity politics and formations; Hip Hop culture; Hip Hop as a philosophic discourse; Africana women on film; prejudiced, discrimination and morality; diasporic fiction; philosophy and law; markets, ethics and law; methods of reasoning; reproductive justice; racial and gender justice; prison abolition; research methods; performance activism and voice training.

Paley grew up in Endicott, N.Y., where she currently lives with her husband, Michael. They have five children: Ben, Kendra, Matt, Josh and Morgan; and one grandchild, Liam, daughter of Ben and daughter-in-law Kim.