February 2009 FINAL - Eastern Connecticut · PDF fileNelson Nolau, left, of Roselle Park, NJ,...

Archives Newsflash February 2009

February 2, 2009 NewsFlash

Left, Helma deVries stands with Antonio Nelson Nolau, left, of Roselle Park, NJ, and his father, Scott Nelson.

This shot of the huge crowd at the inauguration was taken nearly a mile from the U.S. Capitol.

Right, David Mariasi with his son, Nicholas, at the inauguration.

Christopher Gunderson paints a portrait of President Obama while in Washington.

President Obama’s Inauguration: Eastern Style

Among the two million people who attended the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama were a number of Eastern students, faculty and staff who journeyed to Washington, DC, to witness the swearing in of our 44th president. Political Science Professor Helma deVries attended the inauguration, as did two of her students. deVries arrived in Washington early on Jan. 19 to walk from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. During the inauguration, deVries said she “had tears in my eyes and chills down my spine” as she saw thousands of faces filled “with joy and hope for a new kind of politics.”

Financial Aid Supervisor David Mariasi got tickets to the inauguration through his union and brought his 12-year old son, Nicholas, with him. “I wanted him (Nicholas) to witness the first African American president being sworn in.” Mariasi almost didn’t make it to Washington; he severely injured his knee in a snowmobile accident three days before the inauguration, but told Nicholas that he was going if they had to transport him in a wheel chair. “I wasn’t going miss it.” Housing Area Coordinator Terrell Adgers also attended the inauguration. “The experience is almost beyond my ability to describe. I never thought I would see the day an African American would rise to the highest office in the nation. As an African American, this meant the world to me. As a citizen, to live at a time when the country chose hope over fear and the status quo, makes me appreciate living at this moment in time.” Chris Gunderson ’10 took pictures of the pre-inaugural “We Are One” concert, and also painted a portrait of Obama that he plans to send to the new president. On the evening after the swearing-in, Gunderson took his project to downtown Washington, DC, and gathered people’s thoughts and messages on the edges of the portrait. “The intent of the project was to capture an artistic snapshot of the spirit felt all around the city, something I think everyone shared. This project was aimed at taking what I’ve learned here at Eastern and using it to capture the voice of millions of visitors who represent an entire nation.”



The night before the inauguration, Jesse Gilbert-Meyers, son of Art Professor Gail Gelburd and a former music student at Eastern, was invited to play the jazz piano for the Congressional Black Caucus Inaugural Ball. Gilbert-Meyers, a double major in political science and music, transferred to George Washington University in 2006 and is the lead jazz pianist for GWU’s Jazz Ensemble. Modern/Classical Language Professor Sonia Cintron-Marrero also attended the inauguration, as did juniors Kara Williams and Tim Galipeau; computer support specialist Roberto Hernandez; Eastern alumnus Scott Eident ’01 of Norwich, a sixth-grade teacher in Clinton who won his inauguration tickets through Congressman Courtney’s office; and Charles Edenburn, an accounting major who wrote in a special column in the Norwich Bulletin, “I have never seen so many people unanimously happy about a political event.” Public Relations Officer Dwight Bachman traveled to Washington but was unable to attend the inauguration event due to an ankle injury; he recovered in time to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Ball held later that evening.

Eastern Helps to Celebrate Three Kings Day On Jan. 6, more than 600 area residents — children, families and friends — converged on the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium to celebrate Three Kings Day. The holiday, one of the most significant in Latino culture, commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the Star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the newborn Jesus. The event was organized by Colectivo Mestizal, a group of Eastern professors and teachers from area schools committed to supporting Latino culture in Willimantic. More than 30 restored and donated bicycles were raffled off to children and other gifts given to the children in attendance were donated by the local community. Shane Long, a Mohegan dancer, performed a “friendship dance” at the celebration.

Above, clockwise from upper left, President Núñez visits with Enrique Torres and his son, Sam. Oswaldo Tirano of Grasshopper Arts delights children with his camel puppet. Joe Diaz, left on cuatro, and Dennis Martinez on six-string bass, of the group Benetu, perform at Three Kings Day celebration. Mohegan tribal member Shane Long, who is also with the Willimantic-based Little Angels Program, performs a friendship dance at the celebration.

Eastern Set to Celebrate African American History Month

Eastern is celebrating African American History Month throughout February with numerous events, including the viewing of a TV series, story-telling, art exhibits, theatrical presentations, poetry slams, lectures and much more. The public is invited. Admission is free. The celebration began on Jan. 27 with the viewing of “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Look Back,” a 12-part television series produced by Eastern Public Relations Officer Dwight Bachman in 1983.

Left to right, are Eastern Sociology Professor Ricardo Perez, a member of Collectivo Mestizal, retiring State Rep. Walter Pawelkiewicz, and local community leader Juan Perez, who is reading a state proclamation provided by Pawelkiewicz in recognition of Willimantic’s Three Kings Day.



On Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Café, the Intercultural Center was scheduled to present an African American storytelling and food tasting event, at which West Indian and African American students, faculty and staff were scheduled to tell stories from their own personal lives. Raouf Mama, professor of English at Eastern, was one of the featured storytellers. (To Be Rescheduled)

On Feb. 4 and 5, the highly-acclaimed Costen Cultural Art Exhibit will be on display in the Betty R. Tipton Room of the Student Center. The Costen Cultural Art Exhibit is a traveling multicultural collection of rare photographs, memorabilia and collectibles that shows the accomplishments of Americans throughout history.

“11 Things: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

For the past three years, Tim Sullivan, formerly of Portland, CT, and now a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, has worked to share the message of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by writing a column on the civil rights leader. The column, “11 Things: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” cites 11 philosophical opinions of the late civil rights leader. Eastern’s Library Director Pat Banach has enlarged the quotes and placed them on an easel at the front entrance to the library. “Each of the 11 quotes on this poster is a powerful, thought-provoking statement. We wanted to share the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with all who enter our doors,” she said.

University Diversity Plan Highlights Spring University Meeting

In addition to a presentation by Constance Belton-Green, who briefed faculty and staff on the work of the Committee on Diversity, Race, and Justice as they develop a comprehensive diversity plan for Eastern, service awards were handed out by Executive Vice President Michael Pernal. Bill Gamzon received a 10-year award and Rick Rollason-Reese received a 25-year award. In addition, CIO Joseph Tolisano announced that David Bachand had been promoted to Director of Technical Services.

“Bittersweet” Exhibition at Eastern On Feb. 19, contemporary artist and filmmaker Kelly Bigelow Becerra will discuss her exhibit, “Bittersweet,” at 3 p.m. in the Julian Akus Gallery. A reception will follow from 5-7 p.m. The exhibit runs from Jan. 29 to March 12. Bigelow Becerra creates her work through direct, flatbed scanning of objects and people to create a digital vocabulary. The resulting scenes range from serene to stormy, reflecting the artist’s tumultuous childhood. She is also the co-writer and co-producer of the short film, “Dear Beautiful,” which was chosen as an official selection for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was screened during the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Michael Pernal presents a 25-year award to Rick Reese.



The Akus Gallery is located in the lower level of Shafer Hall at the corner of Windham and Valley Streets in Willimantic. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 1 to 7 p.m. on Thursday; and 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The gallery is closed Mondays and Fridays. Parking is available on both cross streets. The gallery is fully accessible. For more information regarding this and other exhibitions at Akus Gallery, please call (860) 465-4659 or visit http://www.easternct.edu/akusgallery

Funding Renewable and Energy Efficiency Measures It was cold outside, but Room 219 of the Student Center was the hot place to be on Jan. 14 for an afternoon program about energy efficiency and renewable energy. The program, a collaboration of Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the regional office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was attended by more than 50 local officials, farmers, businesspeople and residents. Presentations included “How Your Farm or Small Business Can Reduce Energy Costs” by Bill Leahy, chief of operations for the Institute for Sustainable Energy; “Assistance from CT Clean Energy Fund” by David Ljungquist, CCEF’s associate director of Project Development; “Assistance from CT Energy Efficiency Fund” by Donald Becker of

Connecticut Light & Power; and “USDA Rural Development Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency” by Joanne Demars, area specialist of USDA Rural Development. Above, Windham First Selectwoman Jean de Smet and Leahy discuss possible rebates for municipalities.

New Campus Police Station Construction is under way for Eastern’s new police station. The 8,500-square-foot facility will fit the professional concerns of the highly-trained, state-certified force, well known for its excellence at community policing. The project is consistent with the “National Standards for Accreditation of Police Stations.” The new station will house offices for the chief of police, lieutenant, an administrative assistant, and contain a community/training room, holding cells and a central communications/control station that will monitor the fire alarm, EMS, security and emergency call systems for the entire campus.

Newsweek Editor to Discuss Presidential Politics On Feb. 12, Newsweek Contributing Editor Eleanor Clift will speak at Eastern at 7 p.m. in the Betty R. Tipton Room of the Student Center. The topic of Clift’s lecture is “Inside Washington: Presidential Politics.” Starting her career as a secretary to Newsweek’s national affairs editor in New York, Clift was one of the first women at the magazine to move from secretary to reporter; she has been a contributing editor at Newsweek since 1994. She wrote two books with her late husband, Tom Brazaitis, “War Without Bloodshed: The Art of Politics” and “Madam President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling.” Her most recent book, “Founding Sisters,” focuses on the 19th Amendment and the path to women’s suffrage.

Tickets for Arts and Lecture Series events are $10 for the general public and can be reserved by calling (860) 465-0036 or sending an email to [email protected]. For more information on the 2009 series, visit www.easternct.edu/ecsu/arts_lecture.

Eastern’s Concert Chorale Performs at Carnegie Hall

Eastern’s renowned Concert Chorale performed Mozart’s “Requiem” at Carnegie Hall on Jan. 19. Dirk Garner, former director of choral studies at Oklahoma State University and current director of choral studies at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, conducted the performance. “This invitation is another indicator of the hard work and dedication our students, faculty, staff and community have put into making the Eastern Concert Chorale an ensemble of distinction in our region and beyond,” said David Belles, associate professor of music, director of vocal studies, and chairman of the Performing Arts Department at Eastern.



Windham Special Olympics Swim Meet Volunteers Needed Chemistry Professor Charles Wynn, director of the 30th Annual Windham Invitational Special Olympics Swim Meet, is seeking volunteers for the meet, which is scheduled to be held on March 14 at Windham High School. If you would like to volunteer, call (860) 465-5258.

College Bowl In mid-November, seniors Meagan Puzacke of Thomaston and Christina Amato of Marlboro, MA, and junior Kim Church of Farmington represented Eastern at the Fifth Annual “College Bowl,” sponsored by the New England chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM) at its annual fall meeting at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. Puzacke was a four-year member of the field hockey program this past fall; Amato is in her fourth season with the basketball team and is serving as a tri-captain; and Church completed her third season with the soccer program this past fall and is also a two-year softball letterwinner. Each have cumulative grade point averages well

above 3.50, have qualified for an Eastern/E-Club “Outstanding” Scholar-Athlete Award (3.50+ GPA) and are members of the Little East Conference All-Academic Team. Accompanying Eastern’s three-person team to Providence for the NEACSM College Bowl were Dan Switchenko and Charles Chatterton, both faculty members of the Health and Physical Education Department. Switchenko teaches the three exercise science classes offered at Eastern, Applied Anatomy and Physiology (328), Physiological Basis of Movement (329) and Physiology of Exercise (413), while Chatterton heads up the Sports and Leisure Management major. The NEACSM College Bowl is an exercise and science and sports medicine trivia game based upon the television quiz show “Jeopardy.” This year, 16 three-person teams representing a variety of institutions located in New England participated. Subject matter was drawn from exercise physiology, anatomy, nutrition, cardiac physiology, environmental physiology and pharmacology, as well as other related areas.

Kyle Bedini Makes All-America Team

Senior defender Kyle Bedini of Manchester, who helped lead the Eastern Connecticut State University men’s soccer team to its best season in 39 years this past fall, has been selected to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division III All-America Team as a second-team choice. A four-year member of the program and a three-year starter, Bedini joins forward Glenn Judge as the only All-America selections in the 48-year history of Eastern’s men’s soccer program. For more student-athlete news, visit www.easternct.edu/athletics.

Eastern in the News

The Jan. 14 edition of The (Willimantic) Chronicle reported on Eastern’s broadcast of a 12-part series on the life of civil right leader Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19. The series was produced in 1983 by Dwight Bachman, Eastern’s public relations officer. The Jan. 11 edition of The Telegraph in Calcutta, India, reported on comments made by English Professor Maureen McDonnell during a four-day workshop on Shakespeare at Rabindra Bharati University. The Jan. 7 edition of the Hartford-based Inquiring News ran a full-page feature story on the Rev. Collin Bennett Collection, located on the third floor of the J. Eugene Smith Library.



The Jan. 4 edition of the New York Times ran a comprehensive article on the impact of the economy on the cost of paying for a college education. Mona Lucas, director of financial aid, and Kim Crone, director of admissions and enrollment management, were both quoted. The Jan. 3 edition of the Norwich Bulletin reported on the work of Arnold Ewings Jr.’04 who partnered with the Colchester Land Trust to sponsor a walking tour of the Village of Colchester as part of Discover Colchester’s monthly series of hikes. The Jan. 3 edition of the Norwich Bulletin reported on a workshop on rising energy costs in which Bill Leahy, chief of operations of Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy, participated. The Jan. 2 edition of the Danbury News Times reported that Tim Salem ’91 was named the assistant principal of the year by the Connecticut Association of Schools. Salem was honored for his work in raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur.

February 2009 FINAL - Eastern Connecticut · PDF fileNelson Nolau, left, of Roselle Park, NJ,...

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