Newsflash
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Scientist, educator, comedian, and author Bill Nye encouraged a packed audience in the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium on Nov. 16 to “CHANGE THE WORLD!”
More than 2,000 people of all ages, many of them schoolchildren, filled the gym to give Nye a standing ovation when he arrived. He is best known for his work on the popular television series, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which aired on PBS from 1992-1998 and is still in syndication. Nye showed remarkable photographs from Mars of the “Spirit” and “Opportunity” Land Rovers, which are both fitted with photometric calibration MarsDials. “Here’s my favorite,” he said, in introducing a photo of the MarsDial that showed the gnomon (the vertical shaft of the sundial used to cast the sun’s shadow). “Notice it is white. Remember it was black in the other photos? That white material is frost, ice. Woooh!”
“Earth is still my favorite planet,” he continued, showing a chart demonstrating that mankind cannot live on Venus or Mars. “We need liquid water; it’s the solvent of life, so I’m not ready to move to Venus (“too hot!”) or Mars (“too cold!”). But we have to change how we live. It would take the national resources of at least two more Earths to accommodate our life style for everyone on the planet.”
In closing, Nye read the inscription on the MarsDials that reads, “To those who visit here, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.” In his own words, “Never lose sight of the PB&J of Science — the passion, beauty, and joy!”
Eastern Wins Three CQIA Awards
Earlier this month, the University’s sustainable energy initiative—“The Greening of Eastern”—received a Gold Award from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) program. The initiative comprises the Sustainable Energy Studies minor; the work of the Institute for Sustainable Energy; and the on-campus energy conservation efforts of the University, which include constructing “green buildings,” an active recycling program, and other conservation efforts. (from left: President Elsa Nuñez; Bill Leahy, director of operations, Institute for Sustainable Energy; Nancy Tinker, director of facilities management and planning; Professor Fred Loxsom; and Executive Vice President Michael Pernal) The Liberal Arts Program Committee received a Silver Award from CQIA for the liberal arts core curriculum project. The committee was recognized for using consensus building strategies that led to the active involvement of 80 percent of the faculty and reduced the time from conception to approval to less than four semesters. (Maggie Martin and Carmen Cid show off their CQIA Awards with Bill Leahy.) The Office of Fiscal Affairs also received a CQIA Silver Award for its tax intercept program. The program, which was the result of partnerships with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, has generated $80,110 to date in calendar year 2006 for Eastern. Fiscal Affairs presented appreciation awards to its colleagues in the Departments of Revenue Services and Administrative Services in recognition of their assistance and support. (from left Dr. Nuñez; Darren Nosal; Debbie Hunt; John Sweeny; Michael Pernal) Eastern representatives with their Department of Administrative Services colleagues (from left: Darren Nosal; Sue Antonaros; Brenda Sisco; Audrey Pinette; Linda Yelmini (Commissioner); Mohammed Shiekh; Brian Halloran; Kathy Sobieski; and John Sweeney) Eastern representatives with their colleagues in the Department of Revenue Services( from left: Darren Nosal; John Sweeney; Shirley Previti; Angela Chen; Edward Mehmel; Kimberly Columbia; John Szilagyi; Barbara Modeen; Gary Cyr; Pam Law (Commissioner); and Sue Antonaros)
James Earl Jones Captivates Audience
Distinguished actor James Earl Jones entertained a capacity crowd in the E. Francis Geissler Gymnasium with excerpts from three Shakespearean plays on Oct. 24. Jones, whose stage, television, and film career has spanned six decades, focused on the racial and gender politics of the characters of the Prince of Morocco, Othello, and Titus found in The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Titus Andromidus.
“Shakespeare wove a broad range of human nature into these three black characters,” remarked Jones, as he used his remarkable voice to bring energy and emotion to the dialog found in the Shakespearean classics. “Othello was a mystery even to Shakespeare.”
Jones provided glimpses of his own life, which began in Mississippi before his family moved to Michigan during his elementary school years. “From age 4 to 14 I was essentially a mute,” he explained, in describing a severe stuttering problem that he only conquered after discovering the beauty of the English language. His family ran a farm in Michigan, and he described a moment when his uncle stood in the fields reciting Marc Antony’s lines from Julius Caesar in “pure English. On that day, Uncle Bob set me loose on Shakespeare.” Jones eventually went to college to study pre-medicine but found the sciences to be too hard and switched to acting.
Left and Right: Where Do You Stand?
The heat was palpable on Oct. 25 when liberal David Corn, Washington, D.C., editor of The Nation, and Jeff Jacoby, conservative columnist for The Boston Globe, engaged in a political debate, “The Merits of U.S. Foreign Policy.”
The Paul E. Johnson, Sr. Conference Room was packed as Eastern Connecticut State University faculty and students heard the two nationally recognized political commentators express their views on a range of issues related to U.S. foreign policy, including U.S. involvement in Iraq, North Korea’s nuclear presence, and worldwide perception of the United States. The debaters were invited to campus by two student clubs, the College Democrats and College Republicans. Both groups are interested in heightening political awareness among Eastern’s undergraduate population, and the debate did just that. “I was pleased to see how attentive our students were to the points raised during the debate,” said Political Science Professor Nicole Krassas. “These are clearly issues that matter to our students.”
Jeff Jacoby
Governor’s Cabinet on Early Education Visits Campus
Governor Rell’s Early Education Cabinet visited the Child and Family Development Resource Center on Nov. 8. Led by co-chairs George Coleman, acting commissioner of the Department of Education, and Janice M. Gruendel, the governor’s senior advisor on early childhood education, the cabinet met to continue its discussions of the Connecticut Early Childhood Education Investment initiative, “Ready by 5 and Fine by 9.” Other commissioners in attendance included Valerie Lewis, commissioner of the Department of Higher Education, and Patricia A. Wilson-Coker, commissioner of the Department of Social Services. The audience was made up of many of the leaders of the state’s early childhood community.Page 1
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