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On May 5, Eastern’s student chapter of People Helping People brought several residents of St. Joseph Living Center to campus for a guided tour and luncheon social at the Student Center. St. Joseph’s residents learned about college life at Eastern and enjoyed the accommodations. Above, Eastern student Amy Gorman (middle) assists Dot Lee (far left) and Helen Matunas (far right) prepare their lunch at the People Helping People’s first annual “Day at College.” Right, Eastern students Dave Anderson (far left), Jackie Bishop(far right), and Liz Hesterberg (middle right) enjoy lunch with St. Joseph resident Marie Steiner (middle left).
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“Eastern Hits the Streets” a Colossal Success |
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On April 26, Eastern’s “Eastern Hits the Streets” community service program had its most accomplished day in five years. More than 200 volunteers worked at 15 different sites around the Willimantic community. This was the first year that the program wasn’t mandatory to those who needed to accomplish their community service hours in order to live on campus. This year’s crew was dedicated and came ready to get their hands dirty.
“This year’s arrangements were more meaningful than in years past,” said Eric Martin, associate professor of management. “Our students really got to know the organizations with which they volunteered. The event was well orchestrated, and the party afterwards at Memorial Park was a great touch, much appreciated and provided great visibility.”
More than 14 nonprofit organizations participated in this year’s campaign, including the Windham Textile and History Museum, Holy Family Shelter, Windham Hospital, Garden Club of Windham, Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum, Parks in Towns, Camp Horizon, Card Home for the Aged, Camp Meeting Association, Willimantic Food Co-op, Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM), Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, Windham Historical Society, and the Town of Windham. |
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West Indian Society Holds its Annual Banquet |
Members of West Indian Society pose for a picture.
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(left to right) Joyce Hamilton Henry, second from left, poses for a picture with West Indian Society officers Theresa Reid (vice president), Jaria Aljoe (president), and advisor, History Professor Stacey Close.
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On April 6, Joyce Hamilton Henry, director of multicultural programs at the University of West Hartford, delivered the keynote address at Eastern’s West Indian Society’s Annual Banquet. Henry encouraged the audience to use their voice, skills, education, and time to work on issues important to the Caribbean community. Her message: “Respect yourself by persevering and sacrificing to get a good education. The West Indian community has always valued education. You can overcome anything with a good education. And once you get it, make sure you use it to fight for economic and social justice, and take care of each other, and others in need.”The band Kool Riddimus performed at the banquet. |
Department of Performing Arts Presents “John Brown’s Body” |
Eastern’s Department of Performing Arts presented a production of “John Brown’s Body” in the Harry Hope Theatre at Shafer Hall. The performances were held from May 2 to 4. “John Brown’s Body” was directed by Eastern performing arts professor and director of theatre Ellen Faith Brodie, who was assisted by Eastern performing arts professor Jerry Winters. The show was adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning poem of the same name, written in 1928 by Stephen Vincent Benét. The backdrop for “John Brown’s Body” is the American Civil War. The poem chronicles the battles and shows them from the angles of different characters.
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Eastern Department of Performing Arts Presents “Oklahoma!” |
| On April 8-13, the Department of Performing Arts at Eastern presented the musical “Oklahoma!” in the Harry Hope Theatre. Eastern music professor and performing arts department chair David Belles and university assistant Eric Ouellette provided the musical direction; Greg Ganakas was guest director; Drew Franklin was guest associate director and choreographer; and David Regan, currently a performing arts professor at Eastern, served as the show’s set designer.
“Oklahoma!” (written by Rodgers and Hammerstein) focuses on two young people in love during Oklahoma’s frontier days. Cowboy Curley and farmer girl Laurey face obstacles in their courtship (including a jealous suitor and forbidding relatives) yet they ultimately persevere and triumph. The musical features many beloved songs, including “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “Out of My Dreams,” and “Oklahoma.”
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Eastern Electronic Music Ensemble Performs at Capitol Theatre |
On April 7, the Eastern Electronic Music Ensemble (EEE!) performed at the Arts at the Capitol Theatre (ACT) Magnet High School on Main Street in Willimantic. The EEE! presented a live performance that accompanied the 1927 science fiction silent film “Metropolis.” All of the sounds created by EEE! in concert are either electronically generated or manipulated real-world sounds.
Student performers play a number of unconventional instruments, including computers, synthesizers, turntables, motion detectors, and various homemade instruments. They also perform on traditional instruments such as keyboards, guitars, and wind controllers. The music for EEE! is all improvised and each concert is a unique experience.
Anthony Cornicello, associate professor of electronic music at Eastern, said, “The pieces are improvised, although the students are each responsible for ‘directing’ the improvisation for a given scene of the film. It’s sort of a hybrid between group improvisation and group composition.”
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Mead Hall Wins Dean’s Cup |
|  On May 3, Mead Hall walked off with first-place honors in Eastern’s first-ever Dean’s Cup competition. More than 200 students from the six freshman residence halls engaged in the “Hall Olympics,” which included a volleyball tournament, relay race, water balloon toss, egg toss, and a tug-of-war. An enthusiastic “spirit cheer” took place at the end of the day’s events, with all
halls showing support for one another.
The race for the Dean’s Cup stretched over a nine-month period. The freshmen halls were involved in numerous events, including a block party last September, attending Arts & Lecture events, and the Spring Career Fair. Other points that counted towards winning first-place honors included the highest cumulative G.P.A. among the halls, the greatest amount of blood donated at blood drives, the quickest time in which all community service was completed, and the most money raised for the dean’s charity. Proceeds will benefit the “No Freeze” shelter located on West Street in Willimantic. |
Chase Institute Scores Again with White House Official |
On April 3, U.S. Ambassador Richard Russell, associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, presented an address titled “United States Science and Technology Policies and Issues,” in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Room of the J. Eugene Smith Library. Russell was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in August 2002 and recently led a large U.S. delegation to the World Radio Communication Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Russell’s appearance at Eastern was sponsored by Eastern’s David. T. Chase Free Enterprise Institute. |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner Speaks at Eastern |
 Stuart J. Ishimaru, commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, spoke on April 24 in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room of the J. Eugene Smith Library.
Ishimaru discussed major discriminatory and regulatory issues related to the U.S. economy.
Ishimaru has served as a member of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2003, and was confirmed for a second term in office this past December.
He also has served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and was the acting staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Clinton administration. Ishimaru’s presentation was sponsored by Eastern’s David T. Chase Free Enterprise Institute. |
Eastern Hosts Latin Community Concert |
 On April 23, Julia Muench, a guest pianist from Monmouth Conservatory in New Jersey; flamenco guitarist James Dina of Eastern’s performing arts department; a group of student singers from the Arts at the Capitol Theater performing arts magnet school on Main Street; and Ballet Folklorico, a group of student dancers from Windham Middle School, highlighted a free community concert of Latin American music, dance, and song. The concert, held in the Student Center Theater, was part of the Eastern’s celebration of Latin American Awareness Month.
On April 8, renowned Puerto Rican writer Mayra Santos-Febres (right) spoke and read her poetry in the Student Center Theatre. Santos-Febres is the author of several books of poetry, including “El Orden Escapado” (“Escaped Order”) and “Tercer Mundo” (“Third World”), as well as the novels “Sirena Selena Vestida de Pena” (“Selena the Siren Dressed in Sorrow”) and “Cualquier Miércoles Soy Tuya” (“On any Wednesday I Am Yours”).
On April 9, renowned poet and artist Joseph A. Burgos (left) discussed his Latin American background, presented his artwork and paintings, and performed poetry in the Student Center Café.
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Richard Parnas Visits Eastern |
On April 16, Richard Parnas, director of the University of Connecticut’s Biofuel Consortium, visited Eastern as part of Eastern’s University Hour lecture series. His lecture featured his research on developing biodiesel fuel from vegetable oil waste.
Parnas worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the 1990s, and spent a year on a Fulbright Scholarship in Belgium before arriving at UConn in August 2001. Parnas currently conducts research in protein-based plastics, fuel-cell membrane design, and biodiesel-process development. He recently filed a patent for a new reactor design and started a RAMP Technologies Inc., a company designed to commercialize biodiesel processing equipment.
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Alpha Upsilon Chi Inductees |
Professor James Lavin (University of Cumbria, England),
Dawn Carter,
Rachel Harper, Rachael Kirkwood, and Amy Knowles.
Recently inducted into Alpha Upsilon Chi (International Honor Society for health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance)
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- On April 21, softball coach Diana Pepin appeared on "Monday Night Sports Talk" on Charter Cable TV Channel 14 in Windham. The show re-aired on April 28.
- On April 15, the “Hit the Streets” effort to clean up the City of Willimantic was featured in The (Willimantic) Chronicle.
- On April 14, Eastern English Professor Lisa Fraustino, winner of the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) state wide teaching award, and Kenneth McNeil, who won a CSUS award for research, were featured in The (Willimantic) Chronicle.
- On April 15, 17, 19, and 29 and May 1 and 3, Kenneth Briggs, assistant to the director of financial aid, and David Mariasi, unit supervisor of financial aid, appeared on the Willimantic-based Charter Communications public affairs program “Education Matters” to discuss “Financing Your College Career.”
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