Danceworks jumps, jives an' wails
Swing dance is all the rage these days. From nightclubs to Gap commercials, couples of all ages can be found jumpin' and jivin'. But where the Gap ads leave off Montclair State alumna Donna Scro-Gentile's "Shall We Swing?" picks up. The piece features swing dancing by four couples and is one of 10 works that will be presented during Danceworks, March 25-28 in Memorial Auditorium. Approximately 45 students from Theatre and Dance will perform pieces choreographed by faculty, alumni, professional choreographers and fellow students.
"We want to give the students vehicles for artistic growth," said Lori Katterhenry of Theatre and Dance, who is Danceworks' artistic director. "By performing, they eventually gain the ability to let the artistry flow through them and into their dancing. Performing on stage in front of a large audience lets the students experience the connection between the audience and performer."
Of the 10 pieces that will be presented, three were choreographed by students and seven by professional choreographers, including two by alumni and two by faculty. Alan Danielson, director of the Jose Limon School, has created a dance for nine women titled "Blown," which incorporates the theme of wind. It originally was featured as a section of one of his longer works, and is indicative of early modern dance's exploration of nature.
Faculty member Maxine Steinman is the creator of "Playing with Vivaldi," which is pure, classical modern dance.
The last performance of each show will be "Splash" by Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig. "I think of this piece as a global village block party," Katterhenry said, describing it as an uplifting work with dancers of all shapes and sizes traveling in pairs, groups and sometimes alone in a celebration of joy and partnership.
As people enter Memorial Auditorium to hear the Presidential Invited Faculty Address on Thursday, they will be treated to music from Kerala, India specifically from the state's successful literacy campaign. Although most of the audience will not understand the Malayalam words to "The Alphabet is Your Friend," the music, as Richard W. Franke will explain, was one important part of the effort that taught Kerala's 300,000 illiterate residents to read and write.
Despite a per capita income in 1997 of $324, compared to the United States' $28,740, Kerala's 30 million people have achieved near U.S. levels of literacy, life expectancy, birth rates and infant mortality rates. Franke will explain how these achievements are credited mostly to the organization and efforts of Kerala's citizens. From 1989 to 1991 the Kerala People's Science Movement led a campaign that attracted 300,000 volunteers to teach Kerala's illiterate population not only to read and write, but to focus attention on the state's social and economic problems and how citizens can solve them. The year before the campaign ended, Kerala launched the Land Literacy Project in which volunteer geographers taught some of the poorest farmers how to map their resources. And, in 1996, Kerala began a government decentralization plan that gave local communities the opportunity to implement their own projects.
"Kerala has always had a parliamentary democracy," Franke explained. "The work activists have done there cannot only offer lessons on overcoming poverty and protecting the environment not only in other Third World countries, but can benefit the entire world. It's an astonishing story."
Franke's interest in alleviating poverty and reducing ecological destruction of Third World countries began in his college days at Harvard University. He did research for his dissertation in Indonesia where he found that technological change was neither improving the lives of the poor nor helping to protect the environment. Later he returned to Harvard on a Ford Foundation Fellowship and he found similar problems in West African development. "I came to the conclusion that extreme social inequality was the main reason for these two failures," he said. "I then began to do detailed research on social inequality and wanted to find a place where the distribution of wealth and power was more equal." That place was Kerala, India.
In 1986-87, Franke traveled to Kerala where he did research in Nadur Village on a grant from the National Science Foundation. That experience resulted in two books, Kerala: Radical Reform as Development in an Indian State, co-authored with Barbara Chasin of Sociology, and Life is a Little Better: Redistribution as a Development Strategy in Nadur Village, Kerala.
Since then, Franke has been back to Kerala four times. He has written extensively and has given numerous presentations on hunger, ecology, third world development, land reform and related issues.
Franke's lecture will include slides from his research trips to Kerala and from "The Quiet Revolution," a public television video on which Franke served as the anthropological consultant.
President Susan A. Cole will be returning tomorrow from South America, where she accompanied New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman on New Jersey's largest trade and investment mission ever, visiting Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
Cole is representing Montclair State University as well as the Liberty Science Center, where she is a member of the Board of Trustees. Also on the mission are 100 business leaders from throughout the state as well as Gil Medina, secretary of the Commerce and Economic Growth Commission, and Bob Shinn, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. Members of the trade delegation participated in a series of meetings with South American business and government leaders to discuss trade and investment opportunities.
Montclair State University, according to Cole, is vitally interested in expanding its international relationships. "Montclair State is advancing its Global Education Program by developing additional opportunities for faculty and student exchanges, visiting professorships, institutional research and study abroad," she said prior to the trip. "For that reason, I will be meeting with representatives of three of the leading universities in the region: Universidad de Belgrano and Universidad National de San Juan in Argentina, and Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. These contacts will be invaluable in furthering our global education vision for Montclair State."
Cole said another of her goals is to heighten the University's profile and presence in the rapidly growing region.
"MERCOSUR, the 'Common Market' of the southern cone of South America, is rapidly expanding its trading within the region as well as in North America," she said. "Much of that commerce utilizes New Jersey as its gateway. We seek to enable our students, both graduate and undergraduate, to participate in this expanding commercial arena. By doing so, they will be better able to understand the region's people and their accomplishments in the arts, professions, humanities and sciences."
After the European Union and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), MERCOSUR is the world's third largest trading bloc. New Jersey's exports to MERCOSUR exceed $1 billion and support approximately 14,000 jobs in the state. In 1997, New Jersey welcomed 958,000 international visitors, including 93,000 visitors from South America, which generated an estimated $185.8 million in revenues, according to tourism industries.
As Provost Richard Lynde introduced this year's Presidential Achievement Award recipients, he noted that the winners are the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to Montclair State's outstanding students.
Lisa Rae Cunningham, Joy Robbins and Lennon Barkley were honored and lauded for their achievements at a reception last week sponsored by the President's Office, the Women's Center and the Women's Studies Program.
Cunningham, a senior English/creative writing major who holds a 3.9 grade point average, received the award for Excellence in Scholarship. Deena Linett of English said Cunningham produces work that has the quality of assurance and authority that marks an original thinker. Cunningham said she has made a commitment to women's issues through the arts, which is reflected in her work as a writer and dancer. "I was honored that Deena Linett nominated me," Cunningham said. "It's also an honor to be part of Women's History Month."
Robbins, who received the award for Excellence in Community Service, is a member of Sigma Delta Phi sorority and Theta Alpha Phi, the national honor theater fraternity; and serves as president of the College Life Union Board. As president of CLUB, Robbins has facilitated seminars and was instrumental in raising funds for the NAMES Project to bring the AIDS Quilt to campus. Marilyn Tayler of Legal Studies described Robbins as being "committed to community service, consistently involved in philanthropic endeavors" and a "role model for women."
"Montclair State has given me so much, and I'm glad to be able to give something back through community service," Robbins said. "I'm grateful to all the people who have helped me during the last four years."
The award for Excellence in Leadership went to Barkley, who has provided a model of leadership to female students through her commitment to others. She is member of the Leadership Institute, which teaches students about leadership theory and practice. "This was a wonderful experience," she said. "I appreciate the fact that I was nominated for such a prestigious award." Valerie Winslow of Student Activities, the Institute's adviser, said, "It is obvious to many that Lennon is a leader on campus and she, as a student, brings excellent ideas to the program."
Irene Douma
professor, Accounting, Law and Taxation
"There's still a negative view of accountants as being bean counters. We're not. The field is multidisciplinary and touches on finance, marketing and management."
Irene Douma of Accounting, Law and Taxation is out to remove the perception attached to accountants that they are merely bean counters, isolated with their ledgers and adding machines. She says accountants today are involved in all aspects of business. The 25-year veteran educator prepares her students for the challenges they will face after graduation by bringing current, real-life business situations into the classroom.
In recognition of her contributions in both the academic environment and the accounting profession, Douma will receive the 1998-99 New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants Leadership Award for Outstanding Educator at a ceremony April 28. A scholarship also is being awarded in her name to a Montclair State junior who has made a commitment to the profession.
INSIGHT: Why does the Society of Certified Public Accountants give this award?
Douma: The accounting profession, which historically focused on the practitioners, feels that in order to attract bright and talented individuals it needs to touch base with those in the profession who prepare students.
INSIGHT: How does a partnership with the professional community make you a better teacher?
Douma: The textbooks we use contain outdated information, so we're encouraged to maintain professional affiliation. The professionals keep us current so our instruction in the classroom can be cutting edge and contemporary.
I'm teaching a course called Contemporary Issues in Intermediate Accounting in which we're dealing with financial instruments called derivatives. You won't find this material in any textbook, but I have access to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) library and its technical hotline. It's a nice way to blend the profession and academe together. We could be doing a lot more, but it doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and effort.
INSIGHT: You were chosen for this award partly because you are an outstanding teacher. Tell us about your teaching methods.
Douma: I'm no cream puff and I don't skimp. I teach complex topics and look at a long-term payback period. If the topic is complex we go into the complexities. During the semester my students gripe about all the work and the difficult subject matter. But it's difficult out there, and I wouldn't be doing them a favor by letting them slide through a course without adequately covering the topics. It's not until they're out in the business world that they recognize the value of what we did in the classroom. My focus is providing students with lifelong skills and confidence to go out there and do the job. It's a great feeling when a former student says thank you, because when I teach I reach out to my students but I don't always know if I'm getting there.
INSIGHT: What are some of your contributions to accounting education?
Douma: I've actively participated at state-level seminars to point out the areas we need to focus on to ensure that students from Montclair State and the state of New Jersey acquire the skills necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the future. Also, there's a change in demographics as to where students are going for employment, so we used that to modify our own curriculum. Our 150-hour program leading to a master's in accounting will enable our graduates to be competitive in a complex business environment.
INSIGHT: What is your greatest challenge in teaching accounting?
Douma: Accounting is losing some of its luster, and students are finding other, more lucrative occupations. The accounting industry needs to attract the best and the brightest students because that's what makes the profession responsive. There's still a negative view of accountants as being bean counters. We're not. The field is multidisciplinary and touches on finance, marketing and management. I encourage my students to read The Wall Street Journal and all the financial magazines. I want them to look at what's going on in the world and ask how it relates to what they're learning in the classroom. We need to prepare our students to become more cosmopolitan.
Registration begins for English as a Second Language
Registration for an eight-week English as a Second Language Program will be held March 29 and 31.
Beginning to advanced level classes are available, day and evening, two or three times a week, beginning April 12 and June 7. The English as a Second Language Program is offered through the Center for Continuing Education. For more information, call the Center at 4353.
Access library databases from off campus Faculty, staff and students can now use one of the Library's electronic databases, Ebsco Academic, from off campus. Faculty, staff and students can access this database from an off-campus site by going to the Library home page (http://www.montclair.edu/Pages/Library/Library.html) and clicking the "Off-Campus" link underneath Ebsco Academic. At the login screen, type in your Library bar code I.D. number, which is the 14-digit number on the bottom of your Montclair State University I.D.
The Ebsco Academic database indexes and abstracts more than 3,200 periodicals in many subjects and disciplines, including over 1,700 peer reviewed journals. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Christian Science Monitor are also indexed and abstracts are in the database.
For more information about the Ebsco Academic database or any other library databases, call the Reference Desk at 4291. The library also has created an acquisitions list of its newest items. The list is updated monthly and can be accessed off the library's homepage.
Italian Chamber Orchestra comes to campus March 23
The Italian Chamber Orchestra of Soverato (Calabria) Italy will present a concert of classical music and Neapolitan songs on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballrooms.
The program will include works by Vivaldi, DiCapua and Leoncavallo, and will feature Alessandro Lualdi, tenor, of the Theatre San Carlo, Naples. A reception will follow the concert, which is sponsored by the Global Education Center, the School of the Arts, the Alumni Association, the Italian-American Student Organization, the Nicholas Martini Foundation, the Federation of Calabrese of North America, Regione di Calabria and the Institute for Italian and Italian-American Culture.
George E. Antoniou of Computer Science had his article, "Two-Dimensional B-CFE: Circuit and State Space Realization," published in the International Journal of Systems Science, Vol. 30, No. 2, 1999.
Robert Downs of Information Technology presented his paper, "The Five Cs of Managing the Digital Library: Communication, Cooperation, Coordination, Collaboration, and Cross-Training," at the 14th annual Computers in Libraries Conference in Arlington, Va. on March 8. A recording of his presentation is included in the audio tapes of the conference and his paper is included in the conference proceedings.
Judith Lin Hunt of Library Services was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Louisiana chapter of the Association of College and University Libraries. Her presentation posed questions to the audience about which practices in academic librarianship should continue and which should be changed in light of organizational and technological changes in the field. In November, Hunt was a member of the Middle States team visiting the Open University in Milton Keynes, England, to review their application to offer distance education courses in the United States.
Patricia Piroh recently attended a Leadership Summit presented by the American Women in Radio and Television. Held in Nashville, Tenn., the Summit attracted 60 women in media-related positions from across the country. The agenda included seminars on corporate sponsorship, executive coaching and motivation.
Marc Semler of the Graduate School made a presentation at the Student Information System Users (SISU) Conference in Reno, Nev., entitled "Introduction to Statistical Reporting Using FOCUS." In addition, he hosted the first ever "Birds of a Feather" session for Institutional Research. The conference ran from March 3 through March 6.
Jerome "Jerry" Cherry
supervisor, Printing and Photocopying
A Technology Expo, sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Information Technology, will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 25, in Dickson Hall. Information booths will be set up in Room 178, and demonstrations of educational technologies will take place in Room 177 and Room 179.
April is Open Enrollment Month for health and dental plans. A vendor fair will take place on Monday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballrooms.
Students are invited to apply for the Edward Leshowitz Urban Initiative Program Scholarship Awards, established to recognize students who have made exemplary service contributions in urban communities in close proximity to the Montclair State campus. The application deadline is Friday, April 9. More information is available in the Office of Career Development, Morehead Hall, or call 7773.
The Foreign Language Placement Test will be offered March 29-April 2. The Foreign Language Placement Exam is available for most foreign languages taught at Montclair State. All students must be pre-registered for all tests. For more information, call Michael Heller at 7504.
Employees who will receive Service Awards will receive invitations to the April 15 reception this week. Replies to the Personnel Department are requested as soon as possible. For more information, call Adele White at 7136.
Workshops to help students prepare for the April 8 Career Fair will be held March 29-30 in the Career Development Office. For more information, call 7199.
Wanted
Mah-jongg Set. Complete and in excellent condition. Call Dora Bartolo
of the Center of Pedagogy at 7691 or via e-mail to bartolo.
LPs. Rock, jazz, blues and classical from the '50s, '60s, and '70s in reasonably good condition. Will pay cash. Call Steve Hockstein of Communications at 5464 or e-mail Hocksteins@saturn.montclair.edu.
If you have an item you would like advertised in the "Bulletin Board," send it to Diana St. Lifer of Public Information.
For tickets to or information about theater events, call the Box Office at 5112.
March 23: The Italian Chamber Orchestra of Soverato (Calabria), Italy presents a concert of classical music and Neapolitan songs. The program includes Vivaldi, DiCapua and Leoncavallo featuring Alessandro Lualdi, tenor, of the Theatre of San Carlo, Naples. 7:30 p.m., Student Center Ballrooms. Reception to follow.
Noon Recitals. McEachern Recital Hall.
Afternoon/Evening Recitals. McEachern Recital Hall.
For tickets to or information about dance events, call the Box Office at 5112.
Home games only are listed. Schedule is subject to change. For more information, call the Athletic Office at 5234.
ON 'CARPE DIEM'
The weekly television show produced by MSU broadcasting majors takes a look at sexual harassment. Guests are Eva Goldfarb of Health Professions and Maureen Peterson Kenney, Equal Opportunity Officer at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Topics include the various types of harassment, legal issues and training programs for supervisors and employees. Students Colleen Lutolf and Steven Larger describe their experiences with harassment. Airs March 23 at noon on Cablevision channel 6 and 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 57; and March 25 at 8:30 a.m. on CTN.
AT THE MUSEUM
Admission to the Yogi Berra Museum is $4 for adults; $2 for children and students. There is no additional charge for programs.
April 20: Media and Sports Symposium. 2-4 p.m.