Professors discuss the here and now
Students are finding that if they expect to excel in their classes, it's no longer enough to spend their nights poring over textbooks and notes. Some have already discovered that relaxing with a morning cup of coffee and The New York Times is their ticket to an "A."
Professors from all the colleges and schools find integrating current events into what they're teaching in the classroom not only brings the subject matter to life, it makes their students better informed, and therefore, more responsible citizens.
"It's fairly common practice for faculty to seek links between current events and important aspects of the subject matter in their classes," said Joan Ficke, acting assistant vice president for Academic Affairs. "It helps students see relationships across time, and among and between life events."
Ron Hollander of English is finding that the course he's teaching this semester, Holocaust and the Press, is drawing some eerie parallels to news stories about what's happening in Kosovo. "By reading newspapers from the '40s and the '90s we've learned that what occurred during World War II is current news again. That scares me," he said.
Rich Wolfson of Curriculum and Teaching said discussing news is essential in the graduate course he teaches, Microcomputers in Education, and he spends the first 15 minutes of each class talking about current events. He explained that because most his students are teachers, they are expected to know about what's happening in the world. "My students go back into their schools, where they are considered leaders, and are questioned by their students about current events," he said. "We talk about everything from the Microsoft trial and the Melissa Virus to ads for cable companies."
The New York Times and a book called Global Issues, which compiles newspaper and magazine articles on current issues from the past year, are essential in Gregory Pope's World Geography class. He says discussing current events is the foundation of the class. "It's what world geography is all about. I take each region of the world and focus on a topic such as the natural disintegration in Europe and what causes it. This can be done in all aspects of geography by tying into a particular event. Students need to be aware of what's happening around the world, right now, last week or last month."
Scanning newspapers and magazines often reveals that some unlikely topics can sneak into the classroom and carry students out into the real world. Mary Lou West of Mathematical Sciences found herself discussing a home gym in her Astronomy class. She found in the March 23 issue of The New York Times a story about four students from Colorado State University who designed a sit-down home gym for astronauts to use in a space station under weightless conditions. It included straps to hold the astronaut down and a resistance device based on a recoil mechanism similar to that used in a tape measure. The students were invited to test a prototype in a simulated weightless condition on board a NASA cargo plane.
Claire Ciliotta of Psychology pointed out that current events are not limited to newspapers and television. She said a woman in her development class last year brought her baby in every three weeks so the class could track his development. "When you learn with all your senses, the subject matter stays with you a lot longer than if you just read about it," she said. "I use the 'real world' to make textbooks come alive."
According to some faculty, many students are uninformed when it comes current events. Larry Londino of Broadcasting and Hollander both attribute that to lifestyle. They said most students work 20 or more hours a week and take an average of five classes. They also have social concerns and family obligations, so there's little time for current events. "I teach upper-level production classes where students work on a magazine show so they must do research," Londino explained. "Knowing what's happening in the news today is also necessary for getting a job. I have a bulletin board where I post articles from the business section of The New York Times. Potential broadcasting employees need to know who owns what. Does Disney own Miramax? How about ABC?"
According to Hollander, a current event to most is relevant only when it's personalized. "An airplane crashing in Colorado killing hundreds means nothing. But one person getting hit by a car on your block makes it real. If you want to save the world you need to have a stake in it. Before that you must first understand it."
When it comes to getting an "A," looking for a job or saving the world, one thing seems clear. Stopping by the local newsstand every morning will point students in the right direction.
Laurance Splitter has traveled around the world exploring how teachers teach. Even though he has found a wide range of approaches, he says no matter where the classroom, creating a community of inquiry is essential.
A member of the Australian Council for Educational Research, Splitter spoke about his research at a recent Tea and Talk, "Thinking, Talking, and Teaching East and West: Comparing Educational Approaches in China, Australia and the U.S.," at the Global Education Center.
Splitter has spent the semester here as a visiting scholar at the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) and is teaching two graduate classes in philosophy. Splitter, however, is no stranger to Montclair State. He first visited campus in 1982 to meet Matthew Lipman, founder and director of the IAPC, to learn more about the connections among children, philosophy and teaching.
Splitter, who in 1988 gave up a tenured teaching position at Wollongong University near Sydney in order to further his research, spoke about the differences he observed in the educational approaches in three of the countries he's visited. He noted that Australian teachers often talk about better ways of educating students but often do not implement those methods effectively. Teachers in the United States, he said, place too great an emphasis on individuality so that it's often difficult for students to work together in a group.
Chinese children, on the other hand, do think of themselves as members of a community, but unlike American children, he explained, they have to be told to engage and ask questions.
"In order to create communities of inquiry," he added, "you must have all the essential parts. We must create an environment with dialogue, empathy and caring. In a sense, we are concentrating on how to be human beings. When you make a child's experiences meaningful now, that builds into an even better life in the future."
Ronald Sharps, assistant dean of the School of the Arts, attended the Tea and Talk. "I'm encouraged by his persistence," he said. "In order to build communities of inquiry, we have to take into consideration the teachers and the training of the teachers in order to focus on the child."
This semester, the Global Education Center has hosted five Tea and Talk presentations. Two others will be held this month: "Opportunities in China for Faculty" on April 13 and "Art as the Mediator in Communication" on April 22.
Shruti Bansal
president, International Student Organization
"The international students may not have a permanent home here, but we feel more at home when we join hands. It shows us that there's no class system. That we're all equal."
Shruti Bansal, an economics major who moved to the United States from India 16 months ago, said she can't get over how an executive and a maintenance worker in this country can drink milk from the same carton. "I come from a biased, caste society," she said. "Even though there's still racism in America, I'm happy to call this home."
The president of the International Student Organization (ISO) is committed to ending racism on all levels and believes the best way to do that is unity through diversity. Bansal's dedication to this cause can be witnessed through her participation in the upcoming World's Fair on Wednesday, April 28 (rain date is April 29) in the Student Center mall. The day's events will open with a proclamation reading at 11:45 a.m., followed by Hands Across the Campus at noon. Last year, 500 people joined hands, making a human chain from the Student Center to College Hall. Bansal hopes this year even more people will join in the celebration.
INSIGHT: Who is responsible for organizing this event?
Bansal: Jackie Leighton [of the Global Education Center] is in charge of the World's Fair, and the ISO is the major student-run sponsor. It's a group effort, and what some organizations can't contribute financially they are making up for in physical labor. The sponsors also include the Department of Speech Communication, the Global Education Center, the International Center for the Arts, International Services, Intercultural Communication, the Travel Club and the Unity Collaboration.
INSIGHT: What is the purpose of the World's Fair?
Bansal: Unity through diversity. I'd like to see all the organizations, departments, cultures and religions on campus come together to make this event a success. Students will be wearing costumes from their native countries, and although they will dress differently, everybody will be one, working together. That's the example we want to set for the world. It's not only Americans who have to learn about the people from other countries. Those of us who come from different countries need to learn about America and the other countries as well.
INSIGHT: What can we expect to find at the Fair?
Bansal: Each department and organization with display tables along the grass in front of the Student Center will have literature, posters and ornaments typical of a particular country. The Conservation Club will distribute information on how to conserve the environment, and we're printing out a sheet with the word "Unity" written in all the languages of the world. Guests will also have an opportunity to taste international food, and we've invited outside vendors to sell on a no-profit/no-loss basis.
INSIGHT: Will there be entertainment?
Bansal: Wendy Gilbert-Simon of Global Education is coordinating faculty and student performers. ISO is working on a piece that will include six students from different countries who will stand in a semi-circle. Each person representing a particular country will step forward to perform music of that culture while the rest of the group dances. It will depict unity and how one person can bring the whole world together through love and music. People use some creative tactics to attract people to their tables, too. Last semester some students from Fine Arts painted their bodies and stood motionless as statues for five hours. That was fabulous.
INSIGHT: What do you hope to accomplish with Hands Across the Campus?
Bansal: We pass each other every day without saying a word. By joining hands we show that although we belong to different parts of the world, we are together. The international students may not have a permanent home here, but we feel more at home when we join hands. It shows us that there's no class system, that we're all equal.
INSIGHT: What would you personally like to see come out of this day?
Bansal: Maximum student participation. I want them to enjoy the food and music from other parts of the world. I want everyone to understand the different cultures and to see the incredible difficulties some of their peers have lived through. Now we're watching what the people of Kosovo are going through. Six months ago we were unaware of the atrocities there and never bothered to think that people were living under those conditions. It's not a lesson to be learned in college and forgotten after graduation. I would like students to remember throughout their lives how they were culturally united.
The following employees and retirees will be honored at the Service and Retirement Awards presentation Thursday, April 15 in the Student Center Ballrooms: Retirees: Elaine A. Barden, Matthew Battle, Marguerite Blunt, June A. Bohny, James N. Brighton, Barbara Bugbee, Myrna A. Danzig, Richard R. Davis, Jose M. Figueroa, Robert Garfunkel, Robert Goodkin, Eleanor M. Greenfield, Curtis M. Jackson, Harriet Klein, Mary Kudla, Richard A. Kyle, Moira K. Lemay, Martha Lequerica, Carl Lindblom, Edward C. Martin, Eulalia Martinez, Elizabeth Meskill, John V. Moore, Magdlen A. Murowiec, Wendy Oxman, Sandra Paris, Yolanda Perez, George R. Petty, Irvin L. Plummer, Ana M. Rambaldo, Barbara Richardson, Hollie Stephens, Ann Strand, Rhoda K. Unger, Marion Whittenburg, Daniel E. Williams
35 years: Gerard L. Caracciolo, Elmo Crocker, William Dell, John Kirk, Peter F. Macaluso, Charles W. Moore, Joanne Sieben, Sharon Spencer
30 years: Hani Y. Awadallah, Brenda Balady, Italo Battista, Robert F. Dorner, Walter R. Dubis, Marcha Flint, Mark A. Koppel, William R. Parzynski, George S. Rotter
25 years: T.E. Benediktsson, David W. Benfield, Wayne S. Bond, James R. Boylan, Suresh A. Desai, Gabriella Divirgilio, Irene Douma, Ida S. Fazio, Gail R. Feinbloom, Alice F. Freed, Peter Freund, Gail Gambrell, Susan Herman, John L. Isidor, Marc L. Kasner, Patricia C. Kenschaft, Stephen J. Koepp, Michael S. Kogan, Adele B. McCollum, Byung K. Min, Emily-Ellen B. Mudryk, Joseph P. Mundy, Alan J. Oppenheim, Paolo G. Possiedi, Barbara H. Roman, Maurie T. Sacks, Ann M. Sharp, James C. Struck, David E. Weischadle, Carol D. Westfall, Phyllis Wooster, John A. Zahner, Chaim R. Zemach
20 years: Frank J. Aquilino, David A. Bacon, Aryeh Blumberg, Harvey Blumberg, Jerome Cherry, Maridel Cuevas, Janet K. Cutler, Ramon L. Delgado, Enrico N. Giancola, Karen D. Goodman, Rosetta B. Grant, Lise Greene, Dion M. Lindert, Julie A. Marchini, Giuseppe Marzullo, Katherine Meyers, James Varchola, Anita M. Welling, Claudette Westerfield
15 years: Joyce A. Albrecht, Kathleen Bauer, Theresa A. Benzinger, Jerry G. Dickason, Bertha M. Diggs, Faith D. Harris, Geraldine Harris, Sandra E. Hearne, Jorge L. Hernandez, Josephine A. Hrinda, Haci-Murat Hubey, Jennifer C. Hunt, Diomie Johnson, Jimmy Larkins, Syed F. Mirzan, Harry Parker, Glenville W. Rawlins, Farahmand Rezvani, Faith M. Ryan, Virginia A. Salas, Mary Steinhardt, Rose Vacca, Leslie E. Wilson
10 years: John K. Adams, Kausar A. Ahmad, Diane Aimone, Barbara Artale, Elizabeth M. Ash, Gina L. Balestracci, Julie Baskinger, Ahmet Baytas, Anna Belnome, James W. Benham, Betty Bravo, June C. Cimonetti, Douglas Cooper, Joanne F. Cote-Bonanno, Robert E. Cray, Joseph N. Damico, Georgianna Delcorso, Patricia Fdyfil, Frehiwot Gebre-Tsadik, Maria Gutierrez, Yvette Hall, Patricia Hardiman, Gregorio C. Inocencio, L.L. Jayaraman, Jeffrey M. Jones, Halina Karpiniuk, Jean M. Lavista, Joseph L. Lipari, Zenobia Lovick, Valerie A. Machado, Traci M. Miller, Hermer J. Miranda, Erline R. Morris, Christopher Mosley, Catherine Mullen, Walter M. Myers, Camillo Navarra, Geoffrey W. Newman, Catherine Ifeyinwa Okobi, Lois L. Oppenheim, Lorenzo Pace, Andrew J. Palka, Raquel S. Peterson, Gloria Pierce, Theresa Russell, Norman F. Schoenig, Marc P. Semler, Elaine Stevens, Eileen S. Sweet, Patricia Tangora, Dennis E. Thompson, V.S. Tietze-Larson, Richard P. Tobin, Thomas A. Trone, Martha Valdivieso, Vaughn Vandegrift, Brenda Varcadipone, Joanne M. Walsh, Lorraine Whitaker, Carolyn Witte, Gail K. Wojtowicz, Stephanie Wood
5 years: Doris Ackerman, Angelina Allebach, Lillian Allen, George Antoniou, Kenneth R. Bledsoe, Rickey S. Brash, Angelo Cardellicchio, Helen Coaxum, Alfred Colasuonno, Victor M. Colon, S.E. Daughtridge, Mary DeFilippis, Saverio Dello Russo, Doris W. Figueroa, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Joseph Fornarotto, Thomas F. Gencarelli, Joseph Guimmarra, Rani Jenkins, Geraldo Jimenez, Sara D. Jonsberg, Bonita Kates, Sang-Hoon Kim, Enith Krause, Luz M. Larrea, Mary Ann Lastella, Amilcar Lazo, Sharon A. Lewis, Larry J. Matthews, Donald E. Maxfield, Adelaida Muniz, Carlos Palacio, Richard W. Patterson, Dierdre Glenn Paul, Thomas M. Perry, Patricia Piroh, Roy Ponton, Jacqueline C. Romero, Robert R. Schalk, Paul Christopher Stec, Edwin Torres, Valerie Van Baaren, John S. Vitiello, Mark A. Whitener, Richard A. Williams, Linda L. Wise, John Wooten, Roger A. Zapata
April 11-18, 1999
Six million Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust from l933 to l945 as part of a systematic program of genocide, and millions of other people also perished as victims of Nazism.
We must never forget the atrocities, and we must not allow others who seek to deny the fact or extent of the Holocaust to draw a shade over this painful history. Events of recent times, in Africa, in the Balkans and elsewhere in the world, teach us that we have not yet fully learned the tragic lessons taught by the Holocaust. Each of us, as individuals, must redouble our efforts to be vigilant in recognizing hatred, prejudice and bigotry in ourselves, and we must actively resist these evils whenever we are confronted by them.
I encourage all members of our campus community to rededicate ourselves to the principles of equality, justice and human dignity for all people. As a community dedicated to overcome prejudice and intolerance through education, Montclair State University joins the president of the United States, the Congress, which in 1980 unanimously created the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and other institutions throughout the world in this international commemoration.
Now, therefore, I, Susan A. Cole, president of Montclair State University, hereby proclaim April 11-18, l999, as Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust, and I urge all of us to let the tragedies of the past teach us the way to a more tolerant world.
Maureen Kanka to speak at this year's Law Day
Maureen Kanka, who led a natioal movement for the passage of Megan's Law following the murder of her seven-year-old daughter on July 29, 1994, will be the featured speaker at Law Day on Thursday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Dickson Hall, Rooms 177 and 178.
The topic of this year's Law Day is "The Justice System: A Victim's Perspective; Whose System is it Anyway?" Also speaking will be Essex County Prosecutor Patricia Hurt. Following Megan Kanka's death, more than 200,000 signatures were obtained calling for the passage of a community notification system in New Jersey. Megan's Law was signed 89 days following the date of Megan's disappearance. Today, 45 states have some version of Megan's Law and all 50 states have some form of registration requirement for convicted sex offenders.
Theatre and Dance series ends with "Edwin Drood" mystery
The Theatre and Dance series will conclude its season with the Tony Award-winning musicial, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Performances will be in Memorial Auditorium April 15-17 and 22-24 at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee April 18 and a 1 p.m. matinee April 23 in Memorial Auditorium.
The Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score is set in 1870, when a Victorian acting troupe is performing a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens' mystery novel was left unfinished when he died. Rupert Holmes, the show's author, composer and lyricist, has picked up where Dickens left off by creating a "play within a play" that allows the audience to choose the ending by selecting among Dickens' colorful array of suspects.
The play is directed by Raymond Delgado; musical director is Eric Diamond; set and lighting design is by W.S. MacConnell; and costume design is by Chelsea Harriman. MSU alumna Colleen McArdle is the choreographer, and students Heather Campagno and Ruthie Burman serve as assistant stage managers.
Tickets are $9 standard; $7 for MSU faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens; and $5 for students. Call the Box Office at 5112.
Students and community members to clean Passaic River
More than 150 Montclair State, local middle and high school students and community members will clean the waterway and banks of the Passaic River near Lou Costello Park in Paterson this weekend as part of a statewide effort to improve urban water quality across the state. The river cleanup, which will take place Saturday, April 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., is being hosted by New Jersey Community Water Watch, the New Jersey Community Development Center and the Paterson AmeriCorps Coalition.
If you have unwanted books in good condition that you would like to donate to the Child Care Center's Book Fair next week, please bring them to the Child Care Center in Stone Hall or the Office of Public Information, College Hall, Room 313; or call Tracy Hogan at 4483 to arrange pickup. The Book Fair will take place Monday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Tuesday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Annex, Room 104. Money raised from the fair will go toward the purchase of computers and software for the children.
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education will be on campus April 24-28 to conduct a continuing accreditation visit for all undergraduate and graduate professional education programs. A schedule of the visiting team's activities has been distributed to those associated with those programs and is available in the Center of Pedagogy in Chapin Hall, Room 5.
Z-100 and WKTU radio vans will be in the Student Center Mall and giving away free prizes this week. Z-100 will be on campus Tuesday, April 13, from noon to 2 p.m. (raindate Wednesday, April 14); and KTU will be here Thursday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you have not returned your reply for the Service and Retirement Awards reception on Thursday, April 15, to the Personnel Department, your gift will not be there.
Anyone who would like additional Montclair State University car decals can call Greg Waters of Institutional Advancement at 4214.
Iris Del Rio
Secretary, Weekend College
For more information about position announcements, see the bulletin board outside the Personnel Office in College Hall or visit MSU's Web site at www.montclair.edu.
Director, Financial Aid. Starting date: July 1, 1999. Salary: $56,013-$84,018. Send letter and resumé by April 23 to Ruth Shaw, chair, Search Committee. V-013.
Assistant Controller, Financial Services and Accounting. Starting date: May 1. Send letter and resumé by April 19 to Ruth Shaw, College Hall, Room 226. V-018.
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management, Business and Finance. Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Starting date: July 1, 1999 (anticipated). Send letter and resumé by April 23 to James Boylan, Search Chair. V-019.
Director, Intercollegiate Athletics. Starting date: Aug. 1, 1999. Salary: $56,013-$84,018. Send letter and resumé by May 15 to chair, Search Committee, V-016.
For tickets to or information about theater events, call the Box Office at 5112.
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 features Enrico Cortese discussing his education on the GI Bill, working at NBC and his career as a makeup artist to the stars, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Randall and Leonard Nimoy. Produced and directed by Brendan O'Melia; hosted by Larry Londino. Airs April 6 at noon on Cablevision channel 6 and 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 57; and April 8 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.
Saturday at the Movies. 3 p.m.