| October
2005
Happy Halloween!
In
this Issue:
- A Word from Sean
- APAN Member of the Month: Whitney Gay , Class of '71
- Plans Set for New Social Space
- SU Professor Publishes First Novel
- Crusader Campus Corner: Dierks Bentley to Perform Fall Concert; Distinguished Authors Speak at SU; SU Battle of the Bands
- Crusader Athletics : Dormer Named Women's Tennis Commonwealth Player of the Year
- News & Notes -- IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT IN-ACTION DAYS
***Urgent Fall College Fair Information***
Thank you to those of you who have signed up and already volunteered for the over 70 fairs APAN will be covering this fall. However, there are still a lot of fairs uncovered that our Admissions Staff will not be able to get to and WE NEED YOUR HELP! The colleg fair program is the backbone of APAN activities--if you are interested, please visit Fall
2005 College Fair List to see the current college fair list and to register for any fairs you would be willing to work. We know everyone has busy schedules, so we greatly appreciate any help that you can offer!
A
Word from Sean
It’s just one of those days, you know? I woke up at 6:15 am yesterday for student teaching, I’ve trudged through another cold, rainy day on a pitiful amount of sleep, and at a shade past four on Friday afternoon I’m not back in my apartment, gearing up for an exciting weekend, but seated at a computer in the Office of Admissions, desperately trying to muster enough creative energy to write my favorite section of The Pipeline. Needing to stimulate my thinking, I escape to the reception room for some Hot Chocolate.
Mixing the chocolate powder with boiling water from the cooler, I come to a realization. Chocolate powder and hot water to make hot chocolate? Are you kidding me? In Buenos Aires this summer, when I would go to a café and do homework, I would always get a “submarino”—a large cup of boiling hot milk that you put two sweet chocolate candy bars into. On this tired, wet day I realize that what I need to warm spirits and inspire my thoughts is not only a real cup of hot chocolate, but thinking about my incredible study abroad experience this summer.
I have used this space to promote study abroad in the past, and that was before I was the one studying abroad! After taking classes in Buenos Aires, I have my own experiences I’d like to tell you about. I learned a lot more than structures for forming the subjunctive clause (you need two subjects and an uncertainty expressed), the metaphors and allegories for representing Eva Peron in Argentine literature (dolls and “the” blonde), and how to stay awake during a two hour lecture in Spanish about the major imports and exports of Argentina at the end of the 19th Century (lots of food to eat slowly and in pieces during class).
I learned to tango, the pride of Argentine culture. I learned what good soccer looks like and to truly appreciate the sport. I learned that the Dirty War of the 1970s is one of the greatest atrocities in the history of the world that most people know nothing about. I learned not only how to speak better Spanish, but how to communicate better in general. I learned that I really don’t like blood sausage and to never travel without Pepto Bismol. I learned that buses with beds do exist like in Harry Potter and that those beds are necessary on an 18-hour bus trip. And, perhaps the most fascinating of all to me, is that I better understand this world as one large, connected community. I lived with a family in Argentina that took me into their home and opened up their arms and experiences to me in a way that I never could have imagined; I made friends in Argentina who I still talk to online and are planning to visit in February; I made friends with the other students in the program and now have friends all over the country who I talk with often; and I know that before I begin teaching in the U.S., I am going to teach abroad.
All of this community ties back to SU too. Last year I wrote, “…while it might appear that there is not too much going on in Selinsgrove, by coming to this small town you will be surrounding yourself with the rest of the world.” It was through SU that this opportunity came to me; in my eyes, SU just opened the door for me to the entire world, and you should remind prospective students that it can do the same for them too. Now, if SU could only give me a good cup of hot chocolate…
APAN
Member of the Month
(The
APAN Member of the Month section highlights individual APAN
members who have contributed significantly to the expansion
and success of APAN over the past few years.)
The APAN Member of the Month for October is Whitney Gay, ‘71. Whitney is not bashful about expressing his love and appreciation for his four years at SU. A late acceptance to SU, Whitney shares that , “I felt that I had discovered an ivy league campus in the middle of Pennsylvania. I knew I could be proud of Susquehanna and was so excited with the change in culture that central Pennsylvania offered. It was a terrific town surrounded by farm country and the gift in that was the Amish influence which I love to this day…the atmosphere of warmth began with President Gustave Weber and carried right through the entire staff at large. I never looked back.”
Whitney was an English Major with a minor in philosophy and particularly enjoyed the small classes and personal relationships he developed with his SU professors. Murray Hunt, was “…a terrific professor” who led fascinating discussions. Whitney also expresses a great deal of gratitude towards Charles Igoe, who “…took an interest in my being successful and also in my surviving the four years. He understood my academic vulnerabilities and became my mentor. I am indebted to him for that.”
Whitney worked in the Admissions Office as an admissions representative knows how hard the job can be day in and day out, so working a few of the programs is his way of saying thank you to the entire staff. Whitney’s work with APAN and in the Office of Admissions both invaluable and continuous, and his insights into the work are best expressed by his own words:
“I like working the programs because I see first hand the family dynamics. I ask the tough questions first and read the parents reactions. Are they willing to allow their child to go six or seven hours away? …Finding the connect button is the thrill of working a college night. I like watching the evening dynamics with all the frenetic activity…Admissions is the unsung hero of a successful university. No one really equates class quality to the ultimate work that it takes to fill a class. I am reminded every time I work a college night that we are fighting for the best students we can attract. We are a great little school but we are one among many. And, when the lights come on, I need to be the best and really connect in all of three minutes. I want to feel good about my night when I pack my case and head to the door. Our whole budget depends on a job well done.”
Whitney’s passion and commitment to SU and APAN is obvious not only in his words but his actions as well, as he has covered many fairs for us this fall. Congratulations, Whitney, on being named the October Member of the Month, and thank you for all of your efforts!
Plans Set for New Social Space
Beginning with this spring semester, you never again hear an SU student mutter the words, “There’s nothing to do around here.” A new social space is being added adjacent to the freshman parking lot and is coming in response to requests of the student body to add a little more spice to the social life on campus. The space, which is scheduled to be open in late February or early March, has a $1 million budget and is comparable to “The Attic” at Gettysburg University or “Uptown” at Bucknell University. While the space will serve drinks to students of age, it will be an event-driven location for all students, with a capacity of 300-400 people. It will have a performance stage to host concerts of smaller-bands who might not fill Weber Chapel, as well as a dance floor, booth and bar seating, and outdoor patio seating in warmer weather. Additionally all activities, entertainment, music, food, and drinks will be free of charge—a true draw for any college student.
 
SU Professor Publishes First Novel
Author Tom Bailey, associate professor of English and creative writing at SU celebrated the release of his first novel, The Grace That Keeps This World, on October 18 th. The novel, based on a tragic hunting accident in upstate New York where Bailey held his first teaching assignment, was accepted for publication by Random House's Crown Publishing Group, under the imprint of Shaye Areheart Books, earlier this year. The hardcover release will be followed by an audio version of the book and is also available as an e-book. On Sunday, Oct. 30, Bailey will read from the novel in Susquehanna University 's Degenstein Center Theater. The reading begins at 8:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
Bailey first heard about the hunting accident in a radio report. A father had accidentally shot and killed his son on the first day of buck season. When he saw what he'd done, he turned the gun on himself. Deeply affected, Bailey wrote a short story based on what he'd heard. “Snow Dreams,” originally published in DoubleTake magazine and later included in his first collection of short stories, Crow Man (Etruscan Press, 2003), went on to win a prestigious Pushcart Prize.
However, long after the story was written, the tragedy of the incident stayed with Bailey, and he began thinking about the survivors of the tragedy – family members, friends and the small hunting community that became known in the novel as Lost Lake. These musings turned what began as a heartrending short story into a saga of community loss. Alternately narrated by members of the Hazen family and their neighbors living in the heart of upstate New York 's Adirondack country, The Grace That Keeps This World brings to light the shared values that sustain human relationships.
Prior to joining the faculty of Susquehanna University in 1999, Bailey taught in the Expository Writing Program at Harvard University . His work has earned him a Newhouse Award from the John Gardner Foundation and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for fiction. It has been anthologized in New Stories from the South and been noted in The Best American Short Stories . In addition to Crow Man and The Grace That Keeps This World , Bailey has published two instructional books with Oxford University Press, On Writing Short Stories and The Short Story Writer's Companion . He is a regular contributor to The Writer magazine and is currently working on his third novel, tentatively titled Sunny Hills. Bailey's second novel, Cotton Song, will be published by Random House in the fall of 2006.
Publishers Weekly says the novel “has the validity of deeply felt truths and characters who are bound and motivated by a love that arches the chasm of divergent ambitions and desires.”
Calendars,
Schedules and Events
(Click
the link to see all of the latest happenings on campus!)
Dierks Bentley to Perform Fall Concert
This year's Fall Concert will feature country sensation Dierks Bentley as well as special guest Cross Candian Ragweed. Bentley, who will perform at SU on November 17th at 8 pm, is an up-and-coming star in the country music scene who is following in the footsteps of fellow singer-songwriters Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. Originally from Phoenix, Ariz., Bentley grew up listening to George Strait and Hank Williams with his dad. He moved from listener to player when he picked up an electric guitar at 13. He moved to Nashville, Tenn., at 19 and immersed himself in the local music scene, falling in love with the bluegrass music played at many of the clubs. As he wrote more songs he took any gig he could get around town, including backyard cookouts and frat parties. In 2003 he released his self-titled debut album, which featured his successful first single, "What Was I Thinkin'?" He was named the Top Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 2003 having only released one album, and in 2004 received Country Music Television's Breakthrough Video of the Year Award. Everyone at SU is looking forward to what promises to be an exciting night! Tickets are available to the general public at the Weber Chapel Box Office or by calling 570-372-ARTS. We hope to see you there!
Distinguished Authors Speak at SU
Jeff Shaara, author of the Civil War bestsellers Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, presented a free, public lecture at SU on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Shaara is the son of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara, author of The Killer Angels, brought to the big screen by film director Ron Maxwell as the highly successful Gettysburg. During the lecture, held in Weber Chapel, Shaara discussed the legacy of his father's work and the nature of popular historical fiction. Shaara continued his father's work by writing Gods and Generals, the best-selling prequel to The Killer Angels. He completed the trilogy with a sequel to his father's novel – another best-seller, The Last Full Measure. Shaara has also written on the Mexican-American War, the American Revolution and World War I. He is currently conducting research on World War II.
Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the University of California at Los Angeles , presented the Claritas Distinguished Lecture in Science at Susquehanna University on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Regarded as one of the greatest minds of our time, Diamond is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, and is the recipient of the National Medal of Science. The United States' highest civilian award in science, the National Medal of Science was bestowed on Diamond for his breakthrough discoveries in evolutionary biology. Diamond’s lecture, titled after his newest book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, detailed how and why some societies decline and collapse and some survive for thousands of years. The talk drew a capacity crowd to Degenstein Theater.
SU Battle of the Bands
SU held its annual Battle of the Bands on October 8th, a competition of bands with at least one Susquehanna student in the group or serving as manager. While several student bands entered, Sense Emil, composed of juniors Ryan Stauffer, Mark Henne, Joe Daniel and Ben Rader, was crowned the winner. Playing their jam band and reggae style songs, Sense Emil has grown over the last year, playing Charlie’s Coffeehouse and a number of show on and off campus, transforming themselves into a recognizable favorite of all SU students. Rader said the band chose to enter the Battle of the Bands because, "it's just a relaxed atmosphere where we get to play a couple songs and have a good time." The band spent their winnings, a $150 gift certificate to the Susquehanna Valley Mall on—what else—more CDs. They also won the opportunity to open the 2006 Spring Concert.
Crusader
Athletics
Click the Image Below for
all Your Crusader Sports News
Dormer Named Women's Tennis Commonwealth Player of the Year
SU senior Danielle Dormer has been named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year in women's tennis as voted upon by the league's seven head coaches and released Tuesday. Dormer, a Harrisburg native and graduate of Central Dauphin East High School, was also selected first-team All-Conference for the third consecutive season after compiling a 9-2 record at first singles for the Crusaders and 12th-year head coach Bob Jordan.
Her 9-2 record included a 5-1 mark in Commonwealth Conference matches, and boosted her career record to 40-10 making her just the second player in program history to reach 40 career singles victories behind 2002 MAC singles champion Tara McHugh, who won 46 singles matches from 2000 to 2003. Dormer also compiled a 5-4 record in doubles action playing with senior Sarah Boynton, increasing her career record in doubles to 29-12 to tie the school record for career doubles wins held by Sarah Lampe who went 29-15 from 2001 to 2004.
 
News
& Notes FALL IN-ACTION DAYS
This year's fall in-action
days will take place on the following dates:
Arts In-Action - October 31
Liberal Arts In-Action - November 7
Please encourage any high
school students and prospective students to attend and take advantage
of these wonderful educational opportunities. Anyone interested
can register on-line at http://www.susqu.edu/admissions/inaction.htm.
APAN WEB SITE UPDATE
We would like to remind you
that all of the materials you receive via mail will also be available
through links on our Web site, http://www.susqu.edu/apan/.
A PDF version of the APAN manual is available to view and print
on the APAN Web site. Please continue
to check the APAN Web site as we are continually making updates
and improvements. Many key aspects of the program are now run
on the Web site. Members can update their personal information,
refer a prospective student, submit their College Night Evaluation
form, order an APAN Polo Shirt, and read their favorite monthly
newsletter, The Pipeline!
REFER A PROSPECTIVE
STUDENT
Please be sure to send us
the names of any rising high school sophomores, juniors or seniors
who you think would make a good Susquehanna student. You can submit
the student's name on-line at http://www.susqu.edu/APAN/studentreferral.htm
and we will send the student information about Susquehanna.
REPLYING TO E-MAILS
We here at APAN are
continually sending out mass e-mails as it is the fastest and
most efficient way to contact all members. If you are going to
contact us in response to a specific e-mail, it is fine to leave
the same subject line. However, if you are responding to us with
an urgent or important request, PLEASE CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE
to reflect your request. E-mails with the changed subject line
will be read and replied to as soon as possible. If you need to
reach us right away, please contact Pam at 1-800-326-9672. Thank
you!
APAN POLO SHIRTS
If you have not already ordered
an APAN polo shirt, we still have a limited number available.
The shirts cost $20 and are available in M, L, XL and XXL (add
$2 for XXL). To order your APAN polo shirt, please click here.
ADDRESS/CONTACT INFORMATION
CHANGES
Please be sure to keep us
informed of any changes to your contact information (address,
phone numbers, e-mail). IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE
YOUR CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESS. You can update your information on-line
at http://www.susqu.edu/apan/UpdateInformation.htm
and we will be sure to pass your updated information along to
the Office of Alumni Relations.
Questions,
Comments, Concerns, or Feedback are always welcome! We want to
know what you think! Please e-mail APAN at apan@susqu.edu,
or call us at 1-800-326-9672.
Contact Information:
Alumni-Parent Admissions Network
Susquehanna University Office of Admissions
514 University Avenue
Selinsgrove, PA 17870
APAN/Office of Admissions: 800-326-9672 or 570-372-4260
Office of Alumni Relations: 570-372-4115
Office of Development: 570-372-4106
APAN Fax: 570-372-2722
www.susqu.edu/apan
E-mail: apan@susqu.edu
Angela Motto '03, APAN Coordinator
Chris Markle '84, Director of Admissions
Sean Capkin '06, APAN Assistantship Student
Pam Aungst, Administrative Assistant
|
What is APAN?
