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Campus News
Graduation 2006
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UPDATE: A year ago, Tom Bailey, associate professor of English and creative writing, was reeling from the mere idea of a major New York publisher releasing his first novel The Grace That Keeps This World. Now, just six months since its release, he is basking in the success of the book. The novel has been nominated for some of the most prestigious awards in literature, including the National Book Award, a PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction and the John Gardner Book Award. The novel has also received critical acclaim from national media, including The Washington Post and Publishers Weekly. Bailey was on sabbatical leave through the fall semester, touring the country promoting The Grace That Keeps This World. His media appearances and readings include National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition" and "The Spoken Word." His second novel, Cotton Song, will be released by Random House in the fall of 2006. |
World-Class Internship
Corporate communications major Daniel DiCola '08 took time from his frenetic schedule as an intern with NBC to drop President L. Jay Lemons this postcard from the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. CLICK TO ENLARGE
Summer Workshops Draw High School Students
Weeklong academic sessions provide talented high-school students the experience of living on campus and the opportunity to learn from university faculty.
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Advanced Writers Workshop |
Leadership Institute for Entrepreneurship (LIFE) |
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For experienced writers in their junior or senior year of high school, this workshop gives students the chance to work in small groups in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry run by nationally-recognized authors. The workshop concludes with a public reading, and students have their work published in the Writers Workshop magazine. The experience also includes additional sessions on publishing software, literary magazines, and college writing programs. |
LIFE is specifically designed to give high school students a unique leadership experience. By working in a simulated entrepreneurial situation as real business owners, students live the life of an entrepreneur. Working in teams, attendees start and run their own company by doing everything from acquiring seed money, hiring personnel, and paying bills; companies can even potentially be sold or even go bankrupt. Students experience the challenges and successes that any new business might present to its owners. |
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Student's Perspective: Kim Tomaszewski '06, of Laurel, N.Y., attended the workshop and later worked with the program as a student teacher and resident assistant. She says, "It was really such a neat experience to be able to tell the students that I was in their place a few years ago and how much I've grown as a writer because of the department here, and that it was all because of that week." While attending the workshop she learned about nonfiction, which later became her concentration in the writing major. |
Student's Perspective: Jim Weyant '09, of Yardley, Pa., says, "The LIFE program helped me gain insightful knowledge of entrepreneurship and business management. As a business major at Susquehanna University, I feel LIFE has given me a clear advantage over other students." He adds, "My LIFE program experience and view of the business program were the largest influential factors affecting my decision to study here." |
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Alum Involvement: In 2005, Catherine Pierce '00, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in literature and creative writing, taught the poetry portion of the workshop. She says, "It felt both strange and good to be back on SU's campus in such a different capacity -- as teacher instead of student. It was also exciting to teach alongside the professors who had taught me while I was there. In some ways, it felt like my college experience had come full circle -- I'd studied writing at SU, gone on to study it more in my graduate programs, and then come back to SU to use what I'd learned. It was a fantastic opportunity and a lot of fun." |
Alum Involvement: For over 10 years, Toyota USA has been a major sponsor of the program. Irv Miller '71, a vice president with Toyota Motor Sales Inc., was instrumental in establishing this partnership. He says he wanted to support Susquehanna because "I knew the education I received from Susquehanna positioned me well for the business life and the varied education was instrumental in providing a very well-rounded experience." Miller also says, "One motivation to participate was the real need to expose high school students to the business world. Too often all they read about are the Enrons of the world without seeing all the possibilities that exist." |
When: June 25 -- July 1, 2006 |
When: July 22 -- July 28, 2006 |
For More Information: click here |
For More Information: click here |
Trax, its exterior bathed in color kinetic lighting when open, is Susquehanna's new on-campus social and entertainment venue. Below: Students enjoy the dance floor and game area of the facility during a "Sneak Preview" event on March 18, 2006. |
New Facility Lights Up Susquehanna Social Scene
Susquehanna's new social space, aptly named "Trax" for its proximity to the railroad bed on the south side of campus, is geared toward offering Susquehanna students something never before available on campus -- a venue to listen to live music, dance, shoot pool, enjoy a comedy night, grab a bite to eat, and, for those students 21 and older, have a drink or two on the house (see sidebar).
Free Drinks?That's right, but there's more to it than meets the eye. At Trax, beer and wine are offered on a limited basis on select weekend nights. When alcohol is served, students are required to show identification at the door. Their identifications are cross-checked against a list of students 21 and older provided by the university registrar's office. Since students of all ages can attend Trax's events, the cross-checking policy will help ensure that no underage students are served alcohol. Once legal drinking age is confirmed, a student is issued a wristband with numbered, pull-away tabs signifying how many glasses of beer or wine can be consumed, based on arrival time. A typical event runs from about 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., during which a student is allowed a maximum of three drinks. The limit is based on national guidelines to combat binge drinking -- one drink per hour with a one hour "cool down" period. As the university does not hold a license to sell alcohol, Pennsylvania law requires that beer and wine served in Trax are offered free of charge. Food is also available at Trax, again at no charge. "We know that many college students, no matter what school they attend, consume alcoholic beverages in social settings. Providing a venue on campus where Susquehanna students of legal age can have beer or wine under controlled circumstances is a way to encourage responsible use of alcohol," says Tracy Tyree, dean of student life. James Testa, who co-chairs the Susquehanna University Parents Association with his wife, Kathleen, says he'd much rather see students consume alcohol on campus within walking distance of their residence halls, than have them get into a car and drive somewhere. As the father of two daughters who have attended SU, Testa says that if young adults are going to drink, they need to do it responsibly. "That's part of the social experience," he says. |
Students were instrumental in the development of Trax, working as members of a planning team along with student life staff and the Pittsburgh architectural firm, studio d'ARC, to design the space and suggest amenities. The team spent a year collecting input from the student body and visiting other colleges with student-programmed social spaces.
The team quickly confirmed that with a significant decrease in social programming by Greek organizations on campus, the desire had grown for a student "hangout" or social space -- especially one that would give large numbers of students a place to gather and one that would be open into the early morning hours. And, the team found that facilities similar to Trax at places like Gettysburg and Bucknell have been popular with students and successfully managed.
The research effort resulted in a student-designed venue that accommodates up to 400 people. Trax features a dance floor, DJ booth, game area, bar, performance stage, high-tech lighting and outdoor patio. The industrial, night-club design reflects a key student insight uncovered in the venue's planning: that a place to gather socially would be best received if it doesn't feel like a campus building.
Trained Susquehanna students, assisted by Student Life professionals, operate the facility and are responsible for planning entertainment and activities. "All events will be hosted by SGA-recognized clubs and organizations, so the possibilities (for the space) are endless," says Timothy Barnes '07, president of the Student Government Association (SGA). "I think the club-like atmosphere will really add to the campus. Many students come from a more urban environment than they are exposed to here. In such environments, night clubs are very popular among college students."
While concerns have been expressed by parents and alumni about Trax's alcohol policy, the decision to offer alcohol to students was not made lightly, says Tracy Tyree, dean of student life. In the end, most parents and most on campus view Trax as a means of teaching students about responsible drinking in a controlled setting. "What students experience in their four years in college is geared toward preparing them for a life of independence and success," says Tyree. "Knowing how to be responsible socially is an important part of their adult life."
Why Trax? Why Now?
Construction of Trax can be connected at least in part to a shift in Greek life on campus. Tracy Tyree, dean of students, says conception of the social space was "a direct response to students' feedback and complaints." The complaints stemmed from major policy shifts by national fraternities and disciplinary actions taken by these bodies, as well as by the university, against two fraternities -- the results of which put a damper on campus social life over the past two years.
In 2004, Phi Mu Delta was sanctioned for two serious violations of the university's and the national fraternity's alcohol policies. As a result, they were placed on disciplinary probation for two years. Disciplinary action against Phi Mu Delta included two years of alcohol-free housing, reorganization including a membership review, and a remand to colony status. At the end of their first year of probation, Phi Mu Delta again violated alcohol policies dictated by the university and their national fraternal organization, resulting in a two-year suspension of activities.
Theta Chi was also sanctioned by the university, as well as their national organization, for several minor but reoccurring violations of the alcohol-free housing status that went into effect on campuses nationwide last fall. While Theta Chi is working toward improvements, the fraternity's national policy requires that their housing remains alcohol-free for good.
The continued alcohol violations by fraternities resulted in stricter enforcement of the university's BYOB policies, and the two active fraternities remaining on campus found it difficult to continue hosting parties.
"After a long semester of complaint that the loss of fraternity parties led to the loss of fun at Susquehanna, plus a significant amount of thoughtful consideration, research, and study, we decided that a new social space was a positive response to a series of negative situations," says Tyree.
Despite these setbacks, Greek life is not dead at Susquehanna. All operating fraternities, along with the university's four sororities, continue to be involved in campus activities and community service. Tau Kappa Epsilon has returned to campus and was chartered during the spring 2006 semester. Alumni members of the sanctioned fraternities are also helping to rebuild those chapters. According to Tyree, the alumni are providing leadership and support to the chapters, setting expectations for improvements and helping them respond in positive ways to recent poor choices.
James G. Harris '87, Eugene Cautillo '90, and Brian Gallup '70 have served as the core alumni advisory board to Phi Mu Delta over the past several years, and William Bucher '94 is their chapter advisor. Through his work as the national president of Phi Mu Delta, Thomas A. Murphy '94 has also been invested in the chapter's progress.
Theta Chi is being advised and aided by Edward Schmidt '69, Michael DiNorscia '01, Jeffrey Witte '71, Robert G. Fisher Jr. '69, Jeremy Petre '03 and Jeffrey Brill '04. Until his death, the late W. Murray Hunt Jr. was also a tremendous support to the chapter.
"All of these men should be commended for their dedication and perseverance as their chapters have experienced some significant ups and downs over the last several years," Tyree says.
