Support Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society RHO Chapter by eating at Friendly’s Restaurant, 6894 Hamilton Boulevard, Trexlertown this Monday, Feb. 8 between 5 and 8 p.m.  Ten percent of all proceeds will be donated to XAE.  Chi Alpha Epsilon Rho Chapter is a national honor society dedicated to supporting achievement-oriented students.  In the past year, fundraising has been used to support The Ronald McDonald House in Hershey and to host two groups of students from the Olivet Boys and Girls Club in Reading to tour campus followed by pizza and a discussion with group members.  We have also volunteered at Reading Hospital.  We hope to see you there!

        Paula Plageman, co-advisor, Chi Alpha Epsilon
        Amy Trumbauer, co-advisor, Chi Alpha Epsilon

The Sociology Comprehensive Exam for Spring 2010 graduates will begin Feb. 8 with the distribution of the Theory Section questions.  The Methods Section (March 19) and the Objective Section (April 17) will follow.  Students planning to take any or all sections of the exam in spring 2010 must sign-up with the department secretary, Mrs. Lori Dahlquist, by Feb. 5.  To sign up, stop by the Anthropology and Sociology Department Office in 467 Old Main from 8 a.m.-noon or 1- 4 p.m. weekdays or e-mail ldahlqui@kutztown.edu.

        Lori Dahlquist, secretary, Anthropology/ Sociology Department

Academic Achievement Awards. Each year, we are fortunate to be able to recognize a select group of senior students who have excelled individually in a specific area during their time at KU. Through a generous gift provided by Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, who served as a member of the KU faculty from 1970 until 2003, the Academic Achievement Awards are presented to those students who have attained exceptional achievements in a specific discipline. Faculty and staff at KU are strongly encouraged to nominate students worthy of consideration for this prestigious award. The areas of individual achievement are:
       a) Successfully completed research projects.
       b) Original artwork of high quality.
       c) Artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.) of high quality.
       d) Original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields.
       e) Noteworthy achievements in athletics.
       f) Outstanding service to the KU community. 

The application may be downloaded at http://www.kutztown.edu/divisions/studentservices/do/awards.aspx by clicking on "Academic Achievement Nominations" or by e-mailing a request to riedel@kutztown.edu

The deadline is quickly approaching - Friday, Feb. 12. Completed nomination forms with supporting documentation can be submitted to the Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Services and Campus Life, room 262 McFarland Student Union. Any questions about the process may be directed to watrous@kutztown.edu.

If you have a student you think would qualify for the Academic Achievement Award, please take the time to submit his/her name. Last year’s recipients are listed below:

Gold Medal Winners:      

Patrick Donmoyer- Studio Art/Printmaking, Crafts & German Minor
Casey Smith - Geology  & Criminal Justice

Silver Medal Winners:

Michael Barkasi – Philosophy
John Burnett - Psychology
Amanda Keith- English 
Matthew Twombly - Communication Design

Copper Medal Winners:  

Sara Anthony & Stephanie Petrucci - Biology 
Kelley Healey - Biology/ Pre-Professional
Mary Lord - History
Kelsey Shelton - Communication Design
Andrew Smouse -  Music Education                       
Justin Sorensen - Studio Art, Printmaking

        Julianne Nolan, director, Community Relations and Development Services

The Graduate Student Association's first general meeting for the Spring 2010 semester will take place today, at 4:30 p.m. in 322 McFarland Student Union. It is open to all graduate students. In addition to other agenda items, we will be selecting degree representatives for the new semester. 

Degree representatives are selected for each Master's program here at KU and these representatives will take part in monthly GSA Assembly meetings. Assembly meetings are where all things GSA are planned for and organized. This is a great way to get involved and contribute your thoughts and ideas to GSA. The meetings are easy and usually less than an hour in length.

If you are unable to make this meeting time, we will hold an alternate general meeting 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10, in room 312 of the McFarland Student Union. 

Pizza and coffee will be served at the general meeting.  For a list of degree representative openings and for further information please visit http://gsa-ku.blogspot.com/

        Michael Sharkazy, President, Graduate Student Association

Stitch and Bitch. Got that winter weather freeze? Make that scarf that you’ve always wanted! Come Stitch … Bitch … and Relax! If you don’t know how to knit, we can teach you! We have supplies, books, and ideas! But, any arts and crafts projects are welcome. At the new Women’s Center Oasis in Old Main 3, every Wednesday, from 4 -5:30 p.m.! For more information check out: http://www.kutztown.edu/admin/womens/activities.htm

        Elizabeth Wiegand, graduate assistant, Women's Center

It’s time to dust off your Halloween costume and get ready for Purim! The Hillel group will be having their monthly bagel brunch meeting to discuss upcoming events today from 11 a.m. to noon in room 113 Beekey. There will be Kutztown Hillel T-shirts available for $10. For more information, please check out our Facebook page.

        Avidan Milevsky and Lisa Schonberger, advisors

This week's MSU Movie Series film "Where The Wild Things Are" will be shown in the McFarland Student Union Alumni Auditorium on Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m. Admission is free! Check out the movie trailer on the McFarland Student Union Website for more information. http://www.kutztown.edu/divisions/studentservices/departments/msub/programs/submovies.asp#MSU_Movie_Websites

John Alfero, technical services coordinator

Free KU Presents! interactive talk on early cinema music for all KU students, faculty and staff on Friday, Feb. 5 from 4- 5:30 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium. Rick Benjamin, Music Director for the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (PRO), will be giving an interactive talk on early cinema music.  The Orchestra will join him to play specific scenes from the evening's feature film (The Mark of Zorro!) to demonstrate methods of historic underscoring. He will also take questions from the audience.

Rick Benjamin, has built a career on the discovery and performance of lost American music from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. He is the founder and director of the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, which uses his extraordinary 10,000-title collection of antique theater and dance orchestra music (c.1875-1925) as the basis of its repertoire. Benjamin is also an energetic researcher of music for silent films; he has unearthed the original orchestral accompaniments to many of the great motion pictures of the 1910s and '20s, which he conducts at film festivals around the world.   

For information on the entire evening of our performance of the PRO with The Mark of Zorro! including dinner and a free pre-concert activity including your fellow faculty, go to: http://www.kutztown.edu/activities/kupas/rick_benjamin_orchestra.aspx

        J. Andrew Cassano, director, KU Presents!

Kutztown University and APSCUF will host the 2010 Faculty/Professional Staff Retirement and Emeriti Recognition Dinner on May 1at 6 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the McFarland Student Union. To date the following individuals have confirmed their participation:

• Dr. Joseph Amprey

• Dr. Tim Running

• Dr. Loline Sechevich

• Ms. Barbara Taliaferro

If you are planning to retire or are aware of an individual who will be retiring in the near future, please contact Joseph Robinson in the President’s Office by Friday, Feb. 12 at ext. 3-4103 or via email: jrobinso@kutztown.edu.