Mansfield University Blog

Congratulations to Representative Matt Baker who was awarded the Doctor of Public Service degree during commencement ceremonies last Saturday.  Matt, now in his ninth term in the House, also serves on the State System Board of Governors.  He has been an unwavering supporter of the PA State System of Higher Ed and a good friend of Mansfield University.  MU President Maravene Loeschke, before presenting the award, called Matt “the epitome of everything we value in leadership and service. . .” She added that he “lives to serve the needs of others.  He leads with head and heart, body and soul, logic and support.”

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Check out the  videos of selected songs from this year’s Holiday Concert, “Behold A Star.”  The show was a sellout and considered by a lot of concert regulars one of the best ever.   “Behold the Star,” “Star in the East.” and  “Do You Hear What I Hear?” are subtle,  powerful and full of inspiration.

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For a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and production of the “Behold the Star”  concert, listen to this podcast with Director Peggy Dettwiler which also features songs from each of the choral groups.

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Our commencement speaker, D. Keith Palmer, is the embodiment of MU students who come here, get the individualized attention they need, and go on to find success both personally and professionally.

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And congratulations to senior Will Brown who represents MU on the PASSHE website. Will came here from Philadelphia and wasn’t sure he could make the transition to small rural university life.  He persisted, became active in organizations and today serves as president of the Student Government Association.

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Okay.  Take five minutes and chill out with this compilation of the year’s top viral videos.  It will leave you smiling, shaking your head, and probably muttering “Oh, the humanity. . . .”

Congratulations to Tom Thornton who was named Student Entrepreneur of the Year by the MU Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

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Wikileaks has provided a windfall for faculty teaching social media, political science, ethics and a range of other topics.  Some professors are taking advantage of Wikileaks’ recent release of thousands of diplomatic cables as you can see in this Chronicle article.

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The Administration & Finance office  will never look the same when Kathy Rumsey, executive secretary,  leaves at the end of the month after 25 years at MU.  Kathy brought her office to life every Halloween and Christmas with her own private — and massive– collection of colorful characters.

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Tis the season to be jolly and for some folks even jollier.  Susan Sweet retires after 25 years as director of  Continuing Education and the Center for Lifelong Learning.  Connie Beckman, director of Campus Technology, retires after 12 1/2 years.  Both have been vital in expanding and leading their divisions into the 21st century.

Yes, we will miss you both.

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Congratulations to Mike Reid, VP for Finance and Administration who has been named VP for Finance at Angelo State University in Texas.  Mike and his family have been an active part of –and made many contributions to — the campus and the Mansfield Community during their six years here.

Tim Madigan, sociology, is quoted in CareerBuilder in the article “”22 Commonly confused Job titles: What do These Workers Actually Do?”

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The Art Department held its first Christmas Bazaar following the Holiday Concert last weekend.  Art Instructor Paul Bozzo produced this video of the event.  Profits from the event go to the MU Art Clubs and art scholarships.

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MU is highlighted in a photo submission in the Where and When Do you DO 6, a contest sponsored by the  Pennsylvania  Route 6 Tourist Association website.

Charles “Bob” Todd III, class of ’66, recently presented a new Steinway grand piano to the Music Department.  He donated it in the memory of his parents, Mr. & Mrs. C. Robert Todd” for making his education at MU possible.  “Their support and coming to Mansfield made an impact on my life and I can thank and honor them through this donation,” he said.

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The Mansfield International Students Organization (MISO) will host a “Winter Wonderland” ball Saturday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall 307.  Stop by for an evening of dancing, hors d’oevres and a celebration of international diversity.”

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There have recently been some incidents of cyber bullying on campus and the administration has been taking it seriously.  The Computer Technologies Department has developed a Cyber Safety web site as a guide for personal and campus cyber safety.  If you’re on campus, please share the site with others.  If you’re not a student or staff member, you might still want to visit the site for tips in case something like this touches you or someone you know.

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Writer and teacher John Warner has a tongue-in-cheek take on budget woes in higher ed.  “Message from your President,” like all good satire, hits close to home.  There were sections where I didn’t know whether to laugh or nod in glum recognition.

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It’s an Ashville promotion piece but it’s one of the most feel good Santa videos ever. No one has the moves like  “Dancing Santa”.  Watch it.   Share it.

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English Professor emeritus Larry Uffelman’s bibliographical work is included in Death and the Downs: the Poetry of Charles Hamilton Sorley, a British poet killed at age 20  in the Battle of Loos, 1915.

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Our library has everything.  When this student wakes from his power nap,  he can simply slide into his beanbag chair for a real rest. He will then be energized for finals.

The Mansfield University Holiday Concert, “Behold A Star,” is this weekend. In this interview, director Peggy Dettwiler talks about the concert and gives us a  sample of one of the songs.

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MU President Maravene Loeschke’s op-ed piece, “Increasing Retention with Fraternities and Sororities” appears  in this month’s issue of College Planning and Management Magazine.  Just put your cursor on the bottom of the page corner and “turn” to page 16.

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The MU Bookstore display windows which are greeting the holiday season with a sleigh full of ideas for your gift bag.

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The Zuckerberg Revolution is a fast-forward rush in social dumbing down.  That’s  author Neal Gabler’s take  in his Nov. 28 Los Angeles Times piece, “The Zuckerberg Revolution.”

Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook.  The author’s opinion is that Facebook, as other sites, have dumbed down our conversations and very thought processes.  Or, as he puts it:  “The sites, and the information on them, billboard our personal blathering, the effluvium of our lives, and they wind up not expanding the world but shrinking it to our own dimensions.”  Read it and weep . . . or Tweet.

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By the way, using “billboard” as a verb is cute but pushing it.  Let me know what you think.

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Mark Twain planned to still be a major celebrity 100 years after his death.  That’s why he scheduled publication of his Autobiography for this year.  Though he went out with Haley’s Comet in 1910, his fame remains, as he predicted, and the autobiography, which he dictated, is on the bestseller list.  It’s also in the  New Arrivals section of our library.

“What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself.”  Mark Twain