Mansfield University Blog

Lt. Rick Sethman, Pa State Police will be the featured speaker at the Sunday, 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance at 2 p.m. in the Veteran’s Park in Mansfield.

Sethman was a first responder to the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Somerset County on September 11, 2001 and was assigned  to establish security for the “Inner Perimeter” of the crash site.

The Pride & Spirit of PA March Band will provide the  music at 1:45 p.m., followed by a welcome from Bruce Dart, Vice Commander Post 478, and posting of Colors by the Tioga Co. Honor Guard.  The band will play two other numbers, Campus Ministers Detlef Huckfeldt will give the invocation and Courtney Hull will give the Fireman’s Prayer.   Calvin Cobb, chaplain, Tioga Co. Honor Guard will give the benediction.

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A candlelight vigil will be held  on the lawn in front of Memorial at 9 p.m. Sunday.  President Loeschke, SGA President Thomas Thornton, Kris Dumschat, chair, Committee on Finance & Campus Minister Courtney Hull, will speak at the event which is open to the public.  If it rains, the ceremony will be held in Alumni Hall.

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Ali Soufan ’94, is the subject of a story entitled “The Interrogator” on PBS’ Frontline, Tuesday, Sept. 13. Here’s the trailer. Ali’s book, The Black Banner, goes on sale Sept. 12 with a first printing of 150,000 copies.   For info on the memoir and Soufan, see last week’s blog.

Update:  Just found out that Ali will also be on 60 Minutes this Sunday.

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Kristin Sanner, English, has an op-ed piece, “The Literature  Cure,” published in last week’s Chronicle of Higher Education. In it she makes a case, from personal experience, about the importance of literature and communication in dealing with breast cancer.

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North Hall custodian Joe Chapel said farewell to friends and colleagues Thursday.  Two friends gave him a pretty special farewell gift. Joe and his wife Peg, retired purchasing agent, have Alaska in their travel plans.

If you’re outside Mansfield, it’s impossible to appreciate the massive amount of change around here.  I sat outside Night & Day last week meeting with a colleague.  During that one hour time, more than 100 Marcellus Shale industry related trucks passed by on Rts. 6 & 15.  One hour.

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There is also a lot of other construction, like the new Perkins in the I-99 Business Park, due to open in the fall, the  Hampton Inn,   Sheetz (and yes, another traffic light!  We’ve gone from a one to a three-light town).  Oh, and there’s the pipeline being built over the hill behind WalMart.

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When you are having lunch in Perkins next summer, you’ll see this reminder of what a beautiful area Mansfield University is in.

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On campus, things are just as busy.   The new residence halls are looking large and stately as contractors stay on track for their December opening.  (Reminder: this is privatized housing being done by a nonprofit corporation, not MU).

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On campus the gazebo, donated by MU Prof Larry Schankman in 1996, got a major uplift this summer.   Designed by Ryan Wood, the retaining wall doubles as seating, transforming it into an outdoor classroom.  Shrubs, grasses and trees create a broken screen.  The project team included mason John Pollock with student worker Tyler Krouse.  Grounds crew included Lynette Whipple and Al Seymour and equipment operator Curt Machmer.  Other student workers were Matt Berkowitz, Scott Peterson, Gary Smith & Andrea Kuntz.  “We’re proud of the finished product and have left the door open to add on to it in the future,” Ryan said.

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A new, larger pavilion will be built on the picnic area near the water tower,  just below an area that has been leveled for use as the band practice field.  The old practice field has become a parking lot.

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Writer Lilace Guignard and her husband, Jimmy, an English prof here, have created the blog Greetings from Pipeline Road 7, analyizing the rhetoric and documenting the changes in our Marcellus Shale region.  The blog’s title comes from a quick snapshot of local history and rural life in the tidal wave of multi-billion dollar industry.

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And fitting in nicely with the construction theme is 1997 grad Nick Ippoliti’s new video, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me, Mama.   It was shot on Armenia Mountain and the PA Grand Canyon.

Here’s a Festival wrap up from MU Choir Director Peggy Dettwiler, sent Sunday, July 10.  Congratulations to all!

Dear Friends of the MU Concert Choir:
I am so proud to report how beautifully the Concert Choirs sang in all five categories in which they participated in the International Choral Festival (Eisteddfod) in Llangollen, Wales. We won prizes in three of the five performances! Here are the rankins with a few of the judges’ comments:

Youth Choirs- 2nd place (350 pounds in prize money)
1. Cantilon Chamber Choir from Canada
2. Mansfield University Concert Choir from USA (1/2 point difference from first place!)
3. DePaul University A Cappella Choir from USA

“This is a first class choir. Terrific rhythmic drive. We sensed and admired the pride the choir had in their soloists.”
Mixed Choirs – 2nd place (550 pounds in prize money)
1. Adventist University of the Philippines Ambassadors
2. Mansfield University Concert choir, USA
3. CFL from Cardiff, Wales.,
“Captivating performance. Lovely warm tone. Observed every possible detail of articulation. Steadiness of your rhythm was outstanding, helped by your very musical pianist. The dynamic contours you produced were very powerful.”
Folk Showcase – did not place in top three.
We had not planned to participate in this category but were listed in the program. So we decided to perform some of our favorite selections: star in the East, The Road Home, and I Want Jesus to Walk With Me. Dancers/singers from South Korea, India and England were the winners.
“A beautiful sounding choir with a powerful cohesive sound. The presentation of each piece was done with great musicality and panache! This was an enjoyable performance of a very high standard. However, we did feel you should have added another element into your performances.” (Such as dancing or costumes).
Women’s Choir — 1st place. (1,100 pounds in prize money)
1. Mansfield University Concert Choir – USA
2. Cantilon Chamber Choir – Canada
3. Bel Canton – England
“A beautiful transparent and elegant sound texture was created and dynamics were rendered true to the integrity of the style period. Elegant conducting” (tribute to Hingrid who conducted the first piece by Schubert) “Dynamics were rendered very careful with great insight. Performed with panache and true to style.”

Male Choirs – did not place
Choirs from England and Wales won the competition, but our men sang beautifully. We have not yet received the individual comments. However, the chief juror spoke from the podium about the male choir tradition and alluded to the fact that one of the choirs featured men from a mixed choir and not an official male chorus organization.
Vocal Solo competition for age 21years or older
Here we had six out of ten of our students qualify to perform in this very competitive category! (Melanie DeJesus, Derek Gracey, Michael Hogue, Jocyelyn Raychel, Derrek Start and Nick Webb.) There were 24 singers competing, most of whom were much older!  A soprano and a tenor from Wales won 1st and 2nd place, and Derrek Stark (age 21) placed 3rd.  This is a remarkable achievement.  Several of the jurors commented on his potential for a wonderful career as a tenor.

Lastly, because our women’s Choir placed first, we qualified to perform in the Choir of the World Championship on Saturday night, along with four other choirs from the Philippines and England for an audience of 4,500 people.  While we did not win the top crown (it was given to the wonderful choir from the Philippines),  many in the audience congratulated our women for a fabulous performance.

Mansfield University can be very proud of the achievement of our students!

Tonight we celebrate together from Kilkenny, Ireland!

Peggy Dettwiler

Editor’s Note:  Here’s a collection of videos of the choirs during their performances and a large collection of photos taken by Brad Rissmiller.

The MU Choir’s trip has been an adventure.  Choir member Yvonne Marie Glass has been sending updates. She reports that the hotel in which the choir was staying was “seized” for financial reasons and the choir members were evicted Thursday morning.

The group maintained the Mountie spirit, however, and Derrek Stark took third place in the International Vocal Solo competition and the Concert Choir placed  second place in the Youth Choirs Competition.

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The Mansfield July 4 celebration was a big success this year with a colorful parade, activities and fireworks.  This year, MU staff got involved, making the celebration, like other activities, a truly town-grown venture.  Thanks to Bruce Dart for the photos.

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To describe 2011 as the year of many changes is a sweeping understatement.  The new Perkins is now going up in the I-99 Business Park  and should be open for business in a couple months.  Sheetz, located where Farmer in the Dell used to be, is under construction and should have the lights on this fall.  Doug Roupp’s Gulf, where a couple generations of university students stopped for gas and jokes, has closed.

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I just spoke with Francis Bok’s  manager who said that since his visit to MU in 2009,  the Sudanese child slave and one of the “Lost Boys” has created the Francis Bok Foundation, is building schools in Sudan and is the subject of a new documentary.   During his visit here, I interviewed Francis for a two-part podcast It’s a harrowing, inspirational story.

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For music geeks, here’s NME Video’s list of the top 10 videos of  all time.  Spoiler: the number one music video is Johnny’s Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.“

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Here’s what happens when you do a bad job photo shopping. These Chinese officials wound up “inspecting” things beyond their wildest dreams.

Congratulations to Adam Brennan and the Spirit and Pride of Pennsylvania MU Marching Band which has been invited to perform at the Summer 2012 Olympics in London.   More information as I get it.

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The Mansfield University Chorus will head to Europe in July to perform and compete in the international  World Choir  Games).  The Chorus, under the direction of Peggy Dettwiler, brought home three gold medals from the 2008 competition three years ago.

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Ken Sarch recently returned from Panama where he performed in  “Homage to Narciso Garay at the Saint Malo Music Festival.   Ken has performed with and conducted orchestras in Panama over the years.

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Robert Dolbear ’38 visited campus recently to present his M sweater to the Foundation.  Steve McCloskey, sports information director, interviewed the 95-year-old alumnus whose memories included his years as a baseball player and student and an all-star cast including Dr. Straughn, Dr. Retan, Dr. Belknap and Dr. and Mrs. Steadman.  Robert was escorted up MU by his daughter and son-in-law, Gloria and Bob Williams.  I let you know when the video is edited, produced and posted on YouTube.

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Nichole Lefelhoc, associate director of career development & internships is, highlighted in an article on job hunting techniques in getthejob.com Nichole has several sound pieces of advice including, “Finding a full-time job is a full-time job,” something a lot of recent grads have discovered.

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“. . . We are only about 15 percent into development in our area and estimates are that we will see up to 30,000 new workers over the next three or four years. . . . “  This part of  Tioga County Commissioner Erick Coolidge’s January 2011 testimony on Community Impacts from Marcellus Shale Drilling. Coolidge addressed the industry’s impact on everything from roads to the justice system.

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After graduation ceremonies at Wellsboro High School, Ashley Ranck, daughter of fiscal technician Lori Ranck made no secret of her future plans.  She hopped into her car that read “Seniors 2011″ on the side and “MU Here I Come” across the windshield.

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Brush up on your pop culture and bask in some melodic youthful memories with The Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  I’m sure you can imagine one of the top 10 songs and #1 is really no surprise.

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Whether you’re a wannabe geek or want to know what punctuation means in texting,  find out here! compliments of Wired.  Warning: be careful how you use your semicolon.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407

Last week’s blog was delayed with the storm that hit the Twin Tiers, knocking down trees, power lines and creating havoc. Power in Mansfield was out for two days and in outlying areas even longer.  On campus, a part of the Pine Crest roof was torn up, the North Hall roof was damaged, trees were blown  over and power was knocked out, closing the campus on Friday.

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The MU Nursing Program is celebrating its  20th anniversary this year.  I was curious about how much has changed in the field  over two decades so I interviewed professors Susan Lanzara and Jamie Klesh.  It’s no surprise that some of the basics in the profession have not changed at all.

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“There Ain’t No Party Like a Mansfield Party in Scranton” is the title of this video produced our Alumni Relations staff.  If you’re an alum check it out and see if you recognize anyone.  If you’re not an alum, you can see what kind of beer they like in Scranton.

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Our photographer Bruce Dart entered this spring commencement photo with the Northeast PA Professional Photography competition and won a blue ribbon and the President’s Commercial Trophy.

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Here’s a new Spring 2011 video showing many of the activities, events and organizations.  A couple highlights:  Eric Church  in concert and President Loeschke’s “air trio”  debut with Will Brown and Kris Dumschat.

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The Farmer In The Dell is no more. It was razed last week to make way for a Sheetz. If you lived in Mansfield or attended MU, you must have had some of the Dell’s home made ice cream and maybe even watched them milk the cows.

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Businesses are popping up all over. Perkins  recently broke ground in the Mansfield I-99  Business Park.  It will seat 120 persons and employ up to 90 people.

The Hampton Inn will also be coming shortly.  The four-story, 83 room hotel will employ about 15 workers.  Both should be ready for business in early 1012.

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“I, as poster boy for soft majors, remain undaunted, unfazed and unslighted.”  For the rest of “Shakespeare’s” response to being played down” in a study, this response in the Chronicle is an entertaining defense of liberal arts and “soft” majors.

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Charlie Bit Me is making rounds again.  Posted several years ago, the video has no redeeming value other than being so cute you tend to watch it again.  However, it has collected over 300 million views and I feel compelled to share it as a piece of our pop culture.

For all you trivia buffs, history lovers and alumni, 154 years ago today at 10 a.m., with one foot of snow layering the countryside, , Mansfield Classical Seminary burned to the ground.  It had just opened its doors in January, 1857.  Mansfield Classical Seminary had the shortest lifespan of any higher education institution.  Here’s a sketch of the Seminary as well as a painting by Curt Heaps of Mansfield  commemorating the event.  In 1874 the Mansfield Advertiser printed this poem on the dedication of the opening of the old North Hall.  Thanks to Stephen M. Orner, class of ’81 for all the info.

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The larger the issue, the harder it is to finda clear middle.  Here are two views on Marcellus Shale and fracking.  Both are in the NY Times. In one article, the glass is half full. In the other it is half empty. Oh, and one glass may contain  poison.

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The tone of both the above arguments might change with the news of an April 20th  blowout caused by equipment failure just over the hill in  Bradford county a few days later.  Being in the PR profession,  I give Chesapeake credit not only for its quick action, but also its forthrightness in sharing information as soon as officials had it.  To date, the company has been a model of  openness.  You can find them on Facebook.

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Today is also Earth Day which started in 1970 and is considered the public launch of the environmental movement.

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The new student suites and semi-suites are showing progress.  Buildings are going up with the help of a  remote-controlled crane.

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The North Hall  Library now has a Facebook page.  Hit  “like,”  take a tour of North Hall and get access to a universe of information.

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May can’t get here soon enough. A sure sign of summer is the perennial sprouting of the Mansfield Growers Market.

The MU Jazz Festival will feature two concerts in Steadman.  The Vocal Jazz Festival concert will be Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m.  The Instrumental Jazz Festival Concert display their chops Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m.   Here’s the whole score.

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The MU Chamber singers, under the direction of Peggy Dettwiler, will perform Aus der Tiefe rufe ich, Herr, zu dir by Johann Sebastian Bach on Friday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.  at St. James Episcopal Church in Mansfield.  Free & ope n to the public.

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Shaker Ramasamy, chair of the Chemistry & Physics Department, was recently featured on WETM, Channel 18 news to talk about the department’s Marcellus Shale water analysis project which faculty and students conducted as a community service.

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Mansfield Library’s spring book sale begins April 18 at 10 a.m. and runs through Friday, April 23 at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church on East Elmira St.   Give your Kindle or Nook a breather and haul home  some real books.  The library, by the way, celebrated it’s 100th anniversary last weekend and a whole bunch of book lovers came out to share in the centennial party.  Check out the library on Facebook.

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Author and alumnus Terry Miller is featured in the latest MU Podcast.  Terry talks about his book, Cooking Bachelor Style, which combines easy recipes and  humorous, often outlandish  tales.

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The 10th annual Hickory Fest will be held August 19-21 at the Stony Fork Campground outside Wellsboro.  The bluegrass festival has grown over the decade, drawing visitors and performers from all over the country.  This year’s festival features 25 acts.

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Student Advisor is a website on which people rate their schools. Mansfield is on it and gets good ratings. Check it out. If you’re a student, add your comments.

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This series of ads for cellular phones in the 1980s, is  well worth five minutes just to see how far our communications have evolved (for better or worse) in less than three decades.  The English commercial take-off on the Zombies’ “She’s Not There” is hilarious.  Thanks to Kim Komando for collecting and sharing these.

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For the latest MU news on video, check out Terry’s Take which is posted every Thursday.

Former manager of campus services Vinnie Nykiel and Carmen Bianco, director of residential life, were interviewed about MU’s  “cardboard move-in-week” for  this month’s Student Affairs Today. Vinnie notes that more than 2,600 pounds of cardboard were recycled after move-in week. The cardboard project, by the way, was the brainchild of our students.

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Margaret Brainard Pitcher was born three years before the beginning of  World War I.  She graduated from Mansfield State Teachers College in 1931 and taught grades 1-8 in a one-room school.  On Tuesday, Feb. 1, Ms. Pitecher celebrated her 100th birthday.  Send her a note at RR 1 Box 611, Warren Center PA  18851.

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Scott Thornsley, Criminal Justice chair, will be interviewed next week for a segment of Widener University Law School’s  “Law & Government Institute” program” which airs  on PA Cable Network.  The show  will include a  district attorney and a public defender who will discuss clemency in Pennsylvania, (Scott’s recent case, in particular)  and the Mississippi Scott sisters.

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Mansfield’s newest business, Yorkholo Brewing on 14 N. Main St., will hold its grand opening Friday Feb. 10-12.  Owners Jarrod York and Ashley Rodgers, a business student at MU, said the microbrewery will focus on local products, including beer and Pennsylvania wine, as well as sandwiches.  Check out their Facebook page here.

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OpenDNS, the largest global provider of Internet navigation security and services, recently released its 2010 report on trends in Web content filtering.  Included are the top 9 websites blacklisted.

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This will  take two minutes but it’s gottal make your day.  As parents enter the world of  texting, they turn a fine art into, well, a high form of non-communication, leaving their children in OMG mode. Included is a dad’s request for some lunch maggots.

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God created war so that Americans would learn geography.  Mark Twain

The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s romantic comedy opera, is on stage in Straughn this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.  It’s an all–student cast and orchestra, it’s in English, and it’s free.   And it’s a lot of fun.

And in this video we get director Todd Ranney’s take on it.

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This week’s episode of Terry’s Take offers a quick video preview of the opera.

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Year of the mama Grizzlies?  Much as I hate the term, this is an interesting article about women coming into their own in 2012.  I think it’s about time.

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Can introverts lead?  Find out in this quick video interview with Francesca Gino, associate professor at Harvard Business School.

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150 Years: A Photographic History of Mansfield and Mansfield University is available at the campus bookstore.  The coffee table book, compiled and written by Steve Orner and Joyce Tice, offers a unique view of the borough and university over 15 decades.  The book was produced during the sesquicentennial celebration three years ago.  It’s timeless and a great holiday gift.

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Mark Twain weighs in just in time for Thanksgiving: “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.”