Mansfield University Blog

The next couple years on campus are going to be full of demolition, construction, modification and improvement across campus.  And Interim President Allan Golden talks about all of it in the most recent episode of Conversations.

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The latest edition of The Mansfieldian is online with a cover story about retired FBI Agent Ali Soufan ’94 and his book The Black Banners, co-written  with Daniel Freedman.

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The Rock Wall, which has been discussed and anticipated for years has overcome its obstacles and is being erected in the Kelchner Fitness Center.  Here’s a promo video and a still shot overview of its current status.

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The North Hall Library now has downloadable e-books.  If you have an ereader, “check it out.”

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Lilace Guignard’s poem “Belief,” which appeared in The Kerf Fall 2011, a publication of the College of the Redwoods, Del Norte Center for Writing. The poem has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, which is among the the most coveted literary honors in the small press world.  Lilace is an instructor in the Outdoor Recreational Leadership program.

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The International Film Series sponsored by the MU Library and the English & Modern Languages Department will begin Feb. 20.  Here is  a complete list of films, times and location.  After the initial screening, the films will be added to the library for everyone to access.

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Congratulations to Tim Huck, who has been named Student Entrepreneur of the Year by the Mansfield University Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Tim is a Wellsboro native.

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For the latest news updates via video, spent a minute with Terry’s Take.

Ali Soufan ’94,  continues to make headlines in his ongoing conflicts with the CIA.  Ali, a former FBI agent, was for years an Al-Qaeda expert and a lead investigator in several terrorist attacks around the world beginning with the USS Cole.  He also thwarted several terrorist plots and has publicly decried the use of torture to get information.

In his new book The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against Al Qaeda, Ali provides an inside look at his years in the FBI.  The CIA is demanding that some information in the book be removed or redacted, saying  it’s classified information.

Author Lawrence Wright highlighted the problems between the FBI and CIA in his New Yorker article,  “The Agent,” which provides an in depth look at Soufan’s FBI years.

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Even before all the publicity about  Black Banners, SGA President Thomas Thornton, in his convocation address, listed Stuart Weiss ’80, president/owner of Studio City,  Steve Crawford ’81, Managing VP at S.R. Wojdak & Associates and Ali Soufan as his role models.  Tom took a break during the freshman picnic for local paparazzi to get this shot with colleague,  SGA Treasurer Kris Dumschat

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Reminder:  The student newspaper, The Flashlight, is now online with lots of new features.  It will also continue in the print version.

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Last but not least: great new video from the North Hall Library  for online students.

A few weeks ago on our TV show “Conversations,”  I interviewed President Loeschke about fund raising priorities for this year.  It’s edited into two episodes on our YouTube channel.  You view it here.

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I also interviewed former slave Frances Bok during his two-day visit here, sponsored by the Frederick Douglass Institute.  Frances is a gentle person who maintained his faith and vision during 10 years of enslavement and torture. Today he’s working to end slavery around the world.  You can listen here.

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Remember the rather barren walk behind North Hall? Concrete wall, broken pavement?  That’s all changed.  Stone wall, iron safety fence, benches, lamp posts, shrubbery.   We’ve always had the natural beauty, now the landscaping and physical improvements are enhancing it.

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A street corner evangelist appeared on the student mall last Friday, spreading his message in a booming voice.  It was a beautiful sunny afternoon.  A lot of freshmen took offense at being called sinners during the first week of school.  Upperclassmen laid on the bank and accepted it as free entertainment.  Other students brought out their guitars and tried to drown the preacher out by singing (didn’t work).  One quiet freshman stepped up to the man and waited for a pause in the loud preaching:  “You aren’t ever going to get people to follow you when you yell all the time.”

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The Fabulous 1890s Weekend is fast approaching .  This year the entertainment lineup is the best ever from rock music’s Havoc Jack to Bob Melnyck’s Polka Magic Band to Frogs of Pennsylvania.  Entertainment director Steve Brown has done a super job. For a complete list of acts, click here.  More about this historic event in the next blog.

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MU alumnus Ali Soufan continues to make international news with this New York Times op-ed piece arguing against torture.  Ali was an FBI special agent from 1997 to 2005.