Mansfield University Blog

PASSHE Board of Governors Chairman Guido Pichini visited MU this week to tour the campus and talk with faculty, staff and students.  He also took a few minutes for this interview in which he talks about the System, its students, faculty and alumni.

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Craig Robinson and his Nasty Delicious Band will perform here Wed., Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. in Straughn.  Robinson is best known as one of the stars on The Office.  Tickets are $20 general public.

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Just in time for Halloween (but appropriate anytime) the library staff — David Guinn and Sheila Kasperek have digitized and posted two ghost stories from storytelling great Jackie Torrence during her performance in in September 1986 as part of the Northern Appalachian Storytelling Festival.  The first story is here.  Number two is here.

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Scott DiMarco recently reviewed Climate Change and National Security: a Country Level Analysis by Daniel Moran. the premise is that people tend to “overlook the realization that worldwide climate change presents a clear and present danger to the national security of almost every nation.”

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Biology prof  Bob Maris reports that the Biology Club’s “Haunted Grant,” a fundraiser for the Biology Club,   last weekend drew some 334 people  at a dollar each.

Former FBI counter terrorist agent Ali Soufan ’94  was a guest on the Colbert Report last week and drew several rounds of enthusiastic applause during his conversation with the host.  In addition to other shows, Ali was also a guest on BBC’s Hard Talk.

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Here’s the latest news about the new suite style residence halls from Mountaineer News reporter  Kris Dumschat.

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Prediction: “Jobs-mania” will intensify over the next few weeks with the publication of his biography, Steve Jobs, even though Huffington Post has been publishing tidbits and we can now read the “11 most startling revelations in ‘Steve Jobs.’ “ Now I know the real reason my iPad won’t play Flash  video.

Take eight of the best photographers in the area, form a club and you have the Photo Keller Group.  All eight of the members have ties to MU and are exhibiting their best work in the MU Gallery beginning October 29.  I’ve seen the works.  They’re mesmerizing,  unusual in their perspectives and often stunning.  Here’s a trailer to give you a visual taste of the exhibit.

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Kings, queens, a parade and sprint.  Here are a couple digital slide shows of the Homecoming 2009– part 1 and part 2

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Halloween is one of Executive Secretary Kathy Rumsey’s favorite holidays and if you don’t believe it, stroll up 528 North Hall.  Check out the huge spider web over the atrium, then step into her office for a world of witches, warlocks, bats . . . and candy.

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Last year Steve Diasparra, founder of Ghost-PA, brought his crew into North Hall to spend the night searching for Sarah the ghost.  I talked to Steve about his findings.  You can listen to the podcast here, or read the transcript.

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When Associate Professor Mike Vayansky passed away unexpectedly in September the campus mourned.  At the same time officials had to quickly try to find someone to teach his classes.  Colleagues in physics-chemistry colleagues absorbed some of the courses.  But the question remained: who could teach astronomy course in the planetarium?  It turned out to be another Mike–Mike Reid–vice president for finance.  Reading about and studying the night sky has been his hobby for years.

Yes, he counts money by day and stars by  night.

His first lesson as a tour guide of the night sky in a dark planetarium?  “Students asked me to give them a longer warning when I’m about to turn the lights back on,” he said.