Posted on Feb 6, 2004

Actor and playwright Mark Cryer will present his show, “99,”
on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in Yulman Theater.

Cryer's work (fully titled “99 Questions You've Always
Wanted to Ask an African American But Were Too Afraid for Fear They'd Break
Their Foot Off in Your A**”) explores the stereotypes that some hold about
African Americans and seeks to eliminate the line between insult and ignorance.

Cryer created the play in response to a racial incident at Hamilton College, where he is a professor, by asking
students, “What is the one question you've always wanted to ask an African
American but were too afraid to ask?”

“The campus was in an uproar so I asked them, 'How long is
our anger?,'” Cryer said after the incident. “So, as soon as I got enough
questions, I thought let's not just stand around complaining but be pro-active,”
he said.

“On any given day we all will ask or answer a hundred
questions or more,” Cryer writes about his play. “Rarely are they about race,
the 'great American secret.'  [This] play
is intended to be the beginning of a conversation, of a dialogue four hundred
years in the making. It is a dialogue that requires courage on all sides of the
race question, the courage to not only ask a question, but also the courage to
answer the questions: who are you, how should I interact with you, what are
your hopes and dreams?”

The show is being staged as part of Black History Month.

Admission is free, but tickets must be picked up at the
Yulman box office before the show. The box office will be open from 3 to 5 p.m. starting Monday, Feb. 9.

For more about Mark Cryer and “99” visit his Web site at http://www.markcryersactthree.com/index.html

Posted on Feb 6, 2004

UNITAS, a campus organization to promotes
diversity and understanding, is seeking nominees from the Class of 2005 who
have planned, promoted and participated in the fulfillment of the organization's
mission.

Nominees will be judged on their service to the campus and
local community in promoting equality and understanding.

Applicants should write a 300-word description of their activities
and submit the names of three references to support their applications.

A committee will review the applications and submit the
final candidates to the UNITAS board for review. The award will
be presented at Prize Day in May.

Applicants and references may be submitted by March 1 to
Prof. Twitty J. Styles, Department of Biological Sciences (stylest@union.edu). For more information,
call ext. 6037.

Posted on Feb 6, 2004

Commencement is set for Sunday,
June 13, at 10 a.m. in Library
Plaza, rain or shine.

A Baccalaureate Commemoration will
be held Saturday, June 12, at 4:30 p.m.
in Memorial Chapel, followed by a Baccalaureate Mass sponsored by the Catholic
Campus Ministry at 6 p.m. in Memorial
Chapel, and the Garnet Gala – dessert, music and dancing – at 8 p.m. in Library Field.

The complete schedule is on the
web at http://www.union.edu/Commencement/2004/

Posted on Feb 6, 2004

Ashraf
Ghaly,
associate professor of civil engineering, has been elected a fellow of the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a distinction held by only 5
percent of ASCE's more than 133,000 members. ASCE fellows are “legally registered
engineers who have made significant technical or professional contributions to
the profession and who have made notable achievement in responsible charge of
engineering activity for at least 10 years following election to ASCE,”
according to the organization's bylaws.

Posted on Feb 6, 2004

Paul Rose, visiting assistant professor of
psychology, is co-author (with Todd Kashdan and Frank
Fincham of the University at Buffalo)
of a paper, “Curiosity and Exploration: Facilitating Positive Subjective
Experiences and Personal Growth Opportunities,” to be published in the Journal of Personality Assessment.