Posted on Apr 17, 2008

Union celebrates National Poetry Month with a reading from Vievee Francis, poet and teacher, Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Taylor Music Center’s Fred L. Emerson Foundation Auditorium. She will read from various works including her latest book, “Blue-Tail Fly,” which Poets & Writers magazine cited as one of the notable debuts for 2006.

A reception and book-signing will follow the reading. All events are free and open to the public.

Francis works for InsideOut as a poet-in-residence promoting poetry in schools and as an independent poetry instructor. She is a fellow of Cave Canem, an organization dedicated to the discovery and cultivation of new voices in African American poetry. Her work has appeared in such journals as “Callaloo,” “Crab Orchard Review,” and “Margie.”

A graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Francis is a candidate for a master of fine arts degree at the University of Michigan. She is married to Matthew Olzmann, a fellow of Kundiman, which promotes Asian-American poetry.

This event is sponsored by Africana Studies; Black Student Union; the departments of English, History and Sociology; Internal Education Fund; Sorum House and Women’s and Gender Studies. 

Posted on Apr 17, 2008

Funds raised from next week’s Catwalk for a Cause fashion show will go to Student Advocacy for Equitable Recovery – SAFER – the Tulane student recovery project with which Union students worked over winter break.

The event is set for Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

“This fun event embraces the Union spirit of helping others who may not be as fortunate as the students who walk these halls, a feeling shared by students and faculty alike,” said Dana Cohen, the event's fundraising co-chair.

SAFER provides an opportunity for college students locally and globally to volunteer and engage in the recovery of the New Orleans community and work directly with families to help them return home.

“Even though Hurricane Katrina hit almost three years ago, the city of New Orleans remains in need of as much help as it can get, and the student body would like to take part in granting this aid,” said Virginia Taft, fundraising co-chair. “We believe this is a cause that both students and faculty continue to hold close to their hearts.”

Tickets to Catwalk for a Cause are on sale in Reamer Campus Center next week. Checks, made out to Union College Student Activities, may be placed in Union College mailbox 2084.  

Posted on Apr 17, 2008

Posted on Apr 17, 2008

Thursday, April 17, 4:30 p.m. / Schaffer Library, Phi Beta Kappa Room / Philosophy Speakers Series presents Michael Williams of Johns Hopkins on “The Structure of Epistemic Justification”

Thursday, April 17, 7 p.m. / Reamer Auditorium / Spectrum Film Series: “Shortbus”

Friday, April 18, 4 p.m. / Memorial Chapel / Battle of the Bands

Friday, April 18, 5 p.m. / Wikoff Student Gallery, Nott Memorial / Opening reception for “LGBT: A Union Perspective”; part of Art Night Schenectady

Friday, April 18, 7 p.m. / Old Chapel / Noted filmmaker John Cameron-Mitchell discusses the making of “Shortbus” 

Friday, April 18 – Monday, April 21, 8 & 10 p.m. / Reamer Campus Center / Film: “Definitely, Maybe”

Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m. / Tennis courts / Women’s tennis vs. SUNY New Paltz

Saturday, April 19, 3 p.m. / Nott Memorial / Annual Thruway Concert

Sunday, April 20, noon / Central Park, Buck Ewing Field / Men’s baseball vs. RPI

Sunday, April 20, 1 p.m. / Frank Bailey Field / Women’s lacrosse vs. Fisher

Sunday, April 20, 1 p.m. / Alexander Field / Women’s softball vs. Staten Island

Sunday, April 20, 2 p.m. / Tennis courts / Women’s tennis vs. St. Lawrence

Sunday, April 20, 3 p.m. / Memorial Chapel / Chamber Concert Series presents Boston Camerata

Thursday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. / Taylor Music Center, Emerson Auditorium / Poet Vive Francis reads from “Blue-Tail Fly” and other works; book-signing to follow in Blue House. Sponsored by Africana Studies; Black Students Union; departments of English, History and Sociology; Internal Education Fund; Sorum House; and Women’s and Gender Studies

Thursday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. – Catwalk for a Cause fashion show; proceeds to benefit SAFER (Student Advocacy for Equitable Recovery) of Tulane University in New Orleans

Posted on Apr 16, 2008

Actor, director and screenwriter John Cameron Mitchell will present “The Making of Shortbus” Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in Old Chapel. Advanced screenings of the critically acclaimed film will be shown in the Reamer Campus Center Auditorium Thursday, April 17 at 5 and 7 p.m.

The screenings and talk are free and open to the public.

Written and directed by Mitchell, “Shortbus” (2006) explores sexuality and the yearning for connection in post-911 New York.

The film, which portrays strong sexual content, garnered six film awards including “Best Art Direction” and “Best Screenplay” at the 2006 Gijün International Film Festival and a “Golden Eye” for “Best New Feature Film” at the 2006 Zurich Film Festival.

Mitchell is best known for his portrayal of a transsexual glam rocker in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” He won two Obies for his off-Broadway performance of an East German victim of a botched sex change operation. Mitchell adapted the play for the big screen and premiered the film at the 2001 Sundance Festival, where he won the Director’s Award and Audience Award.

Mitchell’s visit, part of Union’s newly formed Film Studies program and minor, was made possible through award-winning documentary producer and director Jim de Sève. A visiting filmmaker at Union for the 2008 spring and fall terms, de Sève teaches “Documentary Filmmaking: Filtering Your World.”

Mitchell's talk is co-sponsored by Spectrum, Modern Languages and Literature Department, Sorum House and the Minerva Programs Office. Sorum House is also hosting a dinner with Mitchell and members of the campus community at 5:30 p.m. preceding the talk.

For more information about Film Studies, contact Co-directors Michelle Chilcoat (388-7103, chilcoam@union.edu) or Andrew Feffer (388-6787, feffera@union.edu).

Posted on Apr 16, 2008

Reappointment review committees have been formed for five assistant professors. Members of the campus community may provide written or oral testimony to committee member. Committees (with chairs listed first) are:

Stacie Raucci, Classics: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, chair, Classics (muellerh@union.edu, ext. 8748), Mark Toher (Classics), Kara Doyle (English)

Tarik Wareh, Classics: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, chair, Classics (muellerh@union.edu, ext. 8748), Mark Toher (Classics), Peter Bedford (Religious Studies)

Shane Cotter, Electrical & Computer Engineering: John Spinelli, chair, ECE (spinellj@union.edu, ext. 6307), Yu Chang (ECE), Ekram Hassib (ECE)

Lewis Davis, Economics: Stephen Schmidt, chair, Economics (schmidsj@union.edu, ext. 6078), James Kenney (Economics), Mehmet Fuat Senner (Economics), Shelton Schmidt (Economics)

Lisa Warenski, Philosophy: Raymond Martin, chair, Philosophy (martinr@union.edu, ext. 8011), Robert Baker (Philosophy), Linda Patrik (Philosophy), Felmon Davis (Philosophy)