Living Learning: Spring/Fall 2003 Programs
Spring 2003
Students, Landlords and The Law. Dr. William McDevitt, Haub Business School. Do you plan to move to an off-campus apartment this fall? Would you like to know more about landlord/tenant law? Is this the first time you are signing a lease for your own apartment? If so, this interactive program on landlord/tenant law is perfect for you. You will learn about a lease, about each area of landlord-tenant law and have the opportunity to ask questions. February 6 at 7:00 p.m. Overbrook Cafeteria.
Cookin’ College Students. Meghan Murray, Merion Campus Area Coordinator. This pre-Valentine’s Day program will show you some quick cooking tips to impress your date during a romantic, candle-lit dinner. Participants (limited to ten) will collaborate on cooking a simple yet tasty meal that they will all enjoy eating together at the conclusion of the program. Please contact Dr. Todd Krug at X3335 to reserve a spot for this program.Monday, February 10 at 5:00 p.m. in the Jordan Hall Kitchen.
Spring Break Survival Series. The three programs below are designed to provide students with information needed for an enjoyable and safe spring break. These programs likewise offer some excellent skills and information that can be used for a lifetime. There is an incentive for attending all three programs. One male and one female each will be eligible to receive a $200 King of Prussia Mall shopping spree for attending all three programs. If more than one male and one female attend all three programs, a drawing of names will determine the winners. The three programs include:
College Students, Spring Break and Alcohol. Mr. Ron Chance, Sociology. Students typically hear about on-campus alcohol use and abuse from posters, from advertisements, from Resident Assistants and from administrators. But how will you use alcohol during spring break when you are on your own? Mr. Chance will draw on his decades of experience in law enforcement and, most recently, in higher education, to offer a practical and informative look at alcohol. The program will include some legal and physiological information that most students don’t hear in the typical anti-alcohol programs. Tuesday, February 25 from Noon to 12:50 in the Sourin Lounge.
Spring Break Travel Tips. Jill Goldwater and Linda Elkins, Saint Joseph’s University Travel Office. Your trip is all scheduled and your bags soon will be packed for spring break travel. But how much do you really know about the process of traveling domestically or internationally? Hear what the travel experts have to say you need to know to have a safe, smooth and enjoyable trip. Thursday, February 27 from Noon to 12:50 in the Sourin Lounge.
Preventing a Sexual Assault on Spring Break. Dr. Raquel Kennedy-Bergen, Department of Sociology, and REPP (Rape Education and Prevention). Dr. Kennedy-Bergen and students from REPP will talk about the possibility of date rape and sexual assault during spring break and here on campus. The program will address date rape drugs, offer tips for preventing sexual assault and provide information about what to do should a sexual assault occur. Tuesday, March 4 from Noon to 12:50 in the Sourin Lounge.
College Students and Nutrition. Dr. Michelle Rowe, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences. What do you eat during the course of a day? Do you think you eat well? Would you like to know the quality of your diet? Would you like to know how to eat better and still enjoy the foods you like? This program will address these and other nutrition questions that pass through the mind of the average college student.
Thursday, March 20 at noon in the LaFarge Lounge.
Professional Writer in Residence: William Zinsser. This noted author of sixteen books will talk specifically about his most recent book, Mitchell & Ruff: An American Profile in Jazz. This program will appeal to those who are interested in jazz, in Black musicians or in how artists develop. Tuesday, March 26 at 4:00 p.m. in the Sourin Lounge.
The University Chapel: Its Architecture and Symbolism. Dennis McNally, SJ, Fine Arts. This program will explore and explain the significance of the chapel's design and the symbolism of the windows and other religious and architectural features. Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the University Chapel.
Managing Money and Finances Effectively. Dr. Christopher Coyne, Finance. Personal finance often is not at the forefront of college students’ concerns. However, credit card use, student loans and other financial realities of college life can have longer implications than students sometimes realize. This program will look at these issues as well as at credit reports, personal loans and other matters of personal finance. Tuesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. in the LaFarge Lounge.
Professional Writer in Residence: Leslea Newman. Noted author of the book, Heather Has Two Mommies, will talk about this book, its content and take questions about her life as a writer and about her other pieces of writing. Students who are interested in writing, in social issues or in education will find this program to be particularly interesting. Wednesday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sourin Lounge.
Poetry Slam and Creative Writing Forum. The English Department. Have some poetry or creative writing you’d like to share? Would you like to hear the poetry and creative writing efforts of your peers? This evening will show the creative talents of student and faculty writers as they read their original, creative works. A pizza dinner will follow this event. Thursday, April 24 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. St. Mary’s Living Room.
Fitness Center Training. Matthew Herhal, Fieldhouse Fitness Center Coordinator and Strength and Conditioning Coach. Tuesday, September 16 at 4:00 p.m. in the Sourin Fitness Center and 4:00 p.m. Thursday, September 18 in the Overbrook Fitness Center. Sourin and Overbrook Halls are now home to residence hall fitness centers. If you want to know how to use the equipment to achieve the results you want to achieve, attend this instructional program. You will learn how to strike a balance between building muscle and losing fat. You’ll also learn ways to avoid falling into following the same exercise routine each time you work out. This program’s presenter holds a BS in Exercise Physiology and a minor in Sports Nutrition. He will be able to answer individual fitness and nutrition questions from participants.
Saint Joseph’s University Goes to Washington, DC—and to City Hall. Mr. Rob Skomorucha, Government Relations. Tuesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. Merion Gardens Basement Lounge. Saint Joseph’s University is an educational institution, but it is also a political one. It must exist within a political climate to exist, to expand and to be a good neighbor. What are the realities of Saint Joseph’s University’s political life? This program explores why and how Saint Joseph’s University engages in the political process.
Sabermetrics: The Mathematics of Baseball Science. Dr. Sean Forman, Mathematics. Tuesday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m. LaFarge Lounge. With the publication of Michael Lewis's bestseller "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game," the Oakland A's unique, scientific approach to winning baseball games was presented to a wide audience for the first time. However, sabermetrics, loosely defined as the scientific analysis of baseball, predates Oakland General Manager Billy Beane. Baseball insiders and outsiders like Orioles manager Earl Weaver, Dodgers dynasty builder Branch Rickey, and authors Bill James and Pete Palmer have for decades been asking hard questions and coming up with answers that contradict conventional wisdom.
*Is batting average really important?
*Does good pitching beat good hitting?
*Is walking the #8 batter to get to the pitcher a good move?
* and many others.
We'll look at some of these issues and more in this talk. This program’s presenter, Dr. Sean Forman, is an assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. His baseball writings have appeared in the Big Bad Baseball Annual and BaseballPrimer.com. He also runs the on-line baseball encyclopedia, Baseball-Reference.com.
How to Succeed with Your Faculty. Dr. Richard Passon, Academic Vice President. Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. Merion Gardens Basement Lounge. How should students talk with faculty? How can students best develop relationships and be at ease with faculty? By looking at different teaching and advising styles as well as at different personality types, this interactive program will help students develop realistic expectations for developing relationships with faculty, teach students how to be specific when talking or asking questions and take some of the general fear out of conversing with faculty in-class and out-of-class.
Writing Graduate School Personal Statements. Dr. Ann Green, English Department and Writing Center and Mr. Matthew Brink, Career Development Center. Tuesday, October 28 at Noon in the Sourin Lounge. If your thoughts are turning to graduate school, you likely will need to compose a personal statement as part of your application. This program will offer tips for writing a successful statement and allow participants to read some sample personal statements. Questions and answers will be an integral part of the program.
On Dating Well and Avoiding Sexual Assault. Dr. Raquel Kennedy-Bergen and student members of REPP. Monday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. LaFarge Lounge. Dating violence and sexual assault are unfortunate realities in our culture as well as on college campuses, and both realities are unnecessary. This program will explore these issues against the backdrop of recent national media attention on sexual assault. It likewise will explore ways to date well, develop healthy dating relationships and offer advice on ways to prevent interactions that can lead to sexual assault or dating violence.
College Students and Alcohol. Mr. Ron Chance, Sociology. Tuesday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m. Merion Gardens Basement Lounge. Students typically hear about alcohol use and abuse from posters, from advertisements, from Resident Assistants and from administrators. This message is from a faculty member who will draw on his decades of experience in law enforcement and, most recently, in higher education. The program will be a practical and informative look at alcohol use on and near college campuses and will include some legal and physiological information that most students don’t hear in the typical anti-alcohol programs.
Title IX: Promoting Equality or Eroding Opportunities? Renie Shields, Kevin Quinn, Athletics. Wednesday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the McShain Haub Center. Research shows that there are now five times as many varsity women’s teams on college campuses that in 1972, the year Title IX went into effect to eliminate athletic discrimination against women. Has this rise in numbers been at the expense of men’s teams and men’s athletic scholarships? Some argue it has while others argue it has not. In fact, a group of college coaches has filed a lawsuit against the government claiming discrimination against men. The panelists at this program will view a short video segment on this topic and respond to it and discuss how this issue affects Saint Joseph’s University and its student athletes. Audience members are encouraged to bring or raise questions for the panelists, which will guide the direction of this program.
Poetry Slam. The English Department. Thursday, November 13 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. St. Mary’s Living Room. Have some poetry you’d like to share? Like to hear some of the poetry that others have written? This program will feature poets from Saint Joseph’s and from invited guests. A pizza dinner will follow the program.
College Students and Consumer Law. Dr. William McDevitt, Management and Information Systems. Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. Sourin Lounge. College students make up a huge component of the consumer market, buying everything from cars to electronics to cell phone packages. Are college students vulnerable consumers because many are unaware of the consumer laws in place to protect them? This program will identify and explain consumer laws that are in place to help all consumers, including college students. The program will explain how students who have a consumer complaint or issue can invoke these laws.
The Language of Race and Difference. Dr. Arnold Farr, Philosophy; Richard Malloy, SJ, Sociology; Dr. Lucille W. Ijoy, Motivation Institute of Philadelphia. November 20 at 7:00 p.m. Location to be announced. Language, race and difference can be divisive and volatile or they can be inclusive and peaceful. We all have a racial background and we all use language and many of us do not fall into stereotypical mainstream culture. How does what we call one another and call ourselves figure into this? Why is Black Power something positive and White Power something negative? Why have groups of people over time chosen to change what they call themselves? Why can one word used by one group signal empowerment when the same word used by another group signal a racial slur? This program will look at how better understanding the power and use of language can help us to better understand ourselves and one another.