Below are a variety of items about upcoming events and other news notes on the campus of Youngstown State University:

• YSU STAT proactive in stopping campus threats
• WYSU program wins Public Images Media Award
• YSU Poetry Center presents reading this week
• 'Six Women Poets in Conversation' set for Sunday
• 'What Not to Wear' seminar scheduled for YSU
• 'New Tricks' jazz group performs on campus
• History Day competition set for March 27

Calendar
Monday, March 22, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The New York City jazz group, Mike Lee and New Tricks, will be teaching and performing at YSU. See News Brief below.

Monday, March 22, 8 p.m. Guest Artist Recital featuring Randall Fusco on piano in Bliss Recital Hall.

Tuesday, March 23, 11:30 a.m. The Innovation Fund, a regional body that supports technology–based entrepreneurial endeavors and businesses, announces its latest round of fund recipients at a meeting in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.

Wednesday, March 24, 12:15 p.m. Free Music at Noon concert featuring the Dana Wind Quintet in the Butler Institute of American Art.

Wednesday, March 24, 8 p.m. YSU Percussion Ensemble, directed by Glenn Schaft, performs in Butler North.

Thursday, March 25, noon. YSU President David C. Sweet gives the keynote address at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber's Annual Meeting luncheon at Mr. Anthony's in Boardman. For more information, call 330–744–2131.

Thursday, March 25, 5 p.m. The YSU chapter of Sigma Alpha Lambda welcomes 40 new members in the Gallery Room in Kilcawley Center. Sigma Alpha Lambda is a national leadership and honors organization dedicated to developing the individual and serving the campus and community. For more information, contact bmcrouse@ysu.edu

Thursday, March 25, 6:30 p.m. Justice Maureen O'Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio will be the guest speaker at YSU's third Annual Diversity Leadership Recognition Celebration at Mr. Anthony's, 7440 South Ave. in Boardman. The purpose of the event is to acknowledge, celebrate and embrace diversity at YSU and in the community. For more information, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at 330–941–3370.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 25, 26, 27 and 28. University Theater presents the comic drama "The Cripple of Inishmaan" in Spotlight Theater in Bliss Hall on the campus of YSU. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., while the Sunday matinee performance on March 28 is at 3 p.m. All seats are general admission. Performances continue April 1, 2 and 3.

Thursday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. The YSU Poetry Center presents "A Reading by Dora Malech and James Galvin" in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center. The reading is open to the public, and admission is free. See News Brief below. 

Thursday, March 25, 8 p.m. The Dana Guitar Ensemble, directed by Francois Fowler, performs in Bliss Recital Hall. 

Friday, March 26, 6 to 8 p.m. YSU students, faculty and staff are invited to the YSU Recycling Trash Bash and Runway Fashion Show at Peaberry's Cafe in Kilcawley Center. Students and staff will model clothes that they made from reusable or recyclable materials. For more information, visit www.ysu.edu/recycle or contact Jennifer Vigorito or Dan Kuzma at 330–941–2294 or email at jmvigorito@my.ysu.edu.

Saturday, March 27, 10 am. YSU hosts district National History Day in Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below. 

Sunday, March 28, 4 p.m. Faculty Artist Recital featuring soprano Misook Yun in Bliss Recital Hall.

Sunday, March 28, 4 to 5 p.m. In conjunction with Women's History Month, creative writing students from the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program at YSU will read their poetry with other local poets at The Lemon Grove Cafe on Federal Plaza in downtown Youngstown. See News Brief below.

YSU STAT proactive in stopping campus threats
Youngstown State University's Student Threat Assessment Team, entering its second year of operation, continues to work proactively in preventing and responding to threatening student behavior on campus.

The seven–member team, comprised of representatives from Student Affairs and the YSU Police Department, was created in response to campus crises across the nation, such as the shooting at Virginia Tech University nearly three years ago.

Since forming last spring, STAT has received and responded to about 25 calls for intervention and assistance, said Martin Manning, associate director of Student Life and a STAT member. Reports are generally filed by faculty members, department chairs or deans, with concerns ranging from emotionally–distressed students to disruptive classroom behavior, such as threatening comments or behavior by a student aimed at an instructor or classmate.

Once the report is made, STAT assesses the situation and arranges an appropriate plan of action, said Judith Gaines, executive director of Student Life and a member of STAT.

"We pull together what has been reported, look at what has happened, what needs to be done and which person will take charge of handling the issue," she said.

Actions range from working with the student individually through residence life and the counseling center, to meeting the student at their classroom prior to class to discuss concerns.

"It is very situational," Gaines said, "but the most important thing we do is connect the dots and communicate in a nonthreatening, confidential way that ensures the safety of all parties."

Communication is key, Manning said. "Before, just as was the case in many campus incidents like Virginia Tech, lots of people knew that a student had problems, but the information was never shared," he said.

The group strives to be proactive, rather than reactive. "So far," said Manning, "we have been able to step in and redirect before things get out of hand, which is exactly our goal."

For more information, or to enlist the help of STAT, visit www.ysu.edu/stat/. The site includes referral forms and a Faculty & Staff Help Guide with team contact information.

In addition to STAT, YSU has implemented further preventative safety measures campus–wide. The Wireless Emergency Notification System, or YSU Alert System, designed to warn students via text and email of any potential threats to safety, became active this past fall.

Members of YSU STAT are: Lt. Mike Cretella, YSU Police Department; Erin Driscoll, Associate Director, Residence Life; Jack Fahey, Executive Director, Student Services, and Ombudsperson; Judith Gaines, Executive Director, Student Life; Anne Lally, Counselor, Career and Counseling Services; Martin Manning, Associate Director, Student Life; Danielle Meyer, Director, Housing and Residence Life.

WYSU program wins Public Images Media Award

An episode of WYSU 88.5 FM's public affairs program "Lincoln Avenue," hosted by Youngstown State University Professor Sherry Linkon, has been awarded a 2010 Ohio Public Images Media Award.

The episode "Lincoln Avenue with Sherry Linkon: Larry Duck and Frank Santisi" explores the challenges facing people with disabilities and their families. The episode was nominated in the Documentary/Public Affairs category by Larry Duck of the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Along with Duck's explanation of the services offered by the MCBDD, the episode includes Santisi talking about how his son, Frankie, benefits from the various services provided by the MCBDD. 

"Not only is it moving to hear Frank Santisi describe the challenges and accomplishments of his son, but it's inspiring to recognize that people who are not directly affected by developmental disabilities, in a community with persistent economic struggles, regularly vote for levies to fund the board's work," said Linkon, a YSU professor of English and American Studies and co–director of the Center for Working–Class Studies.

The annual Ohio Public Images Media Awards are sponsored by Ohio Public Images. Each award category is designed to honor individuals and organizations throughout Ohio who have succeeded in creating a greater understanding and acceptance of people with developmental disabilities.

The weekly public affairs show, airing Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. on WYSU 88.5 FM and WYSU HD1, examines local, regional, and national issues related to cultural diversity, economics, and education.

To listen to episodes of "Lincoln Avenue," including the award winning episode, visit the program's website at http://www.wysu.org/lincolnAvenue.php

For more information, contact Ed Goist at 330–941–3364 or development@wysu.org

YSU Poetry Center presents reading this week

The Youngstown State University Poetry Center presents "A Reading by Dora Malech and James Galvin" in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25. The reading is open to the public, and admission is free. 

Dora Malech earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Yale College and a master's of fine arts in poetry from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. She has been the recipient of a Frederick M. Clapp Poetry Writing Fellowship from Yale, a Truman Capote Fellowship and a Teaching–Writing Fellowship from the Writers' Workshop, a Glenn Schaeffer Poetry Award, and a Writer's Fellowship at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbertide, Italy. Waywiser Press recently published Malech's first full–length collection of poems, Shore Ordered Ocean. The Cleveland State University Poetry Center will publish her second collection, Say So, in late 2010. Her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Poetry, Best New Poets, American Letters & Commentary, Poetry London and The Yale Review.

James Galvin is the author of seven books of poetry, including Resurrection Update: Collected Poems, 1975–1997, and most recently, As Is. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed prose book, The Meadow, and a novel, Fencing the Sky. Galvin has won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation for his poetry. For many years he has been on the permanent faculty at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, spending part of the year in Iowa City, Iowa, and the remainder on his ranch on Boulder Ridge, Wyo., where he grew up.

For more information, call 330–941–1952.

'Six Women Poets in Conversation' set for Sunday
In conjunction with Women's History Month, creative writing students from the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program at Youngstown State University will read their poetry with other local poets 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 28, at The Lemon Grove Cafe on Federal Plaza in downtown Youngstown.

"Six Women Poets in Conversation" will feature readings of original poetry from Nin Andrews, Alice Cone, Karen Schubert, Evaline Abram–Diroll, Karen Kotrba and Caitlyn Ryan.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non–perishable food donation for a food bank collection.

Abram–Diroll works in the human resources office at YSU and is pursuing an MFA in creative writing through the NEOMFA consortium. She lives on the North Side of Youngstown.

Andrews is the author of the poetry collections Sleeping with Houdini, Midlife Crisis with Dick and Jane and The Book of Orgasms. She lives in Poland, Ohio.

Cone teaches creative writing at Kent State University, where she has worked for the Wick Poetry Center in various capacities. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Shattering into Blossom (Interior Noise Press, 1997) and As If a Leaf Could Be Preserved (Finishing Line, 2006). Currently, Cone is writing a novel called Dreaming in Sentences.

A poet and fiction writer, Kotrba will be graduating in August from the NEOMFA program. She is currently completing a poetic sequence about the Frontier Nursing Service, portions of which she read earlier this month at the national Appalachian Studies Conference. 

Ryan is a student in the NEOMFA program and the poetry editor of the Penguin Review. In 2009, she graduated from YSU with bachelor's degrees in anthropology and English. She lives in Boardman.

Schubert's poems are in/soon in Artful Dodge, diode, Reconfigurations, terrain.org and Squid Quarterly; her chapbook is The Geography of Lost Houses (Pudding House). In her last semester in the NEOMFA, Schubert is poetry editor for Whiskey Island Magazine and teaches creative writing at Cleveland State University. She lives in Youngstown.

For more information, contact Schubert at kmschubert@ysu.edu.

'What Not to Wear' seminar scheduled for YSU
Youngstown State University's Office of Career & Counseling Services and Department of Campus Recreation is sponsoring the fifth annual "What Not To Wear And What To Wear To Interviews and Beyond: Fashion and Feedback" seminar noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.

The event is open to YSU students and alumni.

The seminar is designed to inform participants on proper interview attire. Stephanie Volpini–Hann, a YSU alumni and former fashion consultant, will facilitate the event, while current YSU students model examples of appropriate and inappropriate interview and business attire. A panel of employers from a diverse variety of industries will discuss their opinions of the models' clothing as well as provide feedback on how dress influences the success of a candidate's job search. Employers include representatives from Hill, Barth & King LLC, Huntington National Bank, Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, and Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley Beeghly Campus. WFMJ–TV 21 meteorologist Mark Monstrola will co–host the event.

Students will receive information on topics such as professional dress etiquette, fabrics, piece coordination, and how to dress professionally on a budget.

For more information contact the Office of Career & Counseling Services at 330–941–3515.

'New Tricks' jazz group performs on campus

The New York City jazz group, Mike Lee and New Tricks, will be teaching and performing at Youngstown State University on Monday, March 22.

The group will present a clinic at 2 p.m. in Room 2222 of Bliss Hall and will perform a concert at 8 p.m., also in Room 2222 of Bliss Hall. The visit is sponsored by the YSU Jazz Society, Dana School of Music and Phi Mu Alpha fraternity.

New Tricks is a band that started in the basement of co–leader and saxophonist Mike Lee. Featuring original compositions by Lee and trumpeter Ted Chubb, the band is firmly steeped in the jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries rhythmically and harmonically. In addition to Lee on tenor and Chubb on trumpet, New Tricks features the rhythm section of Kellen Harrison on bass and Shawn Baltazor on drums.

Last summer, New Tricks released its first CD, featuring four Ted Chubb originals, six tunes by Mike Lee and Charlie Parker's Ah–Leu–Cha.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Dana School of Music at 330–941–3636. Parking is available for a nominal charge in the M1 Wick Avenue Deck. 

History Day competition set for March 27
Youngstown State University hosts district National History Day 10 a.m. Saturday, March 27 in Kilcawley Center. Students in grades 6 to 12 from Ashtabula, Geauga, Mahoning, Portage and Trumbull counties will participate.

Activities include: Documentary Presentations–Presidential Suite; Junior Group Exhibits–Food Court; Senior Group Exhibits–Ohio Room; Senior Individual Exhibits–Gallery.

The event is free and open to the public.

The day will conclude with an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center.

Winners from the district event will compete against 600 entries in the state competition on Saturday, April 24 at Ohio State University in Columbus. Fifty students will then be selected to participate in National History Day, June 13 to 17, at the University of Maryland.

National History Day in Ohio is co–sponsored by the Ohio Historical Society and funded in part by contributions from Honda of America Mfg. Inc., Huntington Bank, Cargill and the Harry C. Moores Foundation.

For more information about the district event, contact Bonita Harris in the YSU History Department at 330–941–3452.

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