YSU students Cheney Morgan and Montaja Simmons star in University Theater's production of The Shape of Things this week in Spotlight Arena Theater in Bliss Hall. See News Brief.

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

• University Theater presents The Shape of Things
• YSU SBDC 'Business Start–Up' seminars
• Mayor Williams speaks at STEM Awards Dinner
• YSU marks Financial Aid Awareness Week    

Calendar
Monday through Thursday, Jan. 25 to 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. YSU marks Financial Aid Awareness Week with a series of information sessions in Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below.

Monday, Jan. 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU presents a free seminar titled "Business Start–Up Basics" at the YSU Metro College located in Southwoods Commons in Boardman. See News Brief below.          

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Full–time and permanent part–time YSU employees are invited to attend a presentation on Smoking Cessation. The seminar will address the impact smoking has on health and self–esteem. Several methods on how to quit smoking will be reviewed. Register with Carrie Clyde, wellness coordinator, at 330–941–3360 or crclyde@ysu.edu.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 12:15 p.m. Free Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art features YSU Jazz Combos.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7:05 p.m. YSU men's basketball team hosts North Carolina Central in Beeghly Center.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. Guest recital features tuba players Richard White and Kevin Sanders in Bliss Recital Hall on the YSU campus.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 to 31. University Theater presents The Shape of Things in Bliss Hall's Spotlight Arena Theater on the YSU campus. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee performance is at 3 p.m. The play

  The YSU men's tennis team plays Jan. 31 in Boardman.

Thursday, Jan. 28. Richard McCormack, editor and publisher of Manufacturing & Technology News, discuss the future of manufacturing during a campus visit. A breakfast lecture is scheduled for 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the DeBartolo Stadium Club in Stambaugh Stadium. The morning presentation is sponsored by the Williamson College of Business Administration and is part of the Williamson Symposium Lecture Series. For reservations, call 330–941–3068. McCormack will also speak 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. The evening session is open to the general public and is hosted by the YSU Center for Working–Class Studies.

Friday, Jan. 29, 3 p.m. YSU Presidential Search Advisory Committee meets in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center.

Sunday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. YSU men's tennis team takes on Xavier at the Boardman Tennis Center. The women's team open its home schedule at noon, Wednesday, Feb. 3, also at the Boardman Tennis Center at 1223 Western Reserve Road, about seven miles south of the YSU campus.

University Theater presents The Shape of Things     
Youngstown State University Theater's Blackbox Productions stages Neil LaBute's drama The Shape of Things Jan. 28 to 31 in Bliss Hall's Spotlight Arena Theater on the YSU campus.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances have a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee performance is at 3 p.m. The performance is intended for mature audiences.

The play is a modern day retelling of the fall of man. After a chance meeting in a museum, Evelyn, a sexy, aggressive artist, and Adam, a shy, insecure student, become embroiled in an intense affair. Before long, it veers into dangerous, seductive territory as Adam, under Evelyn's steady influence, goes to unimaginable lengths to improve his appearance and character. Only in the final exhibition does Evelyn reveal her true intentions.

The production is directed by Zachary Campbell, senior theater major from East Liverpool, with cast members Cheney Morgan of Boardman as Adam, Montaja Simmons of Turtle Creek, Pa., as Evelyn, Brandon Smith of East Liverpool as Philip and Jennifer Tomerlin of Niles as Jenny.

Tickets may be reserved by calling the University Theater Box Office at 330–941–3105. Ticket price for the general public is $5 with $3 discount tickets available for all students, senior citizens and Penguin Club members. Season Ticket coupons will be honored. All seats in Spotlight Arena Theater are general admission, and patrons are encouraged to make reservations early. Parking is available in the Wick Avenue parking deck for a nominal fee.

YSU SBDC hosts "Business Start–Up" seminars
The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University presents a series of "Business Start–Up Basics" seminars through May at the YSU Metro College located in Southwoods Commons in Boardman.

The seminar is for those interested in entrepreneurship that have never owned a business and is a prerequisite for those requiring initial and ongoing business counseling support and assistance from the Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU. Topics include licensing, organizational structure, business planning, funding sources, qualifying for financing and discussions of business management issues.

The schedule:                                   

Monday, Jan. 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Room 237.                 
Monday, Feb. 1, 9 a.m. to noon, Room 238.                        
Monday, Feb. 15, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Room 237.
Monday, March 1, 9 a.m. to noon, Room 238.
Monday, March, 15, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Room 237.
Monday, April 5, 9 a.m. to noon, Room 238.
Monday, April 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Room 237.
Monday, May 3, 9 a.m. to noon, Room 238.
Monday, May 17, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Room 237.

Cost is $10.00. Schedule subject to change based upon a minimal number of registrants.                            

To register, call 330–941–2144 or e–mail rsulik@ysu.edu. Also visit www.ysu.edu/sbdc.

Mayor Williams speaks at STEM Awards Dinner

  Mayor Jay Williams

The event is sponsored by the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the Youngstown Business Incubator and the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative. It also is partially supported by the Innovation Series, a technology networking initiative underwritten by Dominion Foundation. Awards will be presented to Distinguished Alumni, students and STEM community leaders.

The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards program at 7 p.m. The cost is $15 and includes dinner. Corporate sponsors are available for $200 for a table of eight.  

Registration is required and limited to the first 150. Parking will be reserved in the M–24 lot on Fifth Avenue and Grant Street. Read more about the YSU College of STEM at http://stem.ysu.edu.

YSU marks Financial Aid Awareness Week
Youngstown State University's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships marks 2010–11 Financial Aid Awareness Week this week with a series of opportunities for students to learn more about financial aid available on campus.

Feb. 15 is the priority deadline date to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Institutional Aid Application is Feb. 15. Students are encouraged to apply now to receive their financial aid award offer. The 2010–2011 FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov

Staff from the YSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will be available to distribute forms and answer questions regarding grants, scholarships and loans on the following schedule:

Monday, Jan. 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kilcawley Center, 1st floor across from the bank.                 

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kilcawley Center, 1st Floor across from the bank.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kilcawley Center, 1st floor across from the bank.

Thursday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kilcawley Center, 1st floor across from bank.                                                                   

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is located in Room 203 in Meshel Hall. For more information, visit www.ysu.edu/finaid . When requesting information from the website, use the Online Request for Information Form under Quick Forms. You may also call 330–941–3505 or 330–941–3506 for an appointment.