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

Calendar
Monday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m. YSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, directed by Stephen Gage and Chris Heidenreich, performs at Stambaugh Auditorium.

Monday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. Alexis Stamatis, the author of eight novels and six collections of poetry, reads from his works in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. See News Brief below.

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. The YSU Center for Working–Class Studies presents a lecture “Understanding Work: Two Perspectives on Workers’ Lives,” in the Gallery in Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. See News Brief below. 

Tuesday, Oct. 14 and Thursday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. to noon. Engineering students present their “Rube Goldberg Door Opener” machines in the first floor lobby of Moser Hall on the YSU campus. Teams of students designed a Rube Goldberg–type machines that will open a door in a one–minute time period.

Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 15 and 16, 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The YSU Women’s Club will hold its second annual “Dress for Success” fall drive to collect professional women’s clothing. ﾠClub members will accept contemporary and cleaned women’s business apparel in Room 2067 of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. See News Brief below.

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 12:15 p.m. The YSU Percussion Ensemble performs a free Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art.

Thursday, Oct. 16. Ed Burghard, executive director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition, visits YSU as part of the Williamson Symposium Speaker Series. See News Brief below.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 4 to 6 p.m. Famed Commedia Dell’ Arte professional, Gale McNeeley, presents a workshop in Spotlight Arena Theater in Bliss Hall on the YSU campus. See News Brief below.

Friday, Oct. 17, 4 p.m. YSU soccer squad plays Wheeling Jesuit in Stambaugh Stadium.

Saturday, Oct. 18, 4 p.m. YSU Penguins football takes on Southern Illinois in Stambaugh Stadium.

Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m. “Hot Ice, Cool Sounds,” presented by YSU, features Peter Cetera, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and world–renowned ice skaters at the Chevrolet Center in downtown Youngstown. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/ywg0jh or at the Chevy Centre box office.

Mark your calendar

Monday, Oct. 27, 1:30 p.m. YSU breaks ground for the new $34.3 million building for the Williamson College of Business Administration. The ground–breaking ceremony will be at the future site of the new building at Rayen Avenue and Phelps Street. Actual construction on the three–story, 106,000–square–foot building should begin in January, and the building is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010. The news media, YSU faculty, staff and students, community members and the general public are invited. For more information, call 330–941–3497.

Professor’s book part of award–winning series

A book by Youngstown State University political science chair and professor Paul Sracic is part of a book series awarded the prestigious Scribes Book Award by the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects. 

Sracic’s 176–page volume, San Antonio v. Rodriguez and the Pursuit of Equal Education, is part of the award–winning University Press of Kansas series titled Landmark Law Cases and American Society.

The Scribes Book Award has been presented annually since 1961, but never before to a book series. “I’m obviously proud to be part of a series that has received what is generally considered to be the highest award available in the field of legal writing,” Sracic said.

The awards committee praised the books in the series, calling them “consistently informative, creative and easily accessible.” Series editors Peter Hoffer and N.E.H. Hull accepted the award at a ceremony in New York as part of the American Bar Association’s annual meeting.

Sracic said he chose to write about the 1968 law case of San Antonio v. Rodriguez because it addresses the issue of school funding, still a subject of debate in state courts across the country, including Ohio. His book explores a class–action suit filed on behalf of Mexican–American school children in San Antonio, Texas, that claimed unequal educational funding.

The book has been adopted for classroom use by several universities, including the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California at Berkeley, St. Louis University, the University of Oklahoma and the graduate program at Princeton University.

Sracic’s book has also received other accolades, including a nomination for the C. Herman Pritchett Award, which recognizes the best book on law and courts written by a political scientist, the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award, and the American Political Science Association’s Race, Ethnicity and Politics Section Best Book Award.

In addition to the book, Sracic has been particularly visible this election season, offering commentary locally and nationally about the Mahoning Valley’s role in the upcoming presidential election. He recently was featured in a video by the Wall Street Journal. View it at http://online.wsj.com/video/undecided–vote–mahoning–county/63C78DE5–4F2C–4AAB–8FD9–56D6535EB0DC.html.

YSU business college honors outstanding alumni
The Warren P. Williamson Jr. College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University will present the 2008 WCBA Outstanding Alumni Awards at the 13^th Annual WCBA Alumni Banquet 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.

The Outstanding Business Alumnus Award will be presented to Stephen Bartolin of Colorado Springs, Colo., chairman, president and CEO of the Broadmoor hotel and resort. After graduating from YSU in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Bartolin held management positions at The Greenbrier, was director of convention services for Opryland Hotel in Nashville, returned to Greenbrier as general manager and then was appointed president of the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in 1991. Bartolin was later appointed chairman, president and CEO of the Broadmoor, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway Company, the Broadmoor Development Co., and the Cog Land and Development Co. He also serves on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Publishing Co., the Penrose St. Frances Health Systems, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He was named Resort Executive of the Year, North America in 1997 and Colorado Hotelier of the Year in 2005. He became a member of the YSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987, was named YSU Penguin of the Year in 1999 and received an honorary doctorate from YSU in 2005.

Catherine Mott, CEO and founder of BlueTree Capital Group and BlueTree Allied Angels in Wexford, Pa., will be recognized as Outstanding MBA Alumna. Mott has been a speaker at national and regional conferences and has been featured in many professional industry publications as one of the few women who represent the industry of angel capital/venture capital. Previously, Mott founded Synergetics Sales Performance Group and Indigo Capital Development. In 2002, she was recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s 50 Best Women in Business. Prior to forming her own businesses, Mott worked 17 years in corporate banking management. Mott earned a master’s in business administration degree from YSU and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Edinboro State University.

Joseph Smith, account director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy for Draftfcb in New York, will be recognized as the WCBA Outstanding Recent Alumnus. As account director, he oversees the parent–focused social marketing campaign against teen drug abuse, leads a geographically targeted campaign against meth use, and manages the African American, Hispanic and Native American ad campaigns with partner agencies. Prior to Draftfcb, Smith worked as an account supervisor increasing brand awareness with Transitions Optical for Saatchi & Saatchi Consumer Health Wellness and as an account supervisor increasing sales and launching integrated campaigns with American Standard & Trane for Foot Cone and Belding, both in New York. In 2004, Smith worked as an account director and executive for Samsung Electronics. He was also an account executive for New Business: Qwest & American Standard and JP Morgan Chase, Small Business Banking. Smith volunteers with Free Arts NYC and Citymeals–on–Wheels. Smith graduated from YSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Martin R. Kubic, CPA, of Canfield, senior deputy auditor/chief auditor for the Youngstown Region, Office of the Auditor of the State of Ohio, will receive the Outstanding Service Award. He graduated from YSU in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1975. Kubic has been with the Office of the Auditor for 32 years, as a staff auditor, quality control for the Youngstown district, field audit supervisor, district audit manager and senior deputy auditor/chief auditor. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association. He is a volunteer and member of the YSU Accounting and Finance Department’s Advisory Committee and an honorary member of Beta Alpha Psi. Kubic has been a speaker for WCBA’s annual Business 2020 and serves as a mentor to many of the accounting interns employed at the Auditor’s Office. He graduated cum laude from YSU in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Sponsorships for the awards banquet support scholarships for business students. Sponsorship companies/individuals to date include National City Bank, Cohen & Co., Fifth Third Bank, Anness, Gerlach & Williams CPAs, General Motors Lordstown Complex, Packer Thomas, Cope Farm Equipment, Sherman Creative Promotions, Butler, Wick & Co./Butler Wick Trust Co., the Youngstown Business Incubator, and William Pallante.

To make reservations for the banquet or to receive additional information, contact Christine Shelton, WCBA coordinator of external relations, at 330–941–3068 or cgshelton@ysu.edu.

‘Dress for Success’ clothing drive set for this week
The Youngstown State University Women’s Club will hold its second annual “Dress for Success” fall drive to collect professional women’s clothing.

Club members will accept contemporary and cleaned women’s business apparel on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 15 and 16 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 11:30 to 1 p.m. in Room 2067 of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. All donated clothing should be placed on hangers. Interview–appropriate skirt and pant suits, blouses, blazers, jackets, and professional shoes will be accepted. 

Last year, the club collected nearly 1,000 pieces of clothing for Dress for Success during the fall and spring clothing drives. “The donations we''ve received during the campaign were truly impressive and once again demonstrated what a supportive and giving group of people we have here on campus," said Pat Shively, club president.

Dress for Success is an international not–for–profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women seeking employment by providing professional attire and a network of support for job seekers. For more information about the clothing drive, contact Pat Shively at 330–941–3197 or peshively@ysu.edu. For more information on Dress for Success, visit http://www.dressforsuccess.org.

Italian masked comedian featured in YSU workshop

Famed Commedia Dell’ Arte professional, Gale McNeeley, will present a workshop 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 and 1 to 2:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 in Spotlight Arena Theater in Bliss Hall on the Youngstown State University campus.

The workshop is presented by the YSU Department of Theater and Dance.

Commedia Dell’ Arte, or Italian masked comedy, was started in the early 1500s in northern Italy and spread throughout Europe for the next 200 years. Originally called “Commedia Improviso,” the actors sing, dance, tumble, play an instrument and improvise in and out of any situation. Commedia also marked the appearance of women on stage. All but the women and young lovers wore leather half–masks that required the actors’ bodies to speak dynamically to the other characters, and directly to the audience.

McNeeley is a graduate of John Carroll University, the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and Antonio Fava’s Scuola Intenazionale Dell’Attore Comico in Italy.

He was in the original company of the rock musical Two Gentlemen of Verona and also appeared on Broadway with Christopher Plummer in the musical Cyrano. McNeeley founded and toured with the Kit–n–Kaboodle Clown Circus and Seattle’s New World Commedia. He is a creator of political and satirical musicals such as The Wizard of What? and Pope: The Musical. He performs his one–man Archy & Mehitabel show around the country. He has taught movement at dozens of schools, including Humboldt State University, College of the Redwoods, University of Washington Experimental College, University of California San Diego, University of Pittsburgh, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and Amsterdam School of the Arts in the Netherlands.

The workshops are free, open to the public and appropriate for middle and high school age students. No advance registration is necessary. Parking is available for a nominal charge in the Wick Avenue parking deck.

Events scheduled for Alcohol Awareness Week
Alcohol Awareness Week will be recognized on the Youngstown State University campus with a variety of activities sponsored by the Office of Campus Recreation and Student Programming.

Monday Oct. 13 
Alcohol Olympics, 6 to 8 p.m., Newman Center. There will be multiple alcohol games played with root beer. Teams will be seated according to alcohol knowledge. 

Candlelight Vigil,8 to 9 p.m., The Rock, campus core. A vigil in memory of those who have died in alcohol related deaths. 

Tuesday Oct. 14
Binge Drinking Party: Noon to 1 p.m., Campus Core. Participants see how much milk they can drink. 

Sex, Lies, and Alcohol: 8 to 10 p.m., Cafaro MPR. Sex, Lies, and Alcohol is a film by the world renowned Jean Kilborne talking about the realities of drinking.ﾠ 

Wednesday Oct. 15
Bar Talks: Noon to 1 p.m., and 4 to 5 p.m., Rec Center conference room. Program describes effects of alcohol on the body and introduces students to the dangers of underage and high–risk drinking. 

Drunkin Sports: Noon to 4 p.m., Campus Rec Basketball Courts. See how having drunken vision effects your game, on and off the court.

Alcohol Assessment: Noon to 4 p.m., Campus Rec Basketball Courts. Participants will take an alcohol assessment. 

Thursday Oct. 16
Breathalyzer Test: 6 to 9 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m., Kilcawley Center, first floor. Supervised by YSU police, participants will drink and take breathalyzer tests.

Friday Oct. 17
Message in a Mug, 2 to 4 p.m., Jones Hall first floor. Hosted by the Center for International Studies and Programs and YSU Housing, this event features coffee time where people can socialize and discuss the after–effects of alcohol.

Working–Class Studies lecture planned for Oct. 14
As part of its 2008–09 lecture series, the Center for Working–Class Studies will offer two programs on the subject of work on Oct. 14 on the Youngstown State University campus. Partially funded by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, the events are free and open to the public.

The first presentation is a workshop for teachers entitled “Learning about Work: Hands–on Strategies for the Classroom,” scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. in McKay Auditorium in the Beeghly College of Education. Lectures will be given by YSU faculty Donna DeBlasio, associate professor of history, Sherry Linkon, professor of English, and Martha Pallante, professor and chair of history. International speakers include Alessandro Portelli, professor of literature, University of Rome, La Sapienza, and Tim Strangleman, professor of sociology, University of Kent, United Kingdom.

Presenters will explore strategies for using a variety of sources  photographs, interviews, artifacts, documents, songs and literature  to help students learn about the nature and experience of work. Teachers will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn new techniques for engaging students.

Portelli and Strangleman will also participate in a public presentation, “Understanding Work: Two Perspectives on Workers’ Lives,” at 7:30 p.m. in The Gallery in Kilcawley Center. The speakers will discuss their approaches to the study of work and their findings in recent projects.

The events are co–sponsored by Beeghly College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the History Department and the Center for Applied History. For more information, contact John Russo at 330–941–2976 or Sherry Linkon at 330–941–2977.

Marketing expert is Williamson Symposium speaker

Ed Burghard, executive director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition, visits Youngstown State University on Thursday, Oct. 16 as part of the Williamson Symposium Speaker Series.

Burghard speaks at an invitation–only luncheon at noon Oct. 16 in the Gallery of Kilcawley Center at YSU. He also will meet with students in the Presidential Suites of Kilcawley Center at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

In addition, Burghard will be the keynote speaker at the Mahoning Valley Growth Awards at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. To make a reservation to attend the awards meeting, call the Regional Chamber. The awards are sponsored by YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration and the Regional Chamber.

Burghard has more than 30 years of marketing experience and is a Harley Procter Marketing Director at Procter & Gamble. He is a marketing director in the P&G pharmaceuticals business and leads the training of P&G’s Global Associate Marketing Director College. 

Burghard has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from State University of New York at Potsdam and a master''s of business administration in innovation management from Syracuse University.

The Williamson Symposium Series is an “executive on campus” program designed to bring corporate leaders to the Williamson College of Business Administration. Student interaction with highly successful business leaders provides an important dimension to their education.

Poet/novelist featured in Poetry Center reading

Alexis Stamatis, the author of eight novels and six collections of poetry, reads from his works 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13 in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center on the Youngstown State University campus.

Stamatis’ appearance is presented by the YSU Poetry Center in conjunction with Etruscan Press, Northeast Ohio Master’s of Fine Arts program and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Stamatis, considered to be one of the most gifted writers of his generation, has worked as a journalist, literary critic, and as an architect. His novel, American Fugue, is the winner of the first international translation award from the National Endowment for the Arts. He currently is chief editor of foreign literature for the Metaixmio Publishing House and writes for the daily newspaper, Ethnos.

For more information, contact Philip Brady at 330–941–1952 or visit www.ysu.edu/poetry–center.

Small business seminar focuses on veterans
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University has scheduled a presentation for Thursday, Oct. 30, to outline assistance available to veteran–owned businesses and to veterans who want to become entrepreneurs.

The meeting will be 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 270 at the YSU Metro Campus in Southwoods Commons on Market Street in Boardman. To register call YSU SBDC at 330–941–2140 or email rsulik@ysu.edu.

The following subjects will be discussed at the meeting: 

• Patriot Express Loan Program — A special loan program for active duty service personnel, veterans, spouses of veterans, National Guard and Reserves.
• Overview of developing a business plan and applying for financing.
• How to qualify and participate in government contracts as a veteran–owned or service–disabled veteran–owned business.
• Local resources available to assist with new or existing business.
• Symposium on Nov. 13, 2008 in Kent to meet buyers from government agencies and large companies wanting to do business with veteran–owned companies.

Human Ecology celebrates diversity with activities
The Department of Human Ecology at Youngstown State University celebrates diversity month in October by focusing on international cultures.

• Wednesday, October 22, 9 to 10 a.m. Room 3112, Common Room, third floor of Cushwa Hall. Panel of international students discuss dating practices and family life in their home countries. At 10 a.m., Martha Pallante and Donna DeBlasio, faculty members in the Department of History, will talk about “Food and Culture of a Sub–Culture in Society.”

• Wednesday, October 24, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cuisine representative of different cultures will be available to sample and artifacts as well as garments from around the world will be on display in the Common Room. At 1 p.m., Annette Al–Hayek of the YSU Center for International Studies and Programs will share information about the international study abroad program, and Mark Zetts, human ecology instructor, will share information about the hospitality exchange program in Switzerland. At 2 p.m., Virginia Draa, YSU coordinator of merchandising, will discuss: “The World''s Resources and How We Use Them:  Developing a Global Perspective in Family and Consumer Sciences.”