January: Heavenly Musicals on Campus

Theatergoers braved the cold to see two comedy musical productions at the University. The Hofstra Gray Wig performed Nunsense at Monroe Lecture Center Theater, while Hofstra USA Productions presented Forever Plaid at the West End Theatre.

Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz welcomed freshmen and transfer students at the third annual New Student Convocation held the first day of classes, September 6.

February: Great Writers, Great Readings Continues

Hofstra's inaugural "Great Writers, Great Readings" series continued into a second semester with an appearance on February 7 by Cynthia Ozick, acclaimed author of Art and Ardor and Levitation. Ms. Ozick's most recent essay collection, Quarrel & Quandary, won the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism.

On February 9 it was standing room only at the Lowenfeld Conference and Exhibition Hall in the Axinn Library when Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News senior judicial analyst and author of Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws, addressed a group of students and faculty members on "Our Civil Liberties During Wartime."

The Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal hosted a symposium in commemoration of "The 40th Anniversary of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." Held on February 25, the symposium provided in-depth analysis of the act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

March: Et Tu, Brute?

The spring semester got off to a dramatic start with the 56th annual Shakespeare Festival, performed March 3 through March 13. For the first time in 41 years, Julius Caesar was performed on the Globe stage, constructed in 1951 by Hofstra's second president, John Cranford Adams, for whom the Playhouse is named.

On March 10 the "Great Writers, Great Readings" series presented playwright and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan, whose works include You Can Count on Me and This Is Our Youth. Mr. Lonergan also co-wrote the film Gangs of New York, which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, among other awards and nominations.

The Center for Suburban Studies joined the Hofstra University Library, the Long Island Studies Institute and the Hofstra Cultural Center to present the interdisciplinary conference "New Visions of Suburban Life" on March 18 and 19. The event examined the evolving suburban context of American life. The Hofstra-based American Chamber Ensemble (ACE) presented a gala 40th Anniversary Concert on March 20. Naomi Drucker '57 and Blanche Abram, Music Department faculty and directors of the ensemble, were joined by Marilyn Sherman Lehman '75, piano; Patricia Spencer, flute; and the ACE String Quartet. ACE was founded in 1965 by Naomi Drucker and Blanche Abram, who as young mothers were eager to find a forum where they could continue to perform without traveling far from their families.

April: In Fashion With the Saltzman Center

The Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center presented its first fundraising dinner and fashion show on April 5. Serving as the evening's master of ceremonies was Hofstra alumnus and popular TV weatherman Irv Gikofsky '67 ("Mr. G"). Held during the "Week of the Young Child," the event featured the rollout of the newest Kenneth Cole Reaction Spring Looks for Boys.

On April 12 Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero portrayed in the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda, spoke to more than 1,100 students at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse about his life experiences that inspired the movie. Mr. Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, is credited with saving more than 1,000 Rwandans from certain death during the genocidal clash between the Hutus and Tutsis.

The Hofstra Cultural Center, in cooperation with The F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, presented the Eighth International F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference at Hofstra, April 14 to 16. The conference, "F. Scott Fitzgerald On Long Island and New York," focused on the portrayal of these locales in Fitzgerald's novels, primarily The Great Gatsby.

On April 21 Hofstra's Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences (IDEAS) hosted the lecture "The Science Behind The Day After Tomorrow: Global Warming, Ocean Circulation, and Rapid Climate Change" by Dr. Christa Farmer of the Department of Geology. This lecture discussed how the long-term state and stability of our global climate is largely controlled by the movement of water through the world's oceans. IDEAS, based within the School of Education and Allied Human Services at Hofstra University, provides a focus on cutting-edge issues in science and technology for the general public, local public and private school teachers and administrators, and college educators.

April 21 to 24 the Department of Drama and Dance presented its Spring Dance Concert, continuing the dance program's 20th year celebration. Since dance was first offered as a major in 1984, the program has grown from three instructors and one full-time accompanist to 11 instructors and five accompanists. The fall and spring dance concerts, held every November and April, traditionally feature new choreography as well as revivals by the dance faculty and visiting guest artists.

Dr. Patricia Lambert Stock, professor of writing, rhetoric and American cultures at Michigan State University, accepted the second Hofstra University National Research Award on April 26. The National Research Award is an annual prize given in a discipline related to the mission of Hofstra's Saltzman Community Services Center. This year's award was designated for contributions to the field of literacy studies and – specifically – teacher research in writing instruction.

Also in April, construction began on a new four-story academic facility that will include a black box theater, a state-of-the-art rehearsal hall and office space for Hofstra's School of Communication and Departments of Music and Drama and Dance. The building is scheduled to be completed in August 2006.

May: The Month Takes Off With JetBlue's David Neeleman

The Merrill Lynch Center for the Study of International Financial Services and Markets of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business presented its Fourth Annual Business Conference, "International Investments: Opportunities in the Equity and Bond Markets." Held on May 9, the event featured a keynote address by Dr. Jos‚ M. Barrionuevo, head of emerging markets strategy and economics, Barclays Capital, Barclays PLC.

JetBlue Chairman and CEO David Neeleman spoke to a full house at the Guthart Cultural Center Theater about "The History of JetBlue" on May 12. His talk about staying true to dreams, values and friends inspired both the visiting professionals and many students who attended. The event was part of the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center's ongoing "Operation Downtown" lecture series.

On May 22 approximately 2,000 students celebrated their graduation from Hofstra University. Speakers included Chairman and CEO of HBO Chris Albrecht '74; Marvel Studios Chairman and CEO Avi Arad '72; and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.

Robert Wood Johnson IV, chairman and CEO of The Johnson Company, Inc. and New York Jets LLC, was honored at the Hofstra University Gala Ball on May 26 at a transformed Hofstra University Arena. Proceeds from the Gala benefited the Hofstra University Endowed Scholarship Fund.

June: And the Award Goes to...

After the spring 2005 semester had come to a close, word was received that several Hofstra students and recent graduates were to be recognized for national awards earned for outstanding academic achievement. Andrew Falzon '05 placed second in the radio category of the 2005 Hearst National Broadcast News Championships. Jessica Leffler, a second-year student in the Physician Assistant Studies program, was named the recipient of a national scholarship from the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology. Alla Sorokosh, a December 2004 doctoral graduate in educational and policy leadership at Hofstra University, was named the first recipient of the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Teaching in Educational Administration Special Interest Group (TEA/SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). This award recognizes outstanding doctoral research that helps to improve the quality of teaching and learning in educational administration. Lastly, Jeanine Poggi, a Hofstra senior, was awarded a Scripps Howard Foundation scholarship and a magazine internship from the Magazine Publishers of America. Jeanine is currently editor-in-chief of The Chronicle at Hofstra.

The nation's first summer seminar to examine the complexities of Sikh mysticism was held June 2 to 8. Approximately 30 people from around the world participated in the unique program. Many were practitioners of Sikhism, but some were students of religion and philosophy interested in learning more about this South Asian religion.

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