The Year in Review 2006

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February

A celebration of the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin was hosted by the Hofstra Library and the Department of Geology on February 8. Associate Professor of Geology J Bret Bennington dressed as Darwin for the festivities. "Most science faculty feel that if you don't understand Darwin, you can't understand modern science," said Daniel R. Rubey, dean of library and information services at Hofstra. "The theory of evolution was a crucial building block in understanding the modern world."

On February 9 Congressman Charles B. Rangel offered his perspective on the State of the Union at Monroe Lecture Center Theater. His address was Hofstra' s third Arnold A. Saltzman State of the Union Lecture, a program conceived of and endowed by Ambassador Saltzman. Students were encouraged to participate in the State of the Union process by watching President George W. Bush's State of the Union address on January 31, then attending Congressman Rangel's lecture the following week and engaging in a dialogue on the two views.

Four School of Communication students traveled with Professor Dennis Mazzocco to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, for prestigious behind-the-scenes internships with NBC-TV. Only nine universities nationwide placed students with the network. While in Torino, the students, Anthony Scarola, Crystal Cohen, Lauren Fernstrom and Lauren Mann, were able to share their unique experiences with classmates back on campus enrolled in the "Olympic Production and Programming" class. Using telecommunication connections provided by Blackboard.com, Hofstra's Hempstead students "met" regularly with those in Torino to discuss preparations and coverage of the Olympics.

February 10 to 12 Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues was presented by the School of Communication and Hofstra's Chapter of The Association for Women in Communications as part of the international V-Day College Initiative 2006 to end violence against women. The V-Day movement began in 1998 with a benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues at an off-Broadway theater and has become more widespread each subsequent year. The benefit performances at Hofstra have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

On February 11 the Hofstra University Museum opened the exhibition Robert Rauschenberg, Artist-Citizen: Posters for a Better World at the Emily Lowe Gallery. The exhibition featured approximately 20 framed posters produced between 1970 and 1996 that addressed such issues as apartheid, artists' rights, Earth Day, and nuclear disarmament; works produced for the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange (ROCI) were also included. The show ran through April.

The "Great Writers, Great Readings" series featured poet Jean Valentine on February 15. Ms. Valentine received the 2004 National Book Award for Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003. Prior to her reading, Ms. Valentine participated in a master class with creative writing students.

The influence of local cultures on Islam was the focus of a panel discussion sponsored by the Department of Religion on February 22. One Islam With Many Faces compared the Muslim cultures in Indonesia (Java), Turkey and Yemen, examining the relationship between universal Islamic ideals and claims on the one hand, and local expressions of Islam on the other. The panel featured Hofstra professors Drs. Daniel Varisco and Timothy Daniels of the Department of Anthropology and Dr. Markus Dressler of the Department of Religion.

The Hofstra University Athletics Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class on February 25. Honorees included Crystal Boyd, Irving Burton, Wayne Chrebet, Jr., Nick Gallo, Sylvia Giallombardo, Liz (Irwin) Knauss, Walter Kohanowich, Rich Laurel, Joseph M. Margiotta, Howard "Howdy" Myers, Steve Nisenson, Carl Orent, John Schmitt, James M. Shuart, Nathalie J. Smith, William Thieben, Susan (Gades) Trommer and Owen Walsh.

On February 28 the Center for Suburban Studies, the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal co-sponsored Design Guidelines for Main Street Programs, a seminar to help communities revitalize their Main Street and neighborhood commercial districts.

Amy Krysiewski '06 was named the recipient of the American Association for Health Education Outstanding Health Education Major of the Year Award. The award recognizes one exceptional undergraduate student majoring in health education/promotion from each degree track among U.S. universities with professional preparation degree programs. Ms. Krysiewski graduated in May with a B.S. in community health and a B.A. in public relations.

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