THE SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS - It was really fun and a great team builder for our club to run the tournament. Students asked us to do it again before the semester is over, and we actually had to turn people away that day because we had too many people. We got the word out, and everyone who came out got to meet the Crew! The name of the event and the banner we made (supplies are available in the Office of Student Activities) were good, too.

EVENT - The "Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament" on Saturday, March 5, at Hofstra USA. The Crew Team used this event as a fund-raiser for their club to cover the team's expenses for entrance into tournaments (up to $2,000), such as rowing equipment and boats, and gas money for trips and practices. Students paid a $10 fee in advance. Our expenses included a $75 giftcard, 6 movie tickets, cards, printing of flyers, and the $25 cost of paper and supplies for the banner in the Student Center Atrium that we put up 2 weeks prior to the event. All of the other prizes (total of 10) were donated.

CHALLENGE - We learned more about actually running a tournament as we went along. We had to decide what to do about consolidation of tables, for example, when someone goes out and how to bring the whole thing to an end. We wanted to have our members there to talk to students as the primary way of promoting the event, so we reserved a table in the Atrium in the Office of Student Activities. Team members took turns collecting fees and signing people up in advance. Scheduling that around our class schedules was a little crazy!

TECHNIQUES - We advertised the event through other clubs on campus using word-of- mouth. Members distributed flyers to friends and other clubs, which we also posted in the Residence Halls by putting them in Resident Assistant mailboxes in the Office of Residential Life. We also found that the prizes were easy to get from our vendors; we paid for about half of them, although we could have found donors. Instead of ordering and paying for food, we created a break in the middle of the program, which was from 12 noon till 8:30 p.m., so people could go out and get food at Dutch Treats.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION - Over the summer, we had 250 students sign up to be on the team. We currently have about 30 members who are willing to get up at 6 a.m. to practice and travel for competition. We are looking for new members in the fall and for students to support us when we start competing in April.

EVENTS COMING UP - We have no more events planned for this year. Come to our Regattas and support the team. To view the schedule, visit the Hofstra Crew Web site at http://www.hofst racrew.org.

Exhibitions and receptions at the Hofstra Museum?s three exhibition spaces (Emily Lowe Gallery in Emily Lowe Hall, David Filderman Gallery, 9th floor of the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, and the Rochelle and Irwin A. Lowenfeld Conference and Exhibition Hall, 9th floor, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library) are open to the Hofstra community as well as to the general public. There are currently 12 exhibitions scheduled for 2005.

A calendar of exhibitions is published in the fall for the coming year. Some of the exhibitions are from the Hofstra Museum?s permanent collection, while others come from other institutions or are complements to the conferences held by the Cultural Center. Invitations to the Museum?s receptions are sent to the Museum?s mailing list, and announcements of the receptions are posted on Hofstra?s e-mail system. The timing and arrangements for the receptions are a group effort and are based on the schedules of artists, guest curators, as well as the academic calendar at Hofstra.

For an example of how reception times and dates are chosen, we have the From the Market to the Mall exhibition, which is part of the New Visions of Suburban Life conference at Hofstra. In this case, the reception date needed to coincide with the dates of the conference. For the exhibition Poetic Dimensions of the Modern Still Life, which is a traveling show, it was important to coordinate with the visiting artists and representatives.

CHALLENGES - Ideally, the Museum would like to see more students visit the exhibitions and come to the receptions. In some instances, this would allow them to meet the artists and curators. Often, receptions are held Friday afternoons to allow for students, faculty and staff to stop by before beginning the weekend.

Please visit the Museum?s Web site at www.hofstra.edu/museum for more information. All receptions are open to the public and free of charge.

UPCOMING EVENTS ? Lifting the Rose-Colored Glasses: Three Social Realists will be at the Emily Lowe Gallery, June 7-July 29, 2005. ?Our Local Heavens?: F. Scott Fitzgerald?s Years on Long Island and in New York City, 1922-1924 (April 11-May 8, 2005) will be at the David Filderman Gallery to be followed by Hofstra at 70 (May 18-August 14, 2005). France ? Near and Far: Ralph Gibson Photographs is on exhibit through April 17, 2005, at the Rochelle and Irwin A. Lowenfeld Cinference and Exhibition Hall.

THE SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS - Our film festival is the showcase of our work, where everyone gets the recognition for all their hard work during the semester. By joining this club, members get film production experience on many different levels. For Audio/Video/Film (AVF) students, the production work starts in the sophomore and junior year. Our work makes the experience that much more valuable for freshman students.

EVENT - The Fall and Spring Film Festivals are the showcase of the work produced independently by HFC members who are mostly AVF students. The culmination of the semester's work is in the film festival.

TECHNIQUES - The club started 5 years ago when the originators met in another club called Popcorn Flicks to watch and discuss movies. They eventually decided to form a club that would make short films. From the original 6 members, our network of filmmakers has grown to over 70 making a number of short films each semester. The members make it possible for projects to come to fruition by working as a crew, sharing equipment and helping in the development of ideas. The AVF faculty have been very supportive and helpful with our projects and promoting our club to their students.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION - The club members make a connection with others who love filmmaking, producing films and expressing themselves creatively. Any student who just wants to help another student get a film produced, or produce their own, can join the club. The club welcomes all new members of all different majors to their weekly meeting from 8-10 p.m. in Breslin Hall, Room 100.

CHALLENGES - The reliability of volunteers is sometimes unpredictable, but most of the time students want the experience to develop their own ideas, create projects for their curriculum or act as a creative outlet.

EVENTS COMING UP - Our Spring Film Festival on May 3rd in the Student Center Theater. Our newest event is our 48-Hour Film Competition, where our members will compete with each other to make the best film in 48 hours. Students should attend the weekly meeting to participate in this event.