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Presidential Inauguration Committee Seeks Campus Participation

An invitation to the inauguration of John J. Hurley as the 24th president of Canisius College on Saturday, October 16 at 11 a.m. was sent to members of the college community this week.  The committee planning the inauguration events is now seeking responses from those who wish to participate in the ceremony in special ways.

Faculty and members of the staff and administration who traditionally have processed at commencement ceremonies are invited to join in the academic procession on that day.  Those who wish to do this should report to the Patrick Lee Center (behind the Koessler Athletic Center) by 9:45 a.m. that morning.  Academic regalia is worn for this event so don’t forget to bring it for the procession.

Volunteers are needed to assist with hospitality throughout the day.  Persons who wish to serve as greeters, procession marshals, information desk volunteers, ushers, etc. are invited to offer their services.  Just as is the case with volunteers and marshals who serve at undergraduate commencement, comp time will be offered to staff members who volunteer for the entire day (one day taken within the pay period of the event and another ½ day of comp time in the same academic year).  All volunteers will be asked to attend a training meeting the week before the event at a time and place to be determined, and must report to the Patrick Lee Center by 8:30 a.m. the day of the event.

All members of the college community are invited to remain after the ceremony for a reception in the Patrick Lee Center.

To sign up to be a participant in the academic procession, to volunteer to assist in hospitality, or to reply to attend the reception, click here.

Thank you for taking the opportunity to join in this special day in the history of Canisius College.

Submitted by:  Rose Marie Castner, special events coordinator, academic affairs

“Read-Out! It’s Your Right” Starts Today (September 27)

The Second Annual Banned Books Week, “Read-Out! It’s Your Right” begins today (September 27) in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library.  This week-long event celebrates First Amendment rights and is one of several similar events taking place in libraries nationwide.  Canisius was one of two institutions nationally to receive grant sponsorship for this event from the American Library Association, Freedom to Read Foundation and Judith M. Krug Fund.

Events are held from Noon – 1:30 p.m. daily in the 1st floor gathering area inside the Library near the Tim Hortons entrance which for the week’s events will be known as Bughouse Square East, named as a nod to Chicago’s Bughouse Square which was “the most celebrated outdoor free speech center in the nation.”  Scott Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs, and Joel Cohen, PhD, associate vice president for library and information services, will cut the yellow caution tape at the location.  Faculty, students and administrators are encouraged to join by simply showing up to share a passage from a favorite banned or challenged book.  The events will conclude with the Archives Speaker Series on Friday (October 1) at 2:30 p.m.  Light refreshments will be served each day.

A list of celebrity readers, banned books, and other information about the “Read-Out! It’s Your Right” can be found here.

Submitted by: Kathleen DeLaney, archivist/reference librarian, archives & special collections

Lecture On Justice In Ancient Greece Today (September 27)

The Canisius All-College Honors Program will host a lecture by Ryan Balot, PhD, professor of classics and political science at the University of Toronto on “The Psychology of Justice in Democratic Athens” today (September 27) at 3 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge.  Balot was a Rhodes scholar and earned his doctorate from Princeton.  With books from Princeton and Oxford, and an affiliation with Toronto’s Center for Ethics, Balot is a rising star in the academic world.  All are welcome to attend.

Submitted by:  Bruce Dierenfield, PhD, professor, history

Randall Balmer Lecture Tomorrow (September 28)

The Joseph J. Naples ’41 Conversations in Christ & Culture Lecture Series presents a lecture by Randall Balmer, PhD, entitled “God in the White House” tomorrow (September 28) at 7:30 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge.  The lecture is free and open to the public.  A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

Balmer is a professor of American religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University where he has been teaching since earning his PhD from Princeton University in 1985.  He is best known for his award winning Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, published by Oxford in 1989 and now in its fourth edition.  Not only did this book win many awards but its companion, a three-part documentary by the same name which Balmer wrote and narrated for PBS, was nominated for an Emmy and won the Gabriel award in 1993.  Balmer’s most recent book, and subject of his lecture, is God in the White House: A History: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush published by HarperOne in 2008.

For more information, contact Timothy Wadkins, PhD at wadkins@canisius.edu.

Submitted by:  Marilyn Tokarczyk, administrative associate, religious studies

Free Movie Tickets

Additional free tickets are available for screenings of The Social Network.  This is another showing of the movie that some faculty and staff saw last week.  The new dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday, September 28 – 7:30 p.m., Regal Walden Galleria Theater

Wednesday. September 29 – 7:30 p.m., Regal Elmwood Theater

For passes or information, contact Kathy Kelly in human resources at Ext. 2240 or kelly7@canisius.edu.

Submitted by:  Kathy Kelly, administrative associate, human resources