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Ecumenical Prayer Service: Voices of Compassion

Dear members of the Canisius community

As we continue the conversation about the hurt and anger felt in our community and begin to discern a path forward, I’d like to invite you to gather together to share and listen to compassionate voices in the midst of our pain.

Please join me for an ecumenical prayer service tonight, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center.  We’ve tried to find a time that will work on a busy evening at the college, including the annual RHA Thanksgiving Dinner for the resident students.

We’ve invited some of our friends who are members of our ecumenical community to lead us in prayer and help us to stand together as one Canisius community.  I look forward to being with you on Thursday.

Submitted by: President John J. Hurley

International Education Week Student Spotlight

In honor of International Education Week (IEW), the Office of International Student Programs (ISP) will spotlight students each day who have shared what international education means to them. IEW is an initiative driven by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that encourages educational institutions to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. The Office of International Student Programs is sponsoring activities and events all week, in collaboration with various campus departments, student clubs and community organizations. You can view the full schedule events by clicking here.

Our next student spotlight is Jessica Kobis ’17, a communication studies major and French minor, who studied abroad in both Seoul, South Korea and Lille, France.

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How and why did you choose the particular location for your semester abroad? Who/what had influenced your choice?
I went to Lille, France for my first study abroad experience to travel and challenge myself. I never had the opportunity to travel with my family, so I saw studying abroad as a great opportunity to see as many places as I could. And I did that! In five months I was able to visit nine different European countries, something I only dreamed of before! Also, the thought of living in a foreign country where they spoke a different language terrified me. I decided that was even more of a reason that I had to do it. I’m so glad I did!

Because I had such a great time during my time in France, I knew I would regret not taking advantage of Canisius’ programs to explore more of the world. This time I had my sights set for Asia. As a huge fan of South Korean pop culture, Seoul was paradise for my fangirl heart. The music of my favorite K-Pop idols filled the streets, endorsements from my favorite K-dramas lined shop windows, and I got to visit Madame Tussaud’s Seoul to meet one of my favorite actors, Kim Soo Hyun. This is not something you find in the U.S.! So I would say instead of coming to Korea to challenge myself, I saw this time abroad as a way to seek out my interests and experience Korean culture, such as the food and everyday streets, that I watched so many times on my computer screen.

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Explain a moment abroad when you faced adversity and what you did to overcome this obstacle?

One of the most difficult moments I had when abroad was when I was in Seoul, South Korea and decided to go on a solo hike in Bukhansan National Park.  I was determined to make it to the top. After four and a half hours of hiking the trails, I finally made it to Baegundae, the highest peak in Seoul. The only problem was I had just completed the most difficult hike in my life. In 90°F weather with very high humidity, I thought that I would never make it back the same way I came. I immediately knew that the trail marked “descent” would be the smartest choice. However, with a cell phone only useful as a watch/camera in South Korea and no Wi-Fi in the middle of a park, I had to find an entirely different route back to the university. Using the little Korean I knew from two weeks of class, I was able to ask around and find a shuttle to the closest bus station. It felt as if there was no way I would ever make it back to my dorm room. When it was all over, I was proud to think that I was able to stay calm and figure out how to make my return when I was so exhausted and stressed from a demanding day. This experience only made the rest of my trip seem that much easier!

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Submitted by: Kathleen Brucato, director, Office of International Student Programs

Adopt-a-Teenager or Family from St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy

stlukesimageCampus Ministry is partnering with St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy this Christmas.

Adopt-a-Teenager Program
• St. Luke’s has 200 teenagers in need of adoption for Christmas. The teenagers either live in one of St. Luke’s 24 homes or live in the neighborhood and their families are served by the mission.

  • Purchase a gift set of personal care items. The cost is $12. All the major stores have these gift sets, which include deodorant, lotions and cologne.
  • Upon adoption, you may choose as many teens as you’d like and may indicate if you would prefer boys or girls.

Adopt-a-Family Program
• St. Luke’s has many families who are in need of adoption for Christmas. These families are large and small. Just indicate the size of the family you want and St. Luke’s will match you with a family. The cost is usually about $100 per person. If you desire only to buy a sweater or a few items, we can let you know what items are on a family’s wish list.

The gifts will need to be returned to Campus Ministry by Friday, December 16.

St. Luke’s cares for the most vulnerable and those most in need of God’s children with love and with mercy. The mission does not receive money from the government or the diocese. “Trusting in God’s Divine Providence,” the ministry depends on donations, both big and small, from many individuals who give generously and do so in gratitude of God’s many blessings.

Please contact Joe Van Volkenburg in campus ministry for more information at 888-2875 or by email at vanvolkj@canisius.edu.

Submitted by: Joe Van Volkenburg, senior associate campus minister, Campus Ministry

Annual Report of Donors

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Canisius is saying THANK YOU to those who supported the college’s fundraising efforts, in its newly-released Annual Report of Donors.

In an increasingly competitive world, it is imperative that Canisius continue to advance its robust tradition of educating the brightest minds, intellectually and spiritually. The college did that in every way during the 2015-16 fiscal year, thanks to an outpouring of generosity from friends, family, alumni and benevolent volunteers.

As you’ll read in this 2015-16 Annual Report of Donors, your investment in Canisius enabled the college to increase its number of donors and fundraising dollars over 2014-2015.  More importantly, your philanthropy helped to fuel tuition assistance, endow scholarships and programs, strengthen the college’s Jesuit mission, and enhance its living and learning spaces for students.

Click here to view the full Annual Report.

Submitted by: College Communications

Digital Humanities Working Group

dh-griff-may16-av-300x207Canisius faculty who are interested in learning about or participating in the digital humanities are invited to attend the first meeting of the Digital Humanities Working Group on Friday, November 18 at noon, in Bagen 208.

Several faculty members are actively involved in or are directing digital humanities work.  The Center for Online Learning & Innovation (COLI) maintains a simple set of resources online at www.canisius.edu/dh in anticipation of further faculty interest in digital methodologies for (broadly defined) digital humanities.  Now it is time for those interested (or merely curious) about digital scholarship in the liberal arts, fine arts, social sciences and related fields, to come together to discuss what resources could be collectively cultivated, or perhaps provided by support offices, to further digital humanities at Canisius.

Hope to see you there!

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, PhD, instructional designer, COLI