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Award-winning flutist Claire Chase to perform at St. Bonaventure's Quick Center

The dynamic flutist Claire Chase will perform with pianist Jacob Greenberg at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 26, at St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in the eighth concert of the Friends of Good Music season.

Chase, first prize winner of the 2008 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and Greenberg will present a highly interesting program featuring works by Bach, Bartok, Pierre Boulez, Franco Donatoni, Paganini, and Kaija Saariaho.

Chase’s recent itinerary took her coast to coast to some of the most important venues in the country: The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, New York City’s Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Contemporary Museum of Art, and Boston’s Gardner Museum.

Recent international appearances include the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, El Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and venues in Berlin, Frankfurt and Barcelona. Chase is credited with world premiere performances of more than 100 solo works for the flute and has produced eight large-scale contemporary music festivals in New York and Chicago.

Her debut solo album “Aliento,” featuring world premiere recordings, was released in October 2009 to instant acclaim. Chicago Reader declared: “The entire album is a knockout.” Her extensive chamber music discography includes recordings with various groups on the Tzadik, Bridge and Naxos labels. A sought-after lecturer, teacher and chamber music coach, Chase has given lectures and master classes at Smith College, California Institute of the Arts, and Oberlin Conservatory.

Chase earned her bachelor’s in music from Oberlin in 2001 in the studio of Michel Debost.

Greenberg’s work as soloist and chamber musician shows a deep engagement with music old and new. He has been a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) since 2002. Through his work as the group’s director of education, he introduces young people to new music in the city schools of New York and Chicago. His debut solo disc, featuring works of Kurtag, Schoenberg, Mozart and Schumann, was released in February of this year on New Focus Recordings.

Live performances have been heard on WXCR in New York, WFNT in Chicago, and on Radio Netherlands. Greenberg is a graduate of Oberlin College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in music and religion.

He completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at Northwestern University where he studied with Ursula Oppens. From 2003-2007, he taught at the University at Buffalo.

Joseph A. LoSchiavo, executive director of the Quick Center, said the concert is an opportunity to catch two rising stars. “Thanks to our longstanding professional relationship with the Concert Artists Guild, we are able to present the prize winners of their annual International Competition. These young artists are well on their way to important careers in international venues,” said LoSchiavo.

This performance is supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts. Tickets are $20 at full price, $16 for St. Bonaventure staff and senior citizens, and $5 for students.

For tickets and information, call the Quick Center box office at (716) 375-2494. For each Friends of Good Music performance, The Quick Center will open its galleries one hour before the performance and keep them open throughout the intermission.

Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Museum admission is free and open to the public year round. For more information, visit www.sbu.edu/quickcenter.

St. Bonaventure University’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, as part of a new honor society chapter on campus, recognized five students for their academic achievements and four honorary members.

An induction ceremony was held Sunday, March 14, on campus. Chi Alpha Epsilon, or XAE, was formed to acknowledge the success of students admitted to universities and colleges through opportunity programs, such as HEOP. The program promotes high academic standards and honors academic excellence. All members display excellence, scholarship, leadership, ingenuity and service.

The following students were inducted: Arkeno Greenaway, a junior management science major from Bronx, N.Y.; Rebecca McPherson, a senior education major from Olean; Thomas Waters, a junior biology major from Jamaica, N.Y.; Cristal Mota, a sophomore psychology major from New York City; and Hope Tuck, a senior sociology major from Buffalo.

Dr. Michael Fischer, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was inducted as an honorary member, along with Margaret Bryner, HEOP director, and Veronica Williams, HEOP assistant director/counselor.

Williams discovered the honor society while working as a HEOP counselor at SUNY Dehli and decided to start an SBU chapter by writing a request to Dr. Elbert Saddler, a counseling psychologist who formed XAE. Then she sent a list of eligible students with a 3.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters.

“I was given an opportunity for education through an opportunity like this,” said Williams. “This is my way of giving back.”

A private ceremony was held at 11:30 a.m. with the students, honorary inductees and Saddler in attendance. Saddler reviewed the rules and traditions of the honor society, and the students were asked to sign a charter to accept.

HEOP is designed for students who have potential for furthering their education but have special academic and financial needs. The program provides students with academic support services and full financial aid.

Chris Mackowski, an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University, has published a new book on one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.

“The Dark, Close Wood: The Wilderness, Ellwood, and the Battle that Redefined Both” tells the story of the Battle of the Wilderness, which took place May 5-7, 1864, in central Virginia’s Spotsylvania County. The area was known as The Wilderness because it was sparsely settled and largely untamed.

“The Battle of the Wilderness was particularly important because it was the first engagement between legendary Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the new commander of all Union armies, Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant,” Mackowski explains. “In the Wilderness, the two armies fought each other to a standstill, but instead of retreating as all of his predecessors did, Grant found a way to push forward. He wanted to turn the Civil War into a war of attrition because he knew the South had fewer men and resources.”

In previous battles, the two armies usually fought in open fields, which allowed large bodies of men room to maneuver. “The Wilderness was a dense, scrubby, second-growth forest, which made it nearly impossible for soldiers to even see each other let alone move around,” Mackowski said. “They’d never seen anything like it before. One soldier said, ‘A worse battlefield could not be imagined’—and he wasn’t the only person to think so.”

Mackowski also created five maps for the book, and he took a number of the modern-day photos featured in it. The book also includes dozens of wartime photos. “The Dark, Close Wood” is available from Thomas Publications, a leading publisher of Civil War books. It is the second in a series commissioned by the National Park Service for the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (FSNMP).

“We’re getting ready to unveil a new interpretive center for the Wilderness Battlefield that will help visitors better understand the experience of the soldiers and civilians affected by this battle,” said John Hennessy, chief historian at FSNMP and editor of the series. “‘The Dark, Close Wood’ is an important part of those new interpretive efforts. It’ll give visitors a thorough, readable overview of what happened.” At 128 pages, the book is intended as something that a typical visitor can pick up and read in a few hours, Hennessy said.

“There’s a real focus on good storytelling,” he added. Mackowski also co-authored the first book in the series, “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson,” with historian Kris White, published last summer. Mackowski has a third book, “Chancellorsville: The Battle and the Battlefield,” that will be published as part of the series later this year.

Mackowski has taught at St. Bonaventure since the fall of 2000. He has published extensively on Civil War-related topics, and he has also published two books on public relations for non-profit arts groups. His commentaries appear regularly in local newspapers, on public radio, and on the blog Scholars & Rogues (www.scholarsandrogues.com).

Senior from East Lansing named 2010 Woman of Promise

By Santana Questa

St. Bonaventure University’s Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication named senior Andrea Doneth as the recipient of the 2010 Dr. Mary A. Hamilton Woman of Promise Award. St. Bonaventure’s Woman of Promise Award is presented to a female senior who excels both inside and outside of the classroom and sets a good example for her peers.

Doneth, a double major in journalism and mass communication and undeclared arts with a minor in Spanish, has been selected for the dean’s list five times. She has also been chosen for the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which requires a 3.5 grade point average. In Doneth’s acceptance speech she recounted her initial reluctance to see St. Bonaventure, but after her first visit to the school she felt it was perfect for her.

“Although the school color was brown, and after my first visit I still had no idea what a Bonnie was, I still think Bonaventure was the best decision I ever made,” said Doneth at the end of her heartfelt acceptance speech.

The awards presentation was held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, author and journalist Leah McGrath Goodman, a 1998 graduate of the Jandoli School, served as the keynote speaker. Goodman is an award-winning freelance journalist working as an author at HarperCollins. She has also worked as senior writer and editor at Dow Jones & Co. as well as The Wall Street Journal.

Goodman has written for several national publications including The Financial Times and The New York Times on various subjects ranging from rare books to Big Oil to wine. Her first book is expected to be published by HarperCollins in February 2011.

Goodman received her bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science with a minor in Spanish and fine art in 1998. She was one of nine students nationwide selected for the real-time newswriting program of the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund.

In 1997, Goodman was honored by the New York State Assembly for outstanding legislative research and origination of widely sponsored legislation. She is also a winner of the Dow Jones’s William R. Clabby Award for outstanding journalism. Goodman was also nominated for Newswomen’s Club of New York Front Page Award.

The Woman of Promise Award is presented to a student who, in the faculty’s opinion, possesses all the skills necessary to not only succeed but thrive in her post-graduate career. Doneth has certainly lived up to these requirements.

Doneth began interning with St. Bonaventure’s Sports Information Department her freshman year. Her on-campus internships also include SBU’s radio station, 88.3-FM The Buzz, the First Year Experience Parent Newsletter and SBU-TV, where she is a reporter, anchor and producer.

Doneth was also a sports intern at WLNS-TV in Lansing, Mich., where she covered sports games and events such as the Detroit Lions. Internships did not consume all of Doneth’s time; she also made time to give back to her community. Doneth participated in the SMART program, the YMCA’s Kids Day and she also hosted children’s basketball clinics with her team.

Doneth is the daughter of Dan Doneth and Frencesca Knot of East Lansing, Michigan. She has two brothers, Jon and Jason, and two sisters, Danielle and Alli.

The Woman of Promise Award is named in honor of Dr. Mary A. Hamilton, a retired associate professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure. A 1959 Bona grad, Hamilton returned in 1982 as a faculty member and also served as chair of the then journalism department.

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'Faith Matters' tackles students' questions on faith and life

Students’ questions will be specifically addressed and answered in the Spring 2010 edition of “Faith Matters: Conversations on Deepening our Discipleship,” presented by St. Bonaventure’s University Ministries.

Faith Matters is a series of conversations on the topics of faith and life. Conversations are facilitated by Bob Donius, vice president of University Ministries. Each installment, which lasts about an hour, begins with an introductory presentation followed by an open discussion. Participants are free to share interpretations, concerns and thoughts.

Topics for each installment come directly from students’ questions collected at St. Bonaventure University’s Sunday services in the University Chapel.

Topics range from women in the church to dating and romance to God and suffering.

Donius says the series will aid in the expansion of ongoing faith formation opportunities at St. Bonaventure, a goal of University Ministries.

Faith Matters gathers on Sundays in the Thomas Merton Center from 2 to about 3 p.m. The next gathering will be on March 21 and continue again on April 11.

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BonaResponds to offer relief around the world for International Service Day

From Buffalo to Belize. From Minneapolis to Madrid. From Olean to Ethiopia.

BonaResponds will partner with other relief groups across the nation and around the world on Saturday, March 27, the date of its first International Service Day. Founded in 2005 in response to the desperate need for relief on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, BonaResponds is a disaster relief group based at St. Bonaventure University. Since then, BonaResponds has sent more than 500 volunteers to the Gulf Coast and other disaster-ravaged regions, both locally and throughout the United States.

More than 40 project sites have been identified in 10 countries — including China, Chile, New Zealand and Uganda — and more than 30 U.S. cities. Jobs will range from cleaning parks or tearing down old, abandon houses to helping an elderly or handicapped neighbor.

A map at www.bonaresponds.org/nsd.html identifies the communities to be served and projects that will be undertaken. No matter the size of the project, the goal and message are the same: get out and help.

“We’re asking anybody. We’re trying to get them to go out and either organize a volunteer activity or join an existing one,” said Steve Gearhart, a St. Bonaventure senior physics major and BonaResponds leader. “It can be anywhere or anything, ranging from helping someone shop for groceries or walk a dog, help build a house or go work in a soup kitchen. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. Just go help somebody.”

BonaResponds workers will use Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to chronicle their efforts throughout the event.

A new medium called VoiceQuilt will also be used in creating a video soundtrack for the International Service Day. VoiceQuilt takes pre-recorded messages of all different languages from around the world and combines them into one recording, which will then accompany a video of the day’s events created by BonaResponds. People wishing to leave a message will call a toll-free number announced by BonaResponds the week leading up to the International Service Day.

The number will be revealed the week of the Service Day since messages are only kept for 10 days after recording.

“It’s going to be like the North American Aerospace Defense tracking Santa around the world,” said Jim Mahar, St. Bonaventure associate professor of finance and founder of BonaResponds.

If you wish to participate in this year’s International Service Day, whether you have any affiliation with St. Bonaventure or not, contact Mahar at bonaresp@sbu.edu. To learn more about the International Service Day, go to www.bonaresponds.org/nsd.html.

BonaResponds aims to be a world-class organization whose mission is to help people in need as well as to build better leaders and better communities. The group, made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni and local residents, is run completely through donations. BonaResponds welcomes new members, regardless of their affiliation with St. Bonaventure.

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Singer/songwriter Miriam Jones to perform Haiti relief benefit concert on SBU campus

Fresh, soulful, touching, fun, and beautiful is how several critics describe the music of international singer/songwriter and recording artist Miriam Jones.

The Olean/Allegany community will have a chance to hear this soulful singer as she performs a benefit concert at the St. Bonaventure University Chapel on Friday, March 26, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The concert is being sponsored by the community service group BonaResponds, the Campus Activities Board, and University Ministries. Admission is by donation, with a suggested contribution of $10, which will be collected at the door. Proceeds from the event will benefit BonaResponds’ Haiti relief efforts.

“Miriam heard about our organization through a mutual friend/colleague and wanted to stop by on her U.S. tour,” said James Mahar, associate professor of finance at St. Bonaventure University and director of BonaResponds.

“We have been working on Haiti relief efforts since the earthquake hit in January and are thrilled to have a performer of her caliber joining us to entertain the community and donate her time and talent.” “Miriam Jones’ acoustic music combines hauntingly memorable melodies with thoughtful, poetic lyrics,” said Chris Stanley, professor of theology and a longtime friend of Ms. Jones’ family. “She is one of those rare musicians who is equally at home playing in an English pub, a concert hall, or a Christian church. Once you hear her, it’s hard to get her tunes out of your head.”

Miriam Jones’ stop at St. Bonaventure is part of a U.S. tour that includes concerts in New York City, San Antonio, Denver, Chicago, and other cities. She is promoting her recent album, “Solitary Songs,” which can be downloaded from her Web site.

A native of Canada, Jones moved to Oxford, England a few years ago to write and record. Other albums include her debut “Sign and Semblance” and “Inside Free.”

For more information about BonaResponds, including its International Service Day on March 27, visit the Web site at www.foodforhaitinow.org. For more information on Miriam Jones, including samples of her music, visit her Web site at miriamjones.bandcamp.com and click on the album covers.

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Annual Mary Devereux Luncheon (in lieu of the Friday Forum)

Date: March 19

Time: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Location: San Damiano Room

Cost: Free and based on an African theme! Courteousy of the President’s Office and the Women’s Studies

Program Speaker: Dr. Eva Tagoe-Darko of Ghana, Fulbright Scholar Title: GHANA – The Importance of Traditional Teachings and Practices for Adolescent Reproductive Health

Summary: Adolescent pregnancies within as well as outside marriage have become a major problem for the international community (UN, WHO, etc.). While research has been initiated to better understand and develop pragmatic responses to this issue, traditional practices and teachings that address adolescent reproductive health have virtually been ignored and, unfortunately, are on the decline. Dr. Tagoe-Darko’s research seems to suggest that an understanding of traditional teachings, their unique characteristics and concepts that enable them to promote health may facilitate the development of another form of training besides classroom education. This is a crucial factor in adolescent reproductive health.

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Dr. Jean François Godet-Calogeras, professor at the Franciscan Institute/School of Franciscan Studies and editor of “Franciscan Studies,” was one of three speakers in a day-long program “Francis, Clare, Economics & Money” Feb. 27, 2010. The program was held at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. Godet-Calogeras is internationally known for his publications on early Franciscan documents.