Author: Terry Mares

The College of Staten Island (CSI) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, September 21 for two recently installed full-color animated display signs at its Victory Boulevard entrance. The signs were made possible by $100,000 in funding from New York State Senator John J. Marchi (R-C, Staten Island).

“This is more than a beautiful display sign,” said Marlene Springer, president of CSI, “it is another way we can inform the community of the many public events that are held every day on campus. CSI is an integral part of the Island, not only by being a major economic engine, but by being a public institution and having the resources to extend the recreational, educational and cultural programming to our community. I want to thank Senator Marchi for helping us create another way for CSI to say ‘Welcome’ to our friends and neighbors.”

WHO:
NY State Senator John J. Marchi (R-C, Staten Island).
Marlene Springer, President, CSI
Angelo Aponte, VP for Finance and Administration, CSI

WHAT:
Press Event and Photo Op. Visuals include participants posing beneath a full-color display slide displaying an American Flag and “Thank You State Senator Marchi.” There will be a short presentation and animated “virtual” ribbon cutting. Participants will be available for comment.

WHEN:
Tuesday, September 21, 2004 – 3 p.m.

WHERE:
College of Staten Island Main Entrance
2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314
(Parking available immediately inside main gate)

Senator Marchi sponsored the grant from the Community Capital Assistance Program (CCAP) for the Arts, Cultural, Recreational Communication and Accessibility Project, which was reviewed and approved by the Empire State Development (ESD) Corporation.

The CSI display signs are Galaxy-class RGB displays by Daktronics, capable of medium-resolution animated text and graphical displays in 32,000 colors. The signs will be utilized for the display of upcoming event information, CSI news headlines, promotional messages, and important college information.

On Friday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m., acclaimed artist and art historian, Frances D’atria-Romano will discuss the Egyptian Tomb of Perneb exhibit, part of the Egyptian collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

D’atria-Romano is a native Staten Island artist and educator whose artwork is based on Staten Island history and New York themes. Currently, she is teaching a painting class for the Retired Teachers Chapter of the Staten Island United Federation of Teachers (UFT), and planning trips for them to the many art clubs in Manhattan, such as the National Arts Club, Salmagundi Club, and The Pen and Brush Society. She works two evenings a week as a New Teacher Consultant and Salary Specialist with the UFT.

The 34-year veteran teacher/coordinator retired as Art Coordinator from New Dorp high school in June 2003, and finds that “retirement has been incredibly busy and fulfilling.” She also notes how important it is for retirees to learn while enjoying their retirements through the arts.

For more information on the artist, visit her Web site at: www.ferryart.com.

Ms. D’atria-Romano is a graduate of the former Richmond College, one of CSI’s predecessor colleges and currently serves as a board member of the CSI Alumni Association. Her event at the Metropolitan Museum is sponsored by the CSI Alumni Association and is open to the public; donations are requested at $12 per person. Please call Francine Raggi at (718) 982-2290 by September 22 to reserve your place in the Egyptian Tombs.

The College of Staten Island (CSI) began resurfacing its soccer field today with $800,000 in funding from New York City Council Member James S. Oddo (R-Mid-Island).

Oddo’s funding, secured in Fiscal Year 2003, will allow the Willowbrook campus to join the ranks of many professional and college sports stadiums that are using a new type of maintenance-free artificial playing surface called “Field Turf.”

During the groundbreaking ceremony, held in the shadow of the college’s Astrophysical Observatory, Oddo announced “this is more than building a field… it’s about building a relationship.”

“Clearly, the construction of this sports field will fill a real need for our community,” Oddo continued. “It will give CSI’s athletic program a state of the art new field for its athletes to utilize. In addition, it will also provide the community with a first-class facility. I look forward to seeing the entire community enjoy this field when it is completed.”

With mounds of soil and earth-moving machinery as a backdrop, Marlene Springer, president of CSI, said “CSI is committed to providing a superior experience for all our student athletes, and we thank Council Member Oddo for his dedication not only to CSI, but to Staten Island.”

Collegiate sporting activities will receive priority use of the new field, while community members and organizations will have access at all other times.

“Drainage issues on the field had left it mostly unused since the construction of the campus in the early 1990s,” Springer noted. “The new field, designed to duplicate the playing conditions of real grass and engineered to allow maximum drainage, is expected to see its first game before November.”

The field is being installed by the LandTek Group of Amityville, Long Island. Marty Lyons, a former NY Jet, is the sales and marketing director of the company. Recent projects by LandTek include an NCAA Division 1 baseball field at Hofstra University, and the NY Jets Training Facility.

riends and family members of Frank Walter and John Esposito gathered in Nansen Park on Staten Island on Saturday, August 28, for the inaugural memorial picnic for the two deceased firefighters. More than 300 attended for a day of family fun in the hot sun, and by the end of the day, the event raised over $8,000.

The event organizer, Melissa Esposito, who is married to Dennis, son of John Esposito, announced that the money they raised would be used to begin a John Esposito and Frank Walter Memorial Scholarship for FDNY probies attending the College of Staten Island. The scholarship is expected to provide $1,000 to each of two students every year.

WHO:
Melissa Esposito
Richard Truitt, vice president for college advancement, CSI
Family members and representatives from CSI’s student affairs office
Participants will be available for comment

WHAT:
Check presentation event to announce the funding of the
John Esposito and Frank Walter Memorial Scholarship

WHEN:
Tuesday, September 7 – 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:
College of Staten Island Advancement Office
Building 1A, Room 401
2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently announced the appointment of Marlene Springer, President of the College of Staten Island, to the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues. Dr. Springer’s appointment is effective immediately.

The Commission on Women’s Issues (formerly the Commission on the Status of Women) was established by Mayoral Executive Order in 1975 as an advisory body to the Mayor on matters impacting the lives of women in New York City. The Commission also oversees the agenda and activities of the Women’s Advisors Program, established in 1975 to promote equal rights and opportunities for women in city government.

“It is critical in the rebuilding and revitalizing of New York City to focus on the needs of women. We have the responsibility to set standards of excellence with the quality of support we give to the women of New York City,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The Commission is composed of a unique group of individuals dedicated to bringing about positive change for women in our great City. This Commission will work to positively impact women in many aspects of their lives.”

“The Commission on Women’s Issues is an important component of the City, its history, and its future,” commented CSI’s President Springer, “and I look forward to collaborating with my fellow members on the Commission. As a lifelong educator and proponent of women’s rights, I am proud to serve on this Commission and deeply believe in its mission to develop and promote initiatives that expand career choices and other opportunities for women. Commissions such as this serve as an important catalyst for change by making recommendations to the Mayor for implementing public policy designed to improve the lives of women.”

In his appointment letter, Mayor Bloomberg extended his thanks and appreciation to Dr. Springer for sharing her talents with the Commission, saying “I am certain the Commission will benefit from your participation, and I hope you will find your experience to be personally rewarding.”

BACKGROUND:
Dr. Springer is the President of the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York. She is the recent author of “Dollars and Degrees: Who Should Pay for Higher Education?” in The New York Times, September 2003. Prior to her appointment, she was Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at East Carolina University. A specialist in nineteenth-century British and American literature and women’s literature, Dr. Springer earned her PhD in English Literature and her MA in American Literature from Indiana University in Bloomington. Dr. Springer is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education and numerous other professional and civic organizations. She resides in Staten Island.

Three College of Staten Island students have earned Jeannette K. Watson Fellowships this year, a sought-after paid summer internship program offering mentoring and lifetime contacts to talented freshmen and sophomores at CUNY and independent city colleges who demonstrate exceptional academic promise and outstanding leadership skills.

The recipients of this year’s Jeannette K. Watson Fellowships at the College of Staten Island are April Boland, Melody Messina, and Khadijah Rentas.

April Boland is a sophomore at the College of Staten Island where she majors in English and history. She currently volunteers at Lighthouse International and has been an active youth group leader for several churches in her community. Upon graduating from high school, Ms. Boland took a year off before attending college to provide fulltime childcare for her newborn siblings. Ms. Boland will intern at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation this summer.

Melody Messina majors in Early Childhood Education at CSl with the intent of pursuing a career in Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy. Also participating in the CUNY Honors College Program, she is the recipient of a number of scholarships including the Peter Vallone Scholarship. Ms. Messina’s extracurricular activities include co-facilitating the CUNY Honors College Provisional Student Council and chartering the CSI Community Service Club. She has worked as a tutor for the school’s Writing Center and is currently a teaching assistant for On Your Mark, a program providing tutoring and assistance to special needs children. This summer, Ms. Messina will intern at the Association to Benefit Children.

Khadijah Rentas, a rising junior at CSI, is the Student Publication Board Representative of All Ways a Woman literary magazine, in addition to being one of its contributing editors. She has demonstrated her commitment to the campus community, serving as a member of Educated Volunteers In Life and the Community Service Club, and acting as an Admissions Ambassador to the college. Ms. Rentas majors in communications and hopes to pursue a career in journalism. She participates in the CUNY Honors College Program. Ms. Rentas will intern at the Gotham Gazette this summer.

Previous College of Staten Island recipients include 2000 Fellowship recipients Kenyatta Carter, Yekaterina Lushpenko and Tara Lynch, 2001 recipient Kristine Gansico, and 2002 recipient Elie Jarrouge.

Established by The Thomas J. Watson Foundation in 1999, the fellowship operates on the principle that “talent is broadly distributed but only selectively developed.” Watson Fellows have their pick of coveted job placements (“work they can learn from”) over three consecutive summers in non-profit agencies, business organizations and in government service that give them a chance to grow and develop interpersonal skills, and gain self-confidence in a variety of professional settings. In the third summer, Watson Fellows can apply for an international assignment through partnerships with Save the Children, the Institute of International Education, and The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

A series of weekly seminars further enhances the learning experience by encouraging debate and interaction, and also provides an opportunity for Watson Fellows to share stories about their work experiences. Visits to cultural institutions like Shakespeare in the Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art enable students to discover New York’s free summer offerings. Every Watson Fellow receives a generous stipend as well as a laptop computer to complete their assignments.

Eight colleges in all, including the College of Staten Island, compete annually for 15 Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship openings; at least one college from each borough is included in the pool of eligible colleges. Each school may nominate up to five candidates, many of whom are selected from honors programs.

For more than 40 years The Thomas J. Watson Foundation has provided opportunities for graduating seniors at 50 selective liberal arts colleges to travel abroad for a year of work and study through The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. In 1999 The Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship was launched to provide a set of unparalleled workplace and seminar experiences to ignite the professional and personal growth of students at eight urban colleges in New York: City College, College of Staten Island, Hunter, Lehman, Long Island University (Brooklyn), Marymount Manhattan, Pace University (Manhattan), and Queens College.

For more information about The Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship or to receive an application packet, contact Caryl Watkins at (718) 982-2302.