September 25, 2006

Communitas
MVCC Faculty/Staff Newsletter
September 25, 2006
Food Service cooking
to feed a hungry MVCC
Most students, faculty and staff take it for granted when grabbing a cup of coffee or
sitting down for lunch in the Alumni College Center, but there is a lot going on behind
the scenes to make this possible.
The staff of Sodexho Food Service and Management Company, which is contracted to provide all food services on the MVCC campus, are busy at work preparing
meals from the crack of dawn until the end of the day.
The man in charge of making sure everything runs like clockwork is Sodexho General Manager James Suriano.
Mr. Suriano and his staff of 40 employees prepare all the
food and beverages for the MV Commons, the Resident’s
Dining Room and the Interlude Dining Room, as well as running the snack bar in the Academic Building. The AB Snack
Bar is run by Mary Waters and Michelle Robinson.
Along with preparing food for the three dining areas, the
food service company also provides catering services to all
college functions as well as for groups using college facilities
for events.
The MV Commons is an area where students, faculty and
staff can socialize while having a quick meal at one of the
many large round tables. The menu is designed for those
people on the go, offering sandwiches and wraps, hamburgers, bagels and much more.
The Resident’s Dining Room is a more relaxed atmosphere with smaller intimate table settings, walls decorated
with photographs of the many aspects of the college and designed to give diners a large menu choice. The menu ranges
Food Service Continued on Page 3
60th
Anniversary
Snapshots
September 25, 1948 – An annual report for the NYS Institute of
Applied Arts & Sciences, prepared
by Institute Director Paul Richardson, included the following: “The
Textile Technology Division has
acquired four looms and nine knitting machines, more are on order.”
Other equipment in place included
a “fadeometer,” and a “launderometer.” The Institute’s Library had
2,300 volumes. Evening instruction
had begun in Retail Business Management, and included courses in
Merchandise Display, Salesmanship
and Show Card Writing.
September 24, 1968 – The Utica
Daily Press reported on a SUNY
Snapshots Continued on Page 2
GIVE ME AN M-V-C-C – Members of the MVCC cheer leading squad practice in this photograph from 1955. MVCC has a deep tradition of excellent
athletic programs with several national titles to the college’s credit.
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Snapshots Continued
The demographics of New York State’s population is quickly changing and community colleges must adapt to this new environment or face the possibility of falling behind in the academic community.
That was the message from SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan during a speech
and panel discussion held in MVCC’s Theater on Thursday evening. Hispanics
are the fastest growing ethnic group in New York, and not just around New York
City. The Hispanic population has grown in every small city and rural community
across the state.
“Community Colleges need to address the needs of these growing ethnic populations,” said Chancellor Ryan.
According to Chancellor Ryan, community colleges are faced with the Stockdale Syndrome when projecting the future of the institutions. The Stockdale Syndrome, named for former Vietnam POW and U.S. Naval pilot James Stockdale,
states that individuals must look at the brutal facts of what is occurring and accept
these facts while keeping hope alive. For the Vietnam POWs who survived their
torturous captivity, as Stockdale did, it was accepting the uncontrollable situation
and work to keep faith.
For community colleges, the brutal facts are that the college age population of
18-24 year olds will level off by the year 2012, followed by a decline. By 2015,
the U.S. workforce will have the smallest number of college graduates while the
number of workers with non-high school diplomas will increase. It is during this
Master Plan released by Chancellor
Samuel B. Gould. The Plan indicated
that Oneida County was one of six areas
in the State where multiple community
college campuses were needed, and
suggested that a second MVCC campus might be located between Rome
and Oneida to serve young people in
both Oneida and Madison Counties.
September 24, 1984 – Former CBS
News commentator and journalist Eric
Sevareid spoke to the Mohawk Executive Forum, an organization of business
leaders associated with the MVCC
Foundation. His topic was “Presidents,
Power & the Press.”
September 23, 1948 – The student
newspaper, NYSIAAS News, listed locations of cooperative education work
assignments statewide for Retail Business Management students. Local
participating employers included Sam
Simpkins, Inc., in Rome and the following Utica stores: ABC Boys Shop,
Berger’s Department Store, the New
Boston Store, Doyle-Knower, ReidSheldon, J.B. Wells, Wicks & Greenman and F.W. Woolworth.
September 22, 1972 – The Danish
Gym Team performed before an audience of 1,000 at the College’s Gymnasium. Their performance included Danish folk dances in native costumes.
September 21, 1975 – Dr. Carl Sagan, director of the Laboratory for
Planetary Studies and professor of astronomy and space sciences at Cornell
University, spoke at MVCC. He was
internationally-known for his investigations into the origins of life on Earth and
the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
September 20, 1948 – An Institute
exhibit pointed out that 50% of high
school students failed to graduate, and
only 20% of high school graduates enrolled in college.
September 19, 1958 – Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new
MVTI campus in east Utica, valued at
$3.5 million. Among those taking part
SUNY Chancellor Continued on Page 3
Snapshots Continued on Page 4
Chancellor Ryan’s visit – SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan presented a lecture on the role of community colleges as New York State’s demographics change in the near future.
SUNY Chancellor provides direction
for future of community colleges
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Food Service Continued
from pizza to hot turkey with all the fixings,
two salad bars and a station to make your
own waffles.
“The Residence Dining Room is open
to everyone from students, to staff and
faculty, to visitors to the campus,” said Mr.
Suriano. There are two ways to pay in the
Resident’s Dining Room, cash or the service card that acts as a debit card. “The
dining room is suppose to be a nice quite
place to eat and relax.”
For faculty and staff, there is also the Interlude Dining Room that seats 40 people.
While offering some of the same food as
James Suriano
that in the Resident’s Dining Room, the
Sodexho General Manager
décor of the Interlude is a bit more upscale with stemmed glassware, buffet hot table and salad bar.
According to Mr. Suriano, the Interlude serves an average of 25 people daily while
the Resident’s Dining Room caters to 280 meals daily.
“The Interlude Dining Room wasn’t ever going to be the $10 or $12 lunch. It was
set up to be a reasonable price of $4.50 which the staff and faculty seem to be happy
about,” said Mr. Suriano, who added that what makes the Interlude Dining Room so
splendent is the relationship dining room attendant Andrea Aurigema has developed
with the faculty and staff over the years.
“She is very polite and pleasant. By being the only person to work the Interlude
Dining Room for years, she has gotten to know the regulars and has developed a
nice relationship with them. She is the one to bring ideas and suggestions from the
faculty on the food service management,” said Mr. Suriano.
“In the beginning, there were separate menus for the Resident’s Dining Room
and the Interlude. But the faculty and staff started to request some of the items that
were on the Resident’s Dining menu, so a compromise was created to inter-mix the
entrees.”
Some of the staff helping Mr. Suriano include Jason Martin the Chef Manager, who
is charged with menu development; Karen Arrigo, the Retail Supervisor in charge of
the MV Commons; and Ellen Klotz, the Resident’s Dining Room Supervisor.
SUNY Chancellor Continued
time that the largest number of baby
boomers will enter retirement age,
according to Chancellor Ryan.
Chancellor Ryan said community
colleges, now more than ever, need
to keep an open mind and be flexible to meet the needs of a changing
United States.
“At MVCC, there is a unique combination of technical programs and
Liberal Arts programs,” said Chancellor Ryan.
“MVCC is setting the pace for the
other 24 community colleges though
its collaboration with other institutions and private industry.”
He was referring to MVCC’s Dental Hygiene Program on the Rome
Campus which is transferable to
SUNY Canton’s four-year program.
He also talked about MVCC’s Airframe and Powerplant Technology
Program’s relationship with Empire
Aero Center on the Griffiss Business
and Technology Park.
During the panel discussion, J.
Douglas Robinson, Chairman of the
Board and CEO of Utica National
Insurance Company, said that demographics cannot be under emphasized. He used as example, in
1950 there were seven people in
the workforce for every one retiree.
Today, that ratio has declined to 5in-1 and is expected to continue to
shrink.
“Just getting though on a high
school, community college or fouryear degree won’t work in today’s
SUNY Chancellor Continued on Page 5
Retired MVCC
teacher has
music broadcast
“Four Miniatures,” electronic
music compositions, by retired
MVCC teacher, Norbert Oldani,
were broadcast recently on the
program, Fresh Ink on the PBS
station, WCNY-FM. Fresh Ink is
now broadcast on various PBS
stations nationally.
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MVCC Faces: Colleen Mullen Bolton
Getting into the classroom to open students’ minds
to all the possibilities of life through the knowledge of
mankind’s artistic abilities is a passion for instructor Colleen Mullen Bolton.
As an Instructor in Humanities, Mrs. Bolton exposes
students to the diverseness of the art world in her Art
Appreciation course and demonstrates the power of an
individual’s ability to express emotions in their work. A
foundation of artistic appreciation is built in her History
of Art 1 and History of Art 2 courses.
Along with these programs, Mrs. Bolton teaches a
college seminar to expose students on both the Utica
Campus and Rome Campus. And for those students
outside of the classroom, she reaches them through her
online course.
“This is my first year as a permanent member of the
Humanities faculty,” said Mrs. Bolton.
Mrs. Bolton has been a truly dedicated instructor at
MVCC having served two years as interim appointed
faculty member, preceded by adjunct teaching experience since 2001 in the Humanities Department. She
also taught one semester as an adjunct for the Art Department in 1999.
“I believe receiving this full-time probationary appointment is itself an honor,” said Mrs. Bolton. “In a prior life
I was a graphic designer and served as art director and
program director for various consulting firms and businesses in the Washington, D.C. area.”
Mrs. Bolton is currently serving on her fourth faculty
search committee along with working on the Distance
Learning Advisory Board. Her dedication to MVCC can
also be seen in her work with the Middle States SelfStudy, Work Group: Faculty and General Education
Subcommittee and with the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Committee.
Mrs. Bolton holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Seaton directs Rome Theater production
The Rome Community Theater, located on Upper Turin Road, Route 26 just north of Rome, will present Lionel
Bart’s musical “Oliver!” on stage for eight performances:
October 5-7 and 12-14 at 8:00 pm and October 8 and 15
at 2:30 pm.
The classic tale of Charles Dickens’ orphan is directed by
Barb Seaton, Academic Technical Assistant for science labs
on the MVCC Rome Campus, and features a cast of over
50 area actors of all ages singing such well-known tunes as
“Consider Yourself” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”
Musical direction is by Chris Widomski with choreography
by Randy Fields.
Tickets are $12; for more information, please email Barb
at [email protected] or call ext. 7737.
Colleen Mullen Bolton
Instructor in Humanities
with an emphasis in Art from SUNY Empire State College. Her undergrad work, a B.P.S. with an emphasis in
Fiber Art, is also from SUNY Empire State College. Her
Associates Art degree in Advertising Art, Design, was
earned from Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland.
Mrs. Bolton is a member of the Folk Group providing music for the Newman Center on the Utica College
campus and is a volunteer with the American Institute
for Cancer Research. Along with being a Humanities
Cluster Advisor, she belongs to the College Art Association, Studio Art Quilt Associates and the Surface Design
Association.
Along with a love for art, this South Utica resident enjoys Quilting and Reading. Her husband is John and
she has three stepchildren and five grandchildren.
Snapshots Continued
were MVTI President Albert V. Payne; Boyd Golder, former
Utica Mayor and chairman of the SUNY Trustees Committee on Community Colleges; Utica Mayor John T. McKennan; Harold V. Kirch, chairman of the Oneida County Board
of Supervisors; Dr. Lawrence Jarvie, executive dean for
SUNY institutes and community colleges; State Senator
Fred Rath; MVTI Trustee Rudolph Schatzel, MVTI Trustee
Chairman Willis Daugherty; Harry Converse, a member of
the Oneida County Board of Supervisors community college committee; and Russell “Tiny” Williams, majority leader of the Board of Supervisors. At this time, the College had
five programs, and enrolled 650 students.
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SUNY Chancellor Continued
global ecomomy. If you think you
can stop learning, the market is going to change and leave you behind
if you are not prepared,” said Mr.
Robinson.
According to Mr. Robinson, 218
of Utica National’s 800 employees
are MVCC graduates in 39 different
fields of study.
Carmelita Lomeo-Smrtic, Associate Professor and Education Coordinator, was also part of the panel
and quizzed Chancellor Ryan on the
many issues that still exist for education students transferring from a
two-year institution to a four-year.
Chancellor Ryan is a retired Vice
Admiral who was appointed to his
current post by the SUNY Board on
December 19, 2005.
Since joining SUNY, Chancellor
Ryan has established a new pace
and expanded vision for the university. He has expressed a firm commitment to strengthening the university’s academic and administrative
operations, and has begun to work
on increasing the number of full-time
faculty across the system, strengthening the university’s commitment to
low-income students, and increasing transparency and innovation
throughout SUNY.
Nick Matt, President of F.X. Matt
Brewing
Company,
challenged
Chancellor Ryan to work within the
political arena to help bring private
industry to the regions where SUNY
colleges and universities have hightech programs that will benefit these
companies.
Mr. Matt used as an example the
micro-chip firm that selected Marcy
last year as one of two final sites for
a new factory. The company eventually settled on Saratoga, which is
represented by a New York State
Senator Joseph L. Bruno, over the
site next to SUNY-IT in Marcy.
“The real challenge is to train
people for industries’ needs and to
quickly get those programs up and
running,” said Mr. Matt.
Upcoming Events on MVCC Campuses
Monday, September 25
•Women’s soccer hosts SUNY Cobleskill, 4:00 pm
•Men’s soccer at SUNY Cobleskill, 4:00 pm
•Women’s tennis hosts Broome CC, 4:00 pm
•Pilates Class, ACC 116, 5:30 pm
•Ballroom Dancing, MV Commons, 7:00 pm
•Cultural Series Performance: “Recycled Percussion,” 8:00 pm, IT Theater
Tuesday, September 26
•Yoga, ACC 116, 5:30 pm
•Volleyball hosts Fulton-Montgomery CC, 6:00 pm
•Night Hawk Café, MV Commons, 7:00 pm
•Ballroom Dancing, ACC 116, 7:15 pm
Wednesday, September 27
•Kids-n-Coaches Barbecue, Front of gym, 4:00 pm
•Men’s soccer at Jefferson CC, 4:00 pm
•Women’s soccer hosts Jefferson CC, 4:00 pm
•Art Department Film: “Earth to the Moon”, IT Theater, 6:00 pm
•MVCC Concert Band Practice, ACC 116, 7:00 pm
•Night Hawk Café, MV Commons, 7:00 pm
Thursday, September 28
•Cultural Series Lecture: Walter Kopec, “The Unspoken Word”, IT 225, 4:00 pm
•Women’s tennis hosts Onondaga CC, 4:00 pm
•Ballroom Dancing, MV Commons, 7:00 pm
Friday, September 29
•Volleyball at Onondaga CC Invitational, 4:00 pm & 7:45 pm
•Informal Chess Games, IT Lobbies, 3:30 pm
•Drama Club Reunion, IT Lobbies, 4:00 pm
Saturday, September 30
•“Walk for Obesity,” MV Commons, 7:00 am-2:00 pm
•Volleyball at Onondaga CC Invitational, 11:30 am & 12:45 pm
•Cross Country at LeMoyne College, noon
•Women’s soccer hosts Mercyhurst N.E., 2:00 pm
•Cultural Series Performance: “Spoon River Anthology,” IT Theater, 8:00 pm
•L.S.U. Dance, MV Commons, 8:00 pm
Sunday, October 1
•Baha’i Faith Convention, IT Theater/lobby, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
•Men’s soccer hosts North Country CC, 1:00 pm
Wednesday, October 4
•Men’s soccer hosts Herkimer CCC, 4:00 pm
•Volleyball hosts SUNY Cobleskill, 7:00 pm
•Women’s soccer at Herkimer CCC, 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 7
•Women’s soccer at Hudson Valley CC, 1:00 pm
•Volleyball at Tompkins-Cortland CC, 1:00 pm
•Cross Country at Hamilton College, 11 a.m.
•Men’s soccer hosts Hudson Valley CC, 1:00 pm
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GETTING TO KNOW THE RAs – With college in full swing, dorm life
is a big part of the experience. Helping to keep that experience safe
are the Resident Advisors. They are: First row, Geraldine Stringfield, Senior RA North Halls; Matthew Snyder, Butterfield third floor; and Jeremy
Merry, Daugherty first floor. Second row, Martin Galloway, Huntington
second floor; Michael Tarantino, Daugherty third floor; Richard Martin,
Senior RA South Halls; Tekesha Hanson, Butterfield second floor; Kelly
Becraft, Huntington second floor; Sam Vye, Penfield first floor; Sung
Kyung Kwak, New Hall third floor north; Tina Flansburg, Daugherty second floor; and Nicholas Green, New Hall second floor south. Third row,
Michael Kanaley, Butterfield first floor; Michelle Heyes, New Hall second
floor north; David O’Neal, Penfield third floor; Kelvin Ruiz, Huntington
third floor; David Dillard, New Hall third floor south; and Jessica Reynoso
Penfield third floor.
Spoon River Anthology highlights MVCC Drama Club Reunion
The MVCC Drama Club Reunion will conjure up the dead
as part of its inaugural gathering of past and present members on Friday and Saturday in the MVCC Theater.
As part of the Drama Club Reunion, the group will present Edgar Lee Master’s classic Spoon River Anthology as a
“Readers Theater Presentation.” This will be held on Saturday, at 8:00 p.m., in the Theater. Admission is free to MVCC
Alumni, $3 for students, faculty and staff, and $5 for general
admission.
This year’s event is expected to consists of 20 current
Drama Club students, 10 faculty and 30 alumni.
“We thought it was time to look back and invite anyone who
has ever been involved in any of our drama performances to
come and take part,” said Humanities Professor James Gifford, who is directing this performance.
The second function of this event is to raise money for a
scholarship for drama students at MVCC. This reunion committee has decided to place this scholarship in Mr. Gifford’s
name to honor his 34 years of dedication to the Drama Club.
Denise Flihan and Marie Kohl were instrumental in organizing this reunion.
As part of the fundraising for this scholarship, the Drama
Club has compiled a CD containing images of past performances along with yearbook photos of Drama Club members and much more.
The schedule for the weekend begins Friday with registration at 5:00 p.m. in the MVCC Theater lobby, followed by a
reception at Valley View Golf Course at 6:00 p.m.
Final rehearsal will begin Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the Theater. There will be a reception at 6:00 p.m. in the Theater
lobby with the curtain rising at 8:00 p.m. A casting party is to
follow at Hotel Utica.
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