B INNEKILL Vol. XXIX No. 12
a monthly publication for students, faculty, staff and friends
April 18, 2012
American Shakespeare Center selects professor, honors dedication to authenticity When Sandy Boynton was directing the SCCC Players in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet a few years back, she wouldn’t let her actors, all SCCC drama majors, rehearse the pivotal balcony scene. They were frustrated and let her know it, but she waited patiently as their anxiousness turned to understanding for the longtime SCCC professor’s plan. In March 2009, she took them on a trip to the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) and they stood on the Black Friars Stage, a replica of the same stage arrangement Shakespeare’s actors used. Now it was time for them to rehearse the balcony scene with a proper balcony. “I truly believe that if you don’t understand the stage conventions of the day, you miss a lot of what was really going on,” Sandy said, a short time after being notified that she was chosen from among 50 nominations as this year’s recipient of the ASC’s Words In Action Award. She will travel to the ASC in Staunton, Va., to accept the award this Sunday and be back at SCCC to teach on Monday. Nominees for the award, presented during the ASC’s Shakespeare birthday event, included primary and secondary teachers and college professors from across the country. Sandy was chosen by ASC actors and staff after the nominations were whittled down to seven individuals. The award recognizes teachers who “create opportunities for experiential learning for their students, by taking them to plays and really getting the students to explore the plays,” said Sarah Enloe, the ASC’s Director of Education. Sandy covers the works of Shakespeare
in her literature classes and rehearsal and production class, engaging students in “original practices” or how Shakespeare’s company performed his works. This makes all the difference in how students study the Bard of Avon. “The transformation in students can be astonishing,” she said. “The idea that this is enormously difficult and that they can’t do it is ingrained in them. When you show them simple things that make them able to study Shakespeare an early modern actor might have, they find their voices.” During Spring Break in March, Sandy and 14 students traveled to the ASC for workshops and to watch the touring company’s rehearsal and the artist’s renaissance season. She’s taken students there since 2005.
Did you know you can crossregister with other colleges?
Their visit culminated with the students themselves stepping onto the Black Friars Stage to deliver a few lines and participate in acting exercises. “I’ve seen students who are afraid to audition open up on the Black Friars Stage,” Sandy said. “They stand their ground; there’s something that empowers them in a way I can’t categorize. I’ve seen the magic happen over and over again.”
Donald Simon, a Business Administration major at SCCC, plans to cross-register this fall, taking two classes at SCCC and two classes at Siena College. He will pay SCCC tuition for all the classes, while getting a jump start on his bachelor’s degree. He plans to transfer to Siena to pursue a B.S. in accounting, after graduating from SCCC. “You get a semester in and you’re paying a lot less. You also get an idea of what the four-year college level work is like,” he said. Siena is just one of several Capital Region colleges where students can cross-register. Find out more about the criteria in the Registrar’s Office, Elston Hall 212/215.
Sandy has also directed a Shakespeare play every fourth semester at SCCC.
Summer Sessions
Shane Sczepankowski traveled to the ASC with Sandy when he was a student at SCCC from 2008 to 2011. He is now a Theatre major at Mary Baldwin College in the B.A./M.Lit. program in Shakespeare and Performance. “She deserves this award,” Shane said. “Sandy was the catalyst that thrust me into the word of early modern Shakespeare and encouraged me to expand myself.”
Need to earn some more credits? Want to get a jump start on fall? Choose from three-week, six-week and eight-week sessions this summer. This year SCCC will offer six summer sessions. It’s a great chance to pick up some more credits during the summer. See page 5 for dates.
New Coordinator of Buildings and Grounds assumes duties SCCC welcomes Tim Carota as the Coordinator of Buildings and Grounds in the Administrative Division. Tim joined the College earlier this month after 20 years at Finch Paper, LLC in Glens Falls, N.Y., as the Superintendent of Facilities and Grounds. As such, he supervised 65 employees, managed all facilities and ground maintenance and directed safety programs. Tim is a Trustee for the Village of South Glens Falls and Commissioner of the South Glens Falls Urban Trees and Plantings Program.
Special Recognition - Carolyn Pinn,
He holds a Certificate in Industrial Lab Testing from Adirondack Community College.
Coordinator of Personnel Services/AAO, was recently recognized as the Representative of the Month from First New York Federal Credit Union. She is shown with Ruth Schulman, First New York Membership Development Officer. Photo by Sandy Troiano
Writing experts - Siu Ng, Learning Resource Specialist in the Learning Last digging season on Front Street Community Archaeology Program (CAP) student Helen Doin records the stone hearth at 32 Front St., the site of CAP excavations, which will resume this month for the final season. Louise Basa, Adjunct, and CAP students will continue working on the site that is related to activities in Schenectady during the French and Indian War (1755-1763). The artifacts and structure are the first identified remains from this era when Schenectady was a staging depot for troops and supplies, including artillery, for the sieges of French forts on the Great Lakes, such as Fort Niagara. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to visit the site. Please contact Louise Basa at basala@sunysccc.edu to make arrangements. In other CAP news, Diana Carter, Adjunct, was invited to give a presentation last month at Niskayuna Town Hall during the town’s monthly historical workshops.
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BINNEKILL, April 18, 2012
Center/Writing Lab, (second from right) led a panel presentation this past weekend at the 2012 Conference of the Northeast Writing Centers Association (NEWCA) at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y. The presentation titled, The Book is Better: The Shifting Landscape of Emerging Online Writing Centers, described the SCCC Learning Center/Writing Lab’s pilot synchronous online writing service. The service was launched in Fall 2010 and offers online writing consultations. The other panel members from SCCC were Alicia Richardson, Instructor in the Liberal Arts Division; Tara Dolan, Adjunct and a member of the Learning Center/Writing Lab staff; and Ben VanDerWerken, Liberal Arts major and Learning Center/Writing Lab Peer Tutor. They are shown above with Harry Denny, Chair of NEWCA and Conference Host. Siu and Alicia were asked to join the conference’s steering committee to help organize next year’s event.
Students chosen for Chancellor’s and Phi Theta Kappa Awards SCCC congratulates three students who were honored with statewide awards during ceremonies recently at the Empire State Plaza. Matthan Bird, Human Services major, and Noney Grier, Chemical Dependency Counseling major, were chosen as recipients of the State University of New York Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher honored the two SCCC student leaders, as she presented the prestigious awards to 257 students from campuses across the SUNY system earlier this month. The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement. Each recipient receives a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at commencement. Matthan Bird is a Navy Veteran who was instrumental in the establishment of the SCCC Office of Veterans Affairs. While at SCCC, Matthan served as a Senior Senator with the Student Government Association, President of the Student Activities Board and President of the SCCC chapter of the Student Veterans of America. He has also earned academic honors and scholarships and has been named to the College’s Dean’s List. Noney Grier is a Navy Veteran who now works as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, helping homeless veterans achieve their independence by assisting them with vocational issues. While at SCCC, Noney was President of the SCCC chapter of Student Veterans of America and worked in the College’s Veterans Affairs Office. She is a member
of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society.
Important Commencement reminders Grads:
Noney was also chosen from among the top academic scholars at SUNY community colleges to be named to the Phi Theta Kappa All New York Community College Academic Team, along with Scott S. Riggi, Alternative Energy Technology major. Both students were named to the third team.
•Pick up your
Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society that recognizes and encourages scholarship among two-year college students. In addition to academic achievement, recipients of the award are also evaluated on their leadership and community service involvement, and are named members of the All New York Community College Academic Team. This year, 54 students were honored from SUNY community colleges and 10 from CUNY community colleges.
•Consider attending a Commencement
Scott Riggi is a returning adult student who, prior to attending SCCC, served six years in ministry, managing an international non-profit humanitarian aid organization. He worked for 17 years in the manufacturing industry. Scott is a 10th generation Schenectadian and an inventor who received a U.S. Patent in 2007. He earned a Certificate in Storage Battery Technology from SCCC in May 2011. The Phi Theta Kappa Award Ceremony is sponsored annually by the New York Community College Trustees, the New York Community College Association of Presidents and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.
cap and gown, Commencement invitations and tickets between Monday, April 23 and Friday, May 4 in the College Store. Along with your cap and gown, you will receive four Commencement invitations and four tickets. Additional tickets will be available on Monday, May 7, in the College Store (first-come, first serve). Informational Session on the following dates in the Activity Forum, Elston Hall: Monday, April 30, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 4, 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 7, 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, 5 p.m. Thursday, May 10, 5 p.m. Name cards will be distributed at these sessions.
•Commencement will be held on Thursday, May 24, at 4 p.m. at Proctors Bring with you the following items: your cap, gown and your name card. Graduates should arrive at 3 p.m. and will line up outside of the back entrance to Proctors (the entrance closest to the Parking Garage, NOT the State Street entrance). Guests should go directly to the theater to be seated.
We honor our students with pride All members of the SCCC community are invited to attend the College’s 2012 Honors Convocation on Thursday, May 24, 2012, at 9 a.m. in the Taylor Auditorium. We will gather to congratulate our students as members of the SCCC faculty, staff, administration and friends of the College present them with scholarships and awards.
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Calendar of Events Thursday, April 19 Tutor Club 5K Run/Walk fundraiser for student scholarships, 4:45 p.m., SCCC Bike Path. Water, fruit and snacks will be available. Prizes will be given to the fastest male and female runners. Cost: $5 for students; $10 for faculty/staff Monday, April 23 Board of Trustees meeting, 5:30 p.m., Lally Mohawk Room Tuesday, April 24 Men’s baseball vs. Adirondack CC, 2 p.m., Home Wednesday, April 25 How do you communicate about disabilities? What do you say when you hear a stereotype or slur? Come to a workshop about our role in changing the language of disability with guest speaker Randi Makenzie of the Capital District Center for Independence, 11:30 a.m. 12:20 p.m., Activity Forum. Lunch provided. Sponsored by the Alliance for Students with Disabilities/Disabilities Awareness Committee Wednesday, April 25 - Saturday, April 28 SCCC Players present Love’s Fire Thursday, April 26 Open House for High School Juniors, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Men’s baseball vs. ACC, 2 p.m.., Away Informal social for students, faculty and staff and the SCCC Board of Trustees, 5 - 7 p.m., Van Curler Room.
Saturday, April 28 Men’s baseball vs. Clinton CC, 1 p.m., Away Sunday, April 29 Men’s baseball vs. Clinton CC, 1 p.m., Home Tuesday, May1 Men’s baseball vs. CGCC, 2 p.m., Home Tuesday, May 8 Downtown Schenectady revitalization plan presentation, student feedback wanted, 7 - 9 p.m., Stockade Building 101. (See article on Page 5.)
Monday, May14 - Saturday, May 19 Finals 4
BINNEKILL, April 18, 2012
Members of the SCCC Players rehearse a scene from Love’s Fire. At center are Justin Murray and Ben McCauley.
Theater goes sexy by Justin Murray, Performing Arts: Drama major So let’s say you grabbed a handful of Shakespeare’s sonnets and thrust them onto modern playwrights and coerced them into producing dramas based on the poems. What would the result be? The answer is the production that the SCCC Players will be putting out on stage later this month titled Love’s Fire: Seven New Plays Inspired by Seven Shakespearean Sonnets. The original works by Eric Bogosian, William Finn, John Guare, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman, Ntozake Shange and Wendy Wasserstein are very different from one another and yet are congenial in their message: love is a powerful force in one way or another. Ranging from witty to wonderfully tragic and guttural to artistic, this theatrical production will have a little something for everyone’s taste, and will bring insights on things such as relationships, sex, affairs, and even the origin of love. Directed by Professor Sandy Boynton, the plays are fresh and exciting. Guilia Pezzulo, a Performing Arts: Drama major, is an actor in Shange’s Hydraulics Phat Like Mean, which conveys a message of love combined with dancing. “We don’t get to dance much on this stage, so I’m really excited about it,” Guilia said. “Audiences can expect different levels of love conveyed shown through costumes, dance and character
SCCC Players present Love’s Fire: Seven New Plays Inspired by Seven Shakespearean Sonnets Original works by Eric Bogosian, William Finn, John Guare, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman, Ntozake Shange and Wendy Wasserstein Wednesday, April 25, 8 p.m. (Free for all.) Thursday, April 26, 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28, 8 p.m. Taylor Auditorium. Tickets: $5-general admission; $3-seniors/non-SCCC students; free for SCCC students, faculty, staff and alumni. Note: This production is not suitable for children.
Lend your voice to downtown revitalization efforts Downtown Schenectady has already undergone quite a positive change with more businesses, shops and restaurants. Now, a special committee has formed to create plans to revitalize part of downtown stretching from the new student housing building on Washington Avenue to Erie Boulevard. They want to share their ideas with the SCCC community and are especially interested in hearing feedback from SCCC students. Members of the committee will be on campus on Tuesday, May 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Stockade Building 101 to present the plans and listen to reactions from members of the audience. Some of the goals of the plan are to: create an attractive, vibrant and walkable mixed-use neighborhood; enhance pedestrian, bicycle and transit circulation; better define traffic patterns and parking strategy; and create multimodal transportation plan.
Summer 2012 at SCCC Six Sessions Session I: May 21 – June 8 (3 weeks)
La Mesa de Español - Fine-tuning their Spanish during a recent College Hour, as part of La Mesa de Español (the Spanishspeaking table), are students Robert Bump, Sean Kelly, Kyle Rufer, Thomas Verret, Jon Kovel, Shawn Gibson and Sunita Fletcher. They are shown with Maria Witkins, moderator, and Judith Prinzo, Assistant Professor in the Liberal Arts Division. La Mesa de Español is a project conceived by Judith as a way to complement Spanish classes as all participants are required to speak only Spanish while participating. La Mesa is held every Monday from 11:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and anyone is encouraged to join in the conversation. Just look for the table with the red tablecloth on the right in the cafeteria. For more information about the program, contact Judith Prinzo at 381-1401.
Session II: June 11 – June 29 (3 weeks) Session III: May 21 – June 29 (6 weeks) Session IV: July 9 – August 17 (6 weeks) Session V: July 9 – July 27 (3 weeks) Session VI: June 4 – July 27 (8 weeks) Important Dates Summer tuition payment is due Monday, May 14. Summer tuition payment is due Monday, June 25 if registering late for Sessions IV and V. Late Registration ends the first day of the session. Register now. http://www.sunysccc.edu/register.htm
BINNEKILL Publication Schedule Spring 2012 Deadline (9 a.m.) Monday, April 30
Publication Date Wednesday, May 9
Please e-mail submissions to meaneyhl@sunysccc.edu.
On the radio - The Ashton Williams Band features SCCC students Andrew Lasher, Performing Arts: Music major (backup vocalist, percussion), Adam Carey, Aviation Science major (drums), and Keith Dobbs, Performing Arts: Music major (lead vocalist, guitar). Hear their new songs and an interview with the band on WEXT 97.7 FM on Thursday, May 3, at 9 p.m., and on Saturday, May 6, at 11 a.m., during the Chris Wienk show. BINNEKILL, April 18, 2012
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Campus Resources Academic Advisement
The Commons Elston/ext. 1330
Elston 222/ext. 1277 Monday-Thursday 8:30 am-7 pm Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-8 pm Friday 7:30 am-2 pm
Academic Computing Lab Elston 529, 530/ext. 1213 Monday-Thursday 8:30 am-10 pm Friday 8:30 am-4 pm Saturday 9 am-3:30 pm
Accounting/CIS Tutor Lab Elston 330/ext. 1041 Monday, Wednesday 8 am-2 pm 8 am-4 pm Tuesday, Thursday
Counseling
Elston 212/215 381-1348, 381-1349/ext. 1148 Mon. and Thurs. 8:30 am-7 pm Tues., Wed., Fri. 8:30 am-4:30 pm (April)
(Career, Transfer and Personal) Elston 222/ext. 1365 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Student Affairs, Vice President
College Central Network SCCC’s career management system Financial Aid
Testing Center
Admissions
Gateway Montessori
Athletics Elston 222/ext. 1356 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Begley Library/ext. 1239 Monday-Thursday 8 am – 9:30 pm Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm Saturday 10 am – 2 pm Closed Sundays
Business Office, Student Elston 517/ext. 1346, 1347 Mon. and Thurs. 8:30 am-7 pm Tues., Wed., Fri. 8:30 am-4:15 pm (April)
Career and Employment Services Elston 222/ext. 1365 8:30 am-4:30 pm Monday-Friday
The College Store Elston 109/ext. 1332 Monday-Wednesday Thursday Friday
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8 am-6 pm 8 am-4 pm 8 am-2 pm
BINNEKILL, April 18, 2012
Student Government Elston 220/ext. 1388 By appointment or walk-in
Elston 222/ext. 1345 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Stockade 120/ext. 1166 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Elston 222/ext. 1344 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
www.sunysccc.edu/ces
Elston 221/ext. 1352 Mon.-Wed.,Fri. 8:30 am-4:30 pm Thursday 8:30 am-7 pm (March)
ADA Transition Services
Registrar’s Office
Gateway 124/ext. 1455/1295 Monday-Friday 9 am-11:30 am (Call for program information.)
Language Lab
Elston 427/ext.1293 TestingCenter@sunysccc.edu Monday-Thursday 8:30 am to 8 pm Friday 8:30 am-3 pm Saturday 10 am-2 pm (beginning 2/4)
TRIO Student Support Services Elston 328/ext. 1465 Monday-Friday
8:30 am-4:30 pm
Elston 520/ext. 1373 Mon.,Wed.,Thurs. 9:30 am-12:30 pm 1-2:30 pm 4-7 pm Tuesday 9:30-11:20 am 12:20-2:30 pm 4-7 pm Friday 10 am-12 pm Saturday 10 am-1 pm
Tutor Services
Learning Center Writing Lab
Stockade 120/ext. 1315 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Elston 523/ext. 1246 Monday-Thursday 8 am-7 pm Friday 8 am-4 pm Saturday 10 am-3 pm Math Lab Elston 518/ext. 1435 Monday-Thursday 8 am-7 pm Friday 8 am-3 pm 10 am-3 pm Saturday
Multicultural/Educational Opportunity Programs
Elston 222/ext. 1279 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Elston 328-C/ext. 1461 Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Veterans Affairs
Elston 223/ext. 1284 By appointment or walk-in
Workforce Development YWCA Children’s Center
Gateway Bldg`./ext. 1375 or 1389 Monday-Friday 7:30 am-5:30 pm (Evening hours available depending on enrollment.)