Lillian Nicholson Memorial Scholarship Announced at Centenary College.

Hackettstown, NJ, December 19, 2007 – Dr. Douglas Schwegel, in memory of his friend and longtime Centenarian Professor Harry Strickhausen has established a scholarship for qualifying students at Centenary College.  The Lillian Nicholson Memorial Scholarship is so named in honor of Professor Strickhausen’s high school teacher, who served as his mentor.

It is Dr. Schwegel’s intention that this scholarship be awarded annually to two undergraduate English majors for outstanding accomplishments in their field of study.  The recipients will be chosen on the basis of both academic merit and financial need by Dr. John Holt, Chair of the English and Foreign Languages Department, with the approval of the department faculty.

Professor Strickhausen was a deeply valued member of the Centenary community for 30 years—from 1969 to 1999.  As a young man attending Ball High School in Galveston, Texas, he found a mentor and friend in his English teacher, Lillian Nicholson.  His distinguished career never caused him to lose sight of the role Mrs. Nicholson played in his aspiration to become a teacher.

“I know the establishment of this scholarship would please Harry greatly,” says Dr. Schwegel of his motivation to provide such opportunities for Centenary students.

Likewise Dr. John Holt says, “This scholarship is a meaningful way to honor the memory of our recently departed colleague.  Harry Strickhausen was as much beloved as he was respected, and he has set a high standard for all us.  We will be looking for a touch of Harry in the candidates’ profiles.”

Centenary Business Students Present Potentially Life-Saving Information About Prescription Printers.

Hackettstown, NJ, December 7, 2007 – Four Centenary Business students and their professor will present their Star Micronics Marketing Research Project on December 12 at 10 A.M. in room S35 in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building. Guided by Assistant Professor of Business, Kathleen Naasz, a team of four seniors (Cassandra Ingram, Herbert Heins, Garrett Payne and Amy Rumpf) have functioned as business consultants to research the market opportunities for Prescription Printers in the United States and specifically in New Jersey, where this market is impacted by state regulations. Prescription printers—a simple solution to a potentially problematic concern—help to reduce prescription fraud and save lives by decreasing prescription errors.

A Prescription Printer prints prescriptions, as opposed to having a doctor handwrite them. The group will present documentation on the market opportunity for thermal prescription printers, which save time, money, and reduce errors; the study includes the statistics of people who have died as a result of their prescriptions being filled incorrectly due to the inability of pharmacists to accurately read prescriptions. According to their website, www.starmicronics.com, Star Micronics has been a world-wide leader in the manufacture of audio components, thermal POS receipt, label/barcode and impact printers for over 50 years.

Christine Stima, Business Development Manager of Star Micronics, says, “We hope the information presented about our products will increase awareness of a scarcely-known concern and help to, literally, save lives.”
 
Professor Naasz says, “At Centenary College, we work closely with industry clients to help our students gain exposure to real-world business problems and help to solve them by applying the concepts that we teach them in the classroom. This was a particularly interesting assignment since it involved regulatory analysis and through databases funded by the NJ Knowledge Initiative, we were able to size the market based on medical offices issuing between 75 – 150 prescriptions per week.”

Star Micronics is a global company with Star Micronics America based in Edison, NJ, and the global headquarters in Japan, and one of their product items, thermal printers, is being marketed for prescription printer use.  Through both primary and secondary research, conference calls, and client-site meetings, the students have applied a Marketing Research process based on useful text-book theory to a real-world business opportunity through this experiential learning project.

Centenary College Prepares for “A Time to Rebuild” in Third Katrina Relief Trip.

Hackettstown, NJ, December 7, 2007– For the third year in a row, a dedicated group of Centenary faculty, staff, and students travel to—and help rebuild—New Orleans from January 2-11. A total of 20 work teams, equaling 110 people representing both Centenary College and Drew University, will participate in this heartfelt process. While the two prior projects were dedicated primarily to cleanup efforts, this one is a “Time to Rebuild.” Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt (Centenary President) and Dr. Bryon L. Grigsby (Provost and Chief Operating Officer) are the Centenary administration who will be a part of these teams.

One rebuilding site will be Chalmette, as part of the St. Bernard Project.  The website for the St. Bernard Project is www.stbernardproject.org. Another will be in the Musicians Village. Here a crew will be building homes for Habitat for Humanity.

Mike Quey, Habitat for Humanity Construction Supervisor, says, “The level of dedication to this project has been absolutely astounding. This is the first time I have worked with a college-sponsored group of this size. Three years of participation is just wonderful, and I am very enthusiastic about working with these teams.” 

The crews will also be rebuilding a Methodist Parsonage in the 9th Ward.
 
Russ Yarnell, Relief Student Coordinator (who has participated in the Katrina Relief Project for three years), says, “As a student leader—and in my third year of Katrina Relief—I have seen many stages of the rebuilding process. I have seen people in need of immediate help and I have seen exhausted, frustrated people. This year, I’m looking forward to helping people start over and I also look forward to working on brand new houses. This year will be very different than the first two.  We will start to finish the process with the homeowners to rebuild their lives.”

Over the past several months, the Centenary community has come together with the common goal of continuous Katrina relief in mind by hosting a “Drag Fashion Show” and a “Disaster Relief Golf Classic,” along with other such events to generate the necessary funds for the trip.

Dr. Norman Cetuk, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Centenary College, and the lead faculty member for the trip, says, “It is important to distinguish what we have done in the past two years and what we are doing this year. In the past two years, we helped to clean up the devastated region. This year, will be a time to rebuild and restore these homes and communities by working side-by-side with homeowners.”

Centenary College's Academic Success Center Seeking New Tutors.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 22, 2007 – Centenary College’s Academic Success Center is currently seeking new tutors. The Academic Success Center provides academic support to students in the form of academic coaching, assistance with improving learning strategies, and a professional tutoring program. The tutoring program is appointment based. All prospective tutors must possess at least a bachelor’s degree, have a passion for teaching, and have the capacity to assist individuals and small groups in a specific content area. 

Currently there is a need for tutors in Business, particularly in Accounting and upper division Mathematics courses and statistics.  For further information, please contact Suzanne McCarthy, Director of Learning Support, at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2376. This hourly position pays $20 per hour with increments based on certification levels attained.  Tutoring is scheduled on an as needed basis with both day and evening hours. 

Suzanne McCarthy, Director of Learning Support, says, “Our professional tutors make an important contribution to the Centenary College education.”

Centenary to Host CEC Event on November 16.

Hackettstown, NJ, November 8, 2007 – Centenary College will host an event sponsored by the student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) on November 16 in newly-renovated John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center from 10:30 to 12:30 P.M. The event is open to the entire Centenary community and will focus on an adapted physical education demonstration. Five stations will be set up in the gym and students will be able to try different adaptive physical education activities.
 
Matheny Medical and Educational Center plans to send a class of eight students to the event. Their teacher is a recent graduate of Centenary’s M.A. program in Special Education.

The Matheny Medical and Educational Center is a teaching hospital that serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities. The center specializes in the care of children and adults with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, and Lesch-Nyhan Disease.  Matheny is approved as a private school for the disabled by the New Jersey Department of Education and is a Special Hospital recognized by the New Jersey State Board of Health. Matheny's inpatient services are accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The Peapack campus is also the facility’s research site, the Matheny Institute for Research in Developmental Disabilities.

The goal of this program is provide a disabilities awareness program to schools within the community.  Each student will receive an overview of developmental disabilities and have the chance to participate in physical education activities using specialized adaptive equipment with Matheny students.

The five stations—that will be set up for students to attempt a variety of adaptive sports equipment—include the following: an adaptive bowling ramp with pins and bowling ball, Bocce using a head pointer helmet, motorized and manual wheelchair driving, and an adapted tricycle.

Centenary to Hold Wrestling Team Reunion.

Hackettstown, NJ, November 8, 2007 – Centenary College will hold a Wrestling Team Reunion on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 3:30 P.M., just prior to a match against University of Scranton. The wrestling will start in Centenary’s newly-renovated John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center at 4:30.

Centenary’s Head Wrestling Coach John Garriques says, “We hope to have our current and former wrestlers come together on this day to celebrate what it means to be a wrestler at Centenary College for camaraderie and Cyclone pride.”

For more information, please contact any of the following:

Team Founder, Bob Quade  at (908) 852-1400, ext.2241 or profq1@aol.com.

Head Coach, John Garriques, at (908) 852-1400, ext.2197 or garriquesj@centenarycollege.edu

Athletic Administrative Assistant, J.J. Cusick, at (908) 852-1400 ext.2297 or cusickj@centenarycollege.edu

Coach Garriques begins his second season as a Head Coach at the collegiate coaching ranks, taking over a Centenary College Wrestling program that has seen its share of success the past few seasons.  Coach Garriques comes to Centenary by way of a very well known wrestling program at Phillipsburg High School, where he had been an assistant the last three seasons.  At Phillipsburg, which happens to also be his Alma Mater, Coach Garriques was directly involved with every aspect of the daily activities within the program.
  
Coach Garriques wrestling career began in high school at Phillipsburg, where he was a three time New Jersey State place winner.  Upon graduation, John attended Gloucester County College in Gloucester, NJ.  There in his freshman year he was a Junior College National Champion and went on to become a two-time Junior College All-American in both 1998 and 2000.  From there he transferred to Seton Hall University in the fall of 2000, and was an NCAA National Qualifier.  John then completed his wrestling career the next season at Hofstra University where he also became a National Qualifier, for the second consecutive year.  Along with his wrestling accolades, Coach Garriques also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Psychology from Seton Hall University in 2004.

The Wrestling team began at Centenary in 1992.  There are currently 24 wrestlers on the Centenary team. Visit the Cyclone Wrestling Team home page.
 
The John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center completed a renovation in January 2007. The athletic facility was expanded to 30,000 square feet and includes a 1,200 seat gymnasium with two full-sized multi-purpose courts, a fitness center / weight-room, locker rooms, a wrestling room, a pool with separate locker room facilities, indoor batting cages, new athletic staff offices, and athletic training facilities.

’07 Western Africa Seminar — A Ghanaian Case Study Slated for November 19.

Hackettstown, NJ, November 7, 2007 – Centenary College students will present ’07 Western Africa Seminar—a Ghanaian Case Study, which will focus on various aspects of the culture of Ghana on Monday, November 19th from 3-5 P.M. in the Robert E. and Virginia N. Littell Technology Center. Each presentation will be 15 minutes.  Light refreshments will be available and the event is open to the public. Presentations will include:

• Russell Yarnell on Journey of an African Slave
• Michael Littlejohn on Perceptions of Black American College Students
• Sara Walsh on Education in Ghana
• Samantha Buyers on Environmental Perspective
• Constance Edouard on Ghanaian Art and Music
• Rebecca Miller on Environmental Awareness and Education in Ghana
• Osei Long on Effects of Poverty and Aids in Children
• Coree Reuter on Ghanaian Culture Photographic Journal
• Kristin Lesino on Operation Missionaries of Charity
• Craig Alaburda on Trokosi
• Yolander Graham on Religion and Beliefs of Spiritual Leaders

Centenary College sent these students to the west African nation of Ghana on June 7 and they returned on June 19. The College’s International Studies department underwrote the cost of the trip, which included medical vaccinations, visa, airfare, rooms, and meals for the undergraduates and Reverend David Jones, Dr. Norman Cetuk and Dr. Dean Bethea. 

Dr. Cetuk, assistant professor of criminal justice, says of the presentations, “These students will provide fascinating background information on every aspect of the society and culture of Ghana, and I look forward to having these students share their findings with the public.”

Centenary Honors Distinguished Alumnae.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 26, 2007 – Centenary College has named six Distinguished Alumnae—Carol Burgess Lackland, Norma Boom Marin, Deborah Harry, Patricia Terhune Hoffman, Lois Kroll, and Carole Snyder, who were honored with the Award at the Distinguished Alumni Brunch during on Sunday, October 14, 2007, as part of the Homecoming and Alumni Weekend festivities. 

Carol Burgess Lackland, Class of 1954, is an art lover. She is a pianist and performed locally. Carol has also worked in broadcasting for the Bill Cullen Show, a National Broadcasting Company. Further, she is an active member of the President Circle, The Campaign for Centenary College Steering Committee, and the Whitney Society and former Chairman of the Annual Fund at Centenary College. Aside from her alma mater, Carol volunteers at the Community Concert Series, the Music Society and Women’s Auxiliary of Hospitals. She is the former President of the Plainfield Junior Women’s Club and Former President of Hospital Twigs.  She is on the Board of Trustees for the United Family and Children and was the class chairman for the 40th reunion at Centenary.

Aside from all her professional and personal achievements, Carol and her husband David Lackland have made the largest single gift in the history of Centenary College. This magnificent facility, the David and Carol Lackland Center, recently broke ground and is expected to open for the fall 2009 semester.

Norma Boom Marin, Class of 1950, is a noted American modern art collector, philanthropist, and daughter-in-law of distinguished American artist John Marin.  In 2002, the Centenary alumna donated “Delaware in Flood” a painting by Lois Dodd, which hangs in the Front Parlours of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building.  

Deborah Ann Harry, Class of 1965, is a singer, songwriter, and actress. “Debbie” was the lead singer of the punk rock band "Blondie," named after her stage name. In 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Harry is set to embark on the “Necessary Evil Tour” kicking off in New York at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza on November 8th.  Harry is promoting her sixth solo album aptly titled Necessary Evil released October 9th on Five Seven Music.  Debbie’s upcoming film, Elegy, starring Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, is expected to be released sometime in 2007 and is based on the Phillip Roth novel, The Dying Animal.

Patricia Terhune Hoffman, Class of 1947, is a compassionate and exemplary woman who has dedicated her time and effort to advance the mission of Centenary College and the welfare of her community.  As a Centenary student, Pat began a life long journey of service to seriously disadvantaged and disabled children. In the 1940s she created and launched new programs to help those with varying disabilities, the likes of which this country had never seen.  In the field of serving those with special needs, Pat is truly a pioneer and an inspiration to today’s Centenary students. 

Lois Montana Kroll, Class of 1962, is currently retired, having owned her own Events Consulting Business, Halberg – Kroll Associates, for six years. Lois has focused most of her energy on various charitable organizations. She was on the Board of Trustees of the Association for Mentally Ill Children, the first school in the country for Autistic children. She was Chairman of Youth against Cancer, a division of the American Cancer Society, and Chairman of the Guild, and member of the Board of Trustees of the New York Downtown Hospital. Lois was Chairman of the President’s Circle and a member of the Board of Trustees at Centenary College.

Carole Boblitz Snyder, Class of 1965, retired earlier this year from the position of Senior Vice President at FirstEnergy Corp., FirstEnergy Service Company, Akron, Ohio.  Carole has an extensive background working for electric utility companies. She was also the Executive Vice President for GPU Service Company in Morristown, New Jersey.  Carole also advocated on behalf of Centenary College’s proposal to FirstEnergy Foundation, in support of the Teacher’s Academy.  Carole has participated in Centenary College’s Campaign Steering Council, Capital Campaign Phase 1; Gala Vice Chair, 2001 Scholarship Gala; Cleveland Alumni event, 2003; Hostess, Cleveland Alumni event, 2002; 2001 Scholarship Gala; 2000 President’s Circle Theatre Event. 

Nominations were sought for the Distinguished Alumni Award honor this year as part of the celebrations commemorating Centenary College’s 140th Anniversary. Established in 1992, during Centenary College’s 125th anniversary, 125 alumni were honored; and 10 additional alumni were added to the list in 2002, in conjunction with the inauguration of Centenary College President Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt. The purpose of the award is to recognize Centenary alumni personal or professional achievement, and service to the College or the community-at-large.  Nominations were reviewed by the selection committee comprised of a representative of the Alumni Association Executive Board, the President of the College, a member of the President’s Circle, and the Director for Alumni Relations.

Each nominee shares hallmark Centenary characteristics of Service, Excellence, Tradition, and Growth. For consideration of the award, they each must also have additionally exhibited personal achievement—through exceptional commitment to the community, volunteerism, and advocacy—or professional achievement by career accomplishments—substantiated by research, arts, sciences, elected positions, awards, honors, publications, or other significant achievements. Further, each nominee was also selected on the basis of leadership positions demonstrating exceptional achievement as a visionary, critical thinker, advocate, or pioneer.

Sussex-Warren NJAWBO and Centenary's SBDC to Co-Host Dinner Meeting at Centenary College.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 31, 2007 – The Sussex-Warren New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) and Centenary College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will co-sponsor a dinner meeting on November 12, 2007 at 6:30 P.M. in Centenary’s Edward W. Seay Administration Building’s Front Parlours.

Interested parties should please make reservations (no later than November 7) with Melinda McCoy Miller by calling (973)579-5815 or via email: memcmi@nac.net. The cost will be $33.

The topic will be “Implementation Challenges - Let's Get Real!” Whether potential entrepreneurs have a formal plan or strategy, or an informal one that is only an idea, challenges may arise as throughout the implementation of those plans and strategies. This presentation will address how to recognize those challenges with clarity and identify approaches for exploring and finding alternative solutions.

Linda Schmidt will speak at the event. She is the founder and President of LC Schmidt Associates LLC, an executive coaching and business consulting company. LC Schmidt Associates LLC is the vehicle through which Linda provides her accumulated experience, skills and knowledge to help businesses of all types and sizes – from 1 to 1000s – and their leaders identify and solve their particular issues; clarify, plan and execute what they want to accomplish; embrace change; enhance their strengths; and inspire them to achieve their full potential.

As preparation for this entrepreneurial venture, Linda has had 30 years of experience working in and leading a wide variety of business operations, including serving as a Vice President of a large company. The sum total of the breadth and depth of her business experience resulted in Linda’s understanding much about what makes businesses and the people in them work well, and an ability to assess situations quickly. She is able to help people get out of their own way and enhance their business success.

There are also two breakfast events planned.

Sussex County 
1st Wednesday, Panera Bread, Sparta
Donna Price, (973) 948-7673
dprice@compassroseconsulting.com

Warren County
3rd Thursday, Panera Bread, Mansfield
Mary Adelman, (973) 713-8786
madelman@growwithgreenstar.com

The Sussex-Warren Chapter of NJAWBO is an exclusive membership community of success-minded women, serious about networking, making money, and helping others. Our members are smart, talented professionals, consisting primarily of women business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives. We have much to offer and are always seeking new resources and information for our businesses.

The SBDC’s region includes Warren, Sussex and Morris Counties. Centenary’s is one of 11 centers in the New Jersey Small Business Development Center network which provides small business entrepreneurs:

• Business Advancement Services.
• Student-Powered Projects.
• Counseling and Workshops.
• Research Resources.

Regional Director, Dolores Stammer, says, “Some of you may remember this being a successful workshop at the NJAWBO Boot Camp last spring. Now we will kick it up a notch and hone in on your particular challenges and roadblocks with this interactive presentation.”

Centenary College Joins U-CAN to Provide Institutional Data to Prospective Students.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 25, 2007 – Centenary College has joined 11 other New Jersey-based colleges in a national initiative to provide comprehensive public information to help prospective students judge the quality of its own and other higher education institutions. With this move, Centenary has voluntarily joined hundreds of other private colleges, all working to offer to their prospective students an assessment tool through a commitment to transparency and accountability. Participation in a new Web-based project called U-CAN is one step toward this commitment, which offers potential consumers vast resources.

Unlike some college quality assessments, U-CAN does not include reputation surveys or rankings. Instead, students and families will have free online access to objective and measurable data that is supplemented by targeted hyperlinks to each participating institution's Web site. Through this initiative, Centenary will work with other institutions to offer consumers the information they need to make the college choice that is the best reflection of each individual.

The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) leads the development of the University & College Accountability Network (U-CAN). The Web-based consumer resource launched in September 2007 will provide easily accessible, comprehensive, and quantifiable data regarding every participating institution.

NAICU's U-CAN is designed—in a user-friendly format—to provide prospective students and their families concise, Web-based, consumer-friendly, searchable information on individual private colleges and universities. U-CAN will consist of institutional profiles that contain comparable data and hyperlinks to qualitative campus information. The information provided in the U-CAN institutional profiles is derived from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS survey and the Common Data Set.

Data and narrative sections within the institutional profiles will cover all aspects of each participating institution, including admissions, enrollment, academics, student demographics, graduation rates, most common fields of study, transfer of credit policy, accreditation, faculty information, class size, tuition and fees trends, price of attendance, financial aid, campus housing, student life, and campus safety.

Centenary’s profile (and those of the several other participating institutions) can be viewed at http://www.ucan-network.org. Not surprisingly (given its long-standing commitment to both its own and the surrounding community), Centenary fares quite well in both safety standards and retention rates.

"Centenary’s partnership with U-CAN once again demonstrates our commitment to truly student-centered learning. All prospective students and their family needs and deserves reliable and accessible information about higher education institutions," says Centenary President Kenneth Hoyt. "NAICU's initiative to offer quantifiable information about each of these institutions demonstrates a commitment of private colleges to share data covering every aspect of their operation, and particularly their learning outcomes. Through initiatives like the Web-based U-CAN, Centenary is committed to provide more information and to improve the accessibility of reliable benchmark data for prospective students."

Centenary to Celebrate Non-traditional Student Week.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 23, 2007 – Centenary College will celebrate Non-Traditional Student Week from November 4-10.  Non-traditional students represent the fastest growing student population on modern college campuses. These unique and resilient students currently comprise at least 49% undergraduate and graduate enrollment across the nation. These individuals are very often full time students, full time employees, parents, and volunteers in their communities. Non-traditional students demonstrate their uniqueness and resilience by surmounting numerous obstacles throughout their pursuit of higher education.

The Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) recognizes the unique concerns and needs of the non-traditional student and, as a result, formed an advocacy organization nine years ago. ANTSHE was founded in 1996 by a group of professionals and students that represented academic institutions throughout the United States and Canada. ANTSHE is dedicated to improving services for non-traditional students around the world.  Their mission is to encourage, support, and coordinate education and advocacy for the adult learning community.  ANTSHE is a 501c3 non-profit organization that hosts annual national and regional conferences. 

Further, the group encourages and supports national and regional conferences throughout the year. These conferences provide a forum for networking and serve as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. ANTSHE also awards scholarships to our student members. Each year Kazimour and DeGabriele Scholarships are granted to select students. Several years, ANTSHE established the first full week in November as National Non-Traditional Student Week.  Non-Traditional students around the country will be recognized for their hard work, perseverance, and resiliency.

For more information about ANTSHE, membership and benefits, interested parties are invited to visit their website at www.antshe.org.

Centenary has many exciting plans for the week. These include:

Parsippany Site

Learner Appreciation Day - Monday, November 5. 5:00 to 7:30pm
Centenary College memorabilia sale, Stress Management Workshop (individual appointments available), Food & drinks, Raffle & Giveaways.

Faculty Appreciation Event - Tuesday, November 6. 5:30 to 6:30pm
Social Hour, Dessert & Refreshments, Raffle & Giveaways.

Career Fair/Alumni Reception - Wednesday, November 7. 5:00 to 8:00pm
Employer Booths, Resume writing, interview tips, Networking/business card exchange, Raffle & Giveaways, Food & Drinks.

Tutor Recognition Event - Thursday, November 8. 5:00 to 7:30pm
Raffle & Giveaways, Food & Drinks.

Hackettstown Main Campus

Career Fair - Monday, November 5. 5:00 to 7:30pm
Resume writing, interview tips, Networking/business card exchange, Raffle & Giveaways, Food & Drinks.

Metro Park Site

Career Fair - Tuesday, November 6. 5:00 to 7:30pm
Career Fair/Employer Tables, Career Services Showcase, Networking/business card exchange, Raffle & Giveaways, Food & Drinks

Centenary College deeply respects and completely appreciates the dedication of the Non-Traditional students who comprise their institution, and hope to demonstrate that admiration on Non-Traditional Student Week on November 4 -10.

For more information, please call 973-257-5190, ext. 5050.

Centenary to Host “The Role of Women in Leadership” Seminar.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 19, 2007 – Centenary College will host a seminar entitled “The Role of Women in Leadership” on Wednesday, October 24 at 7 P.M., in the Front Parlours of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building. Admission is free and all are welcome to this seminar.
 
The seminar will cover a broad range of topics relevant to women in leadership in different fields, such as politics, business, and higher education. It will also address issues women face in positions of leadership and seek opinions on how to overcome these obstacles. The numerous panelists scheduled to appear were selected for their excellence in leadership. Those panelists include:

Wallace P. Parker Jr. - Wallace P. Parker is President of Energy Delivery and Customer Relationship Group at KeySpan, a holding company created when the Long Island Lighting Company merged with Brooklyn Union in 1998.
 
Sasha Patterson - Sasha Patterson is the Program Coordinator for the National Education for Women's Leadership (NEW Leadership) Program at Rutgers University.

Susan Young - Susan Young is the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary for the Morris School District.  She is the former Chief Financial Officer of Waterloo Foundation for the Arts, Inc., and prior to that she was Assistant Vice President-Corporate Audit for Beneficial Corporation.
 
Nancy Fish - Her most recent role was Vice President of Clinical Services at Monefiore Medical Center where she was accountable for cardiac services throughout the system.
 
John Sommer - John Sommer is the Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Centenary College.
 
Jennifer Morgan - Jennifer Morgan is an award winning children's book author, an educator, an environmental advocate and a storyteller.  Her book, Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story (2002), received the Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award.
 
Catherine Rust – Catherine Rust is the Program Director for the Centenary Stage Company Women Playwrights Series, a program dedicated to providing a working forum for the unique and underserved voice of women writing for the theater today.  It is one of the only programs of its kind in the country to take the work of emerging playwrights through the development process and on to full production.
 
Lissette Acosta-Corniel - Lissette is currently a resident director and an adjunct professor of African, African-American and Caribbean Studies at William Patterson University in NJ.

The seminar was developed by Centenary MBA students Brett Ball, Daniel Buckelew, Adrian Dzibela, Cori Macri, Morgan Metzger, Joe Spayd and Zhoude Weng as part of a Leadership and Team Building course taught by Professor Joseph S. Pizzo. The course title is GBA 500 Leadership and Team Building, and it is a required Master in Business Administration Foundation Course. The course explores leadership and teambuilding and their interrelationship.

Through this course, students learn the importance of effective teamwork and how leadership affects it through the incorporation of topics concerning understanding group development and interactions, goal-setting, and evaluation of the team.

The Master in Business Administration program is designed to prepare students to successfully pursue leadership positions in business. The program builds on the strong reputation of Centenary’s undergraduate degree program, focusing on the development and enhancement of the perspectives, knowledge, and skills required for a career in business. A dual track allows students to select either a global business or marketing emphasis.

Students who complete the MBA program will develop the advanced skills necessary to function in an upper managerial position; acquire the necessary evaluative skills to critically analyze an organization’s performance, utilize technology skills in problem solving and communication; develop an appreciation of the legal and cultural realm of the workplace; demonstrate an understanding of the global business environment.

Adjunct Professor Joseph S. Pizzo says of the presentation, “I am always looking for opportunities to have my students apply their learning in meaningful ways. Our seminar project provides my class with that opportunity.”

Professor Pizzo has been a Teacher of Integrated Language Arts at the Black River Middle School in Chester for 32 years and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Centenary College 15 years. He has served in a wide array of capacities—including that of faculty member, faculty advisor, and workshop presenter. He has also created, written, and done voice-over work for public service spots giving practical advice to parents of school age children. Further, he is an author, poet, tutor, and editor; and he has won numerous awards in his field.

For more information, please call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2291.  Please ask for Morgan Metzger.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 17, 2007 – The morning of October 8 seemed innocuous enough to Centenary College’s devoted Equine Studies students and staff. Every morning is busy at the barn—there are numerous chores and tasks required when maintaining a professional equine facility. But October 8 would prove a particularly eventful morning, even by this team’s hectic standards.

Around 8:30 A.M., a client of Centenary’s veterinary services section was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 transporting her two horses to a horse show in Pennsylvania. While in the Mount Olive region, the client experienced a tire "blow-out" which resulted in the trailer flipping on its side with the two horses inside. (Figure 1)  This accident resulted in the complete closure of I-80 for several hours and the involvement of Mount Olive emergency personnel.

Michael N. Fugaro, Associate Professor of Equine Studies and Veterinarian was called to the scene to assist in the assessment and rescue efforts of the horses.  Dr. Fugaro was able to evaluate and stabilize the horses at the scene, safely extricate them, and transport them back to their farm in Branchburg, New Jersey. (Figure 2)  While Dr. Fugaro was caring for the horses in Mt. Olive, two of Centenary College’s Equine Studies students, Deana Ingrassellino (’07) of Smithtown, NY and Julia Butts (’08) of Peru, NY volunteered their services in assisting with the care and management of this emergency situation.

Visit the Centenary College Equine Studies Department.

Two Guest Speakers Slated for October 24 at Centenary.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 15, 2007 – Dr. Lauren Bergey, Centenary’s newest faculty member in the Mathematics and Natural Science Department, has arranged for two guest speakers to present at the College on October 24 at 4:00 p.m. in the George H. Whitney Chapel in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building. The speakers will discuss pollutant effects on blue crabs and biodiversity of mangrove fishes. This event is free and open to the public.

James MacDonald’s presentation is entitled "Local Scale Community Change in Caribbean Mangrove Forests; Interactions between Fish and Sessile Invertebrates.” Born and raised in New York City, Mr. MacDonald received his B.A. in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1997 and a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Columbia in 1999 while working full time as a computer programmer for an administrative office.

Since then, James has worked on a variety of ecological studies, including river dolphin mortality in Patagonia, and owl behavior/songbird surveys for the New York City Parks Department. Returning to school in 2002, he is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, focusing first on invasive crab species in New Jersey but currently on fish communities and habitat interactions in mangrove forests, work that has taken him to Panama, Puerto Rico, and Honduras. He is currently finishing his dissertation from his home in Brooklyn and interning part time at the American Museum of Natural History.

Jessica Reichmuth’s presentation is entitled “Who is Eating what? Predator-Prey Behavior in Two Populations of Blue Crab in New Jersey.” Jessica was born in Edison, NJ, but her parents moved around a few times while younger, making stops in northern Georgia and central Virginia before finally settling in southwestern Virginia. She then found herself at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC where she earned a B.S. in Marine Science in 2001 and finished her second B.S. in Biology in 2002. While at CCU, Jessica conducted research on the behavior and ecology of the North Atlantic ghost crab and she traveled to the University of West Indies Marine Lab in Discovery Bay, Jamaica to participate in research projects in coral reef ecology. Her career as a student came to a full circle when she moved back to central New Jersey with her husband.  In 2002, Jessica was accepted to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-Newark. She plans to graduate in the Fall 2008.

Professor Turrisi, Chair of the Mathematics and Natural Science Department, says, “I hope an interested audience attends these presentations. Both individuals are experts in their very fascinating fields, and I am sure the experience will be quite more than worthwhile to all involved.”

For more information, please call: 215-850-0620.

Merial's Jack Chellew to Present Equine Seminar at Centenary College on October 15.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 9, 2007 – Jack Chellew, from Merial (a subsidiary of Merck) will present “Technological Advances in Equine Health and Therapies" on October 15, 2007 at 7 p.m. at the Centenary College Equine Center on 220 Middle Valley Road, Long Valley, NJ.

This seminar, free and open to the public, is designed for horse owners, trainers, managers, and enthusiasts.  Mr. Chellew will discuss new pharmaceutical technologies in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and vaccinations.

Dr. Michael N. Fugaro, Associate Professor of Equine Studies and Veterinarian for Centenary College, will also provide some background information on the history and pharmacology behind these drugs and their usage.

Merial, a subsidiary of Merck, is a world-leading animal health company. They are a progressive company with a proven track record of producing pharmaceutical products and vaccines for livestock, pets, and wildlife. The company is an innovative leader in product development, providing millions of doses worldwide annually to keep livestock and pets healthy.

Jack Chellew was the recipient of the second annual Standardbred Retirement Foundation's Burke Humanity Award. He is a Senior Sales Representative in the Equine Group for Merial.

Dr. Fugaro says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for the horsemen and women in the area to learn a little about the pharmaceutical industry surrounding our horses.  Merial is a significant contributor to the equine industry and Centenary College is particularly lucky to be able to provide such an educational session to the students and public alike.  We hope that everyone can take advantage of this program.”

For more information, please call (908) 832-7010, ext. 7.

Students take hats off to unique freshmen courses.

Centenary hopes to engage students in fun ways and help them develop college skills.

Monday, October 08, 2007
By LYNN OLANOFF
The Express-Times

HACKETTSTOWN | Julianne Campbell wasn't sure there could be a college class on hats.

A month into Hats: Function, Fashion and Fun, the Centenary College freshman is a believer. "It's possible and fun, too," the Edgewater, N.J., resident said.

The class is studying why people wear hats and students will also make four hats of their own.

Other Centenary freshmen are playing the computer game "The Sims" to study relationships as part of a social and behavior science course. Some science students are studying the science of sex.

The three courses are part of Centenary's Academic Foundations classes for freshmen. Many of the classes have fun subject matters to better engage students and help them develop college skills without being tripped up by course material.

"Why not do it in a fun way that engages the students and gets them involved and has a lot of potential for projects," said Cheryl Veronda, Centenary's director of academic transitions.

Veronda, who's also an assistant professor of business, ran a previous Academic Foundations class for business majors that allowed students to run their own businesses. Some made several hundred dollars from their endeavors.

Lynn Taylor, an associate professor of biology, was looking for an interesting or relevant topic to teach her science students. Her mind turned to sex.

"I wanted to try to introduce the scientific process and how science relates to the real world, hopefully in a fun way," she said. "When you relate it back to something kids want to talk about -- which is sex -- the kids are more motivated to learn."

Her students have been studying why certain species have sex and why others are asexual. They'll be conducting some DNA analysis and investigating whether women are affected by men's pheromones, which are scents used in attracting mates.

The students in the hats class are all fashion design majors, but many of them were still surprised to be taking a class all on headgear.

 In a recent class, the students watched a slide show of people in various hats and theorized why they wore them. Their answers were protection, religion, culture, fashion and to cover a bad hair day.

They've already made intricate hats out of construction paper and will be making knitted, fleece, fabric and possibly straw hats.

And they'll learn valuable academic lessons along the way, professor Julia Sharp said.

"They're learning small motor skills they need in the fashion industry," she said. "There's quite a lot of theory and it doesn't all relate to hats.

"And some of them might become milliners. Who knows?" Sharp said.

For her students, the class is a lot of fun.

Jessie Davis' mother told her that her first semester would be all general education classes. The Brick, N.J., resident was glad for the chance to start her fashion design courses and has developed an affinity for knitting, a skill Sharp taught all the hat students.

"I knit wherever I go," Davis said.

Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.

Centenary's Dr. Shane Fitzpatrick to Present at Hackettstown Rotary Club.

Hackettstown, NJ, October 8, 2007 – Centenary College’s Dr. Shane Fitzpatrick, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, will present an “Update on the War in Iraq: Where are We Now?” to the Hackettstown Rotary Club on October 16, at 12:30 P.M at the Pump House in Hackettstown, NJ.

Dr. Fitzpatrick currently teaches courses in international relations with special emphasis on international security matters and international humanitarian affairs. His most recent work has centered on domestic and international terrorism. He recently presented a paper at the European Studies Conference at the University of Nebraska entitled, The Lessons of Northern Ireland for the American War on Terrorism. He has written on the problem of terrorism in Russia, especially the suicide attacks in Moscow. He is a former lecturer on Soviet and Russian affairs for the Royal Air Force Junior Officers Training Program.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is a frequent analyst on domestic and international affairs for WNTI-FM (91.9) and WRNJ-AM (1510) and speaks frequently to educational, business and other media-related groups on the origins and consequences of contemporary terrorism. He has had op-ed pieces published with The Daily Record (for the fifth anniversary of 9/11) and The Star Ledger.

Each year, Dr. Fitzpatrick takes students to International University in Moscow for language, cultural and security studies. He received a doctorate in Political Studies in 1989 from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland).

“I am very excited to speak to the Hackettstown Rotary Club,” Dr. Fitzpatrick says. “I am certain the members of the audience—comprised entirely of Rotary Club members—will be an interested and socially conscious group.”

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Fair Chance.

By Joe Arney, Advertising Business Services Staff
The Star Ledger
Sunday, September 30, 2007

Attention, college applicants: If you take nothing else away from this article, remember to print up address labels and take them with you to college fairs.

Just about every school has its own recommendations for how to best prepare for a fair, but they all list address labels as a priority. These labels, which should include an e-mail address and phone number, can be placed onto information cards so that schools can send follow up materials to interested students.

"It saves them a lot of time,” said Alyssa McCloud-Long, vice-president of enrollment management at Felician College. “They can take a lot of time filling out 30, 40 cards for a fair. They’re not making as much of the fair as they could."

"There’s a benefit for colleges, too–we can actually read what’s been given to us," said Susan Heard, director of undergraduate enrollment operations at Centenary College.

Other than the cards, attending a college fair is like your typical homework assignment. Do your research, write out important questions and spend time thinking about what's most important to you about a school.

"You need to find the college that fits you," Heard said. "It’s going to be your home for the next four years and what you identify with the rest of your life."

It’s a mistake to go into a fair and not shop around a bit, McCloud-Long said. "You might be missing some gems you’re not aware of," she said.

"Many times you’re so familiar with a few schools," whether they're big-name universities or the colleges that siblings, friends or parents attended, said Maura O’Connor, director of undergraduate admission at Caldwell College. "Students have to learn to keep an open mind, and doing research helps them keep an open mind."

"Try to hit every table," Heard said. "If you find a school you like, ask for a business card from a counselor ... (and) collect materials off the table, that’s what they’re there for. You can always throw stuff away."

And use the time wisely, she said, because typical fairs are usually no more than two hours. "It’s not a time to socialize with peers," she said.

Students are often nervous about approaching counselors at college fairs, Heard said, usually because they haven’t prepared or aren’t certain what to say.

"A lot of students are afraid because they don’t know what they want to study," she said. "That’s OK. The recruiters are there to show them what the college has to offer." If nothing else, students can get started by simply walking up to a table, introducing themselves and mentioning their interests.

"We want to help them make a good decision," she said. "It’s a good chance to take general information ... and personalize it to your own situation" by speaking with a recruiter.

O’Connor agreed. "In preparation, students should have a list of questions to ask at every table, and those questions should be important to them," she said. That helps settle nerves because it gives students points of discussion, removing uncertainty, she added.

To avoid an ugly showdown with Mom and Dad at a fair, it’s best to discuss and plan the search process as a family, admissions representatives said.

"Parents should allow students to explore what’s out there, and then discuss what they found ... almost weekly," Heard said. "If the parents have concerns about where their child is looking, they should have that conversation" before a student gets too far in the search.

And if a student wishes to attend a school that doesn’t line up with a parent’s expectations, it’s best to give specific reasons for wanting to go there, like activities, courses of study or type of campus, said Jason Langdon, director of undergraduate admissions at Montclair State University.

"If you have different ideas, do research ahead of time and make a case for attending these schools," he said. "(Parents) want to walk in with at least a general idea of what types of schools they’ll be looking at."

Students who do that research can maximize their efficiency at any fair, he added. Many fairs publish a list of attending colleges in advance, so students can research schools ahead of time.

"I’ve even known some students who find a map and plan out a route so they’re not wasting time ... there are some college fairs where over 500 schools are present," Langdon said.

With the many ways to process information about colleges —traditional mailings as well as Web sites and more— Langdon said ‘‘students and families should take advantage of the one-on-one time with a professional.

"It’s an opportunity to ask higher-level questions ... especially (about) a school that’s far away," he said. If a particular college of interest is a five-hour drive away, students should be sure of their interest before making the trip.

An admissions counselor can "give depth to the numbers" about class sizes, what professionals look for in an application and where other students come from, Langdon said.

It’s a little different for large public schools, like Rutgers University, said Diane Harris, director of marketing and communications for undergraduate admissions at the school. Rutgers posts its information cards online so that students can open a dialog with the school before a fair. Because so many students will wind up at Rutgers’ table, few will truly have a chance to make a strong impression on an admissions counselor.

But students generally know what they want even before a fair, Harris said. "Students are visiting Web sites as freshmen and sophomores, even before most parents are thinking about it," she said. Most schools now offer special areas for prospective students, including student profiles and a look at the social scene because that attracts student interest.

"There’s been a very big shift on how colleges reach students, and how students get information," Harris said. Another opportunity to learn about colleges can be a high school guidance counselor. Although counselors’ roles vary from school to school, students should head to the guidance office to learn what to expect.

"The guidance counselor is there to assist students in the college selection,’’ O’Connor said, ‘‘but sometimes, students don’t even seek out a guidance counselor."

"The high school counselor should know a little bit about the student ... and what direction to kind of push them in," Harris said. A counselor can help a student identify realistic reach and safety schools, and "provide a little pathway" for a smart choice.

Most importantly, professionals said—beyond perhaps even address labels—is to come with an open mind.

"Be open to the possibilities that are out there," Heard said. "Just because you know a name doesn’t mean it’s a good fit, and just because you don’t know a name doesn’t make it a bad fit."

Attending with parents also can help offset shyness, but "it’s always best if the student is asking the questions," Langdon said. ‘‘Admissions professionals will remember that."

McCloud-Long agreed. "It always impresses us to see a student express his needs and desires, and being inquisitive," she said. Obviously, grades and activities count on an application, "but that we can see on paper."

Student Soldier Masters Balancing Act.

The Star Ledger
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Centenary College

HACKETTSTOWN—The challenges of any college student are many—from academic to personal, the obstacles in the path every individual faces as they progress on the academic journey can seem quite daunting at times. Centenary College student Craig Hyson, however, has challenges that exceed those of his fellow students. Hyson is a Centenary student, but he also is serving his country in Iraq as a staff sergeant in a Civil Affairs Company in the Army Reserves.

Without modern technology, his Centenary education while stationed in Iraq would be impossible. Though the technology is inconsistent and his challenge is huge, he bravely works every day in a decidedly unique dual capacity—that of student and that of soldier.

His major is sociology, and he has been enrolled in the program since 2004, after completing an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice at the County College of Morris. Since beginning college, he has been busy with other endeavors: He was deployed to Kosovo in 2001 for nine months,15 months were spent mobilized and deployed to Iraq in 2003-04,the New Jersey State Police Academy lasted 26 weeks (from which he graduated in 2005), and now he is amid this Iraq deployment, which started in December 2006 and will end in or around March 2008.

He plans to graduate after one semester when he returns to Centenary. He needs a couple classes that are not offered through the online program, but he believes Fall 2008 should be his last semester.

His original goal was to become a New Jersey State Trooper, and that is indeed his day job. He thought taking sociology or criminal justice was a good way of obtain background knowledge toward the career he wished to pursue, and that was his primary interest in the program.

Hyson is currently the noncommissioned officer in charge of the provincial joint communication center in Mosul, Iraq. This is basically a 9-1-1 dispatching station for the Iraqi police, as well as the location of the civil and military operations center, from where funds can be disbursed to local nationals who suffer property damages, injuries, or the loss of life of family members due to military action. He functions as a liaison between his higher command and Iraqis affected by the war.

The Internet connection in Iraq is, as he puts it, "anything but reliable," making the distance learning process difficult. Furthermore, he has to finish his regular work before he has time to do his course work. The online courses are geared toward a situation such as his, however, so he can complete the work when he can, and the eight-hour time difference makes little difference.

Hyson resides in Washington Township, Warren County, and he has found the online world religions class quite interesting, but he believes the online history of Modern Art class has thus far been his favorite. The course incorporated a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as well as a lively and engaging discussion board. He insists, however, "I have not yet taken a class I have not enjoyed at Centenary College. The time, distance and my deeply conflicting schedule have all been surmountable hurdles thanks to the college."

Centenary Student Organizes Ghana Fundraiser for October 8-19.

Hackettstown, NJ, September 26, 2007 – Centenary's Kristin Lesino, a student and Resident Assistant of Smith Hall, has generously decided to conduct a fundraiser for the mission in Accra, Ghana that she visited this past summer. She is doing this fundraiser because her Centenary-sponsored trip to Ghana influenced her greatly and gave her an entirely new world-view. Ghana was to her nothing less than an instant culture shock.

Upon her visit to the mission in Accra, Ghana called Missionary of Charity, Kristin was enthusiastically greeted by four small smiling children. The mission is devoted to helping the most financially destitute of the residents. There is a wide range of people in the small mission, ranging in age from 1 month old to 95 years old. They are plagued with infectious viruses, malnutrition, and HIV. The missionary there explained that children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy will probably remain in such an environment for the rest of their lives.

Kristin says, “From visiting the missionary and seeing the poor conditions that all the people are living in I felt that I was brought there for a reason and I had to do something to help, even if it was just a little. I thought up the idea of doing a fundraiser to raise clothing and other supplies for the missionary to make life a little better for them. Most of the people there are not going to live much longer due to disease, and if I can make them a little happier by having new clothing and other things to make them more comfortable, then that's what I am going to do.”

Kristin’s fundraiser will be held from October 8-19. There will be two drive boxes on campus in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building and fliers will be posted around campus. This fundraiser is a profound example of the full power of Centenary's commitment to service learning. The entire Centenary community wishes to express its sincere appreciation and deep admiration for Kristin and her project, which the altruistic individual has deemed “Clean Out Your Closet for a Cause.”

Kristin asks that contributors donate the following items:

• Fitted twin size bed sheets (New or Used)
• Adult Diapers
• Lightweight Summer clothing (Adult) (shorts, t-shirts, tank tops) Male and Female
• Lightweight Summer clothing (Children) (shorts, t-shirts, tank tops) Male and Female
• Sandals (New or Used)
• Toothbrushes / Toothpaste
• Band-aids
• Gauze
• Baby one-piece undershirts (New or Used)
• Newborn- 14 months clothing (New or Used)
• 14 months and up children’s lightweight summer clothing (New or Used)
• Colorful Infant toys (i.e. Rattles, side of crib attachable toys, teething rings..)
• Nursing blankets
• Colored Pencils
• Coloring books
• Washable Markers
• Crayons

For more information, please call (609) 680-3986.

Centenary Set to Offer Sports Management Symposium.

Hackettstown, NJ, September 25, 2007 – On, Monday October 8, Centenary College will host a Sports Management Symposium. Special guest speakers for the event will be Brian Dailey of ESPN, Pat Capra of Lunar Sports Group and current sports management adjunct professor at Centenary College, Jerry Dailey.

“The sports industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business and trained business professionals are in high demand. Here at Centenary College we offer a dynamic Business Major Concentration in Sports Management that affords students the opportunity to combine a core business education, their passion for sports, and critical real world experience in the sports industry,” says Jerry Dailey, adjunct professor and former Vice-President of Marketing for the New Jersey Devils.

Several former and current Centenary students have gone on to work or intern for such sport franchises as the New Jersey Nets, Lunar Sports, Trenton Thunder and the Lakewood Blue Claws.

Pat Capra, co-founder of Lunar Sports Group, specializes in player marketing and player representation for the Caldwell, NJ based company. Lunar has built solid relationships with national businesses and corporations. Companies such as ESPN, Take Two Interactive, Ralph Lauren/Polo, Nautica and Estee Lauder all have used Lunar clients for appearances and endorsements. Capra and Lunar have secured the services of such top professional athletes as Marshall Faulk, Jenny Finch, Anthony Fasano and Tom Glavine.

Brian Dailey has worked for ESPN for the past seven years and currently is the Marketing Director for the ESPN’s Enterprises Division. At ESPN, Dailey has worked on special events for such major events as the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and Major League Baseball All-Star Game. His responsibilities now entail representation for ESPN in their on going partnership with EA Sports and their Madden ’08 video game.

Check-in for the event will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch immediately to follow. Pre-registration is required but there is no charge to attend. To register for our Sports Management Symposium visit our Web site:

www.centenarycollege.edu/events or call 1-800-236-8679.

You can also register online for the symposium here.

If you have any questions regarding the event please feel free to contact David Sawicki at 908-852-1400 ext. 2344.

Centenary's Lackland Center Groundbreaking Set for October 11.

On weekly 'Boss Hour,' DJ gives Springteen fans an earful.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Ask 1,000 Bruce Springsteen fans in this state how they became interested in his music, you'll get a thousand different stories.

Mine was the Fonz-meets-Elvis album cover.

There was a boardwalk game at Wildwood in the late 1970s that involved a beach ball, what looked like a miniature boxing ring and probably about two dozen card symbols like the Queen of Hearts and Ace of Clubs. Throw the ball in the roped-off square that had your symbol, you won a record of your choice.

Luckily for my two brothers and me, we had an ultra-competitive dad who somehow gauged the wind currents and angles well enough to win us albums.

In an era when disco ruled, there was something different about this guy on the "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album cover, with his black Arthur Fonzarelli leather jacket, white T-shirt and rolled-out-of-bed hair. I took the Springsteen album home, was blown away by his deep Elvis-like voice and poignant lyrics, and ended up buying 17 more albums, cassettes and CDs in the 28 years since.

So stumbling across a show hosted by Jon Lewis in Warren County was like manna from radio heaven.

Every Saturday at 11 a.m., Lewis hosts "The Boss Hour," all Springsteen all the time, one of the most popular programs on Centenary College's public radio station, WNTI 91.9 FM.

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable, Lewis takes listeners from western New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania on a stroll down the boardwalk with a diverse selection of Springsteen music.

His specialty is in playing the hidden gems of Springsteen -- the songs that didn't receive the mainstream radio airplay of "Born in the USA" and "Hungry Heart."

During a recent program, he played such rarities as "Janey Don't You Lose Heart" and "Loose Ends" from the "Tracks" CD, "Without You" from the "Blood Brothers" CD and a live version of the "The E Street Shuffle."

Then there was the request he got over the phone:

"It's four months until Christmas and you want to hear 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town?'" Lewis was heard to ask Lisa from Hackettstown.

 Like all big Springsteen fans, Lewis, now the station broadcast manager, knows the exact number of times he has seen him in concert (21). His introduction to Springsteen's music came via a friend's brother, who chastised Lewis and his buddies for listening to the "Grease" soundtrack and instead played Springsteen's classic "Born to Run" album.

The 42-year-old father of two looks in his element as he sits behind a sound board in a far-flung room of Centenary's Seay Administration Building, his handy bag of Springsteen CDs at the ready.

And to think, this all started as a fluke.

He was hired at the college to work at the TV station but would often poke his head in the radio studio and request a Springsteen song.

The reaction was the same each time: They tried to throw him out.

But finally, in September 2004, the station asked him to tape a Springsteen show that was set to run at the ghostly hour of 2 a.m.

But when the nighttime DJ called in sick on Sept. 23, 2004 -- Springsteen's 55th birthday -- station representatives decided to move up the taped version of "The Boss Hour" to the drive-time slot of 6 p.m.

When Lewis arrived at work the next morning, employees were looking at him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You're not gonna believe it," he was told. "The phones. They never stopped ringing. They rang, and they rang into the next show."

Station leaders asked Lewis if he could do one more show -- live. Again, the phones never stopped ringing.

"It was like 1984 all over again," Lewis said, referring to what was considered the peak year of Springsteen's popularity.

Station representatives asked him if he could do the show once a week.

Three years later, he's still doing it.

He's gotten e-mails from England and Japan. He's heard from soldiers in Afghanistan. He's interviewed E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt and former Springsteen band member David Sancious.

The WNTI airwaves don't reach Springsteen's home county of Monmouth, but Lewis still holds out hope that he will one day hear from his hero.

What would he even say to him?

"Thank you."

Mike Frassinelli may be reached at mfrassinelli@starledger.com or (908) 475-1218.

SBDC Celebrates Many Successes as it Approaches its First Anniversary at Centenary.

Hackettstown, NJ, September 5, 2007 – Centenary College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will celebrate its first anniversary this month. The success of the SBDC throughout its first year at the Hackettstown-based institution speaks for itself.

This year alone, there have been 98 clients served from Warren County, 39 from Hackettstown; 243 from Morris County, and 39 from Parsippany (home of Centenary’s Adult and Professional Programs). Further, 60 workshops have been held in the last year with 497 attendees in all. Forty-one workshops were held in Hackettstown with a total of 328 attendees and 11 were held in Parsippany with 21 attendees.

Also, as part of a co-sponsored program with the Warren County Chamber of Commerce, the SBDC is investing approximately $4,500 in over 70 books to establish a Business Information Center (BIC) at the Taylor Memorial Library on the Centenary campus. In addition, any SBDC clients from Warren, Sussex, and Morris counties will be able to receive a college library card. Traditionally, Centenary’s library has been open to only the college and surrounding Hackettstown community.

Dolores Stammer, the new Regional Director of the SBDC says, “The new books will be an invaluable resource for both local businesses and potential entrepreneurs. We are partnering with the Warren County Chamber of Commerce to help open Centenary’s Taylor Memorial Library to surrounding counties to share the wealth of business knowledge.”

 Of many SBDC success stories, Marco Matteo’s is of particular interest. Mr. Matteo used Business Information Center software (namely, Palo Alto Software: Marketing Plan Pro and Business Plan Pro on a BIC Computer) to complete a business plan.  As a result, he received a loan to open up his company—The Washington Theatre. 

"The Washington," as it was called upon its opening on Jan 24th, 1927 is a historic vaudeville house that was twinned in 1978 and continuously featured movies throughout its duration. Those affiliated with the project hope it unites Washington and the surrounding community and complements the business activity downtown. Mr. Matteo, who has owned The Washington Theater since May 2006, also looks forward to educational partnerships with local schools and colleges. For more information, please visit the web page at www.thewashingtontheater.com. Student entry to The Washington Theater is $5.

Mr. Matteo is well aware of the full value of the SBDC. He says, “The Small Business Development Center, literally, changed not only my own life; but also contributed to reshaping the downtown Washington area. I was extremely impressed by their assistance and absolute professionalism. I also plan to expand my business model, so I will be working with the SBDC yet again.”

 The SBDC network is administered by The U.S. Small Business Administration nationally to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.  SBDCs are located across the country and offer one-stop assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network has eleven centers throughout the Garden State, with State funding from the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission. 

For more information about Centenary’s SBDC, interested parties should visit http://www.centenarycollege.edu/sbdc or call 908-852-1400, ext. 2136.

Welcoming Diversity Committee to Present Mission Statement and Strategic Plan.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 30, 2007 – Centenary College’s EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) program formed a Welcoming Diversity Committee in March that included individuals who represented different social identities from all aspects of the campus. The group is mostly made up of faculty, staff, and students. The committee has thus far worked together to bring new ideas about diversity to the campus and inform how every individual can make the campus a more diverse, friendly atmosphere.

On Wednesday, September 12 at 3:00 P.M., the Welcoming Diversity Committee will host a presentation in the Front Parlours of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building. At that time, the Committee will introduce and present its mission statement and strategic plan.

Further, Teri Corso, Director of Career Services at Bloomfield College, will be formally thanked for her support and guidance to the committee as they developed their strategic initiatives. She spent numerous hours with the committee deliberating over how to create the aforementioned statements and form a successful and realistic strategic plan. The committee meets every other Wednesday and is open to the entire campus community for new members to join at any time.

The group has also designed and planned a three day "train the trainer" session scheduled for September 21-23 2007, where 50 of the most dedicated and passionate leaders in diversity will be trained to become knowledgeable in leading diversity related workshops on campus as well as mediate possible situations that may arise on campus or off, related to discrimination, racism, sexism, faithism, and other such issues.

Centenary as a whole has also begun the process—through the diversity initiative—of becoming a "safe zone" where anyone who sees a "safe zone" sticker will know that the individuals or group in that space is open, non judgmental and welcoming of different types of people. The hope is to achieve a unified campus through these different programs and to see the campus grow by educating everyone on the unique individuals that make up this diverse community. 

Daniel Stringer, International Student Coordinator, has said of the project, “With the advent of the diversity initiative, Centenary College is taking great strides not only to improve its image as a diverse and accepting place for all walks of life but also to turn this image into reality. With the help and support we are receiving from various aspects of the campus community, Centenary is building on the foundations of diversity and will hopefully flourish into the eclectic community we all dream of.”

Centenary to Offer Community Swimming Lessons at the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 30, 2007 – Centenary College will offer swimming lessons at the pool in the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center from September 17-November 14.

This community resource is open to the public and interested area residents are encouraged to sign up for swim registration on Tuesday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m. (interested parties are recommended to arrive early) in the Reeves Gym lobby.

An application is available online at http://www.centenarycollege.edu/swim_registration.

Please note, however, that all applications must be submitted in person—no email or telephone submissions can be accepted.

Available swim classes are as follows:

Centenary College Pool Schedule for Fall 2007

Monday, September 17th- Wednesday, November 14th

Swim Lessons

IPAP (parent and child) - $75.00 An orientation to the water for infants of 6 months to 4 years of age. An instructor teaches parents how to acclimate the child to the water and develop basic skills. T/TH 3:00-3:30pm

Level 1 - $75.00 Introduction to Water Skills: helps students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. (Your child must be 4 years old to participate.)  T/TH 3:30-4:00pm

Level 2 - $75.00 Fundamental Aquatic Skills:  gives students success with fundamental skills. T/TH 4:00-4:30pm

Level 3 – $75.00 Stroke Development: builds on the skills in level 2 by providing additional guided practice. M/W 3:00-3:30pm

Level 4 - $75.00 Stroke Improvement: develops confidence in the strokes learned and to improve other aquatic skills. M/W 3:30-4:00pm

Level 5 - $75.00 Stroke Refinement: provides further coordination and refinement of strokes preparing students to participate in more advance courses. M/W 4:00-4:30pm

Open Programs

Monday, September 17th - Friday, December 15th. There will be no programs from November 19th – November 25th.

Laps for Life and Reconditioning Laps - $150.00 the pool is divided into paced lap swim lanes, for the dedicated and recreational swimmer. M, T, W, TH 8:30-11:00pm.

Water Exersise - $75.00 a combination class, led by an instructor, combining aerobic exercise, toning, muscle conditioning and non-impact, stress free aerobic workout. T/TH 7:30-8:30pm

Open Family Swim - $150.00 per family, $60.00 per individual, open swim for families to enjoy a relaxed swim or exercise. FR 6:30-8:00pm

For further information about Centenary’s swim classes, please contact Melissa Lentz at (908) 852-1400, ext. 4291.

Centenary is also is in the process of hiring pool staff. Available positions include:

Life Guard ($12.00 per hour)

Swimming Instructor ($15.00 per hour)

Water Aerobics Instructor ($15.00 per hour).

If interested, please contact Bill Giovine at 908-303-6315 or seadragonbill@yahoo.com. There will be an instructors/lifeguard meeting Friday, September 7th at the pool at 4:00 P.M.

Centenary Student/American Soldier Studying in Iraq.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 29, 2007 – The challenges of any college student are many—from academic to personal, the obstacles in the path every individual as they progress on his or her academic journey can seem quite daunting at times. Centenary College student Craig Hyson, however, has challenges that far exceed those of his fellow students. Issues like time management are far different for him. Craig Hyson is a Centenary College student, but he is also currently serving his country in Iraq as a Staff Sergeant in a Civil Affairs Company in the Army Reserves.

Without modern technology, his Centenary education while stationed in Iraq would be impossible. Though the technology there is inconsistent and his challenge is a huge one, he bravely works every day in a decidedly unique dual capacity—that of student and that of soldier.

His major is Sociology and he has been enrolled in the program since 2004 after completing an Associates degree in Criminal Justice at the County College of Morris. Since beginning college, he has been quite busy with other endeavors—he was deployed to Kosovo in 2001 for 9 months, 15 months were spent mobilized and deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004, the New Jersey State Police Academy lasted 26 weeks (from which he graduated in 2005), and now he is amid this Iraq deployment, which started in December 2006 and will end in or around March 2008.
 
He plans to graduate after one semester when he returns to Centenary. He needs a couple classes that are not offered through the online program; but he believes Fall 2008 should be his last semester, provided all his remaining required classes are offered by then.

His original goal was to become a New Jersey State Trooper, and that is indeed his day job. He thought that taking sociology or criminal justice was a good way of obtain background knowledge toward the career he wished to pursue and that was his primary interest in the program.

Hyson is currently the NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) of the PJCC (provincial joint communication center) in Mosul, Iraq. This is basically a 9-1-1 dispatching station for the Iraqi Police, as well as the location of the CMOC (civil, military operations center) from where funds can be disbursed to local nationals who suffer property damages, injuries, or the loss of life of family members due to military action. He functions as a liaison between his higher command and the Iraqi populous that are affected by the war.
 
He has been stationed in Iraq since the March 20, 2007 and will leave approximately one year from that date. He started Active Duty to train for this deployment on 9 December 2006.

The internet connection in Iraq is, as he puts it, “anything but reliable,” thus making the distance learning process difficult. Furthermore, he has to finish his regular work first before he has time to do his course work. The online courses are geared toward a situation such as his, however, so he can complete the work when he can and the 8 hour time difference makes little difference.

Hyson resides in Washington Township, Warren County, and he has found the online World Religions class quite interesting, but he believes the online History of Modern Art class has thus far been his favorite. The course incorporated a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as well as a lively and engaging discussion board. He insists, however, “I have not yet taken a class I have not enjoyed at Centenary College. The time, distance, and my deeply conflicting schedule have all been surmountable hurdles thanks to the College.”

Centenary College is proud of each and every one of the students in their programs, but this individual is cause for even further pride—serving one’s country while preparing for one’s future is no small task; but for Craig Hyson anyway, it is all in a day’s work.

Centenary's Director of Disabilities Services Climbs for Big City Mounaineers.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 22, 2007 – Centenary College’s Director of Disabilities Services, Chris Selena, will climb 14,410 foot Mount Rainier outside Seattle Washington on September 1 and 2 for Big City Mountaineers. 

Big City Mountaineers’ (BCM) provide urban teenage youth in need of positive adult mentoring with a challenging and safe wilderness experience led by qualified adult volunteer guides. 

Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states and is known as one of the hardest endurance climbs in the United States. Chris has done a fair amount of climbing, but he believes this will be the most technical climb yet.  There are quite a few potential hardships associated with the climb—including crevasses, rock fall, and ice fall.

Day one of the climb will be devoted to reaching Camp Muir, which is located at about 10,000 feet.  On day two, Chris will begin an "alpine start" which means that the climbers get up and moving up the mountain by around 2 A.M. and hopefully (if conditions permit) summit by 10 A.M.  They will then have the opportunity to spend some time on the summit, then it is back down to Camp Muir to gather whatever gear they did not need for the summit push and continue down to Paradise—one of the developed areas of Mt. Rainier National Park.

No youth will be along for this particular adventure, but rather people from all over the country that are each committed to raising $3500 for the organization.  By raising $3500, the group will be able to finance one entire trip for five children and five adults that are drawn from pre-existing youth development organization in many urban centers throughout the country including Newark and NYC.  Climbers also receive some of the gear that they will need for the climb from sponsors as well as guiding up the mountain from Rainier Mountaineering Inc., who also donate their time. The transportation to Washington, some of the gear Chris will need, and whatever he does not raise of the $3500 will be supplemented with his own funds.

If anyone would like more information or to donate, they can visit Chris’s personal donation site at https://ssl.charityweb.net/bcm/summit07/christopherselena.htm. They will find there a personal message from Chris and a photo from one of the first wilderness courses he led for Diakon, a company that provides social services and contracts with juvenile probation officers to offer adjudication services. They can also donate by sending a check with his name in the memo made payable to Big City Mountaineers at:

Big City Mountaineers
1667 Vine Street
Denver, CO 80206

Centenary College Accepted into First Year Foundations Organization.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 13, 2007 – Centenary College has been accepted into Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year. Foundations of Excellence is a comprehensive, externally guided self-study and improvement process for the first year that enhances an institution's ability to realize its goals for student learning, success, and persistence, particularly in its first year classes.

Foundations of Excellence highlights a model for first-year excellence comprised of a set of principles that are termed Foundational Dimensions®. These Dimensions, developed by the Policy Center on the First Year of College and thoroughly evaluated by over 300 four- and two-year institutions, guide measurement of institutional efforts and provide a model for the entirety of the beginning college experience from initial contact with potential students through admissions, orientation, and all first-year curricular and co-curricular experiences.

Dr. Bryon Grigsby, Provost and Chief Operating Officer of Centenary College says, “We hope with this effort to bolster and enhance our already-strong Academic Foundations program at Centenary.”

Centenary College started its First Year Experience program four years ago.  The first program asked full time faculty to teach a subject that they found interesting to first-year students.  Two writing center tutors were placed in the class to assist with the learning and social development necessary to make the transition from high school to college. The second year saw three added learning outcomes—working well together in teams, writing competency, and oral competency.  In year three, a director was added to oversee the program.  In this fourth year, the program has been renamed Academic Foundations from the First Year Experience.  A second course has been added for the following semester where students become novice practitioners examining a common topic from three different disciplinary prospectuses—humanities, social and behaviorally sciences, and natural sciences. 

Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year is a self study that leads institutions enhanced accountability for student learning through a) the identification of common learning goals for the first year, and (b) the auditing of learning outcomes across first-year courses. The process does not provide specific goals for learning or measure specific learning outcomes. The core philosophy of the self study is that setting and monitoring learning goals is an important indicator of institutional excellence, and that there are many ways to accomplish this end.

The Foundations of Excellence process is the signature work of the Policy Center on the First Year of College. The Center works with colleges and universities to strengthen their resolve and processes to undertake assessment of the entire first college year experience as a means to improve student learning and retention. Currently, the Center’s work focuses on implementing a previously non-existent set of aspirational standards for excellence in the first year to be used both for the design of the first year and as a measurement process for effecting educational improvements.

John Gardner is the Executive Director of Policy Center of the First Year of College. John N. Gardner is an educator, university professor and administrator, author, editor, public speaker, consultant, change agent, student retention specialist, first-year students’ advocate, and initiator and scholar of the American first-year and senior-year reform movements.

Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year will serve to add yet another layer of excellence to the Academic Foundations program at Centenary by the exchange of ideas among other institutions’ approaches to this all important aspect of one’s college experience.

NJ Secretary of Agriculture Visits Centenary College.

Centenary to Host Athletic Media Day September 2.

Hackettstown, NJ, August 7, 2007 – Centenary College will host its first annual Athletic Media Day on September 2. The purpose of this innovative, exciting event is to showcase the institution’s athletic program to the local press as well as the entire community.  The event will be held at 11 a.m. outside of the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center.

In addition to the focal point of the event—student athletes—other special guests will include new and veteran Centenary athletes, members of the executive staff of the College, alumni athletes and athletic directors from the local high schools. The event will broadcast live on Centenary’s own 91.9 WNTI FM, Centenary’s television station, and 1510 AM.

The event will also feature several generous corporate sponsors.  Confirmed corporate sponsors to date are Bank of America and Sam’s Club.

This gathering promises to be a particularly exciting one for Centenary’s athletics department not only due to the renovation of the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center, but also due to the College’s recent affiliation with the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and the Academic All-American Program.

One hundred twenty of Centenary’s incoming first year will participate in the athletic program this year.  Further, the College boasts 13 intercollegiate teams ranging from cross country to women’s lacrosse.

Centenary’s Learnell Wesley, coordinator—and originator—of Athletic Media Day, and coach of women’s basketball and cross-country says, “Athletic Media Day will give us a chance to show off the best and brightest Centenary’s Athletic Department has to offer. The day will allow the media to take a closer look at our highly promising programs here. Of course the public is welcome, and I hope we have a big group on September 2.”

For more information, please call (973) 449-6818.

Centenary to Continue "Community Plunge" Tradition.

Hackettstown, NJ, July 31, 2007 – As part of a tradition of commitment to community service and with the generous support of RoNetco Supermarkets, Inc., Centenary's incoming Class of 2011 will carry forth the institution's longstanding mission by engaging in what the College calls “Community Plunge on Saturday, September 8, as they begin their journey into higher education.

Centenary College has long been known for its innovative approach to education; and in 1990, the institution was the first college in New Jersey to introduce community service as a required part of their curriculum as a result of the generous support of RoNetco Supermarkets, Inc. through a multi-year grant. In 2004, RoNetco Supermarkets, Inc. renewed its grant to underwrite all of the College’s existing community service programs.

There will, as always, be a wide variety of locations and activities of which the students will participate in this invaluable experience. Some of those locations include: Bristol Glen (Newton, NJ), Trinity United Methodist Church (Hackettstown), Warren Haven Nursing Home (Oxford, NJ), NORWESCAP (Phillipsburg, NJ), Camp Bernie (Washington, NJ), Post House (Chester, NJ), Stephens State Park (Hackettstown, NJ), Knowlton Township and Paragon Village (Hackettstown, NJ). Students will participate in a multitude of tasks, such as reading to residents at the retirement communities and cleaning up brush at the park and camp locations.

Few can deny the huge value of community awareness to college students and the tremendous benefit their service provides the surrounding area.

“The whole point of Community Plunge is to foster solid relationships and camaraderie between unacquainted students, develop a strong sense of community and global concern among them, and indulge a variety of interests in the participants by offering an array of possible activities,” says Reverend David Jones, Vice President for Student Engagement. “Hopefully, this experience will encourage in these representatives of our future society a sense of beneficence to the community of the world, and promote a desire to volunteer and serve throughout their lives in a variety of capacities.”

Centenary's WNTI to Broadcast Live at Knowlton Riverfest.

Hackettstown, NJ, July 31, 2007 – Centenary College’s radio station, 91.9 WNTI FM will broadcast live from Knowlton Riverfest on August 17, 18, and 19 at Hunters’ Lodge Field in Knowlton Township.

The event will run all day, every day, rain or shine. The 3 day music festival, that promises fun for the entire family, will cost $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, $5 for Knowlton residents, and kids under 16 will be admitted free.

The times are as follows: August 17th from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., August 18th from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and August 19th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

WNTI’s Melanie Thiel says, “We hope everyone comes out to enjoy the music and see WNTI in action!”

For more information, interested parties can contact Melanie directly at 908-979-4355, ext. 1.

Riverfest is widely recognized as the premier music festival of Northwest New Jersey. The Riverfest mission is to showcase an eclectic array of musical performers from around the country and globe, as well as the greatest in local talent. This not-for-profit, family-oriented event is held each August on the banks of the scenic Delaware River.

Some of the wide variety of the performers scheduled for Riverfest include: The Duprees, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Baka Beyond, Eldar, Eilen Jewel, Sonny Landreth, Yerba Buena, Infamous Stringdusters, Robbie Fulks, Wry Toast Band, Ian Parker, KJ Denhert, Cara, Lucy Angel, and StreetLights.

WNTI is a member supported public radio station providing non-commercial FM broadcast service for northern New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania, with a coverage area encompassing an estimated population of over 1 million people. WNTI supports the arts and cultural richness of the region as well as Centenary College's role of community service and outreach.
 
WNTI's programming format is AAA (Adult Album Alternative) with a variety of specialty music, arts, and entertainment programs in the evening and weekends including student-produced programs weeknights after 10pm. WNTI also provides NPR news on the hour, local news produced by Centenary College's journalism department and regional public affairs programming through programs such as Contours. The dedicated staff is committed to providing and creating a quality public radio service for the region. Our programming is produced locally, regionally and nationally. National Public Radio (NPR) and independent producers are the main source of national programs.

WNTI is licensed to and operated by Centenary College and first went on the air December 8, 1958. Studios are located in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building on the campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. WNTI operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, broadcasting on 91.9 FM and also streaming live at www.wnti.org. The transmitter is located in Independence Township in Warren County, New Jersey. WNTI is member and underwriter supported with 75% of funding coming from private sources.

Internships Offer Minority Students Retail Experience.

Black Retail Action Group takes break with fun day at Centenary in Hackettstown.

BY STEVEN MAGINNIS
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD
Saturday, July 28, 2007

HACKETTSTOWN -- Dozens of young minority interns gathered at Centenary College in Hackettstown last week for a rare opportunity to relax.

The occasion was an annual retreat sponsored by the Black Retail Action Group for members of its summer internship program.

Based in New York, BRAG was founded in 1970 to increase networking opportunities for black retailers and to provide practical experience for black and other minority youth.

Each year, students are selected for summer internships at up to 13 companies, including Bloomingdale's, Phillips-Van Heusen and Saks.

The retreat was organized primarily by Angela Rodriguez, a former intern who serves on BRAG's board and is a Centenary College graduate. Rodriguez is hoping to establish the BRAG program on the Centenary campus.

Gail Monroe-Perry, president of BRAG since 2004, is proud of how far the group has come in the retail business.

She cited its efforts to help entrepreneurs with business development and to give retailers and retail managers the chance to network with each other.

An all-volunteer group, BRAG relies on the support of donors and benefactors.

"It's really because of their commitment and willingness to give something back that we've been able to stay around for 37 years," Monroe-Perry said.

25 internships a year.

The internships command a great deal of BRAG's attention. "We give an average of 25 internships every year, and it's split between high school and college students," Monroe-Perry said.

J.J. Thomas, executive director of BRAG's internship program, helped found it with help from the consumer distribution committee in 1972 and continues to run the 10-week program.

Getting a BRAG-sponsored internship is tough.

Some applicants are selected by participating companies through college campuses, while others apply directly through BRAG or the companies involved.

Those who are selected have gone through an intense screening process that includes numerous interviews and resume evaluations.

"It's not a summer job," explained Thomas, a Bloomingdale's executive. "It's an intensive program to give these kids a heads-up in the corporate world. Even if they don't go into retail, they'll still benefit from the experience."

Thomas compares a BRAG internship to a boot camp, and many interns agree.

In addition to attending seminars on loss prevention, marketing and customer service, they work in teams to do case studies on topics ranging from product development to increasing sales to minorities.

They make their case study presentations to a group of senior-level executives from the participating retail companies. A panel of senior-level executives judges the presentations.

Interns also participate in a Career Day where they learn how to interview for a job and write resumes, among other things.

Ebbenezar Sawah of the Flushing section of Queens, who is interning with Macy's Merchandising Group, conceded that the program is difficult.

"It's an intense experience. They really push us past our limits."

But he appreciates the effort, noting that he will go into the job market with an edge that other internships don't provide.

Some interns see rewards in the BRAG program that go beyond practical experience.

Kwabena Asieda of Kingston, Jamaica, cited how the seminars bring together interns from different companies and allow them to network.

Aseida, who is also working with Macy's Merchandising Group, said that as a result, he has a wider perspective of the opportunities that retail provides.

Jessica George, of Morristown, a senior at North Carolina State University's College of Design, appreciates the flexibility the program has given her.

George, in her second year working at Coach, said she has gained a good deal of knowledge about buying merchandise.

However, she is more interested in fashion design, a common career choice among BRAG graduates.

This year, she's working with color palettes, scarves and general design development.

"I see myself as a designer more than as a buyer," she said. "I think the program is well-rounded enough to give me more (career) options."

Some interns, such as Shannel Parker of the Far Rockaway section of Queens, remain a part of BRAG as mentors.

A buyer for women's hosiery at Bloomingdale's, Parker helps interns deal with problems and guides them by sharing her experiences.

Parker said BRAG's program was an invaluable experience for her career. "I think it really taught me to take every opportunity seriously. I've been in other internship programs, and I didn't get the same experience."

She enjoys her role as a mentor to a case study team and being able to share her knowledge.

Parker's enthusiasm for her job illustrates the value of BRAG's intern program to employers.

As a member of the Bloomingdale's staff, she sees herself as an integral part of the company rather than just a paid employee.

This is evident not only at Bloomingdale's, where Thomas brings in interns (six for 2007), but at other companies in the BRAG program.

Kamuela Singleton, human resources manager at Phillips-Van Heusen in Bridgewater, said her company hired two interns from BRAG's 2006 program for PVH's Calvin Klein division, and she is happy with their performances.

The two employees, a technical engineer and a merchandise coordinator, were ready for their jobs from the first day because of the rigorous challenges of their internships.

Singleton called that a "return on investment"; by investing in internships, PVH benefits from the interns' abilities if it hires them.

Singleton has worked with other internship programs, including other minority-oriented ones, but she said PVH's relationship with BRAG is unique because it is so specific to the retail business.

"We look forward to another summer with them," she said.

The retreat at Centenary College was July 21, during the college's "First Year Experience Day" for incoming freshmen.

One member of the class of 2011 was invited to join the BRAG interns for lunch and to consider applying for an internship.

Sabreen Simmons of Long Valley plans to pursue a business major. She is considering a retail career but, like George, is interested in fashion design.

Simmons has a head start; Stylish Trends, a new store in Hackettstown, has expressed interest in using her designs for its clothing line.

She is leaning toward applying for a BRAG internship to gain experience for a possible fashion career.

"I think they'll prepare me for it," she said. "BRAG would definitely be a good organization for me to be a part of."

BRAG president Monroe-Perry sees her organization as an ongoing institution.

"The interesting thing about it is that there hasn't been a similar organization that's as involved in retail or has been around as long as we have," she said.

EOF Unveils Diversity Initiative at Centenary College.

Hackettstown, NJ, July 17, 2007 – Centenary College’s EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) program formed a Welcoming Diversity Committee that began meeting last spring.  This group includes individuals who represent different social identities from all aspects of the campus, including faculty, staff, and students. The committee has thus far worked together to bring new ideas about diversity to the campus and inform how every individual can ensure that the Centenary community continues to be one that promotes inclusive behavior.

Issues discussed during meetings include disabilities, ageism, gender, homosexuality, and other concerns of diverse populations. The committee has adopted the principles and values of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) for diversity, and is in the final stages of becoming a campus affiliate. NCBI is an international non-profit leadership training organization based in Washington, DC. Since 1984, NCBI has worked to eliminate racism and all other forms of prejudice and discrimination throughout the world. Over the past 20 years, NCBI has developed an international network of resource teams that has grown in influence and reach. NCBI currently is represented by over 100 teams in cities, on campuses, and in organizations.

They have also designed and planned a three-day "train the trainer" session scheduled for September 21-23, 2007 on the Centenary campus, where 50 of the most dedicated and passionate leaders in diversity will be trained to become knowledgeable in leading diversity related workshops on campus and mediate possible situations that may arise on campus or off, related to discrimination, racism, sexism, faith observance and other such issues.

Centenary as a whole has also begun the process—through the diversity initiative—of becoming a "safe zone" where anyone who sees a "safe zone" sticker will know that the individuals or group in that space is open, non judgmental and welcoming of different types of people. The goal is to achieve a unified campus through these different programs and to see the campus grow by educating everyone about the unique individuals that make up this diverse community.

The committee has also recently completed a strategic plan and mission statement with help from a friend in diversity who works passionately for this cause, Teri Corso. Ms. Corso is the Director of Career Services at Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, New Jersey. She has spent numerous hours with the committee deliberating over how to create the aforementioned statements and form a successful and realistic strategic plan. The committee meets every other Wednesday at 9:30 A.M. in Littell 105, an area open to the entire campus community for new members to join at any time.

Daniel Stringer, the International Student Coordinator and Welcoming Diversity Committee member says, ““With the advent of the diversity initiative, Centenary College is taking great strides not only to improve its image as a diverse and accepting place for all walks of life but also to turn this image into reality. With the help and support we are receiving from various aspects of the campus community, Centenary is building on the foundations of diversity and will hopefully flourish into the eclectic community we all dream of.”

Centenary's Adult and Professional Studies Program Advisors to Present at the National Academic Advising Association.

Hackettstown, NJ, July 12, 2007 – A group of Program Advisors from Centenary’s Adult and Professional Programs (APP) have been invited to present at a professional conference this fall. The National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Advising Adult Learners Commission selected the APP group’s presentation “Ensuring Adult Learners’ Success: An Individualized Comprehensive Advising Program” to be a part of NACADA’s annual conference hosted by Kansas State University between October 18-21.

Learn more about the NACADA October Annual Conference here.

Each NACADA commission could select a maximum of only four proposals for this honor. Commission-sponsored status was awarded to only those sessions that reflected information particularly representative of that commission’s interests. Sponsored status will be reflected in the program all attendees receive at the conference, facilitating attendance by participants interested in this commission’s focus. Sponsored sessions such as the Adult and Professional Program’s group presentation will also be designated by a star next to the title in the track section of the conference registration brochure mailed in mid July.

The basis of the abstract the Adult and Professional Programs’ group submitted to the NACADA is that adult Learners, or non-traditional students, face the challenge of balancing family, career, and educational responsibilities and their needs greatly differ from those of traditional students. The session will describe how Centenary’s advising program works to ensure our leaders (both online and on-ground) achieve their academic and career goals through a team-approach.

The team of trained, experienced advisors will discuss the creative strategies, successful programs, how they teamed-up with faculty, the results that led to increased retention, and our future plans, as the College’s Adult Professional Programs continue to grow.  Feedback will also be encouraged from the group at the conclusion of the presentation.

Liliana Koster will be the Lead Presenter for this presentation. She holds a B.A. in Physical Education from San Francisco State University, an M.S. in Exercise Physiology from University of North Carolina, and a M.A. in Leadership and Public Administration from Centenary College. She has been previously employed as an Exercise Physiologist, Employee Wellness Coordinator, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Fitness Department Lead, and has been an employee of Centenary College since 2005.  She was first hired as a Program Advisor, was promoted to Learner Services Coordinator and was recently named Director of Learner Services, Adult and Professional Programs.

Anthony Yacullo, Coordinator of Online Advising, Suzie Casadevall, Director of Adult Studies Center, Pauline Shambo, Coordinator of Career Services, and Jane Ryan, Program Advisor will also serve as presenters.

The NACADA promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications. The organization evolved from the first National Conference on Academic Advising in 1977 and now has over 9300 members representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and several other countries. Members represent higher education institutions across the spectrum of Carnegie classifications and include professional advisors/counselors, faculty, administrators, and students whose responsibilities include academic advising.

Centenary’s Adult and Professional Studies program is committed to the belief that all adults have the right to a quality education and deserve the utmost respect for adult learners that return to college with different goals, learning styles, and personal experiences. By assisting students to articulate their personal goals and by addressing their learning needs, the Adult and Professional Studies program creates an environment where students can meet the highest standards of performance.

Centenary to Host BRAG Event on July 21.

Hackettstown, NJ, July 5, 2007 – Centenary will host a BRAG (Black Retail Action Group) event on July 21. This day, considered a retreat for the hard working interns, will serve as a non-business event of fun, relaxation, eating, and networking for the highly committed group of interns and other members of the organization. The BRAG President will address the crowd on this day and announce some upcoming events and solicit feedback from the interns about their experience to date.

BRAG, in conjunction with the Consumer Distribution Committee (CDC), sponsors an annual Summer Internship Program where college juniors intern with major retail and wholesale establishments. The Summer Internship Program is a comprehensive work and professional development module that is designed to expose minority college students to retail and retail related fields in a no-nonsense realistic setting. BRAG became allied with CDC in 1972, and has managed the program on behalf of the consortium of companies to this date. Many students from this program have had successful careers in retail and related fields over the years, and some have reached senior level positions.

There are several other aspects of this program that go far beyond Centenary. For instance, another day of the event is devoted to Case Study Presentations. At this event, the interns will make their presentation on the business project they were given on Orientation Day, to an audience of Senior level Executives from the Participating Companies, with a panel of Senior Level Executives serving as judges for each team's presentation.

There will also be a Career Day—a day when the Management Committee (representatives from each participating company) will conduct workshops dealing with the following topics:

• Preparing for the job search
• How to do research on a company
• Resume writing
• Interviewing techniques
• What companies look for in recent college graduates
• How to dress for the interview
• The do's and don't's of interviewing
• How to effectively market yourself

The interns will graduate on August 9 and a spokesperson will be selected from each team to share their internship experience, and thank the BRAG Organization for giving them the opportunity to experience the business world.

The winners of the Case Study Presentation and the Scavenger Hunt will also be announced on this day, and prizes will be awarded to the winning team members.

The Black Retail Action Group, Inc. also known as BRAG was founded in 1970. The industry response that followed reinforced the belief that an organization of this kind was needed and could serve as a positive force in securing the participation of minorities in retail and related industries. BRAG is comprised of historically underrepresented groups in retail and wholesale industries, dedicated to the inclusion of people of color into the mainstream of the American economy.
 
J.J. Thomas, Executive Director of the BRAG/CDC Internship Program, says, “The Centenary retreat day will be a great experience for our group. We are all really looking forward to it.” Angela Rodriquez, an alumna and chair of the event, says, “We could not be more pleased that Centenary has offered us their facilities for our interns to relax and network with peers and potential employers.”

The interns themselves have been quite busy, and deserve a short reprieve from their hectic schedules. Some sponsoring companies include Footlocker, Bloomingdales, Macy’s East, PVH, and Saks; and some of the universities represented include Fordham, Howard, University of Pennsylvania, Spelman College, and Western Washington University.

Centenary Announces "Get Smart! Summer Teachers' Academy”.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 21, 2007  – With the underwriting support of the FirstEnergy Foundation, Centenary College will host “Get Smart! The Centenary College Summer Teachers’ Academy” on June 26-28 from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. This intensive, three-day workshop for New Jersey K-12 teachers will focus on integrating Science and Math instruction into other curriculum areas through using the Smartboard and a variety of teaching strategies in the classroom.

The workshop will begin on the 26th in the Front Parlours of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building with a keynote address by Michael Clear from Dover High School. Breakout sessions will cover the use of the Smartboard in the classroom, how to create thematic lesson plans, and how to differentiate instruction for learners with special needs.  Approximately 40 individuals are expected to attend.

Michael Clear has taught biology, science, advanced biology and environmental science at Dover High School for the past nine years. He is a technology liaison for the High School responsible for assisting in training and supporting technology. He was a presenter at 2005 and 2006 NECC (National Education Computing Conference) in conjunction with ISTE. For the past four years, he received over $100,000 in technology grants from HP and Michael Jordan Fundamentals. He is a graduate from the University of Vermont with a BS in Wildlife Biology and is currently enrolled at Montclair State University MS in Biology program.

SMART Technologies Inc. (the innovative company behind the Smart Board technology) is the industry pioneer and market leader in developing collaborative products for classrooms and meeting rooms. Founded in 1987 by partners David Martin and Nancy Knowlton, SMART began as the Canadian distributor for a U.S. projector company.

The Smart Board uses electronic ink, which means that the user can mark up a document or picture, but not permanently change it. Professor will have the ability to annotate material that is displayed on a screen without changing the original. Student teachers can display lists of words or pictures and use the Smart Boards as a tool for spelling, math or grammar lessons.

Centenary’s Dr. Simon Saba, Assistant Professor of Education and co-organizer of the workshop says, “This opportunity will heighten existing knowledge in the area of math and sciences for area teachers and offer very useful information for them to bring back to the classroom and likewise help their students.”

“This Academy will have a positive impact on both area teachers and students. Thanks to the FirstEnergy Foundation’s and Jersey Central Power & Light’s generous support, Centenary can further its commitment to education and the community,” says Dr. Heather Dunham, Dean for Business and Education and co-organizer of the event.

Questions can be directed—and registration information can be obtained—by emailing Dr. Saba at sabas@centenarycollege.edu or calling him at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2286.

Three Summer Programs at Centenary College Participate in Philadelphia's July 4th Parade as Part of a New Diversity Initiative.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 21, 2007 – In a wonderful display of blended cultures, Centenary College’s Summer Culture and Language program—comprised of International exchange students from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan—and the Step Ahead and EOF programs will participate in the quintessentially American July 4th parade in Philadelphia entitled “Sunoco Celebrates America.”  The students will have the opportunity to meet the mayor of Philadelphia and march on behalf of the College. 

The Philadelphia 4th of July Parade is a family-friendly, highly diversified event, which generates approximately 100,000 attendees annually.  Since 1993, millions have enjoyed the event. Last year, they attracted more than three million visitors total throughout the week.  

This summer collaboration between these three departments is part of a new diversity initiative at Centenary College.

About Centenary's Summer Programs:

The Summer Culture and Language Program (SCLP)
Centenary’s Summer Culture and Language program began in 1995. The attendees represent seven sister colleges, including Dongduk Women’s University in Korea, Hoseo University in Korea, Ewha Women’s University in Korea, Yong-In University in Korea, Yong-In University in Korea, Hyupsung University in Korea, Toyo Eiwa University in Japan and Soochow University. Eight scholars from South Korea also attend the Summer Culture and Language Program before attending Drew Seminary School in the fall. 

The program runs for 6 weeks, and students’ previous knowledge of the English language varies. They take field trips and learn more about the English language and American culture. This year, 95 students will attend.

Joseph Spayd, Centenary’s International Academic Coordinator, says, “This parade will add to an already exciting summer of learning for our International guests by participating in a celebration of this country. This should prove to make a lasting impression on these students.”

The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)
The EOF program consists of a diverse group of students from both suburbia and New Jersey’s inner cities.  Most EOF students are the first in their families to attend College. 

“Our students will work together with the international student body to create an initial bond this summer that we hope will last throughout their years at Centenary,” says Artise Reed, Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program.  “Visiting the historical Philadelphia area and being a part of a parade will be a new experience for many of them. 
 
The Step Ahead Program
The goal of the Step Ahead Program is to facilitate the transition from high school to college and strengthen academic and personal skills.  Students embark on an intensified study program, which include math, English and study strategies classes.  In addition, they participate in seminars and workshops that build self-confidence, self-advocacy, cooperation and community. 

These instructional activities are designed to maximize students' chances for success in college.  Members of the program also attend weekly group and individual sessions designed to foster positive attitudes about learning, increase motivation and ease any anxieties about college.   

Future diversity programs include a College-wide diversity training course through the National Coalition Building International in September.

Local Centenary Students Working with International University of Moscow.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 18, 2007 – Centenary Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Dr. Shane Fitzpatrick and a group of students have recently returned from Centenary College's sixth trip to Russia. Through Dr. Fitzpatrick, Centenary College worked with International University of Moscow (IUM) to teach Russian language to the students for two and a half weeks. There were also lectures from prominent Russian economists, sociologists, and political scientists. The group devoted their afternoons and weekends to travel to the ancient cities of Vladimir and Suzdal. They finished their trip with five days in St. Petersburg before returning to the United States.

Dr. Fitzpatrick became affiliated with International University of Moscow soon after it was created by an agreement between George W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991. They believed it was necessary to create a university that could train Russians in both the English language and in the practices and skills of a modern, free-market economic system. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia faced a difficult transition away from a communist, central-command economy. Today, Russia is extremely challenged by the legacy of the Soviet system and internal political corruption. Many of the corrupt actors in government, politics, and business are former Communist party officials who have retained exclusive advantages in the new Russia.

Today, IUM is considered one of the most critical educational institutions in Russia and the Vice Rector of the university, Dmitri Kuzin, has just authored a vital report of recommendations for Russia's economic future for the next Russian president who will enter office in 2008. The Centenary students had the opportunity to learn from Kuzin, as well.
 
This three-week immersion into Russian society allows the Centenary students to participate in global citizenship and to explore a culture vastly different than our own. The students are encouraged to return to Russia for a full semester, or for an entire academic year.

This year, four students went on the trip: Jeffrey Spychalski from Hillsborough, NJ; Brittany Currie from Wantage, NJ; Cassandra Ingram from Hillsborough, NJ; and Stephanie Kowalchuk from Long Valley, NJ.

Dr. Fitzpatrick says, “The Russia trip is a tremendous opportunity for these students. These individuals are distinguished by their thirst for knowledge, unflagging determination, and sense of absolute self-reliance.

Centenary to Use I-Tunes University and Smart Boards Starting this Fall.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 16, 2007 – In yet another example of the Hackettstown-based institution’s cutting edge use of technology in the classroom, Centenary College will begin to use a music sharing software called I-Tunes University to develop professional podcasts starting next fall.  There will be four stations available, three on the Hackettstown campus and one in Parsippany where individuals can create these valuable learning tools. Smart Boards will also be incorporated into three classrooms.

Centenary Chief Information Officer Scott Hughes says, “This is another addition to the great existing technology we have here at Centenary. We have a history of being on the forefront of integrating technology into education.”
 
Designed to be completely intuitive, iTunes U is based on the iTunes Store, where millions of people already download their music, movies, and TV shows. Now there is an area of the iTunes Store devoted entirely to education, where it is easy to search thousands of audio and video files from schools across the country.

As a result, colleges and universities build their own iTunes U sites. Faculty can post content they create for their classes and students download what they need and learn at their convenience.

“Learning is not just for the classroom anymore and hasn’t been for a long time at Centenary College,” says Dr. Bryon L. Grigsby, Centenary College’s Provost and Chief Operating Officer.  “It is for anytime and anyplace there is a Mac, a PC, an iPod, or a Centenary laptop.”

Podcasting development will not only be executed by faculty members. Dr. Simon Saba, an Assistant Professor of Education at Centenary College, will use the new technology to have student teachers create podcasts for their students.  In addition to helping the students learn new technology, they will expose their students and their collaborating teacher to the new technology as well. Dr. Saba also plans to have students in his Those Who Can Teach, Teach Academic Foundations course create a podcasting debate on opposing views on educational issues.

Dr. Saba says, “This new technology will enhance the educational experience of all involved—students, student teachers, and existing teachers.”

SMART Technologies Inc. (the innovative company behind the Smart Board technology) is the industry pioneer and market leader in developing collaborative products for classrooms and meeting rooms. Founded in 1987 by partners David Martin and Nancy Knowlton, SMART began as the Canadian distributor for a U.S. projector company.

The Smart Board uses electronic ink, which means that the user can mark up a document or picture, but not permanently change it.   Professor will have the ability to annotate material that is displayed on a screen without changing the original.  Student teachers can display lists of words or pictures and use the Smart Boards as a tool for spelling, math or grammar lessons.

Scott Hughes says, “Centenary and SMART Technologies Inc. are natural partners—both are innovative, dynamic institutions committed to education.”

Implementation of cutting edge technology is nothing new to the Centenary community. During the 2003-2004 year, Centenary implemented an entirely wireless network throughout their campus, and laptops were distributed to all fulltime students and faculty. In 2005, Centenary was named one of the top 50 wireless campuses in the USA according to Intel Corporation.

Centenary's Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts Program Unveils New Web Site.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 12, 2007 – In yet another example of Centenary College’s devotion to cutting edge technology and its equally essential flair for artistic endeavor, the institution’s Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts Program has unveiled a new website—www.digitalmutiny.com. The artwork and portfolios on this web site include students’ work from as far back as 1999 and as recent as two weeks ago.
 
Centenary College’s Assistant Professor of Art and Design Gary Caal says, “Well over 400 pieces of art were considered for the four main categories listed on the homepage. It was a massive, quite rewarding endeavor that produced stunning results.”

January graduate, Steven Bino, and Professor Caal started this project in the fall 2006.  Steven immediately assumed full responsibility for this project, and his remarkable artistic and technical skills became evident throughout the development of the web site.

Upon Steven’s graduation, fellow Centenarian Jeff Eggert assumed Steven’s role and bring his own unique skilled vision to this endeavor.
 
In addition, recent graduate, Nathan Vey, created the brilliant Flash banner in the “publication layout” section and junior, Leon Hill, created portraits for the “3-D graphics” Flash banner, located in the 3-D section.
All tolled, this project took over six months to complete. The students and Professor Caal worked well over 150 hours each on this endeavor. In order to truly enjoy this web site, the viewer will require an Internet connection faster than a dial-up modem.

The address is http://www.digitalmutiny.com/.

Centenary Students to Call in to WNTI with Updates from Ghana.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 7, 2007 – Throughout their excursion in Ghana, Centenary students will call in to Centenary’s radio station, WNTI 91.9 FM, to update the community on their journey into the west African nation.
The students will broadcast live on Melanie Thiel’s show between 9 A.M. and noon from June 11th through the 15th and again on Monday 18th.
 
While in western Africa, the students will learn about the history, socioeconomic issues, ecology, and culture of the area through lecture and site visits throughout their car and bus travels from the southern to northern borders of Ghana. Ghana is a primarily English speaking African nation that celebrates its 50th year of independence this year. The Centenary students will also have the opportunity to visit with students and professors from local universities.

This educational excursion will also require additional classroom work, including a discussion of the trip, travel to the United Nations, selected readings, and the completion of an individualized Capstone Project based on the student’s particular subfield of interest related to this endeavor. Upon completion of this entire adventure, the students will receive four credits that will satisfy the global citizenship graduation requirement. The course will be entitled “Contemporary West Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study.”

Centenary Professor Norman Cetuk, who will travel with the students to Ghana, says, “The trip to Ghana promises to be a true adventure for myself and the students.”

Centenary College Celebrates its History While Looking to its Future.

The Star Ledger
Thursday, June 07, 2007

For this year's annual scholarship gala, Centenary College looked to its history for celebration and to its future for the theme.

Joan Garey Hooper, of Clinton, graduated from the college in 1950 and has maintained a presence on campus and in the community since receiving her degree. She served on the Alumni Association Executive Board and the President's Circle, a committee that coordinates alumni to review key as pects of the college, including recruitment and student life.

Off campus, she participated in community affairs, including the New Jersey Woman's Club, the Hunterdon Election Board, the Clinton Historical Society, the Republican Women's Club and the Second District of Rolling Hills Girl Scout Council.

At the June 4 gala at the Hilton Short Hills, Hooper's life and times were honored with Centenary's Gold Dome Award.

Centenary College's Annual Scholarship Gala has raised more than $2 million dollars since 1993 to help fund scholarships, grants and loans to full-time students at Centenary.

In addition to Hooper, Centenary also honored The Star-Ledger for assisting hundreds of New Jersey's best and brightest students through The Star-Ledger Scholars program.

Annually, since 1987, the program has identified, honored and assisted New Jersey's top students with 11 partial scholarships and the Mort Pye Scholarship, which covers a student's full tuition.

Centenary also paid homage to Chartwells, the college's food service provider, for years of nutritious dining options and assistance with Midnight Run, an organization run by Centenary students, faculty and staff that provides food and clothing to New York City's homeless population.

The food and nutrition specialists were also noted for their contributions to The Campaign for Centenary College, and how those contributions will help develop the David and Carol Lackland Center, a 70,000-square-foot hub designed to enhance the arts, culture and student life.

Centenary Students Set for Ghana Trip, Project.

Juniors, seniors to take on studies independently while in Africa, return to school with presentation.

BY MATT MANOCHIO
DAILY RECORD
Monday, June 4, 2007

HACKETTSTOWN -- Norman Cetuk is a "hands-on" professor at Centenary College.

"I like to get out of the classroom," Cetuk recently said.

Cetuk and 11 students will definitely be getting out of the classroom when they leave this week for the college's first-ever trip to Africa.

The students, all juniors and seniors, are going as part of an independent studies program that falls under the umbrella of international studies. And Centenary is footing the $55,000 bill to send them to Ghana, a small country in West Africa.

"We have a global citizenship requirement for students," said Cetuk, assistant professor of criminal justice. "Students have to take a course on a country abroad. They have to know about the culture, the economy, the people."

Cetuk has led students on trips before. He's taken some to Louisiana to help rebuild housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"The only way students can compete in this world today is to go there and do this, and see it and live it, and not sit in the classroom," he said.

Cetuk suggested the idea of the Africa trip and volunteered to lead the students.

"The way I proposed it was that every student would pursue an independent study project on their own, come back to school in September and do a presentation," he said.

Centenary went for the idea and allocated $55,000 to pay for the students' journey.

The 11 students were chosen after an interview process, Cetuk said, adding that some of the requirements included at least a 3.0 grade-point average, and they needed to be juniors or seniors.

Michael Littlejohn, 21, of East Orange, said he's going to study how the Ghanaians "view the educations of black Americans in the United States."

Littlejohn, who is black, said he's looking forward to seeing what it's going to be like to be in the majority in Ghana while still remaining a foreigner.

"I just thought that would be interesting," he said.

Littlejohn said he's thinking about having a career in humanitarian affairs with the American government.

"This definitely opens the door for that," he said.

Their trip.

Students will leave for Africa on Thursday and spend almost two weeks there.

Kristin Lesino, 20, of Mount Laurel, is a junior who studies criminal justice, and said she's going to report on the conditions of children who are up for adoption in Ghana.

She plans to visit orphanages and focus on three or four children and find out they ended up there. She said that AIDS is prevalent in many African countries and that there are children born with the disease who are put up for adoption.

"I'm looking forward to meeting the people," she said. "Just seeing the culture and the way they do things every day, which is probably going to be different from here."

Ghana is a multiparty republic with one legislative house, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The country is led by President John Agyekum Kufuor. The country is roughly 92,000 square miles and has a population of approximately 22.4 million people. Its official language is English.

Cetuk said Centenary rents out portions of the college property for summer camp, and that money is saved for the international studies program.

Had it not been for the college's generosity, some of the students couldn't afford to go.

"They just couldn't do this on their own," Centuk said. "The only thing that they're responsible for (is) their own passport."

Going to Ghana.

Cetuk said he selected Ghana as the destination because it's one of the relatively safer African countries, and he has contacts there.

He said he's also looking forward to the role reversals the students will experience.

"For two weeks our white students are going to be the minority and the black students for the first time in their life are going to be the majority," he said.

Russell Yarnell, 21, of Lebanon, is a senior criminal justice major who will study the history of slave trading.

"Ghana was the first European slave trade post set up in Africa, bringing slaves to America," he wrote in an e-mail to the Daily Record. "I am going to create a PowerPoint of historic pictures from Ghana that I will take, then thread it with interviews of people in Ghana."

He also said that the geography of the country will be interesting, and he is approaching the departure date with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"It is going to be extremely hot," he said. "We are going to be in remote locations far away from any immediate help or resources that we may need."

Yarnell said he's planning on entering law enforcement as a career and feels opening himself up to a new culture can only help him.

"I will be dealing with diverse amounts of people on a daily basis, some of (whom) will be in crisis in one form or another," he wrote. "Being a cop, you can't have biases or be ignorant of different people, and the best way to break that barrier is to live in different cultures and learn their way of life and values and beliefs."

In Warren County, College is a Booming Business.

WCCC, Centenary fastest growing of all schools in N.J.

Sunday, June 03, 2007
BY LYNN OLANOFF
The Express-Times

Warren County Community College is adding 19,000 square feet of classroom space. Centenary College is building a 70,000-square-foot cultural and student center.

But even more notable for both colleges is the growing number of students.

Since 2000, WCCC has been the fastest growing of all two-year schools in the state, and Centenary College has been the fastest growing of all New Jersey four-year schools.

Enrollment at WCCC has grown nearly 107 percent through 2005, the latest year for statewide enrollment gathered by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. Overall enrollment at the school has grown from 797 to 1,647 in the six-year period.

Centenary College isn't lagging far behind. Since 2000, its enrollment has grown 84.9 percent, or from 1,335 to 2,469 students.

"It's actually been exceeding (our) goals," said Bryon Grigsby, Centenary's provost and chief operating officer. "When we built new dorms, we thought we were going to open the dorm rooms with empty beds, and we've opened them up full."

Attracting adults.

While there are a variety of reasons the two colleges are growing, one reason they share is adult students, said Jane Oates, executive director of the state's Commission on Higher Education. New Jersey has a huge number of adults going back to school, she said.

Most community colleges are attracting adult students, but Centenary College is ahead of most four-year schools in courting them, Oates said.

"Four-year colleges are still offering most of their classes Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, which doesn't fit the needs of working people anywhere," she said.

Centenary has opened two adult-education satellite campuses since 1999 and is scouting out three more, Grigsby said. Existing centers are in Edison and Parsippany and possible centers would be in Phillipsburg and near Middlesex and Raritan Valley community colleges.

Centenary is also growing at its Hackettstown campus. The two new dorms since 2003 were the first the college built since 1967. Two more are in the works in the next five years to add another 300 students to the existing 700 residential students.

 The new dorms and Centenary's continued creation of satellite learning centers both answer a lack of higher education opportunities in New Jersey.

"New Jersey is the No. 1 state in outsourcing its education," Grigsby said. "Students are finding it very difficult here to get a seat."

Many reasons for boom.

WCCC President Will Austin said there's a host of reasons why the college's enrollment more than doubled between 2000 and 2005. The college continues to grow, too: this fall there were 1,800 students, and Austin is expecting as many as 2,500 students by 2010.

WCCC is experiencing factors that are boosting enrollment at many county colleges, including the ever-rising prices of gas and four-year colleges.

Four-year colleges have become more selective as the country's population grows with many of the baby boomers' kids reaching college age, Austin said. This year, he said, he's heard of many students who weren't admitted to not-so-selective colleges.

There are also more local reasons for WCCC's boost. The college, under Austin's direction, has been sponsoring and attending more community events to better get its name out in Warren County.

There's also been greater enrollment from northern Hunterdon students since the college allowed Raritan Valley Community College-area students to attend WCCC at the same price as Warren County students three years ago.

Getting a free education.

The college has also gotten a boost in high-achieving students since the state started providing free community college tuition in 2004 to students in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. There will be at least 85 WCCC students enrolled in the program this fall.

 Lebanon Township resident Katie Kerl's sister was already in college when she was looking, so the free tuition at Warren County Community College was a deciding factor.

"Double tuition would have really hurt my parents financially," the 20-year-old said.

Kerl graduated from the community college last month and plans to continue at a four-year school this fall. Which one? Centenary College.

An increasing number of Warren Hills Regional High School students are also attending both schools, according to school guidance counselor Jeanette Schinstine.

Many are going to WCCC for the free tuition. Others are attending both schools after being exposed to them through a program that allows seniors to take college courses at WCCC and Centenary. The senior option program started in 2004.

"They get the foot in the door, they feel very comfortable and they just continue," Schinstine said.

Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.

Centenary's WNTI to Air Somerset Patriot Home Games.

Hackettstown, NJ, June 1, 2007 – As a great way to kick off summer in the Garden State, Centenary’s radio station, 91.9 FM WNTI, will begin to broadcast all home games of the minor league baseball team, the Somerset Patriots.  WNTI has a huge amount of tickets to give away on air, and the WNTI logo will run four to five times a game on the Jumbo-tron and the play by play announcer will also refer to Centenary’s broadcast to the crowd four or five times a game. A WNTI link will also run on the Patriots website. 

Jon Lewis, Broadcast Manager of Centenary College, says, “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for both entities—Centenary and the Patriots. We at WNTI have been looking for new and innovative program to cater to our ever-expanding, increasingly diversified audience. Go Patriots!”

About The Somerset Patriots

The Somerset Patriots are an Atlantic League team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Since the 1998 season, they have played in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affilitated with Major League Baseball.

The Patriots won the league championship in 2001, setting a league record of 83 wins and 43 losses. They again earned the league title in 2003 and 2005. They are the only team in Atlantic League history to win three league championships.

The team plays in Commerce Bank Ballpark, which opened in 1999 as Somerset Ballpark after the Patriots spent the 1998 season as a road team. In their first six seasons, the Patriots drew over two million fans, for an average over 5,000 per game, filling an entertainment niche in central Jersey.

The name "Patriots" refers to the Middlebrook encampment where the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater Township.

The Somerset Patriots’ 2007 home season schedule is as follows: 

June

1 - Road Warriors
2-4 Newark Bears
8-10 - Camden Riversharks
12-14 - York Revolution
15-17 - Road Warriors
24-26- Camden Riversharks
27-29 - Bridgeport Bluefish
30 - Lancaster Barnstormers
 
July
 
1-2 - Lancaster Barnstormers
16-18 - Road Warriors
19-21 - York Revolution
19-21- York Revolution
25-27 - Bridgeport Bluefish
31 - Bridgeport Bluefish
 
August
 
1-2 Bridgeport Bluefish
7-9 Newark Bears
10-12 - Road Warriors
2-22- Lancaster Barnstormers
23-25 Road Warriors
26-28 Long Island Ducks
 
September
 
11-13  Lancaster Barnstormers
14-16 - Camden Riversharks
 
The weeknight games are at 7:05 p.m. and the weekend time varies.

For more information about the Somerset Patriots broadcasts, please call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2181.

About WNTI

WNTI programs a mix of progressive adult alternative music on weekdays with specialty shows on weeknights and weekends ranging from Bluegrass, Folk, Blues, and Americana with NPR news updates on the hour.  Community issues and news are covered by Contours, produced by Melanie Thiel airing Sunday at 7 A.M. and available online as a Podcast.  It also streams its programming worldwide on the Internet.  Listen online or view a complete program schedule at www.wnti.org.

Centenary to Hold Scholarship Gala on June 4.

Funds raised from this event help keep the Hackettstown-based institution affordable.

Hackettstown, NJ, May 24, 2007 – Centenary College will host its annual Scholarship Gala on June 4, at the Hilton Short Hills at 6:30 P.M. This event will honor The Star Ledger, Chartwells and Joan Garey Hooper, class of 1950.  This year's theme is Centenary College Celebrates Arts and Education.

The funds raised from this event help keep a Centenary education accessible and affordable.  This year $8.9 million from the institution’s $36 million annual budget was awarded in financial aid to full-time undergraduate students.  Since 1993, the Scholarship Gala has raised over two million dollars for the Centenary College Scholarship Fund. 

The 2007 Scholarship Gala Honorary Chair is Joan Hamburg, Talk Show Host for WOR Radio and the Dinner Chair is Wallace P. Parker, Jr., President for the Energy Delivery and Customer Service Group for KeySpan.

Centenary’s President Kenneth L. Hoyt says, “Funds generated by the Scholarship Gala will enable numerous students to enjoy the full benefits of the student-centered learning and unparalleled service that Centenary has to offer.”

A great supporter of the arts and education through New Jersey, the newspaper annually awards scholarship support through the Mort Pye Star Ledger Scholars Program.  Since 1987, the program has worked to “identify, honor and assist” the state’s best and brightest by providing 11 partial and one full scholarship toward each student’s college education.  These students have attended the most competitive schools in the country and now hold positions in law, medicine, research, business and academics.

Known as “The Voice of New Jersey,” The Star Ledger traces its New Jersey roots back to 1832.  Today, The Star Ledger is the state’s largest daily paper and the 12th largest newspaper in the United States, based on its daily circulation of 400,000 and its Sunday circulation of 600,000.  The Star Ledger won its first Pulitzer Prize in 2005.

Chartwells, Centenary’s food service provider, is a diverse family of food and nutrition specialists, and a leader in culinary arts, dedicated to providing the Centenary community with fun, healthy dining options.  Additionally, Chartwells generously provides food for Midnight Run, an organization run by group of Centenary students, faculty and staff whose mission is to provide food and clothing to the homeless in New York City and has been a supporter of the Katrina Relief Project.

Throughout the years, Chartwells has been an avid supporter and integral part of the Centenary experience. They are generous contributors to The Campaign for Centenary College and their support will help make the David and Carol Lackland Center a reality.

Joan Garey Hooper, Class of 1950, has been a beloved member of the Centenary community. She has served on the Alumni Association Executive Board and the President’s Circle, and has used her love of history to conduct archival research about the College. A former nursery school and Sunday school teacher, Joan has dedicated herself to giving back to her community. Joan was recognized by the Northwestern New Jersey Regional Women's Center for her community service. Joan is also an artist whose work can be found in local galleries.

Centenary Equine Team Wins Fifth Place in National Horse Show, May 3-6.

Hackettstown, NJ, May 9, 2007 – The Centenary College Equestrian Team won fifth place in the National Intercollegiate Hunt Seat Show, which took place from May 3-6 at the Big E in Springfield, Massachusetts.  The field of 18 teams that advanced to the finals were the best of 475 institutions that began competing across the nation in September.

The Centenary team consisted of the following members: Megan Tritsch, Heather Bowen (5th Collegiate Cup Team-Walk-Trot-Center on the flat), Molly Brown, Lexy Lass, Rachel Samuels (Champion Individual Novice Equitation over the jumps and Champion individual Novice Equitation on the flat), Nora Crist (Champion-Collegiate-Cup Team—Intermediate Equitation over the jumps), Ashley DiBongrazio, and Eleanor Kunsman. Amy Gregonis placed 7th Alumni Equitation on the flat.

Additionally, Centenary loaned 9 horses to the National Horse Show and they were among the “stars” of the event. There were also some graduating seniors that did the professional schooling that was required at the horse show. These students included: Tiffany Neidhardt, Holly Fatula, and Kendra Merrigan. There was also a crew of students who came to the horse show to care for the horses on the road and support the team.

Centenary Equestrian program has been quite busy this year. Andrea M. Wells, Director of Centenary’s Equestrian Center, says, “We have put many challenges on our students and our staff with all of the events and the schedule that we asked them to keep. They have risen and ridden to every challenge put before them and have been true assets to our program and to the Centenary College community. We could not be more proud of them!”

The Centenary Equine department also wishes to thank the entire campus and community for their support and efforts with these events as well. Andrea Wells says, “It does take a village and what a great village we have at Centenary College. It has been a banner year!”

The Centenary community wishes to reciprocate that gratitude and appreciation for the Equine department’s progressive program.

Visit the Centenary College Equine program on the Web.

Textbook charity: College students help flood victims in Bound Brook.

Centenary College group hopes cleanup efforts will inspire others to volunteer.

By MARTIN C. BRICKETTO
Staff Writer, THE COURIER NEWS 

BOUND BROOK, April 29, 2007 -- Starting early Saturday morning, 15 students from Centenary College in Hackettstown got their hands dirty with some out-of-the-classroom experience more about helping others than a particular major.

The blue-shirted volunteers helped four homeowners continue to pick up the pieces from flooding that rocked the borough this month. Somerset County and other parts of New Jersey have officially been declared disaster areas by the federal government.

"Basically, we get an idea, some kids want to help out and we start talking on campus," said Russ Yarnell, a junior at the college studying criminal justice who is also the group's student leader. "People jump on board."

Putting the widespread damage and recovery needs into perspective, several residents have randomly approached the group asking if they can help them clean their properties, too, Yarnell said as he stood near a pile of water-damaged appliances, flooring, Sheetrock and other materials they helped empty from the home of one 91-year-old resident.

Many of the students also traveled to New Orleans in 2006 and this year to help repair homes damaged by wind and flooding from Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Raymond Frey, a professor of history at Centenary, said the spray paint on the windows and doors of damaged properties and the pungent smell of mud washed up from the Raritan River, Green Brook and Middle Brook during the flooding were eerie reminders of his experience in Louisiana.

"I'm so proud of these students to take time out and do this; they don't have to be here," Frey said.

Talmage Avenue resident Virginia Valenti called the students' help a lifesaver.

"There's so much that has to be done," Valenti said. Her living room floor was stripped bare, and Sheetrock on the walls had been cut just above where the floodwaters had reached.

Valenti said she is lucky because she has relatives she can rely on and her sons and daughter are helping her make repairs.

"My family, my friends, volunteers and my faith -- those are the things that get you by this," Valenti said.

Valenti said she is staying with one of her children and eventually hopes to sell the house and move into a senior community, away from the flooding and steep property tax bills.

College Junior Dan Brong Jr. said he hopes the group's work inspires a sense of volunteerism in others.

"Some people just have the mindset that they have to do their thing and they don't have time to help someone else," Brong said. "We want to change certain things that were done in the past. We want to show that there's people who will volunteer, who will go anywhere and give up their time."

Martin C. Bricketto can be reached at (908) 707-3176 or mbricket@gannett.com

91.9 WNTI-FM Announces “Dinner with a Smithereen”.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (April 25, 2007) – As part of WNTI’s Spring 2007 membership drive, WNTI is offering a special fundraiser dinner with Pat DiNizo, lead singer of the New Jersey based band The Smithereens.  On June 21st from 6 to 9pm, Mr. DiNizio will entertain with a mix of songs and stories at the new Bello Giorno in Belvidere, New Jersey.

The dinner will be for WNTI members who have donated $150 for a single admission and $250 for a couples’ admission.  Seating is limited in order to keep the intimate feel of the performance, which will also include a song request and question and answer session with Mr. DiNizio.  A Grand Italian Buffet and refreshments along with a cash bar. 

WNTI set a fundraising record in its October 2006 membership drive by raising over $58,000 from listener contributions.  These funds have allowed WNTI to grow and improve its service to Northern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.  WNTI is a member-supported station with 80% of its operating budget coming directly from its listeners and local business underwriting grants.  The goal of the Spring 2007 membership drive is to raise $60,000 by April 28th.

WNTI programs a mix of progressive adult alternative music on weekdays with specialty shows on weeknights and weekends ranging from Bluegrass, Folk, Blues and Americana with NPR news updates on the hour.  Community issues and news are covered by Contours, produced by Melanie Thiel airing Sunday at 7am and available online as a podcast.  The station is a broadcast service of Centenary College and is located at 91.9FM and has been on the air since 1958.   It also streams its programming worldwide on the Internet.  You can listen online or view their complete program schedule at www.wnti.org.

The New Jersey based Smithereens formed in 1980 in Carteret and consists of Pat DiNizio (lead singer/guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar), and Dennis Diken (drums).  Smithereens hit songs include “Blood and Roses”, “Only a Memory”, “A Girl Like You” and “Top of the Pops”.  The band is currently touring in support of their recent release “Meet the Smithereens” a tribute to The Beatles, covering the entire “Meet The Beatles” album.

Centenary College Responds to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Tragedy.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 20, 2007 – In response to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University tragedy, Centenary College has taken numerous actions to strengthen its own security measures and has increased services extended to members of the Centenary community.

Security Measures

Security actions that Centenary College have taken in the wake of the tragedy in Blacksburg include meeting with the members of its community members regarding the importance of vigilance and sharing its Emergency Action plan on how to notify the appropriate authorities when strangers or strange behaviors are detected on campus.  That same Emergency Action Plan is being reviewed by Robert E. Kumpf, Centenary’s Assistant Dean of Student for Campus Security, as well as the Hackettstown Police, who concluded a series of “Active Shooter” drills prior to the shootings.

Centenary College will also be adopting new technology in the next week that will allow a “blast” communication to all cell phones when an emergency situation occurs, as well as adding more security cameras throughout the campus this summer.

Additional Resources for the Centenary Community

To help members of the Centenary College community cope with this incident, Centenary has extended the chaplains and counselors hours throughout the week.  In addition, Centenary has held prayer services on Monday evening to remember those lost in Blacksburg, as well as participating in a prayer service yesterday in the George H. Whitney Chapel.  To observe Governor Kaine’s request to participate in simultaneous ceremonies at noon today, the College rang its chimes 32 times, once for each victim.  Centenary also gathered for a candle-light vigil in the quad on Wednesday evening.

The Centenary College community is also compiling a Book of Condolences that will be bound and sent to Virginia Tech.

“The tragedy at Virginia Tech has deeply affected the members of the Centenary College community and we share in its grief,” says Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt, President of Centenary College.  “We are taking great precautions to provide the members of our community with the resources they need to get through this difficult time.  In addition, we understand that security measures need to be re-examined as do other institutions throughout the country.”

Riding Competitions at Centenary’s Equestrian Center on April 21-22 and April 28-29.

Attennnn-shun! Centenary SBDC and Sussex-Warren NJAWBO to Co-Sponsor Entrepreneurs' Boot Camp.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 16, 2007 – Centenary College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Sussex-Warren New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) will partner to offer an entrepreneurial “boot camp”—a series of self-employment workshops. In addition to workshops, there will be private consulting, vendors, and other small business resources available on April 28 from 8 A.M. – 5 P.M. at Centenary College, in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building.

Workshop topics will include sales, marketing, finance/legal information, business strategy and planning, technology/logistics/operations, and personal development. Retired KeySpan Corporation Vice President and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Centenary College, Arden Davis Melick, will serve as Keynote Speaker for the 2007 Entrepreneurs’ Business Boot Camp.

Ms. Melick’s personal and professional accolades are numerous and expansive. Her accomplishments include not only her current position and the distinction of being the first alumna/us to hold the chair position of the Centenary Board of Trustees, but she has been a director of consulting services for PricewaterhouseCoopers, worked as a columnist for the Associated Press Newark, NJ bureau, authored three books on the U.S. Presidency, served in the administration of Governor Kean’s Department of Commerce and Economic Development, and was inducted into the New Jersey Advertising Hall of Fame.

In addition to her Centenary degree, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree from Syracuse University. In recognition of her service and accomplishments, Centenary presented her with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2001. She lives in New York City with her husband and is the mother of three sons and a grandmother of four grandchildren.

There will also be Centenary faculty/staff representation at the event, including Nancy Madacsi, Charlie Schomaker, John Sobeck Alan Martin, Joe Pizzo, and Dolores Stammer.

There will also several Centenary resources available to participants, including tables that represent Centenary’s undergraduate and graduate programs (traditional and non-traditional), its business programs, the Women’s Center, the SBDC, and the College radio station, WNTI.

The NJAWBO is an exclusive membership community of success-minded women, serious about networking, making money, and helping others. They are sponsored by Lakeland Bank, Net Access, and the NJ Herald. Centenary’s SBDC is one of eleven centers in the New Jersey Small Business Development Center network which provide small business entrepreneurs free one-on-one management consulting, affordable training and seminars, and access to publications, reference materials, and other small business resources. Their region includes Warren, Sussex, and Morris Counties.

Dolores Stammer, Director of Business and Community Resources and “boot camp” workshop presenter, says, “The 2007 Entrepreneurs’ Boot Camp promises to be an enriching experience for both potential entrepreneurs and existing small business owners looking for new ideas. Additionally, this should be a wonderful networking opportunity for all involved.”

To register for participation in the event or for more details, please call 973-940-9138, or visit www.njawbosw.org. The cost is just $69 and free to Centenary students, but all must pre-register.

Centenary’s International Student Coordinator, Daniel Stringer, to Help “Brake the Cycle” of HIV/AIDS.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 13, 2007 – Centenary’s International Student Coordinator, Daniel Stringer, will bike for 3 days over the course of more than 275 miles in September from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Manhattan to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and generate funds for those affected by it. 

Stringer must raise $3,500 in order to ride, so to raise funds for this ride.  He will be biking for five hours (on a stationary bike) on May 1 from 11 to 4 p.m. in the Quad.  Rain location is in the Sunken Lounge. 

Individuals can donate online at www.brakingthecycle.com, at the time of the biking fundraiser, or by calling Daniel Stringer at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2267 prior to May 1, 2007.

“Your donation is not a testament to what I will do; it is a testament to you, and your compassion,” says Daniel.  “Thank you in advance.”

Over 100 other dedicated riders from across the United States are preparing now for the three day bicycling journey from Gettysburg to Greenwich Village in NYC, all united in the fight against AIDS.  The ride, known as “Braking the Cycle,” will benefit the HIV/AIDS services of NY's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.
 
“Braking the Cycle” will begin on Friday, September 28 in Gettysburg, PA and conclude on Sunday, September 30, at the Center in Greenwich Village, NYC.  Riders will bike through a beautiful scenic route through PA and NJ before going through the NY Waterways Pier in Weehawken into NYC.  A closing ceremony at the Center will include hundreds of supporters to cheer for the riders on West 13th Street in Manhattan.
 
Since its founding in 1983, the Center has been at the forefront of providing HIV/AIDs services, including over 5000 free counseling sessions per year for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.  The Center also sponsors community forums, conferences, and commemorations, such as the annual World AIDS Day vigil which attracts over 3000 participants.

Established in 1983, the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center is the nation's leading and most comprehensive LGBT community center.

Through diverse health and wellness services, cultural activities and advocacy initiatives, the Center inspires LGBT New Yorkers at every stage of life to celebrate who they want to be and transform their world. 

To learn more, call 212-620-7310 or visit www.gaycenter.org.

Centenary's Council for Exceptional Children to Host Abilities Awareness Day.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 12, 2007 – Centenary College’s Council For Exceptional Children (CEC) will host Abilities Awareness Day tomorrow from 8:30-12:15 P.M. The event will be held in the Front Parlours and food and beverages will be served. Speakers start at 9 A.M.

Abilities Awareness Day presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about people of all ability levels. Dr. Linda Green, Associate Professor of Education, said that attendees can expect to “meet people, network, learn, and maybe even get a job from the experience.

Speakers include LeAnn Smith, the mother of a child who has ADHD and Autism, Sharon Longo, the mother of a child with selective mutism, David DeNotaris, from the NJ Commission for Blind and Visually Impaired and a nationally recognized motivational speaker, and representatives from ARC, Warren County Special Services, Tourette’s Organization, UCP of NJ, CP of NJ, Department of Developmental Disabilities, Abilities of Northwest New Jersey, DAWN, SCARC, Center for Humanistic Change, Celebrate the Children, CPR, and Centenary’s own therapeutic riding program and library.

Centenary's WNTI Spring Membership Drive April 21-28.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 11, 2007 – WNTI has announced its spring membership drive, beginning Saturday April 21 at 8 A.M. and concluding on Saturday April 28 at 7 P.M.  The membership drive provides funding for WNTI on-air programs, operations, and technical improvements to better serve their audience.  The station’s goal for this Spring Drive is to raise $60,000.

WNTI set a fundraising record in its October 2006 membership drive by raising over $58,000 from listener contributions.  These funds have allowed WNTI to grow and improve its service to Northern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.  WNTI is a member-supported station with 80% of its operating budget coming directly from its listeners and local business underwriting grants.

Jon Lewis, Broadcast Manager at WNTI and Centenary College TV stresses that these funds not only help the station grow, but also allow WNTI to expand on its mission, and Centenary’s mission of community involvement.  “From NORWESCAP to Hackettstown Spring Festival, WNTI is committed to reaching out and helping the community with more than just great music,” says Lewis.

One of the special “Thank You Gifts” being offered in this drive is an “Evening With a Smithereen” featuring lead singer/guitarist Pat DiNizio performing live for WNTI members. 

Melanie Thiel, Director of Development for WNTI, says, “Support WNTI and have a date with a Smithereen!  $150 per person or $250 donation per couple gets you the grand Italian buffet at Bello Giorno and an evening with Pat DiNizio.  Pat will play guitar, sing songs, and tell stories about his career with the Smithereens.  Don’t be Strangers When We Meet, support WNTI and enjoy an evening of live tunes from a master storyteller.”
 
Operations Manager Nick Straka says the funds raised this spring will improve everyone’s listening experience.  “We’ve been down a long road of repairs to our broadcast tower, which was erected in 1957.  These repairs will allow WNTI to install a new transmitting antenna, improving reception in cars, homes and the many valleys around the Highlands and Pocono regions.  We’re excited to see the light at the end of this tunnel of improvements and address the most common complaint of WNTI listeners, ‘we can’t hear you’!  But we can’t make these improvements without the direct help from our audience.” 

WNTI programs a mix of progressive adult alternative music on weekdays with specialty shows on weeknights and weekends ranging from Bluegrass, Folk, Blues, and Americana with NPR news updates on the hour.  Community issues and news are covered by Contours, produced by Melanie Thiel airing Sunday at 7 A.M. and available online as a Podcast.  The station is a broadcast service of Centenary College and is located at 91.9 FM and has been on the air since 1958.   It also streams its programming worldwide on the Internet. 

You can listen online or view their complete program schedule at www.wnti.org.

Centenary Students to Experience Ghana, Africa.

Special Course Entitled “Contemporary West Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study” Is Offered for the First Time.

Hackettstown, NJ, April 9, 2007 – Centenary College will send students to the west African nation of Ghana on June 7 to complete a course entitled “Contemporary West Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study.”  This is the first time this opportunity has been made available to Centenary students. 

While in western Africa, the students will learn about the history, socioeconomic issues, ecology, and culture of the area through lecture and site visits throughout their car and bus travels from the southern to northern borders of Ghana. Ghana is a primarily English speaking African nation that celebrates its 50th year of independence this year. The Centenary students will also have the opportunity to visit with students and professors from local universities.

This educational excursion will also require additional classroom work, including a discussion of the trip, travel to the United Nations, selected readings, and the completion of an individualized Capstone Project based on the student’s particular subfield of interest related to this endeavor. Upon completion of this entire adventure, the students will receive four credits that will satisfy the global citizenship graduation requirement.

The College’s International Studies Department will underwrite the cost of the trip, which includes medical vaccinations, visa, airfare, rooms, and meals for 11
undergraduates and Reverend David Jones, Vice President for Student Engagement, and Dr. Norman Cetuk, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology, when they venture to Ghana, Africa.

Reverend David Jones says, “The Centenary students will benefit from this class and trip on both an academic and a personal level. It is so important to our world today to understand other cultures.  The adventure will certainly be an enriching experience to all involved.”

Karma Foundation Donates Resources to Centenary Library to Bolster Autism Awareness.

Hackettstown, NJ, March 29, 2007 – In an effort to bolster awareness of Autism, the Karma Foundation awarded Centenary’s Taylor Memorial Library a grant, which consists of a collection of books on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of every 94 children in New Jersey has autism, the worst rate among the states tested in the most comprehensive study of the disease. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological condition characterized by impairments in social, communicative, and behavioral development. The severity of autism varies over a spectrum. Symptoms can include social deficits, failure to make eye contact, obsessive behaviors like memorizing train schedules, and behavioral issues.

April is Autism Awareness Month [Web link]. Thanks to the Karma Foundation’s generous donation Memorial Library is open to the public—can learn more about this disorder. The Karma Foundation has offered these materials to 200 other libraries in this state as well.

The layperson-friendly materials are geared to the needs of parents, other family members, teachers, caregivers, and anyone else interested in helping children and families affected by autism. The books offer an abundance of information on the various aspects of autism including diagnosis, options for therapy, and how parents can work with their school district on an education plan for their children. Among the books in the collection are titles by nationally recognized experts and leaders in autism research, such as Dr. Ivar Lovaas, Dr. Fred Volkmar, and Gary Mayerson; and a resource written in Spanish.

The Karma Foundation was established in 1996 to provide grants in support of organizations engaged in activities and programs that include an array of community services, including autism awareness.

Nancy Madacsi, Director of Centenary’s Library, says, “We are so pleased to make these informative books accessible to all our students and faculty members. The materials will be of particular use to our education students with concentrations in Special Education, but anyone is free to use them—we are open to the public! We know these wonderful additions to our library will be used frequently.”

For more information about Centenary’s Taylor Memorial Library, please visit the College’s Web site at www.centenarycollege.edu/library, or call them directly at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2345.

Centenary to Host Health Fair.

Hackettstown, NJ, March 23, 2007 – Centenary College will hold its annual Health Fair on April 4th, from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. in the Edward W. Seay Administration Building’s peer tutoring facility, the HUB. The public is invited, and numerous groups are going to take part in the event.

Those groups include: Planned Parenthood, Awakening Point (offering yoga information and mini massages), the Public Health department (with materials concerning Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus, Emergency Preparedness Information and sexually transmitted diseases), Hackettstown Regional Medical Center (who will offer Diabetes information and screening, stroke information, pulmonary function testing, sleep disorder information, cancer and nutrition information), Alcohol/Drug Counseling Center, Village Family Chiropractor, DARCC, Family Guidance Center, Women’s Health Resource,
Postmodern Wellness (a holistic approach to health and wellness), tips on balancing life and daily stress, Karmabridge Acupuncture (who will offer insights into herbals and T’ai Chi), Breast Health Awareness Information, Gold’s Gym, Community Prevention Resources, and more will be present on this day.

Centenary’s Nurse Jean Robert says, “The Health Fair is always an interesting event. We have several groups representing a wide variety of health concerns this year. I am sure our students—and the general public—will find the information useful to their daily lives.”

For more information, please call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2205.

Centenary's WNTI to Host NORWESCAP Food Drive.

Hackettstown, NJ, March 2007 – Centenary College’s radio station, 91.9 FM, WNTI, will sponsor a NORWESCAP Food Drive on Saturday, March 24 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

There will be four drop off locations where individuals can drop off any nonperishable food items or paper goods.  WNTI DJ’s will be available to help and answer any questions.  The locations are:

• Centenary’s Front Parlours in The Edward W. Seay Administration Building.
• Mama’s Pizza/Café Baci on Mountain Avenue in Hackettstown.
• Burgdorff Realtors on High Street in Hope.
• Penny Lane Music on Main Street in Chester.

NORWESCAP helps families in Warren, Sussex, and Hunterdon Counties. Each $1.00 donated to the NORWESCAP Food Bank provides 14 pounds of food that will be distributed throughout the communities they serve. Thus, $3.00 = 42 pounds of food and $5.00 = 70 pounds of food. The Food Bank is also in need of food donations such as peanut butter, tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soup, and assorted nutritious cereals.

“This is the third annual NORWESCAP Food Drive WNTI has held,” says Melanie Thiel, Director of Development for WNTI.  “Each year we want to surpass the amount of food collected from the year before, but we can’t do it without your donations. Help us stamp out hunger in our own backyard!”

For more information, please call the NORWESCAP Food Bank at 908-454-4322. In addition, calls can be placed to Melanie Theil at WNTI about Saturday’s Drive at 908-979-4355, ext. 1.  Individuals who are interested in making donation before Saturday can bring them to the Centenary campus, but please call ahead.

Centenary's Center for Adult and Professional Programs at the Parsippany Learning Center will Hold a Re-Opening after Renovation and Expansion.

Keynote Address Will Be Given By Star Ledger Publisher George Arwady

Hackettstown, NJ, March 19, 2007 – Centenary College will host a reception at their Parsippany Learning Center on April 19, 2007 from 5 to 7pm to officially welcome students and the public to their newly renovated facility.

The expansion and renovations continue Centenary College's focus on student-centered learning and support. 

"We are extremely proud of the expansion of our Parsippany facility," says Dr. Joanne Cote-Bonanno, Dean of Adult and Profession Programs for Centenary College. "Not only is it a true testament to our commitment to provide superior education and support to almost 1000 adult learners, but the expansion itself is an indicator of the community's need for and support of our programs."

Renovations include the remodeling of the Student Break and Work Room as well as the creation of a Cyber Café, Learning Resource Center, multiple student conference and interview rooms, and expanded suites for several administrative departments such as accounting and faculty support.
 
Attendees will be able to tour the facility as well as meet Centenary President Kenneth Hoyt.  In addition to the keynote address by George Arwady, a Centenary College Trustee and the publisher of The Star Ledger, additional speeches will be given by students, both current and alumnus.  Light refreshments will be served.

Launched in 1999, Centenary College's Adults and Professional Programs provides multiple education programs for working adults in an unique format which enables them to complete their college degrees in less time than traditional programs and with an emphasis on practice and experience as well as theory.

Current degrees include an AA in Liberal Arts with Business Emphasis, BS in Business Administration and MBA.  Students can study at the Parsippany Learning Center, the MetroPark Learning Center, the Hackettstown Campus or online, depending on their preferred venue.

Hackettstown, NJ, March 8, 2007 – Centenary College has announced the recipient of their first Hackettstown High School student scholarship—Amy Vadala.  The scholarship marks just the beginning of an ongoing partnership between the institutions.

Though there were several worthy Hackettstown High School students among those vying for the scholarship, Amy best exemplified Centenary’s qualifications. Indeed, five other applicants received partial scholarships in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $12,000.

Amy’s scholastic ability, community service experience, strong sense of teamwork, leadership potential, and desire to lead a values-driven life all led to her selection by the Hackettstown School District.

“We are thrilled that Amy will soon be a Centenarian,” says Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt, Centenary College President.  “She is the newest addition to our family of learners.”

Amy plans to major in Communication and is interested in the field of Broadcast Journalism. She is co-founder of the High School’s Philosophy Club and has a strong interest in theater and has participated Centenary’s Young Performers Theater and the Growing Stage of Netcong and Pax Amicus in Budd Lake.

“This is a dream come true for me,” says Amy Vadala. “To have the opportunity to be recognized in this way is quite an honor, plus the financial benefits of being awarded this scholarship will create such a positive impact for myself and my family.”

Centenary’s Dolores J. Stammer to Conduct Entrepreneurship Workshop

Hackettstown, NJ, March 6, 2007 – Dolores J. Stammer—college professor, seasoned entrepreneur, and in-demand speaker—will conduct a workshop entitled “Pricing Strategies: Psychology, Performance & Profitability” on March 12, 2007 from 6:30-9 P.M. at Charlie Brown’s Restaurant. There will be opportunities for networking, dinner, and participation in Professor Stammer’s program.

This workshop will focus on effective profitable pricing results from a strategic approach that focuses on value, not price, and will help entrepreneurs show their customers the value of the products or services they provide.

Dolores J. Stammer is known for her ability to present business material in an entertaining and informative manner while not sacrificing the level of detail required to present practical and workable solutions to everyday challenges. She is considered an expert in pricing strategies and tactics. She is currently the Director of Business & Community Resources Center at the Centenary College Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

As part of the 11 Small Business Development Centers in New Jersey, Centenary’s office supports start-up and small business through one-on-one management consulting, affordable training and access to publications, references and business resources.

For more information, call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2127.

Centenary College Announces 2007 Career Fair.

Hackettstown, NJ, March 5, 2007 – On March 28, from 5-8 p.m., Centenary College will host its annual career fair in the newly-renovated John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center.  The event is offered at no charge and is open to the public.

Employers who are participating include Fastenal, Ameriprise Financial, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, ADP, the NJ Judiciary—Morris/Sussex Vicinage, New Jersey State Police, Wells Fargo Financial, and New Jersey National Guard.

In total, there will be more than 40 employers present. Job seekers should bring multiple copies of their resumes and business attire is required.

“Our career fair will be a wonderful opportunity for job seekers to make connections with a wide variety of employers,” says Patricia Mahaffey, Centenary College director of career services. “This event will be the perfect time to explore full time, part time, internship, and summer employment and will no doubt be beneficial to all involved.”

For further information about this and other career development events offered at Centenary College, please call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2363 or visit Centenary’s web site at www.centenarycollege.edu.

Quartermaine's Terms: "Idiocy with Ingenuity."

In this teachers' lounge, there's no break from head cases.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007
BY PETER FILICHIA
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

"Quartermaine's Terms"

Where: Centenary Stage Company, Centenary College, 400 Jefferson St., Hackettstown.

When: Through March 11. Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.

How much: $20 Saturdays; $17.50 all other evening performances; $15 for all matinees. Two-for-one on Thursdays. Call (908) 979-0900 or visit www.centenarystageco.org.

Here's a chance to find out what really goes on in the teachers' room.

"Quartermaine's Terms," now receiving an excellent production at Centenary Stage Company in Hackettstown, takes us behind that closed door in a middle-of-the-road British academy. Simon Gray's 1981 play suggests that those who stay too long in the groves of academe will be strangled by that ivy. Spending day after day with children, some teachers run the risk of becoming the biggest kids in the class.

Each of the six teachers lives in a world for whom the school bell tolls. No wonder headmaster Eddie Loomis treats them as children, ordering one not to grow a beard, and questioning a female teacher for wearing sandals.

The 50ish Melanie still lives with her mother. Henry finds that helping children is hard, but dealing with his own is substantially more difficult. Anita is shirking her students while concentrating on her romantic life. So is Derek, who has asked two friends to decide which will be the best man at his wedding. Mark is just teaching until he can finish that novel.

Then there's St. John Quartermaine, the most clueless of all. Colleagues call him, not to get together, but to ask if he'll baby-sit. When one of them says he wants to be alone, Quartermaine replies, "Of course." Then he doesn't leave. When Melanie bravely tells of her mother's progress after a stroke, leave it to this social oaf to speak about a relative whose stroke was followed by one substantially worse.

There isn't a weak link in the cast. As Mark, Jay Gaussoin makes an excellent transition from a husband who's devastated that his wife has left him to a man who realizes how liberating single life can be. On the other hand, Eddie is a principal who starts out jauntily and must age into infirmity; Andrew Boyer beautifully accomplishes the changeover.

As Anita, Katrina Ferguson has the smooth edge of the upper crust, though she'll coarsen it with her lusty desires. Steven L. Barron makes Henry sound convincingly British, which is a must, given how he loves to hear himself talk.

Christopher Young is delicious as Derek, the accident-prone teacher who believes he'll be free of mishaps now that he's found the right woman. (We'll see.) As Melanie, Becky Engborg wears a brave smile, all the while suggesting she's not only hanging onto a ledge by her fingernails, but has released the first hand.

Last, but not least -- unless we're talking about his character -- is Steven Dennis as Quartermaine. What a marvelous portrait of a true innocent, an asexual being who's oblivious to his loneliness. Costume designer Julia Sharp wisely puts him in brown clothes so he dissolves into the mahogany woodwork on John Hobbie's set.

Dennis' glazed smile is only one component of how uncomfortable this character is in his own skin. When Dennis doesn't have his hands clasped in front of him (like a good student), he has them in his pockets. Add to this a tendency to lift himself onto his tip-toes whenever he expresses an opinion. Dennis gives this English teacher eloquent body English.

Director Carl Wallnau goes to the head of the class with this one.

Peter Filichia may be reached at pfilichia@starledger.com or (973) 392-5995.

Centenary College Awarded $30,000 Grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation.

Hackettstown, N.J., February 26, 2007 – Centenary College has been awarded a $30,000 grant from The FirstEnergy Foundation. The grant will support a Teacher’s Academy for Math, Science, and Technology, address No Child Left Behind Act standards, and assist with the critical state and nationwide shortage of mathematics, science, and technology teachers. The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp., the parent company of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L).

Professor Heather Dunham, Centenary College’s Dean for Business and Education, says, “This grant will be a huge benefit to Centenary College’s mission to provide outstanding training and professional development to pre-service and in-service teachers.”

Due to new requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, there is currently a state- and nationwide shortage of highly qualified mathematics and science teachers.  Dunham says the generous grant from The FirstEnergy Foundation will help Centenary develop its Teacher’s Academy for Math, Science, and Technology to address this problem. At the outset, this initiative will partner with schools in ethnically diverse, low-to moderate-income public school districts in northwest New Jersey in an effort to improve student performance.

In the upcoming decade, projections suggest that the nation’s school districts will need to hire 2.2 million new teachers, including 240,000 middle and high school mathematics and science teachers. In that same time period, the State of New Jersey estimates that approximately 30,000 new teachers will need to be trained. As the only four-year college in northwestern New Jersey, Centenary is poised to take a lead role in addressing that shortage. Centenary College Teacher’s Academy, under the direction of the College’s Education Department, will collaborate with New Jersey K-12 public schools to strengthen math, science, and technology skills for pre-service and in-service middle school teachers.

“With The FirstEnergy Foundation’s generous sponsorship, we can proceed with the development of our Teacher’s Academy for Math, Science, and Technology, and better assist community teachers already teaching to improve mathematics and science education statewide,” says Dunham.

“We are pleased to support the Teacher’s Academy for Math, Science and Technology,” says Elaine Vincent, FirstEnergy’s manager of Community Involvement for New Jersey.  “The academy will serve an important need in developing partnerships with school districts in JCP&L’s northwest New Jersey service area.”

Centenary College Receives Specialized Accreditation for its Business and Business-Related Programs.

Hackettstown-based institution is only one of two in New Jersey to be recognized by IACBE.

Hackettstown, NJ, February 22, 2007 – Centenary College has received specialized accreditation for its business and business-related programs through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), Olathe, Kansas.  The following degree programs are accredited by the IACBE:

• Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Accounting and Business Administration.
• Master of Business Administration degree.

Centenary College is one of only two colleges in New Jersey which is IACBE accredited.

IACBE accreditation provides many benefits, including evidence of quality through accreditation, continuous improvement within the organization, accountability, and international perspectives.

The IACBE’s accreditation principles are designed to promote and stimulate excellence in business education, and each accreditation principle is linked to one or more characteristics in business education.

IACBE promotes and supports quality business and management education worldwide and is noted internationally for its outcomes assessment approach to accreditation which involves the measurement of program effectiveness in student learning outcomes.

“Accreditation is a practical means of assuring students and the business community that an institution’s business degree programs are of high quality,” says Dr. Terry A. Girdon, Chair of IACBE’s Board of Commissioners. “Analysis of curricula, student learning outcomes, admissions criteria, faculty credentials, financial support, and a commitment to academic distinction are required to be recognized by IACBE.”

Prof. Heather Dunham, the Chair of the Business department said, “The IACBE accreditation is a great honor and will be an asset to Centenary College. It is an indication that Centenary College meets and exceeds the high standards of the academic and business communities.”

Centenary Receives Grant from Verizon to Benefit Peer Tutor Multi-Literacy Center.

Hackettstown, NJ, February 12, 2007 – Centenary College has received a $15,000 gift recently from Verizon to benefit the HUB (where Higher Understanding Begins), the institution’s peer tutoring multi-literacy center.  This grant was the second from Verizon to support the HUB.

Dr. Bryon Grigsby, Centenary Provost and Chief Operating Officer says, “With this grant money, the HUB tutors will be able to serve the Centenary community in even more ways than they already do.”

The HUB is a literacy center that is dedicated to helping student writers meet present and future academic challenges. Many of the student tutors employed there are Education majors, and all of them are among the brightest and most enthusiastic of Centenary’s diverse student body.

Each HUB tutor receives over 60 hours of specialized academic training designed to respond to a wide range of literacy needs for first-year college students. Unlike traditional volunteer literacy tutors, HUB tutors are uniquely prepared to meet the literacy needs of fellow students in reading as well as other core content areas including writing, mathematics, and technology.

Further, the HUB has also been incorporated into the “First Year Experience” program at Centenary. This program was launched in the fall of 2003 and has since served to draw on national best practices in first year student retention theory in higher education. Centenary’s best practices in student retention include: offering innovative courses designed around faculty interests, utilizing widespread integration with technology for teaching and learning, and offering upper class mentors, called “First Year Leaders” to freshman students.

Two First Year Leaders are inserted in each First Year Experience Seminar course and offer social and academic support to the new students. The First Year Leaders assist entering freshman in a variety of ways—helping them develop technology skills, writing skills, assisting them in critical thinking and quantitative reasoning  exercises, and making the social adjustment to college life.  Since 2003, each full-time student at Centenary College has also received a laptop upon entrance and this technology has greatly enhanced teaching and learning for its students.

Verizon’s latest grant will provide two faculty training stipends as well as additional program hardware and software.

Centenary’s student-led tutoring center, the HUB, is effective and has great potential for being a model for other college and universities. With Verizon’s generous grant and Centenary’s dedicated team, this peer tutoring multi-literacy center will surely continue to expand and evolve.

Relief Mission

College students continue 5-year commitment of helping rebuild New Orleans.

Delta Alpha Pi — the Honor Society for Students with Disabilities — has Induction Ceremony at Centenary College.

Centenary College to Host 20th Anniversary High School Academic Business Competition (HSABC) on February 28th.

Hackettstown, NJ, February 9, 2007 – Centenary College will once again proudly host their annual High School Academic Business Competition (HSABC) this year, led by Professor Emeritus of Business, Robert Quade on February 28, 2007.

This event started in 1987, and has become more involved with every passing year. Cosponsored by acclaimed accounting firm Deloitte and Touche and hosted by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), this competition offers tri-state area high school students the opportunity to test their skills in accounting, computing, and general business knowledge through written, hands-on, and group case study scenarios.

This year is particularly exciting for Centenary as it is the twentieth anniversary of the first year of the event. Eight teams, including those from Morris Knolls, Morris Hills, Warren Hills, Mount Olive, Lenape Valley, Bridgewater Raritan, Montville, and Freedom High Schools will compete at Centenary College on Wednesday, February 28th. Each team is comprised of five people—a coach from the high school’s Business department, and four students who have demonstrated skill in their respective business courses.

The event begins at 8:30, as the teams arrive and register. They then proceed to Centenary’s Front Parlours, where they are greeted by the HSABC Student Coordinator, Noel Leuzarder, and given the schedule for the day. The event then includes various testing areas where the students compete in a series of written tests and present a case study to a panel of judges including representatives from SIFE, Centenary College administration, faculty, staff, and Deloitte and Touche.

The event concludes with a luncheon and an awards ceremony to recognize the efforts of all the high schools and to award individual students who excelled in respective areas of the competition. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live at 1:00 P.M. on WNTI radio, 91.9 FM.

Centenary College eagerly anticipates the celebration of two decades of successful HSABC competitions. As a former participant (and current Centenary student), Noel Leuzarder, states, “The competition was a lot of fun. I enjoyed meeting new people and coming to the college to compete. It tested my abilities and was a valuable experience.”

Centenary President Hoyt and Provost Grigsby Deliver Presentation to Thank Hackettstown High School for the Use of their Facilities.

Centenary Student Alysee Jacobs Publishes Barbaro Photos in Renowned Equine Publication.

Centenary College Begins Pilot Programs with Hackettstown High School District.

Hackettstown, NJ, January 31, 2007 – Centenary College has begun a pilot program with Hackettstown School district that will enable local high school students to take college-level elective courses at Centenary for minimal cost.

This semester was the first in what the college hopes to be many in a long, rewarding relationship between Centenary and Hackettstown School District. By allowing students to take a variety of college level courses—such as science, dance, English, and history of art—while still in high school gives the participants a decisive edge when it comes time for them to enter college full-time. They will be able to be better acquainted with college level expectations and gain a more thorough understanding of the subject fields studied.

When the program first became available, there was an overwhelming response of interest—70 people. As a result, it was decided that seniors would receive inclusion first, so there are 19 students who now participate.

Hackettstown School District Superintendent Bob Gratz says, “The students are learning a new regimen (dealing with the registrar, signing up for classes, etc.) that will allow them to become more self-sufficient and ease the high school to college transition. This opportunity will provide our graduates with the ability to differentiate themselves that the High School cannot fully afford. This program is a win-win opportunity for all involved and essentially expands our curriculum at no expense to the taxpayer. Further, having our students at Centenary also is a benefit to the college because our students are outstanding and well-prepared.”

Diane Pittenger, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the High School adds, “This exciting initiative allows Centenary and the Hackettstown School District to join forces to provide students with a taste of the college experience while they are still in High School.”

Centenary officials are equally pleased by the potential that this program has on the Hackettstown community, in general. Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, Vice President of Academic Affairs says, “As the partnership between Centenary College and Hackettstown Public School District continues to develop and new opportunities arise, the potential benefits of both organizations working toward new community programs is really exciting.”

NASA Partners with MacArthur Foundation Award Winner Dr. Sasha Barab, Plans to Expand Mathematics and Science Education Programs.

Hackettstown, NJ, January 29, 2007 -- Centenary College has received a $1 million grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Additionally, the Hackettstown-based institution will partner with the John T. and Katherine D. MacArthur Foundation Award winner, Dr. Sasha Barab, and expand their mathematics and science education programs.

There is a critical shortage of certified teachers in the State of New Jersey, particularly those in the mathematics and science fields. As the only four-year and graduate college in northwest New Jersey, the institution strongly desires to address this dire situation. With the generous donation of NASA and the partnership of Dr. Barab, Centenary can now work toward massive expansion in their mathematics and science education programs.

At present, Centenary College produces about sixty certified teachers each year. Centenary serves many diverse communities—Phillipsburg and Dover included, where the College has set up Professional Development Schools. To address the teacher shortage, however, Centenary began to work on this latest project with NASA in December 2005.

In the first phase of this project, Centenary began to utilize a learning management system (the Academic Suite of Blackboard) that currently enhances the educational experience of their students, increases teacher preparation, and provides digital records of learning. Additionally, this technology, thanks in large part to the generous support of NASA, is used in an online M.Ed. program that prepares practicing teachers to build their digital portfolio, should they choose, in order to work for National Board Certification.

The second phase of this plan is to integrate gaming technology into the professional development of current teachers, particularly to increase interest in the areas of math and science. For this portion of the plan, Indiana University’s Dr. Sasha Barab, Associate Professor of Learning Science, will partner with Centenary to provide standards-connected, inquiry-based learning experiences for New Jersey teachers and their students through the use of Quest Atlantis (QA), the Inquiry Learning Forum, and NASA data, simulations and research. Quest Atlantis is an innovative learning and teaching project that uses a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 9-12, in educational tasks. QA combines strategies used in the commercial gaming environment with lessons from educational research on learning and motivation.

MacArthur Award winning Dr. Barab’s current work involves the design of rich learning environments, frequently with the aid of technology, that are designed to assist children in developing their sense of purpose as individuals, members of their communities, and as knowledgeable citizens of the world.

Centenary Provost Dr. Bryon Grigsby says, “We are absolutely delighted to partner with such a dynamic, progressive individual.”

Through NASA’s generous support and its partnership with Indiana University’s Dr. Barab, Centenary will align Quest Atlantis to New Jersey Core curriculum Content Standards, incorporate NASA data into selected “Quests” (or travel to virtual places to perform educational activities), and pilot it in classrooms over the course of one year. Centenary also intends to provide information about additional resources and internships for students and teachers to further their engagement with NASA and will incorporate information from the New Jersey Space Grant Consortium that teachers can use in their classrooms.

Centenary President Kenneth L. Hoyt says, “With the help of NASA, we at Centenary can further enhance our ability to offer true learning for a 21st century world.”

With the generous support of NASA, Centenary College will be able to scale its Education program to meet the growing need for teachers in the New Jersey region and it will be able to expose teachers to effective practices using technology in teaching and learning.  Indeed, Centenary’s Education Department was the first Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) pre-accredited program in New Jersey.

The Department is dedicated to improving the quality of teaching in the local public school system, and has established numerous programs and partnerships around the state. As a small institution, however, Centenary has reached its physical limit in the number of courses it can provide if it has to rely strictly on traditional means of education.

With the increased usage of the learning management system and online technology, Centenary’s Education department can grow far beyond physical boundaries, doing its part to address New Jersey’s need for mathematics and science teachers. Classroom discussion can occur anytime, anywhere. Student learning can occur throughout classes and over time—from any location. Thanks to NASA and Dr. Barab and the dedication of their own Education department, Centenary College not only can address New Jersey’s critical teacher shortage, but can also further their commitment to offer an education designed around the student—anytime and anywhere.

Small Business Development Center Offers Business Counseling at Parsippany Learning Center.

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, JANUARY 23, 2007 – James Smith, the Regional Director for the Centenary College Small Business Development Center, will be offering business counseling three days a month at Centenary College’s Learning Center on 300 Littleton Road in Parsippany.

James will conduct individual appointments the first, third and fourth Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. 

“The counseling provided is designed for those who want to start a business, as well as those who are already in business and want to get to that next level,” says James.

Centenary College Small Business Development Center is located at Centenary’s main campus in Hackettstown, though the Parsippany hours have been added to accommodate SBDC’s constituents in Morris County.

James Smith served in the Army upon his graduation from high school in 1965. After his Army career, James received a Bachelors of Science Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University.  He has also completed post graduate studies at Oklahoma University and New York University.

He worked in the banking industry for 20 years in various positions, including a senior loan offers before starting a third career in education.  He was a professor at County College of Morris and business program coordinator at Sussex County Community College.  Currently, he is the regional director for the Centenary College Small Business Development Center.

About the SBDC

The SBDC network is administered by The U.S. Small Business Administration nationally to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.  SBDCs are located across the country and offer one-stop assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations.

The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network has eleven centers throughout the Garden State, with State funding from the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission. 

For more information about the Centenary College Small Business Development Center visit: www.centenarycollege.edu/sbdc.

Centenary College Campus Possible for Phillipsburg.

Learning center could offer programs within five years.

By Harley Rissmiller, Special to The Morning Call.
January 22, 2007.

Centenary College, a liberal arts school in Hackettstown, N.J., is considering opening a learning center in Phillipsburg within the next five years.

"We're going to need funding in place first, but we're hoping to build a satellite campus in Phillipsburg," said Bryon Grigsby, Provost of the college. "I'm hoping it would happen within five years."

Consultants for the college have met with town officials, and representatives of the school plan to meet with town officials this week.

Grigsby said the college hopes to locate a learning center that would offer many of the basic programs in its bachelor's, graduate and associate programs on 5 acres next to the Noto-Wynkoop Funeral Home and across from Joe's Steak Shop on South Main Street.

Grigsby said the college envisions a 10,000- to 20,000-square-foot building with a student center that would accommodate cultural opportunities and events as well as education.

Mayor Harry Wyant said a college locating downtown could be one of the last pieces needed for the full-blown revitalization of the downtown area.

"This will bring the people in," he said.

While no contracts have been signed, Grigsby said the college is fairly committed to Phillipsburg. He said the school is following Gov. Jon Corzine's call for more in-state opportunities for education.

He said Phillipsburg is an ideal location for a learning center because students from town who want to attend colleges nearby have two choices: Warren County Community College in Washington, about 20 minutes away, or Centenary, up to a 50-minute drive away.

"It's easier to bring the education to the student, than to bring the student to the education," he said.

Centenary has already opened centers in Edison and Parsippany in the past five years. The school is also exploring opening centers in Newark and Jersey City in addition to Phillipsburg, said Grigsby, who noted the fate of those centers would have no impact on a Phillipsburg location.

George Chando, director of secondary education for the Phillipsburg School District, doesn't believe there is a lack of opportunities for students in the area, but he welcomes additional opportunities.

"I think it's a good move," he said. "The more opportunities you have in your town, the better it is for the students and the community."

Grigsby said the school is also considering the town because of its redevelopment efforts. The possible site is in a redevelopment zone, which could help the college get funding for the project.

Grigsby estimated the cost of a learning center to be between $15 million and $20 million.

Some of the land is in private hands and some of it is owned by New Jersey Transit, said Phillipsburg Urban Enterprise Zone Director Mark Portnoy.

White Township Twins among Centenary Grads.

Sunday, January 21, 2007
BY LYNN OLANOFF
The Express-Times

Eric and Jacki Frueholz were graduated together for the third time Saturday.

The 22-year-old White Township twins first were honored together at White Township Consolidated School and later at Belvidere High School. At 11 a.m. Saturday, they received diplomas from Centenary College.\

 The cost of this college made the twins' selection easy. Their mother, Nancy, works in Centenary's provost and academic affairs office, so the twins could attend for free.

But the twins worked at jobs as though they did have major college costs. Eric works full time as the assistant grocery manager at ShopRite in Washington Township. Jacki works 20 to 30 hours a week as a front-end manager at Home Depot in Mansfield Township.

They also excelled at college. Jacki finished with a 3.4 grade-point average and Eric had a 3.2 GPA.

"They're very good workers, very good students," Nancy Frueholz said. "They're wonderful kids. I'm very proud of them."

Along with the twins, 216 other Centenary College students received diplomas Saturday. Centenary added a January commencement ceremony last year to accommodate the college's growing population, college President Kenneth Hoyt said.

While the free tuition option left little choice, they said they liked attending together. In the four or five classes they took together, they were able to share books and study together. Jacki majored in accounting, and Eric majored in business.

"It helps to have someone in the same class," Jacki said.

Most people at Centenary were unaware Jacki and Eric were twins, even in the classes they took together. But they couldn't escape recognition of their last name. In addition to their mom, many people knew their brother Brian and cousin Jen, who also attended Centenary.

"He got called Brian and I got called Jen," Jacki said.

Eric also has been tied to his younger brother, Adam.

"Growing up (people) thought my younger brother looked more like him. They thought they were twins," Jacki said.

Adam Frueholz won't confuse anyone at Centenary, though. He attends Northampton Community College to study automotive work, a major Centenary doesn't have.

Eric and Jacki plan to keep their jobs at ShopRite and Home Depot until they find full-time jobs in their fields. Jacki is seeking an entry-level accounting job while Eric wants to stay in the food industry, possibly as a restaurant manager.

They aren't planning to work in the same geographic area, but "you never know," Eric said.

Students' Ideas for Arena Won't Just End up on Ice.

Thursday, January 18, 2007
BY BRENDAN BERLS
Star-Ledger Staff

Some small businesses, seeking fresh ideas to improve their performance, will fork over tens of thousands of dollars to consultants in exchange for expert opinions.

But at an ice rink complex in Randolph, the consultants worked for free. Well, for a grade.

To be sure, the consultants, who completed five projects last month on how the facility, Aspen Ice, can improve its marketing tactics, were not professionals. They were undergraduates, completing an assignment that counted for a third of their grade in a sports marketing class at Centenary College in Hackettstown.

Aspen Ice's general manager said the company, to some extent, was humoring the students to help them in their class. But after the ideas came in, many of them struck arena executives as something fresh, and they probably will incorporate a few into their business plan.

"We were all very impressed," the general manager, Marc Ozga, said of the students' presentation last month. "They come up with some pretty good ideas, and then they came up with some ideas that we hadn't thought about at all."

For instance, Aspen Ice is considering adding a third rink next to its two existing ones along Route 10, and was looking for ideas on how to keep it filled during the slow spring and summer months. The company wanted to do something different from the competition, like the Mennen Arena in Morris Township, which holds an annual dog show.

The students suggested Aspen Ice take advantage of the stadium seating in the planned rink to hold events like live theater, or even professional wrestling. Ozga said the company may just take those suggestions to heart.

For the students, putting together the project -- and actually presenting it in a corporate setting -- proved far more instructive than assignments in other business classes, in which plans are put together for made-up companies. Here, they had to deal with marketing realities, and a relatively small business with a limited amount of money available to spend.

"I learned a lot more doing it this way than the other way," said Daniel Kunigonis, a 20-year-old sports marketing major who hopes to go into sports-related advertising work once he has his degree. "This will definitely help me out in the future, a project like this."

That was the goal, said Dolores Stammer, a business professor at Centenary who taught the sports marketing class. Stammer was among those at the college who began putting together courses four years ago in which business students must gain real-world marketing experience for credit.

"They work harder than they would for just plain, good old course work," Stammer said, adding that students also remember much more of what they learn through these projects than by staying in the classroom. "I can't think of a better learning tool," she said.

The Aspen Ice project came about through a coincidental connection between the college and the arena -- Ozga's wife is an office worker at the college.

Stammer said the project was something of a departure for her classes, in that the students put together five projects for the same client. The projects, each put together by a team of five students, covered different facets of the Aspen Ice business: the third rink, the sports apparel pro shop, the selling of advertising space on the dasherboards around the hockey rinks, the youth fitness center and the indoor turf field and batting cages.

It was also the first time the students went to a client to make their presentation in a business setting, as opposed to having the client come to the classroom. Ozga said that made a big difference.

"You could tell they took a lot of time to put it together," he said. "Some kids were really good presenters, too: You could tell they had no fear of speaking in front of an audience."

Centenary College to Hold its Second January Commencement.

Centenary College Chair of the Board of Trustees, Arden Davis Melick, to give Commencement speech.

Hackettstown, New Jersey, January 15, 2007 – The January Commencement Ceremony for 218 Centenary College graduates will take place on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 11 a.m. at the Auditorium of the Mount Olive (NJ) Middle School.  This is the second Commencement ceremony to be held in January.  Centenary College Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Arden Davis Melick, Centenary College Class of 1960, will serve as the keynote speaker. 

“Centenary College is experiencing tremendous growth, which has made holding a commencement ceremony in January, in addition to May, necessary,” says Centenary College President Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt. “As a result of Centenary’s progress, we are having this ceremony off-site in the neighboring community of Mount Olive while the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center is being renovated.  This is a true indication that Centenary is moving forward to a greater tomorrow.”

The degrees that will be awarded for the participating graduates are as follows: 14 associate of arts; 1 associate of science; 54 bachelor of arts; 2 bachelor of fine arts; 63 bachelor of science and 86 masters degrees.

Regarding the keynote speaker, Ms. Melick, who was recently named the chairman of Centenary’s Board of Trustees, is a retired vice president of KeySpan Corporation, the nation’s fourth largest gas company, and a former director of consulting services for PricewaterhouseCoopers.  She has worked as a columnist for the Associated Press Newark, NJ bureau and authored three books on U. S. presidents and their wives.

Ms. Melick also served in the administration of New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean in the Department of Commerce & Economic Development, and has been inducted into the New Jersey Advertising Hall of Fame.

In addition to her Centenary degree, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree from Syracuse University.  In recognition of her service and accomplishment, Centenary College presented her with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2001. 

The January degree recipients will include undergraduate and graduate students from: the main campus in Hackettstown; The Center for Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) learning centers in Parsippany and Iselin; and Humber College in Canada, which has an articulation agreement with Centenary. 

A light luncheon will be served in the formal dining room of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building at the campus in Hackettstown for graduates and their guests.

A snow date for the graduation ceremonies is set for Saturday, January 27, 2007.

Get more details about the January 2007 Commencement here.

Centenary College Women's Basketball Team Hosts Coaches vs. Cancer Fund-raiser.

Hackettstown, NJ, January 15, 2007 - The Centenary College Women's Basketball team will host their first ever Coaches vs. Cancer night, as the Lady Cyclones take on The College of New Rochelle on January 18, 2007.  Tip-off will begin at 8 p.m. at the Hackettstown High School Gymnasium.

Proceeds from ticket sales and donation activities throughout the evening will benefit the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer program.

At halftime of the game, a former collegiate women's basketball player from Pace University will speak out on her fight against cancer and the obstacles she had to overcome from the disease.
  
For more information about the event, please call Lorie Khalil, Centenary College Head Women's Basketball Coach at 908 -852-1400 ext. 2194.
 
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.  The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities and advocacy programs.

Coaches vs. Cancer provides critical mission outreach, while raising funds in support of the Society's lifesaving cancer research, education, advocacy, and community service efforts. 

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. 
   
For more information about the American Cancer Society and the Coaches vs. Cancer Program, call 1-800-ACS-234 or visit www.cancer.org.

Centenary's Small Business Development Center Teams with Award-winning Inventor.

January 8, 2007
By BILL WICHERT
Herald Staff Writer

FREDON, NEW JERSEY - Oak Hill Road resident Charles Dourney might be on the brink of transforming the car industry, but about three years ago, he could hardly walk.

After several years of back pain, Dourney underwent spine surgery and, two weeks later, a truck smashed into the back of his car on Route 15. He had been national sales manager for his family-owned company, had opened a tanning salon, co-owned an advertising agency and restored historic homes, but Dourney was suddenly bedridden.

With a tape recorder, Dourney started reciting ideas for the invention he and his business partner, Kenneth Esposito, had already been developing. They couldn't believe the invention had not been created yet. It was a device that takes digital pictures of cars being checked in at dealerships for signs of existing damage, instead of just using the unreliable method of pen and paper.
 
"Ninety-nine percent of the reason I came up with this is, there's got to be a better way," Dourney said. "It's the wave of the future."

Now with the invention drawing the attention of dealerships from around the country and nationwide car manufacturers, such as BMW North America, their company, AutoCheckMate, is set to release the latest edition --- a handheld computer that takes pictures, records vehicle information and sends them wirelessly to a main server. Dealerships can then log onto the company Web site to view the images.

"It's weather-proof, drop-proof and it's made in America," Dourney said.

The AutoCheckMate system serves to eliminate the same frustrating and expensive scenario played out in all dealerships: customers pick up their cars after getting them serviced, spot body damage and accuse the dealership of having done the damage.

Unless that damage was marked down on the standard form when the car was dropped off, the dealerships might have no choice but to repair the damage at their own expense and keep customers happy. Digital pictures of the car with the time and date stamped allow the dealerships to determine if that damage was already there. "It kind of keeps everybody honest," said Sean Floegel, service manager at Morristown BMW, the first dealership to use the system.

Since applying the system, the dealership's monthly cost of body repairs has dropped from between $7,000 and $10,000 to as low as $2,000, Floegel said.

One woman returned to Morristown BMW eight months after her last visit and accused service employees of damaging one side of her car. Floegel could not find pictures from that previous visit, but found pictures from two months before that time and proved that the damage was already there when she brought in the car. "She was blown away and it saved me a $3,000 repair," Floegel said.

Dourney said he first saw the need for the invention when he was a service adviser at Denville BMW. One night after a long day of customers screaming at him about body damage, Dourney and Esposito had dinner, and the idea was born.

Once Dourney recovered from his surgery and the accident, the two friends developed their first prototype, which consisted of a digital camera and a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, similar to a palm pilot, to record vehicle information, and download it to a server. The product was later upgraded to wireless equipment that transmits directly to the server.

Dourney said his original idea became a reality when the company developed another product --- CaptureZone, an area at car dealerships where vehicles are stopped and 20 pictures are taken in six seconds.

CaptureZone is the most expensive of the AutoCheckMate products at $49,900. The wireless camera and the PDA device cost $15,900, and the new handheld, all-in-one product will go for $5,900. Dealerships also are charged a monthly licensing fee of $299.

After selling their products to Morristown BMW, Manhattan Mercedes-Benz and the Alexandria dealership, Dourney read a newspaper article about the Centenary College Small Business Development Center and immediately called up Dolores Stammer, the college¹s Business and Community Resources director.

"I said you are going to be a multimillionaire and we are going to help you get there," said Stammer, recalling her reaction after seeing a product demo.

In their spring semester last year, a graduate class at the center developed a marketing plan for AutoCheckMate. Students discovered the only competition comes from pencil and paper, and there are 22,000 car dealerships in the country with service departments. The company won a Success Award in December from New Jersey Small Business Development Centers.

"What's beautiful about their project is it's a totally automated procedure to document the damage," Stammer said.

Help After Katrina

Sunday, January 07, 2007
BY NANCY JAFFER
The Star Ledger

Hurricane Katrina may be out of the headlines, but its devastation remains part of everyday life for Jeanne LeBlanc, the hard-pressed owner of the last stable in Louisiana's flood- ravaged St. Bernard Parish.

For six days, a group of Centenary College equine science students also is coping with the disaster the killer storm inflicted on the Poydras Arena operation. As part of a more broadly focused 145-volunteer Katrina relief contingent from the school in Hacketts town and Drew University in Madison, the eight young women and their teachers are helping LeBlanc clean up and rebuild her facility so she can once again have 40 stalls available in her barn, which has a mixed clientele of race, barrel and show horses.

The students, who arrived last week and will work through Tuesday, spend their nights in sleeping bags at an area church where the Methodist initiative is based. Their days are devoted to digging slimy mud out of stalls, tearing down rotted plywood partitions, removing junk and seeing what they can salvage from water-damaged, moldy tack and equipment in the stable.

"When you walked in, it was one of those situations you look at and you didn't know where to begin," said Tara Johnson, an equine science instructor from Port Murray, who is supervising the stable crew with another Centenary instructor, Sarah Marchese of Oxford.

"But once we got going, we could see it come together and you could formulate a plan of which walls needed to come down and what was junk and what to save."

LeBlanc's neighbors lost their animals in the flooding and are not rebuilding. But the doughty horsewoman, who shared her double- wide trailer post-Katrina with a mini-horse, a pony and a little pig, along with relatives and friends, sees no alternative but to remain on the property, which has been in her family for three generations. It's also the highest land in the parish (the equivalent of a county), giving the facility an advantage.

Marchese noted LeBlanc was guarded when she called her to say the group would be down to help out.

"She didn't think we were actually coming," recalled Marchese, explaining LeBlanc had gotten used to broken promises in Katrina's wake.

As soon as the group dug in, however, LeBlanc was thrilled.

"It was wonderful. We're very grateful. We appreciate it, really," said LeBlanc, who shared a series of horror stories about the storm and its aftermath. Her family got as many horses out as they could while Katrina approached, but 15 remained behind. Miraculously, all survived until she could return many days later.

LeBlanc has been struggling with an overwhelming task, but the Centenary assistance is the kind of boost she needs.

"Can we go and rebuild the entire farm? No, but can we do enough cleanup and work so they see they can get through it," Marchese said.

The experience is doing as much for the students as for LeBlanc.

"It's an eye-opener, because a lot of the kids coming down are typical hunter/jumper kids who have everything they ever needed," Marchese pointed out.

"They see these people have been through it all and still get up every morning and go feed the horses they have and try to continue with everyday life."

Ashley Dibongrazio of Hightstown, a 22-year-old senior, has listened to LeBlanc's saga with empathy.

"They're overwhelmed. It's been so long they're losing hope, but they're excited we're here," said Di bongrazio. "It's incredible the people still have the desire to stay here and keep going. It makes you feel grateful for having what we have up north. The barn is falling apart, the roof is half on; it's just a mess. We're trying to make it so the horses are safe in their stalls."

Kim Kalosy of Fredon, a 19-year-old freshman who showed in children's hunters with her thoroughbred/quarter horse cross, conceded that her first look at the facility was "a bit of a shock. I'm kind of pampered as far as cleanliness in the barn goes." Her father Robert, a police lieutenant in Essex Fells who is a part-time student at Centenary, also was on a carpentry detail that helped out at the barn.

"The horses are very well taken care-of under the conditions," she observed, "but it could definitely be improved and that's one of the reasons we wanted to come down here and help them out."

Centenary College Partners with Hackettstown School District to Offer Scholarship.

Hackettstown, NJ, January 4, 2007 – One Hackettstown High School graduate will be granted a full scholarship to Centenary College as a result of a recent partnership between the Hackettstown School District and the Hackettstown-based institution.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for an ambitious student to continue their academic journey without having to incur tuition costs,” says Hackettstown Mayor Michael Lavery. “It is a generous benefit to the community-at-large and we are very fortunate to have this fine institution located right in Hackettstown.”

“Someone who achieves a college degree makes nearly $25,000 a year more than someone with a high school degree,” says Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt, Centenary President.  “But private colleges, which offer small classrooms and personalized attention, are more expensive than state universities. This scholarship truly has the ability to change someone’s life. Centenary is proud to partner with the Hackettstown School District to make this scholarship a reality.  It allows us to continue our Methodist tradition of giving something back to our community.”

“This scholarship is a tangible manifestation of the relationship that will continue to grow between Centenary College and the Hackettstown Public School District,” says Robert Gratz, Hackettstown Superintendent of Schools. “It is great for the students to be afforded this opportunity.  In addition, the recipient will add value to Centenary College community because the students in the Hackettstown school district are exceptional.”

Centenary’s Provost and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Bryon Grigsby adds, “As a tuition-driven, private college, Centenary, unlike community colleges and state universities, does not receive large tax dollars to meet its mission of serving the educational needs of northwest New Jersey residents.  Centenary is looking for more creative ways to serve the regional population and, most importantly, Hackettstown residents. We are delighted to work with the administration of the Hackettstown School District to create this opportunity for our young people.”

The requirements for the scholarship application include a preferred B average or higher, attendance at Hackettstown High School for at least two years, community service experience, a strong sense of teamwork, leadership potential, and the desire to lead a values-centered life.

To apply, the candidate should complete a Centenary College Application Form and write an essay that addresses why he or she is a good match for the college and how his or her goals address Centenary’s expectations and requirements. The application and essay should be submitted to the Hackettstown Superintendent’s Office no later than January 31, 2007. The successful candidate will be selected by the Hackettstown School District’s Superintendent and will be approved by the President of Centenary College. The candidate will be notified February 15.