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W&J welcomed 29 international exchange students to campus at the College's annual Matriculation ceremony Friday, Sept. 2. |
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W&J Campus Connection
Welcome to the third issue of Washington & Jefferson College's community e-newsletter, "W&J Campus Connection." In this newsletter, we strive to keep you informed of the latest campus activities and events that impact your work and your lives, along with stories of what our students, faculty and staff are doing to give back to the Washington community. |
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W&J freshmen give back to community
 | | More than 170 W&J freshmen participated in First-Year Day of Service. |
Two weeks into their first year of college, 170 W&J freshmen spread out into the Washington community Saturday, Sept. 17, to participate in the annual First-Year Day of Service.
Sporting T-shirts that read, "A life without cause is a life without effect," members of the class of 2015 completed tasks from baking cookies and calling out "Bingo" at a senior-care home to knocking down a wall at the Salvation Army and landscaping at a Habitat for Humanity house.
Sixteen community partners participated in the event by hosting W&J students and allowing them the opportunity to serve. Among those partners were Big Brothers Big Sisters, the City Mission, Goodwill Industries, Washington Humane Society and Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
"This event is a great way for W&J freshmen to get introduced to the Washington community," Meg Yunn, director of volunteer programs at W&J, said. "There are so many ways students can volunteer and this day allows them the opportunity to learn about the different agencies we work with and how the students can serve."
For more information on service at W&J, visit www.washjeff.edu/volunteer or email volunteer@washjeff.edu. |
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College receives state grant for science building renovations
 | | Pennsylvania State Senators and Represenatives present W&J with $1 million toward science education. Pictured from left are Rep. Jesse White, Sen. Tim Solobay, President Tori Haring-Smith, former Sen. Bill Stout and Rep. Brandon Neuman. |
State Sen. Tim Solobay, along with state Reps. Brandon Neuman and Jesse White, announced Thursday, Sept. 8, that W&J will receive $1 million toward a science education construction project.
W&J will use the grant to renovate the Dieter-Porter Life Science building to modernize classrooms and research labs.
"The science program at W&J benefits all of southwestern Pennsylvania," W&J President Tori Haring-Smith said. "Not only do the doctors we train stay in the region, but faculty members working in Dieter-Porter bring millions of public and private dollars to the region. These dollars support top-notch science education, along with community outreach programs like Science Matters, which serves 800 classrooms and 265 teachers in school districts throughout Washington, Greene and Fayette Counties. This is just one of a number of projects that will be supported with the renovation of our science building."
For the full story, visit W&J's online newsroom at www.washjeff.edu/news. |
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W&J conference addresses post-deployment challenges for local military veterans
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Psychologist Dr. Donald Meichenbaum speaks with Capt. Douglas Knepp at a W&J conference. |
Local military personnel and veterans gathered at W&J's third annual Combat Stress Intervention Program (CSIP) Research Conference at the Doubletree by Hilton in Washington, Pa., Friday, Sept. 23.
Titled "Post-Deployment Challenges: Current and Emerging Issues," the event was headlined by internationally renowned psychologist Dr. Donald Meichenbaum, who spoke on resilience in the aftermath of trauma.
W&J's CSIP initiative is a four-year, U.S. Department of Defense-funded research project examining the mental health needs of Reserve and National Guard veterans from Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Any individuals or organizations interested in hosting a workshop to provide employees or community members with information on post-traumatic stress disorder can contact John Dowling, director of CSIP, at 724-503-1001, ext. 3401, or jdowling@washjeff.edu. More information is available at www.copingaftercombat.com. |
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Local first-graders get early college experience at W&J
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W&J senior C.J. Corcoran reads to first-graders visiting from Washington Park Elementary. |
First-graders from Washington Park Elementary School who visited W&J Friday, Sept. 30, were treated to more than a field trip.
The potential Presidents attended a class, where they studied art and math, toured the campus on a scavenger hunt, and enjoyed listening to storybooks read by professors and students.
The students' teacher, Mary Grace Stutzman, is the first educator to participate in the Benedum/Washington & Jefferson College Master Teacher Program, a collaborative effort that made it possible for the school district to loan her to W&J for a semester to work with education students.
In return, W&J is inviting a first-grade class from Washington Park to visit campus six more Fridays from October to December.
"We see this program as a 'college without walls,' a win-win situation for W&J, the public schools in the area, and their teachers, students and parents," James Longo, chair of the education department at W&J, said.
The master teacher program will continue through 2013, and one to two teachers will be chosen per semester from school districts in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania and Wetzel County, W.Va.
For more information on the program, contact Longo at jlongo@washjeff.edu.
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Athletic teams drive support for causes
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Senior defender Hannah Lott is a leader on the field hockey team, which is 5-1 this season. |
The W&J field hockey team hosted its annual "Think Pink" game Saturday, Oct. 8, at Cameron Stadium.
Competing against Ithaca College, the team sold pink wristbands and donated the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Presidents also sported pink warm-up shirts that read "Fight Like a Girl," and the official game ball was pink throughout the game.
"Many of our players have had a friend or family member fight the battle against breast cancer," said assistant field hockey coach Dominique Scott, who decided to raise money at the team's home games in October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Other teams are busy supporting causes in their off-season, including members of the men's basketball team, who pitched in to paint the Resurrection Power House for Women, a home for those recovering from alcohol and drug issues, and members of the men's lacrosse team, who are holding a fundraiser at the end of October to support troops fighting abroad and their families.
If you are interested in working with a W&J athletics team on a community service project, please contact Bill Dukett at wdukett@washjeff.edu.
A full schedule of fall sports games is available online. |
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Olin Fine Arts Center celebrates 30 years
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The Gaden Shartse Monastery returns to W&J Nov. 6. |
For its 30th season, the Olin Fine Arts Center welcomes back the Gaden Shartse Monastery for a performance called, "Sacred Dance and Chants of Tibet," Sunday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
The group also will be in residence Nov. 6-11 making a Mandela in the Olin lobby.
Also visiting the Olin stage Tuesday, Nov. 29, is MacHomer, a one-man vocal performer who mixes the stories of Shakespeare with the voices of The Simpsons for an educational and entertaining show..
The events are part of the Olin Fine Arts Series, which brings world-class musical and theater acts to W&J each year.
A full schedule of events at Olin is available online. To purchase tickets, please call 724-223-OLIN (6546). |
W&J hosts second
local trivia night
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Community members are invited to participate in W&J trivia nights. |
Community members are invited to join W&J students, staff and faculty members in a trivia competition Monday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m., at the Union Grill in Washington.
Participants form teams to answer questions on pop culture and prizes are given to the winning teams. The Union Grill provides free appetizers and refreshments, and the full menu is available for purchase.
Following a successful trivia night in September, this will be the second competition hosted by W&J. According to James Amato, director of residence life at W&J, the ongoing success of the event depends on participation.
"We hope that trivia nights create a fun environment and additional opportunities for conversation and connections between the campus and greater community," Amato said.
For more information on how to participate, contact Amato at jamato@washjeff.edu.
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