 |
The cast of “The Importance of Being Earnest” to be staged at Finger Lakes Community College April 11 to 13. Seated, from left Ben Koeberle, Sarah Dickerson, Professor Beth Johnson, James Paul LaGraff. Standing, from left, Emma Bondi, William Pulver, Renae Zaleski, Courtney Rankin, Amanda Phelps and Michael Kane. Not shown: Michael Giovannini (For more photos, click here.) Finger Lakes Community College theatre students will present three performances of Oscar Wilde’s classic British comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest” April 11 to 13. Shows are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. The play will be staged in the college’s new state-of-the-art auditorium at the FLCC main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors at the door. Advance tickets, at a $2 discount, go on sale in the Student Life Office on April 1. Oscar Wilde described this play as a “trivial comedy for serious people”; its themes comment on a society that judges only by appearances and labels. “The Importance of Being Earnest” is set in England, just before the 20th century, and follows two aristocratic gentlemen who use fictitious personas to avoid social obligations. Their inventions get them in trouble with the women they admire until identities are finally sorted out in the end. The cast is as follows: Ben Koeberle of Clyde plays Merriman, the butler Amanda Phelps of Canandaigua plays Cecily Cardew Sarah Dickerson of Hurley, Ulster County, plays Miss Prism, Cecily’s tutor Michael Kane of Owego, Tioga County, plays aristocrat Algernon Moncrieff Beth Johnson, FLCC professor of theatre, plays Lady Bracknell, Algernon’s aunt James Paul LaGraff of Rochester plays aristocrat John Worthing William Pulver of Lyons plays clergyman Dr. Chasuble Renae Zaleski of Webster plays Gwendolen Fairfax Courtney Rankin of Scotia, Schenectady County, is the stage manager, and Emma Bondi of Fairport is an understudy. The production is directed by Beth Johnson with set design by Jim Perri, technical specialist. |
↧
FLCC to stage British comedy ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
↧
FLCC alumni writers to read at Honors House event
Three Finger Lakes Community College alumni writers will return to the college to read and talk about their work on Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m., at the FLCC Honors House, 4340 Lakeshore Drive.
The event is part of the Honoring the Muse series and features Ashley Pankratz’01, Megan Backer’01, and Pablo Falbru’05. Entry is $2 for the general public and free with an FLCC ID.
Ashley Pankratz is a recent graduate of the master of fine arts program at the University of Michigan and holds a master’s degree in English from SUNY Brockport. She was the recipient of the 2008 Nelligan Prize for short fiction and Michigan's 2011 Thesis Prize for prose. Pankratz teaches creative writing at SUNY Geneseo and lives on a small farm south of Rochester, where she is at work on a novel about faith, doubt, fanaticism and family.
Pablo Falbru is a musician and songwriter who has shared his experiences and thoughts with people on stages from San Francisco to Scotland. A graduate of the New England Institute of Art in Boston, Falbru is the director of U.G. Artist, an organization focused on strengthening the community through the arts.
Megan Backer, a 2012 Lambda Fellow in poetry, teaches English and women's studies at St. John Fisher College. Her work has most recently been published in Plenitude magazine, the Honouring Women Zine Project, and the literary anthology, “Off the Rocks.” Her self-published chapbook is titled “Your Average Gentleman.”
For more information, contact Curt Nehring Bliss, director of honors studies, at (585) 785-1367.
↧
↧
So, what's up with the walleye?
The Finger Lakes Community College Muller Field Station at the south end of Honeoye Lake will hold a spring open house on Saturday, April 13, that includes guided nature hikes and an update on the walleye spawning season.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Muller Field Station, 6455 County Road 36. It is free and open to the public.
FLCC’s fisheries technology faculty and students will provide an update on the 2013 walleye spawning season from 10 to 11 a.m. At the college's Fish Culture and Aquatic Research Center, college faculty, staff and students catch adult walleye from Honeoye Lake then remove and combine the eggs and milt.
The fertilized eggs hatch at the center and are moved to ponds where they grow to fingerlings of three to four inches for stocking Conesus Lake. The walleye must be released as fingerlings because the alewives in Conesus Lake would eat the hatchlings, also known as fry.
The fertilized eggs hatch at the center and are moved to ponds where they grow to fingerlings of three to four inches for stocking Conesus Lake. The walleye must be released as fingerlings because the alewives in Conesus Lake would eat the hatchlings, also known as fry.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can join nature hikes led by FLCC students and hear presentations on pond ecology, research projects, fish scale identification and other topics. Food will be available for sale.
For information, call the FLCC Department of Environmental Conservation and Horticulture at (585) 785-1257.
↧
Lumberjacks and jills to compete at FLCC
 |
| The woodsmen competition at FLCC April 19 and 20 is free and open to thepublic. |
About 250 woodsmen from colleges in the northeastern U.S. will converge on the campus of Finger Lakes Community College for a two-day competition later this month.
The 67th annual Northeast Collegiate Woodsmen Conclave will be held Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, on the college’s main campus in Canandaigua. It is sponsored in part by chainsaw manufacturer STIHL, which will host its own professional and collegiate competitions, the 2013 STIHL Timbersports Series, at the college Friday evening.
The conclave and STIHL events are free and open to the public. Parking will be available Friday at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center and on Saturday in the parking lot behind the main campus building at 3325 Marvin Sands Drive. Concessions will be sold on-site both days.
Students from about 18 colleges and universities from as far away as Maine and Connecticut will participate. Teams hail from Penn State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of New Hampshire, to name a few. FLCC is the only two-year college taking part in the competition.
Nineteen individual and team events will test conclave participants in everything from cross-cutting and log-rolling to the pole climb, axe throw and canoeing.
Opening ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. Friday with the national anthem at the pond adjacent to the CMAC parking lot. It will be followed by a welcome address by FLCC President Barbara Risser and a ceremonial cross-cut by Marty Dodge and Hank Roenke, who coached the College’s first woodsmen team in 1974. Events begin immediately and run until 3 p.m. the first day.
On Saturday, the conclave events move up to the athletic fields behind the main campus and wrap up with a finale event at 2 p.m.
Dodge has stayed active with the team since his retirement in 2011 as coach and professor of environmental conservation. The college will unveil a sign over the weekend naming the woodsmen practice field after Dodge.
“We’ve had a long-standing tradition at FLCC with our woodsmen program,” said Bob Lowden, director of athletics at FLCC. “Through Marty’s leadership and our new head coach, Ryan Staychock, we have developed a national recognition among woodsmen.”
Several FLCC alumni have become professional lumberjacks and jills. Dave Jewett went on to become a commentator for ESPN. Fellow graduate Andrea Robarge is part of a team that competes internationally, and several others compete for STIHL Timbersports.
STIHL’s Timbersports Series will run from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday in the gym. One man and one woman from each college will be selected to participate in the collegiate competition.
In addition, professional lumberjacks, including Jewett and fellow FLCC alumnus Dave Engasser, will compete in a qualifier for the STIHL Timbersports Pro Championship in June.
The contests will be filmed and aired at a later date on the Outdoor Channel, ESPNU and Tuff TV.
Here is a schedule of events:
Friday, April 19
8 a.m.: Opening ceremonies: National anthem; welcome by President Barbara Risser; cross-cut, pond adjacent to CMAC parking lot
8:30 a.m.: Canoeing events (heats by division)
Singles events (round robin/open): Pole climb, single buck, axe throw, birling, stock saw, triathlon
Singles events (round robin/open): Pole climb, single buck, axe throw, birling, stock saw, triathlon
noon: Team events (heats): Log roll, pulp toss
4 to 9 p.m.: STIHL Timbersports Series collegiate and professional competitions, FLCC gym at the back of the main campus
Saturday, April 20: All competition takes place at the athletic fields behind the main campus
10 a.m.: Team events (heats): Cross-cut, bow saw
12 p.m.: Triples events (heats): Quarter split, H-chopping
2 p.m.: Finale event: Pack board (division heats/shotgun start)
↧
FLCC professor to perform works by Bach, Chopin, Prokofiev
Ines Draskovic, assistant professor of music at Finger Lakes Community College, will give a recital of works by Bach, Chopin and Prokofiev on Friday, April 19 at the college.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. in FLCC’s new state-of-the-art auditorium at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sand Drive, Canandaigua. Entry is free and open to the public.
Draskovic, a member of the FLCC faculty since 2004, will perform J. S. Bach's French Suite, Prokofiev's Third Sonata and Toccata and Chopin's Third Ballade and Third Sonata.
Draskovic holds a doctorate of musical arts in piano performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, a master's degree of music in performance in piano from Ithaca College, and a bachelor's degree of music at the University of Musical Arts in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Draskovic has performed throughout Europe and the United States and has won several piano competitions, including the Ithaca College Concerto Competition and the Republic of Serbia Piano Competition. She has participated in festivals and masterclasses in Italy, Poland, Germany, the United States, and the former Yugoslavia. In addition to her solo career, Draskovic performs regularly with the Finger Lakes Chorale and College Singers.
For more information, call (585) 785-1623.
↧
↧
FLCC celebrates written word with readings April 24
To commemorate National Poetry Month, Finger Lakes Community College will hold its 11th Annual Campus Authors Reading on Wednesday, April 24.
The reading will begin at 7 p.m. at the FLCC Honors House, 4340 Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua. The event is free and open to the public.
The event celebrates the literary accomplishments of the FLCC faculty and staff. The reading is offered each year in recognition of National Poetry Month, though all literary genres are represented. The following are some of the writers and readers who will be featured:
- Charlotte Cline of Rochester, instructor of English
- Trista Merrill of Canandaigua, associate professor of English
- Todd Natti of Fairport, adjunct faculty member in the humanities
- Curt Nehring Bliss, associate professor of English and director of honors studies, and Diane “Nani” Nehring Bliss, Write Place tutor, both of Middlesex
- Barbara Murphy, professor of developmental studies
- Gregory Stoyles of Canandaigua, adjunct faculty member in the social science department
- Jon Palzer of Canandaigua, associate professor of English and chair of the humanities department
- Maureen Owens of Seneca Falls, adjunct faculty member in humanities and massage therapy
- FLCC President Barbara Risser of Canandaigua
↧
Directions for webstreaming woodsmen conclave events
Sorry you can't be here for the 67th Northeast Collegiate Woodsman Conclave. If you want to view some of the events, a live webstream has been set up for Friday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The live stream on Saturday, April 20, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., will show portions of the awards ceremony and the practice field dedication in honor of Marty Dodge.
This live stream has been optimized to be seen in the Firefox web browser.
The live stream on Saturday, April 20, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., will show portions of the awards ceremony and the practice field dedication in honor of Marty Dodge.
This live stream has been optimized to be seen in the Firefox web browser.
Please be sure to install and or update your Adobe Flash Player prior to viewing the event.
https://fingerlakescommunitycollege196.eduvision.tv/SchoolLiveSchedules.aspx
Please click the link provided. Then click the green button “watch now.” If asked to install OctoShaper select “no thanks.”
Please click the link provided. Then click the green button “watch now.” If asked to install OctoShaper select “no thanks.”
↧
Art-while-you-watch at FLCC Composers Forum
A Finger Lakes Community College art student will paint in front of an audience at the annual Composers Forum on Thursday, April 25, taking inspiration from the original works of college students and faculty.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. in room B355 on the third floor of the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The event is free and open to the public.
The FLCC Composers Forum is an opportunity for students and their instructors to showcase their own original compositions. This year’s event was expanded to include improvisational art based on the musical selections.
Fine arts student Dan Rounds of Oswego will paint a canvas, taking his cue from the music.
Composers are students Jameson Dunham of West Monroe, Justin Rhody of Rochester, Trevor Slusarenco of Kendall and Stephen Shoaf of Canandaigua and faculty members Leo Medler and Jo-Hannah Reynolds.
For more information, contact David McGuire, FLCC professor of music, at (585) 785-1385.
↧
Exams award college credits for experience
College credits can be earned from life experience through a testing program now offered by Finger Lakes Community College.
The college offers what are known as Dantes Standardized Subject Tests for math, social sciences, humanities, business, technology and more. If successfully passed, each exam grants college credit hour equivalents.
The exams are offered once a month on a rotating schedule at Workforce Development offices in Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties as well as at FLCC’s Canandaigua, Victor and Geneva campus centers. There is no limit on the number of exams that may be taken, although only two exams are allowed per day.
Two hours are allowed for each test. Study guides are available.
Most courses at FLCC and other colleges are three credit hours. Credits earned from the exams are recognized at most higher education institutions across the U.S.
“It’s a great opportunity for those who want to work toward degrees and already have relevant work skills and experience,” said Lynn Freid, director of workforce development at FLCC. “If you pass the exam, you can earn credit toward a degree. It makes sense for people who have been in the workforce and have already gained knowledge and skills that are taught in the classroom.”
Test takers can focus their time on the other classes needed for a degree, said Freid, who also pointed to the cost-savings. Each test costs $150.
Because space is limited, pre-registration is required. To sign up to take one of the exams with FLCC, email pdce@flcc.edu or call (585) 785-1906. To view a testing schedule and a list of standardized tests and the FLCC courses they fulfill, visit www.flcc.edu/dsst.
↧
↧
A winning weekend for FLCC woodsmen
 |
Finger Lakes Community College alumnus David Jewett of Pittsford shares his stories about Marty Dodge, at left, during a ceremony to dedicate the Marty Dodge Woodsmen Field at FLCC’s main campus on April 20. In the late 1980s, Dodge was teacher and coach to Jewett, who now competes professionally at loggingsports and most recently won the Northeast Stihl Timbersports pro qualifier on April 19. Also shown, from left are FLCC President Barbara Risser; Bruce Gilman, professor of environmental conservation and horticulture; Bob Lowden, FLCC athletic director; and Ryan Staychock, coach of the FLCC woodsmen team. |
Finger Lakes Community College celebrated its woodsmen tradition over the weekend with another strong showing by its collegiate and professional competitors, capped by a ceremony to honor the man who started it all in 1974: retired professor and coach Marty Dodge.
The FLCC men’s team won its 19th championship title in the 67th Northeast Collegiate Woodsmen Conclave, a competition among 32 teams representing 14 colleges and universities in the northeastern United States and hosted by FLCC April 19 and 20.
The Alfred State and Paul Smith’s College men’s teams placed second and third, respectively, among the 17 teams that competed for the prized trophy and year-long bragging rights.
The FLCC women’s team came a close second after winner Colby College. FLCC’s jack-and-jill team, in which both men and women compete, also took second behind leader Alfred State.
 |
| Alaina Bailey of Webster won the women's pole climb. Click here for more photos. |
“The coaching staff could not be more proud of each of our student athletes,” said Ryan Staychock, head coach of the FLCC woodsmen. “I had a good feeling about our men’s team when they scheduled additional practices for themselves over the last few weeks. They truly earned the right to wear the title of champions.”
The mood at the college over the weekend was further buoyed when alumnus David Jewett of Pittsford won the Stihl Timbersports Series qualifier, a professional competition also held at the college Friday. Jewett will go on to the professional championships in Tennesee in June.
Then, in high spirits, the FLCC team, alumni and supporters feted the legacy of longtime former coach Marty Dodge with a reception and ceremony on Saturday night. The woodsmen practice field was named the Marty Dodge Woodsmen Field and a sign unveiled following remarks from Staychock, Jewett, Professor Bruce Gilman, FLCC President Barbara Risser and Athletic Director Bob Lowden.
Dodge retired as professor and head woodsmen coach in 2011 but continues to assist the team and root on students and alumni. He, too, toasted FLCC’s successful conclave competitors for their individual and team wins.
Men’s team members Matt Baird of Canandaigua, Trevor Bliss of Walworth, Jonathon Davis of Livingston Manor, Anthony Robarge of Middlesex, Derrick Tuttle of South Dayton, and Ben Williams of Lyons won three of five team events: bow sawing, cross-cut, and packboard to contribute to their 1,711 points out of a possible 1,900.
Baird won singles birling; Robarge won the singles pole climb and doubles-event portage canoeing with teammate Tuttle.
The FLCC women’s team earned a hard-fought second place with 1,462 points, just 43 points behind Colby College and 108 points ahead of the third-place team from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
FLCC women won team pulp toss. Alaina Bailey of Webster won the singles event pole climb and doubles canoe event with Kelby Harvey of Canaseraga. Courtney Switzer of Bellona took the single buck event. Sierra Eiffert of Cohocton won the triples event-quarter splitting along with Bailey and Harvey. Kelsey Hamilton of Palmyra and Morgan Martin of Naples took first in portage canoeing.
Kevin Moore of Canandaigua captained the FLCC jack-and-jill team to 1,504 points, just 23 points behind Alfred State and 93 points ahead of Paul Smith’s.
The FLCC jack-and-jills won team pulp toss. Other team highlights include Julia Lampman of Rushville winning single buck, Joe Soccio of Weedsport taking first in the pole climb, Brendaya Parsons of Penn Yan and Paige Piccione of Canandaigua winning in doubles fire build, Benjamin Robinson of Cohocton and Soccio taking first in doubles canoeing, and Moore and Parsons’ win in doubles canoeing.
The next major woodsmen event is the FLCC Logging Sports Competition, the annual home meet to be held in fall 2013 on the main campus.
↧
FLCC to host weekend concerts of Mozart, Brahms
The Finger Lakes Chorale and the Finger Lakes Camerata, choral groups based at Finger Lakes Community College, will give two concerts of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem” at the main campus on April 27 and 28.
The Chorale and Camerata will be accompanied by the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra, which will also perform Johannes Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture.”
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, and 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 in the new auditorium at the FLCC main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Dr., Canandaigua. The event is free and open to the public. A suggested donation of $5 will be accepted for the Dr. A. John Walker Music Award for Finger Lakes Community College music students.
Dennis Maxfield, adjunct instructor of music at FLCC, will direct more than 80 singers and the 40-member orchestra.
Soloists for “Requiem” are as follows:
- Soprano Wendra Trowbridge, an adjunct faculty member at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and director of music at St. Peter’s Church in Geneva, where she directs three community children’s choirs.
- Mezzo soprano Riki Connaughton, a voice instructor for the Hochstein School in Rochester and Canandaigua and the alto soloist for Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester.
- Tenor Matthew Valverde, a candidate for the degree of doctorate of musical arts at the Eastman School of Music who was among the Mercury Opera soloists to record Vaughan Williams’ “Serenade to Music” with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Bass-baritone Joe Finetti, a family physician in Greece who participates in a number of local musical groups, including professional chamber choirs Voices and Vox Lumine, the renaissance a cappella ensemble Musica Spei, and the well known choral group Madrigalia.
↧
Recycler to discuss the life cycle of computers at FLCC
A representative of an electronics recycling company will give a presentation on the life cycle of electronics at Finger Lakes Community College on Friday, April 26.
Zachary Hussion, marketing and programs manager for Sunnking, will talk about electronics manufacturing, component use-life and the environmental cost of disposal – as opposed to recycling, at noon in Stage 14 at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors should arrive early to allow for parking.
Sunnking specializes in collecting, refurbishing, reselling, and recycling equipment and electronic products. The company, which has facilities in Buffalo, Rochester and Brockport, keeps more than 14 million pounds of discarded electronics out of landfills annually.
↧
Forum speaker Catherine Bertini recognized for focus on ending world hunger
As chief executive of the United Nations World Food Program, Catherine Bertini led efforts to end famine in some of the world’s most impoverished areas like Afghanistan and Bosnia.
 |
| Catherine Bertini with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan |
During a visit to Finger Lakes Community College on Sunday, May 5, Bertini will talk about her work to end world hunger and why area residents should be concerned about world food security.
Bob Smith, host of WXXI’s “1370 Connection,” will join Bertini as the moderator in the discussion, scheduled for 4 p.m. in the college’s new auditorium. The audience will have a chance to ask questions following the talk.
Bertini is the third and final speaker in the 2012-13 George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum lineup. The lecture series is organized by a community committee and hosted by FLCC.
Single event tickets are $29 to $39. Tickets are on sale online at gmeforum.org, by phone at (585) 785-1421 or email at gmeforum@flcc.edu.
Since 2005 Bertini has been a professor of public administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She is also a senior fellow and co-chair of the Global Agricultural Development Initiative of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. For two years she was senior fellow for agricultural development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
She has held several high-ranking positions in government, many of which have focused on eradicating hunger and empowering women.
In a recent interview Bertini said the main cause of food insecurity is poverty, but she believes that will change. “There’s a mantra that there’s enough food in the world to feed every man, woman and child,” she said, “but it’s access that’s the issue. Almost one billion people do not have adequate access to food today.”
Bertini said it’s fast moving toward a supply issue as well. “We have to increase our food supply by 70 percent by 2050 to feed the numbers of people,” she said.
On the recommendation of President George H. W. Bush, Bertini was appointed in 1992 to lead the UN World Food Program. President Bill Clinton supported her reappointment and she held the post for 10 years. She was later picked by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to lead the organization’s vast worldwide staff in the areas of human, financial and physical resources and security.
Bertini has been widely recognized for her efforts to end famine across the globe – and close to home. She’s credited, for instance, for her quick actions in getting food to the flood victims of Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998.
In the U.S. Bertini served as assistant secretary of food and consumer services at the federal Department of Agriculture. She created a food package for breastfeeding mothers that correlates with a statistical increase in the percentage of poor American women who breastfeed their infants. Her team also created the first Food Guide Pyramid to encourage healthy diets.
Her resume also includes work with the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan as well as appointments by President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development.
Smith, the moderator of Bertini’s talk, has a lengthy career in broadcasting that has included work at stations in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. He often interviews newsmakers and fields callers’ questions on his daily afternoon radio talk show, “1370 Connection.”
The George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum is named for the late George M. Ewing Sr., who passed away in September 2009 at the age of 87. He was the longtime editor and publisher of the Daily Messenger, later to become Messenger Post Media.
He and his late wife, M.M. Ewing, were philanthropic leaders in Canandaigua for many years. The tradition has continued through his son, George M. Ewing Jr., and his family, who provided funding to launch the lecture series in 2011.
↧
↧
Two FLCC students honored for leadership
 |
| Tami Cocuzzi |
Two Finger Lakes Community College students are among 243 students from across New York State who have been awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence.
 |
| Julie Brooks |
Tami Cocuzzi of Macedon, Wayne County, and Julie Brooks of Holley, Orleans County, received the award at a ceremony in Albany April 4. Created in 1997, the award recognizes students who have excelled as leaders in areas that include athletics, community service, the arts, campus activities or in the workforce.
Cocuzzi and Brooks will graduate in May, Cocuzzi with associate degrees in business administration and graphic design and Brooks with an associate degree in athletic training.
Cocuzzi and her husband, Daniel, founded an organization called Grace Racing Ministries Inc. that mentors children who are considered at-risk, underprivileged or learning disabled. The mother of four and grandmother of 17 said she saw too many children “falling through the cracks at school and in our communities.”
“Many don’t have parents or the finances to be involved in after school or town recreational activities,” she said, adding that the program is centered on off-road motorcycle racing, commonly called motocross. “We provide everything from motorcycles and gear to training, transportation and meals.”
Cocuzzi, 55, knows what it’s like to be down-and-out. After she was honorably discharged from the Army in the 1977, she struggled as a single mom and lived on the streets. She has excelled at FLCC, having received an alumni scholarship as well as an outstanding adult student award. She was also inducted into the business honor society, Alpha Beta Gamma, and Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges.
In addition to her studies and running the racing program, Cocuzzi works as a tutor in FLCC’s art department. “This is one of my favorite activities at FLCC,” she said. “I love helping people and showing them that they can accomplish tasks that look impossible.”
Her fellow award recipient, Brooks, has also endeavored to help others.
She helped organize a golf tournament last summer that raised almost $10,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit created about 10 years ago to honor and empower service members hurt in the line of duty. The event was held at Hickory Ridge Golf & Country Club in Holley, where Brooks works in the summertime.
“It was great that we could give back to the people that give so much to us,” said Brooks. “They risk their lives for us.”
Brooks, 20, was one of two representatives of Phi Theta Kappa chosen to compete in its All USA Scholarship Competition this past December.
She has also excelled outside the classroom at FLCC, competing on the women’s track and field and soccer teams.
Brooks took third-place in the women’s high jump and eighth-place in the women’s triple jump at the National Junior College Athletic Association track and field national championship meet in May 2012. Additionally, she was the goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team in 2011 when it placed fifth in a national competition.
This fall Brooks will begin working toward her bachelor’s degree at SUNY Brockport. Meanwhile, Cocuzzi and her husband plan to grow their racing ministry with a permanent home.
↧
Donation boosts G.W. Lisk-FLCC machinist training program
 |
From left, Dave Phillips, training manager for G.W. Lisk Co.; Jeremy Shamp, vice president of Excel Machine Technologies; David Barber, marketing manager for Hyundia WIA; Scott Cummings, manufacturing manager for G.W. Lisk Co.; Phil Misseldine, regional sales manager for Hyundai WIA; and John Matya, territory sales manager for Excel Machine Technologies. |
A machine tool builder and its Rochester distributor have donated $280,000 in CNC machine tool equipment for use in a training program run by G.W. Lisk Co. and Finger Lakes Community College.
Hyundai WIA America Corp., a core division of the Hyundai Motor Group, and Excel Machine Technologies Inc. of Rochester donated a CNC turning center and vertical machining center to G.W. Lisk to support the program’s goal of reducing the shortage of skilled machinists in the region.
“We know there is a high demand for trained, skilled labor, so we like being part of the solution,” said Phil Misseldine, regional sales manager for Hyundai WIA.
Misseldine, whose job takes him up and down the eastern United States, was in Clifton Springs on March 26 for a luncheon at Warfield’s restaurant in honor of 15 graduates who has just completed the six-month training program.
He had learned of the program through Jeremy Shamp, vice president of Excel Machine Technologies, which distributes Hyundai WIA products in upstate New York.
 |
| Multi-tasking lathe donated to the FLCC-G.W. Lisk machinist trianing program. |
The shortage of skilled machinists hurts not only manufacturers, but companies that supply high-tech machine tools as well, noted David Barber, director of marketing for Hyundai WIA. Manufacturers are hesitant to buy equipment if they can’t be sure they will have employees to operate it, he added.
The training program run by G.W. Lisk and FLCC was particularly noteworthy, Barber said, because it is designed as a regional solution.
“The graduates aren’t just staying at Lisk. They’re going to manufacturers all over the region,” Barber said.
In fact, all 15 graduates had a job or a job offer by the time they completed the program. Several had been laid off and enrolled to get retrained for a more promising career.
The National Association of Manufacturers finds the lack of skilled workers to be a problem at companies nationwide, a fact that FLCC President Barbara Risser echoed in her comments to graduates.
“Eighty percent of manufacturers say their top concern is finding qualified workers. It’s not trade policy, it’s not taxes, it’s not regulations. It’s finding qualified workers,” Risser said.
Part of the problem is the evolution of manufacturing itself.
“We are not talking about manufacturing as it was years ago. Today, manufacturing is not about large numbers of people arranged along assembly lines,” Risser said. “We called it advanced manufacturing because it involves using cutting-edge technology and innovative ideas to constantly improve both the manufacturing process and the products themselves.”
To illustrate the point during his own remarks, G.W. Lisk President Mark Kowalski held up an anti-ice valve for a jet to show its complexity. His company manufactures valves, flame arrestors and solenoids for military, aerospace, transportation and other industries.
“The skills our graduates use today are quite different from what they were five years ago, 10 years ago,” Kowalski said. He thanked Hyundai WIA and Excel Machine for their donation to help keep the students’ skills current with up-to-date machine tools.
The G.W. Lisk-FLCC program opened in September 2011 with the college providing administration, enrollment and academic classes and G.W. Lisk providing a hands-on trainer and equipment at its Clifton Springs facility. The first class graduated in March 2012, all with jobs at G.W. Lisk or other local companies, such as ITT Goulds Pumps in Seneca Falls and Halstead Machine in Newark.
Diana Austin of Newark, one of this year’s graduates, was hired by G.W. Lisk. She had previously worked in manufacturing but had been laid off in 2011 when her employer closed.
“I am back to work now after being unemployed for almost a year and a half. It’s given me a reason to get up in the morning and go to work again, to have a good job with a local company not too far from home,” she said.
↧
If you're a fan of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, this concert's for you
An upcoming event at Finger Lakes Community College will showcase the musical and artistic talents of its students and pay tribute to one of the 1960s most iconic rock bands.
The annual Spring Arts Festival, scheduled for Friday, May 3, will be an ode to The Beatles. It starts at 7 p.m. with a concert in the new auditorium at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, and ends with a viewing of the Student Honors Art Exhibition in the Williams-Insalaco Gallery 34.
Six groups will share the stage: The College Singers, two jazz ensembles and vocal, percussion and guitar ensembles. They’ll alternate songs from The Beatles’ album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” All of the pieces were arranged by FLCC faculty to showcase the talents of each group.
The album’s title track will be performed by soloist Evan Dillon, who in 2010 auditioned for the hit TV show “American Idol” after winning a local singing contest. Other soloists include adjunct faculty member Jennifer Sisbarro and students Mike Kane and Nate DeBrine.
Student artists will share the spotlight: Their artwork will be projected above the stage during the concert. And, just prior to the performances, the audience will see a series of short videos created by new media students.
Art and music students will be honored for exceptional work during an awards ceremony that will immediately follow the concert in the auditorium.
While the Springs Arts Festival is a mainstay of FLCC, this is the first year it will be held in the auditorium in the new Student Center. To mark the occasion, organizers decided to unite the performances and artwork with the Beatles theme.
“This is our big splash to celebrate this beautiful, new space,” said Eleanor Rideout, music coordinator at FLCC.
The Student Honors Art Exhibition will run through June 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Summer hours will begin May 20 with viewing Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery will be closed, however, on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. For more information, contact gallery director Barron Naegel at (585) 785-1369 or naegelbr@flcc.edu.
The Spring Arts Festival is presented by the FLCC Visual and Performing Arts Department, which offers degrees in communication, new media, fine arts, graphic design, music and music recording technology and a theater arts concentration.
↧
Three FLCC adult students honored for academic success
Three Finger Lakes Community College students received the Rochester Area Colleges Continuing Education Adult Student Award at a banquet last week.
- Michael Christiano of Newark will complete an associate degree in criminal justice May 18 and has worked as an intern in FLCC’s Campus Safety Office. Illness forced him to close his bakery in Webster, and he decided to return to college to pursue his dream of working in computer forensics or homeland security. He has been accepted to Utica College for the fall 2013 semester – the same time his son will start his education at SUNY Fredonia. Michael was nominated by Joseph Mariconda, assistant professor of criminal justice.
- Tonya Drew of Victor is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges. She expects to receive her associate degree May 18. The mother of two has served as a student representative for her academic program, massage therapy; has been an officer in the Massage Club; and has served as a tutor. She works in accounting at Powerhouse Technology in Farmington. She hopes to open her own massage practice and continue her studies, with a focus on the aging population. She was nominated by Melissa Miller, associate professor of biology.
- Amanda Johnson of Canandaigua has an associate degree in biology from FLCC and in May expects to receive her second degree, in biotechnology. She has worked at the college in a variety positions, including as an orientation leader, in the registration office, and more recently, in Student Life. She’s also a member of the College Activities Board and a club officer. She has been honored at various leadership conferences, including one held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She was nominated by Sarah Whiffen, associate vice president for Student Affairs.
The Rochester Area Colleges Continuing Education (RACCE) Adult Student Award is given annually to part- or full-time adult students who have completed at least half the hours for degree requirements. They must also show success at balancing college study with other adult responsibilities such as family or job obligations.
“Returning to college later in life can be more challenging than enrolling right after high school, and we applaud our FLCC honorees and our entire adult student population for making the decision to continue their educations,” said Joseph Nairn, executive director for advancement at FLCC.
Nairn represented the college at the April 24 banquet held at Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Perinton. Virginia Butler, anchor for YNN, served as master of ceremonies and the keynote speaker was FLCC alumnus Allison Cooper, regional editor for GateHouse Media, which owns the Canandaigua-based Daily Messenger and weekly Post publications in Monroe and Wayne counties.
↧
↧
SUNY recognizes 36 FLCC students for academic achievement
Thirty-six Finger Lakes Community College students have been recognized for academic achievement by the State University of New York Office of Opportunity Programs.
The award goes to students who wereenrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) during fall 2012 and who had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of that semester.
The Educational Opportunity Program is a statewide program meant to expand opportunities for individuals traditionally bypassed by higher education by providing academic support and financial assistance.
To qualify for EOP, students must meet income guidelines, show evidence of historical educational and financial disadvantage and demonstrate the potential to be academically successful. Award recipients are listed below by county and town:
ONTARIO COUNTY Canandaigua: Jody Blodgett, Lisa Brown-Fry, Samuel Cushman, Rebecca Horibin, Rachel Pierce, Andre Sanon, Brittany Slagle, Pamela Woodard
Clifton Springs: Alisa Teeter
Geneva: Necia Bray, Jessica Lanza, Keishla Lopez de Jesus, Carrie Sanders
Hall: Patricia Pierson
Manchester: Laurie Kominiarek
Shortsville: Caryn Bellis
Stanley: Sara Paddock
MONROE COUNTY
Fairport: Heather Heers
Rochester: Damoni Baker, Daryl McCullough, Shaqueal Rutland, Juan Santana, Asia Singh
WAYNE COUNTY
Lyons: Horace Betts, Lisa Feagle
Macedon: Joseph Hirsch
Newark: Carrie Robinson, Brent Ziegler
Sodus Point: Charlie Debuyser
Walworth: Carrie McKenna
YATES COUNTY
Middlesex: Melissa Lohnes
Penn Yan: Julie Ribble
SENECA COUNTY
Waterloo: Jessica Mayo
OUTSIDE THE FINGER LAKES REGION:
Brooklyn: Nichole Foster
Bronx: Aissatou Tall
New York: Joel Rosario
↧
FLCC honor society welcomes 90 students, recognizes teachers
Ninety Finger Lakes Community College students were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, during a recent ceremony.
 |
New members of Phi Theta Kappa at Finger Lakes Community College take the honor society pledge at an induction ceremony earlier this year. |
As part of the ceremony, Phi Theta Kappa also recognized high school teachers and announced special awards for PTK President Andrew Henry and FLCC President Barbara Risser.
Members of the honor society nominated high school teachers who affected them profoundly, challenged or nurtured them, and pushed them to do their best work. A committee of honor society members reviewed the nominations and recommended the following for 2013 Distinguished Educator Awards:
Eric Cosman, ecology teacher at Canandaigua Academy
Mike Cronmiller, physics teacher at Livonia Central Schools
Robert Dill, social studies teacher at Fairport Central Schools
Karen Moretti, foreign language teacher at Waterloo Central Schools
Gregory Russell, retired social studies teacher at Palmyra-Macedon Central Schools.
Mike Cronmiller, physics teacher at Livonia Central Schools
Robert Dill, social studies teacher at Fairport Central Schools
Karen Moretti, foreign language teacher at Waterloo Central Schools
Gregory Russell, retired social studies teacher at Palmyra-Macedon Central Schools.
 |
| Susan Orego, left, of Waterloo is congratulated by Victoria Barner, vice president of Phi Theta Kappa. |
It was also announced that FLCC President Barbara Risser was among 21 college presidents and campus CEOs across the country to receive the 2013 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, given to those who make outstanding efforts toward promoting the goals of Phi Theta Kappa. Risser was the only New York state recipient.
Phi Theta Kappa’s hallmarks are scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. FLCC’s chapter, Alpha Epsilon Chi, was chartered in 1981 and provides leadership, service and scholarship opportunities for members. Membership requires completion of 15 hours of associate degree coursework and a GPA of 3.5. Phi Theta Kappa members also serve as campus ambassadors.
New members are as follows, listed by county and town:
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
Ashville: Nathan Chamberlin
GENESEE
Byron: Shalyn Yost
LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Lima: Emma Trindel
MONROE COUNTY
Honeoye Falls: Martha Vanbork
Penfield: Karen WillandRochester: Samantha Beeney, Brandon Belke, Jennifer Hunley, Rachael Mulvihill
Scottsville: Isaac Juntunen
ONEIDA COUNTY
New Hartford: Chris Darche
ONONDAGA COUNTY
Cicero: Ryan Oatridge
ONTARIO COUNTY
Bloomfield: Angelo Callerame, Russell Lindquist, Sarah O'Leary, Jessica Roach
Canandaigua: Margaret Beaulieu, Trina Brizzee, Kelly Broderick, Mary Rose Bugbee, Tiffany Green, Paul Hendershot, Keith McWilliams, Dustin Parsons, Kyle Prosser, Stephanie Reed, Sharleen Reidy, Don Rettberg III, Tara Sandle, Gratia Taft, Erin Van Fleet
Clifton Springs: Jennifer Brown, Jacob Hillis
East Bloomfield: Dustin Wassner
Farmington: Haley Christensen, Jarrett Fonda, Casey Lucas, Timothy McDaniel, MacKenzie O'Brien, Kaitlyn Phillips, Michelle Powers, Kailyn Ricigliano
Geneva: Sarah Berg, Paige Damick, Jonathan Eveland, Jennifer Fish, Ryan Lanzafame, Andrea Lincoln, Colleen Maney, Erin Martin, Melissa Nault
Manchester: Keith Baley
Naples: Shelby Ditmars
Phelps: Thomas Cauvel
Shortsville: Elizabeth MerklingerStanley: Jennifer Lawson
Victor: Kelly Allen, Nicholas Lathrop, Carol Montevecchio
ORANGE COUNTY
Wallkill: Tabatha Seeland
PUTNAM COUNTY
PUTNAM COUNTY
Mahopac: Helena Hansen
SCHUYLER COUNTY
SCHUYLER COUNTY
Reading Center: Kelsie Hamelin
SENECA COUNTY
SENECA COUNTY
Waterloo: Crystal Cook, Jodi Guererri, Kelly MacDougal, Jessica Mayo, Susan Orego
STEUBEN COUNTY
STEUBEN COUNTY
Avoca: Jessica Berlin
Wayland: Devin Cooley, Thomas Saxton
WAYNE COUNTY
WAYNE COUNTY
Clyde: Benjamin Koeberle
Lyons: Richelle Coons
Marion: Sarah Peschell
Newark: Stephanie Bornheimer, Mary Rose Costello, Desirae Napoleon
Ontario: Elizabeth Arnold, Sarah Brewer, Chloe Lester
Palmyra: Alaina Palmer, Amy Tones, Alicia Walker
Rose: Briana Smith
Sodus: Caylee Hanson, Nathan Hoover
YATES COUNTY
Dunee: Shelby Button
Penn Yan: Ashley Erb, Cameron Marble, Sean Murphy
Rushville: Kyle Hartman, Natasha Spina
↧
FLCC expects 972 graduates for 2013
An estimated 972 students will receive degrees from Finger Lakes Community College during its 45th annual commencement on Saturday, May 18.
The ceremony begins with the processional at 1:45 p.m. at the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center on the FLCC main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua.
A total of 1,017 degrees and certificates are expected to have been awarded to students between August 2012 and May 2013.
This year’s commencement speaker is 1989 FLCC alumnus Michael J. Miller, chief marketing officer for the New Hampshire-based Rensesys Corp., which specializes in Internet intelligence services. He has served on FLCC’s Alumni Association Executive Council and Scholarship Selection Committee and was a board member and treasurer for the FLCC Foundation.
Commencement is preceded by the Nursing Advancement Ceremony at 9:30 a.m., which recognizes the advancement of the freshmen to the sophomore level and the sophomores to the graduate level.
The FLCC Nursing Department anticipates 64 graduates this year, one of its largest classes.
Commencement and Nursing Advancement photos and videos will be posted on the FLCC social media site, FLCCconnects.com.
The full commencement ceremony may be viewed on Finger Lakes Television (FLTV), channel 12 on Time Warner Cable at 4 p.m. May 30 and at 2 p.m. June 6, 13 and 20.
↧