William Paterson University

Welcome to efocus — news & events for November 2006
Editor's Note: Efocus is published monthly by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Contact us with any questions or comments at efocus@wpunj.edu or call 973-720-2444.

William Paterson to Host New Jersey College Comedy Competition as Part of Comedy Festival from November 29 to December 9

Student performing stand-up comedy at Carolines on Broadway

A New Jersey college comedy competition and stand-up routines by William Paterson comedy students will highlight a two-weeklong festival from November 29 to December 9 at William Paterson University.

Situation comedy, improvisation, stand-up and sketch comedy, and the premiere of seven short plays are all part of the Comedy Festival. The festival is sponsored by the University’s Department of Communication. Tickets are $10 standard and $7 for the William Paterson community, senior citizens and students.

Sales Challenge Week Offers Students “Mock” Professional Experience

Sales leaders from metropolitan New York companies served as judges for Sales Challenge Week, an intense series of selling competitions and workshops sponsored by the University’s Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales (RBI). More than 70 students participated in the event held at 1600 Valley Road.

“The results from the RBI Sales Challenge Week were outstanding,” says Robert Peterson, associate professor of professional sales. “The industry executives were extremely pleased with the overall student performance. In fact, many have already emailed RBI offering positive feedback of particular individuals and wish to explore avenues for internships and jobs after graduation.” Read More

Communication Department Accepted into National Organization

The Communication Department has been accepted into the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC). It is a professional organization whose mission is to provide leadership for excellence in all aspects of journalism and mass communication education. ASJMC is an association of schools and departments of journalism and mass communication worldwide, and is an organization of leaders--deans, directors and chairs of journalism and mass communication programs in colleges and universities. The organization seeks to extend collectively on a national level the individual leadership its members practice on their campuses.

“This offers a level of visibility and academic cachet to our communication program,” reports Joann Lee, professor and chair of the communication department. “I am delighted that we are now part of that group. This is the educational association that many accredited journalism and mass communication schools belong to. Membership allows the department to contribute to workshops and seminars and will raise the department’s profile within the community of journalism and mass communication programs nationwide.

News Notes

“Academania!,” a short film by Gina Guerrieri, communication, was premiered on campus on November 2. The 16mm movie featured Jay Ludwig, communication, and his wife Joan, and cast and crew consisting of William Paterson staff and students, and was shot on campus. It will be screened during the Communication Department’s Comedy Festival which begins later on this month, with performances into December. Read More

University to Hold 26th Annual Bilingual/ESL Coference on December 8

A conference which examines the role language and bilingual teachers have in developing the bilingualism of students while considering the sociolinguistic features of New Jersey that distinguish it from New York and other communities, will be held at William Paterson University on Friday, December 8.

William Paterson University to Present Jack Frost

Jack Frost, which features the adventures of three friends from Brooklyn who save the spirit of the holiday season with the help of Jack Frost, will be staged on Sunday, December 10 at William Paterson University. Presented by The Connecticut Children’s Theater, the show will be held in Shea Center for Performing Arts at 2:00 p.m.

William Paterson to Present New Music Series Concerts on November 27 and December 11

The University's New Music Series will present a concert featuring duos for percussion on Monday, November 27, and a concert of twentieth century music on Monday, December 11. The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Shea Center on campus. Admission is free.

Mozart's Coronation Mass to be Performed on December 5

The William Paterson University Choir and the William Paterson University Chamber Singers will present a winter concert on Tuesday, December 5 at 8:00 p.m. in Shea Center. Admission is free.

University to Offer Online Winter Session Courses

William Paterson will offer accelerated Online Winter Session courses during the University’s winter break from December 26, 2006 to January 14, 2007.

More than 30 courses will be available, including courses in communication, music, economics, finance and global business, marketing, management, secondary and middle school education, counseling and special education, anthropology, English, geography, history, languages and cultures, Latin American studies, political science, psychology, sociology, women’s studies and exercise and movement science. All courses will be taught online via Blackboard, the University’s online course management system.

William Paterson University to Host Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Senior Citizens on November 18

Thanskgiving Dinner

More than 200 senior citizens from northern New Jersey are expected to attend William Paterson University's Ninth Annual Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Brownstone in Paterson.

Global Warming Topic of Lecture

UN Ambassador Enele S. Sopoaga and Prof. Richard Pardi

(L to R) U.N. Ambassador Enele S. Sopoaga and Professor Richard Pardi

Richard Pardi, (right), professor of environmental science, with United Nations Ambassador Enele S. Sopoaga before the ambassador’s lecture on global warming held on October 30 in Science Hall. Sopoaga is from the South Pacific island of Tuvalu which is threatened by the effects of climate change as a result of global warming.

Ben Shahn Galleries Exhibits

Zone, by artist Merrill Wagner

“Luminous Depths,” an exhibit of the ancient medium of encaustic, or pigmented wax, as employed by six women artists, joins the works of Merrill Wagner, a painter whose art is inspired by the landscape, and who will present a selection of paintings of varied forms and formats, in the Ben Shahn Galleries from October 30 through December 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

In Memoriam

Catarina T. Feldmann

Catarina T. Feldmann, professor of English, died on Wednesday, October 18. Feldmann was appointed to the University’s faculty in September 1985 and served as chair of the English department from 1994 to 2000. She was the director of the University’s Cluster Program, and served as coordinator of Freshman Seminar, both programs for freshmen, and participated in the Writing Across the Curriculum program in addition to teaching numerous courses. Fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, she was also a member of the University’s Latin American Studies Program.

Prior to her appointment at William Paterson, Feldmann was a Fulbright-Fletcher Visiting Fellow, and spent a year at Harvard and Tufts universities doing post-doctoral work.

She was the translator of Jose de Alencar’s 19th century Brazilian novel Senhora--Perfil de Mulher (Senhora-A Profile of a Woman) from the Portuguese and was widely published in her field.

Feldmann was a graduate of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Portuguese and English, and a master’s degree and a doctorate in letters.

In Memoriam

Adele Lenrow

Adele L. Lenrow, associate professor of communication, emerita, died on Sunday, November 12. She was appointed to the University’s faculty in 1967. She joined the speech department initially, but when that department was reorganized in the early 1970s, she was transferred to the newly formed department of communication, where she remained until her retirement in June 1991.

Active in the department and concerned about pedagogy, she was chairperson of the undergraduate curriculum committee, and served as a mentor to women on the faculty. She primarily taught courses in interpersonal communication including speech and language classes and also taught the research class in addition to serving as an advisor to the department‘s education students in her role as faculty liaison to the College of Education. Lenrow was actively involved in developing the plan for the renovation to Hobart Hall in the early 1990s, and also served on the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee for the Faculty Senate.

She was a graduate of Hunter College, and earned a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.

William Paterson University Presents What I Did Last Summer From November 14 to 20

William Paterson University is presenting a production of What I Did Last Summer, A.R. Gurney’s drama, from November 14 to 20 in the Hunziker Black Box Theatre on campus.

What I Did Last Summer is a warm-hearted memory play, which, in delineating the coming of age of a teenage boy, pinpoints the foibles of the upper-middle-class society of which he is a product.

Stephon Anderson Named NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Week

William Paterson's Stephon Anderson (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Defensive Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Oct. 22.
Anderson recorded two interceptions, four passes defended and five solo tackles as the Pioneers defeated Buffalo State 27-20 on Oct. 21.

Men’s, Women’s Basketball Teams to Tip Off Seasons Nov. 17

Both the William Paterson men’s and women’s basketball teams will begin their 2006-07 seasons on the road, as the men take on Wentworth Tech at the Rose City Classic at Drew University Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m., and the women play Christopher Newport at the Seahawk Tip-off Classic Nov. 17 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s (Md.). The Pioneer men posted a 23-8 overall record and a 13-5 mark to win the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) regular-season and tournament titles, advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Pioneer women were 16-11 last season, including an 11-7 mark in NJAC play.