Category Archives: Campus Events

FRANKENSTEIN IS HERE AT SIENA

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Frankenstein is beginning to take over at Siena. Wanna know why? Because this coming year is the 200th anniversary of when Mary Shelley published Frankenstein!

If you’re a freshman, you’ve read or are going to read Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein in your First Year Seminar class. Maybe you’re even in the FYS class about Frankenstein? If you’re in an English class or another Liberal Arts class, chances are you may be reading Frankenstein this semester! Otherwise, maybe you have begun to see some of the changes on campus that are celebrating the anniversary. If you haven’t seen them yet, let me tell you about them!

  1. Check out the display case of Frankenstein related books as you walk into the library! (On the left side)
  2. If you’re on the third floor of Siena Hall, check out the electronic banner that features Frankenstein!
  3. Mark your calendars for October 30th and 31st. The 1931 film, Frankenstein will be shown on the 30th and the 1935 film, Bride of Frankenstein will be shown on the 31st
  4. Check out this link of ALL of the events that will be happening on campus over the next year on campus! – https://www.siena.edu/news-events/article/frankenstein-200-years-of-fear-and-thinking

There are lots of speakers, film presentations, and even a play to look forward to. Check back on the blog for updates on these events!

 

Victoria Andler

Social Media Intern

Siena College School of Liberal Arts

Constitution Day

Hey guys!

This past Tuesday we had a really awesome event on campus! This event was Constitution Day, an event that is hosted annually. The theme of this Constitution Day was New York State’s 2017 Referendum regarding the Constitutional Convention. If you aren’t aware of what this means, let me explain it a bit:

According to Section 2 of Article XIX of the state constitution, every twenty years there has to be a ballot question asking if there should be a convention to revise the constitution. If the voters vote for it, a convention is held, if they do not vote for it, nothing is held.

The speakers who debated this issue of whether or not to hold a convention were Gerald Benjamin and Jerry Kremer. Gerald is for holding a convention whereas Jerry is opposed to it.

Gerald believes that the constitution was born out of the concept of popular sovereignty. This means that government is created and subject to the people that it serves. Under these pretenses, Gerald believes that not only do the people of the state of New York have the right to a constitutional convention but that they should because that is why the constitution was created.

He understands that it is difficult that the proposal is on the back of the ballot and that people don’t like to vote on propositions, but he believes it is important that there is some democratic accountability.

On the flip side, Jerry Kremer believes that having a convention is too costly and unnecessary. He explains that anywhere from 75-100 million dollars would be spent on a referendum. He also believes that if the voters voted on having a convention,  he fears that a lot of important things that are in the constitution would possibly get taken out.

Another thing that frustrated Jerry was the fact that people who are pro-referendum have had twenty years to fight for voting yes on having one but have only recently been advocating the idea. Now that there is 45 days until the vote he feels as if people want a referendum just to have one, not because they actually have changes in mind.

All in all, the debate was very interesting and it opened my eyes to something I didn’t even know about. I think it’s important to attend events on campus that don’t necessarily interest you right off the bat because you may find out that after going to the event that it is actually interesting after all!

Follow the School of Liberal Arts on Twitter, Instagram, and like us on Facebook to stay updated on events on campus that are going on!

 

Will Kempe’s Twelfth Night or What You Will

 

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone has had a great first week of classes and is getting into the swing of things! While the first week is a busy time for all of us, I hope you were able to make it to one of the two performances of Will Kempe’s Twelfth Night or What You Will this past weekend. If not, I will recap what you missed!

Long before the performances on Saturday and Sunday, the players hosted a workshop for all Siena students to participate in on Friday from 5pm-7pm. They offered workshops in clowning, stage combat, among other things.

On both Saturday and Sunday, the players came out to Roger Bacon from 2pm-4pm and performed as the audience sat on the steps. It was a really cool experience to watch the play in the outdoors just as Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be performed.

One thing I enjoyed about the play was that while they stayed as true to the original as possible, they also incorporated some fun additions to keep the audience entertained. One thing they added was a musical component. Before the play, the Jester came out and introduced the audience to what would be happening, things for us to know, etc. Then the rest of the cast joined him and they sang for us some of the songs they would be performing throughout the play. They encouraged us to sing along with them. At first the audience was a bit hesitant but by the end people enjoyed singing along.

Another thing that was really great about Twelfth Night was that there were multiple alumni who starred in the play. It was nice to see alumni back on campus and involved. The people involved in the play were very talented and clearly experienced. Not only were they excellent actors but they were all talented singers as well. The actors who played the Jester and Maria stole the show in my opinion.

I want to thank The Creative Arts Department’s Theatre Program for sponsoring this event. I also want to encourage others to go and see other performances this semester that are put on by Stage III and The Creative Arts department. Often you can get event credit for First Year Seminar or other classes you need event credit for. Either way they are a lot of fun to go to!

Have a great second week back!

– Victoria Andler (Student Intern)

“Endgame” to Debut on the Siena College Campus!

Hi everyone!

The Creative Arts Department is putting on their very first performance of “Endgame” TONIGHT and I couldn’t be more excited! Endgame was written by playwright Samuel Beckett and tells the story of protagonist Hamm, who is living with his servant Clov, his father Nagg and his mother Nell in a world that is recovering from some type of apocalyptic disaster. The play is directed by David Girard and features not only a cast of incredibly talented Siena students, but a set that has been designed and worked on for months by Siena’s technical director Obidiah Savage and professional Broadway set designer Colin McIlvaine.  The light sequences have been constructed together by professional Greg Solomon, who has also worked with Broadway performances.

I was able to stop by the Beaudoin Theater yesterday to get a behind the scenes look at the set and the design behind it and I truly found the process absolutely fascinating.  I was involved with musicals all throughout high school, but in the performance sense.  I knew very little about the intricate details that must be incorporated into building a set and “teching a show” and hearing Greg, Colin, David and Mr. Savage speak about the time and effort that went into preparing for this performance was very impressive.  Greg, Colin and David have all worked on various performances of “Endgame” before and know the show from every angle.  They were able to point out on the physical set why objects have been placed in certain positions and their ideas just kept bouncing off of each other, like they had been friends their whole lives! They also LOVED Mr. Savage, who I have had the pleasure of meeting a few times! Mr. Savage is incredibly talented when it comes to the technical aspects of Siena’s performances and his expertise is one of the main aspects that makes the Creative Arts Department’s performances and concerts so successful. The set truly wasn’t like anything I have seen before, as a lot of sets in plays and musicals are very intricate and have a lot of moving parts.  This set is very simple and very structurally sound and only displays one room with a couple of other objects, including a tattered armchair.  However, Mr. Savage, Colin, David, and Greg emphasized in the presentation yesterday that the set is going to be vital to the understanding of the entire performance and I cannot wait to attend tonight!

Are you going to see “Endgame”? Have you ever seen the play, or performed in it before? Let me know in the comments below!

Julia (Student Intern)

Networking Opportunities? Yes, please!

 

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re staying warm on this strangely freezing March morning, I hope spring gets here soon! To all my fellow seniors out there who are currently applying for jobs and grad school, the process is incredibly STRESSFUL. The applications, the interviews, the desperation to make yourself stand out among others can be very overwhelming, but I have learned through my own job searching and affiliation with the CEPD office that networking is the KEY to helping this process be successful! This past Tuesday, I was able to attend Siena’s 14th Annual Career, Internship and Grad School Fair and I was SO glad that I did! Over 120 businesses set up tables in the MAC on Tuesday afternoon and a huge amount of students from all majors attended, handing out resumes and business cards and having conversations with employers about possible opportunities. This was the biggest networking event I have been to thus far and I have to admit, it was a bit nerve-wracking at first! Talking about yourself can definitely feel a little strange at first, but events such as these are a huge opportunity to talk about the skills and assets you can bring to a school or a team.  I talked to about five or six different employers (even the Boston University Grad School) and they were all incredibly nice and interested in what I had to say. I was even able to speak with the team from Habitat for Humanity International about future volunteer opportunities, who told me my course of study (English and Marketing) would be perfect for their team!

Although I’m from out of state and was not able to find any immediate job openings in the Boston area that were offered at the career fair, I am so glad that I was able to attend.  I met some fantastic people, particularly from Linium Recruiting, who have offered to see what they can do with my resume.  In addition, I received some advice about how to enter the Marketing and Public Relations field, which has helped me tremendously in continuing my job search.  Networking is about creating relationships with experienced professionals and about learning as much as possible about creating a strong future career; over the past four years as a Siena student, I have truly learned  how to network. Having a Liberal Arts education has not only provided us with hard earned degrees, but has also provided skills that we will take into the professional world and beyond.  If you come across large networking events such as this one, or even smaller meetings, go to them! They may be nerve-wracking and you may think, “Well, how is this going to help me?,” but I promise, it’ll be worth your while. Networking events are like informal interviews and they will give you the chance to practice presenting yourself to employers, something that one can never do often enough.  You’ll learn so much about the career field you’re pursuing. Even if you don’t find a job with that particular company, odds are they are going to know someone who will be able to help you!

Check out my article at http://www.hercampus.com/school/siena to see a list of tips on how to network the right way! Did you go to the career fair on Tuesday? Let me know in the comments!

Julia Lowney (Student Intern)

5 Essential Things to Do to Prepare For the Career Fair

career_fair_Hi guys!

So, the 14th Annual Career, Internship and Grad School Fair is taking place right here on campus TODAY from 3:00-6:30pm in the MAC and this event is a huge deal.  There are over 120 businesses coming from all over the area and beyond, there is going to be a FREE LinkedIn Photo Booth and I am honestly super excited for the event! The Career Fair is a fantastic opportunity to make connections, network your skills and to discover some of the companies you may be interested in working for, but preparing for this event is equally as important. Here are my top five tips on getting ready for today and other networking events:

  1. Resume: I know this may sound obvious, but your resume should be a clear description of your skills and the experience you have! You should know your resume better than anyone, make sure everything is correctly written and formatted. Make sure your resume has been properly critiqued and that you overprint copies to bring to the event! You don’t want to be speaking with a potential employer without a spare copy of your resume to give them. Career Education and Professional Development is located in Foy 203 and their office hours vary from 8:30am-4:30pm Monday through Friday. Please check in with the CEPD office to inquire about specific times by contacting them at careermail@siena.edu or (518)783-2339
  2. Dressing for Success: Your outfit for the Career Fair will make a huge statement about your interest in entering the professional world, so take the time to choose something! I was able to attend the Dress for Success Fashion Show last week and they provided a TON of ideas on how to look good while making a great first impression:
    1. For girls: Conservative is always the safest route! Knee length dresses or skirts with a nice blouse are always great options, plus you can add a cute statement necklace or a sweater/cardigan to make it pop just a bit! Pumps or flats are ideal, but stay away from anything that may appear too flashy, short or inappropriate.  In terms of makeup, a neutral eye and lip will always make the best impression!
    2. For guys: You don’t have to wear a tux, but make sure you’re dressing to make a positive impact on future employers. Dress pants, a dress shirt and a tie are absolutely essential for this event, as are dress shoes. Suit jackets don’t hurt either! PLEASE don’t wear sneakers or jeans and make sure that if you do have facial hair, it’s clean and trimmed.
  3. Business Cards: Having personalized business cards will provide potential employers with easy access to your contact information AND will make you more memorable during that two minute conversation. Career Education and Professional Development will print out sheets of business cards for FREE and all you have to do is fill out a form, which you can find here. Fill out this form as soon as you can, they take up to three business days to print!
  4. Research: Know who you’re talking to! Learn as much as you can about the businesses that are coming, you don’t want to be caught by surprise when an employers asks what you know about their company and you don’t have any idea what they’re talking about.  Here is the list of ALL of the employers and grad schools that will be attending the Career Fair today, don’t hesitate to take a look at it! See which businesses you’re interested in and look up their website to see what they do, where they’re located, what their mission statement is, etc. If you can have a conversation with someone about their company during the Career Fair, you’re going to stand out among a lot of other candidates!
  5. Elevator Pitch: This is almost like a sales pitch, but instead of telling someone about a product, you’re telling them about yourself. An elevator pitch just has to be two or three sentences long, but make sure that you’re telling employers things about yourself that will incite them to want to continue the conversation. Tell them who you are, what you’re studying here at Siena and what career path you’re planning to take and PRACTICE this! Make sure you can recite your elevator pitch exceptionally and avoid using the words “like” or “um.”

I hope this tips help you prepare for today, as they are the key aspects to making a good impression on the attending businesses! Pre registration for the Career Fair is now closed, but walk-ins ARE welcome, so register TODAY and come to the MAC to join us for this exciting event! Even if the right business for you isn’t here at the Career Fair, odds are there will be someone there who will be able to lead you in the desired direction!

Julia (Student Intern)

“Votes for Women”- A Historical Masterpiece

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Hi guys!

I hope you’re all doing well and that this dreary, rainy weather isn’t getting you down! If you’re in the Albany area this weekend and are looking for something fun to do, I HIGHLY recommend going to see “Votes for Women,” a performance put on by the Siena College Creative Arts Department detailing scenes from the Women’s Suffrage Movement.  I was able to attend this past Friday night and I was SO impressed by the skills of everyone in the performance, including some familiar faculty faces.  I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into when I decided to attend the performance because the flyer indicated that we wouldn’t be sitting in the theater per usual, that we would be walking around the building.  Our tickets contained a sticker on the back, each with a name and we were told that we were to follow the suffragist leader of that group.  My ticket read “Votes for Women” and I had the chance to follow Harriot Stanton Blatch (played by the wonderful June Casey) though various scenes throughout the Women’s Suffrage Movement, including the trial of the one and only Susan B. Anthony.  We literally walked all over Foy, including backstage, to reach these scenes and this is something that I have never done before!

I think the aspect of the performance that I was most impressed with was the historical accuracy that each cast member put into their characters.  The words spoken throughout the show were original text and content from the time period and many of the cast members were required to memorize extensive monologues in language that is not quite as familiar to us these days. In particular, Sandra Boynton who plays Susan B. Anthony, delivered her lines in such a way that I truly felt as if I had been transported back to her time. I was able to clearly see the absurdity in the way women were treated back then and honestly felt incredibly inspired after hearing the words spoken just so well and so passionately.

Check out the flyer above for location and time details for this weekend’s performance and please try to attend if you can! If you did attend the performance here at Siena, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Julia (Student Intern)

Greyfriar Living Literature Series Shines Light on Wonder of Creative Writing

Morning everyone!

I hope you’re all staying warm out there, hopefully the warm weather will return soon! Having just returned from spring break, there are several events through the School of Liberal Arts coming up within the next few weeks and I was so excited to have the opportunity to attend the English Department’s Greyfriar Living Literature Series reading yesterday, which featured novelist Pamela Erens.  Ms.Erens is a highly accomplished author, with several short stories under her belt and three published novels, all of which have become incredibly successful.  The Understory, The Virgins, and Eleven Hours have all won major awards and most recently, Eleven Hours has been placed onto the “Best Books of 2016.” During the reading, Ms. Erens read a large excerpt from Eleven Hours, which take place during one woman’s entire labor process and how she copes with the incredible, yet terrifying prospect of childbirth.  As someone with a passion for writing and literature, it was fascinating to have the chance to hear Ms. Erens read her own work out loud and to see what her thought process was behind the characters and the overall idea of childbirth.

pamela-erens

Source

The audience was able to engage in a Q&A session after the initial reading and I was curious about what her greatest challenge is as a writer and novelist. She said that to be a novelist requires a lot of risk taking and that the business can be very uncertain at times.  If someone is working on a piece of writing for a year and a half, but then is forced to abandon the project because the ideas stop coming, then it seems as though all that time was wasted. Eleven Hours took Ms. Erens three years to write and she began the novel a multitude of times, trying to figure out the best direction to set the characters and plot it.  This, however, is incredibly normal for anyone who has ever tried to write a longer creative writing piece.  Great ideas come with thought and they come with practice and they come with mistakes.  No one ever completed a novel perfectly on the first try and this is something that I have tried to keep in mind throughout my years of writing.  I am constantly watching different authors, whether they are my favorite authors or whether they be guest speakers in some of my classes because they have gone past these obstacles to become incredibly successful.

Ms. Erens is going to be on campus again today to give a craft talk and writing activity in the Boland Room (Father Benjamin Kuhn House) at 4:10pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, you do NOT have to be studying English or Writing and just remember to bring a notebook and something to write with!

Julia Lowney (Student Intern)

Studying Abroad in College- You Won’t Regret It!

 

 

 

 

 

study-abroad

Hi guys!

One of the most important parts of being a young twenty something is exploring the world around us.  There are so many amazing places to see and incredible things to do and most of the time, we don’t even see the opportunities to travel that are sitting right in front of us.  If you’re going to be a junior (or a senior) at Siena in the fall, there is still time to apply to study abroad.  I unfortunately was not able to study abroad due to academic obligations by the Honors Program, but I have had so many friends who have gone through this experience and have come back with a hunger for traveling and seeing the world. Junior Interdisciplinary Major (with a focus on Social Justice) Karina Wojnar studied abroad in India last semester and she was blown away by her incredible experiences on the other side of the world.

I absolutely adored how much it challenged me in every way. Being abroad challenged my world views, my personal values, my physical energy, and my mental capacity. I loved that I could NEVER assume anything. I could not assume what I was eating, nor if what I was wearing was appropriate. I loved that. It kept me mindful and on my toes.
 
My favorite adventure, as cliche as it sounds, would have to be my trips to the Taj Mahal. I went first before my program, with my brother while we were backpacking around North India. Then, I saw it as a tourist, we took tons of pictures. I freaked out. Oh my god, the Taj Mahal! This beautiful, symmetrical marble structure is breath-taking. The second time, I went with my program peers. I think I took maybe one or two pictures. We went during sunrise and I just watched. I sat in a quiet corner of the grounds, at the foot of the Taj, eyes closed, facing the sun. I absorbed the moment. Here I was at one of the seven wonders, but not there to check it off my list of “Things to See Before I Die”. I was there to admire the atmosphere, to appreciate the architecture, to be in love with this new culture I will have been starting to learn about.
 
I learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and to encourage it. Don’t understand what anyone is saying? Fine, listen and improve your comprehension skills. Don’t know what you’re eating? Ask and/or try it anyway. I learned to be open to embarrassment and uncertainty. Although it was easily frustrating at times, it ended in such rewarding ways.

Studying abroad not only opens your eyes to new food, culture and traditions, but it also allows you to learn about your major from a totally different perspective! If you’re even considering a trip abroad, make an appointment to talk to a member of the staff in the Study Abroad office! They have a TON of helpful information, plus multiple programs and destinations that will work for your interest and field of study. To make an appointment, you can either stop by Foy 301 or e-mail international@siena.edu.  The Study Abroad team is AMAZING and even if you’re not sure whether you want to study abroad or not, make an appointment anyway! It never hurts to get some information and you may just find that this is the right opportunity for you.

Julia (Student Intern)

12th Annual Mr. Siena

 

 

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Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

This weekend, I was able to attend the 12th annual Mr. Siena show for the first time (even though I’m a senior) and I have to say, this was one of the FUNNIEST and most exciting events that I have been to all year.  For those of you that don’t know, Mr. Siena is a bit like a male beauty pageant, but with a huge comedic element.  Guys sign up to participate at the beginning of September and they practice each week until the day of the show, working on dance numbers, individual talents, and answering questions. There are also three non-student judges at the event who choose the winner and two hosts, one of whom just happened to be Siena’s very own Father Dennis Tamburello! This year’s show showcased eight contestants and the money raised from ticket sales was put towards Siena’s Habitat for Humanity organization, a tradition that has continued throughout these past years.

I first want to say congratulations to every single one of the contestants.  Not only did they work extremely hard over these last months, but you could see the incredible dynamic between the guys as they performed together on stage.  They were genuinely happy for one another and kept high fiving each other after one did something cool or funny.  The turnout from the Siena community was also amazing to see.  Student, faculty, families, so many came out to support the event and every seat was taken inside the MAAC. This is a time during the year where it doesn’t matter what your major is, how old you are, or where you’re from.  This event brings people together to support their fellow Saints and I truly think that’s why I enjoyed Mr. Siena so much.  I came with my friends, but we also met up with other people that we knew and it was so much fun having the opportunity to just talk and laugh with everyone! As a senior, I am SO glad I decided to attend this event and for those of you who haven’t gone, this isn’t an event you should miss!

In addition, a HUGE congratulations to Kenney Alexandre, who was crowned Mr. Siena 2017!!!!

Did you go to Mr. Siena this past weekend? What did you think?

Julia (Student Intern)