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NEWS:

Annual Christmas Toy Drive
Distributed 4000 Toys to Children


Local Students Learn Math Madness
at WSC Basketball Game

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NOTEWORTHY:


Joseph Baratta (History and Political Science) published "A Stage in the Formation of World Citizenry," a book review of Lawrence Wittner's three-volume history of the international nuclear disarmament movement, "The Struggle against the Bomb" (1993, 1997, 2003), in The Federalist Debate, 22, 3, (November 2009): 56-58. There is an excellent one-volume abridgement in Wittner, Confronting the Bomb: A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement (Stanford, 2009).


Betsey Brenneman (Library) has been selected to be included in the Marquis Who's Who in America, 64th edition published for 2010. Since 1899, Who's Who in America has been documenting the achievements of notable Americans in all fields of endeavor. It is highly regarded as the standard, authoritative work of contemporary biography for the United States and inclusion is considered a great honor.


Adrienne Smyth (Biology) and Peter Bradley (Biology) have recently published a research paper about peat from Poutwater Pond in Holden, "Microscopic past of Poutwater Pond," Northeastern Naturalist 16(4): 595-606. In 2005 they collected a core from the peat bog and this was radiocarbon dated thanks to a faculty mini-grant. This data showed a constant rate of accumulation of peat over the past 8,500 years. They have identified pollen and diatoms at different depths of the bog by looking at microfossils with the College's scanning electron microscope. The different species found at different levels give information about climate changes since the last ice age.



At their annual winter meeting that was held on December 16th at Northeastern University, the Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (MACLEA) presented David St. Martin (College Police) a special recognition for work done in the field of emergency management and continuity of operations for pandemic influenza planning. (Photo - David (middle) is pictured with Jim Ferrier, associate director of Public Safety at Northeastern University (left) and Chief Rosemary Naughton (right) from WSC).


Henry Theriault (Philosophy) recently had an article published in Armenian Weekly titled, Theriault: Never-Ending Rape, about the rapes and sexual enslavement of Armenian women and girls. "In 2002, the World Health Organization, based on 48 surveys, concluded that a minimum of 10 percent and possibly as many as 69 percent of Armenian women have been ?physically assaulted by an intimate male partner at least once in their lives.?

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AROUND CAMPUS:


Sherry's House/WHY ME Drive Successful
Steven M. Miller, Jr, Sports Information Director


Over the last month, the Worcester State College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized and held a successful drive at four athletics events to raise money and collect items for Sherry's House and WHY ME, a local organization that helps provide support for children and their families in their fight against cancer.

On October 31, November 4, November 7 and at the Worcester City Tournament (Nov. 20-21), a donation box was set up to gather non-perishable food items, household and cleaning supplies and personal toiletry items to be donated to the organization. At the Westfield State-Worcester State football game on Nov 7, 50 percent of the gate also went to help the cause as part of a monetary contribution to Sherry's House. A box was also set up inside the Athletics Department Office to help accumulate items for the drive.

"We were extremely excited about the amount of success that we had, most notably with our fans and parents who brought us their donations," said SAAC Coordinator John Meany. "Hopefully this is a relationship that we can continue to build on with Sherry's House."

In total, nine boxes of items to Sherry's House on November 24 by the members of SAAC, who then received a tour of the facility. The money that has been received from donations will go towards funding a video camera to record events at the house and to various gift cards to local dining establishments.

About WHY ME - The WHY ME organization was created by 13-year old Sherry Shepard, while she was battling cancer for four years. WHY ME stands for Worcester Help for Youth, Memories Everlasting. Sherry was an inspiring young lady who was determined to help other children with cancer. WHY ME, a non-profit organization was founded with the help of her father. Today, Sherry's House provides emotional, social and financial support to help families successfully fight childhood cancer. It is a place where families whose child is receiving cancer treatment in Massachusetts can stay. More than 465 families have been served by WHY ME.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Iraqi Poet to speak on February 16th

Dunya Mikhail, Iraqi Poet, will speak on February 16th in
the Blue Lounge at 1:00 p.m.

Poet Dunya Mikhail is an Iraqi exile who fled her country, in the 1990s, when her work was deemed subversive by government censors. She left for America with one suitcase -- and no idea how she'd get there. Now a U.S. citizen, she continues to publish poetry that has won international acclaim, including the UN Human Rights Award for Freedom of Writing.

Mikhail is the former literary editor at The Baghdad Observer. She began writing poems as a teenager, during the Iran-Iraq conflict, and has since published numerous books; war is a recurring theme throughout her work. The War Works Hard, her masterpiece, won the PEN Translation Award, was shortlisted for the Griffin Prize, and was named one of the 25 best books of 2005 by The New York Public Library. Her latest, Diary of a Wave Outside the Sea, a memoir in poetic form, was started in Iraq and finished, years later, in America. It will be published in spring 2009.

If you would like to bring classes to this event (which is strongly encouraged)please write Lisa Krissoff Boehm at lboehm@worcester.edu to reserve seats.

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TRANSITIONS:

Good luck and congratulations to Edna Spencer, director of Diversity/Affirmative Action Officer, on her retirement. Edna has been with the WSC community for 16 years.

Welcome to:

Edward Horniak Supervisor of Trades (Facilities)

and

Mary Renee Polakowski Staff Assistant/ARRA Stimulus Compliance Coordinator (Administration and Finance)

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WSC IN THE NEWS:
**Please Note - Links to online articles may
no longer be available after a certain period of time.**

MLK Jr.: Today's youths give voice
to lessons from the past
Telegram & Gazette
Students who participated Saturday in Worcester State College's 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Breakfast and Drama Presentation were asked to draw from their everyday experiences


Tax Incentives: All Carrot And No Stick
Worcester Business Journal
Worcester State College is budgeted for $23.6 million compared to $24.9 million seven years ago and Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester will get ...


Governor praises volunteers for service
Telegram & Gazette
...about 75 people from various Central Massachusetts agencies and schools turned out to paint, clean and perform other chores at the CMHA facilities. Helpers came from Horizons for Homeless Children, the United Way of Central Massachusetts,....and Worcester State College, among others. ...


Money Briefs
Telegram & Gazette
This year free tax preparation services will be offered at Worcester State College, Plumley Village, Main South Community Development Center and Worcester ...


Educators urged to jump into Race to the Top
Telegram & Gazette
State education leaders made their last pitch to school committee members, teacher union heads and superintendents yesterday morning in a well-attended meeting at Worcester State College,


Holiday Stress
Telegram & Gazette/MassMoms.com
The holiday blues are very real,? said Laura A. Murphy, director of counseling services at Worcester State College, who sees an uptick in depression as the end of the year approaches.


Human rights pioneer remembered warmly
Late anti-apartheid activist Dennis Brutus was
poet-in-residence at Worcester State
Telegram & Gazette
Mr. Brutus, a former poet-in-residence at Worcester State College, ... Worcester State College is so very fortunate to be the permanent home of his books, ...


Decade in Review: 2009
Telegram & Gazette
Financially strapped Worcester Center for Crafts suspends operations, then reopens months later under alliance with Worcester State College. ...


Panel Weighs Pros and Cons of Protocols in Chicago
The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
On Saturday, November 21, the AGBU Onnig Norehad Center was packed with members of the Armenian community to hear a presentation and discussion about the Protocols recently signed between the governments of Armenia and Turkey. The three guest speakers were Dr. Henry Theriault, a professor of philosophy at Worcester State College, in Worcester, Mass.;


Hanukkah with Bubbe -- Grandmother's cooking
becomes an Internet sensation
Telegram & Gazette
After graduating from Worcester State College that year and needing an audition reel, Mr. Honig said he was wracking his brain for something original. ...


Panel Discussion on Armenia-Turkey Protocols Held at Clark University
Armenian Weekly
A panel of experts gathered at Clark University on Fri., Dec. 4 to discuss the protocols proposed as part of the effort to normalize political relations between the Republics of Armenia and Turkey. George Aghjayan of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Central Massachusetts served as moderator. The speakers included... Henry C. Theriault, Worcester State College.


King breakfast takes pulse of the youth
Telegram & Gazette
Mia Geter, 11, of Worcester reads the program as she attends the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Breakfast and Drama Presentation at Worcester State College Saturday. Various awards and scholarships were presented.

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THIS WEEK:
www.worcester.edu/calendar



Thurs., Jan. 21

Women's Basketball
vs. Bridgewater State
Gymnasium
6 p.m.

Men's Basketball vs.
Bridgewater State
Gymnasium
8 p.m.