Canisius Adds Parking, All Seven Floors of Eastwood Hall Poured

New parking on Jefferson Avenue adds approximately 20 spaces.

The search for parking on campus just got a bit easier, thanks to approximately 20 new spaces on Jefferson Avenue.  The city of Buffalo recently approved the parking, between Hughes Street and Delavan Avenue, on the same side as the BlueCross BlueShield ramp.  The good news is there are no time restrictions, as with the Main Street parking, so you can park there before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. However, the “No Parking Here to Corner” signs are still in effect.  

A crane hoists the heating and boiler equipment to the top level of Eastwood Hall.

Other changes you may have noticed since winter break include significant progress on the Eastwood Residence Hall.  All seven floors have been poured and the concrete superstructure is complete.  As shown in the photo, the heating and boiler equipment was lifted by crane to the top level to prepare for installation.  The first four floors are completely enclosed so drywall and mechanical work can continue.  The next step is installation of windows and roof construction, which begins this month.

Canisius College Literacy Center to Offer Neighborhood Services
The Canisius College Literacy Center has a new program to help adults from the neighborhood sharpen their reading and writing skills. Undergraduate students will provide one-on-one assistance to participants. According to Gillian Richardson, PhD, assistant professor of education and director of the Literacy Center, the program is for people at any skill level. 

"Whether someone needs help with a letter, resume, or job application, we can help," says Richardson. "Even if someone is able to read and write, they may just need to brush up their skills or get reinforcement."

The fee for the adult literacy program is $50, but full and partial scholarships are available and no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay. The session begins in February. Richardson adds that the program has also set aside a number of scholarships for neighborhood children for diagnostic and tutoring programs.

Brandon Mendez gets reading help from Canisius graduate student David Fauth '05, while his brother Angelo works with Canisius graduate student Lisa Blake '04.

Canisius opened the newly constructed literacy center in the Health Science Building in August. The college's School of Education and Human Services has provided literacy services to school-age children in the community for more than six years. Now, the literacy center would like to focus its efforts on families in the surrounding neighborhood.

"In an effort to show our dedication to the community and build a long-lasting relationship with our neighbors, many of the scholarships we offer will be reserved and awarded strictly to residents within the Hamlin Park and Lin Ox area," says Richardson.

For more information about the Canisius College Literacy Center, contact Cheryl Jessel-Yates at Ext. 3728.

Museum Studies Course Creates Curators
Students in adjunct professor Holly Hughes' museum studies class became amateur curators last semester, when the group collaborated with Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery to unveil the museum's latest exhibit.  Cover to Cover: Works and Words at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery explores the relationship between the written word and the artistic image by examining themes that highlight the forms and mediums used in the production of contemporary "works on paper." 

Students were responsible for all aspects of the exhibit including preliminary research, the selection and installation of artwork, and the writing and recording of exhibit materials. Many pieces on display come from the gallery's print vault and library, and are part of a collection never before showcased by the gallery. 

This is the second year students from Hughes' museum studies class collaborated on such an exhibit.  Cover to Cover: Works and Words will be on display at the Albright-Knox through April 3.

Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation Debut Elephus Maximus

There won't be a red carpet but the stars will be out on Wednesday, January 26 when the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation (CAC) premiere their newly released educational video Elephus Maximus: The Biology and Conservation of the Asian Elephant.  The screening, which is open to the Canisius community, will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Regis Room (North).

Produced on-location in Sri Lanka (summer 2004) by CAC students, Elephus Maximus showcases the behavior and ecology of one of the most magnificent animal species on Earth: the Asian elephant.  The video was written and directed by Michael Noonan, PhD, professor of psychology and biology at Canisius, and founder and director of the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation program.  The DVD version of Elephus Maximus: The Biology and Conservation of the Asian Elephant will be distributed for use in Western New York classrooms, at the middle-school and high-school levels.  For more information, contact Noonan at Ext. 2518 or click here.

Canisius Hosts Sports Medicine Camp for High School Students

David A. Brajuha, assistant athletic trainer, instructs students at Keesha's Knee sports camp held at Canisius in December.

Nearly a dozen local high school students learned about sports medicine during "Keesha's Knee," a week-long sports camp held at Canisius on December 15.  This is the first year for the camp, which was coordinated by Peter M. Koehneke, chair of sports medicine and health and human performance, and co-hosted by the Erie Niagara Health Education Center. 

The purpose of the camp was to provide a learning experience for students and to encourage them to pursue a career in sports medicine or another health-related position.  Students who participated were also given the opportunity to intern as an athletic trainer for one of the Canisius College sports teams.  In addition to Koehneke, the following Canisius College staff members served as instructors for the camp:  Michael G. Dolan, professor of sports medicine and health and human performance; Amy K. Miller, assistant athletic trainer; Matthew P. Nuessell, assistant athletic trainer; David A. Brajuha, assistant athletic trainer; Melissa A. Donato, assistant athletic trainer; and Patricia Shugars '06.

January Connections Now On-Line
The January issue of Connections, the on-line newsletter of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) is now available. To read Connections, click here.