| April 16, 2008 | Vol 9. No. 12 |
Canisius ROTC Program Ranks #1 in the Eastern Region
The U.S. Army Cadet Command and the General MacArthur Foundation have ranked the Canisius College Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program first out of 135 schools in the Eastern Region for medium-sized detachments.
“We aim to uphold Canisius College’s reputation as an exceptional program that produces highly-principled officers for the U.S. Army,” said Lt. Col. James H. Soos, Golden Griffin Battalion command officer and chair of military science. “This recognition confirms that the college, our cadre and the cadets are on the right track.”
The Canisius College Golden Griffin Battalion was selected for the McArthur Award based upon order of merit score, production efficiency, commission mission accomplishment, retention rate and contract mission accomplishment. Only six Army ROTC programs out of 273 programs in the United States are recognized each year. All faculty and staff are invited to attend the ROTC Spring Honors ceremony on May 1 at 3:30 p.m. in the Regis Room when there will be a formal presentation of the MacArthur Award plaque and streamer.
Father Cooke to Speak on Understanding the 35th General Congregation and the Society of Jesus
Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., president of Canisius College, will share his reflections on the Jesuits 35th General Congregation in Rome with the campus community on Monday, April 21 at 3 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. All faculty and staff are cordially invited to attend. Father served as a member of the American delegation and one of 225 delegates from around at the world who elected a new Superior General for the Jesuits, Father Adolofo Nicoläs, and approved formal decrees focused on the Jesuit mission in the modern world; including Jesuit identity, collaboration with those outside the Jesuits, internal governance and obedience to one’s superior, as well as to the pope. A question and answer session will follow Father Cooke’s talk.
Canisius to Participate in Earth Day Initiative
All Canisius faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to carpool, bike, walk or take mass transit to work on Tuesday, April 22. The college will join nearly 120 local organizations for the region’s first Earth Day Initiative in which commuters will use alternative means to get work on a large scale. The purpose of the campaign, spearheaded by Lancaster-based environmental firm Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E), is to raise local awareness of issues associated with global warming. The initiative has attracted support from a wide variety of groups, including businesses, schools, colleges, community organizations, not-for-profit groups, retailers, manufacturers and developers. For more information on the Earth Day Initiative or for a complete list of participants, click here. To find a carpool match, click here.
Commencement 2008
Graduate Commencement Canisius will confer approximately 275 degrees at graduate commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center. Daniel W. Stanton ’79 founding principal of Samson Capital Advisors LLC and former general partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., will give the commencement address. Stanton will also receive an honorary degree, along with David C. Hohn, MD, executive director of health policy and president emeritus of Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Baccalaureate Mass
Canisius College President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., will be the principal celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center. Graduates, faculty and family members will gather to give thanks for blessings bestowed on all graduates. The Mass will be followed by a reception in the Patrick Lee Center. (RSVP is required by May 7.)
Undergraduate Commencement Students, faculty, staff and friends will gather at Alumni Arena on SUNY Buffalo’s Amherst campus for the 142nd undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. Approximately 750 undergraduate degrees will be conferred. Calvin Darden ’72, retired senior vice president of UPS, will serve as commencement speaker. Darden will also receive an honorary degree, along with Clement Eckert, retired president and CEO of the Food Bank of Western New York, and Herbert A. Hauptman, PhD, president of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute Inc.
LaSalle Medal
The Canisius College Alumni Association will confer the LaSalle Medal on James F. Lyons ’56, HON ’98, during undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. The LaSalle Medal is the association’s most distinguished award and recognizes Canisius alumni who have made substantial contributions to advance the interests of the college.
Commencement Marshals
Commencement marshals are still needed to help at both undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies. Marshals will receive paid time off for their service.
Commencement marshals help students properly put on their academic regalia, lead their row of graduates into the ceremony and pass out diplomas to the graduates after they walk across stage. Marshaling duties will be discussed further at a meeting on Monday, May 12 at 2:30 p.m. in the Faculty Dining Room.
In addition to marshals, volunteers are also needed to hand out programs and collect tickets. For more information, or to sign up to serve as a marshal or to volunteer in any other capacity, contact Judy Bruce at Ext. 2130.