LOCAL NEWS

Women's leadership conference

Donna Jordan-Mitchell, former news anchor for WHIO-TV, will deliver the keynote speech at “Changes, Challenges, Choices: The Art of Women’s Leadership,” the sixth annual Annie T. Thornton Women’s Leadership Conference on Saturday, March 24.

Jordan-Mitchell currently is chairman of the board and executive director of the nonprofit Launch Foundation, which helps disadvantaged women make successful life transitions.

The conference, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kennedy Union, will include workshops on developing leadership skills, women in the developing world, effective communication, nontraditional workplaces and schedules, blended families and organizational politics.

Women are also invited to submit stories or artwork for display at the conference.

Cost is $10 for students with school identification and $20 for all others. For more information contact Yemi Mahoney at 937-229-3351 or atwlc@notes.udayton.edu.

Cannery hosts women artists

Painting, sculpture, ceramics and prints from eight UD women artists will be on display at the Cannery Art & Design Centre from Feb. 27 through March 30.

Entitled “Language/Structure/Vision: University of Dayton Women Artists," the exhibit has been made possible through a partnership between CADC, located at 434 E. Third St., and ArtStreet, UD’s living/learning complex for the arts.

Exhibiting artists are Laura Adducci, Jessica Bohne, Rachel Dennis, Mallory Dover, Katie Kuntz, Allyson Meier, Ellie Richards and Nicole Rottmueller. All are senior students in UD's visual arts department.

A reception for the artists will be held on 5-10 p.m., Friday, March 2 at CADC in conjunction with downtown Dayton’s First Fridays arts event.

For more information, contact ArtStreet 937- 229-5101 or the Cannery Art & Design Centre at 937-228-2232.

What laws help or hurt homeless people?

Some law students are taking a mid-semester break to examine how laws affect homeless people like Vicky Keeney. Keeney described herself as a normal, suburban, American wife and mom who ran a skydiving school before she became homeless.

Vicky Keeney describes herself as a normal, suburban, American wife and mom who ran a skydiving school before she became homeless. She says she’s looking for help, not so much in changes to the law, but for changes in attitudes about homelessness.

Some University of Dayton School of Law students are taking a mid-semester break to examine how laws hinder or could help people like Keeney during a one-week course on homelessness. They will visit Dayton homeless shelters Tuesday and Wednesday and present their findings in class Thursday and Friday.

“I think it’s an issue that can have a solution. It’s not hopeless like some people think,” said Robert Ernst, a second-year law student. “We’re going to talk to the homeless, so we can hear their problems and possible solutions first-hand. It’s a good real-world opportunity that beats sitting in a classroom.”

Students started the week listening to community leaders discuss how the law factors into homelessness.

“Lawyers have an insight into the law. There is an obligation to exercise those skills as a citizen,” Brother Raymond Fitz, S.M., past UD president and a member of the area-wide Homeless Solutions Taskforce, said Monday afternoon at the UD School of Law. “If you see a moral issue and have the skills to address it, then you should address it.”

Third-year student Elise Brown is taking the course to gain a better understanding of the system and find a way to possibly improve life for the homeless.

When pressed, Keeney had some ideas for the future. She suggested that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission add homelessness to the list of protected groups.

“We know better than to put ‘homeless’ on a job application,” she said. Keeney went on to say, “Do away with petty laws and (focus) on violent crimes. (The homeless are) spotlighted for littering, jaywalking or open-container. You can go to jail as simply as we do (for those things), but you don’t have a spotlight on you.”

Other than that, Keeney is asking just for basic human rights and a change in the way the legal system treats homeless people.

“A public defender says, ‘How fast can I get you out the door?’ They don’t want to fight for you. Legal aid, I understand, is so overwhelmed,” Keeney said. “Look at the difference in legal representation between people who have money and people who are poor. We’re told to take a plea agreement or we get more jail time.”

Rich Saphire, the UD law professor teaching the intra-session class, said a variety of laws nationwide effectively criminalize homelessness or prevent movement of homeless people. Dayton’s anti-panhandling law is an example, according to Saphire, current board president of The Other Place, Dayton’s only daytime homeless shelter. Other examples include cities removing park and bus benches from downtowns.

He added that most homeless people have below-average levels of education, no access to lawyers and often think “nobody like them” can be successful in being empowered and fighting the system.

The American Bar Association’s committee on pro bono and public service says every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per year to persons of limited means. Keeney said she hasn’t met such a lawyer.

“Few law students have an understanding of the homelessness problem,” Saphire said. “The system does provide resources for those of us engaged in managing the symptoms of or getting rid of homelessness. Lawyers can and should play a major role in accomplishing these objectives. Lawyers should be exposed, on a personal and professional basis, to homelessness. There is no better occasion for this to happen than in the context of their professional education in law school.”

Exposing students to the problems of homeless people and the less fortunate is the goal of UD and other universities nationwide. UD encourages its incoming law students to sign a pro bono pledge that states they will complete 50 hours of pro bono or community service before they graduate.

Georgetown, Duke and George Washington law schools encourage their students to sign similar pledges. Yale, the University of Chicago, Syracuse and Georgetown are among the law schools giving students a glimpse of homeless law.

For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson at 937-229-3391.

Standing alone in Mecca

Asra Nomani, a Muslim female, will talk about inclusive Islam and 'reactionary fundamentalists' at UD March 6.

Asra Nomani will discuss her book, Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam, during a free, public talk at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, in the Kennedy Union ballroom. Her appearance is part of UD's Distinguished Speakers Series.

Nomani wrote her book after her pilgrimage to Mecca, during which she drew upon four Muslim matriarchs to learn more about sin, redemption, courage and self-determination. She returned to the United States “to confront the sexism and intolerance in her local mosque and to fight for the rights of modern Muslim women who are tired of standing alone against the repressive rules and regulations imposed by reactionary fundamentalists.” She shows how several freedoms enjoyed centuries ago have been erased by the conservative type of Islam practiced today, giving the West a false image of Muslim women as veiled and isolated from the world.

The Washington Post called Nomani's book an “engrossing overview of Islam's internal debates as seen through the eyes of a young single mother wrestling with her faith.”

Publishers Weekly wrote that Nomani “introduces readers to a new generation of Muslims, who are American and equality-minded. Through memorable personal narrative, Nomani gently instructs readers about modern Islam and her role as a woman in it.”

Nomani also wrote the Islamic bill of rights for women in the mosque and the “99 Precepts for Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors in the Muslim World.” Nomani says the precepts call, not for the reform of Islam, but rather the restoration of Islam.

“The men who are the leaders of my mosque are considering banishing me for attempting to claim the rights of a Muslim woman at the mosque and to stand up for a tolerant and inclusive Islam,” Nomani said on her Web site. “Facing trial for disturbing the peace of these men, I have reflected on how we need to restore our Muslim world to the principles of Islam that the prophet Muhammad practiced in the 7th century. My experience teaches that Islam must redefine the way it expresses itself so that modern-day Cities of Enlightenment will shine throughout the Muslim world.”

For more information, contact Shawn Robinson at 937-229-3391.

DECA to showcase success

The Dayton Early College Academy, a Dayton Public Schools high school housed on the University of Dayton campus, will showcase its success nationally in April.

DECA has been invited to participate in the Breaking Ranks 2007 Urban Secondary School Showcase in Chicago April 23-24.

“We are honored to be selected to present to this important showcase,” said Judy Hennessy, DECA principal. “A cornerstone of our success is the personalized learning environment, in which students, teachers and parents identify the student’s interests, strengths and challenges.”

“The Dayton Public Schools, the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College all have reason to be proud of DECA,” she said.

The showcase convenes about 20 of the most innovative and successful middle and high schools from the around the country to present their programs and strategies for success. Schools were chosen based on their outstanding reputations for quality and innovative approaches with challenging populations.

DECA students have considerable freedom to follow their academic interests in a system structured around passing increasingly rigorous “gateways,” while receiving considerable personal attention from teachers, administrators and parents.

Operated in partnership with UD’s School of Education and Allied Professions, DECA, which opened in August 2003, is the first early college high school in Ohio with a singular focus of preparing urban students for college. About 82 percent of the students are black and most come from homes where few parents have earned college degrees.

DECA will graduate its first class this spring; every student is planning to attend college or continue post-secondary education and half have already been accepted to universities.

The school is unusual, in part, because it is a public school operated by a private, Catholic university and located on the campus. Students attend classes at the high school as well as the university and Sinclair Community College. Students have earned more than 1,500 college credits and several will graduate from DECA with associates’ degrees from Sinclair.

For more information, contact Judy Hennessey at 937-542-5630 or via e-mail at Judy.Hennessey@notes.udayton.edu.

Outstanding undergrad research

UD wins the 2007 Merck Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, which means up to $60,000 over three years for UD's biology and chemistry areas.

The University of Dayton is one of just 15 colleges in the nation named the 2007 winners of the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) award. Each award provides $20,000 annually for up to three years for joint use by biology and chemistry departments.

Winners were selected for their approach to interdisciplinary opportunities, ability to engage students in interdisciplinary research projects and commitment to future programs with a focus on combining biology and chemistry initiatives.

“The University of Dayton is at the forefront of providing collaborative curricula for our students,” said Mary E. Morton, dean of UD’s College of Arts and Sciences. “The award from Merck and the AAAS recognizes our past achievements as well as our commitment to providing undergraduate research opportunities for future students. This support will engage our current undergraduates and attract additional talented students in science to the College.”

Chemistry and biology students are regularly involved in conducting research, offering presentations and authoring articles as part of the UD curriculum. Chemistry students Dan Collins and Deepika D’Cunha were part of a group at UD whose undergraduate research resulted in making close to 30 new compounds using a variety of rare-earth elements. Their work was published in the journal, Inorganic Chemistry Communications.

“The undergraduate research I’ve been able to do here is critical because many graduate schools use research as a factor for admission,” Collins said. “In my own applications, many graduate schools commented that my undergrad research played a major role in their decision to accept me.”

Shawn Swavey, assistant professor of chemistry, led the students on this project. “The students got a chance to make something no one else had done before and characterize it afterward, using the technique to characterize compounds,” Swavey said. “For undergrads, you can't ask for much more than learning new techniques. It helps them be better scientists.”

For D’Cunha, the opportunity to present at conferences and co-author papers was more than just something to put on a resume. “It was a great opportunity to meet other student and faculty researchers as well as learn about some very cool, cutting-edge stuff,“ D’Cunha said. “Although I'm planning on going into the medical field as a doctor, it was still awesome to work in coordinate chemistry and learn a lot more about the physical side of some of the medical technology I'll have to use later on.”

Yiling Hong, assistant professor of biology, said for students going on to graduate or medical school, the research experience is the most important part of their curriculum. “They learn a lot of things from the laboratory that are never covered in the classroom,” Hong said. “The research experience makes them stand tall among other applicants.”

UD is a leader in cross-disciplinary curriculum. In September, the University announced initiatives to support interdisciplinary research and education efforts that included plans for a new master’s degree in bioengieneering and the emergence of a Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton or TREND. The Merck/AAAS award for undergraduate research initiatives in the biology and chemistry departments will help move UD’s strategic plan forward.

“The upcoming decades will continue to see an expansion of biological- and biomedical-based challenges that will best be addressed across many fields of study,” Morton said. “At UD, we educate our students to have depth of knowledge and experience within a discipline to be able to tackle research questions across the board.”

Winners of the Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program were announced during the AAAS annual meeting in San Francisco. Winners include: Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.; Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Davidson College, N.C.; Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis.; Pomona College, Claremont, Calif.; Rhodes College, Memphis, Tenn.; St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y.; The College of New Jersey, Ewing; Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo.; University of Evansville, Ind.; University of Richmond, Va.; University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.; University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh; Wellesley College, Mass.

Launched in 2000 as a national competition, the 10-year, $9 million initiative is funded by MISE and administered by AAAS.

For more information, contact Linda Robertson at 937-229-3257.

February 22, 2007 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

February 21, 2007

Curbing illegal downloading

UD study finds computer ethics education signicantly curbs illegal downloading among college students.

A University of Dayton study found that implementing an education program informing students on University policy and copyright law reduces illegal downloading behaviors, as compared to simply stating a policy. The study of UD students offers encouragement that education can influence core ethical beliefs about copyright infringement on campus.

The study, published in the December issue of the NASPA Journal (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators), investigated the effectiveness of University-sponsored efforts, such as guest speakers, lectures and online courses, to educate students about computing ethics. “The study found a strong correlation between agreement with and compliance with a policy,” said Jennifer Siemens, co-author of the study and assistant professor of marketing in UD’s School of Business Administration. “As the number of exposures to structured education on downloading copyrighted material increased, so did compliance.”

Despite the threat of lawsuits, people continue to download copyrighted material, and college students comprise the majority of offenders. In fact, the music industry is sending thousands more complaints to top universities this school year than it did last year as it targets music illegally downloaded over campus computer networks.

The education component on downloading at UD seems to have worked with junior Megan Lemming. “I personally used to download music and movies, but I no longer download anything because I am afraid that I could be downloading things illegally and not even know it,” Lemming said. “I think it's very important students are aware of these consequences because so often students get themselves into difficult situations without even realizing the potential danger of their actions.”

Beyond the consequences to “downloaders,” the sharing of files can be problematic as many users download large files, which easily can strain University bandwidth capacities.

“When the files being shared are protected by copyright, this predicament is compounded,” Siemens said. Results of the study showed:

➢ Awareness of the policy increased with high repetition of the message (four or more different types of exposure were more effective than just one);
➢ Students exposed at least once to the educational message showed greater agreement and compliance with the policy than those with no education exposure at all;
➢ Importantly, students who agreed with the University policy were more likely to report compliance, which suggests that merely enacting a policy against copyright infringement may not be effective unless students are explained the reasoning behind the policy.

Lemming agreed that truly understanding why downloading is unacceptable is key to changing student behavior, as technology is such a major part of college life.

“No longer do students walk through the student neighborhood talking to one another. Rather, these students are always listening to iPods or talking on cell phones,” said Lemming. “The entire climate of college has seemed to change with all of these technological advances that we use daily, and so it would make sense that downloading has becoming an integral part of college students' lives. This is how we communicate and share ideas with one another.”

Siemens said with the growing number of digital content choices students have to choose from, the file sharing of choice has expanded from music to movies, and even textbooks.

“Forty-six percent of the students surveyed believe that file sharing and downloading are a victimless crime,” Siemens said. “Education is the way to go to change this belief. It doesn’t have to be formal, but it should be ongoing and consistent.”

For more information, contact Jennifer Siemens at 937-229-1086.

February 21, 2007 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

February 19, 2007

A season of reflection and repentance

The University of Dayton begins its observance of Lent with seven Masses on Ash Wednesday.

The University of Dayton begins its observance of Lent on Ash Wednesday with seven Masses -- 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. All Masses, except for 9 p.m. in the McGinnis Center, will be held in the Immaculate Conception Chapel.

Lent is a season of reflection and repentance. The 40 days prepare Christians for the events of Holy Week and Easter. ''There are those who embrace these Lenten practices as a welcome part of an annual rhythm in the lives of prayer and devotion to God, a way of renewing that relationship by marking off time for more prayer, changing the way they eat or refraining from certain activities like watching TV. For some, it is a time to link the giving up with a giving to others,'' said Sandra Yocum Mize, chair of the religious studies department at UD.

"In our own culture of extravagant plenty, crowded schedules and constant flow of information, it seems that for at least some Christians, Lent provides a set time to reorient oneself away from those constants of our culture to the gospel's message -- yes, to repent of those failings and disorders in one's life, but also to believe in the good news of forgiveness and the possibility of community that works for justice and peace that is rooted in love of God and neighbor."

Contact Sandra Yocum Mize at 937-229-4321.

February 19, 2007 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

Psalms link different faiths

"Sing to the Lord: the Psalms Through the Ages,” will explore similarities in how Hebrew and Christian musical traditions express their faiths.

Sponsored by the University of Dayton Library Advancement Association, the program will be held on two consecutive Sundays, March 11 and March 18, and offer opportunities for audience participation.

"We hope to have the audience appreciate the roots of the whole tradition," said J. Ritter Werner, who will speak at the events. "There's going to be a lot of singing and demonstrating."

Werner, organist and music director at Corpus Christi Church and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, said the programs will examine shared elements of traditional styles of ancient Hebrew music and worship along with modern Christian hymns.

"One thing they all have in common is the psalms," Werner said. "Even though the melody changes, each generation has kept the music alive."

At 3 p.m. Sunday, March 11, at the Immaculate Conception Chapel on the UD campus, Joyce Ury Dumtschin, cantor of Temple Beth Or in Washington Twp., and Alan Kimbrough, UD English professor and accompanist with the Bach Society of Dayton, will present Hebrew traditions and shared aspects of Judaic and Christian music.

The following week, at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at the South Park United Methodist Church, Brown Street and Stonemill Road, the program will offer a discussion of psalm-singing and an old-fashioned Methodist hymn-sing, focusing on the hymns of Charles Wesley and featuring choir members from local Methodist churches.

Tickets for the general public are $25 each or $39 for both programs. Reservations are required and seating is limited. For more information and reservations, contact Sarah Meyer at 937-229-4094 no later than Feb. 26 or go to the UD Library Advancement Association on the web at http://library.udayton.edu/laa/sounds.

February 19, 2007 | Permalink

A hair-raising gift for kids

A record number of University of Dayton students will be losing their hair, but not because of a big test or searching for a job.

More than 80 students, both men and women, have volunteered to have 8-10 inches of their hair cut to benefit Locks of Love. Locks of Love uses the donated hair to create free or discounted hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Since 1998, Locks of Love has helped more than 2,000 children.

UD's Student Government Association is encouraging the general public to participate, as well, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, March 5, at Ashworth's Beauty Group on the corner of Brown and Woodland in Dayton. The haircuts are free to anyone donating their hair.

Ashworth’s will offer discounted services, such as waxing and manicures, to anyone waiting to donate their hair.

Contact Clare Zlatic or Meg Rigney at 937-229-4444 to make an appointment to donate hair. For more information, visit http://campus.udayton.edu/~sga/programs.

February 19, 2007 in Miscellaneous | Permalink