March 14, 2018
Theatre group re-imagines Shakespeare classic for SVSU stage
A Chicago-based theater troupe will visit Saginaw Valley State University to perform a hip-hop musical adaptation of a Shakespearean dark comedy.
The Q Brothers, which has performed its unique style of theater in venues from New York City to London, will treat SVSU audiences to a reimagined production of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.
The play, titled "Q Gents," put a modern-day spin on the William Shakespeare classic. The characters of Valentine and Proteus are star players on the Verona College Prep football team. Their popular status in the school, though, is threatened when Proteus becomes smitten with the dark and artsy Julia.
The play's 20-plus characters all are played by two actors who are brothers, and whose theatrical and physical performances are aimed at keeping audiences on the edges of their seats.
Beginning in 2012, The Q Brothers gained international acclaim for their “add-RAP-tation” of another Shakespeare classic. "Othello: The Remix" has been performed in nations such as Australia, Germany, Scotland and South Korea. In the United States, the group frequents cities such as Chicago and New York City.
The Q Brothers visit to SVSU is supported through the Dow Visiting Scholars and Artists series, a program at SVSU established through an endowment from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to enrich our region's cultural and intellectual opportunities.
March 7, 2018
SVSU art gallery to display works of high school artists
Talented high school art students will display their works for the community to view during a special exhibition in the University Art Gallery at Saginaw Valley State University.
SVSU's art department is hosting the High School Invitational Exhibition Monday, March 19 through Friday, April 13. A reception for the artists featured in the exhibition will be held Thursday, March 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“The art department at SVSU strongly supports this stage of creative development by high school students,” said Tisch Lewis, coordinator for the University Art Gallery. “This exhibition honors and celebrates the great creative work being done through the efforts of local high school teachers and their students.”
Students representing several high schools in the Great Lakes Bay Region will have art on display. Those schools include: Freeland High School, Hemlock High School, Heritage High School, H.H. Dow High School, Midland High School, Nouvel Catholic Central High School, Swan Valley High School and the Tuscola Technology Center.
There will be a variety of creative works displayed during the exhibition. The pieces include ceramics, paintings, photography, drawings and mixed media.
The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
The University Art Gallery is located in the Arbury Fine Arts Center at SVSU. The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the gallery re-opens from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturdays, the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information about the exhibition, contact the SVSU University Art Gallery at gallery@svsu.edu or (989) 964-2291.
March 6, 2018
Pianist MiJung Trepanier to perform at SVSU
Musician MiJung Trepanier will perform a solo piano recital Thursday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Saginaw Valley State University’s Rhea Miller Recital Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.
Trepanier’s planned musical selections include the work of 19th-century German composers Johannes Brahm, Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann.
Trepanier is a soloist who has performed globally in locations such as Puerto Rico, Bolivia and South Korea. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at SVSU and as a member of the Michigan Council Performance Touring Program. She received a doctorate degree in music from Michigan State University after first earning a bachelor's degree in music from Kyungwon University in Seongnam, South Korea.
For more information about the recital, please contact the SVSU Department of Music at music@svsu.edu or (989) 964-4159.
March 5, 2018
SVSU seeking charity partner for 2018 Battle of the Valleys competition
Saginaw Valley State University students have shown an incredible passion to support their surrounding community over the past 15 years, raising more than $350,000 to support numerous worthy causes and charitable organizations during the annual Battle of the Valleys fundraising competition.
In 2017, the SVSU community raised $32,000 in one week for The Mustard Seed shelter, a Saginaw organization that provides a safe housing option for women and their children in need. The SVSU Student Association hosted a luncheon on campus Friday, Feb. 9 to express appreciation for the many people who volunteered for Battle of the Valleys and to formally present the funds to Amy Roe, director of The Mustard Seed and an SVSU alumna.
The SVSU Student Association is now accepting applications from nonprofit organizations interested in serving as SVSU's charity partner for 2018. The deadline to apply is Friday, April, 20.
For more information or to request an application, please contact Caitlin Coulter, Battle of the Valleys coordinator, at crcoulte@svsu.edu.
The 2018 Battle of the Valleys will take place Sunday, Oct. 21 to Friday, Oct. 26, leading up to the football game at SVSU Saturday, Oct. 27.
For more information on Battle of the Valleys, please visit svsu.edu/bov.
March 2, 2018
SVSU students inspired to serve during Alternative Breaks across the country
For more than 50 Saginaw Valley State University students, spring break will not be a typical vacation. They will be traveling across the U.S. to volunteer as part of the student-run Alternative Breaks program.
Five teams of students are traveling to volunteer for community organizations throughout the country during SVSU’s spring break March 5-11.
Karah Hoch, a business management major from Marine City, will be taking her first Alternative Break trip. She will be working with Champion Athletes of the Ozarks, located in Springfield, Missouri, is an organization designed to help children and adults with special needs. SVSU students will help with daily activities and to help individuals develop life skills through sports and education.
“It’s something I wanted to get involved in because I've heard nothing but good things about the organization and how it can have a huge impact on you as a leader,” Hoch said. “I hope to gain a new perspective on those who have special needs. I look forward to my experience and hope to put a smile on some peoples’ faces.”
Other SVSU students will be volunteering for:
- Appalachian South Folklife Center, located in Pipestem, West Virginia. SVSU students will help perform housing repairs along with other community service projects.
- Arkansas Children's Hospital, located in Little Rock, Arkansas. SVSU students will assist with daily activities needed throughout the hospital.
- Kingdom House, located in St. Louis, Missouri. SVSU students will assist in after-school programs where children eat healthy meals and focus on their academics.
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, located in Annapolis, Maryland. SVSU students will help to keep the Chesapeake Bay clean and educate others about the importance of keeping such natural resources safe.
SVSU's Alternative Breaks program sends students on community engagement-geared trips during both the traditional college winter and spring breaks each December and March. You can learn more at www.svsu.edu/officeofstudentlife/serve/.
February 26, 2018
SVSU plans candlelight vigil for slain student
Saginaw Valley State University students are organizing a candlelight vigil on campus to remember a student who was recently killed.
The vigil for the late Katie Bonini will be held Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. in the campus courtyard. In the event of inclement weather, the vigil will be moved indoors to the Thompson Student Activities Room in the Student Life Center.
“We wanted to host this event to let Katie's friends and family know that they aren't alone and that we as a community are here to support them through this difficult time,” said Nik Berkobien, a psychology major from Saginaw. “We also wanted to host this event to promote awareness of domestic violence, the thing that ultimately led to this tragedy occurring in the first place, so we can work to prevent tragedies like these from occurring in the future. But most importantly, we wanted to pay tribute to Katie.”
Bonini was killed in an apparent murder-suicide in Sebewaing that also claimed the life of her mother and father. She was a psychology major.
Organizers have created a Facebook event page for the vigil at https://www.facebook.com/events/328774954296513/?notif_t=plan_user_joined¬if_id=1519245874578236.
February 23, 2018
SVSU soprano to perform senior recital
Saginaw Valley State University student vocalist Rachael Parr, a music major from Pinckney, will perform a soprano recital Thursday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Parr will sing musical selections are from the 17th to 20th centuries. Notable pieces include "Ave Maria in E," by French composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns, and "The Sound of Music," by American composer Richard Rodgers.
Parr expects to graduate in May. She plans to continue her academic career by pursuing a master's degree in liturgical music.
Pianist Amanda Stamper will provide musical accompaniment. She completed a bachelor's degree in music at SVSU and a master's degree in music at Illinois State University.
For more information about the recital, please contact the SVSU Department of Music at music@svsu.edu or (989) 964-4159.
February 23, 2018
SVSU professor of nursing earns prestigious Fulbright award to study health care in Ireland
Sally Decker, professor of nursing at Saginaw Valley State University, has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar to support her teaching and research in Ireland.
Decker will work with inter-professional teams at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. She also will also teach health education courses and work with faculty members on simulation.
"I am looking forward to working with health care providers in Ireland," she said. "I hope I can share some of what I have learned as I work with the inter-professional teams at the Royal College of Surgeons."
Decker plans to design and create an interactive workshop on simulation with faculty members, work with students in groups or individually related to the pedagogy of education in healthcare, and help create, facilitate and evaluate an inter-professional simulation with students and faculty members.
Decker is familiar with educational settings overseas. She has led SVSU students on study abroad experiences in England, Australia and Nepal. Those experiences focused on the differences in health care in different nations and cultures.
"These experiences — in addition to my personal travel experiences — have increased my sensitivity to cultural competence and the need to review evidence with consideration for the context from which it was created," she said. "Context relates to cultural, environmental, genetics, and health care system differences."
Her interest in the topic started when she served as a member of the Army Nurse Corps.
"The system of health care and specifics of interventions in the military setting — followed by the transition to civilian health care — created a striking awareness for me of the importance of contextual understanding and teamwork," she said.
Decker has presented on research related to educational pedagogy at international venues. In June 2017, she presented on the use of visual metaphor in concept-based education at the International Congress of Nurses in Barcelona.
Decker has received SVSU's highest faculty honors, winning the Landee Award for Teaching Excellence in 2002 and the Warrick Award for Excellence in Research in 1991. She completed a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan.
The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Each year, this international educational program of the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs awards about 8,000 grants for research, study, and teaching opportunities in over 160 countries.
February 21, 2018
SVSU forensics team continues strong season, takes second place in the state
Saginaw Valley State University's competitive public speaking team placed second overall in the 2018 Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League Novice States Tournament.
SVSU students were among those from seven Michigan colleges and universities who competed in various public speaking categories at Hillsdale College Saturday, Feb. 17.
Coached by Amy Pierce, associate professor of communication, SVSU's current team has shown determination in preparing for their tournaments. The group is almost entirely comprised of novice competitors, meaning they have performed in fewer than six tournaments.
Three SVSU students won their respective events, and all seven SVSU students involved in this competition placed in the top of their respective categories.
Kelley Gray, a communication major from Sandusky, won the programmed oral interpretation category. Darious Henry, a communication major from Chesterfield Township, won first place in the prose category. Tiler Jewel, a creative writing major from Essexville, placed first in the informative category. Gray also placed fourth in the impromptu category, and Jewel also placed fifth in the persuasion category.
Other SVSU students who placed in their events include:
- Jenna Brown, a secondary education major from Saginaw, who won second place in the prose category.
- Jill Castle, a communication major from Standish, who earned a third-place finish in the after dinner speaking category.
- Jeremy Flood, a communication major from Freeland, who placed fourth in the extemporaneous speaking category.
- Jayla Gaskins, a communication major from Detroit, who finished second in both the dramatic interpretation and programmed oral interpretation categories.
By virtue of their success at the fall Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League tournament, three SVSU students already have qualified to compete in the National Forensic Association National Championship tournament scheduled April 19-23 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Castle and Jewel will be joined by Jrew Brickel, a criminal justice major from Midland.
SVSU’s forensics team will continue their season in March, when they will travel to Eastern Michigan University for the next Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League States Tournament.
February 21, 2018
SVSU hires former Dow executive to boost business and entrepreneurship programs
Saginaw Valley State University has welcomed an accomplished business executive to strengthen SVSU’s College of Business & Management.
David Bell has joined SVSU as the associate director for entrepreneurship, experiential learning and continuing education. In this role, he will seek to enhance academic programs, grow new opportunities in entrepreneurship, and enrich the regional business community.
“David will enhance our ability to effectively position our Dow Entrepreneurship Institute as a hub of the entrepreneurial support system in the Great Lakes Bay Region,” said Tony Bowrin, dean of SVSU’s College of Business and Management. “He also will provide business development leadership for our customized training programs with business, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations.
Funded by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, SVSU’s Dow Entrepreneurship Institute stimulates the creation of new business ventures, serves as a resource for research activities aimed at business innovation, and provides internship opportunities with area businesses for students.
In addition, Bell will aid in the design and implementation of experiential learning opportunities at SVSU, while developing and managing non-credit programs and courses. He also will help create customized training programs for business, industry, government and nonprofit organizations.
Bell previously served as The Dow Chemical Company's associate commercial director from 2003-15, where his responsibilities included leading exploration and analysis efforts to create new business opportunities for the Midland-based company. He joined Dow in 1979 as a chemist.
Bell completed a bachelor’s degree at Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. at Michigan State University.