Poetry slams, faculty book clubs, you are what you eat, cattle calls and breakfast with local media chiefs...what is this you say? Well, it's educatingrita's Hidden Gems of Suffolk. Can't see the forest for the trees? Up to your eyeballs in group projects, research papers, banging your head against the wall trying to come up with a thesis? Don't despair. Take a mid-semester breather from academia and a break from obsessing about your Halloween costume to behold the hidden Suffolk .
Suffolk has a healthy reputation for basic as well as applied research. There's much interdisciplinary research crossing numerous traditional constraints. All types of scholarly activities are encouraged potentially benefiting the local community, promoting global understanding, discouraging prejudice and exploration of the sciences. To that end, here are just some of what ER considers to be Suffolk Hidden Gems:
I don't like green eggs and ham, Sam I am: The Suffolk Poetry Center
That's pretty much the extent of ER's poetry knowledge but there are plenty of people on campus who think a lot more about poetry. The SUPC is located in a room of the new Mildred Sawyer Library and encourages and supports the study and practice of poetry and creative writing. It also houses the Zieman Poetry Collection. There are a number of activities: readings, workshops, discussions and provides a unique opportunity to explore literature beyond the class. Renowed writers engage in readings and interact with students, faculty, staff and guests. Among the lectures and workshop is the student run writing group: Sub Text who meet in the Poetry Center.
Workshops and discussions are open to the Suffolk community and the public. There is a current collection of valuable literature, including signed first editions, as well as a video/audio archive of all visiting writers. The Poetry Center also serves as the research hub for history of the book, rare books and history of literary publication. Not to mention, Salamander, edited by Prof. Jennifer Barber, is Suffolk's own nationally recognized literary journal. To learn more about the Poetry Center contact Professor Fred Marchant.
SU Events Homepage: There’s always something interesting percolating on the SU Events link: http://www.suffolk.edu/564.html . A quick look could be worth your while recent highlighted events included:
- Next stop: Broadway! Open Auditions for Wes Savick’s original tribute to Howard Zinn: Monday, October 20 7:00-10:00PM - C Walsh Theatre and Tuesday, October 21 same time, Studio Theatre. The Theatre Department welcomed all registered students to auditions for the above production. Sign-up on the Theatre Department Call Board. Performs: November 20-22, 2008 at the C. Walsh Theatre. Link: http://www.suffolk.edu/31484.html
- The Breakfast Club: Why Isn’t the Media Listening to You? Dr. Rosenthal, Chair of the Communication and Journalism Department hosted the event with Greg Gatlin, Suffolk Director of Public Affairs moderated a discussion regarding press releases with media industry experts from NECN, TIAA CREF, Boston TV, WGBH and the Boston Business Journal. An early-bird event at: 7:30 am event with coffee, tea, pastries representing a chance to discuss how to be better positioned and get your message across to the media. Not sure of the actual attendance at this event but potentially a good of a small group being present resulting network potential? Priceless. http://www.suffolk.edu/30706.html
What do you mean Twinkies are not a food group? Did you know there’s an actual Registered Dietician on staff and access to his or her vast knowledge and expertise is: FREE, Gratis, No Money Down. Precious few things in life are few folks. Especially something that could potentially prolong your life. Take advantage of this great health service to put a stop to the dreaded Freshman 15 or help thwart all those hours of inactivity while you studiously absorb higher learning from the banal glow of your PC screen…Consultations are held on a monthly basis with the next one on November 19th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Put down that salt laden gordito and do something good for yourself! Call Health & Wellness Services at: 617-573-8260 for more information.
Membership Has its Privileges: The Center for Teaching Excellence – A resource open to faculty at Suffolk. It’s no secret higher education has become big business and is in a state of serious transition. Never before have institutions had to do so much with so little (government funding has drastically decreased). As higher education becomes more and more codified as a business -- the fact such a center exists at Suffolk is a huge advantage to its biggest stakeholders –students. The center, directed by Donna M. Oualters, Ph.D., is committed “…to ensuring the University delivers on the promise to provide quality education through outstanding teaching.” The CTE has an abundance of programming, services, resources and tools for faculty to develop knowledge and teaching skills. Workshops of the past include: how to approach distressed students on campus, the use of powerpoint slides in class, reaching out to millennial students, creating a teaching statement and creation of student evaluations. There’s even a faculty book club which discusses contemporary works regarding higher education trends, theory and works of fiction and non-fiction. Students considering a career in higher education might find it a worthy trip to check out the center and perhaps rap with a staff member about the profession.
The above are just a small slice of Suffolk’s vast internal landscape. What’s your favorite Suffolk Hidden Gem? Got a special place, program or club you’d like to share? Send your comments to ER and I’ll mention them in a follow up column. Take care and don’t forget to lift your head from those books every once in a while and take a look at all Suffolk has to offer. – ER
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