The adventurous Knights, led by “interpretive dynamo” (The New York Times) Eric Jacobsen, will perform an ecstatically diverse program including works by Schubert, Osvaldo Golijov, Saint-Saëns, Ives, and The Knights’ own Colin Jacobsen. This concert, which will take place immediately prior to an extensive tour of Germany, also features soloist Edward Arron, described by The New Yorker as “one of New York’s most exciting young cellists.” The Knights are a fellowship of 40 musicians who cultivate collaborative music-making and who creatively engage audiences in the shared joy of musical performance. Based in New York City, The Knights expand the orchestral concert experience with their diverse programming and innovative formats. Many members of The Knights bring talents that go beyond traditional orchestral skills; there are composers, arrangers, singer-songwriters, and improvisers who bring a range of cultural influences to the group. The chamber orchestra’s extensive repertoire features traditional and contemporary masterworks of classical and popular music.

Members of The Knights have performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Orchestra. Come treat yourself to a night of beautiful music.

Tickets can be reserved in person, by phone, by mail, or online through the CFA Box Office, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Building 1P, Room 113, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm and Saturday from noon to 3:00pm. Please call 718.982.ARTS (2787) for more information.

Yi Ming Lam, a Junior studying Communications who interned at the Staten Island Museum, said, “This experience is beyond my imagination…I never thought that I’d get [an internship] as good as this one. The [museum] was fabulous. They were willing to teach and guide me…This experience helps me to develop my future career in my field of study, communications, and I think it’s important to me to know what’s going on on the other side of the world.”

Hoi Ling Lee, a senior majoring in English for Professional Communications who interned at Staten Island Community Television, enjoyed learning something new. “I knew nothing about [television] before starting my internship, so whatever I do at the TV station is something new to me. I learned a lot of things about TV production. This is a new field for me, a new industry that I’ve never gained any exposure to. Now I’m thinking maybe I can enter this industry later on.”

Junman Huang, a senior Political Science major who interned at Mary’s Pence, a Catholic organization that works toward enpowering women through economic independence, added “I learned a lot of things in New York like the culture and the working attitude that the people here have.”

Other participants in the program were Man Lai Lam, a sophomore Communications major who interned at CSI’s Staten Island Small Business Association; Qing Shi, a senior Media and Communications major who interned at DesignAmerica; and Po Kwan Ho, a sophomore in Policy Studies and Administration who interned at College Bound.

The goal of this pilot program is to enhance the students’ English language skills, while giving them the chance to experience what it is like to work in the U.S. The students, who arrived last June, received two days of training regarding working in the U.S. Most of them worked an almost full-time schedule and stayed in private homes.

The Center’s Victoria Cox, who spent a lot of time with the students, commented, “My experience with these six tremendously gifted City University of Hong Kong students has been wonderfully enriching for me personally, from my perspective as their educator in the EPP [English Proficiency Program] class and later serving as their internship business mentor. It has been a joy for me to watch these students successfully navigate the somewhat tricky terrain of the world of work, and cheer them on through victories and occasional setbacks. Transitioning from student to professional can be difficult for any university student, but to overcome the added complexity of working in a foreign American land with different customs, mores, and language, not to mention working through the difficulties with the MTA/Staten Island public transportation system, is a tremendous achievement for all six of them.”

Summing up the program, Barbara Clark, Assistant Director of the Center for International Service, noted, “We have been very pleased with the 2010 Professional Internship program for The City University of Hong Kong students. Not only has the experience strengthened the interns’ understanding of the world of work here in the United States, but it also has helped us build new relationships with the Staten Island community, as well as strengthened our ties with the City University of Hong Kong. Judging from the final presentations given by the interns, their experiences here in Staten Island and at CSI have been life-changing. We certainly hope to continue the program next year.”

By Terry Mares

The two will be the celebrity keynote speakers at the Staten Island Economic Development Corp.’s 2nd annual Health & Wellness Expo, which will be held on Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield.

Mrs. Oz will give an inside look into her latest book, “Us: The Art of Relationships,” and Bonanno, who became certified as a fitness trainer and nutritionist during his 21-year FDNY career, will preside over the Fire Drill Cooking Contest and host a cooking demonstration.

Both will be available for meets and greets with their fans.

“People think firefighters to a higher degree than regular New Yorkers take better care of their bodies but that’s not necessarily true,” said Bonanno, on hand at Staten Island Corporate Park in Bloomfield today to help the SIEDC announce the conference schedule.

Bonanno, who retired shortly after Sept. 11, recalled firefighters needing to catch their breath while running up the stairs in a burning building.

“I never wanted to have someone lose a life because I couldn’t make it up,” he said. “One of the scariest statistics I read is that the average firefighter doesn’t live 10 years past the day the retires.”

The conference — sponsored by Councilman James Oddo (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) and the Northfield Bank Foundation — will also feature cooking and fitness demonstrations and seminars on a host of topics, including emergency preparedness, men’s health, women’s health, living with disabilities, fall prevention, wellness for homebound older adults, healthy eating, substance abuse among adolescents, advanced care directive and estate planning, Cooley’s Anemia, understanding health care reform, Medicare and Medicaid, smart choices for college students, exercise and better preparing autistic children for visits with doctors and dentists.

Also offered will be free health screenings, including mammographies, glaucoma screenings, HIV/Hepatitis C and diabetes screenings, hearing exams, blood pressure screenings and Peripheral Artery Disease/Metabolic Syndrome Screening.
Raffles will be drawn at each seminar.

The full schedule of activities is available at www.healthysi.com.

To register, call 718-477-1400. The first 50 people to register will receive free copies of Lisa Oz’ book.

by Stephanie Slepian

This story originally appeared in the Staten Island Advance on Friday August 27, 2010 and is reprinted here with permission.

NOTE: College of Staten Island President Tomas D. Morales is the Health & Wellness Expo Ambassador for the Staten Island Economic Development Center. CSI and the CSI Alumni Association will have tables at the event. St. John’s University and Wagner College will also be represented at the Expo.

President Morales received the NYLPRW’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Education for his longstanding efforts in supporting traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups, including notably Puerto Rican women, gain access to higher education. The City University of New York’s (CUNY) Senior Vice Chancellor Jay Hershenson presented the award to President Morales.

The NYLPRW is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting Puerto Rican women in their pursuit of higher education by providing them with the financial support necessary to obtain a college degree. The proceeds of the 2010 College Awards Gala Dinner Dance went toward the funding of their College Awards Program. The League’s College Awards offer a $1,000 scholarship toward each Puerto Rican undergraduate woman selected for her academic excellence and service.

One of this year’s undergraduate award recipients was Jennifer Villaran, a CSI sophomore who was recognized for her academic excellence as well as her efforts in giving back to the community. Ms. Villaran has tutored middle school and high school students at the Hope Gardens Community Center and has helped raise money for the Kuleba Exchange for the college education of students in Rwanda who have survived genocide.

In accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education, President Morales thanked the NYLPRW, its President Edith Padilla, and the Board of Directors for the tremendous work they do in helping Puerto Rican women pursue higher education and transforming their lives in the process. In his closing remarks, President Morales indicated that students like Jennifer Villaran and the other undergraduate award recipients reaffirm his unwavering belief in the principles of diversity and inclusive excellence. As stated by President Morales, “I believe, and will continue to believe, in the value of diversity and inclusive excellence at the College of Staten Island, in higher education, and in our lives.”

Event chairs Murray Berman, Jackie Reiter, and Adrienne Setbonne hosted an elegant and fun fundraiser that was completely sold out, raising approximately $6,000 to benefit students at CSI and Hillel.

Several students from CSI acted as ambassadors while guests enjoyed a delicious onboard buffet catered by Kaplan’s. Award-winning artist Alisa Grodsky entertained the crowd with hand-drawn caricatures.

Highlights of the evening included sailing under the Verrazano Bridge and circling the Statue of Liberty, then watching the spectacular post-game fireworks display of the Staten Island Yankees from the deck of the yacht.

Hillel at CSI provides the support and resources for Staten Island students to build a strong community on campus through values-based opportunities for leadership, service, socializing, and Jewish spiritual and intellectual enrichment. Hillel is committed to a pluralistic, welcoming, and inclusive environment and is proud to be a part of the Multifaith Center at the College of Staten Island. All young adults ages 18 to 26 are welcome at Hillel. For more information about upcoming events, including Birthright Israel registration, visit the Hillel at CSI Website or call Amy Posner, Executive Director, at 718.982.3006.

“Providing quality health care for diverse patient populations and preventing multicultural workplace conflicts are two key issues that need immediate attention, especially amidst our changing health care system. Cultural competence in patient care and in the workplace is the solution,” explains Dr. Jeffreys, referring to her book, Teaching Cultural Competence in Nursing and Health Care, which offers a practical seven-step approach to achieving optimal cultural competence relevant for all health care professionals. It is appropriate for all levels and settings and provides ready-to-use materials for planning, implementing, and evaluating cultural competence education. The book serves as a model for cultural competence education and contains chapters detailing employee orientation and continuing education as well as multidimensional strategies for undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Jeffreys’s conceptual models and questionnaires have been requested worldwide and in various disciplines. She is currently a professor of Nursing at The City University of New York’s (CUNY) Graduate Center and at the College of Staten Island and is a fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. She is the recipient of the AJN Book of the Year award for the first edition of Teaching Cultural Competence in Nursing and Health Care: Inquiry, Action, and Innovation. She is also the author of Nursing Student Retention: Understanding the Process and Making a Difference.

Copies of Teaching Cultural Competence in Nursing and Health Care, 2nd Edition will be available for purchase at the event. Admission to the event is free but online pre-registration is required.

Dr. Jeffreys will also be speaking at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas on September 30 at the National League for Nursing Conference and at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, Atlanta on October 23 at the international conference of the Transcultural Nursing Society.

By Carlo Alaimo

View the CSI Today Gallery.

Discussing her experience in the program and in the U.S., Wu Peiling, from Shanghai Nanyang High School, said, “It’s a good chance to improve my English, make a lot of friends here, and learn some American culture.” Hu Yi, from Shanghai Yucai High School, seemed to agree, “I can get more knowledge studying English in this [College], and the teacher is very good.” Wang Tuo, from Shanghai Luwan High School, added “I got a chance to learn English and visit some beautiful places.”

Also on hand at the event were Elaine Caputo-Ferrara, the program’s manager, and her daughter Alessandra Ferrara, who served as a camp counselor. When asked what she thought of the program, Alessandra said, “It was a new experience. I’ve worked with other students from other parts of the [U.S.], but never anything like this. They were really fun and I enjoyed working with them.” Alessandra, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, hopes to be a teacher and she noted that her experience with the students helped to improve her teaching skills.

As for the students, they were able to tour Manhattan and they also took trips to Harvard and Yale the previous weekend. Their program at CSI wrapped up Thursday night with a talent show. They headed to Washington, DC to see our nation’s capital the following day.

Now that this summer’s camp is almost over, program co-coordinator Ellen Navarro offered some of the highlights of the seven visits. “In recent, very touching, narrative accounts collected by Prof. Caputo-Ferrara in class, students raved about their experiences, eating in the College cafeteria–loved the food and the inclusive atmosphere. They did not know each other before this trip and really bonded once they came to visit us and met our students. Most had never traveled to the U.S. before. Especially encouraging were dancing segments with the program assistants (CSI students, etc.) at the Hilton during the evening program and the commentaries regarding the overall kindness of everyone they met at CSI and how much they love the campus, its sights, and sounds, and of course, the people.”

By Terry Mares

The latest group, who will be visiting until the end of this month, consists of 24 students from Meiji University in Japan who are immersing themselves not only in the English language, but the culture of the five boroughs of NYC.

Mitsuki Murakami, who is studying English and Japanese Culture back in Japan, comments that in New York City, “everything is really big and different from Japan–the people, the culture, and also the climate. I’m impressed and really excited.”

Kanto Kumaya, a Global Japanese Studies student, who says that he has experienced rural areas and Manhattan on his visit, so far, notes that “I think it is very good to see both the countryside and the big city, so this experience is very good for me.”

Another English and Japanese Culture student, Saeko Inoue, says that New York City is “so exciting and awesome. I want to speak English very well and because of my experience I can maybe become a good English speaker.”

According to Ann Helm, director of the Center for International Service, “this ‘American Language and Culture Program’ focuses on communication skills and English for academic purposes as well as American language and culture. Students study four days a week and explore the five boroughs of the city in specially designed “English in Action” excursions. There is an American culture seminar that helps to integrate their experience with knowledge and analysis.” The Hong Kong programs also had a service learning component.

Two instructors, Shari Friedman and David Bridston, are teaching English to the students, while the Center’s Deputy Director, Barbara Clark, serves as the instructor for the Cross-Cultural seminar, which she developed based upon the book, American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States, by Gary Althen, a former mentor of hers back at the University of Iowa.

“The course,” Clark explains, “is designed to not only go over ideas presented in Gary’s book, but also to engage students in discussions about what they are experiencing here in New York. Since students live with host families in Staten Island, there are usually a lot of good examples from their homestay experience to use as a basis of the cross-cultural differences between Japanese culture and the U.S.”

As for the importance of combining a cultural component to language instruction, Clark notes, “As with any language learning, culture is a key component to that experience. In other words, both language and culture go hand-in-hand…Students are expected to improve their English-language skills, but also the adaptation skills required to live in and adjust to a new culture other than their own.”

The Meiji group is the last of five groups that the Center has hosted this summer, joining other groups that have come to campus over winter break or in past summers. Both Joanne Riggio, the Academic Coordinator of the English Language Institute at CSI, and Clark, who also coordinates the program with the help of staff from the Center, are hopeful that the programs will continue. “These are our first two years,” Riggio explains, “and so far, so good. We hope to continue our partnerships [with institutions abroad] and it’s been a positive experience overall. The students are having fun, and they’re getting not only the academics–the English language proficiency skills–but they’re also getting that cultural component, which many other places don’t offer.”

By Terry Mares

Besides regaling attendees with performances from members of the New York Philharmonic, the Canaan Chamber Ensemble, and more, the concerts also serve as fundraising opportunities for the CSI Patrons of Music Scholarship, which is awarded to select full-time Music majors who maintain at least a 3.0 Grade Point Average.

The first recipient of the Scholarship, Gerald Gallardo, who graduated from CSI with a Bachelor’s of Science in Music with a Concentration in Violin Performance, notes, “Receiving the first Music Scholarship that CSI had to offer was a great honor and allowed me to study without having to worry about the [tuition] bill. My violin had needed repairs the year I received the Scholarship and with the extra funding I was able to easily pay off the repairs for my instrument…which was a must-have for me to continue my studies at CSI. I thank Dr. Michael Shugrue and those involved for allowing the Scholarship to be made possible, and I thank my Professors who had nominated me to receive it.”

Regarding those professors and the experience that he had at CSI, Gallardo says, “At CSI I have worked with professors and educators who are masters in their fields…and who have trained me to think well and showed me the right steps to take on my path to my career. I give great praise to Professor David Keberle, who allowed me to work as his assistant in the Digital Music Lab, a place where all music students have gathered. My time at the Music Lab has allowed me to work with students, further develop my knowledge of music, and to extend my abilities with greater expertise.”

His ability and expertise earned Gallardo recognition at the 2010 Honors Convocation for winning The Ted McIrvine Memorial Award, CSI Alumni Association Outstanding Student Leadership Award, and the CSI Foundation Prize: Music.

Currently, Gallardo is working on his Master’s in Music Education at Hunter College. Once he receives that degree he hopes “to pursue another degree in the field of conducting. At the end of my musical career I would like to become a professor myself and teach music at the university level.”

For more information on the Patrons of Music Scholarship or to make a donation, call the CSI Office of Institutional Advancement at 718.982.2365.

By Terry Mares

As an integral component of the plan, The City University of New York’s College of Staten Island (CSI) has agreed to help combat bias by providing diversity and tolerance workshops and forums for the local community.

“I am proud to support the work of Speaker Quinn, Council Member Rose, and the Staten Island community by bringing the resources of CSI to this important initiative. CSI has extensive background and expertise in diversity training and is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion,” said CSI President Dr. Tomás D. Morales.

“This plan, by incorporating the influence and expertise of broad and diverse sectors, religious leaders, and elected officials, provides the multi-pronged approach we need in order to galvanize the Staten Island community to action and eradicate this trend of senseless bias-related crime,” said Speaker Quinn in the recent press release.

“I applaud the community’s immediate response to the vicious bias crimes plaguing the North Shore community. In just three weeks, we have put in place a large based coalition–‘I Am SI,’ consisting of elected officials, business leaders, law enforcement agencies, clergy, and community-based organizations, which have developed comprehensive workable solutions with a commitment to implementing [these initiatives], said Council Member Rose.

Building upon the power of partnerships, the plan also calls for the New York City Department of Transportation to launch a public service announcement campaign on the Staten Island Ferry; the Department of Education will expand the “Respect for All” program to include high school-level anti-bias curriculum and training thanks to funding from the New York City Council; and a dynamic new synergy with local businesses will be implemented to increase safety.

Full details of this plan can be found online at the New York City Council Website.