What do you do when the love of your life and your beloved locomotive are stolen from you by enemy troops? If you’re Buster Keaton, you deliver laughs and excitement while doing whatever it takes to recover what is yours! The General is a 1926 silent film set in the midst of the American Civil War. Keaton plays Johnny Gray, an engineer whose train, The General, is stolen by Northern spies while the lovely Annabelle Lee is on board. Gray embarks on a daring adventure to save the day.
Consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made, The General, captures the visual aspects of the Civil War while being thoroughly entertaining.
Join us for this free event on Friday October 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Kevin Norris will lead a discussion following the film.
This screening is being held in conjunction with the Lackawanna County Library System’s Scranton Reads event and is open to the public.
An illustrated history talk and exhibit reception will be held in the Weinberg Memorial Library on October 2nd at 6 p.m. in celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the University.
The presentation, titled From the 300 Block of Wyoming Avenue to the Hill Section: The Evolution of the University of Scranton from 1888 to the Present, will be presented by Dr. Frank X.J. Homer, Professor of History Emeritus. The talk will be held in Library Room 305.
A reception will follow in the Library’s 5th Floor Heritage Room for the exhibit, Pride, Passion, Promise: Celebrating the 125th Anniversary.
The event is sponsored by Friends of the Weinberg Library.
For more information please contact Michael Knies, Special Collections Faculty Librarian, (570) 941-6341 or michael.knies@scranton.edu
What would you expect to find when you woke up after being cryogenically frozen for 200 years?
See Woody Allen’s slapstick vision of the future in one of his funniest films.
Swank Motion Pictures describes Sleeper as the story of health-food store owner Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) who enters the hospital for a routine gall bladder operation. When he expires on the operating table, Miles’ sister requests permission to cryogenically freeze her brother’s body. After 200 years, Miles is unwrapped by a group of scientists and awakens to a “brave new world” of deadening conformity, ruled with an iron fist by a never-seen leader. Miles is forced to flee for his life when the scientists — actually a group of revolutionary activists — are overpowered by the leader’s police. Stop in to find out what happens next…
Join us on Wednesday September 25, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Jean Lenville, Assistant Dean of the Library, will lead a discussion following the film. The event is open to the public and free of charge. Light refreshments will be served.
The Library’s current exhibit, Pride, Passion, Promise: Celebrating the 125th Anniversary, displays photographs, documents, and memorabilia from the founding of the school in 1888 to the present. It covers the range of activities that institutions of higher education engage in, including student life, the development of the campus, as well as the primary purpose of educating students.
The exhibit opened Monday, August 12th, and will close December 15th. For further information please contact Michael Knies, Special Collections Librarian, 941-6341, Michael.Knies@Scranton.edu
The University of Scranton begins its 125th Anniversary celebration this month with a special mass on August 12. We know all true Royals take pride in the long history of the University of Scranton — but just in case your memory is a bit fuzzy, here’s a quick pictorial primer on the story behind our 1888 cornerstone, featuring materials from the University Archives and Digital Collections.
The University of Scranton was founded in 1888 by Most Reverend William G. O’Hara, D.D., the first Bishop of Scranton, as the College of St. Thomas of Aquin.
The Catholics of Northeastern Pennsylvania responded with enthusiasm. Four packed trains brought attendees from Wilkes-Barre and Carbondale, who joined the people of Scranton in an “immense throng” on Wyoming Avenue. At 2:30pm, community organizations and societies gathered at the corner of Franklin and Lackawanna Avenues and paraded to the Cathedral, carrying banners and (in some cases) bringing along a band. The Scranton Republican noted that “the parade was not a large one, but it made an excellent approach.”
The ceremony began at 3pm, as Bishop O’Hara and several priests, cross-bearers, and acolytes processed from the Cathedral to the cornerstone, accompanied by the Cathedral choir and an orchestra performing Mozart’s Gloria. Bishop O’Hara blessed the cornerstone, placed at the foundation of the planned College building. The granite stone (in a “much admired pink hue”) was inscribed with the College’s name and the date:
The cornerstone, as it appeared in the 1950s
Inside the cornerstone was placed a copper box, which held:
Seven silver coins, fresh from the U.S. Mint, including a rare 3-cent piece
That day’s issues of local newspapers (including the Scranton Times, the Scranton Republican, the Free Press, News, and the Catholic Record, along with the Catholic Standard of Philadelphia)
A record of the blessing, in Latin
Bishop O’Hara then gave a sermon, noting that “God gives His grace to all works that are given in his name.” He charged the attendees with the care and support of the College: “It is for you to put your shoulder to the wheel and to see this institution of learning rising up… [do] not think of educating your children according to the fashions of the world, but to train their minds and impress upon their hearts the great truths of religion and to point out to them the way in which they should walk.” The following day, local newspapers published the text of the sermon along with detailed reports of the event:
August 13, 1888 article about the cornerstone blessing (click for full view)
Bishop O’Hara’s plans came to fruition in 1892, when the construction of College Hall (later known as “Old Main”) was completed and St. Thomas College opened its doors. The three story brick building housed classrooms on the first and second floors, an auditorium/gymnasium on the third floor, and a chapel in the basement:
Old Main (center), ca. 1920s
The cornerstone remained at the base of Old Main for more than 70 years. During that time, St. Thomas College evolved into the University of Scranton (changing its name in 1938), and the campus center shifted from Wyoming Avenue to the property surrounding the Scranton Estate, which Worthington Scranton donated to the University in 1941.
Cornerstone of Old Main, as it appeared in the 1950s
In 1962, the University formalized this shift by moving the cornerstone from Wyoming Avenue to the new campus. The cornerstone was carefully removed from Old Main (which would be demolished in 1968):
Rev. Joseph A. Rock, S.J., overseeing the removal of the cornerstone in 1962
It was then transferred to the new campus, where a newly constructed classroom building — St. Thomas Hall — was about to be dedicated. The September 1962 issue of the Aquinas described the move:
The cornerstone was removed from St. Thomas College to perpetuate those things for which it stands. The intentions of the founding fathers and the service which its building has provided to higher education have all been carried with the stone to its new resting place beneath a new cornerstone in the walls of St. Thomas Hall.
No edifice is stronger than its foundation, and the foundation of St. Thomas Hall and the University is in the ‘Old Main’ building and St. Thomas College. This is symbolically represented by the old cornerstone providing a foundation for the new, as St. Thomas College provides a foundation for the present institution. Along with the stone, St. Thomas College has given its name to the largest building on the University campus, providing a continuity to the history of the school by linking its past with its present.
At the September 16, 1962 dedication of St. Thomas Hall, both the old and new cornerstones were blessed by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Madden, chancellor of the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Madden observed: “What we witnessed here today is but a step, though gigantic, towards fulfillment of a divine command… ‘Go, therefore and Teach!'”
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Madden blessing the new 1962 cornerstone in front of St. Thomas Hall
A special guest at the dedication was Dr. Martin T. O’Malley, who at the age of 12 had served as an altar boy at the 1888 dedication. He was the only person to be present at both the 1888 and 1962 events.
The contents of the 1888 cornerstone were removed before it was installed; the original silver coins and the copper box went into other storage for safe keeping. It’s a little unclear from the 1962 accounts of the dedication, but it seems that the original 1888 newspapers were placed into the 1962 cornerstone, along with:
A letter from Robert P. Moran ’25, the architect of St. Thomas Hall, addressed to the future architect of any building that replaced it
A letter from 1962 student body president Jacques P. Kueny
A letter from Atty. James A. Kelly, president of the Alumni Society
A letter from Dr. Frank J. O’Hara, director of alumni relations, to alumni of the future
Bulletins from the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Evening College
The latest issues of the Alumni Bulletin
Promotional materials from a recent development campaign
A pictorial booklet
Copies of student publications
A list of student names for the 1961-1962 academic year
New issues of local newspapers from the day of the 1962 dedication
Three medals
New coins of each denomination
Both the 1888 and 1962 cornerstones were placed at the Linden Street entrance of the new building, which at the time was a very prominent location. Over the years, though, it proved to be a less than ideal spot in terms of cornerstone visibility, with bushes and eventually a tree hiding the stones from direct view:
St. Thomas Hall, ca. 1979St. Thomas Hall, 1982St. Thomas Hall, ca. 1990sSt. Thomas Hall, 2013
As part of the 125th Anniversary, the 1888 cornerstone has been dislodged from its 1962 placement and will be on display – location TBA – throughout the celebration. Keep an eye out for it, and be sure to take the opportunity to pay your respects to Bishop O’Hara and the University’s 125-year-old granite foundation.
The cornerstone on display at the August 12 anniversary Mass.
Congratulations to the winners of the WML’s 3rd Annual Library Research Prize! The Weinberg Memorial Library inaugurated the prize to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge in the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services.
Ise Kannebecker, a student in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, whose submission, “Exploring the Effects of a Longer Music Listening Session on Reducing Postoperative Pain: A Research Proposal,” was selected as this year’s winner of the prize in the Graduate category. Ise’s supporting faculty member was Dr. Margarete Zalon in the Nursing Department.
In her essay describing the research process, Ise wrote:
The interlibrary loan department proved to be of invaluable assistance to me with my research proposal as well in obtaining articles from journals that the library did not possess. This was particularly useful to me when I was doing research from my home. Occasionally I even utilized the library’s texting service when I encountered search questions, which proved helpful and convenient too.
Three graduate students were chosen to receive Honorable Mentions – Kristin Leccese and Christina Tripodi, Occupational Therapy majors, and Jessica Palmeri, a Marketing major.
Christine Ferrari, a senior Nursing major, was chosen as the prize winner in the Undergraduate category. Her submission was titled, “Pláticas de la presiόn arterial: Hypertension Education in the Hispanic Community.” Dr. Margarete Zalon in the Nursing Department was her supporting faculty member.
Christine wrote in her essay describing the research process:
The resources from the Weinberg Memorial Library undoubtedly enabled me to write my Honors thesis. They have left me feeling well-equipped to navigate whatever graduate education and professional research in which I may participate in the future. More importantly, however, they allowed me to design and implement a nursing intervention that taught Hispanic individuals about hypertension and provided them with the tools to reduce their risk for a detrimental disease. Thanks to the resources from the library, these individuals have a better chance to happier, healthier, and longer lives.
Honorable Mentions were also awarded to three undergraduate students – Bernadetta Bernatowicz, a Biology major, William Reddington, a History major, and Joseph Seemiller, a Neuroscience major.
Winners were honored at a reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, May 9, 2013 in the Heritage Room of the Library. More photos from the reception can be seen here.
On Earth Day, Monday, April 22 from 5-7PM the 3rd Annual Environmental Art Show will host a reception open to the public.
The Environmental Art Show boasts a new Instagram Exhibit featuring dozens of photographs from student, staff, and faculty photographers, an exhibit documenting a U of S Travel Course that went to the Philippines , as well as numerous, diverse, and excellent artworks from sixteen different campus artists.
Please join us at the Reception Monday night to interact with the artists and appreciate their art. There will be light refreshments served.
The Art Show is open for viewing any time the library Heritage Room is open and will run until Noon on Thursday, April 25.
Things change, but not in Jotuomba, a mysterious Brazilian village which is the setting for Found Memories. When a Rita, a young photographer, arrives in town, she disrupts the quiet routine of the village which has a profound effect on the villagers and her.
Please join us on Thursday May 2, 2013 at 7:00 P.M. in Room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library for a free showing.
This 2011 drama is from Argentina, Brazil and France and is in Portuguese with English subtitles. Dr. Yamile Silva will lead a discussion following the film.
Join us this Thursday, April 18, 2013 from 12:00 to 1:00PM in WML 305!
Like. Share. +1. Subscribe. Unsubscribe. These are just some of the actions we perform on the Web as we interact with information. Generally speaking, we do these things to make sense of the vast amount of information available to us. What is less widely known is that the information we see on the Web is shaped by more than just these deliberate actions we take. For instance, your search engine may know in what country you are located, and it may use this information to deliver search results it deems relevant to your interests based on this information. This process is called Web personalization. In this presentation by Donna Witek, attendees will receive a basic overview of Web personalization, how it is different from customization, and the role it plays in determining what information we encounter on the Web. Common examples of how we participate in Web personalization (knowingly and unknowingly) will be demonstrated, and critiques of this technology will be presented. A light lunch will be provided.
Sessions are open to all University faculty and staff, but seats are limited, so please let us know you are coming. You can register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration – under Technology on Your OwnTerms.
The deadline to submit works of art for the Environmental Art Show has been extended to Wednesday April 17.
We are looking for all types of art, including photography, paintings, 3D Objects, repurposed/recycled items, and so on.
Please bring your works of art to the Library’s Reference Desk on the 2nd floor.
The 3rd Annual Environmental Art Show will run from Thursday, April 18 to Thursday, April 25. There will be a reception to meet the artists on Earth Day, Monday, April 22 from 5-7 PM in the Heritage Room of the library.
If you have any questions, contact george.aulisio@scranton.edu
