SUNY Canton News

SUNY CANTON GUEST SPEAKER - Award winning humanitarian and former childhood slave Anywar Ricky Richard will be speaking at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center Kingston Theater.

CANTON – An upcoming SUNY Canton guest speaker helps children escape the horrors he once faced as a childhood slave in Africa.

Anywar Ricky Richard, who is the 2008 Harriett Tubman Committee Freedom Award Winner, will be presenting his tale of overcoming social injustice by escaping from childhood slavery at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center Kingston Theater. This event is sponsored by the SUNY Canton Character Development Committee and the SUNY Canton Spiritual Life Committee. This event is free and open to the public.

Richard and his brother were just 2 of 25,000 Ugandan children abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army and forced into slavery as child soldiers. The 22 year old war is all that most of those children have ever known. All of the children see and do what no child should ever experience. 

“Sometimes I fear people forget that slavery is still a problem in modern society,” said William J. Fassinger, Associate Professor of Criminal Investigation and Character Development Committee member. “Anywar Ricky Richard knows first-hand about the political turmoil that is going on right now in the world. He beat the system and overcame the odds.”

Richard has since returned to the war zone and turned his freedom into a lifeline for other child slaves. In 1999, Ricky and his friends started Friends of Orphans, an organization dedicated to empower and reintegrate former child soldiers into the very society torn apart by atrocities the children were forced to commit. They carry out their peace building projects through organizing music, cultural, and sports programs, among other life reclaiming activities. 

Fassinger explained that Daniel G. Fay, Professor of Accounting, recommended Richard for this presentation. Fay’s son John, who is works for a foundation investing in emerging markets, had heard Richard speak in Washington D.C.

“He is one of the most riveting speakers he had ever heard,” Fay said. “Mr. Richard’s story epitomizes the worst and best of humankind. Anyone who listens will be deeply moved.”

The Character Development Committee exists, in part, to encourage members of the SUNY Canton community to promote a set of desirable core values including trustworthiness, honesty, responsibility, and sense of caring. 

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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Despite his incredible size, anti-gay sentiments nearly brought Esera Tuaolo to his knees. Now the 300 pound former Atlanta Falcons Defensive Lineman helps others be their best by embracing their individual truths without fear or intimidation.

Tuaolo will be presenting “Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center Kingston Theater. This event is free and open to the public. This program is sponsored by the SUNY Canton College Union Board.

For nine years, Tuaolo excelled in the NFL. He played in the 1999 Pro Bowl and went to Super Bowl XXXIII. As a gay man in the hyper-masculine culture of professional football, Esera was forced to hide his sexuality. The secret crippled him, leading him to drink excessively and contemplate suicide. It also hindered his football achievements, as he felt that if he were too good a player, he would be exposed as a homosexual. He left the NFL to achieve personal happiness.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 65 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams have joined the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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A tireless drive to persevere and a strong work ethic have led Andre M. Porter to become an award-winning self-published author and poet.

Porter will be holding a reading at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in SUNY Canton’s Kingston Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

The author’s works include Tears from My Pen and The Rise and Fall of a Jamaican Don.

In 2004 Porter was awarded Poet of the Year by the Famous Poets Society and was presented with the Shakespeare Trophy of Excellence. Later that year Andre was awarded number one Caribbean Author by the Philadelphia Multicultural Society.

The author has been described as highly determined and promotes a strong work-ethic through his own willingness to succeed.

“All our dreams can become reality,” Porter wrote. “People will call you a dreamer. Most lack vision or had a dream and stopped dreaming. America is not what you think of it, it’s what you make of it.”

The Rise and Fall of a Jamaican Don details the tumultuous rise of Jamaican boys to feared “Dons”, and gives an exposure to life as a Jamaican crime kingpin. It also reflects upon the first feelings of American Immigrants. The book is written as outtakes from a memoir authored on the run.

This event is presented by the SUNY Canton Carib-United club, the Office of the Provost, the Culture Arts and Technology Society, the School of Liberal Studies, and the English and Humanities Department.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 65 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams have joined the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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Last Comic Standing finalist Joey Gay is coming back to SUNY Canton for a one night show at 8 pm, Saturday, October 27th in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center’s Kingston Theater.

Gay is a comedian and actor from Brooklyn who attended SUNY Canton in 1989. His comedy draws upon his experiences growing up in Brooklyn as a younger brother to 5 sisters. While attending SUNY Canton he had his own WATC campus radio show.

“Comedy comes naturally to me,” said Gay. When asked what is funny is he replied, “The absolute truth or the biggest lie and nothing in between.”

Now, he is a regular at New York comedy hotspots such as Caroline’s on Broadway, Comedy Village, Laugh Factory, and Catch a Rising Star. As an actor, he has appeared on NBC’s “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Deadline”. He has also appeared in the films “Close Strangers”, “Exit 8A”, “Times Modem”, “The Vibe”, and “The Play”.

He is making a documentary about the historic comedy clubs in New York City, which will feature interviews with Richard Lewis, Bret Butler, and Woody Allen.

More information about Gay can be obtained on his website www.joeygay.com.

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David Stollman, an active consultant for Greek organizations and overall student life, will be presenting “Buy In or Get Out!” to the SUNY Canton Community at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center’s Kingston Theater.

There will also be a following program specifically for SUNY Canton’s fraternities and sororities at 8:30 p.m.

Stollman has been consulting with fraternity chapters, national organizations, and campus Greek Councils for nearly ten years on the subject of recruitment. He has spoken on more than 400 campuses and served on the faculty of numerous university and fraternity leadership conferences nationwide. He is also an active volunteer for his chapter, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and has served in the roles of chapter counselor, District Governor, Balanced Man Project Steward, and Member of the Educational Foundations Board of Governors.

Fraternity and sorority leaders often face the challenge of battling cliques, apathy, fighting, and poor appreciation for ritual. Members who belong to any organization for the wrong reasons are all obstacles on the road to achieving success.

Stollman uses a mix of honesty, humor, and interaction to challenge students to eliminate those who would drag their chapters or organizations down. Members who care about the core values of their organizations- friendship, leadership, scholarship, and service- are challenged to pursue the very best and get rid of the rest.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities at extension 7315 or email quinells@canton.edu.

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Guruji Sri Vast, an internationally known advocate for environmental issues, will be presenting “Global Cooling… A Call for Positive Change” at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center’s Kingston Theater.

This event was orchestrated by the SUNY Canton Student Environmental Awareness Society, and is free and open to the public.

Sri Vast touts the spiritual connection between humans and nature. He is currently engaged in a campaign to encourage everyone to create ecologically sustainable societies. His teachings are said to be applicable to almost everybody’s daily life. More information about Sri Vast is available at www.srivast.org.

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Epidemic sickness is on many minds following the reports of outbreaks of the bird flu and other widespread illnesses, even here in the North Country.

Isolation may seem like the key to keeping family and communities healthy during outbreaks. However, an unfortunate series of events made isolation tactics appear futile in Thomas Mullen’s historical novel “The Last Town on Earth.”

Mullen will be addressing SUNY Canton at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in the Kingston Theater located in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center. The reading and ensuing book signing is free and open to the public.

“Members of the campus community read this novel as part of the Character Development Reading program,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel J. Sweeney. “This book was selected for both its significance in current society and the opportunities it presented to discuss the moral dilemmas the characters faced.”

“The Last Town on Earth” was inspired by a previously little-known historical footnote regarding towns that quarantined themselves during the 1918 epidemic. While World War I ravages the majority of western civilization, the small town of Commonwealth decides to close its doors to the outside world in attempt to keep the flu at bay.

The main characters are faced with the ethical impact of defending the townspeople’s decisions while facing all of the ramifications that total isolation brings to light. Many history-shaping events influence the occupants of commonwealth, including the unionization of workers in the Industrial Workers of the World.

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SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy has announced that SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan will be the keynote speaker at the college’s 99th Commencement Ceremony.

Commencement begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, in the Alumni Gymnasium in Dana Athletic Center.

“Chancellor Ryan has been a tremendous leader not only for the State University of New York system, but throughout his career,” said Kennedy. “SUNY Canton has benefited from his guidance and dedication. Our graduating students will benefit immensely from listening to such an accomplished professional.”

Recently, Ryan addressed the SUNY Canton College Foundation Board of Directors at a meeting in Naples, Fla., which was simultaneously broadcast at SUNY Canton. He highlighted the remarkable growth in the Foundation’s assets which grew from $1 million in 1993, to $5 million in 2004, to over $12 million in 2006. Since 2000, the SUNY Canton College Foundation has provided over $6 million in scholarships and other support.

Prior to becoming Chancellor, Ryan served as the president of the State University of New York Maritime College, the interim president of SUNY Albany, and was the former superintendent (president) of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

As president of SUNY Maritime, Ryan nearly doubled the number of students in just three years, resulting in the highest enrollment in Maritime’s 131-year history. He created the National Institute for Leadership & Ethics, which includes a summer institute for high school juniors and seniors, as well as undergraduate leadership training for Maritime students, and he established the President’s Circle Scholarship Fund, which includes numerous donors who have pledged $10,000 over four years for a named scholarship.

He is also a former U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and was decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit (with two gold stars), Meritorious Service Medal (with two gold stars), Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (with two gold stars), and other numerous service awards.

After designation as a naval aviator and assignments in several operational squadrons, Ryan’s naval career included numerous leadership positions in squadrons, wings, and forces that took him to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Ryan has accepted a position as president and CEO of the Center for Creative Leadership, headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., and will be stepping down as chancellor at the end of May.

Ryan is married to the former Diane L. Ackerman of Bangor, Pa. They have three adult daughters: Tricia, Kelly, and Julie, and four grandchildren.

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A published SUNY Canton author will be joined by an area writer for an evening of literature.

SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of English and Humanities Robert Strong and SUNY Potsdam Associate Professor of English Rick Henry will be reading their work at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in the Kingston Theater. The reading is free and open to the public.

Strong recently published his own poetry collection Puritan Spectacle with support from the SUNY Canton College Foundation. Strong was also the editor of The Autumn House Anthology of American Spiritual Poetry. Henry is the author of Lucy’s Eggs, a collection of short stories that includes a novella.

For more information about this event, contact Writing Center Coordinator Karen Gibson at 315-386-7308 or email gibsonk@canton.edu.

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Who are you going to call about ghosts at SUNY Canton?

Professional Ghost Hunter John Zaffis will be presenting a lecture on phantoms and phantasms at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in the Kingston Theater. Following the lecture, Zaffis will lead 40 of the bravest attendants on a campus-wide ghost hunt. This event is free and open to the public.

Zaffis brings an impressive background on the paranormal to the college. He has attested to having first-hand experiences with ghosts, poltergeists, both kind and diabolical. His belief in the paranormal is based on his personal experiences with hauntings, extra-sensory perception, near death experiences, and other paranormal activities

His exhaustive research has taken him throughout the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland covering thousands of supernatural cases. Through hands-on investigating with other professionals and clergy members, he is considered one of the foremost authorities in the field today.

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