Marist College students in Dr. Laura Linder’s Senior Capstone class produced videos for three local nonprofit organizations as part of the requirements for their degrees during the fall semester. The Hudson Renewable Energy Institute, Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, and Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club were asked by three teams of three students each if they would be interested in having a video produced about their organization. Each NPO readily agreed.
The Hudson Renewable Energy Institute will use the video to promote its mission and the market mechanism used by the Institute to encourage the use of renewable energy by electric supply purchasers. The Institute plans to post the video on its web site, www.THREI.org, and to use the DVD as a source of introduction for individuals and organizations that are interested in joining or contributing to the Institute.
Allan Page who chairs the Institute’s Board indicated that “Working with these three students—Sarah Clark, Sam Mantell, and Kyle Williams--it immediately became apparent that [they] were creating a top of the line product. They listened intently to descriptions of the subject matter, asked probing questions, and then provided a product for review in a very short period of time. The Institute is impressed by the maturity of the three individuals and delighted by the quality of the DVD.”
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum requested three short videos from the student team about The Pavilion, Membership Awareness, and Interesting Qualities about the Museum. According to Sara Capozzoti, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Museum, student producers Justine Santore, Andrea Scarchilli, and Bill Serpe “were organized and creative. The video they created will certainly help promote the museum and educate the public and our funders about what we do and who we are.”
The Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club hopes to use its video to raise awareness and funds about the Club’s two leagues: Recreational and Travel. The Club serves the community by running the youth soccer program in partnership with the Town Recreation Department.
The Capstone class is a culminating experience in which students synthesize subject-matter they have acquired, integrate knowledge, and connect theory and application in preparation for entry into a career. It is both a synthesis—reflection and integration—and a bridge—a real-world preparatory experience that focuses on the postgraduation future. “This capstone course is designed to bring together all previous years work in both foundation and concentration courses,” Dr. Linder said.
“This course gives students time to reflect upon what they have learned, to examine the ways their identities have been shaped and clarified, and to look to their futures in light of what they have accomplished in the past four years. It is meant to be both a culmination and a beginning in which participants begin to change their status from student to graduate,” Dr. Linder said.
Marist College is recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report, TIME Magazine and the Princeton Review, and by Barron's Best Buys in College Education, is noted for its leadership in the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Founded in 1929, Marist's 150-acre campus overlooks the Hudson River in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, midway between New York City and Albany. Marist is dedicated to the development of the whole person in a way that will prepare our graduates for an enlightened, sensitive, and productive life in the global community of the 21st century.
Poughkeepsie, NY, Nov. 21, 2009 -- Marist College School of Communication & the Arts seniors Emily Marsh (Public Relations), Jessica Meyers (Public Relations), Jillian Scangas (Radio-TV-Film/Sports Communication), and Kim Stagg (Sports Communication/Public Relations) succeeded in launching a unique senior class inaugural event on the Walkway Over the Hudson Historic Park (http://walkway.org/), Saturday, Nov. 21. The event, developed by the team members for their communication capstone course, was billed as a “halfway there" walk to mark the midway point of senior year. The event was also designed to celebrate New York State’s Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial.
The team’s goal was to attract at least 50 participants and establish the event as an annual rite of passage for each graduating class at Marist. The event, coordinated with officials from Walkway Over the Hudson and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, began with buses departing the Marist campus for the eastern end of the walkway. The first 50 students to board the bus received a complimentary Class of 2010 commemorative glass. Students then walked to the midpoint of the bridge, where they captured the moment in a class photograph. After returning to Marist the participants wrapped up the event with a reception in the Student Center’s Cabaret lounge.
According to team spokesperson Kim Stagg: “We had a great turnout for the walkway … with beautiful weather! We ended up generating around 60-70 seniors in total, which was more than the 5% population we had originally projected." In the future, the walk may be held in the spring semester to symbolize graduation as a “bridge to the future.”
Marist College Class of 2010 President Annie Shannon said of the walkway event, "This is a great opportunity for seniors to learn about our local history while celebrating our hard work over the last four years." Given its success, this annual rite of passage event seems destined to become an integral part of Marist tradition.
See photos of the event at http://twitpic.com/qmyb5 and http://twitpic.com/qmx0o.
Senior Fashion Design majors at Marist College have recently completed a range of red coat designs which will be displayed at the February 26, 2010 Go Red for Women® Luncheon to benefit the American Heart Association at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York. The coats, which will also be featured at the annual Marist Silver Needle Fashion Show on May 7, 2010 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, represent a range of styles designed and sewn in luxurious red fabrics. The exhibit is intended to draw attention to the AHA’s goal of encouraging women to learn about heart disease and stroke, and to take positive action to reduce and prevent the risk of both diseases.
Senior design majors from the Fashion Program have created a unique design concept in support of the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation. Miles of Hope was established to fund support services for people fighting breast cancer in the Hudson Valley. The design project consists of ten dresses, in various shades of pink, that are linked together to form a creative representation of women united in the battle against breast cancer. The project will be on view at The Miles of Hope Spring Brunch on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, as well at the annual Marist College Silver Needle Fashion Show on May 7, 2010 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center.
A Local Agriculture Awareness Campaign has emerged from Dr. Missy Alexander’s Capping Course, attempting to enlighten the student body about the multiple benefits that can result in supporting local farmers and consuming local foods- also known as the Slow Food Movement.
The campaign is designed to promote awareness by providing a series of Slow Food related events. These opportunities include an apple picking trip to Weed Orchards in Marlboro, N.Y., coordinating an on-campus farmers market with local farmers and vendors, and a cooking demonstration using all local ingredients by CIA-trained and Marist Executive Chef Anthony Legname.
Footage of these events, as well as interviews with attendees, qualified staff and faculty, is being put together to create a final documentary screening event in December.
Donation baskets will be out at every event, and all proceeds will be given to the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, a non-profit that strives for a just and sustainable food system in the Hudson Valley by organizing and maintaining a member-supports farm, food/farming educational opportunities, and providing access to healthy locally-grown foods.
The apple picking trip and farmers market were successful, with high attendance and peaked interest.
The cooking demonstration will be in the Cabaret on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Legname will most-likely be preparing a Ratatouille and Apple Crisp in front of a live audience. Anyone can attend, entry is free, and there will be tasting for all.
The documentary screening festival will be in the Cabaret on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m., including the documentary’s premier, SEED, Sustainability House, GREEN Committee, light refreshments, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, and a performance by the Marist College Singers.
For more information, please contact Melissa Greco at (203) 605-5659 or email Melissa.Greco1@marist.edu
