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On the CommonsOn the Commons University News Scrantastic! Office Convention Puts Scranton in National Spotlight In many ways, the Office Convention Beginning in the of Scrantonians Michele Dempsey, DX was much like the Emmy-award winning wee hours of the Dempsey Architecture, Tim Holmes ’88 sitcom The Office. No one could have morning of Oct. 26, of Times Shamrock Newspapers, and Sara predicted the magnitude of its success. students lined up Hailstone of the City of Scranton, who The three-day Convention, chaired in the cold to give collectively chaired the event. The week- by a triumvirate of Scrantonians and a warm welcome to end-long festivities were organized by the organized by a handful of people who Al Roker of NBC’s City of Scranton, the Lackawanna County ultimately enlisted the support of Today show in a Convention & Visitors Bureau, WBRE-TV, hundreds of volunteers, drew throngs live broadcast from Times Shamrock Newspapers, The Uni- of Office fans, not only from Scranton, campus that kicked versity of Scranton, The Greater Scranton but as far away as Wyoming, California, off The Office Con- Chamber of Commerce and Mohegan Sun. Canada and Ireland. vention. In all, more To view the full text of this story, visit the Many of the events were held on the than 3,000 people, The Convention Web at www.scranton.edu/officeconvention. campus of The University of Scranton, including 2,500 included Dunder which was an organizer of the Conven- University students, Mifflin Infinity’s “Iggy” got in the fun (and the photo) with tion and host to thousands over the turned out in Scran- Office Olympics, University President Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., weekend. By all estimates, a total of ton style to cheer held in the and NBC’s Al Roker. 10,000 attended the Convention, which on Roker and nine Byron Complex. included guest appearances from 15 cast cast members of members, as well as the executive produc- The Office who made special appearances ers and a dozen writers of the show. during the morning broadcast. They were For The University of Scranton, it was greeted like rock stars, with cheers from an opportunity to showcase its campus the Royals cheerleading squad and roaring to a national audience – a chance for this enthusiasm from the crowd. Jesuit jewel to shine even brighter. The Convention was the brainchild The Royals Cheerleaders cheer on Office cast members Kate Flannery (Meredith), Creed Bratton (Creed) and Oscar Nuñez (Oscar), and NBC’s Al Roker during a live broadcast of the Today show from campus. 2 The S C R A N T O N J O U RNA L Visionary Thinking Brings that ‘Star Trek’ had its conventions and The Office to Town ‘The Office’ fans were Tim Holmes comes from a family that every bit as rabid thinks big. When he graduated from the — it would be some- University in 1988, his brother-in-law thing for the fans.” hired a plane to buzz the campus trailing a The committee was congratulatory banner. So when friend Sara given a glimmer Hailstone, a city administrator, asked him of hope when they what he thought of luring NBC’s Emmy- Tim Holmes ’88, heard that Executive Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty was assisted award-winning series The Office to town, he Director of Com- Producer Greg Dan- by Office cast member Angela Kinsey said, “Let’s do it.” munity Newspaper iels’ reaction was “it (Angela) during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tim became “the visionary” of the Group for Times will play well with small group of Scrantonians determined Shamrock, was part the sensibilities of to turn the national spotlight on Scranton. of a triumvirate of the show.” Tim says, “It was important that The Scrantonians who Tim’s degree in Office Convention benefit everybody — chaired The Office marketing served we wanted to structure it so it was good Convention. him well in crafting for the city and also good for the show the pitch. Moreover, itself.” When Tim opened the the wide latitude and support given him Philadelphia Inquirer the day after the by The Scranton Times-Tribune allowed convention and saw the headline, “From him to reach out to partners (including coal to cool,” he knew he’d succeeded. his alma mater) whom he was sure would As the “visionary,” it was Tim’s job to place Scranton in the best light possible. Cast members of The Office received a Royal make the pitch to NBC. Scranton archi- “I knew Al Roker had to be at the Welcome at Scranton. From left: Brian tect, Michele Dempsey and some friends University. I knew they would make it Baumgartner (Kevin), University President initially explored her convention ideas come alive with 2,500 screaming kids. Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., Craig Robinson (Dar- in a 30-page document. Tim was tasked I visualized that back in August,” Tim ryl), Student Government President Chris with distilling the ideas into a single page says. On Oct. 26, that vision proved Molitoris ‘08 and Angela Kinsey (Angela). that would win NBC buy-in. “What it eerily accurate — but then again, that’s boiled down to,” Tim says, “was the idea what visionaries do. Scranton Shines for “Stanley” More than 150 reporters, including representatives from the Los Angeles Times, The New The Office Convention provided York Times, USA Today and other national print and broadcast media attended a press an opportunity for The University conference with cast members held in the Byron Complex. of Scranton to showcase its campus to a national audience – a chance for this Jesuit jewel to shine even brighter. It clearly caught the attention of Leslie David Baker, who plays Stanley on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, The Office. “The campus is breathtaking,” he said, adding that the grounds are “impeccable” and About 3,400 people filled the Long Center on campus for a the staff accommodating. Q&A session with the cast and executive producer of The Office. Himself the product of Leslie David a Jesuit education, Baker (Stanley) Baker said of The poses with University of Scranton, Scranton stu- “I would come here to dents during go to school if I had to NBC’s Today do it all again.” show, Oct. 26. W I NT E R 2007-2008 3 Mulberry Street Improvement Project Announced National Rankings The City of Scranton, Scranton City “This is an example of what happens Continue for Scranton Council and The University of Scranton when you cooperate with each other During the release of annual fall have announced a Mulberry Street and work with each other,” said rankings of American universities, The improvement project that will beautify Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty at the University of Scranton received three and improve safety for a gateway corridor news conference on Sept. 20 on the national accolades in just one week. into the city. The University of Scranton University’s campus. “This (project) Scranton was listed as one of the top will fund the project, which is estimated is an investment in infrastructure that ten master’s level universities in the north to cost more than $1 million. benefits the city, the neighborhood and by U.S. News & World Report. This is Set to begin in the spring of 2008, the the University.” the 14th consecutive year that U.S. News project will provide a welcome sign to The “It’s not a monetary contribution, has ranked Scranton among the top ten University of Scranton and the historic but so much more than a monetary schools in the north. The list, published Hill Section of the city, new sidewalks, contribution. This will last forever,” said on Aug. 20 in the annual edition of period street lights and landscaping along Judy Gatelli, president of Scranton’s City “America’s Best Colleges,” also listed Mulberry Street from Jefferson Avenue to Council. “This is needed in the Hill. The Scranton among the “Great Schools at North Webster Avenue. The project will University has stepped up to the plate. a Great Price,” which relates academic also improve safety by widening the turn This will certainly be the most wonderful quality to the cost of attendance. This lane on the southwest corner of Jefferson artery through the city.” marks the fourth consecutive year that Avenue and Mulberry Street. Scranton has been included among the 15 colleges listed as “Great Schools Officials from the City of Scranton and the University unveiled plans for a streetscaping at a Great Price.” Also, for the fourth project at a news conference on Sept. 20. From left: Mayor Chris Doherty, Councilman consecutive year, Scranton has been Robert McGoff, Councilwoman Sherry Nealon Fanucci, University President Rev. Scott named among the five schools in its R. Pilarz, S.J., Council President Judy Gatelli and Hon. Ken Smith, Pennsylvania House of category listed for having the “Highest Representatives. Graduation Rates.” Scranton was the only college in Northeastern Pennsylvania to be among the elite colleges in the nation profiled in the Princeton Review’s The 366 Best Colleges, marking the sixth consecutive year that the University made Princeton Review’s exclusive list. The guide published on Aug. 21. Scranton was also the only area college to be listed in Kaplan/Newsweek’s 2008 publication How to Get Into College, which listed Scranton among the nation’s “372 Most Interesting Schools” for the second consecutive year. The Kaplan/ Newsweek guide published on Aug. 15. Alumnus Honored for Humanitarian Work William A. Canny ’77, the country him from Africa and India to Europe, representative for Haiti for Catholic Eurasia and Haiti. In his travels and work Relief Services, received an honorary across the globe, he has answered the degree from the University and addressed Ignatian call of service to others, ‘to give the incoming freshman students during and not to count the cost’,” read a New Student Assembly on Aug.

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