Rhode Island College Digital Commons @ RIC What's News? Newspapers 5-12-2008 What's News At Rhode Island College Rhode Island College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news Recommended Citation Rhode Island College, "What's News At Rhode Island College" (2008). What's News?. 89. https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news/89 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at Digital Commons @ RIC. It has been accepted for inclusion in What's News? by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ RIC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. May 12, 2008 Vol. 28 Issue 8 WHAT’S NEWS @ Rhode Island College Established in 1980 Circulation over 52,000 CONSTANTINE WILLIAM CURRIS HOWARD L. FINE NICOLAS P. RETSINAS BRUCE SUNDLUN Honorary Doctor of Laws Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Honorary Doctor of Public Service Honorary Doctor of Public Service RIC announces 2008 honorary degree recipients to be awarded at commencements May15 and 17 RIC, the state’s oldest ppublicublic Service degree and deliver the from each graduating class ofof This year’s graduating class will institutionstitution of highehigherr lelearning,arning, cocommencementmmencement aaddress.ddress. thethe CollegeCollege fromfrom 11935935 to 22007007 offeroffer a specialspecial tributetribute to NNazarianazarian now in its 154th year, will Undergraduate commencement will also march before this at the end of the ceremonies. award four honorary degrees, will take place on Saturday, May year’s graduating seniors. Established in 1854, Rhode and confer 1,517 advanced and 17, at 9:30 a.m. on the College’s This year also marks the 50th Island College is the oldest public undergraduate degrees during esplanade. (Ceremonies will be anniversary of the College’s institution of higher education upcoming commencement moved indoors to The Murray move to the Mount Pleasant in the state. exercises. The ceremonies will be Center if inclement weather). Avenue location from downtown Nazarian was named president the last for RIC President Constantine Curris, president Providence. The move represented of RIC on May 17, 1990. He John Nazarian, who will of the American much more than a new location graduated from the College in be retiring in June Association of and expanded facilities. It heralded 1954 when it was known as Rhode after a 58-year This year’s State Colleges a new College culture that Island College of Education association with graduating class and Universities signifi ed the state’s commitment (RICE) and remained on campus the College. and long-time to maintaining the school as a as a professor, a dean and an advocate for the separate entity and provided administrator before becoming RIC President will offer a special public education for enhancement of academic president. He is also RIC’s John Nazarian tribute to Nazarian system and programs, while offering thousands longest serving president and the will preside its students, more students, mostly Rhode College’s second over his last at the end of the will deliver the Islanders, with an opportunity alumnus to be Bios on p 15 commencement ceremonies. commencement for a college education. named president. exercises in address and ceremonies for receive an Honorary advanced degrees on May Doctor of Laws degree. 15 and undergraduate degrees Honorary degree conferrals at on May 17. Four honorary undergraduate commencement degrees and about 1,500 master’s will go to Bruce Sundlun, former and bachelor’s degrees will be governor of Rhode Island, business awarded over the two days. executive, and civic leader, Nazarian will retire in June who will be awarded a Doctor after a 58-year association of Public Service degree; and with the College as a student, a Howard Fine ’81, M ’04, premier professor, an associate dean, an acting teacher and much sought- administrator and president. after coach in the entertainment Advanced degree industry, and a double alumnus commencement will be held on of RIC, who will be given a Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. Doctor of Fine Arts degree. in The Murray Center. Nicolas Members of the class of Retsinas, director of the Joint 1958 will celebrate their golden Center for Housing Studies at anniversary at commencement, Harvard University, will receive leading the graduation The oil painting Autumn Sun is one of Betsey MacDonald’s newest works. an Honorary Doctor of Public processional. Representatives A story about MacDonald, a teacher, artist and RIC grad student, is on page 14. Page 2 — WHAT’S NEWS @ Rhode Island College, May 12, 2008 “In reality, designing is about “It was wonderful to allow all those who are WN Quotes… understanding your resource involved in the program to celebrate its success package, which includes the and acceptance into the RIC community.” “I truly am excited to become a part of physical space, the budget and one of the most proactive Div. III Athletic – Jill Holloway, on a March 19 reception recognizing the people you work with.” Departments in the country.” the establishment of the Adult Educational Profes- – Alan Pickart, RIC associate sional Development Center. Holloway is director of – Marcus Reilly, new head women’s professor of theatre and set designer. the Development Center, the newest affiliate of the basketball coach. [P 7] [P 12] David E. Sweet Center for Public Policy. [P 3] This regular feature of who are paid unbelievable What’s News looks at the amounts for doing nothing. WHAT’S NEWS @ links between the world orld a Some of the consultants Rhode Island College and Rhode Island College. W t who are supposed to act as This is the second of a R advisors to the ministries Editor: Jane E. Fusco two-part story written by are not even experts in their e I Managing Editor: Rob Martin Hoth G. Chan, who taught C fi elds, but mere students. Design Manager: Jennifer Twining ’92 as an adjunct professor h Although the president Information Aide: Pauline McCartney in RIC's Anthropology of the Government of T Photographers: Department. In the April Southern Sudan, Salva Gene St. Pierre ’77 Kiir, is asking all Southern What’s News, Chan wrote Christopher Giroux ’08 Sudanese in diaspora to about his return in 2007 to Mike Shiel ’11 come home and help with his native country of Sudan, Graphic Designers: and the progress of that development, the situation Charles Allsworth ’82, M ’86 country’s Comprehensive on the ground is not Lance Gorton ’09 helpful. Those who came Peace Agreement. Paul J. Silva ’03 from the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Copy Editor: Ray Ragosta Developmental challenges etc., are fi nding it harder to live here. There are no facing South Sudan Staff Writers: incentives to attract these people back home, and it’s Gita Brown My journey from South Sudan hard for them to give up a good life in the West. to the North Sudan and back Nick Lima ’10 There are, however, dedicated South Sudanese Robert P. Masse ’08 by car had given me an inside from the West who are very patriotic and are helping view of what is taking place Lauren Mesale ’06 this country with her developmental challenges. Kerry McCartney in both rural and urban areas. In fact, some of these individuals who came from Although I did not visit the far Peter Silveira ’08 the United States are now trying their best in the Alison Strandberg northern states, some of the small name of America to change the system in this HOTH G. CHAN towns I came across on my Public Relations Assistant: country for the better. These individuals or groups of Alicia Vanasse ’08 way to South Sudan by car painted a clear people will defi nitely need help from their adopted picture as far as development is concerned. country. That is why institutions like Rhode Island Sudan can best be described as a country with College and the like should look into what they What’s News @ Rhode Island College a progressing head and decaying feet. Of its 26 can do to help the South Sudanese people as they (USPS 681-650) is published by: states, the 10 states in the South do not even take baby steps in the long walk of development. Rhode Island College come close to the ones in the North. This is due Professors Richard Lobban and Carolyn Fluehr- Offi ce of News and Public Relations to the marginalization of the South as a region Lobban of RIC’s Anthropology Department have tried 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. even though it is where the oil is found. their best to educate the American public and the rest Providence, RI 02908 The southern state capitals are no more then of the world’s citizens about the Sudanese problem. It is published monthly from big villages, with grass-thatched houses. There They have visited Khartoum and Juba in the South are no parliaments and judiciary buildings in September to June. Periodicals and have seen the real challenges on the ground. postage paid at Providence, RI. some of these capitals. State affairs are often held This article gives you a hint about what is under the trees. There is money from oil revenues taking place in Sudan. The Darfur issue is in the Printing: TCI Press, Seekonk, Mass. and other sources, but the mighty corruption news daily, but it should be remembered that in South Sudan is fi nishing off everything. the root causes and the solution to the Darfur The lack of a proper system to coordinate problem can be found in Southern Sudan. POSTMASTER: government machinery is a big problem. Although Sudan is the biggest country in Africa; it’s a Send address changes to: NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and place where both Arabs and Africans compete for What’s News @ UN agencies are trying to train people to run the the control of that state.