City of Chicago declares Sept. 25 “Elie Wiesel Day” in honor of SXU visit

Wiesel also to receive Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa from Saint Xavier

Chicago (Sept. 15, 2008)–The City of Chicago has declared Sept. 25, 2008 Elie Wiesel Day in honor of his speaking engagement that evening at Saint Xavier University. The Chicago City Council approved naming the day for Wiesel at its Sept. 10th meeting.

More than 2,000 tickets have been sold to hear Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Holocaust survivor, speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 in the SXU Shannon Center.
Prior to his lecture, Wiesel will conduct a classroom discussion with select Saint Xavier students.

That evening, he will receive a Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, from Saint Xavier University in recognition of a lifetime of work dedicated to peace and human dignity.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming response to Mr. Wiesel’s Sept. 25 visit to Saint Xavier University,” said Robert Tenczar, vice president for University Relations. “This third installment of the SXU Voices and Visions promises to be a truly special evening.”

Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania, which is now part of Romania. He was 15 when he and his family were deported by the Nazis to the concentration camp, Auschwitz. His mother and younger sister perished, but his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were transported to Buchenwald, where his father died shortly before the camp was liberated in April 1945.

Later as a journalist, he was persuaded to write about his experiences. The result was his internationally acclaimed memoir, “La Nuit” or “Night,” which has since been translated into more than 30 languages.

General admission tickets are $15 each and are available by visiting Ticketweb at http://www.ticketweb.com/ or by calling toll free (866) 468-3401. A limited number of $200 V.I.P. priority tickets also are available and will include priority seating and admission to an exclusive post-lecture wine and cheese reception with Mr. Wiesel.

Saint Xavier students, faculty and staff are free but must obtain a ticket. Students may contact

Campus Life (L-103) at (773) 341-5060 and faculty and staff may contact the Office of Special Events at (773) 298-3311. Tickets may be picked up with a valid Cougar Card in Campus Life (L-103) or in the SXU Diner weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For more information about the event, please call (773) 298-3311 or e-mail specialevents@sxu.edu.

Reporters interested in covering Wiesel’s lecture or taking advantage of a special media opportunity the day of the lecture should contact Director of Media Relations Joe Moore at (773) 298-3937 or (cell) (773) 203-6671.

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SXU to host Harvest Literacy Conference on Oct. 15

One-day conference to share literacy strategies with teachers, professionals, parents

Chicago (Sept. 15, 2008) The Saint Xavier University School of Education will host the Harvest Literacy Conference, a one-day conference to share literacy strategies with kindergarten through eighth grade teachers, professionals and parents.
The conference is from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at SXU’s Orland Park campus, 18230 Orland Parkway.

Former International Reading Association president Richard Allington, Ph.D., will give the keynote address “Characteristics of Effective Teachers of Reading.” Allington, an education professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, has co-authored two well-known books: “Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write” and “Schools That Work: Where All Children Read and Write.”

Additional speakers will focus on topics in literacy with practical suggestions for the classroom teacher. Please visit www.sxu.edu/harvest/schedule.asp for a complete listing of topics and speakers.

Saint Xavier University is an approved provider of CPDUs through the Illinois State Board of Education. All participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Early bird registration is $100 by Friday, Sept. 25. Registration after Sept. 25 is $125. The fee includes continental breakfast, lunch and instructional and workshop materials.
To register for the Harvest Literacy conference or for more information, please call (708) 802-6200. Participants also may register online at www.sxu.edu/harvest/register.asp or by printing and mailing a registration form at http://www.sxu.edu/SharedDocuments/ACASOE/HarvestLiteracyConferenceRegistration.pdf.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU leaders meet with University of Jordan students and faculty

Visitors tour SXU campus, discuss religion’s role in higher education

Sr. Susan Sanders, R.S.M., Ph.D., (left) leads the Jordanian delegation on a tour of Saint Xavier University’s Chicago Campus.

Chicago (Sept. 3, 2008) Saint Xavier University recently hosted a delegation of seven graduate students, a faculty member and three interpreters from the University of Jordan’s Islamic studies department.

The Jordanian delegation visited America through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. They came to learn about the role of faith in American society as a whole, the role of religion in public and private universities, especially faith-based universities, the diversity of Islam in America and the importance of religious pluralism and tolerance in American civic life. The delegation also hoped to establish ongoing links with American students to improve understanding of Islam and to promote mutual understanding between Jordanians and Americans.

The visitors met with Center for Religion and Public Discourse Director Sister Susan Sanders, RSM, Ph.D., who also serves as SXU vice president for University Mission and Heritage, and Graham School of Management Dean James Brodzinski, Ph.D. to learn more about SXU and its programs on Aug. 22 in SXU’s Graham Conference Room. The visitors also met with University President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D.

“Saint Xavier University greatly appreciated this opportunity to discuss the role of religion in U.S. universities and, in particular, the Catholic and Mercy dimensions of our university,” Sanders said. “I was happy to be able to tell them about the significant contributions that our Muslim students make to our university’s intellectual, cultural, and spiritual life.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU 2008-09 film series begins with “Metropolis”

Series theme is “Film and the City”

Chicago (Sept. 3, 2008) A screening of the 1927 silent film “Metropolis” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in Saint Xavier University’s McGuire Hall, Warde Academic Center, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.

The screening, which is free and open to the public, is the first film in the 2008-2009 SXU Film Series.

Director Fritz Lang set his classic science fiction film in the year 2027..Soaring skyscrapers and futuristic technology are the background for urban society’s timeless struggle between lower class workers and the elite few.

Decades ahead of its time, the film continues to impress contemporary audiences with its use of German expressionism and modernism, and innovative special effects. The film is set to the music of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss and contains the popular apocalyptic hymn Dies Irae.

The film is 114 minutes and will be projected by DVD. This year’s film series, titled “Film and the City,” is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, Saint Xavier’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Art and Design.

For more information, please contact Film Series Director Alison Fraunhar, Ph.D., at fraunhar@sxu.edu or (773) 298-3083.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

Saint Xavier University students move into new green residence hall

Hall’s eco-friendly design blends comfort and sustainability

Chicago (Sept. 3, 2008) More than 100 Saint Xavier University students recently moved into a new environmentally friendly residence hall at SXU’s Chicago campus, located at 3700 W. 103rd St.

The 36,664 square-foot residence hall is the sixth co-ed residence hall at the Chicago campus. In an Oct. 15 ceremony, the University will officially name the building after Mother Mary Agatha O’Brien, R.S.M., in recognition of her founding role as one of the original Chicago Sisters of Mercy. O’Brien was the first superior of the Sisters of Mercy who originally came to Chicago from Ireland in 1846. She was 24 at the time.

The hall was built to LEED Gold Environmental Standards as set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. Last year, SXU’s Arthur Rubloff Hall became the first university building in the state of Illinois to receive the coveted LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council for environmentally friendly design elements.

The new hall was designed to use both natural and mechanical ventilation, and a 50-foot high circular glass stair tower draws tempered air to assist in summer night pre-cooling and winter heating. This concept improves building energy efficiency and occupant comfort.
The building uses 100 percent “Green-e” Power from mixed renewable energy products to carbon offset all electrical energy consumed in the residence. The roof features a solar reflection system, and the rain garden filters roof water runoff.

The indoor air quality in the student rooms is significantly above American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE) standards. All student rooms have windows that can be opened to promote natural ventilation air patterns, harvest natural daylight and allow beautiful views of the Saint Xavier campus, providing all students with a closer connection to nature.

The architectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Associates provided designs for the building. The firm designed three previous residence halls for Saint Xavier, including Rubloff. The construction management firm is Henry Bros. Co. Civil engineering was conducted by Terra Civil Engineering. Environmental Systems Design, Inc. provided a mechanical engineering design.

Last spring, ASHRAE presented Saint Xavier University and Environmental Systems Design, Inc. with Chapter and Regional Engineering Technology Awards for Rubloff Hall. The awards recognized achievements in the design of new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

A leader in green practices, Saint Xavier is a member of the Illinois Sustainable University Compact, which has pledged to accomplish multiple environmentally sound goals by Dec. 31, 2010. These goals include energy purchases from renewable sources, reduced carbon emissions, and requiring green building practices for all new construction. More recently, SXU became the first Chicago university to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment, joining 557 other schools nationwide in a pledge to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.


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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU’s Merwick Academy returns to Chicago campus

Academy provides tutoring for elementary and high school students

Chicago (Sept. 2, 2008) Saint Xavier University’s Merwick Academy recently moved back to SXU’s Chicago Campus, located at 3700 W. 103rd St.

The Merwick Academy, which was previously located at United Methodist Church, provides educational support and tutoring for elementary and high school students in a variety of subjects. Students work in small groups with trained teachers or SXU School of Education students to create individualized learning plans.

Elementary and middle school subjects include reading, math, language arts and writing, study skills, introductory Spanish and Catholic high school test preparation. High school subjects include American and world history, literature, Spanish, music, art, biology, chemistry, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, English and study skills.

The Merwick Academy is now located behind Pacelli Hall, and classes begin Sept. 8. For more information about the Merwick Academy, please call (773) 298-3181.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu