News

At the Jan. 19 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP), Jeffrey Stonecash, a professor of political science at the Maxwell School, will provide his perspective on the 2012 election and the alternative realities of Democrats and Republicans.

Stonecash received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. His specialty is American political parties and electoral behavior.

He is the author/contributor of several books and articles, including “Counter Realignment: Political Change in the Northeast” (with Howard L. Reiter: Cambridge, 2011); “New Directions in Party Politics, Editor” (Routledge, 2010); and “The Dynamics of the American Party System” (with Mark D. Brewer: Cambridge, 2009).

Stonecash’s research projects include: Party Pursuits and Connecting Presidential-House Elections, 1900-2008; The Battle Over Personal Responsibility and Political Polarization; Legislative Careers and Realignment; and The Role of Class in American Politics.

The IRP program runs from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and is free and open to the public. IRP sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

Auditions for the Syracuse University Summer Dance Intensive, under the artistic direction of Danita Emma, will be conducted on Sunday, Jan. 8 at Syracuse Stage. Momchil Mladenov, a former principal dancer with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and the National Ballet of Bulgaria, will act as assistant artistic director.

The 2012 program will take place on the SU campus this summer. Students will participate in dance classes with a stellar collection of dance legends and featured guest artists, including Gabriela Darvash. The world-renowned Kirov-trained teacher was artistic director and resident choreographer for the State Opera Ballet in Cluj, Romania.

Students will enjoy a comprehensive program consisting of classical ballet, exposure to a variety of other dance disciplines and a focus on health and personal growth. The classes are open to ballet students ages 12-20. Participation is by audition only, either through a live audition or video submission. Attendees may choose a two- or three-week program—July 8-28 or July 8-21—and may commute or reside on the SU campus.

Auditions will take place at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse. Registration will take place from 1-1:30 p.m. and auditions will be held from 1:30-3 p.m.

The program is administered by University College of Syracuse University. Visit the Summer Dance Intensive website at http://www.uc.syr.edu/ballet2 for audition sites and tuition information. For questions and program details, call 315-443-5000 or e-mail ballet@uc.syr.edu.

The Dec. 15 session of Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) will feature Joshua Dekaney, interim director of the Center for Live Music in the 21st Century in the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, and Mark Nerenhausen, founding director of SU’s new Janklow Arts Leadership Program, the nation’s first comprehensive 15-month, 39-credit-hour master’s program.

Dekaney is currently establishing programming, procedures and staffing for the first initiatives of the Center for Live Music in the 21st Century, which is a combination of a research center and arts business incubator. He is also a part-time instructor of percussion at the Setnor School who teaches drumset, Latin percussion, Brazilian percussion and jazz improvisation; leads Samba Laranja, the SU Brazilian Ensemble; and directs the drumline of the SU Pride of the Orange Marching Band.

In addition to serving as founding director of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program, Nerenhausen is a professor of practice in The College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art & Music Histories. Prior to his appointment in July 2011, he served as president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, where in 2009 he opened the $354 million AT&T Performing Arts Center.

TMR meets from 8:15-9:15 a.m. in the Nottingham Room at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Rd. For further information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, (315) 443-4846 or visit http://www.uc.syr.edu/tmr. The TMR program is broadcast on WCNY-FM, 91.3 on Sundays at 8 p.m. and at http://www.wcny.org/radio/thursday-morning-roundtable.

Debbie Sydow, president of Onondaga Community College (OCC), will present a seminar exploring education access at community colleges. This three-credit class, offered through SU’s School of Education, will be held on the OCC campus during the spring 2012 semester. Sydow will be assisted by Kristine Duffy, vice president for enrollment management and student development at OCC.

The course will benefit those who seek a leadership role in post-secondary education, or a position in research or teaching at a community college or at partnering institutions. Those interested in a career in educational policy with a government or nonprofit educational agency would also benefit from the course.

Sydow is the seventh president of OCC. Under her leadership, OCC has experienced enrollment growth and developed a comprehensive strategic enrollment management program and centralized enrollment services. She has also created a Regional Higher Education Center, a new sustainability initiative and a highly acclaimed Arts Across Campus series.

For more information about this Syracuse University course, contact Barb Witek at 315-443-4763 or email sweber@syr.edu.

At the Dec. 1 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP), Elizabeth Dailey, executive director of the Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) system, will discuss the operation of the OCPL, the trends in library services and usage, and current plans to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the 23-year-old Central Library.

Dailey was appointed director of the Onondaga County Public Library in 2009, having served the county library system for 30 years. She graduated from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey-New Brunswick, where she earned a master’s of library science degree.

The program, running from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., is free and open to the public. IRP sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

IRP is a community program established by University College of Syracuse University, dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning. For more information on IRP, call 443-4846.