PSFA E-CONNECT - June 2008

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

During a surprisingly chilly Memorial Day weekend Cox Arena on the SDSU campus was the hot place to be as we celebrated Commencement 2008 with our graduates and their friends and families. This year, PSFA hosted two ceremonies and 2,471 graduates for the first time in College history. We are proud to bring you this special issue of E-Connect featuring highlights from this memorable day.

Joyce M. Gattas, Dean
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

COMMENCEMENT

Dr. Darlene V. Shiley, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts

Darlene V. Shiley received an honorary doctorate from President Weber and Dean Gattas at the first PSFA ceremony on May 24, 2008. Immediately after the degree was conferred, Darlene was treated to a personalized performance from the graduating MFA students in musical theatre. During her remarks, Darlene advised graduates to “Approach everything in your life with passion, commitment, dignity, honor and integrity, because at the end of the day, that’s all you have.” Darlene also made a surprise announcement of the Shiley’s intention to give a philanthropic gift of $250,000 to SDSU for student scholarships. This news brought the house down!

Dr. Patricia Geist-Martin Offers Advice – “Carpe Diem!”

Dr. Patricia Geist-Martin, recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Faculty Award for PSFA, spoke at the first Commencement ceremony. Dr. Geist-Martin is a professor in the School of Communication and encouraged graduates to “seize the day” and to create their own story; “Stories don’t just describe reality, they CREATE our reality. So what is your story? What will you create with the stories you tell—now or at 100?”

Greg Smith (MPA, ’73) Encourages Appreciation During Second Ceremony

Greg Smith, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, offered valuable words of wisdom at the second Commencement ceremony, but the highlight of his speech came as he rallied all graduates for an expression of appreciation to their loved ones, “Thirty-five years ago, I stood in this same location to get my MPA. At that time, Cox Arena was not here, and it was the Aztec Bowl. The thing I regretted back then was not thanking my parents sufficiently for helping me financially in securing my degree.”

PSFA Outstanding Students Reflect on Collegiate Experience

Jamie Lee Roscoe (Kinesiology ’08) and Alicia Arguilla (Dance ‘08,) were honored at Commencement 2008 as the PSFA Outstanding Students. They each gave a speech at Commencement and took the opportunity to reflect on their accomplishment and congratulate their fellow graduates:

Jamie Lee Roscoe offered the following advice; “I hope the main person you’re worried about impressing is yourself . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.’”

Alicia Arguilla acknowledged that college graduation is a great achievement for many reasons; “I have learned that life is worth fighting for. I have learned about dedication and perseverance. I feel fortunate about my hardships in life because it has made me a fighter. But, I believe that all of us here today are fighters. It is not easy to make it through college.”

IN THE NEWS

Art Lovers Draw on the Walls of the Downtown Gallery

On June 4, 2008 over 100 students, faculty and community members channeled their inner artist by covering the bare walls of SDSU’s soon-to-be completed downtown art gallery with colorful freehand designs. This “Make Your Mark” event occurred in anticipation of interior construction beginning in the gallery, which was donated by Bosa Development and is located in the Electra building in downtown San Diego. The gallery is scheduled to open this fall.

Ed Franz, Professor in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, Retires

Ed Franz, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, has retired. Ed joined the faculty in 1965 as head gymnastics coach for the men's varsity program. For 38 years, he directed a community outreach program in gymnastics that served thousands of children in the San Diego community and produced many state and national champions as well as Collegiate All Americans. His contributions to SDSU are greatly appreciated.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Mother-Daughter Alums Play a Leading Role in San Diego’s Ballet Scene

The California Ballet Company recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary, and the event was dedicated to Maxine K. Mahon (Social Science,’63), founding director of the California Ballet Company. Maxine, along with her daughter Clarissa Palhegyi (Speech Communication, ’93), have laid the foundation for one of San Diego's cornerstone arts organizations. Clarissa currently runs the California Ballet School and is the tour manager for the California Ballet Company.

Graduate Competes in the “Olympics” of Hula

This past April, Edieann Heali'i O Nalani Stanley (Communication, ’06) competed in the 45th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival Hula Competition. This prestigious competition is often referred to as the “Olympics” of hula because of its exclusivity –the top 12 hula schools in the nation each select one dancer to send to the festival's annual individual competition. Stanley, 23, was picked by Hula Halau 'O Lilinoe, a school in Carson, California where she studies the dance form.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Cecilia String Quartet Receives Prestigious International Award
The Cecilia String Quartet, comprised of Sarah Nematallah, violin, Min-Jeong Koh, violin, Caitlin Boyle, viola, and Rebecca Wenham, cello, placed second in the highly competitive 6th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and Festa in Osaka, Japan. The Quartet competed against 46 international ensembles during the weeklong competition. The members of the quartet are the recipients of the Joseph Fisch and Joyce Axelrod String Quartet Residency at SDSU and are enrolled in the School of Music and Dance.