Last week, our Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness offered students a mid-semester break treated students to ice cream sundaes and a break from studies and projects.

Discovery & Access Strategic Projects Manager, Lamont Library,
Harvard University Kai Fay visited English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's Storytelling and Oral Tradition class last week, "Humans are terrible at remembering facts, what we are good at is remembering stories," was how the oral tradition was explained. 

Last week, students in the Engineering Technology Department presented their research projects as part of the Engineering Technology Student Project Competition, Faculty were on hand to ask questions and judge the top research projects. 

Beginning this evening, the Communications Media Department will present its production of William Mastrosimon’s celebrated play Extremities. The play is inspired by the fantasy of taking control back from an attacker, and examines the extremes of human capacity: mercy against hatred, compassion against violence, and humanity against torture. The university’s production is directed by Professor Mary Vreeland. Extremities will be performed in the Wallace Theater for the Performing Arts at the McKay Complex at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18; Wednesday, April 19; Thursday, April 20; Friday, April 21; and Saturday, April 22. There will be matinee performances at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. Learn more about the production here.

Yesterday afternoon, students enrolled in the Fitchburg State University Police Program's Recruit Officer Course 6th ROC had their orientation at the McKay Campus School. After a welcome from Sara Levine, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Police Program Academy Director Lisa Lane gave an overview of the upcoming police training. Drill Instructors and previous graduates of the Fitchburg State University Police Program's Recruit Officer Course currently on the job, were on hand to answer any questions the new class may have.

Spring fever has taken hold of the campus, Biology and Chemistry Professor Erin Rehrig took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to have her Life Science for Educators class work on their Timeline of Life on Earth on the quad. This course covers a broad array of life science topics including cellular, organismal, and human biology. It is designed to provide a foundation in the life sciences for education majors (K-8).

Greek Week continued with yesterday afternoon's chariot race on the quad. The week will continue with activities with different decade themes. Learn more about Greek Life here.

This morning, Fitchburg State University hosted educators and administrators from across Massachusetts for a daylong series of discussions and workshops on Early College, a program that lets high school students experience and complete college-level coursework.

Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus opened the event by citing the growth of Early College on the university’s campus, with the number of participating students growing by more than 40% in the last year. The university has formal agreements with Mount Wachusett Community College and local high schools including Athol, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Narragansett Regional, and Sizer School that create credit-bearing opportunities for students. 

When the weather warms in North Central Massachusetts, you don't let it go to waste, which is likely why Mathematics Professor Nermin Bayazit held her Informal Math Modeling class outside on the Hammond Hall Patio this afternoon. The course covers relations, patterns and functions using multiple representations and focusing on the manner in which these concepts connect to mathematical ideas specified in the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks.

Local Artist and Alum Amber Haney was a spoke to students in  English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's Writing II class. Amber talked about Art Therapy, Art in the Public Space, and challenged students to affect their environment through their art.