In celebration of Women’s History Month, The Jane Kopas Women’s Center and the Office of Multicultural affairs proudly presents "Women in Higher Education." Each week, during the month of March, Royal News will spotlight the work and story of a female member of The University of Scranton community. Stay tuned to read about the extraordinary stories of four women, and what it means to be a woman in higher education.

The mission of the Office of Multicultural Affairs is dedicated to the enhancement of multicultural awareness and education. Through programs and services, the office strives to foster growth, development, awareness, and sensitivity among students, faculty, and staff. The Office of Multicultural Affairs is located in the DeNaples Center, room 205G, and can be reached at 570-941-5904 or visit its website.

The mission of the Jane Kopas Women’s Center (JKWC) is to advance an environment in which women and men can live and work together in equality, understanding and mutual respect. The center works to increase awareness of gender issues and thus promote personal growth and whole-person development among students, faculty and staff. The JKWC is located in the DeNaples Center, room 205F. The center can be reached at 570-941-6194 or at its website.

Five sophomores from the Department of Military Science were recently selected to participate in U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Cultural Understanding and Language Program for summer 2012. The cadets will take part in 30- to 45-day programs focused on the language and culture of their assigned country. The cadets will participate in pre-deployment training at Fort Knox, Ky., and then deploy to their respective countries along with 15 to 20 ROTC cadets from across the nation, as well as a Cadet Command Cadre advisor who will oversee the trip. This program is designed to expose cadets to cultures and language around the globe and allow cadets to mix with both military and civilian personnel during their training. The following individuals were selected to participate in this program:

• Cadet Hope Oliver – Indonesia
• Cadet Sean McKee – Cape Verde
• Cadet Daniel Pati – Honduras
• Cadet Maureen Bullis – Namibia
• Cadet Morgan Hedden – Guatemala

Cadets are selected for this program based on their demonstrated interests in foreign languages, academics, performance in Military Science courses and the recommendation of the department’s cadre. This marks the second straight year cadets from The University of Scranton have been selected to take part in this training.

Did you know that the University has an official brand page on Foursquare? Check it out, http://foursquare.com/univofscranton!

Foursquare is one of the fastest growing location based social networks on campuses across the country. As part of the Foursquare for Universities program there are five campus badges you can earn:

• Campus Explorer: Check in to 10 different University of Scranton venues.
• Munchies: Check in 5 times to campus cafes or dining halls.
• Smells Like School Spirit: Check in 5 times to any Scranton sports field or complex.
• Bookworm Bender: Check in to the library or any study area from 12 a.m. - 4 a.m.
• Quad Squatter: Check in 3 times to the Dionne Green, Founders Green or the Galvin Terrace, counting only one check-in per day

To read the full release, click here.

The Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) is pleased to announce a collaboration with TCMC to sponsor a bus to the 32nd annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Rutgers University. Admission and transportation are free for all University members.

The theme for this year’s one-day conference is "Taking Good Care: A History of Health and Wellness in the Black Community." Featured speakers are former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders who will present "Health Disparities in Black America" and Dr. William Owen who will follow with comments and lecture titled “My Genetic Code or my Zip Code: Which Is More Important?” To read the full release, click here.

Think spring! The Office of University Ministries invites all students, faculty, staff (professional, clerical, maintenance and dining), spouses and 
children (appropriate for ages 10 and older) to a unique, one-of-a-kind retreat experience incorporating God, faith, and baseball. "Lookin' for the Signs," a pilgrimage to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., will be held Saturday, March 31, from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Luxurious bus accommodations, tail-gate lunch, admission to Hall of Fame are all included. The day ends with mass in Cooperstown with Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J. The costs are as follows:

Adults: $35
University Students: $25
Children ages 10 - 17: $20

Space is very limited. Payment due at time of registration in Office of University Ministries, DeNaples Center, room 200. For more information, contact Brian Pelcin at 941-5458 or
pelcinb2@scranton.edu.

The award-winning German drama "Four Minutes" will be presented by the Foreign Film Series at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, in room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Dr. Monika Moyrer will lead a discussion following the film.
 
"Four Minutes" tells the story of two very different women: Jenny, a convicted killer with enormous musical talent, and Traude, an aging music teacher at the women’s prison who is grooming Jenny to perform in a prestigious piano competition. With powerful performances from Hannah Herzsprung as Jenny and Monica Bleibtreu as Traude, "Four Minutes" is an unforgettable film. Directed by Chris Kraus, "Four Minutes" is in German with English subtitles.

This event is open to faculty, staff, students and the public. Seating is limited, so please contact Sharon Finnerty at sharon.finnerty@scranton.edu or (570) 941-6330 for reservations.

Do you remember getting ready for your prom? Do you remember finding the perfect dress? You can make that dream come true for someone else. Many girls cannot afford a dress for prom. As a result, they stay home - missing out on a cherished memory. Cinderella's Closet provides free or low cost dresses, shoes and accessories (based on availability) to high school girls who otherwise might not be able to afford to go to prom. 

Please consider donating prom dresses in good and fashionable condition (sorry, no 1980s wear or soiled dresses), shoes and accessories that you no longer need. Dresses can be dropped off now through Wednesday April 5, in the Community Outreach Office, DeNaples Center, room 205B. All dresses will be given to Cinderella's Closet via the Junior League of Scranton. For questions or more information, contact Ellen Judge at judgee2@scranton.edu.