Siena College Named a Best College Once Again

Siena is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company known for its test-prep courses features the college in the just-published 2009 edition of its annual book, "The Best 368 Colleges" (Random House / Princeton Review, July 29, 2008, $21.95). Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are in the book. It has two-page profiles of the schools and student survey-based ranking lists of top 20 colleges in more than 60 categories. The Princeton Review also posts the book's ranking lists on its website.

In its profile on Siena, The Princeton Review quotes extensively from our students The Princeton Review surveyed for the book. Among their candid comments on the college: “Every student really has a lot of opportunities to get any amount of personal academic attention or other scholastic opportunities that they want."

The ranking lists in "The Best 368 Colleges" are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus on average) attending the 368 colleges in the book. The 80-question survey asked students to rate their schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them. Ranking lists report the top 20 schools in categories that range from best professors, administration, and campus food to lists based on student body political leanings, race/class relations, sports interests, and other aspects of campus life. The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book 1 to 368 in any category, nor do the rankings reflect The Princeton Review's opinion of the schools.

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Siena Bids Farewell, Good Luck to Fr. Jim

Wednesday, July 16, Loudonville, N.Y. – Yesterday afternoon, the community gathered to congratulate and thank their good friend Fr. Jim Toal, O.F.M. Fr. Jim has served as vice president of the college for over a decade. He has overseen the acquisition of the president’s house and the state police barracks, the renovation of Siena Hall, the installation of the turf field, the implementation of the strategic plan and many, many athletic achievements, among others.

President Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M. presented Fr. Jim with a Siena chair and some more fun gifts—a Yankees all-star tee shirt and cap, although it pained the Mets fan to do so. “To know Jim Toal is to know him from your heart,” said Fr. Kevin. He then credited Fr. Jim as being one of the reasons he is still a friar.

Fr. Kevin also read a resolution expressing gratitude to Fr. Jim passed by the Board of Trustees at their last meeting.

John D’Argenio, director of athletics also spoke and bestowed Fr. Jim with another round of gifts. “They cannot equal what he has given to us,” he said.

Fr. Jim, who is moving on to become guardian of a friary in St. Petersburg, F.L., responded, “I thank you all for being here. My years at Siena were enjoyable. The entire thing has been a treat for me. Thank you to everyone.”
“It was nice to see the different groupings of the college come together to celebrate one of our own,” said Fr. Kevin.

Feel free to send messages to Fr. Jim via our blog comments- we'll make sure they get to him!

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$10 Student Tickets at SPAC this Summer

The Communications Office received the following information from Saratoga Performing Arts Center this morning:

All Students (with student ID) may purchase $10 LAWN tickets to all classical programming (New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra) excluding the Ballet gala. Students may also purchase inside amphitheatre seats at a 25% discount.

This includes Middle School to Graduate School and it is available for the New York City Ballet from July 8th to 26th and The Philadelphia Orchestra from August 6th to the 23rd. This is great, inexpensive exposure to world-class performing arts. We encourage students with summer sessions in the capital region to visit SPAC, and for others to carpool to our beautiful outdoor venue.

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'07 Alumna to Save A Life on July 15

Melissa Stevens '07 will donate one of her kidneys on Tuesday, July 15.

In March 2008, Melissa's grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Although she found there was not much she could do to slow her grandmother's failing health, Melissa decided to find something she could do to help someone else. She began researching kidney donation: the process, procedure, recovery time, hospitals, places that offer donation, etc.

She signed up on http://www.matchingdonors.com/ and within minutes found three potential blood type matches in her area. She emailed them; one returned the call the next day. After rounds of tests, doctors have confirmed that, excluding genetics, they are a perfect match. And it turns out- the recipient is a famous musician (although she leaves out names to protect the privacy of this situation).

Read all about Melissa's experience at http://melissaskidneydonation.blogspot.com/. You can also leave her some encouraging words from her Siena family and learn more about kidney donation and polycystic kidney disease. You can also join her Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24774538708

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Get Reading for this Year's Popular Books Series

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 7:00PM, Key Auditorium, Roger Bacon Hall.

Fareed Zakaria is an author and international affairs editor at Newsweek whose previous bestseller was entitled The Future of Freedom. In his newest book, Zakaria explains a future world shaped by many emerging power centers. The book is not about the decline of America but rather about the rise of everyone else. The Post-American World is a call for using our nation's strengths to achieve prosperity as have other parts of the world in recent times.

Panelists who will discuss this book are Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly from the Political Science Department, Dr. Karl Barbir from History, and Dr. John Hampton, KPMG Professor of Business from St. Peter's College.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America, by Thomas Friedman.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 7:00PM, Key Auditorium, Roger Bacon Hall.

Thomas Friedman's forthcoming book (September 8, 2008) is likely to be an instant bestseller like his recent work, The World is Flat. In Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Friedman examines the crises of destabilizing climate change and rising competition for energy and their consequences if we do not act quickly and collectively to alter these developments. He proposes an ambitious national strategy called "Geo-Greenism" which he claims will make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure.

Panelists who will discuss this book are Dr. Lawrence Woolbright from the Environmental Studies and Biology Departments, Dr. Matthew Johnson from Sociology. and Dr. Jean Mangun, newly appointed head of the Environmental Studies Department.

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