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Media Watch (June 18 – 25, 2007)
Posted 6/26/2007
“Media Watch” is a round-up of recent stories in the media about the University of Hartford, as well as significant stories about other local and peer institutions and news about trends and issues in higher education.
The June 18 construction kickoff and naming ceremony for the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center of The Hartt School is continuing to generate a lot of media attention. A Hartford Courant editorial said that through President Walter Harrison’s leadership, the project is a “regional asset that combines the best aspects of public policy, private initiative, and creative imagination.” The event also was covered in Imprint publications, including the West Hartford News, Simsbury Post, and Avon Post. “We started as a music school and now we offer music, theater, and dance,” said Malcolm Morrison, dean of The Hartt School. “We outgrew our space a long time ago.” Television coverage of the kickoff has also been aired several times on Connecticut Network (CT-N), the state’s public affairs network. (Hartford Courant, June 19; West Hartford News, Avon Post, Simsbury Post, June 22)
The University announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its Alumni House property on Bloomfield Avenue, comprising more than 11 acres, to the Hebrew High School of New England. The University will continue to occupy the building until at least the fall of 2009, as Hebrew High School officials finalize their plans to create a permanent home for the Hebrew High School. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, June 21; WTIC-AM, June 22)
Demetrios Giannaros, a professor of economics in the Barney School of Business and a state representative from Farmington, was quoted in a Hartford Courant story about the state budget, which was recently approved by the Connecticut General Assembly. Giannaros said he supports the only significant tax increase still included in the budget: raising the cigarette tax by 33 percent to $2 per pack. "It reduces significantly the use of cigarettes by young people because they can't afford the price," said Giannaros. (Hartford Courant, June 23)
Kandyce Aust, the University’s director of alumni relations, and Christopher Coutu, founder of American Warrior.us and a University alum, took part in a press conference at the State Capitol to announce plans for a Connecticut Honor Flight on Sept. 15. The flight will take 100 World War II veterans from Connecticut to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII Memorial. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, June 14; Connecticut Radio Network, June 14; Metro Radio Network, June 14; Connecticut Network, June 14)
In a story about the future plans and projects for Hartford Stage, Hartford Courant theater reviewer Frank Rizzo noted that University President Walter Harrison was expected to be confirmed as chairman of the Hartford Stage board. Harrison has been a member of the Hartford Stage board since 2000. (Hartford Courant, June 20)
Lauren Betancourt, who graduated from the University in 2003 at the age of 16, was named Miss Connecticut in the annual pageant and will represent the state at the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas in January. Betancourt, a 20-year-old from West Suffield, will receive an $8,000 scholarship to help pay for the master’s degree in exercise science she is earning at Springfield College. (Hartford Courant, June 24)
Jacob Komar, a student at the University High School of Science and Engineering and at the University of Hartford, was featured on WFSB-TV Channel 3’s “Everyday Heroes” with Scott Haney. The piece, which will run in two parts, will focus on Komar’s work with his Computers for Communities as well as a program that the University of Hartford is running to train young people to repair and refurbish computers. Haney also discussed the feature story on Komar with Brad Davis on his WDRC-AM radio show. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, June 22; WDRC-AM, June 8)
Juliana French-Arnold, of St. Helena Calif., who was named the Regent Scholar for The Hartt School’s senior class, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in music and a minor in technical and professional writing from The Hartt School. She plans to pursue a master’s degree at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, with the goal of promoting music and arts. (St. Helena Star, June 21)
Katharine Peet, a veteran music teacher at the Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School and a Manchester resident, was named the Hartford Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year. Peet, who majored in violin/viola performance at The Hartt School, has been a general and instrumental music teacher at Webster since 1992. She has been co-conductor of the district’s Magnet Band, conductor of the All Elementary School String Orchestra, and conductor/manager of the district's annual Music Extravaganza. (Journal Inquirer, June 23)
The Travelers Championship golf tournament, played June 21-24 at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, generated lost of media attention for University alums Jerry Kelly and Tim Petrovic, who both played in the tournament. The stories included pre-tournament profiles of Petrovic in the Connecticut Post and the Hartford Courant. There was also a brief item about tournament volunteer and University alum Mark Vining, who stays in a tent in the backyard a friend’s house which is only 100 feet from the course so he can walk to the tournament each day. (Connecticut Post, June 20; Hartford Courant, June 20; New Haven Register, June 21; Hartford Courant, June 22; Hartford Courant, June 23; Hartford Courant, June 24; New Haven Register, June 24)
Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker was arrested on charges of driving under the influence after leaving the Foxwoods casino. A four-time All-Star forward who attended the University of Hartford, Baker averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 forward was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2000 and enjoyed his best seasons with Milwaukee and Seattle. (Hartford Courant, June 20; Associated Press, June 19; ESPN.com, June 19; ABC News, June 19)
Former Hartford Hawks men’s basketball head coach Larry Harrison was hired as an assistant coach for Bob Huggins, the new men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University. A former assistant under Huggins at Cincinnati, Harrison comes to Morgantown from the Washington Wizards, for whom he served as a scout in 2006-07. Harrison served as head coach at Hartford from 2000 to 2006. (Charleston Daily Mail, June 19; Charleston Gazette, June 19)
Other News
Central Connecticut State University, which stopped accepting applications for its Masters in Business Administration degree program last spring, is still years away from restructuring its program, according to the Hartford Business Journal. Still, a dozen schools in Connecticut offer MBA degrees. Five of the 12--including the University of Hartford, Yale University, Quinnipiac University, and Fairfield University--have programs accredited by the Association to Advance Accredited Schools of Business. (Hartford Business Journal, June 25)
In Connecticut and the rest of New England, colleges—particularly those with primarily regional enrollments—are preparing for a decline in high school graduates of as much as 13 percent. The class of 2008 is the crest of a high school graduate wave that began rising more than a decade ago and will fall for at least a decade to come. (Hartford Courant, June 24)
When the Yale University professor Hiram Bingham III discovered and excavated Machu Picchu nearly a century ago, he and his team shipped nearly 5,000 ancient artifacts back to Yale University — and planted the seeds of a modern-day custody battle between Yale and Peru. The battle is but one instance of an issue now confronting many museums and educational institutions around the world, over who owns the relics of ancient people. (New York Times Magazine, June 24)
Student fees and tuition should not be used to pay for repairs addressing code violations in new or renovated buildings at the University of Connecticut, according to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. He also said the law is unclear as to how repair work should be funded, and he encouraged the General Assembly to clarify the specific funding sources for such repairs. (Hartford Courant, June 23)
Fewer companies are putting out the welcome mat for high school graduates, as more than 43,000 Connecticut students will receive their high school diplomas this year. Almost 80 percent say they plan to attend trade school or college, but for the 20 percent who plan to enter the workforce immediately, the outlook is mixed. In May, the national unemployment rate for high school graduates age 25 and older was 4.5 percent vs. 2 percent for college graduates, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. (Hartford Courant, June 19)
Democrats in Congress are pushing to overhaul the nation’s student loan system with legislation that would cut federal subsidies to lending companies by as much as $19 billion, channel most of those savings to student aid, and ease repayment rules for borrowers. The Senate education committee overwhelmingly approved its version of the legislation one week after the House education panel took similar action. Democrats predicted that the bills would come to a vote by the end of next month. (Washington Post, June 21)
The presidents of dozens of liberal arts colleges have decided to stop participating in the annual college rankings by U.S. News and World Report. The decision was announced at the end of an annual meeting of the Annapolis Group, a loose association of liberal arts colleges. Critics say the ranking system lacks rigor and encourages colleges to solicit more applicants and then rejecting them, to move up the list. (New York Times, June 20)
New technology will place cameras inside students' homes to ensure that those taking exams online don't cheat. The device, made by Software Secure in Cambridge, Mass., locks down a computer while the test is being taken, preventing students from searching the Internet. The new development is a small Web cam and microphone that is set up where a student takes the exam. The camera points into a reflective ball, which allows it to capture a full 360-degree image. (Associated Press, June 20)
Amazon.com’s BookSurge subsidiary has partnered with book digitization company Kirtas Technologies to archive and distribute hard-to-find books. This new initiative involves collaboration with public and university libraries to provide their collections of “rare and inaccessible” books. In return, the partner libraries will receive a cut of the revenue to fund further book preservation efforts, provided the titles are in the public domain or the libraries own the rights to them. (CNetNews.com, June 22)
Upcoming
Coverage of the construction kick-off event for the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford is scheduled to appear in upcoming issues of the Hartford News and Hartford Inquirer.
Darryl McMiller, assistant professor of political science, will be a guest on WNPR’s “Faith Middleton Show” as it offers a segment called, “Politics, Burgers and Beer,” a fast-paced opinion, analysis, and debate about the 2008 Presidential race.. The dates for the next airings of "Politics, Burgers and Beer" are July 13, July 27, and Aug. 10, all at 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The June 18 construction kickoff and naming ceremony for the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center of The Hartt School is continuing to generate a lot of media attention. A Hartford Courant editorial said that through President Walter Harrison’s leadership, the project is a “regional asset that combines the best aspects of public policy, private initiative, and creative imagination.” The event also was covered in Imprint publications, including the West Hartford News, Simsbury Post, and Avon Post. “We started as a music school and now we offer music, theater, and dance,” said Malcolm Morrison, dean of The Hartt School. “We outgrew our space a long time ago.” Television coverage of the kickoff has also been aired several times on Connecticut Network (CT-N), the state’s public affairs network. (Hartford Courant, June 19; West Hartford News, Avon Post, Simsbury Post, June 22)
The University announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its Alumni House property on Bloomfield Avenue, comprising more than 11 acres, to the Hebrew High School of New England. The University will continue to occupy the building until at least the fall of 2009, as Hebrew High School officials finalize their plans to create a permanent home for the Hebrew High School. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, June 21; WTIC-AM, June 22)
Demetrios Giannaros, a professor of economics in the Barney School of Business and a state representative from Farmington, was quoted in a Hartford Courant story about the state budget, which was recently approved by the Connecticut General Assembly. Giannaros said he supports the only significant tax increase still included in the budget: raising the cigarette tax by 33 percent to $2 per pack. "It reduces significantly the use of cigarettes by young people because they can't afford the price," said Giannaros. (Hartford Courant, June 23)
Kandyce Aust, the University’s director of alumni relations, and Christopher Coutu, founder of American Warrior.us and a University alum, took part in a press conference at the State Capitol to announce plans for a Connecticut Honor Flight on Sept. 15. The flight will take 100 World War II veterans from Connecticut to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII Memorial. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, June 14; Connecticut Radio Network, June 14; Metro Radio Network, June 14; Connecticut Network, June 14)
In a story about the future plans and projects for Hartford Stage, Hartford Courant theater reviewer Frank Rizzo noted that University President Walter Harrison was expected to be confirmed as chairman of the Hartford Stage board. Harrison has been a member of the Hartford Stage board since 2000. (Hartford Courant, June 20)
Lauren Betancourt, who graduated from the University in 2003 at the age of 16, was named Miss Connecticut in the annual pageant and will represent the state at the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas in January. Betancourt, a 20-year-old from West Suffield, will receive an $8,000 scholarship to help pay for the master’s degree in exercise science she is earning at Springfield College. (Hartford Courant, June 24)
Jacob Komar, a student at the University High School of Science and Engineering and at the University of Hartford, was featured on WFSB-TV Channel 3’s “Everyday Heroes” with Scott Haney. The piece, which will run in two parts, will focus on Komar’s work with his Computers for Communities as well as a program that the University of Hartford is running to train young people to repair and refurbish computers. Haney also discussed the feature story on Komar with Brad Davis on his WDRC-AM radio show. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, June 22; WDRC-AM, June 8)
Juliana French-Arnold, of St. Helena Calif., who was named the Regent Scholar for The Hartt School’s senior class, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in music and a minor in technical and professional writing from The Hartt School. She plans to pursue a master’s degree at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, with the goal of promoting music and arts. (St. Helena Star, June 21)
Katharine Peet, a veteran music teacher at the Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School and a Manchester resident, was named the Hartford Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year. Peet, who majored in violin/viola performance at The Hartt School, has been a general and instrumental music teacher at Webster since 1992. She has been co-conductor of the district’s Magnet Band, conductor of the All Elementary School String Orchestra, and conductor/manager of the district's annual Music Extravaganza. (Journal Inquirer, June 23)
The Travelers Championship golf tournament, played June 21-24 at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, generated lost of media attention for University alums Jerry Kelly and Tim Petrovic, who both played in the tournament. The stories included pre-tournament profiles of Petrovic in the Connecticut Post and the Hartford Courant. There was also a brief item about tournament volunteer and University alum Mark Vining, who stays in a tent in the backyard a friend’s house which is only 100 feet from the course so he can walk to the tournament each day. (Connecticut Post, June 20; Hartford Courant, June 20; New Haven Register, June 21; Hartford Courant, June 22; Hartford Courant, June 23; Hartford Courant, June 24; New Haven Register, June 24)
Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker was arrested on charges of driving under the influence after leaving the Foxwoods casino. A four-time All-Star forward who attended the University of Hartford, Baker averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 forward was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2000 and enjoyed his best seasons with Milwaukee and Seattle. (Hartford Courant, June 20; Associated Press, June 19; ESPN.com, June 19; ABC News, June 19)
Former Hartford Hawks men’s basketball head coach Larry Harrison was hired as an assistant coach for Bob Huggins, the new men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University. A former assistant under Huggins at Cincinnati, Harrison comes to Morgantown from the Washington Wizards, for whom he served as a scout in 2006-07. Harrison served as head coach at Hartford from 2000 to 2006. (Charleston Daily Mail, June 19; Charleston Gazette, June 19)
Other News
Central Connecticut State University, which stopped accepting applications for its Masters in Business Administration degree program last spring, is still years away from restructuring its program, according to the Hartford Business Journal. Still, a dozen schools in Connecticut offer MBA degrees. Five of the 12--including the University of Hartford, Yale University, Quinnipiac University, and Fairfield University--have programs accredited by the Association to Advance Accredited Schools of Business. (Hartford Business Journal, June 25)
In Connecticut and the rest of New England, colleges—particularly those with primarily regional enrollments—are preparing for a decline in high school graduates of as much as 13 percent. The class of 2008 is the crest of a high school graduate wave that began rising more than a decade ago and will fall for at least a decade to come. (Hartford Courant, June 24)
When the Yale University professor Hiram Bingham III discovered and excavated Machu Picchu nearly a century ago, he and his team shipped nearly 5,000 ancient artifacts back to Yale University — and planted the seeds of a modern-day custody battle between Yale and Peru. The battle is but one instance of an issue now confronting many museums and educational institutions around the world, over who owns the relics of ancient people. (New York Times Magazine, June 24)
Student fees and tuition should not be used to pay for repairs addressing code violations in new or renovated buildings at the University of Connecticut, according to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. He also said the law is unclear as to how repair work should be funded, and he encouraged the General Assembly to clarify the specific funding sources for such repairs. (Hartford Courant, June 23)
Fewer companies are putting out the welcome mat for high school graduates, as more than 43,000 Connecticut students will receive their high school diplomas this year. Almost 80 percent say they plan to attend trade school or college, but for the 20 percent who plan to enter the workforce immediately, the outlook is mixed. In May, the national unemployment rate for high school graduates age 25 and older was 4.5 percent vs. 2 percent for college graduates, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. (Hartford Courant, June 19)
Democrats in Congress are pushing to overhaul the nation’s student loan system with legislation that would cut federal subsidies to lending companies by as much as $19 billion, channel most of those savings to student aid, and ease repayment rules for borrowers. The Senate education committee overwhelmingly approved its version of the legislation one week after the House education panel took similar action. Democrats predicted that the bills would come to a vote by the end of next month. (Washington Post, June 21)
The presidents of dozens of liberal arts colleges have decided to stop participating in the annual college rankings by U.S. News and World Report. The decision was announced at the end of an annual meeting of the Annapolis Group, a loose association of liberal arts colleges. Critics say the ranking system lacks rigor and encourages colleges to solicit more applicants and then rejecting them, to move up the list. (New York Times, June 20)
New technology will place cameras inside students' homes to ensure that those taking exams online don't cheat. The device, made by Software Secure in Cambridge, Mass., locks down a computer while the test is being taken, preventing students from searching the Internet. The new development is a small Web cam and microphone that is set up where a student takes the exam. The camera points into a reflective ball, which allows it to capture a full 360-degree image. (Associated Press, June 20)
Amazon.com’s BookSurge subsidiary has partnered with book digitization company Kirtas Technologies to archive and distribute hard-to-find books. This new initiative involves collaboration with public and university libraries to provide their collections of “rare and inaccessible” books. In return, the partner libraries will receive a cut of the revenue to fund further book preservation efforts, provided the titles are in the public domain or the libraries own the rights to them. (CNetNews.com, June 22)
Upcoming
Coverage of the construction kick-off event for the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford is scheduled to appear in upcoming issues of the Hartford News and Hartford Inquirer.
Darryl McMiller, assistant professor of political science, will be a guest on WNPR’s “Faith Middleton Show” as it offers a segment called, “Politics, Burgers and Beer,” a fast-paced opinion, analysis, and debate about the 2008 Presidential race.. The dates for the next airings of "Politics, Burgers and Beer" are July 13, July 27, and Aug. 10, all at 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.
