Media Watch (Sept.12–19, 2005)

“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.

University of Hartford student-athletes were interviewed for a Hartford Courant article about the kickoff of “Playbook for Life,” a national educational program developed by The Hartford and the NCAA to help student-athletes make smart personal finance decisions. Taking part in the Sept. 14 kick-off event on campus were former Notre Dame and NFL Running Back Allen Pinkett, now a sales representative for The Hartford, Hawks Women’s Basketball Coach Jennifer Rizzotti, and Hawks Men’s Golf Coach Bill Poutre. Students who were interviewed included Trevor Goode, a former Hawks basketball player who graduated in May and is employed by a sports marketing firm in Newington; Latasha Jarrett, a sophomore track athlete; Chris Spivey, a senior member of the Hawks men’s track team; Mark Cleverdon, a junior soccer player; and Nikki Thompson, a junior member of the Hawks softball team. In addition, Pinkett and Rizzotti were interviewed on WTIC-AM’s “Morning Show” with Ray Dunaway and Diane Smith, and Rizzotti was interviewed on NBC 30’s 10 a.m. news show. (WTIC-AM, Sept. 15; Hartford Courant, Sept. 16; NBC 30, Sept. 16)

A power outage at the university, which occurred late Saturday afternoon, Sept. 17, into the morning hours of Sept. 18, was covered by Fox 61 as part of a story about the impact of the heavy storms that swept through the state on Saturday. (Fox 61, Sept. 18)

The dedication of the university’s television studio in honor of Kent McCray was the lead item in the “Java” column of the Hartford Courant on Sept. 16. McCray, a Hartt School alumnus, made his career in television (he worked for 11 years as associate producer of “Bonanza” with Michael Landon and then for 10 years, again with Landon, on “Little House on the Prairie.”) McCray donated $100,000 to the studio, which has been named the Kent McCray Television Studio. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 16; WTIC-AM, Sept. 16)

The promotion of John Carson to vice president for university relations was included in the “Morning Briefs” column in the Hartford Courant's Business section. The Courant story noted Carson’s service to the university as acting vice president for finance and administration from 1997 to 1998, and as senior advisor to the president for corporate and community relations from 1998 until this year, as well as his having served as state commissioner of economic development from 1981 to 1988. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 16)

A story on the childhood home of actress Katharine Hepburn, which is now owned by the University of Hartford, was featured on the Home and Garden cable television network. In addition to having a Hepburn historian leading viewers on a tour of the home, the segment also featured an interview with the home’s current resident, Norm Young, the university’s senior director of facilities. (Home and Garden Television, Sept. 17)

Matthew Silver, a visiting professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford, wrote an opinion article for the Connecticut Jewish Ledger about the Jewish community in New Orleans and the connections between New Orleans and Jerusalem. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Sept. 15)

Leslie Lindenauer, assistant professor of history and women’s studies at the university and executive director of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, was the subject of a question-and-answer interview in the Connecticut Jewish Ledger. On Nov. 3, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame will hold its 12th Annual Gala Event, honoring three Connecticut women who have made an impact on the world—the renowned abstract-expressionist artist Helen Frankenthaler, a long-time Darien resident; pioneering film and television director Martha Coolidge; and actress Rosalind Russell, who was born and raised in Waterbury. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Sept. 15)

George Lechner, a reference assistant in Mortensen Library and an adjunct faculty member who teaches art history, was quoted in a New Britain Herald story about an exhibition of drawings and paintings by abstract artist Cleve Gray. The exhibition opens at the New Britain Museum of American Art on Sept. 28. (New Britain Herald, Sept. 18)

The Fall Entertainment Guide in the Hartford Courant’s “Cal” section included a listing of fall performances scheduled for the MUSIC for a CHANGE benefit concert series under the “Rock/Pop/Country” category. Included under the “Jazz” category were upcoming performances by ensembles from The Hartt School, as well as the Oct. 25 concert by Pat Metheny as part of the MUSIC for a CHANGE benefit concert series. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 15)

Other News

Ricardo Petrillo, 20, a Quinnipiac University sophomore from Westport, died Saturday morning after falling from the third-floor balcony of his campus dormitory. Petrillo was treated at the scene for head trauma and transported by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, and declined to release more information. (The Advocate, Stamford, Sept. 18)

Everyone from Gov. M. Jodi Rell to the state auditors have criticized the University of Connecticut for major fire and safety code violations in its massive construction program. Now, it’s up to the state legislature to decide whether to impose its own restrictions or sanctions on the building program. But some lawmakers wonder whether anything will be done, considering that 14 of the 36 state senators attended UConn, as did 38 House members—by far the largest alumni ranks of any college in the legislature. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 19)

The University of Connecticut’s student newspaper, The Daily Campus, called for University President Philip E. Austin to resign, saying he has not taken responsibility for problems that have marred the UConn 2000 construction program. In an editorial, the newspaper said that Austin has acknowledged that as university president he must accept responsibility for the problems, but the editorial said he “has done little to indicate he is actually sorry about the current state of affairs.” (Hartford Courant, Sept. 14)

Former President Bill Clinton will visit Western Connecticut State University on Oct. 3 to thank students who helped raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Pacific tsunami. The school students raised $300,000 to help rebuild a school in Sri Lanka for 1,500 students. The non-profit Brother’s Brother Foundation agreed to match those funds if Clinton agreed to accept the check in person. (Connecticut Post, Sept. 18)

State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier made stops in West Hartford and Cheshire to promote state college savings programs and observe national “College Savings Month.” With college-tuition bills now rivaling monthly mortgage payments for many households, she urged families to plan ahead or face getting left behind. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 16)

University of Bridgeport student Walter Davies, 19, was accused of using racial slurs and was charged with intimidation based on bigotry or bias, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Police said Davies had been arguing with the proctors over the school’s ban on partying and drinking. (Connecticut Post, Sept. 15)

Prosecutors contend that Fairfield University sophomore Mark Fisher, 19, was shot to death and dumped on a Brooklyn street for showing “disrespect” by sitting on a table at a house party, according to opening statements in John Guica’s and Antonio Russo’s trial on murder and robbery charges in Fisher’s 2003 slaying. Fisher allegedly angered Guica, 21, when he perched on the table at Guica’s after-hours gathering. (Associated Press, Sept. 15)

Gregory Korb, 19, a Yale University sophomore, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 13 to charges that he sexually assaulted another Yale student in a university dorm room two weeks ago, before the start of classes. Korb was arraigned in Superior Court in New Haven on felony charges of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and first-degree unlawful restraint. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 14)

David Ives, executive director of Quinnipiac University’s Albert Schweitzer Institute, has been appointed to the International Steering Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty, a coalition of organizations working to control the arms trade according to established principles of human rights, humanitarian law, and peaceful international relations. (Hartford Courant, Sept. 6)

Among adults age 25 to 34, the United States ranks seventh, with Belgium, in the share of people who hold a college degree. Twenty years ago, the U.S. was first in the world in this measurement, said Barry McGaw, director of education for the Paris-based Organization for Cooperation and Development. (Washington Post, Sept. 13)