Founders Day and Convocation celebrates the formal beginning of the new academic year and all students, faculty and staff are urged to attend. This year Founders Day and Convocation is scheduled for Friday, October 17, 2008, at 11 a.m. at the Main Building Auditorium (32nd and Chestnut Streets).

Dr. Daniel C. Esty (above), Hillhouse Professor at Yale University and author of Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage , will be the keynote speaker.

Founders Day and Convocation will be followed by a reception at the Great Court in the Main Building.

Classes will be canceled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the University City Main Campus to allow members of the Drexel community to attend. Students in the Health Sciences and School of Public Health must check with their program directors for class schedules on that day.

For more information, call the Office of the Provost at 215-895-2200.

The Sierra Club will host a screening of the Sundance Preserve film, Fighting Goliath, narrated by Robert Redford, today, October 8, 2008, at 8 p.m. at Mitchell Auditorium, Bossone Research Enterprise Center (Market Street between 31st and 32nd Streets).

This film is approximately 40 minutes long. Free popcorn will be provided.

Drexel Votes 2008 will co-host a debate with the Drexel Democrats and Drexel Republicans, moderated by Dr. Scott Knowles, professor in the Department of History and Politics, about energy issues and energy policy today, October 8, 2008, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mitchell Auditorium, Bossone Research Enterprise Center (Market Street, between 31st and 32nd Streets).

 Students are invited to hear how John McCain and Barack Obama's energy plans differ and how these plans might affect the future.

There wil be an opportunity for audience questions. 

The Philadelphia Orchestra and the University have partnered to offer the Campus Concert Series. The first of four on-campus concerts will take place Thursday, October 9, 2008, at 8 p.m. in Van Rensselaer Ballroom (3320 Powelton Avenue).

This concert will feature Philadelphia Orchestra musicians Daniel Han (violin), Yayoi Numazawa (violin) and Natalie Zhu (piano).

The Undergraduate Student Government Association will sponsor Quad Craze 2008, today, October 8, 2008, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Korman Quad (between Chestnut and Market Streets and 32nd and 33rd Streets). 

All movers and shakers, dance, music and fun-lovers are invited to an open-air dance party featuring home-grown Drexel DJs, insane dancers and some wild 'n crazy kids, for one kickin' good time. Exhibition mixing will begin at 8 p.m. and the show will begin promptly at 9 p.m.

Have questions regarding student life, campus dining, University housing, public safety, recreation or facilities? Join James R. Tucker, senior vice president for Student Life and Administrative Services and key members of his division for a complimentary student lunch and open forum to share thoughts and have questions answered on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at noon in the Atrium, located on the third floor, Bossone Research Enterprise Center (32nd and Market Streets).

Tucker oversees the largest non-academic administrative division at the University. The luncheon will also feature special presentations about campus construction with Robert Francis, vice president for University Facilities and the new campus dining master plan with Rita LaRue Gollotti, senior associate vice president for Drexel Business Services.

The event is free, but seating is limited.  RSVP by Friday, October 10, 2008.

What changes will the new police force bring to campus? How will this improve life for commuter students? Commuter, Graduate and Transfer Student Programs and Services will host  a townhall meeting today, October 8, 2008, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Charlotte Alletag Commuter Lounge on the lower level, Creese Student Center (32nd and Chestnut Streets). 

This townhall meeting will provide an opportunity for commuters and students who live off-campus to find out what’s happening on campus, and to share ideas and questions with public safety representatives. The event is open to all undergraduate and graduate commuter and off-campus students,

Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, is a time when Jews everywhere reflect on their lives, and seek forgiveness for their misdeeds in the previous year. Many observe this holiday by fasting and attending services, and others  have their own tradition of observance. This year, Yom Kippur will begin at sundown today, October 8, and conclude at sundown tomorrow, October 9, 2008. Services will be available for students at the University of Pennsylvania and area synagogues.

A Drexel community breakfast will be held at October 9 at 7:30 a.m. in Behrakis Grand Hall, Creese Student Center (32nd and Chestnut Streets).

The Department of Culture and Communication will host a focus group about marketing images of Africa in Western media on Thursday, October 9, 2008, from 4 to 6 p.m. in room 116, Korman Center (33rd Street between Chestnut and Market Streets).

This focus group is being conducted by a University researcher. 

Complimentary pizza and soft drinks will be served.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Drexel University College of Medicine and the Office of Human Resources will present a  Women’s Health Lecture, “Protect and Detect: What Every Woman Should Know About Gynecologic Cancer,” on Friday, October 10, 2008, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Faculty Club, sixth floor, MacAlister Hall (33rd and Chestnut Streets).

Stephanie A. King, M.D., an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, DUCoM, will talk about the important screening and early warning symptoms of cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers. Dr. King completed her internship and residency in obstetrics, and received a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic oncology. Her areas of expertise include radical pelvic surgery for gynecologic malignancies. She developed the laparoscopic technique SPA (Single Port Access)with her husband, Dr. Paul Curcillo, a general surgeon.

This event is free and open to Drexel faculty and staff. A light lunch will be served. Reservations are not necessary.

Human Resources will host, “Snooze You Lose…Join The 403(b) Retirement Plan,” today, October 8, 2008, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Center City Hahnemann Campus in room 105, Bellet Building 1505 Race Street). The next Benefits Buzz session, “Tuition Remission," will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2008, at the same time and location.

Benefits Buzz is an informal weekly meeting that answers questions and provides information about Drexel benefits.

Human Resources representatives will be available to present information and answer questions from faculty and staff.

For more information, email Trish Mahon at pam82@drexel.edu.

The Campus Activites Board is selling tickets for a performance of Philadanco on Thursday, October 16, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts  (260 South Broad Street). 

Philadanco is a contemporary dance tradition that has enjoyed worldwide acclaim for three decades. It mixes hip hop and globetrotting movements to create a dynamic atmosphere of energetic dance. 

Tickets will go on sale today, October 8, 2008, at the Campus Activities Board office, first floor, MacAlister Hall (33rd and Chestnut Streets). Students may purchase two tickets per I.D.

The Foundation for Undergraduate Sexual Equality (FUSE) invites all interested students to attend Coming Out Day today, October 8, 2008, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Buckley Recreational Field (33rd and Arch Streets). 

There will be complimentary  pizza, music and games. Also, students will sign the  "Ally Pledge," promising to be open-minded toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning (GLBTQ) students on campus.

Coming Out Day is normally on October 11, but a decidion was made to celebrate it at a time when everyone is on campus to join in the celebration.

• Time Management
  Presented by: Sean R. Anthony, assistant director, CCHC Center for Academic Success
  Today, October 8, 2008, from noon to 1 p.m. Suite 1608, New College Building (245 N. 15 th Street)
  
  This workshop is designed to help students face the intricacies and personal connections that are attached to time, provide them with new ways to schedule their time, and recommend practical ways to protect time and actually stick to a realistic schedule. Students are encouraged to bring their calendars and class syllabi to this workshop.

• Engineering Information Skills
  Presented by: Jay Bhatt, information services librarian for engineering, today, October 8, 2008, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., 2020 MacAlister Hall (33rd and Chestnut Streets)
  
  This is a highly interactive workshop in which students will develop various engineering information-seeking skills using Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, RSS feeds, tagging, and Facebook. Students will explore a Web-based citation management software, Refworks, to create a collaborative bibliography for research papers or engineering design projects. Attendees should bring a laptop. Students who don't have one may call Instructional Media Services at 215-895-2925 to reserve a laptop.

The Women’s Studies Program, Greater Philadelphia Women’s Studies Consortium, the Department of History and Politics, International Area Studies and the Office of International Programs will present "Passionate Politics: The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Human Rights," on Friday, October 17, 2008, at 11:45 a.m. in room 121, Randell Hall (32nd and Chestnut Streets).

Charlotte Bunch (above), founder and executive director of the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University will speak. Bunch has been an activist, author and organizer in the women's, civil, and human rights movements for four decades. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations and is currently a member of the advisory committee for the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, and on the boards of the Global Fund for Women and the International Council on Human Rights Policy. She has been a consultant to many United Nations bodies and recently served on the advisory committee for the secretary general’s 2006 Report to the General Assembly on Violence Against Women.

The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology, will host its fall Ph.D. Open House for prospective doctoral students on Wednesday, October 22, 2008, from 5 to 7 p.m. in room 14, Rush Building (30 N. 33rd Street).

Doctoral students at the iSchool share a passion for research, and exploring how technology links people and information. Human-computer interaction, data mining, digital libraries and competitive intelligence are just a few of the areas in which iSchool students contribute to the information field. The application fee for the doctoral program will be waived for those attending the Ph.D. Open House.

Free parking is available in the Drexel Parking Garage (34th and Market Streets).

The Recreation Department will present  representatives from the Peace Corps, Semester at Sea, Outward Bound, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Drexel's Weekend Warriors at an information fair on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, from 3 to 9 p.m. in the lobby, Daskalakis Athletic Center (33rd and Chestnut Streets).

The fair will provide students, faculty and staff with information about the opportunities available with these organizations.

Jonson Miller, adjunct professor of history, was quoted in an article about mackerel being used as currency in prisons on TransWorldNews.com Oct. 6, 2008. The story was syndicated from the Wall Street Journal.