Wilson’s Men’s Soccer Team Helps International Students Feel at Home By Frances Caroscio Even before soccer entered the landscape at Wilson as a men’s varsity sport, the game brought students together on campus.
Bassil Andijani ’18, an international student from Saudi Arabia, and Jessie Smith ’18, an international student from Jamaica, helped organize campus pick-up soccer games prior to the 2015-16 school year. They met up every week or so to play in the field house, with some members of the women’s soccer team joining in occasionally. To organize the indoor games, “We would just text everyone,” Smith said.
So when soccer became a men’s varsity sport last year, Andijani, Smith and several others from the campus pick-up games joined the team. In its inaugural year, seven of the 18 students on the men’s soccer team were international students. This year’s roster has grown to 23 players, nine of whom are international. With players from six different countries outside the U.S.—including England, Ghana, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Spain—the team embraces a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
“It’s not like it’s just the American culture. You get a lot of different cultures from other places” on the team, said Dan Perry ’20, a first-year student from London. Soccer provides a common bond for the players, and for the international students, the game is something familiar that they bring with them from their home country. “We all play football and it’s the one thing we have in common,” Perry said. “It’s such a big culture thing for us in England. It’s our lifestyle, pretty much.”
The blending of players from different cultures also creates a team with varied styles of play, according to the team’s head coach, Caleb Davis. “It’s really cool to take players from all over the world—and then also Maryland, New Jersey, New York—and put them together on the field,” he said. The team plays as a unit because members established strong bonds through the common thread of their love of soccer, according to Davis. “No one knew each other and they clicked,” he said.
Kevin Lysaght ’19 of Toms River, N.J., has been a part of Wilson men’s soccer team since its inception. The coaches have stressed the family dynamic since day one, he said. “It’s the easiest way to connect, off the field, on the field—no matter what happens, we’re all together.”
Last year, Davis had the team over to his house for Thanksgiving dinner and he cooked all of the traditional fare. The tradition may have been unfamiliar to some of the international students, but as Andijani explained, “It was a great experience and most importantly, we got a chance to gather as a family and eat.”
The team also fosters male friendships on a campus that remains more than 80 percent women. “If I need help with things for school, I can ask them,” Andijani said of his teammates, underscoring how the team offers a support network.
The soccer team plays a big role in the international students’ American experiences. Members often eat dinner, study, play video games and watch soccer games together. Davis will bring pizza to the student center when the players watch televised soccer games. When they watch big matches, many of them root for different teams. “They trash talk if their favorite teams are different. It’s almost like brothers picking on each other,” Davis said.
Although the soccer team is tightly knit, they bring their sense of family out into the larger Wilson community. “We hang out with the women’s soccer team—they come play indoors with us,” said Lysaght. “We hang out with the softball team…It helps us get together, but then again, everyone gets together here. The entire school is family-oriented.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Sept. 20, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College is seeking artwork created by area artists for juried exhibitions at Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery in Lortz Hall and the Cooley Gallery in the college’s Learning Commons for 2017-18. Submissions are due by midnight Nov. 30.
The exhibitions are open to visual artists aged 18 and older who live within 100 miles of Chambersburg. There are no entry fees. All works must be original and not previously exhibited in either the Bogigian or Cooley galleries.
Visual artists are encouraged to submit portfolios of eight to 12 images of recent work. Entries must be in digital (.jpg) format of up to one megabyte and files should be labeled with the artist’s name, entry number, title, date and file extensions (example: jones1_flowervase_2016.jpg). Entries should be submitted by CD and mailed to: Prof. Philip Lindsey, Division of Arts and Letters, Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, Pa. 17201.
Artists who submit film or video must be able to provide their own hardware and software, should their work be accepted for exhibition. They are asked to mail a CD/DVD using the address above or email an electronic link to view a sample film or video. Two- and three-dimensional works of art will be considered for the exhibition. All entries must be exhibition-ready.
Artists should also enclose a CV/resume with contact information, an artist statement and information on their works titles, dates, medium and size. They are asked to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return of materials.
For more information, visit www.wilson.edu/bogigian-gallery and/or www.wilson.edu/cooley-gallery.
Questions can be directed to Philip Lindsey at philip.lindsey@wilson.edu or 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305.
MEDIA CONTACT: Philip Lindsey, Professor of Fine Arts Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305 Email: philip.lindsey@wilson.edu
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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, management, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.
Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college has a fall 2016 enrollment of 1,098, which includes students from 18 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Sept. 15, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — A total of 1,098 students have enrolled at Wilson College for the fall semester, the largest enrollment in the 147-year history of the liberal arts college. The number of new students entering the traditional undergraduate college increased by nearly 8 percent over fall 2015, producing the largest incoming class since 1967.
This year’s enrollment marks the fourth consecutive year of growth under the Wilson Today plan.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome the largest number of students to Wilson in our history,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “All of the planning and work by everyone associated with the college—faculty, staff, the board of trustees and alumnae—is moving us in the right direction. We’re proud that we’ve been able to continue to grow and strengthen not only the institution, but also the wider community.”
Wilson College has its largest enrollment in the traditional undergraduate program—primarily residential students—since 1973. This year, 458 are enrolled in the traditional undergraduate college, a 15 percent increase of students from a year ago. Men now represent 16 percent of this population and 17 percent of the total enrollment.
The traditional undergraduate college added 179 new first-year and transfer students, who represent 11 states and 13 countries.
Wilson’s fastest-growing enrollment program remains graduate study, with 350 students enrolled across seven master’s degree programs—a 50 percent increase over fall 2014. Wilson’s graduate degree programs include accounting, education, management, humanities, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability.
“College admissions remains extremely competitive today, and while we’d like to see growth at higher levels, we’re happy to continue our positive trend in enrollment,” Mistick said. “It’s gratifying to see more students on campus and the impact they have on the vitality of our community.”
Wilson is honored in the newly released U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, which ranks the college fourth in the “best value” category for regional colleges in the North and 13th overall in the same group. U.S. News also ranks Wilson among the top regional colleges for international student enrollment, tied for seventh among North regional colleges, with 8 percent of its student body identified as from a country other than the United States.
Wilson’s value ranking, along with recognition as a “Tuition Hero” for holding tuition without an increase over the past six years, affirms the school’s commitment to providing an affordable college education. In addition, Wilson’s online master’s program in nursing was included in last week’s AffordableSchools.net list of 25 top affordable online master’s programs in registered nursing.
College officials credit the initiatives of the Wilson Today plan for the increase in enrollment. Approved in January 2013, the plan includes a tuition reduction and student loan buyback program, new career-oriented academic programs, campus improvements, coeducation in all programs and improved marketing and retention efforts.
The Adult Degree Program—for those who’ve been out of high school for at least four years—stands at a total of 290 students enrolled, about the same as last year.
Wilson’s continued enrollment increase stands in contrast to national enrollment trends. Based on the most recent data available, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported a decline of 1.7 percent in higher education enrollment nationally for 2015, while showing a slight 0.3 percent decrease at four-year, nonprofit private colleges. Since 2013, Wilson has seen a 48.7 percent increase in traditional undergraduate enrollment, with a 65.8 percent increase overall.
Wilson students come from as far away as California and Florida. They represent 18 states (including Pennsylvania), as well as 16 foreign countries.
CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Sept. 13, 2016
Wilson College's Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies and the Franklin County Historical Society will co-host the second annual “People, Place, Plates” farm-to-table dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in Wilson's Laird Hall. The dinner is open to the public, but is limited to those age 21 and over.
Tickets are $48 per person, $85 per couple and $400 for a table for eight. Proceeds support the work of the historical society and the Fulton Center, two unique organizations that help make the community more engaged, connected and healthy.
The dinner is meant to celebrate the rich, agricultural heritage of the Cumberland Valley, as well as the bounty of the season, according to Chris Mayer, FCSS director. The locally sourced menu includes: braised chicken, BJ's shepherd’s pie, a smoke-roasted pig with an assortment of homemade sauces, seasonal vegetables and seasonal desserts. Music will be provided by the band Don’t Look Down, and the event will also feature a raffle, tours of the college’s Fulton Farm and a farmer photo booth.
Tickets are available online at www.eventbrite.com or at the historical society office, 175 East King St., Chambersburg.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Mayer, Director, Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3247 Email: cmayer @wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Aug. 9, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — A gift from Wilson College graduate, businesswoman and philanthropist Susan Breakefield Fulton will pave the way for a new campus veterinary medical center planned for completion in 2019.
Fulton, one of Wilson’s generous, longtime supporters, recently pledged a lead gift of $500,000 for a new veterinary building to replace the Helen M. Beach ’24 Veterinary Medical Center. The facility houses surgery suites, skill labs, dog kennels, a cat room, offices and other spaces, and is a hub for students in Wilson’s four-year veterinary medical technology (VMT) program—one of the college’s most popular majors.
College officials saw a need to upgrade the 18-year-old, 5,400-square-foot Beach veterinary medical center after the most recent American Veterinary Medical Association’s reaccreditation process identified the need for improvements to the modular facility—including the replacement of the (HVAC) system, Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Ecker said.
“We knew before the next reaccreditation (in 2020) that either the existing structure was going to need significant upgrades or we would need a new building,” said Ecker.
Fulton, a 1961 Wilson graduate whose interests include environmental sustainability and the welfare of animals, heard of the need and stepped forward. “I’m always looking for ways I can enhance the strength of the college,” said Fulton, a Washington, D.C., resident who is president of the SEC-registered investment company, FBB Capital Partners.
Fulton has made several large gifts to her alma mater, including a $1 million endowment in 1999 to create Wilson’s Richard Alsina Fulton Center for Sustainable Living, named for her late husband. A former college trustee and regular contributor to the college’s annual fund, Fulton last year made a gift to the John Stewart Memorial Library project to name the outdoor plaza in honor of some of the professors who positively impacted her while she studied for a bachelor’s degree in religion. She has also provided funding for sustainability conferences, as well as contributing funds to renovate the college farm’s farmhouse and barn.
“The entire Wilson College community is grateful for Susan’s steadfast support over the years, and we thank her for this latest gift,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “It will have a great impact because it affects students in our most popular major and ensures that the college’s VMT facilities remain state of the art.”
The new veterinary center has tentatively been dubbed the Breakefield Veterinary Medical Center, in recognition of Fulton and her two sisters—Xandra Breakefield and Beverly Breakefield—who also graduated from Wilson.
Details about the new veterinary center, including its size, are still being considered, but preliminary cost estimates are more than $1 million, according to Ecker. Officials said the colleges plan to fund the remaining cost from its capital budget.
The site of the new VMC would most likely be near the tennis courts on the north side of the Brooks Science Center, Ecker said.
“We’re planning to study the programming needs through this academic year, and whatever we do would happen in following year, with the goal to complete in 2019,” he said.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 31 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, management, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.
Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college had a fall 2015 enrollment of 923, which included students from 23 states and 14 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Aug. 29, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Two free exhibitions of abstract paintings will open Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Wilson College, featuring the work of Lancaster artist Daniel Burns in Lortz Hall’s Bogigian Gallery and Chambersburg artist Peter Mazzone in the John Stewart Memorial Library’s Cooley Gallery.
Receptions to mark the openings will be held at the artists’ respective venues from 5 to 7 p.m. Burns will give an artist’s talk at 6 p.m. in Bogigian Gallery.
The Burns exhibition, Recent Work, is a collection of paintings from 2014-15 created in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. “Each [painting] is an invention representing a moment in time, a fleeting time spent in a studio, a new beginning,” said Burns, who describes painting for him as a “desire” “calling,” and a “privilege.” He works to document experiences, relying on instinct and atmosphere. For him, these works reflect a sense of place, which is deeply rooted in American painting.
Burns teaches at Elizabethtown College and is a supervisor of art, world languages and music at Conestoga Valley School District. He holds an M.F.A. from Catholic University and has exhibited across the and abroad in Taiwan and Hungary.
Daniel Burns, Recent Work will continue through Oct.14. The Bogigian Gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or by appointment.
Mazzone’s Progressions is a collection of new paintings inspired by the artist’s desire to “remedy the world around them by and through art.” He says he is interested in the “purity of intuition” and “the consciousness of seeing.”
Mazzone has a bachelor’s degree in studio art and art history from Principia College, a small liberal arts college similar to Wilson. Mazzone does not actively pursue exhibition venues, but his work is held in many private collections throughout North America.
Peter Mazzone, Progressions will continue through Jan. 27, 2017. The Sue Davison Cooley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 11 p.m. Sunday.
For additional information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305, or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Aug. 25, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College opens its 2016-17 Performing Arts Series with a free concert by acclaimed pianist Efi Hackmey at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, in Thomson Hall’s Alumnae Chapel. A reception will be held immediately following the performance.
Hackmey, who has appeared at Wilson a number of times, performs widely as a soloist and chamber musician. In 2013, he released an album on the prestigious Naxos label, and his recent performances have included solo recitals at Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage; Chopin’s F minor concerto with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in Israel; and a chamber music recital as the gala concert of the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles, Calif.
Hackmey has also performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria, and many prominent venues in his native Israel, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Jerusalem Music Center, and in special concerts presented by the Arthur Rubinstein International Music Society.
The free concert is being underwritten by Wilson College alumna Denise Foreman and her husband, Bruce Foreman, of Chambersburg.
For more information on Wilson’s Performing Arts Series events, visit www.wilson.edu/events.
MEDIA CONTACT: Joel Pagliaro, Director of Conferences and Special Events, Sage Dining Services Phone: 717-262-2003 Email: conferences@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 20, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Wilson College a $100,000 grant to strengthen writing instruction for students, especially those in their first year. Wilson plans to use the funding to establish the Wilson Writing Academy, a comprehensive system of instruction that will shape students’ writing skills and analytical reasoning capacities – central components of a liberal arts education.
The Mellon Foundation award, which will be distributed over two years, will provide funding for four main initiatives conducted under an umbrella group that will integrate writing instruction across the curriculum:
These actions will strengthen Wilson’s first-year writing instruction program and bridge the gap between writing foundations courses taken by students in their first months in college and writing-intensive courses in students’ majors.
“Strong writing skills are what distinguish students going into graduate school or the workforce,” said Wilson Vice President for Academic Affairs Elissa Heil. “By ensuring that our students encounter a comprehensive system of instruction that shapes writing skills and analytical reasoning capacities central to the liberal arts, the grant will help them not only become better scholars, but will also provide them with skills that give them a career edge.”
Wilson College has a writing-intensive curriculum and students enrolling out of high school are typically not prepared for the type and length of writing assignments they encounter in their first year. In February, the college sought the grant to help students make a successful transition from high school writing to Wilson.
In addition, Wilson faculty – including full-time professors and part-time instructors – would “benefit from an integrated, cross-disciplinary program that improves writing instruction …” according to Wilson’s grant proposal.
Heil, who is also Wilson dean of the faculty, will serve as the writing project director. English professor Larry Shillock has been named the writing academy administrator.
Plans call for an organizational blueprint to be developed in fall 2016, followed by professional development conducted in spring and summer of 2017. Full implementation of the writing program will happen in the 2018-19 academic year, according to the college.
MEDIA CONTACT: Elissa Heil, Vice President for Academic Affairs Phone: 717-262-2018 Email: elissa.heil@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 26, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College’s Fulton Center for Sustainable Living will host herbalist Lori Wroten, who will discuss “The Art of Herbalism” at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 10, in Sarah’s Coffeehouse. The event is free and open to the public.
To help choose from among the overwhelming number of herbs that can help improve health, Wroten will explain “energetics,” a framework used by natural health practitioners for centuries. During this session, she will discuss how to determine the energetics of both people and plants in order to choose herbs wisely and achieve better results for optimal health benefits.
Wroten is a clinical herbalist practicing in the Chambersburg area. She holds a master of science degree in therapeutic herbalism from Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH), a certificate in herbal studies from MUIH, and a certificate in medical herbalism from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism (NAIMH). She is also a member of the American Herbalists Guild.
For more information, contact FCSL Director Chris Mayer at 717-264-4141, Ext. 3247, or christine.mayer@wilson.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Mayer, Fulton Center for Sustainable Living Director Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3247 Email: christine.mayer@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Aug. 12, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College will host an educational meeting for produce growers and handlers on the impact of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new Food Safety and Modernization Act on their operations. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at Wilson’s Fulton Farm.
The meeting, being held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, Penn State Extension and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, is intended for growers whose buyers require third-party certification – “produce audits” – to allow them to market wholesale produce, according to Chris Mayer, director of Wilson’s Fulton Center for Sustainable Living.
Mayer said a state Department of Agriculture produce auditor will be on hand to walk growers through mock produce audit of Fulton Farm, reviewing the farm’s food safety plan and answering such questions as “Would your farm pass a food safety audit?” and “How much paperwork is involved?”
The meeting is free, but registration is requested and can be made by visiting http://extension.psu.edu/food/safety and clicking on “Produce Mock Audit Twilight Meeting” under “Upcoming Events, or by contacting Penn State Extension Farm Food Safety Educator Jeff Stoltzfus at 717-394-6851.
“Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) are voluntary audits that verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards,” according to the state Dept. of Agriculture website. “GAP and GHP audits verify adherence to the recommendations made in the (FDA’s) Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and industry-recognized food safety practices.”
According to the FDA website, “The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.”
For more information, contact FCSL Director Chris Mayer at 717-264-4141, Ext. 3247, or at christine.mayer@wilson.edu.
