Date: 04/30/2007

FOUNDERS' WEEK begins today, April 30, with SJSU hosting a special reception for Sacramento-area alumni and friends. Sen. Abel Maldonado, Sen. Elaine Alquist, Assemblywoman Sally Lieber and Assemblyman Jim Silva will attend. Also, President Kassing will be there along with many more San Jos?? State students, faculty, staff and alumni. Both houses of the legislature have prepared resolutions recognizing SJSU's sesquicentennial. Also, on Friday, May 4, the third annual SJSU College of Science Student Research Day will feature 40 posters describing student and faculty research. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the ground floor of Duncan Hall.

On Sunday, April 29, the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS published a 76-page special section on SJSU's sesquicentennial. The coverage begins with a front-page story profiling student Joel Bridgeman, whose trials and triumphs reflect that of many SJSU students. The Division of University Advancement, including the media relations office, would like to thank all students, faculty, staff and administrators past and present who assisted the Mercury News. Read the special section's stories and view a related multimedia package.

A new SCULPTURE by SJSU alumnus Keith Bush now graces the interior plaza of Sweeney Hall. "The Educators" depicts an adult holding a primer and a child holding a laptop, reflecting SJSU's 150th anniversary theme, "Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow." The sculpture was the brainchild of the college's alumni board, which also raised funds to cover all costs. The sculpture was unveiled at a VIP reception Thursday, April 26.

More than 900 students, faculty, staff and community members registered to participate in SJSU's first campus-wide DAY OF SERVICE Friday, April 20. Volunteers worked at parks, schools and a public library. CommUniverCity San Jos?? -- a collaboration between the community, SJSU, the City of San Jos?? and partnering non-profit organizations to address important issues in the Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrace neighborhood -- organized projects and acquired supplies and equipment. The event attracted a generous amount of media coverage. Read the San Jos?? Mercury News story. More on CommUniverCity.

Also, two departments chose Day of Service projects capitalizing on their expertise. On Friday, April 20, COUNSELOR EDUCATION held a school counselor leadership conference for 170 people at Sweeney Hall. The conference closed with a panel on "Crisis Counseling after Campus Violence" as a response to the Virginia Tech tragedy. All full-time faculty and many part-timers presented at the event, and more than ten students volunteered.

On Saturday, April 21, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY volunteered with the nonprofit Rebuilding Together. They made home repairs for an elderly woman who uses a walker and has Alzheimer's Disease. The team painted the home, installed an entrance ramp, added hand holds, fastened and secured doors, and taped down or removed dangerous carpeting. Volunteers included lecturer Janet Jabri and students Rachel DeLaRosa, Breanna Hachtmann, Lauren Harrell, Mark Neves, Vy Nguyen, Alicia Octavio, Rosa Romero, Jessica Urbani and Gail Dennis. More on Rebuilding Together.