On The Hill

Model NATO Team Wins Again

Representing France and Ukraine, Allegheny students won first-place honors at the annual Model NATO conference for the fourth straight year. Allegheny's team earned the prestigious Best Delegation title as well as an award for its representation of a Partnership for Peace country, Ukraine.

Conference awards are decid- ed by votes from the student delegations of all competing schools. This year's participat- ing schools included the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Citadel, the University of Pittsburgh, Kent State University, and Edinboro University.

The 20th annual Model North Atlantic Treaty Organization Conference was held in Feb- ruary at Howard University. Model NATO simulates the proceedings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and provides a unique opp- ortunity for university and college students to study the role, structure, and activities of NATO.

Participating in Model NATO is the culminating experience of the course European Security and NATO. Political science professors and Model NATO advisers Andrey Meleshevich and Howard Tamashiro taught the course together.

Allegheny students who participated in the 20th annual Model NATO Conference included Tim Gorton '06, Berry Breene '06, Dana Mazur '05, Jeff Weimer '05, Sara Jamshidi '06, Kristin Marstellar '05, Ivan-Marino Oliva Vera, Jennifer Knapp '06, Shane Killian '06, Adam Fogel '06, Adam Lieb '04, and Drew Carlisle '06. Dominic Randazzo '05 served as a special student adviser.

Frick Inaugurates Executive-in-Residence Program

John Frick '72, general partner with Chisholm Private Capital Partners in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, served as executive-in-residence at Allegheny from March 29 through April 1. Frick, who holds a B.S. in mathematics and economics from Allegheny and an M.B.A. from Stanford University, inaugurated the executive-in-residence program.

While in residence, Frick appeared as a guest lecturer in economics courses, talked with faculty and administrators, and spent time meeting informally with students. In a dinner with local business executives, he led a discussion on venture capital and small business development. He also presented a lecture titled "Health Care Crisis" as part of Senior Citizens Awareness Day on April 1.

Assistant Professor of Economics Steve Onyeiwu says Frick's visit was an integral part of the learning process, particularly for students in the economics department's managerial track. "We want our students to move beyond the academic experience to see the practical side of what they are learning," he explains. "The executive-in-residence program gives them a chance to meet executives who are dealing with the challenges and rigors of the real business world."

Students also have the opportunity to make contacts and to network for future career possibilities, Onyeiwu adds, noting the department would like to continue the executive-in-residence program on a regular basis.

Allegheny Recognized in Colleges with a Conscience

Allegheny has been selected for inclusion in the Princeton Review's forthcoming book Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement. The book commends Allegheny as one of the nation's best colleges fostering social responsibility and public service.

"A college with a conscience," says Robert Franek of the Princeton Review, "has both an administration committed to social responsibility and a student body actively engaged in serving society. Education at these schools isn't only about private gain: it's about the public good."

Criteria for selection include a college's admissions practices and scholarships rewarding community service, support for service-learning programs, student activism, student voice in school governance, and level of social engagement of its student body.

"I am pleased that Allegheny was recognized for its strong commitment to service-learning and civic engagement, which are integral to a well-rounded educational experience," says Allegheny president Richard Cook. "Our students and faculty understand that education in its fullest sense means going beyond the classroom walls to become active citizens who take responsibility for their community."

The Princeton Review partnered with Campus Compact, a national organization committed to civic engagement in higher education, to develop Colleges with a Conscience and to choose the schools featured in the book.

College Community Aids Tsunami Relief Effort

In the wake of the December tsunami disaster, the Allegheny community was quick to join in the relief effort. Working in concert with the Meadville community, the International Club organized a drive to collect cans of Ensure, Pediacare, and Boost.

Meadville fifth-grader Andre Francis, whose family is from northeastern Sri Lanka, initiated the idea of collecting liquid nutritional supplements and spearheaded the tsunami relief efforts in Meadville. The Women's Rugby Club, JaDE (Jazz Dance Ensemble), and Alpha Chi Omega also collected donations.

Armstrong Cable broadcast a benefit auction and concert from Academy Theatre. A number of Allegheny staff, faculty, and students were involved in the events, including music department faculty member Jonathan Graber and JaDE.

In addition, Allegheny religious groups sold baked goods and planned to donate the funds to the Christian World Service, a nondenominational faith-based charity.

Shea Named to Election Reform Task Force

Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has appointed Associate Professor of Political Science Daniel Shea to serve on the Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force.

The governor's task force will, among other things, examine options and make recommendations regarding the allocation of Electoral College votes in presidential elections and changing the date of the state's presidential primary election. It will also review absentee voting procedures, make recommendations to increase voter participation, and make recommendations to address deficiencies with respect to the federal Help America Vote Act. Composed of thirteen members from across the state, the task force will present its final recommendations in a report to the governor this spring.

Shea directs the College's Center for Political Participation, which was established in 2002 to foster an appreciation for the vital link between an engaged, active citizenry and a healthy democracy.

Randazzo Named Rangel Fellow

Dominic Randazzo '05 is one of only ten students nationwide to be awarded the new Charles B. Rangel Fellowship, which recognizes outstanding leadership and academic achievements.

Co-sponsored by Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center and the U.S. Department of State, the award provides up to $28,000 annually for two years of graduate study in international affairs or a related subject. In addition to their schooling, Rangel Fellows will participate in two internships: a six-week internship on Capitol Hill and an overseas internship in a U.S. embassy.

As the program is designed to lead to a career in the State Department, participating fellows commit to a minimum of three years in the Foreign Service upon completing a graduate degree. Randazzo, a political science major and black studies minor, will be mentored by a current Foreign Service officer throughout the fellowship and during his initial employment in the State Department.

Randazzo has been recognized with several awards, including an honorable mention in USA Today's 2005 All-USA College Academic Team. He also won the 2004-2005 Arthur R. Priest Award, a $4,000 grant awarded by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity to its most outstanding undergraduate member. He founded Allegheny's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and serves as senior class president.

Student Performs in Big Apple

Music major Jamie Ball '06 was one of only seventy-two students selected to participate in the National Small College Intercollegiate Band, held in New York City in February. The honors band participants performed in concert at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.

Held in conjunction with the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Conference, the band incorporated intensive seminars, long rehearsals, and a final concert performance. Ball is the third Allegheny student to be selected for the intercollegiate band; notably, all three earned first chair in their instruments.

Students are selected for the intercollegiate band based upon ability, involvement in music organizations, musical accomplishments, and recommendations.

Principal saxophonist with the Allegheny Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble, Ball also performs with the College Chorus and College Choir. He studies alto saxophone under Professor Emeritus Robert Bond.