GCC

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week kicked off this morning at Genesee Community College with a ceremonial flag raising and a speech by Lt .Gov. Kathy Hochul.

All local law enforcement, the FBI and Genesee County Mental Health Association, were in attendance today to spread awareness of the rights of crime victims. Specifically their focus was on educating the community about the protection of young adults and preventing them from becoming victims. The keynote speaker was Special Agent Steve Miller of the FBI. His education speech was on social media and how it is used for cyber-bullying, sexual predators and other dangers.

Hochul began her speech this morning by asking for a moment of silence for the victims of the Oklahoma bombing 20 years ago. She went on to mention a few new initiatives by the state relative to crime victims. First she mentioned how seriously Governor Cuomo is taking sexual assault on campus at colleges. She said thinking needs to be changed to recognize sexual assault on campus as a crime and the Governor’s office has made this a top priority.

The next topic was an announcement that crime victims can now ask the state for financial assistance online. This online access is meant to make applying for aid less stressful and simpler than before. The financial assistance is meant to help with medical bills, lost wages, moving expenses and other financial needs stemming from being victimized.

In 2014 8,300 crime victims were paid more than $20 million in compensation. The funding for this financial relief and program comes form the fines levied against offenders. For more information about this financial program please visit www.ovs.ny.gov or call 1-800-247-8035

As the week continues, two more meetings are open to all to attend:

Wednesday, April 22, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Stewards of Children Child Sexual Abuse

Prevention Training

YWCA, 301 North St., Batavia

Call Theresa at 585-344-0516, ext. 111, for information.

Friday, April 24, 5:30 p.m.

Ceremonial Walk and Reception

Old County Courthouse

Corner of routes 5 and 63.

The 2015 Congressional Art Competition winner and honorable mentions were announced today at Genesee Community College in the Roz Steiner gallery.

The competition was open to high school students to enter their visual art. Oil paintings, photographs, works in pencil, paints, pastels and mixed media where hung in the gallery. All created by our very own, very talented, local high school artists. 

The Roz Steiner Gallery at GCC was filled with happy visitors admiring classical and modem works. The gallery had the look and excitement of an opening at MoMA in Manhattan.  The exhibit runs in the gallery April 23 through May 18. If you are at all interested in art you should try and see this impressive exhibit. 

Rep. Chris Collins was on hand to announce winners and congratulate all the students involved. But before the award announcement, Collins also took time to personally and privately tour the exhibit and admire the truly impressive works.

UPDATE: Here are the winners:

Winner -  Mallory Showalter, Clarence High School
1st runner up – Kazuki Kanehira, Clarence High School
Honorable mention – Danielle Saeva, Clarence High School
Honorable mention – Cheyenne Ernst, Batavia High School

During his opening comments Representative Collins renewed his support of the Arts in schools.

The winner’s work will be exhibited with the winners from all of the rest of the congressional districts at the U.S. Capitol for a year. For more information on the Congressional Art Competition please visit: http://www.house.gov/content/educate/art_competition/

To see more picture go to: http://jimburns.org/p694578929#h41e007ef

Searchers were called out to the Genesee Community College campus this evening to look for a possible despondent Le Roy resident whose car was located in the parking lot of the campus after he went missing around 2:40 p.m.

This afternoon Le Roy PD was asked to check on a male in his 40s. 

The man was not located at his residence in LeRoy. 

The man’s cell phone was pinged and that gave his general location.

Police initiated a search for the man and his car was found a short time later at the Batavia campus, but the missing man was nowhere in sight.

According to Le Roy Detective John Condidorio, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office was then called to assist in the search.

Campus security also assisted, checking the ball fields and the school grounds.

A Sheriff's K-9 unit was brought in to assist. 

State Police dispatched its helicopter to provide aerial coverage. 

Sheriff's Sgt. Jon Szumigala said the search team was worried about approaching darkness making the search more difficult so a foot search was ordered.

Town of Batavia Fire Department responded. 

Volunteer firefighters located the man in a wooded area west of the GCC parking. He was conscious but needed medical attention.

Mercy Flight was on call but not dispatched.

Mercy EMS transported the patient at 6:30 p.m.

His identity is not being released.

Press release:

"This will be the largest, most significant project the College has undertaken since the main building was constructed in the early '70s," Robert Joy, managing principal of JMZ Architects and Planners told Genesee Community College Board of Trustees at the monthly meeting Monday night. "It is a transformational project implementing the College's Facilities Master Plan, and transforming the way student success services are delivered."

Members of JMZ's design team, Kristin Schmitt and Nina Oldenquist, joined Joy in presenting several new architectural sketches to illustrate the design developments currently under way on the $20 million project featuring two new buildings at the Batavia Campus. Combined, the new facilities will provide an additional 54,000 square feet of new indoor space while repurposing existing space largely for labs and classrooms to accommodate new academic programs such as Nanotechnology. In addition, the project includes reconfiguring both the College's entranceway with a possible roundabout and also the parking lots for the anticipated increase of visitor traffic.

The state-of-the-art College and Community Event Center will be the largest expanse of public floor space in GLOW, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties, GCC's four-county service area. Located near the northwest quadrant of the parking lot, the Event Center will complement the adjacent soccer and lacrosse turf field, which was introduced in 2010. The new 45,000-square-foot Center features two full-service facilities gracefully connected by a two-story, arcade-like lobby with south-facing windows creating a warm and welcoming front entrance area.

The large, pre-engineered arena not only accommodates an array of athletic competitions, but the open space will allow all kinds of civic, community, trade, industry as well as college events -- from farm, boat and tractor shows, to track-and-field meets, and of course, commencement ceremonies where a whole family can sit together. The much smaller, adjacent building provides classrooms, locker rooms, coaches' offices, the fitness center, meeting rooms and a press box overlooking the turf field.

Together these two connected buildings will become a "hub of activity and well as economic development for GLOW," Joy told the trustees. The new facility is expected to draw as many as 500,000 visitors to campus each year. The construction cost is estimated at just under $14 million.

The new Student Success Center will bring all the services students need to start their college education and career into one central location that will become the College's new "front door," according to Joy.

Enrollment, admissions, advisement, records and financial aid, as well as career services and a variety of other educational offices will move into the new 9,000-square-foot facility, which will be constructed adjacent to and attached by a second-story bridge with the Conable Technology Building.

The new shared space with a welcoming front entrance and lobby is just the beginning though. The Student Success Center will increase efficiency and the flexibility of the services provided, Joy stated, getting students "more engaged and leading to improved student recruitment and retention long into the future." Joy noted the Student Success Center also creates a true, outdoor campus quad around the Clock Tower Plaza. The project cost is approximately $5 million.

Together, the two building projects follow GCC's Facilities Master Plan, which was approved by the Board and SUNY (State University of New York) almost two years ago. Construction bid packages will likely be released in February or March 2016 with the project components bundled to attract the interest and involvement of local contractors. Barring unforeseen conditions, the construction project of both buildings should be completed by the end of 2017.

GCC is hosting the annual Tech Wars, an engineering competition for students from schools throughout the GLOW region.

Press release:

Using the power of music and harmony of voices, the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus (RGMC) strives to spread inclusion through diversity. On Friday, March 20, hear their harmonies in person at Genesee Community College's Stuart Steiner Theatre. They will perform one show only at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the GCC box office at (585) 345-6418 or via e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

RGMC began in 1982 when five friends pursued their dream of using music to create an acceptance of social diversity and using the harmony of voice to create a harmony of spirit. Now more than 40 members strong, the Chorus is as vibrant as ever and remains committed to its mission of creating social change through excellence in the choral arts by nurturing pride in and acceptance of the diversity of our communities.

The show at GCC will feature selections from RGMC's spring concert FantABBAtastic. As the name implies, the chorus will sing a number of ever popular songs first introduced by the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. These include "Dancing Queen," "The Winner Takes it All," "Waterloo," "Mamma Mia," and others.

"Their music had wonderful complexities, from the driving bass lines, to the beautiful vocals, to the harmonies and structures which seemed so simple but sometimes were not, to the lyrics which often mirrored what we were thinking and feeling," said Robert Strauss, Ph.D., RGMC artistic director. "For these reasons, and so many more, we knew we had to bring you a concert dedicated to this music."

Tickets to the RGMC show are $8 for adults, $5 for GCC faculty/staff and senior citizens, $3 for GCC students. Alumni with ID receive $2 off the full ticket price.

The RGMC show at GCC is sponsored by the College's Fine Arts Committee and GCC's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

Press release:

Leaders from State University of New York (SUNY) campuses in the Finger Lakes region today called on local elected officials to continue supporting public higher education by creating a new investment fund and extending NYSUNY 2020, including the successful rational tuition policy, in the 2015-16 New York State Budget.

At Monroe Community College today, five SUNY presidents, including Genesee Community College President James Sunser, Ed.D., were joined by students and faculty members to present a unified voice advocating for all 64 SUNY colleges and universities.

The key component of SUNY’s budget request is an investment fund that will enable SUNY to graduate 150,000 students annually by 2020 through the system-wide scale up of evidence-based programs known to support student success, including Finish in Four completion promises, applied learning, Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), and expanded advisement services.

“Community colleges have become key economic drivers within our local communities,” Sunser said. “The academic programs and workforce training we offer brings competitive salaries and wages to our graduates, and increased productivity and profitability to our business community.

"Community colleges produce a very positive net economic return to our communities, and without question, increased New York state investment in our 30 community colleges goes hand in hand with economic growth.”

SUNY continues to be a huge economic driver for the state, serving 3 million New Yorkers every year — including students, faculty, staff, and others — and an economic powerhouse that generates $21 billion annually for New York.

Since NYSUNY 2020 was first enacted, SUNY campuses have used additional revenue generated by rational tuition to grow and expand student services, including the hiring of 520 instructional staff, 270 of whom are full-time faculty, and the implementation of 100 new degree programs reflecting high-demand areas in New York’s workforce.

CORRECTION: We posted the wrong time for today's presentation at GCC by marketing and social media expert David Steel. It was scheduled to start at 12 not 2.

The Batavian regrets the error and any inconvenience this caused.

Thankfully, GCC videotaped the whole thing and if you'd like to view his presentation "Be Heard: Influence Marketing -- Locating, Engaging & Motivating Customers Online" simply send an e-mail to:

Marcom@genesee.edu

Subject: David Steel

And they will supply a link with which to view the presentation with Steele's permission.

Steel is the chief viral officer of Sneeze.it, a digital marketing agency, a division of The Steel Method. He is the author of "The Care and Feeding of Highly Aggressive Sales People" and also the soon-to-be-released, "Sneeze.it." A renowned keynote speaker, author, motivator and marketing strategist, Steel is widely recognized for his ability to help organizations monetize their social networks.

At Sneeze.it, he teaches company executives the fundamentals of utilizing social media channels to attract prospects, build a lead pipeline and convert those leads into paying customers. He has a proven track record of turning business owners from social media novices into savvy social media marketers.

Press release:

Anyone needing to take the edge off this long winter should head to Genesee Community College for unique opportunities that celebrate the performing arts and visual arts!

SHOWCASE 2015 offers a medley of performances designed to illustrate the diverse and dynamic talent of GCC's students including singing, music, dance and choreography, theatrics and original drama.

Two complete shows are scheduled, Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. all at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at GCC's Batavia Campus.

Tickets for SHOWCASE are $8 for general admission, $5 for seniors (55+) or students (16+), and all GCC alumni with ID receive $2 off the general admission price. To reserve a seat, call the Box Office, (585) 345-6814 or boxoffice@genesee.edu.

In addition, GCC's Fine Arts Committee and Art Club are delighted to present the Third Annual Fine Arts Festival on Thursday, March 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Forum of the Batavia Campus. Art enthusiasts, artists of all ages and persuasions and anyone who wants to have fun exploring the visual arts are invited to share this creative opportunity. Experience art by participating in your choice of numerous workshops demonstrating creative endeavors such as drawing, painting, photography, origami, printmaking and much more!

"This year's Fine Arts Festival promises to be the most vibrant and exciting opportunity to explore the visual arts," Maureen (Moi) Dugan, associate professor of Fine Arts and Ceramics, said. "We hope the wider community will join us!" The Fine Arts Festival is free and open to the public.

Another exciting opportunity for local music lovers is the just-announced performance of The Rochester Gay Men's Chorus on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Stuart Steiner Theatre. Since 1982, members of the RGMC have pursued the dream of using music and "harmony of voice to create a harmony of the spirit." Today, more than voices share their talent and proudly unite in seeking a better world through the universal language of music. For further information go to: http://www.thergmc.org/

Finally, the Roz Steiner Art Gallery will have Fine Arts Student Exhibit on exhibit from Tuesday, Feb. 24, through April 9. Two artist receptions will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 12:30-2 p.m., and again from 5 - 6:30 p.m.

Among the musical selections of SHOWCASE are:

•    "Till There Was You" from "The Music Man," performed by Samantha Bell (North Tonawanda)

•    "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables," performed by Maria Albanese (Kendall)

•    "This is the Moment" from "Jekyll and Hyde," performed by David Wysocki (Hamburg)

•    "O Del Milo Dolce Ardor" performed by Samantha Marchisin (Alexander)

•    "Air Romantique" performed by Maryssa Peirick (Batavia)

•    "Where I Want to Be" performed by David Wysocki (Hamburg)

•    "I Carry Your Heart" performed by Maryssa Peirick (Batavia)

SHOWCASE dance numbers were choreographed by Tara Pocock and Amy Taravella and will be performed by: Kayli Wilson (Canastota), Blake Carter (Batavia), Shelby Waterman (Byron-Bergen), Katerina Lynch, Christian Hoffman (Hilton), Michael Stewart (New York City) and David Wysocki (Hamburg).

SHOWCASE dramatic performances, directed by Maryanne Arena, GCC's director of Fine and Performing Arts, include:

•    "Lives of Great Waitresses," by Nina Shengold, performed by Maria Albanese (Kendall), Alexis Wilson (Rochester), Amiyah Johnson (Kenosha, Wisc.), Shelby Waterman (Byron-Bergen) and Blake Carter (Batavia)

•    "Death Knocks" by Woody Allen, performed by David Wysocki (Hamburg) and Bill Rupp (Batavia

•    "Love in Chains," an original dramatic work written and performed by Jerry Jordan (Bronx) with Kayli Wilson (Batavia)

At the Fine Arts Festival, among the artists and their media who will be participating:

•    Melita Gill – Weaving

•    Lance and Amanda Taylor – OATKA School of Glass

•    Sue DiMartino – Watercolor Painting

•    Shawna Hawkins – Henna Tattoos

•    Nate Hodge – Painting, Mixed Media Demonstrations

•    Debbie King-Frisby – Kirlian (energy field) Photography

•    The Pratts – Chainsaw Carving Demonstration

•    Joyce Chizick – Felting

•    Diana Martin – Caricature Drawings

•    Art Club – Hands-on Art Projects

Press release:

Genesee Community College invites visual artists to submit their work for possible exhibition at GCC's Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery located in the Genesee Center for the Arts on the Batavia campus. This call for work is open to individual artists and group exhibitions in all media interested for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The deadline for consideration is May 1, 2015.

The Steiner Gallery's mission is to foster community involvement in the arts while enhancing the learning experience for all GCC students, faculty and staff. Proposals are selected by the GCC Gallery Committee, which seeks out exhibitions rich in content and quality craftsmanship.

According to gallery docent Mary Jo Whitman: "Our gallery attracts both artists and visitors from throughout Western New York. We are currently averaging about 300 visitors each month. Our committee is always looking for artists that can contribute meaningfully to the education of our students while participating in the larger discourse of the contemporary art world."

The Roz Steiner Gallery opened in Spring 2011 and offers 1,700 square feet of outstanding exhibit space featuring 25-foot walls, moveable island walls, bamboo flooring and multimedia capabilities. See more at the Gallery's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gccgallery.

Artists interested in submitting their work can do so via the submission process available on the Gallery Web site at http://www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts/gallery/submissions.cfm

Press release:

Although the film "Unbroken" was not nominated for Best Picture for this year's Academy Awards Ceremony scheduled on Feb. 22, the story of an American soldier surviving a World War II Japanese prisoner of war camp resonated with Edward Grabowski. He teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice to students at Genesee Community College.

The Hollywood film captures the extraordinary life and survival of bombardier and world-class runner Louis Zamperini. Like "Louie," Grabowski's father survived the horrors of a Japanese POW camp, and experienced his own hellish encounters with some of the guards. They included the notorious Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the brutal guard known as "The Bird" who tortured and killed many prisoners.

When Grabowski happened to mention this coincidence to his students, they wanted to know more. And when he told them he had a photograph of his father standing behind two Japanese guards, one likely "The Bird" -- his students wanted to see it.

"They found it interesting so I brought in some of the historic materials about my father to share," Grabowski said.

The photograph taken by a French photographer shows Leo Grabowski standing in a doorway unnoticed by the two prison guards who are in the foreground holding their rifles.

"I am 99 percent sure that the guard standing is Watanabe," Grabowski stated. "My father said he would have been brutally beaten by those guards if they had known he was in the photograph."

Sergeant Leo J. Grabowski served in the Army from 1932 through 1945, and was one of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor as part of the 31st Infantry at Fort Santiago in Manila.

Captured by the Japanese, Grabowski survived the 60-mile Bataan Death March through the Philippine jungles to Camp O'Donnell. From there he was among the thousands transferred in overloaded freight cars, and he was eventually shipped to Mitsushima, a prisoner of war camp northwest of Tokyo where prisoners provided slave labor to construct the Hiraoka Dam.

Like Zamperini in "Unbroken," Grabowski senior made it home bearing the scars of a POW, but he put together a meaningful post-war life with a career and family, including three children. His youngest son, Edward, spent 27 years teaching Criminal Justice at BOCES, and is now adjunct faculty member at GCC.

Upon request, he reflects on his father's military distinctions with quiet pride, sharing a little of that tortured past through books, photos and clippings from decades-old newspapers. In doing so, he is giving his students a sense of world history, not from the Silver Screen or a textbook, but from the connection of family and the bond of father and son.

A traveling display designed to help young people learn more about the dangers of drinking and driving has arrived at Genesee Community College.

Arranged by the STOP-DWI program, which is funded through fines paid by drunken drivers, the display features the stories of young people killed by drunken drivers.

There are at least eight different displays that travel throughout the state, created by the state association of STOP-DWI programs, each with a different theme.

The theme currently on display at GCC features athletes.

The exhibit includes:

Artifacts: Personal items from the crash victims, such as: photographs, closes, drawings and     sports equipment.

Statements: Accounts from survivors, family members, friends and members of the community affected by the crash.

Newspapers: Local news coverage of the crash.

Timelines: The chain of events leading up to the crash and the events immediately following.

Aftermath: Victims' statements read at trial and the outcome of any court proceedings available at the time of the exhibit’s creation.

It's a powerful message that reminds viewers of the impact of a fatal DWI-related accident, said Sheriff Gary Maha.

"This is first time I've seen this," Maha said. "To me, this is the real thing. These are victims, innocent victims, who have been tragically killed by drunk drivers. We see it often in our community from time to time.

"I hope young people come out and look at this and read these stories and eventually won't drink and drive," Maha added.

Photo: Jocelyn Sikorski, county youth bureau, Deputy John Baiocco, Matt Landers, assistant county manager and administrator of STOP-DWI, and Sheriff Gary Maha.