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Genesee Community College

Rubber Duck Could Fatten Your Wallet

By Timothy Walton
A small, yellow rubber duck could be just what you were looking for to fatten your wallet. In fact, it could fatten it by up to hundreds of dollars! Genesee Community College Students in Rick Dudkowski's Business Problems and Management Class and the Business Forum Club have set their ducks afloat with one goal in mind; raising money for United Way.
 
[img_assist|nid=4870|title=United Duck Derby|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=0|height=50]The students assignment was to create fundraisers and events to raise money that will contribute to the 2009 United Way campaign titled "Live United". Students are selling duck tickets from now until the day of the race, Thursday, March 12 at 1:00pm. All of the ticket purchasers will be assigned to a numbered rubbered duck. The ducks will then be set free in the olympic size pool at Genesee Community College. With the help of a current, the first duck to make it to the end of the swimming pool wins. The prize?- depends on what you paid for the ticket. Students are selling the tickets in dollar incriments from $1 to $5. You win a percent of all money raised based on how much you buy your ticket for. If a $1 duck wins, the winner gets 10% of all money. If a $2 duck wins the winner gets 20%, $3=30%, $4=40%, and a $5 duck gets 50% of the money. The students have set a goal to raise over $500, which is the amount that the students raised last year, to donate to The United Way.
 
The duck race is being modeled after the race that took place a couple years ago in the Tonawanda Creek as a fundraiser for youth activities at the Royal Rink (now Falletti Ice Arena). The duck race is the second of two fundraisers that the group has planned. The first one was a carnation sale where over $150 was raised.

Take a Voyage with the Genesee Center for the Arts and The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria

By Howard B. Owens

Press release from GCC:

BATAVIA, NY -- The Genesee Center for the Arts at Genesee Community College continues its commitment to introducing the performing arts to children and families throughout the Western New York area by presenting the modern children's fable, The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria. Daytime school performances of the show are scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2009 through Friday, March 27, 2009, with one final performance for the public on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 7:30PM.

Written by Jack Stokes and produced by special arrangement with Summerwind Productions (www.summerwindproductions.com/fenda), The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria is the story of a young girl who, with the help of a village doctor, must travel through the jungle in order to save a prince from an evil witch. With help from the audience, Fenda Maria and her friends ultimately learn what's important - the meaning of being a good person.

Cast members include Jessica Francis (Perry, NY) as Jabo the Narrator, Samara Brown (Bronx, NY) as the Doctor, Robert E. Reiss (Elba, NY) as Chief Man, Edward Wolfe (Arcade, NY) as Takaya the Witch, and Crystal Ray (Bronx, NY) in the title role of Fenda Maria. Additional cast members (in alphabetical order) include Alicia Derefinko (Batavia, NY), Johnny Dow (Rochester, NY), Alex Falu (New York, NY), Heather Hilderbrandt (Lockport, NY), Brianna Kaminskas (Brockport, NY), Stephanie Martinez (New York, NY), Darlene Parsons (New York, NY), Tara Pocock (Batavia, NY), Amanda Ramsey (Attica, NY), Shayna Schultz (Batavia, NY), Maria Seewaldt (Warsaw, NY), Mark J. Sidor (Auburn, NY), Anjelica Sistrunk (Syracuse, NY) and Henry Sistrunk (Syracuse, NY).

The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria is being directed by Norm Gayford, professor in the Humanities Department at Genesee Community College, with technical direction by Ed Hallborg, Technical Director and Technical Theatre faculty member at the Genesee Center for the Arts. Scenic design is by Norm Gayford and Ed Hallborg, with lighting design by Genna Wiseman and Massimo Marino, and sound design by Anjelica Sistrunk.

General admission ticket prices for Friday, March 27, 2009 at 7:30PM are $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens, students and Genesee faculty, and $2.00 for Genesee students with a valid ID. For more information on the daytime school performances of The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria, contact the Genesee Center for the Arts at 585/343-0055 x6814. For ticket information or reservations, contact the Box Office at 585/343-0055 x6814 or by email to BoxOffice@genesee.edu. The Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office accepts cash and checks only, credit cards are not accepted. Genesee Community College is located in Batavia, NY, just 2 minutes from NYS Thruway Exit 48. Visit www.genesee.edu for door-to-door driving directions sent via email.


 

Weather update: Avoid College Road at all costs

By Brian Hillabush

 

DO NOT DRIVE ON COLLEGE ROAD TODAY!

I cannot stress this enough. I figured I would take the trip and attempt to get a photo of the college from the road. I couldn't go any faster than 5-10 miles per hour and literally couldn't see anything.

When I got close enough to the school, there was nothing but white. So I took a photo of my car in the middle of the road. Or, at least I think it was the middle.

Batavia Players presents Child's Christmas Quilt

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia Players will be presenting the show "Child's Christmas Quilt", on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at Genesee Community College. The shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. on those nights.

The 10th Winter Theatre Celebration is directed by Patrick D. Burke and will feature the All City Children's Choir.

Tickets are just $5 and are sold at Go Art! at 201 East Main St. in Batavia and at the door at the Stuart Steiner Theature at GCC.

You can get more information on the show by calling 585-343-9313 ex. 31.

Majeski gets win No. 800

By Brian Hillabush

 I received an e-mail this morning from Donna Rae Sutherland at Genesee Community College. The Cougars have a great winning tradition and do it with a roster that features many local players. Coach Roger Majeski recently won his 800th career match.

If you want proof that Coach Roger Majeski has created a winning tradition at Genesee Community College, just step inside his office. Plaques, awards and medals adorn his office from his 21 years as head women's volleyball coach at Genesee. On September 27, Majeski led the Lady Cougars to score his 800th career win over Howard Community College.

Coach Majeski began his career at Genesee in 1986 as assistant coach and after only a year was named head women's volleyball coach. With 12 showings at the national tournament, he has maintained a powerful presence in the Western New York Athletic Conference. The Lady Cougars have won 17 conference titles, as well as winning 11 consecutive Region III championships.

Over the years, Majeski has not only led his team to numerous victories and titles, but has also been awarded many coaching honors. He received the Region III Coach of the Year nine times and the District Coach of the year 11 times. He has also received the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Coach of the Year three times, an award which was voted on by his coaching peers. Majeski is also ranked first among NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Division II coaches, as well as being ranked second overall among NJCAA Division I, II and III coaches.

Majeski has not only coached successful teams at Genesee, but has assisted his players to move on to Division I schools, be named All American Athletes, and even become professional volleyball players. He coached Marsha Miller '91 who played professional beach volleyball for the United States where she earned a silver medal in the 1999 Pan-American Games.

Stacy Koslosky, a former player for the Lady Cougars in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, believes Majeski isn't just your average coach. "What makes Roger a great coach is that he gets 'it'. Roger is the perfect blend of a technical trainer and a player's coach. He knows everything about volleyball and he easily communicates this to his players. Roger is a very intense leader and it's contagious for his team. He makes his players want to succeed and never settle for anything less than a win. Coach Majeski doesn't just want to win, he wants to win by 15 points."

The women's volleyball program at Genesee has become a well respected athletic program in the North East. Roger has been there for the victories and losses, both on and off the court. From the funny moments of traveling with his teams to various games, to the saddest moments when he lost a player during a home tournament, Majeski has been the solid rock within the program.

As a testament to Coach Majeski's long term concern for his players, 2007 marked the 10th anniversary of the Kaminna Allen Classic Women's Volleyball Tournament. Kaminna Allen was a member of the 1997 Lady Cougars volleyball team when she tragically died from a heart disorder while playing in the Cougar Classic Tournament. The tournament was renamed on her behalf and a scholarship fund was created in her honor. For more than ten years, proceeds from the tournament have supported the scholarship and the efforts of young women to improve their game - both on and off the court.

"The best part of my job is seeing the change in the students who come through my door," said Majeski. "Winning isn't always the greatest part of coaching. It's really satisfying seeing players who might not be the most talented transform into team motivators and leaders. When the light bulb turns on, and my athletes finally understand how I want them to play, that's a great feeling."

As for the future of the Genesee women's volleyball program, Majeski hopes to continue the winning tradition that has been set forth so many years before. He looks forward to maintaining the regional and national power that the Lady Cougars have been in the past, and someday maybe even winning the National Championship.

Majeski resides in West Henrietta, NY with his wife and children. Outside of his coaching job at Genesee, Roger enjoys officiating local volleyball games, as well as playing on an Empire State Master teams in which he has won 6 medals.

Where are the GCC folks?

By Brian Hillabush

 While at Genesee Community College today, I was watching the lacrosse team practice for a little bit.

There are a bunch of good athletes - especially local athletes - playing sports at GCC right now. Here at The Batavian, we would like to give these squads some coverage.

I am working on getting high school coaches involved with posting information on their teams and I would like to do the same for GCC.

I've left a few messages with different people at the college and have not gotten a response yet, so hopefully the new SID will get back to me soon.

In the meantime, any coaches or athletes that are interested in getting coverage on The Batavian are encouraged to contact myself of Philip so that we can give the college and the local athletes the coverage they deserve.

Feelin' it: Behind the scenes at WGCC 90.7 FM

By Philip Anselmo

Long gone are my own days behind the microphone in a broadcast booth at a college radio station — I jocked for a couple years at RIT's underground rock station — but today I got to relive the delirium as I joined deejay Robyn at Genesee Community College. Robyn spins rock of all stripes (though mostly classic, she says) for WGCC 90.7 FM, where she doubles as the station's public relations director.

Her personality is perfect for radio: cheeky, garrulous and none too shy of the microphone's allure. It was no surprise, then, that she was also a perfect video tour guide to take us behind the scenes at the station and tell us a bit about herself, the music and what it takes to run a radio show.

Thank you to everyone at WGCC for letting me and my camera in your sacred space, no questions asked. Look forward to working with you all again.

Genesee Community College students can expect another tuition increase

By Howard B. Owens

As astonishingly high as taxes are in New York, you would think attending a community college would be free -- as it was in California for many decades, until Prop. 13 (a cap on property taxes passed in 1978) eroded state revenue.

Nope.

In fact, Genesee students will get to pay another $50 per-semester, making total semester costs $1,700.

Ouch.

The increase, part of a $30.8 million GCC budget for 2008-09, was adopted during the monthly meeting of the board of trustees Monday.

The budget proposes a $50,000 increase in support from Genesee County, sponsor of the college. Last year, the college was granted a $100,000 increase from county funds, raising taxpayers’ support to $1.8 million, about 6 percent of the total college budget. Officials have maintained that the county’s share is the second lowest among county-sponsored two-year colleges in the state.

The increase must yet be approved by the County Legislature.  The rubber stamps are probably already inked.

Schools News Round Up

By Howard B. Owens

Genesee Community College is hosting a conference on instructional technology.

“It is with great pleasure that Genesee welcomes CIT 2008 attendees,” said Dr. Stuart Steiner, President of Genesee Community College. “We are honored to be the first community college ever to host this event and are looking forward to the wealth of ideas and information that are sure to come out of the experience.”

Notre Dame High School holds its annual 500 Club Dinner and Roast on May 29 at the Holiday in.  More information on this PDF.

From the City Schools Web site:

Coffee With The New Principal @BHS
Saturday, May 10th @ 9:00 a.m. - Cafeteria Stop by to Meet & Chat with our new high school principal, Mr. Christopher Dailey. All parents are welcome and there is no special agenda.

While looking for school news, this picture of the 1925-26 Batavia High School basketball team popped up in Google search.

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