Architecture students in Design Studio 1 at Alfred State were able to actualize their plans for a housing-design project and gain hands-on experience thanks to A-Verdi Storage Containers, which let the students borrow a shipping container to use in their endeavor.

Architecture and Design Department Assistant Professor Terry Palmiter and Professor Richard Carlo tasked the students last month with designing a temporary living environment for a single family unit within the confines of a standard 20-foot shipping container. They were divided into 15 groups of three, with one student serving as the programmer, another as the client, and the third student as the designer.

The programmer interviewed the client, who created a hypothetical scenario based on what his or her future family would be like and what sort of housing that family would require if affected by a natural disaster. The programs were shuffled and handed out to a group member who would design a “house” based on the program he or she received.

Students then created real-scale household items out of cardboard, including a toilet, a tub, a refrigerator, and more. This, according to Carlo, allowed students to study human dimensions and the relationship to critical or essential residential living activities.

“The idea of making the cardboard items was so that they could just start to see the limits of what one container was like and maybe get a feel for the interaction of scale of standard objects based on human performance within a limited space like the container,” said Carlo.

The class was able to secure usage of the container because an uncle of one of Palmiter’s students, Robert Apgar, an architectural engineering technology major, from Waterloo, owns Savannah-based A-Verdi Storage Containers, the premier provider of storage and office solutions throughout New York State. After Apgar approached his uncle, Joe Verdi, about the possibility of letting the students borrow a container, Verdi complied.

The container gave students a chance to apply their plans to an actual, limited-space area.

“Normally, it’s just lines on a drawing,” said Alexandra DiMaria, a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) major from Orchard Park. “You can imagine it and picture it but it’s nice to be actually in a space with life-sized objects to kind of see how you can change your design and move things around and how things would work out better, what constraints you have. It makes the assignment more real.”

Adrienne Drumm, a BArch major from Tully, said the project allowed the students to think about space a lot differently.

“In most of our projects, we have an unlimited amount of space, we just have to come up with a good idea, so you just kind of make these giant rooms and do whatever, but once you actually are forced to fit within a 10-by-20 container, you really have to think about how you’re going to fit everything you need in there without having to climb over a desk, basically,” Drumm said.

Carlo said, “I think part of the reason that we do this project with a container is, if you say, ‘Design a house,’ people tend to fix on the mental model of the house they grew up in and they mimic that. But when we say, ‘Design a living facility for this imaginary program that we’ve made and, by the way, it has to be in containers,’ they have to rethink the entire idea of what a house is.”

Pictured above are several Alfred State sophomore Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) students inside the container they utilized for a recent housing-design project. The students borrowed the container from A-Verdi Storage Containers out of Savannah.

Every year during October, the Andover Haunted House serves up frights to a multitude of visitors twice a week, utilizing a variety of props and actors scary enough to make your blood turn to ice and your heart palpitate. While the four-floor haunted Victorian mansion at 5 W. Greenwood St. in Andover might be a popular local attraction, what’s perhaps not as well-known is that some of the actors scaring people silly are Alfred State students in the Emerging Pioneer Leadership Program (EPLP).

The EPLP is an exciting program that passionately believes that anyone can be a leader and a positive change in the community. Through this initiative, students engage in interactive workshops, develop meaningful mentor relationships, and get involved in significant community service and engagement opportunities.

Tim Morgan, a digital media and animation major from Huguenot and an EPLP member, said as part of a Gold Level group project, nine students this semester are serving as actors at the Andover Haunted House, which opens at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October. The students had reached out to the Andover Haunted House Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that raises money for a number of local charities, about their interest in assisting with the haunted house.

“I’m not sure how much money we’ve helped them raise, but basically by us acting in the show, we’re helping them by volunteering our time so that they don’t have to pay anybody to work there,” Morgan said.

Around 50 Alfred State students attended a Late Night Alfred trip to the Andover Haunted House on Friday. While the normal cost of admission is $13, students on the Late Night tour only paid $8.

“It was a lot of fun,” Morgan said of the trip. “I really enjoyed that we were able to get students off campus and get them out into the community. I also liked the fact that a lot of students participated in the trip and that the money the students gave is going to charity.”

For more information about the Andover Haunted House, visit www.hauntedandover.com.

In an effort to provide meaningful help through volunteer service and build relationships with community members, around 500 student volunteers from Alfred State, Alfred University, and Houghton College pitched in Saturday for the third annual Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany.

The event coincides with the national Make a Difference Day, the largest national day of community service. CSCA began in October 2012 as a Leadership Allegany project with a vision to develop a countywide day of service involving students from all three Allegany County-based colleges.

Volunteers undertook dozens of mainly-outdoor oriented activities across the county Saturday at such places at schools, playgrounds, churches, food pantries, and libraries. Their tasks varied from painting and inventorying disaster kits to raking leaves and cleaning.

Jonathan Hilsher, director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Alfred State, said more than 200 Alfred State students participated this year, which is the highest total number of volunteers the college has had at the event so far.

“I think it’s great to see different organizations making CSCA a part of what they do,” Hilsher said. “For example, the baseball team volunteered at two Wellsville sites on Saturday. Coach Jason Cronin and the team often make it a point to include community service into their busy schedule, something I’m seeing more and more of in other organizations throughout campus.”

Unlike the first two times Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany took place, the weather cooperated this year.

“It was great that the weather was so nice, especially with so many outside projects,” Hilsher said. “That hasn’t been the case the last two years with the weather typically being either drizzly or windy, and maybe 20 degrees cooler than it was on Saturday.”

Derek Perry, an Alfred State technology management major from Angola, said he volunteered at the Yorks Corners Mennonite Church in Wellsville, redirecting water that was draining into the building. He said Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany is a great way for students to give back to the community.

“We had a much larger turnout this year than we did last year, which is very promising to see,” Perry said. “I felt this year went very well, the weather was absolutely beautiful, registration went quickly for how many people attended, and there were no problems with transporting people to locations.”

According to Hilsher, an important aspect of the event is that students are able to cultivate relationships with local businesses and non-profit organizations.

“There was a lot of meaningful volunteer help provided Saturday. But, I also feel that this day is a great platform for relationship building. It enables students to get off campus and meet community members and community members to meet college students,” Hilsher said. “I think that’s one of the best things about an event like this.”

In photo above: Alfred State students, from left to right, Collin Kratzer, a financial services major from Canisteo; Felix Paulino, a computer information systems major from Bronx; and Stephen Eaton, an architectural technology major from Rochester, prep and clean storm windows Saturday during the third annual Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany.

High school students interested in gaining leadership skills that will serve them well in college and in the professional world can attend the student leadership conference “Charting the Course” at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at Alfred State’s Student Leadership Center.

The conference focuses on increasing leadership skills, possible career options, and hands-on learning. Students will acquire resources that will help change behaviors and values, while guided on a self-directed path to achieving success in high school, enrolling in and graduating from college, and gaining employment in their career choice. They will also receive a leadership certificate for their portfolios.

David Mammano, founder and CEO of the Next Step Education Group, will serve as the keynote speaker. The cost per student is $15, which includes breakfast and lunch. Register online.

During the conference, students will enjoy innovative and fun workshops where they will both learn and apply essential leadership skills, including:

• Ways to take their love of volunteering and turn it into their passion.
• Recognizing their own unique diversity and exploring who they are and what they can contribute to the community.
• Meeting students and professionals from all over western New York who share similar interests.
• Talking about issues that are relevant to students entering into a field of study or the workforce.
• Gaining leadership skills that can land them a job or acceptance letter.

For more information, email leadership@alfredstate.edu.

Alfred State has received approval from the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department to deliver two, four-year baccalaureate degree programs over an accelerated three-year time frame.

Qualifying students will now have the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in human services management or a Bachelor in Business Administration degree in three years.

“These accelerated programs target quality students who are seeking to shorten their time spent earning a degree and to capitalize on the financial savings that truncating a full year of study can provide,” says Charles Neal, associate vice president for Academic Affairs. “The BS in human services management and the BBA in business administration are two of the college’s most preferred four-year programs. The availability of three-year tracks will undoubtedly further increase student interest in them.”

Through online summer and winter session course work, accepted students will be able to complete degree requirements by following a carefully designed accelerated track, while avoiding undue academic loads during the typical fall and spring semesters. These fast-track options have been promoted by SUNY in recent years as it looks to provide avenues to shorten time to graduation.

Interested students can contact the Alfred State Admissions Office at 607-587-4215, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at 607-587-4282, or the Business Department at 607-587-3413.

Alfred State will present “Once on This Island” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-22, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Cappadonia Auditorium on the Alfred campus.

"Once on This Island" tells the tale of a poor peasant girl's journey to win the heart of wealthy young man with the aid of gods who watch over the island. The music is jam-packed with Caribbean flavor and upbeat energy.

“There is a lot of music and choreography in this musical and it is coming together well,” said Janna Buckwalter, Drama Club adviser. “We have a great student cast and technical crew who are working hard and I am excited for the show.”

The performance is composed of an all-Alfred State-student cast under the direction of Buckwalter and Eric Prentice, music director, with Jerry Ives, Alfred State's instrumental director, leading the pit orchestra.

Tickets are $7 for general admission and $2 for students and can be pre-purchased at the Alfred State bookstore or at 607-587-4020. Credit cards are accepted and tickets will also be available at the door.

For more information, contact dramaclub@alfredstate.edu.

The Alfred State New Horizons Forum continues its 2014 season with two November events. “A Conversation with Alfred State Student Veterans” will be offered on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, at 5 p.m. in the Student Leadership Center, room 310 (Small Events Space). “The Solar Link Project: An Adventure in Interdisciplinary” will be offered on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at 5 p.m. in the School of Engineering Technology, room 215. Both events will start with light refreshments at 4:30 p.m. and are open, free of charge, to the Alfred State community, Alfred University, and the area public.

The conversation with Alfred State student veterans will honor Alfred University Professor Emeritus and local businessman Wally Higgins. Professor Higgins is a World War II veteran and member of the fabled Tuskegee Airmen.

The session will open with brief five minute reflections by students, faculty, and administration veterans and supporters. The forum will then turn to an open mike session and discussion targeting the college’s efforts to serve veterans. Participants will be invited to comment on issues confronting student veterans and how well the college is meeting the challenges faced by this highly valued student population.

Those who have agreed to speak include U.S. Marine Vietnam veteran and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, Business Department, James Grillo; U.S. Army Iraq veteran and Alfred State Controller, Joseph Greenthal; and Distinguished Teaching Professor of English, Dr. Aniko Constantine.

The “Conversation” will be moderated by Forum Director Army Security Agency veteran and SUNY Distinguished Service Professor of English, Emeritus Joseph Flynn, who notes the event format should produce a highly interactive discussion with the audience participants.

The following Tuesday New Horizons Forum will celebrate “The Solar Link Project”, a highly innovative academic collaboration which brings together Alfred State students and faculty representing a variety of campus departments and programs. This remarkable effort, whose potential uses solar energy to produce safe drinking water for indigent populations worldwide, represents the expanding implementation of Alfred State’s vision of technology and people in service to humanity. Speaking on behalf of this ongoing effort, information technology major and Buffalo native, Sarah Jastrzab, and computer engineering technology major and Hornell native, Lawrence Fink, have noted that participants come from across the Alfred campus and are drawn from the academic Schools of Architecture, Management, and Engineering Technology, Arts and Sciences, and Applied Technology. The Solar Link Project also extends to area corporations and professionals.

In his initial invitation to students and faculty members of the Solar Link Team forum, Flynn noted, “Your collaborative undertaking contains the essential ingredients of the way local multidisciplinary approaches can be used to address contemporary global problems, a central theme and showcasing goal of the New Horizons Forum.”

The New Horizons Forum, sponsored by the School of Arts and Sciences, showcases current scholarly, creative, and public service work by faculty, students, professional staff, and invited guests. It is guided by a campus-wide team of advisers whose goal is to enrich the intellectual life of the institution.

The New Horizons Forum - Real People. Face to Face. Working for Real Results.

Don’t forget that Tuesday, Nov. 4 is Election Day! Students should visit https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx to double-check that they can vote locally. If registered to vote in the village of Alfred, students can cast their ballots between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. at A.E. Crandall Hook & Ladder Company at 6 Main St., Alfred.

Students who are registered voters can sign up for TurboVote at alfredstate.turbovote.org to receive important Election Day 2014 information, including polling place information and a preview of their ballot. TurboVote also includes other features that will be helpful for future elections, such as requesting absentee ballots and registering to vote. So far, roughly 30 Alfred State students have signed up for TurboVote, according to Jonathan Hilsher, director of the Center for Civic Engagement.

Also, the Judicial Campaign Ethics Center of the New York State Unified Court System has launched the annual non-partisan Judicial Voter Guide at www.nycourts.gov/vote. The guide contains information about judicial candidates on the ballot in each county based on information provided by the state and county election boards and is designed to help people make a more informed decision on Election Day.

“Election Day is an opportunity to exercise your civic right and responsibility to make your voice heard,” said Hilsher. “I’d encourage everyone to invest the time to vote on Tuesday.”

The village of Savona recently received some help with envisioning its comprehensive plan after Alfred State architecture students presented their designs for the future layout of the municipality Oct. 28 at the Campbell-Savona Elementary School.

Village officials and roughly 25 residents listened as 10 students in Professor William Dean’s Urban Design Studio class shared their visions for five sections of Savona. These included a residential area, the Cohocton River Trail, the western side of town, a mixed use commercial area, which would feature a senior living community, and the Four Corners area, which would include a boutique hotel and a Dollar General that matches the look of the surrounding buildings.

“The goal was to create a vision from the work that the community had already done as far as further developing what they wanted in the comprehensive plan,” said Dean, chair of the Department of Architecture and Design. “We tried to remain as faithful to that document as possible. That’s not to say that the students didn’t bring their own design experience into it, but I kept driving home the point throughout the project that we wanted our work to be an extension of the comprehensive plan.”

The students spent eight weeks on the project, which began in August with a tour of the village led by Mayor Gregge Harrian, and included an interim critique by a panel composed of Harrian; Nicolette Barber, a planner from HUNT Engineers, Architects and Surveyors out of Horseheads; and members of the village’s Comprehensive Plan Committee.

“After meeting with the mayor and the committee, the students took their comments to heart and continued to develop their designs for the final presentation,” Dean said.

According to Dean, the students’ designs received a lot of positive feedback throughout the process and were well-received during the presentation.

Brittany Varengo, an architectural technology major from Syracuse, said, “We were able to connect to the people on a personal level and know that our hard work was appreciated.”

The Hinkle Memorial Library at Alfred State is hosting an art exhibit by Barbara Fox, of Little Valley, titled “Joie De Vivre” from now through Dec. 12.

The exhibit contains about 20 paintings, nearly all of them watercolor, that Fox has completed within the last three years. Its title is French for “exuberant enjoyment of life.”

Fox’s paintings have received numerous awards and have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the United States. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the International Guild of Realism, among others, and is a master designer for the United States Mint.

Fox says she always paints realistically, focusing on the light and color of objects.

“A room full of colorful, light-struck flowers is always a joy in the gray days of winter,” Fox said. “And with my new still life paintings, I create something I crave in my life: peace, order, and beauty. I hope viewers will find a sense of that in my paintings, and enjoy the light, the colors, and the joie de vivre that art can provide.”

The “Joie De Vivre” exhibit will be open for viewing during normal library hours. To inquire about exhibiting your work in the Hinkle Gallery, email library@alfredstate.edu or call 607-587-4313.