We invite you to watch the full-length video of Saturday’s 86th Annual Commencement, now available to view online on the HNU YouTube channel. Excerpts of individual speakers, as well as a brief overview of the day, will be posted there later in the week.

The entire Holy Names community, family and friends enjoyed a spectacularly beautiful day, made only more joyful by the celebration of each graduate’s accomplishment in earning and accepting their diploma. Noted journalist, Gwen Ifill, of Washington Week and PBS NewsHour, addressed the crowd with great warmth and humor, and spoke of the graduates of HNU being called to a mission to “change the world around us.” Said Ifill,

“You are educated. You are among the elite. But you are not complete until you acknowledge that in your soul that will make your success… The world is often still resistant to change, but you have a flashlight that Holy Names has given you, and you can shine that light.”

President of the Senior Class, Ojo Littlejohn-McNair, presented the Senior Class speakers: Anitra McCain ’12 for the traditional undergraduates, and Vanessa Brown ’12 for the Adult Degree Completion program. Emily Ryan ’12, soprano, accompanied by Daniel Wright ’12 on piano, performed Linden Lea by R. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), before Vice President, Academic Affairs, Lizbeth Martin, Ph.D., presented the candidates to President William Hynes, Ph.D.

A DVD will also be made available soon—stay tuned for forthcoming details on that. For more on the story:

• Noted journalist Gwen Ifill addresses Holy Names University graduates, Oakland Tribune »
• Holy Names University’s YouTube Channel »

In remembrance of HNU’s founders, on April 25th, at this year’s Founders’ Day celebration, the Sisters served the traditional strawberry shortcake and honored faculty and staff who are celebrating an anniversary at HNU, as well as those nominated for an Above and Beyond Award. In addition, students were recognized for their excellence at the evening’s Alpha Delta Awards.

Today, we share with you a few pictures from the celebrations.

Their research and study included Member State agenda items, committee procedures, and drafting comprehensive resolutions on controversial subjects. With the guidance of Sister Christine Patrinos Ph.D, and the simulation of the United Nations weekend, the students practiced diplomatic protocol and negotiating techniques commonly used at the United Nations.

HNU students represented the Member States of Lebanon, Sudan, and Norway and gained recognition for their efforts during Sunday’s annual MUNFW award dinner. HNU Students were awarded three certificates for their hard work.  Three of our students, Aziza Anderson, Mathias Wold and Kristine Hayes were honored due to their success chairing the Sixth Committee.

Top left: Sister Christine Patrinos, Kristen Root, Jessica Rojas, Shahidah Lacy, Mathias Wold, Gavin kaneshiro, and Aziza Anderson

Middle Left: Kristine Hayes, Brandon Marzan, Mechelin Iechad, and Ronisha Parker

Bottom left: Wendoly Ferrufino and Jason Cabanas

What?

• Relieve your stress with ‘The Red Telephone Booth Meditation’.
• New pilot program offered to students, faculty and staff.
• Sit in our private Red Booth and listen to Meditation and Creative Visualization to reduce anxiety and stress.
• Add clarity and Focus to your Life.

When? Where?
The Booth is back for More Hours Available by popular demand. We have a sign up sheet at Durocher Hall Front Desk for hours today, Thursday and Friday afternoons!

How?
Bring your own headphones to plug into your private Booth Discman.

All are very happy when they leave the booth! Here are some quotes from student and staff comments:

• ‘Bottom-line Amazing!’—JG
• ‘It was extremely relaxing’—RM
• ‘Wow. that was amazing. I got 15 minutes to myself. I forgot all about my stress.’—A.H
• And our next day sign up asked: ‘may I please do that again? I need it’—JG

UPDATE, May 4—Can you believe it? our Booth is Extended again into next week!
Students are asking for more RTB stress reduction! Come, experience it for yourself.

Yesterday at a news conference at Cal’s Haas Pavilion, Representative Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Holy Names University President William Hynes joined forces with Mills College President Alecia DeCoudreaux, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Cal State East Bay President Leroy Morishita to urge against proposed legislation that would double interest rates on federally subsidized low-interest Stafford loans, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1.

For the almost 7 million undergraduates who receive the loan, costs would be raised by an average of $1,000 each if the increase were to pass.

The book, grounded in the pedagogy of Paulo Freire, is also a fundraiser for a Teachership Scholarship fund in the name of Alma Flor Ada, author of children’s multicultural books and professor Emeritus at USF. Most chapter authors, like Dr. McCall-Perez, are former doctoral students of Dr. Ada.

Dr. McCall-Perez’s contribution is the chapter, “Honoring and sustaining the heritage languages of our students: Strategies for non-Bilingual teachers”.

The book will be on reserve at the HNU Cushing Library for interested students, faculty and staff. At least one university has already adopted it for use in Teacher Education courses.

For more information – including power point presentations of selected chapters, go to: facebook.com/MulticulturalEducation hosted by Lettie Ramirez of CSUEB.

Congratulations to Dr. McCall-Perez!

Media contact:
Lesley Sims, Holy Names University, 510-436-1405 or sims@hnu.edu

Gwen Ifill Named Commencement Speaker
at Holy Names University

OAKLAND, California; April, 25, 2012 – Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour will deliver the commencement address to the graduates of Holy Names University (HNU) on May 12, 2012.  Her journalism career includes assignments at the Boston Herald-American, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NBC News, where she was a colleague of Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert.

The daughter of an impoverished minister, Ms. Ifill had a strong religious upbringing.  Her parents were both immigrants: her father from Panama and her mother from Barbados.  She is one of six children and grew up in New York.

Ms. Ifill went to Simmons College in Boston where she majored in communications, and, through an internship, got her first hands-on experience as a journalist.  After graduating in 1977, Ifill went to work for the Boston Herald-American as a reporter.  Her interest in politics started with her position at Baltimore’s Evening Sun where she had her first opportunity in front of the cameras.  She later joined The Washington Post and then The New York Times.  Ms. Ifill switched to television reporting by joining NBC News in 1994 as a congressional correspondent.

PBS was impressed with Ms. Ifill’s analytical skills and journalistic savvy and in 1999 hired her for two news programs:  NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Washington Week.  Each week on Washington Week, Gwen leads a robust roundtable discussion with award-winning journalists who provide reporting and analysis of the major stories emanating from the nation’s capital.  Now in its 42nd year on the air, Washington Week is the longest-running, prime-time news and public affairs program on television.

Ifill has covered six Presidential campaigns and moderated two vice presidential debates — in 2004 the debate between Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat John Edwards and in 2008 the debate between Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Governor Sarah Palin.  She is also the author of the best-selling book – The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama (Doubleday, 2009).

Her work as a journalist has been honored by the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Harvard’s Joan Shorenstein Center, Ebony Magazine and Washington Week received the Peabody award.  Ifill currently serves on the boards of the News Literacy Project, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and is a fellow with the American Academy of Sciences.

Ms. Ifill’s inspirational journey and background resonates strongly with the HNU community.  Woven into its 144-year legacy, the University has developed critical thinkers and transformational leaders, has served as an exemplar for promoting cultural competency and has established itself as a resource for study and impact on urban issues, particularly in Oakland.

HNU President William J. Hynes, Ph.D., said, “We’re extremely fortunate that Gwen Ifill will speak to Holy Names University’s 2012 graduating class. As our graduates decide on a future after HNU, it is an honor to have a professional of Ms. Ifill’s stature to be the role model for what may lie ahead.  Her distinguished career and numerous journalism achievements provide a benchmark for attaining excellence in a chosen field. Ms. Ifill is an outstanding example to young people for what they too can achieve.”

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HNU is located at 3500 Mountain Boulevard, off Highway 13, in the Oakland Hills.  Founded in 1868 on the banks of Lake Merritt near downtown Oakland, the university moved to its present campus 55 years ago. HNU offers 19 bachelor’s degrees, five degree completion programs for adults, eight master’s degrees and various certificates and credentials.  HNU has been transforming people and liberating the spirit for nearly a century and a half.

Carol Braves ’75 will perform her first solo performance during the HNU Orchestra Concert.

Join HNU for the 2012 HNU Orchestra Concert on Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 p.m.  The HNU Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Steven Hofer, will perform an all-Dvořák concert.

This year’s concert will feature a solo performance by the Alumni Association’s very own, Carol Braves ’75.  Carol is a current member of the HNU Alumni Executive Board and will perform Dvořák’s Romance in F minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11 with the HNU Symphony.

Also on the program are Dvořák’s Four Slavonic Dances and Dvořák’s Symphony #7.  For information or to reserve tickets, visit http://www.hnu.edu/musicevents/

Holy Names University has joined a growing list of higher education institutions nationwide to join SALT, a dynamic, multichannel educational program that supports students and alumni as they finance higher education and successfully manage student loans, through the many financial decisions they face after they leave school. SALT will educate, empower and engage you to truly own your finances, by making it immediately rewarding, easy and fun to make smarter student loan and financial decisions.

By now, all Holy Names University students and recent alumni (2011, 2010 and 2009 graduates) should have received an email invitation to join SALT for free.  Here are five ways SALT can help you:

1. Demystify student loans. The choices you make now in borrowing for college can affect your financial wellness for years to come. At SALTMONEY.ORG, you can learn the difference between federal and private loans, or subsidized vs. unsubsidized interest. Making better borrowing decisions now can put more cash in your wallet later.

2. Get money smart. Learn all about banks, budgeting, credit reports, and more with SALT’s online interactive education My Money 101^TM courses. Holy Names University has customized the My Money 101 lessons specifically with its students and alumni in mind.

3. Crunch your numbers. When you log on to SALTMONEY.ORG, you can access a personal dashboard where you can track all your federal and private student loans in one place. Find the right repayment fit by comparing the pros and cons of various payment options. Then plan for the future and figure out how far your money will take you based on your projected income and where you’ll live.

4. Get loan advice from an expert counselor. As a SALT member, you have access to chat with a student loan expert one-on-one via email or phone.

5. Find a job or internship. SALT offers members a searchable database of over 50,000 job and internship opportunities from more than 23,000 employers.

SALT was created by American Student Assistance^®, a 56-year-old nonprofit that empowers college students and alumni to successfully manage and repay their student loan debt. With SALT, ASA^® is revolutionizing the way that students and alumni learn about money and sparking a movement to incent financial savviness in young adults. ASA has had proven success in lowering student loan delinquency and default through its previous programs of proactive and targeted communication to student loan borrowers. Visit www.asa.org for more information. 

Holy Names University students and alumni who did not receive the SALT email or misplaced their PIN are invited to contact SALT member support at 855.469.2724 to have their activation information re-sent. For more information, contact Holy Names University or SALT or follow SALT at Facebook.com/SALTMONEY or @SALT_MONEY on Twitter.

Central College Abroad, a partner of Holy Names University Study Abroad, offers a rich learning experiencein Mérida on the Yucatán peninsula. At their comfortable “Casa Central,” they welcome U.S. language students who come for a semester of study, placing them in classes appropriate to their proficiency level. Although Spanish language fluency may be their first goal, students also study the history of Mexico as well as the art and literature of Latin America. Students are immersed in the Spanish language, and experience the Mayan culture in a safe and welcoming environment.

As the Holy Names University Study Abroad Coordinator, I was invited to visit the program by its director Valerie Grimsley. At the beginning of October, 2011, I spent eight days in the Casa Central, attending classes led by excellent teachers andtaking my meals with the students.

The school provides opportunities for students to acquire experience working with communities in need. I visited Indemaya, a governmental organization that serves Mayan people. Students of Central College help with translations from Spanish to English.

Central College students are encouraged to discover the beauty of Mérida’s many cultural events and sites. Handcrafts and local products are sold on Sunday in the Plaza Grande, a park located in the heart of the city. Many stalls sell all kinds of crafts, candy and beautifully embroidered huipiles, blouses and shawls. On Thursday evening, the square of Santa Lucía hosts the traditional “Serenade of Santa Lucía.” Valerie invited me to attend the event andlisten to Yucatecan singers and enjoy traditional dances. Attendees of all ages sat under the stars on a perfect temperate evening to listen to romantic boleros and the skillful guitarists of Yucatan.

Central College is affiliated with Universidad Marista de Mérida (also known as the Marist University of Mérida), and some Central College students takeclasses at the university.

I also visited “Amor y Vida,” a non-profit organization that helps abused and abandoned children. Central College students volunteer there as tutors, helping children with their homework.

Mérida is at once old and modern, and it is full of life. Music can be heard everywhere on any given day. Free concerts, dances, museums and galleries contribute to a beautiful education environment.

Strolling in Mérida, I was captivated by its beautiful mixture of styles: pre-Columbian, colonial and modern. I encountered students from all over the United States who are studying Spanish in this tranquil, historic city in southern Mexico.

From the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of HNU Today Magazine.