Chittenango Resident Helps Create ‘Hireland’ Program

(Chittenango) Champlain College student Thomas Lyga of Chittenango played a part recently in helping to create a new Irish job initiative called “Hireland” while studying abroad a Champlain College’s Dublin campus.

The idea, first formulated in spring 2011, was launched in January and is more than halfway to its goal of encouraging businesses in Ireland to hire 5,000 workers.

Lyga, majoring in marketing, was a part of Hireland co-founder Lucy Masterson’s non-profit marketing class at Champlain College Dublin and worked with her and fellow classmates to brainstorm ideas for the initial launch. Students, along with members of the business community, developed a social media presence, produced promotional videos and set up blogs.

Lyga, like many other students involved, gained first-hand experience working on the creation of a grassroots non-profit.

The concept of Hireland is to inject positive thinking about solutions to the problem rather than dwelling on the enormity of the unemployment numbers in Ireland. The simple goal is to convince small and large businesses in Ireland to pledge to hire at least one unemployed person this year.

Eventually Hireland hopes to create of 5,000 new jobs for Ireland’s skilled unemployed workforce in the first half of the year. In the first month of the effort, Hireland had more than 2,500 pledges and 150 actual jobs created through the program. Learn more at hireland.ie/.

Once word of Hireland reached the U.S., a sister initiative was started called UHireUS. The U.S. group launched its website uhireus.org in December and hopes to create one million jobs in the United States in 2012. The plan was also announced at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in September 2011.

Students Studying Abroad Through St. Lawrence University

(Cazenovia) The following students are participating in St. Lawrence University’s International Study Program for the spring 2012 semester:

John J. Glass of Cazenovia, a member of the class of 2013 at St. Lawrence, is studying in Vienna, Austria. He graduated from Cazenovia High School.

Shannon C. Smith of Cazenovia, a member of the class of 2013 at St. Lawrence, is studying in New Zealand. She graduated from Manlius Pebble Hill School.

Students Named to The College of Saint Rose Dean’s List

The College of Saint Rose in Albany announced recently the following residents were among 848 students named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester:

Matthew Bonville of Wampsville and Alyssa Loudon of Waterville.

Full-time students who complete a minimum of 12 credit hours and achieve a semester grade-point average of at least 3.5 with no grades of D, F, incomplete or pass/fail are eligible for inclusion on the dean’s list.

Students Receive Scholarships at Clarkson University

The following students received scholarships at Clarkson University during the 2011-2012 academic year:

Jason R. Cocca of Chittenango, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, received the NewPage Corporation Sponsored Scholarship.

Erin P. Kinney of Erieville, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, received the Jean S. Newell Society of Women Engineers Endowed Scholarship.

Molly E. Ogden of Earlville, a sophomore majoring in history and interdisciplinary social science, received the Earl L. LaPointe ’22 Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

David E. Revette of DeRuyter, a senior majoring in civil engineering, received the Frank M. Hardiman Endowed Scholarship.

Taylor Smith of Hamilton, a freshman majoring in the Clarkson School, received the Dr. Mark W. and Beulah Welch Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

Stephanie Stewart of Munnsville, a freshman majoring in the clarkson school, received the Dr. Mark W. and Beulah Welch Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

Crane School of Music Students to Perform at Lincoln Center

More than 200 students from The Crane School of Music at The State University of New York at Potsdam will make their collective Lincoln Center debut on May 1 in a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental Messa da Requiem under the baton of Ann Howard Jones.

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, the entire Crane Chorus and members of the Crane Symphony Orchestra will travel to New York City for the Avery Fisher Hall concert.

The Crane Chorus roster includes:

Corey Hopkins, a junior from Canastota, who sings bass

Leading up to the concert, the students will have an intensive weeklong musical immersion experience culminating in a packed performance at the Potsdam, campus, before they depart for New York City.

MVCC Students Inducted into PTK International Honor Society

Mohawk Valley Community College’s top academic students were honored this fall by being inducted into the Lambda Beta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, which was founded in 1960 when the College was known as the Mohawk Valley Technical Institute.

The following students were inducted:

Paula Thurston from Waterville, majoring in administrative assistant certificate.

Chelsea Hopkins from Canastota, majoring in business management.

Amanda Kelly from Waterville, majoring in chemical dependency practitioner.

Trevor Coye from Earlville, majoring in civil engineering technology.

Nathaniel Paul from Earlville, majoring in criminal justice.

Phebe Lamont from Waterville, majoring in engineering science.

Tiffany Earley from Madison, majoring in general studies.

Amanda Farmer from Waterville, majoring in mathematics and science.

Tanya Kelly from Waterville, majoring in mathematics and science.

William Lighthall from Canastota, majoring in pre-nursing.

“Students are inducted into Phi Theta Kappa because of their academic success, but by becoming members, they also open the doors to their future success,” said Stephen Frisbee, Director of Libraries at MVCC and advisor for Phi Theta Kappa. “In addition to academic excellence, Phi Theta Kappans take part in many community activities, as well as helping with various activities at MVCC. Those members who have chosen to participate in various events have enriched their lives and broadened their knowledge beyond the scope of their academics.”

Membership in Phi Theta Kappa is offered to students who have a 3.5 GPA or higher over at least 12 credit hours in a degree program.