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This Week’s Events
Gannon University President Antoine M Garibaldi, PhD, will confer some 327 degrees at the University’s Winter Commencement Ceremony, to be held December 14. The ceremony will begin at 2 pm in Gannon’s Hammermill Center. The graduates include one student receiving a doctor of physical therapy degree, five receiving doctoral degrees, 256 receiving master’s degrees, 59 receiving bachelor’s degrees, and six receiving associate’s degrees.
The Allegheny Chamber Singers will present a recital on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3:15 p.m. in Ford Chapel at Allegheny College. The recital, which is free and open to the public, will include arias, trios, quartets and ensembles from oratorios by Haydn, Handel, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Berlioz and Brahms. The works by Haydn include his “St. Nicholas” and “Lord Nelson” masses and “The Creation.” Handel will be represented by excerpts from “Messiah” and “Joshua.” Solo movements will be sung from Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and “Beatus Vir.” Other oratorios on the program include Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise,” Berlioz’s “L’Enfance du Christ” and Brahms’ “German Requiem.”
Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE’s Transportation business, will be the guest speaker at the Manufacturer & Business Association’s December Eggs ’n’ Issues briefing starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, December 16 at the Association’s Conference Center, 2171 West 38th Street at Pittsburgh Avenue. All media are invited to attend. Cost is $30 for members, $60 for nonmembers.
Victorian Holidays will be on display in the Watson-Curtze Mansion at 356 West Sixth Street, and will include traditionally decorated trees, seasonal workshops for children and adults, lectures, and elegant Victorian teas. Victorian Holidays will run until December 28 on Wednesdays through Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 – 4:00 p.m. The cost of museum admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and a whopping $2 for children.
Gannon University will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the most influential Catholic writers of the 20th century with a four-part Advent Lecture Series. The series will focus on Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, prolific poet, social activist, and acclaimed author on the subject of spirituality. Merton, a Catholic convert, became a pioneer in interreligious dialogue and one of the seminal figures of 20th century American Christianity. The series, being held on the four Sundays of Advent, will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 with a lecture by Canadian poet and essayist J.S. Porter. Porter’s lecture is titled, “Bonding with Readers: Merton’s Voice of Friendship & Intimacy.”
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will hold its fall 2008 commencement ceremony on Friday, December 19, in the college’s Junker Center. The ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. and will confer eight associate, 162 bachelor’s and 20 graduate degrees. Summer graduates participating in the ceremony have received an additional five associate degrees, 46 bachelor’s degrees, and 23 graduate degrees.
Gannon University’s Schuster Gallery will host the exhibit “The Art and the Artist,” through January 16, 2009. The exhibit will feature the work of Vitus J. Kaiser who is a longtime art teacher in the Erie School District. A reception open to the public will be held from 3 – 6 p.m. on the opening day. The exhibit will be at the Schuster Gallery located in the Nash Library. For more information call (814) 871-5467.
An event entitled, “An Afternoon of Art for Carrie Hart” will take place at the Unitarian Church 7180 Perry Hwy, on December 14, 2008. There will be musicians, artists, poets, and dancers hoping to raise awareness and funds for her unbelievable medical expenses. Carrie lost her job shortly after her cancer diagnosis, leaving her with no income or insurance. You can learn more about her here.
On December 14 and 21 there will be a Sunday Brunch at the Watson-Curtze Mansion from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The brunch includes admission to the museum’s annual exhibit Victorian Holidays: Whimsical Wonderland, with a selection that may include: Quiche Lorraine, Egg Sausage Casserole, Dried Tomato Tart, Special Potato Casserole, and Ham. The cost is $15 per person and reservations are required. Call (814) 454-1813 Ext. 0.
FREE Half Hour, Enterprise Class Video Conference on December 15, 2008. Families with loved ones stationed in Iraq at one of the following five camps: Camp Taji, Al Asad Air Base, Camp Fallujah, Camp Victory (Baghdad) and Camp Taqaddum, please contact Judy Baker at (814) 734-8388 or judy_baker@iu5.org to arrange your video conference. This is a FREE service provided by the Freedom Calls Foundation and sponsored by The Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit.
December Events
The Nunsense Christmas Musical is the first “TV Special” taped by the sisters in their convent basement studio for Cable Access. It stars the nuns you love plus Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen’s most talented students. It features all new songs including: “Twelve Days Prior to Christmas,” ” Santa Ain’t Comin’ To Our House,” ” We Three Kings of Orient Are Us,” and “It’s Better to Give Than To Receive.” This show is filled with “Nunsense” humor, some of your favorite carols, a “Secret Santa,” and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It’s the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright. The show runs through December 21.
A Battles Family Holiday at the Battles Museums of Rural Life will be held December 20th in Girard. Guests will have the opportunity to visit both the R.S. Battles Farmhouse and the Charlotte Elizabeth Battles Memorial Museum during the holidays. You will also learn to Cook Christmas Dinner on a wood-burning stove, make traditional tree ornaments, all the while enjoying civil war era dances and music. The cost of admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and a whopping $2 for children or bring a new or slightly used toy to donate.
Through December 31, turn your canned food into a FREE TAN & help those less fortunate this holiday. Sun Your Buns Tanning Salons have once again teamed up with the Second Harvest Food Bank this Holiday Season. Enjoy a FREE TAN with your canned food donation while helping to support a very needed and worth while cause in our community.
The Bayfront Convention Center presents “Boogie on the Bayfront,” to be held on New Year’s Eve, December 31. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., you can catch music by the band Redline, dancing, food, drink and free parking. Tickets are $40 per person and proceeds benefit the City of Erie Police and Fire departments. Here’s a flyer for the event.
January Events
The 26th edition of the McDonald’s High School Basketball Classic will be held in Erie on Friday, January 16th and Saturday, January 17th, 2009 at Gannon University’s Hammermill Center. This year’s event features nationally renowned programs from Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, D.C., complete with many top-ranked players. The field includes Archbishop Carroll from Washington, D.C., Chester High School, Westbury Christian and host Erie Cathedral Prep.
February Events
Erie’s favorite event is right around the corner. The 18th Annual Erie Trivia Night Challenge will be held on Thursday, February 26 at the Avalon Hotel, 16 West Tenth Street, Erie. The event will benefit children in the Achievement Center’s Physical Rehabilitation programs.
Participants in the event will be treated to an evening of lavish raffles, a silent auction; dinner fit for a king, and of course, the coveted Achiever’s Title. “Captain Dan” Geary will be returning as our master of ceremonies. “Captain Dan” will be navigating participants through three rounds of rip-roaring, mind-teasing Erie trivia questions to arrive at the infamous, “final question.” Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m. with the trivia to start at 7 p.m. Cost is $50 per person or $400 per table of eight. Dinner and game play included.
For more information, call Susan A. Smith at 814-459-2755, Ext. 1115.
