Sonya Ellison

The Valentine’s Day Date Auction held on Feb. 13 in Nevins Theatre seemed to be quite a success, though it did begin a little later than scheduled.

“We really didn’t know what we were expecting,” said Emily Dowd of the auction. “It just happened and fell into place at the right time.”

The auction is not a yearly event here at AU, but it has occured before. Dowd says that the date auction was inspired by a scene from the musical Oklahoma and it was her idea to put it together.

Former Hold Steady keyboardist Franz Nicolay will be performing at the Knight Club on Feb. 19 at 10 p.m.

Nicolay has become a multi-instrumental solo artist. His latest albums, “Major General” and “St. Sebastian and the Short Stage” were both released in 2009 and deliver a uniquely-flavored brand of indie rock, using an array of musical instruments.

New York City and Boston-based comedian Myq Kaplan will perform Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. in the Knight Club.

Kaplan has appeared on Comedy Central as well as The Tonight Show and is currently nominated for the ECNY's emerging comic award. The Comedians Magazine has said that he "does comedy - relentlessly, methodically, unblinkingly” and Punchline Magazine hails him as “the comic to watch in 2010.”

Alfred’s favorite restaurant, “The Collegiate,” is currently being moved from its original 3 North Main Street address to a new 31 North Main Street location, previously the home of the Alfred Pizza and Sub Shop which closed its doors a few years ago.

Dr. Judith Touchton spoke in Nevins Theater on Oct. 8 as part of the Women’s Leadership Center’s “Women of Influence” program. Touchton is the president of Touchton Partners LLC and the founder of WomenLeadersMove.com. Her presentation was about the inequity found in higher education for women today.

According to recent studies, only 57 percent of females are college students in the U.S. That is a much better statistic than in 1970, where only 42 percent were. Dr. Touchton says, “We’ve come a long way, but we’re not there yet.”

Two of AU's most prominent buildings have received attention since the end of the academic year. Miller Performing Arts Center is still in the process of adding a second building, currently called "Phase II," while the front of Powell Campus Center has also undergone some changes.

Over the summer, Powell's entrance onto Academic Alley was upgraded and the walkways were furnished with more plants. This has enhanced the building's appearance and, by decreasing the sharp incline downward, has made Powell safer to exit during winter.

Black Moth Super Rainbow, an indie band from Pittsburgh, PA, visited Alfred University on August 29th and set the bar high for guest performers this semester.
The musical group is mostly instrumental and has a style that can best be described as psychedelic electronica.

Opening act Soundpool started around fifteen minutes late, but, with the help of some of their synth-heavy numbers, warmed everyone up for the main attraction.

With songs about "Sunday School," "New Math," and fictional characters in rehab, Bo Burnham isn’t a run-of-the-mill comedian. The comedy singer is renowned as a world wide web smash; his Youtube channel is one of the site’s most popular. Famous for these songs full of his inventive and often risque humor, he’s sure to leave his listeners stunned and applauding his one-of-a-kind talent. Come see him live here at Alfred University in the McLane gym on Saturday, September 19th at 10 p.m.

Geoffrey Mann visited Harder Hall on September 2. Mann, a resident of Scotland, designs a wide array of practical items in a revolutionary fashion. Mann showed students pieces from his “Song Exposure” and “Natural Occurrence” series, and shared how his works are made.

Mann’s technique for achieving his pieces’ form begins with taking photographs of short moments in time with long exposures. He then updates the design of a traditional piece by manipulating the photo with a computer program and changing its surface pattern based upon reflection, sounds, and movement in nature.