The campus community is invited to attend an information session on the upcoming interdisciplinary study tour of Turkey on Thursday, April 16, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Ketchum Hall 200. The tour will take place from June 22 to July 17.

The tour will explore the ethnic and cultural diversity of Istanbul, Turkey—the bustling, cosmopolitan city that straddles Europe and Asia and was once home to the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman cultures. The tour will combine academic study of the region's history and literature with a hands-on experience of Turkish culture.

Participants will earn 6 undergraduate credit hours of coursework that incudes Turkish literature in translation, autobiography, and memoir and fulfills upper-level English as well as Intellectual Foundations requirements. Participants must be in good academic standing. The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 30.

Please contact Barish Ali, assistant professor of English, for more information.

Weigel Health Promotions will host a QPR (question, persuade, refer) Suicide Prevention Workshop on Wednesday, April 15, at 10:00 a.m. in Ketchum Hall 118. QPR provides the knowledge and skills needed to prevent suicide and get someone who is contemplating suicide the help they need.

This event is one of a variety of programs to be held by Weigel Health Promotions to promote the Take Back the Night event and come together as a community for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For more Weigel Health Promotions programs, check out our newsletter or follow us on Facebook.

Please contact Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator, ext. 4719, with questions.

Buffalo State's 2015 Arbor Day Celebration will take place on Tuesday, April 21, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Plaza. The BSCenery Department, EVERGREEN, and Students 4 Sustainability, in conjunction with community and campus partners, will host this event, which celebrates the importance of planting trees. The celebration will include food, music, giveaways, informational materials, and a demonstration of proper tree-planting techniques.

This year, Buffalo State will honor Arbor Day by planting a flowering dogwood in the Student Union Plaza. Growing to about 20 feet, flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) produce ornamental attributes in all seasons, with attractive white “flowers” in the springtime and leaves that progress from bronzy green to a full, glossy green by the peak of summer. As autumn approaches, the leaves change to a bronzy red, which lasts throughout the season. The flowering dogwood is a great addition to any landscape design, as the impact from this little tree can be huge.

We would like to thank our partners for their support and involvement with the 2015 Arbor Day Celebration:

• Business Services
• Campus Services
• The Buffalo State Sustainability Committee
• The Geography and Planning Department
• Environmental Health and Safety
• WNY PRISM
• PLANT WNY
• Modern Corporation
• MAVEN Technologies
• Students 4 Sustainability

Weigel Health Promotions will host therapy dogs from Horizon Health Services on Wednesday, April 15, at 1:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113 and Friday, April 17, at 10:00 a.m. in Ketchum Hall 118.

Therapy animals are a great way to relieve stress during some of the most intense parts of the semester, which can include times when we discuss complex topics such as sexual assault. They are capable of much more than you might think, so stop in and learn about everything our working four-legged friends have to offer.

This event is one of a variety of programs being held by Weigel Health Promotions to promote the Take Back the Night event and come together as a community for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For more programs, check out our newsletter or follow us on Facebook.

Please contact Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator, ext. 4719, with questions.

Weigel Health Promotions will host a program on the Buffalo State Tobacco-Free policy on Wednesday, April 22, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 200. Come and learn about the history and purpose of the policy and opportunities to become a tobacco-free ambassador. Develop the knowledge and skills needed to approach others and have a respectful and appropriate conversation about the policy when needed.

For more Weigel Health Promotions programs, check out our newsletter or follow us on Facebook. Please contact Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator, ext. 4719, with questions.

Please join the Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury in Burbot:
Latitudinal Effects and Sex Differences,” presented by Martin A. Stapanian, research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Lake Erie Biological Station, on Thursday, April 23, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Classroom Building B118. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center’s Alternative Break Student Leadership Team will host its first Spring Plant Sale to benefit the Alternative Break Scholarship Fund.

The Student Leadership Team is selling locally sourced organic basil, cilantro, marigold, and parsley plants in 3- to 5-inch painted eco-friendly recycled pots. Purchase one plant for $3 or two plants for $5. 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit a scholarship fund created by the Alternative Break Student Leadership Team. The scholarship will provide support to students who apply to participate in an Alternative Break trip experience but are unable to commit because of financial reasons.

Spring Plant Sale orders are due by Thursday, April 30. Plants will be delivered to your campus office on Wednesday, May 6, or may be picked up in the VSLC on Wednesday, May 6, or Thursday, May 7 (see order form for detailed times). Payment is required upon delivery or pickup.

Please place orders online. 

Alternative Break trips take place during the fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks. This program allows students to volunteer with nonprofit organizations to meet community-identified needs throughout the country. These experiences give students an opportunity to learn about social issues, serve communities, build teamwork and leadership skills, and make new friends. Learn more about the VSLC's Alternative Break program and the Alternative Break Student Leadership Team on the VSLC website. 

The Alternative Break Student Leadership Team thanks you for your support.

Kristine Assue, Senior, Business
Rashard Cunningham, Senior, Communication
Allie Diamond, Senior, Fine Arts
Molly Diamond, Senior, Biology
Rachael Mark, Junior, Social Work
Steve Mathes, Postbaccalaureate, Social Studies Education
Dwayne Remolado, Senior, Communication
Scott Thompson, Junior, Urban and Regional Planning

Weigel Health Promotions and the Equity and Campus Diversity Office are collaborating with Iota Phi Theta to present the I Love Consent workshop on Monday, April 13, at 6:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113. Learn what consent is and is not, including the organizations that support this ongoing campaign against sexual assault.

This event is part of the variety of programs held by Weigel Health Promotions to raise awareness about Take Back the Night and Sexual Awareness Month. Please contact Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator, ext. 4719, with questions.

Weigel Health Promotions will host a Healthy Relationships workshop with Crisis Services on Monday, April 13, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Classroom Building B106. Examine the elements of healthy relationships and the warning signs of abusive and controlling behaviors.

This event is part of the variety of programs held by Weigel Health Promotions to raise awareness about Take Back the Night and Sexual Awareness Month. Please e-mail Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator, or call ext. 4719 with questions.

Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "When Antibiotics Fail: How to Deal with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infections?" presented by Sheila N. Bello-Irizarry, postdoctoral fellow with the University of Rochester Medical Center's Center for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, on Tuesday, April 14, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem worldwide. The increasing rates of antibiotic-resistant infections are due to antibiotic use within both human and veterinary medicine. Any use of antibiotics can increase selective pressure in a population of bacteria that promotes resistant bacteria to thrive and susceptible bacteria to die off. As resistance to antibiotics becomes more common, a greater need for alternative treatments arises. One alternative is to provide specific antibacterial antibodies to the host for early detection and killing of the bacteria, which is called passive immunization. One of the most common and dangerous drug-resistant bacteria is MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Approximately 80 percent of prosthetic joint infections are caused by S. aureus, and 50 percent of these are cause by MRSA. In a mouse model of prosthetic joint infection, we have shown that passive immunization against autolysin, a cell wall protein of S. aureus essential for cell division and biofilm formation, protects mice from abscess formation and biofilm in vivo. The mechanism of action involves aiding immune recognition by recruiting macrophages, a type of phagocytes that engulf and destroy bacteria in the host.