There is still time to submit applications for National Student Exchange, but time is running out. Please let your students know of this great opportunity to attend one of the 200 participating campuses within the United States or Canada. Applications are available in South Wing 420. Thank you.

By popular demand, the Buffalo State Alumni Association has again teamed up with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company to offer a second defensive driving class to Buffalo State faculty, staff, alumni, and students on Saturday, March 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. 

Save money on your auto insurance by taking this class offered through Liberty Mutual. Friends and relatives are also welcome if accompanied by a faculty or staff member, alumnus, or student. The cost of the class is $22 per person.

To enroll, please call Mike DiCioccio, Buffalo State’s local representative, at (716) 677-2734, ext. 53695. The registration deadline for this course is Wednesday, March 5.

The Cotton Transformation Challenge Awards will be presented to winners on Thursday, February 13, during Bengal Pause (12:15 to 1:30 p.m.). Join us in the Technology Building's third-floor lounge to watch the unveiling of the winning garments. Prizes include an iPad, cash, and gift certificates. Refreshments will be served at 12:15 p.m., and awards will start at 12:30 p.m.

The Cotton Transformation Challenge was a design contest open to all Buffalo State students and alumni. The challenge was to take men's shirts made of at least 60 percent cotton and transform them into fashionable garments for women. Winning garments will be highlighted in the Technology Building's third-floor showcases after the ceremony.

Students are invited to attend Siena Night on Monday, March 31, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West.

Since 1961, Buffalo State has provided the opportunity for study in Siena, one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Italy. Encircled by centuries-old walls, Siena overlooks the Tuscan countryside, the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Students in the Siena Program live with a Sienese family, participate actively in the life of the community, and attend small classes taught primarily in English. As part of the program's studies, students take faculty-guided tours of Florence, Rome, and other Italian cities for firsthand study of original works of art, architecture, and Italian culture. Students may participate in workshops that enable them to experience aspects of Sienese life normally closed to tourists.

Sponsored by the International Education Office.

The Art Education Association, a student organization, will hold a reception in honor of the Art Education Department student show Art Evolution: Appreciating Creative Growth on Thursday, February 13, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the lobby outside the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments and many talents of our students.

SUNY Buffalo State and the University at Buffalo are proud to jointly sponsor the Programa de Estudios Hispanicos, established in 1969, in cooperation with the University of Salamanca, Spain's oldest and most celebrated university. To find out more, come to the Salamanca Night information session on Tuesday, March 18, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 219.

Sponsored by the International Education Office.

Students can learn how to spend a semester studying in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, during this information session on Tuesday, March 11, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115.

In 1995, Buffalo State established a student exchange program with the Amsterdam School of Business, now HES School of Economics and Management at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Unhampered by the need for a second language while doing class work yet challenged by the Dutch language outside the classroom, business and economics students have a unique opportunity to take their required courses in English while enjoying the experience of living in a foreign culture.

Sponsored by the International Education Office.

Make time to craft a card for someone special. Come to E. H. Butler Library on Valentine’s Day to make a handmade card for your sweetie, your mom, your friend, or yourself. An assortment of paper and supplies will be available. Stop in anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 14, for card-crafting fun!

ING Financial Partners will conduct the workshop "What's Your Retirement Number?" led by Gary Witten, George Dougherty, and Matthew Witten, on Wednesday, February 19, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 418.

You'll learn

• how much savings is considered enough for retirement,  
• how to calculate your retirement number,
• what the next steps are once you've calculated your number. 

If you wish to attend, RSVP to molly@teamifs.com or (716) 626-3928. Lunch will be provided.

Please encourage students to apply for one of the following VSLC awards for their volunteer and service-learning activities, or consider nominating a student yourself.

The Certificate of Recognition for Community Engagement is available for any student who has completed 120–400 hours of volunteer and service-learning work in the community during his or her college career. Credit and noncredit service hours can be combined to meet the requirements. Students can apply quickly and easily; information and applications are available on the VSLC website. Applications are due Friday, March 14. Students will be recognized at the VSLC Celebration of Service on Tuesday, May 6.

Outstanding student awards for service-learning and volunteer activities for the 2013–2014 academic year are also given at the VSLC Celebration of Service. Students can be nominated by a faculty member, fellow student, or community partner for activities during the fall 2013 or spring 2014 semester. Information and nomination forms are available on the VSLC website.