Barron's is sponsoring an investment contest in which each "investor" has a hypothetical bankroll of $100,000. According to the January 12 issue: "The top-performing teacher among 84 entrants, Daniel Ricigliano, an accounting and securities professor at Buffalo State College, is up a respectable 13 percent in the period. He's structured his portfolio around exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in areas like gold, oil, energy, and Asia. Right now, he's holding 10 ETFs and just four stocks."

The all-new Buffalo State Pep Band is recruiting members, including faculty and staff. The pep band is an initiative of the Athletics Department in collaboration with the Music Department. Under the direction of Buffalo State graduate Paul Siekierski, the pep band hopes to play its first event sometime in February. If you're a musician—young or old—enjoy athletics, and want to have some fun, why not join the Buffalo State Pep Band for one, two, or all of their events? For additional information or to register, contact Tom Koller at ext. 6514.

The Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) is available for 2009 to eligible CSEA, PEF, UUP, and M/C employees. This program gives eligible employees the opportunity to exchange previously accrued annual leave (vacation) and/or personal leave, in return for a credit to be applied toward the employee’s cost of their New York State Health Insurance. Sick leave credit cannot be exchanged under this program. The enrollment period for the 2009 program begins on Monday, October 27, and ends on Friday, November 28. In order to participate, eligible employees must file an election form by November 28.

This is the first in a series of articles from the Environmental Health and Safety Office focusing on storm water pollution prevention awareness. The Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987 established the first federally based provisions to specifically curb water pollution from storm water drainage systems maintained and operated by governmental entities. In 1998, the U.S. EPA promulgated Phase 2 of the storm water regulations, which established requirements for smaller, government-operated storm sewer systems, including those located within urbanized areas that service populations less than 100,000, to obtain permits from the EPA or an EPA-delegated state agency. Today, Buffalo State College is one of about 4,000 permitted small systems nationwide that must fulfill the terms and conditions of a storm water discharge permit, including goals for increasing public and employee awareness of the need to prevent pollution of storm water runoff. As part of this effort, you will notice “Only Rain Down the Drain” stenciled in blue around campus storm drain inlets, which receive and convey storm water runoff and snow melt from the college premises to Scajaquada Creek.

New York State Budget Reform enacted for the 2007–2008 fiscal year has affected how state agencies manage budgets and balances. Some new expenditure categories have been created by either separating or clustering familiar categories. Specifically, “Overtime and Holiday Pay” is now a separate expenditure category. Non-payroll categories of Supplies, Storehouse, and Duplicating constitute “Total Supplies”; Contractual, Telephone, and Postage categories are “Total Contractual Services.” The SMRT (SUNY Management Resource Tool) Application will display these new categories effective Monday, January 14.

A call for proposals for the 2008 New Media Consortium (NMC) Summer Conference at Princeton University is now open. The deadline to submit your proposal is Thursday, January 31.

From 1996 to 2000, international marine debris collectors found over 6 million cigarette filters on beaches, followed by over 3 million food bags. Where do all the cigarette filters come from? Much of the blame must be placed on careless beachgoers, but they are not the only source. Smokers who flick cigarette filters out of a car window, stamp cigarettes out on a sidewalk, or dump out their car ashtrays in a parking lot contribute to the marine debris problem. Cigarette filters can wash or blow down storm drains that lead into our local waterways and eventually, the ocean. Cigarette butts should be disposed of in ashtrays and, if there isn't one available, portable ashtrays are a convenient solution. If you'd like a portable ashtray, call EVERGREEN at ext. 6835 while supplies last!

Along with the museum's annual Volunteer Recognition Party (see sidebar), the Burchfield-Penney Art Center also celebrates the opening of the last of the Life in the Arts series with the work of watercolorist Thomas Aquinas Daly on Friday, January 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

An important meeting and luncheon for all BSC 101 instructors will be held on Thursday, January 17, from noon to 3:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. To register, please e-mail Jeanne Salisbury.

Teachers, please get the word out about this fantastic Winterim workshop on substitute teaching—offered today, January 8, from 9:00 a.m. to noon in E. H. Butler Library 208. All education majors should attend. More information is available on the Winterim Web site.