Laser music shows return to the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium, Wednesdays through Sundays through May 1. Laser patterns are choreographed to hits from such music greats as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, U2, and others. Free "laser glasses" enhance the experience.

Visit www.fergusonplanetarium.net for complete show schedule and pricing information. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online, by e-mail at planetarium@buffalostate.edu, or by phone at ext. 4911. Come experience the laser shows before they are gone!

Join the Burchfield Penney this spring while supporting the Faculty Staff Appeal. Individual memberships start at $45, family/dual at $60, and reciprocal friend at $125.

Your Burchfield Penney membership includes free general admission to the museum, discounts on classes, workshops and special programs, discounts in the Museum Store and reciprocal membership benefits at museums across New York State.

Use fund code BPAC-INDVMEM-2008 when making your faculty/staff appeal gift.

For more on the benefits of membership, visit www.BurchfieldPenney.org or call Suzie at ext. 3547.

John Granger, best known for explaining the artistry, meaning, and popularity of Joanne Rowling's Harry Potter novels, will present a lecture titled "Unlocking Harry Potter: Seven Keys to Open Up the World's Best Selling Books," Thursday, April 14, during Bengal Pause in Bulger Communication Center North 2C. Granger's books on this subject include How Harry Cast His Spell, The Deathly Hallows Lectures, and Harry Potter's Bookshelf.

John’s theories and insights about our favorite books and the experience of reading have been written up in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition to almost 100 radio talk show appearances, John has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, and A&E. The DVD of the Order of the Phoenix movie even includes an interview with John in the DVD extras.

"Every single person has at least one secret that would break your heart. If we could just remember this, I think there would be a lot more compassion and tolerance in the world.” —Frank Warren (PostSecret founder)

Pick up, fill out, and drop off your own custom-designed postcard with your individual, anonymous secret. Cards and art supplies will be available at today's Send Silence Packing event and at Take Back the Night. If you can not locate cards and want to participate, the Counseling Center has extras.

A post-it note with mental health supports are on the back of every card.

Cards will be reviewed by a team including Counseling Center staff and Active Minds officers prior to posting. At the end of the semester, our creative secrets will come together in a collage representing the Buffalo State College community.

Submit completed postcards anonymously into the drop box located near the Campbell Student Union Help Desk.

Be a part of it! Please encourage student participation.

Buffalo State College is a Civil and Caring Academic Community.

The Pedagogical Institute is a series of professional development workshops for faculty and staff held May 16–26. The showcase event will feature D. Lynn Sorenson, who has over two decades of experience in instructional and faculty development. Her workshop, “Designing Courses for Significant Learning,” will use the key components of integrated course design to engage participants in enhancing their own effectiveness in teaching and their students’ effectiveness as learners.

To register and see a full schedule, please visit the Professional Development website. The Pedagogical Institute is a collaboration between the assistant dean of Intellectual Foundations and the Professional Development Office.

Elluminate is “web collaboration designed for education.” Learn about the possibilities the Elluminate Live! software can open up for you including live instruction, classroom collaboration, meetings, virtual office hours, and more. Many of Elluminate Live’s features, such as interactive chat, group webcam communication, live voice communication, virtual whiteboard presentation, media distribution, application sharing, and recording, will be demonstrated. This is a hands-on workshop and is limited to 10 participants. Presented by Instructional Resources, Tuesday, April 26, 12:15–1:30 p.m., in the Professional Development Center, E. H. Butler Library 181B.

Register at http://bscintra.buffalostate.edu/registration/classdetails.asp?class=2344

Time is running out to get your Runway 4.0 tickets! The collaborative annual Runway project sponsored by the fashion and textile program is an interdisciplinary art, culture, fashion, multimedia educational, and community event. This year’s theme is Fashion Diversity Mash and what a creative, collaborative, and eclectic mash-up of art and fashion it is!

Four directions of diversity are represented by fashion, wearable fiber art, jewelry, and exhibits. A Buffalo Loves Cotton Fashion Mash scene will feature over a dozen garments each created by multiple students in different classes. Professor Li Ning, visiting Buffalo State from Beijing University of Technology will feature her fur, leather, and lace collection.

Presenting sponsor is M&T Bank. Major sponsors are Eastman Machine, New Era, and Macy's. Two shows on Saturday, April 16: 4:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets for 4:00 p.m. show tickets are available on campus only at at Rockwell Hall: Students, $10; General, $20. Tickets for the 8:30 p.m. show are $30 general admission (available at Wegmans); $50 reserved (call ext. 3005); and $100 VIP $100 (sold out). h

Visit http://bscrunway.wordpress.com/ for more info.

Jean F. Gounard, director, International Student Affairs, will be the guest speaker of African Visions, a program sponsored by the Margaret Bacon Visual Arts Fund, the Equity and Diversity Office, the Modern and Classical Languages Department, and the French Club at Buffalo State College in association with the American Association of Teachers of French, Thursday April 14, at 6:30 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.

The Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore is currently accepting applications for a permanent, part-time position in our bookkeeping department. Please call Lynn Puma at ext. 5509 for additional information.

Due to changes with the Transfer Orientation 2011 program, the Orientation Office will be holding informational sessions to explain the new transfer orientation model and clarify any questions regarding the decoupling of summer advisement and the transfer student orientation.

Sessions are:
Tuesday, April 19, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 208
Friday, April 22, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 205
Monday, April 25, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 418
Wednesday, April 27, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in Cleveland Hall 418

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend.