The donation was made by long-time benefactor to OU, Stephan Sharf.

Sharf is a retired Chrysler executive and matched his retirement funds from the company with his own money to create OU scholarships available to Chrysler employees and their children.

In 2007 he has also received an honorary doctorate degree of science from the university.

President Gary Russi declared the gift will aid Southeastern Michigan as it transitions from the current economic struggles into a future of economic prosperity.

“This remarkable gift strategically targets two key areas of Oakland’s academic mission —namely programs that will allow (OU) to help southeastern Michigan and the state as a whole transition into a thriving, knowledge-based economy,” Russi said.

The two areas Russi referred to are the School of Engineering and Computer Science and the William Beaumont School of Medicine.

Both departments, along with the women’s golf team, were granted $14 million of the $21 million gift.

The remaining $7 million will be directed to campus operational and capital needs, according to Russi.

Russi said these departments will receive enhancements that will prepare students to become successful leaders in the 21st century through scholarships, research and “enriching” extracurricular activities.

“Another factor that makes this gift so significant is the fact that countless students will benefit directly from it. We are tremendously fortunate and grateful that our donor took the best interests of our students to heart,” Russi said.

He praised the hard work of the students, faculty and staff, who he said have made OU among the top universities in region. The gift, according to Russi, is a testament to what they have accomplished and will accomplish.

“(The gift) is an investment in Oakland University’s future,” he said. “This kind of positive reinforcement that our mission is valued really makes an affirmative statement in the community and the state that Oakland University has an integral role in educating Michigan’s future leaders.”

Russ Cunningham, the coach of both the women’s and men’s golf teams, also noted the long -term results of the gift and echoed the fact that it strengthens a bond with the community.

“We are very grateful (for the gift). Anything we receive will help us in our goal of capturing our first conference championship,” Cunningham said. “It is exciting for the university as a whole. It shows the overall enthusiasm in the community. It’s a great time to be an OU student, staff member and alumni.”

Eric Barritt, vice president of community engagement and university relations, believes that the reaction from the OU community is important to note.

“We are extremely grateful and humbled. (The gift) will benefit countless students and faculty through scholarships and research,” Barritt said.

RECENT BENEFACTORS OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

MAGGIE ALLESEE Namely a donor to the Music, Theater and Dance department, Maggie Allesee has donated millions of dollars to Oakland University during her decades of philanthropy. She has established an endowed chair in geriatrics and rehabilitation nursing in the School of Nursing, where she also serves on Board of Visitors. She also serves on the Board of Visitors for the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in the MTD department.

ANN NICHOLSON Former Board of  Trustees member Ann Nicholson has made numerous donations to OU. She and her husband, James, are members of the Meadow Brook Society, which honors those who donated between $500,000 and $1 million. Nicholson has donated to the OU William Beaumount School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the School of Business Administration, the Honor’s College, Kresge Library and the MTD department. The Ann V. Nicholson apartments are also named for her.

DENNIS AND CARLOTTA PAWLEY The husband and wife duo has made over $7 million of donations to OU. Dennis has served on the board of trustees and the OU Foundation Board of Directors. He also established the Pawley Lean Learning Institute, which strives to share concepts that improve efficiency in education and create leaders at the university and in the community. In 2004 Carlotta and Dennis Pawley Hall was named in honor of a $4 million donation the couple made to the School of Education and Human Services building.

STEPHAN SHARF A donor since 1981, Sharf has made the largest contribution, $21 million, to the university in the history of the institution. His connection to OU began in the 70s when he served as the chairman at the Meadow Brook Music Festival. In 2000, one of his numerous his contributions helped to establish the R & S Sharf Golf Course, named for he and his wife Rita, located on OU’s campus. In 2008 he made an anonymous $4 million to the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

Contact senior reporter Jordan Gonzalez via e-mail at jrgonzal@oakland.edu

Originally open only to Spanish students, Cecelia Saenz-Roby, assistant professor of language, expanded the competition to include the other languages in the department last year.

To be eligible, students must submit a piece of work in Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish of no more than 700 words.

Entries will be considered for publication in the “Nuestras Voces” (Our Voices) journal. Winners and participants will be honored during “Noche Literaria (Literary Night).”

Saenz-Roby said the work of her students inspired her to start the competition.

“I was inspired by the creativity of my Intermediate and Advanced Spanish Composition students, which they demonstrated in their short stories and poems,” she said. “Opportunities like these help students discover their abilities and motivates them to improve their communicational aptitudes.”

According to Saenz-Roby, writing in a foreign language can be challenging for a variety of reasons.

“On one hand, you need to think in the foreign language to avoid interferences from the native one,” she said. “On the other hand, our students are very sophisticated thinkers and many times find themselves needing to express their complex ideas in their second language. In addition, in order to attract the attention of your readers in a creative work, you need to use colorful expressions, images, and metaphors.”

Despite the barriers, the judges said students have been able to come up with some impressive work.

“I have noticed that in the past, students wish to convey a personal feeling or experience, and it is amazing how well they have been able to find the words in a foreign language to express themselves so eloquently,” Dikka Berven, special instructor of French, said.

Each piece is judged by a professor of the language in which it is submitted. Students will be judged in a variety of areas.

“The criteria will include things such as creativity and originality, how well-organized and thought out the poem or story is, whether the writer has good control of the structure and grammar of the language, whether the writer has used interesting vocabulary, if there is good use of idiomatic expressions, a certain fluidity of expression that would make the piece a pleasure to read,”Berven said.

Saenz-Roby said judging the competition has not been easy.

“Selecting the winners is very difficult because the quality of our students’ work is very impressive,” she said.

For more information, students can visit oakland.edu/nuestrasvoces.

Fortunately, there are scholarships that are available to students of all years of study.

Students may be unaware of these scholarships, or feel asthough they don’t have enough time or are not qualified. Erin Sudrovech, associate director of alumni engagement
and campus programs, insists that students take advantage of the opportunities given to them.

“Students may be unaware of the scholarships that we, at the alumni association, give away,” Sudrovech said. “There are a lot of scholarships available for students of all class levels.
We have scholarships for freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior, transfer and graduate students.”

Along with those offered by the OUAA, there is a wide range of scholarships offered through the office of financial aid and other academic departments. There are over 100 scholarships available on OU’s website. Students can find out how to apply and how much the scholarship will be.

Some scholarships can be applied for when filing FAFSA forms. The financial aid office on campus will determine who qualifies for each one.

Students should keep in mind the scholarship deadlines for different departments and programs.

Sudrovech said that students should visit the alumni website to check out the different scholarships they offer.

“Graduate students may apply as well,” Sudrovech said. “Everyone can benefit from these opportunities.”

There are 13 available scholarships through the OU Alumni Association.

There are also scholarships available to students that are not funded through OU organizations.

The Dannon Company has a scholarship for incoming or current graduate students that excel in science and show a special interest in probiotics studies. The scholarship pays up to a year’s tuition or $25,000. The winner will also receive an all-expense paid trip to the Dannon Research Center in France to explore topics in probiotics, nutrition and human physiology, alongside leading experts. This experience offers the winning student access to networking opportunities with top international researchers.

“There is already a lot of research on probiotics and we want to expand the research team, so basically this scholarship would be a research program,” Miguel Freitas, director of
health affairs at The Dannon Company, said. “No one has ever done this before so we wanted to be the first.”

According to Freitas, this scholarship will support dedication in the field of probiotics and encourage students to continue studying in the field. The Dannon Company, being the leader in probiotics research with products such as Activia, is hoping to get more people involved in the field.

“I applied for many scholarships while in school.” Freitas said. “My advice to students is not leaving things to the last minute”.

Freitas said there isn’t room for procrastination when you are serious about doing something. He also suggests students apply to as many scholarships as they can and to include as
much information as they can. Achievements and extracurricular activities will benefit students when applying for scholarships. “It takes time, so don’t wait until the last minute,” Freitas said. For more information about this scholarship go to dannon.com/fellowship

For a list of the available scholarships through OU go to oakland.edu/scholarships, oakland.edu/OUAAscholorships or oakland.edu/graduatestudents

The deadline to submit candidacy forms for the upcoming Oakland University Student Congress elections has been extended to Monday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.

According to OUSC bylaws, candidates for the election must submit their names for consideration on the ballot eight weeks prior to an election, held at the end of March.

Due to oversight, OUSC leadership did not realize that election notifications needed to be sent out.

OUSC President Benjamin Eveslage explained the source of the confusion.

“We were looking at the bylaws last week (Monday) and for the elections commission we saw that it stated that the submission for the candidacy for legislators and president and vice president tickets were due eight weeks prior to the beginning of elections,” Eveslage said.

He went on to say that a separate clause of the bylaws allows some flexibility in the date to declare candidacy by a vote of the elections commission.

“The elections commission, once they’re formed, can vote and change the deadline,” Eveslage said.

Lisa Vecchio has the role of elections commission chair as OUSC’s administrative assistant.

The junior, double majoring in political science and philosophy, said she has selected six voting members of the commission.

Members were approved by the 23 members of the current legislature.

Commission members cannot run for any office or endorse a candidate for this election.

Commission members agreed to a one-week extension of the deadline for a declaration of candidacy.

Despite the delay, Eveslage is confident a one-week extension will be all that is needed. He is using social networking in order to ensure students know about the date change.

“We’ve already put banners and flyers up,” he said. “We have Facebook ads out. We also have a Facebook event, and we’ve been posting periodically.”

Eveslage said the Facebook ads have been targeted at all current OU students.

All 23 legislative positions are up for election. Students wishing to run for president and vice president must file a joint ticket with their running mate.

For more information, visit oakland.edu/ousc/elections.

Contact staff reporter Kevin Graham via e-mail at kpgraham@oakland.edu Follow him on Twitter @KevinGraham88

The collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association at Oakland University has established a relationship with the Palace of Auburn Hills via collaborations and fundraisers, following a meeting with the Palace on Jan. 19.

The members of the AMA were treated to dinner at the Caesars Windsor Club, where they met with Ryan Bertschman,  director of group sales and premium events, to discuss internships, fundraisers and the business of sports at the venue.

Bertschman spoke about careers in the sports industry and how he achieved success in it. Following his discussion, he gave résumé tips and answered questions.

“It’s a pretty big deal. We haven’t really (had) an opportunity before to work with such a large organization,” Christina Venditti, director of PR and communications, said.

“I think it shows the hard work we put out this year.”

The first major part of the newly formed relationship was an internship oppotrunity offered to OU students.

The Palace is offering five to eight students an internship that deals with business and selling skills in the sports environment. The AMA will be promoting these internship opportunities as part of the bargain.

The internships are mainly office work, with some opportunities for students to work on game days. The internships are unpaid, but whichever student performs best will receive a paid summer internship.

“The current position is very flexible, only asking for about two four-hour shifts a week and (the Palace) is flexible with class schedules,” said Stephanie Moore, president of the AMA. “It’s a great experience especially since they hire internally and they often hire interns full-time once they are graduated.”

OU’s AMA is also hosting a fundraiser for the Palace, selling discount tickets to four Pistons games. $5 will be donated to the AMA per ticket sold.

The AMA is a national organization, founded in 1937 from the merging of the National Association of Marketing Teachers and the American Marketing Society.

Its goal is to teach, develop and inform marketing practices through providing resources and education, sharing knowledge and fostering connections. It currently holds 76 professional chapters and over 350 collegiate chapters.

The collegiate chapter at OU is considered a student organization and is involved in many different activities around campus.

“We participate in campus events, host and attend professional events, host fundraisers and perform community service,” Moore said. “We also attend professional development and networking opportunities that are off-campus,  such as attending marketing conferences and AMA Detroit events.”

Moore said that community service is vital to  the AMA.

“We also perform at least one act of community service per month,” she said. “We believe since we are a professional organization, it is our duty to give back to the community.”

For more information on OU’s AMA chapter, contact President Stephanie Moore at sjmoore@oakland.edu, or Christina Venditti at cfvendit@oakland.edu.

For more information on the Pistons tickets, visit ticketmaster.com

Contact senior reporter Jordan Gonzalez via e-mail at jrgonzal@oakland.edu

New business lunch series

The Macomb-Oakland University Incubator will start its new lunch series, “Lunch and Launch,” this Thursday, Feb 2.

David Murray, director of social media for Moncur Associates, will be speaking at this first meeting which will take place in the Velocity building at 6633 Eighteen Mile Road in Sterling Heights.

For more information on the ,ucnh series visit oakland.edu/macombouinc

How to stop worrying workshop

The Center for Student Actitivies and WXOU radio station is sponsoring “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.”

The workshop will take place on Feb. 2 and 9 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Lake Superior Room B of the Oakland Center. It will also be held Feb. 3 and 10 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the first floor in the Vandenberg lounge.

Organic farming discussion and luncheon open to students

The OU Student Organic Farm organization will be hosting “Celebrating Sustainability, Creativity and Community Engagement” on Feb 6. in the Oakland Center Gold Rooms.

Workshops are held throughout the afternoon. Students will discuss how to use utilize OU’s organic farm space located at Adams and Butler roads.

For more information, contact Danielle Bockart at 248-370-4969 or e-mail studentorganicfarmers@gmail.com.

Undergraduate summer program available to science students

The Eye Research Institute Summer Undergraduate Program in Eye Research is accepting applications from now until March 2 at 5 p.m.

Students who participate will explore the latest research methods in biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, molecular biology and neuroscience.

With the advantage of $3,5000 research fellowships, the 12-week program runs May 14 to Aug. 3.

For more information about the summer institute information visit www.oakland.edu/eri

Compiled by Sarah Hunton, Campus Editor

Oakland University Center for Autism Research and Support, has just launched their first bowling league in an effort to provide enjoyment to individuals with autism.

The team bowls at Classic Lanes in Rochester Hills every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Members of OUCARES take part in providing activities that will help individuals with autism engage in social interaction and make friends.

“The most important aspect of the bowling league is the participants having fun and making friends,” Kathy Sweeney, director of OUCARES, said. “(Public awareness) is important as well.”

In general, OUCARES’ mission is to improve quality of life for individuals and families affected by autism.

The league, called the OUCARES Strikers, had their first match this past Saturday and the season will run for nine weeks. The organization intends for the league to run year-round.

The league is coached by a professional bowler and is run in partnership with the Autism Society of Oakland County. A conscious effort has been made to make the league financially reasonable for participants.

“It is important for individuals with autism from all age groups to have an outlet as well as different activities to participate in,” Karin Chandler, OUCARES program director, said.

The bowling league is geared specifically toward young adults and gives those with autism a chance to interact with others from their age group and build self-esteem.

“Being a part of the league, they can accomplish something rather than feeling defeated and different,” Chandler said.

Every OUCARES program tries to work with each individual and acknowledge his or her success.

They believe that providing an opportunity in a controlled, supportive environment is vital for individuals with autism.

“The bottom line is … we want them to have fun,” Chandler said.

To further recognize their accomplishments, OUCARES plans to organize a party at the bowling alley after the participants complete the season.

The bowling league is just one example of OUCARES’ passion for autism awareness. The organization provides 25 recreational programs that run year-round, including basketball, baseball, soccer and martial arts. They also run summer camps and film camps.

According to Sweeney, there is a lot more diversity among individuals with autism than most people think.

The organization as a whole wants to increase public awareness, and volunteers help them to do so.

In fact, they rely completely on OU student volunteers.

According to Chandler, communication students and members from the athletic community have been very enthusiastic about volunteering.

For more information about the OUCARES and the OUCARES Strikers go to oakland.edu/oucares or visit their Facebook page.

Contact staff intern Rachel Ritzenthaler via e-mail at ritzenthaler.rachel@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @rachelritz

Larcenies suspect arrested

On Thursday, Jan. 19, OUPD arrested a male subject believed to be involved in the Tuesday, Jan. 10 larcenies in Hamlin Hall. The male subject was at the Crossroads School in Southfield when he was arrested. After handcuffing and searching the subject, police transported him to the Oakland University police station. Upon arrival, police photographed and fingerprinted the subject. The subject was later interviewed about his visit to OU on Jan.10. The subject described what occurred that evening and said that he did not steal anything. The subject was later released pending the police department obtaining a warrant.

Strange circumstances in Varner Hall involve OU staff

On Friday, Jan. 20 at 12:57 p.m., OUPD officers were dispatched to Varner Hall due to suspicious circumstances. A male student said that at approximately 12:30 p.m. he overheard a conversation between two male subjects about “firebombing” the university. The subjects were later identified as Oakland University employees. Once OUPD arrived at the subjects’ place of employment, the first subject stated that the second subject did make “firebombing” comments but that they were completely innocent. The second subject said that his comments were taken out of context by the complainants and that he was talking about a video game not actually causing harm to the school. The case was determined non-criminal and is now closed.

Attempted break in investigated at Wilson Hall

On Monday, Jan. 23 at approximately 11 a.m., OUPD was dispatched to Wilson Hall for an attempted breaking and entering. A faculty member said that at 10:30 a.m. he went to the back door of the computer lab and noticed pry marks on the lock and what appeared to be handprints. The handprints were smeared and OUPD was unable to take fingerprints. There are no video cameras in this area that would have caught any activity.

Compiled by Natalie Popovski, Staff Intern

Amid all the noise and chaos of planes, cars and man-made machines is the sound of millions of creatures.

The animals of the world have been singing their songs since the beginning of time, ranging from the soft chirp of a warbler to the ear-splitting scream of a puma; the click of a cricket to the moan of a whale.

According to environmentalists and scientists, that song is dying off daily due to continued extinctions.

On Jan. 25, Academy Award winning director and world famous photographer Louis Psihoyos visited Oakland University and spoke about the dangers of allowing that sound to die off. He is the founder and executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society.

“These songs are dying because they are going extinct … it’s a science fiction nightmare,” Psihoyos said.

He held the burning of fossil fuels, overfishing and hunting as culprits.

Psihoyos is no stranger to this topic. He directed the renowned and controversial film, “The Cove,” which documents the slaughter of dolphins for food and the dangers of human consumption of dolphins due to their mercury poisoning in Japan. The film, which won an Academy Award for best documentary feature, used espionage tactics to expose what was happening in Japan.

The problem is two-fold, according to Psihoyos. The dolphins are in danger of extinction, and the Japanese citizen’s health is in danger because of the dolphins’ mercury content. He said that the success of the film was due to showing both sides of the problem.

“If you just push one message, you might not hit everybody with that message,” he said. “The take home message is really powerful, if you’re eating them.”

“The Cove” is a major accomplishment for Psihoyos. He has had tremendous success in the past as a photographer for National Geographic and other major magazines. However, he felt his work wasn’t getting the message out.

“I have seen businessmen go through a story that took me a year and a half to do in 90 seconds. It’s crushing when people don’t spend the time with it,” he said. “But a movie … they are sort of like a captive audience. If you have them hooked, then you have a piece of their soul and you are changing them.”

For Psihoyos, his movies are more than entertainment.

“Hollywood thinks of it as ‘butts in seats,’ I think of it as minds in seats,” he said.

Psihoyos acknowledged the reality of his own carbon footprint he leaves every time he travels. However, he encouraged everyone to at least start somewhere to change. For him, it started with “The Cove,” then it was installing solar panels at his house and driving an electric car.

Kyle Edwards, an assistant professor and the director of the cinema studies program believes Psihoyos sends an important lesson to students.

“I think that it is important for students to see that you can make films about issues that you’re very passionate about and you can become successful doing that, as he has,” Edwards said.

Contact senior reporter Jordan Gonzalez via e-mail at jrgonzal@oakland.edu

Sharf, who has previously donated to OU in the past, is a retired Chrysler executive. His past donations include $2 million for the R&S Sharf Golf Course in 2000, $4 million for the William Beaumont School of Medicine in 2010 and $4 million for a new three-story clubhouse for the two campus golf courses in 2011.

The donation will be split up and used in various areas of the university — the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the OU William Beaumont School of Medicine, the OU Women’s Golf Team and for planned and cash gifts for campus operational and capital needs.

Russi notified faculty and staff members about the donation Sunday afternoon in an email.

“The gift is testament to the hard work our students, faculty and staff have put in to make Oakland University a first-choice destination with a rapidly growing reputation as one of the best universities in the region,” Russi said. “It’s an investment in Oakland University’s future. This kind of positive reinforcement that our mission is valued really makes an affirmative statement in the community and the state that Oakland University has an integral role in educating Michigan’s future leaders.”

Read Russi’s e-mail in full:

Colleagues,

Over the weekend, I shared with you the exciting news that we had received the largest combination cash and planned gift from an individual in the university’s history. Now I’m pleased to share with you today that the gift comes from long-time benefactor and friend of the university, Stephan Sharf.

Mr. Sharf has been among the most generous donors Oakland University has had the good fortune to know, and his long legacy of gifts has touched just about every area of the university. Mr. Sharf’s generosity and love of Oakland University knows no bounds.

But Mr. Sharf has always been more than just a friend of the university. Over the years, he has contributed to the success of Oakland in a variety of meaningful ways, including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees, as former director of the OU Foundation, as a former member of the President’s Campaign Council and as a member of the SECS Advisory Board. He is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree of science from Oakland University.

Mr. Sharf’s gift amounts to $21 million and is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience Oakland University students receive. A $14 million planned portion of the gift will be directed to the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, and the OU Women’s Golf Team for priorities such as scholarships, research funds and endowed discretionary funds. The remaining $7 million in planned and cash gifts will be directed to campus operational and capital needs.

Mr. Sharf’s gift will have a positive impact on the lives of countless students and faculty in the years ahead. As I said in my previous message, Mr. Sharf’s gift not only represents tremendous generosity, but also is a fine testament to the important work all of us are doing to provide a high quality education for our students.

Steve Sharf’s abiding friendship and generosity – combined with his love for Oakland University students, faculty and staff – will leave a lasting impression on our university in perpetuity. We are grateful for Mr. Sharf’s kind beneficence.

Sincerely,
Gary