Category: News

Community invited to learn about the life of ‘Frida’

FRIDAThe OLLU community is invited to the performance of “Frida, Un Retablo” Friday at 8 p.m. in Thiry Auditorium. “Frida” tells the story of Frida Kahlo, one of Mexico’s most acclaimed visual artists. Kahlo is a legend whose independence inspired generations of feminists around the world.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students with valid ID. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 210-219-4639.

The event is sponsored by the OLLU Center for Mexican American Studies and Research.

Tribute concert will commemorate 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination

piano_ecardMusician Fernando Herrera will host a tribute concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Thiry Auditorium.

On Nov. 21, 1963, Herrera performed for President Kennedy in Houston on the evening before the president’s assassination in Dallas. Struck by the president’s death, Herrera composed “A New Frontier,” which he performed at an invitation-only concert at Our Lady of the Lake College on Nov. 21, 1965. The piece was recognized in a personal note of gratitude from Jacqueline Kennedy.

As the U.S. marks the 50th anniversary of the loss of President Kennedy, Herrera will perform his tribute piece to the late president and other pieces from his repertoire.

A San Antonio native, Herrera honed his skills under the tutelage of Sister Elaine Gentemann, CDP, at then Our Lady of the Lake College. In addition to classical piano, Herrera studied the flamenco guitar and developed his signature “tremolino” technique, which reproduces the flamenco guitar’s tremolo on piano. This technique opened doors for him to many opportunities, most notably a concert at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and two appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Herrera has continued to charm audiences for nearly 80 years.

He is scheduled to perform a tribute concert to President Kennedy in Houston on Nov. 21, 2013, and he is also being featured in the National Geographic documentary, “JFK: The Final Hours,” marking 50 years since his most memorable performance. Portions of the documentary were filmed in Thiry Auditorium.

There is a suggested donation of $25 for admission. OLLU students are free with valid student ID.

For more information, contact John Sanchez at 210-431-5591 or jdsanchez@ollusa.edu.

Skipping Up’ addresses issue of Latino graduation rates

skipping_up-01The OLLU community is invited to a screening of “Skipping Up,” Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in Thiry Auditorium. The film, produced by OLLU alumna Faith Radle, was filmed over several months at Mark Twain Middle School in San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) and follows a group of eighth graders in a successful drop out recovery program.

The documentary was produced for the Independent Television Service in an effort to support the American Graduate initiative by sharing documentaries that will inspire people and offer tools for effective community action to address and dramatically reduce high school dropout rates and ensure greater college success in the Latino community. The documentary has aired on PBS.

Spend Spring Break 2015 in Europe

20605504viennahofburgpalaceaustriaSign up by Jan. 1, 2014 to lock in price

The OLLU travel program is visiting Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich, March 6-15, 2015. The guided 10-day tour is open to alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends and families.

Sign up by Jan. 1, 2014, to lock in the price.

For more information, contact Paula Parrish, CFRE, executive director of development and OLLU travel program director, at 210-431-4128 or pparrish@ollusa.edu.

OLLU cleans up the neighborhood during ‘Make a Difference Day’

The Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism (CSLV) and the vOLLUnteer Unity Council (VUC) hosted “OLLU Make a Difference Day” on Oct. 26. More than 100 volunteers participated in one of two projects. In partnership with City Council District 5, 85 volunteers helped in a graffiti wipeout in neighborhoods close to the University. At Elmendorf Park, another 20 volunteers helped pull items from the lake, painted, and cleaned up the area.

Many students received feedback from members of the community as they were thanked for their services in beautifying the area. To participate in future service projects, email vuc@ollusa.edu or call 210-431-3990.

Professor Khan presents at international conference

Hamid Khan, EdD, PE, professor of management, had his paper, “Improvisation in educational delivery using system simulation and project management software for compressed, on demand, online (COOL) courses,” published in “Competition Forum,” a peer-reviewed journal of the American Society for Competitiveness (ASC).

He presented his paper during the session, “Practical perspectives on improving higher education standards,” during ASC’s annual conference.

During the conference, Khan served as a paper reviewer and chair of two technical sessions, “Innovations in knowledge based economy,” and “Public policy and geographical games.” He also served as discussant of presented papers of the session, “Higher education and human capital formation.”

Employees give back during ‘Employee Service Day’

EmployeeServiceDay5During the fall break, 18 faculty and staff members participated in a volunteer project as part of OLLU Employee Service Day. Employees served at Seton Home, a local nonprofit organization that provides a range of support services to pregnant and parenting teen mothers and their children. Volunteers helped turn mulch in the gardens and playgrounds, power washed the sidewalk, painted part of a mural on a fence, and sorted donations.

For more information on future employee service day projects, contact Jennifer Bendele, director of the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism at jbendele@ollusa.edu.