News And Events
ESU Meetings Fall 2022
News
The Syracuse chapter of the English-Speaking Union has enjoyed dynamic speakers and each others' company this fall. The September meeting featured Rick Bunting, known as the "Roadside Naturalist." He enjoys sharing his love of nature (especially birds) through his photography and lectures.
Prior to showing us all how to follow our passions in retirement years, Rick served at the Chair of Music Education at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and served as the conductor of the Crane Chorus.
Joining Jim were also Joan Ragland and Maryanne Adams from the Onondaga Audobon Society.
In October we were pleased to have a presentation by Ryan Novak, the developer of the Chocolate Pizza Company in Marcellus, New York. Ryan graduated from Syracuse University, where he was the place kicker on the football team. He earned a degree in business studies at the Whitman School of Management. He began working at the small local store at age 15.
His strong work ethic and winning personality led to his purchase of the store at age 25, turning it into to an international company. Pizza and Wings are two of the 100+ chocolate products available from the company. He is pictured here with E-SU member Norma Ferguson.
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2021-2022 Season
News
The Syracuse Branch of the English-Speaking Union finished its 2021-2022 season with the pleasure of hosting Evelyn Wrench speaker James Stebbings, introduced by chapter president Carl Borning.
James Stebbings with Alice Borning May
Mr. Stebbings spoke on Richard D'Oyly Carte, a theater icon in the late 19th century who established theaters and an opera house in London and was instrumental, along with his family, in promoting the careers of Gilbert and Sullivan. Mr. Stebbing's presentation, "A Very English Dynasty," was informative and entertaining.
May Meeting Subject Robert D'Oyly Carte
Previous to the May meeting, the ESU Syracuse Chapter met regularly this winter and spring with several excellent presentations.
Our December luncheon and meeting featured vocal students from Onondaga Community College and their director Lisa Miller in "OCC Sings for the Holidays" Member Marjorie Julian presented Associate Professor of Music and Sound Recording Coordinator, Lisa Miller.
January brought us George Cunningham who spoke about the life and poetry of Scotland's poet laureate Robert Burns in a program entitled "Celebrating Bobby Burns."
George Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham also entertained us with readings of Burns' poetry and with his own performance on the bagpipes. Mr. Cunningham was introduced by member Shirley Cruikshank.
George Cunningham and Shirley Cruikshank
JoAnn Wallace presented our February speaker, Len Fonte, a playwright and theater critic who calls Syracuse home. He spoke on the topic "Shakespeare and the Stage." Mr. Fonte has directed over forty productions and was accepted into the 2010 Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive, a series of rigorous workshops.
Len Fonte and JoAnn Wallace
April brought us music and opera performer Colby Thomas. Ms. Thomas has performed worldwide, starring in several productions, including playing the role of Christine in Hamburg, Germany's, production of "Phantom of the Opera." She is an expert on American Musical Theater and is presently teaching, performing and directing at SUNY at Oneonta. She was introduced by member Alice Borning.
Colby Thomas and Alice Borning, April Meeting
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Fall 2021 Meetings Continue
News
The Syracuse chapter of the English-Speaking Union continued to meet via Zoom through the pandemic but is now back to in-person meetings (with Covid safety precautions in place) with our traditional excellent luncheons, enjoyable social interactions, interesting conversations, and outstanding speakers.
Our October meeting featured Kathi and Dennis McCarthy, the directors of the St. Lawrence River Historical Foundation, who focused on shipwrecks in the waters of the St. Lawrence River and Alexandria Bay. They also described early underwater diving techniques featuring diving helmets and scuba gear, followed by the newest diving gear which enables divers to descend to 300 feet, 100 feet further than scuba divers. Member JoAnn Wallace (center) introduced them.
ESU member Marjorie Julian introduced our November speaker, Adam Sudmann, the Market Manager at Salt City Market, the new Food Hall and Public Market in downtown Syracuse that opened in January 2021. Mr. Sudmann was inspired by the diversity of people in Syracuse and their food cultures. He has helped new entrepreneurs begin businesses. So far the Salt City Market features food of Pakistan, Burma, Palestine, Vietnam, Somalia, and, closer to home, Savannah, Georgia.
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ProLiteracy Program Lecture
News
The Syracuse Chapter of the ESU opened its 2021-22 season with its first in-person gathering in over a year. Our speaker was Kevin Morgan, who spoke about adult literacy and the ProLiteracy organization's mission to develop and promote adult literacy learning, content programs, and advocacy.
Mr. Morgan was introduced by ESU member Dr. Kathleen Hinchman, whose 30-year career at Syracuse University focused on childhood and adolescent literacy.
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2021 Syracuse Branch National Shakespeare Competition
News
Meet our Syracuse branch Shakespeare Competition winner Anka Chiorini...if you can find her under her mask! She's pictured above with our Shakespeare Committee Co-chair Susan Jarosz, her Jamesville-DeWitt High School Principal Paul Gasparini, her teacher Matthew Phillips, and the plaque awarded her by our branch. The plaque now includes her name and that of her school and will hang in the school for the coming year.
This year was her second as a high school student and as a participant in ESU's Shakespeare Competition. Her selections were a monologue by the character Pucelle from Henry VI, Part I, and Sonnet 134. Her performance became especially significant in that her school had never before had a winner who was eligible to compete in the national ESU competition in NYC with students from throughout the country. It was special, too, in that in this virtual world, her presentation was live, thanks to Zoom made possible by our own ESU member Dianne Emmick.
For many students, participating in the Shakespeare Competition would suffice as an extra effort for the year, especially if the year was during a pandemic that brought with it additional pressures and challenges. But Anka goes for more, and this year turned to play-writing for Syracuse Stage's Young Playwrights. The result? Two of her efforts were chosen to be among the eight winners chosen from the 200 total plays submitted! The eight winning plays were performed (via Zoom) by Syracuse University Drama Department students.
And summer vacation? Anka will be involved in a literature course offered by Mount Holyoke College for which she received a scholarship.
Amazing!
(If you wish to view the winning Syracuse Stage plays, you can access them -- if you are a Facebook member -- by Googling "young playwrights 2021 Syracuse Stage").
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ESU Syracuse Branch Annual Meeting
News
May 8th, 2021 - The Syracuse Chapter has been able to resume in-person meetings following covid protocol. We were happy to have our May annual meeting to enjoy each other's company and to give member approval of our slate of officers and committee chairs for 2021-2022.
We were fortunate to be entertained by Ernest Musquiz of Syracuse Symphoria, who presented his program "Mallet Keyboard Instruments in the Orchestra." Mr. Musquiz joined the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, now "Symphoria," in 1974 and is now in his 47th consecutive year with that organization serving as percussionist and timpanist as well as directing the Youth Orchestra. His mallets fly with fantastic precision when he plays the keyboard instruments.
ESU member Alice Borning with our guest speaker Ernest Musquiz
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2021 Syracuse Branch Shakespeare Competition
News
The Syracuse Chapter held its Shakespeare Competition virtually this year with ten finalists who won their local competitions at Central New York School Districts. Contestants are required to perform an excerpt of a monologue from a Shakespearean play along with one of the bard's sonnets.
Students participating, along with their school districts, were Lillyanna Whipple (Camden), Bel Lazarsky (Cazenovia), Emilee Edick (CBA), Kalysta Donaghy-Robinson (Fabius-Pompey), Rachel Bouwens (Homer), Anka Chiorini (Jamesville-Dewitt), Andra Benson (Lansing), Arman Nizam (Manlius Pebble Hill) , Moira McAnich (Tully), and Alexandra Dubaniewicz (Westhill).
The first place winner was Anka Chiorini. Anka will be competing in the national competition, normally held in New York City but this year held virtually. The national winner receives a trip to London to attend the British American Drama Academy Mid-Summer Conservatory Program. Second place went to runner-up Emilee Edick and 3rd place to Lillyanna Whipple. Honorable Mentions were given to Andra Benson and Rachel Bouwens.
Anka's and Emilee's performances are below. Anka's monologue is from a speech by Pucelle (Joan of Arc) in Henry VI, Part 1, Act V, Scene iv, and her sonnet is Number 134. Emilee's monologue is from Constance's speech in King John, Act III, scene iv, and she recites Sonnet 25.
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2020 Syracuse Branch Shakespeare Winner
News
E-SU, Syracuse Branch's 2020 Shakespeare Competition's winner Emilee Edick stands proud at her high school Christian Brothers Academy. She holds our Branch's Shakespeare's winner plaque where her name and that of her school are engraved and join those of others in the past who share her honor. By tradition, the plaque will hang in CBA for the school year.
Everyone notices Emilee's mask that adds much to the story of her participation and ultimate win. Only a few days before our March 21 scheduled Shakespeare Competition did she and sixteen other students learn that area schools were closing. So, too, was Syracuse Stage's Archbold Theatre, our venue for both our student workshop and competition. Baldwinsville Library offered us space, but we realized quickly that we were headed for a virtual path.
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July 2020
News
Although the coronavirus has interrupted our normal schedule, the local officers and board members are discussing ways to keep us informed and connected during this time.
The national organization has some current interesting programs for us to enjoy while we're waiting for in-person meetings. Click on this link to see a full listing and details of the ESU Happy Hour series.
The ESU Online Happy Hours series offers several online speakers on topics including:
- "Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, the Bronte Sisters,"
- "Ron Whitehead, Outlaw Poet,"
- "Shakespeare Scandals and Scoundrels," and
- "Downton Abbey in the Kitchen."
Meanwhile stay healthy, and we'll all look forward to meeting again as soon as it's safe for all.
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May Meeting
News
The Syracuse chapter had to cancel our March and April meetings due to the coronavirus, but thanks to Zoom we held our annual election meeting on schedule on May 9, 2020.
Thirty-one members attended. We were happy to see each other and say hello. We then moved through the annual meeting steps to elect the leaders for next year. In honor of the Queen's birthday we all wore festive hats. Celebrations followed with toasts to ESU's Centennial, the Queen's birthday, and the new officers and board members.
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