Each year, approximately 500 people attend the Dominican College Christmas Concert featuring the Rev. Alphonse Stephenson and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.

A beloved Dominican College tradition continues on Sunday, December 2, 2018, with the Annual Christmas Concert featuring the Reverend Alphonse Stephenson and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.  The concert will be held at 3 p.m. in the Hennessy Center on the Dominican College Campus at 495 Western Highway in Blauvelt, NY.

The concert features 40 classically-trained musicians, directed by Father Alphonse, who was the conductor and musical director of the 1980’s Broadway run of A Chorus Line.  The orchestra, which will be accompanied by three vocalists, is made up of some of the area’s finest musicians and performs concerts throughout the region.

Tickets for the concert are priced at $35 for General Admission, $30 for seniors and veterans, and $20 for students under age 22 with a school ID.  Concert tickets include a post-performance dessert reception.  In addition, a holiday buffet will be held in the Granito Center at 1 p.m. before the concert, at a cost of $20 per person.

To purchase tickets, visit https://dccollege2021.wpengine.com/christmasconcert2018/, e-mail specialevents@duny.edu or call 845-848-7406.

About 40 businesses and organizations will be represented at the Dominican College Career Fair on April 11, 2018.

About 40 businesses and organizations interested in hiring will be at Dominican College on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 for the annual Dominican College Career Fair. The event is open to the public.  Don’t miss this opportunity to meet company recruiters, apply for jobs and internships, and polish your networking skills.  Attendees will also be able to have their photo taken to use on their LinkedIn profile.  The event will take place in the Hennessy Center, 495 Western Highway, Blauvelt, NY from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Businesses participating in the Career Fair include Liberty Coca-Cola, New York Life, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., and Crystal Run Healthcare.  Insurance agencies, health agencies, not-for-profit organizations, law enforcement, government agencies, and the military will all be represented at the event.  Visit: www.duny.edu/events/career-fair-2018/  to view a listing of companies that will be in attendance.  Businesses interested in recruiting at the event can also register at that site.  For additional information, please call 845-848-4032/4033.

High School students who attend the workshop will work in the laboratory while learning about the biodiversity of our local environment.

Dominican College is offering a free biology workshop to high school students this spring called “Antibiotic and Phage Discovery Workshop.” The aim of the workshop is to educate participants on the biodiversity of the local watershed.

The workshop will be held on three Saturdays — April 28, May 5, and May 12 — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided.  Any high school freshman through senior, who can make the commitment to attend all three days, is welcome to attend.  There are 12 slots available.

“By offering this workshop to high school students, we are providing them with an opportunity to gain technical skills, and more importantly, contribute to the understanding of the biodiversity in their local environment,” said Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Bernadette Connors.  “Students will be working on two projects, namely antibiotic discovery and viral diversity.  It will be mentored by past participants of the workshop series, in addition to myself.”

Interested participants should email Professor Connors at bernadette.connors@duny.edu  for more details.

Jason Bram, Research Officer with the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, spoke at Dominican College on January 25.

The “Outlook on the Economy” was positive from an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,  who delivered his annual presentation on Thursday, January 25, 2018, at Dominican College’s Fury Lecture Hall. Jason Bram, Research Officer, Regional Analysis Function, spoke about the latest economic indicators.

While the securities industry has long been the most important driving sector of the New York City economy, Bram said that something unexpected has happened since the recession. “That is that the city would have its strongest economic boom – really in recent history – with no help from Wall Street,” he said.   While the securities industry is still a bigger industry in the city, technology is quickly gaining on it, said Bram.  Since 2010, the number of technology jobs has doubled.

Bram also told the audience of business leaders and college administrators that:

• The US economy and labor market have gained some momentum.
• Manufacturing and housing have shown increased strength.
• The regional economy has fared well, with NYC continuing to lead.
• Home prices have picked up across much of the region.

Bram produces the regional Beige Book reports, and uses monthly business surveys to monitor and analyze current and emerging economic trends and issues of concern.

Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe was the keynote speaker at the Fifth Annual Healthcare Symposium, “The Opium Epidemic: What you need to know.”

Dominican College’s Fifth Annual Healthcare Symposium, “The Opioid Epidemic: What you need to know” drew a crowd of interested health care professionals, educators, concerned parents, and students to the Fury Lecture Hall in the Prusmack Center on Wednesday, November 15. 

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe was the keynote speaker at the evening symposium and said in 2016, more than 64,000 people across the U.S. died from overdoses, and 75% of the overdoses were from opioid-based drugs. “I can’t think of anything that’s more topical and more important.  We are in a crisis.  We are in an epidemic here in Rockland County and well beyond,” he said.

Zugibe stressed that the opioid crisis was unique to the U.S. because although the U.S. has  5 % of the world’s population, Americans use 90% of opioid painkillers. He blamed pharmaceutical companies for creating the problem with an aggressive marketing campaign to convince doctors that the opioid drugs were safe for long-term use and non-addictive. However, most people addicted to heroin begin by taking opioid prescription drugs.  

There is no easy solution, said Zugibe, but officials are tackling the problem from a number of fronts, including aggressive law enforcement and treatment programs like the Rockland County Drug Court. He said the biggest focus going forward must be on prevention. “We have to get much better at educating and stopping these individuals from starting with it in the first place and that’s really where the focus is,” he said. “One of the key areas we’ve decided to focus on is doctors – educating doctors to change their prescribing methods.”

A panel of experts discussed services available in Rockland County and answered questions from the audience. The symposium was moderated by Joan Facelle, M.D., M.P.H., Former Commissioner of Health for Rockland County. 

Edward Simons, a 100-year-old violinist, performed at the Bataan commemoration at Dominican College. Simons accompanied President Truman by ship on the way to the Potsdam Conference.

Dominican College hosted events on Saturday, April 8, 2017, to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II.  The College sits on what was once Camp Shanks, the World War II base that was the largest point of embarkation for soldiers headed to Europe. New City resident Jerome Kleiman organized the event, which included a symbolic march on Bataan Road.  “Bataan is not part of the typical narrative of WWII any longer.  I came to the realization that the 75^th anniversary of the Death March would be the perfect point in time and Bataan Road the ‘only’ location to hold the commemoration so as to honor the heroic troops of Bataan and breathe fresh life into their saga,”  said Kleiman.

The event began with a symbolic march from Tappan Zee High School to Return Home Park on Bataan Road in Orangeburg. A ceremony and entertainment then took place on a stage in the Dominican College parking lot off Western Highway.  The performers included Edward Simons, a 100-year-old violinist who accompanied President Truman by ship on his way to the Potsdam Conference to meet with Stalin and Churchill at the close of WWII. 

Dominican College Adjunct History Instructor Dr. Scott White was among the presenters at the 3:30 p.m. symposium in the Lawrence Room of Rosary Hall. Dr. White spoke about the role of Native Americans during WWII. He has also organized student volunteers to assist during the event.  “This event is a unique opportunity for DC students to witness how history is more than just a book, but something that is living and tangible,” he said.

During the Commemoration, WWII veterans in attendance were recognized  and a memorial plaque was unveiled at Return Home Park.