College notes

Honors, awards, programs College of Mount Saint Vincent senior Christine Westphal will present her original Honors Thesis, “The Novelty and Limitations of the Randian Hero,” at the college’s student research and service symposium on May in Smith Hall, Founders Hall, on the college’s Riverdale campus.

In her research, Westphal, an English major from Warwick,, argues that Ayn Rand’s literary construction of the heroic selfish individual paradoxically breaks new literary ground and is circumscribed.

Grove City, Pa., College junior marketing management major Courtney Steiginga of Warwick traveled to Ashland, Ky., on an Inner City Outreach (ICO) trip with other students from the college in early April.

ICO Ashland works with Habitat for Humanity and Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, an organization that serves low-income apartments in Ashland and has a preschool, food pantry and classes for women. The team also worked with Safe Harbor, a battered women’s shelter.

Dean’s list Samantha Pezzello, a 2011 graduate of Warwick Valley High School, was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester at Binghamton University. Samantha is double majoring in graphic design and foreign language

Graduations Peter B. Sullivan of Warwick is scheduled to complete his graduate studies in vocational education family and consumer science this year with a master of science in education degree at SUNY Oswego and will be recognized May 12 at the college’s 151st commencement.

The following local residents (with their academic major in parentheses) are eligible to participate in ceremonies May 12 for SUNY Oswego’s 151st commencement:

Colleen S. Hamel of Florida (adolescence education, cum laude).

Matthew T. Bakker of Warwick (public justice).

Joseph Briggs of Warwick (business administration).

Lauren M. Kohler of Warwick (English).

Mark P. Schaper of Warwick (public justice).

Students who graduate with honors are indicated by the traditional Latin phrases summa cum laude, with highest honor (grade averages of 3.8 to 4.0); magna cum laude, with great honor (grade averages of 3.6 to 3.79); and cum laude, with honor (grade averages of 3.30 to 3.59).