Free classes begin June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Charter Studios. Photo from Town Talk, a public access program hosted by Brenda Sullivan, HTNP News Editor.

Press Release

The CTV14 Community Access Television Studio (Charter) is now taking applications for a free Public Access Internship program.

Classes begin June 13, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Interns get hands-on experience in all aspects of video production in our North Windham TV studio.

Cover community events and public affairs shows for airing on CTV14. Interns also have the opportunity to use these new skills to produce their own Public Access program.

Internships are non-paid and are open on a first-come, first-served basis to residents in Charter Communications’ service area.

To learn more, and to watch archived episodes of local programs (under Programs/VOD archives), you can visit the Web site at www.ctv14.com or call the Charter Communications’ Public Access line at 860-456-8500 for an internship application.

The CTV14 studio is located at 207 Tuckie Road in North Windham.

This is a free program for those age 16 and older for residents of these towns: Ashford, Brooklyn, Chaplin, Coventry, Canterbury, Columbia, Eastford, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Pomfret, Scotland, Thompson, Windham, Woodstock and Willington.

Editors’ note: Watch archived segments of Town Talk, hosted by HTNP News Editor Brenda Sullivan at www.ctv14.com (Programs/VOD Archives)

Posted May 25, 2013

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. If you’re interesting in reaching our readers with information about your business, please email maheu@htnp.com For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

At Eastern Connecticut State University’s 123rd Commencement exercises 1,256 undergraduates and 41 graduate students heard the roars and cheers of thousands of their family members and friends as they celebrated their achievements.
2013 Commencement exercises were held at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Contributed photo.

Edited by Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News

At Eastern Connecticut State University’s 123^rd Commencement exercises 1,256 undergraduates and 41 graduate students heard the roars and cheers of thousands of their family members and friends as they celebrated their achievements.

Commencement exercises were held at the XL Center in Hartford, CT on May 14.

Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the “Little Rock Nine,” gave the Commencement address.

“This is your moment, a time you have been looking forward to and working toward since you first arrived at Eastern. Celebrate the moment; seize it. Step out into your future bravely and boldly, LaNier said.

She reminded the graduates they are bound to encounter challenges in their new roles, but those experiences will be “the greatest teacher in the grand classroom of life. Those challenges will show you who you really are.”

The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African American students who desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957.

Due to the segregation policies of Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus and the mob atmosphere in Little Rock at the time, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered 1,000 members of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division to Arkansas to provide protection and escort the nine students to class throughout the 1957-58 school year.

Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the “Little Rock Nine,” gave the 2013 ECSU Commencement address. Contributed photo.

Despite the daily military escort, LaNier and her friends were kicked, hit with rocks, threatened and shunned. Her own home was firebombed. As the onslaught continued, “the more determined I became to get my diploma,” she said. And today, she has “made peace with my past.”

LaNier encouraged the class of 2013 to have the same commitment saying, “Finish whatever goals you have set for yourself. Find the strength, fortitude and determination to see it through. When you see injustice, how will you respond? I hope you take the heroic stand.”

LaNier was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa at the Commencement Exercises.

The world needs your energy

Addressing the graduates, Eastern President Elsa M. Nuñez said, “There is no other country in the world that places its future so firmly in the hands of the people. You are now the next generation of citizen leaders in our state and in our nation. . . The world needs your energy, your enthusiasm, and your skills.”

Addressing the graduates, ECSU President Elsa M. Nuñez said, “There is no other country in the world that places its future so firmly in the hands of the people. You are now the next generation of citizen leaders in our state and in our nation.” Contributed photo

“There is a challenge out there ready for you to conquer, whether it’s helping out at your church or synagogue, volunteering at the local senior center, or inventing a new surgical procedure. There is a team somewhere that needs you to complete its mission,” Nuñez said.

As an example of the contributions Eastern students are making in the world, Nunez cited more than 100,000 hours of volunteer work performed by Eastern students, faculty, and staff each year in local communities, and noted that President Barack Obama named Eastern to his National Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the third time in four years this past March.

Among the highlights of the day, there were the sights and sounds of the Governor’s Foot Guard Color Guard, the St. Patrick’s Pipe Band and the Thread City Brass Quintet.

Class gift of scholarship funds

Senior Jessica Johnson sang “America the Beautiful,” and Senior Class President Thomas Balestracci presented President Núñez with the class gift, a scholarship funded by more than 200 donations from the graduating class.

It was an exciting day for Eastern Connecticut State University’s Class of 2013. Contributed photo.

Yvette Melendez, vice president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the governing body for the 17 Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, brought greetings on behalf of the Board of Regents.

Nana Owusu-Agyemang of Ghana, West Africa, delivered the Senior Class Address. She thanked the faculty for their support, saying, “During my time here at Eastern, I have met professors that I simply cannot forget — professors who really care for their students. It will forever strike me how much time professors at Eastern are willing to spend with each student…how much of themselves they give. It’s not just the professors who make Eastern what it is. At Eastern it’s not just about imparting knowledge, it’s about joining hands to mold each student into a richer person academically and mentally, as well.”

The Class of 2013

In all, 1,256 undergraduates and 41 graduate students earned their degrees.

Columbia

Michelle Eigner graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

John Giovannini graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Leah LeBlanc graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management.

Omolade Oke graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Mathematics.

Kimberly Reynolds graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Allison Savoie graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Clayton Spinner graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Coventry

Mary Arnini graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Psychology.

Rachel Bouchard graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Kaitlyn Caldwell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Michael Clancy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.

Pamela Clark graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Public Health Studies.

Craig Collin graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management.

Brian Coss graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

Amy Dillon graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Amy Giglio graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts.

Leah Hershberger graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work.

Charles Hooper graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems.

Stacey Jones graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Physical Education.

Charles Ladd graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Timothy Lebreux graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Krista LeDoyt graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

Nolan LoRicco graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management.

Jessica Milikowski graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

William Mullins graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

Timothy Ochnio graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Social Science.

Ryan Richard graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Richard Russell graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

Christine Thurston graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts.

Karl Wright graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

East Hampton, CT

Erin Baer graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Physical Education

Britany Blau graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Lindsay Delosier graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts.

Laurie Keenan graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in English. Peter Krutzky graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Jeffrey Loveland graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management.

Nicole Ochankowski graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology

Nino Simoni graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

David Zemina graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

East Haddam/Moodus

Arwid Gibinski graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management.

Julian Kindel graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Physical Education.

Nathan Moses graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.

Nichole Roczniak graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology.

Hebron/Amston

Carol Oliveri graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Public Health Studies.

Lorianne Parker graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

Adam Phelps graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Molly Rathbun graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Physical Education.

Ross Silberquit graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Brian Simons graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Earth Science.

Laura Visinski graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts.

Meghan Welch graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Storrs/Mansfield

Kevin Chen graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Lisa Drzewiecki graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Zarghuna Ghafoor graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Earth Science and Management (Individualized).

Ann Gueutal graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Business Administration.

Jingjing He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

James Kissane graduated with a Associate of Science degree in Science.

Beth Lewis graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

Daniel Molloy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Jacob Reilly graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.

Nathan Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Allison Sewell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Ashley Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Alicia Sprague graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology.

Casey Squier graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science.

Bowen Weyel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

Marlborough

Kimberly Boursy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Taylor Driscoll graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

Daniel Fish graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Sean Leser graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Ashley Lovett graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Shane Pryor graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in History.

Willington

Kristi Aforismo graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Evan Arnold graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Business Administration.

Roxanne Campbell graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Eris Dodds graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Jennifer Fagan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Katie Heacox graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Eric Lanka graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Earth Science.

Nicholas Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Judi-Ann McDuffus graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work.

Katherine Rychling graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Earth Science.

Mallory Stergakis graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Jaclyn Tanguay graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Laura Totzeck graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

The Windhams

Julie Bergeron graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Sociology. Bergeron is a resident of North Windham, CT.

Tiffany Calkins graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Leisure Management. Calkins is a resident of Windham, CT.

Sarah Connors graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Connors is a resident of Windham, CT.

Lisa Crowley graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Crowley is a resident of Windham, CT.

Ariel Dupont graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Dupont is a resident of Windham, CT.

Jenelle Gagne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Gagne is a resident of Windham, CT.

Christopher Ganoe graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication. Ganoe is a resident of North Windham, CT.

Nancy Gould graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Business Administration. Gould is a resident of North Windham, CT.

Chris Jolley graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Jolley is a resident of Windham, CT.

Amanda Jordan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication. Jordan is a resident of Windham, CT.

Nicole Marchand graduated with Dean’s Distinction with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Public Health Studies. Marchand is a resident of Windham, CT.

Philip Masopust graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems. Masopust is a resident of Windham, CT.

Dee Oberlin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Oberlin is a resident of Windham, CT.

Cory Quinet graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Quinet is a resident of Windham, CT.

Bailey Stearns graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Stearns is a resident of Windham, CT.

Christine Tirado graduated with a Associate of Science degree in Psychology. Tirado is a resident of North Windham, CT.

Posted May 25, 2013 – compiled from press releases and edited by HTNP News Editor Brenda Sullivan

Related link: “Member of Little Rock Nine to speak at ECSU Commencement,” Windham Today, April 12 2013 http://windham.htnp.com/2013/04/12/member-of-little-rock-nine-to-speak-at-ecsu-commencement/

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. If you’re interesting in reaching our readers with information about your business, please email maheu@htnp.com For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

20-year-old Alyssiah Marie Wiley, the missing ECSU student who was found murdered – a vigil in her memory will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 20 at the clock tower on the Eastern campus in Willimantic, CT.

By Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News Editor

A vigil will be held today (May 20) at 3 p.m. on the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University, to gather in memory of 20-year-old Alyssiah Wiley, who was found dead after weeks of searching.

Wiley was reported missing on April 24, but was last seen on Main Street in Willimantic on April 20. She had told friends and roommates she was going home, to West Haven, CT.

Wiley’s remains were found by police dogs in a wooded area near the Trumbull-Bridgeport line, about two miles away from the residence of her boyfriend, Jermaine Richards, who police have arrested in connection with the murder and charged with kidnapping.

State Police say Wiley’s remains were identified by the Connecticut State Forensic Lab in Meriden using DNA.

The 30-year-old Richards, who turned himself in to police, was presented in Bridgeport Superior court this morning and is being held on a $1 million bond.

Police say “items of evidence were seized from that location (Richards residence) 115 Beardsley Park Terrace Bridgeport.” State Police Eastern District and Western District Major Crime Squads and Missing Persons Unit conducted the investigation.

The vigil for Wiley today will be held at the clock tower on campus and the public is welcome to attend.

Today is the first day of the summer session at Eastern.

In a statement issued Saturday, university President Elsa M. Núñez said, “It is with shock and sadness that we learned this morning that remains found in Trumbull on May 17 were those of Eastern Connecticut State University Sophomore Alyssiah Wiley.”

“For the past month, our campus community has shared with Alyssiah’s family the hope that she would be found safe and unharmed. Today’s news is heartbreaking.

“The entire campus community extends its thoughts and prayers to Alyssiah’s family and friends, even as we realize that no words can relieve their sense of loss at this time.

“We thank our campus police department, the Connecticut State Police and everyone who had an active role in the investigation. The Eastern campus mourns the loss of our student, Alyssiah Wiley.”

Posted May 20, 2013

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. If you’re interesting in reaching our readers with information about your business, please email maheu@htnp.com For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )