Courtesy of archdaily.com
UR libraries receive rare book from First Unitarian Church of Rochester
The First Unitarian Church of Rochester donated a rare copy of “The House Beautiful,” an essay written by Unitarian minister William C. Gannett in 1895, to UR’s Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation at a ceremony on Friday, March 29. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed and hand printed only 90 copies of the essay in book form early in his career; the donation to UR of one such copy is aimed at preserving the milestone in “early-modernist design.”
The UR collection already includes the William C. Gannett Papers and early records of the First Unitarian Church, which Mavrinac believes “The House Beautiful” will complement. The essay discusses the importance of virtues like simplicity, refinement, and craftsmanship in creating a marriage and a home, ideas which also aligned with Wright’s theories of architecture and aesthetics. Gannett, an abolitionist and suffragist, also played a prominent role in the fight to admit women to the University.
Dean of River Campus Libraries Mary Ann Mavrinac said the collection that “The House Beautiful” joins is seeing a “renewed interest by our students and faculty, who are pouring over our documents and rare books.”
Soprano Jessye Norman to receive honorary degree, give benefit concert
Jessye Norman, a world-renowned classical soprano, will receive an honorary doctorate of music from the University at her benefit concert for Action for a Better Community Inc. on Sunday, April 14. Norman has received five Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in addition to honors from Belgium, Spain, and Germany. She became the youngest artist to ever win the Kennedy Center Honor in 1997 and won the highest award in the arts — the National Medal of Arts — at the White House in 2010. Norman, who sings in registers from contralto to high dramatic soprano, holds honorary doctorates from 40 colleges, universities, and conservatories worldwide.
Data Center recognized for energy efficiency
The New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E)’s Commercial and Industrial Rebate program has awarded UR $168,000 for leadership in data center energy efficiency. UR reduced energy use and costs through a locally engineered innovation called OtiCool modular cooling technology.
The rebate recognizes work in the University’s second data center in Ontario County, which serves as a hub backup. The University’s first data center is in Monroe County and is the central location for UR’s computing resources in academic, medical, research, and administrative communities. UR’s data centers have received several prior recognitions for sustainability, including a $300,000 RG&E rebate in 2009, a $189,000 New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) rebate in 2010, and recognition from NYSERDA for the primary data center as a High Performance Building.
Leah Buletti is a member of the class of 2013.
SA Senate endorses national Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act by narrow margin
The Students’ Association Senate voted in a close vote of 7-8 to endorse a resolution in support of the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act which was presented by senior Lindsey Cope at the meeting on Monday, April 1.
This act ultimately allows non-profit housing organizations to accept tax deductible donations for housing improvements. These donations are beneficial to non-profit groups such as Greek life and other organizations that own housing and allows them to update their properties to bring them to fire and other structural codes.
That said, the bill would cost tax payers $145 million over the course of ten years and has yet to be written. A similar bill had been brought to the floor in Congress in 2007 and 2011 but was tabled immediately and sent back to committee. Cope came to the Senate on behalf of a lobbying firm and will be lobbying in Washington D.C. the week of April 21st for the future bill.
Senators discussed the relevance to student groups on campus, since all Greek housing on campus will be owned by UR as of next year, the extent of the bill affecting other taxes, and concerns over “non-profit” status.
After a long debate, the Senate voted and barely passed the motion, most senators citing the national affect the bill could have on Greek life and other non-profit organizations on other college campuses.
The Senate also unanimously approved the Japanese Students’ Association for final SA recognition and briefly discussed improvements to the student group constitution template presented by freshman senator David Stark.
Scott Lamm is a member of the class of 2016.
