News

Active Minds is a national organization focused on action and student advocacy in mental health on college campuses. Liz Byrnes '24 brought the movement to Siena.

Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, and Saints are already active getting out the vote. Carly Fanning ’23 and members of Siena’s Voter Friendly Campus chapter have been active since the start of the semester to get the Siena community – especially first-time voters – registered and knowledgeable about who and what are on their ballots.

Siena’s Student Senate and Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy are joining forces to help feed the hungry. They are running a food drive November 6-28, with all funds and non-perishable goods collected to be donated to Schenectady Community Ministries. Their goal is to collect more than 4,000 pounds of food.

Siena was the host of a recent statewide conference on the mental health issues and needs of New York’s college students. More than 50 legislators, state agency administrators and mental health advocates gathered here with local college officials to discuss growing mental health concerns and start the development of a shared public policy framework.

The Creative Arts Department is presenting the musical Company this month to pay homage to one of the greatest composers of musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim, who passed away last year.

James “Jim” Veshia, a custodial repair and supply specialist in the Facilities department, died suddenly the morning of October 24 while working an early shift in Padua Hall. He was a true (navy) blue Yankees fan who loved talking about his kids, enjoying Italian food and living his Catholic faith. He was 57.

To explore the roots of the recent uprising in Iran, in which thousands of Iranians have been killed, beaten and imprisoned, and how American students can support those protesting, Siena hosted two “Woman, Life, Freedom!” presentations October 26 and 27. The title echoes the popular rallying cry of the Iranian protestors.

Ask any student in the Northeast what it’s like to live and go to school here in upstate New York, and chances are good they’ll reference one of the four seasons. And that’s because we get ‘em all, and we love ‘em all. (Yes, even the winters.)

If we haaad to pick a favorite though, it’s really hard to beat the fall.

For decades, the residents of Ottawa County, Oklahoma have contended with contaminated water, air and soil from old mining sites. A Siena professor and two of her students have just created a new floodplain map that shows just how toxic increased flooding has been to the area, to help promote and guide further remediation.

To ensure the Siena community has the resources it needs to stay safe and more secure online, the College has been offering presentations throughout October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month.