Due to weather related conditions and the safety of all participants, The PIAA District II Committee announced today that the 2020-21 Class AA PIAA District II High Wrestling Championships scheduled for Friday, February 19^th will be postponed to Sunday, February 21^st at the ASM-Global managed Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.

The District II High School Wrestling 2A and 3A Championship schedule is now as follows:

Saturday, February 20^th (3A Championships)

9:00am – Weigh-ins

10:00am – Wrestling

Sunday, February 21^st (2A Championships)

9:00am – Weigh-ins

10:00am – Wrestling

Ticket prices for the District II Wrestling finals at Mohegan Sun Arena are $8.00 for adults and students. Tickets will be sold by each participating school district and will be limited to comply with current local and state capacity restrictions for indoor facilities. Tickets will be valid for each event day only. A separate ticket must be purchased for each day. Parking fees are included with the ticket price. All tickets are general admission and will require guests to sit in specially marked seats to comply with social distancing guidelines. Tickets will not be sold in person at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena. District II Gold passes will not be honored at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Mohegan Sun Arena is undergoing numerous enhancements to the venue to ensure patron safety including replacing restroom tile flooring with resin epoxy, installation of touchless bathroom fixtures, plexiglass partitions around concessions areas and activation of the ASM Global VenueShield program providing the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts.  

ASM Global reminds everyone participating and attending these championship events to please adhere to the new hygiene and security policies in place for the safety of all participants, guests and employees at the Mohegan Sun Arena. All participants, guests, volunteers and venue staff will be required to wear a face covering upon entry to the venue. Face coverings must be worn at all times inside the venue with the exception of when consuming food or beverage. Mohegan Sun Arena will have limited concessions available for purchase during these events. Walk-through metal detectors will be in place at every arena entrance and fans will be permitted to bring their personal belongings in a clear tote not to exceed 12”x12”x6’. Purses, backpacks and diaper bags are no longer permitted inside Mohegan Sun Arena. For more information about this policy, please visit www.mohegansunarenapa.com/policies.

All student athletes, coaches and event officials must comply to the additional safety measures enacted by the PIAA for competition. For additional information about these policies, please visit www.piaad2.org.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation invites area students to apply online for eligible scholarship opportunities through their online scholarship portal.

Through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, over $400,000 in scholarship funding is available to eligible students seeking to continue their education.

Scholarship applications will be accepted until Thursday, April 1, 2021.

Additionally, the Scranton Area Community Foundation is also now accepting applications for the prestigious James F. Swift Scholarship, which provides local high school seniors graduating from a Lackawanna County high school $4,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses. Twenty area students are annually selected for this prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Applications for the James F. Swift Scholarship are due by March 15, 2021, at 4:00 PM.

Detailed information about all of the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s scholarships including the James F. Swift Scholarship can be found on the Scranton Area Community Foundation website, safdn.org.

Johnson College announced today that it has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Top Ten School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with 747 earning the designation.

The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at w ww.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic based scoring assessment. We measure the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

Jessica Farrell, the Director of Financial Aid and Certifying Veterans Official at Johnson College, said, “As the College’s certifying official, it’s my goal to make sure the process of using military benefits is streamlined and easy to understand. As the wife of a veteran I know first-hand the dedication and commitment these men and women have given to our Country and the last thing they should be worried about is how they are going to pay for their education.”

“Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data driven standards in our designation process. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to consistently evolve and invest in their programs. Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community.” – Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®

For more information about Johnson College’s student veteran programs, visit Johnson College’s website at https://johnson.edu/future-students/veterans/.

Through Mar. 21     
Hope Horn Gallery Art Exhibit: Soaring Gardents Artists’ Retreat: The Second Decade. Scheduled appointments only. Free. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.  

Feb. 17            
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “Vanguard: How Black Women Overcame Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All” presented by Martha S. Jones, J.D., Ph.D., Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, professor of History and the SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Feb. 19           
3 p.m. Northeast Student Data Corps: Data Science Career Virtual Panel. This event is for students and educators interested in learning more about data science careers, internships and education from panelists in academia, government, industry and not for profit organizations. Registration required http://bit.ly/20210219-DATA. Free. Email ahmed.gomaa@scranton.edu.  

Feb. 25           
3 p.m. Scranton Reads and the Office of Community Relations: “Never Caught: An Online Dialogue.” Registration required. Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu.  

Mar. 9              
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “Next Steps with Russia?” presented by Jill Dougherty, was CNN’s Moscow Bureau Chief for almost a decade, a Russian expert, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a CNN on-air contributor. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Mar. 16           
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “America: The Farther Shore” presented by Carla McCabe, president and CEO, WVIA. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Mar. 24          
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar in collaboration with the Department of World Languages and Cultures and Latin American Studies: “Borges and Me: My Travels in the Highlands of Scotland with a Literary Genius” presented by Jay Parini, Axinn Professor of English, Middlebury College, Vermont. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Mar. 26 through Apr. 23       
Hope Horn Gallery Art Exhibit: Retrieve: Recent Collage By Zoja Forsberg. Scheduled appointments only. Free. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.  

Mar. 27          
9 a.m. Virtual Preview Day for accepted students to The University of Scranton’s class of 2025. Reservations required. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu.  

Apr. 9 
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “The Abolitionist International” presented by Manisha Sinha, Ph.D., Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Apr. 16
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “A Jesuit Education and Integrative Thinking in Biotechnology (fighting Tuberculosis) and Economics (eradicating poverty)” presented Michael Fairbanks, Ph.D., Fellow at Harvard and the chairman and founder of Akagera Medicines, a biotech company based in Boston and San Francisco focused on cures for infectious diseases. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Apr. 22           
TBA. University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest virtual announcement of winners. ZOOM. Free. Call 570-941-6267 or email susan.falbo@scranton.edu.  

Apr. 24           
11 a.m. Schemel Forum Virtual Tour: “The Museum of the American Revolution.” ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

May 2 through 14      
Hope Horn Gallery Art Exhibit: University of Scranton Student Exhibition 2021. Scheduled appointments only. Free. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.  

May 7-9          
9 a.m. National History Day State Competition (virtual) for junior and senior high school students. Registration required. Call 570-941-4549 or email nhdparegion2@gmail.com.  

TBA   
Noon. Schemel Forum World Affairs Seminar: “Consciousness: Life Transitions and the Importance of Story – Continued” presented by Harmar Brereton, M.D. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Schemel Forum Courses 

Mondays: Feb. 8, 15, 22 & Mar. 1, 8, 15      
6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Eros and Metaphor: Contemporary Love Poems” presented by Billie R. Tadros, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of English & Theatre, The University of Scranton. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Thursdays: Feb. 11, 18, 25 & Mar. 4, 11, 18 
6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Addiction, Attachment, Trauma, and Recovery: The Power of Connection” presented by Oliver J. Morgan, Ph.D., professor of Counseling and Human Services, The University of Scranton. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Tuesdays: Mar. 16, 23, 30 & Apr. 6, 13, 20  
6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Women Philosophers of the Middle Ages and Early Modernity” presented by Andrew LaZella, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, The University of Scranton. ZOOM. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-6206 or email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu.  

Samantha Humen, Archbald, Pa., junior music performance major, was recently notified that she is the winner of the 2021 Marywood Concerto Competition. The competition is held each November, and the winner is featured in the orchestra’s spring concert, which will be held on April 11, 2021.

Ms. Humen, a graduate of Valley View High School, Archbald, Pa., auditioned for the competition with Mozart’s G major Flute Concerto, Movement 1. A talented musician, Ms. Humen, prior to attending Marywood University, was a member of the Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble, as well as Marywood’s collegiate Wind Ensemble.

“I was drawn to the music program at Marywood University because of the individual attention from faculty—not just in the music department, but the University as a whole,” Ms. Humen said.

In addition to her music performance major, Ms. Humen is minoring in world religions. Knowing that she wanted to pursue a minor, she explored multiple paths, including philosophy and psychology, but it was the minor in world religions that interested her most.

Looking to the future, Ms. Humen hopes to combine her passions of music and world religions to serve as the basis for her master’s thesis when the time comes.

“I want to determine the differences and similarities between Western and Eastern perspectives on music and how music incorporated into specific religious ceremonies across the globe is viewed. I don’t have a title just yet, but I will present my findings during Research Day during the spring 2021 semester,” Ms. Humen said.

While Ms. Humen began playing piano at age 5, it was a best friend who helped ignite her passion for becoming a flutist at age 12. Ms. Humen said, “One of my best friends let me try playing her flute, a difficult instrument. I was determined to master it.”

At Marywood, Ms. Humen credits the faculty, who not only encourage her interests, but who also coach her through those interests. As a freshman, she wanted to put on a freshman elective chamber music recital. “The faculty listened to my initiative, coached me through the process, and helped me secure the resources for my recital,” Ms. Humen said.

Following graduation, Ms. Humen hopes to audition for a master in music performance degree program. Ideally, she wants to pursue teaching in higher education, or teaching flute students while continuing to perform. For additional information about Marywood University’s music, theatre, and dance department, please visit marywood.edu/mtd/, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234.

Sordoni Construction Services was founded by Andrew J. Sordoni in 1910 and has since built a strong presence in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region as a construction manager, design-builder, and general contractor.  The firm has successfully completed significant construction projects with primary emphasis on industrial, commercial and institutional clients. 

After serving the organization for more than five decades, Andrew J. Sordoni III has retired as Chairman of the Board. He has been succeeded by current CEO William E. Sordoni. “Under Andrew’s thoughtful guidance and leadership, Sordoni Construction has enjoyed sustained growth and prosperity while staying true to our founding values. We wish him the best of health and happiness in his retirement and sincerely thank him for his many years of service.” said Bill Sordoni.

Sordoni also announces the addition of two key executives to drive operational excellence and overall client experience. Charles O. Burlew, Jr., an industry veteran with more than three decades of national and international experience, has joined the firm as President.  “It’s exciting to be a part of a well-established firm that has ambitious plans for the future. I’m looking forward to building on Sordoni’s success by providing leadership to enhance performance, optimize service offerings, and expand into new markets.” said Charlie Burlew. Additionally Kevin Morgan has been named Chief Operating Officer.  Kevin has twenty years of experience in national and international construction markets and will oversee day-to-day project operations. 

Sordoni also welcomes additional new key members to the team.  These include: Cosmo Lovecchio, Project & Design Manager; Joshua Liples, Project Manager; Jennifer Brody, Assistant Project Manager; Robert Kerestes, Subhan Mahmood, and Laurie Derk, Project Engineers; James Roccograndi and Mike Giovagnoli, Project Superintendents; Jonathan Culp and Andre Camayd, Estimators; Nicole Hutchinson, Project Accountant; and Alison DeWitt, Junior Project Accountant. The expanded roster reflects Sordoni’s commitment to build and maintain a strong team as the company embarks on its 111th year. 

Sordoni has recently experienced meaningful growth with successful projects for multi-national clients in the Mid-Atlantic region including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. This expansion has also been driven by additional vertical market sectors including transportation logistics and ecommerce.