The Hive

Rachal Hadas Poetry Reading at Radel Library, Tuesday May 22nd at 2PM

2007-05-21T14:04:00.000-04:00

Rachel Hadas is one of the country's most distinguished poets.

She will be visiting with the members of the Kayrix class early Tuesday afternoon. Afterwards, she will give a poetry reading in Radel Library (to start at approximately 2 PM). This will be a wonderful event -- a chance to hear a seasoned craftsperson of language reveal her art in what is perhaps our perfect setting. It is the ideal way to "complete" a spring day.

Hadas Bio

Rachel Hadas is a poet, professor, essayist and translator. She is the author of numerous books of poetry, essays, and translations. Most recent publications include [poetry]The River of Forgetfulness (Wordtech Communications, 2006); Laws (2004); Indelible (2001); Halfway Down the Hall: New & Selected Poems (1998) -- a finalist for the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize; The Empty Bed (1995); The Double Legacy (1995); Mirrors of Astonishment (1992); and Living in Time (1990).
Rachel has studied various disciplines at Radcliffe, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins, and Princeton University. She began at Radcliffe College where she studied classics, graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. 1969. Rachel received her M.A. (poetry) from Johns Hopkins University and Ph.D. in comparative literature from Princeton University. She spent four years in Greece between college and graduate school, and the traces and influences of the classics are evident in much of her published work.
Since 1981 she has taught in the English Department of the Newark, New Jersey campus of Rutgers University, and has taught occasional courses in literature and writing at both Columbia and Princeton. She is currently a Board of Governors Professor of English. Rachel has also served as faculty of the Sewanee Writers' Conference.
About her work, the poet Grace Schulman has written, "The poems are urgent, contemplative, and finely wrought. In them, antiquity illuminates the present as Rachel Hadas finds in ordinary human acts 'what never was and what is eternal.'"
Among her honors are a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Ingram Merrill Foundation grant, and an award in literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

She lives in New York City.

(Bio is from Rachel Hadas's webpage, found at http://www.rachelhadas.com/)

Funny Librarian Music Video

2007-04-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

This is what could happen if you cross a librarian!!!

Community Challenge Contest for $10,000 Cold Hard Cash

2007-04-20T09:52:00.000-04:00

$10,000 Prize!!!

Asia Society and The Goldman Sachs Foundation are pleased to announce the 2007 Goldman Sachs Foundation Youth Prize for Excellence in International Education. The 2007 competition asks students to select a problem or challenge that affects their local community as well as a community outside the United States; to create an in-depth written, audio, video, or animated feature that compares and contrasts how these two communities have addressed the issue; and to explain why these approaches reflect the different cultural backgrounds of those involved, and what lessons the different communities could learn from each other.

Five winners will be selected and will receive up to $10,000 each as well as an all-expense paid trip to New York City in early November 2007 where they will be recognized at Asia Society's Gala Annual Dinner.
Please visit http://askasia.org/students/gsfprizes.html for the contest question, guidelines, rules, and online application.

The deadline for applications for the Youth Prize is June 11, 2007.

Kayrix Awards Ceremony Presentation

2007-04-02T11:21:00.000-04:00

Kayrix Award Presentation Ceremony (In Four Segments) at St. Benedict's in March 2007

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Newark Abbey in the News!

2007-03-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

Newark Abbey, of which the school St. Benedict's is a part of, recently had an article focused on the celebration of 150 years of the abbey's existence. Here's the link:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-6/117462857155890.xml&coll=1

There's also video footage of interviews with several members of the monastic community:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/video/index.ssf?monk

Spring Preview!

2007-03-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

Check out the NEW TITLES below coming soon to Radel Library! Click on the book to preview it...

Assessing the library / Brophy, Peter

The ultimate cook book / Weinstein, Bruce| Scarbrough, Mark

The glory of sourthern cooking / Villas, James

Getting past the affair / Snyder, Douglas K., et al.

This is not the life I ordered / Stephens, Deborah Collins, et al.

Days of Valor / Tonsetic, Robert L.

The history of the ancient world / Bauer, Susan W.

When you catch an adjective, kill it / Yagoda, Ben

Shakespeare and the nature of love / Nordlund, Marcus

Lost history / National Geographic

Little book of big ideas / Stangroom, Jeremy

Ancient Rome / Baker, Simon

Being muslim / Siddiqui, Haroon

A Xicano poet's odyssey through indian country / Salinas, Raul R.

The discomfort zone / Franzen, Jonathan

33 1/3 greatest hits (vol. 1) / Barker, David

My kind of sad / Scowen, Kate

What your mama never told you / Roberts, Tara

Ramesses II / Nardo, Don

If / Kipling, Rudyard

Extreme skateboarding w/Paul Rodriguez / Kjelle, Marylou

The Third World / Haugen, David M.

Extraordinary people of the Civil Rights movement / Hardy, Shelia Jackson

Screenwriting for teens / Hamlett, Christina

Ethics / Dimauro, Laurie

Obesity / Dillon, Erin

Environment / The Diagram Group

Weather & climate / The Diagram Group

The 6 most important decisions you'll ever make / Covey, Sean

MLK / Bolden, Tonya

The stunning science of everything / Arnold, Nick

Child abuse / Almond, Lucinda

Ophelia / Klein, Lisa

Che Guevara

Impulse / Hopkins, Ellen

The horrors / Carver, Peter

Civil War America / Selcer, Richard F.

Ancient Greece(3 vols.) / Sienkewicz, Thomas J.

Encyclopedia of earthquakes & volcanos / Gates, Alexander

Chemistry / The Diagram Group

Physics / The Diagram Group

Political history of America's wars / Axelrod, Alan

Hoop dreams / Joravsky, Ben

How basketball works / Thomas, Keltie

Rimshots / Smith, Charles R.

Black hoops / McKissack, Fredrick Jr.

White time / Lanagan, Margo

Kampung boy / Lat

Surrender / Hartnett, Sonya

Asterix at the Olympic games / Goscinny, René

Asterix and the great crossing / Goscinny, René

Asterix Obelix and co. / Goscinny, René

Asterix in Britain / Goscinny, René

Government, politics, and protest / Thompson Gale

Encyclopedia of western colonialism since 1450 / Benjamin, Thomas

Penguin guide to jazz recordings / Cook, Richard| Morton, Brian

The elephant's secret sense / O'Connell, Caitlin

White nature / Munier, Vincent

Helping the addict you love / Westreich, Laurence

Senior year / Shaughnessy, Dan

The soul of baseball / Posnanski, Joe

Skylines of the world / Goodspeed, M. Hill

Sante D'Orazio / Fahey, David

Rough Beauty / Anderson, Dave

Abu Ghraib / Botero, Fernando

Face / Ewing, William A.

For a few demons more / Harrison, Kim

Locating union & confederate records / Morebeck, Nancy Justus

The family tree problem solver / Rising, Marsha Hoffman

Black roots / Burroughs, Tony

New librarian, new job / Tucker, Cory|Sinha, Reeta

American Indian chronology / White, Phillip M.

Encyclopedia of the world's nations and cultures / FOF

It's all too much / Walsh, Pete r

Rightsizing your life

You are your choices / Stoddard, Alexandra

When no one understands / Sachs, Brad

Conquering the SAT / Johnson, Ned|Eskelsen, Emily Warner

Fighting for air / Klinenberg, Eric

Babylon's burning / Heylin, Clinton

Something in the Air / Fisher, Marc

Harlem speaks / Wintz, Cary D.

How on trial / City lights

The best american nonrequired reading 2006 Houghton

Reuters: state of the world / Thames & Hudson

The arts in Latin America / Rishel, Joseph J.

New York New York / Skira

What you didn't learn from your parents about Christianity / Turner, Matthew Paul

What you didn't learn from your parents about sex / Turner, Matthew Paul

Buddha is as Buddha does / Das, Surya

A year with Rumi / Barks, Coleman

Pride of Baghdad / Vaughan, Brian K.

Marked / Ross, Steve

Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser / Chaykin, Howard

It's not me, it's you / Grossman, Anna Jane

Everyday greatness / Covey, Stephen R.|Hatch, David K.

This thing called grief / Ellis, Thomas

But enough about me / Dunn, Jancee

The making of the fittest / Carroll, Sean B.

The weather makers / Flannery, Tim

The tree / Tudge, Colin

Songbird journeys / Chu, Miyoko

Sit down and shut up / Warner, Brad

Islamic art and culture / Kahlili, Nasser D.

Shakespeare the thinker / Nuttall, A.D.

The world war I reader / Neiberg, Michael S. (ed.)

The last human / Sarmiento, Esteban, et al.

Mosiac patterns / Biggs, Emma| Hunkin, Tessa

Encyclopedia of Evolution / Rice, Stanley A.

Basic math and pre-algebra / Szecsei, Denise

Algebra / Szecsei, Denise

Epoch / Carter, Timothy

Islam / Gordon, Matthew

Buddhism / Wangu, Madhu Bazaz

Hinduism / Wangu, Madhu Bazaz

The unholy crusade / Lace, William W.

Rouge nations (Opposing viewpoints) / Gerdes, Louise (ed).

Che Guevara / Havelin, Kate

Che Guevara / Miller, Calvin Craig

e.e. cummings / Reef, Catherine

Aya / Abouet, Marguerite

Afterlife, vol. 1 / Hayes, Stormcrow

Machina / Vaughan, Brian K.

Legends of blood / Bartlett, Wayne

Arrestproof yourself / Carson, Dale

The Wedding / Sparks, Nicholas

Battle Royale / Takami, Koushun

Killing Pablo / Bowden, Mark

Blackhawk down / Bowden, Mark

Microsoft Scholarship Opportunity

2007-03-08T12:59:00.000-05:00

Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships

Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) is a company-sponsored diversity organization dedicated to supporting the continued growth and development of African-American employees at Microsoft Corporation. Each year, BAM awards two $2,500 scholarships to outstanding high school seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in technology. The scholarships are renewable, so winners who continue to meet the criteria can receive an annual $2,500 award for up to four years.

http://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/dac/bam/scholarships.mspx

Deadline: March 30, 2007

Requirements

To be considered for a BAM Scholarship, you must:

• Be a high school senior of African descent.

• Plan to attend a four-year college or university in the fall of 2007.

• Plan to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or select business programs.

• Demonstrate a passion for technology.

• Demonstrate leadership at school or in the community.

• Have a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

• Require financial assistance to attend college.

BAM Scholarships are automatically considered for internships. Information about applying for the Microsoft High School Internship Program is available on the High School Internship Program Web page. Go to the High School Internship Program page

Still have questions? Send an e-mail message to bamship@microsoft.com.

Quill and Scroll Induction Ceremony

2007-03-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

The Quill and Scroll Society will be holding its annual induction ceremony this Wednesday, March 7th at 6 PM in the Radel Library.

This year's inductees include: Ray Brad y ('43), Former Business Editor for the CBS Nightly News, and Jeffrey C. Mays, a reporter from The Star Ledger, Newark's leading newspaper.

Quill and Scroll is a honor society for student journalists, open to 11th and 12th grade students who are members of The Benedict News and Kayrix.

The event should last until 8 PM. Refreshments will be served.
For more info contact Noreen Connolly at nconnolly@sbp.org or call 973-792-5788

Why Do You Love Your Library?

2007-02-15T07:54:00.001-05:00

The Dark side of Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

Often with Valentine's Day we chose to celebrate the holiday by focusing on the prettier side of Love. But what about Love's ugly stepsisters: lust, scorn and loathing? Here are some poems to celebrate the dark underbelly of Love: The Breakup

Hymn to a Broken Marriage

Dear Nessa - Now that our marriage is over
I would like you to know that, if I could put back the clock Fifteen years to the cold March day of our wedding, I would wed you again and, if that marriage also broke, I would wed you yet again and, if it a third time broke, Wed you again, and again, and again, and again, and again: If you would have me which, of course, you would not. For, even you - in spite of your patience and yuor innocence (Strange characteristics in an age such as our own) - Even you require to shake off the addiction of romantic love And seek, instead, the herbal remedy of a sane affection In which are mixed in profuse and fair proportion Loverliness, brotherliness, fatherliness: A sane man could not espouse a more faithful friend than you.

--Paul Durcan

SAY YOU LOVE ME

What happened earlier I'm not sure of. Of course he was drunk, but often he was. His face looked like a ham on a hook above

me -I was pinned to the chair because
he'd hunkered over me with arms like jaws
pried open by the chair arms. "Do you love

me?" he began to sob. "Say you love me!"
I held out. I was probably fifteen.
What had happened? Had my mother- had she

said or done something? Or had he just been
drinking too long after work? "He'll get mean,"
my sister hissed, "just tell him." I brought my knee

up to kick him, but was too scared. Nothing
could have got the words out of me then. Rage
shut me up, yet "DO YOU?" was beginning

to peel, as of live layers of skin, age
from age from age from him until he gazed
through hysteria as a wet baby thing

repeating, "Do you love me? Say you do,"
in baby chokes, only loud, for they came
from a man. There wouldn't be a rescue

from my mother, still at work. The same
choking sobs said, "Love me, love me," and my game
was breaking down because I couldn't do

anything, not escape into my own
refusal, I won't, I won't, not fantasize
a kind, rich father, not fill the narrowed zone,

empty except for confusion until the size
of my fear ballooned as I saw his eyes,
blurred, taurean- my sister screamed- unknown,

unknown to me, a voice rose and levelled
off, "I love you," I said. "Say 'I love you,
Dad!'" "I love you, Dad," I whispered, levelled

by defeat into a cardboard image, untrue,
unbending. I was surprised I could move
as I did to get up, but he stayed, burled

onto the chair- my monstrous fear- she screamed,
my sister, "Dad, the phone! Go answer it!"
The phone wasn't ringing, yet he seemed

to move toward it, and I ran. He had a fit-
"It's not ringing!"- but I was at the edge of it
as he collapsed into the chair and blamed

both of us at a distance. No, the phone
was not ringing. There was no world out there,
so there we remained, completely alone.

--Molly Peacock

Hatred

I shall hate you
Like a dart of singing steel
Shot through still air
At even-tide,
Or solemnly
As pines are sober
When they stand etched
Against the sky.
Hating you shall be a game
Played with cool hands
And slim fingers.
Your heart will yearn
For the lonely splendor
Of the pine tree
While rekindled fires
In my eyes
Shall wound you like swift arrows.
Memory will lay its hands
Upon your breast
And you will understand
My hatred.

--Gwendolyn Bennett

Summer Internship/Program Opportunities around the area

2007-02-12T14:43:00.000-05:00

As we move into February, the time to apply to summer programs is beginning to dwindle.

For students who are interested in doing something a little different this summer, the following list of summer programs may inspire you. This is only a partial list, so if you don't see anything that interests you, feel free to stop by the CDC to check out other programs.

Summer Scholars Program at St. Peter's College:

Each summer Saint Peter's College offers outstanding high school students entering their senior or junior years the opportunity to participate in their Summer Scholars Program. High school students who successfully complete the program will earn three college credits (a $2,200 value), learn from full time Saint Peter's College professors and experience the richness of college life. The fee for participating in the Summer Scholars Program is $300.

The 2007 program classes will meet from July 9 to August 9, on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from am until 12 noon.

The classes will be conducted on a colloquium model: a one-day (Monday) general Scholars meeting, and two days (Wednesday and Thursday) of individual class meetings. General Scholars meetings will include performances and presentations by scholars and professionals representing the various fields of studies represented in the Summer Scholars Program: the sciences, the arts, and the social sciences. Selected students will be able to choose from one of the following four courses:

Human Cytogenetics - A lecture and lab in human genetics, with a focus on human cytogenetics--the study of chromosomes. During the semester you will discuss various ethical biomedical issues that arise because of advances in medical genetics. (12 student limit).

Civilization and Disease - An interdisciplinary survey of the impact of disease on human history, during the course of which you will consider the following questions, and more: the Black Death versus nuclear war - is recovery the same? What is the evolutionary correlation between malaria and sickle cell anemia? What are the similarities and differences between the 1918 Spanish Flu and present day avian flu?

The Psychology of Drama - What makes people act the way they do? In this interdisciplinary course you will consider the question of human motivation from both the analytical viewpoint of psychology and the descriptive viewpoint of dramatic literature, on the page and in performance. In the process you will match up modern psychological theories with plays from ancient times to today -- from Freud and Oedipus, Erickson and Shakespeare, to Liberation Psychology and Post-Colonial Drama.

Seminar: The Epic, Ancient and Modern - War, the relationship between the divine and the human, heroism, friendship, love, anger: these are some of the themes of the ancient Greek poet Homer's epic poem, the Iliad. They are also themes familiar in many contemporary works of literature and in films. In this course, you will read epic poetry by ancient Greeks and Romans and also modern writers; you will also watch some "epic" films as you seek to answer the question "what is an epic?".

Applications are due for this program by Friday, April 20, however programs can fill up quickly if you hesitate. There is no application fee. For more information, please visit: http://www.spc.edu/pages/418.asp

ACAP - Accounting Careers Awareness Program

ACAP is a summer residency program consisting of seminars, workshops, lectures, field trips and fun. The residency week will be held at Rutgers University Newark Campus from Sunday, July 1, 2007 through Friday, July 6, 2007. Those chosen for the program will receive a free scholarship to cover all program expenses for the week.

ACAP is designed to help you in three ways:

1. To provide information on careers in accounting and business.

2. To provide information for your personal development.

3. To encourage you to prepare for college.

After completing the residency week you are considered an ACAP Alumnus. As an alumnus, you will be part of a network that offers opportunities to participate in a mentoring program and to apply for college scholarships, internships and part-time employment. All ACAP graduates are encouraged to participate in our alumni program and to use the network in furthering their education and career goals.

Here is what you must do to apply:

1. Have a C (2.0) grade point average or better.

2. Be in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.

3. Complete an application.

4. Obtain approval from your parents and school counselor.

5. Obtain an official copy of your high school transcript.

6. Mail all your information to the address above by April 1, 2007.

NJ Trooper Youth Week

The New Jersey State Police has hosted the Trooper Youth Week Program at their academy in Sea Girt, NJ for the past 40 years. The mission of the program is to educate, encourage, and motivate youth to pursue a career in law enforcement with the New Jersey State Police, other law enforcement agencies or in other aspects of public safety. The program is designed to build self confidence and leadership skills while learning to work together as a team toward a common goal.

The New Jersey State Police is seeking highly motivated students who will be entering their senior year and under 18 years of age to participate in this highly interactive residential program. Program activities include: police scenarios, hands-on practical exercises designed to stimulate a recruits training experience, physical training, and sporting activities. Program availability is limited, therefore candidate selection will be on a first come first serve basis.

Additional information is available here: http://www.njsp.org/about/tyw.html

Coalition Films

About the Internship:

Every semester, Coalition takes in two-three bright, creative, and hard working students and/or recent graduates with a strong interest in pursuing film production and careers in the entertainment industry. They look to train interns and allow them to obtain hands-on experience, as they quickly become an integral part of what Coalition does.

The internships are most often completed on a semester-basis and are designed to give students an insider's perspective on the operations of a production company.

Internships will take place either at our office headquarters in Hoboken, NJ or in various locations depending on the stage of production.

If you're interested in the Coalition internship, please stop by the CDC for more info.

http://www.coalition-films.com/

St. Benedict’s Choir Video Clip

2007-02-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

Here's a clip of our student choir performing down in Trenton last week at a NJ Education meeting. Way to go Gray Bees!

Click on the link below to view the clip of the preformance:
http://cbs3.com/video/?id=35804@kyw.dayport.com

Libraries are still kickin'

2007-01-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

There was a great blog posting yesterday, passed on to me, mentioning 33 reasons why libraries are still important. Beyond the idea of libraries providing access to items & services to people who cannot, for various reasons, afford admission to, the notion of the library as space is vital. Vital, not only in a physical sense, but also in the cultural arena libraries create. We need spaces were we can come to define and develop identities; our collective and individual awareness of self. The "space" of a library, both physical and cultural, generates a forum for expression and learning. This is especially important in a pluralistic and diverse society.

To see all thirty three reasons click on the above number of this link below:

http://www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/librarians-needed

Summer Internship Opportunities in TV & Radio

2007-01-23T12:31:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted to work at NBC, CBS, ABC, Turner, Clear Channel, etc? If so, the Emma L. Bowen Foundation is looking for you! They are currently seeking high school juniors, high school seniors, and college freshman for PAID summer internships in television, radio, or cable stations in various US cities (see attachment for list of cities). Eligible students must have a 3.0 or higher GPA, an interest in media, and plan or currently attend a 4-year college. Selected candidates will work every summer throughout their college years, as well as earn an hourly salary and matching scholarship dollars to help pay for college expenses.

Visit the Emma Bowen Foundation website: www.emmabowenfoundation.com to learn more about our program and to obtain an application.

The application deadline is February 16, 2007.

You can apply by filling out an application by clicking here

The Foundation's mission is to create career opportunities in the media industry for minority youth through a program that focuses on scholastic achievement, direct work experience and professional development. Since 1989, they have successfully placed hundreds of high school and college students in various media companies throughout the United States.

Where's All The Snow At?!?!

2006-12-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

Even though we're not in Minnesota it's a little unsettling to see no snow on the ground in the middle of December. This made me wonder: what have the past several winters been like, or at least, what have the past several Decembers looked like (in terms of snowfall) in Newark.

Looking at data from the National Climatic Data Center's website I found that since 2000, for a recorded period of 29 years, Newark's average snowfall (in inches) is 29 for the month of December. So far no snow (only trace amounts, if any) has fallen for the month if December in Newark.

So where's all the snow!?!

If you're wishing for a "White Christmas" like me don't give up hope just yet. But until then check out this cool website about snowflakes and snow crystals, called Snowflakes.com.

Poet Spotlight: Steve Kowit

2006-12-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

"I love poetry of compassion,
poetry about the state of the world, not just the state of the poet's family,
friends, personal memories and genital concerns. A poetry of compassion means
feeling deeply for other beings. We are, when all is said and done, a savage,
unappetizing little species whose most salient collective characteristics is a
murderous hatred of the outgroup...So it's terribly useful when we find poets
who can remind us to feel deeply for the rest of the world."

Steve Kowit (pronounced "Cow-it") was born in New York, NY just before World War Two. As Kowit recalls the Great War helped to profoundly shape his worldview, "I was born in 1938, at the beginning of the Nazi holocaust. The murder of six million Jews filled me with wonder at this species' limitless capacity for inhumanity." Kowit currently teaches at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. He lives near the Mexican border, in the San Diego backcountry.

This poem by Steve Kowit is entitled "The Prodigal Son's Brother"

who'd been steadfast as small change all his life
forgave the one who bounced back like a bad check
the moment his father told him he ought to.
After all, that's what being good means.
In fact, it was he who hosted the party,
bought the crepes & champagne,
uncorked every bottle. With each drink
another toast to his brother: ex-swindler, hit-man
& rapist. By the end of the night
the entire village was blithering drunk
in an orgy of hugs & forgiveness,
while he himself,
whose one wish was to be loved as profusely,
slipped in & out of their houses,
stuffing into a satchel their brooches & rings
& bracelets & candelabra.
Then lit out at dawn with a light heart
for a port city he knew only by reputation:
ladies in lipstick hanging out of each window,
& every third door a saloon.

If you are curious about how to write a poem dealing with the theme of social consciousness Kowit lists a set of steps to follow:

1. Start clipping articles and photos from your daily newspaper that sadden you, anger you, or in some other way move you. Keep the articles in a folder and the photos where you can see them.

2. List the social issues about which you feel deeply.

3. Recall an incident of mockery directed at someone for being old. Infirm, poor fat, disabled, homosexual, socially awkward, or "ugly."

4. Recall someone you knew who had been touched by war.

5. Recall encountering someone who was homeless and/or desperately poor.

6. Recall an injustice you witnessed.

7. Make a list of other "political" incidents or encounters in your life, things that have either happened to you or that you have witnessed that involved such issues as injustice, intolerance, exploitation, war, or cruelty.

Here several links with more info about Kowit:

An essay from Steve Kowit, entitled "The Mystique of the Difficult Poem"
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/press/kowit.html

Famous Poets and Poems -- Steve Kowit
http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/steve_kowit

Poet Spotlight: Hilaire Belloc

2006-11-21T15:29:00.000-05:00

“We worship ourselves, we worship the nation; or we worship (some few of us) a particular economic arrangement believed to be the satisfaction of social justice…”

This week’s spotlight is on the French-born poet, Hilarie Belloc. Belloc was born in 1870 in Paris, though he became a British citizen in 1903, serving in the English House of Commons for a period of time before the First World War. Belloc was a strict and pious Roman Catholic, often criticized for his mordant social commentaries and journalism pieces.

Hillarie was an ardent supporter of British involvement in WWI, even though he lost a son and many comrades to the ruin of its wake.

By all accounts Belloc was a brilliant man, but a horrible listener, and he was often accused of bigotry and anti-Semitism. He was neither a capitalist nor socialist, condemning both. Rather, Belloc favored a type of economy called Distributism, which favored spreading the goods of production (both the means and ends) as widely possible among the populace of a nation.

Hilaire Belloc suffered a stroke in 1942, which left him decrepit and home-bound. He died, at the age of 73, in 1953.

This Belloc poem is entitled The Yak

As a friend to the children
Commend me the Yak.
You will find it exactly the thing:
It will carry and fetch, you can ride on its back,
Or lead it about with a string.

The Tartar who dwells on the plains of Thibet
(A desolate region of snow)
Has for centuries made it a nursery pet,
And surely the Tartar should know!
Then tell you papa where the Yak can be got,
And if he is awfully rich
He will buy you the creature—
or else
he will not.
(I cannot be positive which.)

Here are some more links to information about Belloc, including websites containing his poetry and prose:

Hilaire Belloc - American Academy of Poets
Hilaire Belloc - Wikipedia
Belloc Poems

Live Music This Wednesday at The Hive

2006-11-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

Come one, come all....to the inaugural concert at Radel Library for the library's new concert series this school year.

This Wednesday, November 15th both the St. Benedict's Prep Band and Choral chamber ensembles will be preforming for the public at Radel Library. The concert starts at 7PM and will run until approxiamately 9PM.

Bring a friend, bring your folks, bring yourself!

It will be a great night, full of beautiful music. There will be a small reception afterwards with cookies and punch. Come and enjoy the show!

New Batman Graphic Novels

2006-11-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

For all you Batman fans out there these books just came in:

Absolute Dark Knight / Miller, Frank

Absolute Batman: Hush / Loeb, Jeph

And if you're into the Justice League check out this great graphic novel:
Absolute Kingdom Come / Waid, Mark Ross, Alex

If you're interested in poetry we have a lot of new books and web resources to view.

Some of the new books now in the library are:
Poems from prison / Knight, Etheridge
Does your house have lions? / Sanchez, Sonia
Hip logic / Hayes, Terrance
Wind in a box / Hayes, Terrance
The collected poems of A.E. Housman
Letters to a young poet / Rilke, Rainer Maria

There's some great poetry out there from area poets. Here's what we have in-house:
I have not been able to get through to everyone / Moschovakis, Anna
Late for work / Tucker, David
The stupefying flashbulbs / Brenner, Daniel
Lucky wreck / Limon, Ada
Forth a raven / Davis, Christina
Migration / Merwin, W.S.

If you're looking for some good poetry websites these are worth taking a look at:
The Poetry Archive
American Academy of Poets
Every Poet

SAT Help at The Hive and online at ePrep

2006-11-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

Looking for help with the SATs?...

Don't know how to get started studying, or even what to study?...

Look no further, SBP has the solution and the tools to help you succeed on your SAT college entrance exam.
Radel Library currently has these three books to help student with preparing to take the SATs:

Cracking the SAT, 2007 edition / Princeton Review

Kaplan SAT, 2007 edition / Kaplan

The official SAT study guide / The College Board

Also, if you're looking for online resources to help with the SATs and need help navigating through the college admissions process check out this great blog, ePrep. ePrep was created by Mr. Karl Schellscheidt, who has taught and tutored students for years on how to prepare and take the SATs.

His blog even includes a podcast tutorial that you can download for FREE!

Also included on ePrep's blog are links to other web resources. Because it's a blog ePrep allows for the user to leave feedback in the form of comments for others to see. This is a great feature because it allows for others to share their experiences, both positive and negative with other users of the site. Check it out!

A song from Matt Pond PA and Halloween's origins

2006-10-31T14:46:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the holiday check out this song, entitled Halloween by Matt Pond PA.

Did you know that Halloween, shortened from All-Hallow's-Eve (the night before All-Hallow's Day, also known as All Saints Day) has it's origins in a pagan ritual to honor the dead. The Celtic people, based upon their observation of the natural world, noticed the days getting shorter and the night becoming longer the nearer to winter one approached. Generally, around November 1st, the Ancient Celts believed the bright summer days came to an end and winter began. October 31st then became the last day of summer for these people. The Celtic peoples associated winter with human mortality. On Halloween the Celts believed boundaries between the spirit world and the world in which they existed, the living or human world, became loose and weak. In order to direct malevolent spirits away from the human world and back to the spiritual world the ancient Celts would lit bonfires, hence the origins for today's custom of lighting the Jack-O'-Lantern.

Oddly enough the early Christians also began a day to celebrate the dead near the same day as the pagan holiday. Pope Gregory IV moved the feast day of All Souls Day (originally celebrated on May 13th) to November 1st. All Souls Day celebrates the remembrance of souls temporarily condemned to Purgatory, though it's origins go back to the 5th century when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the day as an anniversary to the Virgin Mary and the martyrs.

What do you think is the scariest Halloween movie of all time? Let us know, leave a comment and we'll display the results in a week.

For more info about the origins of Halloween and All Saints Day check out this link:
Wikipedia - Halloween
The History of Halloween

Poet Spotlight: W.S. Merwin

2006-10-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

"It is possible for a poet to assume his gift of articulation
as a responsibility not only to the fates but to his neighbors, and to feel himself obligated to try to speak for those who are in circumstances resembling his own, but who are less capable of bearing witness to them." --W.S. Merwin

W.S. Merwin grew up not more than 10 miles from Newark, in Union City, NJ. There, at the intersection of New York Ave. and 4th Street, you'll find "W.S. Merwin Way". Merwin was born in New York City in 1927 and later attended college at Princeton University. While going to school there Merwin studied under such poets as John Berryman and R. P. Blackmur. He is the author of more than 15 books of poetry and nearly 20 books of translation, including Dante's Purgatorio. Merwin traveled extensively throughout France, Spain and England. The Lost Upland is the title of Merwin's memoir of his life in the south of France. He now lives on a hillside in Hawaii.
Merwin's poetry ranges from motifs of nature to poems focusing on the seemingly minute daily interactions humans encounter in life. He often writes about people from his life, modified through the haze of memory. The following is a poem from Merwin, entitled "Just Now"

Just Now

In the morning as the storm begins to blow away
the clear sky appears for a moment and it seems to me
that there has been something simpler than I could ever
believe
simpler than I could have begun to find words for
not patient not even waiting no more hidden
than the air itself that became part of me for a while
with every breath and remained with me unnoticed
something that was here unnamed unknown in the days
and the nights not separate from them
not separate from them as they came and were gone
it must have been here neither early nor late then
by what name can I address it now holding out my thanks

W.S. Merwin Links
Modern American Poetry - W.S. Merwin
Poets.Org (From the American Academy of Poets) - W.S. Merwin

New Books at Benedict's!!

2006-10-26T07:21:00.000-04:00

Check out the new additions to Radel Library as of Fall 2006:

Graphic Novels

A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury / McGruder, Aaron

Trailers / Kneece, Mark

Night Fisher / Johnson, R. Kikuo

Auschwitz / Croci, Pascal

The Broken Coda (Bleach v7) / Kubo, Tito

Fourteen Days for Conspiracy (Bleach v9) / Kubo, Tito

Tattoo on the Sky (Bleach v10) / Kubo, Tito

A Star and a Stray Dog (Bleach v11) / Kubo, Tito

Flower on a Precipice (Bleach v12) / Kubo, Tito

The Undead (Bleach v13) / Kubo, Tito

White Tower Rocks (Bleach v14) / Kubo, Tito

Beginning of the Death of Tomorrow (Bleach v15) / Kubo, Tito

Night of Wijnruit (Bleach v16) / Kubo, Tito

Sandman (v2) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v4) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v5) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v6) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v7) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v8) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v9) / Gaiman, Neil

Sandman (v10) / Gaiman, Neil

Naruto (v1) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v2) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v3) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v4) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v5) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v6) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v7) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v8) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v9) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v10) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v11) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Naruto (v12) / Kishimoto, Masashi

Asterix and the Banquet / Goscinny, Rene

Asterix in Corsica / Goscinny, Rene

Asterix and the Normans / Goscinny, Rene

By The Sword Volume 2 (By the Sword) / Matoh, Sanami

By The Sword Volume 1 (By the Sword) / Matoh, Sanami

Poetry

Poet slave of Cuba / Engle, Margarita

I just hope it's lethal / Rosenberg, Liz (Ed.)

180 More : Extraordinary Poems for Every Day / Collins, Billy (Ed.)

100 Essential Modern Poems / Parisi, Joseph (Ed.)

Paint Me Like I Am : Teen Poems from WritersCorps / Aquado, Bill (Ed.)

Revenge and Forgiveness / Vecchione, Patrice (Ed.)

Good Poems for Hard Times / Keillor, Garrison (Ed.)

Talking Drums : A Selection of Poems from Africa south of the Sahara / Tadjo, Veronique (Ed.)

The Sweet Breath of Life : A Poetic Narrative of the African-American Family / Shange, Ntozake

Collected Poems / Achebe, Chinua

Essential Rumi / Barks, Coleman

100 American poems of the twentieth century / Perrine, Laurance ; Reid, James M. (Eds.)

Science

A Primate's Memoir / Sapolsky, Robert M.

The Fossil Trail / Tattersall, Ian

African Exodus / Stringer, Chris

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution / Dawkins, Richard

The Human Odyssey / Tattersall, Ian

Rainforest / Marent, Thomas

A Briefer History of Time / Hawking, Stephen

Food Chain : Encounters Between Mates, Predators and Prey / Sand, Michael

Weather: A Visual Guide (Visual Guides) / Bruce; Hopkins

The Great Brain Book : An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head / Newquist, HP

Space: A History Of Space Exploration In Photographs / Chaikin, Andrew

A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition / Bryson, Bill

The Physics of Superheroes / Kakalios, James

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers / Roach, Mary

History / Social Sciences

Illegal Immigration / Haerens, Margaret (ed.)

Immigration / Williams, Mary (ed.)

Inhuman Bondage / Davis, David Brion

Rough Crossings / Schama, Simon

Bodies in Motion and at Rest / Lynch, Thomas

In the Name of the Father / Furstenberg, Francois

Booking Passage / Lynch, Thomas

The Undertaking / Lynch, Thomas

Under and alone / Queen, William

I wish I'd been there / Hollinshead, Byron

Fiasco / Ricks, Thomas E.

Violence over the land / Blackhawk, Ned

Thomas Paine / Nelson, Craig

God's war / Tyerman, Christopher

The king's three faces / McConville, Brendan

To the ends of the earth / Hunter, Frances

The 9/11 Report / Jacobson, Sid ; Colon, Ernie

Postwar / Judt, Tony

German conception of history / Iggers, Georg G.

Tutankhamun's Tomb / Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dissent in America / Young, Ralph

Watching the world change/ Friend, David

The Crusades / Murray, Alan

The mummey who would be king (DVD) / NOVA

American civil war / Wagner, Margaret E.

Food in the ancient world / Alcock, Joan P.

Ancient Egyptian world / Cline, Eric H.

Handbook to life in renaissance Europe / Sider, Sandra

World in ancient times / Mellor, Ronald

Historical maps on file / Facts on File

Rome (DVD set) / HBO Series

Eyes on the prize (VHS) / Hampton, Henry

Lincoln and Lee at Antietam (DVD) / Child, Robert

Savage Inequalities / Kozol, Jonathan

Latino Visions / Cockcroft, James D.

This Our Dark Country: The American Settlers of Liberia / Reef, Catherine

Beasts of No Nation / Iweala, Uzodinma

Why New Orleans Matters / Piazza, Tom

Where'd You Get Those?: New York City's Sneaker Culture, 1960-1987 / Garcia, Bobbito

First Crossing : Stories About Teen Immigrants / Gallo, Donald R.

10,000 Days of Thunder : A History of the Vietnam War / Caputo, Philip

The Good Fight : How World War II Was Won / Ambrose, Stephen E.

Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History / Goulart, Ron

The Real Revolution : The Global Story of American Independence / Aronson, Marc

Garbage Land : On the Secret Trail of Trash / Royte, Elizabeth

Biography

Great Hispanic-Americans / Kanellos, Nicolas

This I believe / Allison, Jay (ed.)

In the line of fire / Musharraf, Pervez

Walking with the wind / Lewis, John D'orso, Michael

Under and alone / Queen, William

When I knew / Trachtenberg, Robert

Running with Scissors / Burroughs, Augusten

America Through the Lens : Photographers Who Changed the Nation / Sandler, Martin W.

Andy Warhol, Prince of Pop / Greenberg, Jan

Autograf: New York City's Graffiti Writers / Sutherland, Peter

The New New Journalism : Conversations with America's Best Nonfiction Writers on Their Craft / Boynton, Robert

Vincent Van Gogh : Portrait of an Artist / Greenberg, Jan

Sleepaway School : A Memoir / Stringer, Lee

The Gift of Valor : A War Story / Phillips, Michael M.

The Shooting: A Memoir / Powers, Kemp

All I Did Was Ask : Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists / Gross, Terry

My Depression: A Picture Book / Swados, Elizabeth

Thru My Eyes: Thoughts on Tupac Shakur in Pictures and Words / Gobi

Voices of Rape / Bode, Janet

Every Man for Himself: Ten Original Stories About Being a Guy / Mercado, Nancy

Big City Cool: Short Stories About Urban Youth / Weiss, M. Jerry

Be the Dream: Prep for Prep Graduates Share Their Stories

The Burn Journals / Runyon, Brent

True Blue / Sutton, Randy

Strong at the Heart : How It Feels to Heal from Sexual Abuse / Lehman, Carolyn

Fiction / Literature

The Brief History of the Dead / Brockmeier, Kevin

The Witch's boy / Gruber, Michael

Macbeth (Spanish)

Macbeth / Raffel, Burton (ed.)

Hoops / Myers, Walter Dean

Macbeth. Hamlet (in Spanish) / Shakespeare, William

Book of Samson / Maine, David

For one more day / Albom, Mitch

The Underwood See / Lawrence, Michael

Devil's Tango / Jubert, Herve

Eldest / Paolini, Christopher

Black and white / Volponi, Paul

The lost colony / Colfer, Eoin

Hell phone / Sleator, William

La linea / Jaramillo, Ann

A crack in the line / Lawrence, Michael

Cirque du freak(set 1) / Shan, Darren

Time's memory / Lester, Julius

Lucas / Brooks, Kevin

Small eternities / Lawrence, Michael

Opal deception / Colfer, Eoin

Candy / Brooks, Kevin

Eragon / Paolini, Christopher

After / Prose, Francine

It's kind of a funny story / Vizzini, Ned

Fat kid rules the world / Going, K.L.

Cirque du freak(#8) / Shan, Darren

Artic incident / Colfer, Eoin

Ball don't lie / de la Pena, David

Artemis fowl / Colfer, Eoin

Blue bloods / de la Cruz, Melissa

New boy / Houston, Julian

Eternity code / Colfer, Eoin

Road of the dead / Brooks, Kevin

Last universe / Sleator, William

Kissing the rain / Brooks, Kevin

Dance of the assassins / Jubert, Herve

Demon Thief / Shan, Darren

10 Things to Do Before I Die / Ehrenhaft, Daniel

The Third Brother / McDonell, Nick

Lord Loss / Shan, Darren

Ptolemy's Gate / Stroud, Jonathan

Time Dancers (Meq, The) / Cash, Steve

The Meq (Meq, The) / Cash, Steve

The First Part Last / Johnson, Angela

Flux / Goobie, Beth

Naughts & Crosses / Blackman, Malorie

Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie / Black, Holly

By These Ten Bones / Dunkle, Clare B.

Code Orange / Clooney, Caroline B.

Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers) / Horowitz, Anthony

Not the End of the World / MaCaughrean, Geraldine

The Boy Who Couldn't Die / Sleator, William

Death and the Arrow / Priestly, Chris

The Conch Bearer / Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee

Vamped / Sosnowski, David

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / Lubar, David

24 Girls in 7 Days / Bradley, Alex

Identity Crisis / Meltzer, Brad

Autobiography of My Dead Brother / Myers, Walter Dean

The Hoopster / Sitomer, Alan Lawrence

If You Want Me to Stay / Parker, Michael

Mississippi Trial, 1955 / Crowe, Chris

Purple Hibiscus / Adichie, Chimamanda

The Painted Drum / Erdrich, Louise

Dark Sons / Grimes, Nikki

Catch / Leitch, Will

Sunshine / McKinley, Robin

Behind You / Woodson, Jacqueline

Totally Joe / Howe, James

Soldier X / Wulffson, Don L.

Bang! / Flake, Sharon G.

Black Juice / Lanagan, Margo

Reference

It's Your World--If You Don't Like It, Change It : Activism for Teenagers

The How Rude! Handbook Of School Manners For Teens: Civility In The Hallowed Halls / Packer, Alex J.

Oh, Yuck: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty / Masoff, Joy

101 Questions about Sex and Sexuality...With Answers for the Curious, Cautious / Brynie, Faith Hickman

New artist's manual / Jennings, Simon

GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens / Huegel, Kelly

Moviemaking course / Patmore, Chris

ESPN Pro Football encyclopedia, 1st ed. / Smith, Michael

Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Clubs (2vol.) / Riess, Steven

Making comics / McCloud, Scott

Journalism/Writing

The New New Journalism : Conversations with America's Best Nonfiction Writers on Their Craft / Boynton, Robert

Where We Are, What We See / Levithan, David

The Writer's Mentor : Secrets of Success from the World's Great Writers / Jackman, Ian

Writer's reference / Hacker, Diana

Writer's Inc. / Sebranek, Patrick, et al.

Elements of style(4th ed.) / Strunk Jr., William, et al.

The Blog of War / Burden, Matthew Currier

Language

Japanese, the spoken language / Jorden, Eleanor Harz

Beginning Japanese / Jorden, Eleanor Harz

Religion/Theology/Spirituality/Philosophy

Seven levels of intimacy / Kelly, Matthew

Islam for the Western mind / Drummond, Richard Henry

This I believe / Allison, Jay (ed.)

Best Buddhist writing 2006 / Mcleod, Melvin (Ed.)

Rise of modern philosophy / Kenny, Anthony

If you have a book you'd like to recommend feel free to leave a comment or contact the school librarian, Mr. Bancks, at nbancks@sbp.org

Welcome to the Hive!

2006-10-24T16:35:00.000-04:00

This is the official blog of Radel Library, the library of St. Benedict's Preparatory School (SBP), located in Newark, New Jersey. Radel Library was built in 1991. The structure houses two libraries: the monastic and prep libraries. The prep collection contains over 14,000 books and 425 audio-visual materials for use by the SBP community.

We also currently provide access to six research databases (LexisNexis, EbscoHost, Literature Resource Center, Oxford Reference Suite, Facts on File and Encyclopedia Britannica Online). Students are able to access these resources through the library webpage found within the school's website at: http://www.sbp.org/Academics/radel.asp.

Here's a little history about St. Benedict's:
"Benedictine monks came to Newark in 1857 to serve the German community of Saint Mary's parish. Seeing the need for a school to serve the growing working-class Catholic population in Newark, the monks opened Saint Benedict's College in 1868. The school at first combined a college-level curriculum with a preparatory curriculum. By 1917, the majority of students were coming for the college prep curriculum, and so the college curriculum was dropped, and the name of the school changed to "Saint Benedict's Preparatory School." Over the years, the school educated many of New Jersey's professional and religious leaders and became a powerhouse in high school sports. As each new immigrant group entered the city, they found a welcome at St. Benedict's, and the school continued to educate the sons and grandsons of alumni. By 1972, however, most of the school's alumni had moved away from Newark, and the school found itself surrounded by a mostly African-American population. These were not sons and grandsons of alumni, nor were they predominantly Catholic. As fewer alumni sent their sons to the Hive, the student population dwindled, and Saint Benedict's suspended operations in 1972. What followed was a year of reflection. Many of the monks followed the alumni to the suburbs. Those monks who remained recommitted themselves to the education of the city youth, and Saint Benedict's re-opened its doors in 1973. Today, the student population reflects the racial makeup of the city."
--From SBP's school website

In the days and months to come, visitors will be able to find what is currently happening at and with the SBP community. Numerous links to other sources and portals of information, covering a diverse selection of topics, will be posted on this blog. We welcome your comments and hope you enjoy!