SU community gears up for biggest MayFest ever in 2007

SU community gears up for biggest MayFest ever in 2007February 12, 2007Rob Enslinrmenslin@syr.edu

On April 24, Syracuse University students, faculty and staff will join together to present the University’s largest-ever festival of intellectual creativity, MayFest 2007. Organizers predict that the event’s 2007 edition will eclipse even the explosive growth of the last two years: In 2005, its inaugural year, MayFest drew 1,200 student presenters and more than 1,500 visitors; last year, MayFest attracted some 3,000 student participants and more than 5,000 visitors from across New York state and beyond.

“As Syracuse University has expanded its commitment to engaged, impactful scholarship, the MayFest celebration has become an increasingly popular outlet for students’ most exciting work — and a learning destination for thousands of members of the Central New York and broader communities,” says James T. Spencer, director of the Soling Program, which coordinates the annual University-wide salute to student works of creativity, discovery, research and innovation. “The trajectory of this event is on the same tremendous upswing as the University’s, especially since last year, when MayFest was added to the regular academic calendar and we introduced MayFest afterDark,” an evening of unique presentations and entertainment designed to broaden the event’s community appeal.

New features of MayFest this year will include expanded sponsorships — including support for podcasting — from community and corporate partners (including Apple, Alliance Bank and MVP Healthcare) and a partnership with students from the Goldring Arts Journalism Program to engage the Central New York community in the University’s excitement over MayFest.

This year’s MayFest will run from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. MayFest afterDark, with a variety of entertainment options and dinner on the Quad, will take place from 4:30-9 p.m. The deadline for faculty and students to register their proposed events for MayFest is March 23. Presenters can register their events at http://mayfest.syr.edu/PresentersForm.htm.

Mayfest is free and open to the public, with free parking and shuttle service available to visitors. As in past years, organizers will make a special effort to reach out to high schools across New York and the Northeast, encouraging teachers to introduce their pupils to the intellectual stimulation of the university setting. Events will take place in a variety of locations on and around the Quad, as well as in the Carrier Dome.

Despite the program’s name, the April date has been chosen to maximize the ability of SU students to participate; no classes will be held that day. Additionally, in a January 2007 letter to faculty, Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina asked faculty to infuse MayFest into the spring semester curriculum.

Among the SU and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry student-hosted events already in the planning pipeline are concerts, dance performances, comedy acts, presentations of academic research, visual art exhibits, discussions and presentations, and signature events like science “magic” shows. As with last year’s event, the afterDark lineup will include accomplished, family-friendly performers organized so that visitors can take in several different experiences during their time at SU. In a new highlight, afterDark will also include a University-wide musical collaboration: All of SU’s choral groups will combine with the Syracuse University Orchestra and a group of renowned faculty soloists for a performance of Jozef Haydn’s epic masterpiece, the oratorio “Creation.”

For more information, including updates to the list of events, parking details, registration for student attendees, and event registration details, visit http://mayfest.syr.edu or contact the Soling Program at (315) 443-3133.