CNN Reporter Soledad O’Brien to Speak at the College of Saint Elizabeth, March 2, 2011

CNN news anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, author of the recently published book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, will appear at the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., March 2, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by calling 973-290-4378 or emailing events@cse.edu. A book signing will follow the conclusion of her speech.

O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit, reporting on the most important ongoing and breaking news stories for all major CNN programs. She also covers political news as part of CNN’s Best Political Team on Television. She joined CNN in 2003 as the co-anchor of the network’s flagship morning program, American Morning, and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on events such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand.

She is the recipient of several, major awards including one named in her honor, “Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award,” bestowed by Community Voices at Morehouse School of Medicine. As its first honoree, O’Brien was cited for her accomplishments in her field together with her commitment to cover stories that others fail to pursue, and her willingness to be a voice for those in society who are unable to speak for themselves.

As a reporter, O’Brien is known for her compassion for the people whose stories she tells. O’Brien’s book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, chronicles her beginnings as a mixed-race child growing up in suburban Long Island, N.Y., and explains how those experiences have influenced her approach to her work. Using some of her biggest reporting moments as examples, she tells stories of how American opportunity, optimism, and generosity thrive in the face of enormous tragedy. She writes, “Bad things happen until good people get in the way. I learn this life lesson … almost everywhere I go in pursuit of the next big story. People have an incredible potential to do good and make good and seize good from bad if they will only make the choice to do it. “

Commenting on O’Brien’s book, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric says, “Soledad is a living example of achieving the American dream. Because a door opened to her family, she has been able to accomplish so many things. Her life story shows that opportunity can create success…and success can create a sense of responsibility that can create opportunities for others. Soledad has paid it forward, cares deeply about the disenfranchised, and brings her unique personal experience to whatever story she may be covering.”

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Newspeak Ensemble Concert Combines Rock and Classical Music at College of Saint Elizabeth, February 23, 2011

Newspeak, an eight-piece amplified ensemble incorporating elements of a rock band and new classical music, will perform in the Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-concert lecture by CSE music faculty member Pamela Stein, who is a classical singer and contemporary music performer. The concert follows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for students with valid identification; and $5 for CSE students with valid identification. For ticket information, contact events@cse.edu or 973-290-4378.

Under the direction of composer David T. Little and clarinetist Eileen Mack, Newspeak has commissioned, work-shopped, and premiered work of some of the most exciting members of the new generation. During the CSE concert, Newspeak will perform tracks from its new record, Sweet Light Crude, as well as a special preview of part one of Grammy-nominated, jazz musician and composer Darcy James Argue’s new work, The Sleep Room. It is the first time Argue has composed a piece for a group other than his own.

Other artists championed by Newspeak include Oscar Bettison, Corey Dargel, Ted Hearne, Caleb Burhans, Missy Mazzoli, Judd Greenstein, and David T. Little, as well as established masters like Frederic Rzewski and Paul Lansky. The group has been featured in the annual MATA festival in New York City. MATA is a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and presenting works by young composers. Newspeak has held multiple residencies at Princeton University, shared bills with The Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless Music, and performed as part of John Zorn’s Full Force Festival.

Their debut album Sweet Light Crude has met with critical acclaim. Says Ronni Reich of The Star Ledger, “Newspeak is a band of classically trained musicians, including Weehawken-based founder, composer and drummer David T. Little. But this debut album makes it clear that shirking conservatory protocol to rock out doesn’t mean just one thing. With a hard-driving beat, Pat Muchmore’s Brennschluss starts out as one of the heavier tracks. Then, exemplifying Newspeak’s eclecticism, it morphs into what sounds like an operatic recitative transferred to a feedback-ridden poetry slam followed by accelerating chaos. Little’s skillfully constructed title “love song to oil” maintains a moody, obsessive feel as it balances sad, tender, and lovely chamber music in upper instrumental voices with relentless percussion, grumbling bass and a well-timed, powerful outburst.

“On six tracks, all by different composers, everything somehow makes sense, whether the musicians are taking on noisy funk or a soft, steady ballad. The group’s flexibility deserves commendation, and is also part of the fun. But a special shout out goes to Mellissa Hughes whose wide-ranging and crystal-toned singing defies normal vocal limitations.”

The CSE Concert program, which is subject to change, will feature B and E (with aggravated assault), Oscar Bettison, composer; I Would Prefer Not To, Stefan Weisman, composer; sweet light crude, David T. Little, composer; Brennschluss, Pat Muchmore, composer; A Portrait of Glenn Beck, Matt Marks, composer; Requiem for a General Motors in Janesville, WI, Caleb Burhans, composer; and The Sleep Room, Part 1, Darcy James Argue, composer.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at http://www.cse.edu/.