St. Bonaventure/Schools
St. Bonaventure Welcomes Largest Freshman Class in 35 Years
St. Bonaventure University welcomed just over 600 incoming freshmen to campus on Move-In Day, its largest first-year class since 1989. New students settled into Robinson, Falconio, Shay and Loughlin halls as part of the university's Welcome Days orientation weekend. Members of the men's and women's rugby teams turned out to help carry boxes and furniture up to dorm rooms. The record class size continues a multi-year trend of growing enrollment at the university.
St. Bonaventure/Nonprofits
Leadership Allegany, Leadership Cattaraugus Set Aug. 20 Summit at St. Bonaventure
Leadership Allegany and Leadership Cattaraugus will co-host the 2026 Southern Tier Leadership Summit on Aug. 20 at St. Bonaventure University, continuing a partnership the two nonprofit leadership-development programs have run annually since 2013. The all-day event is expected to draw about 150 emerging leaders from area businesses, schools and nonprofits for keynotes and breakout sessions built around this year's theme of health and wellness in the workplace, including employee mental health, work-life balance and retention. Speaker Kate Welshofer will deliver the keynote address. Organizers describe the summit as a chance for professionals across the Southern Tier to build connections and pick up practical leadership tools.
St. Bonaventure/Arts & Photography
St. Bonaventure's Quick Center Unveils 2026-27 Performing Arts Season
St. Bonaventure University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts has announced its 2026-2027 performing arts season along with a new lineup of fall gallery exhibitions. The season opens September 20 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and continues with the Ailey II dance company in October, a holiday concert from the Harmonia Chamber Singers in December, a Valentine's Day performance by the Southern Tier Symphony, a March show titled "The Company We Keep" featuring Justin Moniz and James Harrington, and an Emerging Artist Series piano recital next April. The center also plans to open all five of its galleries this fall with new visual art exhibitions. Tickets for the full season are now on sale.
St. Bonaventure/Nonprofits
Olean Alum Establishes $50,000 Endowment Honoring Longtime Bonnies Reporter
Shirley Whipple Struchen, a 1960 Olean High School graduate, has created a $50,000 endowment at St. Bonaventure University honoring Bob Davies, the Olean Times Herald sports reporter who covered Bonnies basketball for 17 years until his death in 1980. The Bob Davies Excellence in Sports Media Endowment will support the Jandoli School of Communication through programming and experiential learning opportunities for students interested in sports journalism and media. Struchen never attended St. Bonaventure herself, but said Davies mentored her for years, encouraged her to pursue higher education, and supported her through personal hardship. She established the fund to honor his legacy and help future students pursue sports media careers.
St. Bonaventure/Arts & Photography
Atlantic Brass Quintet Wraps Free Summer Seminar at St. Bonaventure
The Atlantic Brass Quintet closed out its 33rd annual summer seminar at St. Bonaventure University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in early July. Over the two-week program, the professional ensemble led masterclasses and rehearsals with student brass players inside the Rigas Family Theater, opening the sessions to the public free of charge. The quintet performed public recitals on July 2 and July 9, with the visiting students presenting their own quintet concerts on July 3 and July 10. The seminar has become a fixture of the Quick Center's summer programming, drawing young brass musicians from around the country to the Allegany County campus.