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Alvernia Media Monthly | End of October, November & December

Fashion Show, Philly Hall of Fame Coaches on Campus, Food/Housing Insecurity Panel & More

by Sarah Matarella

Reading, PA (10/22/2026) — Alvernia University aims to serve as a resource for media. Below is a list of Alvernia's sights and sounds, faculty expert perspectives and other timely happenings throughout late October, November and early December.

Please confirm attendence or content needs with Sarah Matarella at sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu or 610-796-8344

Upcoming Events, Sights & Sounds

  • Innovation Runway
    • Oct. 24 | 5 to 8 p.m. | Francis Hall Atrium | Recommended time for media arrival- 5pm
    • This fashion show fundraiser celebrates creativity, innovation and sustainability through the Total Experience Learning framework at Alvernia. Student designers from Alvernia's Sustainable Fashion Momentum Makers Summer Camp share the runway with professional designers specializing in sustainable and upcycled fashion. Through research, experimentation and hands-on design, students explore real-world challenges in fashion and transform their ideas into original creations for the runway.
  • Trunk or Treat
    • Oct. 27 (Rain Date: Oct. 29) | 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Parking Lot C
    • This fall semester highlight features Alvernia students dressing up, decorating their vehicle trunks and handing out treats to hundreds of children. Students earn community service hours for participating in the event, which counts toward their graduation requirements. Over 200 community members have brought their children each year.
    • Organizers & participants will be available for comment
  • Beyond X's and O's: A Conversation About Leadership, Life & the Business of Sports
    • Oct. 29 | 2 p.m. | Physical Education Center
    • A panel including two Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame basketball coaches will discuss the sports business, sharing stories and lessons from behind the game. Fran Dunphy, former men's basketball coach for the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and La Salle University; and Phil Martelli, former men's basketball coach for St. Joseph's University and the University of Michigan; will be joined by Jason O'Connell, head men's basketball coach at Alvernia; and Mike Doyle, head men's basketball coach at Delaware Valley University. This event was organized by Professional Specialist of Business (Sport Management), Angelise Blessing, M.S.
  • Alvernia University Theatre Presents "Paradise"
    • Nov. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m.; Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. | Francis Hall Theatre
    • Alvernia University Theatre will present the American premiere of "Paradise" by Kae Tempest, a bold re-telling of a tale of the Trojan War. Tempest brings a contemporary voice to this adaptation of Sophocles' ancient tragedy. The production features a Greek Chorus made of broken and displaced people who observe and comment on the unfolding drama. The cast developed the music themselves. Jessica Warchal-King, Alvernia's artist-in-residence in dance, worked with the cast to develop movement with the chorus. The performance is free to Alvernia students, faculty, and staff; admission is $5 for all others. The play includes adult language and violence.
  • Veterans Day Celebration
    • Nov. 11 | Time TBD | Francis Hall Atrium
    • Alvernia will honor those who have served the United States with a ceremony featuring veteran speakers and a ROTC presentation.
  • Native American Heritage Month
    • Alvernia's Office of Justice, Equity & Inclusion (JEI) will celebrate the stories, traditions, and cultures of Native Americans, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Island communities through events on campus and in the community:
      • Roots of Knowledge Tea Blends
        • Nov. 10 | 1 to 3 p.m. | Campus Commons Living Room
        • The Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge will help participants curate their own custom loose-leaf tea blend using dried herbs and botanicals historically or culturally significant to Eastern Woodlands tribes.
      • Indigenous Film Fest: "Without Arrows"
        • Nov. 17 | 6 p.m. | Location TBD
        • Join us for a screening of "Without Arrows" followed by a Q&A session with director Delwin Fiddler Jr. The film finds Fiddler, a champion grass dancer, leaving Philadelphia behind to return to his ancestral home on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota.

  • International Education Week at Alvernia
    • Nov. 16-19 | Various locations across campus
    • Alvernia will celebrate 2026 Annual International Education Week with opportunities to connect with students who embody the different cultures that curate the Alvernia community. Events include a sushi-making class, a performance by a Caribbean Band, an Irish Step Dance Class and Dining Hall specials spotlighting cuisine from around the world.

  • Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week
    • Community Partners Panel
      • Nov. 16 | 5 to 6 p.m. | Bernardine Hall Lecture Hall
      • Hear from the people on the front lines of creating change against food and housing insecurity in Berks County:
        • Stephan Fains, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships, Berks Community Action Program (BCAP)
        • Tasha Santiago, Youth Homeless System Specialist, Berks Coalition to End Homelessness (BCEH)
        • Connie Kohler, Director of Food Services, Hope Rescue Mission
        • Kate Alley, Executive Director of LightHouse Women and Children's Center, Hope Rescue Mission
    • Weigh the Waste with Pack Hospitality
      • Nov. 17 | Lunchtime | Student Center Dining Hall
      • This interactive event helps raise awareness of food waste by showing students how much food is discarded.
    • Service Experience with VOiCEup Berks
      • Nov. 18 | 5:30 to 7 p.m. PLEX
        • The third annual Family Volunteer Day will feature volunteers packing food and hygiene kits for Reading Hospital's Street Medicine Program.
    • Alvernia University Oxfam Hunger Banquet
      • Nov. 19 | 4:30 to 6 p.m. | Student Center Second Floor Seminar Rooms
      • Taking on personas, participants in this event get first-hand experiences of food insecurity through the lens of different income levels.
  • De-Stress Fest
    • Nov. 30 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Penn Medicine - Alvernia Medical and Counseling Center
    • Alvernia students take a break during the final week of classes to participate in stress-relieving activities, including spending some quality time with therapy dogs.
  • Late-Night Breakfast & Mystery Prize Bingo
    • Dec. 8 | 9 to 10:30 p.m. | Student Center Dining Hall
      • This cherished Finals Week tradition features Alvernia faculty and staff serving free meals to students, who also play games of bingo to win mystery prizes wrapped as presents.
  • Christmas Chorale and Dance Concert
    • Dec. 5 | 3 to 4:30 p.m. | Francis Hall Theatre
    • Alvernia's Department of Fine and Performing Arts will present a Christmas Chorale and Dance Concert, featuring Alvernia's choirs and dance ensembles.
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