Boss approved

Blue Hawk Records students performed with original E Street Band drummer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez in January at Asbury Park’s Light of Day Winterfest, an annual event that raises money for Parkinson’s research. For their finale, an Elvis impersonator joined them onstage for a rousing rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Rosalita.” Two of Springsteen’s friends sent him a clip of the performance, says Joe Rapolla, chair of the music and theatre arts department, who was among the performers. “I’m told he got a kick out of it.”

Hanging 10

Surfer magazine ranked Monmouth the 10th best university in the U.S., and tops on the Eastern Seaboard, in its recent listing of “Best Surf Colleges.” The publication cited Monmouth’s personalized educational experience, historic campus, and proximity to New York City and Philadelphia as reasons why it’s one of “the best universities in the U.S. for scoring waves while getting your degree.”

Read On

Professor John Morano’s Eco-Adventure Series is enjoying a resurgence. Last year, a 25th anniversary edition of A Wing and a Prayer, Morano’s story about the last Guadalupe petrel, and a new edition of Makoona, his story about an octopus living in a coral reef and the refugee boy who fishes there, were released. This spring, the series’ third installment, Out There, Somewhere, hits shelves; it features an “appearance” by retired Monmouth biology professor Don Dorfman. Morano says a new book, Flocks of One, featuring characters from the previous three books as well as “a major scene set at Monmouth University,” will be out soon after.

No question about it

President Grey Dimenna marked Presidents Day by randomly quizzing students on their knowledge of U.S. presidential trivia. Unanimous response to the question “Who’s your favorite president?”: Grey Dimenna.