You’re invited to a birthday party commemorating the 50th anniversary of Switlik Residence Hall on Tuesday, April 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. in front of the “building of honor.” The half-century celebration will include a barbecue, a chocolate fountain and a birthday cake to remember, courtesy of Fedora Café of Lawrenceville.

If the mercury is rising and the trees are budding, it must mean that Rider baseball is near the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings again. Join the team for its April 26 game against Fairfield, which has been designated a Code Cranberry game. All students, faculty and staff are also invited to attend the 3 p.m. game at Sonny Pittaro Field, where they can also enjoy free hamburgers and hot dogs.

Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, continues to grow in numbers and vigor, and that vitality was on display on April 10 when Rider’s KDP chapter, Alpha Beta Theta, inducted 103 new students into its ranks before a capacity audience in the Yvonne Theater at its annual initiation and installation of officers.

After recovering from a near deadly car crash, returning to college posed an even greater financial strain for Brianne Applegate ’11 and her family. The Amy Silvers Memorial Scholarship was the answer to their prayers.

Brendan T. Byrne says that the office of the governor of New Jersey is the most powerful such executive office in the United States, and that’s a good thing as long as the governor wants to be an agent for change. “Otherwise, why run for office?” asked Byrne, who visited Rider for a witty and insightful Q&A session on April 14 as part of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics’ Governing New Jersey series.

Mark Dixon, founder of YERT – Your Environmental Road Trip – will share his experiences from his yearlong eco-expedition through all 50 United States as the keynote speaker for Rider’s Earth Day 2011 celebration.