Manhattan Magazine Spring 2007 by Manhattan College

Spring 2007

7:04 PM

Number One

4/26/07

Volume Thirty-Three

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Calendar

A Presidential Farewell: College Mourns Loss of 17th President, Brother J. Stephen Sullivan, F.S.C.

MAY 7 Jasper Open 9 Block M Dinner 17 Spring Honors Convocation & Gunn Medal Presentation 20 Undergraduate Commencement 23 Spring (Graduate) Commencement

8 10

When in Rome,

A Peace of Inspiration: Scholars Unite for PJSA Conference

JUNE 1-3 13 14 20

Reunion 2007 Hall of Fame Nominations Environmental Engineering Plumbers Club Hall of Fame Selection

Business Students Get

Global Perspective

J U LY 9 18 27 TBD

Do as the Lasallians

Jasper Cup Young Alumni Yankees Game Day at the Races, Saratoga, N.Y. Broderick Golf*

AUGUST 6 Construction Industry Golf, Eastchester, N.Y. 23 Day at the Races, Monmouth, N.J.

SEPTEMBER 17 Long Island Golf 21-23 Alumni Men’s Retreat TBD Kevin J. Frawley ’90 Memorial Golf Tournament

OCTOBER 10 11 13 13 14 14 17 28 TBD TBD

Westchester/Putnam Basketball Preview* Bergen County Basketball Preview* Interscholastic Cross Country Meet National Alumni Council Meeting Fall Honors Convocation Alumni Teachers’ Day Career Fair – Undergraduate/Young Alumni Alumni Brunch at Open House Alumnae Reception Tappan Zee Career Dinner

NOVEMBER 3 Broderick Scholarship Dinner TBD New York City Club

DECEMBER 1 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 1 National Alumni Council Meeting 7 Christmas Luncheon, Sarasota, Fla.

* Not confirmed

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On Campus

Sports

Advancement

Alumni Events

Alumnotes

Published by the office of college relations, a division of college advancement Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY 10471

On the cover: The Manhattan College community celebrates Founder’s Week in April.

Lydia E. Gray, director of college relations Kristen I. Cuppek, editor Rose Spaziani, assistant editor Contributors: Michael Antonaccio Joseph Dillon Melanie A. Farmer Stephen Laruccia Kyle Mack

Michael McMorrow Scott Silversten Ralph Ventre Susan Woolhandler

Photographers: Ben Asen Josh Cuppek Marty Heitner Chris Taggart

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Thomas O’Malley ’63 (left), chairman of the board of trustees, presents the De La Salle Medal to Robert Reynolds, vice chairman and chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments.

2007 DeLa Salle Medal

Dinner Celebrates 30th Anniversary and Honors Robert L. Reynolds

Corporate glitter and Jasper tradition were on display as Manhattan hosted its 30th annual De La Salle Medal Dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Nearly 700 corporate benefactors, alumni, colleagues and friends of the College attended the evening’s festivities. The dinner, which honored Robert L. Reynolds, vice chairman and chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments, raised $1.2 million — and still counting — one of the largest sums in the event’s history. Contributions fund scholarships, academic programs and campus resources and improvements.

president and general manager, Turner Construction Company’s Interiors Division; and Curt C. Zegler ’93, project manager, Turner Construction Company. He also thanked dinner journal chairman John L. Paluszek ’55, senior counsel, Ketchum.

Guests who flowed through Cipriani’s arches into its domed, cathedral-esque dining room were treated to a lineup of venerated guest speakers emceed by the master of ceremonies, Jim Ryan ’60.

Vice President for Advancement Thomas Mauriello introduced dinner chairman Brady Dougan, chief executive officer of Credit Suisse, who was unable to attend the event due to business travel obligations. On Dougan’s behalf, his colleague Tony Ehinger, global head of equities at Credit Suisse, graciously took on the dinner chairman’s role at the podium.

Ryan promptly commended members of the dinner committee: Patrick G. Boyle ’75, executive vice president, New York Life Investment Management; William N. Dooley ’75, senior vice president, financial services, American International Group, Inc.; Michael J. Paliotta ’87, managing director, investment banking division, Credit Suisse; Kenneth A. Rathgeber ’70, executive vice president and head of risk oversight, Fidelity Investments; Stephen J. Squeri ’81, executive vice president and chief information officer, American Express Company; John A. Thomann ’87, vice

Opening remarks were followed by the national anthem and then an invocation by Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost. Introductions and speeches kept a crisp pace as a steady stream of business executives and benefactors graced the podium.

Ehinger praised Reynolds’ leadership and called Fidelity Investments “a terrific partner of Credit Suisse over the years.” He also lauded the contributions of Thomas O’Malley ’63, chairman of Manhattan’s board of trustees. “Both Tom and Bob embody many of the qualities that Manhattan College and this medal represent: dedication to community

service, support for philanthropic causes, extraordinary business leadership and promoting humanitarian interests,” Ehinger said. The honoree was presented by O’Malley, who briefly discussed the College’s future projects and commended Reynolds’ business acumen. “Over the past generation, Bob has played a central role in Fidelity’s rise to the front ranks of financial services in America,” O’Malley said. “He has earned a reputation for building businesses and spotting opportunities well into the future.” Reynolds, who was thrilled to receive the De La Salle medal, punctuated his acceptance speech with light humor and underscored that business leadership requires a team effort. He continued on to say that Manhattan’s emphasis on academic excellence makes its graduates a valued source of talent for jobs in the financial sector. “All of us can see great prospects still ahead of us as Americans continue to stake their future on investments in the securities markets,” Reynolds said. “But, I think we all also know that the key to mastering those opportunities lies in working with great educational institutions, like Manhattan College, whose graduates are the lifeblood of our futures.” continued on page 6

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Brother J. Stephen Sullivan, Manhattan College’s 17th president from 1975-1987, died on Jan. 9. The Boston native was 86. Noted teacher, scholar, theologian and administrator, Br. Stephen served Manhattan College tirelessly for more than a quarter century. A champion for Catholic higher education, he was dedicated to establishing new programs, which enhanced the landscape of the College. He is credited with fully implementing the transformation of Manhattan College into a coeducational institution and ensuring the integration of women into the entire curriculum. The College had become coed just prior to Br. Stephen’s move into the president’s office. “He was a great man,” said Marty Schmidt ’51, who was elected chairman of Manhattan College’s board of trustees in 1987, after serving as a trustee during Br. Stephen’s term. “We’re going to miss him. His presidency was at a point in time when we were having problems attracting new students. We had to get our numbers up, and Brother met this challenge.” Added Stephen J. Sweeney, president of the College of New Rochelle, “The history of Manhattan College will record [Br. Stephen] as a key figure in bringing the College into the modern age.” Born Jeremiah Thomas Sullivan on June 25, 1920 to Bridget Quirk and John Joseph Sullivan, Br. Stephen entered the order of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1938 and was given the religious name Brother Casimir Stephen. Prior to his arrival at Manhattan College, Br. Stephen taught classics and theology at De La Salle College in Washington, D.C., and was the recipient of a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (1957). He served as dean of studies and pro-director at De La Salle and guided the intellectual preparation of many of the Brothers teaching in New York and New England.

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Appointed assistant professor of theology at Manhattan College in 1959, Br. Stephen’s teaching and scholarly activities led to his promotion to associate professor in 1963, and that same year he was named the College’s academic vice president. He was appointed executive vice president and provost in 1970 and in 1975 was named president. “By that time the student unrest of the late sixties had pretty well quieted down, the cooperative program with the College of Mount Saint Vincent was well underway, and Manhattan itself had officially gone coed, bringing an ever-increasing number of female students to the campus,” says Brother Luke Salm, professor emeritus of religious studies and Christian Brothers archivist. Under Br. Stephen’s leadership, the College constructed a new athletic facility, Draddy Gymnasium, which at the time featured the largest indoor track in New York City. He also oversaw the building of Maurice F. Granville Residence Hall, as well as the creation of a new research and learning center that opened in 1985. In addition, Manhattan College established new programs for teaching and rehabilitation of the handicapped, professional ethics, biotechnology, robotics and computer sciences. The College’s peace studies program, one of the first in the nation, was established along with a graduate program leading to the master’s degree in business administration. Community outreach activities were sharply enhanced with programs directed to the handicapped and senior citizens. During this time, the College experienced significant growth in enrollment and began the transformation into a residential institution. For his retirement from the presidency in 1987, more than 600 guests gathered at a banquet in Draddy Gymnasium to honor Br. Stephen’s accomplishments. Throughout his long career in higher education, Br. Stephen served as an officer or member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, National Catholic Education Association, American Association of University Professors,

American Council on Education and the American Association of Higher Education. He was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia in 1979 and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in 1987. He was also the recipient of numerous awards, including the Alpha Phi Delta Award in appreciation of devoted service to Manhattan College (1987), and was an honorary member of Delta Mu Delta in recognition of high scholarly achievement. After leaving Manhattan College, Br. Stephen served as director of development for the New York Province of the Christian Brothers. He revitalized the quarterly publication of the Lasallian Notes newsletter and fostered a personal touch in his relationship with donors. One of his priorities was the proper memorializing of departed Brothers.

Brother Stephen Sullivan was honored in 1985 by the College’s crew team with a scull that bears his name.

“Steve never lost his association with Manhattan College,” Br. Luke says. “He rarely missed a formal college event, alumni gathering, funeral or social occasion, serving as a kind of informal public relations person for the College.” Br. Stephen received his bachelor’s degree at The Catholic University of America, a master’s degree in classical languages at Manhattan College, a master’s in philosophy at Boston College and a doctorate in sacred theology from The Catholic University of America. Br. Stephen was predeceased by his brother, Rev. John Sullivan, S.J., and a sister, Margaret Sullivan. He is survived by his sister, Sister Margaret de Sales Sullivan, S.C.

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One of New York’s Finest

Leads Fall Horan Lecture

Few people can proudly say that disaster has defined their career. But, if you are Richard J. Sheirer, it’s safe to say that you spend a great deal of time immersed in emergency preparation. Sheirer, who has been senior vice president of Giuliani Partners LLC since April 2002, served for 34 years in public safety positions in New York City and played an integral role in collaborating the emergency response to Sept. 11. In November, he was the keynote speaker for the annual fall John J. Horan Lecture Series held at the University Club in Manhattan.

Richard Sheirer, senior vice president of Giuliani Partners LLC, addresses public safety issues and Sept. 11 at the John J. Horan Lecture Series in November.

Endowed by Merck & Co., Inc., the John J. Horan Lecture Series facilitates the exchange of ideas among Manhattan’s educators and leaders in the American industries of business, science, engineering and education. The lecture series is named in honor of John J. Horan ’40, former chairman and chief executive officer of Merck. Sheirer, who was introduced by Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost at Manhattan College, addressed the audience about emergency preparedness. His experience in responding to Sept. 11 was the focal point of his discussion about effective ways to deal with a crisis, whether it’s another terrorist attack, or a hurricane spiraling up the East Coast.

In reflection, he emphasized the importance of coordination between the police and fire departments, as well as the cooperation of state and federal agencies. “Communication has to improve in terms of technology and policy and procedure,” Sheirer said. He underscored the value of communication in times of crisis, not just among agencies but also for the benefit of the media and public. “One of the things that the mayor recognized immediately on Sept. 11 was how important it is to communicate to the public about what is going on,” Sheirer said. department, Sheirer improved life-saving resuscitator services for the public. He implemented the FIRECAP program, which enables adults and children to go to their community firehouse for help in an emergency, as well as the FIREWORKS KILL project, an initiative that diminished the use of illegal fireworks. Sheirer’s career continued to gain momentum in April 1996 when former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ’65 appointed him to the post of deputy commissioner of administration and chief of staff to former Commissioner Howard Safir at the New York Police Department. In this position, Sheirer managed all the major department bureaus and collaborated with local, state and federal enforcement agencies to fight crime. He also helped to spearhead the Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect (CPR) Strategy.

“My mantra is plan, prepare, practice and execute, and I’ve had that ever since I was in the fire department in the early ’60s,” Sheirer said.

By February 2000, Sheirer advanced to an even higher appointment by Giuliani and became the director of the mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Sheirer guided ongoing emergency responses, managed all aspects of general emergency planning, and developed strategies for coping with mass transit emergencies. He also created the world’s largest public access defibrillator program for New York City.

He joined the New York City Fire Department in December 1967 as a fire alarm dispatcher. His ambition propelled him through the ranks to become assistant fire commissioner in 1992 and deputy fire commissioner in 1994. At the fire

On Sept. 11, Sheirer arrived at the scene to find an unfathomable disaster. He had also been present for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

In contrast, he pointed to the lack of communication during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, which he said kept the public in the dark about what was happening. “Even if you don’t have much to tell people, informing them of what you do know will give them the strength to go on,” he said. After Sept. 11, OEM organized the largest disaster recovery in United States history. In retrospect, Sheirer said the city could not have recovered in the same way without the generous help of volunteers. “The one thing that I think everybody understands is that New York City could not have done this without the help of everybody in town, in the region, in the country and literally throughout the world,” he added.

At the Horan Lecture, Dr. Moujalli Hourani ’81, associate professor and chair of civil engineering; Dr. Fiona Maclachlan, professor of economics and finance; and Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost, gather with guest speaker Richard Sheirer (second from left).

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Fall Honors Convocation Lauds Manhattan’s John F. O’Brien ’73, Esq., knows a thing or two about the recipe for success. As dean of New England School of Law, he is the longest-serving law school dean at a single institution in the United States. At the 2006 Fall Honors Convocation, O’Brien encouraged students to use their “record of accomplishment” to forge meaningful career paths. “Preparation, hard work, attentive mentors to help pave the way — these are still key ingredients for success,” O’Brien said.

Brightest Students

expertise you’ll need for the fields that you enter — will be greatly affected by these changes.” O’Brien told students that their Manhattan education is a powerful asset to have as they embark on future careers. “You have demonstrated that you are capable of discipline and hard work by the level of academic achievement that earned you a seat in this hall today,” he said. Beyond fame and fortune, O’Brien inspired students to expand their goals to incorporate “doing well by doing good,” which he described as an important Lasallian value to uphold in the workplace.

Founded in 1933, Epsilon Sigma Pi is Manhattan’s oldest college-wide honor society. Its membership is the most prestigious academic honor that may be earned by a Manhattan College student. Inductees must have at least a 3.5 GPA for six consecutive semesters with no academic failures. They are traditionally honored at the start of their senior year. The celebration continued at a reception in Dante’s Den, where students convened with family and friends to toast their success.

“Your ability to have a positive impact — and your responsibility to try — is enhanced as you gain professional stature,” he said.

Honorary degree recipient John F. O’Brien ’73, dean and professor of law at New England School of Law, and Brother President Thomas Scanlan at the Fall Honors Convocation in October.

Under sunny blue skies on a crisp autumn afternoon, 140 students and their families gathered in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers at the Fall Honors Convocation on Oct. 15. The event celebrated the accomplishments of Manhattan College’s students. The ceremony began with an invocation from Brother Robert Berger, F.S.C., vice president of student life, followed by greetings from William D. Mach, president of the Pen and Sword Society. Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost, presented an honorary doctorate of laws degree to O’Brien.

A Staten Island native, O’Brien received his bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College in 1973 and earned a juris doctorate at New England School of Law in 1977, where he graduated first in his class. He also has a master’s in law from Boston University School of Law. His illustrious career began when he joined the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service as a senior attorney. In this position, O’Brien headed the Northeast region’s tax shelter program. In 1985, he came to New England School of Law to teach Constitutional Law and Federal Income Taxation. He also served as associate dean for a few years before the promotion to his current position. O’Brien was only 38 years old when he became dean of New England School of Law in 1988.

In his speech, O’Brien informed students that new challenges await them in a workforce different from the one he encountered upon graduation from college.

A distinguished leader, he has chaired various committees, most notably the American Bar Association’s Accreditation Committee, which reviews all nationally accredited American law schools and manages efforts to uphold standards set by the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

“The marketplace is global, smaller, more interconnected and increasingly competitive due to advances in technology and to international political developments,” O’Brien said. “How, where, and with whom you work — as well as the

After O’Brien’s speech, the deans announced inductees from the schools of arts, business, education, engineering and science. Students lined up to accept their certificates and keys from Brother President Thomas Scanlan and Jackson.

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Brother President Thomas Scanlan awards civil engineering major Kathleen A. Munson ’07 with the certificate that honors her induction into Epsilon Sigma Pi, the College’s oldest honor society.

2007 De La Salle Medal

Continued from pg. 3 –

Reynolds also identified honesty and integrity as assets of a Manhattan education. He linked these qualities to the importance of building trust in business practices. “The ethics that Manhattan College weaves through its whole curriculum help to mold the kind of graduates — and the future colleagues and leaders — that we need in financial services,” he said. Throughout the evening, dinner attendees enjoyed the music of Sound on Sound with bandleader Peter La Rosa ’69. This year was the first time that the dinner was held at Cipriani. The event’s new host provided an intimate setting in the heart of New York City’s thriving midtown. At its 30-year milestone, the De La Salle Medal Dinner’s vivacity carried on as Manhattan College launched into 2007 with its eye on steady growth and the continuation of academic success.

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Library

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Goes

High-Tech

The College’s Mary Alice and Thomas O’Malley Library recently was updated with 100 state-of-the-art computers. The upgrade continues Manhattan’s commitment to having the latest technology across all of its programs and ensures that all students have access to computing technology needed in today’s competitive, high-tech global environment. The new systems have access to the Internet at bandwidths of up to 100 megabits per second via the College’s own high-capacity optical “dark fiber” network and will be loaded with a rich array of application software in support of the College’s five schools — arts, business, education, engineering and science.

The 100 new computers in O’Malley are Dell Optiplex GX620 systems running under Windows XP Pro. They feature dual core Intel processors, one gigabyte of memory, ultrafast hard drives, a DVD/CD-RW drive, optical mouse and 17-inch flat panel digital LCD monitors. In addition, there are enhanced keyboards with smart card readers.

When not using one of the new systems, students may connect their own PDAs or notebooks to the JasperNet wireless network from virtually anywhere on campus, or enjoy high bandwidth wired into their residence halls.

Reunion Day

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Honors Teachers

Teachers took time off from the classroom to reconnect with each other at the first alumni/teacher reunion day held for Jasper graduates on Manhattan’s campus in October. The event was jointly sponsored by the school of education, Mu Sigma chapter of Kappa Delta Pi and office of alumni relations. “We live in a world where education matters more now than it has ever mattered before,” said Brother Raymond Meagher, assistant professor of education, in his opening remarks to nearly 40 alumni. “Today we need extraordinary teachers who can help all students — who have more extensive needs than ever before — to acquire the increasingly complex knowledge and skills they are going to need to lead successful lives.” According to Br. Ray, the alumni/teacher reunion day was meant to provide teachers with the opportunity to network and “celebrate what they’re doing every day.” The event featured interactive workshops and keynote speakers, such as Pamela K. Buckley, executive director of Kappa Delta Pi, who discussed Honoring the Teaching Profession. The workshops focused on topics that impact today’s teachers. These forums enabled teachers to share their work experiences, define professional challenges and seek solutions with the support of their peers. “How to Become an Untouchable in the 21st Century,” a workshop led by Br. Ray, examined how to balance the demands of being a modern teacher and honor the vocation’s truest ideals. He described “competence, confidence and passion” as important teaching qualities. In another session, Dr. Karen Nicholson, associate professor of education, covered classroom management and discipline.

“Respect is the thread that runs through everything,” Nicholson says, highlighting one of the most popular themes of her workshop. Elementary, middle school and high school teachers, ranging from beginners to veterans, attended her workshop to discuss the importance of sharing mutual respect with their students. This respect stems from consistent lesson preparation, setting clear learning expectations for students and exuding poise and confidence in the classroom. Nicholson says another concern of teachers is how to keep a class interested when you have students from a variety of backgrounds and interest levels. Teaching strategies that appeal to one student may not work for another. Br. Ray says teachers found the workshop discussions to be rewarding. Stefanie Boffoli ’04 is one such teacher who attended the event and shared her experience as part of a presentation about the “Politics of First-Year Teaching.” “The alumni event was great for Manhattan College,” she says. “There isn’t always a time when new teachers can speak to other teachers who came out of the same program and entered the profession. It provides a very real image of what teaching is going to be like...it lets the new teachers know what to expect.” The College intends to expand alumni/teacher reunion day in the future. “For a first time event, the reunion day was a success,” says Dr. William Merriman, dean of the school of education. “We hope to get even more people involved next year.”

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What: Associated for the Lasallian Educational Mission: From a Shared Mission to Our Mission, International Assembly 2006 When: October 23 – November 4, 2006 Where: The Christian Brothers Generalate Rome, Italy Dr. John Wilcox, vice president for mission, participated in the Christian Brothers’ International Assembly 2006 in Rome, and reports on his experiences and the assembly’s accomplishments.

The Lasallian Mission: A Watershed Event When I think of the International Assembly 2006 (IA06) at the Christian Brothers Generalate in Rome, I have to be very honest; what comes first to my mind is the almost nightly stroll past McDonald’s on the corner of Piazzale Giovanni Baptista de La Salle. Notice that I said “past” McDonald’s. My destination and that of many other delegates was the gelateria Blue Ice. I still have dreams of the most mouthwatering gelato that I have ever tasted, with more flavors than Baskin-Robbins could ever dream up, and all for 1.5 euros or about $2. The evening gelato treat was the icing on the cake of a thoroughly stimulating and transformative two weeks. My report describes a series of remarkable events, including assemblies sponsored by the Christian Brothers in every corner of the world, leading up to IA06. This final assembly in Rome constituted a watershed event in the history of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and in that of their lay partners. The times in which we live tell us that the structures of and association among the Brothers are not sufficient in and of themselves for the contemporary success of the mission envisioned by St. John Baptist de La Salle. The “new wine” of today’s Lasallian mission to educate the young, especially the poor, must be poured into the “new wineskins” of a dynamic association among Brothers and partners, and supported by a new structure that facilitates association and enhances the mission. There is little doubt that this event has been influenced by the demographics of religious communities throughout the world; however, the new Lasallian vision still is grounded in the work of the Holy Spirit as seen in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). From August 2004 through November 2006, I had the privilege of participating in a series of local, regional and international assemblies mandated in 2000 by the 43rd General Chapter of the Christian Brothers. The conclusions of each assembly built on the previous one, beginning with the first in August 2004, a meeting that brought together approximately 104 brothers and 55 lay partners from the Long Island-New England, New York and Baltimore districts to discuss

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Dr. John Wilcox, vice president for mission, visited Assisi during the Internation al Assembly 2006 in Ro me.

the future of the Lasallian educational mission in the tri-district area, across the United States and abroad. From the first planning session for this assembly, and for others like it around the world, to the last delegate leaving the final assembly in Rome, I would estimate the Brothers have invested close to $1 million dollars in bringing to reality these meetings mandated by the last General Chapter. This is serious business! The Assembly Process: Everyone Spoke “Lasallian” While the money conveys its own powerful message, the other startling aspect of the assembly in Rome was the international dimension of the gathering. There were 158 delegates from 50 nations, representing the 80 countries in which there are Lasallians carrying out the mission to more than 900,000 students. Lay delegates numbered 36 women and 56 men, four Sisters and 62 Brothers. These delegates represented close to 80,000 persons engaged in Lasallian ministries. What should be of great interest to readers of the Manhattan is that there are approximately 500,000 of the 900,000 students engaged in higher education pursuits at 58 Lasallian colleges and universities, 41 of which are in what we, in the West, call “developing” countries. Higher education is the fastest growing sector of the Lasallian world. Furthermore, the delegates represented 42 languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Maltese, Swahili, Urdu and Vietnamese, but there were only three official languages: English, French and Spanish. Language differences were overcome through simultaneous interpretation and rapid written translations within hours or overnight by a dedicated team of interpreters and translators. However, it was not the facility in interpretation or translation that made the meeting a watershed event. After all, the United Nations has even better technology and is adept at communication skills. The miracle of the IA06 is that everyone spoke “Lasallian,” the language of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s life, pedagogy and spirituality, as well as the language of more than 325 years of Lasallian history, including its sacred myths, mission, missionaries and martyrs. The language of Catholic theology, especially its humanistic and social justice doctrine, was a shared tongue even though not all

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the delegates were Catholic. In fact, one of the greatest strengths of Lasallian education, as demonstrated in IA06, is its commitment to embrace the world in all its diversity and multiplicity. Toleration may be a first step, but for Lasallians, it pales before a personalism characterized by seeing God in all persons, events and creation. The IA06 steering committee began its work shortly after the General Chapter of 2000. As a result, the assembly process and its well-planned program enabled the delegates to move through four organized stages. A much-needed orientation to the variety of cultures and personalities in the group was followed by intra- and intercultural sharing of experiences in each of the seven Lasallian regions of the world. Orientation and a sharing of experiences during the first week led in the second week to discernment of key issues and an action plan to assist the Brothers in the 44th General Chapter, which began in April and will end in June 2007.

• Revision of structures is necessary in order to renew and adapt them but also to create new ones on the local, regional and international levels. • The assembly calls for a new International Council of Lasallian Association for Mission that represents with voice and vote all members of the Lasallian family. Implications for Lasallian Higher Education: Although higher education itself was not the focus of a discussion, there are several implications for Lasallian universities that resulted from the IA06: 1. A need to strengthen ties among Lasallian universities and between these universities and the rest of the Lasallian world.

The two weeks of meetings culminated in eight “orientations” that provided the basis of the IA06 report itself, which is available at www.lasalle.org.

2. Development of collaboration, especially with the 41 Lasallian institutions of higher education in developing countries and the 17 in more developed regions.

Mission, Association and Structures:

3. A priority for university research supporting mission, association and structures.

After many drafts, the final document, Associated for the Lasallian Educational Mission, was in accord on the following issues: the continuation, nurturing and expansion of the Lasallian mission to the young, especially the poor, will be successful in proportion to the vibrancy of association for mission among Brothers and partners who must create new forms of Lasallian community through structures that support common formation of Brothers and partners committed to a Lasallian future. This common understanding was expressed in the following conclusions or orientations:

4. Inclusion of the universities in the mission to the poor. 5. Reinforcement of Catholic identity and Lasallian heritage on the university level: formation of Lasallian communities of partners and Brothers committed to preserving and enhancing identity and heritage.

• Lasallians must “provide to our students and other young persons a human and Christian education (or spiritual within a multireligious context) that facilitates the openness toward other cultures and religions and makes our students committed to peace and social justice.”

During the past several months, I have had the opportunity to reflect on the three assemblies that I attended from 2004 to 2006. As I have noted, the final report of the IA06 in Rome offers a number of recommendations to the 44th General Chapter of the Christian Brothers. The document is a beacon of light illuminating a more complex, multicultural and multireligious world but also one of staggering global inequity, gender inequality and child abuse; a world where hundreds of millions of people live in a state of political oppression, declining health, diminishing irreplaceable resources and devastating climate change. Light alone is insufficient.

• Lasallians are asked to assess and renew their education programs with a focus on the poor. Formal and informal new works should promote service to the poor “and, above all, the defense of the rights of children.”

Yet, the final report is also a beacon of hope, the power of which emanates from the Catholic vision of human flourishing and social justice, a vision that is also congenial to all persons of good will. Nevertheless, hope must lead to action.

• Lasallian charism and Lasallian association are intertwined and the continuity of charism depends upon accurate discernment of the essential elements of association, “by discovering and understanding the associative experiences, as well as the different processes and itineraries that lead today to Lasallian association.”

When Dean Acheson wrote his memoirs recalling his role as secretary of state (1949-1953) during the early days of the Cold War, he called these reminiscences Present at the Creation. While I have no intention of comparing myself to Acheson or to his facility with words, I do have the sense that I was present at the creation of a new vision of Lasallian education. It is difficult to communicate the enthusiasm of the assembly members or the urgency that the group felt about this watershed in Lasallian history, this historic moment. It is my deepest hope that during the next year, I can convey the excitement and the urgency that animated the IA06 and transmit the vision of Lasallian education in the 21st century to the Brothers, faculty, students, parents and alums in the American region of the Lasallian world.

• Safeguarding and developing a common understanding across cultures of the Lasallian educational mission is necessary.

• A correlate of the discernment process on the local level is the creation of “relational community spaces to know, explore and encourage community, especially through accompaniment, (note: “accompaniment” is a Lasallian term for mentoring) and the promotion of Lasallian spirituality.

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A Peace of Inspiration:

Scholars Unite for PJSA Conference

A bleak political landscape, turmoil in the Middle East and a nuclear North Korea couldn’t put a damper on the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s (PJSA) 2006 conference at Manhattan College. The event, which spanned the long weekend of Oct. 5-8, united the work of 1,000 peacewomen, an archbishop and multiple distinguished scholars from diverse backgrounds. This year’s conference, which was a collaborative effort led by Dr. Margaret Groarke, assistant professor of government and director of the College’s peace studies program, addressed the theme “Who Speaks for the Common Good?” The conference opened with an evening plenary in Smith Auditorium that was delivered by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. Lectures, meetings and discussion panels packed each day of the event. Topics of debate ran the gamut from human rights to peace education. Nearly 250 people — professors, students, artists, nonprofit organizations and study abroad programs — came from as far away as Uganda to participate in the weekend’s activities. Some of the groups to present lectures were Pax Christi, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Institute for Peace, and Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).

Later in the day, a reception was held in honor of the 1,000 peacewomen. These outstanding women, who represent more than 150 countries, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 2005. Although they were not chosen for the prize, their work serves as an example for all peace activists. At the reception, 13 rows of dangling, multicolored postcards formed mobiles of names. A peacewoman’s biography was printed on one side of the card, and her photo on the reverse side. One peacewoman traveled halfway across the globe to arrive on the last day of the conference. Groarke says her meeting with Nada Thabet from Egypt was one of the best surprises of the weekend. Other events included a film screening of Marine’s Go Home! — Henoko, Maehyang-ri, Yausubetsu ; multimedia slideshow of Bosnia in 1970 and 2003 by the photographer Steve Horn; and roundtable discussion on diversity education — among other activities.

Plenaries ranged from The Common Good in the Global Context by M.P. Mathai of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala, India, and a panel on Education for the Common Good. Among the roster of star scholars was Dr. Frances Fox Piven, who delivered a plenary based on her latest book, Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America. Piven, a distinguished professor of political science and sociology at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, detailed the elements of what she described as our nation’s state of emergency. “The number of people who live at half the poverty line is increasing,” Piven said, naming just a few of the problems that plague our country. She also referred to the war in Iraq, environmental issues and the “shriveling” of unions, welfare and social security. Piven said American citizens need to stand up for their morals and beliefs to address current problems and facilitate change. “The great motor for egalitarian reform in our history were mass social movements,” Piven said. She gave historical examples of social movements that have inspired the government to re-evaluate its policies. Her discussion included the abolitionist movement to eradicate slavery during the Civil War, the push by farmers that led to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and the impact of boycotts, sit-ins and nonviolent resistance on the civil rights movement of the 1960s. “It was great to sit down and listen to Frances Piven,” Groarke says of her former graduate school advisor and mentor, whose work she has followed in past years. Groarke also was thrilled with the analysis sparked by the lecture lineup.

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At the reception held in honor of the 1,000 peacewomen in Dante’s Den, visitors read the biographies of the courageous peace activists.

Manhattan offered its first course in peace studies in 1966 and, in 1971, was one of the first colleges in the country to establish a major in peace studies. The program explores economic, political and social justice, as well as war, conflict resolution, nonviolent philosophies and the concept of world community, among other themes. Founded in 2001, PJSA is a nonprofit organization that merged the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development (COPRED), and the Peace Studies Association (PSA). PJSA “works to create a just and peaceful world.” It unites academics, K-12 teachers and grassroots activists in the exploration of alternatives to violence, and to share visions and strategies for social justice and change. “I think it’s a special opportunity when we have a scholarly conference on campus because students can see scholars at work in a different way than they do in the classroom,” Groarke says. “Plus, I think that people also had fun.”

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Mentor Dinner

Toasts Program Growth

Manhattan’s Mentor Program kicked off the new year with its annual dinner this past February in Smith Auditorium, which brought together nearly 240 students and their mentors for a night of networking and entertainment. The event’s guest speaker was John Williams, senior vice president and national director of governmental consulting and planning for HDR Engineering, Inc., an architectural, engineering and consulting firm. He discussed Personal Commitment to Professional Growth and Career Development.

and mentors an occasion to get to know each other. In addition to these events, program members are encouraged to schedule meetings on a regular basis to discuss mutual goals. The Mentor Program, which was started in 2005, pairs alumni in professional industries with students who have a

as the number of students interested in these industries increases. “It’s rewarding to hear the mentors and students say how grateful they are to be involved in the program,” he says. “The majority of students say the program is helpful to them in learning about their career and going further with it.”

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As the evening’s festivities got underway, Brother Ralph Bucci, mentor program coordinator, greeted the crowd. Following an opening prayer, Peter McGroddy ’71, senior vice president of HDR Engineering, Inc., who sits on the advisory board for the school of engineering, spoke about the mentor program’s success and introduced his colleague, Williams. “It has been very rewarding for all of us to see this program grow from year to year,” McGroddy said. He described Williams as an “architect of bringing engineering needs to the public.” Williams, who is passionate about mentoring, recalled the influence of his college role models on his life. “I believe in mentoring because there are so many things in my life that are the beneficiaries of good mentors,” Williams said. He proceeded to discuss the various rewards and challenges of mentoring, such as understanding college students and the importance of setting attainable career goals. He also emphasized mentoring as a valuable part of professional development. Leading up to the mentor dinner, program participants had the opportunity to make contact at one of two meet-and-greet receptions, the first on Oct. 25 for the schools of arts, business and science, and the second on Nov. 28 for the school of engineering. The mentor dinner and meet-and-greet receptions are designed to give students

Mary Morgan ’09, an accounting and economics major, joins her mentor, Johanna Kletter ’03, financial director of University Neighborhood Housing Program, Inc. at the mentor dinner in February.

similar interest in the mentor’s field of work. Mentors have the opportunity to guide and advise students on career prospects and expose them to a practical work environment. Currently, there are more than 300 students and alumni participating in the program. Br. Ralph says he meets twice a year with advisory boards for the school of engineering and the schools of arts, business and science to bounce around ideas for the program. “The advisory boards are a cross section of alumni, faculty and department chairs,” he says. “They act as a sounding board for me as far as pursuing things that may be new directions for the program, and they make suggestions.” The participation of engineering students and professionals has grown steadily since the program’s inception. Br. Ralph says he aims to draw more alumni to the program in the business fields of accounting, communications, advertising and marketing

Mary Morgan ’09, an accounting and economics major, is one such student who says the mentor program has broadened her knowledge of jobs in her field of study. Her mentor, Johanna Kletter ’03, works as financial director of the nonprofit organization University Neighborhood Housing Program, Inc. in the Bronx. “By being exposed to the financial aspect of a nonprofit, I’ve learned a lot about how accounting skills can be useful in a day-to-day job,” says Morgan, who worked at a bank last summer and found the environment too rigid. For the program, Morgan and Kletter meet at least once a month. Morgan says she usually shadows her mentor in the office and often performs tasks related to her major. “My mentor has been incredibly nice to me,” she says. “She answers my questions and takes her time with me. She has shown me another side of working in the business world.”

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From Fork to Mouth: Etiquette Tips for Business Meals Richie Stevens ’07, a civil engineering major, and a Whiting-Turner representative network at the career fair.

Networking to Success at the Career Fair Résumés rustled, pens scribbled and business cards swapped hands as students descended upon Draddy Gymnasium for Manhattan College’s annual career fair this past October. A selection of 124 top companies came to campus to recruit students eager to take advantage of the opportunity to network with executives in business, government and arts. The career fair is sponsored by the center for career development and the Alumni Society. “I came here to get a better sense of different kinds of jobs from meeting people in the field,” says Sanela Djokovic ’09, a communications major who attended the career fair for the first time. IBM, Con Edison, MTV, Northwestern Mutual and the New York City Police Department were just a few of the employers at the career fair. Companies enticed students with oversized billboards of corporate information and piles of portable goodies, such as candy, bobblehead pens, light-up construction cone desk weights and purple frisbees. Upon entering Draddy, students picked up a list of employers, which matched companies with preferred majors. As they departed, students were encouraged to fill out a survey about their experience at the event. According to Marjorie Apel, director of the center for career development, 99.9 percent of the students who filled out surveys at this year’s career fair were satisfied with it. “The career fair continues to grow,” Apel says. “It is successful because alums are so invested in the fair. We would always love for more companies to come.”

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Behind the scenes, Ken Kelly ’54, chairman of the career fair, leads a small group of alumni volunteers who called 600 companies and sent enrollment packages to more than 1,000 employers for the career fair. Undergraduate students also received postcards to remind them about the upcoming event. Many of the companies contacted by the volunteers employ Manhattan alumni. “One of the things that pleases us most is that many of the employers who come here to man the booths are alums,” Kelly says. “We think it’s important that students and their parents know the Manhattan College alumni are supportive of finding jobs for the students.” At this year’s career fair, more companies than ever before staked out tables. The College’s graduate programs were the only higher degree options with a presence at the event to make way for a variety of businesses. Students interested in educational or government opportunities found a diverse sampling that included the NYC Teaching Fellowship, U.S. Marine Corps and the FBI. To stand out at the career fair, Abigail Lukash, Manhattan’s career fair coordinator, advised students to “be prepared with your résumé, dress professionally and research companies before you come.” Ninad Khade ’07 is one such student doing just that. Impeccably dressed, Khade, who is pursuing his master’s in electrical engineering, composed a résumé and attended mock interview sessions before his arrival at the career fair. He hopes to meet professionals in his degree field. “This is a good opportunity for students to make contact with different companies and find that great job,” Khade says.

Ever wondered about the proper way to eat spaghetti, or how to match silverware with its appropriate course? These questions and more were answered at Manhattan’s etiquette dinner hosted by the center for career development on Nov. 2 in Smith Auditorium. Forks tinkled, napkins snapped to attention, and food swirled on plates as students learned the ins and outs of dining etiquette at business meals. “You’re always on an interview even if your potential employer asks you to dinner,” says Marjorie Apel, director of the center for career development. “You have to make a good impression.” Chef and instructor Richard Vayda from the Art Institute of New York City, formerly the New York Restaurant School, presided over dinner, which included a full-course meal of challenging foods, such as chicken on the bone, French fries, pitted olives atop salad and soup with noodles. For dessert, pie and ice cream were served. Students learned to navigate place settings (the big spoon and fork are for dessert), select an entrée (never pick the priciest item), choose wine (the best value bottle is listed third from the bottom), and cut into different types of food (always cut French fries and spaghetti, never twirl the noodles) — among other morsels of sage advice.

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Business Students Get For nearly a quarter century, Alfred Manduley, assistant professor of marketing, has been taking Manhattan College students to Europe as part of his International Field Study Seminar course. And it all began after an innocent conversation about the winter break. Prior to 1983, Manduley and his wife, Rosa, took annual trips to Europe between the fall and spring semesters. However, Dr. Robert Vizza, former dean of the school of business, broached the idea that Manduley should expand the odyssey to include students, who would be eager to experience the trip of a lifetime. And, with that, the International Field Study Seminar was born. A course within the school of business, the International Field Study Seminar is designed to assess the impact of the foreign environment on the international firm. Students visit selected companies in a foreign country during an extensive European trip in January before returning for the spring semester and a 14-week examination of what they observed on foreign soil.

With the spring semester on the horizon, students participated in two seminars on Jan. 15. The first came with KPMG International, a provider of assurance, tax, legal, consulting and financial advisory services to clients around the world. To follow was a seminar with global advertising agency J. Walter Thompson and on Jan. 16, a seminar with banking giant Credit Suisse. Each seminar dealt with a different aspect of business and was conducted at the offices of the host company. They each ran approximately two and a half hours, or the equivalent of one week’s class time for a three-credit course.

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Global Perspective

According to Manduley, another challenge throughout the years has been arranging the seminars with multinational corporations. Prominent Manhattan College alums, such as former Barclays’ chief executive officer Robert Hunter ’66, have assisted with the effort.

As the program has developed, one of Manduley’s biggest challenges has been adjusting to the fast-changing business environment. “The year-to-year changes that have taken place are what makes each trip a new experience for me,” he says. “The changes in business are the topics that we discuss in the seminars and in the classroom. It provides a different perspective for the students, especially when they realize that change is a constant in the international business environment.” The first trip to London came in 1983. Since then, Manduley and his students have also visited Paris, Madrid, Rome and many other locales across Europe. “It’s a tremendous experience,” Manduley says. “I’ve never had a student return disappointed … never. ” This year’s trip from Jan. 5-15 took a group of 30 students across Portugal and Spain. After departing from New Jersey’s Newark Airport, the first stop was highlighted by a comprehensive orientation tour of Lisbon that included a stop at Saint George’s Castle and the Coach Museum. After three full days in Portugal, it was off to Spain. On Jan. 9, the group experienced a tour of the city of Merida, which stands on the site of a Roman settlement. Other stops included the Roman Amphitheatre, the National Museum of Roman Art and the Aqueducts of Los Milagros. In the following days, there were visits to Cordoba, Granada and Madrid, where accommodations were the four-star Grand Atlanta Hotel. Before finally getting down to serious business, they had full-day excursions to Segovia, La Granja and Avila, which is the most important walled city in Spain and is rich in monuments and relics.

School of business students visited Toledo, Spain, as part of the International Field Study Seminar course.

“A number of people, such as Bob Hunter, have been incredibly supportive,” Manduley says. “But I’m always looking for new ideas and new seminars that will enrich the experience for our students.” Once back on campus, students began the classwork portion of the program and a series of additional seminars that are conducted on campus. Objectives included examining the international business marketplace from various angles, including the way in which various disciplines — marketing, finance, accounting and management — function within the international enterprise. At the end of the semester, students must submit a 12- to 15-page research paper reflecting the international business insights and perspectives gained as a result of the foreignbased seminars. “Basically, what we’re really doing is giving students an international orientation to the business world,” Manduley adds — a task that has been his trademark to scores of Jaspers. manhattan.edu

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Freeing People and Minds: Amnesty International, a worldwide organization that fights for human rights, has made a strong comeback at Manhattan College after its short appearance on campus about two years ago. Since this past fall, Manhattan’s 20-member Amnesty International chapter has been meeting on a weekly basis and providing students with the opportunity to raise awareness of the human rights issues that already interest them. “We are part of a worldwide voice,” says Jess Breen ’09, group coordinator of Manhattan’s Amnesty International chapter, who believes that Manhattan was in need of an outlet for students to learn to protect human rights, especially with the College’s religious roots. For Breen, a peace studies and Spanish major, the reason she joined Manhattan’s Amnesty chapter is personal. “The issues Amnesty stands up for are important to me because I believe in the struggle to level out the global inequality crisis,” she says. “There is no reason for any of us to be denied our basic human rights.” Last year, when Jason Jeremias, an area coordinator for Amnesty International, visited the College, he quickly saw

Amnesty International

potential for a campus chapter. He had heard about students taking action to raise awareness of human rights abuses in Darfur and noted the College’s programs in international relations and peace studies. “The students are really eager,” he says. “They come from class learning about different world situations and issues, and they want to take action immediately.” Manhattan’s Amnesty chapter already has participated in several activities, including rallies and a control arms race to lobby the 192 U.N. government missions in 192 minutes to pass the Arms Trade Treaty last October. According to Erin Lynn ’10, assistant group coordinator for Manhattan’s Amnesty International chapter, the activity that impacted her most was a rally for Darfur in Central Park last September. “I was so inspired by what the power of numbers can do,” says Lynn, a double major in English and Spanish, who joined the group after researching it for an article she wrote in the Quadrangle. “People coming together to form one voice can be incredibly audible, too audible to be ignored.”

Students also have adopted two prisoners of conscience, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam of Ethiopia and Reverend Bienvenido Samba Momesori of Equatorial Guinea. Both human rights activists have been arrested for the nonviolent expression of their political opinions. On behalf of the prisoners, students write letters and petitions to support their freedom. Up next, Manhattan’s chapter plans to focus on issues such as the war on terror and the alleged mistreatment of suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. Under Jeremias’ guidance, they will focus on poverty and oppression in Africa. According to Dr. Margaret Groarke, director of the peace studies program and an advisor for Manhattan’s Amnesty chapter, the mostly independent, student-run group holds a good deal of promise. “I think they’ve done a great job in raising awareness of human rights issues on campus,” she says. “I see them growing and doing more of that in the future.”

Manhattan Students Engineer Creative Tools for Nursing Home Residents

Step by step, mechanical engineering students build a rehabilitation staircase for residents of the Schervier Nursing Home.

The innovations of Manhattan’s mechanical engineering students continue to improve the lives of the disabled. Last fall, teams of students in the senior mechanical engineering design course collaborated on projects for Elant at Brandywine Nursing Home in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and Schervier Nursing Home in Riverdale, N.Y.

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“The senior design class taught me the key concepts of teamwork, budgeting and making the consumer as happy as possible,” says Jessica Ynoa ’07, who worked with classmates on the “climb to success” staircase for rehabilitation patients.

Each of the creations is meant to make the everyday lives of nursing home residents easier. For example, the two tables with surfaces that can be moved up and down enable patients in wheelchairs of varying heights to comfortably work with the furniture.

Other student projects included a height adjustable planting table with hanging tools for gardening therapy, a variable height multitask table with the ability to move up or down with the press of a button, a greenhouse pulley system for plants, and the blueprint for an irrigation system complete with sprinklers, a pumping system and water flow calculations, among other details.

“It’s a win-win situation,” says Dr. Zella Kahn-Jetter, P.E., professor of mechanical engineering, who teaches the course. “Students get a real customer, and the customer for the College really fulfills Manhattan’s mission to serve the community.”

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Eight Days in Ecuador: Education, jobs, city services and health care. They sound like the concerns of many American communities. A group of Manhattan College students discovered these same issues in a very different American community. The community is Arbolito in the city of Duran, Ecuador. The students traveled to Ecuador in January to participate in a retreat and social immersion program run by Rostro de Cristo (RdC). Founded by Fr. Jim Ronan in 1988, RdC helps young people from the United States meet the people of Ecuador and better understand the issues of extreme poverty. Ten RdC volunteers provide a year of service in Duran working in schools, recreation programs and health facilities. The volunteers also work with more than 20 retreat groups, such as ours, from Catholic high schools and colleges across the United States. While we lived simply in a retreat center for eight days, we immediately realized how desperately poor Arbolito is. The running water, garbage pickup and paved streets we take for granted in our cities don’t exist for most of Duran. And while we thought Arbolito was poor, we soon visited poorer places, where squatters struggled to expand the borders of Duran on swamp land and garbage dumps. Despite the shock we felt at seeing these conditions, the RdC volunteers helped us see the hope and faith people in Duran use to face everyday life. We visited families in their homes; met residents of Damien House, who suffer from Hansen’s Disease; and went to English class in a unique school sponsored by Fundacion Nuevo Mundo. At RdC-run after-school programs, we saw the pure joy of children given a safe and caring place to play.

Manhattan’s Chemical Engineering Students Drive to Success in National Competition Chemical engineering students revved up for the national Chem-E-Car Competition on Nov. 11-13, 2006, in San Francisco, Calif., and placed eighth in a pool of 31 teams. Manhattan was the only college represented among leading universities. “The competition was an excellent experience in which the team we put together was able to meet with and compete against students from other schools,” says team leader Jamie Lehrian ’07. “The project is an interesting way to apply the topics we learn in class.”

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One Alum’s Observations

Lehrian, along with seniors Henry Baez, Andrew Lee and Nick Catalano, and juniors Marcella Gerbino, Collette Fava, Andrea Paciga and Matthew Creamer, built the mini-Jasper, a car roughly the size of a shoe box that runs on a hydrogen fuel cell. The team members all belong to the Manhattan College American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Student Chapter. To qualify for the national contest, each team participated in a regional competition. In the national contest, the cars were judged on the amount of time it took for them to travel a distance between 50 to 100 feet, while at the same time carrying a load of up to 500 milliliters of water. All cars met stringent safety requirements. “It’s good for the College’s reputation that we’re out there with top schools,” says Dr. Nada Marie Assaf-Anid, chairperson of the chemical engineering department. “Our students get to know students at neighboring schools. It creates camaraderie and leads to future collaborations.”

John Reilly ’75 with three craftsmen from Damien House, a home for those suffering from Hansen’s Disease, in Duran, Ecuador.

Our trip was sponsored by Manhattan’s office of campus ministry and social action with support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Manhattan is developing a new relationship with CRS to help our students understand the poverty much of the world faces and how Catholics can help. To learn more about Rostro de Cristo, visit them at rostrodecristo.org., or Catholic Relief Services, go to CRS.org and crsFairTrade.org.

Members of Manhattan’s team for the Chem-E-Car competition, from left to right: Nicolo Catalano ’07, team leader Jamie Lehrian ’07, Henry Baez ’07, Collette Fava ’08, Matthew Creamer ’08, Marcella Gerbina ’08, Andrew Lee ’07 and Andrea Paciga ’08.

John Reilly ’75 is executive director of Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, a community housing organization in the Bronx.

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Riverdale Artists

Display Work in O’Malley Library angle or moment meant to evoke the rainbow blur of bright city lights at night; however, he says most of the photos were taken of “random situations” near the Taconic Parkway. “It’s happenstance,” Fonseca says. “When random activities occur, I take the opportunity to use them in my work.” In another piece of art, Unattainable Conquest, Fonseca covers a horizontal piece of wood with shredded pages of text, which he coats with beeswax for added texture. He paints an ambiguous black slash and swirl that resembles the character of a foreign alphabet.

Joy x 2, paper collage, by Aija R. Sears

Paintings, photographs, mixed media and ceramics transformed the front entrance and alumni room of O’Malley Library into a colorful showcase for the Riverdale Artists Exhibition on Feb. 2April 30. An opening reception drew the show’s artists, Manhattan students and faculty, and community members. The 65 works of art by community members of the Riverdale Art Association, an organization for local artists, offered something for everyone, whether it was abstract modern art, scenes of nature, ceramics or light-infused photography.

Several of the works depict people in vibrant color from varying perspectives. In Three Bathers, Mabel Cohen paints a trio of women whose pink and brown bodies are pieced together in geometric shapes. Cohen says a paper she wrote about Cubist Georges Braque for an art history course at Lehman College led her to make Three Bathers. “I put so much work into studying Braque, why not try it for myself?” Cohen says. “Cezanne and Matisse have painted bathers, which is where that idea came from, so I thought it would be fun to do.”

Flowers are a favorite subject among the show’s artists who portray them in abstract form and precise detail. Esther Wallach’s oil paintings of flowers show bursts of color. The blue, purple, green, pink and white splendor of Rhapsody, which hung above the mantel in the alumni room, depicts flowers exploding into bloom.

Another depiction of people, the paper collage Joy x 2, by Aija R. Sears, features two blue bodies in motion, one in a yellow box, and the other in a red box. The nearly identical human forms pose in opposite directions of each other. Their sharply cut arms curve overhead as if to throw an imaginary ball.

In contrast, both Maria Formoso and Darcy Curran render flowers with delicate brushstrokes and dark outlines. Formoso’s Delicate Form uses colored pencil to draw a white and fuchsia orchid in meticulous detail. For the watercolor and ink Sunburst of the Fall, Curran shapes thick black lines around the flower’s pointy yellow petals and its accompanying branches and green leaves.

Various exhibited pieces fall into categories other than traditional painting and drawing. Luis Fonseca ’05, a 2002 and 2004 winner of the Bronx Council on the Art’s BRIO award for outstanding art, works in mixed media and digital photography. Nolta Star, named after the artist’s favorite restaurant in New York City, features nine rectangular panels or photographs. Each one captures a different

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“It shows my reaction to waste,” Fonseca says. “I was working in an office at the time, and there were paper shredders around. I thought, Let me see if I can combine the elements of waste and put them in a different context.” Other works include Nancy Quigley’s pieces of ceramic stoneware. Rising, an off-white vase rounded like a bulb, is painted with streamers of turquoise, dark green and purple. College Archivist Amy Surak says the planning and execution of this project spanned the course of a year. Members of the Riverdale Art Association approached her with the idea, which she implemented from start to finish. “This is a good opportunity to show how the College and neighborhood can coexist and benefit one another through art and culture,” Surak says. Fonseca would have to agree. As an alum, he says he was proud to be part of the exhibit. “I had a bad day on the day of the opening,” he says. “I came in at the tail end of the reception, but when I walked in, it changed my day. My work looked terrific. I hope the students at the College get a kick out of it.”

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Poetry in a Window: Stained Glass Art Lights Up Alumni Room

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A vibrant collection of 20 stained glass windows by Eugene Yoors illuminated the alumni room of the O’Malley Library from Sept. 21-Nov. 19. The exhibit, Poems in Stained Glass, presented by the Manhattan College archives in conjunction with Flemish Art Inc., portrays themes of life, death, hope, love and faith. In his lifetime, Yoors produced more than 300 stained glass windows, which are displayed in churches in England, Belgium and the former Belgian Congo. Fifty square meters of Yoors’ stained glass windows animate the chapel of a convent-school in Heverlee, Belgium, alone. For this exhibit, his studies of stained glass art were photographed, made into transparencies and mounted as lightboxes to resemble brilliant cathedral windows. “It’s thought provoking, visually stimulating and beautiful,” says Amy Surak, Manhattan College archivist. “Unlike exhibits in various museums, this exhibit is more interpretive. It gets into symbols.” The exhibit’s headline image, Lord, Hear My Prayer, features a kneeling woman who appears bathed in an orange ray of light with her hands flung toward the sky in an exuberant pose of prayer. This spirited piece of work underscores Yoors’ affinity for toying with symbolism; the woman’s identity and purpose are left up to the viewer’s interpretation. Yoors cuts familiar shapes with bold colors to express his main themes. In the work Holy Communion, red fish that represent faithful followers of Christ swim through a ribbon of green water. A young, Christ-like priest in a crimson robe offers the Host to the fish. A rainbow arcs through the sky, hugging the image’s scenery to symbolize God’s promise and connection with all mankind. “It’s not just looking at stained glass,” Surak says. “You understand why birds and fish are used. It’s like a discussion of iconography or embolism in a way.” In another work, St. Lawrence, the color red portrays a different meaning. St. Lawrence wears a cherry robe of suffering as flames engulf him. Descriptive text posted next to each lightbox made the exhibit easy to navigate. Similar images, such as saints, sacraments and church feasts, were grouped together. At the center of the exhibit, Calvary II, a work that illustrates a mystical interpretation of the crucifixion, hung above the mantelpiece to symbolize sacrifice at an altar. Christ on the cross bows his head in suffering against the backdrop of a sapphire blue sky. Mary and St. John kneel before him. Three orange aureoles blaze a triangle of rings to symbolize hope and deliverance.

Lord, Hear My Prayer

Exhibit viewers also were introduced to the process of creating stained glass art. The concept and design of a typical Yoors window was negotiated between the artist and client. Glass was chosen based on how much light should be refracted. Yoors often layered different types and colors of glass to produce a unique look. He painted the glass with grisaille (paint that contains metal oxides) or silver stain (silver salt that penetrates the glass) to create depth, shadows and other details. Then, the window was fired, leaded to bind its pieces and soldered to fortify its leaded joints. Finally, the stained glass was installed in a window opening. Born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1879, Yoors was guided by a strong, Catholic mysticism that inspired him to design and create stained glass church windows. Each piece of work exhibited in the show was a study selected from his portfolio, Brand-Glas Poëem (Poems in Stained Glass), published in 1929.

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Stem Cell Research Multiplies Moral, Ethical and Scientific Issues Mucking with the Genes, a series of lectures highlighting the ethics, media portrayal, science and politics of stem cell research, fired up debate on one of the nation’s most controversial issues during the past several months. It was part of the Manhattan College Lecture Series and Honors Symposium on science, technology and their social impact. An in-depth examination of the moral implications of stem cell research kicked off the lecture series. It was followed by an analysis of film to show how Hollywood portrays hot-button science and technology issues. A straightforward discussion about the science of stem cells continued the series, which was rounded out by an examination of stem cell research as a campaign issue for politicians. Stem cells, which are generally categorized as either adult or embryonic, are unspecialized and possess the unique ability to divide and renew themselves for long periods of time. As a result, they may be used for cell-based therapies to treat diseases, test new drugs and enable scientists to understand and prevent the onset of serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects. In 2001, President George W. Bush approved 78 existing stem cell lines for federally funded research, setting off a wave of reactions from the public. “One of the difficult things about talking about stem cell research is that it’s complicated — scientifically, ethically and on a public policy level,” said Dr. Thomas Shannon, who delivered the first lecture. Shannon, professor emeritus of religion and social ethics in the department of humanities & arts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said he favors stem cell research if it is a means to an end in curing diseases and improving health. He emphasized the importance of conducting research with federal funds, so that it will be closely monitored through peer review and with the help of reputed organizations, such as the Food and Drug Administration and hospitals.

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He focused on embryonic stem cells and described the arguments for and against stem cell research.

In contrast, the next lecture in the series presented the factual science of stem cell research.

Shannon also cautioned against the exaggeration of stem cell research in the media.

Dr. Stephen DiNardo, developmental biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, discussed adult and embryonic stem cells and their characteristics. Adult stem cells reside with differentiated cells in human body tissues and organs, such as skin and muscles, whereas embryonic stem cells are derived from their namesake — embryos.

“Scientific hype is a major problem,” he said, pointing out how the public may easily adopt the impression that diseases will be cured overnight. “Nobody has promised that, but it’s what people immediately hear.” Examination of the media continued with the second lecture but concentrated on the movie industry and how Hollywood interprets trends and beliefs in science and technology. Dr. William Kenney, assistant professor emeritus of English at Manhattan College, analyzed Steven Spielberg’s hit movie Jurassic Park. Kenney’s movie selection paralleled the debate on stem cell research because Jurassic Park depicts genetic engineering and shows the turn of events that occur when dinosaurs are cloned from prehistoric DNA and become the main attractions of an amusement park. He said the science-fiction-cummonster flick exploited the popularity of chaos theory that captured the public’s imagination in the 1990s. In simplified terms, chaos theory describes how small events may trigger complex systems to act in unpredictable ways. Riding this momentum, Jurassic Park ’s subplots, which blend scientific controversy, human emotions and interpretations of genetic engineering and big business (all similar issues in the debate on stem cell research), deliver characters whose positions on charged issues drive the film’s action. “Jurassic Park is a cautionary tale of technology gone wild,” Kenney said. “It’s also a celebration of cinematic innovation in special effects.”

He emphasized the great potential of stem cells, especially embryonic ones, but stressed that more research needs to be done for scientists to understand how they can be used for therapeutic methods. Morality, media and science aside, for the final lecture, Dr. Danny Hayes, assistant professor of politics in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, showed various polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center. Interestingly, from 2002 to the present, none of the monthly Gallup polls that ask Americans about the nation’s most important issue make note of stem cell research. He says Americans usually point to the war in Iraq and the economy with the most concern. “We know stem cell research is not an issue that Americans consider a high priority issue,” Hayes says. Yet, politicians employ it as an effective campaign issue to attract and mobilize voters. He discussed how politicians use stem cell research as a “wedge issue” to win over voters to their respective parties, as well as how they frame this issue to portray different sides of the argument. As stem cell research gains momentum, the issues presented by this lecture series will continue to engage the public, both challenging and enhancing the future of this controversial, breakthrough science.

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The Obligation to Remember: A Review of the Rwandan Genocide

Muhoza Rwabukamba, a Tutsi survivor, began the evening with a moving description of his childhood in Rwanda. “I expected to die at any moment,” Rwabukamba said. “I hoped it would not be painful.” Lemarchand went to the Congo in the 1960s as a teacher. He recorded the ensuing chaos of the independence from Belgium in his first book, Political Awakening in the Congo. A chance trip took him to Burundi and Rwanda, where Lemarchand witnessed the Hutu revolt that brought down the reigning Tutsi monarchy. He became interested in these small central landlocked nations, which were virtual nonentities even among African studies experts. Unfortunately, this global ignorance about Rwanda was one reason why no one initially reacted to the violence.

The Rwandan genocide was foreseeable from Lemarchand’s vantage point, though the speed and the scale were unimaginable. He recalled conversations in which he voiced apprehension that the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), an invading refugee army of Tutsi warriors from Uganda, would cause problems for their fellow tribesmen in Rwanda in the early 1990s. His fears were dismissed, but he added, “getting history wrong is an essential part of nationalism.” As the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide are two of the greatest mass murders in the twentieth century, Lemarchand took the time to compare the two events. “The analysis of mass murder, its patterns and causes is the work of history, it must take into account the broader context, precipitating events and patterns,” he said. In the case of Rwanda, as opposed to the Nazis, Lemarchand sees a shared responsibility. “There were the appalling atrocities of the Hutus against the Tutsis, but there were also hundreds of thousands of Hutus killed by Tutsis and by other Hutus because they were of the wrong political

Holocaust Scholar Delivers The Manhattan College Holocaust Resource Center hosted Dr. Deborah Dwork this past fall as part of its visiting scholars program. Her talk was entitled Auschwitz and the Holocaust: Converging Courses. True to the promise of her opening statements, Dwork wove a tale of greed, ambition, megalomania and ideology through which were threaded differing viewpoints and eyewitness statements. As the Rose Professor of Holocaust Studies and Modern Jewish History at Clark University, Dwork holds the first endowed chair in the United States devoted to the study of the Holocaust. She is also the founding director of its Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Dwork has published several acclaimed books, including

persuasion,” he said. “The many Hutu ‘angels’ who acted to save their Tutsi neighbors must also be recognized.” Lemarchand also compared the mass murders in Rwanda and Darfur. Rwanda was genocide because the intent was to kill everyone, he said. Darfur is ethnic cleansing because the intent is to force people to leave by causing panic with violence. One paradox of the Rwandan situation, he explained, is its current leaders, President Kagame and the members of the victorious RPF. They are probably most responsible for shooting down the plane of Hutu President Habyalimana, the incident that set off the 100 days in which 800,000 people were killed. While the officials urge peace, they forbid discussion of the past. Lemarchand does not believe that a government-enforced silence will work toward transcendence of the tragedy.

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The College’s Holocaust Resource Center recently hosted Dr. Rene Lemarchand, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Florida, who delivered a lecture entitled The Rwandan Genocide and the Politics of Memory. All thoughts were on Africa as campus representatives from Just Peace and Amnesty International greeted the crowd with information and petitions regarding Darfur.

Lemarchand’s talk was the 22nd presentation by the center and the second on a genocide other than the Nazi Holocaust. Dr. Frederick Schweitzer, director of the Holocaust Resource Center and professor emeritus of history at Manhattan College, will close out this visiting scholar program with his talk Confronting Antisemitism: A Scholar’s Life.

Dramatic Lecture

Children with A Star: Jewish Youth in Nazi Europe and Voices and Views: A History of the Holocaust. With co-author, Robert Jan Van Pelt, she wrote Auschwitz and the Holocaust: A History (2002) and Auschwitz: 1270 to the Present (1966). These works have been translated into many European languages and used as the basis for the documentary films Blueprints of Genocide (BBC) and Nazi Designers of Death (PBS). Their next book, Flight From the Reich, is expected in 2007. Martin Spett, survivor and director of the Holocaust Resource Center’s speakers bureau, began the evening by stressing the importance of Dwork’s work in training teachers.

“If we deny history, we open the door to the abuses of our liberty,” he said. Dr. Jeff Horn, associate professor of history and associate director of the Holocaust Resource Center, spoke of the unique position of current history students. They are the last generation that will be able to interact with Holocaust survivors in person. He thanked Lucius Littauer for the grant that has enabled Jaspers to interview Holocaust survivors living in Riverdale and record their experiences. These interviews soon will be available in DVD format and free to the community. Dwork began her talk with the history of Oswiecim, as the Poles called the flatland town in Galicia. During the Middle continued on page 20

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Garbage Guru

Speaks at Manhattan

Elizabeth Royte is not afraid to get her hands dirty. After all, in 2003, she spent a year, both literally and metaphorically, wading through grimy piles of waste in preparation for her book Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash. Last November, she shared her wasteland adventures with an audience of Manhattan College students and faculty in Smith Auditorium. “Why is there so much secrecy in the waste world?” Royte asked. Her research traced the journey of garbage after it leaves a curbside trashcan. In her book, she set out to inform the public about garbage disposal practices, expose excessive consumption in the United States and provide insight into how to reduce waste. Her curiosity about garbage began close to home. One day Royte, a Brooklyn native, was paddling the Gowanus canal with her young daughter. She saw bottles, household appliances, feces and other junk in the water. She began to wonder about the fate of garbage: how much trash people throw away, where it ends up and how these practices impact society. “The first thing I did was look into my kitchen trash can to see what it contained,” she said. Royte catalogued the contents of her garbage by material description. She tallied fractions of metal, plastic and other elements. “Americans are five percent of the world population, but we generate 30 percent of the waste,” Royte said, citing one of the book’s many statistics and offbeat facts.

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Although periodic fires kept the village of Oswiecim plain and humble, the area assumed a mystical status for Nazi ideologues, such as Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and chief of the German Police. Its capture in World War II signaled a return of the Teutonic Order and the lost grandeur of Frederick the Great. Himmler also was interested in the profits to be made from the war. The I.G. Farben conglomerate selected the newly conquered and renamed Auschwitz for the location of a synthetic rubber factory that would serve military needs and beyond. The corporate giant manhattan.edu

One of her first stops was Bethlehem, Penn., to investigate the town’s reputed landfill. According to her research, Pennsylvania imports more waste than any other state and profits handsomely from it. Challenges awaited Royte at various destinations. Sanitation workers were tight-lipped about waste disposal. She believes this is because of the public’s taboo perception of garbage. Royte’s adventures were both captivating and humorous. At an incinerator in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, she watched trash burn in a 3,000-degree fire. Royte also scrutinized recycling procedures. Her research found that recycled material is often sent abroad. According to Royte, China is a big market for metal, and India uses narrow-neck bottles for textile making. Critics have lavished Royte’s research with praise. Her book made it onto the New York Times’ list of the 100 Notable Books of 2005. The Washington Monthly says, “Garbage has found its poet, and her name is Elizabeth Royte.” The Boston Globe calls her a “modern-day, modernist muckracker.” Royte is a journalist who has written for publications such as National Geographic, New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine. In 2001, her first book, The Tapir’s Morning Bath: Solving the Mysteries of the Tropical Rainforest, was distinguished as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Holocaust Survivor Delivers Dramatic Lecture

Ages, a population surge in Germany precipitated immigration into the area, as Germans searched for arable land. This immigration was reversed when the black plague of the middle 14th century depopulated Europe. The survivors returned to Germany.

She compared her research to adventure travel and detailed main attractions along the way, which included landfills, incinerators and recycling plants.

planned to use slave labor contracted to it by the German war state through Himmler. Polish peasants would be the first set of “employees.” Dwork recounted the utopian dreams of Himmler: farmland aplenty for the new German immigrants from the fatherland and vast quantities of “free” labor from “inferior races.” He began with turning an abandoned air force base into barracks for the captured Poles. As a sign of permanence, an agricultural experiment station was built to entice his countrymen into resettling his Aryan Eden. These two buildings — the abandoned base and the agricultural experiment station — would ultimately become the death factory of Auschwitz, where at least 1.6 million people perished. Dwork surprised many audience members with her revelation that the original Auschwitz camp did not want

Jews. The work in armament industries was only deemed appropriate for certain groups, such as the Soviets. Conditions were poor, and many prisoners died of abuse, hunger and disease. Incinerators were installed to cremate the many corpses. Only later were they retooled to slaughter the living. As she illustrated at many times, intervention and prevention at Auschwitz were possible. The hundreds of decisions that went into turning Himmler’s dream of a Teutonic paradise into one of history’s greatest nightmares were by turns chilling and “almost hopeful.” So dramatic was Dwork’s presentation that the crowd sat in stunned silence for several minutes after her talk concluded. In this modern world of multimedia and audiovisual presentation, she affirmed the power of a single human voice to powerfully recreate the past.

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Discussing Development and Poverty in David Atkinson, former chief of mission in Brazil and Bolivia for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), spoke about Poverty and Development in Latin America this past November. He outlined the history of the IDB, which is the oldest and largest regional development bank in existence. It is the main source of multilateral financing for economic, social and institutional development projects, as well as trade and regional integration programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. Membership is open to members of the Organization of American States, of which Cuba is not a member. This reality does not sit well with Atkinson. “Exclusion is not the way to go,” he said. “Change happens faster and smoother when there is continual dialogue.” As far back as 1889, Latin Americans wanted a regional lending agency such as this, but it was not until 1959 that it came into being. The IDB was the first regional institution of its kind. The programs and tools proved so effective that its programs became the models on which all other regional and sub-regional multilateral development banks were created. The IDB has approved more than $137 billion in loans and guarantees, financing projects with investments totaling $326 billion. In addition, it has spent $2.1 billion in grants and technical cooperation financing. Civil society organizations, autonomous public institutions and private companies are eligible to borrow from the IDB, as well as national, provincial, state and municipal governments. Interest rates on the loans are low. The poorest countries are eligible for a rate of one percent over 40 years. The original idea was that all Latin America needed was foreign capital to build its infrastructure, Atkinson said. In time, this narrow focus broadened to a second phase that included the social dimension. Funding was allotted to education, health clinics and social needs. The IDB was the first to finance schools and sanitation. A methodology was developed that

Author Highlights the Importance of Music has been historically part of religious ceremonies because it naturally binds a community, transcending time and space. For young people today, popular music functions much like a shared religious experience. These were some of the themes explored by Dr. Donna Gaines in her talk, Sacred Profanities: How Music Saves Kids’ Lives, given in December. She was invited to speak by professor Michael Ayers, a visiting instructor in the sociology department. Gaines has taught at Barnard College and the New School. She is the author of Teenage Wasteland: Suburbia’s Dead

Latin America

proved investments in social services generated larger returns than investments in infrastructure. The third phase was a broadening of focus to include environmental factors, natural and human. Sustainable development became the watchword. To this was a fourth phase of emphasis on civil society with the establishment of non-governmental organizations and microcredit. The fifth and latest phase of thinking, to which Atkinson is especially partial, is in terms of the culture. He feels there is a limit to what can be done for any group from the outside. Atkinson discussed how he met Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of the international studies program at Manhattan College, in Brazil when he was working on financing the highway into the Amazon. He talked of working with Chico Mendes, the rubber tapper who was murdered trying to prevent the destruction of the rubber industry by the clearing of Amazon land for cattle grazing.

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An advocate of free trade, Atkinson admitted that huge benefits accrue to multinational corporations, while huge costs fall upon traditional farmers in places such as Mexico. Currently, the IDB is making grants to farming families to grow more competitive products. The grants are being directed at mothers and include nutritional supplements and a monthly check to make sure the children are going to school. Atkinson faced a series of tough questions, mostly from members of Chasek’s government and international relations classes. He commented on the impressive knowledge base of the students and, with a good-natured chuckle, admitted that he did not have answers. In parting, he urged the students to apply for internships at the IDB. “There is a constant need for managers who can work in the field,” he said.

Music in Children’s Lives

End Kids, which is considered a seminal work on youth culture and a classic in sociology. Her second book, A Misfit’s Manifesto: the Sociological Memoir of a Rock and Roll Heart, was first published in 2003 and came out in paperback this year. Gaines’ writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, The Village Voice and Salon, among numerous other outlets ranging from fanzines to professional journals. She vividly illustrated to the filled-tocapacity crowd that examining personal experience is an excellent way to begin thinking about cultural sociology. Gaines

discussed the way music reaches deep into the human psyche to answer the need for social connection. Religious music equalizes the listeners in the sacred experience and offers a fleeting glimpse of the unknowable. Popular music, she said, is a “disorganized form of spirituality” that nonetheless remains “the utopian language of possibility that gives wings to the mind.” Popular music also integrates teenagers into the zeitgeist and reminds them that they are part of a whole, she said. This connection saves many young people from the unbearable sense of alienation continued on page 22

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Behind the Scenes of the

European Renaissance

For most people who have taken a basic world history course, the European Renaissance is a decadent exploration of science and art; a time period that conjures images of lavish Italian aristocracy, Copernicus’ astronomy and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. To Dr. George Saliba, professor of Arabic and Islamic sciences at Columbia University, there is more to the Renaissance than meets the eye. His fall lecture, The Influence of Islamic Science on the European Renaissance, looked beyond the glittery facade of this golden age and contended that Islamic science paved the way for notable Renaissance advancements. “Whether in astronomy, instruments of science or medicine, it’s impossible to separate Arabic science from the Renaissance,” Saliba said. He discussed how the work of Renaissance scientists was fueled by the earlier scientific advancements published by Arab scientists. To make his point, Saliba started at the beginning to show why Arab society relied on a firm understanding of science. In doing so, he established a solid link between religion and science. He said that Islam requires its followers to pray five times per day. As a result, Muslims needed to find a way to determine when to pray. “The first time they pray must be dawn, but when is dawn?” Saliba said. “The first thing you have to do is develop sine law. This was not prevalent in Greek science; Greeks didn’t use trigonometry.” Yet Saliba’s most compelling example of the transfer of Islamic science to Renaissance innovators involves Copernicus. He presented slides of Copernican formulas that were either identical copies or very closely matched the work of earlier Arab scientists. Saliba showed that the Tusi Couple, noted as a Copernican theorem proving linear motion that can be derived from uniform circular motions, was actually formulated more than two centuries earlier by the Arab scientist Nasir al-Din-al-Tusi. Another advancement, the Copernican model for the moon, replicated the work of Arab scientist Ibn al-Shatir. In addition to the reproduction of Islamic science, Saliba discussed the transmittal of Arabic texts by Renaissance

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contemporaries. He referred to Giambattista Raimondi, owner of the Medici Press, who taught Arabic in Rome and translated numerous documents. His translation of these documents provided Renaissance scientists with access to the theories and formulas originated by Arab scientists. Saliba also credited Islamic science with developments in algebra, medicine, optics, numerals and astronomy. His lecture previewed a slice of his book Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance, which will be published this spring. He is the recipient of numerous accolades and fellowships, as well as the author of many articles and papers on Islamic science. Most recently, Saliba served as senior distinguished visiting scholar at the Kluge Center of the Library of Congress. The presentation commemorated the fifth annual lecture in a series on European history that honors the late Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello ’33, F.S.C., who was dean of the College from 1953-1959 and known on campus as “Mr. History.” Dr. Claire Nolte, professor of history and chairperson of the history department, says Saliba’s research was an ideal fit for the lecture series because Br. Gabriel’s primary interests were the French Revolution and the Renaissance. The history department, the Upsilon of New York chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and the school of arts jointly sponsored the lecture series with the generous support of an endowment from Br. Gabriel’s former student and protégé Roger Goebel ’57, professor of law and Alpin J. Cameron chair in international law at Fordham University. Nolte, who also is an officer of the College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, encouraged the honor society to select Saliba for the lecture because his research combines the diverse topics of religion, science and history. “We have many lectures on topics in the humanities,” Nolte says. “But we rarely have the opportunity for a lecture that spans both science and the humanities.”

Music in Children’s Lives

often experienced in adolescence. Songs remain in the mind and provide a kind of portable spiritual protection.

can bring the generations together. She gave the example of one family’s shared love of the Beatles.

Gaines talked about how adults can feel threatened by the music of teenagers, and sometimes music and the culture surrounding it are blamed for the problems of young people. Yet, conversely, music

The discussion following the lecture centered on the way music functions in the lives of today’s Jaspers.

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“I know from the courses I’ve taught over the last five years and the discussions

that I’ve had with students that popular culture impacts youth in ways that are more than just superficial,” Ayers says. “It makes up a fair amount of their conversations and how they relate to one another. I think this talk helped validate a few students’ day-to-day activities as being a bit more than just mundane.”

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Faculty and Staff

Accomplishments

Dr. Nada Assaf-Anid, associate professor of chemical engineering, served as co-chair of the Nanotechnology and the Environment: Applications and Implications event for the New York Academy of Sciences on Sept. 18. Assaf-Anid attended the National Annual American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE) meeting in San Francisco and chaired the Department Heads Forum that drew nearly 70 chairs from around the country. She also chaired a technical session, Water Treatment and Characterization – Novel Methods and Non-Traditional Water Sources and was a panelist on Career Choices for Chemical Engineers at the AIChE National Student Conference. Her paper “Biomass as a Sustainable Energy Source: An Illustration of Chemical Thermodynamics Concepts” was featured in the special annual December graduate issue of the journal Chemical Engineering Education, which is published by the Chemical Engineering Division of the American Society of Engineering Education. Assaf-Anid also published “Effect of Chaotic Mixing on Enhanced Biological Growth and Implications for Wastewater Treatment: A Test Case with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae” in the August issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials. William Bisset, vice president for enrollment management, was interviewed by Business Week television for a feature story on scholarships that aired in January. Robert Byrnes, director of athletics, was awarded the Mayor’s Cup Community Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of wheelchair sports in New York City in October. Byrnes was instrumental in bringing the 2006 Mayor’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament to Manhattan College’s Draddy Gymnasium for the third consecutive year. Dr. Joseph Capitani, chair of the chemistry and biochemistry departments, completed the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5 in a time of 3:38:54. Dr. Richard Carbonaro, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, received a $27,000 grant to study the effects of urban runoff on the water quality of the Saw Mill River, a tributary to the Hudson River that flows through Westchester County. Two undergraduate students in civil and environmental engineering, junior Jason Lumish and sophomore Erica Hanley, have been working with him on the project. Kevin Cavanagh, director of admissions and financial aid, has been elected to the executive board of the N.Y. State Association of College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) and as a delegate from New York state to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Dr. Jeff Cherubini, assistant professor of physical education; Dr. Tedd Keating, associate professor of physical education; Dr. Shawn Ladda, associate professor of physical education; and Dr. Lisa Toscano, assistant professor of physical education, presented “Dispositions and Resiliency: Developing Student Leaders” at the National Association for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education’s annual conference held in Clearwater, Fla., this past January.

Dr. Anirban De, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, co-authored the paper “CPT-based Seismic Stability Assessment of a Hazardous Waste Site” that was published in a special issue of the International Journal of Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering in April 2006. Dr. Nicholas De Lillo, professor of mathematics and computer science, was invited to serve on the Special Committee on Best Practices for the Millennial Student at the National Symposium on The Millennial Student of the Faculty Resource Network, held at the University of the Sacred Heart and the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras from Nov. 17-18. The special committee, comprised of approximately 30 faculty members from a broad range of institutions, met in a closed session to discuss the best teaching and learning strategies for the millennial student. The session resulted in a report to be published in a special issue of Network: A Journal of Faculty Development that will be devoted to the topic of the symposium.

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Dr. Robert Geraci, assistant professor of religious studies, wrote an article “Spiritual Robots: Religion and Our Scientific View of the Natural World,” which appeared in the November issue of Theology and Science. Also in November, he presented the paper “The Human Machine: Dignity and Blame in Conceptualizing Humanity” at the annual conference for the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Jonathan Hartman, assistant professor of marketing, has published the article “Adolescents’ Utilitarian and Hedonic Web-Consumption Behavior: Hierarchical Influence of Personal Values and Innovativeness,” which appeared in the October issue of Psychology & Marketing. Dr. Helen C. Hollein, professor emeritus of chemical engineering and a member of Manhattan College’s board of trustees, wrote an article about Dr. Joseph Reynolds, professor of chemical engineering, that was recently featured on the cover of the Journal of Chemical Engineering Education, which is distributed to more than 95 percent of chemical engineering faculty in the nation. The article is a tribute to Dr. Reynolds’ career as a prominent educator at Manhattan College. Dr. Rostislav Konoplich, visiting assistant professor of physics, and Sergei Rubin, professor at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in Russia and guest of Manhattan College’s physics department, have published an online article, “Diversity of Universes from Pure Gravity.” The article has also been submitted to the Journal of Gravitation and Cosmology. In addition, Konoplich and a group of scientists from New York University received a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant for “Elementary Particle Physics with ATLAS.” The ATLAS collaboration includes 1,800 physicists from 150 universities in 35 countries. It will employ Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a particle accelerator and collider located at CERN in Switzerland, which will be operational by the end of 2007. Dr. Peter McCarthy, assistant professor of education, presented his paper “Parent-Teacher Communication in Inclusive Classrooms” at the New York Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children Annual Convention in Albany, N.Y., from Nov. 10-11. continued on page 24

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Faculty and Staff Accomplishments

Dr. Zella E. Moore, assistant professor of psychology, has been invited to serve as the founding associate editor of a new refereed scientific publication, The Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology. This quarterly journal will be published by Human Kinetics, the leader in sports science, physical education, sports medicine and wellness publishing. The inspiration for this new scientific outlet is from Dr. Moore’s recently published text “Clinical Sports Psychology.” The inaugural issue was released in March 2007. Dr. Mohammad H. Naraghi, professor of mechanical engineering, presented the paper “Dual Regenerative Cooling Circuits for Liquid Rocket Engines” at the AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference in Sacramento, Calif., from July 9-13. During the conference, he chaired a technical session on Liquid Rocket Engine Propulsion System Modeling. Naraghi also presented the paper “Non-Iterative Solution of Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations Using Spreadsheets” at the 2006 International Mechanical Engineering Congress in Chicago from Nov. 5-10. He chaired two technical sessions in mechanical engineering education: Innovative Teaching Approach and Integrating Research into the Curriculum. Larry Perez, director of residence life, was the lead discussant in a recent roundtable program for senior residence life administrators at the Mid-Atlantic College and University Housing Officers Conference. The program addressed management of residence hall occupancy issues and successful opening strategies. Dr. Yassir M. Samra, assistant professor of marketing, and Dr. Jonathan Hartman, assistant professor of marketing, presented their paper “Employees of Tomorrow: How Do Teenagers Interact with Technology and the World Wide Web Today?” at the Association on Employment Practices and Principles Conference in New York City from Oct. 5-7. Dr. Frederick M. Schweitzer, director of the Holocaust Resource Center and professor emeritus of history, appeared in Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence, which aired on PBS on Jan. 8. The one-hour documentary explored the recent rise in anti-semitic incidents through the lens of history, religion, politics, the media and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Dr. Robert Sharp, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Donald J. O’Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow, served on two invited peer review panels during the summer. The first panel was for the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Grants Competition. The second peer review committee was organized for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Small Business Innovative Research Grants Competition. Both peer review panels took place in Washington, D.C., and were the basis of awarding millions of dollars in grants to academic institutions and small businesses nationwide. Sharp also presented the paper “Evaluation of a Novel Membrane Bioreactor System for Water Reuse Applications in Urban Environments” at the International Conference on Water Pollution held in Bologna, Italy, from Aug. 27-31. The paper was selected by peer review to be included in the most recent volume of Water Pollution, which is published by the Wessex Institute of

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Technology. He has been appointed to the board of directors of the Metropolitan Chapter of the New York Water Environment Association and will serve as the chair of the Environmental Science Committee for the Met chapter. In addition, Sharp co-authored the paper “Biofilm Growth and Accumulation in Porous Media Under Variable Hydraulic Conditions” that he presented at the International Water Association Conference: Biofilms Systems VI in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in September. The paper, co-authored by graduate research assistant Jessica Levinson ’06 (M.S. in environmental engineering), was based on research supported by the O’Connor Endowed Fellowship and the U.S. Department of Energy. Sharp also received a $140,000 grant from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to investigate the impact of chloramines disinfection on various pipe materials in drinking water distribution systems. The work will be carried out with collaboration from Hazen and Sawyer Engineers. The grant will support two graduate research assistants and two undergraduate research assistants in the environmental engineering program. Dr. Richard Carbonaro, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is a co-primary investigator on the project. Dr. Gordon Silverman, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was a member of the educational evaluation team that reviewed engineering programs at Marquette University from Sept. 9-12. The visiting team evaluated Marquette’s engineering programs on behalf of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the same organization that accredits engineering programs at Manhattan College. Silverman reviewed and evaluated Marquette’s computer engineering program. Dr. Harry Stein, assistant professor of history, recently visited Kenyan universities and teacher training centers for professional development work with educators. In Kenyan schools, K-8 and 9-12 students take an eight- and four-year sequence of 10-15 courses and are then comprehensively examined in all subject areas during a three-week period. Stein’s work is in academic literacy with an emphasis on teaching and learning. John F. Tomer, professor of economics, has published an article “Organizational Capital and Personal Capital: The Role of Intangible Capital Formation in the Economy,” which appears in the 2006 Handbook of Contemporary Behavioral Economics: Foundations and Development. Dr. Evi Voudouri, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, was honored at a meeting of the Women in Engineering Chapter of the New York section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She was recognized for her contributions to the Society of Women Engineers and her numerous publications in the field of communications. Kimberly Casey Wildey of the counseling center presented Tools for Prevention on Oct. 10 in Harrison, N.Y. The workshop, sponsored by St. Vincent’s Hospital, is tailored to professionals who work with adolescents and young adults.

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Live From the Quad, It’s Manhattan College Basketball Weekly

“The production of Manhattan College Basketball Weekly is a giant step forward for the College,” says Robert Byrnes ’68, director of athletics. “It provides a new venue for telling a great story about a great New York school on a weekly basis. We hope and trust it was well received by our viewers.” Featuring head coach Barry Rohrssen and host Ed Cohen, the first season included nine episodes that spanned from Jan. 12 through March 9. Fans viewed a new episode every Friday at 4:00 p.m., with a replay following on Saturday mornings at 11:00 a.m. In each episode, coach Rohrssen took a look back at the previous week in Manhattan hoops and forecasted what lay ahead for the Jaspers. Each show reported a cover story, basketball player profile, “Where Are They Now?” update and trivia, scholar-athlete segment and a magical moment in Manhattan history.

Men’s

In its inaugural season, the show covered the life and times of Manhattan’s legendary athletics figures, such as: Junius Kellogg ’53, the former basketball star who went on to play for the Harlem Globetrotters; Jack Powers ’58, former director of athletics and men’s basketball head coach and player, and director of the NIT; John “Doc” Johnson, former head athletic trainer; and Dan Mecca, men’s and women’s cross country and track and field head coach. Other stories recalled the memorable wins and games in men’s and women’s basketball history, and the baseball team’s 2006 MAAC Championship and NCAA run. The show also looked back at the championships and amazing moments of the three most recent track and field national champions: Michael Williams ’96, Aliann Pompey ’99 and Jake Freeman ’04, as well as Brother Jasper, former director of athletics and for whom the College’s sports teams are named. Other notable alums featured in segments were Rudolph Giuliani ’65, former mayor of New York City; Jim Ryan ’60, journalist and host of the annual De La Salle Medal dinner; Walter Kane ’84, the first on-air journalist with News 12 New Jersey; and Tom Pedulla ’78, sportswriter for USA Today.

sports

In January, the television show Manhattan College Basketball Weekly premiered. Dedicated to providing fans with an inside look at Jasper basketball, as well as other areas of Manhattan athletics, the show made its debut on SportsNet New York (SNY) on Friday, Jan. 12.

Basketball

When Barry Rohrssen took over the men’s basketball program in April 2006, he was faced with a limited amount of time to assemble a staff and bring in new recruits. With the graduation or transfer of several key players, many thought the 2006-07 campaign would be a rebuilding season for the Jaspers. Instead, Rohrssen and his team accepted the challenge and accomplished more than anyone expected. The coach’s first season in Riverdale produced some impressive wins and memorable moments, as the Jaspers maintained their status among the elite in the MAAC. Returning to lead the Jaspers was junior forward/center Arturo Dubois, a Second Team All-MAAC and Second Team All-Metropolitan selection, following a sophomore season during which he broke the Manhattan single-season blocks record. Sophomore guard/forward Devon Austin, a MAAC All-Rookie pick and a MAAC Rookie of the Year finalist as a freshman, also came back. Only one four-year senior was on the roster, center Guy Ngarndi, who brought an extensive postseason résumé to the table and boasted wins in both the NCAA Tournament and NIT. The remaining core of the team featured five scholarship freshmen, who would be expected to blossom during the course of the season.

Guy Ngarndi ’07

The Jaspers won two of their first three games, including a 63-60 victory over Wagner College for Rohrssen’s first triumph. They also defeated Colonial Athletic Association heavyweight and NIT participant Hofstra University, 79-77, in overtime. Three weeks later, the Jaspers traveled to Bridgeport, Conn., to take on Fairfield in the MAAC opener for both teams, and Manhattan emerged with a hard fought 57-54 win. Manhattan spent the New Year’s holiday in California on a trip that was meant to help solidify the team first, family atmosphere preached by Rohrssen. After opening the trip with a loss to Big West Champion Long Beach State University, the Jaspers returned to the East Coast on a high note after an 89-87 win at Pepperdine University. That victory began a six-game winning streak that propelled the Jaspers to the top of the MAAC standings at the end of January. The six-game streak was the longest for a first-year Manhattan coach since Fran Fraschilla’s first season in Riverdale (1992-93) and the fourth longest in school history. The streak included Manhattan’s 200th MAAC win, as the Jaspers joined Iona College as the only two conference members with 200 or more MAAC league wins. Although they would split their next six contests, the Jaspers’ play continued to show positive signs. There was a 70-68 triumph on the road at Loyola College, a win that moved the Jaspers and Greyhounds into a tie atop the MAAC standings and avenged a loss to Loyola earlier in the year. In the contest, Dubois scored 15 points and became the 28th Manhattan men’s basketball player to accumulate at least 1,000 career points. The next win was back at Draddy Gym, and it was another nail-biter. This time the opponent was Marist College, which would go on to capture the MAAC Regular Season Championship and advance to the second round of the NIT. continued on page 26 manhattan.edu

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Continued from pg. 25 –

Men’s Basketball

Freshman Darryl Crawford hit a runner in the lane with seven seconds left to give Manhattan a 75-74 lead, and Austin iced the game by blocking MAAC Player of the Year Jared Jordan’s shot before the buzzer. A 58-51 victory at home over Saint Peter’s moved Manhattan back into a tie atop the MAAC standings. In the game, it was Ngarndi who made the biggest impact. The Cameroon native scored 16 points and tallied a season- and career-high 17 rebounds to record his first collegiate double-double. One game later, it was Austin’s turn to produce a memorable performance, as the White Plains, N.Y., native poured in 38 points, including seven made three-pointers. The 38 points were the most by a Manhattan player in four seasons, and the seven three-pointers were the second most ever by a Jasper. The team closed out the regular season as it did the previous year, by hosting local rival Iona in a game televised on the Madison Square Garden Network. The Jaspers sent their seniors, Ngarndi and Will Sabo, out in style. They posted a 71-65 win and clinched a first-round bye in the MAAC Tournament. Manhattan’s 10 MAAC wins were the second best by a Jasper rookie coach in his first season in the MAAC and trailed only Fraschilla’s rookie effort. In the MAAC Tournament, Manhattan battled Siena College in the quarterfinals. In a sign that the future of Jasper basketball is indeed bright, underclassmen accounted for 60 of Manhattan’s 72 points in a game that came down to the final possession. Dubois, Austin and freshman Antoine Pearson all earned MAAC postseason accolades. Dubois was named Second Team All-MAAC, Austin was named Third Team All-MAAC, and Pearson was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. With all three returning for 2007-08 and with a year of seasoning under the belt of what will still be a young team, Manhattan’s spot among the elite teams in the MAAC seems secure.

Women’s

Basketball

The 2006-07 season was a year of growth for the Manhattan College women’s basketball team, one that featured several big wins and individual excellence. Coming into the season, head coach Myndi Hill expected her five juniors, led by Caitlin Flood and Third Team Preseason All-MAAC Joann Nwafili, to lead on and off the floor, and ease the transition of a promising freshmen class to the college game. Throughout the season, Hill would not be disappointed, as the five juniors put up impressive numbers and several freshmen made an immediate impact. The Lady Jaspers began their challenging nonconference schedule against Providence College, one of three Big East teams on the schedule. They followed up that game with a 70-61 win over Fairleigh Dickinson, in which three players scored in double figures. Next up for the Lady Jaspers was the Saint Bonaventure Shootout, a two-day tournament in Elmira, N.Y., featuring Columbia University, the University at Buffalo and Saint Bonaventure. After dropping the first game of the tournament to Buffalo, Manhattan rebounded with a convincing 65-51 win over Columbia with 16 points and 10 rebounds from Flood. The forward, who averaged 12 points per contest in the two games, picked up the first of several awards she would earn during the season and was named to the All-Tournament Team. The two games in Elmira were also the coming-out party for freshman Jenna Franciosa, who averaged eight points and two and one-half rebounds en route to being named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the week ending Nov. 19. Upon returning to Riverdale, Manhattan came away with one of the biggest wins of the Myndi Hill era, a 71-67 win over the University of Hartford on the day after Thanksgiving. The Hawks, who had won the America East last season and were an NCAA Tournament participant, fell to the Lady Jaspers led by sophomore center Kelly Regan’s 18 points and Flood’s 15 points. Manhattan began MAAC play on a high note, traveling to Loudonville, N.Y., to earn a hard fought 52-42 win over Siena. The 42 points were the fewest amount of points the Lady Jaspers allowed in a game since the 2003-04 season. However, the win came at a price; Nwafili was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Caitlin Flood ’08

After struggling through the middle part of the season, Manhattan came back with an 83-75 win at MAAC rival Rider. That victory was followed by a last-second win over Canisius, which saw junior point guard Amanda LoCascio convert a three-point to play in the waning seconds to give Manhattan the win. All told, Manhattan finished its last 12 games of the regular season with a winning record and plenty of momentum heading into the MAAC Tournament. Prior to the tournament, Flood was honored by the conference as a Third Team All-MAAC selection for her play throughout the regular season and averaged 13.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. While leading the team in both those categories, Flood was one of only three players to rank in the top 10 in the MAAC in points, rebounds and field goal percentage. In the first round of the MAAC, Manhattan was matched against Niagara, a team they recently had beaten on the road. Flood and Regan led the Lady Jaspers to an impressive 57-53 win, as Manhattan was victorious in the MAAC Tournament for the fourth-straight year. Although their season would end the next day with a loss to the eventual champion Marist, the Lady Jaspers hung tough with the Red Foxes throughout the game and proved they will be a team to contend with next year.

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Volume 5, Number 1

Spring 2007

$149 Million and Counting! We are near goal! It’s the most successful fundraising campaign in Manhattan’s history, as $149 million has been raised from alumni, corporations, foundations, faculty, staff and friends of the College, with several months remaining to reach $150 million. “This achievement was built on a solid foundation of alumni support,” says Michael McMorrow ’64, executive director of the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign. “It is a bridge into the future that will transition Manhattan into a residential college, expand and enhance our capacity, and take us to a new level of academic excellence. The momentum of the campaign has raised all boats, encouraging more alumni to make class gifts and to support the Fund for Manhattan.” He notes that the campaign’s success is due in large part to its all-encompassing strategy to reach out to alumni in diverse industries. “Sesquicentennial was not simply $150 million for business as usual and that was clear in our initial strategy,” McMorrow says. “Beginning in 2001, we understood that we had to engage a broad audience in sharing Manhattan’s big ideas — academic strength across the five schools and disciplines, the culture of openness and the tradition of reflection on faith, values and ethics.” The fundraising effort was designed as a comprehensive campaign that would galvanize the College’s image in the minds of alumni and other key stakeholders. Deliberate steps were taken to produce clear institutional messages that motivated hundreds of volunteers from coast to coast. Manhattan is on a sounder financial footing that will allow the board of trustees to plan prudently for the future. Although funds will go immediately into bricks and concrete as East Hill Tower II rises, the primary emphasis of the campaign is on people, particularly the students and faculty who can address society’s opportunities and challenges.

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Faculty/Staff Campaign Passes $1 Million Mark

Paving the Way With Good Intentions

The faculty/staff campaign, an important component of the Manhattan College Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign, has raised more than $1.3 million from 100 faculty, administrators, staff and retirees. A gift from the Christian Brothers of Manhattan College in the amount of $500,000 pushed the campaign over the million-dollar mark. The Brothers’ gift is being earmarked for the Christian Brothers endowed scholarship. A volunteer-driven effort, the faculty/staff campaign relied on the time, talent and financial commitments of 12 volunteers: Faraj Abdulahad, Colette Geary, Lois Harr, Weldon Jackson, Rosemary Jimenez, Kevin McCloskey, Margaret McKiernan, Mary Michel, James Mueller, Lisa Anne Rizopoulos, John Barry Ryan and John Wilcox. These volunteers helped to get the word out about the campaign and its importance to Manhattan, and encouraged their co-workers to consider support. Campaigns such as this one are helpful to the overall fundraising of the College. Corporate and foundation donors often base their funding decisions on the number of internal constituents who lend their support. A high percentage of participation can make a critical difference when the College applies for a grant. “The College community’s response has been truly gratifying and generous beyond measure,” says Stephen Laruccia ’67, director of major gifts and coordinator of the faculty/staff campaign effort. “But even more significant is the number of our colleagues who have participated.” Members of the community may make pledges payable over three to five years or one-time gifts. Payroll deduction remains a popular and convenient way to participate. Some donors have chosen to utilize planned giving vehicles, such as bequests, annuities and gifts from IRAs. Other donors have created scholarships or funded medals to be awarded at commencement. Again, no gift is too small, and every gift makes a difference. The faculty/staff campaign will continue until the end of the campaign, June 30, 2007, to afford more members of the campus community an opportunity to make a gift. For more information on how to participate, please call Laruccia at extension 7582.

Advancing Manhattan

Sometimes words are not enough to express how you feel. Sometimes the message needs to be set in stone. The Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign is offering you a way to do just that. The East Hill Tower II Tribute Plaza will be paved with engraved bricks. It’s a rare opportunity to commemorate the treasured people and times in your life. An engraved brick is a powerful way to recognize anyone who enriched your college days or any watershed event in your Jasper experience that you will never forget: a beloved Brother, professor or mentor, the Jasper who helped you get your first job, an athletic triumph, or the graduation of a son or daughter. The engraved messages need not be College-related. You can celebrate any person or event in your life: the birthday of a child or an elder, the passing of a beloved friend or family member, a wedding anniversary, or the valor of a soldier in arms. Celebrate yourself. Buying a brick ensures the future of Manhattan College and that is reason enough for us to remember you on this beautiful stone plaza in front of the new residence hall. Whatever you choose, an engraved brick will carry your message through many lifetimes. Adorned with the sentiments of so many Jaspers, the East Hill Tower II Tribute Plaza will be a unique place of spirit and memory. There are few chances to make such an enduring impression on Manhattan’s campus. Bricks are laser engraved for a donation of $1,000. Each brick is 4” x 8” and can be engraved on two lines with 14 characters per line. This tax-deductible gift is a lasting way to honor your life, your memories and the people you cherish while helping Manhattan College continue its mission. For more information on the East Hill Tower II Tribute Plaza or other naming gift opportunities, please call Michael McMorrow ’64, executive director of the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign, at (718) 862-7542.

Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign Progress

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Southern California Alumni Gather for a Basketball Game and Reception Fenton Chair in Biology in honor of Dennis’ parents. In addition to the Fenton gift, support from attendees now totals $172,500.

On Jan. 2, Southern California Jaspers watched the Manhattan College men’s basketball team sweep over the Pepperdine University Waves in Malibu with a score of 89 to 87. This victory marked the beginning of a winning streak for the team. Following the game, some 30 alumni and their guests proceeded to a reception hosted by Dennis ’73 and Linda Fenton at their beachfront home in Malibu. John Fenton ’68, Michael O’Hara ’70 and John Meyers ’85 served as co-hosts.

Representing the College, Stephen Laruccia ’67, director of major gifts, reported on the state of the College. He said Manhattan is more selective than ever before. It admits one out of every two students who apply, and current student SAT scores, verbal and math, are at 1130. The face of the campus is changing with the Mary Alice and Thomas O’Malley Library, completed in 2001, and construction of a new residence hall, East Hill Tower II.

Linda and Dennis Fenton ’73 hosted a reception at their home in Malibu in connection with the Manhattan/Pepperdine men’s basketball game and the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign.

A diverse group, the alumni came from all over the Southern California region, ranged from the classes of 1958 to 1994 and represented the schools of arts and sciences, business and engineering. Alumni attendees included: Joseph Archer ’65, James Breen ’77, Egidio Carbone ’61, Marianne Connolly ’87, Kevin Cronin ’60, Paul Dellafiora ’62, Robert Driscoll ’58, Michael Ehner ’65, Andrew Murray ’94, Nicola Peill ’87, Thomas Phillips ’62, Emmett Lynch ’66, Salvatore Scarpato ’65 and Frank Swertlow ’67. Fenton welcomed the alumni, highlighted their special status as Jaspers and spoke about the purposes of the gathering: to become better acquainted and to hear a report about the College and its Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign. He stressed the need for alumni to support alma mater as the best means of ensuring its growth and development. As he remarked, “God has been good to me, and I felt I should share some of my good fortune with the College.” In May 2004, he and Linda endowed the Catherine and Robert

Turning his attention to the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign, Laruccia reported that $147 million (at press time, the total was $149 million) had been raised toward the $150 million objective with the expectation that the campaign will conclude in mid-year. A full 50 percent of the campaign goal is earmarked for endowment, which includes endowed chairs for the College’s five schools and endowed student scholarships. In the course of the campaign, the College has received 28 gifts of $1 million or more from individuals, groups, corporations and foundations. Laruccia attributed the success of the campaign thus far to alumni who have been more generous than ever and an increasing rate of participation from younger alumni. Voluntarism has played a vital role in this campaign with close to 150 volunteers from the campaign steering committee, the Financial Services Advisory Council and numerous other groups reaching out to their fellow alumni for support. The campaign is positioning the College to advance its strategic plan, Manhattan 2025, which has as its principal goal the establishment of Manhattan as the premier Catholic college in the New York area. Additionally, the plan will complete the transformation of Manhattan as a widely recognized and respected college, and a regional residential college with outreach to New England, Washington, D.C., and the Great Lakes.

Brothers’ Gift to the Capital Campaign In early December, the Manhattan College community of De La Salle Christian Brothers presented the College with a gift of $500,000 to the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign. The Christian Brothers Endowed Scholarship, as part of the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign, is one of the largest at the College and has been funded for the most part by contributions from the Christian Brothers over many years. It is awarded to financially needy undergraduates in the spirit of St. John Baptist de La Salle, who educated the poor for self-sufficiency. The gift is in honor of the Brothers who presently hold regular, administrative, adjunct and emeritus faculty appointments, as well as those who presently have staff appointments at the College. “This very generous gift from the Christian Brothers is a wonderful testimony to their sustained dedication to Manhattan College,” says Michael McMorrow ’64, executive director of the

Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign. “Many of our lives have been touched in a personal way by the Christian Brothers as individuals and as a religious order. They have been and continue to be our teachers, our mentors, and our spiritual guides. Their devotion to the future of the College is very gratifying.” In summing up the mission of the campaign, as well as that of the Brothers and the College, Brother Luke Salm, professor emeritus of religious studies and trustee emeritus, looks back on the legacy of De La Salle. “The life of a man who lived more than 300 years ago and left as his legacy an institution that has been a force for good ever since, becomes a challenge for the future,” he says. “That future is in the hands of God, the God whom De La Salle himself often addressed in these words: ‘Domine, opus Tuum’ — ‘Lord, the work is yours.’”

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Entrepreneur Gives Back to Manhattan Chris Kalian ’91 lives the dream of being a successful entrepreneur. He and his family transformed a storefront family printing business with profits of less than $300,000 dollars a year into Docuserve, an electronic data processing and document management company in White Plains, N.Y., that yields more than $10 million in annual revenues and boasts a staff of more than 60 full-time employees. He has decided to share his success with his alma mater by giving his time to attend the Westchester President’s Dialogue Dinner and by donating a cash gift, as well as a $100,000 life insurance policy with the College as beneficiary. “After researching some options, I found that donating a life insurance policy was a wonderful way for a younger alumnus to make a contribution now that will make an even more significant difference in the future,” Chris says. “On behalf of my family, I’m excited to know that the Kalian Family Scholarship Fund will be created one day and that it will benefit future Manhattan students.” In late 2002, Chris, with the help of his family, including his brother Dennis ’95, and fellow alumnus Rob Santelli ’90, reconfigured his family’s printing business to scan and process documents for law firms. The business grew to include court reporting, document management and staffing divisions. A strategic, private-equity-backed company acquired the business in August of 2005. Chris, Dennis and Rob stayed on with the new company as senior managers and helped their acquirer get bought out by an even larger, nationwide document management company, less than six months after Docuserve’s first sale. Before his involvement in the family business, Chris thought about going to law school after graduating from Manhattan. He did a stint in the legal services department of Ernst & Young but longed to be an entrepreneur. “I saw the overlap between my parents’ printing company and what I was doing,” Chris says. “The obvious next step was to join forces.” At Manhattan College, Chris got a taste of what running a business entails. Although more than a decade has passed since his time at Manhattan, Chris still has strong feelings for his alma mater. “Some of my fondest memories were of the times spent in and around Manhattan College,” he says. “It’s a place where hope is blended with opportunity. Besides the wonderful education, it was always a place that provided an opportunity to those who otherwise might not have had an opportunity.” Chris, his wife, Michelle, and their three boys (ages 5, 3 and 1) frequently attend basketball games at the College. “At any given game, you’ll hear one of my family members yelling from the rafters or cheering on our Jaspers,” he says. “In my opinion, going out to the games is a great way for alumni to stay connected to alma mater. We’ve made many friends over the years with alumni young and old.”

Chris Kalian ’91

The Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign has provided Chris with an opportunity to give back to the College and encourage others to do the same. “Unfortunately in life, we often try and wait until we are older or financially set to start thinking about giving back,” he says. “Rather than waiting until everything is perfect for us to start giving back, we should all make a conscious effort to do what we can today to make the world a better place.” And Manhattan College is thankful for Chris. “It’s wonderful when a young alumnus, such as Chris, can be so committed to Manhattan and so eloquent about his reasons,” says Michael McMorrow ’64, executive director of the Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign. “Chris is a remarkable young person, who exemplifies the Lasallian values we strive to impart to our students.” As for future plans, Chris and his team of Jasper friends and relatives have started a private investment group, Ridge Partners, in White Plains, N.Y., that buys, builds and sells successful, privately held businesses. Whatever the future brings for Chris, his strong education and business history will see him through.

Chicago Area Alumni Attend Campaign Reception

Chicago area alumni gathered for a special campaign reception in October. Pictured from left to right, front row, are Thomas Bechet ’74 (host), Ralph Young ’68, Cynthia McGowan ’86, Stephen Laruccia ’67 (Manhattan College), Michael Millin ’64 and Robert Coleman ’83; second row, Peter Targos ’93, Thomas O’Neill ’85 (host) and Paul Fedirka ’75.

Advancing Manhattan

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Swimming Each day of the three-day MAAC Swimming Championships brought more good news for the Lady Jaspers, as they neared the end of a record-breaking season in which Manhattan posted an overall dual-meet record of 12-4 and a school record eight-meet win streak.

Although the Lady Jaspers did not capture the overall MAAC title, the team qualified for the following weekend’s ECAC Championships. The Jasper quartet of freshman Megan Goldrick, Chan, O’Keefe and McGowan claimed 12th place overall for the 200 free relay at the ECAC meet in Boston, Mass. O’Keefe was not even close to being finished after helping in the 200 free relay. The following day, she claimed sixth place in the 100-meter fly (1:00.70) to medal in the event for the second-straight year, while breaking the school record in the process. Her time was only 22 hundredths off the ECAC qualifying time. On the final day, O’Keefe bested her own program record in the 200-meter fly (2:16.98) and helped to set a new program standard in the 400-meter free relay (3:47.55).

sports

During the MAAC Championships, the first of five program records to fall Megan O’Keefe ’09 was in the 200-meter free relay, which set 1:42.42 as the new time standard. The Lady Jaspers also achieved the milestone of being the first Manhattan relay team to earn All-MAAC honors. Senior leadoff Nicole Mason, freshman Catherine Chan, sophomore Megan O’Keefe and junior Maura McGowan accounted for the fifth broken record in the 800-meter free (8:25.52) and just missed All-MAAC status due to the time’s seventh-place finish.

Manhattan achieved all of its late season success without the assistance of senior Courtney Arduini, who was ill and unable to swim in the final championship meet of her illustrious career. Arduini will graduate in May with nine individual program records.

Indoor Track and Field Although several key members of the men’s and women’s track and field squads suffered a number of untimely injuries, both Manhattan teams still succeeded in bringing home plenty of hardware from the 2007 championship portion of the season. Despite injuries to senior Nick Newman, the NCAA provisional qualifier; junior Dexter Jules, the 2006 MAAC Indoor triple jump and long jump champ; and junior Margus Must, a multi-event athlete, the Manhattan men still found more than enough points to capture their 11th consecutive MAAC Championship. With the Jaspers cruising to victory, junior shot putter Milan Jotanovic and senior sprinter Darnell Douglas eclipsed meet records. Jotanovic was named the 2007 MAAC Most Outstanding Field Performer as his top throw of 19.40m broke his own meet record from a year ago and guaranteed him a return trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Before he took on the national field, Jotanovic repeated as the IC4A champion in the shot. A week following his IC4A victory, Jotanovic repeated as an NCAA All-American at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He finished fourth overall in the highly competitive field by setting a new personal record of 19.56m. Like his teammate, senior shot putter Zoran Loncar followed up his MAAC Championship with an IC4A title. Loncar’s mark of 19.20m led a 1-2-3-4 Manhattan sweep of the weight throw at the MAAC Championships. At the IC4A, his final throw of 20.13m edged out Bucknell University’s Tyler Hoffman. In the track category at the MAAC, Douglas, who emerged as one of the league’s best sprinters by winning the 200m and 400m at the 2006 MAAC Outdoor Championships, clocked in at 48.75 to capture the 400m crown and overtake former Jasper Steve Neal’s 1990 record. The 2007 MAAC Championships also provided a venue for a new star to emerge on the distance side of track. After placing second in the men’s mile, freshman Milos Vuckovic completed an impressive double when he won the 800m crown in dramatic fashion. The injury-plagued women’s squad did not have the same victorious experiences as the men’s team. The absence of freshman Diane Torsell, who held the top seed times in both the 55m and 200m dashes, and junior Caitlyn Kjolhede, the 2006 MAAC Indoor high jump champ, among others, signaled an end to the Lady Jaspers’ streak of 10-straight MAAC team titles. Although injuries held back the women in the team standings, nothing held back senior Tiina Magi. En route to being named the MAAC Indoor Most Outstanding Co-Performer for field events, Magi won three of the four jumps, while also scoring in the shot put. Magi won the triple jump, her signature event, for the second-straight year with a mark of 12.23m. The only jumping event she failed to conquer at the MAAC was the high jump, but she still managed to tie for second place with sophomore teammate Paige McConney. In the pole vault, Magi edged out teammate and graduate student Meredith Mante (3.20m) for the title. She also scored in the 55m hurdles. Other Lady Jaspers with strong performances were graduate students and twin sisters Megan Radermacher, who captured the women’s 800m title, and Shannon Radermacher, who won the MAAC title in the 400m. manhattan.edu

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Volleyball With his lineup featuring four new starters, head coach Ray Green saw Manhattan volleyball endure some early season growing pains, but, in the end, the Jaspers found themselves back in the upper echelon of the MAAC as the fourth seed in the conference’s 10-team tournament at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Manhattan had little difficulty getting past quarterfinal opponent Marist College, but the Jaspers’ run ended in the following round at the hands of 2006 MAAC Regular Season champion Fairfield University. Starring in the sweep of Marist was senior co-captain Whitney Judkins, who hit .652 for the match and connected on 16 kills. Fellow senior co-captain Meghan Plunkett also contributed in the winning effort with four kills, nine digs and three blocks. Other than the two senior captains, Manhattan relied on a number of young faces to get the job done, especially in the starting lineup. In her first season as starting setter, sophomore Alyssa Getzel proved up to the task. She recorded the fourth most assists (1,232) in Manhattan single-season history and earned CoSIDA Academic All-District I Second Team honors. While Getzel came up just short, junior Ashley Watson, one of only three upperclassmen on the roster, smashed a single-season record by recording 536 digs for a 4.79 digs per game average. In her first season as the full-time libero, Watson earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on two occasions.

Ashley Watson ’08

Sophomore Sherryta Stokes emerged as Manhattan’s main offensive force from the outside and averaged a team high of 3.15 kills per game. Stokes, who also contributed 2.53 digs per game, earned All-MAAC Second Team honors during her first season of competition as a Jasper.

Cross Country On the heels of their third-place finishes at the MAAC Championships and their participation in the NCAA Northeast Region Championships, both Manhattan men’s and women’s cross country teams earned Academic All-American Team status for the 2006 campaign. In her first season as a collegiate harrier, freshman Lindsay Southard looked like nothing less than a seasoned veteran. The Carmel, N.Y., native was the women’s top finisher in all but one race. She completed the 6K Van Cortlandt Park course at the MAAC Championships in 22:53.4 to claim 10th place overall, but that was not even her best time of the season. Southard ran the third best 6K in Lady Jasper history at Van Cortlandt Park in October and clocked in at 22:46.7 in the Iona Meet of Champions. One week later, she earned MAAC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week honors for her efforts at the Metropolitan Championships. Fellow freshman Mary Consiglio also spent a lot of time near the top of a youthful squad. Manhattan ran just one upperclassman, junior Eryka Perreault, at the NCAA regional meet with sophomores Sarah Rogers, Melissa Trauscht, Lauren Natoli and Julie Carr, who joined Southard and Consiglio in the group of Manhattan finishers. On the men’s side, senior Todd Raymond consistently proved to be the first Jasper to cross the finish line with freshmen Scott Roman and Matt Kaftanski rounding out the squad’s efforts. Roman and Kaftanski, along with juniors Joe McElhoney and Tom Murphy, all set new personal records at the MAAC Championships. Raymond was Manhattan’s top finisher at the MAAC meet, but he just missed his personal best time by five seconds en route to his 10th place finish. Finishing ten seconds off Raymond’s pace, McElhoney completed the rigorous 8K course in 26:11.7 for 12th place overall. A native of Beacon, N.Y., McElhoney significantly surpassed his previous personal best of 26:36.6 that he set earlier in the season at the Br. Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions. Lindsay Southard ’10

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Lady Jasper Leaves

Men’s Soccer

Her Legacy

The men’s soccer team tripled its win total in the second season of head coach Michael Swanwick’s tenure, while showing a balanced scoring attack that bodes well for the program’s future. Sixteen different players tallied at least one point for the Jaspers with freshman Tony Safran and sophomore Sean Morin scoring two goals apiece to pace the offense. Senior Bryan Knight led the team with two assists. Manhattan posted wins over Quinnipiac University and St. Joseph’s University — earning sophomore goalkeeper John Ciano MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors in the process — and defeated local and MAAC rival Iona College 3-1 on Senior Day at Gaelic Park. Four Jaspers were recognized as MAAC All-Academic selections: senior Chris Smith, junior Adam Kiley, junior Dan Carr and sophomore John Dellipriscoli. The rising level of play by coach Swanwick’s side was on display as the team played tough against two nationally ranked teams. The Jaspers just missed victory, dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to then No. 12 Fordham University, and a 1-0 decision to then No. 15 Fairfield University, who won the MAAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.

Senior Katie Kuntz had an outstanding season for the Lady Jaspers in 2006, as she piled up numerous awards for her play on the pitch and for her work in the classroom. The Rockville Centre, N.Y., native led Manhattan in goals with 11, and in points with 24, which ranked her fourth and fifth respectively in the MAAC.

Bryan Knight ’07

Women’s Soccer It was a record-breaking season for head coach Sean Driscoll and the women’s soccer team, as the Lady Jaspers established themselves as one of the premier programs in the MAAC.

Kuntz also proved to be a clutch player in 2006 and led the conference with five game-winning goals. On opening day, her double overtime goal led the Lady Jaspers to a 1-0 upset win over Central Connecticut. Later on in the season, another one of her goals in double overtime, this time against Loyola, gave Manhattan a 2-1 win over the conference’s premier program.

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At season’s end, the accolades began to roll in as she was named First Team All-MAAC and Third Team All-Northeast Region by soccerbuzz.com for her accomplishments during the season. As a communications major, Kuntz was named both First Team Academic All-District and Second Team Academic All-American by ESPN magazine. In addition to those honors, she was named MAAC All-Academic Team for the third-straight year, along with seven of her teammates.

A dramatic season-opening win over perennial powerhouse Central Connecticut State was a springboard to a program record six-game winning streak that included a record five-straight shutouts. As the wins piled up, so did the recognition. After Manhattan’s 6-0 win over Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 10, the Lady Jaspers placed 11th in soccerbuzz.com’s weekly Northeast Region rankings, the first ever ranking for the program. Perhaps Manhattan’s finest moment came late in the season when the Lady Jaspers upset Loyola College with a 2-1 win in double overtime on senior Katie Kuntz’s goal. The Greyhounds, who came into the game with a 45-match unbeaten streak, have dominated the MAAC in recent years — winning MAAC Championships in 2003 and 2004. The win, which was a single-season program record 12th, signaled that Manhattan will be a team to contend with in the MAAC in years to come. Individually, the Lady Jaspers were guided by Kuntz, who led the team with 11 goals and was named First Team All-MAAC at the end of the season. Although the team will lose Kuntz in May, freshmen Courtney McMahon, Alexandra Konneker and Amanda Fischer, who were each named MAAC Rookie of the Week in consecutive weeks to begin the season, will team with sophomore forward Chrissy Reina in 2007 to lead a talented group of returning players.

Katie Kuntz ’07

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Former Coach Is Inducted into

NYC Basketball Hall of Fame

John “Honey” Russell, who coached the Manhattan College men’s basketball team for one season before becoming the first coach of professional basketball’s marquee franchise, the Boston Celtics, was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame at the New York Athletic Club in September. Russell led the Jaspers to a 15-8 record during the 1945-46 season, the program’s first after a two-year hiatus due to World War II. The campaign featured winning streaks of six and five games and also included a one-point victory over rival Fordham.

John “Honey” Russell with the 1945-46 men’s basketball team.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Russell turned professional after his sophomore year of high school at the age of 16 and played in more than 3,200 games for a wide variety of teams in virtually every pro league. Considered a top defensive player of his era, he was a four-time all-star in the American Basketball League from 1925-1931 and led the Cleveland Rosenblums to three championships. Russell coached from 1936-43 at his alma mater, Seton Hall, which dropped basketball following the 1942-43 season. He returned to the school from 1949-60 and overall led the Pirates to a 295-129 record that included seven appearances in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the 1953 NIT title. From 1939-1941, Seton Hall won 44 straight games before losing to LIU in the NIT semifinals. Following his one-season stop in Riverdale, Russell was named the first coach of the Boston Celtics, a franchise that would in years to come claim a record 16 National Basketball Association championships. However, the Celtics struggled for respectability in its first two seasons and posted a 22-38 record in the inaugural campaign before making the playoffs in the second year with a 20-28 mark. He guided Boston to an 81-77 victory over the Chicago Stags on March 31, 1948, which marked the first playoff victory in franchise history. The New York City Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies took place on Sept. 21, 2006. In addition to Russell, other inductees included former New York Knicks coach Rick Pitino; former Knicks point guard Mark Jackson; and three members of the 1966 Texas Western NCAA championship team: Willie Cager, Willie Worsley and Nevil Shed. Russell passed away in November of 1973, shortly after he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gojaspers.com Relaunches The College’s athletics department relaunched its Web site, GoJaspers.com, in partnership with XOS Technologies, in November. While the new GoJaspers.com sports a new design, it will continue to provide timely information on all 19 Jasper varsity sports. Some of the new features include a male and female GoJaspers.com Athlete of the Week and a live stats component.

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The Fund for Manhattan

Kickoff The Fund for Manhattan is well into its first year, and we would like to thank everyone who has made the kickoff a success. The fund is building a bridge to a better Manhattan with a new strategy for greater inclusion. We are reaching out to more Jaspers to network and join the party. Experience has shown us how the Anniversary Class Gift Fund committees develop energy and momentum as classmates connect. We want to develop more of that energy on a regular basis and build stronger alumni groups, with Jaspers reaching out to other Jaspers. When classmates develop dynamic synergy with Manhattan, great things can happen. We want to hear from you about ways to connect with more of our Jasper alums.

Manhattan attracts great students and fine faculty who are looking for the opportunity to study, research, connect, challenge and grow. Our 21st century Jaspers thrive in an environment committed to Lasallian values: social justice, academic excellence, diversity and service. Graduates leave with far more than a degree; they learn how to think critically about the world around them and gain skills they will use throughout their lives. Just as Manhattan pushes its students to always reach farther, alumni, parents and other donors strive to provide everything necessary to maintain our extraordinary learning environment. They know that only part of the cost of educating each student is covered by tuition. For the rest, we rely on contributions to the Fund for Manhattan. All money raised for the Fund for Manhattan goes into the College’s operating budget to provide resources to ensure a first-rate classroom experience. Gerard Caccappolo ’63, chair of the Fund for Manhattan, puts it into perspective: “Campus ministry, financial aid, student activities, athletics, mentoring and career services all express our deepest values. Up-to-the-minute technology and a well-maintained physical infrastructure are essential. The Fund for Manhattan ensures that we can meet needs as they arise.”

You, our alumni, are the heart and soul of Manhattan College, and we want to rely on your expertise. You can widen the circle of participation with goodwill and creativity. Help us to set goals for the fund, develop strategies and implement a plan of action. Alumni networking is a proven formula for success.

Working with the Fund for Manhattan is a rewarding connection to people and values about which Jaspers care. Manhattan’s more than 20,000 alumni, having benefited from a tremendous learning and social experience at Manhattan, feel bonds of stewardship that last a lifetime.

Manhattan’s broad-based support, from alumni of all generations, added up to 33 percent giving to the College last year. This year, the goal is 40 percent. Many of our students are the first in their families to come to college, and they rely on financial aid to come to Manhattan. It’s important to show you care about our Lasallian traditions. Gifts to the fund support current students and the College as it is today. They have an immediate impact.

Your success is our success. We invite you to share it with your alma mater. None of us really pays our own way in life. We benefit from the work of those who have gone before us. For more than a century, Jaspers have been supported by gifts from others, and now you can carry on that tradition. No matter the size of your gift, by becoming a donor you are giving others the opportunity to begin their journeys at Manhattan College.

Thanks for Your Support! When you make a bequest to Manhattan College, you enter into a covenant with your alma mater to benefit future generations of Jaspers.

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Yes, I would like information about: Bequests

Establishing a scholarship

Charitable gift annuities

Other

Charitable remainder trusts Your legacy can ensure the College’s traditional mission to offer a Lasallian Catholic education.

For more information about leaving a bequest or other planned giving opportunities, please call the office of planned giving at (718) 862-7976.

Name ______________________________________________________ Year _______________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________________ E-mail _____________________________________________________

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Ciba and Manhattan:

A Dynamic Partnership

In the summer of 2002, Dr. John Mahony, professor of environmental and civil engineering, invited 24 high school seniors to spend a day at Manhattan College. Since that time, this has evolved into the Ciba Specialty Chemicals High School Chemistry Institute, a highly selective program of the Ciba Foundation. Participants in the program have returned to campus as part of an intensive two-week course of study. The Tarrytown, N.Y., based foundation also has funded environmental engineering scholarships at the College since 1996. Recipients, known as the Ciba Scholars, have gone on to distinguished engineering careers, which include teaching at Manhattan. Hosting the high school students is an opportunity to give back for Dr. Richard Carbonaro ’97, assistant professor of environmental and civil engineering. Carbonaro was named the first Ciba Scholar during his undergraduate years at Manhattan. Since 2005, he has given a half-day lecture and laboratory related to water treatment as part of the High School Chemistry Institute. His work with the Institute allows him to remain involved with Ciba and to help foster interest in science and engineering. This year, the $5,000 Ciba scholarship is shared by two seniors: Marianne Kowalczk and Carolina Calcetero. They already are involved in fundamental research and important fieldwork. During the summer, Kowalczk worked with the city’s hazmat team and helped manage a remediation site in Flushing. Currently, she is doing research on arsenic reduction.

Dr. Richard Carbonaro ’97 (far left), assistant professor of environmental and civil engineering, works with some students from the Ciba Specialty Chemicals High School Chemistry Institute at the College this past summer.

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Calcetero has begun a research project on the potential impact of replacing chlorine disinfection with chloramine disinfection for the New York City drinking water supply system. This research involves setting up pipes and reactors, as well as analyzing changes in water quality. The goals for the High School Chemistry Institute and the Ciba Scholars are the same: to forge partnerships that support career-based learning and help young people prepare for college and the workplace. Manhattan College is proud to be one of these partnerships. Manhattan’s environmental engineering program, one of only a few such undergraduate programs nationwide, grew out of the College’s civil engineering department. Seventy years of research have focused primarily on the chemistry of water, its purification and pollution and the ecological effects. Manhattan graduates, through their positions in industry, government and research, have contributed to cleaner waterways for our nation, better federal and state regulations and more information

Participants come to Manhattan College for a half-day lecture and laboratory related to water treatment as part of the High School Chemistry Institute.

on the links between environment and public health. Ciba Scholars and Jasper engineers have saved countless dollars for both the public and private sectors.

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Message from the President of the

Alumni Society

of Jaspers marched in the annual Naples St. Patrick’s Parade on March 17. As you read this letter, please think about joining your fellow Jaspers at future alumni gatherings.

Jim Smith ’60, President of the National Alumni Council

During the spring, your National Alumni Society expanded its range of activities. Early in the year, many of our affinity groups were successful in the variety of events they hosted. On Feb. 2, the Manhattan College Latino Alumni Club (MCLAC) sponsored a theater night at Repertorio Espanol Theatre. The show was El Quijote with simultaneous translations. It was a sellout! Chairwoman Maria Khury ’77 and Joe Dillon ’62, director of alumni relations, organized a pre-theatre dinner attended by both students and alumni. Also, the Manhattan College Black Alumni Club (MCBAC) is planning a business expo for black alumni entrepreneurs for October. On Feb. 11, prior to the Niagara basketball game, an alumni reception was held at Jake’s Steakhouse in Riverdale. We had a great turnout with more than 40 people in attendance. We owe thanks to Brother Bill Batt for organizing an upstate alumni reception at the Siena game on Feb. 25. The 150 alumni and friends who attended the event came from New York City and the upstate Western corridor, as well as the Albany area. There was a great turnout. This type of event, coupled with cultural activities, will serve as a model for our regional alumni. In fact, our alumni network has recently expanded into new groups in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Doug Emond ’84 organized a holiday bar night in Boston, and Bob Mattis ’64 is working to organize the Rhode Island alumni. Alumni involvement was especially evident this St. Patrick’s Day with our participation in the New York City parade, as well as with lunches in Washington, D.C, Sarasota, Fla., and Long Island. On March 11, Jim Connors ’57 sponsored a pre-luncheon reception at his home in Bonita Springs, Fla. Another contingent

One new initiative involves alumni participation in selected faculty and student events, lectures and service activities. On Saturday, April 11, our Manhattan College Alumnae Club (MAC) became involved in the Manhattan College Relay for Life, which was a fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society. In addition, various Theology on Tap sessions throughout April and May brought us together to discuss important contemporary, moral and Catholic issues. We are planning on alumni participating as mentors and moderators for select student clubs and activities, too. Also, the Young Alumni Club successfully hosted a bar night on April 27 in New York and has upcoming plans for attending a Yankees game in the summer. We have made a special effort to engage more alumni through a variety of events. We have had some success with MCLAC and MCBAC, as well as the Law Enforcement Club, which meets annually, and a fledging lawyer alumni group. However, we have not been as successful in reaching out to our alumnae. While the MAC has now sponsored three events, the attendance has been relatively low. We need feedback and suggestions from our alumnae, particularly our young alumnae! Let us know what events and activities you would like to attend. We are open to any ideas and suggestions. As graduates of a Lasallian institution, our alumni are very proud of our prayer and bereavement support group available to all when needed. My heartfelt thanks to Phil Colon ’62 and Mike McEneney ’53 for their commitment. This will be my last letter to all of you as my term of office comes to an end. The past two years have been personally satisfying and at times quite challenging. Please support the Manhattan College Alumni Society and my successor. During my time in office, the support I received from the National Alumni Council (NAC) and the alumni chapters was very gratifying and much appreciated. The president must depend on many

people, and to those who contributed, I extend a gracious thank you. My sincere thanks to my executive committee: Vice President George Skau ’59, Corresponding Secretary Maria Khury ’77 and Recording Secretary Patricia Flaherty ’98 for a job well done. I’m thankful for the advice of the NAC past presidents, including Mike McEneney ’53, John Nason ’52, Phil Colon ’62, Bill Chandler ’70 and Peter Sweeney ’64. I greatly appreciated the support and help of our other veterans: Charles Ntamere ’96, Ken Kelly ’54, Michelle Colamartino ’98, Meg Walsh ’79, Bill Harkins ’67 and Mike McNamara ’60. We also welcome our new NAC members, including Tom Delaney ’71, Tom McCarthy ’06, Kevin Cavanagh ’96, Alicia Johnston ’06, Lisa Toscano ’79 and Liz Hickey ’99. A special thank you to the student body presidents during my tenure: Clare Walsh ’06 and Paul Avvento ’07, who are fine young people who kept us abreast of the happenings on campus.

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Special kudos to Br. Bill for his outstanding work with the upstate alumni, and Ed McEneney ’59 and his committee for their work on the retreat. I would also like to thank Ben Benson ’55 for all his efforts on my behalf. I want to acknowledge our local alumni leaders who made a great effort to form new chapters or expand existing programs. Thanks to Dennis Bates ’03 and Dan Kelleher ’77 in Albany; Dan Fitzgerald ’65 in Syracuse; Tim Lee ’98 in Buffalo; Douglas Emond ’84 and Bob Mattis ’64 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; Bob Fink ’57 in Georgia; George Keves ’70 in Arizona; Ed Plumeau ’52, Bill Gildea ’62 and Jim Fennell ’52 in the Treasure Coast of Florida; Jim Connors ’57 in Naples; and finally Neil O’Leary ’60 in Sarasota. To Joe Dillon ’62, alumni relations director, and his entire staff, a job well done. Your alumni society has developed many new and interesting initiatives on campus, through our clubs and at the local chapter level. Take some time to think about your involvement, perhaps take advantage of our programs and “come back to Manhattan.” You’re always welcome back to your alma mater. Godspeed, Jim Smith ’60 manhattan.edu

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O’Malley Maps Manhattan’s Future for NYC Club Alumni Expansion, improvement and innovation were the major topics of discussion to engage members of the New York City Club when it convened last November for its networking reception. A group of nearly 100 alumni members and some current students gathered at the UBS Building in midtown Manhattan for a presentation by Thomas D. O’Malley ’63, chairman of the board of trustees, among other speakers. NYC Club Co-Chairs Bill Chandler ’70 and Elizabeth Hickey ’99 organized the event, which was co-sponsored by the Black Alumni Club and Latino Alumni Club. “I want to give you an outlook of where the College is going from a trustee’s perspective,” O’Malley said. His presentation was pre-taped and broadcast to attendees due to a last-minute trip to Europe for his job as CEO of the Swiss oil refining company Petroplus. “My Manhattan education really prepared me to do just about anything...I managed to not just get the formal education that Manhattan provides in such an able way but to benefit from what one can only characterize as the New York street education,” O’Malley said. He emphasized the importance of providing current students with the same combination of education and real-world experience. O’Malley also discussed fundraising efforts to support Manhattan’s future projects, including the construction of a parking garage, a second dorm near Horan Hall and a full-service student center designed to improve campus life. Following O’Malley’s speech, Joe Dillon ’62, director of alumni relations, provided a detailed overview of Manhattan’s current study body, as well as more information about the College’s future direction. “As we continue the transformation of Manhattan College to function successfully in the early 21st century, we need your support, your time as volunteers to support students and alumni activities, your talent to help us in any way that you can, and your treasure to assist the Manhattan College administration and board to continue to improve the campus,” Dillon said. In addition, the event introduced the new vice president of college advancement, Thomas Mauriello. He answered questions about financial contributions and discussed the successful Sesquicentennial Capital Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising initiative in the College’s history with an end goal of $150 million. The NYC Club meets twice each year to reunite alumni and provide them with exposure to Manhattan’s agenda. According to Chandler, this year’s meeting attracted a diverse audience. “We had a nice mix of people,” Chandler says. “We encourage people to mingle because this event is about alumni having an opportunity to get together, to reacquaint and to network.”

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Manhattan College Businessmen’s

Reality Retreat For the past 15 years, a group of alumni and friends have gathered at the Cardinal Spellman Passionist Retreat House overlooking the Hudson River in Riverdale, N.Y. They come together in September for 36 hours for what many have referred to as a life-changing experience and a personal epiphany. This gathering is the Manhattan College Businessmen’s Reality Retreat, a nontraditional retreat that encompasses the important aspects of spirituality, witness and sharing. The retreat team brings together three to five speakers who address and give witness to issues that concern our daily lives, such as living with the joys of life and the difficulties we confront in managing change and relationships within the family, in the workplace and in the constantly changing world. The speakers and retreaters come from the business, academic, religious and law enforcement communities, and Everyman. Past participants have included chairmen, CEOs and other senior business leaders, as well as college, university and high school presidents and educators. For more information, e-mail Phil Colon at PhilColon@aol.com or call the alumni office at (718) 862-7432. Participation in any of the planned events is optional. We look forward to having you join us in September.

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Jaspers Walk in the Steps of

Pope John Paul II

Jaspers traveled in the footsteps of the late Pope John Paul II during a trip to Krakow, Poland, last August. The whirlwind tour covered the towns, churches and museums that encompass the pope’s life story, as well as a string of scenic neighboring towns that mirror the passage of Polish history. At the pope’s birthplace in the small town of Wadowice, Jaspers visited his childhood apartment, which has been converted into a museum, and Notre Dame Basilica, where he received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation and served as an altar boy. In Krakow, a city in which the population is 95 percent Catholic and boasts 87 churches offering daily Masses, the tour stopped at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. At this pilgrimage site, dating back to the 17th century, the pope was known to pray to the Madonna of Kalwaria.

On a trip to Zakopane, they visited a breathtaking mountain village located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, a popular ski retreat for the pope. Feeling the onset of wanderlust? After a trip to the Italian Riviera in April, the next Jasper journey will be the Cruise the Passage of Peter the Great from Moscow to St. Petersburg (Sept. 1-13, 2007). For more information, call Bob Fink at (770) 431-7070 or e-mail him at rfink@ridgeviewinstitute.com.

The traveling Jaspers explore Zakopane, a small Polish town at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.

Other pope-related stops included the Wawel Cathedral, where he delivered his first Mass and later became bishop. His former residence as bishop has since been transformed into the Krakow Archdiocese Museum and displays various personal belongings.

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Jaspers spent many hours exploring the restaurants, shops and churches in the charming Old Town of Krakow. Outside of Krakow, the group took a train to the beautiful city of Warsaw that was completely rebuilt after World War II. They also went to Auschwitz to tour the prison camp’s remaining buildings, view a movie documenting its horrors and see the starvation cell where Maximilian Kolbe died.

Athletic

Hall of Fame

On December 2, the 28th annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies honored eight outstanding athletes and two men’s basketball teams for their record-setting seasons.

Standing, from left to right: Bob Byrnes ’68, director of athletics; Peter Runge ’90; George Skau ’59, chairman of the alumni athletic hall of fame committee; Jim Smith ’60, president of the national alumni society; Gerard Houlihan ’79; and Joe Dillon ’62, director of alumni relations. Sitting, from left to right: Joseph (Jo Jo) Walters ’79; Gina Somma ’96; Wallace Pina ’53; John Ogle ’51; Kathy Solano; and Ricky Marsh ’77.

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Alumnotes ’48

John Morgan, who worked in the insurance business for 50 years and ran his own adjusting firm for 20 of those years, is retired.

’51 Dr. Edmund A. Gehan, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of biostatistics at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown University Medical Center. ’52 Vincent J. D’Amico retired in 2000.…David H. Skinner and his wife, Eileen, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their four children and grandchildren. ’54

Bill Hayduk and his wife, Barbara, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004 with the families and friends of their three children, Diane, Susan and John, including nine grandchildren. Their oldest grandchild, Michael Infantino ’10, is a mechanical engineering student at Manhattan. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who holds a degree in civil engineering.…After 41 years in business and nine years retired, Ken Gorman has published his second book, In Honor of Justice, which details a clash of beliefs that ties back to Nazi Germany’s antireligious politics. He thanks Dr. Howard Floan and his humanities class for inspiration.

’55 Denis J. Sullivan is serving his second term as chairman of the board of trustees for The Valley Hospital Foundation in Ridgewood, N.J. ’57 After 22 years at Fordham University, Roger Goebel has been designated the Alpin J. Cameron chair in international law at Fordham Law School. He is a specialist in European Union law and the primary sponsor of the Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello, F.S.C., lecture series at Manhattan College. ’58

Since completing his sixth year as council president of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul of Orange County, Calif., Edward C. Hartmann was appointed its vice president for the next three years.…In the 2006 midterm elections, Serphin R. Maltese was re-elected to his New York State Senate seat representing central and southern Queens, N.Y.…William J. Ungvarsky, Esq., is the proud grandparent of three girls, Nola, Lena and Grace.…Robert A. Cappiello retired in 2006 after serving for 18 years as the chief financial officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

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’61

Dr. Roland C. Emmanuele, D.D.S., has retired from private practice. He was appointed to colonel in the New York State Guard’s Air Division and also serves on the Board of Governors of the Ninth District Dental Association.…Thomas G. Kanganis retired from his practice as a certified public accountant. He was recently appointed to the finance and audit committees of West Shore Tax District in Camp Hill, Penn.…John R. Rueckel has been living in Charlotte, N.C., since December 2001. He retired in 2004 and serves his local parish by running a ministry for job seekers. He is also a member of the local community board of directors.

’62 Mary Frances and Stephen J. Kosar Jr. celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The childhood sweethearts renewed their marriage vows on June 25, 2006 at Christ the King Church in Yonkers, N.Y.…Douglas Rutnik’s daughter, Kristen (Rutnik) Gillibrand, has been elected to the U.S. Congress representing the 20th Congressional District in the Albany area. ’63 After 39 years, Michael B. Crowley retired from the U.S. Customs Service.…Martin J. Godfrey lives in New Braunfels, Texas, with his wife, Patty, where they are active in church and community affairs. They have five grandchildren. …French Minister of the Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy presented New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly with the Legion of Honor, France’s highest accolade. The award honored the policemen, firefighters and all American citizens affected by Sept. 11. …GAMCO Investors Inc. of Rye, N.Y., has elected Eugene R. McGrath to its board of directors. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Consolidated Edison Inc., as well as Manhattan’s 2003 De La Salle Medal recipient and a member of its board of trustees.…Michael J. Regan was elected to the board of directors of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation. ’64 Jordan Scepanski, dean emeritus at California State University, Long Beach, conducted a lecture series from Sept. 18-22 in Brazil on library management and technology. The lecture series was funded by a U.S. Department of State Speaker and Specialist grant.…John J. Neuhauser was named president of Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt. ’65 Thomas W. Schnatz, who retired from Entergy Services, Inc. in August 2005, continues to rebuild his house, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.…John P. Tranchina was honored with the superior civilian service award from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management

Command. The award was presented upon his retirement after 41 years of service.…Dr. Richard O’Connell, Ph.D., was chosen by Irish America magazine to be one of this year’s Top 100 professionals in the field of education. For 40 years, O’Connell has held various positions in private and public schools in New York and New Jersey. He also recently published a new book MOTIVATING KIDS TO THE MAX: A Practical and Candid Handbook.

’66 Dr. Sinon K. O’Halloran, who received his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, trains new school principals at Chapman University in Concord, Calif. ’67 After 30 years of service, Joseph W. Adelhardt retired from Pathmark Stores, Inc. in July 2006 as senior vice president and controller. Currently, he owns TraronConsulting, which provides corporate financial consulting services.…Francis G. Conrad recently became a partner at Weiser LLP, Certified Public Accountants. He also teaches a course on bankruptcy for St. John University’s LL.M. program.…Rhoderick M. Holliday, a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Air Force, welcomed the birth of his grandson, Michael Marte.…John J. Mallanda’s children are on the go; his eldest daughter, Catherine, is an assistant principal of a high school, and another daughter, Jessica, is in her third year of law school at the University of Georgia. As for his sons, Jude graduated from Georgia Southern University, and John recently finished high school as “student athlete” of his senior class and plans to attend the University of Georgia. ’68 Two athletic directors, Thomas Collins of Pearl River High School in Pearl River, N.Y., and Michael Gulino ’76 of Byram Hills High School in Armonk, N.Y., share a common accolade; each of their respective schools has been honored as a School of Distinction by the N.Y. State Public High School Athletic Association.…Kenneth J. Lanfear retired from the U.S. Geological Survey in March 2006 and now edits the Journal of the American Water Resources Association. …Richard M. Kenney was named vice president of Long Realty in Tucson, Ariz., the largest real estate company in southern Arizona.…James F. Garside retired after 34 years with the Nassau County Police Department. His last assignment was commanding officer at the police academy.…Major General Patrick J. Gallagher works as the mobilization assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Plans and Programs Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon.

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Law & Order:

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Special Jaspers Unit

The lives of lawyers John Martin ’57 and Otto Obermaier ’57 have foreshadowed each other for years; 50 years that is.

College, and both started their careers as federal prosecutors for former U.S. Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

At ages when most people relish in retirement, former federal judge Obermaier, 70, and Martin, 71, most recently a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, may be making their biggest career move yet: the revival of their law firm Martin & Obermaier LLC last fall. A legacy of the duo’s early days in law, the firm’s first incarnation in 1972 launched one of New York’s first practices in white-collar crime.

Martin left their firm in 1979 to become an U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Obermaier followed suit nearly a decade later to acquire the same position, which makes it three Jaspers, along with Rudy Giuliani ’65, to hold this title.

Since then, their destinies have been entwined in perpetual déjà vu. They were fraternity brothers at Manhattan

’69 Charles Falvey is head of the national sales organization at Corporate Synergies Group, Inc., a leading benefits brokerage and consultancy with branches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance brokerage industry. Corporate Synergies Group, Inc. recently opened a fifth office in New York City.…Jacqueline Keller retired as spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Conn., after 27 years of service.…Dr. John F. Loase, Ph.D., published his seventh book, The Positive Influence Generation, which explores how 18 to 25-year-old college students desire a lasting, positive inspiration to guide their lives.…Esteemed author Peter Quinn’s latest novel, Looking for Jimmy: A Search for Irish America, was published in hardcover in February 2007.

In 1990, Martin was appointed as U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York and presided over mass tort cases and criminal trials. Meanwhile, Obermaier advanced to partner at Weil.

’75 Timothy D. Sullivan was promoted to executive vice president, manager of commercial banking at Amalgamated Bank in New York City. ’77 James A. Kosch, a partner in law firm Reed Smith LLP’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Groups, has been elected chair of the Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Committee of the ABA’s TIPS Section for 2006-07.…Raymond Eric Zbacnik discovered the mathematical pattern in approved marian apparitions. ’78 Church & Dwight Co., Inc. elected Matthew T. Farrell to be vice president of finance and chief financial officer.

’71 Last October, Dr. Dante M. Torrese, D.D.S., received the diploma of benefactor, an award granted by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He was nominated by the local Brothers community at Manhattan College for his dedication to furthering their mission in the community.…After spending the last 22 years living abroad in Korea, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, Daniel J. Sullivan has returned to the United States. He currently resides in Florida and is director of the Latin America division for Bayer HealthCare.…Global Software Development Handbook, co-authored by Dr. Daniel J. Paulish, Ph.D., was published by Auerbach Publishers.

’79 Thomas J. Curry celebrated the third anniversary since his appointment by President George W. Bush to a six-year term as a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) board of directors. As an independent government agency, the FDIC maintains public confidence in the financial system of the United States.…After 27 years of service, Dr. John Lanicci has retired from active duty as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He has embarked on a second career as an associate professor in the applied meteorology program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.…Lou Lamatina was elected mayor of Emerson, N.J.…Peter J. Zipf, P.E., was inducted into the Holy Cross High School Hall of Fame on Nov. 18, 2006.

’74 Thomas J. Moran, chairman of the board of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, was honored for his work with United Way of New York City at the National Philanthropy Day hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Since 1994, Thomas has worked with United Way of New York City to combat poverty. He serves on its board of directors and chairs the organization’s Tocqueville Society.…Arthur W. Roos, a money manager with more than 25 years of experience, was appointed treasurer of The Johns Hopkins University.

’80 Christine Wynnyk Wilson is a substitute teacher in Austin, Texas. An active member of the Austin Ukrainian American Club, she frequently travels to New Zealand with her family because her husband, Grant, is a Kiwi. She says Manhattan College is well known in New Zealand due to the numerous Bronx transplants in the area.

Both men, who are also past recipients of Honorary Doctors of Law from Manhattan, came full circle to work at large firms when Martin retired from the bench in 2003. He joined Debevoise & Plimpton, where he last investigated the pharmaceutical company Merck and the market recall of its product Vioxx. Coming back to where it all started, Martin and Obermaier also collaborated as committee members to plan their golden jubilee this June. As they embark on the next phase of their law careers, this two-for-one team promises to be a hard act to follow.

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’81 Anita Bozzo was re-elected as councilwoman in Waldwick, N.J., where she will serve her second, three-year term.…James J. Cardillo, P.E., joined the structural engineering firm O’Donnell & Naccarato as regional manager of its Lehigh Valley, Pa., office. ’82 EV Energy Partners, L.P., appointed Frederick Dwyer as controller of EV Management LLC. EV Energy Partners, L.P., is a master limited partnership that acquires, develops and operates gas and oil properties across the United States.…ConEdison Solutions named Jim Dixon to the position of vice president of energy services. ’83 Matthew J. Bonney was promoted to partner at Citrin Cooperman and Company, LLP. ’85 Michele (Burt) and Jim Axelson ’82 are serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua, New Guinea.…Jose S. Ildefonso is a project engineer for Federal Express.…Sylvia Colon Cabassa has been appointed assistant professor of nursing at Bergen Community College in Hackensack, N.J. ’86 Kathleen L. Campbell was appointed executive vice president of CDW Consultants Inc. in Framingham, Mass.…Raymond J. Dowd joined Dunnington Bartholow & Miller in New York City as a partner. His Copyright Litigation Handbook was published last October.…Mary Ellen McCue was recently named department chair of criminal justice studies at the Ridley Lowell School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.…Lt. Col. Gene Zuratynsky is serving a six-month tour in Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

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’87 Daniel J. Campbell was promoted to associate vice president of information technology for K&G Men’s Company, a subsidiary of Men’s Wearhouse. continued on page 45

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Nicole Frechette

Page by Page with Jasper Writers A Spotlight on a Few Alumni Authors

Before Walking Down the Aisle: New Book Examines Pre-Wedding Traditions Brides-to-be need not look far to find wedding inspiration; glossy bridal magazines beckon from newsstands, and celebrity weddings broadcast lavish affairs on many cable channels. Yet, for those in search of a fresh spin on the bridal genre, Dr. Beth Montemurro’s ’94 new book, Something Old, Something Bold: Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties, offers a smart and digestible sociological analysis of the title’s two wedding rituals.

She finds that while bridal showers reinforce the bride’s traditional role as wife, bachelorette parties celebrate the independent woman. Although bachelorette parties embrace equality and the modern woman, Montemurro observes that women appear to “play” at the bachelorette party, making fun of it, rather than truly desiring one last fling or night of independence before the wedding. She says the women in her research group were happy to be getting married and did not view marriage as a loss of independence. “These traditions really send a mixed message about women,” Montemurro says.

Dr. Beth Montemurro ’94

For seven years, Montemurro, who is an assistant professor of sociology at Penn State University-Abington, trailed brides-to-be as they planned showers and attended bachelorette parties. Her book, which was published by Rutgers University Press in 2006, was the culmination of ethnographic research that began with her doctoral dissertation at the University of Georgia in 1998 until the completion of writing in 2005. “Bachelorette parties and bridal showers reflect the ambivalent status of women in contemporary society,” Montemurro says, summing up one of the book’s main points. Montemurro interviewed 51 women and attended various bachelorette parties and bridal showers to observe the behavior and attitudes of women at these events.

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Montemurro’s interest in sociology goes back to her time at Manhattan College. She entered the College as a sociology major and says she was exposed to interesting classes that introduced different topics of exploration. She was also a member of Womyn’s Space, a club that was new at the time and provides an outlet for examining issues that impact women. “I developed intellectual curiosity at Manhattan,” Montemurro says. “I was interested in women’s issues and gender.” She also credits her valuable mentors in the sociology department for providing guidance and encouragement. “Dr. Mary Ann Groves was a fantastic mentor to me,” Montemurro says. “I’ve been in touch with her through my career. She inspired me to go on to grad school.” After completing her B.A. at Manhattan College, Montemurro applied to Vida Volunteers, an organization in southern Colorado that she learned of through campus ministry and social action. Montemurro says the Urban American Crisis Work class at Manhattan College exposed her to the opportunity to do community volunteer work. For the class, she volunteered in the South Bronx.

“This course made the connection between sociology and community work,” she says. Through Vida, she volunteered for a year as a victim advocate at a crisis agency for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She stayed on for a second year as assistant director of the agency, Tu Casa, Inc. in Alamosa, Colo. Upon returning to the East Coast, Montemurro enrolled in the University of Georgia, where she earned an M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2001). She returned to Riverdale in 2003 when Groves invited her back to be a keynote speaker at Manhattan’s Sociology Department Annual Honor and Awards Dinner. Down the line, Montemurro says she may write another book but has not yet settled on the topic. For now, she will trade wedding traditions for reality TV. Next up, the examination of online communities of reality TV fans for the shows Survivor, Big Brother and The Bachelor. Stay tuned.

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Alumna Writes

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Her Way to Success

An on-air sports reporter at NY1 News, a debut book China Dolls and a possible screenplay in the works all have one thing in common: Michelle Yu ’01. Within just six years of graduating from Manhattan College, the multifaceted Yu has achieved the sort of success that usually comes with a lifetime of experience.

China Dolls, a women’s fiction novel co-authored by Yu and her cousin, Blossom Kan, an attorney, arrived on bookshelves this past February. The book follows three Asian-American friends as they navigate their careers, search for love in the big city and balance Chinese family traditions. Shortly before the book came out, the cousins secured a three-book deal with their publisher St. Martin’s Press and already have started to shop around the China Dolls screenplay with the help of Creative Artists Agency (CAA). “I was just your ordinary student at Manhattan,” Yu says. “I worked hard and went through the stress of finding my first job. I never imagined all of this would happen. I’m very thankful to be where I am at 27.” Back at Manhattan, Yu, who earned her B.A. in communications, says the classes she took with Dr. Ashley Cross, associate professor of English, captured her interest in writing. “She inspired me to write,” Yu says. “I valued her discussions in class. She made writing really enjoyable.” Yet, from the time she was a little girl, Yu says she dreamt of being an on-air sports reporter. During her time at the College, she took advantage of its proximity to New York City and interned at broadcast companies, such as NBC, CBS and MSG. Upon graduating, she took a job in print at the newspaper The Journal News. By 2003, she had transitioned to broadcast with a position at College Sports Television. At the same time, she began to write China Dolls. Two years later, she was hired by NY1 News. Yu says she and Kan share a similar work ethic, which enabled them to work together to write the book. “It was a lot of collaboration,” Yu says of writing China Dolls. “A lot of people

ask about how we co-authored the book. It’s not like we sat in the same room writing together.” Actually, Yu and Kan relied on modern technology and e-mail to communicate quickly, send edits back and forth, and streamline the book into one, coherent voice. Yu says the end result is a book about culture, background and tradition told by female Asian-American characters. “There weren’t a lot of books out there that we could relate to,” she says. “I felt there was a story that should be told about Asian-American women, about living as modern women, but also holding onto the traditions that they were taught at home.” While the novel’s characters may resemble the co-authors in certain ways (characters M.J. and Alex are respectively an on-air sportscaster and lawyer like Yu and Kan), Yu says China Dolls is not autobiographical. “We talked to our friends and used our personal experiences, but everything is blended with fiction,” she says. The journey to publishing the book was not always easy, but Yu says she and Kan were motivated to make China Dolls a success. “We were both determined that the first manuscript we wrote would be published,” Yu says. Within six months, Yu and Kan had completed the manuscript. In January 2004, they headed to the San Diego Writer’s Conference, armed with their manuscript and a clever pitch. “We had two minutes to pitch the agents and had to pay per agent,” she says. “It was kind of like speed dating.” The cousins pitched four agents, one of which was Natasha Kern, who would come to represent them by the summer of 2004. Kern steered the writing duo toward St. Martin’s Press for the book deal and, later on, put them in touch with CAA.

Michelle Yu ’01

Yu describes as the biggest challenge to writing a book. She and Kan made the first round of edits based on Kern’s input before submitting the manuscript to St. Martin’s Press for review. It was another year before the manuscript was sold. From November 2005 until March 2006, the co-authors continued to make more revisions guided by St. Martin’s Press editor Diana Szu.

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“We owe our book to our agent and editor,” Yu says. With one book hot off the presses, Yu is not likely to take a break any time soon. She and Kan are already working on their second book due out in spring 2008 about an Asian-American woman who moves from New York to Los Angeles in pursuit of her dream to become a famous soap actress. “I’d like to continue to pursue my sportscasting career,” Yu says. “I’ve always dreamt of working at ESPN. And, hopefully, one of my books will hit the New York Times bestseller list.” No small feat for this alumna. Her post-Manhattan story has just begun with a likely sequel or two in the works.

For more information about China Dolls, go to: www.chinadollsnovel.com.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

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“She has been just wonderful through the entire journey,” Yu says. “It’s been a wild ride.” Once Kern became involved, the revisions and editing process began, which

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Two Heads

Are Better Than One

Growing up, one might have attributed stepping on a crack to bringing bad luck, well, at least to the stepper’s mother. But Step on a Crack, the new best-seller from James Patterson ’69 and Michael Ledwidge ’92, has hardly been a harbinger of misfortune for either author. In fact, the partnership has been a lucky collaboration for the two Jaspers.

James Patterson ’69

Step on a Crack, a thriller about a New York City detective who races to save a group of prominent hostages from a ruthless criminal mastermind, has been on the New York Times Best Sellers List for more than two months. It’s the first in a new series by Patterson, widely known for his Alex Cross detective series, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, and the first book written with Ledwidge, his fifth co-author who has three crime novels under his belt, including The Narrowback. The teaming up wasn’t coincidental; it was actually the result of some good old-fashioned Jasper networking. The two met when Ledwidge was working on his first novel, The Narrowback, and sent Patterson some chapters, hoping that the seasoned writer could help him get published. Ledwidge explains how he dropped off a few chapters to Patterson’s office — Patterson was still at J. Walter Thompson at the time — and unexpectedly received a call from him that evening. “When the phone rang, I was there with my wife, and just joking around, I said, ‘Honey, that’s James Patterson right now,’” he says. “And I picked up the phone and it was, it was Jim. Not only had he read it, but he liked it, and he asked how he could help.” Patterson helped the aspiring novelist find an agent, and The Narrowback was published in 1999. They stayed in touch, and Ledwidge wrote two more novels, Bad Connection in 2001 and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead in 2003. Then about three years ago, Ledwidge was talking to Patterson about an idea for

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another book, and Patterson asked Ledwidge if he would be interested in working with him. So, how do two people write one novel? As one might expect, there is a lot of collaboration. In the case of Step on a Crack, which was released in February by Little, Brown, Patterson wrote an outline, and Ledwidge reviewed it, adding or subtracting where he saw fit. Ledwidge then did the first draft, and they would look at pages together every month or so. “Basically, I would take a whack at it, and then Jim made it shine,” Ledwidge says with a laugh. There isn’t a whole lot of room for disagreement over plot direction or character development once the writing begins because, as they explain, the outlines are very detailed, so many of the chapters and scenes are hashed out beforehand. Patterson came up with the idea for this one. He was intrigued with the idea of someone interrupting a big, state funeral. “If you watch them, it is incredible — the amount of power and prestige and money that assembles at these state funerals,” Patterson says. “And I thought it would be a very dramatic idea for a thriller.” Then the idea of a policeman, Michael Bennett, emerged. To complicate matters a bit, Bennett’s wife is dying, and he will be left with 10 adopted kids to raise by himself — while he is unraveling a plot to extort money from famous hostages imprisoned in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “Our intent was to do something that was very entertaining, and the notion of somebody who is involved in this kind of negotiation while the wife whom he loves very much is dying, and ultimately he is going to have to manage 10 kids,” Patterson says. “You can’t get much more dramatic than that.” There’s something for everyone in the novel — tragedy, thrills, suspense — as well as a Manhattan College connection. As proud Jaspers, their hero is also an alum. “It [Manhattan College] has actually been a part of my life ever since I was quite young, and definitely it was something to write about,” Ledwidge

says. “It’s funny because in my first book, one of the characters burned down Gaelic Park. In this one, it is a lot nicer to have Bennett be a Jasper.” Just as Alex Cross spawned a series, Mike Bennett will be back. The co-writers are working on another story with their protagonist, who has caught the attention of Hollywood already. Bruce Willis has even expressed some interest in portraying this fictional Jasper on the silver screen. The pair also has another book coming out in July, The Quickie. This time it was Michael Ledwidge ’92 Ledwidge’s idea. He did the first outline, and Patterson contributed his thoughts. Ledwidge then wrote it, and Patterson polished it up. “It’s kind of like Fatal Attraction,” Ledwidge says. “It’s an adventure in which a female cop gets herself into trouble, and she has to kind of make her way back out again.” And if that wasn’t enough, Patterson and Ledwidge are working on a young adult series together, but it’s still a ways off. But for now, these Jaspers are right in step.

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Systems Engineer

Shoots for the Stars When the Dawn mission was temporarily canceled in March 2006 due to technical glitches and budget overruns, Makowski says he was disappointed.

For Joseph Makowski ’73, a typical day on the job consists of preparing a spacecraft that will travel to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in June 2007.

The Dawn mission was eventually reinstated, but Makowski knows from personal experience that this does not always happen. Prior to the Dawn mission, he worked on the Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL), an earth orbiting spacecraft that was built to gather statistics of trees and vegetation coverage. Makowski invested four years on the project, which never launched into space because VCL’s lasers failed to become flight-worthy.

Not so typical for the average employee. Makowski works as the lead systems engineer at Orbital Sciences Corporation, contracted to work on NASA’s Dawn mission, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The interplanetary spacecraft will depart in June 2007 for the asteroids Vesta and Ceres. An autonomous spacecraft (no astronauts aboard), it will collect data about the asteroids, whose varying compositions resemble the nearby planets. “The unique part is that this material has not aggregated together,” Makowski says. “It could be as old as the solar system.” If so, the Dawn mission may unlock some important clues about the formation of planets and the solar system. When the Dawn spacecraft launches, it will take just over four years for it to first travel to Vesta, a rocky, amorphous body. After orbiting Vesta for up to eight months, Dawn will spend another almost three years traveling to Ceres, where it will eventually collect data for six months. Makowski says not much is known about Ceres other than that it may contain liquid, such as water. After the mission ends in 2015, Dawn will continue in perpetual orbit around Ceres. Dawn will be propelled through space via ion propulsion, making it the first operational and purely scientific mission

Joseph Makowski ’73

to use this method. Ion propulsion will thrust the spacecraft to a velocity that is 10 times more than chemical rockets, while at the same time making efficient use of fuel. As a systems engineer, Makowski says he makes sure all of Dawn’s subsystems function in sync. He has worked on the Dawn mission since 2002. “It’s the glue that ties everything together,” says Makowski, referring to the work of his systems engineering team, which consists of nearly 20 people. “The team building part of the job is the most fun. It’s overarching. I make it all work together with the people on my team.” Folded up, the Dawn is a five-foot cube. The deployment of its solar wings extends its width to nearly 70 feet. Fully fueled, Dawn weighs 2,500 pounds. Cameras, infrared detectors and gamma ray neutron spectrometers equip Dawn with gadgets to collect data.

“Persistence is important in doing this job,” he says. “You always have the threat of running into a technology problem or a cost problem.”

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Makowski began his career at Grumman Corporation, where he worked for 21 years on assignments, such as the F-14 fighter and C-2 Navy cargo aircraft. He became involved in Grumman’s space station program in the mid-1980s. “That was my introduction to the space business,” he says. As his career has progressed, Makowski, who earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering at the College, says his well-rounded Manhattan education enabled him to take on the demanding position of systems engineer. “Manhattan College was an excellent place to gain an engineering background,” he says, crediting the program’s breadth of courses with preparing him for the work force. “I always valued my education at Manhattan College. I always felt it added greatly to my professional and personal experience.” After Dawn’s launch, Makowski will have a consultative role in the mission’s activities. As for what’s up next, he will start thinking of that at the end of the summer. For now, nothing definite is written in the stars.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

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Joseph Makowski ’73 (far right, second back from front), lead systems engineer from Orbital Sciences Corporation, with the flight systems engineering team for NASA’s Dawn mission. The Dawn spacecraft is pictured to their left.

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A Little Bit Country … sang in local talent shows. She eventually paired with Nashville songwriter Frank Vinci, who has worked with the likes of Tim McGraw, to complete her first demo tape of three songs by her senior year of high school. “The demo was the best way to start because you have to have something to show someone,” Frechette says. “It didn’t just sound like me singing karaoke songs. They were actual studio songs.”

Nicole Frechette ’06

A born-and-bred Connecticut girl with a talent for country music may seem like an enigma in the tri-state area, but as Nicole Frechette ’06 sings on her latest album, Life Had Other Plans. Her 2006 self-titled country pop album debuts eight tracks of upbeat songs in tune with a crescendo of bass, piano, banjo and fiddle. Recorded in Nashville, Tenn., Frechette’s robust vocals belie her age — she’s only 21 — as she sings of love, life and struggle. “You have to be comfortable with what you want to sing,” says Frechette, whose grandmother exposed her to “real music” by Patsy Cline. “I wanted to sing country. That was the first decision I made.” Not that she shuns country’s present stars. Frechette says she developed her country twang from listening to the likes of the Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain and Leanne Womack. While country music may have been like a second skin for Frechette, the process of making the CD prodded her out of her comfort zone. Starting out, she

With a successful demo under her belt, Frechette entered Manhattan College. She majored in communications, which she says helped her as she transitioned from the demo to making the CD. “I learned about packaging and promotions, marketing, public relations,” she says. “So I realized that if you could hand people a product that they’re impressed with, they’ll actually put more attention into it, and they’ll gravitate more toward it because it’s finished.” Frechette turned to Paul Scialabba, owner of Total Traxx studio in Connecticut, who she had worked with on and off since she was 13. The demo had captured his interest, and he introduced her to his college friend David Northrup, the road drummer for country star Travis Tritt. The two men would co-produce Frechette’s album. At Manhattan, Frechette juggled music and classes. She says, in many ways, she was able to get credit for the CD due to the things she was doing on the side, such as an internship at Sony. “I decided to really incorporate my music into my schooling,” Frechette says. “I took the cooperative internship and my regular internship and my senior seminar — all of them had to do with my music.” She also went to Nashville to immerse herself in the country scene and record the album at the highly respected studio Sound Emporium. “It is important to go down and meet people and rub elbows,” Frechette says

manhattan.edu

of her trips to Nashville. Previously, she traveled mostly in or near Connecticut. On one such trip, she met the writer Kris Bergsnes through a contact at BMI Publishing, a company that licenses the music of artists and protects their copyrights. He wrote some of the songs on her CD and introduced her to other writers. Because Frechette doesn’t write her own lyrics yet, she combed through nearly 1,000 songs in search of just the right ones to record for her CD. The songs are befitting to both her voice and life experiences. To promote her CD, she created a MySpace page and started her own Web site and company. High on her agenda is a permanent move to Tennessee, but for now, Frechette keeps one foot planted in the Northeast and the other in Nashville. This May, she started singing with a band nearly every other Sunday night in Nashville bars and recently got together her own band to perform East Coast gigs. She plans to take advantage of popular festivals and fairs to show her talent, always with an eye on her ultimate goal, a self-sponsored showcase in Nashville. “I want to be able to sing every day because it’s a blessing to be able to sing at all,” she says. “It’s a blessing to be able to do what I want for a living…Plus, the glamour isn’t all that bad.” Ever the realist, Frechette knows she has a lot ahead of her. To pay the bills, she works as a hostess at a local restaurant. She says she realizes that she may have to starve as an artist to get where she wants to be, but no matter, she is in it for the long haul. “It’s a road, and I am going down it,” she says. “There have been lots of bumps, and it’s going to get bumpier, but it’s really all I can do. You kind of just stick with it and see what happens, but I am really excited. I am looking forward to every process and every aspect of it.”

Check out Nicole Frechette at www.nicolefrechette.com or www.myspace.com/nicolefrechette.

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A Little Bit Rock ’N’ Roll Two Jaspers Break into the Music Scene Music made Adam Luaces ’00 put everything on the line. Three years of hard work and a lifetime of musical passion culminated in his first CD, Intention and the Adequacy of Delusion, released last year under the musical name Vonrenzo.

At this stage in his music career, Luaces is at a crossroads. He needs to make a decision about whether to pursue his music full time. Up to this point, he has worked a 9-5 job in the finance sector to fund the CD and pay the rent.

For Luaces, who fondly remembers playing impromptu concerts at Manhattan College on the Quad and roof of Jasper Hall, music has always been the driving force in his life.

Yet, fate may have a hand in steering Luaces in the right direction. He already is working on a second album, Indicates Where You Are, due out in January 2008. In the upcoming months, he will tour as far away as Spain and Ireland to promote his CD.

“I can’t let it go,” says singer/songwriter Luaces, who plays the guitar and piano. “It’s what keeps me up at night. The songs keep coming. It’s powerful.”

“This album was about capturing the feeling of people falling out of love,” he says. As a student at Manhattan, where Luaces majored in finance, he experimented with music under the moniker Eccho with classmate and friend, Farid Khelfaoui. “The two of us started recording a lot of music together,” he says. “It was about getting my feet wet.” Shortly after graduating from Manhattan, Luaces formed BEND, a band whose short run of success included a year-long tour and a performance at the high-profile Jeff Buckley Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame Tribute Concert in July 2003.

Adam Luaces ’00

When BEND dissolved in 2003, Luaces decided to go his own way. He tapped Johnson for his music expertise. The pair met while Luaces was in BEND. Johnson worked at a guitar shop near BEND’s recording studio in Queens, N.Y., where Luaces would browse around. “The stars aligned, and we talked about doing a first album,” he says. “The album really grew organically. The quality is unbelievable when you think about how we did it.”

Despite his recent success, Luaces says he’s not in it for rock stardom or a slew of top 10 hits. It’s the simple things that Luaces takes to heart; he’s thrilled to see his music available on iTunes and cdbaby.com. “Anyone on any continent except maybe Antarctica can get my music,” he says. “To have it at the fingertips of people all over the world is awesome.”

Check out Adam Luaces at www.myspace.com/vonrenzo.

Luaces admits that he has been practicing for this moment for a long time. Even the experimental music he made as Eccho back at Manhattan was training for the eventual creation of his CD.

During this time, Luaces also started his own record label, Ladyluckless Reckads, with the foresight that he would probably pursue his own musical direction down the line. The move paid off, protecting his publishing rights for the release of his current CD.

manhattan.edu

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

He describes the CD, which he co-wrote and produced with Kyle “Slick” Johnson (of Fischerspooner and Modest Mouse fame), as “ambient pop” music. His songs evoke the likes of Dave Matthews, Jeff Buckley and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco).

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“If you want it bad enough, you can do it,” Luaces says, about making headway with his music career. “You have to be prepared when the opportunity arises, so practicing all along is important.”

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At Home with the

Homeless

When Caitlin Harr Reilly ’05 graduated from Manhattan and chose the unconventional path of interning at Jan Hus Church and Neighborhood House in New York City, she knew it was exactly what she needed to do. “I wanted to spend at least some time directly applying the skills I gained in college to helping people,” Reilly says. As a social justice intern for two and one-half years, Reilly juggled a number of tasks, most of which involved direct contact with poor and homeless people in New York City. Her daily routine ranged from counseling clients through everyday emergencies to planning and implementing activities and events. She coordinated the church’s Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program (HOAP), helping to run its weekly dinner program, and organized food and toiletry drives in conjunction with the International Preschool program. Reilly also assisted with grant writing, edited HOAP’s newsletter and worked on writing and art workshops. As curator of the church’s art gallery, she helped plan the May 2007 Circle of Arts event, an exhibit and sale of art by homeless people and their supporters. “It’s a lifestyle kind of job,” Reilly says, acknowledging that as a full-time intern she lived in church housing, attended Mass regularly and participated in the requisite volunteer and committee work. For food and personal necessities, she received a small, biweekly stipend. For someone as determined as Reilly, the path to Jan Hus was not always clear cut. When she entered Manhattan, she was a biology major, but that changed after Sept. 11. Media coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks intrigued Reilly, who says she wanted to understand the reactions of people around the world and the events unfolding around her. She began studying government and religion and recalls memorable classes, including Jesus with Dr. Donald Gray, professor of religious studies, and Global Issues Seminar with Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of the international studies program. “I had so many classes that affected me,” says Reilly, who earned a B.A. in religious studies with a minor in peace studies. “I had professors who really taught me a lot, and I’m grateful for that.” At Manhattan, Reilly joined the community service-oriented Alpha Upsilon Pi during her junior and senior years. For the local sorority, she organized events, such as the People Auction, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

manhattan.edu

Caitlin Harr Reilly ’05

Although Reilly chose her career path of her own volition, she says social justice work runs in the family. The daughter of community organizers, Reilly says her parents have always served as role models. Her father, John Reilly ’75, is executive director of the nonprofit Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, and her mother, Lois Harr, is an adjunct instructor in religious studies at Manhattan College and directs the campus ministry and social action office. “Growing up in a household with two community organizers led me to believe that individual people and groups of people are the ones who can change the world,” she says. “You don’t have to be the president or the pope. In your own little community, you can have a big effect.” Undeterred by change, Reilly continues to follow in her parents’ footsteps. In March, she accepted a new job at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a larger organization that provides emergency relief services around the world and protects human rights. She will take on a more administrative position as the customer service coordinator in IRC’s New York office. The move will be a homecoming of sorts, as she also will return to live in the Bronx. “At Jan Hus, I worked very locally with the homeless in my own backyard,” says Reilly, who feels the variety of tasks she handled there have prepared her for new challenges. “It was a really good first job for me, but it was time for a change. In the future, I would like to get into events-based fundraising for nonprofits.” And that’s exactly where she hopes her new position at the IRC will lead. Never a stranger to change, Reilly’s versatility should serve her well in her next endeavor.

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Continued from pg. 37 –

Alumnotes

’94 Erika Duthiers joined the business litigation team of Nixon Peabody LLP as an associate in its Rochester, N.Y., office. She was previously employed at the firm’s New York City office. Nixon Peabody LLP is one of the largest law firms in the United States with more than 600 attorneys in 16 office locations. The firm was named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2006 by FORTUNE magazine.…Friends and family of Fr. Eugene Hamilton gathered for Mass at St. Peter’s Church in Haverstraw, N.Y., on Jan. 28 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of his death. He died in 1997, just a few hours after his ordination. ’95 City Hall News honored N.Y. State Senator José M. Serrano as one of the “Rising Stars: The Next Generation of Political Leaders in New York,” which

recognized 35 leaders under the age of 40 who are viewed as an influential part of the new generation of New York leadership that will shape the future political landscape.

’96 Katherine Giles is an intern in emergency and critical care at Anne Arundell Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Annapolis, Md.…Lisa Murphy-Church works at TIME Magazine as a consumer marketing manager. ’98

Joshua Marler joined Hunt Power, L.P. as director of business development with a focus on national account customers. Hunt Power, L.P. is the leading expert in energy data management for multisite energy users.

’01 Christopher Suriano is engaged to Dena Burlage. An August 2007 wedding is planned. ’03 Natalie H. Diaz works on the trading floor at Deutsche Bank. ’04 Melissa Shea works in the managerial training program in public relations for Raytheon. ’05 Christopher Scala and Alicia Johnston ’06 became engaged on July 14, 2006.

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Marriages Olivia Pittet & Michael B. Crowley, 12/06

1975

Gretchen Hess & John L. Daly, 8/06

1982

Stephanie Nina Donohue & George Pilla, 12/31/06

1992

Donna S. Vulin & Robert Reimers, 10/1/06

1993

Adrienne Roman & Steven Nelson, 11/4/06

1996

Susana Maria Ferreira & Brian Louis Mosiello, 5/13/06 Elisabeth Petschauer & Kent Shipman, 7/15/06

2003

Irene Mary Phelan & Declan James Mulcahy III ’05, 8/12/06

2005

Marisa Primiano & Jonathan Van Orden ’04, 8/18/06

Advanced Degrees 1973

Frederick J. Penna received an M.S. in information systems engineering from Polytechnic University.

Jasper Has Top Spot at Prestigious Honor Society A respected accountant with a penchant for community service, Ken Bouyer ’90 currently presides as international president of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), the international honor society that recognizes financial information students and professionals. Professionally, Bouyer works as national director for business risk services at Ernst & Young (E&Y), a company he has served since graduating from Manhattan College more than 15 years ago with a B.S. in accounting. He pulls double duty as a member of E&Y’s Business Risk Services Americas leadership team and subject matter specialist for many of the company’s internal audit teams. His client rolodex includes Chevron, IBM and Proctor & Gamble, among others. Outside of work, Bouyer dedicates his time to the advancement of education initiatives in the accounting realm. Prior to his BAP presidency, he chaired the honor society’s International Advisory Forum from 2000-03. He has served on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Pre-certification Education Executive Committee and the pre-test task force for the new computer-based CPA exam. For his service to the profession and education of accounting, he was awarded the Practitioner Service Award by the Federation for the Schools of Accountancy (FSA). He also has served on FSA’s board of directors. Bouyer holds memberships in the National Association of Black Accountants and the Institute of Internal Auditors, for which he contributes to its Web cast steering committee.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

1963

He resides in New Jersey with his wife, Shorn, and daughter, Kelsie. continued on page 46

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Continued from pg. 45 –

Alumnotes

Births 1989

Lisa Fernandez & Joseph Miletich son Samuel Joseph, 11/13/06

1991

Catherine (Fitzpatrick) Bevan & Tim Bevan son Eamon Oteil, 8/06 Peggy & Brendan Lynch twins Ciara Aileen & Aidan Patrick

1992

Jennifer (Tolan) Lawson & John Lawson daughter Jillian Bianca, 10/6/06

1993

Kimberly & John Bruzzese son Michael Logan, 12/12/06 Karen (Sebbesse) Mayal & Tim Mayal son Joseph Edward, 9/7/06

1997

Jo Anne (Cifu) Valentino & James Valentino son Andrew James, 12/28/06

1998

Ellen & Edward Browne daughter Nora Patricia, 6/05 Daina & Blaise Grippa son Blaise James, 3/2/06

1994

Dyan (Galvin) Moclair & Kevin Moclair son Aidan Joseph, 6/6/06

2000

1996

Lisa Murphy-Church & Patrick Church daughter Fiona Maire, 9/11/06

Meredith (Smith) Traietta & Joseph Traietta son Tyler Joseph, 7/23/06

2002

Jessica (Folden) Constantine & Peter Constantine ’99, son James Peter, 12/19/06

1954

Patrick W. Clarke, 8/21/06 Roger Philip Maickel, 12/26/06 Michael J. McManus, 2/3/07

1955

Edward G. Dooley, 1/29/07 Robert J. Fontaine, 12/24/06

1956

John W. Cahill, 2/5/07 James R. Jones, M.D., 2/12/07

1957

John C. Parr, 10/17/02

1958

Joseph J. Harrington, Ph.D., 10/9/06 Thomas D. Reynolds, 1/3/07 Richard H. Welsh Jr., 8/27/06

1959

John A. Fusco, 7/15/06 Thomas Gilliamsen, 1/31/07

1960

Thomas F. Baker, 4/5/07 George W. Bruno, 9/21/06 Robert Maurice Regazzi, 10/8/06

1961

David Clohesy, 9/9/06 Lt. Col. Michael C. Fleming, 12/1/06

1963

John M. Conrad Sr., 12/23/06 John F. Kelly, Ph.D., 10/7/06 William T. O’Leary, 3/4/07

1964

James J. Jones, 11/14/06 Robert Pereira, 4/11/06 James R. Weissensee, 11/24/00

1965

Jerome A. McBride, 11/11/06

1967

Richard N. Eagan, 12/2/06 Peter J. Mack, 7/30/06

1969

Daniel F. Armstrong, 1/22/07 Edward J. Kelsey, 2/15/07 Francis P. Todaro, 8/18/06

In Memoriam Manhattan College records with sorrow the deaths of the following alumni:

1931

Nicholas Virgilio, 8/21/96

1947

Joseph I. Farrell, 4/1/06

1932

Thomas D. Virgilio, 7/23/88

1948

1934

Dominic F. Cundari, 9/16/06

1935

Francis G. Casey Jr., M.D., 10/7/06 William F. Heuer Jr., 8/12/06 John H. Holder, 1/22/07

William A. Miele, 11/8/06 Paul G. Nicholson, 1/20/07 Rudolph F. Procario, M.D., 10/25/06

1936 1938

1939

1940

1949

Alfred J. Blake, 10/15/06 Thomas X. Keefe Sr., 11/22/06 Msgr. Maurice Cameron Lahey, 1/21/07 Donato P. Rafti, 12/29/06 Albert Virgilio, 5/13/05 Hugo R. Virgilio, M.D., 10/1/92

1950

Edward S. Berry, 2/16/07 Joseph M. Bove, M.D., 11/17/06 Raymond Patrick Mooney, 11/12/06 James F.X. O’Rourke, M.D., 8/4/06 Frank Campanella, 12/30/06 James J. Corbalis Jr., 9/5/06 Victor A. Mangini, 2/4/07 Robert J. Martin Jr., 1/25/07 William C. Pope, 1/20/07 Joseph A. Zeitler, 8/9/06

1951

1941

Edward F. Larkin, 6/25/06

1952

1943

George J. Crowe, Ph.D., 10/28/06 Thomas J. Madden, 12/21/06 Edward A. Wantuck, 6/22/06

1944

Joseph F. Baigas Jr., 11/28/06 Harold F. Rock, Esq., 11/2/06

1945

Daniel J. Kiely Jr., 5/29/06 Frederick T. Kinney, 10/17/05

manhattan.edu

1953

Merrill Baryla, 8/15/05 Francis R. Burde, 9/26/03 Robert Augustine Fennell, 7/7/06 Vincent J. LaRocca, 1/23/07 John M. McGuinness, 6/5/05 John M. Redington Sr., 1/22/07 Peter Reynolds, 3/4/07 Peter Joseph Weiden, 8/16/06 Leonard J. Weireter, 10/18/06 Charles P. Covino, Ph.D., 2/3/07 Michael D. Cuozzo, 12/26/06 Richard P. Keck, 10/20/06 Walter J. Krauss, 11/16/06 John J. Osborne, 10/23/06 Michael P. Reidy, 9/18/06 John P. Urell, 7/1/06 Robert C. Archibald, 3/22/05 James F. Irish, 1/10/07 George Kiessling, 8/17/06 John Thomas Murray, 11/11/06 James P. Philbin Jr., 9/25/06 Mortimer C. Shea, Esq., 3/11/03 Richard L. Emerich, 6/22/06 George S. Fidone, 7/25/06 John J. McCarthy Jr., 12/20/06 James T. Nilan, 2/13/07 Thomas Flynn, 3/5/06 Theodore J. Mezzacapo, 9/18/06 Dennis C. Smith, 9/16/06 Francis B. Stein, 7/9/06 Leslie E. VanMarter, 7/26/06

continued on page 47

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Brother Conrad Timothy Burris,

former dean of the school of engineering “After he retired and no longer attended professional meetings, everybody always asked about Conrad Burris,” says Helen Hollein, professor emeritus of chemical engineering and a member of Manhattan College’s board of trustees. “They had tremendous respect for him as our founding chair and an ultimate professional.”

Brother Conrad Timothy Burris, F.S.C., former dean of the school of engineering and founder of the chemical engineering department at Manhattan College, died on Feb. 9. He was 82. Born on May 17, 1924 in Edmonton, Alberta, Br. Conrad joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1950. He was named an instructor in Manhattan College’s chemistry department in 1955. In the ensuing four decades, Br. Conrad established the department of chemical engineering on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and served as professor, department chairperson and eventually dean of the school of engineering. His tireless work in building the chemical engineering department led to the graduation of Manhattan College’s first class of chemical engineering students in 1961. The department was accredited by the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development in 1964 and re-accredited in 1970 and 1976. “I had him as a student, both for undergraduate and graduate courses,” says Daniel P. O’Shea ’68, former senior vice president, central research, at Pfizer. “His dedication and persistence were instrumental in the [chemical engineering] department’s growth. He knew his subject matter, and he wanted students who wanted to learn.” In addition to his work with the undergraduate department, Br. Conrad also was involved in the establishment in 1967 of the College’s design-oriented graduate program in chemical engineering. The unique graduate program was supported by several major chemical firms, which actively participated by providing part-time employment and on-the-job training for master’s degree candidates.

1970

1971

Nicholas J. Daniello, 12/12/06 James J. DeLigio, 12/15/06 Sister Mary Leona Mombourquette, 11/3/06 Rosaire Downey, 9/30/06 Kenneth J. Murphy, 11/2/06 Francis H. O’Neill, 2/6/07 James A. Taravella, 12/13/06

He also assisted in establishing an industry-sponsored research institute on the Manhattan College campus. This organization, Particulate Solid Research, Inc. (PSRI), began operation in June 1970 with the active support of 15 industrial sponsors. Br. Conrad served on the board of directors of PSRI from 1970-1980 and was secretary of the corporation from 1970-1976. From 1956 to 1967, in addition to his normal teaching duties, Br. Conrad supervised individual student research under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 1965, he received a $27,000 grant from the NSF to develop a laboratory in engineering materials.

In 2002, alumni and friends of the Manhattan College chemical engineering department established the Brother Conrad Timothy Burris Endowment, a chemical engineering tuition and research scholarship. The endowment provides both scholarship assistance to attract the brightest chemical engineering students and research stipends to foster collaboration between chemical engineering faculty and students. To date, the endowment has raised $850,000 toward its goal of $1 million. “We had identified three important initiatives, the first two of which were to attract high quality students and faculty. The Burris Endowment emanated from that,” says O’Shea, who served as chair of the Chemical Engineering Consultors committee that helped establish the endowment in Br. Conrad’s honor. “Third, we wanted to bring in research funding that would serve as an incentive to both groups.”

In 1971, Br. Conrad was named dean of the school of engineering, a position he held for the next 10 years. After stepping down as dean, he served as professor of chemical engineering until 1995, when he was given the title of professor emeritus upon his retirement from the College.

Br. Conrad received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alberta. He earned his Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America. He was a member of several organizations, including the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Association of Engineering Colleges of New York State, for which he served as both vice president (1975-76) and president (1976-1980).

1973

Kevin P. McEvoy, 1/16/06

1984

1974

Brian O’Toole, 12/18/06

1977

Cruz Castellanos, 7/5/01 Catherine (McMorrow) Kealey, 10/15/06 John L. Kemple, 11/16/96

Stephen Angelovich, 1/4/07 Dianne Angioletti, 9/3/06 Kevin C. Teller, 8/30/06

1987

Thomas J. Carducci, 1/20/07

1990

Scott A. Spivey, 10/24/06

2003

Gregory Williams, 12/10/06

1982

alumnotes

4/18/07

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

MC_2007_Spring_30

Katherine Goodwin Snyder, 11/10/06 manhattan.edu

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Dr. Charles P. Covino ’50, dedicated alumnus and inventor Dr. Charles P. Covino ’50, founder of General Magnaplate Corporation and for whom the College’s Covino Room honors, died on Feb. 3. He was 83. A graduate of Manhattan College and the University of Alabama, Covino was born in 1923 and served his country during World War II in the South Pacific. Following the war in 1952, he founded the General Magnaplate Corp., which developed cutting-edge metal coating technology that was instrumental in the success of NASA’s space program. Today, the company improves productivity throughout many industries across the globe. Originally established in a small garage in Hoboken, N.J., General Magnaplate currently has four plants in the United States, licensees in several continents and is run by Covino’s daughter, Candida C. Aversenti, who also sits on Manhattan College’s board of trustees. “The founding of the space program and that whole era for the United States, it was a very exciting time in our country’s history,” Aversenti says. “For my father to be such a part of it, it definitely was a source of pride. It is still something that people associated with General Magnaplate hold near and dear to our hearts.”

John Daly,

Affectionately known as “Doc,” Covino had the opportunity to work alongside some of the world’s most powerful leaders, including NASA head Wernher Von Braun and Edward Teller on the hydrogen bomb. As a result of the association with NASA, every American space vehicle since NASA’s inception has included thousands of individual parts coated by Magnaplate. Some of these parts are on display in the Covino Room on the second floor of Manhattan College’s O’Malley Library. The Covino Room was dedicated on Jan. 22, 2006, and is filled with articles, photos, artifacts and milestones that tell the story of Covino’s endless achievements — achievements Covino significantly credited to the Brothers at the College. “My father always felt that without the Brothers of Manhattan College nurturing him along, he would not have accomplished what he did,” Aversenti adds. “He felt very indebted to them for taking an interest in him and nurturing his talents. I don’t think he would have been as successful if not for their bedrock foundation.” In World War II, he was stationed in Japan under the leadership of General MacArthur and fostered an alliance between American and Japanese students

A distinctly dedicated member of the Manhattan College community for more than 20 years, Daly served the College with unsurpassed loyalty, professionalism, wisdom, enthusiasm and strength. His devotion to his family, community and charitable causes were the signature of his character. “John Daly’s untimely death is a great loss to the Manhattan College community,” says Brother Thomas Scanlan, president of Manhattan College. “He will be missed as much for who he was, a person totally

manhattan.edu

Covino attended the University of Alabama’s school of engineering. Following his return from the South Pacific, he enrolled at Manhattan College and concluded his studies as a graduate student at New York University. He holds countless patents and numerous honors and awards, including an honorary doctorate degree from Manhattan College. In addition, Covino was an accomplished pilot and won accolades for showing and breeding American Saddlebred horses on his farm in Ringoes, N.J. Covino is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughter Candida; son-in-law Edmund Aversenti; five granddaughters; and three great-grandchildren.

vice president for finance John Daly, vice president for finance, died suddenly on Jan. 8. He was 50.

and civilians, which resulted in a joined track and field event in 1945. After the war, his continuing efforts and negotiation skills lead to Japan’s participation in the 1952 Olympic Games.

dedicated to Manhattan and who cared passionately about each member of our academic community, as for what he was, a competent CFO who thoroughly knew the College’s finances, stewarded our resources prudently and planned for our future financial needs.” A former resident of Riverdale, Daly joined Manhattan College as controller in 1985 and became vice president for finance in 1998. He was a member of the National Association of College/University Business Officers. While Daly constantly worked to improve the life of Manhattan College’s students,

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Dr. George J. Crowe ’43, Ph.D., professor emeritus of physics and former chairman of the physics department

“George had the perfect personality for a department chairperson — always unflappable, unruffled — the calm eye at the center of the storm whirling around him,” says Dr. Edward Brown, dean of the school of science. While he worked at the College, Crowe was also involved in local politics in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., the same town where he and his wife, Kassa, raised their 11 children. Crowe was elected village trustee and then deputy mayor of Mt. Kisco in the 1970s. Kassa Crowe remembers her late husband as a dedicated father who always made time for his children despite many work and political activities.

he was also extremely dedicated to his local community. A resident of Eastchester, N.Y., Daly was a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale, N.Y., and was an active coach in the Immaculate Heart of Mary CYO basketball program and the Kingsbridge Little League. “John loved coaching,” said George Kuzma ’94, business manager at Manhattan College, in his eulogy. “John spent most of his free time coaching not only his sons’ baseball and basketball teams but also other area teams as well. He loved coaching because he loved the enthusiasm of the children.”

Crowe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1921. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Manhattan College and went on to complete his master’s in education from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1947. He also completed a master’s and doctorate in physics at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pa. A World War II veteran, Crowe served in the U.S. Army from 1943-46. Upon his return from service, he briefly joined Manhattan to teach classes in general physics and general science. When he departed from the College to pursue his doctorate in 1948, Crowe continued to work in various teaching posts. In Pennsylvania, he taught at St. Vincent College and Seton Hill College. For most of his tenure at Seton Hill College, where he worked from 19481964, Crowe ran the one-man physics department. He organized its major program and taught a variety of classes ranging from thermodynamics to electricity and magnetism.

“He had perseverance,” Kassa says. “We already had three children when he started his Ph.D., and by the end of it, we had 10. It took a lot of determination to provide for such a large family. I always admired him for that.”

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Crowe excelled as a professor, local politician and family man. During his 23-year career at Manhattan, he taught and helped to develop the physics department’s Modern Physics Laboratory course by implementing his expertise in X-ray techniques as applied to solid-state systems. He served as chairperson of the department for two terms from 1968-1976.

“He was loyal and very intelligent,” she says. “He enjoyed spending time with his children.”

Crowe resumed his teaching post at Manhattan College in 1965, where he worked until retiring in 1986. Three of his children, John ’76, Daniel ’82 and Patrick ’86, are Manhattan graduates. During his career, Crowe was a member of the American Physical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers and the scientific research society Sigma Xi, which honors excellence in scientific achievement. In addition to Kassa, Crowe is survived by his 11 children, 15 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Born John Robert Daly on July 23, 1956 in Carle Place, N.Y., Daly attended Carle Place High School and graduated from St. John’s University in Queens.

“I worked closely with John for 20 years and he was my friend,” Br. Thomas says. “I miss his support, humor, advice and companionship.”

“John had one glaring flaw that I reminded him of whenever I had the chance; he graduated from St. John’s, not Manhattan,” Kuzma added. “But he was a Jasper at heart, and he embodied the true Lasallian tradition on which Manhattan College was founded.”

Daly is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Doyle Daly; his two children, John and Matthew; his two sisters Kathi Gunyan and Marianne Phillips; and numerous nieces and nephews.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

Dr. George J. Crowe ’43, Ph.D., professor emeritus of physics and former chairman of the physics department, died on Oct. 28, 2006. He was 85 years old.

In addition to being a faithful Jasper, he was more than just a colleague to many on campus.

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Dr. James F.X. O’Rourke ’39, M.D.,

former mayor of Yonkers, N.Y., and director of ophthalmology at Westchester Medical Center

Dr. James F.X. O’Rourke ’39, M.D., former mayor of Yonkers, N.Y., and director of ophthalmology at Westchester Medical Center (WMC), died on Aug. 4, 2006. He was 86 years old. O’Rourke touched many lives in different ways. A chameleon of talents, he was no ordinary doctor. For those who knew him, O’Rourke may have been an eye specialist, mayor, devoted family man, businessman, athlete on the New York Giants, courageous soldier, singer or friendly magician in the local café. “He was outgoing, gregarious, a great storyteller, thoughtful, deeply intelligent and very religious,” says Kathy Rittinger ’74, one of O’Rourke’s daughters. The death of a medical school friend, Brian Murphy, from cancer of the optic nerve, fueled O’Rourke’s inspiration to become an eye doctor. He directed the ophthalmology department at WMC, was an associate chairman and professor of ophthalmology at New York Medical College and treated patients in his private office in Yonkers, N.Y. O’Rourke plunged into politics in the 1960s when he served as councilman in Yonkers. Former Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller appointed him as mayor of Yonkers in 1966 to replace John E. Flynn upon his election to the U.S. Senate.

Miroslav Turek,

Turek was born on Aug. 7, 1910, into a large family. Throughout his childhood, his parents instilled in him a love for learning, and he learned several languages in addition to his native Czech. Turek completed his doctoral studies in liberal arts and economics from Charles University at Prague. Later, his love for languages took him to France, where he trained in the brokerage business and worked at a French glass company before joining the Czechoslovak army as a reserve officer. manhattan.edu

Amid his careers in medicine and politics, O’Rourke added businessman to his repertoire. He helped to found Hudson Valley Bank in 1972 and served as its director and chairman. Born in the roaring ’20s, O’Rourke grew up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, N.Y. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Manhattan College, where he was also president of the glee club. O’Rourke went to medical school at Georgetown University and later completed his residency in ophthalmology at Columbia Presbyterian Eye Institute. O’Rourke met his future wife, Evelyn Cooke, as a student at Manhattan College. Cooke, who attended the nearby College of Mount Saint Vincent, crossed paths with O’Rourke at the local malt shop. “They met because of the connection between the two colleges,” Rittinger says. “It was love at first sight, and they never saw another human being after that.” At Georgetown, O’Rourke played football for the Washington Presidents, a minor league team. He later starred in three exhibition games with the New York Giants before being cut.

The eruption of World War II transported O’Rourke to France, where he was stationed as an Army surgeon. For his wartime valor, he earned a purple heart for shrapnel wounds and a bronze star for another time that he crossed enemy lines with two comrades to save a wounded American soldier. At the medal ceremony, O’Rourke sang Recondita Armonia from Puccini’s Tosca before an audience that included Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. In light of O’Rourke’s accomplishments and talents, Rittinger says his greatest success was “raising a family of 13 children.” Rittinger also recalls her father’s love of entertaining children with his infamous disappearing coin trick. “He’d see a child in a coffee shop, and he’d approach him,” she says. “Invariably, the coin would find its way into the child’s ear or nose. It meant that much to him to see a child laugh.” In addition to Rittinger, O’Rourke is survived by his other children: Eileen Hoffnagle, Tara Howard, Colleen Kensinger, Kerry Malitoris, Brendan O’Rourke, Brian O’Rourke ’74, James O’Rourke, Kevin O’Rourke ’77, Michael O’Rourke, Sean O’Rourke, Ann Romanovsky and Mary Wojtusiak.

former professor of history and celebrated Czech diplomat

Miroslav Turek, former professor of history at Manhattan College, died on Sept. 3, 2006, shortly after his 96th birthday. He taught European history and diplomacy to his students but also lived and breathed it in his own life as a vigorous promoter of his beloved country, the Czech Republic.

O’Rourke was elected to a second term and later led the New York State Committee to Elect Ronald Reagan.

Turek’s life journey took many turns. He lived a life of struggle, courage, perseverance and honor, and always with the Czech Republic in mind. During World War II, Turek served as the aide de camp of the Czechoslovak Brigade in England. He planned and organized the Free Czech forces and set out on numerous speaking tours to help educate the British people about Czechoslovakia. In 1944, Jan Masaryk, who was the Czechoslovak foreign minister at the time, had been living in exile in London. Masaryk asked Turek to fly over enemy lines to France and reopen the Czech embassy previously shut down by German soldiers. This courageous act jump-started his diplomatic career.

From 1944 to 1948, Turek served as a leading diplomat for the Czechoslovak while living in Paris. He was instrumental in re-establishing the Czech diplomatic ties in Paris until 1948, when the communist coup d’etat ultimately put an end to his diplomatic post. It was during this time of trouble and instability that he also met and married Ludmila Turek, his wife of nearly 60 years. “That’s where I very much admired Miro’s great courage,” says Ludmila, who explained that he had to make the difficult decision to leave, to move to the United States where they didn’t know anyone. New to the United States, Turek worked with the Free Europe Committee, which supported refugees and the resistance

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Alfonse R. Petrocine, Esq., Alfonse R. Petrocine, Esq., retired associate professor of business law, died on Jan. 23, 2007. He was 79 years old. Doubling as both a professor and lawyer, Petrocine’s teaching career at Manhattan College spanned nearly 50 years. His private law practice, which he began in 1953, specialized in settling estates, surrogate’s court and trusts. “He put 110 percent into his law course,” says his son, Robert Petrocine ’80. “He was very proud to be associated with such a leading educational institution as Manhattan.” Despite his course’s 8 a.m. time slot, Petrocine’s colleagues recall its popularity with students. “The students loved him,” says Brother William Batt, F.S.C, a former chairperson of the business school’s department of accounting/law/CIS. “He always made classes interesting and had a great sense of humor. As a co-worker, he was a delight.” During his long tenure at the College, Petrocine adapted to changing times with grace and enthusiasm. “He grew over time,” says Dr. James Suarez, dean of Manhattan’s school of business. “As responsibilities changed, he grew with them.”

against enemy occupation. He worked nights at a nearby hospital as part of the cleaning staff and, during the day, studied at Columbia University, where he earned a master’s degree in international relations. Soon after, he began teaching European history and diplomacy to students at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. In 1955, he was asked to teach at Manhattan College, where he added a course in diplomatic relations and continued to teach for more than 30 years. While he was a professor at Manhattan, he and his wife opened their home to students for dinner and discussions. Everyone would enjoy a meal together and, even more so, engage in discussions and debates about world problems and current international affairs. “Miroslav was like a father to his students,” Ludmila says. “He found many of them to be gifted.”

retired associate professor of business law

Suarez recalls that when Manhattan’s school of business attained accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) in 2004, faculty were encouraged to pursue additional forms of scholarship, such as publishing articles in refereed journals. “Al was one of the crucial faculty members to pursue scholarship,” Suarez says. “By publishing, Al got other people to do it.” Born in New York City in 1927, Petrocine spent his lifetime living and working in New York City and the Bronx. He obtained a B.B.A. in accounting from the College of the City of New York. From 1946-47, he served in the U.S. military before resuming his education to earn an LL.B. (1952) and J.D. (1968) from Fordham Law School. He also edited the Fordham Law Review. Petrocine first joined the College in 1957 as a part-time instructor of law in the school of engineering. In 1961, when he was working as an assistant district attorney for Bronx County, Petrocine became a full-time instructor in the accounting department of the school of business. He went on to attain the status of associate professor of business law and served as chairperson of the department of accounting/law/CIS from

He inspired them, she adds, and recalls that at the first one of these sessions, Turek told his students to not just study history but to live history — an adage he’d share time and again. In his eulogy, Turek’s son, Thomas Turek, said that in later years, his father’s greatest satisfaction was staying in touch with his students and building lifelong relationships with them. One of them, Ambassador Ted McNamara, recently confided in Thomas that he probably would not have entered the U.S. Foreign Service had it not been for Turek’s influence. “He always helped others before helping himself,” Ludmila says. “He made so many friends. There are so many people around the world who know him. I still receive letters in the mail from people who remember him.” In his retirement, Turek, who resided in Riverdale not far from the College’s

2000-01. He retired in 2004. “He was completely dedicated to the College,” Suarez says. “His life was his family, the College and the law.” Paralleling his teaching career at Manhattan, Petrocine’s law practice flourished. As a member of the New York Bar Association and Bronx County Bar Association, he was admitted to the U.S. Federal Court, Southern and Eastern District (1961); U.S. Supreme Court (1968) and U.S. Tax Court (1992). He served as director of the Bronx County Bar Association, arbitrator of the New York Stock Exchange and co-chairman of the Surrogate’s Court Committee. In 2003, Bronx County honored him with an award to commemorate 50 years of successful law practice.

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Petrocine also immersed himself in community activities. He served as both executive secretary and later president of the Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Marble Hill Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife, Mona; and three children, Debra ’78, Robert ’80 and Theresa ’83.

campus, continued to give lectures well into his 80s and did not tire from promoting his homeland. In fact, in June of 2004, Turek was awarded the Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit Award by Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda. The award is given to individuals and institutions for their exceptional work in promoting the Czech Republic and its culture abroad. With a lifelong passion for music and the arts, Turek had been instrumental in organizing concerts for the Czech Philharmonic and promoting renowned American artists in the Czech Republic as well.

e-mail your news to alumnotes@manhattan.edu

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Manhattan College held a memorial service in his honor on campus in November. Turek is survived by his wife, Ludmila; son, Thomas; daughter-in-law, Jennifer; and grandchildren, Ian and Helen. He is predeceased by his son Peter. manhattan.edu

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Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani â&#x20AC;&#x2122;65 joins fellow Jaspers in celebrating St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day on March 17 in Manhattan.

Published by the Office of College Relations Manhattan College 4513 Manhattan College Parkway Riverdale, NY 10471 Volume Thirty-Three, Number One Spring 2007

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