4/18/07
6:18 PM
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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.
alumni events
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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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