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A Campaign for Growth to Meet the Increasing Demand for a Technical Workforce
SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR SPECIAL UPCOMING EVENTS!
CAR SHOW Sponsored by Thaddeus Stevens Alumni Association
10 a.m.– 1:30 p.m.
4 Admission $10 4 Great Door Prizes 4 Award Ceremony at 1 p.m. 4 Music 4 Food & Beverage Concessions
Customs Motorcycles Trucks Oldest Original Street Rods Imports
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750 East King Street Lancaster, PA 17602-3198 www.stevenscollege.edu
With your support we can continue to change lives through technical education.
740 East End Avenue Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 295-9666 1-800-571-7324 Fax: (717) 295-9652 Federal Tax I.D. #23-6406980
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John Yurchak, Jr. ’60, Foundation President Scott TrowerThaddeus ’80, Alumni Association President Stevens Alex B. MunroCollege ’60, Executive Director of T echnology amunro@stevenscollege.edu US STE DE Sophia E. Weibel, Editor seweibel@stevenscollege.edu ge n Mike Brady ‘05, Designer oGraphic f Te c h brady@stevenscollege.edu ◆ NS VE
The Tower is a service of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation and Alumni Association. It is published quarterly. Current circulation is 7,500 to alumni, parents, trustees, faculty, corporations and friends.
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TROPHY CLASSES
Saturday, September 28, 2013
The Thaddeus Stevens Foundation is registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in compliance with its charitable organization law, and copies of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania 1-800-7320999. Registration does not imply endorsement by the Commonwealth.
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Greetings…..
T
he movie Lincoln provided the general public with a powerful but limited snap shot of Thaddeus Stevens. It showed his strong commitment to social justice and the abolition of slavery, while providing a glimpse of his political acumen and skill. Stevens was committed to fighting oppression and helping the needy and downtrodden wherever he encountered them. The film did not illuminate another important aspect of this great man; his philanthropy. Whether it was his money or legal skills, Thaddeus Stevens gave generously to those in need. The poverty, discrimination, and pain he experienced in his childhood compelled him to do everything in his power to prevent or ameliorate suffering in others.
From The President’s Desk William E. Griscom
Today we work to inculcate this philanthropic value in our students by teaching and encouraging them to give back. This is accomplished through the over 6,000 hours of community service provided by our grant students and in a number of other ways which include: singing Christmas carols to the elderly at Conestoga View; food drives for the victims of natural disasters; fund raisers for Christmas gifts for children of our students who are single parents; masonry work at the cemetery in which Thaddeus Stevens is buried; clothing drives for the Crispus Attucks Community Center; volunteer work for a playground for disabled children; cleaning a local stream and many, many other endeavors. This tradition of service continues when our students graduate. Our alumni across the Commonwealth generously give of their time and treasure to community service projects, which include but are not limited to: scouting, coaching, church sponsored assistance to those in need, Meals on Wheels, special Olympics, Disabled Veterans of America, Be an Angel Foundation for special needs children, Habitat for Humanity and a myriad of other activities. I am now asking you as alumni and friends of the College to give back once again. This time to your alma mater, as we need to raise $1 million as a match to the generous $1 million matching gift from Frank and Sharon Greiner, to acquire the seven acre site located just a few blocks south of the College. If we are successful, this acquisition will allow us to greatly expand and offer the opportunity you had to attend Stevens, to many more deserving students. I know from talking with many of you over the years, that you attribute both the professional and personal success you have enjoyed to the education and experiences you gained at Stevens. Please help us to continue this legacy for more deserving young people, who like many of you, must overcome great adversity in order to realize the American dream of getting married, buying a home, raising a family and becoming a productive member of society.
...this acquisition of the seven acre site located just a few blocks south of the College will allow us to greatly expand and offer the opportunity you had to attend Stevens, to many more deserving students.
Alex Munro has created a Capital Campaign to raise the $1 million match needed for the Frank and Sharon Greiner gift. There is information about the campaign in this issue of the Tower and you should receive a brochure describing the campaign in the mail. Please consider supporting this important effort; it will significantly contribute to enhancing the College’s mission. Best regards,
The Tower • 2013 Summer 3
From The
Tower
Class of 1958 Deepest sympathy to Jim Brison (Carpentry) on the passing of his wife Debbie on July 15, 2013.
Class of 1965
Eighteen alumni of Stevens, representing 6 different classes (1962 through 1967) met for lunch at Blairsville Chestnut Ridge Golf Course on May 3, 2013.
Class of 1972 Jim Spoo (Automotive) was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the 1st Special Forces Regiment into the Special Forces Hall of Fame on March 28, 2013 at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg, NC. The induction was part of the Special Forces qualification Course’s 274th graduation ceremony, where Jim received his Green Beret 40 years ago.
Class of 1988 Ron Schwartz (Machine) led a breakout session at the Haas Technical Education Center’s recent conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in July. His topic was “Creating an Active Advisory Committee.” Ron is the sophomore instructor for the Machine Tool & Computer Aided Manufacturing program at Stevens.
Class of 2009 Congratulations to Derek Tantala (Cabinetmaking) on his June 1 marriage to Elizabeth Simmers.
Class of 2011 Best wishes to James Stauffer (Automotive), who recently opened his own automotive repair shop in Lancaster, PA.
Class of 2013 Congratulations to Abby Cook (Graphic Community & Printing) on receiving the Student Alumni Award at the April 30, 2013, Awards Banquet. Abby was selected by the faculty for her outstanding qualifications in leadership, character and scholarship.
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It’s Coming! By the first or second week of August you’ll see new PennDOT signage on the Route30 bypass, which will provide a great assist to the visiting traveler whose destination is Stevens College. Within a 1/8-mile of the Walnut Street exit both east and west, a large 22’ x 7’ green directional sign with the long-awaited words, “Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Next Right” will be installed.
In Memoriam Lyle Schwalm Class of 1943 – Electric January 11, 2013
Lawrence ‘Larry’ Zimmerman Class of 1962 – Architectural April 8, 2013
John Fleming, Jr. Class of 1947 – Electric April 29, 2011
Clair Adams Class of 1964 – Mechnical March 5, 2013
Ira Wentz Class of 1950 – Masonry June 2013
Blaise Marchetti Class of 1964 – Masonry March 26, 2013
Metro ‘Sonny’ Halupa Class of 1953 – Machine February 27, 2013
Frank Petrole Class of 1974 – Collision Repair June 16, 2013
Michael Kosar Class of 1954 – Carpentry April 30, 2013
Charles Stump Class of 1977 – Masonry January 23, 2013
When: Saturday, August 24, 2013 – Game starts at 7:00 pm; Gates Open at 6:00 pm
Eugene Whitesell, Sr. Class of 1957 – Carpentry March 6, 2013
Joyce Anderson TSCT Residence Hall Staff February 18, 2013
Where: Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
Laughlin Reunion
The words on the sign may be few, but it’s a statement of national pride that our 108 year-old State owned college is finally permitted to disclose our location nestled in the southeast corner of the City of Lancaster. A salute of gratitude and appreciation goes to Mr. Barry Schoch, Secretary of the Department of Transportation, for his professional rationale and approval of the Stevens signage.
Salute to Thaddeus Stevens Night at the Lancaster Barnstormers
The first 1,000 people through the gate will receive a one-of-a-kind Thaddeus Stevens Bobblehead presented by Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology! There will be fun activities throughout the night and fireworks after the game! FREE tickets are available upon request. Please contact baker@ stevenscollege.edu or call 717-299-7702. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait until the last minute to reserve your tickets today! We are also looking for volunteers to help with the night. If you would like to be at the Thaddeus Stevens recruitment table, sing the National Anthem or help in any way, please contact Chad Baker at baker@stevenscollege.edu.
Get In Touch Many of our readers of The Tower have told us how much they enjoy reading the “Class Notes” section of this publication. The news and accomplishments of our alumni are of great interest to fellow alums, faculty, staff and others. So we want to hear from you! Send us news of your businesses, careers, promotions, marriages, births, etc. Email correspondence is welcomed also - send to seweibel@stevenscollege.edu twitter.com/thaddeusstevens facebook.com/thaddeusstevenscollege Be sure to follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook. It’s a great way to keep up to date with Stevens and reconnect with classmates!
Standing: Andy Herman (’58), Tom Mann (Notre Dame ’56), Joe Vida (’55), Don Hopkins (’55), Ron Whisel (’59), Mickey Shriver (’55) Kneeling: Bruce Elsasser (’63), Bill Walker (’59), Max Frye (’55), Bill Gilpin (’55)
As always, Stevens grads and their guests had a most enjoyable reunion in Laughlin, Nevada, in late February. Bill Gilpin (’55) won the “Came the Farthest” prize, driving all the way from Dunmore, Pennsylvania. After a group discussion it was agreed that beginning in 2014 the reunion will be held the last week of March, except when Easter intervenes. This will facilitate advanced scheduling for those planning to attend, and we’re hoping this fixed date will increase attendance. All Stevens grads and their guests are welcome. Please direct any questions you may have regarding the Stevens Western Reunion to: Joe Vida, Lomita, CA (310) 325-6625, cvidaj@aol.com or Mickey Shriver, Long Beach, CA (562) 4340060, mickey.shriver@verizon.net. The Tower • 2013 Summer 5
The Director’s Corner Alex Munro, Executive Director Foundation & Alumni Association Dear Alumni and Friends of the College, The campus of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is booming with excitement as a new master plan of growth and expansion is rolled out and ready for implementation. The student interest in coming to Stevens is phenomenal and growing daily. In today’s world it’s not a choice; it’s almost compelling for a high school graduate to attain a college degree if he or she wants career employment with a livable wage or salary. Sometimes you hear people say, “We’re taking our time in planning for the future,” when in actuality the future is now and you need to establish yourself educationally so you’ll have the financial means to plan for the future. Our 108 years of excellence in trade and technical education is a tribute to our visionary leadership and dedicated faculty. We’re very proud as a College to see each of our graduates with their hard-earned Associate’s degree receive so many employment opportunities as skilled tradesmen and technicians in their majors, even throughout our sluggish economy. It’s my intention in the future issues of The Tower to share certain articles of a “must read” paper written by the Harvard Graduate School of Education entitled, “Pathways to Prosperity – Meeting the Challenges of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century.” The first subtitle is called “The Persistence of The Forgotten Half:” One of the most fundamental obligations of any society is to prepare its adolescents and young adults to lead productive and prosperous lives as adults. This means preparing all young people with a solid enough foundation of literacy, numeracy, and thinking skills for responsible citizenship, career development, and lifelong learning. For over a century, the United States led the world in equipping its young people with the education they would need to succeed. By the middle of the 19th century, as Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz write in their book, The Race between Education and Technology, “the U.S. already had the most educated youth in the world.” At the turn of the 20th century, just as Europe was catching up, the rapid spread of the “high school movement” helped the U.S. vault ahead again. By 1940, the typical 18-year old had a high school diploma, up from just 9 percent who had achieved this milestone in 1910. After World War II, the GI Bill helped usher in a huge expansion in higher education. As a result, members of the U.S. Baby Boom generation far surpassed their counterparts in other countries in educational attainment. 6 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
This surge in educational attainment laid the foundation for the staggering increased in American wealth and power that came to be known as the American Century. By 2000, per capita income, adjusted for inflation was five to six times as large as it had been in 1900. Yet as we end the first decade of the 21st century, there are profoundly troubling signs that the U.S. is now failing to meet its obligation to prepare millions of young adults. In an era in which education has never been more important to economic success, the U.S. has fallen behind many other nations in educational attainment and achievement. Within the U.S. economy, there is also growing evidence of a “skills gap,” in which many young adults lack the skills and work ethic needed for many jobs that pay a middle-class wage. Simultaneously, there has been a dramatic decline in the ability of adolescents and young adults to find work. Indeed, the percentage of teens and young adults who have jobs is not at the lowest level since World War II. These problems have been building for years. In 1988, the William T. Grant Foundation published a report that called the then 20 million non-college bound youth “the forgotten half,” and warned: “they are in danger of being caught in a massive bind that can deny them full participation in our society.” A decade later, the American Youth Policy Forum issued The Forgotten Half Revisited, and concluded that these ill-equipped young adults “have lost considerable ground versus their counterparts only a decade earlier.” Since then, there have been many other reports—such as the National Academies’ study, Rising above the Gathering Storm—that have sounded similar alarms. Yet for all the attention, we have failed to take effective action. Meanwhile, the challenge has become increasingly urgent.” The reason I shared the aforementioned article with you was to enable you to see one of America’s most urgent needs is to encourage and increase the numbers of young men and women to pursue Associate degrees in technology that will lead them into existing and ever-growing skilled labor employment opportunities in our great Commonwealth. The youth of Pennsylvania are the hope of our future and greatest asset we have and they deserve the very best education we can deliver. That’s why we’re asking you to consider a supporting gift to help Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology expand its borders, advance its career fields, and increase enrollment to those of economic misfortune as well as to others.
This is Your Opportunity to be Part of a Campaign for Growth to Meet the Increasing Demand for a Technical Workforce
Kaufman’s Metal Art Stevens College has an advancing goal to purchase an Armory facility and property from the City of Lancaster approximately 2½ blocks from our main campus. This will allow the expansion of our Machine Tool and Computer-Aided Manufacturing program, as well as the Metals Fabrication and Welding Technology program. It also will allow for the construction of a new lab facility for HVAC Technology, as well as other technical fields of high priority. The Armory comes at a cost of $3 million. The College currently has a $1 million commitment from the State, leaving the College with a challenge to raise the additional $2 million. Upon learning of this challenge, Frank and Sharon Greiner, owners of Greiner Industries, Inc. stepped forward and generously pledged to match every donation to the Armory Campaign up to $1 million. This means that for every dollar you give to the campaign, the College will receive two dollars toward the $2 million goal. It is our hope that this fantastic matching pledge will incentivize our donors to give generously, knowing that their gift will be doubled, thanks to the vision and commitment of Mr. and Mrs. Greiner.
Cody Kaufman ’09 (Metals Fabrication & Welding) has taken his talent with metal to a new level. We first encountered Cody’s artwork at the Lancaster County Woodcarving and Wildlife Art Show at Millersville University in March. Each unique piece is first drawn by Cody’s uncle, Bruce Kaufman, a talented artist who attended Stevens’ Architectural Drafting program. The drawing is transferred to mild steel where it is hand cut by Cody, who then colors the piece by using heat and natural processes (no paint). The results are realistically beautiful works of art. Kaufman’s Metal Art specializes in fish replicas of many different species. They also replicate other wildlife such as blue heron, deer, bear, moose and many other custom pieces. After graduating from Stevens, Cody worked for Baillie Fabrication & Welding. He and Bruce have now grown Kaufman’s Metal Art to a fulltime business. Pictured at the Kaufman’s Metal Art booth are (L-R): Bruce Kaufman, Cody Kaufman and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s second year Metal Fabrication & Welding instructor, Mr. Steve Hower. See more of Cody’s work at www.kaufmansmetalart.com.
More detailed information about the Armory Campaign will be coming to your mailbox soon, and your consideration of support will be most appreciated as we work to further our mission of changing lives through trade and technical education. The young men and women of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are most worthy of our investment. Respectfully,
The Tower • 2013 Summer 7
Happenings in Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Nye, Vice President
G
reetings to all! My name is Dr. Robert Nye, and I have the great fortune of recently being named the Vice President for Academic Affairs for Thaddeus Stevens College. From the very get go, I have been impressed with the mission, vision, and goals for the College. Equally impressive is the warm welcome I have received from many faculty and staff members. What has consistently stood out and inspired me most is the faculty and staff ’s dedication to the college’s mission and serving the needs of both students and the Commonwealth. That dedication starts right from the top, and I am greatly appreciative of the reception by Dr. Bill Griscom and transition with the outgoing Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Bill Thompson. I certainly know I have big shoes to fill in continuing the extraordinary initiatives Dr. Thompson successfully oversaw during his tenure as the Vice President for Academic Affairs. I intend to follow through on his great success and ultimately facilitate achieving the college’s ten year growth plan for expanding enrollment to 2,000 students and development of high quality academic programs. I would like to provide a little bit of information about me and why I am very honored to be a part of the Thaddeus Stevens College team. I recently completed a thirty year career in the Army where I served as an infantry officer in various command and staff positions while assigned to paratrooper units in the 82d Airborne and 6th Infantry Divisions, helicopter assault units in the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Infantry Regiment: the Army’s ceremonial unit in Washington D.C., and finally, the 10th Mountain Division. My operational deployments included the Republic of Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In addition to these assignments I was an Army ROTC instructor at Cornell University where I earned my Master’s Degree, and I taught and served as the Deputy Dean and Deputy Provost at the United States Army War College nearby in Carlisle. I chose these particular assignments because they assisted me in achieving my long term goal of obtaining a PhD, working in higher education, and becoming involved with community service when I left the Army. These assignments allowed me to obtain experience in both undergraduate and graduate level teaching and administrative experience within higher education.
I am truly honored to become part of the Thaddeus Stevens College team...
Becoming a member of the Thaddeus Stevens College team is such a privilege for me because I have a great affinity for the college’s mission. When I graduated from high school, in many ways I was a lot like the typical student we enroll at Thaddeus Stevens College. Without the good graces of a government program to fund my education and a few good mentors, I would never have made it to, and graduated from, college. Now after serving our nation, I have the wonderful opportunity to serve the Commonwealth and community, and help make a difference for young adults striving to better themselves! I am truly honored to become part of the Thaddeus Stevens College team and look forward to working with both the faculty and staff of this wonderful college, helping to lead the college in achieving its mission, vision and goals. Thank you for welcoming me into the Thaddeus Stevens College team, I look forward to meeting all of you and working with you in the future! Respectfully,
Dr. Rob Nye
Use your smartphone to scan this code and immediately access the Stevens website! 8 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Stevens Scramble Highlights Friday, June 14, was a beautiful day for the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation’s 9th annual Stevens Scramble. Held at Overlook Golf Course in Lancaster, we had a full course with 136 players, followed by a wonderful dinner and silent auction at The Barn at Overlook. Thanks to the efforts of all of our sponsors, volunteers and players, the event raised a record $14,000 for initiatives funded by the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation in support of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
Our Partner Sponsors Cigars International Evans Candy Herr Foods, Inc. Greiner Industries B.R. Kreider Son, Inc. Pepperidge Farm Tastykake Trans-Am Turkey Hill Dairies, Inc. Yurchak Printing, Inc.
Gold Sponsors Eckert Seamans Fulton Financial Advisors PPL
Our Event Sponsors Benchmark Construction Co. Cloister Flooring CNH S.M. Fridy Mechanical Contractors Gooding Group Wade Groff Hegeman’s Landscaping Land Transfer Eric Lau MM Architects, Inc. Shultz Transportation
Our Volunteers D. Scott Trower, Event Chairman Richard Altrichter Moe Barry Tom Kenyon Judy Munro Roy Simmers Allen & Nancy Tate
The Tower • 2013 Summer 9
2013 The weekend of April 29th was a busy one here at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology! Starting Friday evening with an informal gathering of the Class of 1963 at the Lancaster Host resort, the activities continued on Saturday with luncheon reunions held in the Electrical and Machine Tool & Computer Aided Manufacturing labs. The grand finale was the Spring Alumni Banquet that evening in the MAC, including live entertainment and the presentations of the 2013 Alumni Awards. Enjoy the montage of photos on this page – and plan to join us next year on April 26, 2014! More photos are available for your viewing pleasure on the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Alumni Association’s Facebook page.
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ALUMNI WEEKEND Machine Technology Reunion
Electric Reunion
Class of 1963 Reunion The Tower • 2013 Summer 11
2013 Alumni Award Recipients The Thaddeus Stevens Alumni Association was proud to honor 12 special people as recipients of the 2013 Alumni Awards. The presentations were made at the Alumni Banquet on April 29, 2013.
Row 1: L-R: Timothy Cowen ’78 (Architecture), Spirit of Alumni Achievement; Michael Snyder ’04 (Cabinetmaking), Outstanding Young Alumni; Michael G. Biggerstaff ’79 (Printing), Spirit of Alumni Achievement Award; Ross Hetrick, Honorary Alumnus Award; Al Pryzbylkowski ’55 (Masonry), Service to the College Award. Row 2: L-R: John S. Gooding, Corporate Partner Award; Tim Lapp, Corporate Partner Award; Gary Goodhart, Corporate Partner Award; Paulina Rodriguez ’06 (Business Administration), Citizenship Award; Mark Diener ’91 (Architecture), Distinguished Alumni Entrepreneur Award; Andrew Stinson ’83 (Collision Repair), Distinguished Alumni Entrepreneur Award.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28TH
HOMECOMING GAME: STEVENS VS. GATTACA KICKOFF TIME FOR THE HOMECOMING GAME IS 1:30 PM THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING ON THE STEVENS CAMPUS FOR HOMECOMING & FAMILY DAY! BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY AND MAKE IT A MEMORABLE ONE. BEGIN THE DAY WITH THE HOMECOMING CRUISE CAR SHOW ON THE FRONT LAWN, STARTING AT 10:00 AM. CHECK OUT OUR FOOD VENDORS, STREET FAIR WITH FREE FAMILY GAMES, SPIRIT WEAR FROM THE “HOUSE OF CHAMP” SCHOOL STORE, AND MORE! 12 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Development News
Allen E. Tate, Director of Development
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id your business or company apply and qualify for the 2013-2014 Educational Improvement Tax Credits (EITC) through the PA Department of Economic and Community Development (DCED)? If so, please remember that Thaddeus Stevens College is a qualified EIO( Educational Improvement Organization) under this program and can receive your donations. Our kindergarten -12th grade educational outreach programs into area school districts qualify. The EITC Tax Credits allow you to pay part of your company’s business taxes directly to the College to support these career enrichment programs: Adopt-A- Kindergarten; Middle Grade Technology Summer Enrichment Camps; and the
Dual Enrollment program for high school seniors. For go to www.thaddeusstevens.edu and under the “Giving” tab you will find information on the EITC program and also choose the Adopt-A-Kindergarten tab to see photos of this year’s program. If you have any questions please contact me. Thanks for your continued interest in Thaddeus Stevens College. We continue to make a difference in the lives of many.
Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
In conjunction with the Stevens Homecoming activities, the Stevens Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner will be held on Friday, September 27, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in the MAC on campus. This year’s inductees are yet to be confirmed, but check the website at www. stevenscollege.edu for more information coming soon!
All are welcome to attend the dinner. Come out and show your support to this year’s inductees! RSVP is requested (see below). Cost is $15/per person.
Athletic Hall of Fame RSVP I would like to purchase ___ reservations at $15/each for: Name(s): TOTAL ENCLOSED
$__________
Please make your check payable to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and send it with this form to Mr. Chris Metzler, Director of Student Services, 750 East King Street, Lancaster, PA 17602.
Foundation Sponsors Stevens Essay Contest for City Elementary Schools In honor of the April 7 birthday of Thaddeus Stevens, the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation sponsors an annual Thaddeus Stevens Essay Contest for 5th grade students in the Lancaster City elementary schools. This year 10 of the 13 elementary schools participated and an award ceremony was held at the Covenant United Methodist Church near the burial place of Thaddeus Stevens. Cash prizes and trophies were awarded to the winning students. The contest serves to raise awareness of Thaddeus Stevens and foster an appreciation for his contributions to education.
A Tribute to Andrew J. Sofranko Thanks to the generosity of John Sofranko and his sister, Sandra O’Brien, the memory of their father, Andrew J. Sofranko ‘43, will live on into the future for students of the Machine Tool & Computer Aided Manufacturing program at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. After the death of Mr. Sofranko earlier this year, his son John contacted the College to inquire about equipment needs in the Machine program. It was decided that a Bridgeport milling machine would be a fitting and honorable tribute to their father, a graduate of the Machine program. A ceremony was held in June to dedicate the milling machine and was attended by Sofranko family members, instructors in the Machine Tool & Computer Aided Manufacturing program, college administration, and others. Students in the program engraved a memorial plaque, which will be displayed on the machine (see text below).
The greatest honor we could bring to Andy is to ensure that the student hands that will operate this machine will be those of young men and women who will love and perfect their trade.
A Tribute to Andrew J. Sofranko This Bridgeport milling machine is a gift from John A. Sofranko and his sister, Sandra L. O’Brien, in loving memory of their father, Andrew J. Sofranko. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is proud to say Andy was an outstanding and exceptionally talented student who graduated as a machinist from the Class of 1943. When it came to motivation and constructive persistence, Andy had it all. He was a master machinist and self-made man who always gave the credit to his alma mater, “good ole Stevies” for all his success. The greatest honor we could bring to Andy is to ensure that the student hands that will operate this machine will be those of young men and women who will love and perfect their trade. They will be self-driven to demand the highest degree of excellence in their performance, and in all their pursuits to succeed in this world of opportunity. In the act of appreciation, may your allegiance to your alma mater never be forgotten.
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Congratulations Class of 2013
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology held its 102nd commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at the campus Multipurpose Activity Center. For the first time, those graduating students who have served, or are still serving, in the U.S. military service were honored. The ten graduates who wore the red, white and blue cords with their black commencement robes were easily recognizable among the nearly 300 graduates.
State Senator Lloyd Smucker, who represents part of Lancaster County, was the keynote speaker. He spoke of the College’s impressive job placement record in his commencement address. Describing Stevens as a “one-ofa-kind college,” Smucker said that every school promises useful knowledge and character development, but “few can match the record of performance established here.” He said that the values taught at Stevens – “accountability, teamwork, integrity, respect and diversity” – are what employers are seeking in their workers. He
urged the graduates to approach their civic responsibilities with “the same commitment you demonstrated in earning the degree you earned today. No one hands you a syllabus or set of directions for citizenship….Pitch in.” Receiving Honorary Doctorate awards during the ceremony were Chip Cargas, founder and CEO of Cargas Systems, and Senator Lloyd Smucker.
The Tower • 2013 Summer 15
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
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INVEST WISELY
Make an impact on the future while earning a secure income with a GIFT ANNUITY
A GIFT ANNUITY CAN PROVIDE: • Financial security with guaranteed income for life. • Tax benefits including deductions and capital gains tax savings. • Personal satisfaction in leaving a meaningful legacy at Stevens.
Let us help you create a lasting legacy at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. For more information, contact the Foundation Office at 717-295-9666. 16 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology