AC Spring 2015 Magazine

Assumption Assumption College Magazine • Volume 13, Number 1 • Spring 2015

Magazine

Tomorrow’s

sporT Business Leaders

PLUS

Rome campus named Top 10

Swim team wins 2nd championship

Professor Weiner brings Washington to Worcester

from The presidenT

Learning how to think through ongoing conversation

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recent report released by the Association of American Colleges & Universities confirmed what those of us teaching and working at liberal arts institutions have collectively found to be eminently true. The study found that 91 percent of surveyed employers believe that “a (job) candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems is more important than his or her undergraduate major.”

Put simply, the world values—and relies upon—people who not only possess relevant skills but also a unique, informed and broad perspective, and who can apply it to the world around them.

The liberal arts have always been committed to this goal. More than a myopic checklist of courses it instead offers a path through which students can seek to better explore and understand the world around them and the many different viewpoints and aspects that make that world possible. Liberal arts students are not taught what to think; they are encouraged to discover “how” to think and how to share their insights. These virtues cannot be passed along in a vacuum of textbook chapters and charts of statistics and figures; they require introspection and conversation.

At its heart, and at its best, Assumption College is a place that values this conversation and seeks to further it. In 1904, the Augustinians of the Assumption, inspired by the teachings of their founder, the Venerable Emmanuel d’Alzon, built an institution devoted to the rich Catholic intellectual tradition, which in itself rests on a dialogue between faith and culture. Following in the footsteps of their founder, they saw the immense and lasting value of an education built upon illuminating dialogue—between faith and reason, between science and art, and between knowledge and ethics. They made this the cornerstone of a college devoted to forming thoughtful, confident and principled graduates of good character, reflective of Fr. d’Alzon’s conviction that “by this great and magnificent work of education, we refashion the being of our students.”

“The conversation” depends on knowledgeable faculty versed in their fields and eager to share their accumulated wisdom, but it does not end with a simple recitation of examples and lessons. Political Science Professor Gregory Weiner brings his impressive experience and credentials gained through faithful service in Washington, DC, to a new generation. However, in the tradition of Aristotle, he also seeks to make his students consider what they have learned as they formulate their understanding on matters of policy, ethics and philosophy that impact society today. Professor Weiner exemplifies the Assumption faculty’s role as guides and mentors who bring out the best in their students, helping them discover who they are and what they believe in.

Programs like the College’s new Sport Business and Leadership track build on this foundation by immersing students in the wider world through experiential learning and meaningful internships.

Through the program, they find and excel in positions where they can contribute in a worthwhile and substantial capacity while gaining a more nuanced understanding of their career path as well as the challenges—and potential triumphs—ahead of them. They give back to their sponsors and, having already met their careers head-on, they

know what it takes to succeed at them, and how to do so within an ethical framework as conscientious, dynamic and compassionate citizens.

As guides and mentors, it is vitally important to remember that conversation is built upon a two-way exchange, otherwise one finds that they are merely delivering empty speeches and not truly engaging with others. Our students have much of value to share with us and are seldom shy about expressing it. Fifty years ago the College’s student newspaper Le Provocateur brought a new perspective to Assumption’s conversation. Founded on the idea that every student has something to say, the Provoc has become an important fixture of campus life, and has helped to shape it.

From the paper’s first editor, Fr. Richard Ryscavage ’67, to the current chief, senior Pablo Sierra-Carmona, hundreds of students who have served as reporters, editors and photographers have shared their views on campus and national issues, politics, art and media. Through their dedicated efforts they have all honed their commitment to truth, learned technique and discipline and—just as importantly—found their own voice.

Here at Assumption, helping students find that voice is important.

We know that “the conversation” is actually many conversations, in which Fr. d’Alzon himself engaged as he sought to reform a society in need of a new direction. This conversation revolves around three basic questions at the heart of a Catholic liberal arts education—who am I, how should I live my life and how can I contribute to society for the sake of the common good? The answer to these questions serves as the catalyst for a conversation that, at times, leads to a critique of the “values” of our contemporary secularist culture, which does not conclude for our students when they graduate and leave 500 Salisbury Street.

Like any good conversation, it will continue and engage more voices and viewpoints throughout their lives.

And it is that conversation, grounded in a set of transcendent values, and their willingness to engage in it, that will make Assumption students successful—and makes us proud to be a part of it.

Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. President

4 contents spring 2015 We encourage your feedback.

Assumption College Magazine • Volume 13, Number 1 www.assumption.edu/magazine

Please address your letters, class notes and story ideas to: Assumption College Magazine 500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296 e-mail: twatkins@assumption.edu

features

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Assumption College Magazine Assumption College ISSN 1089-3903 Spring 2015 Executive Director of Communications Michael K. Guilfoyle Editor Troy Watkins Contributing Writers Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A. ’69 Stephen Kostrzewa Lorraine U. Martinelle G’14 Molly Sweeney ’16

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rome campus named Top 10 study abroad program memorable send immersion trip to equador professor Greg weiner brings d.c. experience to campus preparing tomorrow’s sport business leaders Le Provocateur turns 50 swim team captures 2nd straight northeast-10 championship

departments

Art Direction/Design Centuria Inc., Boston, MA Printing The Lane Press, Burlington, VT Assumption College Magazine is published three times a year (spring, summer, fall) by the office of Communications, Assumption College, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609-1296.

Tel.: 508-767-7175. Printed in the U.S.A., Assumption College Magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni, friends, faculty, staff, administration and parents of undergraduate students.

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Visit us online at: www.assumption.edu/magazine

ON THE COVER:

@ACMagazine

editor’s page campus news hounds watch alumni news class notes in memoriam

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Sport Business and Leadership students Danielle Driscoll ’14, Christiana Barela, Taylor King ’15, and Alex Marshall ’14 tour U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, during a December immersion experience.

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ediTor’s paGe

“I

already know who you are,” said the director of alumni relations, whom I was meeting for the first time as a sophomore in college. “You’re famous.”

After studying my puzzled response, she said that she was familiar with me because I was a reporter for our student-run newspaper. Although “famous” was a bit exaggerated, it was then that I realized the proverbial “power of the press.”

Two years later I served as editor-in-chief of the paper, a biweekly publication, similar to Assumption’s Le Provocateur. Because of this background I have a special respect for the Provoc’s first editor, Fr. Richard Ryscavage, S.J. ’67, and all that he accomplished. I hope you take the time to read in this issue about Fr. Rick and the rich history of this publication, which has a fresh new design and focus.

The “Provoc” is one of many extracurricular activities in which students participate, contribute, learn and gain valuable experience to help them along their path of self-discovery. Taking advantage of

Letters to the editor Congratulations on Magazine improvements Congratulations on the recent issue of Assumption Magazine. It was a vast improvement over earlier issues, in the more attractive format and with more informative articles about faculty and students, their interests and contributions to enhancing the College’s reputation as an academic institution. The magazine is a very important contribution to informed discourse about the College for a wide audience, including many alumni and retired faculty.

–Michael True, Ph.D., emeritus professor of English

Alumni teachers a tribute to Education Department Thank you for publishing the article about AMSA and those beautiful Assumption girls teaching at this wonderful school.

My husband and I are so pleased and have framed the picture of the eight teachers. Bethany is having a great experience at AMSA. Clearly she was well prepared by Assumption and its excellent education department. AMSA is also lucky to have such a great source of staff from Assumption. I hope its relationship continues.

–Elaine Bartolini P’13

Catholic Best-Seller We have learned in the past months that our previous book, Praying for Our Adult Sons and Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God, has become a Catholic Best-Seller. Surely Assumption Magazine helped to play a part in that. Thank you for highlighting it in the winter 2013 issue.

–John G’76 & Therese Boucher G’83

Please submit your letter to twatkins@assumption.edu

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Feeling the power opportunities like the Provoc, SEND trips, a semester in Rome (each of which is highlighted in this issue) are an important part of learning valuable lessons outside the classroom and assuring the well-rounded experience afforded at a liberal arts college.

In addition to the information shared in this and each issue of Assumption Magazine, you are welcome to follow us on our new Twitter account, @ACMagazine, where we share interesting info about the College and its many accomplished alumni, students, faculty and staff in between each publication.

As always, best wishes,

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Keep up with the College, Alumni Relations, and AC Magazine online!

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We’re proud to share that Assumption alumna (and sociology and English/writing double major) Hannah Brencher ’10, was featured on a recent episode of The Meredith Vieira Show -- and her memoir, “If You Find This Love Letter,” was published this month and is available for purchase on Amazon. Check out her inspiring interview with Meredith, below, and join us in congratulating Hannah on her achievements! Go Hounds!

assumption college • assumption college alumni relations

Follow on Twitter assumption college @assumptionnews • assumption college magazine @acmagazine

“In a blink of an eye!

Almost there Cam!” In response to: Today marks 100 days until Commencement for Assumption’s Class of 2015!

Love Letter Surprise!

Hannah Brencher, author of “If You Find This Letter,” has been writing love letters to strangers in New York City for years, and leaving them in unexpected places. She never dreamed that she would one day come face-to-face with a letter recipient,…

MEREDITHVIEIRASHOW.COM

—Ana Fernandez de Garrant P’15 (mother of Cameron ’15)

Alana Mitchell Wow, this really moved me! Hannah, you are a gift to the world. Thank you. So proud to be an AC alum!

“Graduated undergrad in 2010 and master’s in 2013 and it was the best choice I ever made!”

“It is so awesome that these students give up their Spring break to serve others.”

“AWESOME day with Cubs President Theo Epstein.

Having class at the ball field has been incredible.”

In response to: 5 reasons to apply by 2/15

In response to: Assumption students spend spring break in East Coast cities serving people in need

In response to: Today our #ECTMBAsport students will attend Chicago Cubs Spring Training.

—Emily Pegoraro ’10, G’13

—Rick Gibbons P’18 (father of Alexis ’18)

—Christiana Barela ECT MBA student

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campus news Top 10! Rome campus named among the best study abroad programs Assumption’s Rome campus has been named one of the 10 “best study abroad programs in America” by the independent college rankings journal Best College Reviews.

Calling it one of “the most desirable study abroad opportunities” in the United States, Best College Reviews noted that Assumption’s Rome campus was “unique” to the College and “provides students a personal experience.”

“It is an honor to have Assumption’s Rome campus nationally recognized as one of the best study abroad programs in the United States in only its second year of operation,” said President Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D. “Our students experience Rome and all of

Italy as part of a learning community—living, studying and traveling together, enjoying a transformative adventure as they grow both personally and intellectually. They can stand where the classical liberal arts tradition was born and influenced the development of Western Civilization.”

Located in a residential neighborhood where students are immersed in the Italian culture, the program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Staffed by Assumption faculty, the campus—which is walking distance to St. Peter’s Basilica and other historical sites in the heart of Rome—offers unique courses that take full advantage of all

assumption students in rome for the spring semester visited porta del popolo in march with professor of french elisabeth howe, ph.d. it is almost the same site as the ancient porta flaminia, one of the most important entrances to rome. The outer face of the gate was designed by michelangelo (1561), the inner face was redesigned in honor of Queen christina of sweden by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1655).

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that the city has to offer.

Students are immersed in their studies by internationally experienced faculty members and travel excursions to sites and cities such as Pompeii and Florence. Housing includes both classrooms and living accommodations, where students enjoy family-style meals in an elegant dining room prepared by an authentic Italian chef, who is beloved by the students.

Students enjoy a transformative experience during their semester at Assumption’s campus in Rome. For them, the program is more than simply “studying abroad”—it’s also about fully embracing a new place, its culture and its history.

“The out-of-classroom component of the Rome campus allowed us to learn in a whole new way,” said senior Tracy Baldelli, who studied there in 2013. “I would recommend this program to other students, because it is extremely unique. The fact that our own professors are teaching the courses, coupled with the community aspect, is a great feature of the program. You become a family, just as you do on the Worcester campus.

Gwen Sawyer, a sophomore who studied in fall 2014 at the Rome campus, said she found the experience to be “invigorating.”

“Many of our classes were on site— meaning, when we studied a piece of art we were there in person looking at the actual work, instead of just reading about it in a textbook,” Sawyer said. “The full Rome campus experience cannot be duplicated in just a classroom or on a vacation. Living with the Italian people and understanding their culture requires time and experience. In the four months we were there, we met people from all over the world and lived in one of the most historic places on earth. By the end of the semester, we were not just tourists; we felt like we were part of the city. When you live in that kind of stimulating environment, your education means more.”

For more info, visit www.assumption.edu/ rome.

major General robert catalanotti (ret.) ’80

Major General Robert Catalanotti ’80 named Commencement speaker Terrence Macy, Ph.D. ’70 to receive honorary degree

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ajor General Robert Catalanotti (Ret.) ’80, one of the Iraq War’s leading commanding military officials, will deliver the address at the College’s 98th Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 16, and receive an honorary degree from the College. An honorary degree will also be conferred upon Terrence W. Macy, Ph.D. ’70, former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services.

“Major General Catalanotti was selected as this year’s Commencement speaker because his ability to lead and his service to this country embody the values of a Catholic liberal arts education,” said President Francesco Cesareo.

“He understands that the aim of such an education is to form virtuous citizens who will become advocates for the common good.

He has demonstrated this through his military leadership and in his work as an advocate of the liberal arts, Catholic identity and Assumption College’s mission.”

As base commander at Camp Taji in Iraq (2004–05), Catalanotti was responsible for 15,000 Iraqi soldiers and more than 500 coalition soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Italy, Poland and Estonia—earning a Bronze Star for his service.

Located 20 miles north of Baghdad, Camp

Taji was the largest military base used by coalition forces in Iraq.

Catalanotti retired from the U.S. Army in September 2014 and currently serves as chief operations officer and director of the Military Veteran’s Psychology Program at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in Newton.

He previously served as director of exercises for U.S. Central Command, Tampa, FL, (2012–14), where he was responsible for exercises and strategic partnership building in the Middle East and Central Asia. Prior to that, he was commanding general of the 98th Training Division in Rochester, NY, (2006–08),

Terrence w. macy, ph.d. ’70

where he oversaw more than 3,000 drill sergeants and leaders training the Army’s newest recruits and as senior advisor to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Interior, Riyadh, (2008–12). In January 2008, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in a ceremony held at Assumption and attended by high-ranking U.S. Army officers.

Catalanotti has commanded at every level—from platoon through division-level positions—and was responsible for over 6,000 soldiers and civilian personnel in both active and reserve organizations. During the Iraq War, he received the Combat Action Badge and was awarded the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Department of State Superior Honor Award, two of the highest service awards presented in peacetime, upon retirement.

A 1980 Assumption alumnus, he holds master’s degrees from Suffolk University and the U.S. Army War College. He and wife Karen (Farina) ’78 live in Grafton. They have two children, Brigit ’11 and Eric, a U.S. Army captain assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, GA. Dr. Macy, former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (DDS), will receive an honorary degree for his outstanding contributions to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A 1970 graduate of Assumption, Dr. Macy was appointed DDS commissioner in 2011. In this role, he oversaw the $1.1 billion state agency, which serves 19,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, including 4,000 infants and toddlers.

Dr. Macy has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for 40 years, serving in both the public and private sector. He began his career working in Connecticut in various positions at the DDS Hartford Regional Center. Following that he worked in state regional systems in Ohio, where he was instrumental in developing responsive methods for supporting individuals transitioning back to their communities from institutional settings. During this period, he also worked on transition issues at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Macy received a BA in psychology from Assumption and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in developmental disabilities (developmental psychology) from The Ohio State University.

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campus news

prof. Jim Lang and 12 assumption students visit with a women’s group, sponsored by hogar de christo, in mount sinai, ecuador.

Foreign service send trip to ecuador immerses students in the lives of the less fortunate By molly sweeney ’16

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“To be with, not to do for.”

These were the words that 13 members of the Assumption College community lived by when they traveled to Mount Sinai, a community in Guayaquil, Ecuador during winter break as part of the College’s SEND immersion program. Led by James Lang, Ph.D., professor of English and the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption, the 12 students, including several student athletes and student leaders, lived in solidarity with those in need, and learned about the importance of faith, love and kindness.

After arriving in Ecuador, the group met eight volunteers from the Rostro de Cristo Foundation, an organization that funds two houses in Guayaquil—one in Mount Sinai and the second in Arbolito—and runs yearlong volunteer programs.

Throughout the week in Ecuador, the Assumption group traveled to the different worksites at which the Mount Sinai volunteers work during their year of service, including a Catholic school, a women’s shelter, an afterschool program and Hogar de Cristo, an organization that provides housing assistance

Spring 2015

among other programs.

At each site the students worked hard to make whatever difference they could. “I decided to spend my winter break serving others because I have a strong desire to see and be involved in the improvement of mankind,” said senior Myra Zhinin, a chemistry major from Westchester, NY. “Although my contribution may be small, I know that any little bit helps and I get great satisfaction knowing I’m benefiting others with my time and presence.”

When the group wasn’t at the worksites they visited the homes of neighbors to talk with them, hear their stories and witness the struggles that they face each day. Branded an “invasion community,” there is no running water or legal electricity in Mount Sinai. All electricity is pirated from a bordering community that is legally recognized by the Ecuadorian government.

With no drainage system, the community faces significant flooding during the rainy season, which was just beginning at the time of Assumption’s visit. When flooding occurs, the cane homes are flooded or washed away; last year many children died as a result.

molly sweeney ’16 with her new friend, suri

The people of Mount Sinai do not, however, let these trials change their beliefs; in fact, their struggles only strengthen their faith and desire to overcome these challenges. Despite uncertain circumstances in most aspects of their lives, the faith of the people of Ecuador proved to be a constant theme throughout the week. Nearly everyone the group encountered, whether it was a child or a 93-year-old woman, had a visible relationship with God, regardless of their faith.

“The trip was a reinvigoration for my relationship with God, and with myself in the sense that it helped me to never be afraid of jumping outside of my comfort zone, because that is the best way of figuring out who you are and what you stand for,” said junior human services and rehabilitation studies major Alicia Garamy, of Webster.

While in Ecuador, the Assumption group also met with two members of the Assumption family who are completing a year of service: former employee Jesus Torres and Colleen Putzel ’14. The SEND group accompanied Putzel to her worksite, the Damien House, a hospital for those seeking treatment or recov-

ering from Hansen’s disease, formerly known as leprosy.

“Seeing Assumption students was wonderful,” said Putzel. “It was great to share my worksite and experiences with the group and feel as though a piece of home had come to Ecuador. Every day I am reminded what a blessing it is to be here. I am constantly learning and growing. I am learning what it means to be a friend, how ‘to be with, not to do for’ and I am learning about dependency and social structures and how to live in community.”

Torres works at an afterschool program that offers homework help and a safe place for children to go at the end of the academic day.

While visiting this worksite, Lang and the Assumption students helped with homework, played games, and interacted with the children.

Though not everyone from Assumption spoke Spanish, they learned that laughter and smiles were just as effective as spoken words with the children. Out of the 13 group members, nine were mostly fluent in Spanish, including Eduardo Rivas, a senior accounting major, who moved to Worcester from El Salvador.

“I think that being involved in SEND trips is a great way to have a positive impact in the community,” he said. “I have been in the U.S. for five years and, as a native Hispanic, I want to give Hispanics a sense of hope that, with hard work, they may come to be great role models for the community.”

Assumption sponsors SEND trips during both winter and spring breaks, with trips ranging from Immokalee, FL, to Baltimore, MD, to Tuscaloosa, AL, amongst other locations, though the Ecuador trip is the only one currently offered outside the country.

“I highly recommend this trip to others because it is such a heart-warming experience to be able to do so much for someone by doing what seems like so little,” said Garamy. “The love, faith, joy and happiness we experienced on this trip is a true inspiration to live your life as simply as the people of Ecuador do.”

That inspiration, for some, can be life changing.

“Assumption was a great starting point for me,” said Putzel. “It made me interested in social justice, service and forming a relationship with God.”

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campus news

“The letters are soaring free...”

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he goal of education is to guide and support the development of the freedom to make right decisions, which may run counter to widespread opinions, the fashions of the moment, or forms of political and religious ideology.

- Pope Benedict XVI, to the leaders of Lebanon The Nazis did it. So did the Mongols, the Crusaders and the Khmer Rouge. ISIS, the Islamic State fanatics, have resorted to the age-old practice of burning books. Ransacking the Central Library of the ancient city of Mosul and moving on from there to the library at the University of Mosul, the vandals “made a bonfire out of hundreds of books on science and culture, destroying them in front of students,” the Associated Press reported.

To those invested in keeping alive and carrying on the great tradition of learning, the burning of books is an especially diabolical act. It strikes so close to the heart of who we are as educators as to rouse us from the “global indifference” recently decried by Pope Francis. That the burning of books should lead to even greater forms of evil is part of the historical record.

Another part of that record is the ultimate futility of book burning.

Jeff Jacoby gives the deeply moving account of Chanina ben Teradion, a second century Jewish sage, killed by the Romans for violating a ban on teaching Torah. “He was wrapped in a scroll from which he had been

The mission

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BY FR. DENNIS GALLAGHER, A.A.’69, VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION

teaching and set on fire, with wet wool placed on his chest to prolong the agony.” Forced to witness this horrible death, his disciples cried out, “Rabbi, what do you see?” He replied, “I see parchment burning, but the letters are soaring free.”

“The letters are soaring free…” It is easier to destroy bodies, as any number of destructive fanatical movements give proof, than to eradicate the power of ideas and the distinctively human quest for understanding.

In the daily rounds of teaching and learning about differential equations, best business practices and cognitive behavioral therapy, the awareness of what is at stake in the profession of learning may rest below the surface. But in a world where books are still being burned, it is our duty not to forget the hard-won conditions that make possible the free exchange of ideas as well as the bracing freedom that beckons those who give themselves to the adventure of a liberal arts education.

Alumni host business students on tour of New York City companies nine assumption students, accompanied by professors cary LeBlanc, dan Jones ha’12 and david hoyle, met with alumni and friends of the college in new York city during spring break, where they toured industry and gained valuable career advice. here, the students visited the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir studio and newsroom. The group also visited max iori ’94 at Jp morgan, Bryan dockett ’91 at disney Theatrical Group, Ken corriveau ’92 at omnicom media Group, ed diTolla p’16 at Jones Lang Lasalle, don morrison ’77 at Bpn, as well as the Bloomberg headquarters and the new York stock exchange trading floor.

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Merely Players presents Much Ado About Nothing

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assumption’s merely players theatre group presented william shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in early december in La maison salon. co-directed by patrick o’donnell ’16 and christian flannery ’15, the modern take on the classic comedy was the first full-length shakespeare play produced by the players. it featured nicole dufresne ’18 and andrea Garry ’15 among a cast and crew of 19 students. assistant professor of english paul shields, ph.d., serves as the group’s advisor.

Professor Mark Christensen awarded NEH grant The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently awarded Assumption College History Professor Mark Z. Christensen, Ph.D., a highly competitive federal grant to support his ongoing translation and analysis of a rare, late 18th century manuscript written in the Yucatec Maya language by Christianized Mayas from the town of Teabo.

Professor Christensen’s project, “The Teabo Manuscript: Maya Christian Copybooks, Chilam Balams, and Native Writing in Colonial Yucatan” seeks to better understand how the Maya used both Christian and preexisting beliefs to compose localized versions of Christianity.

Christensen came across the previously unknown, 44-page manuscript Teabo Manuscript in 2012, while looking through the Maya texts housed at Brigham Young University in Utah. The manuscript contains religious texts that blend Christianity with the Mayas own pre-European contact beliefs and was intended as an educational tool.

The manuscript, Christensen discovered, has several features that associate it with the Maya Books of Chilam Balam, anthologies containing histories, mythology, traditions and practical knowledge on subjects such as medicine. It begins with an interpretation of the creation of the world and follows through to a genealogy of Jesus

Christ. This is accompanied by a discussion of Christ and his second coming. The manuscript then discusses ways to avoid purgatory, and ends with remedies for curing common ailments.

“This new manuscript contains many Christian values, but still exemplifies Maya religious beliefs, stemming from their ancestry,” said Professor Christensen.

“It will help historians learn more about the Maya culture and their colonial way of life.” mark Z. christensen, ph.d.

Professor Christensen’s analysis compares the manuscript with the nine existing Books of Chilam Balam and the only other translated Maya religious copybook, the Morley Manuscript, and presents new insights into how the Mayas negotiated their pre-European contact intellectual traditions within a Spanish and Catholic colonial world.

Christensen’s work on the Teabo Manuscript is slated to be published as a book from the University of Texas Press.

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campus news

Prof. Greg Weiner brings D.C. experiences to his classroom and scholarship

BY LORRAINE U. MARTINELLE G’14

FROM CAPITOL HILL G

reg Weiner, Ph.D., started at the bottom of Capitol Hill on his first day on the job as a lowly United States Senate mailroom clerk in Washington, D.C., but the tall Texan found himself happy. Despite the humbleness of the position, he was fulfilling his dream of working in politics. Just two weeks prior, he had been a small-town newspaper reporter for the Williamson County Sun in Georgetown, TX. Now, he was part of one of the most powerful institutions in the world—and he wasn’t done yet. “Politics is a business with intense imperatives for short-term success and harsh punishments for failure,” said Weiner. “If you can prove yourself, you move up quickly.”

He was right—that small-time position would lead to serving three U. S. senators as a staff assistant, high-level congressional aide, and press secretary—and eventually to becoming a nationally recognized expert on the U.S. Constitution, author and assistant professor of political science at Assumption College.

“I came to work in the Senate just in time to witness the last few years of what the institution used to be and, of course, could be again,” said Weiner, who joined Assumption’s faculty in 2011. He still remembers how he felt the first time he set foot on the Senate floor during a session.

“You’re overwhelmed with a sense of history and—one hopes— the modesty but also responsibility of your small part in events,” remembers Weiner, who served for several years as communications

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and policy director to now former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Nebraska.

“Something about the atmosphere is exceptionally quiet and dignified.

Even when full of people, I would describe the Senate Chamber as hushed.” Senator Kerrey’s first impression of his press secretary was that he was a good listener with critical capacities to find agreement and to describe that agreement in clear, concise writing.

“Greg brought strong, well-grounded beliefs to internal debates about policy,” Senator Kerrey told Assumption Magazine. “His calmness—at least on the surface—enabled others to learn in an environment of tense, stressful moments when decisions often had to be made without the benefit of lengthy reflection, and where choices were often between ‘bad’ and ‘not so bad.’”

In 1999, Weiner would use what he learned in the Senate to found the Washington, DC-based speechwriting firm Content Communications, LLC, through which he would ghostwrite speeches and newspaper opinion articles for governors, members of Congress and Fortune 500 CEOs.

Teaching and learning Today, Professor Weiner brings his Washington experience—and vast research into American political thought—to the classroom.

In addition to Assumption, he has also taught at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University and Brown University’s Political Theory Project. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University

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TO SALISBURY STREET of Texas at Austin and his master’s and Ph.D. from Georgetown.

“The best part of teaching is when a student makes a remark or a facial expression indicating a light has gone on,” he noted. “They are subtle, but you learn to recognize those expressions. I see them a lot at Assumption, and it’s immensely gratifying.”

Learning comes with a responsibility to convey knowledge and tradition, he explains, but good teachers also learn by teaching. This philosophy drew him to Assumption and its embrace of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

“The value of the Catholic intellectual tradition, to me, is its focus on the important, enduring questions,” he said. “Education in technical issues becomes rapidly obsolete. The Catholic intellectual tradition focuses on the underlying ideas. These are what stay relevant.”

Senator Kerrey praises his former staffer’s professorship. “Dr. Weiner’s practical experience combined with his academic research gives Assumption College students a rare opportunity to acquire an understanding of the ideas that have created a democratic form of government, the techniques used by citizens and active participants, and the commitments needed to increase the chances that democracy will survive,” said Kerrey.

When he’s not teaching, Professor Weiner has also penned numerous articles and blog posts and has been quoted by national news reporters and columnists such as George F. Will in The Washington Post (whose columns are syndicated in newspapers across

the country) and by Newsweek/The Daily Beast. He has also authored two well-received books: Madison's Metronome: The Constitution, Majority Rule, and the Tempo of American Politics and American Burke: The Uncommon Liberalism of Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

A deeper understanding “Greg is wise beyond his 45 years,” Will told Assumption Magazine. “He says things in his writings that leap off the page with their intelligence.”

Professor Weiner’s honors thesis advisee, Pablo Sierra-Carmona, agrees. The senior economics major plans to follow in his footsteps and work in Congress after graduation.

“Dr. Weiner has this special way of presenting questions that have no black-or-white answer,” Sierra-Carmona explained. “His classes taught me that there’s a lot of grey in the circumstances of life, especially in politics. His questions can be so intriguing that I find myself pondering them after class ends.”

Yet despite this acknowledgement of “the grey areas,” Professor Weiner has kept one important lesson, learned during his time on Capitol Hill, close to his heart.

“There is nobility to politics that should not be lost amid the cynicism that infects public discourse today,” he said. “I want my students to learn that ideas are important—in fact, that ideas not only have practical importance; they have enduring importance.”

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assumption authors The Political Bible of Humorous Quotations from American Politics

By Rich Rubino ’01 In The Political Bible of Humorous Quotations (2014), the reader embarks on a tour through the humorous history of American politics.

Quotations from presidents, congressmen, governors, mayors and many others fill this hard-to-put down collection. Rather than presenting just a series of hilarious and unusual political quotes, the author includes the context in which the words were said, to provide a historical understanding regarding what prompted the particular comment, as well as a photo to accompany each quote.

As one reviewer said, “The offerings are revealing, funny or shocking—sometimes all three. Anyone who thinks today’s political discourse hits new lows will see otherwise in these pages. It turns out our leaders have been slinging snark for as long as America’s been in business. This book is irresistible page-turning political entertainment.”

A political consultant for The Huffington Post, Rich has authored two previous books: The Political Bible of Little Known Facts in American Politics and Make Every Vote Count: What a Novel Idea.

Sharing the Faith That You Love: Four Simple Ways to Be Part of the New Evangelization

By John G’76 & Therese Boucher G’83 For those who wonder, “How could I bring someone back to God or to the Church?” or “How can I share my faith, if I am not always sure of what to say?”

Fear not! Sharing the Faith That You Love (Word Among Us Press, 2014) helps you

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see the details of everyday life in the light of a lived faith, so you can move from accidental kindnesses and invisible beliefs towards intentional acts of faith that enable others to experience Jesus. It includes down-to-earth examples, pointers from the life of Jesus and the Saints, as well as exercises for growth. The reader will gain a deeper awareness of the spiritual needs of those we meet in everyday life, so that each of us can respond to the spiritual hungers of family, friends and co-workers.

Finally, it offers practical skills for sharing your faith through four simple steps: evangelizing prayer, compassionate caring, sharing faith and inviting others into the Christian community.

Translated Christianities

By Mark Z. Christensen, Ph.D., assistant professor of history Beginning in the sixteenth century, ecclesiastics and others created religious texts written in the native languages of the Nahua and Yucatec Maya. These texts played an important role in the evangelization of central Mexico and Yucatan. Translated Christianities (Penn State University Press, 2014) is the first book to provide readers with English translations of a variety of Nahuatl and Maya religious texts.

The diverse texts included in this work include authors ranging from Spanish ecclesiastics to native assistants, from Catholics to Methodists, and from 16th century Nahuas to 19th century Maya. Although translated from its native language into English, each text illustrates the impact of European and native cultures on its content. Medieval tales popular in Europe are transformed to accommodate a New World native audience, biblical figures assume native identities and texts admonishing Christian behavior are tailored to meet the demands of a colonial native population.

Ultimately, readers are offered an uncommon

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opportunity to read for themselves the translated Christianities that Nahuatl and Maya texts contained.

Madison’s Metronome: The Constitution, Majority Rule, and the Tempo of American Politics

By Gregory Weiner, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science In the wake of national crises and sharp shifts in the electorate, new members of Congress march off to Washington full of intense idealism and the desire for instant change—but often lacking in any sense of proportion or patience. This drive for instant political gratification concerned one of the key Founders, James Madison, who accepted the inevitability of majority rule but worried that an inflamed majority might not rule reasonably.

In Madison’s Metronome (University Press of Kansas, 2012), the author challenges longstanding suppositions that Madison harbored misgivings about majority rule, arguing instead that he viewed constitutional institutions as delaying mechanisms to postpone decisions until after public passions had cooled and reason took hold. In effect, Madison believed that one of the Constitution’s primary functions is to act as a metronome, regulating the tempo of American politics.

The Other Solzhenitsyn: Telling the Truth about a Misunderstood Writer and Thinker

By Daniel J. Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of political science and Augustine Chair in Distinguished Scholarship The great Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

(1918–2008) is widely recognized as one of the most consequential human beings of the twentieth century.

Through his writings and moral witness, he illuminated the nature of totalitarianism and helped bring down an ‘evil empire.’ His courage and tenacity are acknowledged even by his fiercest critics. In The Other Solzhenitsyn (St. Augustine’s Press, 2014), the author explores the world-class novelist, historian, and philosopher (one uses the latter term in its capacious Russian sense) who has largely been eclipsed by a caricature that has transformed a measured and self-critical patriot into a ferocious nationalist, a partisan of local self-government into a quasi-authoritarian, a man of faith and reason into a narrow-minded defender of Orthodoxy. The caricature, widely dispensed in the press, and too often taken for granted, gets in the way of a thoughtful and humane confrontation with the “other” Solzhenitsyn, the true Solzhenitsyn, who is a writer and thinker of the first rank and whose spirited defense of liberty is never divorced from moderation. It is to the recovery of this Solzhenitsyn that this book is dedicated.

provide a glimpse into the mind and soul of a Pope who remains a man for our season, precisely because he possesses the humility, courage, and faith to be a man out of season.

Socrates and the Gods: How to Read Plato’s Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito

By Nalin Ranasinghe, Ph.D., professor of philosophy Socrates and the Gods (St. Augustines Press, 2012) is the first book on the three Platonic dialogues about Socrates’ trial for impiety. Rejecting the dogmatic belief in Socrates’ atheism, Ranasinghe shows how Socrates actually overturns Homeric religion

and anticipates Christian Humanism.

Passionately defending God’s goodness, Socrates battles claims to piety that stress divine omnipotence and deny our ability to practice human virtue. While Socrates affirms divine inspiration, he denies that poets can interpret their own utterances. The Apology demonstrates Socrates’ own ignorance-based abilities to practice heroic virtue and pious exegesis. Socrates argues that every human can live philosophically. His lived proof of this power to interpret revelation and live virtuously co-exists with a firm belief that God will not allow a good man to be spiritually harmed. Socrates’ synthesis of inspired revelation, rational interpretation and moral resilience is yet retrievable today.

Recovery of Christianity’s Socratic origins could be crucial to its surviving today’s irascible and irrational times.

Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI’s September Speeches; 2014

By Marc Guerra ’90, Ph.D., associate professor of theology Liberating Logos (St. Augustines Press, 2014) brings together six of Pope Benedict’s important addresses in one volume. The themes of these speeches are wide ranging: Benedict comments on the denaturing effects of Dehellenization, the true grounds of religious dialogue, the transpolitical and timeless nature of Christianity’s message, the relation of moral and political freedom to truth, the self-limitation of modern reason, and Europe’s and the West’s enduring Christian roots. A source of moral strength and intellectual clarity for a world that increasingly craves both these things, Pope Benedict bracingly challenges modern human beings to be willing to engage the whole breadth of reason. The speeches and commentary in this volume

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Pursuing a dream career in sports Sport Business & Leadership program focuses on ethics and real-world experience

By Troy Watkins

Sports have always played a major role in the life of Blake Nold ’14. A former member of the Greyhounds football team, playing competitively has helped him learn about teamwork, commitment, hard work and fair play. Now, as a graduate student in Assumption’s Early Career Track (ECT) Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree concentration in sport business and leadership, he’s ready to take the next step.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue a career in sports,” Nold said, “and this MBA program is a great opportunity for me to further my education and gain experience in the field, where I’ve learned the most valuable lessons.”

Now with the knowledge, skills and experience he’s developing through the program, he’ll be well prepared to go from the football field to the boardroom.

Assumption’s Sport Business and Leadership program, which completed its first semester in the fall, strives to develop principled, ethical leaders in the world of sport business who are ready to meet— and exceed—the demands of the workforce. Coordinated by Visiting Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing Elizabeth “Libby” O’Hara, whose vast experience in the sport management field includes serving as director of community relations and communications at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, the program prides itself on an innovative internship program, solid academic grounding and a bedrock devotion to ethics.

It emphasizes sport-related contexts in business as well as the unique dynamics of the sport environment. Students in the concentration prepare for a career in sport-related organizations through a 13-course (36-credit) curriculum that includes classes on accounting,

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Jonathan reinsdorf, of froogaliT/united center Joint Venture, talks to students during a december immersion experience in chicago.

human and organizational behavior, marketing strategy and ethics.

Coursework is reinforced by panel discussions—featuring industry-leading experts in the world of sport business and academics—held several times during the academic year. The panelists discuss with students topics such as career opportunities (for example, college athletics director, marketing, sponsorship branding, facilities management, executive management); ethics; effective leadership; and women in sports—complementing theory with true-life examples and hardearned advice.

“Students who complete this program will possess ethical leadership skills; real world, resume-building professional experience; critical thinking and communication skills; and an industry-wide perspective that will help them identify, analyze and implement how best to manage the highly demanding and growing field of sport business,” explained Visiting Assistant Professor Eric Drouart, director of Assumption’s MBA program.

Paramount to the program and reflecting the mission of the college is forging individuals of critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service—with the Ethics for Sport Business course at its center. The course emphasizes relevant ethical issues in sport, focusing on areas such as sport media, sport ownership, fiduciary

sport students Taylor King ’15, alex marshall ’14, christiana Barela, Blake nold ’14, chicago cubs executive assistant to the president/Gm hayley dewitte, danielle driscoll ’14 and ceo & executive director of The foundation To Be named Later allyce najimy ’86 at the cubs spring Training facility in mesa, aZ. students meet with mentors during arizona spring Training immersion experience in march.

PARAMOUNT TO THE PROGRAM IS FORGING INDIVIDUALS OF CRITICAL INTELLIGENCE, THOUGHTFUL CITIZENSHIP AND COMPASSIONATE SERVICE—WITH THE

ETHICS FOR SPORT BUSINESS COURSE AT ITS CENTER .

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and stewardship responsibilities in sport, and athlete behavior standards.

Classwork examines the intersection of sports and gender as well as how sport, society and ethics are integrated. To that end, students are provided a framework for handling these issues in their careers.

“Recognizing Assumption’s commitment to teaching ethics across the MBA curriculum, the sport management and leadership program focuses on ethical leadership and will enable its graduates to develop principled approaches to inspiring, influencing and guiding others in the sport business industry,” Drouart said.

In addition to the classroom work, the program also requires a hands-on internship. Through these internships, students gain comprehensive, foundational knowledge and resume-building practical experience by working in assigned consultant teams to solve problems faced by sport businesses. The students observe and analyze sport business culture; demonstrate the ability to conduct effective meetings; apply a structured process to solve sport-related business problems that optimize profit; incorporate principles from effective communication into work products; and integrate an ethic of integrity and fidelity into work processes.

Sport business partners hosting internships for the 2014–15 academic year include The Base in Roxbury, MA, the New England Ruffnecks Baseball and New England Baseball Enterprises (NEBE) in Northborough, MA. In the fall, the students worked as a team to assist NEBE as it constructed three baseball fields.

“Our students collaborated with the NEBE leadership in a consultative relationship to assist them with a marketing strategy, gaining sponsorship, selling the product, daily event operations, longterm planning, etc. They also worked at an event with professional athletes at the TD Garden in Boston, coordinated by Allyce Najimy ’86,” said O’Hara.

The College’s National Advisory Board for Sport Business Leadership is comprised of 10 members representing some of the leading sport organizations in the United States: · Daniel Burger, strategic advisor, Ripken Baseball and board member of The Base · Dan Duquette executive vice president of baseball operations, Baltimore Orioles · Brian Kelly ’83, head football coach, University of Notre Dame · Jason Kosow, chief financial officer, New England Baseball Operations · Robert Lewis Jr., president and founder, The Base · Josh Mora, program director of sports marketing and media, Full Sail University

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· Allyce Najimy ’86, CEO & executive director, Foundation To Be Named Later in Boston and Chicago · Tom O’Connor ’68, former assistant vice president and athletics director, George Mason University, and member of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Committee · Jonathan Reinsdorf, (advisory committee chair) FroogaliT/United Center Joint Venture · James Samuels, The Education Alliance

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In December, O’Hara traveled with the students to Chicago for an immersion experience. There, they witnessed and analyzed the operations-side of game management of a Bulls basketball game and a Blackhawks hockey game at the United Center.

Drouart said, “Assumption MBA students learn the intricacies of sport business through direct, hands-on experience. The local, regional and national sport business communities play an integral part in many facets of our program and provide an experiential opportunity in which students apply, strengthen and extend the skills learned in the classroom setting.”

“Through our immersion experiences, we’ve connected with numerous successful professionals in the business,” noted student Alex Marshall ’14, who wishes to work in either player personnel or development with the NFL or NBA. “Witnessing the operations of professional sports teams and events was an invaluable experience I will never forget.”

Assumption’s program is unique in the way it approaches learning by doing or, “experiential learning.”

“This is not a standard internship,” O’Hara explained. “It is a full-bodied, multi-dimensional experience that includes internship components such as mentorship and job shadowing, as well as direct engagement with professionals in a speaker series, and the constant exposure to expert practitioners. Students are required to engage with professionals on a daily or weekly basis to build a real network. This is

only possible because we have the best advisory board in the business.”

That 10-member National Advisory Board for Sport Business Leadership represents some of the leading sport organizations in the United States.

“The board members have each been instrumental in developing the program’s curriculum, facilitating and shaping our practicum experiences, and establishing strong mentoring relationships for our students,” said O’Hara. “Through them, we have the best connectivity and access to professionals who are motivated by wanting to give back.

They understand that the industry needs the next generation of leaders in order to continue to have sport be a positive part of our society.”

Students worked as a team at several events last semester.

“I really enjoy that we work together,” said student Danielle Driscoll, who aspires to become a chief of operations or a collegiatelevel athletics director. “We all have unique skills to contribute, maximizing our time with our diverse talent and successfully completing tasks and projects.”

It’s that passion and drive that draws students. Christiana Barela found what she was looking for in Assumption’s ECT Sport Management MBA program after extensive research.

“I came from New Mexico to pursue a degree here, and I could not have asked for a better group of fellow students and faculty to navigate this with,” she said. “I am impressed with the way the faculty members care about us as students and truly have our success in mind.

We have worked with amazing people, met with CEOs of various companies, talked to professional athletes; and attended immersion experiences, events and panels relative to our program. I feel so blessed to be a part of a program that is providing amazing opportunities that we would likely not have elsewhere.”

“For any young college graduate looking to get involved in the sports industry–including collegiate, amateur and professional sports and the retail industry–we have a variety of opportunities to launch a career and contribute to society. I hope they will visit Assumption and see if our program is a good fit for them,” said O’Hara.

special session with Theo epstein, chicago cubs president of Baseball operations, and connie falcone, Vp community affairs and cubs charities at the arizona spring Training immersion experience in march.

SEE VIDEO of Allyce Najimy speaking about the Early Career Track MBA–Sport Business & Leadership program at www.assumption.edu/magazine.

Najimy ’86 connects students with sports leaders The inspirational story of Jackie Robinson ignited a passion for sports in Allyce Najimy ’86. The CEO and executive director of the Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL), she has facilitated networking opportunities and learning experiences for the graduate students in the College’s new Sport Business and Leadership MBA program.

As an advisory board member for the program, Najimy matches each student with a mentor from sports entities such as: ESPN, the Boston Red Sox, the Doug Flutie Foundation and Blue Sky Sports and Entertainment. Najimy has also introduced the students to sports journalist Peter Gammons, Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein and Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherrington, among others. “If I am able to introduce them to athletes, journalists and sports industry professionals and they develop those relationships – then the sky is the limit,” she said.

During spring break, Najimy arranged an immersive experience for the students with the Chicago White Sox and Cubs during Spring Training in Mesa, AZ. The students gained experience in customer service, ticket operations, baseball operations and community relations and sponsorships.

Najimy worked with college and professional sports teams as well as a number of high-profile athletes from a variety of sports during her seven years as COO of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University. “We took the values that sports promote and used them to teach leadership, to break down barriers and make a difference in society,” she said. Najimy was asked by Epstein to run the FTBNL, created to capture the good will of fans and supporters and use it as a force for social change in the community.

Today, Najimy is using her connections, experience and expertise to help educate and train the next generation of sport business leaders through Assumption’s MBA program.

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The Provoc Le Provocateur celebrates golden anniversary with redesign B Y T ROY WATKINS

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turns assistant editor Timothy savage ’68 and editor rick ryscavage ’67 in 1965.

During the 1964 – 65 academic year, a small group of pioneers started a new student-run campus publication. Led by Editor Rick Ryscavage ’67, the first issue of The Provocateur consisted of only three mimeographed pages. Alongside articles on social and cultural obligation and “The Importance of Being a Freshman” the paper offered a statement of purpose — and call to action.

“Every campus needs a voice,” the editorial opened. “The free exchange of ideas is a university tradition which should be respected if education is to mean more to us than textbooks and lecture halls.”

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This year, Le Provocateur celebrates the 50th anniversary of that first issue. The paper, published every two weeks during the academic year, has grown to 20 pages and covers everything from news to sports to arts and entertainment. Thanks to the efforts of current editor-in-chief Pablo Sierra-Carmona ’15 and consultant Creative Circle Media, the newspaper has a new look and focus for 2015.

Humble beginnings According to the Assumption Class of 1965 yearbook, Le Provocateur began “as a rhetorical expression of the growth and novelty evident on campus.” The publication, it noted, was in many ways “a much more dynamic and controversial journal” than its predecessor, The Assumption Courier, and that “while it lacks the more attractive format of its predecessor (which folded in 1963 due to insufficient funding and interest) its purpose is certainly more justifiable.”

The Provocateur did not initially identify itself as a newspaper but rather as “a journal of student opinion, recognizing the shortcomings of both students and administration, but also seeing its strong points.

“Anyone is invited to contribute an article,” the yearbook entry declared, “so long as his article is intelligent, readable and supported by proof.”

Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J., the first editor of Le Provocateur, is now a Fairfield University professor of sociology and anthropology and the founding director of Fairfield’s Center for Faith and Public Life. He received an honorary doctorate from Assumption in 1999 and is a member of the federal government’s Interagency Task Force on Unaccompanied Children. Widely considered an immigration expert, Fr. Ryscavage has met with Pope Francis twice to discuss the topic. In addition to Ryscavage, the staff included the Honorable Timothy Savage, J.D. ’68 and Karl Rodenhauser ’67, a retired colonel from the U.S. Air Force.

The new publication faced an uphill battle, Ryscavage recalls, aiming to fill a void left by the defunct Courier.

“There was some hesitation on campus to starting the Provocateur,” said Fr. Ryscavage, “The students were put off by the name. The Courier wasn’t stimulating enough,” he said. “It was the ’60s, and we hoped to get people to think and talk around social issues. Things

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were bubbling around campus, and we had some spirit in us. The French roots of the College led us to provocateur, which we thought captured our purpose.”

Although Fr. Ernest Fortin, A.A. ’46, a former Assumption vice president, encouraged Fr. Ryscavage to start the paper, a request for financial support from Student Activities (overseen by “Fr. Ernie,” as Fr. Ryscavage says) was denied due to a lack of funds.

“We used a mimeograph machine to make copies and distributed them under dorm room and faculty office doors,” Fr. Ryscavage said.

“It was a lot of fun in the beginning, as we brainstormed … we wanted to include things like sports, while capturing the international side of the College,” he continued.

Due to the small size of the student body (approximately 420), some questioned its need, but the editors hoped the new publication would facilitate discussion and build camaraderie, as well as attract students to social events, lectures and sporting events. “It allowed students to have a direct voice … to address issues with which they were concerned,” Fr. Ryscavage explained. “By the time I graduated, I felt that it had started to serve its original purpose, and I was proud of that.”

After the first few issues, the paper and its staff began to grow in size and stature—and also caught the interest of the College’s administration. In the summer of 1965, Assumption’s alumni magazine reproduced an article from Le Provocateur where Ryscavage asked: “What causes the discontent with the Church and Catholic education, which so frequently comes up with students’ conversation?”

This led to a regular space in the magazine for Ryscavage to present an “under-

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graduate slant.”

“That was one of the things we were pushing at the time,” he recalled, “… that students have things to say, and they should have a format to articulate what was on our minds.”

Hot off the presses Over the course of the next 50 years, interest in the Provoc (its nickname) rose and fell, but there always remained a core team of dedicated staffers committed to the paper’s mission.

When Keith Krauss ’75 took over as editor in chief in 1974, he oversaw an effort by the editors to change the name of the paper so it would better reflect its place in time.

“We assumed that the name went back to the early days of the College, when all the courses were taught in French [until 1953],” he said. “Many changes had occurred at Assumption since its early days. It had gone co-ed [in 1969], the student body was more diverse, and fewer religious were teaching.”

The newspaper ran a contest to rename the paper, offering a $10 prize. The Proposition was the name selected.

“We took some heat for the name change, but moved forward, regardless,” Krauss admitted.

The Proposition moniker lasted for two years, continuing under the paper’s first female editor, Christine Cannon Marcks ’77, now president of retirement services for the Prudential Foundation in Hartford and chairs the YMCA’s national board. It was changed back to Le Provocateur in September 1977.

Currently a contracts lawyer in New Jersey, Krauss values his time as editor and writes every day. “My Provoc experience definitely helped me,” he said. “I find that my journalism experience has made me more precise with

The Evolution of Le Provocateur

1964

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my grammar.”

He vividly remembers his time at the student newspaper and laughs while recalling that his twin brother, Kevin ’75 (a former Student Government Association president) was angered by an unflattering photo of him that was published with an article about SGA. “He’s still upset about that,” said Krauss.

Alongside the good memories, the paper has also known tragedy. In December 1979, Editor-in-chief Kevin Cahill ’80 lost his life in an automobile accident shorty after completing the last issue of the fall semester. The Kevin J. Cahill Award was created in his memory and is awarded annually to a senior student leader who has displayed continued dedication and service to at least one Assumption student organization—and who has also been a valued and committed contributor to the Office of Student Publications. The Class of 1980 yearbook was dedicated in memory of Kevin.

And then there have been the oddball moments.

Former editor Dave Nordman ’96, now a Worcester Telegram and Gazette assistant managing editor, reminisced about when Le Provocateur printed the voting results of student government elections. The boyfriend of a female student, who was embarrassed by losing the election in a landslide, collected the papers around campus and threw them in a dumpster. Campus police found them, the boyfriend admitted committing the act, and was reprimanded.

Today’s headlines Today the Provoc retains its original goals and values, even as much around it has changed.

Mike Land, Ph.D., associate professor of

2015 provoc editing staff: Kathryn severance ’17, Jordan aubin ’16, Kyle forbes ’16, Jenna demasi ’15, paola Trabanco ’15, pablo sierra-carmona ’15, sara heath ’15, Kaitlyn akers ’16, ashley fuller ’15 and molly sweeney ’16

English and a former newspaper reporter, has served as Provoc faculty advisor since 2001. He advises the students on the practice of journalism and how to tell a good story (while the student life advisor assists with technology issues). He offers an independent study to the editor and assistant editors in chief, where they critique each issue, work on their columns and articles, and discuss plans for upcoming issues.

“I also require students in Introduction to Journalism to write event stories for Le Provocateur, and have representatives come to class,” said Land. “One important aspect of the Provoc’s role on campus is that it provides students with a place where they can begin thinking of themselves as writers for the general public, not just for their writing teacher. So the Provoc helps fulfill the academic mission of the College.”

He noted that despite his role as an advisor, final control is always is in the hands of the student editors. “They run the paper,” he said. “I’ve been proudest of them when they’ve written intellectually and/or emotionally challenging stories, such as ones about heated campus issues or ones that require reporters to

visit The Provoc online at www.leprovoc.com

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2005

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interview people after the death of a beloved member of the campus community. For every misstep, there are always students who rise to the challenge and honor the role of being the student voice.

“Most of the editors I’ve worked with generally want to grow, and do,” Land added.

“They’re the ones who care enough to tackle the challenge to begin with, so it’s one of the best parts of my job.”

Today Sierra-Carmona is the latest in the proud tradition of Provoc editors-in-chief.

Guided by a five-student editorial board, and supported by a dedicated staff of 23, he has left his own mark on the student newspaper and laid the groundwork for the future with its new design.

Sierra-Carmona is quick to credit the staff for his fruitful run as editor noting, “Without contributions from all our editors and writers, the paper wouldn’t exist,” he said.

Excited about the redesign, he also hopes the Provoc could enhance its online presence this spring. With a redesigned paper and improved website, Le Provocateur is looking good for a “middle-aged” paper, noted Sierra-Carmona.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that this publication has lasted 50 years,” Fr. Ryscavage said. “The idea that you can do something on the undergraduate level that actually has a permanent impact on your school is wonderful.”

Both the first and current editors both realize that although they may get much of the credit for Le Provocateur, it truly belongs to everyone who has contributed to it.

“I loved doing it, and it really is a pleasure to hear that it’s still going and having an effect on the College and its students,” said Fr. Ryscavage. “We had a great group that worked on it, and it’s a credit to them as well that it is still going strong.”

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hounds waTch

phoTos: GiL TaLBoT

fall and winter sports highlights

niamh morgan ‘18, ne-10 championship swimmer of the meet

Northeast -10 champion swimming team defends its title The women’s swimming and diving team captured its second straight Northeast-10 Championship with a dominating 339-point victory over second place Bentley. Freshman Niamh Morgan earned Swimmer of the Meet honors with three individual gold medals, while classmate Carylyn Waite won two events and placed second in another.

Junior Victoria Weber earned NE-10 Swimmer of the Week accolades twice and sophomore Rachel Gagnon receive the same honor one time. A strong nucleus will return next season as the team carried just five seniors this season, including top performers Elise Prayson and Katherine Medeiros.

The team closed the season by earning the NCAA Division II Team Scholar All-American Award from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America for the 15th straight semester, with an overall team GPA of 3.12.

Carylyn Waite ‘18 appears in Sports Illustrated In January, freshman swimmer Carylyn Waite became the first Greyhound in more than 20 years to earn a mention in Sports Illustrated. She appeared in the “Faces in the Crowd” section of the January 26 issue, which noted that Waite “has set five school records, broke her own mark in the 100-yard free in 52.50, won the 200 free (1:55.06) and led the 400 free relay to victory (3:36.49) as the Hounds beat 11 teams for the WPI Gompei Invitational title. She was named the Northeast-10 Conference swimmer of the week.”

Profiled in the fall 2014 issue of

Assumption Magazine, Waite was also featured in a video on the Northeast-10 Conference’s website, as part of its “We are the Northeast-10” series. See www.northeast10.org/sports/swimdive/index.

Waite was recognized at the NE-10 Female Swimmer of the Week three times and as its Female Rookie of the Week five times.

The last Greyhound to appear in Sports Illustrated was AC Hall of Famer and football standout Fran DeFalco ’95.

He was cited in SI’s “Players of the Week” in the November 1, 1993 issue. carylyn waite ‘18

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Follow the Hounds at assumptiongreyhounds.com

Women’s soccer team earns first NE-10 title The women’s soccer team won its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference regular season title in 2014, advanced to the NCAA Regional Championships and finished the season with a 15-5-1 record.

Junior Paige Radomski was named to the Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America Second Team, leading the team with 33 points (15 goals, three assists) to also win NE-10 Player of the Year accolades.

Freshman Amanda Arnold (11 goals, 5 assists) was named NE-10 Rookie of the Year and Kevin Meek took home NE-10 Coach of the Year honors. Radomski and Arnold were joined by seniors Rachel Edgin and Kelsey Imondi on the 2014 NEWISA All-New England First Team.

paige radomski ‘16, second team all-american

Tony fierimonte ‘15

derrick mann ‘15

antonia pagliuca ‘18

Two cross country runners compete at national championship

Kiley colucci ‘16

Field hockey ranks No. 9 nationally The field hockey team finished the regular season ranked No. 9 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II National Poll with a 12-6 record and advanced to the Northeast-10 Tournament for the first time since 2002. Junior Kiley Colucci was named a NFCHA Second Team All-American, after leading the team with 37 points on 15 goals and seven assists. She was joined on the NE-10 All-Conference Team by senior Paige Anderson (Second Team) and freshman Allison Sheahan (All-Rookie Team), who led the rookies with 19 points, including nine goals.

Football’s Derrick Mann named Division II New England Defensive Player of the Year Senior defensive lineman Derrick Mann received three Defensive Player of the Year honors, for Division II New England, Worcester Area and Northeast-10 Conference.

A two-time New England Football Writers Association All-New England player and a Daktronics Super Region 1 First Team AllRegion selection, he led the Northeast-10 with 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.

Mann and senior RB/return specialist De’Ontray Johnson represented Assumption at the National Bowl Game in Miami.

Senior Tony Fierimonte placed 97th out of 245 runners and freshman Antonia Pagliuca finished 171st out of 249 at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship. It was the first time in Assumption history that two individuals had qualified in the same season for the national championship race. Fierimonte is Assumption’s only runner to appear in back-to-back national championship races.

Pagliuca became the first freshman in Greyhounds history and just the second female overall to take part in the national championship race. At the NE-10 Championship, Pagliuca’s fifth-place earned her Conference NE-10 Rookie of the Year honors.

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alumni news From the Alumni Association President Katie Hall CE’04

G

reetings, fellow Greyhounds!

It’s hard to believe that almost two years have gone by since I started in my role as the Alumni Association president.

What a great honor and experience it has been.

We’ve had thousands of alumni attend events these past couple of years, on and off campus. Some highlights from the past two years include our trip to Italy in the spring of 2013; the presentation of Les Miserables at The Hanover Theatre in the spring of 2014; Fall Homecoming sports (and tailgate) events; Reunion Weekends (including the alumni awards presentations); and our December Breakfasts with Santa. As Alumni Board president I really enjoyed participating in Commencement welcoming our newest alumni.

Please keep in mind that regional events are held numerous

times throughout the year and information is available on the website.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for June 13 and 14, this year’s Reunion Weekend, including special celebrations for our classes with years ending in “0” and “5.”

These past two years have also seen some exciting changes on our Board, including the establishment of our fundraising, member services and programs sub-committees. Our efforts on these committees have resulted in the College offering new benefits to alumni, including our mortgage program with Mortgage Network, Inc., and insurance and travel discount programs.

Our dedicated Alumni Relations office is always working on opportunities for alumni to connect and engage with each other and the College. Check the website, www.assumption.edu/alumni, for information about events and alumni services. Diane Laska-Nixon ’76 and Amy Logue ’01 do a terrific job, and I know I could not have done my job without them!

I am grateful to have served as the Association president, and I wish Bob Knittle ’85 much success as he takes over in that role.

Go Hounds!

events

Watch for Alumni e-Newsletters and check the Alumni Events website at www.assumption.edu/alumni/events for frequent event updates.

APRIL 29 Washington, DC, reception Bulgarian Embassy

President Cesareo and Bulgarian Ambassador to the U.S. Elena Poptodorova host, sponsored

by Tim ’85 & Suzanne Dowd

MAY 28 Central Mass Young (and Young-at-Heart) Alumni Event

Wormtown Brewery and Sweet Kitchen & Bar

JUNE 12 -14 Reunion

All alumni are invited to Reunion Saturday and the Food Truck Festival.

There’s fun in your future. Updates at: www.assumption.edu/reunion

JUNE 26 Athletics Golf Outing

Highfields Golf Club, Grafton, MA

JULY 18 Cape Cod reception

Hosted and sponsored by Jeff ’76 and Sue Daley Lagarce ’80 at their North Chatham home

JULY 19 Maine Reception

Hosted and sponsored

by Tom ’81 and Paula Carey P’14 at their Cape Neddick home

AUGUST 22 Prep Reunion

AC Campus www.assumption.edu/prep

SAVE THE DATES SEPTEMBER 21

FBI golf tournament at historic Worcester Country Club

OCTOBER 24

President’s Council dinner at Mechanics Hall

NOVEMBER 7

Fall Homecoming

scenes february reception, naples fL (pictured left) eileen & Jack duBois ’69 enjoying the evening with Larry ’70 and Beth Thayer G’72 (pictured right) Terry Lapierre ’63, aida & mike martin ’63 and nancy Lapierre swap stories.

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PROVIDING

FOR

Assumption’s Future

The waldron family: will ‘92 and mary with colette (15), Liam (13), clare (11), cate (9), rose (7), Lily and Tom (5) and Ben (2). will is director of development at mcLean school in potomac, md.

For Mary & Will Waldron ’92, Assumption is a part of their family.

The Waldrons are members of The 1904 Society, a group of alumni, parents and friends who have made a deferred gift or provided for Assumption in their estate plans/wills. “Mary and I are strong believers in Catholic education,” said Will. “Our college experiences were ones that we look so fondly upon that we consider our alma maters as an extension of our family. We want to help provide for them. A planned gift through a life insurance policy provides an impactful way to donate. Colleges will always have needs, and giving back to a college is the only investment we can make that guarantees a positive return.”

If you are interested in joining The 1904 Society by including Assumption College in your estate plans, please contact Melanie Demarais HA’92 at 508-767-7332 or demarais@assumption.edu

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Spring 2015

class notes

The deadline for the summer issue is June 3.

assumpTion coLLeGe

’60 Ron Zenaro and wife Carol were presented with the Circle of Life Platinum Award in August for their fundraising work for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation. Lazarex helped their late son, Scott, diagnosed with incurable cancer, participate in a clinical trial credited with adding years to his life. e Zenaros have raised $56,000 for the Foundation by making and selling beaded bracelets for $20 each.

Gathering in september at their 50th reunion from david prouty high school were mary & carl wilson ’68, Lionel Lamoureux ’68, former dphs Guidance counselor richard Gaudette ’52, Gerry delongchamp ’68, Gail & John paul Lock ’68 and paul archambeault ’58.

Bill Humbert recently started a new company, Provocative inking Consulting, LLC, which will broaden his platform for speaking, consulting and writing.

’71 Lou D’Abramo married Anna Maria D’Antonio in June 2014 and recently joined the AC Alumni Board.

James Hanley, D.M.D., is the dean of the University of New England’s College of Dental Medicine. He previously served Tus University of Dental Medicine for 34 years, most recently as associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of periodontology.

’73 William McAndrews was recognized by the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, for his dedicated service to the schools of the Diocese, where he has served as a teacher for 41 years.

Daniel McKee was elected Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor in November. He previously

served for six terms as the mayor of Cumberland, RI.

’75 omas Leary has been appointed consul general of the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, effective in June 2015. A career foreign service officer, he currently serves as minister counselor for public affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Michelle Mylod Marvel is the executive director of Bethel Ridge, which supports people with special needs.

fr. warren savage ’75—mediator and dialogue builder ”we go through it together.”

An articulate, powerful storyteller, who is both charismatic and funny, Fr. Warren Savage, S.T.B. ’75 is a rare individual. Featured on masslive.com in December 2014, Fr. Warren is one of only 250 African-American priests in the United States.

Raised in Springfield with five siblings, his mother was a Baptist and his father was Catholic. As a child he explored and enjoyed both faiths and attended Catholic schools. He worked in Admissions at Assumption for a year after graduating, before deciding to pursue the priesthood. Relinquishing the opportunity to have a wife and kids was a difficult decision for Fr. Warren.

“I still need people to love me,” he said. “You don’t lose your humanity when you become a priest. You don’t stop questioning your decisions or suddenly shed your flaws or insecurities.”

Fr. Warren, who speaks fluent Italian, attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He is a lecturer at Elms College and Catholic chaplain at Westfield State University, where he facilitates conversations and encourages all students, faculty and staff to find common ground, no matter their faith tradition.

While aiming to find a common response to things that shouldn’t divide people, Fr. Warren tries to help people become more accepting of others by building trust and relationships and without imposing upon anyone or trying to convert them. He hopes that students aren’t intimated by the “Dr.” in front of professor’s name, or the “Fr.” in front of his, which can occasionally hinder dialogue.

“I’m just one of you,” he said. “just wandering through this forest, trying to find a way out, trying to find a way in, maybe. We go through it together, and we get out of this together. That’s the dialogue. That’s the journey.”

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cLass noTes Nadine Desrosiers McBride is the publisher of the Norwich Bulletin in CT.

’76 Bill Sutherland is the senior vice president, travel and publishing, for the AAA national office.

He served as director of public affairs and associate dean of student affairs at Assumption in the early 1980s. For the last 28 years he has been a travel industry leader, and for 13 years served as the vice president, travel for AAA Southern New England.

’77

members of the class of ’84 enjoyed a mini-reunion in newport last fall (L-r): Therese reynolds Gauthier, sue dailey malanga, maureen Bailey Kelly, deb ovian hopper, Lori alton Bassett, and Katie Greenwood o’connell.

Don Morrison, chief operating officer at BPN, a global media planning and buying agency based in New York City, welcomed Tyla Wade ’15 for three days of job shadowing during winter break.

Department of Rehabilitation Services.

Phil Miller won re-election to the Connecticut House of Representatives in November.

’82

’78 Patricia Cahill Paugh recently co-edited a book, titled Teaching towards Democracy with Postmodern and Popular Culture Texts, with Tricia Kess.

’80

35th

Reunion

Frank Doyle is senior vice president of AAA Southern New England’s insurance agency. AAA was recently recognized as Brand of the Year status for its property and casualty insurance offerings, according to the 2014 Harris Poll EquiTrend study.

’81 Judith Barratt is a property manager at Celtic Property Management in Hartford, CT. Part of her job involves collaborating with the state’s

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Dennis Henderson was inducted into St. PeterMarian High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October for his accomplishments playing basketball.

State Representative Harold Naughton of Clinton was re-elected in November to the 12th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Prior to becoming a state representative, Naughton had served as an assistant district attorney and had served in the U.S. Army Reserve, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

’83 Beth Waldron Boothe recently joined the AC Alumni Board.

Russ Dillingham is the chief photographer for the Sun Journal in Lewiston, ME. A photojournalist for 30 years, Russ was the first and only photographer to ever win the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year award. Over the years he has dominated the spot news category, including first place wins the last two years. View Russ’s work at www.russdillingham.com.

Attorney James Ermini has become the Massachusetts corporate law author/editor for omson Reuters Legal.

Sandra Merlini has retired from Sally’s Beauty Supply in Marlborough aer many years of service.

Spring 2015

’85

30th

Reunion

Rich DeCusati is a sales manager, promoting hotels, meetings and functions for Mass Mutual Center in Springfield.

Sean J. Savage, Ph.D. has completed a book, e Senator om New England: John F. Kennedy, 1952-1960, which should be in print by late August 2015.

’86 Mary Racicot Legg has been hired as a financial educator for Fiduciary Investment Advisors where she will provide perspective on participant communication and education. She will help redesign all of FIA’s programs and materials in this area, and will help enhance FIA’s offering in the participant services space.

’87 Tim Eagan presented a workshop in October on common assessments in foreign languages to 40 K–12 department heads and directors at the annual conference of the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association.

Robert Flaherty has joined FBR & Co. as senior vice president in the area of sales trading.

Neil Isakson recently joined the AC Alumni Board.

Submit your Class Notes online at www.assumption.edu/classnotes

’95

Gathering at a worcester chamber of commerce event in december were (L-r) moe Boisvert ’66, mike myers ’93, John dipietro ’72, melanie demarais ha’92, diane Laska-nixon ’76, Brian Lynch ’82, sheila waldron Veideman ’85 and Todd Tallman ’91.

’90

25th

Reunion

Robert Gibbons retired aer 22 years with the New York Police Department; during his time with the NYPD, he was selected to attend the FBI National Academy. Gibbons has recently opened his own risk assessment and investigative consulting firm.

’91 Todd Tallman is the newly appointed Southbridge Savings Bank president. He has worked for the bank for 15 years.

’92 Tammy Clifford, D.D.S., earned Fellowship status in e International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOL) in December. is honor, bestowed upon a dental professional involved in dental implant treatment, is achieved through efforts in education, research and clinical experience.

Michael Novick is co-owner of the Edgemere Diner in Worcester, which re-opened in January.

Michael has management experience at the former Piccadilly Pub restaurant chain.

David Rice is director of the Africapitalism Institute, supported by the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He appeared on CNBC Africa in February to discuss the Institute, a new panAfrican think tank based in Lagos, Nigeria. It conducts rigorous, applied research on the critical role

the private sector must play in driving broader economic growth and social development across the continent. Rice is on leave from his role as professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs.

Rev. omas Simisky was appointed president of Fairfield College Preparatory School. He will assume his post at the end of the academic year. e College is a division of Fairfield University. Fr. Simisky currently teaches Spanish at Fairfield Prep and has additional administrative and pastoral duties.

’93 Joyce Allaire is a managing director and relations manager at LifeSci Advisors in New York City.

Frank Guinta, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was elected to Congress again in November and represents New Hampshire’s first congressional district.

Joshua Mackey is a partner at Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde in Poughkeepsie, NY.

’94 Max Iori, J.D. has served as vice president and assistant general counsel for JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2005. He graduated from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in 1997.

Danielle Douillard Mackey is the marketing director at Finkelstein & Partners LLP in Albany, NY.

20th

Reunion

Jen Caissie, has joined the Nichols College Board of Trustees. She has also been both a member and chair of the Board of Selectmen of Oxford, MA, and earned a law degree from New England School of Law. Tom Civitenga married Meredith Mitchell on 8/2/14.

Susan Posterro, executive director of Binkeez for Comfort, was the guest speaker for Assumption’s Greyhound Association for Marketing Enrichment (GAME) group in November. A non-profit organization, Binkeez makes blankets for children less than two years old who have a life-changing illness.

Cindy Walsh was named local sales manager at ABC affiliate WLNE Providence, RI. She joined WLNE in 2011 and previously served as a national sales manager.

’96 William H. Moore CE’96, G’00, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is the founder of Project New Hope, a Worcester-based program that provides support for veterans, including targeted workshops and counseling.

’97 Mark Duffy is co-owner of Judy’s Village Flowers in Foxboro.

’98 Meg O’Toole Kennedy, a school adjustment counselor at Stoughton High School, recently opened a private practice offering mental health and addiction counseling services to adolescents and adults as a licensed mental health counselor and licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Visit her online at www.mkwelnessccc.com.

BIRTH: Amy Hague Sacco and husband Anthony announced the birth of James Alden on 11/24/14. He joins Rob (10), Fletcher (7) and Spencer (3). Amy is Assumption’s director of research. e Saccos reside in Brimfield.

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cLass noTes

’99 BIRTH: Patrick Foran and wife Melissa welcomed daughter Emma Marion on 11/1/14.

15th

Reunion

Paul Belsito was promoted in September to assistant vice president of community relations at the Hanover Insurance Group.

Rob Courtney was promoted to district chief of the Worcester Fire Department in September.

Kristen Bud Munger and husband Kevin reside in Georgia, VT, with their four children, Justin (8), Ryan (6), Amelia (4), and Caleb (2).

phoTo: TomasZ JasTer ce’07

’00

Alumni speakers at Assumption Day four alumni shared how their assumption education and experience has guided them, professionally and personally at the annual assumption day in January, where faculty, staff and administrators gather to celebrate education and reflect upon the college’s role as a catholic and assumptionist institution.

L-r: Bryan coleman ’08, rob Tyler ’10, president cesareo, Kristen penkala ’07 and chris harrigan ’06.

’02 Brendan Keenan is principal of Bagnall Elementary School in Groveland. He earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership, policy and administration from UMass-Amherst and lectures at Northeastern University and Assumption College.

Rebecca Murphy has been named director of marketing and business development at Fox Run in Manchester, NH, where she oversees and evaluates marketing staff, social media channels and all advertising efforts.

’03 BIRTHS: Adam Hardenbrook and wife Lisa welcomed their first child, Lucy Elise, on 11/30/14. ey reside in Hampton, NH. Heather MacQueen Maxim and husband Michael announced the birth of Phoebe Grace on 8/30/14.

’04 BIRTH: Bridget Marvel Mulvaney and husband Jack ’05 announced the birth of Kathryn Grace on 11/26/14. Bridget is a 4th grade teacher at Mendham Township Elementary School, where she was named District Teacher of the Year in 2013–14. Jack earned an MBA from Cornell University in 2012 and is the VP of performance and risk management at Indus Capital Partners, LLC, in New York City. e couple resides in Bedminster, NJ.

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’05

10th

Reunion

Chris Colabello, at press time for this issue, was still competing for a roster spot with the Toronto Blue Jays aer playing in the Minnesota Twins organization since 2011. He previously spent seven seasons playing independent baseball.

Katherine Burke Davey resides in Manchester, NH, with husband Michael and their children, omas (4), Clare (2) and Mary Katherine (1).

Nicole Santosuosso Leonard is a 5th grade teacher in the Chelmsford Public Schools. She resides in North Chelmsford with husband Michael and their children, Evie (4) and Luke (1).

Casey Reske married Keith Holland on 7/5/14 in Newport. Classmates Christina Terranova, Kaitlin Hagerty-Dunn, Lauren Hannon-O’Brien, Melissa DeVito and Jaime Glynn-Vivian served as bridesmaids.

Anthony Villella has been promoted to manager, insurance sales, at AAA Southern New England. He began working with AAASNE in 2007.

BIRTHS: Dennis Moran and his family recently welcomed a son, Matthew. He joins Nathan, who they adopted from Lowel, Africa.

Amanda Bradley Moriarty and husband Braden announced the birth of Griffin Xavier on 3/6/14.

Spring 2015

’06 BIRTHS: Jamie Fransson Moreau and husband Jeff welcomed their first child, Matthew David, on 10/20/14.

Patrick Palladino and wife Katelyn announced the birth of Daniel Patrick on 7/4/14.

’07 Jillian Cordiner married Roberto Alberti on 9/28/14 in Boston. Emily Nichols ’07 served as a bridesmaid.

Lisa Cunningham has joined True North as a financial advisor. Cunningham is a CFP practitioner and has experience in areas of financial planning, which include tax, estate, life insurance and cash flow planning.

Lindsey Haxton McGovern and husband Michael recently welcomed daughter Sydney JeanneAnne. She joins brother Bryce.

News to share?

E-mail alumni@assumption.edu. include photos with names and graduation years of alumni pictured.

Submit your Class Notes online at www.assumption.edu/classnotes

’08 Jake Longenecker married Liz Lahiff ’09 on 9/27/14. Alumni in attendance included Erin Toomey Peterson ’01, Molly Taylor Toner ’01, Matt Cerins ’08, Jared Kelly ’08, Mike Otterbein ’08, Danielle Perron ’08, Tony Savarese ’08, Mike Senella ’08, Aubrey Andreozzi ’09, Sheila Cawley ’09, Samantha Chella ’09, Courtney Adams Davison ’09, Christine Doran ’09, Caitlin Lahey ’09, Taylor Humphrey ’09, Chris & Katherine Getchell Martino ’09, Katie Sussky McDermott ’09, Brittany Gorham Roberts ’09, Billy ’09 & Meghan Ray Silva ’09, Kara Berggren Sittig ’09, Ashley Waterman ’09, Colleen White ’09, Katey Ziter ’09 and Dustin Zitzmann ’10.

Liz Papp married Cale Putnam on 10/18/14.

WEBLINK Classmates Sargent Pacejo and Ashley Dill, were in the wedding party and Chelsea Dill ’09 also attended. Liz graduated in May with a MBA from Bentley University and is the assistant advertising manager for AAA.

’09 Heidi Lukas married Steven Baj in August 2014 in West Boylston. Erica Lukas Resmini ’07 served as matron of honor while classmates Amy Laurendeau Basbas and Jennifer Jaworek Abbott served as bridesmaids. Heidi is a school counselor at White Brook Middle School in Easthampton.

Kazimera Morse graduated from the Connecticut State Police Academy in December.

She was one of four women among 58 recruits to complete the 26-week program. e first woman to receive the Lt. Colonel Leslie Williams Award for Excellence in Motivation, Dedication and Leadership, she is assigned to Troop F in Westbrook, CT. Christine urber is an international and state certified arborist with the Davey Tree Company, surveying for Asian longhorned beetles in the Worcester area.

’10

5th

Reunion

Austin Potter has been appointed director, ambulatory services at Saint Mary’s Health System in Waterbury, CT. Tyler Reilly is a corporate associate with Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in London, concentrating

on debt and equity capital markets. He earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2013.

BIRTH: Michael Colebrook and wife Michelle announced the birth of Lily in November. Michael teaches at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury.

’11 Kelsey Baltzell and David Taddei were marWEBLINK Kelsey is ried on 9/27/14 in Phillipston. a special education teacher and David is a Vermont state game warden. ey reside in southern VT. Alumni in attendance included photographer Caitlyn Clark ’06, Stephen Gunneson, John Landsvik ’12, Marrissa Malarkey, Jaime Marrone, Brendan McCann, Elizabeth Penta, Greg Rowland and Zach Shepherd.

Brett Murphy Hunt, of Ayer, has started a tutoring business. “I’ve been tutoring since high school, but it was really at Assumption (College) that I realized it was something I enjoyed,” she said in an article by Nashoba Publishing.

Laura Lambert is creating a film project called Wom[e]n of the Year, which will take her to Lesotho, Africa, to document the work being done at the Good Shepherd Centre for Teenage Mothers. For more information, visit www.womenoheyearleso.wix.com/strongwomen.

Danielle Lamoureux married Derek Bachand on 6/21/14 in AC’s Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

WEBLINK In attendance were Jay ’07 & Anna Maffeo Dealy ’09, Bob ’65 & Maureen Gray G’67, Lionel Lamoureux ’68, Susan Melnick ’11, Linda Burlingame Rosenlund ’82 and AC VP for Student Affairs Catherine WoodBrooks. Danielle is a comptroller at Lamoureux Ford.

dennis white ’13, Keven meehan ’13, Kyle Zobler ’14, dave d’amico ’13 and Joe fimiani ’13 participated in the assumption alumni hockey game in January and teamed up to win the open division of the pond hockey classic on Lake champlain in february.

’14 Sara Bonnick’s photography was on display at the Worcester Historical Museum; nine of Sara’s pictures, which were printed on canvas, were part of the “A Photographic Homage to Worcester” display.

Alexandra Caulway is the marketing director of the DCU Center in Worcester.

Carly Eckles is a volunteer assistant coach of the Wachusett Regional High School’s co-ed swim team in Holden. She is a former captain of Assumption’s swimming and diving team.

Nicolas Guerra, a district representative for Rep. Jim McGovern, was named one of Pulse Magazine’s “15 to Watch in 2015.” He works on written correspondence, community outreach and data management for Rep. McGovern’s office.

Jordan Sweigart is an assurance associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Philadelphia.

WEBLINK indicates that a wedding photo is Note: available online at www.assumption.edu/alums/ Alumni/weddings.html

’12 Scott Corain is head coach of the boys’ tennis team at Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, RI.

’13 Matt Metcalf is the assistant sports editor at the Johnston Sun Rise. He has previously freelanced for the Beacon, and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and worked as the assistant sports information coordinator at the Community College of Rhode Island.

GraduaTe sTudies Al Deluca G’72 received the Ryken Award at St. John’s High School in the fall. Al has spent his career working in public education, teaching language for 26 years at Leominster High School. He also owned and operated Floral Al’s for 13 years, which was one of only two American Association of Floral Designers approved florists in Worcester.

He served as a Spanish teacher and class advisor for six years at St. John’s.

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cLass noTes Richard Rogers G’73 received the Eminent Faculty Award from the University of North Texas in September. e Regents Professor of Psychology was recognized for his outstanding and sustained contributions to forensic psychology and psychiatry.

State Senator Stephen Brewer G’74, joined the University of Massachusetts-Amherst faculty of the Center for Public Policy and Administration, aer he retired from the Legislature in January, following a 26-year career. He will teach a graduate level course on state budgeting and an undergraduate course on advocacy in state government.

Cynthia Bioteau G’77 was invested as president of Florida State College at Jacksonville in February. She previously served as president and CEO of Salt Lake Community College in Utah’s capital city.

Craig Smith G’83 has joined Berkshire Community College (BCC) as vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the BCC Foundation, where he will be responsible for developing, directing and implementing internal and external fundraising for both the college and the foundation. Smith will also be tasked with advancing community initiatives that promote BCC’s mission, direction and goals.

Kathleen Connors G’89 and her husband, Marty, have been chosen by the St. Paul Catholic Schools Consortium to receive the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for their work on behalf of Catholic Education in Northern Worcester County. is award is given annually in recognition of a person or institution that has furthered the mission of the schools within the Consortium.

Sheila Harrity, Ph.D. G’92 has been appointed as superintendent-director of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School. She previously served as principal of Worcester Technical High School since 2006.

Nabil Farooq G’95 has joined St. Mary’s Credit Union as senior vice president, senior commercial lending officer.

James Monette G’08, has been appointed by the GFA Federal Credit Union to the position of senior vice president/chief innovation officer.

In his new role, he will oversee the retail branch operations, marketing, Financial Group, as well as the credit union’s owned subsidiary, GFA Insurance Services, LLC.

Maggie Paynich G’12 was named by the YMCA of Metro Atlanta as the 2014 volunteer of the year award for her service at the East Lake Family YMCA. She is the founder of Education Inspires, a middle school college exploration program, as well as a neighborhood watch coordinator, is active in local political organizations and volunteers at the local middle school.

Andrea Pianka G’13 was hired in January by Stavros as its new vocational rehabilitation peer counselor. She is working on a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in rehabilitation counseling at Assumption.

Nicole Vassallo G’13 was named in December as a branch manager/director of consultative service for GFA Federal Credit Union, working out of the Rutland branch.

News to share? e-mail alumni@assumption.edu. include photos with names and graduation years of alumni pictured.

in memoriam Normand J. Bedard AP’39, ’43 died October 25, 2014 Felix M. Tetreault AP’45, ’49 died December 8, 2014 Patrick R. Levesque, M.D. ’50 died August 6, 2014 Richard E. Brodeur AP’50, ’54 died October 6, 2014 Daniel R. Rainville AP’55 died October 25, 2014 Robert P. Sarja ’63 died December 20, 2014 Michael R. Rourke AP’64 died July 29, 2014 Alfred J. Talevi AP’66 died August 10, 2014 James M. Ryan ’65 died October 23, 2014 Stephen P. Larivee ’67 died October 18, 2014 John V. Ambrose, Jr. AP’64, ’68 died January 19, 2015 Lawrence J. Branagan G’68 died December 5, 2014

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Rev. James P. Walsh ’69 died December 24, 2014 Evelyn Newton G’70 died December 14, 2014 Anthony Marteka G’71 died January 12, 2015 Anne M. Cataldo CE’73 died January 19, 2015 Ronald L. Dupont AP’68, ’72 died October 23, 2014 Richard J. Ranelli ’72 died January 13, 2015 Andree Cassavant G’72 died November 2, 2014 Ronald M. Leclerc AP’70, ’74 died September 7, 2014 Carol A. Harootian G’74 died October 5, 2014 James Whalen ’75 died October 30, 2014 Lawrence J. Branagan G’78 died December 5, 2014 Julie Matias Beckwith ’79, G’83 died January 1, 2015

Spring 2015

Carol E. Beeso G’79, G’83 died December 12, 2014 Timothy S. Kenney ’84 died October 1, 2014 David A. Rinaldi ’84 died September 23, 2014 April Balcom Hunter CE’88 died December 22, 2014 Tracy Longvall Rivera G’96 died November 3, 2014 Pamela McDonald DeBoise CE’95 died January 19, 2015 Ann M. Kaminski G’02 died August 13, 2014 Jeffrey R. Robert ’08 died July 14, 2014 Amanda M. Medeiros ’14 died September 21, 2014 For a regularly updated list of dearly departed Assumption College alumni, please visit www.assumption.edu/obituaries.

IMPACT Your gift of any amount has

26 PEOPLE GIVING

20 PEOPLE GIVING

$35

$100

40 PEOPLE GIVING

$250

30 PEOPLE GIVING = NEW COMPUTER Information Technology Center Lab

$50

= ONE TUTOR Academic Support Center for 2015-16 Academic Year = A MERIT OR NEED BASED SCHOLARSHIP

= NEW MICROSCOPE Testa Science Center lab

G REYHOUNDS

ARE STRONGER IN PACKS .

On the surface, it may seem that your gift of $50 or $100 can’t make a difference. But there’s strength in numbers. When your gift is pooled together with thousands of other generous contributions, it can really make things happen for Assumption students.

THE A SSUMPTION F UND It’s quick and easy to give online: www.assumption.edu/donate

500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296 www.assumption.edu

Reunion Weekend June 12–14

Renew friendships, relive memories Saturday’s highlights ALUMNI AWARDS CEREMONY honoring this year’s recipients: Fr. Louis Dion, A.A. ’35 Outstanding Achievement: edward mcGettigan ’75 Jack L. Bresciani ’72 Outstanding Alumnus: robert Kenney ’65 Honorary Alumnus: Terrence & rebecca milka p’12 Young Alumnus: ryan Brennan ’05

FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL WITH JAY ’N JOE BAND sample delicious foods from a variety of vendors at the 2nd annual food Truck festival with entertainment by our alumni musicians Jay Lacroix ’00 and Joe parrillo ’99

PARK AVE STROLL a bus will loop continuously to park avenue; or relax on campus and reminisce with friends.

D.J. DAN MARSHALL ’96 d.J. dan marshall ’96 will let the good times roll on campus after class dinners.

www.assumption.edu/reunion

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #389 BURLINGTON, VT 05401