Committed to a Marywood Education Dr. John P. Martin is a man deeply committed to the ideal of Catholic higher education. That’s why he and his beloved late wife, Ann Marie, endowed a scholarship at Marywood University. Today their scholarship continues the IHM tradition of providing support to deserving Marywood students. John and Ann Marie were also benefactors of the Marian Chapel renovations and helped make possible the Eucharistic Chapel adjacent to the main altar.
Dr. Martin took advantage of I.R.S. rulings that permit certain individuals to make charitable gifts from their retirement accounts without personal tax consequences. To determine if you qualify for use of these special tax provisions, or for information regarding the inclusion of Marywood University in your estate plans, contact Elizabeth Connery, Director of Planned Giving at 1-800-967-6279, ext. 2622 or e-mail: connery@marywood.edu.
Spring/Summer 2009
THE MAGAZINE OF MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY
F E AT U R E S
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Norah O'Donnell Commencement Keynote Whether interviewing presidents, first ladies, heads of state, or members of Congress, Norah O’Donnell has earned a reputation as a keen interviewer of today’s newsmakers. The chief Washington correspondent for the NBC News 24-hour cable channel MSNBC and a contributing correspondent for NBC’s top-rated Today show is the keynote speaker at Marywood University’s Commencement on May 10.
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Responsibility Redefined: Taking on the Challenges of a New Era Cover Story
In the face of 21st Century challenges, Marywood remains committed to educating people to live responsibly in this diverse, interdependent world. We present the perspectives of a few individuals from the greater Marywood University community who are stepping up, speaking out, and redefining what it means to take responsibility in this new era.
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Record-breaking Sports Seasons Marywood University varsity athletics have had an outstanding year. After a successful fall, in which a recordbreaking six of seven teams qualified for post-season play, the winter season also proved strong for the Pacers—both the men’s and women’s basketball teams set records, and each team qualified for post-season play.
D E PA R T M E N T S
22 ON THE COVER Todd Pousley ’07, President of Lackawanna County Habitat for Humanity, stands on the site of two family homes that his group will construct this spring.
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From the Editor The President’s Page Marywood Digest Alumni Class Notes Seen and Heard
(Cover photo by Stephen Allen Photography)
www.marywood.edu
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From the Editor The Magazine of Marywood University is published by the Marketing and Communications Office.
READY to GO I
t’s no secret that these are challenging times. And yet, there are plenty of people who aren’t content just to stand by and allow a gloom-and-doom mentality to prevail. Rather, they are perpetually ready to go—stepping forward in hope, confronting adversity in remarkable, creative ways. A mentor once told me that you can’t have a life free of struggles, but you are free to be a blessing despite them. There is always a higher road to travel, a better choice to make, and a more compassionate way to respond. We decided it would be inspiring to tell some of these stories from the Marywood perspective, realizing that those we chose to feature are but a glimpse of the many that can and should be told. We have talented alumni ready to build better communities and touch the lives of others through their gifts; global-minded students, ready to serve and grateful for the opportunities that their education affords them; judicious faculty, ready to teach and dialogue about pressing societal and ethical issues. Equipped with a redefined sense of responsibility for this uncommon era, shaped by the belief that one person can make a significant difference— these members of the greater Marywood University community are proving to be blessings despite our struggles.
MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509 1-866-279-9663 • www.marywood.edu
Magazine Staff Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sheryl Lynn Sochoka ’92 Executive Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Kilcullen Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carrie Bowen Toomey Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Juneann Greco ’83 Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ellen Wolfe Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patricia J. Thomas Meghan Cravath Renée Gregori Zehel ’91 Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Allen Rich Banick Maryann Capone ’06 Tomlynn Fallon ’06 Radostina Petrova ’06
Executive Officers Sister Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D. President of the University Peter Cimbolic, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Raymond P. Heath, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Life Joseph X. Garvey, C.P.A., M.S., Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer Clayton N. Pheasant, D.Min., Vice President for University Advancement Sister Dolores M. Filicko, IHM, M.B.A. Secretary of the University
College Deans Devorah Namm, Ph.D., Dean Insalaco College of Creative and Performing Arts Mary Anne Fedrick, Ph.D., Dean Reap College of Education and Human Development
Warm regards,
Alan Levine, Ph.D., Acting Dean College of Health and Human Services Michael A. Foley, Ph.D., Dean College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Read the Marywood Magazine online: Sheryl Lynn Sochoka ’92 , Editor
www.marywood.edu/magazine
Change of Address? MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY
What Do You Think About Marywood Magazine? Let us know!
MarywoodMag@marywood.edu 4 www.marywood.edu
Constituency Relations Office 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509 alumni @marywood.edu Marywood University, in accordance with applicable provisions of federal law, does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, national or igin, sex, age, or disability in the administration of any of its educational programs or activities, including admission, or with respect to employment. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Patricia Dunleavy, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, Marywood University, Scranton, PA 18509-1598. Phone: (570) 348-6220 or e-mail: dunleavy@marywood.edu.
The President’s Page
Prepared TO LEAD The Commissioning Service held prior to Spring Break service trips at the Marian Chapel.
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ducation empowers people. As a Catholic university, our commitment
to this belief is strong. In fact, it is a core element of our University mission. A Marywood education greatly enhances one’s opportunities for a meaningful and successful life, and, from this comprehensive, mission-driven framework, empowered individuals emerge. Throughout their time here, Marywood University students are thoroughly immersed in our mission and encouraged “to develop to their fullest potential,” “to broaden their understanding of global issues,” “to engage in a lifelong process of learning,” and “to
shape their lives as leaders in service to others.” In the end, they have more than a diploma to show for it. They are prepared to lead. We live in a complex era. How successfully we face the challenges of today and tomorrow depends on how prepared we are to move forward with principled leadership and ethical understanding. As educators, we are called to teach others how “to live responsibly in a diverse and interdependent world,” but we are equally compelled to set a credible example by living and leading responsibly as well. At Marywood, we will continue to do what we have done successfully for 94 years—educate to empower and prepare to lead—fully aware that the University’s mission lives in each person’s response of hopeful action, global thinking, and respectful dialogue.
Sincerely,
Sister Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D. President of the University www.marywood.edu
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Marywood Digest
INVESTING in
Career&Business Education
A
$92,000 grant will fund the development of a new five-year Bachelor of Business Administration/ Master of Science (BBA/MS) in Financial Information Systems and a new financial lab and virtual trading room in the William G. McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies (featured in photo), which includes computer workstations, up-to-date financial research software for project analyses, and a real-time stock ticker. Wall Street West aims to develop a total back-up solution for companies in financial services, information technology, and related industries through advancements in economic and Students and faculty in the new financial lab and workforce development. The virtual trading room. Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative, as implemented by the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, provided the funding. Additionally, the Northeast Pennsylvania Employment Consortium (NPEC) received a $29,560 grant for the NPEC FITS! Initiative, a multi-institutional career program, which will address the needs of regional employers, as identified by the Wall Street West Workforce Development Gap Analysis. Grant funding supported the launch of NPECcareersuccess.org, a web site (pictured at right), which offers job seeking tips, career guidance information, and employment opportunities. The web site is a “one-stop shop” for employers, who can reduce duplication of effort by entering their information in one place while reaching over 15,000 students at NPEC member institutions. NPEC comprises the career services offices of Keystone College, King’s College, Marywood University, Misericordia University, the University of Scranton, and Wilkes University.
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Students SOAR for a BETTER TOMORROW Marywood University partnered with Northeast Intermediate Unit (NEIU) 19 last fall to create a campus-based transition program for students with autism that has transformed the college experience for four special students. Students on Campus Achieving Results (SOAR) is a learning environment where students spend half their day in the classroom and the other half in vocational training on campus. Students have the opportunity to interact with peers; ask for directions and services; acquire a meal; visit the library, gym, and art galleries; attend a concert or athletic event; and work in a job on campus. Jack Kirby, NEIU 19, classroom instructor, explained that the program has been well received across campus. “Everyone has been extremely helpful and kind. I tell everyone that the kids are like ‘rock stars’ because everywhere we go, car horns are beeping and people are stopping to say hello.” Students and faculty are integrated into the program as volunteers, mentors, and job coaches. They work with NEIU 19 to adapt and expand the curricula, to integrate more active learning strategies, universal design for learning methods, and assistive technology tools. The University and NEIU 19 hope to expand the program nationwide.
Marywood Digest
Marywood University Named to
PRESIDENTIAL HONOR ROLL for Community Service The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Marywood University with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. “I am delighted that Marywood’s commitment to our core value of service has been recognized in this way,” said Sister Anne Munley IHM, President of Marywood University. “As a University community, we are steeped in a strong tradition of active engagement for the common good. I am very proud of our students, faculty, and staff. They are living expressions of the mission of Marywood University.” Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. In the 2007-2008 academic year there were 2,652 Marywood University students engaged in 60,000 hours of service. Marywood University also encourages students to participate in national and international service trip programs that serve communities in need. For a complete list of partners, please visit www.marywood.edu/campmin.
“I am delighted that Marywood’s commitment to our core value of service has been recognized in this way.” - SISTER ANNE MUNLEY, IHM President of the University
NORAH O’DONNELL
Keynote Speaker for Commencement
N
orah O’Donnell, chief Washington correspondent for the NBC News 24-hour cable channel MSNBC and a contributing correspondent for NBC’s toprated Today show, is the keynote speaker at Marywood University’s commencement on May 10 at the Wachovia Arena, Wilkes-Barre. Ms. O’Donnell served as White House correspondent for NBC News from September 2003 to May 2005, reporting for NBC News broadcasts, including the toprated Nightly News, Today, and MSNBC cable network. Prior to being named White House correspondent, she had been congressional correspondent for NBC News. She has covered a number of major breaking news stories for both NBC and MSNBC, including the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. She received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Breaking News Coverage for a Dateline NBC story titled, “D.C. in Crisis,” on the night of September 11, 2001. Ms. O’Donnell then covered the Pentagon following the terrorist attacks and traveled extensively with Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld, reporting on the war in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism. Washingtonian Magazine has named Ms. O’Donnell as one of Washington’s 100 most powerful women, and she also has been named to Irish America Magazine’s 2000 “Top 100 Irish Americans” list. Her journalism career focuses on giving voice to the female electorate and providing insights regarding the attitudes and voting habits of women in politics. Using her own day-to-day experiences as the mother of three young children, she often addresses the so-called “work-life balance,” inferring that “balanced” doesn’t accurately capture the sacrifices necessary to maintain both a career and family. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ms. O’Donnell is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and a master’s degree in international affairs. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, who is a restaurateur, and their three children.
www.marywood.edu
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Marywood Digest
Study: Antioxidants&Athletic
ENDURANCE
A
Marywood researcher wants to know how supplements rich in antioxidants affect human performance and physiology. To support this effort, Naturex, Inc. awarded Dr. James Smoliga, Ph.D., DVM, (pictured below) Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, College of Health and Human Services, a research contract for $155,000. The study, part of an ongoing collaboration between Dr. Smoliga and Joe Maroon, M.D., Pittsburgh Steelers neurosurgeon, will examine the effects of polyphenol supplementation on oxidative stress and physiologic performance in endurance athletes. Research will be conducted in the Human Physiology Lab, Marywood University, under the direction of Kenneth W. Rundell, Ph.D., FACSM, Professor of Health Science and Director of Respiratory Research and the Human Physiology Laboratory. The supplements, made entirely from grapeskins, are very rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) and have been shown to improve longevity and exercise performance. Researchers will also study blood oxygen levels, cardiac function, electrical activity of the muscles during exercise, and note the effects the supplement has on these factors. Additionally, studies will be conducted on the levels of inflammatory and stress markers in the blood. The project will take approximately four to six months to complete. Naturex develops, manufactures and markets natural ingredients for the food, dietary supplement, and nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
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Dr. Shamshad Ahmed on M U S L I M C U LT U R E Dr. Shamshad Ahmed, Assistant Professor in Counseling and Psychology, recently presented an array of topics about the Muslim culture at national and international conferences. AURANGABAD, INDIA • Anxiety and Depression in Arab and non Arab Muslims at the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology Conference • Identity Development of Muslim Women at the 13th International Conference of Indian Applied Psychology • Acculturative Stress and Life Satisfaction of Egyptian Christians and Muslims, at the 13th International Conference of Indian Academy of Applied Psychology with Marywood University Psychology Doctoral student,
Suzi Azab WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY • Islam in America panelist PENN STATE UNIVERSITY • Muslim Women Identity Model at Pennsylvania's Counseling Association
Marywood Digest
PROJECT LAND DESIGN
TAKES SHAPE
An innovative public-use project that will restore a portion of mine-scarred land of Marywood’s campus is now in the Design Phase. Internationally-acclaimed environmental artist Patricia Johanson recently returned to campus to walk the site and meet with faculty, administrators, and community leaders. Her plan is beginning to take shape: in a park-like setting, it will honor the land’s natural and cultural history and the role it has played, socially and economically, in the life of this mining community. The design will artfully lead the visitor to featured points of interest, allowing for education, spiritual meditation, and recreation. The Overlook Estate Foundation, an
organization “dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of the natural world” provided a $5,000 grant to support development and promotion of the initiative. Art faculty members Dr. Linda Dugan Partridge and Pamela M. Parsons, who serve as directors of the Land Design Environmental Remediation Initiative, continue to pursue construction funds to bring Ms. Johanson’s design to life. To help create this testament to Northeast Pennsylvania’s history and native environment, please contact Renée Zehel at 570-961-4715 to make a contribution.
MARYWOOD HOSTS PA Budget Forum Recognizing the challenges of the upcoming budget year, Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chairman, Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia County) and Representative Kevin Murphy (D-Lackawanna County) along with Representative Ken Smith (DLackawanna County) and the Northeast Democratic House Delegation chaired a special forum in the Swartz Center for Spiritual Life. The event, which was open to the public, included an audience of legislators, educators, citizens, and students. At a reception before the event, Sister Anne welcomed the state representatives to the campus. She was delighted to welcome Representative Tim Seip (D-Berks and Schuylkill Counties) back to his alma mater. Tim graduated with a Master of Social Work degree from Marywood in 2002.
Patricia Johanson, artist, and Dr. Linda Partridge discuss the plans for the Land Design Environmental Remediation at the designated site for the project.
MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY’S
SWARTZ CENTER PLANNING AN EVENT? The Swartz Center at Marywood University is an ideal venue for: Conferences • Corporate Meetings Special Events & Receptions
Full Service Conference Center: The Swartz Center facilities and professional staff provide full support for all your needs, including on-site catering and state of the art technology. Housing is also available to groups during the summer months.
Wedding Ceremonies The beautiful Marian Chapel in the Swartz Center may be rented by Alumni for Catholic wedding ceremonies.
For information contact: Ann O’Neill Conference Coordinator 570-348-6211 ext. 2595 ahoneill@marywood.edu
www.marywood.edu
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Marywood Digest
Beautiful Gifts Make Beautiful Music THE
PERAGALLO PIPE STEINWAY GRAND PIANO, AND THE MARYWOOD CHAMBER SINGERS RESONATED THROUGH THE
SWEET AND SPLENDID SOUNDS OF THE
ORGAN, THE
UNIVERSITY MARIAN CHAPEL
LAST FALL AT A SPECIAL MUSICAL EVENT TO
FUREY, PERAGALLO, AND ROCHE FAMILIES. THE RECITAL ALSO FEATURED PERFORMANCES BY MARK LAUBACH AND RICK HOFFENBERG. CELEBRATE THE GENEROSITY OF THE
Above left: Mrs. Ellen W. Furey (M.A. ’76) presented the University with a Steinway Grand Piano for the Marian Chapel, honoring her children, Sandy A. Furey, III, M.D., who studied organ at Marywood; Julie Ann Furey ’84; and Ellen’s husband, the late Sandy A. Furey, M.D., a former Marywood trustee. Above right: Music alumna Marie Terotta Roche ’52 and her husband, Gerard, a former Marywood trustee, right, presented the University with a Peragallo Pipe Organ for the Marian Chapel. This gift celebrates her gratitude for receiving an IHM education. The couple’s two daughters are also Marywood alumnae. Organist Mark Laubach, center, is pictured with the Roches. Left: The stately pipe organ is the work of John Peragallo, III, of the Peragallo Pipe Organ Company, now in its fourth generation. To commemorate this special occasion, the Peragallo family established the John Peragallo, Jr., Scholarship at Marywood, which assists aspiring organ scholars to study this great and noble instrument. Pictured are Mrs. John Peragallo, Jr., her son, Mr. John Peragallo, III, and his son, Mr. John Peragallo, IV . 10 www.marywood.edu
Marywood Digest
SOUNDS ABOUND S
ince 1991, elementary and middle school students have been deftly drawing their bows in the Marywood String Project at the Sette LaVerghetta Center for the Performing Arts. This year, they are learning a new method. At the direction of violin virtuoso Sophie Till, the faculty member who directs Marywood’s String Project, 80 string students studying violin, viola, cello, and bass are learning the Taubman Piano Technique. Edna Golandsky of the Golandsky Institute (www.golandskyinstitute.org) in New York is the leading expert of the Technique, which involves the coordination of identifiable body movements that allow the body to function at the instrument with ease, freedom, maximum speed and power. The Technique is well known for curing injuries, including focal distonia, and solving all aspects of pain and discomfort associated with playing an instrument. Ms. Till has adapted this technique for the violin and, in collaboration with colleague Christiane Vaida, is adapting it for the cello. This summer, Ms. Till will be the first official presenter of the
String Project Explores New Teaching Method
Taubman approach to string playing at the Golandsky Institute’s International Summer Symposium at Princeton University. According to Till, the new method is working, as beginners who started with the Taubman approach are “showing remarkable results.” Part of the National String Project Consortium (NSPC), the String Project provides a unique and affordable opportunity for students and their families to appreciate the study and performance of string instruments. In addition to nominal instrument rental fees, program participants pay $125 a semester, or less than $3 a class. The low fee, which is made possible by corporate support from Target Corporation, alumni, and others who support music education for children, starkly contrasts with the typical $20-$40 per half-hour rate of instruction required for private lessons. This structured after-school musical training program is available to public and private school students in the third through ninth grades.
To help sustain this valuable community program, contact Sophie Till at 570-348-6268, ext. 2378.
Marywood Digest
WHY
SCHOLARSHIPS MATTER
A
ffording higher education is not easy for most students. That’s why university-based scholarships are as important as ever. Samantha Coassolo ’10, an English Major and Spanish Minor from Wilkes-Barre, PA, and a recipient of an IHM Scholarship, tells how scholarship support has helped her to pursue her education: “Education has always been a big part of my life. However, like most things that are worthwhile and necessary, education comes at a high price. My family makes a modest living and, with the decline in the economy and rising prices in education, could not afford to pay my way through college. I needed to make use of the grant and loan opportunities provided by the state, and, more importantly, the academic and service scholarships awarded by the University. These scholarships assist students like me financially and enhance our motivation, as we strive to achieve our greatest potential. Loans help to alleviate financial pressure, but loans also must be repaid—a very daunting prospect for young students like me. I am so grateful for the financial aid I receive, and I take advantage of the opportunities that this support has allowed me to experience. Right now, I’m doing my best in classes, extracurricular activities, and my job as a work study student. Once I reach my educational and professional goals, it will be my turn to give back, recognizing those who helped me to realize my dreams and make a difference for future generations.”
School of Architecture Scholarship
Penn Security Bank and Trust Company recently visited the campus to present a check to Sister Anne Munley, IHM, President of Marywood University, representing the company’s commitment to an annual scholarship for a student in the new School of Architecture. With Sister Anne are Dominick Gianuzzi, Assistant Vice President, Community Office Manager, and Stanley H. Cohen, Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Division Head.
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MARYWOOD in GUATEMALA The Mission at San Lucas Toliman in Guatemala is committed to the economic well being of the inhabitants of the Western highlands of that country. In conjunction with this commitment, the Mission participates in the growing and processing of Fair Trade coffee. Joseph Garvey, Vice President for Business Affairs, and his wife, Fran, recently accompanied Marywood students on a service trip to Guatemala, where they assisted in the picking and sorting of ripened coffee beans. The group also worked on reforestation efforts and educational projects.
LOOK AROUND YOU. THERE
IS A NEED TO BE MET—SO MEET IT.
The same sentiment could have been expressed in 1915, when some pioneering IHM Sisters opened the doors to the only Catholic college for women in Pennsylvania. They saw the changes that the turn of the 20th Century had wrought and anticipated how to meet the needs it presented. Establishing Marywood was their answer. Nearly 100 years later, facing the challenges of another new era, Marywood University has grown and changed well beyond the expectations of its founders. Yet, the pioneering spirit through which this institution was founded remains. Now the answer is fulfilling our ongoing mission to educate people to live responsibly in a diverse, interdependent world. In this Marywood Magazine cover story, we present just few of these challenges—community housing, global education, leadership and service, educational access, ethics struggles, economic conditions, and green initiatives— and profile some people from the greater Marywood University community who are stepping up, speaking out, and redefining what it means to take responsibility in the 21st Century.
www.marywood.edu
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Marywood inspired me to do great things and contribute to my community in positive ways‌These were eye-opening experiences that prepared me for a life dedicated to the betterment of my community. Todd Pousley ’07
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Responsibility Redefined
QUITTING
IS NOT AN OPTION Taking Responsibility for My Community
Todd Pousley ’07 was a Marywood undergraduate student when he volunteered to help a foundering Habitat for Humanity chapter in the region. Just a few years later, he is President of Lackawanna County Habitat for Humanity, guiding its re-emergence as a community organization, rebuilding a strong volunteer leadership coalition, and providing hope—and homes—to those in greatest need. N SOCHOKA ’92 AS TOLD TO SHERYL LYN
RESPONSIBILITY TAKES MANY FORMS.
E
very person has a responsibility to do what is necessary to better the lives of the people in their local, national, and international communities. How to best accomplish this end is the decision of each individual. My personal belief is that the blessings and opportunities I’ve been afforded throughout my life obligate me to do what I can to help insure that others have the same opportunities that I did. Marywood inspired me to do great things and contribute to my community in positive ways. During my years as a student, I was fortunate enough to participate in Campus Ministry sponsored service trips to places like rural Appalachia, Guatemala, and post-Katrina New Orleans. These were eye-opening experiences that prepared me for a life dedicated to the betterment of my community. Furthermore, the Presidential Scholarship that I received as a student at Marywood afforded me the opportunity to participate in these trips and other service activities. If not for the financial support that I received through the generosity of Marywood’s benefactors, I would have had to work throughout my college years to pay my tuition and
room and board, leaving little time for anything else. As it was, I did have the opportunity to serve, and that opportunity allowed me to embark on an improbable, but no less incredible, journey. I was in my junior year at Marywood University when a small group of volunteers, attempting to reestablish an ailing local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, recruited me. I joined the board of directors of Lackawanna County Habitat for Humanity in the fall of 2005, even as the affiliate was suffering the effects of deficient leadership. Facing mounting debts and poor public opinion following the condemnation of a Habitat house in Scranton, most of those involved had abandoned the organization. A few students from a neighboring college and one remaining board member, Howard Hyde, picked up what little remained of the organization. I jumped at the opportunity to get involved at the time, not realizing the full magnitude of that commitment.
www.marywood.edu
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Responsibility Redefined
QUITTING WAS NOT AN OPTION—I HAD TO ACT. Keenly aware of the need for the services that Habitat provides in Lackawanna County, specifically in and around the city of Scranton, I was willing to step up to the plate and do whatever I could to help. To watch the affiliate die and not do anything to try to stop it would have been an injustice to the community. Plus, my past experiences with other Habitat affiliates had been positive. Worldwide, Habitat for Humanity has an enviable track record of success. I’ve witnessed, first hand, how the work of Habitat affiliates and like-minded non-profits can transform the lives of families and whole communities—and the work continues.
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INVOLVED
To be honest, I wasn’t sure that the problems the organization faced could be fixed, but I knew the affiliate was going to close if I didn’t act. If what I did wasn’t enough to revitalize the organization, then it would at least limp along for a few more months before eventually closing. However, I knew that there was at least a slim chance that I could keep the affiliate on life support just long enough to get more people involved and then, hopefully, rebuild the organization.
I want Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County to become a leader in low-income housing in Scranton and Lackawanna County. To that end, we will be constructing two single-family homes on the lot at 1711 Prospect Avenue. We plan to break ground for the first home this spring and complete it before the end of the year. We’ll begin work on the second house in the spring of 2010 and, hopefully, finish that one in the same year.
YOU CAN GET
Although we worked diligently to rejuvenate the struggling affiliate, Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County was on the verge of closing by the summer of 2006. Habitat for Humanity International, considering the demise of our affiliate inevitable, recommended that we close. The few members of the current board of directors were losing interest and hope. By May, only three remained—me, another student from the University of Scranton, and Howard Hyde, our 85-year old president. We decided to have one last go at it, but, due to family and other obligations, my partners in this initiative could not do much to help. So, the seemingly insurmountable task was, more or less, left to me.
The recent economic stimulus package, for example, includes $2 billion to add to the $4 billion of federal money that has already been invested in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which is working to stabilize the housing market by buying up and renovating foreclosed properties. Habitat affiliates may be able to use a portion of this money to acquire properties and build homes for low-income families.
1. VOLUNTEER ON OUR WORK SITES AS WE BUILD HOMES FOR FAMILIES IN NEED OF SIMPLE, DECENT SHELTER. Anyone over the age of 16 can volunteer on one of our work sites. No prior construction experience is required. Training and supervision are provided on-site by a designated site supervisor. Work site volunteers are afforded the opportunity to work side-byside with the Habitat family that will eventually move into the house. Some activities that
Responsibility Redefined
There’s no exact science to procuring sites. Sometimes, properties are donated to us. Other times, sources of funding might dictate the areas in which we construct new homes. The site for these two houses was purchased with generous funding from Scranton’s Office of Economic and Community Development and was selected, in part, because it is located in an area of the city that is being targeted for revitalization. We hope to continue to build new Habitat homes each year. All of our homes, so far, have been built in the city of Scranton, but we hope to branch out into other parts of Lackawanna County in the near future. Through a combination of these methods and strategies, we can continue to rebuild our community and restore hope for those who will one day occupy the homes we construct.
ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Living a responsible life means recognizing that our lives are all interrelated, and that we depend on each other, directly and indirectly. Marywood’s mission focuses on interdependence, which also speaks to responsibility, and I am grateful to have learned that lesson early. At the age of 21, I rebuilt and revitalized an organization that almost everyone else had deemed a failure. Now, just a few years later, I’m the president of a non-profit organization. The choices that I have made and continue to make in my life profoundly impact the lives of others. That is true for each one of us. This impact may not be tangible at all times, but that doesn’t make it any less real. The greatest thing I’ve learned, both at Marywood and in my life experiences, is that one person—through passion, enthusiasm, and dedication—can make a real difference.
volunteers might be involved in include: framing, roofing, siding, painting, and landscaping. 2. MAKE A DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR WORK. Habitat for Humanity relies on donations from individuals, groups, and corporations to fund the construction of our houses.
Speak a Second Language, Know a Second Culture by Ann Cerminaro-Costanzi, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Spanish
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e live in a global society. Institutions of higher education must recognize the crucial need to prepare students to compete in a global marketplace, if those students are to succeed. We must graduate students who can not only communicate in a second language, but who can put the skills they have learned in a foreign language classroom to work—in fields as diverse as teaching, business, health and human services, law enforcement, medicine, fashion, information technology and government.
Today’s students need to realize that international business is 21st century business, that French is the language of international fashion, that the Hispanic population in the United States has grown by 60 percent in just one decade, and that more than one billion consumers speak Chinese. Marywood has led and will continue to lead on when it comes to preparing students for these and other realities of today’s world. Marywood University has long recognized that students learning a foreign language come to know themselves, their language, and their own society far better, as they study the people, language, and culture of another. Thus, Marywood students come to understand our mission in a far more personal way, as they “broaden their understanding of global issues,” “shape their lives as leaders in service to others,” and “live responsibly in a diverse and interdependent world.” Marywood University leads the effort to prepare students for the challenges ahead by clearly sounding the call: “Make certain you have 21st century skills: speak a second language, know a second culture.”
3. JOIN ONE OF A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES, WHICH SUPPORT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Some committees include: Family Selection, Family Support, Construction, Site Selection, Public Relations, Finance, Volunteer, and Fundraising. For more information on getting involved and supporting Lackawanna County’s Habitat for Humanity, call (570) 342-7911 or go to www.habitatlackawanna.org. If you’d like to get involved in another Habitat community, visit www.habitat.org, where you can search for the affiliate closest to you.
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Katelin recently traveled to Tanzania, Africa, to assist high school girls with English grammar.
A Maxis-Gillet Scholar Shows Why Service Shapes Better Leaders
SERVICE: A WAY OF LIFE Katelin Haley ’09 lives to serve.
She adds, “Responsibility is individual and communal. I have a responsibility to myself to get my education and to lead the best life I hen she graduates this May, this can. I also have a responsibility to the global outstanding Maxis-Gillet Scholar community to share my gifts and talents and will have logged more than 860 to work to better the world,” Katelin states. hours of service. More importantly, this Like all Maxis-Gillet Scholars, She is heavily service-focused leader, who will earn a involved in Campus Ministry and Collegiate Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/PreVolunteers. As a student service coordinator, Med, with a minor in Religious Studies, is she has organized service opportunities, poised and ready to make a difference planned Hunger and Homelessness Week, through her future profession. Katelin will presented University 100 classes on the begin studies at Lake Erie College of volunteer opportunities that Marywood Osteopathic Medicine this fall. “The Maxis-Gillet Service Award has really offers, and organized transportation for student volunteers at St. Francis Soup Kitchen defined the direction of my educational in Scranton. Katelin is the Peace and Justice experiences,” acknowledges Katelin. “It helps Section editor for The WoodWord, to create strong, service-focused leaders, Marywood’s student newspaper, and she has who often dedicate their lives to service.” assisted fellow students through her service The Maxis-Gillet Service Award Program as a Resident Advisor, a Freshman Orientation eases tuition costs, alleviating the need for Advisor, and tutor. outside employment and allowing students She recently returned from New Orleans, ample time to work in service to others. A where she served for her entire spring break, student who accepts this award commits to painting homes that have not been fully an extraordinary level of service—215 hours repaired since Hurricane Katrina devastated per year—in addition to academic coursework. The time is well invested, making the area four years ago. Katelin has participated in seven service trips and was a Maxis-Gillet Scholars among the most peer facilitator for four of them. Her service dedicated students on campus. work has taken her to Kentucky, Baltimore, As tremendous as this service requisite and Tanzania, Africa, with two trips each to may seem, Katelin admits that she often exceeded the required hours, simply because, New Orleans and to Guatemala. In addition, Katelin was Vice President of the Biology she says, “Service is a way of life for me.”
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“Responsibility is individual and communal. I have a responsibility to myself to get my education and to lead the best life I can.”
Katelin Haley ’09
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Club and coordinated several trips and club events. She is a Science Department Lab Assistant and a member of the Socratic Society, a Philosophy club, as well as a Dean’s List student nominated for several Commencement medals. “Students at Marywood are focused towards leading productive, service-oriented lives,” says Katelin. “You avoid the temptation of partying on a Friday when you have to wake up at 7 a.m. to serve at the Soup Kitchen on Saturday. This award has helped me realize what a valuable thing my education is.” In the end, it is Katelin’s potential to effect change in the world beyond the classroom that makes the greatest difference to her. After medical school, she hopes to work in a medically underserved area, either domestically or abroad, with plans to spend some portion of her career internationally, ideally in Africa. “The greater lessons are those that I have learned while watching children go through soup kitchen lines, participating in the sleep out to experience solidarity with the homeless people of Scranton, singing songs with students in Tanzania, hearing the stories of an impoverished family in Kentucky, and holding the hand of elderly patients in the hospital,” affirms Katelin.
For more information on the Maxis-Gillet Award go to www.marywood.edu/campmin
Responsibility Redefined
Graduate Student Nadiege Jean Baptiste ’08
“FOLLOWYour DREAMS” Responsibility is something Nadeige Jean Baptiste ’08 learned at an early age. By the time she turned 18, the Island of St. John native had already packed up her belongings, said goodbye to family and friends, and embarked on her solo journey to Marywood University to pursue her college education. Nadiege’s dream of higher education was realized through an endowed scholarship from Scranton natives William and Carmel Callahan. The Callahan Scholarship was established with the specific intent of assisting residents of St. John who want to pursue an education at Marywood University. Four years after her Marywood journey began, the William and Carmel Callahan Scholarship continues to impact Nadiege’s life. After earning her BBA in International Business from Marywood in 2008, she decided to continue her education in the University’s Master of Business Administration program. “I wanted to better myself and take that extra step to allow me to begin my career in the business world after graduation,” says Nadeige, who is a part-time assistant to the Director of Diversity Efforts, as well as a member of Net Impact. Enriched by her interaction with students from different cultures, she hopes to travel after earning her MBA. “I am forever blessed and fortunate to have received the Callahan Scholarship, and I would never be where I am right now without it, especially in the current economy,” she said. Nadeige concluded, “I’ve learned a lot about myself, my life, and the lives of others through this scholarship and through the Marywood values that shaped in me. Responsibility has a new meaning to me—inspiring students to open their own doors and follow their dreams.”
Reflections on the Death Penalty by Dr. Michael A. Foley, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The following thoughts are based on my book Arbitrary and Capricious: The Supreme Court, the Constitution, and the Death Penalty, Praeger Press, 2003. As I assume my new role as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, I will not have time to teach my favorite two courses, namely, Philosophical Perspectives on Punishment and The Death Penalty. Since I might not be back in the classroom, and since I have written on the constitutionality of the death penalty, I want to take this opportunity to outline my opposition to the death penalty. First, for all the talk about the deterrent effect of the death penalty, no one has ever been able to establish such an effect. To take a life on the assumption that there may be a deterrent effect troubles me. Second, the death penalty is defended as well in terms of retribution, commonly understood as having the punishment fit the crime. The biblical injunction “an eye for an eye” captures what most people understand by retribution. But do we really want or need “an eye for an eye”? Do we really want to do to others what they have done to us? Third, since 1973, 123 people in 25 states have been released from death row having been found innocent. Do we want to risk the execution of an innocent person? Fourth, people have had their death penalty conviction upheld by the Supreme Court on the basis of a 5-4 vote. That life comes down to one vote should be a cause of concern for anyone interested in justice and peace over injustice and violence. Fifth, approximately 76% of Americans claim to be Christian, yet 65% of those individuals claim they support the death penalty. Christians need to think carefully about Christ’s message. Non-Christians need to think about what the penalty says about “we, the people.” The death penalty remains contrary to our collective interest in peace, justice, and compassion. We will learn this eventually. When?
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I N E E GR
Responsibility Redefined
The Case for Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility by Dr. Gale A. Jaeger Associate Professor of Business
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e have seen the results of living in an age of rationalization and of seeking profit at any and all costs.
Examples of unethical decision making and behavior proliferate not only on Wall Street but on Main Street, in the field of athletics, in medicine, in areas of government such as the FDA and the SEC, in the insurance industry, in non-profit organizations, and even in organized religions. We are endowed with free choice to make judgments and decisions that are motivated by many variables–both good and bad. As a result, we are assailed by disturbing reports of wrongdoings on a 24/7 basis. Still, I believe the prognosis for the future is not bleak. In his inaugural address, our new president mentioned a number of things that all of us must work on in the future. He spoke of a unity of purpose, a sense of hope, virtue, and dignity, which can and will be restored in our nation. He encouraged us all to embark upon a “new era of responsibility” in order to turn things around. It will not, he told us, happen overnight, but it will happen. “Our best days,” said President Obama, “are ahead.” Regardless of our political party, that is something to hang on to.
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There are few greater privileges than teaching our future leaders. They have learned a lot about what not to do. Clearly, they want to make a difference in the world in which they will live and raise families. They care about companies that strive to work for the benefit of all stakeholders–not just shareholders. It matters to these students that these companies care about diversity and about their communities and the environment as well as the ways in which they conduct business in other nations–particularly in Third World countries. Students react positively to the fact that ethical business practices and strong profit margins are not mutually exclusive.
For Cristin Powers ’07, opening a “green” retail store was a perfect outlet to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability in the community. The establishment of GreenBeing, an “eco-boutique,” combines this recent business graduate’s retail dreams with her growing concern for the environment. “It made sense to open a socially responsible and environmental store. I want to give back to the community where I was raised, by sharing information, ideas, and great products,” says Cristin. GreenBeing takes an aesthetic approach to implementing sustainable alternatives by offering organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fiber in the clothing, accessories, and other handmade items they sell. All “up-cycled” products are created by 15 local designers, and Cristin personally designs eco-handbags from burlap coffee sacks donated by the Electric City Roasting Company (www.electriccityroasting.com).
It is our duty as educators to be realistic and to own up to the mistakes that our generation and those before us have made, but also to make our students aware of the changes they can initiate. They can indeed break this tautological cycle of unethical practices. They can, with our help, learn from the ethical legacy that can, and must, come from our Catholic business schools.
Marywood VanGo There is a right way to do things. Let us make certain that students are aware of those who do it right, rather than allowing them to be mired in all that is wrong.
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the ECONOMY “It made sense to open a socially responsible and environmental store. I want to give back to the community where I was raised, by sharing information, ideas, and great products” Cristin Powers ’07. GreenBeing plays a vital role in Scranton, acting as the city’s first environmentally-friendly store. As part of Cristin’s green business plan, she hopes to purchase and renovate another building in the future, with the goal of achieving LEED certification. Overall, it is her intent to inspire the City of Scranton and the community to consider how they affect the environment and to educate residents on taking steps towards ongoing environmental stewardship. The store recently held an exhibit titled Bricolage: REBIRTH that showcased the work of 14 Marywood University students. Art Instructor Ted Michalowski challenged them to use only found objects. Also, Marywood alumni Tomlynn Fallon ’06 and Katie DellaValle ’06 have designed clothing for the store.
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Visit www.shopgreenbeing.com for updates and the latest information on an upcoming Lackawanna County celebration to promote sustainability in the community.
Marywood GREEN Practices Going GREEN
Marywood University’s environmental stewardship has extended to campus transportation and security. The University recently purchased an electricpowered van, called the “Van-Go” that produces less emissions and requires no gas. The van saves approximately 132 gallons of gas per month, and 3,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide is prevented from polluting the environment. Marywood’s “Van-Go” can hold up to seven people and can easily drive on campus sidewalks, where other vehicles cannot. The Security department hopes to upgrade all of their vehicle purchases in the future to create a culture of environmental responsibility on campus.
GREEN by Design In addition to the School of Architecture’s sustainable design practices, the building will also include a living, vegetated roof. Mark Burns, Superintendent of Grounds, is collaborating with Carlisle SynTec, a roofing company that specializes in green roof garden systems, in selecting the right plants. “The plants will be different types of Sedum, which are very low maintenance, drought-and heat-tolerant plants,” explains Mr. Burns. The green roof on the Center for Architectural Studies will reduce urban heat island effects, improve storm water run-off management, and provide air and water purification, as well as energy efficiency, year-round.
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Athletics
RECORD-BREAKING
SEAS
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arsity athletics at Marywood University enjoyed an outstanding year. Following a Fall 2008 season in which a record-setting six of seven Marywood varsity teams qualified for postseason play, winter 2008-2009 saw our basketball teams achieve record-setting seasons of their own. Pacers men’s and women’s basketball posted strong seasons, each qualifying for post-season conference play. Under eighth-year head coach Eric Grundman, the men’s basketball team established a new program record for wins in a season, posting a 15-11 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), qualifying the team for the CSAC playoffs. Marywood’s women’s team had an equally impressive season under fifth-year head coach Tara Macciocco, finishing second in the CSAC North Division. The Pacers posted a 16-10 overall record and a 6-3 mark in conference play. The Pacers men launched the season by winning the prestigious Laurel Line Tournament after defeating Misericorida University in the championship game. Senior guard Prince Blacknall, in photo at left, (Stroudsburg, PA) was named Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament team by
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Athletics
SPORTS
ONS junior guard Sidney Tharpe (Victorville, CA). Blacknall and Tharpe became the first players in the program to earn First Team All-Conference honors when the CSAC announced their regular season awards. Blacknall enjoyed a stellar senior season in which he became the sixth-leading scorer in Marywood history with 1,070 career points and was named CSAC Player of the Week three times. Tharpe garnered All-Conference honors after turning in one of the best offensive seasons in Marywood history, scoring a program-record 544 points and making 189 field goals this season. The Pacer women opened the season by winning the 2008 Coca-Cola Tip-Off Tournament after defeating Goucher College in the championship game. Freshman guard Mariah Schaeffer, in photo at right, (Bainbridge, NY) was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the AllTournament Team by junior forward Amanda Lass (Brackney, PA). During a season which saw the team qualify for the conference playoffs for the first time since the 2002-2003 campaign, Lass and freshman guard Marielle Thorsen (Belvidere, NJ) were each named CSAC Player of the Week. Thorsen captured Second Team All-Conference honors in her rookie season, while junior center Lizzy Green (Shenandoah, PA) was named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention squad.
For up-to-date Sports scores and information on all 14 varsity teams, go to mupacers.com
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Return to campus & Reconn FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2009 CHECK-IN AND REGISTRATION FOR OVERNIGHT GUESTS Madonna Hall 2 p.m.
CLASS OF 1959 LITURGY Marian Chapel, Swartz Center for Spiritual Life 5 p.m.
LEGACY SOCIETY RECEPTION AND DINNER (INVITATION ONLY) Honoring the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1959 Liguori Center, Regina Hall 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2009 CHECK-IN AND REGISTRATION FOR OVERNIGHT GUESTS Madonna Hall 8 a.m.
BUILDING YOUR LEGACY AT MARYWOOD Creating Your Personal Estate Plan Swartz Center for Spiritual Life 9:30 a.m.
MARYWOOD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEETING
OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS are available on campus in the newly-renovated Madonna Hall. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, AND SATURDAY, JUNE 6 $29 per person, if you register by May 5, 2009 $35 per person, if you register May 6-May 29, 2009
Nazareth Student Center 10:30 a.m.
ALL CLASS RECEPTION Fireplace Lounge Nazareth Student Center 11 a.m.
ALL CLASS LUNCHEON AND ALUMNI AWARDS Main Dining Room Nazareth Student Center 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
MARYWOOD THEN AND NOW Hosted by Sister Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D., President of the University Nazareth Student Center 2 p.m.
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nect with classmates. JUNE
5,6, & 7, 2009
Marywood University REUNION WEEKEND 2009
REGISTRATION FORM YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER ONLINE AT: WWW.MARYWOOD.EDU/ALUMNI
DEADLINE: MAY 29, 2009
CAMPUS TOURS
CLASS OF 1979: CLASS RECEPTION
Fireplace Lounge, Nazareth Student Center Immediately following “Marywood Then and Now”
Fireplace Lounge Nazareth Student Center 6:30-8:30 p.m.
FAMILY PICNIC AND CO-ED SOFTBALL
CLASS OF 1984: CLASS RECEPTION
Softball Field 2:30 p.m. Interested in playing? Contact Rose Jacklinski ’99 at jacklinski@marywood.edu.
ALUMNI COOKING CLASS (LIMITED SEATING) O’Neill Center for Healthy Families 2:30 p.m.
WINE TASTING (LIMITED SEATING) McGowan Conference Room Swartz Center for Spiritual Life 3:30 p.m.
ALL ALUMNI GRAND RECEPTION Honoring the Members of the Sister Cuthbert Donovan Society Rotunda, Liberal Arts Center 5:30-6:30 p.m.
CLASS OF 1949: DINNER Private Dining Room Nazareth Student Center 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Hall of Fame Mellow Center for Athletics and Wellness 6:30-8:30 p.m.
CLASS OF 1989: CLASS RECEPTION Memorial Garden Swartz Center for Spirtual Life 6:30-8:30 p.m.
CLASSES OF 1994, 1999, & 2004: CLASS PARTY Murray Concourse Mellow Center for Athletics and Wellness 6:30-8:30 p.m. ALL GRADUATES OF THE LAST 15 YEARS WELCOME.
Liguori Center, Regina Hall 6:30-8:30 p.m.
CLASS OF 1964: CLASS RECEPTION Insalaco Center for Studio Arts 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Name: ______________________________________ Class Year: _____________ Name at Graduation (if different): __________________ Major: ______________________________________ Name of Guest(s): ____________________________ ____________________________________________ Mailing Address: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ City: ________________________ State:________ Zip:_________________ Home Phone: ________________________________ Cell Phone: __________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________ Please specify if you or your guests need any physical or dietary accommodations: Yes No ____________________________________________
LAST CALL FOR ALUMNI: ANDY GAVIN’S EATERY AND PUB 1392 N. Washington Ave, Scranton 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2009 LITURGY FOR ALUMNI, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS Marian Chapel Swartz Center for Spiritual Life 10 a.m.
FAREWELL MIMOSA BRUNCH
CLASS OF 1969: CLASS RECEPTION
Main Dining Room Nazareth Student Center 11:30 a.m.
O’Neill Center for Healthy Families 6:30-8:30 p.m.
OVERNIGHT GUESTS CHECKOUT
CLASS OF 1974: CLASS RECEPTION
Madonna Hall By 2 p.m.
Fidelity Commons, Immaculata Hall 6:30-8:30 p.m.
(Please print.)
A photographer will be present at your Class Party to take a formal class picture. Photos will be on sale following Reunion Weekend at www.marywood.edu/alumni.
Appetizers courtesy of Marywood. Cash bar.
CLASS OF 1959: 50TH REUNION DINNER
Check here if this form includes new information. I cannot attend Reunion Weekend, but I wish to update my personal information. Please contact me to volunteer for future Marywood Alumni Association events.
CLASS PHOTOS
CLASS OF 1954: DINNER Woods Cafe, Nazareth Student Center 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Mail to: Office of Constituency Relations, Marywood University, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509
REGISTER NOW! www.marywood.edu/alumni
YES, I’d like to participate in Liturgy on Friday Sunday I am a Vocalist Instrumentalist Type of Instrument: __________________________ If paying by credit card, please print the following information:
Type of card: Visa MasterCard Discover Total amount to be charged: ____________________ Name as it appears on credit card: ____________________________________________ Credit Card Number: ______________________________Exp. Date: ______ Billing address (if different than mailing address): ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________ Continued on other side
I/WE WOULD LIKE TO STAY ON CAMPUS @ $29/$35/night = $________ I would like to share a room with the following person:
______________________________________
SATURDAY EVENTS Building Your Legacy at Marywood (#)___ @ no charge = $______ Marywood Alumni Association General Meeting (#)___ @ no charge = $______ All Class Reception (#)___ @ no charge =
$______
All Class Luncheon and Alumni Awards (#)___ @ $30/person = $______ Marywood Then and Now (#)___ @ no charge = $______ Campus Tours (#)___ @ no charge =
$______
Family Picnic and Co-ed Softball (#)___ @ no charge = $______ Alumni Cooking Class (#)___ @ $10/person =
$______
Wine Tasting (#)___ @ $5/person =
$______
All Alumni Grand Reception (#)___ @ no charge = $______ Class of 1949 Reunion (#)___ @ $30/person =
$______
Class of 1954 Reunion (#)___ @ $30/person =
$______
Class of 1959 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1964 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1969 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1974 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1979 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1984 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1989 Reunion
(#)___ @ $30/person = $______
Class of 1994, 1999, & 2004: Class Party (#)___ @ $20/person = $______
SUNDAY EVENT Brunch
(#)___ @ $12/person = $______
TOTAL ENCLOSED:
$______
Lead On: Volunteer Leadership Summit
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ou want to give your time to Marywood, but life’s hectic pace puts the reins on how much you can do. Marywood University wants to demonstrate how to make the most of your limited time and maximize your impact as a volunteer. This summer, the University is hosting its first-ever Volunteer Leadership Summit— planned, organized, and presented by alumni volunteers—to teach busy alumni how to maximize their volunteer opportunities and impact. The event, which will be held from June 26-28 on campus, is being co-chaired by Thom Sueta ’92 and Barbara Spellman-Shuta ’68. These alumni leaders feel that the Summit is an excellent way for alumni to put Marywood’s mission in motion, while still recognizing how personal and professional time constraints figure into the mix. “It’s a matter of needing to make a greater impact in the limited amount of time each of us can contribute,” notes Thom. “Through the Volunteer BARBARA SPELLMAN-SHUTA ’68 Leadership Summit we’re hoping to provide Marywood volunteers with some skills, practical tips and useful knowledge that will help them think about their volunteer role differently, to try to maximize the positive impact they can have. Any of us who have an emotional connection to the University want to give back in whatever way we can.” Thom and Barbara bring to the Summit their own expertise in communication and leadership areas. Thom, who is Global Head of R&D Fuctions Communications for AstraZeneca, consults senior executives within this global company on leadership and management issues. He also has been both a volunteer and staff member for organizations like United Way and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as an active Marywood volunteer and alumni board member. Barbara, who spent her professional career as a high school English and Drama teacher and has also been an active alumni board member, initiated the popular “Educators on Campus” effort that annually brings teachers to Marywood’s campus to learn about the University’s latest advancements. “We all have something to offer,” states Barbara. “Learning how to do it effectively is the key to any successful venture. There is so much wisdom and energy in our alumni base, and we need to tap into that to keep Marywood and its mission alive.” This year’s pilot efforts will focus on key volunteer groups—important committees, class representatives for honor-year classes, volunteer leaders—with the goal of making volunteering a more rewarding and dynamic experience for them. “It’s the right time in the evolution of Marywood, as we get closer to the 100th Anniversary, to have a true ‘step change’ in how we as volunteers take ownership for the University’s success,” said Thom. “It’s about building on the strong volunteer foundation and taking our efforts to the next level—a level that I'm not sure any of us could even imagine yet.”
“There is so much wisdom and energy in our alumni base, and we need to tap into that to keep Marywood and its mission alive.”
Alumni
ALUMNIProfile
Florence Perkosky D’Urso Plays KEY Role in Pope’s Visit to U.S.
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hen His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, visited the U.S. last year, a Marywood alumna played a key role in making sure his visit was impressively beautiful and generously hospitable. Florence Perkosky D’Urso, formerly of Scranton and a longtime resident of New York City and Westchester County, New York, assumed the monumental task of designing and providing all the floral arrangements for the events at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Joseph’s Seminary, and, finally, Yankee Stadium, to make sure the Pontiff’s visit was memorable. That this was a voluntary effort on Florence’s part is commendable, but considering the expertise and concomitant labor she personally provided, even as she battles bone cancer, the endeavors she put forth were nothing short of remarkable. The first woman in 172 years to serve as a Trustee of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Florence feels “privileged to make this contribution in honor of Our Lord and His Vicar on Earth.” This is not the first time that she undertook such a mammoth job. In 1995, when Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited New York, she put forth a similar effort to welcome the Holy Father. In the days before Pope Benedict’s arrival, she worked long into the night to ensure that the arrangements were perfectly placed and ready. Through her characteristic grace, Florence exhibited the endurance of an athlete, setting up various sites with greenery and fresh flowers, while, with the finesse of a diplomat, she dealt with unfamiliar work crews, Church hierarchy, and increased security measures. As tiring as the preparations were, Florence and her daughter, Lisa, were enthused to be two of only four invited by His Eminence, Cardinal Edward Egan, to sit among the Delegates at the United Nations for the Pontiff’s appearance there. Florence prepared several meaningful gifts, including a beautiful plaque of the Divine Mercy, with a 2nd class relic of St. Faustina, and a copy of a book that Florence had published some years ago, Treasured Vestments from the New York Archdiocese Used at the Vatican. Generously offering her tickets to the Mass to others, who
Florence Perkosky D’Urso was the first woman in 172 years to serve as a Trustee of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Florence D’Urso, right, presents Pope Benedict XVI with a special gift during his visit to the United States. She played a key role in making sure his visit was impressively beautiful and generously hospitable.
might not otherwise have had the opportunity to see the Pope, Florence went directly to St. Joseph’s Seminary, where she and her family attended the Pontiff’s visit to the Chapel. Back pain from her cancer forced her to leave before the service ended. As Florence waited outside the Chapel, she signaled Monsignor Gregory Mustaciuolo, who was leaving in recession with the Holy Father’s entourage, and asked him to present her gift of an 18th-century Mother Kazan icon to the Pope. Instead, he alerted Cardinal Egan, who promptly introduced her to His Holiness. This unexpected, rewarding opportunity allowed Florence to speak with the Pontiff for several minutes. Even with this pleasant visit, much work remained to prepare Yankee Stadium for the Sunday Mass. Florence was there once more, directing and arranging until the wee hours of the morning. Her efforts were rewarded the following day, when she was given the opportunity to meet with the Holy Father at a special reception at the Holy See Residence and presented him with two final gifts. While there, Archbishop Celestino Migliore was asked by His Holiness, “Who is this Florence D’Urso? I hear her name and see it printed in several places.” The Archbishop replied that Florence had designed, donated, and arranged all the flowers at each of his venues, despite her pain and limited mobility due to cancer and artificial knees. He also noted Florence’s generosity as a major benefactor to the New York Archdiocese, The Vatican, and the Holy See. His Holiness was most grateful, telling Archbishop Migliore that he would remember Florence in his Mass at Yankee Stadium later that day. That, according to Florence, was the best gift of all to receive.
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NEWS & EVENTS from Marywood Alumni Chapters
CHAPTERS On the Go MARYWOOD ALUMNI CLUB OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER Submitted by Mary Theresa Montoro ’94 • The MAC Chapter hosted a happy hour for alumni coming into town for Scranton's St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Upcoming Projects and Events:
ChapterSpotlight: Binghamton Chapter
W
ith summer approaching, talk of baseball and barbecues might be expected to claim more attention than celebrating Christmas 2009. Actually, however, members of the Binghamton Chapter of the Marywood Alumni Association—in a spirited example of multi-tasking—are doing both. They are letting no grass grow under their feet in planning ahead for their annual gala Christmas Dinner. “It’s a tradition we all look forward to every year,” says Chapter President Mary Ann O’Hara ’58. She has been working on plans for the event with the help of Patricia Hanafin Clifford ’64 and Patricia Consey, who has been such a faithful friend of the Alumni Association that former Marywood President Sister Mary Reap, IHM, named her an honorary alumna. A popular feature of their annual Christmas celebrations, Mary Ann noted, has been their donated holiday baskets—often featuring elegant gourmet selections of wine and chocolates— which are raffled at the dinner, with proceeds going to their alma mater. Plans for their Christmas 2009 celebration notwithstanding, Binghamton Chapter members are also anticipating the opportunities for warm weather get-togethers. Among the ideas discussed are attending a baseball game at Binghamton Mets Stadium and a Summertime Cocktail Hour. “We hope to have as many of our fellow graduates as possible join us,” Mary Ann says. “It’s nice to be looking forward to summer!” she adds. For upcoming events in the Binghamton area, go to www.marywood.edu/alumni and click on Calendar of Events.
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• The Chapter will enjoy the second annual Alumni Picnic and Fireworks Extravaganza on June 28, 2009, 5 p.m. on Marywood’s campus. • The Chapter will spend a night at the ballpark watching the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees host the Gwinnett Braves July 19, 2009, 5 p.m., at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.
SOUTHEASTERN CHAPTER Submitted by Ann Cancelli Bonanni ’75 • The Chapter hosted a wine tasting on January 18 in the Dunwoody Country Club, Atlanta. • The Chapter and Michael Murray and Mary Alice Collins Murray '51 hosted a reception on April 4 at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta.
Upcoming Projects and Events: • The Chapter looks forward to a family-friendly event in September. More information will soon be available.
ARIZONA CHAPTER Submitted by Victoria Klitsch Randall ’69 • The Arizona Chapter hosted Sister Anne Munley, IHM, on February 7 at Talking Stick Golf Club, Scotsdale. • The Chapter is volunteering to help at a fundraiser for Maggie's Place on April 17. The Chapter will assist as needed with the silent auction and checking people in at the event.
PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER Submitted by Patty Comey '73 • The Philadelphia Chapter enjoyed a night at the Longwood Gardens Fountain Show during the Christmas season.
Upcoming Projects and Events: • Plans are in the works for a possible wine tasting and for a Chapter event at a Phillies baseball game.
NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER • The Chapter spent an evening at Dave & Buster's as a break from the Christmas season.
Upcoming Projects and Events: • Planning for a possible trip to the Bronx Zoo is in the works.
Alumni
CHAPTEREVENTS
ABOVE:The Arizona
ABOVE:Alumni and friends gathered at Molly Brannigan’s in Scranton on the weekend of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Chapter hosted Marywood President Sister Anne Munley, IHM at its annual February luncheon.
AT RIGHT:Campus Ministry alumni who have participated in the SEARCH Retreat Weekend return to Marywood each year during the annual event.
Alumni and friends gathered for dinner with Marywood President Sister Anne Munley, IHM at Crescent Heights Kitchen in San Diego, CA, on February 10.
Alumni and friends of the Southeastern Chapter gathered at the Dunwoody Country Club, Atlanta, GA, for a Wine Tasting on January 20.
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Alumni
Class Notes
Grace (Previty) Johnston
had her
Pastels, presented by the Auxiliary of 50s work, University Medical Center at Princeton from
Michelle (Fenton) Price (1993) and husband, Brian, had a baby girl on January 29, 2009.
January 16–March 10, 2009. Sales benefited the University Medical Center.
Dorthea Chomicz (1994) is engaged to marry Gary Serino on April 19, 2009.
MaryAnn LaPorta (1969) Director of the
Advocacy Center, was honored by the 60s Children’s Friendship House Guild with the inaugural
Courene M. Loftus (1994) was named President of the Greater Scranton Jaycees for 2009.
Natalie A. Mizerak Award in November.
Debbie T. Kuo (1995) and husband, Brian McKillips, had a baby boy, Finn Harry McKillips, on December 22, 2008.
Sgt. First Class Alisann Bonifanti (1972) has been awarded the Army Meritorious Medal for exceptionally meritorious service while serving in increasing levels of responsibility. Sgt. Bonifanti served as a member of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Intelligence Task Force Combating Terrorism during active duty deployment in 2003 supporting deployed elements of DIA and U.S. intelligence analysis, critical to determining status of terrorist detainees.
70s
William J. Pendziwiatr (1995) was elected President of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA), which is the PA chapter of MENC. He has previously served as one of the 12 district presidents and hopes to go on to lead on the statewide level.
David Adomiak (1975) is in his 34th year of teaching fifth grade at Coolbaugh Elementary Centery in Tobyhanna, PA. Dave coached high school softball at Riverside and Scranton Prep for 26 years and is still the “Voice of the Vikings” at Riverside football and basketball games. His future plans, after Nicole (Szemán) Walls retirement, include returning to Marywood to teach. (1995) and her husband, Matt, welcomed a son, Richard P. Conaboy Jr. (1975) has been named Vice Matthew Pál Walls, Jr., on July President of Clinical Affairs at Clear Brook Inc. 8, 2008. The at right photo was taken on our first family ski Mike Miller (1987) was promoted to Senior vacation to Granby, CO. The Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve and is family resides in Lebanon presently stationed at the Navy Office of Township, NJ. Information in the Pentagon. In civilian life, he is an automotive journalist for two publishing companies. Kristin (Clark) Alexander (1996) and husband, Theodore Alexander, welcomed baby, Demetra Eleni, on January 24, 2009. Robert W. Reese (1989) recently celebrated 20 years of service at Marywood before assuming his position as the Alanna (Frick) Bright (1997) and her husband, Joe, had a new Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services at Holy baby girl, Maggie, November 26, 2008. She was welcomed by Family University. her three-year old sister, Emily Rose.
80s
Shelly Minucci (1990) welcomed a daughter, Christine Verrastro (1997) is engaged to marry Craig Christina Ann Skye Watrous, on September 22, Kreidler on May 16, 2009. 2008. Alana Martinetti (1997) is engaged to marry Mark Margaret (Shaw) Barry (1992) and her husband, Zurinski (1997). Joseph, announce the birth of a son, Declan Joseph Barry, on August 25, 2008. He joins brother Liam Francis Barry.
90s
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Alumni
Chip McElroy (1998) and Heather (Clark) McElroy (2000) had a baby boy, Sullivan Aiden McElroy, on August 14, 2008, in Naples, FL. He joins an older brother, Jakob Arthur McElroy (2 years old).
Worker/Family Psychoeducation Therapist for the Family Psychoeducation Program. In addition, Christina practices as a part-time Psychotherapist at an outpatient group practice in New Jersey. Christina also received her Board Certified Diplomate (BCD) status in July 2008 from the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work and is currently completing her Post-Graduate Clinical Training at the world renowned Ackerman Institute for the Family in Manhattan, NY. Nicole (Ehle) Ramsay (1998) and husband, David, welcome the arrival of a baby boy, Collin David Ramsay, born July 29, 2008.
Diane Savacool (1998) graduated with her B.S. in Physical Education (concentration in Athletic Training) and went on to get her M.A. with her M.P.E. (Adapted Physical Education) from Springfield College in May 2008. Amy (Hlavaty) Belcher (1999) married Franklin G. Belcher Jr. on Saturday, October 4, 2008, at Stone Bridge Inn, Union Dale, PA. The couple resides in Clarks Green, PA. Suzanne (Murray) Galella (1999) and her husband, Robert, had a baby girl on November 26, 2008. Alyson (Nitche) Germond (1999) married Dave Germond on July 26, 2008, at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in New Jersey. Guests of the wedding included Ronna and John Egan (1999), Danielle Garrick (1999) and Brigid Lundy.
Kerri Curran Kopacz (1999) and Robert Kopacz welcome the birth of a son, Aiden Christopher. Tricia DiBiasi Thomas (1999) has been named the new executive director of the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Barbara (Rattigan) Gilmartin (2000) and husband, Robert Gilmartin (1999), had a baby girl, Natalie, in October 2008.
2000s
Lori (Blozousky) Knittle (2000) and her husband, Kenny, welcomed the arrival of a baby boy, Dylan John, on November 19, 2008.
Jennifer (Bromwell) Antinoro (2002) has been promoted to Executive Director/CEO of Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Marywood University and is currently a field instructor for Marywood. Dimitra (Livanos) Hollow (2002) married Charles Hollow on October 18, 2008. Jessica (DeNunzio) Siegfried (2002) married Jason Siegfried on October 11, 2008. Bruce Smallacombe (2002) and his wife, Crystal, had a baby boy, Hunter Philip Smallacombe, on December 30, 2008. Michael Wentland (2002) now owns his own woodworking business,Wentland Custom Millworks and Interiors. He is married to Jennifer (Oles) Wentland (2002) who has been happily teaching art for seven years.
Kerri Lynn Ruddy (2000) married Vincent Charles Archer on November 28, 2008. Kelli Marie Kowalski (2001) RD, LDN, has been named Director of Dietary Services on the Wesley Village Campus. She has been with United Methodist Homes since 1999, most recently as Food Service Manager. Susan Stankevich (2000) is engaged to marry Kevin Stempien on October 24, 2009 Joseph Zondlo (2000) and his wife, Kimberly, had a baby boy January 7, 2009.
Paul Zukauskas (2002) and Rebecca (Sparling) Zukauskas (2005) were married on June 7, 2008.
Jamie Mae (Dennebaum) McHugh (2001) married Patrick McHugh April 11, 2008.
Sushma (Barakoti) Baral (2003) of Scranton has been named the Assistant Executive Director Women’s Resource Center.
Ashley Giacofci (1999) was recently promoted to Creative Director of PCGpr in Washington, D.C. She is engaged to Bernard O’Malley, Jr. (2001) and wife, Renee, had a baby marry Neil Fessler (1997) on June 18, 2009. girl February 11, 2009. Christina (Ortiz) Juguilon, LCSW, BCD (1999) married J. Noel Juguilon on April 26, 2008, in the Metropolitan New York City area. Christina is employed at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs- New Jersey Healthcare System. She is a Clinical Social
Jennifer (Lawler) Trentham (2001) and Don Trentham were married July 21, 2007, at Moonlight Basin Lodge in Big Sky, MT. The couple currently resides in Billings, MT.
Diane (Salter) Shearer (2001) and husband, Michael, welcome their new baby girl, Emily Mae Shearer, who was born November 17, 2008.
Alicia (Verbrugghe) Carey (2003) and Aaron Carey are happy to announce they were married on August 23, 2008. The couple honeymooned in West Palm Beach, FL. Alicia has been teaching 10th grade English for five years at Pocono Mountain East High School.
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Alumni
Christina (Cherundolo) Fisne (2003) and her husband, Thomas, had a baby boy October 28, 2008. Rebecca (Davis) James (2003) and husband, Peter, had a baby girl on December 16, 2008. Chavdar Petkov (2003) and partner, Victoria Suarez (2004), founded the Eleven Moons’ bridal platform (previously known as NEPABridal.com) after their team won the 2005 Great Valley Business Plan Competition. Petkov also earned Honorable Mention for the 2006 Great Valley Young Entrepreneur Award and serves as Eleven Moons’ President and CEO. Frank Ramiza (2003) married Catherine Ann Argenio on July 19, 2008. Christian Saunders (2003) married Stefanie Chernesky on October 12, 2008. Priscilla Smith (2003) is engaged to marry Gregory Matschat. Allison (Heberling) Wolfe (2003) and her husband, Michael, had a baby girl November 8, 2008. Amy Miller (2004) completed her Master’s degree in Classroom Technology at Wilkes University in December 2008. Amy is in her fifth year of teaching special education at Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, PA. Frank R. Pagnotti (2004) married Jennifer Wills July 8, 2008. Joe Ross (2004), the only head coach that the Marywood University baseball program has known, has resigned after 14 seasons to accept the position of Director of Facilities and Construction at Commonwealth Medical College. Heather (Dzik) Royce (2004) married Donald Royce August 29, 2008. Melissa (Chabala) Franks (2005) married Michael Franks in 2007. Loretta (Slezak) Gallagher (2005; M.S. 2007) married Christopher Gallagher. Jacqueline Marino (2005) is engaged to marry John Drake on June 27, 2009.
Jacquelyn Cobb (King) Randolph (2005) had a baby girl, India-Lillie, in May 2008. She joins older brothers, Zechariah (20 months), and Daniel (8 years). Jacquelyn will be studying special education in graduate school this summer.
Lisa (Walaski) Zimmerman (2007) married Earl Zimmerman, Jr. on October 10, 2008. Annika Cipriani (2008) married Matthew Thomas Pile on Marcy 14, 2009.
Brandon Smith (2005) is engaged to marry Kirsten Millford in April 2010.
Jeane Decker (2008) was honored in Boston by the ROSE (Regaining One’s Self-Esteem) Fund with an award for a domestic-violence survivor who has inspired others.
Laura Christine Stuart (2005) is engaged to marry David Wilks on August 14, 2009.
Courtney Graham (2008) is engaged to marry Ryan Callen.
Marissa (Macciocco) Zang (2005) married Brian Zang September 6, 2008. Mary Jo Biazzo (2006) is engaged to marry Stephan E. Sedon on August 16, 2009.
Natasha Tassone (2008) has been named Fastsign’s team coordinator.
Deceased
Mary (O’Hara) Longauer (1931) Helen (Mandel) Bogan (1937) Laura Lee Gilpin (2006) and Craig Hendricks had a baby Anna (Clark) Manzer (1937) Lauretta (Melfe) Castronovo (1940) girl November 8, 2008. M. Pauline (O’Brien) Nealon (1942) Mary Claire (Meehan) Doran (1943) Jaclyn Greer (2006) is engaged to marry Ryan McCabe on Hannah Rose (Stahler) Pensak (1943) Leona Andreoli (1944) October 10, 2009. Frances (Jones) Hughes (1944) Sister M. Teresa Clare McAuliffe (1945) Christopher Barrows (2007) recently began a new job as Mary Joan (Sullivan) Henefer (1948) Electronics Communications Coordinator at Wilkes University. Jeanne (Lally) Snyder (1948) Gloria (Vacca) Mahoney (1951) Sister M. Clarissa Skala (1952) Leslie (Post) Langan (2007) married Matthew Langan Lillian Josephine (Bridy) Kovalovich (1954) on July 18, 2008. Sister M. Elise Frank (1956) Laura (Tyrrell) Lord (1962) Maureen (Hammond) Gonzales (1963) Amanda (Silva) Theresa (Greggo) Branson (1965) Metro (2007) Sallyann (Price) Mariani (1970) married Stephen Kathleen (Kaminskas) Perry (1973) Noreen Carroll (1974) Metro Jr. (2008) Helen Bonk (1975) on June 6, 2008. Mary (Sokolowsky) Badyrka (1977) Jeffrey L. Trager (1977) John A. Nossal (1977) Todd Pousley (2007) and Linnette Reidmiller (2006) Irene H. Dixon (1981) Alan Sweeney (1983) were married on September 20, 2008, in Highland Lakes, NJ David A. Palmieri (1984) Marywood alumni who served in the wedding party included Janet E. Saunders (1984) Robert R. Ruthkosky (1994) Jeff Smith (2007), who was the Best Man, and Meghan Mileski (2007), who was a bridesmaid. Several other alumni Alice (McNulty) Hennigan (2001) James John Stadulis (2001) were in attendance.The couple now resides in Scranton. Savannah Staples (2007) is engaged to marry Donald Stephens on October 16, 2009.
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Nicole Vilogi (2007) is engaged to marry Christopher DiPietro on May 30, 2009.
Send us your updated info for the next issue by June 1, 2009, to classnotes@marywood.edu Photos are welcome. For digital, please provide high resolution images.
Alumni
Class of 1970:
STAYING CONNECTED
Marywood alumni from the Class of 1970 met at Cooper's in Scranton for their annual Christmas get-together. Seventeen classmates gathered and discussed current events in their lives, such as retirement, marriages, grandchildren, and job seeking. Seated from left to right are: Nancy Amori Hemmler, Sue Kirwin O'Boyle, Pat Williams, Karen McAndrew Durso, Mary Speicher Hickey, Janice Hogan Huylo, Cindy Gowell, and Maureen Meehan. Standing, left to right: Cathy Caterino Gerard, Elvira Latrella Grasso, Mary Lou Ritzco, Terrie Terrinoni, Patsy Timlin Hardy, Michele Abbott McDade, Elaine Wanas Semonich, Karen Bocchino Tigue, and Janice Rupp Marcks. Members of the class also get together on the last Wednesday of the month and go to local restaurants to reconnect. Anyone from the Class of 1970 who would like to join the group’s regular outings should call Michele McDade at 570-343-7009.
WHERE IS THIS?
Welcome to a new regular section, “WHERE IS THIS?” We will feature a photo from somewhere on Marywood’s campus in each issue and will have the location identified in the next issue. Please send your guesses to: MarywoodMag@marywood.edu.
TRAVEL Marywood with
SUMMER IN NEW ENGLAND
AUGUST 7-10, 2009 Roundtrip Martz Trailways deluxe motorcoach from Scranton to Cape Cod RATES: $439 PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (includes bus) $339 PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (does not include bus) SPECIAL RATE FOR CHILDREN AGES 2-12. Please call for more information. • 3-Nights accommodations: Gullwing Suites Hotel— Cape Cod (www.gullwingsuitescapecod.com) • 3-Buffet Breakfasts at Hotel • Other meal and sightseeing amenities included • Price includes all taxes and gratuities
IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 4, 2009 Traveling to Killarney, Dingle, Galway, Ballina, Connemara, and Dublin SPECIAL GROUP RATES: $1,899 PP DOUBLE OCCUPANCY and $2,199 PP SINGLE OCCUPANCY • Transportation from Scranton to JFK International Airport included • Price includes airfare, hotel, meals, transportation, and taxes
FOR RESERVATIONS, ITINERARY, AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: TRAVELWORLD • 435 Green Ridge Street • Scranton, PA 18509 • 570-342-5790 • 1-800-828-6029 • www.asktravelworld.com www.marywood.edu
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Alumni
Alumni Fast Trac k
Sharing the Successes of Our
BEST&BRIGHTEST Steve Romanko ’92 is an award-winning filmmaker and sound designer living and working in San Francisco. He owns a film company, 13th Generation, which has produced a number of short films, including the documentary, N.E.P.A. His current project, set for release this spring, is producing an independent, short subject film, The Hell Patrol, along with director Turner Van Ryn. Heavily influenced by George Romero, the novel World War Z, and The Walking Dead graphic novel series, the film draws from both zombie and war films, weaving a tale of defeat and redemption in the face of an enemy that will never stop. Steve’s other screen credits include work on more than 100 features, including Saving Private Ryan, Fight Club, and the awardwinning documentary Into the Arms of Strangers. He worked for five and a half years at Skywalker Sound, and the experience led him to pursue goals in independent film. The winner of the 2003 Dean Goodman Choice Award (Best Theater Sound Design for Kilt), he is a member of the MFA Faculty for the School of Motion Pictures and Television at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In addition, Steve maintains a connection to the stage with his work at the acclaimed Magic and New Conservatory theaters. For more information on his new movie, go to www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22183493926.
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Gail Adams Bielovitz ’75, an employee of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in Liberty Corner, N.J., was recently recognized as “Biggest Bucket Brigade Booster.” She attended the 2008 International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire-Rescue International Conference in Denver after garnering 19 separate nominations from her fellow employees. The Bucket Brigade is a program that gives Fireman’s Fund employees the opportunity to support firefighters for safer communities—right in their own neighborhoods. Every employee of Fireman’s Fund is able to nominate a fire department or fire and burn prevention program for a grant. In addition, employees provide volunteer support for fire departments’ non-emergency activities. Nominators cited Gail’s efforts in communicating fire departments’ needs, sending reminders about nomination deadlines, providing valuable one-on-one coaching, giving educational presentations to drive participation, and inviting employees to grant presentations. While at the conference, she met fire chiefs from around the world.
Jeannine M. Luby (M.A. ’06) was inspired and encouraged to start her own business, “Laugh to Live!” after earning her Master of Arts in Communication Arts and completing a graduate project about humor and laughter therapy. Jeannine’s entrepreneurial endeavors were recently featured in the Business Profile of The Sunday TimesTribune (Scranton, PA). As the company continues to grow, she has held lunchtime laughter sessions on Marywood’s campus, noting, “It was great returning (to Marywood) to share my services.” Are you on the “Fast Track” in your career? Let us know! Send an email with a brief description of your current professional accomplishments to MarywoodMag@marywood.edu (Put “Fast Track” in the subject line.)
Alumni
SEEN&HEARD
THE LATEST WORKS OF MARYWOOD ALUMNI
booksartmusicfilmstheatre
Watercolorist Receives Honors
Traveling Exhibit
MARI (MAUREEN) DEVERS ’64 Orange County Home Show
STEVEN S. WALKER ’07 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Mari (Maureen) Devers (1964), a painter living in Costa Mesa, CA, was honored twice during the past year. She was one of eight artists selected by Orange County Fine Arts for its featured Orange County Home Show, “Resting in Her Arms” and she was one of two watercolorists selected for a special exhibit at the Wyndham Hotel near the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Mari specializes in spiritual and floral watercolor images, with a particular focus on Marian art. She established Studio de Vere (her family's original name) and has exhibited her work at galleries in several states, as well as Marywood University's Mahady Gallery. A former choreographer and musicals director, Mari began painting in 1993 following severe injuries. The artist states, "God's grace was overwhelming, and I was so grateful to be spared worse." Mari enjoys creating faces and florals, and many are very spontaneous, as in dance. Her designs illustrate "forward hope," recognizing that the abiding presence of God's love transcends time, restoring hope. Through flowing brush work and captivating color blends, she creates images that are graceful, yet powerful. For more information about Mari's paintings or to see a more extensive collection of her work, go to www.boundlessgallery.com or e-mail the artist at deversart@gmail.com.
P & Q’s Colorful Journey through the Jungle of Good Manners MARTHA (“MARTY,” “NANA”) LAWRENCE ’74 (High Pitched Hum Publishing, 2007) Martha (“Marty,” “Nana”) Lawrence (1974) has published a new children’s book, P & Q’s Colorful Journey through the Jungle of Good Manners. This colorfully illustrated, read-along, sing-a-long children’s poetry book also includes a CD that features the author reading the poems, accompanied by music that ranges from lullabies to country to rocking rhythms. The tiny characters, P & Q, wryly comment on the poems’ messages of good manners, and the book features color wheel-based, primary school art lessons that correspond to the illustrations. Read it together to introduce or reinforce genteel behaviors like chewing with your mouth closed, saying please and thank you, and sharing. This book, targeted toward 3- to 9-year olds, will entertain and enrich your child. It can also be used as a text for primary grade school teachers. More information can be found at the web site: www.pandqspace.com.
Steven S. Walker (M.F.A., 2007) recently completed 22 pieces of artwork for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition, “Under a Virginia Sky,” was held from December 8, 2008, “The Light” through January 30, 2009, and is currently running as a statewide traveling exhibition through 2011. An emerging artist and Adjunct Professor of Art at Otterbein College, Steven was also ArtCalendar.com’s January Member of Month. He states of his work, “There's a solitary elegance that I try to capture in my paintings. It's all about engaging the viewer. My work has often been referred to as having a 'dreamlike' quality from the nostalgic color palette and traditional painting approach. My love and respect for nature and the open road have resulted in a quest to show the beauty in back roads, old barns, and even run down gas stations. My inspiration often stems from the narrative content of music and the serenity of a road trip. To capture the beauty of an area or a structure, and to be able to share your experience with others, is what makes it all worthwhile.” Steven maintains a web site and blog at www.stevenwalkerstudios.com.
Fit as Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health DAWN MARCUS, M.D. ’82 (iUniverse.com, November 2008) Dawn Marcus, M.D. (1982) has written a number of medical books, including 10 Simple Solutions to Migraines. Her latest, Fit as Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health, published in November 2008, describes how to use companionship with your pet as a means and a motivator to increase your own physical and mental fitness. The book provides practical tips for learning healthy lifestyle habits from a fourlegged friend. After receiving a degree in biology at Marywood, Dawn attended medical school in Syracuse, N.Y. She is a neurologist and professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a consultant for Del Monte’s “Power of Paws” program, encouraging human health through dog companionship. An internationallyrecognized speaker and educator, Dawn also has received the National Headache Foundation Media Excellence Award. Visit the Dawn’s web site to view her publications at www.dawnmarcusmd.com. If you are a Marywood graduate with a new work—book, music, film, art—that has recently been published, produced, performed, or exhibited, let us know! Write to “Seen & Heard,” Marywood Magazine, Marywood University, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509, or marywoodmag@marywood.edu (subject line: “Seen & Heard”).
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Non-Profit Organization U.S.Postage PAID Permit No. 474 Scranton, PA
2300 Adams Avenue • Scranton, PA 18509-1598
MARYWOOD in BLOOM MAY
Graduates' Reception 5:30-7 p.m. Liguori Center, Marywood University
JUNE
Reunion Weekend for Honor Classes ending in "4" and "9"
5.8.09
6.5,6,7.09
6.26,27,28.09 Volunteer Leadership Summit, Marywood University 6.28.09
JULY 7.12.09
7.19.09
Fireworks, Picnic and Musical Concert hosted by Marywood Alumni Club of Northeast Pennsylvania at Marywood University
Minor League Baseball: Bowie Baysox vs. Altoona Curve hosted by the D.C. Chapter at Bowie Baysox Stadium, Bowie, MD Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Game hosted by Marywood Alumni Club of Northeast Pennsylvania at PNC Field, Moosic, PA
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS STATEMENT Marywood University saved the following resources by using an FSC certified sheet, manufactured with 10% post-consumer recycled content. 11 fully grown trees 3,906 gallons of water 7 million BTUs of energy 646 lbs. of solid waste 1,192 lbs. of greenhouse gases Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. For more information visit http://www.papercalculator.org.
For latest details about alumni gatherings and chapter events in your area, go to www.marywood.edu/alumni