THE MAGAZINE OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY
SPRING 2011
a drive to serve SAMANTHA BOWNES
TRISH TOLBERT (’79)TO proves IS WORKING HARD TURN that a liberal arts education CBU INTO A “VISIBLE CAMPUS” is valuable (and marketable)
A SEMESTER IN FOOD LIFE • A LIVING LEGACY • SNAPSHOTS OF SERVICE
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THE MAGAZINE OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY • SPRING 2011
news
CBU Sustainability Committee Helps Bring “CBU Green” to Realization................. 2 Full Slate of Living Learning Communities Offered to CBU Students this Fall.......... 4 CBU Proudly Presents the 2011 Class of Lasallian Fellows......................................... 5 Board of Trustees Welcomes Five New Members, Including Four Alumni.................. 6 Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2011 on Homecoming Weekend.................... 8 CBU Students Earn Global First Place Ranking in Online Strategy Game............... 10 CBU Engineers Team Up with Armor Fabricators to Protect U.S. Troops................ 11 Brother Richard Gerlach, Former CBU President, 1913-2010................................. 19 and more…
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studentalumnifacultyprofiles
A Legacy That Lives On: Paul McDaniel’s greatest achievement came after his earthly journey.................................................................................................... 20 The Essence of Success: CBU student gets a bite of the Big Apple....................... 22 Green Light: Students design lighting system with donated solar panel............... 23 A Capitol Idea: Alum’s path is launched by internship in Washington................. 24 Confessions of a Jewish Santa: Dr. Stan Eisen learns to love “Jingle Bells”.......... 25 Service Beyond the Struggle: Dr. Rena Durr’s story of cancer survival................ 26
features
A Semester in Food Life: Christopher Peterson (’10) reflects on the mission of a garden (and finding fertile soil in which to plant)................................................... 30 A Drive to Serve: Samantha Bownes (’12) is urging CBU students to step outside their comfort zones and to make their campus visible............................................... 34 Snapshots of Service: Lasallian Volunteers and current students reflect on what it means to serve....................................................................................................... 41
classnotes 25
Notes and Announcements from your former classmates.................................... 48 Passings: Death notices of alumni and friends of CBU........................................ 55
backpage
Signaigo Reborn.................................................................................................. 60 THERE’S EVEN MORE OUT THERE IN CYBERSPACE! If you see a QR code like this on a page, you can scan it with your smartphone to find more information, more photos, or maybe a video or two to further enhance your Bell Tower experience. You can download a QR reader directly to your phone by visiting www.i-nigma.mobi/ which will automatically detect if your mobile device is compatible.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY is a private, Catholic, comprehensive university committed to preparing students of all faiths and backgrounds to excel in their professional and public lives by providing challenging educational opportunities in the arts, business, engineering, the sciences, and teacher education. SEND NEWS FOR CLASS NOTES to Christian Brothers University Alumni Office, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis TN 38104. Or send email to alumni@cbu.edu. SEND YOUR PHOTOS TOO! Digital photos should be a minimum of 1200 x 1800 pixels. SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO Bell Tower, Christian Brothers University Office of Advancement, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis TN 38104. (TOP) COURTESY OF CBU HONORS PROGRAM; (MIDDLE) COURTESY OF SHELBY & PATTY MCDANIELS; (BOTTOM) CORY DUGAN
BELL TOWER is published by the CBU Office of Advancement, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis, TN 38104. Non-profit postage is paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Bell Tower, 650 East Parkway South Memphis, TN 38104 —————————————————————— BELL TOWER STAFF Editor/Director of Publications Cory Dugan Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving Vance Gamble (’07) Director of Advancement Services Linda Dunlap Communications & Marketing Coordinator Bethany André Assistant Director of Publications Jacob Edwards New York Times Scholarship Intern Veronica Love (’12) Editorial Contributors Anthony Maranise (’11), Shelby & Patty McDaniel, Br. Terence McLaughlin, Christopher Peterson (’10), —————————————————————— UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION President John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D. Vice Pr esident for Advancement Andrew Prislovsky Executive Director for Communications & Marketing Elisa C. Marus 2010-2011 Board of Trustees Robert G. McEniry, Chairman Charles B. Dudley III, Vice Chairman Joyce A. Mollerup, Secretary John H. Pontius, Treasurer Dr. James W. Adams II (’80) Leo P. Arnoult (’70) Joseph F. Birch Jr. (’78) H. Wayne Brafford Albert T. Cantu Brother Francis A. Carr Brother Konrad Diebold Gregory M. Duckett Stephen T. Dunavant (’83) Brother Chris Englert (’77) H. Lance Forsdick Sr. (’61) Richard T. Gadomski (’62) Mark R. Giannini (’87) James Wesley Gibson II W. Jerry Gillis John Mitchell Graves William W. Graves Monsignor Val Handwerker James E. Harwood III Brother Bernard LoCoco Douglas J. Marchant David E. Nelson Lori M. Patton (’91) James L. Reber (’82) Dr. Stephany S. Schlachter Joshua Shipley (’01) John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D. Pravin Thakkar (’67) H. McCall Wilson Jr. (’89)
p r e s i d e n t ’s m e s s a g e RECENTLY, I TRAVELED to Washington, DC, where I represented CBU at the meeting of the American Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. The intriguingly titled theme for the conference was “God’s noiseless work.” As I reflected on this idea of “noiseless work,” good deeds that draw neither attention to themselves, nor to the hands that toiled in accomplishment, I began to consider how easy it is to forget that we are called to perform these hidden works. In the Matthew Gospel we find the quote: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” We are asked to not search for acknowledgment of our contributions, nor announce them. We don’t perform these acts solely to seek the admiration of those whose lives are improved as a result. So why are these noiseless works so important? Noiseless, hidden works like anonymously making sandwiches that feed hungry children or giving to fund education for those in need or rummaging through closets to find warm clothing for the homeless do not just benefit the recipients of those actions. They benefit our community and create a society of care and concern. Everyday, members of the CBU community enhance our mission by performing “noiseless work” as part of our Catholic, Lasallian heritage. The stories in this issue of the Bell Tower, several of which shine a bit of light on good works that might otherwise remain hidden, reflect only a fraction of the activities of our alumni, students, faculty, and staff. The efforts of a student determined to channel her considerable energy and her even more considerable empathy into concrete, measurable aid to those most in need. The reflections of an alumnus on how he came to put a philosophical thesis on the “spirituality and ethics of eating” into physical practice via a sustainable service-learning project. The parents of a student who have turned the tragedy of his death into an opportunity to save the lives of others. Throughout this issue of the Bell Tower, God’s noiseless work is truly epitomized. The theme of this issue even runs through the shorter, ostensibly “newsy” articles—the work of the new CBU Sustainability Committee, our engineering students who are learning through projects that protect our military or light our campus with energy from the sun. Of course, it touches the story of our 2011 class of Lasallian Fellows, seniors who are annually recognized and rewarded for their commitment to service. And the reflections of our Lasallian Volunteer alums, graduates who choose to postpone their careers in order to give back to the Lasallian community that nurtured them. It makes me proud to read these stories, knowing that they represent only a small fraction of all the good that is happening because of CBU’s presence. Since I have been at CBU, I have emphasized the continuation of the Lasallian mission through “faith, service, community.” These stories are evidence that this mission is flourishing. It also gives me pause, to ask myself and all of you who read this: What are your noiseless works? Who have you helped, not because you had to or were asked to and not because you expected thanks? I am sure each of you has performed noiseless work worthy of a Bell Tower story. Thanks for all that you do silently to make this world a better place!
John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D., President
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CBU Sustainability Committee Helps Bring “CBU Green” to Realization
Sarah Kelley (’13) and Morgan Harrell (’11), representatives of the Society for Women Engineers, the winning group in CBU’s America Recycles Day competition in November
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IN JANUARY 2010, President Smarrelli created a new Sustainability Committee with faculty, student, and staff membership to (in the words of its mission statement) “recommend, support and advocate strongly for environmentally sound practices at CBU.” It was further decided that these practices should be comprehensive, incorporating both the academic and physical components of the University and promoting environmental awareness and responsibility both in curriculum design and in the use of campus resources and facilities. As one of its first moves, the committee recommended CBU for membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which was accomplished last summer. Dr. Paul Haught, chair of the Sustainability Committee (and also Associate Dean of the School of Arts), says that membership in AASHE represents an important milestone for CBU in expanding its academic and service missions. “Academically, it expresses that we understand our connections to the natural environment as relevant to the Lasallian principle of educating the whole person,” Haught says. “AASHE’s abundant resources for teaching sustainability across the curriculum will be helpful here.
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In terms of service, membership in AASHE strengthens our commitment to the community by enhancing our efforts to diminish our ecological footprint and help improve the overall environmental quality of Memphis and the Mid-South.” Formed in 2006, AASHE was the first professional higher education association for the campus sustainability community. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. Earlier in the year, CBU announced the construction of the new Living Learning Center, which broke ground in August. The Center’s construction involves the inclusion of “CBU Green” features — including a “cool roof ” employing a white solar reflective coating on its surface that lowers carbon emissions and energy costs; construction finishes, materials and equipment that were extracted and/or manufactured within 500 miles of Memphis; a 67-gallon rain barrel on its exterior patio to collect rain for use in irrigation of nearby planting; use of native and adaptive plants in landscaping to PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
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reduce the amount of supplemental watering required, as well as to reduce the use of fertilizer and insecticide; preferred parking spaces for electric and fuel-efficient vehicles and a power location to charge four electric cars; and conservation measures such as occupancy sensors, low-flow toilet fixtures, and mechanical system sensors. Continuing the theme of “CBU Green,” the Sustainability Committee organized a faculty workshop last fall entitled “Recycle Your Mind: CBU Green,” which invited faculty members from across campus to discuss ways that their courses incorporate sustainability-related themes and content. Topics ranged from philosophy courses in “Environmental Ethics” to implications of sustainability in economics courses and also included the long-standing emphasis on environmental issues in civil engineering and packaging engineering. The graduate program in engineering management, for example, currently offers a course in “Sustainability,” which focuses on the criteria and steps to sustainable packaging. Also presented at the workshop were reports on efforts being made by Aramark in its contracted food and facility service units on campus (see box at right). In November, the Sustainability Committee sponsored an America Recycles Day competition, in which student groups and campus offices were challenged to collect the most recyclables. The Society of Women Engineers took first place with the 15 bags they recycled, Sigma Alpha Epsilon came in second place with 13 30-gallon bags, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers placed third with 10 bags. Other participating campus groups included American Chemical Society, Art Club, Beta Beta Beta, Gay Straight Alliance, Kappa Sigma, Library Staff, Phi Alpha Theta, School of Arts Faculty and Staff, Voldemort (an independent student group) and Zeta Phi Beta. “We recycled eighty bags of material during the contest,” says Dr. Neal Palmer, another member of the committee. “If that was all from one week, it means we could collect 352 bags per month and 4,224 bags per year. One of our goals was to spark an interest in ongoing recycling efforts, to make everyone think about how much waste each of us as an individual creates and try to limit that waste and recycle when possible.” Recycling efforts on campus have a long history, but most have been informal or spearheaded by student groups or individuals—those who were around more than eight years ago probably remember Brother Edmund Whaley and his orange pickup filled with
Aramark Paves a Green Path at CBU • Aramark Dining Services diverts all its used fryer oil to be recycled. They only purchase paper towels and napkins made with recycled content. • Since Aramark Dining Services began trayless dining service in Spring 2009, CBU has reduced food waste and other trash going to landfills by an estimated 23,600 lbs. annually (almost 12 tons). It has also reduced the amount of waste water approximately 41,500 gallons annually—water that would also have had to be heated (saving energy) and would have contained detergents that would have been added into the waste stream. • Aramark partnered with CBU to purchase a new dishwashing machine that turns off after 60 seconds of no use (old one ran continuously unless manually turned off). The new machine also uses less water and sanitizes dishes with heat as opposed to chemicals. • Aramark Facility Services is using green chemicals and reusable spray bottles for its cleaning products on campus—including ionized water sprayers that use no cleaning chemicals and 70% less water than normally required by traditional scrubbing methods. These glowing clean-machines, called “Ionators,” zap germs with a slight electric charge and lift dirt and bacteria from surfaces using ionized tap water.
cardboard and other recyclables. For the past few years, the Honors Program has collected aluminum cans to benefit the Memphis Humane Society. This spring, however, the Sustainability Committee instituted a comprehensive campus-wide recycling program in partnership with International Paper (IP), set up with the assistance of Justin Pasqualini (’03), an account manager at IP. International Paper is providing free containers across campus for paper, plastic (grades 1-7), and aluminum; IP is also hauling the recyclables away on a weekly basis at no cost. IP will also perform waste audits to identify types of materials and volume estimates. This information can assist CBU in developing a long-term strategy for reducing its waste stream. The committee has also drafted a curriculum for a minor in Sustainability Studies in conjunction with a new living learning community to start this fall when the new Living Learning Center opens. The Sustainability Living Learning Community will be a two-year program designed for students who wish to incorporate sustainability into their academic experience and identify rewarding career opportunities—ranging from energy conservation and environmental protection to the promotion of cultural heritage and smart economic development. The community will study and live together and learn from and work with local business leaders, community organizers, and CBU faculty who make sustainability a focus of their professional and civic activities. n BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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Full Slate of Living Learning Communities Offered to CBU Students this Fall New Living Learning Center will house six communities geared to academic majors, common interests. WITH THE OPENING this fall of the new Living Learning Center at CBU, the University has set up a collection of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) to offer students imaginative alternate opportunities and an enhanced college experience—from freshmen who want to make the smoothest possible transition to college life to Honors students who want to live in a community of others who share their goals and aspirations. CBU started an Engineering & Science Living Learning Community last fall in the Capstone Apartments on Oakdale. The Engineering & Science LLC will move to the new Center this fall. Members of the Engineering & Science LLC will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities: tutoring in fundamental engineering and science subjects such as chemistry, calculus, and physics; tutoring opportunities for upperclassmen; group social activities; industry site visits; and an opportunity to earn academic credit for tutoring and leadership activities. The new Accounting & Finance Living Learning Community is an opportunity for students majoring in accounting or finance to live and learn as members of a community at CBU. Incoming freshmen interested in pursuing an accounting or finance degree and current accounting or finance students will engage in classroom, extracurricular, and social activities together, all of which are designed to prepare students for successful professional careers. The Accounting & Finance LLC is reserved for students pursuing the B.S. in Accounting or the B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. These select students will live together in the newly completed Center, attend core classes together and participate as a group in extracurricular and social activities. The Biomedical Living Learning Community is a residential program designed to offer studies and ancillary programming for students interested in clinical health-related careers. Upperclassmen majoring in various fields in the School of Science who have a similar interest in clinical health-related careers will serve as tutors in math, chemistry, and composition, which are considered crucial subjects. During the Fall semester of the sophomore year, students will participate in Medical Shadowing, a course during which they will have the opportunity to 4
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shadow trained professionals in various departments at Delta Medical Center. During the Spring semester of their sophomore year, or possibly starting during their junior year, they will participate in a Research Associate Program at the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Connecticut, directed by Dr. Keith Bradley. The Sustainability Living Learning Community is a two-year program designed for students who wish to have an enriched academic experience and identify rewarding career opportunities that involve making a positive impact on their communities—ranging from energy conservation and environmental protection to the promotion of cultural heritage and smart economic development. They will study and live together to support the goals of creating a just society, ensuring a clean and biologically rich environment, pursuing meaningful careers, and enjoying a life of service. They will learn from and work with local business leaders, community organizers and CBU faculty who make sustainability a focus of their professional and civic activities. The Freshman Experience LLC is specially designed for new college students who are unsure about what they want to study or what career path to follow. The Freshmen Experience LLC will ease their transition into college life by helping them make new friends and find fun things to do on campus. It will offer the chance to get to know faculty through special programs and activities outside the classroom. Fall semester is all about recognizing and developing natural talents and abilities. Spring semester is about processing future goals in life. The Honors Program LLC will provide an opportunity for Honors students—already one of the more cohesive groups on campus—to live with other Honors students while taking classes across all disciplines and participating in a full schedule of extracurricular activities that includes conferences, films, field trips, community service, games, and special lectures. Universities across the country have embraced living learning programs as an opportunity to engage students more fully in the college experience. Studies show that students who participate in living learning programs develop better critical thinking skills, are more likely to explore service-learning or volunteer activities, and make a smoother transition to college life. n
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CBU Proudly Presents the 2011 Class of Lasallian Fellows
CBU OFFICIALLY INDUCTED its 2011 class of the Lasallian Fellows at a dinner in their honor on November 16. The Lasallian Fellowships were made possible by a generous donation from CBU trustee Joyce A. Mollerup and her husband, Bob Buckman. The awards are presented annually to five members of the senior class based upon the reflection of Lasallian values in their scholarship, leadership, and service. Students are nominated by faculty and staff for their commitment to the underserved, sensitivity to social and community needs, active nature of their faith, and creation of a difference in the world and lives of others. Each Lasallian Fellow is awarded $5,000 as a means of perpetuating their work in the community. Jenessa Gebers (Psychology ’11) has taken mission trips to Costa Rica and Romania, tutored Memphis City School students through the Memphis Literacy Council, and assisted in the annual Works of Heart fundraiser for the Memphis Child Advocacy Center. Gebers has been the Honors Program’s student assistant for the past three years and was co-creator of the Honors Big Give service project that benefitted one international and six local agencies. Rachel Haag (Biology ’11) is a member of the Honors Program and Beta Beta Beta biology honors society, and has been a lab assistant at UT College of Medicine. She is member of the CBU Cross Country team, a Lasallian Ambassador, a Peer Counselor, and Morale Captain for Up ’til Dawn. Haag was selected president of her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, and voted Greek Woman of the Year. Wesley Hall (Mechanical Engineering ’11) PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
shares his faith every day as leader of College Search retreats, which he helped to create and has served as codirector. He is active in the Campus Music Ministry which performs weekly at the student-led Masses. He has served on the executive committee for Up ’til Dawn, been a Peer Counselor, and is active in the Ultimate Frisbee Club which benefits St. Jude. He is also philanthropy chair for Tau Kappa Epsilon, and has worked with the Dream Factory of Memphis. Ashley Jones (Psychology ’11) is a peer educator with Girls Incorporated of Memphis, program coordinator and cochairman of Porter-Leath Children’s Center’s youth advisory council (which she helped form), and director of mentoring for MIFA’s College Offers Opportunities for Life (COOL) Program. She has been recognized for her service and leadership abilities by Alpha Kappa Alpha, and was awarded the 2010 Miss Outstanding AKA, Undergraduate of the Year for the Southeastern region, and was one of 14 nationally-selected AKA Leadership Fellows. She also served as a Lasallian Ambassador and as a member of the Commencement Committee. Kathleen Nelson (Biology ’11), an accomplished flautist, is also active in the Campus Music Ministry and was a cofounder of the College Search Retreats. She plays on the CBU softball team, and uses her skills by coaching for the Returning Baseball to the Inner City program. She has volunteered countless hours at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, is a member of the Honors Council in the Honors Program, and has served as treasurer and vice president of Beta Beta Beta biology honors society. n
(l-r) Bob Buckman, Joyce Mollerup, Jenessa Gebers, Kathleen Nelson, Rachel Haag, Ashley Jones, and Wesley Hall
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Board of Trustees Welcomes Five New Members, Including Four Alumni
Wayne Brafford
Stephen Dunavant (’83)
Br. Chris Englert (’77)
THE CBU BOARD of Trustees welcomed H. Wayne Brafford, Steve Dunavant (’83), and Brother Chris Englert (’77) as new members at its first meeting of the 2010-11 year in October. H. Wayne Brafford was a group CEO at International Paper Company, titled senior vice president for Printing and Communications Papers, a core business of the company. Brafford retired from International Paper in December 2009. He graduated from Leadership Memphis and served on its board as vice chairman. He has supported the Memphis City Schools as a member of the PIPE (Partners in Public Education) Board of Directors. More recently, he served on the Memphis Museums board and executive committee. Brafford earned his bachelor’s degree in pulp and paper science and technology from North Carolina State University and MBA from Tulane University. Stephen T. Dunavant is member-in-charge of consulting at Thompson-Dunavant, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. He has more than 23 years of public accounting experience with both local and international accounting firms. Dunavant has served on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Partnership Taxation Committee and AICPA Partnership Resource Panel. He has lectured on the tax aspects of limited liability companies and partnerships. In addition to memberships in the AICPA, TSCPA and the Memphis Chapter of CPAs, Dunavant also holds the AICPA Certificate of Educational Achievement for Tax Planning and Advising Closely-Held Businesses. He currently serves on the CBU Dean’s Advisory Board; the board of Triumph Bank; and chairs the board for the Visible School Music and Worship Arts College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from CBU. 6
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Mark Giannini (’87)
James Reber (’82)
Brother Chris Englert is president of Christian Brothers High School and has served in that position since the fall of 1990. Over the course of his teaching career, Brother Chris has taught at La Salle High School in Cincinnati; Newport Catholic High School in Kentucky; and Archbishop O’Hara High School in Kansas City, MO. He received a B.A. in Humanities from CBU, M.A. in Religious Studies from La Salle University, and a M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. At its February meeting, the Board of Trustees named Mark R. Giannini (Marketing ’87) and James L. Reber (Accounting ’82) as its newest members. Mark Giannini is the founder and chief executive officer of Service Assurance, the largest service provider of technology support, IT outsourcing and management in the Mid-South. Prior to starting Service Assurance in 1989, he worked at IBM and EMC. Giannini was one of the Memphis Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” honorees in 1996 and was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997 by the same publication. Entrepreneur Magazine named him one of the “Top 500 Entrepreneurs in the U.S.” in 1997. Giannini recently authored the book, The Tallest Pygmy, and speaks nationally on such topics as disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and the use of information technology as a competitive weapon. He is active in the community, serving as director on several boards including The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, the Visible School Music and Worship Arts College, Beale Street Caravan, Memphis Botanic Gardens and the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce. James Reber is president and chief executive officer of ICBA Securities, which is an institutional
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fixed income broker/dealer associated with Vining Sparks. Prior to this appointment, Reber worked as a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) registered representative and senior vice president with ICBA Securities. He has also served as a financial officer with a mortgage company, compliance officer for a regional broker/dealer and as senior auditor with Ernst and Whiney. Reber is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, and is a member of both the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the CFA Institute. He is a frequent speaker at bank conventions, seminars and conferences and also writes a monthly investment column for Independent Banker magazine. Reber is on the board of regents and executive committee of the Paul W. Barret School of Banking. In addition, he serves on the development committee of the Ave Maria Foundation and has been chairman of the Ave Maria Gala for the past two years. A regular blood donor, Reber has donated over 14 gallons to Lifeblood, the Mid-South Regional Blood Center. Until the 1966 academic year, the Board of Trustees consisted of representatives from the Brothers’ Community and the Bishop of Nashville, PHOTO BY JACOB EDWARDS
Members of the Board of Trustees and the University administration took a hardhat tour of the new Living Learning Center construction in February. Pictured above (l-r) are Brother Konrad Diebold, Robert McEniry (board chairman), Richard Gadomski, Dan Wortham (VP for Administration & Finance), Joyce Mollerup, Brother Francis Carr, Chip Dudley, Dave Nelson, Andrew Prislovsky (VP for Advancement), Dr. Stephany Schlachter, Karen Conway-Barnett (Dean of Students), and Jim Schlimmer (VP for Enrollment Management).
with the St. Louis Provincial serving as the chairman. Laymen were first appointed to the Board in 1970 while others continued to serve on the Board of Regents. In the years from 1947-71, the Board was supplemented with boards of various titles — the Advisory Board or the Board of Regents. The present system, with only a Board of Trustees, began in 1972. The members of the Board of Trustees constitute the legal directors of CBU, with general responsibility for its management in keeping with its philosophy and purposes. The Board sustains the mission of the University within the traditions of the Christian Brothers, selects the president, approves the budget and the educational programs, confers honorary degrees, assists in fund-raising, and acts as a court of final appeal. n
Check out the progress on the Living Learning Center construction! http://goo.gl/1vn8k
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Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2011 on Homecoming Weekend
(l-r): Michele Bradley DeGruy, Earl Gillespie, Mike Broderick, Dave Terrell, Melanie Stephenson Riggins, Randy Engel, Dustin Allison, Don Popp, and Dr. John Smarrelli Jr. Not pictured: Jennie Bradford.
Videos from the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: youtube.com/gobucsgo
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THE CBU ATHLETIC Hall of Fame Class of 2011 was inducted as part of Homecoming weekend at a banquet on February 11 in Alfonso Dining Hall. This year’s class includes Dustin Allison (’98), Jennie Bradford, Michele Bradley DeGruy (’87), Mike Broderick (’85), Brother Cy Conroy, Randy Engel (’95), Earl Gillespie (’65), Don Popp (’78), Melanie Stephenson Riggins (’83), and Dave Terrell (’73). Dustin Allison rewrote the CBU baseball record book from 1995 to 1998. He still holds 11 school records, including most games played, at bats, runs, hits, sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, hit by pitches, and assists. He hit .366 for his career with 286 hits, 42 steals, and 114 runs batted in. Jennie Bradford was the first coach in school history in women’s basketball and volleyball, and she led both teams to their most successful stretches in school history. She is still CBU’s leader in career wins in both sports. In volleyball, Bradford posted a 174-54 record from 1976 to 1983. She led the Lady Bucs to eight straight winning records, five straight VSAC championships, four straight bi-district championships, and three straight appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. In basketball, she went 112-74, posting five straight winning seasons for the only time in school history. She had two 20-win
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seasons, including a 23-3 mark and a VSAC West championship in 1982-83. Michele Bradley DeGruy played volleyball and basketball from 1984 to 1987. She was an AllAmerican in volleyball, and she still holds the school single-season record for hitting percentage. She led the Lady Bucs to three conference championships and a Bi-District 24 championship. Mike Broderick was one of the best big men in CBU basketball history from 1981 to 1985. Broderick ranks fourth in the CBU record books with 1,813 points and 813 rebounds. At the time of his graduation, he ranked second in scoring and third in rebounding. Broderick led the Bucs to back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a 25-10 mark and a VSAC Championship as a senior. The 25-win season is tied for the most wins in school history. Brother Cy Conroy was an instrumental part of building the foundation for CBU athletics as he served as the school’s director of special projects from 1972 until his death in 1993. Brother Cy, who served as a Brother for 29 years, built offices and locker rooms for the CBU athletics department as well as the school’s tennis courts, racquetball courts, and dugouts for the baseball field. He was also actively involved in fundraising for the athletics department. PHOTO BY ERIC OPPERMAN
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Hank Raymonds, 1924-2010 HANK RAYMONDS, former CBC basketball coach and member of the CBU Athletic Hall of Fame, passed away on December 6, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Raymonds’ coaching history spanned 33 years and included St. Louis University High School, St. Louis University, CBC, and finally Marquette University. Raymonds was born in St. Louis and attended St. Louis University, where he graduated in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in education after a two year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. Prior to starting his coaching career, Raymonds spent the summer of 1949 playing for the Boston Braves minor league team in Evansville, IN. Hank Raymonds coached the Christian Brothers College men’s basketball team from 1955 to 1961, leading the Bucs to a 110-50 record in those six years. He led the Bucs to back-to-back district championships, and NAIA national tournament appearances in 1958-59 and 1959-60. After leaving CBC, Raymonds went to Marquette, where he served as assistant coach for 16 years under the legendary Al McGuire, culminating with the 1977 National Championship. Raymonds replaced McGuire as head coach, recording a 126-50 record in six years, including five NCAA Tournament appearances. Five of his players were All-America honorees, and 16
players were selected in the NBA Draft. After completing his coaching career, Raymonds served as Marquette’s athletic director from 1977-87 and was responsible for elevating the women’s athletic teams to Division I status in 1985. He was inducted into Marquette’s M Club Hall of Fame in 1996 and is also a member of the Wisconsin Athletic, Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association, St. Louis University, and St. Louis City Halls of Fame. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the CBU Athletic Hall of Fame last April. Raymonds is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jinny, and his children Steve, Marianne, Daniel, Linda, and Carol. Memorials to St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Wauwatosa, WI or to the Hank Raymonds Endowed Scholarship Fund for Non-revenue Sports are appreciated. n
Randy Engel starred in basketball from 1991 to 1995. His 1,868 points rank third in school history. His senior season ranks fourth in CBU history in points and points per game. He ranks fourth in career free throw percentage, fifth in field goal percentage, and sixth in rebounds. Earl Gillespie was an integral part of the early years of CBU athletics. He played basketball from 1962 to 1965, scoring 788 points, including averaging 18.3 points per game as a senior. After graduating, he moved to the bench, serving as assistant coach for three years. He spent three years as head baseball coach, compiling a 66-31 record, including a 38-12 mark in 1970, the best record in school history. While he was head coach, Gillespie built Buc Field, which has been the home of CBU baseball for 40 years. Don Popp starred in basketball from 1974 to 1978. He scored 1,583 points, which ranked second on the all-time scoring list when he graduated and is still 11th. He is fifth on the all-time rebound list, and he
ranked third upon graduation. He led the Bucs to two winning seasons, including a 23-11 mark as a junior that ranks as the fourth-most wins in school history. Melanie Stephenson Riggins starred in basketball from 1979 to 1983. She ranks fourth in career scoring and eighth in career assists. She led the Lady Bucs to a 79-25 record in her four years, including a 23-3 record and a VSAC West title in 1982-83, the best record in school history. Dave Terrell starred in basketball from 1970 to 1973. He ranks 12th in career rebounding and 17th in career scoring despite only playing three years, ranking seventh in both points per game and rebounds per game. He was third on the scoring list and fifth on the rebounding list upon his graduation. The inaugural class, inducted in 2010, included Joe Alfonso, Julie Bowen (’84), Al Cash (’65), Brother Stephen Eamon Gavin, Kristi Key (’85), Bill Lowry (’60), Joe Nadicksbernd (’71), Hank Raymonds, Jerry Seessel, and Bob Stephenson. n
PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
Hank Raymonds at the CBU Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet in 2010.
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CBU Students Earn Global First Place Ranking in Online Strategy Game
(l-r): Jay Healy, Afshan Latif, James Stone, and Eric Charping.
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CBU STUDENTS IN the Cohort MBA program earned a Global First Place ranking in the Business Strategy Game (BSG) as part of a course in Strategic Management last fall. Charged with creating a long-term direction for their company, C MorehouseROCKS!!, the students teamed up to complete the task of running a virtual athletic footwear company. Student members Afshan Latif, James Stone, Jay Healy, and Eric Charping competed under the professorial guidance of adjunct professor Dr. Douglas Scarboro in a head-to-head challenge against 3,479 global teams from 226 colleges/universities across the world. Using practical knowledge from the real-world athletic shoe industry, the team had to market and sell branded and private-label athletic footwear in four geographic regions: Europe-Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. “Our strategy was to create an advantage within our operations business while raising or lowering our S/Q (Style/Quality) ratings to determine our shoe forecast for the upcoming year. We wanted to manufacture shoes at the lowest possible cost while maximizing our profits,” stated Charping. “By the end of the game, our team’s costs were lower than the other competing teams while our operating profit and net profit w ere significantly higher.”
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C MorehouseROCKS!! ranked 1st in Overall Game-To-Date Score with 110.0 which tied for the best Overall Score performance of the week worldwide and their stock ranked 25th worldwide at $356.74 per share for the week of October 11-17. These accomplishments were the result of a joint effort by the team to make the appropriate choices regarding plant operations, distribution, marketing and finance among other aspects. The company had to remain competitive in these aspects to remain viable in the virtual global market. “The students’ success on the Business Strategy Game is not only a representation of their understanding of the strategic concepts, but more importantly it is a demonstration that they can effectively put those concepts into practice,” noted Scarboro. “Good business leaders can plan, great business leaders can plan and execute. The students’ success on the BSG demonstrates they have laid the groundwork to be great business leaders.” The team is the second CBU effort to place highly in the online game. F T.E.A.M. (Company F) earned a Top 10 Global ranking in the Fall 2009 competition. Erin Wiles, Dr. Alan Pourpak, Mike Tucker, and Rick Maupin were members of that team (see article in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Bell Tower.) n PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
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CBU Engineers Team Up with Armor Fabricators to Protect U.S. Troops
THE CBU SCHOOL of Engineering has teamed up with Memphis-based Steel Fabrication Incorporated (SFI) to produce armor plates for use by the U.S. Military on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. MRAP vehicles protect against damage from roadside bombs and ambushes around the world, especially those in Afghanistan and Iraq. For more than 18 months, SFI and CBU have partnered to allow 13 interns and graduates to help create and build these advanced armor plate components. “CBU engineering student interns and CBU graduates now employed full-time at SFI have joined together with SFI’s operational team to help produce well-built, safe, and state-of-the-art military vehicles that are deployed in theatre,” noted Shmuel Cohen, director of development at SFI. CBU interns and graduates are currently working in several departments including robotics, engineering, project management, account management, and estimating. Anthony Bownes (’10) notes that SFI has given many CBU students the chance to have not only a great learning experience, but also a truly meaningful career. “I have classmates who work in different departments, and have enjoyed having both my friends at work and having people
Above, front row, l-r: Ellis Perry, Russel Saliendra (’10), Zachary Turner (’11); second row: John Yarbrough, Wook Kim (’10), Grey Dziuba (’10) and back row: Matt Cox, Richard Ostrander, Seth Palmer, and Jeston Morris (all of SFI). At left, examples of MRAP vehicles in Iraq.
I know teach me the ins and outs of manufacturing. SFI has accepted many CBU students that have no manufacturing or engineering experience, and given them the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in this industry.” Founded in 1956, SFI has grown to the leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts manufacturer in the nation. Today, SFI employs over 600 skilled professionals with three locations in Memphis; Conway, AR; and New Boston, OH. All locations are fully dedicated to steel fabrication solutions. n
TOP: PHOTO BY DR. ERIC WELCH; BOTTOM: PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY
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Judith McWillie Donates Artwork to CBU
Above: Holy Volt, acrylic on canvas, 96 x 144 inches, 2000. Above right: Joyous Fountain, acrylic and fabric on canvas, 96 x 72 inches, 1995.
Judith McWillie’s video on J. R. Murray http://goo.gl/AgcQy
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LAST FALL, ARTIST Judith McWillie made a donation to CBU of nine major paintings that cover a long span in her career. McWillie, who is the daughter of James McWillie, AFSC (volunteer archivist at CBU for 23 years) and the sister of Betty McWillie (director of CBU’s Career Center), is professor emerita at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia and founder of the Center for Vernacular Studies and Ethnopoetics. “The group of paintings at CBU was done when I was traveling around the South videotaping visionary artists, performances by blues and gospel musicians, culturally related events in the Athens and Atlanta areas of Georgia, neighborhoods in southern towns mostly in the 1980s, and any other thing that I considered relevant to Southern culture and visionary experience,” she says. “I am still doing this, but the CBU paintings mark a specific body of work lasting from 1978 to 2005.” The body of work coincided with an active period of researching and publishing essays about spiritual art made by predominantly elder African Americans in the South who had no formal art training. Most of these individuals said that they had experienced a call from God in the form of an initiatory vision, a paranormal event that changed them and made them begin to paint and sculpt. McWillie says her Catholic upbringing “stressed ‘the big picture’ and
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encouraged a rich inner life often expressed through visionary experience, so I took these accounts at face value.” “Traveling in these circles I began to believe that the African presence—the influence of African expressive culture and religion—in the United States is foundational but misunderstood and that the American South might have more in common with emerging cultures in Africa and Latin America than with, for example, New England or California,” McWillie says. In addition to videotaping and photographing visionary artists, McWillie studied the writings of Catholic mystics, in particular St. John of the Cross, whose works were influenced by both Christian and Sufi sources, and St. Teresa of Avila, the subject of the famous ecstatic sculpture by Bernini. McWillie says that another influence in these paintings is musical, drawn from the blues and gospel traditions of the South. “I attempted to transpose music to paint,” she says. “The improvisational nature of this practice and the idea of working from a primary source rather than theory were validated by early modernist and abstract expressionist philosophy.” McWillie admired the abstract expressionists and spent time with the painter Willem PHOTOS CIURTESY OF JUDITH McWILLIE
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A Saintly Exhibit
The Four Moments of the Sun, acrylic on canvas, 84 inches diagonal, 1994.
de Kooning by way of a friendship with his wife, Elaine, who had been Dodd Chair at the Lamar Dodd School of Art in the late 1970s. “She was a remarkable, single-minded woman for whom art was practically a religion and she was deeply loyal to her friends,” McWillie says. “I spent time at [the de Koonings’] farm in upstate New York and taught at Southampton College on Long Island one summer. Regardless of their fame, these artists lived simply, were skeptical of consumerism, and moved about easily with an expansive ‘worldliness’ that was new to me.” McWillie says she could not help but compare them to the African-American visionaries she had studied and befriended, “none of whom were isolated in the same way that these famous artists were.” She says she “passed the point of no return” when she turned down an opportunity to leave the South for a teaching job in Connecticut. “The paintings at CBU grew out of the need to reconcile all of these complex and seemingly divergent experiences as they unfolded over the years. Painting continues to be my chosen companion and road map to the future.” “We are so pleased Judy’s work has found a home here at CBU,” says Brother Robert Werle, curator of art and special collections. “The spiritual dimensions of her work fit so well with the mission and everyday life of our campus. They give us such an insight into the life of the artist whose depth is spread throughout the canvas she paints.” n RELIC PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN
A COLLECTION OF relics belonging to the De La Salle Archives of the Christian Brothers of the Midwest District is on exhibit through May 1 on the main level of Plough Memorial Library. The 358 relics are exhibited publicly once every three years so that students and others interested can view them and learn about the history of relics in the Catholic Tradition. The look of the exhibit has been modernized to help students and others to better understand the men and women saints whom it honors. A relic, as defined by The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, is an object kept and reverenced as a memorial of a holy person or saint. Relics include bodily remains of such persons (i.e., bones) as well as objects that once belonged to them or which they touched (i.e., clothing). For an object to be classified as a relic, it must be certified as authentic by Church authority, and may not be bought or sold for money. The collection contains the relics of many saints whose names are familiar to us: Thomas, Aloysius Gonzaga, Ambrose, Anastasia, Andrew the Apostle, Anthony of Padua, Benedict, Clare of Assisi, Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier Cabrini, Ignatius, Saint John the Apostle, John Baptist de la Salle, Joseph and Mary, Martin de Porres, the Apostles Matthew and Peter, Paul, John the Baptist, Teresa of Jesus, Valentine, and Vincent de Paul. It also includes the relics of others whose names do not immediately spring to mind but who are nonetheless saints. Relics from Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, and the Christian Brother Martyrs of Turon, who were killed in Spain in 1934, are also included. “The relics aren’t here to be worshiped,” says Brother Robert Werle, CBU curator of art and Midwest district archivist. “They’re to be revered as mementos from important people in the Catholic faith.” Most of the miniscule relics are sealed inside medallions called thecae. Many are then placed inside ornate reliquaries made of brass. The relics themselves may date from ancient times, but Brother Robert explains that the reliquaries themselves are only about 80 years old. n
Top: Reliquary containing a relic of St. Peter; above: reliquary containg a relic of St. Benilde, the first Christian Brother canonized by Rome.
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news@cbu More ground-blessing photos and video http://goo.gl/zmEEJ
BLESS THIS GROUND: An official “Blessing of the Ground” was held for the new Living Learning Center on October 1, 2010. Present for the ceremony were (l-r) Bobby White, Chief of Staff for the Memphis Mayor’s Office; Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell; Dr. John Smarrelli Jr.; Congressman Steve Cohen; and CBU Board Chairman Bob McEniry.
MARKETING ON ICE: The fall cohort in Father Paul Watkins’ CMBA Marketing Capstone Project course worked with the Memphis Zoo to help promote its new “Zoo on Ice” skating rink. The students provided a comprehensive marketing plan; pricing recommendations; promotional strategies; cross-promotional tieins; and a competitive venue analysis. Pictured above are Hayley Isaac (MBA Program Administrator), Alex Mathis, Chris Burcky, Wendi Allan, Fr. Paul Watkins (Marketing), Dr. Chuck Brady (Memphis Zoo President/CEO), Steve Price, and Zach Herring. 14
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“OH, HOW I DO LOVE BIRTHDAY CAKE!” Pictured above is a scene from CBU’s fall production of Beth Henley’s tragi-comic play, Crimes of the Heart, in the University Theater in November. Pictured above are Cameron Volpe (Biomedical Science ’13), Amanda Willhite (Psychology ’13) and Elizabeth Kellicut (Arts ’12) in the respective roles of Meg Magrath, Lenny Magrath, and Babe Botrelle. PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN (top), JACOB EDWARDS (left), CONNOR ROBINSON (right)
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CBU celebrated the jubilee anniversaries of six Christian Brothers last fall with a special presentation and reception to honor their commitment and service. Together, the six Brothers total 370 years of service to the Lasallian community nationwide. Pictured above are four of the jubilarians: Brother Ignatius Brown (60 years), Brother Robert Staub (70 years), Brother Stephen Eibert (60 years), and Brother Terence McLaughlin (70 years). Also honored were Brother Louis Althaus (60 years) and Brother Daniel Susek (50 years).
SCHOOL OF ARTS 4Dr. Samantha Alperin (Education) served as an advisor for a new text by Maureen McLaughlin, Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning In An Age of Multiple Intelligences. Alperin also made a presentation at the Tennessee Reading Association conference in November. Her presentation was entitled “Literacy Across the Curriculum: Do We Ask Too Much of Our Students?” 4Dr. Wendy Ashcroft (Education) was presented with an award for Lifetime Achievement in Education by the Arc of the Mid-South in November. She was honored at the Arc’s 60th Anniversary Celebration at the Peabody Hotel for her work with children with intellectual disabilities and for her service to both the Mid-South and Tennessee chapters of the Arc. The Arc of the Mid-South is a non-profit United Way agency dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve their full potential. 4Dr. Marius Carriere (History) chaired a panel on
PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
“Southern Life and Leaders” and commented on the papers presented at the recent conference of the Tennessee Conference of Historians held at Cumberland University in September. 4Dr. David Dault (Religion & Philosophy) presented a paper entitled “From Cultural Materialism to Material Scripture” as part of a panel he organized on behalf of the Society for Comparative Research of Iconic and Performative Texts for the American Academy of Religion conference in Atlanta. 4Dr. Roger Easson (Literature & Languages) and Judge D’Army Bailey have a book contract from LSU Press for the second volume of Bailey’s biography/ memoir which will focus on his years in San Francisco (1969-74) and his tenure on the Berkeley City Council. Easson and Bailey have written eight chapters of a projected 14 during the summer. The first volume, The Education of a Black Radical, was published by LSU in 2009. 4Dr. Burt Fulmer (Religion & Philosophy)
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participated in a three-day Wabash Center Teaching Workshop on “The Gift and Challenge of Difference in the Classroom.” He also delivered a paper, “The Rituals of Consumer Culture and the Economy of the Eucharist,” at the annual College Theology Society meeting held in Portland, OR in June. 4Dr. Emily Holmes (Religion & Philosophy) attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in Atlanta, where she presented a paper entitled “‘You who will never be me nor mine’: Toward a Feminist Apophatic Theology of Religious Difference.” 4Dr. Teri Mason (Behavioral Sciences) and Julia Hanebrink (’01, MHIRT Program Coordinator) presented at the Africa/Diaspora Conference on African Health, Peace, Security, and Development, in Sacramento, CA: “New Choices for Health Care Delivery: A Multifaceted Approach to Reducing Health Disparities: Pluralistic Medicine in Southwest Uganda: Health- Seeking Behaviors and Healthcare Perspectives” (by Julia Hanebrink and Joy Nolte, Boston University); “Testing psychological intervention through art with Ugandan child soldiers and abductees” (by Dr. Teri Mason and Lanie Smith [’02], Pratt Institute). 4Dr. Ric Potts (Education) presented a session entitled “Adolescent Literacy: Lessons From the Field,” at the 36th Tennessee Reading Association Annual Conference in November in Murfreesboro, TN. 4Dr. Talana Vogel (Education) attended and presented at the Southern Regional Council of Educational Administration (SRCEA) annual conference in October in Savannah, GA. Her paper was entitled “Can Educational Administration Programs Truly Affect Candidates’ Sensitivity to Diversity? One Program’s Journey.”
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 4Dr. James Allen (Sport Management) had an article entitled “Sport as a vehicle for socialization and maintenance of cultural identity: International students attending American universities” accepted to appear in Sport Management Review. 4Dr. Bob Brittingham (Economics) won the NPR Sunday Puzzle on December 19. He competed against more than 2000 contestants for the final round, answered all the questions correctly and gave a brief interview. 4Andrew Morgret (Accounting) guest lectured on the subject of taxes in a class on personal finance at the DeSoto County campus of the University of Mississippi in January. 4Dr. Sarah Pitts (Associate Dean, Business;
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news@cbu Business Law & Finance) was one of the judges for the Memphis Business Journal’s “CFO of the Year” Award. The CFO award is designed to honor financial professionals in Memphis and the Mid-South for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate financial stewards. Pitts also guest lectured on the subject of mortgages in a class on personal finance at the DeSoto County campus of the University of Mississippi in January.
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 4L. Yu Lin (Civil and Environmental Engineering) presented the results of geo-reference interface video technology to the Project Management Council of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering and also demonstrated the results to the Corps’ E-Action Conference in January. The project was to apply newly developed geo-reference interface video technology with a 360-degree real-time clip to the riverine and levee system. The Corps will apply this technique to flood control, levee protection, and various environmental projects. Lin also presented “Unsteady-State Flow Modeling for the White River Basin” and “360 Degree Geospatial Immersive Video of the White River” at the Sponsor & Interagency Planning Team Conference in Yellville, AR in August. A number of government agencies, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Arkansas Heritage Commission attended the meeting. He also presented his research results from the White River Navigation Study to the representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Arkansas Game and Fish Wildlife Commission, Arkansas Heritage Commission, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife in Brinkley, AR last summer. The goal of the project, authorized by Congress and funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was to find alternative designs to provide 95% availability of the channel to ship agricultural goods, biodiesel, and fertilizer out of that region. Lin took scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and researchers from Louisiana State University to the White River and Little Red River. The purpose of the project, funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was to study river geomorphology and dendrogeomorphology for the bottomland hardwood plant communities. Using Dr. Lin’s unsteadystate hydraulics model, this research will help environmental communities to understand the effects of hydrologic and geomorphic processes in bottomland
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SCHOOL OF SCIENCES
CATHY CARTER (Mathematics), pictured with CBU President John Smarrelli Jr., was honored with the 2010 Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award at the CBU Community Convocation in August. The award — the highest presented by the University to faculty or staff — annually honors a CBU educator, nominated by his/her peers, who exemplifies the ideals of St. John Baptist de La Salle in the 21st century. hardwood plants in the lower White River Basin. 4Gene McGinnis (Civil Engineering) was presented with a 2010 Peter G. Hoadley Award for Outstanding Engineering Educator in the state at the Tennessee Section American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) meeting in October. 4Dr. Juan Carlos Olabe-Basogain conducted a weeklong workshop at the Ministry of Education of Peru. In collaboration with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a team of ten researchers (engineers and educators) of the University of the Basque Country led by Dr. Olabe has developed a multi-year curriculum for the use of technology throughout K-12 education. Representatives of all provinces of Peru were trained to impart training workshops on the integration of this curriculum in their regions. According to the Ministry of Education, a total of seven million Peruvian students will participate in the project. Teams of OLPC countries participating in similar projects are scheduled to be trained in the coming months. 4Mallory Bailey (Civil Engineering ’11), Evan Boulanger (Civil Engineering ’12), Katie Godwin (Civil Engineering ’12) and Daniel Smith (Civil Engineering ’12) won second place in the student competition at the Tennessee Section American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) meeting in October. The CBU student chapter was awarded a $400 check for the second-place finish.
PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
4Dr. Leigh C. Becker (Mathematics) authored the research article “Resolvents and solutions of weakly singular linear Volterra integral Equations” in the March issue of the journal Nonlinear Analysis (Volume 74, Issue 5; pp. 1892-1912). 4Cathy Carter (Mathematics), Brittany Course (Mathematics & Computer Science ’11), and Alan Killen (Mathematics & Civil Engineering ’11) presented a paper on “Folding Math Together: A Senior Seminar in Origami” at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans in January. 4Dr. Stan Eisen (Biology) audited a marine invertebrate zoology course at the Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs, MS in July. As part of the course, he conducted a mini-research project on the parasites of hydrobiid snails, a group of small snails found in marshes, and also learned the ancient Japanese art of fish printing (which involves taking a fish, applying ink to one side, and then pressing Japanese rice paper against it to make an imprint). 4An article coauthored by Dr. Malinda Fitzgerald (Biology), entitled “Projections from the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract to Prechoroidal Neurons in the Superior Salivatory Nucleus: Pathways Controlling Rodent Choroidal Blood Flow,” was featured as the cover article of the October 28 issue of Brain Research (Volume 1358). Dr. Fitzgerald’s coauthors are C.Li, M. LeDoux, S. Gong, P. Ryan, N. DelMar, and A. Reiner. Fitzgerald was also an international invited speaker at the XXV Annual Meeting of Federação de Sociedades de Biologia Experimental (FeSBE) meeting in Aguas de Lindoia, Brazil, in August. Dr. Fitzgerald was a specific invitee of the BRAVO organization which is the Brazilian chapter of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. She presented a paper entitled “Establishing US-Brazil connections through undergraduate research summer students: A ten year relationship.” 4Dr. Holmes Peacher-Ryan (Mathematics & Computer Science) was recognized by the School of Sciences with the Dr. Marguerite Cooper Distinguished Professor Award for 2010. The award was presented at the CBU Community Convocation on August 19. The award is given annually in tribute to a School of Sciences professor who exemplifies excellence in teaching effectiveness; service to the department, university, and students; professional BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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growth; and administration. 4Brother Edward Salgado (Biology) presented a paper entitled “The Nomenclature, Typification and Taxonomy of Asplenium Polyodon, a Falcatum and Confused Species” at the 8th Flora Malwsiana Symposium in Singapore in August. 4Several CBU students and a faculty member presented posters at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, November 13-17. Dominique Garcia Robles (Chemistry ’11) presented “Analysis of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Receptor Expression in Y79 Retinoblastoma Cells” (coauthored by Luiz R.G. Britto and Mauro Leonelli); Vanessa K. Walker (Biomedical Science ’11) presented “Extinction of Olfactory Fear Conditioning in Rats” (coauthored by Antonio Pádua Carobrez); Amanda Fitzgerald (Biology ’11) presented “Effects of a High Cholesterol Diet on Smooth Muscle and Cholesterol levels in Arteries of Variant Diameter” (coauthored by Maria Asuncion-Chin, Anna N. Bukiya and Alejandro M. Dopico); and Dr. Malinda Fitzgerald presented “Neurons of the Nucleus of Solitary Tract Regulating Choroidal Blood Flow are Under Inhibitory Control” (coauthored by Chunyan Li, Nobel Del Mar and Anton Reiner).
ATHLETICS: VOLLEYBALL 4Gulf South Conference West Division volleyball coaches lauded Lady Buc head coach In-Sik Hwang as the GSC West Coach of the Year in November. Hwang is CBU’s first Coach of the Year winner in volleyball, leading the Lady Bucs to a 9-3 Gulf South record, their best mark since joining the league in 1997. 4Lady Buc outside hitter Hailey Gillis (Child Development ’13) was named to the All-GSC West First Volleyball Team, with a season average (and team-high) 2.37 kills per set with a .211 hitting percentage. Lady Buc libero Corinne Doder (Business Administration ’12), setter Kelsey Miles (General Studies ’13), and outside hitter Kelly Nolan (Accounting ’12) were all named Second Team All-GSC West picks. Corinne led the Lady Bucs with 4.64 digs per set. Kelly averaged 2.08 kills and 2.85 digs per set, while Kelsey averaged 9.72 assists and 0.37 aces per set, both team highs. 4Lady Buc outside hitter Kelly Nolan (Accounting ’12) was named Gulf South Conference West Division Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week for the period ending October 12. Kelly led the Lady Bucs to a pair of three-set wins, averaging 4 kills
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and 3.67 digs per set, hitting .420. 4Lady Buc outside hitter Michelle Hein (Business Administration ’11) was named to the Preseason AllGSC West Volleyball Team. She entered her senior season ninth on CBU’s leaderboard in career digs and 15th in career kills.
ATHLETICS: SOCCER 4Lady Buc goalkeeper Libby Hake (Business Administration ’12) was voted to the All-Tournament Team of the 2010 Gulf South Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament after making eight saves in the Lady Bucs’ 2-0 loss to North Alabama. Hake was also named Defender of the Week by the Gulf South Conference for the period ending September 24. Hake made four saves in the Lady Bucs’ shutout over Rhodes, and she recorded nine saves to help the Lady Bucs win 4-1 at Belhaven. 4Buccaneer goalkeeper Jaime Garcia (Business Administration ’14) was named Defender of the Week by the Gulf South Conference for the period ending September 24. Garcia made four saves in a shutout win at Alabama-Huntsville, and he made three saves in a tie against Rhodes, with the only goal coming on a penalty. 4Buccaneer defender Jack Richardson (Business Administration ’11) was named to the Preseason AllGSC Men’s Soccer Team.
ATHLETICS: BASKETBALL 4Buccaneer guard Scott Dennis (Business Administration ’12) was named the West Division Player of the Week three times during the season by the Gulf South Conference. For the period ending November 17, he averaged 17.0 points and 14.7 rebounds per game in leading the Bucs to a 3-0 weekend to start the season. For the period ending December 15, Dennis scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds with five assists in a win over Williams Baptist, followed by 14 points, 20 rebounds, and four assists in a win over West Alabama. For the period ending January 26, Dennis averaged 28.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 2.5 assists per game for the week. He scored a career-high 37 points with 14 rebounds in a winning game at Ouachita Baptist University. 4Lady Buc forward Caitlin House (Natural Science ’13) was named Gulf South Conference West Division Player of the Week for the period ending November 17 after leading the Lady Bucs to a pair of wins in the first weekend of the season. n
inmemoriam
Brother Richard Gerlach, Former CBU President, 1913-2010 BY BROTHER TERENCE McLAUGHLIN BROTHER RICHARD GERLACH, president of Christian Brothers College from 1947 to 1953, passed away on December 23, 2010, at St. Anne’s Extended Health Care Center in Winona, MN. He was also the oldest alumnus of St. Mary’s University and the oldest Christian Brother in the Midwest Province. Brother Richard would have been 97 on Christmas Day. Brother Richard, well known in Memphis, especially by high school graduates of CBHS of the late ’40s and early ’50s, might be called a “transitional president,” for it was during his tenure that the new high school on East Parkway was building its fine reputation, the junior college was reopened after World War II, and the basic foundation was being laid for the beginning of the four-year college that is now CBU. Brother Richard was an imposing figure, physically and intellectually. His 6’ 3” frame and strong voice, coupled with his expert and caring teaching persona made him a very respected and admired Brother on campus. He joined the Christian Brothers in 1930 and graduated from Saint Mary’s in 1935, just two years after the Brothers assumed administration of the Minnesota college. He went on to earn his master’s degree from St. Louis University in 1940. Throughout his career, Brother Richard taught history, and he also served as principal at a number of schools in Appleton, WI; St. Paul; Evanston, IL; and St. Louis, MO. Although he enjoyed his work in administration, Brother Richard said his heart always remained in the classroom, where he felt he could best help students. In 1968, he returned to Saint Mary’s, and although he retired in 1979, he continued teaching history part-time for many years. Brother Arnold McMullen, former Memphis teacher and member of the CBHS Hall of Fame also living in Winona, MN, says that Brother Richard returned to St. Mary’s in 1968 and quickly became known as a voracious reader and superb history teacher. “The students loved him because they knew he loved them and because he knew his subject so well,” McMullen says. “He was a natural teacher and a natural singer.” Brother Richard and Brother Arnold sat together harmonizing the day before Brother Richard’s PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROTHER I. LEO O’DONNELL ARCHIVES
Brother Richard Gerlach, who passed away on December 23, two days shy of his 97th birthday, served as president of Christian Brothers College, 1947-53.
death, while other Saint Anne’s residents listened. They sang “Silent Night” and then “Stille Nacht” (the same song in its original German). Early the next morning, as the Christian Brothers kept vigil, Brother Richard Gerlach got his next call—to that heavenly choir. n Brother Terence McLaughlin is a former president of CBU (1962-64) and a former member of the CBU Board of Trustees. BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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A Legacy That Lives On Paul McDaniel’s greatest achievement came after his earthly journey. B Y S H E L B Y A N D P AT T Y M c D A N I E L
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aul Andrew McDaniel, 22, was a senior at Christian Brothers University who loved life— and loved CBU so much that he moved to Midtown to be close to school. His foundation, built while attending Christian Brothers High School, gave him such a disciplined way of life that he wanted to continue at CBU and then attend law school. Paul was our youngest son, 20
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inmemoriam
who passed away on September 14, 2008 due to a stroke. He was majoring in finance.* Paul was certified brain dead at 2 o’clock on a Sunday morning, giving the gift of life to four people through vital organ donations as well as helping 80 people live a better life with his tissue donation. When Paul was declared brain dead, we had to make a decision concerning his organs so we signed the necessary papers with Mid-South Transplant Foundation. Paul had expressed his desire to be an organ donor. He was on life support for two days while they matched his organs with recipients. Even in death, Paul continued a life of service to others as he had while he was alive. When the word service is included in your life, you always wonder how far the journey will take you. For Paul, it meant throughout his 22 years. At an early age, he started spending time daily with his grandfather who lived about two minutes from our backyard. When Ben Baker (who was called Paw Paw) developed Parkinson’s disease, Paul was right there to help. It was a joy to see how he provided his grandfather with transportation, spent time with him, and ministered to his needs. Paul had a natural drive to serve and care for others. His friends described him as loyal and supportive and always there to help and listen to anyone who needed a friend. He had a gift with young children, as he was the lifeguard at our day camp. The young kids loved being around Paul. They enjoyed their swim times in the pool. When Paul started CBHS, his service expanded to tutoring elementary school students—for his efforts, he was given the De La Salle award. Paul was also the recipient of three honors student awards. At the 2004 CBHS graduation, he also received the “Brother Adrian Powers Academic Improvement Award”— which is given to the senior at CBHS who has shown the greatest academic improvement over a period of four years. Paul loved to work for local law offices and run their errands for them: he became fascinated with the law and decided that he wanted to be a lawyer so he could help others. He was very good and thorough in his research to gain knowledge about everything he could get his hands on, especially involving legal issues. He was an Apple fanatic and thought Macs were the only way to survive; he could do anything with his computer. Paul was very good in golf early on, but when an injury to his hand during a rock climbing trip would not allow him to grip the clubs firmly anymore, rock PHOTO COURTESY OF SHELBY AND PATTY McDANIEL
and ice climbing became his passion. He climbed all over the United States, including expeditions to Engineer Mountain in Durango, CO, and Boulder, CO—but his favorite spot was Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Jasper, AR. Ben** and Tim McDaniel, his brothers, bolted and named several routes on the North Forty at HCR in his honor and memory. The night before his stroke, Paul posted his climbing photos online; they are still there for all to see at http://web.me.com/paulandrewmcdaniel. Ben and Tim also started the Paul Andrew McDaniel Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, in his memory. The Foundation strives to raise awareness of strokes in young people and to promote organ and tissue donation. Paul left an undying fire in his brothers’ hearts to make him proud. The Foundation makes a difference every day in the lives of people touched by a stroke. Community involvement and donations go a long way toward helping the Foundation achieve its mission. By getting involved today you could be helping a family member or friend tomorrow. (The Foundation website is www. paulmcdanielfoundation.org.) The Foundation’s mission is to raise awareness, promote education, and provide encouragement for people to become organ donors. On any given day, there are over 100,000 persons needing a transplant! The Mid-South Transplant Foundation sent us to Washington, DC, for the National Donor Recognition Ceremony in July 2009, as donor families were honored. We attended workshops in brain death, sudden death, and musculoskeletal transplantation, allowing us to better comfort and share how loved ones live on as Paul is living on. Even in death, Paul continued to give life to others through organ donation. We have heard from four recipients; the heart recipient and his family met us for Paul’s annual “Fall Farm Festival” fundraiser in October. We were able to put our hands on Paul’s heart and feel it beating! At a young age, Paul accepted Christ as his personal savior. He just went to sleep and woke up in Heaven. Paul was a very loving and special young man. He was a well-rounded individual. We miss him dearly. n *Paul Andrew McDaniel was awarded a posthumous honorary Bachelor of Science in Business Administration by CBU in December 2008. **Ben McDaniel died a tragic and untimely death in a scuba cave diving accident on August 18, 2010 in Vortex Springs in Ponce De Leon, Florida. BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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feature:students
The Essence of Success
Faith and Determination Offer CBU Student a Bite of the Big Apple… B Y B E T H A N Y A N D R É
Jasmine Perkins (’11)
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AS SHE STOOD before the Time & Life Building in downtown Manhattan, just across the street from Rockefeller Center, Jasmine Perkins (Accounting ’11) took a deep breath and said a quick prayer. The internship for Essence magazine was hard won, and this was her first day. Little did she know that in less than three months, she would be sitting in a business meeting while Essence staff planned promotional events with fragrance creators for Beyoncé, Halle Berry, and Mariah Carey. When she was offered the advertising and sales internship, Perkins was understandably nervous. Having applied to intern in the business department,
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accepting a position in an unfamiliar field was daunting. This was especially true because having only completed her sophomore year, she was technically ineligible. “I hadn’t had any marketing classes yet, but I never considered giving up the opportunity,” Perkins says. “I knew that if I drew upon everything I had learned at CBU: lessons from faculty, encouragement from staff, and even leadership roles with both on and off-campus activities—I would be prepared.” And prepared she was. Staff in the CBU Career Center reviewed both her cover letter and resume and provided critical feedback within 24 hours. She also attended many workshops on professionalism, career field selection, and networking, receiving lots of support. As part of her financial aid package, Perkins was able to obtain a work study position in the School of Business with a supervisor who always took the time to discuss career options and the importance of finding that great fit. Jacque Mahr, director of administrative affairs for the School of Business was quite impressed with Perkins. “Jasmine introduced herself with quiet confidence and a willingness to assume any task, including managing payroll for work study students,” Mahr says. “We will miss her when she graduates.” For Perkins, being out in the “real world,” looking for housing in New York and figuring things out for herself was amazing. “Stepping out of that comfort zone and experiencing new people and places on their own terms was a life-changing opportunity,” she says. “Once you attain a certain level of independence, you really appreciate the support you’ve had at a place like CBU, where you learn and grow as part of a community.” Perkins gives CBU a lot of credit for her success, but she also honors a higher power. Though the New Orleans native isn’t Catholic, “living Lasallian” is possible regardless of religious affiliation, through respecting its tenants of faith, service, and community. “Drawing upon one of CBU’s core Lasallian principles, faith in Jesus Christ is the main driving force behind this accomplishment and all other accomplishments in my life,” she noted. Looking ahead to graduation in May and perhaps the prospect of graduate school, Perkins says that the internship taught her something: “While accounting provides a wonderful foundation, marketing is my passion, and as I work toward future opportunities, it will be my focus.” n PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
feature:students
Shining a Green Light on Campus
Students Design Lighting System with Donated Solar Panel… B Y V E R O N I C A L O V E ( ’ 1 2 )
SHARP MANUFACTURING COMPANY of America donated a solar panel to the CBU School of Engineering last fall to further the University’s sustainability practices and to infuse green technologies into the curriculum. Engineering students and faculty are using the panel to create a solar powered lighting system to provide visibility for the pathway leading to the Nolan School of Engineering. “This project will benefit engineering students in terms of understanding solar energy and green technologies,” says Dr. Paul Shiue, professor of mechanical engineering and project coordinator for the solar powered lighting system. “Through this project they will study efficiency of energy conversion, control systems and manufacturing.” Designed by the CBU chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the solar powered lighting system will benefit electrical and mechanical engineering students. Faculty will use the panel as a teaching aid to help promote sustainability practices in engineering Andrew Greenop (’11), the project leader, reflected on how the construction of the solar lighting system will benefit the students now and in the future. “This is a great opportunity to learn how to lead a group of engineers towards the completion of a project, which, in this case is also making CBU more ‘green.’ This project has made us work together overcoming obstacles similar to those that we may encounter as professional engineers.” CBU has an ongoing commitment to make the campus more environmentally friendly. CBU recently became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to further its campus efforts toward building a healthy PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN
Mechanical engineering students Caleb Smith (’14), Shawn Jenkins (’14), and Andrew Greenop (’11) with a solar panel donated by Sharp Manufacturing.
and just world. (Also see article on page 2.) Partnering with Sharp enhances this commitment. “Sharp Manufacturing strives to contribute to society by designing and manufacturing eco-positive products in a manner that not only minimizes the impact on the environment, but also promotes the sustainability of our planet,” says Kate Collier, quality trainer/quality specialist for Sharp. “Sharp actively supports educational programs and initiatives that increase students’ awareness of global environmental issues and fosters an interest in science and technology.” n
Matthew McKnight (’11) and Andrew Greenop working on the solar panel frame in the CBU Manufacturing Lab.
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A Capitol Idea
Alum’s Career Path is Launched by Internship in Washington… B Y B E T H A N Y A N D R É
Daniel Springer (’07)
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IN AN AGE when American youth “attribute more importance to arriving at driver’s-license age than at voting age,” according to Marshall McLuhan (largely regarded as the father of media studies), it isn’t entirely surprising to note that political interest has largely become the domain of middle-aged folks. Not so for Daniel Springer (’07). For Springer, currently executive assistant to Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, his interest in politics goes back further, a lot further. As a child, a friend of his mother’s sought election in his hometown of Waynesboro, TN, and observing that process taught him what running for political office entails. More importantly, he learned what being a politician means: “You have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others in a really meaningful way,” Springer says. As an English for Corporate Communications major, Springer knew he wanted a student internship in Washington, DC. After extensive research, he found, applied for, and was offered an internship through the White House. For a semester, Springer found himself immersed in the political process as an intern for USA Freedom Corps, an organization launched to promote volunteerism. During his internship, Springer met Bob Corker, a senatorial candidate from Tennessee. When he saw an opportunity to intern for the would-be senator’s campaign, he took it, despite having not yet graduated from CBU. Before graduation, he began working
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for Corker’s campaign full-time. When Corker won the election in 2008, Springer was afforded the opportunity to return to Washington—this time for two years as a U.S. Senate staff member. When he returned to Memphis, Springer met Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell, eventually earning a role as his campaign manager in a race for mayor of Shelby County. After Luttrell’s success, Springer was offered a permanent place on his staff. In his role, Springer does a lot of things you might expect, including managing Mayor Luttrell’s schedule, prepping him for events, researching, and reviewing resumes and making recommendations for the dozens of boards and commissions for which the Mayor makes appointments. “Dan is a vital member of my staff,” explains Mayor Luttrell. “His experience, insight, and talents help to keep me focused and to prioritize my day. He’s become a mainstay in helping all of us in Shelby County Government meet the needs of citizens.” Despite all he does, one of Springer’s favorite responsibilities is directly tied to his CBU major. “I really enjoy writing the Mayor’s speeches,” he says. “It is great to see the citizens respond to the Mayor’s words and his challenge to them.” Springer was also tasked with developing the Shelby County Citizens University. “It’s a program designed to show everyday citizens how their tax dollars are spent and what various county departments do,” he explains. “It builds community involvement and trust.” The nine-week program is open to anyone of high-school age or older, with a class size of about 20. When asked if he had political aspirations of his own, Springer is understandably ambiguous. “The people I work with are unbelievably great—a true joy and a blessing to be around. I’m looking forward to whatever opportunities lie ahead.” In the meantime, a hectic schedule and long days of public service don’t leave Springer with much free time, but he mentions that he still sees some of his former CBU professors. “I had at least four classes with Dr. Vincent O’Neill. He was an excellent teacher and still remains a very dear friend. Part of what made my time at CBU such a great experience was the peerlike relationship with a number of the faculty. I got to know them well and thought of many of them as friends. I still do.” n PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
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Confessions of a Jewish Santa Claus
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love to Sing “Jingle Bells”... B Y D R . S TA N E I S E N MY FORAY INTO the world of Santa started with an email from an officer of the Student Government Association, who asked me whether I would be willing to be Santa for the “Photos with Santa” part of the CBU Family Celebration and Tree Lighting Ceremony, the proceeds of which would go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I immediately sent back an email, “Moi? I’d be delighted!” But then, panic set in. You see, I’m Jewish, so I’ve never done the Santa gig before. So I sent another email: “OMG! I’ve never done this before! What do I do?” The student officer sent back an assuring reply: “Just be jolly and mingle with the kids and their parents. The students who recommended you are really excited that you’ll be Santa for this event.” “Did they tell you I’m Jewish?” “Yes, and they said you have the personality to do it.” I was flattered to hear that the students at CBU think I have the personality to be Santa. I certainly have the waistline for it. I felt I needed more information than just an email telling me to act jolly, so I visited a bookstore. “Do you have any books on Santa for dummies… or idiots… or morons?” I asked a salesman. I explained the situation, that I am a university professor, that the students wanted me to be Santa at this event, and then I said, “And do you know what the irony of it is? I’m Jewish!” At this point, the salesman—who was clicketyclacking on his computer—lost it. In fact, so did the woman standing behind me, and they both started laughing. The woman behind me said, “I’d love to see photos of this.” To which I replied, “Give me your email address, and I’ll send you pictures.” According to this salesman, there are no books on how to act or be Santa, so this necessitated going online and keying in “acting like Santa.” Lo and behold, there are short video clips on how to talk like Santa, how to laugh like Santa, how to dress like Santa, where to get a good costume, etc. I watched the videos on how to talk and laugh like Santa over and over again, until I felt confident to hold my belly and give the characteristic baritone “ho-ho-ho!” laugh. A friend of mine suggested that I watch Miracle on 34th Street, just to make sure. The Student Life department was kind enough to purchase a Santa outfit, complete with (fake) boots, pants, jacket, belt, white gloves, moustache and beard (although I have my own), wig, and cap. It was now time to try it on. PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
Have you ever seen Jim Carrey’s The Mask? In this movie, Carrey undergoes a complete and sudden transformation when he puts on the mask. As I put on the Santa costume, I could feel a similar transformation. I started singing “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” while getting the pants and jacket on, and then “Jingle Bells” as I got the rest of the outfit on. For me, the white gloves were the crowning touch to the whole costume. It’s a good thing that I decided to wear the full beard and moustache that came with the costume, rather than depend just on my own natural goatee and moustache. I found it really amusing to see people with whom I have worked for decades get into my face, and try to figure out who was behind that Santa costume. I managed to fool quite a few of them as the evening wore on. I also felt a sense of accomplishment to have led the students in a verse of “I Have a Little Dreidl.” As you may surmise, I had a blast. I hope the Student Government Association asks me to do the Santa gig again next year. There is just one problem, though. Both of my sons are Orthodox rabbis, so I may have some explaining to do regarding the photos and videos that will show up on Facebook and YouTube. n
Dr. Stan Eisen in full Santa Claus mode at the CBU Holiday Celebration in December.
There are more CBU Holiday Celebration photos! http://bit.ly/cbuholiday
Dr. Stan Eisen is a professor of biology and director of the Pre-Health Programs at CBU. BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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feature:faculty
Service Beyond the Struggle Dr. Rena Durr’s Story of Cancer Survival and Her Positive Impact on CBU BY ANTHONY M.J. MARANISE, OBL.S.B. (’11) AS A CANCER SURVIVOR myself, I know that it is very difficult to express your experiences and struggles with your illness to a person who has never experienced it. I kept this in mind when I asked Dr. Rena Durr, professor of psychology at CBU, for an interview about her miraculous story of survival. Knowing that she shared a commonality with her interviewer—namely, that both of us had battled Anthony Maranise (’11) is a Religious Studies major at CBU, director of the Faith Development Program for Athletics at Christian Brothers High School, and a columnist for the West Tennessee Catholic newspaper. He, too, is a cancer survivor—treated and cured of leukemia at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is entering his fourteenth year being cancer-free. 26
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and survived cancer, albeit in different forms—she expressed thoughts, ideas, and realities which could only be revealed to a person who would be able to emotionally, mentally, physically, and above all else, spiritually understand her point of view. What follows is her remarkable story and an account of how this woman, beyond surviving herself, inspires others to survive through whatever circumstances they may be facing. The year was 1994, only two years after Durr began teaching at CBU. One evening, after classes had dismissed for the day, as she was preparing to go to sleep for the evening, she noticed an abnormality in the appearance of one of her breasts; she was at first not at all concerned. “I had been to the doctor six months earlier and PHOTO BY ANTHONY MARANISE
“ he said, ‘Everything is fine. Come back in a year,’” Dr. Durr recalls. A brief amount of time elapsed before she was nearly certain that she should have her concern medically evaluated once again. “I don’t know what made me go but something inside, maybe divine intervention, made me go ahead and go and get it checked out.” Before even having her physical completed, the doctor was able to tell that there indeed was an abnormality. “He called the mammography department at that moment,” she recollects. “And he said to them, ‘I want you to see this woman immediately!’” A mammogram was performed and, much to Durr’s surprise, she was told that there was no abnormality in the screening and was then told to return in one year’s time for another screening. Feeling confident about her health, Durr went home, understandably relieved. Moments after her return, still in a state of relief, tragedy struck with a telephone ring. It was her doctor on the other end of the line. “It is very unusual when a doctor will personally call you, so I knew it must have been something important,” she says. He had called to inform her that he had personally reviewed her mammogram and had, in fact, discovered a large tumor. He arranged a meeting for her with a surgeon for the next day. She went in on a Friday afternoon for her consultation, and the surgeon told her he had already scheduled a mastectomy for Monday morning. “I basically had two days to process this information,” she recalls. “Knowing that I had a large, malignant tumor with no idea what the outcome would be… that was, of course, very scary.” “Scary” only begins to uncover the surface of the range of emotions which accompany such a diagnosis. Durr absorbed her trial with the bravery and spirited attitude that could only have been the result of what she earlier referred to as “divine intervention.” “I think I held up a lot better than a lot of people do,” she says. “Right from the beginning, my attitude was, ‘This is something I’m going to have to go through, to fight, and to win.’ So I went into it with that attitude.” Beyond her noticeably strong faith in God, she attributes her other motivations to fight and to survive to her love for her family and her son, Dorian (who attended CBU). “I had this small family depending on me and this young son—he was my major concern,” she recounts. “I really didn’t think of myself at all, I just thought of him: ‘What is this going to mean for him?’” She confesses that her most frightening and painful
moments throughout her cancer struggles were never the physical sufferings, but the emotional and mental ones, the thoughts which plagued her about having to leave her only and beloved son behind. “My son confronted me at one point, and this was absolutely one of my hardest moments,” she recalls. “He looked at me and said, ‘Mama, are you going to die?’ And I decided to tell him, with confidence, ‘No, I am not going to die. You do not have to worry about that.’” Her bravery and unusually optimistic outlook for her situation allowed her, in the midst of her sufferings, to isolate and experience moments of happiness and joy throughout her illness. Other than discovering that her cancer happily had not spread (which makes treatment and achieving remission somewhat easier), Durr found joy and happiness in several realizations and “life lessons” she picked up along her road to remission. “I’ve learned the importance of having faith that you’re going to live, having a will-to-live, getting in touch with your inner spiritual self, and continuing to remind yourself that you’re strong and that people are there for you,” she says. She found an incredible power in prayer and meditation; she describes one of her greatest joys throughout her cancer struggles as the peace of mind which only prayer can bring. “I learned just how strong I could be. I learned that I could teach myself to become calm in very stressful situations, and to meditate and to pray—and that has an immeasurable power to help you through a situation,” she says. “If you let it, it can just take over and get you through. I was never scared; I always felt calm and that I was going to be okay.” Another aspect of her spiritual life was deeply affected, one she considers to be the single most important factor that “gave meaning” to her struggle to survive. “Something that has changed my life forever was the outpouring of love that I got— immediate responses—from people. I never would have known that people felt the way they did about me unless this had happened.” It is through this single realization from her cancer struggles that Durr has become an embodiment of the core values of CBU: faith, community, and s ervice. As a person of deep faith, Dr. Durr never questioned the benevolence, love, and absolute goodness of God throughout her experiences with cancer; in fact, quite the opposite became her reaction. “I never asked God, ‘Why me?’ ‘Why not me?’ was always my question. I’m no better than
I never asked God, ‘Why me?’ ‘Why not me?’ was always my question. I’m no better than anybody else.
”
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Dr. Durr is a professor of psychology, specializing in the areas of gender differences, child and adolescent development, animal cognition and consciousness, and the biological basis for behavior.
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anybody else. “To me, God is love. When I think of God, I don’t think of a cruel God who singles people out for punishment. I just think that it’s one of the things that happen, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be me.” Her views on faith clearly speak volumes about her selfless personality, as someone who always puts the needs of others before her own. However, when cancer struck and she truly needed others most, the CBU community reached out to her with open, loving, and self-sacrificing arms. “The CBU community specifically was so there for me. The sense of community that CBU fosters is absolutely genuine,” she explains. “I got cards from the President’s Office, the Vice President’s Office, the Registrar’s Office, entire classes of students, and individual students. They never stopped paying me, they never gave me any deadlines. They were so generous and so considerate—they were there for me.” Durr explains that she considers it part of her service —not just to the CBU community, but to everyone—to contribute positively to the circumstances of their day. “Everywhere I go, I feel like the biggest contribution I can make, the biggest difference in the world, is to try to make everybody I come in contact with have a pleasant experience. I just want to try to contribute as much positive experience to everyone’s life as I possibly can.”
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Specifically, to the CBU community, she feels her primary point of service is to advance the wellbeing and education of her students. “I have found the profession where I belong, and I want to be here. I want to be involved in young peoples’ lives, and to think that I can influence them in a positive way is really important to me,” she says. “I want every classroom experience to be a positive part of their day.” Without doubt, Dr. Durr achieves her goals of service each day here at CBU. The community is better for having her as an active, involved, and dedicated member, and we are exceedingly grateful for her service. In closing, Durr shared a bit of what her prayers to God sound like today after having battled and claimed victory over cancer. “I focus my prayers on those who are in a position like I was. I currently have two people very close to me who are going through cancer right now. I never ask prayers for myself, but always for others.” Her advice to the CBU community and all those beyond our campus: She encourages everyone to tell their loved ones how much they love them, because as personal experience has shown her, circumstances can change rather quickly. “Surviving cancer has given me the motivation to spread the love that I received, and to believe that people are basically good and helpful. And I want to be a part of that.” n PHOTO BY ANTHONY MARANISE
The Brothers are ready to RACE to the finish! The 2010-11 academic year is racing to a finish. And soon after the Class of 2011 crosses the commencement stage, CBU will also be crossing the finish line on its fiscal year. Before we close the books on our 139th year and head into our 140th, we hope you’ll consider making a gift to the Fund for CBU. Your gift supports our students and faculty. You have several options to designate your gift, so go online or give us a call to see where you’d most like to help. Whatever the designation, your gift always makes a difference for CBU.
The fiscal year closes May 31! Make your gift now!
www.cbu.edu/giving (901) 321-3270 • (800) 283-2925
(You wouldn’t want these Brothers to run out of gas so close to the finish line, would you?) BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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A Semester in Food Life Reflecting on the Mission of a Garden (and finding fertile soil in which to plant) B Y C H R I S T O P H E R PETERSON (’10)
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n my final semester at Christian Brothers University in Spring 2010, I enrolled in Religious Studies 393, a course titled “The Spirituality and Ethics of Eating.” In this course each student was asked to complete at least ten hours of food-related community service in order to supplement our regular readings and discussions. After cofounding and leading the CBU Community Garden project for the past year, it seemed fitting to continue my work in the Community Garden for the service component of our course. Admittedly, I first thought that this would keep me from expanding my horizons. To the contrary, my service work in the Community Garden challenged me to contemplate and assess the work being done in the garden on a much deeper level. Furthermore, my personal stake in the garden lent strength to the way in which
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the service component of the course informed the various readings. Reciprocally, the variety of readings allowed me to fully assess the diverse mission of the Community Garden and my work in it. In this essay I will describe each component of the garden’s mission—eating locally, human and environmental health, and community—in turn, along with reflection upon my own work in the garden throughout the semester. By demonstrating the way in which I integrated my ongoing work in the CBU Community Garden with my coursework for RS393, I hope to offer an example of a successful servicelearning course that, in keeping with our Lasallian mission, is aimed at the development of the whole student. The impetus for the Community Garden came in Fall 2008 with a push from former SGA president Kenny Latta (’10) and support of the recently founded CBU Social Justice Committee. After a year of planning and numerous drafts and revisions of Christopher Peterson (Religion & Philosophy ’10) is studying Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics at King’s College London.
proposals, Kenny was finally granted permission in Spring 2009 and given a sizable space tucked away between Stritch Hall and the backside of the newly renovated soccer fields. Gardens such as these had been popping up all over the Memphis area thanks to Grow Memphis, and thanks to Latta and Dylan Perry (’10) of the Social Justice Committee with a handful of gardeners in early summer 2009. I, myself, joined the project a few weeks later. The garden stayed rather small in its first season with only about a half dozen gardeners prompting fears that it might fail. Luckily, over the past year the garden has attracted a diverse cross section of the CBU community and is looking towards a promising future. The recent success of the garden is proof positive that the garden’s mission has found fertile soil in the CBU community. Integral to the mission of the garden is to encourage the CBU community to eat locally. For this part of the mission, the garden provides opportunities for education as well as for action. The benefits of eating locally are myriad. Food need not have a giant carbon footprint by being shipped around the world; food tastes better when one takes the time to care for it from seed (or starter plant) to fruit, and one can rest assured that no chemicals were used to produce the final product. In addition to these PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
benefits of actually growing one’s own food, getting our community involved in food production provides a better appreciation for farming (and farmers) and creates a platform for involvement in other aspects of eating locally like farmers’ markets. Gardening and eating locally also challenge the current industrial food paradigm that Wendell Berry reflects upon in The Unsettling of America. This aspect of the mission of the garden seeks to take seriously Barbara Kingsolver’s familial task of eating locally in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. In her book she writes, “Citizens of frosty worlds unite, and think about marching past the off-season fruits: you have nothing to lose but mealy, juiceless, rock-hard and refusing to ripen.”1 This phrase is slightly comical, but her appropriation of Marx for the ‘locavore’ movement aptly describes the revolutionary potential of eating locally and seasonally, and thus of the Community Garden. Plus, who ever decided that revolutions shouldn’t be fun and tasty? My service work challenged me to think about this aspect of the garden’s mission at great length. Confession: I have always hated the leadership part of the garden. It keeps me from actually gardening. It is hard to convince volunteers that they ought to eat mustard greens in the winter rather than go to
Opposite page: Christopher Peterson (’10) and Dylan Perry (’10) at the Community Garden in Fall 2009.
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the store for bananas. It is even harder to convince yourself and new volunteers, especially, to stand in a pile of rotting food and yard waste, simply to shovel it five feet and repeat the process in two weeks. Food from sunny California is hard to resist given the work that we have to put into producing our own. However, the knowledge that what you are doing has a higher purpose, that it is benefiting the earth and has the potential to really make a difference in the eating habits of the CBU community keeps you shoveling and hoeing all winter long even if sometimes the understanding is only abstract. Another aspect of eating locally that I had to confront in my service was the question of what food would be served at the Community Garden Planting Party. The majority of my service work for the semester was done during this event, and the majority of that work was spent with food preparation. This was the dilemma that I faced: The farmer’s market was out of season, it seems that Whole Foods sells increasingly less local food, and bulk foods like pasta and flour are hardly ever local. Unfortunately, my solution fell well short of Kingsolver’s “one luxury item per person” rule.2 The salad came from the garden, but with everything else I had to settle for organic or “natural.” The second major component of the garden’s mission is to promote environmental and human health. While founding the garden, we noticed the connection between these two types of health in a very basic sense. By laboring to produce food we strengthen our bodies; by eating unprocessed food that was produced without chemicals we nourish our bodies; by avoiding chemicals and long transportation we protect the earth; by composting and rotating crops we replenish the earth. These observations were basic, but Wendell Berry showed me that this connection is much deeper. In his chapter, “The Body and the Earth” from The Unsettling of America, Berry 32
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argues that it is not simply the case that our bodily health and environmental health can coincide, but rather that they necessarily coincide. Our health and environmental health are inextricably linked in a web of mutual dependence.3 Berry’s work had a profound effect on my service in the garden and pushed towards a new spirituality. As I dug new beds, spread compost, tended old beds, and attempted to show volunteers how (and why) to do those same things, I became part of the unified whole that Berry describes in his book. In writing about health, Berry states that “health” can only be found in “wholeness” and argues that the “piecemeal” fashion that generally describes our attitude toward health is “absurd” because of the inherent interconnectedness of “nutrition,” “agriculture,” and “wholesomeness of mind and spirit.”4 Poignantly he writes, “Intellectually, we know that these patterns of interdependence exist; we understand them better now perhaps than we ever did before; yet modern social and cultural patterns contradict them and make it difficult or impossible to honor them in practice.”5 Before reading Berry, my understanding of these connections in the garden had been intellectual rather than the spiritual one that has always been looming underneath the surface. This spiritual dimension that I have developed by working with my body, with the earth, and with a community has given me a personal sense that Berry is correct. This type of work “defines us as we are: not too good to work with our bodies, but too good to work poorly or joylessly or selfishly or alone.”6 Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Community Garden exists to strengthen the CBU community. As Grow Memphis leader Josephine Williams told our class, there are easier ways to garden than to start a community garden. However, there are benefits that outweigh facility. Chief among these benefits is community. The garden is intended to PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
Confession: I have always hated the leadership part of the garden. It keeps me from actually gardening. It is hard to convince volunteers that they ought to eat mustard greens in the winter rather than go to the store for bananas. bring diverse groups of people into conversation with one another, and has gone from a half-dozen liberal arts students to students from nearly each school on campus (all except business), alumni, staff, clubs, and even a brother or two. A liberal arts education is about recognizing the interconnectedness of types of knowledge, but the compartmentalization of Christian Brothers University demonstrates that we have faltered somewhere in our mission. Part of the mission of the garden is to correct this. This failure at CBU is analogical to the agricultural, environmental, and cultural crises that our society is currently experiencing. Defying the dogma of our time. Berry writes, “the definitive relationships in the universe are thus not competitive but interdependent.”7 Recognizing the benefit and even necessity of collaboration across social strata, age group, and major, the garden is intended to provide opportunities for people to collaborate to their mutual benefit, not just in food production, but in creative and social opportunities as well. It took me quite some time, but I finally realized that my service had to be primarily directed towards the communal end of the garden’s mission. Building community is much more difficult than planting tomatoes or even turning compost. While this area of my service seems abstract, a simple case will explicate this point. Of all of my service hours, nearly half were spent trying to prepare food for our planting party. I focused my efforts on the gastronomic aspect of the garden party after our first workday when all of the gardeners went to eat together. Here, I experienced the power of food to forge relationships. I believed that food would make the planting party successful, and that the planting party would make the garden successful. No pressure. The considerations were endless: vegetarians, peanut allergies, getting approval to serve local beer, variety and origin of food, etc. I managed the work with a lot of help from friends, and the food had the desired effect. Seeing people come together around the table gave me a deepseated satisfaction that the garden had the strength to persevere and to better achieve our goals for the future. As Michael Pollan said in his interview with Amy Goodman, “Food is more than fuel, it’s communion.”8 This was a reccurring theme in the course from Pollan’s comments to Miriam’s Kitchen and Whitebread Protestants. This theme found life at the planting party. By focusing my service exclusively on the Community Garden, I successfully brought my coursework into conversation with my passion for
creating a successful garden that exists to enhance the CBU community by offering an ethical alternative to modern agriculture and food consumption. This relationship was mutually beneficial. I have now passed the garden along to the next generation of students, and hope that the seeds of the same ideas explored in this essay have been sown in them. Like Elizabeth Ehrlich trying to provide her children with a cultural and spiritual foundation,9 I hope that I have provided future CBU generations with a meaningful foundation for being able to explore the power of food and agriculture. At that, I will now try to take Wendell Berry’s advice: Don’t worry and fret about the crops. After all you have done all you can do for them, let them stand in the weather on their own. If the crop of any one year was all, a man would have to cut his throat every time it hailed. But the real products of any year’s work are the farmer’s mind and the cropland itself. 10 It is my hope that this semester of intense reflection upon my coursework has produced cropland that has been worked at least half as hard as my mind. n ———————————————————— Kingsolver, Barbara, Steven L. Hopp, and Camille Kingsolver. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a Year of Food Life. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Print. 69 1
2
Ibid 35
Berry, Wendell. “The Body and the Earth.” The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1996. 97-140. Print. 3
Berry, Wendell. The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1996. Print. 103 4
5
Ibid
6
Ibid 140
7
Berry 47
Pollan, Michael. “Michael Pollan on “Food Rules: an Eaters Manual”” Interview by Amy Goodman and Sharif A. Kouddous. Democracy Now!: The War and Peace Report. Democracy Now!, 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/8/ michael_pollan_on_food_rules_an. 8
Ehrlich, Elizabeth. Miriam’s Kitchen: a Memoir. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking, 1997. Print. xii 9
Berry, Wendell. The Mad Farmer Poems. [New York]: Counterpoint, 2008. Print. 8 10
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SAMANTHA BOWNES is urging CBU students to step outside their comfort zones and to make their campus
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A Drive 2 Serve “LYING ON THE FLOOR OF A CHICKEN COOP,
huddled, wet from rain, shivering, spine against a wire net wall and the cold of the night, I realized that there is a world out there that I never really knew of. Yes, I have seen the commercials for sponsoring children and my heart reached out to them, but I suppose I never could really grasp what it would be like to live the way they do. What would it feel like to be hurt and not be able to just call 911 and be rushed to a hospital? What would it feel like to develop night blindness because I had no access to a certain vitamin…? Waking up the next morning, I was hit with the volume of it all. It just did not feel right, to have felt and seen the things I did and then act completely unaffected. I knew then and there that I wanted to help. I knew that this was the difference I wanted to make.”
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his is what Samantha “Sammie” Bownes (’12) wrote last year upon returning from a retreat mounted by CBU’s Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program at Heifer Global Village in Perryville, AR. The Little Rock-based Heifer International, whose mission is to fight poverty and hunger around the world by helping people obtain a sustainable source of food and income, set up the Global Village in order to demonstrate to its visitors an existence in which nothing— shelter, food, water or cooking fuel—can be taken for granted. “You have to spend 24 hours in the Global Village with people you don’t know, surviving on the rations and whatever tools they give you,” Bownes explains. She was assigned to the area known as the ‘urban slum’ with six other participants. The group was given three cups of rice for their collective food rations; when it began to rain, they were unable to make a fire and had to make do with dry rice. The only structure in the “urban slum” without a leaking roof was the chicken coop, so the six of them nestled inside its wire-cage walls. By morning, there were snow flurries. “We didn’t get much sleep, maybe five minutes at
PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
a time,” Bownes recalls. “And we had to get up and fix breakfast for everyone at five o’clock—because we’re living in the ‘urban slum’ and that’s the kind of job we would have in that environment.” The retreat participants were given “missions,” each of which involved one task and one decision. Bownes’ group had the task of rummaging through trash and garbage to forage materials to build a shelter, but one of the girls was hypothetically injured and was suffering from an infection. Their choice was to give up their tools and food in exchange for medication, or the girl would have her arm “amputated” (meaning she would have to spend the remaining time with her arm tied and immobilized). “At first we were all saying ‘It’s just one day, we can make it, we don’t want you to have to tie up your arm.’ But then we realized that, if we were really in this situation, we’d be starving already and medicine wouldn’t be a realistic choice. So she decided to sacrifice her arm. That wasn’t as bad as another girl who was designated as blind. She had to spend the whole time, walking and working in the rain, wearing a blindfold.” Bownes had wanted to participate in the MHIRT
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Samantha Bownes with CBU4VC members Lauryn Murphy (’13) and Prashant Patel (’12) after a recent collection from the book drive.
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program before she ever enrolled at CBU. She attended a MHIRT orientation session with her older brother, Anthony Bownes (’10), when she was still in high school, and said to herself, “I want to do that when I go to college.” The Minority Health International Research Training grants are designed to offer international biomedical and behavioral research programs to qualified students. The intent is to increase awareness of international research issues and opportunities, acquaint students with a range of career opportunities in biomedical and behavioral research, and encourage participants to pursue post-baccalaureate degrees and careers in biomedical and behavioral research, especially related to minority health and disparate populations. The grant, through the National Institutes of Health, provides all-expense-paid international research trips for students and staff involved. Once at CBU—but before her trip to Heifer Global Village—Bownes planned to pursue veterinary medicine as a career and majored in biomedical science. She applied for a MHIRT position as a sophomore, even though she knew the program usually only accepted juniors and seniors. She was accepted as an alternate, meaning that she was
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accepted for training but might not be sent to one of the international field studies. “We rarely send sophomores abroad, and 2010 was one of our most competitive years in terms of applications,” says Julia Hanebrink (’01), the program’s coordinator. “But we saw tremendous potential in Sammie; she even said MHIRT was one of the reasons she applied to CBU. She had expressed a lifelong love of animals and her intention to attend veterinary school after graduation, so we thought she would be a great fit for our carnivore conservation site in Brazil. We ended up not sending any alternates last year, which was a blessing in disguise for Sammie. It gave her time to grow and explore other interests.” Bownes came home to Memphis and CBU after that cold, wet, miserable night in the Global Village. She didn’t get to go to Brazil. But she couldn’t put the experience behind her. “It didn’t really hit until we got home, just how bad that really was,” she says. “I mean, we’re wearing North Faces and have sleeping bags. We ate in a group, even if it was just tiny portions of rice and carrots, and shared the work. We were able to do it together as a group and try to make it funny. We knew it was temporary, and we were going home. How bad would it be if you were living in that PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN
“We didn’t want to be one of those groups that just raised awareness, we also wanted to really help.” situation all the time, with none of the small luxuries we had?” She realized something: “That’s real life for a lot of people. I’ve tried to be aware of how people live in other countries, but I’ve never actually lived like that. I came home saying, ‘Something has to be done about this.’” Her question then was: What can be done? “I’m sure a lot of students feel this way. You can’t join the Peace Corps because you’re still in school. You can’t do much at all, because you’re still in school. You can’t put that much time into anything. You can donate money, you can have them take it out of your credit card every month, but you don’t see what it’s doing, you don’t know where the money is going. And you see so many commercials, so many people asking for money on the street, you just become desensitized.” But Bownes couldn’t stop. She chose to see the strength in being a student instead of the limitations. She realized that she could not do much alone, but that college students like to be involved, and they like to be part of a group. “But I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “There wasn’t a group already started that I could join. How do you start a group? What does a group even do?”
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s Bownes was debating her course of action, Julia Hanebrink happened to pass along an invitation to a screening by Invisible Children at the University of Memphis. Invisible Children is an organization that was begun in 2003 by three young filmmakers from California who journeyed to Uganda in search of a documentary subject. They came back with a film, Invisible Children: Rough Cut, which documented the Ugandan night commuters and child soldiers. Today, Invisible Children promotes education, mentorships, school redevelopment, resettlement from the camps, and financial stability in Uganda through its film screenings and other activities. Bownes attended the event at the University of Memphis, and lingered after the film was shown to hear the rest of the group’s presentation. One of the projects they mentioned was called “Schools for Schools,” which encourages schools in the United States to mount creative fundraising campaigns to benefit specific schools in Uganda. One of the campaigns employed is a book drive—collected books are sold through Invisible Children to Better World Books (www.betterworldbooks.com). Invisible Children
uses the proceeds to build and support schools in Uganda; Better World resells the books to support literacy programs or recycles them responsibly. The idea struck a spark in Bownes. “It looked like something relatively easy,” she recounts. “And you know exactly where the aid is going, the exact school in Uganda. This is cool, this is something we could do. We’re at CBU, one of the really blessed schools, where students have money or at least know somebody who has money. There was this school in Kentucky, a podunk high school, and it was the No. 1 school in the program. And I thought if this high school can do that, then CBU can certainly do it.” Bownes discussed her ideas with President Smarrelli and further collaborated with Hanebrink. Sammie’s concern was still that she wanted to know exactly where the fruits of her efforts would go. She looked online for the financials of Invisible Children and Schools For Schools and was dissatisfied with their administrative and marketing expenditures. [Editor’s note: According to the charity’s 2010 financial report, approximately 16% of its expenditures go to administrative/fundraising costs. While this is acceptable according to charity watchdogs such as Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy, it was not good enough to meet the Samantha Bownes standard.] She met with fellow organizers Vanessa Walker (Biomedical Science ’11), Hajra Motiwala (Natural Science ’12), and Zoe O’Bryan (Biology ’12) to plot their course of action. “We wanted to know that our money would go directly into the school we were supporting,” she says. “We wanted to cut out the middle-man expenses, but I knew that would be hard because the schools we want to support are overseas. We sat on the idea for a while and decided we definitely wanted to do the book drive. Hey, students want to get rid of these books if they can’t sell them back to the bookstore. Here’s an alternative that also does some good.” With little or no fanfare, large cardboard boxes soon began to appear all over the CBU campus, in hallways and lobbies in every building, bearing the printed logo and imagery of Invisible Children but further adorned by the handwritten “CBU For Visible Campus” or just “CBU4VC.” “We chose Visible Campus as a name because we want to be a group that uses our voice,” Bownes says. “Invisible Children talks about how the children of Uganda are invisible because nobody know where BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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CBU Visible Campus members at the Invisible Children “Face to Face Tour” screening in the University Theater in November.
they are (child soldiers) and if they are safe. Nobody has heard from them. They have no voice. We have a voice, and we plan to use this and all of our other resources in order to help others.” Bownes says one of her aims was to make involvement with CBU4VC as convenient as possible, even though it has often meant more work for her and the other organizers. The book drive is a good example: “We put the collection boxes all over campus to make it easy for people to donate. And even the collection part—which is a lot of work!— we’ve tried to do the hard part ourselves. I tell the volunteers, just meet me at the box location and I’ll drive my car around. Just help me load them in my trunk, I’ll package them and haul them around.” She says that they’ve filled eight of the large collection boxes twice since the beginning of the school year. “The one in Kenrick stays full,” she laughs. “There have been a lot of books, and a lot of expensive books. The box in Nolan is my personal favorite, though. God love the engineers, there aren’t that many books donated there—but they’re really high-dollar books!” Bownes still wanted to do something else, something more direct. “We didn’t want to be one of those groups that just raised awareness, we also wanted to really help,” she says. “You know, Brother Edward Salgado takes people to Haiti. We wanted to do something like that, we wanted to do something personal.” She looked at a number of projects and programs that seemed worthy of support, but crossed them off the list one by one after taking her critical, examining eye to their financial bottom lines or after hearing suspicious word-of-mouth regarding their practices. “I gave Sammie some guidance when she came to me and explained she wanted to start the Visible Campus organization in order to help raise awareness on 38
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CBU’s campus and get students involved with issues of social justice,” says Hanebrink. She and Dr. Teri Mason, associate professor of Behavioral Sciences at CBU and MHIRT site mentor in Uganda, steered Bownes to Arudo Yat. Arudo Yat, started by former MHIRT student Benjamin Lyon (Rhodes College ’09) with a former child soldier, is a social enterprise clothing business committed to the creation of sustainable income opportunities in northern Uganda. Arudo Yat, which means “seedlings that grow from the stumps of trees” in the Luo language, is a cooperative in Gulu, Uganda that produces unique handmade necklaces from recycled paper. “Basically, all proceeds go to the children who are making the jewelry,” Bownes explains. “It pays for their school fees and their medical costs. So it doesn’t build a school, but it gives these kids an opportunity to go to school and to get out of the displacement camps. Maybe you can’t give them the money to directly get out of their situation, but if you can give them an education, their education will get them out. We were always looking for a ‘teach them how to fish’ program, the sort of mission that Heifer fosters and fostered in us.” CBU4VC has since mounted sales of Arudo Yat jewelry at various venues, ranging from the Buckman Quad to the annual TriBeta “Bowling for Uganda” event to support the Hope North resettlement camp. “We were looking for someone willing to revitalize Arudo Yat after Ben Lyon graduated,” says Dr. Mason. “We wanted to bring it to CBU, and Samantha turned out to be the ideal person to ask. She has exponentially increased the amount of jewelry sold. By the way, did she tell you it’s made from trash? And discarded magazines?” Bownes says that Mason warned her that this was a big project and a lot of responsibility, that these children would be depending on the group. “So we said, OK, we’ve got some beads here, let’s see how it works out. And it worked out really well! I sat outside my church youth group for maybe 30 minutes and sold about $400 worth of beads. For these kids, that’s tuition, that’s a lot of money.” “Sammie has taken on Arudo Yat and run with it above and beyond anything I could have hoped for,” agrees Hanebrink. “While the school fees she has been able to raise for the Ugandan children are impressive, selling the beads is the easy part. Sammie has also managed the inventory, funds, shipping and receiving, international wiring of school fees, PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAMANTHA BOWNES
“There wasn’t a group already started that I could join. How do you start a group? What does a group even do?” and communications with the children in Northern Uganda. She’s better at this than some folks I know who have been doing nonprofit work for decades.” In November 2010, CBU4VC brought the Invisible Children presentation back to Memphis—this time to CBU for a screening in the University Theater. Along with the screening, a former child soldier was on hand to speak of his experience while in captivity and explain how Invisible Children, with the help of students around the country, have aided the lives of many ex-child soldiers. “I was amazed at how quickly Sammie was able mobilize people and get the word out about the Invisible Children film screening,” Hanebrink says. ““I don’t even know how all those people heard about it,” Bownes says. “It was really cool to see a lot of people I’d never seen come out for it. It wasn’t like I threatened them or anything, or even out of some kind of friendship obligation,” she laughs. “That’s pretty cool to see.” CBU4VC sold Arudo Yat beads on campus during the week of the screening and raised about $1,000. At this writing, the total raised has been about $2,000, and the group has plans for another big sale on campus at the end of March. “Two thousand dollars is lot for me,” Bownes says. “It’s a whole lot for these kids! I don’t think I’ve managed to raise $2,000 for myself this year! It’s a big deal, and it’s working. That’s exciting!” Bownes says that when she sent off the first check to Africa, “It was like, ‘OK, I can’t stop now.’ It’s a commitment, and it feels good.” She says the project has been doubly rewarding because the organizers in Uganda keep CBU4VC so well informed of what’s going on and their progress. “The guy who’s running it in Uganda sends me pictures all the time,” Bownes says. “And he emails me all the time—well, when he has Internet access. He goes crazy, I’ll get like five emails in a day just because he has Internet at the moment and he doesn’t know how long it’s going to last. But I can pass this along, and people can see what we’re doing, how much tuition is for the children, and how much we’ve raised.”
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he mission statement of CBU4VC states: “Annually we will vote on a new project and then work throughout the school year to obtain goals we set as a campus.” In other words, Uganda and Arudo Yat and the Visible
Bownes with Hajra Motiwala (’11, left) and Vanessa Walker (’11, right) at one of the original CBU4VC ‘founders” meetings. “This is the day we sort of got together an outline for the group in order to present it to President Smarrelli,” she explains.
Campus book drive may not be the driving mission behind CBU4VC next year. Bownes explains the logic behind this openended organizational mission. “People just naturally get burnt out on projects,” she says. “Maybe Uganda isn’t what you’re interested in, maybe you’re interested in clean water. Maybe someone else is interested in Haiti. So, every year the students get to vote on what their project for the year will be. When I leave, it won’t keep going if no one is interested in Uganda. So it’s got to be something that the students who are still here have a passion for and are willing to put the work into. Maybe it’ll work. We’ll see.” She says that’s what she likes about the CBU4VC idea. “It’s open for anything. It can go anywhere. With other groups, you end up doing the same thing every year, the same events and everything, and you end up with the pressure of making it better or at least as good as last year. With this, you can just start over with something new every year and work with fresh ideas.” When the group started, with little more than a Facebook invitation, about 30 people showed up for the first meeting. “That so many people showed up was just crazy to me,” Bownes says. “I figured it would just be me and my roommates. Most of those people have continued to come back.” CBU4VC is loosely organized, but Bownes estimates a core group of 15 students who are active in all the meetings and projects. Another 25 or so have been regularly involved on a smaller scale. As an extended family, the group has more than 170 members on its Facebook group page and more than 120 friends on its regular Facebook fan page. “We need more younger students to get BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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“As students at Christian Brothers University, education is sort of our thing. We have dedicated ourselves to our education and to the advancement of our futures. However, our busy schedules seem to overlook one thing—the responsibility we have to the world we live in. What good is our education if we do not educate?… [W]e vow to use our good fortune to help those in need. We intend to use our education, passion, and ingenuity (along with our Lasallian principles) to aid in healing the world, one project at a time. Annually we will vote on a new project and then work throughout the school year to obtain goals we set as a campus. Join us as a united campus to step outside of our city and comfort zone to give back to the world. Choose to become part of a “visible campus,” a campus that has a voice.”
http://on.fb.me/visiblecampus (Facebook Page) http://on.fb.me/CBU4VC (Facebook Group) involved now, so there’s someone to keep it going when we graduate,” she says. “They’re hard to recruit personally because we don’t have classes with them. Tri-Beta [the national biology honor society] has helped a lot by creating a position for me on the executive council that deals with international health. That’s a good way to push the Visible Campus events and announce opportunities for internships. We have our meetings right after theirs, so anyone who’s interested can stay.”
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ammie is one of those students that professors are lucky to know,” Hanebrink says. “She has overcome tremendous adversity to achieve more in 20 years than many do in a lifetime.” “She is just one of the most motivated, organized, and hardworking students that I’ve encountered,” Mason agrees. “I’ve been amazed at all she’s done. Not just CBU4VC and Arudo Yat. She’s a full time student in biomedical science with a minor in chemistry, on the executive council of the biology honor society, volunteers in the trauma center at the Med, participates in CBU’s Up ’til Dawn St. Jude fundraiser. Plus she works a job at a restaurant and periodically at the Center for Southern Folklore.” Bownes’ mother, who is of Spanish parentage, came to the United States from Mexico on a student visa 30 years ago to pursue a college degree, but was unable to fulfill that dream. Her father was also an immigrant to America, from Ireland. “My dad was extremely white, and my mom is extremely dark,” Bownes laughs. “My brother and I are right in the middle.” Her father banned Spanish-speaking in the family after some early problems the children experienced in elementary school. “I started to re-learn Spanish when I was in the ninth grade,” Bownes says. “My brother never did; the Spanish classes were full and they told 40
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him he didn’t need it anyway because he could learn it at home. So Anthony took French and speaks it very well. But he can’t talk to anyone in my mom’s family.” (Anthony Bownes actually maintains an “inside joke” Facebook page called “Anthony Bownes is the worst Mexican ever.”) Her mother encouraged Sammie and Anthony from an early age to strive for excellence in education. Anthony was the first college graduate in their family, and Sammie will be the second. Hanebrink says that since the death of Bownes’ father in 2000, the family has struggled to pay medical bills related to his illness. Bownes says that her mother has sacrificed a lot for her kids, working waitress jobs and at WalMart but managing to pay for private school until the kids were both enrolled in optional programs at Ridgeway High School. Both came to CBU with scholarships; Sammie is attending CBU on a full academic scholarship, which she considers to be a huge blessing for her family. But that means she has to keep her grades up, which is not always easy considering her major and her extensive extracurricular activities. “Oh yeah, there’s also that school element to the campus,” she laughs. “As a biomedical major, there’s like no freedom. I can’t really choose to have an easy semester. That just doesn’t happen.” Hanebrink remembers something Bownes once told her: “She said, ‘I have learned that if I want something, I have to work hard for it. And my education is the most important thing.’” Bownes applied for the MHIRT program again this year, after being an unselected alternate last year. “When I applied last year, I only listed one site that I was interested in—the animal tracking station in Brazil,” she says. “You’re supposed to pick three sites, and I only picked one. This year, I only picked Uganda.” It worked this time. “Based on Sammie’s commitment to the region and her dedication not only to the MHIRT Program, but to advancing her own career in order to combat health disparities, I have selected her as one of only two students who will be joining me this summer to conduct health-related research in Northern Uganda,” Hanebrink says. “They’ve come back to me and double-checked,” Bownes says. “You know, ‘We just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into.’ “Well, honestly, I have no idea what I’m getting into. I’m nervous, but I’m not scared.” n
“AHA!” MOMENTS BY SAMANTHA ALMANZA (’09)
Snapshots of Service
I CAN REMEMBER the fall day of my freshman year at CBU when I learned about the Lasallian Volunteer (LV) program. I was sitting in Dr. Broadwell’s literature class when Seth Whetzel, the national LV coordinator at the time, gave a presentation on the program. As a major in liberal studies for professional education, the program immediately interested me. Seth shared stories of new teachers who were mentored through their first years of teaching by passionate and experienced educators. The volunteers he talked about connected with their students on a personal level and inspired them to embrace learning. That was the type of teacher I aspired to be, so as I neared the end of my senior year I applied to the Lasallian Volunteer program. I have spent the last two years as a LV at the San Miguel School in Providence, RI. San Miguel is an independent school for urban boys. I teach math and science, coordinate the mentor program, and moderate afterschool activities. The past two years have been the most rewarding time of my life because of the bonds that I have formed with my students. I treasure the small things that occur each day at San Miguel: the boys shaking each other’s hands each morning, the smiles shared between teacher and student, and the “aha!” moments in class. That is not to say that there have not been some challenges in the past two years. A student in my math class last year was completely unresponsive to everything I did to motivate him to complete his assignments and was disrespectful during class. I would check in with Mario after each lesson and spend my lunch with him. Each morning that he came into school, I would have my math book ready to answer any questions that he had. I tried math games and toys, and still no response. One day after school, he told me that his football team had made the city’s “Super Bowl,” and that he was really excited to play. I saw this as my chance to connect with him on something outside of school, and hopefully improve the in-school situation. I went to his game, cheered him, and he was shocked to see me in the stands at half time. He ran over to me with the biggest smile I have ever seen, and gave me a hug for coming to his game! Since then he has developed into a hardworking and polite student, and he taught me an important lesson on being a good teacher. He made me realize that in order to reach my students, I needed to show my support and love for each of them in a way they would understand. Mario expected that, as his teacher, I would chase him down at school to talk about math. But when I showed up in the stands at his football game, he knew that I was there to support him—the student, athlete, and person. I am trying to be to my students what the Student Life staff and professors at CBU are to me. More than a teacher. A family member. n PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA ALMANZA
Samantha Almanza (’09) with her 8th grade science class (and their edible model of a cell) at the San Miguel School in Providence, RI
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snapshots of service
CBU students Veronica Love (’12) and John Austin Tubbs (’14), front row second and third from right, spent Mardi Gras volunteering with clients of Catholic Charities Refugee & Immigration Services during their Spring Break. Brother Rob Veselsky, director of campus ministry, is standing along the wall, fifth from left.
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HELPED BY HELPING BY VERONICA LOVE (’12) FOR MANY OF us, life is a search for our true identity. We want to break free from our parents’ influence and set our own course in life. College is often our first real taste of freedom and therefore, our first real attempt to define our unique character. Despite efforts to create as much distance as possible from my childhood, on the road to self-discovery, retracing steps is inevitable. I found out that to move forward, I had to go back to my roots. I grew up as part of a missionary family, living in places like Mexico and Thailand. We were poor, and I don’t mean “we-didn’t-have-cable” poor. Despite this, we were always doing things for others. It was a true life of service, but not one I chose. As a teen, I lived in Baltimore and would help my parents minister to the homeless and those less fortunate. We would host weekly programs. I would sing and color with the children. We set scripture verses to music. My dad prayed with the adults. Often we would drive around town distributing donated food and clothing to shelters and the homeless. When I was 18, my parents decided to move back to my stepmother’s native Thailand where missionary work called them. I wanted to attend college in the U.S. and opted to move in with my aunt here
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in Memphis. After having spent most of my life in service to others, I was ready to make my life about me. I got accepted to several universities and finally decided on CBU. I couldn’t wait to be a “normal” college student—someone who studied, had fun with friends, and took things easy. I knew I could not completely separate myself from the past, but I was determined to try. CBU has Lasallian traditions of community, faith, and service, but until recently I managed to push those aside. Prior to Spring Break, I saw in the CBU Connection that Brother Rob Veselsky, director of campus ministry, had designed a Spring Break shadowing program for students to learn about the service programs of Catholic Charities. What really caught my attention was the work that Catholic Charities does through its Immigration & Refugee Services. I recently decided to study International Law and thought I might be working with refugees in the future. After talking to Brother Rob about the program, I decided to go. (Secretly, I thought it would look good on my resume.) A group of students, Brother Rob, and I made the early morning drive to Catholic Charities on our day of service, which fell on Mardi Gras. We started the day with a prayer and a short history lesson on Mardi Gras and Lent and the Catholic traditions, as well as a brief overview of all the programs provided PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
snapshots of service
The most striking thing was witnessing all the different nationalities, from West Africans to Vietnamese, communicating with hand gestures and correcting one another’s English. Everyone seemed so eager to learn. Everyone just wanted a better life. by Catholic Charities. We then went to an English as a Second Language class, and I learned about the process refugees go through to get United Nations clearance to go to their new countries. I had lived in other countries and acclimated to different cultures, but I had never considered the challenges facing refugees coming to the U.S. It was shocking to find out how few resources refugees actually receive once they arrive in America. I had vastly underestimated the important role that Catholic Charities and other organizations play in helping to establish lives for these displaced people. The most striking thing about the class was witnessing all the different nationalities, from West Africans to Vietnamese, communicating with hand gestures and correcting one another’s English. Everyone seemed so eager to learn. Everyone just wanted a better life. After a New Orleans-style lunch, we toured the homeless and rehabilitation facilities. During orientation, I noted that Catholic Charities had several programs and shelters to help those who suffer from substance abuse. As a child, a very close family member suffered from addiction and eventually died from a drug overdose. Even though I was quite young then, I wondered often if the outcome might have been different if I had been around—if there was some way to help. While on the tour, I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind. I did not want my emotions to surface. We attended the group therapy sessions for members of the rehabilitation program. Brother Rob and I were led to the women’s group while the others attended the men’s group. The session was about continued on page 44 PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN
The PB&J Assembly Line
Amy Cook (’12), Anna Walsh (’12), and Loretta Ghoston (Aramark Food Services) package sandwiches for delivery to St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.
John Austin Tubbs (’14) and Brother Rob Veselsky Possibly the most regular service opportunity on campus, and one of the easiest and yet most rewarding, is Brother Rob Veselsky’s weekly “Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Ministry” in Alfonso Dining Hall. Every Wednesday, usually at 3:00 p.m., volunteers gather to spread PB&J on slices of bread and then package the assembled sandwiches in plastic bags. All of the ingredients are donated by Aramark Food Services, and the sandwiches are delivered to St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen for distribution to the homeless of Memphis. Brother Rob estimates that the PB&J Ministry provides more than 2,000 meals to the homeless per semester.
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snapshots of service
Geeks on the Beltline The Honors Program at CBU has consistently participated in short-term service projects that are incorporated into the extra-curricular activities that are so important to the program. Last year, the program added a longterm service project by partnering with the Jacob’s Ladder Community Development Corporation in its efforts to reclaim the impoverished Beltline neighborhood. The Beltline is located within walking distance of CBU, inside an area defined by Central Avenue on the north, Southern Avenue on the south, Hollywood Street on the west, and Haynes Street on the east. Ninety percent of its residents live in poverty, one in three lots are vacant or boarded-up, and 80 percent of the households are single-parent. continued on page 45 4
Above, center: Justin Gallagher (’12), surrounded by students at the Beltline Youth Enrichment Center, where Honors Program students volunteer weekly. Below, left: Hannah Nelson (’13) is another of the Honors Program students who volunteer at the Enrichment Center.
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identifying personal strengths and weaknesses and how to turn weaknesses into strengths. Three women spoke of hardships they faced during their time of addiction. They had experienced homelessness, hunger, and the guilt of what they had done to their families and to themselves. Like other addicts, some had ruined lives, including their own, but had found the strength to persevere and move on to a better future. As their stories of healing and triumph continued, I kept thinking about the woman in my life whom no one had been able to help. I was even a little jealous. These women got the help they needed, while so many others don’t, including someone I loved. It didn’t seem fair. The therapist asked each of us to offer some encouragement to the women. When it was my turn, I became emotional and blurted out everything that had been on my mind. I told them I knew what it was like to lose a loved one who didn’t recognize the danger of their addiction and wasn’t strong enough to find the help necessary for survival. I told them that I was struck by their strength and determination. I told them how impressed I was that they fought the demons of substance abuse and worked their way back to whole, healthy lives. As I was offering encouragement, they helped me deal with guilt and sorrow that had been in the back of my mind for years. What was originally intended to be a day of service to others ended up taking me back to devastating events in my childhood. I was there to help others, but the experience was hugely beneficial for me. While at Catholic Charities, I experienced many emotions, from despair to pride to happiness. More than anything else, I was inspired. I’m glad to know that there are programs in Memphis to assist those truly seeking help. In the pace of our modern world, it is easy to forget that the people who lend their time and talents to the afflicted often save lives. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that all the volunteering and missionary work of my youth was not just of value to others, but that it also taught me, encouraged me, and reminded me to count my blessings every day. I realized during this Spring Break experience that I missed seeing people smile, just because someone who didn’t know them showed them love, because someone showed them that they were not alone. The experience rekindled my desire to serve, and for that I thank CBU. n PHOTOS COURTESY OF CBU HONORS PROGRAM
snapshots of service
LINKS IN A CHAIN
Geeks on the Beltline continued from page 44
BY KENNY LATTA (’10) I GRADUATED FROM CBU in May of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy, and since graduation have been serving as a Lasallian Volunteer in New York City. The Lasallian Volunteers program is an effort of the U.S./Toronto Region of the Brothers of the Christian Schools to engage young men and women in periods of sustained community service and intentional living, and many graduates of CBU have spent one or two years with the program. This year, there are 58 LVs living and working with the Brothers to enhance over 30 Lasallian and Catholic ministries throughout the country, primarily through education. Five of these current LVs are graduates of CBU. My own experience with the program has been through service at La Salle Academy, one of the oldest Lasallian High Schools in the country. La Salle has always been on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and since its founding in 1848 has served the various immigrant populations that are drawn to that neighborhood: Irish, Italians, and Germans in the 19th and early 20th century, and more recently immigrants from Central and Latin America. Often, the students at La Salle are from a poor, working-class demographic and expect to be the first or second in their family to earn a college degree. They come from unstable, single-parent households, and have a history of underperforming in middle and elementary school. The mission of La Salle has been to create a nurturing educational environment where these students can thrive academically, emotionally, and spiritually in an effort to prepare them for their futures, including college. Since last August, I have been working at La Salle as a mentor and tutor. With Necie Kennedy, another LV and a graduate from St. Mary’s College of California, I staff the Academic Support Center—a place for students to come after school and during free periods to catch up on homework, do research, write essays, or receive tutoring. (La Salle has very little space for a library, so our room offers everything that a library can—except books.) I work one-on-one with about 20 students each day, generally in the areas of math and science. A few weeks ago, I was asked to write a reflection on how the LV program is changing the world. I wrote that the students we are serving are likely continued on page 46 PHOTOS COURTESY OF CBU HONORS PROGRAM
Wes Newsom (’13) seals an exterior mural at the Beltline Enrichment Center.
Amanda Willhite (13) and Erika Yates (’14) at the Enrichment Center. Honors Program students volunteer every Monday afternoon at the Beltline Youth Enrichment Center, providing services to students such as tutoring, mentoring, or simply companionship to fill their afternoons after school. Students also help around the Center when needed, and complete various tasks as they become needed. Special events, like weeding or harvesting the Beltline Community Garden, add varied opportunities for service to suit different interests. Honors Program students also volunteered to get dirty for the cause last fall, by spearheading the interior demolition of a vacant Beltline home that was slated for renovation by Jacob’s Ladder. This spring, the students worked on a different house, mostly painting the inside but also doing some caulking and painting of the outside. They also worked at the Beltline Youth Enrichment Center cleaning floors, painting picnic tables, and painting and sealing the outside steps and an exterior mural. More photos on page 46 4 BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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Geeks on the Beltline
Pictured here, blowing off some steam after tearing down plaster and drywall in a Beltline house slated for renovation are Honors Program students Lauryn Murphy, Raegan Cook, Andrew Greenop, Amanda Garland, Catherine DelBove, Brent Holmes, Kleber Pauta, Kathleen Nelson, Wes Newsom, Kaitie Gaimari, and Rebekah Herrman. Jacob’s Ladder founder Rev. Bill Marler is the one wearing a hat and not acting silly.
Kathleen Nelson (’11) strikes a pose during a pause in the interior demolition of the home. (Kathleen is not only an Honors Program student; she is also one of the 2011 Lasallian Fellows. See the article on page 5.) 46
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I wrote that the students we are serving are likely to have great impacts on their communities in the future—impacts which we could claim as indirect results of our work… I realize now that this is true, but not in the way I intended. to have great impacts on their communities in the future—impacts which we could claim as indirect results of our work. As I rethink the question, I realize now that this is true, but not in the way I intended. Necie, my co-volunteer, recently introduced a new program to the Campus Ministry at La Salle. She calls it “Lasallian Volunteer for a Night.” The program is basically an excuse to show our students how cool we are by inviting them over to our community house for dinner, prayer, and some social time, with the hope that they come away with a sense of what life is like for the Brothers and volunteers who have dedicated themselves to the Lasallian mission. Preparing for this program caused me to imagine what we look like to them, and to recall how often during the past months my students have asked me things like, “You work here for free? Why? You live in a community? With people like Br. Joe? You graduated from college, but don’t want a real job? Why?” And I thought back to my time at Christian Brothers High School, and the LANCE volunteer who taught my senior religion class, and how frustrated and intrigued I had been by the idea that he was living in community and teaching us for free. Now, I can identify that encounter with the LANCE program as a major influence in my decision to join the LVs, and I wonder whether or not Necie and I might be having the same kind of influence on our students—whether our professed service is in any way going to inspire them to consider long term service programs for their future. If it does, and they inspire their students in turn, then we have been the next links in a long and everbranching chain of volunteers committed to the value of community service, and to changing the world for the better. I wish I could close on that optimistic note. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CBU HONORS PROGRAM
Eight Ways to Make a Bequest and a Difference However, I am increasingly concerned that our nation does not value community service and is attempting to break that chain. There are currently moves underway in Congress that not only threaten the fiscal stability of many community service organizations, but also send a strong message that we, as a nation, are no longer willing to prioritize service. If any of my current students decide that they want to serve, they may never be given the opportunity. In the Lasallian world, service is a priority. And we should be doing all we can to make sure that our values—faith, community, and, most of all, service— are protected and encouraged. n (For more information, visit www.saveservice.org.)
CBU’s Lasallian Volunteers THE LASALLIAN VOLUNTEER PROGRAM connects talented volunteers to the poor in Lasallian Missions throughout the United States so that both will be positively transformed. Volunteers work and live in association with the De La Salle Christian Brothers for one or more years of service. There are currently 58 LVs working in 30 ministries spread over 16 states. The following are CBU alumni and friends who have served as LVs. (* denotes current LVs) Peter Abegg (former faculty) Jennifer Longo Allen (’05) Samantha Almanza (’09)* Erin Arnold (’02) Ann Barnes Wojcicki (’93) Colleen Boyette (’06) Katie Collins (’04) Dan Colturi (’01) Kerry Conroy (’99) Antony Eddy (’09) Michael Hans (’90) Carol Ann Hans Kathleen Hiegel (’03) Anne Hotze (’01) Thais Hunter (’08) Jamie Jaynes (’09) Justin Kuehl (’03) Kenny Latta (’10)*
Simone Ludwig Lee (’98) Emily Lux (’02) Carly Matsen (’05) Ashley Miller (’06) Jonathon Miller (’05) Jennifer Mohan (’06) Megan Mosteller (’05) Dylan Perry (’10)* Erica Sage Pitts (’06) Ashley Prevost (’07) Katie Quinton (’09) Mario Ragghianti (’07) Daniel Salvaggio (’06) Kelly Towns (’09)* Erik Weghorst (’04) Micah Wheeler (’05) Samantha Wildhaber (’07) John York (’08)*
Special thanks to Brother Rob Veselsky, Zac Ufnar, and Jolleen Wagner for their assistance in compiling these snapshots.
Here are eight generally accepted ways to make a bequest in your will or revocable living trust.
1. Specific bequest. This is a gift of a specific item to a specific beneficiary. For example, “I give my golf clubs to my nephew, John.” If that specific property has been disposed of before death, the bequest fails and no claim can be made to any other property.
2. General bequest. This is usually a gift of a stated sum of money. It will not fail, even if there is not sufficient cash to meet the bequest—even if other estate assets need to be sold. For example, “I give $50,000 to my daughter, Mary.”
3. Contingent bequest. This is a bequest made on condition that a certain event must occur before distribution to the beneficiary. For example, “I give $50,000 to my son, Joe, provided he enrolls in college before age 21.”
4. Residuary bequest. This is a gift of all the “rest, residue and remainder” of your estate after all other bequests, debts and taxes have been paid. For example, say your estate is worth $500,000, and you intend to give a child $50,000 by specific bequest and the residuary estate to your spouse. If the debts, taxes and expenses are $100,000, there would only be $350,000 left for the surviving spouse. Most people prefer to divide their estates according to percentages of the residue (rather than specifying dollar amounts), to ensure that your beneficiaries receive the proportions you desire. The previous items can apply in the case of bequests to individual heirs or bequests to charitable organizations, such as Christian Brothers University. The above types of bequests generally define the amount of the bequest. The additional terms below are optional considerations (added to the above bequests) when the bequest is made to charity.
5. Unrestricted bequest. This is a gift for our general purposes, to be used at the discretion of our Board of Trustees. A gift like this—without conditions attached—is frequently the most useful, as it allows CBU to determine the wisest and most pressing need for the funds at the time of receipt.
6. Restricted bequest. This type of gift allows you to specify how the funds are to be used. It’s best, however, to consult CBU when you make your will to be certain your intent can be fulfilled.
7. Honorary or memorial bequest. This is a gift given “in honor of” or “in memory of” someone.
8. Endowed bequest. This bequest allows you to restrict the principal of your gift, requiring us to hold the funds permanently and use only a small percentage or the income they generate. Creating an endowment in this manner means that your gift can continue giving indefinitely.
Contact Brenda Pearson at (901) 321-3270 or bpearson@cbu.edu for more information. Copyright © The Stelter Company, All rights reserved.
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classnotes
WAMS teaching a “legacy” how to paint the Rock during Alumni Weekend (l-r): Reggie Raney (legacy), Djana Brumley Raney (’91), Christie Golden Bontrager (’91), Audra Freeman (’95, lying down), Barb Holway Cioffi (’90), Shanon Schmidt Taylor (’91), and Jill Dixon (’92).
1966
1978
Dr. Walter H. Delashmit has recently been promoted to Life Senior Member (LSM) status in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Walter worked for 39 years in the aerospace industry, including work on the Apollo and Skylab programs and developing techniques for “advanced, smart” weapons systems. He was also selected as the Spotlight Alumni for March in the Lockheed Martin Alumni site on the LinkedIn Professional Networking Site. Walter was also an invited guest for the PI Fest 2011 celebration at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to celebrate the mathematical constant PI and the 132nd birthday of Albert Einstein (it was held on 3/14 and at 1:59 the kids were served slices of Pizza PI). ———————————————————————
Jeff Arnold was featured in the Memphis Business Quarterly’s “Power Players” section highlighting civil engineers in the July/August edition. Gregory Zeorlin had a solo art exhibit at the Beverly and Sam Ross Gallery at CBU during October, and then was featured in another exhibit at The Gallery in Palestine, TX. ———————————————————————
1968 Henry Brenner is the new vice president of corporate and community relations at Goodwill Memphis. ———————————————————————
1977 Brother Chris Englert, president of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, has been named to the CBU Board of Trustees (see article on page 6).
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1979 Michael Pohlman, CEO and president of Pickering Firm in Memphis, is president-elect of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee (ACEC of Tennessee), an organization that represents more than 100 engineering firms statewide. He was also featured in the Memphis Business Quarterly’s special “Power Players” section highlighting civil engineers in the July/August edition. ———————————————————————
1981 Pat Scholes was elected managing director at Morgan Keegan & Co. in Memphis. ———————————————————————
1982 James Reber, president and chief executive officer of
PHOTO COURTESY OF JILL DIXON (’92)
ICBA Securities, has been named to the CBU Board of Trustees (see article on page 6). ———————————————————————
classnotes
1983 Stephen Dunavant, member in charge of consulting at Thompson-Dunavant Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, has been named to the CBU Board of Trustees (see article on page 6). ———————————————————————
Alumni Weekend Dinner & Celebration...10/02/10
1984 Ken Hall was named the marketing coordinator for Leadership Memphis. ———————————————————————
1987 Mark Giannini was noted in the January/February 2011 edition of Memphis Business Quarterly as one of the “Power Players for Information Technology.” Mark, founder and chief executive officer of Service Assurance, has also been named to the CBU Board of Trustees (see article on page 6). ———————————————————————
1989 Dr. Kelly Sullivan has been elected president of Sigma Xi, the international science and engineering honor society. Kelly was elected president of the 125-year-old society at Sigma Xi’s annual meeting in Raleigh, NC. Her term as president-elect will begin July 1, and she will become president on July 1, 2012. She is the director of institutional partnerships at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. ———————————————————————
The “Three Tin-Ears” from the Class of 1960 lead the dinner crowd in a rousing rendition of the old CBC Fight Song: (l-r) Joe Napoleon, Andy Fahey, and Wally Sheldon.
1990 Want more Alumni Weekend photos? There are plenty at http://goo.gl/RVmR4
Dr. John Smarrelli congratulates Tim Keough (’60), recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award.
5
Michael Walls, who works as a floral and event designer in Los Angeles, has published a book entitled Michael Walls Florals & Events, described in an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article as “dripping with eye-popping photos: hanging spheres of roses, bloom-encircled wedding cakes, intricately covered chandeliers, blossom-strewn fountains and other scenes that look fairy-tale lush.” The book is available at www.blurb.com/bookstore. (An article on Michael appeared in the Summer 2006 Bell Tower.) ———————————————————————
1993 Ross Harris has joined Century Wealth Management
ALUMNI WEEKEND PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN
Dr. John Smarrelli congratulates Lori Patton (’91) as recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Alumna Award.
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babybuc
in Memphis as chief financial officer. ———————————————————————
1996
Phillips, on December 19, 2010, weighing in at 6 lbs., 14 oz. and measuring 20 inches. Chris Kane (also MBA ’01) was named a partner in the New Orleans office of the Adams and Reese Law Firm. Jessica Woods was featured in the September 27, 2010 edition of UTSA Today. The article is about her career in the military and how she was able to get her master’s degree after graduation from CBU. ———————————————————————
2001 Rachael Park Jun (’06) and her husband, Sgt. Adam Jun, welcomed Baby Buc ADDISON SCARLETT JUN on March 21, 2010. The family is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.
David Arrington and his wife, Debbie, had a baby girl, Evie Brooke Arrington, on July 18, 2010, weighing in at 6lbs., 15 oz. David is working at Baptist Memorial Hospital as a nurse and loves it. They have one other child, Sam, who is one year old.
5Mary Roser and Jeff O’Connor (’93) were married August 14, 2010. ———————————————————————
1997 Jered Haddad was promoted to vice president at Gateway Group in Memphis. Brian Thompson was named a “Power Player for Information Technology” by the Memphis Business Quarterly in the January/February 2011 edition. ———————————————————————
1998 Lyndsay Woodward Eisermann and her husband, Lukas, had a baby girl on July 3, 2010. Her name is Ella Cassidy Eisermann. Trent Gullett is enrolled at the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, MS. Douglas Vogl was appointed vice president of audit and enterprise risk management at Kansas City Southern in Kansas City, MO. ———————————————————————
1999 Deena K. Rembert married Bakari Neason on January 1, 2011. Kelli Southers and Joshua DeMoville were married July 10, 2010, at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, AK. They currently reside in Cordova, TN. Julie Loeffler Burns (also MBA ’04) accepted a new position with Hilton Worldwide as director of analysis and strategy, working on the luxury and lifestyle brands. ———————————————————————
2000 Amy Fallon, M.D. and her husband, Christopher Phillips, announce the birth of Fallon Ansley
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5Sarah Hasenmueller married Paul Weinberg in Nashville on June 19, 2010. Sarah has worked for eight years in book publishing at the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville. Stefanie McGee was selected “Clerk of the Year” by the Tennessee Association of Municipal Clerks and Recorders. Dr. Lewis Takashi Pearson has accepted a tenuretrack position as an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, IN. Zachary Taylor has been named director of marketing for the Arkansas Agriculture Department at Little Rock. ———————————————————————
2002 Shane de Lima and Michelle Viego were married on June 12, 2010, at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Memphis and held a reception at the Tower Room at the top of Clark Tower. Shane is the principal software engineer for Royal Philips Electronics, working for Philips’ Front-End Innovation team
classnotes
Homecoming… 02/12/11 located in Burlington, MA (a suburban of Boston). The team is responsible for the development of new technologies for solid-state lighting (LED technology) on a global level. Jennifer Tzefekas Feldman and her husband, Jonathan, had a baby girl named Abigail Catherine Feldman on June 6, 2010, weighing in at 8 lbs., 6 oz., and measuring 21 inches. Jennifer is currently working for Ventana Medical Systems in Raleigh, NC, as an applications specialist. Jason Higdon, M.D. completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and has accepted a faculty position in internal medicine at the Emory Clinic. Courtney Vinson has been promoted to senior manager at Deloitte Tax LLP in Nashville. ———————————————————————
Celebrating the ’70s in the Skybox: Dave Olszewski (’78, MBA ’91), Kevin Wallis (’76), Jack McAndrews, and Dave Guinan (’76).
2003 Andrew Asbury graduated with his degree in osteopathic medicine last May from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (Kansas City, MO). He is doing his residency in family medicine at Summa Akron General Hospital in Akron, OH. ———————————————————————
2004 Tequilla Hurt is a resource planning specialist in Near-Term Resource Planning. Jenny Wells Kiesel (also MAT ’07) and Bill Kiesel (’03) had a baby girl, Claire Annabelle Kiesel, on October 25, 2010. Claire is also the grandniece of former CBU president, Brother Michael McGinnis. ———————————————————————
Want more Homecoming photos? There are more at http://goo.gl/awRj9
Former Lady Buc and Homecoming Queen Jennifer Chikos Adams (’01) and Brad Adams (’02) watched the 2011 Homecoming game from the Skybox.
2005 Ansley Albright (MAT) was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Germantown Kiwanis Club. Toney Armstrong was named Memphis Police Director by Mayor A C Wharton, effective April 15. Michael Beebe, M.D. and his wife, Kelly, had a baby boy, William Michael Beebe, on December 11, 2010 at the University of Utah Hospital, where Michael is currently doing an orthopaedic residency. Katrina Brown was named to the Memphis Teaching Policy Fellows 2010-2012 Cohort. Jonathan Henderson graduated from Alabama State University last year with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, passed his PT Board exam, AND got engaged to Doneisha Peoples (’06, MBA ’09). They plan to get married this year and live in Memphis. Joshua Holtgrewe was named a 2010 Young Engineer of the Year by the National Society of
PHOTOS BY VANCE GAMBLE
Lots of Lady Bucs, Back for the Big Game: (front row, l-r) Jenna Cherry (’09), Brittany Cochran (’09), Bridget Buckley (’09), and Nikki Dunn (’09); (back row, l-r) Brenna Blackburn (’10), Colleen Hart (’09), Katie Quinton (’09), Aubrey Pancratz (’09), Stephanie Parker (’09), and Michelle Malone (’10).
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babybucs
John M. Senter III (’90) and his wife, Rachel, are proud to announce the birth of JOHN M. SENTER IV on April 30, 2010 in Cumming, GA.
Samantha Siebert Hood (’01) and her husband, Jason, are overjoyed to introduce their daughter, MERON “MAYA” YORDANOS HOOD, born on September 16, 2009 in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, and home forever on June 5, 2010. Maya joins big sister, Emerson.
Professional Engineers. Christina Martinez graduated with a D.D.S. degree from the University of Puerto Rico. She will do an endodontist speciality. Jackie Dover Ramberg and Christopher Ramberg (’06) are proud to announce the birth of Aiden Alexander Ramberg on November 2, 2010. He was 8 lbs., 7.9 oz. and 21.5 inches long. Megan Wooster received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law last May. At Bowen, she had a note published in the UALR Law Review and trained in the school’s Litigation Clinic. Megan also earned the Dean’s Certificate of Public Service. ———————————————————————
Business Quarterly’s special “Power Players” section highlighting civil engineers in the July/August edition. Ashley Miller won first place for the second year graduate student research posters at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is a second year student in epidemiology at UTHSC. She is also the proud recipient of the June E. McCarthy Scholarship. This scholarship with her tuition waiver means school is a 100% paid for this year. Rebecca Riser is enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching and the BASE-TN program at the University of Memphis. ———————————————————————
2006
Melody Allensworth and David James were married December 11, 2010. They spent their honeymoon in Brazil on Santa Catarina Island. Melody spent the summer there in 2008 with MHIRT. She is currently working on a Ph.D in Neuroscience at University of Arkansas Medical S chool, Little Rock. Burton Bridges, Delta Sigma Pi 2009 Collegian of the Year, was pictured in the July 2010 edition of DeltaSig, the journal of the business fraternity. Rosie Britton has been inducted as an Associate Member into the Association of Medical Illustrators. Heather Gosnell and Stephen Hill were married on July 3, 2010. Aaron Lamey is now network administrator in Information Technology Services at CBU. Jestein Lamey is curator of history at the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis. She is engaged to Alan Gibson (whom she met while studying in Scotland), and they’re planning a May 2011 wedding. Stephanie Parker has been accepted to the Pharm.D. program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Michelle Paul Tubinis and Zach Tubinis (’10) were married on July 31, 2010. Michelle is in her second year of medical school at the University of Arkansas Medical School in Little Rock. ———————————————————————
Lauren Amundson was selected as a recipient of the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 Award. Established in 2009, the award honors emerging coaching talent younger than 30 years old at all levels of volleyball. Lauren is head volleyball coach at Stonehill College in Easton, MA, where her team advanced to the semifinal round of the Northeast-10 Conference championship after posting an 11-4 record in conference play, the program’s best in more than a decade. Jittapong “JT” Malasri was selected as one of The Memphis Flyer’s 14 “Hotties” in its annual Valentine’s Day edition to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis. Christy Harwell Mostert and Eon Mostert (’04) are proud to announce the birth of Dominic Pierce Mostert on November 28, 2010, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz. and measuring 19 inches long. ———————————————————————
2007 Bobby Lawrence has been accepted to the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. Ashley Prevost has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center School of Medicine. Jennie Nguyen Tran was married on June 26, 2010 in San Diego to David Tran (not the one who graduated from CBU). Jennie is currently in her last year of school at Life University. ———————————————————————
2008 Indre Augustinaite graduated from Union University Nursing School in December 2009 and is working at Baptist Hospital in DeSoto County, MS, in the ICU. Joel Johnson (MEM) was featured in the Memphis
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2009
2010 Lindsay Hanlen is working as a media assistant, public relations account executive, and media buyer for WestRogers, an advertising, PR, and marketing firm in Memphis. She purchased advertising time for eleven political candidates last fall (ten of whom won), and worked as a production coordinator for the Beale Street/WKNO New Year’s Eve broadcast. Xiong Lin has been accepted to graduate school at
classnotes
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Coy Lock has been accepted to Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. Spencer Macklin is working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal. Binh Nguyen was chosen by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth to instruct a group of very bright and talented Middle and High School students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for the summer of 2010. He served as a Teaching Assistant in a fast-paced Electrical Engineering course and was responsible for teaching the laboratories, conducting study sessions, and assisting in class lectures. This was his second summer with the Center for Talented Youth program. Huong Tran has been accepted to the Clinical Nurse Leader program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Emily Wong has been accepted to graduate school at Emory University. ———————————————————————
2011 Ashley Bailey has been accepted to the Master of Arts program in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Memphis. Nathali Blackwell received a Regional Psi Chi Research Award for her presentation on “The relationship between parental rejection, susceptibility to peer pressure and depression” at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference in Jacksonville, FL, in March. In addition, she also presented her research on “The relationship between peer rejection, depression and susceptibility to peer pressure.” Coauthors on both presentations were Dr. Rod Vogl (Behavioral Sciences), Dana O’Hoyt (’05) and Paige Pirkey (’10). Kaylea Brewer has been accepted to the Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Chelsea Chandler was crowned Miss Soybean Festival at the Miss UT Martin/Miss Soybean Festival in January in Martin, TN. She received a $1,500 scholarship and is headed to the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant in Jackson, TN, in June. Chase de Saint-Felix was inducted as a justice of the Tennessee Intercollegiate Supreme Court (TISC). The TISC is the judicial branch of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature. Chase, who is president of the Student Government Association,
was selected by The Memphis Flyer as one of its fourteen “Hotties” for 2011 in its annual Valentine’s Day edition to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis. He also was chosen from the fourteen to grace the newspaper’s cover and, subsequently, was voted “Male Hottie of the Year.” And finally, Chase also has been admitted to the M.A. program in Philosophy at American University in Washington, DC. Lorna Field presented her paper, “Heraclitus: Of Dung and Corpses” at the Tri-State Liberal Arts Philosophy Symposium held at Millsaps College. She also presented a paper at the Mid-South Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at the University of Memphis. Amanda Garland has been accepted into the J.D. program at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. Andrew Greenop was a recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) scholarship. Andrew won the 2010 ASME Foundation Scholarship. Natalie Hart has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center School of Medicine. Brandon Johnson has been accepted into Ph.D. programs in industrial/organizational psychology at Louisiana State University, Auburn University, and the University of Connecticut. Yue “Quinn” Lin has been accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Missouri. Anthony Maranise was inducted into the Knights of Columbus, Council 4312, where he received the appointed position of Lecturer. In addition, he published his paper, “Oil Will Not Overwhelm Us,” a sociological and spiritual response to the Gulf Oil Crisis with the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America in its Catholic Maritime News. He also published two articles in the West Tennessee Catholic newspaper, entitled “Recognizing Our Relationship” and “The ____ Word.” Anthony presented a lecture on the merger between the Psychology of Religion and Sports Psychology at the Mid-South Psychology Conference held at CBU in February, and his newest paper, “Superstition & Religious Ritual: An Examination of their Effects & Utilization within Athletics,” has been accepted for presentation at the Hendrix College Religious Studies Conference to be held in April. Frank Minneci presented a paper at the Mid-South Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at the
babybucs
Erica Sage Pitts (’06) and Hank Pitts (’05) announce the birth their son, SAGE MATTHEW PITTS, on October 18, 2010.
Megan Wortham Murdock (’05) and Jon Murdock (’04) welcomed KATE ELIZABETH MURDOCK into the world on January 11, 2011, weighing in at 7 lbs., 6 oz. Congratulations also to the proud grandfather, Dan Wortham (’71).
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Russell Brandon (’09), pictured here outlining his career decisionmaking timeline, was one of the Honors Program alumni who gave advice to current students about the transition from college to graduate/medical school and professional careers at the “From Bookbag to Briefcase (or Stethoscope)” event on February 22. Burton Bridges (’09), John Legge (’09), Kären Brandon (’07), and Dustin Perry (’10) also shared their insights. University of Memphis. Kathleen Nelson has been accepted to the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Connor Robinson is represented by three photographs in a book recently published by The Commercial Appeal’s “Capture Memphis” project. The book Capture Memphis is on sale at Davis-Kidd Booksellers and online through Pediment Books. The 200+ photos of the Memphis area in the book were hand-picked by popular voting at the website and by Commercial Appeal editors from more than 17,000 submissions. Huong Tran has been accepted to the Master’s-level Clinical Nurse Leader program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Jessica Wooster has been accepted to the Doctorate in Pharmacy program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. ———————————————————————
2012 Larry Anderson presented a poster at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Conference in Washington, DC, on October 14. The title of the poster is “Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 1B1 Activity with 2,3’,4,5,’-Tetramethoxystilbene Prevents Renal Dysfunction Associated with Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension in Rats.” Larry is conducting his research at UTHSC Department of Pharmacology.
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Justin Edwards, vice-president of the CBU Chapter of the Student Members of the American Chemical Society (ACS), received a 2011 Student Leadership Award from the ACS. He was only one of only 17 students nationwide to receive this honor, which included an all-expense-paid trip to the 2011 American Chemical Society Leadership Institute held each year at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, TX. Raquel S. Edwards was the recipient of the 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Sophomore Academic Excellence Award, which is presented to the member in each student chapter who has attained the highest scholastic GPA during his/her freshman and sophomore years. Simon Hua is represented by six photographs in a book recently published by The Commercial Appeal’s “Capture Memphis” project. The book Capture Memphis is on sale at Davis-Kidd Booksellers and online through Pediment Books. The 200+ photos of the Memphis area in the book were hand-picked by popular voting at the website and by Commercial Appeal editors from more than 17,000 submissions. Demarcus Love and Abe Villarreal were accepted in the inaugural cohort of Seed Hatchery, a mentorshipdriven seed-stage investment program. Seed Hatchery supports emerging technology entrepreneurs with $15,000 in capital and strategic mentors to sharpen their idea into strong startups. Abe and Demarcus are working on an electronic device recharging station that incorporates digital marketing. n
PHOTO COURTESY OF CBU HONORS PROGRAM
passings
May all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. VINCENT A. SMITH (’48), 88, passed away on April 10, 2010 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran of WWII and a member of St. James Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Katherine C. Smith; daughter Carol Anne Cahill; son Randy Smith; six grand-children and three great-grandsons. —————————————————————— SAM M. ROSS, friend and benefactor of CBU, entrepreneur and founder of the Fantastic Sams company of family hair-care salons, died July 19, 2010 at age 81. Ross was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1929. He went into the restaurant business in Boston with a friend from the Navy, while managing property as a sideline. After selling the restaurant, Ross worked in property management and real estate in New York. Sent to Chicago to scout properties, he met Beverly Bestler in a sandwich shop. They were married within three months and remained married for 44 years; she is his sole survivor. In Chicago, Ross went into development and construction. The Rosses moved to Memphis in 1970, and to occupy his time, Sam attended barber college and got a job at the former Yorkshire Barber Shop. He bought the shop for $10,000, renamed it, opened two more shops, and by 1976 had sold his first franchise. In the next 14 years, Fantastic Sams became the largest hair care franchise operation in the United States. By the time the Rosses sold the company in 1990, it had grown to 1,370 franchise units in 43 states and five foreign countries, with estimated revenue of $300 million. After selling Fantastic Sams, Ross started a pallet-brokering (and later manufacturing) business, under the name Sa-Be Enterprises. Over three decades, the Rosses built a nationally-known collection of contemporary studio or art glass, becoming friends with such pioneering artists in the field as Harvey Littleton, Richard Jolley, and Tommie Rush. They began giving the collection to Christian Brothers University in the late 1990s and completed the gift of 75 pieces in 2008. CBU renamed its gallery in the Plough Memorial Library the Beverly
and Sam Ross Gallery in 2005. “Not because of the gift of the glass collection,” said CBU’s Brother Robert Werle, “but in appreciation for their years of service, their kindness and generosity to our students from Mexico and South America, many of whom they virtually adopted. Sam resisted naming the gallery after them for years, but finally said he would go along with it to honor Beverly.” For many years, Ross taught a class in entrepreneurship at CBU. —————————————————————— ASHLEA ALKIRE MORROW (MBA ’06) died suddenly in Fort Collins, CO, on August 8, 2010, while on her way to a family vacation. She was 38 years old. Ashlea was the beloved wife of James Mann Morrow and loving mother to her sons Jimmy, age 10, and Ben, age 3. She was a graduate of Birmingham Southern College. While working full time, she earned a MBA from CBU. She was employed as a general ledger accountant for the Animal Health Division of Pfizer Inc. She is also survived by her parents, Marilyn and Bill Alkire of Huntsville, AL; and her brother, William Todd Alkire. —————————————————————— SARAH DEANE STRONG GUY, widow of James L. Guy, passed away on August 13, 2010 at age 89. She grew up on a farm near Eads, TN and obtained a home economics degree in 1942 at UT Knoxville. While at school she met and married her husband, James (who was a longtime faculty member in the CBU School of Engineering). They enjoyed 66 years of marriage. She is survived by her four sons, James L. Guy Jr., Robert A. Guy, Tom S. Guy, and Don D. Guy, and her brother, William Atlee Strong. —————————————————————— HAROLD H. MARTINEK (’60) passed away on September 2, 2010, in Danville, IL. He will be remembered most for his strong faith in God, his deep love for his family, and his sense of humor. Prior to his lengthy illness, he attended Mass and Holy Communion on a daily basis. He retired in 1994 after 27 years of employment with TeePak. During his employment he was responsible for creating numerous mechanical innovations to improve the efficiency of the shirring machines, for which he held many patents and trade secrets. He leaves his beloved wife of 51 years, Betsy, as well as seven daughters and two sons: Dawn Nicoson, Maureen Regan, Sheryl Martinek, Renee Saults, Harry Martinek, Brenda Ellis, and Richard, Rhonda and Amanda Martinek. Other survivors include his brothers Samuel and Stanley; sisters Ida Hendle,
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Eleanor Carlson, and Helen Lazzarotto. Also surviving are fourteen grandchildren. —————————————————————— DR. MARGARET ANN EVANS PITTMAN, an adjunct faculty member in the CBU Department of Education, died September 4, 2010 at age 66. Retired after 30 years as a science teacher with Memphis City Schools, Dr. Pittman taught at Fairley Elementary and Downtown Elementary and completed her career with the Diocese of Memphis at St. Louis Catholic School, where she taught middle school science. All who knew her understood her passion for and expertise in science education. She attended Mississippi University for Women and graduated from the University of Memphis. She completed four degrees in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership cumulating with an Educational Doctorate. Dr. Pittman influenced the teachers she came in contact with by conducting endless teacher trainings locally, statewide, and nationally. She served on the Board of Directors for the Memphis Organization of Science Teachers and the Tennessee Science Teachers Association. Dr. Pittman taught Graduate Science Methods for many years at CBU and Professional Seminar for interns at the University of Memphis. —————————————————————— KATIE M. EDWARDS (MAEL ’05) died September 15, 2010. Katie, a performance improvement coordinator, graduated from CBU with a Master of Arts in Executive Leadership. She leaves two daughters, Jessica Edwards and Brooke Edwards; one son, Brandon Edwards; three sisters, Debbie Blackwell, Emma Exton-Satcher and Mae Isom; one grandchild, Kyrean Abron. —————————————————————— DON A. DINO (’57), 78, of Bartlett, TN, passed away on October 17, 2010. He was a retiree of the District Attorney General’s Office, where he served as an Assistant Attorney General. He then became prosecutor for the City of Memphis, and later served as a Court Appointed Juvenile Defender. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Collier Dino; his daughters, Terri Dino Barnett, Linda Dino Gaia, and Karen Dino Keeling; grandson, Brett Barnett; and brother, Sam H. Dino. Mr. Dino was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School and attended CBC, Memphis State University and Southern Law University, where he received his Bachelor of Law degree. ——————————————————————
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TERESA “TERRI” MILLER (’90) died October 21, 2010. A Certified Public Accountant and a Christian devoted to her family, she enjoyed photography, flowers, nature and animals. She is survived by her husband, Thomas P. Miller. She also leaves her son, Daniel (Sarah) Miller of Cordova, a brother, Joey Whitelaw of Newberry, FL, and her granddaughters, Hannah and Laylah Miller. —————————————————————— DANIEL JOSEPH SHEA, former CBU administrator, died October 29, 2010 at age 66, surrounded by his family. Dan believed in miracles and demonstrated it to the very end even throughout his ten-year courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Ann; daughters, Kelly Wilson, Kimberly Dotson, Teresa Westphall, and Patricia Wilson; grandchildren Katelyn, Megan, Emily and Thomas Wilson, Jordan and Tyler Westphall, Zachary, Nicholas, Katie and Abbie Wilson; sisters Linda VanderPol and Kathy Pettinato. Dan was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Kentucky. He moved his family to Memphis in 1978 while working for Hunter Fan. He later worked for CBU, and then founded his own company, Property Tax Management. Devoted to his church, he was an active communicant at the Church of the Holy Spirit, where he sat on the board of finance, was past-president of the Men’s Club, a lector, an usher, and an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. Dan was awarded the Spiritus Sanctus Award in 2005 in recognition of his service to the church. He was also very active in the community. He was past president and board member of the Serra Club in Memphis and past president and board member of Birthright of Memphis, where he was awarded the “Friends for Life Award” and the “Heart and Soul Award,” which was created in his honor. He was also an active member of Rotary International. —————————————————————— DR. R. WAYNE SPEER, longtime friend of the University and former trustee (19962005), passed away on November 9, 2010. An innovator and leader in the aerosol industry, Dr. Speer retired in 2007 and devoted his time and treasure to the charities he held
passings
so dear and gave to so generously — in particular, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Christian Brothers University. He leaves his wife, Daveen; daughters Deborah Hopkins, Victoria Clement, Cheryl Robert, Fawn Anderson, and Daveen Balliro; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. —————————————————————— ROBERT EDWARD SHRODER (’61) passed away on December 5, 2010, in Jacksonville, FL. He attended Vanderbilt University until his acceptance as an officer in the United States Navy. He served during WWII as a naval aviator. He was an alumnus of Tulane University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He later received a degree in mechanical engineering from Christian Brothers University. After graduation from CBU, he worked for International Harvester. He later worked as a safety engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until his retirement. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Terry Fisher Shroder, and three children: daughter Clare S. Geleta, son Robert E. Shroder Jr., daughter Dr. Susan S. Moore; and nine grandchildren. —————————————————————— WILMA G. WILLIAMSON (’77) passed away December 22, 2010. She was preceded in death by her parents, 12 brothers and one sister. She retired from the U.S. Air Force at the rank of Tech Sergeant. After graduation from CBU, she taught for Memphis City Schools. She founded and owned Trinity Hair Products. She was a parishioner and volunteer at St. Joseph Catholic Church. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Laura Campbell and Mrs. Beulah Derden, both of Memphis, two sisters-in-law and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. —————————————————————— BRONISLAW S. WOJTUN, former CBU economics faculty member, died peacefully at age 87 on December 24, 2010 in Memphis. He was born in Brzozow, Poland. After WWII (part of which he spent in a German Labor camp), Mr. Wojtun was educated at the University of Cologne, then came to the U.S. where he continued his studies in the Pennsylvania area, and worked as a teacher of economics. In 1973, Mr. Wojtun received a Fulbright Fellowship to Poland which allowed him to work for two years at the University of Warsaw, Poland. In 1975, he moved to Memphis to teach at CBU and later at LeMoyne-Owen College, where he taught until his retirement in 1994. ——————————————————————
FRANCIS E. DICHTEL (’61) died December 31, 2010, in Memphis surrounded by family and friends after a long illness. Frank graduated from Christian Brothers High School, served in the United States Air Force, and acquired two degrees: a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from CBC and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law. Frank lived in Memphis and was an engineer, attorney, and electrical contractor. Frank is survived by his four children, all of Memphis, Francis E. Dichtel Jr., Julie Byrd, Claire Reno, and Laura Presley; two sisters, Sister Laurine Dichtel, Mary Carolyn Esterman, and a sister-in-law, Iris Dichtel, with whom he lived. He is also survived by six grandchildren. —————————————————————— RAY E. MATTINGLY (’68) passed away on January 9, 2011, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, after a long battle with leukemia. The husband of Pam Maness Mattingly, he is also survived by his brother Richard Mattingly, sons Michael Mattingly and Mark Mattingly, daughter Lorren Mattingly Wells, and five grandchildren. He was a State Farm Agent for 38 years, where he earned top service awards throughout his career. Born in Memphis, Ray was a graduate of both CBHS and CBC. An avid antique car enthusiast, over the years he was a member of the Memphis Classic Thunderbird Club, British Car Club, and Porsche Club. He also loved to work on projects of all types, and was a creative and talented craftsman. —————————————————————— KENNETH E. TRUMAN (’73) passed away on January 10, 2011, at his home in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Ken is survived by his wife, Sandy Stephens Truman. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia T. Smith and her family of Little Rock, AR. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or to the charity of your choice. —————————————————————— PATRICIA A. COOPER (MBA ’09) passed away on January 11, 2011. She is survived by her husband, Keith Cooper; her son, Phillip Eugene Cooper; her parents, Michael T. Patten Jr. and Margaret A. Patten; two brothers, Michael T. Patten III, and David A. Patten; and one sister, Donna S. Creson. —————————————————————— DR. VICTORIA “VIKKI” LOUISE MURPHREEKHAN (’93) passed away January 16, 2011, at Decatur County Hospital in Parsons, TN. She was a hometown doctor in Decatur County and a member BELLTOWERSPRING2011
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of the Perryville Baptist Church. She is survived by her husband, Ali Khan; her mother, Loretta Young Murphree; a sister, Audra Murphree; a half sister, Cleareace Roney; her in-laws, Zahir A. and Shahee Sayed Khan; two nieces and a host of other relatives and friends. —————————————————————— KAREN SUE GANGLUFF HOWE (’84) passed away on January 18, 2011, after a long battle with leukemia. She is survived by her husband of 25 years, Dr. Laurence J. Howe (’81); daughter Lauren Howe; sons Edmund Howe (’10) and Thomas Howe; parents, Edmund and Ann Gangluff; sisters Joyce Hood, Sherry Burgener, Carol Kordsmeier (’91); brothers Steven Gangluff (’89), and Randy Gangluff (’98). —————————————————————— EMMA LEE THEOBALD, a longtime and well-loved member of the CBU community, passed away peacefully at her home in January, surrounded by her loving family. Emma Lee came to CBU in August 1971 and retired in January 1991. She served as secretary to the School of Arts, and, for a time, to the School of Business. She remained close to CBU and many members of the University community during the years of her retirement. —————————————————————— DR. HENRY M. LABICHE JR. (’56) passed away January 27, 2011, in Johns Creek, GA. He was born June 4, 1936, in New Orleans, LA. He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Frances Kathryn Hustedde. Dr. Labiche is survived by two sons, Henry M. Labiche III and Michael J. Labiche; six grandchildren, Heidi Labiche Knoblett, Caleb Davis Labiche, Camille Kathryn Labiche, Abigail Sarah Labiche, Caroline Michelle Labiche, and Isabel Grace Labiche. He also leaves a sister, Calma Labiche Hobson. Having left New Orleans at a young age, Dr. Labiche and his family lived in Jackson, MS, for 12 years before moving to Memphis. There he graduated from Catholic High School for Boys in 1954 and was valedictorian of his senior class. He attended Christian Brothers College, receiving an Associate Degree, and finished his three years of Pre-Med at what was then Memphis State University. He attended the University of Tennessee at Memphis obtaining the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Biology and his medical degree. Dr. Labiche and his wife made their first home together in Memphis, while he finished his internship, and shortly thereafter moved to Winfield, AL, where he went into
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private practice. He did his residency in pathology in the United States Army Medical Corps from 1965 until 1971, where he obtained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His service in the Army took him to Honolulu, HI, where he worked at Tripler Army Hospital. Following Honolulu, he was stationed in St. Louis, where he was Commanding Officer of the Medical Clinic. After leaving military service, he and his family settled in Columbus, GA, where he joined a practice in pathology and later became director. Over the years, they moved from Columbus to nearby Fortson, then Pine Mountain, and later, after retiring from medical practice, they settled in LaGrange, GA. In retirement, Henry and Francie enjoyed a number of charitable works including organizing blood drives for the American Red Cross and visiting hospice patients. Henry was a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus. —————————————————————— KENNETH DAVID TUCKER (’90) died January 28, 2011, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. He is survived by his son, Brennan Tucker; his parents, Kenneth and Carolyn Tucker; and his grandmother, Wilma Henry. David was a financial consultant with Calton & Associates, Inc. He was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School, and earned degrees at CBU in economics, finance, and marketing. David was an actively involved with the Memphis Botanic Gardens, WKNO Channel 10, the Alzheimer’s Association, and Hope Presbyterian Church. He was a longtime member and sitting secretary/treasurer of the Board of Directors of Memphis Goodwill Industries. —————————————————————— REVEREND DAVID MICHAEL LAFFERTY (’72) died on February 1, 2011, at the rectory of Holy Trinity Church in Okarche, OK. Father Lafferty attended Immaculate Conception School and Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa. He attended CBC, followed by the University of Dallas and the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. Following seminary, Father Lafferty was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Father Lafferty’s first assignment was as associate pastor at Saint Peter Church in Guymon, OK. Between 1986 and 1995, he served Saint Peter Church in Woodward, OK. Between 1995 and 1997, he continued studies in the area of clergy spirituality at the Catholic Theological Union, where he received a Doctorate of Ministry. In 1997, Father Lafferty was assigned to be the Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows
Church in Chandler, OK, and its mission Saint Louis Church, where he served for six years. In 2003, he was assigned to the pastorate of Corpus Christi Church in Oklahoma City. In 2009, Father Lafferty was appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Church and its mission parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Calumet, OK. During his 26 years of service to the Archdiocese and its people, he also served on the Council of Priests, the Theological Commission, the Priests’ Spiritual Direction Team, the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee, the Committee for Continuing Education of Clergy and as a Regional Vicar. He is survived by his brothers, Paul S. Lafferty, Vincent J. Lafferty, and Dennis Lafferty; a sister, Joan M. Lafferty; and his best friend, Rose Braun. —————————————————————— PATRICK BRIGNOLE (’67) died on February 16, 2011, at his home in Little Elm, TX, after a brief illness. He leaves his wife of 28 years, Ann; brothers Michael Brignole and John Brignole; and a sister, Mary Reed; three stepchildren, Kashi Griffith, Shanti Ashbrook, and Travis Ashbrook; and seven grandchildren. He was born and raised in Memphis and was employed at AT&T in Dallas for the last 18 years. He was an avid gardener and collector of antiques. He died surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him. —————————————————————— ROBERT E. (BOB) HEALY, a former trustee and longtime friend of CBU, passed away peacefully at home on February 27, 2011. He was born in New York City and was a graduate of St. Anne’s Academy and Archbishop Malloy High School. He went into the Army, serving in the occupation of Japan after WWII, before returning to New York City and graduating from Fordham University in 1951. Bob was definitely an Irish Patriarch. Bob joined PriceWaterhouse in 1953, becoming a partner in 1966 and a member of the firm’s policy board in 1976. Bob was the regional partner for the New York area for a number of years before retiring in 1988. He co-authored Valuing a Company in 1971 with George McCarthy. He was a prolific writer on mergers and acquisitions during his career. While living in Memphis in the 1970s, Bob served on the CBU Board of Trustees. He was also a board director of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Memphis); St. Peter’s Home for Children; St. Agnes & St. Dominic Schools, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. n
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Signaigo Reborn SIGNAIGO SOCCER FIELD was rededicated in September 2010 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Originally dedicated in 1986 and named in honor of the late Joe Signaigo, the soccer field had been closed since November of 2008 as the City of Memphis installed a flood control system under the field (see inset photo, below right). New irrigation systems and a new scoreboard were also installed, and the light towers were renovated as the field level was lowered by several feet. Pictured at left at the ribbon-cutting are (l-r) Stephen J. Signaigo (son), Thelma Pieroni Signaigo (widow of Joe), Sharon Signaigo Thompson (daughter), Dr. Douglas Scarboro (representing the City of Memphis), John Moore (Greater Memphis Chamber), and Dr. John Smarrelli Jr. The completed field—including its popular new promenade, commonly dubbed “The Bridge” by students (see back cover), is not only back in business for soccer; it’s also been called into use for a brand-new purpose. On Saturday morning, May 14, 2011, it will become the site of a new tradition—the first on-campus, outdoor Commencement in CBU history. n
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TOP PHOTO BY JACOB EDWARDS; OTHER PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN
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OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT 650 EAST PARKWAY SOUTH MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38104
The Signaigo Field Promenade (aka “The Bridge”)
Published on May 7, 2011
The Magazine of Christian Brothers University
Published on May 7, 2011
The Magazine of Christian Brothers University