Nichols Fall-Winter 2018 Magazine by Nichols College

MAGAZINE Volume 13, Issue 1 | Fall/Winter 2018

Hire Education Training for Today’s Jobs

Saleha Ashfaq ’14, Daniel Roman ’14, Brieanna Baron ’17

From the President M A G A Z I N E Vo l u m e 1 3 , I s s u e 1 Fall/Winter 2018

Collaboration is key The plight of small private colleges nationwide, and particularly in New England, has made headlines in recent months. The abrupt closing of Mt. Ida College in Newton, Mass., has thrown a sobering spotlight on the vulnerability of institutions who rely on tuition as their primary source of revenue. Colleges are vying for a share of the shrinking college-aged market and contending with concerns about the cost of higher education.

counterterrorism. In August, for instance, we entered into a “4+1” agreement with Worcester State University that enables full-time undergraduate students pursuing a criminal justice degree at Worcester State to complete coursework for the undergraduate degree and a Master of Science in Counterterrorism in five rather than six years.

EDITOR Susan Veshi VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Bill Pieczynski CONTRIBUTORS Brent Broszeit, Pete DiVito, Jim Douglas, Rae Glispin,

Dr. Engelkemeyer and WSU President Barry M. Maloney

Lorraine Martinelle, Jillian Riches, Ron Schachter, Len Suprise, Molly Thienel

cement the new agreement.

DESIGN Studio K Design, Dudley, MA

Nichols College is not immune to these challenges, but we remain in a strong competitive position and vigilant about our financial health. Today we have record enrollment in the undergraduate day program, record revenues in the graduate program, and the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the college exceeded its goal. We have learned, however, that steering a steady course in this landscape is no longer sufficient; we must continually innovate and improve. One key to our success has been the formation of strategic partnerships to advance our brand of business and leadership education. In the past, I have reported on plans to develop robust corporate partnerships that include a range of offerings, from skills and professional development, to certificate and degree programs. In the last issue of Nichols College Magazine, we featured our on-site program with Fidelity Bank in Leominster. Most recently, Graduate and Professional Studies partnered with regional accounting firm, Wolf & Company, P.C., to tailor a Master of Science in Accounting degree for its employees. We’ve pursued collaboration with several community colleges to facilitate access to our four-year degree programs and with other colleges and universities to offer an affordable seamless path to students seeking expanded career opportunities through our graduate programs in accounting and

PRINTING Puritan Capital, Hollis, NH

We have also effectively paired up with area high schools to offer accounting, hospitality management, and accelerated courses, align with DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapters, host honors academies, and engage at-risk students — initiatives designed to strengthen the bridge from secondary to post-secondary education.

COVER/FEATURE PHOTOS Dan Vaillancourt Patrick O’Connor Photography Shrewsbury, MA

Nichols College PO Box 5000

In addition, thanks to many of you, we are connecting with local organizations and businesses to secure consulting projects, internships, and employment for our students. Building strategic alliances with the business community and educational institutions has a number of benefits, in addition to maximizing our resources and enhancing our enrollment. We ensure that our curriculum is relevant to the needs of today’s employers, we further demonstrate our value to the region, and we develop a greater network of opportunity for our students.

123 Center Road Dudley, MA 01571-5000 508-213-1560 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., M–F www.nichols.edu

Periodicals postage paid at Webster, MA, and additional mailing offices.

Nichols College MAGAZINE (UPSP 390480) is published twice a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Office of Advancement

The future is uncertain in higher education. But, as we confront the issues that await us on the horizon, we remain committed to preparing students to expand their own.

Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D. President

Nichols College PO Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

CONTENTS

ON CAMPUS

Nichols partners with accounting firm for custom degree

Rock, Dyakiv elected to Board of Trustees

AT H L E T I C S

Field hockey sports Bison green in Ireland

From the Archives

CLASS NOTES

2 Stroller urges 2018 graduates

to fight fear Film producer Louis Stroller ’63 gave 2018 graduates an image to consider: “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.” That advice served him well in a prolific career, from gopher in a television studio to commercial success working with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

12–22

Conquering obstacles as a Spartan: Jim Delorie ’03 15 45-year-old time capsule unearthed

Bison in the bar: Melissa Leonard ’99 MBA ’05, Joanne Rapuano ’91, Cynthia Begin ’87

Graduate alumnus challenges today’s corporate leaders in new book: Jonathan D. Villaire MSOL ’11

4-7 A brave new world of work NICHOLS REMEMBERS

Reunions spur class scholarships

Young alumni are putting their Nichols College education to the test, as they discover the expectations of today’s employers. See how Nichols is preparing graduates for a brave new world of work.

10 Hauntings on the Hill: A spirited campus On a 200-year-old campus, ghostly encounters are bound to happen. Archivist Jim Douglas has been collecting reports of the curious sightings and eerie occurrences that have become part of Nichols College lore.

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ON CAMPUS

Stroller urges 2018 graduates to fight fear by Lorraine U. Martinelle

At their May 5, 2018, graduation from Nichols College, 499 students in the Class of 2018 were advised by one of their own (who just happened to be a famous Hollywood movie producer) to never let fear stand in their way of pursuing their dreams. “You are all about to start new journeys into the real world, and although it sure is exciting, it can also be quite daunting,” Louis A. Stroller ’63 — whose movie credits include “Scarface” and “Carlito’s Way”— told the students in his Commencement address. “I want all of you to remember this saying — ‘Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.’ —when you’re going for your first job interview, or when you’re about to take a risk, or when you’re scared to reach for your dream. I hope, if years from now you don’t remember a single word from my speech today, you just remember that phrase and let that serve as your reminder to chase whatever dreams you have. I would not be standing here in front of all of you today if I didn’t take this same advice.”

Since graduating from Nichols, Stroller became a successful Hollywood film producer. He has been an assistant director, production manager, and producer on more than 40 films, working with some of Hollywood’s most renowned actors, including Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, Al Pacino, Nicolas Cage, Sean

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to build upon. It gave me the wherewithal to make movies with budgets from $350,000 to $200 million, and bring these pictures home, for the most part, on schedule and on budget. Not only that, Nichols also gave me the knowledge and confidence to deal with whatever life threw at me. This was due in part to the small, intimate atmosphere. It was also due to the professors who would give me that extra special attention and help that I needed to succeed. “Nichols gave me the educational groundwork, and my experiences while at Nichols shaped me into an individual who was prepared for the real world,” he added. “Without Nichols’ foundation, I would not have been able to succeed from a business standpoint.” Connery, and Sissy Spacek. His notable list of film credits also includes “The Bone Collector,” “Snake Eyes,” “The Rock,” “Carrie,” and “Sea of Love.” Stroller shared how he first got involved in the movie industry: His dad’s friend was filming a TV commercial at JFK airport and wanted to borrow Stroller’s old sports car. “Watching my dad’s friend and the rest of the crew work on the commercial, I was mesmerized. I was just fascinated by every little thing — all the technicians and the equipment, and all of the organization and coordination that went into this 60-second TV spot. I was hooked.” But before he got into TV and movies, Stroller first graduated from Nichols College. He told the audience how instrumental Nichols was in providing him with the tools he needed to achieve his goals. “Nichols was a dream come true for me,” said Stroller. “Nichols prepared me for what life had to offer. Never when I was attending Nichols did I think that I would have to put my knowledge to work in different parts of the world. Nichols College gave me a foundation

The Brooklyn-born Stroller humbly began his storied career as a gopher, sweeping stages and fetching coffee for the crew at a New York City television studio. (One of his early assignments was to chauffeur Harry S. Truman to the studio for a documentary production on the former president.) He became the unit manager of the Mel Brooks comedy classic, “The Producers,” and served as first assistant director on films such as “Charly,” Woody Allen’s “Take the Money and Run,” and “Lovers and Other Strangers.” During the ceremony, Stroller received an honorary Doctorate of Communications and Media. He was joined by M. Marcus Moran, Jr. ’66, retired CEO of W.E. Aubuchon Co. Inc., who received the honorary Doctorate of Business Administration; and Marilyn Fels, local humanitarian and philanthropist, who received the honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

Nichols partners with accounting firm for custom degree Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) has partnered with the regional accounting firm, Wolf & Co. P.C., to tailor a Master’s of Science in Accounting for its employees so that what they learn prepares them to work in the dynamic accounting industry of today. With the Nichols/Wolf custom MSA, employees earn the 30 additional credits required to become a CPA while avoiding courses they may have already taken during their undergraduate years and gain technology and “people” skills, all at no cost to them and paid for by Wolf. Meanwhile, Wolf will benefit from employing talented accountants and auditors who have the cutting-edge skills needed to succeed in the workplace of today and tomorrow. “Wolf & Co. could not pass up the opportunity to have an enthusiastic partner in Nichols College to collaborate with us on the content of the curriculum and flexibility of the

delivery method,” said Mark A. O’Connell, CPA, president and CEO of Wolf & Co. “With our offices in Boston and Springfield, Mass., and Livingston, N.J., and clients throughout the Northeast, remote classes utilizing the newest technology made the most sense to us. Nichols College has a strong reputation to be an innovative higher education institution, and we are happy to provide our employees with this unique opportunity.” Kerry Calnan, GPS executive director, added, “With this powerful opportunity to design and deliver a customized Master of Science in Accounting degree for Wolf & Co., a well-respected accounting firm in the Northeast, Nichols College yet again demonstrates how we’re making a proactive, thoughtful impact on industry by specifically meeting the strategic objectives of hiring managers.” Through the customized two-year MSA program, Wolf employees will not

only gain technology-and-soft skills but also find that the curriculum reflects an increased focus on work/life balance and reduced stress. Employees will take only one class during each seven-week cycle. The weekly synchronous session is 90minutes long and is offered remotely via videoconference technology, which provides students and instructor with face-to-face interaction. There is a seven-week break provided during the “busy season” peak work period from January to February. Classes include management internal control systems, critical thinking for accountants, auditing through information systems, professional accounting research and policy, negotiation and conflict resolution, data visualization and business intelligence, current trends in accounting, the future of data and analytics, employee engagement, and problem solving and analysis (capstone).

Rock, Dyakiv elected to Board of Trustees Nichols elected two new members to its 31-member Board of Trustees. Alvah “Al” O. Rock ’63, retired director of facilities and services at McGraw Hill Co.; and Anna Dyakiv ’14, a VIP member experience executive for the Boston Celtics organization. Rock, of Bay Shore, N.Y., retired in 2003 as director of facilities and services at McGraw Hill Co., in Manhattan, New York City, where he also served as chairman of the Board of Directors of the McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union. Previously, he was in banking in Rhode Island and New York. Rock has contributed to the Nichols College academic building, which

opened in 2015. He and his wife Susan created an endowed scholarship — The Rock Family Scholarship — for a returning Nichols student who demonstrates financial need, majors in management, and actively gives back to the Nichols and broader communities. Rock graduated from Nichols College in 1963 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in management and received an MBA from Adelphi University. At Nichols, he was a member of the Nichols College Fire Department, and is a charter and active member of the college’s Board of Advisors. He also served as a trustee of the Trinity-Pawling School for 17 years. Dyakiv, of Boston, Mass., is a VIP member experience executive for the Boston Celtics organization and

responsible for managing approximately 300 season ticket member accounts. She was previously an inside sales representative with the Miami Marlins. As a Nichols honors student, she double-majored in sport management and international business and was active in campus activities and clubs. Dyakiv, a native of Ukraine, was a standout athlete on the Nichols women’s tennis team, earning college and conference honors in singles and doubles all four years, and — as a first-year student in 2010 — was instrumental in the team’s first conference title. She’s still engaged with the team and is also a charter member of the Bison Club Advisory Board.

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Ever been part of an agile workplace?

A Brave New World of Work

Had to lead in your first year of your first job? Navigated an inundation of digital data?

by Ron Schachter

oung Nichols alumni are fast discovering that getting hired nowadays requires a set of skills and knowledge that wasn’t expected in their parents’ — or even in their big sister or brother’s — day. As soon as these newly minted employees walk into the workplace, they will likely encounter a world full of unprecedented challenges, as well as the expectations that they have arrived well-prepared. As recent Nichols grads in a range of positions, including those in human

resources, can attest, a growing number of companies and organizations expect their new hires to work with colleagues across multiple departments and teams; to understand the international business landscape; and to act as leaders from the get-go. For their part, Nichols graduates have held their own in past years, and more. In the most recent annual employment survey from the Nichols Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC), close to 95 percent in the Class of 2017 reported being fully employed (or studying full time in graduate school) within six months.

“Everything I did at Nichols helped me land where I needed to be.” –

Daniel Roman ’14 Client Partner - Enterprise Mobile Security, Verizon Wireless

“I think the numbers speak for themselves,” says CPDC Director Elizabeth Horgan.

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Daniel Roman ’14, client partnerenterprise mobile security at Verizon Wireless, offers his own explanation. “Everything I did at Nichols helped me land where I needed to be,” he says. “It wasn’t one class but the entire ecosystem that was the college. It functions much like a business, with people to network with, strategic challenges to overcome, simple problem solving, and collaboration.” With a new normal in view, Nichols and its students are staying ahead of the curve through an array of new programs. From team-based learning classrooms and a robust Emerging Leaders Program to a Visual Media Studio and the just-launched Bloomberg Market Concepts Program, the college is combining the state of the workplace with the state of the art. According to its 2018 Job Outlook Survey, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that the top four attributes businesses seek on the resumes of college grads include problem solving skills, the ability to work in a team, written communication skills, and leadership.

“No matter what industry you go into, whatever job you have, leadership skills are valued even with starting at the bottom,” observes Saleha Ashfaq ’14, an advisor for the Partners Services Team at Dell Technologies.

“I call them small board meetings. There’s a classic business dynamic,” Barnes says, adding that the week’s leader is tasked with aggregating the feedback from the full team and presenting the results to the whole class.

Brieanna Baron ’17, who works as part of a customer experience team at insurance company Unum, offers her fledgling career as a case in point. “I’m the youngest, least experienced person on our project, but I am still expected to lead the deliverables that are delegated to me,” she observes. “Nichols really did prepare me for this project that encompasses all levels of leadership.”

ELP, meanwhile, saw its first seniors graduate in the spring. Over their three years, the students participated in workshops, community service, and on-campus organizations and teams — all with an emphasis on taking initiative and thinking of the leadership possibilities in every situation.

Nichols has continued to expand its leadership programs, starting with a required course for all freshmen, followed by an elective three-year Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), which has filled out to 200 students. Associate Professor of Business and Law Nicholas Barnes sees the roots of leadership growing in his sections of the freshman course, nicknamed “Lead 101.” During every class, students work in groups of four or five to solve the leadership challenges posed in a spate of case studies.

For their community service, their work ranged from soup kitchens to Big Brother and Sister programs. “The focus here is on ‘servant leadership’ and giving back. A lot of companies have that philosophy nowadays,” explains Associate Dean for Business Luanne Westerling, who co-chairs ELP with Beth Gionfriddo, director of student involvement.

“I’m the youngest, least experienced person on our project, but I am still expected to lead the deliverables that are delegated to me.” –

Brieanna Baron ’17 Customer Experience Specialist, UNUM

Team-based learning also has taken on new dimensions in two technology-rich classrooms designed specifically for that process. The rooms — set in the new academic building, which opened three years ago — consist of more than a half dozen oval tables, each adjacent

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to a wall with a flat screen overhead for research, group work, and project presentations. “The rooms have a group dynamic. They’re set up so that by default students come into small working groups,” says Barnes, who teaches several courses there. “It physically causes teachers to go around to the tables and become facilitators.” “That’s a setup not uncommon in the business world,” Barnes points out. “Most information technology jobs have moved to more collaborative workplace roles, whether virtually or in person.” Baron took several classes in those rooms, which she says helped prepare her for the highly collaborative style practiced at Unum. She’s landed there as a customer experience specialist and as part of a team focused on improving service in the company’s disability insurance division. “Collaborating and working on a team is huge where I am,” Baron says, noting that Unum has taken group work to a new level by creating “an agile workspace.” There are no cubicles or dividers on the business operations floor, she says, the better for teams to work with each other. “I’ve loved being able to connect more by removing barriers,” she says. “You can turn around your chairs to work with someone else.” “It’s like the new academic building at Nichols,” Baron continues. “Being able to collaborate there in a safe space where it was okay to mess up and you could get constructive feedback provided good training and preparation for the corporate environment that I am in.” The reality of more teamwork in the workplace is not lost on Roman at Verizon Wireless. “Everything has synergies. There’s no more working in silos,” he emphasizes, adding that agility in any form is a valuable attribute in his company.

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“I mentor quite a few people and one of the biggest things is being dynamic and not stagnant,” he adds. “They need to understand a problem quickly, and be agile in decision making and following through on the solution.”

’99, MBA ’02 has managed human resources at Gentex, which manufactures polycarbonate eyeglass lenses. She is based at a facility in Dudley, Mass., but points out that her global company is based in Paris.

Dell’s Ashfaq, who previously worked at Hanover Insurance and EMC Corp., agrees. “One of the key components at all the companies I’ve worked for is your willingness to adapt to changes,” she says. “I’ve constantly had to deal with situations I hadn’t dealt with before. There are a lot of gray areas.”

“The biggest thing we look for is that our new hires have a world view,” Spitz insists. “We’re on all continents, and interacting with other cultures is important.” She gets that point across directly to Nichols students in her undergraduate

“One of the key components at all the companies I’ve worked for is your willingness to adapt to changes. I’ve constantly had to deal with situations I hadn’t dealt with before. There are a lot of gray areas.” –

Saleha Ashfaq ’14 | Partners Services Team Advisor, Dell Technologies

Working with others to solve problems and navigate those gray areas also has gone international. “A new trend is on its way in the tech industry,” notes Ashfaq, who belongs to a “remote work force” of team members in several countries and with whom she connects from home in Hopkinton, Mass. That situation comes with its own set of job requirements, Ashfaq adds. “Number one is self-discipline and I’m still working on it,” she admits. “If you’re working from home, you could be doing everything else except working.” She has also had to get used to not having immediate responses online. “If I have a problem, I may not be able to reach team members who have logged out,” she says. Having an international perspective extends well beyond Dell’s workforce. For almost two decades Shannon Spitz

course, International Human Resources Management. Among the topics, what it’s like for American employees to work in other countries. “We bring in people who have done international assignments,” she says, adding that some of the concerns she deals with can be as basic as “I wouldn’t really like the food” in another country. Even the traditionally stable and predictable field of accounting has been asking more of its college recruits. Paul Wigglesworth ’86 runs recruiting company Career Moves, LLC, which he founded in 2000. “Besides a higher GPA, accounting and finance companies today really look for leadership activities — sports, volunteering, internships,” he says. The Nichols’ accounting major has transformed itself to prepare students for a changing landscape, adding concentrations in areas such as forensic

accounting, which focuses on fraud, and information technology auditing. “We’ll attract more people who don’t want to be CPAs, but who are analytical and want to get into a data-oriented field,” says Accounting Chair Bryant Richards. “I’ve been talking to students who say, ‘Is that accounting?’”

“Mentoring would be huge,” Wigglesworth agrees. “It would be so helpful if students in their freshman or sophomore year could reach out to alumni in the field to find out how they got there.” “It’s a brave new world,” concludes Bryant. “And we’re on pace to prepare students well for the future.” Nichols, meanwhile, is taking on the ever-expanding place of technology through the debut this fall of the Bloomberg Marketing Concepts (BMC) Program, which will include a computer lab with special terminals that give students access to the same software and financial data provided by that business information and publishing company to corporations world wide. “Student research projects will have the ability to reach deeper into the subject matter through access to a broad range of current data,” says Finance Program Chair Christine Beaudin Durkin. “Access to the Bloomberg Terminals would help bridge the gap between academia and the real world.

Richards also points to a mentoring initiative, which launched as a pilot last year, and will expand this fall. He says that the new program, which places accounting majors with veterans for a total of 15 to 20 hours, will supplement the internships that those students take and better prepare them for the career to which they are headed. “We match them with all sorts of industry professionals, including partners and CFOs,” many of them Nichols alumni, to see what a day is like, to shadow, and to talk about the field, Richards says. “An explanation of the field is really critical. That’s one of the things we found that accounting students really need. And career success in the business world has so much more to do with mentoring, and finding and having relationships.”

“Fluency with Bloomberg’s terminal functions will make our graduates more appealing to prospective employers for both internship and full-time opportunities upon graduation,” she continues, emphasizing that students can also earn BMC certification. “Bloomberg certification is a valuable commodity that can be added to the resume along with a Bloomberg email address. These two additions to the resume will allow our students to stand out to prospective employers.” On another technological front, Nichols is providing high-end training in its Visual Media Studio at the new academic building. The studio features state-of-the-art cameras, a green screen, and professional lighting and editing equipment. Students from an array of classes have utilized the studio during its first two years of operation.

“This is the real deal,” says Robert Russo ’12 MBA ’13, the studio coordinator and visiting assistant professor. “We’re getting them to understand what they’re being asked by the real world. I envision them in the management side of creating digital media, involved in the entire process,” such as organizing meetings to make content and editing decisions. Some of Nichols’ longer standing programs have evolved as well. While a growing number of students have participated in internships — many in multiple internships — starting with this year’s freshman class, experiential learning will become a standard requirement. Likewise, the mandatory Professional Development Seminar (PDS) — which for more than a decade has equipped first-year students through seniors with job seeking, resume writing, and interviewing skills — has augmented its mock interview program. In recent years, juniors had practice interviews with guest interviewers, often alumni or other business professionals. This feature of the program has expanded to the sophomore class, with advanced majors in human resources management doing the interviewing. “We’ve added multiple weeks for sophomores,” says CPDC Director Horgan, who also directs the PDS program. “There’s been an overwhelmingly positive response from students.” For her part, Dell’s Ashfaq is looking ahead to whatever the workplace demands. “Things are changing, even in the four years that I’ve been working,” she reveals. “It’s challenging but I’m never bored.”

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AT H L E T I C S

Field hockey sports Bison green in Ireland by Pete DiVito

The Nichols College field hockey team made its second international trip in four years in early August when the Bison invaded Ireland. Second-year head coach Jenn Townsend ’15 was a member of the program’s inaugural international trip back in 2014, just prior to the start of her senior campaign. “When I think back on my time as a student-athlete at Nichols, the first thing that comes to mind is Argentina,” says Townsend, who is also an admissions counselor for the college. “We made it to the conference championship game my sophomore year and yet Argentina is what stands out to me above all else. It was amazing. We went to a ranch with gauchos and rode horses around Argentina. That’s what I remember.” Townsend recalls that former head coach Kristan Mallet — who coached

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Townsend during her playing days at Nichols — planned to take an international trip every four years so that a brand new group of studentathletes would receive the experience. When she took over the coaching reins in May of 2017, Ireland had already been chosen as the team’s destination. The next steps were to finance and schedule the trip, which was done through a company called Victory Sports Tours. “We held a clinic for high school aged girls in April, which was very successful,” explains Townsend. “We also did a calendar raffle as well as a 50/50 raffle, and sold concessions at basketball games. Through our fundraising efforts, we were able to cover about half of our expenses. The rest came outof-pocket.” Once the team was able to book the trip, Victory Sports Tours then sought

out club teams that were inviting international teams to play a match. Because ice hockey is not played in Ireland, the sports Americans refer to as field hockey is simply known as “hockey” to the locals. The Bison played three games on their trip: one in Dublin, one in Galway, and one in Limerick. “Field hockey was our primary focus, but we definitely wanted to explore the country and be touristy,” says Townsend. “The rules are mostly the same, however; they play four 20minute quarters as opposed to two 35-minute halves. I won’t lie, the

student-athletes enjoyed the little bit of extra rest! Also, all of the games are played on Astroturf, which plays much faster than the Field Turf we’re used to.” Before the games began, however, Townsend and the student-athletes were surprised to find some famous field hockey names hanging out watching the white, black, and green team from Dudley practice for the first time on European soil. “At our first practice on the trip in Dublin, we spotted two people watching us practice and chatting with our tour guide, Derek,” Townsend says. “Turns out it was the former coach of the Ireland Olympic Team, Craig Fulton, and his wife, Natalie, who competed for South Africa at the 2004 Olympic games. We took pictures with them afterwards and found out they live only a few minutes from the practice field.” The following afternoon, the Bison — whose travel party comprised 40 student-athletes, parents, and Nichols administrators — engaged in a walking city tour of Dublin, which featured stops at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Dublin Castle, Temple Bar, and O’Connell Street. The team played their first match against the Corinthian Hockey Club later that evening. Townsend’s squad visited Kilmainham Jail the next day, along with Trinity College, which Townsend says, “was an eye-opening experience, particularly in terms of their intense curriculum. Our tour guide was a recent graduate and the things she told us simply made us

all go, ‘Wow!’ At commencement, they line you up by GPA, so if you’re the last person called, everyone more or less knows what your grades are. It was crazy!” On their fourth and final day in Dublin, the Bison toured the famous Guinness Storehouse — the largest company in Dublin. Townsend explains, “Our tour guide told us that Guinness is the best place to work in Ireland, and that they provide housing. We also learned how Guinness is made and why it tastes better in Ireland. At the top of the factory is the best panoramic view in Dublin. It was so beautiful.”

From there, the team moved on to Galway and a contest with Jesus and Mary Secondary School, where junior Julia Paladino scored the first goal of the trip for the Bison. A guided city walking tour brought with it stops at the National University of Ireland, Galway Cathedral, Salm Weir Bridge, Connemara & Kylemore Abbey, and The Gladdagh in the Galway Bay. Oh, and an unexpected outdoor adventure. “Our bus driver in Galway was a woman named Jackie, who we came to find

out was one of only three female bus drivers in the entire country of Ireland,” Townsend details. “On our way to Galway, the GPS was taking us to Kylemore Abbey and it took us down this crazy, narrow road. Jackie didn’t feel comfortable going down this road with all of us on the bus, so we all hopped out and walked about four miles with the bus following us!” Sophomore Liza Phillips adds, “It doesn’t sound like fun, but I could never imagine that happening in America. It was cold and some of the team actually started running down the road in this Irish countryside. I can’t imagine ever again being on a road so beautiful and remote in my life.” After a brief stop at the Cliffs of Moher, the Bison headed off to Limerick, where they played their best match, a 2-0 defeat to Limerick Hockey Club. While in Limerick, they visited the Bunratty Castle & Folk Park to close out the trip. “Overall, the club teams we played weren’t as structured as in the United States, but they have a good time playing together,” observes sophomore Carlee Tolley. “The play was also much faster, which allowed us to grow as a team.” Phillips, meanwhile, was struck by the speed of the game. “Every field we saw was Astroturf, so all of the players in Ireland grew up learning the game on that surface. As a result, their style of play was very smooth. The ages of each of the teams varied; we faced teams composed of teenagers to women in their mid-40s.” Townsend has already begun thinking about the next international trip for the program, with possible destinations including Europe (e.g., Barcelona) or Australia.

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From the Archives a

Contributed by Jim Douglas

I had always heard about ghostly encounters on the Nichols College campus, but a phone call I received one night a number of years ago led me to start collecting them. “Have you heard anything about… ghosts in Budleigh?” the caller asked. “I was shaving in one of the bathrooms and when I looked up there was a face looking over my shoulder! But, when I turned around, there was no one! It really, really spooked me! [no pun intended]. I even called my Mom!” I discovered that many incidences seemed to have occurred in the older buildings on campus, such as Academy Hall, Conant Hall, the Guest House, and Budleigh Hall. Here are a few stories.

been seen staring and then walking into a bathroom. Another time, a staff member in a women’s room saw a pair of small feet wearing patent leather shoes in the next stall. When exiting, she expected to see a little girl, only to discover she was alone. Another story claims a “young spirit” named “Rebecca” was not allowed to attend school, so now she comes to sit in on classes. And, a member of the cleaning staff had seen a “pale woman in black, visible only from the waist up” floating down the stairs late at night. He was so frightened he refused to go back into the building. Two weeks later, a second person witnessed the same specter.

Conant Hall

Academy Hall “Cold spots” have been reported, as well as sudden breezes in rooms with closed windows and doors. Lights have gone on after being turned off. Chairs have shifted, and typewriters have turned on by themselves. A collegeaged man with “old-style clothes” has

Guest House

Built in the 1880s, Conant Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus (only the Guest House is older). Originally built as housing for students and a summer hotel, it was renovated in the 1930s with three floors for student rooms and a game room in the basement with a dart board and pool table. In later years, the building was used for faculty offices, but the

Nichols College Magazine

basement remained abandoned because of poor light and no heat. Late one night, teachers working on the first floor heard someone playing pool, balls being struck and rolling around on the pool table. This went on for a while and when they went down to look, the light was off and the room empty. Under the dim light, they saw the floor and pool table covered with a thick, undisturbed layer of dust. At that point, they also remembered that there hadn’t been any pool sticks or balls down there for years.

l Fall/Winter 2018

All by itself, an alarm clock mysteriously flies across a room. Footsteps and angry voices are heard even though only one guest visitor is in the house.

Ghost Encounters Haunted house?

Budleigh Hall A disembodied face is seen in a mirror. Doors slam. Running feet are heard. Faucets turn on by themselves. Convinced a friendly ghost is sharing her apartment, an RA names “him” Henry and soon students are doing the same. All seems fine until a mother, who happens to be a medium, is helping her son move in and reports that someone is screaming at her “My name is George, not Henry!” Ever since, the “ghost” in Budleigh has been referred to as George.

Campus hauntings are nothing new. Some ghost stories are meant to entertain, some to be cautionary tales. According to Elizabeth Tucker, folklorist and author of “Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses,” "Campus ghost stories have distinctive patterns, because they are told by young people who are going through a big transition in their lives: the liminal stage between adolescence and adulthood. Campus ghosts reflect both the issues and stresses that come up at college and movement toward adulthood, an exciting but relatively unfamiliar stage of life." Patterns she has noticed: sightings/ encounters usually occur in older buildings; first-year students are often involved; attics and basements are often involved; and “campuses with lively ghosts usually have strong cohesion.” School spirits reflect school spirit.

Between 1939 and 2004, presidents of Nichols College lived in a house just down the road from campus. A former president once said it was not unusual for lights to turn on and off, for locked doors to become unlocked, and for the heat to unexpectedly come on because a thermostat had been mysteriously moved higher. Everyone in the family vehemently denied having anything to do with any of this. Guests would report hearing footsteps, the sound of a woman’s heels, on the floor above when, in fact, no one was there and, moreover, all the rooms above were carpeted wall-to-wall. One night, while watching television, a commercial for the singer, Norah Jones, came on. The television sound grew louder and louder, yet the remote was out of reach on a table. Residents thought the house was haunted by the wife of a previous college president who had died there. Her name was Eleanor, but everyone called her “Nora.”

Protecting our turf? At 10 o’clock one summer night, a student and his girlfriend were taking a run/walk around the track surrounding the football field, most of which was lit except for a dark section by a wooded area. They ran then walked for about an hour and their conversation fell to Nichols College football. They discussed the disappointing records of the team over the past several years and may have made a joke or two about it. About that time, the student thought he heard footsteps behind him, but his girlfriend had not. A little later,

she suddenly screamed as they both saw a tall dark figure walking toward them from the unlit section. They sprinted up the hill and straight to Public Safety who involved the police. Their investigation turned up nothing. That night, they heard “touching” at their door, and woke to find red track scuffmarks on it. The next day, the student returned to the track and remembered, “... we were absolutely fine until we started making fun of the football team,” he says. “So is this a ‘ghost’ experience? I have no idea. All I know is that it was absolutely terrifying. Gut wrenching, run-for-your-life terror. I have never been so scared in my life.” Maybe a former coach or player was protecting his Bison turf.

Perhaps you experienced a strange encounter on the Hill or heard about something that happened to others during your time at Nichols. If you would care to share your story, I would love to hear it! Please send your comments to me at jim.douglas@nichols.edu or to my attention at Conant Library, 127 Center Road, Dudley, MA 01571.

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

1956

awards and, in 1983, was awarded

Class Scribe: Arthur Fries

Award. I made out okay also and

917 Jordan Ct.

have now been retired for 30

the Nichols Alumni Achievement

Nipomo, CA 93444-6625

years. We enjoy coastal NC and

805-343-6400

like to travel, play golf, and boat,

friesart@hotmail.com

plus participate in church activities. One of the most

From the Class Scribe…

rewarding classes I took at I look back on the 60th, as well as the 50th, reunion I attended and what I noticed was there are

Nichols was Mrs. Riopel’s typing class. In the army, it saved me from a lot of rifle carrying, and

fewer of us, more white or no hair on our heads, and bigger

later, as an outside sales person, I could type up contracts on the

pouches. I'm “semi-retired,” still

So many updates, so little space The Alumni Relations Office is grateful to our class scribes for their hard work and tenacity. In particular, our Golden Bison — and those nearing their 50th class reunions — appear to generate an outpouring of detailed responses to their requests for information. Most of the entries, unfortunately, need to be shortened to magazine space constraints. Our hope in the coming months is to create a publication specifically for Golden Bison updates. What do you think? Let us know at alumnioffice@nichols.edu.

spot. Even today, as a church

working as a disability claim consultant out of my home office

treasurer, I use it quite a bit and

were playing an Ivy League

Rich Knoener writes, "Remember

remember her marching music.”

school. On the field next to us

the old days at Bernie’s? Oh! Yes,

25 to 35 hours per week (the past 22 years). I get to play in

1957

between (bocce ball, 12 holes of golf and then ping-pong). Living

Class Scribe: Kent Tarrant

in central coast California with its

(413) 566-5130

small town atmosphere has been

kent100@charter.net

wonderful these past eight years

was Dartmouth playing Brown in

I do! … Gloria and I are busy in

rugby. As it turned out we did not

the gardens and touring around

win but we represented Nichols

in the Austin Healey.”

quite well. Paul Zimmerman reports, “As Bart Henkle is still living in The

usual, Pete Judd will be traveling to New Hampshire to play in the

1958

Villages and keeping busy. With

with Cindy, the same broad I

630 holes of golf, 162 pickle ball

annual Bald Peak Men's Member/

married after we met the last

Class Scribe: Pastor Paul Price

courts, 80 recreational centers,

Guest Golf Tournament. We will

year at Syracuse University. We

937-631-7649

and 2,800 clubs and activities, it's

either finish first or last in our

live in a newer structure in a

pprice@woh.rr.com

hard to find free time. For more

flight. Then in turn, I'll fly to SC as

golf/wine community and just "outside" veggie and grape land.

1959 > 60th Reunion

info, give him a call or email

his guest at Dataw Golf Club for

bnhenkle@aol.com.

his tournament. Have been doing

It’s a bit different from our 15

it for 10 years.”

1962

years in Newport Beach by the water. Although I do miss sailing,

Class Scribe: Charlie Howe

it was nice to move out of La La Land into a smaller community

charleskatehowe@gmail.com

with more land to grow veggies.

609-494-5450

Phillip Enright writes, “…I lost all of my sight, but I am hanging in there. I remember selling milk and sandwiches in the dorms from Bazzie’s and working at Webster Spring Factory for 75 cents an hour. Do you remember Sneaker Pete’s bar?” Glenn Terrill writes, “… My best friend growing up, until his death 18 months ago, was Dick Coe. We

Note from Pete Whitney: "Whale, Bev and I doing well. Ty (50) and

Pete Judd writes that he spent 10

Elizabeth (48) are also well.

weeks in the Bahamas this winter.

Grandson Trip just graduated

He has been relearning golf, as

from Florida Atlantic University,

his handicap has continued to

From the Class Scribe…

and Kaylee will be a sophomore

creep up. (I'm sure that PZ will be

We were all saddened to learn of

at the University of Georgia.”

happy to learn that.) Pete also says they spent a week in

the passing of Bruce Haslun '63, a dear friend, a teammate, a

Bill Brown replied with a “Hello,

Connecticut visiting family and

promoter of Nichols and a role

Charlie.” Thanks, Bill, at least I

friends. His granddaughter, Tessa

model for all of us class scribes. A

know that you are out there.

Barry (Wendy's youngest), will be a senior at Endicott College this

view down memory lane with Bruce always included a story

Dick Makin and his wife, Pam,

fall. He and Pat are taking their

about our lacrosse trip to Brown

spent several weeks in the South

first cruise in October (Oceania)

U. We weren't sure how Hal

of France celebrating a milestone

to Spain, France, Croatia, and

Chalmers arranged to get them

birthday. “Sort of last hurrahs,”

Italy.

on our schedule, but there we

he says.

both had less than stellar high school grades but we applied to Nichols and the good colonel let us attend on ‘academic probation.’ We studied real hard and got pretty good grades. Dick went on to become a bank

Please send your news directly to your class scribe. If you do not have a class scribe, news may be forwarded to classnotes@nichols.edu. Digital images are preferred, but please do not crop them! The higher the resolution the better — 300 dpi (dots per inch) is best. Digital images may be sent directly to the Alumni Relations Office classnotes@nichols.edu. Prints may be sent to: Nichols College, Alumni Relations Office, P.O. Box 5000, Dudley, MA 01571.

president, received many civic

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

John Turro and I continue to

Classmates, Ross is also

mid-forties and Warren says he

keep in touch via phone. We are

experiencing some health issues.

can still dunk the basketball

hoping to get together during

Give him a call and wish him well.

(although while standing on the third rung of a stepladder).

one of their trips to Atlantic City this summer. Kate and I are

I have been trying for months to

hoping to spend a few days

get in touch with Mike Peretz

A ’63 alumnus challenged the

with Hugo and Carol Pagliccia

with little success. I found a

class to come up with a beanie

on Nantucket this fall, and,

clothing business he and his wife

that freshmen wore in the ’50s

Toz and Bruce

hopefully, be able to coordinate

owned in Orleans, MA, and

and ’60s. For every one he

it with a return to the Hill for

learned from an employee that

received, the challenger would

Mike had been ill. I later learned

donate $100

that, unfortunately, he had

to the Class

homecoming. Every year I say this, and I will say it again: If you have not visited the Nichols campus, make it a point to do so. If you have not supported the college in some way, do it now! I cannot tell you how proud I am to be a part of what is going on at Nichols and seeing the great accomplishments that the college has made over the last 56 years. Whether you know it or not, a great deal of leadership and support over these many years has come from Nichols graduates. Be Bison! From George Withington: “… I worked for London Harness Co., a high quality leather goods and luggage store for about 25 years. I held many roles at the company over the years.” Nelson Durland was awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the County of Sullivan of New York for his dedication to the

College. I received an email from Carol indicating he passed away in the early morning hours of May 30, 2018. She said that while he was in the hospital he started to write to the Toz. I received her permission to publish his writing. “On May 30, 2018, the Good Lord decided Bruce Ivar Haslun had had enough of the good life and it was time to call him home to the next duty. He went out with a big smile on his face as who wouldn’t, having such a loving wife, son and daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. He was, as usual, dressed in sartorial elegance of a lime green PJ shirt with a Tony Tiger picture, reading “Tired Little Tigger.” He always prided himself on his dress. If given a chance in the next life, he was hopeful of something in the Sea & Air Rescue line of work, a la Kevin Costner in ‘The Guardian’ movie, maybe even training some more junior angels to achieve ‘Rescue man’ status.”

community as a firefighter. He says, “I still answer daytime fire calls. I have a desire to try to always keep going in the right direction.”

1963 Class Scribe: Art Tozzi 3710 Marion Court N Wilson, NC 27896 252-291-7020 toz1369@earthlink.net From the Class Scribe… It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Bruce Ivar Haslun, a good buddy and a great friend and alumnus of Nichols

Best to you, Bruce, for fair winds and good sailing. You’re in our hearts and we’ll miss you, but you’re off to a much better place. Ross Chambers informed me that his Nichols roommate, John Leonard, passed away June 27. He writes, “…He had been ill for several years and was in very bad shape the last six months or so. On the bright side of things, he never would have met his wonderful wife if it were not for Dr. Nath’s trip to Europe his junior year when he met Robin in Ireland traveling with her parents.” Our prayers are with you, John.

passed away during the winter

of ’63

months. That’s all I know but our

Endowed

prayers go with Mike and his wife

Scholarship.

Gloria and family.

Fred Potter not only had a beanie, he had the Nichols Sailing Club Banner, both of which were donated to the Nichols archives. George Euler provided the following update: After a twoyear stint in the Combat Engineers (7th Army 11th Eng.

Hugo Pagliccia and his lovely

Grp 547th Combat Eng. Bn Hq

wife Carol enjoyed cocktails with

Co) in Battalion Communications

Gene “The Navigator” Cenci and

as a Crypto operator, George

his equally lovely and talented

worked at Doubleday, Allstate

wife Ann. On the way to Nichols’

Insurance, and Grumman Aircraft

Naples reception, Gene got lost

Corporation for 36 years. He

and was headed for the Keys

started on the F-14 program in

when “Bitchin’ Betty,” the GPS,

1967 and ended

saved the day. Gene and Ann

his career on the

were the ultimate hosts in

Egyptian E-2C

providing lodging and sustenance

program in 2005.

for the Lombards and myself.

George and his wife, Florence,

On the way down to Florida, I

have two children and four

stopped in Myrtle Beach to have

grandchildren. They celebrated

lunch with Bruce Siegal and

their 50th wedding anniversary

Warren Bender ’64 at the

with a trip to Alaska and a

famous Dead Dog Saloon.

stopover in Vancouver, BC. He is

Thanks for lunch, Bruce, and

in contact with his Merrill Hall

thanks, Warren, for the Dead Dog

roommate, Ted Shepard. He

shirt, which I wear to church on

reports, “…I keep myself busy

Sundays to remind me to repent.

annoying my wife and doing

Both look like they are in their

woodworking in my doghouse. Can’t complain, as it is heated in the winter and A/C in the summer. Life doesn’t get any better.” Spoke with Bob Donovan. He has been experiencing some health issues but promises to send an

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

update shortly. We had a good talk and a lot of laughs about our

Fellow ’64 Mates,

forming Jack MacPhail LLC for

home/garden chemicals

I handed in my “class scribe”

the last nine years.

throughout the US.

European trip with Dr. Nath. Our

resignation, and wanted to use

class was the first afforded the

my last one to tell you that I have

opportunity to make the

really enjoyed trying to pass

European summer trip.

along any input I received from our class. I know there are several

Eric Hofer reports that after

of you out there that could do a

graduating from the Forestry

great job. “Not as good as I was,”

Phil Collins spent 38 years as an

Duke MacNair notes that upon

executive in the financial service

graduating in ’66, he and a

industry. He has been married to

Nichols friend went from Maine to

Susan for over 50 years; they

California in three months,

have raised two sons, Flip and

visiting every baseball stadium in

Scott, and are blessed with

the Major Leagues. He was

grandchildren, Cannon Grace (7

drafted and trained at Fort Dix,

months) and Greyson (4 years).

Fort Lee, and Fort Jackson, and

worked for the U.S. Forest

The Collins live in north Virginia

became a sergeant assigned to

Service at the Northeast Forest

Best of health to all and travel

and spend winters in Naples, FL.

the 2-7 First Cavalry in Vietnam.

Experiment Station in Bartlett,

safe. Thanks again.

Program he got a BS in forest

but the void will be filled soon

management from Penn State,

enough.

NH. He entered the Navy in 1966 and served 20 years as a naval

“And The Beat Goes On.”

intelligence officer, living in

1965 and 1966

Denver, Virginia Beach/Norfolk (twice), and Alexandria, VA

Class Scribe: Jack MacPhail ’65

(twice). He worked primarily on

Phil keeps in touch with

He was once named Soldier of

classmates Bill Scott and Duke

the Month ("…from a Duke to a

MacNair on a regular basis and

Mayor and then Soldier of the

has seen Bobby Dublin and

Month, it doesn't get any

Jeff Gould ’68 in Florida. He is a

better!”) He married a "fine

big hockey and golf fan, and

young lady" from Green

closely follows Bison hockey.

503-227-2761

aircraft carriers and traveled around the world, retiring in 1986

jackmacphail1@gmail.com

met through friend Phil Collins. In Lew Gelman recently visited Rumford, RI, to follow a young

as commander. He and his wife, Rita, and two sons moved to their current home in Exton, PA. He worked for GE Aerospace in Valley Forge, which became

Class Scribe: Phil Collins ’66

New Jersey golfer at

703-627-9924

Wannamoisett Country Club

pecollins10@aol.com

competing in the Northeast

From the Class Scribes…

Martin Marietta, then LockheedMartin and then a couple of spin-offs, retiring in 2013 as a

Amateur. He and good friend, Henry St. Cyr, spent two days

Our intention with taking on the

observing the finest amateurs in

role of class scribes is not just to

the country and recalling stories

collect and share updates but

from their days at Nichols.

senior staff systems engineer. For

also to facilitate the rekindling of

the past three years, he has been

relationships with Nichols friends.

a full-time caregiver for Rita, who

Tom Pearsall lives in Lititz, PA,

You should have received a copy

was diagnosed with dementia. He

where he and his wife Sandi have

of the contact information for

a small horse farm.

was sorry to miss the last two

your classmates. (If not, contact

Nichols forestry reunions. Eric,

Jillian at 508-213-2211.) We

our prayers are with you and

challenge you to reach out to two

your wife.

Mt. Gretna, PA, which he and

Nichols friends!

his wife of 22 months, Sherry,

Seth Kisenge lives in Dar es

Jack MacPhail lives in Portland, OR, where he and his wife,

is doing well and thinks often and

Sandy, moved seven years ago.

fondly of his time at Nichols

They have five kids and nine

College and all of the friends he

grandchildren between them.

made.

After graduation, he served in the Army in Vietnam for 18 months

Best to y’all. Stay vertical with

and attended graduate school at

grass under your shoes.

Cornell. He lived in and out of New York City and Connecticut

1964 > 55th Reunion

for 40 years, working at Chase Manhattan bank for 24 years,

Class Scribe:

including stints in Stockholm and

Warren Bender (retired)

Tokyo, and in leadership

843-492-6727

consulting with a Southern

wbender@sc.rr.com

California company and Korn Ferry International, before

Nichols College Magazine

Ben Wiley has a cottage in

enjoy each summer. Winters are

Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa. He

l Fall/Winter 2018

Mountain, Gayle Slater, whom he

spent at their home in Sun City, Bluffton, SC. Art Assad reports that his wife of 53 years, Sandie, passed away on June 18 of colon cancer. Sandie, a 1967 graduate of Wellsley, accompanied Art on his travels around the country on assignments with Chevron. They moved to Atlanta in 1984, where she went into the real estate business, retiring in 2012. Art continues to run Agrisel USA Inc., which makes and distributes agricultural, golf course and

1969, he was one of the first American salespeople for Sony and became audio manager. He moved on to TDK in key accounts and then national sales manager. He served as a vice president for a small sales company of Pioneer Electrics, which eventually merged with the parent, and retired after 30 plus years as director of sales. Their son, JD, is a RE/MAX broker and grandson Houston graduated from the Citadel in Charleston, SC. The MacNairs enjoy travel, especially to Paris and Florence. They live in Cherry Grove Beach, SC, and get together with Warren Bender ’64 and Bruce Siegel a few times each year, as well as Phil Collins in Naples, Bill Scott, and Jeff Gould. Bob Hildebrand is doing well in the Berkshires where he has

spent his summers since 1987.

Sarasota. Bob and his friend

He graduated from BUDS (Basic

and jump schools. He became a

Bill Nelson and his wife Judy stay

Aleksandra Geyer had a

Underwater Demolition School)

member of SEAL TEAM 2, went

over at Bob's B&B and go to

wonderful time in Barcelona and

in Norfolk, VA, followed by swim

to Special Forces school, then to

Tanglewood and other venues.

Madrid this May and are planning

Vietnam in 1969, as an XO. He got

Bob also gets together with

to cruise the Danube in 2019.

off active duty in 1971, but stayed

Dick Moran joined the Navy in

retiring as a Navy Captain (SEAL).

North Port, FL. Bob is also

February of senior year. After

In 1975, he married Brenda

fortunate to be able to spend

graduation, he was sent to AOCS

Edwards from North Carolina and

time with his daughter Laura and

in Pensacola, FL, and was

they had two daughters, Ashby

son-in-law Declan who reside in

commissioned an ensign in 1966.

and Kristin. Brenda passed away

in the SEAL reserve until 1996,

Towner Lapp and his wife Marjorie at his winter home in

Conquering obstacles as a Spartan Jim Delorie ’03

To hear what Jim Delorie ’03 has been

old son Cooper, can be a part of his

recruit? He’s

up to in recent years, you may literally

professional life at the college, joining

bigger, faster,

have to catch him. Since he started

him for events or meals on campus.

and stronger

“running down the rabbit hole” of

Cooper, in particular, is able to

than you.”

obstacle course races (OCR) in 2015,

accompany his father in some of his

Delorie

Delorie now competes regularly in

day-to-day work activities. Delorie has

continues to

Spartan races around the country

also been able to incorporate his OCR

have strong

among the elite competitors. Though

passion on the job. “[Thomas College]

bonds with

sponsored by Maine Dairy Council and

President Laurie Lachance loves my

class and

a member of the Nor’easter OCR team,

Spartan story and challenged me to

teammates,

Delorie schedules this around his full-

create a race on campus so, with the

particularly

time job and family commitments.

help of many others, we did just that.”

those with whom he studied sport

Delorie is the assistant dean for

The 4th Annual Dirty Dog Mud Run

management. His internships with the

was held this past spring.

Patriots and Nutmeg State Games (still

student engagement at Thomas

run by executive director and friend,

College in Waterville, Maine, where he

His pursuit of the physical challenges

Patrick Fisher ’01) provided him a

has worked since 2010. In addition to

aligns with his priority of life-long

professional edge. His advice for

these duties, he manages the athletics

health and wellness for himself and his

current Bison? “Be involved, get

facilities on the campus. He is grateful

family. Delorie played football while at

engaged with the staff, students and

that his family, wife Mandy and 6-year

Nichols under Coach Bill Carven ’94

faculty around you if you want to

where his fitness passion

succeed. Take advantage of what is

was fueled through his

offered.”

love of the game. As a player and teammate, he

When he is not working and training,

was able to build mental

which includes running 40 miles a

and physical strength to

week, he supports Mandy in her fitness

face stress and challenges

endeavors. They both are also busy

during his college years

with Cooper’s activities, which include

and beyond. He says

Kid Spartan races and swimming at

Coach Carven would push

the lake.

him by saying, “Jimmy,

– Molly Thienel

have you seen the new

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

in 2013 and is buried in Arlington

engagement. Sue died of lung

"American Son," at the

National Cemetery. Dick worked

cancer in 2012, but they had been

Barrington Stage Company in

for Chemsearch, a division of

able to travel to all 50 states, all

Pittsfield, MA. Their first venture

NCH Corp., in sales, retiring in

the Canadian provinces and

in play sponsorship. The play,

2017, after 28 plus years. He lives

territories, 15 or so foreign

written by Christopher Demos-

in Virginia Beach and spends time

countries and crossed the Arctic

Brown, a trial lawyer from Florida,

with his kids and two grandbabies.

Circle. They adopted two sons,

is going to Broadway on October

He is involved with the local

Eric and Ethan, but Eric

6 and will run 16 weeks. It stars

UDT/SEAL Association.

succumbed to complications of

Kerry Washington and Steven

Jim Jackson (right) farms 380

diabetes in 2015. Ethan Evans,

Pasquale.

acres of organic apples and

Chuck Evans graduated an

PhD, is an associate professor at

accounting major, but was a

UC Sacramento. Chuck retired

From Bob Dublin: “…I hesitate to

including the varieties

“forester at heart.” He and

from the Erie Daily Times after 22

share the mundane history of my

Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Granny

Brad Goodrich traveled to Alaska

years as a computer guru and is a

being with anyone but here's the

Smith and Pink Lady. His children

while it was “still the Last

big fan of the Erie Otters of the

timeline as I think I remember it.

are now involved in several

Frontier.” He moved to Erie, PA,

Ontario Hockey League.

Out in June of 1966, worked for

aspects of the business, and he

Kodak from 1967-1968, US Navy

hopes one day some of his 14 grandchildren will join. The

joined the West Lake Fire Dept.,

cherries in Washington State,

and married Sue after a six-week

In 2016, Dave and Susan Lombard

from 1968-1972, Dublin Machinery,

courtship and six-month

co-sponsored an original play,

Inc. from 1972-2015, retired in

apples and cherries are marketed

Nokomis, FL. Hobbies include

all over the US in stores like

golf, fly-fishing and darning

Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods,

45-year-old time capsule unearthed

socks. I know you must be on

Safeway, Kroger, Wegmans, Stop

your tiptoes at this point, but

& Shop, HEB, under the brand

relax, there's no more to report.”

names Daisy Girl, Rainier, Stemilt,

1969 > 50th Reunion

“respectable apple whiskey,”

and Sage. He also makes a called Royal Bluff. Class Scribe: Robert “Kuppy” Kuppenheimer

Dan Stewart owns Freedom

rkuppy@gmail.com

Renewable Energy Systems,

From the Class Scribe…

specializing in commercial applications but also residential,

Robert L Savage’s family started Hassay Savage Co., which designs and builds precision tools called broaches, used by most all sectors of manufacturing A demolition crew working on the Lombard Dining Hall renovation discovered a time capsule on May 9, almost 45 years to the day that the contents were sealed in the building’s cornerstone. While the box containing the items was damaged in the demolition, the documents themselves, which were sealed well in plastic, remained unharmed (with the exception of yellowing newsprint, rusty paperclips, and a dank smell… what could we expect?) The contents were sealed at a May 12, 1973 cornerstone ceremony, during which

members of the Nichols and local communities contributed items such as a school catalog, a student directory, a 1972 financial statement, a town report, The Bison newspaper, a description of the new dining hall, and a copy of the prayer said at the ceremony.

industries worldwide. They sell to

In a letter on behalf of the Faculty Senate, its chair, Professor Daniel Van Leuvan, called the occasion “…an expression of faith in the future of Nichols College and evidence of confidence in the enduring values of higher education.”

American agency for a French

non-profit, and governmental segments. He uses bifacial panels, which produce energy from both sides compared to the current mono panels and provide greater efficiency yet need less space.

26 countries. Robert managed production, and then worked for Chomerics in Woburn as regional sales manager and Motorola Semiconductor in Los Angeles before returning to the family business as president in 1980. They took on an exclusive North company, Magafor, in 2000, and added GMauvais in 2010 — all precision cutting tools sold through industrial distribution. In 2017, he sold the company to Eric Hagopian, and fully retired in June. He lives with his wife, Donna Fernandes, in Buffalo, NY.

Jim Kerley recently reminisced with Kuppy over breakfast. He reports that during his career, he worked in the life insurance business, as a successful small business owner in the financial services industry, and with LIMRA. “Over the years, I have been flexible enough to transform from a corporate executive and entrepreneur, to engage with people from all over the world, and now I represent an international trade association, on the world stage…. My family had to find ways to restart, after my winning fight with cancer and the

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

death my wife, Donna, in 2005.”

students trying to figure out

logged a few miles. The bad news

He spends time with his

where they might be heading in

is 11,000 we were being towed.

business, which was started by

granddaughters (2), sons (2), and

life and Brent, who does a great

Our family continues to grow

his father. “It’s no small feat to

life partner, Lissa, and enjoys

job telling them what Nichols has

with a fifth grandchild expected

survive over 75 plus years in an

traveling, golfing, photography,

to offer, it was well worth my

in November. We made a trip

environment that just gets

time. I learned a lot about all the

to India this year and are headed

tougher and tougher.” He has

programs Nichols now offers.

to Germany in September to visit family.”

visited Nichols a few times. “It’s

and cooking and entertaining.

hardware and major appliance

Rick Bauzenberger says he

Wow, what a difference from

and Barbara look forward to

the ’60s!” (This past year, Robert

attending the 50th next year.

created the Keller Family

improvements made

“It will be the first visit back to

Endowed Scholarship for a

on campus. Our last

so encouraging to see all the upgrades and

Nichols since graduating.

student from Long Island.) Bob

visit was to watch

Probably won’t recognize

and Ray Wenzel got together at

the basketball team

a thing.”

his place in East Marion, NY, in

win the division

July with their wives and Fred

championship, fun.”

Douglas MacMillan notes that he

Magnus ’68. “…We played at our

has retired from his 30-year

local golf course, did some

Roberto Alvarez

involvement/part ownership of

fishing (very little action) and, of

reports, “…After

his business in Long Island, and

course, did some serious eating

concluding a 32-year

now resides in Medfield, MA. He

and drinking. We do this every

career with IBM, we

has three children, twins Christine

year, and it’s always lots of fun

and Carol of Norfolk, MA, and

catching up and talking about old

Nichols grads, second from left, Glenn Hood ’68, Gary Walsh ’71 , and Marc Emmi ’75

have settled in the Savannah, Georgia,

sporting community called Ford

times.”

1971

president of the Eaton Families

Alex Gottfried lives in

Gary Walsh shared the picture

Association, an internet based

Framingham, MA, and has spent

(above) of alumni who found

outdoors. Our children, now 30

group of Eatons studying

most of his career in software

themselves at the National Marine

and 28, live close by in the

their ancestral heritage, serves

sales and sales management to

Distributors Step Conference in

as the family genealogist, and is

insurance agencies, insurance

Denver, CO, in 2001. He admits

the project manager of the Eaton

companies and credit unions. For

this picture has been on his desk

Scott of Brooklyn, and four

Plantation. We love to golf, fish

grandchildren. He volunteers as

DNA Program, helping others

11 years, he has been serving as a

for a few years! It was interesting

decipher the results of

reverse mortgage consultant at

that three out of the four

Y Chromosome DNA Tests.

Senior Funding Group. He and

graduated from Nichols and all

He and his wife Janet own a

Karen have been married for 47

ended up in the same field.

second home in the Otis Wood

years and both of their children

Lands in the Berkshires where

are Nichols alumni. Alex, Jr. '96 is

1972

they are active in the

a professional recruiter for

Class Scribe: Mark Alexander

and in general, enjoy the

Atlanta area. If travels ever take you to the Low Country,

homeowners association, both

Complete Staffing Solutions in

having been on the board, and

Burlington, MA. Allison '03 works

please do not hesitate to call

Doug as past president.

for Brown Brothers, Harriman in

Donn Bleau returned to his

678-428-3771.”

Boston and is now stationed in

native New York State from his

Robert Keller attended an

Krakow, Poland. She was married

home in San Diego to attend his

Internship and Career Alliance

on July 14. Alex is on the Athletic

50th Reunion from Averill Park

Event at a local HS with Brent

Hall of Fame Committee at

HS. He also attended opening

Broszeit, director of development.

Nichols and attends football and

day at Saratoga, and the Baseball

“Between listening to HS

mark1alex12@gmail.com

hockey games, occasionally

Hall of Fame induction

running into Don MacQuarrie,

ceremonies at Cooperstown.

1973 traveled the world, “walking on all the continents,” and has also

46 years old from Verizon. My wife and I have been traveling for the last 22 years. We spend three weeks in Aruba for the last 33 years, cruises and islands. We have seven grandchildren starting

Lee McNelly, and Tom Hall. Jonathan Blake says that he has

Richard Barber notes, “I retired at

at 16 years, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7 and 3 years old. Our three children have

Class Scribe: Jay Reese (508) 359-7862

been very successful in their careers.”

Jay.reese@verizon.net

enjoyed 12,000 miles in the last 10 years aboard his boat,

From the Class Scribe…

Sundance, with wife Susan and

Stephen Page retired after 50

dog Crew. “…The old boat has

years in the family’s retail

alumni.nichols.edu

Pete Monico reports, “It's been just a year since my wife Kim and I traveled to Italy for our

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

Bison in the Bar

Many Nichols College alumni find productive and satisfying careers in the law. This year, we reconnected with three alumnae who discussed their distinct area of practice and how Nichols prepared them for it.

fitness instructor at the Inspired Arts Co. in town, an aspiration she has had since discovering group fitness as an outlet while in college.

Joanne Rapuano ’91 Melissa Leonard ’99 MBA ’05 Melissa Leonard ’99 MBA ’05, a trial attorney for MAPFRE insurance in Webster, Mass., represents policyholders in court trials all over the commonwealth. Aside from her time in the courtroom, she reviews testimony with her clients and prepares documents, motions, and statements for trial. Leonard was introduced to her employer at a career fair at Nichols but opted first for an opportunity at an internet software company in Boston. The long commute influenced her search for local career options, and she joined Commerce Insurance Company (now MAPFRE) in 2000 as a claims adjuster. She advanced quickly over the years to supervisor and management roles and became interested in law while working as a litigation consultant. After passing the Massachusetts bar exam, she became an office manager of the staff counsel office at MAPFRE. “With my prior supervisory experience and my MBA, I filled that role while being able to practice law,” she says. With an influx in cases and a year of experience, Leonard was promoted to her current position of trial attorney. Her Nichols coursework is still influential in her day to day. “There was always an underlying and fundamental message regarding customer service and recognizing that customers are also internal within the organizations we work. That message is key to the position that I have now,” states Leonard, who is a member of Nichols Board of Advisors. “Professor Hilliard taught the importance of knowing and remembering specific non-work related things about the people you work for, those who work for you, and those who work with you; recognizing that we’re all human and not just employees, a number or a name.” Leonard and her husband reside in Dudley and are active in the community. She is the group fitness coordinator and a

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

Joanne Rapuano ’91 is the chief compliance officer for North America at Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc. Her core responsibility is to develop and implement solutions and to ensure compliance with the International Traffic in Arms, Export, Customs and Border Protection Regulations. Her career in trade compliance is second to the professional life she began post-graduation. After serving in general business and operations management roles and completing her MBA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rapuano opened and ran her own business for ten years, which she calls, “some of the most rewarding and challenging days of my life.” A chance conversation with a mail carrier about his attending law school at night inspired a new life goal. Rapuano sold her business while in her third year of law school to focus on her next full-time career. She held various legal positions and was at one time an associate for a wellknown firm whose owner was arrested for conducting a Ponzi scheme, bringing down the firm. When a recruiter later recognized her in an elevator, she encouraged Rapuano to pursue the relatively new field of trade compliance. At Nichols, her management focus helped with all of her career choices, from running a business to law school and beyond. “I have always felt well prepared for my journey,” she says, particularly as her time is currently invested in analysis, classification, and developing solutions. A Florida resident, Rapuano enjoys time on the water with her boat and spending time with friends and family. She is an avid traveler, which included the Nichols alumni trip to Prague last March, where she encountered inspiring history and architecture accompanied with breathtaking views. She is planning to attend this year’s trip to Italy with Nichols alumni and friends.

daughter's wedding. We spent an

wildlife on or near our property

exciting three weeks visiting

and enjoy the quiet life out here

Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan,

in the country.”

Sorrento, and even my ancestral home in Bari.” They have five

1974 > 45th Reunion

grandchildren. “This past January,

Cynthia Begin ’87

I made the family circuit, visiting

Cynthia Begin ’87, chief risk officer at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks, was a general business major at Nichols who enjoyed the policy discussions and case study analysis of the higher-level courses. After graduation, she pursued her JD and a career in the public sector. A career that she considers challenging, interesting, and rewarding, providing multiple opportunities for professional growth and advancement. “There’s a lot going on in the financial regulatory world, and it is continually evolving and changing,” she says.

in Lubbock, TX, and son in West

1976

our daughter in Houston, our son Virginia, logging about 5,000 miles in my work van…. When not working, we enjoy our leisure time at our vacation home in the Poconos.”

Dave French and his wife Charlene ’79 met Wick Dudley ’75 and his wife Lawrie at The Boatyard in Annapolis, MD, for dinner on August 15 to catch up.

The Division of Banks is the primary financial regulator of Massachusetts with oversight of 177 institutions and nearly $400 billion in assets. In 1994, Begin started as assistant general counsel and gained understanding of the extensive legal framework in which banking institutions operate. In 2008, she moved into a senior deputy commissioner role and assumed chief risk officer in 2011.

Many stories were shared about the Bison’s Den, where Dave and Charlene met, Nichols lacrosse, which Wick and Dave both played, and the (thankfully) long forgotten tradition of food fights Fran Keefe retired from after 41 years in the paper

She has been through extremely varied economic cycles, including the New England banking devastation of the ’90s and the 2008 financial crisis. These were important lessons for Begin and colleagues, many of whom she attributes for her success and career satisfaction. “Don’t underestimate the importance of learning from experienced folks and building professional relationships with them. They can be invaluable relationships that help you throughout your career,” she states. Begin finds the variety of the work and ever-changing nature of financial regulation far from boring. A current hot topic is the challenges of banking with marijuana-related businesses. Begin serves as a board member and past president of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators, receiving its Distinguished Service Award in 2014. She resides in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston with her husband Steven, daughter Emma, and maltipoo Marty. She enjoys running local races with Emma and time with family at their lake house in Maine. She connected with fellow alumni at the Financial Services Networking event in Boston in April with an interest in mentoring students. – Molly Thienel

in the dining hall.

International Paper Co. in 2014 industry. “We bought a small

1978

farm out in the Tennessee hills

A group of former football

outside Nashville. Guess that

teammates (below) met for the

makes me a farmer now. We

3rd Annual Reunion of

named our place after our dog,

Teammates in August in Cape

Tucker. My kids are grown and

Neddick, York Beach, Maine.

gone but aren't too far away. We spend most days looking for

1979 > 40th Reunion

From left, Andy Higgins ’80, Larry Bean ’78, Marty Power ’78, Pat Hoey ’78, Bill Strobel ’78, Tom Loricco ’78, Mike Nelson ’80, Mike Villanova ’79, Bill Fraser ’78, Gary Guglielmello ’79, Gary Godin ’78 , and Phil Robinson ’78.

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

1980

Maryann O’Connell Hoenig

1983

notes, “I’m probably one of those Class Scribe: Michael Donehey

classmates who was quiet. I loved

mdonehey@live.com

Nichols but didn’t really stay in

1984 > 35th Reunion

touch with too many people. I’m

1985

worked a lot and had a big family

Class Scribe: John Donahue

Anyway, I’m a high school

609-257-8717

business teacher in Webster, I live

Johndonahue1234@gmail.com

in Thompson, CT, and I have a

From the Class Scribe…

great husband and two beautiful

not sure why, except to say I that I loved spending time with!

daughters! My life is pretty

went to Myrtle Beach golfing with

awesome!”

my son-in-law and a bunch of his

David Rice, holding a photo of

Thanks to all classmates who

former team captain, the late

have joined our Facebook page

Chris McWade ’81, met with Den

(Nichols College Class of 1985).

Dennis Bruning reports that his

Sexton at a Bison hockey game.

It is a treat to see all of you

daughter Samantha Mackenzie

doing so well, pets and all!

was recently married at Churches Landing in Meredith, NH. “We

friends a few weeks prior. Paul Durant (Chico) lives there so spent a few days golfing and hanging with him as well.”

Marriages Allison Gottfried ’03 married Andrew Brady on July 14 in Dedham, MA. Bison in attendance: front row, from left, Jasmina (Kamceva) Panu ’03, Jessica (Fiore) Marcaccio ’03, Amy (Bertrand) Pelzek ’03, Allison (Gottfried) Brady ’03, Alex Gottfried ’69, Daniela (D’Alelio) Frasca ’03,

Steve “Lim” Limeric notes that

Meghan (McKenna) Lynch ’03. Back row, from left,

his triplets are finishing their first

Dave Borgatti ’04, Sara (Fleming) Borgatti ’03,

year at East Catholic, and sent a

Jack Healy ’74, Alex Gottfried, Jr. ’96, Kristin

photo of Brody dunking in a

(Edgett) McCarthy ’03, Eric Olson ’03.

recent AAU game. “Seems Brody has the hang time of his dad!”

Dave Stoliker ’03 married Christine Devitt on May 27, 2018, at Chamberlain Farm, in Berkley, MA. He reports that family and friends came as far as

1986 Class Scribe: Susan Zimonis 561-707-8781 susanzimonis@bellsouth.net

California and Hawaii. “I would also like to wish all my best to the Class of ’03. Fifteen years has flown by!”

Mark DiFronzo is the new fire chief for Upton, MA. He has 35 years of fire and EMS experience, most recently serving as chief in Southbridge.

Terrence Mayrose ’09 married Nikki Ruane in Brooklyn on June 9. Serving as groomsmen were

Nicholas Depasquale ’14

Jon Snediker ’09, Tom Mulligan

and Abby Gould ’14 were

’09 and Anthony Pillari ’10.

married on the Hill on

Also in attendance were Bob

April 21.

Campanile ’10, Anthony Freni ’10, and Carly Snediker ‘11. The couple honeymooned in Grenada.

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

1988 Class Scribe: Diane Golas spongedicat@aol.com

1989 > 30th Reunion

Graduate alumnus challenges today’s corporate leaders in new book Jonathan Villaire MSOL ’11

Jonathan D. Villaire MSOL ’11, founder of

How did you become interested in

Cognize Consulting, is on a mission to

this topic?

teach leaders how to foster more authentic, compassionate, and engaging

I was introduced to the term “employee

relationships with their employees. He is

engagement” at my first job out of

the author of “The Stepford Employee

college. We were expected to be fully

Fallacy: The Truth about Employee

engaged, smiling automatons who

Engagement in the Modern Workplace.”

worshipped the company. That just didn’t sit right with me. So, I have since

What is the significance of the book’s

dedicated my career to studying this topic and telling the truth employees

title?

are too afraid to say. It’s a reference to the pop culture term “Stepford wife.” The Stepford Employee

How can leaders more effectively

Fallacy is a set of misguided beliefs

engage employees?

shortage in the modern workplace and

about how employee engagement

that is why we see so many disengaged

works, that employees will be perfect,

Empathy! I spend an entire chapter

happy, engaged robots regardless of

talking about empathy. Leaders need to

what it’s like to work for their employer.

be more empathetic and stop treating

employees today.

It just doesn’t work that way. Humans

their employees like pieces of office

don’t work that way.

equipment. There is a severe empathy

1991

1994

Class Scribe: Donna Small

Class Scribe:

336-692-5157

Danielle Troiano Sprague

dsmall9242000@yahoo.com

thedwoman@yahoo.com

1992

1998

Class Scribe: Keith Hofbeck

Class Scribe:

khofbeck@comcast.net

> 25th Reunion

Emily (Seiferman) Alves Millie.176@hotmail.com

1993

1999

> 20th Reunion

2000 Class Scribe: Andrea Sacco Andrea.j.Sacco@gmail.com

2001 Matt O’Connor, senior vice president at Monster, shared a photo of him with Nichols interns,

Jacques ’18.

John Peculis was named senior vice president of commercial lending at Fidelity Bank’s Worcester office.

Can't believe that 15 years have gone by since graduating from Nichols! Please feel free to update your contact information with the Alumni Office so that you are able to stay up to date with all the news. Thanks all! James Zappola, along with his wife Tracy and their son Dominic, enjoyed a visit to Nichols in June. They were amazed to find how

Kevin Wielk was named the boys basketball coach at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, CT. He most recently spent eight seasons as assistant coach at Albertus Magnus College.

Class Scribe: David Twiss 978-979-7658 David.twiss14@gmail.com

Courtney Coleman ’18, Catherine Hoey ’18, and Ryan

Douglas Moisan MBA was appointed CFO and senior vice president for Whitinsville-based UniBank. He has more than 21 years of banking experience, most recently as senior vice president for finance at Commerce Bank in Worcester.

Kim Anderson MBA was appointed the CFO and senior vice

2003 Class Scribe: Jillian (Hayes) Smerage Jnhayes80@gmail.com

president of Milford Federal Bank.

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

CLASS NOTES

much has changed in the six years since they had been on campus.

2009 > 10th Reunion

2004 > 15th Reunion

president of Chronic Illness

Lauren DeLuca is the founder and

Matt Reggiannini is head football coach at Archbishop Williams

Advocacy & Awareness Group, Inc., a national nonprofit organization working with state

High School in Braintree, MA.

and federal legislators to ensure that any legislation designed to

Matt Chapman MBA, former

IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER – NOW PERMANENT

combat the opioid crisis does not

assistant football coach at

harm those suffering from chronic

Nichols, returned to the Hill to inspire the team on their last

illness, disease, and/or conditions. Learn more at ciaag.net.

REDUCE YOUR TAXABLE INCOME. ACT NOW TO SAVE ON TAXES!

2010

day of football

Class Scribe: Katelyn Vella

camp. He

katelyn.vella@yahoo.com

is pictured

2011

here with Nichols

Class Scribe: Alexandria Hallam

head football coach, Dave

aliemchal@gmail.com

Olmsted. Matt was a coach at Mount Ida College and helped

Have you wanted to do more for Nichols?

bring eight transfer students to

2012

Nichols when Mount Ida closed

Jill Jokerst-Harter MBA, director

last spring.

of athletics, fitness and recreation at St. Louis College of Pharmacy

2006

since 2003, was recently named the 2018

Class Scribe: Erica Boulay

Administrator

erica.boulay@hotmail.com

of the Year by Women Leaders

2007

in College Class Scribe: Meaghan Larkin

Sports, the

meaglark@gmail.com

nation’s premier women’s athletic leadership

2008

association that develops,

Class Scribe: Nicole Curley

connects and advances women

nsc3129@gmail.com

working in intercollegiate athletics. She is one of eight

If you are 70½ or older and required to take an annual minimum distribution from your IRA, you can transfer up to $100,000 directly to a charity and avoid paying taxes on the income. By rolling over all or part of your IRA’s required minimum distribution to Nichols College, you can help reduce your tax bill while supporting today’s students on the Hill. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? • Transfer tax-free gifts from your IRA directly to Nichols • Can be applied toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)

Ron and

individuals being honored for

Kristin

administrative excellence in

(Spinner)

intercollegiate athletics.

• Beneficial for individuals who do not itemize deductions on their income tax

2014 > 5th Reunion

• Withdrawals not subject to annual charitable deduction limitations

2017

• IRA gifts may be used to satisfy multi-year campaign or reunion gift pledges

Powers welcomed Owen Ronald Powers on August 27. Everyone is doing great!

Andrew Carlson joined Presbyterian College as an athletic

Michael Tolman was named football coach at St. Peter-Marian High School in Worcester.

communications assistant, overseeing volleyball, men's and women's cross country, acrobatics and tumbling, cheerleading, men's and women's tennis, and softball.

Here is a charitable way that offers a tax break, too. Talk to your financial advisor to learn how you can reduce your taxable income while supporting Nichols College.

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

To learn more, visit alumni.nichols.edu/irarollover or talk to your financial advisor.

NICHOLS REMEMBERS

Walter B. McIlvain ’72, of Bryn Mawr, PA, May 4, 2018. Joshua P. Petrillo ’74, of South Salem, NY, June 20, 2018.

Mr. HBO: Les Read ’55

Kenneth G. Wood ’74, of Franklin, MA, May 13, 2018. Vangel D. “Van” Thomas MBA ’81, of Fabyan, CT, April 8, 2018.

Les Read ’55, a pioneer in the cable television industry, died June 28. He began his career as a page at NBC, followed by a 15-year run at TelePrompTer, setting up cable systems in small

Jeffrey M. Brown ’82, of Dudley, MA, March 4, 2018. Ronald J. Obuchowski, Sr. ’82, of Southbridge, MA, May 19, 2018. E Richard E. Grote MBA ’83, of Fitchburg, MA, April 26, 2018

James E. Connor ’89, of Worcester, MA, June 4, 2018.

towns across the country. In 1973, he joined Home

Jeanine M. Fahrbach ’89, of Webster, MA, February 21, 2018.

Box Office, spreading the word about this new

Evelyn M. Palmer MBA ’90, of Holden, MA, February 15, 2018.

reception service from coast to coast. His exposure

Kimberly A. (Gajewski) Nolin ’99, of Worcester, MA, June 7, 2018.

on local cable channels to attract viewers earned him the Mr. HBO moniker. He retired in 2001 as vice president of special marketing but remained active

Nicholas J. Carter ’10, of Miami Beach, FL, June 4, 2018. Riley Shawn Tebbetts ’16, of Laconia, NH, July 3, 2018.

in the industry as executive director of the Cable Pioneers and a board member of The Cable Center. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Anne; four children; 10 grandchildren; and a sister.

Devoted Volunteer: Bruce Haslun ’63 Bruce I. Haslun ’63, one of the first class scribes for Nichols College Magazine,

Ek Charles S. Jones ’43, of Warwick, RI, April 4, 2018.

died May 30. For 13 years, he informed,

E Raymond C. Kelley Jr. ’43, of Kingston, MA, June 30, 2018. E Rosario “Charlie” Locicero ’48, of Milford, NH, March 8, 2018.

encouraged, and entertained his classmates through his bi-annual column in Class Notes,

E Leon G. Tuck ’49, of Needham, MA, March 22, 2018.

handing over the reins to Art Tozzi in spring 2017. Haslun

E I. William Katz ’49, of West Hartford, CT, May 13, 2018.

served for eight years in the armed forces, including in the

E Guy V. Dyer Jr. ’50, of Bloomfield, CT, April 18, 2018.

U.S. Coast Guard from 1956 to 1958, as quartermaster

Raymond R. Poblocki ’51, of Coral Gables, FL, February 19, 2018.

insurance claims at Connecticut General Life Insurance Co.

John W. Stearns ’52, of Wilbraham, MA, March 14, 2018.

(now CIGNA) and reinsurance sales at Cologne Life

E Leslie H. Read ’55, of Port Washington, NY, June 28, 2018.

Reinsurance Co. (now GenRe). He began a second career in

E Robert L. Rock ’55, of Dudley MA, July 14, 2018.

1987, working in a specialty-food store in Hartford, and later

E Michael Eber ’58, of Tewksbury, MA, February 13, 2018. E Peter B. Brown ’63, of Southbridge, MA, March 15, 2018.

assigned to the North Atlantic. His business career was in

at a private school in West Hartford, preparing lunches and catering special events. He leaves his wife, Carol Erhardt; a son; two grandchildren; a sister; and two brothers.

Ek Bruce I. Haslun ’63, of Falmouth, MA, May 30, 2018.

John S. Leonard ’63, of Gordon, New South Wales, June 28, 2018. Michael Peretz ’63, of Sarasota, FL, February 3, 2018.

Faculty/Staff

William S. Cleary ’63, of San Antonio, TX, September 17, 2018.

Jacqueline G. Capomacchio, of Union, CT, former director of human

Lawrence P. Bernard ’64, of Southbridge, MA, April 16, 2018.

resources, March 9, 2018.

John H. Hinchliffe III ’64, of Englewood, CO, July 1, 2018. E Daniel F. O’Connor ’64, of North Providence, RI, June 20, 2018.

Stephen P. Potter ’66, of New Hartford, CT, March 28, 2018.

E Robinson "Rob" Vohr Smith, of Wayland, MA, former faculty

member, March 23, 2018. E Denotes service in the United States military k Nichols College volunteer

Thomas F. Potvin ’70, of Rye, NH, April 10, 2018.

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

Reunions spur class scholarships Several classes approaching major reunions at Nichols College have brought greater meaning to their milestones by raising money to endow a scholarship. The efforts boost affinity, create a legacy, and help underwrite the cost of education for fellow and future Bison. To date, the nine class scholarships have also contributed about $863,000 to the college’s endowment, at a time when colleges rely more and more on healthy endowments for longterm security.

Class Endowed Scholarships 250,000.00

200,000.00

150,000.00

100,000.00

named for Patrick Donnelly, the son of classmate Phil Donnelly; and the Class of ’55 Scholarship, which was combined with the John Katori Scholarship to honor their classmate and Nichols’ cherished accounting professor.

Reunion committees drive the fundraising for these 50,000.00 scholarships, but their efforts are often aided by a classmate or classmates 0 Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class who provide added of '54 of '55/ of '57 of '63 of '64 of '65 of '66 of '67 of '68 Katori incentive. Tom Niles ’63, for The Class of 1954 were the instance, challenged his Their scholarships give special pioneers. Their scholarship actually class to raise $50,000; matches were consideration to students who have turned out to be a surprise to the class, also offered by Phil Donnelly ’64 and been honorably discharged from any engineered by Marianne Gruskin, wife of Howie Chong ’64, Dave Lombard ’65 of the five branches of the U.S. armed Matt Gruskin, with a generous gift in and Charles Sage ’65, Jim Coghlin ’67, services. The Class of ’68, who rang honor of their 50th reunion in 2004. and Charlie Petrillo ’68. Each March, in their golden anniversary on Though Matt died unexpectedly in classes with scholarships also homecoming weekend, targeted their 2005, Marianne and the late Bob enthusiastically rally for additional scholarship to a current undergraduate Benowitz championed the scholarship, support through the college’s Bison student who is an active member or ensuring that the requisite $25,000 Blitz sponsored by Trustee John veteran of the U.S. armed services, or a goal was reached in 2008 and that McClutchy ’72. military-related family member. The classmates continued to support it. The success of these initiatives has scholarship is named in memory of their Classes planning their 50th reunions inspired other classes to follow suit. fallen classmate, Sgt. Mark W. Grigsby. look at endowed scholarships as a way The Class of ’67 started their scholarship Other 50th reunion scholarships of acknowledging and preserving their at their 45th reunion in 2012. By the memorialize loved ones, such as the place in Nichols history. The architects time they celebrated their 50th reunion Class of ’64 Scholarship, which is of the Class of 1957 Scholarship, for last year, the scholarship hit $125,000. instance, added this description to the The classes of 1978 and 1986 have scholarship agreement: “The Class of ’57 recently begun efforts to galvanize was made up of Korean War and other class support to endow a scholarship, veterans, students who had struggled well ahead of their 50th reunions. through high school, a contingent from What’s also inspiring is the opportunity Cuba, and a wide variety of others to make a direct impact on a current viewing Nichols as an opportunity to student. Cooper Milano, a finance major prove themselves. Nichols gave them and soccer player who graduated in this opportunity and we are looking for May, received the Class of ’63 Endowed students who have proven themselves Scholarship. To his generous benefactors, better after two years.” The scholarship he wrote, “Thank you for believing in me is to be awarded to a rising junior who and that I am worthy enough to receive best mirrors the Class of ’57 student your scholarship. My academic record is whose opportunity for achievement was very important to me and I work hard to realized thanks to Nichols. maintain high honors every semester while playing an NCAA varsity sport and In celebration of their 50th reunions, the – Cooper Milano ’18 participating in three clubs on campus. classes of ’63, ’65, and ’66 sought to Recipient of the Class of ’63 Endowed Scholarship I really appreciate you giving me the recognize the significant role the GI Bill opportunity to attend Nichols!” played on their college experience.

“Thank you for believing in me and that I am worthy enough to receive your scholarship. ...I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to attend Nichols!”

Nichols College Magazine

l Fall/Winter 2018

S TAY C O N N E C T E D

Classes ending in 9 or 4…Get ready for reunion time! th ’59 | 60

’69 | 50th

’74 | 45th ’84 | 35th

’94 | 25th

’04 | 15th ’99 | 20th

Moments in Time th

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