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COLLEGE MAGA ZINE
Fit for Business Joe Schacht ’07, Southern Maine’s Exercise Entrepreneur
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20 COLLEGE MAGAZINE
VOLUME 10 WINTER 2015
Features CAP: The Original Homeland Security • 9 Dating back to 1941, the Civil Air Patrol continues to keep a watchful eye over the nation.
Fit for Business • 12 Joe Schacht ’07 flexes his entrepreneurial muscles.
Old School • 16 Rediscover SJC’s Portland days.
Ebola: A Reflection on Risk • 18 In the 21st century, are we better protected against infectious diseases?
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A Day in the Life Lady & the Ram • 20 Meet Alyssa Dolan, ram tamer
Dispatches Honoring the White Coat • 3 Diversity Committee takes shape • 4 Rairdon scholarship hits stride • 5 Alumni lead on the court in Kazakhstan • 5 ESS takes students to Maine, Canada coasts • 6 Carnegie recognizes SJC community service • 6 Maine Milfoil Initiative publishes guide • 7 Connections kicks off • 7 Statements on leadership • 8
12 Online Extras • Farming and Faith By Alanna Conn
Alumni News From the chair, Ellis Baum ’98 • 22 Fire pit brightens campus • 24 Hall of Fame opens • 26 Alumni Weekend 2014 • 28 Class Notes • 30
• Misbahuddin Syed, BSIT Professor By Liza Darvin
• My Fairy Tale Class
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By Kaye Peabody ’15
Read more at sjcme.edu/magazine
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president’s letter COLLEGE MAGA ZINE A Catholic college in the Mercy tradition E D I TO R David Svenson A R T D I R E C TO R Ian Marquis S E N I O R D I R E C TO R O F MA R K E T I N G & CO M M U N I C AT I O N S Tory Ryden GRAPHIC DESIGNER Georgia Brown CO V E R P H OTO Jeff Scher P H OTO G R A P H Y /G R A P H I C S David Bates/fotografixstudio.com John Collier/Library of Congress
Dear Saint Joseph’s community, In the middle of winter, the few hours of daylight are a part of the gift of each day. During this time, we turn to other, human sources of light and warmth as we mark the slow lengthening of the days and the approach of spring. On page 24 of this issue, you can see the latest source of light on this campus: a beautiful rock fire pit. Our generous Alumni Association and Student Government Association donated the stone addition to mark inauguration last year. I am beyond honored, and, as you can see, it didn’t take long for students to cozy in around it. This gift will serve as a source of inspiration (and warmth) for many seasons to come. Our cover story, Fit for Business, “burns” with inspiration as well. Saint Joseph’s alumnus Joe Schacht ’07 is leading the way on the fitness front. Southern Maine’s ‘fitness entrepreneur’ (page 12) is a shining example of the possibilities and promise awaiting Saint Joseph’s students who work hard and are determined to succeed. Schacht credits his Saint Joseph’s education and experience and “meaningful connections with his teachers and coaches” for giving him the tools to open two successful fitness centers in Maine in just five years. Excellence at Saint Joseph’s involves embracing service to others and encouraging our students to lead lives of giving. In early January, Saint Joseph’s College was selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
to receive its Community Engagement Classification, highlighting the College’s focus on community service throughout its mission and daily interactions on campus and within the local, regional, and global communities. Our heart-felt thanks go to Kimberly Post, Saint Joseph’s director of community-based learning, who spent more than two years researching for and working on the Carnegie application process. For more, read the story on page six. The Carnegie distinction is one more piece of the College’s long and colorful history, and our compelling story of courage and hope. Our attention now is on expanding our story. Long considered the ‘hidden gem along Sebago Lake,’ it is time to shine a light on that gem. I am excited to have a leadership team in place to help us focus the spotlight. They are hard at work, inspiring change, growth, and the kind of forward thinking that will richen our tapestry and light the way for years to come. You can meet them on page eight. As many of you will likely remember, the winds off of Sebago Lake can make even a short walk across campus in winter seem endless. In “Ode to the West Wind,” Percy Bysshe Shelley asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” Our days by the lake are growing longer and soon we will see the first signs of spring: crocuses and a relighting of the Saint Joseph’s fire pit. Best wishes,
James Dlugos, President 2 | saint joseph’s
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Alanna Conn Fred Field Yu Ping Hu ’15 Ian Marquis Michael Miley/Creative Commons CO N T R I B U TO R S Diane Atwood ’77 Ellis Baum ’98 Michael Bolanz ’00 Alanna Conn Liza Darvin Lynn Novak Elizabeth Schran Nico Tarquinio ’10 PROOFREADERS Liza Darvin Susan Johnson Mike Macisso CHANGE OF ADDRESS Changes to name, address, phone & email: alumni@sjcme.edu 207-893-7890 or 877-SJC-ALUM TO CO N TAC T M AG A Z I N E David Svenson Communications Officer Saint Joseph’s College 278 Whites Bridge Road Standish, Maine 04084 magazine@sjcme.edu 207-893-7723 Saint Joseph’s College Magazine is published three times a year. We welcome your comments, story ideas, and photos. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors, not necessarily of Saint Joseph’s College.
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dispatches SJC selected to participate in honored White Coat Ceremony On September 28, 2014, sophomore students from the College’s campus nursing program gathered in the Harold Alfond Center for the annual Nursing Lighting Ceremony—a rite of passage for nursing students where they dedicate themselves to upholding ethical standards of the profession. The ceremony included reciting the Florence Nightingale Pledge and, for the first time, the donning of a white coat. The white coat component was a special addition. The College—one of 100 across the country—was selected to participate in a pilot White Coat Ceremony, an honor bestowed upon the College by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). “It was an honor to participate in such an exciting and meaningful event,” says Dr. Lynette Hamlin, Saint Joseph’s associate dean for nursing. “This year, we integrated the White Coat Ceremony into our Nursing Lighting Ceremony, which is our symbolic event to signify our students’ entrance into the profession of nursing.” The ceremony included an address from Dr. Jacqueline Fawcett, a professor
of nursing at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The White Coat Ceremony has been a staple in medical education for more than 20 years, but with the recent collaboration between APGF and AACN, the reach of the ceremony has broadened. For this pilot program, nursing schools in 43 states plus the District of Columbia were granted financial support and guidance to host the White Coat Ceremony. “By offering White Coat Ceremonies, our schools are sending a clear message to new nursing students that compassionate care must be a hallmark of their clinical practice,” says Dr. Eileen T. Breslin, AACN president. “Securing a commitment
“Our schools are sending a clear message to new nursing students that compassionate care must be a hallmark of their clinical practice.” — DR. EILEEN T. BRESLIN, PRESIDENT, AACN
to providing patient-centered care at the beginning of a nurse’s professional formation will help to raise the quality of care available to all patients.”
The Florence Nightingale Pledge I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
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Illustration by Yu Ping Hu ’15
Diversity Committee builds foundation of respect Sister Kathleen Sullivan’s role as Saint Joseph’s chief sponsorship and mission integration officer is to manage the College’s identity as a Catholic, Mercy institution of higher education—one that is a comfortable, inviting place for students, faculty, and staff from all walks of life. This role includes building a strong, sustainable foundation for supporting and celebrating the diversity of the College community. “How can we create an awareness of the differences among us?” she asks. To begin the process of raising this awareness, Sister Kathleen formed the Diversity Committee in the spring of 2014. The committee will focus on the theme of respect in its first year, and will celebrate the differences within the community—whether that is in terms of sexual orientation, race, religion, or culture. “We have a responsibility as a Mercy organization to heighten the awareness of what is happening in our world. As an educational institution, we need to examine how we increase understanding among our students, who have the potential to change the world after they graduate from the College.” 4 | saint joseph’s
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Composed of nearly 20 members from the College including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, the committee has already begun tackling the tough issues, selecting to make the College a ‘Safe Zone’ as its first initiative. Safe Zone is a nationally utilized program designed to raise awareness and create tolerance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals through a series of training workshops and the designation of all-inclusive spaces on campus. The program has been launched at institutions such as Boston College, New York University, Georgetown University, and Duke University, as well as at several schools belonging to the Conference for Mercy Higher Education (of which Saint Joseph’s is a member). By emphasizing acts of civility and sensitivity for all, the program creates a strong foundation for the College’s growing diversity. “I want to focus on the core values of dignity and respect for everyone,” says Sister Kathleen. “It is not only about our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters but also about other cultures, races, and religions that are here on campus.”
In March, voluntary training programs were held and a pledge circulated for faculty and staff to sign in support of the initiative, making Saint Joseph’s one of several other Mercy colleges and universities to officially become Safe Zone-affiliated. A tangible sign of the program’s successful implementation and overwhelmingly positive reception: the creation of Saint Joseph’s first ever Gay-Straight Student Alliance.
Members of the Diversity Committee represent the many communities that form the College. From staff to faculty and to students, they help guide the College’s diversity programming. Members include: Sister Kathleen Sullivan Amy Rady Dan Estey Elaine Trumble Hope Abarno Katrina Hoop Kristine Avery Sue Kelly Vincent Kloskowski ‘95 Justin Packard Audrey Curry Frank Daggett ‘80, ‘07 Charlotte Mattingly Jenelle Harris
dispatches Westbrook Strong 5K honors 2013 alumnus, endows scholarship On July 20, 2014, more than 40 members of the Saint Joseph’s College community gathered to run and walk in the Westbrook Strong 5K. The event was a memorial to Matthew Rairdon ’13, a nursing graduate who worked at Portland’s Mercy Hospital. He passed away tragically in November 2013. “Matt was an amazing young man,” Rairdon’s mother, Laurie, said in a summer interview with radio station WLOB. “In his early teens, he had an experience that landed him in the hospital, and therefore opened the door to a potential nursing degree. He found Saint Joe’s and absolutely loved…the school. I can’t help but feel, every time we go (to Saint Joseph’s campus), his presence.” Of the 390 participants, a team of 42 College community members joined the effort, wearing blue visors and Westbrook Strong T-shirts to demonstrate support for the Rairdons. Funds raised by Westbrook Strong and the 5K were used to support the creation of the Matthew Rairdon ’13 Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded to students from Maine, in particular from the Westbrook and Portland communities, who wish to earn a nursing degree
from the College. In late June, the effort had raised approximately $18,000 of the $25,000 target. Following the event, proceeds from the race, sponsorships, and T-shirt sales surpassed this goal, bringing the total to more than $37,000. In her remarks at the event, Saint Joseph’s Elizabeth Schran, director of corporate and foundation relations, summed up the College’s commitment to families and to the students who will benefit from the Rairdon scholarship in perpetuity: “From the day that a student and family steps onto the campus on move-in day in the fall, Saint Joseph’s
considers them a part of our family. And, like all families, we rejoice together in the good times, and we weep together in the sad times. All of us at Saint Joseph’s have wept with Gary, Laurie, and the Rairdon family, but today we rejoice that so many people have joined in working together to celebrate Matthew’s memory and his passion for the nursing profession.” Saint Joseph’s alumni and friends interested in learning more about making a contribution to the Matthew Rairdon ‘13 Endowed Scholarship can contact Elizabeth Schran at eschran@sjcme.edu.
Alumni teach leadership on the court in Kazakhstan Two former Saint Joseph’s basketball players have taken their passion for the game overseas. Chris Petzy ’12 and Meg Daigle ’11 spent the summer coaching basketball to youth through the Drive School of Basketball in Kazakhstan. Based out of Almaty, Kazakhstan, Drive is an intensive training program for basketball players from ages 11 to 18. “Drive aims to transform Kazakh youth into leaders through discipline, love, education, and integrity,” says Daigle. She and Petzy began volunteering as coaches for Drive in mid-June of 2014.
Both former Monks basketball players who have been dating since 2008, they jumped at the opportunity to coach together. “I’ve loved basketball all my life,” says Petzy. “I wanted to make sure it stayed a part of my life in some way, whether playing or coaching.” When not coaching, Petzy is a business graduate student at Oxford Brookes University in England, and Daigle is studying to become a family nurse practitioner. To read more about their experience with the Drive School of Basketball, visit their blog: blogs.sjcme.edu/basketballabroad. winter 2015 | 5
Students, faculty take science on the road with ESS
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, 2014, two professors, eight students, and one teaching assistant met at the Maine State Pier in Portland. They said goodbye to their families, piled into a van, and set off on Saint Joseph’s first-ever Environmental Science Semester (ESS).
Led by environmental science professors Johan Erikson and Greg Teegarden, ESS was a nine-week program for sophomore and junior environmental science and marine science majors. Every aspect of it—from the lab reports to reading assignments—took place off campus. “Students studied environmental science for two months straight,” says Erikson. “They were eating and sleeping it, too. The experiential and conceptual connections were transformative.” Students started off the semester in eastern Maine, traveling up the coast to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. From there, they traveled to New Hamp-
shire’s White Mountains, then to central and southern coastal Maine, ending with two weeks on the Gulf of Maine aboard the historic schooner Bagheera. By the second week of October, students had hands-on lessons about atmospheric circulation patterns, phytoplankton blooms, glacier movements, beach transects, and more. Of course, they also got plenty of practice hiking, sailing on the open ocean, eating blueberries, and figuring out the logistics of fitting eight college students and their luggage and science equipment into one van. For photos and more about ESS, visit the group’s blog: blogs.sjcme.edu/ess.
College earns honor for community service from Carnegie Foundation At the beginning of 2015, the College announced that it had been selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to receive its Community Engagement Classification, highlighting the College’s focus on community service throughout its mission and daily interactions on campus and within the local, regional, and global communities. “This classification reflects the dedication the Saint Joseph’s College community has not just to living our core values, but to providing our students learning experiences that prepare them to be both skilled and compassionate citizens of the world,” says Kimberly Post, Saint Joseph’s director of community-based learning. “As a Sisters of Mercy institution we are altruistic by nature, and the Carnegie classification recognizes this as well as our real-world, community-based approach to teaching and learning.” Valid until 2025, this is the College’s first time earning the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation. For 2015, the Foundation selected 240 US colleges and universities to receive its Community Engagement Classification. Of this 6 | saint joseph’s
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number, 83 institutions are receiving the classification for the first time, while 157 were re-classified, after being classified originally in 2006 or 2008. These 240 institutions join the 121 institutions that earned the classification during the 2010 selection process. Kimberly Post says the application process for this award took more than two years of research and fact gathering, drawing upon the experience and knowledge from numerous members of the College community, including Vice President and Chief Learning Officer Michael Pardales and President Jim Dlugos. Post examined community engagement in all areas of the institution, from students to faculty and staff. Students accomplished one of the more distinguished examples of community engagement noted in the application. During the 2012–2013 academic year, 821 students participated in community-based learning as part of their coursework, and 150 students engaged in co-curricular community service. Faculty participation was impressive as well, with 52 campus and online faculty integrating community engagement into
their curricula. This Carnegie classification comes just a month after the College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2014. The Honor Roll, launched in 2006, highlights colleges and universities that place students on a lifelong path of civic engagement and their role in solving communities’ struggles. “It’s important for a Catholic, liberal arts college to educate the whole person,” says President Dlugos. “Part of that education is to break down the walls that separate higher education from the ‘real world.’ Our students learn from their first semester at Saint Joseph’s that they are embarking on an integrated, communityfocused education. This Carnegie Foundation recognition demonstrates that this approach to education works and is important. This is a significant day for everyone in the Saint Joseph’s, neighboring, and global communities.” In its award letter, the Foundation recognized the College’s “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.”
dispatches Maine Milfoil Initiative celebrates publication of free guide After five years of research and action, the Maine Milfoil Initiative—a collaboration between Saint Joseph’s College and several Maine lakes associations and volunteer groups—has culminated their work with the publication of the Maine Citizens’ Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plant Management. This is a nuts-and-bolts guide for lake groups and citizens on how to develop a management program to stop the proliferation of non-native variable-leaf milfoil and other invasive aquatic plants. Since 2009, the Maine Milfoil Initiative has fought to help prevent the spread of non-native variable-leaf milfoil, manage its eradication, and study its effects on the ecology of Maine lakes. The joint effort began with Saint Joseph’s College, the Lakes Environmental Association (Bridgton), Maine Congress of Lakes Associations (Belgrade), the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, and nine lake associations. Their goal: to stop the proliferation of the non-native plant that has resulted in dense growths in several of southern Maine’s lakes, including Sebago Lake where the College is located. With the help of the College and Senator Susan Collins, the Initiative received a $500,000 federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2009 to fund its program efforts. According to aquatic plant biologist and Maine Milfoil Initiative
Project Director Jacolyn Bailey, the funding was used to bring together seven lake groups as test lakes, study the areas, and help bring their management efforts to the next level. The Initiative has since continued to gain momentum. Co-authored by Bailey and Roberta Hill, aquatic ecologist and
invasive species program director for the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, the free guide is for anyone affected by or interested in managing, eradicating, and otherwise informing themselves and the public about invasive aquatic plant life. “We took all the information we recorded from the Lake Groups and tried to make a comprehensive guide, both
for people dealing with infestations and for those worried about possible infestations,” says Bailey. “We have shown them step by step how to pull together a management group.” The guide provides information necessary to write and implement an action plan that effectively manages invasive plant infestations, including costs associated with starting a program and later management. Also included are numerous case studies of how invasive aquatic plants are being removed and managed in a range of water body types, taking into account the varying resources available to lake groups. “We touch on everything from how to form a lake association and the importance of having a management system, to the nitty-gritty of control work,” Bailey adds. The Maine Citizens’ Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plant Management puts the power to make a change in the hands of anyone, not only for Maine, but for other states, as well. “Our hope is that this is a great resource for Maine lakes,” says Bailey, “but it is also applicable for any other state dealing with an invasive aquatic plant. We are hopeful that other states would be interested in using it as well.” To download the guide, visit mainevlmp.org/citizensguide.
College unveils comprehensive plan to make Connections In fall 2014, the College launched Connections, a networking initiative designed to give students opportunities and direction to develop professional relationships. As a collaboration between Career Services and the Alumni Office, Connections offers hands-on experiences that bring students together with alumni, community members, faculty, and staff in order to provide a leg-up on their future plans today. “We have all heard the saying, ‘It’s not
just what you know, but who,’” says Michael Bolanz ’00, Saint Joseph’s alumni relations officer. “Connections provides students the chance to network with both their peers and professional colleagues, allowing them to forge lasting, professional bonds.” Starting with the freshman class, the initiative engages students from convocation to graduation, building upon career workshops and job fairs in their first year, with subsequent opportunities for job
shadowing, alumni mentoring, internships, and employer-guided field trips. As a token of the program, freshmen were given their own, personalized business cards, and upperclassmen can receive their own at Career Services. “These cards enable the exchange of information and cement networking as students go out into the world,” says Bolanz. For more information about Connections, contact Michael Bolanz at mbolanz@sjcme.edu or 207-893-7894. winter 2015 | 7
Leadership Team takes form, inspires change
Meet the Team
Making strides to create a comprehensive, stable, and mission-focused institution of higher learning, Saint Joseph’s is proud to welcome its complete Leadership Team into the community. The Leadership Team is composed of four vice presidents who oversee academics, our mission and Catholic roots, financial matters, and institutional advancement; a director of human resources; and a director of presidential initiatives and secretary to the Board of Trustees. “The Leadership Team is the driving success of a college,” says President Jim Dlugos. “Working directly with our entire faculty, staff, student, and alumni communities—in addition to our neighbors throughout Maine—the success of the Leadership Team will be observed by its collective, wise decision making and forward thinking.”
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“As the HR director, my vision is to align the people process with the strategic direction for the College, employing a talented workforce of highly engaged faculty, staff, and student workers who consistently demonstrate our core values and foster a Best Places to Work environment. “ Kristine Avery • Director of Human Resources
“Collaboration is at the heart and soul of the SJC advancement team. One of my primary goals is to build relationships that support the College’s mission and core values—making important connections and building relationships among SJC’s students, faculty, staff, and our community of supporters. We strive to uncover unique, beneficial experiences that advance our entire SJC community. This is the pulse of the advancement team’s work.” Joanne Bean • VP, Chief Advancement Officer “My team and I are focused on the long-term sustainability of Saint Joseph’s business model. The College must have a stable and sufficient revenue stream to deliver what we promise our students—a high-quality academic, social, and personal experience. These economic resources will also allow SJC to pursue good ideas, so that Saint Joseph’s may continue to respond effectively and thrive in the dynamic environment of higher education.” Yvonne Berry • VP, Chief Financial Officer “It is my dream that the Saint Joseph’s College community continues to be deeply rooted in the core values of Mercy— the values that have sustained the College through times of uncertainty and incredible challenges over the past 112 years. And so it is with the blessings of the Sisters of Mercy that the College community carries on the legacy of Catherine McAuley well into the next century.” Sister Kathleen Sullivan, RSM VP, Chief Sponsorship & Mission Integration Officer
“I make it my mission to ensure that Saint Joseph’s College becomes a learning destination where the fruitful development of people and the fulfillment of our mission guide everything we do.” Michael Pardales, PhD • VP, Chief Learning Officer
“The Leadership Team is a system of paths, all of which travel back to our mission and core values as a liberal arts, Mercy college. In my role, I pride myself on managing these many directions the College sets itself out on, working to coordinate the goals of the Leadership Team and assisting the function of our Board of Trustees. Our success as a team advances the experience for every member of our community.” Carolyn Neilson Director of Presidential Initiatives & Secretary to the Board
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feature
CAP
BY NICO TARQUINIO ’10
The Original Homeland Security Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard…Civil Air Patrol? Meet your volunteer eyes in the skies.
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of New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia on Administrative Order 9, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) joined together 150,000 US civilians who wanted to provide air support over our borders and coastlines. This included emergency services and aerospace education for youth and the general public. Their reach stretched across the contiguous US. They couldn’t have chosen a more opportune moment to do so. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CIVIL AIR PATROL NATIONAL HISTORY PROGRAM
t was 1941. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president of the United States. The average expenditure of the US military on what we could now call homeland security was about one percent of the GDP during peacetime (which ramped up to 41 percent during World War II). This, at a time when the beginnings of World War II were raising smoke in nations like France, Poland, and Great Britain. Back in the US, civilians felt a pulse to make a change, to take action for their own security. Created on December 1, 1941, with the signature
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feature The official publication of Administrative Order 9 occurred on December 8, one day after the attack. The Civil Air Patrol, at that moment, took on a whole new level of importance—one that continues to this day. Lieutenant Colonel Sean Crandall ’04 (criminal justice) of Brownsville, Texas, is a group commander of the Civil Air Patrol. While CAP is—according to Crandall—a “well-kept secret,” it has one of the largest fleets of single-engine piston aircraft in the world, and has been responsible for more than 90 percent of all inland search-and-rescue operations for the past 75 years. According to Crandall, a CAP historian, the pilots not dispatched to assist in the recovery efforts at Pearl Harbor took to the task of chasing German submarines away from our nation’s coastlines. This was no easy feat.
“They were being shot at in unarmed civilian aircraft,” says Crandall. Fortunately, the War Department recognized the needs of these patriots, and a group of untrained civilians suddenly found themselves in possession of 100-pound bombs. Later bombs reached 300 pounds. After 8,000 “sorties” (jargon for missions), members of the Civil Air Patrol were responsible for the sinking of two German submarines, and saved countless lives after repelling an encroaching naval force from our shores. According to Crandall, Admiral Karl Dönitz, Hitler’s successor, would later curse CAP’s “damned little red and yellow planes!”
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Adding Lift Today, the Civil Air Patrol continues its legacy under the banner of the US Air Force Auxiliary. Lieutenant Colonel Crandall first got involved with the volunteer organization at a young age. “One of my sixth-grade friends came into class wearing this cool uniform. He told me he was going to a Civil Air Patrol meeting that night, and asked, ‘You wanna go?’” CAP accepts new cadets as young as 12 years old. At 14, they can apply to glider school. Only two years later, when most teenagers are able to receive their learner’s permits, they are allowed to apply to begin flying powered aircraft (specifically, Cessna 172s). Crandall has since ascended to new heights as Group VII Commander, operating out of Brownsville Composite Squadron Coastal Patrol Base #12 (among other locations), the successor-in-interest to the original CAP. It’s a long distance from his home state of Indiana. While enrolled as an online student at the College, Crandall was a police officer in the Lone Star State, a position he occupied since 1995. During this time, he started volunteering with CAP again. Within the Civil Air Patrol, those who know Crandall have grown to be afraid whenever he asks, “What if...?” As he grew more involved with training cadets, Crandall devoted himself to improving their experience. “There were a lot of things when I was a cadet that would have been really cool if they had been done differently.” So, Crandall co-founded the Texas Wing Ground Team School—LESA South. There, CAP members gain invaluable skills, like locating downed aircraft via GPS technology, going on search-and-rescue missions, and deploying repeaters to improve communications in areas devastated by natural disasters. CAP members are required eight hours of sleep, but the other 16 are spent hard at work. Hence the school’s motto: “If you’re awake, you’re training.”
Learning to Fly Don’t confuse CAP with the Boy Scouts. One of the more intense training sessions runs from December 26 to January 1. As for the rest of the year: “It’s a lot to ask of kids to come in every Tuesday and take a test outside of school at least once a month,” Crandall says. “You have to want to.”
But that desire does not go unrewarded. One of Crandall’s students, a first-generation MexicanAmerican from a tough neighborhood, went from being a CAP cadet officer to being the chief NCO (non-commissioned officer) of the famous Blue Angels, responsible for the life-support systems of his fellow pilots. Stories like these are not unusual among CAP cadets. Out of a class of 25 cadets, five received military appointments over the last six years. The rest went on to college or the military. Today, the Civil Air Patrol continues to uphold three missions: emergency services (providing disaster relief during events like Hurricane Katrina and 2013’s tornadoes in Oklahoma); aerospace education (teaching the principles of flight all the way back to Leonardo da Vinci); and cadet programs, which, as Crandall will tell you, change people’s lives. “One of the joys I have is when cadets are interested in getting a pilot’s license,” Crandall says. “When a 14- or 16-year-old kid says, ‘I want that,’ and at the end of the week he’s trained up and takes off—how do you not think that changes somebody’s family tree?”
When Crandall’s cadets get asked what they did during their summer vacation, they could say any number of things, from providing disaster relief to saving people’s lives to earning their pilot’s license. Ultimately, however, Crandall and his cadets are playing their role in an important part of America’s history.
Below: These cadets were part of a first for the Civil Air Patrol: a mission to fly into Mexico. They were part of a team that was looking for a crash site of a missing US civilian pilot.
Out of a class of 25 cadets, five received military appointments over the last six years. The rest went on to college or the military. To learn more, visit gocivilairpatrol.com. For more on Lieutenant Colonel Crandall and the many success stories of his fellow CAP members and cadets, visit capbrownsville.com. Nico Tarquinio ’10 works for the Federal Government in Vermont. He can be reached at nico.tarquinio@gmail.com.
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Fit
for Business
Meet Joe Schacht ’07, an entrepreneur who’s bulking up in an already saturated personal fitness market.
T
here were plenty of people who told Joe Schacht that he was crazy to contemplate opening a gym in 2009. With the country still reeling from the financial crisis the year before, it hardly seemed an opportune moment for Schacht to make his debut as a business owner. In this economy—the thinking must have gone—could consumers really be counted on to open their wallets and ante up for the luxury of being put through their paces? Luckily for the southern Maine community, Schacht knew to go with his gut. “Ultimately, you need to have confidence to choose the path you
BY LIZA DARVIN
want and not let other people decide for you,” he says. In October of that year, Schacht launched Dynamics Fitness & Performance in Portland, Maine, and hasn’t looked back since. From an outsider’s view, the venture may have appeared to be a risky move, but in talking with Schacht, the considerable strategy and thought involved quickly becomes apparent. “Our business plan is based on slow, methodical growth and cost effectiveness,” says Schacht. “You want to make sure things are as close to bulletproof as possible before you take the leap. Preparation, as in all cases, is so important.”
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feature Joe Schacht credits many people for his success, including his client and friend Tracy Peters, who he says “thinks nothing of stopping by to help, and her ‘MacGyver’ husband, Dana, is absolutely instrumental in the location fit-ups, including engineering, making, and installing the amazing monkey bars” on page 12.
Post-graduation, Schacht worked with a purpose, diligently saving his personal training earnings and building up his client list. “It all starts with having enough capital,” he says, “so I had to be very financially smart with my money for three or four years after college in order to
the knowledge available to me in classes,” Schacht laughs. “Fortunately enough, a client of mine offered to become my business mentor. He helped instill confidence in me and also assisted with forming a business plan.” That mentor is Paul Kapothanasis, who in 1984, along with his two brothers, founded the quickchange oil and lubrication chain Prompto Oil. Now boasting 23 locations in New England, Prompto Oil is based on the classic principles of offering reliable services at a competitive cost. Dynamics is built on a similar foundation. “That’s key for us,” Schacht stresses. “Maintaining an excellent product on a consistent basis at a great price. We want to over-deliver in every situation, constantly.” How, then, does Dynamics manage to not only survive but also thrive in a saturated market?
be in a good situation. I made sure when I opened the business that I could support it with my clientele alone. If something went wrong, I wanted to know that I would still have things under control from a financial perspective.” Despite having a good head for enterprise, Schacht earned his degree in exercise science rather than business. “When you get to the real world, you think, I could have really used some of
(Within a few miles of downtown Portland there are more than 10 fitness centers.) The brand’s continued success has much to do with Schacht’s insistence from day one that the customer comes first. Dynamics’ philosophy is brilliant in its directness: “It’s a very black and white system where the client can get as much as they want out of it. They really can’t lose.” Dynamics is a small-box setup where clients
As an undergrad at Saint Joseph’s, Schacht made sure to utilize the resources available to him. He gained hands-on experiences through internships his junior and senior years, working at Union Street Athletics in Bangor and the former Core Solutions in Westbrook, respectively. He forged meaningful connections with his teachers and coaches. Schacht makes a point to mention Tom Dann, assistant professor of exercise science at the College. “He was and still is a valuable resource for me.”
Smart Steps, Smart Business
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come to be challenged with movements incorporating bodyweight resistance, apparatuses like TRX suspension trainers, and free weights, either working in $6 group classes or individually with a trainer for $40. What’s more, there is no membership or commitment—customers can come and go as best fits their schedules. Rather than mandating that clients conform to strict policies or be hit with penalties, Schacht makes the gym work for the clients’ needs. He’s proud to note, “There is no one-size-fits-all mentality at Dynamics.” This rings true not only for the business model but also the workouts themselves. An energetic and positive atmosphere complements the affordable, effective fitness routines. “Our aim is to challenge, not kill. I think we retain a lot of customers because we’re not pushing everyone to the limit; we’re challenging them to the point they can handle.”
After all, as Schacht points out, “If you’re not having fun, you are less susceptible to keep going.”
Personal Fitness, For Real By giving customers what they want in a gym, Schacht has turned them into his best form of publicity. “I think that with our business model—the pricing, the quality, the credentials—we’ve retained a large amount of customers who have created our most popular advertising: word of mouth.” Reviews
and friend referrals have helped to build not only a large customer base but also bring new staff to the gym. “Word of mouth got other trainers with our philosophies and passions interested in being on board and joining our team.”
“Tom Dann, assistant professor of exercise science at the College, was and is a — JOE SCHACHT ’07 valuable resource for me.” With a second location in Scarborough now approaching its two-year anniversary, it’s clear that Schacht was right to strike out when he did in ’09. Of course, he hasn’t done it alone. “I guess you’d say I’m the face, I’m the ‘in-thetrenches guy,’ but we have a very strong supporting cast. It’s a big team. There’s the bookkeeper (my mom), the website guy, the family that is constantly helping with any loose ends, and the staff that I can rely on to go to Scarborough because I can’t be in two places at once.” Coming up on almost 10 years in the industry, Schacht has his fair share of inspirational fitness stories for what keeps him passionate about his work. There’s the attorney who lost 80 pounds, and the truck driver who lowered his cholesterol and improved his heart health. But maybe the most telling example of what sets Dynamics apart from other more corporate entities is the story of one of their own, James Hollenkamp, the current manager of the Scarborough location who started at the gym as a client. A former IDEXX sales rep who began taking classes at Dynamics to combat the effects of a desk job, Hollenkamp left his job and became a certified trainer after rediscovering a love for fitness. “That’s the cool part of it,” says Schacht, “seeing people who had never considered exercising before who now never want to miss a workout. It’s a complete one-eighty. Stories like that make the job rewarding.”
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OLD SCHOOL —Before there was Sebago Lake, there was Walton Street—
Saint Joseph’s College fits perfectly on the shore of Sebago Lake. Guided by a mission and core values that are rooted in spirituality and stewardship of the environment, the College is surrounded by 430 acres of opportunity to embrace those ideals and more. But before the College was known as a learning destination on Sebago Lake, it was noted as being the first college in Portland, Maine. That declaration comes from an April 29, 1917, article from the Portland Sunday Telegram (now Maine Sunday Telegram), a day before Saint Joseph’s College’s Saint Catherine’s Hall was dedicated in a ceremony led by Bishop Louis Sebastian Walsh—on Walton Street in Portland. From its founding in 1912 until its move to Standish in 1956, Saint Joseph’s College was stationed between Forest and Stevens avenues in Portland’s Deering neighborhood, on the grounds of the Sisters of Mercy’s Motherhouse. The Motherhouse still stands, and Saint Catherine’s Hall still houses some Sisters of Mercy, although the College has since established roots in its present home in Standish.
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This presidential parlor was just one room in the three-story Saint Catherine’s Hall, which housed classrooms, labs, and residences for students at Saint Joseph’s College in its early years.
feature
In 1949, the College’s name changed to College of Our Lady of Mercy. This name lasted until 1956, when the College moved to its current home in Standish, at which time the name Saint Joseph’s College resumed. winter 2015 | 17
feature
Ebola: A Reflection on Risk
BY DIANE ATWOOD ’77
In an age of advancing health care and medical technologies, is the threat of an Ebola outbreak a concern for the US?
O
rdinarily, in the spring a group of Saint Joseph’s College nursing students and a clinical faculty member travel to Senegal, West Africa. “We take them to various parts of the world,” says professor of nursing Sharon Martin, PhD, MSN, RN. “It’s an important part of understanding world health and working with people from other cultures.” But this past spring, circumstances in West Africa were anything but ordinary. By the end of March 2014, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia were in the grips of an Ebola outbreak. Although at the time no cases had been reported in Senegal, the risk was too great and the trip was cancelled. “I couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t get into Senegal,” says Martin. “I knew way back in the spring from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it probably wouldn’t be until December that they got it under control.” It now appears that it will take longer than predicted. The Ebola outbreak has evolved into one of the largest in history, killing more people than all previous outbreaks combined. By late July it
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had spread into Nigeria, and on August 29, Senegal reported its first case. An outbreak in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was reportedly not connected to the larger outbreak. As of January 16, 2015, a total of 13,477 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported, and 8,468 people have died. In early September, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, said the epidemic was spiraling out of control. At a CDC briefing, he said, “This is not just a problem for West Africa, not just a problem for Africa. It’s a problem for the world, and the world needs to respond.”
Global Concern International travel is one of the major reasons for a resurgence of many infectious diseases in the United States over the past two decades. “In just a matter of hours, one can get on a plane and be across the world, even in a remote part of the world,” says Mary McFadden ’02, RN, MHA, CIC, CHS, director of infection prevention at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.
“Is it possible for us to get a case in the United States? Sure,” says McFadden, “but it’s not as truly transmissible as one would think. If you just traveled to Liberia, that is not considered an exposure. You have to come into direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who is actively infected.” A major problem in Africa is the lack of a robust health care infrastructure. “They’re taking care of patients in huts out in fields or in crowded buildings where they’re lined up one after the other,” McFadden says. “There’s a lot of exposure because they don’t have the correct type of facility or even enough of the personal protective equipment we have in the United States, so the spread is that much more magnanimous.” “They also have to make do with minimal supplies, minimal water for washing, minimal hand solutions,” says Martin. “And there are so few health care providers and so many people sick that it’s just ripe for error.”
What can the rest of us do? “Wash your hands often, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home when you’re sick,” recommends Martin. “Other than that, live your life.” Diane Atwood ’77 writes the award-winning health and wellness blog Catching Health with Diane Atwood. She was a longtime health reporter on WCSH-TV, and now appears as a regular guest on the station’s “Morning Report.”
Signs of Hope? Ebola is a horrific disease with no vaccine and no cure. The first human trial for a vaccine began the first week of September 2014. The experimental drug ZMapp, which was given to two infected American aid workers, is designed to treat rather than prevent Ebola. “The drug was offered to the two by the manufacturer,” says McFadden when asked about using ZMapp in Africa. “It is not approved by the FDA, and the FDA would never approve a drug like that for use with mass casualties when it’s only been tested on animals. There’s so much more testing that they have to go through.” The fact that the Ebola virus currently kills about half the people it infects creates panic among some people, even when their personal risk is almost nil. A recently released poll of 1,025 adults by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that roughly four in 10 (39 percent) adults in the US are concerned that there will be a large outbreak in this country, and more than a quarter (26 percent) are concerned that they or someone in their immediate family may get sick with Ebola over the next year. There is no denying it. We live in a contagious world and many infectious diseases are scary. Scientists and health care professionals across the planet are working tirelessly to improve disease surveillance, strengthen public health infrastructure, and develop effective prevention and treatment protocols.
Portrait of a Virus Ebola is a virus that is carried by animals—the lead suspect in the current outbreak is a fruit bat. The virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact with an infected animal’s blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids. The same is true for human-to-human transmission. The CDC estimates that approximately 75 percent of newly emerging infections are transmitted from animals to humans. Smallpox killed between 300 and 500 million people in the 20th century before it was eradicated in 1980, a feat accomplished by tracking down people who had been exposed to the disease and vaccinating them as quickly as possible. The first vaccine for a virus was created in 1796. It targeted smallpox. In 2009, H1N1 influenza, referred to as swine flu, spread to more than 213 countries and caused the first declared pandemic of the 21st century. New strains of influenza frequently occur, which is why seasonal flu vaccine usually changes every year. But in 2009, the strains had already been chosen and didn’t include H1N1. A separate vaccine had to be created.
winter 2015 | 19
a day in the life
&
Lady
the Ram WORDS AND PHOTOS BY AL ANNA CONN
It takes a little bit of luck, a bit of timing, and a lot of guts to corral a 200-pound ram.
W
hen Alyssa Dolan starts her shift at Pearson’s Town Farm, her first task is to take the goats out on leashes. If they’re feeling agreeable, it takes 10 minutes. If they’re not, they fall down in a dramatic display of revolt, and the job takes considerably longer. Next, she checks in on the chickens. If any fights broke out among the brood overnight, she’ll survey the damage and massage a rooster ankle or two. It’s all part of a typical day for Dolan, but it’s not complete until she has to wrangle Chuck. Chuck is the resident ram at Pearson’s Town Farm,
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one of a group of sheep “who are particularly fussy,” says Dolan. “And not only is Chuck cranky, but he absolutely hates me.” And that’s a problem because Michial Russell, Saint Joseph’s farm manager, needs the sheep moved from the fields to the barn regularly: for shearing, for shots, for breeding, when it’s cold, when it’s hot…. There’s always a reason. Dolan, who has worked at Pearson’s Town Farm for the past five years and was recently promoted to community supported agriculture (CSA) manager, is one of the only farmers capable of taking on Chuck—and that’s nothing to scoff at. He’s big. He
Above and below: Alyssa Dolan has mastered the art of corralling.
sometimes knocks people over. He fears no one. “It’s scary, but I’ve discovered the easiest way to move him,” says Dolan. “I take some grain, shake it, and run for my life! And since he can’t stop on a dime like I can, I step to the side and he charges past me, right where we need him to be—either in the barn or in the field.” Then it’s only a matter of getting him into a headlock and waiting until the rest of the herd catches up. Only. Dolan’s a part-time student studying business and sustainability at the College, with hopes to run her own farm one day. She wants to teach people about sustainable gardening, and to provide fresh vegetables to the community. It just so happens that she’ll be a professional ram wrangler, as well.
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22
alumninews S J C A LU M N I B OA R D
It’s Time to Reconnect
OFFICERS
Dear fellow alumni,
Ellis Baum ’98 CHAIR
As we near the end of winter, I’m reminded of how seasons in Maine come and go in the blink of an eye. The reality is that it isn’t just the seasons that change quickly; it’s really time that marches on. This reality was very striking to me as I attended 2014’s Alumni Weekend and found myself asking, how is it possible that it’s been 16 years since I graduated from here? Time truly waits for no one.
2014–2015
Marissa (Morton) Stephens ’01 VICE CHAIR June Irvine ’09 TREASURER Pam Aliberti ’65 S E C R E TA RY B OA R D M E M B E R S Nichole (Long) Adams ’10 Cheryl Brewster ’00 Stephanie (Tutlis) Briggs ’98
My point is that approximately three years ago, I made my way back to SJC through the Alumni Association after being absent for a long time. Since being “back,” I have reconnected with old friends, strengthened relationships with friends I’ve had since college, and have had the privilege of meeting new, absolutely amazing people, as well. As exciting as that is, I can’t help but wonder what I missed being absent for such a long time. And it’s not just me—I talked to a number of people at Alumni Weekend last year who hadn’t been back to campus or spent time with old friends and classmates in years. It was obvious how excited they were.
Sam Butts ’13 Jenna Chase ’11 Lauren D’Urso ’08 James Farrenkopf ’01 Aubrey Gray ’08 Kennedy Johnson ’08 Sister Mary Kneeland ’73 Chris Lee ’00 Ken Marino ’82 Haley Nason ’14 Donna O’Brien ’87 Brett O’Kelly ’16 Ray Ruby ’05 Meloney Simpson Santeusanio ’09 Erin Scanlon ’98 Ryan Turner ’98
So, if you’re reading this article and thinking it really has been a while, here is your formal invitation to come back and be part of Saint Joseph’s College. In addition to the people that I’ve written about, there are other reasons to consider “coming back,” as well. It’s a very exciting time at the College. President Dlugos and the Board of Trustees have developed a dynamic strategic plan that contains a comprehensive set of both short- and long-term goals that will ensure the College’s success. Now that I’ve invited you back, I will be working with the Alumni Board to offer you a number of opportunities to reconnect. In the not-too-distant future, be on the lookout for networking socials in a variety of areas, as well as Alumni Weekend 2015. I look forward to seeing you! Sincerely, Ellis Baum ’98 Chair of the Alumni Board ebaum@sjcme.edu
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Let’s Reconnect on Common Ground at the ’60s Cluster Reunion & 2015 Alumni Weekend Rediscover your stomping grounds. Relive the memories of your class. Reimagine what it means to be SJC. ’60s Reunion June 12–14, 2015 Alumni Weekend July 31–August 2, 2015 For more, visit sjcme.edu/alumni
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A Welcomed Light Following through on a promise, the Alumni Association and the Student Government Association bring light to Saint Joseph’s College.
O
n Wednesday, November 12, 2014, members of the Saint Joseph’s community huddled outside on a chilly fall evening and watched years of planning come to fruition as President Jim Dlugos set the College’s brand new fire pit aflame. Initially conceived as the Alumni Association’s inauguration gift to the president, the project evolved to become a shared venture between alumni, students, and administration, and a symbol for the community President Dlugos has made it his goal to strengthen. “The fire pit really speaks to the commitment of excellence I’ve seen take shape since President Dlugos arrived, and I think this is a fantastic representation of the direction the College is headed in,” said Ellis Baum ’98, chair of the Alumni Board, at the start of the dedication. The Alumni Association allocated funds for the fire pit, with additional funds coming from the College and the Student Government Association (SGA). The president of SGA, Ethan Rettew ’15, was also on hand at the ceremony, bearing an armful of wooden paint sticks that Saint Joseph’s students had signed during the days leading to the opening event. In honor of SGA’s role in creating the fire pit, the sticks were symbolically tossed into the fire for the first burn. “Having the project completed lets students know that President Dlugos and the administration want the campus to continue to improve,” Rettew said. At the dedication ceremony, President Dlugos thanked all those involved, praising the teamwork between students and alumni and voicing his desire that the fire pit continues to bring members of the College community together through its use. “We decided to make this a traditional fire pit so that part of the activity is gathering and building the fire, and then tending to it,” Dlugos said at the dedication. “It connects us with one of the oldest impulses in humankind: gathering around the fire to tell stories. It’s a place to celebrate community, to engage in fellowship.”
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Next page: President Jim Dlugos, in addition to Ethan Rettew ’15, president of SGA, and Ellis Baum ’98, chair of the Alumni Board, made opening remarks at the fire pit dedication ceremony.
alumninews
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scene¬ed
Out and about with SJC alums
Welcome to the New Hall of Fame On September 13, 2014, the 12th class was inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame. This ceremony also celebrated another milestone in the College’s history: the unveiling of the new Athletics Hall of Fame Room on the second floor of the Harold Alfond Center. The room features beautiful woodwork, designed and constructed by Windham Millworks, individual plaques for each Hall of Fame inductee, and memorabilia cases displaying various significant items from past Athletics achievements. The introduction of the Athletics Hall of Fame Room included addresses from Athletics Director Brian Curtin and Presi-
dent Jim Dlugos, and the invocation was delivered by 2001 Hall of Fame inductee Carol Lachance ’84, RSM. With the addition of the 2014 class, which consists of Mary Gill Herrick ’02 (women’s soccer), Jamie Header ’93 (men’s basketball), Pat Lessard ’00 (baseball), Joe and Joan Pappalardo (special induction), and Sarah Webster ’02 (softball), the Athletics Hall of Fame membership grows to a total of 74 accomplished individuals and teams. The Hall of Fame Room, which is open to the public, was made possible by numerous contributions from friends and alumni of Saint Joseph’s College. A complete list of donors can be found on display in the room, as well as online at bit.ly/SJCHoF2014.
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alumninews
winter 2015 | 27
scene¬ed
Out and about with SJC alums
2014 Alumni Weekend Standish & Portland, Maine July 31–August 2, 2014
Top Left–Right: Class of 2014 inductees are joined by members of the Walton Street Society in attendance. n Kathleen Turner DeVylder ’64 and her husband, Arthur n Mary Riley O’Brien ’64 and Sarah Sabatino Lagueux ’63 n Pam Aliberti ’65, Erin Scanlon ’98 n Beth Egan Mallett ’94 and Gwen Rush Genest ’94 n Alumni enjoy the Legacy Chairs with a legendary view of Sebago Lake
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alumninews
Top Left–Right: Members of the Class of 1994: Kim Rodgers, Kim Davis Scholz, Gwen Rush Genest, Allison Wing Lambert, Alex Baum Frazier, Julie Sweeney Fabry, Debbie Penta Lindholm, and Julie DeTemple McLean n Greg Collymore ’94, Shawn Adams ’94, Brian Fabry ’94, and Jason Moordian ’94 n Melanie Cloutier ’13, Samantha Viola ’13, Tracey Shermerhorn, Casey Monaghan ’13, and Mike Sanfilippo ’12 n Jeannine Pericotte Pafume ’89, Suzanne Bleau LeBlanc ’89, and Sandy Davis Randall ’90 n Jonathan Horgan ’12, guest, Sarah O’Hanlon ’14, Blake Edwards ’11, Anneka Adame ’14, and Haley Nason ’14 n Kerrie Murtha, Jeff Ferguson ’08, Tony Myatt ’09, Ryan Sullivan ’09, Nick Peterson ’05, and Andrew Vaughan ’07
winter 2015 | 29
classnotes
Alumni news, views & updates
1940s
PhD nursing program at Duquesne University and is now in dissertation.
GLORIA HALL GALLANT ’49
of Portland, ME, spent a wonderful week in Ashville, NC, in October 2013 with her family and friends. Later, in February, she and her husband, Ed, showed off their hiking skills while vacationing near Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire. She and Ed are still out and about having fun!
1950s MARY LOUISE SULLIVAN SOMES ’51 recently
moved to Portland, ME, after living in Montpelier, VT, for 49 years.
AMY DEMMONS JACOBSON ’94 of Cumberland,
Marcus J. Barresi ’76 MARCUS J. BARRESI ’76 of Levant, ME, was featured in the Bangor Daily News on April 9, 2014, for earning New England Financial’s Leaders level of recognition, an honor given to a select set of top financial advisors.
1980s LORI SEAVERNS BANNING ’80 of Plymouth, MA, has
1970s PAT CAREY ’74 and ANDREA WAGNER CAREY ’71 of Kennebunk, ME,
recently celebrated their son Matt’s accomplishment of playing for Scotland in the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship held in Denver, CO. Matt was eligible to play for Scotland because he was born there while Pat and Andrea were living in the country during the ’80s.
been busy teaching nursing students and doing hospice nursing, and she would like to say hi to everyone from the class of 1980! Her daughter, Joslyn Banning, graduated in the fall of 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. CHARLES E. FULMER ’82 of Columbia, SC, celebrated his 91st birthday on November 22, 2013.
Barbara George Plungis ’84, ’97 BARBARA GEORGE PLUNGIS ’84, ’97 of Watertown,
CT, recently retired from teaching online and distance learning courses after 14 years at the College. She will miss everyone but will always remain very connected to Saint Joseph’s, her home away from home. JOSEPH B. GALLAGHER ’84, ’08 was recently appoint-
ed chair of the Wyoming Department of Health Facilities Task Force by the state’s governor. MARTHA TOWLE REDD ’85
of Lindale, TX, was recently promoted to pancreatic account executive with AbbVie Pharmaceutical, which covers Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. CAROLE STUBBS BENNETT ’87 of Plantation,
FL, recently moved to Florida and is now us-
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ing her nursing skills in volunteer work with the elderly. MICHELLE BENNETT HUNT ’88 of Bucksport,
ME, continues to work as a wound specialist for Hancock County Homecare and Hospice in Ellsworth.
1990s S. JEAN SZILAGYI ’92, ’99
of Conneaut, OH, was appointed to the board of directors for United Church Homes in May 2013. United Church Homes is a nonprofit organization providing health care and affordable senior housing services. DEBRA ORDWAY KRAMLICH ’92, ’09 of Raymond,
ME, is currently a fulltime faculty member at the University of New England. She completed her coursework in the
ME, was recognized by the Maine Red Claws and the Greely PTO as the MSAD #51 Hometown Hero in February 2014. MILAGRITOS “MILA” HARDING-OMAR ’97 of
Ellicott City, MD, graduated with a Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) degree from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Utah in December 2013. She is currently working as a nurse practitioner at Montgomery Medical Associates in Rockville, MD. JAMES DIVINE ’99 of Colorado Springs, CO, was inducted into the American School Band Directors Association, and he also published three books: the print book How To Make It In The Music Business, and the e-books Go Ahead... Make My Day: 39 Ways To Make Someone’s Day and 40 Ways To Make Money As A Musician. James welcomed his second granddaughter in February 2014.
alumninews
2000s ANDY J. DOLLOPH ’00 of Salem, VA, is the new regional vice president for Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Services as one of their new ACT Team clinicians. JONATHAN “JON” FRANCIS ’06 of Amherst, NH,
recently completed his master’s in education at Fitchburg State University (class of 2014). LINDA WING ’07, ’14 of Sabattus, ME, was recently appointed resident services coordinator for The Caleb Group in Lewiston.
Deacon Brad Morin ’06 DEACON BRAD MORIN ’06
of Baltimore, MD, was ordained to the priesthood last spring. In May, Deacon Brad completed his master’s degree in theology from St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, and on June 6, 2014, he celebrated his Mass of Priestly Ordination at St. David Church in Madawaska, ME.
2010s ANDREW MORAVICK ’10
graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in September 2013 with a Master of Science in Community Mental Health. On January 10, 2014, she took the National Counseling Exam and passed. On February 7, her license for a Licensed Clinical Professional Counseling Conditional was activated. On February 24, she started a new position at the agency, working for Tri-County Mental Health
HEATHER ACETO ’13 of Gray, ME, got engaged to Justin Theriault on August 10, 2014, and was promoted to human resource coordinator at Dingley Press, Inc.
of Dorchester, MA, was recently named one of New England’s Top 40 Influencers in Content and Digital Marketing by Skyword.
Reflections Breast Health Center in Ohio.
wedding bells MICHAEL R. DOUGHTY ’03 of Poughkeepsie,
NY, married Erin Leger on June 14, 2013, in Middlebury, CT. Father John Tokaz said Mass and Mike Vasil ’03 was the best man. STEPHANIE NEALES NICHOLS ’09, ’14 married
Andrew Nichols VIII on October 5, 2013, in Buxton, ME. Stephanie is currently an educational technician at Westbrook High School and Andrew is a protected species observer for an RPS group out of Houston, TX. Alumni in the wed-
ding party included Mary Tibbetts ’09 and Rachel Neales ’12. Guests included David Morse ’07 and Kaitlyn (Cunningham) Morse ’09, Joshua Bell ’08 and Amanda Bell ’08, Tim Lira ’12, Crystal Mueller Richardson ’09, Justin Richardson ’09, Betsy Parrish ’09, and Julia (Peaslee) Spellman ’09. JESSICA BELTON ’10 of Quincy, MA, got engaged to Christopher Cushman on September 1, 2013. She was married at St. Peter’s Church, and the reception was held at the White Cliffs Country Club in Plymouth, MA, on August 15, 2014.
LILLIAN DONNELLY ’11
of Port Jefferson Station, NY, had an article published in the January 2014 issue of American Nurse Today. MATTHEW SHAW ’11 of
HOLLY CAVNA GEORGE ’06 of Wiscasset, ME,
CHRIS PETZY ’12 of Hampton, NH, was named the Player of the Year for his England Basketball Division. Chris is currently a student at OxfordBrookes University in England, pursuing a master’s in business and playing basketball for the university’s team.
Lewiston, ME, is starting a new position as the director of campaign and marketing at the United Way of Androscoggin County. He will be working with the goals, vision, and mission of the organization to manage all aspects of the annual campaign and marketing efforts. He will be developing and implementing strategies to maximize workplace giving, improving social media, marketing, and communication materials, and organizing special events.
Connie Noble ’14 CONNIE NOBLE ’14 of Medina, OH, had her work published in the September/October issue of Radiologic Technology. The article “Service Quality in Mammography” is an edited selection from the senior research paper she completed in culmination of her online BSRSA degree from the College. Connie has been a radiology technologist, clinical instructor, and a mammographer for years, and currently works as a mammography technologist at the Akron General Partners
Stephanie Neales Nichols ’09, ’14 & Andrew Nichols VIII
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classnotes new additions EDWARD (NED) MCDONALD ’76 and MARY GRIFFIN MCDONALD ’76
of Southbury, CT, welcomed their first grandchildren, Ethan Matthew and Madeline Grace, on January 8, 2014.
JONATHAN MULCAHY ’05
and SARAH BOUCHARD MULCAHY ’07 of Baring Plantation, ME, were married on July 9, 2011. They welcomed the birth of their first child, Olivia Denise Mulcahy, on July 2, 2014. Olivia was born at Calais Regional
Hospital in Calais. She weighed in at 5 lbs., 11.3 oz., and was 19 inches long.
condolences & prayers The College community offers sympathy to… The family of JODY N. CONNOR ’74, who passed away on June 9, 2014. The family of GINNY BUCKLEY-KESSLER ’77, whose husband, Michael J. Kessler, passed away on July 14, 2014.
The family of BERNADETTE TATARCZUK MURPHY ’81 of Portland,
Olivia Denise Mulcahy
ME, who passed away on June 4, 2014.
Where has life taken you? We want to know. Send us news of your accomplishments and life changes. Email alumni@sjcme.edu or mail to the Office of Alumni Relations: Saint Joseph’s College, 278 Whites Bridge Rd., Standish, ME 04084-5236, or call 207-893-7890.
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The family of MARY CLEMENTINE BIRD ’82, who passed away on March 15, 2014, at age 81. She had a full and purposeful life and was able through hard work to realize and enjoy all of her dreams. The family of PATRICIA M. SHUBECK LOVELAND ’89
of Birmingham, AL, who passed away on April 30, 2013. The family of BETH CANNIZZARO VIGILANTE ’95 of Charlestown, MA, whose mother, Susan R. Cannizzaro, passed away on April 17, 2014. The family of LISA M. MCALLISTER ’95 of Gray, ME, who passed away
peacefully on June 23, 2014, after a 25-year battle with lupus. The family of MARIA LOIZOU ZENIERI ’98 of Cyprus, who passed away from cancer on October 10, 2010. The family of KAREN LEWIS WORCESTER ‘04 of Carmel, ME, who passed away as a result of a car accident on June 16, 2014
The family of AARON LEROY BASFORD ’10, who passed away unexpectedly on April 30, 2014, at age 56.
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Caught in the act: SJC’s men’s and women’s soccer teams took the chilly 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for the ALS Association, which funds research and clinical management projects related to Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Photo by David Bates, fotografixstudio.com