Bonaventure magazine | Summer 2021

Vol. 13, No. 2, SUMMER 2021

BONAVENTURE

The Magazine of St. Bonaventure University

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Leaving a Legacy

A tribute to Dr. Dennis R. DePerro, St. Bonaventure’s 20th president, a man of compassion, faith, intellect, humor and joy.

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Five of a Kind

The Bonnies went all in with a stellar starting lineup and provided a beacon of hope in a sobering year.

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Alumni Voices

When we asked alumni about their favorite study spots, we discovered that the deck was stacked — as in the bookshelves, or “stacks,” in Friedsam Memorial Library.

INSIDE

Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Off the Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 The Pathway to Success . . . .28 Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Alumni Voices . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Editor, Beth Eberth Contributors Susan Anderson, ’11 Danny Bush, ’13, ’15 Tom Donahue, ’76

Scott Eddy, ’08 Tom Missel Jennifer Pulver Lindsay Retchless

Submit Class Notes: www.SBUmagazine.com Address changes: www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate Additional contacts: Office of Alumni Services www.sbu.edu/alumni (716) 375-2302

Bonaventure: The Magazine of St. Bonaventure University is produced twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications.

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Bonaventure Magazine P.O. Box 2509 3261 W. State Road St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 (716) 375-2000 magazine@sbu.edu

Pr es id e n t’s M es sage

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Remarkable community pushes SBU to thrive

e made it. No question, there were days this academic year when the light at the end of the tunnel only seemed to be getting dimmer.

That light totally — but only temporarily — went out March 1, the day we learned our beloved leader and friend, Dr. Dennis DePerro, passed away from complications from COVID-19.

Yet we persisted, finding inspiration to push forward from the lessons we learned from Dennis — most importantly, that our obligation is to provide the best possible curricular and extracurricular experience for our students no matter the tangible or emotional hurdles we might encounter.

We finished the year missing only two scheduled class days in the fall and none in the spring, a remarkable achievement that reflects the work of the leadership and all the faculty and staff across campus who worked tirelessly to cope with any curveballs the pandemic threw at them.

More than any division, Student Affairs did everything imaginable to keep our students safe, and was innovative and resourceful in creating programming that kept students engaged when engagement was a significant challenge.

Truth is, I could fill this magazine documenting the efforts of our students, faculty and staff who persevered through perhaps the biggest existential threat to the university since its founding.

What we came to realize since we were forced to send students home in March 2020 is that this remarkable community is stronger, more flexible, and more collaborative than anyone thought possible.

What we also discovered is that this community is great at multi-tasking. The Herculean effort to manage the intricacies of the pandemic didn’t thwart the momentum we’ve built up over the last four years.

Despite the uncertainties of the pandemic, the incoming fall 2021 freshman class is strong again; the last four freshman classes are the four largest in the last 13 years.

Fundraising took a hit at some institutions this year because of the pandemic, but not at Bona’s. The generosity of our alumni and friends is staggering. We’re already $5 million ahead of our Dec. 31, 2021, goal for the Comprehensive Campaign, and the Bonaventure Fund raised $2.992 million, shattering the university’s record for unrestricted annual giving.

We welcomed 24 Physician Assistant students, our first cohort of graduate students in our School of Health Professions, which now has a state-of-the-art new home in historic Francis Hall.

Our second graduate program in Health Professions, Occupational Therapy, launches this fall, and a master’s program in Public Health was just approved June 29 by New York state.

The Jandoli School of Communication is offering two completely online graduate programs beginning this fall: a master’s in Digital Journalism and in Sports Journalism, programs that were developed with the help of several distinguished Jandoli alumni.

With the consolidation of three reunion years into two weekends next summer, many of you will be coming to campus for the first time in a while. You’ll notice some significant changes besides Francis Hall. I know the removal of the iconic Bonaventure bushes drew the ire of many alumni, but the beautiful brick sign (which will be lit at night) and patio replacing them will surely become a must-stop photo op. A donor-funded pavilion with two fire pits in front of Dev is scheduled to be finished this fall, and the Admissions Welcome Area in the Administration Building has undergone a radical transformation.

The Reilly Center is getting new HVAC (necessary due to COVID), electric, lighting, and sound systems, and a new roof this summer, just in time for what could be the most exciting men’s basketball season in years … that fans can witness, at least. It would be hard to top the thrills the team gave us last season, winning the A-10 regular season and tournament titles. Thank goodness for TV and our ESPN+ streaming capability, which allowed us to see the games even if we couldn’t be there in person.

You can see, just from this abridged list of accomplishments, that even with the dual body blows of the pandemic and the death of our beloved president, St. Bonaventure is not only surviving but thriving, with a strong and strategic plan in place to carry us into the future.

Dr. Joseph Zimmer Acting President

St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees | 2020-2021 Academic Year

John D. Sheehan, ’82 Board Chair Deb A. Henretta, ’83 Vice Chair Michael E. Hill, ’96 Board Secretary

Michael A. Anderson, ’77 Steven G. Barry, ’88 Norbert A. Bennett, ’62 Janet I. Bodnar, ’71 Laurie A. Branch, ’04 Luke H. Brown, ’89 George Camacho, O.F.M Pikai Chiang, ’84 Michael T. Fossaceca, ’88

Mark R. Gianniny Michael A. Hickey, ’84 Linh N. Hoang, O.F.M. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., ’05 Laurie R. Krupa, ’82 Molly Kulesz-Martin, ’71 William J. Lawley Jr., ’85 Cindy Abbott Letro Kayte A. Malik, ’03

Kristan K. McMahon, ’97 Kevin J. Mullen, O.F.M. Richard A. Penna, ’68 John E. Puodziunas, O.F.M. Carol A. Schumacher, ’78 Ann L. Swan, Pd.D. James T. Walsh, L.H.D., ’70 Lynda M. Wilhelm, ’86 Joseph E. Zimmer

Trustees Emeriti Robert J. Daugherty, ’77 John R. "Jack" McGinley, L.H.D., ’65 Charles Osgood, L.H.D. Leslie C. Quick III, L.H.D., ’75

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Camp u s Ne ws

25,000 disinfecting wipes

20,000 masks

14,000 gallons of disinfectant

100 gallons of hand sanitizer Used on campus during the 2020-21 academic year

Pierce named interim dean of the School of Education

Dr. Latoya Pierce has been named interim dean of the School of Education. She replaces Dr. Lisa Buenaventura, who retired.

Pierce has been program director since 2019 for SBU’s online master’s program in counselor education, which has become the university’s largest academic program — graduate or undergraduate.

She also serves on SBU’s President’s Commission on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Since 2004, Pierce has held administrative and teaching positions at Loyola University in New Orleans, University of New Orleans, Arkansas State, Walden University and Louisiana Tech.

Pierce earned a Ph.D. in counselor education from New Orleans, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Loyola in counseling and psychology, respectively.

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Warming House service grows exponentially during pandemic

The student-run soup kitchen saw a sharp increase in the number of individuals seeking meals during the pandemic. In 2019, the Warming House served 5,922 meals. In 2020, the Warming House served 12,257 meals. In 2021, the Warming House is projected to serve between 7,000 and 8,000 meals. Above, Lindsey Lytle, ’22, an environmental sciences major, serves a take-out meal to a Warming House guest. At right, staff and students from Southern Tier Catholic School/Archbishop Walsh Academy donate a gift to the Warming House in memory and honor of Dr. Dennis DePerro after taking a tour of the Warming House.

Camp u s Ne ws

PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

Presidential search webpage established, alumni invited to nominate potential candidates

The search committee to seek the successor to Dr. Dennis DePerro, the 21st president of St. Bonaventure, has developed a leadership profile for the position and has begun seeking potential candidates.

SBU’s president since June 2017, Dr. DePerro passed away March 1 as a result of complications from COVID-19.

The campus community, as well as alumni and regional leaders, had the opportunity in May to offer input on the key attributes they believe are important for the next president to possess.

The application process for prospective candidates began in early June, with the objective of narrowing the pool to three or four finalists by early October. Trustees and key university stakeholders will then interview the finalists before the announcement of a new president is made by the end of 2021.

“Our goal is to have the new president in place no later than

July 2022,” said John Sheehan, ’82, chair of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Joseph Zimmer, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will continue in his role as acting president until then.

Deb Henretta, ’83, partner at Council Advisors and independent board director, and Michael Hill, ’96, president of Chautauqua Institution, are co-chairing the search committee.

Henretta is the vice chair and Hill is secretary of SBU’s Board of Trustees.

WittKieffer, the executive search firm that supported the search for SBU’s president in 2015, will also manage this search.

For more information about the search process or to nominate a potential candidate, visit the search webpage at www.sbu.edu/presidentialsearch.

REGINA A. QUICK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

New work, old favorites featured in galleries’ reopening

Art galleries at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts will reopen in late August following a summer of work to restore gallery spaces that had been repurposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the university has lifted its ban on visitors to campus that was in place during the pandemic, the Quick Center has much to do before it can reopen its doors to art lovers and other guests.

During the academic year, the university converted QCA galleries into temporary classrooms, installing needed technology devices and other equipment.

Plans are to have exhibitions back inside galleries by the time first-year students arrive on campus for the start of Welcome Days activities on Aug. 27.

“We are very excited to be installing new exhibitions in our galleries, and to be preparing to greet visitors once again,” said Evelyn Penman, assistant director of the Quick Center. “When we reopen in late summer visitors will see several new works that have come into the University Art Collection during the last two years, as well as some old favorites.”

Among the new offerings will be a special temporary exhibition titled “To Linda, Love, Joe,” featuring works by the

“Goethe” by Andy Warhol

“Picnic on a Ledge” by Michael Lenson

late Western New York artist Joe Orffeo.

A special opening is planned for late September.

Also scheduled is a traveling exhibition of works by the late Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter known for her portraits, selfportraits, and works inspired by nature and artifacts of Mexico.

Planned gallery exhibitions are as follows: • Dresser Foundation Gallery: Works in the University Art Collection, from the Renaissance through the 1950s, as well as paintings, drawings, sculptures, and new works that have come into the collection in the past two years.

• Paul W. Beltz Gallery: Works from the 1950s to current day as well as paintings, drawings, sculptures, and new works.

• Winifred Shortell Kenney Gallery: This space will host the Joe Orffeo exhibition cited above. Details on the planned September opening will be announced.

• Marianne Letro Laine Gallery of Asian Art: This redesigned exhibition will feature a large 30-foot-long scroll and some modern works by 20th century Asian artists.

To learn more about Quick Center exhibitions through 2021-2022, visit www.sbu.edu/quickexhibitions.

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UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS

New programs equip future teachers with STEM-related bachelor’s degrees

Four new academic programs at SBU enable students who want to teach secondary biology, chemistry, mathematics or physics to earn a bachelor’s degree in one of those subjects while completing initial New York state teaching certification requirements.

The new programs complement the university’s existing adolescence education program, whereby students enroll in the School of Education and pursue a Bachelor of Science in adolescence education, choosing a particular subject (biology, chemistry, etc.) in which to become certified to teach.

The difference is in the academic degree earned.

Rather than earning a Bachelor of Science in education, students in the new programs earn a B.S. in one of the four STEM fields: biology, chemistry, mathematics or physics.

Literary publishing and editing degree now offered

A new bachelor’s degree program in literary publishing and editing is now enrolling students for the fall.

Building on faculty strengths and alumni networks, the program will prepare students to enter careers in publishing and editing, including in the areas of copyediting, proofreading, marketing, sales, and communication work.

Courses will teach students about the production of small press literary magazines; peer-reviewed journals in the Arts and Humanities; textbooks designed for English and college and high school writing; and literary books produced by commercial presses.

HELLINGER LUNCHEON

Jandoli School to honor alumni at Press Club

The Jandoli School of Communication plans to host the 2021 Mark Hellinger Award luncheon Oct. 11 at the Press Club in Washington, D.C. The school will honor 2021 Hellinger winner Mike Hogan, ’21, and honorable mention Jeff Uveino, ’21; 2020 Hellinger winner Cameron Hurst, ’19, and honorable mention Layne Dowdall, ’20; 2021 Alumna of the Year Danica Roem, ’06; 2020 Alumnus of the Year Charlie Specht, ’10; and distinguished graduates Jackie Trescott, ’68, and Joan Roeben Licursi, ’65.

More event information and registration details will be available as the event approaches.

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Lax poetry takes center stage in Philip Glass opera

Who would have thought that the latest work by the world renowned composer Philip Glass would have had its origins in the basement of the library of St. Bonaventure in the 1950s.

Writer Robert Lax had just returned from traveling with the Cristiani Family Circus through Western Canada. Upon returning to a family home in the small town of Olean, he sought out a quiet place to work daily on transforming his experiences into a poetic vision of the circus as a microcosm of the world and a hymn to its creation.

Today that poetic vision is coming to life in a fusion of circus and opera. “Circus Days and Nights,” a new opera by Glass, is based on Lax’s collection of poems by the same name. The three-act circus opera is co-produced by Swedish contemporary circus company Cirkus Cirkör and Malmö Opera, and premiered live on May 29.

Paul Spaeth, curator of the Lax Archives and former director of Friedsam Memorial Library, said Lax’s interest in the circus stemmed from his childhood when his dad would take him to watch the circus train arrive in Olean and subsequent circus performances.

St. Bonaventure houses the largest archival collection of work by Lax, whose styles were simplicity of look and content,

along with a deep spirituality mixed with humor. Lax was born and died in Olean (19152000), though he traveled extensively and for more than three decades lived on the Greek islands of Kalymnos and Patmos.

The most important of Lax’s early publications was “Circus of the Sun” (1959), a cycle of poems about Lax’s travels with the Cristiani Family Circus in 1949.

The poetry collection “Circus Days and Nights” was published in 2000 and draws readers into Lax’s fascination with acrobats and the circus lifestyle. In his introduction of the book, Spaeth writes, “Robert Lax never lost that sense of wonder whenever he was around a circus. He went to see these wandering caravans of performers as often as he could, long after he had ceased being a child.”

41,955 Zoom sessions held by SBU faculty, staff and students between June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021

Bona’s and JCC join forces to bring remote medical clinic to Olean Camp u s Ne ws

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By Tom Donahue

umb luck brought Paula Snyder and Jim Mahar together.

Their shared commitment to building community and serving those in need has resulted in St. Bonaventure University’s involvement in a Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic for the second time in five years.

Mahar, associate professor of finance at SBU and founder of the volunteer relief agency BonaResponds, was among a throng of community members who turned out for a playground construction project in Olean’s King Street Park in September of 2019.

He found himself working alongside Snyder, executive director of the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College. Next to her was Daniel DeMarte, JCC president.

“I knew of Jim Mahar from newspaper articles, what a great guy he was and the things he did, but I had never met him,” said Snyder. “The three of us got to talking about this RAM project.

Jim was very disappointed that Bona’s couldn’t do it because of campus renovations that were going to be occurring, and he asked if JCC would be willing to have it.”

It wasn’t the “yes” that surprised Mahar, but how fast DeMarte delivered it.

“He said yes immediately,” said Mahar. “It was like, sure, let’s get this done.”

Remote Area Medical is a nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics that deliver free dental, vision and medical services to uninsured and underserved populations, primarily in the U.S. Established in 1985, its corps of volunteer licensed professionals have provided free quality healthcare to some 864,000 people in need.

Plans to hold the JCC clinic in 2020 were scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, so the event was rescheduled for this year. It will be held on JCC’s downtown Olean campus the weekend of Sept. 11-12, operating from 8 a.m. to

5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Mahar was the driving force behind a RAM clinic at St. Bonaventure’s Reilly Center in 2017. Held in partnership with local and regional healthcare partners, it provided no-cost medical, dental and vision care to 400 people.

The JCC clinic expects to serve between 500 and 600 people.

Like all RAM clinics, the JCC event is open to anyone, no questions asked, and

pus, will help provide box lunches for the hundreds of clients and volunteer workers.

“One of the biggest challenges our Warming House guests face is access to medical and dental care,” said Alice Miller Nation, director of the SBU’s Franciscan Center for Social Concern.

“This is a great opportunity for us to help those on the margins of society.”

Students and faculty from St. Bonaventure’s School of Health Professions

In 2017, a Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic held in the Reilly Center provided no-cost medical, dental and vision care to 400 people.

“everything is free,” said Snyder.

New York state licensed primary care doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists and optometrists will assess patients and provide on-the-spot treatment including dental work and even the grinding of lenses for new eyeglasses.

A task force of volunteers from groups and organizations across the region is responsible for planning and executing the JCC clinic.

BonaResponds is not the only group from St. Bonaventure assisting in the effort.

Students and staff from The Warming House, the student-run soup kitchen located just a block from the JCC cam-

will assist in the clinic’s triage station, getting patients’ basic histories and vitals.

“Many people in our region lack access to proper medical and dental care,” said Dr. Scott Medler, associate professor in the physician assistant studies program at SBU. “Our students welcome such opportunities to help those in need. It’s one of the things that attracts students to St. Bonaventure over other schools: the spirit of service and Franciscan values.”

Anyone interested in helping at the RAM clinic should email Mahar at jmahar@sbu.edu or jim.mahar@gmail.com.

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COMMENCEMENT 2021 Camp u s N ews

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ore than 600 students earned degrees and advanced certificates in May during the university’s 161st Commencement Exercises.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the university conducted six ceremonies throughout the course of the day.

The traditional slate of Commencement weekend events was held throughout the week with restricted attendance.

Almost 400 students earned bachelor’s degrees and 238 received master’s degrees or advanced certificates.

Photo galleries, press releases and links to livestreams from all of the graduation events are posted online at www.sbu.edu/commencement.

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Camp u s Ne ws

State grant of nearly $3 million to fund Plassmann renovations

CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS

St. Bonaventure has been awarded a Higher Education Capital Matching Grant worth nearly $3 million to renovate Plassmann Hall.

“We realize that improvements to every floor in Plassmann are long overdue so we’re grateful to not only the state for its support, but to Ann Lehman and Dr. David Hilmey for their efforts in writing the grant proposal,” said Dr. Joseph Zimmer, acting president.

Lehman is associate vice president for grants and research, and chief of staff.

Hilmey is dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.

For every $1 in state matching funds, private, not-for-profit colleges and universities in New York must provide a minimum of $3 in support of their projects. The total cost of the Plassmann project is estimated at $11.5 million. The

HECap grant to SBU is $2.875 million.

The project will create more modern and instructionally appropriate classrooms, add student gathering spaces, student-instructor and student-student collaboration spaces, and create faculty offices that allow for proximity to classes and collaborative research among faculty across the liberal arts, Zimmer said.

Preliminary work is expected to begin later this year with anticipated project completion by the end of 2024.

Most renovation work, including interior construction, electrical, plumbing, and the heating and air conditioning system, will take place during summers to allow for use of instructional and office spaces during the academic year.

The project includes renovations and space reallocations of the basement, second and third floors. Faculty offices will

be moved from the basement to the second and third floors and classrooms will be renovated and resized on the second and third floors with classrooms added in the basement.

Additionally, the infrastructure, including HVAC, will be updated, air conditioning will be added to the building and the original windows will be replaced.

The project is a key element of SBU’s recently completed University Master Plan, a campuswide plan for physical facilities, and a new strategic plan for 2021 to 2026.

The project builds on renovations made to the building’s first floor in 2017 and 2018, which included a new Student Success Center and accessibility improvements, such as an elevator. A 2018 HECap grant funded the accessibility renovations.

Work on new sign at Doyle, pavilion at Devereux underway

Work began this summer on two significant projects that will be visible from the front of campus.

A sign and patio will replace the bushes that spelled out St. Bonaventure in front of the Doyle Chapel, and a pavilion is being built on the lawn in front of Devereux Hall (north side). Both projects are expected to be completed before classes begin for the fall semester.

The family of Ryan Marchiori, ’08, ’09, established the Ryan Marchiori Memorial Fund (www.sbu.edu/ryan) after Ryan passed away in 2019.

A donation to the Warming House was made from the family’s initial donation, with the remaining funds and subsequent funds raised used to build the pavilion as a permanent legacy to Ryan. The senior class gifts from the classes of 2020 and 2021 are also earmarked for the project.

The pavilion will be built for nearly year-round use and will feature two natural gas-fueled fire pits, ample seating and a place for students to congregate and events to be held. Other projects in progress are: • The Reilly Center Arena will be offline for most of the summer. The roof, HVAC, lighting, electric and sound system are all being upgraded.

• Air conditioning will be installed to the basketball court side of the Richter Center.

• Renovations will be made to Loughlen Hall and the Garden Apartments.

Work began in June for a student pavilion and fire pit near Devereux Hall.

• An elevator is being installed and the Admissions Suite upgraded in the Administration Building.

• Exterior work on Francis Hall will complete the School of Health Professions project.

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The new Occupational Therapy Life Occupations Lab allows students to practice assessment and modifications to help clients engage in meaningful activities at their highest level of independence.

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Students will be able to use the Anatomage table, which provides virtual anatomy dissection, to improve their understanding of spatial anatomy.

5 Francis Hall revived for the School of Health Professions

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The facade of Francis Hall, which was in a state of deterioration, saw an extensive transformation. An accessibility ramp was added that allowed for new signage.

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The Physician Assistant Studies program has welcomed new faculty and students. Shown here are assistant professors Kesha Steighner and Derien Braxton conducting a skills lesson with students.

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The university graduated its first RN to B.S. in Nursing cohort in May and was granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Our Dual Degree in Nursing program starts in the fall.

The San Damiano Room at Francis Hall has been redesigned as a modern study space.

SUMMER 2021

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A TRIBUTE FROM A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE | BY TOM MISSEL

Dr. Dennis R. DePerro:

LEAVING A LEGACY

On Jan. 2, less than two hours after we informed the campus community that Dr. DePerro was on the road to recovery in a Syracuse hospital from a bout with COVID-19, I texted him.

“THAT should make you feel better!”

Kyle Lofton had just hit a last-second three-pointer at Richmond to give the Bonnies one of their biggest road wins in years, setting the course for a remarkable basketball season.

“Absolutely!” he replied within seconds. “Too bad I could only follow it on the ESPN gamecast because the stupid Dayton game was the only game I could see.”

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

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hat was Dennis DePerro.

The human laughing emoji.

He was a man of compassion and faith, of intellect and insight, but what I’ll remember more than anything is Dennis DePerro, the man of mirth and joy.

That text exchange was the last communication I had with him. I still can’t process it.

Photos of him are stored all over my computer, and whenever I inadvertently stumble upon one, I shake my head and clench my teeth to stunt the tears.

Four years ago this November, Dr. Dennis DePerro took the podium at his inauguration in the Reilly Center.

Thirteen speakers had just finished their parade to the microphone, some from St. Bonaventure who had only known him a few months, and former colleagues who had known him forever.

When they all finished, I remember sitting there thinking: “Wow! I mean, I really like the guy, but no one’s that good.”

I was wrong. He was better.

When he took the podium after a standing ovation, he paused for a moment and looked into the crowd, toward the area where his wife, Sherry, and other family members were sitting, and said with a big smile: “After all that, Sherry … if I predecease you, don’t worry about any large funeral. It’s all been said.”

Hearing those words again less than four years later is haunting. But he was right then and it’s true now. Not much more can be said about Dennis DePerro.

All you had to do was read the heartfelt tributes to him in the media, on social media and on the funeral home webpage where his obituary was posted.

I’ve met a lot of remarkable people in almost 60 years, but no one like Dennis. He was a blessing for this university but, more significantly, he was a blessing to anyone who crossed his path.

He’d actually hate that I’m writing this because it was never about him. His life was spent in service and collaboration with others — colleagues he worked with and students he worked for across 40 years in higher education.

AT THE CANDLELIGHT CEREMONY May 13 for the Class of 2021, I told the graduating students that my words weren’t really a tribute to Dr. DePerro.

They were an encouragement to them to pay tribute to Dennis by doing nothing more than living their lives as he did.

I urge all of us to do the same.

That doesn’t mean we have to aspire to land at the top of our professions, like Dennis did. He was lucky to have done that, and he did so because he was great at what he did. And he was great at what he did because he was passionate about what he did.

And yet, for all he achieved in so many different roles in higher education, those accomplishments don’t define Dennis DePerro’s legacy. His humanity does.

Yes, be good at what you do. Be great at what you do. But don’t ever let your career interfere with what’s really important: how you treat other people.

That’s what made Dennis special.

In four years, he snapped at me once. In a fit of frustration I made a disparaging remark about an employee across campus.

He smacked his hand on his desk and in a pretty stern tone said: “You have no idea what value that person brings to this institution. I do. I don’t ever want to hear another word about it.” That was the end of that conversation.

See the best in everyone. Bring out the best in everyone. He did that every day of his life.

He was one of the smartest people I ever knew. Why? Because he was smart enough to know he didn’t know everything.

“

That was Dennis DePerro. The human laughing emoji. He was a man of compassion and faith, of intellect and insight, but what I’ll remember more than anything is Dennis DePerro, the man of mirth and joy.

Legacy

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A lasting legacy

Despite the profound impact he had on St. Bonaventure in less than four years as president, Dr. DePerro often told colleagues he never wanted anything named after him.

That wasn’t his style. But helping students attend SBU, the university he couldn’t afford to attend 45 years ago? That would mean the world to him.

If you haven’t already, please consider supporting the Dennis R. DePerro Memorial Scholarship at www.sbu.edu/drdeperro.

His wife, Sherry, asked us to start the fund the day after he passed away. In just four months, more than $185,000 has been raised.

He valued the opinions of others, knowing he couldn’t possibly have all the answers, and he always listened more than he spoke.

HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FUNNIEST people I ever knew. That might be the biggest reason people gravitated toward him. He never took himself too seriously.

On the way home from an awards ceremony in Buffalo a couple years ago, Sherry called him just to see how the event went.

Sometimes at these events you end up getting the crappiest piece of chicken and you’re still hungry at the end.

Sherry heard him chewing and asked what he was eating. “I just stopped to pick up some vegetables to munch on the way home because the meal wasn’t very good,” he told her.

He’d been trying to stick to a diet to lose some weight, which is tough on the presidential dinner circuit, so it was believable.

About 15 minutes later, Sherry called back. She had an app that alerted her to credit card purchases.

“Dennis, if you’re eating vegetables, then who just used our credit card to buy a pizza at Bocce’s?”

He was busted and he knew it, and that’s my favorite Dennis DePerro story because he almost wet his pants telling it. He laughed hard throughout his life and he always laughed hardest at himself.

THE REVERENCE he had for his family was astonishing. The only thing Dennis loved more than St. Bonaventure was his

family. Until I attended his wake service March 5, I had no idea how reciprocal that love was.

His oldest brother, Peter, came up to me toward the end of the service and thanked the university for all it had done for Dennis and the family.

“People always assumed, since I was 10 years older, that we probably weren’t that close as siblings,” Peter said. “That’s not true at all.”

When Peter’s son, Mike, went off to college at Notre Dame, Peter was in the military and unable to take Mike to orientation. Uncle Dennis took a week off of work at Le Moyne to take him. Peter couldn’t finish the story without breaking into tears.

I stayed at the wake for more than two hours because stories like that just kept coming, from siblings and cousins and family friends. I’m glad I stayed because I love him even more now having heard them.

Dennis listened better, laughed harder, loved more deeply and lived more passionately than anyone I ever knew.

Yes, he did so much for St. Bonaventure and every college where he worked. But we don’t have to achieve like Dennis DePerro, the 21st president of St. Bonaventure University, to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.

We just have to be like Dennis.

(Tom Missel is the chief communications officer at St. Bonaventure.)

Dr. DePerro and his wife, Sherry (at left), at the Warming House 14

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“

Dr. DePerro loved getting to know members of the SBU family – alumni, faculty, students and staff. He is pictured above with trustee emeritus Leslie C. Quick III (top), guests at Alumni Reunion Weekend (middle) and faculty members Dr. Jimmy Pientka and Laura Peterson. At top right, he photobombs health science major Gretta Lacouture, ’19, and Dr. Claire Watson after the 2019 Honors & Awards Ceremony.

The reverence he had for his family was astonishing.

The only thing Dennis loved more than St. Bonaventure was his family.

”

Dr. DePerro is pictured here with his wife, Sherry, and sons Andrew (left) and Matt.

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Growth in online graduate programs helps SBU expand academic footprint

S

ince spring 2016, the number of students in the university’s fully online graduate programs has grown almost twelvefold, from 50 to 585. That growth has been vital at a challenging time for small, private institutions.

“I don’t think there’s any question that our success has exceeded our expectations,” said Dr. Michael Hoffman, associate provost and chief information officer and dean of Graduate Studies. “It was critical for us to figure out a way for us to leverage our brand and all that we offer academically to students who we knew would never be able to physically come here.”

In 2012, with its traditional campus-based graduate programs struggling and limited growth potential for its weekend graduate program in suburban Buffalo, St. Bonaventure knew that one of the few paths to survival was virtual.

“We knew we were behind the 8-ball and the window was closing on getting into the extraordinarily dense online space,” said Dr. Joseph Zimmer, acting president of St. Bonaventure.

Prompted by the efforts of Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, associate professor and then dean of the Jandoli School of Communication, the university first offered fully online programs in 20132014 with two master’s programs in the Jandoli School: Strategic Leadership and Integrated Marketing Communications. At the time, both also existed as campus-based programs.

But the Technology Enhanced Learning Committee, charged with exploring viability in the online graduate marketplace, realized that more programs, driven by market demand, needed to be added to its academic portfolio to give the university a larger footprint in the online space.

“We knew we’d eventually have to enter the online world so we started planting the seeds in the early 2000s by encouraging faculty to teach undergraduate classes online during the summer since most of our students couldn’t be here then,” said Hoffman, whose doctoral dissertation at Northeastern University focused on motivating faculty to participate in online higher education.

Growth was slow but steady and, with the addition of a fully online MBA program in 2017, St. Bonaventure had more than 100 online graduate students in spring 2017.

University leaders, however, knew there was more potential.

Through a deliberate and thoughtful strategy, SBU began adding additional online master’s programs that market studies indicated had viability.

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In the last five years, St. Bonaventure has added seven new fully online programs: Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Cybersecurity, MSED in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MSED in School Counseling, Master of Science in Business Analytics, and Master of Arts programs in Sports Journalism and Digital Journalism, each beginning this fall. The IMC program was also reimagined and transitioned in 2020 to Master of Arts in Communication.

“The most important thing was doing this in a measured way,” Hoffman said. “We took our time and did a significant amount of market analysis to determine which programs would be viable in such a competitive higher ed landscape.”

Even though Matthew Sudol took classes for his M.S. in Cybersecurity online, it was important for him to accept his degree in person on campus in May. It was also a great opportunity for him to meet some of his fellow virtual classmates for the first time.

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THE COUNSELING PROGRAMS have been the biggest success of SBU’s online initiative; the two programs account for more than half of the university’s online graduate students. Counseling has the largest enrollment of any degree program – graduate or undergraduate – at St. Bonaventure.

The COVID-19 pandemic also forced the university’s traditional campus-based graduate programs to adapt quickly at a time when in-person instruction was a challenge. What those program directors — all of them in the School of Education — realized is that they could also offer a fully online experience that was just as meaningful academically.

Now, master’s or certificate programs in Adolescence Education, Literacy, Educational Leadership and Inclusive Special Education have fully online options.

(Educational Leadership and Literacy also offer hybrid models featuring a combination of online and campus classes.)

“The ability to offer students even more opportunities for a St. Bonaventure education without having to physically come to St. Bonaventure has opened new doors for us, both regionally and nationally,” Zimmer said. “The pandemic was hard on everyone, but we’d be foolish not to take advantage of lessons learned during the course of it.”

Going online has widened the university’s

geographic footprint: only half of its online students come from New York. The rest come from 42 other states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Canada.

With an average age of 31, the majority of SBU’s online students are working professionals, often with families, motivated by career advancement or a career change, as well as the prospect of increased earning potential.

FOR UNIVERSITIES LIKE St. Bonaventure, with a bedrock foundation of highly personalized education in a traditional classroom setting, stepping into the virtual classroom was a significant step outside of its comfort zone.

“Ultimately, the real heroes were the faculty who took a leap of faith and didn’t stand in the way of adapting to teaching in this new environment,” said Zimmer, who was also a member of that technology committee and eventually became provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Laura Klain, who will earn her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling this summer, said the faculty have gone above and beyond to create a meaningful classroom experience.

“St. Bonaventure has given me ample opportunity to form a community with my professors and peers,” said Klain, who lives in New Hampshire. “If I have a question or concern, I have a network of people whom I can reach out to and whom I trust. The professors are topnotch and I receive all of the individualized attention that I could ever want from a program despite it being online.”

Like many people with established careers, Scott Russell knew the prospect of pursuing a graduate degree at a traditional campus setting didn’t mesh with having “a wife, four children and two dogs.” But 31 years removed from a college classroom, he knew that earning a master’s degree was the only path for advancement so he decided to pursue SBU’s master’s in Cybersecurity.

the educational experience I’ve received matched what I wanted.”

“

e professors are top-notch and I receive all of the individualized attention that I could ever want from a program despite it being online.

”

“I certainly could have done self-study and pursued a certification in one or more of the cybersecurity disciplines, but one of the components of education that I really value is interaction,” said Russell, a director of customer support for Panasas, a parallel file system technology company in Pittsburgh. “I learn more when I talk with other people and share experiences, and the instructors at SBU have emphasized interaction.”

Even when he took a break for part of a semester, Russell said a student contacted him with ideas about a lab. That spirit of collaboration and interaction was shaped in his virtual classrooms.

“That’s the type of experience I wanted – to learn and form professional relationships,” said Russell, who’s in his final year of study. “Education is what one makes of it. SBU provides and encourages interaction among students, even when opinions differ. I think that

ATTRACTED BY ITS BEAUTY and academic reputation, Cassandra Harris-Towner said she seriously considered attending St. Bonaventure as a senior in high school in 2000, but the university didn’t have the program she wanted.

“Imagine how excited I was 20 years later as I was researching online master’s programs when I found that not only did St. Bonaventure offer the program I was looking for (Clinical Mental Health Counseling), but that it was almost fully virtual and accredited,” said Harris-Towner, who now lives in Florida and teaches elementary school art.

Harris-Towner admitted she had some “misgivings before starting the program about how this could all work successfully in a fully remote fashion.”

Those reservations quickly faded away.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the amount of interaction and support I’ve received from the faculty and staff,” she said. “My student success coach is always supportive, knowledgeable and timely while clearly enjoying what she does, and the faculty truly help to build a sense of community and connectivity.”

Contact Us

If you are interested in pursuing graduate studies, online or in-person, contact Matthew Retchless at gradsch@sbu.edu.

If your organization is interested in partnering with one or more of our graduate programs, contact the dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Michael Hoffman, at mhoffman@sbu.edu. www.sbu.edu/online SUMMER 2021

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Off th e Sh elf

Anthony Cardinale, ’64, has published his third book, “The Pharisees Are Coming to Jesus: Secret Orthodox Believers in Israel and America,” through Xulon Press. The award-winning Buffalo News reporter and playwright is also the author of “The Red Heifer: A Jewish Cry for Messiah” and “The Revolt of Rabbi Morris Cohen,” both now in their second printings.

Edward F. Saroney III, ’69, has authored and published “The Last Dodo Bird” with edits by Art Lizza, ’74. The romance/suspense novel details the life and times of Sean Rousseau – a nice but average guy possessing a few quirky traits who grew up in the bland 1950s and turbulent 1960s.

Through an ill-fated marriage and the passing of his family members, especially the tragic and untimely loss of his beloved little sister, Sean leads an everyday stoic and solitary life.

Unbeknownst to him, he is being shadowed ominously by an evil greater than he can imagine, an evil that lies in wait for his lapses into an unbearable sense of nothingness for the opportunity to rear up and consume him, mind, body, and soul.

But the Blessed Virgin Mary watches over him, through the intercession of a mother’s love for her son and, later, through a blind date with a woman who becomes the love of his life until her unexpected death. This is followed by a chance meeting with a second woman months later in the remote and mysterious lakeshore Hamlet of Misty Waters.

Each occurrence comes when he is at the greatest peril of descending finally and forever into the void of nothingness.

Michael W. Hill, ’75, ’77, has released the second edition of his book “Measuring to Manage: Using Measurable Data to Get Maximum Employee Performance.”

The second edition includes a five-step process for giving employee feedback. This edition also tells the reader when and how to give that feedback. Another new chap-

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ter in the book tells the reader how to motivate different generations in the workplace.

Hill has more than 30 years of experience in privately owned and publicly traded industrial distribution companies. He is the founder and president of the Mike Hill Group, a consulting firm specializing in increasing employee performance, leading to increased company performance.

James Barayasarra, ’76, shares his experience growing up in Grand View, Idaho, as the child of two Basque immigrants, Nemesio and Victorina, in his memoir “Seven Wagons and a Half: Growing up Basque Didn’t Hurt.”

Through hilarious and heartwarming short stories, Barayasarra shares his perspective on experiences with prejudice, heritage and family with humor and a voice all his own. The book was published by the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Christopher Albrecht’s second book, “The Rediscovery of Hope and Purpose,” projects light on a course of action for civic and personal development.

Endorsed by SBU Acting President Joseph Zimmer, Ph.D., and Franciscan Institute Executive Director Fr. David B. Couturier, O.F.M. Cap., this book is unique in that it does not advocate for change.

Its message is that a moral compass of hope and purpose is alive within each person, but over time many people lose the ability to recognize this. The book helps people rediscover the comfort and joy that come from living a life of hope and purpose through a call to rediscovery, not change.

Written from the vantage point of an educator who has invested years of attention to the lives of students, families and community members, this book contains explicit examples to guide readers by focusing on factors that can improve individuals and communities.

The book, released July 12 at the Na-

tional Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas, features interviews with 10 inspiring people intertwined with personal experiences, narratives, history and reflections. Albrecht collaborated with Seinfeld co-producer Peter Mehlman, Harvard President Larry Bacow, and includes the final interview with renowned children’s author Beverly Cleary in the book. The book received presidential endorsements from the AFT and the NEA. Albrecht, ’93, is a fourth-grade teacher at the Fred W. Hill School in Brockport, New York.

Anthony Bannon, ’64, has written or contributed to a handful of books from international publishers since stepping down as executive director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center two years ago. His most recent work is featured in “Beatitude: A Beat Attitude: Photographs by Joey Tranchina,” published by Steidl Verlag, one of the top art publishers in the world. Bannon’s text wraps around photographs taken by Tranchina, a little-known poet/photographer who began documenting Beat culture in 1970.

The limited edition book “Traces” features photographs by Roman Loranc, poetry by Robert Lax and an essay

by Bannon.

Bannon also contributed to “True to the Eyes: The Howard and Carole Tanenbaum Photography Collection” (Ryerson Image Centre, Toronto), “Portraits: Photographs by William Coupon,” (Damiani Press, Bologna, Italy); and “Steve McCurry” (Asia House, Tokyo).

>>> WE LOVE MAIL! We are happy to print brief summaries of new books, CDs and other multimedia works published by SBU alumni, faculty and staff.

Send a copy of the book or CD and summary press release to magazine@sbu.edu or via snail mail to: Bonaventure magazine P.O. Box 2509 St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 All books mailed to the magazine are shared with Friedsam Memorial Library for its collection.

Five of a Kind The Bonnies went all in with a stellar starting lineup and provided a beacon of hope in a sobering year SUMMER 2021

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TERRY NEIDL, ’04

I

Just hearing the little university’s name spoken on ESPN makes my heart beat faster. Why? Because I'm a Bonnie, and it will always be my home. And who doesn't love to hear others compliment your family?

By Scott Eddy

t was a scene from a modern-day “Hoosiers.” Here, as confetti fell over University of Dayton Arena in the moments following the Atlantic 10 Championship Game, Bonnies players were presented the chance to make celebratory “snow angels” on the floor as legions of Bona fans celebrated near and far.

The moment was an achieved goal of redemption that began the last time confetti rained at an Atlantic 10 basketball championship, a day that saw another team dancing during its shining moment as Bona’s bid for a last-second game-winner rimmed out. On that day two years earlier, Saint Louis celebrated at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

This was an unfinished dream delayed a year prior when the conference tournament came to an unceremonious end as sports screeched to a halt amid a world under pandemic siege.

A season of dreams fulfilled, orchestrated by an “ironman” group of five players functioning as one terrific unit: juniors Jalen Adaway, Kyle Lofton, Jaren Holmes, Dominick Welch, and Osun Osunniyi, the program’s first A-10 Defensive Player of the Year and second Tournament MVP. It was a group that had taken St. Bonaventure to the Hoosier State and a return to the sport’s biggest stage of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. p Above, Mark Schmidt holds the net for cheering Bonaventure fans. The team would send part of the nets to President DePerro’s family. u At right, Alejandro Vasquez makes “snow angels” in the confetti on the court at Dayton Arena following Bona’s championship win. Page 21: Jalen Adaway embraces the moment upon arrival in Indianapolis. Photos by Erik Schelkun/A-10.

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RAY FLORIANI, ’74, ’76 In the aftermath there was the pain of losing. Not having their best game and the realization the season is over.

Looking at the big picture – fighting through a pandemic, capturing both the A-10 regular and postseason titles for the first time in school history and going to the Big Dance. A lot to be proud of – whether you are on the team or a member of Bona Nation.

“A lot of times you don’t get a second chance in life,” St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt said afterward. “But those guys got a second chance and they finished.”

It was one of the few days where ever-present reminders of the pandemic were not at front of mind. Instead, this day, with players surrounded by fans for the first time all year, served as a reminder of the program’s glory years and how this team had written its own spot in Bona basketball lore as the only squad in university history to capture the Atlantic 10 regular season and postseason tournament championships in the same year.

On this day for celebration, though, came another reminder of the struggles the previous 12 months had brought – the absence of those lost in the year since the world changed. As Bonnies players and coaches cut down the nets, each wearing a patch and ribbons honoring the memory of university President Dr. Dennis DePerro, Schmidt saved a special piece of nylon.

“That net,” Schmidt said with a meaningful glance, remembering not only a boss, but a friend, “that’s for him; that’s for his family. He was a big part of our program and I know he’s looking over us. It’s bittersweet.”

“WE DIDN’T KNOW if there was going to be a season,” Adaway recalled before returning to his native Indiana for the NCAAs. “To accomplish what we did is a blessing.”

Indeed, there were times this year seemed as though it might end before it ever began.

Perhaps no team in America was as impacted by pandemicrelated schedule madness as were the Bonnies.

A season already clouded by uncertainty became even more tenuous when plans for the season-opening “Bubbleville” tournament were tossed aside following the start of a team battle with the virus that led to a three-week shutdown. As basketball season began around the country, the majority of Bona’s players and staff worked their way back to full health as cases rose throughout the region.

“We didn’t practice with a full group for 21 days. When guys would come back, we didn’t know how hard to push them. We talked with the training staff, the doctors, and no one really gave us a concrete answer. We were walking on eggshells for a while,” Schmidt said.

Then, after finally becoming one of the last teams in the nation to tip off with the program’s latest season-opener since 1975, the rug was pulled out from under the Bonnies again during pre-game warmups for the scheduled home-opener due to a positive test within that day’s opponent, Saint Francis (Pa.).

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MIKE MARMION, ’86 I’m a proud Bonnie today not just because the kids won, but the way they act on the court, the way they exemplified being a team and the love and respect they share with themselves and the coach. Truly a blueprint for anyone who wants to be a winner in life – surround yourself with the right people, give it your all and play your heart out! Go Bona’s!

Continued schedule alterations left the Bonnies with just two non-conference games and only three contests during the conference slate that were played against the original opponent, at the planned time.

“We started to wonder, is this season even going to really happen?” St. Bonaventure director of basketball operations Matt Pappano remembers. “We didn’t know if it was possible to pull off. You just felt bad for the players because they weren’t getting a chance to play; early on they were watching other teams play on TV while we were on pause. Then it was a very regimented process to make sure we were getting back to play safely.”

Once players finally cleared safety protocols to return, each day brought a unique challenge.

IN A BUSINESS WHERE ROUTINE USUALLY PREVAILS, there would be no such thing during the 2020-21 season.

Every game, and particularly every road trip, brought its own obstacles. On one trip, the team was not allowed to eat together. Instead, players’ meals were delivered to their individual rooms. How and when the team was able to access locker rooms on the road varied trip to trip. Some trips necessitated creative travel schedules with the team spending less than 24 hours out of state to avoid quarantines.

Travel arrangements typically made months or even years in advance were now being made on perhaps 48 hours’ notice.

Pappano was tasked with working with hotels, charter flight and bus companies, local public health officials and counterparts at opposing schools to make sure the team’s travel plans and COVID protocols were all in order in a cycle that repeated itself two or three times per week.

“We were getting 20 to 30 people tested multiple times per week; players, coaches, managers, support staff,” Pappano said. “Our sports medicine staff was incredible handling it all. For some opponents we had to test every day. When we played Hofstra, the Colonial (Athletic Association) had a rule we had to test u Osun Osunniyi celebrates with the Atlantic 10 Tournament trophy as confetti falls at University of Dayton Arena.

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ROBERT R. MANTILIA, ’73 Today I feel just like I did in the fall of 1973. We are more than basketball. We are one big and close family. Basketball represents a piece of who we are, a very important and proud piece. The entire team represents every one of us – students, faculty, administration, alumni and the beautiful surrounding community. They show our spirit, pride and love for life.

Wearing our brown and white, everywhere we go, we are grinning from ear to ear as we greet others with a hearty “GO BONA’S!”

Photo by Erik Schelkun/A-10

JEANNINE ALI, ’84 They had a great season and even though I am always proud to be a Bonnie, today I was even more proud! They will dance again!

GLENN KEIDEL, ’72 Congrats on a fantastic season!! You provided so many moments of joy during this strange season! Proud of you guys!

FRANK SEVOLA, O.F.M., ’82 Thanks for a great season. This team made us all proud. Every day is a great day to be a Bonnie!

LIZ LARCOM, ’82 So proud of this team and coaching staff!!

Hold your heads high. Bona basketball during a pandemic – this team truly made folks smile and brought happiness to all! You played and coached your hearts out.

RYAN SURMAY, ’24 At SBU, you’ll find some of the most passionate basketball fans with a massive following. You’ll find diehard fans that love and support their team like no other school. St. Bonaventure basketball is a community, and no matter where you go you’ll find fellow alumni and be greeted with a “Let’s Go Bona’s.”

Jennifer O’Reardon Meehan, ’96, proudly wore this T-shirt in March.

every day for two weeks leading up to the game. Leading up to the NCAA Tournament we were tested every day for over three weeks.”

A cloud of unease hung over each game following every round of testing, both for the Bonnies and opposing teams, as schedule changes mounted.

“It was nerve-wracking every time (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Josh Wall’s number popped up on my phone,” Pappano said. “We were confident in our guys doing the right things, but there is only so much you can control.”

And the reminders of everything out of their control remained prevalent.

Following their own shutdown and return to competition came the challenge of never knowing for sure if a game would happen or if an opponent would suddenly change as the conference swapped matchups each week as more teams went on pause. The last-minute Saint Francis cancellation proved that no contest was set in stone until the ball went in the air.

“When we were getting ready for Davidson the first time, we watched tape and came out for practice only to be told we weren’t playing Davidson,” Schmidt remembered of one January situation that played out multiple times during the year. “Then it was OK, who are we playing? And we didn’t know. So we practiced Wednesday not knowing who we would play Saturday. It was uncharted waters for everyone.”

Luckily for Schmidt, this veteran-laden group of Bonnies proved able to pivot on a moment’s notice – perhaps its most valuable trait in an unprecedented campaign. A team that relied on its starting five more than any other in the nation, Bona had zero freshmen and only one sophomore who contributed bench minutes, guard Alejandro Vasquez.

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“I can’t imagine coaching a young team and going through this,” Schmidt, the two-time and 2021 A-10 Coach of the Year, emphasized. “When pauses happened, it was like a punch to the gut. We would get a rhythm going and then another cancellation hit. Because of the quarantines, we were trying to get into game shape during games. But, our veteran guys know what it takes to prepare and be successful. We just had to look at the positive of knowing we would have a chance to play.”

THROUGH IT ALL, BONA’S ENERGY NEVER WAVERED. Despite playing in empty arenas throughout the season, this was a team that created its own energy, a unit able to use the five players on the floor to replicate the vigor brought by 5,000 screaming fans.

It showed in the much-delayed home-opener as Hofstra fought back from a 30-7 deficit to lead in the second half before Bona counterpunched and pulled away late. And again, as a Lofton three-pointer beat the buzzer in a win at Richmond. It was never more apparent than a rousing 45-14 second-half comeback over VCU in January, a half Schmidt labeled as the best in his SBU tenure.

“The first game we played, it was eerie,” Schmidt said. “You could hear everything echo. There wasn’t any excitement. It wasn’t any fun. But as we went on, we became accustomed to it. Our guys were able to adjust to it and look at it from a competitive standpoint of just competing 5-on-5.”

Through it all, memorable moments stacked while fans watched from home.

Nov. 18, 19 & 21 TD Arena | Charleston, S.C Watch for upcoming details from the Alumni and Athletic offices

There was Holmes’ remarkable 38-point effort in a win over Saint Joseph’s, and a seven-game winning streak that earned the team national Top 25 votes. As NCAA “bubble” talk mounted, the Bonnies submitted their capstone, beginning with a hastily compiled season-ending stretch of four games in nine days that saw them go 3-1 with a home-andhome sweep of Davidson and an 88-41 win over George Washington, the largest margin of victory in a conference play in SBU history. The only setback came vs. Dayton on a solemn night March 1 at the RC just hours after the campus community learned of Dr. DePerro’s passing earlier that day.

After dedicating the remainder of the year to Dr. DePerro and his family, the Bonnies made sure there would be no anxious moments on Selection Sunday with a rout of Duquesne and retribution against Saint Louis in the A-10 Tournament.

Then, the sweetest of moments, a championship victory over VCU to punch their ticket to the Big Dance, with Lofton’s 23point effort serving as the chef’s kiss on the season.

After CBS play-by-play man Ian Eagle declared Bona’s the “kings of the Atlantic 10,” it was off to Indiana and the NCAA

p Above, the empty Reilly Center during warmups for the first home game of the season (that actually happened) vs. Hofstra, Dec. 19, 2020. Photo by Craig Melvin. u Facing page, Kyle Lofton gives his chef’s kiss to Bonnies fans following a late-game three-pointer in the A-10 Championship win over VCU. Photo by Erik Schelkun/A-10.

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Tournament Indianapolis bubble. While SBU’s run came to a close with a first-round setback vs. an arguably underseeded LSU squad, the team returned to campus with the Atlantic 10 championship trophies, lasting memories of an unforgettable year.

“This team is magical,” Holmes said after the NCAA Tournament game. “This season is something I’ll be able to tell my children about, talk about forever, honestly. It’s just a blessing to be here. To make it with these guys and the year we had, I know for a fact that everybody back in Olean is proud of us. I know Dr. DePerro is looking down on us, and he’s super proud.”

Pappano added: “The way it ended validated everything we did. Everything we went through to make this year happen made it that much more rewarding. We went through it with guys you really loved and cared about.”

For all the success he’s had in becoming the winningest coach in Bonnies history, Schmidt said this season — this team, specifically — will always be special.

“This group will go down in history,” he said. “What they went through during the pandemic, this is a special group

ON THE COVER

Jaren Holmes pays his respects at the memorial to Dr. DePerro prior to the Dayton game March 1, 2021.

Photo by Craig Melvin

and I will always hold them close to my heart. They endured a lot of things this year and they never backed down.

It was a struggle, mentally and physically, but this is what you dream of as a little kid, to be able to play in the NCAA Tournament. These are the memories that last a lifetime.”

(Scott Eddy is Assistant Athletic Director for Athletics Communications at St. Bonaventure.)

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Th e Pathw ay to Su c c e ss B e gin s W ith Yo u .

A final gift of

THANKS

Estate gift of Dick, ’56, and Lorraine Egan honors the legendary Dr. Russell J. Jandoli

A

By Susan Anderson

shared interest in speaking German first brought Dick and Lorraine (Hummel) Egan together.

While listening to a popular band in a packed Albany, New York, bar in 1960, Dick learned that Lorraine had just begun her first job of teaching German to elementary students. Wanting to get to know her, Dick boasted that he could speak it, too. (He’d picked up some words and phrases while serving in Germany for two years with the United States Army.)

Lorraine, though, had learned German from infancy as the daughter of parents who emigrated from that country. She studied the language in college at SUNY Albany and toured Europe after graduation. Her parents’ families hailed from Pforzheim, and her father, a designer and creator of fine jewelry, could trace a family connection to Sr. Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F., the German Franciscan nun whose artwork became famous as Hummel figurines.

Dick thought his knowledge of the German language was pretty good. Lorraine knew better — and told him so. He didn’t mind, though.

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Lorraine and Dick Egan are pictured above. Below left is Dick’s senior photo from St. Bonaventure.

“He still asked me to join him for coffee after the band stopped playing,” said Lorraine with a laugh.

That auspicious meeting led to a 58-year marriage.

A FRIENDSHIP FORGED AT BONA’S

Dick always planned for college at Bona’s. The second of four children, he grew up in Johnson City, New York, surrounded by a large Irish-Catholic family. Throughout his undergraduate years, he served as editor of the Bonadieu, associate editor of The Laurel, and in a number of positions with the student newspaper. He was also involved with the radio station, intramural sports and several clubs. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1956.

Earning awards and accolades for his writing wasn’t anything new for Dick, but gaining the attention and praise of someone like the legendary Dr. Russell J. Jandoli, founder and longtime chair of the Department of Journalism, meant everything.

Dick’s admiration for his writing mentor ran deep and he embraced the professor’s tenet of “write, write, write.”

As for Jandoli, he saw “tremendous potential” in Dick, saying that he was “one of the best students we ever had.”

The two would share correspondence for the next 35 years, until Jandoli’s death in 1991.

w ww.sb u .ed u /do n ate

Following graduation, Dick attended Villanova University on a law scholarship. He thought he might become a lawyer like his eldest brother. But balanced reporting and the written word remained his true obsessions, so he left Villanova. This was the time of mandatory military service. He soon headed to Germany for two years in the Army. Following that, he joined the staff of United Press International in Albany.

In the fall of 1961, Dick accepted a position Jandoli helped him acquire. In a letter dated Sept. 12, he wrote to his mentor, “I believe I detect your benevolent hand behind the offer by the Wall Street Journal group to work for their new newspaper.”

That newspaper was the National Observer, a weekly publication that ran from 1962 through 1977, with a circulation of 450,000 by its final year. Dick worked with the paper from its first edition to its last, covering foreign news, most notably the Vietnam War. “Dr. Jandoli gave Dick the support and recommendations he needed to land that job,” said Lorraine. “Working for the National Observer was a journalist’s dream. Dick loved it and was very proud of his work there.”

FLOURISHING CAREERS

The job meant a move to the D.C. area. This delighted Lorraine, who accepted a position as a substitute teacher in the Montgomery County school system. A lover of ballet, opera and the symphony, she became a regular attendee at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also thrived within the political scene, becoming active with the local civic association and serving as campaign chair for their voting district. She coordinated the District 14A congressional runs for Lanny Davis and Mike Barnes, and state campaigns for Joel Chasnoff.

Dick would help her host newcomers for coffee. He also stepped in to help at her school, teaching a mystery novel course around Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”

While Dick’s career at the Observer focused on Indochina, he was able to talk with and write about Bob Lanier, ’70, the NBA star and Basketball Hall of Fame member who led SBU to the NCAA Final Four in 1970.

After the closing of the Observer, the Egans eventually headed to Detroit where Dick worked for The Detroit News from 1978 through his retirement in 1993. Dick passed away in 2019.

“Dick was very proud of his career path,” Lorraine said.

Dick Egan’s letter of thanks to his mentor, Dr. Russell J. Jandoli, for helping him land “the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“He was impartial, mild and well liked.”

He also took great delight in the fact that The Detroit News received a Pulitzer for work done by colleagues David Ashenfelter and Sydney P. Freedberg. Their series of articles about the peacetime deaths of several seamen won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service.

“Dick was a newsman’s newsman, an all-around great guy and a joy to work with,” said Ashenfelter, who now serves as public information officer for the U.S. District Court for Eastern Michigan. “He was there when all of this was breaking in the newsroom. I’m glad that he felt as good about it as the rest of us did.”

Maryann Struman, who worked at The Detroit News for 28 years, said, “I remember Dick as a legend in the Washington bureau. He had incredible class.”

A FINAL GIFT OF THANKS

In looking back, Lorraine remembers their years in D.C. as among the most exciting and fulfilling of their lives.

“The last 10 years of our retirement were sadly occupied by life-threatening illnesses and physical challenges, so we were forced to live quietly,” she said.

To honor the deep respect they held for Jandoli, the Egans created a legacy gift through their estate plan for the Jandoli School of Communication.

“We inherited a strong work ethic from our parents.

Dick and I worked hard and saved all our lives. Giving back to the school and doing good for others is something we wanted to do.”

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w ww.sb u .ed u /do n ate

Every day is a gift when you’re a Bonnie It’s a gift to be part of the St. Bonaventure University community — and the No. 1 way Bonnies show their gratitude is by contributing yearly to The Bonaventure Fund.

The university relies on the generosity of alumni, families and friends to provide a robust learning environment for every student.

When you give to The Bonaventure Fund, you make an immediate difference.

You help enhance academic resources, infuse learning spaces with the latest technology, and boost scholarship and financial aid packages. You also make Bona’s unique brand of Franciscan higher education possible.

New students will be arriving on campus in just a few short weeks. Can we count on your gift to The Bonaventure Fund on their behalf?

The students you help today will become alumni who help tomorrow. And that’s what being a Bonnie is all about!

Please give today by completing and returning the enclosed envelope or using one of the giving options to the right.

WAYS TO GIVE

Online Visit www.sbu.edu/donate Mail Drop a check in the mail to: St. Bonaventure University P.O. Box 2519 St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 Phone Call us at (800) 664-1273 Matching Gift Your employer may match your gift — learn more at www.sbu.edu/matchinggifts In Person Stop by Murphy Hall, Room 213, to talk with us Recurring Gift Use your credit card or bank account to make automatic monthly donations

Family remembers Jim Canty, ’84, through hockey tourney

Friends and former hockey players of the late James Canty, ’84, gathered for a pond hockey tournament to raise money for an endowed scholarship in his name.

Rugby player and accounting major James Canty graduated cum laude from St. Bonaventure in 1984.

Throughout the next three decades, he supported the university as a lead donor, a fan of athletics and a member of the Board of Trustees. He passed away in 2017 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. His devotion to St. Bonaventure did not end there, though. In fact, another chapter has just begun.

His youngest son, Charlie, hosted the inaugural Jim Canty Invitational Pond Hockey Tournament in New Hampshire in February. Friends and family joined in, helping to raise more than $4,000 for the James and Kristin Canty Family Endowed Scholarship.

“I invited friends from growing up and from college who all knew my dad,” Charlie said. “Most of the guys who played were coached by him at some point in their hockey careers.”

While the tournament was kept small due to COVID, plans are to expand it going forward. The James and Kristin Canty Family Endowed Scholarship benefits a student rugby player majoring in accounting.

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Despite being remote, NAAB keeps engaging alumni

Fellow Alumni, As we enjoy the summer and look to a new academic year in the fall, it is important to reflect on what the National Alumni Association Board has been working on for you over the last year. We have been doing some great things and are excited to share what is going on with the board.

First, the NAAB is a collaborative board that supports the university by connecting alumni back to St. Bonaventure, and is directed by the university to engage our alumni base. There are about 25 members who represent a diverse group of alumni from across the country and who act as servant leaders for the university.

During the 2020-2021 board term, while being 100% remote, the NAAB delivered some significant projects in support of SBU alumni and the university. This includes a new digital way to apply for the NAAB; alumni can now apply online to join the board. If you or someone you know is interested in the NAAB, we are always looking for good candidates and you can apply at www.sbu.edu/NAAB. Additionally the NAAB helped coordinate efforts on Bona Giving Day. We have written and sent more than 100 thank-you notes to alumni and helped support the Admissions Office

Message from the National Alumni Association Board President

SHARE program with a letter writing campaign to prospective SBU students.

The most impactful project the NAAB is focused on this year is the development of a more expansive alumni chapter volunteer service program. The goal of this effort is to mobilize the various alumni chapters across the nation to promote volunteer service projects in their communities and build connections with fellow Bonnies. The program will be formally rolled out to the alumni chapters this fall.

We are looking forward to the 2021-2022 board cycle and plan to continue to build on the momentum from this past year. As alumni, continue to show your pride and love for the university in all you do, carry the Bonaventure spirit with you always, and every day, tell someone at home that you love them.

Go Bona’s,

Kayte Malik, ’03

Chapter Activities A number of the university’s alumni chapters responded to the call for volunteers in their communities during the past few months.

The Albany Chapter assisted at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in December 2020 and in June. The Rochester Chapter helped sort toys at House of Mercy in December 2020. And the Pittsburgh Chapter volunteered at the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in February.

Albany Chapter President Fred Barthmaier, ’72, describes the volunteer effort as “so important, especially now, as the need is increasing exponentially while the volunteer support is significantly reduced due to the pandemic.”

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4 4 SHARE YOUR CAREER NEWS WITH THE BONA NATION!

To submit professional news for the next issue of Bonaventure magazine, drop us a note in the enclosed envelope, fill out an online form at www.SBUmagazine.com or email magazine@sbu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length.

1956

William O’Neil is a retired healthcare chief executive officer and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

1957

Carol Stark Knapp will fulfill her quest to visit all 50 states by going to Bismarck, North Dakota, in August. She is planning the trip with her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. Knapp lives in Glen Rock, New Jersey, where she was a parade marshal last summer for the July 4th parade celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage. Richard Pardi and his wife, Cindy, celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in June.

1958

Jim Creighton is still playing golf and table tennis, is an usher at his Florida church, and has regular contact with classmates John Ballman and John Kirkland. Bob Haenn says his family loves Bona’s, follows every basketball game and enjoys hearing news about the university, including details about the latest recruits.

1959

John McCormick has been retired since 1999. He worked as a physicist since graduating, three years with the U.S. Navy and 36 years with an engineering company. His last job involved aircraft electronics systems upgrades in Air Force aircraft. He has also been an avid golfer for more than 40 years. He and his wife, who married in 1963, have three daughters and seven grandchildren.

1966

George B. Rowe Jr. and his wife, Patti, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Rowe enjoys spending time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Frank Higbie and his wife visited Scotland and Man-

chester, England, in the United Kingdom before the pandemic disrupted their lives. They enjoyed traveling to Edinburgh and Glasgow via train. The couple hope to visit their grandchildren in Houston this year after too long an absence. Joel Toussaint is fully retired after initially retiring in 2008 following 12 years as a high school teacher, counselor and coach, and 30 years with an international corporate fleet vehicle leasing company.

1967

David Owen retired on Dec. 31, 2020, after 37 years of government and government-related law practice, which included serving as a Florida State Criminal Prosecutor and as a Lee County (Florida) Attorney, working in a Florida boutique private law firm with a local government specialty, and in sole private practice. Those jobs were preceded by three years of U.S. Army active military service and eight years with the Tampa Police Department as a uniformed officer and detective.

1970

Greg Mitchell wrote and directed his first film, the documentary “Atomic Cover-Up,” which has received early acclaim from authors, reviewers and di-

gasaki, is a story told exclusively by the U.S. military and Japanese teams who shot it. Mitchell has written 12 books; “The Beginning or the End: How Hollywood – and America – Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” was selected as one of the 21 best books of 2020 by Vanity Fair. He is the former editor of Editor & Publisher and is a member of the Jandoli School’s Wall of Distinguished Graduates. He lives in Nyack, New York. Dr. Geraldine Kenny McQuillan is still working at Centers for Disease Control, as a result of the CDC’s need for infectious disease epidemiologists since 20202021. She has worked at the CDC for the last 34 years, after she received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. She is also the proud grandma of three.

1971

Christopher Morris is enjoying retirement in Bradenton, Florida, after a successful career as a race car driver, production planner, and retailer, and in guest services. He is an avid traveler, golfer and tennis player.

1972

rectors. “Atomic Cover-Up” won one of the top prizes at its Latin American premiere in Rio de Janiero in May and was selected for the Venezia Shorts Film Festival, Italy, and the Venice Film Festival in California. The film, which exposes the decades-long U.S. suppression of key footage from Hiroshima & Na-

Robert “Bob” L. Schober came out of semi-retirement to accept a full-time position as executive director at Atlantic Cape Family Support Organization, which is a partner in the New Jersey Children’s System of Care. The organization serves families with children with special challenges associated with behavioral, mental health, intellectual and/or developmental issues. Raymond Dillon retired after 23 years of teaching junior high for the Albany Diocese and nine years as an elementary school principal. He also spent 17 years with the New York State Police as a screening technician at the New York State Plaza and as a personnel adminisSUMMER 2021

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trator for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

1975

Patricia Cooney is retired and lives in Larchmont, New York. Leo Dickerman is an investigator with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Services. Rose E. Fleming retired in 2015 after a 39-year teaching career.

She works part time as a library clerk in the town library in Belfast, New York.

Ken Kerwin retired in December 2019 after 44 years working for the State Superior Court of New Jersey. He spent the last eight years as the trial court administrator, leading and managing 400 staff and 25 judges in the district of Vicinage 14 - Ocean County. Kerwin and his wife, Mary Ann, ’76, have been married for 42 years. They live in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, and have four children and six grandchildren.

1976

Lisa Biedenbach, president of LAMB Editorial Consulting, has been developing and implementing a communications strategy for the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual-Spiritual Tradition (franciscantradition.org), working closely with CFIT’s chair, Fr. Dominic Monti, O.F.M., and other lay and professed Franciscans in the U.S. and abroad.

1980

Agnes (Marini) Barber was named program director for Catholic Charities in New Bern, North Carolina. She has been with Catholic Charities for three years. After a 30-year career in the substance abuse field, this is a new part of the journey. She lives in New Bern with her husband, Phil. They have three adult children and four granddaughters whom they love visiting. John Zavinski is in his 40th year at The Herald in Sharon, Pennsylvania, where he is assistant editor/graphics. In recent years he has won several top state awards for newspaper design and graphics. In the past two years, the paper’s parent company CNHI 34

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named him Designer of the Year and a finalist for Designer of the Year for his work on The Herald’s sister weekly newspaper in Grove City, Pennsylvania.

He is a founding member of the Sharon Historical Society and has written and designed more than 500 pages of booklets in conjunction with downtown Sharon history and cemetery walking tours. Zavinski also is an 11-year curler with the Pittsburgh Curling Club.

He is a resident of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, and, until its demise, lived with his cat, Devereux.

1981

Anne Ruisi recently began her eighth year as a senior content editor with China Daily Website in Beijing. Any Bonnies planning to attend the 2022 Olympics are welcome to contact her at anneruisi@hotmail.com.

1982

Mark Mulhern was elected to the Board of Directors of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), a Fortune 500 company and provider of marketplace infrastructure, data services and technology solutions. ICE owns the New York Stock Exchange.

Mulhern is also on the Board of Directors of Ellie Mae, Inc., an ICE subsidiary, and the board of Barings BDC, a business development company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mulhern is the CFO at Highwoods Properties, a mid-cap office real estate investment trust headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mulhern and his wife, Kelly (Kreeger), ’83, have lived in Raleigh since 1996. MaryBeth (Flanagan) Murray was elected president of the Ponte Vedra (Florida) Rotary Club. Her one-year term began July 1.

1984

Dr. Mary (Shannon) Colson continues to work at two Medicaid clinics providing psychiatric care to children and adolescents. She is also an adjunct professor at SUNY at Buffalo in the School of Nursing. She and her husband, Mike,

added a fourth child to their family through adoption in March of 2020.

1987

Bob Beretta was named director of athletics at Le Moyne College, just the fourth in the college’s 75-year history. A highly respected executive and administrator within the intercollegiate athletics industry, he joined Le Moyne following a distinguished career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Upon graduation from Bona’s, Beretta began an internship at the United States Military Academy’s Sports Information unit. He had been employed at the academy for the past 34 years. His most recent position was senior associate AD for strategic initiatives.

Beretta was selected to the College Sports Information Directors Hall of Fame in 2020. He and his wife, Jennifer (Johnson), ’87, have one daughter.

1988

Margaret Shaner retired from Olean General Hospital as lab assistant manager/supervisor in 2010 and then retired from Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES in 2019 as an adjunct phlebotomy teacher.

1990

Clinton “Ron” Greenman was promoted from chief financial officer to chief operating officer at Automotive Training Institute. He has been with the company since November 2016. Charles Makey was appointed president of Merchants Insurance Group, a group of property and casualty insurance companies serving policyholders in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest states.

Makey’s insurance career spans more than 30 years.

He joined Merchants in 1996 as director of sales, and will celebrate his 25th anniversary this year. In 1998, he was promoted to assistant vice president/regional manager of the company’s New England Regional Office in Manchester, New Hampshire. He then served as vice president and regional manager of the company’s Central States Strategic Business Center in Dublin, Ohio,

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before his promotion in 2009 to senior vice president of Insurance Operations.

1995

Al Hagovsky is the business manager for the managing partner of Hogan Lovells US LLP’s Washington, D.C., office. He has been employed at Hogan Lovells since 2005, serving as a senior litigation paralegal and paralegal coordinator. He has been in the legal profession for 25+ years. Amy Moritz began working at Literacy Buffalo Niagara as a literacy coordinator in June 2020. The organization is the only provider of free one-onone tutoring for adults who need help with reading and with speaking English. After several years as a volunteer tutor, Moritz was hired for a staff position to focus on student services.

1996

Mike Krause is an author, speaker and strategist as well as the founder of Sales Sense Payments. The company provides total-support merchant and credit card processing services.

He is the author of two books, “SMART Prospecting That Works Every Time! Win More Clients with Fewer Cold Calls” and “Sell or Sink: Strategies, Tactics and Tools Every Business Leader Should Learn to Stay Afloat.”

1997

Jeremy Donnelly founded Donnelly Phillips, LLC, in April.

The firm is located in West Hartford, Connecticut, and specializes in federal and state criminal defense, civil litigation, and appeals.

1998

Goretti (Vianney) Benca received continued appointment and tenure at SUNY Ulster

where she is an English professor teaching college writing and literature classes. She is also the director of the Center for Teaching & Learning, where she provides support and professional development opportunities for faculty. Col. David Spencer was acknowledged as a distinguished graduate in June at his graduation from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He will now begin an assignment in the Washington, D.C., area. Spencer, who served two deployments in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, was commissioned as a full colonel in April 2020.

2001

Pamela Say was named chief executive officer of the digital publishing platform Orato World Media, Inc. Orato World Media provides state-of-the-art journalistic and technical sup-

port for recording and sharing first-person, verified, factual, eyewitness accounts of world events and experiences to reduce the human divide through knowledge, understanding and truth. Say has managed multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns and institutional rebrands, is the author of five books, and has been recognized with awards including the 2011 Buffalo Business First 40 Under Forty award, as a 2016 Buffalo Niagara Partnership ATHENA Young Professional Award Finalist, the 2019 SUNY Empire State College Emerging Leader Award, and the 2020 Leadership Allegany Founder’s Award.

Correction

In the last edition we put our foot in our mouth when identifying several alums who ran in the #Bonas5K. We apologize for the errors. They are correctly identified below.

Dan F. Collins, ’73, of Saratoga Springs, New York

William Keough, ’88, of Fairfield, Connecticut

Ian Nolan, ’08, of Lattice Cove Schertz, Texas SUMMER 2021

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2002

Kathy (Allen) Davis pivoted from her teaching profession to food blogging, recipe developing, and educating people on the importance and benefits of a plant-based diet. Experiencing weight loss and overall health and wellness after adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet, Davis dove into cookbook writing.

Her first cookbook, “30-Minute WholeFood, Plant-Based Cookbook,” is now available on Amazon. She and her husband, John, ’04, are digital nomads, traveling the United States in a 5thwheel RV with a goal to visit all national parks.

2003

Nicole Schuman was promoted to senior editor at PRNEWS. Schuman writes about all things trending in media, PR and communications at prnewsonline.com.

Amanda Wilton Davis is assistant director of Advancement Services at St. Bonaventure.

2005

Stephon Johnson was selected to join the National Press Foundation’s fellowship on “Statehouse Reporting in a Time of Crisis.”

He is working on a national project with “Word In Black,” where he writes two COVID-related education stories per month. Johnson has worked full time as a staff writer for the New York Amsterdam News for more than a decade and is a contributing writer for The Athletic.

2007

Laura (Tucker) Hedge, Esq., has been named a partner of Rabin Schu36

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mann and Partners LLP in Manhattan, one of New York’s premier matrimonial and family law firms specializing in complex, high net worth litigation.

2008

In April, Meghan (King) Basinger (second from left) opened a brick + mortar store to complement her e-commerce site called the Stevie Collective. The home decor store and full-service interior design studio is located in Milton, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. The company’s name comes from the baby Basinger lost in 2018 who the family lovingly remembers as Stevie. As part of her commitment to mothers, Basinger donates a percentage of monthly sales to a maternal mental health organization called 2020Mom. Visit her at steviecollective.com. Emily Ciraolo was promoted to director of corporate communications for National Fuel.

2012

Brittany (Whalley) Brady was promoted to integrated/general sales manager for Cox Media Group in Long Island. She began her career with the company in September 2012 as a cross-platform marketing consultant. In 2017 she was named a marketing strategist for CMG Health Marketing, where her primary focus was on producing datadriven strategies for healthcare clients. In her new role, Brady will lead the advertising sales department with other leaders to develop advertising campaigns across all platforms. Frank C. Castiglia, after graduating from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and completing his residency, has become a third-generation licensed funeral director for Castiglia Funeral Home, Inc. and Erie County Cremation Service. He is following in the footsteps of his father, Charles F. Castiglia, and grandfather, Frank R. Castiglia. He and his father have embarked on an extensive expansion and renovation at the South Buffalo funeral home, including adding a cafe, a modern audio-visual system, live streaming technology, flat screen televisions for slideshows, and expanded visitation chapels. Casandra (Callipare) Musumeci, a licensed mental health counselor, started her own private practice, Peace Project Mental Health Coun-

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seling, PLLC, with two colleagues in Rochester, New York. Peace Project specializes in providing mental health counseling services to children, adolescents and their families. More information regarding services can be found at www.peaceproject.life.

Jessica (Frank) Rustici is a project man-

ager, community educator, and volunteer manager at the Rochester and Finger Lakes Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She encourages anyone who is looking for assistance, in volunteering, or in giving back to this cause to reach out to her.

2014

Mary (Best) Loliger was named director of marketing and public relations for Irish Classical Theatre Company in Buffalo.

2016

Emily Jo Manchester has volunteered, interned, and is now holding her third position at Renesting Project, a community furniture bank that provides gently used furniture and household goods to those in need in Caddo & Bossier parishes, Louisiana. In February of 2020, before the pandemic shutdowns, she accepted the position of assistant executive director at the organization. She writes: “It’s been a wild year keeping the organization open and serving through the pandemic. (But) I am so excited to be doing my dream job of serving my community.” Mariam Skhirtladze is an attaché in the Diplomatic Protocol Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. She organizes visits of foreign ministers, ambassadors, heads and representatives of international organizations, and high-level delegations, as well as discusses and resolves issues relating to the functioning of diplomats’ missions and international organ-

izations in Georgia, among other duties.

2017

Vincent Waver has received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and will undergo pediatrics residency training with University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He also earned a Master of Science in Medical Education (MS.Med.Ed.) degree. Additionally, Waver received the Donald V. Hampton, D.O., Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Award, which is presented to a member of LECOM’s graduating class who has demonstrated acumen in the use of osteopathic philosophy and osteopathic manipulative therapy.

2019

Cameron Hurst is a public relations specialist with SUNY Jamestown Community College. The 2020 recipient of the Mark Hellinger Award, Hurst spent the previous year working for The Post-Journal newspaper in his hometown of Jamestown, first as a part-time sportswriter and subsequently as a full-time staff reporter covering school districts and municipalities in Chautauqua County. A journalism and music double major, he continues his musical involvement as a cantor at Holy Apostles Parish in Jamestown.

2020

Stephanie Bellis is a health home care manager for KidsPeace in Williamsville, New York. She is also pursuing an M.S. in occupational therapy at D’Youville College. Upon completion of the program, she intends to become a pediatric occupational therapist. Zach Chaddock is a commercial credit analyst with Community Bank, N.A. Destinee Johnson is a compliance coordinator in the Department of Athletics at St. Bonaventure.

Emma Kuszynski is a marketing coordinator at Million Dollar Round Table in Park Ridge, Illinois. Brianna Ragonese is an accounting clerk II with Bankers Healthcare Group in Syracuse.

Matthew Tyssee is a public health educator with the Cattaraugus County Health Department.

B ir th s / Adop tio n s

Kavant Healy adopted by Mike and Dr. Mary (Shannon) Colson, ’84 Carlisle Josephine to Toni and George Buell, ’01

Elliana Rae to Branigan Mincey and Lynn (Monteleone) Mincey, ’01 Maeve Rosemary to Michael and Colleen (Smith) Dunn, ’04 Joseph Bradley to Joseph and Jennifer (Jermain) Wagner, ’05 Leo Michael to Michelle Andhor, ’06, and Jacob Smith

Reagan Janice to Allison (Caffrey) Berndt, ’07, and Jeff Berndt, ’05 Adele Brady to Alison and Peter Ash, ’08

Alaina Joy to Alex Cole, ’08, and Laura (L’Esperance) Cole, ’09 Callan Christopher to Pat Henahan, ’09, ’10, and Deandra (Danch) Henahan, ’09

Brooks Barrett to Sara and Mark Hanna, ’10, ’11 Marceline May to David Holfoth, ’11, and Kristy (Kibler) Holfoth, ’11 Carter Richard to Jack Gostomski, ’11, and Courtney (Spencer) Gostomski, ’11, ’12

Theodore Robert to Robert and Casandra (Nguyen) Updike, ’15

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University mourns passing of President Dr. Dennis DePerro

Dr. Dennis R. DePerro, 21st president of St. Bonaventure, died March 1 as a result of complications from COVID-19. He was 62.

DePerro assumed the presidency June 1, 2017, and in less than four years oversaw the university welcoming the three largest incoming freshman classes in the last 11 years.

He implemented new enrollment and marketing strategies and championed new academic program development. Under his watch, the university’s online graduate initiative saw significant growth, up 329% in enrollment since fall 2017.

He made great progress to tear down silos, encourage collaboration and open the lines of communication with faculty, students, staff and alumni.

He launched a comprehensive capital campaign to build “A Bolder Bonaventure,” stewarding transformative gifts to help the university’s new School of Health Professions be-

come a reality.

“To see the position Dennis put us in, through his collaborative nature with trustees, administrators, faculty and students, will forever be a testament to his remarkable leadership,” said John Sheehan, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Read more about President DePerro on page 12 of the magazine or view his obituary at www.sbu.edu/DePerro.

Damian McElrath, 16th president of St. Bonaventure, passes away at 92

Damian McElrath, the 16th president of St. Bonaventure, passed away April 25. He was 92.

Highly regarded for his engagement with students and for guiding the university through significant administrative changes, McElrath is remembered as well for the rich, full life he led after leaving St. Bonaventure, as a cherished addiction treatment specialist at the Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation in Center City, Minnesota.

McElrath took on the name Damian when ordained a Franciscan priest in 1954 and kept it after leaving the order in 1980. He was 38

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named president of St. Bonaventure in 1973 and served through 1975.

During his tenure, McElrath initiated a controversial residence hall visitation policy. He also guided the university through Middle States evaluation in 1973, helping to usher in bylaw revisions to qualify the university for state Bundy Aid. In 1976 he entered a one-year immersive program for clergy on helping people with addiction at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Center City campus. It began what has been described as “a remarkable second act” to an already accomplished life.

[Read more at www.sbu.edu/McElrath]

Alumni Deaths

A directory of deceased alumni is available on Bona’s Online.

Not a member of Bona’s Online? Register at www.sbu.edu/alumni.

Robert E. Almon, ’49, Salisbury, Maryland Dr. John F. Rowland, ’49, Lady Lake, Florida John J. Dullea, ’50, Greenville, South Carolina Carl L. Griffin Jr., ’50, Redlands, California Leo J. Haggerty, ’50, Lakewood, California Anthony E. Mangus, ’50, East Rochester, New York Arlene M. (Jerolds) Miller, ’50, Olean, New York John E. Monico, ’50, Endicott, New York Francis L. Ostrom Jr., ’50, Macedon, New York William J. Barnhurst, ’51, Wallingford, Pennsylvania Jerome Fishkin, ’51, Bradford, Pennsylvania Joseph H. Fitzgerald, ’51, Canandaigua, New York John J. Graney, ’51, Auburn, New York Hugh R. Lafferty, ’51, Norwalk, Connecticut Damian McElrath, ’51, Robbinsdale, Minnesota Daniel H. Mintz, M.D., ’51, Miami, Florida Francis R. Mirabito, ’51, Fulton, New York Clemente C. Tiampo, ’51, Laconia, New Hampshire Robert F. Zecher, ’51, Crossville, Tennessee Patrick S. Farenga,* ’52, Medford, Massachusetts George L. Heinlein,* ’52, Rochester, New York Robert F. Jahn, ’52, Cromwell, Connecticut Austin C. Lowry, ’52, Holmes Beach, Florida George C. Mulqueen, ’52, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Edward A. Susanin, ’52, Des Moines, Iowa James F. Dwyer, Esq., ’53, Ramsey, New Jersey Anthony A. LaBarbera, ’53, Lakewood, New York Robert S. Wade, ’53, Kennedy, New York Maurice J. Walker, ’53, Corpus Christi, Texas Edward F. Carey, ’54, Rensselaer, New York Thomas J. Hickey, ’54, Seatac, Washington Carl W. Isley Sr., ’54, Elmira, New York Harry A. McEnroe, ’54, Mantoloking, New Jersey Addison J. Stephens, ’54, Nokomis, Florida John C. Travers, ’54, Hamburg, New York Rev. Augustine Pilatowski, ’55, New Britain, Connecticut John A. Schrader, ’55, Rochester, New York John H. Gosman, ’56, Montauk, New York Gerald K. Howard, ’56, Stamford, Connecticut Owen V. Hannon Jr., ’57, Bradford, Pennsylvania Dr. James N. Mitchell, D.D.S., ’57, Auburn, New York Francis J. Giampietro, ’58, Mountain Top, Pennsylvania Rev. Thomas J. Alkire, ’59, Darien, Illinois David J. Krahe, ’59, Olean, New York Thomas J. Urquhart, ’59, Ocala, Florida Dr. Fred A. DeClement, ’60, Pitman, New Jersey Francis A. Dutra, Ph.D., ’60, Santa Barbara, California George P. Farley, ’60, Tenafly, New Jersey James A. McAuley, ’60, Hinsdale, New York Robert F. Dimicco, ’61, The Villages, Florida Rev. James F. Mang, ’61, Buffalo, New York David J. Sutter, ’61, Charlotte, North Carolina Raymond C. Dee, L.H.D.*, ’64, Sag Harbor, New York Stephen Leguori, ’64, Amherst, New York Joseph A. Orsini, ’64, Fairfax, Virginia Harold L. McCord, ’65, Olean, New York Cmdr. Michael R. Vannata, Ed.D., ’65, Naples, Florida *Seraphim Legacy Society member

Clas s N o te s

Merle D. Elkin, ’66, Lakewood, New York Timothy F. Fidgeon, Esq., ’66, Swampscott, Massachusetts Thomas J. Houton, ’66, Beverly, Massachusetts Thomas Liddy, ’66, Hampton, New Hampshire Margaret F. (Fulmer) Moylan, ’66, Herkimer, New York John P. Rittinger, ’66, Fort Myers Beach, Florida Dr. William H. Shaw, ’66, Tivoli, New York Peter R. Herbst, ’67, Marlboro, New York Robert H. Suchy, ’67, West Haven, Connecticut Kazuo V. Iwata, ’69, Bay City, Oregon Michael A. Jonak, ’69, Syracuse, New York John W. Jonap, Esq., ’69, Atlanta, Georgia Mary L. Schumeyer, ’69, Frederick, Maryland Jeffrey M. Wolcott, ’69, Olean, New York Marcia Nenno, ’70, Cuba, New York Elias Eade Jr., ’71, Olean, New York William M. Pongo, ’71, Indian Shores, Florida Helen R. (Warner) Worth, ’71, Hampton, Virginia James L. Guididas, ’72, Leland, North Carolina Rev. Monsignor Harry K. Snow, ’72, Norfolk, Virginia MaryEllen (Kane) Thibodeau, ’72, West Hartford, Connecticut Carl J. Persichini, ’73, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Kathleen M. (Monahan) Blair, ’74, Castle Rock, Colorado William M. Hogan, ’74, Daytona Beach, Florida Maureen J. (Miller) O’Mara, ’74, Bradford, Pennsylvania Charles C. Folsom Jr., ’75, Chicopee, Massachusetts James M. Owens, ’75, Sanford, Colorado Robert A. Barone, ’76, Buffalo, New York Craig F. Eaton, ’76, Rochester, New York Patricia A. Sarica, ’76, Northport, New York Michele A. Smith, ’78, Jeffersonville, Pennsylvania Christopher P. Keenan, ’79, Chesapeake, Virginia Karen A. Caprio Flynn, ’81, Roseland, New Jersey Kevin F. Wilcox, ’81, Johnson City, New York Thomas J. Gallagher, ’84, Butler, New Jersey Harold F. Miller, ’84, Olean, New York Deborah K. (Maier) Miner, ’84, Farmington, Connecticut Albert W. Neu, ’85, Walworth, New York Dr. Kevin P. Sweeney, ’85, Newtown, Pennsylvania Brian C. DiFonzo, ’89, Titusville, Pennsylvania Paula M. (Tubbs) Keppel, ’89, Buffalo, New York Timothy M. O’Brien, ’90, New York, New York Denise M. (Armstrong) Newark, ’91, Salamanca, New York Wanda M. (Jenkins) Anderson, ’92, Henrico, Virginia Jeanette Bionda, ’94, New York, New York Lisa Elardo, ’94, Buffalo, New York

Elizabeth C. Freer, ’97, Lake Charles, Louisiana Kevin L. Curran, ’99, Portville, New York Daniel A. Ingrassia, ’02, Naples, Florida Darrell C. Kellogg, ’02, Gibsonville, North Carolina Kevin B. McNamara, ’02, East Amherst, New York Andrew J. Stinson, ’02, White Plains, New York Trisha A. Amidon, ’03, Oswayo, Pennsylvania Matthew C. Cowles, ’03, Georgetown, Kentucky Patrick C. Page, ’06, Vernon, New York Dr. Anthony L. Randich, ’09, Lutz, Florida

Parents and Friends

Elena Bingham, Wilmington, Delaware Ed Canty, Schenectady, New York Eric R. Carlton, Olean, New York Donald T. Fish, Esq., Olean, New York Keith E. Freeland, Lewiston, New York Charles Guariglia, Middletown, New Jersey Dr. Helen F. Jones, Allegany, New York Rosemary Lawley,* Williamsville, New York Esther Moody, Mechanicsville, Virginia Michael S. Rapacioli, Salamanca, New York

In Memoriam

Former Board of Trustees member Elena M.P. Bingham, who worked at DuPont for 30 years, passed away May 24. Her son, Miles, earned his MBA in Finance in 2001 from St. Bonaventure.

Raymond C. Dee, L.H.D., ’64, and former chair of St. Bonaventure’s Board of Trustees, passed away Jan. 26. Whether as president of his class at Bonaventure or as co-chair of the university’s 150th Anniversary Campaign more than 40 years later, Dee spent much of his life contributing in countless ways to St. Bonaventure, including sending three children to Bona’s. His family’s philanthropy has included major gifts in support of campus initiatives and numerous less heralded projects, such as helping students attend service trips.

The Dees established the Dee Family Endowment for the School of Business, providing funding in perpetuity for such things as curriculum development, technological upgrades and more. [Read more at www.sbu.edu/Dee]

Longtime supporter and former Board of Trustees member Timothy F. Fidgeon, Esq., Class of 1966, passed away Feb. 12. A partner at Hemenway and Barnes LLP in Boston, Mass., Fidgeon was a generous donor to the endowment and The Bonaventure Fund.

Former basketball star George Carter laid to rest

George Carter, ’67, came home, thanks to the generosity of a foundation and the big hearts of St. Bonaventure alumni.

Carter’s passing in November 2020 drew national attention when Dropping Dimes Foundation co-founder Scott Tarter posted the news online and expressed frustration that no one was claiming Carter’s body.

Bonnies basketball legend Jim Baron, ’77, learned of Carter’s passing and contacted Tarter, setting the wheels in motion to bring Carter back to Bonaventure for a proper fu-

neral service. More than 100 people, including former teammates and coaches, classmates, and most of the current Bonnies, gathered June 5 at St. Bonaventure Cemetery as Carter was laid to rest.

Eric Handler and alumni Dale Tepas, ’71, and Steve Morello, ’68, were instrumental in planning the service with the help of Tarter and Dropping Dimes.

[Read more at www.sbu.edu/Carter] SUMMER 2021

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We d din gs

Sara Spogen and Mark “Spark” Hanna, ’10, ’11

Amy Moritz, ’95, and Scott G. Kurzdorfer

Bonaventure Magazine Wedding Guidelines To submit your announcement for an upcoming edition: • use the enclosed envelope • email magazine@sbu.edu • use the online form at www.sbu.SBUmagazine.com • mail a print to Bonaventure Magazine, P.O. Box 2509 St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure, NY 14778

All photos must be of good reproductive quality. Pictures submitted electronically must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Original images from a camera or cell phone work best. Photographs that have been shared on social media or via text have likely been compressed and will not be large enough to reproduce in the magazine.

The university is prohibited from publishing copyrighted photographs, unless accompanied by written permission from the photographer.

Photos are published at the discretion of the editor. Photos that include banners or other insignia of the Brown Indian mascot will not be accepted.

Don’t forget to notify us of your new name or address! Update your contact information at www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate or send an email to alumni@sbu.edu.

St. Bonaventure University takes pride in its alumni and joyfully shares the news of their lives and achievements.

St. Bonaventure is supportive of our Catholic Church’s teachings. Publication of announcements provided to us by our alumni does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the university.

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Dr. Allison Gould, ’10, and Lt. Joshua Schmidt

Angela Colomaio, ’07, and Allen Castle

We d d in gs

Krista Carlson, ’09, and Ryan Lynn

Alexis Thomas, ’12, and Scott Duhart

Katelyn “Kate” Himes, ’12, ’13, and Nicholas “Nick” Drum

Kelly O’Dell, ’13, ’14, and Ryan Cooke, ’13, ’14

Lindsay Smith, ’11, and Donald Frank, ’11

Jen Cappuccilli, ’14, ’17, and Dan Connor, ’13, ’14

Kayla Taylor and Matthew Teribery, ’13 SUMMER 2021

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A

Alu mn i Vo ic es

As a student, where was your favorite campus study space? It’s a question we posed to alums. Little did we know that the deck was stacked — as in the bookshelves, or “stacks,” in Friedsam Memorial Library. It seems many of you preferred the quiet and solitude of being squirreled away in a Friedsam nook or cranny.

Here is a look back at your favorite places for cracking the books: Nature’s niche

Nestled in the woods behind Francis Hall, a statue of the Blessed Mother and a park bench offered a welcoming and prayerful niche, ideal for study. I have two particularly memorable experiences. The first was as a freshman, pen and notebook in hand, crafting a descriptive piece on the wonders of autumn in the Enchanted Mountains for Professor Leo Keenan’s freshman composition course. The following year, the same spot and time offered brilliant-colored solitude for reading “Barchester Towers” for Dr. Michael Hansen’s Victorian Novel course – this time with a friendly Franciscan-brown squirrel perched nearby, offering encouragement.

Harry Colin, ’78

The stacks: I

The only way I could concentrate was getting out of my dorm and going to the library. I always looked for a secluded desk in the book stacks where I wouldn’t be distracted. It worked most of the time.

Rich Bucci, ’76

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BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Friedsam, unstacked

Forty years after leaving St. Bonaventure, I still think about the beautiful and peaceful main room of Friedsam Memorial Library.

That was my go-to place to hit the books or put pencil to paper to get a report started. If I lived nearby, I’d bring my laptop there today.

Margaret McCormick, ’81

Alu mn i Vo ic es

Clarity in the fog

Sitting on the hill leading to the baseball field was a source of comfort and quiet time for me, especially on overcast days when there was a mist in the air. Seeing the fog draped over the mountains turned my anxiety down a few notches. It gave me the energy to get on with my day and/or study for exams. Once it was time to study, I tended to find an empty classroom in Plassmann (preferably one with windows looking out toward the Reilly Center) and get to work.

Stephon Johnson, ’05

The stacks: III

My favorite study spot was on the upper-floor section of stacks at the library, with a window that looked out over campus. I remember heading there on Sunday mornings before brunch, leaving my stuff in my favorite cubby near friends, and heading to brunch together. It was a cozy spot to focus and since my pals also studied there, we were able to take short quiet breaks together when we needed to laugh.

Library photos courtesy of University Archives

The stacks: IV

My favorite study spot was in the stacks in the library. It provided a spot to hide from the distractions of the dorm.

Dick Dillon, ’70

You still here?

My friends could always find me studying in Café La Verna. I was there so often (in the same spot, too) that we had a running joke of getting a plaque made to attach to the back of that chair.

Katie Reusch, ’12

Judiann (Ferretti) Smith, ’86

The stacks: V

A bench? Great idea

The stacks: II

My favorite study spots were “the stacks” in the library. An isolated cubical allowed me to block out distractions. My favorite spot for reflection was the Grotto. I was able to pray and ask for the intercession of Our Lady. I miss that spot to this day.

John McGlew, ’84

My favorite spot on campus (early ’80s) was the river behind the maintenance building. It was so peaceful and quiet and I could be alone. This was long before the walking trail and benches. Great idea – too bad this was not implemented when I was there. I would have avoided all the weeds.

Lisa (Denaro) Gray, ’85

This is really going to date my time at Bona’s, but my favorite spot was in the library stacks, as far away from people as possible. The rest of the library was basically a social club, but the stacks were pretty quiet.

Matt Gianiodis, ’92

FOR THE NEXT EDITION Who was the mentor that made the biggest impact on your Bonaventure journey?

Tell us in 100 words (and enclose a photo if you have it). We’ll print a collection of responses in the winter issue. magazine@sbu.edu

SUMMER 2021

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