AC Spring 2016 Magazine

Assumption Assumption College Magazine • Volume 14, Number 1 • Spring 2016

Magazine

The Joy of The Performing ArTs PLUS

Students connect at Living/Learning Center

Football captures first NE-10 title

Country music blogger Greg Arnold ’16

from The PresidenT The value of an Assumption education

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here is much discussion today on the outcomes of a college education. Often these outcomes are evaluated through measurable and quantifiable metrics that revolve around employment, overall earnings immediately upon graduation, and the overall labor market success of recent graduates. Yet, while such information can certainly be helpful, it is also problematic and shortsighted when the value of a college education is tied so narrowly to such categories.

These measures fail to consider many other factors, such as students who either volunteer a year of service post-graduation or discover a rewarding career in a less lucrative, but no less important, field. The true value of an education is often difficult to quantifiably measure since there are other less tangible, but one could argue more important, outcomes that transcend one’s earning capacity or career choice. This is especially true of a liberal arts education which concerns itself with forming individuals who embody integrity, sound judgment and moral principles, and preparing them to live a good life while contributing to the advancement and well-being of society.

i am always impressed by the achievements of our alumni, not simply measured by the success they have attained in their careers, but more significantly by the type of individuals they have become . . . grounded by the values in which they were formed while at Assumption.

The value of a liberal arts education also rests on how it assists students in discerning their vocation. Through the liberal arts curriculum at the heart of an Assumption education, students determine what will give meaning and purpose to their lives, and how to make that purpose a reality, by discovering their vocational passion. Such an outcome will bring them happiness, regardless of what they do.

The Venerable Emmanuel d’Alzon alludes to this outcome when he describes an Assumptionist education as a “way to learn the truth about ourselves, to become free, to bring unity into our life, and to become fully human.”

In the course of any given year, I have the privilege of meeting alumni throughout the country who represent a broad range of graduating classes and the breadth of a liberal arts degree. I am always impressed by the achievements of our alumni, not simply measured by

the success they have attained in their careers, but more significantly by the type of individuals they have become. Whether they are working for an international corporation such as Google, an investment firm such as Fidelity, serving as a CEO, involved in education at all levels, defending our nation as a military leader – the list is endless – our alumni are always driven by a common desire to do good, grounded by the values in which they were formed while at Assumption.

During a recent visit with alumni in California, Florida and Texas, I was struck by how many of them indicated that they were extremely satisfied with their professional life because it was aligned with a sense of purpose, from which they found meaning. Similarly, several alumni told me that they gained a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness, not only from their vocation, but also from the relationships they had forged, many of which began at Assumption.

It was heartening to learn that many of our alumni continue to be engaged in service, a value instilled in them as students at the College.

Whether they are involved with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering in soup kitchens, their church or local schools, or otherwise helping others, our alumni continue to use their talents and gifts for the common good as they take leadership roles and “Light the way” for others.

These are the types of outcomes that, though they span a lifetime, often go either unnoticed or unmeasured. They reflect the value of an Assumptionist education as envisioned by Fr. d’Alzon, who wrote, “Assumptionists consider education to be a call to life. In forming their intelligence, their heart, and their entire personality, Assumptionists hope that all students develop to their greatest potential, that they find their place in society, be active in it and contribute their share in making it more human, just and fraternal.”

These outcomes may be difficult to measure, but they are readily apparent when one encounters our alumni, regardless of their profession or labor market success. Through talking with them, and learning their stories, you learn the true measure of an Assumption education.

Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. President

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michelle graveline, dmA, with Assumption’s first two classes of vocal scholarship recipients.

contents spring 2016 We encourage your feedback.

Assumption College Magazine • Volume 14, Number 1 www.assumption.edu/magazine

Please address your letters, class notes and story ideas to: Assumption College Magazine 500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296 e-mail: twatkins@assumption.edu

features

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Assumption College Magazine Assumption College ISSN 1089-3903 Spring 2016 Editor Troy Watkins Executive Director of Communications Michael K. Guilfoyle Contributing Writers Samantha DeForest ’16 Kimberly Dunbar Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A. ’69 Stephen Kostrzewa Laura Ricciardone ’16 Erin Ziomek ’16 Art Direction/Design Centuria Inc., Boston, MA Printing The Lane Press, Burlington, VT Assumption College Magazine is published three times a year (spring, summer, fall) by the office of Communications, Assumption College, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609-1296.

Tel.: 508-767-7175. Printed in the U.S.A., Assumption College Magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni, friends, faculty, staff, administration and parents of undergraduate students.

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bloggin’ for a livin’: greg Arnold ’16 fostering students’ love for the performing arts building community inside the living/learning center greyhounds capture first ne-10 football title michaela flaherty ’18: leading by example

departments 2 3 18 23 26 32

editor’s page campus news hounds watch Alumni news class notes in memoriam

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Visit us online at: www.assumption.edu/magazine

ON THE COVER: L–R: Holly Olson ’18, Elijah “Rob” Mariano ’19 and Meghan Sampson ’19 are among the College’s first two classes of vocal scholarship recipients. coVer PhoTo by dAn VAillAncourT

@ACMagazine

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ediTor’s PAge

ood music and stimulating conversation feeds the flame of many each day. The diversity of our musical interests and the complexities among topics of conversation enable each of us to share a little piece of ourselves, which forge bonds, strengthen relationships, widen interests and spur personal growth.

In this issue, we delve into the wonders of the College’s music program, which has delighted audiences from Worcester to Europe.

Also explored are the relationships formed and lessons learned through the small group discussions in the Living/ Learning Center, where students pursue topics of interest and build community.

We’re also excited to share stories about the best football team in Assumption history, which won both its first Northeast-10 title and its first NCAA Tournament game this year, as well as current students Greg Arnold ’16, the lead blogger for Country Music Junkie, and

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Good music and conversation Michaela Flaherty ’18, who, despite her severely impaired vision, inspires her cross country teammates.

Three students have a bylined article in this issue, as they put their journalism skills to practice in the College’s flagship publication.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Please let me know if you have any ideas for a story, or let me know how we’re doing. I’d love to hear from you.

letters to the editor I continue to be impressed by Assumption Magazine … so attractive to read and be pulled into each article.

–Pat Dolan AP’62, G’72 Writing from Rome where I am serving (in my 'spare time') as campus minister to the Assumption Rome program, I'd like to thank you for the thoughtful fall issue that highlighted the role of the Assumptionists, not only with the lengthy feature article but also with the reflections of both President Cesareo and Fr. Dennis Gallagher. That was a nice touch. As much as the College honors and cherishes the presence of the Assumptionists, we Assumptionists see our work at Assumption as a unique opportunity to be sons of Fr. d'Alzon, working side by side with our lay colleagues in transforming the minds and hearts of the students entrusted to us.

–Fr. John Franck, A.A. ’70 Assistant General, Rome campus It was a pleasure to read the Fall 2015 issue of the Assumption Magazine.

Who would have thought that the Assumptionists would be featured in a centerfold! It was a delight to see the Assumptionists testifying clearly to a healthy, even vibrant learning environment that Fr. D'Alzon no doubt would have delighted in. It's clear that the Assumptionists’ presence on campus and that superb chapel provide a place where sound education and learning provide a context in which everyone can think and pray, adveniat regnum tuum.

–Wayne Rollins, Ph.D. Former director, Assumption’s Ecumenical Institute

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Share Your Thoughts: Write to the editor’s inbox at twatkins@assumption.edu

campus news Dr. Carolyn Woo named Commencement speaker Woo, James O’Connell, Fred Bayon ’65 and Mike Tsotsis ’71 to receive honorary degrees Dr. Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the world’s largest providers of humanitarian assistance, will deliver the address at the College’s 99th Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7 at the DCU Center. Honorary degrees will be conferred upon Dr. Woo, Dr. James O’Connell, president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and Assumption trustee emeriti Frederick Bayon, D.M.D. ’65 and Michael dr. carolyn Woo Tsotsis ’71.

“Through her impassioned work as the leader of a Catholic global relief agency, Dr. Woo is a true example of how to live out the Gospel and the tenets of Catholic social teaching by caring for the less fortunate or those affected by natural disaster,” said President Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D. “Dr. Woo’s leadership parallels the mission and message of the College and reflects what we instill in our students during their four years at Assumption regarding service grounded in our Catholic identity.”

Woo has served as president and CEO of CRS since 2012, following a distinguished career in higher education. CRS advances Catholic social teaching by carrying out the human development mission of the U.S. Catholic Church under the auspices of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops with a presence in more than 90 countries and committed to helping 100 million people in need.

Prior to joining CRS, Woo served as dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and as associate executive vice president for academic affairs at Purdue University.

Born in Hong Kong, Woo immigrated to the U.S. to attend Purdue, where she earned a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.

She has been recognized by the Academy of Management with a Best Paper Award; selected as a 40 Young Leaders of American Academe

by Change Magazine; and featured in Foreign Policy as one of the “500 Most Powerful People on the Planet”—one of only 33 in the category of “A Force for Good.” Woo was the first female dean to chair the accreditation body for business schools—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business —and directed its Peace Through Commerce initiative.

Woo participated in Assumption’s 2014-15 President’s Lecture Series and was also instrumental in establishing the College’s recent academic partnership with CRS. Dr. James O’Connell is the founding physician, and now president, of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, an organization

that serves more than 12,000 homeless individuals each year in two hospital-based clinics and in more than 70 shelters and outreach sites throughout Boston. O’Connell began this endeavor in 1985 with the establishment of the nation’s first medical respite program for the homeless, which now staffs more than 400. Last year, O’Connell published a book, Stories from the Shadows: Reflections of a Street Doctor, that chronicles his 30 years of service in caring for the homeless.

dr. Woo’s leadership parallels the mission and message of the college and reflects what we instill in our students regarding service grounded in our catholic identity.

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, O’Connell holds a master’s degree in theology from Cambridge University. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Fred Bayon, D.M.D. ’65, Assumption board chair emeritus, served as a College trustee for 31 years, including 10 as chair, before retiring in 2015. He received the Jack L. Bresciani ’72 Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1990, for his service and support of the College, including his tenure as president of the Alumni Association.

The owner of a private dental practice in Worcester, Bayon has committed himself to community service as a member of several professional and non-profit organizations in the dentistry field, and has provided free dental services for Memorial Hospital’s Dental Clinic and at other Worcester clinics serving those in need. He earned a B.A. in natural science from Assumption and a doctor of medicine in dentistry from Tufts University.

Tsotsis served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 21 years before stepping down last year. In 1976 he founded, and has since served as president of, Benefit Development Group, Inc. (formerly Fidelity Financial Planning), a Worcester-based business that provides employee benefit services to clients throughout the country.

A generous supporter of the College and its students, he established a scholarship in the name of his family that provides financial assistance to students with a demonstrated need. Tsotsis continues to serve in leadership capacities with several not-for-profit organizations and businesses. His recognitions include the Kennedy Ambassador Award from Children’s Friend and numerous awards from the insurance industry. He holds a B.A. in economics and political science from Assumption.

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Greg Arnold ’16 is turning his passion for country music into a career.

B Y T ROY WATKINS

Greg Arnold ’16 may still be in college but he’s already found a job doing something he loves. A native of Westborough, the English, writing and mass communications major is taking a reduced course load during his senior year while focusing his attention on being the lead blogger for the popular online clothing company Country Junkie Nation. Greg covers concerts, looks at new and upcoming releases, interviews and profiles musicians like Garth Brooks, Tim Hicks and Scotty McCreary, and shares news from the country music scene.

Drawn to Assumption because of its “family-feel” and the way the classes were run when he first visited campus as a high school student, Arnold is enjoying his academic journey. “I like the social aspect at Assumption, the classes and developing relationships with professors,” he said.

He came to the college with a desire to learn and a love of both writing and country music. “I’ve been a country fan since I was 12,” he explained. “It’s the first type of music that spoke to me. I listen to it constantly.”

During his sophomore year, Arnold landed a job as a contributing writer for Community Advocate newspaper in Westborough, covering community events and local sports. “It was my first exposure writing for an audience and I enjoyed it,” he remembers.

That summer, his father provided some sage advice on how to

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combine his two loves. “He suggested ‘since you go to all these concerts, why don’t you start a blog?’” Arnold recalls.

That advice inspired Arnold to create his “Country Unlimited” blog that summer. He sought assistance from his brother, Jeff, 16, who helped him make posts more regularly.

His first big break came when the publicist for Canadian country singer Tim Hicks contacted Arnold and asked if he would interview and write about his client to generate a following for him in the United States. After conducting the interview from his campus dorm room, Greg began to realize the demand for his blog and moved it to the www.countrymusicnorth.com website, a domain name he had purchased that summer. “There was nobody writing about country music in New England,” he explained. “I go to so many shows and they all sell out, so the following is there.”

Hicks tweeted a link to countrymusicnorth.com’s very first article, which brought instant credibility to Arnold’s work, as well as a wave of followers from Canada. Greg (handling writing) and Jeff, (photos) focused the site on covering country music in New England and worked together to deliver first-hand reviews of concerts.

“I told concert attendees what I was doing and the word-of-mouth after three months swelled our readership to thousands,” he said. “I went from no country music blogging experience in May to having a

Lead blogger for Country Junkie Nation, Greg covers concerts, looks at new and upcoming releases, interviews and profiles musicians like Garth Brooks, Tim Hicks and Scotty McCreary, and shares news from the country music scene.

pass and try to fit in, because most of the others covering the events are in their 40s or 50s,” he said.

Arnold was soon approached by Country Junkie Nation, a national clothing company that was hoping to start a blog. In January 2015, Arnold became CJN’s lead blogger. After three months of building the site, he launched it in April and Arnold has since been “riding the blogging wave,” so to speak.

He’s had his scoops and highpoints along the way. “Three days after I started with CJN, I interviewed Garth Brooks and asked him about GhostTunes, (Brooks’ online music store). We were the first to write a major story about it,” he notes.

In addition to getting the chance to write about the music he loves and interview musicians he admires, Arnold also appreciates the freedom his employer has given him. “I don’t write for reach,” he said.

“I write what I want to write. I have full reign. I don’t have an editor. I pick the topics. Occasionally I’ll have to write about all the artists at a show if we were hired to do that, but I wouldn’t change a thing about what I’m doing.”

He readily admits that blogging isn’t always easy. There are times, such as New Year’s Eve, when he wrote about a country music concert while his friends were enjoying a holiday party. This summer he even hired a couple interns to assist him with the writing duties. “That’s surreal,” he reflects.

However, he’s happy with what blogging has done for him. “It’s changed my life, because I didn’t think I’d be able to do what I’m doing until several years after I graduated and moved to Nashville.”

Arnold plans to work at CJN for the immediate future after he earns his degree in May. “There are only a couple things that I think I’d rather do,” he said,” be a member of a band, which won’t happen because I have no musical talent, or manage a band.”

That gives this 21-year-old something to dream about.

responsibility to thousands by October, even though I wasn’t getting paid for it.”

In December, Greg accepted a request from Scotty McCreary, American Idol’s Season 10 winner, to cover a charity concert in Connecticut. The show benefited the 12.14 Foundation, which aims to create a performing arts center in the community of Sandy Hook, which was rocked by an elementary school shooting in 2012.

“We were the only media there,” Arnold explained. “With the review, the official photos and the only story about McCreary’s relationship with the Foundation, we released it, and he retweeted it, posted it on Facebook. Our following exploded and our traffic capped out.”

New to the country music media scene, Arnold has learned some of the tricks of the trade from other members of the media. A fellow blogger from Nashville, for instance, suggested that he email country music artists’ publicists to get press passes for future shows. This saved Arnold and his brother from paying for tickets and provided them with full access to photo pits. “It’s pretty cool to walk around with a media

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Professor Bauer’s 47 years: teaching students how to think B Y S AMANTHA D E F OREST ’16 For the past 47 years, Professor Frederick Bauer, Ph.L., Ph.D., has been a fixture at Assumption College. Bauer, a professor of philosophy, has made it his personal mission to challenge the way his students and colleagues see the world. His teaching, his books and his contributions to the Le Provocateur student newspaper all exemplify his devotion to his own complex philosophy which he has named “Bauerism.” It is this philosophy— his own unique system of beliefs—that may be his greatest contribution and lasting legacy to the College as he prepares to retire at the end of the spring semester.

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riginally from Akron, Ohio, Bauer began his journey into academia in a Passionist seminary. “The person who was teaching philosophy in our monastery was ready to retire and he needed a replacement, so they asked me when I was ordained if I would like to go to Rome, study philosophy, get a degree, then come back and teach in the seminary,” he explained, “I heard ‘go to Rome’ and ‘study in Rome’ and naturally I loved philosophy to start with, so I went to Rome for two years for what they called a licentiate, but would be known today as a master’s degree. Then I went to the University of Ottawa for a Ph.D.” Bauer’s plans changed when he met his future wife, Nancy. He left the priesthood so that they could be married but lost neither his faith nor passion for teaching. “For me, teaching became a way of continuing that ministry even though I left the priesthood,” he said.

After obtaining his Doctorate of Philosophy in 1969, Bauer accepted a teaching position at Assumption College. In his nearly half-century of teaching, he has enjoyed every course he has taught, but one in particular stands out as his favorite. “My all-time favorite course is Philosophical Psychology, which is really about the human mind and how we know, how we experience things. What is a human being? That’s my favorite subject to teach,” said Bauer. He added, “My second is Introduction to Philosophy, which I love teaching.”

Notorious for his unique perspective on the world, his preferred teaching method is the Socratic Method. He explained, “You go into class, pose a question, then somebody answers it, and you ask them a follow-up question so they have to explain it a little bit more. ‘What do you really mean by that?’”

That love of questioning forms the core of “Bauerism.” Prof. Bauer argues that many of the things we take for granted as “fact,” including

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scientific concepts, are actually just mental constructs that we’ve invented to help us explain the world. Therefore, it’s up to all of us, he says, to constantly question and test these “logical fictions” to ensure they truly capture what’s real.

It’s a big idea, and one that can be difficult for his students to wrap their heads around. “At first, I didn't necessarily agree with him or even understand some of his arguments,” said Kaitlyn Akers ’16 of Millbury.

“But by the end of the semester I found that he had opened my mind to a new way of thinking about the world.”

Bauer credits his devotion to shaping the minds of his students to his mentor, Father Ronan Callahan, his first philosophy teacher. “I had him for two years and he really turned me on to philosophy,” Bauer recalled. “[Fr. Callahan] said to me, ‘Learn as much science as you can because it’s changing the world,’” reminisced Bauer. This advice, presented through Bauer’s worldview, resulted in The Wonderful Myth Called Science, a textbook Bauer wrote himself and used in his Intro to Philosophy courses. “I couldn’t find any other book by authors who thought the way that I do,” he notes. Now, as Bauer plans for retirement, he has released one last book: a culmination of his decades of teaching and studying. The Divine Sting is an attempt to marry faith and reason, fact and belief, science and philosophy. It is, of course, shaped through the lens of Bauer’s exploration of truth and reality.

“We think we’re directly experiencing the physical world,” he said.

“What we’re experiencing is virtual reality in our own mind.”

Yet, at the core of his beliefs, his unique “Bauerism,” is a foundational faith in God—the touchstone that allows him to understand, and explain, the world. “God made it that we live by common sense,” he said. “And common sense is how we directly experience other people and the world.”

Back to class

BY FR. DENNIS GALLAGHER, A.A.’69, VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION

his past fall I ventured back into the classroom after a hiatus of twelve years. It was a course in the theology department familiar to me from the past, and several of the readings I had regularly assigned. Still there was some apprehension. Twelve years is a long time. I wondered about the students – did they belong to the same species? Concerns about the information technology explosion and how to deal with that – smartphones and the like – were allayed with the help of colleagues and turned out to be no real problem. So, while I won’t say it was quite like riding a bike again (I have a story to tell about that for another time), the rust came off rather quickly and a number of the old satisfactions returned.

The most immediate of those satisfactions is contact with a group of students sustained over 14 weeks of the semester. Nothing else that I have done at the College comes near to this, affording the chance to get to know students in the context of teaching and learning. Those of us in the “service departments,” where the lion’s share of courses are taken to fulfill general education requirements, have the additional advantage of teaching a cross-section of the student body. I say advantage in two respects: it is a clear realization of the mission of the College to engage all of our students in questions of ultimate concern – questions of origin and destiny, faith and science, the meaning of suffering, etc. It also seems

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The mission a privilege to me to see students, who might not have been especially motivated to take this required course, so often express appreciation for the chance to think about these intrinsically interesting questions.

What makes this work are the readings themselves. To take one example, the students’ encounter with Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy’s story compels them to think about the possibility of squandering one’s life while assiduously fulfilling the expectations of others. Or to wonder at God’s judgment at the end of the Book of Job that the combative, indignant Job had “spoken rightly about me,” while Job’s so-called friends, even as they mouth their pious platitudes, were in the wrong.

Or to get beyond the first reaction to Nietzsche’s proclamation of the death of God –what presumption! – to understand the prophetic power of those words. Or to see faith in action and see the measure of human excellence in the person of Thomas More.

I am admittedly something of a “softie,” but I am always moved, even to tears, to see students writing away in their exams about these characters and these questions. This is a Catholic college at its best.

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Davis Grant to fund research to enhance student engagement and learning

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wo professors have received a $156,675 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to improve student learning in the classroom.

Sarah Cavanagh, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, and James Lang, Ph.D., professor of English, will use the funding to embark on a three-year research project in which they will assist faculty from Assumption and other colleges in implementing science-based mindfulness and emotion regulation exercises in the classroom to improve student learning.

“We often think about learning as a purely intellectual or cognitive process, but we know that learning and thinking are deeply intertwined

with emotions,” Professors Cavanagh and Lang said. “Like all of us, students constantly experience emotions, even in the classroom, and the emotions that students feel in a classroom setting—such as boredom, or anxiety, or frustration—can interfere with their learning. Other emotions, such as curiosity or wonder, can actually help their learning.”

The grant is designed to promote research that will help professors better understand what kinds of emotions students are feeling in the classroom, how those emotions advance or hinder their learning, and whether teachers can help students

Serving orphans in Haiti on Christmas Day While most College students were opening gifts with their families on Christmas morning, Grace Clark ’19 delivered presents, along with much needed food and water, to members of Haiti’s destitute communities.

Clark is one of a dozen individuals who traveled to Haiti with the Be Like Brit (BLB) organization during the 2016 Christmas break.

BLB was founded by Len and Cherylann Gengel to honor the memory of their daughter, Britney, who was killed in a 2010 earthquake that devastated the island nation.

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focus and learn more effectively.

The grant also provides funding for Professors Cavanagh and Lang to host a one-day conference on the topic of emotions in higher education. This conference will bring together instructors across the New England region and researchers on a variety of topics relevant to socio-emotional learning to consider how best to serve students.

Long interested in improving teaching in the classroom, Lang is the director of Assumption’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). The Center sponsors programs and events that focus on teaching and learning in higher education. Cavanagh and Lang will be supported by a team of consultants.

The grant was awarded by the Davis Educational Foundation (DEF), which supports the undergraduate programs of public and private colleges in New England.

For more information about the CTE, visit www.assumption.edu/cte.

“I wanted to do more over break,” said Clark. “I love my family and definitely missed our Christmas celebration and seeing my nieces and nephews excited about Santa. But Christmas is the season of giving and my family understood my decision.”

Clark, a Worcester native, first heard about BLB as a senior at St. Peter Marian High School. Feeling the need to help, she worked with both her principal and BLB to organize a trip to Haiti. After graduation, Grace and other St. Peter Marian graduates traveled to Haiti to help build a house for a family who had lost theirs in the earthquake. In order to raise the $1,950 necessary for this year’s trip (which included flights, lodging, and Christmas gifts and supplies for the community outreach), Clark worked two jobs, held yard sales, and sold Haitian bracelets.

Clark is attending Assumption on an Adopt-a-Student scholarship, which provides full tuition to a student who would otherwise be unable to attend a Catholic college. She’s a biology/ pre-med major hoping to one day become a missionary doctor. Outside of the classroom, Clark serves as a peer minister and a student ambassador, is a member of the Adapt Club, and participated in a service immersion trip (SEND) to Washington, D.C., over spring break. While she has always been community service-minded, her time at Assumption has further inspired her mission to give back.

“My Assumption education has definitely broadened my horizons when it comes to helping others,” she said. “There are so many opportunities available for students to go out into the world and assist those in need through SEND trips and Reach Out Center volunteer sites. I feel like it has increased my desire to volunteer because it has shown me all of the different ways in which we can help others.”

on course Assumption Magazine invites readers to peek inside the syllabus of a popular course.

ronny sampson ’16 assists a Plumley Village resident with filing her tax return.

Undergraduate course provides free tax assistance to Worcester residents B Y E RIN Z IOMEK ’16

IDS 250 - Community Tax Assistance

Carmen Amores needed help.

Amores found herself owing more than $12,000 she could not pay due to a mistake made on her tax returns. She had filed as single when she was in fact married and an extra $1,000 she couldn’t afford was being taken out of her check every month. Now, thanks to Assumption College’s Community Tax Assistance course (IDS 250), Amores and others are provided free tax preparation assistance, helping them avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Although the course officially meets from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, students spend most of their class time on site at the governmentsubsidized Plumley Village apartments in Worcester. They work with Plumley residents, using the tax-assistance program “Tax Wise,” to help make sure that all their financial information is entered correctly on their tax returns and that either the correct refund or amount due is calculated. They also double-check the accuracy of the returns, file them, and answer any questions the residents might have.

Through their work at Plumley, the accounting students are able to learn both how to file taxes and how people and companies are taxed.

The course helps them gain real-world experience through aiding lower-income residents to file their tax returns.

That experience, suggests the course’s instructor, Associate Professor of Accounting Jennifer Niece, can help students become certified public accountants, a career path that can lead to becoming an auditor or a tax official as it gives students practical knowledge of both fields.

“I encourage them to put it on their résumé and students have received interviews with accounting firms due to that experience,” Niece said.

An “interdisciplinary service” course, it also focuses on socioeconomics as well as accounting. Through their work at Plumley, students see how other people, some of them in difficult circumstances, live and

gain an appreciation for different walks of life. Additionally, several of the course readings are on welfare, poverty and other key issues.

There is a strong service element to the course as well, which Niece finds personally rewarding.

“It allows me to teach students the importance of helping others while also tying it to academics,” she said.

Adam Cabral ’16, who is taking the course this semester, values the volunteer aspect. “We help people file their tax return and it puts a smile on their face and a smile back on your face. It makes you feel good.”

His time at Plumley also helped him better understand and appreciate the world around him.

“The people at Plumley live on a lot less than we do but they still go to work, they still make do,” he noted.

Cabral also explained that the course has complemented the classroom knowledge he’s gained from his major.

“With the hands-on part you kind of get thrown into the fire and you have to learn on the fly and apply what you learned,” Cabral said.

For Eric Cyr ’16, the work can be strenuous–he might file up to four to five tax returns on any given trip to the center–but it is rewarding. “It feels good,” he mused. “At the end of the day you know you helped someone.”

Elvis Lopez, the director at Plumley Village, believes that the students’ takeaway is “not only the tax experience, but the people experience and understanding where tax law like the EIC, or earned income tax credit, relates to people and how that works.”

“If I were accounting major I’d take this course in a second,” he enthused.

Professor Niece agrees. “On the student evaluations, what I often see on their comments is that it is the best course they ever took,” she said.

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Creative Expression PhoTo: dAn VAillAncourT

FOSTERING STUDENTS’ LOVE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

B Y K IMBERLY D UNBAR

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Vocal Scholars Though Chorale and VOCE have been around for more than 30 years, the program underwent a renaissance three years ago when Assumption decided to offer a merit scholarship for vocalists. These new scholarships complement the organ scholarship program (which was first offered five years ago) and help attract high caliber singers to the College.

“We thought it would be a good idea to offer merit-based scholarships for singers,” said Graveline, whom Fr. Lamothe credits with driving the idea of the vocal scholarship. “There are merit-based scholarships for academics and athletics. The thought was that we could get a different type of student. The extra merit scholarship, for many students, has a made a difference in them coming here.”

Shant Eghian ’18 is one of those students. A history and political science double major from Seekonk, Eghian has always loved performing.

He grew up singing in churches and developed a talent for opera as a teenager, appearing in four Opera Providence productions at the Providence Performing Arts Center where he sang in both English and Italian (he is also fluent in Arabic). So when it came time to pick a college, he looked for one with an exceptional music and arts program. In 2013, he was awarded one of the College’s first vocal scholarships.

“The scholarship had a very significant impact on my decision to attend Assumption,” Eghian said. “In addition to the obvious financial appeal, to me the scholarship proved that Assumption takes music and the arts seriously enough to offer scholarships in those areas.”

These scholarships, which are offered to just 10 students a year, are

Vocal scholarship recipients with michelle graveline, dmA

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Through its dedication to a classical liberal arts education, Assumption College has always dedicated itself to creating well-rounded graduates. While much of this learning takes place in the classroom, the College’s breadth of music, arts and theater programs offer students a different kind of educational experience, one that unfolds on campus and on theatre stages.

Some of Assumption’s arts programs – like concert choir, Chorale, the VOCE a cappella chamber ensemble, and Band and Jazz Ensemble – allow students to hone their talents while earning class credit. Others, like String Camerata, Advanced Flute Choir, Theatre, Chapel Choir and the College’s a cappella club, provide a venue for students to explore their talents and love of performing in an enjoyable and collaborative environment.

“These groups provide an outlet for creative expression for singers,” said Michelle Graveline, DMA, professor of music and director of Chorale and VOCE. “For some of them, this is what identified them in high school and they wanted to continue it in college.”

“The arts have always been at the core of an Assumption education, and a way to foster students’ love for music,” noted Fr. Donat Lamothe, A.A., Ph.D. ’57. Over time, that emphasis has been the impetus for the College to establish a music department in 1972, a music major in the 1980s, and most recently, a merit-based vocal scholarship for talented students.

“We wanted to encourage students with decent voices to continue performing, work within the Chorale and strengthen it,” said Fr. Lamothe, who has been part of the Assumption community since 1949 and is intimately involved in the arts at the College. “We have kids coming to us who have these experiences from high school, and it would be a shame for these experiences to be lost.”

awarded to incoming first-year students based on what Graveline calls “a pretty rigorous audition,” during which the applicants must sing two songs of a classical nature as well as perform vocal exercises. “We look for students who have nice voices, sing in time, and can learn music quickly,” she said. The scholarship is renewable each year, provided the student continues to participate in Chorale and VOCE. Eghian was a member of the first class to benefit from the scholarship. There are six Class of ’18 vocal scholars and seven in the Class of ’19. In two short years, applications for the vocal scholarship have increased dramatically as word has spread about this new opportunity.

According to Graveline, who spent the winter auditioning students for the third class of the scholarship, “there has been quite a flurry [of applicants] this year.”

VOCE In addition to benefitting students, the vocal scholarships have had a positive effect on Assumption’s musical groups. “It has definitely increased the quality of chorale and VOCE,” said Graveline, adding that the scholarship attracts experienced singers with previous vocal training.

Holly Olson ’18 of Marshfield, who has taken voice lessons since she was in seventh grade, wanted the scholarship for its financial assistance and its admission into VOCE, an exclusive group. “Assumption was my top choice,” said Olson. “But the scholarship made it even more so, especially because I would join a select a cappella choir.”

VOCE, which means “voices” in Latin, is a select chamber ensemble of about 20 students within the Chorale, and singers are chosen by audition at the beginning of the year, except for vocal scholarship recipients, who are reserved a spot. The members of this special group take part in one or two extra rehearsals a week immediately following Chorale rehearsals, which usually focus on a cappella music, both classical and popular. The group often performs its own set within Chorale concerts and also sings for special events, such as the alumni Children’s Christmas Brunch and the President’s Council Dinner.

Vocal scholars are required to be at all rehearsals and must participate in Chorale and VOCE every year. According to Graveline, some students participate in Chorale to fulfill the arts component of their degree and leave the group after doing so. But because the scholarship recipients must remain in order to keep their scholarship, she said, the consistency in members and attendance adds to the quality of the chorus.

“People often see them perform and think it is effortless, but it takes a lot of work,” said Graveline. “They are a dedicated group.”

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Chorale and VOCE lend their voices to various Assumption events—including commencement, convocation and special events around campus—as well as events in the Worcester community. Every year, the Chorale performs at Worcester’s historic Mechanic’s Hall for the Holiday Pops concert along with other area college choirs and the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra.

They’ve taken their act on the road as well. Over the last 30 years, the group’s international concert tours have included Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Russia. They have sung in some of the great cathedrals of Europe, including Notre Dame in Paris, and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and sang for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on two occasions. This summer, Graveline is taking a group of 25 students—including Eghian and Olson—to Prague, Salzburg and Vienna.

“They will sing sacred music in big churches and cathedrals,” said Graveline. “And we’re hoping to end the tour singing at a Mass in the Salzburg Cathedral.”

Arts and Music history on campus Chorale’s three decades on campus just scratch the surface of Assumption’s deeply-rooted commitment to the performance arts. “Arts and music were always an important part of the Assumptionist thinking of what an education should be,” said Fr. Lamothe. “In the College’s beginnings, even without a department, theater and music was an important part of the education process here. [The Assumptionists] wanted to make the students as rounded as possible.” He also observed that singing or playing an instrument requires hard work, discipline and learning how to work as part of a team—all important pieces of the Assumptionist approach to education.

According to Fr. Lamothe, the early days of Assumption’s arts were “pretty active times. People liked to participate, even without academic credit,” he said.

There has been a lot of music and theater since the early days on the Assumption campus. In the 1930s, Assumption boasted an orchestra, a glee club, and shows and plays, all of which were produced in both English and French.

When the College went co-ed in 1969, musical offerings were expanded. The all-male choirs, including the glee club, were eventually absorbed into what would become the Chorale. As the student population grew, Fr. Lamothe was tasked with starting a music department in 1972.

“Before then, everything was done as an extracurricular activity, as part of student life,” he said. The College hired a diverse faculty and established a strong Chorale before offering a music major in the 1980s.

Although there are about a dozen music majors each year, students continue to get involved in the arts on campus. According to Graveline, most of the students in Chorale are not music majors, instead they see music and performing as something they just enjoy doing. “We run the gamut of majors such as science, business, computer science and communications,” she said.

The Chorale and Band When Graveline came to the College with the intent of starting the Chorale in 1984, she started with just 19 singers. Now, 22 years later, Chorale is an audition-only group with 50-60 members.

Shortly after Chorale, Assumption established its Band, which,

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according to Fr. Lamothe, has also grown exponentially over the years.

The College’s other ensembles—Jazz, String Camerata, and the Flute Choir, which was a spinoff of the band—have all been established within the last 10 years. “These groups were created because we have talented students and more of them today,” he said.

“At our first rehearsal we had three players,” said Assumption Band Director Bruce Hopkins, who started the Band in 1987. “Over the years, the Band has grown—now comprising about 50 players performing at a high musical level.”

According to Hopkins, the Band’s repertoire each semester is a widely varied one, spanning from Baroque to pieces written by contemporary composers in the last few years. “We often feature ensembles created from the larger ensemble, such as Flute Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Woodwind Ensembles, as well as giving some students the opportunity to play a solo with the Band,” he added.

Theatre The College’s theatre program has enjoyed a similarly long and bright history. Students have gone from performing in La Maison on campus to the bright lights of Worcester’s historic The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts.

“The earliest Assumption musical on record is a production of The Fantasticks in 1974, which took place in the gym,” said Fr. Lamothe.

The College would revive the very same musical in 2009 for the first of its Hanover performances. Other Assumption productions at the Hanover include Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver! and Seussical The Musical.

In addition to Eghian’s involvement with Chorale and VOCE, he also performs in the College’s annual spring musical. “As someone who is not a music major or minor, singing is something different to do that keeps me involved musically,” he said. “There’s also the social element because I have a chance to meet people with similar interests.”

Eghian’s favorite performance of his Assumption career thus far was his role as Motel the Tailor in last year’s musical, Fiddler on the Roof. This year, he will portray Major General Stanley in the College’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.

Olson is also active in other College arts opportunities like Hound Sound, a student-run a cappella group on campus. For Olson, a psychology major double minoring in music and human services and rehabilitation, her experiences in the arts helps lay the groundwork for her future. “I’m considering going into music therapy and working with children someday,” she said.

Like Olson, Lea Rossi ’15 combined her love for music with her career plans. An eighth grade math teacher in Merrimack, Rossi was a music major and spent time tutoring music theory classes while at Assumption. “I was in Chorale for every semester I was there except when I student taught,” said Rossi. “I loved all of the music classes.”

Though today there are more students, music classes and organizations available to students, the foundation of an Assumption education and how it values the arts remains unchanged. Through learning about music and striving to be their best, Assumption’s performers fulfill the dream of the venerable Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon, founding father of the Assumptionists, that all of his students find their talents and light up the world.

P e r f o r m i n g A r t s a t A s s u m p t i o n C o l l e g e A CAPPELLA AT ASSumPTIOn (HOunD SOunD) This student-run singing group performs a diverse repertoire of songs without instrumental accompaniment.

ADVAnCED FLuTE CHOIR Advanced flutists perform advanced chamber literature.

ASSumPTIOn ASyLum Asylum was created for students interested in performing, studying and appreciating improvisational and sketch comedy. Periodically, the club invites professionals to teach improv comedy. Assumption also hosts improv comedy competitions.

BAnD Assumption’s 40–50 member concert band of students, faculty and friends of the College performs concerts throughout the school year.

The chorale meeting the Pope in 1992 PhoTo: Tim mulcAhy ’88

CHAPEL CHOIR The College’s liturgical choir draws singers from the student body, faculty and staff. The Chapel Choir regularly stages the musical Godspell, undertakes Choir mission tours, and presents an annual holiday concert featuring selections from Handel’s “Messiah” with soloists and chamber orchestra.

CHORALE The College’s auditioned concert choir performs throughout the U.S. and abroad. Its concerts feature full orchestra and instrumental ensembles.

The Chorale’s international concert tours have taken them to Greece, Italy, Russia, and, most recently, France, where they sang at Notre Dame Cathedral.

JAzz EnSEmBLE This ensemble focuses on the stylistic performance of small group jazz, with opportunities for solo improvisation.

The Jazz ensemble at mechanics hall

PhoTo: TAmmy WoodArd

Ac Theatre’s 2012 performance of Seussical

mERELy PLAyERS The emphasis is on high quality and having fun in Assumption’s Drama Club, with a number of opportunities for students to get involved either on stage or backstage. Merely Players performs at least two productions a year, including a One Act Festival.

STRInG CAmERATA Students who play string instruments can keep up their playing in this chamber ensemble that explores the repertoire for string orchestra.

THEATRE Every year since 2009, the theatre program has presented a musical at Worcester’s The Hanover Theatre. The cast and crew for this production is comprised of students, faculty, staff and friends of the College.

VOCE VOCE is a select mixed a cappella ensemble for advanced Chorale singers.

In addition, student-run sub-groups give members an opportunity to explore different styles of music. Scholarships are available.

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Building Community Students thrive in learning-centered residence hall B Y L AURA R ICCIARDONE ’16

Professor mark christensen leads an interest circle group on the subject of fear. students pictured are (l–r) Kayla reilly ’18, Katarina lewczyk ’18 and hannah meyer ’18

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The distinctive residential life at the Living/Learning Center fosters intellectual curiosity.

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margaret Holland ’18 values education, and appreciates of the learning opportunities she receives in her Assumption courses. However, she also enjoys challenging herself in a more casual environment, which is why she chose to live in the College’s Living/Learning Center (LLC) this year. Known for its discussion-based programs, called “interest circles,” the LLC provides students with a unique living-learning experience that fosters community and creativity and allows them to explore what they love.

“My interest circle, where we learn about art, lets me learn in a relaxing way. I don’t have to worry about memorizing information or trying to study for a future exam,” Holland said. Her interest in art, along with the low stress level of the interest circle, allows Holland to take the lessons she learns in the LLC to heart. matthew Drummond ’18, another LLC resident, enjoys the conversations that flow between him and his peers. “In our interest circles, we listen to each other’s thoughts and ask questions, which make it easy to make friends.”

A crucial aspect of the llc’s mission is to provide a community feel for its residents. Assumption’s faculty and staff want students to experience a sense of belonging that will allow them to grow both academically and spiritually.

A SHORT BUT RICH HISTORY The LLC opened in September 1998 at a time when the College sought to enhance the overall student experience by connecting students’ time spent in classrooms to their time spent in their residence halls. In order to support this goal, a unique type of infrastructure was needed.

“The College was at a point where it was growing,” noted Ted Zito, Assumption’s director of residential life. “It was decided that the ‘living and learning’ experience could be a positive way for students to have a different type of residential experience that Assumption hadn’t seen before.”

Now, 17 years after its debut, the LLC has developed into an extraordinary program.

Primarily geared toward sophomores and juniors, the LLC is comprised of 40 apartments for 165 students. But while apartmentstyle living is appealing to students, the LLC weekly interest circles are the main draw. Each of the interest circles, which include about 12 students each, is facilitated by a faculty mentor who leads the group in meaningful discussions with a specific focus. Ranging in topics from religion to art to pop culture to science, the interest circles provide students with an array of subjects to discuss outside the classroom.

To live in the LLC, students complete a rigorous application process. After first applying online, they must then produce a video essay where they explain why they want to live in, and what they can contribute to, the LLC community. These videos are ultimately judged on the student’s unique answers and their creativity.

A PLACE TO BELONG A crucial aspect of the LLC’s mission is to build community among its residents. Assumption’s faculty and staff want students to experience a sense of belonging in the building that will allow them to grow both academically and spiritually. “The programs held at the LLC try to relate back to part of the college’s guiding principles,” said Caitlin MacNeil, the LLC’s resident director. “Fostering a community and friendships, plus helping students search for their personal vocations, is what the LLC tries to accomplish.”

Holland is able to explore the possibility of an art vocation through her interest circle, taught by Lynn Simmons, visiting assistant

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professor of art and design, titled “Sight, Sound, Action.” Her group explores different types of art throughout history and the impact it has had on society. “I love getting to learn how art, from paintings to music, can change people’s lives,” Holland said.

Members of the “Sight, Sound, Action” interest circle visited the Worcester Art Museum in November to see examples of how artists use their talents as a vehicle to talk about social change.

This hands-on experience in the Worcester community effectively complements what Holland has learned in her art courses. However, students are not the only ones to benefit from attending interest circles.

Simmons admits that her favorite part of leading an LLC interest circle is that she can connect to students on a more personal level.

with faculty members outside of the classroom. “It’s not too often that professors come to where you live on campus,” she notes.

Forging close student-to-faculty relationships aids students in their academic journeys. Not only are the conversations in depth, but the physical location of the group meetings fosters a sense of security.

Louise Carroll-Keeley, Ph.D., provost and academic vice president, likes that the interest circle discussions take place in the LLC common rooms. “We’re not silos. Instead, we’re trying to embed the curricula in every aspect of student life,” she said.

Former LLC resident Christopher Waung ’17 knows first-hand that the interest circles can sometimes inspire students to try new experiences. When he first attended an interest circle titled “The Weirdness of God,” he found the discussions to be mildly intimidating.

But, after getting used to the format and becoming an active participant, Waung now considers himself to be a better-rounded student as a result of the experience. “Some topics can be uncomfortable to talk about, but that’s why you’re in the interest circle—to talk about things that will expand your learning. I’m glad I did it,” he said.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

students enjoy a spring day outside the living/learning center.

Mark Christensen, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and an LLC faculty mentor, echoes Simmons’s positive sentiments regarding interest circles. He enjoys that his interest circle—which focuses on the concept of fear, and the ways in which individuals can overcome it—allows him to talk to students about issues that are important to them, and that faculty can draw from a wide range of influences.

While discussing such a personal topic, Christensen believes that his relationships with students are enhanced. “In my interest circle, students can see that as a faculty member, I don’t only teach my discipline,” he said. “Students therefore find me more relatable, and they feel like they can open up more.”

MacNeil believes that the students appreciate building a connection

While the LLC has a strong academic focus, the building also offers a variety of fun events for its residents. Each month, the LLC resident assistants host seven different programs designed to bring the building’s students together. From writing cards to soldiers to making homemade ice cream, students can casually attend these events and bond with their peers.

Though resident assistants are the primary LLC event organizers, all residents are encouraged to find ways to interact with their peers.

Former LLC resident nicole Reynolds ’16, organized an activity where students could discuss the issues in their lives that were metaphorically weighing them down. They then wrote their stressors on a balloon and released the balloon into the sky. activity: “It was such a fun day,” she recalled. “Students that I had never met before attended the event, and I could see how much happier they all felt after they released their ‘stress.’”

Students have also known to start their own activities in a less-structured manner. Former LLC resident michael Carchedi ’17, for instance, embraced his imaginative side during a snow day. To entertain themselves, Carchedi and his peers created their own horror movie trailer from footage filmed at various locations throughout the building. “I made new friends by making this movie trailer, and it is definitely the most memorable day of my Assumption experience so far,” Carchedi said.

Despite the LLC’s academics, amenities, and activities, it always comes back to the community atmosphere the building provides its residents. Though there is a sense of camaraderie that comes with sharing any living space, in one like the LLC where residents are encouraged to interact and learn from each other in a variety of ways, lifelong friendships are easy to form.

Former LLC resident marissa Howard ’09 cherishes the memories she made while living in the residence hall. “I have really fond memories of my fourth floor residents, sharing space with them to study in the common room and celebrating their birthdays by decorating their doors.

My experience in the LLC was great, and I shared my apartment with a group of girls who are still my closest friends eight years later.”

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hounds WATch

Record-setting Greyhounds capture first NE-10 football title B Y T ROY WATKINS

PhoTos: gil TAlboT

In just his third season at the helm of the Greyhounds football team, head coach Bob Chesney guided the team to its first Northeast-10 Championship and first NCAA Tournament win while earning NE-10 and New England Division II/III Coach of the Year accolades, among other awards.

coach bob chesney

The best football season in Greyhounds history included a record-setting 11 wins, a 10-game winning streak, and a first round victory in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Chesney attributes the team’s success to hard work paying off. “We hoped to put ourselves in a position to contend for and win a conference championship,” said Chesney. “We were very close to achieving that goal in our first two seasons, and in our third we were able to achieve our goal and beyond.

We had the right pieces to the puzzle and we were all aligned together to make it happen this season.”

Chesney credits the entire program for the accolades he received.

“The Coach of the Year Award, to me, is a Team of the Year Award,” he explained. “Having great players, coaches and support staff and working together to achieve our goals made us successful.”

Several players received individual awards. Place kicker Cole Tracy ’19 was named to the Conference Commissioner’s Association All-America first team. He and wide receiver/return specialist Deonte Harris ’19 were named to the New England Football Writers Division II/III All-New England Team.

Tracy led the nation among NCAA Division II kickers with 117 points, including 22 field goals, 51-of-53 extra-point chances and a

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season-long field goal of 52 yards, an NE-10 record. Tracy’s 19 points on the road at LIU Post is also a league record as he made six field goals and an extra-point. He was a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award, given annually to the nation’s top place kicker.

Harris led the team with 82 receptions and totaled 824 receiving yards and nine TD catches. In addition, he was the league’s top kick returner averaging 28.2 yards per return and returned two kickoffs and one punt for a touchdown.

“Both Cole and Deonte are highly talented student-athletes, committed to the success of our program,” said Chesney. “We’re proud of who they are, on and off the field, and what they’ve accomplished and we’re excited to help them continue to develop.”

Jarrod Casey ’17 and Alex Shain ’17 both received CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades. Casey led the Hounds with 130 tackles, including an NE-10 high 70 solo stops. Shain paced the team with 1,012 rushing yards and 13 TDs. Casey, Harris and Tracy were joined by offensive lineman Sully Crotty ’16 on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region One Team. The Greyhounds boasted one of the top scoring and red zone offenses in the nation, as they averaged a league-best 39.2 points per game and converted in the red zone 88 percent of the time.

With a majority of the top players returning next season, Chesney is cautiously optimistic about next season and beyond. “I told our players that we’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted,” he said. “We need to prepare for our toughest challenge next year, as we try to defend the conference title.” cole Tracy ’19

deonte harris ’19

Former Greyhound Scott Simonson plays for Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 PhoTo: courTesy of The cArolinA PAnThers

former greyhound and a 2013 All-northeast-10 tight end scott simonson played in super bowl 50 for the carolina Panthers. signed as an undrafted free agent by the oakland raiders, he played in the last four games of the 2014 season after a promotion from the practice squad. Waived by the raiders in June 2015, simonson signed with the Panthers and was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster after seven games. he recorded his first nfl catch this season and saw most of his action on special teams. simonson hopes to return to the Panthers next season.

PhoTos: gil TAlboT

fall sports highlights

Kiley colucci ‘16

Allison Juneau ’16

Field hockey team ties for Northeast -10 crown Paige radomski ‘16

Amanda Arnold ‘18

Radomski and Arnold named second-team All-Region Paige Radomski ’16 and Amanda Arnold ’18 were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II Women's All-East Region Second Team for their stellar performances this season. The players tied for the team lead with 27 points. Radomski had nine goals and nine assists and finished the season nationally ranked in seven statistical categories. Arnold racked up a team-high 11 goals and five assists as the Greyhounds finished 10-8-1 and advanced to the NE-10 semifinals.

The field hockey team won 11 consecutive games on its way to its first Northeast-10 regular-season title, sharing the honor with Adelphi University and a conference record of 10-2. The Greyhounds rose as high as No. 7 in the national rankings, as Head Coach Annie Leahy has guided the team to steady improvement during her five seasons, peaking with a 14-6 finish this year. The team dropped a heartbreaker to Stonehill on the final play of the NE-10 final, but posted its highest win total since 1999.

Kiley Colucci ’16 and Allison Juneau ’16 were named National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II All-Americans for their stellar play. Colucci earned her second All-American honor after leading the team with 21 points (seven goals, seven assists) and finishing her career as the all-time leading scorer with 98 career points (34 goals, 30 assists). Juneau led the NE-10 with eight defensive saves and posted a career-high nine points.

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Leading by example Despite being legally blind, Michaela Flaherty ’18 excels in running and in life.

B Y K IMBERLY D UNBAR

michaela Flaherty ’18 may not be the fastest runner on the Assumption cross-country and track teams, but she is certainly one of the most inspiring 19-year-olds. Flaherty is legally blind yet, despite the obstacles, she’s succeeding in the sport that she loves.

“As a little kid, I always had vision problems,” said Flaherty. “The doctor would say that it was just blurry vision and to keep coming back.” It wasn’t until 10th grade that Flaherty was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa, a hereditary condition that worsens each year.

A native of Norwell, Flaherty began running in eighth grade to help with the stress of her condition. “When I run, it takes away everything,” she said. “It makes me happy and I’m good at it.”

Flaherty participated in cross-country and track for all four years in high school, earning the title of captain her senior year, as well as inclusion on The Boston Globe’s 2012 list of Girls’ Cross-Country All-Stars.

She chose Assumption because it was tightknit, could accommodate her needs, and, most importantly, she could continue to run competitively.

Today, Flaherty has found a place within the Assumption track and cross-country family, and is making strides as a trailblazer in the local running community. In October, she won the 39th Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women’s new Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) division with a time of 46:51.

“She wasn’t just the best in her division,”

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said Stacie Wentz, Assumption’s head men’s and women’s cross-country/track and field coach. “Michaela was one of the best athletes out there overall that day and that wasn’t even her race pace.”

Two days before the Tufts 10K, Flaherty competed in the 6K event of the New England Championships—a meet that includes all Division I, II and III teams throughout New England.

The new BVI division of the Tufts 10K was made possible through a partnership with the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women joins only a handful of races in New England that offer a division for the blind and visually impaired.

“There are a lot of people with visual impairments that should be recognized as individuals, who can do the same things as normal people but might need some help,” said Flaherty, noting that a blind woman, assisted by an accompanying runner, finished right behind her at the 10K. “People are becoming more aware of disabilities out there,” said Wentz. “There are

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a lot of athletes who are pushing themselves and beating people who can see. I think this will be a catalyst for similar races to come.”

“Michaela doesn’t stop. You can’t tell her no,” said Wentz. “She is a great addition to our team. She comes to practice every day with a goal in mind. She just wants to improve. She knows that one day she could lose her sight completely and might have to stop running.

Others see that she gives 100 percent and it forces them to think why they are on the team. Are they going to reach their potential and step up? She motivates others to get better. When she pushes and improves, the team gets better.”

On the track, Flaherty is a regular member of the team and held to the same standards and workouts. She also maintains a standard course load, with the help of the Academic Support Center. The Center facilitates reasonable academic accommodations for Flaherty by providing her with exams and handouts in enlarged fonts, helping her find her books in alternate formats, and consulting with her case manager from the Mass Commission for the Blind.

“What makes Michaela special is her positive attitude toward the possibility that science might develop ways to help people with her condition,” said Amy Borggaard, assistant director of disability services. “She also does not put limitations on herself, she is courageous and determined.”

That courage and determination has won her many friends at Assumption, on and off the track.

She motivates others to get better. When she pushes and improves, the team gets better.

–Stacie Wentz, head coach, cross country and track “Running on the cross-country team has meant a ton to me,” said Flaherty. “It made [my first year coming to Assumption] a lot easier than if I was not on the team. I have made some good friends and I consider the cross-country team a family.”

“Our team is very family-oriented,” said Wentz. “Assumption is a college that is full of kids who are caring. Because of this, Michaela has been able to thrive here and come out of her shell.”

Wentz also noted that Flaherty brings a sense of perspective to the Assumption running community. “She brings the aspect of ‘Hey, I might not be able to do this tomorrow.’ She is a true example that [the ability to run] can be taken away. It’s a reality check for the other kids, and she is a constant reminder for them to appreciate the sport and what they have.”

Flaherty isn’t letting her visual impairment get in the way of running, or her future. A human services major, she hopes to become a physical therapist or nutritionist after graduation. She also hopes to continue running and shared an ambitious goal. “I want to run the Boston Marathon when I graduate,” she said.

Premier progrAmS. Esteemed fACuLTy. Career-building ConneCTIonS. Assumption College offers Master’s degrees and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study for the following programs: • Applied Behavior Analysis

• Rehabilitation Counseling

• Clinical Counseling Psychology • School Counseling • Health Advocacy

• Special Education

• MBA

Application fee is waived for all Assumption College alumni.

Visit or apply online at:

assumption.edu/graduate

Light the way.

508-767-7387

hounds WATch

PhoTos: courTesy of The AssumPTion dePArTmenT of AThleTics

Winter sports highlights

Swim team captures third straight Northeast-10 championship The women’s swimming and diving team earned its third consecutive Northeast-10 Conference championship under head coach Stuart Cromarty with a hard-fought 796-760 win over Southern Connecticut State. Assumption totaled four gold medals, two silver and nine bronze awards during the four-day event. niamh morgan ’18 won two events, while Rachel Lanam ’18 and Shannon Quirk ’19 each notched one victory.

The team also captured its second consecutive WPI Gompei Invitational title behind three gold-medal performances by Victoria Weber ’16.

The Hounds claimed their fourth straight win at the Worcester City Championship, led by Rachel Ferris ’16, who won three individual events and was a member of two winning relay teams to earn Swimmer of the Meet accolades. brandon bete ’16

Ice hockey’s Brandon Bete a semi-finalist for national award Forward Brandon Bete ’16 led all NCAA Division II/III studentathletes with a scoring average of 0.96 goals per game. The NE-10’s Player of the Year netted 23 goals and 11 assists to lead the conference with 34 points. His outstanding play earned Bete a spot as one of 22 semi-finalists for the Joe Concannon Award, given annually to New England’s best American-born college hockey player at the Division II/III level.

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Spring 2016

gwen sawyer ’17

New England shot put champ Gwen Sawyer Gwen Sawyer ’17 claimed the title of New England NCAA Division II shot put champion with a throw of 42 feet, 1.5 inches at the season-ending New England regional championships. Sawyer broke the previous Assumption record by 3.5 inches and finished in sixth place among all competitors.

Alumni news From the Alumni Association President Bob Knittle ’85

W

elcome to spring! Our alumni have been connecting and sharing with each other all year long. Have you been involved and do you feel the pride of your Assumption community? What else can we do to help you feel pride in your degree?

The Fall Homecoming was bursting to capacity, as Assumption alumni met with many of the current senior class and a number of campus clubs and organizations. This academic year is nearly at its completion and we’ll soon have another class joining our alumni ranks – which will help us to make even more connections.

I recently reached out to my coworkers at the public school in Worcester where I teach and asked how many of us graduated from Assumption. In a workplace of 56, we found eight Assumption alumni.

Greyhounds are everywhere and we should reach out to each other. I want to make sure all of you are welcomed and connected to our Alumni Association.

events

When I asked our faculty if they had received an email from the Alumni Association about our “Blue Pride” Day, many indicated they hadn’t heard about it. If you fall into that category, please email me at rdknittle@gmail.com. We may have an old email address and we’d like to update our records.

Finally, to further our vision of working together with the College community, we hope to participate in upcoming on campus events like orientation, move-in day, homecoming and others. As alumni, we would also like to take part in a service day that Assumption is organizing.

Let us know if you’d like to join current students and alumni in helping others and demonstrate Assumption pride.

I will leave you with a quote from Assumption Head Football Coach Bob Chesney: “No individual can do this alone. The strength of the pack is in the hound. The strength of the hound is in the pack.”

While this is ideal for team motivation, I see it as a metaphor of our Alumni Association as well. We can’t build Assumption pride alone, our organization is at its strongest when we work as a pack. Let’s stay connected, let’s be involved and let’s continue to build pride in our Assumption education and Alumni Association by working together.

Have a great summer! I look forward to seeing you at Reunion Alumni Weekend!

Watch for Alumni e-Newsletters and check the Alumni Events website at www.assumption.edu/alumni/events for updates.

June 3–5

Reunion

All alumni are invited!

June 21

Young alumni reception

Wormtown Brewery, Worcester

AprIL 21

Washington, D.C. reception

Cosmos Club

AprIL 22-24

AC Theatre presents The Pirates of Penzance Hanover Theatre, tickets: www.thehanovertheatre.org

mAy 17

Connecticut reception

Wampanoag Country Club W. Hartford, CT

June 17

Athletics Golf Outing

Highfields Golf Club, Grafton, MA

JuLy 23

SAVE THE DATE SepTember 19

FBI Golf Tournament, Worcester Country Club

oCTober 1

Cape Cod reception

Prep Reunion on campus

AuguST 14

President’s Council Dinner, Mechanics Hall

Leyden Farm Vineyards & Winery West Greenwich, RI

Hall of Fame induction

Location TBA

Rhode Island reception

oCTober 22

november 4 november 5

Homecoming

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Spring 2016

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Alumni neWs

Catching up with Fr. Oliver Blanchette, A.A. AP’35, ’39 Assumption’s oldest alumnus celebrated his 100th birthday in March

in the early 1960s

in Africa in the 1980s

Q: How/why did you attend Assumption Prep and Assumption College?

A: God wanted me to. After graduating from high school in 1934, I wanted to further my education. I was persuaded by Fr. Antonio Dufault, a diocesan priest and the brother of Fr. Wilfrid, A.A. ’29, who later became Superior General of the Assumptionists. I agreed to go only if no one would pressure me to become a priest. As a sophomore, I freely chose to become an Assumptionist priest.

Limited knowledge of French and Latin obliged me to do a P.G. (pre-graduate) year at the high school (which later became Assumption Prep).

Q: What do you recall about your days as a student?

A: I recall almost losing my identity when as a P.G. student my classmates called me “Minsky,” because I was often with a fellow student who had been dubbed “Pinsky.” The nickname stayed with me through college. These names probably helped us to not take ourselves too seriously and said something about the familiarity, informality and mischievousness that then characterized student life and that helped us face the challenge of a disciplined, studious and prayerful life.

Q: How does the involvement of the Assumptionists like yourself help to make an Assumption education unique?

A: Assumption offers an education that helps form students who know and live out what is most fundamental and essential to being human and Catholic … students, true disciples of Christ, ready as citizens to stand up for the common good. We do this while living in the real world, with all its diversity, respecting the freedom and dignity of all who make up the college family, offering them, especially by the example of our lives, the good we believe our faith has to offer them while always remaining open to learning from others.

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Spring 2016

Q: Do you have a favorite Assumption community assignment among your many years of service?

A: My assignment as associate pastor at our St. Anne/St. Patrick Parish in Sturbridge, MA (1980–99) was most fulfilling because, apart from doing my share of regular sacramental ministry at St. Anne Shrine, I helped in other ministry areas. I was active in the local ecumenical fellowship, inter-faith groups, a local group helping the poor and a Sturbridge town committee. The generous and competent help of others, mostly parishioners, and the merciful grace of God made this possible.

Q: How did your assignment in East Africa at the age of 83 come about and what did you do there?

A: I was asked by Fr. John Franck, A.A. ’70, then Provincial Superior, if I would be willing to go to the Assumptionists East Africa Mission.

After a bit of consulting I gladly accepted. My first responsibility was to be simply present to my young Assumptionist brothers studying theology in Nairobi, Kenya or philosophy in Arusha, Tanzania. Soon I was helping them with their written and oral English and doing a bit of counseling. One vivid memory of my time in Africa is of creating a greatly needed clinic for members of the Massai tribe in Arusha. People from back home, mostly St. Anne parishioners, helped finance it.

Q: you recently celebrated your 100th birthday, do you have any secrets to your longevity you’d like to share?

A: To quote from Roger Ellsberg’s book All Saints, “I’d rather die young, having lived a life cramming with meaning, than die old, even in security, but without meaning.” May I not consider living in security at 100 a goal achieved, but rather may I live this twilight time with as much meaning and love as possible, counting always on a patient and merciful God.

PROVIDING

FOR

Assumption’s future Thalia Vitikos ’77 is thankful for her many blessings, including her Assumption education.

PhoTo: TAmmy WoodArd

Her desire to give back inspired Thalia to make the College a beneficiary for a portion of her IRA in her will, creating a scholarship to benefit future Assumption students, and honoring retired Bishop George Rueger, former headmaster of Worcester’s Marian High School.

“This gift acknowledges all the people who helped and lifted me up along the way,” said Thalia. “My Assumption education inspired me to dedicate my life to the service of others.” A licensed mental health counselor, she has spent 25 years in a private practice as an expressive arts therapist, using music and the arts to serve marginalized people, including many impoverished individuals and those with developmental disabilities.

Thalia is now a member of The 1904 Society, a group which has made a deferred gift or provided for Assumption in their estate plans or wills. For information, contact 508-767-7332.

The 1904 Society Assumption College Magazine

Spring 2016

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class notes AssumPTion college:

’67

’70

’57

michael Lajeunesse received the 2015 Thompson (CT) Volunteer of the Year Award.

The highly-involved community member is a retired teacher from H. H. Ellis Technical High School. He has served on the industrial commission and school building committees dating back to the 1970s and is a member of the Library Board of Trustees, the Trails Committee and the Democratic Town Committee.

William mulligan’s most recent article, “Building New Lives, Maintaining Old Identities: Social, Fraternal and Literary Organizations of Irish Immigrants in Michigan’s Copper Country, 1860–1900,” was published in the winter 2015 issue of New Hibernia Review.

Robert Smith retired from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last year. He now serves as president of the Niemeyer Institute, which is devoted to political theory, where he mentors students with an interest in public life.

Patricia Wotruba CE’70 and husband Richard co-authored and self-published a book in late 2015 titled Into The Blue: World Travel Adventures Of The Wotrubas, chronicling their five years of sailing together across the South Pacific.

Fr. Donat Lamothe, A.A. received the Retired Religious Award from Bishop Robert McManus in December. Fr. Donat professed his first vows in 1956 and his final vows in 1961. He started teaching at Assumption College in 1963, retired from his full-time position in 2013, and continues to teach part-time while serving as the College’s archivist.

’68

’63 John massaro’s online book, Deflated Dreams: Basketball and Politics, was published in October

by BookBaby. Deflated argues that the fundamental rules of basketball are biased and decidedly political. John is a retired professor of politics from SUNY-Potsdam.

’65 Charlie Aleksiewicz was featured in an article in Worcester’s Bancroft School’s Fall/Winter 2015 Bulletin & Annual Report, on the Worcester Partnership (WP) program that he helped establish at Bancroft in 2003. The first 10 WP kindergarten students from Elm Park Community School all began their first semester in college last fall. Charlie has worked in various roles at Bancroft for more than 40 years and currently serves as director of the WP program.

’66

50th

Reunion

Joe Krajewski was promoted to chief operating officer of Community Connections Inc., an organization for which he has served in many capacities since 1985. CCI is a private nonprofit agency serving high school students and adults with disabilities.

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The deadline for the summer issue is June 1.

Assumption College Magazine

Peter Chaput was featured in a West Hawaii Today article in November, as he approached his goal of walking 3,000 miles in a year. Peter and his wife retired to Kailua-Kona, HI, where he took up walking at a local path and was challenged by a fellow walker. Peter later reported that he finished the year with 3,222 miles, averaging nearly nine miles a day for a year.

Jim Vogel is celebrating 15 years as owner of Wellspring Farm Learning Center in Rochester, where special needs students learn to care for and ride horses in an innovative experiential therapy program. The Center recently expanded services to the Middleboro Public Schools, which was featured in a Middleboro Gazette article in December.

’69 Bill Kemps is a collector and seller of signed first editions of children’s books through Bookcharmed Books located in Roselle Park, NJ. Tom malin will be inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Tom will retire in June as director of athletics of East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT, where he has worked for 43 years. He won 369 games and two state titles in 40 years as the boys’ soccer coach and totaled 510 wins as the boys’ golf coach.

Spring 2016

’72 Thomas Bulpett has retired after 40 years of managing manufacturing and distribution; most recently with Moen, Inc., in North Carolina.

’73 Roger Brunelle was named Best Lawyers® 2016 Personal Injury Litigation - Plantiffs “Lawyer of the Year” for the Worcester area. Roger has more than 35 years of experience practicing law in Worcester, where he is co-owner of Sbrogna & Brunelle, LLP. maureen Ryan Doyle and Charlene Longhi martin ’78 recently co-authored and published In Her Shoes: A Compilation of Inspiring Stories From the First Decade of the Worcester Women’s Oral History Project. Maureen and Charlene serve as co-chairs of the Project.

’75

1986. He has also served as commissioner of the Naugatuck Basketball Association for 28 years and has been involved as a volunteer for 35.

Keith Krauss and Chuck Franco traveled to Slippery Rock, PA, in November to watch the Greyhounds football team play in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

’81

Peter Rojcewicz, Ph.D., was appointed chief academic officer at the University of the West, in Rosemead, CA. He previously served as vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at Antioch University Seattle.

’76

40th

Reunion

Carlton Watson was the guest speaker for Assumption’s Black History Month celebration in February.

’78 Charlene Longhi martin and maureen Ryan Doyle ’73 recently co-authored and published In Her Shoes: A Compilation of Inspiring Stories From the First Decade of the Worcester Women’s Oral History Project. Maureen and Charlene serve as cochairs of the Project.

Candy mcGovern Race was promoted to executive vice president of Pyramus Global Advisors, a Fidelity Investments Company.

’79 Kevin mcSherry received the Paul Harris Award from the Naugatuck (CT) Rotary Club, its highest community service honor, in recognition of his “outstanding dedication to the community and unparalleled service to the Naugatuck YMCA,” where he has served on the board of directors since

35th

Reunion

Vincent Carver is the head librarian and director of Slater Library in Jewett City, CT. Vincent is a 25-year veteran of the U. S. foreign service, during which he served at posts in Lebanon, Luxembourg, Belgium and El Salvador, among others.

Joe Pagano’s branding and multi-media production company, Pagano Media, was named Best Web Design Agency among Worcester Business Journal’s 2016 Best of Business Awards. Joe has owned and operated the international award-winning company for more than 25 years.

Patricia Smith was appointed vice president, branch and business development manager of Fidelity Bank’s Millbury office. She previously served in a similar position at Avidia Bank and has more than 34 years of banking experience.

’82 Greg ugalde was elected as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) third vice chairman, putting him in line to serve as NAHB’s chairman in 2019. He is president and CLO of T&M Building Co., Inc., in East Granby, CT.

’83 Brian Kelly signed a six-year contract extension in January to continue as head football coach of the University of Notre Dame through the 2021 season. Brian has a 55-23 record in six seasons at the helm, including a 10-3 mark last season and a No. 11 ranking. His .737 winning percentage ranks seventh among active NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision coaches. michael mangaudis had some of his artwork displayed in the juried exhibit, “The Art of Science, The Science of Art,” at the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery at Worcester State University last fall.

Sandra merlini had her watercolor, “St. George and the Dragon,” displayed at the Post Road Art Center Gallery in Marlboro in December.

Sandra is a greeter at the new Marlboro Senior Center.

Andre ravenelle ’81 Top state superintendent An innovative educator for nearly 30 years, Andre Ravenelle ’81 earned a crowning achievement in January when he was named Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year by the Mass. Association of School Superintendents (MASS), for which Ravenelle serves as president.

He was among the top superintendents from across the country honored in February at an American Association of School Administrators conference in Phoenix.

Recognized for guiding the Fitchburg School District from “underperforming” to “proficient,” Ravenelle has served the district for 11 years. Former Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong said that Ravenelle’s strong leadership has been consistent and persistent throughout his tenure, according to an article published in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in January.

Humbled by the recognition and quick to share the credit for the success with his co-workers, Ravenelle was lauded by local principals for his support, accessibility, passion and values.

He began his career as an historical interpreter and craftsman at Old Sturbridge Village, and later taught French, Spanish and art at Roxbury’s Mission High School.

Ravenelle was an assistant principal at Chelsea High School and worked in administration of Barnstable and Lexington Public Schools.

He has also taught ESL to Chinese students at WPI. In addition to his Assumption degree, he holds a master’s degree from the Weston School of Theology and an M.Ed. from Boston College.

His brothers are Paul ’70 and Bob ’86, who is Assumption’s dean of students.

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clAss noTes Leader in Banking” by the Connecticut Bankers Association. The honor is awarded to up-and-coming professionals from across the state. Pam is CRA coordinator and community outreach officer at Chelsea Groton Bank.

’84 Jay marciano is responsible for all use of machine translation at Lionbridge, the world’s largest translation company. He was also awarded a U.S. patent for “methods and systems for multiengine machine translation.”

’88 Tracie Stranieri Ritchie was appointed as a UniPay sales officer by UniBank in Whitinsville last fall. She has more than seven years of experience in banking and previously ran her own catering and cookie company.

’85 Joanne Despotopulos Foster is executive director of the Leominster-based Growing Places Garden Project, which helps low-income families in north central Massachusetts grow their own produce by building food gardens and teaching the skills to maintain them.

Brian Sullivan was elected mayor of Westfield in November. He has served the city in several capacities over the years, including nine consecutive terms as a city councilor and eight years as council president.

’86

John Clancy was featured in a Boston Business Journal article in December. John is president of Radius, an international company that helps U.S. businesses expand globally, with offices in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

30th

Reunion

’87 Tim Eagan was elected president of the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association. He will serve as president-elect in 2016 and president in 2017. Tim is head of the department of classical & modern languages for Wellesley Public Schools.

Pam Days-Luketich was selected as a “New

Assumption College Magazine

Carla Edwards earned an MBA with a concentration in international business from the University of the West Indies.

Christine Wild Howard is a sales associate with William Raveis Real Estate in Fairfield/Southport, CT. Christine joined classmates Carol Roberts Kurkulonis, Kate mahoney Teskey and Susan Wood Torosian for a mini-reunion in Fairfield, CT, in October.

’89

Ray Fagnant was inducted into the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame. A Chicopee native, Ray starred for the Greyhounds baseball team and was a minor league catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox organizations. He became a Red Sox scout after his playing career ended and has been in charge of the Northeast territory since 1994. Ray was enshrined in the Holyoke Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Bob martin completed his 10th Pan Mass Challenge ride in August, completing the 192-mile trek from Sturbridge to Provincetown. He has raised nearly $133,000 to support the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Jimmy Fund.

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’90

Spring 2016

Scott Lynch was appointed CFO at Colonials Systems, Inc. in Wilmington after more than 20 years in financial management at Red Thread, where he previously served as VP of finance.

Jane Shivick has been appointed soprano soloist for the Brockton Symphony.

Tom mcAuliffe ’90 Top radio station of the year WMRC-First Class Radio 1490-AM, owned and operated by Megan and Tom McAuliffe II ’90, captured the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association (MBA) Station of the Year award for a record sixth time in 2015. On air since 1956, WMRC is one of the oldest, continually locally owned and operated radio stations in Massachusetts.

Presented to the top radio station that exemplifies overall excellence in all phases of operation, more than 180 stations compete for this recognition. WMRC was cited for its extraordinary growth of audience, client base and exceptional service to its listeners, community officials and local organizations.

Jordan Walton, executive director of the MBA, said, “WMRC truly epitomizes what local radio and service to the community is all about and we’re proud to salute them with this honor for a record sixth time.”

In addition to the overall award, WMRC also won MBA merit awards for Best Use of Digital Media and for Station Promotional Announcement, recognizing its “Got Local, Buy Local” initiative.

The station focuses its service on a 14-town area serving 250,000 people around Milford.

Tom II has owned WMRC since 2008, when he purchased it from his father, Tom Sr., whom had owned it since 1990.

Submit your Class Notes online at www.assumption.edu/classnotes

’91

25th

Reunion

Andrew Bressette will serve as interim provost of Berry College in Mount Berry, GA, during the 2016–17 academic year. Since 1998, Andrew has worked at Berry, where he serves as associate provost and associate professor of organic chemistry.

He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

’92 Jan Cooper Bryson authored A Walk in Her Shoes, self-published through Lulu Publishing Services in 2015. Its goal is to persuade parents and teens to talk about, and raise awareness of, suicide prevention. Jan is VP of marketing services for LEWIS, a global communications agency.

Stephen Ferraro is a perioperative business manager with Cambridge (MA) Health Alliance.

George LaCapra was appointed as a corporator of Thomaston (CT) Savings Bank in December.

He is president of UniMetal Surface Finishing, LLC, headquartered in Thomaston.

suzanne mumford ’00 head of enterprise Analytics marketing, google “Just Google it.” We’ve probably all said it, instructing someone to use the popular search engine to find the answer to a nagging question. For one Assumption alumna, “Googling it” is a way of life. Suzanne mumford ’00 is the head of enterprise analytics marketing in Google’s San Francisco office. “We tell stories to marketers about the benefits of integrated analytics and how it drives measurable business results,” Mumford explains. When she started at Google 13 years ago, the multinational technology company had about 1,000 employees. Today there are more than 40,000.

A communications major, Mumford worked on an early online campus tour for the College website as part of an internship in 1999. She credits her Assumption education, strong morals and ethics as a key component of her leadership. “Assumption and my Catholic upbringing wired me this way,” she said.

“The best part about Google’s culture has always been the people who work here,” said Mumford.

“The company gets quite a bit of press for perks like free food, nap pods, perhaps you’ve seen the movie The Internship. Culturally speaking, Google was depicted accurately in the movie but the real perk is walking into work every day feeling inspired, challenged and empowered to solve big problems at scale, and do so with people who are smart, passionate, and self-motivated.

Mumford is proud to have co-founded Women@Analytics at Google, a community designed to drive change in gender diversity issues and increase female leaders in technology. “I passionately believe that women should have the same professional opportunities as men,” she said. “Many unconscious biases exist in the workplace and society; it limits professional growth for women and limits young girls from reaching their potential in male dominated areas such as computer science. There’s lots of work ahead and I’m looking forward to making progress.”

’93 Rick Cehon began teaching part-time this spring as an adjunct professor of the Master of Science in Information Technology capstone course for Clark University’s College of Professional and Continuing Education.

Aaron Connolly is the regional director of New England admissions at Elmira (NY) College after spending several years at Alfred (NY) University.

Andrew malionek was named principal of St. Augustine Academy in Bridgeport, CT. St. Augustine is a Catholic, co-educational school serving students in grades 4-8.

Kathy Simisky CE’93 was appointed in December as Catholic chaplain and coordinator of Catholic pastoral service for the Boston Diocese at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital—Plymouth.

’94 Kate Powers married Joshua Pepper on 10/25/15 in Pittsfield. Kate is a senior policy advisor and

director of legislative affairs for New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

’97

’95

BIRTH: Tara Piascik Cormier and husband Craig welcomed Oliver Ronald on 11/29/15. He joins brother Domenic.

Carrick Tryder O’Brien was appointed as assistant director of the Worcester Community Action Council’s Job & Education Center, where she is responsible for programming, job development and creating community partnerships.

’98

’96

20th

Reunion

David Brouillard was thrilled to celebrate his 40th birthday in September in Worcester with some of his former AC professors: Joe Alfano, Charles Brusard, Kevin Carlin and Bob Fry. David is a math teacher at Ponaganset High School in Glocester, RI, where he has worked for 16 years.

Jessica Carneiro mazzaccaro is a loan production officer for Chelsea Groton Bank in Glastonbury, CT. Among her fellow employees are AC alumni Pam Days-Luketich ’87 and Rich morelli ’74, the Bank’s senior VP and CFO.

’99 Heather Bish earned an Ed.D. in curriculum leadership from Northeastern University. She is the special education supervisor for Southbridge

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Spring 2016

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clAss noTes Public Schools.

Andrea murphy Chambers is a co-owner of Fitness Together in Westford. She is a nationally certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Brian manning was recently appointed vice president and head of growth at PatientPing in Boston.

Steven martin was appointed director of athletics for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District in July. He previously served as A-B Regional High School’s dean of students and has a variety of teaching, coaching and administrative experience. nate mcKinley is the founder of Pony Shack Cider, for which AC classmate Brandy O’Brien serves as communication director. Nate brews the all-natural hard cider himself, year-round. This is a side business, as he has worked in Boston financial services for the past 15 years.

in chemistry at Central Maine Community College of Auburn, ME, in October. Keely has a master’s degree in biochemistry from UC-San Diego and has taught at UMaine-Augusta and two high schools.

BIRTH: matt Carlson and wife Molly welcomed their fourth child, Emilia Rose, on 12/17/15.

’03 Josh Boyle and Chris Fitzpatrick ’06 judged the business plan competition hosted in December

by Professors Joe Foley and Dave Hoyle as part of their entrepreneurship course.

’05

’00 BIRTH: Julie Phipps morancy and husband Tye welcomed Lucy Elizabeth on 11/4/15. She joins brother Matthew.

’01

15th

Reunion

Patrick Driscoll, director of athletics at Malden Catholic High School, was named 2015-16 District H Athletics Director of the Year. He has served MCHS for 15 years, where he also teaches theology and coaches baseball.

Ryan mcAllister is director of business development at California Closets, a firm specializing in custom storage spaces with locations throughout North America.

’02 Audrey Anton recently authored, Moral Responsibility and Desert of Praise and Blaine, published by Lexington Books.

The book challenges the assumption that agents must be morally responsible in a retrospective sense for anything in virtue of which they deserve praise or blame. Audrey is assistant professor of philosophy at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. Keely Heidtman was appointed as an instructor

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Assumption College Magazine

Justin Roy married Mark Bandies on 9/19/15.

Alumni in attendance included Joe ’04 & Kellie Brown Femino ’03, Kristen Lamoureux ’05, Coleman O’Toole ’04, Artie ’04 & Christina Paskalis Rogan ’06 and Eric Townsend ’04. Justin was appointed in November as dean of admissions at Georgian Court University, a Catholic university in Lakewood, NJ. BIRTHS: Caitlyn Collins Lewis and husband Tom ’03 announced the birth of William Paul on 10/5/15. The family resides in Hebron, CT. David Thomas and wife Kristen welcomed their first child, Alexandra Noelle, on 10/27/15.

The couple resides in Warwick, RI.

Linda Rau Cammuso was elected president of the Montachusett Estate and Retirement Planning Council. She is a founding partner of Estate Preservation Law Offices in Worcester.

Chanel Prunier, founder of the Massachusetts Republican Municipal Political Action Committee, is the Republican National Committeewoman for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and executive director of the Coalition for Marriage and Family.

Alison mason Shilinsky was appointed senior vice president of human resources at Country Bank in October.

BIRTH: Erica Schmidt Rosenburg and husband Brad announced the birth of their first child, Jaxson Joseph, on 12/20/15.

’04 Andrew Love was promoted to store manager of TD Bank’s Main St. location in Gorham, ME. Andrew has 10 years of banking experience. He joined TD Bank in 2011 and most recently served as an assistant store manager in Portland.

Spring 2016

Jonathan Ethier was promoted to northeast district sales manager in the specialty pharmaceuticals division of the Perrigo Company. Jonathan is a member of the company’s president’s club and resides in Westchester, NY. Thomas Reidy has been named a 2015 Massachusetts Rising Star by New England Super Lawyers magazine. Thomas is a member of the litigation and real estate and zoning teams at the Amherst office of the law firm of Bacon Wilson.

He earned a law degree from Western New England School of Law in 2011.

’06

10th

Reunion

Dennis Leamy received the Spark! Award from the United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) in October, recognizing his commitment to community service. A founding member of the Young Leaders Circle, Dennis is the first recipient of this award. The YLC is a program of the UWRI that aims to engage young professionals who have an interest in making a positive impact in their community. Dennis is assistant manager of quality training for Amica Life Insurance Company.

BIRTHS: Emily Perkins Gravell and husband Kenny welcomed son Kamden Joseph on 7/2/15.

The family resides in East Lyme, CT. Amy Soteropoulos Vera and husband mark announced the birth of Jayce George on 10/28/15.

He joins sister Kambry.

Submit your Class Notes online at www.assumption.edu/classnotes

’07 Jim Coletti is a project manager at Tishman Construction, based in New York City.

Kristin Ford served as head coach of the girl’s lacrosse team at Notre Dame Academy last fall, guiding the team to the playoffs in its first season.

Kristin teaches special education and is pursuing a master’s degree in that discipline. nick Veltri earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management last May. He is an investment banker at Morgan Stanley in New York City.

’09 Patrick Shea was inducted to the Salem High School (SHS) Athletic Hall of Fame. He scored over 1,000 career points to help the SHS basketball team win a pair of conference titles and was also a terrific golfer.

BIRTH: Amy Laurendeau Basbas and husband Alex welcomed Alyssa on 8/27/15. Amy teaches at Rivier University and directs theatre at the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro.

’10 Hannah Brencher, founder of The World Needs More Love Letters and author of If you find this Letter, returned to the Assumption campus in February to talk to a group of student leaders Kimberly Cohen was elected assistant vice president and assistant controller at MutualOne Bank in January. A CPA, Kim earned a master’s degree in business from Framingham State University and previously worked at Middlesex Savings Bank and Gerald T. Reilly & Co. Emily morrell and Austin Prete were married on 8/1/15 in Guilford, CT. AC classmates and other alumni in attendance included Michelle Avery, Alex & Mandi Johnson Bistran, Jacqueline Buco, Katie Celli, Meghan Christensen, Emily Collins, Katie Flynn, Jill Guzinski, Mallory Howard ’11, Shannon Howard ’09, Josh & Lauren Joslin, Martin Melendez-Cooper and Paul Murphy ’09. Emily teaches 2nd grade at Bethany Community School and Austin works for Travelers Insurance.

Alexandra Scouras and mitchell Welch ’09 were married 9/21/13 in Uxbridge. Alumni in attendance were Nicholas Cantrell ’10, Brendan

Danaher ’10 and Kailyn & Chris Martino ’09. Alex works in medical insurance and Mitchell is a trooper with the Connecticut State Police. The couple resides in Southington, CT. James Thibeault authored a book, Deacon’s Folly, which was published by Sartoris Literary in February. The fictional work follows the story of a misunderstood teenager who suffers from nightmares. The new deacon in town befriends the teen and helps him to discover the truth of his mysterious past.

Caitlin Wholey works in the public relations department for New Balance Athletics.

’11

5th

Reunion

Ryan Crowley is an audit supervisor for Feeley & Driscoll, P.C., in Boston. nicole Desrosiers is a human resources business partner at Global Partners in Waltham.

Captain Brandan Sullivan, uSmC, was promoted in November. Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines upon graduation, Brandan is stationed at Joint Base Norfolk, VA. megan zarella married Jeff Barbale ’09 on WEBLINK 8/15/15 in Marshfield.

Alumni in attendance included Mike Ursoleo ’08, Mike DiReda ’09, Brett Kulhawik ’09, Joanna Mayhew ’09, Steve Scannell ’09 and Nick ’11 & Molly Serino Violandi ’12.

BIRTH: Christof Chartier CE’11 and wife Lauren announced the birth of Charles Etienne on 12/14/15.

’12 Kate Biegner and matt Olbert ’13 were married at Assumption’s Chapel of the Holy Spirit on 12/5/16 with Fr. Dinh presiding. Alumni in attendance included groomsmen Mike Daly ’13 and Mike Quinn ’13, as well as Dylan Baker ’13, Andrea Clapp ’14, Jenna Garozzo ’13, Shafayet Khan ’12, Matt McLoughlin ’13, Joe Provost ’13 and Colleen Putzel ’14.

Emily Carr earned a J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2015, passed the Connecticut Bar exam and was sworn in as an attorney before the State of Connecticut Supreme Court. She is an associate attorney with a matrimonial and civil law firm in Hartford.

’13 Daniele Caglioni is a novice in the Augustinians of the Assumption congregation and is serving a year of prayer and study in Manila, Philippines, where the novitiate, Adveniat House, is located. miranda Raine joined the faculty at Sacred Heart School in Kingston, RI, in December as a social studies instructor.

’14 CORRECTIOn: Danielle Driscoll earned an MBA in the sport business and leadership program from Assumption in 2015. A program assistant with the Boston Red Sox, Danielle’s master’s degree was erroneously omitted from the class note in the Fall 2015 issue.

Lillian Irwin, a former intern in the marketing and public relations department at The Hanover Theatre in Worcester, was hired as a part-time public relations assistant for The Hanover.

BIRTH: Ashley Recore and fiancé Evan Aubrey welcomed their first child, Arete Omer, on 10/11/15.

’15 Brittany Grozik is a fourth grade teacher at Saint Bridget School in Framingham.

Cameron Jandrow is a sports reporter for Charter Worcester Channel 3 News.

Adam Johnson graduated from Reading Municipal Police Academy in February and intends to pursue a career in law enforcement. mary Schneider received The Communicators Club’s Elaine Cencak Memorial Scholarship. She is pursuing a master’s degree at Nichols College while employed at FLEXCon in Spencer.

AssumPTion PreP Patrick Dolan AP’62, G’72, a retired teacher from St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, continues to teach as a volunteer in the English as a Second Language program for the Religious Sisters of the Assumption in Worcester. Pat recently celebrated his 50th year of teaching.

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clAss noTes WEBLINK note: indicates that a wedding photo is available online at www.assumption.edu/weddings

grAduATe sTudies Soterious zoulas G’73 served as executive editor of the book, Tales, Rituals and Songs: Exploring the Unknown Popular Culture of a Greek Mountain Village, authored by Nikolaos Nitsos and published by the Holy Cross Press. Soterious is a veteran communications researcher, teacher and practitioner with more than 25 years of experience in public relations, journalism, radio and television.

Richard Shilale G’77’s painting, titled “Winter,” was among three works selected to promote the Arts Worcester show, “Grayscale” in December.

Richard is a retired art teacher from Worcester’s Holy Name Central Catholic High School.

Joseph Trent G’80 retired from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue last June and has resumed his insurance and retirement planning practice.

Sharon Terry G’83 is president and CEO of Genetic Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, which advocates for health benefits in the accelerating field of genomic research.

Sheila Harrity G’92 was elected to a three-year term as a director of the United Way of North Central MA. The superintendent of Montachusett RVT School in Fitchburg, Sheila will help oversee the organization’s volunteer programs and distribution of funds.

Christine Croteau G’05 was featured in a Worcester Telegram & Gazette article in September, in which she shared how she has learned to control her diabetes and lost 40 pounds by switching to a vegan diet and exercising.

Samantha Leeman G’12 was appointed in December as a public school counselor in the

Sabbatus and Litchfield, ME, primary schools.

Kathryn Stevens G’12 was named director of health information management at the Bridge of Central Massachusetts in January.

News to share?

E-mail alumni@assumption.edu. include photos with names and graduation years of alumni pictured.

in memoriAm James A. Bill, Ph.D. ’61, HD’89 Williamsburg, VA (1939-2015) e College mourned the passing of one of the world’s top scholars on Iran and a distinguished professor of international studies, James Bill, in November. James authored or co-authored 10 books about Iran, including the highly acclaimed e Eagle and Lion. He taught political science at the University of Texas for many years before his appointment as a professor and founding director of the Reves Center for International Studies at the College of William & Mary in 1989. James retired in 2004 and was awarded emeritus status.

He received an honorary degree from Assumption in 1989 and another from William & Mary in 2012.

James earned two master’s degrees and a held a Ph.D. in politics and Near East studies from Princeton University. His name lives on at William & Mary, where the James A. Bill International Study Abroad Scholarship was created in 1992. James leaves his wife of 50 years, Ann; son Timothy, daughter Rebecca, brothers Richard ’62 and omas ’71 and five grandchildren.

Elzear J. Lemieux, Sr. AP’37, ’41 November 13, 2013 Clement J. Warren, O.D. AP’41, ’44 August 9, 2015 Robert L. L’Ecuyer, m.D. AP’49, ’53 December 17, 2015 most Rev. Joseph A. Grenier AP’50, ’55 January 19, 2016 Robert J. Potvin AP’57 November 8, 2015

Bro. Edward J. Keefe, C.F.X. G’66 February, 5, 2016 mariana Johnson CE’73, G’76 November 19, 2015 Karen Dimuro Borrello ’86 February 6, 2016 nancy Audy Repice ’87 November 19, 2015 Kenneth W. Ford ’93 November 1, 2015

Susan E. mercier ’97 October 26, 2015 Shane m. O’Donoghue ’03 December 28, 2015 michael D. Hazel ’14 January 24, 2016

For regularly updated list of dearly departed alumni, faculty and staff, with links to online obituaries, visit www.assumption.edu/obituaries.

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Assumption College Magazine

Spring 2016

Why I

lovE

ASSuMPTIoN . . .

We asked members of the Assumption community what they love about Assumption College.

“The professors are wonderful.

The students are great friends.

The opportunities are endless and I love the campus.”

“The community feel is reassuring and makes me feel at home.”

–Emily P. ’18

“Amazing support system— especially from the SDCC counselors.”

“I love the diversity of people, energy, and ideals.

Everyone feels included!”

“Great students and a grea t intellectua l tradition!”

–Mary C. ’19

–Neydi R. ’19

“Because of all the great courses offered!”

–Steve F. ’16

–Ceara M. ’18

–Fr. Barr y,

A.A.

When you make a gift to The Assumption Fund you help fund the life-changing academic programs, a campus where you can feel at home, invaluable support services and needed financial aid.

THE A SSUMPTION F UND You can make your gift to The Assumption Fund using the attached envelope or by visiting:

www.assumption.edu/donate

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #389 BURLINGTON, VT 05401 500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296 www.assumption.edu

Reunion Weekend June 3–5

Renew friendships. Relive memories.

Visit www.assumption.edu/reunion for details