BOSTON COLLEGE WINTER 2019
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SUBJECT TO CHANGE The walls of campus are filled with scholarship’s first drafts. A guided tour PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE PELLEGRINI
Contents VOLUME 79
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NUMBER 1
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WINTER 2019
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SOCIAL MEDIUM
HAPPY RETURNS
TRUE ART’S COURSE
The boards of education
Innovation after innovation, James Reinhart ’01 is reinventing the clothing industry
A portrait of the artists among us
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
BY ELLEN WINNER
LEE PELLEGRINI BY JANELLE NANOS ’02
GET THE FULL STORY ONLINE AT BCM.BC.EDU • Watch the full panel discussion
• Order How Art Works: A Psychologi-
“Why I Remain a Catholic: Belief in
cal Exploration, by psychology profes-
a Time of Turmoil” held in Robsham
sor Ellen Winner, at a discount from
Theater on November 27 (pg. 6)
the Boston College Bookstore (pg. 22).
• View a slideshow of photographs
also:
from a women’s varsity basketball practice (pg. 14)
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• reader’s list: Books by alumni, faculty, and staff
The first time I left my radio on after midnight, tuned to WZBC, something strange happened. The familiar riffs of indie rock gave way to a song best described as a final transmission from an alien planet. —Letters, page 2
Linden Lane
End Notes
Class Notes
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Campus digest
From the McMullen Museum
Alumni news and notes
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Ireland’s chance
Obituaries
Recovering the truth, framing justice, after Tuam
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6 ‘Why I remain’ Catholic in a time of questioning
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8 Oxford bound
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An interview with Boston College’s newest Rhodes Scholar
Fr. McElroy’s eyes A historian’s tale of medicine, character, and the rewards of curiosity
10 As it stands
Advancing Boston College
64 INQUIRING MINDS Quizmaster
A much anticipated recreation facility will open in summer
Psychologist Joshua Hartshorne’s crowdsourced studies
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65 WORKS & DAYS
Words’ worth The Lynch School
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expands its name
Launched NASA engineer Lynn Capadona ’99
13 Close-up Toothsome
14 Practice squad The undergraduate men of women’s basketball
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on the cover: Lab manager Joshua HirschfeldKroen contemplates the whiteboard notes in associate professor of psychology Liane Young’s Morality Lab, on the third-floor of Higgins Hall. Photograph by Lee Pellegrini
BOSTON COLLEGE WINTER 2019
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SUBJECT TO CHANGE The walls of campus are filled with scholarship’s first drafts. A guided tour PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE PELLEGRINI
MAGAZINE
VOLUME 79 NUMBER 1
LETTERS
WINTER 2019
ACTING EDITOR
Anna Marie Murphy SENIOR EDITOR
Thomas Cooper ART DIRECTOR
Keith Ake PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Gary Wayne Gilbert SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Lee Pellegrini UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Peter M. Julian ’16 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Zachary Jason ’11, Seth Meehan, Ph.D.’14 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
William Bole BCM ONLINE PRODUCERS
Ravi Jain, Miles Benson Readers, please send address changes to: Development Information Services Cadigan Alumni Center, 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617) 552–3440, Fax: (617) 552–0077 bc.edu/bcm/address/ Please send editorial correspondence to: Boston College Magazine 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 bcm@bc.edu Boston College Magazine is published quarterly (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of University Communications, (617) 552–4820, Fax: (617) 552–2441 ISSN 0885–2049 Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address corrections to Boston College Magazine Development Information Services Cadigan Alumni Center, 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 Copyright 2019 Trustees of Boston College. Printed in U.S.A. All publications rights reserved. BCM is distributed free to alumni, faculty, staff, donors, and parents of undergraduates. It is also available by paid subscription at the rate of $20 for four issues. Please send check payable to Boston College Magazine to: Subscriptions/BCM, 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 Please direct Class Notes queries to: Class Notes editor Cadigan Alumni Center 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 email: classnotes@bc.edu phone: (617) 552–4700
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PATHWAYS
Re “Keyword: STEM,” by Thomas Cooper (Fall 2018): It was great to read about both the number of students and the number of companies that turned out for the 2018 STEM Career Fair. For a long time the only career path advertised to science majors was binary: the MD or the Ph.D. track. However, a rigorous training in science provides skills with broad industry applicability. For example, Boston College STEM majors are taught to distill complex problems; they learn how to work independently and as part of teams; they are master multitaskers and able to communicate their findings. Pharma, biotech, healthcare, and other industries are all looking for candidates with these qualities. Elizabeth O’Day ’06 Cambridge, Massachusetts The writer is founder and CEO of Olaris Therapeautics, Inc. VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
Re “Time It Was,” by Christopher Amenta (Fall 2018): I enjoyed reading about Joseph Elliott’s experiences in the post–World War II era at Boston College. The article reveals that much has changed since his time, yet many things remain the same. During World War II, with 12.1 percent of the U.S. population serving, virtually everyone knew someone who served. Today, with 0.9 percent of the population having served in Iraq or Afghanistan, many people do not know anyone who served there. The divide between our military and civilian populations is much greater in 2019 than it was in 1944. Mr. Elliott noted that while some veterans returned to campus in 1944, they didn’t talk much about their experiences. This has not changed. Veterans of all eras often find it difficult to articulate their experiences in ways easily understood by others. This can lead to further isolation and misunderstanding between veterans and non-veterans.
At Boston College there now are veterans’ groups for undergraduates, graduates, and Law School students. There is a faculty and staff veterans’ affinity group and a veterans’ alumni network. I urge all Boston College–related veterans to join these groups. And I urge non-veterans to seek out and engage veterans in discussion. George Harrington ’80 Christiansted, Virgin Islands The writer is cochair of the Boston College Veterans’ Alumni Network. MIDNIGHT RAMBLERS
Re “After Midnight,” a photo essay by Peter M. Julian (Fall 2018): The first time I left my radio on after midnight, tuned to WZBC, something strange happened. The familiar riffs of indie rock gave way to a song best described as a final transmission from an alien planet. It was beautiful and incomprehensible. I was startled when the voice of the DJ checked in to remind listeners that the broadcast was, in fact, coming from a station in Newton, Massachusetts. Before long, I joined WZBC’s community of “No Commercial Potential” DJs. I was taken on journeys through genres such as noise, house, industrial, drone, field recordings, and even avant-garde radio drama. Those nights opened my mind to artists and soundscapes I’m still exploring a decade later. Ryan McDaid ’10 Brooklyn, New York The writer was a DJ at WZBC for four years and program director for 2009–10. I was delighted to see the Heights featured in “After Midnight.” To the untrained eye, McElroy Commons 113 is a mere holding cell for tattered furniture and yellowing newsprint. But to the writers, editors, designers, illustrators, and photographers who have toiled there, it’s a timeless space marked by a particular brand of youthful verve and wide-eyed commitment to journalistic integrity.
During my time within those four walls, I always felt a deep sense of responsibility–both to the editors who came before me and to the future of independent student journalism. It may sound naive, but in those moments, our work was significant, and, for me, it was life-giving. As the paper moves into its next century, I challenge the men and women who carry the torch to remain true to the purpose set forth by of our founders: to “print both sides of all stories . . . be fair and just to all . . . constructive—not destructive.” Taylour Kumpf ’13 Omaha, Nebraska The writer was editor-in-chief of the Heights in 2012. In addition to the areas highlighted in your photo essay, I’d like to call attention to my colleagues in University Health Services. They staff the facilities at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue through the night seven days a week, providing high-level and compassionate nursing care to students staying in the infirmary as well as to those who visit or call UHS seeking care and advice. Anne Pickett, RN, ’91 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts A LIFE’S WORK
Re “Learned From Life,” by James Martin, SJ, M.Div.’98, Th.M.’99 (Fall 2018): Having worked with Dan Harrington on New Testament Abstracts for nearly three decades, initially as an assistant and then as a co-editor and friend, I can easily affirm Fr. Martin’s portrait of a remarkably accomplished yet unfailingly generous human being. Dan had a tremendous capacity to follow biblical scholarship at the highest level, participate in it, and make his own contributions, but he also devoted significant time to making it comprehensible to the readers in the pews via his many paperback books. I have dozens of such volumes on the shelf behind my desk, all inscribed in Dan’s bold and legible cursive: “with best wishes,” “with thanks for friendship in our mutual tasks,” “with thanks for your support and friendship.” I’m sure many others have similarly inscribed volumes from Dan. It is a blessing to recall his
ever-steady presence, and in reviewing these inscriptions, I feel both humbled and deeply grateful to have these mementos of an extraordinary life. Christopher Matthews Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts The writer is editor of New Testament Abstracts and research professor of New Testament at the School of Theology and Ministry.
Pop-Up Care Villages. I emerged from the summer with an appreciation of how complex a problem homelessness is and the immense amount of systemic change needed to address the issue. The internship helped me understand the kind of work I want to engage in and where to direct my efforts in pursuit of a just society. David Jasso ’20 Houston, Texas
MENU PLANNING
PRIZE-WORTHY
Re “Campus Digest,” by Thomas Cooper (Summer 2018): I was delighted to read about the celebration of Green Week and the publication by the student organization EcoPledge of a “plant-based” cookbook, in which all the recipes had been “veganized.” It would be great for Boston College to commit to Meatless Mondays and to having vegan meals available on a regular basis. Jane Hoffman ’75 New York, New York Julianne Stelmaszyk, the manager of regional and sustainable food for Dining Services, kindly provided the following update: All University dining facilities offer vegan (and vegetarian) options at every meal, and the department is “working to decrease our animal protein purchases by reducing portions as well as the frequency of meat on our menus.”
Re “And the Award Goes To...” by Zachary Jason (Summer 2018): Mr. Jason mistakenly describes me and my twin brother, Philip, as having run a travel agency. We were, in fact, attorneys in an eponymous Boston law firm for more than 50 years. In addition to handling the Princess Grace of Monaco Award for French, my brother and I, acting as honorary consuls of the Republic of Chile, annually present the Andrés Bello Award “to a senior who has excelled in Spanish.” Bello was the greatest polymath of South America in the 19th century. He was also the signatory of a treaty entitled, “General Convention of Peace, Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, between the United States of America and the Republic of Chile,” signed May 16, 1832 in Santiago, Chile. It remains in force to this day. Paul William Garber Brighton, Massachusetts
ON RETREAT
FIELD-TESTED
Re “The Write Time,” by Zachary Jason (Summer 2018): Reading the account of the Villa retreat and seeing the accompanying photo awakened an understanding of how any vacation can have the value of a “retreat” if approached in that way—even if partially. John Vieira ’71 Washington, D.C.
Re “Club Minutes” (Summer 2018): The women’s club lacrosse team had the opportunity to play last spring in tournaments at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Colorado, Boulder. Competing against top talent around the country helped us clinch the New England title in April and secure a bid to the nationals in Round Rock, Texas, where we finished ninth. Noelle Love ’19 Armonk, New York
SUMMER SESSION
Re “Open Season,” by Zachary Jason (Summer 2018): In 2017, with the help of an Eagle Intern Fellowship, I had the pleasure of working with Lava Mae, a San Francisco nonprofit that seeks to rekindle dignity and hope among homeless people through its Mobile Hygiene Service and
BCM welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and must be signed to be published. Our fax number is (617) 552–2441; our email address is bcm@bc.edu.
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CONTE NT S 6 ‘Why I remain’
Linden Lane
Catholic in a time of questioning 8 Oxford bound
College’s newest Rhodes Scholar 10 As it stands
A much anticipated recreation facility will open in summer 12 Words’ worth
The Lynch School expands its name 13 Close-up
Toothsome 14 Practice squad
The undergraduate men of women’s basketball
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CAMPUS DIGEST
An interview with Boston The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Texas, between Boston College and Boise State was halted after nine minutes and 52 seconds of football, due to lightning. The weather cancellation was the first in NCAA bowl history; the sponsor’s slogan said it all: “like it never even happened.” z The Carroll School of Management (CSOM) reported that 645 undergraduates have chosen to minor in one of the school’s four new minors created for non-CSOM students: finance (331), marketing (222), accounting for finance and consulting (77), and accounting for CPAs (15). The preexisting minor, management and leadership, drew 270 students, bringing the total taking advantage of this initiative to 915. z A Ph.D. candidate and four master’s students in the School of Social Work—members of the school’s Latinix Leadership Initiative—received minority fellowships from the national Council on Social Work Education, to continue their work on mental health and/or substance abuse issues within under-represented minority communities. z Former governor of Connecticut Dannel Malloy ’77, JD’80, joined the Law School for the spring semester as the Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor. Malloy was an outspoken proponent of gun control after the 2012 Sandy Hook School massacre. For his stand welcoming Syrian refugees to the United States, he received the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
z Emily Prud’hommeaux, an assistant professor of computer science, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study speech patterns in adults with autism. She will lead a team of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Oregon Health and Science University. z The McMullen Museum of Art opened Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America, an exhibition featuring the recently restored 19thcentury bronze eagle that once perched on the column at the end of Linden Lane (the current raptor is a replica). In addition to the eagle, a masterpiece of Meiji-period artistry, the exhibition includes ceramics, paintings, carvings, and other bronzes from the Meiji and earlier Edo periods. Eaglemania will run through June 2. z As the federal government shutdown entered its second month, Martin Jarmond, the William V. Campbell Director of Athletics, announced that federal employees were welcome, free of charge, at all games for the duration of the closure. z Endawoke Yizengaw, a senior research scientist at the University’s Institute for Scientific Research, was awarded the American Geophysical Union’s Joanne Simpson Medal, given to mid-career scientists for “transformative scientific advances or breakthroughs in the earth and space sciences.” z More than 270 sophomores in the Morrissey
concord—The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast, sponsored by the Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association, drew students, faculty, and staff to the Heights Room at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 16. “Too often commemorating King means only remembering the parts of him that do not challenge us—the parts that make us comfortable,” said associate professor of French Régine Michelle Jean-Charles (above) in her keynote talk. “May we choose to move beyond the dream and do the work of building a better world.”
College of Arts and Sciences returned to campus prior to the spring semester to participate in the Career Center’s fourth annual Endeavor program. The threeday event explores the range of careers open to liberal arts students. Some 80 alumni volunteered as coaches and mentors. Ariel Belgrave Harris ’11, a senior project manager at Facebook, gave the keynote talk. z Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, was on campus to address the annual Council for Women of Boston College Colloquium. z On November 13, the Lynch School of Education’s Center for Optimized Student Support cohosted a forum on the importance of addressing the nonacademic needs of K–12 students to narrow persistent achievement gaps. The event drew educators, researchers, and
image: Peter M. Julian
legislators from around the country to consider best practices in the emerging field. z Boston College ranked seventh in The Daily Meal’s 2018 “Best Colleges for Food in America.” z Mary Jo Izzio, a professor of moral theology at the School of Theology and Ministry, received the St. Elizabeth Seton Medal, presented by Mount St. Joseph University to recognize a woman’s contributions to the field of theology. z As part of the NBC pregame show for the November 4 New England Patriots–Green Bay Packers game, Sam Richardson, associate professor of the practice of economics, faced off against a colleague from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in a blackboard battle of statistics to determine whether Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers is the better quarterback. z Mike Lupica ’74,
columnist and best-selling author, was on campus for a three-day residency, lecturing, joining classes, and visiting with staff of the Heights, for which he wrote as an undergraduate. z In the latest review of undergraduate business schools by PoetsandQuants.com, the Carroll School of Management ranked ninth. z A display in the O’Neill Library marked Public Domain Day (January 1), the occasion when works of a certain age (those published in 1923 in this instance) no longer enjoy copyright protections. Among the examples featured were The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud, Bambi by Felix Salten, and New Hampshire by Robert Frost. Also entering the public arena this year are works by Virginia Woolf, Charlie Chaplin, George Bernard Shaw, and Picasso. —Thomas Cooper
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Speaking before a Robsham audience on November 27 were, from left, Professor Tiziana Dearing (social work), Sean Barry ’21, Stephanie Sanchez MSW’18, and Professor Stephen Pope (theology). Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns ’78, H’02, moderated.
‘Why I remain’ By William Bole Catholic in a time of questioning
T
aking to the stage in a crowded Robsham Theater on Tuesday, November 27, R. Nicholas Burns ’78, H’02, made a promise all too easy to keep. “This is going to be a difficult conversation,” said the veteran U.S. diplomat and moderator of this forum convened in the wake of new revelations about clergy sexual abuse in the United States. The pre-announced topic was “Why I Remain a Catholic: Belief in a Time of Turmoil,” but, before finally making their way to that question, the panelists laid bare feelings of betrayal and disillusionment.
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Approximately 500 people—youngadult, middle-aged, and older—turned out for the discussion, which was sponsored by Boston College’s Church in the 21st Century Center (C21). The full 90 minutes was also streamed on Facebook, with around 2,800 people watching on screen in real time or within the next couple of days. For both speakers and audience, there was a palpable sense of ecclesiastical déjà vu. In 2002, C21 had come into being under disturbingly similar circumstances, following an outbreak of abuse scandals in the Archdiocese of Boston. The center
remains “a catalyst and a resource for the renewal of our Catholic Church,” its director, Karen Kiefer ’82, said in her greeting. Sixteen years later, developments have once again “taken a serious toll on the Catholic community in our country, leaving too many Catholics hurt, angry, and questioning their continued involvement in the Church,” said University President William P. Leahy, SJ, under whose leadership C21 was founded. The Jesuit was referring to a Pennsylvania grand jury report last summer that identified more than 300 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 minors in six Catholic dioceses (in cases mostly decades old), as well as alleged sexual misconduct by disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, D.C. This past fall saw a jarring spectacle of disharmony between U.S. bishops and the Vatican over how to act in response to the scandals.
image: Lee Pellegrini
Fr. Leahy added in his introductory remarks: “Certainly our faith and sense of what it means to be a Catholic and part of the Church does not depend on one person or one event, but they have been and continue to be shaped by family, prayer, sacraments, relationships, and service of others.” Burns—a professor of diplomacy and international relations at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a former U.S. ambassador to Greece and NATO—followed. Recalling the “shock and sense of disbelief and anger” in 2002, he said Catholicism is back “in crisis,” but that people have gathered in Robsham “because the Church is worth saving.” He cited the Church’s global works of disaster relief and “conflict mediation,” as well as its “very powerful voice for the 65 million refugees and internally displaced people in the world today.” He then presented the four panelists: Tiziana Dearing, a professor at Boston College’s School of Social Work; Sean Barry ’21, a midshipman in the U.S. Navy ROTC; Stephanie Sanchez, MSW’18, in the midst of wrapping up a second master’s at the University’s School of Theology and Ministry; and Boston College theology professor Stephen Pope. With the four seated on tall director’s chairs against a maroon-curtain backdrop, Burns posed his first question from the podium: How has a decade and a half of abuse scandals affected you as a Catholic? The first response, by Dearing, indicated one way she and undoubtedly many others are processing the revelations—by putting noticeable daylight between the institutional Church and their faith convictions. “It tattered my relationship with the institution of the Church,” said Dearing, referring especially to the nationwide cascade of scandals during the aughts. (In the aftermath of those revelations, in 2007 at age 36, she was appointed the first woman to direct Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston.) “And it is a relationship that is tattered now, but that’s different than my faith,” she clarified. “And it didn’t affect my faith.” Barry followed, saying he has lived practically his entire life with a “Church in scandal. And it’s disheartening.” The sophomore, who also serves as Grand
Knight of the Boston College Knights of Columbus, admitted to feelings of “rage” over accounts of child molestation by clergy, but said his faith has matured with his realization that the Church can make shameful mistakes even as it nurtures values such as mercy and reconciliation. “Because my faith is not the Church,” he said. In a similar vein, Sanchez said the latest tribulations have “added some fuel to the fire” of her faith and to her determination to study theology. She now reflects more searchingly on “why we are serving. Why do we go about loving every day, to follow Christ, and live in that love? And if that means we have to grow and change along with the Church, then that’s what we’re called to do.” Less willing to distance his faith from the institution was the theology professor,
The discussion turned a corner into issues of transparency, reform, and accountability—inescapably arriving at the singular question of women in the Church. The audience listened closely, punctuating remarks on stage with frequent applause and “ahh’s.” Pope. “I think there are layers of deception, misplaced loyalty, hidden suffering that we’re just beginning to hear about,” he said, alluding in part to coverups by bishops. “So I have to say I do find it shaking my faith. Not in the sense that I’m going to abandon the Catholic Church. It’s shaking in that I continually have to wrestle with the hypocrisy of the Church . . . because my faith is very ecclesial. It’s very churchy in the sense that I do believe in my heart that the Church was founded by Jesus.” From there, the discussion turned a corner into issues of transparency, reform, and accountability—inescapably arriving at the singular question of women in the Church. The audience listened closely,
punctuating remarks on stage with frequent applause and “ahh’s.” “Gosh, there are a lot of good and holy women who are ready to step up. And our Church has silenced them or put them down and said, ‘You stay there’. And I’m really tired of it. I really am,” Sanchez said, speaking more quickly as applause mounted. “I love being a Catholic woman. I love it,” Sanchez underscored. “But that also means I’m ready. . . . Let’s get women in the room. I would be happy to be in the room.” Undergraduate volunteers had been reaching into rows to collect index cards with penciled questions from the audience. Burns conveyed a sampling of those, including this one: “My 14-year-old son talks about becoming a priest. I’m struggling with how to react to that.” After the panel’s two lay men alluded to their vocational discernments (including Pope’s high-school thoughts of becoming a Jesuit), Dearing added her perspective as a women in a Church that limits ordination to men. “I’ve been praying really hard the last three or four minutes about whether or not to say what I’m about to say,” she said, her voice catching. “When I was in high school, I wanted to be a priest too.” There was brief silence, then strong applause. Dearing wiped away a tear and said no more on the subject. Not until the closing moments did Burns explicitly raise the why-I-remaina-Catholic question, although, in a way, the conversation had been orbiting it all along. Taking quick turns, panelists spoke of drawing hope from “people who care” about the Church and its mission to serve God and neighbor, especially at the parish level (Pope); of turning away from “anger and rage” (Barry); and of realizing more clearly than ever that the sacraments, community, and Mass are “how I know God” (Dearing). By then, the audience was applauding every utterance. “This Church is my home. This is my place,” said Sanchez, mentioning the “great gift of faith” she received growing up in a Hispanic family. “And I’m not going anywhere, even though we are terribly broken now.” The graduate student chooses to side with hope, she said— “because I also know that Jesus isn’t going anywhere.” n
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Stone, in Hamilton, Bermuda, January 14.
Oxford bound By Zachary Jason An interview with Boston College’s newest Rhodes Scholar
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n late November, the Rhodes Trust named Isabelle Stone ’18 a 2019 Rhodes Scholar. Stone, who majored in economics and minored in philosophy and Faith, Peace, and Justice, is Boston College’s third recipient of the prestigious award; in 2003, the scholarship, which carries the opportunity for advanced study at Oxford University, went to Paul Taylor ’04 and Brett Huneycutt ’03. (Taylor is now a researcher at the National Institutes of Health’s brain imaging lab and Huneycutt is cofounder and chief operating officer of the online investment management service Wealthsimple.) Contributing editor Zachary Jason spoke by phone with Stone, who for the past six months has been working as an analyst for Bermuda-based Nephila Capital, a firm specializing in reinsurance. Their conversation has been edited for length. Where is home, for you? I was born in the UK, and both my parents are British and lawyers. We moved to
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Bermuda in 1999, when I was three, so it’s the only home I’ve known. There’s a big international business sector in Bermuda—mainly, insurance and reinsurance. And there was a wave of immigration in the 1990s, from the UK, U.S., and Canada, of people going to work in those industries. The average immigrant on the island makes more than $100,000 and is white. There are white Bermudians too, but the local community is majority black. How did your experience in Boston shape your view of Bermuda? I’ve had a lot of privilege. I went to private school. I’m trying to think of a way to say this. There are 65,000 people on the island. Bermuda is a mile wide and it’s 20 miles long, and the inequality is right in your face. At Boston College, especially in my philosophy and my Faith, Peace, and Justice classes, we were asked to consider
how race fits into our personal story and the places where we grew up. I had classmates from Chicago, from Milwaukee, and they had such different interactions with race and immigration. Being able to combine my studies in economics and statistics with this personal analysis solidified in my mind what side of the economic sphere I want to be on: I don’t want to contribute to inequality. I’ve seen the huge dividends and bonuses in the private sector. I want to go into the public policy sector, where I can contribute to eradicating Bermuda’s inequalities. Bermuda is a British protectorate. In my senior economics thesis, I looked into the role of colonialism in explaining income inequality today. A lot of past economic studies have focused on how colonialism leads to the economic success of a country, measured by variables such as GDP. They look at the overall economic performance, without looking at the internal economic performance, including the disparity between the descendants of indigenous populations and descendants of European settlers. There are a lot of calls for independence within Bermuda right now, and my project helped me reflect on the emotions behind those calls. Becoming independent would surely scare off investors. And we’d lose the educational privilege of studying in the UK at the British-student rate. But seeing the gross inequality linked to our colonial past helped me understand why we would want to give those up. My philosophy classes at Boston College were very service-oriented, especially the Faith, Peace, and Justice ones. My service with the homeless population in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood forced me to hear the stories and see the faces behind the statistics you read in economics—to understand how many factors go into the struggle for success in education, for example. Economics can sometimes be a pretty black-and-white subject, and, for me, service gave it more color. I read that you came to Boston College with a desire to get a highpaying finance job. It’s the culture. Public service isn’t really valued in Bermuda. I can’t remember any-
image: Meredith Andrews
one from my high school class wanting to go into teaching or government. But service has always been a part of my life and always will be. I thought I could go into a high-paying job and find worth in my outside activities, whether donating to charity or starting a charity or doing service work after I retire. I came to the conclusion that doing charity on the side is not sufficient for me, when I can do economic studies, bring my findings to the public service sector, and help not just one or two people, but, in the macro scheme of things, future generations. When and how did you first consider a Rhodes Scholarship? It was after my sophomore year. I’d just quit my math major, and I was telling a professor from high school how I’d gotten into philosophy and was doing a lot of service work. And she said, oh, you should go for the Rhodes. I had heard of it in terms of Bill Clinton and [former Labor Secretary] Robert Reich, so I did some research, and it seemed to be the meeting of all things that I cared about. A lot of scholarships are strictly academic awards or strictly for leadership. I wanted to combine academics with service work and be a leader in the world’s fights. The Rhodes just fit. Do you remember your initial reaction when you found out you got the Rhodes? I applied in 2017 for the first time, and I didn’t get it. They call you if you get it and they email if you don’t. So this time I was waiting for a call, but also looking at my email. My mom phoned to say the director of the Rhodes had been trying to call me. It was about five minutes before I could get through to him. And then, yeah, it was just elation. Now I have to get into Oxford, and I’m having to take the GRE test. What do you hope to learn at Oxford? The way the Oxford system works, the vast majority of my learning will be through tutorials—intensive training with a don— tailored to my interests. Bermuda’s not great about keeping statistics. Economics is an undervalued
profession. I’d love to do census work on the demographics of economic disparity, incorporating race, age, and gender. The new government in Bermuda is planning tax reform and a spending overhaul, and I want to see how those contribute to the disposable income of certain populations and to wage disparities—to get a better idea of where I should focus my time. A lot of factors go into income inequality. The public education system is in disarray; we’ve had about 20 different ministers of education in the past 15 years. We also have rising healthcare costs, and an aging population. Who’s going to pay for our pensions? There’s the issue of crime. Bermuda has a large incidence of gun crime for its size. I want to monitor the policy that’s going to be made while I’m at Oxford and study the impacts. I want to define a role for economists in the public sphere.
What challenges or setbacks did you overcome to get to this point? The obvious one (laughter): I didn’t get the Rhodes in 2017. At first, I was demoralized, because I’d spent four months, every day, preparing for my application. I felt like I’d wasted half of my senior year. But with hindsight, I realized how much the application process solidified what I want to do with my life. For the personal statement, a thousand words, they ask you questions like, Where do you see yourself in five years? How are you going to contribute to the world? I had to think, What really is the story of me? Where do my strengths lie? People used to say to me it was strange that I studied economics and philosophy. Applying for the Rhodes made me more confident: They do fit together. This is the path for me. n
Data file: International students and faculty Boston College’s international student population grew for the 11th consecutive year, and now comprises 13 percent of total enrollment. In the current academic year, there are 1,878 students from outside the United States (1,015 undergraduate, 863 graduate), up 6 percent from last year and more than double the head count of a decade ago. There are also 313 international faculty and research scholars, up from 278 in 2017–18 and 129 in 2008–09. STUDENTS Countries represented: 101 Top countries: China (927), South Korea (139), Spain (54), Canada (53), India (41), Italy (41) Countries sending one student: Albania, Armenia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Honduras, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mongolia, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, St. Lucia, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Uruguay, Zambia Top undergraduate majors: Economics (178), finance (108), mathematics (70), communication (54), political science (49) Top graduate fields of study: Finance (115), accounting (98), theology/ministry (86), economics (74), chemistry (71) FACULTY AND RESEARCH SCHOLARS Countries represented: 55 Top countries: China (85), India (40), Spain (19), Italy (16), Canada (13) Top departments: Chemistry (44), theology (25), education (24), economics (23), philosophy (19) Source: Office of International Students and Scholars
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As it stands
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n January 10, the late afternoon sun highlighted the west facade of the University’s much anticipated four-story, 244,000-square-foot recreation facility, due to open this summer. Photographed from the top of Alumni Stadium, with the Flynn “Rec Plex” in the left foreground and the two-story Mods and eight-story Walsh Hall residences adjacent, the building displays several layers of construction—from the blue-and-silver air vapor barrier to the almost-finished bricks-and-granite treatment visible at two ends. Left of image: Gary Wayne Gilbert
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the arched main entrance (at center), white tarps enclose scaffolding, keeping the temperature inside at a level where masons can work and mortar can cure. In the photo’s lower right quadrant, are the cast stone pieces that will form trim throughout the structure. The building is L-shaped, with the longer segment measuring 355 feet, and the shorter 260 feet. The facility will be named in honor of Trustee Associate Margot C. Connell, whose gift of $50 million made construction possible. —Thomas Cooper
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Words’ worth By Thomas Cooper The Lynch School expands its name
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n January 30, the University’s Lynch School of Education formally celebrated the expansion of its name, to the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. The change, said Stanton Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, SJ, dean of the school, “acknowledges and makes visible the important and distinctive work of our students and faculty in the department of counseling, developmental, and educational psychology [CDEP].” Of the Lynch School’s 54 fulltime faculty, 20—or 37 percent—are in CDEP. At peer institutions, it is more common to have 10 to 15 percent representation from these disciplines, according to Wortham. CDEP faculty do train school counselors, but most graduates go on to work in private practice, outside the academic setting. And while research undertaken in the department may involve school-related subjects, much of it has broader scope— exploring the development of motivation, for instance. Among the 668 Lynch School undergraduates enrolled in this academic year, 465 have declared a major in applied psychology and human development (with 183 pursuing the traditional curriculum of elementary or secondary teacher education and 20 undecided). This makes the CDEP major the eighth most popular at the University. “We think the new name will help attract even more students,” says Wortham. At its founding in 1952 (with 110 female and 60 male students), the School of Education became Boston College’s first coeducational school on the Heights; classes were held in Gasson Hall until the construction of Campion Hall in 1955. The first dean, Charles F. Donovan, SJ, expressed the hope that it would “exercise a beneficial influence on education and educational policies in this part of the country.” In 1999, with an enrollment of
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more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate students, the school received a powerful boost in the form of a $10 million gift from then Trustee Peter Lynch ’65 and his wife, Carolyn. The following year brought the first name shift, in recognition of the Lynches’ support. The latest expansion of the title is a matter of ”addition, not subtraction,” says Wortham. “We still do all the things in education that we have done since our beginning. We still train elementary and secondary teachers; and we also train educational leaders and people who are going to be higher education administrators. That part of our work is still central to our focus.” to mark the expansion of the school’s name, Lynch faculty took part in a symposium on January 30 in the Murray Room. “Partnering with Schools and Communities to Foster Human
Development” featured a public discussion among Belle Liang, a professor of counseling psychology, who studies mentoring, social media, and relational health in adolescence; Eric Dearing, a professor of applied developmental and educational psychology, whose focus is the role of family and community in the academic development of disadvantaged children; and Rebecca Lowenhaupt, an associate professor in the school’s educational leadership and higher education department, who studies K–12 schools with significant immigrant populations. Before an audience of some 125 faculty and students, the three shared stories from their collaborations with local schools and communities. Dearing described the constructive “feedback loops” that emerge from consulting with target populations on the survey questions that matter to them. Research applications have greater “stickiness,” said Lowenhaupt, “when we approach our learning with humility.” Following the discussion, Peter Lynch spoke briefly. He described his family’s involvement with the school as “the greatest thing we’ve ever done” and applauded the new name. “It’s not like we’re changing things,” Lynch said; “we’re actually naming what the school does. The two elements of the name relate to each other every minute of the day.” n
from left: Lynch, Wortham, Dearing, Lowenhaupt, and Liang.
image: Lee Pellegrini
Kenaley’s computer-generated image of a viperfish (left) and the resulting robot.
CLOSE-UP: TOOTHSOME IN THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE DEEP SEA, the shiny, gunmetal-colored dragonfish are like “the lions of the Serengeti,” says Christopher Kenaley, biology assistant professor of the practice. At depths of between 660 feet and two miles—a dark and impoverished region that some scientists call the twilight zone—these fish, amounting to roughly 200 species, are the alpha predators. With long fangs and the ability to open their mouths more than 100 degrees (the human “gape angle” is closer to 40 degrees), members of the dragonfish family (Stomiidae) can capture prey greater than half their size. Even so, and as with most creatures of the truly deep, their size is small, with a head an inch high and a skinny, tubular body six to 12 inches long. Given their habitat’s challenges to human exploration, scientists have never recorded dragonfish feeding. Do they use their needle-sharp fangs to impale their quarry (including the narrow six-inch silver-scaled lanternfish that Kenaley calls “the cookies of the deep sea”)? Can
image: Christopher Kenaley / Gary Wayne Gilbert
they generate sufficient force with their very slender jaws to penetrate the scales of prey? With funding from the National Science Foundation, Kenaley, whose specialty is vertebrate biomechanics and physiology, has been developing models of a particularly fierce-looking species of dragonfish known as the viperfish, searching for answers. Kenaley and two undergraduate assistants created the two models above—on the left, a digital 3D simulation, on the right a 3D-printed skeleton—in his Higgins Hall laboratory. To produce the color rendering of the viperfish head, they bathed a specimen from the collection of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, where Kenaley is a research associate, in a phosphotungstic acid solution, which makes soft tissues visible to Xray imaging. They scanned the specimen while rotating it through 180 degrees, then digitally “stacked” the resulting pictures—thousands in all—to create an image that can be viewed from multiple angles. The yellow and orange hues rep-
resent soft tissue areas; the bright yellow vertical bands behind the eye are bundlelike muscle fascicles that control opening and closing of the jaw. The rendering allowed Kenaley to gather measurements of the jaw and muscle system—the lengths of bones and muscles and the exact points of attachment—the geometry that he needed to determine the speed and force with which the jaw can open and close. With these guidelines, he used the lab’s 3D printer to produced the outsized six-inch by sixinch skeletal model. Wires connected to a small motor allow Kenaley to robotically simulate the jaw’s actions. Kenaley’s determination, thus far: The teeth do not penetrate the scales of prey (indeed, a human would barely notice being pricked by them). But the viperfish’s musculature does enable it to close its mouth rapidly—in less than 50 one thousandths of a second. Kenaley is currently testing the robotic jaw in a tank of water, mimicking the drag and other hydraulic forces at play in the deep sea to explore the possible advantages of a fast but weak design. —Thomas Cooper
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At a December 5 practice in Conte Forum, sophomore Sydney Lowery (31) looks to pass, pressured by Beck, while, behind Beck, Kyle Mak ’20 defends against Clara Ford ’22. At the top of the lane, Taylor Soule ’22 moves to get open, guarded by Tim Linehan ’20. Coach Bernabei-McNamee is at far right (in maroon).
Practice squad By Patrick L. Kennedy The undergraduate men of women’s basketball
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half-dozen young men in workout gear—knee braces, high-tops, baggy shorts—climb the stairs out of Boston College’s Power Gym one November afternoon and make their way down narrow interior hallways until they reach the basketball court in Conte Forum. “I’m so nervous!” says Jack Beck ’21, a communication major. He’s half-joking, because they are here only to practice. And yet a game atmosphere is undeniable, with championship banners hanging from the rafters and the sharp blast of the shotclock buzzer periodically splitting the air.
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The men, all undergraduates, are here to block shots and sink threes against the varsity women’s basketball team. They’ve watched film of the Eagles’ next opponent, Holy Cross, and each has been coached to emulate a particular Crusader. Now, the women’s head coach, Joanna BernabeiMcNamee, will conduct an intensive three hours of drills and scrimmaging. “Coach Mac” is in her first year at the Heights, having guided the University of Albany women to a record of 45–20 over two years. She and three assistant coaches (AJ Cohen, Yolanda Griffith, and George
Porcha) shepherd the players, who have donned mesh jerseys, into their respective corners of the court; the men wear white, the women wear maroon and gold. “Here comes 25,” says Cohen, taking hold of Beck by his jersey and pulling him into place like a live chess piece to demonstrate a Holy Cross offensive play in slow motion. At Coach Mac’s whistle, the court erupts in shouts and sneaker squeaks as the men try to put over the play for real. And they succeed, passing the ball again and again to a shooting guard who sinks three-pointer after three-pointer, to the women’s groans. (When the guard bobbles the ball and boots it out of bounds, the women cheer.) At intervals, Coach Mac whistles a stoppage and breaks down what went wrong in the women’s play, offering praise when warranted, while the men stand in place and wait. Then the drill begins again. Mostly, the action takes place in the half-court, with
image: Lee Pellegrini
the women executing plays for a score or working through their defensive plans. In a game known for trash talk, the exchanges at this practice are nearly all business. Cohen, who followed Coach Mac from Albany, has the assignment of coaching the men. “Good job,” he tells one of them during a pause. “You’re playing just like 22, brother.” Cohen was a practice player himself as an undergraduate, running the court with the women’s team at the University of Louisville. Other NCAA assistant coaches have gotten their start similarly. Indeed, male practice teams have been common across Division I women’s basketball for a couple of decades. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck ’97 practiced with the women hoopsters of Boston College before he went to the National Football League. The practice squad is recruited from the club and intramural basketball programs on campus—“which are highly competitive at Boston College,” says assistant athletic director Stephanie Tunnera in an email. There are generally 15 men on the roster, with a core of five or six players who show up regularly. They are all volunteers. Most played competitively in high school. Beck, a point guard, was captain of the varsity boys’ team at Saratoga Springs High School in New York. Michael Fredericks ’22 is the son of Kathleen Sweet ’87, who, as a center on the Boston College team, won the Women’s Big East Scholar Athlete award her senior year (and now practices law). Some of the men could have played for a Division II or III men’s basketball program, says Cohen, but they chose Boston College for its academics and reputation. “I thought about doing the D-III route,” says Garrett Ganley ’21, who captained his varsity team in Leesburg, Virginia. “But I really wanted to go to a bigger school, a well-known school.” The women improve their game by going up against the “speed and quickness” of the men, says Coach Mac. And the men “get to play high-level basketball,” says Cohen, and enjoy some measure of the discipline and the coaching that entails. “it’s cool being within a big-time Division I program,” says Beck. He and Ganley are sitting at a table upstairs in Corcoran Commons a month into the season. Beck cites the energy level at practices
and says, “I’m still competitive, and I still want that kind of competition.” The women “expect us to go as hard as we can and try to beat them,” responds Ganley, who is 6’4”. “I’m used to being a big dude,” he says, but he is often bumped and outmuscled by 6’3” Emma Guy, an Eagles’ starting forward. “She always bodies me and gets up a shot.” “We’re always catching elbows,” adds Beck. Guy ’20 laughs over the phone when she’s told of this exchange. “Garrett and I go at it a lot in practice,” she concedes. “It’s great having the practice players. They bring a whole new level of intensity than when we’re just playing against each other. They’re bigger and stronger, so it’s just really useful to play against them in preparation for upcoming games.” Coach Mac has been known to tell a practice player: When a varsity member is barreling by you, let her go. Don’t step in with a block and risk injuring her. And at times the men do need to cut their strides. At practice Cohen shouts a reminder to one player, “Speedy, slow yourself down!” “If you’re faster than the woman who’s guarding you, and you can go by her every time—that’s not making her better,” Beck says. “Making them better is helping them work on what they need to get better at.” According to Cohen that awareness —“the understanding that there are no practice-player All-Americans”—is key.
“Selflessness is important, and our group has that.” The practice squad doesn’t travel with the team, but at the first home game of the second semester, on January 17, a Thursday, Beck and Ganley are in the stands. The women are taking on Florida State University (FSU), a perennially troublesome opponent, and Beck points out a couple of the Seminoles. In practice, he says, “I was number 12, Garrett was number 32.” (These are a 5’9” guard and a 6’3” forward, respectively.) The men had run FSU’s “loop” offense, and throughout tonight’s first quarter the preparation seems to be working; the Eagles’ defense keeps FSU to within a few points. Eventually, though, FSU starts to pull away, eliciting groans from the two men and handing Boston College its fifth loss of the season amid 13 wins. Before college, Beck hadn’t followed women’s basketball. But being part of the women’s hoops program has “added another sense of community here,” he’d told me earlier. “We know all the players, we cheer for them and follow their season.” “Yeah,” Ganley added. “There have been times on the weekends when our friends are watching, say, a men’s DukeKentucky game on TV, and we’re over in the corner watching the BC women’s game on our laptop. It’s super fun.” n Patrick L. Kennedy ’99 is a writer in Boston.
Admission decision Starting in fall 2019, Boston College will offer an early decision option for undergraduate applicants. The program, in which high school students pledge to enroll in the University upon their acceptance, will replace the 37-year-old non-binding early action program. According to vice president of enrollment management John L. Mahoney Jr. ’79 “the popularity of the Common Application and the ease with which students can apply to college today has produced staggering application volume at competitive colleges.” Boston College, which accepts the Common Application, has a current freshman enrollment of 2,327. For the Class of 2023, the University received 35,556 applications, a record. Nearly 45 percent were early action, also a record. Early decision improves students’ chances to enter “their top college choice,” says Mahoney. It will “allow us to attract the best students, knowing that we are their top choice.” Twenty-one of the top 40 colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News and World Report offer early decision. Applicants to the Class of 2024 will have their choice of two early decision deadlines: November 1 for an acceptance notification of December 15; and January 1 for a February 15 notification. The regular decision deadline will remain January 1, for an April 1 resolution. —Zachary Jason
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In associate professor of psychology Liane Young’s Morality Lab on the third floor of Higgins Hall, lab manager Joshua Hirschfeld-Kroen (left) and Ryan McManus, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, discuss a technique for analyzing brain imaging data.
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Social medium THE BOARDS OF EDUCATION photography by lee pellegrini
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N A CA MPUS bristling with high-speed digital technology, the combination of a big board and a piece of dusty chalk or a felt-tipped pen retains its purpose, promoting collegial conversation with a backdrop of questions and ideas writ large. Senior photographer Lee Pellegrini sought out the black, green, and white boards that salt the Chestnut Hill Campus’s hallways, conference spaces, lounges, 160-plus classrooms, and more than 70 laboratories, as the fall semester neared its conclusion and as the spring semester began. —Thomas Cooper w i n t e r 20 19 v bcm
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right, top: Cubicles assigned to graduate students in the economics department on the third floor of Maloney Hall come with individual whiteboards. The one in the foreground is used by Joseph Cooprider, a Ph.D. candidate who applies machine learning to the study of heterogeneity in consumer demand. middle: On a wall in the fourth-floor Higgins Hall office of associate biology professor Timothy Van Opijnen, a birthday greeting for a student researcher claims space amid notes from Opijnen’s discussions with colleagues regarding analytic techniques and potential experiment outcomes. Opijnen studies microbial systems. bottom: Double doors in the Robsham Theater scene shop were converted to blackboards in 2017 by students using chalkboard paint. Courtney Licata, the theater department’s scenic charge artist, records equipment needs on them. opposite page, top: In a blackboard-lined alcove on the third floor of Higgins Hall, associate professor of physics Jan Engelbrecht (who studies synchrony—in an audience clapping hands or in the orbits of pairs of electrons in a superconductor) talks with doctoral candidate Tong Yang about the advantages of a particular class of oscillators in building machine learning neural networks. bottom: During his music theory course “Counterpoint,” Ralf Gawlick, associate professor of music, explores fifth species threepart counterpoint with his students, including Conor Ancharski ’20 (foreground), in a fourth-floor Lyons Hall classroom. Gawlick says he likes the “real-time” quality of a board and chalk.
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opposite page, top: Professor Ziqiang Wang, who studies condensed matter physics, prefers not to erase his office blackboard in Higgins Hall. He writes around and over earlier work and, when necessary, turns to boards in the department’s common spaces. bottom: On associate professor John Baldwin’s whiteboard are pentagrams representing a collection of 4-dimensional spaces. Baldwin’s specialty in mathematics is topology—the study of shape and space—and the board, he says, helps with “the visualization of complicated objects.” His office is in Maloney Hall. left, top: In a common area on the fifth floor of Maloney Hall, assistant professor of mathematics Kathryn Lindsey and professor Robert Meyerhoff discuss mathematical foundations of neural networks as part of a research project led by their department colleague professor Elisenda Grigsby. bottom: Notes herald a session of “Adult Health Nursing I: Clinical Laboratory” in the Connell School of Nursing’s simulation hospital ward, on the second floor of Maloney Hall. Taught by Eileen Sullivan, assistant director of the school’s learning laboratories, and clinical assistant professor Luanne Nugent, the course introduces secondyear students, who are embarking on their first hospital clinicals, to procedures and issues they will encounter.
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right, top: Fuxin Zhai (right) and Yoshibumi Makabe, both Ph.D. candidates, in the economics department’s Maloney Hall computer room, with notations made by fellow students on the boards beyond. “When working on mathematically complex models,” says department chair Christopher Baum, whose field is econometrics, “computers do some of the work for you, but there is no substitute for writing it out and working through the math on a board.” bottom: These scrawled lines from Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet survive backstage at the Bonn Studio Theater following a Shakespeare performance workshop led by the actor Maurice Parent, this year’s J. Donald Monan, SJ, Professor in Theater Arts. Slashes indicate stressed syllables in the Bard’s iambic pentameter cadence. opposite page, top: In a secondfloor Lyons Hall classroom, Ikram Easton (red jacket), professor of the practice in the Slavic and Eastern languages and literatures department, instructs Katherine Farrell ’21 and Georges AbouKasm ’21 as they work their way, right to left, through an Arabic writing exercise in the course “Elementary Arabic.” bottom: During a men’s hockey practice in Conte Forum, head coach Jerry York instructs his players from the whiteboard, including forwards Marc McLaughlin (25), a freshman, and Aapeli Rasanen (22), a sophomore.
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ThredUp’s distribution center in San Leandro, California, in 2015. Created in 2012, it was the company’s first.
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Innovation after innovation, James Reinhart ’01 is reinventing the clothing industry by janelle nanos image: ThredUp
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ames reinhart, a 39-year-old father of three, strolls into a Boston restaurant one autumn afternoon, wearing black jeans, a V-neck T-shirt, and a pair of Nikes. He’s the cofounder and chief executive of a retail clothing experiment—called ThredUP—but fashion doesn’t propel him. Reinhart ’01 has a vision of the closet of the future: It will come with a revolving door. ThredUP is an online marketplace for used clothing that has grown to be the largest secondhand consignment store on the web. Its approach to retail adds a dose of planet-consciousness to the way Americans outfit themselves; and it can be viewed as a countervailing force against the rise of “fast fashion,” in which clothing trends ricochet globally from the runway to the sweatshop to the rack at the mall, in a matter of weeks. The ease of acquiring new looks through fast fashion means the average consumer now purchases 60 percent more clothing than in 2000 but keeps items only half as long, according to the research firm McKinsey. Streamlined supply chains and aggressively cut product costs have led prices to drop so low that some people, and not just the wealthy, consider garments disposable, throwing them away after seven or eight wears. ThredUP is attempting to reshape the cycle of consumption. The San Francisco-based company helps people sell their used clothing and, in so doing, offers customers a lower-cost, more environmentally friendly alternative to fast fashion. Reinhart believes that consumer sentiment is shifting in this direction, driven largely by socially conscious millennial and Gen Z shoppers, and he anticipates that the resale clothing market will outpace fast fashion in sales by 2027. That means he is one chief executive in the clothing industry who doesn’t concern himself with what’s trending. After all, his customers provide the product, and they also determine what sells.
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love not being in the fashion business,” reinhart says. A modicum of glamour aside, fashion is a dirty business. Garment production comes in second only to petroleum mining in the amount of pollution it creates, and the notion of “wear today, gone tomorrow” clothing has been tied to countless ills, from oppressive labor practices to climate change, as reported by sources ranging from Nature to Fast Company to the UN Environment Program. Many brands, from the Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M to the upscale jeweler and accessorizer Cartier, have been caught adding to the waste, burning or otherwise destroying excess products to prevent them from ending up discounted on the secondary market. When the news broke last July that Burberry had burned more
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than $37 million of its own products in an effort to “maintain its ‘brand value’,” as the New York Times put it, Reinhart saw an opportunity. In an open letter to the British fashion company, ThredUP offered to take any excess Burberry items and sell them, pledging to donate the proceeds to an environmental charity. “The fact is, consumers are waking up to this kind of waste,” the letter stated. “They want to see brands that take action and care about the planet. Tomorrow’s successful luxury retailers will meet the ethical demands of the rising, inevitable wave of conscious consumerism.” The letter made international news, and this past fall, during New York Fashion Week, Burberry updated its policy, promising not to destroy any of its garments in the future. Although Burberry refrained from striking a deal with ThredUP, it was a win for Reinhart, and for the notion of conscious consumerism that he hopes will allow the company to be a leader in online retail—or in retail, period. Traditional consignment stores have always offered an ethical way of shopping, but they have required a lot of work, for both seller and buyer. Sellers must bag up and bring in their clothing, then wait for the stuff to sell before they see a cut. Shoppers must be ready to hunt through racks upon racks of clothes for the occasional find. Since starting ThredUP in 2009, Reinhart has sought to bring consignment into the digital age. He has made major investments in automating the systems in the company’s four warehouses across the country, introducing proprietary software that can help categorize and organize hundreds of thousands of garments. The company now processes up to 100,000 items a day, and keeps close to three million items in its inventory at any given time. Over the last decade, ThredUP has recycled more than 60 million pieces of opposite: Reinhart, at the San clothing through repurchases, Francisco headquarters. most of which, Reinhart notes, below: The founders, in 2014 at otherwise would have ended up the San Leandro facility, (left to in landfills. right) Oliver Lubin ’01, Reinhart, and Chris Homer. Each piece is photographed
Poshmark, which launched the same year, has raised $153 million. For its part, ThredUP has raised $131 million since its founding, and Reinhart has spent the last several months jetting around the country in an effort to raise more cash as he looks to steer the company toward its first public sale of stock. That’s what brought him back to Boston this September afternoon. “Our mission for the past 10 years is inspiring a new generation to shop secondhand,” he says, offering a well-honed pitch. “What we have built is an incredible operating platform. It’s supply chain, it’s data, and it’s a marketplace,” he says. “And the core marketplace that ThredUP is today is just the beginning.”
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and posted online, where shoppers can browse, filtering for brand, size, color, and price. And there are deals to be had: A $239 Ralph Lauren cocktail dress sells on ThredUP for $45; a Banana Republic sweater that sold for $78 can be snagged for $11; and Frye boots that sell for more than $368 can be scooped up for $57. According to ThredUP’s annual resale report, the secondhand clothing market—online and storefront combined—is worth $20 billion, and is predicted to double to $41 billion in sales by 2022. More women are shopping consignment than ever before—44 million in 2017, up from 35 million the year prior. ThredUP isn’t the only player in the online space. The RealReal, which focuses on luxury goods, has raised more than $288 million in funding since starting in 2011, and the peer-to-peer clothing marketplace
images: ThredUP (opposite); Peter M. Julian (above)
einhart will be the first to say that he didn’t intend to get into the clothing business. After graduating from Boston College in 2001 with majors in history and philosophy, the New Jersey native moved west, where he taught history and English to eighth and 10th graders at the Pacific Collegiate School, a charter school in Santa Cruz, California, and cofounded the Beacon Education Network, a charter school management group. After several years in the classroom, Reinhart returned to Boston in 2006 to enroll in a joint program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School. While there, he wandered into the Second Time Around consignment store, a fixture in Harvard Square, with an armful of shirts, hoping to make some quick cash. When the store turned him away—it didn’t take men’s clothes—the broke graduate student realized he had the makings of a business plan. He began developing an online marketplace for men’s shirts, pulling in his Boston College classmate, Oliver Lubin, a former computer science major who was working in marketing at a Boston law firm, to oversee design and creative, and a business school classmate, Chris Homer, as the engineering team lead. (Lubin left the company last year to pursue new ventures; Homer is now the company’s chief technology officer.) The three cofounders, together with four employees, worked out of a crowded office space near the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall that was home to other startups. Leah Busque, the founder of TaskRabbit, an online platform for freelance labor, had an office in the same building. She recalls the bizarre sight of ThredUP’s small shared workspace engulfed by piles of shirts. “I remember vividly thinking, ‘What’s going on in there?’” w i n t e r 20 19 v bcm
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The concept, meanwhile, was beginning to get press hits, including from the New York Times and the Today Show. But the cofounders weren’t seeing the volume of shirts they believed they needed to keep the business afloat. They began to look for other markets, and opted for the idea of reselling children’s clothes instead. One data point buoyed their strategy: Parents were spending $1,000 a year per child on clothes that would quickly be outgrown. In 2009, the team created a peer-to-peer marketplace that allowed parents to post and sell boxes of used onesies and toddler and kid garb directly to other customers. Their new tagline—“Clothes don’t grow. Kids do!”—immediately resonated. It was then that ThredUP began to catch the eye of venture capitalists. “I have three children myself, and I saw the pain point around consistently having drawers filled with stuff that doesn’t fit anymore,” says Patricia Nakache, a partner with Trinity Ventures and one of ThredUP’s first investors. With $1.6 million in funding in hand, the company relocated to California in 2010. Busque, the team’s neighbor at the Cambridge office, had decamped for California the year before to raise funding for TaskRabbit, and the Boston founders stayed in touch as they built their networks in Silicon Valley. Busque recalled the company’s shift to kids clothes as being “really smart and inspiring,” to the extent that “it helped me focus what I was working on at TaskRabbit and we started to hone in on specific categories.” (One of those categories was hiring freelance laborers to build IKEA furniture. This proved to be a win, as Busque sold her company to the Swedish home goods giant in 2017.) Reinhart has “always been a very strategic thinker,” Busque says. “He’s really good at parallelizing different strategies and paths and running the playbook.” With a newfound emphasis on kids clothes, the company was growing, but it still wasn’t taking off as fast as the team and investors had hoped. Reinhart recalls people telling him, “I love ThredUP but it’s too hard. . . . Can’t I just send you all my stuff and have you just take care of it?” So in 2012 Reinhart made a pivot that would shape the company’s future. Instead of maintaining a relatively passive marketplace where buyers could swap boxes, Reinhart began sending “clean-out kits” to loyal customers, on a trial basis. Users could put their cast-offs into polypropylene bags and send them back to ThredUP free of charge. The company would be the arbiter of what would and wouldn’t sell, doing the work of assessing the clothing, taking and posting photos, and handling the commercial exchange. It was a huge risk, one that could potentially alienate a slowly growing consumer base. But within days of mailing out the kits,
Reinhart remembers a delivery guy showing up at the office door, bags in hand. “Do these belong to you?” he asked. “I’ve got a bunch more down in the truck.” For Reinhart, it was the moment when he realized that he might have something big. So he asked the delivery guy to pose for a picture. He pulls it up on his phone in ThredUP’s San Francisco headquarters, which currently houses more than 120 employees. More than 1,000 additional staffers work in the company’s warehouses in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, and Arizona. And ThredUP has expanded beyond kids’ clothes to sell womenswear, handbags, and shoes (they have yet to return to their menswear roots). With 2,000 of the signature mint-on-white polka dot bags coming into the warehouses daily, employees now process a thousand pieces of clothing an hour.
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t’s a balmy autumn afternoon in walnut creek, a posh suburb of San Francisco. But inside the ThredUP retail store on the neighborhood’s main drag it feels like Christmas morning. Store manager Abby Haug, whose red hair is tied up in a Lucille
The company now keeps close to three million items in its inventory at any given time. Over the last decade, ThredUP has recycled more than 60 million pieces of clothing through repurchases. 28
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images: ThredUP (above); Peter M. Julian (opposite)
Ball-style headband, peels the tape off a cardboard box, then lets out a squeal as she reveals a supple faux fur vest. She slips it over her shoulders and crosses the front of the store to appraise herself in the floor-length mirror. In Reinhart’s mind, buying from ThredUP results in a uniquely satisfying moment for the shopper: She’s complimented on her outfit and has the added thrill of confiding that she got the perfect pair of trousers, or the designer handbag, or the garden party frock at a steep discount. ThredUP’s four retail stores, all located in the Bay Area, are an attempt to merge the company’s online acumen with a brick and mortar setting. In the retail industry, this parallel line of thinking is called omnichannel shopping. It’s led Walmart to install huge pickup towers for customers who want to buy online and grab their items in-store; and it lies behind same-day deliveries from big box stores such as Target. It’s also the reason online marketplaces such as Amazon, Bonobos, and Warby Parker have all signed opposite: Clean-out bags delivleases for storefronts. ered to ThredUP on March 26, Here in Walnut Creek, the 2012, “the first time we ever got shop is laid out like an upscale a full truck of bags,” says Reinhart. boutique, organized by color below: The company’s 2,600palate and fashion “stories” square-foot shop in Walnut Creek.
such as bohemian romance or professional workwear that help inspire consumers. “The main goal of our stores is to convince skeptics who don’t like to shop secondhand to kind of come over to the other side,” explains Heather Craig, the company’s head of retail, as she weaves her way through the racks. The store also relies heavily on data. Craig picks all of the merchandise by bulk “shopping” ThredUP’s site, and those selections are influenced by what online shoppers in surrounding zip codes have been ordering. The fun offbeat items that get put on the “new arrivals” rack near the front door are pieces that got the most “likes” from shoppers when they were first posted online. And while most retail shops’ employees unpack merchandise in back rooms, the public unboxing performed by Haug and her colleagues is part of the plan to entice customers in the door. “Customers love it and come back every day to see what we have,” Craig says. Technological savvy is not often front-and-center in the traditional secondhand stores that dot the main commercial avenue in Walnut Creek—establishments such as the Labels consignment store across the street, which has been in business for nearly two decades. In ThredUP’s store, huge interactive panels are placed in several spots on the floor, where shoppers can scan products—a pair of black chunky-heeled boots, for example—to
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see if there are others like them in their size on the website. Craig explains that the store serves as both a billboard and another way for customers to interact with the brand. Shoppers can pick up and drop off their ThredUP clean-out kits, and employees sometimes go into homes to help organize and clean out closets. The store hosts shopping event fundraisers for local schools and on the week I was visiting they were planning a pet-costume event for Halloween. New customer Lisa Tillotson was browsing the handbags that afternoon, and recalled her own time spent working behind the register of a consignment store two decades ago. The ThredUP store is “cleaner, and doesn’t have that vibe that I’m going to be in here for hours hunting,” she said. “And I love the whole recycling aspect. When you’re done, your clothing doesn’t need to go into the landfill.” But Camille Winet, who manages the Labels store, shrugged when asked about having a secondhand startup take residence across the street. Consignment shopping has always been based on relationships, she said, and ThredUP “is a little impersonal. It might be great for the onthe-go, disposable stuff that they want to be rid of. But our clients are the polar opposite,” she said. “People that sell luxury want to reacquire more luxury.”
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o call thredup a startup doesn’t really do the business justice. In reality, the company is weaving together multiple enterprises, each an attempt to carve out a niche for used clothing in an evolving retail marketplace where Sears and Macy’s shutter stores and upstart online brands innovate ways to build a wardrobe. Today, you can order subscription boxes of new clothes from Stitch Fix and Trunk Club or you can lease your clothing from Rent the Runway. It’s all part of the reinvention of retail, and this becomes clear when Reinhart introduces ThredUP’s head of special projects, Rebecca Oman. For the past year, Oman has focused on establishing a new program called Goody Boxes, a lower cost, secondhand alternative to the curated subscription-based services that provide new clothing. Oman is an MIT alumna who worked in investment banking and consulting before being drawn to ThredUP’s mission and to Reinhart’s vision for what the company can become. This very week, she says, ThredUP was launching pop-ups in 22 department stores, where its secondhand merchandise would sell alongside new labels.
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ThredUP also recently launched Reinhart meets with Maggie Cheung, ThredUP’s design Upcycle, which partners directly director, in the company’s with brands to promote the “circuopen floor workspace. lar economy.” The eco-conscious Los Angeles-based clothing line Reformation was the first to sign on, encouraging its shoppers to use a special cobranded clean-out kit. The credits earned from sales of used Reformation clothing on ThredUP can be put toward new Reformation dresses and jumpsuits. ThredUP plans to expand the program to 10 more retailers in the next year. But perhaps the most surprising experiment that Oman and Reinhart have launched is the company’s first clothing line, called Remade. ThredUP has partnered with a garment company to
image: Peter M. Julian
While most retail shops’ employees unpack merchandise in back rooms, the public unboxing performed at Walnut Creek is part of the plan to entice customers in the door. “Customers love it and come back every day.” design new pieces that will help fill the gaps in popular, but often hard to find items on its site—including plus-size dresses and shirts. They’re classic pieces—think white silk blouses and chambray button-downs—that could be considered wardrobe essentials. While the idea of producing new garments may seem antithetical to what the company stands for, Reinhart explains the twist: Everything Remade is meant to be resold into the circular economy. “It’s the first clothing line specifically with resale in mind,” he says. So if a customer buys a shirt for $50, a year later she can send it back to ThredUP for a $20 payout. The company has sewn QR codes into the garments so they can be easily tracked and processed upon return. The concept is novel, says Lauren Beitelspacher, a marketing professor at Babson College who studies the retail industry. According to her research, people are willing to pay a 20 percent premium for recycled products (such as Rothy’s shoes made from water bottles), but don’t yet have much affinity for items that have a stated plan for disposal. “I really think it’s time that we as consumers start thinking about what we’re going to do with products when we’re done with them,” she said. “But we don’t want to think about [that] when we buy them.” Like much of what Reinhart and Oman are up to, Remade is an experiment. But in addition to encouraging more shoppers to think about how they’ll recycle their garments, Reinhart hopes Remade will convince traditional retailers to look at how they can take part in the resale market. If every newly purchased Ann Taylor shirt or Theory dress had a ThredUP code in its label, that would not only revolutionize the clothing industry, it could also take ThredUP to a new level, says Al Ghorai, the company’s chief financial officer. “We need to become part of the lexicon of the world,” in the same way that “Netflix is a verb, a way of life,” Ghorai says, citing the entertainment enterprise as a model. If he and Reinhart have their way, we’ll ThredUP our clothes when we’re done wearing them and everyone will keep polka dot bags in their closet.
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f course, that’s contingent on the ability to get a ThredUP bag in the first place. For all the company’s many initiatives and experiments, a salient fact remains: Right now ThredUP is taking in far more clothing than it can sell, to the point where it has had to occasionally limit sending the clean-out kits to new customers only. Sellers have gotten frustrated as the payouts have gradually been lowered over time, and the company is now trying to allow people to price their own items. Reinhart explains that once the company emerged as a one-stop solution for used clothing, it was inevitable that ThredUP would
receive items that didn’t meet its standards. “We can’t get people to stop sending us stuff,” he says. Currently, only 40 percent of items that arrive at the warehouses make it online. The rest are donated or sent to third-party textile recyclers. Hitches like this concern Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College who studies consumer culture. While she appreciates the stated mission of ThredUP, she questions the authenticity of the claim that it’s having a beneficial environmental impact, pointing out that the shipping and processing of the bags contribute their own greenhouse gases. “I feel like the company is oriented much more to people who like clothes than to those who are eco-conscious,” she says. ThredUP customers “don’t like to wear out clothes, they like to change their wardrobe. I think the finances of that are a lot more salient than the environmental or social impacts.” Reinhart admits to currently having a “lumpy” supply chain, in the parlance of supply and demand experts, which means often having more product than he can effectively sell. And the fact that high rent and infrastructure shortcomings forced the company to close its California warehouse in December and relocate the contents to Phoenix exacerbated the garment glut. “We’re building capacity,” Reinhart says, and he notes the proprietary software that automates his warehouse system will help the expansion, as he anticipates another facility coming online next year at a site yet to be announced. That software, he says, will allow ThredUP to beat the competition in the secondhand market. And it’s also the differentiation between his company and the 800-pound gorilla of the retail world: Amazon. Reinhart believes that ThredUP’s supply chain—designed to take in random products from customers, process them, and turn them back around—is too complicated a system for Amazon’s vast portfolio of businesses, suggesting that for now, at least, he’s safe. And if the economy enters into another recession, more shoppers will be looking to buy secondhand. Ultimately, Reinhart realizes that taking ThredUP public— or getting to the point where the company is a verb—will require convincing people by any means possible that shopping secondhand has to be the first option they think of when they need clothes. “We have to change things so that secondhand no longer has that stigma,” he says. “That shift of consumer mindset is my dream. I think you’ll start to see people celebrate how smart they are” when they shop secondhand, he says. “Part of our job is to weave ourselves into the fabric of your life.” n Janelle Nanos ’02 is a business reporter at the Boston Globe. She is also a visiting lecturer in Boston College’s journalism program, teaching “Magazine Journalism” this spring.
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True art’s course A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTISTS AMONG US
BY ELLEN WINNER
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E DO NOT HEAR PARENTS PRAISING THEIR CHILDREN
as little doctors. But parents typically see their children as little artists. That is because, if given the chance and the materials, all children paint and draw. In the intensity and playfulness with which preschool children paint, they resemble artists. Suns can be green, grass purple. Their drawings are spontaneous, imaginative, appealing. After the productive preschool drawing years, at least in the West, as children move into middle childhood, they draw less often. And when they do draw, they are motivated to draw things “the right way,” and their drawings become stereotyped and constrained. These older children want to master the graphic conventions of their culture. In the West, this leads to an interest in the rules of realism (perspective, shading, neatness, and yellow rather than green suns). In their desire to do things right, their works, while more realistic than those of preschoolers, seem also less aesthetically pleasing—at least to the eye trained in the modernism of Klee, Miró, left: The artist Françoise Gilot with her son Claude and daughter Paloma, in a 1954 work of oil on canvas by the children’s father, Pablo Picasso.
image: © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY / © 2019 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
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Kandinsky, Picasso, and other 20th-century Western painters. One could slip a five-year-old’s painting into a modern art museum and fool some people, but one could not get away with doing that with a 10-year-old’s painting. I have come to think of artistic development as U-shaped—with high playfulness and artistry in the preschool years, a decline in middle childhood into the “literal stage,” and a return to artistry, playfulness, and experimentation in those individuals who go on to become artists. Colleagues and I showed this by asking children ages six to 12 to complete “incomplete” copies of drawings varying in realism. For example, we gave them two Picasso drawings, one far more realistic than the other, each with an arm and hand erased. We pointed to the blank space and told children to try to add the arm and hand the way the artist would have done. We scored their completions in terms of whether the level of realism in the drawing was matched. Six-year-olds performed better than both eight- and 10-year-olds and did as well as the 12-year-olds. For example, they completed the schematic, non-realistic Picasso drawing by adding an arm with a non-realistic, schematic hand; they completed the realistic Picasso with a far more realistic hand. But the eight- and 10-year-olds completed all works in a realistic way. They appeared consumed with the goal of realism and were unwilling to draw non-realistically even when this would have resulted in more stylistic consistency. The 12-year-olds performed equal to the six-year-olds, and therefore better than the eight- and 10-year-olds. The strongest evidence for U-shaped development in drawing has been provided by Jessica Davis, when she was at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She asked the following age groups to draw: five-yearolds, presumed to be at the high end of the U-curve in the aesthetic dimensions of their drawings; eight-, 11-, and 14-yearolds and non-artist adults, presumed to be in the literal, conventional stage; and 14-year-old self-declared artists and professional adult artists, presumed to have emerged from the literal stage. All Davis asked of her participants was to make three drawings: Draw happy, draw sad, and draw angry. Then the drawings were scored (by judges who did not know the ages of the makers) for expression, balance, appropriate use of line as a means of expression (e.g., sharp, angled lines to express anger), and appropriate use of composition as a means of expression (for example, an asymmetrical composition as more expressive of sadness than a symmetrical composition). The results were striking. Scores for the adult artists’ drawings were significantly higher than scores for the works of children ages eight, 11, and 14 (non-artists) and adults (non-artists), but did not differ from the scores of two other groups—the youngest children
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(age five) and the adolescents top: A preschooler’s creation. bottom: A drawing from middle who saw themselves as artists. childhood, aka the “literal stage.” Thus, only the five-year-olds’ drawings were judged comparable to those by adult and adolescent artists, revealing again that U-shaped developmental curve. David Pariser and Axel van den Berg (art educator and sociologist, respectively) have countered that the U-shaped curve is culturally determined—a product of the Western expressionist aesthetic. They repeated Davis’s study with Chinese-Canadian children living in Montreal. Judges were instructed to use Davis’s scoring method. Two judges were from the United States, and two were Chinese-Canadians in Montreal. The judges from the United States replicated the Davis U-shaped curve. But those from the Chinese community did not: The graph produced by their scores showed no decline, revealing that the Chinese judges did not value
images: Collection of the author (above and opposite left); Gracie Pekrul, by permission (opposite, right)
ONE COULD SLIP A FIVE-YEAR-OLD’S PAINTING INTO A MODERN ART MUSEUM AND FOOL PEOPLE, BUT NOT A 10-YEAR-OLD’S PAINTING. the aesthetic qualities of the five-year-olds’ drawings over those of the older children’s. In fact, their scores seemed to reflect a valuing of technical skill over playfulness and expressivity. This cultural difference in the judging eye was even more pronounced when judges did not have to follow any scoring protocol and were simply asked to put the drawings into three piles: best, just OK, and poorest. The Chinese judges scored the drawings of the youngest below those of all others; the U.S. judges scored them as among the best. The decline in artistry ascribed by the Western judges can be observed in the verbal arts, as well—namely, in the creation of metaphors. I have found that two- and three-year-olds use words non-literally. A folded potato chip is labeled “cowboy hat,” a yo-yo held up to the chin is a “beard,” a peanut shell being pried open is a “crocodile’s mouth,” and freckles are called “cornflakes.” There is plenty of evidence that the children who said these things were not making honest mistakes but were being deliberately playful. Either they had previously identified the objects by their conventional names, or they smiled with delight as they named them, or their non-literal namings were accompanied by pretend play (e.g., putting the yo-yo to the chin and laughing). But by the school years, these kinds of non-conventional labels become less common. Children now want to use words the way they are supposed to be used. Whether future poets manifest this same decline in playful use of language in the school years has never been documented.
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OME CHILDREN SHOW A STRIKING GIFT FOR
drawing realistically at a very young age. The drawing below, right, was made by a gifted three-year-old—a child we would call a precocious realist. Compare it to a typical “tadpole” human figure
drawn by another child at age three, below, left. Developmental psychologist Constance Milbrath has demonstrated that gifted child artists use foreshortening by age seven or eight, while typical children only get there by 13 or 14. The ability to draw realistically at an early age can be seen in the childhood drawings of artists including Pablo Picasso, John Everett Millais, Edwin Henry Landseer, John Singer Sargent, Paul Klee, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Picasso spoke of one childhood drawing in this way: I was perhaps six. . . . In my father’s house there was a statue of Hercules with his club in the corridor, and I drew Hercules. But it wasn’t a child’s drawing. It was a real drawing, representing Hercules with his club. In the West, who are the children who emerge from the dip in the U to become artists? Are they the talented few, or just those who work much harder than others at honing their skill? Talent is a word that upsets a lot of people. It has become fashionable today to believe that our greatest accomplishments, including in the arts, are the product not of talent but of hard work—specifically, of 10,000 hours of hard work. The so-called 10,000-hour dictum was developed by psychologist Anders Ericsson (who used the term deliberate practice instead of hard work, referring to the process of practicing repeatedly and mindfully what is most difficult). It was later popularized by Malcolm Gladwell. But while deliberate practice is necessary for the achievement of high levels of expertise, it is simply not sufficient. Talent—the innate proclivity to learn easily and quickly in a particular domain—is also a necessary ingredient and should not be lightly dismissed. Most children are languagelearning prodigies: They acquire the language of their culture rapidly and with no direct instruction. They have brains wired to acquire language. But only a small subset of children are prodigies in other areas—in drawing, say, or music, mathematics, or chess. Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss had this to say about the kind of mind that could compose music: “We do not understand the difference between the very few minds that secrete music and the Drawings by two different three-yearolds. The depiction on the left is more typical of the age.
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vast numbers in which the phenomenon does not take place, although they are usually sensitive to music. However, the difference is so obvious, and is noticeable at so early an age, that we cannot but suspect that it implies the existence of very special and deep-seated properties.” One cannot bribe a typical child to draw all day, but the precocious children I studied with psychologist Jennifer Drake, Ph.D.’12, insisted on spending their time in this way. Parents reported that these children sometimes had to be dragged away from drawing in order to eat, sleep, go to school, and be sociable. These children showed what we called a “rage to master” in the domain of drawing—a strong drive to figure out the rules of graphic representation. They drew constantly and compulsively. One child we studied drew his first face at age three—a circle with two eyes—and then went on to draw four hundred faces like that, all in one sitting. Such intense interest must be part and parcel of talent. The desire to work so hard at something comes from within, not without, and occurs almost always when there is an ability to achieve at high levels with relative ease. Occasionally we spot examples of a rage to master without particularly high ability. The child psychologist Gertrude Hildreth documented the output of a child who made more than 2,000 drawings of trains between the ages of two and 11. His drawings were better than average, but he never progressed to prodigy level. This child showed what can be achieved through hard work but no unusual talent.
I
HAVE TRIED TO MAKE A CASE FOR THE NECES-
sity of inborn talent in becoming a visual artist. But even talent plus hard work cannot ensure that a child prodigy in an art form goes on to become an adult artist in that art form. The highest possible endpoint of artistic talent is creativity in the sense of domain-altering innovation—big-C creativity. Only a fraction of children gifted in any domain eventually become its revolutionary adult creators. Why? The answer is that the skill of being a prodigy is not the same as the skill of being a big-C creator—at least this is true in the West. A prodigy is someone who can easily and rapidly master an already-established domain. A creator is someone who disrupts and changes a domain. All young children, whether typical or gifted, say charmingly creative things that no adult would say and engage in fantasy play. However, this kind of universal creative thinking is quite different from the kind of big-C creativity that is involved in reshaping a domain. Creators seek to shake things up. They are restless, rebellious, and dissatisfied with the status quo. They are courageous and independent. The bottom line is that we should never expect a prodigy to go on to become a creator. The ones who do make this transition are the exception, not the rule. Expecting a prodigy to become a major creator is unfair and psychologically damaging to those who do not have the will and personality to accomplish it.
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What I have said here about the difficult transition from prodigy to major creator is likely culture-bound. In the West we valorize originality in the arts; talent without originality is of little interest. In Asian cultures, at least traditionally, originality in art is less important than skill. Artists were meant to spend most of their lives mastering the styles of their teachers, only very late moving on to a somewhat new style of their own. Cultures’ differing emphases on originality versus skill must affect the kind of individual who becomes an artist—an intriguing question that remains to be pursued. If high achievement in art requires some sort of inborn ability, then skill in art-making would seem to be an adaptive trait, tied to genetic advancement. But while it is easy to speculate on the survival value of language or tool use, it’s not so easy to come up with a natural selection explanation for why art evolved in humans. Evolutionary psychologists have tried, of course. They have argued that fiction is a form of virtual reality that allows us to practice (in the safety of our imaginations) how to behave in different kinds of roles and social relationships. And people who are more skilled at social relationships may be more likely to reproduce and spread their genes. Another commonly heard argument is that artistry is a form of sexual selection. Just as Darwin noted that the peacock’s tail attracts female mates, certain valued human behaviors are also said to be attractive to potential partners. Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller argues that intelligence, humor, creativity, altruism, and artistic ability are all traits likely to improve reproductive success. Others, such as cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker, have argued that art is a spandrel—it evolved as a by-product of our complex brains, with no survival function of its own. In contrast, neurobiologist Semir Zeki sees the function of art as an extension of the function of the brain—“the seeking of knowledge in an ever-changing world.” If art-making is a way of understanding the world (a position the philosopher Nelson Goodman took), then art-making is not a spandrel, as knowledge of one’s environment is absolutely foundational for survival. Such arguments for art are extremely difficult to test. While art serves many very important psychological functions from culture to culture, we cannot say that these functions are why art evolved, or that without art we would not have survived. With our brains comes the urge to make things, not just to notice them, and the capacity to get immense pleasure from making things that are to be contemplated rather than to serve some instrumental purpose. Without art, Homo sapiens might have survived, but we would be a very different kind of species. n Ellen Winner is a professor of psychology at Boston College, where she directs the Arts and Mind Lab, and is also a senior research associate at Project Zero, in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Her essay is drawn and adapted by permission of Oxford University Press from How Art Works: A Psychological Exploration (copyright © 2019 by Ellen Winner). The book may be ordered at a discount from the Boston College Bookstore via bc.edu/bcm.
CON TE NT S 38 Ireland’s chance
End Notes
after Tuam 40 Fr. McElroy’s eyes
A historian’s tale of medicine, character, and the rewards of curiosity
image: McMullen Museum of Art, Tellalian Collection
From the McMullen Museum
Recovering the truth, framing justice,
Dated between the fifth and seventh centuries, this 7 x 7.5-inch Egyptian roundel, crafted of wool on undyed linen, adorned a burial tunic of the Coptic era when Egypt was a Roman province. The bejeweled woman at the center of the cross, adorned with a halo and a crown, is thought to be either a Christian saint or Tyche, the Greek goddess of fortune. Coptic objects often gave off “mixed messages,” noted McMullen director Nancy Netzer in an interview posted on the Boston College Libraries website. “They said one thing to Christians . . . other things to Egyptians [and] pagans. They were helpful to people who were hedging their bets.” The piece is among 34 Coptic textiles presented to the McMullen Museum in April 2018, along with a 129-volume related library, by Newton collectors Donald and Barbara Tellalian. The museum is planning a digital monograph about the textiles.
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The garden memorial behind the site of the St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, where infant remains were found.
I R E L A N D ’ S C H A NC E By Katherine Zappone Recovering the truth, framing justice, after Tuam
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et me start with a story. On May 29, 2018, I announced, as Ireland’s Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, that clear and robust evidence existed of 126 cases of illegal registration of births. Illegal registration occurs when a child is placed with a couple or individual who was not the parent, but the birth is then registered as if the child had been born to that couple or individual. My announcement came 14 months after the Mother and Baby Homes Commission, which I oversee, made a formal statement that significant quantities of baby, infant, and children’s remains had been found in a sewage system at the site of a former mother and baby home run by the Bon Secours nuns in Tuam, a small town north of Galway. For 14 months we had been responding to the shock and horror of the Tuam excavations—mere moments compared to the time endured by survivors and families associated with the home, which opened in 1925 and closed in 1961. And then, the evidence of illegal registrations came to light—just the tip of the iceberg said many survivors, advocates, and journalists.
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I took a cycle on a Wicklow road a few days later, and went down a laneway to the Manor Kilbride cemetery where my spouse, Ann Louise, is buried. She often said, “Image the possible,” especially during times when change seemed impossible. I had the phrase etched on her gravestone, and I sat beside it that afternoon, and made a phone call to Mary Robinson, Ireland’s former president. We talked about how Ireland, as a state and a society, has caused too much pain. We acknowledged that there has been an imbalance of power, that women and children have had no voice. And we discussed the possibility of a truth-telling process, broader than anything done so far. Our country, Ireland, is beginning to confront and accept the truth about a dark chapter in our recent history, a period of incarceration, punishment, and ostracism, which led to shame, marginalism, and abuse. As we move forward, we have ethical and moral duties of justice and love for those who lived in the mother and baby homes. We must recognize that there is an on-going relationship between us, the living, and those who died in the homes. At the
images: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/The NewYork Times/Redux (above); Old Tuam Society (opposite)
heart of this relationship is the bond of love between each human person, which requires us always to act with empathy toward others, especially those who have been stigmatized. In the case of the mother and baby home in Tuam—and other institutions—it demands that we make decisions that recognize these were people whose futures were denied them, people with families and relatives, and that they were part of our community. the government of ireland has listened to the voices of survivors and their loved ones—voices that were ignored for decades—and has set in motion measures to ensure we get to the truth of what happened in Tuam. Officials are beginning the work of drafting legislation to allow us to examine forensically the site and the remains it contains. All relevant government departments have been brought together and will work under the leadership of my officials. As a society we have only one chance to get this right. Every effort will be made to locate and recover all juvenile remains from the site. It is the very least their loved ones are entitled to. However, if we are genuine about confronting the past then we must accept that what happened there is only part of our difficult history. Our shared aspiration must be a course of transitional justice, a tangible transition from those punitive, paternalistic, and misogynistic underpinnings that continue to work themselves out in our state—in the institutions of criminal justice and education, medicine, and welfare. This cannot be just about law, though law is not unimportant: There are questions of legal responsibility and there are changes in law that will need to be addressed. But where in legalism can we find openness, trust, love, and listening? Time is of the essence. Many victims and survivors who are still alive are older. They are entitled to the opportunity to tell their experiences, to be heard and to be listened to. Any discussion of transitional justice must of course answer
the question: What are we transitioning from? Until very recent times the Irish state, society, and certainly the Catholic Church treated membership in a religious denomination (mostly Catholic, of course) and citizenship as a common bond. Any breach of the Church’s rules—in particular for women who had sex outside marriage—brought about punishments that were religious, carceral, and often corporeal. People were denied their freedom— effectively incarcerated by the connivance of Church, state, and society. Sometimes this was carried out with the direct sanction of the state. It is common to say that Ireland has changed. That we live in a country which is nothing like the one I arrived in during 1983 and certainly a lot different from the Ireland of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. But while Ireland may have changed, has it really transitioned to a republic of equality, justice, empathy, and love that so many of us desire? It is difficult to respond positively when we have marginalization of the traveling community, an unrepresentative parliamentary system, poverty—child poverty—and homelessness. Much of the architecture of past oppressions, of gender injustice with all its class implications, has yet to be dismantled. We are not the first country to have to address and accept difficult truths—to confront a dark chapter of our recent past. As the minister leading the government’s response to the issue of mother and baby homes I have been consulting experts in the field—and looking at international experience. Some issues are clear: We need a truth recovery process, with victims and survivors at its core. Such an approach will need to encompass the breadth and depth of their experiences and lead to the recording and acknowledging of what is our shared national truth. I do not underestimate the challenge in arriving at that goal. Transitional justice is not easy—it is not intended to be. I am committed to making sure that we comply with international standards and norms, including our obligations under international human rights law. And I want to make sure that all of those
The Bon Secours home, date unknown. It was replaced in the Sixties by housing and a playground.
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affected are central to the design and implementation of what we do next. What happened was part of a pattern of gender injustice that we cannot overcome if we do not acknowledge it. So often it was women—either as mothers or as children—who were affected. Their voices and their rights must be respected in this process. We must continue to build trust. Without trust between survivors, victims, families, religious orders, the state, and societyat-large we cannot achieve the dispositional shift to transitional justice. Appropriate supports for survivors are integral to the path toward that goal. We must be willing and able to disrupt the status quo. To challenge the historical narrative. i have learned that love—the connection with empathy, the ability to feel the emotions of another—is necessary for any systemic change. My beloved Ann Louise and I felt so strongly about this that in our book, Our Lives Out Loud: In Pursuit of Justice and Equality (2008), we wrote: “The revolutionary path goes askew unless I bring my soul and my heart as well as my mind to the work. Analysis without empathy produces solutions for the powerful only.” Starting from love requires a willingness to engage in hard conversations, to listen, to receive criticism, and to feel the pain of others. It requires us to “image the possible” by imagining and then building a new way of thinking about our past and about the future of our country. I will conclude with one more story—the Irish are storytellers! It is Wednesday, the 22nd of February, 2017. It is the day after the commissioners and the state pathologist told me, in Leinster House, home of the Oireachtas, Ireland’s parliament, that they had found children’s remains. I knew it would take considerable time before I could respond adequately as minister. But I had, now, the knowledge of what had been done to the children. So, I traveled to the Tuam site the next morning, and arrived just as the dawn broke. I had taken some snowdrops from our Shanty garden. Ann Louise found some holy water for me. My driver
helped me to stand on top of a stone wall, so that I could look over the barricade fences that had been erected around the memorial garden on the grounds. And I read these words that I had written on the way to Tuam. A Burial Ritual affirmation and making visible As the Minister for Children of the Irish Government, I come to acknowledge and affirm your short life. I come to acknowledge now, what should have been yours / long ago, Recognition that you are Imago Dei. apology and bereavement As the Minister for Children of the Irish Government, I come to offer you an apology For your hiddenness For your silenced life For the terrible manner in which you were buried. Your families and the Irish people are bereaved, Because you did exist. blessing As the Minister for Children of the Irish Government, I come to bless you, to acknowledge the goodness of your life I come to bless the ground where you have been buried I come to bless the memory of your mother. Amen. n Katherine Zappone, Ph.D.’86, is Ireland’s Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Her essay is drawn from her talk at Boston College on November 1, 2018, part of a two-day conference titled “Towards Transitional Justice: Recognition, Truth-telling, and Institutional Abuse in Ireland.” The event, sponsored by 16 schools, departments, centers, and institutes across the University, featured presenters from the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, and Italy.
F R . M C E L R OY ’ S E Y E S By Seth Meehan A historian’s tale of medicine, character, and the rewards of curiosity
No American Jesuit in the first half of the 19th century left a greater mark on the religious landscape than did John McElroy . . . founder of colleges, builder of churches, Army chaplain during the MexicanAmerican War, itinerant preacher of missions from Canada to Mexico. —Robert Emmett Curran, in American Jesuit Spirituality (1988)
T
he first biogr aphy of john mcelroy was diminutive in size and scope. Poet Esmeralda Boyle, chronicler of prominent Marylanders, published Father John McElroy, The Irish
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Priest in 1878. At 6” x 3¾” and 31 pages, the text missed many stories (such as McElroy’s Army service) and got many facts wrong, such as when he died—at age 95, on September 12, 1877—mere months before. Still, Boyle’s slim volume, along with a 20thcentury gloss of handwritten corrections to a copy now held at Georgetown University, are two of the sources that have sent me looking for fresh details and vantage points on Boston College’s founder, as I research what I anticipate will be the second biography of the Jesuit John McElroy.
clouded lens to below the pupil so some degree of vision returned. The copy of Boyle’s text at Georgetown has a handwritten Extensively trained at Giessen, Wiesbaden, Berlin, and Paris, inscription on the title page: “From Margaret L. Boucher, GreatReuling introduced techniques and tools that were, for America, grand niece of Rev. John McElroy, S.J.” A few hours of looking trailblazing. A patient did not need chloroform, he wrote in his on ancestry.com and I traced Boucher to Catherine Lindsey, adoptive country’s medical journals. And Reuling preferred the McElroy’s older sister, Boucher’s great-grandmother. Boucher’s new, very thin von Graefe knife (which required exquisite skill to corrections to Boyle’s early biography have led me down numerous wield). He used it to make a small corneal incision before he applied historical rabbit holes—some profitable, some not, and others that “forceps near the inferior segment of the cornea and roll[ed] the have yet to play out. If McElroy followed a younger brother (accordeye very gently downward, without exerting the slightest pressure.” ing to Boucher), not an older one (as Boyle writes), to Baltimore Then he employed a long, oval rim of silver (designed for him by a from Ireland in 1803, was that sibling the Thomas McElroy, groLondon manufacturer) to remove the cataract. cer, mentioned in city directories of the time? Boyle reported this McElroy arrived at Reuling’s hospital on November 20, and the sibling owned a “small store”; Boucher called it a “drug store.” And surgery took place three days later. It was an apparent success, but does this detail matter to the life of McElroy? Possibly not. McElroy’s age showed. Reuling’s patients typically recovered in Boyle, however, did introduce me to “Dr. George M. Reuling, two to four weeks. McElroy remained in convalescence at nearby of Baltimore city.” And the association between the young doctor, Loyola College for some five months. who was an ophthalmologist, and the old Jesuit, who was fully I recall a pair of letters in the Jesuits’ Maryland Province Archive. blind for more than two years, speaks to questions that intrigue me. One, dated February 8, 1869, is likely the last I have by McElroy, “Gradually and without pain,” as he wrote in his journal, while the other is a copy of a letter from Reuling. The patient had McElroy had lost his vision over a half decade, his eyes’ natural written the doctor, more than once, about his bill. Reuling finally lenses growing clouded (becoming cataracts), beginning months replied “to put your mind at rest.” The doctor explained that “the after he secured the charter to open Boston College in 1863. In highest gratification a professional man can feel is the conscious1868, at the age of 86, he opted to go under the knife—likely withness of having afforded some relief or accomplished some good out anesthesia—to have cataract surgery. What was cataract surfor his fellow man.” But for a patient such as McElroy, “one whose gery even like in 1868? I pictured primitive instruments wielded by whole life has been devoted to acts of charity and to the promotion a doctor in a blood-stained apron, the very apron previously worn, of the well being of his race,” that gratification was “more especialperhaps, to perform surgeries on the battlefields of the Civil War. ly the case.” The doctor refused payment for the surgery, promising The best part of following a historical lead is finding out someto send a bill for new glasses “and nothing more.” thing revelatory about your subject, a piece of the puzzle that conMcElroy’s reply was effusive: “Esteemed Benefactor, owing to nects with another that connects with another. The second-best you, under God, the priceless gift of sight restored, I may almost part is learning something about which you previously knew nothliterally address you in the affectionately poetic and beautiful laning. Reuling served both ends for me. guage of my native land, as ‘the light of my eyes’. . . . Daily will I call In 1885, the Virginia Medical Monthly published a biographical upon the great Father of Lights that he may shower blessings upon sketch of Dr. Reuling. As that profile recalled, a Baltimore busiyou that will not end with time but follow you to heaven where, nessman traveled to Europe in 1867 or 1868 in search of the cononly, vision is perfect, for here we all see darkly through a glass.” tinent’s best and most promising eye surgeon, someone he could McElroy’s decision to visit Reuling—and his likely persisbring to Baltimore to help his daughter. Alexander Pagenstecher, tence in getting his superior’s permission a German ophthalmologist and arguably for the visit—reveals that the 86-year-old the most distinguished specialist at the Jesuit in 1868 had much in common with time, recommended one man for the job: the 24-year-old Irishman who entered the Reuling, age 29, with a medical degree just Society of Jesus in 1806. The young man two years old. desired to serve the greater glory of God, In October 1868, Reuling opened going so far as to risk joining the work of the Eye and Ear Infirmary in Baltimore. a teaching and ministering order that the Within a week, patients occupied the hospope had yet to restore after a predecespital’s 15 beds, and, within a year, nearly sor's suppression of it 33 years before. 1,000 patients had been treated, including The elder retained that restlessness and 88 for cataracts. Among the latter was John yearning, choosing to be among a young McElroy. doctor’s first patients for the chance, he McElroy’s own post-operative summatold Reuling, “to look once more on the ry recalls that he’d heard of “a celebrated pleasant light of the sun, and beauty of oculist” from Germany who was “very sucGod’s creation.” n cessful in removing cataracts.” Removing the cataracts was key to the young doctor’s appeal. For at least 4,000 years, cataracts Seth Meehan, Ph.D.’14, is associate director had been treated by a process called “couchof the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies ing,” inserting a fine needle to nudge the at Boston College. McElroy, in an undated photograph.
image: Georgetown University Archives
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NEWS & NOTES
Exploring the Liberal Arts Advantage
Passion leads to happiness. You’re going to be better at the things you love, so focus on figuring out what they are.
Exploring the Liberal Arts Advantage
F
0r three chilly days in January, dozens of enthusiastic alumni—more than ever before— joined the Boston College Career Center to help BC sophomores and juniors spark connections between their liberal arts studies and their career
interests. Now in its fourth year, Endeavor was inspired by Elaina Bell ’15 and developed through a gift from her parents, Lee and Mike. “Students like Elaina, who’ve had a broad-ranging, comprehensive education, are intellectually prepared to make tremendous contributions to the world,” says Lee Bell. “But they may need guidance to find their path.” As alumni share their own professional journeys, they often highlight unexpected ways their liberal arts degrees gave them an edge. As keynote speaker Austin Bryant ’09 said, “It may not be a straight carryover, but the skills you build here will make you successful on your career path.”
Find your north star.
AUSTIN BRYANT ’09: Four Things I’ve Learned Since Graduation Bryant—once an English major, now a producer on the brand design team for Converse— shared some insights gleaned in the decade since he left the Heights.
Pursue a goal you’re always working toward. Course correct when necessary.
Embrace self-discovery. Continue to learn about yourself and the things that fulfill you. Do those things!
Know the person beyond your résumé. Think deeper. Who are you beyond your list of accomplishments?
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To learn more about how you can get involved in the next Endeavor program, visit: bc.edu/Endeavor2020. 42
Inside
CLASS NOTES Profile 57 Dan Stokes ’97
Advancing Boston College 62 Brighter Together
1948
1952
Please note that our annual memorial Mass and luncheon will no longer be held. • Paul Lannon reports that his grandson Andy Christos (17) was honored when he scored his 1,000th point for the Madison (NJ) High School basketball team. A banner was lowered with his name and those of two past high scorers. Andy was a three-sport athlete but gave up football (he was a quarterback) and lacrosse this year to concentrate on basketball, serving as team captain. His sister Kate (16), also a threesport athlete, is a sophomore at Madison High. She recently received a number of recruitment letters for lacrosse from Duke, Harvard, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and the University of Colorado. Paul has had a third pacemaker inserted. Anyone had a fourth? Correspondent: Timothy C. Buckley buckbirch@aol.com 41 Birchwood Lane Lincoln, MA 01773
Correspondent: Frank McGee fjamesmcgee@gmail.com 3 Webster Square #314 Marshfield, MA 02050; 781-834-4690
1949 70TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Boston College Alumni Association classnotes@bc.edu Cadigan Alumni Center 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
1950 Upcoming
EVENTS Learn more or register for these and other events at www.bc.edu/forbc.
Boston College Alumni Association classnotes@bc.edu Cadigan Alumni Center 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
NC 1950–1953
Distinguished Volunteer Awards Dinner
As I write these notes, there are still some exquisite autumn colors, for now at least. I am calling my morning walk my foliage tour. • Please join me in sending condolences and prayers to Anne Elcock Sullivan NC’51 on the death of her husband, John “Jack,” and to Gerry Fisher Di Cristina NC’53 on the tragic death of her son. (For news of alumnae we have recently lost, please turn to the Obituaries section following Class Notes.) • I hope that the new year is filled with peace and joy for you and your families. Correspondent: Ann Fulton Coté NC’53 171 Swanton Street, No. 79 Winchester, MA 01890; 781-729-8512
April
1951
Global Days of Service (all month)
Boston College Alumni Association classnotes@bc.edu Cadigan Alumni Center 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Check often for upcoming chapter, class, and affinity-group activities.
March 31 Laetare Sunday
April 5
1953 Correspondent: Jim Willwerth jammw19@aol.com 19 Sheffield Way Westborough, MA 01581; 508-366-5400
1954 65TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 I just celebrated my 86th birthday, and I feel no older than 87. How did those of us who have come this far get here? Did you ever think that you would have children in their 50s and 60s and great-grandchildren to boot? We all have a lot of scars but good memories as well. But enough of this oldman stuff. • You will note that we did not have a memorial Mass this year; by the time I was aware of the scheduling of the larger BC memorial Mass, I did not have time to contact classmates as I did last year. • I recently chatted with Peter Nobile, who reports that he gets into the office from time to time and sees old friends. • I got a note from Jim Buckley, of Milford, that began: “I have not corresponded with you in the past, so I decided to make up for lost time now.” A history major at BC, Jim spent the first 10 years of his career as a junior high school teacher in Boston. In 1967 he was selected for admission to a doctoral program at Harvard, where he received a PhD in 1970. Jim served as assistant superintendent of schools in Springfield and subsequently as superintendent of schools in Milford and Peabody. Jim met his wife when they both appeared in a play at Tufts University’s Arena Theater. All six of their kids have appeared in plays as well. Since 1972, Jim has been a cantor at Sacred Heart Church in Hopedale. He has also been teaching an online course at UMass Boston since 2008. Thanks for writing, Jim! • Hopefully, some of you will emulate Jim and write or call me for future columns. Correspondent: John Ford jrfeagle1@gmail.com 45 Waterford Drive Worcester, MA 01602; 508-755-3615
NC 1954 65TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 BC suggested a theme for this issue’s class notes: recall special memories at Newton and share them with classmates. Two of our classmates shared their memories. • Mary Evans Bapst graduated from a threeyear-program high school in Quebec, where she became fluent in French. Her Newton memory was that Hilda Carey, RSCJ, NC’50 suggested she try for admission to Newton; 43
Dean Louise Keyes, RSCJ, accepted her on a trial basis, since her acquired French culture supplanted other areas of lesser competency. Mary, who majored in French and music, wrote: “The Newton experience, with its fine teachers and dedicated Christcentered religious, encouraged intellectual and spiritual growth.” • Maureen Cohalan Curry recalled that she had pleasant memories of making friends with students in other Newton classes. The college was small, and there was always interaction with other students in class and other activities. • Evie Higgins Beveridge had some current news: She recently had two knees replaced, and she was planning on recuperating at home and in Florida while catching up on her reading. Evie also wanted her classmates to know that her sister, Alice Higgins Slattery NC’53, MEd’80, DEd’89, died in August. Please keep Alice in your prayers. • I wish everyone a winter that will be kind to all of us living in the cold and snowy United States. Thank you to all who contributed news to our column in 2018! Correspondent: Mary Helen FitzGerald Daly 700 Laurel Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091; 847-251-3837
1955 It is always delightful to turn on Boston’s CatholicTV for the daily Mass and to find that the celebrant is Msgr. Frank Strahan. His homilies are always meaningful, and, yes, his singing voice is still excellent. • Jean O’Neil, MS’63, and two other retired colleagues represented Boston College at the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education’s biennial conference, held at Emory University in Atlanta. They presented a report on the formation, growth, and planned future development of BC’s Association of Retired Faculty. An added bonus was a meeting with other Jesuit college representatives; they plan to keep connected in the future. • While trying to declutter here at home, I found a picture of Mary Shaughnessy Sharp and yours truly that had appeared in the Boston Globe while we were on affiliation at Boston City Hospital. At that time, the USS Leyte had suffered a major fire, and there were so many casualties that some were admitted to Peabody 1 at BCH. We accompanied one patient as he was being transferred to Chelsea Naval Hospital and were unknowingly photographed as he was being placed in the ambulance. Since I am writing this on November 12, I want to remember those who served on that ship as well as all veterans, including many of you who served in all branches of the military and in the Nurse Corps. In a tribute to them, to our classmates, and to the flag under which they served I’d like to end with a quote that appeared in an article by Adriana Cohen in today’s Boston Herald: “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it...it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it” (author unknown). • Please note: The names of classmates who have passed away can be found in the Obituaries section following Class Notes. Please remember them and their loved ones in your prayers. 44
Correspondent: Marie Kelleher mrejo2001@yahoo.com 12 Tappan Street Melrose, MA 02176; 781-665-2669
NC 1955 Since Frank and I were married in 1957 we have made many fall trips to the Boston area, our first being to visit Mike and Pat (Leclaire) Mitchell in their Cambridge apartment, where we had a Newton ’55 class gathering. Pat reports that she has been attending the Newton Book Club and is getting to know other Newton graduates. She relates that her granddaughter Molly Burke, who is a senior at Columbia University, is having a semester in Galway. Molly’s parents, Maria and Paddy (from Ireland), brother Patrick, and sister Anne visited her there. • Mary Chisholm Sullivan notes that she is often available for her 35 grandchildren! • Bob and Mary Laird Flanagan spend summers in Nantucket. This past summer they saw Lee McGrady Rand Burne, who unfortunately passed away soon after in September. • This year we did not take a fall trip to Boston, having visited in June to see our son Andy ’84, his wife, Allison (Lynch) ’85, and their family, in addition to our three other children and their families. We enjoyed an evening of birthday celebrations. We also toured the Newton and BC campuses, which are rich in memories, for me, of my years at Newton and, for our three sons and two granddaughters, of their time at BC. We continue to feel a part of the BC family, as two granddaughters are now at BC: Deedee Hone (daughter of Tom ’86) is a junior majoring in finance and is an RA; and Natalie Hone (daughter of Andy) is a sophomore in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, majoring in economics. Correspondent: Jane Quigley Hone janeqhone@msn.com 207 Miro Place Port Washington, NY 11050; 516-627-0973
1956 Recently some of our classmates visited Campion Center in Weston to attend Mass and witness our gift of vestments being used. Those attending were Leo ’58 and Claire Hoban McCormack; Connie Regolino MEd’61; Marge Callahan and her sister Joan; Dick Toland; John Harney PhL’60, MEd’63; Jack Leonard; Peter Colleary; Dave Gill, SJ, MA’60; and Carolyn Kenney Foley and her friend Claire Hogarty. • In September, Charlie Laverty and his son Chuck traveled with the football team to Indiana to see the Purdue game. • I heard that James Brosnahan is a trial lawyer in San Francisco and is writing a memoir, That San Francisco Lawyer, which includes mention of his BC years. You can contact Jim at jbrosnahan@mofo.com. • I also heard that Jim Foley’s granddaughter Tara Foley ’05 welcomed Jim’s great-grandson, Edward Kimball Maer, into the world. Correspondent: Joseph DiSalvo disalvoja4747@gmail.com 47 Dix Road Extension Woburn, MA 01801; 781-933-5994
NC 1956 As this goes to press, we are still anxiously waiting for the final ballot count in Arizona’s senatorial race, as Ellie Taft McSally’s daughter, Congresswoman Martha McSally, is running for the Senate. She has an amazing background: She was the first American woman to fly in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron in combat in U.S. history, and that’s only the beginning. Be sure to google her bio. • Hunsie Dempsey Loomis and I had lunch recently. She came down from Connecticut, and I came up from New Rochelle. We mourned the passing of good Newton friends we have lost over the past few years: Aileen Mannix Schaefer, MaryEllen McKeon Harvey, and Lucille Hartigan O’Connor. Lucille was my first supporter and transmitter of Newton news. Correspondent: Cathy Brennan Hickey cbhickey7@gmail.com 914-834-6907
1957 Thank you to Charles Zielinski, of Loveland, OH, for responding to our shoutout for favorite memories of BC. Charles writes: “I met my wife, Marie (Lunney) ’59, at a BC mixer in 1955. We lived about 50 yards from each other but never met until Marie came to BC’s Connell School of Nursing. We were married in 1960. We have three children. We were able to make 34 foreign trips and visit 55 countries. After 57 years together, my buddy Marie passed away in a household accident. We were always happy that BC brought us together.” • And a special thank-you to Frank Higgins, who answered our call for a new correspondent for the Class of ’57! Frank’s contact information appears below. Please write or call him with news; he looks forward to hearing your stories for his first column, which will appear in our next issue. Correspondent: M. Frank Higgins 301 Linden Ponds Way, Apt. 507 Hingham, MA 02043; 781-385-7126 f higgs92@gmail.com
NC 1957 Our loyal classmate Carol McCurdy Regenauer (another Red Sox fan) sent along a memory from 1953: “When we arrived at Newton for Freshman Week, our class received a telegram from Ted Williams wishing us a good year ahead. Someone’s uncle (can’t remember who) was Ted’s PR person.” And so we were launched in college by a sports legend! When was it that you last received a telegram? I have several in scrapbooks, but they are relics for sure. • We New Englanders will remind you all that our Red Sox culminated a stupendous season by winning the World Series this year! My (Connie Weldon LeMaitre’s) big news is that I went to the opening game with my son; I remembered that my dad had taken me to my last World Series game in 1947! Bookends of a lifetime as a fan. • Another memory, though
more sober: In cleaning out an old missal, a prayer card fell out for Pat Hinchey Kane and her husband. Pat was our class president, and I worked with her in Boston at Houghton Mifflin. We two English majors (products of Mere Maguire’s tutelage) tried our hand at publishing. I was also her maid of honor in Salem in September 1960, and as the prayer card starkly states, she and her husband died 10 months later in a car accident in New Hampshire. So long ago and such a loss of a spectacular classmate of talent and faith. • Ellie Pope Clem writes that she and Dave are now settled in at their retirement community, The Colonnades, in Charlottesville, VA. They have a small cottage surrounded by great neighbors with residents from all over the country and no scarcity of activities. Ellie says whenever she mentions Boston, and specifically Newton College, everyone from the area has heard of BC and Newton! • Margy Craig Sheehy reports that she broke her shoulder on the Fourth of July (too much celebrating?). She is now healed, but her car needs reviving as it wasn’t driven in the interim. Her sister, Helen Craig Lynch NC’59, and brother-inlaw were planning to go to California for Christmas while Helen stayed on to help figure out where all of Margy’s accumulated belongings (some of us call this “stuff”) should go. How well many of us know the tough task! Margy, you are not alone. Correspondent: Connie Weldon LeMaitre lemaitre.cornelia@gmail.com
1958 Catching up with news at our 60th reunion luncheon in June were Vic ’57 and Annette (Collins) Popeo, Peter ’54 and Maggie (Molloy) Vasaturo, Marian Bernardini DeLollis, Tony ’71 and Joyce (Ryder) Rizzuto, Virginia DeGenova, Joan Downing Lachance, Dottie Sollitto Hiltz and her tailgate partners Bernie Strom (widow of George Strom) with daughter Martha, Elaine Gilmore and our old friend Patricia Dwyer Connolly with son Tom, Tony ’59 and Bea Capraro Busa, Paul Kingston, John and Betty (Leary) Horrigan, and Betty and Mike Grady. We also met up with Richard Harrington; John Cloherty; Tom Lane PhD’88 with daughter Deidre Doherty; Dorothy and Fred Steeves MBA’72; Joyce and Paul Maney MBA’66; Carol (Green) ’60 and John McCarthy; Bill Monahan; Dorothy and Bob Pickette; Eleanor Lyons McCabe with guest Eileen Corkery; Don Agnetta; Maureen and John Hanrahan MBA’65; Anne and John Dillon; Elizabeth and Ernest Guarino MBA’66, CAES’73; and our faithful workers Janet and Mike Daley and Nancy and Sheldon Daly. • I heard from Joseph Messina, MBA’65, MA’93, who lives in Westford and has been an ordained permanent deacon for the past 41 years. Joe has 5 children, 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. He says he enjoys retirement and finds plenty to keep him busy. • Felix Puccio, from North Adams, writes that he enjoyed our 60th reunion with his dental school roommate, George Rioseco, and looks forward to our 65th. • Henry Robinson also enjoyed the
luncheon. After many years of teaching math and science, Henry retired to Florida. • Bill Shook, from Bangor, ME, stays in touch with other BC alumni in his area. • Carol and Jim Thompson live in Ladue, MO, and enjoy their 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Jim is the owner and chairman of the Gold Coast Group, McGraph Aerospace Products. The company has two plants and about 450 employees. Now, at 82, he realizes there is no need or room for advancement, so he plans to take it easy and enjoy life. • I talked to Don Seager after Fred Tobin passed away. Don still has season tickets to the football games. I hope you make it up to the Shea Room soon, Don. • I also heard from Paul Fennell, who sends his best. • Joan Keenan Barry is moving back to Wareham near her daughter who teaches at Tabor Academy. • Our thoughts go out to both Joan and Claire Coulombe Hickey, whose husbands passed away this past year. • Please let me hear from you and let me know about any volunteer work you might be involved with. It would be interesting to note our classmates’ wide range of interests. Any news is welcome. Correspondent: Joan Downing Lachance joanchnc@comcast.net 62 Nicod Street Arlington, MA 02476; 781-646-7029
NC 1958 Jo Kirk Cleary wishes many happy, healthy years ahead for her fellow Scorpio friends Audie Nolan Galvin, Mary Keating McKell, and Patty Peck Schorr, who were all residents of Duchesne in 1955–1956. The late Bunny Phelan Pfirrmann was also a Scorpio. • Mary Azzara Archdeacon enjoyed three days of sightseeing in Baltimore and a week in Montauk with her family, 20 strong. Please continue prayers for Mary’s daughter Vicki, who is undergoing intensive treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering for a rare form of cancer. • Mary Keating McKell welcomed grandson Michael on June 15. Mary continues volunteering on Fridays at her parish food pantry and one day a week at the Vanderbilt Museum. • Anne DeFazio Berra’s younger sister, Sandy, died in September. Anne is adjusting to her loss. • M.J. Eagan English, MEd’59, finds life lonesome without her two Pauls, but her springer spaniel and her son’s Pomeranian keep her hopping. She continues to take painting lessons and to serve on the board of the Nahant Garden Club. • Marge George Vis experienced many challenges in 2018. The death of her brother-in-law and the relocation of her next-door neighbors were difficult, but the sorrow was balanced by visitors to her cabin, perfect weather days, and rapid cleanup of multiple downed trees. • Brian and Sheila (Quinlan) Brown continue to thrive on four acres on Vashon Island with a pond, vegetable garden, and fir forest as well as three sheep, two beehives, and one cat. Their children live across the water in Seattle. • Julie Saver Reusch writes from New Hampshire about the restoration of the sacrament of confirmation to its original time frame: Students in grades 8–12 can be confirmed and any sibling from 5th grade on. She will sponsor her granddaughter
Julie (10), and her daughter Amy will sponsor her grandson Cooper (13). • Judith Young Runnette and Maureen O’Donnell Kent wished everyone a blessed Christmas and a healthy, happy new year. • Rhoda Ackerson Weyr sends greetings to all who remember her from her three and a half years at Newton before decamping for Barnard. Seeing many classmates at the reunion in June was a special treat. • The Schorr family is doing well. Dave continues to follow his Army football team and his grandson’s teams at Penn State and Wisconsin. Patty continues her ties with Stuart, Princeton Academy, the Lawrenceville Woman’s Club, and the Integral Yoga Community Center in Princeton. • Best wishes for many blessings in the upcoming season. Correspondent: Patty Peck Schorr dschorr57@verizon.net
1959 60TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Pierre Henry reports that he retired after 8 years of military service and 36 years of financial management, mostly in the health-care field, where he had served as VP of finance and as CFO in Massachusetts hospitals and home care organizations. Looking back on his years at BC, he recalls especially Fr. Francis Low, who gave him his personal annotated copy of the ethics book Man as Man by Thomas Higgins, SJ, when Pierre had misplaced his own copy; and also “Fr. [Martin] Harney, my history professor, who enhanced his lectures by including personal travel experiences throughout Europe. Fr. Harney inspired my wife and me to appreciate the value of travel and how important it can be in a better understanding of the world we live in.” Since retiring, Pierre has been enjoying much alpine skiing, including 16 years as an instructor at three different New Hampshire ski areas. “Life is good thanks to my BC education!” Pierre writes. Editor’s note: We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of class correspondent Bob Latkany on November 3, 2018; he will be greatly missed. An insurance agent with Shoff-Darby for 46 years, Bob was a world traveler and an indefatigable sports enthusiast: A member of BC’s first NCAA basketball team and a high school basketball referee for a half century, he attended every Super Bowl in the last 51 years. Bob was also a longtime volunteer for BC, serving as your class correspondent from 1979 to 1999, and after an 11-year hiatus, rejoining our team of scribes as cocorrespondent with George Holland, MS’61, whom we then lost in 2016. If you would like to volunteer to continue the good work of these stalwart classmates reporting news of the great Class of ’59, please contact us at classnotes@bc.edu. Boston College Alumni Association classnotes@bc.edu Cadigan Alumni Center 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 45
NC 1959 60TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Our most exciting news perhaps came from Sue Macksoud Wooten, who writes that last fall she was in Ireland leading a group tour to the Wexford Music Festival for Chris Clark’s Great Performance Tours in New York City. The tour included three nights of opera, lunchtime recitals, lots of restaurants for independent dining, and a lot of grand Irish history. They were then off to Dublin for a play at the Abbey, a guided literary walking tour, a recital by the Metropolitan Opera tenor Piotr Beczala, and a farewell dinner at Peploe’s wine bistro on St. Stephen’s Green. Sue hopes some of you will join her. To find out more, email Sue or google the tour website. • Ellie Carr Hanlon reports that two more grandsons have graduated from college (University of Colorado and George Washington); she also has a granddaughter at Wharton and a grandson at Fordham Prep. Ellie and Bill celebrated their 57th anniversary in August. • The always reunioning Bill and Sue (Sughrue) Carrington celebrated their 50th in August as well, with all their children, grandchildren—even the California ones—siblings, and friends. Sue notes: “Reunions are getting rarer, so it was a very special treat. 1968 was a turning point for the country, so there were many things to reminisce about. Helps put our resilience as a country in perspective!” • This past September, Patty O’Neill enjoyed a trip to Morocco, where she added a few more birds to her life list, feasted on wonderful food, and experienced a very interesting culture with nomads and camels. • Also checking in, but without news, were Helen Craig Lynch, Honey Good McLaughlin, Glenna LaSalle Keene, and Joan Haggarty Eggers. • And now this vibrant group of octogenarians (did I really write that word?—what a shock!) are looking forward to their 60th reunion. Correspondent: Maryjane Mulvanity Casey 100 Rosemary Way, Apt. 330 Needham, MA 02494; 781-444-1583 Correspondent: Patty O’Neill pattyoneill@verizon.net
1960 I am writing this as the first snowstorm of the season has arrived, appropriate for the Winter issue. • Looking ahead, it is hard to imagine that the 60th anniversary of our BC graduation is just 18 months away. I have already made inquiries to the Alumni Association to confirm that we will be part of the official Reunion Weekend in June 2020. I have also had several informal discussions with classmates on this subject. The general consensus seems to be that there will be a Mass and luncheon in the fall (2019) and at least a luncheon or dinner during Reunion Weekend. We need to form an anniversary committee, and the Alumni Association has asked me to be the point of contact until the committee is formed. If you would like to join the committee or have any ideas you wish to 46
propose, please let me know as soon as possible. • Mary and Paul Donlan have been living in Naples, FL, for 18 years. Paul is still a regular on the golf course and claims to have shot a 75 in November at Foxfire. • Ed Powers, another Floridian, just celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his Don’t Dismiss Depression Foundation. The Wall Street veteran still speaks of the $600 scholarship he received from Boston College. How times have changed. • Ruth Wright Kee and her husband still split their time between Pennsylvania and the Cape (when they are not traveling in Europe). • Strictly as a space filler, let me add that your class correspondent has surprisingly been elected to the Fulton Debating Society Hall of Fame. • Sláinte. Correspondent: John R. McNealy jmcnealy@juno.com 109 Kimball Road Rindge, NH 03461; 603-899-2844
NC 1960 Elaine Holland Early enjoyed an 80th birthday trip to Europe with her daughter Jennifer. Elaine came home to replacement surgery and is recuperating nicely. • Berenice Hackett Davis’s children and grandchildren held a lovely birthday luncheon for her in Rhode Island. Then in September, daughter Mary Beth and her husband took Berenice on a trip to Paris. • Brenda Koehler Laundry was feted for her 80th at a luncheon at the Coast Guard House in Narragansett, RI. Neighbors and school and college friends attended. • Our children and grandchildren celebrated Kevin’s and my 80th birthdays with a dinner in Tiverton, RI. Some of our wedding party were there, a real thrill for us. • Eleanor Coppola Brown and her sister Mary had a delightful fall trip to Paris. • On our way to Florida, Kevin and I stopped to visit Mary-Anne Hehir Helms in Princeton, NJ, where Mary-Anne lives in a very attractive condo complex. • Pat McCarthy Dorsey, Carole Ward McNamara, and Kathy McDermott Kelsh (honorary member) had their yearly high school gathering on the Cape. At this writing, Pat, Carole, Elaine Holland Early, Mickey Mahon MacMillan, Jeanne Hanrihan Connolly, and several other classmates were planning to attend the BC Christmas concert and reception. • Pat Winkler Browne and husband Dick (Holy Cross ’60) attended the BC–Holy Cross football game in September. En route to Maryland, they visited their daughter Colleen and her family in Connecticut. • Mea culpa—the married name of Betsy DeLone Balas’s late sister, Suzanne, was Lussier (not Fortier, as reported in our Summer issue). • A happy, healthy, peaceful new year to all. • Send news. Pat McCarthy Dorsey suggested a rant/rave letter. How about it? Correspondent: Sally O’Connell Healy kmhealy@cox.net 4061 Cape Cole Boulevard Punta Gorda, FL 33955
1961 Correspondent: John Ahearn jjaeagle@hotmail.com 872 Massachusetts Avenue #407 Cambridge, MA 02139
NC 1961 Gay Landrigan Clasby flew to Colorado to celebrate her granddaughter Amelia’s birthday and then on to Arizona to visit Cathy Chester Dingell. Gay enjoys playing duplicate bridge and her new hobby: wood carving! • Ellen MacDonald Carbone and Maryann Morrissey Curtin are enjoying the BSO at Symphony Hall for the winter season. • Mary Sue Flanagan writes that she and Sandy Irwin Heiler have reconnected. Sandy has a master’s in historic preservation, so Mary Sue is the beneficiary of Sandy’s expertise in outings to historical homes in the DC area. • Juliana Fazakerly Gilheany is still teaching, this semester on major Supreme Court cases, to adult classes at Fordham and NYU; included, she said, is controversy, engagement, and fun. She corresponds via email with Susan O’Leary Portieri and also sees Kathy Hall Hunter. Juliana wishes she had more time to see classmates but says her college schedule “gets in the way.” • Micky McQueeny Matthews writes that her 12th, and youngest, grandson, Henry, was born in Germany, and her oldest, Taylor, has turned 23. The boys are the children of her twin sons, Peter and Paul. Micky reminds us that many of us will be celebrating a big birthday in months to come: Three cheers for the Newton College Class of ’61! • Gael Sullivan Daly wrote from Florida that she and husband Tim ’60, JD’64, were planning to be in Scituate for the holidays. Their youngest son and his family live in Ireland and will present Gael and Tim with a 24th grandchild in the spring! Gael loves reading classmates’ updates but is also saddened when she reads of the deaths of our dear friends. She adds, “God bless them all and all of you as well.” • Sr. Judy Vollbrecht writes: “I’m still in New Orleans, still doing prison ministry, which I love. Our RSCJ community in Haiti invited me back to attend the opening of a beautiful health center near the border with the Dominican Republic. Our community there now includes a doctor from Spain and a nurse from Congo.” Sr. Judy, who was in Haiti for 13 years, enjoyed renewing friendships. • Bob and I visited Duane and Ellen (MacDonald) Carbone at their lovely home in Boothbay Harbor in August. They were wonderful hosts and tour guides. Correspondent: Missy Clancy Rudman newtonmiz@aol.com 1428 Primrose Lane Franklin, TN 37064
1962 On November 9, Boston College held its 18th Annual Veterans Day Remembrance Mass in St. Mary’s Chapel with Robert Keane, SJ, ’71,
MDiv’78, retired Navy captain and chief of chaplains, presiding. The remembrance ceremony was then held on the Burns Library Lawn next to the Veterans Memorial. We also learned that the rare book collection in Burns Library has a leather-bound book listing all BC alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. A luncheon in Gasson followed a very impressive ceremony. In attendance from our class were Elaine and Ronald Petralia and Frank and Eileen (Corazzini) Faggiano. Ron kept looking for other veterans from our class and is reported as saying, “Hey! All you veterans! Where were you today?” Ron mentioned several times that he wondered where classmate Paul Apholt was. He and Paul were classmates at Matignon before coming to BC. It’s a small world! When Eileen heard Paul’s name, she recounted how Paul and she had attended seventh and eighth grades together in Belmont at St. Luke’s parochial school. Where are you, Paul? • We heard from Marie Walsh Michalman. As retirees, she and her husband spend time doing church-related projects and other volunteer activities. • Ralph ’57, CAES’68, and Jeanne (O’Neill) Morris are happy to announce the birth of their 21st grandchild, Lucian James Morris, of New Bedford. • Leonard Johnson wrote a note, accompanied by a picture, to share his “ring” story: “As you can see from the picture, I am still wearing my class ring. It’s been on my hand since the day I got it; I promptly chipped the stone banging John Hogan’s (MS’66) ring in a touch football game. It was with me through OCS and four years of active duty in the Navy, and throughout my career at IBM. You can see the wear and tear on it. That chip from the first day has lots of company now. I expect, as I slow down in retirement, that the ring won’t see much more damage. It will have to last as long as I last, as I can’t get it off anyway. I guess I started wearing my ring every day because my dad, BC ’31, always wore his ring. It just became a habit, a constant reminder of BC— no matter where I was in the world.” • Dear classmates, as always, we wish you good health and joyful days. We would love to hear from you. Correspondents: Frank and Eileen Corazzini Faggiano efaggiano5@gmail.com frank@faggianoconsulting.com 2400 Beacon Street, Apt. 503 Chestnut Hill MA 02467; 617-383-5230
NC 1962 We are at that stage in life when people are moving and downsizing and maybe downsizing again after thinking they had already done it a few years ago. I should be in that category! • Barbara Fortunato Hurley has rented a house in Florida for several months starting in January. She put her New Jersey home on the market in late October, and it sold in one day, so she was frantically trying to find an interim place to live before heading to Florida. • Judy Davin Knotts has just published a book titled You Are My Brother: Lessons Learned Embracing a Homeless Community. It is now available on Amazon. • I had a wonderful visit
with Judy Bertsch Ritter and Joanne Meehan Berghold in Montana in September. They live in the most gorgeous part of our country, surrounded by fields of barley and alfalfa and with snowcapped mountains in the distance. Judy was beginning the process of cleaning out after many years, as they are planning to move to a condo in Bozeman. Joanne is working on another photography book, which she hopes to have published by Christmas. It just so happened that the week before I saw Joanne, Marty Pallotta Llewellyn and I had lunch with Joanne’s sister, Maureen Meehan O’Leary NC’63, in New York City. • It’s the year of our 60th high school reunions, and mine was so much fun. Several of our Newton friends also were part of that reunion. Five of us—Judy Mountain Morton, Cathy Power Schibli, Beth Graham O’Mara, Judy Bertsch Ritter, and I—stayed in a nearby hotel for a couple of nights, and it was almost like dorm life except for the noisy bar, which I somehow don’t remember in Hardey. Patty Joyce Figge entertained us with a lovely dinner one of those nights. On her way to our 60th Cathy Power Schibli had a wonderful visit with Toni Reuter Brennan. • Please send me some news! Let me know if you’ve moved so that I can keep our class directory up to date! Correspondent: Mary Ann Brennan Keyes keyesma1@gmail.com 26 Ridgewood Crossing Hingham, MA 02043
1963 Former head of school at St. Mary’s High in Lynn and the first woman president of BC High, Grace Cotter Regan ’82, MA’08, was the featured speaker at the movable feast at Dave Kelley’s Lewis’ Grille in May. Attending were Paul Hardiman, Ed Rae, Carl Young JD’66, Jim Norton, Tom Quirk, Dick Gould, Len Merchant, Mike Lydon MBA’70, Bob Parks JD’66, and Larry Flynn. Grace noted a number of St. Mary’s grads who had gone on to excel, mentioning Bruce Ryan, Eddie Lynch, and Jack Greeley by name. • Last October, Jack Connors, H’07, received another well-deserved accolade, the Kennedy Institute’s Inspired Leadership Award, in recognition of his philanthropy. • In September, Phil Landrigan was named founding director of BC’s Global Public Health Initiative. Long a public health advocate, Phil will help develop an undergraduate minor and launch new research focusing on the impacts of environmental pollution. He is also involved in the planning and programming for the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at BC, which is slated to begin construction in 2019. • Florida snowbirds met last August at Fishermen’s View restaurant at Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich. The group included Jim Norton, John Golden, Bob Uek, and Dave Kelley, along with their wives. • Emails are encouraged. Merci. Correspondent: Ed Rae raebehan@verizon.net 209 Winter Street Westwood, MA 02090
NC 1963 Many of us have happy memories of our reunion’s colloquium on “The Gift of Friendship” led by Karen Kelly Kiefer ’82, who is now heading up BC’s Church in the 21st Century Center. Congratulations, Karen! • Last fall Maureen Meehan O’Leary went to Rome for a meeting of FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities). It was both a pilgrimage and a retreat. • Also in the fall, Sheila Mahony and her husband, Chuck Riggs, went to Provence. While they were there, their niece Nora Mahony and family visited from their home in Dublin. • Delia Conley Flynn, MEd’70, continues to volunteer as a docent at BC’s McMullen Museum of Art. The fall exhibit, Strategies of Engagement, featured the work of Carrie Mae Weems. At last June’s Reunion Weekend, Delie led a tour of the museum for a lucky group of alumnae. It made those of us who live afar a tad jealous of those who can avail themselves of more frequent visits to the campus for all the events the alumni office offers: lectures, book clubs, and art museum tours. • For those of you with news to share don’t be shy! Email me at the address below or post your news online at bc.edu/alumni. Correspondent: Colette Koechley McCarty colette.mccarty@gmail.com 212 Carolina Meadows Villas Chapel Hill, NC 27517; 919-240-7005
1964 55TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 “Jim Skeffington must be turning over in his grave!” That was the thought I had when I read that the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox top minor league affiliate, would be moving to Worcester. Jim once considered buying the team and moving them to Providence. An untimely death in 2015 intervened. • A concert honoring the late Craig Sullivan and his wife, Maureen, featuring Irish folk singer Karan Casey, was held at BC in November. Craig had been with Clorox for many years, serving as CEO before retiring. • Among those honored at the BC Veterans Day Remembrance Mass were classmates Herbert Dilger, James Dooley, Daniel Kellett, Thomas Morris, and Frederick Rauscher, all killed in Vietnam. • Bonnie’s Last Flight, a play written by Eliza Bent ’04, daughter of Bob Bent, will be performed this February as part of the New York Theatre Workshop’s Next Door series. • Dick O’Brien was honored by Ad Age magazine in an article featuring “7 Over 70.” Dick is EVP of government relations and advocacy for the 4A’s (the American Association of Advertising Agencies), based in Washington DC. He previously held management roles at Grey Advertising and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide. The post in DC, he says, wasn’t much of a leap: “All the same skills applied, whether it’s persuading the CEO of P&G to accept a new Tide campaign or persuading a senator not to institute a tax change.” • A large contingent 47
of classmates was in attendance for the funeral of Terry Frechette, husband of Carole Capone Frechette, in September. On the altar were Michael Ford, SJ, MDiv’75, and Deacon Chuck Clough. Mike, by the way, recently celebrated his 50th anniversary as a Jesuit. • Bill Maffie is recovering nicely from heart surgery he had in December 2017. • Dan Keleher, MEd’69, got his heart adjusted (AFiB ablation), is back to work, and recently completed two major bikemarathon fundraisers. • Arthur Doyle, MAT’66, had a knee repaired and is back to traveling when called by The College Board. Correspondent: John Moynihan moynihan_john@hotmail.com 27 Rockland Street Swampscott, MA 01907
NC 1964 55TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Alice McDowell was in touch again, with the interesting news that she is writing a blog about her mother’s experiences as a child during World War II, first in London and subsequently in Ireland. Apparently, a letter had surfaced, written in the 1940s by her mother to someone in Ireland. When Alice wrote a follow-up, describing her mother’s time in Ireland, a historian from her hometown decided to write about it in the local newspaper. Alice emailed me part of the blog, and it really is fascinating. As Alice said: “You never know…one letter from the 1940s.” • Please note: The names of classmates who have recently passed away can be found in the Obituaries section following Class Notes. If you learn of the death of a classmate, please notify BC or me, and I’ll pass it on to BC. • Please keep in touch. Correspondent: Priscilla Weinlandt Lamb priscillawlamb@gmail.com 125 Elizabeth Road New Rochelle, NY 10804; 914-636-0214
1965 A group of “dorm guys” from our class got together over the weekend of the Holy Cross football game for a 75th birthday celebration. The idea for the weekend came from Tanya Vena (wife of Joe Vena) over dinner with Mary Ann Peters (NC’67) and Vin Giffuni, who then organized things. Following a dinner Friday, arranged by Gretchen Monagan Sterling NC’65, MEd’70 (wife of Bill Sterling), on Saturday the group attended the game, with a tour of the McMullen Museum of Art and dinner following. Joining the Giffunis, Venas, and Sterlings for the party were Suzanne and Neal Hunt, Sue and Joe Armbrust, Sue and Dave Wilson, Mary and Jeff Somers JD’68, Joe Mollicone, and Pat Frechette (widow of beloved classmate and friend John Frechette). Joe DiFeo and wife Adriana were a late scratch and much missed. When the festivities were winding down, it was agreed that, God willing, the group would do it again to celebrate their 80th birthdays. But 48
in the meantime, there will be our 55th reunion in 2020! • Dave Derosier shares that it has been a year since he was flooded out by Hurricane Harvey, when 60-plus inches of rain fell in just two days. Dave had 18 inches of water in his house, but neighbors down the street had 5 and 6 feet of water. With no flood insurance and primarily due to the delays by FEMA and SBA, they decided it was not worth going into so much debt to rebuild the house and finally sold it “as is” at a loss this past fall. If you would like to read about their saga, Dave sent this link: SETX.us/Harvey2017. The opening photo is the view of the street from their kitchen the day after the storm, when the sun came out. Click on the “5 Days” button for more details of Dave’s experience. • Jeff and Dave, thank you for sending in news. And classmates, please take the time to send in news for the next issue. Correspondent: Patricia McNulty Harte patriciaharte@me.com 83 Church Street, No. 1 Winchester, MA 01890; 781-729-1187
NC 1965 Correspondent: Linda Mason Crimmins mason65@bc.edu 3902 MacGregor Drive Columbia, SC 29206
1966 A 50th wedding anniversary was celebrated on August 11 for Tom and Denise (Barbara) Gavin in West Chester, PA. The event began with an elegant dinner at the historic Kimberton Inn, where guests enjoyed cocktails, great food, and conversation. The following day, they went to Mass at Saint Agnes Church, the family’s parish, where the Gavin children received their sacraments and also attended Saint Agnes School. Mass was followed by a brunch at the Gavin home, where there was more reminiscing. The five Gavin children— Michael ’93, Matthew ’96, Brian, Thomas, and Elizabeth ’01—planned this wonderful tribute to their parents. Attending from our class were Barbara Hall Forbes, Barbara Maggiacomo Feeley, Dottie Kiley Childers, Cynthia Scalzi, and Mary Fay. Jim Barbara ’64, MAT’66, Denise’s brother, traveled from North Carolina. Congratulations to Denise and Tom on this heartwarming event and years together! Correspondent: Diane Connor dconnor14@comcast.net
NC 1966 I don’t have any new notes this time. I hope some of you will send me some news to fill up the empty space next quarter! • I’m trying another topic idea to inspire you to send me a class note! If you are in a book club, please tell us the best three books your book club has read in the past two to three years. This is specifically for book club readers, so don’t just tell me your own personal
favorites. (We’ve made those lists before!) Just provide the title, author, and category (fiction or nonfiction). No more than three books, no more than three years back, no plot summaries! Just email me and I’ll start including some of them in future issues. • Please note that the names of classmates who have recently passed away can be found in the Obituaries section following Class Notes. We also post obituaries, photos, etc., on our Newton College Class of 1966 Facebook page. Correspondent: Catherine Beyer Hurst catherine.b.hurst@gmail.com 333 Atwells Avenue, #211 Providence, RI 02903
1967 Congratulations to Mike Ford on being inducted into the Xavier High School Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 in October. The induction ceremony and dinner, held at Pier 64 at Chelsea Piers in New York City, had a Boston College flair. The hosts were Carol and Joe Kiely and Babs and Pete Canning, and in attendance were Carol MEd’68 and Peter Gately, Sharon and Bill Kitley, Rob Wilde, Marilyn and Fred Faherty, and Marilyn and Joe Chanda. Also attending were Mike’s daughter Keira ’99 and son-inlaw Kevin Schuler ’99. The event was emceed by Kevin McLaughlin ’78, president of BC’s Alumni Association board. • Mike O’Connell was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2019. Mike, who earned his JD from Harvard Law School, is a managing director at Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster in Boston. • Now that the BC hockey season is under way, the following rink rats were seen at Conte Forum: Frank Salimbene, Charlie Reilly, Tom Marchitelli, Billy Concannon, Roger Croke, Fred Kinsman, Charlie ’66 and Bitsy (Kelly) Smith, Charles MBA’70 and Mary-Anne (Woodward) Benedict, and of course our own Jerry York, MEd’70, CAES’73 (behind the bench). • Also on campus were Billy “M” Connolly, Bob St. Germain, and Paul and Denise (Roberto) Delaney for the Veterans Day Remembrance Mass and ceremony along with Paul Gerety, Rich Dunn, and the Benedicts. Correspondents: Charles and Mary-Anne Benedict chasbenedict@aol.com 84 Rockland Place Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
NC 1967 Time for more news from Newton ’67. • Some ladies continue to traverse the globe on what sound like fascinating trips. Maureen Dailey McFalls Young has an affinity for biking trips in Spain and France with extended family, including grandson Lucas. She rented an apartment in Barcelona over the winter and extended an invite for NC ’67 to visit. Sadly this won’t get published far enough in advance for us to get in our “reservations,” but perhaps another year (?). When back home in
Pittsburgh, Maureen volunteers at her granddaughters’ school library, which “reminded me of my time working at Newton’s library so many years ago,” she writes. We can’t escape our pasts, can we? • Charlie and Rosemary (Ryan) Brennan headed for a Rhine River cruise back in October with Joe and Marianne (Cuiffo) Stineman. Rosemary reports that, unfortunately, there was not enough water in the Rhine. “It surely gives one pause about global warming since there has not been enough snow melt from the Alps...and no rain all summer along the Rhine and Danube.” As an alternative, they cruised back north and visited Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, and Rotterdam instead. “We had lots of fun, in spite of the hijacked itinerary!” she assures us. • Penny Comly Herlihy has found her fun more at home. Her daughter’s family moved back east after five years in California, and now Penny is spending much more time with her three granddaughters. • We have several classmates spread out in California, but thankfully, as I write, I have not heard that anyone was adversely affected by the fall fires. I hope everyone gets through such challenges from Mother Nature whenever they occur. • There have been several prayer requests in recent months for health issues among us, and we hope those on the receiving end are doing much better now. Keep your requests coming. • Please continue to share your news for future columns as well. I have had the pleasure of letting some of you know that alumnae from other classes were reaching out to you after your names were mentioned here. (You never know who is remembering you.) And if you are not on my mailing lists, let me know that too. My contact information is always included below. • For now, I wish everyone a great start to 2019! God bless! Correspondent: M. Adrienne Tarr Free thefrees@cox.net 3627 Great Laurel Lane Fairfax, VA 22033-1212; 703-709-0896
1968 Greetings, friends. • Tom Maffei, JD’71, is of counsel in the litigation department at Sherin and Lodgen in Boston. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Tom is listed in the “Top 100” New England Super Lawyers and in The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, he teaches professional responsibility at Boston College Law School and Suffolk Law School. • Bill Fitzgerald, John Manganelli, Steve McCarthy, and Greg Sullivan, accompanied by their wives, descended on the Heights for a roommate reunion at the end of September. Unfortunately, their fifth roommate, Bill Cavanagh, was not able to make the trip. The group initially rendezvoused at the beach in Hyannis for several days before attending the BC vs. Temple football game on campus. Afterward, they moved on for a few more days in Rockport. It had been nearly 50 years since any of them had been back on campus, so the memories and reminiscing came pouring back. Although they
quickly slipped back into their individual college-day roles, Bill reports that they all avoided injury and mischief. • Go, Eagles! Correspondent: Judith Anderson Day jnjday@aol.com The Brentwood 323 11500 San Vicente Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90049
NC 1968 After graduation, Jo Ann Dalling-Zahler joined the Peace Corps for two years and taught math in a one-room school in Antigua with eight different classes going on simultaneously. Following her return to Maine, she joined her mother’s real estate firm as a sales broker while earning a master’s degree in art from the University of Maine. Through her work, Jo Ann met Morton Zahler. They married and relocated to Boca Raton, FL, and Jo Ann was the bookkeeper for Morton’s business. After 30 years of marriage, Morton passed away in 2006. Through an Alzheimer’s support group, Jo Ann met Brian Hillman, whose spouse had also died the same year. Together since then, Jo Ann and Brian love to travel, including a visit to Egypt that had been Jo Ann’s dream since freshman SWC. • Marie Manahan Hennessy, MSW’95, and her husband, John (Holy Cross; Georgetown Dental School), have been retired since 2012—Marie after a 15-year career as a social worker at Cathedral High School. They are now able to spend more time with their extended family of 4 children and spouses and 12 grandchildren. • Following our June reunion, Pat Wolf sent many Sacred Heart artifacts to St. Louis, where the RSCJs have their archives. She plans to ask the alumni office to accept her yearbooks to be placed on the library shelves near the tribute to Carol Putnam, RSCJ, H’92, and her family. Additionally, Pat discovered that BC has in its archives and manuscripts department almost 80 boxes of documents and accounts on the history of Newton College. If anyone is interested, Pat has a copy of the 1968 Newtones recording. She is in touch with Marylyn Landers Paige, Mary Marcotte Corrigan, and Janet Ferranto Raslavsky, whose husband, James, passed away in August. • In assembling news for this column, one is struck by the common conclusion expressed by several classmates that although life after Newton has brought its share of ups and downs, each feels truly blessed. Correspondent: Jane Sullivan Burke janeburke17@gmail.com
1969 50TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Bob Dolan and his wife of 47 years, Linda (Hamilton), reside in Orlando, FL. Bob is a teacher and the speech and debate coach at Lake Mary Prep; his top debate team is currently ranked in the top five in the country. Linda is happily retired from teaching and enjoying life at Ventura Country Club, where she runs the Women’s Club and the library.
• Our 50th Reunion Committee has been formed and is hard at work planning our reunion. Those serving on the committee include Kathleen Dawson Brett; Patrick Daly MAT’71, JD’73; Jim Littleton; Joe Marzetti MBA’71; Greg Murphy; Jim O’Reilly; Kathie Maguire Reynolds; and Mike Sullivan. Our class will serve as an honor guard at the BC Commencement on Monday, May 20. Reunion Weekend starts on Friday, May 31, and continues to Sunday, June 2. I hope to see all of you at our 50th reunion! Correspondent: James R. Littleton jim.littleton@gmail.com 39 Dale Street Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
NC 1969 50TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 This past spring Sue Davies Maurer and Jill Hendrickson Daly took their grandchildren to a dude ranch in Arizona. They are still telling stories of their experience. • Speaking of stories, several of us—Paula Fisher Paterson, Jill Hendrickson Daly, Polly Glynn Kerrigan, Mary Carroll Linder, Sue Davies Maurer, and I—got together in Arizona. We toured the red rocks of Sedona in pink Jeeps! We saw the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon, where we stayed in the Thunderbird Lodge with the canyon right outside our window. We discovered the quirkiness of Jerome and the history of Prescott. We also stopped along the way to see friends in Goodyear. This was particularly interesting to me because I live in Akron, OH, the home of Goodyear Tire & Rubber. The town of Goodyear was named after the Goodyear Tire Company because in the beginnings of the tire industry, cotton was farmed in Arizona and used in the tires. Cotton is still being grown there today. We ended in the delightful town of Tubac, where Bob and Sue Davies Maurer opened their comfy home to us. What a delightful spot, with the mountains and desert all right in front of you! • I hope that each and every one of you is thinking of attending our 50th reunion this upcoming spring, from May 31 to June 2. I bet each of you has a story to tell! See you then. Correspondent: Mary Gabel Costello mgc1029@aol.com 4088 Meadowcreek Lane Copley, OH 44321
1970 Not a lot to talk about this time, friends, but I’ll start with a chance encounter with one of our more illustrious classmates and my embarrassment when I didn’t recognize him. At a recent dinner I was swapping stories with a member of the Class of ’72, assuring him that BC’s campus could not have changed more in four years than it did from 1966 to 1970. Seated immediately adjacent was a Jesuit, with what seemed like a smirk on his face, who I was sure was going to refute me and point to an even more tumultuous time. Instead, at a pause 49
in the conversation he stuck out his hand: It was Michael Boughton, SJ, MA’72, MDiv’79. Mike has held a number of posts in the academic world, including chaplain and lecturer in English at Holy Cross, rector of the Jesuit community and lecturer in English at Fairfield University, and president of Fairfield Prep. In November 2017, Fr. Mike became associate director of BC’s Center for Ignatian Spirituality, and this past March he was named rector of the Faber Jesuit Community at the BC School of Theology and Ministry. Mike, sorry to have not initially recognized you, and it’s great to have you back in Chestnut Hill. • I heard from Phil Kremsreiter, a classmate who, while not a member of the order, has certainly lived his life in the Jesuit tradition. Phil met his wife—a nurse from the Catheriné Labore School—in Boston and spent several years after graduation in the Boston area before returning to his native Wisconsin, where he spent the bulk of his career in the construction industry. Phil has been married for 48 years and enjoys his three adult children, all of whom live in Wisconsin. He retired in 2010 and tells me that he spends a good deal of his time in service to his parish, where he has held every position except priest and principal. He is now heavily involved in writing grants to support parish programs as well as serving as co-chair of a multicultural commission. He has clearly not taken a vow of poverty; when he wrote to me, he was just returning from a scuba diving and sailing trip to the Bahamas. • Life is good for him, and I hope for all of you. Correspondent: Dennis Razz Berry mazzrazz1@aol.com
NC 1970 On a beautiful New England fall day, 17 classmates gathered in Concord, MA, to celebrate the Newton College Class of 1970 turning 70! It takes a village to create a reunion, say organizers Kathy O’Mara Fanning MEd’76, Katie O’Shea McGillicuddy, and Andrea Moore Johnson—and this one proved special. Andrea reports: “It was a joy to be with everyone and hear some very special stories, memories, and wisdom.” Katie cherished “the nonstop conversation as we recalled Newton memories, shared the positive impact of a Sacred Heart education on our lives, and caught up on life in general.” Kathy notes: “We have been blessed in so many ways, but I think we’d all agree the solid education and values we received at NCSH and the friendships we formed have helped make us the women we are today. Reunions make me very aware of the contributions we have been able to make to our homes/communities/world thanks to our years at NCSH.” (Save the date: Plans for a September 2019 minireunion are now under way!) Katie adds: “The reunion was bittersweet—the loss of Marcia McGrath Abbo was keenly felt. We’ll keep our memories of her in our hearts, mindful that we are blessed with the opportunity to be with one another.” • Marcia’s funeral Mass in 50
DC the following Monday was packed with her very large fan club, including her 98-year-old mother and a strong Newton contingent. Out-of-state travelers included Chickie Villano (NJ), Treacy Kirkpatrick (CT), and Claudia Richardson Nedrow (CA). Also present were Sue Zapf, Lanie Odlum, Joan O’Callaghan, Mary Downs LLM’74, Kathy Sheehan, and Kerry Kilcullen Carter (who remembered Marcia’s contribution to the Newton football team: “We beat a team from BC, you know.”) Niece Heidi Huke Reese’s eulogy superbly captured Marcia’s spirit, urging us to emulate Marcia’s listening skills and gift of being truly present for others, thus giving “the conflict resolution part of Marcia” a legacy she’d value. • Congratulations, retirees: Kathy Mortenson Mosesian, Kate Reilly Corkum, Lanie Odlum, Ginny Sughrue Crowley, Katie O’Shea McGillicuddy, and Meryl Ronnenberg Baxter! Kathy and husband Bob live in Falmouth, enjoying “life on the Cape—golf, bridge, and pickleball as well as spending time with eight grandkids who live nearby.” Kate retired to Mattapoisett, enjoying family, travel, and friends. Lanie has been traveling, decluttering, and “catching up on all the chores I’ve postponed the last few decades.” • Next column: News from other reunion attendees— Judith Johnson, Mary Ann Iraggi-Barr, Harriet Mullaney, and Sr. Julie Franchi! Correspondent: Fran Dubrowski fdubrowski@gmail.com
1971 Pat and Carmen Corsaro, JD’75, are thrilled to announce the birth of their first grandchild, Nathan Christopher Burbank, who arrived in October as a 40th anniversary present. Carmen has been practicing law for 42 years in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and says that he is planning to continue to practice until he can get it right. He has also been serving as an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts School of Law, where he teaches property and conveyancing. • Joe Collins reports that he, Charley McBride, Russ Pavia, Tom Henneberry MBA’74, and Vinny Costello held a minireunion in Boston, beginning with the BC–Miami football game on Friday, October 26. Charley hosted a lavish pregame tailgate party that fired up everyone for the game; the Eagles prevailed (27–14). The group then headed back to the hotel to watch the Red Sox–Dodgers World Series game No. 3, which ended around 3:00 a.m. Saturday featured a tour of Boston and specifically the junior colleges that they frequented during their undergraduate days. This was followed by lunch at Pino’s Pizza in Cleveland Circle, their favorite pizza spot while at BC. Saturday night was spent watching the fourth game of the World Series at a local sports bar. A great time was had by all. • Please send me your updates by either emailing me directly or posting online at bc.edu/alumni. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your milestones. Correspondent: James R. Macho jmacho71@bc.edu
NC 1971 Hello, classmates! • By the time you read this, new grandchildren will have been born, exciting trips will have been taken, and the merriment of the holidays will be over. Until then, I bring you news of a minireunion being planned for those of us living in the Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island area, and anyone interested in driving from a greater distance. • Recently, Christine Moran contacted me with interest in expanding those small luncheons that some of us have been enjoying over the years. As it happens, Jane Maguire, Kate Foley, and I had just met for a casual, midweek lunch at a cute restaurant in Milford, CT. While there, I inquired about reserving a room for our class to get together. We are hoping to coordinate the event for some time in April, before the wedding/graduation season begins. The location is a short drive from Interstate 95, about an hour and 20 minutes west of Mystic, CT, and an hour and 30 minutes from Garden City, Long Island. If you are interested in joining us, please email me, or contact Chris or me on Facebook, to give us your availability. I am looking forward to hearing from you. • Happy new year! Correspondent: Melissa Robbins melrob49@sbcglobal.net
1972 We’re coming up on the 50th anniversary of a favorite college memory of mine: the last game at BC for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Cousy, H’14. The Eagles hosted Duquesne, then the ninth-ranked team in college basketball. Every seat in Roberts Center was filled. The cheering of the crowd may have been the loudest I’ve ever heard. It helped BC to score a huge win. What a send-off it was for Coach Cousy, and what a great memory! • Speaking of 50th anniversaries, among those in our class who were celebrating high school reunions were Ed Jantzen, JD’75, and Sal Perisano at Xavier High in New York. Ed, a retired FBI agent, came in from California along with his wife, Karen. Sal has been a corporate CEO and lives in Cambridge. Others is our class who graduated from Xavier include Mario Alonso, of Pennsylvania, who has been a consultant; Joe Chiarello, of Southampton, NY, who has been a corporate employee; George Fredericks, of Marblehead, a retired corporate employee; George O’Malley, who lives in Manhattan; and the late Charles Kuruc, who was an Army officer and after retiring from the military was a high school teacher. • I got my annual message from Fred Flynn, who’s still living in Stamford, CT, and running his charity, the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship fund. He and his son Matt ’13 participated in their annual golf marathon fundraiser to support it and broke their record: 162 holes in one day! • I made my annual birthday call to Pat McGovern, who continues his practice as a vascular surgeon near his home in Bayonne, NJ. He reports that his middle son, Chris, has left his Wall Street investment banking
job to run his own company. • I also heard from Ed “Bud” Kofron, who retired in Prescott, AZ, after a career with the Defense Department. He was hoping to reunite the classmates who spent their junior year studying in Rome with him. Among them are Jeff Smith, who’s been a principal of a company in Larchmont, NY, and John Conte (son of the late U.S. Congressman Silvio Conte, JD’49, for whom the Conte Forum is named). John, of West Simsbury, CT, has been a corporate executive. Correspondent: Lawrence Edgar ledgar72@gmail.com
NC 1972 Mary Carr Patton sends a “hello” to all from Jacksonville, FL, where she enjoys many activities, including the Jacksonville Symphony and the arts. She also spends time in New York City. • Gail Hegarty Fell was in Jackson, WY, where her family spent a week in the Tetons visiting family, hiking, and kayaking. Gail also writes: “I am now a ‘grandma’ since one of my daughters had a baby about nine months ago. She lives in Columbus, OH.” • Ellen Barber-Morse is the Massachusetts coordinator for Project Citizen and reports creating an advocacy group with the support of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Presidential Library and multiple civic organizations. Project Citizen has been successful in passing legislation to require the teaching of civics throughout the school years. • Shelly Noone Connolly had a great visit with Ellen Jackson Schroeder at their 50th high school reunion from Mount St. Joseph Academy (now the University of Saint Joseph) in West Hartford, CT. Ellen and Tom divide their time between Naples, FL, and Rocky Hill, CT. • Similarly, at my 50th high school reunion from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Brighton (now Saint Joseph Prep), I had many wonderful conversations with several classmates who are Boston College graduates, including Sheila White Leonard ’72, MA’80; Maureen Corbett Blair ’72; Thelma Maloney Poole ’72; and Pat Bauer Hanehan ’72, as well as Anne Marie Clifford, CAES’97, MS’07, who graduated from Emmanuel College in 1972 and later went to BC. And, yes, each reads our Newton column. • In October, Joe and I were on a tour of Italy, where we visited Rome, Siena, Florence, Assisi, and other smaller sites. Before the general audience, we had the thrill of seeing Pope Francis in his popemobile. We also visited the Trinità dei Monti, at the top of the Spanish Steps in Rome. There, we saw the beautiful mural of Mater Admirabilis that Pauline Perdrau, a postulant who later became a Religious of the Sacred Heart, had painted. • My plea for Newton news is alive and well. Take care. Correspondent: Nancy Brouillard McKenzie newton885@bc.edu
1973 We received the following note from Dorchester native John “Dino” Donovan: A double Eagle, John graduated from BC
High in 1969. In 2010, he retired as a sergeant detective in charge of the Boston Police Crimes Against Children Unit after 37 years and is now working part-time in the Child Protection Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. John, who currently lives in West Roxbury, reports that since he retired he has visited all 50 states as well as Ireland and Europe. He is looking forward to the 50th reunion in 2023 and would like to hear from fellow alums. It’s not that far away, John! • In closing, if you live in Beantown, we can say: Here’s to the 2018 Red Sox! Great job, guys. We are very proud of our sports teams in this town and wish our Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Eagles the very best for their seasons. Go, Eagles! • Who was an Eagle back in the day? Let’s hear from you! Correspondent: Patricia DiPillo perseus813@aol.com
NC 1973 We have lots of news, starting with Newton memories! Judy McCarthy Kennedy sent some favorites: our freshman show (especially the Born Free skit, when we whipped out the bras with perfect synchronization!); singing Mozart’s Requiem dedicated to the Kent State students; the football teams; SWC lectures; meeting her husband (now of 44 years); and her special friends Marianne Clarke, Anne Marie McGann League, Rosemary Sullivan Van Graafeiland, and Eileen Wynne. • Mary Doherty Ellroy, MBA’78, writes that her most memorable happening was the debate between William F. Buckley and Arthur Schlesinger on “Nixon and Young America.” • We received many additional updates. Jaime ’74 and Ellen (O’Neil) Helman live in Miami Beach, where Ellen is a practicing psychoanalyst. Daughter Lauren ’06 and family live in South Natick, and daughter Julia and her husband live in Manhattan. • Francie Casciaro emailed that she is living in New York City and has been in private practice as a psychoanalyst for 33 years. She has a house in Sharon, CT, where she sees Kate Novak Vick, and is also in contact with Kathy Croce, who is a psychologist at Yale New Haven. • We also heard from Margaret McIntosh Carnwath, who is a retired investment broker now spending time as a charity volunteer. She and her husband, Peter, live in Manhattan and spend winters in Vero Beach. Their daughter, Sarah, is a senior at Holy Cross. Margaret reconnected with Joan Garrity Flynn and her husband, Greg, through Holy Cross events, including a trip to Italy and Spain last year. • Christine Hardiman Cristo, MA’86, reports that she and her family spent time at their vacation home in the Berkshires with a special side trip to New York City to see the exhibit Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. • Judy Chimenti reports that she may be moving back to the New York area as her son, Matt, was offered a position as a financial analyst at Accenture in New York City. • Last but not least, Kathy McDonough Hinderhofer notes that this is the 200th
anniversary of the arrival from France of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who began Sacred Heart education in the United States. Kathy and Joan Garrity Flynn recently attended the Newton Country Day School bicentennial gala, where $1.6 million was raised for financial aid packages. Kathy is retired from her banking career and is busy with volunteer work and planning her daughter’s wedding. Correspondent: Kathy Dennen Morris kathymorris513@gmail.com Correspondent: Mimi Reiley Vilord mimivi@optonline.net
1974 45TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 I hope you and your loved ones have a happy and healthy 2019. • I am writing these notes just before Thanksgiving, and I cannot get over how quickly the months are flying by! I hope to see so many of you at our 45th reunion weekend, May 31–June 2. Thank you to all the committee volunteers who are working to guarantee us a great time. • I don’t have much news to share, but what I do have is so nice: Congratulations to Pat and Thomas Mahoney on the August birth of their first grandchild, Ava Jane Mahoney! Tom is principal of Pope John XXIII High School in Everett. Welcome to the best club ever! • Please take a few minutes to send me some news. Correspondent: Patricia McNabb Evans patricia.mcnabb.evans@gmail.com
NC 1974 45TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Correspondent: Beth Docktor Nolan beth.docktor.nolan@bc.edu
1975 Greetings! • Chris Collins recently retired after 40 years of practicing law as a land use attorney in Washington DC. He and his wife, Anne (Gallagher) ’76, have relocated to Williamsburg, VA. They are looking forward to traveling more and visiting their three sons and three grandchildren. Chris sends a special salute to Coach Tom Groden ’72 and fellow members of the men’s swim team. • Tim Kelly, Tom Kennedy, Charlie Sims, Ardie Klement, Ed Allard, John McKenna, Kevin Short, and Tom Masterson got together on the Jersey Shore during a long weekend in October. Tom Masterson hosted his seven classmates at his summer home in Beach Haven. All enjoyed playing golf, pickleball, and bocce ball, some of which involved no alcohol! Over the course of the weekend cold beer, red wine, and some Irish whiskey helped them enjoy great food and recall distant memories from the early 1970s. • In October, Bob Keefe, principal of Keefe & Griffiths, received the St. Louis Workers’ Compensation Distinguished Lawyer Award from the Bar Association of 51
Metropolitan St. Louis and Kids’ Chance of Missouri. Bob was recognized for his professionalism, having earned the respect of the St. Louis community “by practicing law in the manner in which all should.” After graduating from SLU Law School in 1979, Bob clerked for Missouri Supreme Court Justice Andrew Higgins, later working for two years in general practice for Ken Rothman, then lieutenant governor. Since 1982 Bob has represented injured workers exclusively at Keefe & Griffiths. He has volunteered in many capacities over the years at organizations including Boys & Girls Town of Missouri, among others. Most of his charitable work has focused on creating partnerships in the workers’ compensation field among attorneys, judges, businesses, labor, health-care providers, and insurance companies to educate children whose parents have been seriously injured or killed at work. He has served on the board of Kids’ Chance of Missouri for the past 20 years, twice as president, and is a founder of Kids’ Chance of America, serving on its board for more than 10 years. • Thank you for your submissions and please continue to write in. Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year! Correspondent: Hellas M. Assad hellasdamas@hotmail.com
NC 1975 Happy new year! • We begin with an update from Helen Fox-O’Brien, who writes: “The Medicare card may be in my wallet, but I’m entering my 26th year with The Church Pension Fund, and I’m not planning to change my work or commuting schedule anytime soon! Our vacation highlight of the year was our return to Portugal after enjoying Porto last year. Dana and I loved exploring Lisbon and the Algarve with Amy (30) and Beth (28). Lee Costello and I have set a date for our 65th birthday celebration in Boston—how wonderful to have lifelong Newton friends to share milestones and other birthdays with!” • While I was putting our column together, an email arrived from Carol Fitzsimons headed “Greetings from Rome.” Carol and her sister, Cathy Fitzsimons NC’76, were in Rome for the beatification of Mother Clelia Merloni, foundress of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the religious order of their high school, the Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, CT. They were also able to visit their nephew who’s studying in Rome, so the timing was perfect. Carol summed it up mid-trip like this: “Wonderful time despite rain every day. Walking our feet off. Writing this while at a café enjoying aperitivo.” I like the sound of it all! • And if you haven’t joined our Newton College Class of 1975 Facebook page yet, you missed a great story from Barbara Callahan Saldarriaga, who posted: “Hello, classmates! Just had to share this story with you. I was contacted last night by a couple in Rhode Island who found my NCSH class ring inside a wall of their basement that they are remodeling! Will wonders never cease! The ring was stolen, along with other jewelry and sterling silverware, from our home in Walpole in 52
1982. Thirty-six years later the ring is coming home!” And three weeks later her ring arrived—how great is that! Coincidently, Kathleen Curry Thibault, Catherine LoConto Lucey, and Anna Stocklein Frankel each commented that their rings also had been stolen along with other jewelry in the early 1980s. Here’s hoping theirs turn up someday too. • That’s it for now. I look forward to hearing your news: email, phone, Facebook, or online at bc.edu/alumni. Make it happen! Correspondent: Karen Foley Freeman karenfoleyfreeman@gmail.com
1976 It’s always good to hear about minireunions! Charles “Toby” Tobin helped organize one in New Bedford last summer, involving former denizens of South Street and Cleveland Circle. Great memories surfaced and were shared with John “Jack” Durant, John “Web” Webster, Mark Hoelzer, and Robert “Rob” Rinko ’81. More classmates means more fun! • Beth Hurley is keeping busy, working part-time at Simmons University in human resources. Both of her sons, Michael and Daniel, graduated from college last year. Last August and September, Beth toured Holland and Germany with old friends she made at State Street Bank. They were mutual fund accountants “back in the day when you needed to explain what a mutual fund was.” A good and memorable time was had by all. • After BC, John Shimizu graduated from UCLA Law School in 1979 and then returned to his native Hawaii. A member of the Hawaii Bar (since 1980) and the California Bar (since 1979), John has had a successful legal career and is a principal in the Honolulu law firm of Van Buren & Shimizu. He excels in the areas of business, real estate, and commercial litigation. • Gerry Shea, aided and abetted by his eighth-grade daughters, Emily and Meg, enjoyed the Eagles football season. They were looking forward to rooting on the men’s and women’s basketball and hockey teams during the winter. • The BC landscape continues to change with the opening of the Fish Field House in July, located on the old Shea Field site. It is a huge edifice that will allow indoor training for studentathletes in football and other varsity programs and should really help in recruitment • Here’s hoping you have a memorable winter. God bless! Correspondent: Gerald B. Shea gerbs54@hotmail.com
1977 Bea Broder-Oldach is the author of Diamond Pin: Stories from the Street, a collection of vignettes from her journey as a street minister that began when she was a student at BC, grew through her time in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and continues now in her experience as a street chaplain in Cincinnati. Her stories invite readers to step into the world of the street and explore the deep humanity of people living in deep
poverty and facing life’s challenges. The book was published through the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and is available on Amazon. You can contact Bea at bhbroder@gmail.com. • May all good things find the path to your door. Correspondent: Nicholas Kydes nicholaskydes@yahoo.com
1978 Happy 2019, everybody! • Once again, it’s a slow news cycle for our class, so you will have to settle for a couple of Mod 8A tidbits and gratefully one from Glenn Kaplinsky. • On the 8A front, Joyce Gallagher Sullivan was blessed with another grandchild in early November. Her daughter, best-selling novelist J. Courtney Sullivan, gave birth to a daughter, Stella Wren Johannesen. Stella joins big brother Leo. • My own personal blessing is that at the end of August, my daughter Jess (25) moved from Los Angeles to Jackson Hole (where I live). She is working for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, ski bummin’ it for now! • Back to Glenn: He wrote to announce that his son is a cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy. Glenn’s family has a long history of military service, including fighting in the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War. Glenn, a corpsman and battlefield medical technician in the U.S. military, spoke at West Point at the 200th anniversary of the academy 16 years ago. • In closing, as always, I would love to hear from more of you. Thanks! Correspondent: Julie Butler julesbutler33@gmail.com
1979 40TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Melanie and Michael Fee have been foster parents for over eight years and have had more than 10 children. Michael writes: “So sad for these kids, but we are blessed to do God’s work. I’m also working with Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Clemson and with the Wounded Warriors. God moves you in great ways. I am so blessed.” The Fees live in Simpsonville, SC. • Faith Falco Scott is president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey. She writes: “Boston College has inspired a foundation of learning. I have grown since BC. I have earned an MPH from Columbia University and an MBA from Rutgers.” Correspondent: Peter J. Bagley peter@peterbagley.com
1980 As I write this column I am reminded of how 10 years ago I stated “50 is the new 30.” Classmates’ reports prove we are not getting older but better. During this decade our class has claimed many accomplishments both professionally and personally. We continue to live the BC motto: Ever to Excel. • In October Tammy Mathias Taylor received the
Founders Award from the Shepherds organization for her mentoring and for her work on its board at a gala in Westport, CT. The organization serves Connecticut’s inner-city high school students. Since 2002 Tammy has helped four students graduate from high school and move on to college. “I see understanding, and with understanding comes hope, and slowly the differences between us begin to melt away,” Tammy stated in a speech. She and her husband, Lou Taylor, reside in Darien. • Brenda Quinlan Goodell and Michele Nadeem-Baker have been joining forces to assist the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s fundraising efforts. Brenda is the assistant VP of event fundraising for the institute and the Jimmy Fund, and Michele is the spokesperson for the institute and for UnMask Cancer, an annual event held at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston. Their work is helping raise much-needed funds for cancer research. • Lawrence Casey, a shareholder at Davis Malm, was named to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list. With more than 30 years of experience, he was selected for his practice in the business law, employment, and litigation areas. • Sexagenarian festivities continue. Peter Mayer celebrated his birthday with 12 kilted classmates and 40 others, in grand style, at a surprise birthday weekend at Ackergill Tower in Wick, Scotland. Peter’s roommates and their spouses—Mike and Tee (Doyle) Devine, Katie and Tom Lamb, Matty and Jane (Dolan) Kane, Anne and Mike Loftus, Steve Shay, and Chris Simmons—came from up and down the East Coast to celebrate in Inverness, Edinburgh, and London, and later in Ireland and France. • Class President Mary Larkin reports that Tina Massi Filippini, Terry Van Buren, Caroline Cassidy McBride, and Betsy McCoy got together in Kennebunkport to celebrate the big 6-0, only to be there at the same time as another occasion: the Barbara Bush nuptials! The jury is out on which group had the most fun, but what is certain is that Kennebunkport was rocking that weekend. • Town & Country magazine has named Bapst America’s most beautiful college library. Many of us spent many a late night studying amid its tall arches, vaulted ceiling, and beautiful stained-glass windows. A real-life Hogwarts before Harry Potter was created! • I’m looking forward to hearing from you regarding your work, play, travels, and classmate sightings. Correspondent: Michele Nadeem michele.nadeem@gmail.com
1981 Michael Dwyer has retired as a high school teacher in Vermont. He writes: “In winding down my teaching career, I was very much aware of the wonderful knowledge and love of learning that some of my memorable BC professors—Dayton Haskin, John Heineman, and John Rosser, to name a few—passed on. It was a privilege to integrate history, English, and etymology into my classes for 35 years.” Michael says that with two journals to edit, he can indulge in genealogy full-time, and he contributes to a blog called Vita Brevis. One of
his passions is researching immigrant families who settled in Vermont in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. • Mike Brennan moved to Morrison, CO, from the suburbs of Denver to get back in the Front Range mountains. He and his wife, Maria, who is celebrating five years of being cancer-free, also have a place in La Jolla, CA, to be close to their son, Conor, who works as a senior associate broker at Marcus & Millichap. Their daughter, Tara, is a senior program manager of mobile applications for Einstein bakeries. Mike keeps up with his Mod 27A roommates Steve LeBlanc, Lou Papadellis, Mike Cornacchia, Rich Whalen, and Steve Dyer, who are all doing well on the East Coast. Mike recently left his position with Extreme Networks to be a senior partner/owner of a national technology consulting firm. • And from the Sunshine State came word from David Stein, who is CEO of The Producers Network in Sarasota. • In response to the increase in anxiety, Noel Pini Foy, MA’85, has written ABC Worry Free, a children’s book about facing and managing fears. It was released in November. Though the book is geared toward grades one to four, the strategy the character uses is transferable to any age (even adults!). Noel, a neuroeducator, is the founder of AMMPE Neuroeducational Consulting, and she posts learning-related tips, videos, and articles on Facebook under AmmpeLearning. Noel and her husband, Chris Foy, live in the Boston area. • Bob Mulvey has retired as a Boston police sergeant detective after 36 years of service and is returning to BC as a police sergeant! Bob lives in Walpole. • Glad to hear from some new folks! Keep the news coming! Correspondent: Alison Mitchell McKee amckee81@aol.com
1982 Congratulations to Marie Fiascone Gerardo and Paula Dempsey Roth, who were both thrilled to watch their children get married over Labor Day weekend! Steven Roth ’14 married Mary Gerardo ’14 on a perfect summer day at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA. It was a real Eagle affair, with many BC families and friends attending; some alumni guests dated back to the Class of ’49. There are Boston College family traditions on both sides. Steve is a fourth-generation Eagle, and Mary is a third-generation Eagle. The happy newlyweds met as undergrads at BC. They currently live in Boston, where Mary is a CICU nurse at Mass. General, and Steve is a senior associate with Alvarez & Marsal. Steve’s dad is Marty Roth, and Mary’s dad is Ed Gerardo, MA’86. Correspondent: Mary O’Brien maryobrien14@comcast.net
1983 Victor Crawford has joined Cardinal Health as CEO of the pharmaceutical segment. Victor’s most recent role was COO of health care, education, and business dining for Aramark, where he managed the healthcare and higher education businesses
providing dining solutions to hospitals, colleges, and universities. Congrats, Victor! Correspondent: Cynthia J. Bocko cindybocko@hotmail.com
1984 35TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Greetings, classmates! • Colleen Hennigan Brown is working as an oncology nurse at Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire. She and her husband, Joel, recently moved to Portsmouth and are enjoying city living. They hosted the wedding of their daughter Kasey Brown ’12 to Tarun Sinha in New York City last June. BC classmates David ’82, JD’85, and Mary Elizabeth (Staud) Surprenant joined in the festivities. • Last October, Daniel and Lauren (Soranno) Abraham attended the 35th anniversary reunion of the 1983 football season. Other members of our class who attended include Steve DeOssie, Mike Flaherty, Mike Goodberlet, Mike Grant, Mark MacDonald, Brendan Murphy, Joe Ricca, Mike Ryan, Paul Shaw, Rob Swanke, Joe Thomas, Tony Thurman, Bob Vissers, and Brian Waldron, and several teammates from the Classes of ’85, ’86, and ’87 were also there. Dan writes that BC did a great job of hosting the team, which won the eastern championship with wins over Penn State, Clemson, and Alabama. • In November, Congressman Thomas Suozzi was reelected to a second term, representing New York’s 3rd District. Tom and his wife, Helene, celebrated their 25th anniversary last June. After graduating from Fordham, their daughter, Caroline, spent a year on the island of Yap, volunteer teaching at a Jesuit high school. Caroline came home and helped Tom run his campaign. Their son Joe ’20 walked on to the BC baseball team and is now the starting right fielder. He is studying economics. Son Michael is a sophomore at Chaminade. • For the past 21 years, Susan Arizini has owned and operated a retail store/import business called Via Bellissima in Bryn Mawr, PA. Susan travels several times each year to Italy and buys handmade, hand-painted pieces from all over the country, most notably from Tuscany, Umbria, Venice, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast. She brings back treasures of Italian ceramics, luxe home décor, and unique gifts. Her website can be found at viabellissima.com. • Last year John Jetsyn Tache published his first book, Killing Kardashian. For more on the book, see “Killing Kardashian” on Instagram. The book was optioned for a film by Lucas Foster, who produced Man on Fire and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Correspondent: Carol A. McConnell bc1984notes@optimum.net
1985 Amy Fracassini has been selected to the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2018 “Top Women of Law” list and the 2018 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list. In January 2018, Amy was elected president 53
of Davis Malm & D’Agostine, where she focuses her practice on business, real estate, and environmental law and serves on the executive committee. Congrats on the wonderful recognition, Amy! • Maria “Mary” Leonard Olsen has been on a book tour promoting her new book, 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life and along the way has seen classmates and other alums. Sue Yarvis Hayden, Mike Andresino, and Jack Salerno ’84 attended her event in Cambridge; Jay Greely and Gwynne Beatty went to her Delray Beach, FL, appearance; and Rick Cresta, Vin Sylvia, and Nick Carey were in the audience at her Boston book talk. • Théo Spilka lives in Old Tappan, NJ, and is a VP at Firmenich. Théo was excited to visit the Heights last fall after having been away for several years. He enjoyed seeing all the changes on campus and spending time with BC’s track coach, Matt Kerr, and several members of the men’s cross-country team. He notes that both the team and the facilities have come a long way since 1985! He was floored by the new field house and the forthcoming recreation center and had mixed emotions about the plans to demolish the Rec Plex next year! • The Hillside C-56 roommates had a terrific get-together at the new home of Eileen Goerss Thornberry, just outside Seattle. Pam Risio Ferraro, Rachel O’Hara Kurtyka, Shelly Barillo McGillivray, Lisa Hartunian Campbell, and Mary Tyrrell Coughlin all enjoyed a few days of sightseeing, Starbucks coffee, and nonstop talk and catch-up conversations. They are all so grateful for their BC days and continued friendship! They even had some fun paging through our yearbook and remembering all their BC friends! • Congratulations to Jeff Thielman, JD’92, president and CEO of the International Institute of New England (IINE), on receiving the Peace Islands Institute’s 2018 Peace Award. The award recognizes the hard work that Jeff and the IINE do every day to create opportunities for refugees in New England. • Please send me your news! Correspondent: Barbara Ward Wilson bww415@gmail.com
1986 John La Liberte, a partner at Sherin and Lodgen, has been selected for inclusion on the 2018 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list for his practice in business litigation. Correspondent: Leenie Kelley leeniekelley@hotmail.com
1987 Hello, everyone. I hope you all had an amazing year, and I wish you the very best in 2019! • I am handing over the reins of this space after this column, but it has been fun catching up with everyone and spreading the word. Please make sure you keep the updates coming in for the new class correspondent so that we all can be a part of your lives, even if it is just this small way. • Here are a few notes for this issue. • Missie Bertolino Bankes let us know that in 54
October her family participated in the New England Catholic Invitational swim meet at Boston College on many levels—Missie, as coach of Merrimack College swimming, and son Peter, Class of 2021, and daughter Jennie (Providence College, Class of 2022), as swimmers at the meet. Great job to all the Bankes swimmers! • Barbara Sullivan Roehrig sent us a note saying that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while training for a triathlon in California 15 years ago, which led her to founding a monthly MS wellness program called Coping Well. It supports callers from North America and provides guidance on how to live life as well as possible within the confines of this disease. If it can help you or anyone you know, please encourage them to check out the copingwell.org website. Barbara wanted to stress that there is no known cause or cure, so the emphasis is on the journey and making it as successful as possible. Thank you for your strength, courage, and leadership in this area, Barbara. • As my final note, I’d like to relay to you that my best pal from BC, Joe Limone, won the grand slam of storytelling from the organization The Moth. Joe has woven a great story of endured friendship, a father and son’s relationship, loyalty, and sports. I encourage you to check his story out; it’s called “The Magic Nail.” I think you will enjoy it! Great job, Joseph. You are a true champion! • My best to you all, and even though I am passing the baton, you can always contact me at imbriano@bc.edu. I am also on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter (@LouImbriano). Go, BC! Editor’s note: If you would like to accept the baton Lou offers and serve as correspondent for the Class of ’87, please contact us at classnotes@bc.edu. Correspondent: Lou Imbriano imbriano@bc.edu
1988 There is always a lead time with class notes that sometimes changes things from when I receive them to when they will get published. For example, Tom Hucker wrote in July that he had won the Democratic nomination for reelection to the Montgomery County (MD) Council. However, since I’m writing this on the day before Thanksgiving, I am happy to report that Tom faced no opposition in the November general election and will continue to represent the 5th District. Previously, Tom spent eight years in the Maryland state legislature. • Philip Santalla wrote that he and wife Kelley (Burns) ’89 have a daughter, Mary, who is now at BC, Class of 2022. Phil returned to the Heights for Mary’s orientation and was astounded at all the physical changes. • Stephen Paul Sayers had his first novel published in June. A Taker of Morrows is the first in a three-part supernatural thriller series set in Boston and Cape Cod. The second book in the series should be published by the time this is published. See what I mean?! Correspondent: Rob Murray murrman@aol.com
1989 30TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 With our 30th (gulp) reunion coming up in May, I want to focus first on some important information for you all. I’ll be sharing more updates in each column until May. First, be sure that the BC alumni office has your updated contact details, so you’ll be sure to receive all of the information you need. Next, there is a group of classmates who are taking the lead in reaching out to folks personally to encourage you to join us on campus in May if you can, and to highlight some ways you can support your university in celebration of your 30th. Finally, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly and I can either answer or direct you to the right resource! Now, on to our class notes. Please keep sharing! • Muffy Pendergast (muffysart@sbcglobal.net) relocated to the south of France for a “family gap year” in August 2018. Her daughter Jorgie (15) is attending a bilingual school, and son Arlo (17) is immersed in French and WWOOFing while her husband, Frank Bruckmann, is painting full-time. Muffy tags along to paint and is blogging the experience at frankbruckmann.blogspot.com. • Michael ’88 and Anne Marie (Luongo) Gallagher (annemarie.gallagher@yahoo.com) are thrilled that their son Nick has joined the BC Class of 2022! As Anne Marie notes, it is always great to “come home” to the Heights! • Apologies and a correction from our Class Notes from last summer. We noted incorrectly that James Hurley, of Hingham, died in December 2017. That was actually our classmate Jim Hurley’s father, James Hurley Sr. ’58, who passed away at the age of 83. Our apologies. • On a brighter note, Jim (hurley.james@gmail. com) sent along a great update on himself. Jim and his husband, Mike Ulisano, have lived in Seattle for five years. Jim recently joined the marketing team at Tableau Software. Previously, he worked for four years at Avalara, a Seattle-based SAAS company focused on sales tax automation. Outside of work, Jim and Mike spend their time hiking, skiing, and traveling across the Pacific Northwest. Correspondent: Andrea McGrath andrea.e.mcgrath@gmail.com
1990 Hello, Class of 1990! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season. Please share any fun family, travel, or other news with us. We look forward to hearing from you. • Christine Bougie hosted a mini college reunion and 50th birthday party at her home in Portland, ME, at the end of September. BC roommate Tara Kearnan Cornell and her husband, John, drove from Uxbridge for the weekend. Although fellow roommate Michele Notarianni wasn’t able to attend, they were able to catch up with her in Atlanta via FaceTime. Also in attendance were Rob and Tracy (Ricci) Zordan, from Waterford, NY, and Dawn Pedersen
Wilson from Arlington, VA. Tracy and Dawn attended BC during freshman year and also lived in Fitzpatrick Hall. There was food from Tracy’s bakery, called The Dessert Tray, along with many laughs while reminiscing. • I enjoyed some time in Nashville with some of the ladies from Walsh Hall last summer to celebrate 50th birthdays. Music City will never be the same! Correspondent: Missy Campbell Reid missybc90@comcast.net
1991 On a personal note, a small-world moment: As I began my school year with a new group of sixth graders, one student mentioned that her mom went to BC. I asked when she graduated. She wasn’t sure. In my next communication with the mom, I discover that she is our Class of ’91 classmate Tricia Lawlor Jordan. Yes, it is a small, small world. • Laura Roman Lopez is back in New York after living in Florida for seven years. Both of Laura’s daughters are off to college. Sofia Alexis ’20 is the current drum major of the Screaming Eagles Marching Band, and Elina Rose is a freshman at SUNY New Paltz. Laura is loving the empty-nester life! • The year ahead will feature huge milestone birthdays for us all—so share what you have done to celebrate with your fellow BC ’91 friends! Correspondent: Peggy Morin Bruno pegmb@comcast.net
1992 Hi, everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I really look forward to receiving your updates and news, so please keep them coming! I wish you all the best for 2019 and hope you will keep in touch with your fellow BC classmates. Thanks so much! • Rick Finch and Nicole Andrade were married in September in Brooklyn. Many members of the Class of 1992 were in attendance at the wedding and reception, including Lynne Nowak Xerras, Christine Hoar Dooling, Megan Nickels Abbett, Shari Aponte Sadowski, Lauren Stewart, Marybeth Toran, John Doran, Matt McGovern, Mark Walker, Chris Gildea, Katie Boulos Gildea, Roy Jimenez, Caroline Ward, Desmond Rohan MBA’08, and Jon-Paul Lapointe. • Ashley Adams Cook writes: “I have a BC story to share: In January 2018, on board a small ship in the Galapagos Islands, there was a BC reunion of sorts. Current BC student Derek Austin ’20 was traveling with his family on the ship. A fellow passenger commented on his BC T-shirt. It was Mauricio Samper Camacho ’91, who was traveling with his wife, Luly Castellanos de Samper ’91, and their daughter Cristina Samper Castellanos ’18. Ashley overheard them talking and joined in the conversation about BC. It turned out that, of the four family groups traveling together on this small ship in the Galapagos Islands, three had connections to Boston College. It really is a small world!” • Many members of the Class of 1992 attended the BC vs. Clemson football game in November. A
great time was had by all at the tailgate and the game, including John Doran, Matt McGovern, Mark Walker, Michelle Villiotte Walker MA’96, Chris Gildea, Tom and Maria (Signorella) Wilcox, Kristine Hyde, Caroline Ward, Roy Jimenez, Tony Munchak MS’96, Chris Novello, John Keene, Rob and Teresa (Savino) Munoz, Jason Beal, and Don Nguyen. Correspondent: Katie Boulos Gildea kbgildea@yahoo.com
1993 Well, friends, the new rules are 400 words max. You all know This. Will. Not. Be. Easy. For. Me. I may be short in height, but never in words—until now! • Attorney Pete Hogan, MBA’98, JD’98, forever known as the last BC ’93 alum to live in the Mods (as an RA while at BC Law, in 1998), recently joined Buchalter as a shareholder in its corporate group. Pete’s practice focuses on securities, general corporate, and mergers and acquisitions. Pete lives in Southern California with his gorgeous wife and their twins. • Dave Wedge’s third book came out in July. Titled 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption, it was coauthored with Casey Sherman ’04. Their last book was on much-loved BCer Pete Frates ’07. Movies are in development for both, and their first book, Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph over Tragedy, was adapted into Peter Berg’s 2017 movie, Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg. Geez, Dave, you underachiever. Kidding. Congrats on great successes! • More author news: Matt Fitzpatrick released his first novel, Crosshairs, in September 2018. The sequel, Matriarch Game, will be released in the second half of 2019, and Matt says it will be “as twisted, gritty, and fun.” • There is an amazing trio of new “old dads” in BC ’93. Congrats to Anil Joseph and his wife, who just welcomed a baby girl. I heard Pat Mulligan couldn’t make Reunion because of a new baby. And Steve Piluso also missed as he was about to become a first-time dad: son Tommy was born on July 14. Steve’s wife, Mia, puts up with her two boys sporting a lot of BC apparel. Please keep up the Facebook pics, Steve. Those of us with grumpy teenagers love seeing you embrace your parenthood! On the other end of parenthood is the sweetness of Kim LaGraize Bent giving her BC class ring to her daughter Kaley, Class of 2019. Love! • And now with my last few words, some other reunion notes that didn’t make it into the last update: Fun to catch up with Judd Tuohy, Bill Smith, and John (Yianni) Theophilos. Stephen and Kevin Sullivan, show your faces next time! You too, Jim Dawson! Chris Yvars, don’t miss another! Ditto Blane Walter, Ron Malloy, Paul Bureau, Dave Smartt, and Jeff Teeven. Dan Walsh, Tom Burton JD’96, Mike Pouliot, TJ Murphy JD’97, Fred Paulmann, and Tony Tama MA’97, did their best to represent you all. But we need you, in real life! Until spring, BC ’93! Correspondent: Laura Beck laurabeckcahoon@gmail.com
1994 25TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Can you believe we have that “25th Reunion” at the top of our column? It is quite unbelievable. I hope you are all making your plans to come to the Heights this spring to celebrate. In the meantime, I’m honored to be part of our 25th Reunion Committee. The committee, chaired by Leslie Everingham Burton and Brian Delaney, also includes Naveen Ballem, Christina Baruh, Jay Colbath, Heather Dean, John Houle, Kristin Keating, Kimberly Kozemchak Paster, Michael Price, Brian Saxton MA’95, and Aimee Grmoljez Shanight. On behalf of all of us, I hope you’ll consider giving to Boston College in honor of this special reunion year. We are aiming for as much participation as possible, so please consider a gift of any size. Your gift will help enable the next generation of students to benefit from all that we received while at BC. Now on to some news: I just enjoyed a terrific weekend in Charleston, SC, with my BC roommates Beth Coyle Alford, Liz O’Hearn Galvin, Debra Nugent Lussier JD’99, Lori MacDonald, Sheri Pesez Rhoades MEd’01, and Erin Miller Spaulding—with Josie Losada McMahon there in spirit. We did some sightseeing, ate some amazing food, and most importantly, were able to catch up with one another. We always get together around the holidays (a tradition that has lasted these 25 years), but it was nice to have some uninterrupted time together in a beautiful setting. • That’s all for now— but please send some notes along to get people excited about connecting in person in the spring! Correspondent: Nancy E. Drane nancydrane@aol.com
1995 Correspondent: Kevin McKeon kmckeon@gmail.com
1996 Brigid (Tobin) ’97 and John Dempsey welcomed their third son, Liam Francis, on June 8, 2018. He joins older brothers Brendan and Connor. The family lives in Waban, not far from Chestnut Hill. • Jeff Prezch writes that he is releasing two new singles this year—“Someday” and “Anywhere But Here”—following a successful cross-country tour last summer. His music is available on Spotify, Bandcamp, Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, and jeffprezch.com. Correspondent: Mike Hofman mhofman12@gmail.com
1997 After months of training and determination, Todd Lusk and his wife, Dawn, reached Uhuru Peak (elevation 19,341 feet) at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro on June 29 55
at 7:30 a.m. Upon returning home from this fulfilling accomplishment, Todd went on to professional achievement as well with his promotion to managing director at Rocaton Investment Advisors, an investment consulting firm in Connecticut. • Erin Dionne’s first picture book, Captain’s Log: Snowbound (Charlesbridge), was released in November. It’s an exploration of imagination: The protagonist takes on the persona of a stranded captain when his family is homebound after a big snowstorm. Inspired by the 109-inch snowfall in Boston in 2015 as well as Facebook posts, the book has received a starred review from Kirkus! Correspondent: Margo Rivera Gillespie margogillespie@gmail.com
1998 John Ingoglia writes: “The reunion was a great time! My wife, Shirley, was able to experience Boston for the first time. She thought everyone in our class was so nice and the campus so beautiful. Being on campus was like it was 20 years ago. Such happy times. Very grateful for it all. Go, BC!” • Two years ago Steve Olivier, aka “Guy Holmes,” launched Grow: The Quintessential Cannabis Horticulture Magazine. It was the fastest-growing print magazine at Barnes & Noble for 2017 and has just been ranked in the top 1,000 print magazines by revenue at B&N, the nation’s biggest seller of magazines. Grow is also sold internationally and employs cannabis legends like Ed Rosenthal, Todd McCormick, and Laurence Cherniak. Steve has been publishing magazines since 2005, when he launched Eugene Magazine, Lane County, Oregon’s lifestyle quarterly. He still oversees operations of both magazines, headquartered in Eugene, where he lives with his wife, Lanny, and three kids, Quinn (10), Steve (6), and Josette (4). He also grows cannabis and consults with growers worldwide. Correspondent: Mistie P. Lucht hohudson@yahoo.com
1999 20TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Correspondent: Matt Colleran bc1999classnotes@hotmail.com Correspondent: Emily Wildfire ewildfire@hotmail.com
2000 Happy 2019! It’s hard to believe that another year has passed since our time at the Heights. • Jason Maloney was elected to the board of directors of Watson Clinic, a 220-member, multi-specialty physician group in Southwest Florida. Jason has been a neuroradiologist with Watson for more than four years. • BC roommates Lisa Herskowitz Rager and Libby Putman Roin celebrated their 40th birthdays with friends and family in Aspen, CO, in late August. 56
The celebration fortuitously fell on the 22nd anniversary of their first meeting at the Heights—on the first day of freshman orientation in 1996. Lisa joined Tesla Motors in June 2018 as a global security manager and says she is excited to be contributing to Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. • Nadia Lehmejian and Patrick Moore were married on June 29, 2018, in the neighborhood where they live, New York City’s West Village. Patrick is from West Hartford, CT. Nadia continues to work in marketing in the technology space as she has been doing on and off since 2003. She also has been teaching Bikram Yoga for more than nine years. • Thank you again to everyone who shared their news. Correspondent: Kate Pescatore katepescatore@hotmail.com
2001 Happy new year to the Class of 2001! • Paul and Candice (Condon) Cunningham have moved to Lubbock, TX, where Paul serves as a senior district manager for Altria Group, and Candice stays home with their children, Peyton (9) and Avery (6). Candice was recently elected VP of Better Understanding of Down Syndrome (BUDS), a West Texas Down syndrome advocacy nonprofit. She is looking forward to soon delving into a career in real estate now that their youngest has started kindergarten. She recently had a blast in Charleston, SC, with classmates Megan Cunningham West, Erin Haran MacCurtain, Christy Merullo Thompson, Lauren Hill Kowaleski, and Kate Maher Gruber. • Maggie Messitt graduated from Ohio University with a PhD in creative nonfiction, focused on literary journalism and postapartheid South African literature, in 2017. She was then named national director of Report for America, a national service program placing talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms across the country to report on under-covered issues and communities. She splits her time between Brooklyn and Pittsburgh. • I recently retired my pom-poms as cheer coordinator and trustee for our local K–6 youth football and cheerleading league, where I also coached a great group of ladies. I’m excited to pass the baton and become a spectator for the school squad next year, which will give my family more time to come up and cheer on the Eagles! • This is the year during which most of us turn 40. Live it up, and keep those updates coming! Happy birthdays! Correspondent: Sandi Birkeland Kanne bc01classnotes@gmail.com
2002 Laura Eliasof Jimenez, a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in White Plains, NY, has been making her mark in the financial advice field. In 2018, she was named to both Forbes’ list of America’s Top NextGeneration Wealth Advisors, which recognizes the best forward thinkers in the business,
and Working Mother magazine’s list of Top Wealth Advisor Moms. Laura has been with Merrill Lynch for the past 15 years, helping individuals and families successfully manage wealth and achieve their retirement goals. She resides in Port Chester, NY, with her husband and young daughter. • David Baxter and his wife, Lori, welcomed their second child, a son, Riley Ernest, on October 5, 2018, in their hometown of Roseburg, OR. David and family plan to return in December to Vientiane, Laos, where they have lived for the past two years. You can follow their expat family adventures at AwayGoWe.com. • Janie Ho, a former analyst at LinkedIn in New York City, is now an adjunct professor of social media at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She owns the Boston College tech and communications alumni group on LinkedIn—request to join and send her a note! She also provides social/digital, speaking, and even photography (portrait, events) services. She’d love to hear from fellow Eagles; email her at janiekho@gmail.com. Correspondent: Suzanne Harte suzanneharte@yahoo.com
2003 It’s congratulations all around for this issue! In September, Kerry Whelly Langan, MA’04, was named to the CNY Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty for 2018. The list recognizes 40 individuals who are under the age of 40 and have excelled in the workplace and in the community. Kerry, a labor and employment law attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King, is also involved in volunteer work centered on helping children and families. She is a board member of Huntington Family Centers, which provides youth, family, and adult services, and also served for many years on the board of Circare, which supports individuals and their families who encounter barriers to their health and wellness. • In April 2018, Ashley “AC” Bradley won a Daytime Emmy for writing in an animated program, Trollhunters. She is also the author of multiple episodes of a new animated series, 3Below, which debuted on Netflix in December. She hopes you will watch with the whole family. • Congratulations to Carl Oliveri twice over! Carl received his PhD in administration and leadership from Marywood University in November 2017, and he was married on September 14, 2018. He lives in Chelsea. Editor’s note: With this issue, Toni Ann Kruse is relinquishing her role as your class correspondent. Toni Ann has served as the sole writer for this column, faithfully reporting news of your class throughout the 15 years since graduation. We are very grateful to her for her excellent work and thank her for her commitment as a volunteer for Boston College. If you would like to follow Toni Ann’s good example, serving the great Class of 2003 by joining our team of scribes, please contact us at classnotes@bc.edu. Correspondent: ToniAnn Kruse kruseta@gmail.com
2004 15TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Attorney Jessica Ragosta Early was one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2018 Top Women of Law. • Trammell Summers and his wife, Laura, are excited to announce the birth of their daughter, Lucy Day, on September 11, 2017. Their son, Coleman, is excited to be a big brother! Correspondent: Alexandra “Allie” Weiskopf allieweiskopf@gmail.com
2005 Andy and Jane (Balas) Bortz welcomed their son, William Andrew, on July 26, 2018. The family resides in the Philadelphia suburbs with their yellow lab, Ellie. The couple received their MBAs from Villanova University in 2013. Jane has been working as a director of project management at DiD Agency, which focuses on marketing for health and wellness brands. Andy is a new product introduction manager at Johnson Matthey. • Allison Cherundolo, an associate at Morgan, Brown & Joy, was selected as a “Rising Star” in the Massachusetts 2018 Super Lawyers ratings for her practice in labor and employment law. • In October, Tim Rose was promoted from recruiting manager to director of recruiting for Alexander Technology Group in its Woburn office. The company is a part of BANKW Staffing, which provides temporary, contract-to-hire, and direct-hire staffing services in the areas of information technology, finance, accounting, sales, human resources, legal, and administration. Tim, a Needham native, resides in Winchester. Correspondent: Joe Bowden joe.bowden@gmail.com Correspondent: Justin Barrasso jbarrasso@gmail.com
2006 David Biele, JD’09, was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 4th Suffolk District, which consists of South Boston and parts of Dorchester. He began his two-year term in January and is a lifelong resident of the district he represents. Correspondent: Cristina Conciatori conciato@bc.edu
2007 Ali Bane married Luke Hammond on August 4, 2018, on the North Shore of Massachusetts. They were married by Fr. Joe Marchese, former director of BC’s Office of First Year Experience, where Ali has worked for the last five years. Over 30 BC grads spanning generations were in attendance, including the bride’s parents, Joe ’81 and Cindy (Thompson) Bane ’80, and six BC bridesmaids: Rachael De Chacon, Andrea LaGala Lamb MEd’08, Marjorie McCormick Filice, Meg Galligan Shackleton, Emily Ehrgood Watt, and
“I have a passion for delighting my guests, for working for myself, and for serving my community.”
DAN STOKES ’97
OWNER: Red Bird, Waltham
A Passion for Hospitality
D
an Stokes may have been an English major at BC, but his heart was always in the kitchen. “I always cooked,” says the chef-owner of intimate new American restaurant Red Bird. “As a kid, I helped my mom in the kitchen and made Sunday breakfast for the family. After BC, I took the plunge into a real kitchen job, and I loved it.” He developed an impressive pedigree as a chef, from stints at the highly lauded South End restaurant Franklin Café; to attending the French Culinary Institute in New York City and honing his skills at several New York City restaurants; to traveling and cooking in Italy for a year, absorbing the Italian approach to eating—“it’s such an important part of life there,” he says fondly. Red Bird is the culmination of a longtime goal. He soon realized owning a restaurant could also be a way to serve his community. “It’s a way to give back,” explains Dan. “I work with local businesses as much as I can. We support Waltham Fields Community Farm, which helps alleviate food insecurity through fresh produce. We really take pride in the way we contribute to a thriving local economy.” What’s next? “I’m focused on Red Bird now, but there are definitely more restaurants in my future.”
57
Megan Shaughnessy ’08. • Kathleen Corcoran-Jones married Walter Jones at St. Ignatius Church on St. Patrick’s Day. The couple reside in Wellesley, where they opened Barber Walter’s barbershop, lounge, and apothecary in December! • Dennis Goulet and his wife, Delaney, welcomed a daughter, Estelle Rose, on July 30, 2018. They have moved back to their home state of Washington, where both are physicians with the Everett Clinic, Denny in OB-GYN, and Delaney in internal medicine. • Patrick and Sarah (Mares) Healey, MEd’08, welcomed the birth of their daughter Cora Adelyn in August 2018. They live in Malta, where Patrick is posted as a foreign service officer with the Department of State, and Sarah works as a teacher. • Dan and Frances (Macias-Phillips) Oney welcomed their second daughter on August 7, 2018. “Vivian is a happy baby and brings us all so much joy, especially her big sister Grace!” Frances reports. The family lives in Rocklin, CA. • Stephanie St. Martin, MA’10, has been published again! You can find her latest chapter in The Handmaid’s Tale and Philosophy. This is the fourth time she has contributed to works popularizing philosophy; her essays also appear in The Red Sox and Philosophy, The Rolling Stones and Philosophy, and What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Lover. • In June 2018, Christina Bechhold Russ and Graham Gullans celebrated six years as cofounders and managing directors of Empire Angels, their New York–based fund and angel group that invests in early-stage companies, with a focus on supporting young entrepreneurs. They are now looking forward to expanding the group internationally and closing their second fund this fall. Correspondent: Lauren Faherty Bagnell lauren.faherty@gmail.com
2008 Davis Fields and Kira Valenta recently married at Clos LaChance winery in San Martin, CA. They were joined by fellow Eagles including best man Jim Fields ’10 and groomsman Alex Lopez. Wedding guests included Maddie Carson, Rom Celli, and Scott Utterson ’07. Davis and Kira live in Mountain View, where Davis is a PM manager at Facebook and Kira is a policy analyst at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. • Kelly (Treseler) Golden, MA’10, recently completed her PhD in higher education leadership from UMass Boston. For her dissertation, she studied the experiences of undergraduate women in college and how these influenced their gender role performances. Kelly and her husband, David, were married in 2015 and live in North Andover with their Boston terrier, Teddy. • Karen Schreiner, MA’10, received the 2016 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching. She recently participated in the Aspiring Principals Program through New Leaders, a national educational organization that prepares education leaders to deliver breakthrough results in America’s highest-need schools. Now a new leader herself, at the beginning of the 2018–2019 school year 58
she joined Think College Now Elementary School in Oakland, CA, as assistant principal. • On July 20, 2018, Craig Lewin successfully completed a swim across the Catalina Channel in 11:02:33 hours. The Catalina Channel is a little more than 20 miles at its shortest distance, spanning from Santa Catalina Island to the coast of California. One of the things that helped Craig conquer this challenge was the support of fellow Eagles Joe Maloy, MS’10, and Rob Keely ’05, who jumped into the water to swim alongside Craig as pace swimmers. • Nicole Benevenia graduated from Yale Divinity School with her MA in religion and literature in 2015. She worked in arts event coordination at Yale for two years and is now campus minister for service opportunities at Merrimack College. Nicole married Nathan Bourne on June 16, 2018, in Portsmouth, NH. BC alumni in attendance included Jessica Humphries, Gregory and Ruth (Spangler) Herrle, Kat (Wakeham) Barnes ’07, Megan Wheeler ’09, Meg Stapleton Smith ’13, Nicholas Benevenia ’14, and Mark Benevenia ’82. Nicole was thrilled to see many of you at Reunion— though it was far too brief! Correspondent: Maura Tierney Murphy mauraktierney@gmail.com
2009 10TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Adrienne Calotta, MEd’10, and Benjamin Kocarnik were married on September 2, 2018, in Wyckoff, NJ. Fellow BC alumni Daniel Cagen, Malak Yusuf-Mirochnick, Deepika Agrawal, and Lauren Kraics McKay as well as the bride’s parents, Gregory ’79 and Anita (Meluso) Calotta ’80, and several other relatives were in attendance. The newlyweds live in Watertown. Adrienne teaches high school Spanish at ActonBoxborough Regional High School in Acton, and Ben works as a data analyst at Juniper Networks in Westford. Correspondent: Timothy Bates tbates86@gmail.com
2010 Spencer and Dianne (Bacsik) Sydorko, MEd’13, welcomed their first child, Lincoln Francis, on July 10, 2018. Mom, Dad, and Baby Linc are all happy and healthy. • Megan Maloney and Jesús Arreola were married on November 10 in their hometown of Austin, TX. They were surrounded by friends and family as they said “I do” at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, where they had originally met 16 years ago. Several of Megan’s fellow Eagles were in attendance, including her freshman year roommate, Sarah Wiewel, and several representatives from her Keyes, Lake Street, and Rubenstein years. Jessica Chu and Katherine Sheehan also stood alongside her at the altar as her bridesmaids. • Danielle Corea married Arthur Smith on July 7, 2018, in Morristown, NJ. Fellow Eagles in the bridal party included Tina Corea ’06,
Claire Corea ’14, Nicole DellaRocco, Oksana Nekoz, and Vittoria Macadino MEd’11. Danielle works for Catholic Relief Services, and Arthur is completing his PhD in economics at Boston University. The couple reside in Boston. • Congratulations are also in order for William Ferguson, MS’11, and Michelle Lynch, who were married on September 15, 2018, on Cape Cod. William grew up in Weston, and Michelle is originally from Medfield. The couple met in South Boston in 2014 and now reside in Weymouth. William is a principal at Link Ventures in Cambridge, and Michelle works for PanAgora Asset Management in Boston. Many Boston College alumni from multiple generations were in attendance at the wedding. The wedding party included Kevin Distaso, Matthew Reardon MBA’15, John Lynch ’09, and Laura Ainsley Ferguson ’11. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson are thankful for the love and support of their family and friends and are glad to be a part of the Boston College community. Correspondent: Bridget K. Sweeney bridget.k.sweeney@gmail.com
2011 Nicholas Foster and Lindsey Cardoza were married in Trinity Chapel on October 20, 2018. At BC, Nicholas was a member and president of the University Chorale, and he asked John Finney and select members of the chorale to perform at their wedding. A small subset of the chorale, called the Chamber Singers of the University Chorale of Boston College, performed a mini concert and sang for the Mass. • Jack Neary is helping to launch Canary Cold Brew, which is a subscription service for canned coldbrew coffee, in January. The hope for this company is that it will be the most convenient way to drink cold brew at home. Jack would love to hear from classmates who try it; email him at canarycoldbrew.com. Correspondent: Brittany Lynch Pruitt brittanymichele8@gmail.com
2012 Lauren Malishchak, Kevin McGovern, and Micheal Adondakis all graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine this past May, along with Nick Spetko ’14. Lauren and Nick are completing residencies in internal medicine, Mike in radiology, and Kevin in general surgery, and all but Kevin remain in the Boston area. Correspondent: Riley Sullivan sullivan.riley.o@gmail.com
2013 Congratulations to Evan and Christine Sanderson-Movius, who were married on October 6, 2018, at Sugarloaf Mountain, MD. The couple met in Boston during rehearsals for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona in 2013. They now live in Washington DC. Both are software engineers, Christine at the Washington Post, and Evan at Politico. Many Boston College alumni
were present for the wedding. The wedding party included Shannon DeBari MEd’14, Sara Fernandez Goldstein, Jilliene Jaeger, Margaret Maguire MBA’15, Kathryn Persons MBA’16, and Nicole Trauffer MA’14. Other alumni in attendance were Kenard Jackson ’10, Patrick Lazour, Leo Magrini, and Caitlin Steedle. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson-Movius are grateful to have been surrounded by beloved friends and family on their special day, and they look forward to embarking on this next chapter in their lives! Congratulations, Christine and Evan! • Please continue to send in your updates! We love to hear about everyone’s exciting news! Correspondent: Bryanna Mahony Robertson bryanna.mahony@gmail.com
2014 5TH REUNION
May 31–June 2, 2019 Correspondent: Jenn Howard howardjlk@gmail.com
2015 Thank you to Dominick Andre for responding to our request for favorite memories of BC. Dominick writes: “Traveling to Bordeaux, France, with my French class during the summer was a trip of a lifetime. Will always cherish the memories made there with my fellow classmates.” • Do you have a favorite recollection of your time at the Heights you’d like to share? Please send in your stories—or current news—for our next issue! Correspondent: Victoria Mariconti victoria.mariconti@gmail.com
2016 Correspondent: Abby Regan reganab@bc.edu
2017 Amanda Alcamo recently joined Acentech’s marketing department at their Cambridge headquarters. She works with the firm’s marketing team and consultants on proposals, qualifications, and presentations; assists with graphic and external communication; and tracks conferences and new business opportunities. Amanda hails from Long Island and holds a BA in communication and political science from BC. • Ali Rae Hunt lives in San Francisco and works as an account associate at LaunchSquad, a PR agency founded by a BC alum in 1999. LaunchSquad primarily works with technology companies, and Ali has had the chance to work on a variety of accounts ranging from quantum computing to fitness trackers, from Netflix to Uber Freight. Ali has also planned volunteering events and initiatives for her company, in particular serving at the Glide Foundation, a local nonprofit that serves over 2,000 meals a day to community members suffering from homelessness and hunger, and Hamilton
Families, another local nonprofit with a specific mission of ending family homelessness. Correspondent: Joshua Beauregard Joshuab136@gmail.com
2018 Warmest wishes to Josef and Angelina (Bartucci) Fenton, who were married on September 22, 2018, in sunny Tampa, FL. Congratulations! • In contrast, it was on a cold night that many 2018 Eagles found themselves at the Heights for the game against Clemson University! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. • All the best for 2019, Class of 2018! Correspondent: Lizzie Lolis elizabethslolis@gmail.com
BC SOCIAL WORK Correspondent: Elizabeth Abbott Wenger gsswalumni@bc.edu; lizabbott@gmail.com
CARROLL SCHOOL Correspondent: John Clifford clifford.jr@gmail.com
CONNELL SCHOOL
Jesuit tradition to serve for others. We are so proud of the many service programs that the students are involved in as their commitment and dedication exemplifies the mission of Dominican Academy. At D.A. I am privileged to work with fellow BC graduate Michael Cagney ’05, PhD’16. Michael is the theology department chairperson and director of the Eucharistic minister program. Known as a challenging and passionate teacher, Michael teaches Christian Ethics, Catholic Social Teaching, and World Religions. He is married to fellow BC graduate and attorney Erika (Tyler) ’05, and they live on the Upper West Side with their three daughters: Livia (6), Reese (4), and Morgan (1). Michael and I speak fondly about BC and our Jesuit training. We look forward to creating many more service programs and opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff. If you are ever in Manhattan or know of anyone looking for an excellent all-women high school, please stop by or send them to us (44 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065; dominicanacademy.org). Correspondent: Leslie Poole Petit lpoolepetit@gmail.com
STM
Correspondent: Katy Phillips katyelphillips@gmail.com
School of Theology & Ministry stmalum@bc.edu 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3800
LAW SCHOOL
WCAS
Class Notes for Law School alumni are published in the BC Law Magazine. Please forward all submissions to Vicki Sanders at the address below. Vicki Sanders sandervi@bc.edu 885 Centre Street Newton, MA 02459
LYNCH SCHOOL Erez Miller, PhD’98, was nominated as chair of the Department of Education at Achva Academic College in Israel. Erez, who received his PhD in applied development and educational psychology, is also a licensed school psychologist. Correspondent: Marianne Lucas Lescher malescher@aol.com
Richard Riley, MS’03, is teaching public speaking at the Labor Guild for the Archdiocese of Boston. • Congratulations to Abigail Jarvis, MS’10, on her new position at Harvard University working in alumni relations and fundraising. • Galen Allis ’18 is a new member of the Alumni Council Leadership Committee. Currently, Galen is writing a book and has a food blog. She plans on attending graduate school. Galen informed me that Jared Standley ’18 has been accepted to the MS program at Boston College with a focus on corporate finance. Correspondent: Jane T. Crimlisk ’74 crimliskp@gmail.com 37 Leominster Road Dedham, MA 02026; 781-326-0290
MORRISSEY SCHOOL Fellow graduates, as I’m writing this at Thanksgiving, I want to share my gratitude for all you do each and every day. Please share your stories with us! • I am honored to report that I am the newly appointed principal at Dominican Academy (D.A.), an all-honors Catholic college preparatory school for young women in Manhattan and sister school to Regis High School, a Jesuit tuition-free school for young men. At D.A., we call our young women to follow the 59
OBITUARIES boston college alumni deaths
1940s
Edward G. McGrath ’42 of Westbury, NY, on November 23, 2017. Donald J. White ’44, H’94, of Milton on November 18, 2018. Patrick J. Kelly ’45 of Woburn on December 6, 2018. Robert Edward Herlihy, Esq., ’48, JD’50, of Arlington on August 22, 2018. Mary Carten Oslin, MSW’48, of Attleboro on November 28, 2018. William J. Rotondi ’48, MA’51, of Dartmouth on October 22, 2018. William J. Dawson ’49 of Crozier, VA, on December 8, 2018. Paul J. Dorr ’49 of Northampton on September 21, 2018. Philip E. Doyle ’49 of North Chatham, NJ, on November 29, 2018. Albert A. Fitzgerald ’49 of Milton on November 11, 2018. Arthur F. Haley ’49, MEd’50, of Westminster on November 22, 2018. Francis S. Murphy Jr. ’49 of Dorchester on October 16, 2018.
1950s
Francis X. Barrett, Esq., JD’50, of Lowell on October 29, 2018. John E. Creedon ’50 of Nashua, NH, on October 6, 2018. Charles H. Daily ’50 of Winthrop on December 5, 2018. John A. Dellea ’50 of Buzzards Bay on October 14, 2018. Charles J. Kent ’50 of Corinth, VT, on September 30, 2018. Clifford E. Myatt Sr. ’50 of Pinehurst, NC, on December 3, 2017. Herbert Shapiro ’50, MS’52, of St. Louis, MO, on April 18, 2018. Robert J. Weber, Esq., ’50, JD’51, of Lynn on October 6, 2018. Richard V. D’Amico ’51 of Woburn on May 23, 2018. Edward J. Dever ’51 of Quincy on October 31, 2018. James L. Dever ’51 of Lady Lake, FL, on November 23, 2018. Jean A. Gonsalo ’51 of Leawood, KS, on October 8, 2018. Francis J. Kenney ’51 of Silver Spring, MD, on January 23, 2018. James P. McDermott ’51 of Cambridge on November 2, 2018. Hugh E. O’Donnell ’51 of West Roxbury on November 8, 2018. Paul V. Phelan Sr. ’51 of Plymouth on November 26, 2018. Robert F. Barry ’52 of Smithfield, RI, formerly of Duxbury, on November 2, 2018. Daniel E. Callanan ’52 of Beverly on December 19, 2018. Helena Jani Hurley NC’52 of Cupertino, CA, on October 5, 2018. Joseph L. Ippolito ’52 of Melrose on January 27, 2018. Phillip A. Norton ’52 of Cataumet and Naples, FL, on October 26, 2018. Thomas M. O’Maley ’52 of Carmichael, CA, on December 5, 2018. 60
Jan F. Pietraszek ’52 of Fall River on November 6, 2018. Edward F. Schlaich ’52, MA’63, of Lexington on October 31, 2017. Joseph F. Shay ’52 of Southborough on October 20, 2018. Paul D. Coughlin ’53 of Harwich on October 25, 2018. Julian J. D’Agostine, Esq., JD’53, MA’62, of Boca Raton, FL, and Brighton on October 30, 2018. Robert G. Doherty, SJ, ’53, MA’59, of Weston on December 9, 2017. Charlotte Hickey Dwyer NC’53 of Winchester on October 8, 2018. Richard T. Farley ’53 of Centerville on October 25, 2018. John E. Gallagher Sr. ’53 of Watertown on October 5, 2018. Frederick L. Good ’53, MBA’62, of North Scituate and Belmont on December 1, 2018. William D. Ibach, SJ, PhL’53 of Weston on December 24, 2017. William R. Maley ’53 of Rochester, NY, on October 1, 2018. Leonard F. Mirabele ’53 of Medford on July 14, 2018. Albert S. Palmer ’53 of Cambridge on October 30, 2017. Catherine Jennings Savage, MA’53, of Norwood on November 21, 2018. Arthur E. Tierney Jr. ’53 of Weymouth on October 7, 2018. James R. Wholly ’53 of Gardner on October 7, 2018. H. Raymond Arsenault ’54 of Hampton, NH, formerly of Newburyport, on November 19, 2018. Stanley F. Bedell, MS’54, of Andover on June 6, 2018. Carmine J. Caso ’54 of Waltham on May 18, 2018. Christine Paquin Haig, MEd’54, of Worcester on September 30, 2018. Philip C. Harkins ’54, MSW’56, of Hingham on November 16, 2018. George B. Keefe ’54 of South Yarmouth on November 1, 2018. June Baron Tinney ’54 of Rutland, VT, on October 29, 2017. Lee Rand Burne NC’55 of Nantucket on September 3, 2018. Charles L. Doherty Jr. ’55, MBA’64, of Westwood on September 25, 2018. John G. Francis ’55 of Norwood on October 10, 2018. Paul C. Haley, Esq., JD’55, of Weymouth on December 3, 2018. James A. MacDougall ’55 of Hyde Park on August 8, 2018. Irene D. Rohe, MSW’55, of Watertown on November 13, 2018. David C. Sullivan, Esq., JD’55, of Needham on November 6, 2018. Daniel M. Walsh ’55 of Woburn on February 14, 2018. Ludwig J. Abruzzo, Esq., ’56 of Naples, FL, on November 18, 2018. Claire Shea Bach ’56 of Milton on November 2, 2018. Richard J. Bennett, Esq., JD’56, of Arlington on May 3, 2018. John M. Burke, PhD’56, of Plymouth on June 11, 2017. John H. Donovan Jr. ’56 of Shrewsbury on November 7, 2018.
Jane Daniel Everett ’56 of Osterville on October 16, 2018. David B. Finnegan, Esq., ’56, JD’60, of Annandale, VA, on October 25, 2018. Rosemarie Higgins, FMM, ’56, MS’71, of North Providence, RI, on September 23, 2018. Joseph F. Kenneally, MS’56, of Chatham, formerly of Concord, on April 24, 2016. Eleanor L. Lynch ’56 of Peabody on October 18, 2018. Carol Ann Lawson MacNeill ’56, MEd’78, of Scituate on October 13, 2018. Norbert F. Sybertz ’56 of Weymouth on October 10, 2018. Alan R. Walsh WCAS’56 of Marshfield on October 20, 2018. Barbara Erickson Woods ’56 of Manchester, NH, on October 8, 2018. Lawrence W. Gibbs ’57 of New Bedford on December 16, 2018. Joseph W. MacDonald, Esq., ’57 of Weymouth on November 4, 2018. Paul J. Mahoney ’57 of Winchester on September 30, 2018. Joseph T. Bennett, SJ, STL’58, of Weston on September 23, 2018. Ernest S. Caponi ’58, of Leominster on October 8, 2018. Joseph C. Clancy ’58, MEd’62, DEd’72, of Eastham on November 8, 2018. Vincent P. Concannon ’58 of Swampscott on October 18, 2018. Robert F. Misiewicz ’58 of Norton on December 2, 2018. Lawrence S. Plenty ’58 of East Wareham on September 13, 2018. Richard H. Beddow Jr., LLB’59, of Accokeek, MD, on January 1, 2017. David P. Belliveau ’59, PhL’63, MA’63, BD’69, of Centerville on October 15, 2018. John E. Coney Jr. ’59 of Columbia, SC, on November 17, 2018. Leo P. Costello ’59 of Hull on December 4, 2018. Robert A. D’Andrea ’59 of Randolph on September 27, 2018. James Enright, STL’59, of Seminole, FL, on October 31, 2017. Robert O. Hutchinson, MS’59, of Duxbury on October 23, 2018. Richard J. Jodoin ’59 of Springfield, VA, on September 24, 2017. Karl W. Kleinz ’59 of Los Angeles, CA, on February 16, 2018. Robert P. Latkany ’59 of Rye, NY, on November 3, 2018. Edward J. O’Connell III ’59 of Midlothian, VA, on January 23, 2018. Ann Fagan Polacek ’59 of Pascoag, RI, on November 15, 2018. Roland N. Seguin ’59 of Fairhaven on December 14, 2018. Charles W. Silva, Esq., ’59 of Provincetown on December 14, 2018.
1960s
John D. Armstrong ’60 of Kure Beach, NC, on October 16, 2018. Marita Callahan, SP, ’60 of Holyoke on October 20, 2018. James L. Eagan ’60 of Dennis Port on December 5, 2018. Sheila Marshall Gill NC’60 of Woburn on December 3, 2018.
Ann Terrio Johnson, MEd’60, of Yarmouth Port on December 12, 2018. Dominic E. Luppino WCAS’60 of Watertown on October 15, 2018. James E. McFaul, MBA’60, of Hopkinton on October 12, 2018. Paul E. Munsey ’60 of Duxbury on November 16, 2018. Thomas F. Quinn ’60 of Braintree on November 4, 2018. Joseph C. Steinkrauss, Esq., ’60 of Lexington and Pocasset on November 10, 2018. Ann Keleher Wright ’60 of Pearl River, NY, on July 2, 2016. Marie Mullen Canavan, MSW’61, of Fort Myers, FL, on October 8, 2018. Fernando A. DiIanni ’61 of Peabody on December 4, 2018. John J. Karwin, SJ, PhL’61, MA’61, MA’66, STL’68, of Weston on June 4, 2016. William J. McAllister ’61 of Reading on September 28, 2018. John F. McDowell ’61 of Hampton Bays, NY, on January 8, 2018. Henry A. Ossing, MS’61, of Edgewater, FL, on November 16, 2018. Virginia Rattenni Daglieri NC’62 of Estero, FL, on November 16, 2018. John J. Foresteire Jr. ’62 of Stoneham, formerly of Everett, on May 23, 2018. John N. Henesy WCAS’62 of Waltham on April 12, 2016. Mary Reilly Kelly ’62 of Union, NJ, on November 8, 2018. David H. Kravetz, Esq., JD’62, of Delray Beach, FL, on October 19, 2017. Donald A. Myles, MSW’62, of Windcrest, TX, on May 16, 2017. Edward F. Raeke III ’62 of Plymouth on November 5, 2018. John Herbert Sullivan, Esq., JD’62, of Waltham on November 29, 2018. Maureen James Ward ’62 of Rocklin, CA, on September 2, 2018. George V. Zengo Sr. WCAS’62 of Norwalk, CT, on October 1, 2018. Kate Lumaghi Clifford NC’63 of Rye Beach, NH, on November 7, 2016. Constance Lacroix Farley, MEd’63, of South Yarmouth on October 7, 2018. Anthony J. Grey ’63 of Concord, NH, on October 23, 2018. John T. Hannan ’63 of Arlington on November 16, 2018. Dennis J. Kealey ’63 of West Roxbury on July 17, 2017. Judith Larkin Krauser, MSW’63, of Pocatello, ID, on November 29, 2018. James C. McCabe ’63 of Reston, VA, on November 21, 2018. Carl E. Michelet ’63 of Torrington, CT, on June 14, 2018. Richard L. Archambault, MEd’64, of Putnam, CT, on March 8, 2018. Theodore N. Burke, MSW’64, of Virginia Beach, VA, on October 21, 2018. Paul M. Deastlov ’64, MBA’74, of Stow, OH, on October 22, 2018. John H. Esperian, MA’64, of Las Vegas, NV, on June 25, 2017. Thomas E. Houllahan, MSW’64, of Providence, RI, on October 15, 2018. Richard P. Johnson, MSW’64, of Schenectady, NY, on October 25, 2016.
Martin F. Kilmer ’64 of East River Point, Nova Scotia, Canada, on November 5, 2018. John L. McEntaffer, MA’64, PhD’65, of Cape Coral, FL, on October 30, 2017. Sheila Cronan Oldham, MSW’64, of Fall River on October 14, 2018. John Ricco WCAS’64 of Middleboro on October 29, 2016. Carol Eagan Singer ’64 of Hamden, CT, on March 12, 2017. Rosemarie D. Tranfaglia ’64 of Woburn on May 22, 2017. John E. Unis ’64 of Las Vegas, NV, on September 24, 2017. John F. Connolly, MST’65, of Carlisle, PA, on September 25, 2018. Elizabeth Murphy Hunt, MSW’65, of Westfield, on October 7, 2018. James M. King ’65 of New Rochelle, NY, on November 20, 2018. Mary M. Langlais, RJM, MEd’65, of Wellesley on June 14, 2016. Virginia Malfa Roche ’65 of Plymouth on October 5, 2018. Peter J. Thornton, Esq., ’65 of Evanston, IL, on December 5, 2018. J. Normand Tremblay, MSW’65, of Southbridge on June 23, 2017. William J. Watson ’65 of Myrtle Beach, SC, on November 13, 2018. Theodore Welburn, Esq., ’65, JD’68, of Wellesley and West Dennis on October 4, 2018. Maria Rosario Daley, MA’66, of Honolulu, HI, on October 18, 2018. Louise Pizzuto Holland NC’66 of New Canaan, CT, on May 18, 2018. Sarah A. Keane ’66 of Quincy on December 16, 2018. Douglas G. Krein ’66 of West Hartford, CT, on December 8, 2018. David M. Lipton, Esq., JD’66, of Brookline on September 10, 2016. John K. McGuirk, JD’66, of New Windsor, NY, on October 18, 2018. Mary McNamara O’Donnell ’66 of Hampton, NH, on December 9, 2018. Anthony J. Allen, MEd’67, PhD’70, of Richmond, VA, on November 6, 2018. Peter Townsend Amann ’67 of West Palm Beach, FL, on December 9, 2018. Joseph A. Catanzano ’67 of Washington DC and Trenton, ME, on October 3, 2018. Charles A. Cody WCAS’67 of Ipswich on November 2, 2018. John J. Downey Jr. ’67 of Quincy on November 14, 2016. Yvonne Phyllis Goulet, MA’67, of Westbrook, ME, on November 14, 2018. Mary A. Leslie, MEd’67, of Jamaica Plain on December 14, 2018. Robert D. Linn Jr. ’67 of Linthecum Heights, MD, on October 16, 2018. Stephen P. Barnard ’68 of Natick on December 2, 2018. Brenda M. Crowley, MEd’68, of Juno Beach, FL, on October 22, 2018. Michael F. Fahy ’68, MS’73, of Evergreen, CO, on October 28, 2018. Mary Thomas More, OP, MS’68, of Dighton on October 26, 2018. Kevin J. Brady ’69 of Falls Church, VA, on November 16, 2018. Richard J. Craig, MSW’69, of Boston on October 27, 2018.
William B. Foley, SJ, ’69 of Weston on May 15, 2018. Francis M. Galasso WCAS’69 of Walpole on December 8, 2017. Susan B. Pernick ’69 of Oakton, VA, on November 12, 2017. Kevin J. M. Woods ’69 of South Weymouth on October 5, 2018.
1970s
John J. Gorman ’70 of Phoenix, AZ, on September 14, 2018. Ronald J. LaPointe ’70 of Thomaston, CT, on November 17, 2018. Paula Corrigan Doyle ’71 of Leland, NC, on November 18, 2018. Joyce Green, CSSJ, ’71 of Forestville, CT, on December 20, 2018. Francis B. McCarthy, Esq., JD’71, of Butler, PA, on October 30, 2018. John J. Spignesi, Esq., JD’71, of Andover on November 3, 2018. Pamela Clark Surratt, MSW’71, of Golden, CO, on December 16, 2018. Frederick E. Berry ’72 of Peabody on November 13, 2018. Margaret E. Chovaniec NC’72 of Rochester, NY, on October 9, 2018. Dominic Cifelli, MBA’72, of East Providence, RI, on November 15, 2018. Elizabeth Ann Gallagher, SND, NC’72 of Worcester on November 7, 2018. Mary Mullen Molloy ’72 of Scituate on December 23, 2016. Vincent J. Shanley, Esq., ’72 of Bonita Springs, FL, and Belmont, on November 24, 2018. Brian C. Callahan ’73 of Alexandria, VA, on September 16, 2018. Garrick F. Cole, Esq., JD’73, of Manchester on September 20, 2018. Thomas F. Dorigatti ’73 of Manasquan, NJ, on November 17, 2018. Carol L. Reid ’73 of Medford, formerly of Winchester, on December 8, 2018. Paul J. Rohmer ’73 of Ballston Spa, NY, on December 13, 2018. James B. Clapp, Esq., JD’74, of Missoula, MT, on October 7, 2018. James P. Duggan ’74 of Brookline and Glenbeigh, Ireland, on October 22, 2018. Gary G. Gilbride ’74 of Old Greenwich, CT, on September 22, 2018. Barbara Foskett Hainley NC’74 of Seattle, WA, on September 29, 2018. John D. Morrocco ’74 of Bethesda, MD, on July 30, 2018. David F. Pelino ’74 of New York, NY, on July 20, 2018. Dorothy O. Whitlock, MEd’74, of Needham on December 4, 2018. Ralph J. Bozza ’75 of Farmington, CT, on October 11, 2018. Catherine A. Concannon ’75, MA’82, of Milton on November 29, 2018. Joanne D. Manfredi NC’75 of Sarasota, FL, on November 3, 2018. Robert Morlino, MDiv’75, of Madison, WI, on November 24, 2018. Lorraine Ryan, OP, CAES’75, of St. Catharine, KY, on March 23, 2017. Dawn Hutchinson Burke ’76 of Avon, CT, on December 6, 2018. James Freedman ’76 of Port Townsend, WA, on November 6, 2017. Mary Campbell LaGasse ’76 of Thousand Oaks, CA, on October 30, 2018.
Maryanne Virginia Tully, MBA’76, of Melrose on November 27, 2018. Candace Herron Borreson, MBA’77, of Clemmons, NC, on October 31, 2018. Marilyn Louise Smith DiPucchio, MA’77, of Hingham on December 6, 2018. Gina Prenowitz Feuerlicht, PhD’77, of Cambridge on November 22, 2017. Madeline A. Powers, CAES’77, of Winchester on August 17, 2017. Sheila Elizabeth Norman ’78 of Arlington on December 11, 2018. M. Kim Pelosi ’78 of East Boston on November 7, 2018. Marion Ogilvie Simm, MS’78, of Concord on September 22, 2018. Francis Y. K. Soo, PhD’78, of Newton on November 11, 2018. Lisa Halloran Chalke ’79 of Sandwich on October 27, 2018. Lisa J. Cunningham ’79 of Delray Beach, FL, on September 30, 2018. Joseph R. Zajac ’79 of Bronxville, NY, on October 1, 2018.
1980s Thomas P. Curran Jr. ’80 of Medfield on October 2, 2018. Scott E. Henry ’80 of Shavertown, PA, on December 13, 2018. Karen M. Meneses, MS’80, PhD’92, of Rockledge, FL, formerly of Mountain Brook, AL, on August 1, 2018. James C. DeCroteau ’81 of Los Angeles, CA, and Melrose on August 3, 2018. Paula Forget WCAS’81 of Norwood on October 24, 2018. Joan Warner McHugh WCAS’81 of Dedham on November 27, 2018. Michael E. Toland, MBA’81, of Andover on November 5, 2018. Robert P. Melendy ’82 of Charlestown on December 18, 2018. Maureen Tracy Venti, MEd’82, of Jackson, NH, and Key West, FL, on November 15, 2018. Judith Kohlmann Loeffler, PhD’83, of New Braunfels, TX, on January 12, 2018. Michael A. Demalia ’84 of Shrewsbury on July 30, 2018.
Barbara Flynn O’Connell ’85 of Burlington on October 26, 2018. Ann Doran Cahill ’86 of Katonah, NY, on December 9, 2017. Barbara A. MacDonald, PhD’86, of Clearwater, FL, on October 30, 2018. Dianne J. Ranno ’86 of Norwood on December 17, 2018. Paul F. Sullivan, MBA’87, of Atkinson, NH, on October 7, 2017. Anne Frawley, PBVM, MEd’88, of Fargo, ND, on December 22, 2018. Eileen Callahan Perini, MSW’88, of Medfield and Cohasset on March 31, 2018.
1990s Raymond Fitzgerald, SJ, MDiv’90, of New Orleans, LA, on September 17, 2016. Pauline Payant Ludwig, MSW’90, of Charlton on November 14, 2018. Edward W. Zdrowski, MA’90, of Austin, TX, on April 14, 2017. Michael T. Sullivan III, MBA’91, of Amherst on September 18, 2018. John F. Brophy ’92 of Weston, FL, on June 17, 2016. Claudia J. Morner, PhD’93, of Portsmouth, NH, on October 27, 2018. Dawne Ann Birtz, MSW’95, of Worcester on October 7, 2018. Patrick Owens McAleer, Esq., ’95 of Beverly on November 12, 2018. Robert M. Amen ’97 of New Canaan, CT, on March 2018. Robert Gilroy, SJ, MDiv’97, of Bronx, NY, on October 29, 2017.
2000s Chad N. Johnson, MBA’05, MS’05, of Chicago, IL, on November 19, 2018. Ryan Albert Horan ’06 of Dudley on November 21, 2018.
2010s Terrence J. O’Connell, MTS’10 of Springfield on October 9, 2018.
BOSTON COLLEGE COMMUNITY DEATHS Catherine A. Concannon ’75, MA’82, of Milton on November 29, 2018. She was employed in University Advancement for more than 35 years. Ann Coyne, of Sebastian, Florida, on December 21. She was employed in the Department of Human Resources for 22 years. Francis Y. K. Soo, PhD’78, of Newton, on November 11, 2018. He was a professor in the Department of Philosophy for more than 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; sons David and Jeffrey; and grandchildren Madeline and Miles Callam. Donald J. White ’44, H’94, of Milton, on November 18, 2018. He was associate dean and associate dean of faculties at what is now the Carroll School of Management, and, from 1971 to 1994, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He is survived by his children Gregory ’74 and Helene ’79, JD’83, and three grandchildren.
The “Obituaries” section is compiled from national listings as well as from notifications submitted by friends and family of alumni. It consists of names of those whose deaths have been reported to us since the previous issue of Boston College Magazine. Please send information on deceased alumni to Advancement Information Systems, Cadigan Alumni Center, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 or to infoserv@bc.edu. 61
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Inquiring Minds
QU I Z M A S T E R By Zachary Jason Psychologist Joshua Hartshorne’s crowdsourced studies
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or 50 years, educators and linguists have generally accepted that the critical period for mastering another language ends just before puberty begins. Yet most of the supporting research has relied on small samples, often of only a few dozen people, and has primarily tested subjects’ ultimate knowledge of a language, not their ability to learn, “which is like saying only that two runners finished a race, without saying how fast each ran,” says Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology and director of Boston College’s Language Learning Lab in McGuinn Hall. To study how the ability to learn languages changes over time, Hartshorne says, “You need a lot of people who’ve been learning a language for different numbers of years and who started at different ages. What better tool for that than the internet?” While Hartshorne was a research assistant at Harvard in 2006, he created gameswithwords.org. Inspired in part by viral online quizzes such as “Which Harry Potter Character Are You?”, the site features short, concise tests “probing the nature of language and memory” (for example, a multiple-choice quiz on word meanings to examine how birth order affects vocabulary). More than two million visitors (including some revisitors) have participated in his crowdsourced studies, which have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Psychological Foundation. Among the findings: Working memory (the ability to temporarily store and apply information) peaks at around age 30, a decade later than previously thought; and the ability to read and recall facial expressions peaks around age 45. To lure participants into a more comprehensive study of language acquisition, Hartshorne devised a five-minute quiz that, he intimated, could deduce participants’ first language and English dialect. He spent a year and a half researching the idiosyncrasies of dozens of languages and English dialects (for example, “‘I am done dinner’ is a classic Canadianism,” he says) to hone the quiz. What the test actually measured, however, was command of English grammar, via 132 syntactical judgments of varying complexity (for example, fill in the blank with all correct answers: “I ____ for six hours by dinner time” [A] will have studied; [B] will have been studying; [C] will had studied; [D] will be studying”). After par-
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ticipants finished and received Hartshorne’s guess—accurate 80 percent of the time—Hartshorne collected information on their age, first language, location, and when they began learning English. Hartshorne launched the quiz by posting a link on his personal Facebook page one night in May 2014. When he awoke in the morning, his site had crashed. Over two weeks, he garnered 669,498 subjects, ages seven to 89, representing more than 6,000 native languages and dialects from Abenaki to Flemish to Zulu. It was an unprecedented set of data that took more than three years to assess. To help with the analysis, Hartshorne recruited his postdoctoral advisor, MIT professor of cognitive science and computation Joshua Tenenbaum; and cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker of Harvard. The results, which were published in the August 2018 issue of Cognition, indicate that people maintain a peak ability to learn English grammar until age 17.4 years, some 10 years longer than commonly thought. Thereafter, a “rapid” decline in that ability ensues. The results also suggest that because English takes many years to master (in fact, 30-yearold native speakers show the greatest proficiency) children must begin learning it around age 10 to reach native-like fluency, or else they “simply run out of time.” So far, the research has uncovered the critical period only for learning English grammar. Hartshorne is now conducting several “massive online experiments” with other languages and other components of language, including vocabulary and pronunciation. Raised in Kansas, Hartshorne has studied seven languages, including Classical Hebrew, Japanese, and Mandarin. After graduating with a degree in math from Oberlin College in 2002, he spent a year building nature trails in Siberia, so he could “wake up and speak Russian all day.” His investigations “may look overly multipronged,” he says, examining the “intersection between linguistics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychology” (his 19 undergraduate research assistants major in psychology, computer science, mathematics, biology, and economics). But all of his research, and much of his life, “is driven by one fundamental question: How is language possible? All scientific evidence suggests it’s impossible, except for the fact that we use it.”
illustration: Helena Pallarés
Works & Days
Capadona, with a Project Saffire payload, in 2015.
Launched By Zachary Jason NASA engineer Lynn Capadona ’99
image: NASA
Holding a large Dunkin’ cup in one hand, Lynn Capadona gently pats the dome of a steel vacuum chamber 13 feet around, in the Zero-G facility at NASA’s John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. From 2012 to 2016, Capadona served as the chief engineer for Project Saffire, which tested how flames grow in space and involved setting fires remotely (to sheets of cotton and fiberglass) in a space cargo ship 200 miles above Earth. Sections of the Saffire prototype, which encompassed fire detection, suppression, and atmospheric cleanup systems, were dropped 432-feet down the chamber’s underground shaft, to study their responses to microgravity. Now, as chief of NASA’s science and space technology systems branch, Capadona manages 15 full-time aerospace engineers and upwards of a dozen contractors. She spends most of a fall day powerwalking across Glenn’s 300 acres of wind tunnels and laboratories (acoustics, combustion, cryogenics, propulsion) to “tag up” with four of her team. She dons a hairnet and pinstripe smock, passes through an “air shower” that removes static electricity, enters the cavernous Flow Boiling and Condensation lab, and inspects a 14-inchlong titanium cylinder that will be used in testing how various fluids boil in space. An electroshock “event” days earlier halted
production, but Capadona is unfazed. “You have to encourage failure to advance projects here,” she says. “I always say just don’t—” two of her engineers interrupt to finish the adage, “cross the stupid line.” The Canton, Massachusetts, native grew up an “80s shuttle kid,” she says. “I spent hours in front of the TV wondering, How in the world did that thing get off the ground?” She majored in chemistry at Boston College, earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Georgia Tech, and started at NASA in 2004. Among 10 current projects, she oversees development of solarelectric propulsion for deep-space exploration, with a 2019 budget of $300 million. After lunch at Wild Mango, “the preferred Asian fusion spot among rocket scientists,” says Capadona, she attends a leadership panel discussing (mostly figuratively) “How do I think when my hair is on fire?” She quickly FaceTimes her two daughters, ages 8 and 11. And she tags up with engineers to talk about scheduling conflicts involving a defense contractor and to address problems with the wattage limits of a next generation Saffire payload. “Budgets and priorities change, technical and personnel challenges arise a bazillion times. The best part of leaving today,” she says, “is knowing I’ll have a completely new puzzle to solve tomorrow.”
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