Bell Tower Spring 2010 by Christian Brothers University

THE MAGAZINE OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY

SPRING/SUMMER 2010

global citizen TRISH TOLBERT (’79) proves that a liberal arts education is valuable (and marketable)

BROTHER FRANCISCO MARTIN s WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CBU? s NEW RESIDENCE HALL

belltower THE MAGAZINE OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY s SPRING/SUMMER 2010

news

CBU Awards 312 Degrees at Commencement; Leigh Anne Tuohy is Speaker ........... 2 CBU Graduates First Class with Master of Arts in Catholic Studies .......................... 4 Jenny Terbrock Named National Collegian of the Year by Delta Sigma Pi ................. 5 New Four-Story Residence Hall to Begin Construction on Campus this Fall............. 6 Living Learning Community for Engineering and Science Students to Open ............ 7 MBA Students Hit the Top 10 on the Online Business Strategy Game Charts .......... 8 CBU to Become First Campus in Memphis with 100% Wireless Accessibility .......... 9 CBU Recieves State Grant to Support Special Ed Training ........................................ 9 CBU Board and Administration Honor Willis Willey for Service as Chairman ....... 10 CBU Board of Trustees to Welcome Four New Members for 2010-2011 ................ 11 Women Engineers Seek to Educate Next Generation: “It’s Not Just for Boys” ......... 12 Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Inaugural Class of Ten Buccaneer Legends................ 14 In Memoriam: Brother Matthew Smith, 1925-2009 ............................................... 16 and more…

profiles

CBU comedians with a Running Gag that never gets old ................................... 20 Alums, staff create video aids for the Latino community..................................... 22 Steve Dunavant (’83) counts alums as assets at his accounting firm .................... 23 CBU contributions to the Haiti relief effort ....................................................... 24

features

Un Hermano Chiquitico: Brother Francisco Martin was exiled for his faith and service, but he took both with him wherever he was sent, seeing the whole world as his “home for life.” ......................................................................................... 26 The Liberation of Trish: From England to New Zealand, from musical theatre to natural conservation, Trish Tolbert (’79) owes everything to the liberal arts and to the lifelong relationships she forged at CBU. ...................................................... 32

At Home Away From Home: Alums who have lived and worked—or currently live and work—abroad reflect on the rewards and challenges of life outside the United States ...................................................................................................... 38

classnotes

Notes and Announcements from your former classmates................................... 42 Passings: Death notices of alumni and friends of CBU ....................................... 49

backpage

The Brother Vincent Malham Center opens in Bethlehem ................................ 52

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY is a private, Catholic, comprehensive university committed to preparing students of all faiths and backgrounds to excel in their professional and public lives by providing challenging educational opportunities in the arts, business, engineering, the sciences, and teacher education. SEND NEWS FOR CLASS NOTES to Christian Brothers University Alumni Office, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis TN 38104. Or send email to alumni@cbu.edu. SEND YOUR PHOTOS TOO! Digital photos should be a minimum of 1200 x 1800 pixels.

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO Bell Tower, Christian Brothers University Office of Advancement, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis TN 38104.

(TOP) COURTESY OF TRISH TOLBERT; (MIDDLE) CORY DUGAN; (BOTTOM) FLEMING ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

BELL TOWER is published by the CBU Office of Advancement, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis, TN 38104. Non-profit postage is paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Bell Tower, 650 East Parkway South Memphis, TN 38104 —————————————————————— BELL TOWER STAFF Editor/Director of Publications Cory Dugan Associate Editor/Director of University Development Aimee Lewis (’92) Director of Advancement Services Linda Dunlap Alumni Director Stephen Kirkpatrick Sports Information Director Eric Opperman Assistant Director of Publications Jacob Edwards Editorial Contributors Caitlin Ashley (’10), Lindsay Hanlen (’10), Terry Netzel (’10) —————————————————————— UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION President John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D. Vice President for Advancement Andrew Prislovsky Executive Director for Communications & Marketing Elisa C. Marus 2010-2011 Board of Trustees Robert G. McEniry, Chairman Charles B. Dudley III, Vice Chairman Joyce A. Mollerup, Secretary John H. Pontius, Treasurer Dr. James W. Adams II (’80) Leo P. Arnoult (’70) Joseph F. Birch Jr. (’78) Albert T. Cantu Brother Francis A. Carr Brother Konrad Diebold Greg Duckett H. Lance Forsdick Sr. (’61) Richard T. Gadomski (’62) James Wesley Gibson II W. Jerry Gillis John Mitchell Graves William W. Graves Monsignor Val Handwerker James E. Harwood III Brother Bernard LoCoco Doug Marchant Brother Terence McLaughlin David E. Nelson Lori M. Patton (’91) Dr. Stephany S. Schlachter Joshua Shipley (’01) John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D. Pravin Thakkar (’67) H. McCall Wilson Jr. (’89)

p re s i d e n t ’s m e s s a g e THE SMALL, FLAT WORLD in which we live today requires global citizens. As a Lasallian university, CBU is way ahead of that curve. Some of the alumni, faculty, and students featured in this issue have ventured far away from our Midtown Memphis campus. By the same token, some have come from far away over the years to make their homes here. As the new president of CBU, I’ve spent much of the past year learning about the local environs and culture, but it’s always been obvious to me that CBU’s community extends far beyond our 75-acre campus and far beyond the Bluff City whose center we anchor geographically and academically. It may sound grandiose to outsiders to hear us claim that our campus extends to the entire world, but we know it’s true. The Christian Brothers connected us to the rest of the world when they arrived here 140 years ago. Long before anyone spoke of “global networks,” they already had one in place. Over the years, CBU has consistently drawn talented students and faculty from this network of 80+ countries. The world-class education we offer has in turn qualified our alumni and students to make their marks wherever life leads them. As I write this, my first academic year at CBU has come to a close and the anniversary of my first calendar year is quickly approaching. It has been an exciting year of learning and exploring, of making new friends and meeting new people. It’s been a year of facing new challenges and beginning new projects. In these first few pages, you’ll read about some of CBU’s new capital and academic initiatives: the new residence hall that begins construction this fall and opens next summer, the living learning community for engineering and science students that opens this fall, and the extensive network we’re installing to make the entire campus wirelessly accessible to the Internet. While we’ve met some new challenges, we’ve also put a significant existing goal to rest. I’m pleased to announce that, due in part to a generous gift from the FedEx Corporation and a matching grant from the Kresge Foundation, CBU with cash and pledges has completely paid for the Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences and Assisi Hall Science Learning Center. Thanks are also due once again to all of you who donated to this invaluable addition to the educational experience of our students. I’ve spent a lot of time out in the Memphis community this year, shaking a lot of hands, forging partnerships, and singing the praises of CBU. Each occasion, whether speaking to a large audience or one-on-one to a civic or corporate leader, was a welcome opportunity to tell stories about our wonderful CBU students and alumni, and to invite everyone to learn more about the Lasallian mission that we’re committed to enhance. Speaking of shaking a lot of hands, I had the pleasure of standing on another stage a few weeks ago and congratulating each and every member of the Class of 2010. I haven’t been here for their entire college career, but I’ve gotten to know many of them and am proud of what they’ve all accomplished. I’m certain that their future accomplishments will serve to further the prestigious reputation of their alma mater, and I’m looking forward to working with them as alumni in our common goal of carrying the Lasallian mission forward and helping them keep it alive in their hearts no matter how far away life and career paths may take them. I am humbled by the accomplishments of our dedicated faculty and staff, and know we could not do any of it without the support of our beloved Christian Brothers, our alumni, and friends. Thank you for a great first year!

John Smarrelli Jr., Ph.D., President

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CBU Awards 312 Degrees at Commencement; Leigh Anne Tuohy is Speaker

CBU president Dr. John Smarrelli Jr., commencement speaker and honorary doctorate recipient Leigh Anne Tuohy, and CBU board chair Willis H. Willey III.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY held its 2010 commencement on May 14 at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS. The University conferred 207 undergraduate degrees at the ceremony: 76 were awarded from the School of Arts (75 B.A. degrees and one B.F.A.), 90 from the School of Business (14 in Accounting and 76 in Business Administration), 38 from the School of Engineering, and 38 from the School of Sciences. In addition, 105 master’s degrees were conferred; 32 received the M.A. in Teaching, eight received the M.Ed., two were granted the M.S. in Educational Leadership, 27 received the MBA, four were granted the Master of Engineering Management, 19 received the M.A. in Executive Leadership degrees, and the inaugural class of the M.A. in Catholic Studies numbered 13 graduates (see article on page 4). Leigh Anne Tuohy, the Memphis mother who served as the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning movie, The Blind Side, presented the commencement address and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Tuohy related the now-familiar story of her family’s adoption of Michael Oher, a homeless innercity Memphis teenager who went on to become

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an offensive tackle with the Baltimore Ravens. She encouraged the graduates to overcome their preconceived ideas about others and to realize that meeting the needs of even one individual can make a difference in society. Her message was echoed in the senior address by outgoing Student Government Association president Kenneth Latta, who reminded his classmates that in choosing to attend CBU, they also chose to uphold the Lasallian mission and challenged them to “live lives of faith, of community, and of service.” For the second year, many of the graduates elected to stand and recite the Lasallian Graduation Pledge: “I pledge to explore and take into account the social justice and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organization for which I work. I will further the Lasallian tradition by continuing to learn and by serving others to build better communities and a better society.” UNIVERSITY AWARDS

t Kenneth Latta, Ryan Nicolini, and Jessica Wortham were awarded the Brother I. Leo Outstanding Student Leadership Award. This award is PHOTOS BY MANGIANTE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Four of CBU’s 21 Honors Diploma recipients from the Class of 2010: Dylan Perry, Christopher Peterson, Johannah O’Malley, and Carolyn Fly. (Also receiving Honors Diplomas were Caitlin Ashley, James Brown, Caitlin Clay, Rachel Escue, Lindsey Hanlen, Leigh Hill, Rebecca Horton, Anmol Khan, Kenneth Latta, Patrick Louie, Caroline Mitchell, Kaci Murley, Terence Netzel, Dustin Perry, Kristi Prevost, Brandy Sims, and Jessica Wright.)

presented annually by the Student Affairs Division, in memory of Brother I. Leo O’Donnell, to the outstanding graduating seniors who have provided distinguished student leadership to the student body, to the Student Affairs division, and to the University community. t Kenneth Latta was also awarded the Thomas Lipsmeyer Award, which is presented to the graduate considered by fellow classmates as the “ideal senior student” and as being the student who has most actively contributed to the senior class and to the University. t Caroline Mitchell, Christopher Peterson, and Khusboo Shastri were awarded the Christian Brothers University Alumni Award, which is presented to the undergraduate student(s) who have the highest GPA. All three students maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during their undergraduate careers. The following awards were presented by the individual academic schools: SCHOOL OF ARTS AWARDS

t Charis Conard, Kenneth W. Mathis Award for Outstanding Education Graduate t Johannah O’Malley and Sinaed Shute-Black, Literature and Languages Faculty Award for English Major t Leigh Hill, Outstanding History Student Award t Caitlin Mills, Behavioral Sciences Faculty Award

t Caroline Mitchell and Christopher Peterson, Margarette J. Sather Outstanding School of Arts Graduate Award t Latoria Boyland, Christine Ladd Franklin Award for Outstanding Non-traditional Psychology Major t Jenna David, Outstanding Visual Arts Student Award SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AWARDS

t Jenny Terbrock, Memphis Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants Award and Wall Street Journal Award t Khusboo Shastri, Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key t Romulo N. Buen, Faculty Achievement Award SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AWARDS

t James Bowen, T. Herbert Darnell Award and Outstanding Engineering Graduate Award t Laura Velasco, Phillip M. Becker Award in Chemical Engineering t David Wetherald, Tommy G. Morrison Award and Outstanding Civil Engineering Graduate Award t Binh Nguyen, Brother Philip Morgan Electrical Engineering Design Award SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AWARDS

t Thang Pham, Outstanding Chemistry Graduate Award t Caitlin Ashley, Brother Dominic Dunn Award t Maegan Lytle, Crane Vision Research Fellowship t Kristi Prevost, Biology Faculty Award BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

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CBU Graduates First Class with Master of Arts in Catholic Studies

Graduates completing the Master of Arts in Catholic Studies degree were (l-r) Leo Amoult (’70), Karen Moore, Lorna Horishny, Jean Carr, Sr. Dinah Marie Aguirre SSpS, Anne McInnis, Angelo Lucchesi, Sara McDow, Layne McGuire, Brenda Kindelan, Deacon Wernar Rose, and Lucie Elfervig with Dr. John Smarrelli. (Not pictured is Edward Charles Dodge.)

THIRTEEN GRADUATES COMPLETED the degree of Master of Arts in Catholic Studies (MACS) at Christian Brothers University and graduated as the inaugural class in this degree program on May 14, 2010. The degree signifies that they have completed 30 graduate credit hours in ten areas of Catholic theology: Catholic Thought and Culture Through the Ages, Catholic Biblical Studies, Theology of Sacraments and Worship, Ecclesiology and Ministry, Christology, Catholic Spirituality, Catholic Social Ethics, God and the Human Person, Moral Theology, and Catholicism and Other Faith Traditions. “I expected the MACS program to enrich the intellectual basis of my faith, but was surprised that it also deepened my spiritual life as well,” says Leo Arnoult (’70), one of the graduates and a CBU trustee. “The program gave my faith a much deeper understanding of why I am a Catholic,” Arnoult continues. “The moral theology has provided me with the tools to more fully integrate my faith into all dimensions of my life—family, business, social, political, and economic. I am now better equipped 4

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

to articulate and share my faith and defend it when necessary.” The Catholic Studies program at CBU is designed to provide students with a solid theological foundation in preparation for service to the Church and the larger society. The traditional graduate degree program awards a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies degree upon successful completion of the program. The program also offers a Certificate in Catholic Theological Foundations, which is awarded upon completion of three specified classes in the program. Students may also take classes of special interest as a special, non-degree seeking student. If one is interested in knowledge and not academic credit, there is an audit option in which a person simply sits in the class and soaks in all the lectures and discussions with no grades. The admissions process for the program is handled through the CBU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies, which can be contacted at (901) 321-3291. Course details and more information on the program can be found at www.cbu.edu/arts/macs. PHOTO BY MANGIANTE PHOTOGRAPHY

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LANCE Graduates 6th Cohort The 6th cohort of students in the Lasallian Association of New Catholic Educators (LANCE) program held its graduation ceremony on May 15 in De La Salle/Stritch Chapel (l-r): Jennifer Fossett, Nick Salvaggio, Brother Ignatius Brown (former director), Meghann Naber, and Jonathan Macko. LANCE participants live in community and are employed full-time for two years in a local Diocesan school while they complete a tuitionfree master’s degree from CBU.

Jenny Terbrock Named National Collegian of the Year by Delta Sigma Pi JENNY TERBROCK (Accounting ’10) was named the 2010 National Collegian of the Year by the international business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi in February. Her selection marks the second consecutive year that a member of the CBU chapter, Epsilon Psi, has received this national honor; Burton Bridges (Finance ’09) received the award in 2009. Terbrock and Bridges will make history when they sit on the National Board together for the 2010-11 term and comprise the only collegians of the Board. This award recognizes the top collegiate member of the business fraternity in the nation. Recipients serve as a voting member of Delta Sigma Pi’s Board of Directors for a two-year term and are eligible to receive a $5,000 scholarship for graduate school. Initially named the CBU chapter Collegian of the Year, Terbrock was then awarded the Mid-South Regional Collegian Award. Subsequently, she was selected as the Southern Provincial Collegian of the Year. Her final recognition as National Collegian of the Year places her among the elite of more than 200 active collegiate chapters nationwide. PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN

As only the third national recipient from the Southern Province, Terbrock recognizes that she will give back to the group that has influenced her. “It is an honor to be named the 2010 National Collegian of the Year,” she says. “I cannot wait to be the voice of the collegiate brothers on the National Board for the next two years. Delta Sigma Pi has taught me the value of hard work, professionalism, and brotherhood. I am excited to have the chance to instill these values in our new brothers.” The student chosen as National Collegian of the Year exemplifies values of Delta Sigma Pi such as leadership, commitment, professional development, dependability, honesty and integrity. Terbrock will address the fraternity at the national Grand Chapter Congress in Washington, DC in August. Epsilon Psi, the CBU chapter of Delta Sigma Pi, was founded in 1964. Dr. Robert Brittingham, CBU business professor and a founding member of the chapter, is the faculty advisor. In 2008, the CBU chapter was awarded the National Most Improved Collegiate Chapter Award.

Jenny Terbrock (’10)

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New Four-Story Residence Hall to Begin Construction on Campus this Fall

SITE OF NEW RESIDENCE HALL

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CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY will break ground this fall on a four-story residence hall, to be located north of Canale Pool, between Lambert Hall and Pender Hall. The CBU Board of Trustees approved the construction and its funding at its May meeting. The hall, designed by Fleming Associates Architects of Memphis, is the first new resident hall built on campus since 1999, when three student apartment buildings commonly known as the “Capstone Apartments” —O’Hara Hall, Pender Hall, and 170 Oakdale—were constructed. Construction is slated to be complete by Fall 2011. The new hall, which is conceived as a “Living Learning Community” (see article on next page), will contain 21 private units (eight of them ADAaccessible units), 70 semi-private units, and a resident director’s unit. Living units will be spacious with private or semi-private bedrooms and individual closets. Each unit will include a small kitchenette with under-counter refrigerator, solid surface counter tops, and cabinets with space for recyclables. “The additional exciting feature is that it will be what we are calling ‘CBU Green,’” says Tamara Redburn, project architect for Fleming Associates. “This will include features such as green finishes— recycled materials, etc.” She explains that other “CBU Green” features could include energy efficiency measures such as occupancy sensors on the lights, low-flow toilet fixtures, and filters on the mechanical system. Site features will include bike racks and RENDERINGS AND PLANS BY FLEMING ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

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alternate lighting to avoid light pollution. The Main Commons will feature exposed wood trusses, comfortable seating, natural light, and game and video areas. A fully-equipped serving kitchen will also be on the main floor, along with a vending area. There will also be a large meeting room/classroom on the main floor adjacent to the Commons and serving

kitchen. An exterior patio will be accessible from the Main Commons and will feature a fire pit, planters, and seating areas. Each upper floor will also include its own Commons with comfortable seating, natural light, and quiet study space. Each floor will be equipped with laundry facilities and a trash room with space for recycling.

Living Learning Community for Engineering and Science Students to Open CBU WILL OPEN a Living Learning Community for Engineering and Science majors in the apartments at 170 Oakdale this fall. The hall is based on a learning community concept and will be composed of upperclassmen and freshman students, where freshman can participate in tutor-facilitated study sessions for calculus, pre-calculus and beginning physics courses. According to the 2007 report of the National Study of Living-Learning Programs, students in living-learning communities “enjoyed a smoother academic transition to college than their counterparts living in a traditional residence hall setting.” The study also found that students in such communities “indicated greater enjoyment of challenging academic pursuits (such as the enjoyment of learning new material, or taking courses that are intellectually challenging) than their peers living in traditional residence hall settings.” “Everyone knows that freshmen often have difficulty adjusting from high school to college,” says Father Paul Watkins, director of learning communities and assistant professor of marketing. “We want to make sure that they have good study habits and learn to really do their homework.” Any freshman engineering or science major who plans to enroll in calculus their first year is welcome to apply for residence in the CBU Living Learning Community. Preference is given to upperclassmen with a 3.0 GPA or better. Watkins says that engineering and science majors were selected for the initial community because they declare their major early. “They tend to know what they want to do from the get-go. We’re shooting for an increase of a full letter grade in their physics and calculus coursework.” Aside from the residential requirement, freshmen will be required to participate in three hours of tutoring a week. “And if they’re grades are really poor, I’m going to up the requirements,” Watkins says with a laugh. The hall, located adjacent to Buc Baseball Field, PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN

The student apartments at 170 Oakdale will become a Living Learning Community for Engineering and Science majors this fall,

offers four separate bedrooms with each pair sharing a bathroom. A full kitchen opens into a living room which extends to an outdoor balcony. “We took one of our nicer residence halls, and we’re gone to populate it with tutors and freshmen,” Watkins explains. “We want the freshmen to have some really good role models. The tutors will be some of our more successful students who have learned to balance the social aspect of university life with the academic side—and are succeeding at both. I view it as a healthy peer-pressure, competitive kind of relationship. The upperclassmen will be there to say, ‘Well, I could do it, what’s wrong with you?’ And they will say that, because I’ve instructed them to.” Watkins says that other learning communities are already in operation on campus, except that they lack the living component. “We are doing learning communities in Business, but we’re doing it differently,” he says. “We have a community in accounting, and this fall we’ll roll out one for statistics. These are non-residential, but we set up a peer tutoring system for beginning students, who tend to stumble in these classes. It’s basically a dedicated homework assistant program.” For additional information on the Living Learning Community, contact Father Paul Watkins at (901) 321-4204, pwatkin2@cbu.edu or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/frpaulop. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

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MBA Students Hit the Top 10 on the Online Business Strategy Game Charts

The F T.E.A.M. (l-r): Rick Maupin, Erin Wiles, Mike Tucker, and Dr. Alan Pourpak

ONE OF THE goals of the Cohort MBA program at CBU is to provide real-life business experiences within its curriculum. Dr. Douglas Scarboro has the students in his “Strategic Management Concepts and Applications” class compete in the Business Strategy Game (www.bsg-online.com), an online exercise wherein the class is divided into teams and assigned the operation of a virtual athletic footwear company in competition against the teams inside their class and in other classes from 511 college and university campuses worldwide. Four MBA students from CBU created a virtual company and earned a Global Top 100 ranking in BSG-Online performance last fall. Each week BSG-Online compiles a list of the best-performing companies worldwide based on four measures: overall score (current year), earnings per share, return on average equity, and stock price. Collectively known as F T.E.A.M. (Company F) for the project, student members Erin Wiles, Dr. Alan Pourpak, Mike Tucker, and Rick Maupin marketed and sold branded and private-label athletic footwear in four geographic regions— Europe-Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Employing practical knowledge from the real world athletic shoe

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industry, the F T. E.A.M. ranked 6th worldwide with a 43.3% Return on Average Equity performance and a stock price of $143.68 per share for the week. To earn these rankings, the team made good business decisions regarding plant operations, distribution, marketing, and finance. The company had to remain competitive in all of these aspects to be viable in the virtual global market. “The class provided an opportunity for me to apply the business concepts I had learned in previous classes to real-world scenarios,” says team member Dr. Alan Pourpak, a postdoctoral research associate at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital whose MBA concentration is general management. “The BSG was a great opportunity for us to run a business. The entire experience was incredibly beneficial and insightful.” The Cohort MBA program at CBU is an integrated curriculum consisting of 11 courses taken in sequential order. Students take one course at a time, allowing them more in-depth learning, concentration and application of each business discipline. For more information about the Cohort MBA program at CBU, visit www.cbu.edu/mba or call (901) 321-3291. PHOTO BY LINDSAY HANLEN

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CBU to Become First Campus in Memphis with 100% Wireless Accessibility LET’S IMAGINE THAT you’re sitting in the stands at Buc Field watching a baseball game, and you overhear the person next to you say that Ted Williams’ career batting average is the sixth best in baseball history. That doesn’t sound quite right, and since you just happen to have your laptop handy, you pop it open and go to baseball-almanac.com, where you discover—sure enough!—that “Teddy Ballgame” is actually seventh in the record books. Starting this fall, the scenario above could actually happen. When installation is completed this summer, CBU will become the first college campus in Memphis to have wireless access to the Internet throughout the entire campus, according to Mark Giannini (’87), founder and CEO of Service Assurance Corporation, the technology services company that is overseeing the installation. The expanded network will cover all the athletic fields, the parking lots, and all other outdoor common areas. “Because the buildings will have bleed-out through windows and the outdoor wireless will bleed in through the windows, there will be a seamless overlap

between indoor and outdoor coverage,” says Giannini. Giannini explains that his company is employing a wireless local area network (WLAN) manufactured by Aruba Networks with an additional 100 access points to supplement the campus’ existing wireless system. (The current wireless network includes only the Buckman Quadrangle outdoors, and is accessible indoors in Assisi Hall, Buckman Hall, Canale Café, Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences, Kenrick Hall, Nolan Engineering Center, Plough Library, Beringer Computer Center, St. Benilde Hall, Thomas Center, and the University Theater). Giannini explains that most campuses are divided into separate wireless quadrants, often requiring separate passwords and/or access information. The CBU network will be a single, unified system that offers enhanced security measures and should be adaptable to expansion and future technologies. “Dr. Smarrelli’s charge to us was to build a system that’s prepared for any new advances in technology before they’re even invented,” Giannini says. “We think we’re going to give him what he asked for.”

CBU Recieves State Grant to Support Special Ed Training THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT of Education awarded a $150,000 “Become A Special Educator in TN” (BASE-TN) grant to the CBU Department of Education in January. This grant provides financial support for persons seeking to earn an initial Tennessee teaching license in special education or an endorsement in special education. As an established educator of teachers in the Memphis area, CBU’s Education Department is honored to be the recipient of this two-year grant. “I’m particularly excited about the grant because it enhances our special education licensure program,” says Dr. Wendy Ashcroft, director of field experience at CBU. “It is in line with our mission of service to our community in preparing teachers to work with children whose learning or behavioral differences make school so challenging.” The BASE-TN grant allows CBU to award a partial tuition scholarship to eligible persons. To qualify for the scholarship, the individual must have a bachelor’s degree in a field of study other than special education and pursue teacher licensure. Alternately, applicants may be currently employed

as an educational paraprofessional in a special education classroom and have at least two years of undergraduate coursework or associate’s degree. “I’m especially pleased,” Ashcroft notes, “that our grant will allow us to offer a career growth opportunity to special education paraprofessionals. These individuals have already chosen to work with special needs children and often have many of the skills necessary to become licensed teachers, but may not have had the time or opportunity to seek a teaching license.” In exchange for the BASE-TN award, recipients commit to teach special education for two years in a Tennessee public school for each academic year of financial support received. If for some reason the recipient cannot fulfill this obligation, the award must be repaid. To apply for the BASE-TN award at CBU or for more information, contact Dr. Wendy Ashcroft at washcrof@cbu.edu or (901) 321-4350. More information on the Tennesee Department of Education BASE-TN grant is available at www.state.tn.us/education/base-tn/.

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CBU Board and Administration Honor Willis Willey for Service as Chairman

Outgoing chairman Willis Willey, Vance Willey, Paula McEniry, and new board chair Bob McEniry.

THE CBU BOARD of Trustees and Administration held a reception at the home of Paula and Robert McEniry on May 18 to honor Willis H. Willey III for his many years of service and dedication to the University. Willey, chairman and chief executive officer of Union Service Industries, joined the board in 1997 and became chairman in 2000. Robert G. McEniry, who succeeds Willey as board chair, lauded Willey’s commitment: “During his tenure Willis provided strong leadership, promoting growth and excellence.” Willey’s work on behalf of CBU has ushered in an new era, evidenced by the hiring of the first permanent lay president, Dr. John Smarrelli Jr., and the campaign for and completion of the Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences.

Trustee Lance Forsdick (’61), Kemmons Wilson Jr., and trustee/former president Brother Bernard LoCoco.

CBU administrative vice president Dan Wortham (‘71) and former trustee Ben Bryant.

Former board chair Pete Aviotti, former trustee Chris Canale, Dr. John Smarrelli, Lois Canale, and Penny Aviotti.

Trustee/former president Brother Terence McLaughlin, trustee Dick Gadomski (’62), and trustee Dave Nelson.

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PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN

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CBU Board of Trustees to Welcome Four New Members for 2010-2011 THE CBU BOARD of Trustees will welcome four new members at its first meeting of the 2010-2011 year in October. Robert McEniry, who has served on the CBU board since 2000, will assume the chairmanship (see facing page). McEniry is chairman of the board for nexAir, a position that he assumed in 2008 after serving as the CEO of the Memphis-based business from 1972 to 2008. He currently is also a trustee of Junior Achievement and on the Board of Advisors of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He was inducted into the CBHS Hall of Fame in 2009. Greg Duckett is senior vice president and corporate counsel with Baptist Memorial Health Care System. He also serves as Shelby County’s election commission chairman. Prior to joining the Baptist Memorial Health Care System in January of 1992, Duckett served as chief administrative officer for the City of Memphis, as director of Memphis Housing and Community Development from 1988 to 1991, and as state counsel to Senator Al Gore Jr., from 1985 to 1987. He was selected to serve on the Clinton-Gore presidential transition team, evaluating approximately 40 agencies as part of Housing and Urban Development and working on personnel issues. Duckett serves on the Tennessee Board of Regents representing Tennessee’s ninth congressional district and has rendered service to the community in various capacities: board member for the Memphis Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, president of the 2001 AXA Liberty Bowl Festival Association, hearing officer for the Board of Professional Responsibility, board member for Tennessee Hospital Association, board member of the Reciprocal Group, and vice chair of the Memphis Redbirds Foundation. He holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Memphis State University School of Law. Doug Marchant is founder, president, and chief executive officer of Unified Health Services, a leading provider of worker’s compensation claim processing services handling over 300,000 patient visits annually for hospitals and medical groups in 26 states. After graduating from Mississippi State University with a B.S in Computer Science and Mathematics, Marchant founded Concord EFS, offering electronic transaction authorization, processing, settlement, and fund transfer services. Later, he founded Electronic Physician Network to move medical data

electronically and streamline data access. In addition to his service here at CBU, Marchant serves as a board member for CPS Pharmacy and Service U, trustee of the Hutchison School, member of the Dean’s Development Council of the Bagley College of Engineering, and an advisor to the College of Engineering Entrepreneur Studies at Mississippi State University. Pravin Thakkar (’67) is president and chief executive officer of Universal Scaffolding & Equipment which he founded in 1984 after taking early retirement from MLGW. Universal Scaffolding specializes in providing utility castings and foundry products and a full line of scaffolding equipment and accessories to customers across North and South America, and was one of the first companies to begin conducting business in China in 1989. In 2003 his company was named “Manufacturer of the Year” by the MidSouth Minority Business Council. Thakkar began his employment with Memphis Light Gas & Water Division as an engineer in the Gas Department in October 1967. During his tenure at MLGW, he worked as a natural gas design engineer, liquefied natural gas plant manager, goal gasification project engineering manager, coal gasification deputy project manager, and special projects manager. Born and raised in Bombay, India, Thakkar came to the United States in 1964 to attend what was then Christian Brothers College where he attained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Thakkar was a member of the first class of the Executive M.B.A. Program at the University of Memphis in 1983. H. McCall Wilson Jr. (MBA ’89) is president and chief executive officer of the Bank of Fayette County, a community bank founded in 1905 in Moscow, TN. After completing both his B.S. in Accounting and his M.B.A. in Finance at CBU, Wilson began his career as a certified public accountant at Reynolds, Bone and Griesbeck. Actively involved in the community, he currently serves as chairman of the board of Methodist Hospital in Somerville, TN. In the banking industry, Wilson holds positions on the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Government Relations Committee, the American Bankers Association Community Bankers Council, the American Bankers Insurance Association, and the State of Tennessee Collateral Pool. He was most recently named vice-chairman of America’s Community Bankers Council.

Greg Duckett

Doug Marchant

Pravin Thakkar (’67)

H. McCall Wilson Jr. (’89)

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

news@cbu

Women Engineers Seek to Educate Next Generation: “It’s Not Just for Boys” Middle school girls participate in a civil engineering exercise at an April workshop conducted by the CBU student chapters of the Society of Women Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.

THE CBU CHAPTERS of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) held half-day workshops for potential future female engineers to experience the

profession in October and April. The student-run workshop was the CBU students’ response to the community’s need for more engineering training. continued next page

Daniel Barulli Named CBU’s Outstanding Graduate Engineering Alumnus

Daniel Barulli and Dr. Neal Jackson (CBU director of graduate engineering)

THE GRADUATE ENGINEERING Department at CBU awarded Daniel Barulli (MEM ’04) the 2010 R. Craig Blackman Outstanding Graduate Engineering Alumni Award during its annual Graduate Engineering Dinner. Named for the founder of the program, the award recognizes individuals for their

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academic excellence, professional success, community service, and continual support of the University and its engineering programs. “Since he was a student at CBU, Danny has been an advocate for Graduate Engineering and the Master of Engineering Management Program,” says Dr. Neal Jackson, director of the graduate engineering program. “Through his academic and professional success, and strong character, Danny is an excellent representative of the high standards and quality of our graduates.” Barulli, a Las Vegas native, graduated from the United States Military Academy with a B.S. in aerospace engineering in 1988 and went on to serve four years as an Infantry Army officer. He is currently manager of the Program Management Office for FedEx Customer Information Services. Barulli received his Master of Divinity from Harding University in 1998 and the Master of Engineering Management from CBU in 2004. While a CBU student, he was among the founding members of the Alpha Delta Chapter of Epsilon Mu Eta, the Engineering Management Honor Society. PHOTOS BY BETHANY KING (TOP) AND CORY DUGAN (BOTTOM)

Eight Ways to Make a Bequest and a Difference WOMEN ENGINEERS from previous page

Samantha Noland (’11), a mechanical engineering and philosophy major, coordinated the workshop to encourage girls to look at engineering as a possible career option. “When I was in middle school, science was presented as a dry, dull subject and engineering possibilities were not really included in my classes,” Noland says. “I didn’t learn about engineering until I did a summer program at another local university and attended after-school workshops provided by CBU.” Because women are not largely represented in engineering, SWE and female ASCE members decided they needed to show younger generations that women can and are thriving in this field. “We provide workshops to give them hands on experience with engineering and at the same time help them become familiar with the college environment,” explains Mallory Bailey (’11), ASCE president and a civil engineering major. More than 20 middle school girls participated in the CBU student-run workshop. SWE president and chemical engineering major Hope Campbell (’10), conducted a hands-on activity focused on bubble gum and lip gloss. Mini-lectures, such as one presented by Bailey on construction management, educated the students about basic chemical and civil engineering concepts. To further enrich the workshop, Lydia K. Eppic, structures engineer for Federal Express, was a guest speaker. Her presence as a professional, female engineer provided the students with a role model of a woman currently in the field. “This workshop was a success because it brought together potential women who are very scarce in the engineering field,” says Bailey. “It helped them realize that learning math, science, and engineering can be fun and can lead to a great future.” Using a relaxed environment and fun to promote engineering to younger girls gives them the chance to test the waters in a field that is desperately seeking their diversity. “It is important to host engineering workshops for middle and high school girls because they can help to break down the stereotypical barriers that hinder girls from majoring in engineering,” says Bethany King (MEM ’04), SWE advisor and assistant director of graduate engineering at CBU. “This exposure helps girls realize that an engineering career is not only for boys.”

Here are eight generally accepted ways to make a bequest in your will or revocable living trust.

1. Specific bequest. This is a gift of a specific item to a specific beneficiary. For example, “I give my golf clubs to my nephew, John.” If that specific property has been disposed of before death, the bequest fails and no claim can be made to any other property.

2. General bequest. This is usually a gift of a stated sum of money. It will not fail, even if there is not sufficient cash to meet the bequest—even if other estate assets need to be sold. For example, “I give $50,000 to my daughter, Mary.”

3. Contingent bequest. This is a bequest made on condition that a certain event must occur before distribution to the beneficiary. For example, “I give $50,000 to my son, Joe, provided he enrolls in college before age 21.”

4. Residuary bequest. This is a gift of all the “rest, residue and remainder” of your estate after all other bequests, debts and taxes have been paid. For example, say your estate is worth $500,000, and you intend to give a child $50,000 by specific bequest and the residuary estate to your spouse. If the debts, taxes and expenses are $100,000, there would only be $350,000 left for the surviving spouse. Most people prefer to divide their estates according to percentages of the residue (rather than specifying dollar amounts), to ensure that your beneficiaries receive the proportions you desire. The previous items can apply in the case of bequests to individual heirs or bequests to charitable organizations, such as Christian Brothers University. The above types of bequests generally define the amount of the bequest. The additional terms below are optional considerations (added to the above bequests) when the bequest is made to charity.

5. Unrestricted bequest. This is a gift for our general purposes, to be used at the discretion of our governing board. A gift like this—without conditions attached—is frequently the most useful, as it allows CBU to determine the wisest and most pressing need for the funds at the time of receipt.

6. Restricted bequest. This type of gift allows you to specify how the funds are to be used. It’s best, however, to consult CBU when you make your will to be certain your intent can be fulfilled.

7. Honorary or memorial bequest. This is a gift given “in honor of” or “in memory of” someone.

8. Endowed bequest. This bequest allows you to restrict the principal of your gift, requiring us to hold the funds permanently and use only a small percentage or the income they generate. Creating an endowment in this manner means that your gift can continue giving indefinitely.

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

news@cbu

Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Inaugural Class of Ten Buccaneer Legends

(l-r) Julie Bown (’84), Al Cash (’65), Kristi Key Long (’85)

CBU ENSHRINED TEN of its legends into the Christian Brothers University Athletic Hall of Fame at a banquet in Alfonso Dining Hall on April 24. The inaugural class of the Hall of Fame includes Joe Alfonso, Julie Bowen, James “Al” Cash, Brother Stephen Eamon Gavin, Kristi Key Long, Bill Lowry, Joe Nadicksbernd, Hank Raymonds, Jerry Seessel, and Bob Stephenson. “Mister Joe” Alfonso operated CBU’s cafeteria— now named the Alfonso Dining Hall in his honor— from 1960 to 1981, and he consistently rose above and beyond the call of duty to keep CBU’s athletes wellfed, especially during breaks in the school calendar. After he passed away in 1981, the Memphis Restaurant Association established a scholarship at CBU in his honor, and the cafeteria was named after him. His award was accepted by his son, Joe Alfonso Jr. Julie Bowen (’84) starred for the Lady Bucs in basketball and volleyball from 1980 to 1984, leading the teams to an 80-30 record during her career, including a 23-3 record and a VSAC West Division Championship in 1983. Bowen is CBU’s all-time rebound leader with 1,128, and she is third with 1,366 points. She led the Lady Bucs to four VSAC championships, four NAIA Bi-District championships, and three NAIA National

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Tournament appearances. Al Cash (’65) starred in basketball from 1960 to 1964. Cash ranks 12th on CBU’s all-time scoring list with 1,512 points. He also ranks seventh in career rebounds with 784. Brother Stephen Eamon Gavin was instrumental in the beginning of the CBU athletics department, and he served as CBU’s first athletic director from 1954 to 1961. Brother Stephen passed away in 2008; his posthumous award was accepted by former CBU president Brother Terence McLaughlin. Kristi Key Long (’85) starred in volleyball and basketball from 1981 to 1985. She was the Lady Bucs’ first-ever female All-American athlete as she led the Lady Bucs to four straight VSAC volleyball championships, three straight NAIA District Championships and National Tournament appearances. CBU amassed a 123-24 record in her four years. She also excelled in basketball, scoring 796 points in four years, helping the Lady Bucs to a winning record all four years including the 1983 VSAC West Division title. Bill Lowry (’60) starred for the basketball team from 1956 to 1960. Lowry is CBU’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,689, and his 1,958 points rank second in school history. He led the Bucs to three PHOTOS BY CORY DUGAN

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straight 20-win seasons, including two NAIA District Championships and two NAIA National Tournament appearances. Joe Nadicksbernd (’71) has been an icon of CBU athletics for more than 40 years. He starred in baseball and basketball from 1967 to 1971. On the baseball field, Nadicksbernd hit .329 with 17 homers and 104 runs batted in. As a junior, he led the Bucs to a 38-12 record, the best mark in school history. In basketball, he ranks third in school history with 963 rebounds and 19th in scoring with 1,246 points. He coached the baseball team from 1975 to 1999, and he coached the basketball team from 1978 to 1982. He won 586 games in 25 years as baseball coach, and he won 47 games in four years as basketball coach. He served as assistant athletic director from 1994 to 1998, associate athletic director from 1998 to 2003, and has been athletics director since 2003. Hank Raymonds coached the CBU men’s basketball team from 1955 to 1961, leading the Bucs to a 110-50 record in those six years. He led the Bucs to back-to-back district championships, and NAIA national tournament appearances in 1958-59 and 1959-60. After leaving CBC, Raymonds went to Marquette, where he served as assistant coach for 16 years under the legendary Al McGuire, culminating

with the 1977 National Championship. Raymonds replaced McGuire as head coach, recording a 126-50 record in six years, including five NCAA Tournament appearances. He also served as athletics director at Marquette from 1977 to 1987. Jerry Seessel spearheaded the beginning of the women’s soccer program at CBU. His vision helped lead to one of CBU’s most successful programs, including the school’s only national championship in 2002 as well as the 2001 national runner-up finish. Seessel also served two terms on the CBU Board of Trustees, from 1993 to 2002. Bob Stephenson served as athletic director from 1969 to 1996, and he coached the men’s basketball team from 1969 to 1978, accumulating a 130-111 record. He led the Bucs to a 23-11 record in 1976-77, the fourth-most wins in a season in school history. The 2011 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony is scheduled for February 11, as part of Homecoming Weekend. For nomination information, please contact the CBU athletics department at (901) 321-3370 or see the online nomination form at: www.gobucsgo.com/sb_output.aspx?form=10.

(l-r) Bill Lowry (’60), Hank Raymonds, Bob Stephenson

Additional photos and videos are available online at www.gobucsgo.com/hof.aspx. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

inmemoriam

One Final Journey: Brother Matthew Smith, 1925-2009

Brother Matthew Smith stopping for a photo at New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV on his way to a 2008 camping trip in Maine.

BROTHER MATTHEW SMITH, retired Christian Brothers University and Christian Brothers High School teacher, passed away on November 27 at the age of 84. Brother Matthew, a native of Chicago, began his teaching career at CBHS in 1948, leading to a full life of teaching and school administration at the elementary, high school, and college levels in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Winona, MN; Newport, KY; Quincy, IL; and Omaha, NE. Sprinkled through these assignments, he found time to pursue his Doctorate in Education at St. Louis University. “To say that Matt was a good teacher would not be true. He was an excellent teacher from the very first day he stepped into a classroom in 1948,” Brother Ignatius Brown said in his eulogy. “He later said that when he entered the classroom for the first time, he knew immediately that was where he belonged. His many students—over 11,000 by Matt’s own count— would testify to the truth that he was a superb teacher, mentor and friend.” Brother Matthew returned to Memphis in 1990 where he served as Dean of Admissions at CBU from 1990 to 1993. “We had a retirement in the Chemistry Department about the time that Brother Matt was retiring from the admissions position,” recalls Dr. William Busler, a longtime professor in the

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Department. “I said, ‘Well, you know, Brother Matt was a chemistry teacher for years. I’m sure we could use him.’ He didn’t have a Ph.D. in chemistry, but he ended up teaching and working in the labs for many years. After he retired, Brother Matt did more than some people do in their entire careers.” Brother Matthew retired from active involvement in education in 1999, after 51 years in the classroom. In addition, he served as director of the religious community of Christian Brothers on the CBU campus, a position he held at the time of his death. In retirement, Brother Matthew was able to devote his time to his special interests of camping and exploring nature. It was a pursuit that took him not only to the parks and byways of the mainland U.S., but also to more remote—and cold—places such as Alaska, the Maritime Provinces, Iceland, and Antarctica. (An article in the Spring 2007 issue of Bell Tower covered his trip to Antarctica with Dr. Lyle Wescott.) “Matt loved camping,” Brother Ignatius says. “Two or three times a year, weather permitting, he would pack up his tent and camping gear and head out to a camping ground near a natural wilderness. There are eight states that border Tennessee. I think Matt was familiar with all the state parks in all eight PHOTO BY LYNDA MILLER

inmemoriam

Brother Matt posing with Gentoo penguins on Greenwich Island during his 2007 journey to Antarctica. A Bell Tower article on that trip, “Journey to the Bottom of the Earth,” is available online at www. cbu.edu/News/belltower/ antarctica0507.pdf.

of those states. It was there he experienced peace of mind and joy of heart. He once told me that he found God’s Green Earth the perfect surrounding for the practice of meditation.” Lynda Miller, CBU science lab coordinator, accompanied Brother Matt on several camping trips. “I go to Maine about once a year, and I was telling him about my trips,” she says. “I said, ‘Hey, you want to go with me?’ And he quickly said ‘Sure!’ We pretty much camped all the way up there. I told him to choose the route, that we could go any route he wanted. He said, ‘Well, the one place I’d like to go is Delaware.’ Turns out he’d been to 48 of the 50 states, and Delaware was one he hadn’t yet crossed off his list. He was a lot of fun to travel with.” A lifelong ham radio devotee (callsign W4LBQ), Brother Matthew was in contact through the years with many people who shared his passion for exploration. He also remained in contact with many of his former CBHS students here in Memphis, and was a popular guest at many high school class reunions at the schools where he taught outside of Memphis. “He liked to go to Red Lobster,” Miller says. “He always ordered a pound of crab legs, even though he usually couldn’t finish them. The other place he liked PHOTO FROM BELL TOWER ARCHIVES

to go was Baskin Robbins. We ate a lot of ice cream. His favorite was mint chocolate chip. Toward the end, when he was losing a lot of weight, I told him we were going to have to go more frequently or he was going to have to order more scoops.” “He loved a good drink, a good story (and he had many to tell), and a good laugh,’ Brother Ignatius recalls. “He was always one of the first to volunteer to help or to notice someone else was in need of help. He was a good listener and always had solid advice.” “He was a great sounding board; you could talk to him about just about anything,” Miller says, relating that as a Baptist she often called him with questions about Catholicism. “He knew when to listen, and he knew when to speak. And when she spoke, he knew what to say. When things got stressful, sometimes I’d just call him up and say, ‘Want to go for a walk?’ We walked all over the place. He was a really good friend.” Brother Matthew is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Dolores Werr of Dallas, TX and Mrs. Carol Werr of Palm Springs, CA. Brother Matthew requested that memorials be sent to the Christian Brothers Scholarship Fund c/o Christian Brother University, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis, TN 38104. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

kudos@cbu

The TN Theta chapter of Alpha Chi received a Star Chapter Award at the interdisciplinary honor society’s “super-regional” convention in Little Rock, March 25-27. Pictured above are Mary Jane Dickey (Biomedical Science ’11), Dr. Randel Price (Chemical Engineering), Caitlin Ashley (Biomedical Science ’10), Caroline Mitchell (History ’10), Dr. Malinda Fitzgerald (Biology), and Dr. Gregory Clemons (Mars Hill College), president of Region III of Alpha Chi. Caitlin Ashley presented a paper entitled “Comparing the Amplification of White Spot Syndrome Virus Genes with Different Primers.” Caroline Mitchell presented a paper entitled “The Price of Civic Pride: The Legacy of the ‘Great American Pyramid.’”

SCHOOL OF ARTS Dr. Wendy Ashcroft (Education) is the coauthor (with Sue Argiro and Joyce Keohane) of Success Strategies for Teaching Kids With Autism, which was published by Prufrock Press. The book provides practical strategies to build successful programs and services for children with autism and outlines best practices for teaching special needs students. Dr. Roger Easson’s (Literature & Languages) collaboration with Judge D’Army Bailey, The Education of a Black Radical: A Southern Civil Right’s Activist’s Journey 1959-1964, was published by LSU Press. The book is Judge Bailey’s memoir on which Easson acted as developmental editor and literary agent. The catalog of Easson’s library of books about William Blake was published by John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, San Francisco. This 176-page catalog lists the trade collection and rare materials not given to the University of Tulsa. This catalog is being called by some in the Blake community of scholars as the most important catalog since the 1946 catalog of 18

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the Graham Robertson collection. Dr. Emily A. Holmes (Religion & Philosophy) was awarded a Lindsay Young Visiting Fellowship at the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Tennessee for her project, “This Soul Which is Not One: The Decreation of Marguerite Porete.” Holmes also attended the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion conference in Atlanta in March, where she chaired a panel on “The Pleasures of Looking: Representations of Female Sexuality, Desire, and Damnation” as co-chair of the Women and Religion section. Dr. Richard Potts (Education) made a presentation on “Lessons Learned: Elements of Success — Principals’ Academy: Format, Topics, Sustainability” at the Striving Readers Partners Conference at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. in March. Jana Broussard Travis (Art) has been selected to participate in a seminar on “Artistic Workshop Practices of Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy” that will be held at the Birmingham Museum of Art in July. As a participant, she will deliver an informal 15-20 minute in-gallery introduction to one of the paintings in the museum’s Kress Collection. Travis also had her artwork on exhibition at the Germantown Performing Arts Center in March. Travis and Nick Pena (Art/Adjunct) have also been selected as two of the artists commissioned to create new work for the permanent art collection to hang in the new wing of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. The work will be included in a film series that documents the creative process of the artists. A group of selected CBU art students will be part of the “workshop” that will be assisting Travis as she works on her piece. Dr. Ann Marie Wranovix (Literature & Languages) received the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award at the Huether Workshop Dinner in November in Cincinnati. She was among 6-8 awardees from across the country, 1-2 from each of the Brothers’ Provinces in the U.S.

SCHOOL OF SCIENCES Dr. Leigh C. Becker (Mathematics) and Dr. Ted Clarke (Physics) attended the Differential Equations Weekend Conference sponsored by the University of Memphis in November. Becker gave a talk entitled “Uniformly continuous and asymptotically stable solutions of Volterra integro-differential equations.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. MALINDA FITZGERALD

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Dr. Malinda Fitzgerald (Biology) served as an active-researcher scientist educator at the 2009 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) held in November in Phoenix. ABRCMS, the largest professional conference for students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, is designed to encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue advanced training in these sciences and to provide faculty with resources for facilitating student success. At the conference, 1,200 students presented their research in a poster or oral presentation in ten subdisciplines of the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including mathematics. Fitzgerald served as a judge in the neuroscience presentations.

Division Player of the Week twice during the season. Warner was also named second-team All-GSC West. Guard Tameka Wooten (’10) was named to the All-GSC West Second Team. Wooten led the Lady Bucs with 15.8 ppg, carrying the Lady Bucs to a fourth-place finish in the GSC West. Guard Scott Dennis was named second-team All-GSC West. Dennis averaged 11.3 rebounds per game, ranking as the No. 8 rebounder in the country in Division II and the top rebounding guard in the NCAA by a full 1.3 rpg. Forward Michael Drake (’13) became the Buccaneers’ fifth GSC West Freshman of the Year in the last six years. Drake shot 38.5 percent from threepoint range and 79.5 percent at the free throw line.

ATHLETICS

ALL-ACADEMIC & HONOR ROLL To be eligible for All-Academic, players must have a 3.20 or better cumulative GPA and be significant contributors to their team. The Academic Honor Roll comprises all players with a 3.00 or better GPA who played during the season.

— SOCCER — Lady Buc goalkeeper Christina Barone (’10) won two straight Gulf South Conference Defender of the Week awards for the season. Lady Buc defender Roma Rozanska (’12) was named to the All-Gulf South Conference First Team by GSC women’s soccer coaches. Rozanska was also named to the All-Gulf South Conference Tournament team by the tournament’s coaches. Gulf South Conference men’s soccer coaches voted four Buccaneer players to the All-GSC First Team: defender Robert Mingo (’10), midfielder Clark Bradford (’10), senior midfielder Gordon Blum (’10), and forward Zach Tubinis (’10). Mingo was also named to the NCAA Division II Daktronics All-South Region at defender, while Tubinis earned a spot as a Second-Team All-Region forward. Mingo was also voted to the All-Gulf South Conference Tournament Team by the tournament’s coaches. — CROSS COUNTRY — Nate Spears (’12) earned a spot on the All-GSC Cross Country Second Team with his 13th-place finish in the Gulf South Conference Championships. — VOLLEYBALL — Gulf South Conference West Division volleyball coaches voted two Lady Bucs to the All-GSC West Team. Middle hitter Hanna Orendorff (’10) was voted First-Team All-GSC West, while middle hitter Logan Westphal (’13) earned a spot on the Second Team. — BASKETBALL — Forward Zack Warner (’12) was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-South Region Second Team by the region’s coaches. He was also named the Gulf South Conference West

WINTER Buc basketball players Connor Wetzel (’11) and Kevin Doran (’12) were voted Academic All-Gulf South Conference West Division. Kyle Couvion (’10) and Daniel Wulker (’12) were named to the Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll, along with Lady Bucs Jasmine Ellis (’11), Katie Hume (’10), Marissa Stewart (’13), and Shannel Wright (’12). SPRING Buc first baseman Joseph Kaminski (’10) was voted to the Academic All-Gulf South Conference West Division team. Named to the Academic Honor Roll from the baseball team were Anthony Apro (’12), Caleb Burrow (’11), Ben Chism (’11), Seth Cline (’12), Cary Crain (’12), David Croenne (’13), Jeff Dove (’12), Cody Dunn (’12), Tyler Dunn (’13), Mike Grushkin (’13), Lee Paine (’11), Josh Shelton (’10), Jason Volpe (’12), and Alan Wright (’10); from the golf teams were Victoria Bujalski (’11), Cameron Kasmai (’13), Alan Killen (’11), Caroline Shauger (’10), and Taylor Stinson (’12); from the softball team were Jessica Ambers (’11), Alyse Brewer (’10), Kaylea Brewer (’11), Casey King (’11), Alana Kramer (’12), Michelle McEachron (’13), Kathleen Nelson (’11), and Emily Schmidt (’13); from the tennis teams were Melissa Bissinger (’13), Marie Kvarnlof (’11), Aaron Michael (’11), Morgan Mills (’10), and Roma Rozanska (’12). BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

feature

Making It All Up As They Go Along CBU comedians with a Running Gag that never gets old... B Y L I N D S AY H A N L E N ( ’ 1 0 )

CBU contributors to Running Gag Improv are (clockwise from center, kneeling) Russell Brandon (’09), Dustin Perry (’10), Dylan Perry (’10), Frank Minneci (’11), Kenny Latta (’10), and Spencer Macklin (’10).

A FLASH OF performers race up the middle aisle bellowing, “Are you ready for some improv?” The regulars and newcomers alike cheer for the comedians rushing onto the stage. The performers, collectively known as Running Gag, are about to create a twohour show on the spot, unafraid to make little to no sense at times, all in the name of comedy. Founded in May 2006 as a temporary fundraiser for Memphis Theater Project, Running Gag Improv is now the remaining facet of that group. Today, the troupe regularly includes Betsy Apple, Russell Brandon (’09), Robert Callahan, Matt Hunter, Spencer Macklin (’10), Drew Massengale, Frank

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Minneci (’11), Dustin Perry (’10), Dylan Perry (’10), and Glen Ring. Kenny Latta (’10) has been known to add his musical talents to the mix on occasion. All in all, this cohort of CBU students, alumni, and their comedic colleagues work to provide a good, cheap, live comedy show for those Memphians who constantly complain of nothing to do. Improvisational (“improv”) comedy requires fast-thinking troupe members and often absurd suggestions from the audience. A selection of shortscene “games” and long-form improv are mixed throughout the show to keep the audience intrigued. Massengale explains the ideal improv technique as, PHOTOS BY LINDSAY HANLEN

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“The less you have contrived in your head, the better.” The games vary from one-liner jokes for those who have what Massengale calls an “ADD nature” to longer, story-centered games that “allow you to create an entire universe on the spot.” Each member has their own favorite game. Dylan Perry’s favorites include “Shopkeeper” —in which he plays a character named Ernest, a smart-aleck store owner who sells everything from empty pudding cups to Amy Winehouse—and “Therapist,” where couples such as Peanut Butter and Jelly meet with a counselor to discuss their relationship problems. To every game there is a twist. “Shopkeeper” requires Dylan to guess the item that the customer wants to buy by the clues he or she gives. “Therapist” includes each person speaking for the character to his or her left. “That means, whenever the person on the right speaks, the person in the middle has to lip-sync as if they were saying it, and so on,” Brandon explains. “It’s kind of like a dubbed movie.” While the games are the formula, the most important part of the show is the connection between the performers. Dustin Perry (Dylan’s twin brother) describes the troupe as being “like a family, with all of the squabbling and fun times that go with that.” “A twisted, warped, Pythonesque family,” brother Dylan adds. Hunter explains that the troupe’s practice time is when this feeling of family is born. “While we usually have set agendas for a practice, when you boil it down,” he says, “it’s basically the ten of us just hanging out.” Nevertheless, the performers make a point to remain professional, setting personal and troupe goals, and embracing the need to practice and hone their craft. Few audience members realize how much practice goes into every show. “A football player practices so they can develop the skills necessary so they can use them whenever they need them,” Brandon explains. “It’s the same for improv. We simply do some laps in our brains.” These laps sometimes include practicing with other local improv troupes or competing in the annual “Improv Cagematch” that pits Running Gag against more experienced groups. The audience, as the most important performer of the show, is asked not only for suggestions, but to come on stage at some points. As such, the audience can have the power to make or break the show. The performers feed off the laughter of the audience. If a certain gag is getting laughs they return to it, following the comedic “Rule of Three”—a

joke can be only repeated three times before it loses its humor. If the audience does not laugh at what a troupe member thought would be a funny bit, the game can bomb—or with a bit of comic ingenuity on the part of the performer, it can take a sharp turn into a whole new realm. While this is daunting to some comedians, Running Gag takes the stance that improv is an organic process that will sometimes work and sometimes fail—but it will always entertain. From onstage to one-on-one, the troupe members never miss a chance for comedy. When asked how Running Gag has grown, Brandon replies, “We’ve gotten a little taller, maybe a foot? Improv does that to you.” Through the last four years, troupe members have been inducted and others have bowed out, but the quality of comedy has only grown. “We have a style, voice, and comedy that is uniquely Running Gag. And we have the chops to back it up,” Dylan says.

Frank Minneci, Betsy Apple, and Russell Brandon work through an improv game during a recent practice.

Running Gag’s performances of improvisational comedy magic are held the third Friday of every month at 8:00 p.m. in CBU’s University Theater. $5.00 ensures a night of laughs and a need to return every month for another dose of comedy goodness. For more information, visit www.runninggagimprov.com. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

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¿Quién? ¿Qué? ¿Cuándo? ¿Dónde?

Alums, staff create video aids for the Latino community... BY LINDSAY HANLEN (’10)

Otilia Rodriguez, assistant director of Latino Memphis, and Yancy Villa (’99, ’03) in a dramatization for a video on “Solicitud de Programs y Beneficios de Asistencia Familiar (Applying for Family Assistance Programs and Benefits).”

FAITH. SERVICE. COMMUNITY. The Lasallian three-word motto is not just rhetoric but is often internalized by the CBU community. Several CBU staff members and alumni are taking the concepts of the motto to a new level by reaching out to the Latino immigrant community at-large. By producing a series of “how-to” videos that describe every day procedures that immigrants may have difficulty with, Yancy Villa (’99, MBA ’03), Jennifer Soler-Rodriguez, Dr. Patrick Wilson (’98), and Mauricio Calvo (’97) saw a way to change lives among the fastest growing minority population in the country—technology. Villa, director of student development in CBU’s office of Graduate and Professional Studies, felt a personal and moral call to help due to her Mexican heritage. “The Hispanic population is growing tremendously,” she says, “and we have the moral obligation to help our Memphis community by educating and helping all components of the society, no matter the color or the race.” Jennifer Soler-Rodriguez, instructional designer in the Graduate and Professional Studies office, embraced the project. As a Puerto Rican-American citizen, she says, “I have witnessed the hardship that many people go through trying to make a better

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life for themselves and their families in a foreign country.” In conjunction with Villa, Soler-Rodriguez began to construct ideas for a series of short, instructional videos. These videos, recorded completely in Spanish, explain tasks such as registering children for school, paying traffic tickets, and the importance of getting vaccinated. “For us these are everyday, mundane life-skills,” Soler-Rodriguez notes. “But to someone who is new to the U.S. and who is not accustomed to these events, [the procedures] may seem daunting, confusing, overwhelming and sometimes downright scary.” The first instructional piece focused on registering the U.S.-born children of Latino immigrants for TennCare, Tennessee’s government issued medical insurance. These children need healthcare coverage but, as an immigrant, the procedures for acquiring it can be cumbersome. The video includes detailed instructions and helpful tips on the process of applying for and receiving the insurance for their children. As the first of many topics that need to be addressed, this video is the beginning of the series. After the editing process is completed for the first DVD, Latino Memphis—an agency that advocates for the betterment of the Latino community in Memphis in the areas of health, education, and justice—will be the distribution center for the videos. Mauricio Calvo, in his role as executive director of Latino Memphis, has made plans for these short videos to be played throughout the day on a TV in the Latino Memphis office. In addition, copies of the DVDs will be available for distribution from the office. The videos, along with the related forms and applications, will also be available online from the CBU Web site for those who have access to a computer with Internet connection. “Ultimately, our goal with the project is not only to provide these resources to the Hispanic community, but also have them available to anyone who is interested in learning more about the resources available or simply to anyone who wants to help and get involved with the community,” SolerRodriguez states.

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Bassline Accounting Principal

Steve Dunavant (’83) counts alums as assets at his firm... B Y S T E P H E N K I R K P AT R I C K

IT WAS A music scholarship that brought Steve Dunavant (’83) to CBU, but some experts say that the talents for math and music both come from the same part of the brain that engages in spatial-temporal reasoning. Apparently the accounting professors at CBU were able to harmonize with Dunavant’s natural rapport with numbers, and he ended up graduating with a degree in accounting. He went on to become a founder and the managing member of Thompson Dunavant PLC —the largest certified public accounting firm in Memphis (it also has offices in Houston and Atlanta). It employs 115 persons who provide a broad range of services to their clients, including tax, audit, and consulting services. “Education is an essential part of the support structure for a growing community. CBU plays a key role in supporting our community and us in that regard,” according to Dunavant. The Lasallian belief of entering a school to learn and leaving to serve has stuck with Dunavant and formed the foundation of his firm’s philosophy— which is to hire and train quality individuals in order to provide outstanding service to the client. The similarities do not only reside in client services but also in the approach to their own employees. “Much like CBU, Thompson Dunavant provides PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMPSON DUNAVANT PLC

opportunities to learn, interact, and grow—both professionally and personally—in a family-like atmosphere,” according to Mark Baricos (’02). Baricos is one of 17 CBU alumni who currently work at Thompson Dunavant. Moira Howard, the firm’s human resources director, sees many parallels between the core values of both places. “We share a similar vision for educating accounting professionals,” she says. “We both agree this vision expands beyond the classroom to include in areas that develop effective leadership skills and that instill a strong sense of commitment to the community.” The commitment to serve their clients and develop their staff is demonstrated in a below-average turnover ratio, but is also recognized by national and local awards—including being named among the “Best Places to Work in Memphis” and “Best Employers in Tennessee.” In 2009, Thompson Dunavant was named one of INSIDE Public Accounting’s “Best of Best Firms.” They were the only Memphis-based CPA firm to receive this honor. To end on a melodic note, music is still plays an active role in Dunavant’s life. He still plays bass in a band. He also plays sometimes with his church and is a board member for the Visible School, a local music and worship arts college.

The CBU alumni employed at Thompson Dunavant PLC include (seated l-r): Mark Baricos (’02), John Harrell (’07), Sarah Tragarz (’07), and Jenny Terbrock (’10); (standing l-r) Steve Dunavant (’83), Megan Murdock (’05), Dennis Patzsch (’84), Philip Babin (’82), John Drouillard (’97), Bryan Koch (’00), and Marshall Hollis (’97). Not pictured are Bo Lessley (’90), Glenn Elton (’04), Jennifer Billingsley (’07), Jay McDonald (’07), Jason Volpe (’10), and Karen Cassella (’90).

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Contributing to the Haiti Relief Effort

Spring Break Medical Mission to Haiti... B Y C A I T L I N A S H L E Y ( ’ 1 0 ) & T E R RY N E T Z E L ( ’ 1 0 )

Above: One of the tent cities in Haiti Opposite page: Caitlin Ashley and Terry Netzel in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Portau-Prince, Haiti.

Newly-minted CBU alumni Caitlin Ashley (Biomedical Sciences) and Terry Netzel (Biology) spent their last Spring Break as CBU students working with Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis. Brother Edward Salgado (Biology) accompanied them on their trip in March. Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis provides quality health care to the people of Haiti through a comprehensive primary care health clinic in Croix des Bouquets near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Holy Spirit Clinic provides day surgery, primary and preventive health care, dental and eye care, and serves about 75 patients per day. The clinic also provides onsite educational training experiences for visiting, medical/ dental and nursing faculty, residents, students, and private health care volunteer providers from abroad. WE HAD A QUICK introduction to the destruction as we drove from the airport to St. Charles Seminary; collapsed buildings and huge, expansive tent camps dominated the scenery. St. Charles Seminary and the Holy Spirit Clinic were luckily not extensively harmed. We toured the grounds, going to see the farm animals, various plants and trees, the seminary

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itself, the elementary school on the property and the clinic. After the earthquake and the destruction of the cathedral, the Archbishop was buried at the compound, and we got to visit his burial site. In the mornings, bright and early, we headed out to the front gates with Margo, an American nurse working at the clinic, and the four Chilean doctors who work in the clinic. There, we watched as the five of them conducted triage—trying to sort through and give numbers to set an order for patients to be seen. This veritable mass of people, all talking in unison about their illnesses and injuries, were intimidating to see on the first day of work. As we became more comfortable with the process, we got to help out with triage, quickly assessing their ailments. Once the numbers were distributed and the people were shown into the canopied waiting area (the original waiting room was damaged in the earthquake), we proceeded to the clinic to start seeing patients. Each doctor, as well as the nurses tending to injuries, worked out of his or her “box”—a cubicle with a curtain closing off the front. Bringing in the next patient could be a bit overwhelming PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAITLIN ASHLEY AND TERRY NETZEL

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“One Big Loving Family”

as we had to go out to the large group of patients and call out the patient number we were looking for in our basic and often incorrectly pronounced Haitian Kreyol. During the day, we each worked with one of the two Chilean primary care doctors, helping to see and treat the patients, observing the doctors, and even taking blood pressures and checking glucose levels. Many of the cases we saw involved an infection of some kind. We did see many interesting cases, including a large tumor and some parasitic infections. We got to put our education to good use in the clinic, recalling information that had been stored for years prior to the trip. On Friday we took a driving tour of the city in order to see the devastation first-hand. It was shocking to see so many homes and buildings in ruins, including the Presidential Palace and main Cathedral, and so many people living in tents on the sides of the street. We passed the port, where people were packed onto a boat, leaving for another city, hoping to find better circumstances than those in Port-au-Prince. The afternoons were very relaxing. Despite the devastation of the main city, the beautiful architecture and extensive plantation remained intact. We were able to sit under mango trees and rest, a complete opposite of the morning’s events. Before we knew it, we had to leave to go home. The week was very exciting, and we learned a great deal both medically and culturally.

CBU HAS A LONG and active association with Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis, which operates a free primary care health clinic in Croix des Bouquets near Port-au-Prince. Quite naturally, CBU officially came to the aid of Haiti Medical Missions during the earthquake crisis, and Brother Rob Veselsky, director of campus ministry, spearheaded a fund drive that raised more than $2,000 from students, faculty, and staff—much of the funds going directly to purchase medical supplies for the clinic. Another $1,200 in donations was directed to Catholic Relief Services to aid their efforts in Haiti. On the grassroots level, the students of RS 393 (“The Spirituality and Ethics of Eating”) held a bake sale to raise money in support of Haiti Medical Missions. Usman Hussain (MAT ’09), a resident director at CBU, had been actively collecting clothing for the homeless in Memphis for about five weeks when he saw the news of the Haiti earthquake. “My cause went from wanting to help the homeless in Memphis and Shelby County to also wanting to help the Haitian people,” Hussain says. He searched for charities that could help both and found a local church which helps the homeless and was also sending money and clothing to Haiti. Hussain and his resident assistants —Osborn De Lima (’10), Kalli Powers (’11), and Erik Scott (’10)—threw a pizza party to get the whole resident community of the campus together to have some food and drinks to promote this worthy cause. As a result, they collected and donated just over 400 items of clothing to the disaster victims in Haiti. “I feel this shows that the community of CBU is one big loving family,” Hussain says. “And when there are times of need, we all pull together and show faith and hope to help one another out.” PHOTO COURTESY OF USMAN HUSSAIN

Kalli Powers, Usman Hussain, Erick Scott, and Osborn De Lima with the results of their pizza-party clothing drive to benefit victims of the Haiti earthquake.

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Un Hermano

Brother Francisco Martin was exiled for his faith and service, but he took both with him wherever he was sent, seeing the whole world as his “home for life.” BY CORY DUGAN

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PHOTO BY CORY DUGAN

Chiquitico “All I did was play baseball.”

That’s how Brother Francisco Martin describes his childhood in Cuba. In the years since—which have seen him expelled from his homeland, have taken him to teach in countries from Central America to Western Europe, and have settled him at CBU for the last quarter century—baseball and the Brothers have been the two constants.

t an age when many would be content to relax and retire, Brother Francisco can’t seem to sit still. He still teaches classes in Spanish part-time at CBU and also oversees the foreign language labs. He teaches free calligraphy classes at CBU, Blessed Sacrament Church in Midtown Memphis, and St. Joseph Church in South Memphis. He volunteers at the Church of the Resurrection in Southeast Memphis, which has a large Latino congregation. He works every summer with the Lasallian Language Camp at CBU, an Englishlanguage immersion camp for young students from Mexico. Last summer her also worked with Cathy Carter, CBU professor of mathematics, at a shelter for homeless women and their young children operated by the Missionary Sisters of Mother Teresa. And, as he has done for many years, he serves as the welcoming face of CBU to international students. Pili Segui Bosch, who came to CBU last year as an exchange student from Barcelona, says that Brother Francisco came to meet her at the airport when she arrived in Memphis. “We were very happy and excited to be in Memphis, we were taking pictures with the American flag, and he saw us. Since the first day when I met him, he made me feel like back home, with another family, a very good family. He introduced us to the rest of the people at CBU— everyday while we were having lunch in the cafeteria with him, he introduced us to everyone. He helped me a lot with my English too. He was constantly saying to me. ‘Pili, see, your English is improving very fast.’ I don’t know about that, but at least he made me feel happy about it.” “Many of us came from Lasallian schools around the world,” says Mauricio Calvo (’97), executive director of Latino Memphis and a native of Mexico City. “He was always that ‘connector’ between our native country and our new home. He made the adjustment so much easier, from taking us to Target to sharing tips about living in Memphis.” Yancy Villa (’99, ’03), director of student

Brother Francisco Martin playing outfield in Nicaragua in the early 1960s. He was relocated to teach and coach in Managua following the expulsion of the Christian Brothers from Cuba in 1961. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

Brother Francisco (far right) with his 1962 national championship baseball team from Instituto Pedagogico de Varones in Nicaragua.

development in CBU’s Graduate & Professional Studies office, agrees with Calvo (who also happens to be her husband). “Brother Francisco goes above and beyond to help CBU students, especially the international students. He would sit down to eat lunch with us, the ICC (Intercultural Club), in the cafeteria. The next day he would be sitting down with the athletes, then with the Black Student Association, with the fraternities, the sororities, and so on. Brother Francisco is very humble, very happy, and he has a big smile. One could see through his beautiful blue eyes the goodness of his heart.”

was born in a little town with a sugar mill,” Brother Francisco says. “I love that place, I have such good memories of it. But we moved from there to Havana, and I didn’t like it so much. I’ve always hated big cities. In Havana, I had the opportunity to go to public schools, but I didn’t learn. When I went to the Brothers, it made a big difference. They motivated me so much that I did very well in my studies. In the fourth grade, I wanted to be a Brother and entered the Juniorate. I had never been separated from my family, and in the shower I would cry. The Brother in charge would say, ‘Why do you cry?’ and I would say, ‘Oh, the soap, it’s in my eyes.’” Brother Francisco entered the Novitiate at age 12. “A Brother would talk to us in the catechism class about the salvation of your soul, and I just saw them as so dedicated,” he recalls. “Not just to the soul, but to the whole student.” The tradition at the time in Cuba was that the oldest son had to stay at home to keep the family going, so his father objected to Francisco joining the Brothers. “But my mother, she says ‘He wants to do this’ and talked my father into allowing me to go to the Novitiate. My mother told me years later that 28

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they didn’t gi ve my room way after I left, even when my sisters asked for it. My father, he said, ‘No, he’ll be back in a week.’” When he entered the Novitiate, the Director told Brother Francisco that he would not be allowed to play baseball or other sports for the first eighteen months. “The only exercise we had was walking and working,” he says. “There were five guys in my class who were also baseball players. I remember once, the Director was not there, and we decided to play baseball. They said, we don’t have a ball. I said I had a tennis ball, so we played with that. The next day, the Director came back and wondered why we were all limping around and had charley horses. But other than that, we accepted it.” After the first year and a half, he was put into a school to work. Not only was he allowed to play again, he was also made a coach. Brother Francisco—or Brother Andrés Agustín, as he was named then—took the habit in 1945—at the age of 15—and began teaching in 1949. “People ask me ‘Why didn’t you become a priest?’” he says. “To me, the priest was only Mass, all these vestments. I hate that. I became a Brother despite the robe. We all wore the robe and the rabat in those days. I had the bad luck as a young Brother, whenever a Brother left or died, they gave me his robe.” As he explains, he pulls at his collar as if it is scratching him; laughing, he pulls his shoulders in as if his shirt has suddenly shrunk and is constricting him.

rother Francisco and I traveled to Mexico together to recruit students for the Lasallian Language Camp,” recalls Yancy Villa. “One day we sat on a bus for five hours from Monterrey to other Lasallian schools in Mexico. I thought the ride was going to go forever. So, we got a bottle of water, sat down, and I asked him. ‘Brother, how was your life in Cuba?’ I didn’t know that the answer would be so enriching, powerful, and heartbreaking. I just listened in awe as, with words coming from the heart, he took me back to those days in Cuba where he survived after being in jail. Many people become angry and bitter after experiences like that, but not Brother Francisco. He is one of the simplest yet richest men I’ve ever known.” Brother Francisco is very quiet and solemn, his voice barely above a whisper, when he discusses the circumstances that drove him from his home country. He tells about his graduate studies at Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva in Havana, where he was finishing his thesis shortly after the Cuban Revolution in which Fidel Castro seized power. “I went one day to meet with my advisor, but he wasn’t there. Someone asked why I was there. I told them I was there to see my graduate advisor, and they said, ‘He’s been arrested. He’s a traitor.’” Brother Francisco was instructed to never return to the university, which was later officially confiscated ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BROTHER FRANCISCO MARTIN

by the Cuban government in 1961. He never learned what happened to his advisor, and he never completed his thesis—although he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy and Literature. On two other occasions, he says he was “detained by accident.” In one instance, he went from his community’s school to a nearby farm owned by the Christian Brothers in search of several other Brothers who were missing. At the entrance to the farm, men with machine guns stepped from the bushes and asked why he was there. When he explained, the soldiers said that the Brothers were being detained as counterrevolutionaries, and held Francisco briefly. On another occasion, he was stopped by soldiers at a swimming pool operated by the Brothers and interrogated. Another time, the school was surrounded by soldiers who assaulted students as they attempted to leave. The students stayed at the school until late in the evening when their families came to escort them home. On April 17, 1961, the Brothers’ school was seized by the government and Francisco was among 12 Brothers who were held under house arrest inside the school. After a period, they were moved to the military prison at La Cabaña and officially sentenced to 50 years as counter-revolutionaries. On one occasion during the detention, the Brothers were informed they would be executed; they were taken to a room where they were photographed and fingerprinted, but then allowed to return to their cells. Under pressure from the French government, the Brothers were removed from the prison and returned to the school, but still held under detention. The Christian Brothers of Cuba were given an option: stay in Cuba and renounce their vows, or remain Brothers and leave the country. All chose to leave their homeland. On May 23, Brother Francisco and the Brothers in his school were released. On May 25, all of the Christian Brothers in Cuba were expelled from the country. Most went to Miami, but Francisco was sent to Nicaragua. “We were only in jail a little over a month,” he recalls today. “But for us it was like ten years.” He laughs softly, just a little wistfully, shakes his head. “I tell my students they don’t know what they have here in the States. Here, you insult the president and the police protect you.”

rother Francisco has never returned to Cuba. His family remained for another eight years after his expulsion and then only allowed to leave in small groups. When his sister’s family was leaving for Florida, the Cuban authorities refused to allow her husband to leave with the rest of the family, claiming that there was a problem with his finances. She refused to leave without her husband, so the entire family was detained —while Brother Francisco

was waiting to greet them at the Miami airport. “When the last passenger came off the plane, I stopped the captain and said, ‘There are more passengers, no? I am here for my sister and her three children and her husband.’ And the captain just said, ‘Something happened. Something happens all the time.’” His sister’s family was allowed to leave three months later, with no advance notice. “It was a big surprise, a very good surprise,” Brother Francisco recalls. His other sisters and their families were allowed to leave later, forced to emigrate through Mexico. Another brother-in-law, a physician, was conscripted into the Cuban military and compelled to serve as an army doctor before he was finally allowed to leave.

Brother Francisco (center, in white robe) and his team with the 1962 Nicaraguan national championship trophy. Behind Brother Francisco is Panchon Herrera, who played major league baseball in the U.S. for the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 1950s.

rom Cuba, Brother Francisco went to Managua, Nicaragua, where he coached three teams at Instituto Pedagogico de Varones and traveled all over Nicaragua and Costa Rica for games. “It was good, because I was so sad to leave Cuba, and it was good to play sports and travel and have fun.” A year after he arrived in Nicaragua, his baseball team won the national championship. His small frame still swells a bit with visible pride as he talks about it and points out players in the photos. “This was taken in the national stadium,” he says of a photo taken at the awarding of the trophy. “That’s Panchon Herrera in this photo, right behind me,” he says of another photo, explaining that Herrera was also a Cuban and that he played previously in the Negro Leagues and then for the Philadelphia Phillies. (Brother Francisco had previously played with two future Major League professionals during his early years as a Brother in Cuba—Raul Sanchez and Cookie Rojas. Sanchez was signed by the Washington Senators in 1951 and pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

a school in Guernsey, a British island located in the English Channel—where he also exposed the students to the joys of the great American pastime. Looking over his photos of the French schoolchildren playing baseball, he is both proud and nostalgic, chuckling and pointing. “Look at this little girl, very good position, yes? And this one, he was a very good batter.”

B Brother Francisco in the classroom, teaching at Collège Notre-Dame in La Montagne, France (circa 1995).

Washington Senators from 1952 to 1960. Rojas was signed by the Havana Sugar Kings, a Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, in 1956 and played second base variously for the Kansas City Royals, Phillies, Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1977. Rojas, who went on to a career in coaching and managing and is currently the Spanish TV announcer for the Florida Marlins, was visiting Memphis in the early 1990s. Brother Francisco went to the Peabody Hotel, where Rojas was staying, and walked up to him in the lobby. “I said, ‘Cookie, you don’t remember me, but I played against you.’ He said, ‘Where?” I told him it was in Cuba and he said, ‘You were that monk!’”) After his station in Managua, Brother Francisco taught in the Dominican Republic and then moved to Miami to teach at a Brothers’ school there and to work with Cuban refugee families. From Miami, he moved to Baltimore and then to De La Salle University in the Philippines. “When I got to Manila, they asked me if I had any special skills to offer them. I told them I could play baseball and tennis, so they let me stay and coach.” (He neglects to mention that he was also chair of the foreign language department.) Brother Francisco came to CBU in 1983 to teach Spanish and French. For seven years, he also coached the women’s tennis team. And he probably hasn’t missed a single Buccaneer baseball game in 27 years. He hasn’t missed many chances to spread his love for the game either, even acting as a baseball missionary in Europe. In the 1990s, Brother Francisco taught during the summers at Collège Notre-Dame in La Montagne and in La Rochelle, towns in southwest France. “I taught the children English in the morning, and then I taught them baseball in the evenings,” he says. He would teach for a month and half in France and then he would go to

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rother Francisco has probably been a friend to each and every international student who has set foot on the campus. He even helped recruit quite a few of them. “When Brother Theodore was president, he had the idea to offer scholarships to high school valedictorians,” Brother Francisco says. “I suggested that he offer it to students from all over the world, and I contacted the Brothers’ schools in France and Spain. But in those countries, if you are good in school, you already have a place in university and they assure you of a job when you finish—not a small matter if you live in Europe. We couldn’t compete with that. But schools in Latin America were very interested, and we got some very good students from Mexico and Colombia and Central America, Panama especially.” “Back in the day when we were applying to attend college, there was no email or Internet,” recalls Monica Vergara (’97). “So, Brother Francisco took the time to correspond with me all throughout my senior year of high school in Chihuahua, Mexico. I remember waiting anxiously for his letters and being so excited when he wrote to tell me that CBU was offering full scholarships to valedictorians graduating from Lasallian schools across the world. His carefully crafted and beautifully hand-written letters represent for me the door to a future full of promise and hope. With each new letter I saw my dream of attending college materialize, and I came to believe it was possible for that dream to happen.” Vergara says that when she and her parents arrived in Memphis, Brother Francisco took them shopping for all the things she would need for her dorm. “In typical Brother Francisco fashion,” she recalls, “he walked briskly down the aisles at Target recommending things for me, and within half an hour we were out the door—bedspread, hangers, and all! My mom still jokes that this was the fastest, most efficient visit she’s ever made to Target. As each new international student arrived on campus I watched him go through the same process and make sure each of us was well-taken care of and felt at home.” Although that valedictorian scholarship is not still available—which Brother Francisco regrets—he still actively recruits students for CBU in Latin America, mainly in Puerto Rico. “Puerto Rico is easier,” he says. “Because it’s a U.S. territory, students don’t have to worry about immigration and student visas. Also Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar, so the economics are better

for their students. A CBU education is very expensive to students from Latin America now. The Mexican peso, for example, is eight cents to the American dollar. Not many can afford that exchange rate.” “He came to my high school in Puerto Rico to talk about CBU,” says Roberto Casiano (’08). “I asked him about basketball because a I wanted to play on a college level. I was recruited by the University of Puerto Rico, but I decided I wanted to go to CBU. Brother Francisco did everything he could to help me get there. I was up there by myself, and he was that guy, always looking out for me like a grandpa, checking to see if I was doing well or not with my grades. It was not his obligation to see how I was doing, but he always checked on me to see if I needed anything—groceries, doctor, dentist. During summers and Christmas break, he would call me in Puerto Rico to check on me and talk with my family.” Brother Francisco also had a lot of influence of Roberto Martinez’s (’12) decision to come to CBU. Martinez, a biomedical sciences major and pitcher for the Buccaneer baseball team, says: “He was there for me through the long and nerve-wrecking admission process. He called my home in Puerto Rico almost every week to see how I was doing. When I arrived in Memphis, I did not know what to expect. He was there every day for almost a month to check on me and make sure I was doing well. “He is, without any doubt, a living example of the characteristics this University guides itself by,” says Martinez. “I look up to him and never hesitate to seek his aid. Even to this day, he will come to the baseball field in the middle of practice and talk to me. He is one special human being we should all admire and respect for all of his virtues.” “He is un Hermano chiquitico (a petite Brother), as the Hispanic students lovingly came to call him, with a big heart!” Vergara says. “He never told me no,” says Casiano. “He always helped me, for five years. There are not a lot of people out there like him. I feel like he’s family.”

rother Francisco enjoys giving gifts. Most often these gifts take the form of small paintings on rocks or shells—or prints that he has made from his tiny little watercolor landscape paintings. The genesis of his paintings occurred while he was teaching in Miami, where he taught his students to paint on rocks and leather, and gave them small paintings of his own as presents and tokens of friendship. When he first arrived at the school in La Rochelle, France, they asked Brother Francisco what he could offer their students. “I can paint,” he said. Along with the fast ball and proper batting stance, he taught the children how to paint on seashells. At the end of the class, he would do something special for them, painted with their names. He continues that tradition

today, and the beneficiaries of his talent include many students, faculty, and staff members across campus. “One day a little girl came to me after class and asked me to do a painting and put a very strange name on it. ‘Is that your name?’ I asked. ‘No, that’s my dog’s name,’ she said. So I did a painting for the dog,” he shrugs and laughs.

“Look at this little girl, very good position, yes?” Brother Francisco pitching in a baseball game with students at Collège Notre-Dame in La Montagne, France.

have never seen him upset,” Mauricio Calvo says. “Let me take that back. Only when someone has not been treated right.” Brother Francisco doesn’t directly address the Lasallian tenets of faith, service, and community very often in his conversations. But they speak loudly between the lines, and they are the common thread that others seem to bring up when they discuss him. If one trait comes through in everyone’s memories and stories, it is his humble selflessness. “He just likes to help people,” says Roberto Casiano. “He’ll stop doing something for himself, sacrifice, to help someone else.” “I have been very happy with the Brothers,” Brother Francisco says of his 65 years in the Lasallian order. “If they sent me to Nigeria today, I would be happy. It would be like my home for life, I would accommodate myself.” BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

The Liberation P

atricia Tolbert may be tiny but her enthusiasm and energy are palpable. Even when she’s sitting she’s in motion: her eyes sparkle, her mouth is a wide excited smile, and her hands flutter. “Imagine,” she begins, “if you went into every conversation thinking you are about to hear something precious.”

A self-professed public school kid with a good grades, Trish Tolbert was nevertheless disenchanted with school and put off applying to college. “I hated school when I left,” Tolbert says. “I was craving academic freedom. I was craving working at my own pace. I was craving studying subjects I wanted to study.” She credits her Central High School history teacher, Mary Elizabeth Holland Smith, with helping her get there—there being CBU. “She was like Brother Tony Pisano (History, deceased) because when you walked in her class, you had better bring your A-game,” says Tolbert. Smith helped Tolbert prepare for Advanced Placement exams and when a bequest made a small number of scholarships available for public school students 32

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Trish Tolbert in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

of Trish to attend CBU, Tolbert was ready. Tolbert came to CBU in the fall of 1975, but because of freshman hazing on the first day, she almost didn’t return for a second. Convinced to try it for two weeks, Tolbert spent time between classes in the basement of Kenrick Hall playing the piano. One day, Brother Patrick O’Brien (English, deceased) stopped by and encouraged her to try out for Bicensation, the campus theatre production written to celebrate the national bicentennial in 1976. Tolbert says, “It was like walking out of a cave for me. It was the liberation of Trish.” The diversity of students and faculty really captured her imagination. “There was a really special group of students, musically and theatrically, here at that time, because of the public school scholarships and heavy recruiting in Catholic schools in the Midwest and Northeast,” she explains. “And many of them were engineers; it wasn’t that that’s what they wanted to do in life. And faculty too—Jim McKee (Political Science, retired) played drums, Brother Vincent [Malham] (Humanities & Music, deceased) was all about music, and I’d go anywhere to hear Vince

From England to New Zealand, from musical theatre to natural conservation,

TRISH TOLBERT (’79) owes everything to the liberal arts and to the lifelong relationships she forged at CBU.

BY AIMEE LEWIS (’92) BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

Trish Tolbert (at far right) in the 1976 CBC production of Bicensation, a musical theatre tribute to the national bicentennial.

O’Neill (Literature) read the phone book. I defy anyone to sit down to a Vince O’Neill discussion or lecture and not get excited about something.” Though she finally settled on Human Development and Learning as her major, Tolbert declared her junior year as her honeymoon—nothing but courses with Jim McKee, Tony Pisano, and Vince O’Neill. “It was always about the value of a teachable moment; having just the right professor saying, ‘Think about it in this way,’” she said. “If I hadn’t taken those classes, I wouldn’t have gotten to know them—aside from whatever they brought to the classroom. They had a huge impact on my time at CBU.” It was the hallway time she says—”those conversations and moments with people that change your life forever”—that made all the difference.

fter graduating in 1979, Tolbert worked a few jobs, did some independent study, and stayed involved in community theatre. But she was really interested in graduate school and an international experience. Spending all the money she had saved, Tolbert chose the University of Manchester in England because, as she puts it, “Jim McKee and Vince O’Neill had impressed on me the idea of the interrelatedness of all things—history, literature, and the like. Manchester being in the Midlands, a rock’s throw from D. H. Lawrence country, right 34

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there where Mrs. Gaskell was writing and Dickens used to come and visit her. The Gaiety Theatre, the mothership of community theatre, was there at Manchester. And that really appealed to me.” What she didn’t know at the time was that the University of Manchester was also home to more international students than any other university in England, and that Mrs. Gaskell’s House was then in use by the university’s International Society. Tolbert ended up living there, adding another layer to the rich experience she had been seeking out. “I was an Anglophile from a young age. It started when my dad took me to see Camelot, and I sat transfixed, partly by Richard Harris—who was the first guy I ever fell in love with—and partly by this idea that might could be used for right. That they would use their might to fight for what was right in this world, the whole social justice thing took root with me.” King Arthur—and working with the United Way campaign while employed at Goldsmith’s Department Store after returning from England—shifted Tolbert’s trajectory. “I went to Huey’s, which is where I do all of my important thinking, and determined that I didn’t care about merchandise going out the door. I started to connect the dots, to find the relationships, and wanted to take the skills I had learned in the business world and move into the nonprofit world, ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATRICIA TOLBERT

rather than try to humanize the retail world,” she says. Tolbert spent four months traveling the East Coast conducting informational interviews with people in nonprofits to get a feel for the industry. Ultimately, she answered a blind ad in the Memphis Commercial Appeal and was soon hired as the very first executive director of the Memphis Zoological Society. She describes the Memphis Zoo at that time as “Memphis’ best kept secret.” Tolbert’s main charge was positioning the Zoo for future growth. She recalls Ed Sapinsley, the first Zoological Society president, having creative conversations with the likes of Henry Turley and others; she now credits them as being at the forefront of efforts to move Memphis forward. Having met and been impressed with Roger Knox, who became president and chief operating officer of Goldsmith’s just as she was leaving, Tolbert later approached him to join the Zoo’s effort. She found out that Knox had once wanted to be a herpetologist and he very much wanted to help, so much so that he later followed Sapinsley as president. She credits Knox’s leadership for making the Memphis Zoo the world-class attraction that it is today. “You never know when you meet people in one role, what role they’ll play down the road in your life,” she says. “It’s those connections again.” After four years with the Zoo, Tolbert again looked for a change of locale. She studied an atlas and chose a destination first—North Carolina—and then found The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization. She worked in various fundraising capacities for the Conservancy, at the North Carolina Field Office and nationally, before she took a worldwide position as a strategic consultant for the organization’s corps of more than 300 fundraisers stewarding over 2,000 major donor relationships. On behalf of the Conservancy, Tolbert also worked with partner organizations, such as Melbourne’s Trust for Nature (in Australia), helping them expand their major gift fundraising efforts. “I loved going global, to work with every area in the country,” Tolbert says. “It allowed me to go to Hawaii and work on the Asia-Pacific side. It allowed me to go up to Canada. And the big one: I was able to go to Australia and work with one of our partner organizations down there. I tagged a month-long holiday in New Zealand on to that. The U.K. was my first love, you know that first love you have as a teen. Australia is that hot person you met in your twenties. And New Zealand is my soul mate.” After 15 years at the Conservancy, Tolbert went

to work as a philanthropic consultant with Jay Steenhuysen & Associates and recently joined the AARP Foundation. She maintains her international connections through AARP’s global network, which includes partners in Canada, Denmark, Chile, the Netherlands, India, and Italy. Tolbert’s personal interests have expanded to include girls’ and women’s issues, particularly education. “Let me tell you a Brother Vincent story,” she says. “He was president at Bethlehem University at the time. When I saw him at the CB Singers reunion, he was talking about how important education is. He told the story of a father who’d sold his last lambs—lambs being the visible sign of wealth there—to pay for his daughter’s education. Because education was the only way out of despair.” Brother Vincent’s story compelled Tolbert to make what she calls a “sacrificial gift” in 2004 to help fund a girl’s education in Bethlehem. Her student was Muna; upon her graduation, Tolbert drew upon her vast international connections for a special surprise: Tolbert enlisted her women friends from around the world to send a congratulatory email with their countries noted. With the help of a Bethlehem University development officer, all of the emails were pasted into a scroll and presented to Muna, making yet more connections and building new, international relationships.

Tolbert with Thomas Boggs, the late founder and owner of Huey’s restaurants, at a 1987 volunteer party at the Memphis Zoo. “When Thomas saw this photo,” Tolbert says, “he shook his head and said ‘I can’t believe that you are telling me how to cook a burger.’”

t Tolbert’s commencement, a friend was standing among the liberal arts majors and began a group chant of “No marketable skills! No marketable skills!” BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

“I really feel like my life has been as rich as it is because of these people. I don’t care how old I am, I don’t care where in the world I am or what I’m doing. If they call me, I’m there. When we came together we made something bigger than the sum of its parts.” CB Singers reunion: (l-r) Richard Stewart (’79), Brother Vincent Malham, Erin Edwards Ward (’79), Mike Griffith (’79), Sharon Emmons Morrow (’78), Ted Morrow (’79), Trish Tolbert, and Vickie Russell Griffith (’81).

Although she still appreciates the self-deprecating humor of the chant, Tolbert’s experience has taught her a different lesson about the marketability of a liberal arts education. She relates an episode from college to use as an example: “Vince O’Neill encouraged study groups, and my study group included Brother Tom Sckerl. We had a big electrical storm here in Midtown one night. Tom called me and said, ‘Get over here to Stritch right now. It’s the perfect night to study Macbeth!’ So I jumped in the car and raced over and he’d managed to gather our entire study group and a bunch of candles and we proceeded to study by candlelight. I have no idea what we made on the test, nor can I sit down right now and analyze Macbeth. But I can tell you that what the people I met [at CBU] showed me was the power of using your creativity, which you can do in any field. But so often we don’t liberate the engineers, the scientists, the math majors. When they do liberate their creativity that’s where we get

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innovation, and the more we unleash that power, the better off our entire species will be.” “Several years ago I read that the bulk of Fortune 500 CEOs may have MBAs, but their undergraduate degrees are in liberal arts.” She believes those Fortune 500 CEOs have learned the social intelligence skills and self-awareness involved with really understanding the way people work and what motivates them. “A liberal arts education is to me the most helpful preparation for the complexity of life. The ability to live a rich life, and I’m not talking about how much money you make, but a rich life in terms of what you experience,” Tolbert says. “There aren’t a lot of black and white answers out there, and a liberal arts education helps you explore that.” Tolbert admits that her life’s course is a winding one. “I never really had the whole career path thing. You now, ‘I want to be a doctor, I want to be a lawyer.’ Sometimes I wish I had, but I think I was standing behind the door when that was handed out. I think now I’m destined to be an unspecified liberal arts major for my whole life, but I’m okay with that now. I hope if there are other people out there wrestling with that, that they’ll be okay with that, too.” “While you’re in college, do it now,” she says. “If you love it, do it now. You never know where it might lead you. Be open to those possibilities. You don’t know what positive ripple effect your own stumbling

around will have on others.”

olbert has made a point of remaining close with the people and places who have made an impact in her life. Though she continues to live in North Carolina and travels a great deal, she returns to Memphis to visit her family and maintain her friendships. When Brother Vincent died, she says she went at his grave and sang him every song he ever assigned her. “Even “Lida Rose” [from The Music Man], which I hate. It’s never coming out of my mouth ever again.” Her stories are peppered with the names and anecdotes of the CBU people who have touched her life. Terry Mitchell (‘77) was “my first duet on stage.” Richard Stewart (‘79) had “the most beautiful tenor voice.” Mike Griffith (‘79) “played piano,” and his wife, Vicki Russell Griffith (‘81) “was younger and was a soprano.” Erin Edwards Ward (‘79) was “my fellow alto.” Rick McClanahan (‘79) is “now the city engineer for Bartlett and has a wonderful tenor voice.” Tom Schumacher (Theatre) “had us do some wonderful productions.” Evelyn McDonald (then CBU dean of women and current vice president of mission & identity) “was just so cool. When I took off for Europe, Evelyn gave me her parent’s address and I rang her dad. We had dueling-banjo accents, mine Southern and his so thickly Scottish, but we

managed to understand each other.” “I think you need to build your own community,” says Tolbert. “When I was growing up, I don’t think the word ‘community’ had that much of a meaning. When my mother was growing up in the farm community of Hardeman County (Tennessee), it had huge meaning. Now I see it having meaning again but in a global way.” And when it comes to building and sustaining her own community, one example of Tolbert’s creativity takes the cake (birthday cake?). As her 50th birthday approached, Tolbert knew she would not be able to gather all the people she wanted to see in one place, so she organized a virtual birthday party. She sent out invitations and enclosed what she called “Trish on a Stick” along with each one. “Trish on a Stick” was a photo of Tolbert taken on her first birthday, posed with her first birthday cake; the photo was attached, yes, to a stick. In the text of the invitation, each celebrant was instructed to have a glass of their libation of choice and invited to sip slowly and think about the last really funny thing they’d done together. “It’s all about the relationships,” she says again. “I really feel like my life has been as rich as it is because of these people. I don’t care how old I am, I don’t care where in the world I am or what I’m doing. If they call me, I’m there. When we came together we made something bigger than the sum of its parts.”

Trish Tolbert sailing on Penobscot Bay in Maine.

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At Home Away From Home

Jessica Hines (’10) and Dillon Beard (’10) in London last fall

Dillon Beard (Accounting ’10) CBU’s study abroad program has greatly enriched my fiancée’s [Jessica Hines ’10] and my academic career and outlook on life. Last semester, Jessica and I traveled to Queen Mary University of London and spent three amazing months in a culture that offers such a rich and interesting history. We enrolled in classes such as “Architecture in London,” which involved classroom and walking-tour lectures about historic buildings not found on the top 10 London must-see list. Also, we took two classes about the history of art: “The Age of Impressionism” and “Early Modern Art.” These classes helped us develop an appreciation for art that we will be able to develop further throughout our lives. This course of study was also greatly enhanced by our day trips to the local galleries in London and one of our weekend trips to Paris. Our schedule was fortunately set up to allow us the ability to travel over four-day weekends to different parts of Europe. Besides Paris, we also traveled to Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and extensively

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around England. We visited Shakespeare’s home in Stratford, the colleges at Oxford, Stonehenge, Bath, Salisbury, and Canterbury. Among other sights along the way, we visited the cathedrals and abbeys of the region, many dating back to the first exposure of Christianity to Britain. This was an exceedingly worthwhile experience. To attempt to grasp how much time and effort was needed to create these aweinspiring buildings is amazing in itself, but their sheer beauty was also hard to comprehend. Since this was my first trip overseas, this was literally opening up a completely new part of the world to me. In many ways our culture is very similar to the British, but since they are such an older nation, their outlook on things can often be very different than our American views. We lived in a flat with eleven rooms and a shared kitchen. The nine other people we lived with really enhanced our experience and truly made us feel accepted in the culture. We roomed with one other American who reassured us that we were not alone when either of us ran into a bump in the road. This lifestyle did not come without its hardships. London is a huge city and we got lost in the rain from time to time, missed our stop on the Tube, or had to literally run across a train station in order to make the last train of the day. We also shared our flat with two international students who were there for their full three years (yes, they only go to university for three years, not four). One was Singaporean and the other Dutch. The rest of our flatmates were English and greatly enjoyed our being there as much as we enjoyed learning about them and their lifestyles. Our group of friends was a good reflection of the demographics of London; it is an international city and one can hear six or seven different languages spoken in a matter a minutes. Our Dutch friend spoke five herself. All in all, we had an excellent time, ate a lot of unusual food, saw the construction of the 2012 Olympic stadium, took river cruises down the Thames in London, and the Seine in Paris, got lost in a hedge maze at Scone Palace, and I fell down a muddy hill by the North Sea. This trip has given us PHOTO COURTESY OF DILLON BEARD

Alums who have lived and worked—or currently live and work—abroad reflect on the rewards and challenges of life outside the United States both countless memories we will share for the rest of our lives and we both highly recommend students to take the plunge, study abroad, and live with no regrets. Sally Lynch (Natural Science ’07) The strength and support of the CBU community provided me with the confidence and drive to expand my horizons. I felt inspired, capable, and determined during my adventures in Brazil and England, and I cannot thank Dr. Forsdick, Dr. Fitzgerald, and all of the CBU faculty who supported me in my pursuit to study in other countries. The ability to embrace another country as your second home is an incredible gift, one that allows you to understand how small this world really is. Living abroad is the single best way to discover more about yourself while you simultaneously learn about the cultures, quirks, and people of other countries. Dave Hanson (English ’93) The biggest benefit I found was how living abroad affected my CBU career. I moved to the Czech Republic to teach English for a year. My parents frankly were a bit worried that I might not return and finish my degree. I told them, “CBU has been here since 1871, I think it’ll be here when I get back.” What I found was that I was never more focused on my studies than when I returned. I finished my B.A. the next semester. I learned so much from my time in the Czech Republic, was able to travel to eleven countries, and have been back several times since. Living abroad was one of the richest times of my life. Jim Collins (Chemical Engineering ’85) As manager of DuPont’s Seed and Chemistry business in Asia-Pacific for four years, my family and I had the opportunity to live in Hong Kong. My job took me to over 20 different countries and cultures in the region. The experience of learning to live, work, communicate, and interact with people in such a dramatically different environment than what you have grown up in taught us all many lessons about

Going Pro in PR ROBERTO CASIANO (’08) came to CBU from Puerto Rico to play for the Buccaneer basketball team; his team made it to the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament in his senior year. He now lives in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico and has a 10-month-old son and a job in accounting and finance at the Bayamon Health Center in Bayamon. But he’s also still playing ball—and now he’s getting paid for it. “I used to come home to Puerto Rico and play with the summer league,” Casiano says. “Pro coaches would be there coaching. My senior year at CBU, coaches started calling my dad. They have a camp—like an NBA camp—and when I was done with school, I went to the camp and did better than I thought, finishing in the top 12 out of 100 or more players. Two teams wanted me.” Last year, Casiano played for Criollos de Caguas, one of the teams in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (the main Puerto Rican men’s basketball league). His teammates included a couple of former NBA players: Matt Freije (who played for Vanderbilt and then the New Orleans Hornets), Ryan Humphrey (who played at Notre Dame and then for the Orlando Magic), and also Ángel Daniel Vassallo, who played for Virgina Tech and is on Puerto Rico’s national team. “My career started slow,” Casiano says. “I didn’t play the first ten games. Finally, they put me in a game when we were down by 15. I pulled two three-pointers and two free-throws. After that, I played every game.” This season, the Criollos team was sold and moved to another town, and Casiano decided it was too far to travel. He now plays for the Fajardo Cariduros, which is part of the Super League 25 semi-pro league. “I ended the season in the top ten for the league in scoring and assists,” he says. He was also selected to play in the All-Star game and led the Cariduros in three-pointers for the season. “Now I have a new agent, and he’s trying to help me go play in South America,” Casiano says. humility, patience, and the ultimate understanding that most things in other cultures are not “right” or “wrong”... they’re just different. As soon as we were willing to explore those differences, our experience continued on page 40 BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

MAP LEGEND Alumni Current Home Alumni Hometown Current Student Hometown Former Faculty Hometown Current Faculty Hometown

Where in the World is CBU? CBU has a long roster of international connections, due in large part to the global reach of the Christian Brothers and their Lasallian network of schools. As evidenced by this map, CBU has attracted students and faculty from around the world—and conversely sent many of its American alumni back out to live and work abroad. The map shows the locations of current alums living abroad as well as the hometowns of international students and faculty, both past and present. Disclaimer: This map is only as accurate and thorough as our records (and extensive extra research) allow. If you see a location that’s missing, please let us know!

At Home Away from Home continued from page 39 went from being one of “tolerance” to one of exploration and enjoyment. Our children developed a “blindness” to differences in cultures, and an ability to adapt quickly to others that I think serves them well today.

Kristi Jernigan (Accounting ’85) Not only do I live abroad (in London), but I travel extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 40

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According to our research and records, the country that has provided the most international students to CBU over the years—by a fairly wide margin—is INDIA. If we counted by region instead of country, Central America would probably edge out the top spot, due in large part to our second-place nation, MEXICO. But CBU has always attracted quite a few students from the Middle East as well, and in the past decade we’ve seen an increase in students from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Nordic countries.

What I appreciate most from my experience is how difficult it is to live in America and keep a global perspective. The geography, being the world’s most important economy (at the moment), and the sheer size of our country are all factors which make it challenging to understand, experience, and appreciate other cultures. My advice, especially to parents, is to travel abroad for sure, and live abroad if possible, even if only for a brief time. It is nice for people of my generation to have a global perspective, but it will be

The furthest from home? To the best of our knowledge (and our calculations), the furthest alumni hometown from Memphis is Jakarta, Indonesia (10,169 miles). The furthest away an alum currently lives is Singapore (9,788 miles). And the furthest a current student has traveled to be at CBU is from Flagstaff Hill, Australia (9,717 miles).

essential for our children! Alex Ertz (Electrical Engineering ’79) As senior principal engineer for Philips Emergency Lighting, I am working from Eindhoven, Netherlands to expand the sales of our life-safety lighting products within the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) Region. This exciting assignment affords many opportunities to travel and meet people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. I wish that all Americans

also had similar chances to experience different ways various nations have organized and solved common human challenges. Western Europe is far ahead of the U.S. on many technological fronts (energy efficiency, transportation, urban planning, communications networks, environmental sustainability, modern health care, etc.) that will be key to maintaining a strong 21st Century economy. A politics of fear—stemming from political insularity—is not going to take us where we need to go as a society. BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

classnotes

Three members of the Class of 1960 returned to CBU as the first class of Golden Jubilarians to be honored at Commencement. Pictured above are (l-r) ARTHUR HARMAN, GERRY HUNDSCHEID, Dr. John Smarrelli Jr., and BILL LOWRY. As a new tradition that was inaugurated this year, the Golden Jubilarians (alumni celebrating the 50-year anniversary of their own graduation) will be invited to attend and be honored at each year’s CBU Commencement Exercises.

1968 William Holland retired at the end of 2008 after more than 40 years at DuPont. Brother Joel McGraw was one of five honorees recognized at the fifth annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner presented by Diversity Memphis on May 27. Diversity Memphis is a human relations organization dedicated to bringing people together regardless of their cultural, religious or racial differences. Brother Joel has been assistant principal at Christian Brothers High School since 1990. ——————————————————————

1970 Hugh Teaford, president of the Memphis Society of Model Railroaders, was quoted in an article on the Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum in the October 10, 2009 edition of The Commercial Appeal. He describes his hope that more people will become interested in the rich history of the Memphis-area railroads. Hugh is also the father-in-law of CBU

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Advancement staff member, Lisa Teaford. ——————————————————————

1973 Michael O’Shaughnessy has been named chair of Corporate Services Group in Chicago. ——————————————————————

1981 Mark Merrill, president of Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, was profiled in the November 27, 2009 edition of Memphis Business Journal. ——————————————————————

1982 Rick Cargile is now president of the southern division of DCP Midstream in Houston. CBU thanks Rick for encouraging DCP to recruit at CBU! Dr. Mortaza Zainaleain signed and spoke about his book Set for Success: Why Mature Organizations Excel in Project Management at Davis Kidd Booksellers in Memphis in October. ——————————————————————

PHOTO BY STEPHEN KIRKPATRICK

classnotes

Alumni Trivia Night...02/05/10 1983 William B. Day has been promoted to executive vice president of merchandising and supply chain at Sysco Corporation. William began his career in 1983 as a staff accountant at Sysco Memphis, was promoted to assistant controller of Sysco Corporation in 1999, and became vice president of supply chain management in 2003. In 2007, he was promoted to senior vice president and took on the additional responsibilities of Sysco’s merchandising in 2009. ——————————————————————

1984 Frank Gattuso Jr. was named 2009’s Outstanding Italian by the Memphis Italian Festival. ——————————————————————

1988 Brother John Mark Falkenhain was recently featured in a brochure from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology highlighting the work of the Meinrad Monks. Brother John Mark is quoted as saying: “Teaching in the School of Theology gives me a clear sense that I am contributing to the building up of the Church while remaining faithful to my monastic call to stability.” Dr. Troy McCall was named CEO of Cetero Research, an industry leading contract research organization, having conducted more clinical pharmacology studies than any other contract research organization in the past 25 years. Dr. McCall was formerly CEO of Premiere Research Group. ——————————————————————

1989 David McKenzie is a principle investigator for NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory mission launched in February. David is involved in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), a battery of four telescopes designed to photograph the sun’s surface and atmosphere. Lee R. Nickloy was appointed vice president and treasurer of Pinnacle West Capital and its principal subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Company, in April. Chuck Roberts was featured in the October 16, 2009 edition of The Memphis Daily News. Chuck has been a commercial realtor for ten years in Southaven, MS and is probably best known for being the announcer for the University of Memphis Tigers football and basketball. ——————————————————————

1990 Tony Michael, founder and president of Future Benefits of America, was featured in the October 26, PHOTOS BY STEPHEN KIRKPATRICK

Team Harrington placed last in the Trivia Contest team—and was pleased with the consolation prize of a 12-pack of beer. (Front row l-r): Russell Brandon (’09), Matthew Hamner (Theatre), John McNeel (Back row l-r): John Legge (’09), Rebecca Harrington (’06), and Burton Bridges (’09)

Team Brittingham took home the 2nd Place trophy. (l-r): Dr. Bob Brittingham (Economics), Linda Brittingham, Brother Mark Snodgrass, John Inderbitzen Jr., Dr. Kristen Prien (Associate Dean of Business); (top): Brother Ignatius Brown, quizmaster

Team Marus won 1st Place. (front row, l-r): Elisa Marus (Communications & Marketing), Anna Lee Gaia, Denise Garibaldi Reber (’82), Lisa Connable Luttmann (’82); (second row l-r): Andy Gaia, Ramon Marus (’81), Mark Luttmann (’82); Jim Reber (’82); (top): Brother Ignatius Brown

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classnotes

ABOVE: Tarasha Payne (’01) has joined nine other CBU alumni working at Fisher & Arnold. Celebrating 25 years in business F&A has gained a reputation throughout the Mid-South as a leading engineering, environmental and transportation design firm. Tarasha joins the firm as controller. Pictured (l-r; front row): Michael Rogers (’90), Carol Tsagarakis (’84), Tarasha Payne (’01), and Tim Verner (’84); (back row): Nicholas Brown (’09), Rick Gafford (’81), Jeff Arnold (’78), Phil Cathey (’71), Gene Bailey (’85), and Brian King (’02). LEFT: Joe Birch (’78, on right) was honored by the Memphis Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals with its annual Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award at the National Philanthropy Day Crystal Awards Luncheon on November 19, 2009. Presenting the award is chapter president Kevin Roehl. Joe is the co-founder/ race director of the Gibson Guitar 5K Run-Walk for St. Patrick Learning Center (a non-profit agency that serves children and families in the city’s poorest zip code). He has also raised nearly $70,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by participating in the St. Jude Memphis Marathons and Half Marathons. 44

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FISHER & ARNOLD (TOP) AND BY AIMEE LEWIS (BOTTOM)

classnotes Class of 2010 Senior Party... 05/11/10 additional photos are available online at www.cbu.edu/alumni

2009 edition of Memphis Business Journal. Brian Simmons is a vice president in the Nashville office of the North Highland Company, which was named by Consulting magazine as one of the country’s top consulting firms to work for. Brian Ward, managing director at Wells Fargo Advisors in Brentwood, TN, was recognized as one of the Top 100 Wirehouse Advisors in America by Registered Rep magazine, a respected securities industry publication. Brian ranked tenth out of 100. Brian’s specific areas of experience include financial strategies and estate planning services, investment policy formulation, asset allocation analysis, money manager and mutual fund performance analysis, design/implementation of corporate retirement plans, record keeping/administration cost comparison analysis, and development of employee communication programs. ——————————————————————

The Class of 2010 celebrated its upcoming graduation on May 11 in the Boshwit Courtyard. Pictured are Sana Sayani (Biology), Simone Lampkin (Finance) and Shermeen Hossain (Information Technology Management).

1991 Mike Brocato and his partners in Resource Entertainment Group received the 2009 Small Business Award from Memphis Business Journal. ——————————————————————

1993 Dr. Toya Kimble has been granted two patents as an inventor of “Drug Depot Implantable Within a Joint (US Pat. 12174007)” and Biological Markers and Response to Treatment for Pain, Inflammation (US Pat. 12105666)” — both assigned to Warsaw Orthopedic (which is another corporate name for Medtronic, for whom Toya works). ——————————————————————

Kenny Latta (Religion & Philosophy), Sarah Brown (English for Corporate Communications), Jessie Wortham (English for Corporate Communications), and David Breen (Marketing ’11)

1994 Jeff Old has joined the Memphis office of Pickering, an architecture and engineering firm, as a senior civil engineer. Pickering specializes in facility and building design, civil engineering, transportation, water

SENIOR PARTY PHOTOS BY JACOB EDWARDS

Kaci Murley (English for Corporate Communications) and Maegan Lytle (Biology)

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classnotes

babybucs

resources, and surveying. Robert Zeiler has been named to the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation’s board of directors. Robert is the manager of community affairs for Chesapeake Energy in Little Rock. ——————————————————————

1998

Dr. Kimberly Ware Benkert (’00) and Kevin Benkert (’01) welcomed GENEVIEVE GRACE “GIGI” BENKERT, their first child, on October 2, 2009.

Trent Gullett married Elizabeth Gordan Gullett on May 23, 2009. The couple lives in Germantown, TN. Dr. Greg Meriwether has been board certified in cardiology. Greg graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2002 and since 2009 has practiced in Louisville, KY. ——————————————————————

1999 Sarah Nelson O’Leary and Tim O’Leary welcomed their second child, Emma, on August 31, 2009. ——————————————————————

2000 John Raccke is now associate dean of arts and sciences at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. ——————————————————————

2001

Whitney Canale Gentry (’04) and her husband, Jason, are proud to announce the birth of THOMAS JASON GENTRY on December 30, 2009, in Goldsboro, NC.

Kristy Phillips is a senior program manager at The New Teacher Project in Memphis. Julia Hanebrink was featured in The Evening Times in Crittenden County, AR, for teaching a forensics class to over 40 gifted and talented students in West Memphis. Julia currently teaches forensic anthropology at CBU. Tawanda Williams, Esq. was appointed assistant public defender with Shelby County Government in Memphis. ——————————————————————

2002 Lanie Smith ‘02 is a graduate student at the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, NY. After researching art therapy with formerly abducted child soldiers in Northern Uganda while studying with the CBU MHIRT program in 2008-09, she began pursuing her master’s in art therapy. Shortly thereafter she was hired as an art therapy intern at A Bridge to Recovery in Southaven, MS to help adult outpatients struggling with addiction and is currently finishing a second internship with at-risk youth in Brooklyn. Lanie is also a practicing artist whose next Memphis exhibit in will be in March 2011 at Eclectic Eye. Visit www.laniesmith.weebly.com for Lanie’s blog and examples of her recent artwork. ——————————————————————

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2003 Joshua Giannini, PE, has joined Pickering, an architectural and engineering firm, in their Memphis office as a civil project manager. Warren Turkal and his wife welcomed their first son, Aerick Linus Turkal, on October 9, 2009. ——————————————————————

2004 Jared Franz passed the CPA exam in October 2009 and was recently promoted to state controller for Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico at WCA Waste in Oklahoma City. Ashley Wise Jett married Bryan Paul and is working at Walgreen’s Pharmacy in Oakland, TN. Bethany King (MEM) was the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Educational Psychology at the University of Memphis, where she is currently working on her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a research interest in engineering education. Bethany is assistant director of Graduate Engineering at CBU. ——————————————————————

2005 Josh Holtgrewe was honored as the Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year by the Memphis chapter of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers, recognizing his engineering and education achievements, and community service. The honor was presented during this year’s Engineer Week. Ben Knoernschild has joined Pickering, an architectural and engineering firm, in their Memphis office as a structural engineering intern. Ben is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Pickering specializes in facility and building design, civil engineering, transportation, water resources, and surveying. ——————————————————————

2006 Christina Brown has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. Katherine Frederick had a baby girl, weighing in at 6 lbs.,10 oz., in September 2009. Laura Kreager received her Ph.D. in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology from the University of

Memphis. Laura’s dissertation research was focused on improving the classification efforts of U.S. Navy SEALs. Nick Salvaggio graduated from CBU in May with a Master of Arts in Teaching as part of the Lasallian Association of New Catholic Educators (LANCE). Patrick Shirley and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their daughter Isabelle, on October 13, 2009. ——————————————————————

2007 Chantel Engleberg received the first Hamilton Eye Institute Fellowship from the University of Tennessee Department of Ophthalmology in 2006. She has been working at the Hamilton Eye Institute since graduation and has been accepted into the Casey Eye Institute of the Oregon Health and Science University. Jeff Hall’s article “Risk Reduction and Fraternal Organizations: Tort Liability, Legislation, and Suggestions for Practice” was published in the 2009 edition of Oracle, the research journal for the Association of Advisors to Fraternities and Sororities. Joseph M. Parker earned a Master of Science degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in December 2008. He is currently employed by AMEC Earth and Environment in Knoxville. Ashley Prevost has been accepted to the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, CO. Ashley spent two years as a Lasallian Volunteer in California after graduation. ——————————————————————

2008 Thomas Upchurch (MAT) and Elizabeth Janette Roads exchanged wedding vows on September 19, 2009 at All Saints Chapel in Sewanee, TN. The couple resides in Memphis where Elizabeth is a speech-language pathologist for Methodist Healthcare, and Thomas is a seventh-grade teacher at the Soulsville Charter School. ——————————————————————

2009 Melody Allensworth has been accepted to the Ph.D. Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences. Michael Antone has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry. Ben Campbell has joined Askew Hargraves Harcourt & Associates as a civil designer.

Charmaine Cruz has been named admissions director at Paramount Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in San Antonio, TX. Daniel Gregory is store director for Marshall’s in Southaven, MS. Erin Nigh and Colin Flynn were married in June 2009. Erin is now writing a fashion blog called Reality Chic, which she describes as “providing styling tips for girls who want to look good without having designer labels.” Check it out at www.erin-mflynn.com. ——————————————————————

2010 Rachel Escue is employed at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in pharmaceutical sciences. Leigh Hill has joined Catholic Charities Service Corps in Buffalo, NY, a year-long service program often described as a local Peace Corps with a spiritual component. Leigh will be working with the West New York Law Center, a legal office that provides legal aid and service to the impoverished in the area. She says she’ll be working mostly with clients who are facing foreclosure. Anmol Khan has been accepted to the Master’s Program in Pharmacology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Kenny Latta will serve as a Lasallian Volunteer for the next year, stationed at Highbridge Community Life Center in the Bronx, NY. Coy Lock presented his senior research at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Academic Surgical Congress, in February in San Antonio. The title of his research was: “Atlantooccipital Dissociation A Uniformly Fatal Injury?” Lauren Mabon (MBA) has joined Leadership Memphis as marketing coordinator. She previously served as a marketing executive at Primacy Relocation. Melissa McDonald has been accepted to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Caroline Mitchell will begin work on her master’s degree in history with a focus in museum studies this fall at the University of Memphis. Binh Nguyen, chair of the IEEE student branch at CBU, participated in a $25,000 grant for “Next Step: Adult Computer Literacy Classes” from the Assisi Foundation to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis as an instructor in a computer class at St. John Catholic School. Dustin Perry is a mathematics teacher at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis.

babybucs

Dave Hanson (’93) and his wife, Christina Ross, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, LUCIAN DUBOSE HANSON, on January 17, 2010.

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

what works

4U? forYOU We Want to Hear from YOU!

(about how you want to hear from us)

Let us know how and what kind of

communications you’d like from CBU. Would you rather receive this magazine in an

electronic format than in the dead-tree edition you’re holding right now? You can already download a PDF from cbu.edu, but we can also email it to you if you prefer that to receiving it through snail mail. We’re also planning to offer Bell Tower in several other e-publishing formats to give you that choice as well. We already offer a variety of other e-communications for those interested: the monthly Alumni E-News and the weekly CBU Connection, for example. We’re also

@ 48

sending acknowledgements for some gifts via email. You can update your communication preferences at www.cbu.edu/alumni (just click on “Update My Profile”) or drop us a line at alumni@cbu.edu.

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

Dylan Perry will serve as a Lasallian Volunteer for the next year, stationed at La Salle Academy in Philadelphia. Chris Peterson has been accepted to the graduate program in philosophy at Kings College in London, England. Thang Pham has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Pharm.D. program. Suzy Ponnapula has been accepted to the Pharm.D. program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Kristi Prevost is moving to the Florida Keys to take a position training dolphins. Binoy Shah has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Pharm.D. program. Brandy Sims is working for the Leadership Academy in Memphis this summer as a development intern. Lorna Wilks has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center School of Medicine. ——————————————————————

2011 Ashley Jones was selected to participate in the Leadership Fellows program of the Mu Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The Leadership Fellows Program was established in 1979 to prepare young women for leadership roles in the sorority, community, and in corporate arenas. Ashley was one of 14 juniors and seniors with a 3.0 or above selected from among the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She traveled to Houston in December to attend corporate development sessions conducted by senior level directors and managers and international leaders of the sorority. Mallory Bailey won the People’s Choice Award for her Civil Engineering poster at the 2010 Engineering Art Show, hosted by the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers (Memphis Chapter) at 409 S. Main Street in downtown Memphis in April. Anthony Maranise published his article, “The Things We Take For Granted,” in the November 12 issue of the West Tennessee Catholic diocesan newspaper. He was also accepted to the Hendrix College Undergraduate Conference for Religious Studies to in April, where he presented his research paper, “Experiencing Christian Friendship: Harmony with God, Self, and Others.” Jacob Zimmerman was awarded the Outstanding Junior Award by the Memphis Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers on April 13.

passings

May all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. MARTIN HEALY KERNAN JR. (’62) passed away December 31, 2008 at the age of 70 after a courageous battle with stomach cancer. Martin was born in Baltimore and came to Memphis with his family at age 14. Upon his graduation from CBC, he became an aircraft electronic technician (3rd Class Petty Officer) in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Oriskany. Martin was an electrical engineer with Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division for 42 years in underground network engineering. He was a dedicated employee who loved his work and his co-workers. In 1999 the Mid-South Electrical Industry Association bestowed their Lifetime Achievement Award to Martin for special recognition of exceptional service. He was also a communicant at the Catholic Church of the Nativity. Martin was the beloved husband of Barbara for over 33 years; father of Amanda Kernan Barton (’99); grandaddy of Anna Barton; and brother of Fred Kernan. He is greatly missed. —————————————————————— GEORGE ARNOLD LAMAR MARLOWE (’55) passed away March 8, 2009, in Memphis. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School and received his B.B.A. at the University of Mississippi. George served on active duty in the United States Army Reserve and was a retired businessman in the cement products industry. An avid civil war buff, he enjoyed collecting relics and reading up on the Civil War. He was a member of the Marshall County Democratic Committee and the Marshall County Genealogical Society, where he served as Vice President. He was a member of Early Grove United Methodist Church. He leaves his daughters, Lisa Sandefur and Christi Pugh; his son, George Marlowe Jr.; and six grandchildren. George would have loved for any memorials you wish to make to be sent to Early Grove United Methodist Church (1085 Early Grove Rd., Lamar, MS 38642). —————————————————————— RANDAL GARY CHRESTMAN, husband of Aileen Reyes Chrestman (’83), passed away on June 1, 2009 at age 49. He was a driver with Memphis Fire Dept. for the past 26 years, a member and usher of St. Brigid Catholic Church of Memphis and a member of the IAFF. He is also survived by his daughter, Cortnee Chrestman; son, Christopher Chrestman; mother, Wanda Chrestman; sisters Becky Lesher and Cindy Vinzant. The family requests that memorials be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Memphis, St. Brigid

Catholic Church Building Fund, or the Memphis Fire Museum. —————————————————————— CHARLES WILLIAM GRIESBECK JR., longtime benefactor of CBU, died on July 27, 2009 after a courageous 11-month battle with leukemia. Charlie attended St. Anne Highland and Holy Rosary and was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School. He attended the University of Tennessee and graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in accounting and then obtained his CPA certification. Following graduation, he joined the family firm of Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck as part of the third generation of family CPAs. For 43 years, Charlie practiced public accounting, concentrating in the areas of corporate and individual taxation; he was also a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Tennessee Society of CPAs. Charlie was a devoted husband, father, and son, and is survived by his wife of 42 years, Maureen Micci Griesbeck; his three children Amy Griesbeck Moore, Charles William Griesbeck III, and Todd Louis Griesbeck; and eight grandchildren. Charlie is also survived by his parents, Anne and Charles Griesbeck, and his brothers William, George, John, and Lee Griesbeck. Charlie was elected to the CBHS Hall of Fame in 2005. He also volunteered for and sat on the boards of MIFA and St. Agnes Academy for several years. Memorials may be sent to Christian Brothers High School (5900 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis, TN 38120), St. Louis Catholic Church Monsignor Clunan Endowment Fund, or the Monastery of St. Claire, (1310 Dellwood Ave., Memphis, TN 38127). —————————————————————— SISTER JEAN BERNEY (ANNE LAWRENCE ’72), a Dominican Sister of Peace, died at age 74 on October 11, 2009 at Sansbury Care Center at St. Catharine, KY. She entered the novitiate of the former St. Catharine of Siena in 1964 and made her Profession of Vows in 1966. Sr. Jean earned her B.S. from CBC in accounting and a MPS in pastoral studies from Loyola University, Chicago. She taught at St. Rose School, Springfield, KY, 1966-67; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Louisville, 1967-70. She served as assistant director of finance for St. Catharine, KY Motherhouse, 1972-80; comptroller for Mary Immaculate Hospital and Marian Manor Nursing Home, Lebanon, 1979; chaplain at Central State Hospital, Louisville, 1985-88; and as plant manager at Siena Village, St. Joseph Hall, Watertown, MA, 1988-2009. Memorial gifts may be

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passings

sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace (2645 Bardstown Road, St. Catharine, KY 40061). —————————————————————— SHIRLEY YVONNE BEASLEY (’92) died on October 13, 2009 at age 56. A former employee of BellSouth and Methodist Hospital, she was a graduate of Manassas High School and a member of Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church. She leaves two sisters, Barbara Travis and Mary J. Brownlee, other relatives and a dear friend, Robert Tate. —————————————————————— CECIL J. BROWN, husband of Jo Ann Brown (’98), passed away on November 9, 2009 in Radford, VA at age 60. He was employed with Montgomery County Schools in the Special Education Department at Blacksburg Middle School. Other survivors include a son, Joseph Scott; a daughter, Laura Ann Brown; three grandchildren; and two brothers, Jerome and Glen Brown. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association (1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004) or Christian Brothers University. —————————————————————— JOHN WILLIAM MONTESI JR., longtime friend and former trustee of CBU, died on November 5, 2009 at his home surrounded by his loved ones. He leaves his wife of 31 years, Blanche Butler Montesi, and his two daughters Dr. Sydney Montesi and Blanche Montesi. He also leaves his two brothers, Fred Montesi III and Terry Montesi. John attended St. Dominic School, Christian Brothers High School, Vanderbilt University, and received his master’s degree in business from Southern Methodist University. He served on the boards of Hutchison School, CBU, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and the Neighborhood Christian Center. He was one of the founding partners of Financial Federal Savings Bank and served as chairman until his health prevented his return. John’s wife and daughters would like to express their gratitude to all the doctors, family members, and friends who supported him the last six years of his life as he valiantly battled brain cancer. The family requests that any memorials be sent to the Neighborhood Christian Center (785 Jackson Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) or to the charity of the donor’s choice. —————————————————————— CAROLYN HOWSER WILLIAMSON, beloved wife of Howard Williamson Jr. (‘65), passed away on December 17, 2009 at the Franciscan Hospice House in University Place, WA after a two-year battle

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

with cancer. She was 67. A long-time resident of Federal Way, WA, Carolyn was born in Parkin, AR and earned a B.A. in history from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College). She married Howard in 1965, and they moved to Seattle where she volunteered for several museums and arts organizations. The family moved to Federal Way in 1970, where she became active with women’s rights groups and volunteered for local political campaigns. While raising her children, Carolyn attended the University of Puget Sound Law School and received her J.D. in 1982. She was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1983 and practiced law for 24 years in the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office. In the early 1990s, she became an advocate for mental health issues and for 12 years served as the deputy prosecuting attorney in charge of handling civil commitments for mentally ill individuals who are a risk to themselves or others. Carolyn is also survived by her children, Olivia Williamson, Marion Shipley, and Ward Williamson; her grandchildren, Duncan Shipley and Carter Williamson; and her brother, O. C. Howser Jr. The family asks that contributions be made to the Carolyn Williamson Memorial Scholarship Fund to promote better understanding of the legal aspects of mental health issues. See www. carolynhowserwilliamson.com for further information. —————————————————————— STEVEN A. CONRAD (’67) of Fayetteville, AR passed on December 29, 2009 at the age of 64. He retired from inventory management with American Airlines in Tulsa, OK. Steve was a graduate of Father Ryan High School in Nashville. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and served on various school boards and church organizations in the Tulsa area. He was a recent member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fayetteville. He is survived by his wife, Carol DeBons Conrad; his children, Jennifer C. Krier, Jeffrey A. Conrad, and Leslie C. Martin; seven grandchildren; his mother, Dale Hart Conrad; three brothers, Bill, Joe, and Pete Conrad; five sisters, Sally Clinard, Katy Mills, Judy Conrad, Chris Gasiewski, and Lee Kemsley. Memorials may be made to Circle of Life Hospice (901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72764) or Arkansas Children’s Hospital (800 Marshall St., Little Rock, AR 72202). —————————————————————— S. HERBERT RHEA, a longtime donor and friend of CBU, died in January 2010 after a long illness. Rhea was an accountant and financial consultant with clients ranging from his own son to Holiday

passings

Inns founder Kemmons Wilson, but his clients would argue he wasn’t all business. One said Mr. Rhea’s advice and insight helped him turn a business deal into a deeper understanding of his wife. Another said it was Rhea’s love of Memphis that helped turn Dixon Gallery & Gardens into one of the most successful private museums in the South. Spence Wilson, son of the Holiday Inn founder and head of his own venture capital company, said Rhea helped steer each of them through the deep economic recession of the 1970s. “He was a very wise, tax-oriented individual” with a knack for negotiating with lenders, Wilson recalled. Rhea’s love of art didn’t begin as an art lover, said former Dixon Gallery & Gardens director John Buchanan. He said Rhea became a board member out of “his love of Memphis. His perception of the Dixon was that it was a spot of beauty and charm and grace that is unique in our world, and his devotion to it was to nurture and see it thrive.” Rhea’s son, Stephen Herbert Rhea Jr., said, “He had a knack for figuring out how to get right to the issue and was there to help you find the best fit for yourself. He had a genuine love for people.” Rhea also leaves his wife of 64 years, Linda; two daughters, Marilyn Cheeseman and Suzanne Burgar; and a sister, Frances Murphy. —————————————————————— WILLIAM PATRICK BRENNAN JR. (’51) passed away on February 9, 2010 at age 77. Mr. Brennan is survived by his wife of 55 years, Margaret M. Brennan; three sons, William P. Brennan III, Michael Joseph Brennan, and Bart Brennan; five daughters, Catherine Brennan, Mary Carkhuff, Therese Hebert, Ellen Scott, and Jo Ann Byl; and his brother, Charles Brennan. He also leaves 27 grandchildren. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School and served in the Korean War in the 844th Aviation Engineering Battalion. He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Germantown, TN since 1960. He served as the first president of the Parish Council and also served as the first president of the original Men’s Club, as well as a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid horseman and was on the board of the Germantown Charity Horse Show and its president in 1987. He was also a land developer throughout the South. The family requests any memorials be sent to the Christian Brothers High School Scholarship Fund or the charity of the donor’s choice. ——————————————————————

THOMAS R. TURNER, friend and former trustee of CBU, passed away on March 27, 2010 at age 85. Tom was born in Atlanta and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He then served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. When he retired from Buckeye Cellulose after 40 years, he was division manager for external affairs. Tom’s life was distinguished by his contributions to his community. The Volunteer Center of Memphis awarded him the Golden Rule Award as the “Top Volunteer in Memphis,” he originated the Rotary Club Teacher Excellence Award, and CBU awarded him the Maurelian Medal for “exceptional service to the university and to the wider community.” He served as board chair of Agricenter International, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, and Goodwill Industries. He was vice chair of the Airport Authority and CBU. He also served on the boards of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the Rotary Club, Memphis in May, and the Tennessee Independent College Fund. Tom was an effective fundraiser for the American Heart Association, United Way, Salvation Army, Memphis Arts Council, Memphis Orchestra Society, Cancer Society, Junior Achievement, Goodwill Industries, Memphis in May, and CBU. He will be deeply missed by Doris B. Turner, his wife of 60 years, and by his two daughters, Terri Panitz and Lisa Turner, and five grandchildren. The family requests that donations be sent to Wesleyan Hills United Methodist Church. —————————————————————— NATHAN BOYD HUGHES (’03) passed away on April 5, 2010 at age 37. Nathan graduated from Evangelical Christian School in Memphis and also attended Mississippi State University. He was a member of the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Sigma Chi. Nathan loved the outdoors, whether it be hiking, fishing or hunting. He was a gifted and passionate woodworker. Nathan is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Stirling Hughes, who was the light of his life, his parents, Carolyn and Ralph Hughes, and his brothers, Eric Hughes and Walter Hughes. He also leaves all four of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Hughes and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Thompson. Memorials may be made to Memphis Oral School for the Deaf or Dogs for the Deaf, the Oregon organization who gifted Nathan with his faithful hearing dog, Indy, who preceded him in death after 14 years of service.

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backpage

BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY CELEBRATED the opening of the Brother Vincent Malham Center in April with prayers, blessings, and fond memories of the late CBU president and former vice chancellor of Bethlehem University. “He played beautiful music and loved beauty and art,” said Brother Peter Bray, current vice chancellor of the Lasallian university in Bethlehem, Palestine. “He put a lot of effort to add beauty to the campus. Even in his death, Brother Vincent’s name will always be connected to beauty—and the goal of the Center will be to educate people in the beauty of the Palestinian culture. He would be delighted to have this Center named after him.” The multi-purpose Malham Center is located in a 100-year-old house and will provide an opportunity to Bethlehem University students and faculty to research and promote the Palestinian culture, music, and poetry. It will also be used as a place to welcome local and international guests of the university. In its next phase, the Center is planned to be used to maintain Palestinian oral history. “The Center will be a research reference for all cultural songs,” explained Professor Moin Halloun, chairman of the Department of Arabic at Bethlehem. “Videos of these songs will be archived online along with written format to enable researchers to conduct their research.” The dedication ceremony was celebrated by H.E Abdel Fattah Hamayel, governor of Bethlehem; Dr. Victor Batarseh, mayor of Bethlehem; and Mr. Ratib Rabie, president of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF). HCEF assisted Bethlehem University in remodeling the building, and the Bank of Palestine decorated the Center with a donation of ten paintings by young Gazan artists. Additional photos of the dedication of the Brother Vincent Malham Center are available at http://bit.ly/bHwwNp. INFORMATION AND PHOTO COURTESY OF BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY (SPECIAL THANKS TO BROTHER JACK CURRAN)

BELLTOWERSPRING/SUMMER2010

CBU Night at the Redbirds AutoZone Park, 6:05 p.m., Memphis vs. Nashville Check www.cbu.edu/alumni for ticket info!

Trivia Night with Brother Ignatius Brown, Quizmaster Extraordinaire Alfonso Dining Hall, 7:00 p.m. Check www.cbu.edu/alumni for registration and info!

Alumni Association Welcome Picnic for New Students

calendar

2010

in conjunction with Freshman Move-In Day & Orientation

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Places We Worshipâ&#x20AC;? ART EXHIBITION BY THE MEMPHIS CAMERA CLUB Opening Reception: 5:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30 p.m. Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery (Plough Library)

Alumni Happy Hour Flying Saucer Downtown (130 Peabody Place) Check www.cbu.edu/alumni for more info!

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 Loads of fun for everyone with special reunion events planned for the Class of 1960, Class of 1990, Early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s WAMS/TKEs, the 25th Anniversary of the Iota Xi chapter of Ze ta Tau Alpha, and the 30th Anniversary of the TKE Pi Epsilon Chapter. For more information, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@cbu.edu, (901) 321-3270 or (800) 283-2925.

s #LASSES ENDING IN AND are celebrating a reunion! s 7/2,$ /& "%%23 s #!-053 4/523 s ,5.#( ,!"3 s !,5-.) #%,%"2!4)/. DINNER! s 35.$!9 -!33

ALUMNUS ART EXHIBITION BY

AND MORE!!

Greg Zeorlin (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;78) /PENING 2ECEPTION &RIDAY /CTOBER s n P M Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery (Plough Library) CBU ART FACULTY EXHIBITION

Pam Hassler, Nick Pena & Jana Travis Opening Reception: 5:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30 p.m. Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery (Plough Library)

Scholarship Luncheon Honoring Scholarship Donors and Scholarship Recipients Canale Arena, 12:30 p.m.

M. L. Seidman Town Hall Lecture Series featuring Dr. Ruby K. Payne, Author and founder of aha! Process Spain Auditorium, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Young Alum Bowling Night Check www.cbu.edu/alumni for more info!

Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting Get in the spirit of the season with the entire CBU community! Join us for music, a holiday meal, the tree lighting, a special visit from Santa, and much, much more! Buckman Quadrangle & Alfonso Dining Hall, 4:00-7:00 p.m.

C BU TH E ON ROA D C BU Keep

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ALU es and ear s op in th M N I en fo E CHI e s V e C town E NT r ST. AGO: S s! S LO ep

H U N U IS: O tember c 1 LITT TSVI LL tober 26 8 E: N L E ove RO N EW ORL C K: Nov mber 10 EAN e S: Ja mber 17 nuar y 15

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT 650 EAST PARKWAY SOUTH MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38104

MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT NO. 397

Painted seashell by Brother Francisco Martin