Elms College Spring Magazine 2014 by Elms College

SPRING 2014

LMS COLLEG E E M

“In the Bible, the heart is the core of the human person, where all his or her different dimensions intersect: body and spirit, interiority and openness to the world and to others, intellect, will, and affectivity. If the heart is capable of holding all these dimensions together, it is because it is where we become open to truth and love, where we let them touch us and deeply transform us.” — Pope Francis

The summer 2013 edition of the Journal of Catholic Higher Education includes an inspiring article by Kathleen Ann Kalb entitled “Catholic Higher Education and Nursing: Formation of the Heart.” In the article, the author quotes the passage above from the encyclical Lumen Fidei: On Faith, written by Pope Francis. What a beautiful and accurate description of the goal of Catholic higher education-to form the heart of the students who pass through our doors! At the College of Our Lady of the Elms, formation of the heart has been the core of our mission from its founding days to the present moment. In the pages of this magazine we are happy to share with you a few ways in which this mission is lived at the college today.

I hope you will enjoy reading about the value of the reflective process utilized in senior colloquium; the intellectual opportunities afforded by our new writing house, or, the Blue House, as we call it; and how our commitment to service to others lives not only in our students and graduates, but in our faculty, like Dr. Cheryl Sheils, who is profiled for her generous service to others, and Father Mark, whose dedication to his students is unique. I hope that you enjoy the magazine and I hope that the stories shared in these pages rekindle many fond memories for you of moments that transformed your heart during your time at the College of Our Lady of the Elms.

Mary Reap, IHM, Ph.D. President

CONTENTS ON THE COVER As the formation of the heart is critical to the development of human life, the new Center for Natural and Health Sciences forms the heart of a new era of medical, scientific, and intellectual development at Elms College.

Features 2 .... The Blue House A new house on campus will give students with an interest in writing the space to hone their craft. Nancy Farrell Director of Institutional Marketing Douglas Scanlon Assistant Director of Institutional Marketing, Publications Manager Andrew Barcomb Web Manager

4 .... Instant Borrowing 5 .... In Tribute to Sr. Mary Dooley 8 .... Compassion as a Career

Melinda Rose Communications and Public Relations Coordinator

Nurses’ Special Connection to the Community

Katherine Cardinale, Cardinale Design Creative Director

10 .. Best of Luck, Yourself

Don Forest, Cardinale Design Art Director Contributing Writers · William Dziura · Carolee McGrath · Douglas Scanlon · Jaclyn Stevenson Photography · Don Forest, Cardinale Design · Karyn Palomba ‘08 · Dave Roback, Springfield Republican · Gabriel Amadeus Cooney

291 Springfield Street Chicopee, MA 01013 We are a Catholic, liberal arts college founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, Massachusetts. The editors invite your comments and questions at 413-265-2589 or marketing@elms.edu

Senior Colloquium–a course on inner reflection.

In Every Issue 6

Faculty and Staff Updates

Class Notes

12 In Memoriam

Enclosed Alumni Association Special Edition Learn about member benefits, Blazer Nation, events, faculty grants, how to join the board, and more.

Elms College

Alumnae Library Attracts Students and Scholars

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPECIAL EDITION

Welcome.

Inside:

Change is an important component in a forward thinking board and as president of the alumni association, I hope to change how you view your role as an Alumni Association. My goal is to entice and engage many diverse groups of alumni to come back and experience the goodwill, friendship, and connections that are open to them. In this issue of Elms College Magazine you will become aware of the benefits of the Alumni Association, the many ways to get involved with your alma mater, and what it means to be a part of our college’s great tradition.

• About Meg • Carla Oleska • Distinguished Alumni • Nomination Process • Alumni Board • Alumni Benefits • Blazer Nation • Faculty Grants • Alumni Events • Reunion • Regional Events • Save-the-Date Homecoming

Best wishes,

Meg Beturne ‘99 President, Alumni Association

After an eight-year absence, Carla Oleska, Ph.D., has returned to Elms College pg 2 >

Photo courtesy Dave Roback, Springfield Republican

ELMS COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Office of Constituent Relations

146379_inner.indd 1

Valerie Bonatakis ‘10

Director

413-265-2227

Did you know that the alumni association awards grants pg 4 >

alumni@elms.edu

5/2/14 2:58 PM

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

ASPIRING TO WRITE Author Susan Cain delivered a TED talk titled The Power of Introverts that has more than 5 million views since it was posted online in February 2012. Cain speaks to the necessity of famous introverts—such as Warren Buffett, Albert Einstein, and Mahatma Gandhi—to have time to themselves to discover great ideas. People often believe that writers tend to be introverts—Emily Dickinson, George Orwell, and Marcel Proust come to mind. But this isn’t necessarily true. Instead writers, like introverts, require solitude to hone their craft; a place to call their own that is free from distraction.

Since his time at Elms College Chelotti has organized readings featuring published poets and fiction writers on campus. The list includes Ivy League professors, award winning poets, and editors of major literary publications. At the readings, students are able to encounter the author’s works as they were intended to be experienced, through spoken word. Students also have the opportunity to ask the writers themselves about the creative process.

Katie has also learned the effect writing had on her understanding of her place in the world. “When I sit down to write, I learn about myself and about the world. I have an image or a tone that’s been eating away at me and I’ll start at that image or I’ll start at that line that envelopes that poem and takes me where the poem needs to go,” Katie said.

The Creative Process Describing the process of creative writing, Chelotti notes that, “the aspiring creative writer must learn how to shed the ideas of self that lead them to the page in the first place, must learn how to fall into the unknown. Writing is an act of seeking, and an act that requires great faith in process.”

Until recently, such a space has not existed for the growing number of students interested in writing at Elms College. Aspiring poets, journalists, English teachers, and just about anyone who has submitted to or worked on the staff of Bloom have bounced between their dorm room, the library, and the rotunda in search of their own space.

This “act of seeking” is central not only to young writers, but the broader goals of an Elms College education. Students are challenged to remain open to mystery and to seek truth in the unknown. It is what writer and Trappist monk Thomas Merton describes when he says the mystic “enters into himself … to pass through the center of his own soul and lose himself in the mystery and secrecy and infinite, transcendent reality of God living and working within him.”

“I remember once going and writing in my car because I couldn’t find a quiet place to sit,” said Katie Condon ’12, a published poet and student at the University of Houston’s master of fine arts program.

Similar Minds

Chelotti said, “It is hard work to seek the truth through writing, and I often think of Corinthians 13:12, ‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.’

For many students, it’s not enough to have a quiet corner. It’s important to be surrounded by similar minds. The Blue House, the latest addition to the growing Elms campus, will not only provide a dedicated writing space for students, it will be a meeting place for the Bloom staff and attract anyone interested in discussing writing.

“A Catholic liberal arts education equips students with the intellectual abilities that will, when paired with faith, allow them to lead an examined life. A life of questioning, a life of seeking to see the world through clear glass.”

“Creative writing is a solitary process but it is also something that is meant to be shared. We don’t write just to put it in a drawer. Even

“The aspiring creative writer must learn how to shed the ideas of self that lead them to the page in the first place, must learn how to fall into the unknown. Writing is an act of seeking, and an act that requires great faith in process.” Emily Dickinson wanted an audience,” said Dan Chelotti, M.F.A., assistant professor of English. Set on the top of Grape Street, the Blue House looks like any other early twentieth century home in Chicopee Center, save for the powder blue siding. The house is directly across Fairview Avenue from the Gaylord House, so the commute to the Blue House is a short walk for students and faculty. Blue House will be a resource for student writers, the Bloom staff, visiting poets and authors, and the community at-large. Chelotti, who oversees the writing concentration of the English major and is the faculty advisor to Bloom, is the man behind that vision.

When he’s not planning readings or traveling across Europe to promote his book, Chelotti serves as the faculty advisor to Bloom, the student-run literary magazine. Chelotti has advised several members of the Bloom staff who have gone on to competitive master of fine arts (M.F.A.) programs and other challenging careers. Katie came to Elms College as an English major and thought she would be teaching high school when she graduated. After taking two of Chelotti’s writing courses and working as an editor on Bloom, she learned about M.F.A. programs and decided on a future in writing. She is now an assistant editor for the literary journal Gulf Coast while studying at the University of Houston.

There is a reason why so many coming-of-age stories take place during college years. It is a time when young people are searching for something beyond themselves, beyond words even. Through creative writing and the resources of the Blue House, they will come to a better understanding of what it means to be a student, an adult, a Catholic, and a member of the Elms College community. More importantly, the Blue House will enable students to share ideas, bring similar minds together, and unite neighbor with neighbor so they may be united with God.

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

Timothy Donnelly is the author of two books of poetry, Twenty-seven Props for a Production of Eine Lebenszeit, and The Cloud Corporation. He earned a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University, an M.F.A. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. Donnelly is an assistant professor and director of undergraduate creative writing at Columbia University. He is also the poetry editor for Boston Review. Donnelly is originally from Rhode Island but now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two daughters. Dorothea Lasky was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned a B.A. at Washington University and an M.F.A. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has published three collections of poetry, AWE (2007), and Black Life (2010), and Thunderbird (2012), as well as several chapbooks, including the polemical Poetry Is Not a Project (2010). Her poems have appeared in a number of prominent publications, including The New Yorker, Paris Review, and American Poetry Review. Lasky was awarded a Bagley Wright Fellowship in 2013, and she is an assistant professor of poetry at Columbia University. Dara Wier’s new book, YOU GOOD THING, is just out from Wave Books. She has published several books and her work has appeared in countless publications. Dara edits and publishes for Factory Hollow Press. She is a member of Flying Object, a non-profit art and publishing organization on the old Hadley Common.

Photo by Gabriel Amadeus Cooney

A few of the influential literary voices who have graced the Elms campus this year. Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Elms College First Year Seminar common read Strength in What Remains, spoke at this year’s Academic Convocation on October 16. Kidder is the author of many influential nonfiction books including The Soul of a New Machine and Mountains Beyond Mountains. After he spoke, Kidder held an open forum with first-year students where they could ask him questions about the book and his experiences in researching and writing it.

Arisa White is a Cave Canem fellow, an M.F.A. graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is the author of the chapbooks Disposition for Shininess and Post Pardon (which is being made into an opera), as well as the full length collections Hurrah’s Nest and A Penny Saved. She is a 2013-14 recipient of an Investing in Artist Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation, an advisory board member for Flying Object, and a B.F.A. faculty member at Goddard College; her poetry has been widely published and is featured on the recording WORD with the Jessica Jones Quartet. Arisa is a native New Yorker, living in Oakland, CA, with her partner. David Tomas Martinez has been published, or is forthcoming, in Forklift; Ohio, Poetry International, Gulf Coast, Drunken Boat, RHINO, and other publications. He has also been featured by Border Voices and NBC Latino. He is a Ph.D. candidate in poetry at the University of Houston’s Creative Writing program. Martinez is also the reviews and interviews editor for Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts, and a CantoMundo Fellow. His debut collection of poetry, Hustle, will be released in 2014 by Sarabande Books.

Joseph Scapellato earned his M.F.A. in Fiction at New Mexico State University and currently he is a Ph.D. candidate in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Houston. His fiction appears in Kenyon Review Online, Post Road, Artifice, Unsaid, and Harper Perennial’s anthology Forty Stories, among other places. Peter Covino authored the poetry collections Cut Off the Ears of Winter, and The Right Place to Jump, recently featured on NPR and the Huffington Post. His prizes include the 2007 PEN American/Osterweil Award for emerging poets and the Frank O’Hara Poetry Prize for his chapbook, Straight Boyfriend. Recent poems have been published widely both in America and Italy in such places as the American Poetry Review, The Paris Review, and The Yale Review, among others.

Dan Chelotti, M.F.A., assistant professor of English and faculty advisor to Bloom Professor Chelotti is the author of X and a chapbook, The Eights which was selected by Yusef Komunyakaa for a National Chapbook Fellowship from the PSA. His poems and reviews have appeared in Fence, Kenyon Review Online, Boston Review, jubilat, and many other journals, and he writes a blog for Huffington Post.

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

ALUMNAE LIBRARY

I N S TA N T B O R R O W I N G :

Rare Books in a Digital Age The Rare Books and other special collections at the Elms College Alumnae Library are a unique and important resource for both students and the historians who travel to Chicopee, but an ambitious project to digitize the information could make the remarkable collected works easily and immediately accessible to scholars around the world. The library’s Rare Book room contains such unusual finds as an original music score from a Franciscan monastery dating back to the 1400s and early editions of 16th century poet Torquato Tasso, just to name a few.

James Russell, an adjunct English professor at Western New England University, pursued his Ph.D. on the history of books as physical artifacts. “It’s amazing that a major research library is available right here in Chicopee,” Russell said on a recent visit to the Rare Book Room. “I feel really lucky and privileged to have this right around the corner – having texts like these are like finding the missing link.”

“What we have right now is a treasure trove that exists here, that we’ve been uncovering layer by layer,” says Melissa Goldsmith, the interim head of Digital Special Collections and Technical Services at Alumnae Library, who is tasked with digitizing the collection. “What we’re finding on a day-to-day basis is that we’re saying, ‘You won’t believe what I found today.” Goldsmith, who came to Elms last July, has created The Elm Tree, an online resource to view the digitized items – such as a pristine copy of a 1934 Elms College graduation invitation and rare and unique books. Having the documents online essentially opens Elms’ Rare Book archive up to researchers and scholars around the world, but also gives freshmen the opportunity to work closely with 15th and 16th century materials, an experience few colleges offer, she said. Finding enough of a backstory on some of these items, enough to at least start a digital trail, can require the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes. Goldsmith cites the case of the script from an early 19th century musical drama called “The Slave” known to have been part of the donated collection of Father Michael Edward Barry.

Still vividly illuminated with bright colors (including orange and black) as well as gold leaf and gold ornamentation, this Antiphonarium comes from a French Congregation and may date as early as the 15th Century.

Russell is examining a Psalms book used by 15th century Monks in an attempt to pinpoint the work’s specific origin date and location. “Being a book historian is like being an archaeologist and literary researcher in one,” Russell said. What he learns about the tome will be written into an entry on The Elm Tree, with the goal of attracting other scholars who can provide even more information. Goldsmith says the resources at Alumnae Library set Elms College apart for current students. “We have materials that go back to the 1400s and 1500s. Few colleges offer experiences that invite freshmen to work closely with these materials, with librarians with subject specializations that can help them gain perspective on these materials.” Some of the library’s collections are extremely rare: “one of a kind, or one of only five copies in the world, or the only copy this side of the Atlantic,” says Alumnae Library Director Anthony Fonseca, the head of Archives Department. In putting the collection online, “Our big hope is that researchers see that we have this and come here to view it.” “We have had questions from faculty and librarians from institutions as close as Westfield State University and as far as Mississippi State University,” Goldsmith said. “They are excited to see some of our materials in such splendid condition. I am certain that the more items added to the research interface, the more interest will be drawn to Elms College.” Fonseca says his goal is to finish the digitizing project, which is being done under a grant from the Boston Public Library, in five years.

The Elms copy of the script contained handwritten notes, but who left them? First Goldsmith found a similar item at an Ivy League school that was used by the off-stage person giving cues to the actors. That script revealed that the main thespian in the play was popular English actor of the time William Charles Macready. After analyzing handwriting samples online, “We saw that we had the Macready copy” of the script with his personal notes, Goldsmith said. That gives historians a great base from which to start a research project. The Antiphonarium’s handsome cover likely dates from the 19th Century and includes brass hinges and scratch guards. Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

A Life of Leadership and Service Mary Agnes Dooley ’44, SSJ (1923–2013) President of the College of Our Lady of the Elms (1979–1994) By Kay Reagan, SSJ, Ph.D.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17 We pay tribute to Sr. Mary Dooley, alumna and former president of the College of Our Lady of the Elms, who passed from this life on November 14, 2013. Sr. Mary exemplified many qualities. Her charismatic and faith-filled leadership, commitment to excellence in education, loyalty, compassion, and generosity of spirit called forth the capacity for potential in all. Sr. Mary was a woman recognized and called to leadership from a young age. She was president of her class (’44) and remained loyal to her Elms’ classmates and the college throughout her life. Sr. Eleanor Maria (religious name) was a fabulously successful high school teacher for eighteen years at St. Joseph’s High School in North Adams, Massachusetts. She went on from this ministry to earn a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris which provided a broad background for her work as a faculty member in the French department at the Elms. While at Elms she was elected by the Sisters of St. Joseph to Chair the Extraordinary Chapter (legislative body) following Vatican II. During that Chapter, Sr. Mary sheparded many changes that would alter the Congregation’s traditional lifestyle. Her next step was to be elected President of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a position she held for eight years. On a national level, Sr. Mary was elected president of the organization of women religious (LCWR). As President of the SSJs, Sr. Mary’s responsibilities included membership on the Board of Trustees for the college and she pursued this work with great love for the college and sensitivity to the needs present at that time. The call to leadership would again beckon when Sr. Mary agreed to serve as President of the college, a position she would hold for fifteen years. Faculty described her arrival as a great rush of fresh air bringing a sense of change, openness, accessibility, personal warmth and humor. Her charm, however, was not to be mistaken for lack of strength in the face of adversity or an unwillingness to confront obstacles whether they be individual, structural or financial. A physical reminder of her presidency’s new direction and openness remains to this day: her polemic decision to remove the wall at the front of the college along Springfield Street. Sr. Mary said it needed to come down rather than be repaired, and that decision sent a powerful message – Elms College is here and open to all. An open gate still welcomes all into the campus – an enduring symbol of her time in office.

Top left to bottom right: Sr. Mary Dooley teaching chemistry at St. Joseph High School in North Adams (She was there from 1947-1965). Sr. Mary as Elms president with students. Sr. Mary with Sr. Helen Turcotte and Mother Borgia at the Elms in 1971, the first year of her term as president of the Congregation. Sr. Mary with Sr. Kathleen Keating, the St. Joseph High School Debate Team, and U. S. Rep. Silvio Conti in Washington, D.C. Sr. Mary, first President of the Sisters of St. Joseph with Bishop Weldon and Mother Borgia (1971). Sr. Mary as President of the Congregation visiting Springfield sisters missioned to Africa (Sr. Mary Bernadette Lunney, Sr. Pat Smith, Sr. Mary Dooley, Sr. Cecilia James Mahoney, Sr. Kathryn Gallagher). Sr. Mary as a U.S. Delegate to the installation of Pope John Paul I, September 1978, with Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes. Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS Thomas Cerasulo, Ph.D., associate professor of English, has been awarded a faculty development grant to support research and travel costs to Yale’s Beinecke Library for an article he is writing on Eugene O’Neill, Jr.

Sean Milbier has been named the women’s soccer head coach. Coach Milbier spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Western New England University women’s soccer team.

Jennifer Rivers, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, has been awarded a faculty development grant to support travel and attendance to the Eastern Psychological Association annual meeting in Boston, MA.

The Los Angeles Review of Books interviewed Daniel Chelotti, M.F.A., assistant professor of English, about his book of poetry, x.

Scott Netkovick ’08, M.B.A., has been named interim head baseball coach. Coach Netkovick was one of the team’s assistant coaches for the past two years and worked at Elms College as the assistant director of annual giving.

Cheryl Sheils, Ed.D., R.N., associate professor of nursing, won the Massachusetts chapter March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award for the community health category.

Jared Sheikh has been named the men’s soccer head coach. Coach Sheikh brings 13 years of experience coaching high school soccer where he compiled an overall 139-27-10 record.

Mary Janeczek, Ed.D., chair of the division of education, was given the St. Joseph Award from her alma mater Cathedral High School.

Jack Czajkowski, professor of education, was awarded the Pat Hunter Award by the Western Massachusetts Writing Project (WMWP) for his contribution to the work of WMWP.

Tony Fonseca, Ph.D., has published a review of Ramsey Campbell’s novel Ghosts Know with The Los Angeles Review of Books.

David Kimball, Ph.D., chair of the division of business and professor of business management, completed the latest edition of his Sport Management textbook, Applied Sport Management Skills. Kim Kinney-Rockwal, SPHR, was appointed director of the MBA program. Kim was previously an adjunct faculty in the MBA program as well as director of human resources at Health New England of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Robert Southall has been named the men’s basketball head coach. Coach Southall spent the last eight years as a full-time assistant coach at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Cynthia Dakin, Ph.D., R.N., director of nursing graduate studies, has been awarded a faculty development grant to attend the Basic Skills for Working with Smokers online course and Tobacco Treatment Specialist Core Training program. Janice Fedor, M.B.A., lecturer in business management, has been awarded a faculty development grant to support travel and registration for the Enactus National Conference.

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPECIAL EDITION

Welcome.

Inside:

Change is an important component in a forward thinking board and as president of the Alumni Association, I hope to change how you view your role as an alum. My goal is to entice and engage many diverse groups of alumni to come back and experience the goodwill, friendship, and connections that are open to them. In this issue of Elms College Magazine you will become aware of the benefits of the Alumni Association, the many ways to get involved with your alma mater, and what it means to be a part of our college’s great tradition.

Best wishes,

Meg Beturne ‘99 President, Alumni Association

Photo courtesy Dave Roback, Springfield Republican

After an eight-year absence, Carla Oleska, Ph.D., has returned to Elms College pg 2 >

Office of Constituent Relations

Valerie Bonatakis ‘10

Director

413-265-2227

Did you know that the alumni association awards grants pg 4 >

alumni@elms.edu

Distinguished Alumni

Passion Meg Beturne ’99

Nursing is in her blood. Meg Beturne ’99 began working in hospitals when she was in high school, volunteering as a “candy striper.” She looked up to her older sister who was a nurse and decided to pursue the career herself. “Truthfully, I never considered any other career,” she said. Meg graduated from St. Vincent Hospital’s School of Nursing in Worcester in 1968. She worked as a registered nurse for 28 years before enrolling in Elms College’s RN-BS program. She remembers the warm reception and exceptional guidance she received from the faculty who helped her transition into academics after being away from the classroom for so long.

In 2002, Meg began a master of science in nursing program in the nursing education track at the University of Hartford. She graduated in 2005 with a 4.0 grade point average. Currently, Meg works as an assistant nurse manager at Baystate Orthopedic Surgery Center. She cares for patients before they enter the operating room and after surgery until they are discharged. Meg has volunteered in hospitals in China and South Africa. Recently Meg has been a presence at alumni events, volunteering at reunions, homecoming, and whenever she can lend a hand. Now as president of the Alumni Association, Meg hopes to bridge the gap between alumni and students while increasing the recognition of the college’s Catholic identity both on and off campus.

The Sr. Margaret James McGrath Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually by the College of Our Lady of the Elms to an outstanding Elms College alumna who reflects the ideals and quality of the college and have established an exceptional reputation in their careers and communities. The nominee’s professional, volunteer and personal achievements at the college, in their community, and in the world will be considered.

Nomination Process All nominations submitted to the Elms College Alumni Association will be considered. The final selection will be made by the Distinguished Alumnus Award Committee. The award will be presented to the Distinguished Alumnus at the Fall opening convocation ceremony. An award will be presented that day and the nominee will be included in festivities. The Elms College Alumni Association is soliciting nominations from the alumni base, faculty, staff and friends of the college for the Sr. Margaret James McGrath Distinguished Alumni Award.

&Spirit Oleska said she sees her mission as both “friend raising” and “fund raising,” building upon relationships that already exist between the community and the college and alumni and the college, “so that people are deepening that relationship with the mission of this college and take that step to fuel the mission. Good intentions, love, passion, commitment, those are all absolutely necessary, but then we need

Past Award Recipients: 2013 Ellen Faszewski ’91 2012

Diane Brunelle ’84

2011

Sr. Eleanor Spring ’63

2010

Mary Ellen Hogan ’66

2008

Margaret Rose Scanlon ‘52

Since 2006, Oleska was CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, a public non-profit that has awarded over $1.7 million in grants since 1997. That experience will be invaluable to her success at Elms.

2007

MaryAnne Martin Durso ‘65

2006

Anabel Padilla Casey ‘54

2005

Ruth Healy Buckley ‘51

2004

Katherine Clark LaCarrubba ‘78

“I can go into any community, in any of the four counties, and call people by their first name. That’s connection. That’s relationship,” she said. “And because the power of education to transform is so sacred to me, that’s what I want to connect people with. Particularly the unique type of education that students receive through this college.”

2003 Carolyn O’Connor Connelly ‘60

Carla Oleska Ph.D.

After an eight-year absence, Carla Oleska, Ph.D., has returned to Elms College as vice president of institutional advancement. Carla began her new position in January; she previously spent 22 years on the Elms campus, working primarily with students, and most recently as associate academic dean.

The criteria and selection process has been determined by the Alumni Association board.

the one item that helps that happen, and that is financial support,” she said.

2002 Lorraine Kelly Young ‘56 2001 Carol Iovanna ‘74 2000 Sheila Nesbit Keator ‘59

elms.edu/alumni

Elms College Magazine Alumni | 2014

Your Alumni Benefits Joining the Elms College Alumni Association is a great way for alumni of all class years, majors, and backgrounds to get involved with their alma mater. Serving on this dynamic board offers individuals the opportunity to become an integral leader for an alumni base of more than 10,000 members. Alumni board members play a key role in the strategic development of the college, and provide input on a broad range of topics including alumni communications, student recruitment, and NEASC accreditation. Alumni Association board directors are elected for a two-year term, with an opportunity for renewal for a maximum of six consecutive years. Meetings are held four times each year: September, November, February, and April. For more information, please contact: (413) 265 – 2454, or visit:

elms.edu/alumniboard

The benefits of being an Elms College alum begin on Commencement day and last a lifetime. Through the support of our Alumni Association, we are constantly working to keep you connected with the Elms, its students and faculty, and with your fellow alumni–in an effort to ensure your continued growth and success throughout life. Even though your days of study at the Elms may be over, we encourage alumni to take advantage of all the resources that our campus has to offer. These benefits include membership to the library and support from our career center, where we provide résumé reviews, job search assistance, networking events, and much more. Alumni are also eligible for a discounted membership to the Maguire Center, which includes an aerobics and weight room, a 25-meter handicappedaccessible six-lane pool, a wood-floored gymnasium and an elevated 100-meter track.

Margaret Beturne ‘99, president

In addition to these great benefits, the Elms College Alumni Association works throughout the year to provide a number of great events both on and off campus, including an annual Oktoberfest, Breakfast with Santa, and Boston Red Sox trip, among many more. If you find yourself living away from the college, keep a look out for us, as we often host events throughout New England, New York, Washington D.C., and Florida.

Patrick Carpenter ‘02, past president

Alumni Board of Directors Executive Officers

Finally, as a benefit to you, the Elms College Alumni Association has partnered with Liberty Mutual to help you save on your car and home insurance needs. This partnership has saved our alumni thousands of dollars on insurance premiums, and in return, allowed our Alumni Association to grow in its mission to support the college. To find out more and to receive a free rate quote, you may call 1-800-835-0894; Massachusetts residents may call Bob Liston at 1-800-208-3041 ext. 50115. For more information on these and more alumni benefits, please visit:

elms.edu/alumbenefits

Lois Lynch ‘62, vice president Darcy Flynn ‘03, secretary Teresa Marchese Sergentanis ‘69, treasurer Directors

Blazer Nation

James Angelos ‘05 Mary Ellen Aycock ‘60 Diane Brunelle ‘84 David DiSabito ‘10 Patricia Humiston ‘05 Andrew Melendez ‘10 Jennifer Rodrique Putnam ‘93 Theresa Stec ‘78 Nicole St. Lawrence ‘01 Virginia Thomas ‘01 Judith Zeh ‘77

Blazer pride is at an all-time high on campus as a result of Blazer Nation–the college’s firstever student/alumni association. Members of Blazer Nation seek to better the college community by fostering school spirit, building strong student-alumni relationships, and educating undergraduate students about the benefits of maintaining a life-long relationship with Elms College.

In addition to supporting the college’s Alumni Association programming, Blazer Nation plays a key role in the planning of Homecoming, Blazer Madness Winter Carnival, as well as any event that influences admissions and student recruitment.

elms.edu/blazernation

Elms College Magazine Alumni | 2014

SAVE

ALUMNI EVENTS

THE DATE

Reunion 2014 – May 30 and 31 This year’s Reunion celebrates graduates from class years ending in 2 and 9, as well as all graduates from the last 5 years. There is sure to be something on campus for all, but whatever your reason for coming back, Elms College will welcome you with open arms. For more information, please visit: www.elms.edu/ reunion2014 Highlights include: • Golden Blazer Induction Ceremony • Social Work’s 60th anniversary celebration • Overnight accommodations in the dorms • Center for Natural and Health Sciences Tours Christine Fay, Ph.D

Faculty Grants Did you know that the Alumni Association awards grants to enhance the academic experience? Each year the Alumni Association issues grants to faculty members at Elms College. The association reviews the requests and meets to decide to whom they will issue the grants. The focus of the grant request must be of direct benefit to students or the college.

Last year, two faculty were awarded grants. Christine Fay, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, was given a grant to attend the 2013 American Sociological Association’s annual meeting. Maureen Holland, MSW, director of the social work program, was given a grant to attend the conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).

elms.edu/facultygrants

• School of Nursing Alumni Event • CIT Alumni Event • Food, drink, and fun for all!

Alumni Trip to Italy June 10 - 19, 2014

Afternoon at Tanglewood Sunday, July 13, 2014

Cape Cod Luncheon Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Boston Red Sox Game Sunday, September 7, 2014

Blazer 5k Fun Run Saturday, October 4, 2014

Homecoming and Family Weekend Saturday, October 4, 2014

Regional Events - You’re the next stop! In an effort to meet and engage all alumni, we are off to visit groups in regions throughout the country to bring the news of Elms College to you. This year we will be hosting alumni gatherings in:

North and South Carolina

Fashion Show Thursday, October 23, 2014

Alumni Oktoberfest Date TBD

Connecticut

Children’s Breakfast with Santa

Rhode Island

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Boston

New York City Bus Trip

Albany

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Florida Contact Us: For more information on these events, or if you’d like to help arrange an alumni gathering in your area, please contact us at:

(413) 265-2454 or alumni@elms.edu

MEMORIES

Class Notes

Everyone at Elms College shares great pride in the accomplishments of our alumni. We’d like to tell you about the good works, honors, lives, and achievements of some of our notable graduates. We’d love to hear about your life and accomplishments, from career news and engagements to awards and retirements. Please email your information and/or photos to alumni@elms.edu, update your information online at www.elms.edu/classnotes, or mail to: Marketing Editor Elms College, 291 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA 01013 Submissions to Class Notes may be edited for length and content.

Diann (Surovich) Bailey ’87 graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in May with a master of divinity degree. She has been approved for ordination in the United Church of Christ. She currently serves at the First Congregational Church of Granby as the acting associate minister of faith formation while seeking a full-time call to a local congregation.

Births Erica Chenard Bushior ’01 recently became the proud mother of a son, Nathan Joseph, on September 9, 2013.

Alumni Updates Gail Cicio Ireland ’59 is the proud grandmother of Jack and Genevieve Ireland. Currently, Jack is in his second year at West Point Military Academy, and Genevieve is the captain of the UC Berkeley Rugby Team, and recently was on the Berkeley All Blues Rugby team that won the National Championships. Although Gail does not expect to attend reunion this year, she passes along her love to all of her classmates. Natalie Mackie Straley ’59 is staying busy as a grandmother, and is awaiting the birth of her second great-grandchild. Natalie sends her best to all Elms alumni.

Eugenie Norman Persivale ‘64 recently moved to New York and is in the process of building a house on Cape Cod, which will bring her closer to her four grandchildren. Marylynn Kennedy Clune ’65 is a grandmother of 7, and continues to work with the program “A Better Chance” in Wilton CT, while her husband, Dave, continues to work in New York. Both Marylynn and Dave look forward to their vacations on Cape Cod. Catherine McAuley Hentges (Elaine Martin) ’80 was married to Elizabeth A. Hentges on Thursday, January 2, 2014, at Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community, Minneapolis, MN. Their sons Nicholas, age 18, and Jonatan, age 12, were best men. McAuley and Beth will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their relationship in April. Debra Paquette Cassidy ’82 is currently teaching eighth grade French and Spanish in South Windsor, CT.

Renita Garnett (Satchell) Ezell ’87 married William Christopher Ezell on July 13, 2013. They celebrated their love with family and friends on October 26, 2013, in Newington, Connecticut. Renita works for CREC’s Open Choice Program in Hartford and William is an independent contractor. The couple resides in New Britain, CT. Mary Schmitz-Welch ’89 began a new job at Laconia School District as an out of district/ court liaison and enjoys working with the students and their families. Tommie Burton ‘98 was given the lifetime achievement award by the Massachusetts chapter of the March of Dimes. Chris Lockwood ’01 was selected by the Union Leader as one of the “40 under Forty,” a leadership award making New Hampshire a better place to live. Emily Broks-Gould ’09 received her LICSW in 2013 and bought her first home in 2012. Katie Condon ‘12 is an assistant poetry editor at Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts.

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

MAKING AN IMPACT CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY

Compassion as a Career

Karyn Palomba ‘08

Nurses’ Special Connection to the Community Close your eyes and picture a nurse. Where are they standing? A hospital, right? Nursing is a profession that is intrinsically linked to hospitals and healthcare settings in the minds of Americans. The problem is that it only tells half the story; when nurses leave work, they don’t stop being nurses. They only stop getting paid for it. In communities across western Massachusetts and beyond, you can find Elms College nursing alumni volunteering their valuable time and talents to help others. They’re not looking to network, build their résumés, or get their photo in a paper. It’s a part of who they are. Concern for the health of humanity and the strength of community is a trait seen in all students and alumni at Elms College. “Nurses have something that we can pass on to the community. We have a special connection with people,” said Tommie Burton ’98, R.N., who was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts chapter of the March of Dimes.

Whatever that special connection is—a robust empathy, innate people skills, a post-Christmas Grinch-sized heart—it can lead nurses to remote and desolate locations. Karyn Palomba ’08 is one of those nurses. Last August, Karyn left behind her family, friends, and home to volunteer aboard Africa Mercy—a state-of-the-art hospital ship that provides free basic healthcare and transformative surgeries to those without access to such services in ports across Africa. After graduation, Karyn worked for five years as a traveling nurse in pediatric intensive care units (PICU). During that time she volunteered for a week in Port-au-Prince after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where she met another volunteer who had worked on a Mercy ship. Several years later, as her hospital contract was coming to an end, she began to think about volunteering aboard Africa Mercy after reading about a friend on Facebook who had also volunteered on one of the Mercy ships. “It was following these two instances, and a lot of prayer, that I found myself seriously considering a slightly longer term volunteer mission,” Karyn said. “I believe volunteering is one of the most tangible ways of providing support to others.”

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

Karyn Palomba ‘08 and the staff of Africa Mercy

Anchored in Africa Last August Karyn decided to take the plunge and found herself on a plane chartered to Pointe-Noire, Congo. After several months aboard Africa Mercy, Karyn has seen children suffering from facial tumors, clefts, blindness, club feet, and other debilitating illnesses. When she’s not working on the boat she plays with children at a nearby orphanage or writes on her blog Anchored in Africa. Karyn said that it was the faculty and staff at Elms that “instilled a quiet confidence that I am forever grateful for.” It was not just the teaching but also the level of professionalism that served as an example for Karyn. “Elms College was a place that constantly reminded me what it meant to be guided by my faith and how important it is to give back,” Karyn said. The value Elms College nursing places on community is as transparent in the curriculum– with courses like Professional Nursing Practice in the Community–as it is in the faculty who do more than preach its importance, they live it. Fifteen years ago Cheryl Sheils Ed.D., R.N. associate professor of nursing, was a part of a grassroots effort by members of the East Longmeadow United Methodist Church to

bring free health services to members in the community with little or no health insurance. One of the group members was a social worker who would bring clients directly into the church once a week for basic health treatment.

“I was just blessed to have her as my professor,” Tommie said of Cheryl. “She was very motivating.”

The group, now known as Pioneer Valley Free Health Service, later added more nurses and a physician (originally, Cheryl was the only health professional) who allowed the location to be moved to his office building after hours. There are currently 12 physicians and 12 nurses providing free mental health, primary care, and women’s health services on a weekly basis.

Being a Catholic college, Elms stresses love of the neighbor as much as loving God, and with good reason. The Great Commandment of the New Testament is unique in that Jesus cites two commandments, love God and love your neighbor, as being the most important, single commandment. In this sense, we are told that loving your neighbor means loving God.

Recognition Deserved

It is the reason why nursing students fly to the poorest parts of Jamaica just to satisfy a clinical rotation requirement. It is the reason Michael Duffy, OFM, D.N.P., A.P.R.N.-B.C., spends his spare time giving free health services to the homeless. It is the reason new graduates will dedicate a year of their lives volunteering with Passionist Volunteers International rather than looking for that first paycheck.

The organization is so impactful, and Cheryl’s work as its nurse coordinator is so valued, that the March of Dimes nominated her for a Nurse of the Year award in the community health category. At the banquet hosted by the March of Dimes Massachusetts chapter for all nominees, Cheryl was just as surprised to hear her name called as winner of the award as she was to see one of her former students, Tommie Burton ’98, there winning the Lifetime Achievement award. Tommie’s volunteer work with the Western Massachusetts Black Nurses Association was one of the main reasons she was nominated for the award.

The Great Commandment

“Being in the nursing profession, I feel as though it is essential to share the knowledge and compassion with those around us–whether it is through simple health education, safe living, or lending support to those in need,” Karyn said.

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

SENIOR COLLOQUIUM

Best of Luck, Yourself

Students Offer Advice to Their Future Selves As Part of Elms’ Senior Colloquium By Jaclyn C. Stevenson Editor’s note: The core curriculum at Elms College emphasizes communication skills, critical thinking skills, and spiritual and physical well-being. As freshmen in First Year Seminar, students are exposed to global awareness and cultural understanding. As seniors, they are asked to reflect upon their growth in Senior Colloquium. The course offers students the chance to personally connect to life’s big questions and see for themselves how much they’ve changed in the past four years.

fundamentally held beliefs concerning race, class, gender, and sexuality in contemporary society. On a more personal level, Stelzer explained that the seminar also invites students nearing degree completion to explore various attributes and attitudes that can contribute to what he calls “meaningful adult living.”

For decades, on college campuses everywhere, students have been asked to write their own obituaries. This exercise is meant to stretch the writing muscle, but also gives the writers a chance to examine their goals and dreams, as well as their expectations of what their lives will look like in retrospect.

Remembrance and Reminders

It can also be a bit of a morbid task. With that in mind, Fr. Mark Stelzer, Ph.D., who leads Elms’ Senior Colloquium, assigned his students a similar project steeped in a more forwardthinking hope: write a letter to yourself, he instructed, to be opened ten years from today. Designed as a capstone course of the core curriculum for all graduating seniors across various majors, the Senior Colloquium – also known as the Colloquium on Social Justice – is intended to create an opportunity for students to examine and discuss some of society’s most

“In that letter, they were asked to remind themselves of important lessons learned from the Senior Colloquium,” Stelzer explained.

The ideas behind Catholic teachings are explored with more depth, creating connections between religious philosophy and everyday life that may not have existed for the students before. One student writes in their ten-year letter, “You have been exposed to Catholic teaching in church for years through formal CCD, generations of faith programs, and through weekly church experiences. The breakdown of what Catholic social teaching really is, however, had escaped you. “The principles are there in each lesson but they have never been explained … how it came to be and evolved into current teachings, and where it applies in day-to-day life. The parts that stuck out the most were about generosity and sharing of wealth.”

It’s these broad thoughts and “a-ha moments” that Stelzer says are the true objective of the Senior Colloquium, and they come to each student in different ways and different times. “Always in the light of social teaching, the aim is to get students thinking about life’s big questions, making connections between who we are and what we do,” he said, noting that there’s some inevitable debate, but most often a lot of discussion. “We talk about rights and responsibilities, the dignity of work, and readdress the college’s core values of Faith, Community, Justice, and Excellence as we examine how prepared the students are for the rest of their adult lives.” Victoria Smyth, a senior who just completed the colloquium, said the lessons of the course did more than prepare her for future challenges; it offered her a level of insight on her present life she says she didn’t recognize prior. “The Senior Colloquium class helped me focus on my experience at Elms College,” she began. “It allowed me to dig into my past and realize what I gained from being here. It helped me realize all that I have in life and started to make me a better person, because the world hasn’t been cruel to me despite some of my failures, but left me with so many important things.”

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

“The Senior Colloquium class helped me focus on my experience at Elms College. It allowed me to dig into my past and realize what I gained from being here. It helped me realize all that I have in life and started to make me a better person, because the world hasn’t been cruel to me despite some of my failures, but left me with so many important things.” —Victoria Smyth ‘14, professional studies major

Many of the themes of the seminar are first broached during First Year Seminar as well, a required class for all freshmen. As seniors, students are able to revisit the notion of living purposeful lives with a sense of both community and justice. With four years of maturity under their belts, the lessons often take on new, deeper meanings. “They are given a chance to see how their definition of strength has changed, how they’ve become more reflective learners, and how they’re thinking differently,” Stelzer explained, noting that diversity among students also takes on a larger role during the colloquium than it often does among first-year students. “They all come from different backgrounds, they have different senses of work and what role it plays, and there are different levels of maturity. All of our students are taught to respect the differing opinions of others, but as seniors in this environment, there is more acceptance. Life after college is right in front of them at this point, and they begin to think about what lessons they want to take with them from Elms.”

Reading Between the Lines

Sincerely, Respectfully, With Love

In their letters, many students also reference the reading material offered by the course with a kind of familiarity that suggests the books might still be on their shelves or tablets a decade from now. These tomes, too, are wideranging in topic and sample the thoughts and opinions from various writers and thinkers, from Tolstoy to Good Will Hunting scribes Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Stelzer noted that, in his 26 years as a teacher at Elms College, he’s seen the proof that those letters stayed in the coffers of at least some of his former students.

One required text, Lazarus at the Table, by Bernard Evans, blends Catholic teachings with discussion surrounding social issues of the day – some broad in nature such as the idea of human dignity, and others very specific, including abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, the death penalty, or just wages. Stelzer said the texts were chosen deliberately to represent a large span of thoughts and opinions, derived from several different cultures and time periods.

“Many students say they’re going to put them away for later in life, and sometimes I see former students at their jobs – nurses in hospitals, teachers in schools. Some have told me they pulled up their letter and were reminded of what their ideals truly are.” This semester, some seniors chose to close their letters just as they would a note to a friend or relative – unassuming phrases that, paired with the preceding messages, take on a deeper meaning. “Be at peace, be happy, be you,” wrote one student, while another simply finished with “Best of Luck, Yourself.”

“Ultimately, it’s not about the immediate things that will come to pass right after graduation, but what the life lessons are that you will remind yourself of in 10 or 15 years, and especially when you’re not sure where you’re going,” he said. “Career paths can change … but will your values?”

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

REMEMBRANCE

In Memoriam Thanks to all who made gifts to Elms College in memory of their deceased loved ones. Alumni: Gertrude (Morrison) Clark ’32 Rita (McInnis) Spencer ’35 Sr. Joseph Anne Moran ’40 Marie (Callahan) Roddy ’41 Sr. Mary Dooley ’44 Marjorie (Bugbee) Flint ’45 Catherine (Durnin) Palmer ’45 Yvette Quick ’45 Mildred M. Finn ’48 Margaret (Sullivan) Sheehan ’48 Jacqueline (Dent) Ott ’50 Helen Vollinger ’51 Margaret (Dooling) O’Connor ’51 Sr. Marion J. Hurley ’52 Jean (Fournier) Digan ’53 Barbara Conlin ’56 Greta (Frechette) McCloud ’57 Janice M. (Edwards) Shea ’58 Sr. Doris Graves ’62 John B. Kennedy ’62 Anne (Meagher) Sparks ’62 Thomas Fitzgerald ’67 Audrey Roberts ’68 Sr. Margaret E. Walsh ’70 Jeanne Dobbs ’71 Kathleen Barton ’73 Sr. Catherine Van Houten ’73 Carol (Cucchi) Luchette ’76 Deanna M. Hoarle ’85 Patricia J. Mercure ’89 Sr. Sheila McGuirk ’90 Elizabeth (Simmons) Swiatocha ’91 Dolores (Carrier) Mulvihill ’98 Gladys Marrie Sypher ’00

Mother of: William Lyons (Elms College Trustee) Father of: Georgette (Lambert) Belisle ’73 Mary V. Comollo ’74 Lisa Plaza ’00 Anthony Cignoli, Elms College Trustee Craig Cowles, Elms College Staff Jill Gagne, Elms College Staff Kristin Hmieleski, Elms College staff Son of: Barbara (Paul) Pastie 70 Husband of: Elizabeth (Sheehan) Pope ’43 Lorraine (Kelly) Young ’56 Ann (Daly) Dimauro ’58 Rosemary (Broderick) O’Connor ’60 Linda Lavellee Ulrick ’60 Maryellen Andersen ’64 Sandra Fanelli Ginley ’64 Dr. Janet Stetson, Elms College faculty Brother of: Sr. Betty Sullivan ’56 Michelle (Pastie) Scarpellino ’93 Son in Law of: Suzanne Rene ’99, Elms College Faculty Father in Law of: Jeanne Dubuque, Elms College staff Elms College Staff: Frances C. St. Pierre, former staff Friends of the College: Judge Sidney Cooley Donald Dupre, former trustee: 1990-1996 Helene Meacham William “Billy” Menard Joseph Napolitan Virginia Darcy Nehring

Elms College Magazine Spring | 2014

“I could not have gone any further in my career without my Elms degree. That’s why it’s important for me to give back, even if I can make college affordable for just one student.” Joyce Desorcy ’94, a program coordinator in the Division of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, has included Elms College as a beneficiary in her estate plans. Elms College has had an exponential growth in off-campus programs that began with a partnership with Holyoke Community College (HCC) in 2010. No one better encapsulates both the student and staff experience of that partnership than OffCampus Program Coordinator Joyce Desorcy ’94. As program coordinator, Joyce is responsible for recruiting prospective students and playing “mother hen” to the current ones. The program has classes every Friday evenings and all day Saturday, with most students working full time, which can lead to stressful moments. “I tell students when they come into my office ‘I have Kleenex, candy, broad shoulders, a door that closes, and whatever is said here stays here,’” Joyce said. “Many times students come in to vent and that’s all they need.” Joyce speaks fondly of both Elms and HCC—and she should, she’s a graduate of both. She also has the experience of seeing the limitations of only having an associate’s degree. When Joyce graduated from HCC she was hired as a catering manager. That job eventually became combined with a conference coordinator position but required a bachelor’s degree. Joyce couldn’t even apply. A friend recommended Elms College to her and Joyce heeded the advice and graduated as a business management and sociology double major. Joyce has since worked at The Hartford, Yankee Candle, and as a dental assistant among other professions.

Make a Planned Gift Today If you would like more information about making a planned gift, contact Bernadette Nowakowski ‘89, ‘08 director of development and legacy giving 413-265-2214 or nowakowskib@elms.edu

Prior to the launching of the Elms College and HCC partnership, Joyce was working in the latter’s alumni department. Once the program started, Elms hired Joyce and now she gets to usher in a whole generation of students who, like her, will be alumni of both institutions. “I love working at Elms College. It’s a community and we all work together. It’s like the saying ‘it takes a village.’ We have our own little village here,” Joyce said.

291 Springfield Street Chicopee, Massachusetts 01013-2839

Congratulations to the 50 students named to the Fall NECC All-Academic Team. Elms took top honors this year, with the next-in-line college placing 27 athletes on the team. (first row, seated, left to right) Josh DiNoto ’15 , Brian Benson ’16, Meghan Goodrow ’15 (second row) Hannah O’Brien ’15 Alex Mack ’16, Richard Vanasse ’16, Allison Masi ’16, Haleigh Varieur ’16, Stephanie Konstantinidis ’14, Nick Smith ’15, Alexa Rinaudo ’16, Gina DiGiovanni ’15, Jaclyn Soderquist ’15, Colleen Carbonneau ’16 (third row) Anthony Nitri ’15, Hannah Spring ’16, Roger Conklin ’16, Victoria Cebula ’14, Adam Kuzdzal ’16, Samantha Alvino ’16, Alyssa LaMonica ’15, Shannon Bolton ’16 (fourth row) Jillian Pirog ’16, Delina deVillier ’15, Chelsea Carroll ’14, Connor O’Grady ’16, Melissa Welch ’16, Julie Hurley ’14, Hayley Zisk ’14 (fifth row) Jacqueline Quetti ’16, Elizabeth Patient ’15, Henry Fall ’15, Alison Cowles ’15, Emma Bernard ’16, Joe Pellegrini ’16 Not pictured: Devon DeGrazia ’14, Gabrielle Calvanese ’14, Rachel Lehouillier ’15, Shirley Ryan ’15, Tyler Cudnik ’14, Kayla Narey ’15, Alex Rodriguez ’14, Conor Rieker ’15, Patrick Goonan ’16, Brendan Reynolds ’16, Ashley Venancio ’14, Carmen Marino ’16, Caitlyn Larvey ’15, Christine Searles ’15, Joanna Krupa ’16.