Expression Winter 2007 by Debra Falzoi

Expression WINTER 2007

Picture Imperfect

Manipulation of photographs is threatening journalismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integrity

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF EMERSON COLLEGE

Ripped from the Headlines!

Speech, language and hearing experts tackle the issues that affect us all

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Orientation A group of undergrads who met as freshmen write and produce TV comedy on campus

Signs of the Times

The study of sign language immerses students in a new culture

Why Emerson College Because when it comes to diversity, what we do matters.

“We are the best college of communication in the country,” he declares. “What we do matters. Emerson can have a real impact, not just by graduating more students of color, but by graduating successive classes of students whose professional education has been infused with a diverse perspective.” Alexander, who heads the Institutional division of the New York City brokerage firm Wall Street Access, serves on the National Advisory Action Board of Emerson’s Center for Diversity in the Communication Industries (CDCI) as well as on the College’s Board of Overseers.

Eric Alexander ’78

Expression

“We can make a real difference,” responds College Overseer Eric Alexander ’78 when asked why Emerson should play a leadership role in promoting greater diversity within the communication and entertainment industries. He recently established the Eric Alexander Diversity Scholarship, which will provide an annual scholarship, beginning next fall, to an incoming freshman from New York City who has demonstrated a commitment to community service and/or civic engagement. “Since I reconnected with Emerson several years ago, promoting diversity has been my primary focus,” Alexander says. “Why diversity? Maybe it’s because the need for communicators who understand diverse cultures has never been greater. Or maybe it’s because the opportunity for Emerson to exercise leadership is so clear. Emerson graduates will shape our perception of diversity and other issues for generations.”

Memory Lane

Alumni reminisce about their finest Emerson experiences

Campus Digest

Piano Row building opens, as does a new, expanded college bookstore

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Orientation

A group of ambitious students produce a TV comedy show

Signs of the Times

American Sign Language is a popular course of study on campus

The Short Short Story

An all-alumni anthology of short short stories is published

Ripped from the Headlines

Speech, language and hearing experts are involved in the most current issues

Picture Imperfect

Digital manipulation of journalistic photos is becoming more common

Notable Expressions

A compendium of alumni accomplishments

Alumni Digest

Read about alumni events in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and other locations

Class Notes

Read the news about your classmates

My Turn

How a great coach can change lives

Expression is published three times a year (fall, winter and spring) for alumni and friends of Emerson College by the Office of Public Affairs (David Rosen, Vice President) in conjunction with the Department of Institutional Advancement and the Office of Alumni Relations (Barbara Rutberg ’68, Director).

Office Of Public Affairs public_affairs@emerson.edu 617-824-8540 fax 617-824-8916

Expression Executive Editor David Rosen Editor Rhea Becker

Cathy Black, Director of Major Gifts, Emerson College, 120 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116-4624; Phone: 617-824-8533; catherine_black@emerson.edu; www.emerson.edu/alumni/giving/

Alexander praises President Jacqueline Liebergott and CDCI Executive Director William Smith for making diversity an important institutional goal and promoting campus dialogues on race. “The administration has built a solid foundation,” he says. “It’s up to us to do the rest.”

For information about the Eric Alexander Diversity Scholarship and gift opportunities at Emerson College, contact:

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF EMERSON COLLEGE

WINTER 2007

Writer Christopher Hennessy Editorial Assistant Catherine Sheffield

Office Of Alumni Relations alumni@emerson.edu 800-255-4259 617-824-8535 fax 617-824-7807

Memory Lane

In This Issue

Alumni: What are your best Emerson memories? Neil Davin ’72, MSSp ’79, manages Technology Support Services at Emerson College Some of my favorite memories are of the many Southwick Artists recitals I attended. The “Southwicks,” named for Emerson’s third president, were highlights of the College’s performance season and eagerly anticipated by the College community when I was an undergraduate. I will never forget Kenneth Crannell’s performance of My Fair Lady during my freshman year. I’d heard that Dr. Crannell would be playing all of the characters. How could that be? I sat in the Carriage House theater behind 130 Beacon Street and was mesmerized by his vivid interpretations of the play’s many characters. I was hooked. How I had underestimated him! Over the years, I also enjoyed performances by June Hamblin Mitchell and Frances LaShoto. Other faculty performers at that time included Marilyn Lewis-Scott, Bernadette MacPherson, Ted Hollingworth, Coleman Bender and Arlyne Garrity. I’m grateful for the time I had with these faculty–in the classroom and the recital hall–for they taught me the joy of sharing literature through oral expression.

Mary Avery ’50 I can’t put into one paragraph all of my wonderful memories of Emerson. My favorite teacher? That’s easy. Mrs. Ruth Southwick Maxfield – “Maxie” to all of us. I entered Emerson as a sophomore and found myself short two credits. I discovered a Shakespeare class that carried just two credits. I thought, “Well, it can’t be that bad. I’ll give it a try.” Lo and behold, it turned out to be

Expression Winter 2007

my favorite class. For the next two years I took at least one of Maxie’s classes every semester. She brought the Bard to life, and I’m sure all of her students would agree. She was the best! I am now retired and still get together with several Emerson pals whenever I can.

David Beris ’80 is on tour this spring with Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life as part of the stage management team I know this sounds like a cliché, but my favorite memories are my entire four years at Emerson. Meeting friends at ‘the wall’, tuna sandwiches from Frank’s truck, mini-musicals at Brimmer Street – these are just some of the things that made my time at Emerson so wonderful. My closest friends are still the friends I made at Emerson. We talk about things that happened in the ’70s as if it were yesterday. The education I received gave me the opportunity to express myself in many different art forms, which then gave me the knowledge to work in various areas of theater (my degree is in theater education). Some of my favorite teachers were Professor Nickole, Steve Sorkin and Lenny Riendeau. To contribute your Emerson memories, please write to public_affairs@ emerson.edu (subject line: Emerson Memories). Include your name, class year, one line of biography, and your reminiscences (one or two paragraphs). The editor reserves the right to edit for style and length.

It’s full-on winter in Boston right now, but things couldn’t be brighter and warmer. The College’s new Piano Row and Max Mutchnick Campus Center complex is warmed by its first group of student residents. In addition, the new gymnasium is hosting cheering throngs at Emerson basketball games, the first time Emerson has had a home court of its own. In this issue of Expression we examine a growing – and disturbing – trend whereby photojournalists tamper with photographic images, distorting their meaning. The tampering is often accomplished by manipulating the images using digital image software, like Photoshop. Next, we transport you to the heart of the campus so you can experience a bit of what current students are doing today. A group of seniors, who met as freshman in their first week on campus, have been producing comedy for the campus TV station. As seniors, they are ready for the next step: using their college work to impress producers. We also highlight several graduates of the College’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program to look at the cutting-edge work they are doing in speech, language and hearing. Next, some of the most popular courses at Emerson are the American Sign Language classes. Enjoy the beauty and expressiveness of this mode of communication. Did you notice that Expression magazine is a heftier publication now? We’ve added four more pages to each issue. Enjoy! Rhea Becker, editor

Expression welcomes short letters to the editor on topics covered in the magazine. The editor will select a representative sample of letters to publish and reserves the right to edit copy for style and length. Send letters to: Editor, Expression, Office of Public Affairs, Emerson College, 120 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116-4624; public_affairs@emerson.edu.

Campus Digest Piano Row building and campus center dedicated More than 100 members of the Emerson community and friends of the College gathered Oct. 20, 2006, to dedicate the

Mayor Thomas Menino, Trustee Max Mutchnick ’87, President Jacqueline Liebergott, Trustee Chair Ted Cutler ’51, Dean of Students

College Board Chairman Ted Cutler ’51 (left), President Jacqueline Liebergott, and TV producer Max Mutchnick ’87 cut a cake at the opening of the College’s newest building.

school’s new Piano Row Residence Hall and Max Mutchnick Campus Center at 150 Boylston St. The ceremony in the lobby of the 14-story building included remarks by Boston

Ronald Ludman and Student Government Association President Jamal Barone. Facilities have also been named, Liebergott added, in honor of the late

Charles Beard, former chair of the Board of Trustees, and longtime athletic director Jim Peckham, both of whom have made lasting contributions to the College. “Emerson College has always been a special place, but it has certainly come a long way since I was a student here more than half a century ago,” said Trustee Chair Cutler. “The new Piano Row Residence Hall and Max Mutchnick Campus Center is the latest in a series of stunning accomplishments.” Menino said the new addition to Emerson’s campus will benefit both the student body and the surrounding community. “I want to thank Emerson for its ongoing commitment to the revitalization of Boston’s Theatre District and lower Washington Street,” he added. “The opening of Piano Row marks an important milestone in the 126-year history of Emerson College,”

Liebergott said. Designed by The Stubbins Associates architectural firm, the 185,000-sq.-ft. Indiana limestone and glass structure at 150 Boylston St. rises 14 stories above ground and descends three levels below grade. It houses 560 students, a tournamentsized basketball court, a café, space for student activities and organizations, rooms for small group rehearsals and informal gatherings, facilities for off-campus students and the offices of the Dean of Students and his staff. The Max Mutchnick Campus Center, or “the Max” as it is already being called, is named for Max Mutchnick ’87, co-creator of the Will & Grace sitcom, who made a major gift to support the project. More than a dozen other alumni and friends of the College have also contributed to the Piano Row building fund.

‘Friends’ producer spends term on campus Kevin Bright ’76, best known as executive producer of the television sitcom Friends, was on campus for the fall semester to develop two television projects for The Emerson Channel and to teach Directing Comedy for Television. “I’m just enjoying being here and working with people who are excited about work-

ing in television,” said Bright. In an interview, Elisha Yaffe, one of the students in Bright’s class, praised Bright for how he integrates his professional experiences “in a way that is both entertaining and applicable.” He added that a “highlight” has been Bright’s discussion of how extensive rewriting for sitcoms must take place in a short time.

Television producer Kevin Bright ’76 teaching a class of television students.

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Fleming named director of College library

Cosmetics mogul Brown named a trustee Robert Fleming, assistant director for access services and archives of the College Library, has accepted an appointment as executive director of the Library. On April 1, 2007, Fleming will take over the responsibilities held by current Executive Director Mickey Zemon, who has guided the Emerson Library for the past 29 years. Fleming is well known to the Emerson community, having

served at the College Library in several roles, beginning in 1983. Fleming came to the College as a cataloging assistant from 1983 to 1985. He worked as archivist from 1985 to 1996. He was head of Collection Management and Archives from 1997 to 2000 and was assistant director for Access Services and Archives from 2000 to the present day.

Robert Fleming

Broadcast journalist Carole Simpson is Leader-in-Residence Ploughshares marks 100th issue Editors, writers and friends of the venerable, Emerson-based literary journal Ploughshares celebrated the publication of its 100th edition last fall at the Plough & Stars pub in Cambridge, where the magazine was conceived in 1970. About 100 people attended the bash, said editor Don Lee, MFA ’87, who hosted the evening. Founders DeWitt Henry, now an associate professor at Emerson, and film producer Peter O’Malley were both present at the party. Ploughshares publishes poetry, fiction and occasional personal essays/memoirs, with each issue guest-edited by a nationally prominent writer. The journal is considered one of the top in the nation and its work is consistently selected for anthologies and awards.

Veteran journalist and longtime weekend anchor of ABC World News Tonight Carole Simpson is serving as Leader-in-Residence at Emerson College. Her role on campus will include teaching, mentoring, and leading community conversations. In February the college will launch “Conversations with Carole Simpson,” which will be open to Emerson students, faculty and the

general public. Simpson will teach Public Affairs Reporting in the Department of Journalism and co-teach the senior capstone course Leadership, Social Advocacy, and Political Communication in the Department of Organizational and Political Communication. The threetime Emmy award winner brings to Emerson four decades of print, radio, and television experience.

Bobbi Brown ’79, an internationally renowned makeup artist and CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, has been elected to the Emerson College Board of Trustees. Brown, whose products are sold in more than 400 stores and 20 countries worldwide, is the beauty editor for NBC’s Today Show and a frequent guest on the E! and Style channels. She is the coauthor of Bobbi Brown Beauty and Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty. After earning her degree in theatrical makeup, Brown moved to New York

City to work as a professional makeup artist. In 1991, she and a chemist released a line of new lipsticks under the brand Bobbi Brown Essentials, which debuted at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. The success of that makeup line led Estee Lauder to buy the company in 1995. Brown resides in Montclair, N.J., with her husband, Steven D. Plofker, and three sons. In 2002, the couple established The Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Design Technology and Makeup Studio in the College’s Tufte Performance and Production Center.

Cosmetics entrepreneur Bobbi Brown ’79 is a College trustee.

Expanded college bookstore opens

The College’s new bookstore features academic books, an expanded Emerson insignia section and 20,000 trade titles.

Emerson College recently celebrated the opening of the new College bookstore, Barnes & Noble @ Emerson College. Operated by the national Barnes & Noble booksellers, the Emerson store is located in a completely redesigned and renovated space at 114 Boylston St. The new store has an author reading space, a larger section devoted to selling Emerson insignia merchandise, and other added benefits.

Barnes & Noble officials add that, beyond the standard academic textbook section, the new store will offer about 20,000 trade titles. Half of the store will be a traditional Barnes & Noble bookstore, complete with display tables and slatted walls lined with merchandise. The other half will host the academic textbook section, an Emerson merchandise section (sweaters, mugs, gifts, calendars) and an author reading space.

Janet Kolodzy (left), chair of the Journalism Department, Linda Peek-Schacht, chair of the Department of Organizational and Political Communication, and Carole Simpson, veteran journalist and longtime ABC news anchor.

Expression Winter 2007

he project had its beginnings four years ago when, on the second day of Orientation, three fresh-faced new students struck up a friendship and immediately started taping their improvised comedic exploits around town. Today, they are seniors, and their work is broadcast throughout the Emerson College campus and features a zany cast of characters, including: • A dorky Ninja obsessed with comic books • A ridiculously tacky used car dealer • A womanizing British puppet • A nutty rendition of street magician David Blaine Stephen Christy III ’08, Alex Clark ’07 and Zach Craley ’07 are the masterminds behind VM498, which does double duty as the name of the directed study they are involved in with adjunct faculty member Henry Dane. The students’ off-the-wall comedy sketches will be part of a TV pilot they produced for the unique class this year. “VM498 follows the creation track of a real TV program,” says Dane, a 30-year TV industry veteran. Nikki Muller ’09 and Ilana Plen ’09 round out the pilot’s cast. Producers include Courtney Salmon ’07 and Pam Jaffe ’07.

A group of undergrads who met as freshmen four years ago write and produce TV comedy on campus

A Funny Thing Happened

For students, by students Christy and fellow co-creator Alex Clark are a study in contrasts; Christy is animated and smoothly professional while Clark is laid back and wears a constant smirk. Via lively banter during a recent interview, the two describe the show’s history, finishing each other’s

o n

t h e

W a y

sentences and setting each other up for jokes. “Imagine if Sasha Baron Cohen and Dave Chappelle had a really sexy baby, but abandoned the baby and it was raised by Monty Python and Michael Jackson,” the two piece together, laughing, “that’s our show.” “It’s a very funny, hip, highenergy show,” they both say, each adding a word. The show has sketch comedy, man-on-the-street interviews, parody, satire, movie trailers and fake commercials. The young creators believe VM498 especially will appeal to college

A pseudo-Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are part of the VM498 repertoire

t o

Orientation By Christopher Hennessy

Expression Winter 2007

Photos by Kat Purgal ’07

“They have the chops; they want to succeed; they’ll do what it takes; and they’re funny.” Henry Dane, adjunct faculty member

The cast and crew are (from top) Zach Craley, Ilana Plen, Nikki Muller, Alex Clark and Stephen Christy.

students. “It’s not being written by committee; it’s not being written by thirty- or forty-year-olds. We’re putting in to the pilot exactly what we think is funny.” Instructor Dane lists their strengths: “They have the chops; they want to succeed; they’ll do what it takes; and they’re funny.” The pilot’s humor comes in many forms. It begins with a Breakfast Club spoof and then, after only five minutes, absurdly goes into a “documentary” of those first minutes.

Expression Winter 2007

One of the pilot’s oddest character’s might be Philostrate, a puppet with a British accent who enjoys flirting with women outside Boston’s nightclubs – “because things are running dry for puppets in England right now, apparently,” laughs Christy, the man behind the puppet. Clark will perform a parody of famed magician David Blaine’s act in which he will submerge himself in chains in a ‘kiddie pool’ in the middle of Boston’s Government Center. “We take it to the streets!” shouts Clark. The student creators point out

something else that sets the show apart: “This show has four years of development,” says Christy. VM498 is a continuation of the segments the creators began taping that second day of Orientation, a show they called Chinatown Laundry. “We’ve had four years of learning, ‘OK, how do you do a lighting set-up, how do you edit something well.’” Christy credits Emerson with encouraging their independence. “Once we showed them we could

deliver episodes weekly, they gave us the cameras. I think that’s what’s cool about Emerson. Here’s a school where your second day on campus we started filming stuff. The next week we got on the school TV channel. A few weeks after that we were shooting on the school campus.” The threesome ended up shooting ten 30-minute episodes of Chinatown Laundry for the Emerson Channel. Clark and Christy say they like reviewing the old episodes to watch

their skills progress. “It’s amazing, you can see as we learned how to shoot, how to edit, how to perform. It was basically on-the-job training,” Christy says. After graduation, the students hope to use the TV pilot they are developing as their calling card. “The people producing and marketing the show happen to be college students, but they’re developing it for and pitching it to the television industry,” says Dane. “If it flies, VM498 will be the first sketch comedy TV show,

perhaps even the first commercial TV show ever created by a college course. That’s pretty hot stuff.” Clark, Christy and team are taking a realistic approach and understand they are aiming high. “If this is something that could take off, it could be produced very cheaply,” Christy explains. “Everything we’ve done at Emerson has allowed us to show we’re reliable, we can do this, and we can produce this product.” E

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Signs

of theTimes

or a college known for ‘expression’, it is remarkably quiet in the little classroom on the top floor of the Tufte Performance and Production Center. Everyone is back from the long holiday weekend. The students eagerly greet their instructor, Nancy Vincent – but in complete silence. She responds in kind. Welcome to American Sign Language: Level 1.

“Did you eat too much for Thanksgiving?” asks Vincent, whose warm smile is as expressive as the motion of her hands. The students laugh and sign back. One student walks to the front of the classroom and signs rapidly for several minutes, telling everyone about his recent move to a new apartment and how the construction noise in the building kept him from sleeping. When he finishes his

tale, the students shake their hands in the air – a form of sign-language ‘applause’. Even simple things like taking attendance become a learning experience in Vincent’s ASL classroom as she signs each student’s name using ‘finger spelling’, in which each hand sign indicates a single letter of the alphabet. Vincent, who has taught at Emerson for 12 years, was born deaf and grew up using ASL.

Peter Anderson ’07, a film major, practices signing.

The

study of sign language immerses students in a new culture

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Today’s lesson includes learning the names of the days of the week, the months, and the seasons. The sign for ‘spring’, for example, involves both hands and resembles a bud pushing through the earth. Then, Vincent uses an overhead projector to beam a drawing of a streetscape onto a screen. She demonstrates the sign for each of the buildings: ‘church’, ‘hospital’, ‘food store’. Then the students sign each new term. A form of charades is the next exercise. Each student performs an action such as “Walking on a tightrope” or “Walking barefoot on hot pavement” while the rest of the class must guess what the action is and sign their answers. Later, the students pair off for ASL discussion with each other. Peter Anderson ’07, a film major, enrolled in the course after learning about this “really phenomenal” class and instructor from friends. “If I had found out about this earlier, I would have taken all four levels of ASL.” Anderson appreciates how sign language makes him “think differently.”

The first class session of the year included a sign-language interpreter so that students could learn about their instructor. After that, everything in the classroom has been signed. “It’s completely immersive,” says Anderson. “It makes me realize how limited people’s communication is when you rely on just spoken language.”

ASL courses for everyone A variety of students take ASL classes at Emerson, and for a variety of reasons. Undergraduates majoring in communication sciences and disorders, for example, are required to take one class in American Sign Language. “This gives our students a broad understanding of deafness, deaf culture and language diversity,” says Daniel Kempler, chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “We expect all of our ASL instructors to be deaf,” says Kempler. “Part of the reason is that we see the ASL classes as courses in a language and a culture, and students are better served by ‘native’ ASL users who are members of the deaf culture.”

ASL also satisfies the College’s language requirement. Still other students are fascinated by the language and culture and take the course as an elective. “Some students fall in love with ASL and decide to [pursue] studies in ASL or become an interpreter,” says teacher Vincent, via email. “Almost all of the communication disorders courses are associated with ASL or deafness in some way,” says Kempler, “from those covering normal language acquisition and anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms to courses in audiology [hearing science] and aural rehabilitation.” E

Where Being Short Means Everything

ne story is a mere 55 words long. The lengthiest story in the collection is just 1,400 words. Short short fiction – stories under 1,500 words – have been collected in a new volume published by a pair of Emerson graduates. Brevity & Echo, which was released earlier this year, is not just an anthology of short short stories, but a collection of stories all authored by Emerson alumni. “Emerson College was one of the first and remains one of the few writing programs in the country to offer specific classes in short short story,” say Abigail Beckel, MA ’05, and Kathleen Rooney, MFA ’05, both graduates of the Emerson program in writing, literature and publishing who launched Rose Metal Press (www.rosemetalpress.com), which is the publisher of the anthology. Many of the pieces in the anthology had their genesis in Emerson workshops taught by Professor Pamela Painter, said Rooney. Painter herself is an accomplished practitioner of the short short story. In the future, Beckel and Rooney plan to publish other ‘hybrid genre’ works, including prose poetry and novel-in-verse. “We have seen that many writers are doing fruitful and exciting work in these hybrid genres, but they have limited opportunities to publish,” says Beckel. In keeping with the all-Emerson theme, the cover of Brevity & Echo was designed by Rebecca Krzyzaniak, MA ’04. E

Below: Instructor Nancy Vincent teaching American Sign Language.

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By Christopher Hennessy

al speci very h . t s i r sw wa ’ work anistan , m o 0 d 9 Afgh SSp ’ k free ad g bac is-Pop, M Iraq and Wade] h arsome n i v i e n d r ‘G h e t o a T f C . d fe caela eterans o rmy Sgt at cause e about i M s, er A ng th ntly wrot m ts – v iPod , clien t 26, [form ar bombi s g ece t ar n n a r ti “A e qc s she r , his righ ractures t a e ” r e , t I s v l e n i f s ar oo ved a injur n injurie lex bone nd raq w ic sch i survi ation of I l p a rofou osr b o p m b u o d o n c t d p i , a b e w h r h d o e c m hat e de lb ra e ev co ndat t. Wa ove the e ss and “s .” A t by a s n t e i n m l e c lo ab a d tate pairm as fe ision tated on? rand s mpu ght leg, v ication im and he w e m a d m . n ae un th, s ri su st in co in hi ve-comm him brea lege’ lumn ologi l a o have n i n t C path d o i . i o e e n t e s p H g g l . a r h a e o c t c eH ni ngu m h be h t a u Eme l o in u t t r a h m f y ec ist nter tom r tube. Com a spe g special al Ce n uates e c s d i t i e s d a a h p e t r G ano ram nM nnin is-Po eer i radu Corn tation-pla inistratio ntire car evelopprog the nd g s a n r i e e i e l m t r d e ed bi ua isord work reha ans A s spent h eaded th habilitar d D g e grad n t n , d a e i ) h a re h l ar eV es an break lume c Guir , Va. She s and spe ury (TBI) n Medica c o d n v n M e i u j d d o e i n o n o c t i I Sc r o a v P r r t to m in dg fe i Rich itation se atic Bra Adminis helping ehin t war y (sa n s m il s g e e b u n o e v c a a l a l r r h h e o o are b t e T v re di in or r e Vet n f the rk in inate of au racy ion f ent o ram at th . Her wo to coord ew term i s e t t d a m i l t l i e l d g d i d n fi n o n b r n a o g a ( p a o a l y. s m ” tion age Rich program lytrauma ge patho h reh u n c i g e r a n l e e o t u a g e is na “p sp Cen ng and l i natio areas of peech-lan 2004. H r , p e s o l n n e e s n a ar dev in th ade i ) and ere veter k is g r vities l lexicon ng Sgt. W s who w ving with i o p t c a w . a s r a s i e t l c e a i i v a o i d d e h r t l e a e li tr o scho spec mna the m he began ny U.S. s istan and ents or e u , r l r a e r i r a S e an cid m Leh The One articl Afgh sult of ac . f the m d n i o e J n o e i a n an ge h n i t e h t r q o t e n i a t y a r d e s I a s a ju db ur w h att ed in ries a angu out W n cite wsHo ound rain inju wrote ab Speech-L muc e e SHA w e e A N b h t s n sb the a op or o d f u P n h o t i n n d i s n r i r e u h e e a s ye ati erica orn pear y searc ia aro r ks. C Kind of P ared last r the Am rofese t d c r a n e t s t u ’ a e p o er co dm New t app lication f tion, the or es an s the anoth n “A l ” tha a b s o i m e t ion f u i c t v s p i o a T a i a s l g r c s a o k t l o n n A r s o o o o s d Y the ing ga Path the nati thir ing n e Hear entialin filiates in i New , h a e r t r e g t d a d Lea ter angu nd af , and d cre ht-af ech-L ntific, an embers a g e world p u S cially o e s d. sci g 0 m fields. e espe ten , l 0 n p s a i 0 e o , i n d l 3 r i f 2 u sio ve ience prov and o s’ inj han 1 he de s ore t ication sc e soldier “myriad le g m m n i ra as un s th are t ent e m s y k u e a j m prog h co frequ ot tt tm Wha eat is tha op. It’s n The most ry, ju -P tr “ ornis lved. ain in ult to diffic le,” said C s to be so matic br ib need lude trau invis that c m e l s…in b pro jurie n i f o types

15 Expression Winter 2007

After five months of treatment... [the injured war veteran] was communicating using short sentences and reading single sentences. Micaela Cornis-Pop, MSSp ‘90

limb loss or severe damage, wounds, sensory loss such as vision or hearing, and disfigurement. In addition to multiple injuries, there are associated components of stress, ranging from combat stress to outright post-traumatic stress disorder,” CornisPop said. For patients like Sgt. Wade, the diagnosis upon first arrival to rehabilitation can be daunting. Cornis-Pop worked on a treatment plan aimed at removing Wade’s tracheostomy tube, helping him return to normal eating habits, and establishing a reliable system of communication for basic needs. After five months of treatment his tracheostomy tubes had been removed, and he was communicating using short sentences and reading single sentences. Even so, challenges lay ahead; abilities normally taken for granted – writing and verbal reasoning – still required help. Working with this population presents specific benefits as well as challenges, notes Cornis-Pop. “Combat veterans may have unique and complex injuries, but they are also young, in peak physical and mental shape prior to the injury, and they are determined to succeed against all odds,” she says. Last summer, Cornis-Pop was featured in a television program about war veterans’ rehabilitation on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. In the segment, she is seen working with former Army Chief Warrant Officer John Sims, a Maryland National Guardsman and an airline pilot before he volunteered to join the Army’s 101st Airborne Division as a maintenance pilot in Iraq. During his first flight in Iraq, the Blackhawk helicopter he was aboard crashed.

Cornis-Pop told Sims that a bruise on his brain has made it difficult for him to understand or formulate language without extensive treatment. In the segment, she tells him: “You were trying to tell me a word or sometimes a whole sentence, but you were not really aware that you were only using the sounds of English and not necessarily the words of English.” (Sims has no memory of those early days.) “You might have picked up this orange and [told] me it was an orange, or you might have called it ‘tum,’ or something else that was not an English word at all.” After seven weeks of working with CornisPop and a team of specialists, Sims recovered most of his personality, memory and speech. He recently called Cornis-Pop asking for advice about college courses he takes as part of his return-towork plan. Since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Cornis-Pop and her colleagues (physicians, rehabilitation therapists, audiologists, neuropsychologists, psychologists, social workers) have treated more than 300 combat veterans at what are called Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (PRCs) in four locations across the country. About two-thirds of the combat veterans treated at the PRCs have suffered blasts from improvised explosive devices. “These centers are developing a new model of advanced rehabilitation care with their dedicated interdisciplinary teams of specialists, intensive case management, support for families, and involvement of voluntary and service organizations to help meet patient and family needs for services and assistance,” she said. The Centers’ goal is “to give freedom back to those who fought for our freedom to walk, to talk, and to live in the community of their choice,” said Lucille Beck, chief consultant for rehabilitation services in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Easy listening Terri Ives ’87 has four children, including two teenagers, so she knows all about the wildly popular portable music players like the iPod. As an audiologist with 14 years in the field, she also knows about the dangers of music played at unsafe levels. “Music-induced hearing loss comes at me from all sides,” said Ives. “I began losing my own hearing in my thirties due to music exposure in my teens and twenties. I am forever telling my own children to turn down their iPods, and I see the effects of loud listening in teens and young adults in the clinic every day with early onset

permanent hearing loss. We all know loud music is bad for us, but it will take a lot of re-education to have society accept listening at safe levels.” Ives is behind an important new study on hearing, the first of its kind to investigate the listening habits and level of hearing loss risk to young people using portable music players with earphones. Ives, who is on the faculty of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry’s (PCO) School of Audiology, co-authored the study with Brian Fligor, director of the diagnostic audiology program at Children’s Hospital in Boston and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. “We know that portable music players and earphones are capable of delivering unsafe levels of music, but are people really listening at that level?” Ives asked in the study. Her research, conducted at the PCO School of Audiology’s Pennsylvania Ear Institute, describes how using different earphones in environments with different background noise levels affects listening behavior. The study also estimates the number of people who are potentially at risk for hearing loss from their portable music players and headphones in the various environments. “Avid iPod users who wonder if they are putting their hearing at risk may find some relief in a new study that tries to arrive at guidelines for safe listening levels,” began a recent New York Times article about Ives’ work. Previous studies have indicated that 5 to 10 percent of the population is at risk for musicinduced hearing loss, said Ives. Studies also show that nearly 25 percent of people, when listening in a noisy environment, listen at unsafe levels. From top: Bonnie Singer, ’87, MSSp ’88, PHD ’97 has developed a cutting-edge program on literacy in schools. Micaela Cornis-Pop, MSSp ’90 works with veterans of recent wars who have sustained multiple injuries.Terri Ives ’87 examines the use of portable music players and their effects on hearing.

17 Expression Winter 2007

‘If you’re going to do something loud, like ride on a plane, and listen to an MP3 player at the same time, soundisolating earphones are the way to go.’ Terri Ives ‘87

The Ives and Fligor study indicates that while in-the-ear earphones can produce higher sound levels than over-the-ear earphones, they are not necessarily used at higher levels. Factors that affected the chosen listening level were gender (males listen louder than females) and the amount of background noise in the listening environment. If the earphone provided good sound isolation in noisy listening environments, the subject chose sound levels that were lower and safer. Even so, 6% of all subjects listen at levels considered unsafe regardless of earphone type. “They just like music too loud,” said Ives. “When subjects were tested with background noise of an airplane cabin using Koss [brand] over-the-ear earphones and iPod earbud earphones, both of which provide essentially no sound isolation, 80% of subjects were listening at unsafe levels,” she reports. “When subjects used an ER-6i in-the-ear earphone, this number dropped to less than 20% being unsafe.” Ives suggests, “If you are going to do something loud, like ride on a plane, and listen to an MP3 player at the same time, sound-isolating earphones (in-the-ear-canal) are the way to go to help protect your hearing.” Ives holds a doctoral degree in audiology from Boston University. She was previously the manager of clinical research at Sound ID in Palo Alto, Calif., helping to create the world’s first Bluetooth™ mobile phone earpiece with Personalized Digital Sound. She has also served as the

director of diagnostic audiology at the California Ear Institute at Stanford University, and was chief of audiology at the Hearing Institute for Children and Adults in San Jose, Calif. Her work on iPods has received media attention from news outlets, including the Washington Post, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, and in Germany, London, India and Australia media. Ives and Fligor presented their preliminary research results in October 2006 at the American Auditory Society Meeting, a conference on “noiseinduced hearing loss in children at work and play.” The study’s most important message? Ives says, “If you listen to music too loud for long enough, your hearing suffers. That can lead to permanent hearing loss, which you can prevent.” ‘Empowering’ students When Bonnie Singer ’87, MSSp ’88, PhD ’97, looks at the country’s educational landscape, something has her concerned. “With ‘high stakes testing’ and the new writing subtest on the SATs, students are being asked to do more and more writing in school,” says Singer, CEO and president of Architects for Learning, an educational consulting firm with a staff of about a dozen specialists in various fields. So-called ‘high stakes testing’ are those standardized, state-mandated tests that students must pass to receive a high school diploma. The anxiety over students’ scores on fourthgrade performance tests has led to teachers “having kids do much more complicated writing in an attempt to get students ready for [testing],” says Singer. “Wanting a third-grader to write a five-

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paragraph essay is ludicrous, but that’s what’s going on all over the country.” Singer is a sought-after expert in the area of literacy. “My passion is in helping students express themselves in writing effectively. That extends to helping teachers know how to teach kids to write effectively.” Singer describes the challenges of her work: “As I sit across the table from a struggling student, I am constantly being stretched to figure out what’s standing in the way. In that sense, everything I’ve learned has come from them, or from me having to figure out a strategy they can use to be more successful.” She is especially well known for her EmPOWER program, which she developed with Emerson faculty member and Director of the Learning Assistance Center Anthony Bashir, with whom she has worked for the past 10 years. Singer has trained educators using EmPOWER in the Greater Boston area as well as in New York, California, Oregon, Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, Washington and Florida. She has been invited to do workshops all over the country and even to the Shanghai Children’s Hospital in China. “EmPOWER is a very explicit routine for teaching all of the steps involved in writing a paper,” Singer says. As student writers move through the EmPOWER process, they are asked questions that will help them “evaluate and understand the assignment, make a plan for how to approach it, organize their ideas, work those ideas into written text, and evaluate and re-work their text,” she says. When asked about her most memorable clients, Singer turns the question on its head and describes the two clients “who have influenced me the most over the years.” One, an adolescent, “was so disorganized when he spoke that you literally couldn’t understand what he was saying. He was really bright, but his thoughts were completely convoluted, and you couldn’t tell what he was saying from listening to him.” After working with the young man for only four months in high school and a few more in college, he went on to become a litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice. Another client, a much younger boy, had a similar problem with his writing skills. “Now he’s on the honor roll in high school and not receiving any extra help.”

Singer started her private practice in the early 1990s and worked “solo” until 2004, when she began hiring staff. Now, two of her staff are Emersonians: Kristen Mallett-Bator, MSSp ’97, is director of clinical services, and Kate (Murphy) La Croix, MSSp ’01, is one of the speech-language pathologists. “I’m so lucky to have them,” she says. But her Emerson connections don’t end there. For a decade, Singer has worked closely with Emerson’s Bashir. She also worked last summer with her Emerson classmate Shari Rosen, MSSp ’88, PhD ’00, who just started the first school in China that helps English-speaking children with special needs. As for inspiration, Singer finds it in “the look on a student’s face when they finally are successful. Watching teachers become more effective in their classrooms gives me the same feeling.” Of the educators she works with she says, “They affect more kids than I could ever reach on my own, so it’s really satisfying. I really want all children to see themselves as whole and capable learners. It’s what gets me out of bed every day.” E

’My passion is in helping students express themselves in writing effectively.’ Bonnie Singer ‘87, MSSp ‘88, PHD ‘97

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By Christopher Hennessy

Manipulation of photographs is threatening journalism’s integrity

elieve it or not, it doesn’t take much to change reality these days. Ask Adnan Hajj, a freelance photographer working for Reuters who was caught adding plumes of smoke to a photo of burning buildings in Beirut after an Israeli attack last summer. (See photos on p. 22.) Or ask Matt Mahurin, who manipulated O.J. Simpson’s famous mug shot so the image made Simpson look darker and more menacing for a Time magazine cover. (See photos on p. 24.) Or Brian Walski, who, in 2003, spliced together two images, which occurred moments apart, of an armed British soldier in Basra directing Iraqi civilians, in an attempt to make the image more ‘dramatic’ by placing a man carrying a baby directly in the soldier’s line of fire. (See photos on p. 23.) Hajj was promptly fired when Reuters was alerted to his manipulation. Walski, a photographer with 30 years in the news business, was also fired. Mahurin, however, is still one of the most sought-after photo illustrators in the industry. Where is the line between reality and fiction? The technology to digitally alter and manipulate photographs has become easier to use and cheaper to own over the years, and now nearly every photograph that appears on the

THE EYES HAVE IT. In October 2005, USA Today ran this photo of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (right). The photo was later pulled from the paper’s website and replaced with what the paper termed a “properly adjusted” version of the photo (left). The paper explained in a note that a photo editor distorted the image when attempting to sharpen the photo for clarity.

cover of a major magazine has been altered in some way, and more and more photographers and photojournalists are using computer software to enhance or alter their photos. In the process, the public is seeing everything from outright fabrications of the truth (like Hajj’s war photo), to images altered for ‘aesthetic reasons’, to astonishingly life-like “photo illustrations” for magazine and newspaper cover stories. “Photographers and picture editors have phenomenal technology at their disposal that helps capture and present compelling images,” says Bob Steele, a senior faculty member in ethics at the Poynter Institute, a renowned school of journalism. (Steele also holds an honorary degree from Emerson.) “This same technology, from digital cameras to the editing software, can also skew reality....That’s verboten from an ethics standpoint.” The danger lies in the speed at which digital manipulation can be achieved, the relative ease of creating stunningly realistic images, and the inability of readers to distinguish what is real and what has been altered, says Emerson Assistant Professor of Journalism Paul Niwa. “If Reuters – by far the most careful news agency in the

world – can be duped, then all of us are in jeopardy,” Niwa says. Are photographers using digital manipulation to advance political agendas, as some accused Hajj of doing? Where is the line between manipulation and ‘aesthetic enhancement’? Emerson faculty and alumni help sort out these and other questions and discuss examples of the worst offenders. ‘Manipulation is everywhere’ Emerson Assistant Professor Robert MacDougall is quick to point out that image manipulation is not new. Creative cropping, ‘dodging and burning’ the image to lighten and darken areas, filters and other tools have been around since the earliest days of the photographic darkroom. “It’s not new – it’s just on steroids,” MacDougall says. The ‘steroids’ is software like Adobe Photoshop, he says. MacDougall’s research concerns the problems associated with news and information being produced for online media in an increasingly visual format. “I think it’s a no-brainer to say that image-alteration is occurring more,” says MacDougall. MediaWorks columnist Simon Dumenco agrees, saying it’s so pervasive, “Life is just one big Photoshop job.” And newspaper editors have had to become increasingly wary. Mick Cochran, director of photography for 21 Expression Winter 2007

USA Today, told the New York Times in 2006, segment. “Everyone uses it. to alter or influence events” and August that his paper screens about Every image that you see in print, on “Editing should maintain the integrity of 4,000 photos every day in search of TV, and in other places, you could be the photographic images’ content and possible digital manipulation, especompletely assured that Photoshop has context. Do not manipulate images or cially in war zones where American touched that image.” add or alter sound in any way that can media outlets may hire local photograLeslie Brokaw, an adjunct mislead viewers or misrepresent phers who can travel more easily than professor at Emerson and a former subjects.” Americans can. writer and editor at Inc. magazine, Paraschos takes a black and white Mike Kirby ’79, editor of the thinks many readers are already clued approach: “You’re there to capture the Attleboro Sun Chronicle, understands the in to the manipulations going on. moment. So leave it alone.” dangers of having tools that allow for “There’s an expectation from readers NPPA President Chuck Liddy easy digital manipulation of images. that what they’re seeing isn’t real,” she agrees. He is cited in a column by the “Photoshop has been around for a while says. “People have become pretty Poynter Institute’s Kenny Irby as now, and it’s certainly tempting to bend suspect of images, partly because it’s so saying, “As news photographers, we the rules and use it. That has to be easy for people to play with Photoshop have a duty to accurately portray what snuffed out at the user level, among the themselves, that they know how it we see, not what we want to see.” For photographers and the technicians who works.” Irby, the fact that “manipulation is now handle images on a day-to-day basis,” seamless and virtually undetectable” is says Kirby. MacDougall adds, “When In black and white a “critical issue.” Irby is Poynter’s the tool is there, people use it.” The ethics of photo manipulation for Visual Journalism Group Leader and “It’s tough to find a magazine hard news is clear, says Emerson Diversity Program Director. cover photo that hasn’t been altered in Associate Professor of Journalism Sun Chronicle editor Kirby says his some way,” says Niwa. “I think right Emmanuel Paraschos. “People take paper’s photo policy is probably similar now the dirty little secret in journalism liberties when it comes to features…as to that of most newspapers: “The is that most cover photos are manipulong it is clear that it is parody or satire, image should exactly reflect the lated. Once the audience finds this out, for example,” he says. But altering environment, the action and the I think they will start questioning. And news images in any way is simply individuals at the time it was taken.” it’s a good thing that they question this, wrong, according to Paraschos, who is He recalls a situation in which adherthat they’re aware of this.” also co-publisher of the Emerson-based ing to that policy meant foregoing the Dave Story, Adobe’s vice president journal Media Ethics. He pulls out the use of a photo. He explains, “We took a of product development, argues his National Press Photographers Associahigh school basketball preview shot of company’s product, Photoshop, can be tion (NPPA) code of ethics from his two players in a locker room. In the seen everywhere in today’s news media. desk drawer and begins reading from it, best shot, a curse word could be seen in “When it comes time to work with highlighting the fifth and sixth items: the wall behind the players. We chose images, it’s the standard,” Story told “While photographing subjects, do not another shot because we could not crop CBS Sunday Morning in an Oct. 29, intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek it out, and eliminating it through Photoshop would have been a violation of our policy.” Photojournalists who violate newsroom policy codes are being fired for their lapses in ethical judgment, often caught by savvy and eagle-eyed bloggers hot on the trail of anyone who might be using technology to dupe readers. And just last fall The Society of News Designers adopted a new ethics code, the first time in its 27-year history, that puts it in step with the NPPA “in both groups’ quest to raise the stanWHERE THERE’S SMOKE... Photographer dards of ethical decision-making in the Adnan Hajj digitally altered this photo (left) of practice of visual journalism,” reported the aftermath of an Israeli attack in Beirut, by adding plumes of smoke to make the attack Irby. look worse than it was. Hajj was working for Even the experts don’t always get Reuters news service at the time as a freelance it right, says Niwa. In July 2003, The photographer. North Carolina Press Photographer

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cover story about Saddam’s call for a debate with Bush. No debate ever happened. One of the worst offenders, in Lanson’s view, is the Time magazine O.J. Simpson cover that made Simpson look ominous. “That’s wrong,” he says. “And it brings up all sorts of questions about race and racial profiling.” “Photojournalism is built on But it’s not always the smoke and credibility. The viewer of images must mirrors of Photoshop that can result in believe that the content is true, that it a tainted photograph – “or at least a authentically reflects reality,” says skewed image of reality, of what was Steele of the Poynter Institute. “Photoactually there and/or happening,” says journalists know that their credibility MacDougall. Simply the way you frame and the integrity of their work suffer if a picture can affect it, he argues. He they fool with documentary images.” recalls the famous photograph of Iraqis Brokaw, a writing and publishing pulling down the Saddam Hussein adjunct professor, called the cloned statue in Baghdad. “It was a close plumes of smoke in Hajj’s photo “a frame shot, so it looked like there was a worst case scenario” of what can throng there, thousands of people deep, happen with digital photos. Another but in fact if you pull back it was a “pretty egregious example of taking it sparse crowd,” he says. too far” is the famous photograph MacDougall points out that even showing Cuban dictator Fidel Castro how a photo is cropped is important. and President Bill Clinton shaking “So many times you have a third or hands in November 2000, on the cover fourth party [political] candidate that is of the New York Daily News. “All the cropped right out of pictures.” He photo editors across the country were recalls the 1992 Democratic Presidenthinking, ‘How did we miss that shot?’,” tial Primary in which Bill Clinton, Paul Brokaw recalls. They hadn’t missed it. Tsongas, Tom Harkin, and Larry Agran The Daily News created the shot. Three were all running. In an Associated years later, in February 2003, The Daily Press photo of the candidates that News merged separate photos of appeared in the New York Times, Agran Saddam Hussein and President George was cropped out. “He was no longer W. Bush both standing at podiums for a there. Not only was the reality skewed, SLIM FAST. In this publicity photo of Katie Couric, used when Couric was tapped to become the anchor for CBS Evening News, Photoshop was used to make Couric appear slimmer.

Association gave Patrick Schneider an award for his Charlotte Observer photo of a local firefighter on a ladder, silhouetted against an early morning sun. The sun’s halo shown distinctly against a deep red sky. Unbeknownst to the judges, however, Schneider had changed the photo. The sky in the original image was brownish-gray but was enhanced with photo-editing software to make the image more dramatic. The Observer’s photo policy states: “No colors will be altered from the original scene photographed.” The paper fired the photographer when the manipulation came to light. Because journalism is founded on an ideal of reporting the truth, Emerson Associate Professor of Journalism Jerry Lanson believes photographers, too, must be held to this code. “Moving people around, creating a different background, changing the aesthetic values, this can be the same thing as altering a quote or changing information in a story,” he says. “In some ways, it’s even more troubling, because of the power that images have.”

SPLICING THINGS UP. Photographer Brian Walski took these photos (left, center), which occurred moments apart, and spliced them together to form a third, composite picture (right). Walski hoped to create a more ‘dramatic’ image of the scene, which shows a British soldier directing Iraqi citizens in Basra.

23 Expression Winter 2007

Believe it or not:

NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE. Unable to find an image that depicted a diverse student body, the University of WisconsinMadison digitally inserted a black face into a photograph of white football fans for its 2001-02 admissions bulletin.

Magazines in the digital age When it comes to image alteration, magazines have shown that the sky’s the limit. Publications ranging from Time and Newsweek to TV Guide and Star have come up with covers that range from the obviously fun and fictional to the ethically questionable. Oh, baby! Just last year, Marie Claire magazine Photoshops an image of ABC World News Tonight anchor Elizabeth Vargas so that she appears to be breastfeeding her new baby – behind the anchor desk. Long walks on the ‘beach’ It’s April 2005 and rumors are flying that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are seeing each other. How much would you pay for a photo of the two together on vacation? Star magazine paid $500,000 – for a composite photo that splices the two together walking on a beach. (The disclaimer appeared on page 8.) Wanted: Diversity What to do when a university can’t find just the right picture to show off its diverse student body? Why not just make one up? That’s what happened when the University of Wisconsin inserted the face of a young black man into a scene of white football fans for its 2001-02 admissions bulletin. (See facing page.)

OMINOUS O.J. From left to right are O.J. Simpson’s mugshot, the Newsweek cover from the last week of June 1994, and Time magazine’s digitally altered cover from the same week. Time was criticized for using the manipulated image.

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Is there a dentist in the house? Newsweek decides Bobbi McCaughey, the mother of the world’s first surviving septuplets, has bad teeth. They ‘fix’ them for their December 1997 cover. (The same week, Time shows McCaughey with her natural teeth, revealing Newsweek’s deception.) “White Hot Mamma” In July 1992, TexasMonthly places thenGovernor of Texas Ann Richards, dressed all in white leather riding gear, astride a Harley-Davidson. The body of the cycle’s rider is not Richards’. Will the real Oprah please stand up? It’s late summer 1989 and TV Guide is in hot water for attaching Oprah’s head to Ann Margaret’s body – without permission of either woman. The magazine was caught when Ann Margaret’s fashion designer recognized the dress as Margaret’s. Moving mountains Going back to 1982, the respectable National Geographic moves two Great Pyramids of Giza closer together. Why? It fit their vertical cover format better. So much for ‘geographic’ accuracy. – CH Thanks to Hany Farid (Dartmouth College) for his work on “Digital Tampering in the Media, Politics and Law.”

it was recast,” argues MacDougall. The snub caused controversy among the press. And, of course there’s always the possibility a photo has been staged. This has occurred since the first days of photography. Photographers often capture images of disaster sites, war zones, and burned down buildings with children’s dolls or stuffed animals strewn among the ruins, thus poignantly capturing the human loss. However, experts have long seen some of these photographs as clearly staged; a tellingly undamaged Mickey Mouse doll, for example, appears purposefully placed among burnt-out ruins. Photographer Hajj, who unethically altered a Beirut photo, was also suspected of staging a photograph of a rescue worker holding a dead child. Where’s the line? Professor Niwa sits in his office, a copy of the Boston Herald on his desk. He is studying the back page photo, which pictures pitching ace Daisuke Matsuzaka, dressed in a Boston Red Sox uniform, launching a ball toward home plate. Problem is, Matsuzaka had at that time never worn a Sox uniform; the article is about the team negotiating for the Japanese pitcher. Yet the photo looks completely real. Niwa searches for the tiny print that accompanies such creations and

indicates they are “photo illustrations.” He finds it. But for most readers not versed in Sox trading deals, the picture would seem to represent reality. So how do news consumers parse what’s true and what’s created through digital manipulation? Sometimes the case is clear. Niwa, who discusses the history and ethics of photojournalism in his Images of News course, brings up on his computer screen an example from the New York Post from Feb. 14, 2003. The photo digitally replaces the heads of the foreign ministers of France and Germany with the heads of weasels. The headline reads: “U.N. Meets: Weasels to hear new Iraq evidence.” More recently, the Post Photoshopped the faces of the chairs of the Iraq Study Group (James Baker, a former chief of staff for President Reagan and former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton) onto the bodies of monkeys. The headline read: “Surrender Monkeys: Iraq panel urges U.S. to give up.” While the Post examples are clearly meant as satire, not all cases are as obvious. “What I have seen quite a bit in the magazine world is satire that is executed really poorly,” says Brokaw, who teaches Magazine Publishing Overview at Emerson. She cites the case of a famous Newsweek cover that portrays Martha Stewart peeking from behind a red curtain. The cover reads: “Martha’s Last Laugh: After Prison, She’s Thinner, Wealthier & Ready for Prime Time.” Stewart was still in jail when the magazine hit the streets. So how did Newsweek snap that photo, Brokaw wondered. The answer: they didn’t. The photo’s simply not real. Stewart’s smiling face is Photoshopped onto a model’s body. The magazine admitted this – on page three of the issue. Even so, the NPPA called the cover “a major ethical breach.” In the CBS Sunday Morning segment on digital image manipulation, the narrator points out, “What we don’t remember is the caption on the cover.

The words, the explanation, are irrelevant: It’s the image that’s king in the end.” ‘Body morphing’ (transformation) through various techniques has been used on images of CBS news anchor Katie Couric (in CBS’ in-house magazine Watch!), actress Kate Winslet (in GQ), and actor-singer Queen Latifah (in a Miramax promotion). Can magazines play by different rules for cover photos? Brokaw talks about this and other issues with the students in her class. “I think that’s one thing that the classes tend to feel ambivalent about: whether the cover of the magazine should be perceived as a marketing tool, in which case you want it to look as good as it can…or whether people feel like it’s cheating….” Niwa says that the prevailing idea in journalism is that cover photos are not held to the same standard. “It’s advertising.” Even so, says Niwa, “I’d be interested to see if the audience sees that cover photo as an ad or as a representation of the news.” The future The New York Times photography critic Andy Grundberg has predicted that, “in the future, readers of newspapers and magazines will probably view news pictures more as illustrations than as reportage, since they can no longer distinguish between a genuine image and one that has been manipulated.” MacDougall argues technology and the use of it has already created a day when “the science fiction is now science fact, the virtual reality has now become the reality,” harkening back to MediaWorks columnist Simon Dumenco’s idea of a ‘Photoshopped life’.

But there is hope. “What’s new about this topic is that you’ve got a much more active and zealous watchdog community online and that these things become viral news events [news that quickly spreads via Internet sharing and email] almost instantaneously,” says Brokaw. News of ethical breaches is no longer confined to one geographic area or to trade circles. “That means the falls are much bigger and more dramatic, and I think it means that there’s an expectation for… immediate repentance and explanation. You have to take action to stem the roar of outrage in a way I don’t think you had to before.” Journalism professor Lanson agrees the growing and vocal online community “is serving as a checks and balances system. If you alter a photo, you’d better be careful, because you have 12 million bloggers in the U.S. alone who are watching you.” And many of them have cell phone cameras snapping their own photos for comparison, he adds. This new environment may have stark ramifications for journalists and news consumers. Niwa gives advice to readers: “I think news consumers should start to talk about [digital manipulation]. They should say it’s wrong. They should demand their newspapers have a higher standard.” After all, where does it end? Lanson suggests “a slippery slope” may come into play; what may begin with ‘enhancement’ may end in fabrication. Journalists, too, will have to adapt. “Journalists have to operate under a new set of rules,” offers Brokaw, “to work really hard to prove to their readers that they are, in fact, truthful.” E 25 Expression Winter 2007

Notable Expressions FILM

C. Leschinsky/IFC

Marc Fusco ’05 edited, codirected and produced the film After Roberto, which was named International Award Winner at the Genova Film Festival in Italy. The film, about an American man pursued through northern

Laura Kightlinger ’86

Italy while confronting personal demons as well as real-life threats, was highlighted during the festival’s closing night ceremonies. In conjunction with the festival and in recognition for their work on After Roberto, the filmmakers were awarded honorary

membership in the Italian Art and Cultural Society. The film has received several other honors, including: 2nd Place Best Feature Film, ReelHeART International Film Festival, Toronto; winner of the People’s Choice Award for Best Foreign Film, Delray Beach Film Festival; nominated for Judge’s Choice for Best Director at the 2005 FAIF International Film Festival, Hollywood; and Official Selection, Tiburon International Film Festival, Calif.

with a gay man leads friends and family to suspect he, too, is gay. The film is directed by Stewart Wade and stars the Oscar-nominated Sally Kirkland, Jonathan Silverman (ABC’s upcoming In Case of Emergency, Weekend at Bernie’s), Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life, Noah’s Arc), Deborah Gibson (Beauty & the Beast, Cabaret), Elaine Hendrix (Parent Trap), and Jason Stuart (A Day Without a Mexican, ABC’s My Wife and Kids).

TELEVISION

A film by Chris Smalley ’93, Just Your Average Arab, had its premiere at last year’s Plymouth Independent Film Festival. Smalley co-produced the film with Raouf Zaki. The 20-minute film responds to stereotypes about Arab-Americans and is meant to be a comedy that provokes thought, says Smalley.

Brian Smith ’95 works as director and supervising producer of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, a program that invites viewers to watch contestants push themselves to lose weight. Smith is not new to the world of reality TV: his directing credits include Big Brother, Joe Millionaire, Beauty and the Geek and many others.

Producer Cindy Peters ’98 celebrated the Hollywood premiere of her feature film Coffee Date at the historic Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. The film opened in limited release nationally last fall. This year it will also screen in at least 25 film festivals across the country. Coffee Date is about a man (played by Jonathan Bray) whose life spins out of control when an unexpected friendship

Laura Kightlinger ’86 starred in a show on the Independent Film Channel that garnered a lot of attention. Kightlinger played the title role in the new series, The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman. Kightlinger was also the show’s creator,

A scene from the film After Roberto, which was produced and co-directed by Marc Fusco ’05.

David Richwine, MA ’96

Dot Joyce ’98

executive producer and co-writer. At Emerson Kightlinger found kindred spirits in a comedy troupe called This is Pathetic. Matt Michnovetz ’94 has penned several episodes of the Emmy-winning Fox series 24, now starting its sixth season. Jeff Daniels ’02 directed a Food Network docu-reality series called Ace of Cakes, starring celebrity chef Duff Goldman. Alumni Matt Carr ’03 and Justin Gunari ’05 also worked on the production.

THEATER David Richwine, MA ’96, is Theatre Harrisburg’s new managing director. He was a board member of Theater Harrisburg and chaired its marketing committee for the last three years. Richwine is a freelance writer and marketing consultant in York, Pa. Richwine has also performed on stage for the theater, most recently

in its 2005 production of Inherit the Wind. As managing director, Richwine will oversee many of the financial and marketing aspects of the nonprofit theater.

Testimony” was installed at San Francisco’s Sargent Johnson Gallery in the African American Art and Culture Complex.

Ian Seeberg ’69 was recently the subject of a profile in the Wall Street Journal called “How to Succeed in Business Musicals.” Seeberg, who composes, writes the lyrics for and directs musical theater for corporate events, was described as “the Irving Berlin of corporate theater.”

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has hired Fox 25 Morning News producer Dot Joyce ’98 to be his new press secretary, reported the Boston Globe. Joyce was segment producer and

POLITICS

organized political coverage for the newscast. She was at the station for almost eight years. “Dot’s experience in broadcast journalism and her insight into the news industry will be a terrific asset to my administration,” Mayor Menino said in a release. “I look forward to working closely with her as we continue to move Boston forward.”

ART It was in an Emerson lighting design class in the 1970s that Stephanie Anne Johnson ’74 “discovered the medium that continues to inspire her as a theatrical lighting designer and artist,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Her latest one-woman art show, “Art Theater, Legacy and

The Biggest Loser (above) is an NBC program staffed by Brian Smith ’95, director and supervising producer.

Alumni Digest Los Angeles

A message from the president of the Alumni Association One of my favorite quotes is from Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises: “Never be daunted. Secret of my success, never been daunted. Never been daunted in public.” This seems like the

Peter Loge ’87

perfect quote for Emerson College. As students we all plowed ahead on the assumption that something would work, and it generally did. Similarly, Emerson has continued undaunted. The College helped revitalize a section of Boston, has built stunning new facilities, is creating remarkable new spaces for learning and living, and, most importantly, continues to attract undauntable students. This undauntableness (with apologies to Professor Lindgren for inventing new words) carries over to Emerson alumni as well. From the Class of 1987, Brett Dewey left a career in television writing and started WickedCoolStuff.com, a website

that offers some of the most amazing merchandise available online. Andrew Kline decided that human trafficking was reprehensible so he got a job at the Department of Justice and is prosecuting the largest trafficking case in U.S. history. Deb Klein’s success has come via the music industry. She’s been a music attorney, headed her own independent label, and was just named general manager of a new record label. Michael Boothroyd gave up a career in management and is a professional actor in New York. Max Mutchnick changed the face of television by creating Will & Grace. Other classmates are teachers, social workers, actors, producers and entrepreneurs. They are

doing countless things to shape our communities, our industries and our world. All are venturing forth on the assumption that something will work, because something usually does. This absence of ‘dauntedness’ may be the best shared lesson we all took away from Emerson. Please take a minute to go to www.EmersonAlumni. com and tell us where you are, how you are tackling your world as a parent, a teacher, a writer, an entrepreneur, and so on. And take a moment to contribute what you can to the Annual Fund. I look forward to seeing all of you at Alumni Weekend – June 1-3, 2007. – Peter Loge ’87

The Office of Alumni Relations and the Southern California Alumni Association chapter hosted “Emerson on Location: Getting Down to Business” in November at the Hotel Le Meridien in Los Angeles. The program was the first professional development event in a series that will bring successful Emerson College alumni into contact with other alumni and stu-

At the “Writing for TV” event were (from left) Dawn Lambertsen-Kelly ’93, Myra Jo Martino ’94, Marc Dube ’91, Stephen Scaia ’98 and David Levinson ’97. Not pictured is John Mankiewicz (parent ’09).

Los Angeles dents. More than 60 alumni and several students attended two different panel presentations, “Reality TV” and “Writing for TV.” The audience heard from Emerson experts who are writing, producing, and directing. Those attending participated in lively Q&A sessions after the presentations and networked with both old and new friends.

At the “Reality TV” event were Tara Sandler ’84, Gia Galligani ’98, Jay Bienstock ’87, Mark Stewart ’77 (president of the Southern California Alumni Association chapter) and Vin Di Bona ’66.

Six Degrees of Emerson College begins with you

Boston

Alumni Weekend 2007 June 1-3 Come and bring six alumni friends Enjoy • Alumni Boat Cruise • The new Campus Center and Gym • The Boston Pops • Crossroads • Alumni and Faculty Brunch • Alumni Live Auction • Party at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel • Celebrate WECB’s 60th anniversary All classes ending in 2’s and 7’s are celebrating anniversary milestones this year www.emersonalumni.com 1-800-255-4259

Members of GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) hosted the second annual Halloween Happy Hour at the Bell in Hand Tavern in Boston in the fall. From left to right (back row): Sara Brookshire ’05, Maureen Giles ’05, Stacey Cate ’06, Kim Cowser ’06, Kristen Belcher ’05, Nicole Witkov ’03. Front row: Cori Mykoff ’03 and Marsha MacEachern ’00/’02G.

Members of the Student Alumni Association and Greater Boston Chapter of Alumni met this past fall at Blue Hill Place in Dorchester to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity lowincome families.

Alumni enjoyed bowling at Lucky Strike in Hollywood in November. About 50 alumni participated in the event.

Calendar of events for 2007

Boston

February 23 San Francisco Alumni Event, Location TBA

Alpha Pi Theta celebrates 60th Anniversary, 1946-2006 The Brotherhood of Alpha Pi Theta celebrated the 60th anniversary of its incorporation at Emerson College this past fall with a prodigious reunion of brothers in Boston. After an emotional and zealous gathering off-campus on Friday night, more than 100 Theta alumni and active brothers descended upon Emerson’s Bill Bordy Theater and Audi-

Scholarship Luncheon Each fall students who have received scholarships gather to meet their benefactors over a meal. The Zacharis Scholars (from left) are: Matt Muller, Sarah Aaskov, Shanaugh McGoldrick (rear), Jen Boyden, Marillyn Zacharis (donor), Tom Plasse, Jade Applegate, Scott McGowan (rear) and Tyler Ashley. The funders in attendance were Zacharis, Barry O’Brien (Tom Shovan

March date TBD Emerson College Authors Celebrate March 14-19 Visiting Artist-in-Residence at Emerson College Karen Finley March 19 Greater Boston: resume, cover letter, networking workshop

Alpha Pi Theta brothers gathered on campus in the fall.

torium on Saturday morning for a brunch and formal ceremony to pay tribute to and celebrate 60 years of Theta brotherhood, trust and love. Alpha Pi Theta alumni

who would like to be on the Theta contact list are invited to contact Bruce Fowler ’82 at mainejeepman@yahoo.com.

Scholarship; recipient Lisa Clemente); Mitzi and Mel Kutchin (Mitzi and Mel Kutchin Scholarship for Communication Disorders; recipient Jessica Gutai); Jan and Jim Coppersmith; and Carolyn and Larry Rasky (S. James Coppersmith Journalism Scholarship; recipients Sammy Newman-Beck and Elias Feldman); and Barbara Rutberg (Barbara Rutberg Graduate Scholarship in Creative Writing).

Young scholars gather with Marillyn Zacharis (center).

March 23 New York Connection March 29 7th Annual Los Angeles Festival of Film and Video April 14 Greater Boston: Emerson Day of Service event April 19-21 54th Annual Spring Musical: On the Town

Boston Alumna/PR guru delivers annual Mann Stearns Distinguished Lecture Internationally recognized public relations consultant Kathie Berlin ’65, whose list of clients and friends

Boston reads like a who’s who of entertainment and politics, delivered the 2006 Irma Mann Stearns Distinguished Lecture at Emerson College in December. Berlin’s talk was attended by more

June 1-3 Alumni Weekend June 15 Greater Boston: Red Sox vs. San Francisco Giants

For more information on upcoming events, visit www.emersonalumni.com or call Alumni Relations at 617-824-8535.

Left to right are President Jacqueline Liebergott, Kathie Berlin ’65, Irma Mann Stearns ’67 and Janis Andersen.

than 100 students, faculty, staff and invited guests. She began her career as a movie studio publicist and public relations firm staff member after earning a degree in theater arts from Emerson. She now runs her own company and is collaborating with Gloria Steinem to create the first women’s national radio network. The annual lecture is named for Irma Mann Stearns, an Emerson College alumna, former board of trustees chair and a leader in Boston’s public relations and marketing community.

Men’s Basketball Coach Hank Smith and former longtime Athletics Director Jim Peckham were honored in the fall for the enduring influence they have each had on Emerson athletics and alumni. A plaque in honor of Smith and his family was installed at the College’s new gymnasium. A plaque in honor of Peckham was installed near the trainer’s room.

Hank Smith is flanked by admirers during the dedication of a space in the Athletics Department in Smith’s name. In the front row are (from left) Bob Morris ’89, Alex Tse ’98, Hank Smith, Shawn McCullion ’97, Tony Wyzzard ’95 and Juan Figueroa. In the back row are (from left) Ken LaFlamme ’97, Ben Arnold ’98, Bruce Seals and John Karalis ’96.

Former Emerson coach and athletics director Jim Peckham and his wife, Jean Peckham, attended the dedication in October.

Florida More than 130 alumni, parents and early action-accepted students attended a brunch at Woodfield Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla., in January. The event was hosted by Jan (‘69) and Jeff Greenhawt ‘68. The featured speaker, Kevin Bright ‘76, co-creator and executive producer of the television’s Friends spoke about “What’s So Funny? Teaching the Art of Television Comedy.”

Class Notes

Help us nail down your e-mail address!

1939

Are you receiving e-mail announcements for events and the monthly electronic newsletter?

Richard Coogan began his career in television, radio and film on the staff of CBS in 1945 (“when there were only 13 TV sets in New York City”). He runs a monthly golf tournament to benefit abused children at the McKinley Home in San Dimas, Calif.

To update your contact information and e-mail, contact alumni@emerson.edu; 800-255-4259 Register at www.emersonalumni.com Locate your ID number above your name and address on the mailing label of this magazine.

1957

Access all the tools you need to keep in touch: an interactive events calendar, Alumni Association chapter pages, discussion boards, and more. Feeling out of touch? Upload a class note or update your profile online.

From left, are Jan Greenhawt ’69, President Jacqueline Liebergott, Gayle Carson ’59 and Barry O’Brien ’70.

New York

A Holiday Leadership Party was held in December in New York City at the Cut and Run Studio, which is owned by Board of Overseers member Chuck Willis ’79, whose son, Zach, is a sophomore at Emerson. Hosted by President Liebergott, the event attracted more than 50 alumni, parents and friends.

Joan (Cappel) Matteson just had two short stories published, one in the New Authors Journal and the other in Storyteller magazine.

We Can’t Reach You... Log on to the new Emerson Alumni online community and register today.

Demetra Dalapas Tims and husband Bob were elected to the board of the Universal Round Dance Council.

1960 Bernie Sweet retired as operating vice president of Arby’s Roast Beef Restaurant (Unit 85). He and wife Leni are busy as professional volunteers and as travelers. Their daughter,

Representing Emerson College

College trustee Judy Huret, MA ’69, with husband Bob, represented Emerson College last fall at the installation of Cornell University’s new president, David Skorton.

Haley, is a production supervisor for film in California, daughter Shari is a professional caterer in Nashville and sons Adam and Steven are developing a new business.

Brian Frazer ’86, MA ’88, has written a memoir, Hyper-Chondriac: One Man’s Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down, to be published by Atria Books (a division of Simon and Schuster) in March 2007. Brian writes for Esquire magazine and ESPN the magazine. He also has a monthly column in Los Angeles magazine.

1965 Judith Binder, who lives in Boca Raton, Fla., is a retired English teacher. She writes: “Emerson was the love of my life. I cherish every moment of my years at Emerson. I am so proud to be a graduate.”

1968 Steve Bluestein’s play, When One is Gone, has just been optioned for Broadway by Producer Ted Siefman. Pre-production is expected to begin in 2007. Steve would love to hear from Emersonians at http://web.mac.com/stevebluestein3. Dallas Mayr’s novel The Lost has been made into a film, which is playing the festival circuit.

Maureen Cronin ’87 has published a book called Go Faster Go: Memoir of a Friend (Authorhouse). The story focuses on Maureen’s friend Rosemary Flanagan, who has beat insurmountable odds, surviving non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 15. Maureen donates a portion of the proceeds to Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital Breast Cancer Unit in Manhattan.

1969

1971

Arthur Aaron Levine spent 10 years writing and farming in the Smoky Mountains, one year in Israel learning Aramaic, and the next 15 years obtaining a Ph.D. in anthropology. He is living in Bucks County, Pa., and leads workshops in recovery based on Shamanic principles.

Carl Zukroff has been appointed director of publications/internal marketing for Boston’s Museum of Science. Carl joined the museum’s staff in 2000.

Thomas Guganig retired from Emerson College on Oct. 27, 2006, after 25 years. He is now living in Monroe, N.H., watching birds and taking walks. He says he will miss the students and colleagues he has worked with over the years and thanks everyone who sent cards, gifts and good wishes. Ellen Halbreich Levy works at Westminster High School teaching English and reading to all ages. Both of her daughters are married. Ellen has two grandchildren, Sophie, 4, and Sammy, 9 months. She is still doing sign language interpretation and has been happily married for 35 years.

1972 Barbara Case is part of a singing group called The Free Range Chix [the name was misspelled in the last issue of Expression].

1974 Jeff Rosen has spent the last three years supporting the U.S. Missile Defense Agency as a learning technologies consultant to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Jeff creates training strategies for “the guys whose fingers are on the Big Button.” He says, “Just imagine an FLP veteran in the rocket & warhead biz! Feeling safer? You darn well should.” Michal Stump operates a bed and breakfast out of his home in State College, Pa. He has two children, Lucy, 16, and

In Memoriam 1945 Mary E. Hodgman of Bristol, R.I. 1946 Betty A. Crispin of Springfield, Pa. 1954 Lorelle (Poulin) Lawlor of Reading, Mass. 1958 Tobi Ann Vitale of Brookline, Mass. 1959 Edward Clifton Smith of Arundel, Maine. 1960 Gloria McCool of Newington, Conn. 1961 Arthur D. Schiff of Coral Springs, Fla. 1965 Eliot Harris Cohen of Mashpee, Mass. 1969 Jean A. Walker of Penacook, N.H. 1971 June S. Marmer of Peabody, Mass. 1989 Anne-Marie Martin of Salem, Mass. 1990 Robert T. Rodgers of Franklin, Mass. 1999 Marc A. Kaplan of Atlanta, Ga. 1999 Jacob P. McKechnie of Avon, Mass.

Sam, 15. He works in the Penn State Univ. Survey Research Center and teaches water fitness, yoga and tai chi. Friends can reach him at michalst@ comcast.net.

1976 After a decade as a senior sales executive for Time Warner Cable in New York City, Bruce Angeli has accepted the posi-

tion of managing director-NY, Strategic Accounts, Internet Broadcasting Systems. Alan Tulin has joined the cast of the long-running Off Broadway show, Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding. He plays the role of Vinnie Black, the master of ceremonies. The show has been running for 18 years. Its current home is Sophia’s on West 46th Street.

Myra Martino ’94 is engaged to Scott Van Essen (read more under Class of 1994 listings).

Russel A. Schooler ’90 has been named project manager of The Salins Group, one of Charlotte’s (N.C.) premier custom home builders.

Richard Keller ’77 works in the shopping center development industry (read more in the Class of 1977 section).

1977 Richard Keller has been involved in the shopping center development industry for many years and has been living in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with his family for 16 years. Richard and wife Tina have two children, Lucy, 11, and Alex, who is a freshman at Emerson. Richard says he looks forward to seeing his classmates at the 30th Reunion in June. Mark Stewart continues to practice law in Los Angeles. He recently celebrated his 26th wedding anniversary with Lynn Ann Leveridge. Their daughter, Colleen, graduated from Occidental College last year and their other daughter, Molly, is in her second year at U.C. Santa Cruz. Mark is president of Emerson’s Southern California alumni chapter. He encourages all members of the Class of ’77 to save the dates June 1-3, 2007, to return to Boston for the 30th Class Reunion.

1978 Elise (Pearl) Oliver is keeping busy raising her 14- and 11year-old children, David and Jenny. She has a part-time

psychotherapy practice in Morristown, N.J. “Where have all the years gone?” she writes.

1979 Elizabeth Temkin has been in remission from breast cancer since 1995. She has performed in the Belly Room at the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. A number of her jokes were published in a book called Joke Stew (under her maiden name, Liz Sells). She also recently accepted a position as training coordinator/learning and development at Time Warner Cable in Westchester, Calif.

1980 David Beris joined the Broadway History company for the final month of The History Boys, as part of the stage management team. David has been a proud member of Actor’s Equity for more than 20 years. He and his partner just celebrated 26 years together. He is now touring with Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life as a stage manager.

Catherine Miller Bailey ’80, MA ’99, and husband Gregg welcomed their first child, Anna Carolyn, on Aug. 30, 2006. They live in Dorchester, Mass. Mark Overton has been working steadily as an IATSE production carpenter, touring the country and working on Broadway. He currently is head carpenter on Wicked on Broadway and has been since its inception.

1983 Franklin Gorrell led a class for his fellow CPAs called “SOX 404 Compliance: A How-To Guide” in Newton, Mass., and would like to continue to teach.

1985 Robert J. Weinstein has been producing for almost 20 years and has directed more than 40 productions all over New York City. Rob has worked as a television technician for CNN, MTV, ESPN, Food Network and others. He has connected with many Emersonians over the years such as Steve Valardi, Charlie Bonin, Dana Burkhardt, Don Walden, Marc Foner, Mike Torrello and Julie Banderas.

1987 Jonathan Blum is married to Barbara Spindel, has two children, Nathan and Lucy, and maintains studio space in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Barry Friedman ’93 and Valerie Gates-Brown ’88 are the Emmy Award-winning design team (see work above) of the Bostonbased Gates Studio. They create integrated branding and design for nonprofit and for-profit companies.

Go Faster Go: Memoir of a Friend is Maureen H. Cronin’s new novel (AuthorHouse). Maureen has worked for advertising firms and several internationally known companies in New York. She is a senior copy editor for a market research firm.

John F. Gannon is director of photography on the recently released film Improbable Collapse. The film explores the puzzling collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. John completed the film with his recently formed company, Connect the Dots LLC, which investigates the unanswered questions behind 9/11.

Lori Fresina is senior vice president and director of M+R’s new Boston office. Lori has developed expertise in community mobilization strategies, regional collaborations, grassroots development and public health communication for a political audience. In 2002, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Jaycees named her as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Leaders” of the year.

Lewis Howe is an injury prevention coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Lewis wants others to know about the fabulous partnership the DPH has with Emerson’s graduate program in health communication. To learn more, visit www.childrenssafetynetwork.org. After 18 years in the e-film/ video industry, Mitchell Rosenwald opened his own production company, Magic Box Films, which produces commercials and branding videos, both long and short format.

Swolen Monkey Showcase alumni Melissa Rosenfield ’93 and Paul Starke ’95 were engaged last summer. Alums Shawn Gauthier ’96, Mary C. Matthews ’96, Jen Falik ’96, Anthony Atamanuik ’97 and Serra Hirsch ’94 attended their surprise engagement party. They plan to wed in June 2007. Paul is a senior producer at CNN and Melissa works in Olympics and Sports at NBC/ Universal.

1989 Susan (McAlarney) Gerdeman was married this year in Stockholm, Sweden, where her husband, Rasmus, was born and raised. They now have a daughter, Solange. Susan is national education executive for Chanel Inc. The couple live in New York City. Susan would love to hear from classmates or past members of the Emerson Comedy Workshop. After 15 years in retail management, Russel Gannon has returned to his first love as a weekend DJ for 92.5, “Boston’s Independent Radio.” Mike Isenberg is coordinating producer at Fox Sports Net Detroit. He comes to Michigan after nearly 10 years at ESPN. Mike, wife Elizabeth, and children Zachary and Alexandra are loving life in the Midwest. Mike would love to hear from

Bonnie Comley, MA ’94, is proud to announce the birth of twin sons, Frankie and Lennie, born Aug. 14, 2006.

Jeanine Kabrich recently accepted an anchor position at WNOX in Knoxville, Tenn. She is also in the Ph.D. program at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Kristen (Thompson) Moriarty and husband Dan recently celebrated 10 years of marriage. They have four children, a 5-year-old daughter, two 3-year-old twin girls, and a 9month-old son. Kristen loved working as a graphic designer in Boston and Los Angeles before becoming a mom and says “Hello” to long-lost Emerson friends. Cynthia (Cyndi) Ross is a happily divorced makeup artist. She is a member of the Minuteman Project, a national citizen organization striving to bring national awareness to U.S. immigration law enforcement. She still enjoys assisting in any way she can with the music industry, helping singers with their demo recordings and so on.

1990 Gina Davis recently had a baby.

1991 Nathan C. Walker ’98 expects to be ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in January 2007 in New York City.

1994

classmates at MikeIsenberg@ foxsports.net.

Andy Cook and wife Mindy celebrated the birth of their first child, Theresa Margaret, on June 16, 2006. She was the first girl born in the Cook family in more than two generations. Andy is a computer

Josh Knauer ’87 married Tracy on Sept. 17 in Montpelier, Vt. Josh is the on-air personality at WORK-FM (101.7) in Barre and can be reached at knauernvr@charter.net. From left are: Kathi Schaeffer ’87, Jen Cattin ’85, Ellen Bosch (Dolgins) ’86, Tracy, Jo Lee Miller ’98 and wife Arlene recently had a baby boy, Max David Miller. Lee also made it to the quarterfinals of the prestigious Nicholls Screenwriting Fellowship, which is sponsored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He also finished his feature film, Tween, which is now off to film festivals.

operations analyst at Iron Mountain Corp. in Boston. He left the radio business after 11 years but continues to work part-time at WFNX-FM in Boston with colleagues Jeff Turton ’79 and Mike Adams ’90.

1992 Steve Callahan received his M.B.A. from Suffolk University and bought his first house, in Braintree, Mass. He and wife Deb are expecting their first baby in April. Steve works as a project manager at Investors Bank and Trust in Boston and would love to hear from classmates at Steve_R_Eno@ yahoo.com. Tim Good, MA ’92, earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in the Department of Communication and Theater at DePauw University. He and his wife, Caroline, have five children. Tim just directed a Peking Opera

production of The Orphan of Chao. He would enjoy hearing from fellow Emersonians.

1993 Dawn Lambertsen and her husband welcomed their first baby, Sandra Katharine Kelly, on Nov. 4, 2006. The Breast Cancer Diaries, a feature documentary about Ann Murray Paige’s (MA ’93), nine-month battle with breast cancer, screened at the New England Film and Video Festival last fall. Ann is a former news reporter and anchor and a frequent contributor to Maine PBS. Ann was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38. Adam Pierce and wife Emily are about to have a baby boy. Adam owns a company with Alex Cohn ’92 called Charged Animation.

Myra Martino is a staff writer for ABC’s new hit TV show Ugly Betty. She was engaged in August to Scott Van Essen. They hope to be married in April. Catlin McCarthy, MA ’94, won the Mafiafest 2006 screenplay competition with her play Vera. The play is based on a true story about a WWII resistance fighter in Czechoslovakia. Oscar-nominated director Matia Karrell has shown interest in McCarthy’s script Free Skate. John Moore and Myra Salapare are proud to announce the birth of their twin girls, Mila Germaine and Sophia Ligaya, on Nov. 15, 2006. Meg Rains received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Vermont College in 2005. She married Jeffrey Babbitt of Chicago in May 2006.

Her poems were recently published in Arts & Letters: A Journal of Contemporary Culture, and she recently began work as assistant director of membership at the Mies van der Rohe Society in Chicago.

1995 Camille Solari and Michael Madsen have signed on for the film thriller Money to Burn, directed by Roger Mende. The film follows an aspiring hip-hop group that gets mixed up in a counterfeiting scandal. Mauria Carradine also stars.

1996 Julia Quigley Bender and Andrew Bender were married on Sept. 16, 2006, in Penthouse 15, New York. They currently reside in New York City. Class of ’96 alums in attendance included Marylynn Jayme Schotland, Casey Davis and Jen Henrickson. Joshua Finn says having a wedding in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina was stressful, but they felt they had to do their part

Sarah (Ommen) Simons ’99 and Andrew Ommen are proud to announce the birth of Zachary David.

to bring people back. He says with New Orleans’ music, culture and food it turned out to be the perfect place. Chris Jennings, senior producer at Beam Interactive, will be launching MINIUSA. com for Beam’s client, MINI USA.

1997 Heather Watkins is working on a community project that will give greater awareness to the mobility-impaired by increasing access to area businesses. Her efforts were recently written up in the Roslindale (Mass.) Transcript.

Attending the wedding of Jake Capistron ’02 and Kyla Englert ’01 in Boston on Oct. 6, 2006, were Seth Dolan ’03, Meghann Burns ’03, Dave Vottero ’03, Jason DeNagy ’02, Ethan Lader ’02, Michael Drazin ’04, Justine Cook ’01, Mike Torello ’01, Morgan Foehl ’02, Jessica Jordan ’02, Jessica Lowrey ’02 and Shelly Kapitulik ’02.

Cecilia Lee ’00 and Joseph Kim ’00 are proud to announce the birth of Matthias Tae Young, on Aug. 31, 2005, in New York City.

Johnmichael Rossi ’03 is part of a group of Emersonians who moved to New York City and founded a new theater ensemble, Newfangled TheatReR. Their third production opened in the fall in the East Village. Members include David Kane ’03, Seth Reich ’03, Ashleigh Beyer ’03 and Jason F. Williams ’05.

Evelyn Holmer, Esq., graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in May 2006, where she was editor-in-chief of the C-M Journal of Law and Health. She is practicing corporate law in Cleveland.

Rebecca-Starr Price (Butler) and D. Rian Butler are happy to announce their marriage on Oct. 23, 2005, in Boston. They honeymooned in Italy and France.

receive the “starving artist” discount. Just send an email to Lauren@laurenpaigeoriginals. com.

2001

Tara Sapienza was recently promoted to senior desktop publisher at Dow Jones & Co. in New York City.

Scott Gurian received an Edward R. Murrow National Award for the work he has done since assuming the role of news director for public radio station KGOU. The Murrow Awards honor outstanding achievements in electronic journalism. His piece, “Catfish Noodling,” introduces listeners to the sport of catching giant catfish with one’s bare hands.

Jason Clough is in his fourth year with WNCN-TV/NBC-17 in Raleigh, N.C. He is chief assignment editor and has received close to a dozen NBC Ovation Awards. He writes: “I recently closed on a home that I purchased with my girlfriend. The home was built from the ground up.”

Daniel Sbrega and Melissa Dallon ’00 were married in 2004 and live in New York. Dan recently launched Uncle Lefty Film & Music Representation. Melissa works in the marketing department of The Journal News.

2000 1998 Cindy Peters’ film Coffee Date had its official red carpet premiere Nov. 1, 2006, in Hollywood. The film stars Wilson Cruz, Jonathan Silverman, Sally Kirkland, and Jason Stuart and is directed by Stewart Wade.

1999 David Ben Herosian has a new job as a communication specialist at Great West Life in Canada. He is also continuing to work as an author with Lilyfield & Co.

As seniors at Emerson in 1999 Jonathan Block and Kai Pradel co-founded College Publisher, online publishing software for student newspapers. The software is now used by more than 450 student newspapers. Jonathan and Kai’s company has just been bought by MTV Network’s mtvU, where Jonathan now serves as director of online development. Samuel Presti has been promoted to vice president/assistant general manager of the San Antonio Spurs. Sam started as an intern with the Spurs in the summer of 2000. He has since risen to special assistant, assistant director of scouting and director of player personnel. In September 2005 he was promoted to assistant general manager.

Jon Gursha just moved back to Los Angeles and works at CBS Radio Los Angeles as an account executive at 94.7 The Wave. Colleen Bradley-MacArthur ’01 and Timothy MacArthur ’00 are happy to announce their marriage on July 29, 2006, in Gloucester, Mass. Emerson alums and employees in attendance included Alicia Carlson ’02, Justin Solomon ’02, Amanda O’Donnell ’02, Ana Pereira Howell, Joe Keras, Bill Travers ’01, Meghan Knight ’04, Katie Bliss ’01, Jessica (Griffeth) McMahon ’02, Michael Koualis and Michael Torello ’01. Lauren Savage (formerly Gruet) has started her own accessory line called Lauren Paige Originals. All current students and alumni can

2003

Eric Frishman recently accepted a position in the Productions Department at United Staging and Rigging located in Canton, Mass. He is also production manager for New England Conservatory of Music’s Opera Program, which performs at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Josef Henschen and Susan Freeman were married on Aug. 13, 2005, in Atlanta, Ga. Matthew O’Dette ’03 was a groomsman. Susan is an admissions officer at the Westminster Schools (a private K-12), and Josef is an audiovisual systems designer for Newcomb & Boyd, a consulting engineering firm. Betsy Morgan has been cast as a swing for all six female roles in the new musical High Fidelity, which opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theater on Dec.7, 2006. Joanna (Joey) Watson just finished her second season as a production assistant on the new PBS children’s show FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman.

2004 Kimberly Byda, MA ’04, is the private events coordinator at Foundation Lounge in Boston. After graduating, Sarah Harris went back to California and worked in product placement and marketing for a major video game publisher. But she always wanted to own her own business and knew that her obsession with fashion would one day turn into a business venture. She now owns and operates LADuchess.com. She is giving Emerson students a special 20% discount by entering promotional code EMERSON before checkout. Stefanie Preston has been working as the office coordinator for the writers of the TV show Monk since graduating in 2004. Anne Reeder led a class at Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy’s new Performance Art Center with Benicio Del Toro. Eddy Vallante has been working on The Sopranos for the past year and a half. He is an assistant to two producers. Production for the show is in New York but Eddy works in the editorial department in Los Angeles.

2005 Jonathan Brauninger is employed as a post-production coordinator on the Dr. Phil Show.

Right after graduating, Theresa Melito began working at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre as box office manager. She is choreographing a cabaret show. She will also be directing and choreographing Once Upon a Mattress with the Theatre Company in Saugus. Former Emerson professor Leo Nickole will be producing the show. Matthew Turner has joined the Peace Corps. In August he left for Kazakhstan, where he will be spending 27 months studying Russian and starting a school theater club. Friends can reach him at inthehat9@ gmail.com.

Chris Re ’04 married longtime sweetheart Melissa Philbrook on Oct. 7, 2006. The ceremony took place at sunset on Clearwater Beach, Fla. The happy couple resides in Marblehead, Mass. Chris teaches TV production and new media at Wakefield High School and Melissa is studying at North Shore Community College in Lynn, Mass.

2006 Eric Meltzer is a news videographer in Charlottesville, Va. He also continues to volunteer for New Tang Dynasty TV remotely. He is helping to prepare for their Chinese New Year Spectacular. After graduating with her master’s in theater education in 2006, Gail Phaneuf immediately began work producing her new musical, Monsters – which was the subject of her master thesis – and a 2005 Rod Parker Playwriting finalist at Emerson. Monsters was presented last fall in Boston.

Kristen Modesitt-Dukes ’04 and Douglas Dukes were married July 3, 2006, in Meredith, N.H. Emersonians in attendance (all members of the Class of 2004) were Christine Morissette, Chris Pearson, Lisa Pastella, Sue Redman, Chris O’Neill, Samantha Bond, Eddie Jones, Vanessa Leon, Amber Haskins, Ben Fuller, Courtney Bottomley, Stefanie Tovar, Liz Carbonell, Ronny Pompeo, Dorothy Blyskal and Darcie Champagne (not pictured).

My Turn All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Basketball Practice Shawn McCullion ’97 learns lessons from a legendary coach Seven Emersonians work on the crew of Dancing with the Stars. Four of them are pictured here (from left): Jessica Jensen ’06, office/set PA; Erin Pineau ’06, office/set PA; Casey Davis ’96, script supervisor; and Adam Mishler ’06, script coordinator.

Colleen Bradley-MacArthur ’01 and Timothy MacArthur ’00 were married last July (read more under Class of 2001 listings).

Where Are You And What are You Doing New job? Received an award? Recently engaged or married? New baby? Moving? Recently ran into a long-lost classmate? Let us know. Use this form to submit your news or send it to Barbara_Rutberg@emerson.edu; 1-800-255-4259; fax: 1-617-824-7807. You can also submit Class Notes online at www.emersonalumni.com.

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Mail to: Class Notes, Emerson College, Office of Alumni Relations, 120 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116-4624

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We also practiced outside. Amid I’ve always said basketball is a metamorning traffic, people performing phor for life. Lessons learned between deep-breathing exercises and the ROTC the four black lines of a court can be conducting military-like training 10 feet transferred to other parts of life when from the outdoor courts, you would one walks out the gym door. The sport find the Emerson men’s basketball is dependent on teamwork and shies away from individualism. It teaches dis- program practicing in the Fenway area, without coaches, at 6 a.m., as recently cipline, work ethic and working toward as last year. (The College celebrated the accomplishing a common goal. opening of the first gymnasium in its But to truly grasp these lessons history in the fall of 2006.) of paramount importance, a basketball How did a program like Emerplayer needs to have the right teacher. son’s compete against schools like Thankfully at Emerson College we have Colby College, Wesleyan University and Hank Smith. Williams College? The answer is easy; For the past 12 years Coach Smith we had Coach Smith and they didn’t. has been on the sidelines for the Lions. When a team faces as much daily Along the way, his teams have comadversity as we did, it is easy to make peted in eight league championship excuses. It’s simple to lower your games, won almost 200 regular season standards because it is so difficult to games, been to the Eastern College complete the most trivial task. Coach Athletic Conference finals against WilSmith never allowed his program to be liams College and two other post-sea“dumbed” down because of the unique son tournaments, been voted the most conditions we had to deal with every improved team in New England, and gained a reputation in athletic circles as day. We were forced to face adversity. And we are all better people because of one of the most competitive teams in this. the country to play. Coach Smith’s playThis is why Sam Presti, Alex Tse ers have gone on to amazing careers off and Rob Hennigan all credit Coach the court, including one former player Smith for preparing them for their who is now a major Hollywood screenprofessional careers. Presti is now vice writer and another who is an NBA vice president/assistant general manager president. for the San Antonio Spurs at 29 years As remarkable as his record is old. Hennigan is 24 and a basketball at Emerson, what’s most astounding operations assistant and one of just is that the program has had 12 differfour front-office staff for the Spurs as ent home gyms in those years. We’ve well. And Alex Tse is 29 and a screenplayed home games at such places as writer whose work includes Showtime’s the Chinatown YMCA, East Boston Sucker Free City, directed by Spike Lee. High School, Boston Medical Center They all credit the Emerson basand Boston Latin, to name just a few. ketball program and specifically Coach Smith for preparing them for their careers. They embrace teamwork and shy away from individualism. They are disciplined, have a tremendous work ethic and know how to work toward accomplishing a common goal.

Shawn McCullion ’97

They still imagine themselves between the four black lines of a basketball court. Coach Smith still has a whistle around his neck. They have been prepared for almost any adversity that comes their way by a wonderful teacher who happens to be a basketball coach. For the past 12 years, Shawn McCullion ’97 has been involved in the Emerson basketball program as a player, opposing coach, fan and now assistant coach on the bench with Hank Smith.

What a character! Emerson student Nikki Muller embodies quirky and wacky characters for her roles in an all-studentproduced sketch comedy television series. She is part of a group of enterprising students who are producing the show on campus and hope to take it even further. See story on page 6.

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