MEDAILLE COLLEGE MAGAZINE WINTER 2005
HONORS SCHOLARSHIPS STUDENT PROFILE CAMPUS KUDOS NEWS & NOTES ALUMNI PROFILE FACULTY PROFILE
MEDAILLE IN THE MEDIA
GRADS AT WIVB AND ABSOLUTE SOUND
It’s your school. Your faculty. Your computers. Your classrooms, dorms and teams.
As we grow, so does the need for your support. Medaille College is one of the fastest growing colleges in Buffalo/Niagara. By contributing to the Medaille College Fund, you are making an investment not only in the future of the College, but also in the future of our community. Your support allows Medaille the flexibility necessary to compete in a rapidly changing higher education marketplace and to adapt to the ever-changing needs of students. It also demonstrates the loyalty and commitment of our graduates, a very important factor considered by foundations and government agencies when awarding grant money. Please make a donation today by filling in the coupon below, and mailing or faxing (716-332-2978) to: College Relations, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214. Or, use the envelope inserted in this magazine. For more information please contact Carol B. Wittmeyer, Ed.D. at 716-884-3281 or e-mail to: cwittmeyer@medaille.edu.
PAYMENT
NAME
4
CHECK (Payable to Medaille College)
4
CREDIT CARD 4 VISA 4 MASTERCARD 4 AMEX 4 DISCOVER
ADDRESS CITY
STATE
HOME PHONE
ZIP
WORK PHONE
CARD NUMBER
E-MAIL ADDRESS
THE MEDAILLE COLLEGE FUND
4
4
GIFT LEVELS TRUSTEE $10,000 TOWER CLUB $5,000
EXPIRATION DATE 4
FOUNDERS CLUB $2,500
4
MEDAILLE ASSOCIATES $1,000
4
4
QUADRANGLE CLUB $500 AGASSIZ CIRCLE CLUB $250
4
MEDALLION CLUB $100
Donors of $1,000+ earn membership in the President’s Circle.
SIGNATURE 4 4
My company has a matching gift program. Please contact me about including Medaille in my estate planning.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT PAGE 2 HONORS CONVOCATION PAGE 3 BOARD OF TRUSTEES PAGE 4 ALUMNI BOARD PAGE 5 CAMPUS KUDOS PAGE 10 MEDAILLE ARCHIVES PAGE 11 NEWS & NOTES PAGE 12 GARCIA’S CHALLENGE PAGE 14 ATHLETICS PAGE 16 CLASS NOTES PAGE 26 IN MEMORIAM PAGE 30
CONTENTS MEDAILLE IN THE MEDIA
GRADS AT ABSOLUTE SOUND AND WIVB PAGE 20
MEDAILLE GRADS AT ABSOLUTE SOUND PAGE 22
JERRY ERION & THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM FACULTY PROFILE PAGES 18 AND 19
INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY PAGE 6 STEVEN BUTLER ’06 STUDENT PROFILE PAGE 8
MIKE SERNOFFSKY’79 ALUMNI PROFILE PAGE 32
COLLEGE
MAGAZINE
Winter 2005 Vice President for College Relations Carol B. Wittmeyer, Ed.D. Assistant Vice President for College Relations Timothy J. Walsh ’85, ’02
Editor Jonathan Gill, Director of Editorial Services, jgill@medaille.edu Writers Tom Burns, Senior Director of Communications; Kary Fronk, Staff Writer; Matthew Coleman ’05, Student Photography Timothy J. Walsh ’85, ’02; Don Heupel; Tom Burns Design JCharlier Communication Design Contributors Vince Clark, Senior Director for Government, Corporate and Foundation Relations; Keith Koch ’00, Alumni and Medaille Fund Officer; Dr. Theodore W. Pelton, Associate Professor, Humanities
The Medaille College magazine is published for alumni, students and friends of Medaille College. Address change, comments, article and photo submissions, and class briefs should be directed to the Editor, c/o the Office of College Relations. Medaille College Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214 716.884.3281 716.884.0291 fax www.medaille.edu
R
ecently, I have spent a good bit of time thinking about what it is that makes Medaille College unique. What is it that attracts students and keeps them here once they arrive? Although having strong and, at times, unique academic offerings may be part of the answer, I have spent much more time thinking about what I would call the “Medaille Experience.”
New York. For many in attendance it was their first visit to campus in several years and for others it was their first visit ever. As our athletic director Quite a number of people came up to me likes to say, during the reception that followed the “At Medaille debate and mentioned how pleasantly you can surprised they were by our campus. Some do it all.” actually said that they were surprised to find a “real college.”
While I was extremely pleased to hear all the wonderful comments and compliments, the highlight of my evening took place when I drove unto the campus about forty-five minutes before the debate was to start. The circle and the steps in front of the Main Building were packed with people and activity. Supporters for each of the candidates, with appropriate posters and banners, were I’d like to highlight two items staging mini-rallies, students from the fall semester that added were walking between the significantly to the Medaille residence halls and the Experience that we are creating. campus center, other Medaille College President Dr. Joseph W. Bascuas and Once again, Medaille Perspective, students were going to their Brian M. Higgins (D), Representative from New York’s our new student newspaper, was 27th Congressional District classes, and the players on published. The first issue was by our men’s and women’s soccer far the best issue of the newspaper that I have seen teams were returning to campus after defeating the in the two-plus years I have been at the College. respective teams from D’Youville. Not only did it The first two issues of this year have been very look and feel like a real college, you sensed that you credible efforts and, more importantly, have were on a very active and vibrant campus. provided a creative outlet and learning opportunity The campus is in the final stages of development for a sizable number of our students. of the Strategic Plan. The plan, which outlines a On Tuesday, October 12th, Medaille hosted a debate clear and ambitious strategy, will provide a roadmap between Brian Higgins and Nancy Naples, the two for Medaille College. Events like the two described candidates who ran for the congressional seat that above will help us reach the goals we have set for represents our area. In addition to the live radio and the College. cable television audience, more than two hundred Sincerely, people came to campus to listen to the candidates. In conversations with students, faculty and staff, certain components of that “experience” keep coming up. I hear notions about ‘small,’ ‘personable,’ ‘caring’ and ‘a place where you are known by name.’ I also hear about a place where students can participate in a host of activities in addition to academics. As our athletic director likes to say, “At Medaille you can do it all.”
The audience included many important civic, political and business leaders from all of Western
Joseph W. Bascuas, Ph.D. President
2
Honors Convocation Scholarships Academic excellence is often rewarded with opportunity for further study. The following outstanding students are the recipients of scholarships awarded at the Medaille College Honors Convocation on October 22, 2004. Carrie Amos ’06 The Roger F. Bonenfant Memorial Scholarship
Brian Papero ’05 The Phyllis S. Ware Memorial Scholarship
Sharada Saulter ’05 The Anna M. Kramer Scholarship is awarded
is awarded to a student in the Education program who has demonstrated high academic achievement and financial need. The scholarship was established by the family of Phyllis S. Ware, a graduate of the Elementary Education program at Medaille College.
to an adult student (over 25) in management-related programs with an interest in accounting. A student will be selected on the basis of demonstrated financial need and academic merit.
Veda Blanche ’06 The Women Teachers Association Scholarship is awarded to an Education major
Tiffany Goree ’07 The Alexander P. and Charlotte T. Dzierba Scholarship is a grant-in-aid for textbooks given every
and is based on financial need.
semester. Full-time juniors and seniors at Medaille enrolled in the Social Sciences or Humanities programs who possess a GPA of at least 3.0 and demonstrate economic need are eligible.
Heather Jones ’08, DeAnne Krzemien ’06, Deanna Nix ’06, Kelly Pearson ’05 and Amelia Richliano ’06 The William Randolph Hearst Scholarship is
Cory Cwiklinski ’07, Bernadette Maciejewski ’05, Brandi Mueller ’06, Kimberly Rolleck ’06 and Victoria J. Sarra ’07 The Stanley P. Szymanski Scholarship is
awarded to students who have overcome obstacles to pursue their education. The Hearst Foundation donated money to Medaille College to provide opportunities to help students achieve a college education.
for students of Polish descent. Financial need is considered.
a limited number of scholarships for students who need less than 24 credits to graduate and who have exhausted some or all financial aid.
Kirsten Smalley ’08 The Darlene Harding Memorial Scholarship is
Jennifer Carner ’06 The Mike Roszman Memorial Scholarship is
whose academic record promises success at Medaille and who has demonstrated leadership potential through prior activities in college or in the community.
is an endowed scholarship awarded annually to an eligible junior or senior. This scholarship was established in memory of Roger Bonenfant, a faculty member in the Human Services Department from 1971 to 1988. Factors considered in judging applicants include financial need and academic standing.
Theresa Brownsey ’05 The Jacqueline M. Downey Scholarship provides
awarded annually to a student pursuing a program of study that emphasizes math and science. Demonstrated financial need is also a consideration. The scholarship is named in memory of Dr. Darlene Harding, a faculty member at Medaille College for 10 years, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident. The scholarship was established to honor her dedication to the College.
for a junior or senior Media/Communications major. It is awarded on the basis of demonstrated talent in radio broadcast/journalism, financial need, and participation in school events related to media communications. This scholarship is funded by WGR Radio 55.
Joelle Mistretta ’06 The Veterinary Technology Memorial Scholarship - Joelle Mistretta ’06
to a student entering his/her second year in the Veterinary Technology program. The student must be in good academic standing.
The Veterinary Technology Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Joseph E. Savarese, Sr. The scholarship is awarded to a student entering his/her second year in the Veterinary Technology program. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of financial need and good acadedmic standing.
Maureen Rockell ’05 The Joseph and Isabelle Runfola Scholarship
Kim Sheffield ’05 The Dr. Phillip Weber Scholarship is awarded
is awarded to a student with a working-class background who is studying in a major that will help others. Financial need is considered.
3
Misty Waite ’06 The Kevin I. and Virginia D. Sullivan Scholarship is awarded to an entering transfer student
Heather Kusczak ’06 The Anna Illuzzi Palano Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually by the Medaille College Alumni Association. Factors considered in judging applicants include financial need, scholastic ability, participation in activities, personal initiative, and community involvement. Semi-finalists are contacted by the Alumni Association for personal interviews. It is named in honor of the late Anna Illuzzi Palano, a member of the class of 1972 and former President of the Alumni Association.
MEDAILLE STUDENT PROFILE
TRUSTEE PROFILE
By Kary Fronk
Charles “Chuck” Moran’s recent election to the Medaille College Board of Trustees is not simply based on his successful business career. Moran’s interest in and dedication to Medaille stems from the fact he is a proud Medaille College parent, as his daughter Melissa (’06) is currently enrolled in the College’s elementary education program.
Melissa Moran ’06 HIGH SCHOOL
Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart MAJOR
Elementary Education with a focus in English YEAR
Junior ANTICIPATED GRADUATION
M
oran is President and COO of Delaware North, Inc., one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. He became involved with Medaille when Melissa became a student here in the fall of 2002. After meeting “Government and business with Medaille College President Joseph W. need to work Bascuas, Ph.D., Moran agreed with Dr. Bascuas more closely that he could bring a unique perspective to the to create Board of Trustees as both a local businessman and opportunities for graduates a parent. He feels he has arrived on the scene at to stay here.” “an exciting time,” referring to the many positive changes now occurring at Medaille. As a Buffalo native and a man of business, Moran believes that the City of Buffalo needs to work on keeping its young people here by creating more economic opportunities for them. “Government and business need to work more closely to create opportunities for graduates to stay here,” Moran says. “These efforts will also entice expatriates to return and help build a skilled and stable work force.” He also feels that educational institutions should play a role in keeping students local by demonstrating what a career and life in Buffalo has to offer. Colleges and universities need to expand programs with a local focus, adding professors and professionals who can come in and talk to the students about life in Western New York beyond college. As the region evolves into a service economy, regionalized programs such as hospitality training have a great deal of growth potential, and local colleges need to capitalize on the opportunity. Moran feels that Medaille College has an opportunity to design unique degree programs that meet the needs of the region, possibly in areas like hospitality, tourism and health sciences. Medaille’s recent growth and expansion of programs have positioned the College well to break the paradigm and offer innovative programs to incoming and current students. Most importantly, as a father and a trustee, Moran is very excited to be a part of the continuing evolution of Medaille College.
4
May 2006 AWARDS
Dean’s list previous two semesters Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities FUTURE PLANS
Teaching 2nd or 3rd grade in a public school WORK
College Relations Office, May 2004 - present
Medaille College Welcomes New Members to Board of Trustees On September 30, 2004, the Medaille College Board of Trustees elected four new members to serve three-year terms. Margaret Kafka ’90 BS Vice President, Corporate Services Merchants Insurance Group Charles E. Moran, Jr. President and Chief Operating Officer Delaware North Companies, Inc. Lawrence Quinn Managing Partner Buffalo Sabres Samuel J. Savarino President and Chief Executive Officer Savarino Construction Services Corporation
ASSOCIATIONNEWS Medaille College Alumni Association
Dear Alumni, Friends and Family of Medaille, For all the recent Medaille graduates receiving this newsletter for the first time, I congratulate you. Your efforts and commitment to yourself as well as Medaille have allowed you to grow in ways both personally and professionally (making many lifelong friendships along the way). As you already know, Medaille holds a special place in the hearts of many in Western New York and Southern Ontario. As President of the Alumni Association, I am here to serve our school and all alumni for what continues to be a very exciting year.
B
ut before we look ahead, let’s review the accomplishments of the recent past. The Alumni Board has made amazing progress in the past few years. Recognizing the dynamic growth and expansion of Medaille College, the Alumni Board has revisited the way we serve our constituents (the alumni, the students and the college). The Board participated in two different retreats to acknowledge the successes and lost opportunities of the past, to look thoughtfully at the present and to prepare for the future. Out of these efforts, the Board has revamped the association’s mission statement as well as updating our constitution. Important changes include the creation of a Fundraising Coordinator position, changing all officer terms to one-year and creating fixed 3-year terms. Just this past fall, the Alumni Board made a first ever 100% commitment to the school when each member contributed to the annual Medaille Fund. This 2004-2005 school year has been deemed “Rediscover Medaille,” the theme of our 2005 All Years Reunion. All alums will be contacted throughout the year about coming events and activities that will culminate in a huge reunion weekend. Come be a part of the excitement as we “Rediscover Medaille” all year long. To volunteer or find out more, please contact Keith Koch at kkoch@medaille.edu or me at cgengo@mochaproject.org. Check out the Alumni section of the Medaille Web site as well at www.medaille.edu for more details throughout the year. Regardless of what campus you attended (Rochester, Amherst or Buffalo), we’re all alums of Medaille College and members of the Alumni Association (no dues – it’s FREE). Take a look at our Web site to see all the services available just for you. In closing, please feel free to share with me your thoughts and ideas on how the Alumni Association can serve you. I would also love to hear some great “When I was at Medaille…” stories. All the Best, Christopher M. Gengo, MBA ’02
The Medaille College Alumni Association meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. from September to June. A formal meeting schedule is listed on the back cover. December’s meeting is generally a social/holiday gathering. June’s meeting is the annual Installation Dinner. A picnic is also held on the second Tuesday of August. With the exception of the December and June meetings, as well as the picnic, the Board gathers in the College Relations Conference Center on the first floor of 73 Humboldt Parkway. All Medaille graduates are members of the Alumni Association. Meetings are open to all alumni, faculty, administrators and students.
Alumni Awards Nominations The Medaille College Alumni Association is currently accepting entries for the Presidents’ All Classes Alumni Awards, to be presented at the Medaille College All Years Reunion, in the following categories: 4 Young Alumni Award – To be given to a Medaille graduate under the age of 30. 4 Faculty/Staff Award – To be awarded to a current or former faculty or staff member of Medaille College. 4 Medaille Community Service Award – To be presented to a Medaille graduate for their outstanding service in the community. 4 Distinguished Career Award – To be awarded to a Medaille graduate in recognition of his or her outstanding career. 4 Honorary Alumnus – To be given to a member of the community in recognition of outstanding achievement(s). Nominations are not open to those who have earned a degree from Medaille College. Nominations are due by March 15, 2005. For more information or to nominate an alumnus for these awards, please contact Keith Koch ’00, Alumni and Medaille Fund Officer.
Alumni Board Nominations Mission Statement The broad purpose of the Medaille College Alumni Association, as governed by the Board of Directors, is to promote and support the College, alumni and students. These purposes will be met through the strategic utilization of the membership’s combined time, talents, knowledge and wisdom. We believe in the value of the Medaille experience and are committed to increasing this value for all concerned.
5
The Medaille College Alumni Association is currently seeking nominations to fill Board vacancies created by the expiration of current member terms. Nominations are due by March 15, 2005. If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Association Board or are interested in nominating a candidate, please contact Keith Koch ’00, Alumni and Medaille Fund Officer.
A Banner Day at www.Medaille.edu Growing enrollment and strong financial management have put Medaille College in a position to invest in the future. In addition to several capital projects and the hiring of new faculty and staff, one major area of investment will be the College’s computer systems.
S
tarting on July 1, 2005, Medaille College will introduce SCT Banner, the predominant student information system in New York State and the United States, as well as SCT’s Luminis Portal for easy access to a host of IT services. This implementation will allow Medaille to accommodate the almost 200% enrollment growth the College has seen in the past ten years, as well as allowing Medaille students, faculty and staff access to the latest in student information and course management tools. This will allow The changes, and their benefits, will be very noticeable. Medaille to Students will be able to register for classes, view tuition bills and accommodate the financial aid packages online, check their grades and transcripts almost 200% enrollment growth and access academic materials. Faculty will be able to submit in the past ten grades and receive course assignments. Administrators will be years, as well as able to easily access student information as well as reduce the allowing Medaille amount of student traffic requesting information that will readily students, faculty be available on-line. and staff access to the latest in Implementation will also bring the Medaille College branch student information campuses in Amherst and Rochester into the fold. Maintaining and course management tools. and managing three campuses will be more effective and efficient through better use of technology.
Founded in 1891 by financier Anthony J. Drexel, Drexel University is nationally recognized for its technological focus, excellence in co-operative education and research. Drexel’s Office of Information Resources and Technology provides IT services to over 40 separate public and private institutions, ranging from IT strategy development, hosting course management applications via WebCT as well as SAP business applications for academic use, and Intenet2 connectivity to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, to full ERP services such as SCT Banner and Luminis portal.
The system will aid Medaille College with recruiting. In addition to promoting a technology-driven campus, the Medaille Web site will enable prospective students to start an application, save it, and continue at another time. Prospective students will be able to receive information about Medaille that is customized to their interests. Medaille.edu, the College’s Web site, will see moderate changes before the implementation. A full redesign will coincide with the launch of Banner. Banner will be hosted and maintained by Drexel University in Philadelphia in a long term agreement, instead of on servers located on the Medaille campus. Medaille users will access the modules over the College’s new DS3 high speed connection to Drexel, similar to the way the Internet is accessed for other services. This partnership will have Medaille’s version of Banner up and running in about one year, as opposed to the
Medaille.edu will see moderate changes before the implementation. A full redesign will coincide with the launch of Banner.
several years it would take to implement independently. The partnership also creates efficiencies and costsavings for Medaille, as Drexel’s large technology staff will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining Medaille’s system. In addition, Drexel’s expertise with Banner provides additional consultative and training support to Medaille’s staff.
Students will be able to register for classes, view tuition bills and financial aid packages online, check their grades and transcripts and access academic materials.
“Today, institutions are discovering that they don’t need to own expensive assets to have the latest in IT resources,” says John A. Bielec, Ph.D., Vice President of Information Resources and Technology at Drexel. “The Medaille/Drexel collaboration leverages resources providing benefits to each institution that far exceeds the sum of the parts.”
“You need to have a strong online presence to be competitive today, and this implementation is a great opportunity for Medaille,” Thompson says. “You need an online registration and application system or else you’re behind. Banner allows us to do that without hiring all the people we would need to make this happen.”
Cabrini College, a Catholic, coeducational residential institution located in the Philadelphia Main Line suburbs, also chose to utilize Banner and chose Drexel to help them implement the system. So far, the results have been good. “I wondered how a college with limited resources might creatively respond to student and faculty expectations to have a robust, multi-purpose information technology infrastructure, knowing full well the standards of today’s students searching for and attending college,” Dr. Antoinette Iadarola, President of Cabrini College, says. “As a result of this collaboration, we were one of the very first of the small liberal arts colleges in the nation to become wireless. This collaboration allowed us to implement a premier higher education software system which features many on-line services and full integration of departments so we can now provide help desk services for faculty, staff and students.” Even though Medaille’s system will be hosted almost 300 miles away, it is still necessary to have someone on campus to manage Medaille’s computing systems. That person is Cheryl Thompson, who came to the Medaille campus in the fall of 2004 as Chief Information Officer of Information Technology (IT).
native will continue to live locally and work on campus daily, while overseeing the implementation of Banner and managing the College’s day-to-day working relationship with Drexel. She also will be responsible for directing IT operations, such as being the first line of defense against malicious activities, providing staff and faculty training, and maintaining and purchasing equipment. She is looking forward to the advantages Banner will bring.
Thompson has a wealth of experience with computer systems, having managed three other full system implementations prior to joining the College. Previously, Thompson was responsible for system implementations at Buffalo State College, where she worked from 1990 until 2004. Prior to that she served as a Programmer/ Analyst with Merchants Insurance Group.
The system will aid with recruiting. In addition to promoting a technology-driven campus, it will enable prospective students to apply and receive information customized to their interests.
Thompson earned an Associate of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from Erie Community College in 1975 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Management from Buffalo State College in 1987. In December of 2004, she earned her Masters of Science in Educational Computing from Buffalo State College.
“Technology has had a major impact on learning, and not only from an administrative standpoint,” Thompson continued. “The biggest difference is that you no longer have to actually be in a classroom. Distance learning includes the ability to teach and grade online, as well as to collaborate and post projects like a thesis for evaluation. Advancing our technology will keep Medaille competitive now and in the future.”
Technically an employee of Drexel, this Western New York
7
STUDENT PROFILE
STEPHEN BUTLER ’06
of his best experiences was being able to play a major role in the Mid-Con Conference Cross-Country Championships. Because of his Medaille education, Butler has been prepared to meet each of these challenges presented to him.
Stephen Butler ’06, with parents Susan and Richard, at the 2004 Honors Convocation
Sport Management Goes Division I By Tom Burns Every weekday morning the alarm goes off at the same time. His morning routine puts him behind his desk early. Weekends and long days are not uncommon. This may not seem unusual to you, but for Stephen Butler ’06, an undergraduate Sport Management student at Medaille, his internship has provided him with a unique and intense look at his desired career. This fall, Butler completed a full-time internship at the NCAA Division I Mid-Continent Conference in Elmhurst, IL. “When I started at Medaille, I knew that I wanted a career in Stephen Butler ’06 college athletics and and Ron Bertovich I wanted to gain experience towards that goal, but I had no idea that I’d be able to get involved so quickly,” recalls Butler. Rich Jacob, Coordinator of the Sport Management Program, played an important role in developing the 15-credit hour internship with Butler. “It’s very clear that Stephen has a great desire to work in NCAA Division I athletics,” says Jacob. “Because of his desire, work ethic and the contacts the Sport Management department has within the industry, we were able to develop this program.” While they were finalizing the program, Jacob called Ron Bertovich, who, in addition to being the Commissioner of
the Mid-Con Conference, is a member of Medaille’s Sport Management Advisory Board. “Ron has been a great asset to Medaille and was extremely helpful with the development of the internship and throughout the semester,” adds Jacob. “This is the first time we’ve had a student work a ‘full-time’ Sport Management internship and Ron was critical to the success of Steve’s internship.” With the internship in place, Butler packed up his car in August and made his first-ever trip to Chicago, IL, to continue his academic career. “As I drove through Gary, Indiana, I remember thinking, ‘What am I getting myself into?’” recalls Butler. Butler admits that he didn’t get off to a great start on his first day. “I was a little late because I hadn’t planned on that much traffic,” says Butler, who commutes about an hour to and from work each day. Despite the traffic troubles of his first morning, Butler has been prepared to meet the challenges of his internship, which include maintaining the league’s record book, assistance with day-day compliance duties and working selected Mid-Con events. He also is responsible for updating the conference web site each day and contributing feature stories for Mid-Con.com. While each of these tasks has provided Butler with the opportunity to learn and grow, one
8
“I have taken a bunch of Sport Management and Business classes, and they have really prepared me to work in this type of an environment,” says Butler. “The internship has really been an extension of those classes and has given me the opportunity to experience the operations of a sports office and the paperwork involved.” “I’ve been very impressed with Steve’s work ethic, his organization skills and how well Medaille has prepared him for this internship,” says Bertovich. “In every instance he has represented the conference, and thus Medaille, very well.” Butler will return to the Medaille campus for the Spring 2005 semester to continue to work towards his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. He says he will most likely attend graduate school before pursuing his career in sports. “I’ll work in any aspect of sports, but I would really like to pursue working for a Division I athletics program,” Butler says about his aspirations. “Ultimately I would like to become an NCAA Division I Athletic Director.” His education at Medaille and the Mid-Con conference will play a vital role in Butler’s pursuit of his dream. “I think working in our conference office has been great for Steve because it has given him great insight as to how a conference operates,” says Bertovich. “It has also provided him insight into nine Division I institutions and how each one of these schools operates.” The Medaille College Sport Management Program has provided Butler with a great opportunity to pursue his career goals and he has set the groundwork for other students to experience the same type of internships. When asked if he would accept more Medaille interns in the future, Ron Bertovich quickly replied, “If they are like Stephen, no question!”
June 3-4, 2005 It’s gonna be big. Rediscover your expanded campus. Enrollment has grown almost 200% in 10 years! More than $27 million in capital improvements. Reconnect with professors and classmates. Be involved with the larger Medaille community – network socially with faculty and other grads. Individual class reunions, dinners, golf, awards, tours, cocktails, sporting events and much more For more information, contact Keith Koch ‘00, Alumni & Medille Fund Officer, at 716.884.3281 x146 or kkoch@medialle.edu. Visit www.Medaille.edu/rediscover
New Faces Nathan Austin Humanities Department Faculty Dr. Luis Borges Assistant Professor, Business Department Claudia Conway Assistant Professor, Education Department Dr. Suzanne D’Amato Assistant Professor, Education Department Patrick Gilmartin Humanities Department Faculty Dr. Mary Louise Hill Assistant Professor, Humanities Department Corrine Kindzierski Assistant Professor, Education Department Dr. Cheryl Kleist Assistant Professor, Business Department (Rochester ACCEL Program) Lori Laney Assistant Professor, Business Department (Rochester ACCEL Program) Dr. Belete Mebratu Assistant Professor, Education Department Antoine Polgar Humanities Department Faculty
Mark Lavatelli – Expenses for Artist’s Residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, New Mexico Dr. Susan Schroeder – New Ways of Thinking and ActingEvolving Discourse in Stories of Career Changers Becoming English Teachers
Dr. Lee Nisbet – Research funds for Sabbatical project Dr. Paul Parsons – Project CETI- Cutting Edge Training to Improve Courses, Editorship and Conference Presentations
Courtney Grim – The Billboard Project – A Virtual Public Art Project
2003-04 Faculty Development Awards (Adjuncts):
2004 Faculty Highlights
Beth Meeder – In vivo Imaging Analysis of the Lateral Ventricles in an Animal Model of Schizophrenia
Patricia McGrath (ALPAmherst) – Advanced Negotiation Skills for Multi-party Situations
Medaille College is pleased to announce the following faculty promotions effective August 15, 2005:
2003-04 Faculty Contributor’s Stipend is to aid faculty in participating in professional activities as a representative of Medaille College. The program will provide travel funds and materials related to these activities.
Assistant Professor Robert E. Nesslin, CME
Dr. Judy Horowitz – Four poster presentations at the Society for Neuroscience 33rd Annual Conference
Dr. Mike Lillis – Utilization of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in New York State
Michael Wallace Assistant Professor, Business Department (Rochester ACCEL Program)
Associate Professor Dr. John Elmore
Dr. Ted Pelton – “The Current State of American Fiction: A Minority Report.”
2003-04 Faculty Development Awards:
Lawrence Sformo Assistant Professor, Education Department
Professor Dr. Alan Bigelow
Dr. Terri Borchers – “The Rhetoric and Poetics of Walt Whitman and Adrienne Rich: ‘Song of Myself’ and ‘An Atlas of a Difficult World.’ ”
Faculty Development Awards are to aid faculty in the development of new research and teaching skills and to provide opportunities for the development of new research interests. The program will provide travel funds, instructional fees, and materials related to these objectives.
Dr. Ellen Weber (ALPRochester) – MITA Renewal: A Brain-Based Professional Development Program for Business and Adult Learning Leaders
Dr. Thomas Scheira Assistant Professor, Education Department
Dr. Virginia Batchelor – Children in the Shadow: Tuning into Difference Voices
Faculty Development Awards and Stipends
Dr. Ted Pelton, Humanities, wrote and published a novella titled, Bhang. The story outlines the struggles of a man named Fried as he deals with death and life and deriving meaning through a series of strange events. Pelton is the founder of Starcherone Books, a publishing company for new, innovative short fiction and reprints of classic experimental works. In addition to his work with publishing, he attended the Associated Writing Programs conference in Chicago. Dr. Jerry Erion, Humanities, published an article “Descartes’ Action Test,” in J. Moor, ed. The Turing Test: The Elusive Standard of Artificial Intelligence. Dordrecht/Boston: Kluwer, 2003, 241-251. He also attended conferences on “Engaging Student Relativism,” and “Analyzing Student Relativism.”
Dr. Ilana Lane – The Golden Rule and Cultural Caring
Dr. Lee Nisbet, Humanities,
10
was invited to submit an essay on Albert Camus’s atheism for the Dictionary of Unbelief. He has also been granted sabbatical for the Fall ’04 semester to work on a book project in which he will “present and evaluate how to critically evaluate rival cultural and biological theories that explain universal male/female differences.” Ethan Paquin, Humanities, had poems accepted or forthcoming in a variety of literary magazines. His work, “Woe,” can be found in In Isn’t it Romantic: 100 Love Poems by Younger American Poets. He is also the editor of Slope, a magazine running a special issue of American Sign Language poetry. He was also the coordinator of the Second Annual Buffalo Indie Lit Luau. Dr. Ross T. Runfola, Social Sciences, was recently selected by the International Biographical Center of Cambridge, England, as one of “One Thousand Great Americans.” He also received the highest ratings from the Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory in both legal ability and legal ethics. Robert Nesslin, Business, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Buffalo/Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives and will serve as the group’s Vice President of Education. He is a former board member, past President, and recipient of the organization’s Hall of Fame Award. He served for eight years as the Senior Vice President on the Board of Directors of Sales and Marketing Executives International, the parent group of the local organization.
The Sisters of St. Joseph approach Agassiz Circle in this 1940 photo.
Sisters Celebrate Anniversary
T
he Sisters of Saint Joseph celebrated their 150th anniversary of ministry and service on October 17, 2004, during a mass at the Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna. Their celebration continued on December 8, 2004, with a presentation of Full Circle, written by Tom Fontana and directed by Mary Kate O’Connell. The Congregation of St. Joseph traces its roots back to 17th century France. Amid great upheaval, six very ordinary women sensed the need to be among the people of their town, LePuy, and to do whatever they could to bring the healing presence of Jesus to the people’s lives. Led by Fr. John Peter Medaille, S.J., they began a new form of religious life for women: both contemplative
prayer and active service to their neighbor. Their spirituality, a Gospel spirituality, was totally relational. Sisters of St. Joseph came to St. Louis, MO in 1836 in order to teach the deaf. In 1854, they came to the Diocese of Buffalo, also to teach the deaf. The types and places of work increased rapidly. St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity, Our Lady of Victory Hospital, Mount St. Joseph Academy, Mount St. Joseph Teachers’ College and more than 30 elementary schools all engaged Sisters of St. Joseph for many years. Today, the Sisters and Associates of Buffalo continue to provide services of varied types: spiritual, social, educational and health-related.
Copyright Per Bang-Jensen
NEWS & NOTES
(L-R) Trevor Stevenson, Larry Quinn (Board of Trustees), Marla Mellon, Robert Stevenson (Chair, Board of Trustees)
Medaille College Golf Classic
Award Winning Author Comes to Medaille Loung Ung, award winning author, human rights activist, and survivor of Cambodian genocide during the 1970s, visited the Medaille College Library on October 22nd to sign her memoir, First they Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, in October. Her book, published by HarperCollins in 2000, was a national bestseller and recipient of the 2001 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. It has also received the prestigious 2000 Books for a Better World literary award. Ung is a noted speaker on Cambodia, child soldiers, women and war, refugee issues, domestic violence, and perhaps most prevalently, landmines. She is a spokesperson for the “Landmine Free World,” a program of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation that co-founded the Nobel Peace Prize winning campaign to ban landmines. Medaille College’s Division of Student Affairs (Special Programs and Housing and Residence Life) and the Division of Academic Affairs (the Undergraduate College) co-sponsored Ms. Loung’s visit along with Buffalo State College. Following her appearance at Medaille, Loung spoke at the 3rd annual International Peace Conference at the Campus West School auditorium.
“Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Mark Twain The classic author, and former Buffalonian, might never had uttered his now famous quote about golf had he been on hand for the Medaille College Inaugural Golf Classic on Monday, September 27th, at Wanakah Country Club. Sunshine, food and friends were the highlights of the outing, which raised over $55,000 for the College. The title sponsor of the event was Savarino Construction. As golfers checked in, they were greeted with a buffet lunch and a number of gifts, including a Medaille College duffle bag. Many golfers took advantage of the driving range and the practice putting green as well. Before teeing off, the golfers were greeted by Robert Stevenson, the Chair of the Medaille College Board of Trustees. The golfers then took to the course under blue skies and 70 degree weather.
Medaille Hosts Congressional Debate Over 200 people attended as Medaille College hosted a political debate between Brian M. Higgins (D) and Nancy A. Naples (R) on Tuesday, October 12th, in the Lecture Hall in Medaille College’s Main Building. The candidates were competing to represent The debate was New York’s 27th broadcast live on Congressional District News Talk 930 and the debate was WBEN and broadcast live on News Adelphia Cable. Talk 930 WBEN and Adelphia Cable.
Following the golf portion of the outing, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner and silent auction. The Sports Director of WKBW-TV and the Voice-of-the-Bills John Murphy served as the emcee for the dinner.
“We’re excited to be able to team-up with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership to host this debate on the Medaille College campus,” Dr. Joseph Bascuas, President of Medaille College, said before the debate. “This will be a very important election for our country and for our region. We are pleased to be able to host these two candidates to discuss the issues which will help shape our community.”
Dr. Joseph Bascuas, President of Medaille College, greeted the guests and thanked them for their support of the College. In appreciation of his role as Chairman of the inaugural event, Dr. Bascuas presented Buffalo Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe with a framed piece of art. The art was created by Medaille Professor Mark Lavatelli.
The debate featured a moderator and three panelists. The panelists were Jon Dandes, Chairman of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Government Affairs Committee, Luke Moretti, WIVB News Reporter, and Stephanie Argentine, the Chair of the Medaille College Business Department. The debate was hosted by Susan Rose, Morning News Anchor from WBEN, and moderated by the League of Women Voters.
Identified as a success for the College, plans have already begun for the 2nd Annual Medaille College Golf Classic in 2005.
12
Brian Higgins eventually won a very close contest to become the Representative from the 27th District, which includes Medaille College. Buffalo Bills President/General Manager Tom Donahoe served as Chairman of the 2004 Medaille College Golf Classic.
NEWS & NOTES
Medaille Hosts Second Annual Buffalo Indie Lit Luau Medaille College was the host for the second annual Buffalo Indie Lit Luau (BILL) during the weekend of October 1, 2004. The two-day event brought together small press editors, “The talented scholars, publishers, and award-winning and independent writers... bookstore owners combined with (as well as publicathe discussions tions from around of small presses, the country) for two publishers and days of festivities, indie bookstore owners may make discussions, and this the most readings by some progressive and of the most exciting impressive talents in contempoliterature event rary writing.
of any institution in Buffalo.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring the Ethan Paquin, M.F.A Buffalo Indie Lit Luau back for another year,” says Ethan Paquin, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Humanities and coordinator of the event. “The extremely talented and award-winning writers and readers, combined with the discussions of small presses, publishers and indie bookstore owners, may make this the most progressive and impressive literature event of any institution in Buffalo.” The schedule of events included readings from award-winning authors Raymond Federman and Denise Duhamel, panel discussions and presentations.
Dodgeball Hits Medaille There was a new buzz around campus this fall with the introduction of an intramural dodgeball league. Dodgeball is not a new phenomenon at Medaille, as the College hosted an intramural tournament for the students last year. This year, the program expanded to a seven game regular season, including team rankings, followed by play-offs. Student response to the sport was overwhelming throughout the season. On any given night, there were as many as 150 students packed into the Sullivan Center Gymnasium either participating or cheering on their favorite dodgeball team. The league was organized and refereed by Matthew Coleman (Media Communications ’06). He worked closely with the Medaille Maniacs Athletic Department to promote a fun, safe experience for all participants. Teams could have as many as ten players on their roster, with six players starting each game. Matches were played in a best of three series throughout the regular season and into the play-offs. The final play-off round was a best of five series. The Medaille Maniacs, a team partly comprised of Medaille’s baseball squad, won the championship in four games.
M E D A I L L E ’ S E C O N O M I C I M PA C T Recently, Medaille College developed a standard economic model based on College and student expenditure, employment and enrollment data, combined with regional information compiled by the U. S. Department of Commerce, to determine the overall economic and employment impact of Medaille. The most significant findings of this study are as follows. In the Buffalo/Niagara Falls region, Medaille College: 4 Generates approximately $106 million in economic activity; 4 Generates approximately $39.3 million in household earnings; 4 Is responsible for 1,235 jobs. In the Rochester region, Medaille College: 4 Generates approximately $8.1 million in economic activity; 4 Generates approximately $3 million in household earnings; 4 Is responsible for 95 jobs. For more information on this report, please visit www.medaille.edu.
13
Reindeer Run 15-year old Jed Christiansen and his eleven-year old sister Jacy of Greenville, PA, were the male and female winners of Medaille College’s 10th Annual Reindeer Run. Jed completed the course in 15:36, a pace of 5:01 per mile. His sister came across the finish line in 18:58, a 6:06 pace. Both times were Reindeer The start of the 10th Annual Reindeer Run Run course records. This year’s race featured 479 participants in 15 different age categories, with prizes for the top 10% in each category. The first 400 runners received a Reindeer Run wind-shirt. Proceeds from the event went to Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY. According to Laura Edholm, Associate Athletic Director at Medaille, the event was a great success. “This year’s race was very well received by the runners, everyone had a lot of fun, and we raised money for a good cause,” Edholm says. “In addition to having two teenage winners, we had an 80-year-old run, and she finished the race just like everyone else.” The 10th Annual Reindeer Run was staffed by almost 60 students and 15 faculty and staff Reindeer Run Celebration members. The 5K race started on Main St., ran through Forest Lawn Cemetery, and completed the loop back out on Main. The post-race party featured free massages from the New York Institute of Massage, as well as food, Jed and Jacy Christiansen refreshments and music.
NEWS & NOTES
Board Responds to Garcia Challenge In August, Andrés Garcia ’82, a Medaille College Alum and member of the Board of Trustees, and his wife Ellen, who attended Medaille, challenged the members of the Alumni Board to demonstrate leadership in contributing to the Medaille College Fund. The challenge was part of a larger effort to increase the participation rate among Medaille constituents, as foundations and other grant-making organizations often look to see how well organizations are supported by their own. Garcia offered a $500 challenge with the request that the rest of the Board come together to match his individual effort. “Medaille College is blessed to have alumni like the Garcias, whose generosity and commitment to scholarship have served as an example for other Board members,” Chris Gengo, President of the Alumni Board said. “We hope to see the success of this challenge continued with all the College’s efforts to raise money for the Medaille College Fund.” The board answered with vigor and a 100% participation rate, which doubled their total giving from the previous year, prompting Garcia to increase his donation to $1,000 to applaud their support. On November 9th, the Alumni Board had the honor of presenting Medaille College with a check worth over $1,600. Additional contributions pushed the total to $2,663. “The more we do to enhance Medaille as an institution,” Garcia said, “the stronger the College will become for its future students.” Andrés Garcia ’82; Christopher M. Gengo ’02; Robert L. Stevenson, Board Chair; and Marge Kafka ’90
Medaille to Receive Gift from Palisano Foundation for Media/ Communications Upgrade Medaille College recently learned it will receive a $25,000 grant from the Palisano Foundation to upgrade equipment used in the College’s Media/Communications program. The Medaille Media/Communications program provides students with hands-on production experience in video, audio and digital arts. “This generous grant from the Palisano Foundation will greatly help in enhancing the educational experiences of our students within the Media Communications program,” said President Bascuas. “The Palisano Foundation’s commitment to higher education, and specifically to Medaille College, has allowed us to make the Medaille experience even more fulfilling for our students.” With the Palisano grant, the College will install two professional model Sony cameras and a state-of-the-art Avid digital video editing system, as well as new microphones, tripods, camera batteries and video accessories. The Medaille College television studio is used for courses in production and it also serves for the production studio for Medaille Magazine, a weekly television show carried on Adelphia Cable. The Vincent and Harriet Palisano Foundation, which is located in Orchard Park, NY, offers grants to students through educational institutions.
N E W A D M I N I S T R AT I O N A N D S TA F F Charles Gradowski Vice President for Business and Finance
Thomas Bapst Carpenter Assistant
Thomas Burns Senior Director of Communications
Kelly Eagan ’02 CYS Assistant Director of Admissions
Steven Klein Vice President for Enrollment Management
Shala Benson Assistant Director of Residence Life for Housing Operations
Joseph Castiglia Carpenter Assistant
Matthew Fuqua Public Safety Officer
Vincent Clark Senior Director for Government, Foundation and Corporate Relations
Jonathan Gill Director of Editorial Services
Dr. Norman Muir Dean of Undergraduate College
Gwyn Beyer Administrative Assistant to V.P. of College Relations
Kerry Dieckman Interim Director of Student Activities
Diane Breczka Veterinary Technician
Sara Dolph Assistant Laboratory Manager
14
Lynn Grotke Accounts Payable Clerk Timothy Guilman Public Safety Officer
Enrollment has grown
413
ENROLLMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Average class size
200% in the last ten years
FULL-TIME GRADUATE ENROLLMENT
75-80%
TOTAL FALL ENROLLMENT HAS GROWN MORE THAN
of Medaille students receive financial aid
60% 1,349
Day College Student/Faculty Ratio
Full-time undergraduate enrollment
DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS
348 RESIDENT STUDENTS
James Heuser Public Safety Officer
Dominic Liberta Campus Enhancement Technician
Christina Pasternack Public Safety Officer
Samantha Stagney Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
Holly Johnson Multimedia Technician
David Luzer Associate Director of Admissions
Robert (John) Pickwell Driver
Kelly Valentine, LVT Veterinary Technician
Karen King Director of Special Programs
Brenda Marshall Research Assistant
Stacy Rettig Secretary, Health and Counseling Center
Keith Koch ’00 LS Alumni Relations and Annual Fund Officer
Brian Milbrand Multimedia Technician
David Rice Public Safety Officer
Daniel Krzyzanowicz Director of Soccer Operations, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Susan O’Leary Financial Aid Clerk
Troy Schneider (on military leave) Director of Advancement Services
Robyn Ventura Head Softball & Women’s Cross-Country Coach and Equipment Supervisor Tressa Wilber Assistant Director of Resident Life for Programming
15
The Medaille College athletics program took a big step forward this fall season as the College was welcomed into the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). The AMCC is a very competitive conference that yields automatic births to the NCAA Division III play-offs for winning conference tournaments at the end of the season.
Women’s Volleyball The Medaille College Women’s Volleyball team, coached by Laura Edholm, finished the season with a 12-14 overall record (3-6 AMCC). Their performance was good enough to land them a spot in the conference tournament, where they suffered a loss in the first round to Penn State–Behrend. The team was led by senior and MVP Jenny Costello. Senior Mary Helak finished her career with Medaille records in games played (382), assists (1868) and service aces (158). Freshman Kate Carpenter led the team with 2.26 kills per game.
Golf The Medaille College Golf team experienced a tough first season in the Allegheny Mountain Conference, facing significant competition in each event under first-year Coach Pete Jerebko. Senior Andy Zachowicz led the team with an 82.20 scoring average, including a team-low 74 against Hilbert. Other top players included Mike Gregorio (85.80, Fr.) and Mark Glende (88.30, Jr.)
The Lady Mavericks Volleyball team gets psyched up before a match
16
Men’s Volleyball Schedule 2004-05 Lees-McRae College
2/4/05 Fri.
7pm
Findlay
Milwaukee School of Eng. 2/5/05 Sat. 7pm
Findlay
Hilbert College
Away
2/9/05 Wed. 7pm
D’Youville College
2/10/05 Thu. 7pm
Away
Nazareth College
2/12/05 Sat. TBA
Home
Eastern Mennonite
2/12/05 Sat. TBA
Home
Nazareth College
2/19/05 Sat. 1pm
Away
Endicott Tournament
3/5/05 Sat. TBA
Endicott
Endicott Tournament
3/6/05 Sun. TBA
Endicott
D’Youville College
3/12/05 Sat. TBA
Home
Carthage College
3/15/05 Tue. 7pm
Home
Mercyhurst College
3/22/05 Tue. TBA
Away
Divisional Playoffs
4/1/05 Fri.
Divisional Playoffs
4/2/05 Sat. TBA
NECVA Tournament
4/8/05 Fri.
TBA
Ramapo
NECVA Tournament
4/9/05 Sat. TBA
Ramapo
Molten Championships
4/15/05 Fri. TBA
Stevens Tech.
Molten Championships
4/16/05 Sat. TBA
Stevens Tech.
TBA Eastern Mennonite Eastern Mennonite
AT H L E T I C S
Soccer Basketball The Lady Mavs, coached by Pete Lonergan, enter the 2004-05 season with guarded optimism due to the loss of five seniors. The optimism is based on the addition of ten freshmen, who will need to contribute immediately. The returning players are led by seniors Rachel Conti (Captain) and Mary Helak, junior Kim Overbeck, and sophomores Kristin Waring and Lauren Smith. The newcomers are led by Amanda Baker (Newark), Marisa Clark (Hilton), Amanda Walling (Unadilla Valley), Rachel Boice (Nazareth Academy), and Kim Sendlak (Kenmore West). The Lady Mavs began the season with three straight wins, defeating Chatham College, Alfred University and Lake Erie College decidedly. After suffering a tough two-point road loss at LaRoche College, the team defeated Thiel College and Rochester College to close out December with a 5-1 record. The challenge of entering the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference will test the inexperienced Lady Mavs, but all the players and coaches are looking forward to competing on that level for the automatic bid to the NCAAs. For the Medaille College Men’s Basketball team, newness is the key word. New is the conference affiliation. New are ten freshmen playing varsity basketball. And new is Head Coach Dick Hack. The Mavericks are not without experi-
Men’s Basketball Remaining Schedule Penn State-Behrend*
2/1/05 Tue.
8pm
Home
Hilbert College*
2/5/05 Sat.
3pm
Away
Pitt-Bradford*
2/8/05 Tue.
8pm
Away
Frostburg State*
2/11/05 Fri.
8pm
Away
Pitt-Greensburg*
2/12/05 Sat.
6pm
Away
Mt. Aloysius College*
2/18/05 Fri.
8pm
Home
Penn State-Altoona*
2/19/05 Sat.
6pm
Home
AMCC Playoffs
2/22,25,26/05 TBA
TBA
* Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Contest
Women’s Basketball Remaining Schedule Penn State-Behrend*
2/1/05 Tue.
6pm
Home
Hilbert College*
2/5/05 Sat.
1pm
Away
Pitt-Bradford*
2/8/05 Tue.
6pm
Away
Frostburg State*
2/11/05 Fri.
6pm
Away
Pitt-Greensburg*
2/12/05 Sat.
4pm
Away
Mt. Aloysius College*
2/18/05 Fri.
6pm
Home
Penn State-Altoona*
2/19/05 Sat.
4pm
Home
AMCC Playoffs
2/22, 25, 26/05 TBA
TBA* *
* Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Contest
ence, though. Returning from last year’s NEAC Championship team are senior playmaker Anthony Perioli and senior Pierre Bryant, the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots.
The Medaille College Men’s Soccer team entered the AMCC with high expectations after an illustrious 12-4-3 record in the 2003 season. The new conference presented a significant challenge for Coach Dan Krzyzanowicz and his players, as they finished with an 8-10-2 (3-5-1 AMCC) record and did not qualify for post-season competition. The team had two players named AMCC All-Conference: Cory Cwiklinski (Soph., 2nd Team) and Captain Andrew Larracuente (Jr., Honorable Mention). In addition, Cwiklinski became the first Medaille player to surpass the 100-point milestone, registering 102 points in his first two seasons. He is the 1st sophomore in AMCC history to obtain 100 career points. The Lady Mavericks women’s soccer team, also coached by Dan Krzyzanowicz, showed significant improvement against stronger competition, finishing 7-11-1 (3-5-1) and achieving many milestones. They were the first Medaille team to qualify for AMCC post-season play, losing in the opening round. Their 3-win improvement over last season set a standard for most wins in a season and a total of 20 school records were shattered. Sophomore Kerri Clarkson set new standards with team records in points (21) and goals (9). Freshmen Tiffany Azzarito and Jenna O’Malley both set the mark for most assists in a season (7) as well as in an individual game (3). Azzarito and Clarkson were both rewarded with selections to the AllConference Team. Lindsey Kennedy anchored the team in goal with four shutouts in her junior season.
The Mavericks have stumbled out of the gate so far this year, beginning the season 0-7 and 0-2 in the conference. They hope to improve significantly in 2005 as the many freshmen are expected to improve rapidly with more playing time.
Laura Edholm, Associate Director of Athletics/Women’s Volleyball Coach, was awarded an NCAA Division III Initiatives Grant for the 2004 NACWAA/HERS (National Association of Collegiate Women in Athletic Administrators) Institute for Administrative Advancement. The grant will cover her tuition for the program as well as travel expenses. Pete Lonergan, Women’s Basketball Head Coach, hosted a 5-day basketball clinic for girls aged 8-16 in July. The clinic featured fundamental stations, lectures, contests, mini-clinics, team play, and individual instruction. He is well known throughout the Western New York basketball community for his accomplishments as the Athletic Director and Head Coach of the Niagara University Men’s Basketball team.
17
Kerri Clarkson receives the ball against LaRoche College
NAME
MEDAILLE FAC U LT Y PROFILE
Dr. Gerald J. Erion TITLES Assistant Professor of Humanities Director of the Medaille College Scholars Program Member of the General Education department
Dr. Gerald Erion has been teaching at Medaille for just over two years. Erion holds a Doctorate in Philosophy, and as such he teaches a number of the College’s Philosophy courses, including Logic and Ethics. He has also taught several General Education courses, such as Introduction to Critical Thinking, Colonial North America and the Baccalaureate Capstone seminars. In addition, Erion is currently the Director of the Medaille College Scholars Program. (See article on next page.)
wasn’t long before he came to appreciate the Medaille community as well.
Coming out of high school, Erion was initially attracted to the business world. He did his undergraduate work at SUNY Geneseo, earning a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Business, a second major in Philosophy and a Computer Science minor.
“When you are in the midst of a national job search, you can’t help but think about lots of other parts of the country as potential hometowns,” Erion says. “We certainly considered other places, but in the end, my wife and I were very fortunate to find employment in a great region where we are both very happy. We have a wonderful apartment right here in the neighborhood, across the street on Parkside Avenue.”
After graduating from Geneseo, Erion had difficulty choosing his path, as he found that both Business and Philosophy had their appeals. “I applied to graduate programs in both fields, but I especially enjoyed learning and studying philosophy,” says Erion. “And when I thought about what I would really enjoy teaching, I had a tough time saying no to the offer to come to Buffalo to do my Ph.D. In the end, the lure of philosophy was just too strong.” Erion pursued his graduate studies at the University at Buffalo, and while he was finishing up his Doctoral dissertation, he began teaching at Medaille. By then he had grown to enjoy living in Buffalo, and it
“At Medaille, it is easy to be involved in all sorts of projects, and I can be more engaged with my students and my colleagues through philosophy, humanities, general education and the new honors program, for instance.”
Erion also appreciates the unique opportunities available at a smaller college like Medaille. “You get the chance to contribute to student learning, and to the wider campus community, in ways that you wouldn’t at a bigger college or university,” continues Erion. “At Medaille, it is easy to be involved in all sorts of projects, and I can be more engaged with my students and my colleagues through Philosophy, Humanities, General Education and the new Scholars Program, for instance.” While Erion is happy to be in Buffalo, he is also excited to be a part of Medaille’s recent change and growth. “There have been a lot of changes during my time at Medaille, in all facets of the campus,” Erion says. “When I started here, we didn’t have a Scholars Program. There are curriculum changes that I’m very excited to be a part of. The campus is looking better; I’m a big fan of the new quad and am looking forward to spending time out there. And I think students will be very pleased when they see what’s going on at Medaille.”
18
A Scholarly Pursuit As an early result of the strategic planning process, Medaille College is looking to raise the academic profile of its incoming students. One way to do this is to improve and increase educational opportunities for outstanding students. As such, the College’s Scholars Program has been an area of special focus over the past year.
T
and in its recognition of the importance and impact that student leadership can have on campus life.
he Medaille College Scholars Program (formerly known as the Theodore Roosevelt Scholars Program) is currently run by Director Dr. Gerald Erion and offers students a challenging curriculum combined with unique co-curricular leadership development and mentoring opportunities. While the broad outlines of the General Education courses are the same for all students, honors students complete a course sequence designed especially for them. Faculty develop assignments that are more rigorous and more challenging, and many require additional readings and assignments as well. The standards are tougher, as students are expected to read, write, think and speak in deeper and more significant ways. “We’re looking for the same types of skills that we want all students to develop: communication skills and interdisciplinary critical thinking skills,” Erion says. “However, we are trying to do more of that, and in a much deeper and more substantial way, in the Scholars Program.” A unique addition to the Scholars Program is the Leadership Seminar, which is now required of all Scholars Program students.
“I recently returned from a meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council. In a session with 40 or so new honors directors, I described the kinds of things that we are doing in terms of leadership development,” Erion says. “They were really impressed with the The curriculum amount and quality of work that that is built around we are putting into leadership. Many honors-level programs say that they are doing leadersections of the ship development, but few do it at the nine General level we are here at Medaille.” Education courses:
Gen 110, 220, 230, 240, 410 and 411; the composition courses, Writing 175 and Writing 200; and Speech 130.
The Scholars Program also incorporates mentoring activities, including special presentations, trips, and other such events, designed to bring students and faculty together outside of the classroom.
These courses are taken in a tightly integrated sequence so that material introduced in the early courses is built upon and then reinforced in subsequent courses.
Development of the Scholars Program is a highly collaborative effort guided by a committee of faculty, and they, with the leadership of former Director Dr. Lee Nisbet, have been responsible for developing the broad principles around which the program has been organized and built. They also help to identify and refine the profile of ideal Scholars Program students, and they have worked with Admissions to assist in recruiting efforts.
The Program currently has around 60 students, and hopes to grow to more than 100 over the next few years. With the challenges and focus provided by the Scholars Program, students will graduate with unique experiences and preparation.
Karen King, Director of Special Programs in the Student Affairs division, has created a rigorous leadership development program to augment skills that many students now begin to acquire in high school. Together, she and Erion are working to integrate the Leadership Seminar with the Scholars curriculum.
As Erion concludes, “In the end, we aim to graduate students who have the highly developed communication skills, critical and integrative thinking skills, and leadership skills to excel in whatever field they enter.”
While leadership development is not new to higher education, Medaille’s approach is unique in its rigor,
19
MEDAILLE IN THE MEDIA
Number One for News
WIVB-TV Channel 4 has become what some industry watchers have called the dominant television station in the Western New York market. With 14 consecutive ratings sweeps for every newscast, every day, it is hard to argue with that label. him to practice his trade in the community. He valued these opportunities, and while he wore jeans to class, always treated his professional opportunities with the utmost respect.
S
o how have they achieved this success? It takes good people to make up a good organization. So it should come as no surprise that WIVB currently has three Medaille College Media Communications graduates making significant contributions in some of the station’s key positions.
Christopher A. Musial ’80 MC President and General Manager Wife: Michele (Leahy) Musial ’82 MC Sister: Mary Beth Musial ’83 ED Mother-In-Law: Delores Leahy ’83 LS Sister-In-Law: Sandra (Leahy) Kuminski ’79 ED
Medaille Media Derelict Does Well
He also found the staff and administration at Medaille very supportive of his activities. During his internship at WIVB-TV, he was given an opportunity to spend a week covering Pope John Paul II on his first visit to the USA. The Medaille faculty encouraged him to go and helped him make up his work.
“When I come back to campus as a guest lecturer, I always stress the importance of internships,” Musial continues. “Many of my college friends found their opportunities through the internship program, in all industries – ad agencies, radio, TV, cable and more.”
C
oming out of high school, Chris Musial was attracted to Medaille College because of its small, intimate atmosphere and its favorable faculty-student ratio. Looking back, he feels he made the right decision.
As a result of his experiences at Medaille, he had “At Medaille, my relationships with teachers went part-time employment and permanent job beyond the classroom,” Musial says. “We were working with adults and were treated ADVICE FOR STUDENTS offers before he even graduated. like adults. Teachers became my friends Musial is very excited about his new role “Have fun. and mentors, and I still have ongoing at WIVB-TV, which he assumed in 2004. The friendships relationships with some.” you make and He says his job is to enable everyone else the memories you in the building to do their job, which they He also fondly remembers the friendships share, the next do very well. He does this by providing he made at Medaille, especially the time day, next week, guidance, leadership and encouragement, spent hanging around in the basement of 25 years down and by reminding people to have fun. He the Main Building, which housed a cafeteria the road are manages about 140 employees, and he is as and student lounge during his time here. invaluable and dependent on them as they are on him. His group of friends was called the “Media you can keep learning from Derelicts,” 20 or so Media Communications Success can be measured by praises from these experiences.” industry watchers and ratings wins. He majors that hung around together in and - CHRIS MUSIAL ’80 out of class. considers the 14 straight ratings sweeps “an amazing accomplishment.” However, “I really enjoyed both my time at Medaille he has a goal of getting bigger, but more importantand the opportunities it afforded me,” Musial says. ly better. This will help the station better serve its “There’s a special feeling for me when I pull onto community. Agassiz Circle off that busy expressway.” During his time at WIVB-TV, Chris has worked as a News Director, Producer and even Reporter (which he didn’t care for). Some of his best memories come from the unsung heroes he meets every
While at Medaille, Musial had an appetite to get out in the real world. He fed that appetite through his broadcasting internships and practicum at International Cable and WIVB-TV, which allowed
20
week, such as single parents who find the strength every day to care for their children. “I’ve covered everything from Popes to Presidents, and every situation has had an impact on me,” Musial says. “My job provides me a wonderful window on the world. It all goes back to Medaille and I never hesitate to tell people that.” He loves the City of Buffalo and is grateful that he has found success here. He believes in the future of the City, and feels fortunate to have extended family here. As such, he is very proud of the community relations initiatives run by WIVB-TV. Through community events such as fundraisers, walks, and clothing and food drives, WIVB-TV contributed more than $5 million to the community in 2004 alone. “It always humbles and awes me when I think about the positive impact we have on WNY,” Musial says. “And it is that spirit of responding to need that makes Buffalo strong, despite the obstacles we may face.”
Marie Dabney ’82 MC Sales Promotion Coordinator Husband: Donald Dabney ’80 LS
M
Dabney has been at WIVB-TV for twelve years, three years in her current position. She is responsible for managing sales promotions, working with customers to put together special events and promotions. She also is responsible for community relations programs such as Coats for Kids. A recent Coats for Kids drive brought in more than 2,100 coats on a Saturday. To date, the program has distributed more than 20,000 coats to those less fortunate. Marie shares the following wisdom with today’s students – “Go for your dream! And if it is in the media, Medaille is the place to start.”
Diane Hull ’79 MC Senior Account Executive
D
iane Hull has been in the media business for 27 years, the last eight years at WIVB-TV. Her duties include advertising sales, mostly to advertising agencies, and developing new business. She speaks very highly of her experience at Medaille.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS “Go for your dream! And if it is in the media, Medaille is the place to start.”
arie Dabney’s Medaille experience was a bit different than some of her WIVB-TV colleagues, as she attended classes at night. During - MARIE DABNEY ’82 the day, she worked at Medaille in the Development Office, the precursor to College Relations, working on giving, alumni relations and public relations. She also worked on a Phonathon at the White House.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS “Be as professional as possible on your internship. It can be the start to your whole career, so treat it that way.” - DIANE HULL ’79
“I owe a lot of my success to my experiences and internships at Medaille,” Hull says. “As a matter of fact, internships were the catalyst to getting my career started, and put me in a position where I was offered my first job.”
She clearly remembers the great atmosphere at night school. One of the things that impressed her most was the relationships she formed. “I enjoyed getting to know my professors and fellow classmates on a personal level, because that bonding made it a very enjoyable experience and a supportive atmosphere,” Dabney says. “We took a lot of pride in our internships as well. We were always interested in where everyone was working because we were so impressed with the opportunities Medaille exposed us to.” An internship isn’t just about forging a path towards a A flashback to Medaille College students at WIVB-TV in 1980
career. Sometimes it can help a student find his or her true calling. Dabney originally wanted to be a print journalist. Through internships, she had a chance to work in TV during her time at Medaille. That’s all it took.
21
It is a difficult job, as Buffalo is a very competitive market. However, she feels that the station offers quality over the quantity of others. She feels that she can offer her clients real value when proposing ad packages. As indicated by the sweeps, ratings are phenomenal. She is proud to work at WIVB-TV and describes it as a wonderful station with great people. She also likes working in Buffalo. WNY is a non-transient market so she has a chance to get familiar with the people she calls on. This helps her in her job, as relationships are the key to her business. Buffalo being a small community, she can build those relationships and really understand the needs of her clients. She attended Medaille for two years and has fond memories of the friends she made. As a Media Communications student, she also hung around with and had lots of fun with the “Media Derelicts.” She loved the experience at Medaille and many of these derelicts have become her friends for life – she still sees them today.
MEDAILLE IN THE MEDIA
Sounds Good The Medaille College Media Communications program is well known for producing some of the most skilled and successful professionals in the local industry. The program has also produced many with an entrepreneurial spirit, exemplified by Craig Scime ’98, Founder and Owner of Absolute Sound. “
M
edaille College has given me the education I needed to make my business successful,” Scime says. “Many of my employees are Medaille graduates. They are creative and they have their own ways of making the company great. We were trained so well, and taught not to be afraid to say what we want.” Absolute Sound is a full-service sound, video and entertainment production company that has operated across the U.S. and into Canada since 1994. They provide sound systems and lighting packages, as well as television and event production. The company prides itself on customer relations and focuses on the quality of shows, not the quantity. They have a limited number of shows that can go out any given day, but this ensures that customers will have the right DJ for their event. DJ’s are screened and trained, and then matched to an event to ensure that customers won’t have a wedding DJ at a high school event, or vice versa.
friends. One of his big early projects was a school dance at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. It was a big opportunity for him; with 800-1200 people, it was his first shot at a big, major school. He and a buddy rented the equipment and had a successful event.
As the events progressed, he started purchasing equipment. Showing up with professional equipment helped him establish credibility “Many of and grow profits. He also began renting my employees equipment to others and following a stratare Medaille egy of reinvesting in the company as it graduates. grew. In 1995 he filed for his DBA which They are creative made the company official. They had and have their checks that said Absolute Sound System, own ways of and the business was run out of his home. making the They moved to their current location on company great. Englewood Avenue in Buffalo in 2002.
We were trained so well, and taught not to be afraid to say what we want.” Craig Scime ’98
In addition to event services, the company prides itself on its production capabilities. One of their most significant recent projects is the Buffalo Jills on DVD - Swimsuit Edition. Straight from the sandy beaches of the Bahamas, the DVD goes behind the scenes on the 2004 swimsuit calendar shoot of the Buffalo Jills. “The Jills shoot was great - being in the Bahamas, being in control and seeing the project come full circle,” says Scime. “Having our own DVD on the market is really exciting. While it was a challenge to do, it was a lot of fun and it was their own idea.” Absolute Sound started as Scime’s hobby. While he was in high school, he started doing parties for
As Absolute Sound grows, Scime hopes to do more videos. They started in the video business when Absolute Sound sent a crew out of town to videotape a beauty pageant. Now, their video production services have turned into an area of expertise. Their corporate culture can be summed up by a statement on their web site –
Go ahead, make contact, but we must warn you: Contacting Absolute Sound may cause your next event to be more exciting, wild, and outrageous than ever thought imaginable. Quite the crazy bunch, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Of course, the company’s success is based on their outstanding employees. Scime looks favorably upon Medaille College grads when hiring because he knows the skills set they bring. Here’s a look at the Medaille graduates who have helped Absolute Sound grow from a home business to a successful event and A/V production company.
23
MEDAILLE IN THE MEDIA
Craig Scime ’98 MC Owner/Founder
When not at Absolute Sound, he’s an editor at BuffaloAtHome.com, editing raig Scime, currently Craig Scime ’98 at work in the production studio and preparing content for the a Member of the Buffalo, Rochester and Medaille College Alumni Board, chose to Chautauqua markets. He’s also worked at People Inc., attend Medaille because he liked the TV station and the Leukemia Society, and for the Buffalo Bisons and the professional opportunities that are built into the the now defunct Buffalo Blizzard. curriculum. He still visits the College, and enjoys seeing the “Using the equipment right away played a big part in changes each time he comes back. my decision to attend Medaille. You could do real “When I attended Medaille, the college was in production stuff,” Scime says. “At other transition,” Guillow says. “I was proud to schools, it takes two years before you could be a part of these changes, as the College use their equipment.” built a new campus center and was develop“Using the After seeing first hand how the curriculum ing a new residence hall. I even worked in equipment right and professional opportunities at Medaille the brand new campus center in the Office away played prepare Media Communications graduates, of Student Affairs.” a big part in Scime purposely surrounds himself with Some of his most positive experiences were my decision to great Medaille graduates, friends and the people that he met here, as he develattend Medaille. employees. oped a network of friends that have helped You could do real “Medaille graduates have great skills and him be successful. One of his biggest influproduction stuff. seem to have some type of closeness,” ences was Professor Lisa Van Valkinburgh. At other schools, Scime continues. “That helps put teamwork it takes two years at the forefront, which contributes greatly before you Joseph St. John ’96 MC to our success.”
C
Even with the growth of the video business, they will continue to be a sound system company as this is what built the success of the company.
could use their equipment.” Craig Scime ’98
J
oseph St. John has worked for Absolute Sound since 1996. In his current role, he is the Equipment and Warehouse Manager, responsible for repairing equipment, preparing it for events and managing the warehouse, office and lobby.
“We plan to do a lot more corporate events, as well as doing television production,” Scime says. “We have people who are interested in the Buffalo Jills project and we’re coming up with some programming ideas.” In 10 years, if funding was unlimited, the company would like to be number one in WNY for high school dances, have a nice conference room, and be a leader in making television shows – world-wide.
During the day, St. John works full time at WNYOWB 49 where he started as a Mass Control Operator in 1996. A Mass Control Operator is in charge of switching shows, and in 1998 he was promoted to Mass Control Supervisor.
Bob Guillow ’97 MC
He started working for Absolute Sound on the side and now works 2-3 days per week. He occasionally goes out and does set-ups and take-downs for the bigger shows.
A
St. John became involved with Scime and Absolute Sound while attending Medaille College. He also credits Medaille with helping him develop a network of friends in the business.
s the Marketing Director for Absolute Sound, one of Guillow’s responsibilities is to develop communications and marketing materials. He also writes proposals and is in the process of developing a television treatment to pitch to major networks.
24
Matt Lorigo ‘97, MC
and being able to use my experience and talents to make an event great for our customers.”
M
att Lorigo is the Assistant General Manager at Absolute
Doug Buczak ’98 – Putting on a show of his own.
In addition to his role as a Project Manager at Absolute Sound, Doug also is an aspiring actor, having appeared in three movies during the past year as well as national and local television commercials.
Sound.
After graduating from high school, he moved to Buffalo from Detroit. One day he received a flyer about Medaille College in the mail.
He also owns his own franchise business, ACN. “I was looking for a small college where I could get The franchise is an international telecom and utilities individual attention, and Medaille was perfect,” company that deals with deregulation and helps Lorigo said. “My professors and internship people save money on their utility bills. opportunities really taught me the ins and “I was looking Ownership of the company allows him outs of the media business. As a result of my for a small college to focus on his acting and stay involved experiences and the contacts I met, I was where I could with Absolute Sound. able to stay here in Buffalo and get a job.” get individual He was referred to Medaille by his attention. guidance counselor, and he appreciated Medaille was Doug Buczak ’98 SM the class sizes and personal attention.
D
oug Buczak loves working at Absolute Sound, something he has done sine 1996 when he met Craig Scime at Medaille. From 1998-2002, he served full-time as Director of Operations. Currently a Project Manager, Buczak appreciates the dynamic nature of the job. “I really like the variety of this work, as it is something different every day,” Buczak says. “While you know what event you’re going to, you never know exactly how it is going to go until it starts. I enjoy having to adapt
B
R
I
E
F
Buffalo Jills Swimsuit DVD, including revision of format for possible airing on ESPN 2
L
I
S
perfect. My professors and internship taught me the ins and outs of the media business. As a result. I was able to stay here in Buffalo and get a job.” Matt Lorigo ‘97
T
O
F
Ingram Micro corporate work such as training and sales video
“I came from a small high school, and I was a little scared to be heading out into the world,” Buczak recalls. “But everyone at Medaille made me feel so comfortable, I was able to make friends and participate in things right away.” Other Medaille graduates at Absolute Sound include Micah Baumfled ’99 MC, who currently serves as a Production Assistant, and Production Assistant Ryan Shirley ’05 MBA who is a current Medaille student.
P
R
O
J
E
C
T
S
Niagara University men’s basketball games, providing sound and equipment and adding a lot of energy
25
class notes 1960s
CLASS AGENT, TIM WALSH ’85, ’02
Ann Louise Swartz ’69 EE won the “Surdyk Award” for excellence in teaching at the Lovett School in Atlanta. CLASS AGENT,
1970s TIM WALSH ’85, ’02 Diane D. Doyle ’73 ED is a Consultant Teacher for the Greece Central School District. Deborah C. Slisz ’74 ED is a Reading Teacher with the Buffalo Public Schools. James Heaney ’77 MC is an Investigative Reporter for the Buffalo News. In 1993 he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Donald L. Jordan ’78 SS received his Master’s of Arts in Human Resources Management from Webster University in 2002 and was promoted to Vocational Training Counselor for the Workforce Service Corp. Virginia Bates ’79 MC was named a Partner at Eric Mower and Associates. She has been with the company since 1994. Alice Bragg ’79 ED was elected as Vice President of the Medaille College Alumni Board. Mike Sernoffsky ’79 ED is currently teaching Sixth Grade at Elizabethtown (PA) Middle School. (See profile on page 31.)
1980s
CLASS AGENT, TIM WALSH ’85, ’02
Vanessa Anderson ’80 ED is a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher for the Buffalo Board of Education at school 82. She is also a Board Member with St. John the Baptist Church Christian Education Committee. Russel Beasor ’80 HS is a Senior Corrections Officer at Attica Correctional Facility. Robert Bradley ’80 LS is a Safety Officer at Rochester Psychiatric Center. Barbara Chase ’80 MC works in accounts payable for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority. Louis F. Chilelli ’80 MC is a News Photographer for WKBW-TV. He is also a Volunteer Firefighter with the Townline Fire District.
CLASS REUNION AGENTS 1980 DIANE PENROD, PH.D. 1985 EILEEN (GARBO) BUCKLEY 1997 ROBERT F. GUILLOW 1997 ANDREW SCHWARTZ
Lynn Davies ’80 EE is a Supervisor for the Lasik Surgery Center at the ATWAL Eye Care Center.
Marie Dabney ’82 MC is the Sales Promotion Coordinator at WIVB-TV News 4.
Christina Levine ’80 LS is the Director of Community Relations for Covenant Village Lifecare Retirement.
Chris Keller ’82 LS is the Director of Admissions and Records at Bloom University in PA.
Joseph McDonnell ’80 MC is the President of Custom Carpet Centers. He was also named as a Chancellor for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Broderick Cason ’83 HS was honored in October at the annual Black Achievers in Industry Awards gala. Mr. Cason worked for a number of years at People, Inc., and is a Marketing and Sales Representative for government programs at Univera Healthcare. He also serves as a House Manager at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.
Cheryl N. Messore ’80 MC is the Marketing Manager for Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. She is also the Publicist for the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus and a Certified Docent for the Darwin Martin House. Chris Musial ’80 MC was named President and General Manager of WIVBTV (Channel 4) and its sister station, WNLO-TV. He was also presented with the Fr. Justin Figas Distinguished Communicator Award from St. Francis High School in honor of his efforts to increase public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the school. Diane Penrod, Ph.D. ’80 MC is the Director for Graduate Studies in writing at Rowan University. She is also the Site Director for the Rowan National Writing Project. Shirley Sarmiento ’80 LS is the Co-Founder/Producer of Buffalo Urban Arts. She has produced plays, worked on screenplays, and volunteered in her community. Dawn Hamilton ’81 MC has been named Vice President of Foundation and community development for the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNED). She has been the Director of Foundation Development since 2001. She has been with the station since 1980, when she joined the staff as a Medaille intern at WEBR, the predecessor of WNED-AM. She is currently working on a capital campaign to finance the station’s digital conversion. Joe Militello ’81 MC is a Senior Advertising Consultant with Metro Community News. He is also involved in local high school sports programs in West Seneca.
Maureen Gannon ’83 BA is in Human Resources with Rural/Metro Medical Services. Pasquale Friscina ’84 ED retired from the Buffalo Board of Education in October of 2004. He was selected for the 7th edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2002, an honor bestowed upon only 5% of America’s teachers annually. Frisina completed his B.S. in Education at Medaille College and earned his M.S. in Special Education at Buffalo State College. Nancy Starzynski ’84 MC is a Research Manager at the Star Ledger in Springfield, NJ. She has been there since October 1996. Eileen Buckley ’85 MC is a News Reporter for WBFO-FM. Corinne Fazzolari-Leone ’85 LA earned her Master’s in Informatics from the University at Buffalo, and currently serves as a Contract Library Director at the Town of North Collins Public Library and a Librarian at the Central Library in the E-Branch. Neil MacFayden ’85 MC is a Channel Account Manager at Targus. Art Nephew ’85 BA was elected as Parliamentarian of the Medaille College Alumni Board. Art was also recently named as a Program Manager at The MOCHA Project. Tracey Wild ’85 MC was elected as Secretary of the Medaille College Alumni Board.
SHADED AREAS DENOTE SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARIES.
26
The Medaille College Magazine is interested in profiling Medaille graduates who have gone on to receive terminal degrees at other institutions for an upcoming issue. If you have completed an advanced degree program after graduating from Medaille and are interested in being profiled, please contact Jonathan Gill at jgill@medaille.edu.
Tim Kwiatkowski ’86 BA was named Senior Vice President and Market Manager for the U.S. Central Region in the Client Development Group at Bank of America. Howard Lewis ’86 BA is a Vice President and Manager of an Investment Banking Group with Bank of America. Robby Takac ’86 MC recently formed the Music is Art Foundation, a not-forprofit organization supporting music and the arts by encouraging local artistic involvement through Western New York schools and community events. Thomas Brick ’87 BA was hired as Branch Manager of the Greater Buffalo Savings Bank in North Tonawanda. He is currently a Board Member of the Tonawanda Chamber of Commerce and an active Volunteer Firefighter. Andrew Brocato ’87 MC is the Manager of Community Relations for Tops Markets. Vincent Ciancio ’87 BA is a National Account Manager at 3M O-Cel-O. Veronica Kane Lockwood ’87 MC is the Federal and State Aid Coordinator for the City of Buffalo. She is also a Board Member for Goodwill Industries and the Science Museum. Nancy Lee Goff ’87 CYS was ordained in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church as a Reverend. She graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in May, 2001. Halbert Brooks ’89 HS is self-employed as the Owner of Timberman Construction. Birgit Burton ’89 MC is the Director of Foundation Relations at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Irene Kazmierczak ’89 CIS is now the proud Owner of her own computer counseling agency. Inspire Business Solutions helps non-profit organizations and small businesses get the full benefits of modern technology by teaching them how to use the latest in hardware and software to make them more competitive. Mary Murray ’89 MC is a Public Information Officer for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. BA BIO CIS CJ CW
Business Administration Biology Computer Information Systems Criminal Justice Creative Writing
CYS ED FS HR HS LS
Bruce Wawrzyniak ’89 MC traveled to the summer Olympics in Greece as the Director of Communications for the International Softball Federation.
1990s
Ross Runfola ’94 BA is a Manager at Rotech Healthcare. JoLynn Truty ’94 BA is the Manager of PJ’s Casual Dining in North Tonawanda. John Barry ’95 ED was elected to the Medaille College Alumni Board.
CLASS AGENT, KEITH KOCH ’00
Linda Blake ’90 LS is a Guidance Counselor for the Niagara Falls School District.
Beverly Kominarek ’95 HS is the Associate Director of Personnel at D’Youville College.
Margaret Kafka ’90 BS was recently elected to the Medaille College Board of Trustees. Margaret is the Vice President of Corporate Services at Merchants Insurance Group.
Jennifer Hillman ’96 LS is the Communications Director for RQC Limited (Rembrandt Charities).
Ralph Hernandez ’91 SS was recently elected to the Buffalo School Board from the West District. Mati Ortiz ’91 CYS & MC is the Director of Campus Activities at Niagara University. Carrie Colognino ’93 VT is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Buffalo General Hospital. Betty Jean Grant ’93 ED was elected to the Buffalo Board of Education for the Ferry District. She made history in 1999 when she became the first AfricanAmerican to serve as a Buffalo City Councilmember of the University District. In addition, Ms. Grant was honored in October at the annual Black Achievers in Industry Awards gala. She operates Grant’s Variety Shoppe, a 24-year-old family-owned business on East Ferry Street in Buffalo. Stephen Norton ’93 MC is proud to announce that he and his wife, Dawn, are expecting their second child in May. He is the Manager of Corporate Communications for the Steris Corporation in Mentor, OH. Darren Portis ’93 HS, a Member of the Medaille College Alumni Board, is the Director of Residence Life at Medaille College. Daniel J. Metz ’94 HR was hired as the Director of Human Resources for the Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) in Erie 2-ChautauquaCattaraugus.
Child and Youth Services Education Financial Services Human Resources Health and Human Services Liberal Studies
LIT MBA
Literature Masters in Business Administration MS in Ed Masters in Education MA MHC Masters in Mental Health Counseling
MA PSY MA OL MC MNP PSY
William McKeever ’96 MNP is a Recruitment Specialist at Supplemental Healthcare Company. Jennifer Bush ’97 ED earned her Master’s Degree in Reading at St. Bonaventure and is currently a First Grade Teacher at Hinsdale Central School. Neil Dengler ’97 SM was elected as Fundraising Coordinator of the Medaille College Alumni Board. Robert Guillow ’97 MC is the Editor of BuffaloAtHome.com and Marketing Director for Absolute Sound & Video. Monica Jones ’97 VT was elected to the Medaille College Alumni Board. Kimberly Ann Lewis ’97 ED is a Mental Health Counselor with Lakeshore Behavioral Health. She received her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University at Buffalo. Michelle A. Little ’97 VT is a Veterinary Technician at Transit Animal Hospital. Matthew Lorigo ’97 MC is the Assistant General manager at Absolute Sound. Jeff Surdej ’97 MC is the Promotions Director for Entercom Communications. Glenn L. Susabach ’97 SM works for BJ’s Wholesale Club. Kimberly Marie Wnek ’97 HS is an Orientation and Mobility Instructor and Social Caseworker in the Olmstead Center for the Visually Impaired.
Masters in Psychology Masters in Organizational Leadership Media Communications Managing Non-Profits Psychology
PW SM SS VDA VT
Professional Writing Sports Management Social Sciences Video and Digital Arts Veterinary Technology
CLASS NOTES
Marc Bandelian ’98 ED was awarded “Educator of the Week” by Channel 2 in March 2004. He teaches Fourth Grade at Nativity of BVM in Williamsville and is the Head Advisor of the Explorer Post at Harris Hill Volunteer Fire Co. where he is also a member.
Fran Featherstone ’00 HS (’03 ED) was elected to the Medaille College Alumni Board.
Julie Molak ’01 VT is a Veterinary Technician in Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital in Grand Island.
Catherine R. Gustina ’00 ED is a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher working for the Buffalo Public Schools.
Geoffrey Charland ’98 SM is a Sales Associate with Pool Mart.
Keith Koch ’00 LS was appointed as Alumni Relations and Medaille Fund Officer at Medaille College.
Steve Morgan ’01 BA formed Contour Financial Planning, LLC, last January in Buffalo. He and his wife, Amy, run the company that is the only financial planning service in Western NY that gives their customers an hourly rate that can be broken down to six-minute intervals.
Stephen Cicchinelli ’98 CIS is a Project Manager at Verizon. Christine Dougherty ’98 MC was promoted to Senior Account Executive for Eric Mower and Associates. Carl L. Hairston ’98 BA has been appointed Business Banking Team Leader for M&T Bank. He is also a Vice President with the bank, having started there in 2000. Victoria A. Hanson ’98 MC enrolled in the Student Personnel Administration Graduate Program at Buffalo State College where she is the Operations Manager of the Campbell Student Union. Stacy Porter ’98 MC is now the Promotions Director for Peachez, Inc. Bill Newton ’99 MC is the Assistant Director of Campus Activities at Niagara University. Craig Scime ’98 MC is the Owner and General Manager of Absolute Sound. He recently produced a DVD for the Buffalo Jills. AGENT, KEITH KOCH ’00 2000s CLASS
Jennifer Chojecki ’00 BA began her own business, Hands & Paws Cookies & Treats, after she graduated from Medaille College. What started as a part-time effort to help with her dog’s health turned into a full-time job requiring the help of two part-time associates. She bakes all-natural dog treats without the additives, preservatives, and sugars found in store-bought dog biscuits.
Cindy Kupczyk ’00 VT is proud to announce the birth of her daughter, Natalie, in February of this year. She is a Licensed Veterinary Technician at Suburban South Veterinary Hospital in West Seneca. Jackie Snieszko ’00 ED earned a Master’s Degree in Reading from Canisius College and is a Reading Specialist at the Central Avenue School in Lancaster. Erica J. Sweeney ’00 VT is a Veterinary Technician at Killewald Small Animal Hospital. Katie Baskerville ’01 CJ is an Administrative Assistant at McNicholas Capital Corp. Padraic Collins-Bohrer ’01 MC earned the Borders Outstanding Service Award for August 2004. He recently joined the Balinese Gamelan Ensemble at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and is a Member of the Southeast Asian Percussion Group. Erica L. Jacus ’01 BA is Accounts Payable Manager for Apple Rubber Products. Kim Koenig ’01 HR is Staffing Coordinator for Elderwood Health Care at Lakewood. Jamie Marzo ’01 MBA is a Human Resources Representative at the New York Power Authority. Liz Miller-Galanis ’01 SM is a Sales Representative with Metro Community News.
Richard M. Niewczyk ’01 CJ is an Operations Manager with Tops Market. Cynthia A. Walton ’01 ED is a Tax Analyst at Moore Wallace North America. Laura Smith ’01 VT is a Veterinary Technician at Pittsford Animal Hospital and Animal Emergency Service in Rochester. Tina Smith ’01 MC works in Account Services at First Niagara Bank. Trina Burruss ’02 BA was honored in October at the annual Black Achievers in Industry Awards gala. She is Vice President and Branch Manager for the Main-High Office of HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Ms. Burruss was one of 25 people to receive the award. She is currently enrolled in the Master’s in Business Leadership program at Daemen College. Gina Carnrike ’02 FS is an Associate Financial Consultant for M&T Securities with the M&T Investment Group. Kelly Eagan ’02 CYS was appointed as Assistant Director of Admissions at Medaille College. Christopher Gengo ’02 MBA was elected as President of the Medaille College Alumni Board. Molly Jacobs ’02 MC was recently appointed Sales Promotion Coordinator for Citadel Broadcasting Company. Edward Kreher ’02 CJ is a Manager at Classics V Banquet Center in Amherst. SHADED AREAS DENOTE SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARIES.
IN MEMORIAM Ronald R. Lambright ’90 BA, May 3, 2004 - He was a former Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors for the Town of Tonawanda Boys & Girls Club. Sister Maureen Ann Muller, OSF, May 14, 2004 - Graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College.
Sister M. Carmen Badame, July 24, 2004 Graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College. Sister Marie Gerard Hoffman, August 2, 2004 - Graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College and Medaille College. She was listed in the 2004 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, a testimony to her commitment to education.
Kim Richard Swatsworth ’96, September 2, 2004 - He worked for General Motors for the past 20 years. He was an Adjunct Professor at Medaille College in 1997 and 1998. Maureen W. Markarian, September 8, 2004 Attended Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College. She worked as a Legal Assistant for Hawthorne, Markarian, and Siegel,
where her husband was a partner. Sister Rita Mae Anthony, OSF, September 10, 2004 - Graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College Sister Richard Anne Anthony, September 10, 2004 - She was a Teacher as well as a Nurse in the New York, Florida, and Georgia areas. After graduating from Medaille College, she earned her
Nursing degree from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Providence, RI. Sister Mary Laetantia Chrzanowski, CSSF, September 24, 2004 Graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College. She served as an Elementary Teacher for much of her life, reaching out to children from PA to Ontario.
CLASS NOTES
Jennifer Mayers ’02 CS is employed as a Behavior Specialist for the Therapeutic Foundation and at Publix Supermarket in Florida.
Mark M. Oship ’04 MBA works for HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Buffalo office, as a Senior Accountant in the Loan Balance Control Department.
Shannon Marie Prior ’02 MBA is a Caseworker for Baker Victory Services.
Michael Pici ’04 BA was recently appointed Account Manager in Sales with Hamburg’s prescription benefit consultancy, Arxcel.
Tanya Ramirez ’02 BA is a Staff Accountant for Raptim International Travel. Richard D. Spiller ’02 BA is an Accountant/Contract Specialist with Lakeshore Behavioral Health. Sara Zappi ’02 MRA has served as CFO for Falcon Properties since her graduation. She has returned to New Jersey after working in five different countries.
Catherine Sicoli ’04 VT has received her Licensed Veterinary Technician credentials after passing the National Veterinary Technology board examination. She is preparing to enter veterinary school in 2006. Sicoli also appeared on the front
page of the September 29, 2004, edition of the Tonawanda News, commenting on canine diseases. Yvonne Thorne ’04 MBA was awarded the Antoinette Brown Blackwell Society’s 2004 Woman of the Year Award. Thorne, manager of Highland Hospital’s Center for Women, volunteers for Henrietta’s parent groups, including the Parker Parent Group, which focuses on helping minority students receive recognition in academics. She also provides teaching assistance in the Rush-Henrietta School District. Richard M. Niewczyk ’01 CJ and Paulette Marie Wydro.
Carrie Colognino ’93 VT and Brandon Hoffman.
Laura Smith ’01 VT and Jason Johnson.
Elizabeth A. Alvira ’03 M. Ed. teaches Third Grade in St. Ambrose School.
JoLynn Truty ’94 BA and James P. Muehlbauer.
Cynthia A. Walton ’01 ED and Roger H. Smith.
Jennifer Braunschedel ’03 PSY is a Guidance Counselor at Santa Fe High School in Gainesville, FL. She received her Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Canisius College.
Jennifer Bush ’97 ED and Ernie Bergstrom.
Molly Jacobs ’02 MC and Eric Burt announced a wedding for May 2005.
Kevin Michael Ellender ’03 BA is an Account Executive at Places 4 Students Inc. Nicole Moffat ’03 BA is an Agent for National Income Insurance Co. in Rochester, NY. Michael Adam Pastwik ’03 BS is a Sales Account Manager for Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group. Kim Petschke ’03 BA is the Marketing Coordinator for Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories. She is also a graduate of Lafayette High School and Erie Community College. Steven John Saraf ’03 BA is working for the Department of Homeland Security and resides in Mount Pleasant, SC. Janelle L. Socie ’03 VT is currently a Veterinary Technician at Dr. Mike’s Furry Friends in Niagara Falls, NY. Cindy A. Wren ’03 LA is currently employed as a Trust Officer at HSBC Bank USA and is enrolled in the MBA program at Medaille College. Kristina L . Ettinger ’04 BA was recently appointed as a Territory Manager for the Youth Market by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo. Shannon L. Johnson ’04 BA is a Lease Consultant with RSA, Inc.
WEDDINGS
Maureen Cray ’83 BUS and Brenden Gannon.
Robert W. Ziegler ’02 M.Ed. teaches Science in the Hamburg Central School District.
Kimberly Ann Lewis ’97 ED and Craig Michael Emminger. Michelle A. Little ’97 VT and Kris A. Milliard. Glenn L. Susabach ’97 SM and Carrie J. Magee. Kimberly Marie Wnek ’97 HS and Christopher John Bandura.
Geoffrey Charland ’98 SM and Gina Vilardo. Craig Scime ’98 MC and Krystal Centinello announced a wedding for March of 2006.
Edward Kreher ’02 CJ and Maria Davis. Jennifer Mayers ’02 CS and Scott Domon. Shannon Marie Prior ’02 MBA and David Matthew Bixby. Robert W. Ziegler ’02 M.Ed. and Kristie A. Ventura. Elizabeth A. Alvira ’03 M. Ed. and Michael J. Borowski. Jennifer Braunschedel ’03 PSY and Richard Thomas.
Catherine R. Gustina ’00 ED and Stephen J. Paolini.
Kevin Michael Ellender ’03 BA and Courtney Lea Boden.
Jackie Snieszko ’00 ED and Shaun DiMino.
Nicole Moffat ’03 BA and Todd Falkiewicz.
Erica J. Sweeney ’00 VT and Erik R. Hjalmarson.
Michael Adam Pastwik ’03 BS and Beth Ann Sprandel.
Katie Baskerville ’01 CJ and Dean Rule.
Kim Petschke ’03 BA and Derek J. Ljiljanich.
Liz Galanis ’01 SM and Kirk Miller.
Steven John Saraf ’03 BA and Lindsay Renee Oakes. The couple resides in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Erica L. Jacus ’01 BA and Jeffrey Patterson. Kim Koenig ’01 HR and Gary Benson. Jamie Marzo ’01 MBA and Duane Evans. Julie Molak ’01 VT and Kevin Brown.
29
Janelle L. Socie ’03 VT and Craig R. Colby. Michael Pici ’04 BA and Sarah Stortz announced a wedding scheduled for the summer of 2006.
IN MEMORIAM
Medaille Mourns the Loss of Sister Alice Huber The first President of the College passes away at 91 years of age. Sister Alice M. Huber, who served as the first President of Medaille College, died on December 24, 2004, in the Clarence residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph after a brief illness. She was 91. Sister Huber made her final profession of vows in August 1934. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education at Mount St. Joseph Teachers College, a Master’s degree in Education at Canisius College and a Doctorate from the University at Buffalo. During a teaching career that lasted from 1931 to 1975, she taught all subjects in primary grades at many area schools, including Mount St. Joseph Academy, St. Mark’s, Sacred Heart in Niagara Falls, Salamanca, Medina and Our Lady Victory Academy in Lackawanna. In 1958, Sister Huber taught at all-women’s Mount St. Joseph’s Teachers College and then served as President there from 1964 to 1968. In 1968, Sister Huber helped transform Mount St. Joseph’s into Medaille College, open to men and women, and served as its first President. She was honored with President Emeritus status in 2004. “It’s the philosophy of the Sisters of St. Joseph to educate people regardless of race, color or creed,” she explained in a 2001 interview in the college’s alumni newsletter. “And that’s why Medaille never put any limitations to whether the students were male, female, white or black. It was always, What could we do to further a person’s education? I think that philosophy holds true at the college today.” While at Medaille, Sister Huber wrote two textbooks on modern math and became a nationally known authority on the subject. She enjoyed art and music and was Director of a Humanities Program at the Amherst Senior Center, where she taught poetry and writing from 1984 to 1990. Contributions to the Sister Alice M. Huber Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made by contacting Carol B. Wittmeyer, Ed.D., Vice President for College Relations at Medaille College.
Dr. Susan Bokman Leitzan Memorial Scholarship The entire Medaille community, as well as the greater Buffalo area, lost a great benefactor of passion and caring with the passing of Veterinarian Dr. Susan Bokman Leitzan. “Dr. Sue,” as friends, colleagues, and associates knew her, held the care and well being of all animals close to her heart. Her passion for them was contagious, as was her vivacious spirit and commitment to her work. Leitzan was a guiding light for the Medaille College Vet-Tech program. She assisted faculty whenever she could, and she provided student interns with outstanding clinical training and skills that assured they would make a mark in the veterinary profession just as she had. In 1985, Dr. Sue graduated from the State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Two years later, in 1987, she started her own practice, the Abbott Road Animal Hospital in Orchard Park. In addition to her work at her practice, Dr. Sue was a Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society, and the Buffalo Academy of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sue lost her battle with leukemia in August of 2004. To commemorate her passion for animal care and her commitment to Medaille College and the veterinary profession, her family established the Dr. Susan Bokman Leitzan Memorial Scholarship. Every fall, two upperclass veterinary technology students who have completed an internship, are full-time students, have significant experience, and are excelling academically will receive the award. Contributions to the Dr. Susan Bokman Leitzan Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made by contacting Carol B. Wittmeyer, Ed. D., Vice President for College Relations at Medaille College.
30
Promotion? New job? Marriage? Let us know and we’ll let your classmates know. Fill us in by filling this out.
MAIL Medaille College Magazine, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214 FAX to 716.884.0291 EMAIL jgill@Medaille.edu WEB medaille.edu/alumni and link to the Alumni Affairs Inquiry Form. 4 NAME CLASS OF
NAME OF FIANCE(E)/SPOUSE DEGREE
WEDDING DATE
EMAIL 4 4
Wedding announcements
Birth Announcement
Change of address CHILD’S NAME
BIRTHDATE
ADDRESS SPOUSE’S NAME CITY
STATE
ZIP 4
PHONE
Submit this card and be entered to win a Medaille gift basket! One winner per issue.
4
New position at work
TITLE COMPANY BUSINESS ADDRESS BUSINESS PHONE
Achievements, honors, milestones, travels, etc.
ALUMNI PROFILE
Meet Mike Sernoffsky ’79 By Kary Fronk
Medaille College alumnus Mike Sernoffsky ’79 leads a very busy but satisfying life. Such is the case when you have a great family, a successful career and a gift for teaching others. Mike transferred to Medaille for his junior year and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. He remembers his time at Medaille fondly, citing a good staff of sisters as instructors who allowed him to grow and use his own expertise. He played on the fledgling soccer team at a time when the school didn’t have a mascot. Road trips were memorable too. The Sernoffskys (L to R): Jared, Mike, Elaine and Janae
“A terrific memory was a school sponsored trip to ski in Vermont,” Sernoffsky says. “We had a school van and the windshield wipers didn’t work through a sleet storm. So we used shoelaces and kept pulling the wipers back and forth all the way there. It was a wonderful trip and I even won a party at the resort.” After earning a Master’s degree in Special Education, Mike moved to Lancaster, PA, to, in his words, “chase” his then-girlfriend Elaine. The two eventually married, and he became a teacher at Elizabethtown Middle School, where he has spent the past 22 years. “...great teachers Elaine also teaches as a aren’t made, Physical Education they have to be instructor at the local eleborn with mentary school. the desire..” Mike and Elaine are blessed with two children, Jared and Janae. Jared is a high school junior and participates in varsity soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse. He is a member of National Honor Society and plays in the band. Janae is a sophomore and is also an honor student. She is a level-10 gymnast and has qualified for nationals. She plays the violin and flute. In addition to his teaching duties, Mike coaches varsity wrestling. In his 21-year career, he has coached a state champion and four state finalists, and earned 170 coaching victories. Because of his deep connection to teaching others, Mike takes great pride in the fact that many of his former wrestlers have become coaches. Two are currently working at the college level and six others are at the high school level, including two on Mike’s staff. When he’s not in school, he doesn’t slow down. He teaches Sunday school with his wife. He also works at Hershey Park in the summer and on Candy Lane during the holidays.
32
His life has felt the influences of many people: his father as well as coaches, teachers and advisors in high school and college. These influences helped guide him in a direction that has left him very fulfilled. However, he says that great teachers aren’t made, they have to be born with the desire. “I remember meeting with my advisor,” Sernoffsky says. “We were working on scheduling classes and I told her that although she and others at Medaille were really teaching me and helping me, I believe that the best teachers are born not made. We are helped along but it does take special stuff to teach.” While he has a very busy schedule, Mike hopes to make it back for the All-Years Reunion in June. He enjoys reading the College magazine and appreciates the efforts of the Alumni Association. Most of all, he thanks Medaille College for the education and experiences that have contributed to where and who he is today.
Mike Sernoffsky cheers on his wrestlers
The ________ Scholarship Your name here.
The ________ Building Your name here.
The ________ Laboratory Your name here.
The ________ Professorship Your name here.
The ________ Fund for New Initiatives. Your name here.
Allow Medaille to be part of your legacy. Through donating gifts of assets, life-income, retirement plans, life insurance, or by naming Medaille in your will, you can help generations of Medaille students by: 4
Starting a scholarship
4
Helping teachers
4
Funding a program
4
Providing stipends
4
Renovating a building
4
Improving Technologies
4
Promoting a cause
4
Leaving a legacy
At the same time, you may reduce your own income taxes, avoid capital gains tax, increase your spendable income, retain payments-for-life and achieve no-cost, worry-free asset management, depending upon your arrangements. We can facilitate your decision to maintain your Medaille connection and benefit future generations. Please call Carol B. Wittmeyer, Ed.D., Vice President for College Relations at 716.884.3281 or e-mail cwittmeyer@medaille.edu. Don’t put this off. Get the financial benefits in the present, help students in the future.
18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214 716.884.3281 800.292.1582 fax 716.884.0291 www.medaille.edu
UPCOMING EVENTS Medaille College Amherst Accel Program Reunion February 18, 5:30-8:00 p.m. Kevin I. Sullivan Campus Center, Medaille College Buffalo Campus
Alumni Board Meetings February 8,* March 8, April 12, May 10 College Relations Conference Center, 73 Humboldt Parkway * There will be a brief meeting to introduce Alumni to the Board, at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Fat Tuesday Feast & Celebration, open to all Medaille College Alumni.
Campus Visit Days February 3 & 17, March 1 For information, please contact the Admissions Office, 716.884.3281 ext. 203.
Overnight Visit/ Shadow Days February 8-9 and 22-23, March 21-22, April 12-13. For information, please contact the Admissions Office, 716.884.3281 ext. 203.
11th Annual St. Joseph’s Day Table March 13 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. The Sisters of St. Joseph host at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse. Please call 759-6454 for information or to volunteer.
Medaille College Commencement May 20, 2005
Medaille College All Years Reunion June 3-5, 2005
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO 948 BUFFALO, NY
Agassiz Circle Buffalo, NY 14214 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED