Rosemont Magazine, Fall/Winter 2019

Winter

This Issue: President Hirsh's Legacy: 14 Years of Excellence and Joy

Peek Inside The New 73,000 square foot Community Center Dedicated To President Hirsh

2019/2020

Fall 2019 Dear Alumni and Friends, Well, I have to admit that this academic year, my last as president, is turning out to be quite the experience: In the last several months I have felt, I think, almost every emotion possible while going through a series of “lasts.”

For example, we always have a “Welcome Back Picnic,” a lunch on the Connelly Green, for the first day of classes. It is always fun, in part because of the delicious food (our Parkhurst Dining folks move the grills right out on the lawn), but primarily because everyone is there (students, faculty, and staff all come together.) This year, I was enjoying myself as usual, but as I was eating at one of the tables, three students came up to me and asked, “Can we give you a hug?” As I stood up to receive the hug – from three fairly large members of the men’s lacrosse team, as it happened – I heard, “Because it’s your last Welcome Back Picnic!”

Then it struck me: this beautiful campus, these incredibly dedicated staff, the amazing faculty, and these truly wonderful students, all of this would soon be in my past.

But I assure you it will be a cherished past. I do feel, as the time of this last year speeds quickly along, that I have made a good decision to retire as of May 31, 2020.

I will be leaving at a good time for me personally, as I am eager to do many more things, including going back to my art history research and writing, but on a much less demanding (crazy?) schedule.

And I do feel that this is a good time for the College as well. While all small colleges in the United States are struggling in one way or another, under the burden of overregulation, the ever-higher costs of and changes in technology, and the demographic decline of traditional-age high school graduates going to college (with the steepest decline in the Northeast), Rosemont is in a fairly stable position. Some small colleges are just introducing, for example, graduate programs. We started our Graduate Studies in 1986, and now offer eleven Graduate degrees. Most of these, as well as Bachelors programs in our adult degree completion Professional Studies, can be taken all online if a student wishes, but more recently introduced adult programs (Masters in Healthcare Administration, Masters in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Bachelors in Applied Psychology, and Bachelors in Writing Studies, for example) are offered only online, so the College has moved into total online space, where there are the challenges of designing engaging, dynamic classes and courses, but where no residence halls are needed.

We have changed a lot over the past decade plus, but at the same time, so much has stayed the same. Our attention and devotion to our Mission has in fact increased. The campus has striking banners hanging from light posts that feature the face of campus “heroes” – students, faculty, and staff – with wording taken directly from our mission statement. When we had our last Middle States evaluation, the team chair explained that “we didn’t think that we had to stop people on the streets and ask about your knowledge of the mission; it is quite clear that at Rosemont you live your mission.”

Our students are known for being kind and generous, while also being spirited. As it happens, I am writing this letter on Halloween, and from my office I’m able to see several paths between buildings. I just looked up to see three students walking together, all wearing backpacks. I couldn’t help but notice that the middle backpack was being worn by a large bear! So far I’ve seen two witches, a Cat in the Hat, and two graduates (wearing their caps and gowns, presumably still in their rooms from the August Cap and Gown Ceremony, which we still have, along with the Penny Toss).

Many of you have reached out to me since my announcement in June, and I can’t begin to tell you how much your words of encouragement have meant to me.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, PhD ’70

DEPARTMENTS OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-2019 CHAIR OF THE BOARD Maria A. Feeley, Esq. ’93

Rosemont Magazine | volume 17 | number 1 VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD Kathleen Trainor ’70 SECRETARY Ann D. Marshall ’66 TREASURER Sean FitzPatrick

4 | On a Mission

OFFICERS OF THE COLLEGE 2018-2019

7 | New Partnerships

PRESIDENT Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, PhD ’70 PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS Lisa Dolling, PhD VICE PRESIDENT FOR COLLEGE RELATIONS Christyn J. Moran ’94 VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Randy L. Eldridge, DBA, CPA, MBA VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION Jeanne Marie Hatch, SHCJ ROSEMONT MAGAZINE STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kathleen Troy Smyser DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION Susan M. DiGironimo ’18

8 | New Programs for Adult Students 9 | New Faculty and Staff 11 | Preparing for Career's First Steps 13 | Where He Belongs 14 | Alumni Board Spotlight 15 | The End of an Era 19 | Entrepreneurial Students

WRITERS Kathleen DuBoff Joe Darrah ’11 Christyn J. Moran ’94

23 | A Grandmother & Granddaughter

CONTRIBUTORS Eileen Capobianchi Joanne Demetriou Julie Hyland Rebecca Monaghan '19 Helen Sciubba

29 | Athletics

PHOTOGRAPHY Susan DiGironimo ’18 Jaci Downs Bryan Karl Lathrop John Michael (JM) Szczepaniak-Gillece ’13, ’17

25 | Ghosts of Rosemont 31 | T he Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center

PRINTING Garrison Printing Company © 2019 Rosemont College

Fall

Rosemont Magazine is published twice annually by the Office of College Relations for alumni, parents, and friends of the College. Third-class postage is paid in Bensalem, PA 19020.

Articles contained in Rosemont Magazine and the opinions expressed within them do not necessarily represent the official policies of Rosemont College. Letters to the editor or other communications regarding the contents of the magazine, including address changes, may be sent to: Rosemont College, Office of College Relations, 1400 Montgomery Avenue, Rosemont, PA 19010-1699 or emailed to: alum@rosemont.edu.

e: This IsHirsu sh's

President Years of Legacy: 14 and Joy Excellence The New Peek Inside are Foot 73,000 Squ ty Center Communi To Dedicated Hirsh President

2019

On the Cover: President Hirsh's Legacy: 14 years of excellence and joy.

I recently graduated and landed a job with a big-four accounting firm, EY. The most POWERFUL lesson I learned at Rosemont is. . . when a community invests in your success, you have the responsibility to give it your all.

− Brandon Jones ’19

- As of June 2019

Successful Outcomes: Of all the ways a college can measure its impact, none is more telling than how well the college prepares its students for life after graduation. While many Rosemont graduates opt for a full-time job in their field of study or further education by pursuing an advanced degree, others decide to serve in the military or give back to the community. At Rosemont College, we are proud of all the successes of our alumni. We’d like you to meet three recent alumni who exemplify the exciting paths begun with a Rosemont degree.

My World Religion professor saw I was drawn to this subject area, before I even realized it myself. That professor encouraged me to think about why I was drawn to it, and challenged me to think about what studying religion might mean to my life after Rosemont. I graduated with a degree in Theology and Religious Studies, and entered Yale Divinity School on a full tuition fellowship to get my Master’s degree.

Rosemont gave me the POWER to make this happen. My professors saw potential in me, even when I didn’t. Because of the POWER of small at Rosemont, I am doing what I love and what speaks to the real me.

− Sarah Schork ’19

Yale Divinity School Fellow

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On A Mission

Elizabeth Russell ’18 is validating her education and her purpose one community at a time.

By Joe Darrah

Elizabeth Russell ’18 was simply looking to be part of something. It was freshman year and she wanted her time at Rosemont College to be meaningful, active, and spent with others.

As always, the proverbial welcome mat lay at the entryway to Campus Ministry.

Knowing that she was seeking an outlet for participation, Jay Verzosa, then the ministry’s director, introduced Russell, then a psychology major, to upperclassmen who helped with planning service trips, retreats, and other initiatives.

Although she had no prior experience with community service, the fit felt right, and soon she found herself on her first service trip. This experience was at the Catherine McAuley Center, a Scranton facility that houses women who are transitioning from unstable environments.

“After that, I was pretty much with Campus Ministry all of the time,” said Russell. Now serving her second year of missionary service since graduating with a degree in Clinical Sociology (minor in Theology), Russell said the experience of that first service trip validated the type of involvement she was seeking.

“I met a social worker on that trip, and he met people with love every time,” she said. “People went to him for their basic needs, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I was just so impressed and decided I would really love to do that.”

When she returned to Rosemont, she began paving a career path that today continues to provide affirmation. Russell felt so strongly about her intentions that by sophomore year she had switched to majoring in Sociology.

After earning her degree, she wanted to further ascertain that she was heading in the right direction, so she took an opportunity at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC, where she spent nearly one year helping to provide emergency assistance and other services.

She arrived at St. Francis Inn Ministries, a Franciscan community in the Kensington section of Philadelphia that provides for the poor and homeless, this past August and will remain there until July.

She intends to pursue her master’s

degree in social work as soon as next year.

“Right now, I feel drawn to working with the homeless population in urban areas and those with substance abuse.

But I’m flexible and that’s where going back to school might help me to figure out more details,” she said.

Kensington, a section of the city known for its poverty and drug use, particularly opioids, is the setting of the popular cable show Intervention. Russell knows that she will be exposed to all the evidence that she will need to make her next big decision.

“Kensington is like an epicenter for those who are struggling with substance abuse and homelessness, especially both at the same time,” she said. “And I really wanted to be sure that what I was getting into was something that I really wanted before the advanced degree or full-time job search.”

She is one of 10 members in a program who are being trained to organize, cook, facilitate, and serve meals each day for 200-400 people in the restaurant-style soup kitchen. A big part of her role is interacting with those she serves and helping to maintain positive relationships between community members and the facility.

“Every day is different,” she said. “I am looking forward to feeling more bonded with the people in this community and to being a member of this community.”

Already familiar with the neighborhood because she volunteered at the Inn while at Rosemont, Russell said that sometimes just being willing to listen to someone who wants to talk or physically being a presence can be all that one needs.

“You get to hear a lot of stories,” she said. “A lot of people who come to the Inn were raised here. Some people are displaced. People will talk about the drugs that were used years ago versus now, and how the violence has shifted, how gentrification is affecting people. One of the great things about this work is that it teaches you how to interact with everybody. Such a big part of our mission here is to maintain the dignity of the people and to be sensitive to them.”

She looks back on those chance introductions at Campus Ministry as the first step to finding her purpose to make sacrifices for the people she wants to help. This is the work she wants to do for the foreseeable future.

“When I tell people here that I’d like to be a social worker, they tell me that they think I’d be really good at it,” Russell said. “Just knowing that I’m good at caring about people and making people feel cared for has been very good for me.”

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 4

The Rosemont community, family members, and friends gathered to honor students and faculty at the College’s annual Academic Honors Day ceremony in the Rotwitt Theater on April 27.

Students were recognized for academic excellence and for being named to the Kistler Honor Society, Delta Epsilon Sigma, and Sigma Tau Delta. The following individuals were honored: • Outstanding Junior Award: Rhea Trainson • Presidential Medal: Grace Beecher • Distinguished Teaching for Full-Time Faculty: Jennifer Jackson • Distinguished Teaching for Adjunct Faculty: Renee Jackson Following the undergraduate ceremony and an afternoon reception, students and faculty from the School of Graduate and Professional Studies were honored. Students named to the Alpha Sigma Lambda and Lambda Alpha Epsilon honor societies and recipients of the Outstanding Achievement at the Graduate Level were recognized. The following individuals were honored: • Charles James O’Donnell Art Award: Roma Narkhede • James Edward O’Donnell Literature Award: Christopher Eckman • Alumni MFA Award: Michal Dyson • Presidential Medal: Christopher Eckman • Undergraduate Faculty of the Year: Mark Hackney • Distinguished Teaching at the Graduate Level: Christopher Harding

Rosemont’s 96th Commencement ceremony was held on Saturday, May 11, on Connelly Green. More than 200 graduates from the Undergraduate College, the School of Graduate Studies, and the School of Professional Studies received their degrees and celebrated with their families and guests.

Jesuit priest, author, and editor Rev. James Martin, SJ, delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree.

Fr. Martin is editor-at-large of the Jesuit magazine, America. In 2017, Pope Francis appointed him as a Consultor for the Vatican Dicastery for Communication.

In addition to Fr. Martin’s honorary degree, the College continued its tradition of awarding honorary degrees to two alumni at the 2019 ceremony. These alumni received honorary degrees in recognition of their accomplishments: Maureen O’Grady Clancy, a 1953 graduate of the Undergraduate College, and Catherine B. Heckman, a 2001 graduate of the Undergraduate College and a 2011 graduate of the School of Graduate Studies.

5 | RO S EM O N T C O L L EGE

Above: Presidential Medal recipient Grace Beecher with President Hirsh.

Cap and Gown One of Rosemont’s longest-standing traditions is Cap and Gown, the regalia–filled ceremony to welcome incoming students in the academic community and begin their collegiate life.

At Cap and Gown, held Sunday, August 25 following several days of orientation for new students, the name of each gown-clad student was read aloud and called onstage to receive the traditional undergraduate cap. At the event held in Rotwitt Theater, the students were welcomed by student leaders Jill Joyce and Catherine McCarthy, who offered an invocation asking for the Lord’s blessings on the members of the College for a successful school year.

President Hirsh announced the mission theme for the 2019-2020 academic year, “Rooted in Catholicism, Rosemont College welcomes all faiths and is guided by the educational principles of Cornelia Connelly and the Society of the Holy Child Jesus to meet the needs of the time.” She extolled the students to commit to educational principles of Cornelia Connelly and the Society in their everyday life.

In addition to her warm welcome, President Hirsh called attention to the fact that the first-year students will graduate in Rosemont’s 101st year – the 2022-2023 academic year - beginning the College’s new century!

The convocation address was given by Maureen O’Connell, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Religion and Theology, La Salle University, a member of the Rosemont College Board of Trustees, who spoke about the benefits of the POWER of Small.

Offering a student reflection, Senior Julie Capece, Student Body President, shared tips about how to be SMART (Social, Motivated, Adventurous, Responsible, and Truthful) at Rosemont. Following the recitation of the Honors Pledge, Jeanne Marie Hatch, SHCJ, Vice President for Mission, offered the benediction.

2019

Profile of Incoming Students States: AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA,VA Countries: Germany, Egypt, Jamaica

Average High School GPA: 3.47 Average SAT Score: 1031 62% Female, 38% Male

14% are Honors Students

82% Resident, 18% Commuter 32% are Student Athletes 38% White, 40% African American, 10% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 9% Other Minority

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 6

New Partnerships The POWER of small means the importance of partnerships with other colleges and universities. Rosemont has agreements with more than 15 colleges and universities, enabling our students to reach their educational goals by offering cross-registration opportunities at other colleges or opportunities for Rosemont students to complete an advanced or professional degree at other institutions (or vice-versa). Three of our newest partnerships are with Fordham University, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and Widener University.

Fordham University

Bachelor's of Arts or Science and Master's of Science in Real Estate from Fordham Fordham University and Rosemont have partnered to provide an accelerated path to a Master's of Science in Real Estate degree (MSRE). Students can enroll in Master's-level Real Estate courses through Fordham while enrolled at Rosemont as Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, International Businesses, Management, Marketing, or Mathematics majors. Participants from Rosemont take one graduate-level course at Fordham University per semester in their junior and senior year. After all academic requirements are completed for both Rosemont and Fordham, students are awarded BS/BA and MSRE degrees.

7 | RO S EM O N T C O L L EG E

Widener University

Bachelor's of Arts or Science and Master's of Science in Publishing or Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Rosemont Widener University is partnering with Rosemont College to offer an accelerated program in which students earn a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Widener and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing or Publishing from Rosemont in only five years. This agreement will allow Widener students an opportunity to receive an MFA in Writing or an MA in Publishing from Rosemont and to gain a career edge in the fields of publishing and creative writing. Widener students will apply to Rosemont after their sophomore year. The students will then take graduate courses at Rosemont during their junior and senior year, allowing the students to complete both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in five years.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Free Cross-Registration

Rosemont’s cross-registration programs provide students with the opportunity to take classes at partnering colleges and universities, and vice-versa, and full-time undergraduate students may register for courses at other schools. There's no additional tuition or fees associated with cross-registering, except for special or extra fees that are part of the course (lab fees are one example).

This fall, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and Rosemont have agreed to offer their undergraduate students the opportunity for crossregistration in order for Rosemont students to have access to classes that are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) specific, and Harrisburg University students to have access to Rosemont's quality Liberal Arts course work.

New Programs for Adult Students Rosemont College recently launched a new accelerated adult professionals program, a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Applied Psychology, and is gearing up to offer several more. Building on Rosemont’s “POWER of small,” and its reputation of understanding the unique strengths and constraints of adult college learners, Rosemont is pleased to offer these new exciting options for the non-traditional student.

Degree-completion programs like these, either online or in the evenings, are a boon to adults who wish to obtain the career opportunities like better-paying and higher-skilled jobs available to those with bachelor’s degrees.

The BA in Applied Psychology, new for the Fall 2019, allows adult online learners the opportunity to acquire knowledge of psychological methods and apply them to understand human behavior in corporate, professional, family, organizational, and community settings.

Course offerings, both theoretical and applied, provide you with the opporSinging tunity to critically examine historical andand contemporary perspectives on how people think, feel, and behave. Courses Volunteering are designed to meet the needs of adult students to prepare for a full range of careers or for graduate study in Counseling, Psychology, or related fields.

The Writing Studies Program,

Two New Concentrations

which will be offered beginning Fall 2020, offers an online Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Writing Studies for adult students who wish to hone their writing skills and aptitude, for personal, creative, or professional purposes. Courses may be taken by non-matriculated (non-degree-seeking) students or as part of a bachelor’s degree.

The program is available to students with little or no prior college credits, as well as to those who hold an Associate’s Degree in any Liberal Arts or related discipline.

will be added to Rosemont’s Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration Professional Studies Degree Program, effective Spring 2020. In addition to the Leadership Concentration that is currently available, our new concentrations include Organizational Development and Business Communications. Both of these new concentrations may be taken online and at IBC (Independence Blue Cross).

The Associate’s of Science in Criminal Justice (ASCJ)

will include courses in the Management of Human Resources, Building and Managing a Diverse Workplace, Labor Relations and Economics, Information Systems Project Management, and Financial Institutions and Markets.

is planned to begin during Spring 2020 pending Middle States accreditation.

While the program is available to all students interested in the field, including those with no prior college experience, it will be especially appealing to adult learners who are graduates from law enforcement training academies, as well as those who have completed some college credits who want to finish their Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice.

The curriculum, offered on campus and online, is designed for working professionals interested in pursuing a new career in the criminal justice system, as well as for those who are already employed in the criminal justice profession desiring to upgrade their professional skills.

The Organizational Communications Concentration

The Business Communications Concentration will include Communications: Theories and Strategies, Critical Thinking and Writing, Organizational Communications, Intercultural Communication, and Positional Bargaining and Principled Negotiation.

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 8

Rosemont Welcomes New Faculty and Staff

Kenya Tyson, Esq.

Lou Hegyes

Joe Alaimo

Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies

Director of Admissions for the Undergraduate College

Director of Financial Aid

Dean Tyson comes to Rosemont from Rutgers University-Newark, where she served as Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Student Services for the School of Criminal Justice.

Prior to assuming the position at Rutgers University, Tyson served as the Associate Dean for the School of Professional Studies at Trinity Washington University and as the Inaugural Dean of Management for the Graduate School USDA. In addition, she served as the National Director of Training and Technical Assistance for Project Safe Neighborhoods for Fox Valley Technical College, an Assistant Professor and Criminal Justice Coordinator for the School of Professional and Continuing Studies of Springfield College, a Project Coordinator for Step-to-College for Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and an Instructor and Writing Center Coordinator for Delaware Technical and Community College.

Tyson holds a BA in Political Science from Winston Salem State University; an MS in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a JD from Delaware Law School, Widener University. She is a member of the Bar Association of New York State.

An experienced leader in college admissions in the Philadelphia area, Mr. Hegyes joined the Rosemont community in December 2018. He most recently served as the Director of Admissions at the University of the Sciences, where he was known for his innovative and creative approach to meeting the University’s admissions and enrollment objectives.

Prior to his arrival at Rosemont College, he served as Director of Admissions and Associate Dean of Enrollment at Lehigh Carbon Community College and as a Regional Admissions Representative for the University at Albany (SUNY). He has been a frequent resource for colleagues seeking solutions to both admissions and enrollment concerns, and has been a member and presenter at both state and national college admissions associations. Mr. Hegyes is also a member of the Delaware Valley Science Fairs Board of Trustees and the Delaware Valley University Athletic Hall of Fame.

9 | RO S EM O N T C O L L EG E

Mr. Alaimo comes to Rosemont with more than 25 years of experience in financial aid. Prior to Rosemont College, he was the Director of Financial Aid at La Salle University. Mr. Alaimo has also worked at Sallie Mae, Penn State University (Hazleton Campus), Luzerne County Community College, and Wilkes University. He is the Past-President of PASFAA (Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators). Throughout his career, Mr. Alaimo has helped numerous students and parents navigate through the financial aid process.

Catarina Moreira

Regina (Gina) Ingiosi

Francis X. Klose, D.Litt

Director of Admissions for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies

Director of Campus Ministry

Assistant Professor and Program Director, Theology & Religious Studies

In this new position at Rosemont, Moreira will oversee the recruiting efforts for SGPS and assist with the enrollment growth and continued success of all the programs in the SGPS. She will also work closely with the Undergraduate College Admissions team as they enhance Rosemont’s dual degree programs and offerings.

Moreira’s educational background includes a Bachelor's of Science in Corporate Communication from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master's of Science in Higher Education Administration and Leadership with a concentration in Education Policy from Drexel University. She brings with her more than seven years of experience in education and leadership, including serving as an Admissions Counselor for online programs through 2U, Inc., and teaching ESL, language arts, and history through Teach for America in Dallas, TX. Most recently, Moreira served as Assistant Director for Graduate Admissions at Drexel University.

Ingiosi joined the Rosemont community in July as Director of Campus Ministry.

She is also an adjunct Theology/Religious Studies professor at Rosemont College and Saint Joseph’s University.

Ingiosi has a Bachelor's of Arts in Theology and English from Villanova, a Master's of Theological Studies degree from Notre Dame University, and has begun studies toward a doctorate at the University of Dayton. She has significant experience and a strong background in service and social justice endeavors as well as an impressive educational background in Theology/Religious Studies and Interfaith initiatives.

Klose brings varied experiences to Rosemont. In addition to his role teaching courses and coordinating the department of Theology and Religious Studies, he also is a pastoral musician for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is Music Director for Saint Katherine of Siena Catholic Church.

He serves as a member of the Rosemont College Music Ministry.

In addition to that, he developed and runs the Philadelphia sports website SportsTalkPhilly.com, the largest independent source of Philadelphia sports, and covers the Phillies for 97.3 ESPN. Klose’s own collegiate studies also cover the fields of Theology, Humanities, and Marketing. Klose says, “A lot of my academic work has come in the sports world, including courses in sports and spirituality.”

Klose received his Doctorate (D.Litt.) in Interdisciplinary Humanities, with a focus in Religious Studies, from Drew University in 2014. He also holds an MBA from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Education and a Certificate in Integrated Social Media from Cabrini University, and a BA in English and an MA in Theology from La Salle University.

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 10

Dillan Leonard ’20 Chase Leonard ’21

Madison Leonard ’15

Preparing For Career’s First Steps

By Joe Darrah

Rosemont launches Mock Interview Day with the help of alumni to introduce students to professional interviewing.

More than 50 years have passed, but Kathleen “Kay” Durkin ’63 remembers quite well the emotions of preparing for that first professional job interview. The fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty, the intimidation, the apprehension.

Although she had gained some professional experience while at a part-time job the previous summer, Durkin knew there was a lot that she did not yet know.

She remembers preparing herself for that meeting at GlaxoSmithKline, where she had applied for a senior research scientist position. “I was nervous and totally clueless about what to emphasize and what not to emphasize [about myself],” said Durkin, who earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in biology in the spring of 1963. “I really wanted the job, really wanted to work for the company, and really needed the job. I was totally stressed about the interview.”

Not sure where to turn for advice, she sought out her father. “I can remember him saying to ‘relax and be yourself,’ and

11 | RO S EM O N T C O L L EGE

to answer questions honestly but succinctly,” she said. “And that was probably the best advice that I could have been given.”

Durkin earned the job and spent her early career working in that position.

Today, she’s much more likely to find herself on the other side of the conversation — in the interviewer’s chair. As founder and president of Phoenix Partners Inc., a recruiting firm in the Greater Philadelphia/Delaware Valley region, Durkin estimates that she interviews as many as 15 candidates per week for her clients, many who have recently graduated from college. While they may tend to feel similar to what she felt as a new graduate, she also notices more “polished” first-time interviewees today, in part because more colleges are developing programs to educate students on making the transition to career after (or during) their studies.

This past March, Durkin was involved in this initiative type as one of nearly 20 Rosemont College alumni who participated in the College’s inaugural Mock Interview Day. There was no “job” for these students to earn, but there was an opportunity for alumni to share their perspectives and for students to ask for

advice and to experience professional interviewing from a variety of alumni with backgrounds in various fields of interest.

Then And Now

There are many societal differences between today and the 1960s, one of which is the level of competition that exists for today’s graduates to earn the jobs that they want. It’s only natural that students be offered opportunities for career planning, Durkin said. “It was an entirely different world when I graduated,” she continued. “When I was a student, I could count on one hand the number of classmates who had a part-time job or worked at all. And I don’t think students had as much of an opportunity to practice the skills that would help them to job interview after graduation. I think there are many more opportunities today. I was really pleased to see that Rosemont was doing something like this for their students.”

During the event, held in the Kistler Memorial Library, all participating alumni were scheduled to meet with at least two students in one-on-one 45-minute sessions. More than 50 students were recruited and prepped by Travis Marshall, Assistant Dean and Director of Experiential Opportunities, and his staff in the Post-Graduate Success Office, who were assisted by Andrew Lubin (Adjunct Faculty, Business) and Christine Hagedorn, Assistant Professor, Business.

Alumni were given students’ resumes prior to the interviews and were assigned a set of suggested questions to ask. Alumni were also encouraged to relate to their “interviewees” on a personal level and to ask them questions that they felt would be appropriate for any graduate seeking employment.

Evaluation forms were completed by both students and alumni at the conclusion of the day. Durkin said it was a combination of the personal-professional connection that alumni and students made that really proved valuable.

“Thoughts of my first interview came back to me as I was helping these students during these interviews,” she said. “Overall, I was impressed with the students’ presentation and communication skills.

They had that ‘interviewing presence.’

They shook my hand; they looked me in the eye. They answered my questions to the point, which led me to believe that they weren’t nervous and felt comfortable in the room.”

Regardless of an individual student’s major, class year, and experiences, Durkin said there is no wrong time to have your first mock interview.

“You need to get as many opportunities as you can to participate in a program like this so that you can be prepared after graduation, whether it’s an interview for grad school or your first job,” she continued. “That was the whole point of the day that we spent on campus at Rosemont.

Interviewing is interviewing, and those who don’t get the chance to participate in a program like this are going to be more apprehensive or nervous than those who do get the opportunity.”

Durkin met with both upperclassmen and underclassmen, and appreciated all of the interactions for unique reasons. “I met with a senior who I could tell already had experience and a sophomore who was participating just to have the practice, which was a very smart decision because it’s a skill that you improve with practice,” she said. “I knew that I was having an opportunity to not just see how impressive these young students already were, but to help them improve their skills by giving them advice and guidance.”

Many participating alumni scheduled a full day off from work to participate and spent time to review student profiles.

The contributions made by alumni were

also not lost on the students, according to Marshall, Lubin, and Hagedorn. “The library was alive and bustling, and as I walked through the stacks there were alumni at tables in various corners and nooks, actively interviewing our students and looking entirely engaged in the process,” said Hagedorn. “So many of our students were in the lobby waiting to be interviewed and looked sharp in their professional dress. It was truly a joy to see that, and it is something to be very proud of for all of the people who made this a reality.”

Mock Interview Day also served as a learning opportunity for Durkin. “I devote some of my time each week to coaching young people who are just beginning their careers,” she said. “It never ceases to amaze me at how much better younger people are at these things today than we were when we were their age. But this was very eye-opening for me.

I was very flattered to be asked to be part of this program, and I’m sure the students appreciated the opportunity to practice these skills with the alumni.”

Save the Date:

Mock Interview Day – March 13, 2020

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 1 2

Where He Belongs

Once intimidated about earning an MFA, Chris Eckman ’19 is a published author — now with the requisite perspective.

By Joe Darrah

When he delivered his first live reading of the first story he had written as a Rosemont College student, Chris Eckman ’19, couldn’t help but feel a little like, as he puts it, an imposter.

Standing before a room of people who he perceived to be lifelong writers and future famous authors, Eckman, who had chosen to read an emotional piece about the recent loss of his father, still wasn’t certain that he belonged.

“I had a little bit of ‘imposter syndrome,’” he said. “But the room was so supportive. They held me up emotionally.

After that reading, I realized that I could tell these people anything and that they would be supportive and give good, critical feedback.”

Yes, he belonged to what was becoming a tight-knit community during those moments as he read aloud. Fast-forward a little more than two years later, and Eckman is still someone who wonders if he’s a bit of a poser every time he seeks a writing job or submits a work for potential publication. But today he knows that it’s a feeling of normalcy for a tried-and-true writer and published author. That it’s a type of motivation to push forward—a similar notion that he felt in the weeks and months leading up to his applying for the very program that today has helped him to not only be stitched into the fabric of Rosemont’s writing community, but to become one of his class’ more decorated members. During Academic Honors Day this past spring, Eckman received the James Edward O’Donnell Literature Award in creative nonfiction, an award

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earned for innovation in a specific genre; the Outstanding Academic Achievement at the Graduate Level Award for his 4.0 grade-point average; Thesis With Distinction for his work Reminders to Use All Five Senses—in Writing, and in Life; and the Presidential Medal. How he ended up walking across the Rotwitt stage multiple times that afternoon, having come from a background in computer science and math, is also a story worth telling.

It was sometime in 2016 when Eckman’s husband mentioned to him a commercial that he had heard on National Public Radio about an upcoming retreat for writers being hosted on Rosemont’s campus. “All you had to do was enroll, pay a fee, and spend a week with other authors who facilitate workshops — and I really wanted to go,” said Eckman, who lived in Villanova at the time but has since relocated to Denver, CO. “I hadn’t written anything for a couple years, and so I chickened out. But then, I realized how bummed out I was to have missed it, and I knew then that I had to see what Rosemont was all about.” Despite missing the retreat and holding a bachelor’s of science degree, which contributed to his self-doubt even though he had plenty of interest in writing, Eckman acted on his instincts and scheduled a campus tour and a meeting with program director Carla Spataro. “I wasn’t even sure that I would be accepted to the program because some programs require a background in literature,” he said. “But she and admissions counselor Teresa FitzPatrick encouraged me to complete my application—and so I did. My dad had passed away the previous year, right after I had missed the summer retreat, and after that I decided that I was tired of waiting.

I knew I needed to take a step forward, and that’s important for anyone who’s struggling with what to do next. Because taking a step forward does not mean that

it needs to be exactly what you’re going to do for the rest of your life.” Little did Eckman know, however, that the Rosemont community was about to become such a big part of his life.

After that first reading, Eckman also felt an empowerment that he believed would help him to write at a professional level.

He learned that his differences made a contribution to his class, as did the unique perspectives of all his classmates.

“We had people who worked in corporate America, people with backgrounds in history, an art museum director, people who sang opera, people who worked in professional kitchens — and so you learn how to use those outside voices in your writing,” he said. “I was bringing in things like the string theory [of physics] and recursion [a method of problem solving in computer science], which is a strange concept that most people don’t really get to learn about. As a writer, I got more out of the interactions with the students during my first workshop than I had ever before.” He put a lot into his time here as well, and would become known as someone who frequently volunteered at events and hosted his peers at his home informally. He also served as a poetry editor and managing editor of the Rathalla Review literary magazine, attended two Association of Writers and Writing Programs conferences, and traveled to Sicily as part of the Global Studies Program.

Since commencement, he has already learned of two pieces being accepted into the journal Entropy, for its food section. As he sat in the audience that day in Rotwitt listening to a description of the student who was about to be honored with the Presidential Medal, Eckman couldn’t help but think it sounded all too familiar, despite the words that he thought he was hearing. “They were listing the places in the MFA that we had gone to, and as President [Sharon Latchaw Hirsh ’70] is mentioning the details, I knew it was going to be somebody from the writing program — but I was in a little disbelief,” he said.

Three Rosemont Students Test Entrepreneurial Waters Jennifer Zoga, Assistant Professor in the Business Department at Rosemont College, is piloting a Start Your Business Incubator program. Designed for students who are serious and ready to become entrepreneurs, Zoga interviewed and accepted this year’s cohort of three who are working throughout the fall semester to write their business and financial plans and prototype their Minimum Viable Products (MVP).

Zoga hopes that students will complete the incubator process this winter and will be prepared with a pitch deck to network for access to capital and distribution channels in Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem.

Zoga uses helloalice.com, an organization designed to empower small business owners with the resources they need to grow businesses that matter, as a resource for her students in this program and hopes to grow opportunities to leverage the events and the networking platform as well. “We were ecstatic and very grateful to win the $300 Amazon gift card from helloalice.com. We are already using it for supplies to help the new startups prototype their MVPs.”

Jai’Len Jeffcoat, a sophomore Communications Major, joined the incubator internship program because “I see an opportunity that can greatly help me with my business idea in the comfort of my school.” Taking inspiration from the crowdsourcing/gigeconomy, Jeffcoat’s entrepreneurial idea aims to disrupt the gas station business model.

Kemar Reid, a senior marketing major, is using the tools from the Start Your Business incubator program to create an affordable car rental company. Reid cleverly saw an opportunity from the new crowdsourcing/gig economy. “My business is all about helping people become independent business owners... [It will] allow people to rent cars to work for Door Dash, Uber, Uber Eats and others.”

Krista Eisenhardt, a senior and a dual major in business and marketing, has always dreamed of owning her own wedding coordinating business. She is in the process of launching Everlasting Events to create unforgettable moments for her clients.

“This incubator is a great experience, getting me prepared and finding the right path for my future.” Eisenhardt recognizes that brides want to savor the entire process of planning their wedding and is creating a comprehensive experience and support service for her future clients.

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Alumni Association

The End of an Era

Board of Directors Spotlight:

Jennifer South ’16, ’17

President Hirsh to Retire in May 2020

By Joe Darrah

One of the highlights during Oktoberfest 2019 was the co-ed alumni soccer game. Nearly 40 former Rosemont College athletes participated, but one alumna in particular was the driving force behind the organization of the event — Jen South. The 25-year old from the Class of 2016, who earned her master’s in business administration in 2017, spent several weeks assisting the Office of Alumni Relations in recruiting her classmates, former teammates, and other alumni for an event that officially kicked off this year’s fall festival October 26 on campus.

Serving in just her first year on the Alumni Board, South has already established herself as one of its most active members. She’s frequently seen at alumni events and board meetings, served as a volunteer usher during Commencement 2019, and helped to host the 2019 Epiphany Party for North Philadelphia’s Providence Center this past winter. In August, she also helped to plan the annual Alumni Kickball Classic that is held on campus each summer, along with fellow board member Ashley Montecchio ’13.

Leading up to the alumni soccer game, South also assisted the College in fundraising for gifts given by our soccer alumni to the current men’s and women’s soccer programs.

The alumni game is now expected to become an annual tradition and has created a buzz on campus that other programs will hopefully mimic. In 2020, South will be able to set an example for another four new board members who will join a group of more than 20 alumni who are tasked with leading the alumni association.

“One thing that I like about being on the Board is the ability to give back to Rosemont College,” South said. “I want to do anything I can to help ensure the current students have the same amazing experience that I had while I was at Rosemont.

I think it is important to have a good mix of younger and older alumni on the Board for the different perspectives they will bring to the table. The older members have the knowledge of what has worked in the past and why, while the younger members bring a new fire and energy.

The younger members are also more likely to closely relate to the current students and what they may want their college experience to be like.”

This past June, the College announced that Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, PhD ’70 will retire on May 31, 2020.

Dr. Hirsh, an alumna of the class of 1970, has been President of Rosemont College since 2006, after serving as Acting President and Interim President, respectively, during the illness and following the death of President Ann Amore.

“My time as President of my alma mater has been an unexpected but absolutely wonderful capstone to my academic career, and I am proud of all that, together, we have accomplished for Rosemont,” said Dr. Hirsh.

In 2017, Dr. Hirsh signed a three-year contract, which ends in the 2019-2020 academic year.

“While it is hard to believe that time period has nearly ended, I will share with you that leaving will be bittersweet for me,” she said. “I have been planning for my retirement for a long time, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the world of art history again, enjoying a less hectic schedule, and, of course, being able to spend more time with my son, daughter-in-law, and my new grandson, even as I know I will really miss being at Rosemont. And I am excited about immediately returning to campus as a “private citizen” for my 50th Reunion with the great class of 1970 in June of 2020!”

Under President Hirsh’s leadership, enrollment has increased, the Undergraduate College has become co-educational, online degree programs have been developed, campus facilities have been enhanced and renovated, Undergraduate College tuition has been decreased, salaries have grown, and academic programs have been strengthened.

“I have every confidence that in selecting the 14th President of the College, the Board of Trustees, through the search committee on which faculty, staff, alumni, and students will serve, will be mindful of all that makes Rosemont College unique, that our mission and values will be upheld, and that the POWER of small will be championed.”

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14 Years of Excellence and Joy A Biography of Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, PhD ’70 A 1970 graduate of Rosemont College, Sharon Latchaw Hirsh earned a bachelor’s degree in history of art and studio art.

She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in art history from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and 1974, respectively. Beginning in 1974, Dr. Hirsh served on the faculty at Dickinson College and later held an endowed chair as the Charles A. Dana Professor of Art History.

President Hirsh is an internationally recognized scholar of turn-of-the-century art in western Europe. She has served as a

Undergraduate College Has Become Co-ed • 2008 Market Survey of High School Students indicated no market for Catholic all-women’s college • First fully co-ed class entered in 2009 & graduated in 2013 • Currently 62% female & 38% male

visiting fellow at numerous institutions

curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and at the Schweizerisch Institute fur Kunstwissenschaft in Zurich, and as a visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts.

She is the author of numerous scholarly articles and exhibition catalogues. In 2004, Dr. Hirsh's fifth book, Symbolism and Modern Urban Society, was published

by Cambridge University Press, and was awarded the Millard Meiss Prize for Art History.

• The bold step of reducing tuition by 43% and room and board by 12% was announced in September of 2015 – “Our Tuition Promise” • Two goals: 1) to present Rosemont as an affordable and accessible private-college option for all families and 2) to promote clarity in the confusing world of college finance.

• National news – over 90 media outlets (local & national)

including the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Gallery of Art, as a visiting

Tuition Has Been Decreased

$40 Million Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign Successfully Completed in June 2017 • One $5 Million Estate Gift • One $8.5 Million Gift • Three $1 Million Gifts • Over $8 Million of Endowed Scholarships Established •E stablishment of the Institute for Ethical Leadership & Social Responsibility • $12 Million of Operational Expenses • Campus facilities have been enhanced and renovated: • Ravens Athletic Complex •L ibrary Information Commons •G racemere Honors House • Cardinal Hall – Phase One •R otwitt Theater •C ollege’s 73,000 square foot Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center Dedicated November 16, 2019

• New students entering in fall of 2016 increased by 1/3 • Percentage of middle-income ($75K - $125K) students increased 60% for fall 2016

Academic Programs Have Been Strengthened Undergraduate College: • 3 Majors Eliminated Foreign Languages (Except Spanish) Women & Gender Studies Economics • 4 Majors Added Finance Marketing Sport Management Criminology

School of Graduate & Professional Studies • Online Degrees Currently 7 fully online – 3 Professional Studies (Criminal Justice , Applied Psychology & Writing Studies) & 4 Graduate (MBA, Healthcare Admin, Strategic Leadership, Homeland Security & Emergency Management) 45 online-only students in 2018– triple the number since 2012 (when tracking began) • New Professional Studies Degree Programs – Applied Psychology & Writing Studies • 11 Master’s Degree Programs Four New Master’s Degree Programs M.S. in Healthcare Administration M.A. in Literacy with K-12 Reading Specialist Certification M.A. in Educational Leadership with K-12 Principal Certification M.S. in Homeland Security & Emergency Management Partnerships Established/Enhanced • Salus University, Harrisburg University, Drexel University, PCOM, University of the Sciences, Widener University, Fordham University, Eastern University, Villanova University, SEPCHE Academic Quality of Incoming First-Year Students • Increased Recent Years: 2016: overall GPA 3.06 2017: overall GPA 3.16 2018: overall GPA 3.2 2019: overall GPA 3.47 Re-established Honors Program in 2010

RoCo Option • Launched in August 2019 If a student’s weighted, cumulative high school GPA is a 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), submission of ACT/SAT scores is optional • Approximately 15% of all 2019 applicants applied with the RoCo Option vs. 25% national standard in 2018 study (result of our having a GPA requirement) • RoCo Option deposits – Avg. High School GPA 3.39

Center For Experiential Opportunities and Post-Graduate Success Established • 99% of May 2018 graduates are employed full-time, in the military, participating in service programs, or are attending graduate school (as of June 2019)

College’s Brand Enhanced • t he POWER of small - College tagline since August 2012 Embraced by students, faculty, staff, and alumni • Marketing Materials have won Higher Education Marketing Awards for six years in a row

The Search for the 14th President of Rosemont College The College has partnered with the firm of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates of Media, PA, to assist with the search for the College’s next leader.

While the Board of Trustees will select the next President, it will do so through an inclusive process that will continue to solicit input from faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends of Rosemont College. Toward that end, a Presidential Search Committee has been formed to work with Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates. The following members of the College community are serving on the search committee: • Marcia Sichol, SHCJ, PhD Trustee and Former Provincial Leader of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus • Ann Marshall ’66 Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Retired Landscape Designer •K athy Trainor ’70 Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and retired CEO and Founder of Instructional Technology Group • Robert Massa, EdD Former Member of the Board of Trustees and Retired Vice President for Enrollment of Dickinson College, Senior Consultant at Ursinus College, and Adjunct Professor at University of Southern California • Tina Bizzarro, PhD Undergraduate College Faculty Member • Adam Lusk, PhD Undergraduate College Faculty Member & Faculty Council Co-chair • Karen L. Geiger, MSEd Director of Student Services, Schools of Graduate and Professional Studies • Julianna Capece ’20 President of the Undergraduate College Student Government Association The announcement of a new president is expected in the spring of 2020.

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Going Global

The POWER of small is bigger than you thought

Before leaving for Sorrento, Italy, Cathie Coleman-Dickson, Director of the SGPS Global Studies Program, asked the group of 14 students about their reasons for choosing this academic venture. The responses were as diverse as the student body: “It’s a great educational, professional, and personal experience.”

“I’ve never been outside the country.”

“The business of international healthcare and its effects on patient access will help my current studies.”

Rosemont’s Global Studies programs give students the once-ina-lifetime experience to explore a subject from another country’s perspective and immerse themselves in the culture and history of another country while earning credit towards their bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. Students engage in site visits, lectures, historical and cultural events, and free-time activities that will expose them to extraordinary new perspectives.

One of the options for Rosemont’s mandatory Experiential Learning requirement is Study Abroad.

For some undergraduate students, this takes the form of a semester abroad, or a fall or spring break trip connected with a class. In every case, students study, play, eat, explore and absorb all another culture has to offer, and return with new perspectives of the world.

Rosemont’s yearly 12-day (includes overnight flight), 10-night Global Studies programs allow students to integrate the intricacies of an ever-changing global environment into their academic program. Study abroad locations have included: Greece, Italy, Morocco, Ireland, England, and Scotland.

UC students in Ireland

MFA students in Greece

Business students in Italy

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A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream The Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility at Rosemont College’s Spring Symposium, March 20, 2020, will screen the riveting, award-winning documentary film A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream. Following, a panel of distinguished scholars and scientists will discuss the themes highlighted in the film.

A Dangerous Idea tells the story of how powerful forces in the United States have used biology as a social weapon to stall the advancement of economic and social equality among its citizenry.

Panel participants are: Quayshawn Spencer, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania.

He earned his PhD at Stanford University and specializes in the philosophy of science and biology, with interest in Newtonian studies, philosophy of race, and ethics. The author of a number of articles on race and biology, Dr. Spencer is the co-author of What is Race? Four Philosophical Views (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019).

The Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility at Rosemont College, led by Alan Preti, PhD, has as its mission to promote the study and teaching of ethics, leadership, and social responsibility with a view to fostering moral awareness and ethical engagement throughout the Rosemont community and beyond.

Higher education in the United States, particularly in the liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition, has long emphasized the preparation of an educated citizenry for active civic, economic, and cultural participation by addressing important moral and social issues. This emphasis continues to be of vital importance, as the complexities of today’s society increasingly demand that central questions concerning ethical values and their relevance to democratic society and human flourishing be addressed.

Rosemont’s Institute was launched with a view to raising the visibility of moral issues and providing opportunities for student leadership and community engagement throughout our academic programs and extra-curricular activities.

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William Tucker,Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, Camden. Throughout his career, he has studied the misuse of social science to support oppressive social policies, especially in the area of race, seeking to explore how scientists in general, and psychologists in particular, have become involved with such issues and what effect their participation has produced. Dr. Tucker has authored numerous articles and book chapters, as well as several books critical of race science.

The 2020 Spring Symposium is free and open to the Public. For more information and to register:

rosemont.edu/symposium

Saint Augustine

Pablo Picasso

Plato Mo Tzu Carl Jung Aristotle Christine de Pizan

Margaret Mead Johannes Vermeer

Leo Tolstoy

George Orwell

Mohandas Gandhi

Alice Walker

Virginia Woolf Charles Darwin SENECA

by Leo Tolstoy

FYCS Classes Read Michael Austin’s Reading the World: Ideas That Matter Every first-year student at Rosemont College takes a class called First-Year Connections Seminar. The goals of the Seminar are to help students deepen three key connections: (1) with themselves, (2) with Rosemont, and (3) with the larger world.

The Seminar also seeks to develop skills and strategies that are applicable and valuable across subjects and across time, including such competencies as thinking critically, communicating effectively, accessing and evaluating information,

and working collaboratively. One of these methods is the reading and discussion of one book.

This year, the students are collectively reading Reading the World: Ideas That Matter, edited by Michael Austin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana.

With 80 readings by some of the world’s greatest thinkers from Plato to Gandhi, Carl Jung to Edmund O. Wilson, Gloria Anzaldúa to Toni Morrison,

Reading the World offers a global perspective. Selections strike a balance between western and nonwestern, classic and contemporary, longer and shorter, verbal and visual.

Rosemont Alumna Ellen G. Anderson ’92 has generously underwritten the costs of purchasing a copy of Reading the World: Ideas That Matter for every first-year student.

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A Grandmother and Granddaughter’s Stories of Rosemont

By Kathleen DuBoff

Suzanne Prunier, ’60

“Rosemont is one of the greatest gifts I would receive from my parents,” said Suzanne Prunier ’60, noting that her parents encouraged her to choose the College. “I was accepted and so began a love affair with Rosemont.”

Suzanne grew up in Ventnor City on the Jersey Shore. Her father’s boss, John McShain, built many of the buildings on Rosemont’s campus. The McShains and their daughter, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Child, encouraged Suzanne to consider Rosemont. “Rosemont had a special intimacy that enabled one to make friends easily and to support one another in all pursuits.”

A History and Political Science major, Suzanne was at Rosemont when many of the faculty members were Holy Child sisters. “The sisters were dedicated to the education of young women,” she said.

“I was impressed by their ‘worldliness,’ preparing us to stand out and lead and make a difference in whatever paths we would undertake.”

“My favorite teacher was Mother Mary Alphonsus, who challenged us to broaden our thinking and to be on our toes at all times. I have great memories of being on the basketball team and active in drama in the Jest & Gesture Club.”

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After graduating from Rosemont, Suzanne moved to New York City and worked in public relations until she married, and subsequently raised five children. “My experiences at Rosemont gave me greater confidence in myself, encouraging me to take chances.”

“On reflection, I think Rosemont gave me a certainty that I could be a leader in any community.”

Suzanne has long been an active member of her parish and community in Greenwich, CT. She was instrumental in founding a drug-and-alcohol-free teen center in the 1980s. After almost 30 years, it is the longest-running teen center in the United States.

Now, Suzanne gets to see her granddaughter, Holly Brady, in the same environment that drew her to Rosemont.

“My greatest joy is that my beautiful granddaughter, Holly Brady, class of 2021, chose to attend Rosemont and is thriving in a new time and a new age! Obviously, the POWER of small worked for me and now I am seeing Holly thrive in the same environment.”

Holly Brady ’21

Holly learned about Rosemont from her grandmother but was drawn to many of the campus’s qualities.

“I visited Rosemont and loved the campus and all of the buildings,” she said.

“I liked the idea of having small class sizes where I would know all my professors and they would know me.”

An elementary and special education major from West Chester, PA, Holly enjoys all of her education classes because most of them are taught by teachers themselves.

“I love getting to hear their stories of what is going on in their class and school, knowing soon I’ll get to have similar experiences!” she said.

Holly notes that being at a small school has helped her to develop strong friendships.

“The friendships I have made have definitely impacted my experiences at Rosemont,” she said. “I’ve been lucky and blessed with the friends that I’ve found here. I met a lot of friends through being an athlete, being involved around campus, and being a resident advisor.”

Both Holly and her grandmother use the word “thrive” to describe Rosemont.

“To me, the POWER of small, basically means we’re at a school where we’re given ample opportunity to thrive and succeed,” she said. “The POWER of small gives everyone at this school the chance to stand out.”

More than 200 alumnae and alumni from the classes of the 4’s and the 9’s were welcomed back to campus for Reunion Weekend June 1 - 2 with a full day of events on Saturday, and morning brunch and Mass on Sunday.

Celebrating their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1969 also attended a private party at Overbrook Golf Club on Friday evening. Traditional popular events on campus included the Rose & Gray Cocktails and Dinner in Main Building, the Alumnae Artists Exhibit in the Patricia M. Nugent Gallery, and a host of events in the Kistler Memorial Library, including the Rose Luncheon, Back-to-Class Lectures, Art Hour with President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh ’70, and a reception for alumni of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Also, Renny The Raven and The Rosemonster partied with attendees during the evening’s Gala on the Green.

Might the two mascots become mainstays at all Reunions to come?

The College would like to thank all those who attended Reunion 2019 and those who helped to plan it! A special kudos to all of our Class Representatives whose hard work helped to build one of the largest Reunion events at Rosemont!

This year’s Reunion will welcome classes of the 5’s and 0’s.

(1940 through 2010).

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By Joe Darrah

By Joe Darrah

Caution: This article describes the spirits that some believe

hauntRosemont’s campus. Read it and decide for yourself. Remember, don’t take it too seriously.

We did not. It is all in the

spirit of fun.

The figure appeared suddenly before quickly vanishing into the hallway by the living room staircase of Main Building.

Appearing to be a young girl wearing a long dress and taking the form of a silhouette, it made its way from the elevator and along the side of the stairs — as if it Singing had grabbed a coat off the rack and exited and through the door that looks down the hill Volunteering onto Good Counsel Hall.

From the foyer, Mary Reinette “Rennie” Andrews, Assistant Vice President of Development, caught a fleeting glimpse

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as the figure passed by without a sound and without turning towards her. “It was graceful and flowing,” remembers Andrews, “and it just sort of floated through that back hallway, and then it was gone.”

In the moment, Andrews didn’t have to say much as she sat with Rebecca Monaghan, Managing Director of Development, waiting for guests to arrive for an evening event held during The Campaign for Rosemont. The look on her face said it all. “I was just staring in shock, and Becky asked, ‘What’s the matter?’” said Andrews.

“I said, ‘Becky, I think I just saw a ghost.’”

Andrews, an employee of the College for almost 40 years and an honorary alumna, isn’t alone in reporting a sighting or other unnerving occurrence on the campus of Rosemont College. Those who have described these instances, or have heard similar stories, can only attempt to give their best explanations, which range in opinions from the campus housing spiritsSinging to generations-old myths having become part of the College’s collective and history.

Rosemont Magazine recently Volunteering interviewed multiple staff members at the College who say they have experienced the unexplainable.

An employee since 1990, Jane Federowicz is the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources. In the early 90’s, she worked in Good Counsel in an area that now houses Student Accounts. Sometime after 1993,

Faith Byrne, Controller in the Finance & Administration Department, and Federowicz were working on end-of-month audits late one evening. Public Safety had already secured and vacated the building when the two, who were in separate rooms on the first floor, began to hear loud, intermittent thumping and slamming that grew to somewhat of a ruckus.

“I thought I was hearing doors closing, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘What is Faith doing over there?’” said Federowicz. “It went on for a few minutes, and when it didn’t stop, I decided to go into the hall.”

From the other side of the hall, in a room now closed off, Byrne heard similar noises. But it wasn’t until they both met each other in the hall that they say they realized the noises were not being caused by either of them.

“Then we heard what sounded like multiple footsteps running across the floor above us,” Federowicz said. Assuming that students had either hid from Public Safety or got locked into the building unsuspectedly, they decided to call security. Arriving a few minutes later, officers conducted a full-facility search, which didn’t uncover any students or anyone else.

“Nobody was in the building except for us,” Federowicz continued. “Public Safety said all of the doors were secure.”

Collectively, all decided it was time to vacate the building for the night. “Nobody ever speaks about Good Counsel being

haunted,” Federowicz said. “But we have had many experiences there.”

Federowicz said that she remembers being told a few non-specific anecdotes soon after she started at Rosemont nearly 30 years ago.

“Back then, the stories were mostly about the Library,” she said. “People have said that they have also heard the sounds of people running there.”

Cathy Fennell, the Library’s Executive Director and a staff member since 1977, corroborates that sentiment, at least.

“People think the library’s haunted, but it isn’t,” said Fennell, who has a virtual catalogue of accounts that she’s been told, mostly by students, and a rationale for almost all of them.

One common example has been the belief that spirits have inhabited certain parts of the building, evidenced by drastic temperature changes from room to room.

Fennell assures that this has been due to inconsistent heating.

Also, nuns lived in cloisters that are now the College Archives into the 1980s, unbeknownst to many students at the time. Students thought they were overhearing spirits on the upper level, commonly around dinnertime.

Ben Huelskamp, the Assistant Dean and Director of Residence Life who has lived on campus since 2016, said he began hearing reports of haunts and sightings almost immediately upon his arrival. He’s had no firsthand encounters, but he says that staying overnight in Connelly Hall, and presumably any other facility here, can be intimidating, a natural human reaction to the some well-known history of the campus, particularly Main Building.

Formerly known as Rathalla, the mansion is itself a history lesson. Built in 1891 as the summer home of Ireland native Joseph Francis Sinnott and his wife Annie Eliza, Rathalla has experienced both life and death. Joseph Edward, the couple’s oldest of nine children, died in Rathalla in 1892. The Sinnotts also lost a 2-year-old daughter, Eliza, in 1882, prior to moving to Rosemont and, in 1899, their son Henry died in California after traveling on his own.

That same year, their first daughter was born in their home. Additionally, the Sinnotts lived in Rathalla up until their own deaths, Joseph in 1906 and Annie in 1918.

Then the mansion was closed and board-

ed up until the purchase by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in August 1921.

Therein may be the foundation for the belief in the supernatural existing on campus, said Huelskamp.

Also contributing to the dynamic are inaccuracies by students over the years who believe that the library’s namesake, Gertrude Kistler, who died in Yosemite National Park, was a student at Rosemont.

“But part of the campus lore over time has become that it is less important if something is true, and more important that everyone believes it,” he said. “I think that there’s also a comforting sense that Gertrude is this eternal spirit that is always here.”

Sometime in the early 2000s, Eileen Capobianchi, Office Manager in College Relations, was having lunch in a basement office of Main with her daughter and young grandson, Ryan, who abruptly began waving as if someone else was in the room.

“We asked who he was waving to, and he said there was a little girl there,” Capobianchi said. “And he never talked about imaginary friends.”

On the ground level of Good Counsel, where Byrne currently works, sits a credenza behind her desk that has become fairly well known among staff because a drawer occasionally opens on its own.

“It’s always the same drawer that opens as if someone pulled it open,” explains Byrne. “It doesn’t slam open, like it’s off-kilter.” Byrne said she has taken the drawer off the track to examine it, only for it to eventually open again.

To dispel any assumptions, she has also placed a level on top of the unit to “prove” that neither the furniture nor the floor to her office is not level. “And there’s been times that jackhammering will be happening behind Good Counsel or heavy trucks will drive by, and nothing will happen with the drawer,” she said.

“But then you’ll just be sitting there, and it will open. It happened again this morning, actually.”

Brian Fox, Groundskeeper for the College who began working here in 2002, said he recently observed the drawer opening. He has also heard of his fair share of stories over the years, but has had no personal encounters and is at least somewhat skeptical of the rumors he’s heard. But Fox said this experience was

very bizarre.

Jim Huffman, Public Safety Officer also on staff since 2002, is convinced that many of the buildings remain in constant stages of settling due to ongoing construction and occasional replacement of heating and cooling systems that will contribute to noises that may be unnerving. “There are no ghosts or spirits here,” he said. “There just aren’t any.”

Neither Andrews, Federowicz, nor Byrne believes their experiences are connected specifically to a Sinnott or a Kistler.

They’re just certain that they are not mistaken as to what they saw and heard, even if others may go on to question them.

“If it’s never happened to you, it might be hard to believe,” Andrews said. “Everyone is going to believe what they want to believe, and everyone is entitled to that.

But when you get into situations that are unexplainable, that’s when you might think differently, if you don’t believe it.”

She’s quick to note that she is not someone who actively sought out any kind of experience to validate stories that she had heard over the years. “I don’t want ‘sightings,’ I’m not interested in them,” she said. Federowicz freely admits that she was always intrigued somewhat by stories that she would hear, but also was not one to be waiting for an opportunity to add to the accounts.

According to Andrews, Federowicz, and Byrne, none of their incidents have led them to feel afraid or that they were in any kind of danger. They also don’t go as far as to say the campus is “haunted.”

But they absolutely believe a spiritual presence exists. “I think people leave an energy behind somewhere when we die,” Byrne said. “We just don’t ‘go away.'”

Although she has been able to rationalize many of the various library scenarios that have been described over time, Fennell also acknowledges that there is a certain charm to the thought of the supernatural having its place here, and perhaps even has a few unexplainable anecdotes of her own. “Sometimes a door may close behind you that makes you wonder,” she said. “And sometimes I think it would be nice if Sister Mary Dennis Lynch could be here to see how the library has evolved. Who knows, maybe sometimes she is here.”

Kathleen DuBoff and Tawny Sverdlin contributed to this article.

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Volunteers Needed in the Archives!

If you are interested in helping Rosemont College to preserve and discover its history, please email Elena Sisti, Reference & Archives Librarian, @ elena.sisti@rosemont.edu, or Lillian Mann, Archives Assistant, @ lillian.mann@rosemont.edu

Scenes From The Cornelian:

1970 Rosemont College Senior Play was a production of the musical Finian’s Rainbow, a fictional story of an Irishman named Finian who immigrates to Missitucky (a combination of Mississippi and Kentucky) with his daughter to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in hopes that it will grow. These scenes from the 1970 Cornelian yearbook show the performance and stage work. Judy Savaiano (Paul) won Best Actress.

The T-Tones:

An Oral History & Digital Recordings

The T-Tones were a close-harmony singing group of Rosemont College students that began in 1952, originally as an octet that grew out of the School’s Glee Club. The group received its name after spending a large portion of time performing in the Tea House. Beginning in 1957, the T-Tones began playing at Glee Club Concerts as special guests.

The group consisted of 15 students until they became completely independent of the Glee Club and admission was reduced to 11. The group was also noted for writing and recording an album of their own work in New York City on November 6 and 7, 1967.

Listen to an Oral History podcast of the T-Tones with former members Patricia “Patsie” McCandless ’69 and Sharon Latchaw Hirsh ’70 online at https://bit.ly/2MtjHP6 and listen to their full 1968 LP record online at https://bit.ly/2OylJA0

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Judy Savaiano (Paul)

Our Challenge:

Our Solution:

To raise $1.28 Million for the Rosemont Experience Fund by June 30, 2020, so that we can enhance every aspect of our students’ experience.

You.

Make your gift to the 2019-2020 Rosemont Experience Fund today. rosemont.edu/give

ROSE MONT MAGA Z I N E | 28

Rosemont Golfers

Two-time CSAC Champions It was expected since the time they left the NCAA Tournament in 2018 that Rosemont was poised to do well in 2019.

In May, at the Colonial States Athletic Conference championship at the Indian Valley Country Club, they proved the predictions. Rosemont finished at +62 as a team- tying with York College for 32nd place at the NCAA Division III National Championships at Keene Trace Golf Club just outside of Lexington, KY, on May 14-17. In addition, four Rosemont golfers took the top four spots on the leaderboard as the Ravens took the CSAC championship team title with a 77-stroke edge on second place Cairn University to earn a season title and a trip back to the national championship tournament.

In addition, medalist Michael Lange took first team and All-CSAC honors.

All-CSAC honors were also awarded to Stephen Vye, Hunter Mickatavage, and Jordan Cook, and Paul Fedele earned second team.

Overall, the Ravens had a great seasontwo tournament titles, four individual

CSAC Champions at Rosemont The 2018-19 academic year at Rosemont was full of wonderful accomplishments by our student-athletes.

Three programs (Golf, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball) won the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship and earned automatic qualifying bids into the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to these programs, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Tennis, and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country had very respectable showings in their respective CSAC Championship competitions.

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crowns, some national trips, as well as the second straight CSAC title. Vye and Mickatavage were also named to the Division III Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars list. Coach John Manos said, "We had a good time and we played some really good golf.

They are all coming back with a few other guys coming in. It's really exciting." Manos returns for his fourth season as the Head Coach of Rosemont's golf program.

The Rosemont men's golf team has returned strong this year as well. The Ravens took home the championship title after two rounds of play in the Farmingdale State College Fall Open in New York in September. Now a senior, Michael Lange finished two under par, giving him a co-champion individual title.

In October, the success continued at the Concord Country Club, West Chester, where sophomore Nathan Moore made the first hole in one in program history. The Ravens won the Montgomery Cup by five strokes (68-72) and the team finished in second place.

New Coaches at Rosemont Grace Elliott is Rosemont’s new Sports Information Director/ Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

A 2016 graduate of Ramapo College, where she received a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies, Elliott arrives at Rosemont after serving as an assistant coach at Amherst College in 2018-19, helping the team attain a 25-4 record, ending with a “Sweet 16” appearance. The team also had two All-Americans. Prior to her time at Amherst, Elliott was

an assistant at her alma mater for the 2016-17 season. Elliott said, “I am excited to build on the success that this program has been able to see in the past couple of years. I am eager to continue to enhance the championship culture of the women’s basketball program on the court and in the classroom.”

Elliott replaces Rayne Reber, who resigned in May after serving as the Ravens Head Coach for the past five years. As a player, Elliott was an All-State multisport athlete

at Detroit Country Day School.

Collegiately, Elliott played at Division II Adelphi for two seasons before transferring to Ramapo.

At Ramapo, Elliott was a team captain and was named All-NJAC in 2015-16. In 2017-18, Elliott went overseas and played professionally for the Newcastle Knights in the United Kingdom while she completed her Master’s degree.

She holds a Master’s degree from Newcastle University in Tyne, UK.

Jesse Zafiratos joins

three seasons, he compiled a 5010-3 overall record while leading the Lions to their first-ever USCAA National Championship in 2018.

His teams won three straight PSUAC Conference Championships from 2016-2018.

During his time at Brandywine, he was named 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Small College Coach of the Year and 2017 PSUAC Coach of the Year. Previously, Zafiratos spent five seasons as an assistant at Widener University.

He is just the third head coach in the history of Rosemont men's soccer. He takes over for David Carvalho, who resigned in May to take an assistant coaching position at Villanova.

Zafiratos inherits a squad that returns ten starters from last year.

He said, “If everyone buys in, and just competes every day, I fully expect us to be there come CSAC playoff time.”

Rosemont as the new Men’s Soccer Coach.

Zafiratos led Penn State Brandywine to a United States Collegiate Athletic Association national championship last season. Zafiratos said, “My expectations are to become better as a team every single day and to be there come playoff time.”

Zafiratos comes to Rosemont after an impressive three-year stint at Penn State Brandywine. In his

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Introducing The Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center Maria Feeley, Chair of the Board of Trustees stated, “Our College community needs a space like the very one we are now standing in.”

“It gives me great joy to welcome you all today, and to recognize the importance of this moment in the College’s history. In a few moments, we will officially cut the ribbon and bless the Rosemont College Community Center and dedicate it to the College’s 13th President, Sharon Latchaw Hirsh,” she said at the November 16th Grand Opening and Dedication of the magnificent newest building on campus.

The Community Center, which is more than 73,000 square feet in size and extends from the current Cardinal Hall, will provide the campus with informal gathering spaces, and areas for large and formal events. A generous anonymous donor chose to grant their earned naming rights to President Hirsh, resulting in the Center’s designation as the “Sharon

31 | ROS EM O N T C O L L EGE

Latchaw Hirsh Community Center.”

The Center will also house all of the offices for Student Life/Residence Life, the College’s bookstore, expanded dining areas, five new smart classrooms, multiple study rooms, a conference room for group meetings, and a brand new fitness center.

The 6,000 square foot Sister Mary George Community Room will be the largest room in the Center. It is named for the late Sister Mary George O’Reilly, SHCJ, through the generosity of many Rosemont alumni who collectively gave more than $1,000,000 in her honor.

The Community Room will be used for College functions. It can also be used as a volleyball court and can be divided into smaller spaces, increasing its flexibility.

This is a project that the College has been anticipating for nearly 20 years! The first mention of the need for a comprehensive Student Center was a part of our Middle States report of 2000. This result-

ed in our surveying the campus community and in President Ann Amore starting to plan for what would eventually be the Community Center. In 2007, as part of the College's strategic planning process, the College worked with many groups on campus – faculty, staff, and students— along with the architectural firm of Kimmel Bogrette, our Township commissioners, and local legislators to develop the concept of the Community Center.

The idea bloomed into a gathering space that could be used by all students, staff, and faculty, as well as members of the local community.

The project was overseen by Dr. Randy Eldridge, Vice President for Finance and Administration.

Kimmel Bogrette Architect + Site was the architect for this building and many of Rosemont’s recent projects. Dale Corporation served as general contractor for the Community Center.

Rosemont thanks the hundreds of donors who made the Community Center a reality. The College especially acknowledges the following: • The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Tom Wolf, Governor, for directing a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Grant to the College.

• Eustace Wolfington, for his gift in memory of his late wife, Marcy Dugan Wolfington ’56, to name the Commons.

• The many alumni and friends who came together to raise $1 million to name the Community Room within the Community Center in honor and memory of Sr. Mary George O’Reilly, SHCJ. • The alumni, friends, and family of Judith Connelly Delouvrier ’70, who together raised funding to name the Ravens’ Nest Café in memory of Jude, whose life was lost in the 1996 crash of a TWA jet off the coast of Long Island.

• Parkhurst Dining, for their donation to name the Dining Hall.

• The Trainor Family, to name the President’s Board Room in memory of Judith Connelly Delouvrier ’70 Other donors whose gifts exceeded $100,000 were: • The Connelly Foundation • E. Lee Drinane ’62 • Veronica Ahern ’68 • Marie ’57 and Peter Dooner • Society of the Holy Child Jesus Donations are still being accepted to furnish the Community Center. Please visit rosemont.edu for more information.

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Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit 245 SEPA 19399 1400 Montgomery Avenue Rosemont, PA 19010-1699 Return Service Requested

Rooted in Catholicism, Rosemont College welcomes all faiths and is guided by the educational principles of Cornelia Connelly and the Society of the Holy Child Jesus to meet the needs of the time.