RoConnections - Rosemont College's Online Magazine - December 2020 Issue by Rosemont College

Rosemont College Online Magazine December 2020

Dear Members of the Rosemont College Community, It’s already December. Some days it feels as if the last six months have lasted a lifetime, and other days it feels as if I just stepped foot on campus yesterday! I am proud of all that we have accomplished together during the Fall semester. I’m especially pleased that thanks to the work of Marty Mehringer, our Vice President for Finance and Administration, as well as the support of the College’s Board of Trustees and Leadership Team, the following projects will be completed on campus by the end of this month: • Lawrence Hall – Complete roof replacement • Brown Science Building – Complete roof replacement • Good Counsel Hall – Roof replacement on overhang of entrance, along with drain roof repair • Hirsh Community Center – Roof patching on the original section of building • Kaul Hall – Roof patching on the lower portion of building • Main Building – Repair of skylight • Chapel of the Immaculate Conception – Repair of slate roof • Gracemere Honors House – Repair of porte cochere I know you share my excitement about how these upgrades to our campus will vastly improve the quality of life on campus for our employees and our students, as well as make our campus an attractive one to prospective students. You can read more about these campus improvements. While 2020 hasn’t been the year any of us anticipated it would be, I hope that as the year ends, you’ll find a quiet moment to reflect on how this year has helped you grow, what you’ve learned about yourself and others, and what unexpected blessings it has brought your way. I feel blessed and honored to be a part of the Rosemont College community, and to be entering into 2021 with you. Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year, President Boyers

Rosemont College Online Magazine December 2020

Campus News |

Campus Ministry | SGPS |

Alumni |

The Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility |

Forum Courses to Resume in the Spring Due to the pandemic, Rosemontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s non-credit program, known as the Forum, transitioned to virtual sessions for the fall semester. The virtual format allowed the College to broaden its reach and included participants from nearly a dozen states. The most popular courses were three-week lectures: Nobody Expected the Spanish Influenza, The Roaring 20s, and Buildings of the Athenian Acropolis.

The Forum is open to alums and friends of the College and offers courses exploring art, religion, history, theater, literature, and more. Our instructors include retired Rosemont faculty members as well as scholars and experts from the greater Philadelphia community. Please stay tuned for more information about the spring 2021 line-up.

CAMPUS NEWS Learning to be Educators During a Pandemic For students learning to become teachers, hands-on experience in a classroom is essential. As many school districts have turned to hybrid or virtual formats, student teachers are learning to navigate complex circumstances. Click Here to Read More

Rosemont Students Publish Journal Article About Women’s Suffrage Rosemont alum Hope Smalley ’19 and graduate student Katherine (Katie) Pettine co-authored a journal article with Associate Professor Michelle Moravec that was published this fall entitled, “Stunts and Sensationalism: The Pennsylvania Progressive Era Campaign for Women’s Suffrage.” This piece draws on 37 biographies of suffragists completed by Rosemont students that are being published as part of the Online Biographical Dictionary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the United States. The article appears in the Autumn 2020 issue of Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, a quarterly journal that publishes the best of current scholarship on the history of the Commonwealth and the region.

Communications Speaker Series to Launch in the Spring

Student Activities in the New Year Even though on-campus life will begin a little later than usual for the Spring Semester, Student Life has plans to get students engaged right away. Student Government Association General Senate Applications will be open January 11 – 22. Look for information in January. Movie nights (titles TBA) - January 23 & 30 at 6 p.m. in the Cafeteria Trivia Night – Theme: “The Office” January 24 at 7 p.m. in the Ravens Nest For more information on any of these contact Jessica Burns at jessica.burns@rosemont.edu

The Communications Department is launching a new program called Talk Series: A Conversation with the Pros. The program will feature conversations with media/communications professionals as they share their experiences, advice, and love for what they do as well as networking opportunities for students. Stay tuned for more information about speakers and dates as the series kicks off in Spring 2021.

Latest Issue of Thorn Literary and Art Magazine Now Available The 2020 issue of Thorn is now available. Led by Faculty Advisor and Professor Katie Baker, the issue features poetry, short stories, photography, and original artwork by Rosemont students.  The latest issue can be read and downloaded here.

Business Students Win Virtual Marketing Challenge

A team of business students won the award for “best customer journey map” at the first virtual USPS Direct Effect Innovation Challenge hosted by SUNY Farmingdale on November 13. The Direct Effect Innovation Challenge is a one-of-a-kind event hosted by the U.S. Postal Service that brings together teams of college students from across the nation for one day to design and develop integrated marketing campaigns in response to real-life business

Visions of 2020: Stories of Our Times, from COVID-19 to Racial Injustice Rosemont College Archives Invites Submissions from the Rosemont Community Inspired by Experiences During This Historic Year. The Rosemont College Archives has launched Visions of 2020: Stories of Our Times, from COVID-19 to Racial Injustice, a project whose aim is to preserve expressions and reactions of the Rosemont community as we experience the major and historic events of 2020: COVID-19, the murders of black people at the hands of police, and the Presidential election. Submissions will be preserved in the Rosemont Archives’ digital collections and made available for public research use. Read more to learn how to contribute your experiences to this project.

Penny Toss Pandemic Style With all the changes that 2020 has brought, one thing will always remain: Rosemont Traditions. One of Rosemont’s oldest and cherished traditions is the Penny Toss. The tradition is meant to bestow good luck upon the students during their examinations. Traditionally, during fall semester finals week, following a special Advent Mass, the College president and the SGA president toss pennies towards carol-singing students on porch of the Main Building. This recalls the Sisters’ Christmastime tradition at the first Holy Child school in England in the mid 1800s. This year, with final exams held virtually because of the pandemic, students will not be on campus. To maintain the Penny Toss tradition, Rosemont will include a 2020 penny in Christmas greetings sent to the students of the Undergraduate College.

CAMPUS NEWS The Rosemont College Board of Trustees unanimously voted at their December 4 meeting to extend the contract of President Boyers for an additional two years beyond his initial three-year contract. The contract extension will provide that Dr. Boyers is in office through June of 2025.

Read More

Haley named Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing; Moreira named Executive Director of Admissions Meghan Haley will join the College community as our Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing. Haley comes to Rosemont from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont where she served for eight years on the Enrollment Leadership Team as the Assistant Vice President of Marketing. During her tenure, she played an integral role in the College’s growth, including enrolling the largest class in its history.

Catarina Moreira will serve as the Executive Director of Admissions for both the Undergraduate College and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Moreira joined the College community as the Director of Admissions for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies in June of 2019. Since that time, she’s greatly enhanced the process and the systems the College uses to recruit adult students.

Read More

1921 - 2021 Planning for Rosemont’s 100th year is underway! The Centennial Committee is comprised of more than 50 alumni and friends of the College. The group is led by chairpersons Pat Ciarrocchi ’74, former Rosemont Trustee and Cresset Award recipient, and Dianne Rotwitt ’98, Rosemont benefactor and former employee of the College. The committee includes alumni from 1952 to 2018, Rosemont’s former Presidents, members of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, former Trustees, current Trustees, faculty/academic program directors, staff, students, and friends of the College. Read more

Campus

Enhancements

President Boyers has made campus improvements a priority early in his presidency to continue making Rosemont an inviting place for students, families, prospective students, and guests. During his first six months, he has overseen: ● Newly paved roads throughout campus ● Relocation of the Wellness Center from the Chapel to the newly renovated space in Alumnae Hall ● New furniture in classrooms and residence halls ● Updated mechanical equipment in the Science Building ● Painting throughout campus buildings ● By the end of December, significant improvements to the roofs of many campus buildings such as Lawrence Hall, Brown Science Building, Good Counsel Hall, Kaul Hall, and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception will also be completed.

Campus Ministry is asking for donations of wrapping paper, gift bags, mugs, and hot chocolate packets for our dear friends at the Providence Center. They unfortunately had to suspend their normal Christmas programming, but are certainly making the best of it. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help them make their communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas the absolute best it can be! Donations will be accepted until 12/16

Teach-In Day Save The Date!

January 18, 2021

This year, the pews of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception will not be filled for our traditional Christmas Eve Mass, due to the limitations of social distancing in the Chapel. Instead, we invite you to join with the entire Rosemont College community for a livestream of the Mass 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 24, 2020 via www.rosemont.edu/christmas Reverend Joe Naroj, OSA will preside.

A Christmas Carol

Marathon Reading and Celebration

Join alumni and staff of the Rosemont College MFA program on Wednesday, Dec. 16, beginning at 6 p.m. ET, for a virtual group reading of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.

SGPS counseling student Stephanie Lees was recently featured in The Jewish Exponent about making the decision to switch careers during the pandemic. Click Here To Read The Story

This event will be held via Zoom and feature dramatic readings from MFA alumni, Rosemont faculty, and other guest speakers. All MFA alumni are invited to choose to attend this free online event and/or purchase a permanent file of the full reading to enjoy at any time with a minimum $20 donation to Rosemont’s MFA program.

Click Here to Register

Rosemont College Names New Dean and Assistant Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies

Karen Geiger, PhD

Jennifer Barry, MS

Assistant Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies

Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies

With expertise in adult education, online course delivery, educational operations, and micro-emerging markets, Barry will focus her efforts on growing enrollment and developing new programs for adult students.

As Assistant Dean, Geiger will expand her scope of responsibility to assessment and retention efforts and outcomes across SGPS – students, faculty, and staff.

Read More about Jennifer Barry and Karen Geiger

Holiday Gatherings for Alumni “Comfort My People” was the theme for the annual Advent held via Zoom by the Office of Alumni Relations and Campus Ministry on the 1st Sunday of Advent December 6. Alumni reflected on the message of the prophet Isaiah in preparation for a different kind of Christmas in 2020.

Christmas Cooking & Happy Hour: The Alumni Office will host an Online Christmas-Themed Happy Hour & Cooking Party via Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 17, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The event will be co-hosted by Sarah Langan, Executive Chef at the University of Vermont, and include a live cooking demonstration of various foods and snacks that pair well with the Christmas season. Click Here to Register!

Christmas Trivia: The Office of Alumni Relations hosted a night of Christmas-themed trivia online Monday, Dec. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, via Zoom.

Our Latest Podcast Topics: Ted Latham The Music That Makes Us

Ted Lantham, professor of music theory at Temple University and Executive Director of the Women’s Sacred Music Project, an organization that has many ties to Rosemont, discusses his musical family tree and how it led to Rosemont, and how Rosemont has become a foundation for his family. We also learn about Ted, Jason, and Joe’s music interests and how music impacts them in various ways.

Patsie McCandless Finding & Living Your Light

An educator, motivational speaker, and award-winning author, Patsie McCandless ‘69 reveals how her “light on” mantra developed and how it resonates in her novel, Becoming Jesse, as well as in her everyday life.

Marty Mehringer Fiscal Responsibility & The College’s Future

Mehringer, Rosemont’s newly appointed Vice President for Finance and Administration, shares how he envisions impacting Rosemont’s enrollment and retention while placing an emphasis on the financial aspects of technology and other programs. Catch up on the Season One episodes you may have missed over the Christmas holidays at www.rosemont.edu/podcast. Remember, you can also find the POWER of small Podcast on Spotify and Amazon, as well as on iHeart Radio.

Alumni:

Click Here to give us your most up-to-date information

Let us know your contact information, your career success, your family’s travel plans, or any good news you would like to share with the Rosemont Community.

Colloquium

Series 2021 The Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility hosts a monthly colloquium series which explores pressing issues in ethics and leadership. The colloquia, led by experts in their respective fields, serves as a platform for dialogue and discussion on topics ranging from systemic racism, digital privacy, pandemic ethics and other COVID-19-related problems, to fake news, sports ethics, and civility in political discourse.

This event is a panel discussion on the documentary film A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream with scholars and activists associated with the film, including the writer and producer. Participants are invited to screen the film at their leisure prior to the discussion.

Stephanie Welch

Director, Producer, and Writer of A Dangerous Idea

Milton Reynolds

Tuesday February 16, 2021 6:30 p.m. ď&#x20AC;´ click here to view the film ď&#x20AC;´ click here to register

San Francisco Bay Area-based Career Educator, Author, Equity and Inclusion Consultant and Activist

William H. Tucker Professor Emeritus, Psychology, Rutgers University

A Rosemont

2020 has been a year unlike any other for the students of the Undergraduate College. Courses are being delivered in a hybrid model, classroom chairs are spaced six feet apart, gatherings take place on Zoom, and everyone wears a mask on campus. Yet, our students are engaged. They are discovering and developing their passions. They are making lifelong connections and finding their best friends. They are achieving their dreams. They are finding the POWER in community, to quote Kenny Wiggins ’21. Your gift to the Experience Fund makes it all possible. Please make a gift today to support the students of the Undergraduate College.

“I’ve always loved history. My professor saw that and encouraged me to make it my major, along with education. It is POWERFUL to have a community that helps you find your passion.” Kenny Wiggins ’21 History and Secondary Education Major

Winter Magic While we don’t know if we will get a lot or a little snow this winter, Rosemont’s winter finery is inspiring. Wishing everyone a safe- and joy filled – Christmas Season.

Rosemont College’s Mission values “reverence for the

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Jan. 2021 RoCo is looking forward to knowing how you are social distancing while enjoying yourself this winter; whether it is a fabulous trip, an internship, a marriage, or a get together with your Rosemont friends.

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Students, have you noticed the Instagram stories featuring current students and what Rosemont means to them? How has the POWER of small influenced your life at Rosemont? Your story could be next! Please email Katie DuBoff in College Relations to learn more: kathleen.duboff@rosemont.edu.

Protect the Nest!