Rosemont College Online Magazine February 2021
Dear Members of the Rosemont College Community, We are already in our third week of the Spring semester. Just eleven more are before us. It is hard to believe, but true. As you’ll see in this issue of RoCo Magazine, despite our continued need to social distance and modify our operations, there is much going on within our community. I continue to be proud of how our students, faculty, and staff are overcoming challenges to make the Rosemont College experience the special one that it is. I know you won’t want to miss the features in February’s RoCo about: • Our Plans to Hold In-Person Commencement Ceremonies on May 15 & May 16 • Next week’s “Love of Language” event • The Launch of the new “Talk Series” sponsored by the Communications Department • Updates on the Plans for the Centennial Year Celebration • The newest issue of Rathalla Review published by our MFA & Graduate Publishing Programs • Three members of the Class of 2021 share their experiences student teaching during the pandemic • Sharing Our Voices, Telling Our Stories: Contemplating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Our Nation’s Struggle for Social Justice • Alumna Erin Entrada Kelly’s new Newbery Medal Honor for her latest book, We Dream of Space • And more … I especially want to invite all members of the College community to participate in Visions of 2020: Stories of Our Times, a national project with the aim of preserving the expressions and reactions to our times. The project, sponsored by the Rosemont College Archives, is open to all students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Thank you for taking the time to connect with the College through this issue of RoCo. I am sure you will be as excited about all that is happening at Rosemont as I am. President Boyers
Rosemont College Online Magazine February 2021 Campus News |
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Campus Ministry | SGPS |
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Alumni |
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The Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility |
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Rosemont College Online Magazine February 2021
Even though we have to stay socially distanced and the Rosemont campus is quieter than usual, you will still find joy in the pursuit of knowledge taking place.
Love of Language Event | Feb. 11 Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream | Feb. 16 Last Day of Undergraduate Spring Term I | March 8 Undergraduate Spring Term II Begins | March 15 Easter Recess | April 2-4
Registration to Launch in March Registration for Rosemont’s non-credit program, known as the Forum, will begin in early March. Here is a sneak peek at some topics that will be offered this spring: Polio in 20th Century America, Detention! Free Speech in American Schools, The Tough Decisions that Defined American Presidencies, Gothic Cathedrals, Quarantined with a King: Celebrating Shakespeare’s King Lear, and Her Holiness and Mine: Female Saints and the English Reformation.
The Forum is open to alumni 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 Rosemont College and President Boyers Featured in The Philadelphia Business Journal
Love of
Language
Spring Semester Kicks Off; Fall Semester Sparks Creativity
Thursday February 11, 2021 4 p.m.
Students have returned and classes for the spring semester kicked off on January 19. As in the fall, Rosemont has divided the spring semester into two, seven-week terms - a plan known as Two Terms, One Focus. However, courses within the science, language, math, and philosophy programs will run for the full 14 weeks.
Read more
NPR Paris Correspondent Ellie Beardsley will join us to speak at the 2nd annual Love of Languages event. Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture, and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team. Read more During the Love of Languages program Ms. Beardsley will chat with Claudia Brown, Adjunct Professor, French, about the role of language in her work. This program is hosted by the Rosemont College Department of Languages, The Rosemont College Office of Post Graduate Success and the Rosemont College Business Networking Society. Funded by The Conwell Fund for Foreign Languages.
Register Here
Register Here
The event will take place on Zoom. Links will be emailed to registered participants the morning of the event.
Founded 1921
Lovest Diomande ’21
a senior marketing major and sport management minor, was selected to attend the 2021 NCAA Convention as part of the Division III Student Immersion Program.
Congratulations April! April Higgins has been promoted to Assistant Director for Experiential Learning and Post Graduate Success, working closely with Travis Marshall in expanding services and processes to support students in the Undergraduate College and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. April, who has been with Rosemont for 15 years, has served as Office Manager for the Academic Deans and has assisted the Undergraduate College in many critical ways over the past several years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree, and will graduate this semester with a Masters in Counseling from Rosemont’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Rosemont is excited to see her put her organizational and entrepreneurial skills to good use in Experiential Learning.
Communications Speaker Series to Launch in the Spring
Centennial Updates: The second full meeting of the Centennial Committee of 2021 was held January 27 by Zoom for members to brainstorm how to celebrate this milestone year. They will also be selecting a Centennial logo that will be debuted in May. Three subcommittees focused on Social/Celebration, Education, Service/Spiritual will continue to meet regularly during the semester to plan events for the Centennial. 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. The next full Committee meeting will take place on April 22 to finalize plans from each subcommittee and work toward the Centennial Year to be held September 2021 – June 2022. Stay tuned for plans to be announced in May!
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.
CAMPUS NEWS Rosemont Awarded It’s On Us Grant to Combat Sexual Assault Click to read more
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.
A Glimpse of the Past Cathy Fennell, Executive Director of the Library, was cleaning out what was once the Rare Book Room and came across the dictionary pictured left. Upon opening the inside cover, she discovered a note from Princess Borghese, who is the daughter of Francis (Frank) Connelly and granddaughter of Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The date of the dictionary is 1785. While the exact origins of the dictionary and how it came to be at Rosemont remain a mystery, the College and Society archives think it may have belonged to Cornelia Connelly’s father and was possibly being gifted to a cousin of the Connelly family.
New Edition!
Rathalla Review is the literary magazine published by the students of Rosemont College’s MFA in Creative Writing and Graduate Publishing programs to give emerging and established writers and artists an outlet for their creative vision in our online and print publication. Rathalla Review publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, and art, culled from a nationwide community of writers and artists. CLICK HERE TO VIEW
Congratulations Mary Grace Murray! Mary Grace Murray, a 2020 graduate, has been accepted to Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine’s MD/PhD program. In July, Mary Grace will matriculate into the eight-year program where she will receive both an MD and PhD. MD/PhDs are known as physicianscientists.
Student Teaching During a Pandemic
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Holly Brady ’2
Lauren Skinner
’21
For Rosemont education students, the spring semester is often known for gaining hands-on experience through student teaching. This spring is no different; however, student teaching is certainly altered during the ongoing pandemic.
Did you know? President Joe Biden, then a young Senator, was Rosemont’s Commencement Speaker in 1974. The Rosemont College community wishes all the best to President Biden as he begins his term as the 46th President of the United States.
Rosemont Men’s Basketball Coach Bobby Hughes Featured on KYW Newsradio
Hughes spoke about how COVID lockdowns have affected coaching, learning from Phil Martelli, and leading the Rosemont men’s team to the NCAA Championship in 2019. Read More
“Although most colleges and universities had issues with placing candidates for student teaching during the pandemic, Rosemont College Education Division was fortunate to arrange placements for all 13 students,” said Denise Falconi, EdD, Director of Teacher Education. “All competencies and regulations are being met and exceeded by our students to prepare them for certification in a few short months.” The 13 student teaching placements are split with approximately half teaching in person and half virtual or a hybrid model. Holly Brady is teaching at Community Partnership School, a charter school in North Philadelphia. She worked at the school during the fall semester as an aid helping students with their virtual classes. “CPS, although fully virtual, brings some of the students into the school to complete their classes as some of the kids do not have Wi-Fi or childcare at home,” said Brady. “I loved my experience working here so much last semester that I requested to do my student teaching with the same first grade class. The school is still fully virtual, but I’m lucky enough to get to come into the school every day and help with the five first graders who are in person.” The School District of Philadelphia announced on January 27 that some students in pre-K through grade 2 would return to in-person learning twice a week starting on Feb. 22. For Lauren Skinner, she has been able to teach in a kindergarten class at Gladwyne Elementary School in Lower Merion School District. Kindergarten in the district is divided into a morning and afternoon cohort, and Lauren has been able to teach both groups in person. “Our school is in-person, although the classroom environment is different now due COVID-19, and the students have truly adapted to learning 6-feet apart, as well as the teachers,” said Skinner. “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to interact with students in person during these trying times the world is facing. I go to bed excited for the next school day and wake up excited to teach my smart and resilient students. Student teaching so far has been more amazing than I already knew it would be.”
Click Here to Read More
Introducing Jennifer Barry
MS, Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies With expertise in adult education, online course delivery, educational operations, and micro-emerging markets, Jennifer Barry, MS, Rosemont’s new Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, will focus her efforts on growing enrollment and developing new programs for adult students. Barry, who joined Rosemont in November, previously was Director of Continuing Studies and Special Projects at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where she helped grow enrollment and strengthened the academic program of the College. Barry earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and her Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, and is expected to complete her Doctorate in Education in 2021.
Read more: The School of Graduate and Professional Studies is in the process of pursing CACREP accreditation for Rosemont’s MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and MA in School Counseling programs. We had the opportunity to virtually host the CACREP site visit team from January 25th-27th and we anticipate hearing a final decision from the accreditors about our status this summer.
Congratulations to Erin Entrada Kelly! Rosemont alumna and MFA faculty member Erin Entrada Kelly’s book, We Dream of Space, was named a 2021 Newbery Honor Book. She also received the prestigious Newbery Medal in 2018 for Hello, Universe.
Read More
Thursday, Feb. 11
2nd Annual For the Love of Language & Culture Event Eleanor "Ellie" Beardsley to speak from Paris on French Business and Culture 4 p.m. ET on Zoom Registration Information Coming Soon For questions, please email Joe Darrah '11, Director of Alumni Relations
Tuesday, Feb. 23 Harry Potter Trivia 7 p.m. ET on Zoom Register Here
Wednesday, Feb. 24
1980s & 1990s Alumni Bingo 7 p.m. ET on Zoom Registration Information Coming Soon For questions, please email Joe Darrah ‘11, Director of Alumni Relations
Our Latest Podcast Topics: Dr. Jonathan Stallkamp Vaccination Vindication
Dr. Jonathan Stallkamp, Interim Chief Medical Officer at Main Line Health discusses the impact that COVID-19 vaccinations are expected to have as we move into a post-pandemic reality. Insight is shared on the clinical composition of today’s vaccines, the expected arrival of mass vaccinations to our region, and the outlook on protocol and behaviors as the vaccine continues to be administered.
Gabe Rizzo ’21 Gabe Rizzo Preps For His Future
President Jayson Boyers and co-host Joe Darrah interview Gabe Rizzo ‘21, a Rosemont College senior who has already accepted his first post-undergraduate full-time job at PNC Bank in Philadelphia. We discuss how Gabe’s connections at Rosemont have led him to this exciting opportunity at PNC, where he will work as an analyst in the company’s Capital Markets Program, and how his previous intern-ships have also provided him with great experiences for a career in financial services. Catch up on episodes you may have missed 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.
Get to know alumna Tara George through a series of fun questions posed by Director of Alumni Relations Joe Darrah.
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.  click here to view the film  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 - 2021 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 to broaden their horizons, to quote Abigail Brooks ’22. Your gift to the Experience Fund makes it all possible. Please make a gift today to support the students of Rosemont College.
“Rosemont has really given me POWER. POWER to have a voice and the opportunities to broaden my horizons.” Abigail Brooks ’22, Business and Accounting Major
Rosemont Commencement News We are excited to share that plans are underway to hold in-person Commencement Ceremonies for the 2020 and 2021 Graduates of Rosemont College! Multiple small ceremonies will be held on campus on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. The Ceremonies will be held outside under a tent on Connelly Green. Tent capacity will be limited to 250 individuals, including graduates, faculty, members of the platform party, and guests. Social distancing will be observed, and all participants and guests must wear masks. Social distancing also requires that each graduate observe the ticket limit for their guests. You will receive specific information about the date and time of the Ceremony for your degree in the coming weeks. The organization of the multiple Ceremonies, as well as the number of guest tickets assigned to each graduate, will be determined on the number of graduates who plan to attend Commencement. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Be sure to check your email!
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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.
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