2017 Saint Vincent Magazine Summer by Saint Vincent College

SAINT VINCENT M A G A Z I N E

SUMMER 2017

2017 NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM FRED ROGERS CENTER SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE

20 Upcoming 17 Events

A Place to Grow and Call Home

Summer Theatre Gala 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 7

Maura Snyder, C’17

For tickets: 724-805-2901

See How They Run! Saint Vincent Summer Theatre June 29 to July 16 Robert S. Carey Student Center Performing Arts Center

My Way: A Musical Tribute To Frank Sinatra Saint Vincent Summer Theatre August 3 to August 20 Robert S. Carey Student Center Performing Arts Center

Athletic Hall of Fame 6-9 p.m. Saturday, September 9

Fred M. Rogers Center Banquet Room A/B/C Reservations required: 724-805-2177

McCarl Gallery History Dinner Theater: Rip Van Winkle 6-9 p.m. Sunday, September 17

Fred M. Rogers Center Banquet Room A/B www.mccarlgallery.org

Sejoon Park, pianist Saint Vincent College Concert Series 7 p.m. Saturday, September 23

Robert S. Carey Student Center. Reception to follow. For tickets: www.stvincentstore.com

Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend September 29 to October 1

Fred M. Rogers Center Banquet Room A/B/C Reservations required: 724-805-2177

Giancarlo Parodi, organist Saint Vincent College Concert Series 7 p.m. Saturday, October 21

Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. Reception to follow. For tickets: www.stvincentstore.com

Emil Aultschuler, violinist Saint Vincent College Concert Series 7 p.m. Saturday, November 11

Robert S. Carey Student Center. Reception to follow. For tickets: www.stvincentstore.com

aura Snyder, C’17, centered her time at Saint Vincent in the Fred Rogers Center—literally. She was convinced there at a Get Acquainted Day to attend SVC, spent hours during college there, and will leave Saint Vincent as an employee of the FRC. Graduating with a bachelor of science degree in psychology and minors in children’s studies and communication, she was a member and senior adviser of Alpha Lambda Delta, Alpha Chi, Psi Chi, the psychology honors program and a Fred Rogers Scholar (FRS). At her FRS orientation, Dr. Junlei Li, who was also new to the college, mentioned that he would be interested in starting an undergraduate lab, Incubator 143, where she worked for three and a half years. Between that and Dr. Li’s first child development class, Snyder says her immediate work was really helpful in finding her place. Her work in the incubator lab included outreach projects with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Remake Learning, with the National Science Foundation project analyzing Peg + Cat’s implementation in math classrooms, as a co-author on a Kellogg Grant project analyzing the effectiveness of Daniel Tiger socio-emotional programs in preschool classrooms and as a research assistant for Dr. Katie Paciga from the TEC center at the Erikson Institute on her project analyzing articles on children’s media. Since she transitioned to a staff research assistant, Snyder works with Dr. Dana Winters and Dr. Li on Simple Interactions, which evaluates the interactions between children and adults in order to find everyday, stand-out moments to show that relationships are the active ingredient in childhood. This includes field work at child care centers, schools and Children’s Hospital; the analyzing, coding and editing of videos; co-leading Simple Interactions Trainings; and assisting on writing research reports. “Most of what I do, I was doing on a small scale as an undergrad, and now I’m exposed to the entire research process from start to finish,” she said. Her influences include Dr. Alice Wilder, one of the creators of Blues Clues; Brad Montague, creator of Kid President and the Joyful Rebellion; Dr. Jessica Harvey and Dr. Melissa Cook in the communication department; Dr. Li and Dr. Winters at the Fred Rogers Center; and the entire psychology department. She will pursue her doctorate in communication science at the University of Wisconsin under Dr. Marie-Louise Mares, who focuses on the socio-emotional side of media as it relates to children. Ultimately, Snyder wants to be an educational consultant/adviser for children’s programming. “By spending the time and resources to research and develop quality educational content for children, we are saying that kids are worth it,” she said. “I want to continue Fred’s passion for quality programming to use children’s media time to help children develop vital socioemotional and selfregulation skills that will prepare them for future academic and personal success.” —Kathryn Klawinski

Departments

President’s 4 Message More Features 8 Simple Interactions; Pittsburgh Symphony returns; Bearcat B.E.S.T.

12 Come Back, Mister Rogers, Come Back

Faculty

News

Sports

Michelle Gil-Montero’s Fulbright work; Rene Kollar has new book; George Leiner, Jessica Harvey, Thomas Octave receive awards

Remembering Dan Rooney, John Donahue

26, 28 In Memoriam

Spring sports roundup; Saint Vincent establishes women’s bowling team for fall

Alumni

Bill Isler Receives Award; Prep Alumni hold reunion, honor classmates; class news

34 Coach Campi Remembered

S a in t V inc e n t M a g a z ine ARCHABBOT AND CHANCELLOR Rt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. PRESIDENT Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B. EDITOR Kim Metzgar svmagazine@stvincent.edu DESIGN Kim Metzgar & Jordan Hainsey PRINTING Laurel Valley Graphics ALUMNI NEWS COORDINATOR Mary Ann Dunlap PROOFREADER Carol Riddle

Summer 2017 Volume 14, Issue 3

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathryn Klawinski Kim Metzgar Don Orlando Adam Reger Sports Information Office

Saint Vincent Magazine (United States Postal Service Publication Number USPS 5144-8000) is published by Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for alumni, parents and friends. Third class postage paid at Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690.

PHOTOGRAPHY Archabbey Archives Alumni Relations Office Alexander Byers Seth Harbaugh Kim Metzgar Sports Information Office

Saint Vincent College reserves the right to accept or decline submissions of both information and photos for use in the Saint Vincent Magazine, based on content, quality, timeliness and suitability, at the discretion of the editor. Saint Vincent College subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity in the classroom, workplace and programs, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, veteran status, national origin, marital status, genetic history or disability. To learn more, visit: http://www.stvincent.edu/ Legal-Information/.

AD ARTWORK George Fetkovich Seth Harbaugh

Cover: Even though Fred Rogers is no longer with us, his spirit lives on, as evidenced by the Fred Forward Symposium held on campus recently. Photo of Fred Rogers with a blind child at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, 1978, by Jim Judkis. Symposium coverage on page 5.

A Message from the President

reetings! Commencement is always a joyful celebration, as we send our newest graduates off to the next stage of their lives, and this May’s was especially gratifying. Bishop Edward Malesic of Greensburg presided at our Baccalaureate Mass, reminding our graduates that the most important words in the Gospel are “come” and “go”—not only that Jesus said, “Come, follow me” but also, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Our students are invited to come to Saint Vincent and become part of the community, but as this part of their journey ends, they are sent out, taking what they have learned, to contribute to their communities. Our Commencement speaker was Dr. Ellen Wartella, who was our first Fred Rogers Senior Fellow and now serves as chair of the Communications Department at Northwestern University. In her address, “Come back, Mister Rogers, come back!” she noted, “While we cannot bring back Fred Rogers … you can take with you not only the knowledge you’ve acquired here, but a commitment to the values of this school and its entwined history of Fred Rogers.” Bishop Malesic at the Fred Rogers himself gave the keynote at our 150th Commencement, describing Saint Vincent as Baccalaureate Mass. “part of my very first neighborhood” and emphasizing that “we human beings long to know that we are lovable … we long to know that the final word is Love. God gives that Word for all of us who will receive it … through lasting friendships, through the trust of children, through the beauty and power of art and science, through forgiveness, through comfort in sorrow, through hospitality to a neighbor, and ultimately through Jesus the Christ, our Lord. “For 150 years Saint Vincent has been helping its neighbors to understand and experience God’s Word. May it continue to grow from strength to strength to share its hope and heart with our world, which needs more than ever what Saint Vincent has to give.” One new graduate who has come to know the work and values of Mister Rogers especially well is Maura Snyder, a Fred Rogers Scholar and psychology major who initiated the “Sky Above Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” planetarium show and organized Fred Fest celebrations. She will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in communication science. Maura and the other Fred Rogers Scholars perform research in the Fred Rogers Archive, network with our Senior Research Fellows and Early Career Fellows, and complete a culminating project under the direction of College faculty. One of Maura’s fellow graduates interned at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent. Brittany Garman, who received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and had interned at the Reserve since she was a freshman, conducted her senior research on meadow management there. This summer, she is supervising a geographic information system (GIS) minemapping project for the state Department of Environmental Protection. She will pursue a master’s degree in environmental science and management at Duquesne University in the fall. Other stellar new alumni include Peter Reiter, our Student Government Association president and winner of the 2017 President’s Award. He received a degree in computing and information science with a minor in management, and has accepted a position with HM Health Solutions, Pittsburgh, as part of its Emerging Leaders Program. Kathrine Curtin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with high honor, has received a fellowship in the 2017 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). She will attend West Virginia University to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, while conducting research funded through the GRFP Fellowship. These four are among more than 350 graduates who received their degrees in May, joined by the first five students to complete our Bearcat B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence through Skills Training) program, who received standing ovations as they marched proudly across the stage to receive their certificates of completion of the transitional living program. We have just received the results of Career Center research regarding our 2016 graduates — 98 percent of whom are employed in their fields or pursuing further studies, with a 96-percent response rate. Early indications are that the success of this class will be similar to last year’s. Following Commencement, I departed for my annual trip to China. While the focus is on meeting with alumni and school officials as well as prospective students and their families, I found great joy and satisfaction in visiting an orphanage outside Qingdao, where Dr. Junlei Li, who serves as the Rita M. McGinley Chair in Early Learning at the Fred Rogers Center, was making his seventh visit to provide professional development for staff and foster parents. Filming his visit was Nicholas Ma, son of the internationally-acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, recipient of the first Fred Rogers Legacy Award at Saint Vincent College in 2015. Nicholas Ma is creating a documentary on Fred Rogers and chose to include Junlei’s work, which is based on the values reflected in the work of Fred Rogers, including the importance of simple interactions. As the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve celebrates its 10th anniversary, plans are underway thanks to the generous support of the Arnie’s Army Foundation in memory of our longtime friend, the late Arnold Palmer, and his family, to develop a nature preschool at the Reserve. We are honored to be the site of this pioneering work. I encourage you to read about the Reserve’s growth as well as the many other stories told within these pages. Please visit us as we welcome fans to the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp this summer. Also, make plans to come back for Homecoming, set for September 29-30. We look forward to seeing you! God bless, Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., President

ROGERS CENTER MOVES FRED’S VISION FORWARD Antigone Davis, head of global security for Facebook®, talks about what Facebook® does to make children safe online, and to help families and those in need. She is with Rick Fernandes, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center.

do with their entertainment, their food, their toys, their custody, their day or night care, their health care, their education—listen to the children, learn about them, learn from them. Think of the children first.” The Fred Rogers Center (FRC) at Saint Vincent College, recently hosted the Fred Forward Symposium, a new, smaller-scale convening, based on the Fred Forward conference series. Invited guests included the president and chief executive officer of the Coin Laundry Association, Brian Wallace; Ramón Murphy, president of the Bodega Association of the United States; Brad Montague, creator of Kid President; Dr. Shira Lee Katz, kids category manager at Netflix®; Dr. Alice Wilder, a consultant for Amazon® Kids Original Programming; and Antigone Davis, head of global security for Facebook®, among an eclectic list of attendees, speakers, and panelists from a variety of fields. Fred Forward evolved from the center’s mission to help “children grow as confident, competent and caring human beings.” The symposium “provides a forum to empower parents and engage families as positive media mentors, to share in developing and disseminating messages to improve outcomes for children and families, to encourage participants to take action within their respective organizations and explore the potential for new partnerships.”

By Kim Metzgar

hat do a bodega, a coin laundry, a pediatrician and Fred Rogers have in common? If readers are expecting a punch line, there is none. The answer is simple: The laundry, the doctor, the bodega—there are still more than 15,000 corner stores in New York City—are frequently visited by families. Fred Rogers was a frequent advocate for children and families. Fred Rogers, the childrens’ television host for nearly five decades, is best reflected in his own words: “Please think of the children first. If you ever have anything to

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communications, who helped Fernandes put together the symposium. She pointed to the symposium description to help define its objective: “When Fred Rogers founded his production company, he named it Family Communications, Inc., —Scott Curry of Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation because that’s what he wanted to create—healthy family communication. That goal is still essential today as we explore the fundamental question, ‘How do families live As Executive Director Rick Fernandes described the well with media and technology in ways that strengthen theory behind his unusual mix of speakers, it brought and enhance adult-child relationships?’” to mind the characters with whom Fred Rogers peopled In addition to reaching children and their families, his Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. They were characters Davis presented ways to protect them online, from the Rogers’ audience might encounter daily, from the speedy perspective of one of the most-used social media sites, delivery of Mr. McFeely, to the handyman, the mayor, a Facebook®. Her company is now working to provide the police officer, a pediatrician. tools to help families deal with issues such as bullying, “We all live in silos; everyone lives in a bubble,” Fersuicide and abuse. nandes said. “Fred said we need to talk to one another. “We are experts in building a platform but not necesWe don’t have to judge one another. We just need to be sarily at bullying, or other topics. We use experts to present, to listen and be honest. inform everything from our policies to our tools to devel“Many apps and items on the market today have the opment of our products,” she said. potential to support the development of children,” FerA parent portal shows parnandes said. “But the chalents ways to engage with their lenge is how do we reach “Bodega owners see the neighborhood children about online safety, families? As a center we have a change & continue to change > the and gives parents tools and whole archive full of speeches community needs. Who else does this information on how to use priand insights from Fred Rogers. in your community?” vacy settings. Many of the skills What did he say to us? How do —TEC Center @TEC_Center. parents use offline can be used families live well with media to parent online, Davis said. and technology in ways that Even though Facebook does not permit accounts for chilenhance adult-child relationships?” dren until they reach the age of 13, she advises parents So, Fernandes said, the bodega, or corner store, is not to engage their children earlier: “If parents develop diaabout convenience. It is about relationships, it’s about logue and those types of conversations earlier, it makes it families and trusting the store owner. The laundromat is much easier.” more than just a place to clean clothes. It’s a community David Bianculli, National Public Radio (NPR) guest host center. Many sponsor free laundry days before school and television critic, told the group that “you can’t make starts so that no parent has to send a child to school kids responsible for knowing what’s ‘good’ content on TV.” in dirty clothes, so that parents can afford more school David Kleeman, senior vice president of Dubit clothes. concurred, noting that “television is like a refrigerator. The relationships now extend to online communities, You can’t blame it if you eat only junk food.” to those who study parenting in academia, to those who “Every child needs a media mentor,” tweeted Greg offer advice via blogging. Bringing all of those people Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation. together, the people who provide ways to reach families, The long-term results of the symposium won’t be to reach one another, and having them share ideas and known for months, and maybe years to come, as tools on how to reach out to families, was what Rogers attendees dispersed like seeds scattered on the wind, left did, and is the legacy the FRC works to carry forward, to settle and germinate where they landed. said Karen Struble Myers, director of development and The diversity of Fred Forward’s outcomes can be seen in the early kernels developing from the conference, “‘Presence is more than being as attendees took to Twitter®, to their blogs, to their present.’ Works two ways—being keyboards to share thoughts and ideas, as some of the engaged when together, and finding accompanying quotes indicate. ways to connect when apart. “Words by themselves have little impact,” wrote Dr. #fredforward. @david kleeman.” Chip Donohue, dean of distance learning and continuing —David Kleeman, The TEC Center at Erikson Institute, and education, director of the TEC Center at Erikson Institute, FRC senior fellow. Fred Rogers Center senior fellow and advisor. “It’s the

“Arnie’s Army is at #FredForward connecting & learning how to make a better tomorrow.”

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Summer 2017

feeling behind the words that give them power, what cognitive processes underlie interactions between speakers and listeners, and how does it influence behavior.” “Before coming, I was intrigued by the eclectic group of speakers,” wrote Jinny Gudmundsen, editor, Tech With Kids Magazine. “After attending, I was impressed by how everything cleverly fit together to provide fresh perspectives from players not typically found in the children’s media space. Kudos to you, Rick, and [Dr.] Junlei [Li] for putting together such an exciting and thought-provoking conference.... I will be thinking about many of the topics discussed at the conference in the weeks to come.” Cooper Munroe, a blogger and marketer who runs the website themotherhood.com, retweeted children’s musical artist Laurie Berkner, who paraphrased Rogers: ‘Deep and simple is much more powerful than shallow and complex.’ “I’m going to be thinking about this quote all day,” Munroe wrote. “TY! What an experience this was!” “Honored to be at the @FredRogersCtr today!,” tweeted

Chris McKee, founder and chief executive officer of the marketing firm Flint and Steel presented a panel with Betty Cohen and Cooper Munroe from themotherhood. com, entitled Lessons Learned from Commercial Messaging. With a focus on the mom and dad angles of marketing, McKee presented thoughtful ideas, such as “when a couple has a baby, the parents are the real newborns.”

“@thebradmontague asking ‘How can I be a better grownup? Answer: spread your love, joy & creativity TY for sharing you with us. #FredForward.”

clear through the Fred Forward Symposium that we are strengthened, sustained and grow because of the support of our neighborhoods, wherever they may be. Thank you Rick Fernandes and the whole Fred Rogers Center team for including me. I’ll never forget your incredible symposium, the life experience of it and the invaluable lessons from the hearts and brains of the world-changing people there.” As the center staff digests the hours of presentations and panels, and begins looking for how best to disseminate the content so that it reaches the broadest audience, Myers posed a question to Fernandes: “The bicycle is built. Now what?” “Now we ride it,” he said. “Where do we go? What other partnerships do we form? The speakers were saying to us, ‘tell us what you want us to do.’ I said ‘let’s brainstorm to find ways to support us, to help families and relationships, to bring everything to the forefront’.” The resounding response: “I’m in.”

—Dr. Alice Wilder, Amazon Kids. Brad Montague, creator of the website kidpresident.com. “His work is as important today as it has ever been.” “Fred Rogers took complex messages and made them connect,” noted Hedda Sharapan, PNC Grow Up Great senior fellow, consultant, the Fred Rogers Company, adding that this was something Fernandes and Myers tried to do with the symposium. “Karen described my plan as ‘building a bicycle as you are riding it’,” Fernandes joked, stating that at first he was not quite sure of how the community of symposiumgoers he had assembled would react to the program format, which banned PowerPoint® presentations except for an opening slide, which included a picture of the presenter and his or her family. The personal touch, he said, made presenters talk directly to those attending, and “it worked better than I think I could have imagined.” By the end of the conference, he said, people were “hugging and crying, and the shuttle bus was there but people weren’t leaving.” A group detoured to the Fred Rogers statue in Pittsburgh to take photos with the city’s “neighbor,” and everyone, he said, was thinking of what was next, what they could contribute, each in his or her own way. “Thank you everyone at #FredForward!,” tweeted Scott Traylor, vice president, software, Wonder Workshop. “May you all be present and have presence. It was so Saint Vincent Magazine

“@ArniesArmyCF. I taught my son how to listen. Put a hand around your ear & one on your heart. Don’t do, just listen. #fredforward.” —Scott Curry of Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation

Summer 2017

Dr. Junlei Li is facilitating training and reflection for orphanage/rehabilitation staff and foster parents from the village as well as nearby towns. This is Dr. Li’s seventh visit in six years. Last year, the village put up a brass plaque bearing the name “St. Vincent College Fred Rogers Center Workshop” to commemorate the extended collaboration.

More Simple Interactions Dr. Junlei Li, the Rita McGinley Chair in Early Learning at the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent, and Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., president, were in China this May with a documentary film crew, led by Nicholas Ma (cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s son) and camerawoman Shana Hagan, who previously filmed “Survivor.” The crew was in China to film Dr. Li’s work on “Simple Interactions,” (see fall 2015 Saint Vincent Magazine, cover story). Dr. Li promotes the idea that healthy child development relies first and foremost on the human connection between children and adults. The message is simple: “As Fred Rogers believed, nothing compares to the significance of the human relationship for a child,” Li said. “What is most essential for children is the simple, ordinary human interactions.” Dr. Li uses technology to show the good things that are already happening in a rural foster care facility for orphans with disabilities outside the city of Qingdao. Instead of “teaching” the staff, he found many examples of caregivers who, despite a lack of education and training, naturally and genuinely connected with the children with love and affection—simple interactions.

Staff members and foster parents attend the learning sessions. Saint Vincent Magazine

Foster parents shared photos of past foster children with Brother Norman and Nicholas Ma’s documentary team.

Nicholas Ma and Shana Hagan. Summer 2017

McCarl Coverlet Collection Grows

spinning wheels featured in Joan Whittaker Cummer’s 1993 A Book of Spinning Wheels. “These new acquisitions will allow us to better educate our visitors in the process of textile production,” Curator Lauren Churilla, C’08, said. All of this makes for a very busy life for Churilla, who also teaches Pennsylvania History and Introduction to Public History while pursuing her Ph.D. in American Women’s History at Carnegie Mellon University. (Her prospectus research is on sexual assault and street harassment in the Progressive Era, the 1880s to 1930s). Churilla also has a master of arts in public history from Duquesne University. She does have some help, in the form of a grant-funded archivist, Bryan Colvin, who has a master of arts degree in public history from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is busy cataloguing the Hawthorne papers in proper archival format. The collections will also be made available for research and public access, and are being shown for the first time this summer in an exhibit featuring selections from the new collection. In addition to researchers, Churilla is excited for the variety of projects the gallery will have available for Saint Vincent students, from the humanities to computer science students—the Jacquard looms, which used punch cards, were a precursor to the modern-day computer. “The possibilities,” she said, “are endless. —Kim Metzgar

he coverlet collection at Saint Vincent’s Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery has grown to more than 700 woven coverlets. The gallery received coverlets collected by the late Clarita Anderson, author and noted expert. The gallery also received 301 coverlets from the American Textile History Museum of Lowell, Massachusetts, collected by Kay Hawthorne, who wrote numerous books on coverlets that the museum published. This more than doubles the gallery’s holdings from the initial collection contributed by Foster and Muriel McCarl. Along with the growth in its collection, the gallery has also received Hawthorne’s database as well as her papers. The Hawthorne database is the country’s largest and contains detailed records on more than 14,000 coverlets woven between 1830 and 1860 in the Middle Atlantic and Midwest United States. The database of 19th century Jacquard woven coverlets is now available at: mccarlgallery.stvincent.edu or via the gallery’s website: www.mccarlgallery.org. The collection includes an archive of information about weavers and slides of coverlets, correspondence, manuscripts, and other print material related to the database and to textile history. The McCarl Gallery will also receive more than 100 artifacts related to weaving and textile production. Several notable additions include a Jacquard loom head, an assortment of looms including two Pennsylvania Dutch style looms, the research collection of Rita Androsko and various

McCarl Coverlet Gallery Curator Lauren Churilla, C’08, examines a recent acquisition.

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The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestro Manfred Honeck, performed Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 at Saint Vincent Basilica on April 29. Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony rises from a hushed, mystical opening to a noble third movement and triumphant finale, and features some of the most ecstatic music that the composer has ever created. The evening’s concert began with a performance by the Saint Vincent College Singers of Bruckner’s sacred motet Locus Iste, conducted by Maestro Honeck. The concert was dedicated to the memory of Ambassador Dan Rooney, who died April 13, 2017. In the photo at top, right, Maestro Honeck welcomed Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers, along with Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.

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Dr. Ellen Wartella, chair of the department of communication studies in the school of communication at Northwestern University and the director of the Center on Media and Human Development, was recognized with the conferral of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Dr. Wartella was the commencement speaker at the 2017 graduation. Bestowing her honorary degree were, left, Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., chancellor and Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

“Come Back, Mister Rogers, Come Back”

“C

By Don Orlando

are about, support and advocate for children,” Dr. Ellen Wartella, an internationally-recognized children’s media expert, told more than 350 Saint Vincent graduates and their families at the May 13 commencement. “Coming here today led me to rethink the role of Fred Rogers as not just a children’s television personality, but even more, a strong advocate for children, a man who talked to children and adults honestly and directly, and who addressed children’s fears,” said Wartella, who was the inaugural PNC Grow Up Great Senior Fellow of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. “I strongly believe that if ever there was a time since Fred Rogers’ death in 2003 that we need Mister Rogers to come back it is now. The television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was a fixture in my household and almost certainly in your parent’s home. Mister Rogers with his comfy sweaters and slippers—and he began each show dressing in these—Mister Rogers was the neighbor of America’s children. He was warm, he was caring and he was informative. There is ample evidence of why that Fred Rogers’ love of children is needed now.”

Saint Vincent Magazine

Wartella noted that it is not hard to find evidence of the really horrific state of the world’s children. “Across the globe, nearly 50 million children have been uprooted with 28 million fleeing brutal conflicts as refugees. And even very young children are affected: 12 million children under age 8 have been displaced in the global refugee crisis—and that number is on the rise,” she said. “In 2015 alone, 98,000 unaccompanied or separated children applied for asylum status,” she said, referring to the refugee crisis in the world, in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Africa. “They’ve lost homes and loved ones and seen horrific acts of violence.” “It is estimated that nearly half—48 percent—of children in the world live in extreme poverty, which is defined as living on $1.90 a day. And children around the world are not getting the schooling they should: in 2013 alone, 59 million primary school-aged children were out of school, with more than half (33 million) living in sub-Saharan Africa. This has long-term effects on children’s lives and society,” she said. “In our own country,” she said, “one in five children live in poverty, compared to one in eight adults. That is 15.5 million impoverished American children. Twelve million U.S. children live in households that lack the means to get 12

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enough nutritious food on a regular basis. And one in every thirty children (2.5 million) is now homeless each year in America.” As a result of this, she said, “their educational attainment suffers: nearly 60 percent of all fourth and eighth grade U.S. public school students could not read or compute at grade level in 2013. And in 2014 it was estimated that more than 40 percent of U.S. children are entering kindergarten not proficient with basic literacy skills—and their chances of catching up are poor. “Now is the time to bring back the spirit of Mister Rogers,” she said. “What do we need? Child Trends, an organization dedicated to assessing the status of America’s children over time, recommends that for children to flourish and thrive, healthy children should demonstrate self-regulation or the ability to recognize and control their impulses, manage stress and emotion. It is important that young children are able to show attachment to adult parents or caregivers, to feel safe and trust the adults caring for them. Helping children learn as well is best when children are cognitively as well as emotionally engaged, when their interest and curiosity about the world is piqued. And finally, healthy children should be able to communicate to others their likes, preferences, emotions and needs and they need to attend to, listen to and respond to others’ communication. “What we have learned over the years is that children’s health and children’s cognitive growth are intimately tied to their social and emotional well-being—and wasn’t that the message of Mister Rogers? Taking care of children’s feelings, helping them to understand their fears, addressing their sense of personhood to help them understand themselves … these are all in the spirit of Fred Rogers,” she said. “While we cannot bring back Fred Rogers … what we can do—each and every one of us—is show compassion for, support for and caring about our children, the nation’s children and the world’s children. All of us need to take on the mantle of Mister Rogers—your graduation today from Saint Vincent College with its Rogers legacy ... is a perfect segue to your futures—as you become professionals, community leaders, parents, aunts and uncles, you can take with you not only the knowledge you’ve acquired here, but a commitment to the values of this school and its entwined history of Fred Rogers. “The mission of Saint Vincent is very much in this spirit and I quote ‘to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education for men and women to enable them to integrate their professional aims with the broader purpose of human life’,” she said. “All of us need to care about, support and advocate for children.” Wartella, chair of the department of communication studies in the school of communication at Northwestern University and the director of the Center on Media and Human Development, was also recognized with the conferral of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. More photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saintvincentcollege/

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Transition Program Brings Out The B.E.S.T. At School, Work, In Community The work day began like any other

By Kim Metzgar

Wednesday morning, with employees reporting to work and preparations for the arrival of the first customers. Emma Slezak’s face broke into a huge smile as she walked through the door at Haircraft, a Latrobe salon located along Route 982 near McChesneytown. She greeted owner Sandy Kisick, and gave high fives to stylists Julie Kaszycki and April Jamison before donning her black smock and getting right to folding towels fresh out of the dryer. Emma was hoping a customer might want her nails done or a hand massage later in the day. Top photo: Emma Slezak combs out a customer under the watchful eye of Haircraft owner Sandy Kisick. Slezak is one of five students in the inaugural class to complete her program of studies in the Bearcat B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence Through Skills Training) program at Saint Vincent. Middle photo: Mark Rullo, owner of My Fitness Kitchen; Bearcat B.E.S.T. student Nick Sciullo; Timothy Robbins, C’17, Sciullo’s job coach, and Chris Hibbs, a professional trainer at My Fitness Kitchen and one of Sciullo’s supervisors.Bottom photo: Bearcat B.E.S.T. student Christopher Stagon; Mike Riek, Eat’n Park manager, and junior Russell Clark, Stagon’s job coach. At top, middle: student Jared Welch supervises a play session at Kinder Schull in Latrobe. Top, right: Gary Hemminger, Latrobe Giant Eagle store manager, with Christopher Stagon and job coach Emily Frederick, C’17. For more photos visit: https://www.facebook.com/bearcatbest/ Saint Vincent Magazine

Summer 2017

Similar scenes played out at other local businesses. My Fitness Kitchen, located in the Latrobe 30 Plaza, was already a busy place. Chris Hibbs, a professional trainer, led a class. Nick Sciullo was following along with three patrons, always the first to go on to the next exercise and execute it perfectly. His job is to keep an eye on things, keep the fitness area organized and clean the equipment after each use, following a custom checklist developed with input from owner Mark Rullo. Just behind the dining room at Eat‘n Park along Route 30 in Latrobe, waitresses loaded trays with orders, bustled in and out of the kitchen area in precise coordination. Each exit with trays of food meant a re-entry with trays of dishes to be washed. Christopher Stagon pulled in stacks of coffee cups, silverware and dishes, rinsing dishes and glasses, and loading the dishwasher, keeping up with the workload. Later in the day he would join co-worker Zachary Dixon for their second job, just across the parking lot at Giant Eagle where the two young men manned the ends of the checkout aisles, carefully bagging frozen goods, canned goods and other items and placing them in customers’ carts. In the Kinder Schull on McKinley Avenue in downtown Latrobe, Jared Welch sat at a table, directing preschoolers in age-appropriate games under the watchful eye of prekindergarten teacher Angie Beukema. The group had just finished lunch, a lunch he helped set up and clean up. He had spent the morning at Christ the Divine Teacher School in Latrobe, helping perform similar tasks as a classroom aide. What makes this workday and these employees unique is that they have completed a program that is helping them transition, empowering them—as students with intellectual and developmental disabilities—to a greater level of Saint Vincent Magazine

functional independence; to take part in an integrated, competitive employment environment; to live in the most independent setting possible and to be able to advocate for themselves. Students in the Bearcat B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence Through Skills Training) program at Saint Vincent College, who are between ages 18 and 21, are also helping the students at Saint Vincent College. In addition to affording the collegians with employment opportunities via the workstudy program, B.E.S.T. also helps them recognize the unique struggles of persons with disabilities, in the form of young men and women who are their peers. Timothy Robbins, who graduated with a psychology/ theology dual major, was Sciullo’s job coach. Robbins also worked with Dr. Junlei Li, the Rita M. McGinley Chair of Early Learning and Children’s Media and professor of psychology and human development, and co-director of the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent. Li’s Incubator 143 and Simple Interactions programs focus on the human interactions that help serve children, much in the way of the late Fred Rogers. “It has been an eye-opening experience to see all Jared is able to do and all that he has learned in the program,” said Juli Cehula, a senior psychology major, as she kept a watchful eye on Welch at the Kinder Schull. “I want to do this (job coach) again.” Russell Clark, a junior communication major, supervised Dixon and Stagon at Eat‘n Park, while Emily Frederick, a recent psychology graduate, served as a job coach for the duo at Giant Eagle. “I love it,” said Frederick, who has been accepted to a doctoral program in clinical psychology at Immaculata University near Philadelphia upon graduation. “This has been my best experience as far as an internship. I have gotten to know the students on a more personal level, and I have been able to watch them grow.” Before coming to Saint Vincent, Amy Hildebrand, G17, was a Title I math teacher doing special education work with students with high incidence disabilities after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Now she is supervising the Bearcat B.E.S.T. students’ work experiences as well as serving as a teacher and classroom aide. “I thought it was an amazing idea to see what these kids can do after high school, and to enable them to go to school and work in a college environment,” Hildebrand said about her job. She drives each Bearcat to work and picks them up, and in between stops in to observe them 15

Summer 2017

earned a master of education in Special Education from and advise the job coaches, as well as to obtain input from the University of Pittsburgh, and a doctorate in education store owners and managers. in Special Education from West Virginia University, and Academically, the Bearcats, as they are fondly called, completed post-graduate work in Applied Behavior Analysis take courses in language arts, social skills, fitness, at Pennsylvania State University. He is a board-certified expository writing, and personal finance, and can also behavior analyst at the doctoral level and a licensed participate in clubs with their collegian peers. If a course behavior specialist in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, fits their abilities, they can take a college-level class, such as Young Adult Fiction, Children’s Literature, Introduction to in addition to being a certified brain injury specialist. “We keep finding more things for Emma to do,” said Sociology, What Would Fred Rogers Do? or The Science of Haircraft’s Kisick. “Everyone has been very receptive to Human Strength. First-year Bearcats begin a work practicum for four hours her,” something verified by the first customer of the day, who entered and gave Slezak a hug. a week in their second semester, working two hours a day She is at the point in her twice a week. Second-year job experience, said her job students serve internships coach Luanne Newhouse, three days a week for where she has learned to do three hours daily in various things without being told. departments on campus, such “Jared has adapted very as the College bookstore, with well,” said Eva Wood, site Saint Vincent Dining Services, director for Kinder Schull. “I and at other job sites while think he could easily obtain continuing in their academic a job in child care. He likes program. They are taught to have direction, and also by Philip Pisone, an alumnus to give direction. He is really of Seton Hill University, and good with the kids. It is going Leann Downs, G’12, who to be a little strange for us obtained a post-baccalaureate when he is gone.” teaching certificate from Saint Both owner Rullo and job Vincent in 2006, a year after coach Robbins note that graduating from the University Sciullo has grown in his of Pittsburgh, as well as by interpersonal skills. Hildebrand. Bearcat B.E.S.T. student Zachary Dixon receives “The customers love Third-year students focus a certificate of completion at Saint Vincent’s Nick. He interacts well with more on employment training, commencement ceremony. everyone,” Rullo said. “He has and by their final semester more challenges than many people, but he is just like them spend three days a week for six hours daily under the in that he wants to step forward to commit to do something supervision of their job coaches, in outside employment with his life. Everyone wants to have a purpose.” in preparation for life after completion of the B.E.S.T. “Chris and Zach do a great job,” said Eat’n Park manager program. The program is under the direction of Rev. Philip Kanfush, Mike Riek. “They learned their jobs very quickly and interact well with team members. We hope to show them O.S.B., Ed. D., C’96, S’99, S’00, associate professor of education, who teaches in the graduate and undergraduate other aspects of the work, such as helping weigh out food items, pre-portioning items.” programs at Saint Vincent College, including courses Giant Eagle manager Gary Hemminger said that although such as Inclusionary Education, Educating Students with it is the first time for his store, he knows his company Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Psychology and has worked with training programs similar to B.E.S.T. Education of the Exceptional Student and Methods of that assist students as they progress on their roads to Instruction and Assessment for Students with Significant vocational training. This first class of Bearcats completed and Multiple Disabilities, as well as Statistics. their externships this spring, and are ready to move into His career path as a Benedictine was changed forever in the working world. 1996 while in Seminary when his niece Hanna was born “Saint Vincent reached out to me regarding the program, with Trisomy 18, a genetic anomaly that was incompatible and the (B.E.S.T.) students are learning about customer with life. Had Hanna lived, she would have experienced service and enhancing their people skills,” Hemminger said. severe disabilities, though she would have been a “The people here, the customers, love it. I would definitely contemporary with the first class of Bearcats to complete the B.E.S.T. program. After ordination in 2001, Father Philip do it again.” Saint Vincent Magazine

Summer 2017

MS Has Changed Grad’s Life In Many Ways

Jenny M. Willis

iology major Jenny M. Willis, C’17, of Saltsburg describes herself as “a non-traditional, not typical student with a crazy background” who is passionate about her education and in overcoming challenges in her life. Willis, 39, who earned a bachelor of science degree in biology with a cellular and molecular concentration on May 13, graduated from Derry Area High School in 1996 and joined the military to see the world and become a Department of Defense linguist. “My first love is languages,” she said. “I have studied 15 languages and am fluent in several of them, particularly the Slavic languages. During service in Bosnia in 1999-2000, I was unfortunately exposed to some chemicals and eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which changed my life

forever. During the first five years, the MS caused me to accumulate neurological disabilities such as hearing and vision loss, numbness, weakness, partial paralysis, decreased walking ability and several other symptoms, so I was medically retired. The medications for MS did not help me, so I started learning about alternative therapies on my own. I spent ten years researching, recovering and healing before I decided to enroll at Saint Vincent and study biology and continue my research on the causes and cures of MS. “I knew that Saint Vincent could help me in my undergraduate research of MS to learn the science behind what takes place at the molecular level in the human body with disease and healing. I understood that it was the alternative therapies that were healing me,” she said. “My question was how were they healing me and whether alternative therapies could also help others with MS. I found out through my research that the answer is yes.” Today, she celebrates the fact that her MS has been in remission for more than ten years in response to nutrition, special foods, herbs and supplements. “I grew up dancing, so to lose my health was devastating. This is my seventh year teaching

Saint Vincent Magazine

dance; I teach ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, conditioning and hip-hop at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in Greensburg,” she said. “I also jog and do just about anything else physically I want to do. My quality of life has improved drastically.” “I have been impressed with the faculty and staff from the beginning,” she said. “They are all so helpful and enthusiastic about being here. The students are also motivated and enthusiastic about learning. The science program here is absolutely outstanding. The curriculum is so challenging. I feel that I have been given an exceptional quality of education. The professors are geniuses in their fields and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with them. My adviser is Dr. Bruce Bethke, and he has been great to work with, always willing to go out of his way to make sure his students are prepared and directed appropriately. ”There were many times during the experimental portion of my research project that we even came in during the weekends and on holidays to keep my experiment flowing smoothly. Sandy Quinlivan, associate dean of studies in academic affairs, has also been very supportive and helpful in smoothly providing academic accommodations whenever I needed them.” Her biggest challenge while a student has been “maintaining a status of good health with my MS and keeping a positive at17

titude while being a diligent student and doing all of the 50 million other things in life I do, like working, being a good mom, and running my kids all around to their activities. My son just got accepted to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School to train with them over the summer. How cool is that? “Because of some cognitive issues I deal with from the Multiple Sclerosis, I have had to re-learn how to learn,” she said. “This is challenging because I was always a straight-A student, top of the class, not only in high school, but even throughout my military career with all of the foreign languages I have studied and military training. Because of the MS, there is a lesion on my right temporal lobe that has caused cognitive issues with memory and processing of new information. I have overcome this and made new pathways in the brain to get all of this college information in there.” She has been named to the Dean’s List several times, and recently traveled with other students to a national conference in Memphis, where she presented her research entitled, “A Modified Ketogenic Diet Attenuates Motor Disability and Cognitive Impairment in a Murine Model of Multiple Sclerosis.” She plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania and pursue a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology and continue her research in MS. —Don Orlando

Summer 2017

WPNR staff members include, from left, Ashley Zolocsick, Katie Stallings, and Jenni Urban, environmental science majors and work study/interns; Allison Petris, environmental education coordinator; Angela Belli, WPNR director and Adam Ferguson, an environmental science major and work study/intern. Not pictured is Jean Keene, environmental education program assistant; Allison Cross and Dana Ricker, early childhood education majors; Sam Geer and Amy McNeill, environmental science majors.

WINNIE PALMER NATURE RESERVE TURNS 10 By Kim Metzgar

t seems like such a short time ago the big red barn was carefully dismantled,

removed from its foundation, and then moved just a short way down the road

and reconstructed at the soon-to-be Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve (WPNR) at Saint Vincent College. The bright red structure soon became the heart of more than 25.8 acres purchased by the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve Inc., and 25 acres loaned by the Benedictines for use as a natural area. Preserving the viewscape from Route 30 looking toward Saint Vincent had long been a dream of Winnie Palmer. She started the journey but did not live to see it come to fruition. After her death, family members and friends worked to fullfil her dream, incorporating on October 6, 2000, raising funds for Saint Vincent Magazine

land acquisition, and for a structure to use as an environmental education center. Fortunately the big red barn owned by the monks was nearby on the property. The barn was moved to its current location and reconstructed, using 99 percent of the original materials. Director Angela Belli had been staffing the environmental education program prior to the WPNR’s creation and had been instru18

mental in leading the development of the landscape and programming. “The program didn’t have a home,” she said. “We were operating out of the Boyer School. I was working as environmental education coordinator with the watershed project. I was hired by Mr. [Arnold] Palmer with the understanding that the land was to be dedicated for a nature reserve, but the plan was in its infancy. Planning really developed once the Summer 2017

barn became part of the landscape.” She spent many hours working with Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., to develop ideas on what would happen with the barn and what to do with the landscape. WPNR has grown to positively enhance the Saint Vincent academic community across the curriculum, as well as the local community, with involvement from many sectors, such as the Penn State Master Gardeners, scout troops, and trail users. A brief summary of activities, derived from annual reports, is one way to highlight the Reserve’s growth. Another is to follow the events in the anniversary year via wpnr.org. One of the highlights will be a butterfly release scheduled for August 12.

2007

Opening and dedication occurred on September 9 with more than 300 individuals attending, including Congressman John Murtha. Carrying on the environment as a theme in College activities, the fall Threshold Lecture that year was by Richad Louv, who wrote Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.

2008

Establishment of 1.5 miles of walking trails was a priority, as was development of a wide range of nature programming, from pre-k to adult, special events and a newsletter. Visitation averaged 100 persons a month to the learning center. An Eagle Scout constructed the observation deck.

2009

The children’s Nature Explore Area was developed by a number of Eagle Scouts. Plans forged ahead for native gardens. Staff members developed the still-popular early childhood program, Tiny Wonder Time. A group of volunteers from the local caving community mapped the trails, creating a map for public use, and hosted a lecture on bats.

2010

The Pond Discovery Area was created. The development of the new pond also included an outdoor nature classroom area. A pollinator program was started, as was a gift shop, website and a Nature Discovery Trail.

2011

A Colonial Garden was appropriately located next to the Lochry Blockhouse. Work enhanced the Monastic Garden Area and design was started on a trail intended to link the WPNR with the Fred Rogers Center. Native plants were planted in the upper field.

2012

Visitors to the Reserve were able to experience the wetlands area in a new way with creation of a boardwalk. A graduate student designed a habitat trek trail, and an AmeriCorps member was added to the staff. The Nature Explore Camp program underwent expansion and WPNR added a Facebook® page.

2013

Staff members continued research opportunities for undergraduate students in

Allison Petris, C’12, G’14; Christy Reed, C’11; and Kevin Eagan, C’09

WPNR Work Inspires Careers

s the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve (WPNR) at Saint Vincent College celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year, SV Magazine looks at some of the students who got their starts there and where they are now. Kevin Eagan, C’09, an environmental science major, was a docent, caretaker, programming assistant and educator in the wetlands area. With a minor in education, he “adored being able to teach children while also being outside in such an informal setting.” He has worked as an outdoor education instructor since graduating and is now at the Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh. Christina Reed, C’11, is teaching fifth grade at Shady Side Academy. She started at WPNR in the fall of 2007. “My time at WPNR solidified my love for teaching and nature,” she said. “It was an amazing place to grow as an educator with the support of Angela Belli and Beth Bollinger, and to reach out to our community with countless nature-based programs and activities. I loved every minute of it. I have used so many experiences and so much knowledge gained from my time at WPNR and SVC throughout my career.” Allison Petris, C’12, G’14, liked working at WPNR as both a student and an AmeriCorps member, and is now the environmental education coordinator. An elementary instruction major with a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, she said her college employment helped her to “really figure out what I wanted to do in my career. I am thrilled to be able to combine what I love and went to school for—teaching and working with kids, with my personal love for nature and the outdoors.” Luke E. D’Amico, C’14, an education major, spent three years at WPNR. Much of his time was spent working on programs such as Tiny Wonder Time and Nature Story Time. He now teaches at two different schools and is seeking a middle grade education certification to complement his current concentration in mathematics. He (Continued on page 20)

(Continued on page 20)

Saint Vincent Magazine

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WPNR TURNS 10 (Continued from page 19)

2014

noted more than 35 projects to enhance the grounds had been completed through the years, including five major native planting projects, six gardens and 10 areas for nature play, and to that date, seven undergraduate science research projects. Visitation increased to an average of 300 persons a month, with 20 different nature education recurring programs.

2015

Friendship Farms Native Plant Nursery and Bakery helped with a renovation of the pond area. New trail markers were installed. The WPNR staff added Twitter® and Instagram® accounts. Efforts to attract non-hu-

environmental science in addition to providing field experience hours for early childhood and elementary education unergraduate students. These students contribute widely to the programming at the barn. An Eco-platform was constructed in the children’s play area. A colorful informational kiosk on the wildflower garden was created and a scout developed a “nature putt putt” area near the Monastic Garden. A meditation labyrinth was developed and the trail map updated. The WPNR’s annual report

2016

Saint Vincent Magazine

man visitors saw the addition of two beehive apiaries and creation of an insect hotel near the Monastic Garden. The Reserve attained Nature Explore Certification.

2017

Already this year an undergraduate environmental science student, Brittany Garman, conducted research on nature meadow management on the lower tall grass field. Programming now includes a Nature Night Out for adults, and a Bunny Brunch with Stella the rabbit, one of the education animals in the barn. Future plans are underway for a Nature Preschool to be sited on the reserve property.

Careers

(Continued from page 19) has also started garden clubs at both schools. Anthony Sellitto, C’15, worked both as an intern, and as an AmeriCorps member conducting water sampling at the wetlands. He also conducted undergraduate environmental science research on meadow mice on the Reserve grounds. “My AmeriCorps position gave me the enjoyment and passion for doing work involving water and local waterways,” he said.

Summer 2017

Dr. Walker Retires After 27 Years

By Adam Reger

some of these specific disabilities might not have been something teachers had Dr. Susan Walker recalled attending a encountered in their training.” parent-teacher conference when her son She never left behind her desire to work was in middle school and was surprised with teachers and special-needs students. when several of his teachers approached Among her most lasting accomplishments and hugged her. is the establishment, with a Latrobe “It turns out I’d taught them at Saint social-studies teacher, Web Hill, in the Vincent,” she said. “I taught his high Saint Vincent College Teacher Enhanceschool principal, too.” Walker, who retired this spring after ment Institute, of a summer program that 27 years of teaching in the Psychologiran from 1989 until 2002, and that at one time brought more than 100 teachers of cal Sciences Department, has that effect science and mathematics to campus. on people. From former students who “We taught the thinking skills underlybenefited from her guidance in and out of the classroom, to younger colleagues who ing math and science processes,” Walker valued her mentorship early in their casaid. “We shared a lot of the things we taught and used in psychology and reers and College-wide leaders who have valued her shining example, Walker leaves behind a legion of education with those teachers in terms of applying those methods to teaching science and math. It was a wonderful fans and admirers. help to those teachers.” “She, to me, exemplified gentleness, thoughtfulness, wisOne of the most memorable episodes of Walker’s teachdom and intelligence,” said Father Vernon Holtz, O.S.B., associate professor in the department. “She modeled the quality ing career took her far from campus—to Qatar, in the Middle of responsiveness she was trying to teach her future teachEast, teaching two semesters of psychology on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus in Doha, in 2007. She rememers as they interacted with their students and colleagues. It was a quiet, impressive presence to the knowledgeable bers fondly the view into a very different culture, and the observer.” experience living and teaching in a foreign country. “Among the faculty, Dr. Walker is known as a woman of “Dr. Walker has been a great mentor,” said Dr. Mark grace and kindness,” said Dr. Mary Beth Spore, dean of the Rivardo. “She was instrumental in the development of my School of Social Sciences, Communication and Education. research skills. When I came back to Saint Vincent, she “She is a consensus builder, and is very widely respected by prepared me to take over the role of chairperson of the her colleagues and students.” institutional review board and otherwise helped me in the Walker’s area of focus was educational psychology, with transition from former student to faculty member.” a particular emphasis on special education. Among her “In addition to being a kind professor and wonderful colproudest accomplishments is the development of the course league, Sue Walker is also a total professional,” said De“Psychology and Education for Exceptional Students,” which partment Chair Dr. Chris Oldenburg. “She has been a joy to introduced the issues surrounding special-needs students to have in our department.” a generation of teachers. “I’ve just been delighted to teach here,” Walker said. Although Walker came to Saint Vincent in 1987 with her “I’ve been blessed to work with wonderful, dedicated, and doctorate, she credits her real-world experience in the talented faculty, administrators, and staff members. I’ve realm of special education as one of her greatest assets as a enjoyed the students immensely—they just have so many teacher and mentor. She worked for a number of years as a capabilities and so much promise.” school psychologist for a suburban school district, as well as Retirement won’t take her far from campus. “I’ve already with an intermediate unit helping ensure pre-school students been asked if I’ll teach on an adjunct basis,” she said, “and received individualized education plans. She assessed chilI’m going to be doing that.” She’s also working on a grant project with Student Affairs, which she anticipates will bring dren’s strengths and weaknesses, and helped teachers deher to campus frequently. velop curricula, find materials and prepare their classrooms Outside of her forays onto campus, Walker plans to keep for students with disabilities. busy spending time with her two granddaughters, traveling, “I was able to teach from a background of dealing with and looking for volunteer opportunities that will allow her to children with a great variety of types of disabilities,” Walker continue doing the kinds of work she has found so meaningsaid. “There was initially very little curricula in 1975 when I worked in the school district, and it was very difficult because ful and so satisfying.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Summer 2017

Background graphic: Bustriazo Ortiz’s signature. He signed his work with elaborate sketches, sometimes coded with the titles of future books.

POET’S SPIRIT LIVES ON IN TRANSLATION

From left: portrait of the poet Juan Carlos Bustriazo Ortiz; from left, Roman Antopolsky, husband of associate professor of

By Adam Reger

English Michelle Gil-Montero; Sergio DeMatteo, editor of the selected poems of Juan Carlos Bustriazo Ortiz; Gil-Montero and daughter Annika Antopolsky at the museum of poet Olga Orozco, a contemporary of Bustriazo Ortiz.

he poet walks down the street, his briefcase full of poems, greeting friends and neighbors. Although the poet, Juan Carlos Bustriazo Ortiz, passed away in 2010, for associate professor of English Michelle GilMontero, his spirit is alive in Santa Rosa, in Argentina’s remote La Pampa region. With the aid of a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant, Gil-Montero spent much of the spring 2017 semester in Argentina, translating the poet’s works into English and teaching a graduate-level course on translation and North American poetry at the Maestría de Escritura Creativa at the Universidad Tres de Febrero, the country’s only creative writing MFA program. Gil-Montero was drawn to Bustriazo Ortiz’s work by the “linguistic surprise and musical intensity” of his poetry. “Bustriazo Ortiz’s work is eccentric and profoundly unique,” Gil-Montero said. “It is not only ‘out of the mainstream’ but ‘out of nowhere,’ suggesting the uncharted margins of experience and language.” Bustriazo Ortiz often “mashes together” Spanish with dialects and names, such as those of local foods and plants specific to the remote La Pampa province in central Argentina that he called home. Gil-Montero’s translation of Bustriazo Ortiz’s collection Libro del Ghenpin will mark the first time any of Bustriazo Ortiz’s work has been available in English. Just as remarkable, Gil-Montero said, the book is one of only six titles—out of approximately 40 manuscripts written by the poet during his lifetime—to appear in his native Spanish. Saint Vincent Magazine

“I’ve become increasingly troubled, in the course of my research here, by how a work of such incredible magnitude and literary value could remain so marginal in Spanish, and utterly unknown in English,” said Gil-Montero. It’s a perspective that highlights the oftenunderappreciated role of the translator. In Gil-Montero’s case, much of her work in La Pampa involves going through the poet’s unpublished manuscripts, acting partly as editor. Translation also involves far more than finding simple equivalent phrases, said Gil-Montero, who has sought to enter Bustriazo Ortiz’s imagination and intellect by familiarizing herself with the world in which he lived. In December 2016, with the support of a Howard Foundation Grant, Gil-Montero traveled to Santa Rosa, taking part in a panel discussion and talking with experts on the poet’s work. That experience was crucial to translating his poems, said Gil-Montero. “Just visiting Santa Rosa, the city where he always lived—half of it incredibly lush, half of it desert—full of dust and wind and lighting storms with no rain, has taught me something,” said Gil-Montero. “He walked, he wrote in cafes, he stayed out late at night collaborating with musicians,” she added. “The people I’ve met have been eager to share anecdotes—like how he always covered his wine glass between sips so that the ‘spirit would not escape.’ I’ve learned so much about the spirit, the voice of his poems by visiting his town.” Gil-Montero has brought this broad perspective on translation to Saint Vincent College. In fall 2016 she offered an upper-level creative writing course focused on literary translation, exploring issues surrounding the art of translation and guiding students through their own semester-long translation projects. 22

Summer 2017

FATHER RENE KOLLAR EDITS NEW BOOK Father Rene M. Kollar, O.S.B., professor of history and dean of the School of Humanities and Fine Arts, has edited a new book, A Nun, a Convent and the German Occupation of Belgium: Mother Marie Georgine’s Diary of World War I, published by Pickwick Publications, Eugene, Oregon. “During a summer 2014 visit to the Imperial War Museum in London, I discovered, by accident, a typewritten copy of a diary written by an English nun, Mother Marie Georgine, who lived in the Belgium convent at Tildonk during the German occupation of the country during World War I,” Father Rene said. “After securing the necessary copyrights and researching the background of the author, I edited the diary and wrote the introduction. “Isoline Jones was born in 1876 in England, and attended the boarding school at Tildonk, Belgium, run by the Ursuline sisters,” he said. “She eventually converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism and made her perpetual vows in 1907 as a member of the Ursuline community. Her religious name was Mother Marie Georgine. In August 1914, German forces invaded Belgium and occupied her convent and school, and she recorded her impressions of the war years

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in a series of letters written in the form of a diary. The siege of Antwerp and destruction of Louvain, the plight of refugees, interaction with the German soldiers and the hectic daily life of the convent were recorded in this diary. Events occurring throughout Belgium did not escape her attention, and she did not avoid describing the brutality of war. “World War I has been recorded from many points of view—soldier, poet, correspondent and politician,” he said. “Comments from a nun living in a foreign country during the hostilities, however, can provide new insights and perspectives on this tragic event. Although sections of her diary have appeared in print, this is the first publication of Mother Georgine’s entire diary.” A member of the Saint Vincent College faculty since 1981, Father Rene holds a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Vincent College, a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary, a master of arts degree and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. Father Rene is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society of the United Kingdom, which advances scholarly studies of history. —Don Orlando

Summer 2017

DR. GEORGE LEINER RECEIVES BONIFACE WIMMER FACULTY AWARD

Dr. George H. Leiner, right, associate professor of philosophy, accepts the Boniface Wimmer Faculty Award from Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

r. George H. Leiner of Greensburg, associate professor of philosophy, was honored with the Boniface Wimmer Faculty Award at the spring honors convocation. The award recognizes a senior faculty member for sustained excellence. “Dr. Leiner shines most vibrantly when he is sharing his passion for philosophy with his students,” said Dr. John Smetanka, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean. “Students describe him as amazing, witty and constantly questioning them. His classes are most often described as outstanding and ‘one of my favorites, challenging on the brain.’ One student wrote, ‘I did not expect to enjoy philosophy—however, it was a pleasant surprise—it is one of my favorite courses ever.’ Another student wrote, ‘Dr. Leiner challenges us, but at the same time he will do anything it takes inside or outside the classroom to make sure we grasp the material.’ Finally, another student observed that ‘Dr. Leiner can pinpoint the most important passages in a text, getting right to the heart of the philosopher’s idea, and then he is equally good at expounding and clarifying those ideas.’” Saint Vincent Magazine

Leiner is an internationally-recognized authority on the work of Friedrich Nietzsche. He has been a long-time editor for the New Nietzsche Studies journal and has served as a member of the executive committee of the Nietzsche Society. Most recently he has been translating an important volume of Nietzsche’s writing into English for Stanford University Press. This entailed spending significant time working with Nietzsche’s archival materials in Weimar, Germany while on sabbatical, and subsequently. On campus, Leiner has numerous years of experience chairing the Philosophy Department, has directed the Center for Ethics in Community and has served on a variety of committees and task forces. He joined the faculty in 1989. He was awarded the Thoburn Award for Excellence in Teaching, and twice honored with the Student Government Association Faculty Award. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy as well as a master of arts degree from Purdue University, following receipt of a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Knox College. “I see [here] a rich arc of community,” Leiner said, “one that I have been enormously privileged to be a part of, and to which I have, I hope, in some small way made a contribution. There are many communities here: students, colleagues, both faculty and administrative, members of our monastic community, family, friends. “I think back over my life and my decades here at Saint Vincent and at the educational institutions I served before my life here at this college,” he said. “Each of these places shaped and formed me. “It has been a great privilege for me to make my career with a community of students who have faith in the possibility of a future,” he said. “Faith in a future in which they will not only live their personal lives in elevated creativity, but faith in a future in which they will help create communities in which others may live such lives of celebration as well. It has been a great privilege to spend my professional life with such an exemplary and supportive set of philosophers as I have found in my home department at Saint Vincent, and with my colleagues in the Nietzsche Society, here and abroad. I have been sustained by my compatriots and my dean in the humanities. By my collaborators across the college and disciplines. By my great friends among the Benedictines. And, of course my most intimate community, my family, Ginnie, my dearest companion, our daughters and grandchildren. Communities, all of a piece.” —Don Orlando

Summer 2017

Dr. Jessica Harvey accepts the Quentin Schaut Faculty Award from Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

Dr. Jessica Harvey Receives Quentin Schaut Faculty Award Dr. Jessica Harvey of Pittsburgh, assistant professor of communication, received the Quentin Schaut Faculty Award at the spring honors convocation. The award is named for Father Quentin, a professor of English and the seventh president of the college, and is given for contributions, leadership and achievements by

a junior faculty member to the curriculum and life of the college. “While only in her fifth year at Saint Vincent, Dr. Harvey has quickly become a leader within the faculty,” said Dr. John Smetanka, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean. “She initially advanced the work of the Fred Rogers Scholars, incorporating a service component to the program, and most recently was appointed chairperson of the Communication Department. “Students point to her ability to generate group discussions within the class, engaging and challenging each student by making relevant connections to real-life situations,” Smetanka said. “One student summed this up by saying, ‘the real-world applications in Dr. Harvey’s class made me a more critical consumer of media.’ Another student noted that ‘Dr. Harvey’s classes have opened my mind to what awaits me as a professional in communication. Her presentation is simultaneously engaging, introspective and scholarly.’ Finally, one student summed it up, ‘Dr. Harvey sets the bar for what a college professor should be’.” Harvey’s research explores a wide variety of relationship issues including the importance of non-verbal cues in relationships and in presidential campaigning and media literacy. Additionally, her work has investigated mediation in the parent-child relationship. She has a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Washington, a master of arts degree in communication from Arizona State University, and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Purdue University.

Octave Receives SGA Award Thomas Octave, assistant professor of music, was honored by the Student Government Association (SGA) with its annual Faculty Award at the spring honors convocation. Octave has earned degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University. As a conductor, he is frequently seen presenting a multitude of varied genres of music. He has also conducted numerous operas and musicals. Recently, his collaboration with the Theater Department of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s production of “A Year With Frog and Toad” earned a Kennedy Center nomination. He has collaborated with jazz legend Joe Negri in performances of “Mass of Hope,” The River City Brass Band, Highmark’s “The Caring Place” and renowned choreographer Maria Caruso. A champion of new music, Octave has premiered several major works by composer Nancy Galbraith, including her “O Magnum Mysterium,” “God of Justice,” “Novena” and “Lumen Christi.” Currently, Octave conducts the Saint Vincent College Saint Vincent Magazine

Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president, left, presents the SGA Faculty Award to Thomas Octave, assistant professor of music. Singers and teaches courses in voice, music appreciation and opera. He is also the musical consultant to the archabbot. 25

Summer 2017

AMBASSADOR DANIEL M. ROONEY: LIFELONG FRIEND

By Don Orlando

From top, Dan Rooney, with Art Rooney II and Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.; with Steeler Brett Keisel; with John Marous, Coach Chuck Noll and Father John Murtha, O.S.B., then College president; with his brother, Art Rooney, Jr., C’57.

aniel M. Rooney, chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a lifelong friend of Saint Vincent, died April 13 at age 84. Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., commented that “Dan Rooney, through his long association with the Steelers, will be remembered as a strong, successful leader and a good man, devoted to his family, to his parish church and to his many friends. We at Saint Vincent mourn his loss and are grateful for the many years of friendship.” Rooney was born July 20, 1932, a year before his father, Art “The Chief” Rooney Sr., purchased a National Football League (NFL) franchise then called the Pittsburgh Pirates for $2,500. He was the oldest of five sons—the others being Art Jr., C’57, Tom, Patrick and John—born to Art and Kathleen on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Young Dan recalled attending summer training camp as a small boy. He broke his nose “loafing with the players” and was forbidden by his mother from attending any more camp practices. But he was back a few weeks later and never really left. In 1940, Dan’s father re-named the team the Steelers and Dan began his odyssey to the top as the team’s water boy. As a student at North Catholic High School, where he played quarterback, he worked all summer on the Steelers practice field to get it into shape. Dan turned down a college scholarship offer from Saint Vincent to stay home and attend Duquesne since he wanted to remain close to his girlfriend, Patricia Regan, whom he had met at a North Side corner drugstore where she worked scooping ice cream. They were married in 1950. In 1952, Dan and Patricia had the first of their nine children, Art II, now Steelers president and a member of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors. Dan graduated from Duquesne with a degree in accounting in 1955. That year, he joined the Steelers full time and, after working in every area of the organization, was named Steelers president in 1975. In August of 1966, Dan and his father arrived in Latrobe with the team for their first summer training camp at Saint Vincent, continuing a close friendship Art, Sr., established with the Benedictine community in the early 1900s, and a successful tradition that would last more than 50 years. A private pilot, Rooney frequently flew to the Westmoreland County Airport (now Arnold Palmer Regional Airport), just across U.S. Route 30 from campus. He attended virtually every practice session for many years, interrupted only for a few years when President Barack Obama asked him to serve as Ambassador to Ireland. At Saint Vincent, he was always on the field, shaking hands with players and talking with fans. Thanks to Rooney, every summer, tens of thousands of fans flock to Saint Vincent for the annual summer camp which creates an increase in business for a host of restaurants and service outlets throughout Westmoreland County. For the three weeks of camp, Saint Vincent houses players in Rooney Hall, named for Art Sr., and the players practice on Chuck Noll Field, named for the legendary head coach. On May 8, 1999, Dan was honored by Saint Vincent with the conferral of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at the annual spring commencement ceremony. His son, Art II, was the commencement speaker that day. “By his

Saint Vincent Magazine

Summer 2017

Cover of Saint Vincent Magazine, 1999, after receiving an honorary doctorate; signing autographs; with Art Jr. and Art II. strong commitment to family, church, community and education, his professionalism and sportsmanship, and his humanitarian efforts here and abroad, Dan Rooney personifies all that we stand for at this Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college,” said Father Martin R. Bartel, O.S.B., then-president of Saint Vincent College. “His very presence evokes feelings of integrity, honesty, trust and credibility. It is our privilege to recognize Dan Rooney’s life and career accomplishments and his impeccable character in a world and arena devoid of suitable role models.” In 2003, after Dan and the extended Rooney family returned from a 2,000-mile re-creation of the route taken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark some 200 years ago, a special audiovisual presentation personally narrated by Dan was presented to students, faculty and guests at Saint Vincent. Dan, a self-professed history buff, said he was inspired to organize the trip after reading Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West. He said that he hadn’t realized, prior to reading that book, that Pittsburgh had played such a big role in Lewis starting the trip. “The main boat was built here in Pittsburgh,” he told the Associated Press. “It kind of got me more interested in the whole subject.” The Rooneys flew to Fort Benton, Montana, and spent three weeks canoeing along the Missouri River, backpacking, horseback riding and camping on their way to Oregon’s Pacific coast. Guiding the Rooneys were the daughter and son-in-law of author Stephen Ambrose, who wrote the book that inspired Rooney. Throughout his career, Dan was a central figure in the NFL. He was a member of several NFL committees including the board of directors for the NFL Trust Fund, NFL Films and the Scheduling Committee. Additionally, he was appointed chairman of the Expansion Committee which considered new franchise locations and directed the additions of Seattle and Tampa Bay as expansion teams in 1976. In 1976 he was also named chairman of the Negotiating Committee and in 1982 contributed to the negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement for the NFL and the Players’ Association. He again played a key role in the labor agreement reached between NFL owners and players in Saint Vincent Magazine

1993. Rooney was a member of the Management Council Executive Committee, the Hall of Fame Committee and the NFL Properties Executive Committee. Among his community activities, Rooney was a board member of the United Way of America, the American Ireland Fund, the American Diabetes Association, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Rooney was recognized by the prestigious Maxwell Football Club in Philadelphia with the presentation of the Francis “Reds” Bagnell Award for contributions to football. Rooney was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and, in response to a congratulatory note from Saint Vincent College President Jim Will, commented, “I was very pleased to be in the class of 2000 with excellent athletes who are wonderful men and their wives, children and families. It was truly a time to celebrate and thank God for all He has given us.” Archabbot Douglas commented on his induction with congratulations and warmest wishes. “Since you and your family are such very special friends of Saint Vincent, we are proud to join with all of those who applaud you for this well-deserved recognition,” Archabbot Douglas said. “This occasion also gives us an opportunity to thank you for all you have done for Saint Vincent, both personally and professionally, to improve our campus grounds and facilities and to make Saint Vincent widely known throughout the region and far beyond. It is an honor for us to be able to open our home to you each summer.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was quoted in the news media, calling Rooney “one of the finest men in the history of our game, whose dedication to the game, to the players and the coaches, to his beloved Pittsburgh and to Steelers fans everywhere was unparalleled.” On April 29, a concert in Saint Vincent Basilica by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was performed “in memory of The Honorable Dan Rooney, United States ambassador to Ireland, chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.” A Mass honoring Rooney is planned for the opening day of training camp, July 30 in the Basilica. 27

Summer 2017

JOHN F. DONAHUE REMEMBERED

ohn F. Donahue, father of College Board Chairman J. Christopher Donahue, died on May 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. With the Saint Vincent Community, I offer heartfelt condolences with prayers to Rhodora, Jack’s beloved wife of seventy years, and to the Donahue Family, trusting that our love will lighten the burden of their sorrow and deepen their gratitude for the gift of this wonderful man’s presence in their lives. Jack Donahue attended Saint Raphael’s Elementary School and Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh before his acceptance to West Point Military Academy. After his graduation from West Point, he served as a B-29 bomber pilot flying airlifts to Berlin after World War II. In 1950, he completed his service in the Strategic Air Command and returned to Pittsburgh. Jack and Rhodora Jacab were married at Saint Bede Church on December 26, 1946. He began selling mutual funds to support what would become a lively family with thirteen children. Jack believed that he could offer professional money management to everyday working people. In 1955, with Richard Fisher and Thomas Donnelly, fellow graduates of Central Catholic High School,

he founded Federated Investors, which by the 1980’s became the second-largest mutual fund company in the country. Jack Donahue was a man of strong, practical Catholic faith. After filming a video to mark the 50th anniversary of Federated Investors, he talked informally about the influence of faith in his life: “It’s what the Bible teaches you. If you believe your goal in life is to get to heaven, then anything you do in life needs to take you to that goal.” His son, Chris, Chief Executive Officer of Federated Investors, said this about his father: “Dad was very generous, and would always say yes to just about anyone, especially those who had ideas to improve Catholic education.” Chris also recalls his father often saying, “In the end, I have to face God. I’d rather do that having done what I believed to be the right things, no matter what.” As part of their golden wedding celebration, Jack put together some “thoughts” which he wanted to share with family: Thoughts for a Lifetime. Here are a few of these thoughts which were certainly guiding principles of his own life: Seek Heaven as your primary goal in life. Seek to know the will of God. Pray so that you keep your faith. Receive the Eucharist as often as possible. Love one another. These wisdom principles are symbols of the lifegiving legacy Jack Donahue gives not only to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but to all of us who seek to live a more meaningful life of faith. Jack, dear friend, may you enjoy the gift of Communion in everlasting divine love with God and with all the angels and saints of heaven. Amen.

• Seek Heaven as your primary goal in life. • Seek to know the will of God. • Pray so that you keep your faith. • Receive the Eucharist as often as possible. • Love one another.

Saint Vincent Magazine

—Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. 28

Winter 2017

Spring Sports Roundup

women's basketball From left, Patrick McElfish, Ramon Milke, T.J. Kuny, Bobby Finn.

baseball

This year’s baseball team finished with a conference record of 8-13, 14-21 overall. Junior pitcher/first baseman Greg Martin led the team in home runs, with six, while a number of players who appeared in 20 or more games had batting averages above .295, including junior pitcher and first baseman Patrick McElfish, .426; freshman outfielder and pitcher Ramon Milke, .393; senior infielder/outfielder T.J. Kuny, .336; sophomore first baseman/pitcher Bobby Finn, .314; Martin, .300 and junior outfielder Eddie Kilkeary, .296. Freshman pitcher Jimmy Malone finished with a 5-3 record and 3.62 earned run average. With only eight seniors on the 37-man roster, the team will return an experienced roster that includes 15 freshmen and seven sophomores for 2018.

women's softball

A pair of one-run losses eliminated the Saint Vincent College softball team from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament. The defending champion Bearcat team, which won four one-run games last year en route to the PAC Tournament title, dropped a pair of 2-1 games on the opening day of the tournament this year. The loss concluded the Bearcats’ season with an 18-16 overall record. The Bearcat senior class put together a 93-56 career record. Senior pitcher Samantha Emert finished her four-year run with a 53-28 career record and a 1.45 earned run average. Emert was named to the PAC All-Tournament Team. The team placed six studentathletes on the 2017 Presidents’ Athletic Conference All-Conference Softball teams. Junior first baseman Shelby Noel, Emert and junior designated player Emily Duerr all were named First-Team selections. Senior third baseman Kelsey Lineberger, sophomore catcher Kelsey Hunter and sophomore Mackenzie Gostomski earned Second Team recognition.

The defending National Champion Thomas More College ended the Bearcat women’s basketball team’s season in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championship game, 6653. The Bearcats finished the season with a record of 18-10, while Thomas More lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament, finishing at 28-1. Three members of the team were named All-PAC performers. Seniors Jasmine Weems received Second-Team accolades, while Susie Ellis and Mara Benvenuti were tabbed with Honorable Mention honors. The All-PAC Teams and award winners are selected by a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches. Weems earned her first all-conference honor by leading the Bearcats in points per game (13.0), made field goals (125) and made three-pointers (51). Weems pulled down a career-high 137 rebounds this season and ranked second in the PAC in assists (104). Weems was also the team leader in From top to steals with 52 defensive swipes. bottom: Mara Ellis was listed as an All-PAC Honorable MenBenvenuti, tion selection for the second straight season. Susie Ellis, The All-PAC recognition was the third straight Jasmine for Benvenuti, who garnered enough votes Weems. despite playing in just eight games this season before suffering a season-ending injury.

women's golf The Bearcat women’s golf team finished second, with the lowest four-round total in school history, in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship. The tournament featured two rounds in the fall and two in the spring. Meg Birmingham and Samm Firestone earned All-PAC First-Team honors. Birmingham shot a team-best 87 in the final round to finish third overall with a score of 351. Firestone finished fifth overall (353), including an 89 in the final round. Meg Liz Loftus of Saint Vincent earned All-PAC Birmingham Honorable Mention honors, finishing 11th and Samm overall. The women’s team finished with Firestone. more tournament wins in school history and the college’s best finish in the PAC championship.

From top, Samantha Emert, Shelby Noel, Emily Duerr.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2017

men's GOLF The Saint Vincent men’s golf team finished in third place in the closely contested Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship. Ben Biss and Nate Yackovich earned All-PAC First-Team honors. Brendan Shaughnessy earned All-PAC Honorable Mention by finishing 15th overall. Left, Ben Biss; right, Nate Yackovich.

CROSS COUNTRY Both the Saint Vincent men’s and women’s cross country teams were selected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as All-Academic Teams. For a team to be considered for this distinction, it must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum team grade point average (GPA) of 3.10 on a 4.0 scale. The Saint Vincent women’s team, under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Wanichko, compiled a 3.49 Team GPA. Meanwhile, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion men’s team, under the guidance of head coach Dr. Andrew Herr, tallied a 3.47 team GPA. Individually, junior Alex Krieger was awarded an individual academic award. In order to be named USTFCCA All-Academic, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) and finish in the top-25 percent at their respective regional event.

From left, Anthony Hogeback, Michael Grus, Alex Mueser, Trevor Hough.

men's lacrosse Advancing to the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference championship game for the second time in three seasons, the men’s lacrosse team suffered a 12-1 defeat to top seeded Transylvania University, closing out the season with a 9-9 record. Four team members were listed on the All-Conference Teams. Sophomores Anthony Hogeback and Michael Grus received All-ORLC Second-Team honors. Sophomore Alex Mueser was an Honorable Mention selection and junior Trevor Hough was named to the All-ORLC Sportsmanship Team. Hogeback broke the single-season assist record with 40 assists, the most among ORLC players. Hogeback also chipped in 14 goals to total a team-high 54 points. Grus earned All-Conference honors for the second straight season.

men's and women's track The Saint Vincent men’s and women’s track teams competed in the two-day Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships, earning a pair of victories on the men’s side. Laurence Jaross was the winner of the 800-meter run, with a time of 1:53.23, a new meet record. Brandan Moretton was the winner of the 1500, in 4:07.38. Jessica Brinker was the lone women’s medalist, finishing third in the 3000 Steeplechase, timed in 12:16.54. Two school records were established by Kathryn Straatmann, the 200 dash, with a time of 29.55, and Rachel Glatt, the 800, timed in 2:23.38, good for fifth overall. For the men, in the 1500, Moretton was closely followed across the wire by teammate Eli Urban, who captured second with a time of 4:08.12. Jimmy Farnan captured third place in the 3000 Steeplechase, with a time of 10:02.70.

men's tennis

From top, Jonathan Prichard, Jon Oskin.

Sophomore Jonathan Prichard earned his second straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Player of the Year award, helping guide the Bearcats to a third-place finish in the team standings. Jon Oskin capped a terrific freshman season, winning the PAC Championship at second singles. Saint Vincent was third in the race for the team title. The team was voted as the top for the PAC’s Team Sportsmanship Award. Former women’s tennis coach Jim Bendel filled in on coaching duties after the untimely passing of Coach Enrico Camp midseason.

Saint Vincent Magazine

From top, Laurence Jaross, Brandan Moretton and Jessica Brinker.

Winter 2017

women's lacrosse

From left, Xander Emili, Alex Bolen, Matt Tashima, Jacob Davis. From top, Marla Turk, Maddie Bartrug and Kelly Kramer.

SWIMMING

The men’s swimming team finished third overall in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) at the annual threeday long championships. The women’s swimming team also finished third. The team had 15 student-athletes selected as all-league performers by the PAC. First-Team selections included senior Xander Emili, junior Alex Bolen and junior Matt Tashima and sophomore Jacob Davis. Second-Team selections were senior Kyle Garase, junior Adam Gordish, junior Kameron Faychak and freshman Andrew Rectenwald. On the women’s side, senior Marla Turk, as well as sophomore Maddie Bartrug and junior Kelly Kramer were picked as FirstTeam selections.

The Saint Vincent women’s lacrosse team was defeated by a 15-8 score by top seed Washington & Jefferson College in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference Championship game. Saint Vincent finished the year with a 12-5 overall record. The 12 wins repreMaggie Nelson. sents the second most wins in program history. Junior midfielder Maggie Nelson was voted Ohio River Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year. Nelson was a First-Team All-ORLC selection, and was joined by seniors Hannah Carroll (attack) and Emma Weaver (defender). Sophomore goalkeeper Maria Franey was named to the ORLC Sportsmanship Team.

men's basketball The men’s basketball team finished at 21-7, 15-3 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, dropping the PAC championship game to rival Thomas More 79-68 and ending a four-year run as the best in the conference. The home loss also snapped a 14-game home tournament winning streak. Three players were named to the All-PAC team, including junior forward Tom Kromka, who was named to the First Team. Two Second-Team selections were senior forward Austin Ford and junior guard Matt D’Amico. The team looks to have a strong season in 2017-2018, as Ford is the only senior.

Basketball team members, at right, from top to bottom: Tom Kromka, Austin Ford and Matt D’Amico.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2017

+ ENRICO CAMPI: “LEARN IT, LIVE IT, LOVE IT.” Mountain Organization of the Year Award, United States Professional Enrico Campi, C’84, men’s varsity Tennis Association (USPTA) Coach of tennis coach for 33 years, died the Year, Middle States Tennis Service unexpectedly at his home on Friday, Award and the USPTA National March 31, in the middle of the spring Industry Action Committee Award for season, just two days after the team Teaching Service. had won its third straight match. He volunteered for the annual “I remember our last practice Bearcat Open and for the mid-winter together. The team didn’t have a tennis classic at the Greensburg particularly good practice, shots were Racquet Club, and was a member of missing, we were frustrated,” said the Saint Vincent Alumni Association Alex DeLuca, a sophomore business and the Saint Vincent Heritage management major. “When practice Society. ended, Enrico still had a big smile “Enrico was a longtime member of on his face, and gave us the same the Saint Vincent community,” said knuckle-touch he always would, and Father Myron Kirsch, O.S.B., athletic said his classic line ‘learn it, live it, director. “He touched the lives of so love it.’ No matter what, we knew many of our athletes for more than Enrico believed in us and in the three decades and his dedication and game, and that helped us every step service to both Saint Vincent and the Enrico Campi of the way.” sport of tennis was unmatched.” Campi was a top player on the Saint “I played for Coach Campi for all four years of my Vincent team and after graduating with a major in history college career here at Saint Vincent and his passing was he stepped right into coaching the men’s team. He also one of the most difficult moments of my life, and made coached the women’s team from 1985 to 1992. He was this season especially difficult,” said Scott Reichard, C’17, inducted into the Saint Vincent Athletic Hall of Fame in a computing and information science major. “He was a 2015. He was a member and past president of the United good man, who cared a lot about his family, his friends, States Tennis Association’s Allegheny Mountain Chapter his team and players, about Saint Vincent, about tennis and a manager of tennis, head teaching professional and in general, about his faith, and about enjoying life and all national tennis referee at the Greensburg Racquet Club. it has to offer. He always told us to take advantage of the Campi was honored with the Volvo Tennis Coaches opportunities that came our way, on or off the court.” Collegiate Community Service Award in 1988, as well Born September 30, 1960, in Charleroi, he was a son as the Westmoreland County Community College of Silvia Pace Campi and the late Dr. Philip Campi. In Outstanding Student Alumni Award, the Allegheny By Kim Metzgar

Front, from left, the 2016 team: Leo Wilson, Pat McGee, Tyler Brinton, Jonathan Prichard, Zach Fox, Brian Niemiec. Back, from left, Scott Reichard, Alex DeLuca, Dalton Yezovich, Ryan Hartz, Jon Oskin, Alec Spangler, Coach Enrico Campi. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2017

addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of 30 years, Molly; and daughter, Cassandra, of Greensburg; a sister, Caterina (Dr. Brian) Kavanagh, of Greenwich, Connecticut; brother-in-law, Michael Wesner (Kelly), of Medina, Ohio; nephews, Brendan Kavanagh, Jack, Joe and Jim Wesner; and niece, Christina Kavanagh; father and mother-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. John Wesner of Greensburg; along with special cousins and friends whom he always considered as family. “He always reminded us to enjoy life,” said DeLuca, that “tennis isn’t everything. The Campi family at the newly Improved Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King Sometimes you have to step National Tennis Center, ready to watch the U.S. Open tournament in Flushing, New York. back, look around and enjoy things while you can.” personality very well,” Reichard said. “While in Florida for Campi’s zest for life with family and friends included spring break, he literally wore a different Hawaiian shirt his love of poolside grilling, swimming, playing pinball, every day of the week. He also really loved frisbee. Even fly-fishing, skiing, tennis, golf, music, boating and going if he was tossing the frisbee up into the wind and playing to the beach. catch by himself, he just had the time of his life with it. I “His Hawaiian shirts and tie-dye shirts fit his feel like life was just so relaxed and simple for him, and I often greatly envy that quality he had.” Campi gave support anonymously to families who couldn’t afford food for their tables, and supported students who couldn’t afford tuition. His faith, his family, his students and tennis teams were all important to him. He described his daughter Cassandra as “the joy of his life,” but was also concerned about helping young people to achieve their potential, and with teaching them how to win and how to lose with graciousness and integrity. In a final tribute to him, at the conclusion of this year’s season, the Saint Vincent team was chosen to receive the President Athletic Conference’s Team Sportsmanship Award. To honor Coach Campi, Saint Vincent College has established the ENRICO CAMPI SCHOLARSHIP FUND to help students with financial need. Gifts will enable Saint Vincent to continue his legacy for future generations. To contribute, contact David Hollenbaugh in the Office of Institutional Advancement, 724-805-2590 or david. Enrico Campi with tennis greats Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith. hollenbaugh@stvincent.edu. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2017

Jeff Zidek, C’90, Named Women’s Bowling Coach By Kathryn Klawinski

involvement with Steelers’ training camp, but once winter rolled around, Brother Pat was all about bowling,” he said. For the first time since the early 1980s, Saint Vincent ColBowling for recreation and bowling in competition are both lege will have a bowling team. For the first time ever, the similar and different. Bowling is classified as an individual college will have a women’s bowling team, competing in sport by the NCAA, but it involves the whole team. Matches the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a are a mix of “traditional” and “Baker” games. Traditional varsity sport. Though it has been nearly 40 years since the games use five bowlers on a team, and each bowls a regular last bowling team existed, Saint Vincent’s history of bowling 10-frame game, with the highest cumulative scoring team is strong. The men’s team won the National Association of winning. In Baker games, five bowlers are selected. Bowler Intercollegiate Athletics’ (NAIA) Championship in 1978—and is still the reigning champion. Bowling was discontinued after #1 throws the first frame, #2 throws the second, and so on, that year as a sponsored sport. When it was brought back to with #1 throwing again in the sixth frame. Matches between two colleges might consist of the NAIA in 2010, bowling was two traditional games foland remains designated as an “emerging sport,” meaning no lowed by a best-of-seven in championship. The last team to Baker games, and tournawin was the 1978 Bearcats. ments mix both. For any That team was coached by game, five bowlers start and Brother Patrick Lacey, others can be substituted in. O.S.B. The late Brother “I have been a bowler Pat was well-known in his all of my life, and I’ve role as fire chief and his been pushing for us to unofficial role as groundsstart a team for about To make a gift to support athletics, visit five years now,” said keeper for the Steelers, but https://ssl.charityweb.net/stvincent/. Zidek. “I am very thankful he was equally proud of his Drop-down menu allows donors to choose for the chance to bring it role as bowling coach. He between general all into reality. With around was head of the sheet metal athletics or a specific sport. 50 high schools in Western and plumbing shop and served Pennsylvania now offering bowling, as the fire chief from 1963 until it just made sense for us. I’m in the right place at the right his retirement in 2001. He was bowling coach from 1970 time.” to 1981. In 1973 and 1978 he was named NAIA National The bowling team decision coincided with the end of this District Coach of the Year. He was honored in 1998 by the past high school bowling season. Despite the late start, Bearcat Athletic Club with a special award in recognition of he landed his top recruits. “We will not be a traditional, many years of outstanding service to the Saint Vincent and struggling first-year team. We have four incoming freshmen area communities. and can fill out the roster with upperclassmen who have The bowling team played on the lanes at Saint Vincent. experience. We expect about nine bowlers on the initial Though they no longer exist, some of the wood was roster.” repurposed and is still around today. The three benches This inaugural team will begin practice in October, with outside the dining hall were made from the lanes. Another the first match occurring in the first weekend of November piece hangs with pins (see next page) in the Facilities in Buffalo, hosted by Medaille College. The first home match Management Office workshop as a tribute to Brother Pat. will be in mid-November at Hillview Lanes in Greensburg Jeff Zidek, C’90, the new women’s bowling coach, has against Pennsylvania State University at Behrend. Other been sports information director since 2003. Zidek has scheduling highlights include a possible head-to-head match worked in sports media since 1987. He started working in with Duquesne University; matches at home, in Ohio, New the Communication Department in 1995 and moved to the York, and Kentucky; and a final match called the Brother Athletic Department in 2003. Patrick Lacey Memorial, with teams from Thiel College and His Saint Vincent ties are deep, but his bowling ties are Thomas More College. It is hoped that in the future more as well. When he was a student, the bowling days had already ended; however, Zidek bowled with Brother Pat on a schools will become involved in the Lacey Memorial. The Saint Vincent legacy of bowling is already strong. team sponsored by Saint Vincent Parish. Zidek remembers Zidek and the upcoming Bearcat bowlers hope to be as suchearing all about the team that Brother Pat had coached. “He really loved the sport. People knew him from his cessful as their predecessors. They will be a team to follow. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2017

ALUMNI & FRIENDS Saint Vincent has had many successful athNational letic teams, but none as successful as the bowling team, coached by the late Champions men’s Brother Patrick Lacey, O.S.B. It remains the only team in school history to capture a national championship. The image above is from a newspaper or magazine clipping, and the text was cut off, providing only two names, Jim Petrosky and Doug Pohland, C’80. We can say that the championship match was held at the King Louie East Bowling Lanes, Kansas City, Missouri. Can anyone identify all of the team members and provide a clue as to what publication this image came from? Email svmagazine@email.stvincent.edu.

Coming Soon! June 23

Pittsburgh Area Alumni Lunch, Vallozzi’s

June 24

Alumni Night at the Benedum, The Little Mermaid

July 15

Alumni Night at the Benedum, In The Heights

July 28

Indiana Alumni Lunch, Benjamin’s

August 5

Alumni Night at the Riverhounds Alumni Council Meeting

August 18

Pittsburgh Area Alumni Lunch, Vallozzi’s

August 21

Alumni Night at PNC Park, Dodgers vs. Pirates

September 29 and 30 Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend

Local Alumni Bearcat Lunch Noon, Fridays, July 14, August 11, Metten Room

Greensburg Area Alumni Lunch

Noon, Tuesdays, July 18, August 15 Giannilli’s II, Greensburg

ALUMNI OFFICE • 300 FRASER PURCHASE ROAD • LATROBE • PA • 15650-2690 • 724-805-2568 • ALUMNI@STVINCENT.EDU

Dr. Shawn Beaman Honors Speaker Dr. Shawn T. Beaman, C’98, the chief anesthesiologist at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told members of the senior class and their families and friends that “your faith will support all of your future endeavors particularly when you inevitably face future challenges academically, professionally and personally” at the annual spring honors convocation. He spoke of three lifelong benefits of the education they’ve worked so hard to earn. “These particular benefits transcend the academic,” he said. “They are principals that have gently permeated your learning here at Saint Vincent College in subtle

ways. These aspects of your education are in no way accidental, in fact, they’ve been intentionally woven into your curriculum. They are a clear benefit of attending this Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college.” “The first is that of service,” Beaman said. “Since the minute you arrived on campus as freshmen, you have been surrounded by a community of service to one another. A culture of service envelops Saint Vincent. I challenge you to bring the rich culture of service here with you to your next destination after graduation and further into your eventual career. “Secondly, over your time here, you have been subtly immersed into an environment of hard work and discipline,” he

Judge Zadziko Speaks On Mercy

Dr. Shawn T. Beaman, C’98, and Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., president. said. “Ora et labora is espoused by the Rule of Saint Benedict. It is hard work and discipline that founded Saint Vincent, allowed you to succeed to commencement and that will support your success for the rest of your careers. “Finally, the opportunity each of you have had to witness true faith here is capable of supporting you for a lifetime,” he said. “Many of you have come to a greater understanding of your Catholic beliefs while here studying and living in this impressively faith-filled

Alumna Curtin Earns Fellowship

The Honorable Raymond J. Zadzilko, C’69, chief administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration, spoke in the spring series on aging and spirituality presented by the School of Social Sciences, Communication and Education on campus. His talk was entitled “Mercy Triumphs over Judgment.” Zadzilko earned a bachelor of arts degree in history. He earned a master of arts degree in modern European history from Clark University and a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. A member of the advisory committee for the Saint Vincent College School of Humanities and Fine Arts, he previously worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs and as an assistant district attorney for Cambria County. In addition to his work as administrative law judge, he is also a senior reader for the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners. Saint Vincent Magazine

community. Others have grown in your own faith other than Catholicism by living in a community that celebrates these beliefs and the inherent goodness in all religions. The simple faith in the goodness of others and the love and friendship they can offer is present around every corner at Saint Vincent. “I challenge you to go forth relying upon all that you’ve gained from Saint Vincent including the powerful education you received in service, hard work and discipline and faith,” he concluded.

Kathrine E. Curtin, C’17, of Latrobe, who earned a bachelor of science degree with high honor in chemistry, has been selected to receive a 2017 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship. 36

There were more than 13,000 applicants. Curtin will be attending West Virginia University to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. She will conduct research that will be funded by the NSF Graduate Research Program Fellowship. She hopes to obtain a post-doctoral fellowship. As a career, she would like to work in academia where she can teach and conduct research. Summer 2017

Bill Isler Receives PBS, Steeltown Awards Bill Isler, C’68, recently received the PBS “Be more” Award. PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger presented the “Be more” Award at the PBS Annual Meeting in San Diego. This annual tribute celebrates individuals who embody the spirit of helping all Americans to discover more, to experience more and to “Be more.” The award’s previous recipients are Ken Burns,

Bill has left an indelible mark on public media and enhanced the lives of countless families. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of young children, dedicating his career to their educational and emotional development. I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize this steadfast champion for all of America’s children.” Isler worked with Fred Rogers and served as president and CEO of The Fred Rogers Company from 1987 until his retirement in 2016. Under his leadership, The Fred Rogers Company produced three PBS KIDS hit series: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + CAT and Odd Squad, which have garnered 17 Daytime Emmy awards to date. He also recently received the Steeltown Legacy Award. The Steeltown Entertainment Project

Joan Ganz Cooney, Rebecca Eaton, Jim Lehrer, Bill Moyers, Fred Rogers, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gwen Ifill, Alberto Ibargüen, Miles O’Brien and David Fanning. “Bill embodies the spirit of the ‘Be more’ award,” Kerger said. “Through his work in early education and outstanding leadership of The Fred Rogers Company,

Reiter Receives President’s Award Peter S. Reiter, C’17, of Hagerstown, Maryland, a computing and information science and management major, was named the 43rd annual winner of the President’s Award, Saint Vincent’s highest student honor. The award is given to the member of the graduating class who best embodies outstanding academic achievement, student leadership and community service. “For his careful study of leadership and organizational theory, particularly Benedictine, and for his practice as

a two-term president of Student Government in a calm, quiet and reassuring manner in solving problems and setting goals; for his academic engagement as a computer science major and faithful singer in the college chorus; for his personal balance between faith and reason; for all of his efforts to create an authentic Catholic, Benedictine college, it is my honor as president of Saint Vincent College to confer upon Peter S. Reiter the President’s Award,” said Brother Norman Hipps, president. Reiter is now working for HM Health Solutions, Pittsburgh, as part of the company’s Emerging Leaders Program.

Saint Vincent Magazine

strengthens industry connections, educates youths, discovers talent and pioneers innovative models to support production in Pittsburgh. Isler began his career as a teacher and administrator, then joined the Pennsylvania Department of Education, where he served as Commissioner of Basic Education and Senior Program Advisor for Early Childhood Education. He served 16 years as a board member for Pittsburgh Public Schools, including five as board president. He was the first executive director of The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. He is active in the community, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.

Accounting Graduate A Top Scorer Rebekah R. Musho, C’16, of Latrobe, who earned a bachelor of science degree with highest honors in corporate finance and accounting, was among the top 15 scorers whose combined scores on all four sections of the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Exam were the highest of all Pennsylvania exam takers last year, according to an announcement by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Musho, who received scholarships in 2015 from the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Southwestern Chapter of the PICPA, is employed full-time at Michael T. Blissman, CPA and Company, LLC, Latrobe. Musho was inducted into Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and received the Saint Vincent College Academic Excellence Award in Finance and was a Dean’s List student. 37

Summer 2017

Saint Vincent Prep Alumni Honored Ten alumni of the former Saint Vincent Preparatory School were honored during Prep Alumni Reunion Weekend recently. Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president, welcomed attendees. ALUMNUS OF DISTINCTION DOUGLAS W. HEINRICHS, M.D. P’68, Ellicott City, Maryland, is a selfemployed psychiatrist in general psychiatry and psychopharmacology. He was formerly active in psychiatric research in schizophrenia. His current scholarly interest is the interface of psychiatry and philosophy. He earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology and philosophy with highest honor and a doctor of medicine degree from Georgetown University. He completed his residency in psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati. He also completed a National Institute of Mental Health research fellowship at the University of Maryland. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Life Fellow of the Maryland Psychiatric Society, a charter member of the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and a member and executive council of the Association for the Advancement of

Philosophy and Psychiatry. He is the author or co-author of numerous articles which have been published in professional journals. LARRY F. MYERS, P’56, C’60, Leesburg, Virginia, earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Saint Vincent and a master of business administration degree from The Ohio State University. He also completed the executive program of professional management education at the University of North Carolina. He began his career at RCA Corporation where he worked for nine years before joining General Cable Corporation, Fairchild Industries Inc. and MITRE Corporation where he was chief financial officer from 1987 to 1999. Since 2003, he has been chairman of the audit committee and a member of the board of directors of Verient Systems, Inc. A former member of the Saint Vincent Alumni Council, he is a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican in Leesburg, Virginia. He is a former member of the financial and stewardship committees at Saint Francis de Sales Parish. JOHN F. VARGO, P’65, Oakdale, California, is retired after a career as a nurse anesthetist, most recently with the Turlock Anesthesia

Saint Vincent Magazine

Group in Turlock, California. He attended Saint Vincent College for a year before earning an associate of arts degree in nursing from Los Angeles Pierce College and a diploma as a certified respiratory nurse anesthetist from Westmoreland/ Latrobe Hospital School of Anesthesia, now Excela Health/Saint Vincent. He is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He is the recipient of a Bronze Star with Combat V for service with the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He is a member of Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church in Oakdale, California, where he is the parish organist. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Stockton and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. FATHER ERIC VOGT, O.S.B., P’68, C’73, S’76, Saint Vincent Archabbey, received a bachelor of arts degree in history from the College and a master of divinity degree from the Seminary. He entered the Benedictine monastic community in 1970 and was ordained a priest in 1979. He has 38

served in a variety of positions prior to his appointment as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, St. Marys, in 2002. He was a member of the Jeannette Juvenile Commission (1980-82), board of directors of Miners Hospital, Spangler (198688), the school board of Bishop Carroll High School, Ebensburg (2001-02) and has been chaplain for various Knights of Columbus chapters since 1982. Father Eric has also been an official for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association in basketball, softball and baseball (1988-present), and an umpire for the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball (1987-present). As head baseball coach for Elk County Catholic, he has more than 100 career coaching wins and led the Class-A team to four district championships. HALL OF FAME AWARDS LEO E. EHRENSBERGER, P’61, C’65, St. Marys, earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He served in the Peace Corps after he graduated. He is now retired after a 30-year career as an accountant and controller in the carbon industry. He served as a board member and treasurer on the St. Marys Water Authority for more than 30 years, volunteered Summer 2017

at the Christian Food Bank, served as a board member on the St. Marys Economic Development Council and as a board member of the St. Marys Country Club. He is a member of Queen of the World Parish in St. Marys where he is a volunteer member of the bereavement committee and a former Eucharistic minister, member of the parish council and member of the parent teacher organization. His hobbies include golf, hunting, fishing, bowling, volunteering and spending time with his family and grandchildren. DAVID FLEDDERMAN, P’67, C’72, Madison, Alabama, continued his studies in philosophy in preparation for the priesthood. He entered Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1969 as Brother Scott and left a year later to continue liberal arts studies while serving as athletic trainer for college sports and working as an electrician apprentice. After graduation, he became a management intern for the U.S. Army. His 37-year career took him to assignments in Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Seoul, Stuttgart and Alabama. He retired from federal service in 2008 but returned to work for the past six years as an Army support contractor as a facilities planner/analyst at SigmaTech, Inc. at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville.

He is a member of Saint John the Baptist Church in Madison, Alabama, where he has served as lector, cantor, usher, Eucharistic minister, parish council member and school board president. He is also a 4th degree Knight of Columbus. He is a supporter of the Benedictine monks and faculty at Saint Bernard Prep School in Cullman, Alabama. JAMES F. KARG, P’47, Naples, Florida, earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Kent State University. He worked in the family business, Karg Corporation, an industrial braiding machinery manufacturer, where he completed the development of 36 patents including a large package wire carrier for use on braiding machines in the United States, Europe and Japan. The company is now managed by his son, Michael, C’84. He was active as a scoutmaster, was named Business Executive of the Year in 1992, served on 12 nonprofit boards, the Northern Ohio District Export Council and the Ohio Export Assistance Network. JOHN P. OWENS, P’68, C’73, McKean, earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. He completed certification as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and as an associate in claims (AIC). He has

Saint Vincent Magazine

more than 45 years’ experience as an executive general adjuster and currently works for York Risk Services Group/York SLA. He has also taught risk management at Gannon University, served as a certified instructor for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and was named Insurance Person of the Year in Erie County in 1999. A past member of Saint Vincent Alumni Council, he is a member of Presque Isle Chapter CPCU, Presque Isle Kayak Safety Crew and was soccer coach for recreational, club and high school teams. He is a member of Saint Francis Xavier Parish, McKean. CHARLES W. PETERS, P’65, C’69, Gaithersburg, Maryland, earned a bachelor of arts degree in history. While at Saint Vincent, he was active in varsity soccer, the Letterman Club and the Student Government Association. He worked for the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department from 1971 to 1990 and worked in real estate as an agent and appraiser from 1990 to 1994. From 1994 to 2009 he was a commissioner of the District Court of Maryland and 39

from 2000 to 2009 he was the administrative commissioner of the court in Montgomery County for the State District Court. He has been retired since 2009. DAVID A. STITELER, P’59, Clinton Township, Michigan, earned a bachelor of science degree in computer science from Troy State University and a master of arts degree in management and supervision from Central Michigan University. He has more than 30 years of information systems experience and is a senior consultant with Stiteler and Associates. While in the Air Force for 21 years, he was a computer superintendent and computer analyst with the Data Systems Design Center and the Pacific Command Intelligence Center, retiring as a master sergeant. He previously held a management position with the Maccomb County Information Technology Department. He was an adjunct faculty member at Wayne State University and Macomb County Community College. He is a member of Saint Thecla Catholic Church, and serves as a member and chairman of the parish council, of the Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School advisory board and as a representative to the Central Macomb Vicariate of the Diocese of Detroit. Summer 2017

Class News

vice to leadership in education. He is a faculty member at Ferris State University.

Atty. Paul T. Patricoski, C’77, is

George A. Janik, C’71, retired after 43 years at Greensburg Central Catholic High School. He retired with 42 years as the boys’ golf coach, 665 wins, five WPIAL titles and 17 Sectionals. He now coaches the girls’ golf team, which has one section title, one second place finish in the PIAA tournament, and one first place finish in the WPIAL. He enjoys helping with his granddaughter, Nora Slough, who is the daughter of Brigid Janik Slough, C’09, and her husband, Daniel J. Slough, C 06.

pleased to announce that his dad, Thomas S. Patricoski, M.D. C’59, has decided to hang up his stethoscope after 10 years of volunteer service at the Senior Friendship Center Medical Clinic in Venice, Florida. He also filled in periodically at the Center of Hope and Resurrection House. He had previously retired, 10 years ago, from his medical practice in the Chicago area and now resides in Nokomis, Florida, with mom, Marie. They will celebrate 64 years of marriage this October. Paul represented Saint Vincent College at the Inauguration of Dr. David J. Livingston as 10th President of Lewis University at Lewis University, Romeoville, Illlinois, on April 7.

Dr. Matthew A. Kasprenski, C’53,

William J. Bowles, P’59, on Oc-

on March 27.

tober 29.

on January 10.

Dr. Thomas Edward Leonhardt, C’53, on June 26.

Peter J. Fioresi, C’59, March 6.

Philip F. Stebler, Jr., P’46, on

Ralph A. Litzinger, C’53, on May

January 2, 2016.

1960s Ronald K. Blase, C’62, represented Saint Vincent College at the Inauguration of Eric F. Spina as nineteenth president of the University of Dayton on April 4.

William T. McGee II, C’68, was inducted into the Nevada High School Hall of Fame by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association on March 14. Michael D. Ryan, Ph.D., C’69, was awarded the James M. Davenport Memorial Award from the National Council of Higher Education for his dedicated ser-

Deaths M. Bowman Shipley, Jr., P’40,

1970s

February 26.

18, 2015.

Joseph Wohar, C’49, on

John G. Beyer, C’54, S’58, on

February 15.

October 17.

Frank L. Ceraso, D.M.D., C’50,

Robert Kay, C’56, on December

on January 27.

Paul J. Donohoe, P’51, on February 17.

Harry J. Guerrieri, P’48, C’52,

30.

Robert J. Loncharich, P’52, C’56, on April 21.

Thomas H. Loughran, C’56, on

on June 12, 2015.

March 29.

James J. Seabol, P’51, on

Rev. Karl J. Roesch, O.S.B., C’56,

November 8.

Frederick J. Brown, C’52, on April 22.

Robert L. Chauvaux, C’52, on

John T. Toczek, C’59, on

Joseph “Joe” Prah, C’71, on April 11, 2014.

James R. Shoemaker, C’71, on September 22.

John J. Lapina, C’72, on March 12.

January 12.

John R. Gibbons, C’73, on

James J. Schmitt, P’61, on Janu-

March 20.

ary 24.

Joseph Paul Giusti, H’76, on

Francis Xavier “Tim” Downey, C’60, on March 31.

January 30.

Enrico P. Campi, C’84, on

on December 29.

Dr. Omiro G. Karalis, C’86, on

James E. Popp, C’62, on

November 14.

Rev. Donald C. Fisher, C’57, S’61, on February 25.

December 5.

John K. Elder, C’89, on February

Michael D. Robbins, C’63, on

William R. Kosglow, C’57, in

March 6.

Andrew E. Kneeshaw, C’89, on

on March 7.

Joseph A. Gyan, C’52, on

James Regis Smolko, C57, on

November 1.

March 28.

Richard Foust, P68, February, 2010.

March 31.

January.

Leo J. Penatzer, P’46, C’52, on

Paul D. McGinley, C’59, on

William “Bill” Albert Moses, Ph.D., C’67, H 88 on February 10.

Donald W. Branthoover, C’61,

April 3.

March 24.

Francis C. Golier, P’54, C’59, on

Atty. Gino F. Peluso, C’77, has received the Dr. John E. Murray, Jr. Meritorious Service Award, from the Duquesne University School of Law. This award is named in honor of Murray, who was Duquesne University’s 11th president from 1988 through 2001. Murray brought a tradition of service to Duquesne and led the university during a period of sustained growth

March 19.

Dr. Albert N. Skomra, C’58, on February 25.

Charles G. Pauli, Jr., C’64, on

July 29, 2015.

December 16.

Dennis G. Durmis, C90, on Feb-

Rev. James L. Popochock, C’64, S’68, on March 14.

ruary 12.

Thomas M. Monaghan, C’66, on

Brian R. Minick, on April 21.

April 1.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Charles Kostors, H’15, on April 4.

Summer 2017

and progress. This honor is very special for Attorney Peluso in that he previously served as a member of the School of Law’s Advisory Board, when it was under the leadership of Dr. Murray. Attorney Peluso has been a practicing attorney for more than 35 years, including nine years as a prosecutor in the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office. He presently serves as president of the Saint Vincent Law Society, and has the distinction of being the organization’s longest-tenured president. Peluso is also the first Saint Vincent graduate to be elected and serve as president of the Duquesne Law Alumni Association. Educated in Catholic schools his entire academic career, Peluso was a three-year letterman on the tennis team.

1980s Louis J. Didio, C’84, reports that his first grandchild is on the way!

Atty. Richard A. Marhefka, C’89, was named partner at the firm of Rothman Gordon, P.C., Pittsburgh.

Condolences Edward R. McFadden, Jr., M.D., C’58, H’07, on the loss of his wife, Elizabeth, on March 8.

James F. C’60, H’94, and Mary

2000s Andrea Ferraco Redinger, C’01, received the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh Keivin Burns Award, recognizing her excellence in the teaching of science. She teaches biology at Greensburg Salem High School.

Richard Marhefka, C’89

1990s

Justin Wiley, C’09, to Alissa DeJovine. The couple will marry on September 30.

represented Saint Vincent College at the Inauguration of Dr. Elizabeth L. Paul as the 16th president of Capital University on April 21.

Stephen Dobransky, C’90, principal, was praised in a Butler Eagle article on February 6 when he jumped into action after one of his students was hit by a motor vehicle while crossing a street a half a mile from the school. He went to the scene, and rode in the ambulance, kept parents updated, and stayed with the student until the student’s parents arrived.

the loss of their mother-in-law, and grandmother, respectively, Mary Kuzar, on March 1.

Deanna Klick, C’11, to Gregory

Aaron Wilkinson, C’14 to Maggie Garvey, C’14. He proposed

Stein. They will marry October 28, at Saint Gertrude Parish, Vandergrift.

at the Lincoln Memorial on February 4. The couple plans a June 2018 wedding.

Emily Hritz, C’14, to Andrew Pozik. They will marry on April 21, 2018.

Birth

Rev. Dominic J. Petroy, O.S.B., C’79, S’87, on the loss of his

John A. Kopay, C’70, on the

on the loss of his father, James Gyurke, on February 9.

Donald A. Orlando, C’72, and Trina Orlando Brooks, C 06, on

philosophy from The Catholic University of America, defending a dissertation entitled “Logic and Intentionality According to Hervaeus Natalis.”

Jamie A. Caridi, Ph.D., C’96,

sister-in-law, Arlene J. Petroy on March 30.

Mark Ceraso, P’73 , on the loss of his father, Frank L. Ceraso, D.M.D., C’50, on January 27.

Matthew K. Minerd, Ph.D., C’06, received a doctorate in

Engagements

Ellen Will, on the loss of his sister, Catherine Ann Will, on March 9.

loss of his mother, Margaret, on March 20, and brother, Christopher, on March 4.

2010s

James S. Gyurke, Ph.D., C’82,

Amanda Eaglehouse Kubasky, C’08, on the loss of her grandfather, John E. Kowalski Jr., on February 11.

Annie Rifilato, C’17, and Adam Burgh, C’17, met freshman year

Alexander B. Schwartz, C’16,

Nolan Kendall Francis to Kristin Blahovec Francis, C’08, and her husband, Tyler, on January 7.

on the loss of his brother on March 24.

Saint Vincent Magazine

and got engaged on February 4 in Sebastian’s Garden. A summer 2019 wedding is planned in Johnstown.

Summer 2017

Marriages Luke A. Latimer, C’98, and Laura Dively on December 31 at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.

William J. Goetz, C’07, and Karley Amber Hughes on August 6.

Michael John Hauser, C’10, and Bobbi-Lynn Brooks, C’13, on July 2, 2016, at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.

Ariel H. Byers, C’11, and Kaleb J. Cypher, C’12, on August 20. Alumni in the wedding party were Daniel Cox, C’12; Ted

Sarneso, C’12; Rebecca Cronauer, C’11; Hayley Marks, C’11 and Brandy Shanahan, C’11. Sarah Catherine Wesolowski, C’12, and Joseph Timothy Anderson, C’12, on November

Michael Neal, C’04, and Nicole Dado were married on October 1 at Epiphany Catholic Church in Pittsburgh. The couple resides in Washington, DC. Breann R. Dumpert, C06, and Matthew P. Lamp, on November 19 at Saint Thomas Catholic Church, Bedford.

Frank Ritter, C’06, and Elizabeth Horvat on December 16 at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.

5 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica with Father Stephen Concordia, O.S.B., officiating.

Gloria Terese Bullock, C’13, and Nicholas Michael Higgins, C’13, on July 30, 2016, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica with Father Nathan Munsch, O.S.B. as celebrant.

David Tiberi, C’13, and Cara Dunn on July 16, 2016, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica with

Shannon Ballantyne, C’09, and Douglas Becker, on May 28, 2016, at Saint John Baptist de la Salla in Shilington. Ashley

Whipkey Robinson, C’09, G’11, was the matron of honor. In the group picture are Clara Miller

Kosanovich, C’09; Mollie Stock Cali, C’09; Renee Ayoub, C’09; Shannon Ballantyne Becker, C’09; Ashley Whipkey Robinson, C’09; Sarah Varga Burchell, C’08; Jenny Tatone Borbonus, C’09; Sean Kosanovich, C’09; Dr. Robert J. Depasquale, C’75 and Matthew Robinson, C’09.

Monsignor Michael W. Matusak, P67, S’75 officiating.

Chris Payne, C’11, and Angelica de Rosa were married on SepJennifer Hendrick, C’09, G’13, and Edward Rowan on July 23, 2016 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica with Father Philip M.

Kanfush, O.S.B., C’96, S’99, S’00, presiding. Jacob M. Hendrick, C’13, G’16 and Karly A. Kunkle, G’11, were in the wedding party.

Saint Vincent Magazine

tember 3 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. Father Francis de Rosa presided along with concelebrant, Father Michael Antonacci, C’07, S’14. Alumni in attendance included Jeff Williams, C’11; Dave

Melesky, C’10; Chris Payne, C’11; Ron Wood, C’11; Selleca (Bennett) Huhn, C’11; Kelly McNulty, C’11; and Phil Wirdzek, C’74, not pictured.

Volunteer! 42

Volunteer to help our Alumni Recruitment Network spread the word about Saint Vincent in your area. For information call 724-805-2568 or email: alumni@stvincent.edu.

Summer 2017

IN HIS OWN WORDS

CHARLES WOLENTER, C’71:

Classroom Challenges Paid Off In Professional Career

ow well I The impact of Dick remember Guskiewicz has carried with me throughout my entire that day in class. life. The education, both in Professor Richard and out of the classroom, Guskiewicz gave us that I received has served me well. One way for me to a test in Intermediate say “thanks’ is to recognize Accounting, but for the worth of his presence some reason, the by establishing a scholarship in his name. secretary who typed Not only did Dick make the test questions, an impression on my life, skipped two lines of but I am proud to relay that Charles Wolenter, C’71, has established the Richard information; and, two of my daughters, NataB. Guskiewicz Scholarship in honor of the professor who lie, C’00, and Melanie, C’06, of course, no one taught him so much. are also graduates. was able to get the Funding the scholarship questions correct. Dick was puzzled as to will take me several years, but by utilizing funds from my IRA, I will reach the $25,000 level within four years. ‘why’ no one was able to understand the Creatively utilizing this distribution, and adjusting my will, questions until he discovered the missing Saint Vincent is guaranteed the creation of this scholarlines. ship in the name of a professor who meant so much to He returned our test at the next class and told us about the missing information on the questions. Then, he explained that with a series of logical assumptions, we could take the incomplete questions and solve the problems. While we sat there dumbfounded, I was thinking that someday I would like to be that good! I discovered throughout my career that it was common to have to work with incomplete or inaccurate information and that logical assumptions were often the only way to solve a problem. Dick (and it took many years for me to call him something other than Mr. Guskiewicz) challenged me during my four years at Saint Vincent. He was a tough teacher who would not let you take the easy path on homework assignments, questions in class or tests. Like others, I didn’t realize how valuable those challenges were until many years later as I pursued my professional career.

me and others during our formative years. While the initial funding of this scholarship will be a starting point, I would like to invite anyone else whom Dick made an impact on during their time at the college to join me in this tribute by adding to the scholarship fund. In the spirit of the Benedictine tradition of challenging students to achieve to the best of their ability, I am honored to establish the Richard B. Guskiewicz Scholarship as a lasting tribute to him and his lifetime role of helping others to be successful individuals out of the ‘raw material” of college students. —Charles Wolenter, C’71 For information on contributing to this scholarship please contact Jim Bendel, james. bendel@stvincent.edu, 724-805-2948.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE, MAKE A FUTURE Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement 724-805-2949 www.stvincent.edu/studentsfirst

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