Saint Vincent Magazine Winter 2013 by Saint Vincent College

SAINT VINCENT M A G A Z I N E Winter 2013

Biodiesel ‘Cool’ Project For Chemistry Major

Upcoming Campus

Events

Martin Luther King Day January 21, Msgr. Raymond East, Office of Black Catholics, Archdiocese of Washington

Concert Series, The New Trio January 26, 8 p.m., Robert S. Carey Center

50th Anniversary, Saint Vincent Fire January 28, honoring firefighters

Saint Vincent Seminary Mardi Gras February 9: 6 p.m. For tickets, visit: http://www.stvincentstore.com

Concert Series, Asteria, Tenor and Lute February 23, 8 p.m., Robert S. Carey Center

Threshold Series, Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J., Vatican Observatory March 11, 7:30 p.m., Robert S. Carey Center

Feast of the Passing of Saint Benedict March 21, Bishop Lawrence Persico, Basilica

Concert Series, Tempesta di Mare, Baroque Chamber Ensemble March 23, 8 p.m., Robert S. Carey Center

Francis Cardinal Arinze, 50th Anniversary Reflection on Vatican II April 17-18

Concert Series, Veit Hertenstein, Viola April 20, 8 p.m., Robert S. Carey Center

Honors Convocation and Undergraduate Research Conference April 24, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saint Vincent Seminary Commencement May 10

Saint Vincent College Commencement May 11

Prep Reunion May 31-June 2

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.stvincent.edu

Olivia Sharkey, C13

International Travel Provides Learning, Service Experience

sincere desire to serve others launched senior theology major Olivia Sharkey into worldwide learning and service experiences in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Taiwan during her college career. Sharkey made her first mission trip to Guatemala as a freshman in 2010 when she had an opportunity to meet and work with the underprivileged students at Francisco Coll Elementary School, where she would return repeatedly to assist with the renovation of school facilities in the village where children live in extreme poverty. Her trips included a second mission to Guatemala as a sophomore in February 2011 and a campus ministry-sponsored mission trip to Taiwan in July. She decided to become a full-time volunteer during the spring semester of her junior year with the International Samaritan program and spent four months in Guatemala City from January to April 2012. It was there she experienced both teaching and ministry by constructing and teaching English lessons at an elementary school for first-throughsixth graders, assisting with the planning and facilitating of spiritual retreats for each grade and writing biweekly personal reflections on her experience for the organization’s office of development. Shortly after her return from Guatemala, she went to Nicaragua with a campus ministry group that taught English lessons to students at Reina Sofia Elementary School and helped to renovate the school facilities in an area of tremendous poverty. “Saint Vincent has cultivated my desire for service in a major way,” she said “The Benedictine tradition transcends this campus. Saint Vincent has been the catalyst for my growth as a person.” After her anticipated graduation in May with a major in theology and a minor in Spanish, she plans to return to Guatemala one last time as a representative of Saint Vincent. But, it is not the end of her plans for a life of service. She will complete a year of domestic service with a social justice organization in the Philadelphia, New Jersey or D.C. area before pursuing a career as a theology teacher in a high school where she can also organize student service trips. The recipient of academic and leadership scholarships, she has been a consistent member of the dean’s list and has been honored with many recognitions for her academic achievements. —Don Orlando

TO MAKE A GIFT TO HELP STUDENTS LIKE OLIVIA TO SERVE THE POOR, CONTACT THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT, 724-805-2895

Departments

President’s 4 Message More Features 13

5 Day of Fire and Ice: Remembering the Fire

Diversity, Remembering Brother Pat, Brazilian Student Making Biofuels, Alumni Recruitment Effort

News Briefs

Projektenmacher Award, Labs Get New Equipment, Billboard Honors, New Programs, Election Update

Faculty 30 Excellence in Teaching, Professor Working With Hubble

15 December Commencement

Sports 32 Tennis Team Ends Perfect Season with NCAA Bid, Men’s Cross Country Team Wins PAC, Soccer Follow-up

Alumni

Alumni of Distinction, Class Notes

30 Exploring the Heavens 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@email.stvincent.edu

Winter 2013 Volume 10, Issue 2

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Saint Vincent Magazine (United States

Liz Cousins

Postal Service Publication Number

Suzanne Wilcox English

USPS 5144-8000) is published by Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania,

Kim Metzgar

for alumni, parents and friends.

Don Orlando

Third class postage paid at Latrobe,

Simon Stuchlik

Pennsylvania. Postmaster: Send address

Sports Information Office

changes to the Alumni Office, Saint

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase

Archabbey Archives

Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690.

DESIGN

Public Relations Office

Kim Metzgar & Jordan Hainsey

Sports Information Office

Saint Vincent College subscribes

Office of Alumni Relations

to a policy of equal opportunity

Peter Finger

in the classroom, workplace

Jordan Hainsey

and programs, and does not

Kim Metzgar

discriminate on the basis of

PRINTING Laurel Valley Graphics ALUMNI NEWS COORDINATOR Mary Ann Dunlap

race, color, sex, religion, age,

Simon Stuchlik

veteran status, national origin,

FIRE PHOTOS

PROOFREADER

Catholic Accent

Carol Riddle

Latrobe Bulletin

marital status, genetic history or disability. To learn more, visit: http://www.stvincent.edu/LegalInformation/.

Tribune Review

Cover Photo:

Joelso Ferreira, a senior chemistry major from Brazil, is pursuing a senior research project on the development of biodiesel fuel for use under cold temperatures. He is shown in the chemistry lab of the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion at Saint Vincent College. Photo by Jordan Hainsey

A Message From The President

‘Succisa Virescit’ “Having Been Cut Down, It Now Flourishes”

A FLOURISHING SAINT VINCENT

ear Alumni and Friends, On January 28, 1963, I was a sophomore here at the College, but home for the semester break. I was preparing to return when a call came with the message to turn on the television, “Saint Vincent is on fire!” Remarkably, given the extent of the fire shown in the photographs in this issue, we returned to resume classes one week later. I found myself sharing what was once an office on the third floor of Placid Hall, a makeshift residence of five or six bunk beds. That summer, I entered the novitiate and I don’t ever remember anyone in the monastery complaining. What I do remember, that year, was helping to collate lab manuals that were rewritten by Fathers Edward and Owen, both of whom lost all of the research and materials they used for their work in anatomy/physiology and genetics. What remarkable perseverance! They, along with Fathers Max and Joel, worked hard to enhance our biology program in order to preserve the college’s outstanding reputation for preparing students for medical school and other health care professions. Today our biology faculty, lay and Benedictine, continues to do significant work in anatomy, physiology and genetics in the new $39 million world-class Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion. We are grateful for the generosity of many donors. The biology program uses an interdisciplinary approach that engages faculty from other disciplines which enables the college to offer majors in biochemistry, bioinformatics and environmental science to meet the evergrowing needs of our global society. On January 28, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the historic fire, Saint Vincent College will pay tribute to firefighters and other emergency personnel in an honors ceremony which will include awarding the Presidential Medal of Honor to Earl Dalton, fire chief emeritus of the Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department, and Edward Hutchinson, chief of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department, both of whom led the efforts to prevent the devastating fire from engulfing the entire Saint Vincent campus. The 1963 fire calls to mind the motto of Saint Benedict’s Monastery of Montecassino, Italy, which has survived the ravages of centuries: succisa virescit—“having been cut down, it now flourishes.” The motto rings true here at Saint Vincent. As we celebrate this Year of Faith please join us in one or more of the scheduled events: Brother Guy’s Threshold Lecture on March 11, Bishop Persico’s visit on March 21 (Saint Benedict’s Day), or Francis Cardinal Arinze’s lectures on Vatican II on April 17-18, or any of our daily celebrations of the Eucharist in Mary, Mother of Wisdom Chapel. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in his Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, that “The Year of Faith will also be a good opportunity to intensify the witness of charity.” Our students and faculty members have responded generously to the Holy Father’s request by continuing their work of serving the poor (see Olivia Sharkey, page 2). Finally, we welcomed 10 distinguished alumni and friends back to campus during homecoming. I thank them, and all of you, for all that you do for Saint Vincent.

Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., President

DAY OF FIRE AND ICE By Jerome Oetgen

Saint Vincent Magazine

Monday morning, January 28, 1963, dawned cold and gray at Saint Vincent, with ice and snow on the ground and a slight wind blowing out of the west. A blizzard had passed over the countryside the previous day, and thermometers 5 Winter 2013 registered ten degrees below zero.

A passerby driving down the road might glance at this winter scene and think there were clouds behind the Basilica; however, it was actually smoke from the fire spreading throughout many of the buildings in the quadrangle.

When the sacristan asked Father Ferdinand what was burning, the fire warden “took a deep breath, exclaimed, ‘O my God!’ and dashed out the door.”

grabbed his topcoat and began running toward the monastery. As he ran, he looked out the hall window and saw smoke coming from the roof of the biology laboratory. Taking two steps at a time, he rushed up the stairs to the clericate and yelled down the hall that the biology lab was on fire. Going back downstairs, he met Father Conall Pfiester at the foot of the stairs that led to the biology lab. Father Conall told him to help collect fire extinguishers. He ran off to do so, and when he returned, he found Father Owen Roth, professor of biology. Together they climbed the stairs and approached the lab. Father Owen unlocked the door and pushed it open. Heat and smoke rushed out, and the two priests jumped back. “We can’t go in there,” Father Leo said, and Father Owen closed the door on his life’s work. At 8:20 a.m. Brother Philip Hurley, sacristan of the Saint Vincent Basilica, was setting out vestments for the next day’s Masses. Most of the priests of the Archabbey had already said their private Masses. Brother Philip heard the fire alarm and smelled smoke just as Father Ferdinand Lillig, the Saint Vincent fire warden, entered the sacristy after his morning Mass. When the sacristan asked Father Ferdinand what was burning, the fire warden “took a deep breath, exclaimed, ‘O my God!’ and dashed out the door.”

The college students were home on semester break, but the seminarians, scholastics and prep school students were on campus and preparing to begin the week’s classes. Frater Colman (Charles) McFadden, a cleric who served as prefect in the scholasticate, was on duty in the study hall. About 8:20 a.m., sophomore Ronald Palenski of Alexandria, Virginia, came up to his desk and asked if there was a chimney in the biology laboratory that adjoined Benedict Hall. “My heart almost stopped,” Frater Colman wrote later, “because I knew there wasn’t.” Palenski said he saw smoke coming from the roof of the lab. Frater Colman went to look, and just as he too caught a glimpse of the smoke, Father Louis Sedlacko, headmaster of the prep school, announced over the loudspeaker that all students were to take their heaviest jackets and proceed immediately outside and across the road to the Sportsman’s Hall activities building (now the Carey Center) on the southwest side of Benedict Hall. By now smoke was pouring from the eaves of the biology lab and the adjacent students’ chapel. At 8:15 a.m. Father Leo Rothrauff, assistant business manager in the College, heard the prep school fire alarm atop Maur Hall and thought it entirely too early in the day for a fire drill. He looked out the window and saw smoke coming from the area of the prep school. He immediately

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

“The Old Students’ Chapel Was An Inferno”

positioned in front of Benedict Hall and within minutes water was pouring onto the fire from the aerial ladder hose. Dalton later said that reports suggesting it took 45 minutes to get water on the fire were incorrect. Nonetheless, frustration followed frustration for the next half-hour as the fire hoses froze and initial streams of water slowed to a trickle. Water from the cisterns also froze, and firemen rushed to the reservoir below the Basilica to break through the foot of ice on the surface and run lines to the water. All this caused delay, and it wasn’t until half an hour after the first fire trucks arrived that steady streams of water could be played on the fire. By then, however, the old students’ chapel was an inferno. The glass windows were exploding outward because of the intense heat, and the slate roof was starting to collapse. The firemen focused their efforts on preventing the blaze from spreading to adjacent buildings.

Latrobe Fire Chief Earl Dalton got the call—“Fire at Saint Vincent”—on his radio at 8:20 a.m. Dalton immediately jumped in his car and headed out of Latrobe toward Saint Vincent, his siren wailing. As he passed the lumberyard in West Latrobe, he received a second call informing him that the old students’ chapel was burning. He immediately radioed for backup assistance from the Greensburg Fire Department, nine miles away, and issued a request to local factories to release all volunteer firemen so that they could join the fire trucks from Latrobe that were already making their way to Saint Vincent. At Robles’ Corner he noticed for the first time smoke hanging above the monastery and college, and he pressed his foot on the accelerator as he saw ahead of him the first fire truck making its way up the hill. He passed the truck as it entered the road to the campus and pulled his car around to the front of Benedict Hall. When he stopped, he found people standing on the road pointing to the smoke from the chapel and the roof of Benedict Hall. He quickly put on his service coat and helmet and ran over to Father Ferdinand who was on the scene. Father Ferdinand told him that the main part of the fire was in the chapel, so Dalton ordered the first truck that arrived to run water lines to the chapel, hoping to contain the fire there. In quick succession four more trucks from Latrobe arrived and began to connect hoses to the cistern near the Sauerkraut Tower, the cistern on the main road leading to campus and the fire hydrant in front of the library. The aerial ladder truck from Latrobe was

“God Did Not Let Me Panic” By 9 a.m. a general alarm had been issued throughout Westmoreland County, and volunteer fire companies from Greensburg, Ligonier, Derry, Hempfield Township, Jeannette, Irwin, Mt. Pleasant, Scottdale, Youngwood and 20 other communities were converging on Saint Vincent. Dalton ordered his men to train their hoses on the critical points of the fire, but it was clear that the firefighters were losing the battle to prevent the flames from spreading. Wind whipping in from the west was causing the fire to lick at nearby buildings, and despite initial success in getting water on the old students’ chapel, pumps and water lines continued to freeze in the

Flames burst through the roof of the biology lab. The student chapel is to the right in the foreground. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

bitter cold. Dalton’s men found they were unable to get sufficient water on the hottest spots to prevent the fire from advancing to the monastery and prep school in the east and west ranges of the double quadrangle. The old students’ chapel was already a total loss and flames were entering the monastery choir chapel, which was connected with the Basilica. The fire had even reached the landmark monastery bell tower, next to the old students’ chapel. At about 9:15 a.m. Brother Philip Hurley left the Basilica sacristy to see what was happening. He later wrote: “I had prayed to God that I would not panic, and when I did look outside, the horror that met my eyes was unbelievable. The front of the choir chapel and the base of the [bell] tower were completely enveloped in black smoke. I lost no time in getting back into the sacristy and telling the seminarian[s] to start taking all the vestments outside....The whole responsibility of [saving] the sacred vestments and chalices and other furnishings of the Basilica fell upon me. God did not let me panic.”

Bells Fall from the Blazing Bell Tower

The fire had even reached the landmark monastery bell tower, next to the old students’ chapel.

Saint Vincent Magazine

By 10 a.m. there were about 400 volunteer firemen and 80 monks and seminarians fighting the blaze. By now flames were shooting from the top floor of the monastery, and those manning the hoses below could see through the windows that it was already about two-thirds of the way along the hallway. Another hook and ladder truck, one from Greensburg, sped up the road by the seminary and paused as firemen and bystanders knocked down the ornamental brick wall that led into the seminary’s St. Thomas Courtyard (now Sebastian’s Garden). Within minutes the wall was down and the truck moved quickly under the seminary arch and into the courtyard. Father Leo Rothrauff shouted at the fireman riding on the rear section of the truck to duck his head a moment before the fireman’s helmet skimmed under the arch with only two or three inches to spare. In another five minutes one of the firemen was fastened to the top of the ladder, manning a hose that sent a large stream of water cascading into the falling timbers of the monastery. The ladder moved back and forth through the dense smoke that poured from the building, and several times bystanders lost sight of the firefighter atop the ladder. Father Leo feared for the man’s life amidst the suffocating smoke, but each time the firefighter disappeared, he reemerged, though sometimes after what seemed like an eternity. Those below cheered when they saw that he was continuing to pour water on the flames. About 10:30 a.m. the three bells fell from the blazing bell tower with a crash. The two smaller ones rolled into the pit at the base of the tower; the larger one struck those already below and bounced and rolled into the monastery building where it came to rest near the room of Father Edmund Cuneo. One of the monks who saw where the bell now lay commented, “That’s appropriate. Father Edmund is often late for his appointments.”

Winter 2013

Saving the Basilica

chapel, and the firemen were ordered not to advance any closer than halfway along the chapel floor since it was feared that at any moment the bell tower, which was then belching flames, would crumble and shower its burning debris on the heat-weakened roof of the choir chapel. Afterward everyone said that it was the heroic defense put up by these men in the monks’ choir chapel that marked the turning point of the struggle. While the chapel was scorched, the flames did not reach the Basilica. When it had appeared that the fire had been halted outside the choir chapel, one of the firemen who had been in the vanguard of the fight there paid spontaneous tribute to Father Marcian. “That priest down there is the guy who saved the church for you fellows,” he told seminarian Shane MacCarthy. “If we had to wait another 15 minutes, then we wouldn’t have been able to get up there. But he showed us where to go and what to do. He’s done the work of five of us, and believe me, sonny, we’ve all worked like hell today.”

As the fire entered the choir chapel and threatened the Basilica, several dozen seminarians helped Brother Philip move valuables from the church to the seminary. The rapid progress of the flames through the top floor of the monastery, which Brother Philip and the seminarians could plainly see as they bore sacred vestments and vessels to the seminary, stunned them and spurred them on to work even faster in stripping the Basilica. When the lights went out all over the campus, Brother Philip put candles in the church’s basement storage room so the seminarians could see as they rescued the vestments and other valuables stored there. Even if the fire didn’t reach that far, it was clear that the water would. By now firemen were entering the Basilica with ladders and hoses to attempt to reach the fire in the choir chapel, behind and above the basilica sacristy. Father Marcian Kornides, pastor of Saint Vincent Parish, directed their work. He showed them how to enter the rear of the choir chapel through a door high in the back wall of the sacristy, and 15 firefighters, with oxygen masks on their faces and hoses slung over their shoulders, climbed a ladder to gain access. For an hour they fought the fire from the floors of the choir chapel, facing heat that was almost unbearable. Flames licked the windows at the opposite end of the

Heroic Firefighters Make Courageous Stands Though the Basilica had been saved, time appeared to stand still as the fire continued to move in four directions, forming an almost perfect H in the double quadrangle. The crossbar of the H was the biology lab and the old students’ chapel, which by now were smoldering

The fire moved in four directions, forming an almost perfect H in the double quadrangle. The crossbar of the H was the biology lab and the old students’ chapel.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

Firemen hose down the fourth floor of the monastery residence. The second story Choir Chapel is in the background. The building today houses offices of Saint Vincent Seminary. ruins. The two lines connected by the crossbar were the east range of the quadrangle (Anselm and Gregory Halls), where the monastery was located, and the west range (Benedict Hall) where the prep school and the scholasticate were located. On the west range, the top floor of the central part of Benedict Hall was ablaze and flames approached the fire walls on either end. Everyone knew that if these fire walls were breached, there would be little hope of saving the north and south ranges (Maur and Placid Halls) of the quadrangle. The firefighters aimed their hoses in the direction of the fire walls on either side of the west range, and on the east range they poured water on the north and south ends of Anselm and Gregory Halls. In Gregory Hall heroic firemen from Latrobe fought the fire inch by inch in the hallways and monastic cells. They made a courageous stand at the monastery tailor shop, where they broke through the ceiling and walls to get at the fire which was burning in the hallway above them. There they broke its progress and began to force it back toward the old studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chapel. In the other wing of the monastery, Anselm Hall, firefighters from Greensburg made an equally courageous stand. Only one room on the top floor of the monastery still had a roof on it when the fire was finally stopped, but thanks to the valor of the Saint Vincent Magazine

Greensburg volunteers, the floors below were saved. A Red Cross first aid station from Greensburg, set up in Sportsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hall, was fully occupied, caring for firemen who suffered from frostbite and smoke inhalation. The Salvation Army from Latrobe established a soup kitchen and with the help of the Benedictine sisters provided hot coffee and food to exhausted and hungry firemen throughout the day. Latrobe fireman Bob Blazek was hit on the shoulder by falling debris, and it was feared that he might have a fracture. But Blazek did not want to withdraw from fighting the fire and had to be argued into going to the first aid station and then to the hospital where X-rays revealed a bad bruise but not a fracture. Jim Martin, another Latrobe fireman, was rushed to the hospital with what at first appeared to be a heart attack but which turned out to be exhaustion.

The Battle Continues, As Does Prayer The battle continued into its fourth hour. Older monks stood by the library and wept as they witnessed what seemed to them the apocalyptic destruction of their monastery and schools. Some had to be led away to the shelter of the new studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chapel to avoid frostbite. Prior Leopold Krul ordered a head count of monks and 10

Winter 2013

students and discovered that one priest could not be found. Word spread through the community that Father Fintan Shoniker, the director of libraries, was missing. Many feared that he had not escaped the monastery in time. A call went out to search for him. As midday approached, the prior passed word to all the monks that the community would pray the Minor Hours, as usual, at noon. Those not engaged in fighting the fire gathered in the students’ chapel on the ground floor of the library and began to chant the psalms they had prayed every day at this time since Boniface Wimmer had introduced Benedictine life at Saint Vincent more than 116 years earlier. Brother Philip Hurley wrote afterward: “I have never seen a more beautiful sight than those ... monks [praying Divine] Office while the firemen were still fighting the fire across the street from the chapel.”

though not horizontally, for four more hours, gradually diminishing in intensity; and it was necessary to keep pouring water on those parts of the buildings that had been wholly or partially destroyed. The firemen chopped holes in floors of some of the rooms in Benedict, Anselm and Gregory halls to allow the accumulated water to drain out, and “bucket brigades” of monks and seminarians moved into the Basilica to clear out the water that had flooded the church. At 4 p.m. the monks gathered in the chapter room in Leander Hall for their afternoon recreation period called haustus. Some of them objected to this apparent frivolity in the wake of the day’s tragedy—“It was like fiddling while Rome burned,” one monk complained—but the majority agreed that having the afternoon recreation period with the traditional mug of beer was a psychologically important confirmation that the community had not been defeated by the disaster and that, as far as possible, things would go on as normal. Bishop Connare joined the monks for haustus and assured them of his and the diocese’s help in the rebuilding of Saint Vincent. At 5 p.m. the monastic community gathered again in the

“I have never seen a more beautiful sight than those ... monks [praying Divine] Office while the firemen were still fighting the fire...” —Brother Philip Hurley

Things Go On As Normal By 12:30 p.m. the fire seemed to be under control. The fire walls in Benedict Hall had held, and the defense at the north and south ends of the monastery had been successful. Still, the fire continued to burn vertically,

Father Maximilian Duman, then-president of Saint Vincent College, left, and Father Edward Wenstrup, former head of the biology department, both lost a lifetime of work in the fire.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

Father Albert Bickerstaff views the bell that landed near the steps leading to the choir chapel. library chapel for Vespers and afterward ate supper in the Sportsman’s Hall gymnasium. The supper was prepared by the Benedictine sisters and served by women of the parish and lay employees of the college. During the meal everyone was delighted to see Father Fintan, who had been thought lost. Father Fintan explained that early in the morning, before the fire began, he had left campus to help raise money for one of the College alumni, Lawrence Gerthoffer, who with his family had been burnt out of his home two weeks before.

The Aftermath and a Silver Lining About 5 p.m., with the fire dying down, Chief Dalton began to release trucks from the Greensburg units and other companies that had come to Saint Vincent’s aid. The Latrobe companies remained on station, however, manning the pumps and hoses required to spray down the hot spots burning under the rubble of the fallen buildings. Dalton recognized the need to relieve the men who had been fighting the fire all day in the bitter cold. He said he felt “rather cruel” telling the Latrobe volunteers, and some from nearby communities, to stay Saint Vincent Magazine

at their posts in order to prevent a fresh outbreak of the fire. He set up a schedule that allowed small groups to change clothes and rest a little before being sent back to battle the more stubborn pockets of fire. As night fell, the weather grew colder, and the men had to rest oftener and longer. But the Latrobe firefighters maintained their stations until midnight, when a reserve company from Ligonier and another from Blairsville came up to relieve the local volunteers, some of whom had been battling the fire for 15 hours, and all of whom, in the words of their chief, “were dead on the job.” The prep students and seminarians had been sent home in the afternoon, after the fire had been brought under control and transportation could be arranged for them. Administrators of the College, Prep School and Seminary announced that classes would be suspended until further notice. The unanticipated vacation lasted only a week, however, and the following Monday the students were back on campus attending classes in virtually every available free space and doubling up in the dormitories that survived the blaze. Some classes, including the biology labs, were held at Seton Hill College. The Sisters of Charity at the Greensburg institution generously offered Saint Vincent’s professors and students whatever facilities they required for the remainder of the semester. As for the monastic community, almost a hundred monks had been burned out of their rooms, but before they went to bed on Monday night, accommodations had been found for everyone in Leander, Aurelius and Wimmer Halls as well as in other buildings that had escaped destruction. The following day a heavy freezing rain fell, coating the burntout buildings with several inches of ice. Initial estimates were that the fire had caused almost $2 million in damage, and insurance adjusters later confirmed that figure. The old students’ chapel, biology laboratory and bell tower had been completely destroyed. The top floor of Benedict Hall had been burned out and much of the second floor had been damaged. In the monastery, the top floor was destroyed and the floors below rendered uninhabitable, while the Basilica, as well as the choir chapel and monastic refectory in Andrew Hall, had sustained extensive damage from smoke and water. In addition, the life’s work of the college’s biology professors had gone up in the flames. The loss included 25,000 biology slides collected over the years by Father Edward Wenstrup, the entire Arctic plant collection gathered by Father Maximilian Duman during the 10 trips to the Arctic that had earned him international fame and the nickname “the Arctic Priest,” and the famed herbarium collection of Father Edwin Pierron (18461930), which was regarded as one of the finest in the country. Also, the clothes, books and personal effects of more than 80 priests, brothers and clerics were lost. Some of the monks escaped the destruction with only the clothes on their backs. There was, however, a silver lining. Everyone thanked God that despite the extensive material loss and damage, no one had died in the disaster. 12

Winter 2013

“It

requires faith to fight a

fire, devotion to God and to the brigade. If you don’t have both,

”

you might as well hang it up. —Brother Patrick Lacey, O.S.B.

Remembering Brother Pat

Monk, Fire Chief

By Liz Cousins

When he died on August 14, 2010, fire trucks came from as far as 45 miles away, and firemen of all ages—wearing departmental uniforms, suits, or polo shirts—paid tribute to Brother Patrick Lacey, O.S.B., and the 38 years he served as the fire chief at Saint Vincent. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

He remembered the fire of 1963, and what came after. “’We had a terrible fire here in 1963,’” he was quoted as saying in the February 1980 issue of Pennsylvania Illustrated. “’Lost the chapel, a monastery, part of the prep school, the old clock tower, but thanks to God, nobody’s killed. So the abbot calls me in and says I’m to be a fire chief and start up a fire company here. Well, that’s the kind of vows we take, whatever the abbot says, you have to do it.” But Brother Pat didn’t know the first thing about firefighting, so he asked permission to attend the Pennsylvania state training academy at Lewistown, where he learned to be a firefighter. His training at Lewistown led him to eventually become a state-qualified instructor, and for many years he led the Westmoreland County Fire School on the Saint Vincent campus. The 48th annual Westmoreland County Fire School, held in mid-May of 2001, was dedicated to Brother Pat. His roles at Saint Vincent were many and varied, as he ranged from the fire chief to running the campus laundromat in the 1970s, to being the chief plumber for the campus. He also was in charge of running the film projector for the movies shown in then-Kennedy Hall, and served as the bowling coach for the college for more than 10 years, including the NAIAchampionship-winning team in 1978. Brother Pat was active in a number of state, regional and local firemens’ associations. He served as a Pennsylvania state instructor in firefighting from 1963 until 1998, when he was named emeritus state instructor. He was past president and chaplain of the Fire Chiefs Association of Westmoreland County. He was a member of the Keystone Chiefs Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, member and chaplain of the Westmoreland Firemen’s Association, member and director of the Westmoreland County Fire School, member of the Fire Prevention Committee of Southwestern Pennsylvania, member of the Firemen’s Association of Pennsylvania and member and chaplain of the Mohawk Association of Westmoreland County. Following his retirement as fire chief he was named chaplain and fire chief emeritus of the Saint Vincent Fire Department. He also served as head of the sheet metal and plumbing shop at Saint Vincent from 1948 to 2001. Brother Pat served as the unofficial groundskeeper, accepting responsibility for upkeep of the football fields for the Steelers’ summer training camps. An avid football fan, he remained a lifelong friend of the Steelers and the Rooney family. “It requires faith to fight a fire,” Brother Pat said in a July 1980 article in the Greensburg Tribune-Review. “Devotion to God and to the brigade. If you don’t have both, you might as well hang it up.” In his memory, the College has established the Brother Patrick Lacey Student Firefighter Scholarship Fund, which benefits an incoming freshman who has an interest in firefighting. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brother Patrick Lacey Student Firefighter Scholarship Fund, c/o Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pa. 15650.

Above, Brother Pat recruiting students at the club fair; dressed as Benjamin Franklin for the Latrobe Fourth of July parade and the fire department float; at right, members of the Saint Vincent Fire Department in 1987, with, in front, Jacob Noel, William Hamilton and Earl Dalton of the Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department; middle, from left, Brother Steve Nazaruk, O.S.B., assistant chief; Alec Sheffler, Bryan Ulishney, Terry Noel, Tony Mucha, Michelle Pittman, and Brother Patrick Lacey, chief; back, from left, Joe Feiccabrino, Lisa Frato, Mike Parszynski, and Joe West. Saint Vincent Magazine

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Honoring An Advocate For Children Gregg Behr, internationally-recognized child advocate, received an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent.

By Don Orlando ne hundred and seven students—51 undergraduates and 56 graduates—who completed requirements in August or December received their degrees at the eighth annual December commencement ceremony of Saint Vincent College. Principal speaker was Gregg Behr of Pittsburgh who was also honored with the conferral of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Behr is a scholar, attorney, philanthropist, community activist and an innovative and nationally-known dreamer who wants to turn Pittsburgh into Kidsburgh, an all-out effort by a large and collaborative group to make the city the best place for kids on the planet. Kids+Creativity, started by Behr, has long been a resource for Pittsburghers whose work is at the intersection of technology, learning and play. Kidsburgh, he said, conveys the sense that Pittsburgh is committed to improving the lives of children by promising all children brilliant futures. “He has been a visionary leader in the nonprofit community of western Pennsylvania, advancing the region as a very family-centered community that offers great education and great opportunity for children,” Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president, read from the citation. “Since becoming executive director of The Grable Foundation in 2006, he has shown exceptional leadership in bringing together scores of nonprofits and educational institutions around the concept of Pittsburgh as a great center of educational innovation and distinctive opportunity for young people.” Behr previously served as president of The Forbes Funds from 2002 to 2006, another Pittsburgh-based foundation. Behr twice chaired the Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit, launched the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership and coordinated an Emmy Award-winning public television series. Saint Vincent Magazine

Behr told the graduates that the thing he remembers best about successful people is their delight in what they’re doing. Successful people “just love what they’re doing and they love it in front of others. That’s not easy to do. Even on sunny days. But, it’s worth trying.” “The world’s interesting times will play out on the stages of your lives in very real and very personal ways,” he said. “And this place has prepared you well to ask those questions that others might not have the courage to ask.” Behr is most curious about educational technologies for children. “We know that kids learn at any time and at any place—in school, at the library, in museums, on the playground, in their homes. They are surrounded by a world rich in information and experiences; and, significantly, that information and those experiences are often just a click away—on their computers, cameras, robots, mobile phones and all sorts of gadgetry. So, how do we infuse their gadgets with content that propels their curiosity and creativity?” In recent years, Behr, internationally-recognized child advocate and executive director of The Grable Foundation, helped to advance the mission of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent and to encourage innovation in the application of digital media. “It’s that trust in you and this college—as faithful, serving and curious lifelong learners—that surely attracted Fred Rogers to this campus,” Behr said. “And it was Fred Rogers—and his legacy—that first brought me to this campus. You don’t have to be Mr. Rogers. The world doesn’t need heroes. Rather, what this world needs most is more people with the good stuff. People willing to be like Mr. Rogers every day. Everyday Freds. Today, Pittsburgh stands at the leading edge of a worldwide learning revolution. Leave something of yourself in every hospital room, in every classroom, in every conference room. Be sure it’s the good stuff.” 15

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Students, from left, Jieni (Jenny) Zhou, Ya (Grace) Gao and Reed Livengood in The Shack. Zhou and Gao will enter the McKenna School when they finish the English as a second language program, while Livengood is a management major.

Diverse Backgrounds Offer International Perspectives, Differing Strengths By Suzanne Wilcox English One of the goals of Saint Vincent College’s 2011-16 Strategic Plan calls for attracting and engaging individuals who can make positive contributions to the community, including reaching out to an increasingly diverse pool of prospective students. How does a more diverse student body make for a better campus community? For one thing, it more accurately reflects the world in which we live, and brings a variety of perspectives to the table, according to College president Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., Ph.D. “The world is becoming smaller; America is changing, and people of different backgrounds bring different insights and different strengths,” said Brother Norman. “Trying to create a community that incorporates all of these different strengths and insights is very important, whether it’s in western Pennsylvania, in America; within a particular community, a business or the world.” How is the Saint Vincent community responding to that call for greater diversity? Some initiatives are relatively new, but others go back more than a decade. One way is by increasing the number of international Saint Vincent Magazine

students in the student body, and to do so, the College is building on relationships that have existed over time. For instance, the College has a historic relationship with China, where Saint Vincent Archabbey established Fu Jen Catholic University in Peking (Beijing) in 1925. While Saint Vincent had to withdraw from the institution because of political changes and financial concerns during the Depression, it continued as a Catholic university until 1952. Today the facilities are used by Beijing Normal University. One of the most famous alumnae of Fu Jen Catholic University was Madame Wang-Guane Mei, who became the first lady of China. She was married to President Liu Shaoqi, who served as president of China from 1959-1968. More recently, Saint Vincent faculty have maintained ties with China and visited regularly with their colleagues there. Professor Nicholas Koss, O.S.B., who has taught in China for many years, has helped to encourage students to consider continuing their studies at Saint Vincent, and Dr. Gary Quinlivan, dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, who has visited China regularly over the past decade, has met with 16

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officials at various higher education institutions, as well as with those at Kennametal’s Tianjin plant, to raise Saint Vincent’s visibility as a possible higher education option. A committee with academic, administrative, admission and marketing representatives meets regularly to support and expand initiatives in China, including student recruitment. Elizabeth Bennellick, study abroad director, was named to lead the recruitment process, and she, along with Brother Nick, attended fairs sponsored by the China Education Expo in Beijing and Shanghai. “It is recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education,” Bennellick noted, “and works directly with students in schools rather than through agents.” Bennellick also met with administrators and students at four higher-education institutions: Tsinghua University, Qingdao Agricultural University, Shanghai University of Electric Power and Tongj University, as well as Beijing Normal High School. Bennellick and members of the committee, along with Liang Liang, a student from China who graduated at the December Commencement, worked on development of Web pages in Chinese to assist both students and parents who may not speak English in evaluating Saint Vincent as a future place of study. Chinese parents are deeply involved in the choice of a school for their children, Bennellick noted. “Because of the one-child policy, they put a lot of effort and love into their son or daughter and want them to succeed,” Bennellick said. “They are looking at outcomes and want to make sure their student is on a path to success. They are also interested in the safety of the campus and the support the campus provides in and out of the classroom.” Entering students from China totaled five in fall 2012; the goal is to recruit at least double that number for fall 2013. Another area, now in the early stages of outreach,

is Brazil, where Campus Ministry students travel for service trips. Joelso Ferreira (see page 18) of Sao Paulo, now a senior chemistry major, was the first to receive a scholarship to attend Saint Vincent, funded through the Saint Vincent Archabbey Foreign Mission Office as Project Hope. Saint Vincent’s efforts toward diversity are not limited to international students; the College has had a long-term relationship with the Crossroads Foundation Program, and the Extra Mile Education Foundation, through Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., who was Education Secretary for the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1996 to 1991. Extra Mile helps urban children and their families obtain a highquality, values-based education from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Crossroads then helps students, most of them firstgeneration college hopefuls, make the transition to college through a variety of tutoring and mentoring programs at Saint Vincent, including a three- to fourday summer program that leads students through the sometimes-intimidating process of preparing for the SAT or other standardized tests as well as applying to college and for financial aid. Another long-term relationship, with St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., has helped inner-city students, also often the first generation in their families to consider a college education, to obtain a high-quality education at Saint Vincent. St. Benedict’s is sponsored by the Newark Abbey, which was founded from Saint Vincent. All of these efforts help Saint Vincent to better reflect the world that surrounds it, and to prepare all of its students for a successful life in a global society, Brother Norman said. “Trying to find ways to bring all these resources to a healthy outcome is crucial, whether it is for a community, a business or a country.”

Pictured above, are, from left, Eric Kaufold, a senior management major; Eva Kunkel, C’01, assistant to the dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, who studied accounting at Saint Vincent; Sai (Seth) Yang, who is in the master’s program in operational excellence; and Ryan Dreliszak, C’10, a finance major.

Saint Vincent Magazine

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Biodiesel ‘Cool’ Project For Chemistry Major

oelso Ferreira came to Saint Vincent through Project Hope, and the senior chemistry major now hopes to pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry at a major university. In the meantime, he is completing his senior research project on the development of biodiesel fuel for use under cold temperatures.

Ferreira, 25, left his native São Paulo, Brazil, in March of 2008 to pursue higher education in the United States even though he didn’t speak a word of English. Now, he fluently explains the focus of his research: “I collect discarded cooking oil from The Shack snack bar and convert it to fuel that can power an automobile. In Brazil, biofuel is commonly used, but not so much in the United States. One of the reasons is that the temperature gets really cold here in the winter months and the fuel could freeze, causing problems to the engine. Based on this, I decided to conduct my research in the area called ‘cloud point’—also known as freezing point— and experiment with the effects of various catalysts and alcohols on the cloud point.” Ferreira, who wants to pursue a career with a pharmaceutical firm, will present the results of his research at the Saint Vincent College Academic Conference in March and at the American Chemical Society Conference in New Orleans in April. His paper is titled, “Analysis of Biodiesel Properties Over Different Catalysts and Alcohols.” “I was the first one to come to Saint Vincent through an initiative of the Saint Vincent Archabbey Foreign Mission Office called Project Hope,” Ferreira said. “I had attended, and later worked as a volunteer, at a school run by the Missionaries of Christ in Jundiaí,” he said. “There I met Saint Vincent Magazine

many of the students from Saint Vincent who went to Brazil for the Campus Ministry service trips. Sister Maria de Lourdes Borges, the Mother Superior, asked Archabbot Douglas [Nowicki, O.S.B.] to consider giving a scholarship to enable one of their former students to attend Saint Vincent College. He generously agreed and, after some consultation, Mother Maria de Lourdes offered the opportunity to me.” “I studied for nearly a year at a language center in Pittsburgh before I was ready to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and start classes at Saint Vincent in the spring of 2009. I knew I wanted to study chemistry and so I met with Brother Norman [W. Hipps, O.S.B., now the president of the College, who was dean of the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing at that time]. “He wisely advised me not to declare a major and to start by taking some courses that I would later need to complete a degree. This would give me some time to become accustomed to campus and academic life. That was great advice. “Later, I decided to major in chemistry, with minors in mathematics and Spanish. Spanish was less of a challenge, since it was similar to my native Portuguese; math was a bigger challenge, but I felt it was important for advanced work in the field of chemistry. 18

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Joselso Ferreira and Mary Kate Kenna were crowned king and queen in 2012.

Lake. I fish for whatever I catch. I don’t eat the fish I catch because I don’t have anywhere to prepare it.” Ferreira also enjoys playing soccer and talking to other students, faculty members and Benedictine monks. “I like talking to people because I learn so much from them. But, sometimes it is a bad thing because I talk when I should be studying.” When he visits his family in Brazil, he enjoys telling them about the campus and its people. “I love the architecture at Saint Vincent,” he said, “particularly the Basilica.” He also likes American food. “It is really different from Brazilian food. I love hot homecoming dogs, hamburgers and French fries. I love when the cafeteria prepares rice and pasta. At home we eat a lot of dishes with rice and beans, meat and vegetables. There aren’t many places to get Brazilian food around here.” Despite the distance from his South American home, he remains close with his mother and father, Dinalva and Joel, his brother, Renato, 15, and his sister, Beatriz, 9, and talks with them via Skype® several times a week. The Ferreira family home is located near the Benedictine priory of São Bento in Vinhedo, where the monks operate the Siloé Retreat Center for youths, religious and married couples. Ferreira has just one word to describe his experience during the past four years: “Awesome!” —By Don Orlando

“The Benedictine monks and priests are wonderful,” Ferreira said. “And so are the lay faculty and staff. All the professors and staff know me and make time to assist, making this a unique community. I have made many friends. Archabbot Douglas and Brother Norman have been very kind, especially during vacation time and holidays.” In addition to a rigorous academic schedule, Ferreira is also very active in extracurricular activities, the campus work-study program and student life. He works for the Information Services Department Service Desk as a technical assistant, as a residence hall prefect for the office of student life, as a Collaborative Learning Program Facilitator Assistant for the Boyer School, as an organic chemistry tutor and Laboratory assistant in the Chemistry Department, as a student assistant in the Annual Fund Office and as a student server at the cabaret during Saint Vincent Summer Theatre. He is active as a member of the American Chemical Society and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. A highlight of the year was his selection as Homecoming King during Family Weekend in October. He also enjoys participating in the activities of Campus Ministry, Chemistry Club, Visionaries of Hope, Spanish During the spring break service trip to Brazil in March, students and Club, Math Club, Zumba, Julie’s Power Fathers Jean-Luc Zadroga, O.S.B., and Killian Loch, O.S.B., stayed at Workout and intramural soccer. In his the Convent of Missionary Sisters of Christ in Jundiai, Brazil. The sisters spare time, he loves fishing. conduct two schools to educate children who live in the favelas (as shanty “I love to fish and when I first came to towns are referred to in Brazil) of Jundiaí. The group assisted in these the United States I thought I could just schools, and did other work with the poor. In this photo, Joelso Ferreira, go out and fish whenever I wanted; then Jake Galasso, Shawna Edwards, Lauren Donahue and Father Killian I found out I needed a license. I didn’t visit a home in Jundiaí. The family recently moved from the favela to understand it, but I bought one anyway government housing and the woman proudly shows off her new three and now I fish in the Saint Vincent room apartment that she shares with her mother, children, daugher-inLake on campus, or venture out to Twin law and grandchildren. —Photo courtesy of Lauren Donahue Lakes, Keystone State Park and Donegal

Saint Vincent Magazine

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The Saint Vincent / China Connection

Benefactor, Honoree Dr. Barbara Loe, 1924-2012 Dr. Barbara Loe received an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent College in 2008.

By Liz Cousins r. Barbara Loe, D’08, a friend of the Benedictines and Saint Vincent who, together with her four sisters established the James and Margaret Tseng Loe China Studies Center at the College in honor of their parents, died October 27, 2012. She was 87 years old. On November 6, 2002, the College dedicated the James and Margaret Tseng Loe China Studies Center, which honors Professor and Diplomat James Loe and his wife, poet Margaret Tseng Loe of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. The Center is an expression of the gratitude of the Loe family for bestowing on their five daughters the great national heritages of America and China. They taught their daughters the American ideals of freedom, equality and democracy. They also passed on to their daughters the basic Chinese values of the four cardinal moral principles: propriety, righteousness, integrity and self respect, as well as the eight basic ethical virtues: loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, love, trustworthiness, righteousness, concord and temperance. “The Loes led their daughters to understand that the foundation of true peace—whether inside oneself or among nations—rests not in the power of conquering others, but in the conquering of oneself through these

Saint Vincent Magazine

basic ideals and values,” said Father Rene Kollar, O.S.B., dean of the school of humanities and fine arts. “We used these beliefs to form the basic principles of the Loe China Studies Center, developing programs and activities that guide us toward world peace and the well-being of mankind.” “The Loe China Center at Saint Vincent is really an important center for the College,” said Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president of the college. “The ties between Saint Vincent and China are long-standing, and it’s a current strategy of the College to increase the interaction between Saint Vincent and China, both to create opportunities for our faculty and students to do some work there, as well as to have Chinese students here, increasing the interaction between our cultures.” “Doctor Loe was generous, she was kind,” Father Rene continued. “She had this real vision that Saint Vincent could be a center for Chinese studies.” The Center, Father Rene emphasized, promotes cultural, educational, social, economic and technological exchange programs between the United States and China which contribute to better cross-cultural understanding and cooperation between the traditional Chinese culture and the vibrant American democracy and technology, all while being guided by the teachings of Christianity.

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At left, Barbara Loe with Madame Wang Guangmei, the wife of the late Liu Shaoqi, the former President of China. At center, Archabbot Douglas and Dr. Barbara Loe at the City University of Hong Kong with Dr. H.K. Chang, the president of the University. Dr. Loe taught Dr. Chang when he was in the second grade. At right, the Loe sisters during a visit to Saint Vincent: Mary Jean Wong, Agnes Li, Gertrude Tai, Lucy Lee, and Barbara. The Loe family was baptized by Father Gregory Schramm, O.S.B., in 1933, at the North Cathedral, Peking, China. When Archabbot Aurelius Stehle, O.S.B., the fourth archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, responded in 1924 to the call from the Holy See to establish a Catholic university in Peking, Father Gregory was one of the first Benedictines sent to teach at the newly founded Fu Jen Catholic University. He and Professor James Loe became close colleagues there,

as both were alumni of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Through the China studies center, in August 2009, Saint Vincent became one of only three colleges and universities in the state of Pennsylvania to obtain approval by the U.S. Department of Education to offer certification to teach Chinese language, K-12. More than a dozen Chinese history and language courses are offered at Saint Vincent.

James Ignatius and Margaret Theresa Tseng Loe Memorial Scholarship Fund The five Loe sisters are pictured with their father, James. Their mother Margaret Tseng Loe died in 1936. The family established a scholarship in honor of their parents. The James Ignatius and Margaret Theresa Tseng Loe Memorial Scholarship Fund is to be used toward tuition and room and board at Saint Vincent College. Memorial contributions in honor of Dr. Loe may be sent to Saint Vincent College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

New YorK Duo

Provides Spirited Alumni Recruitment

By Don Orlando

Volunteer! You, too, can volunteer to help our Alumni recruitment network spread the word about Saint Vincent. For more information contact our alumni office: 724-805-2568 alumni@stvincent.edu

Saint Vincent Magazine

pair of veteran New Yorkers who are both members of the Class of 1964 are providing enthusiastic support for Saint Vincent College recruitment efforts on Long Island as part of the Alumni Recruitment Network now operating in 15 cities throughout the United States. William A. Ramos, C’64, of Nesconset, and Frederick P. Hamble Jr., C’64, of Locust Valley, have been promoting Saint Vincent to family and friends as well as working with the Admission Office to provide representation at college fairs throughout Long Island. “Father Paul asked me to cover one school in Nassau County a few years ago,” Ramos recalled. “It is called Chaminade High School, a Catholic prep school for young men. I said ‘sure, I would be happy to do that.’ I found myself enjoying it—keeps me young being around teenagers. After I retired, I offered to do some more schools. That opened the floodgates and I was asked to attend a number of additional fairs. I decided to ask my classmate, Fred Hamble, who lives in Nassau County, if he would be interested in helping. He couldn’t wait to start!” Ramos noted that having alumni assist with recruitment is an effective strategy. “We are familiar with the schools. We are familiar with the demographics of the Island. We know where to go—and where not to,” he said. “It has evolved and worked out quite well. I was pleased to hear that a young woman from Hicksville, the town where I grew up, recently enrolled.” The pair each represent Saint Vincent at large college fairs attended by college-bound high school juniors and seniors and their parents. Ramos has covered fairs at Sachem, Saint Anthony’s, Northport, Saint John the Baptist, and regional fairs coordinated by the Western Suffolk Counselors Association while Hamble represented the College in Nassau County at Saint Mary’s, Holy Cross, Old Westbury, Freeport, Chaminade and Hofstra University. While Long Island is some distance from Latrobe, name recognition isn’t a problem. “It’s amazing—parents,

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especially, know about Saint Vincent and Latrobe because of Rolling Rock Beer, Arnold Palmer and the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Ramos said. “There are lots of relocated, die-hard Steelers fans in New York. Another big asset is proximity to the city of Pittsburgh which is widely known for its quality of life and a growing reputation as a cultural center. Saint Vincent’s cooperation with Duquesne University in physical therapy, pharmacy and law programs is of great interest. We talk about the Catholic, Benedictine heritage of Saint Vincent, the personal attention that students receive and the excellent financial aid programs which are offered.” Hamble said that students and parents are very interested in academic programs. “They ask about majors in accounting, engineering and physical therapy,” he said. “The size of the school and the low student-to-faculty ratio are very attractive to prospective students. The value of my own education was that I learned how to investigate and find out things in the world. There were great resources at Saint Vincent to do whatever you wanted. I grew spiritually and enjoyed the family-like atmosphere of the Benedictine community. Students today are still interested in becoming part of a learning community.” “I recognize that Saint Vincent is a great school where I received a great education,” Ramos added. “One of my sons, Mark, who was disillusioned at another school transferred and did his pre-med studies at SVC. He prospered and is now a successful cardiologist in Florida.” In addition to Mark, Ramos and his wife, Louise, have three other sons, Edward, Paul and Christopher. Now retired after a career in commercial real estate with JPMorgan Chase & Co., he enjoys golf and is active at Saints Philip and James Parish where he serves as a Eucharistic minister and coordinates the Bible study program. He hopes some of his grandchildren will attend Saint Vincent some day. After graduating from Saint Vincent, Hamble taught school for two years before going into finance and worked for Citibank for 20 years, and later Washington Mutual Bank, both in New York City. Now retired, he hopes to continue helping the Saint Vincent Admission Office. “I like to put on my suit and tie when I represent the college,” he commented. “I love dressing well. I was one of the last bank employees to dress casually on Fridays.” Since the death of his wife, Patricia, two years ago, Hamble enjoys traveling to visit his three children, Fred, Jennifer and Robert, and six grandchildren. In his spare time, he does home improvements and gardening. “I try to represent Saint Vincent College well in this area,” he concluded. “The school gave me so much and now this is a way for me to give something back.” Saint Vincent Magazine

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Saint Vincent College

science pavilion

the

Sis and Herman DuprÉ Science Pavilion

“We hope that one day there will be a scientist from Saint Vincent who will cure cancer or cure Alzheimers or cure something else and it will happen because of the existence of this facility. This is a tree and we hope it bears a lot of good fruit.” —Sis Dupré

u ! o k Y n a h T Y

our generosity has helped us to reach this goal. Your gifts to this project and all gifts to Saint Vincent directly benefit current and future students. We invite you to tour the Science Pavilion during an open house from 4-7 p.m. Monday, March 11, prior to the Threshold Lecture of Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J., of the Vatican Observatory. Refreshments will be served.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Saint Vincent College Office of Institutional Advancement 300 Fraser Purchase Road Latrobe, PA 15650 Phone: (724) 805-2895 Fax: (724) 532-5020

Fundraising Status through

December 2012 $39,088,962

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P rep

R eunion May 31-June 2, 2013

Coming Home To Saint Vincent

The 2013 Prep Reunion will include three days of activities and events. Registration will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 31 in the Fred Rogers Center. Later in the evening a gathering will be held in the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion atrium, with a welcome to be given by President Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B. Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., will bless the Prep Lab during the event, which will feature Ofen Haus German food and drink. During the evening, several Prep teams will be honored during the Sports Award Recognition Ceremony: the 1948-49 undefeated football team (8-0), the 1962-63 basketball team (14-5); and the 1969-70 soccer team (11-1). On Saturday, preps alumni will have the opportunity to attend morning prayer and Mass with the Benedictines, followed by breakfast. Registration will be open all day, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The morning will feature tours of the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Center and Prep Lab and of campus. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff members will continue with a videotaping/prep history project in Headmasters Hall. The “State of Saint Vincent Address” will be given in the Dr. Frank Luparello Lecture Hall in the Science Pavilion, followed by a picnic lunch on the Robert S. Carey Student Center patio. Campus tours will again be offered in the afternoon, and the bookstore, Basilica Gift Shop and Gristmill General Store will be open. A presentation on the Saint Vincent Fire will also occur after lunch in Headmasters Hall. Father Vernon Holtz, O.S.B., will be on hand to reminisce with prep alumni, and the Prep Alumni Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. in the Basilica Crypt. A banquet and awards ceremony is scheduled for the evening at the Fred Rogers Center, followed by a dessert social with classmates and monks. Sunday’s agenda will include Mass in the Basilica and a farewell brunch in the Community Center Dining Hall. For more information on registering for the reunion contact the Alumni Office at 724-805-2568.

Saint Vincent Magazine

The Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey are pleased to announce the construction of the new Mary, Mother of Mercy Chapel and Mausoleum to be located at Saint Vincent Cemetery. The new Chapel and Mausoleum will serve as a sanctuary for prayer and remembrance of family members, alumni of Saint Vincent Prep, College and Seminary, Oblates, parishioners and friends from throughout the region. Since the cemetery is part of the monastery grounds and is near the historic Archabbey Basilica, “coming home” includes remembrance in the daily prayers and Masses of the Benedictine Community. For those who choose to be buried elsewhere, a special memorial section has been established for remembrance, as a way of extending this perpetual “coming home” to all alumni and friends. • Mausoleum Burial • In-ground Burial • In-ground burial of cremains • Alumni • Parishioners • Friends • Entombment of cremains • Military Veterans • Memorialize departed family members and loved ones on the “Wall of Remembrance” The cemetery office has also developed a Catholic Record file booklet to assist with pre-planning, which eliminates a burden for family members at an emotional time and ensures that final wishes are carried out in the Catholic tradition. Cemetery Office • 300 Fraser Purchase Road • Latrobe • Pennsylvania • 15650 • 724-805-2651 www.saintvincentcemetery.com

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Lisa Poponick receives the Projektenmacher Award from President Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B.

Lisa Poponick: 2012 ‘Projektenmacher’

isa Poponick, a member of the Saint Vincent College facility management staff assigned to the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, was named the second annual recipient of the Projektenmacher Award in recognition of her creative initiatives that, in the spirit of Saint Vincent Founder Boniface Wimmer, have made a valuable difference to the campus community through creativity, imagination and vision. The award was presented during the Founders’ Day Honors Convocation. “When you make your way through the Science Pavilion, it’s impressive to feel the buzz of so much activity of learning and laboratory research,” said President Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., in presenting the award. “But the more

you go there, you notice something else. You stop in a restroom and you do a double-take when you see a vase of fresh flowers... In the warmer months, you see flower beds near the entrances. If you’re in a hurry, you might not think much, but as you see this little touch of home, it’s obvious that someone is giving them the attention they need to be so beautiful. In the colder months, you notice a sniffling faculty member hovering over a steaming bowl of what looks like homemade chicken soup. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what it is. And you can almost see the healing come with every spoonful. And you come to discover it was brought in by a Saint Vincent employee who noticed that the teacher was a little under the weather. You look at the

Saint Vincent Magazine

terrazzo floor, the stairs and the glass. Is it just the imagination, or are these things sparkling?... If you’re interviewing for a teaching position at Saint Vincent, while you’re shown around, someone carrying a mop brings you a cup of coffee and wishes you ‘good luck’ on your presentation. You almost stare in disbelief... You’re a new student, and you’re worried that you’ll be late for your first class, bewildered by its location in this labyrinth we call campus, only to find that someone constructed helpful signs to direct you... And then it’s time for finals, and you’re stressing out, only to find a table with cookies. Finally you hear of Remnants for Remembrance, a quilt which was designed and hand-sewn to be raffled off, the proceeds for the tickets raising money to start a 26

scholarship fund in memory of our dearly departed Saint Vincent student, Matt Russo. “We honor Lisa Poponick for being an angel in disguise,” Brother Norman said, “and for these daily acts of kindness. Lisa accepted an ordinary job and turned it into an art. She shows the rest of us how important it is to look at what we do with a fresh pair of eyes, to see what Saint Benedict saw, that ‘the divine presence is everywhere’ (Rule 19:1). She models a sense of discipline in her work to inspire the rest of us when we are tempted to slack off. She helps us to remember that the humble path of service is what helps to form good people in a world that often settles for the attitude: What’s in it for me? She follows Benedict’s admonition that the tools of the monastery should be treated as though they were vessels of the altar. And as for Benedictine hospitality, revering every student, every visitor with the dignity worthy of any of God’s children. For her natural sense of community, building up and encouraging everyone whatever their importance in making Saint Vincent a home away from home. I wish to personally thank Lisa for her creativity, her tender loving care, and for being an unrealistic dreamer!” Poponick and her husband, Edward, live in Unity Township. They have four children, Edward, Daniel and Hannah, who are students at Saint Vincent, and Leah, a senior at Greater Latrobe. They are members of Saint Cecilia Roman Catholic Church in Whitney. Winter 2013

Billboard Recognized

A Saint Vincent billboard (see Fall 2012 issue, page 18) has been recognized in an international competition. The MarCom Awards, administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, in an international competition that honors excellence and recognizes the creativity, hard work and generosity of marketing and communication professionals.

Suzanne Wilcox English, vice president for marketing and communications at Saint Vincent, expressed appreciation to Jim Wasylik of West Media and George Fetkovich, C’80, of Apollo Design for their work in the design and placements of the boards. The billboard won a Gold Award. The photo featuring the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion was taken by photographer James Schafer of Pittsburgh.

New Ion Chromatography System

Solar Panels Acquired For Environmental Science Lab Dr. Cynthia A. Walter, above left, associate professor of biology, monitors the solar panel experiment of Matt Mackey, right, a junior environmental science major, utilizing one of 12 new solar panels recently acquired for the environmental science laboratory. Utilizing a Labquest meter that measures light, current and voltage, Mackey

In the photo below, Dr. Caryl Fish, left, associate professor of chemistry, guides junior environmental science majors Sam Walters, center, and Rebecca McGrail, right, in the operation of a new ion chromatography system in the instrument laboratory of the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion. The sophisticated instrument’s acquisition was made possible by a recent grant from the Dominion Foundation’s Higher Education

Partnership Program. It will be used to measure ions in solution such as fluoride, chloride, bromide, nitrates, sulfates and other substances important to biological systems. It will also be used for analysis of Marcellus Shale components that typically have a high concentration of ions. The instrument will be utilized in ecology and quantitative analysis classes as well as for senior research in biology, chemistry and environmental science.

is able to calculate the efficiency of the panel under differing conditions such as cloud cover, time of day and angle of the sun and compare these panels to the 90 full-size panels on the pavilion roof. The acquisition was made possible by a recent grant from the Dominion Foundation’s Higher Education Partnership Program.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

PIlitics:

Election Followup

As a followup to our alumni who work in politics feature (Fall 2012):

IJOSEPH PETRARCA, C’84 garnered 56.1 percent of the vote by defeating challenger John Hauser in the fall general election 13,757 votes to 10,770 in the 55th Legislative District, Pennsylvania. RICK SACCONE, professor in the Alex

SVC, WCCC In Articulation Agreement Officials of Saint Vincent College and Westmoreland County Community College signed an articulation agreement that will ensure that students who have earned an associate’s degree from WCCC may transfer up to half the credits they need for graduation with a bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent in business, psychology, and criminology, law and society. The agreement was signed by Dr. Daniel Obara, president of WCCC and Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., Saint Vincent president. It is expected that several other programs of study may be added in the coming months. Plans include extending the cooperation between the colleges for faculty guest lecturing and a variety of events on each campus.

G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government, defeated challenger Dave Levdansky in a close race, 14,495 (50.2 percent) votes to 14,383 votes (49.8 percent) in the 39th Legislative District of Pennsylvania.

New Officers Justin A. Teets of Vanderbilt, Fayette County, was installed as the new president of the Saint Vincent College Student Government Association Executive Board for 2013 at a formal gavel-passing ceremony at the Fred M. Rogers Center on campus Dec. 2. Also installed were Tanner C. Beal of Hagerstown, Maryland, vice president; Robert (Bo) Tokarski II of Pittsburgh, treasurer; and Loretta Bobetich of Duncansville, secretary.

25-Year Employees Honored Four Saint Vincent College and Archabbey employees were honored for 25 years of service at a luncheon for all employees this fall. Honored were Lawrence Hendrick of Ligonier, director of the facilities management office; Terry Noel of Latrobe, fire chief in the public safety office and purchasing agent in the business office; Patricia Shirey of Greensburg, emergency telecommunications operator in the office of public safety; and Dr. Susan Walker of Greensburg, associate professor of psychology in the school of social sciences, communication and education. Brother Norman, right, presented certificates to, from left, Patricia Shirey, Larry Hendrick and Dr. Susan Walker.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

Nurse Anesthesia Doctoral Program Will Begin In Fall 2013 Excela Health School of Anesthesia and Saint Vincent College jointly announced the initiation of a new professional graduate education doctoral completion program that will award the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) beginning in the fall of 2013. The new program, one of only a handful in the United States to accommodate the needs of working nurse anesthetists, will prepare Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) within Excela Health and its affiliates as well as those at other health care facilities nationwide to earn a DNAP and become leaders in this rapidly developing field of medicine. “Excela Health is pleased and proud to add a new dimension to its graduate educational programs for clinicians,” said Carol J. Fox, M.D., interim chief medical officer at Excela Health. “The DNAP program graduates will provide a complement to our existing family medicine residency graduates as we strive to provide highly-trained clinicians who will improve the health and well-being of every life they touch in our community and beyond.” “Our goals are to develop motivational leaders who are ready to meet the challenges needed to advance anesthesia practice, to develop CRNAs with superior levels of knowledge in anesthesia theory and practice and to educate CRNAs who are proficient in evidencebased practice and lead

Dr. Michael DeBroeck (second from left), assistant director of the Excela Health School of Anesthesia, instructs nurse anesthetists, from left, Amber Schaus, William Lewis and Mathew Coddington in the simulation laboratory at Excela Latrobe Hospital. The students are enrolled in the master’s in health sciences degree program at Saint Vincent College. The new doctoral degree program in nurse anesthesia practice being offered by Saint Vincent in collaboration with Excela Health will enable these students to advance beyond clinical practice to the highest level of health care leadership. the field in establishing new standards of quality and care,” said Dr. John Smetanka, vice president for academic affairs at Saint Vincent. “We will prepare CRNA leaders of the future with the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing health care system.” “As the areas of expertise within our field of practice become more specialized, the need arises to have an advanced level of educational knowledge,” said Dr. Beverly Silvis, director of the Excela Health School of Anesthesia. “We are pleased that Saint Vincent College shares our vision for preparing tomorrow’s health care leaders.”

Saint Vincent Magazine

This program extends the cooperation that Excela Health and Saint Vincent College began in 2005 with the establishment of a joint graduate-level program leading to a master of science in health science degree. Each year several hundred applications are received from around the country for approximately 30 spaces in this program.

“The focus of the program is on leadership management and continuous improvement,” Smetanka said. “We look forward to offering nurse anesthetists the opportunity to become leaders in the field and helping to advance the development of a new standard in health care excellence.”

Winter 2013

Lincoln Talk Given

Dr. Daniel Vanden Berk is working with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Professor Reaching for the Next Galaxy Dr. Daniel Vanden Berk, assistant professor of physics, is working with the Hubble Space Telescope to study gaseous clouds in the Andromeda Galaxy. Since his graduate school days at the University of Chicago, Vanden Berk has been working with the Hubble. His current project involves studying the gas content of the Andromeda Galaxy, the earth’s nearest neighbor galaxy. “I’m currently looking at the gas content of the galaxy,” he said. “Between the stars in space is gas and dust. The stars in the Andromeda Galaxy are approximately 2.5 million light years from earth, so the light that is being gathered by the Hubble for my research is 2.5 million years old—just before the dawn of man on earth.” By studying the light

being gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope, Vanden Berk and his collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins University, New Mexico State University and the University of Chicago, had hoped to discover the answers to two questions. The first, ‘what is the mass of the Andromeda Galaxy?’ cannot be determined by using the Hubble. The second, ‘how big is the Andromeda Galaxy?’ is still being investigated. “The existence of gases far away from the galaxy’s core will tell us the full extent of the galaxy,” Vanden Berk said. “We suspect that it’s much larger than we can see from the stars.” There are three ways to measure the size of a galaxy, he explained. “First,

Saint Vincent Magazine

where does the starlight exist? Second, where do radio waves emitted from the gasses in the galaxy exist? Third, how far away from the known core of the galaxy can gas be detected?” The readings the team is currently analyzing were taken in 2010. The current analysis focuses on what was found and not found, and how the gas that was detected is related to the rest of the stars and radio waves in the galaxy, if they are at all,” he added. Vanden Berk has been working with the Hubble Space Telescope for 15 years. During the Spring 2013 semester, he hopes to have physics majors Cameron Wisniewski, C13, and Josh Rigone, C14, working with him to analyze the data. —Liz Cousins 30

Dr. Jason R. Jividen, assistant professor of politics in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, gave an invited talk for the annual R. Gerald McMurtry Memorial Lecture Series at the Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, Tennessee. The series is sponsored by Lincoln Memorial University’s Abraham Lincoln Institute for Leadership and Public Policy. The talk was titled, “The Lincoln Image and the Idea of Equality in American Presidential Rhetoric.” “The talk briefly surveyed and critically discussed presidential appeals to Lincoln’s ideas about equality as a paramount political good,” Jividen said. “In presidential rhetoric, Lincoln’s understanding of equality is often misunderstood or misrepresented and this has significant consequences not only for how we might understand Lincoln, but also for how we understand the legitimate ends and means of American republicanism.”

Winter 2013

Christopher Oldenburg Receives Excellence In Teaching Award

r. Christopher Oldenburg, Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, was presented with the Thoburn Excellence in Teaching Award at the annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation. The award recognizes his excellence in teaching, dedicated service to students and his commitment to the Benedictine values of Saint Vincent College. The Thoburn Excellence in Teaching Award is made possible by a gift from the late Thomas W. Thoburn Jr. and Tina Thoburn, D.Ed., educators and philanthropists. “Nominations for this award are made by Saint Vincent College alumni five to seven years after graduation,” said Dr. John Smetanka, vice president for academic affairs. “Alumni are invited to name one member of the faculty who has made a significant impact on them through their teaching and personal interactions. Twenty-two different faculty members received nominations this year. Several had multiple nominations. This provides a clear indication of the long-lasting impact that our faculty have on our students.” “Dr. Oldenburg is exceptionally generous with his time and service,” Smetanka said. “He serves as a leader in his department, his school and the college. To give just a Dr. Christopher Oldenburg, left, was presented with couple of examples, in the past few years he has served the Thoburn Excellence in Teaching Award at the annual as president of the Faculty Council and chair of the Rank Founders’ Day Honors Convocation by Brother Norman W. and Tenure Committee. He has worked to develop an Hipps, O.S.B., president. academic program in children’s studies and a web-based curriculum toolkit Catholic identity. He is building on the legacy of a model for the kind of Fred Rogers. With this psychologist I would like Dr. Oldenburg allows freedom, individuality, award, we recognize to be.” and creativity in his class presentations. He makes Dr. Oldenburg for the Oldenburg, a faculty profound impact he has member since 2000, learning fun and challenging at the same time on his students both earned a bachelor in the classroom and of arts degree in through advising and psychology from mentoring.” the University of One former student Notre Dame in 1991. He earned both a master of arts currently finishing a doctorate in psychology wrote, “Dr. degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Kent State Oldenburg is warm, approachable, encouraging, kind, University. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Oldenburg and sincerely service-oriented. He is a family man who is and his wife, Jennifer, a clinical psychologist, have five clearly devoted to the advancement of his students and children. They are members of Holy Family Roman in everything he does he carries with him our strong, Catholic Church, Latrobe. —Don Orlando

“

.” —Letter of Nomination

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

ndefeated

By Simon Stuchlik

After finishing what head coach Christopher McMahon called a “remarkable” 2012 season with an undefeated record, the women’s tennis team will represent Saint Vincent at the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament this May. The program’s achievement stems not just from a focus on achieving on-court success, but a foundation of values that make an even deeper impact on the players than its first-ever PAC Championship.

The tennis team members include seated, from left: Shayla Landman, a freshman from Mount Pleasant; Kylie Auman, a sophomore from St. Marys; Stephanie Rubin, a senior from Spotsylvania, Virginia; Amanda Gans, a junior from Upper Saint Clair; Jacquelyn Hauser, a freshman from Greensburg; Regina Woloshun, a sophomore from Latrobe; standing, from left, Chantal Mitchell, a senior from Kingston, Jamaica; Hannah Kahn, a freshman from Sewickley; Amanda Marker, a freshman from Acme and Jessica McKetta, a senior from Acme. Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

Tennis Team Ends Year Perfect In PAC From an on-court perspective, the season couldn’t have gone much better. Four freshmen added to a core of returning players from last year’s 15-3 team, and the mix of experience and fresh blood quickly showed as the squad lost only three out of a possible 45 individual matches during the first five games. Competition increased when Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) play began, but the team’s winning streak would not be broken. McMahon, professor of theology, was especially interested to see how his team would perform against conference powerhouses Grove City and Westminster. While Grove City had been the defending conference champions for 26 years in a row, Westminster College was riding a winning streak that had started with the beginning of the 2011 season. Yet in both matches, Saint Vincent came away victorious in what McMahon now considers season-defining victories on the way to the PAC Championship. According to McMahon, the team’s success is a direct result of values first established by its founding head coach. Jim Bendel, C’60, who won the conference championship as a member of the men’s tennis team his senior year, laid the groundwork for team unity and personal excellence when re-establishing women’s tennis at Saint Vincent in 2004. “When we started the program 10 years ago, we wanted to establish a culture,” Bendel said. “We wanted to communicate that tennis is a lifetime sport, and that beyond wins and losses, valuable life lessons can be learned.” Despite stepping down as head coach due to time constraints at the end of the 2011 season, Bendel remains close to the team as an assistant. “This is still very much his team,” said McMahon, who spent five years as an assistant coach before taking on the head coaching position. “He still helps out at practice and attends as many games as he can. He recruited the girls.” And the first-year head coach is committed to continuing his predecessor’s approach. In McMahon’s vision, the team should be “a place for fellowship… a catalyst for friendship, for pursuing personal as well as academic excellence.” The results of this season suggest the vision is working. The outstanding season led to a PAC Coach of the Year award for McMahon, but he defers credit to Bendel and assistant coach Kim Kissel. “I don’t think anyone knows the full extent of the impact Kim has had on this team,” senior Stephanie Rubin said. “We all know that five minutes with Kim’s individual attention on the court can change your game for the better by volumes.” This balance between on-court success and off-court values, epitomized by Bendel and Kissel, is no coincidence.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Co-captain and senior Stephanie Rubin. “Tennis provides our students with an opportunity to be better students,” McMahon said. Student athletes learn how to stay focused on the task at hand while at the same time enjoying a valuable release from the daily stress of papers and exams. And none of the students embody this concept better than co-captains Amanda Gans and Rubin. Gans was not even a starter on her high school tennis team at Upper St. Clair. As her school’s valedictorian with a goal of studying medicine, her focus was primarily academic. But given the opportunity to play tennis at Saint Vincent, her work ethic and dedication began showing on the court, and she is now regarded as the best tennis player in the conference. At the same time, she continues to boast a 4.0 GPA as a junior biochemistry major. As Rubin put it, “a lot of the vigor that we get from our team comes directly from her.” Like Gans, Rubin did not even play tennis in high school. But during her time as a member of the team, she has developed into a pillar of the program both on and off the court. Her teammates and coaches now describe her with words ranging from “winner” to “role model” and “inspirational.” Led by Gans and Rubin, each team member played her part in the undefeated season. Every starter contributed at least one win in singles or doubles, concluding with Saint Vincent’s 6-3 victory at the end of the regular season to stop Westminster’s 31-game winning streak. Westminster’s star player Alex Baily, who had been undefeated for 36 straight matches, fell to Gans in a thrilling 2-set victory. At the PAC tournament, every member of the team managed to score at least a consolation win. Each point earned would count at the end, as the squad finished the tournament tied with Westminster for the PAC Championship. But due to its regular-season victory over the Titans, Saint Vincent was awarded a qualifying berth for the NCAA National Championship in May of 2013. The experience will be yet another opportunity for the team to come together and represent Saint Vincent—as true student-athletes.

Winter 2013

Cross Country Team Wins PAC

he men’s cross country team won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship for the third consecutive year this fall. Three runners finished in the top 10 at the annual PAC meet, headed by junior Chansler Poole’s second place finish. Poole also finished 12th out of 343 runners at the regional meet the following week, qualifying for the national championship in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he finished 231st out of 280 runners. The results are especially impressive considering the 12-man team graduated five seniors last May, leading coach Andrew Herr to expect a “rebuilding year” in 2012. But the seamless integration of four new runners along with the leadership of co-captains Cam Stumme and Lucas Briola resulted in a hard-working, unified group that continued to improve each week, Herr said. The Cross Country team has now won the PAC every year it has been eligible for the championship meet. Herr, who won PAC Coach of the Year honors for the third consecutive season but defers to his team as well as assistant coach Steve Snider for credit, said he has been blessed to work with quality young men that have been “refreshing to coach.” Much of that success is due to recruitment. Instead of merely focusing on top high school performers, Herr and Snider look for student athletes who are hard workers with a good attitude and the willingness to strive for good academics. Herr said that in his experience, “better students often become better athletes” due to their willingness to put in the necessary time to improve. With only two seniors graduating in May, he hopes that the team’s winning streak in the PAC conference will not soon be broken. —Simon Stuchlik

Chansler Poole

Team members include, front, from left, Frank Dieguez, a freshman from Miami; William Cusick, a freshman from McDonald; Justin Petrovich, a junior from Pittsburgh; Cam Stumme, a senior from North Huntingdon; Brandon Holmes, a sophomore from Sutersville; Sawyer Palonder, a freshman from Perryopolis; back, from left, Assistant Coach Steven Snider; Vincent Tonzo, a freshman from Wexford; Eric Porter, a sophomore from Mount Pleasant; Lucas Briola, a senior from Pittsburgh; Chansler Poole, a junior from Harrison City; Nick Killen, a junior from Pittsburgh; Andrew Razanauskas, a junior from Zelienople; and Head Coach Dr. Andrew Herr.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

All-American Elly Colvin, #11

Women's Soccer Ties Program Record With 11 Wins

ed by a staunch defense, the women’s soccer team finished one of its most successful seasons this fall. The squad left the turf with more goals than its opposition 11 times, tying a school record for wins in a season. Another program record, goals in a game, was tied when capping the regular season with a 13-0 win at home against Chatham University. While narrowly missing a PAC playoff spot, the team was subsequently invited to participate in the ECAC South championship in Maryland. Coach Becky Stewart credited the team’s unity for its success, noting a vibe between her players that she had “never experienced before.” But defense also played a major part. Sophomore interior defender Elly Colvin, who garnered All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference First Team honors for the second consecutive season, headed a defensive group that recorded eight shutouts while allowing just 19 goals in 18 games. Colvin was rewarded for her efforts after the season, when she was the firstSaint Vincent Magazine

ever Bearcat to be named a First-Team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Sophomore defensive midfielder Amie Dobracki completed her impressive comeback from a significant knee injury. Starting every game, she contributed to the team’s defense with leadership by example. Her all-out effort to not back down and fight for every ball, according to Stewart, inspired other team members to leave nothing on the field. Only three seniors will graduate in the spring, increasing the chance that this still-young squad will retain its chemistry and build on its success. “The core of the team will remain the same,” Stewart said. “I’m confident that we can take the next step in 2013.” The goal will be to finish among the top four teams in conference play, which could result in another first for the program—a coveted PAC Conference playoff berth. —Simon Stuchlik

Winter 2013

Football players selected une

Carl Je

aint Vincent senior wide receiver Carl Jeune (see Fall 2011 Saint Vincent Magazine) was selected as one of 70 players to participate in the fourthannual Division III Senior Classic Scout Bowl on Friday, Dec. 7 in Salem, Va. Jeune, a native of Miami, Fla., finished fourth on the team with 15 receptions this season for 92 yards. The 5-7 wide receiver also returned three kickoffs for 61 yards.

Get in the Game For the latest results of Bearcat Athetic teams, visit:

http://athletics.stvincent.edu follow us on Twitter:

@SVC_Bearcats Saint Vincent Magazine

Darius M

cGhee

The D3 Classic is exclusively dedicated to showcase the top Division III football players in the country and is hosted by the Collegiate Development Football League. The players were divided into two teams (North vs. South). League representatives from the NFL, CFL, UFL, IFL, AFL and European professional scouts attended this three-day event. This game was developed by the CDFL to promote professional opportunities for American players in Europe. Saint Vincent junior offensive lineman Darius McGhee repeated on the First-Team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference football teams to highlight seven Bearcats that were honored by the leagues’ coaches. McGhee, a native of Pittsburgh, and a graduate of perennial powerhouse Central Catholic High School, earned his second-consecutive First-Team allconference selection. The 6-5, 270-pound tackle has started 21-straight games along the offensive line and has been a consistent piece of the Bearcats’ offense during the last two seasons. Junior safety Dan Wirkowski earned Second-Team recognition following an Honorable Mention campaign in 2011. This season, the 6-3 native of Pittsburgh, finished tied for sixth in the team with 50 tackles (33 solo). The graduate of Shaler High School also registered one interception, five pass defenses, one interception, one forced fumble and 0.5 tackles for loss. A total of five Bearcats garnered Honorable Mention All-PAC honors, including the team’s leading tackler, freshman linebacker Renny LaRue-Holloman; senior linebacker Jovaughn Johnson, senior wide receiver Ricky Douglas, sophomore wide receiver Matt Duffey and sophomore cornerback Darius Brown. The Saint Vincent football team finished the year with an 0-10 record and 0-8 mark in the PAC.

Winter 2013

Alumni Friends

A Monkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masterwork

Carved around 1893 by master sculptor Brother Cosmas Wolf, O.S.B., The Adoration of the Magi served as the centerpiece of the altar in the monks old Choir Chapel, located above the current monastic refectory. Although the Choir Chapel was damaged in the Saint Vincent fire of 1963 and razed shortly afterwards, this statue was rescued and today serves as testimony to the rich artistic tradition of Saint Vincent and its master artisan monks. In the Fall of 2013, The Saint Vincent Gallery will host an exhibition of sculpture and altar drawings from Brother Cosmas Wolfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prolific career.

Alumni Office

Saint Vincent College

http://bearcatsonline.stvincent.edu/

300 Fraser Purchase Road Latrobe, PA 15650-2690 724-805-2568 alumni@stvincent.edu Saint Vincent Magazine

http://www.facebook.com/SVCBearcatAlum http://www.youtube.com/user/saintvincentcollege 37

Winter 2013

Upcoming Alumni Events Fifty years ago, in 1963, a fire consumed part of the Saint Vincent campus on a bitter cold morning. Today, Prep and College alumni identify with that cold morning disaster. Yet from the ashes of that fire, see what has emerged. Every decade witnessed new growth, from dorms and classrooms to athletic facilities. We went co-ed and football returned. New student recruitment continues to be a goal of your Alumni Council. Under the direction of Mike Gerdich, Alumni Director, we will be asking alumni in major cities to help spread the Bearcat word. Your contact with a family member, friend, neighbor or parishioner can open the door to a new beginning for a young man or woman seeking an incredible opportunity … just as the door opened for you, when you were looking for direction. Over the next few weeks, college representatives will be traveling to Florida and New York to meet alumni. Current students are writing their own stories, finding success just as you once did. We often hear alumni fondly describe the relationships they built with their instructors and classmates. Those types of relationships are still evident with today’s students, setting the stage for internships and mentoring. As Alumni Council enters 2013, we are making final plans for the Easter Ball, our showcase event. Scheduled for April 6 at the Lexus Club in PNC Park, this honors Father Gilbert Burke, O.S.B., and supports the Alumni Scholarship. A first-class event, the Easter Ball will auction a trip to Greece as well as the Bearcat auction. We are also looking forward to the Prep Reunion over the May 31-June 2 weekend. Local luncheons continue, and we are planning another family event at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Watch for future announcements. Information on any event is available at the Alumni Office at 724-805-2568, or alumni@stvincent.edu. President, Alumni Council

Local Alumni Lunch—Metten Room, Campus Friday, February 8

Bonita Springs , Florida Alumni and Friends Mass and Luncheon Sunday, February 10

Alumni Council Meeting, SVC Campus Saturday, February 16

Palm Beach, Florida Alumni and Friends Mass and Luncheon Sunday, February 17

Greensburg Alumni Lunch—Giannilli’s II Tuesday, February 19

Local Alumni Lunch—Metten Room, Campus Friday, March 8

Greensburg Alumni Lunch—Giannilli’s II Tuesday, March 19

SVC Harrisburg Alumni and Friends Event The Central Hotel and Conference Center Thursday, March 14

Easter Ball—Lexus Club, PNC Park Saturday, April 6

SVC D.C. Alumni & Friends Event April, to be announced

Diablo, California Alumni & Friends Dinner and Social Thursday, May 16

Alumni Council Meeting, Campus Saturday, May 18

Prep Reunion, Campus May 31-June 2

Homecoming 2013 September 27-28 FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alumni Office 724-805-2568 alumni@stvincent.edu

HERE ARE THEY NOW?

The Sports Information Office notes that many of its former student employees have gone on to work within the sports world. (Erik Kaminski, C’05, and Jim Berger, C’04, were profiled in the Winter 2012 issue.) The list, courtesy of Jeff Zidek, includes:

Jason Seidling, C’07, worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers during summer training camp for three years as the school’s Steelers web reporter. He then parlayed that experience into a part-time job with the Steelers during his senior year, working in the press box during home games. After graduation, Jason joined the Steelers for a fullyear internship. He later received an opportunity and accepted a position as manager of content for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ website. He has been with the Penguins since 2009, and is currently the NHL team’s manager of communications. Eddie Coughlan, C08, interned with the Baltimore Ravens during his days at Saint Vincent and served as the main SVC-TV director. He went to work full-time with the Ravens right after graduation and currently works in the Ravens’ broadcasting department, RaveTV. He has won an Emmy from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS-NCCB). On game days, he shoots bench audio and game action and is part of the

broadcast team that travels with the Ravens and produces, shoots and edits five TV shows per week. Conner Gilbert, C’09, was a four-year member of the sports info team during his time as a student at Saint Vincent and served as the school’s Steelers web reporter for two seasons. Upon graduation in 2009, he accepted a full-time position as sports information director at Penn State-Altoona, where he continues to work. After working with the department for four years, Sean King, C’09, spent a year earning his master’s degree in sports management and working as a graduate assistant in the sports information office at California University (NCAA-II), as well as in the press box for the Washington Wild Things. He then returned to Saint Vincent as the full-time assistant SID in the fall of 2011. Jeremy Smith, C’11, spent four years working with the sports information department as the main contact for men’s lacrosse as well as a photographer, videographer and video editor. In the fall of 2012,

Saint Vincent Magazine

he began serving as a graduate assistant in sports information at Lake Erie College. A four-year member of the department, Natalie Hozak graduated in December, 2011 and joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in Cape Cod, Mass., as an intern. Mike Hustava, C’12, worked with the sports information department for three years. He interned with the Washington Wild Things and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the summer of 2011, and has accepted a position as a full-year intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers, working in media relations following graduation. Current students who also have earned internships with professional sports organizations: Abby Geisel, C14, worked as an intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers media relations department in the summer of 2012. She has previously worked for the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League. Charlie Kurtz, C13, interned with the Altoona Curve, double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, during the summer of 2011.

Winter 2013

Shawn T. Beaman

Augustus A. Boova

James P. Carreras, Jr.

Amanda Cecconi

William G. Charnoki

Eleven Honored With Distinction, Achievement Awards Saint Vincent College honored nine graduates with the presentation of the Alumni of Distinction Awards and two with the Recent Alumnus/a Achievement Awards at a reception and dinner during the annual Alumni Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend.

Shawn T. Beaman, M.D., C’98 Beaman, of Gibsonia, has a bachelor of science degree in psychology. He served as a prefect and a lifeguard and was involved in campus ministry, Alpha Lambda Delta, Psi Chi and the ski club. He was a psychology career night speaker, a pre-professional health speaker and is a member of the School of Social Sciences, Education and Communication advisory council. Beaman earned an M.D. in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York and completed his anesthesiology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is a physician and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology. He is a member of Saint Kilian Parish. He and his wife, Antoinette, have two children, Clare and Andrew. He received the Recent Alumnus Achievement Award.

Augustus A. Boova, P’42, C’47 Boova, of Phoenixville, has a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. He was a member of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He has served on the Phoenixville Hospital Board of Directors, Schuylkill Township Board of Supervisors, as a Schuylkill Township Board member and as a member of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation. Now retired, he enjoys golfing, swimming and traveling. He and his wife, Christine, have three children, Thomas, Robert and Patrick.

James P. Carreras, Jr., C’62 Carreras, of Midlothian, Virginia, has a bachelor of science degree in business. He was a member of the ski club, tennis team and the president of business forum. Carreras earned a master of business administration degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Saint Edward Epiphany School Board, Saint Edward Parish Council and finance committee. Currently, he is a member of Saint

Saint Vincent Magazine

Edward the Confessor, Knights of Columbus, West End Catholic Men’s Association, The Commonwealth Club of Richmond, The Penn Club of New York and an advisory board member of Paragon Bank. He serves on the board of Commonwealth Catholic Charities and the Epilepsy Golf Tournament Committee. He volunteers weekly at the Richmond Public School System. He worked at Investment Banking N.Y. and is the president of P&J Properties, Inc. Carreras and his wife, Margaret, have two children, Elizabeth and Scott, and four grandchildren.

Amanda Cecconi, C’87 Cecconi, of Franklin, Tennessee, has a bachelor of science degree in economics, summa cum laude. She was an active writer for the Saint Vincent Review. She earned a master’s degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Cecconi is founder and partner of a marketing consulting firm and works for the Punching Nun Group. She is currently a member and chair of the McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government Advisory Board. She is a member of Grace Chapel in Franklin, where she teaches a fifth-grade Bible study class. She is a board member of Hop Clinic for Women in Nashville, and a board member of the GEAR Foundation. Cecconi has developed marketing plans and volunteered for Orphan Network, and provided free marketing support to the Retail Orphan Initiative. She is married to Randy F. Thompson.

Rev. Msgr. William G. Charnoki, PA, J.C.L., C’61, S’65 Monsignor Charnoki, of Ligonier, earned a bachelor of arts degree. He sang in the Saint Gregory Choir, was a member of CCD and taught catechism. Monsignor Charnoki was a member of Saint Vincent De Paul Society. He is currently the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Ligonier. He is a member of the Ligonier Ministerium, the Ligonier Association of Churches and various ecumenical services. He was the assistant chancellor of the Diocese of Greensburg and served as dean and vicar for religious. He was chairman of the priests’ personnel board, judicial vicar of the diocesan matrimonial tribunal and served as a diocesan consultor. He was named a domestic prelate with the title of monsignor in 1986. In 2005 he was named a prothonotary apostolic supernumerary.

Winter 2013

Lee R. Demosky

Earl J. Henry, O.S.B.

John M. Lally

Gabrielle K. Nastuck

Daniel W. Piccuta II

John L. Tarka

Lee R. Demosky, C’92

Gabrielle K. Nastuck, C’01

Demosky, of Greensburg, earned a bachelor of science degree in political science with minors in public administration and history, with high honors. He was a member of the scholar program in college. He also received a first-place award for best orator in the Saint Vincent Mock Trial Competition. He serves on the board of directors of the Westmoreland Bar Association, as well as the Westmoreland County Academy of Trial Lawyers. In 1994 he received a juris doctorate from Widener University School of Law. He and his wife, Lou Anne, have four children, Brianna, Appolonia, Lealaina and L. William.

Nastuck, of Latrobe, has a bachelor of arts degree in studio arts with a focus in graphic design as well as a minor in art history. After graduation she attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where she received her digital design diploma. Director of the Latrobe Art Center, she currently serves as the chair for Champion of the Arts for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit. She is the creator of the Buddy Art Program and serves on the Latrobe Revitalization board of directors. She has also served as the chair of the first arts festival in Vandergrift. She received the Recent Alumna Achievement Award.

Very Rev. Earl J. Henry, O.S.B., P’55, C’60, S’64

Daniel W. Piccuta II, C’77

Father Earl became a monk of the Archabbey in 1957, and received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. He earned a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1964. He was the associate pastor at Saint Gertrude Parish, Vandergrift. Then, he returned to Saint Vincent to hold the positions of director of food service, director of intramurals, dean of students and director of admission and financial aid. He studied at the International Benedictine College of Sant’ Anselmo, Rome, Italy, and served as administrator of Saint Nicholas Parish, Nicktown, and rector of the Penn State Catholic Center. For the past 15 years, Father Earl has served as the prior of Saint Vincent Archabbey and president of Wimmer Corporation.

Piccuta (see fall 2012 issue, pages 26-27), of Kailua Kona, Hawaii, earned a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1977. He was a member of the tennis team. He was also awarded the Saint Vincent Award for Excellence in Major Field of Study. In 1980 he received a juris doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Piccuta recently retired as a foreign policy advisor for the U.S. State Department, where he worked alongside Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton, Tim Geithner and a host of other top-level officials in his post as second-in-command at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. He has served as a board member for the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has been a member and guide for the Kona Historical Society in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. He and his wife, Christina, have one daughter, Erin.

John M. Lally, C.P.A., C’77 Lally, of Pittsburgh, received a bachelor of arts degree in accounting. He was an active athlete in college, participating in intramural softball, bowling, wrestling, football, soccer, and basketball. In 1978 he received a master of business degree from George Washington University with a concentration in finance and investments. Lally is currently a member of the board of directors of the Allegheny Valley Bank of Pittsburgh, board president of Kon-O-Kwee Spencer and serves on the finance council for the YMCA of Pittsburgh. Other service included work on the pastoral council, the principal advisory board and the school advisory board for Saint Sebastian Parish. He and his wife, Kiera, have four children, Alecia, Shaun, Xenia and Kevin.

Saint Vincent Magazine

John L. Tarka, C’67 Tarka, of McDonald, has a bachelor of arts degree in English. He served as the president and committee chair of the Saint Vincent College Student Government Association. In 1968 he received a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as a board member of the United Way of Allegheny County and as a board member of the Obediah Cole Foundation for the prevention and cure of prostate cancer. Tarka is the vice president of the Allegheny County Labor Council. He and his wife, Jean, have three children, John, Mary and Anna.

Winter 2013

Marriages Kathryn M. Muic (Cope), C’99, and Robert A. Kester on May 5 at Christ United Methodist Church, Bethel Park. Maid of honor was Michelle Pershing, C’01. The couple went on their honeymoon to Railey Deep Creek Lake. They are making their home in Pittsburgh. James R. Brenner, III, C’04, and Erin Werling. The wedding was held October 20 at Bethel United Methodist Church in Lower Burrell.

50th Anniversary Class Members of the Class of 1962 who attended homecoming included: Bill Battista, William Beck, Robert D. Belan, John Benyak, Raymond Belz, Ron Blase, Art Butler, Joe Cadonic, Dick Cannon, Frank Coprivnicar, James P. Carreras, Charles Carreras, Wayne DeBlander, John DeLuca, Donald Demsher, Carl DeRiseis, Ed Fayak, Donald Fetzko, John Flannery, William Fronczek, Jr., Albert Gaudio, Thomas Gorney, David Gray, James Kashin, J. Patrick Keith, Jerry Kinzler, Bill Kirby, Clark LaMendola, David Linden, Ron Lipnicky, John Manfredi, William McCombie, Mike Mehallick, James A. Meyer, Jim Nardo, Joseph A. Nickleach, Richard Payne, James Salmon, Ken Scalet, Paul Schell, James Silvis, Jerry Slavonia, Joe Sosnak, Ron Trainer, Robert Waters, Richard Wildnauer, Michael Wydo, Joseph Yablonski.

Matthew D. Burkardt, C’05, and Rachael Lynn Battaglia on November 10. SVC alumni in the wedding party included Adam Bechtell, C’01, John D. Burkardt, C’01, brother of the groom, Philip Graziano, C’01, and Michael Moximchalk, C’01. Justin J. Epler, C’07, and Kimberly VanDriessche on October 13 at Saint Vincent Basilica.

Erin Langenbacher, C’07, and Zachary Larimer on June 23.

The Retters

25th Anniversary Class Members of the class of 1987 who attended homecoming included Vince Assetta, William Brock, Mark Buckis, Carla Burke, Amanda Cecconi, Donald DeCarlo, Beth Dixon, David Drummond, Michael Flynn, Mary Lynn George, Carlyn Hacker, Beth Halferty, Pat Halferty, Pamela Hobaugh, Pamela Johnson, Andrea Kovalcin, William Malloy, Louis Mancuso, Jacqueline Blackwell McCracken, Tom Medice, Nick Melucci, Pattie Misho, Michael Picio, Laura Randall, Paula Resnak, Charles Scanga, Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., Joseph Thimons, Jr., Rae Ann Tronetti, Rocco Vitalone.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Ryan D. Retter, C’08, and Jennifer Jack on May 26 at St. Joseph Church, New Kensington. The couple honeymooned in Aruba.

Honor Roll The following name was inadvertently omitted from the Honor Roll of Donors published in the last issue: Armand Policicchio, Ph.D., P’70 C’74

Winter 2013

Paul J. DiVincenzo, C’09, and Kathleen Turner, C’11, on September 1 with Father Thomas Curry, O.S.B., as celebrant. Samantha L. Suranic, C’09, and Jason Fidazzo on June 2 at Bethany United Methodist Church, Latrobe. The newlyweds enjoyed a wedding trip to Punta Cana. Aubrey E. Diethorn, C’09, and Zachary F. Swisher on November 10 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., officiating. SVC alumni among the wedding party included: bridesmaid Aliesha Walz, C’07, cantor Sherrie Dunlap, C’09, and lector and brother of the bride, Holden Diethorn, C 13. Sean J. Tuttle, C’09, and Amanda M. Halvey on April 21 with Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., officiating. Katie Zebley, C’09, and Derek W. Victor on June 16 at Bryan United Methodist Church of Dawson. The newlyweds will live in Charles Town, West Virginia.

Kelsey L. Sullivan, C’10, and Evan J. Currie on October 27 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Thomas Curry, O.S.B., officiating.

Amanda C. Connell, C’08, and Eric M. Roberts, C’07, on September 22 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Bob Lubic as celebrant. Saint Vincent alumni in the wedding party included: Emily Petrovich, C’08, maid of honor; Jacob Connell, C’10, best man; Diana Petrovich, C’11; Jackie Gasior, C’07; Cyril Haponski, C’07; and Sean Thornton, C’07. Saint Vincent alumni guests pictured are, Sean Thornton, C’07; Jackie Gasior, C’07; Matt Pollino, C’07; Alicia Ventrice, C’08; Cyril Haponski, C’07; Nate Genard, C’08; Allie Lachat, C’08; Amanda Connell, C’08; Eric Roberts, C’07; Emily Petrovich, C’08; Tyler Tomayko, C’07; and Jacob Connell, C’10. Other SVC alumni in attendance included: Alesha Ferrett, C’08; Ashley Bower, C’08; Lauren Fenyar, C’08; Amanda Reese, C’08; Jeff Street, C’07; Zac Karas, C’07; Michelle Simpson, C’09; Tara Karns, C’09; Michael Taylor, C10; Brandon Weiss, C’10; Samuel Futrovsky, C’11; and Kimberly Salaske, C’93.

Jillian D. Janflone, C’11, and Emerson W. Duym, C’11, at Saint Vincent Basilica on April 21.

Garrett J. Muir, C’11, and Stephanie Downey on October 20 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Thomas Curry, O.S.B., as celebrant.

The Loughners Megan A. Vargo, C’10, and Jimmy Loughner on May 19 at Saint James Luthern Church, Ligonier.

Michelle E. Moss, C11, and Michael A. Vitale, C’11, on October 13 at Saint

Ashley E. McKlveen, C’10, and Jeffrey

Vincent Basilica.

We Want to Know!

Luttner on August 25. Following a honeymoon in Paris and Nice, France, the newlyweds are residing in Unity Township.

Send news and address updates to Mary Ann Dunlap in the Alumni Office: 724-805-2568 or email alumni@stvincent.edu.

Emily K. Scott, C’11, and Andrew J. Bonifazi, C’10, on October 27. Andrea L. Plummer, C’11, and Benjamin R. Cleary, C12. The wedding was held on June 30 at the Church of Saint Paul, Greensburg.

The Plummers

Saint Vincent Magazine

Winter 2013

Joseph G. Mucci, C’55, was named Honorary Football Coach for the Jeannette-Penn Trafford alumni football game on October 27 at Jeannette.

Engagements Daniel J. Furman, C’04, to Christine Wallace. They are planning a July 5 wedding at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

John F. Macey, Ph.D., P’52, C’56, and his wife, Jean, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 18.

Kirk W. Holliday, C’04, to Holly Lynn McClelland. A wedding is planned for July. Adam M. Poole, D.D.S., C’04, to Tess

Duane W. Farabaugh, Ph.D., C’58, is a diviAshley Adams and Craig Bossong

sion staff officer of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in New York City.

Nina Yap. The couple plans to wed in the summer of 2013 in Virginia Beach.

Ashley E. Adams, C’09, to Craig P. Bossong.

James J. Wager, C’59, announces the

Sarah E. Bachner, C’05, to Bob Walters.

A July 13 wedding is scheduled at Lingrow Farm in Leechburg.

birth of a great-granddaughter, Emilia Rose Wager, born October 3.

James V. Natale, C’05, to Jill Krempecki.

Carl M. Peters, C’10, to Tracy Faletti. A May

1960s

Cristine N. Taggart, C’05, to Michael F.

wedding is planned.

James V. Spino, C’63, is celebrating his

Kotora. The couple is planning a wedding to be held in June at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Greensburg.

87th birthday!

William J. “Bill” Bravin, C’64, announces, “We welcomed our first grandchild, Angeline Marie, born in October!”

Michelle A. Kurant, C’06, to Andrew Krieger, C’06. A November wedding is

Richard R. Kiel, C’64, represented Saint

planned.

Christopher A. Sciullo, C’07, to Keri Nicole Matson. The couple will be married in October at Foxley Farms in Ligonier.

Matthew Collins and Brittany Billow Matthew L. Collins, C’11, to Brittany C. Billow, C’11. They are planning a May 25 wedding at the Saint Vincent Basilica.

Thomas T. McCarthy, D.O., C’68, is a semi-

Class News 1940s

John R. Perchak, C’69, represented Saint

keeping up with three children, seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. Only one grandchild and one greatgrandchild are in Oklahoma.

1970s

Edward S. McKay, Ph.D., C’49, is busy

Jason Seidling and Jeanine Kelly Jason N. Seidling, C’07, to Jeanine Kelly, C’08. The wedding will be held at Saint Vincent Basilica in August.

Christopher McDonald, C’08, to Sarah Srnka. A May 11 wedding at Saint Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church is planned.

Robert H. Ohler, C’09, to Julianna Priola. The couple is planning a wedding for June 8 at Saint Vincent Basilica and will reside in Westmoreland County. Lauren E. Reilly, C’09, to Joshua Petricig. A June 8 wedding is planned.

Brittany Galaski, C’10, to Jerod Smith. The couple will be married on August 10 at the Duquesne University Chapel.

Vincent College at the inauguration of Dr. Michael K. Le Roy as the 10th president of Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, October 20.

1950s

Abraham S. Brown, C’51, and his wife, Lula, have been married for 62 years. They have four children and 11 grandchildren.

Donald E. Henigin, C’51, is happy to report his granddaughter, Rachel Henigin, C 15, is a sophomore at Saint Vincent and LOVES it!

Leo R. West, P’46, C’51, is active in the Pennsylvania Council for Social Studies as editor of the newsletter, and also with sections of the Western Pa. Council for Social Studies as newsletter editor and webmaster. Joseph W. Deagan, C’53, writes that his son, Army Lt. Col. William Deagan, recently returned from two years in Okinawa. He is now stationed at Scott Air Base in Illinois.

Saint Vincent Magazine

retired orthopedic surgeon enjoying four grandkids, travel and family!

Vincent College at the inauguration of Neal King, Ph.D., as president of Sofia University, Palo Alto, California, on Friday, October 19.

William G. Barrick, C’70, retired on August 31, after 42 years of federal service with the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C. He spent the first week of retirement bicycling throughout Belgium.

Edward J. Chango, C’70, is now retired and enjoying life.

The Hon. William H. Baughman, Jr., C’71, represented Saint Vincent College at the inauguration of Robert C. Helmer as ninth president of Baldwin Wallace University on Thursday, October 11.

Charles D. Cleveland, C’72, and Joan Cleveland of Pembroke Pines, Florida, arrived at Saint Vincent for homecoming weekend. On Sunday, October 7, Father Thomas Curry, O.S.B., S’02, pastor of Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, held a service to

Winter 2013

bless and renew the couple’s wedding vows. The Clevelands have been married for 38 years.

Dr. David Siwicki, C’80,

Dennis W. Nebel, Psy.D., C’73,

received a Distinguished Alumni Award for Practice from University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health at the school’s recent annual alumni awards. This award was in recognition of his work in overseeing the development and construction of more than 25 senior living communities and four housing communities for people with disabilities, including a service program for people with HIV.

recently received the Jack Butz Humanitarian Award, honoring people for community service, from the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

Brian F. Immekus, C’74, writes, “In 2009 I sold my business and retired to Perryville, Maryland with my wife of 35 years, Amy, and my daughter, Jessie, who is in college. Upon retirement, I opened a fishing guide business on the Upper Chesapeake Bay where I fish and enjoy a few cold ones. Hope to see fellow classmates at our 40th reunion.”

Anthony J. Perla, C’76, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Derry Area School District.

Christopher J. Laubach, C’77, represented Saint Vincent College at the inauguration of LuÍs Ma.R. Calingo, Ph.D., as thirteenth president of Woodbury University, Burbank, California on Saturday, October 20.

Matthew J. Dvorchak, M.D., C’78, is married to Lisa KohanDvorchak. They have two daughters, Alexandria, age 15, and Lauren, age 13.

climbed the Matterhorn.

James B. Pieffer, C’83,

Jessica Joyce Skoloda Jessica Joyce to Susie

(Robb) Skoloda,C’96, and her husband, Dan Skoloda, on September 2, 2011. She joins big brother Noah.

Helena Maria to Lara I.

(Zadzilko) Mercolini, C’00, and her husband, Michael Mercolini, C’00, on May 11. She

Michael Cook, C’84, earned a master of science degree in Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, in September. Thurman D. Wingrove, C’88, was recently promoted to the position of University Controller at the University of Pittsburgh.

1990s

joins big brother Louis, 3. Proud grandfather is Raymond J.

Zadzilko, C’69. Lucy Carol Susan Brown Lucy Carol Susan Brown was born on April 17 to Sarah E.

(Vijlee) Brown, C’97, and Lucas J. Brown.

Eileen K. Flinn, Esq, C’90, represented Saint Vincent College at the inauguration of Cheryl J. Norton as the sixteenth president of Slippery Rock University on Friday, September 28.

Cameron James Gais Cameron James to James M. Gais, C’03, and Kara J. (Kolonsky) Gais, C’03, on August 16.

Cian Robinson, C’91, has been appointed associate director of the Center for Business & Information Technologies (CBIT) and site director for the Center for Visual and Decision Informatics (CVDI) at the University (Continued on Page 46)

Births

Sophia Angelina Lawry Sophia Angelina to Gina (Rocco) Lawry, C’97, and her husband, Rob, on May 10. Sophia Angelina was baptized by Father Daniel O’Keefe, O.S.B., at Saint Vincent Basilica Parish on July 22.

1980s

David E. Mickley, C’80, (above) with a group of seven bike riders departed on August 6 on a trip devoted to raising funds and awareness to support the mission of the American Red Cross. Dave reported that the trip was a great success. They raised more than $24,000,and also spread the word about the humanitarian efforts of the organization.

Helen Maria Mercolini

Norah Kathleen Chverchko Norah Kathleen to Sarah (Keehnle) Chverchko, C’06, and her husband, Adam Chverchko, C’06, on February 8.

Sydney Blake Hurd Sydney Blake to Melanie R. (Medvick) Hurd, C’96, and her husband Jeff on October 25.

Saint Vincent Magazine

Lillandra Beth Weiland Lillandra Beth to Ruth (Early) Weiland, C’98, and her husband, Dave Weiland, on August 9.

Luke Barrett to Jamie

(MacConnell) Skena, C’06, and her husband, Michael, on May 23.

Winter 2013

Class News (Continued from Page 45) of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is the founder and president of Robinson Ventures, a strategy and development consulting firm, with more than 15 years in the private, government and not-for-profit sectors.

Katherine L. Pomerleau, C’07,

Donald R. Hacker, Esq., C’51,

graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in May, and recently passed the Pennsylvania Bar Examination. She is currently working as a first-year associate at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC in downtown Pittsburgh.

on June 15.

Friends

Denny Thimons has taken a

2000s Kyra E. Bunardzya, C’04, has earned a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing and management from Duquesne University’s John F. Donahue Graduate School of Business. Jared M. Cronauer, C’04, G’07, is the new business manager of the Indiana Area School District.

Jason M. Winters, C’04, is the new director of parks and recreation for Hempfield Township.

position as the Chief Financial officer of the Deer Lakes School District near his home. Gina Nalevanko was named Interim CFO.

cepted the position as Hempfield Township manager.

Erin (Langenbacher) Larimer, C’07, passed the Pennsylvania

August 14.

Vincent T. DeLuca, C 54, on April 14.

Raymond M. Hrin, D.D.S., C’55, on May 31. William F. Dunn, Jr., C’56, on

Deaths Rev. Joseph A. Maryland, C’35, on June 20.

August 11.

Samuel Slyman, C’49, on Michael J. Casario, C’50, on September 9.

Joseph R. DeFelice, C’51, on July 14.

August 14.

and his wife, Andrea, on the loss of their son, David, on November 4.

Jerome M. Marco, Ed.D., C’57,

Joseph A. Sabik, C’66, S’70,

Robert T. Francoeur, Ph.D., S’58, on October 15. on June 6.

June 13.

John B. Pesarchick, C’59, on September 15.

George Bork, C 61, on September 15.

Frank J. Milon, C’61, on October 23.

James R. Colosimo, C’62, on

Bar Exam this year.

A Charitable Gift Annuity

June 26.

Joseph L. Sterck, P’59, C 63, on October 31.

When you make a gift of $10,000 or more, Saint Vincent can offer you or your loved ones fixed income for life. A Charitable Gift Annuity will also generate a tax deduction in the year of your gift. Distribution rates are dependent upon age and current interest rates determine the annuity rate

on June 5.

that Saint Vincent can offer. Some sample rates:

Craig R. Bumar, C’76, on

Joseph N. Iezzi, C’67, on June 11. Arnold E. Bargielski, Jr., C’71,

Your Age:

Annuity:

4.4%

5.1%

Robert E. Farkas, C’81, on

6.8%

October 8.

November 26.

Annuity rates are subject to change. Once your gift is

Bernard E. LaBuda, C 84, on

made, the rate remains fixed.

August 8.

For more information on life income gifts or other giving op-

Verna A. (Dunn) Allen, C’93,

portunities, visit www.stvincent.edu and click on “Make a Gift” at the bottom of the home page. Contact: Saint Vincent College Office of Institutional Advancement 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650 Phone 724-805-2895 Fax 724-532-5020 Saint Vincent Magazine

Dennis J. Arch, P’64, on the loss of his mother, Rose Marie Donato Arch, on September 29.

William F. Geeting, C’56, on

Rev. John J. Marshall, S’59, on

Robert Cassidy, C’49, in June.

on the loss of their wife and mother, respectively, Rosemary Slyman, on July 9.

Thomas J. McDonald, C’64,

Joseph G. Piroch, M.D., C’58,

Walter J. McGervey, C 48, on

Dennis J. Slyman, C’58, and Stephen J. Slyman, C’93,

April 14.

on May 15.

August 10.

Andrew L. Walz, C’06, ac-

Kenneth B. Shaffer, C’53, on

Condolences

on July 29.

Jason Beck, a senior graduate student in the nurse anesthesia program died on October 15.

on the recent loss of his mother.

Robert J. Skovira, Ph.D., P’61, C’66, and John E. Skovira, P’64, C’68, on the loss of their mother, Genevieve Skovira, on November 24.

William Manion, C’68, on the loss of his mother, Frances Spinnet Manion, 102, on November 27. Ronald D. Firment, C’71, and his wife, Suzan, on the loss of their son, Ronnie, on November 21. Randall F. Lechner, C’72, on the death of his mother, Anne Lechner, on May 22. Vincent R. Johnson, LL.D., C’75, D’91, on the loss of his mother, Anna Ruth Johnson, on November 22.

William F. Ferris, Jr., C’77, Catherine Ferris, C’02, and Liz Ferris, C’06, on the death of their sister and aunt, respectively, Mari Ferris, on May 4.

Joseph A. Hoffman, C’78, on the loss of his father, Leander Anthony “Lee” Hoffman, on September 7. Edward McCormick, C’79, and Nathan McCormick, C 15, on the loss of their father and grandfather, respectively, Gerald McCormick,, on August 29. Christopher A. Sciullo, C’07, on the death of his father, Louis A. Sciullo, on September 3.

Winter 2013

An Expression of Heartfelt Gratitude

r. Thomas Greubel, C’49, H’12, (see Spring 2012 Saint Vincent Magazine, page 16) returned for Homecoming 2012. He is pictured above with Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and his son, Philip Greubel, C 83. He recalls early Benedictine professors who made a difference in his life: Fathers Edmund Cuneo, Edward Wenstrup, Owen Roth, Maximilian Duman and Bertrand Dunegan. They helped him gain acceptance to the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago. After he graduated high school as class valedictorian in 1945, Saint Vincent offered him a full academic scholarship, and he enrolled in the pre-engineering course. But his studies were interrupted when he was drafted by the Army a few months later. He served with the Signal Corps as a photographer, a skill that he enjoyed long after he left the service. In 1947 he returned to Saint Vincent, which honored his previous scholarship. He switched his major to architecture, then chemistry and finally to biology in his junior year as a pre-med student. Dr. Greubel has had a distinguished career of generous service to the poor in the San Diego area through his volunteer medical assistance.

For more information about creating a scholarship, contact: Saint Vincent College Office of Institutional Advancement 300 Fraser Purchase Road Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650 724-805-2895

“My advice to today’s students: Be true to yourself. Think about quality in everything you do. Respect other people. Work hard. All these years later, I still feel a sense of belonging at Saint Vincent. The College is part of me and I think I am a part of it.” —Dr. Thomas Greubel, C’49, H’12

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 110 Mailed from Zip Code 15650

Saint Vincent College Quality Education in the Benedictine Tradition

300 Fraser Purchase Road Latrobe, PA 15650-2690 www.stvincent.edu

Save The Date

2013 H omecoming September 27-28