Spring15? - DeSales University

DeSales University
Magazine
DeSales to Offer Philosophy Degree in Tanzania
Rachel Hunt ’94: What Happens in Vegas
Dennis Razze ’75: The Man Behind the Music
Alumni Events Spring/Summer 2015
Spring 2015
letter from the president
Allentown College of Saint Francis de Sales opened
its doors for business on September 22, 1965. One
hundred fifty-six male freshmen from eight states
dressed in coat and tie began the adventure that we
now call DeSales University.
There were two buildings: Dooling Hall, housing the entire college and Wills Hall, providing a
chapel and the residence for the Oblates serving at
the college. The Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales
also had built one wing of their seminary. That
wing, now called Brisson Hall, housed both the
original students of the college and the Oblate
seminarian community.
All of next year we will celebrate our 50th year of service to the good
people of the Diocese of Allentown, the greater Lehigh Valley, and beyond. The celebration begins when the Class of 2019 arrives on campus
for our Opening Mass.
As part of the year-long celebration, His Eminence Timothy Cardinal
Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will deliver the Furphy Lecture on
November 11. The University will also honor the bishops, clergy, and
people of Allentown as having called us into being from the “Heart of
the Church” (Ex Corde Ecclasiae) after the September Board Meeting.
Spring 2015
Editor
Laura R. Zielinski
Contributing Writers
William Edwards ’17
Caitlin Lenker ’11
Joshua Martin ’13
B.J. Spigelmyer ’99
Photographers
Nate Bridge ’13
Lee A. Butz
Amy Hertzog ’10
Pat Jacoby ’13
Phil Stein
Printing
Alcom Printing Group, Inc.
DeSales University
Magazine
DeSales to Offer Philosophy Degree in Tanzania
Rachel Hunt ’94: What Happens in Vegas
Dennis Razze ’75: The Man Behind the Music
Alumni Events Spring/Summer 2015
Alumni will be invited to participate at all celebrations, in particular the
Homecoming festivities the last weekend of September.
As spring finally embraces us here in Center Valley, I wish you peace and
holiness and am grateful that you are all part of this grand adventure.
Spring 2015
On the Cover:
Beginning in June,
DeSales will offer
a bachelor of arts
degree in philosophy
at Lumen Christi
Institute, a higher
education seminary in
Arusha, Tanzania. See
the story on page 6.
President
Fr. Bernard F. O’Connor, OSFS
Vice President for Institutional
Advancement
Thomas L. Campbell
Bernard F. O’Connor
President
Executive Director of Communications
Tom McNamara ’92
The DeSales University Magazine is published twice a year
by the Institutional Advancement Office for the alumni
and friends of the University. Comments and suggestions
are welcome. Please address all correspondence to Laura
Zielinski, editor, DeSales University Magazine, DeSales
University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034.
Phone: 610.282.1100, ext. 1359; fax 610.282.2059; or
e-mail [email protected].
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Contents
4 In the News
8 Athletics
10 Rachel (Heston) Hunt ’94: What Happens in Vegas
Psychology alumna finds a fulfilling career in marketing and hospitality at the famed Stratosphere Hotel
in Las Vegas.
12 Alumni Events Spring/Summer 2015
14 Dennis Razze ’75: The Man Behind the Music
Theatre alumnus distinguishes himself as a director and leader at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and
the DeSales theatre department.
16 Message From the Alumni Office
16 Class Notes
18 Barbara Zaun ’93 travels the world as director of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders.
23 Police Cpl. Stephen Majewski ’02 honored with Valor Award for helping accident victims while injured.
27 Help us Celebrate DeSales’ 50th Anniversary
In fall 2015, the DeSales Magazine will contribute to the University’s upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration
with a special memories edition. Get your memories, photos, and stories published!
Wish You could Help?
There are ways you can give today while
still preserving your assets for retirement
and providing for your family.
There’s good news!
You can support DeSales University
without impacting you or your family.
Please contact us to learn more about
these types of charitable gifts and how you
can make an extraordinary commitment to
help further our mission.
gifts anyone can afford:
• Gifts from a will or trust
• Beneficiary designations
• Life insurance
• Appreciated securities
• Real property
• Tangible personal property
• Life estate
But think you can’t afford to give?
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• Business interests, closely held stock,
and partnerships
in the news
Off-the-Hook: Campus Event Helps Students Nurture Healthy
Relationships Amid the Hook-up Culture
But Riggins says the culture also exists largely
because of misperceptions.
“Clinical psychologists talk about the hooking-up
phenomenon in terms of pluralistic ignorance,”
she says. “So it’s the whole idea that the campus
culture thinks everyone is doing it, and that everyone likes it. And in reality, not everyone is doing it,
and the people that are don’t really like it when it’s
all said and done.”
So how can the culture be changed? After defining
hooking up and taking apart the reasons it occurs,
Riggins offers a list of alternative solutions to put
an end to the negative culture.
By William Edwards ’17
The hookup culture is engulfing college campuses around the
country, and Maggie Riggins, director of campus ministry, is determined to take it down. She has taken the initiative to bring to light
and unpack the phenomenon, launching “Off the Hook,” an interactive forum to allow students to voice their feelings about the topic.
“Hooking up is any sexual activity ranging from kissing to intercourse that is unplanned with no commitment, and involves
alcohol and little talk,” Riggins says. There are multiple cultural
and emotional reasons it happens, she says, such as the delay of
marriage, the higher ratio of women to men on college campuses,
and people searching for relationships and intimacy.
According to the research of
Stanford University sociologist
Paula England, 72% of students say
they’ve hooked up. Of that percentage, senior college men admit to
have hooked up an average of 10
times since they started college,
with women reporting a mean of
just over 7.
Riggins suggests a technique she invented while in college, called
the “Deny and Retry,” which she discovered when she was talking
with a guy who eventually asked her to “go upstairs” with him.
“I denied and said ‘No, I’m driving, so I have to get my friends
home, but do you want to meet up for brunch tomorrow?’” Riggins recalls. “So what I did basically was deny the hookup, but I
retried by essentially asking him out on a date. I let that gentleman
know, ‘You’re not going to treat me as an object, and I’m giving you
another chance to see me as a person.”
People are looking for intimacy,
someone to talk to, somebody to
listen to them, someone to connect
with, somebody to spend time with,
somebody to get to know them.
“It’s just so common to see people
hooking up or going to a party
and making out with a guy, or farther, and guys rarely coming up
to a girl and saying ‘Do you want to go grab dinner?’ without it
sort of having any implications that we’re going to have sex at the
end,” sophomore Jenni Miranda-Angeles says. “That’s a rare thing.”
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“I think first and foremost the thing is to recognize your own human dignity and refuse to be objectified, because
the hooking up culture really just thrives on objectification,” she
says. “There’s this taking away of someone’s personhood.”
She also advocates practices like
“Chastity in Chunks,” a term she
coined referring to gradually cutting
back on hooking up as opposed to
quitting cold turkey, as well as being
pre-cognizant of the subject and
prepared to respond to the situation
before it happens.
On top of the techniques and suggestions though, she’s being proactive, holding “Single and Ready
to Mingle” nights to help revive a healthy dating culture.
“There’s speed dating, there’s mingling time, I give out door prizes
for like $10 to Starbucks, places to be like ’Hey, I just won this $10
gift card, do you want to go with me?’” Riggins explains. “I’m
lobbing it in. Here’s the softball, you just have to line it up and
drive it out of the park.”
And there’s a growing student response to her efforts. “Single and
Ready to Mingle” events draw crowds of 50-60, and her recent
“Off the Hook” presentation had about 40 attendees, both males
and females.
“I thought it was very educational because I didn’t know—
especially that at a school that is more female oriented—they think
’Hey, I have to get a good guy because there’s not enough out
there,’” sophomore Zachary Orrechio said about “Off the Hook”
and Riggins’ statistics about male-to-female ratios at colleges. “It
showed me what the hookup culture is fueled by, and it’s not just
people automatically hooking up. There are factors that go into it.”
However, Miranda-Angeles believes even higher attendance at
events like “Off the Hook” and “Single and Ready to Mingle”
may be being held back by inhibitions created by the hookup
culture and a dwindling dating scene.
“I definitely think it’s a good step to eliminate the problem of
hooking up, however, I think people are so afraid of putting them-
selves out there now that they won’t participate,” she says. “We’re
just so afraid of being hurt.”
Riggins hopes universities will begin to address this issue on a
deeper level by offering classes on topics like sexual ethics and relationships, citing a dating focused senior capstone course at Boston
College that regularly becomes waitlisted.
“People are looking for intimacy, someone to talk to, somebody to
listen to them, someone to connect with, somebody to spend time
with, somebody to get to know them, but where are the opportunities that happen if people don’t feel they’re completely equipped
to do that,” she asks. “So in one sense, colleges need to address the
culture more directly.”
But for now, Riggins will continue the cause against hookups and
its negative impact on campuses and in society. One Starbucks gift
card at a time.
“There are so many people that have this experience in college,”
she says. “Why aren’t we talking about this? I am in no way an
expert on hookup culture, but I’m willing to talk about anything
and everything if it’s going to help people feel whole and cherished and not like an object.”
Cardinal Dolan Will Present the 32nd Furphy Lecture
His Eminence Timothy Cardinal
Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will
present the 32nd Furphy Lecture at
DeSales University on November
11, 2015, as part of the University’s
50th anniversary celebration.
Cardinal Dolan was ordained a
priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
on June 19, 1976. He served in parish ministry until 1979, when he began his studies for a doctorate in American Church History at The Catholic University of
America in Washington. He returned to St. Louis and parish
ministry in 1983.
From 1987-1992, he served in the Apostolic Nunciature in
Washington, followed by two years as vice-rector at Kenrick
Seminary in St. Louis. In 1994, he was made a monsignor.
From 1994-2001, he served as rector of the Pontifical North
American College. Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary
bishop of St. Louis on June 19, 2001, and he was consecrated a
bishop on August 15 of that year. He was appointed archbishop
of Milwaukee on June 25, 2002.
On February 23, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him archbishop of New York and he was installed on April 15. From 20092010, Dolan served as the U.S. bishops’ moderator of Jewish affairs
and the chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services.
On November 16, 2010, he was elected president of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2011, he was appointed a member of the newly-formed Pontifical Council for
the Promotion of the New Evangelization and the Pontifical
Council for Social Communications. On February 18, 2012, he
was elevated to the College of Cardinals.
The Furphy Lecture series was founded in memory of Rev.
Thomas J. Furphy, OSFS, 1912-1982. Previous speakers have
included John Ashcroft, Richard Armitage, John Cardinal
O’Connor, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, William Colby, Abba Eban, Lee
Iaccocca, and Antonin Scalia.
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in the news
This year, more than 700 people enjoyed the 34th Annual
DeSales University Dinner Dance, themed Around the World
in 80 Days. The night included elegant food and dancing and
stunning decorations, including a hot-air balloon that made the
night truly spectacular.
The Dinner Dance is the biggest fundraising event of the year:
100% of the evening’s net income goes directly to financial
aid for the 97% of DeSales students who receive some form of
assistance.
Mark your calendars to attend next year’s Dinner Dance on
Saturday, March 19, 2016.
DeSales to Offer a Philosophy Degree in Tanzania
Philosophy graduates, you’re about to have Tanzanian company.
Beginning in June, DeSales will offer accredited B.A. degrees in
philosophy at Lumen Christi Institute, a higher education seminary in Arusha, Tanzania.
Lumen Christi is run under Tanzania’s British-style education
system, which means that because of its non-university status,
the school needed an affiliate university to issue its bachelor’s
degrees.
“The institute in Tanzania can only give certificates, which
doesn’t allow admission to graduate schools,” said Fr. Peter Leonard, OSFS, dean of graduate education at DeSales. “So what this
agreement does for them is give them an undergraduate degree
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from an accredited American Institution that can then help them
further their studies.”
The institute is developed and includes an academic building,
a seminary building, a small library, a chapel, dining hall, two
hostiles, and a recently built medical clinic. Leonard said it was
evident the school will continue to develop, having long term
plans already laid out. “They know where the next ten buildings
will go,” he laughed. Talks are also beginning about a program that
would send physician assistant students to Lumen Christi’s new
clinic as a medical rotation option.
This is the second foreign MSFS institution where DeSales University is offering degrees. The first is Suvidya College in Bangalore,
India, a country also operating under the British education system.
Get Involved on Campus with the Career Development Center
Whether you’re looking to connect with DeSales students or
alumni to fill your staffing needs or you’re looking for guidance
in your job search, the DeSales Career Development Center
can help.
Recruit and Hire DSU Students and New Graduates
• Post jobs and internships on our database (DSU CareerLINK).
• Register for and attend our annual fall career and internship
fair and spring career expo.
• Participate in on-campus recruiting.
Volunteer to Help Students and Other Alumni
• provide a one- to five-day job shadowing opportunity.
• help with resume critiques and mock interviews.
Alumni Job Seekers
Although we can only offer one-on-one counseling to alums
who have graduated within the last five years, the Career Development Center’s on-line resources are available to all alumni.
Visit desales.edu/career to read about all the alumni opportunities.
Honor Roll of Philanthropy & Service Recognizes the Good Deeds
of Members of the DeSales Community
Since 2013, the alumni office has been collecting stories about
the good works performed by DeSales alumni, parents, faculty,
and students. The list of more than 30 good deeds shows just how
the DeSales community is bringing positive change to our world.
Here are four highlights from the list:
Nick Vavala ’01 Helped Establish a Charity
In 2011, Nick Vavala’s ’01 father-in-law Chuck Selvaggio took a
trip to Nicaragua to study Spanish. He came back amazed by the
beauty of the country but shocked by the poverty, which prompted him to start the non-profit Neighbors to Nicaragua. Both Nick
and Chuck are schoolteachers and believe that the best cure for
poverty is education, which is the foundation for the charity. They
have built school buildings and worked to gather educators and
people who want to make a difference with the organization. Nick
is a member of the board and is in charge of communications and
promotions for Neighbors to Nicaragua (Learn more about the
charity at www.neighborstonicaragua.com).
Catherine Logan ’08 Has Raised More Than $30,000 to
Increase Awareness About Friedrich’s Ataxia
Catherine Logan ’08 has organized an annual 5K and helped raise
more than $30,000 to help her sister and others who have been
diagnosed with Friedrich’s Ataxia, a neurological disease that slowly shuts down a person’s body and currently has no cure or treatment. The event has been held for the past two years on Mother’s
Day and will continue this year on Sunday, May 10, 2015.
Through the 5K, Catherine and all the participants are able to
raise awareness for Friedrich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA).
Register for the 5K at www.curefa.org.
DeSales Shows Outpouring of Support for One of Its Own
On January 22, 2014, the family home of nursing major Joslyn
Gregus ’15 was destroyed in a fire. Fortunately, no one was injured
in the blaze, but the family lost almost all of their possessions.
Amid the tragedy, the DeSales University community showed an
outpouring of support for the family. The nursing department
spearheaded efforts to raise money and supplies, and students and
faculty donated money from their own pockets and helped with
fundraising efforts.
Beyond the DeSales community, the Student Nursing Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP), a constituent group of the National
Student Nursing Association (NSNA), also participated, donating
supplies, equipment, and uniforms for Gregus.
“The outpouring of support is what our University is all about—
Christian humanism, trying to do for the other, it’s very striking,”
said Dr. Mary Elizabeth Doyle-Tadduni ’81, chair of the nursing
department.
Lauren Cartlidge ’14 Spent a Year of Service in Alaska
After graduating, Lauren Cartlidge ’14 moved to Anchorage,
Alaska, for a year of service with Covenant House, which works to
get kids off the streets and into stable living conditions. When the
kids arrive at the shelter, they receive clothing, food, and shelter.
Lauren has helped get several kids back on their feet or at least in a
better situations.
read more stories at desales.edu/philanthropy.
Tell us your story e-mail [email protected].
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athletics
Student-Athlete Receives National Award for Her Off-Field Achievements
Alyssa Brandt ’15 has been selected as
a recipient of the Haier Achievement
Award—a national awards program
honoring student-athletes who achieve
great things outside of sports. This award
is for achievement off the playing field or
court with a goal of bringing recognition
to student-athletes who have achieved
something special off the field and off the
court, in family, academic, or community
service projects.
Brandt is the fourth of eight Haier
Achievement Awards being presented this
year nation-wide.
Brandt was a member of the DeSales soccer team through her
junior season, scoring five goals and five assists in three years. She
is a four-year member of the track & field team earning All-MAC
Second-Team honors in the 400-meter hurdles and heptathlon as a
junior. Additionally, she has been named to the MAC Fall, Winter,
and Spring Academic Honor Roll twice each and was honored last
year with the Al Senavitis Service Award.
A biology (pre-med.) major with a triple minor in chemistry,
psychology, and sport & exercise science, Brandt has been active
When I was 15, I was inspired by the
children of Haiti to become a physician.
in mission trips since she was 15-years old. She has since done
numerous trips to places such as Ghana, Haiti, and Honduras,
working in city hospitals, doing medical outreach missions, and assisting in mobile clinics. Throughout her journeys she has become
inspired to one-day start a clinic in Dessalines, Haiti, with the goal
of training Haitian healthcare professionals.
“When I was 15, I was inspired by the children of Haiti to
become a physician and to offer myself in service to the people
of Haiti and around the world,” said Brandt. “I am incredibly
honored to be recognized with the Haier Achievement Award, and
I am grateful for my family, teachers, coaches, teammates, and the
athletic department at DeSales who all support me as I pursue my
passion for academics, sports, medicine, and community service.”
Haier officially recognized Brandt with a plaque and certificate,
and they donated $2,000 to the DeSales University general scholarship fund and awarded a Haier 48-inch LED HD television to
the school’s athletic department.
24 Bulldogs Named to MAC Winter Academic Honor Roll
The Middle Atlantic Conference announced its 2015 Winter
Academic Honor Roll, with 24 DeSales student-athletes spread
across four sports honored.
Among the honorees are three members each on the men’s and
women’s basketball teams, including starters in Brian Laird ’17,
Travis Bryan ’15, and Nikki Callahan ’17.
Also honored were seven members of the men’s indoor track &
field team, including Lee Orzol ’15, who earned All-MAC FirstTeam honors in the heptathlon with a second place finish at the
MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, and Rob Lawler ’16,
who also earned All-MAC Second-Team honors with an ECAC
qualifying performance in the weight throw.
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Eleven members of the women’s indoor track & field team were
honored as well, including Emily Rogan ’17, who earned AllMAC First-Team honors in the triple jump with a second place
finish at the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The Middle Atlantic Conferences Academic Honor Roll notes
academic excellence by student-athletes and comprises sophomore class standing or higher athletes who participated in a
varsity level sport, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20
or higher, and completed the playing season in good standing.
For the Full list of honorees and other
sports news, visit athletics.desales.edu.
Five Minutes
With a Bulldog
Lance Bracale ’15
Lacrosse
Major:
TV/film
What are you interested in doing after you graduate?
After graduation I’d like to further my career in the sports industry.
I’ll be looking for a job opportunity to film or do something in
sports with someone like ESPN, NBC sports, or a college team.
Do you have special pre-game preparations?
I try to eat chicken parmesan every night before a game if I can.
On the day of games I like to eat a banana and if I have time in the
morning get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel. Then of
course like everyone else I jam out to some pregame tunes.
What’s your favorite aspect of being a student-athlete?
The best part about being a student-athlete is being in season and
being busy all the time.You wake up knowing that you need to
get through school then get to the practice field or game field,
play the sport you love, then usually study hall or film. It’s about
being busy and grinding to get your work done. Another great
aspect is the different teams and people you meet while playing
and being able to represent your school with pride.
What are your personal and team-related goals for the
upcoming season?
My biggest goal this year is to win the Freedom Conference
Championship and get into the NCAA tournament. The team
this year is very athletic and we all have the same goals. It’s not
about who scores or gets the most points—we just want to win.
It’s a team sport and we all want to succeed and strive to be the
best in our conference.
You earned All-Conference honors last season for the first
time. What did that honor mean to you?
It was a privilege to be honored. I wasn’t expecting it since I
missed the whole first half of the season due to an ankle injury,
but I was very humbled receiving that recognition.
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Rachel (Heston) Hunt ’94:
What Happens in Vegas
by Caitlin Lenker ’11
When people hear about Rachel (Heston) Hunt’s ’94 professional
accomplishments, they assume she always wanted to work in business and marketing. After all, she’s been the assistant vice president
of marketing at the Stratosphere Hotel Casino in Las Vegas since
2010 and has spent the majority of her career rising through the
ranks of the marketing world in the casino industry.
But business, marketing, and casinos were far from her mind
when she came to DeSales, where she earned her undergraduate degree in psychology. A native of the Lehigh Valley, Hunt
chose to attend DeSales based on how she felt when she visited
campus.
“DeSales felt like an instant fit for me,” she says. “I liked the fact
that when I got on campus, it felt like the rest of the world faded
and I could be myself and work toward my future.”
Although many of her friends pursued their undergraduate
degrees at larger institutions and rarely spoke to their professors,
one of the reasons Hunt appreciated her experience at DeSales is
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because her professors took the time to get to know her personally and remembered her after she graduated.
“I’m so grateful to many of my teachers who took time for me,”
says Hunt, who took a job as a social worker for Lehigh County
immediately after graduation. “The first time I was in my new job
working for Lehigh County and Judge William Ford ’72 heard a
case involving a family I was working with, I felt like I saw a local
celebrity. I was honored that he recognized me from his class. That
kind of thing probably doesn’t happen at a lot of schools,” she says.
However, a move to Las Vegas prompted an unplanned yet necessary career change.
“When I moved to Las Vegas, the city had a hiring freeze for social
worker positions. Naturally, I turned to the hospitality industry,”
she says.
To some, a career change from social work to hospitality in the
casino industry may seem unusual. But for Hunt, it made perfect
sense.
“Hospitality in the casino industry really is similar to psychology.
It’s about people and their behavior,” says Hunt. “I learned how
the best customers should be taken care of and how building those
relationships makes all the difference in the choices people make.”
Although she could have worked in hospitality in a different
industry, the casino industry specifically interested her because she
was unfamiliar with it.
“I started working in the casino, and really enjoyed the fast pace
and how unique the industry seemed to me at the time.”
Hunt continued to pursue a career in the industry when
she became the corporate director of player development at
Ameristar Casino—a position she held for eight years. During that time, she provided strategic direction for the casino’s
marketing efforts, including its incentive programs, promotions,
special events, and service programs. In addition, she increased
revenue at each of the casino’s properties by a minimum of 20%
in each location. She also spearheaded the creation of the player
development program and, in 2006, earned her MBA from the
University of Phoenix.
Today, Hunt manages all facets of marketing for the Stratosphere
Casino and manages the player development program. Under her
guidance, Stratosphere has increased its yearly revenue substantially.
She has helped the casino increase its performance scores as it
relates to guest satisfaction, and she helps guide sponsorships and
long-term projects.
Although she is no longer a social
worker, Hunt takes care of people
and makes a positive impact on
them through her work in the
casino industry. Her ability to do
that is her favorite aspect of working in the industry.
In addition to impacting
the lives of her casino
customers, Hunt makes a
difference through charity work. She currently
serves on the board of
the Junior League of Las
Vegas, and she plans to
increase her involvement
with philanthropic efforts
in the future.
“I’d like to increase my
participation in community-oriented work and
philanthropy. I always enjoyed volunteering, but in
the last few years, I’ve been
Rachel (Heston) Hunt ’94 with her
husband Rick.
able to spend more time
on charitable work. It’s
very rewarding to see the direct impact on the community,” she says.
Hunt recognizes that her professional trajectory exemplifies the
fact that peoples’ career paths do not have to be defined by their
specific college majors.
“Experience counts, and you get that by following your interests.
I’ve found it’s much more about your individual experience and
what you can bring to the table.
Not having a specific degree
should never hold you back,” she
Hospitality in the casino industry
says. And she has some specific adreally is similar to psychology. It’s
vice for those who want to work
in marketing, but didn’t study it:
about people and their behavior,
“People come from all over the world to create their own Las Vegas story, and my team and I have a role in that. There are special
events and pop-up weddings, and we just make sure people have a
great time,” says Hunt.
Although she has a high profile job, Hunt has fun at work despite
its challenges.
“When you’re around customers who are celebrating something
special or on vacation, a lot of that fun rubs off. I like that it isn’t
always a serious job, although there is plenty of that. I’m marketing
a unique experience, which is a challenge I enjoy,” she says.
“Marketing is one of those fields
that is always evolving, so no one
has all the answers and you’re never done learning. When I think
of some of the people I’ve worked with and respect the most, they
are not always the people with this specific degree. It puts you on
even ground.”
Despite the fact that she has moved far from her hometown and
from the University that shaped her, Hunt still feels connected to
DeSales, and she remains in touch with other alums.
“When I meet other alums, I can tell people feel like they are part
of a bigger family. It’s like an instant friendship, and you share something special. People still care long after they’ve graduated, and we
have a great sense of pride about the University,” says Hunt.
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Alumni Events spring/summer 2015*
Learn more: visit desales.edu/alumni, call 610.282.1100, ext 2124, or e-mail [email protected].
Presidential Tour: Washington, D.C.
April 22 • 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. cocktail reception
Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, D.C.
Presidential Tour: Baltimore, Md.
April 23 • 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. cocktail reception
Aldo’s Ristorante Italiano, Baltimore, Md.
ACCESS Alumni Night at Les Misérables
June 11 • 6:00 p.m. cocktail reception
8:00 p.m. show starts
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Labuda Center
limited tickets available
Alumni Night at the IronPigs
Presidential Tour: Wilmington, Del.
July 31 • 7:05 p.m. game starts
Coca Cola Park, Allentown, Pa.
limited tickets available
Presidential Tour: Macungie, Pa.
Broadway Trip:
Jersey Boys and Finding Neverland
May 7 • 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. cocktail reception
Harry’s Savoy Grill, Wilmington, Del.
June 3 • 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. cocktail reception
Gio’s Italian Grill, Macungie, Pa.
Annual DeSales Golf Tournament
June 8 • Brookside Country Club
August 16 • 10:00 a.m. depart from Desales
3:00 p.m., shows start
New York City
limited tickets available
*Schedule is subject to change—go to www.desales.edu/alumni for the most current list of events. Most (not all) of these
events are free, and some have limited capacity.
Save the Date for Homecoming
September 25 & 26, 2015
The weekend will include a
celebration of DeSales’ 50th Anniversary.
Don’t miss the special events!
Dennis Razze ’75: The Man Behind the Music
by Joshua Martin ’13
Since 1992, DeSales University has hosted the largest Shakespeare
festival in Pennsylvania, as well as a nationally recognized theater
program. This may be common knowledge in the Lehigh Valley,
but what isn’t commonly known is the man behind the scenes
who helped make it all happen.
Enter Dennis Razze ’75: Stage right. A man of economical stature,
a wise hairline, and a smile with a character of its own. Hailing
from Delaware, Razze was exposed to the theatrical arts at an early
age. He recalled fondly watching Fred Astaire on the tiny television at his grandmother’s house as a child, where he speculates his
passion was born. Before long, Razze was a child actor.
“The first time I acted, my kindergarten teacher put red lipstick on
my nose, pushed me on to the stage, and said ‘you’re Rudolph.’ True
story!’” Razze explained. “Before I knew it I was a character actor
in 8th grade when I was cast as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.”
When Razze was 15, he made up his mind about wanting to act
and sing in musicals after he saw a production of Annie Get Your Gun.
Luckily, there was great opportunity the following year for Razze at
Salesianum High School.There was very little question about what
14
he would do after graduation, but despite his ambitions to move to a
large city for college, he ended up in a far less likely place.
Razze was trained at Salesianum in the Oblate tradition, which
cemented a connection between him and DeSales University.
He became a student in the theatre program under Fr. Gerard
Schubert, OSFS, the chair of the department at the time and soon
to be good friend and mentor. His roots in the Oblate tradition
almost led him into ministry, but when the time came, more powerful forces drew him away.
“I would have, but I liked girls too much.” Razze said with an
impish smile.
It took Razze less than a month at DeSales to find his next passion, directing.
“My first directing experience was when Bill Callahan came up to
me my first week of school saying I had two weeks to get all the
freshman together in a show” said Razze. “And then he walked away.”
Razze organized a variety show called Freshman Frolics and the
whole freshman theatre class was involved. By the end of his college
career, he was directing challenging and sophisticated scenes like the
third act of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?. By then he realized that directing was his talent, his passion, and his ambition moving forward.
Today, Razze has directed more than 100 shows. As the associate
artistic director of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) and
chair of the DeSales theatre department, he has directed everything from Sweeney Todd to Cyrano de Bergerac. He has been cited
by the Morning Call and Express Times as best director on multiple
occasions, and has received certificates of merit from the American College Theatre Festival for his DeSales productions of Fiddler
on the Roof, Oklahoma!, and The Music Man. In the midst of his
prolific career, Razze taught dozens of courses as DeSales, where
he still works, sharing what he has learned with his students and
building a theatre culture that is now recognized nation-wide.
The relationship between Razze and Fr. Schubert blossomed
when it became professional in 1984, the year Razze became a
full-time professor at DeSales. In 1992, Fr. Schubert, with the
support of the theatre faculty, started something amazing: the
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.
“When I was a student here, Fr. Schubert went to England for six
months as an observer with the Royal Shakespeare Company,” said
Razze. “He came back so jazzed about Shakespeare he wanted to
start his own festival. It wasn’t until about 20 years later that he
was able to follow through with it.”
Fr. Schubert’s passion was classical theatre, but for Razze it was
an acquired taste. He grew to appreciate it while attending grad
school, but what Razze contributed to DeSales was his passion
and expertise in musical theatre.
“Today, the theatre program has this wonderful balance between
strong classical training and training in musical theatre,” said
Razze. “It is beautifully synthesized in our curriculum, just as it is
in PSF. We give our students the opportunity to sing in a musical
and act in a classical play in the same season, and that’s fantastic.”
According to Razze, the two styles of theatre, while very different,
have core components that very much align with and contribute
to one another.
After Fr. Schubert retired, PSF and the theatre program needed
new leadership. Fr. O’Connor chose Patrick Mulcahy and Razze
to head PSF and the DeSales theatre program, respectively. Razze
credits Fr. O’Connor for his strong and unwavering support of
the arts at DeSales. “Without Fr. O’Connor, there would be no
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.”
Despite his success and experience, Razze’s current project is his
most challenging and anticipated yet. He has the task of directing Les Misérables for the Shakespeare festival this season. With the
show opening on June 10 and Razze in the thick of the casting
process, he already feels that this production will outsell and outshine the highest grossing production at the Shakespeare festival to
date, The Taming of the Shrew, which Razze also directed.
“I think Les Miz will be my new favorite,” says Razze. “The story
has such incredible pain and suffering in it. We need actors who can
really go for it in terms of passion.” He’s spent half a year researching the play, cementing its story and its music into his mind so that
he may create a version that is movingly acted and beautifully sung.
Not only does Razze sell out shows in Pennsylvania’s largest
Shakespeare festival, but his former students are successfully landing roles in the industry. According to Razze, the opportunity to
teach while pursuing his directing career is “the answer to my
prayers,” allowing him to build a legacy in the hearts and careers
of DeSales alumni.
“Two years ago, I went to Broadway to see a former student, Dee
Roscioli ’99, play Elphaba in Wicked,” said Razze. “She was incredible. She came out after the show and gave me a big hug, thanked
me for all I had done. It was a very special night for me. I later had
the opportunity to direct her as Mrs. Lovett in PSF’s Sweeney Todd.”
With the help of people like Fr. Schubert, Razze has created a
momentum that he hopes will fuel the program towards becoming one of the most respected in the country. But Razze’s story
could have gone differently. After settling in the quiet hills of the
Lehigh Valley, he could have let the lights burn out. By dedicating
his energy to something larger than himself, however, he’s helped
solidify a future for those who follow him.
“Doing a Shakespearean soliloquy is not that different from singing
a song.You have to sustain the thoughts and you have to go on an
emotional journey from the beginning to the end. Something has to
happen that leads to a discovery or a decision for the character.”
It is this very coexistence of styles that Razze believes makes DeSales
and his legacy a unique one. “There are few programs that have a
cohesive balance like DeSales’. It’s what makes the program great.”
Main Stage
Opens: June 10
Closes: June 28
15
TICKETS 610.282.WILL
pashakespeare.org
class notes
• 1969
Dear Alumni
Message from the Alumni Office
Congratulations to all of our recent DeSales
graduates! Between September conferral and
January graduation, more than 350 graduates
joined the DeSales Alumni community, and
in just a few weeks we will be welcoming
more graduates to our ever-growing alumni
community around the world.
It’s hard to believe that we’ll soon be
celebrating DeSales University’s 50th
Anniversary and that 50 years ago DeSales
opened its doors to a freshmen class of 156
men. Today we have more than 16,000 alumni
living and working around the world and
more than 3,000 total full-time traditional,
graduate, and ACCESS students. Whether you attended DeSales as a traditional
day student, in the ACCESS program, or received your master’s degree from the
University, I hope you value the education you received. One of our biggest
celebrations will be Homecoming, so be sure to save the date and join us on
September 25 & 26, 2015. I hope to see you there and at one or more of our
alumni events next year as we celebrate this great milestone for our alma mater!
As we prepare to celebrate the 50th Anniversary be sure to send us your
memories and photos to include in the special edition of the DeSales Magazine
coming out in the fall. We want to see your photos, hear about faculty and
staff that inspired you, enjoy your memories of your time at DeSales, and learn
about how you envision DeSales growing over the next 50 years! E-mail your
stories, memories, and photos to [email protected].
I look forward to preparing for a fantastic year of celebrating our wonderful
alma mater, from honoring our history to planning for the future.
Sincerely,
Nikki Gingrich ’06, M’12
Director of Alumni Relations
16
After 42 years of ordained ministry, the
Rev. Dr. David Williams will retire from
active parish ministry in August 2015.
He and his wife Linda plan to take a four
month break to travel to Europe and parts
unknown before returning to become a
priest-in-charge of a small parish church on
Edisto Island, S.C. He will also continue
his small private practice of counseling and
psychotherapy.
• 1977
Joseph Leeson Jr. was nominated by
the President of the United States and
confirmed by the United States Senate in
December 2014 as a Judge of the United
States District Court for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania.
• 1978
Sharon Sweeney earned a Doctorate of
Nursing Practice degree from Chatham
University. Her capstone project included
implementation of a daily nursing assessment of urinary catheters to determine
appropriateness of use and early discontinuation. The outcomes from the project
reduced catheter duration and ultimately
decreased the risk for infection. She earned
a Master of Nursing Science as a critical
care clinical nurse specialist from the University of Pennsylvania and a post-master’s
certificate in nursing informatics from
Walden University. Sharon has worked
in various roles at Sacred Heart Hospital,
St. Luke’s Hospital, and Pocono Medical
Center. She has also been involved as an
adjunct clinical nursing faculty at DeSales,
Cedar Crest College, and Northampton
Community College. In her current role
she is responsible for the continuing nursing education program sponsored by the
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, orientation and onboarding of new employees,
and a variety of educational programs. She
has an interest in the implementation of the
electronic medical record and has implemented a falls prevention program in the
acute care setting. Sharon also continues as
a provider and instructor for the American
Heart Association’s basic cardiopulmonary (CPR), advanced cardiac life support,
and pediatric life support courses. She is a
member of the American Association of
Critical Care Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau
International Nursing Honor Society.
• 1979
Michael O’Boyle, a senior healthcare executive, has been appointed an operating partner
at Pamplona Capital Management. Michael,
who is based in Nashville and New York,
has more than 25 years’ experience working
in the healthcare industry. He will focus on
Pamplona’s existing and future investments
in the healthcare sector.
Left to right: Jay Farmerie ’75, MaryCay (McCole) Farmerie ’76, Debbie Barnak
Burke ’75, Richard Burke, Maryanne Janus Weiss ’77, and Jerry Weiss ’75 on the
group’s 10th annual trip to Jamaica.
• 1981
Frederick Nagy retired in October 2014.
Since then, he’s worked as a tax consultant
for Casio America Inc. in Dover, N.J.
• 1985
Suzanne Smart appeared in the first episode
of the new season of Orange is the New Black.
• 1987
Francis Lynch Jr. retired on October 17,
2014, from DataPath Inc., completing his assignment in Kuwait. Francis was in the telecommunications industry from 1965 until his
retirement. During those years, he worked in
the United States as well as Germany, Vietnam, Thailand, Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
He retired to his home in Center Valley, Pa.,
with his wife Pongpun.
Patricia Broscius, the longest active-serving
prosecutor in the Northampton County,
Pa., District Attorney’s Office, is running for
district judge in Bethlehem Township.
• 1990
After 21 years with Lehigh County, including
17 years in the District Attorney’s Office and
4 years as a deputy county solicitor, Stephen
A group of longtime friends gathered in New Hope, Pa., in November 2014 for their annual get together. Back row (left to right): Rita Hamilton ’79, Matt Hahn ’81, Andrea
(Barndt) Roney ’78, Charlie Roney ’78, Gerry Feiler ’78, John Holohan ’78, and Jeff
Johnston ’78. Seated (left to right): Kathleen Kund-Nolan ’79, Marie Chapman Hill
’76, Shannon Ryan ’79, Marie Lange ’77, and Trudy (Cravatta) DiNardo ’80.
Van Natten retired from his position as chief
of prosecutions for Lehigh County. He’s taken
a position as an attorney with the D’Amato
Law Firm in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. The
firm specializes in plaintiff’s personal injury
litigation. In addition, Stephen relocated to
Ocean City, N.J. and is engaged to Shelleymarie Magan ’98.
• 1991
In December 2014, Monica (Quigley) Farrell was honored by the Melson-Arsht Family Law Inn of Court in Wilmington, Del.,
with the Diane Igo Award for her extraordinary service to judges, lawyers, and the
public through her work as the family court
liaison for the Delaware Division of Family
17
class notes
Barbara Zaun ’93 (center in suit) with some of the Eagles cheerleaders at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Alumna Travels the World as the Director of the Philadelphia
Eagles Cheerleaders
Barbara Zaun ’93 began her career in the NFL as a Philadelphia
Eagles cheerleader and Baltimore Ravens cheerleader.
After being named director of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, Barbara implemented a cutting-edge approach to branding
that has led to their current status as one of the most sought after,
highly publicized, and elite squads in the NFL. She has traveled
the globe coordinating the Eagles cheerleaders international promotional tours to London, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Tokyo, Quebec City, Toronto, and Montreal, as well as their
Goodwill Military Tours to Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bosnia,
and Kosovo.
In 2015, her squad was nominated for the prestigious NFL Salute
to Service Award for their exceptional efforts in honoring and
supporting U.S. Military. Barbara has obtained high-profile opportunities for the squad including features in top publications such
as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Maxim, Elle,
USA Today, and GQ, as well as exclusive national and international
television features.
She’s coordinated all of the Eagles cheerleaders media relations at
some of the most prominent sporting events in the world, including
Super Bowl XXIX, NFL Hall of Fame Game, Senior Bowl, and the
18
NFL Kickoff in Times Square. In addition, Barbara has produced
several NFC Championship game half-time shows and was the
executive producer of the popular Eagles Cheerleaders Special for
NFL Network.
Barbara is the art director and producer of the Eagles Cheerleaders Calendar, photographed internationally, which continues to be
one of the most innovative and successful calendars in sports. She
was instrumental in the creation of the first Cheerleader Calendar
Mobile App in the NFL, and within 5 days of the launch, the Eagles
Cheerleaders Calendar App ranked on Google Play’s list of Top 5
Sports Apps.
Barbara was also involved in the creative process of outfitting the
Eagles cheerleaders in uniforms by famed designer Vera Wang,
originally in 2003 and for the new signature pieces in 2013, which
were revealed during the prestigious Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
in New York.
She’s an accomplished dancer and public speaker. Before becoming a NFL cheerleader, Barbara was a titleholder and keynote
speaker within the Miss USA and Miss America Organizations
and was awarded the prestigious Miss America Community Service Award.
Services (DFS). Monica has worked for DFS
since she graduated from DeSales and has
been an excellent resources for families across
the state of Delaware involved in foster care,
dependency, neglect, and other child protection proceedings.
• 1993
Cheryl (Reccek) Salgado and Mark Salgado
Sr.’s son Mark Salgado Jr. is continuing her
family tradition by being accepted to DeSales
University starting in Fall 2015.
• 1995
William Breslawski has been promoted
to partner at Maillie LLP, a regional public
accounting firm with offices in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Bill joined Maillie in
1995 and has extensive experience in the
areas of real estate, manufacturing, not-forprofits, and government organizations. He
has a special expertise in tax and auditing,
and he oversees human resources for the
firm. Bill sits on the finance committees for
both Sacred Heart Parish in Royersford,
Pa., and Holy Cross Catholic School in
Collegeville, Pa. He’s active with the Rotary Club of the Spring-Ford area and the
TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce in
Pottstown, Pa. He lives in Limerick, Pa.,
with his wife Jen (Braun) Breslawski ’95
and their three children.
• 1998
Meredith (Hargreaves) Avis and her
husband Paul welcomed their second child,
Quinn Jackson, on October 13, 2014. He
joins proud sister Chloe, 3.
• 1999
After 10 years as the wardrobe manager
at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey,
Lindsay Barnes has changed careers and is
now a licensed esthetician at The Lodge at
Woodloch in Hawley, Pa., the destination
spa resort voted #3 in the world by Travel
and Leisure Magazine.
Sophia (Senyk) Pickel ’09 married Robert Pickel Jr. on December 6, 2014, at Our
Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna, Va. Alumni in attendance included Steve
Kardian ’08, Megan (Donnelly) Fasullo ’10, Casey (Opdyke) Villani ’08, Keith
Hipszer ’08, Molly Shea ’12, Kara (Dillensnyder) Kardian ’09, and Aly (Shiffer)
Courain ’09.
Michael Shaw was promoted to manager,
communications & programs with the
Pennsylvania & Delaware Valley Chapter of
Communications Institute Association—the
nation’s premier trade association for the
condo and community association industry,
where he has been employed for six years.
Montgomery County, Pa., Detective Lt.
James McGowan M’07 graduated from
the 258th session of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s National Academy, an 11week program of advanced investigative,
management, and fitness training for selected
command officers who have proven records
as professionals within their agencies. Only
one-half of one percent of all law enforcement officers get the opportunity to attend
the National Academy.
The law firm of Pyfer, Reese, Straub, Gray
and Farhat has hired Jeffrey C. Murse as an
associate attorney. His primary practice will
be in family law.
Chris Carter ’91 was named AVP/sales
manager in the Eastern Region of National Penn Bank. A multi-year winner of the
Five-Star Mortgage Professional Award
recognized by Philadelphia Magazine, Chris
has been providing residential financing to
thousands of homeowners for more than
20 years. He lives in Doylestown, Pa.,
with his wife and three sons.
19
class notes
• 2000
David Wehr and
Denise (Althouse)
Wehr ’02 welcomed their second
daughter, Avery
Elizabeth, on
August 4, 2013. Big
sister Amelia is very
happy to have a
sister and helps out a lot.
William Swenson is engaged to Jennel Yelito, a 2008 graduate of Moravian
College. They will exchange vows in June
2015 at William’s parents’ home in East
Stroudsburg, Pa.
• 2001
Greg Boulden and
his wife Melanie
welcomed their son,
Jonah Matthew, on
June 29, 2014.
Jonah and big sister
Alyna are looking
forward to becoming DeSales
freshman in 2029 and 2032.
Dave Zarenkiewicz
and Shelly
(Beermann)
Zarenkiewicz ’02
welcomed their
third child, Keira
Rose, on January 6,
2015. Big brothers
Jack and Luke are
excited to have a sister.
Annemarie
(Deitch)
Anderson and
her husband
Tarren had a
busy year.
They were
married in
November 2013 and they welcomed their
20
Jonathan Fura ’11 and Kristina (Klein) Fura ’11 were married at Connelly Chapel on DeSales’ campus by Fr Peter Leonard, OSFS ’80 on September 20, 2014.
DeSales graduates and faculty in attendance included Tracy (Gould) Bingaman ’11
M’12, Emily (Wentworth) Landis ’11, Soha Daher-Mansour ’11, Angela Ryan
’09, Andrew Abrahams ’12 , Dr. Rodger Berg, Mark Ubbens ’11, Alison (Steibe)
Ubbens ’11, Peter Confalone ’10, Jaimie Osborn ’11, Amanda Orth ’11 M’12,
Megan Costello ’11, Micah Beckstead ’11 M’12, Nick Schenk ’10, Marian (Karnas) Schenk ’09, Ryan Hay ’11, Tim McDermott ’11, John Snyder ’11, Julianne
Berger ’10, Ryan Ludwig ’10, Meghan (Carr) Ludwig ’10 M’11, Mike Caffarelli
’10, Colleen (Shelley) Caffarelli ’12, Louise (Lombardo) Fura ’79, and Denice
(Ferri) Cannon ’79.
first child, Aleksander Dennis, in September 2014. The family moved from
Philadelphia to the Twin Cities suburbs in
November 2014.
Laurel Ann (Hartenstine) Attanasio M’05
recently accepted the position of managing
editor for Fig Bethlehem.
• 2002
In August, Courtney Shoff and her husband Rick Becker Jr. celebrated their first
wedding anniversary. Courtney has been
enjoying being active in her community
with Rick. The couple has participated in
5K walks for the YWCA’s Race Against
Racism, the Humane League of Lancaster
County’s TailWagger’s Trot, and the D.E.S.
Stomp Out Suicide. Courtney has also
helped local organizations by donating and
collecting donations for rescued pets, home-
less women and children, for the poor and
needy, and for her church.
Faith (Himes) Colen presented “The Benefits of a Pharmacist as Part of the Interdisciplinary Team in the Emergency Department”
at the first Global Conference on Emergency
Nursing and Trauma in Dublin, Ireland, on
September 20, 2014.
• 2003
Elizabeth (Sabia) Labrosciano married
Andre Labrosciano on October 4, 2014.
The couple also recently purchased their
first home. DeSales classmates in attendance
were Lauren Colarette ’03 M’08 and
Meredith Longo ’03.
Lexy (Antoni) Guenther and her husband
Rob welcomed their second son, Zachary,
on November 13, 2014.
Rachel (Kuter) Cleary and her husband
Brian welcomed a son, Connor Brayden, on
January 9, 2015.
Easton Area School Board member Brian
Snyder M’04 has announced he’ll run for
his first full-term on the board. Brian was
appointed to the board in June 2014 when
then-school director William Rider resigned.
• 2005
Heather (Shock) Gallagher accepted the
position of assistant director of development
for institutional giving at Symphony Space in
New York.
John Paretti is a sales manager for Marvel
Entertainment in New York.
Lindsay (Pierzga) Frantz ’09 married Matt Frantz on May, 17 2014. The
couple recently bought their first home
in Bethlehem, Pa. Lindsay works as an
executive assistant at Guardian Life.
Karl Uschold is living and working in Denver as a graphic designer and photographer.
On October 5, 2014, Lauren Colarette
M’08 became engaged to Philip Longo,
brother of Meredith Longo ’03.
• 2004
John Fritts graduated from Moravian
Michael Dinan married Katheryne Sponheimer on December 13, 2014, in Bethlehem, Pa. Their reception was held at DeSales
University.
• 2007
Andrew Porter married Amber Hilgenkamp on September 28, 2013. Alumni in
attendance were Chris Mezzo ’14, Mike
Troncone ’08, and Dave Todaro ’08.
Amanda Fabrizio accepted the director of
development position for the College of
Engineering at Tennessee Tech University
in Cookeville, Tenn. Amanda relocated to
Chattanooga, Tenn., for the position.
Andrea (Sterner) Fritz accepted a position
as a financial analyst, reporting at Just Born,
Inc. the makers of Peeps, Mike and Ike, Hot
Tamales, and Goldenberger’s Peanut Chew
brand candies.
• 2006
Anne Marie (Keefe) Goodman married
Sam Goodman in October 2014. In attendance were Heather (Shock) Gallagher
’05, maid of honor, and William Gallagher
’06, Hannah (Boyd) Vargo ’06 and Bill
Vargo ’07, Scott Anderson ’06, and Nicole
Keefe ’16.
Arielle McMahan moved to Houston, Tex.,
after a brief tour dancing in Italy. She is certified in Hatha Yoga from Lex Gilan of the
Yoga Institute and is a Pilates instructor at
Your Body Center and Joy Yoga Center.
Theological Seminary with a Master of
Divinity degree and was ordained a deacon
in the Moravian Church. He’s now serving
as chaplain at Marquardt Village in Watertown, Wis.
Heather (Varju) Annunziata and Anthony
Trisha Hershberger and her fellow cast-
Kristin (Egan) FLynn is an adjunct professor
mates won their second Streamy Award for
the hit YouTube channel Sourcefed. Trisha
has been a full-time cast member and writer
for the series for three years.
Louis Corominas is engaged to marry Kristina Cherrier in July 2015.
Annunziata welcomed their son Anthony
Annunziata Jr. on November 26, 2014. He
weighed 8 lbs., 9 oz, and measured 20 inches
long.
of dance at County College of Morris and
Centenary College and teaches and choreographs in northern New Jersey.
Y
A L U M N I
You have an
exclusive invitation
to reserve the DeSales
University Center and
Connelly Chapel for:
• Weddings
• Receptions
• Special Events
Contact Conference
Services for details,
610.282.1166.
21
www.desales.edu/conferences
class notes
Emily Caballero works in New York City
as the program associate for The Center for
Kinesthetic Education (CKE) and is instructing dance in New York City Public Schools.
Shannon Dooling recently had an article
she co-authored with Susan McGreeveyNichols titled “NDEO Works Celebrating
our Shared Vision Through the Decade of
Dance Education” published in the Journal of
Dance Education. Shannon serves as NDEO’s
special projects coordinator as she continues
pursuing an MFA in dance at The University
of Maryland.
John McHugh graduated from Georgetown University’s Master of Science in
Foreign Service program this past year,
and he recently started work as an associate portfolio analyst in the loan programs
office of the U.S. Department of Energy in
Washington, D.C.
Katie Farina earned her doctorate in criminology from the University of Delaware in
May 2014. In August 2014, she began her
job as an assistant professor of criminology at
Cabrini College
Sarah (Polk) Thomas married George Thomas on October 18, 2014, in Scranton, Pa.
Haley (Vollmer) Phillips ’12 married Nathan Phillips on August 30, 2014, at Bear Creek
Mountain Resort in Macungie, Pa. Alumni in attendance included Dana Eustace ’09,
Jena Meaney ’11, bridesmaid Amanda (Ziegler) Lodge ’11, Jaclyn DeMontreux ’09,
Kristin Schultz ’11, Kathryn (Dishman) Witko ’09, Alyssa DeQuintal ’13, Kathleen
(Halpin) Lang ’10, bridesmaid Nicole Pietrobon ’09, bridesmaid Christina Quinn ’14,
bridesmaid Amanda Fink ’12, Kristyn Shaner ’09, and Christina Papatsiaras ’11.
• 2008
Jennifer Starr Foley married Brendan
Moser ’12 on September 21, 2014.
Francesca (Stigliano) Marinaro is the
owner and director of FuSia Dance Center,
located in Stroudsburg, Pa, where she
directs a pre-professional dance company
and offers all styles of dance and musical theater classes, ages 3 through adult.
Francesca formed the DM Dance Company
in 2011 alongside co-artistic director Jamie
Drye. The professional contemporary dance
company is based out of NYC and performs
primarily on the east coast.
Nate Conrad and Holli (Pfautz) Conrad
’09 welcomed their first child, Noah Brice.
Noah was born on November 12, 2014.
Brian D’Ostilio is an associate producer for
ESPN films.
Sarah Wagner ’12 married Samuel
Hewitt ’12 on September 20, 2014.
Alumni in attendance included Cory
Raymond ’12, Kyle Newswanger ’12,
Brian McClernand ’12, Genevieve
Sbarbaro ’12, Kate Gier ’12, Cathy
Hentschel, and Diana Koch ’11.
22
Victoria (Sinsky) Livingston married Ryen
Livingston on May 16, 2014, at Bear Creek
Mountain Resort in Macungie, Pa.
Paul and Jaclyn (Lukasik) Flower welcomed
a daughter, Amelia, on the June 26, 2014.
• 2009
Nakia (Gard) Jones
and her husband
Arnell have recently
moved into their
first home with
their two young
daughters.
Robert Killion accepted a position as the
campus minister for the University of Saint
Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Cassie Russo is the founder and artistic
director of CaRu Entertainment, LLC in
New York City. Her company is built
around the idea that dreams are merely visions awaiting the opportunity to become
reality. CaRu Entertainment offers consulting and choreography services for aspiring
and seasoned performers, dance companies, studios, and professional dance teams.
Cassie has also collaborated with Marianne
Delehanty of MarDelDance and Christine
Chan of Suhka Arts Center in co-founding
a cabaret-styled dance group called Viva
Glamour. Cassie is co-director of the Vixens
Dance Team in Philadelphia, Pa. She has
also worked on THE PULSE on tour,
Fenwick Police Officer Honored with Valor Award
Police Cpl. Stephen Majewski ’02 Honored for Helping Accident Victims While Injured
By Jon Bleiweis. Reprinted with permission from the Delmarva Daily
Times. To read more visit www.delmarvanow.com.
who was able to lead his department and miss few emergency calls
while being treated for a serious medical issue.
At about 9:45 p.m. on May 1, Fenwick Island Police Cpl.
Stephen Majewski was parked on the northbound shoulder of
“Heroes walk among us every day,” said Patti Grimes, executive
director of The Freeman Stage at Bayside, representing the Carl
M. Freeman Companies, the presenting sponsor of the awards.
“There are some who sacrifice their own safety in order to protect
that of others. And when the time comes to call on these people,
each one of them put their lives on the line.”
Coastal Highway, north of Lewes Street, conducting a trafficstop
on a suspected drunken driver.
Majewski arrested the driver and placed him in the back of his
patrol car, a 2013 Ford Explorer.
Shortly after, Majewski’s vehicle was struck by a drunken driver,
who was traveling at a high rate of speed and did not have his car’s
headlights on.
The driver’s 2010 Nissan Maxima struck the back left part of the
Explorer. The crash was so intense, it pushed the police vehicle
into the arrested man’s vehicle, forcing both to move about 100
feet, according to Fenwick Island Police Chief William Boyden.
The striking car flipped onto its roof trapping its occupants.
Majewski, a 10-year member of the police department, was grateful for the honor, but said what he did was simply part of his job
description.
“That’s what I’m here to do, make sure everyone’s safe,” he said.
“It’s an honor and I’m blessed to be here today.”
Majewski was nominated for the award by Boyden.
“He’s just one of many police officers who not only work for me
but in Sussex County and the nation who don’t get recognized
enough,” Boyden said. “He’s just one of many in my department
who make me proud everyday.”
Majewski suffered facial and leg injuries, but his primary concern
was the people involved. He removed the arrested suspect from his
vehicle and led him to safety, then noticed occupants of the striking vehicle were injured. He called for fire
and EMS members to respond and continue
watch a video about the award and Stephen Majewski
to aid them, refusing to leave the scene or
at www.delmarvanow.com, key word “Valor.”
be treated until the others were treated or
transported.
For his efforts that night, Majewski was recognized with the 2015 The Joshua M. Freeman
Valor Award, given annually to a local first
responder who went above and beyond in the
past year.
Fourteen police officers, EMTs and firefighters from Millville, Roxana, Selbyville, South
Bethany, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island
were recognized by superiors for their dedication to the community as nominees for the
Valor Award.
Nominees included Millville Fire Company
EMTs Andrew Evans and Robert Webster,
who performed life-saving operations on a
cardiac arrest victim and Selbyville Volunteer Fire Company Past Chief Bob Eckman,
Fenwick Island Police Cpl. Stephen Majewski was recognized with the 2015 Joshua
M. Freeman Valor Award, given annually to a local first responder who went above and
beyond in the past year. Video Produced by Jon Bleiweis.
23
class notes
as well as having performed as a back-up
dancer for Rascal Flatts.
• 2010
Anthony Aufiero is engaged to Jennifer Cusick, and the couple is planning a June 2015
wedding. He graduated from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in
Florida with his Doctor of Physical Therapy
degree in April 2014.
Alan Olson, PA-C
M’11 was recently
awarded a Certificate of Added
Qualifications
(CAQ) in hospital
medicine by the
National Commission on Certification
of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). He is one
of only 240 certified physician assistants
nationally to recently earn the credential.
Alan works at Bridgeport Hospital in
Bridgeport, Conn., and he’s an internal
medicine preceptor for the PA students from
the University of Bridgeport.
Andrea Lanzetti lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
where she continues her professional dance
career working with such modern dance
companies as Marie-Christine Giordano
Dance and BodyArt while also teaching
Pilates in group and private settings.
In May 2014, Margaret Donohue graduated
after two years of study with a certificate in
spiritual direction from Moravian Theological Seminary.
• 2011
Jennifer Gill has been dancing for the
MarDelDance Company for the past couple
of years. Her solo, Patsy, won Dance Magazine’s editor’s choice video of the month
in October 2010. She was also featured in
the January issue of Dance Magazine. Jen
performed for Sesame Place for three summers and appeared on CN8 and CBS and
is continuing her training while pursuing a
career in dance.
Amanda (Ziegler) Lodge and Sean Lodge
welcomed their first child, Caden Theodore,
on February 3, 2015.
On January 24, 2015, Sister Joanna
Armstrong ’07 made her first profession of vows as a Sister of the Visitation
of Holy Mary and took the name Sister
Margaret Joseph. Rachael Jasienski ’07,
Erin Maguire ’07, and Marian West ’06
were in attendance.
Karen Sims earned her Master of Education
in the Educational Leadership Program at
Lehigh University in January 2015.
Rosa BorreroPimentel and
her husband Hiram
Ruiz welcomed
their first baby, Xian
Ruiz, on November
26, 2014. Everyone
is doing well.
Calling all alumni
Nicole (Bealer) Branagh and her husband
We’ve re-launched this honor roll on our alumni facebook page (facebook.com/
desalesalumni) and our Instagram account (@desalesu_alumni).
Joseph Giordano Jr. is engaged to Kristen
Taormina ’13 M’14. The couple is planning
The Honor Roll
of Philanthropy
& Service recognizes
extraordinary alumni,
faculty, students, and parents and the work they do on behalf of others.
We’d love to hear about your acts of service, philanthropy, or volunteerism.
Examples of listings that might appear on the Honor Roll include:
•painting a house for charity
•helping prepare meals for local residents
•running in a 5K for a cause
•hosting a benefit for a family member or friend.
If you know anyone in the DSU community (yourself included) who has made an
impact in philanthropy or service, e-mail a description of the act of kindness
and the candidate’s name to [email protected].
24
Shawn welcomed their second son, Keagan
Thomas, on November 13, 2014. Keagan
joins big brother Aidan.
• 2012
a 2016 wedding.
Steffani (Whitmyer) Jacobs married Josh
Jacobs in May 2014. The couple lives in the
Twin Cities, Minn. Steffani works as an assistant editor for Warrior Magazine, a military
magazine.
Brianne Taylor is working at Magna Physical
Therapy & Sports Medicine Center in Avon,
Conn. as the director of dance medicine and
conditioning. She has also been accepted into
Sacred Heart University’s Doctor of Physical
Jennifer (Hanson) Willever ’13 married Christopher Willever ’12 on OctoMark Ubbens ’11 and Ali (Steibe) Ubbens ’11 were married on May 24, 2014. From
left to right: John Snyder ’11, lector, Ryan Hay ’11, lector, Tonya Schneider ’13, Tim
McDermott ’11, Mike Young ’08, Jess Graber ’10, bridesmaid, Mark and Ali, Micah
Beckstead ’11 M’12, groomsman, Emily (Wentworth) Landis ’11, Tracy (Gould)
Bingaman ’11 M’12, Kristina (Klein) Fura ’11, and Jonathan Fura ’11.
Therapy program and will start in fall 2015.
Last December, Brianne performed with
CONNetic Dance, a West Hartford based
contemporary company.
On January 1, 2015, Genevieve Sbarbaro
became engaged to Kirk Lawlor. The couple
is planning a 2016 wedding.
The company Christine Rudloff has worked
for since 2012, ESM Productions, has been
selected as the exclusive producer for all
events occurring on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the 2015 Papel Visit to
Philadelphia’s World Meeting of Families
this September. ESM Production’s focus will
be on the Festival of Families Event and the
Papal Mass. Both events are open to the public and over 1 million people are expected to
attend both events. ESM Productions is responsible for the build, schedule, talent, city
ber 17, 2014. Alumni and DeSales staff in
attendance included Wadih Bchara ’12,
Sarah Livengood ’14, Kate (Steiner)
Hanchick ’11, Andrew Hanchick ’11,
Thomas Pogash ’11, Nicholas Luchko,
Leah Breisch, and Clarence Scott.
coordination, media logistics, and more for
both events. Christine’s role will be closely
involved in producing the live broadcast of
the event(s). The week long event will need
more than 1,000 volunteers.
tion to apprentice. He also teaches dance
and choreograph for the competition team at
Dance Academy XIV in Shippensburg, Pa.
In December 2014, Austin Benner graduated from Concordia University with a M.Ed.
in curriculum and instruction with a focus on
mathematics.
Isabel Garcia was hired by RWS and Asso-
Abbi Snee appeared in a February 16 episode of FOX television’s hit show “Gotham.” Abbi played Mary Lloyd, a trapeze
circus acrobat and mother to Dick Grayson, who later becomes Batman’s sidekick
Robin.
For a year and a half, Dan Pittman has been
working for Chipotle Mexican Grill and is
a few months out from his fourth promo-
• 2013
ciates to perform in Hersheypark’s Christmas
Candylane 2014 Music Box Theater production of Up on the Rooftop. In this show, she
danced, sang, and acted.
Alexis Bove is pursuing a masters of psychology and counseling at Lehigh University.
Katie Halpin completed a national tour
with the Irish dance company Rhythm in
the Night: The Irish Dance Spectacular last
spring and was recently working in Universal
Studios Orlando as a performer.
25
class notes
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Have you recently moved, changed jobs, received a promotion, married, welcomed a child or grandchild,
and/or received an honor or award in your profession or community? Do you have any interesting news to
relay to us about other DeSales University alumni?
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• 2014
learning support specialist and coordinator of
tutoring for DeSales University.
and director with the Missoula Children’s
Theatre and began a five-month tour in
January.
Cathryn Gabrielli finished her first semester
Andrew Barr recently played Moonface
Bill Peterson has been hired as the new
in the clinical and counseling master’s program
at DeSales through Chestnut Hill College.
Bradley Rauch M’14 is engaged to Alyssa
Campbell M’14, and they are planning an
October 2015 wedding.
Justin Gambone is pursuing a Master of
Science in Higher Education: Counseling/
Student Affairs degree at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
In April, Kevin Riddagh will travel to Tennessee to perform in a production of Mary
Poppins at the Roxy Regional Theatre.
26
Thomson Jaffe has been hired as an actor
Martin for the Broadway Theatre of Pitman’s
production of Anything Goes. He also performed with the New Voices Cabaret.
After appearing as Grandma Tzeitel in the
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, Amanda Steckerl made her New York Cabaret debut to
two crowded, appreciative (and sometimes
rowdy) audiences in The Cranky Cabaret at
the Black Box Theater of Joria Studios on
West 36th St. in Manhattan.
Kolbe Rubin works for the Joffrey Ballet
School in Manhattan as the director of resi-
dence life for the trainee program. Kolbe is
also applying for physical therapy doctorate programs. Recently, she was chosen to
present her senior research project at the
Regional ACSM MARC International
Journal for Sport and Exercise Science annual meeting in late October and is looking
to gain experience as an intern at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in NYC to
further facilitate her pursuit as a physical
therapist.
In Memoriam
Anthony A’Brunzo ’97
Bridget Booth ’96
Anthony Ciabattoni Jr. ’91
Andrew MacNiven ’13
Gerard Opresko ’77
Mark Rimsky ’93
Help us celebrate De Sales’
50th Anniversary
The DeSales Magazine will
contribute to DeSales University’s
upcoming 50th Anniversary
Celebration with a special
“memories edition” dedicated to the
University’s history and the integral
part alumni and friends have played
in the school’s rapid development.
we need your memories
For the memories edition of the Magazine, we’re looking for your help with the following: .
Memories & Photos of your Time at DSU
Memories may be short blips or longer stories—we’d love to hear them all!
Photos should be jpeg format, high resolution (minimum 300 dpi), and when possible, please help us identify
anyone pictured.
Faculty & Staff who Made a Difference
Was there a faculty or staff member who made a difference in your education or career? Submit your name and
class year, the faculty/staff member’s name, and a description of how that person made a difference in your life.
Your Dreams for the Next 50 Years
In the last 50 years, DeSales has grown from a small college offering 9 undergraduate degrees to a thriving
university with more than 35 undergraduate majors, 8 graduate programs—including 2 doctoral degrees—and 18
major buildings. What do you dream for your alma mater in the next 50 years? The sky’s the limit!
E-mail your memories, photos, and Dreams to [email protected]
27
2755 Station Avenue
Center Valley PA 18034-9568
Address Service Requested
After a cold, long winter, DeSales’s phenomenal facilities crew had one more day of clearing walkways and parking lots after a
first-day-of-spring snow storm. Students, faculty, and staff now eagerly await the first of the season’s daffodils and crocuses.