Spring 2008 - Siena College

SIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • SPRING 2008
President’s Letter
March was an exciting month for
Siena, as groups of alumni and Siena fans
from around the country gathered to cheer
on the men’s basketball team as they made
history in the NCAA tournament. Their
defeat of #5 Vanderbilt reminded me just
how much our students are capable of.
Whether it’s on a basketball court, in the
classroom, leading a club meeting or
advocating for a cause, our students seek and
achieve excellence.
What’s more, the students choose to
be busy. As a result, they leave Siena with a
lot more than a bachelor’s degree on their
resume. They start their own business,
publish books, lead us in our environmental
efforts, leave their mark on national
competitions, and raise money for the causes
that need it most. They change the college
for the better and they will do the same in
their careers and communities, following the
footsteps of our many successful alumni.
I can’t wait to see what they’ll
accomplish next.
Fraternally,
Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M.
Siena News • 2
Siena News
Contents
Board of Trustees
Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85
Bradley Bodmer, Esq. ’82
J. David Brown
Michael Bucci ’73
Robert F. Campbell ’66
Beverly A. Carroll
Robert M. Curley
Robert T. Cushing ’77
Susan Law Dake
Virginia L. Darrow ’83
John J. Dawson, Esq. ’68
Scott C. Donnelly
Howard S. Foote ’74
Robert L. Guido ’68
Douglas T. Hickey ’77
Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Gary C. Holle ’77
Edward J. Johnson ’63
Walter T. Kicinski ’62
Alberto C. Mariaca ’60
Rev. Jerome J. Massimino, O.F.M.
Pamela McCarthy
Robert J. McCormick ’87
Rev. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., Ph.D.
James J. Morrell ’66
Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.
John F. Murray ’79
John J. Nigro
Very Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M., LL.D.
Walter A. Osterman ’87
Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D.
Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr.
Mark S. Rose ’65
Rev. Peter A. Schneible, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Michelle M. Schoulder ’99
David M. Stack ’73
Christine L. Standish
Br. Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D.
Dennis L. Winger ’69
The Siena News - Spring 2008 Published by
SienaCollege, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville,
NY 12211-1462 • E-mail: [email protected]
• Publisher: Noel Hogan • Editor: Ned Jones
• Contributing Editors: James Eaton, Allison
Maloney ’06, Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M.,
and Jason Rich ’98 • Director of Art & Design:
Sergio Sericolo • Alumni Class Notes Editor:
Janice Goca, Katie Sokol ’08, AshleyDwyer ’08
and Nate Maloney ’00 • Photography: Sergio
Sericolo, Athletics Office, Alumni Office,
Blass Communications, Jim Eaton, Paul Hebert
and Chris Madigan ’00 • Book Illustrations
page 8-9 : Brianna Lind • Printer: The Lane
Press, Burlington,VT.
32
Men’s Basketball
Enjoys Magical
March
Features
Mock Trial Team Excels
in National Competition.......6
Freshman Publishes
Children’s Book.....................8
Putting the Green in the
Green and Gold....................10
From Siena To Kenya..........16
.
Rwandan Genocide Survivor
Visits Campus.......................20
4
Oh...That Nauseous
Feeling
Minding Bryon’s Business...21
From Player To PR..............22
Tay’s Well-Deserved Day.....34
Men’s Club Hockey Team
Finishes Fourth in
Nation...................................35
14
The Business of
Charity Week
Faculty and Administrators
Honored..................Back Page
Departments
Short Takes.........................7,13
Planned Giving.....................31
18
The Changing Face of
Reality
Alumni: Class News
and Notes..............................24
Siena News • 3
Oh... That
Nauseous
Feeling
Students are leaving Dr. Max
Levine’s lab these days with a
funny feeling. Thanks to his
recent approval to do human
research on campus, he brought
his nausea- inducing drum to his
psychology lab in Roger Bacon
Hall. The motorized drum has
vertical lines that spin around the
human subject while they sit on a
chair.
Siena News • 4
Dr. Max Levine, assistant professor of psychology, and research assistant Alicia Shafer spent the spring
semester researching the causes of nausea. Below, Alicia gets hooked up to a machine that tracks her
heart rate, stomach activity and secretions from her hands.
“We are trying to learn more about the mind –
body connection and the causes of nausea as well as
what we can do to prevent this feeling. When my wife
was pregnant I failed miserably at preventing it,” Levine,
assistant professor of psychology, stated with a laugh.
His research on nausea, a sick feeling in the
stomach that often leads to vomiting, has real-world
applications. “You can apply our findings to many
people including pregnant women, cancer
chemotherapy patients and people who suffer from
motion sickness,” he said.
Levine and his research assistant, Alicia Shafer
’08, have researched the effects of expectations, measured
stomach activity and other bodily responses in order to
improve our understanding of nausea.
So far their findings suggest deep breathing,
ginger, a cold washcloth, a band around the wrist area, a
high protein meal and making a person feel like they are
in control can all ease that nauseous feeling.
“A person driving a car almost never gets sick
perhaps because they feel more in control – so this is
something we are simulating with the drum as well,”
Alicia stated. They have allowed research participants to control the speed of the revolving drum by
handing them the control unit while inside the drum.
“It is very interesting to participate in something that involves both of my majors,” Alicia, a biology
and psychology major, stated.
Siena News • 5
Mock Trial Team Excels
in National Competition
After placing
fifth in the regional
competition, Siena’s
mock trial team
advanced to the national
competition for the first time
in six years and just the second
time in the program’s history.
During the competitions, they faced big-name
teams like Cornell, Fordham, Stanford, and
Columbia. It was the students from these teams that
voted for Siena to win the Spirit of the American
Mock Trial Association Award at the regional round
and honorable mention at the national level. The
award is given to the team with
the highest professional
standards of ethics, character,
sportsmanship and civility
throughout the competition.
“This award is what Siena is all
about,” said Dr. Len Cutler,
pre-law advisor.
Also, for the second year
in a row, Eric Scalzo ’08, who
will attend William and Mary
Law School in the fall,
was named an all-regional
outstanding attorney. These
accomplishments
are
particularly meaningful
because many of the teams
take mock trial as a college
course and receive credit for
meeting three times a week.
“Many of them have more
than one team too,”
explained Eric, who doesn’t
receive college credit for his
involvement.
Siena’s team has been practicing at least once
a week since October, when they were given the case
by the American Mock Trial Association. This year’s
case concerned a woman with HIV, who injected a
Child Protective Services worker with an infected
needle when the case worker came to take her child.
The woman pled guilty, but the mock trial teams were
charged with the task of arguing for more or less
prison time.
Siena’s team had to be prepared to argue both
sides. “We break into teams and prepare
examinations, cross examinations, openings and
closings. Much like a theatre production, we rehearse
it over and over,” said Judge James King, jurist-inresidence and co-coach. As the closing attorney for
the defense, Eric argued for less time based on the
idea that the attack was provoked and she was
defending her child. The prosecution used her history
of drug abuse, prior offenses and the fact that she
attacked the worker in front of her child to argue for
more jail time.
It’s about as realistic an experience as you can
get, according to Judge King. “Students need to know
the rules of evidence, hearsay exceptions, and
procedures on how to introduce evidence,” added
co-coach Sonya Smelyanksy ’03. The intense
preparation is invaluable for students who plan on
attending law school. “Not only do the students learn
about trial practice and basic evidentiary rules before
graduating from college, but they also learn how to
think critically and quickly on their feet and how to
speak in public,” said Sonya.
(Front row) Judge James King, Dr. Len Cutler (inset)
Sonya Smelyanksy ’03 (Back row) Aubrey Roman
’11, Michael DiSiena ’10, Eric Scalzo ’08, Javid Afzali
’09, Jill Wojdyla ’11, Danita Williams ’08 and
Roman Griffith ’08.
Siena News • 6
SHORT TAKES
Sociology Professor Named
Fulbright Scholar
Dr. Duane Matcha, professor of sociology, has been named a Fulbright Scholar to Lithuania. In
2003, Matcha was selected as the Fulbright Scholar to Poland where he taught at Jagiellonian University
in Krakow. In 2009, Matcha will teach Medical Sociology and the Sociology of Aging at the University
of Vilnius during the spring semester. Matcha has authored articles in the sociology of the aging and
books on aging and medical sociology. Along with this, he has delivered numerous papers at state,
regional, and national conferences around the country.
The Fulbright Program is a U.S. government program instituted to provide educational exchange.
It was first proposed to the U.S. Congress in 1945 by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. In the
aftermath of World War II, Senator Fulbright felt that there needed to be a “mutual understanding
between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world.” In 1946,
President Truman signed the program into law.
Now, the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program
sends over 800 scholars and professionals to
over 140 countries each year, where they have
the opportunity to lecture or conduct research
in a variety of academic and professional fields.
NASA Grant Supports Students’ Research
In February, NASA awarded the Physics Department a $655,000 grant to work on the Magnetospheric
Multiscale mission, and senior Ryan Decker and junior Mike Hickey are already researching alongside Joe
Kujawski, Siena’s engineer-in-residence, to develop an
important instrument for NASA spacecraft.
Four spacecraft will be built as part of this mission
and the Siena researchers have been charged with developing
a dual electron spectrometer, a part of the Fast Plasma
Imager instrument, which will provide an instantaneous
full-sky view that is independent of the spacecraft’s spin.
The Siena team is involved with building and design, testing,
and once the next set of rockets launch, data analyses.
To assist Kujawski, Ryan and Mike learned a
programming language called Very High Speed Integrated
Circuits, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense in
the 1980s. Kujawski set up an experiment where the students
used this language to program a stoplight in order to learn
it first-hand before working on the NASA instrument. “It
is so different from regular computer languages, it took a
lot of getting used to,” said Ryan. It was worth the effort.
Ryan and Mike now have a working knowledge of the
programming language used by NASA, a rare feat for undergraduate students.
The MMS Project is preparing for a launch in 2014. The Solar-Terrestrial Probe will use Earth’s
magnetosphere as a laboratory to study the microphysics of three processes: magnetic reconnection, energetic
particle acceleration and turbulence. “It’s a way for scientists to talk to the sun and understand it’s connection
to space weather,” explained Allan Weatherwax, professor of physics.
Siena News • 7
Freshman Publishes
Children’s
Book
Freshman environmental studies
major Alexandra Mancuso ’11 has always
lived by the Long Island Sound.
Unfortunately, this meant witnessing the
devastating degradation of its ecosystem.
Last year, she decided to bring attention to
this issue. When it came time to dedicate 65
hours of leadership and service to complete
her Girl Scout gold award, she chose to
write a children’s book, Great Blue’s
Message about the destruction happening to
the environment she grew up in and loved.
The book is about a young boy named
Robby who journeys through the waters of
Freshman Alexandra Mancuso
published a children’s book to
bring awareness to the destruction
of Long Island’s estuaries.
Book Illustrator - Brianna Lind
Siena News • 8
the Long Island Sound, guided by a great blue heron. Robby is saddened by the
pollution and the heron tells him what he can do to help save the estuary – spread
the word to others. “My goal for the book is for children, and anyone else who
reads it, to tell others that it is important to save our estuaries,” stated Alexandra.
To aid her in achieving this goal, Alexandra donated her book to every fifthgrade class in her school district, as well as environmental organizations on
the South Shore.
The Long Island Sound is an estuary – a place where salt water from
the ocean mixes with fresh water from rivers draining from the land.
Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on earth, serving as
feeding, breeding, and nursery areas for many species. However, the
Sound’s watershed is also home to more than eight million people, causing
man-made pollution to disrupt its food chain and its environment.
“Talking about the situation with the estuary was easy because I have lived by it my whole
life,” claimed Alexandra. She chose environmental studies as her major because of her strong
connection with nature and interest in making people more aware of environmental issues. “Ideally,
I would like to end up with a career that combines the environment and working with children.”
“My goal for the book is for children, and anyone else
who reads it, to tell others that it is important to save
our estuaries.”- Alexandra Mancuso ’11
Siena News • 9
Putting the Green
in the Green and Gold
While the topic of “going green” seems to pop up in the
news on a regular basis, Siena went green a few years ago and
continues to build upon those efforts today.
During the last three years, Siena has made a conscious
effort to conserve energy. Last summer, an independent
consultant, who compared Siena to 300 other institutions,
labeled our energy management dynamic a best practice.
Above: Lauren Johnson ’09, John Zampella ’08
and Molly Amell ’10 of the Environmental Club
helped make Serra Hall a more
environmentally – friendly place
to eat this year.
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Siena News • 10
Students from the Environmental
Club celebrated Earth Day on
campus by planting two new trees in
front of Siena Hall. The Facilities
Department hosted a Computer
and Electronics Recycling Day on
May 6 where campus members
recycled computers, batteries,
VCR’s, televisions, cell phones,
printers, stereos and small
appliances.
While many of the college’s green efforts originated from the student-run Environmental
Club and Facilities Department, it is the entire Siena community that should be commended.
“This year the college consumed 35 percent less heating fuel and 17 percent less electricity
than we did three years ago,” Paul Stec, vice president for finance, stated. “These reductions
allowed the college to put approximately $625,000 back into the college’s operating budget.”
In the past year the college’s efforts to go green were enhanced by installing numerous
duplex printers which are capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, replacing
regular light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs, phasing out Styrofoam and
plastic products in the dining hall and replacing them with new biodegradable cups, and
installing a more user-friendly recycling program on campus.
Four years ago, Barbara Brown, director of housekeeping, stopped using cleaners
that contained an acid base or buterol and moved to a more environmentally-friendly product
that contains peroxide and an orange-based cleaner.
“These new cleaners are healthier for our community and we adjust the dilution rates
depending on what needs to be cleaned,” she said.
Lauren Johnson ’09, a frequent purchaser of organic clothing, and John Zampella ’08
created a Sustainability Committee this year that brings the major players together who are
Siena News • 11
The college’s efforts to go green were enhanced by...
• Installing numerous duplex printers
• Replacing regular light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs
• Phasing out Styrofoam and plastic products and replacing them
with new biodegradable cups
• Installing a more user-friendly recycling program on campus.
leading Siena’s on-campus efforts to go green. One of the members on this committee is
Keith Volsky, grounds foreperson for facilities, who has played a key role in Siena’s recycling
program.
“Just this year we became the first business in the Capital Region to adopt the
single-stream recycling system,” he said. This new technology allows the user to place all
recyclables (newspaper, office paper, cardboard, glass, tin, aluminum and plastic) in a single
container for collection and
processing.
In a single year, Keith
estimates that Siena College
recycles about 120,000 pounds of
mixed paper and 210,000 pounds
of cardboard. Other recycle
efforts that he has been involved
with include the annual Computer
and Electronics Recycle Day (last
year they collected nine pallets of
computers and electronics),
textbook recycling in cooperation
with the bookstore, chipping of all
wood three inches in diameter or
less (the chips are then used for the
ropes course on campus), and
saving all leaves, grass clippings
and debris for compost in flower
beds.
At Siena the future looks
green as the administration,
faculty, staff and students continue
making environmentally-friendly
decisions. As a Franciscan college
with green as one of the official
school colors, what else would
you expect?
John Zampella ’08 advocated for
more recycling bins on campus
this year to make recycling easier
for the Siena community.
Siena News • 12
SHORT TAKES
Franciscan Center Receives
Donation from Organic Joe’s
Siena brothers Mike ’08 and
Matt DeFazio ’09 created their own
company, Organic Joe’s, which
promotes eating organic foods. Due
to its initial success, they have
decided to donate ten percent of
their proceeds to Siena. On
April 10, they presented a
check to the Franciscan
Center for Service and Advocacy.
The development of Organic
Joe’s was sparked by Mike and
Matt’s father’s interest in the benefits
of organic foods to the consumer.
During the school year of 20052006, Mike and Matt officially
formed the business Organic Joe’s.
They created a homemade organic pizza sauce and whole wheat pizza dough, which happen to be the
essential ingredient in the Organic Joe Pizza Kit. In addition to the healthy food it provides, it also allows for
families to spend more quality time together. Both brothers have created a business to benefit the consumer
all the while they continue to give back to the Siena community.
Alumni and Friends Honor Fr. Kevin
Tortorelli, O.F.M.
On March 15, the Development Office held a special fundraiser in honor
of Fr. Kevin Tortorelli, O.F.M., who taught at Siena from 1982-1992 in the
Religious Studies and Classic Departments. Through the generosity of his many
alumni friends, they raised over $150,000 which will be used to award the Fr.
Kevin Tortorelli, O.F.M., Scholarship on an annual basis. Jim Monaghan ’88
and Ted King ’86 served as the lead volunteers in organizing the event where
over 70 alumni and friends were in attendance at the St. Francis of Assisi Friary
in New York City.
“This scholarship frames two delightful aspects of my life at Siena. The
first being my brother friars with whom I lived a Franciscan life – a real, human
life. The other delightful aspect of life at Siena was rugby. It was a smaller version
of the college in that the field was also a place of learning and valuing – in this
case skills and sportsmanship,” Fr. Kevin said. “I am deeply and profoundly
grateful for this sacrifice made in difficult economic times.”
If you are interested in contributing to this scholarship please contact Ruth
Richards in the Development Office at [email protected] or 518-783-2423.
Siena News • 13
The Business of
Charity Week
Fifteen thousand dollars has never been raised during a
Charity Week, but Courtney Lynch ’10 and Briana Moore ’09
are willing to put in the extra work to ensure it happens November
9-15, 2008. “We know it is hard work, but we can do it,” said
Courtney. Hard work it is – the planning stages that go into
Charity Week is similar to a non-profit organization’s annual
event.
Siena News • 14
Research
The co-chairs had to whittle down a large
list of over 50 Capital Region charities. There was
one quality on which they would not compromise.
“It had to be a place where the money will make a
huge difference. We don’t want our efforts to go
toward postage for mass mailings, but rather we want
it to go to a place where we can witness the effects,”
explained Briana. Her experience working with
patients at the National Aids Trust in London has
made her feel strongly about making a significant
difference for people who need it most. The cochairs also looked for organizations that were not
as well known and as a result, are often overlooked
when people are choosing where to donate.
Ten organizations made it to the interview
stage; the co-chairs asked tough questions including
where the organization stands financially, how much
governmental funding they receive and their current
fundraising tactics. “Many of the potential charities
were removed from the list quickly because they
were not in dire need of our fundraisers,” said
Courtney.
give-up-a-meal programs will remain unchanged
from last year. In addition, they are brainstorming
something new for the Tuesday night event. “We
will keep what works, but with a twist,” said Briana.
There is a lot more to this stage than ironing
out what events will happen on what night. The cochairs are already searching auction donors and
hopefully, corporate sponsors, which is a new aim
for Charity Week.
Getting the word out
As marketing and management majors,
Courtney and Briana understand the importance of
publicity and are quickly learning how to use public
relations tactics for their audiences. “The first thing
is making people feel for this charity and know what
they are all about,” said Courtney, “Then, it’s all
about getting the campus to come out.” After all,
there’s $15,000 to be raised.
For more information on how to get involved
with Charity Week, please e-mail [email protected].
Choosing a Worthy Cause
Although it was a heart-wrenching decision
to make after meeting so many worthy Capital
Region agencies, the co-chairs chose the Catie Hoch
Foundation. This organization raises money for
medical research and family expenses for children
diagnosed with cancer. The Hoch family runs this
program to honor the life of their daughter, Catie,
who died of cancer. “I have six brothers so I’ve
learned not to cry often. But, I definitely had tears
in my eyes when I listened to this family’s story,”
said Courtney, “This is an organization students will
want to help.”
Tons of Planning
Six months before Charity Week, the
preparation is already under way. “Once the charity
is selected, the planning stage follows very quickly,”
explained Courtney. The auction, wine tasting and
Courtney Lynch ’10 and Briana Moore ’09 hope
to raise $15,000 by November for the Catie Hoch
Foundation.
Siena News • 15
From Siena To Kenya
The consumer behavior classes taught by Dr. Cheryl Buff ’82 put their business
knowledge to good use by creating brochures and PowerPoint presentations on behalf of
Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation, a trust that assists marginalized Kenyan tribes.
Their marketing materials will help the trust raise awareness and help sell the products made by
the tribes.
The trust consists of approximately 100 square miles in the Laikipiak Plateau Region of
Kenya and is trying to establish a viable life for the 10,000-19,000 residents who live there. If
they were able to live successfully in their villages, it would stem the exodus to Nairobi where
they mistakenly believe there are jobs and a future. Sadly, when they arrive in Nairobi there are
slums of squalor and health issues, but no jobs. The government, which is ill-equipped to deal
with the issues, estimates that 83 percent of the 3.5 million slum dwellers are either HIV/AIDS
or TB positive.
The PowerPoint presentations and brochures created by the students provide an arsenal
of marketing materials for the foundation to use in their efforts to garner support and donations
for the Kenyan people. The range of the students’ work is important for marketing to the
foundations’ various audiences. “The students all took very different approaches. Some told a
story. Others had a product focus. They all work in their own way,” said Dr. Buff.
Students in Cheryl Buff’s Consumer Behavior courses created brochures and PowerPoints for
Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation. For more information on this foundation,
please visit http://www.loisabaccf.org/.
Siena News • 16
“I felt connected to these people. It was
just a little bit of work from us – something
small we know how to do – but it will mean so
much for them.” -Michael Lashomb ’09
Students were thrilled to use their skills to
help this cause. “I felt connected to these people. It
was just a little bit of work from us – something
small we know how to do – but it will mean so
much for them,” said Michael Lashomb ’09.
The students used photos from the trips the
trustees of the foundation took to Kenya because
they decided that seeing the conditions would have
the greatest impact on potential donors. “It was
amazing to see my photos of Kenya used so
creatively. I felt like each student had been there,”
said Susan Barkowski, a trustee who
wholeheartedly thanked the students for their work
with tears in her eyes. Michael responded to her
thank you, saying: “What you are doing is a great
thing. This is something simple we can do on a
computer, while you have dedicated your life,” as
the class exploded into applause for Susan.
The students are eager to continue Siena’s
relationship with the Loisaba Community
Conservation Foundation. “The next step is to go
out into the market and help to sell the tribes’
products,” said Nicole Buckley ’09.
Top right: Susan Barkowski, a representative from
the foundation, commended the students for their
hard work and creativity on their projects which
will assist the natives of Kenya.
Siena News • 17
The Changing Face
of Reality
Facebook, a social networking site, has more than 69 million active users. It
is the fifth most-trafficked Website in the world and the second most-trafficked
social media site in the world. It is estimated that 85 percent of students attending
four-year colleges are on this site. This is the fact that inspired Dr. Ray Boisvert,
professor of philosophy, to create an honors course, called “Philosophy and Reality,”
that allowed students to explore this phenomenon.
“Reality, today, often means ‘virtual reality.’ The older ethics of authenticity
have given way to the ethics of celebrity; we are not fully real until we are recognized
via public technology, like American Idol, YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace. What
does all this mean? This course seeks to answer this question,” said Dr. Boisvert.
The students quickly discovered that Facebook is not just about posting
photos, updating profiles, sending messages and networking. The use of social
Websites like Facebook as popular vehicles for communication has changed the way
we think and feel about authenticity, identity, virtue, privacy, democracy, and even
self-realization.
Siena News • 18
Course
Readings
Albert Borgmann,
Holding on to Reality:
The Nature of
Information at the
Turn of the Millennium
Charles Guignon,
On Being Authentic
Martin Heidegger,
The Question
Concerning
Technology and
Other Essays
Hubert Dreyfus,
On the Internet
Left: Students in Dr. Ray
Boisvert’s honors philosophy
course studied how social
Websites such as Facebook
have changed how people
view themselves and reality.
Tim Hurly ’10 researched the issue of authenticity. He first examined
the works of philosophers such as Charles Guignon, Lionel Trilling and
Charles Taylor to define the term. “Authenticity is both a personal and social
virtue. It requires appraisal of your feelings and you are counted on to express
these views. There must be some permanence to these views,” stated Tim.
He found that Facebook, with its profile details such as “About me” and
“Favorites,” is something that allows, even encourages, a person to engage
in what Charles Taylor calls “expressivism.” “It is socially expected that you
back up the statements you make in your life,” said Tim.
Mike DiSiena ’10 took a different look at this issue and considered
the role of moral virtue on Facebook. His research reached all the way back
to Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, St. Augustine and St. Thomas, who accepted
what are known as the cardinal virtues: prudence (wisdom), justice, fortitude
(courage) and temperance (moderation). Given this, Mike asked, “Are there
moral virtues on Facebook, do the moral virtues on Facebook cohere to this
classic definition, and if not, what types of virtues does Facebook espouse?”
He concluded that the primary virtues found on Facebook were tolerance
and sociability; however, they do not adhere to the classic views on virtue.
“Facebook is tolerant in that it accepts without question other viewpoints,
ideas, or lifestyles. As for sociability, its main purpose is to allow individuals
to communicate with one another in new ways,” he explained.
Students in Boisvert’s class are grateful to learn the art of philosophy
with a modern twist. “This is the first philosophy class and the first honors
class I’ve taken. It’s been a great intellectual pursuit,” said Tim.
Siena News • 19
Rwandan Genocide Survivor
Visits Campus
Immaculee Ilibagiza, author of the New York Times
bestseller Left to Tell, visited campus this spring and in front
of over 1,000 people in the Alumni Recreation Center,
shared the story of how her life was changed forever. Those
in the audience heard one of the world’s leading speakers
on peace, faith and forgiveness. Prior to her speech,
students enrolled in the Siena College/Albany Medical
College program were treated to an intimate dinner with
Ilibagiza.
“Our students walked away feeling fortunate and
in awe of Immaculee’s inspirational story,” said Dr. Ed
LaRow, professor of biology.
“Her ability to show compassion toward the people
who killed her family members was incredible,” Krzysztof
“Kiko” Drzymalski ’08 said. “It makes you think about
the things that happen to you and realize how fortunate
we really are.”
Kiko was referring to Ilibagiza’s face-to-face meeting
with the killer after being locked in a bathroom with seven
other women for 91 days. She entered the bathroom a
vibrant, 115-pound college student with a loving family.
She emerged weighing just 65 pounds and found her entire
family had been brutally murdered. Upon her escape she
stared down a man armed with a machete who had killed
her mother, father and brother and said, “I forgive you.”
While anger and resentment were eating her alive and destroying her faith, she turned to
prayer to help her get through those awful days. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible
to forgive her tormentors and her family’s murderers.
“Immaculee is a wonderful example of the power of prayer,” said Fr. Bill Beaudin, O.F.M.,
college chaplain. Ilibagiza revisited campus this May and was awarded an honorary Doctor of
Humane Letters degree at this year’s commencement ceremony.
Siena News • 20
Minding Bryon’s Business
Senior Bryon McKim is already rubbing
elbows with today’s policy makers. As a college
student looking for some extra pocket change,
Bryon created his own firm called McKim Strategies,
a multi-dimensional political
consulting organization.
“I have always enjoyed being
creative and Siena has given me the
technical and business skills needed to
create my own company,” he said. His
list of satisfied clients includes George
Amedore for NYS Assembly, Saratoga
County Young Republican Club,
Sweeney for Congress, Siena College
and the Ballston Republican
Committee.
His Website design work with the Ballston
Republican Committee recently led to a nomination
for a prestigious Pollie Award, the political consulting
field’s equivalent to the Emmy Awards.
“I was honored to be considered for a Pollie,
especially considering my competition
Bryon McKim
’08 helped
knock out a
30-year
incumbent in
the race for
Saratoga
Springs
commissioner
of public
works thanks
in part to his
Website
design work.
was mainly people who do this type of work for a
living,” Bryon said.
His most successful venture to date occurred
in the race for Saratoga Springs
commissioner of public works.
Bryon, an economics and political
science major who is planning to
attend law school next fall, was
brought on as the campaign manager
for Anthony Scirocco and
implemented a strategic plan of
marketing, branding, new media,
volunteer coordination, and campaign
technology.
In a race dubbed the “Heavyweight
Campaign of the Capital Region,” he helped knock
out 30-year incumbent Democrat Tom McTygue in
the race for Saratoga Springs commissioner of public
works by more than 20 percent. At the end of the
night, his client Anthony Scirocco won in 96 percent
of the election districts in Saratoga Springs including
democratic stronghold Skidmore College.
“It has been a fun hobby that has allowed
me to make some money on the side while putting
my skills to use in the real world,” he stated. “It
also allows me to build relationships with
political leaders which I hope will help me
down the road.”
Siena News • 21
From Player to PR
Chris Madigan ’00 played football at Siena
and later found a career in the sport he grew up
loving. Instead of strapping on pads and a helmet
today, he spends his days as the director of public
relations for the Arena Football League.
“I wouldn’t be in this job today if it wasn’t
for Siena College,” Chris said. His interest in
journalism began as a sophomore when he was
introduced to the Sports Information Department
at Siena and this led to him switching his major from
computer science to English.
“I took Advanced Writing and Journalism
and loved those courses,” proclaimed Chris. He
credits faculty members such as Dr. Michael Sham
in the Classics Department for giving him the
confidence needed to be successful in his career. His
next step was to get involved in the Promethean
newspaper where he wrote The Donkey Report
column.
“That was the first column I ever published
and it was about professional athletes who made
questionable decisions in their lives,” he stated. He
also enjoyed working with Mike Hogan, Mike
Carey and Jason Rich in the Sports Information
Department where he was assigned tasks that allowed
him to be creative.
“My internship in Siena’s Sports Information
Department opened up doors for my career in the
public relations and sports field,” he said.
Madigan, who played football all four years
while at Siena and was honored as a team captain
during his senior season in 1999, grew even closer to
the sport through an internship with the AFL’s
Albany Firebirds. “I was with the team when they
won the Arena Bowl and received a ring. As a college
student I was extremely honored that they gave me
a ring,” he stated.
“It is an interesting
job that I absolutely
love. I get to promote
football every day,
something that I have
been around since I
was a little kid.”
Above: ESPN commentator Ron Jaworski (left) with
Chris Madigan ’00 prior to an Arena Football game
this year. As director of public relations, Chris is
responsible for the publicity efforts of the 17 teams in
the AFL.
Today, Chris is overseeing the publicity
efforts for the 17 professional teams in the Arena
Football League and works with sponsors such as
Discover Card and Champs Sports. His daily tasks
include trying to get articles published on teams and
individual players in target magazines including Men’s
Fitness, Maxim and Sports Illustrated, as well as
getting games televised on the networks like ESPN
and ABC.
“It is an interesting job that I absolutely love.
I get to promote football every day, something that
I have been around since I was a little kid.”
Siena News • 22
ALUMNI
CLASS NOTES
Editors: Janice Goca, Katie Sokol ’08, Ashley Dwyer ’08 and Nathan Maloney ’00
Please submit all of your Class Notes information to your Class Coordinator, or if there is no coordinator listed for your class,
please send all information to [email protected] for posting in the magazine!
1959
Frank Martin
[email protected]
1962
Ken Deitcher
[email protected]
Peter V. Coffey, Esq., has been
selected to receive the 2008
Attorney Professionalism Award
from the New York State Bar
Association. Peter is a partner
with Englert, Coffey, McHugh
and Fantauzzi, LLP.
1965
Martin E. Sullivan has been
selected as the new director of the
National Portrait Gallery, a
museum of art and history, which
is part of the Smithsonian
Institution.
1967
New York State Supreme Court
Justice Ed McCarty has been
awarded a scholarship to
participate in
the 2008 Sir
Rich May
Seminar on
International
Law and
International
Courts at The
Hague in
Holland. Ed
has assisted in
the
restoration of
Ed McCarty’67
judicial
systems in
Kuwait, Albania, Slovenia and
Haiti. He has also been a
contributor to the American Bar
Association’s Central European
Legal Initiative. In addition to his
judicial duties, Ed is also a special
professor of law at Hofstra Law
School.
1968 REUNION
Bill McGoldrick
[email protected]
th
By the time you read this, our 40
Reunion will be coming up. As I
write this, Bob Klein just solicited
me for my class gift. If you
haven’t yet made a commitment
to the class gift, I hope you’ll do
so. Our class gifts will form an
endowment that will support the
Siena Mentoring Program for the
future. We knew the program as
Big Brothers and today Siena
students still give their time to
work with young boys and girls
who need a positive influence in
their lives. Jim Snyder (the
erstwhile Fr. Gabriel!) still runs
the program.
Several of our classmates were
part of the basketball excitement
in Tampa when the Saints beat
Vanderbilt in the NCAA first
round. I saw Harry Groom,
Don McCormick, Brian
Kernaghan and Mike Bossert.
Joe Ciarciaglino was supposed to
be there too.
Harry isn’t retired yet but his
full-time job appears to be doting
over his grandson, Finian Patrick.
Mike Bossert still works for TriCity Rentals, a major owner of
apartment buildings around the
country. Brian Kernaghan is an
attorney who represents some of
the most successful real estate
developments in the South. Brian
is a loyal member of the Class of
’68. Check out the picture of the
South Carolina license on his car!
Drop me a line with news from your
life and we’ll share it in the next
Siena magazine!
1970
Kenneth J.
Ringler,
former
executive
director of
the Port
Authority
of New
York and
New Jersey
and former
Kenneth J. Ringler commissioner
of the New
’70
York State
Office of General Services, has
joined the corporate strategy
team of HB Solutions LLC, a
consulting affiliate of the Harris
Beach PLLC law firm, as team
leader and senior business advisor
in the Albany and New York
City offices.
1973 REUNION
Brian Valentine
(202) 586-9741
[email protected]
Jim LaBate has a newly published
novel titled, Things I Threw in
the River: The Story of One
Man’s Life. Jim is a writing
specialist in The Writing Center
at Hudson Valley Community
College in Troy, N.Y., where he
has worked full time since 2000.
Prior to that, Jim worked as a
high school English teacher for 10
years and as a technical writer for
11 years. Jack Quinn has been
selected as Erie Community
College’s next president. Jack is a
former congressman and town
supervisor.
1974
John Cahill is a referee and has
worked seven Final Fours and
four championship games
including this year’s 2008 NCAA
men’s national championship
game! John started reffing at the
intramural level at Siena and
followed in the steps of his father
Jack, a longtime referee. John’s
favorite venue is Madison Square
Garden! Great job John!
1975
Janet Gutowski Hall
[email protected]
1977
Linda Fitzsimmons
[email protected]
In November of last year, Tribune
Media Services was issued its first
employee-authored patent of
which Joe Williams is the sole
author. His invention “relates to
methods, algorithms, database
structures, and reports for
informing consumers of changes
in times and channels at which
episodes of a television series are
aired on television each week.”
Being the author of a patent is
quite an accomplishment and the
fact that Joe was an English major
while at Siena just goes to show
that you never know where a
Siena education will take you or
what you can accomplish.
Congratulations, Joe! Cindy
Renauld/Lansing, is a family
practice physician, employed by
St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
Her work takes her to the Siena
Health Center and she is amazed
by all the new programs at Siena.
In early March my husband, Jack,
and I were at the campus for an
admissions event with our
youngest son who is a senior in
high school. We met Patty
Powanda/Ellis, at this event as
she also has a son who is
interested in Siena. It’s amazing
that while the campus has grown
and changed, the sense of
community and support of the
students and their families by the
faculty and staff, as well as the
presence of the Franciscan friars,
are constants that have continued
to make Siena what it is today.
One final note, please don’t
hesitate to share your professional
as well as your personal
accomplishments with your
fellow classmates. I look forward
to hearing from you in the weeks
to come.
1978 REUNION
Deborah McManama-Herodes
received her doctorate degree in
the humanities and a degree in
educational administration. She
teaches at the high school and
college level. Deb has two books
of poetry on the market; Pilgrim
Soul and Between the Lines. She
has three daughters: Sarah, who is
a music teacher; Myleah, who is
an actress and currently
performing at Proctor’s in the
New Play Festival; and Mikayla,
who is studying overseas in
Croatia. Deb has five manuscripts
awaiting publication in poetry,
children’s literature and nonfiction. She owns her own
photography studio called Behind
Blue Eyes.
1979
Sue Reilly/ Hayes
[email protected]
522 Chili-Riga Town Line Road
Churchville, NY 14428
(585) 889-2072
Wasn’t March Madness exciting
with Siena playing their way into
Siena News • 23
the NCAA basketball
tournament and handily winning
their first-round game? I know I
was psyched—wearing my Siena
sweatshirt, sprinting between the
streaming video on my computer
monitor and the TV during those
all-too-brief moments the SienaVanderbilt game was shown. A
few of our classmates had better
views—John Murray, Rich
Sleasman, Dave Smith, and
Dave Wentworth were all in
Tampa for the first-round games.
Rich Sleasman writes that he
heard many remarks about the
unusual combination he wore to
the Friday night games… his
Siena golf shirt and his Villanova
baseball cap. (First game was
Siena vs. Vanderbilt followed by
Villanova vs. Clemson.) Rich and
Terri DuPre Sleasman’s son Greg,
oldest of three boys, is a freshman
at ‘Nova’ and couldn’t make it to
the tourney so he asked his dad to
wear the Villanova hat for him.
Siena and Villanova won and
were scheduled to meet up on
Sunday night. Rich continues,
“On the off day, Saturday, it was
pouring rain in Tampa and my
only rain gear was a Villanova
pullover golf jacket. It didn’t
even occur to me initially why I
was getting funny looks and
comments while walking through
the Siena hotel lobby. In fact an
Albany NEWS10 reporter saw
me wearing Villanova gear at
Siena headquarters and wanted to
know why. I let her know on
camera that my son and my
money may go to Villanova but
my heart stays in Loudonville!”
Carl Cassella watched the firstround game at a Metro NYC
alumni party held at Proof Bar on
3rd Ave. His comment: “Thank
goodness one person from the
class of ’68 was there or else I
would’ve been the oldest person
in the place—the closest after me
was from the class of 1997.
Could we really be out that
long?” Congratulations are in
order for Carl who recently
opened his 17th Primerica
Financial Services franchise, in
Rochester, N.Y. His other
franchises are located in NYC
and throughout the state, in New
Jersey, and in Tampa, Fla.
Kudos to Tim Barker and Anne
(Hein’80) Barker—the newest
’79ers to endow a scholarship at
Siena. They join John and Kelly
(Healey ’81) Murray, Dave and
Alicia Smith, Dave and Patty
Fish/Gabrielsen, and Gary and
Diane Kolakowski who have
already done so. Keep in mind
that our class as a whole
established the James Walsh
Memorial Endowed Scholarship
for our senior class gift to the
school. Way to go, Class of ’79—
nice job keeping the Franciscan
spirit of generosity alive for
future Siena students! If you
might be interested in finding out
more about endowing a
scholarship, the man to contact is
our own Dave Smith who serves
as vice president for development
and external affairs at Siena.
Hope you’re enjoying the
summer, everyone! Less than 365
days to our 30th Reunion… let the
dieting begin!! Let me know who
you would like to see at Alumni
Weekend, maybe an old friend or
wingmate you’ve lost touch with,
and I’ll publish your message in a
future column.
1980
Tom McGovern, director of
sports marketing, OMD USA
heads up sports media for the ad
agency. This year, McGovern
placed about 15 spots in the
Super Bowl for clients.
1981
Roberto (Bob) Cianflone is
currently an emergency
communications official with
NOAA’s National Weather
Service in Washington, D.C., and
he serves as the liaison with the
Department of Homeland
Security. The National Weather
Service provides weather and
climate forecasts and warnings for
the United States and its
territories, to the public and to
the military, for the protection of
life and property. In case of
circuit outages, such as by
hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes or
other severe weather, Bob is
charged to restore the
communications links to the
NWS offices so that the public
and the military can obtain
uninterrupted weather forecasts.
Prior to this position, he was
employed at the National
Security Agency in a specialized
position, where he worked on
unique computer related
communications skills. In
addition to his present work at
the NWS, Bob spends his free
time kayaking and teaching swiftwater rescue skills. He leads
weekly paddling trips on the
Potomac River year-round, and he
operates an outfit called the
Potomac River Paddlers which
has a membership numbering in
the hundreds.
1982
Bob Young
[email protected]
Paul J. Steffen, CLU, ChFC, has
been named an executive officer
with Northwestern Mutual
effective April 1, 2008. He
becomes just the 17th person in the
company’s 150 years to lead the
distribution system. Paul is a
former managing partner and
joined the home office in 2006 as
regional vice president.
1983 REUNION
Elvira Altimari-Jaeger
60 Wyatt Rd
Garden City, NY 11530
[email protected]
Hi to all my fellow reunion
classmates. I am being told that
this column will appear before the
reunion so I am going to relay
some information about Reunion
Weekend, June 6-8. The weekend
begins Friday morning with a
Golf Tournament. Friday evening
is a party at Dappers. Saturday is
the family picnic in the afternoon
and the class dinner in the
evening. If you have not donated
to our Class of ’83 gift yet, you
still can. The committee chose to
increase the endowment of our
class scholarship and a class
member is matching every
donation up to $50,000. We have
a chance to make a real impact on
the lives of Siena students for
years to come. It is a great legacy
for us as a class. If you already
gave to the annual fund, that is
fabulous but please consider an
additional donation to our class
gift as well. Check out the
Reunion Website for information
about the weekend and see
pictures from the 20th Reunion.
Just go to www.siena.edu, click
on Alumni, then Reunion 2008,
go to Class Pages and at the
bottom, click on Class of 1983.
So, call that old roommate or
wingmate and make plans to
come back to campus.
Here are the updates I received:
Tom Roginski and his wife Maria
hosted a reception at their home
for Siena President Fr. Kevin
Mullen. About 30 alumni
attended this wonderful event
including fellow class of 1983
members Kelli Vincent/
Rodriguez and Charles Young.
It is very generous of you Tom
and Maria, to share your home. I
heard from Tom “TJ” Jones. He
lives on Long Island and has been
married 20 wonderful years to
Jacquie and has two children –
Nick, 18, who just started his
first year at Bentley College, and
Maria, 15, who is in her first year
of high school. He spent many
years coaching soccer and loves to
golf. Professionally he has his
own accounting practice which he
started 18 years ago with offices
in East Islip and Hampton Bay.
He is also involved in a new startup magazine based in the
Hamptons called VOX. TJ, we
hope you are not too busy to
make it to the Reunion! I also
heard from Rob “Chops”
Choppa. Rob is a colonel in the
U.S. Army assigned to Fort
Jackson, S.C. He is currently
commanding a training brigade of
5,000 soldiers. He is hoping to
attend the Reunion but may be
redeployed to Iraq sometime
soon. We hope it is after the
Reunion Rob!
If you are looking to get in touch
with a fellow alum, shoot me an
e-mail. I can try to help you
locate the person you are looking
for. We are known as a class that
has a very active alumni presence.
We can continue that tradition by
giving generously and
participating in the Reunion
festivities. So call the Marriot and
make your reservation. Let’s
make this the best Reunion ever.
Just think – at our next Reunion
we will all be over 50. We’ll
never look better than we do
now.
1984
Lisa San Fratello/ McCutcheon
[email protected]
Hello Class of ’84. Sorry about
the absence of a write up this past
winter, There was a mix up with
my e-mail address. I had a great
winter meeting up in Chicago
with my friends Mary Reeves/
Hayes, Caroline Lavelle, Lisa
Puzzi/Caldwell, Sue D’Angelo
and Maggie Heck/Dowling ’85.
We plan to be in Boston in
November of 2008, so let us
know if any of you are around!
Fortunately, many class members
got my new e-mail and sent in
info:
Denise Hernigle writes to us
from Canajoharie, N.Y., where
she lives with her husband and
four boys. Her oldest Silas, 19, is
a sophomore cadet at Norwich
University in Vermont. Kainen,
18, is a freshman architecture
major at Buffalo University, and
Nathan, 17, is a senior in high
school heading to Brockport
University in the fall. Nicholas,
her youngest, is an eighth-grader
and her last hope for one to
attend Siena. She loves living in
the area she grew up in and
enjoys being an account executive
for Proctor and Gamble. She
would love to hear from old
friends, so she included some
information where she can be
reached: [email protected].
Her phone numbers are 518-6738204 (office) and 518-469-0465
(cell).
I also had the pleasure of
corresponding with Maureen
Rossi/Morgan – Bill (Hummer)’s
wife. She is still busy raising four
children and has her oldest
Matthew, graduating from Siena
in May. Her daughter, Lindsay, is
a freshman at the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville and
Danielle and Kirsten (her twins),
are juniors at Notre Dame High
School in Chattanooga, Tenn. She
and Hummer have returned to
New York (she’ll be up for good
after the girl’s graduate.) After
living in Chattanooga and
Atlanta, they are looking forward
to returning to a home they
purchased in Saratoga Springs.
Hummer is now the regional sales
director in Albany for Pepsi
Bottling Group.
Maureen can be reached at
[email protected], so get
in touch again. I know many of
us are getting to the point where
our children are in college or
about to go (doesn’t seem
possible), so maybe it will be
Siena News • 24
easier to contact friends again
before our big 25th Reunion in
June of 2009.
1985
Catherine & Ron Bjorklund
[email protected]
14 Stevens Lane
Tabernacle, NJ 08088-9744
Leslie (Buzz) Foster was selected
to be promoted to colonel in
October 2008. “Not bad for a
ROTC cadet that the cadre said
had no future in the Army” (his
quote, not mine...). Buzz is also
completing
an
Anesthesia
Interventional
Pain
Fellowship
at Walter
Reed Army
Medical
Center this
June. Buzz
enclosed a
picture so
Leslie Foster ‘85
“his friends
could laugh
at how old he looks” (again, his
quote!).
Gil Chase was promoted to
executive vice president at AxaAdvisors, a firm he has been
working at since graduating from
Siena. Currently, Gil manages over
100 financial advisors throughout
all of eastern New York.
Rich Becker just returned from
some volunteer work in San
Miguel, Mexico where he took his
dad and three nieces and nephews
to work in an orphanage as well as
to build some basic housing for
some extremely poor (but happy
and grateful) families. They were
there during Easter week (Semana
Santa). In April, he heads to Haiti
with 10 high school students to
work in a Mother Teresa orphanage
and another school that takes
orphaned kids off the streets and
gives them a home and an
education. While his volunteer
activities keep him busy, he still
works at the Massachusetts
Housing Investment Corporation
building affordable housing in
Massachusetts. Check out the link
below for some awesome photos of
Rich and crew showing true Siena
spirit: http://
sofunphotography.com/darkroom/
share/?client/san_miguel
John Joyce and his wife Jessica
welcomed Henry William Joyce
who arrived March 13, 2008.
Henry joins big brother John
Thomas who is 2 ½ years old.
Henry will be baptized at the
Spring Rugby Alumni Game on
May 3, by Fr. Kevin Tortorelli.
Gunnard Cunningham recently
moved to the D.C. area to take a
position as vice president of food
and beverage at Gaylord National
Resort & Convention Center. The
resort opened April 1 and Gunnard
was brought in to oversee the
opening. Gunnard brings more than
20 years of hospitality food and
beverage expertise to Gaylord
National, serving most recently
as director of food and beverage
for The Greenbrier Resort in
White Sulphur Springs, West
Va. His previous experience
includes the Big Cedar Lodge in
Ridgedale, Mo., The Sagamore
in Lake George, N.Y. as well as
Omni Hotels. He is a current
member of the National
Restaurant Association. Check
out www.gaylordhotels.com for
info on the hotel. Looks like a
nice place! Col. Christopher P.
Gibson has published a book,
Securing the State: Reforming
the National Security DecisionMaking Process at the CivilMilitary Nexus.
Keep the news coming! It
doesn’t have to be new, just
update us on what you have
been doing the last 20 plus
years.
1987
Gerry McAndrew
[email protected]
Congratulations to Mary Ellen
Mallia, also known to her Siena
friends as “Kazoo,” on
receiving her Ph.D. in
ecological economics from
R.P.I. in August 2006. After
receiving her Ph.D., she taught
economics at Siena and recently
accepted a position as director
of environmental sustainability
at the University of Albany.
This is a newly created office
which will oversee, evaluate
and implement green programs
at the university. Kazoo would
love to hear from her Siena
classmates. If you are in
Albany, stop by and say hi or email her at
[email protected].
Eric V. Eitel left Columbia Law
School to take on the role of
executive director of the Lanza
Family Foundation in Scarsdale,
N.Y. In addition to the
philanthropic work, his new
role includes assisting his new
employers with private equity
investments.
Let me know what’s new, I look
forward to hearing from you.
1988 REUNION
Paula Cacossa
[email protected]
Bobbi Daugherty/Moran will
run in the 112th Boston
Marathon in April. Bobbi is
currently the director of sports
information and head field
hockey coach working in the
Athletic Department at the
Loomis Chaffee School in
Windsor, Conn. Bobbi and her
husband Bernie have four
children: Conor, 18, Samantha,
17, Caroline, 14, and Jack Rian,
12.
1989
Mike Carbonaro
[email protected]
3140 10 th Street
Bethlehem, PA 18020
(610) 737-1147
Class of ’89 Thanks for a
great 2007!
By the time you read this we
will all be thinking about
spring. This is a slow news
issue with a couple of updates,
one correction and some
housekeeping information to
pass along. Congratulations to
Sharon Gower/Small who
graduated from the State
University of New York at
Albany with a Ph.D. in
computer science, and she
started her own software
company, LAANCOR located
in Schenectady. Sharon’s
husband Ernie Small founded a
professional services and IT
network integration company,
IPLogic, located in Latham.
Mike Oates sold his company,
Creative Field Marketing
Group, in April after 17 years
in business. He took six
months off to enjoy semiretirement then accepted a
position as director, business
development, with Empire
State Development
Corporation. One correction
to an article in the last
newsletter regarding Dr. Julie
A. Adams-she actually
received her doctorate from
the University of
Pennsylvania, not Penn State.
Cameron Elkerton and
partners have recently opened
a full-service marketing and
advertising firm in New York
City called RE:Approach
Marketing, Inc. that specializes
in design, printing, advertising
and web marketing. Please
visit their website at
www.reapproachmarketing.com
Some final deadlines for the
newsletters are: summer issue,
6/1 and fall issue, 10/1. Thanks
to everyone who wrote in
during 2007. You made the
2007 issues special with your
information – let’s keep it up.
1990
Stephen Leavenworth
[email protected]
(212) 382-6975
1991
Kevin Clarke
[email protected]
Class of 1991, Kevin is now
on board as class of ’91
coordinator. Please send your
updates to Kevin so he can
share your news with the Siena
community. He looks forward
to receiving your updates.
Mary Ellen McCrudden/
Bergsma, and her husband Bill
are pleased to announce the
birth of their daughter,
Madeline Helene. She was
born on August 2, 2007, and
joins her brother Joseph
Charles. They all reside in Naples,
Fla. John Oliver and his wife
Gretchen welcomed their second son,
Nathaniel John, on May 23, 2007.
Marc Brown, New Jersey City
University interim Head Coach has a
7-3 record in his first 10 games at the
helm of the program. He was
featured on the MSG Network.
1992
Mary Pat McLoughlin/ Holler
[email protected]
We are pleased to congratulate Joe
Dupree and wife Jennifer on a new
addition to their family, their third
child, Madison Riley, born on
December 19, 2007. Marty Dauer
has accepted the position of chief
marketing and communications
officer with Duff & Phelps
Corporation in New York City.
1993 REUNION
Susan Hannon
[email protected]
213 W. 252nd St
Riverdale, NY 10471
917-796-2085
Ahhhh spring! What a great time of
year – the April showers bring May
flowers and May flowers bring us to
campus in June for our 15th Reunion.
Don’t know about you guys but
when I tell people about it I feel
pretty darn old – 15 years – yikes!
So, I heard from a bunch of people
since the last issue and here’s the
scoop. Former Full Service lead
singer Jon Tellstone is thriving as a
senior vice president for Bank of
America in Latham, N.Y. and still
living in Saratoga. According to him,
he “finally fell this past September”
and got married in front of many
fellow alums. You can also find him
and Dan Getman playing on the
baseball fields of Saratoga. Scott
Allen has been in Charlotte, N.C. for
the past 10 years and works as the tax
director for a large utility. He
encourages all of us to move down
and experience the terrific real estate
market – especially all you single
ladies as he is still available! He also
told me Andy Shorkey lives in
Atlanta and had a baby last fall. Jen
Budka/Cox and her husband Jeff
flew to Korea to adopt their third
Korean child last November. Her
name is Isabella Grace Ryanne Tae
Hee Cox (or Bella for short) and joins
big brother Ryan and sister Katie.
She loved Korea and felt as
comfortable there as she did at Siena.
The family also made a donation to
the adoption agency for care of the
other orphans. She’d love to chat
with anyone else who may have
adopted from Korea. Julieanne
Paonessa sends a g’day greeting from
Australia, where she is on a one-year
assignment with the company she
works for in Boston, Mass. She’ll be
there until September 2008. She is
very disappointed to miss the reunion
and says hello to everyone from down
under. Delia Brako/Shumway is
married, has two boys, Cale and
Camden, and is still living in
Manhattan. She is a structural
engineer for the NYC Department of
Siena News • 25
Buildings as a forensic engineer
specializing in collapses and
construction-related accidents that
occur during excavations for new
buildings. She recently investigated
the crane collapse that was in the
news. A shout out to her cousin
Pete Ruggiero – make plans to get
together – she misses you! And
finally, my apologies for not getting
this in sooner – Jill Byrnes/Marks
had a baby girl last January with her
husband Jim. I met Katherine
Bridget down at the Jersey Shore
this past August and she is certainly
a cutie. Peter and Jacqui Judd/
Agresta added another boy to their
family, Thomas Judd, on January
27, 2008. Big sister Scarlett, 4, and
brother Petey, 1, are excited about
the new addition. They are
planning on attending the reunion
this year. Patricia Barrett/
Woodham and her husband Tony
welcomed their second child,
Christian, on May 13, 2007. In
November, Patricia accepted a new
position as CFO for NorthPoint
Trading Partners, LLC in
Alpharetta, Ga.
Ok, you are all caught up just in
time for our Reunion. See you
there – can’t wait!
1994
Glenn Hofsess
[email protected]
Congratulations to Chris “Sheets”
Thestrup, who with his wife,
Nichole, are proud to announce the
birth of their child, Richard
Nicholas Thestrup. Ricky (Siena
class of 2029) was born on April 1,
2008. Nichole and Ricky are both
doing very well! The three of them
make their home on Long Island.
Kristin Sweet/Lambert and her
husband Paul welcomed a baby boy,
Jack William Lambert, on March
17, 2008. He joins big brothers,
Nicholas, 5, and Kevin, 3. Heather
Stevenson/Halpin and her husband
John are thrilled to announce the
birth of their son, Luke Walter, on
October 15, 2007. He joins big
sister Abby,
4. Heather,
who now
resides in
Charlotte,
N.C., put
her finance
career on
hold to be a
stay-at-home
mom and
declares it
was the best
Laura A.
career
Bellotti ’94
decision
ever! Laura A. Bellotti, Esq. has
been promoted at the Connecticut
law firm of Pullman & Comley
from associate to member of the
firm. Melissa M. Zambri, Esq. of
Hiscock & Barclay has been elected
to the firm’s partnership. Jerilee
Serven/Beaudoin has recently been
promoted to assistant vice
president, business banking with
First Niagara Bank. Jerilee joined
First Niagara in 2005. Jerilee
received her M.B.A. from the State
University of New York at Albany.
She resides in Cohoes, N.Y. with
her
husband,
Ron and
their two
daughters.
There are
many out
there I
have not
yet heard
from, so if
you’ve
Melissa M.
been
Zambri ’94
sitting
back
waiting for
the right
time – that
time is
now. Let
us know
what you
are up to. I
hope you
are all
enjoying
Jerilee Serven/
the surf,
Beaudoin’94
sand, and
fun
summer
has to
offer.
Although
life is
somewhat
less
carefree
than it
was, say
15 or so
years ago,
Stacey A.
summer
Scrivani’96
vacations,
playing
outside with the kids, and time
with friends on a warm night
take the edge off the daily grind
(a good cocktail helps too).
1996
Brian Murray
[email protected]
[email protected]
Phone: (614) 270-6003
Stacey A. Scrivani, Esq., has
been named shareholder in the
firm of Stevens & Lee.
1997
Selena Dutcher
[email protected]
[email protected]
(518) 265-2127
In December of 2007, Shelly
Ribando joined KOAT 7
News in Albuquerque, N.M.
as co-anchor of Action 7 News
Live. Prior to her new
position, Shelly worked as an
anchor at WOFL-TV in
Orlando, Fla.
1998 REUNION
Janine Trapp/Scotti, MBA
Cell- 201-294-0395
[email protected]
Hello all! Thanks for your
updates and for contacting me
to say hello. I enjoyed catching
up with several of you. It
seems a lot is happening with
the class of ’98 and we’re
doing very well overall!
David Aronowitz and his
wife, Annemarie, are pleased
to announce the birth of their
daughter, Leah Margaret, born
on January 30, 2007. They are
residing in Wilton, Conn.
Amber A. Sloane completed
her MBA at Union College in
June 2007 and is currently
working with the National
Credit Union Administration
as a credit union examiner. This
1995
has proven to be an exciting
Neil Wilcove
challenging career for Amber;
[email protected]
one that offers many
opportunities to travel and
Lorraine Goffredi/DeRosa and work in a dynamic
her husband, James and
environment. Marisa
daughter, Francesca proudly
Ricciardi joins NYSE
announce the birth of their son
Euronext as global head of
(and baby brother), Joseph
brand marketing. Frank
James, who was born on March
Waterson married Sara Taich
9, 2007. Jonathan DeMay has
on June 2, 2007 in Montego
made partner at the law firm of
Bay, Jamaica. Fellow Siena
Condon & Forsyth LLP, in
classmates Lynn KennedyNYC. Megan McCarthy
LaGram, Dan O’Neill, James
married Jeff Foy on December 1, Wolf and Bret Phillips made
2007 in Massachusetts. The
the trip down to Jamaica to
newlyweds reside in Boulder,
join the fun. Kimber Lewis/
Colo., where Megan is a human
Monroe, her husband, Brian,
resources manager for the
and their son, Lance, born
University of Colorado
April, 2006, are excited to
Foundation and Jeff is a
announce the birth of the
toxicologist. Lori Napoleon/
newest member of their family,
Mac Isaac and her husband
Paige Mary, born December,
Devin announce the birth of
2007. Patrick Ryan has joined
their son, Ian Napoleon Mac
the new “Talk 1300,” WCBI,
Isaac, born Dec. 29, 2007.
in Albany, N.Y., as vice
Stacey Soules/Spooner, her
president of sales. Keep the
husband Chad and their twoupdates coming Class of ’98!
year-old daughter, Hailey,
welcomed Mackenzie Isabelle,
1999
born on December 31, 2007. She Brendan Fitzgerald
weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces, and [email protected]
was 19 inches long.
[email protected]
518-258-9272
Greetings Class of 1999 from the
soggy landscape that is springtime in
Albany. Once again, I am playing a
big part in the annual slog that is
developing the state budget. Along
with many of my colleagues, I’m
feeling overtired, over-caffeinated
and uninformed. It’s not unlike
those sleepless nights cramming for
finals, where the bursts of energy
were supplied every four hours by a
run to Dunkin Donuts. You chug
coffee and chew the same flavor
gum all night and during the test
you hope that it really will help with
memory recall. And when it’s all
said and done, you trudge blearyeyed back to your room, shaking out
the hand cramps, headed for some
nap time. When you wake up,
provided you’re over 21, or at least
your I.D. says you are, it’s time to
start working on forgetting it all
until the next semester. Yup – that’s
pretty much life in the real world
too. Just kidding!
I want to add that it’s been great
following Saints hoops this year.
Congratulations to the men for
winning the MAAC and making it
to the second round of the NCAA
Tournament! Tremendous job!
I was happy to hear from Devon
Couden/Treharne. She and her
husband, Bryan Treharne,
welcomed their second child, a
daughter, Reagan Kathleen, on
October 13, 2007. She joins her
two-year-old big
brother, James
Morgan, to
round out their
family of four.
Congratulations
Treharne family!
Lisa Boucher,
SPHR has joined
CMJ, LLP,
formerly Curtis,
Murphy and
Jeffries, LLP, as
a senior benefits
Lisa Boucher ’99
associate
specializing in
pension and profit-sharing plan
administration and compliance
functions for corporations,
partnerships, and professionals. She
holds an M.B.A. from the College of
St. Rose. Lisa resides in Hartford,
N.Y., with her husband, Jeffrey.
As always, I’m looking forward to
your e-mail updates! Let’s hear
about those summer trips, new jobs,
new marriages, new babies and
anything else you might want your
old classmates to know. All the
best!
2000
Shaymus R. Schweitzer
[email protected]
103 Sherman Ave.
Troy, New York 12180
518-727-3392
It was quiet on the news this
quarter. Be sure to submit any news
you have about births, weddings,
new jobs, exciting experiences, or
even events/parties that fellow Class
of 2000 people may want to know
about!
Siena News • 26
2001
Maura Mack
[email protected]
that great news you’ve been
harboring: engagements,
promotions, jobs, awards, etc.
Hope you’re all having a great
summer, and finding time to
relax!
I’m happy to report that Meg
Slezak/Carley got married on
June 23, 2007, with many Siena
alums in attendance: Michael
Cummings ’97, John and Kelly
Mackin/ Lizzi, Patrick Straw ’99,
Katie Collins, Kim Kaltreider,
Robert Carley, Margaret Slezak/
Carley, Chris Callaghan ’00,
Mary Coogan/ Callaghan,
Brendan and Keri Morcone/
Cunningham, Kerry Keenan ’04
and John Cummings ’68 (see
photo page 29)
I was also notified that classmates
Erin Hurley and Sara Mendez
completed the NYC marathon.
Congratulations to you both, that
is an incredible accomplishment!
I was delighted to hear from Liz
Anderson/Deters, who updated
me that she married Dave Deters
’00 on February 9, 2002, in the
Turks and Caicos Islands with
close friends and family. They
welcomed their first child, Caleb
Pierce, on March 14, 2006
(ironically his father’s birthday
also). Then 17 short months later
they had baby #2 – Micah
Anderson, born August 15, 2007.
Andrew Kennedy and Shannon
Martin/Kennedy had a son,
Peter Andrew, born February 28,
2008. Please don’t delay, if
you’ve been meaning to pass
along your news – do it now. I
love to receive all types of news:
milestone occasions, promotions,
competitions, educational
advancements, volunteer and
board work. Help me, help all of
us stay connected.
Cheers, Maura,
[email protected]!
2005
Sabra-joi Dingman
[email protected]
(845)-758-7692
2002
Christine Cinnamond
[email protected]
(646) 942-0970
Congratulations to Stacey
Ruocco/Pagliaro and Chris
Pagliaro! Stacey and Chris
welcomed their first child, a
daughter, named Katherine
Elisabeth, on January 26. The
Pagliaro clan are all happy, a little
sleep deprived, and living in
Cheshire, Conn.
Congratulations to Andre
Martone and Andrea Casano ’03!
Andre and Andrea were married
in June 2007. (see photo page 29)
Dr. John A. Mastrangelo and
Shannon Cavanagh were
married on August 4, 2007 in
Rome, N.Y., followed by a
honeymoon in Italy. John
received his medical degree from
Albany Medical College in 2006
and is currently completing his
radiology residency at Albany
Medical Center. Shannon received
her master’s degree in secondary
science education from Teachers
College, Columbia University in
Thomas Long joined the ranks of
New York City’s bravest on
January 16, 2008 after 23 weeks
in the Fire Department’s Training
Academy.
2006
Chris Elsesser
[email protected]
Ashley Boland
[email protected]
Brian White ’04 and Thomas Long ’05
2004 and is a chemistry teacher at
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High
School. (see photo page 30)
Kate Lane married Andrew
Jarosh on May 25, 2007 at St.
Clement’s Church with a
reception at the Canfield Casino
in Saratoga Springs. They
honeymooned in Disney World.
Classmate Darlene Roop served
as one of Kate’s bridesmaids. The
Jaroshs live in Saratoga Springs,
where Kate was recently
appointed deputy commissioner
of finance for the city. Her
husband is an underwriter for
Principle Commercial
Corporation, also located in
Saratoga. Congratulations to
Kate and Andrew!
2003 REUNION
Gina Gizzi
[email protected]
P.O. Box 5133
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 421-4316
Very soon we will all hopefully be
reuniting to share these updates in
person during our five-year
Reunion this June. I am not sure
about the rest of you, but it seems
to me that these five years have
flown by almost as quickly as our
four unforgettable years at Siena.
I look forward to seeing everyone
and catching up! Please contact
the [email protected] for further
information on our class reunion.
Kristen Pattamana/Cavo and
Andy Cavo’02, who were
married on July 1, 2007 sent the
following updates: “We had
quite the reunion at our wedding
this past summer! Our guests
included Siena alumni from the
Class of ’71 to the Class of ’06,
and we partied like true Siena
Saints! It was such an amazing
day for Andy and I! Now we’re
living in Ithaca, N.Y., while
Andy attends Cornell Law
School. However, during the
summer, we’ll be living in New
York City since Andy will be
working as a summer associate for
the law firm of Sullivan and
Cromwell. After that, we’re back
to Ithaca for Andy’s last year of
law school. Also, I think our
wedding may have inspired a few
of our guests! My brother, Kevin
Pattamana ‘01 is engaged to Maria
Vasilakos. Jen Hoffman is
engaged to Mike Kazakewich.
Prosper Karangwa is engaged to
Michele Blot ‘06. Christina Sabia
‘05 is engaged to John Luft, and
Kristin Kelly is engaged to Tom
Iula!” It is excellent to hear so
much news, so thank you to
Kristen for passing it along. A
well-deserved congratulations to
all from your Siena family.
Andrea Casano was married to
Andre Martone ‘02 in June 2007,
where fellow alumni and friends
enjoyed a beautiful celebration.
The wedding of Lynn Farrell/
McCarthy to Michael McCarthy
occurred on September 16, 2006
in NYC where Class of 2003
Townhouses 3 and 4 were in
attendance, and this past
September 19, 2007, their son,
Ryan Patrick, came into the
world.
2004
Jolleen Wagner
[email protected]
Hello Class of 2004! I would like
to start by congratulating Jen
Peloquin and her fiancé Brian
Banker. The two are planning
their wedding for May 2009.
Dana Lawton married Conrad
Balejko on July 13, 2007 at
Saratoga National Golf Club.
Conrad works as a transaction
services manager for the
accounting firm PWC and Dana
is currently working on her Ph.D.
in English at SUNY Albany.
Stephen Dombroski was recently
named director of sports
information at Manhattan College
and will oversee the media
relations for the Jaspers 19
Division I athletic programs.
Brian White joined the ranks of
New York City’s bravest on
January 16, 2008, after 23 weeks
in the Fire Department’s Training
Academy.
Now as for the rest of you, I wish
I had more news to share so go
ahead and send that e-mail with
Hello fellow classmates! It has
been a while since we have
caught up and I hope that all of
you are enjoying the warmer
weather (along with the
opportunities to showcase your
spring and summer wardrobes). I
have been busy completing the
final requirements of my M.B.A.
degree from Fairfield University,
while visiting friends “on the go”
all over the Northeast! It is
weird for me to realize that I will
not be taking classes for the first
time in six years next semester
(but I am sure that I will find
something to do to pass the time).
It was great to bump into many
of you during the month of
March, either at the Times Union
Center (better known to us as the
Pepsi Arena), Broadway Joe’s or
at The Recovery Room during the
Men’s Basketball Team’s magical
run to the MAAC Championship
title and second round of the
NCAA Tournament. Watching
the Saints dominate their
opponents was equal or almost
more exciting than a “Kegs N’
Eggs Saturday.” I know that
many of you have dreamed of
“storming the court” since our
senior year of high school, when
we watched our peers celebrate
the Saints improbable MAAC
Championship victory on our
court on ESPN. The excitement
was still there six years later, as it
was truly outstanding and
bittersweet to see fellow ’06ers
“storming” with me in 2008! For
those of you who missed it, I am
sure that you can find plenty of
pictures and video of the
experience on YouTube and
Facebook. Now, let’s get onto
this quarter’s news!
Mary Bridget Fox has been
moving through the ranks of one
of Siena’s favorite companies,
Nestle! She started with them in
August, 2006, as a NROC sales
representative in Hagerstown,
Md. In April 2007, she was
moved to the category analyst
position in Avon, Conn. Now,
she is back on “Siena turf” in
Albany, working in the same
position with Nestle Purina Pet
Care. Her position is letting her
“see the sights of the country,” as
Siena News • 27
she travels on average three days
a week to her accounts anywhere
from Rochester to South Carolina
and California. She is thoroughly
enjoying being back in the
Albany area where she lives with
fellow classmate Alison Bartlett
and spends some of her free time
with the girls of TH 125 and the
boys of TH 140. Jillian Goldfine
is in her second year of full-time
graduate school at The College of
Saint Rose, where she is earning a
Master’s of Education degree in
community mental health
counseling. Her fieldwork and
wide variety of job experiences
occupy most of her time, as she
recently accepted an internship in
Glenville at Conifer Park’s InPatient Substance Abuse
Detoxification Unit.
Additionally, she holds work
responsibilities as a family
development specialist (Social
Worker) in the Teenage
Opportunity Program in Troy,
N.Y., where her clients are
Medicaid-recipient teenagers
between the ages of 14-21, who
are pregnant, parenting or at-risk
for having babies. To occupy the
rest of her free time, she also
works part-time as a child-care
worker at Community Maternity
Services in Albany. Although Jill
wishes she had time to get out
more with her old crew, she
absolutely loves her work and
finds it very rewarding. Look for
her to keep up this hectic pace
through graduate school and
beyond! Let’s send warm wishes
to both Mary Bridget and Jillian
as they continue through their
blossoming careers!
I recently was able to catch up
with Natalia Kutzer, who
recently completed her M.B.A.
degree from Union College.
Before graduation, Natalia
attended Union’s winter semiformal with some of her
classmates and fellow Siena
alumni. Word on the street is that
they were the best-looking group
going! Let’s send out a BIG Class
of 2006 congratulations to
Natalia, her crew, and all other
’06ers who have graduated with
their advanced degrees to this
date. Jillian Diaz will be
attending Albany Law School in
the fall on a full scholarship.
I hope everyone has enjoyed
reading about our class’s
happenings this quarter. I have
heard from a few of you who
know classmates who do not
receive this magazine, but wish
that they did. Please tell them to
contact the Alumni Office at
[email protected] so that we can
all be kept in the news loop! If
you happen to relocate, please
remember to update your
addresses with them as well! The
diversity of our class’s news is
growing each quarter, which in
turn maintains the health of this
space. Let’s keep it rolling! On
behalf of my co-editor Ashley
Boland, I wish you a very happy,
healthy and safe summer. We’ll
talk to you during the dog days
of summer!
2007
Sean Robbins
PO Box 11222
Loudonville, NY 12211
[email protected]
Although it started off slowly,
and took awhile to kick-in, spring
is finally here! In addition to
enjoying spring, I’ve been
enjoying my continued
association with Siena working as
a DJ for WVCR. I recently
developed a new show entitled
“The J-Pop Exchange” that I am
hosting on Saturday mornings
beginning at midnight. This
show brings you the best in
Japanese popular music –
everything from the classics to
new releases. While a unique
genre, J-Pop is rapidly growing in
popularity in the United States.
In a sense it can be seen as
representing a fusion between
Japanese and American Culture.
In fact the roots of J-Pop can be
traced back to the American jazz
movement. Having the
opportunity to host this show is a
true testament to the station’s
motto “We Play Anything.”
I hope you are all enjoying and
making the most of this
wonderful spring season.
Renee Zych reports she has been
enjoying her stay in Dijon,
France. Renee, a history major,
moved to France in late January
to accept a position as the on-site
director of a study abroad
program focused on the study of
French language and civilization.
The program is associated with
the Kentucky Institute for
International Studies. She
reports: “The students and I are
discovering all the wonders of the
capital of Bourgogne which is a
region known for its specialty
foods and wine as well as a rich
history of architecture – much of
Centreville is comprised of 14th
and 15th century buildings.
We’ve been having a great time
and the students are learning a lot
about French culture and
civilization as well as making vast
improvements in their French
language proficiency.” Their
excursions have extended from
the Loire Valley castes to Paris;
and included the wine capital,
Beaune. Another member of the
Class of 2007, Stan Horton
shares that he is currently
pursuing a master’s degree in
student affairs in higher education
at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania. There, he also
serves as a graduate resident
director for one of the 10
residence halls. Maura
Titterington has joined Mannix
Marketing Inc. as a marketing
specialist. Yuliana Cummings
has joined CMJ, LLP, formerly
Curtis, Murphy and Jeffreys,
LLP, as an
associate in
accounting,
assurance
and
advisory
services and
performs
general
accounting
duties in the
firm’s
Yuliana
Cummings ’07 auditing and
accounting
department. Yuliana resides in
Bolton Landing, N.Y., with her
husband, David.
On another note, 2nd Lt. Dan
Skiff, U.S. Army Reserve,
spoke to students in Joseph
Fitzgerald’s marketing and
management Leadership class in
late January. Shortly
afterwards, he reported to
Anbar Province, Iraq, to serve
as the platoon leader in
command of 43 soldiers. There,
he is responsible for the
training and operation of three
Iraqi police stations, with 200
Iraqi policemen. Interestingly,
Cynthia Lancto, coordinator of
administration development
and external affairs reports that
her son Kevin has the same
assignment in the same locale.
She said, “I wouldn’t be
surprised if Kevin serves with
him when he goes overseas in
May. My prayers go out to him
and his family.” We all share
this sentiment.
In Memory of:
Joseph W. Lyons ’41
Walter J. Mooney Jr. ’42
John R. Lamb ’47
John E. Bailey ’48
Michael E. Itzo ’49
Robert J. Diggins ’50
Phyllis C. Gordon ’50
Richard J. Jacob ’50
Joseph L. Belfiore, Jr ’51
Charles W. Olendorf ’52
Charles O’Rourke ’53
Eugene M. Karp ’53
Joseph L. Belfiore, Jr. ’51
Charles O’Rourke ’53
John J. Higgins ’55
Thomas G. Cholakis ’56
William M. Lape ’58
Anne Cozzolino Griffen ’59
Thomas F. Molloy ’59
Thomas H. Sullivan ’59
Stephen J. Heenan ’61
Francis E. Miller ’62
Gene R. Zilka ’63
Joseph L. Carignan ’67
William Fitzgerald ’67
Mary Jean Hogan ’67
Clarinda M. Burke ’68
John C. Dowling, Jr. ’68
James E. Odell ’69
Thomas Neidl ’70
Brian K. Lynch, Sr. ’72
Charles E. Vickery, Jr. ’72
Paul Dougal ’74
Nancy Kucyk/Ralbovsky ’77
Gerard L. Wiaters ’78
Betsey Domenico ’98 married
Steve Garzone on December
31, 2007
Dana Lawton ’04 married
Conrad Balejko on July 13,
2007
Siena News • 28
Kate Lang ’02 married Andrew
Jarosh on May 25, 2007
Meg Slezak ’01 married Robert Carley on June 23, 2007
Graduate School Congratulations for Siena Alumni.
(Left to right) Ellen Hanson ’06, Derek Dunbar ’04,
Maritza Santos ’06 and Natalia Kutzer ’06
Andre Martone ’02 married Andrea
Casano ’03 in June, 2007
Frank Waterson ’98
married Sara Taich on
June 2, 2007
Siena News • 29
Kristen Pattamana ’03 married Andy Cavo ’02 on July 1, 2007
Megan McCarthy ’95 married Jeff Foy
on December 1, 2007
Dr. John A. Mastrangelo ’02 married Shannon Cavanagh ’02 on August 4, 2007
Jeanine Loesch ’98 married Brian Hussey on October 6, 2007
Siena News • 30
Are You A Member of the St.
Francis Society?
The St. Francis Society was founded by the College in 1993 to recognize those alumni and
friends of the college who have provided for Siena either by making a planned gift or by making
Siena a beneficiary of their will, a life insurance policy or an irrevocable trust. We presently have
190 members in the society; however, based upon the bequests that we receive each year, we know
that there are well over 1,000 alumni and friends of the college who have chosen to provide for
Siena upon their deaths.
We are extremely grateful for those of you who have chosen to leave a legacy
to Siena College. For those of you who have not let us know of your intentions,
we would ask that you contact us now so that we might recognize your intended
gift, enroll you in the St. Francis Society and send you the St. Francis statue.
For those wishing anonymity, we will enroll you in the Society, send you
the statue, but keep your membership anonymous.
For those of you who have not made a planned gift or made a
provision for Siena in your will, I would ask that you consider doing so. By
making a planned gift or providing for the college through your estate,
you can ensure that the college’s mission of providing a quality education
rooted in the Franciscan Catholic tradition and keeping the cost of
that education within the reach of our families, will continue for
generations to come.
If you would like to become a member of the St. Francis Society or
would like to learn more about the Society, please contact John R. Sise,
Esq. ’75 our director of Gift Planning at (518) 783-2432 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
Gift Annuity Rates Set
To Drop On July 1, 2008
If you have thought about obtaining a
charitable gift annuity from Siena College, now is
the time to act. The gift annuity rates, which range
between 5 and 8 percent based upon your age and
the number of annuitants, are set to drop .5 to .75
percent for gift annuities entered into after July 1, 2008. In addition to a great fixed income guaranteed
for the rest of your life, you will receive a charitable income tax deduction in the year of the gift
annuity as well as avoid any capital gains taxes should you use appreciated assets to purchase the gift
annuity.
For a confidential analysis of the benefits of a charitable gift annuity for you and/or your
spouse, please contact John R. Sise, Esq. ’75, director of Gift Planning at (518) 783-2432 or by e-mail
at [email protected].
Siena News • 31
Men’s Basketball Enjoys Magical March
by Jason Rich ’98
A couple of hours after they upset
Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament, the Saints returned to the raucous
Sheraton Suites where they were cheered by
throngs of alumni and fans. Awe-inspired guests
peered from their balconies to greet college
basketball’s newest celebrities.
Hey Siena, welcome to the “Big Dance.”
Siena’s victory over Vanderbilt vaulted the
men’s basketball program from cozy Loudonville
to the center of the sporting world’s most
celebrated 19 days.
“I could get used to this,” Kenny
Hasbrouck ’09, who scored 30 points against the
Commodores, said.
The Saints earned an automatic bid to the
NCAA Tournament by virtue of their 74-53
MAAC Championship game victory over Rider.
A win made possible thanks to a 65-63 triumph
over Loyola in a gut-wrenching MAAC semifinal
game that saw the Saints overcome a 17-point
first-half deficit to take their first lead on Josh
Duell’s twisting layup with 20 seconds to go.
After their MAAC Championship
win, a crowd of several hundred supporters
gathered in the Sarazen Student Union on
Selection Sunday as Siena learned it would
face the fourth-seeded Commodores in the
first round at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.
The scene was festive as the crowd watched
a season highlight video on a big screen television.
Little did anyone know, the highlights were just
getting started.
With an enrollment of 2,900 students,
Siena was the second smallest school in this year’s
NCAA Tournament field. Everybody loves the
underdog, and it didn’t take long for the country
to learn the Saints’ Cinderella story.
Head Coach Fran McCaffery was featured
on dozens of regional sports talk radio shows in
the days leading up to the “Big Dance.” He told
Siena’s story to everyone from Mike and the Mad
Dog in New York to Herb Winches in
Birmingham, Ala. National media requests soon
followed as listeners heard McCaffery on ESPN,
CBS and FOX Sports Radio as well as several
times on SIRIUS’s satellite platform.
Siena became the talk of the nation and
after beating Vanderbilt, the tale soon grew larger.
The men’s basketball team captured the
2008 MAAC Tournament Championship
at the Times Union Center and knocked
off Vanderbilt before losing to Villanova
in the second round of the NCAA
Tournament. It was a
magical March
for Coach Fran
McCaffery and
his Siena Saints.
Siena News • 32
People learned how Kenny Hasbrouck’s
parents traverse the country to watch their son
play even though his father is a disabled veteran
who is wheelchair bound. They heard of the fairy
tale ending to senior Tay Fisher’s tumultuous
career, and saw replays of his mother, ‘Mama Fish,’
escorting him to center court on Senior Day just
over a year after suffering a stroke. The nation
was reminded that Assistant Coach Mitch
Buonaguro has a National Championship ring
from his days as an assistant for Rollie Massimino
at Villanova.
The athletic department Website received
nearly 600,000 hits in the month of March, where
first time viewers discovered the basics. Siena is
spelled with just one “n,” yes they have been to
the Big Dance before and remember the measles
outbreak in 1989? That year Siena upset Stanford
and found themselves a new nickname, the Saints.
In Tampa, the Saints approached their
NCAA voyage with a sense of purpose and an
air of confidence. “This is a business trip,” Fisher
said time after time to anyone willing to listen.
The team traveled the 1,300 miles from
Albany in suits and ties. It’s far more than a
fashion statement; it’s a mentality McCaffery has
instilled in Siena’s student-athletes since the day
he was hired – just a month after the program
set a record for losses in a season.
The team’s pre-game rituals included
daily practices at Tampa Preparatory School,
plenty of film review and meals. There was some
time for fun in the sun, but not enough to lose
focus. The media followed their every move
with paparazzi popping pictures at an increasing
rate as the game approached.
It’s all part of the NCAA experience, and
something the Saints are sure to remember for
the rest of their lives. Over 500 Siena fans and
alumni made the trip to Tampa to share in the fun.
When it was game time, Siena came out
with a perfect game plan and executed it flawlessly
against Vanderbilt.
In an emotional locker room following
the game, McCaffery congratulated his team.
“I’m so proud of each of you,” he said.
“Every one of you should enjoy this moment
and share in this accomplishment. You all
accepted your roles and played a big part in
making this happen.”
“And it’s for the coaches too,” Fisher
shouted from the back of the room. “Let’s not
forget about the coaches.”
Siena’s magical ride came to an end two
days later with an 84-72 loss to Villanova. The
loss did little to dampen perhaps the greatest
basketball season in school history and little to
dampen fans’ enthusiasm for next season’s start.
Siena News • 33
Tay Fisher, the lone senior on Siena’s
men’s basketball team, played his last home game
in front of more than 9,000 fans who serenaded
him with Happy Birthday chants on his 22nd
birthday. Feeding off the crowd’s energy, he
matched his career high with six 3-pointers in
scoring 21 points to lead the Saints to a MAAC
Championship game win over Rider 74-53. It
was a storybook ending for one of Siena’s most
beloved Saints of all time.
“I can’t say enough about Tay Fisher.
He stuck it out when everybody else bailed on
us after his freshman year. He believed in me
and the system,” Head Coach Fran McCaffery
said. While Tay saw teammates Jack McClinton,
Kojo Mensah, Joel Green and Albert Fisher
leave Siena, he decided to support his new head
coach.
“I am the type of person that once I
make a decision in life I like to stick with it,
regardless of how bad it goes,’’ Fisher said.
It started pretty bad his freshman year
as he suffered through a 6-24 season under
former Head Coach Rob Lanier. However,
New York State’s all-time 3-point scholastic
shooter had a face-to-face meeting with his new
coach in 2005 and they candidly discussed their
expectations of each other.
“After that meeting I felt as if I could be a
key contributor to the type of system Coach was
bringing to Siena,” Tay stated.
While he will always be remembered for his
3-point shooting, it was his defense that often made
the difference in the tight games. “People talked
about Tay with his offense when I first arrived at
Siena, but I have always been impressed with his
defense because he competes,” McCaffery said.
As co-captain this year, he set the tone for
the season. “You can’t win without character and
senior leadership and this is the best senior leadership
that I have ever encountered,” McCaffery said after
Siena knocked off Vanderbilt in the first round of
the NCAA Tournament.
Looking back on his career that ended in the
second round of the NCAA Tournament when
Siena lost to Villanova, he is glad he stayed at Siena.
“It has been an amazing ride here and I
wouldn’t trade it in for anything,” he said. “The
support we received over the years from this
community was amazing and I’m very thankful for
everything the college has done for me.” Siena is
thankful to have watched #4 wear the green and gold
for the last four years.
Siena News • 34
Men’s Club Hockey Team
Finishes Fourth in Nation
For the fourth time since 1999, the
Siena Saint’s hockey team captured the Super
East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL)
championship this winter. Led by forward
Erik Reinfried ’10 who had three goals and
three assists and goaltender Adam Brown ’10
who surrendered just one goal on 17 shots,
the Saints beat Central Connecticut State
University 8-1 in the SECHL championship
game.
After finishing their regular season 226-2 and capturing their league championship,
they advanced to the American Collegiate
Hockey Association Division II National
Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida where their
draw consisted of Michigan State University,
Miami of Ohio University and Denver
University.
The Saints opened the tournament with
a tough 5-4 loss against Denver in the last 30
seconds of regulation play. They bounced
back with consecutive wins against Michigan
State (4-2) and Miami of Ohio (3-2). The
game-winning goal against Miami of Ohio was
scored on a power play in the final 11 seconds
of regulation. With these two wins, the Saints
advanced to the semifinal game where they lost
to eventual national champion Davenport
University.
“Dedication, commitment and sacrifice
played an enormous part in our success this
year,” Head Coach Lee Bormann said. For
the past three summers Siena’s players
voluntarily came to two very intense miniweekend camps in August to help kick start their
season.
“We are on the ice almost every day during
September and two to three times a week during
the remainder of our season. We also have a
regimented off-ice training program to
complement our on-ice practices,” Bormann
stated. “Our players sacrifice most of their free
time for the team and they always say it was worth
it.”
“We came into this season with some goals
and accomplished every one of them. That is
something we are very proud of. This hockey
season just ended and I find myself already looking
forward to next season,” Dave DelSonno ’09,
junior assistant captain, said.
The Saints will be graduating three seniors
this year so there are plenty of reasons to look
forward to their 2008- 2009 campaign.
Siena’s hockey team
captured their league
championship this
spring and advanced to
the American Collegiate
Hockey Association
Division II National
Tournament. The
Saints advanced to the
semifinal game and lost
to eventual national
champion Davenport
University.
Siena News • 35
Faculty and
Administrators Honored
During the annual Faculty Administrator Dinner Reception, the college honored two faculty members
and two administrators for their outstanding contributions to Siena College along with those who have
served at the college for 25 years.
This year’s Jerome Walton Award for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Dr. Timoth Lederman,
professor of computer science.
The Raymond Kennedy Award for Excellence in Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Raymond Boisvert,
professor of philosophy.
The James Knust Award for Excellence in Administration was awarded to Jeanne Martin Obermayer,
dean of students and M.J. Strunk, assistant vice president for finance.
The college also honored Cynthia King-LeRoy, assistant vice president for human resources, Jeanne
Obermayer, M.J. Strunk and Dr. Karen Boswell, professor of psychology for their 25 years of service to the
college.
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515 Loudon Road
Loudonville NY 12211-1462