February 2014 - Lesley University

News From 29 Mellen
February 2014
Confessions of a Scholar-Teacher
Paul Fideler
My impending retirement prompts me to reflect on and share several of the
principles that shaped my professional life at Lesley as in instructor in history and
the humanities over the last forty-five years. Across those decades I have thought
myself to be a scholar-teacher attempting no more and no less than to spare my
students from the ‘exile of ignorance’ by encouraging them to be scholar-learners
available to the ways of enlightenment as we can know them.
I have been guided most deeply by my understanding of “liberal education,”
a term in wide disuse in recent decades. It has always meant to me the opportunity, the possibility, that students can broaden and deepen their understanding of
themselves and the world and be inspired by the call to excellence. This seems to
happen most often, in my observation, when teachers are enthusiastic scholars,
researchers, or arts practitioners and students are being encouraged strongly to be
available to their studies. The personhood of each student is important. Nevertheless, with exceptions when necessary, I choose to emphasize that where one is going or wants to go is more important than where he or she has been. I hope to prevent students from deciding prematurely that their birth station or current social
place is their destiny. My effort is to help them expand their horizons, nourish their
intellects and souls, and deepen their confidence through challenging academic
work and accomplishment. My course syllabi have always included a social contract
pledge to the effect that ‘we are all in each others’ care. . . if we work as diligently
as we can outside of class and bring to every meeting the fruits of our efforts and
reflection, all of us will soar’. Students are malleable beings, and they will undergo
transformations and epiphanies when and if they deepen their studies. Yet, they
are entitled to their private space. Where students are headed attitudinally or ideologically are their choices and less my concern than the effort they bring or have
brought to their studies and potential for self-fashioning.
I arrived here to a postage-sized campus in the turbulent late 1960s. Earlier,
as a graduate student at Brandeis in 1962, I had experienced the moral charisma of
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from only several yards away, when he spoke
there. Once hired at Lesley, I developed a course on Views of Human Nature and
Social Change, pushed for more attention to Urban Studies, and began several decades of teaching on the impact of poverty on America’s children, families, and
schools. A bit later, along with interested colleagues, I orchestrated a team taught
Western Humanities Survey course that was required of all freshman. It remained
Inside this issue:
Faculty Confessions: Paul 1-2
Fideler
Faculty Retirees: Paul
Fideler, Linda Dacey and
Maureen Riley
3-5
More Faculty News
6
Alumni News
7-8
Emerging Leaders
9-10
Emerging Leaders:
11-12
Another Global
Perspective
Dean’s Message
13-14
The Dean’s List
15-18
viable and popular among the students for almost two decades. All the while, my instructional portfolio was
expanding to include British, European and World histories; imperial history (South Africa and India); historiography and literary theory; and introductory level Western philosophy, political philosophy, and comparative religions. Several colleagues and I have worked consistently to bring more attention to the liberal arts
into the undergraduate curriculum. The first liberal arts majors, English Literature and History, came into being about a dozen years ago.
Students come to Lesley’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences these days with a greater variety of
backgrounds, experiences, and interests than ever. And eventually they will select their academic foci from
among seven ‘professional’ and fifteen ‘liberal arts’ majors. Several of the professional tracks require a comajor in a liberal arts field, and frequently students put together their own unique programs of two majors
and even a minor or two. Lesley undergraduates have always been ambitious programmatically, even when
their options were not nearly as broad as today’s. There is a possible downside to this, however: students’
jammed schedules, wide disciplinary exposures, and accompanying stresses can militate against depth of
study and reflection.
As we cope with the current spectre of globalization (what is it exactly? how do we prepare students
to shape it for the good) our richer curriculum can provide important materials for the students’ consideration. For example, students in political philosophy are fascinated by Immanuel Kant’s formulations in his Idea
for a Universal History with Cosmopolitan Purpose about human nature (unsociably social, but rational); his
posing of constitutions as the most ingenious invention of humankind; and his attempt at a philosophy of history that yields peace, orchestrated by a federation of independent states. Or, in World Religions their attentions move from Lakota Sioux spirituality, through the three great monotheistic and eschatological faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to Hinduism and Buddhism. The students attend very closely to the portrayals
of the human condition; the causes of, and remedies proposed for, worldly and psycho-spiritual exhaustion;
and the kernels of practical wisdom embedded throughout the oral traditions and scriptures they encounter.
The challenge we face now with our students, as my colleagues and I did surely in the late 1960s, is to
weather the jarring divisiveness that depletes our domestic social and political discourses and institutions
(including colleges and universities), as well as our stances toward the unstable world contexts we face, without succumbing to cynicism and passivity. The most telling sign of the times may be that we are becoming
unable or unwilling to cope with the unique burden of our national life that the Rev. Theodore Parker noticed
more than a century and a half ago. Parker, who defined his politics as “philosophical” rather than partisan,
insisted that America is both an “ideal” (freedom for all) and a stubborn set of “circumstances” that defy that
ideal (most notably in his day, slavery).
Can we continue to find the resolve and perspective to cope with the tensions, the anomalies at the
heart of our lives, aspirations and institutions, with determination and hope nevertheless? Our students are
watching and waiting. They deserve that we search with them for the most profound and compelling understandings and the requisite paths forward.
Page 2
News from 29 Mellen
Faculty Retirees
Linda Dacey's thirty-nine year career at Lesley University has contributed to strengthening the
nation's mathematics teacher education corps. Linda has been a superb teacher, a prolific
scholar/publisher and a committed citizen in the Lesley community. She is an extraordinary
faculty member who is highly valued by students. As a student remarked in an evaluation,
"Linda cares so much about each student . . . [she is] by far the best teacher I have ever had."
In addition to serving as a Professor of Education and Mathematics at Lesley, Linda has served as
Program Director and Division Chair of Natural and Social Sciences, Natural Science, and as CoDirector of the Education Program. She has received numerous grants, including one from the National Science Foundation where she served as the Principal Investigator and Project Director for the development of "A
Model Program for Preparing Pre-Service Middle School Mathematics Teachers." Most recently, she has been a consultant to the Baltimore, Maryland Urban Teachers Project for Lesley's Graduate School of Education and has coordinated the
University's relationship with TCM Shell Publications, a collaboration that provides Lesley authors with publishing access.
Linda is a prolific scholar in mathematics education. She has published more than 100 mathematics re- sources for
teachers and students. In addition, she has authored several journal articles and presented at more than sixty conferences. In 2008, Linda was elected to the Massachusetts Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame. Linda has served on such
Lesley committees as the Faculty Assembly Steering Committee, the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee of the
Board of Trustees and FAAP, and was Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees. A colleague said of Linda: "She provides sanity and clarity to every topic at every meeting."
Linda's contributions were recognized by a Lesley Impact Award in 2013. In addition to the cultivation of excellence in
mathematics education at Lesley University, Dr. Linda Dacey leaves an indelible legacy of professionalism, caring and kindness.
CLAS is creating the Lesley University Linda Dacey Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is designated for an undergraduate student who is majoring in elementary education and mathematics. It would be a fitting tribute to Linda Dacey's outstanding leadership as a faculty member and scholar.
February 2014
Page 3
Paul Fideler's forty-five years at Lesley University constitute an enviable record
of distinction as an eminent historian. His teaching excellence, strength of scholarship, cultivation
of meaningful interdisciplinary linkages across history, philosophy and religion and contributions to the history profession all constitute a compelling passion.
At Lesley he made a decades-long push for liberal arts majors, culminating in his leadership role in
the report, "The Liberal Arts in the University: A Glass Half Full and Half Empty" (2002) and in the
development of the history major.
His commitment to professional leadership beyond our campus (e.g., past president of both the New England Historical
Association and The North East Conference on British Studies) brought distinction to Lesley and honored Paul's scholarly
contributions to history as a discipline.
His selection as a Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies speaks to his reputation as a distinguished historian. His scholarship includes a 1992 edited work entitled Political Thought and the Tudor Commonwealth, (Routledge),
followed by the 2006 monograph Social Welfare in Pre-Industrial England: The Old Poor Law Tradition (Palgrave Macmillan), soon to be joined by "The Poor, Civil Society, and Welfare in Early Victorian Manchester."
As a teacher, Paul offers his students complex, challenging courses at every level, from the first-year on. His syllabi give
fair warning to students that they will be engaging in a demanding, adult exploration, that they will be asked to perform and engage at their highest ability. A student in Political Philosophy wrote, "The readings were difficult and the
papers and essays were challenging as well. I am thankful for having had the chance to be challenged." Students respect
what Paul's courses require and rise to meet it. He has represented unwaveringly certain core values: the importance of
introducing students to the best and most up-to-date thought and scholars in his field; creating new curriculum that
reflects and furthers the best ideals of a liberal education and a changing world; service to the college and larger
scholarly community that tells important truths, not shirking from difficult issues.
The body of work that Paul has produced and shared throughout the world, his contributions to his profession and his
generous mentorship of secondary school history teachers and professional historians, and his service to Lesley University, in virtually every leadership capacity, speak to his passion for the liberal arts and his belief in their centrality to the larger world of academe and society.
The University is creating the endowed lectureship in Paul's name. This inaugural lecture will occur this fall.
Page 4
News from 29 Mellen
Maureen Riley's forty-year advocacy in special education, her support of students with and
without disabilities, her nationally recognized contributions to federal and legal research on
how to design and deliver the appropriate educational program for the diagnosed special needs
of a specific student, represent a sustained and lasting legacy to three generations of Lesley
alumni, their families and this nation. Dr. Riley's roles as an Educational Child Advocate and Parental Surrogate have impacted public policy in areas ranging across cognitive, psychiatric and physical
disabilities.
At Lesley she contributed to the development of the Writing Center, served on the founding
committee to establish the Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism and Practice, and was among the
original writers of the Faculty Assembly Policies and Procedures Guide.
At the state and level she has served on external certification teams evaluating programs for Teachers of Children with
Moderate and Severe Special Needs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
For the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Research she directed two 4-year studies and
one 3-year twenty-year review and synthesis of the literature on special needs children. She has served on several national task forces on National Standards for English Language Arts, including the American Educational Research Association, as
well as on committees at Columbia Teachers College, McGraw-Hill, the National Science Foundation, and Pearson Evaluation
Systems. She has published with nationally renowned researchers in the field of Special Education, such as Donald Deshler
and H. Lee Swanson.
She has given presentations at the International Conference on Teaching for Intelligence in Vancouver, British Columbia, the National Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, the Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland
and the Special Education Department, at Fukuoka University, Japan, where she con- ducted presentations and classroom consultation. One student declared that, "It was worth my whole tuition to work with Maureen Riley." Dr. Riley's
generosity has expanded the life chances of students, while her grace has informed how we should all endeavor to live
our lives.
The University is establishing the Maureen Riley Scholarship Fund in recognition of student tutors and special education
majors.
February 2014
Page 5
More Faculty News…..
Steven Beeber, Adjunct faculty in the Humanities Division, gave several conference papers and readings and published some
of his work recently. At the Association for Jewish Studies Annual Conference he spoke on a panel titled Jewish Identity and
International Pop Music: Perspectives, Problems, and Interpretations (Boston, MA). At Limmud Boston (Dec. 11, 2013) he
gave a joint presentation titled Jews & Punk: From Genesis to Kings (Boston, MA). "The Immigrants" was included in Jews: A
People's History of the Lower East Side, Volume II, Clayton Patterson (ed.), Seven Stories Press, 2013.
Sonia Perez-Villanueva's article "Crossing Boundaries: Authority, Knowledge, and Experience in the Autobiography Vida y
sucesos de la monja alférez" appeared in late December in the journal a/b: Auto/Biography Studies, a peer-reviewed journal and a leading journal in autobiography Studies.
Sonia's book The Life of Catalina de Erauso, the Lieutenant Nun: An Early-Modern Autobiography, appeared in January with
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
Paul Fideler, Professor of History and Humanities, chaired and commented for the session "Religion, Family and Mythology:
Aristocratic Patronage of the Visual Arts" at the 2013 meeting of the North East Conference on British Studies (NECBS) at
the University of Connecticut in Storrs on Saturday, October 5. Paul is a past president of NECBS.
Tracy Strauss, Adjunct Faculty in the Humanities Division, published an essay entitled "Forgiving My Mother" in The
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-strauss/forgiving-my- mother_b_4182913.html The editor of
the women's section invited her to become a regular contributor/blogger.
The GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association named Aaron Smith's collection Appetite as one of 71 commendable books for 2014. The list contains titles they feel "exhibit commendable literary quality
and significant authentic GLBT content...for adults over 18."
http://www.glbtrt.ala.org/overtherainbow/archives/457
The same collection was named a 2013 Great Read by NPR.
http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2013/
Scroll down and click on "Poetry and Short Stories" to find it.
Page 6
News from 29 Mellen
Alumni News
I had a very positive undergraduate experience at Lesley University and
I wouldn't change it for the world. I was drawn to Lesley when I heard about
Amaryllis Hager ‘13
Holistic Psychology
the Holistic Psychology major that was being offered; I desired this unique experience
and degree. My first year, I made a concerted effort to get involved. I joined every
club that interested me, including Harmogeddon (Lesley's acapella choir), Conscious
Kinetics, LEAP, and a few other groups that were active at that time. My sophomore
and junior years, I served as both an Orientation Leader for the Office of Student Activities and a Community Advisor for Residence Life, which offered wonderful leadership opportunities on campus. I was also involved with the OCS and the America
Reads program, helping tutor children in literacy. I have always been very passionate
about serving the greater community, and during spring break of my freshman and
sophomore years, I traveled to the Dominican Republic on Medical Service trips and
shadowed Nurse Midwives on the medical team. This experience sparked my interest
in Women's Health and Midwifery.
One thing that I really appreciated about Lesley was the flexibility and the support that I was given to create
my own opportunities. Outside of school, through independent study opportunities, I became certified as a Trager Practitioner, a Childbirth Educator, a Labor Support Doula, and I also became certified in Pregnancy Massage. Through these experiences, I created an internship opportunity with the Midwives at Mount Auburn Hospital, which was one of the richest
things I have ever experienced. I formed connections with countless blossoming families and began working part time outside of the Lesley Community as a doula and a nanny, which really broadened my view on childbirth and the family unit.
After these experiences I felt more confident in my decision to apply to nursing school.
When I discovered the three-year accelerated Bachelor's to Master's program at the Yale School of Nursing, I set my
heart to it and started planning ahead, knowing that this is ultimately the career that I wanted for myself. I am continuously blown away by the true fact that we can really do anything we set our minds to. I was accepted into the GEPN program at
the Yale School of Nursing last spring, and I am currently halfway done with this accelerated year of receiving my RN
(Registered Nurse certificate). It has been an amazing experience at Yale thus far, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. At the
end of these three years I will be both a Certified Nurse Midwife as well as a Nurse Practitioner in Women's Health. I envision myself working in either a hospital setting or possibly in a birthing center. In my future, I also hope to travel to underdeveloped countries and administer health care to women in need, in a program such as Doctors without Borders.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone at this University for their endless support and encouragement.
I want to especially thank Neal Klein, my academic advisor, as well as Jan Wall, my internship coordinator. Both of these faculty members have supported me in endless ways and prove to me that phenomenal professors don't just teach information,
but they teach worldly wisdom and compassion. I couldn't have been nearly as successful with- out the help and support of
the Lesley Community.
February 2014
Page 7
More Alumni News
I knew that I wanted to be minister even before I applied to Lesley University in the
Winter of 2005. It wasn't a matter of "if" I would answer that call to ministry, but
more "when." Originally, I thought I would teach high school English for a few years,
and then go to seminary. But as they say, "Humans plan, and God laughs." In the spring of
my senior year at Lesley, I had an overwhelming sense that anything I did that wasn't
in preparation for ministry would be time wasted. My ministerial formation in the
Unitarian Universalist tradition led me to complete a Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Spiritual and Pastoral Care at Andover Newton Theological School, as well as
internships at the First Parish in Lincoln, MA, the Church of the Larger Fellowship (an
online congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association), and serve
Aaron Stockwell ‘09
at Massachusetts General Hospital as a Chaplain Intern on three cardiac care floors.
English and Secondary
Ministerial formation is something that is always happening, though. I'm completing
another hospital chaplaincy internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, while
Education
also serving as a sabbatical minister at a Unitarian Universalist church in Harvard, MA. I
majored in English and Secondary Education at Lesley University, because I knew that
a strong liberal arts background would be beneficial to my future ministry. Strong writing skills, along with textual analysis,
and breadth of knowledge of poetry and prose are critical in ministry. Sermon writing and worship leading are the most
public faces of ministry; they are a unique hybrid of content curation, creative writing, teaching, and critical analysis. As I
wait for the time I can serve a church, I also work as an admissions counselor at my seminary, where I build relationships
with prospective students who are discerning a call to ministry (much like myself just a few short years ago).
As a recent graduate of Lesley University, I am beginning to realize the impact Lesley
has had on my professional life. Through Lesley, I was able to graduate a semester early,
receiving a bachelor’s degree in both Special Education and Creative Writing. I was
shocked to receive multiple job offers while finishing my undergraduate degree. Less
than one month after completing my senior practicum at Hosmer Elementary in Watertown, MA, I found myself in a Special Education teaching position with grades 3 and
4 at Minot Elementary School. I could not believe that I was able to have my own classroom only three weeks after my last semester had ended. During my first week, I
found myself sitting in a room with my colleagues, some having taught upwards of 30
years. I was their coworker, not their student, and I began to realize that the training I
had received at Lesley University truly prepared me for the workplace.
While at Lesley, I was able to teach in a variety of settings, both internationally and in
the Boston area. Through my work in the GLASS and PEERS programs, and through my
other courses at Lesley, I realized that teaching was not simply a profession, but a career that requires passion and extensive knowledge. I feel that Lesley has allowed me
to maintain the knowledge needed to be a successful educator, but it also ignited my
passion for the profession. I have taken a variety of courses at Lesley that have helped
me in my current teaching position. Taking courses that have specifically treated assessPage 8
Rachel Silva ‘13
Special Education and
Creative
Writing
News from 29 Mellen
ment and the needs of struggling readers has helped me address the needs of my students and helped me facilitate their progress. Other courses, such as an independent study regarding hunger and homelessness, have given
me invaluable knowledge about children who are homeless. In my school, many children are from low-income
households, and some are homeless. Having this background knowledge is invaluable when working with this
population.
I am thankful for having the opportunity to join Lesley University's alumni, and I can attribute a great
deal of my success to the education and opportunities I received at Lesley.
Emerging Leaders
Gently, her mom tells her, "I'm gay." Days later, a friend comes out with the same words. She realizes that these two people she
loves may not have an easy time in the conservative town where they live.
Ruby Chaffee doesn't hesitate if she sees something that needs doing. She steps
up. She enlists others to help in the fight against discrimination and marginalization of any group. Since high school, when her mom came out to her, she's been
driven to create safe spaces in her community where people can feel welcome
and accepted, free from bullying and name-calling.
Ruby Chaffee
Psychology
"You don't have to be gay to understand someone's struggle," she says of her work to
launch a chapter of the Gay Straight Alliance at her high school. Chaffee, who
happens to be straight, serves on the national youth advisory council for Born This
Way, Lady Gaga's foundation to empower LGBTQ young people.
At Lesley, where Chaffee is a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in
art therapy, she's participated in student government, Queer Lesley Education + Resources (QLER), and the student affairs
committee. She's also interned at Horizons for Homeless Children in Roxbury.
"I came to Lesley to be part of a community of activists," Chaffee says. "So many people here are driven to
make the world better."
February 2014
Page 9
Emerging Leaders Continued
Among the many distinguished moments Diba enjoyed as the top student at her high school in Kabul, Afghanistan, was being part of a student delegation that met with President Hamid Karzai. She
describes this as "the best experience of her life." That is, until she came to the United States in 2011
to pursue a bachelor's degree at Lesley University.
Originally educated in the official Afghan languages of Dari and Pashto, Diba studied English at a private language school in Kabul to prepare for her dream of attending university in the United States.
She chose Lesley because of its inviting campus community, small classes, and personalized attention
to facilitate student learning and growth. Diba says Les- ley's individualized approach was especially
Diba Feroz ‘14
important to her as a non- native English speaker.
Business and
Diba is a business and communications major, minoring in psychology. She's interested in a career in Communications
investment banking and took an important step in that direction by interning with BTMU Capital
Corporation in downtown Boston. After completing her internship, BTMU hired Diba to stay on as a part-time employee
where she is responsible for various financial management tasks.
Lesley professor Bob McGrath says, "Diba Feroz is a person of enormous courage and determination. She is completely dedicated to excellence in all that she does, whether it be her individual assignments, which are done impeccably, or her work
in groups, where she leads by her inexhaustible drive for excellence. She exceeds the very lofty aspirations she sets for herself. All the while, she is wonderfully cheerful and always thoughtful. Diba's influence brings out the best in her peers and
those around her through her consistently high expectations. Being her instructor is a privilege."
Diba has three brothers, three sisters, and a handful of nieces and nephews. She says the biggest challenge in coming to the
United States was making the adjustment from a collectivist society to an individualistic one. She credits supportive professors, good friends, and involvement in student activities with helping her to make a successful transition. In addition to
her coursework, Diba has participated in Lesley's emerging leader program, the multicultural student group, and has served
as a peer advisor. She plans to graduate in May 2014.
Page 10
News from 29 Mellen
Emerging Leaders: A Global Perspective
In Spring 2013, Christine Bennett, an undergraduate student at Lesley, volunteered and taught at Deep Creek Primary School in South Andros, Bahamas
while corresponding with Lesley professors back in Cambridge. Located only 100
miles south of Miami and a 17 minute flight from Nassau, Andros is an
"unspoiled" island with a unique Bahamian culture, thriving ecosystem, and welcoming rural community.
During her three-month stay, Christine worked five days a week in the classroom with teachers and students at the primary level in reorganizing, building,
and structuring the school library, conducting lessons, directing a school play, and documenting student-written reports
on local plants and animals. When she wasn't in the classroom, Christine spent her time writing, maintaining a blog about
her island experiences, visiting with locals, tutoring students, practicing yoga on the dock, taking long walks on the beach,
and corresponding with Lesley professors for her classes.
This January, Christine organized a return trip to South Andros with a group of three other passionate volunteers
(including Julie Krzanowski, a Lesley student as well). The Lesley group partnered with students from the University of
Vermont studying place-based ecological design for a two week service trip with three major projects in mind at South
Andros High School: creating a chicken hatchery, opening a school library, and building a school website. Christine headed
the library project along with Trenton Durant, the agriculture teacher, in reconstructing the space which had been closed
for over ten years, developing a cataloging system and borrowing policy, and training volunteers. At the conclusion of our
trip, the Library was open for borrowing and staffed by students and teachers.
Trenton has spearheaded several sustainability projects, including vegetable gardening, hydroponics, and an emerging
chicken hatchery. On an island where many products are imported and farming has largely become a trade of the past, his
initiatives are important for the future of the ecosystem and economics of the island. Most importantly, he's providing
hands-on learning experiences for students.
At the preschool level, a vibrant new addition to the educational realm in South Andros is Aderf Montessori School,
which opened in September, the first private school on the island. Owned by Freda Gan, she and her students utilize the
environment around them to learn and grow. Using the Montessori methods,
they participate in lessons and learning activities including drawing and writing in
sand, planting a garden, and playing on a natural playground cut from the landscape.
The locals are friendly, sharing sites, stories, and bananas! The ecotourism industry on South Andros is one of its greatest and still most undiscovered and underutilized resources economically. Through education, the Bahamian Ministry of
February 2014
Page 11
Tourism, and island organizations, such as Nature's Hope for Southern Andros and A Committee for A Better South Andros,
eco-tourism and place-based learning could become a responsible and successful source of employment on the island. The
physical landscape of the island consists of limestone, bush, beaches, and pine forests. The eastern side of the island is primarily the only settled portion, with the west side consisting of 1.3 million acres of national park. A haven for wildlife and
sea life, Andros is sometimes referred to as one of the "last unexplored wildernesses in North America."
The physical landscape of the island consists of limestone, bush, beaches, and pine forests. The eastern side
of the island is primarily the only settled portion, with the west side consisting of 1.3 million acres of national
park. A haven for wildlife and sea life, Andros is sometimes referred to as one of the “last unexplored wildernesses in North America.”
Andros is a place of friendly community, natural beauty and relaxed simplicity. It is a place for teaching,
learning and building meaningful relationships and opportunities.
Page 12
News From 29 Mellen
Dean’s Message: A Promise of Equal Protection
We live in a nation where citizenship carries with it equal protection, opportunity, rights,
and duties. We live in a society where membership in the community is determined by
the state—the state grants membership and can rescind it. It can also undermine opportunity for some while granting more advantage to others, both in terms of the exercise of citizenship and respect for the rule of law. Guns are by definition state-issued
and state-countenanced weapons. When used or carried into public spaces or homes by
people who exercise poor judgment in stressful situations (at some time or another, all
of us), the state is complicit and should be charged as co-conspirators in murder cases
where the deceased has no weapon. Despite my discipline's prediction of a withering
state, the state will not die. It must accept more responsibility for the premature death
and murder of people with no opportunity to protect or defend themselves.
Both Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis are victims of state action. Lawmakers at the
state, local and national levels are complicit in their victimization and complicit in the
College of
continuous re-victimization of a segment of citizens who deserve equal protection and
Liberal Arts and Sciences the same opportunity to succeed as others. Citizens need to step outside the culture of
state-generated discrimination and see afresh how members of the invisible class display
intellectual and human capacity. When Boston native Charles Sumner visited the Sorbonne in 1838, he was taken aback by mulattos who were well dressed and well received by their European peers who
found their color unobjectionable. He concluded that racism in America was learned. He became an impassioned
abolitionist when he returned to the United States in 1840. Sumner and Robert Morris filed one of the earliest court
cases to end racial discrimination in Boston public schools in 1848. Years later, he urged Abraham Lincoln to move more
rapidly to end slavery, not just to bar its transmission from the states of the Confederacy to non-slave states. Sumner was
beaten nearly to death in the U.S. Senate Chamber for his strident defense of African-American freedom. Sumner's example and countless others teach us that we cannot spend our lives waiting for the maliciously ill to pass into nonexistence.
Mary Coleman
When conversation, therapy, and honest discourse cannot resolve these issues, a gun is pulled out. We are a better nation than this, aren't we? African-American boys and men, like boys and men and girls and women of all races, religions,
classes and sexual orientation, deserve to live in a nation committed to the rule of law as a matter of everyday practice. We must find other ways to work out our hatred and suspicions of others.
I know that not all those who doubt the prudence of loud rap music, baggy pants, irreverence for authority, and hoodies are haters. But when the dispossessed make themselves heard and felt outside the bounds of what the defining
class sees as normal and desirable, quite often they are performing inferiority to underscore disdain for the defining
class; they are embracing identity politics. This performance then creates the images the defining class associates with
the 'other.' Those who can learn to code switch do so. For others, the norms of speaking and dressing, learned in the
February 2014
Page 13
neighborhood or from family and friends or music, become a framework that permanently defines them, distancing
them from the possibility of success as conventionally defined. But these invisible performers can be rebels with a
cause, possessed of righteous discontent and aware of the advantages given to rather than earned by others.
Occasionally, as in sports and music, the disadvantaged make themselves heard and seen in ways that reinforce the consumerism if not the norms of the defining class. The commodification through sport and music and other performing
arts of the once disadvantaged is a nod to their talents and to their exceptionality. That once disadvantaged person
and his/her achievements are crowned as exceptional for the disadvantaged class; one becomes a credit to one's class
or race---an outlier---a stand out. Who among us of a certain age has not been told that we are a credit to our race?
When the disadvantaged make themselves seen and heard, as with loud music thundering from cars and SUVs, they become an annoyance, an irritant to the visible class and to strivers from the disadvantaged class. More than this, members
of the lower caste/class are presumed debased human beings, not worthy of a chance to grow, even to live.
Even when they do break through, their gifts are viewed with suspicion, and only after proving that their success
was not a fluke will some members of the visible class recognize those gifts. Even the most accomplished, talented and
creative from the invisible class second-guess their success and are riddled with debilitating self-doubt. Suspicion and
disdain on the one hand, self-doubt on the other - this binary surely obscures more than it explains, but it is a useful
construct for thinking about why so many young black teenagers are murdered—mowed down like animals-- and why
their murderers are not called to justice and the community is not outraged at all, or for very long. Violence and
trauma haunt our homes, the nation-state, gas station, theater, and gated community.
Who and what are we becoming? How do we improve the emotional health of the nation? How do we diminish
the impulse to take the lives of young black and brown men and women? How do we restore the rule of law and the
promise of equal protection?
Page 14
News from 29 Mellen
The Dean’s Office would like to congratulate all students who made
the Dean’s List for the Fall 2013 Semester:
Abbey
Johnston
Alexandra
Arnold
Amanda
Breckner
Andrea
Nunes
Arthur
Guerra
Benjamin
Lyttle
Brianne
Crocker
Caroline
Finnerty
Abbie
Levesque
Alexandra
Mattuchi
Amanda
Cowgill
Andrea
Pernokas
Ashley
Grimes
Bianca
Staudt
Brittani
Enos
Caroline
Murdoch
Abigail
Collins
Alexandra
Rowell
Amanda
Curran
Andrew
Perry
Ashley
McMahon
Blake
Tower
Brittney
Gardner
Carolyn
Fieger
Abraham
Abrams
Alexandria
Mello
Amanda
Lucidi
Aneri
Kothari
Ashley
Runion
Brendan
Aylward
Caitlin
Blancaflor
Casey
Bogusz
Adam
Mooney
Alexis
Moisand
Amanda
Potter
Angela
Talkowski
Ashley
Sheedy
Brendan
Flaherty
Caitlin
Bonenfant
Casey
Terzian
Adeline
Dettor
Alexis
Mumey
Amanda
Wing
Ann
Conway
Ashlyn
Medeiros
Brian
Diah
Caitlin
Foley
Cassidy
Hopkins
Adriana
Hastie
Aliya
Jasensky
Amber
FarrellGulias
Anna
Knapp
Audrey
Jerome
Briana
Karman
Caitlin
Greene
Catherine
Bayse
Aleksandra
Boots
Allison
Fountain
Anna
Luti
Audrey
Koldys
Brianna
Barrows
Caitlin
Perry
Catherine
Childress
Anne
Savello
Ava
Martinez
Brianna
Butlin
Caitlyn
Van Deusen
Charlene
Flynn
Ariel
Capwell
Benjamin
Carton
Brianna
Ehler
Amy
Coole
Alesandra
Tenore
Allison
Kennedy
Alexa
Riccio
Allison
Reese
February 2014
Amy
Patel
Ana
Rodriguez
Cameron
Burke
Charlotte
Greene
Page 15
Charlotte
Moore
Daniel
Geisz
Elise
Johnson
Emily
Tavanese
Forrest
Chelsea
Johnston
Danielle
Budreau
Elise
Lamoreaux
Chelsea
Reuther
Deirdre
Smith
Christina
Ogunti
Diba
Christopher
Watson
Christyl
Skelton
Ciera
Cuevas
Cindy
Tang
Clara
Palmer
Colleen
Sullivan
Courtney
Mitterling
Dakota
Powell
Page 16
Miller
Harrison
Ford
Jaime
Rosenburg
Jennifer
Kelly
Emily
Welden
Forrest
Steevens
Hayley
Wirth
James
Florentine
Jennifer
Merritt
Elizabeth
Meader
Emily
Whitney
George
Leetch
Helen
Joseph
Jamie
Truman
Jennifer
Moran
Ellen
Breen
Emma
Benard
Hali
Cohen
Helen
Manzella
Jaquelina
Dabo
Jennifer
Stone
Masse
Ellen
Breslin
Emma
BurkeCovitz
Hallel
Marx
Ian
Adler
Jasmine
Sanchez
Jeremy
Colon
Donna
Niosi
Elsa
Goldstein
Hannah
Brunelle
Ian
Barber
Jason
Hulteen
Jeremy
Orenstein
Eden
Bellow
Emely
Bobadilla
Hannah
Dillis
Ian
Ljutich
Jeffrey
Landry
Jesse
Schuh
Eileen
Finegan
Emilia
McGrath
Hannah
Landerhol
m
Ilana
Wilson
Jenna
DiGirolamo
Jessica
Lombardi
Elaine
Chippero
Emily
Fishman
Elena
Pereira
Emily
Hight
Feroz
Dominique
Elena
Rivera
Elise
Grenier
Emily
Kindschy
Emily
Moynihan
Emma
Wolper
Eric
Kelley
Eric
Lindstrom
Erica
Redfern
Hannah
Perry
Erika
Hannah
Cain
VenmanClay
Erika
Wong
Esther
Schwartz
Hannah
Whitaker
Hannah
Willis
Isabelle
Lawrence
Ivy
Madden
Jacqueline
DiBernard
Jacqueline
Hendrickson
Jenna
Venuto
Jennifer
Bucolo
Jennifer
Cimmaruta
Jennifer
Collins
Jessica
Pires
Jessica
Sewell
Jillian
Clarke
Jillian
Tolan
News from 29 Mellen
John-Koby
Mitchell
Kaitlyn
Scrivano
Kayla
Daley
Kelsey
O'Mara
Kyle
Cohan
Liat
Wruble
Margaret
King
Megan
Corsi
Jonathan
Mancini
Kaitlyn
Side
Kayla
Johnson
Kelsey
Parker von
Jess
Kyra
Pesso
Liel
Zahavi-Asa
Marisa
Glynn
Megan
Delano
Jordan
Murphy
Karen
Briggs
Kayla
Turcotte
Lana
Sommers
Ligia
Alfonzo
Marissa
Murphy
Megan
Sutter
Joseph
BuckGrossi
Katey
Carew
Kelly
Brolin
Laura
Gubata
Lilja
Svavarsdot
tir
Marissa
O'Brien
Melanie
Nelson
Katherine
Perreault
Kelly
Correia
Marissa
Salvas
Melinda
Robinson
Katherine
Strumm
Kelly
Saramago
Martyna
Rusinowicz
Melissa
Allen
Katheryn
Russo
Kelly
Spinali
Mary
DiBenedetto
Melissa
Buckley
Kathleen
Bernier
Kelly
Watt
Kathleen
Havican
Kelsea
Giannini
Kathryn
Fackina
Kelsey
Hammond
Julia
Paglierani
Julianne
Smith
Julie
Krzanowski
Julie
Miquel
Julie
O'Neill
Kaitlin
Filippi
Kaitlyn
Byrne
Kaitlyn
Feeney
February 2014
Kerry
Jackson
Kerry
Norton
Kimberly
Topping
Kristen
Doherty
Kristian
Coderre
Kristiana
Letourneau
Kristina
Aiello
Kristina
Laura
Slor
Lauren
Bachand
Lauren
Bolles
Lauren
Renzi
Lea
Hebert
Leah
Gray
Pombrio
Kathryn
Grove
Kelsey
Little
Kathryn
Ruccolo
Kelsey
Lydon
Kristina
Recher
Kristina
Tummino
Leanna
Silvestrone
Lesley
Herold
Lillian
KramerMills
Lindsay
Theirl
Lindsey
Clemenson
Llerendel
Hommel
Lydia
Brejcha
Matisse
Newton
Matthias
Griecci
Maya
Madalyn
Smith
Madeleine
Linschoten
Manli
Nouri
RogersBursen
Meagan
Brewster
Meaghan
Valler
Melissa
Quigley
Meredith
Patterson
Micaela
AgateMays
Micaela
O'Connor
Michelle
Ballou
Page 17
Michelle
D'Ovidio
Noelle
Sarno
Rachel
Burkholz
Rosemary
Catlin
Sara
Carabbio
Simona
Granfone
Sydni
Camillo
Veronica
Halen
Mikala
Viscariello
Olivia
Harvey
Rachel
Silva
Roxanne
Griffith
Sara
PerezBattles
Simone
Dupont
Taylor
Casey
Victoria
Ellis
Molly
Wyman
Olivia
Holle
Rachel
Woolf
Ryan
Garcia
Siobhan
Reardon
Taylor
Krumschei
d
Victoria
Johnston
Morelys
Francisco
Olivia
Keighley
Rawan
Bajsair
Ryan
Genua
Morgan
Bliss
Olivia
Moore
Ray
Cohen
Ryan
Munsch
Morgan
Zack
Omoikhefe
Ihonvbere
Rebecca
Cyr
Sadie
Cathcart
Mykayla
Marcelino
Paige
Seserko
Rebecca
Hsieh
Safaa
Lafnoune
Natalie
Bruno
Palace
Shaw
Rebecca
Meyers
Samantha
Blindt
Nathan
Trucks
Patrick
Grondin
Rebecca
Short
Samantha
Carpinella
Nicholas
McMahon
Peggy
Jergens
Regina
Bell
Samantha
Delosh
Nicholas
Tuccinardi
Precilla
Tuy
Rilla
Hammett
Samantha
Millette
Nishat
Khan
Rachael
Fermino
Rose
Leander
Samantha
Sheppard
Page 18
Sarah
Sheehan
Sarah
Situ
Sarah
Widberg
Sean
Smith
Skylar
Ripley
Sondra
Christenson
Sonya
Root
Taylor
Liljegren
Taylor
Smith
Tessa
Stuart
Shane
Hibbert
Sophie
O'Neill
Theresa
Powers
Shannon
May
Spencer
Irwin
Thomas
Tedesco
Shannon
Stacia
Tiffany
Regan
Brezinski
Strollo
Shawdeen
Stephanie
Tyler
Vatan
Reynolds
Leach
Shelby
Majure
Sun
Moon
Tyler
Zielinski
Shrija
Sriram
Suzanne
Styffe
Vera
Bednar
Victoria
Wong
Willow
Coronella
Yesenia
Pineda
Zachary
NajarianNajafi
News from 29 Mellen