May 2009 • Vol. 12 No. 6 - Southern Connecticut State University

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a newspaper for the campus community
Southern Connecticut State University
May 2009 • Vol. 12 No. 6
Inside:
4 40 Years of Nursing
5 Singing “Hallelujah” in Ireland
Journalist, Educator, Singer To Address Southern Grads
C
Graduate Poet Takes Prizes
L
ee Keylock was “bombarded with
poetry” when he was growing up in
England. “Whether or not I liked it as
a kid, I was exposed to it,” he says. It seems
that all that exposure is paying off for Keylock, a graduate student in creative writing
at Southern: he recently won both the 2009
Leo Connellan Prize for his poem “The Tattie
Hawker” and the 2009 John Holmes Poetry
Award for his poem “Font.”
The Connellan Prize, open to students
at the four CSUS universities, is named for
the former poet laureate of Connecticut,
who was also the CSUS poet-in-residence.
The John Holmes Award, given by the New
England Poetry Club, the oldest poetry club
in the country, is presented for a single
outstanding poem by an undergraduate or
graduate student enrolled in a New England
college. Vivian Shipley, professor of English
and a prize-winning poet herself, calls the
prize “significant.”
Keylock has been working towards an
M.A. in creative writing at Southern but was
accepted into the university’s new M.F.A.
program in creative writing, which starts
in the fall, so he will continue his work in
that program. He earned his undergraduate
degree at Southern, as well as an M.S. in
English with teacher certification.
An English teacher at Newtown High
School, where he teaches juniors and seniors, Keylock also co-coaches, with poetry
slam champion Elizabeth Thomas, Connecticut’s youth poetry slam team. Keylock
explains that slam poetry is “more urban
and hip hop” than what he teaches or writes
himself but that “the kids love it.”
Slam poetry, performed for an audience
and judges, “can be very contemporary,”
Keylock says. “It can be a response to war,
or to something else in the news, and it can
be highly personal.” The best slam poets,
he says, are the ones that work “both on
the page and on the stage.” The youth slam
team Keylock co-coaches is now headed to
represent Connecticut at Brave New Voices /
International Youth Poetry Slam and Festival
in Chicago in July.
Keylock’s own poetry is largely inspired
by his experiences within the volatile atmosphere engendered by the Irish/English
conflict in England during the 1980s, when
he was growing up.
“As a kid in England,” he says, “I had
Keylock continued on page 7.
Photo: Howard University
onnie Chung, an awardwinning investigative reporter
and former co-anchor of the
“CBS Evening News,” will deliver
this year’s undergraduate commencement address on May 29 at
the Connecticut Tennis Center. The
ceremony is scheduled to begin at
10:15 a.m. with the academic procession into the facility.
A day earlier, two graduate
commencement ceremonies will
be held at the John Lyman Center
for the Performing Arts. At 2 p.m.,
Orlando L. Taylor, vice provost for
Connie Chung
Orlando Taylor
research and dean of the graduate school at Howard University, will be
Cronkite spoke at Southern in 2000 during
the featured speaker for the ceremony
the university’s Distinguished Lecture.
involving the schools of Arts and Sciences,
She spent seven years as anchor of a
Business, and Health and Human Services.
news show in Los Angeles beginning in
At 7 p.m., singer/songwriter Michael Bol1976. In 1983, she became a national corton will be the featured speaker for the
respondent and an anchor for NBC News
ceremony involving the schools of Educaand was a substitute anchor for Tom Brokaw
tion, and Communication, Information and
on the “NBC Nightly News” program. She
Library Science.
returned to CBS News in 1989. A year later,
Chung has been a member of the news
she began as anchor of the Emmy Awardindustry for about four decades. She began
winning magazine program, “Face to Face
her career in TV news in 1969, when she
with Connie Chung.” Among her most
worked for WTTG. She started as a copy
notable interviews were with Joseph Haperson and worked her way up the ranks
zelwood, captain of the Exxon Valdez, and
to news reporter. She joined “CBS Evening
with NBA star Magic Johnson after he had
News” as a correspondent in 1971 when
announced that he was HIV positive.
Walter Cronkite served as the anchor.
Perhaps her most prominent position
Michael Bolton
came in 1993, when she was selected for a
co-anchor role with Dan Rather on the “CBS
Evening News.” She served in that capacity for two years. She joined ABC News as
co-anchor and correspondent of the news
magazine “20/20.” During the 1999-2000
TV season, she earned the Amnesty International Human Rights Award for reporting
a story about young women in Bangladesh
being burned with acid for refusing to submit to men’s sexual advances. She joined
CNN as anchor of “Connie Chung Tonight”
during 2002-03.
Chung has earned three Emmy Awards
during her career, as well as a George Foster
Peabody Award, along with other honors.
Taylor has taught communications at various institutions,
including Indiana University, Stanford University and the University
of Pittsburgh. He joined Howard
University’s faculty in 1973. He
became graduate dean of Howard
in 1993, a position he has held ever
since. Today, he also serves as vice
provost for research.
He is considered to be a national leader in graduate education
and within his discipline. During
his career, he has served on a variety of boards at the national level,
including the Board of Directors of
the Council of Graduate Schools.
He served as chairman of that organization
in 2001. He is a past president of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools and
the National Communication Association.
He also is a former member of the
Advisory Committee of the Directorate for
Education and Human Resources of the
National Science Foundation and of the
Advisory Council at the National Institutes
of Health.
Taylor serves as principal investigator
on major grants from the National Science
Foundation to increase the production
of minority Ph.D. recipients in science,
technology, mathematics and engineering
Speakers continued on page 6.
Her Gift of Self Tops All
Mother’s Day Presents
L
ike most college students, Catherine
Shortell has long since forgotten many
of the events and circumstances of
childhood. But to this day, and probably for
the rest of her life, she can vividly remember
one particular afternoon as a third grader at
Holy Trinity School in Wallingford. It was
a moment that marked a drastic change in
the life of young Catherine, as well as that
of her mother.
Barbara Kennedy Shortell would pick up
her daughters from school each afternoon.
But on this day, as Catherine walked toward
the car, she also saw several other members
of her family inside – immediately triggering
thoughts that something was wrong. Her
instincts were correct. On her way to the
school, her mother had suffered some kind
of physical impairment in her right leg that
prevented her from pushing the gas pedal.
As a result, she called members of her family
to assist her and drive the car.
Fortunately, she avoided an accident.
But it was a turning point in both their
lives. For Barbara, it was a warning sign
that a neurological disease that previously
affected only her left leg was progressing.
Later diagnosed as idiopathic, the disease
most closely resembles multiple sclerosis.
For 9-year-old Catherine, it marked the
beginning of a role reversal in which she
would become her mom’s primary caregiver
— along with her younger sister, Meghan,
who also is now a student at Southern.
Their father, John Shortell, had died a year
earlier from complications associated with
Catherine Shortell
chemotherapy to treat cancer.
And for the last dozen years or so —
from the end of elementary school through
high school and through her four years at
Southern — Catherine has faithfully and
lovingly made care for her mom a top
priority.
“It’s just a very natural part of my life,”
Shortell says. “We always helped our mom
with stuff from a very young age because
even before my father died, she had some
problems with her left leg. In fact, on our last
family vacation when we were all together,
my mom used a wheelchair because she
couldn’t walk long distances. We helped
Shortell continued on page 6.
A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
As we approach Commencement Day, we can reflect on
Southern Connecticut State University’s long and proud tradition
of providing access to higher
education for students who might
otherwise never have the opportunity to earn a college degree.
In the latest addition of our
Southern Alumni Magazine we
profile a Southern graduate who
exemplifies this tradition: Jack
Perry, Class of ’96, who has
founded Prestige Academy, an all-boys college preparatory school in Wilmington, Del.
This urban school opened last September
President Cheryl J. Norton has her heart and pulse checked by several children
attending a recent Nursing Department open house. The event was part of the
May 16 “A Celebration of the Schools of Business, and Health and Human Services.”
with 103 fifth-graders and is expected to grow
to 400 boys in grades 5-8 by 2012 — all with
their sights set on attending college.
This is a noble aspiration for a school
that serves a largely at-risk population. And
it responds to concerns about college entry
and college graduation rates that are echoed
across the nation. Here in Connecticut, recent reports have warned that a continuing
decline in the percentage of residents holding college degrees will erode the state’s
economic vitality.
At Southern we are committed to working to reverse this trend. In recent years, the
university has expanded its advocacy and
support for programs that encourage academic aspirations, and ultimately, successful
transition into the state’s workforce.
These initiatives focus on using the summer before entry into college to improve
college readiness skills and provide social
and academic advisement for at-risk students. The programs include: SEOP (Summer
Educational Opportunity Program); ConnCas
and ConnCap (both funded by the state Department of Higher Education), and GEAR
UP (a federally funded program).
One of our most recent initiatives is
the Galileo Project, another state-funded
initiative designed to provide students
from Hillhouse High School in New Haven,
Hamden High School, and Maloney High
School of Meriden with better preparation for
college-level math and composition classes.
Faculty members from Southern’s mathematics, English and education departments have
teamed up with math and English teachers
from those schools to share curriculum
information, visit each others’ classes, and
develop strategies to improve instruction.
As a result of these efforts, Southern has
consistently led its peers in the percentage
of enrolled undergraduate minorities during
recent years. In 2008, almost 22 percent of
our undergraduates were members of minority groups.
Retention rates for first-time, full-time
minority students have also improved and
among its peer institutions, Southern has the
highest six-year graduation rate for minorities and the highest percentage of minorities
employed after graduation.
Despite the current economic challenges,
we will continue to seek innovative and
effective ways to increase access to, and promote success in, higher education. Support
for our scholarship programs is also crucial,
particularly at a time when more students
than ever before are seeking the benefits of
a Southern education. This spring, applications closed in March and a first-ever waiting
list was established as we experienced
unprecedented interest in our affordable,
high-quality educational offerings.
I thank you for your past contributions
and look forward to your continued efforts as
we further Southern’s mission as a university
of opportunity and a university of choice for
students in Connecticut and beyond.
Sincerely,
Cheryl J. Norton, President
News from the Vice Presidents’ Offices
SouthernLife
Published by the Southern
Connecticut State University
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Editor
Patrick Dilger
Writers
Betsy Beacom
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Janelle Finch
Photographers
Isabel Chenoweth
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SouthernLife is published monthly when classes are in session,
from September through June,
by the Southern Connecticut
State University Office of Public
Affairs, 501 Crescent Street, New
Haven, CT 06515-1355. News
and calendar inquiries should be
addressed to Wintergreen 162,
campus mail, or call 392-6586.
Story ideas, news items and comments can also be e-mailed to the
editor at DILGERP1. The editor
reserves the right to consider all
submissions for timeliness, space
availability, and content.
2
SouthernLife • May 2009
Academic Affairs
Finance and Administration
Eight students participated in the 12th annual Graduate Fellows Research Symposium
held recently in the Archie Tracy Lecture
Hall. The program showcases the research
conducted by the students, who each receive
a stipend of $8,000 each year. The students
work with a faculty mentor, library mentor and technology mentor throughout the
year.
The following are the students, their
projects and the faculty mentors who participated in this year’s symposium:
The Office of Information Technology will
soon have a new home.
The construction of a new building on
Wintergreen Avenue that will house the
department is nearly complete, according
to Executive Vice President James E. Blake.
The building is attached to Office Building 1,
which is the facility that provides faculty office space for the departments of Recreation
and Leisure and School Health, as well as
some of those in Public Health.
The IT area will be separated from the
faculty offices, but will share a common
entrance/exit and lavatory facilities.
“We should be ready for occupancy soon
and in time for the start of the fall semester,”
Blake said.
Blake noted that the Office of Information Technology currently occupies trailers
between Jennings Hall and Pelz Gym. He
said how the trailers will be used in the future
remains to be determined.
Sarah Bekki Rizzuto, “Physically Disabled
People and Poetic Power,” Jeff Mock
Haley A. McCarthy, “Considering Transgender Health Care through the Experience of
the Community,” Jean Breny Bontempi
Theresa Weiss, “A Qualitative Study of
Young Women’s Experiences Living with
PCOS,” Sandra Bulmer
Arturo Perez-Cabello, “State Immigration
Policies and Partisan Affiliation,” John
Critzer
Joanna Caserta, “Does Diversity Equal
a Multicultural Learning Environment,”
Misty Ginicola
Deanna Martin, “Childhood Expectations
among Nulliparous Women Attending a
Hospital-Based Clinic,” Bulmer
Thanh Ly-Turnbull, “Unconventional Classmates: Veterans’ Transitions from War to
College,” Jessica Kenty-Drane
Scott Talpey, “A Comparison of Body Mass
and Body Composition between NCAA
Division I and NCAA Division II Football
Players,” Robert Axtell
Lisa Bier, June Cheng, Rebecca Hedreen,
Este Pope, Alba Reynaga and Winnie Shyam
served as library mentors for the students,
while Robert Cuddihee and Stanley Walonoski
were technology mentors.
Institutional Advancement
Response to the spring direct mail appeal for the Annual Giving Campaign was
overwhelming, demonstrating that support
for Southern and its students remains strong.
In light of the economic downturn and
students’ increased need for financial aid
support, the focus of the appeal was reconceived this year. Sent over President Cheryl
J. Norton’s signature, the appeal asked for
gifts to provide financial aid to students for
the 2009-10 academic year.
As of press time, contributions are up 177
percent over last year. Of the total received,
nearly 44 percent has been earmarked for
student financial aid. On an equally positive note, donors who previously supported
Southern and a particular school or fund
continued to do so, but new dollars also
were received, indicating that the university’s
funding support is growing.
In other news, a successful alumni reception was held on May 5 for employees of
ESPN, more than 50 of whom graduated from
Southern, the vast majority having majored
in communication. The event was hosted
by ESPN’s Norby Williamson, ’85, executive
vice president, production, and Carol Stiff,
’83, M.S. ’89, senior director of programming
and acquisitions, who is a board member of
the SCSU Foundation, Inc. President Cheryl
J. Norton spoke at the event, which was attended by numerous faculty members from
the Communication Department.
Student and University Affairs
Members of the university’s Influenza
Pandemic COOP (Continuity of Operations
Plan) team met recently for a tabletop exercise to gain experience with the campus’
emergency management plan, reports Ronald Herron, vice president for student and
university affairs. The team is comprised
of about 35 individuals, representing
virtually every unit within the university.
The exercise enabled the team to lay out
the scenario of a possible crisis on campus and to talk through how the various
areas of the university would respond in
such a situation. “This exercise represents
our effort to keep a viable emergency
management plan in place,” says Herron.
“The plan is designed to mitigate the impact of an emergency on mission-critical
functions.” The university’s emergency
management plan follows the National
Incident Management System, which is
the standard for emergency management.
“Health and safety of students, faculty and
staff is the first priority in any emergency
situation,” Herron says. “It’s important for
the university community to know that
we’re constantly updating the emergency
management plan.”
Let’s Chat…
I
ndividuals who are considering Southern as a place to
pursue a master’s degree can now have their questions
answered instantly during weekly “WebChats” sessions
conducted by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Lisa Galvin, assistant dean of Graduate Studies, says
the chats are usually held on either a Wednesday or Friday
for a period of one hour. During busier times of the year,
the sessions are held twice per week. Questions have included such topics as GPA requirements, how credits can
be transferred from other schools, financial and specific
program questions.
“With the breakthroughs in communication technology, such as text messaging, people often don’t want to wait
for an answer to their questions,” she says. “This gives
people an opportunity to get an immediate response.
“Most of the people who chat with us have not applied
yet, so it’s definitely useful as a recruitment tool,” Galvin
says. “So far, I think it’s going well. Students seem to enjoy
the opportunity and have found the sessions helpful. We
average about five people per chat session, but we have
had as many as 13 people during one session.”
Sandra Holley, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, agrees.
“It is important to respond quickly to applicants — not
just one time, but every time,” Holley says.
She points out that the WebChats program began last
November and that full-time graduate enrollment numbers
have increased by 10.2 percent compared to a year ago.
Galvin adds that while most questions can be answered
online, she won’t answer questions of a personal nature
online because of privacy concerns. “In those cases, we
would ask them to call us so that their questions can be
addressed on a more personal basis,” she says.
Play Ball!
Brian Cashman, general manager of the New York Yankees, (left) and Peter Gammons,
ESPN’s Hall of Fame baseball analyst, discussed prospects for the Yankees season and the
game in general during the 11th Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecture. The Lyman
Center event was held just days after the official opening of the new Yankee Stadium.
Sociology Department Hosts
Race Relations Lecture
Kornblum describes how an investigation into Montana’s grizzly bear population led
to revelations about race relation frictions between the Blackfoot Indians and neighboring
communities.
m
Lisa Galvin
Troubled Youth Trying to Keep
‘In Step’ with Southern Social
Work Students
Social work students from Southern
have been providing assistance to a community-based organization whose mission
is to help turn around the lives of teens who
have run afoul of the law.
For the second consecutive spring, the
students have gained valuable real-life
experience working with a group of 14- to
17-year-olds who are part of an education
re-entry project for juvenile delinquents
provided by the Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut. The STEP (Support
Team for Educational Progress) program is
intended to reduce recidivism and provide a
launching point for teens who have served
sentences in juvenile prison.
Connie Mindell, professor of social
work, says about 20 undergraduate students are engaged in several aspects of the
program — such as interviewing the teens
to provide STEP with valuable information
about their lives and perceptions, and teaming up with those who may share similar
life or career goal experiences. In addition,
three Southern students who are pursuing
their Master of Social Work degrees have
provided one-on-one counseling and help-
ing with their development of life skills.
“Education is so important in trying to
turn these young people’s lives around,”
Mindell says. “That’s why one goal of the
interviews is to help determine what barriers they may be facing when it comes to
graduating from high school, and in some
cases, going to college.”
“At the same time, some of our students
have faced similar struggles in their lives as
the youth in the STEP program and it only
makes sense to pair them up,” she says.
Hans Sherrod, STEP program coordinator, says he views the university’s
participation as a valuable resource.
“In particular, matching up with the
social work students can provide kids with
motivation to succeed,” he says.
But Mindell says the benefit of the partnership is not a one-way street. “Our students
are gaining real-life experience in the types
of activities they are likely to face when they
become social workers,” she says.
Mindell points out that the undergraduates are in a class about interviewing and
that prior to last year’s partnership with
STEP, the students would have to role play
in class and have those mock sessions
videotaped.
m
The Department of Sociology recently hosted the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS) Robin
Williams Jr. Lecture, presented by William Kornblum, a professor of sociology at the City University
of New York. Kornblum, author of “Social Problems,” “At Sea in the City,” “New York from the
Water’s Edge” and “Growing Up Poor,” presented his latest research in a talk entitled “Urban
Nomads in Paris, The Montana Blackfoot, Two Case Studies of Race Relations.” The Sociology
Department won the opportunity to host this lecturer in a competition with 65 other college
campuses. This competition is held each year by the ESS; the guest lecturer is first presented the
Robin L. Williams Jr. Lecturer Award, and then colleges are invited to compete to host him or her.
Only two campuses are chosen each year, and this year Southern was one of them. The event was
sponsored by the Department of Sociology, Alpha Kappa Delta and the Sociology Club.
SouthernBriefly
The 2009 Southern Connecticut State University Annual Golf Tournament will
take place on June 8 at 12:30 p.m. at the South Course (private) at Lake of Isles at
Foxwoods Resort and Casino. This event provides an opportunity for alumni and friends
to support and encourage the academic and athletic growth of Southern’s student
athletes. All proceeds from the tournament will be used for student scholarships and
program enhancements for the Athletics Department. For more information and to
register, visit www.southernctowls.com.
The Connecticut State University System (CSUS) and the Connecticut Community
College (CCC) system have approved a transfer compact that will offer dual admission
to students who are planning to enroll at Central, Eastern, Southern or Western
Connecticut State universities after completing an associate’s degree. In ceremonies at
the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, the presidents and chancellors of the two
systems formally signed the document launching the program, which will be available
to students beginning with the fall semester. The program will permit students to
be admitted to a CSUS university while working to complete an associate’s degree.
Upon completion of the associate’s degree, they then transfer to the university they
have designated. Although each of the universities has had some form of enhanced
admission program in place with some neighboring community colleges, the new
program expands the benefits to students adhering to the conditions in the Transfer
Compact Agreement. The signing also marks the first time that all 16 institutions will
adopt a uniform statewide dual admission program. For more information, visit www.
ct.edu/dual
As part of the First-Year Experience program, students and their parents will be
attending the two-day orientation sessions scheduled throughout the month
of June. Volunteers are needed to assist with the check-in process for the
following dates: June 9, 14, 22, 26, 29. Volunteers will help with student/parent
check-in, answer questions and direct students and parents to specific locations.
A total of 250 students and more than 300 parents are expected to attend each
session. Volunteers should be available between 7:30-9 a.m. on the dates listed
above. Anyone who is able to volunteer for any or all of the dates may contact
Janet Gooley at (203) 392-5513 or at [email protected] by June 1.
Southern’s Facebook presence is expanding! It is now possible to be a “fan”
of several Southern-related pages on Facebook, the popular social networking
site, including the following: Southern Connecticut State University, John Lyman
Center for the Performing Arts, Southern Connecticut State University Alumni,
Career Services, University Dining Services and the SCSU Fitness Center. Becoming
a fan of any of these pages gives one access to updates, events, photo albums
and other content. To join, visit www.southernct.edu/southernonfacebook/
Jack Maloney, coach of Southern’s men’s track and field team, was named
the Northeast-10 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year earlier
this month, as the Owls claimed their seventh straight Northeast-10 Outdoor
Championship. The Owls have now won a total of 14 consecutive NE-10
Championships, seven indoor and seven outdoor. Maloney’s most recent
accolade is his ninth conference coach of the year award. He has now received
both the Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year awards
the past three seasons.
SouthernLife • May 2009
3
Interest in Nursing at
an All-Time High as
Program Marks 40 Years
F
rom its humble beginnings in 1969 with two
faculty members, some 20 students and a
single classroom/makeshift lab buried in the
basement of Engleman Hall, Southern’s Nursing
Department has sprouted into a popular, wellestablished operation that plays a vital role in
curbing the state’s nursing shortage.
So popular, in fact, that on the eve of the department’s 40th anniversary, nursing/pre-nursing
has surged to become the top major at Southern
for the first time. Last September, a total of 873
undergraduates were declared as either nursing
or pre-nursing majors — the highest number in
university history. It has continued to hold the
top spot this spring. The interest in nursing at
Southern has been rising throughout the decade
with an 83-percent jump from 2002 alone, when
478 students named nursing or pre-nursing as
their major.
Lisa Rebeschi, department chairwoman,
attributes the numbers to Southern’s growing
reputation, as well as job opportunities created
because of the shortage. But she points out that
while the burgeoning interest in the nursing program is welcome, more important barometers of
a program’s success are the number of students
accepted into the program and who graduate and
pass the licensure exam.
“It’s a competitive process just to be accepted into the program,” says Rebeschi, noting
that approvals usually take place just before a
student’s junior year. “These days, about half of
those who apply are accepted.” A record high of
224 undergraduates were in the program last fall,
which marks a 43-percent jump from only five
years earlier, when 157 students were officially
in the program.
Enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs has risen nationally in each of the
last eight years, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. But Southern
has exceeded the national average for two of the
last three years. The average increases have been
7.6 percent, 5.4 percent and 2.2 percent for the
last three years, while Southern has recorded
jumps of 14 percent, 5.3 percent and 8.2 percent.
These numbers include only students officially
accepted into a nursing program.
Rebeschi also notes that Southern consistently
exceeds the 88 to 90 percent statewide average
of students who pass the licensure exam. In
fact, last spring, all 64 students passed for a
perfect 100 percent success rate, according to
Rebeschi.
She believes Southern’s success stems from
several factors, including an increase in both
faculty and classroom/lab space as a result of
the opening of the New Nursing Building in the
fall of 2005. Southern currently has 17 full-time
faculty members and more than two dozen adjunct faculty members.
From past to present — a 40-year success story.
Right: Immaculata Alba and Lisa Rebeschi, nursing faculty, and
William Abbott and Letresha Turner, students in accelerated A.C.E.
program, in the Nursing Department’s new pediatric lab.
4
SouthernLife • May 2009
Immaculata Alba, one of the two original
faculty members in the department, has seen the
department grow from its infancy. She retired in
1989 as an associate professor of nursing, but
today works part time in the department’s lab.
Alba and Helen Schwan, also one of the original
two faculty members, worked together at the University of Connecticut before coming to Southern.
They were hired by Elaine Raymond, the first
director of Southern’s Nursing Department, who
also had worked at UConn.
“We were pretty well established at UConn
and we were taking a chance,” Alba recalls.
“Southern’s was a new program and money was
tight. UConn (which had a unit of its nursing department based out of Yale-New Haven Hospital)
didn’t think we’d stay open because of the cost
involved.” She concedes there were days when
she also didn’t know if the department would succeed. “(Then-President Hilton C.) Buley was very
supportive, as were many others. But we were
the new kids on the block and for years, people
on campus didn’t even know who we were. We
really didn’t have a place to call home on campus
because they kept us moving us around.”
But in 1973, the department reached two
milestones — having its first group of nursing
students (13) graduate, and obtaining a full 8-year
accreditation from the National League for Nursing. Alba says many other schools were awarded
accreditations of lesser time. “That’s when I realized we were going to make it,” she says.
And in 1985, Southern launched its first master’s degree program in nursing.
“Our nursing program has been on the cutting edge of innovation for some time, offering
on-line courses, an Accelerated Career Entry
(ACE) program for individuals seeking to make
a career change to nursing, and a collaborative
R.N. to B.S.N. pathway with Gateway Community
College,” says Selase W. Williams, provost and
vice president for academic affairs. “Southern is
also partnering with Western Connecticut State
University to increase the number of licensed
nurses being produced.”
The university recently received a $145,000
federal allocation — most of which is being used
for scholarships to support students in the ACE
program and the nursing educator program at
the graduate level.
Rebeschi and President Cheryl J. Norton
thanked Connecticut’s congressional delegation for its support. Rebeschi credits Cesarina
Thompson, former chairwoman of the Nursing
Department and current assistant to the dean of
the School of Health and Human Services, as
playing a key role in the development of those
programs. She also says the quality of faculty has
been outstanding, including three who are certified nursing educators and others who belong to
national organizations.
m
SouthernProfiles
‘A Light in the Darkness’
T
erese Gemme believes in the spiritual power of choral singing. “When
you sing with other people, it links
you with them spiritually,” says Southern’s choir director, a professor of music.
So the decision to take members of the
University Choir to Dublin, Ireland, this
June to join in an international choral
performance of Handel’s “Messiah” was
about more than just singing. Gemme
is hoping this experience will give the
famous oratorio a meaning the student
singers will carry with them the rest of
their lives.
The trip is being made possible in
large part by the generosity of the Stutzman Family Foundation, which last
year announced its intention to fund
a music lessons program for Southern
music majors. Represented by Walter
Stutzman, who is graduating from
Southern this month with a bachelor’s
degree in music, the foundation made Members of the SCSU Choir are headed to Ireland in June.
the gift to the choir because, as Stutzman says, “We wanted to be sure that people in the
Frideric Handel. Handel, born in 1685, was a Germandepartment could go on this trip and take advantage
English composer whose works include “Messiah,”
of this opportunity.”
“Water Music” and “Music for the Royal Fireworks.”
The opportunity is one that Gemme and the choir
He composed “Messiah” in the summer of 1741, and
have been dreaming of for a few years. Simon Carrington,
the work premiered in Dublin in 1742. Among the most
director of the Yale Schola Cantorum and professor of
popular works in Western choral literature, the oratorio
choral conducting at Yale University, invited the Southern
includes the beloved “Hallelujah Chorus.”
choir to take part in the Dublin performance, which he
When Gemme and the choir discussed the possibility
will conduct. Gemme and the students were interested
of such a trip, students who were interested said they
in joining, but cost was an obstacle.
could probably afford half the cost, which is about $4,000
The Dublin “Messiah” is one of many similar events
per person. “We thought about it again in the fall, and
taking place around the world this year, which marks
then the economy started to tumble,” Gemme says. “We
the 250th anniversary of the death of composer George
weren’t sure the university could afford to support the
trip financially.”
Enter Stutzman. When he heard about
the choir’s interest in the Ireland trip, and
about the cost being an obstacle, he made
a generous offer.
“Walter said we need music more than
ever in these dark times,” says Gemme. “He
sees music as being a light in the darkness.”
He offered to provide $53,000 — about
half the cost of the trip — with the balance being covered by students’ personal
funds as well as money raised through
fundraisers.
Choirs from all over the world will
participate in the performance, and Stutzman sees great value in this “chance for
Southern’s musicians to be part of the
international music community. These
opportunities don’t come along very
often.”
In addition to rehearsing and performing, the choir will go sightseeing in Ireland
and in London. A few of the students have
traveled, but many needed to get their
passports for the trip. Gemme points to cultural exposure
as one of the main benefits of such an experience. “Being able to perform in a choir of singers from all over the
world in a place like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and to be
singing a masterpiece like ‘Messiah’ in the place where
it was premiered, is so exciting,” she says.
The choir performed “Messiah,” parts 2 and 3, at
Spring Glen Church in Hamden on May 8, along with
some singers from the church congregation. The trip to
Ireland is June 14-22.
“Even though these students already love singing,”
says Gemme, “this experience has the potential for changing their lives.”
m
Bringing the West to the East:
American Philosophy in Russia
I
s philosophy universal, or is it culture-bound? Questions like this can generate much debate among
philosophers, regardless of their nationality.
Russian philosophers had a rare chance recently to
learn more about how their American counterparts view
their discipline when Philosophy Professor Armen Marsoobian and his co-editor John Ryder traveled to Moscow
for a book launch of the Russian translation of their book,
“The Blackwell Guide to American Philosophy.” The
launch took place Sept. 26 at Lomonosov Moscow State
University in Moscow.
Ryder is director of international programs at the State
University of New York (SUNY) System Administration.
SUNY and Moscow State University are engaged in a
partnership that dates back to the mid-1970s. Marsoobian
is editor of the journal Metaphilosophy, in addition to be-
The main building of Lomonosov Moscow
State University, reportedly the largest
university building in the world.
ing a member of the Southern Philosophy
Department faculty.
The U.S. State Department’s Moscow
Embassy chooses a few American books
for translation into Russian each year and
subsidizes these books’ publication. Marsoobian says his and Ryder’s book was
chosen for publication in 2008 because of
the high level of interest in Russia on the
subject of American philosophy.
Marsoobian explains it is not easy to
publish American books in Russia without a
government subsidy, and while the publishing
industry in Russia used to be state subsidized,
the number of academic books published has
dropped since the end of the Soviet Union.
“Philosophy is a pretty big
subject area in Russia,” he
says, adding that at Moscow
State, 2,000 undergraduates
are studying philosophy, down
from 4,000 before the collapse
of the U.S.S.R. “It’s staggering
how large the university’s
philosophy program is,” he
says. Moscow State, home to
the largest university building
in the world, was the leading
educational institution for the
Communist world during the
time of the Soviet Union but
has now opened up.
Marsoobian explains that
in Russia, a book launch is
an academic event, similar to
a conference. At the launch
of his and Ryder’s book, a
dean of the university spoke,
as did representatives of the
embassy and the publisher,
along with Marsoobian and
Ryder. Then the audience had
Armen Marsoobian with copies of
the new Russian translation of his
book and the English edition.
a chance to speak about their
work in American philosophy
and how they see this book
being useful to them, or not.
A book signing and reception
followed the discussion.
About 30 philosophers attended the launch, Marsoobian
says. Many had copies of the
book, and some of these scholars had worked on American philosophy. “One person
argued that there’s no such thing as American philosophy,” Marsoobian says. “He argued that you can’t
identify philosophy with a particular nation, that it transcends national identity and characteristics.”
Marsoobian was given copies of books and articles in
Russian, and in turn, as a token of gratitude, he gave the
faculty a gratis subscription to Metaphilosophy. “They
haven’t been able to get many English language journals
so they were very happy,” he says.
Marsoobian is also trying to encourage more submissions to the journal from Russia. The journal is
international but doesn’t receive many submissions from
Russia, and Marsoobian wants to make Russian philosophers more aware of it. “Being able to go to Moscow opens
the door to new potential collaborators,” he says.The Moscow State faculty said they’d like to bring American and
Russian philosophers together to talk about philosophy
across the East/West divide and to consider such questions as whether nationality affects philosophy.
Marsoobian was in Russia for a week, from Sept. 25
to Oct. 1. He divided his time between Moscow and St.
Petersburg, where he also met informally with faculty
at a university. He has been invited back to Moscow
State to give a series of lectures and hopes to work
out an exchange of some kind between Southern and
Moscow State.
m
SouthernLife • May 2009
5
Terminal Lung Disease Fails to Deter MFT Professor
Lynch Battles Pulmonary Fibrosis
B
arbara Lynch has never been
one to sit still. Even at 75, an
age by which most people slow
down to enjoy retirement, she has
continued to teach full-time as a
professor in Southern’s Marriage
and Family Therapy Department. Lynch also has owned and
operated a bead store, traveled
frequently, and until recently
hopped on a stationary bicycle for
45 minutes a day, every day. Her
work at the university not only
entails teaching, but includes consultation efforts
in her department’s family
therapy clinic — a clinic
she created — that serves
court-referred families to
receive counseling.
But last June, she was
diagnosed with pulmonary
fibrosis — a progressive
disease in which scar tissue forms in the lungs and
eventually destroys the
lungs’ capacity to deliver
an adequate amount of oxygen to the
bloodstream. In addition, she has several
related conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension. As a result, Lynch is hooked up
to an oxygen tank nearly 24 hours a day,
whether it’s the large converter that turns
air into pure oxygen or one of her portable
tanks that provides her with 20 to 30 minutes of oxygen apiece. In addition, she
takes immune suppressor drugs, steroids
and even Viagra to improve blood flow.
Nevertheless, none of that has kept her
from her job. She simply has had students
move the oxygen converter from her office
to the classroom and remains connected
to it with a 50-foot cord that allows her
to move around in the classroom. “I can
still walk, talk and drive, so why not keep
teaching?” she says. “Sure, it is more difficult now. But I’ve never been one to just
sit at home all day.”
Her courageous approach to life has
even caught medical professionals off
guard. “My doctors just roll their eyes
when I tell them I am still teaching,” says
Lynch, who adds that the person who
makes the oxygen converter was surprised
when she asked him about purchasing a
second such device to keep in her SCSU
office. “He told me he’s never gotten such
a request before because people my age
who use the converter usually just stay
home.”
“The only real symptom
I had initially was a little
shortness of breath,” she
explains. “At first, I thought
it was just because of my
advancing age.”
But the worsening
of symptoms eventually
prompted her to seek medical attention about 16
months ago. She went for
a variety of tests and was
finally diagnosed with the
illness in June 2008.
Pulmonary fibrosis can
be caused by a variety of
factors, but often is idioBarbara Lynch, professor of marriage and family therapy, teaches a class with Madison,
pathic (no known cause).
the department’s therapy dog.
Lynch believes her case
Gregory Paveza, dean of that she is not eligible because of her age. might be hereditary, noting that her
the School of Health and Nevertheless, she is open to drugs in the mother had similar symptoms before dyHuman Services, says Lynch experimental phase.
ing in 1983 of Legionnaires’ disease, an
exemplifies dedication to her
“Lungs are very complex little machines, ailment that affects the lungs. She adds
students and the university. yet we all taken them for granted, until that pulmonary fibrosis was not some“In most instances, folks something like this happens,” Lynch says. thing that was readily diagnosed at that
with Barbara’s illness would
She would like to help educate the time. “It makes me wonder if that’s what
have simply given up,” he public about pulmonary fibrosis. “Even she had,” she says.
says. “Her fighting spirit is admirable though there isn’t a cure yet, early deAs for the future, Lynch remains realisand is a quality that we should all aspire tection is still important because the tic about her prognosis, but also hopeful.
to have.”
disease can be treated earlier and extend “Let’s just say that I’m still buying green
And while Lynch — who has taught a person’s life.
bananas,” she said.
at Southern for about 35 years
— is retiring at the close of this
semester, she has not ruled out
serving as an adjunct faculty
member.
Nevertheless, her zest for
life belies the seriousness of
her illness. No cure exists and
her treatment, at best, may
slow down the progression of
the disease.
“When I was finally diagnosed with it, the doctor told
me that he had good news and
bad news,” Lynch says. “The
good news was that it wasn’t
my heart. But the bad news
was that it’s this. And he told
me that while they can fix many
bad hearts, they can’t fix lungs
in this condition. In fact, when
I asked him why he became a
doctor who specialized in lungs,
he said it was because it is the
‘last frontier’ in medicine. There
is so much they still need to
Biology Professor Jonathan Weinbaum explains the mysteries of fossils and DNA extraction to
learn about lungs.”
a group of youngsters attending the second Bring Your Child to Work Day last month. Fifty-five
children of Southern employees attended the day. Organized by human resources, it featured a range
She says a lung transplant
of activities for 1st- through 8th-graders at venues including the Lyman Center, University Police
could “buy a few years,” but
Department, the Nursing Department and the Facilities Operations Department.
Speakers continued from page 1.
documentary, “Terror at Home: Domestic
Violence in America.” He testified before
Congress to champion the Violence Against
Women Act.
He also has served as national chairman
for This Close for Cancer Research and is a
board member for the National Mentoring
Partnership and the Joe DiMaggio Children’s
Hospital. He has received the Lewis Hine
Award by the National Child Labor Committee, the Martin Luther King Award by
the Congress of Racial Equality and the Ellis
Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic
Coalition of Organizations.
(STEM) and in the social, behavioral and
economic sciences.
Bolton has sold more than 53 million
albums and singles throughout the world
during his career. He has won two Grammy
Awards for Best Male Vocalist and six American Music Awards. As a songwriter, he has
composed songs for such performers as
Barbra Streisand, KISS, Kenny Rogers, Kenny
G., Cher and Wynonna Judd. He has won
many awards, including a Hitmaker Award
from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
But the New Haven resident prides
himself on social activism, as well. He established the Michael Bolton Charities, Inc. to
provide assistance, education and shelter to
poor children and women, as well as those
who are at risk for physical, emotional and
sexual abuse. The organization focuses on
Connecticut and New York.
Bolton serves as vice chairman of the
Board of Advisers of the National Coalition
Against Domestic Violence. He served as executive producer for the Lifetime Network’s
6
SouthernLife • May 2009
m
Kids at Work
m
Shortell continued from page 1.
her with it.”
Shortell — who is a history/secondary
education major who will graduate later
this month — concedes that she has had
to forgo some social activities and campus
events as a student. But through good time
management, a flexible college schedule and
sharing the caregiving duties with her sister
and an assist from a nurse’s aide, she has
managed to be active in community service,
as well as having compiled a stellar 3.8 GPA.
In fact, Shortell was recently selected by the
Connecticut State University System Board
of Trustees for a Henry Barnard Foundation
Distinguished Student Award. She has been
a member of the Honors College for the last
four years.
“She carries out the task of caring for her
mother quietly and loyally, embracing it as
a part of who she is,” says Terese Gemme,
director of the Honors College, which Shortell has been part of during her four years at
the university. “I admire her steadfast commitment, her remarkable grace and maturity
and her ability to balance academic endeavor
with love of family and selfless service to
her mother.”
Shortell acknowledges that while she
was accepted at other colleges much further
away from home, her mother’s illness would
have made it very difficult to go. But she
also believes Southern has opened many
doors for her that she would not have had
at other schools.
“Even though I am earning a Bachelor
of Science degree to be a social studies
teacher, I have been able to embrace my
passion for dance and Latin,” she says.
“I don’t know if that would have been
possible at another school.” She has
participated in dance choreography and
recitals and taken an independent study in
Latin and was even asked by her professor
to substitute teach his Latin I and II classes.
In addition, she has been a student teacher
at Sheehan High School in Wallingford
since January.
She serves on the executive board of
Zeta Delta Epsilon and is a member of the
Newman Society, both of which participate
in community service activities, such as volunteering at St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen. When
she can’t physically participate because of
her family commitments, Shortell helps to
organize such events in advance. She also
has served as a volunteer SAT prep coach for
Project GEAR UP, and for the New Haven
Let’s Get Ready program.
m
Diamond in the Rough
percentage, on-base percentage and stolen
bases. But the Owls’ defense also responded, posting a .955 fielding percentage.
An exceptionally strong start — a 17-3
record in March — catapulted the team to
a successful overall campaign. During its
spring trip in Florida, Southern defeated a
nationally ranked Wayne State (Nebraska)
squad, as well as C.W. Post, which went on
to claim the top seed in the East Region in
NCAA Tournament play.
The Owls finished third in Northeast-10
Conference play with a 19-9 mark, including a
doubleheader sweep on the road at LeMoyne,
the league’s regular season champion. But a
pivotal situation in Southern’s first round NE10 Tournament contest against Pace sent the
team on a deep run into the postseason.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth
inning — and just four outs away from a potential end to the season — the Owls rallied.
Senior first baseman Brittany
Gandley delivered a two-out,
two-run triple that propelled the
club to a 2-1 win.
Southern went on to reach
the conference tournament finals
for the first time in program history. In the process, the Owls
earned an at-large bid into the
NCAA Tournament.
Junior pitcher Kerry Iacomini
enjoyed a breakout season both
in the circle and at the plate.
She finished with 11 wins and a
2.00 earned run average, while
also leading the club in innings
pitched and strikeouts. Iacomini
batted .298, belted nine home Seniors (from left to right) Brittany Gandley, Christina Wolf,
runs and garnered 29 RBIs. The Monica Savarese and Amanda Pindar proudly display the
home run tally matched a South- softball team’s Northeast-10 Tournament runner-up trophy.
ern single-season record.
Joining Iacomini as top offensive stand- and had 22 runs scored.
Following the season, Iacomini earned
outs were junior Megan Caporossi and
All-Northeast-10
and All-Region honors for
freshman Alyssa Pagano. Caporossi batted
her
play.
Caporossi
was an All-Conference
.319 with a team-high 35 RBIs. She also set
pick
for
the
third
straight
year, while Pagano
a new single-season record with 22 stolen
was
selected
to
the
All-Region
team.
bases. Pagano batted a team-leading .327
came to New York City by himself when he
was 18. Always a reader, he found books
to be great traveling companions. He only
began writing poetry in earnest about four
years ago, once he had finished his teacher
certification. “I started writing and just got
into it,” he says. “I started reading more
about poetic structure and form and learning more about the genre. I became more
willful in my choices as I wrote.”
He started writing “The Tattie Hawker”
on his own and finished it in a workshop.
The poem draws on the tensions Keylock
recalls between the Irish and English in his
hometown and portrays an English boy’s
futile crush on an Irish girl. Having taken
poetry writing workshops with both Shipley
and English P rofessor Jeff Mock, Keylock
gives credit to both for having helped him
shape this poem.
Mock describes Keylock’s poems as
“tough-minded, gritty, muscular and still
elegant.” Shipley says Keylock’s poems
“offer the consolation of an intelligent human spirit who speaks of what flails at his
heart. He struggles with the blackness and
Softball Team Overcomes Injuries
to Complete Successful Season
S
outhern’s softball team soared to new
heights in a record-breaking campaign
this spring.
The Owls reached the NCAA Division
II Tournament for the second time in the
past three seasons. In the process, they set
a new university record with 33 victories on
the year. Coincidentally, the previous high
of 32 wins was set back in 2007, the last
time that the Owls qualified for the NCAA
Tournament.
Southern came into the year with a goal
of returning to the tournament, but injuries
to several key performers made that objective more challenging than expected.
Coach Lisa Barbaro was forced to make
several adjustments during the year, but the
moves paid dividends.
The Owls set nine new team singleseason records in 2009 — including highs
in home runs, runs batted in, slugging
m
Keylock continued from page 1.
jobs picking potatoes and baling hay, and
these were the only times in my experience
when English and Irish would mix. There
were a lot of Irish in my town, and in the
’80s, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was
pretty big. There was tension between the
Irish and the English. Bombs were going off
every week in England. Leaving England and
being away from it for so long, I write a lot
about that topic now because I have some
distance from it.”
Keylock left England when he was almost 17, backpacked around Europe and
Solo it stands. God-head erect at the altar
steps of Abbey Cathedral. Strewn and carved
into its leg are the martyred disciples,
martyred for us we are told. Every Sunday,
the baptisms arrive, babies in bridal gowns
held by fathers whose old-leather necks
rub raw against the starch of once-a-week collars.
Here they stand, as plumb as the Jesus that lords
over the font, to await the dash of holy water
that will douse the screaming children’s brows
and ready their sullied souls for the great admission.
For years I have watched the anointed become pure,
the baptized chaste enough to clear their paths to Heaven.
And while these multitudes flow to the font, I dream
of Keogh the cripple, walking with him to the bow
of the church where me and the boys will lift
him to dip his stump-of-a-leg into this our holy wash.
And in the deserted place another leg will grow,
as behind him roves of callous school kids
queue up ready to immerse their spastic tongues
to the roots purging, at last, their rotten mouths.
by Lee Keylock
And where pews part the road to the font,
I dream that all await their cleansing:
Vicar Ryan will return from where he was sent
and submerge the hands that busied themselves
on the boys in the vestry. Kitty Larkin
will submerge her head letting the water soak
her mouth like mouthwash and she’ll forget
all the liquored tongues that have flapped
in her mouth like drowning fish on promenade piers.
The score along Nick Holloway’s neck will vanish,
as will from his sister’s mind the vision of him
hanging from a Venetian blind. I have dreamed
is not broken, showing us that we must not
refuse to look away from the world, from
its terror, but that we also must not ignore
its ravishing beauty.”
Keylock received the Connellan Prize at
a writers’ conference at Central Connecticut
State University in April.
m
One of Keylock's prize winning poems,
"Font," is below.
of immersing Alan’s wife and the car that exploded
her; thus they become whole. Dreamed of all
the Riverwalk kids laughing and leaping as they plunge
into fontwater, their drooping, lolling faces no longer
tormented by the arbitrary doling of a genetic pool.
I have dreamed of wheeling the rusting tricycle
from Muriel’s front lawn and bathing it in water
so holy it will rise as polished as the car bonnet
that hit her child; dreamed of hauling to fontwater pool
the willow that forever shades this bike and winch
it in to strip it of paintflecks that spatter still its bark,
the small, whitewashed cross disappearing
along with the nail that hung it there.
I want to gather all and plunge. I want the dead
rapeseed oil that blazed my backyard summer field
to again blind yellow; want the girl I kissed
under the river Lark bridge during the drought
to bathe in the font, clean from her face
the factory-acid spill, then kiss me again.
I want the fists that flew in all the streetfights
to fold into the font and burst into blossom
like sea anemone, and I want the Koi
that placidly swam the Abbey Garden pond
to swim to our knuckles, nibble at cast bread.
But most I want Muriel to unstop her throat
and again sing so sirenlike that even Jesus
will have to climb down from his cross,
slide his silk-thin torso into the wash
which will seal his ribbon slits,
while stained-glass angels freefall
into our font leaving only their feathers
floating in sky-wake, silent as snow,
reminding us that nothing so beautiful is damned.
SouthernLife • May 2009
7
Sprin
SouthernFocus
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A Photo Essay by Isabel Chenoweth and Thomas Cain
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SouthernLife • May 2009