siena news winter 2010

INSIDE: Franciscan Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Legal Fellows Spend Summer in the City

SienaSIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • WINTER 2010

INSIDE: Seizing Success: Building a Career in a Bad Economy

Siena by the Numbers

Vampires: A Love Affair

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As we embark upon a new decade, we are keenly aware that we are living in the midst of what many describe as “challenging times.” For some, this description leads them to become extremely cautious so as to avoid threats that may or may not be on the horizon. Others may want to seize the moment and actively seek out the opportunities that may emerge. I believe that St. Francis and his followers tend to take the later approach. St. Francis focused upon the present, but always with an eye on how this moment might be “transformed” in the future so as to bring one closer

to God. So it was that in the midst of violence and war, he always saw that there was a path toward peace which was worthy of pursuing. This approach worked in the 13th century and I believe that it still can serve us well in the 21th century. In this issue, Deb Delbelso, the director of the Career Center encourages job-seekers to look at this difficult time as an opportunity to reinvent themselves (see page 3). This is precisely the spirit with which the Siena community has embraced the opportunity to secure Siena’s future success – with our ever-present optimism, we are taking the time to plan for Siena, developing a vision statement and re-examining our mission statement. In the past several months, the College has begun a new strategic planning process. The participation from the community— faculty, staff, students and alumni— has been humbling. It is clear that the commitment to ensuring an extraordinary future for Siena is embraced by all of our stakeholders. It is an exciting time to serve as the President of Siena College. I hope you will take a few moments to explore Siena’s first-ever President’s Report, featuring the significant accomplishments of the students, faculty, administrators and staff during the 2008-2009 academic year. The President’s Report can be accessed online at www.siena.edu/presreport. The stories of new and extraordinary ways members of this community live and advance the mission of the College are proof that change is already afoot for Siena. These stories assure me, as I hope they do for you, that Siena has a bright future ahead. And it will be possible because of our foundation: the unique strength of our Franciscan Catholic tradition and the fierce loyalty of our alumni and supporters. In challenging times such as these, we look to the relationships that sustain and strengthen us. We are grateful to all of you who continue to stay connected to Siena, and I hope that your place in the Siena community provides such nourishment for you.

Fraternally,

Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.

Message fromthe Editors

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10%

Cert no. SW-COC-002556

from the president Thanks for providing

feedback on the redesigned Siena News. Your comments have helped us shape this magazine for

alumni and friends. In this issue, feature

stories cover topics that suck (vampires and the job market). Ever wonder how much pizza is consumed on campus or the number of Siena alumni married couples out there? Check out pages 10 and 11 for everything you ever wanted to know about Siena College. Finally, we regret that we incorrectly stated Sr. Margaret Carney’s, O.F.M., S.T.D., title in the last issue. She is the President of St. Bonaventure University.

Enjoy!

Jim Eaton and Allison Maloney ’06

P.S. If you haven’t done so already check out Siena’s new Website, www.siena.edu.


4 Vampires: A Love Affair

18 Siena by the Numbers

8 Seizing Success: Building a Career in a Bad Economy

Message fromthe Editors

Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85J. David BrownMichael Bucci ’73Robert F. Campbell ’66Robert M. CurleyRobert T. Cushing ’77Susan Law DakeVirginia L. Darrow ’83**John J. Dawson, Esq. ’68 Scott C. DonnellyHoward S. Foote ’74*Shari Golub-Schillinger ’86Robert L. Guido ’68Douglas T. Hickey ’77Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D.**Edward J. Johnson ’63 Walter T. Kicinski ’62Rev. Jerome J. Massimino, O.F.M.Pamela McCarthyRobert J. McCormick ’87Rev. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., Ph.D.James J. Morrell ’66Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.John F. Murray ’79John J. NigroVery Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M.Walter A. Osterman ’87Joseph M. Pastore Jr., Ph.D.Kenneth M. Raymond Jr.Mark S. Rose ’65Rev. Peter A. Schneible, O.F.M., Ph.D.David M. Stack ’73Christine L. StandishBr. Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D.*Nimmi M. Trapasso ’98, M.D.Dennis L. Winger ’69 ** Deceased* New trustee

2009 - 2010 Board of Trustees

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Cover: Lisa Nevárez, Ph.D., associate professor of English is Siena’s vampire expert. She discusses the love affair people have had with vampires on the next page.

On Campus News | 10 Alumni Connection | 25Faculty News | 20 Alumni Class Notes | 27Saints Corner | 22 The Ultimate Siena Office | 35

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Siena News - Winter 2010Published by Siena College515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211-1462E-mail: [email protected]

• Publisher: Delcy Fox• Editors: Jim Eaton, Allison Maloney ’06• Contributing Editors: Mark Adam, Pete Dillon ’11, Jodi Ackerman Frank, Ken Jubie ’04, Hildy Marinello ’11, Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., Jason Rich ’97, Lynn Ryan and Daniel Sleasman ’68• Director of Art and Design: Sergio Sericolo• Alumni Class Notes Design: Jean Higgs• Alumni Class Notes Editor: Janice Goca and Victoria Abdulla ’07• Back Page Design: Jim Knox• Photography: Athletics Office, Dave Boswell ’12, Lisa Heimerle ’11, Ed LaRow ’59, Tony Purificato, Sergio Sericolo, Bonnie Turner• Printer: The Lane Press, Burlington,Vt.

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COVER STORY

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SBy Lisa Nevárez, Ph.D., associate professor

of English SEdited byKen Jubie ’04

Sampires may just be the hottest undead creatures around today.

Between the Twilight series of novels by Stephenie Meyer, along with the film adaptations of them, and the HBO series True Blood,

adapted from Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, vampires are popular, and we are quickly becoming saturated, or

shall we say sated, with all versions of them.

Vampires: A Love Affair

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While “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” may have hit a vein, as the scores of rabidly enthusiastic fans attest to, the vampire craze is not entirely unexpected. That is, this interest in vampires is the most recent incarnation of the popularity of the undead. Vampires appear in many cultures, but the first vampire in English-language literature was Lord Ruthven, who appeared in a short story by John Polidori titled “The Vampyre” (1819). In the summer of 1816, a group of self-exiled British authors decamped to the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. A wildly popular poet named Lord George Gordon Byron rented a villa and, accompanied by his personal physician, the aforementioned Polidori, invited the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelley’s future wife Mary Godwin and Claire Clairmont for a visit. It was a rainy summer and the group entertained themselves with ghost stories. They staged a friendly competition to see who among them could create a story of horror. Mary Goodwin Shelley conceived her novel Frankenstein (1818) that summer, as did Polidori his story, which was heavily inspired by ideas from Lord Byron. From that first appearance in prose in 1819, vampire tales continued to increase in popularity, spawning countless novels and eventually movies. Certain vampire traits are consistent among literature and films. The creature usually is strikingly attractive, seductive, worldly, and of course, immortal, unless a stake finds its way into the vampire’s heart. Many memorable vampires have been male, but some female vampires have seduced readers as well. They include Le Fanu’s character Carmilla (1872) and the female vampires created in Anne Rice’s novels beginning in the 1970s. Male and female readers alike have been connoisseurs of vampire fiction and, earlier, the Gothic novel. The predecessors of Polidori’s early vampire were the characters in popular Gothic novels, the first of which was Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764). The Gothic novel’s heyday was in the 1790s, with authors such as Ann Radcliffe and Matthew “Monk” Lewis penning the day’s bestsellers. Women especially loved those mysterious, ghostly tales, and the popular press of the day poked fun at that stereotypical

female reader, so preoccupied with the dungeons of a remote castle. Even Jane Austen parodied that female reader in her novel Northanger Abbey (1818) in which Catherine Morland is a little too enamored with the world of fiction. By tracing the origin of the vampire novel back that far, one can link 2010 with the 1790s. In the 1790s, the English reader of the Gothic novel reveled in the relatively new genre of the (at times scandalous) novel and also was looking for a form of escapism. Today, many of us still may be looking for our own escape in delving into a world of fantasy. With the continuing flow of sultry vampires into the fantasy mix, we can keep sinking our teeth into these tales.

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SSSVampires: A Love Affair

Lisa Nevárez, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of English who specializes in romanticism, Latino and Latina literature and gothic literature. Nevárez has taught at Siena since 2002.


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Pulse-Pounding ProseVampires came to literary life during the early 1800s. Since then, they have evolved, treating readers to a variety of seductive, sophisticated and spine-tingling tales. Here is a look at vampire literature throughout the years:

• 1819: The First English-language Vampire, Lord Ruthven, appears in John Polidori’s short story, “The Vampyre”

• 1840s: “Varney the Vampire” by James Malcolm Rymer (published in a series of booklets known as the “penny dreadfuls”)

• 1872: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

• 1897: Bram Stoker’s Dracula• 1970s: Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles (includes Interview with the Vampire, 1976)

• 1975: Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot • 2005: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

• Today: Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series

• Today: Marta Acosta’s Casa Dracula series

Lecturer in Creative Arts Steve Fletcher played Deputy Jonathan Harker in NBC’s 1991 vampire series, “Dark Shadows,” which was a primetime revival of the popular gothic soap opera of the 1970s.

Quick Bite

Fangs on FilmFrom silent films to spoofs, vampires have been making their way onto the silver screen for more than a century. Here are some memorable films that audiences were dying to see:

• 1909: The silent film Vampire of the Coast debuts

• 1931: Bela Lugosi stars in Dracula• 1945: John Carradine stars in House of Dracula• 1967: Roman Polanski directs the spoof The Fearless Vampire Killers starring Sharon Tate

• 1979: George Hamilton and Susan Saint James star in the spoof Love at First Bite• 1994: Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise bring Anne Rice’s novel to life in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles• Today: The Twilight saga hits theatres (Source: Washington State University)


Song returned to the stage during the fall semester as the Creative Arts Department and the College’s theatre group, Stage III, put on Siena’s first musical in several years. A cast and crew of more than 40 dedicated students, faculty and staff members brought Stephen Sondheim’s twisted fairy tale Into the Woods to life on stage for two weekends in November. “I really wasn’t used to singing … The fact that it was Sondheim was extremely scary,” said sophomore Steve Maggio who played The Baker. Cohoes Music Hall Managing Director Tony Rivera eased fears and calmed nerves as he directed Siena’s production. The classic Broadway play depicts some of the most famous fairy tale characters of all time coming together in a lively fantasy that turns into a lesson about community responsibility. “It was really a rewarding experience because I

geared up everything I could muster to come into a program that doesn’t usually do musicals,” Rivera said.

Rivera typically works with professional actors for eight hours a day to prepare for a show. While college students don’t have the time or training he’s used to, Rivera said he was still able to have fun and maximize their potential. “It was a little bit more care and comfort,” Rivera said. “I pushed all their limits.” “Tony has a remarkable ability to combine a very supportive teaching style with a demand for the kind of professionalism you see at Cohoes. Our students had a great experience,” said Dean of Liberal ArtsRalph Blasting, Ph.D. Students sang their hearts out while portraying cockeyed characters, including a blood thirsty Little Red Riding Hood, a Prince Charming who loved lots of ladies and a greedy version of Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, who go into the woods to pursue their own self interest, only to find that their fates are strangely linked together. “When you’re singing, you have to put it all out there … You get to a much more honest place than you do with prose,” said Paul Mayer who played Jack. Since Into the Woods was a hit with performers and audiences, you can expect to see more musicals at Siena in future semesters.

itting a high noteBy Ken Jubie ’04

Left: Cohoes Music Hall Managing Director Tony Rivera is all smiles as he helps the cast of Into the Woods sharpen its acting skills and warm up its vocal chords.

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With layoffs and the bad economy still making headlinesand many people suffering as a result, there is good news for job seekers. “This is an opportunity to reinvent yourself,” said Deb Delbelso, director of Siena’s Career Center. The key to finding and keeping work in tough times is the same as in good times: action. The more positive action you take, the better your chances of landing the job you want. Here are some suggestions for actions to take during tough economic times.

1. Take courses. Make yourself more marketable by brushing up on the latest technology, becoming conversational in a foreign language, or improving your writing ability. “Anytime you can work on communications skills, it’s a good thing. With

programs such as Toastmasters™ (a nonprofit organization that focuses on communications skills), you really see a difference,” said DelBelso. “Like with many of my suggestions, this is a financial investment, but it is worth it.”

2. Be “old school.”The traditional rules of networking still apply. Online social networking sites such as LinkedIn can provide great opportunities (see sidebar), but nothing beats connecting face-to-face. Attend alumni events or those held by local professional development organizations as much as you can.

3. Start a new journey. This may be the time to change careers altogether. The first step is to research the qualifications required for the desired career and then decide how to attain the skills necessary to get hired. “Sometimes a master’s degree is the answer, but start by finding out whatqualifications the current people in that position

have,” said DelBelso, who added that the fields of accounting, technology and healthcare have continued to grow, despite the economy.

4. Soldier on. Should you take a job that you are overqualified for? “Absolutely,” said DelBelso. “When the economy starts to get better, you’ll be in a po-sition to move up in the company. Loyalty goes a long way.” Also, she added, working is good for you. “Not working or taking courses can be a strain emotionally and you may not come across as positively when you are networking or inter-viewing,” DelBelso said.

5. Stand out. The best way to stand out is to know your audience. When you are writing a cover later or heading to an interview, make sure you’ve

researched the company to which you are applying. Check not

only the company’s Website, but articles that have been

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Seizing Success: Building a Career in a Bad EconomyBy Allison Maloney ’06


Social Media and Your CareerSocial media tools provide free advertising and give you the ability to connect directly with managers, recruiters and potential colleagues. Your online presence in blogs, profiles, podcasts and more is your online identity. Here are some ways to leverage social media tools to get noticed and recruited.

• Brand yourself. Start by assessing what your strengths are, what you’re passionate about and then portray that. Fill out the typical profile (work experience, interests, etc.), but go beyond a job title. Tell people what you do well and why you enjoy what you do. • Choose your networks. Social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Delicious and Digg have millions of users and provide different ways to share resumes, profiles, blog entries and more. LinkedIn is highly credible when it comes to career connections. There also are networks for professionals in a specific line of work, such as Medical Mingle (medical professionals) and Active Rain (real estate agents).

• Create content. A blog or a traditional Website can help establish you as a credible source, especially if you provide information on your area of expertise.

• Measure your success. Use tools such as search.twitter.com or Google alerts to examine the impact you make by being involved online.

• Don’t be just online. Read the full article “Seizing Success” and make sure you are combining those suggestions with these tips to best promote yourself.

Siena Career Center Services• Career counseling• Career/graduate school search• Resume/cover-letter assistance• Mock interviews• Job listings• Connections with fellow alumni

Visit www.siena.edu/careercenter for more detailed information.

written about it. When necessary, call and ask about pertinent information. “Knowledge is power,” said DelBelso. “The first question an interviewer likely will ask will pertain to how well you know the company.”

6. Don’t forget the basics. Have your cover letter critiqued, be cordial to everyone and, as much as possible, write thank-you letters to everyone you met during an interview. “You never know who it is you meet in the parking lot,” explained DelBelso. Also, first impressions are key: have a strong handshake, look people in the eye and dress professionally.

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Charity Week Provides Hope for Child with Rare Disease By Pete Dillon ’12

Charity Week 2009 started out with a simple goal for Jennifer Rasca ’10 and Jillian Duarte ’11. “We really wanted to make a difference,” said Rasca. After the students learned about Hannah’s Hope Fund, Charity Week became much more than just another fundraising project. Last February, after Rasca and Duarte were appointed as co-chairs of the annual event, they set out to find the perfect charity to be the beneficiary of the Student Events Board (SEB) fundraising

efforts. After a lunchtime meeting at Bruegger’s, they knew they had found their answer. That’s where they met 5-year-old Hannah Sames and her mother, Lori. Hanna immediately warmed the students’ hearts. The little girl is battling a rare neurological disease called giant axonal neuropathy. Hannah was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with the disease, which involves the dysfunction of a specific type of protein in nerve cells. Hannah’s Hope Fund was set up to help with the costs of funding gene therapy studies that could lead to a cure. The treatment, which reproduces healthy genes, still needs to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Financial support also is needed for clinical trials to be performed once they are approved. “Jennifer and Jillian and other SEB volunteers put their hearts and souls into this charity for almost a whole year,” said SEB President Nick Noblett ’10. After the planning stage, the spreading of awareness began in September, when students gave away cider, donuts and pink “Hannah’s Hope” bracelets. Out of the 10 scheduled fundraisers, the Donate a Meal project was one of the most successful. More than 1,000 meals were donated, raising $5,270. “It’s just phenomenal to see them put in the effort,” said Jen Fraley, associate director of campus programs and student activities. The charity auction also was a great success. With

more than 100 items and services donated, including the always-popular townhouse cleaning by the women’s rugby team, the auction raised $7,450.

Charity Week raised a total of $21,000. An already impressive figure, this amount will be matched by Doris Buffet, the sister of billionaire banker Warren Buffett. She matched all donations to Hannah’s Hope Fund up to $500,000 through the middle of February. For more information, visit www.hannahshopefund.org. Even though Charity Week is over, Rasca and Duarte continue to be involved with Hannah’s Hope Fund. Both students are helping to plan the Love and Hope Gala at the Desmond Hotel, Albany, N.Y. and they would like to become members of the charity’s board of directors.


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ROTC Cadets Win 2009 Ranger Challenge With their muscles and minds exhausted, members of the Army ROTC Mohawk Battalion saw months of hard work pay off as they won the 2009 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge. The ROTC unit, comprised of students from Siena College, the University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Instittute, defeated 17 other northeastern college teams in events testing their knowledge and ability in combat situations. “You put all the effort in and when it culminates in victory, it’s a great feeling,” said team captain and Siena College cadet Tom Seagroatt ’10. Seagroatt led 13 fellow ROTC cadets he called the “best of the best” through months of intense physical and mental training in hopes of winning the two-day competition. They prepared for challenges ranging from weapons assembly and intelligence gathering to hand-grenade assault and speed backpacking, known as the “ruck march.” Their efforts culminated at Fort Devens, Mass., on Sunday, Oct. 25, with the first Ranger Challenge win in Siena’s ROTC program history. “They absolutely destroyed the competition that day,” said Captain Danny Frieden. He fondly remembered his participation in the Ranger Challenge as a student. “You were set apart from every other cadet. It comes with the hard work.” “You’re going for a higher goal. You’re part of an elite group,” Seagroatt said. After two consecutive second-place finishes by Siena’s ROTC program, even newcomer cadet Shaun Looney realized how important winning was to the rest of his team. “You want to win it for the other people there. It brings out the best in everybody,” said the Siena sophomore, who was given the nickname “Moose” because of his strength and physical ability. While Looney will be charged with keeping the Ranger Challenge trophy, known as the “Iron Mike,” here at Siena, Seagroatt will be putting the skills he developed to use when he is commissioned this summer. He said honing his ability to lead meant just as much as winning the competition. By learning and assessing people’s strengths and weaknesses, Seagroatt said, “you can see where people fit together for the team dynamic.” “Just being part of the team itself, it makes them perform better,” said Frieden, which is why he’s confident that his Ranger Challenge cadets will have future success, whether it’s in competitions, the classroom or in combat.

“Leaders aren’t born they are made. And, they are made just like anything else, through hard work,” said Vince Lombardi, legendary Green Bay Packers head football coach. While Lombardi built leaders who could succeed on the gridiron, Siena is developing students for leadership positions on campus and in future careers. During the Siena Leadership Institute’s (SLI) 2009 Student Conference, professors and professionals gave participants a glimpse of life in their arenas. “My primary hope is that participants realize that leadership development is a lifelong endeavor,” said Amnat Hong-Chittaphong, director of multicultural affairs and SLI conference coordinator. Students learned about the pressure-packed situations leaders face in board rooms and on battlefields, among colleagues and in cable newsrooms. “Working under pressure is where real leaders shine. Giving young people the basic tools early on in their careers can give them a jump-start in developing leadership skills,” said Capital News 9 Assignment Manager Tim Ruffinen who co-presented a workshop at the conference. The SLI partnered with the Department of Academic Affairs and the ROTC program in organizing the 4th annual conference. “Judging from the energy, enthusiasm and interest in what we had to say, I think the students who attended got our message about their own personal leadership roles and how dynamic they can be in the face of adversity,” said SLI fellow Ally Tooulias ’11. Organizers said they hope students were able to gain new skills through the various seminars and see that being able to lead is important whether they become lawyers, politicians, news reporters, chief executives or teachers.

Students Learn to Lead Under Pressure


It’s hard to imagine a world without constant contact and instant access to information. Advances in technology, ranging from the growth of the Internet to people’s dependence on cell phones, have made it easy to deliver messages without meeting face-to-face. Most people would point to the efforts of the scientific and engineering communities for these developments, not divine intervention. But contemporary philosophical pioneer John Caputo, Ph.D., said during a speech last fall that today’s technological breakthroughs are symbols of angels at work. “Yesterday’s angelology is today’s technology,” Caputo said during Siena’s third Symposium on Living Philosophers. The Syracuse University professor told the more than 100 people inside the Key Auditorium that Blackberry phones and iPhones are “little angels that put us in touch with the rest of the world.” “The word ‘angel,’ he pointed out, means ‘messenger.’ A world bathed in electronic messages is our version of what traditionally was described as a world filled with angels. Each is a parable for its own age,” said Siena Professor of PhilosophyRay Boisvert, Ph.D. Along with explaining that angels are ever-present, Caputo’s October

speech, “From Angelology to Technology: A History of Hope,” focused on the impact religion continues to have on the postmodern world. “Religion is the place where we do our hoping,” Caputo said. “His lecture marked out the surprising convergence between the aspirations of bio- and information technologies and the religious imagination: both scramble our everyday understanding of life and death,” said Professor of Philosophy John Burkey, Ph.D. Caputo’s speech marked the first in a series of public events in the College’s Symposium on Living Philosophers. The lecture component is an integral part of the symposium which is a unique learning opportunity for undergraduates. During the year, students may read and interact with a major contemporary philosopher to give them a firsthand look at how philosophical thought can be applied today. The symposium is made up of a team of faculty, external scholars and guest lecturers.

Angels Among Us

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Obama Advisor Discusses Community Organizing Carmen Sirianni, Ph.D., professor of sociology and public policy at Brandeis University, delivered a speech, “Democracy in the Age of Obama: Possibilities and Pitfalls,” during the College’s second annual Engaged Sociologist Symposium on Oct. 28. Sirianni, who also holds a joint appointment at the Heller Graduate School for Social Policy and Management and the Center for Youth and Communities at the university, chaired the Collaborative Governance Cluster within the Obama ’08 Urban Policy Committee. During his speech, Sirianni talked about many methods Obama supporters used to encourage civic engagement in all corners of the country. These included community organizing based on shared values, establishing field organizers and neighborhood teams to develop strategies for specific locations and capitalizing on the surge in popularity of Websites such as YouTube and Facebook. Sirianni also spoke about transparency in government. He continues to work on ways to help the Obama administration’s open-government initiative by analyzing ways to build collaborative policy methods of changing the culture within federal agencies. “Dr. Sirianni’s visit to Siena echoes our Franciscan commitment to ‘building a world that is more just, peaceable and humane.’ His career as both an academic and civic contributor exemplifies the integration of service and academics, which is at the core of a Siena education,” said Mathew Johnson ’93, Ph.D., Siena sociology and environmental studies professor. Johnson added that Sirianni’s experience as an advisor to two presidential administrations (Obama and Clinton) and his service to all levels of government provide a unique perspective on the importance of engaging civically through scholarship and other forms of academic work.

Unabomber’s Brother Talks About Overcoming Grief It has been more than a decade since the FBI caught the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. He killed three people and injured a dozen others during a series of mail bombings that spanned almost 20 years. His reign of terror ended on April 3, 1996, after his brother David turned him in. “I can’t tell you how painful that felt,” David Kaczynski said. But as he explained to more than 200 members of the Siena community during the annual Niebuhr Lecture in November, he did it to make sure no one else was injured or killed. Ted Kaczynski is now serving a life sentence in federal prison. While the Unabomber’s arrest and conviction ended a dark story that gripped the nation, it also started a tale of overcoming grief and finding the positives in tragedy. During the course of the trial and sentencing, David Kaczynski and one of his brother’s victims, Gary Wright, formed an unlikely friendship; they now consider themselves like brothers. “This is a really good family,” Wright said. He also publicly forgave Ted Kaczynski at the sentencing in 1998. Since then, the pair have been speaking publicly at academic conferences and survivor groups. Their goals are simple: share their story and explain that the violence, loss and pain that changed their lives do not continue to define them. David Kaczynski told Siena students that his relationship with Wright helped him cope with the stress of his brother’s trial and gave him the strength needed to return to everyday life. “David Kaczynski and Gary Wright discussed the power of friendship and forgiveness in the face of unspeakable trauma. Their story is proof that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. I am convinced that the audience was moved by their story, by the tears and by the long arm of faith and compassion that surrounds these two men,” said Peter Ellard, Ph.D., associate vice president for academic affairs. Along with working with Wright to help people cope with

grief, David Kaczynski continues to advocate against the death penalty. He has been the executive director of New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty since 2001.

Left to right: David Kaczynski, brother of the Unabomber, and Gary Wright, a victim of David’s brother, spoke to the Siena community

about the power of friendship and forgiveness.


During the fall semester, Siena students participated in a new career networking format — “speed networking.” Using the speed dating model, students spent just a few minutes speaking with professionals about their career paths. Once the timer went off, they moved on to a new table. “This event was designed to be a low-pressure, fast-paced event to provide students an opportunity to talk to professionals about their career paths and gain advice from them,” said Career Center associate director Suzanne O’Connor. She said the speed networking event, called My Story, resulted from feedback from students who indicated that the Career Center needed to replace the traditional Networking and Mentoring Night with something a little less intimidating. “I hope our students enjoyed this new format. People seemed relaxed and engaged, and we hope they learned that networking is all about building relationships. That starts by having a simple conversation,” O’Connor said. Students were pleased with the opportunity to speak with people in various fields, including science, finance and marketing. “I picked up a few more (business) cards and opened up a few more doors,” said history major Francis Stanton ’10. “You can learn all the theories in class, but unless you make the contacts in the business world, what you learned in class isn’t going to help you get a job,” said marketing major Laura Lachell ’10. O’Connor said the speed networking event was particularly helpful because, along with making contacts, it gave students the opportunity speak to people who pursued careers that were not related to their college majors. This proved to the students that, in the working world, success can happen even if a career choice and major don’t make a perfect match.

Siena Research Institute Surveys Social Needs The Siena Research Institute is known for its consumer confidence and New York state political polls. This holiday season though, SRI crunched the numbers on people’s perceptions of social needs. Working in conjunction with the United Way of the Greater Capital Region, SRI polled more than 1,000 people living in the Capital Region, soliciting their opinions on quality of life, social programs and charitable giving. “We are always looking for ways to serve as a community resource and we hope that this survey is a positive step in making a difference,” said President Kevin Mullen ’75 O.F.M., Ph.D. According to the survey, 51% of people living in the Capital Region think the overall quality of life has gotten worse during the last year. More than half of respondents called for more programs for jobs, food, shelter and temporary assistance. “Not only did a majority of area residents tell us that times have gotten tougher for most people, but they overwhelmingly agreed that social needs are getting greater and greater and that everyone must do as much as they can or our community will deteriorate,” said SRI Director Don Levy, Ph.D. The numbers indicate that people are aware of various community problems, but the figures also show that people are willing to do more to help. Only 17 percent of respondents were happy with their own contributions, which is why United Way of the Greater Capital Region CEO Katherine Pelham said the survey is “filled with opportunity.” “No one is pulling blinders over their eyes when it comes to the problems we face,” Pelham said. “Our job at the United Way is to bring people and resources together, so

Forget Dating — Siena Students Try Speed Networking

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As pop music blared from the speakers and their friends cheered, Siena students strutted their stuff on a makeshift runway in the Sarazen Student Union. They weren’t trying to impress Tyra Banks or Michael Kors. Instead, the volunteer models headed for the catwalk wearing various eco-friendly fashions, ranging from organic workout gear to eco-evening gowns from Runway 7 in hopes of impressing upon fellow

students that you can look good and help the environment at the same time. “It’s not just hippies walking around in flip flops and yoga pants,” said marketing major and fashion show organizer Kaitlin Milliot ’10. “College kids can afford and wear eco-friendly fashions.” The Eco-Fashion Show was just one of the events during Siena’s Campus Sustainability Day celebration. The Environmental Club joined several offices and departments on campus in bringing awareness to simple things students, faculty and staff can do to conserve energy and help the environment. “It’s in keeping with our Franciscan values. It doesn’t take a huge change. Little things can make a difference,” said director of residential life Mel Beach, as she encouraged students to become more environmentally friendly. Housekeeping personnel showed students eco-safe products for cleaning their rooms and

townhouses, Public Safety displayed its new hybrid vehicle and the Career Center discussed “green” job opportunities. Outside agencies, including the Capital District Transportation Authority, Unity House and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, talked to students about everything from carpooling and using public transportation to the Capital Region’s growing “green” job market. Emily Merritt ’12, Environmental Club president and Sustainability Day organizer, said she hopes the events make Siena students think a little more about the environment during their everyday lives. “I want them to gain a better awareness of what they can do personally to live a more sustainable lifestyle. It

doesn’t have to be a job. It can be a fun experience,” Merritt said. She added that she hopes the day’s events made people realize that conserving energy, preserving natural resources and protecting the environment always will be in style.

Going Green Goes with Everythingindividuals and families increase their capacity to overcome barriers. The survey shows that more than half of us want to be more for each other and our region. To me, this is uplifting news.” Pelham said compiling concrete information through the SRI survey will help United Way and other service organizations identify and address the most pressing problems that plague the Capital Region. “We are proud to partner with the United Way to advance our Franciscan mission of providing service that benefits those most in need,” Mullen said. The Survey of Social Needs also addressed public sentiment on issuesthat impact children,

seniors and families, including poverty, literacy, affordable housing, utility bills, health care, jobs, substance abuse and mental health. For more information on this and other SRI polls, visit www.siena.edu/sri.

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Help for the Holidays Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the Siena College community did its part to make sure the true spirit of the season shined brighter than the Griswold family Christmas tree. Over the last two years, people at

Siena have donated $7,685 to help United Way provide support for local service organizations. The Siena community also did its best to make sure families and individuals were able to celebrate Christmas comfortably. The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy worked with more than 20 social service agencies to help more than 450 people, which included 66 families, this Christmas. Their needs were noted on cards and placed on Franciscan giving trees throughout campus. Students, faculty and staff members picked cards and turned those needs into nicely wrapped presents. “The Franciscan Giving Tree program provides the Siena community with the opportunity, in a very concrete and meaningful way, to actively live the mission of the Franciscan Center and our college. That mission calls us to look beyond the boundaries of our campus to our wider community and respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters,” said Judy Dougherty ’06, assistant director of the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy. In preparation for Thanksgiving, Siena took part in a nationwide event called

On Dec. 1, as the campus recognized World AIDS Day. Large red ribbons adorned trees in the academic quad and people tied smaller ones to the branches of an evergreen tree inside the Sarazen Student Union to show their solidarity and support for people fighting HIV and AIDS. “People need to unite their voices. Even though it’s a small gesture, it can lead to bigger things,” said associate campus minister Michelle Stefanik, who served as the World AIDS Day organizer. World AIDS Day raises awareness and encourages people to do what they can

to stop the spread of the deadly disease. According to the Population Services International Website, 33.2 million people around the world are living with HIV or AIDS. “It’s not only an issue that’s in Africa or other parts of the world. It’s happening here and it is impacting us,” said Siena freshman Kelly Woodard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website, 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV and, as of 2007, approximately 36,000 people are living with AIDS. According to the CDC, New York state’s 181,461 cumulative reported AIDS cases is the highest total in the country. “There’s a big fear of people (with AIDS), but these people really need love and affection. They’re human beings,” said freshman Claire Frank. That’s why she hopes the World AIDS Day efforts are not soon forgotten. To keep the issue in focus, students continued to add to Siena’s AIDS quilt. It was created a few years ago and continues to grow. Students, faculty and staff create personalized squares that are then sewn onto the quilt. Students hope that people’s awareness and compassion will grow along with the piece of fabric. “I hope that they are more welcoming and understanding of the HIV and AIDS community, and I hope that they’re more willing to help,” said sophomore Alexandra Georgieva. Along with the combination of campus events and participation in the annual AIDS Walk, some Siena students even rolled up their sleeves to help the local community address the issue. Marketing and management students worked to help raise money for the Albany-based Whitney M. Young Health Services HIV department, which specializes in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts. “There are a lot of people who need help,” said sophomore Emily Costello. Supporters said every ribbon tied and penny raised is another step taken in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Siena Celebrates World AIDS Day


Siena College celebrated the Christmas season with a Tuscan tradition – a ceppo. After recognizing Siena’s connection to the Tuscany region in Italy, alumnus Rocco DeFazio ’75 spearheaded the effort to create the Italian Christmas symbol for his alma mater. “It’s our way of showing how important St. Francis’ philosophies are. People can come here and see visually how important these ideals are, especially during the Christmas season,” DeFazio said. A ceppo, or wooden pyramid structure that resembles a tree, traditionally contains three-to-five shelves. On the bottom, a family displays a Nativity scene, representing the gift of God. The remaining shelves contain greenery, fruit and nuts that symbolize gifts of the Earth, as well as presents that represent gifts of man. The top of the structure is adorned with an angel, a star or a pineapple, each representing hospitality. Some families also attach candles on the outside of each shelf and light them. This is why the ceppo often is referred to as the “tree of light.”

Siena’s three-tiered ceppo, nearly eight feet tall, was located on the patio outside the Chaplain’s Office. Siena sophomore Becca Wager designed and painted the ceppo, giving it a unique Siena feel, with the top shelf containing pictures of students along with a small mirror reflecting the faces of the College. “This is a visible holiday image for all to see on the Siena campus. As students and faculty deal with the stress of the end-of-semester papers and exams, this ceppo is a reminder of the Christmas season that is a vital part of Siena’s Roman Catholic identity,” said College Chaplain Fr. Greg Jakubowicz, O.F.M.

An Old-World Tuscan Tradition Comes to Siena Cans Across America. The program was put together by the College’s food service provider, Sodexo, and participants set out to collect as many nonperishable food items as possible in one day. “We tripled the amount of donations from last year. Our final number of pounds donated was 601,” said Sodexo organizer Martha Boehm. All of the food was donated to the Regional Food Bank in Albany. In addition, Siena students, faculty, staff and alumni pitched in to

prepare meals for people in the Capital Region during the 40th Annual Equinox Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner. Eighty Siena volunteers signed up through the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy to help other Equinox volunteers put together more than 8,000 Thanksgiving dinners. “This is my favorite time of the year because so many members of the Siena family come together and demonstrate our extraordinary capacity of generosity, even in this economically challenging time,” Dougherty said.

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Above: Fr. Greg Jakubowicz, O.F.M., carpenter Dick Greeley, building trades supervisor Tom Buscher, Rocco DeFazio ’75, Becca Wager ’12, Br. Brian Belanger, O.F.M. and Rensselaer Education Center principal Anthony DeFazio celebrate Christmas at Siena by gathering around the College’s newly built ceppo.


600-plus wins under Baseball Coach Tony Rossi

300-plus wins in Gina Castelli’s basketball coaching career

91% of students applying for financial aid receive it55% acceptance rate last year

Alumni31,877 Siena alumni 30,101 living Siena alumni1,112 married couples who are both Siena graduates120 Siena employees 50 states where Siena alumni reside

Athletics3,634,371 hits sienasaints.com received in 2008-09

300,000 gallons of water in the Siena pool

110,000 miles traveled by Siena athletic teams for competition in 2008-09

6,365 miles the cross-country teams ran last year

1,692 students participated in intramurals

330 students participated in NCAA sports in 2008-09 at Siena

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Academics460 students had an internship last year 220 honor fellows since 2002

204 full-time faculty

144 students studied abroad last year

95% first-year retention rate

76% students receive their degree in five years

41 sections of the foundations course offered this fall semester

40 largest class size during fall semester (Macro-Economic Analysis)

22 average class size

20 Phi Beta Kappa members

Admissions1140 average SAT score of freshman class783 students in freshman class

42 MAAC Championships (12 men’s, 30 women’s)

33 former Siena baseball players have signed professional contracts during Coach Rossi’s tenure

13.5 average shoe size of the men’s basketball team

3.0 average student-athlete G.P.A.

Bookstore3,500 Siena sweatshirts sold during 2009

500 tournament t-shirts sold during Siena’s NCAA basketball run

Siena by the Numbers By Jim Eaton

Founded in 1937, Siena is embarking on its 73rd year and has grown from a small male-dominated commuter school to a 3,000-student-plus coeducational residential campus. Here are some Siena stats.


Chapel (the following occurred in 2009 calendar year)

72 weekday Masses 43 Sunday Masses

25 baptisms

23 weddings

Dining 32,000 lbs. of french fries are consumed per year

18,000 people eat in Serra Hall each week

$11,000 spent on produce every week

5,200 people pass through Pepsi Café and sub shops per week

3,360 burgers eaten per week

960 slices of pizza eaten on average every day in Serra Hall

Faculty 216 sabbatical hours for arts and science faculty last year

105 professors were rated 4.5 or 5 out of 5 on ratemyprofessor.com

92 faculty members were given “hot tamales” on ratemyprofessor.com

2 Fulbright scholars (Israel and Lithuania)

Friars 22 friars living in the friary

7 founding friars

6 friars are full-time faculty

6 friars are involved in administrative roles

5 friars have worked or are currently working in prison ministry

1 friar is a scholar-in-residence at Siena

Campus134,500 square footage of Marcelle Athletic Complex (largest building)

1,152 square footage of Carriage House (smallest building)

137.6 acres of green space

28.57 acres of paved space

Rankings121 is Siena’s rank among national liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News & World Report 20 preseason ranking of men’s basketball team, according to Sports Illustrated

WVCR - Radio Station$400,000 raised by WVCR for local and regional charities over the past few years

35,000 watts signal strength

88.3 FM, WVCR’s place on the radio dial

50th anniversary of WVCR in 2010

20 average number of students involved in radio station programming

The information in this article was obtained through various sources on campus, the Siena College Fact Book and the Siena College Website.

Housing2,480 maximum campus housing capacity

468 largest residence hall capacity (Hennepin)

297 smallest residence hall capacity (Hines)

80.3% students live on campus

Enrollment1,762 women

1,523 men 17 states and 5 countries represented in Siena’s 2009 freshman class

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Kevin O’Connor has been a visiting assistant social work

professor at Siena for just a few months, but he has been living the

College’s Franciscan mission of helping the poor and marginalized for many years. Before working full time at Siena, O’Connor ran Joseph’s House, a homeless shelter in Troy. During the 12 years of O’Connor’s leadership, Joseph’s House took steps toward helping people just out of prison readjust to everyday life. “He took the mission of Joseph’s House to be more expansive and inclusive,” said Ed Fraley, regional re-entry coordinator at the New York State Division of Parole. O’Connor made a concerted effort to work with parole officers and state agencies to coordinate people’s financial, housing and treatment needs before they were released. The goal was to provide a support system that would decrease recidivism. It worked. O’Connor said the efforts of Joseph’s House helped to cut recidivism in Rensselaer County from 40 percent to 18 percent. “We helped the system make changes to meet the needs of individual parolees,” O’Connor said. As a result of his continued efforts to help ex-offenders, the Division of Parole gave O’Connor the Linda Mills Memorial Award for Re-Entry

Above: Siena has two father-daughter teaching tandems this year on campus. Left to right Elizabeth Brookins-Danz ’04, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of biology; Gil Brookins, associate professor of marketing and management; Ed LaRow ’59, Ph.D., professor of biology and MaryAnne Egan ’86, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science.

Services. The award is given in honor of therapist and parole officer Linda Mills, who died suddenly in 1991 after almost 20 years of work with ex-offenders. “It reminds me of the wonderful work I’ve been a part of for many, many years. I hope I can bring those experiences to the classroom for the students,” O’Connor said.

Siena Professor Honored by NYS Division of Parole

Legacies in Learning


Thomas Coohill, Ph.D., professor of physics, published a paper on the effects of sunlight on biothreat bacteria. His research was designed to answer the question: “When is it safe to send troops back onto a battlefield after it has been contaminated with a pathogen such as the bacterium that causes anthrax?” Solar ultraviolet radiation is the only naturally occurring germicide in the ecosphere and is the first line of defense for such disasters. Coohill’s research concentrated on pathogens similar to anthrax-producing bacteria and several other organisms that can kill animals. He found the relative sensitivity of viruses and bacterial spores could be reasonably estimated from laboratory data, but the sensitivity of vegetative bacterial cells varied more widely. His calculations show that it will take a day in the summer to kill most of the bacteria in a contaminated area, but up to a week in winter since there is less sunlight. His work was supported by the U.S. Army’s Garrison Aberdeen Proving Ground.

When a Biothreat Is No Longer a Threat

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Siena College Dean of Liberal Arts Ralph Blasting, Ph. D., has been appointed to a three-year term on the New York Council for the Humanities. “I’m honored to have been appointed to the Council and very excited about the opportunity to help support the humanities in New York state. I will do all I can to carry our Siena College sense of community to new audiences,” Blasting said. He joins other academic leaders, businesspeople and philanthropists on the Council. The group’s mission is to engage all New Yorkers in civic participation, volunteerism, philanthropy and community involvement. The New York Council for the Humanities sponsors several programs and initiatives, including reading groups and speaking engagements throughout the state. It also oversees the distribution of federal funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities to notable projects at museums, historical societies and other cultural and educational organizations.

“The Council distributes grant funding and advocates on the local, state and national levels for the value of cultural literacy. It will be a challenge for me and I’m sure that I have a lot to learn, but the Hudson-Mohawk region is full of opportunities to support,” Blasting said. Blasting has been the dean of liberal arts since July 2004. He oversees 11 academic departments enrolling 1,250 undergraduate majors. Blasting completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in scene design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in German at Wayne State University; a Master of Arts degree in theatre history from the University of Michigan; and a doctorate in drama studies from the University of Toronto. Blasting, whose area of specialization is medieval drama, is one of the few people in the world to have participated in the production of all four of the existing English medieval mystery plays. For more information on the New York Council for the Humanities, visit www.nyhumanities.org.

Dean Named to New York Council for the Humanities


Siena’s graduation success rate (GSR) amongstudent-athletes was the fifth highest (95 percent) among Division I schools, according to the NCAA’s most recent report. “I think the primary reason that we are near the top of the list is who we recruit,” Siena Director of Athletics John D’Argenio said. “Our coaches do a very good job of understanding what Siena’s mission is and understanding the academic rigor. Then they go out and recruit student-athletes who can help their teams and excel academically.” The most recent GSR calculates scholarship student-athletes who entered college from 1999-2002 and graduated within six years, including first-time freshmen, students who entered midyear and transfer students. The GSR is a more accurate figure than the graduation rate, which simply calculates the percentage of scholarship student-athletes who graduate within six years. D’Argenio believes structure plays an important role in helping Siena’s student-atletes graduate.

“When student-athletes are focused on playing their sport throughout the season, their life is much more organized,” D’Argenio said. “They’re good with time management. They understand that if ‘I miss this window of opportunity, it’s closed and I’m going to be digging out of a hole.’ Our student-athletes don’t want to be in a hole; they want to be on top.” More impressive, the academic success is not limited to a specific sport or gender. All 18 varsity sports met or exceeded the GSR’s national average and nine had perfect scores. Since the NCAA’s GSR report was first released five years ago, Siena has earned a 93 percent rate or higher each year. Siena has allocated the necessary resources to help its student-athletes in their most important endeavor: earning a diploma. Whether it’s this care and attention, coaching staff recruiting quality students, first-rate facilities or a community that truly places the interest of its students first, Siena’s athletes continue to achieve national recognition for their success on and off the court.

NCAA Gives High Marks to Student-Athletes By Mark Adam

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Volleyball Senior Completes Remarkable Career By Jason Rich ’97

Burgandy McCurty ‘10 recently completed what is arguably the best student-athlete career in the College’s history. The Port Washington, N.Y., native led the nation with 5.47 kills per set as a senior, putting an exclamation point on her standout career with the Saints. For a third straight season, McCurty was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year after having won Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman. McCurty led the Saints to three MAAC championships and became Siena’s all-time leader in kills on Sept. 13. She finished her career with a MAAC record 1,945 career kills and with the best attack percentage in the program’s history. Perhaps most impressive, McCurty has achieved all this despite her height of 5’9”. “I have to jump really high because I’m short,” she jokes. “I try to use my athleticism and strength to overpower my opponents.” The Siena record books show she did this often.

Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate1. Colgate and Notre Dame 99%2. Navy 98%3. Duke and seven others 97% 4. Boston College and three others 96% 5. Siena College 95%

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The Raymond Center and Harry Mikhitarian Golf Training Facility at Siena officially opened this fall. The facility houses several state-of-the-art training aides for Siena’s golfers, including a custom putting green, an indoor driving range and a swing/video analysis center. “I don’t know if there are any facilities like this right now in the Northeast,” said head golf coach Tom Wronowski. “Through the generosity of a lot of people, we were able to get this project completed, and now the onus is on us to help our student-athletes improve their games.” This exciting new addition is made possible through the generosity of Kenneth and Patricia Raymond, the family of Harry Mikhitarian and First Columbia Property Services, LLC. Siena’s golfers now have access to a personal club room and a player’s lounge. The facility also includes offices for coaches and a club storage area designed to bolster Siena’s already-flourishing golf programs. “The facility will help us immensely in preparing for the spring season and conference championship, which takes place in April,” Wronowski said. “The key to the facility is

being able to get feedback during the winter months that we can really use as opposed to just hitting into a net.” Siena’s golf teams have been at the forefront of college’s academic and athletic success. By having five athletes named as Academic All-Americans over the past three years, the men and women’s programs continue to demonstrate the true meaning of the student-athlete. The women are nine-time defending MAAC champions, while the men have won two recent MAAC championships, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2007. Important naming opportunities remain available at all levels for the facility. Please contact Siena Athletics at 518-783-2450.

Indoor Golf Facility Opens to Rave ReviewsBy Jason Rich ’97

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From the very beginning, John Dawson ‘68 was recognized by his classmates as special. He was elected class president during our freshman and sophomore years. He was respected for his academic strengths and beloved for his wit and friendly demeanor. John was heavily committed to social justice and devoted his time to the cause, especially the upstart Big Brothers program at Siena. He was a lifelong supporter of the program, which has evolved into the Siena Mentoring Program (of today). This program matches Siena students with at-risk children from nearby urban communities. Many of his classmates would say that John embodied the spirit of Siena. His generosity was dominant, but it was his indomitable sense of humor delivered with humility that was his defining characteristic. He cared about, appreciated and lived for the values that he developed through his experiences at Siena. He cared little about material things or luxuries and passed on conveniences of life that his professional success could easily have provided. John was nationally honored for his achievement in the practice of law. Using the

Remembering John Dawson’68,A Son of St. Francis

“Dawson approach,” as it was known by his colleagues in the courtroom, John presented an

argument in a humble and clear manner, making effective use of incredibly quick and entertaining wit, often at his own expense. He earned the respect of adversaries and won the support of the court for the merit of his argument. John always presented himself in an unusually clear and straightforward style of advocacy for those in need. His results were enabled by a legendary work ethic as he thought through problems completely. As accomplished an attorney as he was, it was the manner in which he used his professional success for the benefit of others that his friends admired most. He not only represented Siena and its values to the world, but he gave the law profession a good name. He used

his talents to the fullest. When wondering about the real life meaning of the Franciscan tradition, which Siena family members do from time to time, consider the life and the spirit of John Dawson, our classmate, our friend and an incredible ambassador for St. Francis and Siena College. John passed away peacefully on November 28, 2009 in his Phoenix, Arizona home. May he rest in peace.


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The Gift of a Lifetime

“To be able to help provide for students makes us feel like we are doing something very worthwhile.”

Right: Jack Sise, Esq., ’75 helped Marty and Joyce Kenosian establish a planned gift to Siena College.

By Hildy Marinello ’11 and Jim Eaton

Growing up during the Depression Era, Martin Kenosian ’50 and his wife Joyce McCollum Kenosian learned not to take anything for granted, especially their education. Before meeting each other when they were members of the same bowling league in 1956, Martin attended Siena College on the GI Bill, while Joyce took advantage of educational opportunities at the New York State College for Teachers in Albany now SUNY Albany. Their appreciation for the importance of their college education in enabling them to have successful careers in state government (Martin in the civil service department and Joyce in the education department), has inspired them to make multiple planned gifts to establish The Martin and Joyce McCollum Kenosian Family Scholarship.

Donating to Siena is not new to the Kenosian family. They are leadership donors to the Annual Fund and funded a townhouse in MacClosky Square in memory of Martin’s sister, Dorothy ’53. Their decision to establish a scholarship came after attending a planned giving seminar during Martin’s 50th reunion celebration. “We determined a charitable gift annuity to Siena College is ideal because our legacy will be preserved through a scholarship fund for future Siena students,” Martin said. “To be able to help provide assistance for students who might not otherwise be able to attend college makes us feel like we are doing something very worthwhile,” Joyce added. “Marty and Joyce are wonderful, caring individuals. They value the opportunity of opening the door for future students to receive a Siena College education,” said Director of Gift Planning Jack Sise ’75. This type of gift has numerous financial benefits, including tax savings and a fixed income for the remainder of the donors’ lives. For a confidential analysis of how a charitable gift annuity might benefit you and/or your spouse, please contact Director of Gift Planning Jack Sise, Esq., ’75, at 518-783-2432 or by e-mail, [email protected].


1959Frank [email protected]

1960 As our 50th reunion approaches, we wish to update you on preparations and to invite you to campus June 4th and June 5th of 2010. Please mark your calendars as we hope you can attend, celebrate and reminisce like it’s 1960! Reunion Weekend 2010 will provide a variety of opportunities for us to get together. Activities may include golf, alumni awards, a picnic, live bands, great food, the alumni mass, an alumni dinner and campus tours. Details will be forthcoming from the Alumni Relations Office as we get closer to the weekend. Your support, together with that of so many alumni who have made Siena College a giving priority, is very important. Please join us in marking this special occasion by supporting the ’60 reunion class gift. Give online at www.siena.edu/annualfund, or by calling 1-888-SIENA4U. We look forward to seeing you on campus for Reunion Weekend 2010!

1961 John Moore, Captain, USN (Ret.) and his wife, Peggy, spent 39 days during May through June 2009 visiting their son, Joe, and his fam-ily in Barcelona, and then traveling to the west coast of Norway to see the fjords. They visited Bergen and Oslo and later spent a week with Martin, their former Swedish exchange student, and his family in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Moores have resided in Port Orchard, Wash., for the past 17 years.

1962 Ken [email protected]

1965Jack Mulvey, [email protected]

1967Rick [email protected] State StreetMalone, NY 12953518-483-3566

1968Bill [email protected] John Dawson passed away in December 2009 in Phoenix, Ariz. John lived a life committed to service, especially to Siena. He was instrumental in starting Siena’s Mentoring Program (formerly Big Brothers), and also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the College for many years. John’s intelligence, wit, and positive attitude will be missed by his class-mates, friends, family, and the entire Siena community.

1970 Michael Thorpe decided, after 26 years with the Albany Fire Dept., to begin active, hands-on humani-tarian work in Africa with Team Rafiki. In August, he completed his third trip — one to Zimbabwe and two to Tanzania — volunteer-ing in small villages to provide much-needed assistance, including distribution of school and medical supplies and holding daily medical clinics. In Zimbabwe, the group’s major project was to install a solar powered pump at the main well which freed the women from many hours of strenuous manual labor. Michael lives in Guilderland

with his wife, Judy. They have one daughter, Danielle, who is working toward her MFA degree in acting. To learn more about Team Rafiki, the Albany-based volunteer group, please visit their Website, www.teamrafiki.org.

1972Jack [email protected]

1973Brian [email protected] Greetings to all of the Siena community! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Siena College freshmen who are not from the regional area will have experienced their first winter in Loudonville, New York — which is something that often leaves other things desired. In news of our ’73 classmates, Alan Shufelt (B.A., history and economics) joined Spartanburg Community College (Spartanburg, S.C.) as financial coordinator of corporate and community educa-tion on April 6, 2009. He comes to SCC from Invista, where he was the

North America financial and busi-ness manager. Alan also has a mas-ter’s in financial management from the State University of New York at Albany, which was in conjunction with the General Electric Company. Class of 1973 — please send me your news, and news of your fami-lies, too! We’d love to hear from you. Please share your memories of Siena College with us, too!

1975Janet Gutowski [email protected]

1976 Mary Ann Bopp, along with co-authors Diana Bing and Sheila Forte-Trammell, recently published a book titled “Agile Career Devel-opment: Lessons and Approaches from IBM.” The book covers how IBM has succeeded in making career development work for both the employee and the business. It illustrates various lessons and approaches that can be applied to other organizations. This book is for every HR professional, learning or training manager and any other business leader who wants to create a high-performing organization.

Editors: Victoria Abdulla ’07, Development Assistant, and Janice Goca, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Please submit all of your class notes information to your class coordinator; or if there is no coordinator listed for your class,

please send all information to [email protected] for posting in the magazine!

class notesA L U M N I

NEWSMAKERS

Rick Gabriel ‘78 and Col. Kevin McAleese ’79flank Miss America Katie Stam at Kevin’s retirement party

celebrating 30 years of service in the army reserves

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1977 Linda [email protected]

1979Sue Reilly/[email protected] Chili-Riga Town Line RoadChurchville, NY 14428585-889-2072 Many of you had a chance to chat with Kathleen Canter and her fiancé Peter Ognibene at Alumni Weekend in June. She related that they first met at a Starbucks in Old Town of Alexandria, Va. Peter was a longstanding member of his church’s choir and Kathy soon joined him at rehearsals. While attending a church picnic, she was floored and delighted to run into classmate Mike Johnson, O.F.M., who is one of the Franciscans on the parish staff. Kathy recently sent along a note to update us: “As promised, I am sending along a photo with two Class of ’79 grads in it. Peter Ognibene and I got married on October 10 at St. Camillus Church in nearby Silver Spring, Md. Mike Johnson, O.F.M. officiated! My brother-in-law, Tom Bastian ’84 is also in the picture. Missing is his son, Josh Bastian ’09, our family’s most recent Siena grad. Peter and I went to Dublin, Ireland and Italy for our honeymoon. One terrific side trip included visiting Assisi. It was very moving to walk the old streets and see the same view that must have inspired both Saint Francis and Saint Clare. We will return in June 2010 to sing at the cathedral mass there. Our St. Camillus multicultural choir will also sing at the Vatican for mass the next week. Peter sings tenor and I contribute as a soprano. The parish Website can be found at

www.stcamilluschurch.org if folks want to learn more (and see more photos of Fr. Mike!). We live in Old Town Alexandria, and I’d love to hear from classmates who find themselves in the area. I serve as the deputy director for human resourc-es for the City of Alexandria, Va. I am fortunate to keep my carbon footprint to a minimum since I get to walk to work in our historic City Hall. I hope that balances out our drive to Maryland to be members of St. Camillus’ parish every Sunday!” Thanks for catching us up, Kathy, and much happiness to you and Peter in the years ahead. Kevin McAleese officially celebrated his retirement from the Army at a luncheon on Decem-ber 13 in Philadelphia. And to think it all started back in those ROTC huts! Colonel Kevin’s career as a civil affairs officer in the Army Reserves performing humanitarian relief missions took him to destina-tions around the world, including Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, Albania and Germany. He was awarded the Army Legion of Merit medal at the ceremony, given for “exception-ally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.” Kevin has been director of the “Miss Philadelphia” pageant for years. Several past Miss Philly’s, along with the reigning Miss America, Katie Stam, were among the family and friends there to help him celebrate (see photo on p. 27). Other VIPs in attendance were alumni buddies Patty Lewis, Peggy Maddi, his former roommate Rick Gabriel ’78, and Pete Hansen and Andrea Pedro/Hansen ’80. A highlight of the luncheon was Rick’s “roast” of Kevin, complete with slides and a few Siena tales! He end-ed on a more serious note, recogniz-ing Kevin as an individual who has truly exemplified the Prayer of St. Francis throughout his career. The

Siena contingent also attended the Army-Navy game that weekend, where Pete and Andrea Hansen’s son Stephen was among the 4,000 members of the cadet corps partici-pating in the pre-game “March On” across the field. “Both Army and Navy do a march as part of the tra-dition of the game,” Pete explained. “It was inspiring to see. Army definitely out-marched Navy.” About 35 Siena alums gathered at Posto 22 in New Rochelle before heading to the Siena vs. Iona game on December 7. Among them were ’79ers John Breslin, Mickey Mahoney, John Murray, Kevin Tully, Dave Smith, and, of course, Kevin Geiger, who is part owner of the family-style Italian restaurant that opened in September 2008. Kevin recalled, “I’d told the owner some time ago that I’d be inter-ested in investing in the restaurant business some day. He called me back when the economy was at its worst possible point.” He chuckled, “No Siena grad in their right mind should’ve made that deal, but I went ahead and so far things are going well.” The restaurant is located in an area of town filled with high-rise apartments housing college students and post-grads. They do a booming take-out business, with people even placing their orders while commut-ing so they’re ready for pick-up when they get off the train. Until the restaurant turns a profit and Kevin gets more of a benefit than an occasional free meal, he’s keeping his day job as the owner of SBS Promo (Standard Buying Service), marketing promotional products such as shirts, golf balls and tote bags to major corporations and educational institutions. Why not make 2010 the year you are featured in our column of Class Notes, large and small? My new year’s resolution is to feature some new names in this column, classmates we haven’t heard from in a while, but I need your help. It’s painless—just call or e-mail me and I’ll do the rest.

1980Diane [email protected]

1982 Bob [email protected] Once again, new information from all was sparse, unfortunately. The only new update I received was from Tom Mannix, offering results of a recent medical proce-dure. While I am glad he is in good

health, I felt the photos were more information than we needed. Congratulations to Gary Sheffer who has been named vice president of communications and public affairs at GE Corporate. Gary oversees external and internal com-munications across GE globally and provides strategic communications and public affairs advice to GE executives on a full range of corporate reputation issues. He joined GE in 1999 after 17 years in journalism and government com-munications. For 10 years, Sheffer served as a press aide to two New York governors. Thanks to a conversation with Brad Bodmer, I realize it is time we recognize the members of our class who are currently members of the Siena campus. After his ROTC days at Siena and subsequent years as a JAG attorney, Brad joined Ayco, a Goldman Sachs Company. He retired after 19 years to join Siena’s Office of Development and Exter-nal Affairs as the associate director of major gifts. If Brad calls you, please give him any and all consid-eration — or hide. Mike Papado-poulos is currently head of public safety and security at Siena. He joins the staff after 25+ years in the Army where his last assignment was running the Siena ROTC program. Margot Hennigan/Anderson is the associate director of the president’s circle and parent giving. She can often be seen skiing the slopes of Gore Mountain with her husband Carl and their kids. Fr. Ken Pauli, O.F.M. is chief of staff at Siena, and Cheryl Glover/Buff is an associate professor in marketing and management. The Board of Associate Trustees includes Kim Kamilow/Luker, Rebecca Simbari/Almstead and Jennifer Abraham/Rust. If I missed any other Siena staff, I apologize. As we had a somewhat military service theme with these updates, I’d like to close with a shout out to Lawrence “Chip” Magner. Chip is the executive director of sales for Randall/Reilly Publishing, but more impressively, he is the Rate of 06, Navy Captain in the Reserves. If I understand Navy ranking, this is the highest rate or rank bestowed on a reservist. What’s more impressive is that he still looks great in his uniform. As I prepare this, the holidays are just days away. As you read it, I of-fer a belated Season’s Greetings, and please, send info — career updates are great, but as we are getting older, I prefer a good story. Nults, can I expect an update that I can print?

NEWSMAKER

Gary Sheffer ’82was recently named

vice president of communications and public

affairs at GE Corporate

NEWSMAKER

Captain Lawrence “Chip” Magner ‘82

in the Black Sea, off the Coast of the Ukraine

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1983Elvira [email protected] Wyatt RdGarden City, NY 11530 Hey all! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I almost said Happy Holidays, but I don’t need to be P.C. here in my column. There were two mini reunions this fall. In September, the girls from Hennepin 4W had a reunion on the Jersey shore. Bernadette McInerney, Lori Remmell/ Miano, Marybeth Oster/ Erlichman, Laura O’Connor/Wynn and Jackie Ellsworth/ Murray partied like it was 1983 all over again. Not to be outdone by the Hennepin girls, the girls from Building 46 had their own reunion in November. Karen DeBlieux/Vachon, Virginia Smith/Regan, Theresa Rowan/Lindgren, Jackie Klepper/Higgins and me, of course, traveled “across the pond” for a long weekend to visit Ginny Darrow. It was great to get together with friends from Siena — which brings me to my announcement: Jackie Ellsworth/ Murray, Moose, and the rest of the committee for the 50th birthday party, voted on a place and a date. The party will be held in New York City. The main event will be a cocktail party on Saturday evening, October 28, 2011. More information will be available soon, but save the date and spread the word. If you want to keep in the loop about the 50th birthday party, and anything else going on, please e-mail me at the above address, and we will add your name to the e-mail blast. Winter shout-outs go to: Kevin A. Kearney, Judy Ricci, Paul Sciocchetti and Terry Rendich, where are you and what are you up to?

1984Lisa San Fratello/[email protected] 305 The ParkwayIthaca, NY 14853

1985Catherine and Ron [email protected] Stevens LaneTabernacle, NJ 08088-9744 Who can wait? Another group of Siena pals have created their own annual reunion and have been doing so since 1995. The Siena girls include — Sue Cronin,

Priscilla Duffy/Armsby, Elena Abad/Smith, Denise Patriarco/Foster, Beth Gaer/McMillan ’86, Cynthia Flynn/Sobiecki, Bibiana King/Hueth, Sue Maserjian and Lisette Conza/May. Brian Ranagan would love to be includ-ed — but he’s not a girl (although his wife did come one year). They take turns organizing it. Each year, whoever is in charge picks the place, does the research, makes the reservations, etc. So far, the group has gone to Boston, Lake George, New York City, Long Island, Newport, R.I., Lake Placid, Foxwood Casino, Saratoga, Nantucket, Poconos, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, N.C. — this year it was Nashville! Tim North recently received a promotion. He is now the senior vice president of North American operations for Papa John’s Pizza. Tim and his wife, Kelly Sychtysz/North ’87 live in Warwick, Pa. with their two children, Emily and Josh. In his spare time, Tim enjoys trail riding with his daughter, Emily, on their Rocky Mountain horses. He also volunteers with their church youth group. Mary Beth Sniffin/Finnerty and Siena co-worker Karen Keis ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. in October. They covered the 26.2 miles for Fisher House Foundation, raising close to $3,000 for the organization. Reunion plans are underway! Why not make contact with a few of the friends you used to hang out with but have lost touch and make a weekend out of it? You KNOW you will have fun … we ARE the Class of 1985 and we have a reputation to uphold! Additionally, we need pictures! Please send any scanned pictures you have from our years at Siena to [email protected] or contact Cathy and Ron. It will be here quicker than you think!

1987 Geraldine “Gerry” [email protected] Thayer StAbington, MA 02351508-335-7744

1988 Paula [email protected] Recently, I heard from Karen Ligos ... now Karen Zatulskis. Karen is living in Newtown, Conn. with her husband, Bob, and two kids; Grace, who will be 5 in April, and AJ (Andersen Jo-seph), who will be 3 in April. She loves staying home and taking care of the kids, which keeps her very busy. Karen Weaver/Novelli is now living in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. She has two sons; Jonny (who is now 16 years old!) and Michael (who is now 15 years old). Karen is a teacher and teaches physics, chemistry, biology and ecology (wow!). She has also done some tutoring with a learning special-ist and has tutored physics on her own. Rachel Sahut/Parent works as a project manager for Trinity Health’s Information Services Division in Boise, Idaho. She is married to Beau, and has four children: Allison, 20, is a junior at University of Portland; Aaron, 18, is discerning his employment and education options; and Nicholas, 13, and Sean, 8, are keeping Rachel and Beau entertained and busy. The family enjoys many outdoor sports and activities all year and is blessed with health and happiness! It is great to hear from many of our fellow classmates. If you have not already done so, please update your e-mails with the Siena Alumni Relations Office (e-mail

[email protected]). I receive lots of bounce-backs. Also, I have a new e-mail address — [email protected]. I have received many requests for a Facebook page for our class. It is on my to-do list for 2010!

1989Mike [email protected] 10th StreetBethlehem, PA 18020610-737-1147

1990Janet Shotter/[email protected] As I write this, my children are outside playing in the snow with their friends and I couldn’t be happier sit-ting inside on a cold, frosty evening! Hard to believe that soon we may all meet up again, a little grayer, a little wiser, and with lots of life stories to share. I hope you are planning to join with fellow classmates and old friends at our 20-year reunion. It is scheduled for June 4th and 5th and there are sure to be lots of fun activities and events planned. If you would like to be included in planning the reunion, please contact Michael Utzig ’07 at [email protected]. Please send me some updates! I’m on Facebook! Look me up or e-mail me at [email protected]. We’d all love to hear what you’ve been up to these last 20 years (can it really be?), or in the last few months.

1991Kevin [email protected] Happy 2010 everyone! Kevin Clancy took pity on me and my plea for updates, and sent a note in for this issue (thanks Kev!). Despite the tough economic conditions, Kevin is growing his business (Clancy Real Estate) and moving to a larger office

Hennepin Hall 4W Mini-Reunion

CLASS oF 1983 REuNIoNS

Mini-Reunion in London

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space at 1977 Western Avenue in Guilderland N.Y. In addition, Lisa Simeone ’97 recently joined him as a new realtor, and he revamped the company Website. Visit it at www.clancyrealestate.com. He is looking to add 10 full time sales people in 2010. Kevin lives in Altamont, N.Y. with his wife and two daughters. Best of luck, Kevin! As we move into our 19th year since graduation, it’s time to build some momentum and excitement towards 2011. So, I thought I would “borrow” the shout-out idea (thanks Sue). Let’s start with hearing from our class officers — Robert Burke, Craig Allen, Frank Parini, John Riley and Nick Scibetta. All the best!

1992 Mary Pat McLoughlin/Holler [email protected]

1993 Susan Hannon [email protected] W 252nd StreetRiverdale, NY 10471917-796-2085 Greetings, Class of ’93! I hope the winter months have been kind to you as we look forward to spring! Remember the blizzard of ’93? It wiped out spring break for many of us. Hopefully that won’t be the case for the current Saints. Even though I have no personal update, I wanted to share that my brother Jim Hannon ’80 and his daughter Darcy had a Lee Matthews sighting at the Siena vs. Georgia Tech game in Atlanta. Too bad the boys lost. So the hot topic this time around is babies! Mark Abdella and his wife, Amanda, recently had their second child. Addison was born on October 28, and she joins Ethan who is 19 months old. About two weeks before her birth, Mark changed jobs, and is now with the Gilbane Building Company working in their Boston office. Gilbane is the largest school builder in the country, and he’s using his background in education to help the company’s business development efforts in Massachusetts. He filled me in on a couple of other classmates. Todd Greene is an optometrist in the Springfield, Mass. area, and John Bowler is in Washington D.C. The three of them are in a heated competition to see who can put on the most weight and lose their hair the fastest — Mark says to tune in to Facebook for the winner! Danielle Cerro/Vadgama shared

that she is still living in Mumbai, India, and that she and her husband, Pranil, just had their first child in September. They had a boy named Nikhil Antonio. Dan McDermott and his wife just gave birth to their first son Cooper Kai McDermott who joins his big sister.

1994Glenn [email protected] Kellogg StreetBrookfield, CT 06804 The only news I have to report this month is from Russ Grandjean and his wife Natisha, who proudly announce the birth of their second daughter, Olivia Grace Grandjean, born October 23, 2009 at 10:31 a.m. Olivia entered the world weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 20 3/4 inches in length. She joins big sister, Ellyn, who is very excited for the new addition to the family. The Grandjeans live in South Carolina, where there is now one more Jets fan who will inevitably get accustomed to having high hopes early in the season, and end up being disappointed come January. Please continue sending me any updates you may wish to share with all of your fellow classmates. I would like to wish everyone luck and prosperity in the New Year.

1995 Neil [email protected] Mathis & Gary, LLP100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1600Atlanta, GA 30339770-818-1430

1996 Brian [email protected]@betterbackschiropractic.com614-270-6003

1997 Selena [email protected][email protected] Have I told you that I LOVE the winter? NOT EVEN CLOSE! I cannot wait to walk in flip flops to the pool for a cool drink. While you are dreaming of a warm place, here are the updates from some of our classmates: Katie Heck/Osborn and her husband Tom Osborn welcomed their third child, Zoe Kathryn, on February 17, 2009. She joins

Matthew, 6, and Emily, 4. Melissa Schiskie/Hietanen checked in with updates. Even though she and her husband live in Poughkeepsie, they still cheer for Siena with their two children: Larson, 5, and Annika, 20 months. Melissa is working as a family practice doctor in Hyde Park and a residency program in Kingston, N.Y. I want to hear from you —babies, weddings, job promotions — anything! To make a submission for a future issue, please contact me by e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also look me up on Facebook! I look forward to hearing from you!

1998Janine Trapp/Scotti, [email protected] I received some exciting news about two new bundles of joy. Michael Trimarco and Tara Costanzo/Trimarco are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Caterina on June 4, 2009. The other bundle of joy was welcomed by Rebecca Sullivan/Baglio and her husband Scott. Their second daughter, Olivia Martine, was born on October 9, 2009. Mom, Dad, and big sister, Siena, are thrilled! Congrats to you and both of your families! Happy news was also received from Jason Rich who married Victoria Kelts on July 18, 2009. Best wishes to you both, Jason and Victoria! Please keep your updates coming, Class of ’98. Your class wants to hear from you!

1999Brendan [email protected] I’m in the Christmas spirit as I am writing this, and even though I know this issue will come out after Christmas I can’t help myself ... (to the tune of Jingle Bells): Dashing through these notes, what are all your friends up to? they’ll look here as well,for news that comes from you! So ... Send e-mails! Send e-mails! Update all your friends! Let them know how it all goesin an e-mail. Please press send! Good tidings from Amy Butcher/Pollino and her husband, Joel! Braedon Matthew, arrived as the newest addition to the Pollino

family on October 1, 2008. He joined his big brother Tyler, who is now five. Amy said that “children bring new meaning to the holidays,” and I have to agree. Congratula-tions, Pollinos! Michelle Schoulder and her husband, Andrew, also welcomed the birth of their son in September. Congrats, you two! Gina Baccaro/Arcuri brings news of another potential graduate from Siena’s Class of 2031! She and her husband Andy welcomed their second child, Andrew Joseph, on October 2, 2009. Little Joseph joins his big sister Mia, who is now two. Great news, Arcuri family! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and best wishes to the entire Siena community for a healthy and prosperous new year!

2000Shaymus R. [email protected] Sherman Ave.Troy, NY 12180518-727-3392 Hello all! Hope you are enjoying the new year … our big 10-year reunion will be upon us faster than we think, and I hope to see many of you there! Last summer we caught up with a few Class of 2000 graduates at a housewarming/birthday party for Brian Wolters. One person we ran into was Francesca Loscalzo/Tillou, who was pregnant at that time. Soon after the fall edition of the magazine came out, Frankie contacted me, and wanted to give us a piece of news for the next edition. Francesca and her husband, Gregg, welcomed their first child, Maxwell John Tillou on November 3, 2009. Max weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces, and was 19 inches long. The new family is doing well, and feels very blessed with the new addition! Back in July, Lauren Goulet/Bianchi and her family moved into a new home in Cumberland, R.I. They also welcomed their second daughter, Anna Jane, to the family on August 4, 2009. Big sister Ella is so happy to have a little sister to play with, and from what I hear, Ella is a huge help to her Mommy. Checking in with another excit-ing birth — Meghan Gorman/Anderson, her husband, Kevin, and daughter, Corey, are pleased to an-nounce an addition to their family. Brady Russell was welcomed into this world September 7, 2009. Big sister Corey adores her brother, and began their relationship by holding him and singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Brady is a very happy

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baby who loves smiling and talking. The Anderson family is doing well. Keep your stories coming, and I hope to catch up with many of you over Reunion Weekend!

2001 Maura [email protected] Congrats to classmate Will Laffey, who married Dana Spring on October 3, 2009, in Douglaston, N.Y., surrounded by a robust Siena alumni guest list: Seth Heacock, Christina Lavin/Heacock, Chris Stevens, Laura Carroll/Smalley, Ryan Smalley ’03, Nick Restifo ’02, Erica Lanoue/Restifo ’02, Brendan Hayden ’03, Michael McNally ’05, Brian Murphy ’04, Thomas Umstatter ’04, Chris Matzinger, Marisa Leary/Hungershafer ’02, Ryan Hungershafer ’02, Chris McMullan, Colleen Tobin/ Balsamo, Donna Matzinger/ Dietz ’04, Lauren Middleton ’04, Vinny Mule. See photo in this issue. Classmates Angela Cifra/ Salonia and Pat Salonia welcomed a son, Jacob, in August 2009 and he’s one handsome fellow — congrats! I look forward to hearing from more of you for the next issue. Remember to keep the Alumni Office updated with your contact info, as news about our 10-year reunion (yikes) will come out in 2011. You can also keep up with Siena on Facebook and twitter at www.facebook.com/ sienacollege or http://twitter.com/sienacollege.

2002 Christine Cinnamond [email protected] 646-942-0970 Robert Hardy and Jennifer Dailey ’03 and were married on September 20, 2008. See photo in this issue.

2003Gina [email protected] In October 2009 a fundraiser was held by the Tolosky family in honor of their daughter Christie Tolosky, who passed in June 2005 from a sudden arrhythmia. The money is for the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome Foundation. The annual event is held at the state park in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and is an Oktoberfest-style event with food, drink, auctions, raffles, etc. This year over $12,000 was raised through the support of the Siena Bookstore and the Siena Alumni Relations Office. The family

was pleased to have a number of alums there from Christie’s class including: Diana Kaufman — traveled from Syracuse, Jolene Johnson — traveled from Long Island, Jamie Hall/Usas — from Saratoga with her 8-month-old little boy and husband, and Lindsay Flax — traveled from Boston. For more information please visit www.christiesheartoberfest.com. Roy Chiquigucto is now a Captain in the Army and got married on August 9, 2008 to Anne Stephens in Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Just recently they welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family, Christian Scott, on December 3, 2009. Kimberly Barnes/Ruchel, and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Alyssa Karen, on September 11, 2009. Jennelle Reilly got married to Nicholas Wuertz on June 20, 2009. After graduating from Siena in 2003, she received her master’s of arts in English from Hofstra University in May of 2005 and her master’s of science in education in English education from Hofstra University in December of 2006. Frank Perri and Sabrina McElroy ’05 would like to announce their engagement and are in the process of planning a July 2010 wedding. Stay warm this winter, and keep the news coming, everyone!

2004Jolleen [email protected] Happy Holidays, Class of 2004! We hope your new year is off to a phenomenal start, and that you have had opportunities aplenty to enjoy yourself, one another and your loved ones. We have been receiving all sorts of wedding news worth sharing, so here goes: Kimberly Sauter/Seigh married Aaron Seigh, a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, on July 18, 2008. See photo in this issue. Joe Vinciguerra wrote in to announce that he and Lauren DiScenza ’05 were married on September 19, 2009 in New Rochelle, N.Y. See photo in this issue. Our very own Elizabeth DeVanzo/Kennedy was married on August 2, 2008 to Brendan Kennedy ’02. See photo in this issue. On December 1, 2007, Jennifer Malinoski/Toohey and Raymond Toohey Jr. married, and now live and work in the Capital Region. Jen is teaching 7th and 8th grade math in the Niskayuna Central School District while

serving as the assistant coach for the Siena College Dance Team. Ray teaches 9th and 10th grade global studies for the Ballston Spa Central School District. Additionally Ray is the assistant coach of the varsity football team. See photo in this issue. Congratulations to each of our fellow Saints and their significant others! The family is expanding, and it is a beautiful thing. Kathleen Harnett/Bridon and Ben Bridon ’03 welcomed their daughter Leah Peggy Bridon on July 22, 2009. They were married at the Siena chapel on November 12, 2005. They are stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y, and recently celebrated Leah’s christening with her godparents Jim Harnett ’98 and Sarah Boone/Lamansky. Who else has news to share? Did you recently begin a new job, get a promotion, finish studies for your master’s or Ph.D.? Do you have a reason you’re celebrating or smiling? Let us know! You can share your news and photos by e-mailing me at [email protected].

2005Breanne [email protected] Greetings, Class of 2005! I hope you all had a very happy and relaxing holiday season. There is a lot of exciting news to share in this issue, so let’s get started! Let me first direct your attention to a misprint in our last issue. Please note the beautiful wedding photo from Courtney McHale’s wedding in the photo section of this issue. Congratulations again to Dr. Courtney McHale and Captain David Humphrey II, MD on their marriage on August 29, 2009. Sabrina McElroy and Frank Perri ’03 were recently engaged and are planning a July 2010 wedding. Jim Oliveto and Justine Aquino ’06 were married on September 26, 2009 in Clifton Park, N.Y. Jimmy and Justine have just purchased their first home in Fredericksburg, Va. this past June after moving from San Diego, Calif. Jimmy is currently a 1st lieutenant with the United States Marine Corps and is instructing at the Basic School in Quantico, Va. Justine is actively looking for work as an auditor with a federal agency. The couple is excited to reside in Va. for at least the next three years without any deployments! Be sure to check out their wedding photo in this issue. Good luck and congratulations again to all!

Please keep sending in your exciting news! It is great to hear from all of you. Keep in mind that our five-year reunion is coming up June 4-5th and we’d love to see as many of you as possible. If you have any ideas or requests for reunion weekend, or would like to get involved, feel free to e-mail me or Mike Utzig at [email protected]. You can help make our reunion a success by spreading the word! Be sure to check out and/or join our Facebook group, “Class of 2005.” Drop a note on the message board or post a picture and let us know of any ideas you may have!

2006Chris [email protected] Boland [email protected] Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year, fellow 06’ers. We hope that the first edition of Siena News in 2010 finds you in warm and fuzzy spirits! The class news front has been very quiet this quarter, which has actually been a winter norm for our class in our short his-tory as alums. We’ll blame it on too many holiday treats. We do have two weddings to share with you. Justine Aquino married her Siena sweetheart Jim Oliveto ’05 on September 26, 2009 in Clifton Park, N.Y. Be sure to check out their wedding photo in this issue. Justine is working as an auditor for a federal agency in Virginia. You can read more about the happenings of the “new” Oliveto family in this edition’s Class of 2005 column. In other wed-ding news, Kristin Kirk married Karl Meehan on October 24, 2009. Their Siena group wedding photo is enclosed in this edition as well. We would like to send out a BIG con-gratulations and best of luck wishes

NEWSMAKER

Ken Jubie ’04has been hired by Siena

College to serve as the Media Relations Specialist and also teaches courses in electronic

journalism

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weddings

to Justine, Jim, Kristin and Karl. Please check back with us soon! In other news, Ellen Hanson is working as an employment coordinator at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, which is a position she has held since June. In this role, Ellen is responsible for posting positions, screening resumes and coordinating the hiring process for new employees. She would like to invite all Siena alums who are looking for networking or employment assistance in Boston to contact her via e-mail at [email protected]. The New Year is a terrific time to reach out to us and let us know what you have been up to. Your updates are the only things that keep this column fun and exciting! If you have already contributed to our space a while ago, either send us a new update, or urge a friend to share their news for the first time! Ashley and I would like to wish you the best for a terrific 2010, and look forward to talking with you soon! Go, Saints!

2007Sean [email protected] Box 11222Loudonville, NY 12211Michael [email protected] Happy New Year, Class of 2007! At the start of every new year there always seems to be a certain degree of surprise and disbelief when we’re confronted with keeping track of appointments, meetings, etc. — writing “2010” instead of “2009” for the first several times always seems shocking and almost out of place at first! Speaking of this, 2010 so far is very reminiscent to 2000. How? In addition to adjusting to the fact that a new year is upon us, in the early 2000’s it seemed strange when it was necessary to write out the year in a two digit format. Now that the two digit abbreviations no

longer begin with a “0...,” it serves as a reminder that time is really moving forward. For example, one day 12/11/37 will no longer refer to 1937 but 2037! While at first it may seem that the passage of time is daunting and intimidating, through the years that pass, many opportunities for growth, development, and service occur alongside. It has just barely been three years since graduation, and already the accomplishments of the Class of 2007 have been far reaching and tremendous for some time now. Alicia-Kane Calvert recently graduated with an M.S. in clinical art therapy, counseling. Congratula-tions! Upon graduating, Alicia has worked in the Graduate Admissions Office for Springfield College. Pre-viously, Nicole Bourdeau shared the exciting news that her good friend, Megan Webster is engaged to be married to her high school sweetheart, Joshua Berezansky. It has also been reported that they plan to wed this June. This quarter, the sounds of wedding bells are certainly familiar to many members of the Class of 2007! According to Mike, Gina Connelly, who has been working in Newton Plaza for her dad at Connelly’s Diamond Gallery full time for nearly three years, is engaged to Alfred University alum Matthew Gibbins. They are set to tie the knot on August 28, 2010! Gina has one brother who gradu-ated from Siena last year, and has another brother who is a senior at Siena now. Congratulations to Gina on all her hard work and accomplishments! Mike also has the following news to share with us: Jacqueline Pascall was married on August 22, 2009 to Dan Bosworth in Short Hills, N.J. Both Jacqueline and her husband are from New Jersey, but are currently living in Houston, Texas. Some of the bridesmaids were Jacqueline’s best friends from the Siena Class of ’07, including Jamie Connolly, Caitlin Fairclough, Suzanne Shea, Jacqueline Bosworth, Taylor Burch, Alessandra Rizzo and Alicia Romano. Kristen Pisanelli is the assistant editor for PlayBac Publishing (a children’s book publishing company in New York City). She is also completing her master’s in publishing from Pace University this spring. Congratulations! Danielle Walsh recently finished her M.B.A. at Union College. She has worked very hard the past two

years working full time and going to school. Way to go, Danielle! Finally, both Mike and I are happy to announce that Victoria Abdulla was recently accepted into the College of St. Rose’s adolescent education master’s program. She will concentrate in English education, and begins her studies this January. In conclusion, I, along with my co-coordinator, Mike, hope that you are having a joyous and peaceful new year!

2008Danielle GrassoPatrick [email protected] Hello again, 08-ers. It was great seeing everyone at the Siena v. UAlbany game! We’d like to congratulate Hayley Jurnak for a job well done on the event. We’ve heard nothing but good things from people, and we had a great time as well. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon, and we hope and that the holidays were fun for everyone. Now, on to the updates. Carly James married Sam Ogden ’09 in May 2009. They are currently living happily in Vermont, and miss their beloved Siena. We received an update from Christina Gaston about not only herself, but also other 2008 alums. Christina got married in June 2007 to Derrick Bradley, and now goes by the name Christina Bradley. She tells us that she was accepted to the College of Saint Rose upon graduation from Siena for a master’s in childhood education. However, a week before graduation she found out she was expecting! She had a healthy baby boy, Connor Kenneth, on January 16, 2009. She is still living in the Capital District, and works for Pioneer Bank in East Greenbush as a customer service representative. She was accepted to Boston University’s master’s program in banking and financial manage-ment, and now must choose which path she wants to take. We wish her much luck with school and her adorable future Saint, Connor. She also updated us about her bridal party that was full of fellow Saints. “Mandy Malone was a bridesmaid in my wedding and is the godmother of Connor. She went to grad school in New York City and received her master’s in social work in May 2009. She now works and lives in Boston, Mass. Mallory Root, also a bridesmaid, went to work straight out of Siena. She and Mandy are roommates in Boston.” We send best wishes to both of you. Hope you

girls are enjoying Boston! Thanks for all the good news, Christina. We hope everyone is enjoying life after Siena, and good things are happening for all of you. You can let us know when they do by e-mailing us at [email protected]. See you all again soon, and as always, let’s go, Saints!

2009Tiffany [email protected], Class of 2009! I know we all shared happy times and moments at Siena College. They were wonderful memories. Please share any new events, pictures, or news about your life after Siena to share with our graduating class. My e-mail is [email protected]. You can also snail mail me your updates at the following address: 305 Robinson Ave. Apt. 5, East Patchogue, NY 11772. Hope to hear from you soon.

Update us!Want to stay connected and well-informed about the goings-on at Siena? Make sure to update the Alumni Relations Office with your current contact informa-tion! If you haven’t already, send your current address, phone number, and e-mail to [email protected] today!

In Memory:Siena College mourns the loss of the following members of our community.

William F. Leikhim ‘41George L. Marthy, M.D. ’43Kermis A. Martin ’50Raymond P. Van Sleet ’52James L. Collins ’53Joseph T. Murphy ’54 Donald F. Ardell ’55Jack R. McGuiness ’59 John Dawson ’68Thomas M. Roddy ’88Stacy Elizabeth Milligi/ O’Hara ’95Kellie Duggan ’10Dell ThompsonMatilda Vawter “Mrs. V”

NEWSMAKER

Danielle Walsh ’07recently finished her M.B.A

at Union College

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Jennifer Malinoski ’04 married Raymond Toohey Jr. ‘04

on December 1, 2007

Kristin Kirk ‘06 married Karl Meehan on October 24, 2009

Jacqueline Pascall ’07 married

Dan Bosworth on August 22, 2009

weddings

Jennelle Reilly ’03 married

Nicholas Wuertz on June 20, 2009 Elizabeth DeVanzo ‘04 married Brendan Kennedy ‘02 on August 2, 2008

Kimberly Sauter ‘04 married

Aaron Seigh on July 18, 2008

Dr. Courtney McHale ’05 married Captain David Humphrey II, M.D.

on August 29, 2009

Joe Vinciguerra ’04 married Lauren DiScenza ‘05 on September 19, 2009

When submitting wedding photos to the magazine please make sure they are 300 dpi. If you have any questions please contact [email protected].

Will Laffey ’01 married Dana Spring

on October 3, 2009

Jennifer Dailey ‘03 and

Robert Hardy ‘03 were married

on September 20, 2008Roy Chiquigucto ’03 married Ann Stephens on August 9, 2008

Jason Rich ’98 married Victoria Kelts on July 18, 2009

Christina Gaston ’08

married

Derrick Bradley in

June 2007

Carly James ’08 married Sam Ogden ’09 in May 2009

Jim Oliveto ’05 and Justine Aquino ’06 were married on September 26, 2009

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Siena College: It’s with great regret that we let you all know that “Mrs. V” passed away this weekend. She worked for dining services for 31 years, and she will be greatly missed by our community.

Andre Scott ’98: Extremely sad. Many a time I snuck by her to get into the old dining hall. R.I.P. Mrs. V.

Lisa Pryor Sunshine ’95: The thought of her brings back some memories! Serra Hall would never have been the same without her! Prayers for her family!

Kevin Kraus ’03: So very sad to hear this news, the Siena community will never be the same without her. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

Charlie Cocuzzo ’89: It’s rare that the mere mention of a per-son’s name can bring such wide and bright smiles to the faces of so many ... Mrs. V. certainly has always done that. The Siena community has lost a beloved treasure, my prayers and condolences to her family and friends.

Janet Maiuccoro Faraone ’86: She was such a sweetie! Heaven has another angel!

Siena College: Check out the new Website!

Stacey McCuin ’91: Love it! It’s about time!

Jen Gianico ’01: Love it! Very user-friendly!

Stacey Mace ’10: It looks awesome! Congrats to everyone who worked on it! :)

Facebook ChatterSelections from Siena’s Facebook page


Are You the Ultimate Siena College Office?We often hear that Siena alumni are proud to show their school spirit at work. The editorial staff of Siena News wants to know if this is true. If you work in an office that has Siena spirit, please send your favorite office photo to [email protected]. All submitted photos will be judged on most school spirit, and the winning office will receive a pizza party on us! All entries must be submitted by March 15. Siena College employees are ineligible to apply.

Coming Soon!

The Siena College Alumni Online Community

• Connect with friends and classmates

• Tons of photos

• Expanded Class Notes

• Event information and registration opportunities

Siena Alumni will receive a postcard in the mail with their personal registration information soon.

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Siena College: First big snow at Siena! What is your favorite Siena snow storm story?

Deb Ramski Coman ’85: Tray sledding on the golf course way back when in ’81-’85!

Colleen O’Brien Cummings ’96: Getting pushed out our first floor Ryan window into a 4 foot snowbank....in my pjs....thanks Desalyn!

Andy Irizarry ’96: getting snowed in at Dapps.

Debbie Smith DeCelle ’97: “1996 party at the Boat

House watching the ruggers use a sled to ride down the front hall stairs straight out the front door on to the snowy lawn!!!”

Jen Gianico ’01: “I liked flopping into the snowbanks! Now, I’m too old for that, I might not be able to get up! :-)”

Maeve McEneny ’06: “The ice storm, of course. It was beautiful!”

Join in the conversation. Visit Siena’s fan page at www.facebook.com/sienacollege!


515 Loudon RoadLoudonville, NY 12211

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siena news winter 2010

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