Spring 2006 Vol. 7, No. 3

AWizardin OzBalancing black and red in a technicolor town

2006

The Wedding SingerSunday, September 24 � 3 p.m. � Al Hirschfeld Theatre � New York City

Robbie Hart lives in his grandmother’s basement in New Jersey and sings in a wedding

band. When his own fiancée leaves him standing at the altar, he turns

to a new friend who’s engaged to a wealthy Wall Street broker.

$106 per person* - front mezzanine

For more information or for tickets, contact Susan Bunatta at (718) 990-2356, toll free at (877) SJU-ALUM or e-mail bunattas@stjohns.edu

*$5 will be donated to the University

New York Mets vs. New York Yankees

Friday, May 19 � 7:10 p.m.

Shea Stadium � Flushing, New York

$27 per person* - upper reserved seating

Skyline Princess Brunch Cruise

Saturday, June 10 � 10 a.m.

Includes round-trip bus transportation from the Queens campus,

private East River sailing with views of the Manhattan skyline,

brunch, taxes and gratuities.

Tarzan, The Broadway Musical

Sunday, June 17 � 2 p.m. � Richard Rogers Theatre � New York City

Tarzan has his first encounter with humans and must choose where he belongs –

the “civilized” world or the “wild” one that nurtured him.

$74 per person* - rear mezzanine seating

25th Annual Alumni Reunion WeekendJune 9 – 11, 2006

Celebrating the class years of

1931, ’36, ’41, ’46, ’51, ’56, ’61, ’66, ’71, ’76, ’81, ’86, ’91, ’96, ’01

For more information or to

serve as a member of your

class committee, call the

Office of Advancement Events

at (718) 990-2929, toll free

at (877) SJU-ALUM or e-mail

giovannp@stjohns.edu

Visit our Web site atwww.stjohns.edu/alumni

for updates and registration

information.

DO:

� Take a brunch cruise around Manhattan

� Participate in complimentary specialty seminars

� Enjoy the Welcome Home Summer Barbeque

� Celebrate at the Gala Cocktail Reception and Dinner Dance

� Attend the alumni Mass and brunch

� Tour the campus including the newly-built Taffner Field House and St. Thomas More Church

STAY:

Enjoy the dorm life

experience by staying

in one of our affordable,

on-campus residence halls.

SAVE:

Register before May 24

and receive 40 percent

or more off on the Red

Storm Day Package

and the Reunion

Weekend Package.

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce you to this issue

of the Alumni Magazine and, in so doing, to comment briefly on the

articles contained herein as well as to share with you some of the recent

news of the University.

Perhaps most significant is the fact that our Campaign for St. John’s

— Fulfilling the Dream has met its goal, thanks to the overwhelming

generosity of our loyal alumni and special friends. Your exceptional

outpouring of support allowed us to steadily increase our ultimate goal

to an unprecedented $250 million, an ambitious figure to be sure but

one which has now been exceeded by more than $10 million as the

Campaign enters its final days.

This spring, a team from the Middle States Association of Colleges

and Schools came to St. John’s for its regular decennial accreditation

visit. In preparation for that visit, the University engaged in a self-study,

focusing on topics that were of special interest and concern to us as an

institution. One of those topics was our Vincentian mission, which is

both a strength and challenge for St. John’s. Clearly, it is what makes

us distinctive. At the same time, given the decline in the number of

Vincentian priests, there was a need to explore ways of inculcating the

mission into the very fabric of our institution, so that our graduates

literally live the mission. It is particularly appropriate, therefore, that

this issue of the magazine highlights three alumni — Ed Romano,

Sr. Elizabeth Burns, RSM, and Tom McInerney — who have done

precisely that: adopted the Vincentian mission of service as their own.

I trust that you will find their stories inspiring as well as indicative of

the ideals that animate our institution.

Our St. John’s family is indeed a nurturing one, and every one of

you is special to alma mater. I invite you to return to campus for

our 25th Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend in June and renew your

friendships with classmates and faculty members who were such an

important part of your life.

In the meanwhile, I invite you to enjoy this issue of the St. John’s

Alumni Magazine.

Donald J. Harrington, C.M.

Vol. 7, No. 3 Spring 2006

Publisher

Donald J. Harrington, C.M.President

Dave WegrzynVice President

Institutional Advancement

Catherine Camera ’65CBA Contributing Editor

Editorial Staff

Valerie PetersEditor

Lisa FranceWriter/Associate Editor

Danielle BushellAlumnotes

The St. John’s Alumni Magazineis published by the

Division of Institutional Advancement for alumni, staff,faculty and friends of St. John’s.

Send address changes to: Lisa Capone

Division of Institutional Advancement St. John’s University

8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, NY 11439,

by fax to (718) 990-1813, by e-mail to caponel@stjohns.edu

or return the enclosed form.

Correspondence:The Alumni Magazine staff welcomes

your thoughts and comments. Please address letters to: Editor, Alumni Magazine

St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway

Queens, NY 11439 or e-mail petersv@stjohns.edu.

Letters and articles may be editedfor publication.

Consistent with the University’s mission as aCatholic, Vincentian and metropolitan institutionof higher education, the University abides by all

applicable federal, state and local laws whichprohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion,color, national or ethnic origin, age, sex (including

sexual harassment), sexual orientation, maritalstatus or disability in admitting students to itsprograms or in administering its educational

policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loanprograms, athletics and other institutionally

administered programs or activities generally madeavailable to students at the University. In accordance

with these laws, the University also prohibitsretaliation against anyone who has complained

about discrimination or otherwise exercised rightsguaranteed under these laws. In addition, the

University continually strives to fulfill its educationalgoals by maintaining a fair, humane, responsible

and non-discriminatory environment for all studentsand employees. All University policies, practices and

procedures are administered in a manner whichpreserves its rights and identity as a Catholic and

Vincentian institution of higher education.

president’s message

20

Edward Romano is working

wonders in a wondrous

industry where the line

between reality and illusion

is often blurred.

Waging a one-woman war

to bring out of hiding a very real condition

affecting some very neglected women in Ghana.

26Alumni involvement

brought the capital campaign

to unprecedented success,

but the need doesn’t end here.

Visit our Web site for the latest

updates, news and events at

www.stjohns.edu/alumni

or call (877) SJU-ALUM.

contents

4 noteworthy

8 up frontAdvancing business leadership Libraries as classroomsNew financial labLeveling LSAT prepLong-distance learning

30 campus briefsCommencement traditionsLegacy of legendsMock trial team victorious

41 giving back

42 alumnotes

52 a conversation

departments

features

14

On the cover:Edward Romano on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, CA.

Since 1995, the University

community has come together

the last week in January to

celebrate Founder’s Week in

honor of its Vincentian heritage.

This year’s series of workshops,

lectures, luncheons, discussions,

films and a special convocation

and Mass were centered around

the theme “Courage: To Act

With Love.”

At the Mass held in St. Thomas

More church on the Queens

campus, University President

Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M.

challenged those present to open

their eyes to those less fortunate.

“Do I have the courage to really

encounter the poor and let them

convert me?” he asked, after

sharing the stories of St. Vincent

de Paul and the apostle Paul on

the road to Damascus. “I ask that,

as a community, we really look at

what the blindness is in ourselves.

Are we blind to the poor?”

Those honored at the

convocation were: Sharon Lynch

Norton ’74L, associate dean and

associate professor of criminal

justice and legal studies, who

received the Vincentian Mission

Award; Gladys and Bruce Brown,

civic leaders in South Jamaica,

Queens, who received the Caritas

Medal; Marilyn Martone ’86G,

associate professor of theology

and religious studies, who

received the St. Elizabeth

Ann Seton Medal; Robert

Mangione ’77P, ’79GP, ’93PD,

’99Ed.D, dean of the College

of Pharmacy and Allied Health

Professions, who received the

St. Vincent de Paul Medal; and

Sr. Madeline Kavanagh, D.C.,

of St. John’s the Baptist R.C.

Parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant,

Brooklyn, who received the

President’s Medal.

4 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Celebrating Courage

Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M. conducts the Founder’s Week Mass.

Clinic LandsFederalSupport

The School of Law’s Child

Advocacy Clinic, where

second- and third-year law

students serve as advocates

for children involved in

Queens county court cases,

received significant federal

funding secured by New York

Senator Hillary Rodham

Clinton.

The $300,000 allocation

from the 2006 Science,

State, Justice, Commerce

and Related Agencies

Appropriations Act will aid

students in representing the

best interests of their young

clients in cases ranging from

alleged abuse to educational

neglect. The students conduct

research on the cases, referred

to the clinic from the Queens

Legal Aid Society, plus prepare

legal documents and work

with education and psychology

students to address the

children’s needs.

“I am grateful and

proud that Senator Clinton

recognizes and supports the

longstanding commitment of

St. John’s University to help

meet the needs of the under-

served of New York City,” said

Rev. Donald J. Harrington,

C.M., president. “The federal

support of the Child Advocacy

Clinic will not only help

children in most need of

legal advocacy, but it will

also provide our law students

with practical courtroom

training and valuable legal

experience.”

Award recipients and honoredguests at the VincentianConvocation in January were,from l., Norton; the Browns; His Excellency ArchbishopCelestino Migliore, J.C.D., D.D.,permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations;Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M.;Kavanagh; Mangione; and Martone.

Spring 2006 5

Becoming independent just

got easier for about 100 current

and potential small business

owners thanks to a global

financial services organization

and several successful alumni

who spoke during the Third

Annual Entrepreneur Day.

Sponsored by Chase and The

Peter J. Tobin College of Business

Alumni Association, the “Starting

Your Own Business: The Challenges

— The Rewards” seminar was

organized to assist alumni and

students considering the launch

of a small businesses with a day

of information and advice.

Michael Maye ’87CBA,

president of MJM Financial

Advisors in Berkeley Heights, NJ,

took the group through his path

to entrepreneurship by sharing

his “building blocks to success”

which include: preparing a formal

business plan with realistic

financial projections; preparing

a master project plan including

marketing and technology with

deliverable dates for functional

areas; seeking out expert help

from other small business owners

and trade organizations;

obtaining any necessary licenses

and certifications; and projecting

a professional image. He also

reminded everyone of the

importance of growing and

maintaining a network of alumni,

professors and professional

advisors on whom you can rely

for advice, guidance and referrals.

Charles Antonucci, Sr. ’78CBA

took the audience from his first

“hostile takeover” of a paper

route at age 13 to his success

as president and CEO of Park

Avenue Bank in New York City.

He left the group with five

fundamentals for success as a

business owner: have passion

for what you do; don’t be afraid

to fail; timing is everything;

network; and once you grow

your business, know what you

want to do with it.

Joan Mitchell, vice president of

Chase’s Community Development

Group, and Jean Cole, vice

president of Chase’s Direct Sales

Group, presented the critical

factors financial institutions look

for when an entrepreneur seeks

financing. From choosing the right

business for you to understanding

the “Five C’s of Credit”: character;

capital; capacity; collateral; and

guarantees and conditions,

Mitchell guided the group through

the various aspects of preparing

and presenting a case for obtaining

financing. Cole then concentrated

on how to establish small business

services such as payroll processing

and cash management.

The afternoon was chock full

of breakout sessions including:

Successful Entrepreneurship:

A Marketing Challenge,

presented by Professor Sreedhar

Kavil, Ph.D.; Writing a Business

Plan, presented by Professor

Larry Boone, Ph.D.; How to

Value Your Business/Succession

Planning, presented by Frank

Riggio ’80CBA; Working With

an Accountant, presented by

Professor Thomas Boyd ’59CBA;

Financing Your Business, presented

by Mitchell; and Q&As with

Antonucci and Maye. Final

presentations and resources were

shared by Frank Dito, economic

development specialist and

veterans affairs officer of the U.S.

Small Business Administration,

and Marcello Rios, business

counselor at the Queens

Business Solutions Center of the

New York City Department of

Small Business Services.

An Entrepreneurial Edgeby Petrina DiGangi ’91MBA

Inside the BeltwayMore than 80 alumni and students enjoyed the

25th anniversary of the Insider’s View of the Capital program

held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. where,

each year, students enjoy an opportunity to learn about

the inner workings of the nation’s capital from alumni and

friends. The group gets a behind-the-scenes peek at living

and working in Washington over the course of two days

through tours, networking events, speakers and panel

discussions on legislation and government relations, health

care, law enforcement and the Securities and Exchange

Commission. Pictured are participants touring the area.

6 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Central New Jersey Chapter Thriving by Michael Brill ’79MBA

The Central New

Jersey Chapter, in

operation for four

years now, has the

distinction of being

located in an area

with over 3,000

alums. Typically,

meetings are held

in Monmouth

County where

several events are

planned each year

along with outings to see the minor-league baseball team, the

Lakewood BlueClaws, or to see St. John’s vs. Seton Hall or Rutgers in

basketball. Last year’s events were highlighted by a chapter-wide game

watch at the Olde Silver Tavern in Manalapan, NJ, and opening day

at Monmouth Park Racetrack. All alumni in the area are invited to

attend and get involved. For more information about this dynamic

chapter, e-mail mbrill@att.net or call (732) 766-5655.

From l., Central New Jersey Chapter membersMike Bart ’85CBA; Joe DiPietro ’88CBA; Joe Giannola ’91CBA, ’93MBA; Brill; Ernie Feiteira ’98CBA; and Peter Reddy ’94C.

In November, I joined 24 other

students at the 5th Annual Day

on Wall Street for an education

by volunteer executives and

alumni working in the financial

industry.

We arrived at the Standard

and Poor’s (S&P) building in

Manhattan for a breakfast

presentation by moderator

Tom Lupo ’70Ed, ’75MBA, vice

president of Advisor Services,

and panelists Kathleen Corbet,

president of S&P, Vickie Tillman,

executive vice president of

Credit Market Services, and

Owen Ruhnke ’89CBA, vice

president of finance for S&P,

who discussed career goals,

described their individual jobs

and entertained questions

from students.

From there, we boarded a

bus to A.G. Edwards & Sons for

a luncheon with two of the

company‘s executives, Michael

Spataro ’92NDC and Daniel

Maida ’92NDC, ’98MBA, who

discussed their careers as traders

and sellers and the pitfalls of

buying and selling stocks.

Next stop was a visit to the

Museum of Financial History to

view an exhibit on the Dow

Jones Industrial Average, then

to the Manhattan campus for

a final Q&A with Eric Stieglitz,

president of Conspectus Inc.,

Jeff Evans, former president

and current board member

of the New York Society of

Securities Analysts, and Charles

Menges ’66MBA, partner with

The Sanford C. Bernstein and Co.

Foundation, Inc. Stieglitz and

Evans provided practical

advice on resume writing and

interviewing tips and advised us

on how to get the most out of

internships. Menges spoke

briefly about private wealth

and portfolio management.

The day wrapped up with

dinner and remarks from Spiro

Germenis ’95CBA, ’98MBA who

chronicled his path from hard-

working student running his

father’s business to president and

founder of Oracle Evolution, a

successful hedge fund on Wall

Street.

My Day on Wall Streetby Alicia Small ’07TCB

Students and speakers gather for “A Day on Wall Street.”

Most Unwired AgainFor the second year in a row, St. John’s is the only school

in New York ranked in the top 10 among Intel’s “Most

Unwired College Campuses.”

The second annual survey ranks the top 50 colleges

and universities in the United States, with student bodies

of more than 1,000, on the percentage of campus that is

covered by wireless Internet technology, the number

of undergraduate students and the computer-to-

student ratio for each school.

St. John’s was ranked seventh in 2005, up

from 10th in 2004, when many colleges

and universities polled reported limited

wireless network capabilities. The following

year, the Intel survey showed that 74 percent of the

top 50 schools reported 100 percent wireless network

coverage, up from 14 percent the previous year. And, on

average, 98 percent of the top 50 schools are covered by

a wireless network, up from 64 percent in 2004.

Information was gathered through university interviews,

review of public documents and additional industry sources

plus an online survey that schools completed between

May 1 and September 1, 2005, executed by the Center

for Digital Education and Intel Corporation.

Spring 2006 7

More than 100 attendees gathered in Long Island for the

46th Annual Alumnae Fashion Show and Luncheon where fall

styles from Brooks Brothers were modeled (above) and more

than $2,500 was raised for the Alumnae Memorial Scholarship.

Through several other events held throughout the year, the

scholarship is funded in escrow and used to award an immediate

relative of an alumna who is nominated and selected to receive

up to $5,000 per year for a four- or five-year period and must

remain in good academic standing. Linda Lam ’08C was the

2005 recipient nominated by her sister, Grace Lam ’04P.

Alumni from Lewis Avenue attended the 48th Annual Lewis

Avenue Reunion on the Queens campus in October where they

reminisced and honored William “Bill” McKeever ’40C who

received the Legacy Award. Jack Kaiser ‘49C, athletic director

emeritus, says it’s vital to keep the spirit of the old Brooklyn

campus alive. “We want to make sure that people know where

we came from,” he says. “Brooklyn was the place where the

University was born. We think it’s also important to see our friends

and catch them up on what’s happening at our modern campus.”

The Vincentians established the Church of St. John the Baptist,

St. John’s College, St. John's Preparatory School and St. John’s

Seminary, all at the Lewis Avenue campus in Brooklyn.

Sitting, from l., are Lou Carnesecca ’50C, ’60GEd, ’00HON, McKeeverand Kaiser. Standing, from l., are Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane ’44C; SalFerrara ’40C; Milton Rosenbaum ’41C; George Milhaven ’42C; TomHenry ’48C; and Jack "Dutch" Garfinkel ’42CBA.

Lewis Avenue Alums Gather

Law School Turns 80The School of Law became an octogenarian in 2005. At an event

where over 200 alumni celebrated, Kings County District Attorney

Hon. Charles Hynes ’57UC, ’61L, ’81HON and former police

commissioner Hon. Robert McGuire ’61L, ’80HON announced

that the Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa Distinguished Jurist in Residence

Program was established to invite outstanding leaders of the

bench to spend a day or two sharing their experiences with

faculty and students. Named in honor of their classmate, former

School of Law dean and retired New York State Court of Appeals

Judge Hon. Joseph Bellacosa ’59C, ’61L, ’87HON, the program was

funded by his friends to acknowledge his exemplary service to

St. John’s and the courts.

From l., Brian Fisher ’02CPS, information technology project

manager for JetBlue Airways, Ken Devane ’78SVC, president

and chief operating officer of Minetech, and Richard Feil ’99MBA,

a consultant for Pinkerton Computers Consultants, Inc.,

discussed career options and their professional experiences

with over 40 students and alumni at “The Future of

Computer Science and Telecommunications Majors” College

of Professional Studies' Computer Science program.

From l., Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick ’67L, '03HON; Bellacosa;Hynes; Dean Mary Daly; Chief Judge Judith Kaye; and McGuire.

8 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Since gaining independence from Russia in

1991, Kazakhstan has been the site of a

growing effort to expand the development

of its vast energy resources and improve

their exportation to world markets. Prof. Jay

Nathan is hoping to ensure the success of this

effort by enriching the business education of

the leaders in this still-emerging nation.

Kazakhstan, which possesses enormous

fossil fuel reserves plus plentiful supplies of

other minerals and metals, came to the

attention of Nathan several years ago when

he realized an opportunity to meld two of

his passions — discovering new cultures and

educating others about business. Having

previously taught business management

courses in Thailand and Poland on Fulbright

grants, he recognized a relative need in

Kazakhstan and began working closely with

officials at the Karaganda University of

Economics in Karaganda, a major industrial

city in the center of the country. He was

awarded two additional Fulbrights to assist in

the modernization of their business curriculum

and was asked by the minister of education

and sciences of the republic to help assess the

national standards of their degree programs

in business administration. “I suggested

new programs such as finance management

and accounting that met the international

standards set by The Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Business,” Nathan says.

“[Kazakhstan] wants to be in the family of

countries that have modernized, and I

understood their lack of resources including

libraries, distance-education tools and

American business textbooks.”

Nathan, who teaches management at The

Peter J. Tobin College of Business (TCB), planned

an eight-day seminar at the Manhattan campus

later this year for 10 representatives from oil,

gas, banking and government organizations

in Kazakhstan to advance their business

leadership skills in the areas of law and ethics,

finance, accounting, information technology,

risk management and marketing. He feels

that a concentrated course program such

as this will increase the aptitude of these

captains of industry who are helping to shape

the Republic of Kazakhstan despite their limited

scope of international business. “I consider

St. John’s to be, among the universities in the

United States, a leader in global education

and I think our outreach should extend to

the central Asian region,” he adds.

John Angelidis, TCB management

department chair, says Nathan’s work is of

great benefit to those he teaches. “He has

carried his expertise from the Americas to

Europe to Asia, and at the same time has

brought back and shared with our students

the vast wealth of knowledge he accumulated

in his international projects,” Angelidis

explains. “Business is a glue that holds together

the fabric of our humanity independent of

color, sex or national origin. Professor Nathan’s

work is one more example of what can and

should be done if we want to live in a peaceful

and prosperous world.” For his independent

efforts of donating several hundred personal

books from his library to Karaganda University

and CDs for students to use, he was awarded

the title of honorable Prof.dr. last year, the

equivalent of our honorary doctorate degree.

Richard Highfield, dean of TCB, says the

Manhattan campus will serve as the venue

for the seminar participants to learn the

approach to Western economics in an

atmosphere that is rigorous yet informal.

“It’s valuable for us to offer our resources and

we learn from it as well by having people

from these economies come here,” he states.

“It allows for an exchange of ideas.” Nathan

says he hopes to use the event as a test case

to determine whether similar programs can

be held in the future as part of an ongoing

cooperative relationship with Karaganda

University of Economics.

The Business of Global Partnering

Nathan (center in robe) poses with faculty, administrators and students of Karaganda University afterreceiving the distinction of honorable Prof. dr. in 2005.

Nathan with students at Karaganda University.

up front

Graduates of a new program developed through a College of Liberal Arts

and Sciences and Library Connections partnership are enriching the lives

of parochial students in some New York City boroughs by making

libraries more than just repositories for books.

Library Connections is a four-year program run by the Archdiocese of

New York to revitalize its inner-city elementary schools by integrating

library programs and collections with curriculum and classroom activities.

Through active planning and collaboration among administrators and

library, computer and classroom teachers, officials hope to increase the

use of the library in each of the participating 32 parochial schools located

in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx.

Eligible schools must apply and are accepted based on criteria such

as identifying a possible library teacher, having available space for a library

and showing a commitment to the program. St. John’s then waives half

the tuition for the selected teacher to earn a master’s in library science

(MLS) and Library Connections subsidizes the other half. Candidates are

already teachers in other subjects who, by completing their library science

degree, become “library teachers” for the school that is approved and

learn how to actively engage in educating students from multiple grade

levels by using library technology such as the Internet and databases.

Part of the goal is to show

how vital the library still is in

the ease-of-information age.

At one school, seventh and

eighth graders learned to

master research in the library

when they were charged with

writing reports about select

mathematicians including their

biographies, knowing the

math concepts with which

they were involved and

creating a historical timeline

with the assistance of social

studies teachers.

Maureen Moffit ’05MLS is a former third- and fourth-grade teacher

who is now the librarian at Our Lady of Solace, an elementary school of

about 280 students in the Bronx. She says she learned how to build and

maintain a school library through the courses she took at St. John’s. “[The

students] don’t have a local library, and for many of them, they had never

even been to a library,” she says. “Suddenly, they had access to all of

these resources and many are now skilled library users.”

Each school is assigned a mentor, many being St. John’s MLS graduates,

who are experienced school librarians affiliated with Library Connections

and assigned to the library teacher. The mentor advises on acquisitions

and works with the teacher, faculty and principal to offer guidance on

programming. Library Connections, which also allocates funds for

furniture, paint and library materials, is supported through grants from

foundations and individual donations.

A Literary Alliance

There is heavy competition to attract the best and brightest

students to colleges around the country, but an attractive

financial package makes it easier for them to consider and

attend St. John’s.

These students are courted heavily, even those that lack

the financial means, for admission into Ivy League schools and

the City College of New York’s honors program because of their

academic achievements. To remain competitive and diverse,

St. John’s offers a Presidential Scholarship to these talented

students, which includes full tuition and a residential living

stipend for on-campus housing. Matthew Whelan, director

of undergraduate admission, says the scholarship honors the

Vincentian mission by serving gifted students who are in

financial need or have limited resources. “The scholarship is

in place to attract even students who aren’t economically

disadvantaged, but who may have been shut out of a private

college education due to increased cost,” Whelan says. “It

provides those students with a private school opportunity in

the St. John’s Catholic, Vincentian tradition.”

There were 95 presidential scholars in the 2005 freshman

class and there are currently more than 200 scholars attending

the University from various states including Florida, Illinois, Texas,

Massachusetts and Maryland plus the countries of Trinidad,

Tobago, Bulgaria, Zimbabwe and Korea. These students have an

average SAT score of 1,400, well above the national average of

1,028 for verbal and math, and a grade point average of

97 percent. To qualify, students must have a minimum 1,250

SAT score and a 95 grade point average out of high school.

Yoojung Yang ’08Pharm.D says she was attracted to

St. John’s because of the accelerated pharmacy degree program,

which allowed her to complete a doctorate in six years, and

received a full scholarship for her initial four years of study.

“My family is certainly not wealthy, and this places less of a

burden on them,” she adds. James Simmons ’06C, who lived

with other Presidential Scholars during his freshman year in the

residence halls, says the group has a lot in common. “I feel like

we have formed a little community,” he states. “I moved

around a lot when I was younger, so coming to St John’s was

the first time I ever spent four years at one school.” And,

Youngwan Kim ’07P says the program enabled him to enjoy

and appreciate diversity. “Being at St. John’s has opened my

eyes to a lot of different experiences, religiously and culturally.

It ‘s a melting pot of a school,” he says.

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average

and stay in good academic standing in order to continue to

receive funding. The Presidential Scholars program is the

University's only full, four-year tuition scholarship other than

a visual arts and athletic scholarship.

RewardingOutstanding Effort

10 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

up front

A new facility planned to benefit students

from a variety of majors at The Peter J. Tobin

College of Business (TCB) will broaden their

educational experience by placing a world of

information at their fingertips.

The Financial Information Lab is slated to

be built in Queens bringing together a variety

of media sources including live CNN news

feeds, Bloomberg financial news and Internet

access to create a technologically-sophisticated

learning environment. Plans call for the lab to

be equipped with computer work stations,

real-time news, market information, analytical

software and trading simulations shared over

projectors and flat-screen monitors connected

to television feeds. In addition to a stock ticker,

there will be an electronic display board

showing the leading economic indicators from

Dow Jones, the New York Stock Exchange and

U.S. Treasury bond rates. Using this technology,

faculty and students from across several

disciplines including accounting, finance,

organizational behavior and marketing will

be able to develop business strategies and

make informed decisions based on actual

market situations.

The lab will be similar to facilities already

in existence at schools like Bentley College,

Baruch and Lehigh University although at

St. John’s, the concept goes beyond the

trading-room floor experience taught elsewhere

in order to enhance the education of business

students in various curriculums. For example,

at the announcement of a merger, students

can quickly obtain information such as the

biographies and management styles of

the chief executive officers, cultural and

environmental information depending on

where the companies are located and

television coverage of what analysts are

saying about the merger — all information

that has a potential effect upon the

completion of the deal and the formation

of the future company. In other instances:

finance and economics students will have

real-time business data and news from around

the world in order to make the soundest

investment and portfolio management

decisions; marketing students will be able to

plan and research new products and services;

risk management students can simulate

scenarios to arrive at the best formula for

coverage; and students of organizational

behavior can derive business cases for use in

strategic and operational analyses. There are

also plans to use the lab as a space where

corporate partners could utilize continuing

education classes in such diverse fields as

e-commerce and market research.

A project such as this is vital to the

University and to the students who hope

to compete in their fields after graduation.

“It’s becoming necessary that the top business

schools have something like this,” says TCB

Dean Richard Highfield. “These days, students

are expected to be fluent in the analytical

tools of financial data, to know where to get

the data and to know how to use it.” Susan

McTiernan, associate dean for graduate

programs and external affairs, says TCB officials

have been forward thinking in realizing that

information is a commodity valued across

disciplines, not just to those studying finance

and accounting. “This lab is a poetic blending

of our tradition of excellence in business

education and the most contemporary

business technology methods,” she adds.

“Business doesn’t happen in a silo. That’s

where this lab goes above and beyond what

we have seen because there is a focus and an

emphasis on the global view.”

St. John’s has the added advantage of being

located in New York, one of the business

capitals of the world, and counseled by several

distinguished alumni who are leaders in

the financial sector. “There will be many

opportunities for alumni to come in and work

with students in a setting like this,” Highfield

states. He hopes to see them participate as

guest lecturers and advisors since they are

already using similar technology in their jobs

on Wall Street and in other corporate settings.

Plans for the initiative were announced at an

event held in the boardroom of The New York

Stock Exchange. Those in attendance heard

how establishing the Lab will contribute

significantly to the College’s reputation as a

leader and innovator in business education,

thereby increasing the recognition of the

Tobin degree worldwide.

Hi-Tech Market Share for Business Majors

A computer-generated rendering of theplanned Financial Information Lab.

Spring 2006 11

Leveling Representation in Law

A 2005 American Bar Association’s (ABA)

report on the underrepresentation of African

Americans and Hispanics at law schools across

the country sparked an innovative program

at St. John’s designed to mitigate some of

the multiple challenges these potential

undergraduate candidates may face.

The Summer Law School Prep Program for

College Students was developed last year by

representatives of the School of Law’s Ronald

H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and

Economic Development where research and

outreach is conducted by professors on issues

affecting the lives of minorities, and students

learn how to be leaders in racial, economic

and social justice issues. The one-week

program was launched with $5,000 in seed

money and a select group of sophomores

from John Jay College of Criminal Justice;

Medgar Evers College; York College;

and St. John’s participated in a four-day

introduction to the law school environment

and curriculum.

By providing them with information on

the courses needed to prepare for law school

and the LSAT, minority students from lower

income backgrounds become better equipped

for acceptance into law programs. “By bringing

them here, they are learning about real

courses from real professors,” says Leonard

Baynes, Center director. “It decreases the

intimidation factor and they learn about what

they have to do for the educational process.”

Results of the ABA’s Commission on

Racial and Ethnic Diversity study found

that, according to census figures, minority

representation among lawyers is less than

9.7 percent compared to 20.8 percent among

accountants and auditors, 24.6 percent

among physicians and surgeons and 18.2

percent among college and university teachers.

“The goal [of the prep program] was to get

the students on the right track because law

school is very competitive,” Baynes adds. “I’ve

found that many of the kids wait until the last

minute to apply. They don’t realize the

importance of the LSAT.” Baynes points to

additional statistics from a recent study by the

Law Professors’ Division of the National Bar

Association that show a nine percent decline

in admissions of African-American students to

law schools in New York from 2002 -2004

as further evidence for the need to conduct

outreach early on. At St. John’s, just over five

percent of first-year law students entering in

the fall 2005 semester were African American

and nearly eight percent were Hispanic.

Since last year, $70,000 in grants were

awarded to the Center and will be used

to compensate professors who previously

volunteered their services, to enable past

participants to receive free LSAT preparation

and to expand the 2006 summer session to

three weeks including one week rotation in

the court system offering a behind-the-scenes

look at the judiciary system and networking

with judges. Janice Villiers is one professor

who volunteered and, along with Hon. Philip

Roache ’54L, Hon. Patricia Satterfield ’77L,

’05HON and other distinguished alumni, helped

head up the committee that launched the

Center. “The need for diversity in the field of

law is one that’s been very well documented,”

says Villiers, who teaches torts and immigration

law. “One of the issues is that students of

color have not been well advised on how to

take the kind of action needed to make

themselves viable candidates for law school.”

Baynes already sees evidence that

participants are using what they learned

last summer to launch successful student

government campaigns and land jobs in the

state attorney general’s office. “Their resumes

are now much more impressive and they

are putting themselves in a position to be

mentored,” he says.

Other programming supporting this

initiative and conducted by the Center’s staff

included a symposium on the lack of racial

diversity in the media and how that affects

social justice and policy, funded by a $50,000

Ford Foundation grant, and the first Alumni

of Color Reunion Weekend Celebration. This

summer, Center representatives will partner

with Legal Outreach, an organization that

prepares urban youth in New York City to

compete at high academic levels, to host 24

eighth graders from Queens schools for five

weeks of classes on criminal procedure,

criminal law and trial advocacy. At the

conclusion, they will argue a mock trial in

the Belson Moot Court Room.

The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil

Rights and Economic Development is named

posthumously for an alumnus who served

as the first African-American secretary of

commerce, the first African-American chair of

the Democratic National Committee and as a

member of President Bill Clinton’s administration.

ENSURING EQUALITY AND PREPAREDNESS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS

“Students of color have not

been well advised on how

to take the kind of action

needed to make themselves

viable candidates for

law school.”

12 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

up front

A landmark agreement with an organization

formed to aid the poor and oppressed will

bring relief workers together from all over

the developing world via an innovative

distance learning program earning them an

advanced degree from St. John’s College of

Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The partnership between St. John’s and

Caritas of Rome, one of 162 Catholic relief,

development and social service organizations

present in over 200 countries and territories

around the world, will involve up to 20

participants selected for this two-year course

of study. Qualifying students must possess

accredited bachelor’s degrees or the equivalent,

be proficient in English and be working in,

or planning to work in, relief services, social

services or refugee care.

In selecting class members, representation

of the least-developed nations where there

is the greatest need for workers to increase

their skills was considered. The inaugural

group are from such countries as: Bolivia;

Cameroon; Chad; Kosovo; the Philippines;

Ghana; India; Thailand; Timor East; Uganda;

plus representation from the United States.

Not only is the goal to teach the relief workers

about social justice and strategies to better

serve their communities, but there is also hope

that they will cross-share their experiences

with each other during the program in order

to create a network of trained professionals

in this field.

Rev. Jean-Pierre Ruiz, S.T.D., director of

the master of arts in liberal studies program

and an associate professor of theology and

religious studies, says it was also important to

identify students from countries where there

were active Catholic Bishops Conferences

and arms of the Caritas organization so that

students would have adequate support and

collaboration. “In some sense, this is a way

of viewing global development from the

standpoint of Catholic social teaching working

toward developing an ethics of global

solidarity,” Ruiz adds.

As further evidence of the focus on this

important mission, Ruiz cites the first encyclical

letter, a teaching document for Catholic officials

and laypersons, from Pope Benedict XVI which

Advancing Global Solidarity

BUILDING A WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF SKILLED CARE WORKERS

ARTICULATION ABCs

Students attending two-year colleges sometimes have difficulty transferring credits to a

four-year institution because the schools’ core curricula and major course requirements

differ. Articulation agreements often define the credits transferable toward specific degree

requirements between the two- and four-year schools easing the way for transfer students.

Over the past few years, Provost Dr. Julia Upton, RSM ’73G, ’75G has signed a number

of agreements with local community colleges in the New York metropolitan, Long Island and

New Jersey areas. David Blanchard, associate director, transfer and articulation agreements,

says that, so far, partnerships have been forged with seven schools: LaGuardia Community

College (CC); Queensborough CC; Borough of Manhattan CC; Suffolk CC; Rockland County

CC; Ocean County College; and Bergen CC. There are also articulation agreements in place

with the Institute of Audio Research and the Outreach Training Institute that allow students

who have earned their associate degree to transfer to St. John's College of Liberal Arts and

Sciences, The School of Education and the College of Professional Studies.

“Community colleges are always looking for four-year schools that will benefit their

students,” Blanchard adds. “This puts our name out there as one of the four-year universities

that will accept their students. We become another option for their students to consider.”

According to Blanchard, 76 students were enrolled in fall 2005 as a result of these

partnerships, up from 61 in 2003 when the first agreement was signed.

From l., Sacca, Upton and Caritas of Rome Director Guerino Di Tora, sign the Caritas partnership agreement in Rome.

Spring 2006 13

Two professors recently joined the growing list of St. John’s Fulbright Scholars, participants

in a program started in 1946 and named for the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas

who introduced the legislation to fund the research of United States faculty and professionals

who travel to a wide variety of countries each year.

Senshang Lin, an associate professor of pharmacy and administrative sciences, and Mary

Ann Maslak, associate professor of education, both received Fulbright Research Awards

for 2005-2006. Lin for his work on a system of delivering effective levels

of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to fight breast cancer topically

by using a current-producing device that makes the skin more permeable.

Leuprorelin acetate, a potent GnRH agonist, was approved by regulatory

agencies worldwide to market as Lupron Depot for treating prostate cancer and

endometriosis. Clinical studies have further demonstrated that the continuous

injection of leuprorelin acetate has achieved a reduced serum level of estradiol,

the most powerful female hormone that occurs naturally, and suppressed the

growth of cancer tissue by 80 percent in breast-cancer patients. “This is my first time applying

for a Fulbright and I am very excited,” says Lin, who will return to Taiwan for this study where

he worked last summer on his research and taught at Kaohsiung Medical University. “Taiwan

is my home country so I feel like I am returning to be of service.”

Maslak is in rural China where she is exploring circumstances, situations and factors that

influence the secondary school enrollment of Muslim girls who are not graduating at a rate

deemed acceptable by Chinese authorities. Although Han is the

majority nationality, there are 55 minority nationalities that

include 10 Muslim groups — two from the Gansu and Xinjiang

provinces whose girls Maslak is studying because they have the

highest illiteracy rates and lowest graduation rates at all levels of

education compared to the Han. Last summer, she participated in

the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program where she traveled

to India to explore some of the unique cultural, social, religious,

economic and political contexts that define the position of women in that country. She also

received a 2006 Summer Fulbright to return to India where she will continue her previous

studies and further explore the impact of poverty and education on these women. “Learning

about education, and the ways in which race, class, religion, culture and gender intersect

in China, enhances my knowledge base about those subjects and will help me to broaden

and deepen my students’ understanding,“ said Maslak who periodically updates a blog on

her research.

University Provost Dr. Julia A. Upton, RSM ’73G, ’75G sees the prestigious Fulbright

awards as an extension of the talent these professors possess. “For the faculty of St. John’s,

a dedication to teaching goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to research of the highest

caliber,” she says. Lin and Maslak join a long list of St. John’s Fulbright recipients from

various disciplines including: Tony Bonaparte; Frank Coppa; Jefferson Fish; Willard Gingerich;

Frederick Lang; Francis Lees; Andrea Licari; Susan Lushing; Greg Maertz; Stephen Miller;

Jay Nathan; Konrad Tuchscherer; Laura Snyder; James Vorbach; Charles Wankel; Roger

Wetherington; and Zheng Zhou.

Fulbright Honorsstates, “The Church's charitable organizations,

beginning with those of Caritas (at diocesan,

national and international levels), ought to

do everything in their power to provide the

resources, and above all, the personnel

needed for this work. Individuals who care

for those in need must first be professionally

competent: they should be properly trained

in what to do and how to do it, and

committed to continuing care.”

Conceived and championed by Annalisa

Sacca, an associate professor of Italian,

and Riccardo Colasanti, general secretary

for Caritas, the program’s curriculum will

include courses on: social ethics; integration

issues; information resources for development

professionals; economic development;

government and politics; and anthropology

resulting in a master of arts in liberal studies

degree with a concentration in global

development and social justice. Each student

will attend an orientation at the Rome

campus this summer where they will

receive a laptop for communicating via

the Internet from their various locations.

“This program provides an education to

people in a unique way,” says Provost

Dr. Julia Upton, RSM ’73G, ’75G. “These

are people who are involved in pastoral work

all over the world and who will be able to

participate while continuing their work.”

Caritas representatives plan to fund 15

full scholarships each year to cover tuition,

the laptop, travel expenses to and from

Rome and students’ room and board while

there. St. John’s representatives will recruit

five more who may or may not have to

apply for financial aid or loans and realize

that the possibilities of building this

interdisciplinary program are endless.

“Imagine a student here at St. John’s being

partnered with one of the students in the

field,” says Dr. Upton. “I could envision us one

day developing an undergraduate program

similar to what this program will be.“

Maslak (center).

Lin

Fueling the fantasy that anything is possible in a city where

dreams come in high-definition technicolor is the multi-billion

dollar entertainment industry which, every year, churns

out movies, music and television shows that are glossed, air

brushed and produced to perfection. But peer behind the

curtain and you will see a very real business dependent on

the hard work and talent of thousands of people. Behind

all the glitz and glamour stands an elite group of executives

whose hands are firmly at the controls.

Edward Romano ’63CBA is one wizard that plenty of people pay attention to and who has builtup something more valuable than box office receiptsand awards. The executive vice president and chieffinancial officer for Warner Bros. Entertainment hasamassed a reputation for integrity and reliability in a commercial enterprise that can be both seductiveand fiercely competitive. “He’s one of the most honest people I know,” says Barry Meyer, chairmanand chief executive officer of Warner Bros.Entertainment. “He’s got a depth of character and everybody trusts him.”

Essential traits when you consider that Romanostands at the top of a corporation with annual revenues of more than $10 billion and an operatingincome in excess of $1 billion — pretty impressivefor a company that was raking in $500 million inrevenues when Romano first started there over 35 years ago. A division of Time Warner, the company rests at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry including feature films,television, home video/DVD, animation, comic

books, interactive entertainment and games, productand brand licensing, international cinemas andbroadcasting. The studio is one of the most prolificproducers of prime-time series’ and currently hasshows on every network plus two on cable television.The corporation last year celebrated an unprecedented

trifecta when Warner Home Video, Warner Bros.Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures International all finished as the market share leader in theirrespective business categories.

Romano rode the waves of success and withstoodthe gales of less prosperous times with the grace andagility of a man who understands the volatility ofHollywood. His experience, managerial acumen andthe strong team he has assembled over the years havehelped him to weather many storms and thrive in a business as unpredictable as the next movie opening. “I’ve gone through a lot of acquisitions anddispositions and we’ve had our issues, but we’ve beenlucky enough that the company has had a steady levelof growth,” he says. “Maybe I’m biased, but I thinkmost people agree with me that Warner Bros. is the best studio in Hollywood and our record speaksfor itself.” Richard Fox, executive vice president, international for Warner Bros. Entertainment, hasknown Romano for more than 30 years and says hisexperience is widely trusted and admired. “Ed bringsa level of professionalism not only to his own area of finance, but as a model overall to his colleagues,”Fox says. “Also, by his example, he's made us aware that we must be cognizant of the financialramifications of our decisions, even creative ones.He has more passion and knowledge about filmsthan most Hollywood producers.”

Ed Romano is what they call in his native Brooklyna stand-up guy. Growing up in Bed-Stuy in the1940s and 50s, he reveled in all the neighborhoodhad to offer — a closeness of community, a working-class spirit and lively games of stickball. He was astudent at St. John the Baptist grammar school andlater went on scholarship to St. John’s Prep. Fromthere, it was a natural progression to St. John’sUniversity where, as a student at the College ofBusiness Administration, he majored in accountingsince he theorized it offered an easier opportunity to work and go to school. He says his experiences at the University invoke some of his fondest memories as they profoundly impacted his life.“[The University] was an important part of my foundation,” he reflects. “In a lot of ways, I have tocredit St. John’s, along with my parents, for gettingme to where I am today.”

16 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

I tell young people all the time that if

you are going to go into business, you

should at least have a grounding in

accounting. Accounting is the

language of business. You can’t come out

of school with a marketing degree and

become an accountant, but you can

have an accounting background and

go into marketing or into management.

}{

His family moved to Richmond Hill in Queenswhen he started college, but his father’s increasingpoor health forced him to give up a long-held positionat Western Union leaving the young Romano, hismother and his sister Joan to make ends meet. He secured a place in a program with Peat, Marwick,Mitchell & Co. (KPMG today) that employed studentsfor the final six months of school and, after graduation,they offered him a permanent position. “I like to tellthe story that when I graduated I was offered $6,600a year and my father, after 42 years with WesternUnion, retired making $6,200,” Romano recalls. Hebecame a bookkeeper for different businesses andcredits these early years learning the nuts and boltsof public accounting with shaping what wouldbecome a most prodigious career. “I tell young people all the time that if you are going to go intobusiness, you should at least have a grounding inaccounting,” Romano offers. “Accounting is the language of business. You can go from accounting to almost any other part of a business, but you can’tgo the other way. You can’t come out of school witha marketing degree and become an accountant, butyou can have an accounting background and go into marketing or into management.”

After five years at Peat Marwick, he was hired in1968 at the New York office of Warner-Seven Arts,the predecessor to Warner Bros. Entertainment. Theposition was plum with a hefty pay increase, but farfrom glamorous. “I didn’t go to Warner-Seven Artsfrom the standpoint of entertainment because it wasvery distant to think about the movie business sincehere you were on 14th Street in New York City,” he reminisces. “The floor below us held the steam fitters union, so it wasn’t exactly Hollywood.”Instead, he was lured by the idea of doing somethingdifferent from accounting for publications andbanks that made up the bulk of his daily duties atPeat Marwick. After two years and the acquisition of Warner-Seven Arts by Kinney National Serviceand its transformation to Warner Communications,upper management decided the commute from LosAngeles to the corporate headquarters in New Yorkwasn’t practical and Romano was soon Californiabound. The then bachelor went to check out life onthe left coast with his clothes, a box of personal

belongings and the understanding that if he was nothappy with the move, the company would pay hisairfare back east. The company never had to makegood on that offer despite his initial misgivings. “For the first five years, I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to stay,” Romano recollects. “It was difficultto leave family and friends, and California was a bitof a culture shock.” But, from the high rises ofManhattan to the campus setting of a studio,Romano quickly came to enjoy parking in frontof his office and the near-perfect weather. And, asmuch as California agreed with Romano, he agreedwith Warner Bros. where he went from assistantcontroller to assistant treasurer, controller, vice

president and controller, senior vice president andcontroller and, finally, to his current position whichhe has held since 1994. Romano directly oversees theinformation technology and all finance departmentsfor the various businesses, which translates toresponsibility for more than 1,000 employees. “I think that he exemplifies the very best in the profession,” says Alan Horn, Warner Bros.Entertainment president and chief operating officer.“He has enormous responsibility and tons of peoplereporting to him.” Meyer agrees that Romano hasdone an exemplary job and adds, “Warner Bros. is avast and international corporation, and to be able tokeep track of all the businesses we are involved intakes experience and talent.”

In his executive office on the Warner Bros. studios lot in the heart of Burbank, Romano sagelydiscusses everything from the fears that shake theindustry with the introduction of new technology

Spring 2006 17

Through all of the technological

changes, whatever they may be —

television, the Internet or video —

content will always remain king.

Good content is what people want,

no matter how it’s delivered to them.{ }

18 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

to the problems with piracy. Surrounded by photosof his beloved family members (he and his wife,Murphy, their children, Lindsay and Jonny and theirgrandchild, Kasey) and his Labradors, Romano offersa clear perspective on the industry’s history and futurewhere technology is ever evolving. “We have to respondto technology because the industry, going back 50 yearsor more, has always responded to technology,” he says.“The advent of television had a significant change onthe entertainment industry and people thought, atthat point, it would be the death knell to theatricalfilm as we knew it. What it became was just anothermedium for us to gravitate toward. Through all ofthe technological changes, whatever they may be —

television, the Internet or video — content willalways remain king. Good content is what peoplewant, no matter how it’s delivered to them.” InRomano’s estimation, Warner Bros. Entertainmenthas more than answered the call for quality contentwith films like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, thedocumentary March of the Penguins and televisionhits “ER,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Gilmore Girls.” The company is even taking a foray into theater with theplay Lestat opening on Broadway this spring andviews digital as the next frontier. “The entertainmentindustry was the prime mover in the establishment of the DVD along with the technology companies,”Romano shares. “We saw that as another avenue forus to maximize our assets so we helped push the

creation of the DVD as we did the creation of theVHS tape. And we are adapting to and pushing thedigital world, whether it’s in digital downloading,video on demand or high-def DVD or wireless.”

With so many available mediums and more being developed every day, the chief concern for theindustry is guarding against piracy, both digital andphysical, which Romano says costs movie businessesapproximately $5 billion a year in lost revenue. “Thephysical is with southeast Asia where you are gettingpirated DVDs, a major business over there, that aredistributed all over the world, and digital with thedownloading of film and TV content,” he remarks.“We are trying to combat it on various differentfronts.” The policing techniques include educatingconsumers on the illegality of possessing piratedmaterials, lobbying for stronger anti-pirating lawsand better enforcement of those already on thebooks. Movie and television executives are also taking a page from the lessons learned by the musicindustry. “We feel one of the things that the recordbusiness did wrong is, when the Internet penetrationwas expanding, they were increasing their pricesinstead of decreasing their prices,” he says. “Theywere charging more for the CDs when all the kidsreally wanted was one song on the CD, so they gravitated toward getting it off of the Internet andNapster and file sharing.” With DVDs, his industryis looking at an alternative strategy. “We are drivingthe price of the DVD down,” he explains. “We aretrying to make the price point between buying alegitimate DVD and a pirated DVD smaller so theconsumer will say ‘OK, maybe I am paying a fewdollars more for this DVD but, one, I know I amgoing to get better quality, two, I’m going to get extra features and, three, I am not doing somethingagainst the law so I’ll pay a little extra.’”

There’s a lot of money to be made and accountingfor all of it can be heady. Studios, he explains, are nolonger public companies but rather parts of largerconglomerates. Gone are the days of the tyrannicalstudio head who orchestrated the lives of a stable ofstars. Instead, they are now held by corporations likeNews Corp., Viacom and General Electric withstockholders evaluating their investments in termsof how it will affect the bottom line such as the

}{Think about it, you are still seeing

Casablanca. You are not selling cars

which you sell to the consumer, it goes

out the door, the consumer owns it

then 20 years later it’s on the junk

heap. The studio owns these assets

forever unless they decide to sell

their library, and this library of films

can generate revenue for years.

Spring 2006 19

announcement of the merger of the WB and UPNnetworks into the CW network. “One of the thingsyou ultimately learn in accounting is that there reallyisn’t any transaction that can be completed in thecompany without somehow the CFO and the controller knowing about it,” Romano muses. “Soyou are involved in everything.” With so much fiscalresponsibility, Romano prides himself on the factthat his company has a strong system of checks andbalances to keep everything in line. “The motionpicture industry has its own set of accounting standards,” he says. “The negative cost of the film,which is the asset itself, is basically expensed on what’scalled the flow of income method of amortization.Simply what that is is the amount of revenue thatyou take in as actual compared to the ultimateamount of revenue that you think you are going toget from that product.” So, while films may costhundreds of millions of dollars to produce, there area variety of ways that the money can be recoupedincluding through the sale of DVD releases overseas.

With so much to do, Romano doesn’t have muchfree time, but when he does, he and his wife enjoygoing to the movies. In fact, he is a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences andserves as chairman of the audit and finance committeefor the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He is also a member of the finance committee andthe board of trustees of the Saint Joseph MedicalCenter Foundation, of the board of directors of theLiteracy Network of Greater Los Angeles and theProvidence Saint Joseph Medical Center Foundationaudit committee. His Vincentian values are reflectedin his desire to help further the education of students who, like he did, are willing to work hard and make the most of their opportunities.“Sometimes all they need is a helping hand,”Romano says. “There is an element of luck involvedin having certain breaks, and sometimes part of that luck is receiving a helping hand. This is a tough,tough world.”

In Romano’s personal and professional world, hehas found a balance and contentment that will keephim right where he is, at least for a few years more.That is probably a comforting thought to his superiorssince, as long as there is an entertainment industry,

there will be profits to be made and a need for menlike Romano who understand the dollars and centsof it. “A movie never dies,” Romano continues.“Think about it, you are still seeing Casablanca. Youare not selling cars which you sell to the consumer, itgoes out the door, the consumer owns it then 20years later it’s on the junk heap. The studio ownsthese assets forever unless they decide to sell theirlibrary, and this library of films can generate revenuefor years.” In fact, the 1942 film distributed by WarnerBros. and ranked number two on a list of 100 greatestAmerican films by the American Film Institute, hasgrossed more than $10 million in the United States— an admirable showing considering that the average movie ticket cost at its release was 27 cents— and it continues to rake in cash as a popularrental. It’s enough to make Romano smile.

On the Warner Bros. lot.

A triumphant warrior is not only willing to engage in combat, but also

has a vision of what victory will look like.Despite seemingly insurmountable odds or

circumstances, the willingness to answer thecall unselfishly, and motivate others to do

the same, is a leader who emerges confident,

successful andmost respected. It’s a spirit that

makes it impossible not to answer this call, especially when those being defended

are so utterly defenseless. That leader musthave a vision of triumph — a desire to

achieve a noble mission as, according toGeneral Douglas MacArthur, “it is fatal to

enter any war without the will to win it.”

STEWARD,SOL

DIER,Savior

Sr. Elizabeth Burns, RSM ’64GNEd is awarrior. She has that single-minded focus thatcomes with years of pursuit of goal. But withwill or not, she is fighting an uphill battle, atleast during her lifetime and possibly ours.Ask her about herself and she will steer theconversation to her work. Praise her effortsand she will list a cadre of things that still needto be done. Express interest in where she maybe headed and she speaks only of the manymiles left to go. The Sisters of Mercy make a vow to care for the poor, the sick and the uneducated, and although Burns is not personally armed with a stethoscope or sutures,she is especially obliged as the only member ofher order tackling a relentless enemy with anarmy she has cobbled together from like-mindedcomrades. “I am only doing what I am supposedto do,” she says simply. “I do not wish creditfor what I am doing. I do not wish for pay todo the work that I am involved in.”

hat makes her work on the front lines of

Ghana, Africa, so special is the level at which it is

both heart wrenching and necessary. First ofall, there is poverty — beyond-imaginationpoverty to anyone living in the developedworld. While Ghana is now considered one of the most politically-stable and prosperouscountries in West Africa, it is still a harsh economic climate compared to Europe andAmerica. The small nation is still a land wherekerosene lamps are used for light, wood firesare used for cooking and most doctors or hospitals demand payment before treatment.

All the more reason why Burns so passionatelyleads the charge on behalf of the disenfranchisedwomen of the country already withoutresources, and who have so very little exceptfor need. Her special forces, the medical outreach workers, travel to surrounding villages where word quickly spreads thathealth services are available, though the teamsare often hard pressed to deal with the sheernumber of women who need help. “Somedays, 50 or more women show up who havenever been seen by a health professional,” shesays. Those services can include everythingfrom immunizations to medical checkups andadvice on childcare. Burns says women oftenbring multiple children looking for care forthem all because they are so rural and can’tafford to travel to the nearest medical facility.“The government has limited resources, sowhen women hear that outreach team membersare there, word of mouth travels from one poorvillage to the next poor village,” she explains.

These locations are so remote that there islittle or no prenatal care, and a pregnant womanmay have to withstand days of labor withoutany relief. During a prolonged obstructedlabor, blood flow can be cut off causing fistulae,holes between the bladder or large intestine andthe birth canal that lead to a loss of controlover bodily functions. The sufferers of fistulatend to be young girls who are traditionallymarried at an early age and their bodies areoften not developed enough to allow for easein childbirth so, without medical intervention,the baby almost always dies. Through no faultof their own, these women are victims to a

22 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

A roadside village outside of Cape Coast.

W

Previous pages:

Far left: Two children of Ghana.

Right: Burns with fistula patient, Rily Asamoah.

Burns, standing second from rightin the first row, in Cape Coast withstudents from 10 regions in Ghana

for a symposium where she lecturedon the problems youth face.

condition that ostracizes them from theircommunity. Because of their stigma andpoverty, they are seldom admitted to generalhospitals, further isolating them.

According to the World Health Organization,there are more than two million womenthroughout the developing world who sufferfrom fistula, thousands of whom live in centralGhana. Because of their smell and soiled condition, they are cast aside by husbands andfamily members — abandoned and destitute.Others may be hidden away by loved ones, butare no less alone and lonely. But where somesee modern-day lepers, Burns sees sisters inthe human family. “These women can’t getjobs, they are complete outcasts,” she adds. “In some cases, even their own families willhide them. It’s pathetic and they need ourhelp.” This practice in Ghana today harkensback to similar circumstances in 19th-centuryAmerica when many physicians refused totreat female patients simply because they werewomen. Specialty treatment for gynecologyand obstetrics was virtually unheard of resultingin suffering for thousands of women. In 1852,the first article detailing the surgical principlesused to treat fistula appeared in the AmericanJournal of Medical Sciences, and by 1855, thefirst fistula hospital was opened on MadisonAvenue in New York City. After the patientpopulation outgrew the space, it was moved in1857 to a Park Avenue location that is now a NewYork City landmark — the Waldorf=AstoriaHotel. Fistula was eradicated in the westernworld at the end of the 19th century whencesarean section became more widely availableas a method of handling difficult deliveries.

As a result of her convictions, Burnsbecame one of the driving forces behind theestablishment of the Mercy Reproductive andChild Health Care Centre (MRCHC) inMakessim for pregnant women and their offspring, and the neighboring FistulaHospital. For Burns, that means maintaining a steady pace from sun up to sun down toensure that the hospital and center are wellequipped, that construction on ancillary projects such as storage facilities and garagesare complete and that no one forgets thewomen who need help. As project coordinator,she writes grant applications and preparesreports to show how the funding will be used, a task that takes up many of her hours.There are always boxes of equipment to sortthrough, contractors to meet with and potential patients to minister to — quite a bit for a youngster to tackle, let alone awoman in her 80s. But Burns, who is the only member of her order working in Ghana, seems to run circles around those half her age. “She’s incredible,” says Dr. JuliaUpton, RSM ’73G, ’75G, provost of theUniversity and a friend of Burns for severalyears. “At an age when most people are retired,putting up their feet and reading a book, sheis working to make a difference in the lives ofothers.” In 2004, Burns traveled to the Queenscampus for the Alumni Convocation and wasaccompanied by Upton when she received thePietas medal presented to alumni who havedemonstrated loyalty, fidelity and devotion to alma mater.

The early life of Burns served as her basictraining for the hot, dusty roads of Ghana.

Spring 2006 23

Burns with Sis.Victoria Swanzy-Essien SSND,

a nurse and member of the Mercy Outreach Team.

A view of the medical center and fistula hospital.

24 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

he youngest of seven childrengrowing up in St. Louis, she

knew from an early age that she would lead a religious life

and was drawn to the Sisters of Mercy whotaught at her school, loved the stories of themissionaries in Africa and yearned to share in that life. She entered the Sisters of Mercyorder in 1940 at the age of 17, went on toreceive a degree from the St. John’s HospitalSchool of Nursing in St. Louis and continuedher studies in biology at St. Louis University.Because of her science background, she spentyears as a hospital administrator, an educatorand even supervised surgical wards untilobtaining a graduate degree and a Ph.D. inneurophysiology at the University of ColoradoSchool of Medicine in Denver. When hersuperior suggested she work to help care forthe elderly sisters in her order, she served onthe faculty at St. Louis University School ofMedicine and spent summers studying brain ultra structure and neurochemistry at the Hoffman-LaRoche Department ofExperimental Medicine in Basel, Switzerland.That was followed by several faculty

appointments and an “early retirement” meantto allow her order the benefit of her pension.“In the old days, one went where one was sentand did what one was told to do,” she says ofher multi-faceted and multi-state career. Hermind was too active to just stop working, soshe accepted a professorship at the Universityof Iowa teaching mental health and studyingbrain circulation and blood-brain barrierfunction before teaching and furthering herresearch at the University of Ohio in 1982.Later, it was on to Ohio State where she was given the title of emerita professor of psychiatry in 1993 upon her next “retirement” to accept a Fulbright to teach at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.

As much as Burns knows the brain, shealso knows the heart, and hers knew she hadfound a land that called to her. She embracedthe people of Ghana and they in turn came to love her. Whether it be the hundreds of students she taught for several years or hervolunteer work for the Archdiocese of CapeCoast home for abandoned children, a lepercamp and an alcohol and drug treatment center, she opens herself up to be of service as

she sees human relationships inextricably tiedto spirituality. She is also project director onthe construction of a maternity ward inNsawam and for an extension of the library ata teacher training college in Cape Coast, but itis her work with the fistula sufferers that will beher most indelible legacy with the completionof the much needed MRCHC and FistulaHospital. George Gyader ’09D.A. met Burnswhen he was a student in Cape Coast in 1994and says her work is vital in his native landbecause the lack of any organized healthinsurance system means that many have no wayto pay for medical aid. “Her work will leave amark,” says Gyader, who Burns recommendedfor a fellowship to study at St. John’s. “At theend of the day, those who benefit from whatshe has done may never know how it came tobe, but it was through her.”

Her involvement with fistula sufferers grew out of her concern over the high infantmortality rates and lack of prenatal care forthe women of Ghana. While exact numbersare hard to determine, Burns has since learnedthat there are an estimated 200 new cases ofobstetric fistulae a year in central Ghana,

T

Burns and Victor Davis, aGhanaian with a biomedical

engineering degree assistingwith set up in the hospital

and medical center, unpack a piece of medical equipment.

Burns volunteering at the Abandoned Childrens’Home with Sr. Monica Smythe, DMJ, an Irish nursepractitioner, and some of the several hundred children that live and go to school on the compoundcalled "Ahotokurom," or Serenity Village.

Spring 2006 25

which underscores the need for the specialtyhospital. Although she is the project’s biggestbooster, the need is clear to the locals who haveembraced her and the construction of the newfacilities. “A few years ago, I was making visitsto the various chiefs because we needed to gettheir permission before we could go ahead withthe building,” she recalls. “One chief reachedinto his pocket and pulled out 50,000 cedi, whichis next to nothing in American money, but hewanted to pay for our fuel to come there becausehe said his people really needed the help.”

The project has moved ahead without benefit of government funding as Burns continues to mobilize people and resources,determined to see it through to completion.Her arsenal in the Fistula Hospital now contains a surgical theater suite, surgical wardswith 44 beds, a recovery unit with 10 beds anda large out-patient unit. Construction is nearlycomplete on the 23-bed hostel adjacent to thesurgical theater outfitted with a living room, a skills-learning room, two 11-bed dormitoriesand cooking, dining and laundry facilities.Fistula patients will be housed there long-termin preparation for surgery, as they are frequentlymalnourished and anemic. Installation recentlybegan on an underground rain water storagetank and rain water collecting system, imperative in a region that is often so dry. Her short-term strategic plans are to completebuildings for staff housing, parking lots,garages, security and storage facilities, anincinerator plus a second hostel added forpost-operative, long-term rehabilitation for

the women. Projected estimates show the total cost for the Fistula Hospital at $600,000dollars. So far, roughly $390,000 was raisedthrough grants and donations, many of thempersonally solicited by Burns who has becomequite creative at negotiating appropriations.“The Japanese Embassy in Ghana gave$57,000 and Ireland Aid gave €95,000 [forthe MRCHC],” she says. “When the Irish Aiddirector for mission work invited me to write aproposal, he did not ask about my citizenship,apparently assuming I was an Irish Sister ofMercy. I was later asked what Irish Province I was from and I told them none, but wasallowed to apply as the project director of acommunity with Irish citizens in it since thereare three Irish sisters here.” Gyader believes itis due to the esteem in which Burns is heldthat she is able to garner such support for thehospital and center. “It’s an issue of trust toraise money and to make sure that the moneygoes where it is supposed to,” he says. “She has shown me that selfless sacrifice can beachieved by anyone. You just need the will andthe ear to listen to God. Her energy and herdrive have served her well.”

Burns envisions a day when the battle cryis muffled, troop deployment to the field isless necessary and her leadership is no longer needed. She theorizes that it will take 30-50years to adequately attack the problems plaguingthe women of Ghana. Prevention methods forfistula include comprehensive medical care forpregnant woman, access to emergency obstetriccare for those who develop complications and

convincing young women to delay pregnancyuntil their bodies are physically mature enoughto handle delivery — all strategies that cannotbe tackled overnight. In 2003, the UnitedNations Population Fund launched a globaleffort to eradicate fistula, and in Ghana, representatives from the Ministry of Healthannounced a year later that they would institutenational policies including educational programsfor young women and improved documentationof cases by health care providers to deal withthis crisis. Burns works with a team of nunsfrom other orders who she believes will bemore than capable of carrying on what shestarted. Until then, she continues to seekresources and skilled volunteers to secure thefuture of the complex. “The more we have, the more we could treat the people who havefistula, and then go about trying to actuallyprevent it,” she muses.

For now, Burns is one of many soundingthe call for improved care as The RegionalHealth Administration, which offers healthcare services in central Ghana, is pledging to provide obstetricians, midwives, technicians and administrative personnel to work in the MRCHC and Fistula Hospitalonce they are operational. To Sr. ElizabethBurns, it all seems so simple — there is aneed to be filled. Others might think it oddthat she would abandon her own well-earnedcomfort at a point in her life when she couldbe forgiven for slowing down. But while the helpless are suffering, she can’t sit idle. A warrior never shies from a just war.

Burns and Dr. Catherine Husa (c.), a visiting gynecologist from Ithaca,NY, who is serving as a surgical volunteer, with a group of Ghanaianwomen at a roadside market.

Spring 2006 27

F U L F I L L I N G T H E D R E A M

THE CAMPAIGN FOR ST. JOHN’S — FULFILLING THE DREAM, THE SECOND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

UNDER FATHER HARRINGTON’S LEADERSHIP, IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN UNIVERSITY HISTORY

RAISING OVER ONE QUARTER OF A BILLION DOLLARS IN RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE EARMARKED

FOR SUCH TOP PRIORITIES AS SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT; FACULTY RESEARCH; ACADEMIC PROGRAM

INITIATIVES; FACILITIES ENHANCEMENTS; AND TECHNOLOGY. AS WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE

THE CAMPAIGN'S SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION IN MAY, WE LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCE OF ALUMNI

INVOLVEMENT IN THIS FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE THREE-PART SERIES EXPLORING HOW

ACHIEVING OUR GOAL WILL FULFILL MANY DREAMS FOR MEMBERS OF THE ST. JOHN’S FAMILY

— STUDENTS, FACULTY AND ALUMNI.

s a young man in the early 1960s, Thomas McInerney ’64UC,

’01HON hurried from his job in midtown Manhattan to

attend night classes at Schermerhorn Street in downtown Brooklyn.

There, during long, coffee-fueled evenings, he immersed himself in his

studies before catching the subway for the half-hour ride back home to

Flatbush. It wasn’t easy, working during the day and attending college

at night, but for McInerney it laid a foundation for a successful career

and a lifelong appreciation of education.

a l u m n i i n v o l v e m e n t

Aby Lisa France and Thomas Burke ’68C, ’71G

Thomas McInerney

28 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Today, he is general partner at the investment firm Welsh, Carson, Andersonand Stowe in New York City, a loyal alumnusand an ardent supporter of the Universitythat gave him his start. “It’s only in retrospectthat you see not only the absolute thingsyou learn, but also the process of learningand the discipline of having to go to classesand do the work. It is then that you realizehow tremendously educational and enrichingan experience it was,” McInerney nowreflects. “Looking back on those times, Irealize what a big impact it had. I wanted to do more professionally, I wanted to seemore and I wanted to be more involved inthe world.” Today, his involvement with students — academically, spiritually andfinancially — is evident in his commitmentto the capital campaign by helping to providethe very best to those who have the very least.“Every university has the effect of improvingthe lives of the students who go there justby virtue of the fact that they attend,” hesays. “But St. John’s is explicitly aboutimproving lives. It’s part of our statement,our mission, our goals and our values.”

Campaign funding has accounted formajor additions and improvements thatpermeate every aspect of campus life. Sinceits inception: more than 70 new scholarshipswere endowed; the Laptop Initiative waslaunched, placing a wireless computer intothe hands of every entering freshman; theSt. Thomas More Church and the TaffnerField House were completed on the Queens

campus, as was the DaSilva Academic Centerin Staten Island; the libraries and laboratorieswere significantly upgraded; and technologicalsophistication became an integral part ofnearly every classroom and curriculum.

Although St. John’s in 2006 is indeed avery different university from what it wasduring McInerney’s student days, its underlying mission of caring and compassionfor others remains unchanged. Now, asthen, academically-deserving but financially-burdened students are offered a helpinghand to make their dreams of a higher education a reality, and McInerney is astriking example of what such help canaccomplish. Watching this self-assured professional navigate his midtown

Manhattan office, it seems incongruous to think of him as someone who was oncein need of financial assistance. His parentswere not wealthy, and for the initial sixmonths of his freshman year, McInerneymatriculated on a partial New York StateRegents scholarship. When illness struck his father and the possibility loomed thathis dad might have to leave his job, youngMcInerney was forced to enter the workforcefull-time, which challenged his ability tocarry the 16 credits per semester needed to maintain his scholarship eligibility.Undaunted, he refused to let misfortunedamper his desire and worked even harderto finish his liberal arts degree.

What followed was a meteoric businesscareer and a reputation as a businessman of

integrity and innovation. He began to reapthe financial rewards that accompany hardwork and opportunity and, along with hiswife, Paula, gave magnanimously to causessuch as the Inner-City Scholarship Fundthat benefits schools of the Archdiocese ofNew York and a $10 million gift to almamater. It was a decision that was intrinsicallylogical and heartfelt for them. “The biggestsingle factor was the desire to give somethingback in proportion to the value I got out ofSt. John’s,” McInerney now remarks. “Theexperience of college and how that createdthe platform for my success in business is apowerful lesson.”

The man who credits an English literature class for fostering his love of

poetry is genuinely eloquent when he speaksof the necessity for higher education. Whenhe and Paula were honored at the EighthAnnual President’s Dinner with the prestigiousSpirit of Service Award, bestowed upon thosewhose vision, accomplishments and goodworks embody the essence of St. Vincent dePaul, McInerney held more than 1,000 guestsspellbound as he shared disheartening statistics gathered from the columns of TheNew York Times illustrating that college-agestudents from the poorest quarter of ourpopulation have only a nine percent chanceof getting a degree compared to those in thetop quarter who have a 75 percent chance.With tuition costs skyrocketing, that gapbetween the rich and the poor is wideningand McInerney bristles at this situation he

McInerney in his New York office.

“EVERY UNIVERSITY HAS THE EFFECT OF IMPROVING

THE LIVES OF THE STUDENTS WHO GO THERE JUST

BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT THEY ATTEND.

BUT ST. JOHN’S IS EXPLICITLY ABOUT IMPROVING

LIVES. IT’S PART OF OUR STATEMENT, OUR MISSION,

OUR GOALS AND OUR VALUES.”

Spring 2006 29

considers both disturbing and unfair. “Thewhole concept of making higher educationmore accessible to poorer people seems tobe heading south,” he says. “It’s a terriblemessage for the people who are beingadversely affected and, ultimately, for ourcountry.”

As the gap between rich and poorappears to be widening, McInerney sees themission of St. John’s becoming increasinglyvital. While he and Paula support specificinitiatives including the Student ManagedInvestment Fund, the Rome Scholarship Fundand St. Thomas More Church construction,they also expressed the desire that many oftheir gifts be directed toward the University’smost needed priorities, confident that themoney will be well utilized. “I’m lessconcerned and opinionated about how the money should be spent because I havethe belief that the people who are workingat the University know far better than I how to make those tradeoffs,” he remarksconfidently. “I don’t think I can make thedecisions and say whether we want a new

science lab versus automating the libraryversus the laptop program. So, I’m a bigbeliever in unrestricted gifts.”

Giving in all forms, whether in time ormoney, is extremely important to McInerney,and his support of the Campaign as both atrustee and contributor is exemplary. Assomeone completely familiar with the

world of business, he knows how importantit is for a university to be able to point to substantial alumni involvement when seeking additional funding from corporationsand foundations. He is well aware that theseorganizations carefully consider the level

of alumni support when making decisionsabout where to direct their charitable gifts,and he is pleased with how our alumni haveresponded to the multiple initiatives andgoals of the campaign. “Athletics, dormsand other facilities are all part of the quality of life [at St. John’s], and that helpsto attract good students,” he adds. “For ourcontributions, we want them to go to lots of different things that support the differentfocal points of the University. The Campaigncreates a goal — it creates a sense of focusthat energizes people.”

Alumni involvement has increased everyyear since the Campaign began to morethan double the level of support today.McInerney believes that launching an initiative as ambitious as Fulfilling the Dreamwas a natural way to foster continuedgrowth while capitalizing on the momentumof a graduate base over 140,000 strong. “A university of St. John’s size and profilehas a responsibility,” he says. “It can’t thinksmall, and it shouldn’t think small. If it thinkssmall, it is failing its many constituencies,which are potential students, former students,its actual students and the faculty.” Evidenceof the Campaign’s success can be foundwithin every academic area of the University.“The initial amount, $100 million, was an enormous undertaking. And then toincrease and ultimately exceed that, I think,is somehow right. It’s what should havehappened,” he beams. “There is satisfactionthat objectives are being met and pride that St. John’s is doing well in many different areas.”

Going forward, he would like to see students increase their level of service and improve their communication skills, something that he firmly believes is anecessity for professional success. He notesthat even the brightest graduates will

flounder if they are unable to express themselves well when speaking or writing.Fittingly, the evolution and expansion of theUniversity’s on-campus Institute for WritingStudies is just one example of the many academic initiatives made possible by thesuccess of the Campaign. He notes that theabundance of newly-endowed scholarshipscoupled with the ever-increasing academicstandards allows St. John’s to attract some of the best and brightest students fromvarying demographics. “There is no necessary trade-off between beingacademically rigorous and still serving the mission,” he says. “You don’t have tosacrifice one for another, and we haven’t.”

McInerney knows that the same spirit of giving that characterized the Campaignneeds to continue, and is hopeful that themany alumni initiatives and programsplanned for the future including an on-campus lecture series, expandedC.O.A.C.H. programs and various otherconstituency-specific activities will accomplish that goal. He is well aware thatthe end of the Campaign does not mean the end of the need, but rather moreresources for more students. As one withfirst-hand knowledge of the supreme satisfaction that comes from helping others,he embraces a personal philosophy that“…it’s great to make it, but it’s even better to give it away. If you’ve been successful,then you really have an obligation to society. But more importantly, you have anobligation to yourself — you can’t not give something back.”

With wife, Paula, and Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M.at the President's Dinner.

“THE CAMPAIGN CREATES A GOAL — IT CREATES

A SENSE OF FOCUS THAT ENERGIZES PEOPLE.”

30 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

campus briefs

Pomp and Circumstance: Commencement Traditions

The word commencement refers to a beginning, but for most people it connotesan end, a finale. Thousands of students have passed through the hallowed halls of St. John’s in anticipation of graduation dayand the conferral of their degrees. Whenthat day finally did come, they donned thecustomary caps, gowns and hoods, processedin solemn lines to designated seating andlistened to lofty speeches and upliftingmusic. They may have risen as the president conferred the rights and privileges of theirdegree, or perhaps they were called to thedais to receive the diploma. After the conferral, they were likely prompted by student marshals to transfer their tasselsfrom the right to left side of their caps. If they were doctoral candidates, they were ceremoniously hooded. At the end of the formalities, graduates may have letout shouts of exuberance, or even throwntheir caps into the air in elation. The spring2006 commencement exercises will markthe end of the 136th academic year at St. John’s and, while this year’s graduatesmight recognize some of the sights andsounds of earlier ceremonies, some of the pageantry and rituals would seem completely unfamiliar. Indeed, the firstcommencement exercises did not even have any college graduates.

The first “exhibition,” as it was called,took place at eight o’clock on a Mondayevening in June 1871 at Lewis Avenue.Students gave speeches on topics as diverseas “Pius the Ninth,” “Benjamin Franklin”and the “Treatment of the Indians.” Strainsof music filled College Hall and premiumsor awards were distributed to those of special merit. Dignitaries such as the Bishopof Brooklyn, the Right Reverend JohnLoughlin, were in attendance and graduateJames Moran earned a gold medal for general improvement in his various studies.An entry in the college diary describing the

event noted “the boys acquitted themselvesremarkably well of the parts assigned tothem.” Oratory, music and the distributionof premiums became a regular feature of theearly commencements, but it was not until1881 that the first college degree as we knowit — the Bachelor of Arts — was conferredto three graduates — Patrick Callahan, JohnMaguire and William McGuirl. Callahanand Maguire earned the first Master of Arts degrees two years later.

While the sparse early records do notreveal when caps and gowns were initiallyworn, the first attire was certainly black. A standardized code of academic dress forAmerican colleges and universities wasagreed upon in the 1890s and a photographof St. John’s graduates from 1905 indicatesthat, at least by this time, the senior classwore caps and gowns. Another, from 1908,shows that hoods became part of the regalia and by the late ’60s, newly-designed scarlet academic robes were phased inincrementally beginning with doctoral robesin 1968, master’s gowns the following yearand finally bachelor’s gowns correspondingwith centennial year celebrations.

Music has traditionally been an important accompaniment to commencementexercises. At various times in the past, theGlee Club and the College Chorus providedvocal performances while instrumentalarrangements of marches, like the familiarPomp and Circumstance, plus classical andpopular selections, were performed by theSt. John’s Orchestra, St. John’s Prep Band,the occasional organist and professional

groups from outside the school. In the late 1800s, it became common to sing theSt. John’s Farewell Song, set to the air of My Old Kentucky Home, at the close of exercises. Alma Mater (to the tune ofMaryland, My Maryland) and Hymn to St. John’s were staples at many a graduationand patriotic songs like the Stars and Stripesand the National Anthem have been commonplace since the 1920s.

The early commencements were evening affairs that occurred on weekdays.Beginning in 1925, exercises were held inthe afternoon and from the late ’40s, theytook place on weekends. Through the ’20s,the date of the ceremony was on or aroundJune 24, patron saint day of the University,St. John the Baptist. For over 100 years, themain commencement was set in June (withthe exception of the May 1943 graduation)and other smaller graduations took place inSeptember or January with August reservedfor the accelerated program during WorldWar II. Since the mid-’70s, the academicyear-end undergraduate commencementshave been in May.

The location of the ceremony has alsochanged over time. The original Lewis

by Blythe E. Roveland-Brenton, Ph.D. ’00G

Medals and other “premiums” were commonly bestowed on deserving

students. James Moran was awarded this gold medal for general improvement in

his various studies at the very first commencement in 1871. Ph

oto:

Bria

n M

ikes

ell

Clare Boothe Luce ’64HON,writer, politician, diplomat,

speaks to the class of 1964about the crisis in

Soviet-Chinese relations.

Members of the class of 1924pose for an informal snapshot outside of St. John the Baptistchurch on Lewis Avenue.

Phot

o: R

oute

l Stu

dio.

When the library was built on theQueens campus, the area in front

of it on the Great Lawn became an ideal spot to stage the

ceremony (held here from 1964-73 and since 2003).

The 1967 graduation is pictured.

campus briefs

32 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Avenue campus was home to the ceremoniesin the 19th century until the number ofgraduates and their guests outgrew theavailable space. In the early 1900s, othervenues were sought out that could accommodate the growing numbers such as The Bijou, Columbia, and BroadwayTheatres in Brooklyn — sites for the celebration during the initial years of the20th century. By 1909, the BrooklynAcademy of Music became the primarylocale for the event used for the last time bySt. John’s in 1948. All graduates were part ofthe same ceremony until 1928 when otherschools and colleges, like the School of Law

and College of Pharmacy, became part ofthe University and multiple graduation ceremonies were often held at various spots such as the Brooklyn Elks Club, theSchermerhorn Gymnasium and De GrayAuditorium on Lewis Avenue. Surprisingly,in 1942 and ’43, the law schools of St. John’sand New York University held a joint commencement. From 1949-1955, generalcommencements including all graduatestook place at the Second Corps ArtilleryArmory until, in 1956, commencement washeld for the first time outside of Brooklynon the newly-opened Queens campus wherethe tradition of a combined graduation (all schools and degrees) continued therethrough 1974. The first years’ exercises wereheld out of doors but moved to the newAlumni Hall (now Carnesecca Arena) in

From 1949 through 1955, the general commencement washeld at the Second Corps Artillery Armory in Brooklyn.The June 1949 exercises are pictured here.

Phot

o: Ja

mes

Kav

allin

es, N

ew Y

ork

Her

ald

Trib

une.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music, at Lafayette Avenueand Ashland Place, was home to the ceremonies

for many years during the period 1909 - 1948.

1961. Commencement again took place outdoors in 1964, this time in front of thenew library (St. Augustine Hall). Graduationreturned to Alumni Hall in 1974 because ofinclement weather, where it remained until2002 and prompted multiple ceremoniesbecause of space constraints. Since 2003, ageneral combined commencement returned to the Great Lawn in front of the library.Ceremonies are held at the Staten Islandcampus since it was acquired in the early1970s, at the Rome campus since 1998 and since 1994, like in the early days of itsexistence, the Law School graduation is celebrated separately.

We tend to think of commencement as a one-day affair, but for many decades well into the ’60s, it was usual for senior festivities to stretch out over an entire week ormore before graduation. A host of activitiestook place including the Sunday BaccalaureateSermon, Monday Mass and HolyCommunion for the seniors followed bybreakfast. Other traditions included the

annual baseball game between the seniorsand faculty held at Carey Field, a theatreparty in Manhattan, a farewell banquet and a dance. New events like boat rides up the Hudson and a trip to aBrooklyn Dodgers game wereintroduced in the 1940s, butduring 1942-45, the dancebecame a “war casualty.”Beach parties and picnicswere occasionally on theagenda and Senior Night,held before graduation,was a time to read classprophecies, holdValedictory addresses,transfer the class key to the juniors and present academicawards.

Honorary degrees to people of prominence have been bestowed by

Spring 2006 33

In the late 1960s, over a three-year period, the academic attire for graduate and undergraduate candidateswas altered. Shown here isthe 1969 commencement onthe Great Lawn, at whichtime the graduate studentshad the new scarlet robeswhile the undergraduateswore the traditional blackattire. The following year,the undergraduates wouldalso wear scarlet garb.

This brochure features a newly-styled scarlet doctoral

academic costume designed by Cotrell & Leonard, Inc., in 1968.

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34 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

St. John’s for more than a century with theearliest, an honorary Master of Arts degree,given in 1898 and the first honorary doctorate granted in 1902. Not surprisingly,many recipients were Catholic priests, especially in the early decades of this tradition, plus judges, politicians, collegepresidents and other educators, but peoplefrom all walks of life were chosen. Some ofthe most well known to receive honorarydegrees at graduations include: Paul Anka ’78HON; Arthur Ashe ’83HON; Duke Ellington ’71HON; Estee Lauder’90HON; Robert Moses ’59HON; CharlesOsgood ’90HON; and Kate Smith ’68HON.Often, an honorary degree recipient givesthe commencement address as have:Benjamin Cardozo ’28HON; J. EdgarHoover ’42HON; Clare Boothe Luce’64HON; Hon. R. Sargent Shriver ’65HON;Terence Cardinal Cooke ’69HON; DavidRockefeller ’71HON; Sister Helen Prejean’96HON; Raymond Kelly ’71L, ’98HON;Tim Russert ’99HON; and Ron Silver ’70G,’04HON. Except for the period 1972–1992when the University’s president gave theaddress, and occasionally prior to that,prominent people from outside the Universitygenerally serve as distinguished speakers.

Most graduates likely do not recall thecommencement speech delivered at theirceremony, though often quite eloquent, buttexts of some speeches were published eitheras a separate publication or in one of theschool or local newspapers. In the 1950s and ’60s, speeches were printed as a series of pamphlets entitled Educatio Christianawith topics ranging from the state ofCatholic higher education to concerns about pollution, poverty and war.

While mainly a time for jubilation, commencement exercises at colleges anduniversities are rarely free from controversyand tension, and St. John’s is no exception.Speeches have often been of a political orideological nature and students have beenunhappy with certain decisions, like the one that moved the outdoor ceremony intoAlumni Hall in the 1970s, necessitating split

sessions. The 1966 commencement drewabout 250 picketers, including members ofthe faculty, teaching unions and other schools,to protest the dismissal of professors a fewmonths before and to urge reform.

The local media covered this instance, aswould be expected, but news coverage of theevents surrounding St. John’s graduations isfar from unusual. Newspapers carried storieson the institution’s ceremonies from the1870s like the Brooklyn Eagle which ran thispiece following the 20th commencement in 1890: “The outside and inside of thebuilding were profusely decorated and theprivate residences in the vicinity were tastefully draped with bunting in keepingwith the exterior college decorations. Fromthe roof of the building to the sidewalk, longstrings of Chinese and Japanese lanternswere suspended and the flags of all nationscovered the windows and doorways of thestructure.” The experience of the graduatewho witnessed this day in June 1890 wasdifferent in so many ways from that of thegraduate seated on the Great Lawn this May 2006. Yet they share a common bondthat distinguishes them as proud andaccomplished alumni.

Blythe Roveland-Brenton is the University’s archivist.

campus briefs

Striking faculty members and supporters chose commencement

day, June 1966, to stage a demonstration.

Did you save mementos of your

commencement celebration or

Senior Week or photographs and

other memorabilia from that time

you would like to share?

To discuss a possible donation,

write to:

St. John’s University Archives

Library, Room 430

8000 Utopia Parkway

Queens, NY 11439,

call (718) 990-1465 or e-mail

archives@stjohns.edu

If you’ve made a direct gift to the University

or attended an event for which you paid a fee

in the last year, you are automatically considered

an annual contributor.

Your donation supports an advanced education

for deserving students and entitles you to myriad

discounts and services from our family of corporate partners.

Once you receive your Annual Contributor card in the mail,

take advantage of this and many other great offers:

For more information on becoming an annual contributor, log on to www..stjohns.edu/giving, call (718) 990-6232, toll free at (877) SJU-ALUM or e-mail alumni@stjohns.edu

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Alumni and friends gatheredfor a magical evening inJanuary to honor 10 legends ofbasketball who were more thanjust stars on the court, theywere shining examples ofintegrity, sportsmanship andtrue team players.

The St. John’s Legacy Honorsevent began with a dinner atthe Queens campus for thehonorees and family membersof athletes who were selectedunanimously for their achievements beyond wins and losses. Those feted, someposthumously, spanned thecentury from the 1920s to the1990s and were selected by acommittee comprised ofadministrators, coaches andmembers of the men’s basketballfamily who took into accountseveral aspects of the honoreescareers including athleticachievement, citizenship,

character, team success andnational recognition.

Touching remarks from thehonorees and surviving familymembers who spoke of thestrong ties between the recipients and the University,other players, coaches and family highlighted the evening’s ceremony. Even eight-year-oldMalik Sealy, Jr. spoke on behalfof the father he lost at such a

young age in an automobileaccident, bringing many in theroom to tears. The recipientswere also recognized the nextevening during half-time at the St. John’s vs. Pittsburgh men’s basketball game at MadisonSquare Garden and their names now each grace a banner hanging from therafters of Carnesecca Arena at the Queens campus.

36 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

campus briefs

Legendary Achievements

WALTER “THE TRUTH” BERRY whoplayed just two seasons but was the1986 BIG EAST Player of the Year andthe John R. Wooden Award winner,citing him the National Player of theYear for 1986. He totaled 1,424 careerpoints in those two seasons and was akey member of the 1985 NCAA FinalFour team and the 1986 BIG EASTTournament championship squad.

LOU CARNESECCA ’50C, ’60GEd,’00HON is the all-time winningestmentor with a career record of 526-200 and author of 18 20-win seasons. He directed his alma mater’s basketball program to fivepost-season NIT Championships and 18 NCAA Tournament berths,including the 1985 Final Four, andwas inducted into the NaismithBasketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

LLOYD “SONNY” DOVE ’76C is oneof only two players in the University’shistory with more than 1,000 careerpoints and 1,000 career rebounds. Hestarred in the mid to late ‘60s underJoe Lapchick and then Lou Carnesecca,and currently ranks 10th in all-timescoring with 1,576 career points andsecond all-time rebounder with 1,036 boards.

MARK “ACTION” JACKSON ’87SVCis the all-time leader in assists with738 and was the floor general for the great mid-1980s teams under Lou Carnesecca. His honors ran thegamut from the BIG EAST All-Rookieteam as a freshman in 1984 to anhonorable mention All-American tothe conference’s Defensive Player ofthe Year as a senior in 1987.

TONY JACKSON was a two-time consensus All-American and is currentlylisted ninth among the all-time scoringleaders with 1,603 points and is alsothird on the all-time rebounding listwith 991 career boards. He wasnamed the most valuable player ofboth the ECAC Holiday Festival andthe Postseason NIT during his 1958-59season on the varsity team.

JOE LAPCHICK was a legend, first as a player and then as a coach. Hisoverall record in two stints on thesidelines was 334-130 and he directedhis teams to 12 post-season NITappearances and four unprecedentedNIT championships in 1943, ’44, ’59and ’65. He was a 1966 inductee intothe Naismith Basketball Hall of Fameand was inducted into the inauguralclass of the St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

DICK MCGUIRE ’50C was a standoutduring the 1940s and a member ofthe 1944 NIT Championship team whowill always be remembered for hisplaymaking abilities, court sense andball-handling skills. He was a two-timeHaggerty Award winner for out-standing play in the New York areaand was inducted into the NaismithBasketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

CHRIS MULLIN ’85CBA is the all-timescoring leader with 2,440 career pointsand one of the most honored playersto ever take the court at St. John’s.His accolades include the 1985 John R.Wooden Award, naming him thenational player of the year, and theBIG EAST Player of the Year citationin 1985, placing him among the elitein college basketball history. He led St. John’s to four NCAA Tournamentappearances including the 1985 FinalFour and a No. 1 national team ranking.

Legacy honors went to…

Spring 2006 37

From l., sports broadcaster Spencer Rossrepresenting Seiden; Seiden’s sister SusanWinter; Seiden’s brother Ronald Seiden;Berry; Dove’s son Leslie Dove; Dove’s daughter Kimberly Dove; Lapchick’s son Richard Lapchick ’67C, ’01HON; Tony Jackson’s wife Patricia Jackson; Mullin; Mark Jackson; McGuire; Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M; Carnesecca; Malik Sealy, Jr.; and Sealy’s wife Lisa Sealy ’92SVC.

Below, banners honoring the legends hang from the rafters during the dinner.

National Civil Trial Competition

Law Students Capture Title

Buoyed by their 2005-2006 number-oneranking from the National Institute for TrialAdvocacy, members of the External TrialAdvocacy Team took the championship atthe Loyola Law School’s National Civil Trial Competition held in Los Angeles inNovember.

The team attends the Frank S. PolestinoTrial Advocacy Institute at the School ofLaw, which combines the Civil TrialInstitute and the Criminal Law Institute.

To be selected, participants must compete by conducting a cross examination andopening arguments in front of a panel oftwo to three faculty members. Those chosenrepresent the School of Law in competitionsacross the country and participate in mocktrials with experienced coaches to learn the fundamentals of litigation. The Loyolacompetition involved 16 teams and marked the first invitation for St. John’s toparticipate. It included an impressive rosterof evaluating judges including criminaldefense attorney Mark Geragos, who garnered headlines for high profile casesincluding those of Scott Peterson, MichaelJackson and actress Winona Ryder.

Keri Gould, faculty advisor for theInstitute and assistant dean for professional

skills and an assistant professor for clinicaleducation, says she stresses the importanceof the invaluable experience being gained bythe students. “It’s fun to win the competitions,but what we are really doing is trainingyoung lawyers,” she adds. “It’s a way to havestudents think collaboratively and learnabout preparation. Everyone works togetherand there are no stars on the team.” ElizabethBrown ’06L, one of the four winning teammembers, agrees. “It’s practical experiencethat you can’t get in the classroom. We prepared for a number of weeks and it is

just like a real trial withdepositions, transcripts,reports and exhibitsfrom which you haveto develop your case. A competition like thisgives us a chance toreally get our feet wet.”The mock case requiresstudents to argue both sides and alsosometimes serve as witnesses. “You areplaying a role, and one of the most challenging aspects

is figuring out the tone of the trial and getting into the skin of that role,” says John Paul Igoe ’06L, another member of the winning team.

Victoria Brown-Douglas, assistant director for the Center for ProfessionalSkills and an associate professor for clinical education, says students can participate in several trial competitionsincluding those held at the University. Last year, the Institute and the Nassau BarAssociation sponsored the National CivilRights Trial Competition and, in February,the Institute hosted the regional competitionfor the Texas Young Lawyers Association,one of the most illustrious trial advocacyprograms in the country.

From l., Deven Smith ’06L; Elizabeth Brown; Kristi Guigliano-Breloff ’06L;and John Paul Igoe won the first-place trophy at the 2005 National CivilTrial Competition.

MALIK SEALY ’92CBA is only the second player in school history to netmore than 2,000 career points, totaling2,402. A 1992 consensus All-American,he led teams which captured the 1989 NIT Championship and madethree NCAA Tournament appearancesunder Lou Carnesecca. His name can be found among many in the St. John’s record books, including atthe top of the career field goals (900)and career steals (238) charts.

ALAN SEIDEN was a consensus All-American in 1959, a team captainand key member of the squad thatbrought home the NIT Championship.Oftentimes mentioned with his backcourt-mate, Gus Alfieri, he provided a solid scoring punch andaveraged more than 20 points pergame in two different seasons. Hetotaled 1,374 points for his career.

38 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Annual99 thth

President’s Dinner

Save the Date

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Waldorf Astoria

The 2006 Spirit of Service Award recipients to be announced.

For more information, please call (718) 990–6776.

Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M.President St. John’s University

Dinner Co-ChairsLesley H. Collins ’83SVCWilliam L. Collins ’76CChairman and CEOBrencourt Advisors, LLC

Spring 2006 39

Courses will continue at the 175-acre Oakdale campus in Long Island despite apending sale of the property thanks to a lease agreement which allows theUniversity to continue holding classes there.

The sale, approved by the board of trustees in March and subject to the approvalof the town of Islip, is to the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry (JIB)and includes a leasing provision enabling the University to maintain and grow itsgraduate offerings at that location. “We will continue to be a vibrant academicpresence in Oakdale for many years to come, and believe this agreement is in the best interest of our students and our University,” said President Donald J.Harrington, C.M. “It allows us to continue to serve the Long Island community.”

Currently, graduate programs in library and information science, school psychology and educational administration, criminal justice leadership and supervision are offered at Oakdale and will not be affected by the sale. The property was purchased in 1999 from the La Salle Christian Brothers whose La Salle Military Academy was suffering from declining enrollment.

The JIB is a labor management organization whose representatives work toenhance the professionalism and financial stability of the members of the electricalindustry in New York City.

Bricks & Mortar Update

Oakdale Campus Sold

The first phase of a master plan designed to betterutilize space on the Queens campus is now completeand includes the relocation of the Office of AlumniRelations, previously located at the Citibank buildingon Union Turnpike, to the former Our Lady ofLourdes Chapel.

James Perrino, senior vice president, administration,says phase two is set for a spring launch with plans to construct an Institute for Writing Studies on thefirst floor of St. Augustine Hall and the reacquisitionof the leased Army Reserve Center located near theGoethals gate. “It’s a multi-year, dynamic plan thatwe will continue to evaluate as we go along,” Perrinosays. “The goal is to have the great lawn framed byacademic space, with the majority of classrooms andfaculty offices there, and have the administrativeoffices toward the perimeter.”

Queens Campus Reorganizes

The College of Professional Studies (CPS) at theStaten Island campus has moved into Rosati Hall, an early-1900s English Tudor-style house, originally a private residence that underwent renovations last summer.

Formerly offices to faculty from The School ofEducation and St. John’s College, it now accommodatesfour administrators, two staff members and 15 full-time faculty from CPS in addition to sharedspace for 50 adjunct professors and a study-abroadprogram allowing for more student/faculty interaction.To further facilitate that, a commons area was set up in the living room of the house made cozy by a working fireplace.

Rosati New Home to CPS

Guests at the blessing enjoy the student/faculty commons.

Two pergolas wereerected last fall aspart of an overall beautification campaign on theQueens campus.The four-column,stone-clad trelliseswith wood lattice-work are built out of the same quarriedfieldstone fromMassachusetts usedin the constructionof the old and newbuildings on campus.

40 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

If you’re looking to advance your

education in a familiar setting, consider

investigating St. John’s master’s and doctoral

programs through individual counseling and advisement with

our graduate admission and financial aid professionals.

There are just a few spring and summer graduate

recruitment events left, so don’t miss this chance to

participate either in person or online.

To register, go to http://new.stjohns.edu/open_house/register

or contact the Office of Graduate Admission at (718) 990-1601

or e-mail gradhelp@stjohns.edu for more information.

Are you a graduate with a relative who wants to further their education but has limited financial resources?

Requests for The Alumnae Memorial, The Legacy Academic andThe Peter J. Tobin College of Business scholarships available tofull-time freshmen entering in the fall term are now being accepted.

To be eligible for the Alumnae Memorial Scholarship, the applicant must have an alumna of St. John’s (mother, sister or aunt) serve as a sponsor

To be eligible for the Legacy Academic Scholarship, the applicant must have alumni parents or grandparents serve as a sponsor

To be eligible for The Peter J. Tobin College of Business Alumni Association Scholarship, applicants must be entering the Tobin Collegeof Business and must have an alumnus/a as a sponsor from that college

To apply for any of these scholarships, call (718) 990-6802, toll free to (877) SJU-ALUM or download and application at www.stjohns/alumni/legacy

ONLINE CHATS @ http://chat.stjohns.edu

� Domestic � International All 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. All 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.May 16 May 23June 20 June 21July 26 July 25

OAKDALE CAMPUS OPEN HOUSE

� Graduate Information DayJune 21 � 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. � La Salle Hall

Legacy Scholarships Available

��

�

QUEENS CAMPUS OPEN HOUSES

� Graduate Information NightJune 7 � 7 p.m. � Marillac Terrace

� Graduate Information NightJuly 26 � 7 p.m. � St. John Hall 112

More than 1,000 guests gathered for the 11th Annual InsuranceLeader of the Year Award Dinner in January at the MarriottMarquis in New York City and raised over $1.5 million for scholarships and programs supporting School of RiskManagement (SRM) students.

Each year at this premier event for SRM, a division of ThePeter J. Tobin College of Business, an individual is recognized for leadership in the world-wide insurance and financial servicesindustry. This year, Peter Lewis, chairman of The ProgressiveCorporation, was honored as the “2005 Insurance Leader of the Year,” an award presented annually since 1995 to recognizethe contributions of outstanding individuals which set them apartfrom their peers. “Peter Lewis has a long and distinguished

career in insurance and has built ProgressiveInsurance into a genuine powerhouse amongthe country’s leading auto insurers,” saidBrandon Sweitzer, director of Fairfax FinancialHoldings, Ltd. and chairman of the SRM board of overseers. “Without question, he deserves tojoin the ranks of those before him who havereceived this award.”

“Our students, most of whom come frommodest economic backgrounds, will be thedirect beneficiaries of the high esteem in whichPeter Lewis is held by the insurance industry,”adds Ellen Thrower, executive director of SRM.

giving back

Insurance Leader Dinner a Success

From l., Lewis, James Stone, chairman, Plymouth RockCompanies and co-chairman of the event, and Sweitzer.

Spring 2006 41

An Evening to Rememberby Nicholas Legakis ’97SVC

A crowd of alumni and friends gathered at The Hilton Garden Inn on Staten Island in November for “An Evening with the President,” an elegant cocktail reception held in support of the Staten IslandScholarship Fund and to pay homage to University supporters.

Richard Nicotra ’76NDC, ’86HON, chairman and president of theNicotra Group and Staten Island Hilton Garden Inn, and his wife Lois Nicotra ’77NDC, ’83GEd, chairman and chief executive officerof the Nicotra Group and Staten Island Hilton Garden Inn, were presented with the Fidelitas Award, given to couples who met at theUniversity, married and have consistently demonstrated their deepcommitment to alma mater. Elizabeth Dubovsky, executive directorof the SI Bank & Trust Community Foundation, was awarded theTerence Cardinal Cooke Medal for her outstanding contributions tothe St. John’s University community.

From l. Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M.; Elizabeth Dubovsky; Lois Nicotra;Larry Arann, committee chairman for the event; and Richard Nicotra.

42 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

30s

40sSEN. JOHN MARCHI ’49L, ’71HON was honored at the

124th anniversary ball of the Staten Island Institute of

Arts & Sciences for his contributions to the local

cultural scene.

50sANGELE D’ANGELO ’53P, ’73GP was

presented with the J. Leon Lascoff

Memorial Award from the American

College of Apothecaries at their

annual meeting in Coeur d’Alen, ID,

for her outstanding service to the

profession of pharmacy.

ANNE (’55Ed) and ANTHONY ADOLINO ’59GEd

celebrated 50 years of marriage last July with their

children, grandchildren and friends aboard a cruise

to the western Caribbean.

WILLIAM ANDERSON ’56CBA returned to the position

of chairman of the Service Corp. of Retired Executives

in Staten Island, which he previously held from 1999 to

2002. He is founder and retired chief executive officer of

the former Tartan Executive Services, Ltd., New York City.

JOHN TUTUNJIAN ’59UC (l.) caught up with Kings County

District Attorney CHARLES “JOE” HYNES ’57UC, ’61L,

’81HON at Keyspan Park in Coney Island at the unveiling

of the Jackie Robinson/Pee Wee Reese Memorial

commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brooklyn

Dodgers’ 1955 World Series championship.

60sMARTHA CURRAN ’62UC retired to Cranston, RI,

after 25 years as a computer programmer for the

U.S. Postal Service.

NICK DAVATZES ’62C, ’64G, ’95HON,

chief executive officer emeritus of

A&E Television Networks, was

inducted into the Cable Television Hall

of Fame during a gala celebration at

The Cable Center in Denver.

CATHERINE ROBERTSON ’65CBA was appointed to the

board of the Literacy Volunteers of America, one of the

largest affiliates of ProLiteracy America with over 1,000

member groups throughout the U.S.

JOSEPH MAROTTA ’65P completed the New York

City Marathon last November despite his battle with

diabetes, going legally blind and receiving a donated

kidney from his son Paul.

BARRY SALMAN ’65L was named chief administrative

judge of the New York City Supreme Court, Bronx County.

PHILIP MINARDO ’67L was appointed to the newly-

created position of administrative judge for Staten Island.

SANTO COSTA ’68P, ’71L was named to the board of

Constella Group, LLC, a global provider of professional

health services based in Durham, NC.

BARRY RADICK ’68L joined Huron Consulting Group in

New York City as a director in their corporate advisory

services practice.

BARBARA ANGIOLELLI ’69Ed was hired as a field

training specialist for Kronos, Inc. in Somerset, NJ.

WILLIAM D’ONOFRIO ’69CBA, ’74MBA retired aftermore than 33 years in leadership positions in regulation,accounting, operations and shared services for the electric utilities industry at American Electric Power inColumbus, OH, and now runs D’Onofrio & Associates,LLC in Powell, OH, offering regulatory consulting services for the electric utility industry.

70sJOHN COSTA ’70L retired from public service after

nearly 23 years as Clarkstown, NY, town attorney and

will work at his private law practice in Nyack, NY.

MICHAEL KAPLAN ’70Ed retired as state director for

charter schools for the New Mexico Public Education

Department in Santa Fe and founded Alternative

Educational Options, an educational consulting business

that provides technical assistance to developing charter

schools throughout New Mexico and other states.

ARLENE TEPLANSKY ’70Ed retired after 35 years of

teaching in Clinton, CT, and relocated to Bradenton, FL.

MICHAEL DORATO ’71P, ’73GP, ’76Pharm.D. is an

executive director of toxicology for Eli Lilly and Company

in Indianapolis.

BRUCE KELTON ’71L was appointed an administrative

law judge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals in

Irvine, CA.

DENNIS McGUIRE ’71CBA is the vice president,

regional spot director for Carat USA in New York City

and was given an “All Star” award for radio at the

MediaWeek 2005 annual ceremony in New York City.

SOL NEEDLE ’71L is a partner at Sirota Kurta Wyetzner

Needle & Ptak, LLP in New York City and serves as

chairman of New York City Community Board 18 and

president of the Mill Island Civic Association in Brooklyn.

ROBERT OBERSTEIN ’71Ed was appointed the new

labor relations administrator for the city of Phoenix.

RALPH CATALANO ’72CBA just formed a new insurance

marketing company, Security Partners, LLC, in Naples, FL.

ANN WINTERGERST ’72C was

promoted to full professor in the

department of languages and

literatures in St. John’s College.

alum notes

A Life of Service

ZEATHEA ARMSTRONG ’39P was inducted into

the Virgin Islands Women’s Hall of Fame for her

outstanding contributions and achievements toward

the advancement and development of the community.

She was the first female licensed pharmacist on

St. Thomas, opened its second drugstore in 1952

and served on several pharmacy, health and

community boards throughout the years.

Spring 2006 43

CHRISTOPHER FLORENTZ ’73C of

Christopher Florentz Public Relations

in Philadelphia received the

Independent Practitioner award from

the Philadelphia chapter of the

Public Relations Society of America

for a campaign his company created and presented at

the 37th Annual Pepperpot & Achievement Awards.

CRAIG SMITH ’73C was appointed director of affiliation

for The Center for Wealth Preservation, Syosset, NY.

JOHN ADAMOVICH ’75CBA, ’88HON accepted a position

as senior vice president and chief financial officer for

Aeroflex Incorporated in Plainview, NY.

VITO NARDELLI ’75MBA was promoted to executive

vice president and chief operating officer at OceanFirst

Bank, a subsidiary of OceanFirst Financial Corp.,

Ocean County, NJ.

WILLIAM MIECUNA ’75C is a grants

administrator for the U.S. Department

of Housing and Urban Development in

New York City and received the 2005

Clark R. Law Public Service Award

from the American Association of

Service Coordinators for managing a program that

allows owners and sponsors of federally-assisted senior

citizen housing to hire professional social workers to

assist residents and allow them to remain self sufficient.

MARILYN KAISER ’76C completed 20 years of service as

a clerk with North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System.

REGINALD MARRA ’76CBA

is the founder and owner of

Integral Journeys in

New Milford, CT.

LINDA PARISI ’76Ed, ’79GEd,

was appointed principal of Corpus

Christi School in Woodside, NY.

TERRENCE ULLRICH ’76MBA, senior

vice president of Chase Business

Credit in New York City, was elected

the 2006 vice president-finance of

the Commercial Finance Association,

the trade group of the asset-based

financial services industry.

ANTHONY BARBERA ’77CBA, ’87MBA is an assistant

professor of accounting and interim dean of the School

of Business at the State University of New York College

at Old Westbury in Old Westbury, NY.

ANN JAWIN ’77PD, founder and chair of the Center for

the Women of New York, was named Activist of the Year

by the Jefferson Democratic Club of Northeast Queens

and was honored by Comptroller William Thompson at

New York City Hall at an event celebrating prominent

Italian-Americans in recognition of a lifetime working

on behalf of equal rights for women, minorities and

the underprivileged.

TIMOTHY KOLLER ’77NDC served as chief of the

Richmond County District Attorney’s Supreme Court

Bureau since 1991 and was promoted to executive

assistant district attorney for the Office of the District

Attorney, Richmond County in Staten Island.

FREDERICK DUFFNER ’78C, who formerly led the

Revlon sales group and worked on the launch of the

Atkins brand, is now founder/president of Fred Duffner &

Associates and will provide sales and marketing direc-

tion for new client Vitasti, Inc. on their line of Acai Berry

products.

THOMAS LENIHAN ’78CBA is president of Health

Special Risk, Inc. in Carrollton, TX.

JOSEPH BARONE ’79P, ’83Pharm.D. was appointed

to the New Jersey State Health Planning Board.

JAMES CAMPBELL ’79CBA

was appointed by General Electric

Company as its new president

and chief executive officer of

GE Consumer & Industrial in

Louisville, KY.

NELSON GEORGE ’79SVC, a writer and filmmaker,

joined Black Entertainment Television’s expanded news

production team as their consulting producer on all

news and public affairs programs.

WARREN RUPPEL ’79CBA joined

Marks Peneth & Shron LLP in

New York City as their director of

government services.

80sFRED BOY ’80L was appointed

as general counsel for Tradeware

Systems Corp. in New York City.

SEBASTIAN BORRIELLO ’81C was promoted to director,

sales and marketing advanced wound care management

for Johnson & Johnson in Somerville, NJ.

PAUL FEINER ’81L was re-elected

to an eighth term as town supervisor

of Greenburgh, NY.

MARGARET KEANE-HAJDAROVIC ’81C,

’87MBA was appointed by General

Electric as president and chief

operating officer, retail consumer

finance, GE Consumer Finance-

Americas in Stamford, CT.

Taking the Show on the Road

PAUL ANTHONY MONGELLUZZO ’86SVC

wants to make Long Island residents laugh.The Massapequa resident and stand-up comic is launching and sponsoring the Long IslandComedy Festival this summer, a series of showsfeaturing New York-area comedians to be held inlocal theaters and music halls. “There used to bea ton of comedy clubs in Long Island years ago,but that number has really dwindled,” saysMongelluzzo, who performs under the name Paul Anthony and once even shared the stagewith comedian Chris Rock. He hopes to reignitean interest in comedy in the area that was oncethe stomping ground for such icons as JerrySeinfeld and Eddie Murphy and has alreadysecured fellow alum TONY COLLETTI ’88CBA

as a featured performer.

44 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

alum notes

LISA ANZISI ’82P, ’84MS is a clinical pharmacist

manager at Affinity Health Plan in the Bronx.

THOMAS HEINIMANN ’82MBA retired after 35 years of

service with The Bank of New York in New York City

where he was managing director of accounting systems

and controls.

ANTHONY SANTINO ’82C was

re-elected to a fourth term on the

Hempstead (Ll) Town Board and is a

senior councilman and legislative

majority leader in the township.

STEVEN BROCKETT ’83SVC was elected to a 10-year

term as a full-time Middletown City court judge in

Middletown, NY.

JOHN DALEY ’83MBA, president and chief operating

officer of Saratoga Polo and president of XPO

Enterprises, LLC, both in Saratoga Springs, NY, signed

with Crescende International Inc. in Vancouver to

manage the sponsorship, merchandising, licensing

and project management of its major traveling

exhibitions of art and artifacts.

KAREN HAZEL ’83SVC is the

owner of Hazel Communications,

a full-service marketing and

communications consultancy

company based in Minneapolis.

EDWARD LONG ’83SVC is an assistant vice president

with The Bank of New York in New York City.

KEVIN SAULS ’83CBA is president of KGS Financial Inc.,

a derivatives and financial consulting firm in New York City.

JOHN SIMONE ’83MBA is the director, business building

for Colgate Palmolive in New York City.

DANIEL WALSH ’83MBA was named

executive vice president and chief

ethics and compliance officer for

Cardinal Health in Dublin, OH.

THOMAS BARNES ’84SVC retired from the New York

Police Department Gang Division after serving 21 years

and is now a security consultant for a real estate firm in

New York City.

YVONNE MADDIONA ’84CBA is teaching at St. Paul’s

Lutheran School in East Northport, NY.

EDWARD O’DONNELL ’84CBA,

’88MBA, ’99L was promoted to

senior vice president at The Bank

of New York in New York City.

ELIE BAHOU ’86P is the director

of managed care business

development for Rite Aide

Corporation in Anaheim, CA.

ANTHONY SORRENTINO ’85SVC was promoted to

deputy chief investigator for the Kings County district

attorney’s office in Brooklyn and is a retired first

lieutenant for the U.S. Army Reserve, Field Artillery

Branch in Fort Tilden, NY.

MICHAEL PISAPIA ’86C, ’90L is a partner at Pisapia &

Lipsig Law firm in New York City.

KENNETH TIRANNO ’88CBA is a program specialist

with the U.S. General Services Administration in New

York City.

WANDA DeOLIVEIRA ’89SVC ’92L was promoted to

deputy chief of the sex crimes and special victims

bureau for the Office of the District Attorney, Richmond

County, Staten Island.

MARIAN JAFFE ’89GEd received the

New York City Department of Education

Guidance Counselor Recognition

Day Award for her dedicated and

outstanding service on behalf of New

York City students and their families.

PILAR ODENHEIM ’89MLS retired after 35 years as first

children’s librarian then director of the William E.

Dermody Library in Carlstadt, NJ.

JOSEPH TANCREDI ’89CBA joined Washington Mutual

Bank in Uniondale, NY, as first vice president and

regional underwriting manager.

90sJACQUELINE ROSS ’90C, ’93GEd holds a doctor of

education degree from Columbia University and is a

teacher at Marta Valle Secondary School in New York City.

JOAN ALVAREZ ’91GEd is a social studies teacher at

Garden City High School in Garden City, NY.

TYRONE VIAS ’91C graduated from the U.S. Capitol

Police Academy in Washington, D.C.

LINDA GEISLER ’92SVC, ’95G is an associate editor at

CMP Healthcare Media in Darien, CT.

ANDREW GORELCZENKO ’92SVC is a production

manager for “The People’s Court” television show in

New York City.

KARL SCHAEFER ’92SVC is a police officer with the

New York Police Department, an instructor at the Police

Academy in New York City and is pursuing a master’s in

social work at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

EVANGELOS APOSPORIS ’93MBA is a vice president,

business development for The Bank of New York in

Jackson Heights, NY.

Breaking RecordsKoch Records, one of the largest

independent record companies in the

music industry, has three alumni on

their senior staff. Pictured showing

their Red Storm pride are, from l.,

ED FRANKE ’88SVC, senior vice president

of sales, BOB FRANK ’87CBA, president,

and RICK MEUSER ’87L, senior vice

president of business and legal affairs/

general counsel. Based in New York City

and part of the Koch Entertainment Group

of Companies, which includes distribution,

video and publishing, their catalog includes artists from a variety of genres including Ringo Starr, Howard

Jones, Jeffrey Osborne, Joan Baez and rapper Li’l Romeo. According to Variety, Koch Entertainment is “the

fastest-growing independent music and video company in the U.S.”

Spring 2006 45

ROBIN BEAVER ’93SVC, ’94G joined

the law firm of Riker Danzig Scherer

Hyland & Perretti LLP in New York City

as an associate.

RALPH BRANCIFORTE ’93CBA

joined Sahn Ward & Baker, PLLC

in Garden City, NY.

JEFFREY BREEN ’93SVC was awarded a master’s

degree in telecommunications management from

Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, and is a

technical specialist, client network operations for AT&T

in Bedminster, NJ.

PATRICIA CHAKERES ’93MLS,

a reference librarian at Elizabeth High

School in Elizabeth, NJ, was named

Teacher of the Year for the Elizabeth

School District, an award given by the

Elizabeth Education Association, and

is a past recipient of the Edward F. Kappy Memorial

Award for her distinguished teaching.

ANTHONY FILLORAMO ’93SVC is a systems engineer

with Hartz Mountain Industries, Secaucus, NJ.

STEVEN KREITMAN ’93SVC graduated from Seton Hall

University in South Orange, NJ, with a master’s in

healthcare administration.

FRANK ODEH ’93P and his wife, Lisa, opened their

second pharmacy, Prosperity Outpatient Pharmacy,

at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA.

DAMON COROMILAS ’94CBA opened Pottery In The

Works in Beverly Hills, FL.

LAURA MONAHAN ’94GEd is a school counselor at Prall

Intermediate School, West Brighton, NY.

PETER MONTANTI ’94SVC is a licensed funeral director,

managing director of Menorah Chapels, Inc., New

Springville, NY, and a member of Assumption Council,

Knights of Columbus in West Brighton, NY.

PETER PISAPIA ’94CBA, ’97L was promoted to director

and counsel at BlackRock, Inc. in New York City.

JENNIFER STEINER ’94NDC, ’98GEd is a second-grade

teacher at P.S. 58, New Springville, NY.

AVIANCA BOUCHEDID ’95SVC is the

vice president and the head of global

corporate citizenship for Interaqt

Corporation in Pine Brook, NJ.

JESSICA FELDMAN ’95NDC is a speech-language

pathologist with United Cerebral Palsy, Brooklyn

Children’s Program, and a home-based independent

contractor for the early intervention program in Brooklyn.

LINDA GANNAM ’92SVC, ’95G is an associate editor at

Cliggott Publishing, a division of CMP Healthcare Media

in Darien, CT.

RAYMOND LAMBRIGHT ’95SVC joined Pearlstine

Distributors Inc. in Charleston, SC.

MICHAEL PIZZINGRILLO ’95C, ’98GEd is the associate

superintendent for instruction, government programs

and public policy for the Roman Catholic Diocese of

Brooklyn and began a doctoral program in education

administration and supervision at Fordham University,

Lincoln Center, in New York City.

NADINE RICKETTS ’95C is a senior analyst on the

investment team for the North Carolina State Employees

Pension Fund in Raleigh.

MEGHAN BURKE ’96SVC is a

recruiting coordinator/assistant coach

of women’s basketball in the athletics

department at Yale University, New

Haven, CT.

ROBERT CASTERLINE ’96SVC is an associate with

E*Trade Financial in Jersey City, NJ.

EILEEN MANNINO ’96CBA is an accounting manager for

Comcast Cable, Toms River, NJ.

DANA PRITSKY MORELLO ’96Ed is a special education

math teacher for the Harrison Central School District in

Harrison, NY.

KEVIN BUTHORN ’97CBA is a firefighter with the New

York City Fire Department in Brooklyn.

EDOUARD JOSEPH ’97C is chief

executive officer at Prince

Development, LLC in West Palm

Beach, FL, and recently founded a

skincare company called

Princereigns.com.

JENNIFER COWAN ’97CBA, ’05MBA is a vice president

with Marsh, Inc. in New York City.

DANIEL QUINONEZ ’97NDC is a senior political field

director for the International Council of Shopping

Centers in Washington, D.C.

CHRISTOPHER D’AMBROSE ’98CBA is a trading

assistant for Bank of America and a specialist on the

floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.

RICHARD DELGIORNO ’98SVC is an enterprise information technology contract officer for the CityUniversity of New York in New York City.

CARI GENOVESE ’98CBA, ’99MS is a tax specialist of state and local taxes with Altria Group, Inc., formerlyknown as Philip Morris Companies, Inc., in New York City.

MICHAEL GUERIN ’98C founded

Veritas Wealth Management, LLC,

an independent wealth

management firm in

Brookfield, CT.

CHARLENE KNADLE ’98D.A. is an

associate professor of English at

Suffolk Community College, Grant

Campus in Brentwood, NY.

IGNAZIO MESSINA ’98SVC was promoted to education

reporter of The Toledo Blade, a Pulitzer-prize-winning

daily newspaper in Toledo, OH.

KELLY O’BRIEN ’98CBA is an assistant vice president

with Marsh and McLennen in New York City.

LISA VENTO ’98CBA, ’99MBA is a senior project

manager with McGraw Hill Education in New York City

and an adjunct professor at alma mater.

JASON BRACCO ’99CBA is a vice president of trading

with Blue Line Capital, a division of Buckman, Buckman

& Reid, in Shrewsbury, NJ, and is a singer with the

Staten Island-band, Crisis of the Day.

VALERIE CORVINO ’99CBA is a media supervisor with

KWG Advertising in New York City.

NOELLE DEPASQUALE ’99SVC is a paralegal with

Weiser & Associates in New York City.

MICHAEL FULMINO ’99CBA, ’00MS became a

certified public accountant and was named manager of

residuals and contract accounting for New Line Cinema

in New York City.

BRIAN JOHNSTONE ’99SVC is the vice president of

operations for Always Rent, Inc., Piscataway, NJ.

46 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

alum notes

BELLA KANG ’99L is an associate with Jones Hirsch

Connors & Bull P.C. in New York City.

JOSEPH LA MICELA ’99L was promoted to vice

president of the legal department at Bear, Stearns

and Co., Inc. in New York City.

SALVATORE LICARI ’99SVC is an associate with Bear

Stearns in New York City.

CHRISTIAN MARIANO ’99SVC is a pharmaceutical sales

representative with Cardinal Health, Syracuse, NY.

00sCASSANDRA CHIACCHIO ’00C, ’05G is pursuing

membership in the American Speech-Language and

Hearing Association in Rockville, MD, and is a speech

therapist with Eden II, a program in Elm Park, NY, that

provides specialized services for people with autism.

ROBERT DANZA ’00CBA is an assistant vice president

and certified public accountant with Merrill Lynch in

Jersey City, NJ.

ELEANOR KELLY ’00Ed, ’02GEd is a kindergarten

teacher at P.S. 23 in the Richmond section of Staten Island.

WALTER KISSEL ’00CPS is an officer with the New York

City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn and a member

of the Holy Name Society, one of the oldest Catholic

fraternal organizations within the NYPD.

ANTHONY MAZZO ’00CBA is a financial analyst with

Time, Inc. in New York City.

SEAN MESKILL ’00P, ’05Pharm.D. is a staff pharmacist

at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, NY.

ANGEL RODRIGUEZ ’00C is a submarine operations

officer for the U.S. Navy at the Mayport Naval Station,

Mayport, FL.

MICHAEL SACCENTI ’00C is a sanitation worker with

the New York City Department of Sanitation in Brooklyn.

NICOLE TASSO ’00CBA is a licensed real estate associate

with Abiding Real Estate Agency in Dongan Hills, NY, and

a member of the Staten Island Board of Realtors.

PETER VANTERPOOL ’00CBA is the branch manager at

Robert Half International, Inc., Kew Gardens, NY.

DANIELLE ANTENNA ’01Ed is a second-grade teacher

at P.S. 14 in Stapleton, NY.

MICHAEL BURNS ’01C is a customer relations specialist

with Reliable Van & Storage, Elizabeth, NJ.

ANTONELLA COLOMBO ’01TCB is a securities lending

accounting administrator with The Bank of New York in

West Paterson, NJ.

JOHN DIDONATO ’01TCB is a private access client

service specialist with Fidelity Investments in

New York City.

JOANNE HOGAN ’01CPS is

pursuing a master’s degree in

public administration and policy

at the University of Pittsburgh.

BRIAN LYONS ’01TCB is an agency trader with Robotti

& Company in New York City.

CYNTHIA MATHIS ’01CPS was promoted to the positionof deputy director of human resources for the New YorkCity Department of Citywide Administration Services andis earning a master’s degree in public administration atLong Island University.

VILMA MELENDEZ ’01GEd is an assistant principal forthe Mickey Mantle School in New York City.

CHRISTINE MORELLO ’01TCB, ’02MS is a senioraccountant of financial reporting and analysis withMoody’s Investors Service in New York City.

ROSEANN RUBINO ’01C is a speech-pathologist withVolunteers of America, Early Learning Center inTottenville, NY, and is a dance instructor and studentwith Staten Island Dance Center in Annadale, NY, whereshe teaches children with special needs.

JENNIFER SEAMAN ’01Ed, ’02GEd, ’05PD is in her fifthyear of teaching at Holy Family School, Flushing, NY.

WENDY TUOSTO ’01P is a registered pharmacist withCVS Pharmacy in Grasmere, NY.

KRISTINE URSILLO ’01C, ’03MBA is a securities

compliance examiner with the U.S. Securities and

Exchange Commission in New York City.

EILEEN DARRAGH ’02GEd is the director of the Edwin

Markham Childhood Center in Stapleton, NY.

COURTNEY FARMER ’02P is a pharmacist with CVS

Pharmacy in Sunnyside, Staten Island, NY.

SOPHIA FARAJ ’02TCB, ’03MS is a senior tax consultant

with Deloitte Tax, LLP in New York City.

KELLY GALVIN ’02C is a global custody income

administrator with Sumitomo Trust & Banking,

Hoboken, NJ.

TRACY LOTITO ’02CPS is a general clerk in the Center

for Women’s Health at Staten Island University Hospital

in Ocean Breeze, NY.

ROBERT MODZELEWSKI ’02TCB, ’03MS is a tax

consultant with Deloitte Tax, LLP in New York City.

MARISA MUSTILLI ’02CPS is the owner of First Class

Learning Center, a daycare in Bloomfield, NJ.

CHRISTINE OLIVERI ’02CPS, ’05L; ALISON

ANDREWS ’05L; JACLYN BELSON ’05L; TERI ANN

PULIAFICO ’05L; JACQUELINE RIZK ’05L and JESSE

RUTTER ’05L were all appointed assistant district

attorneys by Queens district attorney Richard Brown.

NICOLINA TARTAMELLA ’02TCB, ’03MS is a tax

associate with Grant Thornton in Edison, NJ.

MONICA COLON ’03TCB is an analyst for UBS

Investment Bank in Stamford, CT.

Wishing on a Star

LAUREN BITTNER ’02C is using the acting chops

she honed while a member of the Chappell

Players to break into Hollywood. She followed the

big lights and appeared in last year’s Paul Reiser

film, “The Thing About My Folks,” as Trish; filmed

a pilot, “Nobody’s Watching,” from the creator of

NBC’s “Scrubs” sitcom; played a small role as

“Nicole” on the daytime drama “Guiding Light;”

and appeared in the film, “Flannel Pajamas,”

shown at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. “It’s

been a crazy time,” says Bittner who continues to

audition for television pilots and movies. “You are

on set with all of these celebrities and you feel

like maybe they made a mistake. You have to

constantly pinch yourself and remind yourself

that they did indeed choose you.”

Spring 2006 47

VINCENT GIOVINAZZO ’03MBA is an account

executive with Future Trade Technologies in

New York City.

ALISSA MARCHI ’03TCB is an assistant manager

with Wells Fargo Financial in the Travis section of

Staten Island.

PABLO MARTINEZ ’03C is the third secretary of the

Ecuadorian Foreign Service for the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of Ecuador.

WILLIAM SMOLTINO ’02TCB, DIANA GOODHEART

’03TCB and MARGARET ANTONIELLO ’04TCB are all

financial services representatives for the Shore Road

Financial Group, an office of MetLife Financial Services,

in Brooklyn. The trio of recent graduates work under the

leadership of the firm’s managing director VICTOR

MURO ’87CBA, ’89MBA.

MATTHEW STOLFO ’03TCB is a product manager

of mutual-fund operations with UBS Financial

Services, Inc., Jersey City, NJ.

NATALIE TODMAN ’03CPS was hired as a fair housing

counselor at the New York Urban League in Harlem.

HOLLY DEMAREST ’04TCB works as an 11th grade math

teacher at Notre Dame Academy High School in Staten

Island and is enrolled in the master’s program for

education at the University.

JONATHON HAYNES ’04CPS is a police officer for the

Avon Police Department in Avon, CT.

ROBERT IADANZA ’04MBA is a senior account

manager with 1-800-Flowers.com in Westbury, NY.

JASLEEN KAUR ’04Pharm.D. is a pharmacist with

CVS Pharmacy in Elizabeth, NJ.

ALISON KEANE ’04TCB is a marketing associate with

Talk Marketing, Morristown, NJ.

JOSEPH TARTAMELLA ’04MBA accepted the full-time

assistant coach position with the University’s women’s

basketball program.

ALISON ANDREWS ’05L is an assistant district

attorney in Queens.

BARBARA CROOKS ’05C works as a bilingual case

manager for the Briarwood Family Residence run by

The Salvation Army in Jamaica, NY.

ARIANA DEL BUSTO ’05GEd is a Spanish teacher at

Curtis High School in Staten Island, NY.

LILIA PONTON ’05C is pursuing her master’s degree in

health service administration at Saint Joseph’s College

of Maine in Standish, ME.

Missing a Class Ring?A 1965 class ring was returned to the University

and we would like to get it to its proper owner.

If this might be your

ring, or you have

information

pertaining to it,

contact the

Office of Alumni

Relations at

(718) 990-2419 or

(877) SJU-ALUM.

To order or replace a class

ring, contact Mark Sunderland at Herff Jones

at (631) 226-2270.

JOSEPH MARZIOTTI ’53UC, ’55L

wrote Chris: A Memoir (Old SoldierPublishing, 2006), the story of hisson’s life and battle withleukemia.

WILLIAM DRENNAN ’56UC is the author of AdvocacyWords: A Thesaurus (American Bar Association, 2005)to be used by those in the legal profession as an effective aid in communicating.

FRANK STEVENS ’58G wrote The Big Apple and OtherFoods You Can’t Eat (Authorhouse, 2005), a book ofhundreds of food-related double meanings.

JASON MIRANDA-LEVI ’61L writesunder the pseudonym of JosephSteven and is the author of twonovels, The Spanish Enigma(PublishAmerica, 2004) andDancer In The Dark (AirleafPublishing, 2005).

DONALD FARINACCI ’63C wrote When One StoodAlone: John J. Sirica’s Battle Against The WatergateConspiracy – A Tale of Moral Courage (Xlibris, 2005).

F. ANTHONY D’ALESSANDRO ’64Ed published thepoems Scraps of Life in the anthology Familiar(People’s Press, 2005), and Just a Walk in the Park in the anthology Friends: Stories of Friendship(A Measure of Words Press, 2005).

LINDA SANFORD ’74Ed, ’98HON

co-authored with Dave Taylor LetGo to Grow: Escaping theCommodity Trap (Prentice Hall,2005) designed to show business leaders how to let go of outdated business models and management systems and embrace collaboration as a means of driving innovation and sustained revenue growth.

KENNETH BLUME ’80G wrote the Historical Dictionaryof US Diplomacy from the Civil War to World War I(Scarecrow Press, 2005), the first in a planned new series.

DALE BENJAMIN DRAKEFORD ’83G is the author ofseveral books in various genres including A PoliticalEducation Life Arts Project (Writers Press Club, 2003)and A Universal Template For Research Position andLife Experience Papers: Applied To Contemporary UrbanEducation (iUniverse, 2005).

JOHN SULLIVAN ’85SVC is theauthor of the novel Rock and Roll Murder (iUniverse, 2005),a mystery about a detective and rock journalist who team up to find a rock music icon’skiller in New York City.

ROBIN GORMAN NEWMAN ’87MBA wrote How toMarry a Mensch: The Love Coach’s Guide to FindingYour Mate (Fair Winds Press, 2006) and formerauthored How to Meet a Mensch in New York.

70sTHOMAS LENIHAN ’78CBA to Cathy Bratton

– July 4, 2005

80sTHERESA DELGADO ’82SVC to James Bluett

– May 1, 2005

EDWARD LONG ’83SVC to Angela Shaw

– September 18, 2004

KERRY KENNEDY ’88SVC to Daniel McBride

– October 2, 2004

KENNETH TIRANNO ’88CBA to Jacqueline Menza

– February 19, 2005

90sFRANCINE KAUFMAN ’91G to John Queen

– August 6, 2005

LINDA GANNAM ’92SVC, ’95G to Raymond Geisler

– August 13, 2005

ANDREW GORELCZENKO ’92SVC to Tracy Howard

– August 7, 2005

JOSEPH MORALES ’92SVC to LYDIA BONILLA ’94SVC

– October 9, 2004

LAURA MONAHAN ’94GEd to William Hayes

– November 19, 2005

PETER MONTANTI ’94SVC to Stacey Payne

– September 6, 2005

JENNIFER STEINER ’94NDC, ’98GEd to Richard

Selvitella – November 19, 2005

JESSICA FELDMAN ’95NDC to Matthew Greenzweig

– November 12, 2005

NADINE RICKETTS ’95C to Brad Taylor – June 12, 2004

PETER TUTRONE ’95SVC, ’97MBA to Jennifer Denaro

– August 12, 2005

MEGHAN BURKE ’96SVC to Juan Brown – May 20, 2005

THOMAS DALY ’96NDC to Jennifer Nigro

– August 6, 2005

KEVIN BUTHORN ’97CBA to Bridget Ryszetnyk

– October 15, 2005

JENNIFER COWAN ’97CBA, ’05MBA to Craig Ellefsen

– December 9, 2005

EDOUARD JOSEPH ’97C to Sheri Bernard

– March 6, 2005

MICHELE BRANDNER ’98NDC, ’00GEd to Saverio Binetti

– October 15, 2005

CHRISTOPHER D’AMBROSE ’98CBA to Krista Savarese

– October 15, 2005

RICHARD DelGIORNO ’98SVC to Anita Legan

– September 10, 2005

VERONICA GAUDIUSO ’98CBA, ’99MS to Steven

Busiello – August 6, 2005

CARI GENOVESE ’98CBA, ’99MBA to James Capper

– November 5, 2005

TEDDY KAMBOURIS ’98CBA to Popi Anthoulis

– November 27, 2005

JASON BRACCO ’99CBA to ROSEANN RUBINO ’01C

– September 30, 2005

YENDI DANIELS ’99SVC to ROODLEY LHERISSON

’02CPS – June 4, 2005

NOELLE DEPASQUALE ’99SVC to Charles Carbone

– September 10, 2005

MICHAEL FULMINO ’99CBA, ’00MS to Christine D’Aiuto

– August 7, 2004

BRIAN JOHNSTONE ’99SVC to Dana DaGraca

– October 29, 2005

BELLA KANG ’99L to David Manno – November 7, 2004

SALVATORE LICARI ’99SVC to Cherisse Dicupe

– December 2, 2005

JOSEPH LA MICELA ’99L to Viktoriya Laskina

– April 27, 2003

CHRISTIAN MARIANO ’99SVC to CASSANDRA

CHIACCHIO ’00C, ’05G – October 16, 2005

RAENA SUAREZ ’99SVC to Daniel McCarthy

– May 23, 2004

00sELEANOR KELLY ’00Ed, ’02GEd to Dieter Ventura

– September 17, 2005

MICHAEL O’ROURKE ’00CPS to OLIVIA PROSPERO

’01C – August 13, 2005

MICHAEL SACCENTI ’00C to Rachel Marsh

– December 10, 2005

NICOLE TASSO ’00CBA to Richard Andersen, Jr.

– October 9, 2005

DANIELLE ANTENNA ’01Ed to Christopher Bellone

– November 11, 2005

MICHAEL BURNS ’01C to Ericalee Perosi

– August 27, 2005

MARY CAGGIANO ’01Ed to Justin Hendelman

– August 12, 2005

ANTONELLA COLUMBO ’01TCB to JOHN DiDONATO

’01TCB – October 1, 2005

THOMAS LaPERA ’01C to KIMBERLY SANTORO ’02C

– July 17, 2005

EVA LONARDO ’01Ed to Angelo Rivera

– November 4, 2005

BRIAN LYONS ’01TCB to Kathleen Schatz

– October 21, 2005

MADELYN MEJIA ’01C to Jeffrey Heigl

– August 13, 2005

JENNIFER SEAMAN ’01Ed, ’02GEd, ’05PD to

GARY McCOMISKEY ’02CPS – July 8, 2005

WENDY TUOSTO ’01P to Anthony Maiello

– November 13, 2005

KRISTINE URSILLO ’01C, ’03MBA to Mark Geissler

– October 8, 2005

EILEEN DARRAGH ’02GEd to Anthony Zaccone

– October 29, 2005

DAMELLIA FREEMON ’02CPS to Gerald Browning

– March 22, 2003

KELLY GALVIN ’02C to Michael Mangino

– October 22, 2005

TRACY LOTITO ’02CPS to Anthony Galanti

– September 30, 2005

ROBERT MODZELEWSKI ’02TCB, ’03MS to

NICOLINA TARTAMELLA ’02TCB, ’03MS

– October 9, 2005

ALISSA MARCHI ’03TCB to Paul Tarantola

– October 15, 2005

PABLO MARTINEZ ’03C to Daniela Alvarez

– August 20, 2005

NICOLE GADE ’04L to Nathan Brill – September 3, 2005

ROBERT IADANZA ’04MBA to KimLi Arjani

– October 22, 2005

DAWN PASSANESI ’04Ed to John Manning

– September 17, 2005

ARIANA del BUSTO ’05GEd to Michael Chiaravalloti –

October 1, 2005

alum notes

48 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

Name: SS#: Year: School:First Middle/Maiden Last (Used for graduation verification)

Home Address: Apt. #: if new address, as of:

City: State: Zip: Phone: ( ) E-mail:

Business: Title:

Business Address:

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First Middle/Maiden Last

Yr./School: Date of death:(If other than family member, guardian or legal executor, submissions toIn Memoriam must include a printed obit).

We want to know what’s new with you since you left St. John’s. Have you been promoted? Changed jobs? Received an award? Moved? Started a family? Retired?Please use this form as a guide for submitting personal anecdotes and updated information.

Mail your submission to: St. John’s University, c/o Alumnotes Editor, Alumni Magazine, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, fax it to (718) 990-6812,e-mail bushelld@stjohns.edu or enter online at www.stjohns.edu/alumni/alumnotes.sju

50sHENRY MILLER ’52C, ’59L and wife, Dawn, a daughter,Anna Marie – August 23, 2005

80sEDWARD GEIGER ’80CBA, ’88MBA and wife, Monica,a son, William – August 30, 2005

GREG POPLARSKI ’80CBA, and wife, Camellia, theirsecond son, Drew Edward – January 9, 2006

EDWARD LONG ’83SVC and wife, Angela, a son, Edward– October 25, 2005

PETER CAIRNEY ’85CBA and wife, Anna, a daughter,Laurel Dillon – May 10, 2005

JAMES STARIN ’86CBA and wife, Maryellen, a son,James Robert – May 25, 2005

THOMAS DOYLE ’88CBA, ’92MBA and wife, DEBRA

MARINO ’90CBA, ’93MBA, ’99GEd, twin daughters,Amelia Margaret and Colette Regina – January 6, 2006

JIMMY MUNIZ ’88CBA, ’98MBA and wife, VERA

RODRIGUES ’95CBA, ’97MBA, their second daughter,Sarah Nicole – June 6, 2005

90sJOAN ALVAREZ ’91GEd and husband, Robert Mazzella,their second child, a daughter, Sophia Rose – October 21, 2005

DEBRA MANCINI ’91C and husband, Thomas Pizzuto,

a daughter, Giulia – September 6, 2005

JOHN DEVLIN ’92NDC, ’02MBA and wife, ELLEN

LUNNY ’93CBA, ’97MBA, their second child, a son,

Ryan Edward – August 1, 2005

ROY GARLISI ’92SVC and wife, KRISTINE ALBANO

GARLISI ’95NDC, ’97G, their second daughter, Katherine

Amelia – February 12, 2005

JOSEPH MORALES ’92SVC and wife, LYDIA

BONILLA ’94SVC, a daughter, Alicea – August 5, 2005

WILLIAM BERDINI ’95CBA and wife, Rosina, daughters,

Emma – February 6, 2004 and Maya – June 28, 2005

ANDREA GRAZIANO CONROY ’95NDC, ’98GEd and

husband, Michael Conroy, a daughter, Victoria Grace

– November 1, 2005

EILEEN MANNINO ’96CBA and husband, MICHAEL

MANNINO ’03MBA, a daughter, Taylor Lauren

– March 16, 2005

DANA PRITSKY ’96Ed and husband, Peter Morello, a

daughter, Sophia Grace – September 24, 2005

KERRI BOND-HIRSCHEY ’97L and husband, Ryan, a

son, Christian James – October 7, 2005

JENNIFER DiLORENZO ’97Ed and husband,

RICHARD DiLORENZO ’98CBA, a daughter, Ashley Paige

– November 20, 2003

CHARLES KASSATLY ’97CBA and wife, KELLY O’BRIEN

KASSATLY ’98CBA, twin daughters, Brianna and

Corinne – July 7, 2005

DANIEL QUINONEZ ’97NDC and wife, Maria, a son,

Andrew – February 24, 2005

CORINNE JACOB ’98C and husband, Gabe, a son,

Tyler Cristian – July 29, 2005

JENNIFER KEELING ’98NDC and husband, Fred, a son,

Daniel – June 7, 2005

JOSEPH LA MICELA ’99L and wife, Viktoriya Laskina,

a son, John Peter – April 15, 2005

00sSUBRENA CHIN ’00CBA and husband, KEITH HENRY

’00CBA, a daughter, Gabriella Maya – August 16, 2005

SEAN MESKILL ’00P, ’05Pharm.D. and wife,

JULIET NARLOCH ’00P, a son, Ryan Scott

– December 12, 2004

DAMELLIA FREEMON ’02CPS and husband, Gerald,

a son, Isaiah – August 23, 2003

News submissions will be published in the order received. Submissions may be edited for space and style.

50 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

alum notes

20sMorris Kessler ’28LMartin Stein ’29L

30sSidney Kaminsky ’30LHelen Bird ’31LIrwin Rever ’31LJoseph Slepian ’32LWilliam Didie, Sr. ’33CMortimer Yares ’34PNathan Cohen ’36LWilliam Kanter ’36LBoris Kostelanetz ’36L, ’81HONSidney Rosenfeld ’36LDomenick SanFilippo ’36LSebastian Serpico ’36LMaurice Sussman ’36L, ’38LJack Siegel ’36CBAEnuphry Benishin ’38PJohn Murphy ’38CPaul Zito ’38CLester Cooper ’39LCatherine Neaher ’39LAlfred Rosenberg ’39LArthur Savitt ’39L

40sEdward Comerford ’40CWilliam Riley ’40CEdward Gilgan ’41CBAFrancis Lehner ’43LMary Winkler ’47NDCLouis Johnsen ’48CBARobert Levy ’48LDaniel Simner ’48LDavid Armet ’49CBAKenneth Birchby ’49LEleanor Deschner ’49NDCVincent Oliva ’49CBA

50sSalvatore Moscatt ’50LJohn Walsh ’50LCharles Brownley ’51PRobert Einstman ’51UCRobert Palmer ’51LDonald Rossler ’51GMurray Zidel ’51CBADaniel Conti ’52PEugene Cronin ’52CBAEugene Cross ’52CBAFelix DiNardo ’52CLeopold Feliu ’52CDonald Noonan ’52CBALou Daukas ’53LGerald Griffin ’50C,’53LNedda Miele ’53PAlfred Shiels ’53L

Julia Simms ’53NEd, ’56GNEdJohn Bacon ’54LSalvatore Messina ’54CBARudolph Aicher ’55CBADonald Bishop ’55UCWilliam Daly ’55GThomas Clarke ’56CBAFlorence Downs ’56NEdMargaret Barry ’56UCVincent Grimaudo ’56CBATerrence Murphy ’56LThomas Rohan, Jr. ’56LBernardine Rosenthal ’56NDCBernard Joy ’58LWilliam Nagle ’58CBAThomas Price ’58CBADolores Raymond ’58EdElizabeth Shea ’58NDCDelores Brereton ’59NEdMichael Costello ’59CBAVincent Kane ’59CJohn Nicoletti ’59CDenis Tyrrell ’59C

60sRichard Olcott ’60UC, ’61G, ’78GEdAnthony Pistone ’60LRobert Sheridan ’60CBAPaul Corboy ’61UCGeorge Armeit ’62CNora Corcoran ’63GNEdStanley Gibleski ’63CBAArthur Maddalena ’63CBAThomas Fettes ’64CBA Nancy Hatala McKiernan ’64Ed,

’67GEd Anthony Kauflin ’65MLSMarcella Anton ’66CBA, ’75MBARev.Thomas Casella, C.M. ’66CCarole Jablonski ’66CBA, ’71MBAThomas Lambert ’67GRichard Lanza ’67LAndrew Marra ’67PMaurice Bongirne ’69CBA, ’76MBAAndrew Bartolone ’69UCLaura Smith ’69UC

70sJohn Latteri ’70CBAJohn Paider ’70LJudah Rackovsky ’71MLSCecelia Maher-Simonetta ’71EdRobert Wells ’71LPeter Demetriou ’72SVCJoan Grott ’72MLSJ. Joseph Hofmann ’72PDJohn DeSena ’73Ph.D.Norman Dow ’73SVCMarilyn Hawkins ’73GEdRobert Clark ’74GJames McMahon ’74L

Nicholas Collura ’75GRalph Sciame ’75SVCMarie Connelly ’76CBAAngela Misciagna ’76NDCRonald Rappo ’76LDorothy Bauer ’77CBAEileen Condon ’78MCCarlos Tiu ’79MBA

80sDebbie Passigli ’80GPJeanette Peckauskas ’80GPJoseph DeFilippis ’81SVCColleen Cregan ’82CBA

Gasper Gulotta ’82HONJohn Hazelton ’83SVC, ’00GEdGerard Tarter ’84CBAAnthony Sapichino ’85CBAJoan McPartlin ’87GCharles Wenzel ’89C

90sEdward Rohmer ’90CPhilip Ulan ’96LJohn Devlin ’98SVC

00sSean Bailey ’03C, ’05MBA

Hon. Conrad Duberstein ’41L, ’91HON

Judge Duberstein was a giant in the field of law, and at alma mater. A native New Yorker, he

attended Brooklyn College and graduated from the School of Law in 1941. After earning a

Bronze Star and a Purple Heart in World War II, he joined Schwartz, Rudin & Duberstein as

partner in 1954. He retired after a long career as a bankruptcy lawyer and was appointed to the

bench in the bankruptcy division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in

1981. He became chief bankruptcy judge in 1984 and, until his passing, was the most senior

active judge in that district. His honors include the naming of The Conrad B. Duberstein

Bankruptcy Courtrooms and Chambers in the newly-renovated General Post Office Building in

Brooklyn, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and the Medal of Honor, the highest award given

to an alumnus. His professional influence led to the formation of an LL.M. degree in bankruptcy

at the Law School and a national bankruptcy moot court competition that bears his name. He

was also a member of the University Council, the Loughlin Society and a Reunion volunteer.

Major General Joseph Healey ’52UC

Healey was a former commanding general of the Army’s 42nd Infantry Division and one-time

president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Brooklyn Preparatory High

School before coming to St. John’s, he later matriculated at Brookings Institution and Harvard

Business School. In the late 1960s, he commanded the Fighting 69th Infantry Regiment of the

National Guard founded by a group of Irish volunteers and made famous by the 1940 film “The

Fighting 69th” starring Pat O'Brien and James Cagney. During the fiscal crisis of the 1970s in

New York City, he served as a member of the Emergency Financial Control Board and an adviser

to the governor. One of his last major projects was leading efforts to renovate and restore Duffy

Square in Times Square, named for Father Francis Duffy, a highly decorated World War I chap-

lain depicted in the 1940 film. In recognition of his many contributions to the state of New York,

Governor George Pataki ordered the flags at the Lexington Avenue Armory, home of the Fighting

69th Infantry Regiment, be flown at half-staff in Healey’s honor.

John Holohan ’97SVC

Holohan was just starting to enjoy a taste of fame when tragedy struck. The drummer for the

band Bayside was heading to Utah as part of the “Never Sleep Again Tour” when the group’s

van flipped on a patch of ice outside of Cheyenne, WY. “Beatz,” as he was lovingly known, never

forgot his St. John’s roots where he majored in criminal justice and served as pep band director,

even as his band enjoyed increasing national exposure. Bayside was formed in Long Island in

2000, and by 2003, they were invited to contribute a song on the album “Bad Scene,

Everybody’s Fault,” a Jawbreaker Tribute that featured Face To Face, Sparta and Fall Out Boy.

They were one of the first bands to use Web sites such as MySpace and Friendster to connect

with fans and their growing popularity led to coverage in publications like Teen People,

Alternative Press and Guitar World.

Submissions to In Memoriammust be received by letter,e-mail or as a printed obitfrom a family member,guardian or legal executor to Lisa Capone, Division ofInstitutional Advancement,St. John’s University,8000 Utopia Parkway,Queens, NY, 11439,caponel@stjohns.edu orvia fax to (718) 990-1813.

Charles Fontanelli ‘03Ed andMelissa Gambale ‘01Ed

When it came time for their nuptials, CharlesFontanelli and Melissa Gambale came back tothe place that sparked their romance. The couplemet in 1999 while students in an elementary education class and went on their first officialdate at a Spring Fling on the Queens campus. Whenthey decided to tie the knot in February 2005, itseemed only natural to return to alma mater wherethey became one of the first couples to marry in

the then newly-opened St. Thomas More Church.The newlyweds live in Floral Park, NY, Melissa isa math coach at P.S. 326 in Brooklyn and Charlesis a teacher at Robert W. Carbonaro School inValley Stream, NY.

Spring 2006 51

James Toner ‘63UC andMary Pat Toner ‘63UC

The inside joke was that Jim and Mary PatToner had to get married so he could get some rest.

During the first week of their freshman yearat Schermerhorn Street in 1959, the Bronx boyand Brooklyn girl encountered each other inline at a sandwich shop just a couple of blocksfrom the 14-storied campus where Jim assisted Mary Pat with a minor wardrobe malfunction. After that, they ran in to eachother so often due to their common intereststhat they became best friends. They even double dated and would sometimes take in aBroadway show, but to maintain their friendship, meals together were “Dutch treat”with Mary Pat slipping her share of the bill toJim under the table. Things got serious in theirjunior year when Jim asked Mary Pat to wearhis Indians’ fraternity pin with the mutualunderstanding that an engagement ring wouldbe the next step.

Now that they were an official couple, Jimtraveled up to three hours by subway on theweekends to pick up Mary Pat in Bay Ridge

before attending one of the school events.Getting home meant one subway to TimesSquare for Jim, then a transfer to the last stopon the Bronx-bound line. So started the teasing

that their nuptials werenecessary if Jim was to ever have a chance of getting a good night’s sleep. A year after graduation, their marriage took place in Brooklyn where one of their theology professors officiated at the ceremony.Of their circle of closefriends, they say at leastnine others found theirspouse at St. John’s.

Today, they live in NewFairfield, CT, and Jim hasretired from his positionas promotions directorwith the Society ofPlastics Engineers whileMary Pat is a libraryparaprofessional at

New Fairfield High School. They are the parentsof three sons and the grandparents of four,are very active in their local parish and enjoy traveling. Jim is finally very well rested.

If St. John’s played a role as matchmaker in your life, we want to know about it. If there are several

generations of St. John’s graduates in your family, we want to know that also. Share your story

with the Alumni Magazine readership by contacting the associate editor at (212) 284-7009 or at

francel@stjohns.edu

alum notes

Melissa and Charles in front of St. Thomas More Churchon their wedding day.

The happy couple today.

Jim and Mary Pat on their wedding day.

John Albers ‘64UC andHelga Bernhardt Albers ‘63Ed

Chemistry class turned out to be the scene of an experiment in love for John and Helga Albers.They met in 1960 as undergraduates at thedowntown Brooklyn campus where John was anoutstanding science student who helped many of his classmates, including Helga, get throughsome of their toughest courses. Helga was veryinvolved in student activities and served as features editor of the student newspaper, theDowntowner, and as editor of the Epitome literarymagazine. Although John eventually matriculatedat the Queens campus and Helga traveled toEurope after graduation to attend the University of Munich, these high achievers never lost interestin each other and found a way to make their distance relationship work. John was acceptedinto the doctoral program at MIT in 1964,they married in 1966 and Helga joined John in Cambridge where she taught at a junior/community college in Boston and they started a family. They now live in Maryland where theyenjoy retirement and are the parents of two andgrandparents of four.

a conversation

One thing Bob Sheppard ’32C, ’00HON is never at a loss for iswords. These days, he just has fewer to share. The “Voice of TheYankees” since 1951, he recently retired as the public address(PA) announcer for the New York Giants after a 50-year run.

Having introduced legends on the field such as Joe DiMaggio,Mickey Mantle, Fran Tarkenton, Frank Gifford and HerschelWalker, Sheppard is one of the most respected and celebrated in this sometimes-fleeting profession. Because announcing, orworking as a PA, is often a result of supply and demand, histribute from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inCooperstown, NY, in 2000, and the moniker of “The Voice of God,”given to him by Yankee Reggie Jackson, are in deference to hisgreat talent and longevity. He taught for several years as anadjunct at alma mater and announced the Red Storm footballand basketball games for many years, so he didn’t mind at allanswering a few questions for readers of the Alumni Magazine,which he did using perfect diction.

How does it feel to be referred to as “The Voice of God?”(Chuckling) I would say it is definitely an exaggeration.

How do you keep your voice in shape? I’ve studied voice all of my life. I’ve never smoked, I drink a little and I’ve learned aboutthe care of the voice. If you stay in shape and take care of thevoice, it will serve you well.

Who has the most difficult name to pronounce in professionalsports today? In baseball, there was a pitcher who played on the West Coast named Shigetoshi Hasegawa. At the moment, in my more recent past, there’s a defensive end for the Giantsnamed Osi Umenyiora. He gave me an autographed football to thank me for the way I said his name.

What is your fondest Giants’ memory? My association with the whole organization from Wellington Mara [president and co-chief executive officer of the Giants football team] all the way down through the ranks. I had a great relationship withWellington Mara even though he was a Fordham man and I was a St. John’s man and there’s a bit of rivalry there. In my 50 years with the Giants, I’ve never had a written contract or even an oral contract. It was all done with a handshake.Whenever I needed or felt I should get a raise, I would call and say, ‘Wellington, I think it’s time to increase my pay.’ It was just a friendly, friendly situation. No demands.

Just a handshake? How do you think you were able to havesuch a unique arrangement? I think Wellington and I had a lot incommon. He was a man of integrity and a man I greatly admired.I think he stood for good conscience, he was a man who caredfor people and a gentleman to the core.

What will you miss most about Giant Stadium? I will miss mostthe travel from Long Island to New Jersey, and I will be glad to miss that. That, I think, was a big factor in my retirement.

It would take a long time to drive from Long Island to EastRutherford, New Jersey. Then, after the game was over, therewould be 50,000 people all trying to leave at the same time. Itcould take an hour or so to get out of the parking field.

Is there any other job you would have liked to have done orcould imagine yourself doing? My career was teaching. A publicaddress announcer only works part time. In football, I worked 10days a year and in baseball I worked 81 days. No one makes a living as an announcer. Teaching was my life. I started working at St. John’s in 1936 and I put in more than 50 years, usually as an adjunct. I worked in the New York public school system as aspeech teacher and as a chairman of the department. I loved it.

So what advice would you give someone trying to make it as apublic address announcer? How can you make a living working81 days in baseball and 10 days in football? When I started withthe Mighty Yankees in 1941, they paid me $15 a day. If they hada double header, the pay was $17.50. The first thing you need to be a public address announcer is a full-time job that allowsyou the schedule to be able to do it.

How long do you think you will continue to work for theYankees? I will be starting a two-year contract in April. I will bethere for the next two seasons if God continues to give me thestrength and the desire, if the Yankees continue to want me and if I am still alive, I will continue.

What kept PA work challenging for you allthese years? I have never changed my style in over 55 years. I have always wanted to be clear, correct and concise. The three Cs.

What will you do now with all your freetime? I think my wife, Mary, and I willwatch the Giants fromthe comfort of ourhome with a niceRob Roy cocktailat my elbow.

Photo: New York Yankees

A Major Announcement

52 St. John’s University � Alumni Magazine

For more information, contact Stacey Philips Varghese at (718) 990-2982, e-mail philipss@stjohns.edu or log on towww.stjohns.edu/giving

MEMBER LEVELS ARE

� 1-4 years after graduation - $150 or above� 5-7 years after graduation - $300 or above� 8-9 years after graduation - $600 or above

MEMBER BENEFITS INCLUDE

� Recognition in the annual Honor Roll of Donors

� Invitation to the prestigious Loughlin Society Reception� Advance tickets to the summer and winter concerts� Networking opportunities

As you realize career success, you can help deserving students achieve

their dreams of a higher education.

The Loughlin Society, our leadership giving society whose members

support the most-needed priorities, offers an associate

category for recent undergraduates.

Become a Loughlin Associate and make a difference in the lives

of our more than 20,000 deserving students.

8000 Utopia Parkway

Queens, NY 11439

If you’re interested in teeing up for a good cause,

spend some time on the green with your fellow

alumni at any one of these planned outings and

support the red and white* at the same time:

MAY 12

SRM Sixth Annual Alumni and Friends Golf TournamentKnoll Country Club • Parsippany, NJContact Melodee Harper at (212) 277-5110 or e-mail harperm1@stjohns.edu

JUNE 7

Law School Suffolk Chapter Alumni Golf OutingCherry Creek Country Club • Riverhead, NYContact Claire McKeever at (718) 990-6006 or e-mail mckeevec@stjohns.edu

JUNE 19

19th Annual Newman Golf ClassicHempstead Golf and Country Club • Hempstead, NYContact Rev. James Dorr, C.M. at (718) 990-6226 or e-mail dorrj@stjohns.edu

JULY 18

27th Annual Staten Island Golf OutingSouth Shore Country Club • Staten Island, NYContact Nick Legakis at (718) 390-4146 or e-mail legakisn@stjohns.edu

JULY 31

Baseball Golf OutingPlandome Country Club • Plandome, NYContact Susan Abbott at (718) 990-7566 or email abbotts@stjohns.edu

SEPTEMBER 11

Hon. Guy J. Mangano Golf OutingTam O’Shanter Country Club • Brookville, NYContact Claire McKeever at (718) 990-6006 or e-mail mckeevec@stjohns.edu

SEPTEMBER 18

Alumni Golf OutingPine Hollow Country Club • East Norwich, NYContact Ray Lipinsky at (718) 990-6034 or e-mail lipinskr@stjohns.edu

*All proceeds support scholarship assistance for worthy students.

Teeanyone?