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The 2007-08 season proved to be the same story, different chapter for the Emmanuel women’s basketball team, which claimed the program’s 12th Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship and earned another trip to the NCAA Division III tournament.

The top-seeded Saints tore through the conference championship tournament in dominant fashion, defeating their opponents by an average of more than 25 points per contest. In the finals, Emmanuel faced-off against second-seeded Suffolk University, which only three weeks prior had defeated the Saints 66-55, ending their eight-game win streak. Storming out of the gates quickly, the Emmanuel women refused to let the Rams stay in the hunt, taking over the lead for good just four-and-a-half minutes into the game and cruis-ing to their second-straight league title with a 70-51 decision.

In the first half, the Saints utilized their sharp shooting and pressure defense to bury the Rams at both ends of the court, dropping six three-pointers and forcing 20 Suffolk turnovers to open up a 42-29 lead heading into the locker rooms. The second half was much of the same, with Emmanuel continuing to capitalize on turnovers, expanding their lead to as much as 28 points and coasting to the finish line for the team’s 13th invitation to the NCAA tournament.

“The whole weekend we played the best basketball we have played all season long,” said Head Coach Andy Yosinoff. “We were operating on all cylinders and it was just a great team effort.”

Jacque Pannell ’08 was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player

for her consistently stellar play during the weekend, totaling 38 points, 25 rebounds and seven steals through-out the three games. Iman Davis ’10, who earned the GNAC Player of the Year distinction, performed valiantly as well, chipping in 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists and a game-high seven steals in the title match to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team. She was joined by teammate Jade Paez ’08, who averaged over 11 points per contest during GNAC postseason play.

Drawing SUNY Brockport, the Saints traveled to host William Smith College in Geneva, NY on March 3rd for the first round of the NCAA tournament. Excited to see his players peaking at the right time, Yosinoff saw great potential in their ability to bring the same commanding presence to the court once again – this time on the nation’s biggest stage.

“With everything coming together at that time, I was extremely optimistic

about heading to upstate New York to play SUNY Brockport,” he said. “We didn’t know much about them, but we saw it as a good draw.”

Unfortunately, a slow Saints’ start, mixed with an opening 18-4 Golden Eagles’ run, placed Emmanuel in a tough spot from the get-go, with their opponents expanding their lead to 25-7 with 7:39 to go before halftime. Captains Paez and Pannell played a big part in getting the Saints back into the fray, igniting the team on a quick 10-3 run and eventually cutting Brockport’s lead to 34-24 before the buzzer.

“We came out somewhat nervous, especially the younger players who had not been there before,” said Yosinoff. “I was proud of the way the team kept its composure and battled back.”

Despite cutting the Golden Eagles’ lead to three and remaining within striking distance in the final minutes, the Saints’ season ultimately came to a close that night, with Brockport holding on to win 68-64. The Saints finished the winter with a 22-7 record.

With the season now officially drawn to a close, the Saints part ways with the largest graduating class during Yosinoff’s 31-year coaching career at Emmanuel, players the longtime head coach has especially enjoyed watching mature during their tenure in Blue and Gold.

“They are great kids,” he said of the outgoing seniors. “They really came together as leaders at the end of the season and I was really proud of them. They will be missed.”

Paez ends her collegiate career as one of the finest players to ever wear a

sports newsOnce Again, Saints’ Season Highlighted by GNAC Title, NCAA Berth

Strong Season Earns Men’s Basketball an ECAC Tourney BidThe opportunity to participate in a national postseason tournament should prove valuable to an Emmanuel College men’s basketball team that will return all but one member of the 2007-08 squad to the court next season.

Accepting the program’s second-ever invitation to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) tourna-ment, the second-seeded men were upset by seventh-seeded Western Connecticut State University at home on March 5th, 91-66. Despite the loss, the Saints came away from the game fueled to make good on their main goal next winter: Claiming their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title.

“We were ecstatic to get a bid to the ECAC tournament,” said Head Coach

Jamahl Jackson. “It’s always good to get in because it recognizes that you have had a good year, and that can get lost sometimes when you don’t win a championship. Although the game was in no way indicative of how the team has played this year, hopefully ending on that note will motivate our guys to come back and ensure it doesn’t happen again next year.”

The Saints’ pursuit of the GNAC crown ended in their semifinal contest against Lasell College, a game that Jackson thought was nothing short of an all-around great college basket-ball match-up. Playing in front of a capacity crowd at Lasell’s Laserdome, Emmanuel and the Lasers battled back and forth all night, switching leads eight times on top of eight ties, until

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Levi Smith ’08, pictured here with Head Coach Jamahl Jackson and Assistant Coaches Howie Harrison and Ted Cottrell, represents the lone player

the Saints will be losing to graduation this year.

Jacque Pannell ’08 was named this year’s GNAC tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Emmanuel College’s Model United Nations (UN) Club walked away from this year’s Harvard National Model UN Conference as one of just a hand-ful of delegations recognized during the four day event held February 14th-17th at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston.

Andrew Ammon ’08 received the award for “Outstanding Delegate” at the yearly conference, which brings together nearly 3,000 representatives from the U.S. and students from over 30 countries to discuss some of the major challenges facing the world today. This was the first award won by the club at Harvard’s prestigious conference, with Northeastern University’s team representing the

only other Boston-area school to earn recognition.

“I knew I wanted to try and get an award this year, I wanted to get some notoriety for the club and the Col-

lege,” said Ammon. “Although it may have been myself on the committee, it was a team effort. My conference mates were all so helpful keeping me on my toes. This award is just as much theirs as it is mine.”

“Overall, this was our best performance thus far,” said Club Advisor and Assistant Professor of Political Science Petros Vamvakas. “I thought it was extraordinary for Andrew to win, it was great for his confidence, as well as the group overall. In this year’s group we have a number of seniors who have worked together for a long time and at times felt overwhelmed by the competition. This win was great reward for a lot of hard work…I’m extremely proud of every single member of this club.”

In just its second year as an official Student Government Association

Emmanuel NewsMARCH 2008

IN THISISSUE

New Science Chair Focused on Developing, Expanding Programs

4

8Emmanuel Celebrates 16th Founders’ Day

3

Lydon to Speak at Wyant Lecture on March 27th

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Season Wrap-ups

Time Off Well SpentAlternative Spring Break Provides Aid in New Orleans, Phoenix, Boston

Media personality and journalist Christopher Lydon will offer his perspective on “Will We Be Better in the New Media World?” as part of the Wyant Lecture Series on March 27th at Emmanuel College.

Christopher Lydon has been a distinctive voice in many media: covering politics with The Boston Globe and The New York Times in the 1960s and 1970s; hosting The Ten O’Clock News on WGBH-TV in the 1980s; inaugurating the smart talk show “The Connection” with WBUR (Boston) and NPR in the 1990s; and in 2005 founding the hybrid radio and Internet conversation known as “Open Source,” which he produces now from the Watson Institute at Brown University.

The lecture, “The Last Newspaper Guy Meets the First Podcaster,” will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Janet M. Daley Library Lecture Hall with a reception to follow in the Main Reading Room of the Cardinal Cushing Library.

The Wyant Lecture Series features speakers in the Humanities, History and the Arts. The Louise Doherty Wyant professorship was established by the late Louise Doherty Wyant ’63 and her husband, Dr. James Wyant, in honor of Sister Anne Cyril Delaney, SND.

Left, Julia White ‘08 and Gina Divito ‘08 add a touch of paint to one of the school’s run by the Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans. Right, Olivia Dole ‘09 and Ryan Rivard ‘09 prepare for an Easter celebration at

the Society of St. Vincent De Paul in Phoenix.

Forty Emmanuel community members participated in this year’s Alternative Spring Break program, which sent three different groups to service sites around the country during the week of March 9th. Students, faculty and staff provided aid in New Orleans and Phoenix, as well as locally through the Colleges of the Fenway’s (COF) second annual Boston Immersion Alternative Spring Break.

For the second consecutive year, a group traveled to New Orleans to continue the service work still required due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The original idea of sending an Emmanuel faction down south stemmed from the initiative set forth by Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality Sister Mary Johnson, SND, who traveled to the city

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Model UN Club Recognized at Harvard and Chicago Conferences

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Members of Emmanuel College’s Model United Nations Club were recently honored at both Harvard University and the University of Chicago’s Model UN Conferences.

Having recently returned from her whirlwind trip around the world, on February 20th Louise Doherty Wyant Professor Dr. Patricia Herlihy presented the first of five lectures relating to her journey. The title of her first lecture was “Stolen Memory and the Repatriation of Art, Archives and Artifacts,” which provided a histori-cal look at the world’s approach to national artifact restitution.

Traveling as a trip leader with Brown University’s “Brown Travelers,” an educational program that provides worldwide travel opportunities for alumni, Herlihy, professor emerita of history at Brown, contributed a number of key discussions relevant to some of the 15 different locations the group visited during its 23-day excursion from January 5th-27th.

Her conversation on archive restoration pertained to the group’s opening stop in Peru, where items excavated at Machu Picchu by former U.S. Senator and Yale University history professor Hiram

Bingham III nearly 100 years ago have recently led to much friction between representatives of the country and university. An exhibit that opened at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale a few years ago which featured artifacts from Bingham’s 1912 dig, brought the ire of the Peruvian

government, which threatened legal actions two years ago if the university did not comply with its demands and return the borrowed objects.

This past September, the Government of Peru and Yale University reached a collaborative agreement to co-spon-sor an exhibition, which would travel internationally and include objects from Hiram’s excavation. The items will remain at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale until late 2009.

Looking back over history, Herlihy discussed the global perspective on recovering historic pieces, stating that since the 1940s the world has had an “obsession about claiming artifacts.”

“Nations want to lay claim to their possessions and they will go to great lengths to reserve their national memory,” she said.

While issues concerning the displace-ment of artifacts from World War II continue to come forth, Herlihy noted

that most countries have remained amicable about decisions of rightful restoration despite the lack of legally binding laws on the matter.

Countries such as Russia, however, remain adamant that such property be viewed as “trophies of war” and will only discuss restitution as long as it re-ceives something comparable in return – much to the disagreement of Herlihy.

“Art, archives and artifacts all constitute the stuff of which history is woven…Nations have a right to their history,” she said.

On March 19th, Herlihy presented the second lecture in the series entitled, “Through Kindergarten Eyes: China in the 1930s,” which combined a personal and historical perspective on the country in the shadow of the Chinese-Japanese war.

Her next discussion, “The Taj and the Raj: Gardening the British Empire,” will take place on April 2nd.

campus news

2 Emmanuel NewsMARCH 2008

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Faculty NewsAssistant Professor of Art Megumi Naitoh received an award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) during its national conference in Pittsburgh from March 19th-22nd. As an award-recipient, Naitoh will do a residency at the International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark for a month during her sabbatical.

Two of Assistant Professor of Performance Arts Thomas Schnauber’s pieces were performed by the Chamber

Orchestra Kremlin during a concert in the Armory of the Kremlin in Moscow on January 11th. His Night of the Transfigured Dead for string orchestra and Tell Me About This Piece, Leroy for solo oboe and string orchestra were performed, with a report on the concert also airing on Rus-sian National Culture Television. Additionally, on February 22nd Schnauber was featured as a guest composer for the Longy School of Music Composer’s Seminar in which he discussed his music and various approaches to audience engagement in new music.

Dr. Herlihy Presents Series of Lectures on Recent World Travels

Alt. Spring Break Provides Aid in New Orleans, Phoenix, Boston

with a class of students in May 2006 as part of her “Catholic Social Teach-ing” course, to assist the Sisters of the Holy Family with relief work.

This year’s group once again stayed and volunteered with the Sisters, an African-American Congregation of Pontifical Status that centers on educating youth and caring for the aged, the poor and the most abject of society, working throughout their two independent facilities for low-income senior citizens in the city.

Another group of Emmanuel volun-teers provided service once again in Phoenix with the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, a Catholic lay organization, and the Andre House, a non-profit

organization sponsored by the Priests and Brothers of Holy Cross from the University of Notre Dame. This marked the sixth anniversary of the College’s relationship with the Arizona foundations, which allow students to assist the organizations’ staffs with a variety of daily tasks.

Emmanuel also hosted the COF’s Boston Immersion Alternative Spring Break again this year, with students learning about the educational challenges facing inner-city youth today. The week’s events included trips to a number of local schools and programs dedicated to providing children with pathways and support for successful transitions after high school, as well as lunch with Representative Jeffrey Sánchez and City Councilor Michael Ross.

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Louise Doherty Wyant Professor Dr. Patricia Herlihy recently presented the first in a series of discussions relating to

her journey around the globe.

Associate Director of Community Service and Service Learning Deirdre Bradley-Turner talks with Maureen Kellett ‘11 during a break in programming with

COF’s Boston Immersion Alternative Spring Break.

campus news

Emmanuel News 3MARCH 2008

Emmanuel College Celebrates 16th Annual Founders’ DayExecutive Director of Notre Dame Mission Volunteers – AmeriCorps Sr. Katherine “Sissy” Corr, SND was the featured speaker at the College’s 16th Annual Founders’ Day celebration on February 7th. Sr. Sissy discussed “Mission in Action” during the event, which celebrates the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Saint Julie Billiart, and the founding mission of Emmanuel College.

During her address, Sr. Sissy delved into the challenges and obstacles faced by Saint Julie throughout her life, noting that her “confidence in the good God never wavered despite the hardships she faced.” It was this faith that encouraged Sr. Sissy herself when she was given the opportunity to structure the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers program.

“I had Julie’s confidence in God. I knew the program would thrive, I just did not know how,” she said. “Then we came together with Ameri-Corps. It was a match made in heaven.”

Sr. Sissy has now been the executive director of the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers – Ameri-

Corps since 1994. Today, the service program is located in 16 cities across the United States and in Peru and Kenya. Its mission is to promote and encourage education, community empowerment, leadership development and multicultural harmony.

Three Emmanuel graduates currently or previously involved with the program also took part in the Founders’ Day celebration through an AmeriCorps panel. Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality Sr. Mary Johnson, SND led the panel discussion, which included Kelli Chapin Kennedy, MD ’97, who served with the program in Baltimore from 1997-1998, and David Burawski ’06, who is in his second year with a service site in Dorchester. A slide show depicting the experience of Sandra Nurse ’06, who served in Kenya, was also presented.

During her address, Emmanuel College President Sister Janet Eisner, SND recognized members of the Class of 2011, who were participating in their first Founders’ Day celebration as Emmanuel students and just beginning to “experience the

power of Emmanuel’s educational mission” in their lives. She also paid tribute to Sister Dorothy Stang, SND, who in living out the mission ultimately lost her life.

Three years ago, Sister Dorothy was shot to death in Anapu, Para, a section of Brazil’s Amazon rain-forest, where she had lived for 22 years working as an advocate for poor rural farmers. Upon meet-ing her would-be assassins in the rainforest, she offered the Bible as her only weapon of defense. “That was a great act of courage,” said Sister Janet of Sister Dorothy, whom the College officially remembered during a special memorial Mass on February 12th.

“Today that mission in the rainforests of Brazil continues not only with the Sisters of Notre Dame but with hundreds of others, and the story has gone around the world. It inspires us to see the impact that one life can have, especially when one believes deeply in the goodness of God and lives out that mission with joy.”

During this year’s Founders’ Day celebration, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality Sr. Mary Johnson, SND led an AmeriCorps panel discussion involving alums Kelli Chapin Kennedy, MD ’97 and David Burawski ’06. Right, Sr. Katherine “Sissy” Corr, SND,

executive director of Notre Dame Mission Volunteers – AmeriCorps, provided the event’s keynote address.

Alicia Bartholomew ’09, a student worker in the College’s Admissions Office, has been honored as the first “Student Employee of the Year” selection at Emmanuel.

Nominated by Operations Coordinator Christopher Erbland, Bartholomew was praised for her ability to take initiative in the office’s often-hectic atmosphere, all the while maintaining a strong grasp on her already demanding academic schedule.

“Alicia has been able to thrive in the fast-paced environment that is our office, and balance her academic and social obligations very effectively,” said Erbland. “All of [the College’s] work-study students do a great job, and the fact that Alicia has distinguished herself makes her accomplishment that much more remarkable.”

Assistant Director of Student Financial Services Ashley Blackburn was instrumental in Emmanuel’s inaugural participation in the program, viewing it as a great way to honor the contributions and achievements of student workers.

“I heard about the program while at a two-day workshop with the NSEA (National Student Employment Association),” she said. “It sounded like a fun way to make our students feel appreciated for all of the hard work that they do.”

As the College’s selection, Bartholomew will be entered into the Massachusetts State Student Employee of the Year competition, with the potential to move on to the regional and national contests.

Congratulations Alicia!

First-Ever Emmanuel “Student Employee of the Year” Named

Staff NewsJohn D. Kelly has officially been named the Director of Security at Emmanuel. Prior to coming to the College, Kelly served with the Massachusetts State Police, most recently as a lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of the division of investigative services. He holds a Master of Science in criminal justice from Anna Maria College and a Bachelor of Science in education from Boston State College.

Ludis Herrera will be joining the College as the new Manager of Development Information Systems. A 2004 Emmanuel graduate, Herrera re-turns after working as an information systems specialist for Beth Israel Dea-coness Medical Center’s development department, as well as time as a pros-pect research and database coordina-tor in the development department of The Home for Little Wanderers.

Scott Lerner comes to Emmanuel as the new Associate Director of Human Resources. He formerly served as a

human resources business partner at Winchester Hospital. Lerner holds a Bachelor of Business Administra-tion with a concentration in human resources management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Ann Marie Marrone joins the College as the new Administrative Assistant/Project Assistant in Academic Affairs. Previously, she served as the secretary to the directors for the Archdiocese of Boston’s vocation office. Marrone is an East Boston High School graduate and has completed coursework at Katherine Gibbs School and Burdette School.

Maryanne Rooney is the new Associate Vice President for Major and Planned Gifts. Rooney previously served as the vice president of institutional advance-ment at College of Our Lady of the Elms from which she earned a Bachelor of Arts in social work.

4 Emmanuel NewsMARCH 2008

spotlightNew Science Chair Focused on Developing, Expanding ProgramsDr. Paul March saw in Emmanuel the chance to further cultivate the type of educational experience he himself had as an undergraduate student at Long Island University (LIU). A small liberal arts institution, his alma mater allowed him to develop key relation-ships with faculty which were instrumental in determining the direction of his academic and professional career. Smaller class sizes allowed March, the student, to broaden his understanding of scientific concepts due to more one-on-one instruction. It is this element – among others – that brought March, the professor, to the College’s campus in December as the new chair of the science department and professor of biochemistry.

Last summer, March was in Sydney, Australia, where he had been since 1994 serving as senior lecturer for the School of Biotechnology & Biomolecu-lar Sciences at The University of New South Wales, when he learned of the opening at Emmanuel. Intrigued, he soon traveled to Boston to interview for the job, and his interest in the position immediately grew.

“My original interest was that it was a small liberal arts college and that I felt the students were provided an under-graduate experience similar to mine,” he said. “But when I got here I learned about the new Academic Science Center and I saw it as an even more fantastic opportunity and challenge to enter into.

“The new building is a piece of infrastructure that is representative of something even more attractive, which is the College’s commitment to developing the sciences.”

March’s visit proved reason enough to influence a move from Down Under, despite having spent little time in the city of Boston beforehand. Although still settling in, his transition has been eased by his wife’s familiarity with the area, as well as his knowledge of the world-famous neighborhood in which Emmanuel resides.

“Prior to my arrival, I had only spent a week in Boston, but my wife did her undergraduate work at MIT,” he said. “Either way, the Longwood Medical Area is internationally famous as the top medical area in the world, so even though I had never been here I knew a lot about it.”

With his background in biochemistry, March brings extensive knowledge in a biology discipline which will be expanded upon in the science depart-ment. One of his first initiatives as science chair is to design a new bio-chemistry major at Emmanuel, which will provide new courses and topics, which he hopes will be attractive to students. Currently, biochemistry is

offered as a concentration within the chemistry and physics department.

Finding ways to further engage both science and non-science majors remains a constant focus for March, who recognizes that while different techniques may be necessary when educating both parties, the overlying theme remains unvarying: using the discipline “to provide an inclusive platform for all learners to become better critical thinkers.”

For science majors, he looks forward to retaining small class sizes while emphasizing a more open-ended inquiry style of learning. With students getting the chance to connect with their professors in smaller work groups, March feels their education takes on an “apprenticeship-type role,” which he considers imperative to an education in the sciences.

“There are aspects of scientific endeavor that cannot be taught at the black board. Part of science is actually being in the lab, performing experiments, and the best way to do that is through apprenticeship,” he said. “If I am working with six students in the lab, they will get much more of my attention than if it were 24 students.”

It is March’s belief that, on a universal

scale, students have been taught to do science in an “artificial” way – for example, investigating a lab experiment in which the answer is already known – which does not allow for full comprehension in terms of professional scientific methodology. Utilizing a different instructional approach in which students actually participate in professors’ scholarly work, however, can create a realistic sense of what true scientific research is like.

“In my research, I don’t investigate known facts, it is not what scientists do,” said March, who was the keynote speaker for the recent Merck-Em-manuel joint lecture series on February 25th. “When teaching students, it is much better to start with a question we do not know the answer to. Incorporating our scholarship into our undergraduate laboratories creates a massive difference in terms of student engagement and academic engagement as well. At the same time students develop a deeper understand-ing of what it means to actually do science and be a scientist.”

While for the non-science majors, March feels that small class sizes also play a practical role in developing science literacy, the greatest challenge involves relating the topics in a way that interests those students who may

only be taking science courses to fulfill elective requirements.

March has been impressed with the current chemistry curriculum’s offer-ings in that regard, which includes classes such as “Chemistry of Every-day Life,” designed primarily to in-troduce non-majors to how chemistry is involved in such things as cooking, cosmetics and cleaning; “Chemistry and Art,” which discusses the chemistry of photography, painting and pigments; and “Chemistry: A World of Choices,” an introduction to the chemical concepts needed to understand many of the numerous scientific problems confronting society today. Expanding upon these existing programs, as well as remaining sensi-tive to the instructional methodology, will be at the forefront of March’s initiatives in the near future.

“At Emmanuel College there are a number of subjects that are small and tailored to teach sciences within the context of something that is appealing to students,” he said. “The idea is to use a topical example to teach non-science majors science, but the key is that professors still need to teach the subject well. Luckily at Emmanuel, our professors care about how they teach their subjects to both majors and non-majors, and that’s important.”

Chair of the Science Department and Professor of Biochemistry Dr. Paul March addresses the audience as the guest speaker during last month’s Merck-Emmanuel joint lecture series.

One of the qualities students in Emmanuel’s Graduate & Professional Programs often rave about is the dynamic, cohort-based approach. Being able to traverse the rigors of the part-time accelerated format with the support of fellow classmates proves a valuable motivational tool for the working professionals seeking advancement. For some students, like Carrie Burke, Janet Duncan-Rumsey and Nancy Penney, that sense of comfort has been ever-present, as the three share a common bond beyond their education-al pursuits which allows them to continue their learning mutually outside the College’s classroom walls. As employees of Coca-Cola Enterprises, the three women’s support of each other’s academic quests is a constant fixture throughout their workdays – providing that extra level of encouragement which continues to invigorate all three as they continue upon their journeys of professional growth. While each has previously traveled a distinct educational path, they have united as Emmanuel Graduate & Professional Programs’ students with the goal of furthering their education and add-ing value to their stock as Coca-Cola employees. Working for the world’s largest soft drink bottler for the past 18 years, Burke, much like Duncan-Rumsey and Penney, was encouraged to pursue an advanced degree through the company’s tuition reimbursement program, as well as through a company initiative that has placed more emphasis on employees’ skills rather than tenure. A recently promoted on premise sales manager in the Coca-Cola Braintree offices, Burke earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Emmanuel a few years back and decided to return to pursue a Master of Science in Management degree. “I always wanted to go back for my master’s degree and I liked the idea of heading back to Emmanuel,” she said. “I liked the program and enjoyed the professionalism of the students and teaching staff. It was because of my experience as an undergraduate student that I decided to further my education with the school.”

Working in the same branch as Burke, Duncan-Rumsey had been looking for an accelerated program around the same time and was quickly intrigued by the benefits of an Emmanuel education. Initially intimidated by the thought of returning to school after a nearly 20 year hiatus, she was com-forted knowing she was enrolling in a program geared toward adult learners, and appreciated the convenience of the program’s satellite locations,

particularly the site in Quincy. “I liked the idea of having multiple locations so that you could look at the other sites and figure out how classes could fit into your schedule,” she said. “And to be able to go to class right down the street in Quincy is amazing.” An employee relations manager, Duncan-Rumsey’s entire professional career has been in the human relations field. As time has progressed, she says she has realized how impor-tant a graduate degree is to growth in the workforce. “I want to continue to be seen as someone who is promote-able, to continue to develop and be viewed as a strategic leader,” she said. “And to be able to do that, I need to have that degree.” A fellow employee relations manager at Coca-Cola’s Needham-based office, Penney shared similar feelings with Duncan-Rumsey regarding the human resources field and originally began looking specifically at Emmanuel’s program due to its Master of Science in Human Resource Management degree, which she noticed was a rare concentration among colleges in the area. Just two years after completing her undergraduate work as an adult learner, Penney has especially enjoyed the flexibility of the program, which has allowed her greater freedom in

navigating the degree requirements compared to her undergraduate path. “The process to apply to the part-time degree program, the easy commute, the accelerated format and everything all the way through has been great,” she said. “You work hard for the seven weeks of each course, but you are also able to take what you learn from each class and bring it back and apply it the next day at work. I have enjoyed the entire experience so far and I am looking forward to the rest of my time at Emmanuel.” Penney, Duncan-Rumsey and Burke are not the only Coca-Cola employ-ees who have turned to Emmanuel as a catalyst for career advancement. Wendi Lee, an account executive at the company’s Providence office, recently completed the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is set to graduate in May. A self-proclaimed “road warrior,” as her position involves traveling 75 percent of the time, Lee was thankful for the ease in which the College allowed her to combine her hopes for a degree with a hectic work schedule. Recommended to her by a co-worker, another Emmanuel alum, Lee says she too has enjoyed the camaraderie of the cohort along with the personal insight brought to class by the profes-sors, which she feels kept each course

particularly engaging. For colleagues in similar situations she once found herself, Lee says she would “absolutely suggest” looking into Emmanuel’s academic offerings. “For me, I knew I wouldn’t get much further in my company without having a degree,” she said. “And there are a lot of other people at Coca-Cola who may not have that degree or may not even know how to go about pursuing it either. I expect it will help me advance within the company and it has already given me confidence to take that next step.” Penney and Burke have already found their co-workers asking about the program, with a number of Penney’s supervisors and managers intrigued by the College’s graduate and under-graduate degrees and state-of-the-art certificate programs. Burke has spoken fondly of the program for years, especially with the people she has worked alongside for quite some time. “A lot of times for the people who work here, it’s the only work experience we’ve ever known,” she said. “I have been at Coca-Cola for 18 years and had I not decided to come to Emmanuel, I don’t believe I would have had the same opportunities to expand my career. I tell my co-workers that getting their degree can only help, and Emmanuel is the place to go.” Duncan-Rumsey agreed. “As a human resources person, I preach to people that they have to take responsibility for their own careers, and for me not to do the same in my own life does not help convey that sen-timent as effectively,” she said. “Now, I feel like I am investing in myself and my future, not just getting a degree.”

Emmanuel News 5MARCH 2008

gpp newsCoca-Cola Employees Recognize Benefits of Emmanuel Education

Janet Duncan-Rumsey, Nancy Penney and Carrie Burke share experiences both as Emmanuel College Graduate & Professional Programs’ students and employees with Coca-Cola Enterprises.

“I expect [my degree] will help me advance within the company and it has already given me confidence to take the next step.” – BSBA Candidate/Coca-Cola Employee Wendi Lee

Despite the numerous service opportunities offered to students throughout the academic year at Emmanuel, Jillian Degnan ’09 and Meaghan Mingo ’10 felt there was even more they could do to help those in need.

This fall, with the assistance of the Office of Campus Ministry, Degnan and Mingo established the Sunday Service Group, a weekly service opportunity for students interested in helping less fortunate members of the Boston community on a more frequent basis. The group regularly rotates between three services sites, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Pine Street Inn and Sunday Bread, allotting a few hours each Sunday to that week’s location.

“Our students are very dedicated to service and very much wanted an outlet for regular service,” said Associate Director of Community Service and Service Learning Deirdre Bradley-Turner. “The challenge was to find a way to provide them with such opportunities due to their busy schedules. Both Jill and Meaghan have always participated in our on-going service opportunities and were in-terested in finding a way to provide service on a more consistent basis.”

“Emmanuel is situated in such a

perfect spot in the middle of Boston and as students here we have such wonderful opportunities,” said Mingo. “But we still have the responsibility to give back and face the reality that there are a lot of people in this city who are a lot less fortunate. There is a strong need to provide service in the community and students need to be reminded to do something about it.”

In addition to their weekly hours at service sites, members of the group also recently met with students from Wheeling Jesuit University (WV), who were in Boston for their Alternative Spring Break. Bradley-Turner and Campus Minister Jennie Reis set up a meeting between the two groups in

hopes of sparking conversation about their service experiences.

“We wanted to give them the opportunity to discuss the differences and similarities between city and rural service and give them a chance to meet another group of their peers who are doing service,” said Bradley-Turner.

“We also wanted them to see that service is universal,” added Reis. “I wanted our students to see the similarities between the services these students provide in Appalachia and their own, that there are basic human needs to be met.”

Students had the chance to meet with

their West Virginia counterparts both before and after their week of service with the Boston Living Center, a non-profit organization serving the New England HIV/AIDS community, and the Greater Boston Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in the region.

“They said that their experience was really informative and it was eye-open-ing to see a different side of poverty,” Mingo said of the Wheeling Jesuit students. “Overall it was interesting to meet with them because we live in two different worlds in a sense, but yet there are also many similarities between us.”

The Sunday Service Group hopes to continue its efforts of consistent service and encourages others to join in and lend a helping hand.

“I think there really is a group of students who would like to be able to do service on a regular basis, but didn’t have the opportunity before,” said Degnan. “Now, it is so much easier.”

If interested in participating with the Sunday Service Group, contact either Jill Degnan at [email protected] or Meaghan Mingo at [email protected].

6 Emmanuel NewsMARCH 2008

campus newsSunday Service Group Provides Regular Community Service Outlet

Model UN Club Recognized at Harvard and Chicago Conferences

The Sunday Service Group recently met with students from Wheeling Jesuit University, who were in town to take part in their own Alternative Spring Break.

(SGA)-recognized organization, the Model UN Club has undergone considerable growth, thanks to the structure and direction put in place by Vamvakas and Club President Gustavo Perez ’08. Although the club has existed for a number of years simply as an interest group, both Vamvakas and Perez have helped mold the Model UN into a fully functional unit through the establishment of regular weekly meetings, informational lectures, campus events and better overall preparation for conferences.

“Professor Vamvakas has been tremendous and Gustavo has helped us get more focused and organized,” said Ammon. “Next year’s president will have a solid foundation to build upon.”

For the Harvard conference, group members from Emmanuel represented the country of Bahrain and were responsible for completely immersing themselves in every aspect of the country. During the event, which according to the conference’s web site provided delegates “with a look at the functions and responsibilities of the United Nations and other intergov-ernmental organizations by simulating various different committees within the organization,” delegates met for six sessions of three to four hours

apiece, working towards drafting resolutions for the committee to eventually vote upon.

While in the past, Harvard’s has been the only conference the group has participated in, this year nine club members also took part in the Chicago Model United Nations Conference sponsored by the University of Chicago from March 6th-9th. A more unique simulation, the Chicago conference included a selection of present-day and historical commit-tees, such as Henry the VIII’s Council, President Abraham Lincoln’s Cabinet and Pope Alexander VI’s Advisory Committee for delegates to explore further, adding a theatrical element to the weekend’s events.

“It’s a different creature,” said Ammon of the conference. “It’s more about realizing a personification.”

Ammon followed up his Harvard performance with an equally impres-sive showing in Chicago, earning “Best

Delegate” distinctions for his role as Solomon Foote in Lincoln’s Cabinet. In addition, Andres Enrique ’09 and Hannah Coache ’08 received “Verbal Commendations” in their committee representing Belize in the Organiza-tion of American States (OAS), while Umair Sami ’09 received the same award for his role representing Libya in the Security Council. Matt Hickey ’08, Izabela Chmielewska ’08, Erasmo Nunez ’10 Cecelia Auditore ’08 and Perez also participated in the confer-ence and received special praise for their efforts by their advisor, who felt “everyone’s presentations and debate skills were great throughout the week-end.”

Considering the profound success of this year, moving forward, the club would like to participate in even more conferences on a yearly basis, with Perez saying he would like to see the group attend three to four events in the near future.

“The more conferences we attend, the

more experience delegates get and the better prepared they will be,” he said. “The club has grown a lot but we still want even more people to join. The key is to be able to have a strong delegation from year to year and that has a lot to do with maintaining continuity and structure.

“But even if we only do two conferences a year, we want to do well in those two,” he added. “It’s important to have quality performanc-es and give Emmanuel a good name.”

Besides setting the bar for individual performances next year, Ammon’s efforts at the Harvard conference are expected to reap rewards for future Emmanuel delegations through recognition, as members of the club anticipate a better country selection in the future. The chance to represent a more prominent country, mixed with the added confidence of its recent success, should prove helpful in the maturation process of the young club as a whole.

“I had a sense going into the confer-ence that this was the most experi-enced and well-prepared group that we have had thus far,” said Vamvakas. “I think this is only the beginning. If we continue to build on what we’ve done this far, we will realize that this is only the ground floor.”

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“It’s important to have quality performances and give Emmanuel a good name.” – Gustavo Perez ’08

Emmanuel News 7MARCH 2008

sports news

Saints’ uniform, finishing seventh on the all-time points list with 1,270. Last year’s GNAC Player of the Year, she was also a D3hoops.com All-North-east Region Third Team selection and played a key role in the Saints’ “Sweet Sixteen” run.

“She’s one of the best guards in the history of Emmanuel, she’s an explosive and great player,” said Yosinoff. “It will be hard to find a replacement for her.”

Although Pannell spent only two seasons with the Saints, in that time she was able to make a lasting impression as a student-athlete at the College. A starter since her arrival, she leaves knowing she saved her best games for last, with the GNAC tournament’s MVP trophy as proof. The president of the conference’s Student Athlete Advisory Council, she was recently accepted to the University of Central Florida where she will study sports management.

Departing along with Paez and Pannell is Maura Mooney ’08, who provided great offense in the block for the Saints, as well as Leah Lipschitz ’08,

who transferred from Boston University and came into her own as a member of the team this season. One of the team’s best outside threats, she also finished among the leaders in rebounds, averaging 4.0 per game.

Sara Long ’08, who provided the Saints with a spark due to her shot-blocking abilities, ends her time at Emmanuel after a season in which she finished second among the team in blocks (26). Erica Wenz ’08, a strong defensive presence and Kathleen Brice ’08, a hard working and “great team-mate,” according to Yosinoff, round out the list of graduating players.

With a solid nucleus, including Davis, Abigail Brenkach ’10, Kristin Lebel ’11 and Casey Shevlin ’11, returning to the hardwood next winter, Yosinoff hopes the NCAA tournament game against Brockport will prove valuable to his crop of young players and translate into even more success next year. “I’m hoping it was a good learning experience for them,” he said. “Hopefully with a strong freshman class we can go much further next year,” he said.

Lasell pulled away in the waning minutes to win, 70-61.

“It was a tough way to end it because I felt we had the ability as a team to win this league,” said Jackson. “But it’s also a tribute to how much this league has improved, especially with the addition of new teams such as Lasell. Since I have been here, this year was the most competitive the GNAC has ever been.”

Representing the only departing member of the team due to gradu-ation, Levi Smith ’08 hangs up his Emmanuel uniform as the top shot-blocker in GNAC history, finishing with 195 blocks for his career as well as a record 62 during his sophomore campaign. Fourth all-time in scoring among Saints’ players (1,194 points), Smith saved one of his finest offensive performances for his final GNAC tour-nament, leading his team past Rivier College in the opening round with a career-high 27 points.

“It will hurt to lose him,” said Jackson of Smith, who was also named to the 2008 All-Conference Sportsmanship team. “He is among a class of young people that do not come along that often. As a coach, you look for someone who can be a role model on and off the court. Levi’s an upstanding student-athlete. He defines

what a student-athlete should be. We’re going to miss him.”

With the rest of the team set to return next year, along with a potentially promising freshmen class which could include three strong recruits, two from upstate New York and one from Boston, Jackson expects the positives he saw this winter to further develop in the near future.

One of the biggest strengths of this year’s team, which finished with a 17-11 overall record, was the bond between the players, as Jackson witnessed a camaraderie among this year’s lineup unlike any in years’ past. Hanging out together off the court, enjoying the time they got to spend together on it – even recording a pre-game rap song – showed their coach just how much of a family this group had become by season’s end.

“That’s something you can’t coach or teach,” said Jackson. “And that’s the thing I am most proud of with this group.

“The strides we made with this young team have set the groundwork for the future,” he added. “Overall it was a good year and I felt we grew up a lot. But we still had a goal that we didn’t accomplish and next year will be about preparing these guys to come back and get after it next season.”

Record-breaking performances highlighted the Saints’ final meet of the indoor season at the New England Division III Championships on February 23rd.

For the women, who traveled to Smith College in Northampton, MA for their championship, the team’s distance medley, made up of Christine Gaspar ’09 (1200 meter), Alison Lynch ’11 (400 meter), Emily McCaffrey ’08 (800 meter) and Cat Lariviere ’09 (1600 meter), broke its previous school mark by over 40 seconds. Sarah Soldano ’10 also performed well in the high jump, finishing 11th overall.

Ryan Maher ’11 was the sole individual men’s performer who qualified for the men’s championship, which was held at Tufts University in Medford, MA. Maher finished 16th in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.52 seconds. The Saints’ 1600-meter relay team, consisting of Mike Thurnauer ’08, Matt Hickey ’08, Rob Allen ’08 and Rob Littleton ’10, also participated in the regional champion-ship, breaking the Emmanuel program record with a time of 3:34.22.

After a few weeks of recuperation from the winter season, the Emmanuel harriers returned to the track to kick-off the outdoor season on March 22nd at the Coast Guard Academy’s Invitational. For meet results, visit www.goecsaints.com.

Indoor Track Finishes Season at New England Championships

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Saints’ ‘07-08 Season Highlighted by GNAC Title, NCAA Berth

Men Finish Year at ECAC Tourney

Men’s Volleyball Postseason to Include First-Ever GNAC TourneyBefore the Emmanuel men’s volleyball team takes the court for the North East Collegiate Volleyball Associa-tion’s (NECVA) tournament during the first week of April, the squad will close out the month of March with the Great Northeast Athletic Conference’s (GNAC) inaugural tournament.

With the potential to improve upon their seeding for the later tournament, the conference championship also represents a great opportunity for “bragging rights in the GNAC,” ac-cording to Saints’ Head Coach Chris Wright, who views the tournament’s addition as another great late-season challenge.

“All of the games we play matter regarding at-large bids in the NECVA,” he said. “This is where the GNAC comes into play as well, in the sense that we cannot take it lightly.”

With just a few games to play before the start of the postseason, the Saints will close out their regular season schedule with a handful of tough match-ups, including games against Newbury College and Elms College, two of the better teams in the NECVA this year. Prior to their contest against Elms on March 20th, the Saints ranked fifth in the New England region with a 5-2 division record. Newbury was second with an 8-1 mark, while Elms improved to 6-2 after handing top-ranked Rivier its first loss of the season on March 17th.

“We’re stepping into tough matches, but it should prepare us well for tour-nament play,” said Wright. “We want to end the regular season on a high note, but also want to be competing at a high level because in the tournament, anything can happen.”

The men’s volleyball team will wrap-up the regular season on Thursday, March 27th with a home game against Wentworth Institute of Technology.