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A AUNIVERSITY AT ALBANY State University of New York

1400 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12222-0001

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDAlbany, NY

Permit No. 205

2018-2019 CHI SIGMA THETA ALUMNAE OFFICERS

President Ro Vairo Rosen '68

Treasurer Carol Darby Siver '65

Secretary Diane Gray Christianson '69

Historian Debra Weitz Kahn '70

UAlbany Foundation Scholarship Chair Ann Holcomb Fairbank '67

Class Notes Mary Kay Sawyer '67

Webmaster Kathleen Brown Hay '67

UAlbany Liaison Stef DeSimone Bollam '67

Newsletter Coordinator Donna Baffino O’Higgins '66

2018 Chi Sigma Theta NewsletterFind more on our Website at www.haymountain.com/chisig

HELP US SHARE XEO STORIES!Who are outstanding sisters we can feature in future newsletters?

Educators - Business Leaders - Entrepreneurs - Community Volunteers, etc.Send or email: Stephanie DeSimone Bollam: Box 464, Voorheesville, NY 12186, sbollam@nycap.rr.com

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2nd Row: Jean Tashjian Shuletta, Andrea Bologna Dombrowski, Michele Miller Bloom, Dianne Gregory, Kay Hotaling, Ann Holcomb Fairbank, Ruth Silverman Bald,

Front Row: Marsha Lembcke Bernstein, Kathy Tanner, Mary Kay Sawyer, Stephanie DeSimone Bollam.

XEO alums entertained classmates at their 50th reunion during Homecoming Weekend in October. Using the melody of "Penny Lane" (the Beatles' Hit) they performed "Western Ave" with original lyrics describing life as a freshman 50 years ago. Pictured here are Ruth Silverman Bald (from Paris), and Stephanie DeSimone Bollam in the front and in the back row, holding signs identifying nostalgic locations are: Carol Marohn Zahurak (KD), Ann Holcomb Fairbank, Marcia Lembcke Bernstein and Mary Kay Sawyer. A video of the performance with Kay Hotaling as emcee can be viewed at https//www.facebook/UAlbanyAlumni/videos/1563893167004228.

Coffee Hour 2017

We had a wonderful turn out for the Coffee Hour in October

50th Reunion Class of 1967

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Welcome to our 2018 newsletter. We have photos, class news and scholarship updates, and also some new things to report. In our spotlight on sisters this year, we honor two of our most senior active alums. They are delightful and inspirational. Please remember that if there are sisters you want us to spotlight, let us know. We will do all the leg work.

Something very new, Chi Sig was invited to be part of an event on campus honoring graduating seniors who are members of a sorority or fraternity. Stef Bollam and I attended and I was the speaker. The event was great fun. There were some other Greeks there from Gamma Kap, KD, KB and APA. The seniors were fabulous and actually interested in us. It was more than a little intimidating to say to them – “I came to SUNY Albany in the fall of 1964!!!”

Our scholarship is doing well and has now reached over $54,000. However, this is due more to the stock market and a very small number of sisters than to total contributions. About 20 sisters give regularly---out of a mailing list of almost 500! We can do better. We give one scholarship of $1000 each year. There are other Greek organizations we've talked to that manage to give much more. While this is not a competition, we can do better. Look at our scholarship recipients. They are so accomplished and deserving. Our scholarship makes a difference in their lives. (See page 5.)

Imagine if every sister gave $50 or even $20, we could double our award. Many of us have organizations or causes to which we contribute each year. Make the scholarship one of your regulars. It seems crazy, but some of us are at an age when we are thinking about estate planning. Consider a legacy to the Chi Sigma Theta Scholarship.

Hope to see you at the coffee hour on Saturday, October 20th. Remember this is the 50th for the class of '68!

Have a great year.

Yours in XEO,Ro Vairo Rosen '68

chi sigma theta alumnae news

2018 Newsletter

Greetings from the President:

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CHI SIGMA THETA NEWSLETTER AND OPERATING EXPENSES DONATIONSincere THANKS to those of you who’ve helped us finance our annual newsletter. We want to continue to be able to provide this primary

means of communication, so we’d love to hear from more of you!We want to continue to be able to distribute this newsletter, our primary means of communication, so we hope more of you will contribute.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS ONLY _________________________________________________________________________________

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Class News:__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Last) (First) (Maiden) Class Year

(Phone) (E-mail address (INDICATE IF NEW)

(Street)

(City) (State) (Zip)

Suggested Donation: $15.00 made payable to:

Chi Sigma Theta Alumnae Association.

Send form and check to:Carol Darby Siver14 Cynthia Lane

Nassau, NY 12123

SCHOLARSHIPDONORS

Be a part of Chi Sig's Legacy: Support the XEO Scholarship, now in its 5th Year!

Use the form below and the envelope provided in this newsletter. Be sure to request that your employer match your donation, if applicable.

The following alums donated to the UAlbany Foundation XEO Scholarship during the last fiscal year, from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The donor categories are designated by the Foundation, and an asterisk indicates that the donor has given more than once since the Scholarship was endowed in 2014.

UALBANY FOUNDATION CHI SIGMA THETA SCHOLARSHIP DONATION

Name_______________________________________________________________________________Class Year__________

Mailing Address________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone____________________________Email________________________________________________________________

Please make out your check to The University at Albany Foundation withCHI SIGMA THETA written on memo line.

Please send the checks to: The University at Albany Foundation

UAB Room 226 1400 Washington Ave.

Albany, NY 12222

ONLINE GIVING SITE: www.albany.edu/giving

If your employer has a Matching Gift Program please enclose the appropriate form. Gifts are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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THANKS TO ALL OUR DONORS!

We apologize for any errors or omissions.

1844 Society $1,000+

*Catherine A. Bertini '71

*Deborah J. Fox '77

Minerva Club $500-$999

*Stephanie DeSimone Bollam '67

*Joan Cali Pecore '60

*Mary Margaret Welker Young '65

Carillon Club $250-$499

*Marcia Lembcke Bernstein '67

Albany Club $100-$249

*Judith Mills Bunnell '68

Deborah Bloom Cole '72

*Ann Holcomb Fairbank '67

*Elizabeth Kutas Gaupman '56

*Marcia Lawrence Gauquie '57

Joan Ferrari Herman '61

*Debra Weitz Kahn '70

*Anne Christiano Lapinski '65

*Donna Baffino O'Higgins '66

*Mary Prehn '69

*Rosemarie Vairo Rosen '68

*Mary Kay Sawyer '67

Contributors Club

*Ruth Silverman Bald '67

Agnes Young Elze '46

*Mary Iwanonkiw Evansburg '69

*Nancy Ryan Gnan '60

*Sandra Cappella Governanti '66

*Sandra Cole McAvoy '67

*Joyce MacDonald O'Dea '46

*Alice Lockwood Say '58

*Carol Darby Siver '65

Kathleen Tanner '67

*Loida Vera Cruz

We want to know what you're up to. Please let us know!

Please send class news to: Mary Kay Sawyer488 Madison Avenue • Albany, NY 12208 or email to: marykaysawyer@earthlink.net

“The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind.” –John Allston

If you are thinking about your own legacy and doing estate planning, please think about the Chi Sig Scholarship. For more information please contact:

Lori Matt-Murphy • Office of Gift PlanningUniversity at Albany, UAB 226 • 1400 Washington Ave. • Albany, NY 12222

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1946 Joyce McDonald O'Dea: “I am in phone contact with Joan Mather Hilton and Mary Nolan (XEO '46) and with Gen (Tini) Sabatini (Psi Gamma '46).”

1948 Jane O’Brien O’Brien: Passed away recently.

1958 Alice Lockwood Say: “I took a Road Scholar tour to New Zealand last December.”

1960 Joan Cali Pecore: “I enjoyed seeing several XEO sisters at our 57th reunion luncheon in June. As a retired secondary teacher, I keep busy with family, mainly our 7 grandchildren –attending music, sports, and other activities. The 4 older ones are now college graduates, but my hubby and I still babysit for the younger ones. We still travel a bit, going into NYC for concerts, museums and theater, though we do these things more slowly and less frequently.”

Nancy Ryan Gnan: “Our 57th reunion luncheon was on June 14, 2017 at Provence in Stuyvesant Plaza. Sisters joining us were: Ann Foley Baldwin, Joanne Basista Gascoyne, Joan Cali Pecore, Terry Kerwin Lehr, Doris Hische Brossy and Jeannette Leggieri Boehning ('62). Looking forward to our 60th in 2020! We celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary on June 17, 2018.”

1962 Sue Gaffney: Passed away on October 28, 2017 in Rochester, NY.

1965 Kathy Betro Carroll: “My husband and I had a wonderful trip to Italy with our daughter's family, including our two beautiful granddaughters. Just two years ago our children surprised us with a trip to Paris for our 50th wedding anniversary ---how truly lucky we are!”

Mary Margaret Welker: “My husband John and I continue to enjoy retirement, spending half our time at our log cabin in Maine. We love traveling, and recently spent 3 weeks in Spain and Portugal.”

1967 Kathleen Brown Hay and husband Fred welcomed their 4th grandchild, Ripley Dorothy, in October of 2017. Good reason to miss the '67's 50th!

1970 Pat Baskous Lambert: “Trying to 'Make Democracy Work' via the League of Women Voters website: Vote411.org. It's a challenge for me, but hopefully it's helpful, especially in getting the younger generation involved sensibly.”

Debbi Weitz Kahn and husband Phil Kahn (STB '69) welcomed their 4th grandchild, Everly Mabel, child of youngest daughter Abby, on 9/2/17. She is the little sister of Oliver Maxwell (2 ½) and cousin to Cody Samuel and Cassidy Ryan (8), twin children of older daughter Alyssa in LA. Evi and Oli and their parents recently moved from NYC to Farmington Hills, Michigan.

1979-80 Elizabeth Chapline: “We came by train, planes, and automobile from New York, Massachusetts, D.C., North Carolina, Indiana, and Virginia to Virginia for a summer get-together. It was a long weekend of laughter and memories. Great time!”

CLASS NEWS

Class of '68 Yellow Jackets! The 50th is coming soon: October 19-21, 2018 at U Albany's Homecoming Weekend. If you have not yet received any information, you may contact the Alumni Association:

518 442-3080, ask for Loida Vera Cruz.

Three '65 XEO sisters and their spouses met for lunch and a tour of the Culinary InstituteJohn & Mary Marg Young , Skeets & Kathy Carroll and Anne & Len Lapinski

Front: (left to right): Germaine Curtin '80, Patty Bonafede Hunt '79, Fern Heinig '80, Bea Marino McLucas '80, Andrea Megar Gingold '80, Kathy "Virg" Johnson Cleaver '80

Back: (left to right): Barb Beale Loveland '80, Jax Hennessey, Cheryl Darling Hennessey '80, Amy Slater Socolow '80, Beth Sanning '79, Liz Chapline '79

UAlbany Foundation's 2016 XEO Recipient

KATARINA MANZI2016 recipient Katarina Manzi '17 will start Medical School at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in August 2018, pursuing a Doctor of Medicine. After graduation from UAlbany, she continued her work at the Department of Health wrapping up a vaccine efficacy study of the pneumonia shot where she's been assigned to two new projects. She studies the genome sequencing of

people who were very sick with invasive group A strep. The other study focuses on a multi-drug resistant yeast, C auris and its effect on long term care facility residents as well as hospital patients.

Last December, while in her final weeks as a UAlbany student, Katarina gave Mary Kay Sawyer '67 and Ann Holcomb Fairbank '67 an extended tour of the science labs where she continued doing research right through her Dec'17 graduation. She so very graciously gave the tour DURING her exam week! Her sense of humanity, work ethic, admirable spirit, and her dedication will take her far. Good luck, Katarina!!! You are such a deserving and outstanding young woman!!!

We are pleased to announce that Michelle Kobu Wafo is the 2018-2019 recipient of the XEO UAlbany Foundation Scholarship for the second year in a row! Last year, after Michelle completed her sophomore year at UAlbany, she was selected as the 2017-2018 XEO Scholarship recipient. This year, upon completion of her junior year and with a 3.95 GPA, Michelle was selected again. Now, with unchanged career goals, she is currently reviewing and applying to medical schools. Her strong commitment to and involvement in community service continues to provide a foundation for her desired MD degree with the ultimate goal of providing medical and healthcare access to under served populations. Last spring, she was selected to complete the Massry Community Service Fellows Program, a UAlbany program which provides students with the opportunity to create a difference while volunteering full time during the summer months at a local 501c non-profit organization. Michelle's fellowship was with the REACH program, a new public health program at the Trinity Alliance Program of the Capital Region. There, Michelle conducted in depth reviews on health interventions and participated in community outreach in the South End neighbourhood in Albany. Additionally she was able to use her fluency in French to serve as a translator during Refugee Help sessions. Given that her many experiences were so helpful and fulfilling, Michelle will continue as a part time volunteer at Trinity this next year, working again with the REACH program in helping to develop a proposition for healthcare

providers and managed care organizations in the greater capital region.

Congratulations again, Michelle!!! Through your hard work and determination, you continue to have such valued and exciting experiences–and such accomplishments!!!

Those XEO sisters who attended the October 2017 Coffee Hour had the opportunity to meet both Michelle Wafo and Katarina Manzi (2017-2018 recipient) and came away with wonderment and the realization that these young women's collegiate experiences and involvements have provided them with so very much in such a short time!! Our congratulations and best wishes to these fine young women!!!

2018-2019 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Samantha Hutchins and Katarina Manzi past scholarship winnersUAlbany Foundation's 2015 XEO Recipient

SAMANTHA HUTCHINS2015 recipient Samantha Hutchins '16 just completed her 1st semester in the Albany Medical Center's Physician Assistant program; she will graduate in May 2020. After graduating from UAlbany, she continued to work at Albany Medical Center as a Patient Care Associate in the Colorectal Surgery and Urology unit. Now, back in PA school which consumes most of her time, a favorite get away for "Sammy" continues to be the John Boyd Thacher State Park where she enjoys the outdoors as a respite for both studying and walking.

In her UAlbany undergraduate years, Sammy enjoyed tutoring as part of the CARSS program and instructing CPR/First Aid classes. She continues to appreciate and is passionate about the teaching process and feels that in the future, she most likely will be involved in education along with her practice of medicine. Good Luck, Sammy! You continue to be a most outstanding young woman!!! Sammy sends her greetings to all of the Chi Sigma Theta sisters!!!

UAlbany Foundation's 2018 XEO Recipient

MICHELLE KOBU WAFO

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SPOTLIGHTONXEOALUMSOur Chi Sigma Theta Alumnae Association proudly boasts several members of what has been called The Greatest Generation: those folks who grew up amidst WWII; and we're proud to spotlight two of them. Both of these impressive women were influenced by XEO's early connection to the University's Roman Catholic Newman Club, forged out to live independently and teach in their respective fields, continued to volunteer in the community after retirement, and have served as alumni class councilors for multiple decades!

MARY NOLAN '46

Until this past spring, Mary was driving on her own to once-a-month retired teachers gatherings and living independently in the two-story Albany home she was raised in. Now, sensibly situated in an assisted-living facility, she continues to enjoy reading and TV game shows and is happy not to have to “descend any staircases.”

A childhood neighbor and classmate of Agnes Young Elze, another XEO sister from the class of '46, Mary attended Catholic school from first through twelfth grades and then lived at home during her years at State Teachers College, where she had a math major and biology minor. A vivid memory is of fairly long walks from home to the Chi Sig house on Madison Avenue for evening meetings. In 2014, Mary was delighted to attend the sorority's centennial lunch at Jack's,

where she and Agnes were the only members from the class of 1946. She recalls that in '46, many Albany area jobs were going to returning WWII servicemen, so she had to broaden her sights and ultimately found a teaching job in Gloversville, New York, where she worked for eleven years and “received lots of gloves as gifts from students.” The lure of a higher salary and proximity to family nudged her back to Albany, and she continued teaching at South Colonie Middle School for a 33-year career total. During most summers, she and a colleague made use of the time and traveled extensively, “all over Europe”!

She still tries to attend the vigil or Sunday mass and is driven there with fellow residents, but she misses her ritual of stopping at McDonald's on her way home from church and picking up the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, which was “good for two meals.” Careful to snack nutritiously, she favors yogurt pretzels, peanut-butter crackers, and diet Snapple.

Just recently Mary gave up her weekly volunteer position that began around 1980, nearly 40 years ago, after her retirement from teaching. As a receptionist at St. John St. Ann, a community outreach program that provides lunch and clothing to local residents in need, she had a chance to reflect on her strong faith in action. She's immensely grateful she can still live semi-independently, and when she heads to bed each night, she prays to God to “please let me get up tomorrow”!

On May 4, 2018, XEO alums, Ro Vairo Rosen '68 and Stef DeSimone Bollam '67, took part in UAlbany's second

annual Senior Send-Off, where members of the University's current, national sororities and fraternities were

honored for leadership, academic success, and community service, and were individually "corded" by Greek-

affiliated alums from the '60's and '70s. In her keynote speech, Ro highlighted features of membership in our former,

local Greek organizations, and described how our XEO Scholarship through the UAlbany's Foundation provides a

lasting legacy for our alumnae sisterhood.

Ann Holcomb Fairbank '67 and Eleanor Holbig Alland '48 attended the Veteran Memorial Plaques Rededication at the University's downtown campus on May 23, 2018. Unveiled in 1900, the original Soldiers Memorial Tablet, which honored the State Normal School's Civil War dead, was destroyed by fire in 1906. A new tablet was installed in 1910, and in 1921 and 1953, tablets were added for WWI and WWII, respectively. In 1966 the tablets were moved to the newly opened Uptown Campus and hung there until 2000. They were put in archival storage when changes were made to the Uptown Campus. Last year the tablets were returned to the Downtown Campus, where they occupy a place of honor in a lovely pocket park near Draper Hall.

ELEANOR HOLBIG ALLAND '48

Born and raised in Waterloo, New York, Eleanor headed to State to major in math, and she joined Chi Sigma Theta, which she recalls "was looking for girls who were congenial as well as good students!" She lived in St. Thomas More House, off campus, and then in Sayles Hall, where she remembers being served lots of pasta because war rations were still in effect. After graduation she taught in E. Bloomfield, New York, near Rochester, receiving an annual salary of $1,500. She lived in a boarding house with three other teachers, one woman and two men. The $50 more in annual salary the men received was irksome to her, but the sting didn't last long, and she ultimately married one of the men!

The couple moved to the Albany area, where he became a grade school principal and later, the superintendent of the Guilderland Public School System. Many UAlbany alums went on to teach in that district, developing fond memories of Eleanor and Peter Alland. The Allands lived in the picturesque suburb of Altamont and raised their three children there. Motivated by her high regard for education and by the mild disability of one of their children, Eleanor was instrumental in the founding of Altamont House, which still functions as part of the capital region's Center for Disabilities.

In 1999, she joined a group of dedicated UAlbany alums led by Eunice Whittlesey, '44, who wanted to honor veterans from as far back as the Mexican War. In less than two years they gathered a list of nearly 3,000 names of UAlbany alums who had served their country, and in June 2001, the list was unveiled on a 36-foot panel in the University's Main Library. This Veterans' Wall of Honor is a source of great pride for Eleanor.

Today Eleanor calls Avila her home , an independent community for seniors, which as a widow she moved to in 2004. She continues her active life, exercising, playing cards, and volunteering for Mercy House in Albany, a facility for women in abusive situations, which was begun by the Catholic Diocese. She remains involved with the University and is using both email and phone calls to recruit classmates to attend their 70th reunion in October!

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