john carroll university magazine winter 2010

Vol. 14, Issue 4 • WINTeR 2010

125th Anniversary

Ignatian Colleagues Program

Celebrating Women’s Athletics

Wycliffe Odhiambo ’13

Paths to CarrollHow five students found JCU

The Hamlin Quad, which reclaims the lawn between the Administration Building and the Dolan Center for science and Technology, was dedicated at the Board of Directors meeting in october. The quad is named in honor of Yvonne and Dick Hamlin ’49 in gratitude of their generous financial support and friendship.

Vol. 14, Issue 4 WINTeR 2010

John Carroll magazine is published quarterly byJohn Carroll University, 20700 North Park Blvd.,

University Heights, OH [email protected] / 216-397-3050

Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH 44118, and additional mailing offices.

ISSN 1542-0418

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:John Carroll magazine

Integrated Marketing and Communications20700 North Park Blvd.

University Heights, OH 44118

John Carroll University

PresidentRobert L. Niehoff, S.J.

Vice President for university Advancement

Doreen Knapp Riley

Assistant Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Communications

John A. Carfagno

university editor/Director of Publications John Walsh

Alumni Journal and Campus Photography Coordinator

Cheri Slattery

Magazine Advisory Board Jeanne Colleran ’76

Sherri CrahenKimyette Finley ’95

Jack Hearns ’61 Mary Lavin ’87

John Marcus ’72 (ex officio)Paul V. Murphy

Thomas Schubeck, S.J.Barbara Schubert ’62, ’67G, ’80G

Karen SchueleBrian Williams

Mission: As a Jesuit Catholic university,

John Carroll inspires individuals to excel in learning, leadership, and service in

the region and in the world.

Can you identify any alumni in these photos?

We’d like to know. Please e-mail us

at [email protected]

2 WINTER 2010

Cover Story:

Paths to CarrollFrom as close as Parma, Ohio, to as far away as Naivasha, Kenya, these stories highlight how five students found JCU.

FeatureS:

6 Homecoming 2010 Photo gallery

16 A proud milestone Women’s athletics program

celebrates their 40th anniversary.

19 Steeped in traditionThe Ignatian Colleagues Program provides John Carroll’s leaders an opportunity to learn more about Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit educational heritage to help advance the University’s Jesuit Catholic mission.

22 Setting the stage The University plans a year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary.

DEPARTMENTS3 President’s message4 Around the quad24 Enrollment quarterly26 Carroll people27 Alum news29 Alumni journal45 In memoriam46 Athletics48 My turn

Design: Villa Beach Communications, Inc.Printing: Lane PressContributors: Benjamin Gleisser, Susan Curphey, Chris Wenzler ’90, Gwen Compton-Engle, Ph.D.Photography: Robert Wetzler, John Reid, Taylor Horen, FJ Gaylor Photography

The magazine’s mission is to provide an engaging and accurate reflection of the University and its extended community for alumni and other members of the John Carroll community.

what’s inside ...

See WHat’S online j c u . e d u / m a g a z i n e

60 years of serviceJCU’s ROTC program continues to train leaders who serve the country and make the world a better place.

Teach the teachersThe Literacy Specialist Endorsement Program educates those who help provide professional development for teachers, which ultimately benefits the elementary students they instruct.

Off to AmericaVerghese Chirayath, associate professor emeritus of sociology, recalls his first voyage to the States from India in the early 1960s.

The truth of the matterA retired Air Force general in California and his son, a criminal defense lawyer in Pennsylvania, uncover the truth about the Pentagon’s notorious firing of four-star General John D. Lavelle ’38.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter

facebook.com/jcu1886

twitter.com/johncarrollu

CorrectionThe most up-to-date listing of the honor roll of donors for giving during the period of June 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010 appears online at www.jcu.edu/donorhonorroll. We sincerely apologize for any errors and omissions. Inadvertent omissions are: Gordon LaGanke, class of 1955; John Kennedy, class of 1969; Leonard Judy, class of 1961, and Mr. Edward Schnell, Magis Legacy Society. An addition to the 10-plus consecutive years donor list is Mr. and Mrs. Don M. McGuire ’80. Additions to the 20-plus consecutive years donor list are: Don ’70 and Donna ’72 Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Caplice ’55, Mr. and Mrs. Carl C. Heintel Jr. ’65, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard P. Judy ’61, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Kennedy ’69, Mr. and Mrs. S. Donald McCullough ’65, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Turocy ’79.

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WWW.jcu.Edu/MAGAZINE 3

Members of the John Carroll community come from all walks of life – from as close as right here in Northeast Ohio to as far

away as Africa and Asia, from affluent families to those that are economically challenged. But no matter the background, all of us – students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends – come to Carroll and work diligently to help make the world a better place through learning and service.

The numerous journeys students take in joining the Carroll family tell me one thing is certain – we are attracting more students from outside the region. This year’s freshman class is one of our most talented and diverse, with students from 35 states. In this issue of the magazine, we highlight a few of those interesting paths to Carroll. One of my greatest pleasures is seeing our students learn and grow in appreciation of the value of a Jesuit education. As alumni, you can also attest to its value. I suspect you will relate to the stories in this issue as I did.

My own path to Carroll has taken me throughout the United States and the world, and several educational institutions on the West Coast, including other Jesuit universities. Since arriving at Carroll in 2005, I have worked to strengthen the University

Meaningful journeysfinancially; develop a vision, mission, and core values that serve as a road map for the University, as well as develop initiatives central to recognizing the University as a center of learning and service. With academic excellence at our core, we are serving communities near and far. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the hard work and determination that generations of Carroll people have given to make our institution successful.

As we move through life and continue to experience meaningful journeys, sometimes we need to stop and remember our accomplishments and think about how we engage the world. The 125th Anniversary of John Carroll in 2011 is one of these important times to reflect and to celebrate – and it is time for our celebration to begin. Plans for our milestone anniversary year are highlighted on pages 22 and 23 in this issue.

As we celebrate the history of the University, please be sure to share your stories with us. What was your path to Carroll? How has the Carroll experience changed your life? Come home to Carroll in 2011 to be a part of our combined Commencement/Reunion or other anniversary events. But in the meantime, you can share your memories with us now by visiting the online guestbook and other interactive content on our recently launched 125th Anniversary website – www.jcu.edu/125.

The Carroll experience is one we all hold in high regard, knowing how it has helped shape our lives and impacted others throughout the world so positively. With God’s grace, may we continue to serve Him and each other as we work to fulfill the mission of John Carroll University.

Blessings,

Robert L. Niehoff, S.J.

M E S S A G EPRESIDENT’S

4 WINTER 2010

eventSn The University hosted the second annual

conference The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Marine Highway, titled “Fitting the Pieces Together,” Aug. 30. Its purpose was to explore how the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway give Northeast Ohio manufacturers and shippers a competitive advantage in the global economy. Bradley Hull, Ph.D., associate professor and Reid Chair in the Department of Management, Marketing, and Logistics, wants to raise awareness of Northeast Ohio shippers to the potential of using water transportation between Northern Europe and Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago.

n The second annual Service and Nonprofit Internship Fair, hosted by the Center for Service and Social Action and the Center for Career Services, took place Sept. 3. More than 50 community partners from throughout the Cleveland area met with interested JCU students, staff, and faculty to discuss their work in the community and ways others can become involved through service activities, learning, and internships.

n The Footprints for Fatima 5k Run 1-Mile Walk, which took place Sept. 25, supported JCU’s Fatima Food Drive. All proceeds benefited families in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. The first 150 runners/walkers received an official Footprints t-shirt. Awards included: overall men – Dominic Valentino; overall women – Lauren Gunderman ’13; student – Peter Croke ’12; alumni – Dan Collins IV ’91; and FSA – Fr. H. Paul Kim.

AROUNDT H E Q U A D

JCU is among 32 colleges and

universities selected by The Association

of American Colleges and Universities to

participate in General education for a Global

Century, a curriculum- and faculty-development project

that’s part of Association of American Colleges and

Universities Shared Futures initiative. It’s funded by the

Henry Luce Foundation. Participants were chosen from

among more than 140 public and private institutions

throughout the country. The project seeks to build the

capacity of colleges and universities to prepare

students to grapple with global challenges and

thrive in a globalized economy as socially

responsible and engaged citizens

and workers.

JCU’s Boler School of Business is one

of the 300 outstanding institutions

featured in The Princeton Review’s

The Best 300 Business Schools:

2011 Edition. For more information,

visit www.princetonreview.com/

business-school-rankings.aspx.

n Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., visited John Carroll Sept. 28 for an all-campus presentation about his book, “Tattoos on the Heart,” which is about the lives, struggles, and spiritual journeys of the working poor in East Los Angeles who’ve turned away from gang culture to find dignity and redemption in meaningful work. For more information about Fr. Boyle and his book, visit www.homeboy-industries.org/father-greg.php.

n The Mandel Foundation, the Geller Fund for Human Relations, JCU Honors Program, JCU Global Education, and the Departments of Psychology and Physics sponsored a two-day Spotlight on Immigration symposium Oct. 1 and 2. Alejandro Portes, Ph.D., presented “Dreams Fulfilled and Dreams Shattered; Determinations on Segmented Assimilation in the Second Generation.” Luis Alberto Urrea, Ph.D., presented his book, “The Devil’s Highway,” in a talk titled “The Devil’s Highway and Stories of Immigration.”

n The political science department and the Peace, Justice and Human Rights program welcomed Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe Oct. 6 in the Donahue Auditorium in the Dolan Center for Science and Technology. Sr. Nyirumbe delivered a talk about her experiences helping create a safe home for women who were able to escape the Lord’s Resistance Army in Gulu, Uganda.

n On Oct. 9, the Ohio Fair Trade Expo took place on campus for the second consecutive year. John Carroll was chosen to host because of a strong commitment to fair trade in many areas throughout campus, especially students’ engagement in education and awareness about fair trade. The expo is an opportunity for the campus community to learn more about fair trade and demonstrate its commitment to social justice.


new pOsiTiOnsn Brenda Wirkus, Ph.D., in the

Department of Philosophy,

accepted the position of director of

the Master of Arts in Humanities

program. During her

26-year tenure at Carroll, she has

served in a number of leadership positions

and has been associated with the

humanities program since its inception.

n anne Kugler, Ph.D., professor of history,

is serving a three-year term as

director of the Center for Faculty

Development, succeeding Mark

Waner, Ph.D., who resigned from

the position to become the project

director for the Woodrow Wilson

Ohio Teaching Fellowship Program

at John Carroll. Kugler is a vice chair of the

faculty council, a member of the faculty

committee on finance and compensation,

and an elected member of the Academic

Planning Task Force working group on

faculty work.

n Mary lavin ’87, director of

alumni relations since October

2007, accepted the director

of fundraising position at the

Cleveland Foodbank starting

mid-December. theresa Spada

’04, assistant director of alumni

relations, will serve as interim director.

Spada served as alumni and social

events coordinator before being promoted

to assistant director in March 2008. Her

leadership and knowledge of

alumni relations will ensure a

smooth transition and continue

to build on the momentum and

related success to engage alumni

in all aspects of the University.

Highlights during Lavin’s time

as director include: the creation

of the Student Alumni Association, the

first ROTC Alumni Reunion (Homecoming

2008), universitywide collaboration and

related enhancements to reunion and

homecoming weekends, and efforts

to increase broader awareness, and

participation in, the Alumni Medal

nomination and selection process.

BriCKS and Mortarn This past summer, a new concrete patio

was poured in front of Sutowksi Hall; the parking lot between Rodman Hall and the O’Malley Center was repaved; and the sidewalks in the following locations were removed and replaced: in front of the Dolan Residence Hall, the Administration Building-Boler School of Business archway, parallel to the BSOB lot, between Millor Hall and the Bernet Hall circular driveway, and a section near North Park Blvd.

n The University made slate roof repairs on the Dolan Science Center and Administration Building and Boler School of Business. Tuck pointing was done on the BSOB and Breen Learning Center, and there were repairs made to the breezeway connecting the Administration Building and BSOB.

n The paving stone walkway surrounding the exterior of Kulas Auditorium, as well as the public walkway in front of the Administration Building, was closed for several weeks in the fall to allow for needed waterproofing and tuck pointing repairs.

Student SpotliGHtn The John Carroll team of Paul Merrill,

Corey Barnett, Maria Perossa, Jeanniece Jackson, and Rosario Scibona placed second at the Entrepreneurship Immersion Week competition at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. The team’s idea was an Apple iPad application for an electronic menu for restaurants. Named Menu 2.0, the company’s value proposition includes increased revenue for the restaurant, a better dining experience for the customer, and advanced marketing opportunities for the proprietor. The team won $2,000 and committed to further developing their idea this year through the Entrepreneur Association’s Reality Bridge program.

n Junior Randall Darden finished ahead of almost 500 other Army ROTC cadets in the Army Physical Fitness Test held as part of cadet training. Passing the test is a prerequisite for becoming commissioned as a U.S. Army lieutenant. His achievement on the APFT placed him in the top 2 percent of his 456-person regiment. The test, which measures the student’s strength and endurance, consists of sit-ups and push-ups, each timed for two minutes, and a two-mile run.

n Eleven cadets from JCU’s Army ROTC Battalion completed the Leadership Development Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Lewis, Wash., this past summer. Three seniors in the Wolfpack Battalion scored in the top 4 percent nationally against 5,342 cadets: Chad Cotter, Michael Schmitt, and Thomas Krakowiak. Schmitt ranked No. 89 and Cotter No. 90 out of 5,342, ranking them in the top 2 percent nationally. Wolfpack Battalion members ranked sixth out of 38 schools in the 7th Brigade, Cadet Command footprint. JCU’s Army ROTC program achieved the highest average in the Brigade footprint among private institutions.

n For the third year in a row, The Carroll News was voted the best college, nondaily newspaper by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists.

The 2010 Ride for Miles,

commemorating the life and work of

Miles coburn, Ph.d., took place Sept.

26. The event consisted of a

15-mile, police-protected route

through the eastern edge of cuyahoga

county and featured live music and

food. Online contributions were

accepted. All proceeds from the

event, which generated more than

$10,000, support the Miles coburn

Environmental Seminar at jcu and

other environmental and bicycle safety

initiatives.

lavin

Spada

6 WINTER 2010

Homecoming 2010

This year, JCU celebrated homecoming weekend Sept. 23 through 26 with alumni, family, and friends celebrating the tradition. On Saturday, the Blue Streaks football team defeated Marietta College 24-18.

For more information and to view additional homecoming photos, visit www.jcu.edu/homecoming.

6 WINTER 2010


Homecoming 2010

Weekend highlights included:

• SecondannualCarrollClambakefeaturingDavePratt ’85 and the Permanent Basement Band.

• The40thanniversaryofwomen’sathletics.

• AthleticHallofFameinductionanddinner.

•AdedicationoftheCoachRayMemorialScholarship by his players and family at Shula Stadium.

• The60thanniversaryofROTC.

• PershingRifles(JCU’sfirstfraternity)reunion.

•Youngalumnihappyhour.

8 WINTER 2010

There are thousands of interesting stories about how students

became part of the JCU community. Some made last-minute

decisions; others knew well in advance because they were

legacies. On the following pages, we look at how several students

came to University Heights. From as close as Parma, Ohio, to as

far away as Naivasha, Kenya, these stories draw attention to the

many different roads students travel to come to Carroll.

Stories by John Walsh

Paths to carroll

Wycliffe Odhiambo is a long way from home. The John Carroll sophomore, who’s double majoring in economics and accounting, is from Naivasha, Kenya, which is about 16,000 miles away from John Carroll University.

While in high school at Starehe Boys’ Centre and School, Odhiambo thought about becoming a lawyer, which would’ve taken him five years to accomplish in Africa. But, as with many teenagers, his plans changed. When he traveled to Scotland for a leadership conference called Round Square (schools from throughout the world send students to the conference – Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts is one), he got an inkling to explore the world.

Exploring the world can be easier when you speak several languages. Odhiambo’s first language is Luo, which is one of the languages spoken by 42 tribes in Kenya (President

Half way ’round the worldHigh school exchange program brings Kenyan to cleveland and, eventually, carroll

Obama’s father spoke this language); Swahili is his second language; and English is his third.

“And if I had to save my life, I could speak Arabic,” he says.

In Kenya, after graduating from high school, students take a two-year break before entering college to figure out what they want to do in life. After Odhiambo graduated from Starehe in November 2007 with 214 of his classmates, he worked in a refugee camp to help his fellow countrymen get back on their feet after post-presidential-election turbulence in 2008.

Study abroadWhile Odhiambo was working in the refugee camp, the director of Starehe called him to ask if he wanted to partake in an exchange program with University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. Odhiambo said yes, but that required

him to complete another senior year of high school at US. The additional school year helps international students better prepare for college life in the States. Odhiambo took five classes: American civilization; English; calculus; strategy, diplomacy and war; and introduction to law.

“My experience in the States was good until November when it started to snow,” he says, acknowledging it was the first time he experienced snow. (He saw it for the first time a few years ago in Germany, but he was leaving the country.) “I’m not getting used to the snow.”

Odhiambo’s three host families in Northeastern Ohio have helped make his transition to the States pleasant. While at US, he stayed with each family for three months.

“I’ve met some wonderful people,” he says. “I’m still in touch with them.”

8 WINTER 2010


While finishing the school year at US, Odhiambo was thinking about going back to Kenya for college until a student strike occurred. When that happens, which is about once a year, students go home for a period of time, and their education is cut short. So Odhiambo started applying to universities in the States, looking at as many as 29, mostly small liberal arts institutions. His decision came down to Amherst College in Massachusetts and John Carroll.

“Surprisingly, I didn’t look for schools in good weather,” he says.

One of the several reasons Odhiambo chose John Carroll was it offered a more attractive financial aid package.

“John Carroll wanted me to come here more,” he says. “Location was also a determining factor. Because I’m 16,000 miles


10 WINTER 2010

away from home, I wanted to remain close to my three host families.”

Odhiambo, who’s been on his own since he was 12 years old, made most of the decisions himself with the help of his host families, which offered to have Odhiambo live with them if he couldn’t afford room and board at Carroll. Additionally, Tom Tormey, a board member at US, offered to pay the difference between what Odhiambo received from financial aid and the actual cost of his John Carroll education.

“He’s my sponsor, but I think of him more as a parent or friend,” he says.

Odhiambo returns to Kenya every year for a few weeks, but this past year, he stayed a bit longer – two months – because South Africa hosted the World Cup. (Hence, the Ghana shirt he’s wearing on the cover.)

Currently, Odhiambo isn’t thinking too much about law school because he’s focused on graduating from Carroll. However, he has given thought to a future practicing law. Because Kenya was colonized by England, their legal systems are alike, so he’s thinking of attending law school in England.

On the fieldLast year as a freshman, Odhiambo started three games on the varsity soccer team. This year, he’s started most games. That might be a bit surprising considering he didn’t play soccer for two years after he finished high school.

“I had some catching up to do,” he says.Since being in the States, Odhiambo has

noticed differences between how the sport is played in Kenya compared to the U.S. In Kenya, soccer, or football as it’s known throughout the world, is less about skill and more about desire and the team. The game is more physical. In contrast, there’s more finesse to the game in the States even though the players are bigger.

Aside from how soccer is played, Odhiambo has noticed another difference between the States and Kenya: College students are a little more carefree in the U.S.

“Playing video games late into the night before a test is common in the States, whereas in Kenya, students would be studying late into the night and then play video games after the test,” he says.

It’s another reminder he’s a long way from home. Nonetheless, Carroll is Odhiambo’s home away from home.

10 WINTER 2010


It’s not often John Carroll draws students from the West Coast. But thanks to a scouting trip by Erin Brooks, the women’s softball coach, there are more people in suburban Portland, Ore., who know about the Jesuit university in Cleveland.

It was the Amateur Softball Association Girls’ 18-Under National Championship in Las Vegas where Brooks met Natalie Rose, a talented softball player. After Brooks approached Rose, Rose told Brooks about her friend Mackenzie Griffin because, as high school friends and teammates, Rose and Griffin wanted to attend the same university and continue to play softball together.

Griffin, 19, attended Lakeridge public high school in Lake Oswego, Ore., where she has lived since she was in the fourth grade after her family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area. She excelled in athletics – playing basketball, volleyball, and soccer in addition to her best sport, softball – and the classroom, averaging between a 3.5 and 4.0 grade point average while taking child development, anthropology and constitutional law classes.

During her junior year, Griffin started to think about where she wanted to go to college. She knew she wanted to play softball in college but didn’t know how she was going to do that. During her senior year, she applied to the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.

“I was going to try and walk on at Oregon [where the majority of her high school classmates attend] even though the chances were slim,” she says. “Even if I did make it, I knew I wouldn’t play much.”

At the beginning of the summer after her senior year, Griffin attended the orientation at Oregon, where she originally decided to enroll. But those plans changed. Griffin and Rose, who had played softball together since the sixth grade, started looking at community colleges in Northern California and Southern Washington because they wanted to play softball at the college level.

“Our moms drove us around, and we found two schools we liked,” Griffin says.

But something else happened during that summer of 2009 that changed Griffin’s future. In early August, she and Rose went to the ASA National Championship, where Brooks happened to be, too.

Head eastOregonian finds her niche athletically and academically


12 WINTER 2010

Brooks encouraged the two girls to visit John Carroll, so, they flew to Cleveland to look at the University.

“I remember not wanting to go to school so far from home, but after I looked at the beautiful campus, I found it was a good fit,” Griffin says. “And Coach Brooks was awesome. It’s like we’ve known her forever. She answered all our questions about the school and campus life.”

Another reason why Carroll felt right for Griffin is because her parents originally are from upstate New York and the houses and buildings around campus looked like where her grandmother and cousins live – in Albany and Buffalo.

“The campus is so pretty,” she says. “It all clicked for me. I didn’t overthink it. There was no debate [about whether to attend Carroll]. And Natalie felt the same way, but I wouldn’t have felt the same way if she wasn’t with me.”

During their two-night visit to campus, Griffin and Rose met, and hit it off with, Julie Marlowe ’10 (from Pittsburgh) and Erin Riccardi ’12 (from Akron), who were both on the softball team at the time.

“They are so nice,” Griffin says, acknowledging the four girls went to Pizzazz (a pizza place across from campus) and spent time by themselves to get an even more in-depth feel for campus life.

Also during the campus visit, Griffin’s dad, Joseph, came out to meet Brooks.

On their plane ride back to Oregon after the campus visit, Rose and Griffin made their decision to attend Carroll.

“I’d always thought I’d go to a big school,” Griffin says, referring to her applications to the two PAC-10 schools in her home state.

After deciding to come to Carroll, Griffin had thoughts about becoming homesick being so far away from her family. However, she didn’t have much time to dwell on that because five days after returning home from the campus visit, she and Rose turned around and came back to Carroll the same week classes started for orientation. The girls’ mothers came, too, to help them move in.

Naturally, Rose and Griffin roomed together their freshman year. One of the things Griffin had to get used to was the snow.

“It snows in Lake Oswego, but not nearly as much as it does in Cleveland; and when it does, it’s a big deal,” she says.

Once Griffin became settled, she started fall ball and practiced and trained throughout the year until the softball season started, which is right after spring break, when the team travels to Florida to play preseason games.

“I still felt a little homesick the first two weeks of school, but then a few girls from the team ran with Natalie and me, then we met the whole team and fall ball started,” she says.

Griffin admits she wasn’t as homesick as much as she thought she’d be during her freshman year. However, Rose became more homesick as the year went on.

“She has a big family and was used to seeing them all the time,” Griffin says.

To help ease the homesickness, Griffin’s parents came to visit her during Parents and Family Weekend, she went home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and her parents traveled to Florida to see her play softball during spring break. Additionally, Griffin’s dad came to the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament and surprised her.

This year, things are a bit different for Griffin. Rose decided not to return to Carroll for her sophomore year because she wanted to be closer to her family. For Griffin, the transition from freshman year to sophomore year was made easier because three of her friends from Carroll flew out to see her in Oregon, then they piled in Griffin’s car for a seven-day road trip back to Cleveland, stopping at national parks, such as Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore, along the way.

“I kind of freaked out that I was going back to JCU alone, but I realized I had established friends here,” she says. “My friends, who came out to see me, helped with the fact that Natalie wasn’t coming back with me.”

Griffin also is settling in academically, carrying a 3.2 grade point average. After thinking about majoring in physical education/health and then marketing, she’s found her niche with a communications major and creative writing minor.

It’s been a long journey, indeed, but one that’s well worth it.

12 WINTER 2010

Chris (left) and Craig thomas


It’s a case of one brother following the other, then the reverse happening.When Craig and Chris Thomas graduate from John Carroll this

coming spring, they’ll be the third and fourth siblings of five to graduate from the University.

The Thomas twins’ route to Carroll started with an unexpected choice of where they decided to attend high school. Hailing from Parma, Ohio, their three older siblings – Jeff, Erin, and Melissa – attended the local Padua Franciscan High School, a co-educational Catholic school. As such, the twins thought they’d follow their older siblings’ footsteps to Padua. However, Chris was having second thoughts. Enter St. Ignatius – the Jesuit preparatory high school in Cleveland.

“We didn’t know much about Ignatius until we went to its open house,” Craig says.

Craig was hesitant to attend Ignatius because most of his friends were heading to Padua and he wouldn’t know that many kids. But that perspective started to change. The father of one of the Thomases’ soccer friends suggested attending Ignatius and raved about the school. And after the open house they attended, Craig’s and Chris’ parents, Tim and Mary, raved, too.

“Our parents encouraged us to go to Ignatius,” Craig says.Chris decided to attend Ignatius instead of Padua first, and Craig soon

made up his mind, too, and followed his brother. There were four other students from Holy Family, the parish and grade school the Thomases belong to and attended, who also enrolled at Ignatius. The previous year, only one student from Holy Family enrolled at Ignatius.

At St. Ignatius, the Thomases played soccer and were part of the 2005 state and national championship team.

When it came time to think about what college to attend, the brothers applied mostly to the same schools. Chris applied to JCU, Valparaiso University, and Ohio Wesleyan University. Craig applied to the same three schools and the University of Dayton.

This time, the opposite of what happened when they chose to attend Ignatius occurred. Craig made up his mind first to attend John Carroll. He did so mainly because he wanted to continue his Jesuit education, attend a small liberal arts school, and major in accounting in a business school that has a strong reputation. (He has two uncles who own successful accounting firms in Phoenix who influenced him.)

“Coming out of Ignatius, you have so much pride continuing with the Jesuits,” he says.

The Thomases say about 20 boys from their high school graduating class enrolled at Carroll, including some of their close friends.

Chris, who was being scouted by Ohio Wesleyan, wasn’t so sure about

Follow you, follow meLocal twins trail siblings to carroll


14 WINTER 2010

enrolling at JCU. OWU was appealing because the school was interested in him playing soccer there. But looking back, Chris says choosing a school solely because of a sport is the wrong reason.

“I didn’t have my priorities straight at that moment,” he says.

Eventually, Chris followed his younger brother (born five minutes apart) to John Carroll.

“I chose Carroll primarily because of its academic standards – and I thought it would be cool if we played soccer together,” Chris says. “Plus, my mom was encouraging me to go to Carroll. She loves the University. And because of our siblings and us, she has been working with the same lady, Joan Petersen, in the financial aid office for 11 years.”

Chris, who’s in the science program, was impressed with, and was sold on, the facilities in the Dolan Center for Science and Technology.

Before choosing Carroll, the Thomases were tempted by others schools, such as Valparaiso, that offer a “buy one, get half off the second” deal regarding tuition for twins if both decide to attend the same school.

Previously, the Thomases had been exposed to Carroll through their oldest sibling, Jeff ’04, older sister Erin ’07 (a political science major who died tragically in a car accident in 2008), and cousin Marie Semple ’09.

“Jeff was a finance major here at Carroll, and he loved it,” Chris says, adding that his older brother lived on campus all four years and was active in intramurals. “He and his buddies from Carroll continue to meet once a week.”

When the twins were 13, they stayed overnight with Jeff on campus during Parents and Family Weekend. They enjoyed the weekend and have fond memories of hanging out with their older brother, playing basketball, and pulling pranks on their brother’s friends.

“It was cool to be on a college campus and sleep in the dorms,” Craig says.

When in high school, the twins also shadowed their sister, Erin, who lived off campus, and their cousin (Semple) to get a better feel of what it was like to attend the University.

“Class size and being fairly close to home were important,” Craig says. “JCU is close

enough where we can go home if we need to but far enough away where it feels like we’re not at home.”

Even though the twins were excited to play soccer upon entering Carroll, physical injuries (shoulder and ankle) and an increasing interest in rugby (The oldest club sport at Carroll, which started in 1966.) drew them away from the sport they excelled at so well as a team in high school. Chris left the soccer team after his freshman year to play rugby, and Craig followed him a year later. Craig’s involvement with the orientation staff also conflicted with soccer conditioning and tryouts.

Academically during his freshman year, Chris admits he wasn’t a big fan of the University’s core curriculum because, as a chemistry major, that’s where he wanted to focus his studies.

“I didn’t understand why I had to take classes in philosophy and theology,” he says. “But then, aspects from one discipline started to connect with another, and they all came together nicely by my senior year.”

This year, the twins are living together for the first time since arriving at Carroll. During their freshman year, they thought it best to split up to meet more people. Still, they ended up on the same floor, then across the hall from each other their sophomore year. Junior year, Chris lived in the Fairmount Gardens apartment complex, and Craig lived in a duplex on Warrensville Center road. This year, they’re roommates living in Fairmount Gardens.

Looking back at his Carroll experience to date, Craig says he wanted a chance to become involved on a smaller campus. Greek life, sports, the orientation staff, and retreats all were part of that.

Craig, who will earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (he’s an accoutancy major), will continue at Carroll next year because he plans to earn an MBA from the University. Chris, who will earn a B.S. in chemistry, plans to move on to medical school or podiatry school. Currently, he’s shadowing doctors to help him decide.

Though there’s one thing about life after Carroll that’s certain for the Thomas twins: Neither of them will follow the other to graduate school. Their professional paths will diverge, but they always will be able to reflect on their time at Carroll.

14 WINTER 2010

Opening doorsjesuit priest provides Honduran an opportunity of a lifetime

As a little boy growing up in rural Honduras, Dany Diaz Mejia never heard of the Jesuits. Yet, little did he know, a priest from the order would change his life.

As a boy, Diaz Mejia always wanted to read and enjoyed listening to his older brother read to him. He developed a voracious reading habit, and over time, ran out of material to read; so he started reading his mother’s English books. A short time later, he took a crash course in English.

As as result, at the age of 12, Diaz Mejia became a translator for the groups from the States traveling throughout the country on medical missions helping the poor.

“I knew we were poor, but I didn’t know how poor the country was,” he says.

One of the missionary groups who traveled to Honduras regularly was from Church of the Gesu led by Fr. Lorn Snow, S.J. ’90G.

“I’ve known Fr. Snow since I was 10 years old,” Diaz Mejia says. “Before I met him, I had visions of it snowing or some kind of iceman when he came because of the translation of his last name.”

When Diaz Mejia was 14, a missionary doctor sponsored him to attend a secular, private high school, Elvel School, in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The bilingual school is one of the best schools in the country, where all the graduates continue on to college. Other people sponsored Diaz Mejia’s schooling at Elvel from his sophomore through senior years. During his freshman year, he traveled two hours each way to school from his home. Sophomore year through senior year, he lived with one of the teachers who taught at the school so he didn’t have to travel so far every day. On the weekends, he went home to see his family – mother; one older brother, one younger brother, and one sister.

Diaz Mejia wasn’t performing so well


academically his freshman year at Elvel. But a teacher, Mr. Morales, became his mentor and helped him. By the second semester freshman year, he was in the honors group.

Throughout high school, Diaz Mejia continued to work with missionary groups that came to Honduras from the States. And college was always in his plans.

“I knew I wanted to go to college and was aware of the opportunities I had because I was going to this prestigious high school,” he says. “But I didn’t want to stay in Honduras. I wanted to go abroad because I loved languages and liked to travel.”

So Diaz Mejia looked at schools in Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Italy but never applied to any of them.

“I was scared I wouldn’t find what I wanted, and my family wasn’t in a financial situation to pay for my tuition,” he says.

During his senior year, Fr. Snow and Fr. Mike Ausperk, a diocesan priest from Cleveland, talked to Diaz Mejia about John Carroll. There was a possibility Diaz Mejia could attend JCU for free because of a grant.

“I was hesitant at first,” Diaz Mejia says. “I didn’t know.”

Another group – from Lancaster, Ohio – talked to him about attending Ohio University.

“I wasn’t sure if that was the best thing for me,” he says.

Diaz Mejia continued talking to people about the possibility of coming to Carroll, took the SATs, and sent his transcripts. Finally, he wrote the essay that’s part of the enrollment application. Ultimately the Jesuits were the determining factor.

Then Fr. Snow contacted Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., the president of JCU about the Presidential Scholarship grant. That, and the American Values Scholarship, covered Diaz Mejia’s tuition. Gesu Church covered his living expenses.

Diaz Mejia came to Carroll campus unseen, but he knew several families from Gesu, which helped him acclimate.

“Fr. Mike picked me up at the airport and drove me to the Koehler’s house,” he says. “I got sick with Dengue fever shortly after I arrived, but the Koehlers treated me so well that week, which brought me closer to them.”

The Koehler family – Mike, his wife, Michelle, and their four children who live in Shaker Heights and belong to Gesu parish –

was Diaz Mejia’s host family, living with them his first year at Carroll.

“They became my mentors and understood it was difficult for me to be away from my family,” he says. “They helped me develop a sense of family and deep personal relationships.”

The summer after his freshman year Diaz Mejia participated in a service project, took classes at Georgetown University, and completed an internship in Washington. The summer after his sophomore year Diaz Mejia completed the Poverty and Solidarity internship program at JCU and interned at the public defender’s office in Cuyahoga County. After his junior year, he completed the Public Policy and International Affairs fellowship at Princeton University.

“I need to make the most of my education here, so I was open to summer internships instead of returning home each summer,” he says, acknowledging his interest in nonprofit, legal, and public policy work.

Even though those were Diaz Mejia’s interests, he didn’t know what he wanted to major in.

“When I sat down with Dr. [Lauren] Bowen, who’s my academic advisor, she


informed me I only needed six more classes to be a political science major,” he says. “So that became my major, kind of as a default.”

Diaz Mejia, who also will earn minors in economics and English, is interested in working for an international company or volunteer work.

“I love to travel and love languages and thinking about issues,” he says. “I want to do something meaningful.”

Diaz Mejia, who’s the first person in his immediate family to attend college, says he never imagined all the opportunities he’s had.

“I’ve visited the rooms of St. Ignatius in Rome, went to L.A., Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico,” he says. “I’ve had great opportunities to travel to Spain and study at Georgetown and Princeton. I would never have had those opportunities had I stayed in Honduras. The Jesuits are a big part of my life now and how I look at the world.”

As part of JCU’s 125th Anniversary celebration, we’d like to hear your road-to-Carroll stories. Please visit www.jcu.edu/125 and click on the “Share Your Story” box.

16 WINTER 2010

women’s athletics timeline

1970-71Volleyball and basketball

were initiated

1971-82Competed under the guise

of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

for women

1975-76Swimming and diving

program started

1976-77 Tennis program

launched

1981The NCAA

began sponsoring women’s sports

16 WINTER 2010

A proud milestoneWomen’s athletics program celebrates 40th anniversary

by Chris Wenzler ’90

For a university that enrolled only male students through its first 83 years, John

Carroll University’s transition to a co-educational institution in 1969 was sure to meet its pockets of resistance and moments of encumbrance.

The same could be said for its athletic department. A bastion of all-male sports since its inception in 1920, the John Carroll men’s coaches and administrators would be asked – for the first time – to share its space, equipment, and time with a women’s program.

Kathleen Manning ’72G, Ph.D., was the person chosen to start the women’s intercollegiate athletic program at John Carroll. She took the assignment knowing full well many obstacles were lying in wait, such as lack of locker rooms, transportation, and staff.

But where some people see challenges, others see opportunity. And, as 40 years of women’s athletes at John Carroll can attest, Manning proved to be the latter.

Starting from scratchManning was hired in 1970 to teach women’s physical education and formally was named the coordinator of women’s athletics in 1974 by Fr. Henry Birkenhauer, S.J., who was the University’s president from 1970-1980. Manning remembers a generally supportive atmosphere for her and the young women who wanted to play athletics. But she definitely had her hurdles.

“Traditionally, John Carroll athletics was an old boy’s network,” says Jerry Schweickert ’60, a fellow coach and former standout athlete for John Carroll in the late 1950s. “She had to fight for everything she got.”

But transforming an all-male university into a co-ed one is much easier said than done.

“There were plans for the academic programs and housing for women, but there was no strategic plan for women’s athletics,” Manning says. “This was not unusual at that

time. The groundwork for women’s athletics needed to be established and built with a respect for tradition, while creating new traditions.”

An example at the time could be found in the structure of the well-organized men’s intramural system. It was administered by the Iota Beta Gamma fraternity and had been in place for many years. Schedules were established, and teams were formed well in advance. To simply claim some type of domain would’ve been counterproductive, so Manning chose a more diplomatic approach.

“We practiced in the evening after intramurals that first year,” Manning says. “By the second year, we had games at the same time as intramurals, and by the third year, intramurals were scheduled around women’s athletic events.”

It was that type of diplomacy that would win Manning more friends than enemies in those formative years of the women’s program. Of course, if an opportunity arose to make


change happen quicker, she was ready for that as well. Such an opportunity took place with the founding of the women’s tennis team in 1974-75.

“The men’s team practiced at 3:30, and the women couldn’t have the courts until after the men,” Manning says. “But in early spring, it was dark by 5:30, so the women practiced at 7 in the morning, indoors or out, depending on the weather. But when a new men’s tennis coach came to John Carroll, I merely told him the men and women shared the courts for practice, and he agreed. So the men’s and women’s tennis teams each had three courts for practice on a daily basis from then on. I just waited until times were better, if that was at all possible.”

the first sportsThe first two women’s teams, basketball and volleyball, began in 1970. It was a learning experience for everyone. The women were learning the five-player game in basketball, while volleyball had transitioned to power volleyball, so there was a huge learning curve for skill development. Additionally, the female athletes were learning about the role of the athlete in terms of commitment, responsibility, and organizing their time differently. Players would miss practice to take exams, finish term papers, and even to go on dates.

“If there was a big dance coming up, I didn’t schedule anything,” Manning says. “I was clear with the players that I’d continue to ask for additional resources as their commitment increased. It was a learning experience for everyone.”

A primary area for growth was the development of a budget for uniforms,

transportation, and food allowance. That didn’t happen in the first two years, so the players wore gym suits and pinnies. Transportation often was Manning’s Pontiac LeMans.

“The point of it all was to compete, and the spirit of the girls was enthusiastic,” Manning says.

Anne Conway ’72 – member of the JCU Alumni Board, 2009 Alumni Medal Recipient, and a member of the first women’s basketball team – recalls practicing at 10 p.m. after the men were

done and using the bathroom to get changed because there was no women’s locker room. For games, the team wore blue T-shirts with numbers made out of masking tape. They played as badly as they looked.

“We were awful,” Conway says. “I wouldn’t want anyone to know the scores of those games.”

The important thing was the women were competing. If they had waited for everything to be perfect, they would have had a much slower start and wouldn’t be as far as they are today.

“The program was built on the determina-tion and the spirit of females willing to practice and compete with minimal advantages,” Manning says. “It was a developmental process.”

Volleyball and basketball went through identical growing pains because they were the first two teams. By the time tennis was introduced in 1974-75 resources had improved, and they continued to improve throughout the development of the women’s programs.

1984The Presidents’ Athletic Conference began sponsoring women’s sports

1984Softball

program began

1985Track and field

program started

1989Soccer program

instituted

1999Golf program

began

Perhaps one of the seminal moments for the development of the women’s program was when one of the most established of the men’s coaches stepped across the proverbial aisle.

“In the fall of 1981, I was completing my doctoral program and writing my dissertation,” Manning says. “Jerry Schweickert decided he would help me out. He was the athletic director, physical education chair, and baseball coach at the time he decided to join women’s volleyball. He stayed as my assistant for nine years and continued with Gretchen Weitbrecht until he retired from coaching. I’m always thankful he accepted that role.”

Schweickert had limited knowledge of the game but brought other talents to the table.

“His spirit and belief about pride, tradition, commitment, not complaining, and looking for the good in yourself meshed well with my own personality,” Manning says. “Jerry watched from the sidelines during the first 10 years of women’s athletics, but once he made a commitment to the program, it was unwavering. The women’s program is better for his willingness to give of himself and have first-hand involvement.”

Competitive programsIn the spring of 1975, women’s tennis began a competitive schedule, followed by women’s swimming and diving in the early 1980s. Tennis was similar to volleyball and basketball in terms of the makeup of the team.

“Players responded to an announcement that we were going to have a team,” Manning says. “We didn’t have recruiting at that point in women’s athletics.”

Patrice McCauley Hulseman ’80, who

1984Cross country

program launched


Conway

18 WINTER 2010

was one of the first members of the tennis team, recalls a laid-back atmosphere that was more about putting together a team and getting the chance to play than be subjected to tryouts.

“During my freshman year, we showed up and just started hitting balls, but I don’t remember having to play a match to get on the team, which sounds kind of funny now,” says Hulseman, who’s married to JCU Hall of Fame swimmer Paul Hulseman ’82 and parents of Michael Hulseman ’12 and Sean Hulseman ’13.

Yet there was clear evidence women’s athletics was starting to be taken more seriously and making strides.

“It was the little things,” Hulseman says. “We had a few perks that were a big deal back then, such as the free Tretorn tennis shoes and vouchers for meals after matches.”

Manning still has a plaque on her wall from the 1978 team. It reads: “To the person who saw the skill and ability in us and developed it, who encouraged, put up, and stayed with us. But most of all believed in us and in what we could do.”

validationIn 1970, only a handful of women played in the first two women’s sports that were formed – basketball and volleyball. Initially, they played an independent schedule, then moved to organized programs within the Western Reserve Athletic Conference and the Ohio Association of Intercollegiate Sports for Women. Beginning in 1984-85, the women had a conference affiliation for competition in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

One of Manning’s long-term goals was for John Carroll women to join the Ohio Athletic Conference. With Athletic Director Tony DeCarlo ’66G on the same page, John Carroll filed for membership, and it was approved in time for the 1989-90 academic year. JCU has been a member of the competitive league ever since.

The women’s programs in the OAC represented standards Manning used as her models while building the women’s programs at John Carroll.

“Being the only female in John Carroll’s athletic department, I had no points of comparison, so Marcie French at Baldwin-

Wallace and Sheila Wallace at Ohio Northern [pioneers in intercollegiate athletics for women] became early models for our women’s programs. When Fr. Lavelle [president of John Carroll from 1988-1995] announced John Carroll would join the OAC, I was very pleased.”

As Manning reflected on the fact she had accomplished what she initially had set out to do, she also sensed it was time for a change.

“I competed for one year in the OAC, but at that point I knew my job was finished,” she says. “It was time for someone else to take over and continue the women’s program.”

Looking back, Manning cherished the years she coached, despite the struggles.

“I loved working with the girls,” she says. “That was my only priority: What could I do to make their world and women’s athletics better. The plan was to always move forward, look good, and keep getting better. We were blessed with supportive male students, Dr. Jim Lavin, who continually supported my requests for increases in necessary resources, and Fr. Henry Birkenhauer, S.J., who was my constant support building women’s athletics. I can’t imagine what might have been if Fr. Birkenhauer hadn’t been the president. I was fortunate.”

Celebrating 40 yearsLooking back at 1970 offers an interesting athletic landscape to view. What started as two programs now has increased to nine – six of the nine have captured league titles. Hundreds of student-athletes have earned all-conference recognition, almost 40 have earned All-American status, and a select few have garnered national titles.

There are 21 female athletes who’ve been inducted into JCU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. At the Hall of Fame dinner, which took place Sept. 24, the new inductees included

three female athletes, and the 1993 women’s volleyball team, which was the first women’s team to qualify for an NCAA tournament.

Rita Braun ’81, an All-American diver in the late ’70s and early ’80s, was one of the first five women to receive the Hall of Fame honor. She competed on the men’s team for a year before a women’s team was formed.

“My diving career was fantastic,” says Braun, who lives

in Whitefish, Mont. “I still think about it fondly.”

For Braun, diving was more than just an athletic passion: It helped pave the way for her to earn an education. The men’s swimming and diving coach at the time, Ron Zwierlein, and Fr. Birkenhauer helped her obtain an academic scholarship that paid for many of her expenses.

“For me, going to John Carroll was a life changer; and it wasn’t being on the diving team so much as it was attending and graduating from a really great university,” Braun says.

At the 40th anniversary milestone, Manning is proud of what women’s athletics has accomplished, and she’s confident women’s athletic programs at John Carroll will continue to flourish.

“For me, the heart and spirit of women’s athletics from the beginning to the present will always be the female athletes,” she says. “Regardless of challenges we faced, it was always worth it. Because of the women who pioneered the programs, and the female athletes who continue the tradition currently, women’s athletics at John Carroll continues to grow and prosper.”

Conway, now a chief U.S. District judge in Florida, says she has fond memories of her playing days and feels proud she helped pave the way for women’s sports at JCU.

“We had a good time, and I think we showed the University women belonged there,” she says. “If we wanted to do it, we went and got it done.”

For more information about JCU’s women’s athletic programs, visit, www.jcusports.com.


The Ignatian Colleagues Program (ICP) provides John Carroll’s leaders an opportunity to learn more about Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit educational heritage to help advance the University’s Jesuit Catholic mission

By Sue Valerian

Steeped in tradition

An initiative of the Jesuit institutions of higher learning in the Heartland/Delta region of the country, the

Ignatian Colleagues Program now is supported by 24 of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in America and the Jesuit provinces of the Heartland/Delta region. Headquartered at John Carroll University at the invitation of JCU President Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., the program, which trains university leaders to preserve the identity of the institutions for which they work, is directed by Edward Peck, Ph.D., former associate dean of John Carroll’s graduate school.

Fr. Niehoff, who supports the new national program enthusiastically, welcomed its headquarters at Carroll.

“It’s a great pleasure to have the Ignatian Colleagues Program on our campus,” he says. “The ICP, under Ed’s direction, has become the Jesuit lay leadership formation program that many of us in Jesuit higher education and the Society of Jesus have been looking for.”

The commitment The program began in 2008 shortly after the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus reaffirmed its desire to encourage Jesuits and their colleagues to collaborate more closely as companions in mission and engage in a process of mutual formation for partnership. Peck says the ICP and related programs aren’t just about declining numbers of Jesuits, but rather about shared responsibility.

“Even though the ICP may have emerged at a time when there are fewer Jesuits available for higher education, there’s always been a need for well-informed and engaged partners in mission,” he says.

The program provides lay participants with a variety of opportunities to learn more about Ignatian spirituality, Jesuit Catholic education, and the commitment to justice during an 18-

month period. Like Jesuit schools, the program is open to people of all religious faiths and traditions.

“Participants don’t all have to be Catholic, but rather, they need to share a common commitment to understand and advance the mission,” Peck says.

As of this past summer, 40 people from throughout the country, including two from

John Carroll, have completed the program. Currently, 85 more are enrolled in the second and third cohorts, including five more faculty, staff and administrators from John Carroll. Each university’s president selects the participants from among leaders across their campus, resulting in a broad spectrum of participants in each cohort of about 45 people.

The program involves a significant


St. Ignatius Loyola - from a triptych created by the Rev. William Hart McNichols. courtesy of creighton university.

20 WINTER 2010

after what she describes as a transformative trip to El Salvador, she feels more a part of it.

“I now understand myself as a participant in an organic and dynamic mission that’s steeped in a rich tradition and anchored by clear values,” she says.

In part, that means inviting passion and caring into her work.

“What I’ve learned to do a little bit better is stop trying to distinguish between reason and emotion so rigidly,” Bowen says. “They’re not separate and distinct. Humanity is as important as intellectual debate.”

At the same time, Bowen has come to another realization: paying attention to the whole person, not just the intellectual side.

“It’s about my own habits of mind and my ethos of being – not just about the programs I design and the courses I teach and the committees I chair – but how I conduct myself and how I interact at the individual level with everyone I meet and with whom I work,” she says.

The program encouraged Williams to examine how he performs his job daily. Williams’ main responsibility is to continue increasing the number of qualified high school graduates who experience John Carroll. But since completing the ICP earlier this year, Williams is embracing another newly emphasized responsibility: to better communicate the University’s Jesuit Catholic mission to prospective students.

With fewer Jesuits to lead universities such as John Carroll, faculty and administrators like Williams are relied on increasingly to help carry out each institution’s mission.

“The challenge is to take what I learned over 18 months about what kind of experience one can expect for the next four years and try

to share that with my staff and my prospective students,” he says. “What does it mean to be a Jesuit university, and what does that mean to a 17, 18 year old?”

The Jesuit mission – to think beyond oneself, to strive for something deeper – can get lost among teenagers bent on finding a job after graduation, so, according to Williams, the University’s goal is to help them understand the greater value of a John Carroll degree.

“What are you going to do with it, and how is it going to make a difference in the world?” says Williams, who wants students to ask themselves these questions. “It’s that constant reminder that sets a Jesuit education apart. It’s not just about your talents, but how you use those talents.”

Storz completed the ICP with Williams. As a Catholic, the experience wasn’t so much transformative as it was a welcomed chance to reflect on his own spirituality. He described the retreat in Denver as the most important part of the program for him.

“It was an opportunity to spend eight days in quiet in the mountains ... and talk about and reflect on my own spirituality, which we don’t get to do in our busy lives,” Storz says. “It was a real gift.”

Storz’s ICP project is to create a series of workshops about Ignatian pedagogy and help graduate assistants incorporate the Ignatian method of teaching into their classrooms.

“The more we have an understanding of the history and the mission of the Jesuits, the better we can be partners with the Jesuits in promoting education,” Storz says. “Ultimately, it’s about the students. We want to continue to promote this tradition among them.”

about the iCp program

A national program designed to educate administrators more deeply in the Jesuit tradition of higher education, so they can better articulate, adapt, and advance the Ignatian mission on their campuses.

Executive director: Ed Peck, Ph.D.

Headquarters: John Carroll University

Participating schools: 24 Jesuit universities nationwide

More information: www.jcu.edu/ignatiancolleagues

investment on the part of the participants and institutions.

“The presidents, provincials, and local coor-dinators who support the ICP believe this is an important investment in the future,” Peck says.

Each participant attends a four-day orientation in Chicago and then returns to campus to complete a series of online workshops created by a national group of content experts working with Peck. The program also includes a week-long immersion trip to Central America and an experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Participants are asked to leave the program with an action plan, or mission project, to incorporate what they learned into their daily jobs. The program ends with a four-day capstone experience about Ignatian discernment.

“During the capstone experience, participants widely reported feeling much more prepared and willing to articulate the Jesuit mission of higher education in new ways and work collaboratively with people back on their campuses to advance the mission,” Peck says.

jesuit colleaguesJohn Carroll participants include Karen Schuele, Ph.D., dean of the Boler School of Business; John Day, Ph.D., academic vice president; Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., vice president and executive assistant to the president; Nicholas Santilli, Ph.D., associate academic vice president for planning and assessment and institutional effectiveness; Lauren Bowen, Ph.D., associate vice president for academic programs and faculty diversity; Brian Williams, vice president for enrollment; and Mark Storz, Ph.D., associate dean of Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor in the Department of education and Allied Studies.

Bowen is on track to finish the program in January 2011. Raised by a Methodist mother and an atheist father, she considers herself culturally Protestant and professionally secular. So when Fr. Niehoff invited her into the program, she asked the program’s director more than once if she was right for it. Peck assured her she was. After a year in the program, her outlook has changed.

“Before ICP, I understood intellectually the Jesuit tradition and values, but I didn’t allow myself to experience them,” she says.

Bowen believed she was able to commu-nicate and support the Jesuit mission but was unfamiliar with living it. But now, particularly

20 WINTER 2010


“The reality is the church is going to become more dependent on universities like ours,” Murphy says.

The opportunity to help others find God in all things, to find that synthesis with religion and culture excites Murphy about his new position. One of his goals is to make the position more visible on campus by organizing brown-bag lunches with speakers who are experts in Ignatian and Jesuit traditions. He’ll also hold student workshops for campus tour guides to help them communicate the school’s mission and identity better to prospective students and their parents. But he won’t pressure anyone into thinking the way he does.

“We’re not here to indoctrinate, in any kind of coercive way, those who are here who aren’t Catholic or who aren’t open to the things we are,” he says. “But it’s important to me to communicate what it means to us. I hope my office is a place where people feel free and safe to talk about what the challenges and opportunities are at a Jesuit university.”

Perhaps most importantly, Murphy wants to help raise the money needed to establish a permanent place for an office of mission and identity at John Carroll.

“Youcantalkallyouwantaboutmissionandidentity,but we need the right budget to support it,” he says. “We have to be serious about this.”

– Sue Valerian

Local support for the Ignatian Colleagues Program received a boost this year when, in August, Paul V. Murphy, Ph.D., took over as assistant to the president for mission. Murphy, professor of history and the director of John Carroll’s Institute of Catholic Studies since 2005, will meet individually with the University’s participants in the ICP and bring them together for group discussions. His participation with the ICP is just one piece of a larger role for Murphy: serving as a key ambassador to preserve and grow John Carroll’s Jesuit identity.

“It’s crucially important to the future of Jesuit higher education that we be attentive to the mission of this University,” Murphy says, adding the identity is what helps John Carroll stand out among other Ohio liberal arts universities, and that’s key to attracting and keeping students. “Given the price of higher education, there better be a good reason for students to be here.”

Murphy’s move into his new role is a natural one partly because he, along with Mark McCarthy, Ph.D., co-chaired the University’s Mission Coordinating Committee the past few years. The committee took over after Fr. Howard Gray, S.J., left the position Murphy has filled.

“I’m grateful Paul has agreed to take on this important role,” says Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., president of John Carroll. “With his strong background and connection to the John Carroll University community and commitment to Jesuit higher education, I have great confidence in Paul’s strategic foresight to help John Carroll and Jesuit higher education maintain and carry forth the critical Jesuit mission and Ignatian identity, which is the foundation of the University.”

Murphy has been studying and teaching about issues of mission and identity for much of his career. As director of the Institute of Catholic Studies the past five years, he has overseen a Catholic Studies minor for undergraduates and organized an annual Catholic Studies lecture series. During that same period, he taught courses about the Jesuits and church history. Before coming to John Carroll in 2005, he spent more than 15 years teaching history, including Jesuit and church history, at universities in Toronto, Chicago, and San Francisco.

“My role has been to help enhance the Jesuit mission for quite awhile,” he says.

With a dwindling number of Jesuits, it’s necessary lay people carry the mission forward.

Retaining the jesuit identity


paul Murphy, ph.d.

22 WINTER 2010

John Carroll University will celebrate its 125th Anniversary in 2011, and it is just about time for our year-long series of events to begin.

It will be a time for us to reflect on our many achievements and our Jesuit Catholic tradition of excellence, and it will also be a time for us to look to the future – to find new ways to engage the world through leadership and service.

You will find our schedule of anniversary events on the opposite page, but we encourage you to visit our interactive 125th Anniversary website regularly at www.jcu.edu/125. Detailed information will be added to the 125th Anniversary website as the year progresses, including announcements about our

commencement speaker, additional speakers, event details, and new interactive content.

To refresh you on a little John Carroll history, here are two key dates from 1886 that are particularly important to recognize as part of our 125th Anniversary:

• Founder’s Day: On April 19, 1886, a formal agreement between Bishop Richard Gilmour, Bishop of Cleveland, and Fr. Henry Behrens, S.J., Superior of the Buffalo Mission, invited the Buffalo Jesuits to establish a college in Cleveland.

• Opening Day: On September 6, 1886, classes opened for students and John Carroll University began life as St. Ignatius College on Cleveland’s West Side.

Since then, generations of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni have made John Carroll a meaningful, purposeful, and vibrant institution.

We invite you to celebrate this milestone year by participating in one or more

events. Reconnect with old friends and professors. See how the campus has

changed. Meet our current students, and see what college life is like today.

Get out your calendars and make a plan to come home to Carroll in 2011

Setting the StageWe have much to look forward to!


Setting the Stage

visit the 125th anniversary website for the latest information and to participate online:•Putyourselfonthe125thAnniversaryJCUmap

•Shareyourstoryfor2011issuesofJohnCarrollmagazine

•Submityourideaforthe“125ThingsWeLoveAboutJCU”poster

www.jcu.edu/125

1 2 5 T H A N N I v E R S A R y S c H E d u L E

Spring semester 2011

Jan. 30 – Feb. 4 Ignatian Heritage WeekMarch 28-31 Celebration of Scholarshipapril 125th Anniversary Month of Service •April3-9 AlumniImmersionTriptoHaiti •April19 FoundersDay •April30 CultivatingCommunityDay

(with St. Ignatius High School)

May 20-22 Commencement/Reunion

Fall semester 2011

Sept. 6 125th Anniversary of the First Day of Classes •MassoftheHolySpirit •125thBirthdayParty(forstudents,faculty,

staff, administrators, alumni, and friends) •Luncheon,birthdaycake,andentertainment •Bepartofthehuman“125”photoontheQuad

Sept. 29 – oct. 2 Homecoming 125oct. 6 125th Speaker Series

Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. (Grace Lecture)

dec. 2 125th Anniversary Gala The closing event of our 125th Anniversary year

PRESIDENT’S

AROUNDT H E Q U A D

M E S S A G E

ENROLLMENTQ U A R T E R L Y

CARROLLP E O P L E

IN MEMORIAM

MY TURN

Come see for yourselfThere’s no question about it. John Carroll’s gorgeous campus, which features Gothic architecture and experiences a change of the four seasons. The campus is a major determining factor that compels students to choose to attend the University.

“After I looked at the beautiful campus, I found it was a good fit. The campus is so pretty. It all clicked for me.”

— Mackenzie Griffin ’13

“As soon as I stepped on campus, I fell in love with this place.”— Rachael Grueber ’14

“Literally, as soon as I stepped foot on campus, I turned to my dad and said, ‘This is where I’m going.’”

— Matt Wooters ’09

Prospective students who take the time to visit the University to see the campus in more detail get a better feel for what student life is like. These photos are just a glimpse of that, but you can’t experience the true sense of John Carroll and our talented and supportive people unless you see the campus first-hand. We encourage you to do that, so please contact the enrollment office at 216-397-2020 to schedule yourcampustournow.Youwon’tbedisappointed.

don’t forget the time to apply for financial aid is here. For fall 2011 financial aid, the Federal Form (FASA) can be filed starting in January, and you can apply for your PIN now at www.pin.ed.gov.

For additional financial aid information, visit www.jcu.edu/aidjcu.

24 WINTER 2010

jOHN cARROLL’S guide to the college admission process

26 WINTER 2010

Third down, eight yards to go. The Atlanta Falcons offensive line hunkers down, waiting for the

center’s snap. An eye-blink later, the ball is in motion, and so is the playing field. A swarm of invading Carolina Panthers linebackers are pushed away for precious milliseconds as the Falcons’ quarterback drops back, scans the Georgia Dome playing field, and guns a corkscrew pass 20 yards into the outstretched hands of a running back, who has just enough time to pull down and hug the ball before a Panther yanks him to the ground.

First down! The home-field crowd cheers while David Caldwell ’96, the Falcons’ director of college scouting, watches the action with a satisfied smile. Several athletes involved in that play were once collegiate players he scouted, scrutinized, and recommended to team officials as solid draft picks. Yet Caldwell, 36, humbly refuses to take sole credit for any acquisitions.

“Drafting players is a team effort,” he says. “There’s not a lot of patting ourselves on the back. Scouts don’t keep score, like, ‘I got six right this year, and you only got two right.’ Besides, we never go with just one person’s opinion. Several people check out the players. I tend to remember my mistakes, only because I want to learn not to make the same mistakes again.”

Caldwell, who oversees an 11-person staff that includes eight scouts, spends as many as 150 days a year away from his Atlanta-area home visiting colleges, watching games, and talking to athletes, their coaches, team trainers, and academic advisers. Extensive research is part of creating a psychological evaluation of every potential draftee. While athletes’ physical skills always draw attention, not every talented collegiate has the emotional maturity to adapt to the high-pressure NFL lifestyle.

“A player represents a multimillion-dollar investment for the team,” Caldwell says. “The two keys I look for are his passion and

A skill for finding talent

PRESIDENT’S

AROUNDT H E Q U A D

M E S S A G E


CARROLLP E O P L E

IN MEMORIAM

MY TURN

perseverance. Then I ask myself, ‘Is this a guy I’d like to play with?’ and ‘Would I want to be his teammate?’”

The biggest turn-offs are a lack of work ethic and selfishness, Caldwell says, adding that he doesn’t like to see players who put personal goals above team goals.

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Caldwell grew up a die-hard Yankees fan who loved playing football in high school. His hard-nosed style of play attracted former JCU head football coach Tony DeCarlo ’66G, who recruited the linebacker for the Blue Streaks. While at Carroll, Caldwell chose to pursue a business degree.

“I felt the business school was the best in the area,” he says. “I went to John Carroll knowing I’d never be a pro football player. I was average at best. But I loved the game, and Coach DeCarlo became one of my mentors, along with Frank Navratil, Ph.D.”

Navratil is the former dean of the John M. and Mary Jo Boler School of Business who’s currently a professor of economics in the Department of Economics and Finance.

DeCarlo, who retired from coaching in 2003 and now is JCU’s director of athletic development, remembers Caldwell as a solid

football player.“He was probably not big enough to be

looked at by the NFL, but he worked hard on the field and was a great competitor,” DeCarlo says. “He brought a great work ethic to the team.”

The two-year letterman was on the team that won the 1994 Ohio Athletic Conference title.

“That was one of the most exciting moments and greatest achievements I’ve ever experienced, beating Baldwin-Wallace in the last game of the season to win the title,” Caldwell says. “We started the year with the goal to win the conference, and we did it.”

Also on that team were Caldwell’s roommate, Greg Roman ’94, who’s the offensive coordinator at Stanford University, and Chris Polian ’93, the vice president and general manager of

the Indianapolis Colts. Polian encouraged Caldwell to enter professional sports. After Caldwell graduated with a B.S. in business administration with a finance major in 1996 (Boler grads receive a BSBA, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration), Polian helped him secure a position with the Carolina Panthers as a scouting assistant. Two years later, Caldwell and Polian went to work for the Colts, where Caldwell scouted the Midwest and West Coast regions. He left in 2008 to head the Falcons’ scouting department.

As the Falcons head back to the field after halftime, Caldwell collects his belongings because he’s leaving to catch a flight to check out a defensive end who’s leading the PAC-10 in sacks.

“I’m having a great time with this,” he says. “I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing in a wonderful organization with terrific leadership.”

– Benjamin Gleisser

For a complete list of alumni who have played or worked in the NFL, visit jcu.edu/umc/media.


Call for nominations!Alumni AwardsThe John Carroll Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2011 Alumni Medal and Campion Shield. Nominations are due Friday, Feb. 4, 2011. The Alumni Medal recognizes an individual’s accomplishments in her/his profession, exemplary family and personal life, contributions to her/his community, and dedicated service to the University. The Campion Shield recognizes bravery on the part of a member of the John Carroll community. To nominate a deserving alumna, visit www.jcu.edu/alumni or call the office of alumni relations (800-736-2586, ext. 4336) to receive a nomination packet by mail.

Athletic Hall of FameThe Blue Gold Club is accepting nominations for the Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2011. Nominations can be made only online at www.jcusports.com/HOF. Candidates are classified as athletes, coaches/administrators, or honorary. Teams also can be nominated as a single entity. To qualify as an athlete, a person must have graduated at least 10 years ago. To qualify as a coach or administrator, a person must have served the University in that capacity for a minimum of 10 years. There’s also an honorary category in which the person must be deemed to have made a significant impact on the athletic program in any capacity. All nominations for the 2011 Athletic Hall of Fame must be submitted by Feb. 18, 2011. Any nomination received after this date will be entered into the pool of candidates for the class of 2012.

Join alumni for first immersion trip to HaitiIn partnership with the Jesuit Refugee Service and Foi et Joie (Jesuit school network), the first alumni immersion trip to Haiti April 3-9, 2011, will offer 10 participants a chance to better understand the realities of life in Haiti after the earthquake of January 2010. Coordinated by Campus Ministry, Center for Service and Social Action, and the Office of Alumni Relations, the trip will be framed in the same values of the JCU student immersion experience program — service, social justice, education, community, and spirituality – but will be facilitated in a way that’s conducive to a multiage adult group with commitments to family, work etc. For more information or to register for the trip, visit www.jcu.edu/immersion or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 216-397-3014.

ALUMNIN E W S

Upcoming eventsJan. 8, 2011Presidential Reception Southern California

Jan. 22, 2011Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland CavaliersChicago

Jan. 28, 2011Alumni and Student Finance Association ReceptionNew York City

Jan. 30, 2011Ignatian Heritage WeekKick-off to 125th AnniversaryMass, Gesu Church (Cleveland)

Feb. 8, 2011Alumni and Elected Officials ReceptionWashington, D.C.

Feb. 15, 2011Presidential ReceptionMiami

Feb. 25, 2011 JCU Night with the Cavs (vs. N.Y. Knicks)Quicken Loans Arena

March 15, 2011Presidential ReceptionPort Royal Club, Naples, Fla.

March 31, 2011Independent College Day at the StatehouseAlumni and Elected Officials ReceptionColumbus, Ohio

April 2, 2011Legacy BreakfastAccepted Student Day of Celebration for class of 2015JCU campus

April is Alumni Month of ServiceApril 3-9, 2011 Alumni Immersion to Haiti

April 30, 2011Cultivating Community Day

Save the dates:May 20-22, 2011Commencement Reunion Weekend

May 20, 2011Alumni Awards Banquet

June 20, 2011Alumni Golf Classic Fowler’s Mill Golf Course (Cleveland)

Part of the 125th Anniversary Month of Service

28 WINTER 2010 28 WINTER 2010

In celebration of the upcoming 125th Anniversary, the group formerly and affectionately known as the Gray Streaks has officially become the Gold Streaks. This unique and important group of alumni who attended the University 50 or more years ago, and who meet on the second Wednesday of every month (October to December and February to May), are an important part of the history, legacy, and tradition of the University. New members are welcomed each May at commencement and are celebrated each year at reunion. This May, the class of 1961 will join this celebrated affinity group.

A small gathering of alumni, graduates of the ’30s and ’40s (mostly day hops or commuters at the time), first started to meet monthly for lunch, off-campus, more than 20 years ago. They decided to meet socially for lunch to celebrate their common college experiences. They considered themselves Men of the Company – that company was JCU. The chaplain for the group was Fr. Howard J. Kerner, S.J., a notable history professor who fit naturally with the group. Then director of alumni relations, Peter Bernardo ’67, G’72, attended the luncheons and encouraged the group to bring their gatherings back to campus.

In the early ’90s, the group decided to determine a name for this group of engaged alumni. At that time, the Golden Buckeye Card was well known to alumni in Ohio. The term “golden-ager” was popular and, in general, everything that was old was given a golden moniker. The group that made up the bulk of the membership disliked the use of golden for anything with which they were associated. They were Blue Streaks but, over time, had gone gray. Thus, the name Gray Streaks was adopted. The name stuck and was popular with the group until a few years ago.

Speed networking series succeedsSponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations and Center for Career Services, the first JCU Alumni Speed Networking Series kicked off this fall with enthusiasm. More than 100 alumni throughout Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Chicago participated in one of three structured networking events in their respective cities. Participants had a chance to connect with fellow alumni who are connected to hundreds of others. Attendees ranged from the classes of 1954 to 2010. It was a great opportunity for alumni of all ages to network with fellow Blue Streaks, whether looking for a next position, to hire new employees, identify new clients, or simply meet other alumni in the region.

From Gray to Gold Streaks

With the changing membership, and a few notes of complaint about being referred to by the color of their hair, in celebration of the 125th Anniversary of John Carroll, this esteemed group of alumni, including recipients of the Alumni Medal, class columnists, alumni in admissions volunteers, consecutive donors, and past presidents of the Alumni Association, will be known as John Carroll Gold Streaks. The current membership in attendance at the monthly luncheons spans class years from 1936 (Larry Kelley) to 1960. The spring 2011 luncheons will be held on campus on the following second Wednesdays: Feb. 9, March 9, and April 13. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

In the health-care fieldRonald Dziedzicki ’92G was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army. Dziedzicki, who’s the chief support services officer for University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, was assigned as a deputy commanding general for the 3rd Medical Deployment Support Command at Fort Gillem, Ga. Dziedzicki, who earned his M.B.A. from JCU’s Boler School of Business in 1992, served with the U.S. Army Reserves for 26 years and is serving as commander of the 307th Medical Brigade in Columbus, Ohio. President Barack Obama nominated Dziedzicki, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination.

Mark A. Kadzielski ’68, the head of the West Coast Healthcare Law Practice at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP in Los Angeles, was selected as one of the top 10 leading health-care lawyers in California by Chambers USA 2010 on the basis of peer and client evaluations for the sixth year in a row. Chambers USA 2010 also selected Kadzielski as a leading individual nationwide in health-care regulatory and litigation practice areas.

The first Gold Streaks luncheon was held Oct. 13 in the O’Connell Reading Room in the Dolan Center for Science and Technology. Peter Bernardo ’67 ’72G, director of planned giving, spoke about the change from Gray Streaks to Gold Streaks. He’s pictured with members of the class of 1957. Seated, from left: Vince Panichi, Jerry Trombo, Bill Comiskey, and Bill Mooney Standing, from left: Bernardo, George Billings, Salvatore Felice, Jim Clark, Tom Moran, and Dick Huberty.

ALUMNIN E W S

PROMOTIONS


A L U M N I J O U R N A L

The Golden Years

Larry Kelley ’36Up to1939 216-941-1795 [email protected]

This is the most difficult column I’ve attempted to write. On June 5, 2010, I lost Frances. We had each other for 65 years, 28 days, and one hour. She died at 1 a.m. Our children had a big party to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary May 8. Frances was in her glory. She looked forward to that day. When I went into her room to awaken her, she was wide awake and smiling. “Well, we made it!” We both prayed we would be together this day, and we were. I received a card from Carole Chandler ’95 and Barb Chandler. Thanks for remembering my bride. I’m thankful I was able to take care of her at home since 1994 when it all started with emergency surgery for an abscess on the base of her spine. ... In the past issue of the Journal, I noticed Bobby Thompson ’37 died May 4. A born athlete, he lettered in football, basketball, and tennis all four years. (As freshmen, they received the numeral of their freshman year “1933” on their sweater). In football, he punted, passed, ran, and blocked. In basketball, he brought the ball down the court. He liked tennis best of all. With this schedule, he was short a few credits to graduate. We tried to get him into the Athletic Hall of Fame but were denied. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, you had to have graduated. It’s too bad that Herb Eisele wasn’t alive at this time. If he was, Bob would have been one of the first to be named to the Hall of Fame. Bob also played for Eisele at Cathedral Latin School in the same sports. ... However, I don’t have all sad news. Jack Lavelle ’38, JCU’s first Major General USAF, had to retire when Nixon was president because he allegedly authorized bombing missions in North Vietnam. Finally, his named was cleared after Paul Casey, a trial lawyer with a firm in Scranton, Pa., was conducting research for his dad. He came upon the Nixon tapes. Cassidy, the son of Lt. Gen. Aloysius G. Casey USAF (Ret), is writing a book at the National Archives. The White House audio recordings prove Lavelle had unequivocal authorization from the highest civilian authority, President Nixon, to conduct the raids. These recordings name military officials, Navy, Army, and civilians in the Department of Defense, who knew about the authorization given to Lavelle. For more details about the affair, read the story on page 30. Jack died of a heart attack in 1979 while playing golf in Washington. It was a broken heart. ... The Golden Jubilee class of 1936 will have its 75th anniversary. Bill Muth and I made the 70th. I hope we can make the 75th. ... Bill Young’s ’40 widow, Jane, gave Laurene DiCillo ’87, archive associate at Carroll, the material Bill collected throughout the years since starting at JCU in September 1936. She was appreciative and welcomes more. So when you get old, down size your living quarters, or die, send

currently is living with him to help care for him. Jack has the best attitude of anyone I know. ... Joseph smeraldi will be 91 Dec. 11, a day older than me. His spouse is 15 years younger than him – he waited until age 40 to marry. Joe earned a B.S. in chemistry at Carroll, served in the Army Reserve, was activated in the Korean War but went to Austria instead, and is hard of hearing like me. One of his daughters, who’s a CPA, assisted him on the phone. Joe, who has a great sense of humor, says he’s writing his obituary. He also has a daughter who’s a VP at IBM and a son, Bill. ... Tom Corrigan had a stroke recently. He uses a walker when outdoors but otherwise has no serious apparent aftereffects. He plans to travel to Charleston for a week. His wife, Marian, went to school with Jack Miller’s wife, Jean, and has a younger brother who’s 87. … FYI: I have a list of 26 ’42 living alumni. I sent a letter or e-mail to 16 of them and received eight responses. I have no contact information for the remaining nine. ... Keep the news coming. God bless. Robert

Bruce E. Thompson1943 216-382-4408 [email protected]

Don McDonald1944 216-991-9140 [email protected]

Ed Cunneen1947 216-561-1122 [email protected]

Julius Sukys1948 440-449-8768 [email protected]

Tom Harrison1949 440-331-4343 [email protected]

I was one of about 700 people who attended Pete Corrigan’s funeral Mass at St. Christopher’s Church Sept. 11. Pete graduated with a teaching certificate but found no immediate opportunity, so he tried sales with some success and lots of frustration. He married beautiful Patricia and became a Cleveland fireman and Cleveland Trust Bank teller on his fireman’s days off. The Corrigan family grew, and Pete became a worker in, and contributor to, the Firemen’s Credit Union. Throughout the years, he was appointed treasurer, and after several years of successful performance, he was elected president and CEO. When expansion of the organization demanded his full-time attention, he retired as a fireman in 1977. At that time, Pat was enrolling their youngest of 10 children, daughter, Kathryn, in first grade. Pete continued expanding the Credit Union to serve employees of many local companies, while opening several branch offices in the area. He’s the acknowledged builder of the successfully expanded and unique Firefighter’s Credit Union. Pete was always proud of his eight sons and two

To our readersFor additional columnist contact information, please call 216-397-3050 or 800-736-2586. Note: We publish additional class notes and archived columns online. Visit www.jcu.edu/magazine to read an unabridged copy and previous columns.

your Carroll memorabilia to Laurene in the Grasselli Library because your survivors will only throw that stuff out. ... I’ll try to write a column as long as they want me or my children don’t tell me to hang it up. So, until the next time, keep praying. Larry

Carl Giblin1940 727-518-7961 [email protected]

Robert J. Trivison1942 760-944-6964 [email protected]

Following our joyful 50th reunion in 1992, art Wincek and his wife, Fran, moved to Santa Cruz. Our friendship intensified, and he and his wife visited my wife and I twice. Jack Miller and his wife, Jean, from Carlsbad, Calif., joined our pleasant minireunions. We were planning another visit when Art died. He loved to reminisce about JCU and the Navy. Now he sails the seas of heaven. Thank you, Art, for years of communicating. ... I have a photo of our 65th reunion in 2007 with Art, dick Cachat, Bob Kraus, and me. Cachat reports that, on June 1, 2010, he attended a reunion with his cousin, Francis ’41, and visited granddaughter Amanda, current president of the JCU Student Union. Kraus reports his wife of 56 years, Margaret, an elegant, attractive, spiritual lady, died in May. He still lives in their same home of 56 years. ... nick Barille exalts in our outstanding Jesuit education, which was so meaningful to him that, during World War II in North Africa and Italy, he spread the word to priests, nuns, and many people about our JCU experience and lifestyle. Nick, who misses his best friend, Tony Byrne, plays golf three times a year but no longer wins. He remains the family cook and makes tempting Italian recipes at his and his daughter’s home twice a week. ... After 33 years, Frank honn and his wife, Alyce, sold their home and moved to a retirement community where friends reside. Frank wrote a 252-page autobiography primarily for his five grandchildren; JCU has a copy for the archivist file. After JCU, Frank earned an M.S. from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU and a Ph.D. from the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in Pittsburgh. Then he enjoyed a long business and teaching career with several companies and universities. After retiring from BASF in 1986, Frank continued to work, teach, and consult until 2003 when he finally retired for good. ... Fr. Francis smith, s.J., who spent 45 years at JCU as a distinguished teacher and poet, now is blind as a result of macular degeneration. He lives in Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Mich. In great spirits, he telephoned me and mentioned he has published poetry books. ... Jack Miller, who was one of the top senior tennis players in the U.S., ended his tennis playing several years ago because of health problems. Jack says he’s down to skin and bones at 142 pounds. His daughter, Valerie,

30 WINTER 2010


daughters. The oldest, Pete Jr., is the principal of St. Ignatius High School. Other sons are attorneys in Cleveland and cities as far west at Seattle; and others are businessmen, some in Cleveland, and one in Massachusetts. One son is in the FBI. There are 32 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Pete enjoyed his life with Pat, handled his many obligations effectively, fathered a fabulous family, generated many friendships, and established an ideal pattern of life. I’m sure all in attendance at the funeral will miss him. ... Tim ryan was able to attend Bob Lyons ’50 wake Sept. 19. The wake was scheduled only for one day from 2 to 6 p.m. Tim said the Browns fans arrived shortly before the closing of the wake. ... Joe Kundrath spent a day with three eye doctors, had more eye drops prescribed, and was scheduled for surgery in October. I hope to see

him at the Gray Streaks Luncheon in November. … ray Fox, who’s also recovering, won’t admit he had pneumonia, which would demand too much recovery time. ... Send good news, which is needed. All reported with reasonable accuracy. Tom

Jack Reilly1950 A class columnist is needed to succeed Jack. If interested, email [email protected]

At the reunion, a number of classmates asked, “How big was our graduation class?” The best I can do is as follows: number on the commencement announcement: 292; number in yearbook: 297; number of deceased classmates 311 (including

dropouts, transfers, and wives of deceased classmates); I always say, “300 give or take.” ... Sorry to report les Monroe passed away Aug. 2. Les and his wife, Pat, were married 60 years and have six children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. September was a bad month for our class: Dr. Ken Callahan’s wife, Jeremy, passed away Sept. 8. She was active in the community, raising funds for the many organizations she belonged to, and was on the board of others (including University Hospitals). She and Ken were married nine years. Our class secretary and student union president, Jim Conway, passed away Sept. 10. Jim and his wife, KT, were married 56 years and had just returned from County Mayo, Ireland (his parents’ birthplace). Their six children and spouses, plus 11 grandchildren accompanied them. Jim was JCU’s first lay alumni

“He was devastated, but it did not destroy him. He always stood tall. He held his honor and dignity through all of it.” – Geraldine Lavelle Enloe, daughter of General John D. Lavelle ’38

It took 40 years for justice to prevail in the case of Air Force General John D. Lavelle ’38, who, in 1972, was falsely

accused of violating the rules of engagement and creating false reports when he ordered air strikes in North Vietnam. Recently discovered evidence, including the Nixon White House tapes, fully exonerates Gen. Lavelle, which led to President Obama’s nomination last summer and Senate confirmation this year (not yet confirmed at press time) for posthumous restoration to four-star general.

The issue of the case against the general centered on whether Air Force pilots were permitted to bomb enemy missile sites whose tracking radar hadn’t locked onto their planes. The rules of engagement forbade it; however, President Nixon issued secret orders, conveyed to Lavelle by his Pentagon superiors, to allow protective reaction strikes against enemy missile (surface to air) sites, based on the threat they could pose to U.S. aircraft. As commander of the Seventh Air Force, overseeing all air operations in Vietnam, the general ordered airstrikes against North Vietnamese antiaircraft missile sites in late 1971 and early 1972. Even though Lavelle was following commands, including those from the President, he became

a scapegoat; and the false charges that he defied orders led to the removal of two stars and his retirement from the Air Force in 1972.

“My father was heartbroken,” wrote John D. Lavelle, Jr. in 2007. “In the end, he found comfort knowing what he did saved airmen’s lives, and that was worth more to him than the four stars.”

Lavelle died of a heart attack in 1979 at age 62, seven years after his retirement from the Air Force. He served his country for 33 years, which included World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. His military career began shortly after his graduation from John Carroll when he enlisted as an aviation cadet. The Cleveland native received his pilot training at Randolph and Kelly fields in Texas.

During World War II, Lavelle experienced combat in the European Theater of Operations, where he served with the 412th Fighter Squadron. During the Korean War, he was commander of the Supply Depot at Tachikawa Air Base in Japan. In 1952, he was assigned commander of McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and the 568th Air Defense Group. Four years later, he attended the Air War College and held several positions at Air Force headquarters, then went to Europe in 1962 as deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force, NATO. In 1966, he took command of the Seventeenth Air Force at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and the Seventh Air Force in Vietnam in 1971.

Lavelle’s military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with an oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Commendation Medal with an oak leaf cluster.

“Jack was a leader and always would be – you knew that as soon as you met him,” says Larry Kelley ’36, who became good friends with Lavelle during their Carroll days when he drove Lavelle to and from campus in his Ford convertible.

A few years later, Kelley stood as best man in Lavelle’s wedding.

The general and his wife, Mary Jo, raised seven children. Mary Jo, 91, who lives in Marshall, Va., was thrilled when the Secretary of the Air Force advised her of the President’s nomination.

“Jack was a good man, good husband, good father, and good officer,” she says. “I wish he were alive to hear this news.”

– Susan Curphey

Evidence exoneratesGeneral Lavelle’s rank and honor is restored



director and later won the Alumni Medal. Jim will be missed, especially by his Saturday Muldoon’s group (all JCU grads) and me. Bob lyons, who died Sept. 15, was preceded in death by his first wife, Ann, with whom he had five children. He’s survived by his second wife, Bettie. Bob always was there for our class activities, especially the reunions. He’ll be missed. Please remember the aforementioned and all our deceased and ill classmates in your prayers. ... Gene Kray was honored when his granddaughter, Laura, asked him to perform her wedding ceremony in Boston. When I talked to him, he had just received his judges papers. So next time you see Gene, beware, because here comes the judge. ... This will be my last class column. As the saying goes, I need to head in another direction. Anyone wishing to write this column, please contact Cheri Slattery at 216-397-3050 or [email protected]. ... God bless and all the best, Jack

Donald A. Ungar1951 330-723-5234 [email protected]

reUnIon YearThe march of time is bringing us closer to a new year and celebration. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Edition – the one we received when we purchased our books way back when – defines celebration as an outward remembrance, which is what’s going on at Carroll next year as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of our University. We, the class of 1951, as alumni, are celebrating 60 years. Most of us are in our 80s. We were a different group of students – some just out of high school, some veterans of World War II, some with families and children – a mixture of different ages. We did things together. Young or old, it didn’t matter because we were all John Carroll students preparing for the future. I’m asking you to remember your days at Carroll and plan to attend the celebration that’s planned for May 2011. If you have any favorite pictures of your days at Carroll, please send them to me. I’ll make a poster-board display for our celebration. Your thoughts and words are always welcome. Tell us about what’s going on in your life. How about making plans to attend the next get-together in the spring of 2011? Don’t forget the monthly Gray

Streaks lunch get-together. ... Many have called to inquire about my health, and I’ve told them I thank the Lord for my recovery and try to remember all of you in my prayers. How about the picture from 1951? Let me hear from you. Don

Dorothy Poland1952 [email protected]

By the time this publishes, it’ll probably be snowing, or at least it’ll be cold. We lost two good ones in September – Jim Conway and Bob Lyons, both ’50. Although they were two years ahead of us, I’m sure most of us remember them. Cousin Ken Callahan ’50 also lost his wife, Jeremy, in September. ... I had a shout-out from Joe Valencic on Facebook, so, hi, Joe. I still don’t understand how I got on Facebook. ... Lee Cirillo ’51 sent an e-mail of Andrea Bocelli singing an Our Father, and we commiserated about hip replacements. ... larry Casey has been hard at work trying to build a Kiwanis chapter in Indiantown, Fla. It’s been slow going, even though the dues were lowered. I don’t know how many of you are near Indiantown, but perhaps you could look up Larry and help him out. His son offered to help him, and maybe that’ll get this effort off the ground. Good luck, Larry. ... Dan Boland, who started out at Carroll and worked on The Carroll News with me, sent an e-mail about the English language that sent me into fits of laughter. It’s too long for this column, but if anyone is interested, e-mail me, and I’ll send it on. ... On the day I heard from don Terrell, it was about 2 p.m. and 113 degrees – not fun. Don is involved in the successful Men’s Garden Club, which has raised several thousand dollars to landscape a portion of the new multimillion dollar terminal being built for the Santa Barbara Airport, which is scheduled to be completed in 2011. The various trees and plants boggles the mind because they have between 700 and 800 varieties. According to Don, most of the trees in his area are doing well, with the exception of the tomato plants that need more consistent sunny days to ripen. The club’s sale at the Home and Garden Show generated $2,000, but considering not many members were involved, the club decided to go back to one sale in the spring. ... There’s more, but not enough space. God bless until next time, and stay safe. Dorothy

Jim Myers1953 440-942-7831 [email protected]

Hello to all in the class of ’53 and to your family and friends. ... Frank dempsey is retired from his CPA practice and lives in Parma, Ohio, with Alice, his wife of 59 years. He volunteers preparing taxes for the AARP and is active with the Brooklyn Kiwanis Club where he’s in charge of a monthly hunger center meal. He likes to stay in shape swimming laps at Brooklyn Recreation Center. ... Our condolences to Bob sullens, whose wife, Margaret, died in August. Bob and Margaret had been married 63 years. ... david Winch is emeritus professor of physics at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. In 1987-88, he was distinguished visiting professor at USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He lived on base with the effective rank of Lt. Col., at the time one of only six nonmilitary teaching positions. He and his spouse, Suzanne, live in Taos, N.M., in an adobe home in the desert at 7,200 feet. David worked on the construction crew building the home and received a reduction of the price of the house as payment. He’s president of the Upper Las Colonias Neighborhood Association, which comprises 200 homes. David and Suzanne have 11 grandchildren and are expecting their first great-grandchild this year. ... arnold Fiore has lived in the same house in Fort Myers, Fla., for the past 46 years. He’s been a widower for seven years. For many years, he and his wife ran a motel and sports bar in Fort Myers. Arnold has six children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He’s been participating in a stem-cell, heart repair research program. When I talked with Arnold, he was preparing to come to Cleveland for a reunion. While here, he hoped to see Gene Wetzel, harry ohlrich, and Tony laPerna. ... Tom stock, who lives in West Bloomfield, Mich., retired from his cardiology practice at Mt. Carmel Hospital in 1995. Tom attended medical school at Loyola University in Chicago. Tom and I chatted about our golf abilities, which seem to be similar. ... I’m going to request Fred Borga, Tom lally, and dean May call or e-mail me about what’s happening in their lives. The rest of you can look forward to reading their news in a future issue. Of course, news from any of you is welcomed greatly. Jim

Peter Mahoney1954 440-933-2503 [email protected]

We all know Elvis isn’t in the house and LeBron isn’t at Quicken Loans Arena, but not everyone knows Mike Faul and his wife Peggy have moved to Florida. When commenting about this at a recent gathering of Jesuit City West grads circa 1950 held at rancho Geo Wasmer ’58, Chuck Brewster ’55 said he has a favorite Mike Faul story and it goes like this: On occasion, a group of about 12 guys would sneak over to Rocky River (Ohio) High School and play touch football, usually a spirited contest that could be seen as a special Celtic brand of karate. Mike Faul caught the opening kickoff and, in the fashion of Wile E. Coyote, took off. While running the ball back, he changed directions at least 17 times, from one sideline to the other. Brewster claims Mike must have run a total of 200 yards. Crossing the goal line, Mike collapsed and lost his breakfast and much of the

This picture was taken in 1951 by Don Unger for The Carroll News.

32 WINTER 2010


barley and hops from the night before. After a minute, he picked himself up, brushed himself off, walked over to his car, waved to everyone, got in, and drove away. Now that’s what you want in a lawyer and judge (in Phelps, N.Y.), to get the job done and move on. ... Gene Burns renewed his friendship with Fairview Hospital in Cleveland. He missed our last reunion while upping the count of stents – this time it was a pacemaker. With new plumbing and a rhythm section, he should be ready for dancing with the stars or good golf next summer. ... One of the joys of summer is watching grandsons play baseball. They love to kick up the dust and run to first base with the batting helmet bouncing on their head. This year, I attended a championship game for six-year-olds in Bay Village, Ohio. One of the parents cheering for the same team my grandson was on was Jim sutphin. It seems his grandson was on the same team, and as the game progressed, we shouted encouragement and began to compare notes, as major league scouts are prone to do. My grandson was hitting .421, while his was batting .124. My grandson’s on-base percentage was .682, while his was .268. I don’t remember all the other numbers, but Jim was convinced his grandson was a better runner and fielder. Ah, summer. ... Don’t forget prayers for Sandra Nilges and Gail LaRiche. Keep the faith. Pete

Ray Rhode1955 216-381-1996 [email protected]

Many of our classmates were happy Mike Torrelli ’56 and his wife, Addie, joined us for our 55th reunion dinner. ... dave hauer reports not all head South for the winter, some head west. Dave and his wife, Joan, head for Maui annually come October, and in March/April, they’ll head east for a Caribbean cruise. ... Bob dolgan, retired Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter, had his fourth book published. Titled “The Sportswriter Who Punched Sam McDowell,” the book is a collection of sports stories written by Bob over his career. Dolgan was the writer who nicknamed the famous Cleveland Indians pitcher “Sudden Sam.” ... Jerry donatucci and his son, Bill, (both former Army aviators) took up their piloting skills again during the Fourth of July weekend air show in Pennsylvania. Each flew a fixed-wing and a helicopter aircraft. Jerry claims age has rusted his skills far more than expected. The family’s response – “no kidding, grandpa.” ... Many of us have read ray Tapajna’s op-ed articles in newspapers and magazines, but how many know about his other publications? Ray has been an advocate for human dignity in the workday and fair-trade policies in government. He calls it his ministry. Visit http://tapsearch.com, and you’ll find more than 400,000 references and search results. He’s a strong advocate for mentally and physically challenged workers. His website covers current events, his thoughts about the free-trader flat world, the Clinton years, and other subjects. A Google search for “tapajna” will reveal Tapajna cartoons and other interesting topics. He’s the moderator at four different blogs originating from Australia. If you’re into surfing the Web, this is a must-visit site. ... In June, we lost a classmate and good friend. I became acquainted with al Milstein while researching info for this column. As with many other classmates, I found a unique and interesting personality. Al was a renaissance man.

Some knew him as a football player, some knew him as a salesman, others as an investor and financial advisor, and still others as an artist. He studied shapes, as in frames and precious stone, and created art from these studies. Al touched many lives, and he’ll be missed. RIP, Al. ... Thanks to all who contributed to these class notes. I encourage classmates to send me news about yourself, your family, and your life. Your friends from ’55 are interested to hear about you. And as you can see, you don’t have to be a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize winner to get published. Remember to pray for our classmates who are lonely or ill. Ray

Leo Duffy1956 815-7293513 630-337-0788 (c) January-May: 941-505-8394 [email protected]

REUNION YEARWe are several months away from celebrating our 55th class reunion May 21 and 22. Save the dates, and join our class at John Carroll. You’re all welcome. The photo below shows Mike Cleary (center), who’s executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and Randy Spetman, president of NACDA, with Condoleezza Rice at their recent gathering. Mike says Condoleezza gave an excellent presentation about the importance of athletics in preparing athletes for their future work. Mike intends to keep working for a couple more years. ... Jim and Jack Chiprean, who are in Pennsylvania still, continue to play their horns in local organizations. Jack’s retired and spends a lot of time flying around the country in his Mooney aircraft. Jim’s sons are running the family business, so he’s semiretired. I hope to see them at our reunion. ... There will be luncheons in Florida and Arizona in 2011. In Florida, we’ll be meeting March 16 in Fort Myers where Mary Jo and John Boler graciously will host the luncheon for the class of ’56 and their spouses. You can contact me if you’re in the area. Jack Broderick will put together a lunch in Phoenix in March. You can reach him at 672-792-5689. When we have more details, we’ll be contacting you about the reunion. God bless. Leo

Salvatore R. Felice1957 440-842-1553 [email protected]

While attending his brother’s 80th birthday celebration, dan Collins ran into desmond (duke) Paden, who resides at the same condo complex in Key West, Fla., where he spends the winter. Duke spoke to Dan, Jim Gasper, and Jim Toomey, among others. They reminisced about their time at Carroll. This excited Jim Gasper, who wants to share these memories at our 55th reunion in 2012 with don Grace, Tom Tupa, Joe smaltz, sam Frontino, Morris (Pat) Patarini, John Gormley, and Frank (Mutz) singel, who recalls Paden streaking out of a movie theater, on a bet, during our freshman year. In early July, Frank, despite his numerous surgeries throughout the years, was featured in the Johnstown Tribune Democrat as the person of the week for all his volunteering (since 1972) and community service since retiring in 1994. Frank has given more than 40 hours each week founding and developing the Senior Center. As president of Franklin High School (which closed in 1966), he spearheaded annual dinner-dance fundraisers for classes 1931 to 1966 that have donated more than $150,000 for graduating seniors of the new school. ... Joan and don holicky celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their four children, seven grandchildren, and about 50 guests May 14. Their closest friends from JCU – Mary and don Toth and Joan and Gene drap – were unable to attend. The Holickys have resided in Reno, Nev., for at least 14 years. Don was saddened to learn about the passing of Tom richert, his chemistry lab partner. ... don szymanski shot a hole-in-one at Ridge Top Country Club in Medina, Ohio, in early August. ... Amazingly, Jerry Cicero is upbeat despite his medical glitches, set-backs, and challenges, as stated by Susan, his lovely wife and guardian angel. She says Jerry is determined, and Team Cicero is unwavering. Keep those prayers coming. ... Frank (Crash) hovorka and dick Murphy report Tom Garvin, former CEO of Keebler Co., died of pancreatic cancer July 30 in Wheaton, Ill. Tom attended JCU during our freshman and sophomore years when his roommate in Pacelli Hall was Tom sturr. Dick and Laverne Murphy spent two weeks in California with Amy, their youngest daughter; her husband; and their three youngest grandchildren. God bless. Sal

Condoleezza Rice, Mike Cleary ’56, and Randy Spetman at a recent gathering

Jacquelynn and Jack Chiprean ’56 with their plane



John E. Clifford1958 210-497-4045 [email protected]

ed Garvin claims to be alive and well, living in Toledo. As of Sept. 30, the day I wrote this, he claims to have played 133 rounds of golf so far in 2010, and he hasn’t been jailed or excommunicated. I did some quick math, and using the subtraction by zero operation, I calculate that’s 133 rounds more than I’ve played this year, decade, and century. ... Y’all remember Ann Butler? She worked in Fr. Murphy’s office for a few years. She married don emmerich, you know. So, finally, Don took her to visit her grandfather’s hometown. He figured he might as well because they were spending three weeks in France, Ireland, Wales, England, and Germany with the family. Her grandfather’s hometown is in County Clare. ... Speaking of grandfathers, after completing a career in trial practice shortly after the turn of the century, grandfather Bob Maynard took on a new role of corporate lawyer and, in January 2011, will celebrate his 10th anniversary as general counsel of the Sisters of Charity Health System, which includes five hospitals, three foundations, and a handful of newly developing ministries in Canton, Ohio; Cleveland, and South Carolina. Bob reminded me of “Detective Story,” the play we were in our senior year. It brings back great memories. Mrs. Bob Maynard, better known as Aggie, has the distinction of being the first awardee of a graduate degree, M.A. in Early Childhood Education, from JCU. So, she’s a member of the class of ’90. (Awardee? Sounds like a Johnny Carson word.) ... Anyway, Garvin, Emmerich, and Maynard will be receiving their 1948 and 1954 Cleveland Indians World Series broadcasts soon from my OTR collection. I’m off to listen to the Sept. 30, 1942, “Lum and Abner” (Writing a Love Letter for Professor Sloan), then over to CBS radio for suspense’s “One Hundred in the Dark”. Please write. ... Peace, JEC.

Richard E. Dodson1959 804-748-8432 [email protected]

In response to my e-mail plea for information about your summer experiences with family and friends, travel, and the best lobster roll in Maine, I received interesting replies. Paul oswald returned in early September from his annual trip to Thousand Islands, N.Y.; Montreal; and coastal Maine. He started camping in Maine in 1969 and has been going back every year since. As for lobster rolls, he’s tried them from Cape Cod to Prince Edward Island, and year after year, he keeps going back to Lobster Shack at Two Lights Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Paul added that in 2002 he attended Lobster College in Prospect Harbor. Now that’s my kind of school. ... Joanne and don Palmer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 18. They hosted a big party July 31 at the Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club in Gainesville, Va., where they live. Classmate and groomsman dennis Fagan gave a superior toast. ... John lloyd says that, once again, he has no news to share, other than he’s well and enjoying retirement. He hopes the same is true of all our classmates. John continues: “I’m struck by how few of the names of our classmates I still recognize and how fewer I can now associate with a memory or face. I’m

sorry to say I’ve lost touch with all classmates. What might help me (and others) reconnect is a biographical sketch (500 words max) of each living classmate along with “then” (yearbook) and “now” photos of each, as well as current contact information. [Please provide me your thoughts about John’s suggestion. I have the yearbook photos and would be willing to pull together and print the sketches and current pictures provided by each of you.] ... Delores and Tom Barrowman celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 7 at a party with 75 family and friends who enjoyed dinner, drinks, dancing, and partying. Family came from Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Florida, and South Dakota. Some came early, and some stayed late. Tom said: “It was great, and we’ll probably never all get to together again for this kind of thing.” In addition to his busy shooting competition schedule, Tom also will be squeezing in a trip to his 55th high school reunion in Utica, N.Y.; a trip to Tucson, Ariz.; and possibly a wine venture in California. I hope all classmates are well and will share their life stories, through me, for fellow classmates. Please tell me what you’d like to hear and see in future class notes. God bless you. Rick

Jerry Schweickert1960 216-381-0357 [email protected]

Thanks to larry Beaudin, Tom Collins, and Jerry Malizia for the great pictures of our 50th reunion. Talk of a minireunion in the near future began before everyone left campus after the big one in June. I’m not quite sure who’ll pick up the ball and run with it as far as organizing is concerned, but whoever it is, please let me know ASAP so I can get it in an issue of the Journal in enough time to alert everyone who might be interested. ... Jim Mason, John Magnotto, Pete Conboy, Jerry Malizia, Bob Fitzharris, and Paul Flask attended Jim shannon’s wedding Sept. 25 in California. Congratulations to Jim and his bride, Irene. We enjoyed the chance to meet her at the reunion. ... Pete Pucher and his wife were in town from Florida a while ago, and the Masons, nichtings, and schweickerts were able to join them for a lengthy lunch. Speaking of Florida, the wives of the three just mentioned are heading to Florida to meet denny McGrath’s wife, Judy, for a week of levity at the Saddlebrook Resort in the Tampa area. ... For those of you whose wives read Real Simple magazine,

the managing editor is Pete Vanogtrop’s daughter. Pete was unable to attend our 50th because he was in New York at her book signing. She’s also an author. Pete, a successful attorney, is working still. ... I’m pleased Marty regan has signed on to our annual golf trip to Santee, S.C., in April. A few of us will do all in our power to drag his performance level down to ours. ... I’m out of ideas for this column and was so desperate for input I asked Frank Kelly, scribe for the class of ’64 with whom I golfed during Homecoming Weekend, if I could just use his. He was in town for the announcement of an endowed scholarship honoring Coach John Ray. The bulk of the endowment came from donations made by the players on the JCU football teams from 1959 through 1963. Then I thought better of using his material and came up with this. The problem isn’t getting input from classmates so much as it is remembering what I received or where I put it when I remember to save it. Please help out with timely info about yourselves and others from whom you hear. In the meantime, have a holy, blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. Be well. Schweick

Jack T. Hearns1961 216-291-2319 [email protected]

REUNION YEARMike Mangiarelli from New Castle, Pa., has owned Wilmington Mini Storage Co., which provides 400 storage units that come in seven different sizes, for the past 20 years. Mike is active in his community, particularly the Knights of Columbus. ... Jim dowling, from Mandeville, La., and his wife, Ann, have been married 44 years. He has been retired from his general surgery practice and was considered one of the finest surgeons in Louisiana. He also was a team physician for the New Orleans Saints. The Dowlings, who enjoy traveling, have two boys, two girls, and four grandchildren. ... ed McGervey and his wife, June, are enjoying retirement in Savannah, Ga., by playing lots of golf, walking, and bike riding. Ed’s still consulting for his former accounting firm via the computer. The McGerveys have three children and seven grandchildren. ... Janet and Bill newman, who have been married 46 years and reside in Avon, Conn., have three sons (two are JCU grads) and 13 grandchildren; one is a freshman at Carroll. Bill just completed a two-year term as commander of VFW Post 3272, which has 170 vets from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan. For 10 years, he has published the monthly post newsletter and is developing military service histories, which are two-page summaries of each veteran’s service history including dates, units, duties, campaigns, and decorations. ... Tom Jennings and his wife, Gail, are residents of Lyndhurst, Ohio, and recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. They have a daughter, Margaret McDonnell, and three grandchildren who live in Virginia. Tom worked at Lubrizol Corp. after graduation and returned to Carroll for an M.S. in chemistry. He became a dominant force in the world of chemical manufacturing and received 20 U.S. patents. He spent 30 years at Synthetic Products Co. in Cleveland and was president and CEO for 13 of those years. ... ed sumnar operates an insurance business in Hillsdale, Mich. He and his wife of 46 years, Molly, have four children and six grandchildren. ... Keep May 20-22,

Columnist Rick ’59 and Mary Jo Dodson check out Paul Oswald’s ’59 best lobster roll recommendations at Two Lights. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

34 WINTER 2010


2011, open because it’ll be our 50-year reunion. You’ll receive extensive information about the event during the next several months. Those who signed up early to be on the class committee include: Gerald Burns, Bob dittrich, Jack durkin, Tom Gerst, Jack hearns, eugene Kramer, Ed McGervey, P. laurence Mulvihill, richard Murray, Gerry o’Connell, and Tom Theriot. All class members are invited to become involved in the planning process for the reunion. Those interested should contact Carla Gall ’05 at 800-736-2586 or [email protected]. Jack

Bob Andolsen1962 440-327-1925 [email protected]

It soon will be time for our 50th class reunion in 2012. Why do you suppose I bring this to your attention now? You’re reading the last issue of John Carroll magazine for 2010. If you’ve never attended a reunion before, or haven’t attended one for awhile, or have wondered if there was one you should attend, this is it. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend. ... We heard from Paul dwyer. He and Sharon have sold their Rochester, N.Y., home, moved to a cabin in the Finger Lakes, and became Florida residents. ... Brigadier General Joseph ellis (USA, Ret) was inducted into the Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame at Ft. Eustis, Va., July 9, 2010. The award he received read, in part: “Joe Ellis inducted as an esteemed member of the Transportation Corps Hall of Fame in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished service to the United States Army Transportation Corps and unparalleled contributions to the development of military transportation in the United States Army. His tireless efforts have set the example for all transporters, current and future, and thus established the enduring legacy that is the Spearhead of Logistics.” The award was given to General Ellis by Brigadier General Layer, chief of transportation, U.S. Army. After graduating from Carroll, Joe obtained his M.S. from the Florida Institute of Technology, and throughout his career, attended the Transportation Officer Career Course; Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Joe’s assignments included one deployment to Korea, one to the U.K., twice to Vietnam, and four times to Germany. He also served with various commands, including, FORSCOM, MTMC, USAREUR, 4th Transportation Command, 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Armored Division, and the Army Personnel Command among others. He was inducted into the JCU military Science Hall of Fame in 1990. General Ellis’ awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, five awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, as well as numerous other awards and service medals. Joe lives in Spring, Texas, outside Houston, with his wife, Joyce, of 44 years. They have one son, Lt. Col. Tom Ellis, and four daughters: Stacey, Angela, Elizabeth, and Christy. Joe can be reached at [email protected]. ... It’s important you keep our class vibrant and alive. Please e-mail your announcements, comments, and thoughts to share with one another. Bob

Pete Mykytyn1963 618-549-1946 [email protected]

Hi, everyone. I hope things are well for all of you. I received two e-mails from don hannan ([email protected]) in late September. He indicated he set up photos, videos, and events on Facebook and invited me to visit his site. Alas, although I’m still teaching information systems at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, I tend to shy away from social networking sites. Call me skittish. However, I appreciated Don’s invitation. I e-mailed him back and told him about my hesitance to join Facebook and apologized. Don was nice to write back again, this time with update information. His family is in good health and plugging along, to use Don’s words. Don and his wife, Pat, are planning another winter visit to Anna Maria Island, Fla., and their family is planning to get together for Christmas as well. Their daughter, Michelle, will be coming from Toronto, and son, Don Jr., will be coming from Boston. The best news is all are healthy and happy. Thanks for the news, Don. Have a great time with your family. Those New England winters can be difficult. ... I had another nice note from Frank Grace ([email protected]) saying things were well. ... Unfortunately, I’m sad to report again my inbox, mailbox, and voice-mail continue to remain empty. I’d like to hear from you and believe our classmates would as well. With the end of the year approaching, I wish all of you a happy and holy holiday season. Until next time. ... Pete

Frank Kelley1964 607-648-5947 [email protected]

Merry Christmas. The fall foliage was brilliant for JCU Homecoming Weekend in late September and the class of ’64 was well represented at the annual Hall of Fame dinner Friday night. A major order of business was to announce the John Ray Memorial Endowed Scholarship, designed to assist students with unmet financial need. On hand were five Hall of Fame members from the undefeated football teams of 1962 and 1963 – team captain dick Koenig, Gordy Priemer, John Kovach, Gus McPhie, and ron Timpanaro. Also at our table were Coach Ray’s wife, Norah, and Bev and Jerry “Schweikey” Schweickert ’60. Tipp and Gus have been prime movers establishing the endowed

scholarship, reaching out initially to former football players from the teams of 1959-1963. Under their leadership, and with skillful coordination from Carroll director of athletic development Tony DeCarlo ’66G, the scholarship has grown to more than $100,000 in less than a year. Saturday was game day, and the scholarship was dedicated formally with a plaque on the side of Don Shula Stadium. Swelling the ranks of ’64 participants at the dedication ceremony were: Jude and Bob heutsche, Carol and Mike Weigand, Jan and Bill Kerner, Elaine and lou Mastrian, Mike herald, Bill Gibbons, and Tom leahy. Gus McPhie provided formal remarks about Coach Ray’s life and legacy and read several touching accounts from former players whose lives had been blessed by their association with him. Afterwards, we retired to the Don Shula Room for an informal lunch and more stories from dozens of players on hand from the combined classes. Lou Mastrian recalled Coach promising his parents he’d watch over him at JCU. True to his word, Lou subsequently was called to Coach’s office once a month for four years to give an update about his activities. Joe Vitale ’63 remembered receiving a 70-yard touchdown pass from Bob Mirguet at Wayne State, only to have it called back for a rules infraction. Coach sent in the same play, and Joe had to do the long sprint all over again. It went all the way, and he could hardly breathe the last 20 yards into the end zone. John Kovach had the crowd in stitches with his stories, and especially his Coach Ray impersonations. Everyone’s favorite was Kovach hiding in the large linen basket in the gym office to eavesdrop on a coaches meeting only to be discovered when Coach emphasized one particular point by forcefully kicking the basket. Ouch! “Kovach, what the hell are you doing in there?” Homecoming Epilogue: The Blue Streaks won, we celebrated with drinks and pizza at Priemer’s hacienda. Fiction and fact in equal doses ruled the day. God bless all Streaks. Frank

Dick Conoboy1965 [email protected]

Doug Kaputa ’66 recently wrote he and his wife planned to be in Cleveland for the 50th anniversary of his wife’s elementary class at Gesu School. Doug also was planning to attend the September Pershing Rifles reunion and celebrate the 60th anniversary of ROTC on campus. I attended Gesu for one year in 1950, which must have been the first year of ROTC

From the class of ’64: Gordon Priemer, Ron Timpanaro, Angus McPhie, Richard Koenig, and John Kovach



at Carroll because I remember watching the cadets march in the area that’s now occupied by Sutowski and Murphy Halls. Little did I know, then age 6, I’d be second in student command of the Cadet Corps in 1965. ... Chuck Friedman reported he had a pleasant Fourth of July visit to Cleveland where he attended a concert by the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center followed by a huge fireworks display. Chuck is still working despite my advice retirement is really good – better than fireworks. … My wife and I spent two weeks in Peru this summer. The first week was in Lima. Then we went to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to the ruins at Machu Picchu. This was the first vacation during which I lost several pounds climbing around at high altitudes. Our last five days were spent in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley area. In September, we traveled to France where my wife researched at the state archives in Caen at the Abbaye d’Ardennes, an abbey of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré founded by St. Norbert in the 12th Century. (Yes, I had to look it up.) While she researched, I revisited the beaches of Normandy, the U.S. cemetery at Coleville, and the village of Ste-Mère-Église where Private John Steele of the 82nd Airborne Division is still hanging from the bell tower by his parachute risers. ... Looking for more news, especially from those of you who might have had the opportunity to attend the PR reunion and the ROTC anniversary. Dick

Dave Griffin1966 727-944-5229 [email protected]

REUNION YEARHello, all. We’re heading into fall as I write, so I hope all our alums up north enjoy the fine weather because you know what’s coming next. I hear Cleveland is in the top 10 cities for winter snow. ... dan ruminski reports the Cleveland project continues to move forward with the fundraising stage. He tells me the plans and drawings are in the works. He’s certain it’ll be an exciting place for each visitor to have a true Cleveland historical experience. ... Mick Vasko and his wife, Diane, met Joanne and dale Masino in Myrtle Beach this past spring for dinner. Mick is semiretired, working part time as a purchasing manager on Cleveland’s East Side. He had great experiences during the past eight years traveling to the Far East and Central and South America. Their three children live on the East Side. They have five grandchildren who they enjoy immensely. They get together with Pat and Mike starr several times a year. ... John stagl continues his globetrotting speaking engagements in this country and others. He was the opening speaker at the World Conference on Disaster Management in Toronto. He was invited to be a member of the Canadian Center for Emergency Preparedness, a group of international experts in Disaster and Business Continuity Planning from throughout the world. It’s quite an honor. Who’d of thought it. John recently was sidelined for a short time by a kidney-stone problem that resulted in several surgeries. His wife, Sharon, has had similar issues, so Stags thinks she’s a carrier but can’t prove it. ... Out of the blue, I had a call from Peter Kassay-Farkas. Some may remember him as a founding father of soccer

at JCU. I can say ‘father’ because he just celebrated his 70th birthday. Soccer is one of Pete’s passions. He finally stopped playing in 2001 because of an injury but still loves to coach young players. His daughter, Jennifer, graduated from JCU, too – in ’94. ... Jane and I recently spent two weeks in Missouri with our children and grandkids. We surprised our daughter on her 40th birthday. We just showed up on her doorstep, so it was more like we shocked her. We had a great time and got to see our son on stage in St. Louis. ... dan raleigh, are you keeping track of who’s really retired? ... I hope we all can get together at the 45th reunion next year to discuss this. I’m planning on it. Take care, everyone. Dave

Peter French1967 440-734-5553 [email protected]

Hello, class. Fall rushed in, and there was no better place to catch the flavor of the season than on the JCU campus. Football was in full bloom, and the campus looked spectacular. I’ve been to several of the Blue Streaks games, and I hope to see ’67 alumni on the campus during future events. ... Good things are happening to our classmates. Mark delong, who has started a second career, is studying to become an artist. He’s been interested in art for a long time and is taking it seriously. As Mark stated, “I’ve got my family impressed.” Mark’s doing well with his new career and started to receive awards and recognition and sell his art. Mark paints with a group called the Ohio Plein Air Society, which focuses on painting outdoors in a more natural environment. Mark’s enjoying his new career and learning all he can. He’s accepted the opportunity to design the brochure for our 45th class reunion. I’ve asked Mark to let me know when he schedules a show or when his paintings are displayed. Congratulations on your career change. ... I have a retirement to discuss. John Gibbons has decided to retire from football coaching. He has been a head football coach for more than 20 years and retired Oct. 3. This fall, John returned to Lake Catholic High School after head coaching positions at St. Edward and Bedford high schools. John was surprised with his induction into the Lake Catholic High School Hall of Fame, which took place Oct. 1. He was nominated for his accomplishments while he was the head football coach for 14 years at Lake Catholic, which includes two state football championships (1991 and 1992). He coached teams to the state playoffs seven times and his teams were regional finalists three times in addition to the two state championships. He also won eight league championships. John had an impressive tenure at Lake Catholic – 113 wins and 42 losses. His career record is 216 wins and 93 losses. Talk about well deserved. Congratulations, John! John’s daughter, Nora Moran ’04, called to inform me about the retirement and the hall of fame. She also mentioned her father-in-law, Mike Moran, was being inducted into Carroll’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Imagine the conversations when coaches John and Mike get together. ... I’m starting a new segment: Cleveland Firsts. The electric arc lamp and first electric street lighting happened in 1879 in Cleveland. ... I’ve sent postcards to ’67 alumni. Let your columnist know what’s going on. Peter

Jeff Hawk1968 317-845-4199 [email protected]

Onward, forward, upward with the class of ’68. ... Jenny and I wanted to attend Homecoming so much. I received a call from Tim Rogers ’69, a Pershing Rifles fraternity brother, and a note from the JCU alumni office. Thanks so much. Jenny and I especially wanted to attend the Pershing Rifles gathering and the 60th anniversary of ROTC celebration. During the same weekend as Homecoming, Jenny and I were at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis with 6,000 attendees celebrating the Families Festival fundraising event for Community Hospital North’s maternity ward and prenatal department. We went from Friday setup to Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to Sunday cleanup. Jenny is director on the board of directors for Community Hospital North Auxiliary. I’m a worker bee. ... I received two great news stories about ’68ers. Charles a. Bryan of Columbus, Ohio, was reappointed as an actuary. Charles, who has 35 years of experience as a casualty actuary, earned a B.A. from JCU, a master’s degree in mathematics from Purdue University in 1969, and an MBA from Golden Gate University in 1976. He’s the founder and current president of CAB Consulting, a property-casualty insurance company. His actuarial career spans several companies including Nationwide Insurance, Ernst and Young, United Services Automobile Association, and Allstate Insurance. Charles serves on the boards of Medical Mutual of Ohio, Safe Auto, and Tower Insurance Group. ... Mark a. Kadzielski, the head of the West Coast Healthcare Law Practice at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP in Los Angeles, was selected as one of the top 10 leading healthcare lawyers in California by Chambers USA 2010 on the basis of peer and client evaluations for the sixth year in a row. The publication stated clients consider him a leading health-care attorney. He’s responsive, knowledgeable, and pleasant to work with. Chambers USA 2010 also selected Mark as a leading individual nationwide in health-care regulatory and litigation practice areas. ... Send me or the Carroll alumni office your news. We love to hear from you, read about you, and write about you. For you and JCU. ... Jeff

Gerry Grim1969 [email protected]

Hello, members of the class of 1969. The Steelers are 4-1, so all is right with the world. Hope all your favorite teams are 5-0. The Indians and the Pirates are just terrible, and LeBron left town, so not everything is perfect in my sports world. I’m playing fantasy football in a league formed by ed Christy that includes other class of 1969 members: Bill Badke, Jim Price, and Tom Moore. I’m not 4-1 in that league. Ed is always looking for members for his old guys’ league. It’s an easy league, a quasi-elimination that runs an entire season, so get a hold of Ed and sign up for next year. ... Front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer brought good news for classmate dan Walsh. His family construction company secured the bid to rebuild Cleveland’s Inner Belt Bridge, which needs many repairs. Dan’s company secured the $285-million job against stiff competition. One of the main reasons

36 WINTER 2010


ODOT chose Walsh Construction was because of the many unique and innovative features of the new bridge. Congratulations Dan and to all at Walsh Construction. See, Dan, it paid to be vice president of our class. ... My fellow old guys’ league member and freshman Pacelli Hall T-wing friend, Tom Moore, is living in Charlotte, N.C. Tom is retired but enjoys his Corvette, coffee roasting, and collecting antique fountain pens. (Information gathered right off Tom’s Facebook page). Also off of Facebook: ed dillon is retired from one of the great Cleveland insurance agencies: Fitzgibbons Arnold and Co. He’s enjoying retirement and keeps busy with model railroading, golf (lots of it), and travel. Ed has posted great travel pictures. ... I found Greg Jodzio on Facebook, too. Greg, who’s living in Hutchinson, Minn., has a great picture on his Facebook page of himself at work. It’s worth a visit. Greg, I’d like more information about Red Hots. ... My golfing buddy, Mike Magulick, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of personal injury litigation and professional malpractice. Congratulations, Mike. How about all you other lawyers letting me know if you’ve gotten honored in the Best Lawyers of America or other honors. ... We have one classmate living in Hawaii, one in Rhode Island, one in Wisconsin, and one in West Virginia. If those four individuals would send me a note about being the only member of the class of 1969 living in those states, that could make for great news. ... In closing, I wish every classmate all the best for the holidays. Also, support the Carroll Fund or the Fred Hartman Scholarship that’s been established at JCU. IXYs, please support our scholarship, which is one of the largest and helps five students a year. We’d like to be helping 10 students a year. Grimmer

Ted Heutsche1970 517-669-4005 [email protected]

I don’t have much to report this time around, but I received a nice e-mail from rich harkey several months ago. Rich is one of my faithful correspondents and wrote: “We had a big snowstorm during this year’s DAT reunion in downtown Cleveland. I was staying out east in Mentor, and decided, because of the traffic accidents on the freeway, it might be a good idea to stay home. It was lightly attended this past year. They changed the date so I could attend. I’m still taking grief about it. The golf game needs work because I’ve been traveling a bit (San Francisco and Las Vegas). I traveled to Europe to conduct business reviews of our subsidiaries in Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Milan, and Zurich. I live in Salt Lake City, and the past couple nights of our league have been snowed out. On warm days of 50 degrees or so, I’ve managed to get in a quick nine. Salt Lake City is in a valley, so we get strong winds, which does even stranger things to my golf ball than normal this time of year. I played 18 in the Bay Area a few weeks ago under clear blue skies and 60 degrees, but there was a lot of wind. My wife and kids are well. We just had a little grandson, who’s tiny, in Washington, D.C., where my son lives. I was fortunate to be with Max the day he was born, almost as if someone from above was looking over the situation. I mailed a gift this week to JCU that will be 100% matched by my employer, Varian

Medical Systems, for the class of 1970. ... Speaking of grandchildren, my wife, Karen, and I are celebrating the birth of our third grandchild (and first girl), Bridget Grace Hogan, born to our daughter Gretchen, and her husband, John Hogan, both JCU ’93. I’m sure Gretchen probably hasn’t had time to notify her class columnist. ... And, in line with Rich Harkey’s comment about his contribution to JCU, I received a mailing from the alumni office after reunion stating 151 of our classmates, or about 30%, contributed $220,653 to the class of 1970 gift in celebration of our 45th reunion year. A hearty pat on the back to all of you who contributed. Your generosity makes a difference to the University. ... Keep the e-mails coming! It’s great to hear from you. Ted

Tom and Rosemary Costello1971 217-344-2076 [email protected]

REUNION YEAROur 40th reunion is around the corner. Instead of the usual weekend in June, our reunion will take place the weekend of graduation, May 20-22, 2011. The John Carroll community will be celebrating its 125th anniversary as well that weekend. We need committee members to help plan our part of the weekend. Pete hamm has stepped up to be our Cleveland connection, and we’ve joined the committee, too. Check out the JCU 71 Facebook page Tom has set up for the event. And make sure we have your correct e-mail address. Send updates to Tom ([email protected]). As the untimely death of our friend Tim Russert ’72 reminds us, we need to stay connected to each other, and our 40th reunion in May will provide a great opportunity to do so. ... Several ’71 classmates attended the breakfast with Tom Brokaw last May. We joined Cormac delaney and Jim McPolin and Nikki Bondi ’72 to meet Brokaw and Maureen Orth, Tim Russert’s wife. The event helped raise funds for the Meet the Press internship for Carroll graduates. This internship was created to link Tim’s dedication to Carroll and his work with Meet the Press. ... dominick Iacuzio has moved to the San Francisco area from Chatham, N.J. He continues his work with Tamiflu and Roche Pharmaceuticals. We attended his son John’s wedding in Chicago this past June. Dominick and his wife, Ann, welcome the move because their three daughters also moved to the West Coast. ... Sue and Paul Cummings wrote to say how much they’re enjoying life and their grandchildren. They’ve celebrated 40 years of marriage. ... We’re sure there’s much more news to be reported. Please send a note to Tom ([email protected]). Let us know about your plans to attend our reunion in May, or just let us know what’s going on in your life. Tom and Rosemary

John M. Marcus1972 202-296-0901 [email protected]

Not exactly a deluge of news, but then again, enough for 450 words. I had flashbacks about our days at Carroll visiting my son, Michael, a sophomore at Boston College, and daughter, Julie,

a frosh at Villanova. Great days. ... My North Coast correspondent neil Conway, publisher of the Ohio German Times, sent me good notes. First, his son, Bubby, finished his first year at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bub is a goalie on the varsity hockey team, following in big sister Seanna’s footsteps. Seanna received her M.A. from the National University of Ireland Galway. ... Tom hill is driving a school bus – no kidding. Great basketball player that he was (and son was a varsity star at JCU), he volunteers his time behind the wheel at Deepwood Center in Mentor, Ohio. ... Bob Ulas is the director of the Visitor’s Bureau in Lake County, Ohio, and heads up “Party in the Park,” the biggest free music festival in Ohio. ... Old rugby captain Joe Pearl still runs Joe Pearl Sports in Battle Creek, Mich. Joe and his wife, Leslie, have been married almost 40 years now. Son Jonathan, a Michigan grad, is an M.D. living in Italy. Jon has served our country proudly in Iraq. Son Beezer played football at Chicago and is a VP on Wall Street. Daughter Rachel is a recent college grad while the youngest, Will, is a budding tennis star. ... Got a note from Billy sixsmith. He and Mike Mulkeen, Jim Mcdonough, and Ken sophie met in a Chicago pub a few months back and talked Carroll football. Billy, who lives in Chicago and is a VP with Navistar, has been taking business trips to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. (How about swinging over to Halifax to watch Conway’s kid between the pipes?) Bill and Betty have three sons – the youngest finishing at Wisconsin, and son, Bob, living in Spain. McDonough, a Western region manager for Leica Microsystems, and his wife, Donna, live in Peoria, Ariz., and have a son and daughter. Mulkeen says Sixy has a condo business. (Can someone please write and tell me what a condo business is?) And Soph is in business with Bobby harrington in the law game. He spends time coaching his young son and daughter in various sports, like many of you do with your grandkids. ... That’s it for now. Send me lies, half-truths, rumors, or innuendos. We’re not the New York Times. Take care. JM

Bob Larocca1973 216-321-5547/216-233-7651 [email protected]

Hey, ’73 Streaks. I’m deeply indebted to Tony spadafora, my Kennedy Christian High School alum from Sharon, Pa. Tony, who is working on city, county, and state political campaigns in Ohio and Minnesota, has worked on issues such as promoting a retractable stadium roof for the Browns. Currently, he’s a developer/consultant for the Vikings’ unbuilt stadium in the Twin Cities. Congrats to him and his lovely wife, Georgiana, who attended JCU for two years, leaving when Tony graduated in ’73 to pursue a career in retail management. Tony recently had a minireunion with the ’69ers from our H.S. but was unable to persuade Paul hoza to attend. Maybe we’ll get the skinny on him for the next issue. Send in the dirt. Rock on! Bob

Dave Robinson1974 248-642-9615 [email protected]



Rick Rea1975 314-769-9451 [email protected]

Hello, classmates. The answer to the trivia question in my last column is Marcel Marceau. Michael Jackson imitated Marcel’s moonwalk in his Billie Jean live performance at the VMAs. Charlie Beringer knew that answer, but we just saw each other at reunion, right Charlie? I wanted to take a minute to give you the final stats about our class gift for reunion 2010, our 35th – 132 classmates, 26%, contributed $50,663 to the Carroll Fund. A nice amount given the economic times. Thanks again to Jack Metzger for chairing the class gift. It looks as though I neglected to recognize dave Urbanek as having attended reunion in my last column. Sorry, Dave. Melissa and I missed Allison and rick rudnicki, Debbie ’76 and Vic Cook, and Karen and Mike Messina at reunion. ... Where are you Mike riley? ... I hope all of you enjoy your holidays this year. As I write this column, the St. Louis Cardinals have been eliminated from the baseball playoffs, but the St. Louis Rams won their seventh game in three years this past Sunday. Miracles never cease. ... Recently, Terry Burns ’76 sent me an e-mail wanting to get in touch. Terry and I discovered we live about three miles from each other in St. Louis, and we worked in the automotive aftermarket at the same time a few years ago; he for Tenneco-Walker, and I for Cloyes Gear. Terry’s son is a freshman at Marquette University, and his daughter attends Cor Jesu Academy in my neighborhood. Terry and I are networking together in search of better careers. ... For the first time in many columns, I won’t have a trivia question for you, but I ask you come up with a difficult trivia question from our years at Carroll (with the answer please) and e-mail it to me with personal news. ... Two weeks after reunion, my dad died suddenly, and I wanted to take a few minutes of your time to tell you a little about him. Many of you from the Shenango Valley, Pa., area knew him. Those of you who knew me well during our years at Carroll are aware I wasn’t a Rhodes Scholar. When I was struggling with my studies, my dad often wrote me letters of encouragement from his drafting table at work. He was proud of the fact I was the first Rea to earn a college degree and had a Catholic education since second grade. He and my Mom’s hard work and sacrifice made it possible for me and my siblings to have a Catholic education. Thanks again to Frs. Bichl and Bukala for their letters of condolence and thanks to Hugh and annette st. John o’Brien for their e-mail of condolence to dad’s obituary page. Finally, thanks to my good friend Sam Mastrian ’76 for helping me and our family during dad’s funeral. I miss my dad every day. So do me a favor, please, if your dad is alive still, call him tonight and tell him you love him. If he’s deceased, say a prayer for him. Pray for peace. RR

Diane Coolican Gaggin1976 [email protected]

REUNION YEARHappy winter. Bet I can chase a bit of the big chill away by telling you our 35th reunion is scheduled for commencement weekend, May 20-22, 2011. Don’t you feel warmer already? The committee is putting together a wonderful set of days for reconnecting. Anyone who’d like to join the planning, should

contact Carla Gall ’05 (216-397-1592 or [email protected]). Make sure to call everyone you want to see, and tell them to make reservations. Follow the progress toward reunion on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Expecting to see you all there. ... don Maciejewski has done it one more time – Florida Trend magazine again has recognized him as one of their legal elite, a highly-regarded specialist in aviation, admiralty, and maritime law. This honor, based on recognition, peer review, judicial review, and reputation, is a great achievement for attorneys in Florida. Congratulations, Don, on the repeat. You and Judy have something wonderful to celebrate. ... Tom snitzky sent a note to say his parents passed away earlier this year. He wanted to get the word to his Delta Alpha Theta brothers, who spent many happy hours in the company of Larry ’52 and Jean during our college days. Our condolences, Tom, on your loss. ... I hope to have a list of those who’ll be attending the reunion in my next installment. I’ll make sure I add your name to the list. As we move into a new year, may we have health, happiness, and every blessing the Lord can bestow. See you in May. Cools

Dennis J. Lane1977 [email protected]

Tim Freeman1978 708-579-9075 [email protected]

Greetings! Cathy (Monaco) hogan celebrated 30 years with Procter and Gamble. She’ll celebrate 30 years of marriage to Doug Hogan ’77, an attorney working in government affairs for First Energy. They have two children: Douglas, a graduate of OU, and Madison, a sophomore at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). The Hogans live in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Cathy enjoys yoga, gardening, wine fests, and volunteers for fundraisers. Attendees to the Hogans’ annual John Carroll post-homecoming party included Mark McGinley, Beth ’80 and Tom Keir, dan Patalita, Bob Keir ’77, Jeff Kasper ’77, and Alan Baldarelli ’77. ... Fr. dan Fickes was named pastor of St. Therese Church

in Garfield Heights in January. Dan sends regards to fellow ROTC cadet Pete Wojcik. ... Mary amato nimrod’s daughter Megan, a junior majoring in psychology, loves Carroll. Mary teaches kindergarten and has only one left at home – Emily, a junior at Loyola Academy. Mary keeps in touch with Kathy and Mike ’77 McCarthy and Paul ’82 and Patrice ’80 Hulseman. ... Paul Gellott is general manager of AMC’s Ridge Park Square Theater (Cleveland’s West Side) and serves on AMC’s Radiant Conversion Team traveling to newly acquired theaters. rosie Gellott, who’s in her 13th season with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, is the director of development for Mission4Maureen (www.mission4maureen.org), which provides financial assistance to families who are burdened by the staggering cost of brain cancer treatment. The Gellott children are: Joe, who’s married and working at the Cleveland Clinic; Rebecca ’04 and ’08G, who teaches English at Padua Franciscan High School; and Mike and Jonathan, who both work in the restaurant business. Jonathan recently became engaged. The Gellotts keep in touch with ruth hassing and Shirley Ivancic Stall ’79. ... earl hamlin is the proud father of two sons: Monsterman and Buzz, one is a college graduate, and the youngest is a high school senior. Earl has been married for 24 years and lives in Akron, Ohio. He keeps in touch with Alfalfa, Hutch, Shorty, O’B, Henny, Ruds, Charles, John Baran, Bobo, Ger, Fasano, Kapryan, Victor, and Denny Driscoll ’79. Earl’s community involvement includes being a judge at the National Hamburg Festival, hiking, rock climbing, boating, and landscaping. ... Jeannine and Pete ruffing, Gerry reilly, and Dan Fickes met recently at Jeff ’80 and rosemarie (Knuff) Piening’s in Cincinnati for a fun weekend. Pete Ruffing plans to retire from his first career soon, travel for a couple years before beginning a second career. At a recent court trial, Pete met Frank Gorczyca ’73 and recognized his name from his Circle K pledge book 34 years ago as someone’s grand big brother, but whom he’d never met. Small world. The Ruffing kids are all over: One flies helicopters (CH-53 E, the largest in the fleet) for the Marines; another is in the Army; a third in graduate school for teaching; and the fourth is in OSU law school. Tim

Circle K Brothers (clockwise): Kevin McCarthy ’74, John Baran ’78, Dave Sokolowski ’75, and Mark Kurtzrock ’75.

38 WINTER 2010

A L U M N I J O U R N A LA L U M N I J O U R N A L

Joe DeRosa ’79 spent 21 seasons in the NBA. It’s not what you might think, though. He spent his career in the league as a referee, not as a player. What started out as a hobby while at John Carroll University

unexpectedly turned into a stellar career refereeing games played by the world’s most talented basketball players.

As a junior at Carroll, DeRosa started refereeing grade-school basketball games at the suggestion of his father, who was a high school referee. After earning a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on accounting, DeRosa went to work for The Babcock & Wilcox Co.’s construction division as an office manager at various job sites. However, when he took the job, he couldn’t continue to referee for a while because he was traveling so much. At the time, DeRosa was progressing into the high school and junior college ranks of refereeing.

“I always knew I wanted my own business by the time I was 30 because having my own business would allow me to ref college games,” he says. “At the time, I had no interest in refereeing in the NBA.”

DeRosa quit B&W in 1983 and bought a liquor store in Paducah, Ky., where he was living at the time, achieving his goal of owning his own business before he was 30. During the next several years, he and his wife, Patti, bought three more. Eventually, the family started selling the stores off one by one, and in 1991, sold the largest (6,000 square feet) and moved back to Ohio.

In 1985, DeRosa started attending referee camps, and in 1987, he was hired to ref his first Division I college basketball game. Then in 1989, while attending a referee camp in Indiana, Darell Garretson, NBA supervisor of officials, noticed him and invited him to an NBA referee camp where everything – rules, mechanics, etc. – was different compared to the college game.

Being an NBA ref required DeRosa to live out of a suitcase. He was on the road 24 to 26 days a month. When he moved back to Ohio after living in Kentucky, he was gone less – 22 days a month – because he was closer to major airports.

“The travel took its toll,” he says. “The demands off the court were more than the ones on. I missed a lot of the things my kids did growing up. Eventually, my wife would come on one trip a month, and the kids would come every so often when they could. Now, my son, J.B., who’s 19, wants to be an NBA ref, but I discourage him because it’s rough on your family.”

Being on the road so much was one reason why DeRosa retired from the NBA this past summer and why he started a business, Smitty Official’s Apparel, in 2007. Smitty Official’s Apparel designs, manufactures, and sells accessories for sports officials throughout the

GroundedAfter 21 years on the road as an NBA referee, Joe DeRosa can finally settle in and spend more time with his family

country. DeRosa’s daughter, Valerie, works for the company.“This wholesale business was doing well enough that it was time to

retire from the NBA,” he says. “I wanted to spend more time at home with my family.”

But DeRosa isn’t completely retired from refereeing. He’s back to refereeing some Divison I college games.

And just because DeRosa was an NBA ref, doesn’t mean he has salacious stories about players to tell. One reason for that is the NBA kept referees and players apart. There was very little interaction between the two off the court.

“We weren’t allowed to ask for autographs,” he says. “The only time we could do that was during an all-star game. I couldn’t ask anything from anybody. The league didn’t want any link to, or cause for, preferential treatment when it came time to ref a game.”

However, that didn’t stop Tim Donaghy, a peer of DeRosa’s, from giving the profession a black eye when he was caught fixing games amid a betting scandal in 2007.

“It’s unthinkable to do that,” DeRosa says. “You wouldn’t think about doing that if you were a person with any integrity. I never got close to him. None of us had a clue about what he was doing. He did some jail time, got out, and wrote a book. It’s ridiculous.”

Contrary to Donaghy, DeRosa was ranked as one of the best refs in the league. Of the 60 refs, the league chooses the top 32 (based on ratings and performance) for the first round of the playoffs and ultimately the top 12 for The Finals. DeRosa worked in The Finals from 2003 to 2010.

Working in front of all the NBA crowds throughout the years, there were always JCU alums in the stands who would shout out and let DeRosa know they attended Carroll, too.

“Even Don Shula called out to me one night about our Carroll connection,” he says. “That stuff was cool.”

– John Walsh

Joe DeRosa listens to Jason Kaponao complain about a call.



Nancy Agacinski1979 216-932-2824 [email protected]

Hi, friends. Summer hung on for a while here in the Midwest. The first few days of fall in the Cleveland area set record temps in the 90s, but a mere 24 hours later it was brisk for the homecoming game Sept. 25. Even though it was cool, it was a great day for a football game. To make it even better, Carroll beat Marietta 24-18. John O’Brien ’76 and his wife, Jean, held a tailgate party with many familiar faces: Terry O’Brien ’78, Bob (Bobo) Rees ’78 with girlfriend Mary, Mary Carol (Anthony) and Bill O’Brien both ’81, Barb and Bob Burak ’78, Mike Tarasco ’77, Bill Kern ’76, and Mark Hawald ’77. I also ran into Maureen (rose) Fay and met her two kids, who are students at Carroll. ... Newlyweds Bob Keir ’77 and his bride, Sandy, were seen, as well as Bob’s brother, Tom ’78, and his wife, Beth ’80. It’s always great to see everyone. ... I heard from Mike sutila, who reports he’s a controller for a small company, Chase Machine, which manufactures custom machinery for many Fortune 1,000 consumer product companies. Mike has enjoyed chairing fundraisers during the past several years for Saint Elizabeth Community and is on their board. Mike keeps in touch with Rob Herald ’78, Raymond and Mary Ann Freas both ’81, and Jean Cotugno ’82. He’d like to hear what Mary ann Moderelli Pacelli has been up to. ... John ehrman reports his daughter, Angela, is graduating magna cum laude with a degree in corporate communications from the University of Texas at Austin May 21. John tried to convince her to attend Carroll, but she wanted a big-school football experience. Boy, did she get it this year, attending the BCS championship game. John would like to hear from Josephine (Ruitto) and Tom O’Grady both ’78. ... I heard from Gwen simpson Walsh, who reports

that after working for several companies and serving in executive leadership roles, she founded TechEdge LLC, a thriving seven-year business that’s committed to helping organizations, teams, and leaders achieve their greatest performance potential. Gwen is a board member/advisor to STEMout, a Cleveland nonprofit whose mission is to inspire Cleveland-area youths (K-12 grade) to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Gwen and her husband (Paul Takach) will be celebrating 28 years together in January with their growing family: 11 four-legged adopted “kids” – six shelter dogs and five shelter cats. Gwen says, “It’s a zoo at times, but it’s all good.” ... As always, every five while we’re alive, Nancy.

Matt Holtz1980 440-331-1759 [email protected]

Greetings, class. In my journeys, I happened to run across former political science major, ron Mclaughlin, who’s an attorney. His legal practice, which includes a variety of probate work, keeps him busy. Being a former poli sci major, I’m sure Ron will be active in a number of political campaigns during the next election cycles. ... Another political science major, Guy sanitate, sends his greetings from Burke, Va. Guy, who’s a retired Air Force Lt. Col. and has been working with Scitor Corp. for 10 years, is married and has a son attending the University of Virginia. In the past, Guy has been keeping tabs on Uwe Botzki and Bob smriga. ... On the local scene, Greg Branic is enjoying the amenities beautiful Strongsville, Ohio, provides. Greg has worked in finance at MetroHealth Medical Center for the past two years, while spouse Debbie Tighe Branic ’81 keeps active directing senior programs at the city’s Senior Center. ... I recently had the opportunity to break bread with John ettorre,

who brought me up to date about what’s happening on the local political scene. John’s a loyal Honda man and self-employed communications/writing visionary who’s constantly engaged with his clients regarding their communication/marketing/web/editing needs. John also speaks at many local seminars about writing and other communication topics. ... Seize the day, and drop a note anytime. MFH

Bob Hill1981 414-254-9880 [email protected]

REUNION YEARGreetings to the class of 1981. When you read this, we’ll be in the midst of another winter. I hope the people who enjoy skiing have a lot of snow, and the rest of us, well, let’s hope for the best. The weather from November to April isn’t the reason I chose to live in Wisconsin for 20 years. Peter langenhorst, a smarter man who lives in Phoenix, works for GM, and his wife, Beth ’82, just opened a music school. They have three children: Julie, Jack, and Steven. ... I heard from linda satyshur Pintabona, who’s on faculty at Cuyahoga Community College working in health care. Linda graduated in December 2009 with her MBA from Cleveland State with an emphasis in health-care specialization. ... Joe Zevnik is a licensed funeral director in Willoughby, Ohio. He’s married to Linda Fusco ’82. They have two children: Stephanie and Joey. ... I heard from Catherine o’Brien McCuish, who lives in Grosse Pointe, Mich., with her husband, Mike. Catherine has been in Chicago quite a bit and gave me updates on several grads including: Marion lavezzorio Goodworth, Kathy Foley o’Keefe, and Beth Martin stearns. Paul and Marion Goodworth just celebrated their 24th anniversary. They have three daughters and one son, Jack. Kathy O’Keefe and her husband, Dennis, have a son Patrick, who’s in the third grade. Beth Stearns is enjoying being a grandmother to Jacob, who was born in February 2009. ... Also, we found Bridget McGlynn, who lives in the Detroit area where she has a thriving IT business. ... Dan ’79 and Joy daudlin just sent their oldest son, Billy, and middle daughter Caroline off to John Carroll for their sophomore and freshman years. ... There also was a great e-mail from suzie Whelan shoup, who reports on a minireunion at the Clare and Pete o’Grady lake house this past summer. With spouses and kids, the group comprised about 28. Great weather, tubing, food, wings, fire pit, and conversation were highlights of the reunion. As you can see from the picture on page 40, in attendance were: the Gradys, Shoups, Chambers, haggertys, Speedo Borrelli ’80, Chris somosi, Jerry Kohl ’82, the Freemans ’78, and Katie Brandt ’82, with one of her three children. It was great to see a picture of former Student Union president, Tim Freeman, who inspired me to run for Student Union president in 1980-81. I’m forever grateful for his encouragement. ... On a sad note, nori Possavino’s husband, Martin Ryan McCabe, passed away last winter. ... Don’t forget our 30th reunion is just around the corner. Please plan to attend. Also, send me your notes ([email protected]) or find me at facebook.com/bob.hill. Merry Christmas to all of you and your families. Bob

Annual Report 2010

This year’s annual report can

be viewed online at www.

jcu.edu/annualreport. If you

would like a printed copy of

the report, please call the

Integrated Marketing and

Communications department

at 216-297-4321.

40 WINTER 2010


Paul Hulseman1982 847-867-9322 (c) [email protected]

Greetings from Chicago. Katie Grace Brandt asked I stop mentioning her in this column. And as a favor to one of my oldest friends, I feel obliged to do that. No more mentions about Katie, her husband, Tom, or her kids – Joe, Grace, and Michael. Never again. I promise. ... Corinne Welty dupuis passed her Vandy football tickets through me to a golf buddy who’s a rabid Northwestern fan. Corinne hasn’t rested on her JCU laurels. She studied medieval history at Vanderbilt and will complete her M.Ed. in curriculum and leadership this December at Middle Tennessee State University. Her master’s thesis is about St. Hildegard of Bingen, the first German female physician, scientist, holistic healer and 12th-century nun. Co-baby’s sons are 19 and 17. ... I swam 2.5 miles in a lake in Wisconsin in September with Mike robie. He still looks smooth in the water. It’s funny, but I could pick out his stroke 30 years later. Robie corrected me about Mike Minnaugh -- he moved to River Forest, not Park Forest as I wrote in the last column. I apologize for the error. ... Joyce Treboniak Jones, who poked me on Facebook, joins a growing list of classmates who

have friended me, including: Barb, Beth, Barb, Char, Chris, Corinne, dave, debbi, dorothea, Forest, Jean, Katie, Kregg, Marianne, Mark, Mao, Mary Kay, Mary lou, Mike, Mike, nick, Paul, Bobby, and Tom. When are you going to do the same? Katie Grace Brandt hasn’t friended me. Can I be “o-friended”? ... Mike hermann is now a Redhawk. Going back to his Jesuit roots, Mike has left Towson University and joined Seattle University as a director of athletics. That cross-country move for the Hermanns puts him on the same coast as his oldest son, who started at the University of San Diego this fall. Wonder what he does with all his Towson-logoed hats, shirts, shorts? ... Katie Carpenter rose, who enjoyed a restful summer plotting tricks and treats for her next class, teaches at Essex Middle School in Vermont. I’d just love to be in her class for one day, just one day. Her son, Nick, is in graduate school in Idaho, and her daughter, Libby, has transferred from URI to UVT, probably to keep a closer eye on her mother. ... K-K-K-Katie Grace Brandt turned the magic 5-0 in October. Onward on! Paul

Mark Schroeder1983 216-210-2020 [email protected]

Another year in the books, and now many in the class of ’83 will have large party celebrations for the big 50 in 2011. Some already have celebrated, but honestly, can you believed it? Sadly, as we get older, so do our parents. I wish to pass along condolences to sheila nelson, whose mother passed in August. One of my favorite parents was Chris Coughlin’s father. The Colonel passed suddenly in August. The man always wore a smile, just like Chris. ... I had the chance to catch up with Maureen (Kelly) West, but sadly, it was at her mother-in-law’s funeral, the mother of Wally West ’81. Mo and Wally are busy with their kids’ – Charlie (16), Allie (11), and Nolan (9) – activities. ... The honorable Chicago judge Bill O’Brien ’81 was busy recruiting Charlie and other Ramblers for JCU at the Loyola Academy college night. Charlie is my godson, get him Bill. ... Finally, I was discovered. This summer I appeared in a movie filmed in San Antonio as a getaway driver for the bad guys in a shoot-out scene for an independent film called “Backlash.” ... deb solyan’s annual summer party is a can’t-miss. I love the surprise of what JCU alums show up. A couple years ago, it was the Pittsburgh girls: Beth ann (McCombs) Coughlin, Mary Margaret (Pearson) Gleason, and eileen Mcdonough. This year, it was Shannon Carey Dolan ’84. After 30 years, I discovered Shannon lives about two blocks away from us. Shannon, who was her effervescent self, was social media before there ever was such a classification. ... Bill donnelly and his wife, Sue (Divane) Donnelly ’84, had a minireunion of sorts at their home in Hilton Head, S.C., in October with Deb, sandra ryan, Marie lynch-Julius, Jane (Broeren) lambesis, Sheila Nelson, Jim Kisthardt, danny reynolds and wife Kristine, Brian Flannery, Jim Brown, Tom Burke, and Therese o’neill-schmidt. I must get on that guest list. ... Facebook is a great way for us to reconnect. It’s about time I got reconnected to Charles Wagner, who lives in Chicago with his family. He owns American Graphics. Connect with me on FB, and let me know what’s up. ... Mary dwyer and her husband, Mark Dilts, gathered a number of classmates to their summer house. Kevin Cusack, Kevin Mcnulty, and John May ’84 basked in the sun and fun in southern Ohio. ... Santa is coming, so be nice and enjoy the great holiday season. Contact me because many would love to know what you’re doing at age 50. Mark

Don D’Amore1984 440-235-1323 [email protected]

Joseph hoffer correctly spotted the leanness of recent columns and decided to help fill this one. Joe’s private legal practice in Cleveland, Tenn., is almost exclusively family law and criminal defense. Joe’s a member of the Criminal Justice Panel attorneys and takes appointed cases in federal court in Chattanooga. As the only attorney within a 100 miles who speaks Spanish, the federal judges like to assign him to cases. Joe also has turned his jiu-jitsu club into the commercial Mixed Martial Arts Academy at the Bradley Square Mall. Tommy Wales, an American Top Team black belt, is their Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. Joe’s jiu-jitsu has improved greatly as a result of training with

A group of 1981 grads got together for breakfast recently on North Park, right in front of Carroll. Left to right: Kathy (Janis) Holecek, Anna (Zalar) Kmetich, Anne (Marquard) Nicolay, Michelle (Keresman) Connors, Lena (Mitra) Willner, Laura Lanza Weien, and Dawn (Dawson) Bloom.

A class of ’81 gathering with friends: Gradys, Shoups, Chambers, Haggertys, Speedo Borelli ’80, Chris Somosi, Jerry Kohl ’82, Tim ’78 and Mary Walsh ’87 Freeman, and Katie Brandt ’82, with one of her three children.



Tommy and the increased number of people he’s training with recently. Joe’s wife, Alejandra, just coordinated the first exchange program between Cleveland State Community College and Universidad Mayor in Santiago, Chile. This is the only community college exchange program in Tennessee. Joe and his son, John, went to visit Alejandra for a week in Santiago, and they went snowboarding in July at Valle Nevado. Daughter Claudia Hoffer is in her second year and a junior at Bellarmine University after a summer of working as a river guide on the Ocoee River (at the 1996 white water Olympics site). Claudia is a foreign language and international studies major with a minor in art. Next year, she’ll spend her second semester overseas. Son Johnny will be a junior at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga next year. He continues to play select soccer and finished last year’s soccer season as the varsity goalkeeper. He’s taller than Joe now. (Two of my four sons are taller than me.) ... Baron Capital Group announced James Barrett joined the firm as head of institutional sales in September. James, who’s responsible for sales for institutional distribution channels, has more than 25 years of experience in financial services, with 19 years in asset management marketing and sales. He was a managing director and head of global distribution at Citadel Investment Group. Before that, he served as senior managing director and head of global business development for Bear-Stearns Asset Management, responsible for global sales and marketing to institutional and retail markets. James has a Master of Management in Economics and Finance from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. ... John Breen actually followed my recent column request and let me know where the kids are going to college. John and Cathy celebrated their 26th anniversary in July. Their son, Jay, graduated from St. Petersburg College in 2009, and their daughter, Amanda, is a senior at the University of Central Florida. ... Now what are everyone else’s kids up to? Don

Diane (Nerem) Wendel1985 914-238-2227 [email protected]

Hello, everyone. First, I’d like to thank everyone for this honor to have written our class column for the past five years. Our busy lives keep us, at times, from stopping to enjoy the little moments. I hope reading a classmate’s name or the update of an old friend helps trigger a smile and thoughts of good memories at John Carroll. I’m reaching out to you to see if there’s interest in taking over the reign as our class columnist. As much as I enjoyed writing and being our contact point, my life is heading in a new direction with a second career as a computer teacher. I’m back to student life working on my master’s in education, specializing in technology. Additionally, along with being a student, working full time, being a single mom, and the other community boards, my plate is overflowing for my comfort level. Therefore, I’m asking for your help. Please drop me a line, and let me know your interest ([email protected]). ... Our 25th reunion last June was small and quaint, but was met with hugs and smiles from everyone. ... Please keep our classmate, Jill

hanlon Mancini, in your prayers because she lost her beloved husband, Carl, and her mother this year. ... Be well and God bless. XO. Diane

Gigi Togliatti-Rice1986 419-529-5530 [email protected] Beth (Bonanno) Hausoul [email protected]

REUNION YEAR

Sue Farinacci Grazia1987 440-256-0338 [email protected]

Christine Horwath Gawronski1988 614-425-7723 [email protected]

We’d like to welcome our new class columnist, Christine horwath Gawronski. We’ve enjoyed our time as columnists and thank those of you who sent us updates. We encourage all of you to keep sending them to Christine. Also, if you haven’t joined our Facebook group, JCU Class of 1988, please do. It’s a wonderful way to stay connected to members of our class and send Christine updates. We’d like to extend good wishes and thanks to everyone in our class. We look forward to seeing many of you again at our next reunion. Kathy and Jamie David Gassman1989 440-934-0366 [email protected]

Greetings, ’89ers. Fall is upon us in Northern Ohio. I was fortunate enough to attend homecoming and had a blast. The Blue Streaks were victorious over Marietta, and Beth and the kids enjoyed a tour of JCU. We were able to get a few nice students to let our kids view the inside of a dorm room. They were shocked at how small the quarters are for such big

kids. They’re smaller and messier than I remember ...check out the picture below of a recent weekend getaway in August by the Gassmans, soucies, and Weavers to Michigan to share time with the Foxs. As always, a great time was had by all. ... Speaking of great, Mark Gleichauf is the principal of Grant Elementary School in Lakewood, Ohio, and the school has received excellent ratings and distinguished itself as one of the best performing facilities in the district for the past several years. It appears Mark’s duties will expand to include all schools in the district, as he assumes the role of director of teaching and learning. Congrats, Mark, and keep those kids growing. I’d recommend a college just to the east of Lakewood if you know what I mean. ... I hope most of you saw in Forbes magazine in August that John Carroll was ranked No. 148 on the list of best colleges. That’s up from No. 273 in 2009 and is quite an honor. Way to go John Carroll! ... Well, I was hoping I might run into more of you at homecoming, but I didn’t, so this is all the news I have for now. Stay warm, cherish family and friends, and stay healthy. Talk to you soon. David

Melissa Wenzler1990 440-725-0753 [email protected]

Liz (Phillips) Hartranft1991 [email protected]

REUNION YEAR

Jim Sislo1992 440-269-1245 [email protected]

Greeting, class of 1992. I’ve been happy to see and talk with so many of our classmates during the past several months, but when I asked the question, “Would you have any updates for the class column?” the answer was everything is going well but no new updates to report. Well, I’m happy to report Glenda and John Pianca are the proud parents of

The Gassmans, Soucies, and Weavers traveled to Michigan in August to share time with the Foxs.

42 WINTER 2010


Giovanni Allan Pianca, born July 20, 2010. John moved to the Monterey/San Francisco Bay area in 1995 and then moved back to Ohio with, as he put it, “my one and only wife of four years,” Glenda, in 2008. Congratulations on the birth of Giovanni, which means John in Italian. ... susie Bresnahan Mclaughlin dropped me a note to let me know there was a Carroll reunion in Sarasota, Fla. Julie Kovass lynch, Cath Glaser hollein, Megan larkin Curry, Beth horstman Zugelder, ann showers, and Susie are celebrating their 40th birthdays and 22 years of friendship. The fun group enjoyed reminiscing, drinking good wine, and relaxing on the beach. They left 11 children, two dogs, and six careers at home for bonding time. Ann, Cath, and Susie live in Pittsburgh; Megan and Julie are in Cleveland; and Beth is in Dayton. I’m glad you had such a great time. ... If you have an update about yourself or anyone else you keep in touch with from our class, drop me a note. See you on campus. Jim

Julie (Roddy) Reardon1993 440-877-0939 [email protected]

Maureen “Moe” McGuinness1994 [email protected]

Annie (Hummer) DePerro1995 330-966-8845 [email protected]

The tragic death of Brian dugan in September shook many of us to the core. A young father in the prime of his life, Brian was struck and killed by a car on the fateful evening of Sept. 16 while out for an evening jog in his neighborhood of Tonawanda, N.Y. An inspirational English teacher and coach for many of his students and players at Kenmore West High School in Buffalo, Brian forever will be remembered for his positive outlook and sunny disposition. Brian was the son of Robert and Mary Dugan, father of sons Jack (8) and Aiden (7), and husband of Ann, his wife of 10 years. The countless news articles in the Kenton Bee and the Buffalo News report so many that knew him were drawn to his upbeat personality. “He was the kind of person who could brighten anyone’s day,” Kenmore West principal Karen Geelan said. “And he often did that for all of us. He was charming, friendly, insightful, just a great person to work with, and a favorite teacher of so many of our students.” Carroll alum, amy Collins staas remembers Brian’s amazing sense of humor: “He had a smile and a laugh that made everyone around him light up,” she said. “It truly was infectious, you couldn’t be in a bad mood around him. He just made you smile.” Amy remembers her friendship with Brian, dating back to freshman and sophomore years at Carroll, and recalls a weekend trip Brian attended with the Collins family to Notre Dame years ago. She remembers Brian being a huge N.D. fan. Brian will be missed and remembered by so many. He touched the lives of whomever came in contact with him. ... Where there’s darkness, there’s also light, and so with that, I’m happy to report the birth of a new child: John Sullivan, the 9-lb., 3-oz. son of teeny tiny Carole (Chandler) sullivan and San Diego Chargers offensive line coach Mike Sullivan. John joins big sibs

Patrick and Teagan. Congratulations Sullivan family. ... Finally, please make a note of my new e-mail address – [email protected]. Annie

Amy Spisich Kogovsek1996 [email protected]

REUNION YEAR

Brian Sparks1997 440-746-0309 [email protected]

Hey, everyone. Just a couple of updates this time. richard Pluhar earned his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. He also was certified as a ScrumMaster in IT project management. This summer, he moved to the NYC area from Atlanta to accept a project manager position with asset management group of JPMorgan Chase. ... ernie Petti and his wife, Aidess, welcomed their son Imre into the world late last year. (Ernie, the entire third-floor Millor Hall group is giving you a high-five from throughout the country.) ... andy and Kelly (dick) Close had a daughter, Sarah Mary Close, May 10. Kelly and Andy are living in North Royalton, Ohio. Andy is working in IT for Benesch, a law firm in Cleveland, and Kelly ended her time as an editor at Thomson Reuters to be at home with Sarah for a while. They see Matt and sherry (lucchetti) Watts often, along with their kids, Andrew and Ashley. ... andrew Perry recently moved to Rocky River, Ohio, with his wife, Jane, and their two sons, John (4) and Michael (3). Andrew is in his 11th year teaching at Mayfield High School and has been coaching football and the varsity boys tennis team. ... Just a reminder to sign up for our class page on Facebook. Search for “John Carroll University Class of 1997.” You can send me updates to my e-mail address or through Facebook. Thanks. Brian

Cherie (Skoczen) Kurlychek1998 216-741-1823 [email protected]

Congratulations to Maria Trivisonno, who received a full-tuition scholarship to work toward a master’s degree at Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science. Maria received one of the school’s five Laura Bush 21st Century Youth Services, Librarians, and Museums – A New Vision of Learning scholarships. The scholarship requires her to take four classes a semester. So, in addition to working full time for the Cuyahoga County Public Library, she’s been quite busy. Maria has been working in libraries since the age of 16. Most recently, she has been employed full time in the Maple Heights branch’s children’s department where she has worked on the award-winning Great Books for Kids holiday gift-giving publication and has served on the Reconnect with Reading committee. Maria lives in Lyndhurst, Ohio. ... It was fun to hear from dana (Kubilis) Maassen via Facebook. Dana lives in Bradenton, Fla., with her husband, Michael, and their son, Jonathan (3). The Maassens were able to catch a Browns game when they played in Tampa this year. “It made me miss Cleveland,” said Dana, who’s the

director of financial reporting for CoreLogic. ... And that’s all for our column this time. If you have news to share with our fellow classmates, please send me an e-mail or drop me a note via Facebook. I want to write about you in our column, so send me your good news. I hope everyone had a great fall and happy Thanksgiving. Take care. Cherie

Meg Galligan1999 [email protected]

Several of our classmates have great news to share. steve Beaudry married Karley Hoffman Sept. 4, in Akron, Ohio, with many of our fellow classmates in attendance. ... Many new arrivals have come on the scene during the past few months. lisa Frusteri Zickefoose and her husband, Dave, recently welcomed their newest addition, Jack David Zickefoose, who was born April 19. Big sister Maren (3) is great with Jack (or Jacky boy as she calls him). Casey Yandek and his wife, Michelle, welcomed their second child, Mary Frances, August 23. Christine Weimer Papesch and her husband, Erich, welcomed Nicholas Peter, June 22, 2009. Nicholas joins big sister, Elizabeth Cecelia. ... In the career realm, Christina Fisk, who has her reading endorsement, is a special education teacher. She’s looking for a permanent position but enjoys working as a substitute teacher right now. ... Congrats to all our classmates about these exciting updates. I look forward to hearing from many more of you in the future. Have a great day. Meg

Lisa (Foster) Smith 2000 440-339-6572 [email protected]

Clare Taft [email protected]

It was a busy summer and fall for the class of 2000, and we’re looking forward to the holidays. ... Lauren (Roberts) ’01 and dave Wojnowski welcomed their first child, Nicholas Roberts Wojnowski, July 22. Nicholas weighed 6 lbs., 9 oz. and was 21 inches long. ... Matt and Jeanna (Galante) McQuillen welcomed their daughter, Mary Kate, Sept. 1. Mary Kate joins big brother Luke (2). ... Katie lavelle married Ben Hamburger June 26 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Ben and Katie live in the Cedar Rapids area, where Katie is director of forensics and an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Iowa. ... Have fun and keep us informed. Clare and Lisa

Maureen DeMers Fariello2001 [email protected]

REUNION YEARCorreCTIon: nick Gentileore doesn’t work for the Carolina hurricanes and did not become engaged to lindsay hofmann. This information was incorrectly reported in the last issue. Short and sweet this time, but still some information to share and celebrate. Brian Weisbarth was promoted to supervisor at Assurance. Brian has been with the company since 2001, working with closely held businesses, nonprofit organizations, fraud, and forensic accounting. He lives in North Ridgeville, Ohio,



Christine Bohn2006 440-668-8210 [email protected]

Roberta Muoio 937-627-5257 [email protected]

REUNION YEARThere’s been a lot of good news and weddings these past few months. In May of next year, we’ll be able to share our news and accomplishments in person. Our five-year class reunion will be May 20-22, so mark your calendars and begin to prepare your travel plans to reunite with your classmates. ... amy allega and Joe Dasinger ’07G were engaged while at Walt Disney World this past July (see picture on page 44). They’re planning a wedding for July 2, 2011. ... Christopher arko and diana Glaus married June 28 in a beachfront ceremony in Negril, Jamaica. They reside in Columbus, Ohio. ... douglas Foster married Jessica Brinker in July. Jessica teaches mathematics in the McDonald Local School District, and Doug is employed as a technologist at DuPont Performance Polymers in Stow, Ohio. ... Jason Forristal is engaged to Amy May, and they’re planning a May 2011 wedding. Amy is a partner at HealthcareerRX LLC in Hudson, Ohio, and Jason is employed with First Energy in Euclid, Ohio. ... shea Keats quit her advertising job in Los Angeles to hike the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in northern Spain this summer. After the amazing experience, she lives and works in New York City. ... Bob liberatore and Krista dedad married Sept. 4, 2010, in Erie, Pa. Shea Keats and Michelle denton schmidt were bridesmaids, and Phil schneeberger was a reader. Other JCU alumni who attended were: sam soltis, dana Frank, Jess hicks, Brian Wren, Vince Bonacci, Julie Poling, Chris dolar, Ashley Cerny Dolar ’07, Julie Iammarino ’05, and Dave Mantini ’07. ... Megan Mamolen smolko graduated with her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Case Western Reserve University Aug. 13, 2010. ... Gene natale began John Carroll’s Master of Arts

with his family. ... devin hanna completed his second Ironman race in July in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 12 hours and 10 minutes. Devin, who plans to run in the 2011 New York Marathon, is a member of the Pittsburgh Triathlon Club. When he’s not running, he works as an account executive for Timex. Congratulations, Brian and Devin, on your professional and personal accomplishments. ... Remember to mark your calendars for Reunion Weekend, May 20-22, 2011. Plan to join us to celebrate our John Carroll days and all that’s happened since. Update your contact information via JCU Connect, and send any updates you want to share with classmates to me. Take care. Maureen

Kristen (Muoio) McVean2002 585-259-3955 [email protected]

It’s winter again. Can you believe it? Here’s the latest news from the class of 2002. david and Jessica (Craig) duke welcomed their second daughter, Samantha Louise, Sept. 8. The family lives in North Canton, Ohio. Brad ’03 and Jennifer (Kelley) Piroli’s first baby, Tyler Lawrence, was born April 29. Michael and erin (Zuercher) Marotta welcomed their second child, Patrick Timothy, Aug. 29. Erin says Patrick is a good baby and his big brother, Oliver, is slowly adjusting to not being an only child. ... Brad Gillette, who’s teaching third grade in Shaker Heights, is writing a restaurant review blog (http://clevelandfoodandbrews.blogspot.com/) that focuses on food, beer, other drinks, and overall restaurant quality. Check it out. ... Mike and sue (Foell) Voute have had a good year. They’re still living outside Boston. Sue finished her residency in pediatrics at UMass this past June, and Mike finished his master’s in nonprofit management at Regis University in June, too. They’re enjoying their new found free time with their daughter, Sarah, and are looking forward to the arrival of another baby this winter. ... Patrick Mancuso, who’s living in Atlanta, was promoted to general manager with Cintas in August. ... Timothy Funkhouser married Sarah Graham Burns, a first-grade teacher who graduated from Dickinson College and received a master’s in curriculum and instruction from George Mason University. Tim is an assistant vice president at a branch of Branch Banking and Trust, a bank in Arlington, Va. ... Mike ’00 and

Meghan (ehrlich) Conley, Carl and regina (Galati) Colombi, Brian ’00 and amanda (Jarosz) english, Rich ’95 and Jackie (Virant) Skotzke ’96, and all of their kids ventured to Geneva on the Lake in Ohio for a fun camping trip in September. I saw pictures (one is below), and it looks like they had a blast. ... That’s it for now. It’s been great to continue receiving so many updates. Keep them coming. Kristen

Theresa (Jurak) Polachek2003 [email protected]

Hello, class of 2003. It must have been a busy summer and fall because I didn’t get many notes with updates. However, the one I received was exciting. Samantha (Buzzacco) ’04 and Patrick Manning welcomed their first child, Samuel Patrick Manning, June 3. Maybe he’ll be part of John Carroll’s class of 2032. Congratulations, Patrick and Samantha! Take care. Theresa

Paul Clapp2004 440-796-4947 [email protected]

Jennifer Tolhurst2005 [email protected]

Catherine (Kaytee) russell married William G. Miller Sept. 5, 2009, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Both are working, in school, and remodeling their home. Busy, busy. ... Someone else who knows what busy feels like – Kate (Cooke) herman and her husband, Scott, just had their first baby – Andrew Everett Herman was born July 22 at a whopping 9 lbs., 4.6 oz., and 20.5 inches. ... Last but not least, andrew donaldson helped kick off the 2010 NFL season Aug. 8 by singing the national anthem at the Pro Football Hall of Fame game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals. Andrew works for Nationwide Insurance in Canton, Ohio. He’s active in the Player’s Guild, most recently as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, as well as the Alliance Carnation City Players. Andrew, who’s also a football referee, is working on his master’s degree in Education at Ashland University. Jennifer

Angelina, Vinny, and Leo -- parents: Regina (Galati) Colombi ’02 and Carl Colombi. Luke and Sadie – parents: Rich Skotzke ’95 and Jackie (Virant) Skotzke ’96. Joy and Denny -- parents: Amanda (Jarosz) English ’02 and Brian English ’00. Mackenzie and Annelyse -- parents: Meghan (Ehrlich) Conley ’02 and Michael Conley ’00.

Kate (Cooke) Herman ’05; her husband, Scott; and their baby Andrew Everett Herman

44 WINTER 2010


in Communications Management in the spring of 2010. Since March, he’s been a communications intern for the Cleveland Gladiators, an arena football team. Gene’s been working for three years in promotions on the event team for CBS Radio Cleveland, which includes 98.5 WNCX, Radio 92.3, Q-104, and WDOK 102.1. You can hear Gene on his radio show, The Rock, by listening every Friday night from midnight to 2 a.m. on 88.7 WJCU. ... Jessica Zimmerer became engaged to Greg Pritt. The two are planning to marry in the fall of 2011. ... Thanks for all the contributions and keep the news coming. Christine and Roberta

Lisa Iafelice2007 [email protected] Brittany Bush [email protected]

Lots of exciting news. Jennifer scott completed her final year of full-time volunteer service at AmeriCorps VISTA as a leader with Ohio Campus Compact. In September, she’ll be working for the Social Security Administration as a claims representative in Akron, Ohio. ... ashley Boone is working as a full-time volunteer at the Alderson Hospitality House, a nonprofit bed-and-breakfast serving families visiting inmates at the women’s Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, W.Va. ... lauren reid graduated from George Mason University in May 2009 with a master’s in public policy. She’s working in the Office of Financial Stability at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. Lauren, who’s engaged to be married to M. Tyson Brown, is planning a December 2011 wedding in Cleveland. ... Jeannine stiglitz graduated from the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program from Chatham University in Pittsburgh in August 2010. She accepted a position in digestive disease at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. ... Mary harrington, daughter of Mark Harrington ’78, married Nicholas Traut June 20, 2009. Mary’s brother, James Harrington ’09, and his wife,

Jocelyn Hoffman ’08 and ’09 M.Ed., were members of the wedding party. Mary is a fifth grade teacher at Milan Elementary and a varsity cheerleading coach. ... On July 10, Tim slivka and erin Kobrinski were united in marriage at Saint Francis Chapel. Marissa Jennings, Krista Corabi, Jennifer sopkovich, Matt Baumann ’08, Tristan Tripodi, Patrick Keller, and Greg Bonitatibus were members of the wedding party. Guests included: Kelly D’Amato ’08, Janine Solomon ’06, Patrick Bittel ’04, Steve Spence ’08, Megan annes, nicole Jurich, Ashley Marsteller ’09, Cara sharbaugh, amy Zettle, Taylor Burton ’09, Brandon Detzel ’09, Lauren Baldarelli ’10, Jim Cosgriff, Mike Cuddy, dan Pollick, Chris Wasik, Jeremy Kemp, Kim herbst, JC Mudd, derek norris, Chris Branchen ’08, Phil Jancosko, BJ Lechner ’69, Matt Lechner ’95, and Dennis Chevalier ’83. The couple resides in Manchester, N.H. ... On Sept. 11 in Youngstown, Ohio, Mara Boak married Carmen Geosano. Wedding attendees included natalie Volkin, amanda redwine, elizabeth Greene, lindsay deering, Carmen Murphy, Dan Brown ’06, and Joe Ziegler ’08G. Mara, who works for Boak & Sons, just passed the CPA exam and is living in South Euclid, Ohio. ... Jenny dambrosio married JJ Cooper at Saint Francis Chapel July 31. Gina Benisek, Nina Dambrosio ’06, Meredith Pretz-anderson, and Kelly Cooper ’09 were members of the wedding party. dave Graves contributed his music talents to the ceremony. ... Mike Cuddy, Tristan Tripodi, Derek Norris, Chris Branchen, Jim Cosgriff, Tim Slivka, Chris Wasik, Matt Baumann, Phil Jancosko, JC Mudd, Patrick Keller, and Dan Pollick took their fourth annual trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., during the week of May 15. For more details about the trip, read the 2007 class column online at www.jcu.edu/magazine. ... Thanks for sharing. Lisa and Brittany

MJ LaPerch2008 [email protected]

Lisa Ugran2009 [email protected]

It’s a great time of year to have so much happy news to report. dan Mizener and Julie Marlowe ’10 were engaged Aug. 27. They’re anticipating their August 2011 wedding. Chester Banaszak and Maria roberts also are engaged. Their July wedding will take place in Columbus, Ohio. Chester is the assistant I.T. manager at Greenbriar Treatment Center in Washington, Pa. Maria is finishing her master’s of classical languages at the University of Georgia. She’ll graduate at the end of this academic year. ... erin Currie married Greg Holzaepfel Aug. 21 in Lakeside, Ohio. Greg is a 2005 graduate of Ohio University. Their reception took place at Sawmill Creek Resort in Sandusky. Many of Erin’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters attended, as well as an abundance of other friends and family. Following the wedding, Erin and Greg traveled to Disney World and St. Lucia for their honeymoon. They live in Avon Lake, Ohio. ... amanda Jakubec and Brock Malinowski ’10 were married Sept. 4 at St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church in Broadview Heights, Ohio. A reception followed at St. Michael’s Woodside. Amanda and Brock honeymooned in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Aside from continuing their respective positions at Bank of America, the newlyweds are settling into the home they purchased recently in Eastlake. ... Those are all the updates I have for now. If you haven’t already, be sure to join the Facebook group, John Carroll Class of 2009 Alumni. Hope to hear from you soon. Lisa Kyle Sobh 2010 (216) 397-6618 [email protected]

Amy Allega ’06 and Joe Dasinger ’07G were engaged in July.

Tim Slivka ’07 and Erin Kobrinski ’07.

Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner and Lauren Reid ’07.

For additional photos, visit www.jcu.edu/magazine.


A life of serviceFr. Joseph Downey, S.J. – educator, editor, and writer – died Oct. 20 at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Mich., where he moved in 2004. Fr. Downey, who was born in 1916, entered the Society of Jesus in 1935 at the Milford (Ohio) Novitiate after his freshman year at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He was ordained in 1948 and professed final vows in 1954. During his years in the Society,

Fr. Downey, who was an editor at America magazine in New York and Loyola University Press in Chicago, taught at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Loyola University in Chicago, and St. Mary’s of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill. He also served as superior and director of Loyola of the Lakes Retreat House in Clinton, Ohio, in the ’70s and early ’80s. An avid golfer, he was dean of Arts and Sciences at John Carroll University in the late ’50s and early ’60s and Socius to the Detroit Provincial. In the final years of his life, he wrote 10 books about spirituality.

A popular fundraiserJames P. Conway ’50 died of a short illness Sept. 12 at age 86 at his home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, shortly after returning from a trip to Ireland with his family. Conway, who was student president and Man of the Year while at John Carroll, enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served in occupied Germany. He spent 25 years in the Army Reserves and retired as lieutenant colonel. In 1958, Conway

became Carroll’s first lay alumni director and established the President Donor Club, Carroll Giving Sunday, an alumni newsletter, and alumni chapters in other cities. In 2000, he won the University’s alumni medal award. Officially retiring in 2004, he mentored other fundraisers and consulted with other nonprofits.

A model railroaderHarry Ryan ’39 died Oct. 5 in Marietta (Ohio) Memorial Hospital following a brief illness. Ryan, 96, who graduated from Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland and John Carroll with a bachelor’s degree, was employed for more than 38 years by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Lake Division, retiring in 1978. Ryan was a member of the Third Order of Secular Franciscans, the senior citizens group of St. Joseph Church, past-president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and an active member of the Tuscarawas County (Ohio) YMCA.

PRESIDENT’S

AROUNDT H E Q U A D

M E S S A G E


CARROLLP E O P L E

IN MEMORIAM

MY TURNLeona Cooney ‘35 8/15/2010Harry W. Ryan ‘39 10/5/2010Edward W. Heil ‘43 10/25/2009Joseph J. Sepkoski ‘43 5/22/2010Frank J. Sullivan ‘43 6/8/2008William A. McCarthy ‘48 8/20/2010Edgar Barmann ‘49 8/24/2010Peter H. Corrigan ‘49 9/6/2010William G. Masterson ‘49 8/20/2010Raymond J. McGee ‘49 5/17/2010Joseph P. Cassidy ‘50 7/12/2010Frank E. Cochran ‘50 9/17/2010James P. Conway ‘50 9/12/2010John W. Friedel ‘50 10/8/2010Robert J. Lyons ‘50 9/15/2010Leslie R. Monroe ‘50 8/1/2010Henry L. Snider ‘50 10/9/2010Paul E. Biro ‘51 9/28/2010Charles A. Good ‘51 8/10/2010 Jerry J. Intorcia ‘51 10/20/2010 Leo C Leiden Jr. ‘55 8/15/2010 William J. Ralph ‘55 5/25/2010Norbert J. Malin ‘57 4/19/2010James J. Trainor ‘55 8/25/2010Norbert J. Malin ‘57 4/19/2010James J. Kenealy ‘58 10/21/2010Fredric N. Goldberg ‘59 6/22/2010Thomas A. Griffin ‘59 10/10/2010Paul J. Jankowski ‘59 10/5/2010Lawrence F. Fleckenstein ‘61 8/29/2010Richard J. Flory ‘61 12/27/2008John T. Kanuch ‘61 9/22/2010Mario Chiudioni ‘62 10/14/2010Raymond Douglas DiLorenzo ‘63 7/16/2010Dennis M. Marini ‘64 8/22/2010Mary C. Moran, CSJ ‘64G 9/18/2010Charles L. Tadiello ‘64 9/1/2010Thomas A. O’Malley ‘65 9/23/2010Lucy M. Schembri ‘71G 10/3/2010Julia W. Griffith ‘72G 8/18/2010George L. Newton ‘73 5/5/2010Robert A. Rodella ‘73 9/1/2010Janet C. Binder ‘75G 8/20/2010Jane K. Zusman ‘77 9/14/2010Frederick J. Adams ‘82G 7/24/2010Marlys Gould ‘82 5/1/2010Daniel S. Komarek ‘88 9/25/2009Marjorie S. Mellon ‘88G 8/14/2010Hallie A. Cohen ’90G 6/26/2006Brian C. Dugan ‘95 9/15/2010Alexi C. Mancuso ‘02 10/23/2010

46 WINTER 2010

On Sept. 24, the University recognized the newest Blue Streak hall-of-famers at this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction banquet in the Muldoon Atrium in the Dolan Center for Science and Technology. New inductees are: (front row from left) Jim Wideikis ’99 (baseball), David Ziegler ’01 (football), Pam Jimison ’98 (volleyball, swimming, and diving), Beth Priestap ’94 (volleyball), and Justin Kerr ’99 (wrestling), as well as (back row from left) Dave Pendergast ’68 (football), Mary Anne Montagne ’90 (volleyball), Artie Taylor ’98 (basketball) and Mike Moran (coaches, golf and basketball).

It’s an honor

In only her second full season as head coach of the John Carroll men’s and women’s cross country and track and field squads, Dara

Ford has nearly doubled the roster and brought a new competitive spirit to the program.

Ford came to Carroll in 2007 as a graduate assistant and assistant coach after spending two years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Mount Union. At Mount Union, she set cross country and track records and earned multiple academic honors.

Despite those accomplishments, Ford declares running isn’t her passion.

“I like running, but I’m passionate about coaching,” she says.

Ford taught science in middle school for two years while coaching part time at Mount Union.

“I liked teaching, and coaching is just teaching in a different arena,” she says.

At JCU, Ford progressed from assistant coach to head coach of the cross country teams in 2008 and added the track and field teams to

On the right trackcoach’s passion inspires cross country teams

her head coaching duties in 2009, all while pursuing her master’s in biology.

Ford is admired and respected throughout the University for her coaching prowess.

“Dara is a competitor with a tremendous work ethic,” says Laurie Massa, senior director of athletics and recreation. “She cares about the student athletes and works hard to help them improve. She has had a major impact on the program in her ability to recruit students who are a good fit for John Carroll.”

Ford favors a personalized approach to recruiting.

“Kids get a lot of mail from schools, so we try to make ours stand out,” she says. “Instead of a form letter, we always personally sign everything. I’m taking what I learned as an athlete and instituting that here, and it’s been effective.”

That personal touch played a vital role in freshman Rachael Greuber’s decision to attend John Carroll.

“I didn’t think about JCU until I talked to Dara at a cross country meet, and she suggested I visit,” Greuber says. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I fell in love with it.”

Ford also is enthusiastic and outgoing.“Her commitment and dedication

motivates us all to try our best every day, and she helps everyone become the best athlete they can possibly be,” Greuber says.

Sophomore cross country and track runner Pat Burns shares a similar story.

“I met Dara when I first visited JCU,” Burns says. “Throughout my senior year of high school, she’d check in with me to see how things were going with life and running. No other coaches were doing the same for me. I inferred Dara took her program seriously and cared about her runners.”

Ford and her staff typically look for students who show an initial interest in John Carroll and want a good Jesuit education. The cross country and track programs are often the icing on the cake.

“Most important is their willingness to work hard,” she says.

While Ford wants runners to be dedicated, she stresses their education is a priority.

“We take a lot of pride in our academics,” she says. “Our women’s team has been academic All-American every year since I’ve been here, and our men’s team is very close.”

As the number of universities adding expensive fieldhouses to attract student athletes increases, Ford says that’s a minor recruiting challenge to overcome.

“We make the most of the facilities we have,” she says. “Our biggest draw is the quality of the coaching staff. We have a young, energetic, and enthusiastic staff consisting of national qualifiers and All-Americans. Students see the success we’re having and want to be a part of it.”

Ford envisions conference championships, more individual and team national qualifiers, and additional All-Americans in the future. Her recruits share her lofty goals.

“Our team has a bright future, and I can only see improvement,” Greuber says.

With the women’s cross country team finishing second place in the conference last season and the men’s team showing significant improvement, they’re heading on the right track.

– Michele Kisthardt ’85

ATHLETICS

Dara Ford


Knowing when to stop, pivot, and take off in a new direction are critical skills in basketball and life. They served

senior Lee Jennings well when she decided – halfway through her freshman year at Bowling Green (Ohio) State University – to transfer to John Carroll University.

Jennings signed with BGSU during her senior year at Stow-Munroe Falls High School in Stow, Ohio, but she decided to transfer shortly after the first semester started.

“It just wasn’t her cup of tea,” says Kristie Maravalli, the women’s basketball coach at John Carroll.

A big contributing factor in Jennings’ decision to transfer was when she heard Jeff Camp, who coached her in high school, had come to Carroll as an assistant coach.

“If it was good enough for him, I figured it was good enough for me,” Jennings says.

Although Camp’s presence on the coaching staff gave Jennings incentive to make the move to Carroll, she also wanted to be closer to home.

“Here, my family could come see me play,” she says, noting she comes from a tight-knit family with three younger brothers. “I just didn’t want to miss watching them grow up.”

Trusting her heart turned out to be the right move.

Change of plansTransfer student finds carroll a better fit

“Right away, I was a ton happier here,” Jennings says.

Not only was Jennings welcomed by coaches and teammates, she also found the size of Carroll perfect for her personality.

“John Carroll is small, but not too small,” she says. “I’ve met some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

Having Jennings on the JCU women’s basketball team has been a great experience.

“She did well from the minute she walked in the door,” Maravalli says.

Jennings, who led the Ohio Athletic Conference in scoring and assists last year, is a fun person who always keeps Maravalli on her toes and connects well with teammates.

“On the floor, though, she’s a competitor – she makes no excuses,” Maravalli says.

Jennings has shown strong leadership qualities, too.

“She definitely can inspire the team,” Maravalli says. “She’s done a nice job of taking our competitive level up a notch. We’ve knocked out some top teams. When the going gets tough, Lee can rally the team to bring out the win.”

Jennings, who’s majoring in exercise science, is still deciding on her future plans. She’s thinking of becoming a personal trainer, or possibly going to graduate school to study physical therapy. One thing she knows for sure

It’s an honor

is she’s not looking forward to a life without basketball.

“Some of my friends who’ve already graduated told me not to do it,” she says. “It’s going to be different. But I love working with kids, and I can see myself coaching in the future. I’m passionate about basketball, and I want it to be a part of my life. Basketball has given me something that’s irreplaceable. I’ll have great memories of people, players, coaches … it’s meant more than I realize at times. More than anything, it has given me confidence to be myself.”

During her time at Carroll, Jennings has made friends with various people, not just those on the team.

“That’s what has made the college experience here so rewarding,” she says. “I don’t keep myself in a box.”

Jennings has volunteered with the Labre Project – an organization through which students, faculty, and administrators provide food, supplies, and friendship to the homeless in Cleveland – and tutored children in underserved schools. This year, she’s hoping to convince the entire team to volunteer with Labre. Still, her main focus is school and basketball.

“On the Division III level, college sports are more time consuming than people might think,” she says. “I try to stick with the basics.”

– Andrea McGovern

Lee Jennings drives to the hoop.

48 WINTER 2010

Homer and the homeless

As an adviser and professor, I’m often urging my students to discover what they love and to find a way to spend

their lives doing it. Like most faculty members, I fell deeply in love with my subject area and have devoted my professional life to sharing that passion with students. But like many of our students, I had my doubts along the way. I hope my experience can prompt reflection about the special value of Jesuit education.

In college, I fell head over heels for the elegant logic of Latin, the beautiful complexity of the ancient Greek verb system, and the power of ancient literature to grapple with primal questions of what it means to be human. But when I attended graduate school, I had a bit of a crisis about my life’s direction. I was spending many hours in the library learning about fairly obscure information, and I started to feel guilty about it, like maybe I should be saving the planet instead. Did the world really need one more classics professor? So I volunteered at a local soup kitchen to assuage

my guilt. I usually worked the food-preparation shift and then went home; but for a couple of weeks one summer, the next shift was short staffed, so I stayed to help serve the meal.

The first week’s epiphany came in the serving line, when a toothless old man, emitting the distinctive odor of chronic poverty, proclaimed to me in a proud, challenging voice, “I’m Nestor. What’s your name?” I mumbled my name, and he moved on; but what I really wanted to tell him was there was another Nestor, one from the age of heroes, one whose honey-sweet voice was respected by all the Greeks and whose generation surpassed that of Achilles. The vision of this poverty-stricken Nestor continues to haunt me as a symbol of the chasm between mythic ideals of what a person can be and the sordid reality of so many peoples’ lives. At the time, it seemed only to confirm my fears that my chosen field was out of touch with reality.

The next week brought epiphany No. 2,

this time in the dining area. With my tray of food, I nervously approached a table of homeless men, sat down, and was stunned to hear they were discussing the Iliad. (I’m not making this up.) They were in a heated discussion about Hector and Achilles. This was 10 years before Brad Pitt starred in the movie Troy, so they were talking about the real thing, the great epic poem composed almost 3,000 years ago.

There are many possible ways to interpret that moment. For me, it served as a counterbalance to my encounter with Nestor, a sign the academic subject I loved might not be as far removed from the real world as I’d feared. I realized I’d underestimated the homeless and Homer. To imagine that these human beings and this masterpiece of the humanistic tradition would have nothing to say to each other was to deny the common humanity in each. I realized anew, in that moment, great literature really matters – that artful words, crafted into masterful narratives, can reach across even millennia and grab us by the collar of our common humanity and shake us.

The Iliad, after all, begins with the anger of Achilles at a system he views as profoundly unjust. Perhaps the men at my table could relate. It lays bare its heroes’ terrible, almost insurmountable, grief at mortality and the devastating costs of violence. Perhaps we, as human beings, can relate. The epic assumes the primary validation of our brief, mortal existence comes through honorable death on the battlefield. That one, perhaps, we can all debate.

I’m proud to work at a Jesuit university because Jesuit education, at its best, honors Homer and the homeless. Jesuit education insists working toward social justice is a moral imperative and our response to the world’s problems can’t be divorced from the rigorous intellectual engagement required to understand our world.

Gwen Compton-Engle is associate professor of classics in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Cultures.

PRESIDENT’S

AROUNDT H E Q U A D

M E S S A G E


CARROLLP E O P L E

IN MEMORIAM

MY TURN

If you receive duplicate copies of John Carroll magazine, or a copy for your son or daughter who has established a separate permanent address, please notify us at [email protected] or 216-397-4332.

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