Notre Dame de Namur University MAGAZINE I Spring 2004V O L U M E 4 | N U M B E R 2

Dedicated service, proud

history, and boundless

generosity. Celebrating

anniversaries of the Sisters

of Notre Dame de Namur,

Ralston Hall Mansion,

and “Mr. Ralston.”

PUBLISHERMark Lewis

MANAGING EDITORKaren Plesur

SENIOR WRITERLeslie Baikie-Khavari

CLASS NOTESManny Nungaray

Letter From the President .........2Development News ..................3Campus News .......................4-5Anniversaries.........................6-9

School Updates .................10-11Student News.........................12Alumni News ............................13Class Notes..........................14-15

C O N T E N T SNDNU Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2

We have many things to enjoy and look forward tothis spring semester. First and foremost, this is thebicentennial of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.Please take a moment to peruse the cover story onthese extraordinarily strong, tenacious, and spirituallyrich Sisters who, beginning in 1804, conceived andrealized a vision of dedicated service and practicaleducation.

I would also like to take a moment to recognizethree important members of the Sisters of Notre Dame and of our community who passed away in 2003 – Sr. Rosemarie Julie Gavin, Sr. Joan MarieDonohoe, and Sr. Ann Louise Schlitt. These threeSisters had an enormous influence on College of Notre Dame. They will be greatly missed but surelyremain with us in spirit.

This year marks the 140th anniversary of RalstonHall Mansion. This historic event will be celebrated at the President’s Gala on March 20. That same evening we will honor DennisPettinelli with the NDNU CommunitySpirit Award. We will also honor severalgenerous friends with the NamurReflection Award. All proceeds for thisevent will benefit the ongoing mainte-nance of the mansion, which is a nationalhistoric landmark.

This is the inaugural year for our men’slacrosse team. Our players have been prac-ticing long and hard and are ready for aseason full of competition and excitement.The women’s softball team is also poisedfor another successful season. We are soproud of our athletes and their hard work. I hope to see many of you at some of thesegames. The athletic schedules are postedonline for your convenience.

There are some wonderful performancesand exhibits in the upcoming months hereat the Notre Dame de Namur UniversityTheatre and Wiegand Gallery. The RalstonConcert Series will be showcasing DennisLee and Chee-Hung Toh, duo pianists, on

March 21, and Salon Viarot on April 18. The art gallerywill be showing Jack Jefferson’s work beginning mid-March and running through mid-April.

It just wouldn’t be right to discuss milestones and anniversaries without mentioning Bill Price. Bill has been a dedicated Notre Dame de NamurUniversity employee for 10 years. Please also take the time to read through the story in this magazineabout the remarkable man who is so fondly referred to as “Mr. Ralston.”

Sincerely,

John B. Oblak, Ph.D.President, Notre Dame de Namur University

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

N D N U A N N I V E R S A R I E S

2 NDNU I 2004

PRODUCTIONJeanene Denegri-Nielsen

Jeanne GomezMoore-Wallace Press

PHOTOSNDNU Public Relations Archives

Special thanks to all who contributed to this magazine.

Cover: Stained glass window of St. Julie Billiart in the Cunningham Memorial Chapel, designed by

Sr. Margaret Mary Hoffman, created by Gabriel Loire.

In mid-December, President Oblak, Dean of Enrollment Katy Murphy, and othersattended three NDNU men’s basketball games in Hawaii. They also recruitedstudents and hosted a reception for high school counselors from Oahu schools.Pictured above are (standing from left to right): Lynne Tsuda, Punahou School;Janiece Bacon Oblak, NDNU stewardship; Dr. Oblak; Jean Fukuji, Radford HighSchool, Judy Watanabe, Leileihua High School; Darlee Kishimoto, PunahouSchool; Lillian Yonamine, Waipahu High School; Lauren Shimuzu, Leileihua HighSchool, Margaret Bailey, Nanakuli High School, Amy Sata, Kamehameha Schools;and Katy Murphy. Kneeling are Christopher Obenchain, and Myron Arakawa,both of Punahou School.

2004 I NDNU 3

Donor Profile:

The Nancy Dunning Jefferson Endowed Scholarship

ancy Jefferson, born in New York in 1922, was thedaughter of a prominent surgeon. During her 12 yearsat Tod Hunter School, founded by Eleanor Roosevelt,Nancy found that basic rights for women, people of

color, and the disadvantaged were very strongly supported byMrs. Roosevelt. The fundamental principle – that everyonedeserves a chance – stayed with her all of her life, and wasreflected in her scholarship gift to the University.

After graduating from Connecticut College during WWII,she joined the women’s branch of the Marines. When the warended, she moved with her husband, Wayman Jefferson, a sub-marine officer, to Port Arthur, Texas. This was a very happytime in Nancy’s life. Her husband was a brilliant chemical engi-neer for Texaco, and their family grew to include daughter Ann,son Mac, and daughter Eleine. Her life changed completelywhen her husband tragically died at age 33, leaving 30 year-oldNancy to raise three children on her own.

After a brief stint with her family in Connecticut, shereturned to San Francisco, where she and her husband had livedduring the war. Nancy moved to Menlo Park in 1956 and wentto secretarial school, since professional jobs in business weregenerally not open to women. For 20 years she worked as anexecutive secretary for Allstate, Saga Foundation, and MenloCollege. During this time, when her children were still quiteyoung, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but was treatedsuccessfully.

When her three children had completed college and gradu-ate school, Nancy became determined to obtain an MBA. She

attended College ofNotre Dame, graduat-ing in 1974, the firstwoman to earn anMBA here. She feltthat Notre Dameoffered its graduatestudents both astrong academic pro-gram and a support-ive environment thatfostered cooperationamong the students.She was delightedwith the quality ofthe faculty and herfellow students.

Upon receipt of her MBA at age 52, with a strong desire torun her own business and to help other women, Nancy becamean associate of Washington National, handling insurance andestate planning. She liked to joke that she was an overnightsuccess in her chosen field, and that it only took her 10 years!Nancy became extremely successful, focusing on emergingwomen’s professional groups for lawyers, doctors, realtors, andothers. Her presentations at continuing education seminars atStanford and other institutions were very well received and shewas proud of her accomplishments.

In her mid-sixties, Nancy had a recurrence of cancer, whichthis time was terminal; she died in 1988.Despite hardships, she felt that her life hadbeen truly blessed, and she very much wantedto give back to the communities that hadnourished and supported her. With greatpride, she allocated a significant part of herestate to Notre Dame de Namur University to help future women return to school andpursue their goals.

For more information about scholarshipsand scholarship endowments, contact theOffice of Development and Public Relations,NDNU, at (650) 508-3757.

N

Following are excerpts of thank you letters from two fall 2003 recipients of theNancy Dunning Jefferson Endowed Scholarship:

“Thanks to the support of the Nancy Jefferson Endowed Scholarship, I am able to fulfill a lifelongdream. I will receive an MBA degree from Notre Dame de Namur University . . .”

Patricia Ramos-Terrazas

“Without this scholarship I would not be able to afford graduate school and my dreams would have to be put on hold. Being a student in the MBA program, especially now in a time of economicuncertainty, gives me confidence about my future and that of my two year-old daughter.”

Maria Gladin

f you’d like your name to be forever associated with one of thenew residence hall’s suites, buildings, lounges, or courtyards,now’s the time. As a fund-raiser, NDNU’s Development Office

is offering naming opportunities to interested individuals. Thehall, which is scheduled for completion in August of 2004, will

be a state-of-the-art facility featuring suites for 200 students, aresident director apartment, multi-purpose lounge, and outdoorcongregational spaces. For further information, contact SteveKinney, Vice President of Development and Public Relations, at (650) 508-3581.

What’s in a Name? It Could be You

I

D E V E L O P M E N T N E W S

Staff and AdministrativeReorganization

n fall 2003, President Oblak asked me to work

together with the three Vice Presidents as an

Organization Review Committee to assess the

staff and administrative positions in all areas of

the University. Despite the encouraging enrollment

in (especially) the freshman class for fall, 2003,

President Oblak concluded that, in advance of the

2004 start of the debt service on the bond for

the construction of the new residence hall, NDNU needed to lower its

operating expenses significantly to assure a balanced budget for the

current fiscal year and going forward.

As personnel costs represent over 65% of the operating budget, the

realignment to the operating budget would need to occur in salary savings.

While reducing operating budget expense was an underlying goal of the

reorganization, the Organization Review Committee was also charged to

do this within the context of preserving all vital functions of the University.

Twelve staff/administrative positions were dropped from the operating

budget; eight additional staff employees elected to leave the University

at the same time, accepting the same benefits package offered to the

employees who were involuntarily laid off.

While achieving the necessary cost savings to the operating budget,

the reorganization also represented the first layoffs in NDNU’s history.

Even though such measures are now commonplace among other regional

schools, notably Stanford and Berkeley, it was particularly painful for this

campus.

Was it worth it? The staff reduction combined with the voluntary

retirements and other cost savings will position us well beginning with the

2004/05 budget. The 20 positions will represent a considerable reduction

in the operating expenses of the University. Meanwhile, we remain true

to our mission, our vision, and our core principles. The spirit and overall

excellence of NDNU are constant and immutable.

We will continue to build and nurture our Centers of Excellence.

We will continue to provide fascinating and inspirational commencement

speakers like the terrific tandem in store for this May, Dead Man Walking

author Sr. Helen Prejean, and Mike Farrell, ex-cast member of M*A*S*H

and current social activist.

As the restructuring begins to pay dividends, the campus will also

continue to work on reconnecting and strengthening the ties to this

community that bind us all together.

Lucille Sansing

Provost

4 NDNU I 2004

The Bohemianhe Bohemian, NDNU’s art and literary magazine produced solely by students each spring, features fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, one-act plays, and

any form of visual art that can be represented two-dimen-sionally. Historically, The Bohemian included work fromNDNU students, staff, and alumni, but as of this springsubmissions will be open to faculty and local artists aswell. The magazine is available on campus or by subscrip-tion by contacting Patty Fox, coordinator for the School of Arts and Humanities, at pfox@ndnu.edu. Submissionsshould be directed to bohemian_work@yahoo.com orbohemian_ndnu@yahoo.com.

T

I

r. Albert “Tyll”Goodrich, who diedon June 19, 2003, has

left a legacy at NDNUbeyond the impact he madeas a teacher. He designateda portion of his estate forscholarships for studentswith financial need who aremajoring in music or in the-atre. In January of 2004,NDNU received a check for$335,651 from his estate.The gift, one of the largestscholarships ever receivedat NDNU, will be investedand the income it generateseach year will benefit sev-eral students in theatre and music.

In addition to enjoying the theatre and ballet, he lovedto travel and made 13 trips to Europe, several of which were opera tours. His love of opera enticed him to becomean usher with the San Francisco Opera for many years, as well as a regular subscriber, which means that he saw eachopera twice, much to his delight.

Dr. Goodrich began his career in the admissions office at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. With anMA from Middlebury, and a doctorate in Spanish from theUniversity of Madrid, he was well qualified to chair theSpanish Department at NDNU. Dr. Goodrich was a facultymember at NDNU for 13 years, retiring in 1992.

Fluent in Spanish, French, Finnish, and Italian, heenjoyed taking Italian classes at SFSU (including studyingDante) and then he tutored NDNU students in Italian,especially those who were singing opera. With a wonderfulsmile and sense of humor, Tyll Goodrich continues to warmthe hearts of students and faculty at the University.

NDNU Receives Bequest From Goodrich Estate

Dr. Goodrich in full academicregalia from the University ofMadrid.

D

C A M P U S N E W S

2004 I NDNU 5

eaching is a profession that runs inmy family. In addition to countlessaunts, uncles and cousins that are

teachers, my mother, father and sister are all educators. I often jokingly refer to it as “the family curse.”

For the longest time, I attempted toavoid what I considered my fate. I wantedto be a doctor, a psychologist, an interna-tional negotiator, a circus performer, any-thing but the familiar. I considered it far too predictable and far too tame for my tastes. I was going to be the one who was different.

Then the strangest thing happened. Due to a variety of circumstances, I foundmyself teaching at an outdoor scienceschool. Each student came with uniqueperspectives and experiences that forcedme to think beyond my set objectives andlesson plans. Some were prepared to writedissertations on the oak woodland ecology.Some had no clue what tree bark was. Itwas a challenge to keep them all motivated,focused, and intrigued. It wasn’t tame; itwas exciting.

I decided to apply to Notre Dame deNamur’s teaching credential program

because I needed more experience andtraining to better serve my students.Working with a diverse student popula-tion required an education that is both rigorous and innovative. Notre Dame deNamur University has such a program.

Unfortunately, such an excellent pro-gram comes at a cost. After receiving myacceptance letter, I was forced to look atthe bottom line and to seriously considerthe fact that I might not be able to afford tofollow my dream. On a whim, I applied forthe Sister Rosemarie Julie Gavin scholar-ship, hoping for a small financial boost.

Months passed, bills piled up, and I hadall but written off my chances of receivingthe scholarship. Then came an unexpectedphone call. I was informed that I wasindeed the chosen recipient of the scholar-ship. I simply could not believe my ears!

This scholarship means that I will beable to pursue my future goals. Althoughoutdoor educators are amongst the mostamazing teachers that I have ever met, theyare not compensated equitably with theirclassroom-teaching peers. Currently, a nat-uralist has to be a person who can “afford”to be an educator. With a Notre Dame de

Namur University education, I would liketo be a more effective guide to studentexperiences at outdoor schools by becom-ing a better teacher. Through this, I hope tohelp establish a standard of teaching excel-lence that will bring more attention to theimportance of outdoor schools. As a result,I would like to help further legitimize thefield of outdoor education.

So, it appears that it is settled. I amgoing into the family business after all. Icouldn’t think of a better way to spend therest of my life.

T

ister Rosemarie Julie Gavin, one of Notre Dame de NamurUniversity’s most dedicated andinfluential teachers and admin-

istrators, passed away on November 23,2003 in Mercy Retirement Communityin Oakland. She was 86.

In an NDNU career that spannednearly 50 years, Sr. Rosemarie Julie sawthe first four-year degrees awarded in1954, founded and directed the depart-ment of education, initiated a trainingprogram for Montessori teachers, starteda fifth-year program for secondaryschool teachers, established the college’sevening division, developed the TutorialCenter, and served as the academic deanwhile continuing to teach in the Englishdepartment.

Beyond the campus, “Sister R.J.,” asshe was affectionately known, was activewith the California Council for Englishteachers, sat on the Board of Directors of the California Council for Education

of Teachers,served as anofficer ofthe NationalCatholicEducationAssociation,and tookpart innumerousSan MateoCounty conferences,

forums, and planning councils.“Sister R.J. almost single-handedly

created one of the most highly regardedteacher education programs in the coun-try,” said Dr. John Oblak, president ofNDNU. “Not only was she tenacious anddetermined, but she set the standard forwhat it means to devote one’s life soeffectively to an institution and to anideal, the ideal of enlightened excellencein education.”

After attending College of NotreDame from 1935 to 1937, Sr. RosemarieJulie completed her undergraduatedegree at USC and began teaching inlocal parochial schools. Following herdoctorate in education from Stanford,she returned to NDNU in 1952. At the time of her retirement from theUniversity in 2000, NDNU’s School of Education had trained over 3,000teachers working in more than 95 percent of the public and elementaryschools of San Mateo County. In recog-nition of her many contributions, GavinHall, home of the art therapy departmentand faculty offices, was named for her.

Those wishing to honor Sr. RosemarieJulie’s memory may contribute to theGavin Endowed Scholarship forTeachers, c/o Office of Development,Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA 94002,or to the Sisters of Notre Dame, 1520Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA 94002.

SSister Rosemarie Julie Gavin, 1917-2003

Thinking – and Teaching – Outside the Box

Suzanne Green

C A M P U S N E W S

200hen St. Julie Billiart founded the Sisters of Notre Dame de

Namur 200 years ago, she envisioned a community of women living

simple, prayerful lives, engaged in a ministry of education and

service to the poor with special care for women and children.

It was her hope that her Sisters would go throughout the

world to the most abandoned places, reaching out to those

in need. Today, St. Julie would certainly be proud. The

Sisters of Notre Dame serve on five continents and represent

numerous cultures throughout North America, South America,

Europe, Africa, and Asia.

In life, St. Julie was Marie Rose Julie Billiart born to a peasant

family in northern France in 1751. During her childhood, she worked

regularly with the reapers, rode to the market with her father, and

made lace with the village women. The trauma of an attempt on her

father’s life caused her to become paralyzed and eventually lose her

ability to walk. During the French

Revolution, Julie’s reputation for

holiness made her a focal point of

the revolutionists’ wrath. She fled to

Compiegne where she had a vision

of her future work, the founding of

a religious congregation marked

by the Cross.

WW

6 NDNU I 2004

2004 I NDNU 7

Sisters of Notre Dame de NamurCelebrate 200th Anniversary

n 1804, Julie Billiart and Francoise Blin de Bourdin

vowed themselves to God as Sisters of Notre Dame and

promised to devote themselves to the education of young

girls, especially the poor, and to the development of teach-

ers. When she was forced to leave her homeland, she moved

with the Sisters to Namur in Belgium. It wasn’t until after

her death that a bishop from Ohio asked the Sisters to

move to Oregon and then to San Jose, California.

It was in San Jose that the Sisters began their educa-

tional ministry at Notre Dame High School. The school

was later chartered by the state of California as the

“College of Notre Dame,” the first college in the state

authorized to offer baccalaureate degrees for women. The

College relocated to Belmont in 1922. Today, Notre Dame

de Namur University strives to serve as a microcosm of the

world in which St. Julie envisioned her Sisters to serve. The

Sisters are proud and grateful that NDNU shares their mis-

sion with such vitality and courage.

As part of the celebration of their 200th anniversary,

the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in California renewed

their vows this February at a festive liturgy and reception.

The Sisters also welcomed four new Associates, Karla

Brown, Marie Ricotti, Barbara Sterner, and Carol Ann

Wenzel, who publicly committed themselves to live in the

spirit of St. Julie and to share in the Notre Dame mission.

Another highlight of the liturgy was the presentation

of the Saint Julie Billiart Award for Leadership in Philan-

thropy. This award was established in 1992 to recognize

individuals who embody St. Julie’s vision and values, and

whose partnership with the Sisters assures that the Notre

Dame mission among the poor and most abandoned will

flourish.

The Sisters were pleased to present the award to Kate

Wakerly, President of the Wakerly Family Foundation in

Mountain View. Through their foundation, the Wakerly

family has supported local, national, and international

causes, working with others to build a better world com-

munity. Through her long-time association with the Sisters

of Notre Dame de Namur, Ms. Wakerly has generously

supported Notre Dame ministries in California, Chicago,

and Nigeria.

The Sisters are planning several anniversary events

that will be announced during the year including a trip

to Namur. Sponsored by NDNU, alumni and friends are

invited to join the Sisters for a 10-day tour of some of the

most significant places in France and Belgium that mark

the beginnings of the order. As part of the tour, there will

be the first official reception of delegates from Belmont,

Namur’s Sister City, on June 28. Cities included in the

tour are Compiegne and Amiens in France, and Namur,

Bastogne, Ghent, and Brugge in Belgium.

For details regarding the trip to Namur, contact

Sister Roseanne Murphy, Alumni Relations Director at

(650) 508-3551. For further information regarding other

anniversary celebrations, contact Shyrl McCormick,

Community Relations Director for the Sisters of Notre

Dame at (650) 593-2045, ext. 350.

I

140

o celebrate NDNU’s unique heritage, one needs only to walk through the

doors of Ralston Hall Mansion, which has embraced countless reflections in

its mirrored hallways, marking nearly a century and a half of change. This

year the University commemorates the 140th anniversary of

William Chapman Ralston’s 1864 purchase of what was once

known as the White House of the West.

The welcoming mansion that has become the cornerstone of our campus has seen a

number of reincarnations. Originally the home of Count Cipriani, a Corsican patriot, it

was next transformed into a grand “summer home” by Ralston. After Ralston, it became

the primary residence of a California senator, then a finishing school for young women,

and then a sanitarium before its purchase by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Ralston was a successful silver and banking magnate of the 1800s who was often

referred to as “the man who built San Francisco” or “California’s first citizen.” Much

of his wealth was acquired while he served as president of the Bank of California. He

amassed his fortune during the burgeoning “Comstock Lode” of 1859. The silver strike

brought thousands of prospectors to search for the “blue-dust” of Nevada.

When the mining stocks declined precipitously in 1875, so did the Bank of California. Deep in debt,

Ralston was forced to sell his estate to his business partner Senator William Sharon. The day he signed over

the estate, Ralston went swimming as he did every afternoon in the San Francisco Bay. Later that evening,

he was found dead in the Bay at age 49. There has always been speculation that he might have committed

suicide or suffered a fatal heart attack and drowned.

After Ralston’s death, his wife and children went to live in a smaller home near the estate. The Sharon

family lived in the mansion until 1895 when a friend of the family bought the mansion and established

Radcliffe Hall, a girls’ finishing school. The estate again

changed hands in 1900 as the mansion was transformed

into the Gardner Sanitarium, which closed after

World War I.

The mansion remained vacant for a year until the

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur purchased the property

in 1922 and relocated their College of Notre Dame from

San Jose. The Sisters renamed the mansion Ralston Hall.

During the University’s centennial in 1966, Ralston

Hall Mansion was designated a National Historic

Landmark by the Department of the Interior. In 1972,

the 50th anniversary of the Sisters’ purchase of the

estate, it was officially designated a California

Registered Historical Landmark.

Through all the changes, the doors of Ralston Hall

Mansion have remained open to reflect elegance and

warmth, and the University that has become its home.

The White House of the West

T

8 NDNU I 20048 NDNU I 2004

10

The Priceless “Mr. Ralston”

I

RalstonHall Mansion’s140th Anniversary

f there’s one catch phrase that doesn’t apply to Bill Price,

it’s “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” Whether it’s Christmas gifts

for everyone on his campus mail route deliveries, pink roses

for Sr. Rosemarie Julie’s funeral, or a few bucks for a needy

student, you can count on Bill. As his boss, Lori Jacobi, says,

“Bill will do anything for anyone. His generosity is astounding.”

This June, Bill, now affectionately known as “Mr. Ralston,”

will celebrate his 10th year as a full-time employee of NDNU.

Dividing his NDNU time between the mail room (full time)

and security (part time), he spreads his own special brand

of cheer as he makes his rounds. According to Lori, “Bill has

a wonderful way of making everyone with whom he comes

into contact feel warm and special with a ‘Hi big guy!’ or

‘Hi Dolly!’ and a handshake, high five, or hug.”

Bill was born in San Francisco and moved to San Mateo

when he was seven. After running track and playing baseball,

football, and basketball for Hillsdale High, he joined the Air

Force in 1961. One night while guarding a radar site about 35

miles west of Danang in Vietnam, Bill remarked to a fellow

soldier, “It’s awfully quiet out tonight.” Moments later a

bullet tore through his left shoulder. Bill was sent home

and discharged in May 1965.

While in the Air Force Bill played basketball and was

spotted by San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors scout

Bill Abbott. He

liked what he

saw and invited

Bill to try out

for the team in

the St. Mary’s

gym. Two weeks

later he was on

a Warriors team

that included

Rick Barry,

Al Attles, and

later, Wilt

Chamberlain.

Bill mostly rode

the bench and

left the team in

1966. This was a

particularly

difficult time

for Bill. His

girlfriend of

six years was

killed in a

motorcycle acci-

dent. Following

stints as a mechanic

for Western Airlines

and warehouse work for

British Leyland, Bill started

working part-time for NDNU. Life was good and he and his

wife Barbara settled down with their two daughters. Suddenly,

tragedy struck again. Daughter Jill and her husband were

killed in a car accident in 1993.

Bill and his wife decided to raise the three grandchildren –

all under the age of five. Even though there is a lot of love in

the house, it’s not been an easy road. Bill’s wife suffers from

scleroderma, a disease that gradually hardens the organs,

muscles, and skin.

Despite the bumps in his life, Bill remains ever cheerful.

“I have a lot of love for the people here,” he says. “I was

inspired by the Sisters and their warmth and generosity.”

And while his own generosity is often manifested with cash

for a hungry or otherwise needy student, he’s also pretty

effective with friendly advice. By his own conservative count,

he’s talked two or three students into staying in school telling

them, “You don’t want to be a blue-collar guy like me. Get

that degree.”

Bill’s an ardent supporter of NDNU athletics, especially

basketball. Men’s basketball coach George Puou recalls how

one year for Christmas Bill gave all the basketball coaches

whistles with their names engraved. “Bill is an awesome

human being,” notes the coach.

Awesome is an adjective echoed by manager Lori. And

Christmas seems to be the perfect forum for the depth and

breadth of his giving. This Christmas he gave Barbara a new

ring and asked her to renew their wedding vows. Says Lori:

“Bill’s positive approach to life, well after so many others

would have been completely deflated, really lifts the spirits

of everyone around him like a giant helium balloon.”

2004 I NDNU 9

School of Business and Management

he first half of this academic year has been remarkable for the gener-

osity of friends and supporters. Theirloyalty and hard work has blessed theSchool of Arts and Humanities withscholarships in the Departments ofReligious Studies, Theatre Arts, Music,English, and the School at large. Theirlargesse also resulted in computers for the Graphic Arts program and The

Bohemian student literary magazine, curtains and lighting for the theatre, and a video series for Religious Studies!

We are deeply grateful to former faculty member TyllGoodrich and former student Judith Peake Mathews (’84) fortheir bequests, Shirley Morrison for her superbly successfulefforts in raising funds for her recently endowed scholarship,and Dana Carvey for his wonderfully entertaining performancein October. We celebrate these gifts and those of others for theynot only enable us to augment our programs for our students,but also provide a tremendous vote of confidence and moral support for our faculty and students.

Cultural highlights of the year so far have been the appear-ances of award-winning poets Ellen Bass and Doren Robbins,inspiring performances by our faculty in the Music Faculty Gala,

highly favorable reviews for the theatre department’s Rose Tattooand the art exhibits in the Wiegand Gallery, a moving Christmasconcert by Viva la Música, a lively and fun musical theatre dancereview, all culminating in the theatre department’s 18th annualgift to the Belmont community of The Music of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Students and faculty in the music department are already off to a running start for the new semester, giving two perfor-mances of The Magic Flute in mid January in partnership withDonald Pippin’s Pocket Opera of San Francisco, and the ArtDepartment has just opened its exhibit of sculpture and draw-ings by renowned sculptor Paul Harris. The University also hosted the annual Bay Area Latino Film Festival for the first time on campus in November and looks forward to continuingthat event in future years.

Currently our Center for Social Justice faculty team is plan-ning a thought-provoking series of events focusing on the topicof the death penalty leading up to the theatre department’sspring 2005 national premiere production of the play, Dead ManWalking, adapted for the stage by Tim Robbins.

All in all, the arts and humanities are alive and well atNDNU, bringing a richness of cultural experiences to the campus and the community beyond.

Dr. Christine Bennett

T

enry Roth has been selected as the new dean for the Schoolof Business and Management, effective January 5, 2004.

Roth brings outstanding experience and connections fromthe private sector. Most recently he served as Vice President andTreasurer of eBay, helping to transform the start-up companyinto the leading-edge financial institution it is today.

While at eBay, Roth put together the company’s first compre-hensive treasury and financing policy that built global relation-ships in such areas as investment management, foreign exchangetrading, cash flow management, banking relationships, riskmanagement, mergers and acquisitions, and disaster recoveryand business continuity. During this time of unparalleled growthfor eBay, he found himself managing a $1.7 billion investmentportfolio and an $80 million per month net cash inflow.

Roth also served as senior vice president at Visa Inter-national, and vice president and manager of finance at Bank of America. At both institutions he won respect and support for implementing new policies, investment procedures, and capital planning processes.

During the past year, Roth has been an instructor withinNDNU’s School of Business and Management teaching suchcourses as “Financial Analysis and Decision-Making,”“Entrepreneurial Finance,” and “Economics of Developing

Countries.” He holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology fromAmerican University, and an MA in economics from Pennsylvania StateUniversity.

His past board memberships include the Diabetic Youth Foundation (1994-1997), eBay Foundation (1999-2000), Half Moon Bay Little League (1999-2000),and King’s Mountain Elementary SchoolEducation Fund (1995-1997).

Rounding out the portrait of this modern-day Renaissanceman, for relaxation Roth enjoys reading, music, photography,computers, mathematical modeling of markets, poetry, outsidephysical labor, and a wide assortment of sports.

“NDNU’s business school has a great faculty and tremendousspirit,” notes Roth. “I look forward to further harnessing thatenergy, particularly for developing our Center of Excellence, and for bolstering our research reputation.”

Henry Roth

H

10 NDNU I 2004

S C H O O L N E W S

School of Arts and Humanities

ollowing are some of the school’s most recent highlights. The Reading

programs, under the leadership of Dr. Joanne Rossi, continue to grow. NDNU has recently obtained approvalfrom the California Commission onTeacher Credentialing to offer a fullReading Specialist Credential. This will extend opportunities for our alumniand other teachers interested in literacy

instruction to receive advanced preparation. For more informa-tion, contact Dr. Rossi at (650) 508-3613 or jrossi@ndnu.edu.

The Multiple and Single Subject Credential programs havebeen busy implementing changes resulting from recent legislation.These changes emphasize assessment of teaching performance,enhanced collaboration with local schools, and increased prepara-tion for teaching English learners.

Dr. Deb Cash and the faculty of the Human Services programare interested in developing a master’s level program that wouldcreate opportunities for further study and an advanced degree for their graduates. If you are interested in contributing to the

development of this program, please contact Dr. Cash at (650) 508-3598 or dcash@ndnu.edu.

Author and NDNU alumna, Eileen Barsi, was honored in ajoint venture with Human Services and the Master of Arts inGerontology Program.

The first graduates of the Special Education program are nowserving in schools, extending NDNU’s service to students in needof assistance to succeed in school.

One size does not fit all, and thus NDNU has been working to provide a variety of options for preparation in educational tech-nology or educational administration. The most recent option is a Master of Science in Educational Technology Administration.

Liberal Studies programs remain one of the larger undergrad-uate majors at NDNU and continue to prepare undergraduateswith the content knowledge needed for elementary teachers.Interest in service to society through education remains strong at NDNU.

Finally a bit of faculty news: While Dr. Kristin Geiser is on leave to nurture her young family, former faculty member Dr. Kim Tolley has rejoined us full time for the year to ably shepherd the Advanced Studies programs.

F

Dr. Judith Greig

DNU’s School of Sciences proposes to use GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) as the infrastructure for its

Center of Excellence, the Center for Science and Society.The Center for Science and Society has three goals: to insti-

tutionalize “longitudinal studies” in the form of continuouslyoffered courses designed to collect, analyze, make public, andarchive data relevant to civic problems; increase engagement andenrollment of NDNU students in science courses; and, discoversolutions to difficult civic problems.

To this end, GIS, a technologically advanced analytical tool,will be incorporated into special courses. We will build relevantdata archives, providing NDNU students and faculty with theincreasing ability to analyze difficult and pervasive community-based problems (e.g. juvenile obesity; drug use, crime rates).

We propose to combine inquiry-based learning, community-based learning, and problem-based learning oriented towardsocial justice, to transform our science curriculum. Our goal is totransform the way we teach and the way students learn, creatinga powerful mechanism for change within individuals and society.

In the spring of 2003, we piloted our first GIS course, an epi-demiological study of obesity and diabetes rates in children in San Mateo County, taught by Dr. Neil Marshall and EugenRadian. As well as continuing the obesity study in Fall 2004,NDNU is incorporating GIS in an undergraduate sociology class,Dr. Don Stannard-Friel’s Inner City Studies, using GIS to studymulti-layered factors defining the inner city.

In a collaborative effort with our com-puter science department, we plan to makean interactive website with this informa-tion available to the county and maintainedby NDNU. Variables to study and track inthis class are rates of crime, types of crime,drug use, types of drugs, tracking of AIDS in the Tenderloin, and use of social services.

We plan to use GIS as a learning tool inthe classroom, not as a skill to learn. This is a novel and important application of GIS, which is usually taughtas an applied software tool in the geosciences. We intend to usethis as a new pedagogical device to analyze major social problemswithin an interdisciplinary perspective. No one has looked at obe-sity in this way, nor domestic violence, nor drug abuse, nor thespread of influenza. By creating a shared database, one depart-ment can benefit from the work of another; data can be collectedonce and used many times to solve many different problems.

NDNU envisions taking this tool and expanding its use acrossour science curriculum, emphasizing healthful living in all itsaspects (physical, psychological, sociological, and political). In anincreasingly global society, most of the problems facing the worldtoday exist in a geographical context. World hunger, terrorism,poverty, and health care are just a few of the largely unsolvedsocial ills that lend themselves to this kind of inquiry.

Dr. Lizbeth Martin

N

School of Education and Leadership

School of Sciences

2004 I NDNU 11

S C H O O L N E W S

t’s not every day that you get a chance to cure cancer. But by the time MBA student Colleen Labadie gets her degree in May, she will have played a not insignificant part in that quest.

As a clinical data coordinator for Genentech,Inc., Colleen builds databases for clinical trials ofnew drugs. One of the more recent drugs,Avastin, is designed to combat colo-rectal cancer.Avastin blocks a tumor’s ability to get nutrients so it can feed itself. Recently filed with the Foodand Drug Administration, the FDA was impressedenough to ask Genentech to fast track it.

Colleen is no stranger to cancer research.After earning her BS in molecular biology fromUC San Diego, she did three years of cancerimmunology research at the prestigious ScrippsInstitute. “While at Scripps,” notes Colleen, “I learned the fundamentals behind researchingcancer in a laboratory environment.”

These days, she helps manage a team of people who preparepatient data collected from various doctors. This information ischecked and rechecked to ensure a patient’s story makes sense.

For example, do ages match up with all other references to ages, or are there trends in apatient’s spiking hypertension and, correspond-ingly, was any more or less medicine adminis-tered? The data is then sent to biostatisticians for further analysis.

Colleen started at NDNU in January 2002 andis the first full-time Genentech employee to scorean MBA internship in the Sales and MarketingDepartment. “An MBA will broaden my skill set,”she explains. “I want to be more strategic and tocontinue familiarizing myself with all aspects ofcancer drugs, from the bench to the commercialrealm.” When she finishes her degree, Colleenwill look for a position in product developmentand management.

Colleen Labadie

IFighting Cancer in the Trenches

The Write Stuffhat do you suppose a professionalwriter does in her spare time?That’s right, she goes back to

school for a master’s degree in, what else,creative writing. Pam Gullard, author of a collection of short stories as well as twobooks focused on local history, is adding toher already impressive credentials by pur-suing an MA in English here at NDNU.

“Notre Dame has been very wel-coming,” says Pam. “There’s a tremen-dous diversity of ages and interests inan environment where people appreci-ate each other’s point of view. Believe me, that’s so refreshing.”

The feeling appears to be mutual. Dr. Sylvia Rogers, Pam’s advisor andDirector of NDNU’s Master of Arts inEnglish (MAE) Program, observes that,“Pam has a strong intellectual spark andcuriosity that translates into a highly cre-ative approach to whatever she’s studying.”

Pam’s first book, History of Palo Alto, wasco-written with Nancy Lund (ScottwallAssociates, San Francisco, 1989) and covered the time of the Ohlone Indians on up through the town’s incorporation in 1925. Seven years later she tried herhand at fiction with Breathe at Every Stroke(Metropolitan Books, a division of Henry

Holt, New York, 1996) where she exploredcommunication between people who know each other well but have troublecommunicating.

Last year Pam teamed up again with Nancy Lund to produce Life on the SanAndreas Fault: A History of Portola Valley

(Scottwall Associates,San Francisco, 2003).

In it, theyexamined the conflict ofprivate ownership and developmentversus the desire for open space.

What makes local history so attractive?“I really like knowing where I live,” notesPam. “It’s so much more deeply colorful to

truly understand the layers of history in your region.” She intends to dig into yet more layers soon. Pam is currentlyresearching the history of another smallPeninsula town, and taking another run at fiction, this time with a novel.

Writing was always a recurring themein her life. After graduating from Stanfordwith a degree in philosophy, Pam editedscientific speeches by the likes of NobelPrize winner Murray Gell-Mann for the

Boston-based American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Part of her modus operandi when she was editing and writing for various

publications was to arrange with her employers a schedule that allowed her to write in the early morning and come in to work at 10 a.m. “My writing was

bad then. I didn’t even show it to any-body. But amazingly enough, if you keep

at it, it gets better.”Eventually, after a number of rejections,

she had a story published in the highlyregarded Iowa Review in the mid-1980s.“Since they were staffed by grad students, I thought they’d be kinder,” recalls Pam.“And they were.”

W

12 NDNU I 2004

S T U D E N T N E W S

The Road to Namur: A Bicentennial Journey – June 21- July 2, 2004

From These Tiny Seeds

2004 I NDNU 13

otre Dame de Namur University isoffering a special trip next summerand we hope you are a part of it.

Come join us on a journey through north-ern France and Belgium, tracing the earlyhistory of the Sisters of Notre Dame deNamur who are celebrating 200 years sincethe beginning of the congregation in 1804.

Attention will be given to the placesimportant to the life of St. Julie Billiart,foundress of the congregation, and to someof the historical events important in ourhistory. We will visit the place of her birth,

Cuvilly, and Amiens where Julie and two of her companions consecrated themselvesto religious life. Then we will go to Namurwhere the Motherhouse of the Sisters ofNotre Dame will welcome us and share theexcitement of the anniversary.

While we are in Namur, we will beinvited to a civic reception to solidify the relationship between the citizens ofBelmont and our Sister-City, Namur. It will be the first “official” visit to Namur for Belmont citizens after their delegatesarrived here last April. From Namur, we

will visit Bastogne where the school of the Sisters of Notre Dame became therefuge for U.S. troops during the Battle of the Bulge.

This is a very special year for us and we hope that you will be part of our jour-ney through time and space to celebrateour history. We look forward to having you with us.

For more information, contactSr. Roseanne Murphy, SND, Director of Alumni Relations (650) 508-3551.

N

Alumni Chapter, Modesto

Be a Part of The SpringClean – March 27, 2004

Now you can get and give away at the same time!

We have joined “Auction Drop,” a company that

accepts donations of articles worth at least $50

and not weighing more than 150 pounds. They

will sell the articles on eBay for us, take a percent-

age, and give the University the rest. You will

receive a tax receipt for your gift from the

University after your donation is sold. So join us

on March 27 at the Taube Center on campus from

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and bring those things that you

don’t want anymore anyway. You can help the

University by giving them away while you get a

tax write-off. We’ll even supply the donuts and

coffee for your efforts! See you on March 27.

n October 22, sixteen alumni met for “Lunch with the President” at the Esquire Grill in Sacramento. The

purpose of the luncheon was to bring thealumni together to meet President Oblakand to hear the latest developments at theUniversity. James Davis, BS ’92, MBA ’94,former President of the NDNU AlumniBoard, has offered to help develop an alumni chapter in the Sacra-mento area and was very pleasedwith the response he receivedfrom some of the members of thegroup.

Current plans call for hostingsome events that would bringmore alumni together to net-work, keep in touch with theUniversity, help with recruit-ment efforts, have a “Lunch withthe President” once a year, andsponsor a fundraiser for scholar-ship money for a deserving student from the area.

Everyone agreed that it would be a greatway to develop contacts with alumni near-by and to help the University. Other chap-ters in the offing are in the Modesto areawhere Michael Stangio, BA ’73, has offeredto help and, tentatively, San Jose whereRebecca William-Wong will help to inau-gurate it. The hope is that other chapterswill sprout up in the next few years.

O

Our e-mail list is missing an important address . . . Yours.The NDNU Alumni Association has a monthly e-mail communication program.

We hope you’re already on it. If not, please fill out this form.

Name _________________________________ Phone _______________________ E-mail ___________________________ Signature ___________________________

and mail to: NDNU Alumni Association, 1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002-1908

or e-mail your address to: rmurphy@ndnu.edu

Alumni Association (650) 508-3551

A L U M N I N E W S

’58 Mariel Franz Miskel is the office

manager for husband Leonard A.Miskel, CPA, APC, and currentlytreasurer of the Venture Down-town Lions Club.

’60Diane Lovegrove Bader, BA

Music retired from the regularclassroom (fourth grade) butreturned as a part-time musicteacher in the Arcohe SchoolDistrict. Her 6th grandchild was born in July. She wrote herSweeney family genealogy andwent to Ireland in June, where she met many family members and enjoyed the beautiful country.

’62Sheila Emigh, BA French, has just

retired in June, after 40 years ofteaching.

Patricia Bunker Maguire, BA Multiple Subject TeachingCredential Program holds aLifetime Teaching Credential andhas taught 17 years in both publicschools and with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (her first career). She then taught thebasics in the remedial program at De Anza College in Cupertino, CAwhile accomplishing her secondcareer of full-time mom to daugh-ter Kathleen and son Douglas.Patricia is now training for herthird career with the goal of ulti-mately attaining performance levelsinging the stratospheric Der HolleRache Knocht in Meinem Herze fromMozart’s Magic Flute.

’64Patricia Hanton Camarena, BA

French, retired from teaching inSan Francisco and is now workingfor SF Zoological Society. She alsoenjoys traveling more now.

’66Maria Gallo, BA Home Economics,

received an award for 25 years ofcatechism ministry at St. Piusfrom Bishop McGrath.

Bonnie Bradshaw McPartland,BA, is a retired teacher and isactive in community service work-ing with guide dogs and therapydogs at Delta Society Denver PetPartners.

’68Marilyn A. Badurina, BA Art, said

the class reunion was wonderful.

’69Karen Anne Donner, BA French,

is currently employed as a teacherat Anaheim Union High SchoolDistrict.

’76 & ’79Jeff Mayor, BM Music, MM Piano

Performance, continues as thedepartment chair at Orange CoastCollege and is composing a choralwork for the college choir’s springconcert.

’77Bonnie Lively Providenza, BA

English, says she is adjusting tothe empty nest.

’79Barbara Hendryson, BS

Psychology, whose poetry collec-tion, Luminosity, is just out fromFinishing Line Press, Georgetown,Kentucky, has had over 100 poemspublished in literary magazines.She has won numerous awards forher poetry, including a LiteraryArtist’s grant from the PeninsulaCommunity Foundation in 2002.

’80 & ’94Don Cox, BS Business, MPA

Educational Administration, has been the principal at HooverElementary School in the Palo Alto Unified School District forfour years.

’81Moira Jones, BA Music, gave two

fundraising concerts last year. Shesang Irish traditional songs on St.Patrick’s Day for Louison House toassist the homeless and sang themusic of Shakespeare’s time tobenefit the Shakespeare programat a local elementary school.

14 NDNU I 2004

DNU’s teaching credential programenabled Henry Gee to make a dra-matic career change from manag-

ing environmental waste clean-up projectsat Northern California military bases, toteaching third graders in Millbrae.

“I was an engineer for 28 years goinginto early retirement, but I felt I was reallytoo young to retire,” said Gee, who in hismid-fifties had always thought aboutteaching as a career.

“I looked into various programs at state schools and without a doubt NDNU’s program was the ideal way to go,” added theSan Mateo resident, who graduated with a Multi-Subject Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development degree fromNDNU in January 2002. “I tell everyone that if they’re thinking of going into teaching they should go to NDNU. The small classesenable you to have great personal contact with the professorsthat you just can’t get anywhere else.”

Previously, Gee managed the San Francisco Bay Area NavyBase Closure Cleanup Team Environmental Program. While therehe supervised as many as 25 environmental engineers and han-dled approximately $100 million annually in contracts among the various naval bases in the region including Mare Island NavalShipyard, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Alameda Naval AirStation, Naval Station Treasure Island, and Moffett Field Naval Air Station. Smaller bases included the Housing Facility in Novatoand the Naval Hospital at Oak Knoll in Oakland.

The cleanup program involved working with federal and stateenvironmental protection agencies and the public on the bestapproaches to clean up the bases in order to convert them tocivilian housing, commercial, or recreational space. The goal wasto develop cleanup projects that would be cost effective and minimize the health risks based on the type of re-use.

“Treatment in place or capping versus the traditional ‘dig andhaul,’ where one digs out the dirt and hauls it to a landfill is thebest scientific solution, but sometimes it’s not the most practical,”explained Gee. “It was a delicate juggling act working with thevarious public entities as the military, naturally, was highly scruti-nized in its efforts.”

The functions Gee was involved in transferred to San Diego in2000 when the major cleanup projects were completed and baseswere being transferred to various cities such as Vallejo, Alameda,and San Francisco. Instead of moving, Gee chose to take “earlyretirement” and switch careers. His wife, Laura, and adult son,Nolan, wholeheartedly agreed with his decision.

Gee’s third grade class at Spring Valley School in Millbrae is also glad he made the change. “NDNU enabled me to make a major career change, one which I love,”said Gee, whose strong background in science and math benefits his students. “It’s always fun working with kids. Knowing that I can make a difference in their lives is what does it for me. Seeing their eyeslight up when they understand a concept is what I enjoy.”

From Contracts to Crayons

N

Henry GeeKeep your fellow alums up-to-date! Send your news to theAlumni Office, Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave.,Belmont, CA 94002. Please include your name at the time of gradu-ation, your graduation year, your degree, and your phone number.You can also help us keep our records current by including youroccupation and title, your work and home street addresses, and your work and home e-mail addresses.

Give Us Your Class Notes

C L A S S N OT E S

2004 I NDNU 15

In MemoriamAlyce Chicorp Petersen, ’32 Karen D. ThomasMadeleine Renovard Rebarchik, ’47 Paul OlesonBeverly Ford, ’62

Faculty/StaffMaureen Galvin Patterson, ’67

Sr. Rosemarie Julie Gavin, SNDDavid E. Bowen, ’74

Father Wayne MaroBetty L. Gedman, ’89

Sr. Joan Marie Donohoe, SNDRichard Patrick, ’93

Sr. Ann Louise Schlitt, SNDPatrick Daniel Rich, ’03

’83Anne M. Greenfield, is employed

by the San Jose Diocese. Black-friars Press will be publishing herbook, Songs of Life: Psalm Meditationsfrom the Catholic Community atStanford, in Feb. 2004. It containsfive or six literary reflections invarious styles for each psalm, andothers from authors connected insome way to Stanford University.Each psalm is accompanied by ablack-and-white art photo takenin and around Stanford’sMemorial Church.

’89 & ’91Steven Fuentes, BS Business,

MBA. is now the associate super-intendent of schools at San BrunoPark School District.

’90Jane Gringauz, BS Math, BS

Biology, is teaching mathematicsand statistics at MinneapolisCommunity and TechnicalCollege.

’92Kimberly Huegle Marenco,

Multiple-Subject TeachingCredential, has taught many yearsin the Millbrae/Redwood CityDistricts and is now enjoying thePleasanton area.

’94Dale M. Weatherspoon,

BS Intensive Human ServicesAdministration, who lives in San Jose, was appointed to pastorof the First Unified MethodistChurch of Redwood City, effectiveJuly 1, 2003.

’94 & ’98Daisy Jiminez, BS Human

Services Administration, MPAHealth Services, is the director of human resources for the San Mateo Union High SchoolDistrict. She is currently in ABD

status (which means “all but dissertation”) studies for a doctorate in Counseling andOrganizational Counseling. Shespends her free time traveling andhas been to every state in the U.S.,all of Canada, and most of Mexico.In the last three years she hascruised the Yangtze River, visitedFrance (Paris, Normandy, St.Malo), and this year will travelthroughout Italy.

’97Miguel E. Leon, BS Intensive

Business, is employed as a soft-ware sales consultant for OracleCorporation.

’99Raylene M. Blandino, BS Biology,

graduated with her master’s fromSamuel Merritt College inOakland, CA. Is currentlyemployed at the Stanford LinearAccelerator Center as a MasterPhysician Assistant.

’02Erlinda T. Galeon, MA

Gerontology, does communitywork for the California Federationof Women Club. She is the clubpresident for the Philippine Asso-ciation of University Women/USA and is the chair of educationand libraries for the GFWC/CFWC Golden Gate District.

BIRTHSCatherine Raye-Wong, BA

English ’88, and her husband welcomed Amy Hui Tian Raye-Wong on October 24, 2002.

MARRIAGESCarol A. Hague, MBA ’98, married

Simon N. Hague in 2002.

Kimberly Huegle Marenco,Multiple-Subject TeachingCredential, ’92, married MarioMarenco in 2003.

ost Americans spend their Christmas/New Year’s holi-days with friends, family, and/or vacationing. MatthewStannard ’96 and son of sociology professor Dr. Don

Stannard-Friel, spent his in Iraq. Matt is a staff writer for the SanFrancisco Chronicle and has been covering police, courts, andcrime for the past few years. Before he began his undergraduatework at NDNU Matt was in the Coast Guard and once played akey role in seizing $750,000,000 worth of hashish. Following his degree in Comparative Cultures, he enrolled in an intensiveone-year master’s degree program at the Columbia UniversitySchool of Journalism. NDNU Magazine caught up with Mattwhen he was still in Iraq and corresponded with him via email.

How did you get the Iraq assignment?I made an utter pest of myself for 18 months and took everyopportunity I could find to write about the war, so I would be up to speed if the call came.

What are your personal thoughts on Iraq and the war? This is a country filled with people – Iraqis and Americans – tryingto accomplish an almost unbelievable mission: rebuilding a nationravaged by 30 years of war, despotism, and economic sanctionswhile living close together under incredibly tense conditions. Themost interesting thing to me has been to discover how all of theIraqis I meet are less interested in politics and religion (thoughthey care deeply about those things) than they are about the day-to-day needs of security, fuel, and electricity. I honestly think thatif there were some way the Americans could just make sure thelights stayed on all day and round up all the thieves, a lot of thestreet battles would go away. It’s an opinion many of the soldiersand coalition officials I have met share, though it is a far fromeasy task.

How, if any, have your initial perceptions of Iraq changed?I was surprised at how this is clearly a first-world country in astate of incredible disrepair, not a third-world country that hasnever seen better. I also have been very impressed at the generos-ity, courtesy, and manners of the Iraqis I have met, from thosewho like the American presence to those who openly support thepeople attacking American troops. I came prepared for verbal orphysical attacks upon my person, but in mosques, homes, busi-nesses, and government offices, I have been offered tea and foodand invited to stay, and have never felt threatened or in danger.

What did you get out of Columbia “J School?” An excellent, intensive introduction to the basic reporting tools Iuse every day, and the opportunity to work with some of the besteditors in the world.

What did you most like about NDNU?The personal connections I established with my professors andthe chance to stretch with assignments that were not just cookie-cutter projects. The classes I took from Dr. Abbas Milani, in partic-ular, have been absolutely critical in my understanding the cultureand religion of Iraq. Finally, the wide variety of classes I was ableto take as an interdisciplinary major has given me an incrediblyuseful background for my work, both here and in California.

Dispatches From the Front

M

Matthew Stannard

C L A S S N OT E S

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 44

Belmont, CA 94002

March10 Jack Jefferson Art Exhibit

Wiegand Gallery; Tuesday – Saturday; noon – 4 p.m. through April 17;Opening Reception March 16

10 Smart Lunch ProgramMystery Writers Panel, sponsored by the Alumni Association; Taube Center; 10:30 a.m.

10 St. John’s BibleAn 8-year calligraphy project presentation; Raslton Hall Mansion;7:30 p.m.

11 Creative Writers SeriesGeorge Kerthey; Ralston HallMansion; 7:30 p.m.

14 Classical ConcertJacques Littlefield’s Estate; Portola Valley

16 Jack Jefferson ReceptionWiegand Art Gallery; 2-4 p.m.

16 Distinguished Speaker SeriesMichael Scanlon, General Manager &CEO of SamTrans; Ralston HallMansion; 7:30 p.m.

19 Celebration Marking the Persian New YearA talk about the role of Iran in theevolution of world civilization, andPersian music; School of Sciencesfundraiser; Ralston Hall Mansion; 7-9 p.m.; reception follows; (650) 508-3771

19-21 Alumni RetreatWeekend in Carmel

20 President’s Gala Celebrating the 140th Birthday of Ralston Hall Mansion; 6 p.m.

21 Ralston Concert SeriesDennis Lee and Chee-Hung Toh,pianists; Ralston Hall Mansion; 3 p.m.

23 Catholic Scholars SeriesRev. Richard Gula, SS, on “TheOngoing Renewal of Catholic MoralTheology,” sponsored by the AlumniAssociation; Ralston Hall Mansion,7:30 p.m.

24 Community Collaborations Day

25 LysistrataA bawdy anti-war comedy; NDNU Theatre; 7 p.m.

26, 27 LysistrataA bawdy anti-war comedy; NDNU Theatre; 8 p.m.

27 “Spring Clean” DayAlumni fundraiser for collecting items to sell at auction; TaubeCenter; 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

April1 Lysistrata

A bawdy anti-war comedy; NDNU Theatre; 7:30 p.m.

2-3 LysistrataA bawdy anti-war comedy; NDNU Theatre; 8 p.m.

4 LysistrataA bawdy anti-war comedy; NDNU Theatre; 2 p.m.

17 Giants vs. Dodgers Alumni FundraiserSBC Park; lunch 11:30 a.m.; first pitch 1:05 p.m.

15,16, Musical Theatre Showcase17, 18 NDNU Theatre; 7:30 p.m.

18 Ralston Concert SeriesSalon Viardot; Ralston Hall Mansion; 3 p.m.

May2 Commencement

June & July21- “On the Road to Namur”July 2 Sponsored by the Alumni

Association; a visit to Namur,Belgium

For further information call: Distinguished Speakers Series(650) 508-3726

Music Performance (650) 508-3429Theatre Performance (650) 508-3623

or (650) 508-3575Wiegand Art Gallery (650) 508-3595Alumni Hot Line (650) 508-3693

Events Calendar March - July 2004

1500 RALSTON AVENUE, BELMONT, CA 94002-1908

A D D R E S S C O R R E C T I O N R E Q U E S T E D

Receive regular updates on University activities by subscribing to our Events E-List. Receive information on allUniversity activities including theatre performances, concerts, lectures, sporting events, art exhibits, and other specialevents that contribute so much to our exciting and vibrant campus environment. Subscribe to our Events E-List bysending an email to: events@ndnu.edu.

G E T C O N N E C T E D !