geneseo scene

geneseoA magazine for alumni, parents and friends of SUNY Geneseo

sceneSummer

20

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Medal of Distinction • Beyond the Rink

Edgar and Cook

LegendaryProfessors

FEATURES8 World-class history

For 42 years, renowned scholar and professor Bill Cookinspired thousands of students with his passion and tal-ent. As Cook retires, his close friend and collaboratorRon Herzman provides an intimate portrait of him.

12 Our SocratesProfessor Bill Edgar quietly shaped the lives of many of his students and colleagues. Those whom he touched reflect on a true renaissance man.

16 Beyond the rinkEat. Sleep. Play hockey. Being an Ice Knight is nearly 24/7. A photo essay of a weekend road trip explores how such intensity creates bonds like family.

20 Closer to a cureA scientist leading the fight against cancer earnsGeneso’s highest honor.

DEPARTMENTS3 One College Circle

25 Alumni News

32 Class Notes

COLUMNS2 President’s Message

7 Letters to the Editor

22 PerspectivesPhilosophy Professor David Levy ’94 reflects on how Bill Edgar lives on in his own classroom and the power teachers have on students.

24 Random Profile: One Cup

36 Mission Driven: Alumni and students build aschool in Nicaragua.

Table of contents photography: Keith Walters ’11

The midnight show: Students watch a thunderstorm pass on the College Green.

geneseosceneSummer 2012

CONTENTS

Postmaster: Please address changes to the Collins Alumni Center, McClellan House, SUNY Geneseo, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454-1484. Standard-class postage paid at Lebanon Junction, KY 40150

Vol. 38, No. 1; Summer 2012

The Geneseo Scene is publishedby SUNY Geneseo, Division ofCollege Advance ment, Office ofCollege Communications.

Kris Dreessen, [email protected] Smith Volpe ’91,Art [email protected]

Contributing writers:James Anderson ’71Ron HerzmanAnthony T. HoppaDavid IrwinDavid Levy ’94David Merli ’94Dan O’Brien ’73Victoria Soto ’12Barbara Stock ’90Gary Towsley

Contributing photographers:Kris DreessenKeith Walters ’11

Christopher C. Dahl, PresidentAnthony T. Hoppa, Assistant VicePresident for College Communications

Alumni Relations OfficeMichelle Walton Worden ’92,

Acting Director of AlumniRelationsTracy Young Gagnier ’93,

Assistant Director of AlumniRelationsMegan Cheever ’03,

Alumni Outreach Coordinator

Alumni Relations Office at Collins Alumni Center McClellan House SUNY Geneseo 1 College Circle Geneseo, NY 14454-1484 Phone: (585) 245-5506 Fax: (585) 245-5505 [email protected]

Parent Relations OfficeTammy Ingram ’88,

Director of Parent RelationsErwin 202Phone: (585) 245-5570

Contact the Scene at [email protected]. Visit the website atwww.geneseo.edu/geneseo_scenePhone: (585) 245-5516

reat teaching by a

devoted faculty is the

hallmark of a Geneseo

education. This kind of teaching

is truly transformational. It makes

a lasting difference in students’

lives, on campus and long after

graduation.

This holds especially true for

Distinguished Teaching Professors

Bill Cook and the late Bill Edgar —

two intellectual giants beloved

and admired by five decades of

Geneseo graduates. In sharing

their wisdom and passion, they

have given all of us a true vision

of liberal learning at its finest.

In this issue, we pay tribute to these two legendary professors who have forever altered the aca-

demic landscape of Geneseo. There is a reason why teachers like Cook and Edgar dedicate their

entire careers to the college: As much as they challenge their students, their students challenge them.

For professors, that is the best of all possible worlds.

As national data repeatedly confirm, Geneseo’s professors are here precisely because they want to

work with extraordinary students. With 18 Distinguished Teaching Professors and 86 recipients of the

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching currently on the faculty, we can be confident that the

next generation of Geneseo legends is in place and ready to carry on the tradition.

Yet, there is more to do. We are excited to add fresh talent to the faculty in business with the

new Edward Pettinella Endowed Professorship, made possible by the generosity of this 1973 alum-

nus and former Foundation Board chair. We are deeply grateful to Ed for designating the major

portion of his recent $1 million gift to enhance business education for the 21st century.

Of course, we all stand upon the shoulders of our extended alumni family, now 54,000 strong

and growing every year. In April, we formed the National Alumni Council, created by the Geneseo

Foundation Board and chaired by John Gleason ’87, a global financial services industry executive

for more than 25 years. Council members are a national representative body of alumni volunteers

committed to advancing alumni engagement with Geneseo.

To that end, the energy and enthusiasm shared by our alumni remain astounding. We held our

16th and final regional kick-off for Shaping Lives of Purpose: The Campaign for Geneseo on

June 2 in Boston, completing our historic coast-to-coast launch strategy. I am pleased to report

that we have already raised more than $19 million toward our $22 million goal. My thanks to all

our donors for their generous support!

To Bill Cook, Godspeed in your retirement. To Bill Edgar, your legacy will endure as long

as there are Geneseo graduates in the world. To all our alumni, parents and friends, your support

ensures that the vital work of shaping lives of purpose at Geneseo will continue far into the future.

Cordially,

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEgeneseoscene

Christopher C. Dahl

G

Standing on the shoulders of giants

2 geneseo scene

A new day: President Christopher C. Dahl, John Gleason ’87 and Jack Kramer’76 announced the National Alumni Council on campus April 27, 2012.

Summer 2012 3

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One College Circle

Bald for BucksMatthew Hayes ’13 and Chip Matthews, right, director of the College Unionand activities, laugh as they get their heads shaved to raise money for theAmerican Cancer Society and to show support for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Members of Geneseo’s College Against Cancerclub organized the event to promote the annual Relay for Life on campus, in which teams of students walk throughout the night at the Wilson IceArena for contributions. This year, Geneseo’s Relay for Life raised more than $74,000 — the most raised by a college in the Finger Lakes region.

4 Geneseo’s hidden history

5 A grand entry

5 Our newest alumni

6 Preserving memories

6 News in brief

CAMPUS NEWS

4 geneseo scene

Court Street, now knownfor its student housing,was once home to

Beansville, a community ofItalian immigrants from thelate 1800s to the 1960s. Theyliterally helped build Geneseo.Over the years, Beansville

evolved from families and smallbusinesses to college buildings,a jail and a sewage plant, butcontinues to remain a part ofGeneseo’s hidden history.Margaret Vangalio ’51/MLS

’68, is one of its remainingdescendants, whose stories werecollected by Geneseo students.“They are very motivated,”

says Vangalio, 82, who lived inBeansville as a child. “They’vebeen working very hard andthey really are uncovering alot of things. It will be very

Nicodemi says.The students created a joint

writing project dedicated toCourt Street history, which willbe available online. Thecourse is a sort of service proj-ect — a gift from the studentsto the local community, saysKennison.He and Nicodemi hope the

course will inspire students tocontinue to find out moreabout where they live.“I feel like a lot of people

come here and leave here andnever really learn about wherethey just were,” says Tobias Scott-Killian ’13, a geography majorwho specialized in mapping thearea. “I’ll look at the world a lit-tle differently — try to see whatother people don’t see.”

— Victoria Soto ’12

special to me.”Students in the inaugural

Court Street: The Pilgrimagecourse partnered with GeneseoTown Historian David W. Parishand County Historian AmyAlden as they examined andmapped the cultural, businessand transportation evolution ofthe neighborhood from 1872 topresent. They interviewed for-mer residents to preserve storiesand traditions of Beansville.In the end, they added to

the historical record as muchas they used it. The beauty,says Faculty Fellow in theOffice of InternationalPrograms Wes Kennison ’79, isthat students are using skillsthey have acquired in theirmajors in a real-world settingto record memories of the

neighborhood before they areforever lost to time.Kennison and Olympia

Nicodemi, DistinguishedTeaching Professor ofMathematics, created the inter-disciplinary course. Despitebeing longtime Geneseo resi-dents, they say they learnedalongside the students.One distinct feature of

Court Street they discovered:Through all of the physicalchanges, its personality hasnever wavered. It has alwaysbeen one of transition.Immigrants or Geneseo stu-dents, Court Street is a placewhere people get their start.“Diverse populations come

into the neighborhood, stayfor a while, and then transi-tion out as different people,”

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

CAMPUS NEWS

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

Academic innovations: Court Street transitionProfessors Olympia Nicodemi, left, Wes Kennison ’79, right, and students are preserving Court Street history in a new course, which included interviewing Margaret Vangalio ’51/MLS ’68, center, and others of the now defunct Italian immigrant neighborhood of Geneseo.

Summer 2012 5

The college is getting a grandnew front door. Renovation iswell underway on Doty Hall,where many campus offices areprojected to move in early 2013. “Doty has always appeared to

be part of campus, even thoughit wasn’t,” says George Stooks,assistant vice president for facili-ties and planning. “Now it isand will provide an entrancethat is truly ours.”Moving to Doty from Erwin

and other locations will be thepresident’s office; the admis-sions office; college advance-ment, including college com-munications and alumni rela-tions; virtually all of adminis-tration and finance, includingpurchasing, accounting andhuman resources; and theSmall Business DevelopmentCenter.The provost will have a satel-

lite office at Doty but her pri-mary office will remain inErwin, which also will houseother student-related func-tions such as financial aid andinternational student services.“Doty’s architecture mirrors

much of the campus,” saysStooks, “so the renovatedbuilding will provide visualcontinuity and place officesfront and center that have alot of public contact.”New additions to Doty will

be a state-of-the-art recital hallwith seating for 216 and a newall-purpose meeting area, theTower Room. The buildingalso is incorporating numer-ous energy-efficient elements,including geothermal heatingand cooling as part ofGeneseo’s commitment to sus-tainability. Seneca residencehall was the first building oncampus to feature geothermalheating. Monroe Hall andLetchworth Dining Hall willalso have geothermal heatingand cooling.Stooks says the move into

Doty will occur in stages ratherthan a mass arrival.Positioned on the southeast

part of campus next to thebypass, Doty was the GeneseoJunior-Senior High Schoolfrom 1933-73 and thenbecame state property for vari-ous functions, most recentlyserving clients of the Office ofPeople with DevelopmentalDisabilities. That office hasmoved its operation toHolcomb Hall, previously anelementary school on campus.The office will return to Dotyand rent one floor of the renovated building. The $32million project is made possible through the SUNYConstruction Fund.

— By David Irwin

Doty Hall: Geneseo’snew entrance

As Bennett Marano ’12prepared for gradua-tion, he couldn’t

believe his four years atGeneseo were really ending.“We go to bed as freshmen,

and then suddenly you blinkand you’re wearing the capand gown. It doesn't matterhow hard we try — collegewill always be something thatyou take for granted until ithits you that it’s over,” he said. On May 12, Marano was

among more than 1,300 sen-iors who received their diplo-mas and are going on to high-er degrees, careers, familyand other life adventures. They celebrated in two cer-

emonies at the Ira S. WilsonIce Arena, with speakers BillCook, Distinguished TeachingProfessor of History, and NewYork Congresswoman KathyHochul.A world-renowned scholar

and teacher, Cook retired thisyear after 42 years at Geneseo.Highly regarded as a world-class medieval historian, Cookhas lectured and led coursesfor the National Endowmentfor the Humanities and otherorganizations. He also is aprolific author of books andarticles. He and DistinguishedTeaching Professor of EnglishRon Herzman were the firstrecipients of the Medieval

Academy of America’s CARAAward for Excellence inTeaching Medieval Studies.Cook titled his afternoon

commencement address tostudents, “Don’t Sell YourHumanities Books Quite Yet.”Hochul addressed students

at the morning ceremony.Representing the 26thCongressional District in west-ern New York, she serves onthe House Armed ServicesCommittee and the HouseCommittee on HomelandSecurity. She also is a co-founder the Kathleen MaryHouse, a transitional homefor victims of domestic vio-lence and serves on its boardof directors.The college also conferred

an honorary doctor of sciencedegree upon social psycholo-gist Richard Nisbett, theTheodore M. NewcombDistinguished UniversityProfessor at the University ofMichigan, a noted authorityon how culture and socialcontext affect thinking.Seventy-two graduate stu-

dents celebrated their achieve-ment on May 5. Robert Boyd,lecturer and director ofGeneseo’s School of Businessinternship program, deliveredthe keynote address.

— By Kris Dreessen

Geneseo celebrates: Class of 2012



6 geneseo scene

Athletes are six-time championsThe Geneseo Knights finishedthe year with six SUNYAthletic Conferencechampionships.

The men’s swimming anddiving team won its 14th consecutive championship title.Geneseo has won 18 of the last22 swimming and diving competitions. The women’sswimming and diving teamwon its fifth consecutive title,and 19th win in 22 years.

The men’s and women’s cross-country teams won the top titlein the SUNYAC.

Women’s tennis and men’sindoor track and field werealso conference champs. The college’s record is nineSUNYAC titles.

Alumni relations leaderretires Assistant Vice President forAlumni Relations RoseAnderson retired in June,

after hav-ing led thelaunch ofU-Knight,Geneseo’sonline community,greatlyincreasingeventattendance

and creating the 18 alumniregional committees whosevolunteers spearhead alumnigatherings nationwide.

“Rose’s energy and enthusi-asm have literally taken ouralumni programs to a wholenew level,” said PresidentChristopher C. Dahl. “That’sevident across the board, butespecially with SummerReunions, where attendancehas risen dramatically. We’regrateful for Rose’s many con-tributions and wish her thevery best in retirement.”

Michelle Walton Worden ’92is serving as acting directorof alumni relations.

Student externship programdebuts in Chicago During its 25th anniversary of offering upperclassmenopportunities to meet and be mentored by successfulalumni, the GeneseoExternship Program expand-ed to Chicago.

Alumni shared career, net-working and other informa-tion with participants in theWindy City in March. Theirgenerosity doubled the num-ber of students who wereable to participate in the 2012externship program. Fourteenstudents had a similar experi-ence in Boston.

The Chicago program waspossible thanks to the gen-erosity of Jeffrey Burkard ’89,Jeff Cramer ’86, Gary Grose’87 and Paul Lambert ’91.

Math professor ratedamong best in nationFor 38 years, DistinguishedTeaching Professor ofMathematics Gary Towsley hashelped students learn mathand how it fits into other disci-plines. He has brought mathinto a comprehensive world-view, teaching courses such asHistory of Mathematics andPoetry and Cosmology of theMiddle Ages.

His philosophy and style haveearned him a place in the newbook, “The Best 300 Professors.”Professors were chosen by thepublishers in partnership withRateMyProfessors.com, whichprovides students a platform toreview their professors.

Geneseo service winsnational awardFor the sixth straight year,Geneseo has earned a place onthe President’s 2012 HigherEducation Community ServiceHonor Roll and for the thirdstraight year received a “with

distinction” commendation. It isthe highest federal recognitionthe college can achieve forcommitment to bettering com-munities through communityservice and service-learning.

Several ongoing initiativeswere recognized, including stu-dents’ collaboration with busi-ness leaders to revitalize thenearby village of Mt. Morris andoffering academic mentoring tocity school students.

Students blog aboutGeneseo lifeStudents are sharing what it'slike to be at Geneseo in anew series of writings onGeneseo’s website, “Voicesfrom the Valley.”

Kala DeStefano ’13 and other students blog at sunygeneseo.wordpress.comabout their daily lives andepiphanies. Their experiencesmirror those of many alumni,who revel in experimenting andgaining new perspective atGeneseo.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

Spotlight on Student Service

Preserving memories for families’

Michael Roff ’12 looked up to his grandfather,Richard Wissmann, in many ways. An Army vet-eran, Wissmann earned his high school equiva-

lency diploma and becamea successful mechanic, fire-fighter and chaplain.

“He was motivated,incredibly driven and hewanted to make the worlda better place,” says Roff,an English literature major.“That made him a hero inmy eyes.”

Roff interviewed hisgrandfather years ago. That tape is cherished,he says, now that his grandfather is gone. Roffcreated Heard@Geneseo to give other familiesthe same gift.

Roff organized 26 student volunteers, whospent dozens of hours interviewing 13 local sen-ior citizens about their lives. They transcribedthe recordings and produced books for the

seniors and their families as keepsakes.“I thought about how important that inter-

view was for my family and how great it wouldbe to give back to the community by givingother people something that was lasting fromsomeone they cared about,” says Roff.

Roff received an undergraduate researchgrant provided by The Geneseo Foundationto purchase voice recorders and produce thebooks. Shaping Lives of Purpose: TheCampaign for Geneseo is strengtheningGeneseo’s endowment and programs thatbenefit students, such as research grants.

Roff is working to make Heard@Geneseoan official Geneseo club. Students and seniorshave gained new perspective, and that’s thebest part, he says.

“It has exceeded all my expectations,” hesays. “We really wanted a transformativeexperience. Part of that is opening your frameof reference.”

— Kris Dreessen

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Summer 2012 7

U-Knight reconnects longtime friendsI was recently able to easily finda long-lost friend using U-Knight. I have become closeagain with Florence MasonConrad, who was a counselor atGeneseo during my years, from1956 to 1960. Flo had an apart-ment in the Student Union andalways cooked waffles andbacon for so many of us.She still hears from many

alumni and prides herself onkeeping in touch. She told meabout a student she wanted tofind but only knew her mar-ried name. With just two namesearches, I found Flo’s oldfriend — and all the informa-tion she needed to reconnect.We were amazed. How fortu-nate we are to have a tool likeU-Knight at our disposal.

— Helen LiFeber-Rosener ’60/MS ’66

Mentors influence students, sometimes inunderstated waysLike scientist Tony Meunier’70 who was profiled in thewinter issue, I, too, creditmuch of my career success tothe inspiration provided byDistinguished Service Professorof Geology Richard Young. Icount myself lucky to call himboth a mentor and friend. Myenthusiasm for geologicresearch was awakened duringmy work-study project, hand-coloring copies of his disserta-tion maps. Mentors influencestudents in ways that are not

narios. They involved hours ofresearch in the days before theInternet, but they were fun toperform. One time, we pre-tended to be parents onopposing sides of the issue ofspanking our children. Dr.Somerville would ask us ques-tions pertaining to the issuethen allow our classmates toask us questions. We had to beable to answer both sets ofquestions convincingly. I wasvery happy to see him lookingso well in the magazine andstill wearing a button-downsweater over his turtleneck.Some things don’t change!

— Christine Roberts Marte ’90

Geneseo family legacyMy wife and I are thrilled thatour son Billy was accepted toGeneseo’s class of 2016. Withhis interest in medicine andmicrobiology, the IntegratedScience Center will providehim with a perfect environ-ment for learning as well asresearch. Just as importantly,many of my closest and long-lasting friendships began atGeneseo. Janet and I antici-pate that Billy will have a simi-larly rewarding experience.

— Bill Schutt ’81

always obvious. My decision tomove from Rochester and pur-sue a master’s in geology atUtah State University is anexample. I could not imagineteaching geomorphology at anupstate New York communitycollege without experiencinggeology in the eastern andwestern United States like Dr.Young. Little did I know thisdecision would mean a won-derful career in geology, butone very different from what Ianticipated when we moved!

— Jerome V. DeGraff ’67

Firefighting is a proudGeneseo traditionWhat a great article on stu-dents in the Geneseo FireDepartment. It brings backsuch memories. I was a stu-dent firefighter, too, while atGeneseo. It caused my dadand mom no little distress, nodoubt, as I’d roar out of thehouse at 15 Main, headed forthe firehouse when the sirensblew. More than one professorat Geneseo had the experi-ence of my pager going off inclass, too!

— Mark Jakubauskas ’86

Professor’s lessonsshaped alumnus’ successAfter attending the Geneseoalumni event in Denver inFebruary, I thought about howGeneseo helped shape my life.One day in Wendell Rhodes’anthropology class, he talkedabout “prophylactic pes-simism.” It was an easily

remembered relevant catchphrase of Wendell’s that hasstuck with me all these years.Using critical analysis enablesone to anticipate plan ofaction shortcomings so aremedial back-up is readilyavailable. This concept of criti-cal analysis has been extreme-ly useful to me in owning andoperating my small businessfor 27 years and as founder ofthe Colorado VeteransMonument dedicated at theColorado state capitol.

— Tim Drago ’65

Geneseo makes alumproud 20 years laterThe winter issue is terrific.Keith Walters’ photography isexceptional. The cover shot isworld-class, and even betterthat it features Geneseo stu-dents photographed by analumnus. The LetchworthState Park photo and“Everyday Heroes” firefightingphotos are also highlights. It’sbeen almost 20 years since Igraduated, but I’m just asproud of Geneseo today as Iwas then.

— Patrick Tremblay ’93

Profile brings back memories of favorite professorI was thrilled to see my favoriteprofessor, James Somerville, inthe winter issue. I was anEnglish major, but his historyclasses were so interesting.What I remember most abouthis classes are the role-play sce-

LETTERS

We want to hear from you! The Scene welcomes feedback and encourages discussion ofhigher-education issues, content and your thoughts about Geneseo. Send letters, whichmay be edited for space, to [email protected] or to the Scene editor, SUNY Geneseo,Roemer House, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454.

Letters to the Editor

8 geneseo scene PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

BILLCOOK

For 42 years, he has been a world leader in medieval

and Renaissance history, a character larger than life on

campus who made even the most obscure points of

days gone by a page-turner.

As the beloved Bill Cook retires, his close friend,

neighbor, and teaching and research partner, Ron

Herzman, shares what makes him extraordinary.

By Distinguished Teaching Professor of English Ron Herzman

Summer 2012 9


“The moral I draw from this story is that with Bill, more than with most of us,

there is a direct line between sizing up a situation and doing something about it. ...”

— Ron Herzman

Ithink you’ve got to start with the clothes. The “what” is easier to describe than the “why.” In coming to terms withthe Bill Cook wardrobe, the “what” might include, but not be limited to, the following descriptors: colorful, imag-inative, flamboyant, psychedelic, weird, eclectic, multi-cultural, bizarre, unique, creative. Did I mention colorful?People who do not know him well are sometimes astounded to learn that the startling combinations of pur-

ples, oranges, yellows, reds and greens — mixed in with some browns and grays and blues to throw you off bal-ance — are not the random product of some sartorial lottery system. Like every other part of Bill’s life, careful thoughtand rigorous decision-making govern the process of choosing a daily wardrobe.Pretty scary.The “why” is more complicated. Why does he dress that way? It’s a question I’ve been asked by folks in and outside the

campus community for as long as I have known him, which is a long time: We taught our first course together in 1973.Needless to say, there are many theories. One student from days gone by told me that when he was a freshman, Cooksaid to his class, “I dress this way so that when you go home for Thanksgiving and your parents ask you about college,you have something to talk about.” That works.My own theory is much more pedestrian: bad eyesight. What looks over the top

to us looks normal to him. What looks normal to us looks dull to him. I even haveempirical evidence. The other day as we met up on the quad trudging towardSturges to teach our Dante course together, a team-teaching gig that we have beendoing since 1974, I noticed we were both wearing pink ties. Mine was, admittedly,less pink than his, more of a peach-ish pink, or maybe a salmon-ish pink. His wasneon pink, pink that you can spot from another galaxy pink. Nonetheless, two tiesfrom more or less the same color palette.I asked him what color my tie was. He said “beige.” To be pink, in Cook’s eyes, is

not to be wishy-washy about it. My theory has the advantage of going beyond theclothes to say something about the guy wearing them. Compared to Bill Cook, weall look pretty dull.In the classroom, when Bill Cook speaks, people listen.As a brilliant lecturer for more than four decades, Bill has galvanized students by

his unique combination of energy, knowledge and wit. Watching him ply his tradefor close to 40 years (thanks to our team-teaching I have heard more Cook lecturesthan anyone else on the planet), I continue to marvel at his ability to find just theright anecdote to turn the details of history into a compelling narrative. I don’tknow if he is able to make the phone book interesting, but I do know that he cando it for a list of popes or for the struggles between Guelfs and Ghibellines inDante’s Italy. He can do it so that he totally engages those with no prior knowledgeor experience in the Middle Ages, while at the same time making that same materi-al sparkle for those who are taking their third, fourth, or fifth Cook course.Maybe the thing I admire most about his teaching is that I have observed that brilliant lecturers often are not much

interested in the students who hang around at the bottom of the intellectual food chain. Bill, on the contrary, is ateacher who is as genuinely and deeply concerned with C students as he is with A students, and the number of C stu-dents who return for another course with Bill is a remarkable testimony to his teaching. Even more remarkable are Bill’sstudents who have become his lifelong friends. That number could fill the largest lecture hall in Newton and is in noway limited to those who were stars in his classes.Outside the classroom, when Bill Cook speaks, people listen.He has done more on-site teaching than the rest of the Geneseo faculty put together, to more different kinds of

groups in more parts of the world — from church ladies to world leaders, from convicted felons to Trappist monks, fromtown clerks to Fortune 500 CEOs, from Geneseo Central School to Harvard and Berkeley, from Livingston County toChina, Africa and Japan. When Cook is lecturing — in a church or in a museum — crowds gather.When Cook and Herzman first took our show on the road in the ’70s, it was to do courses on the Middle Ages in Europe

PHOTO BY RYAN DONNELL

10 geneseo scene

for our Geneseo students. That was for himthe beginning of an extraordinary secondcareer as a teacher whose classroom is theworld. There are now literally generationsof Geneseo students — and students frommany other places — who have seenmedieval Europe through Bill’s eyes. I, likemany others, students and friends, havetravelled with Cook down narrow dirtroads to find the only person who has thekey to the church with a fresco that no oneelse seems to know about.

Once, when we were saddling up totake a ride through Tuscany to see howmany Romanesque churches we couldvisit in a day, Cook said, matter of factly,“You probably won’t be able to keep upwith me.” He was right, but I think one ofmy proudest accomplishments is that Ialmost can. I remember one buddy tripwe took together in Istanbul. Walkingwith Cook is not a job for sissies, butmosque after mosque, church afterchurch, I was keeping up and feelingpretty good about myself. We were on thehome stretch, heading back to the hotel.I made it, I told myself, I made it. Andthen he remembered that there was onemore church he needed to see. I just

couldn’t do it. Whatever pep talk I gavemy body, my body said no. I came close. Ihad nothing to be ashamed of. But I justcouldn’t do that last one.There’s a moral here: What separates

Cook from the rest of us is stamina.Physical stamina for sure, but maybe

even more important than his physicalstamina is that Cook’s stamina also is bothintellectual and moral. When he teaches,Bill is, to be sure, gifted with a kind ofbuilt-in radar for knowing his audience.

But a lot of what seems to be instinctiveand intuitive in his lectures is really theresult of careful planning and very broadand deep reading. Whether in his coursesat the college or in the Bill Cook travelingroad show, he is constantly rethinking,revising and catching up with the latestscholarship. Bill has a passion for readingthat is mind-blowing. He is constantlyinventing new courses, widening hisrange, teaching courses on subjects thathe hadn’t even thought about when hearrived at Geneseo in 1970 as a newlyminted assistant professor of history.I think it is also important, though per-

haps more difficult, to talk about hismoral stamina. Most of us, I think, want

to do the right thing most of the time.We try to tell the truth, we try to treatothers fairly, we try not to be jerks, atleast too often. Very few of us, though,have the energy to consistently put intopractice what we preach. Cook does. Hehas spent his career trying to figure out,with the help of friends like Plato and St.Francis of Assisi and Dante and ThomasMore, and Martin Luther King andShusaku Endo, what he thinks he shouldbe doing, and then by golly he goesahead and does it.There is a direct line between what he

studies and teaches and the way he triesto conduct his life.So, as a signal example of practicing what

he teaches, in his late 30s he adopted hisfirst son, thus setting in motion the processof becoming the paterfamilias for a multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiracial tribe ofchildren and grandchildren and spousesthat has now grown to such an extent thatto be at a Cook Thanksgiving dinner is tobe at a National Geographic special.In 1972, I got into a car with a guy

named Bill Cook, a colleague I had metmaybe one or two times before, to drive toKalamazoo, Mich., then and now thehome of the world’s biggest medieval con-ference. (The town isn’t named Kalama-Zoo for nothing). That might have beenthe most important car ride of my life.By the time we got there, we had

agreed to team-teach a course, and therest is, as they say, history (or, in my case,literature). I don’t know how much heremembers of the trip but one momentstands out for me some 40 years later. Hetold me about writing a letter to, andthen meeting with, the parents of aGeneseo student who had committed sui-cide. He didn’t do this because he wasasked to by the dean of students, or evenbecause he had been particularly close tothe student. He did it because he thoughtthat, in the face of an unspeakabletragedy, it was the right thing to do. “Whois this Cook person?” I asked myself. “Ineed to get to know him better.”Forty years later I am still trying to fig-

ure out exactly who he is, but one thing Ido know: the link between seeing whatone ought to do and finding a way to doit is as strong in Bill as it is in anyone Ihave ever met. And that moral imperativehas been the driving force behind suchdiverse enterprises as becoming a singlefather many times over, running for

Distinguished Teaching Professor Bill Cook, left, and Distinguished Teaching Professor of

English Ron Herzman sport matching purple suit jackets for their final Dante class.

“For me and for generations of Geneseo students, it has been

great fun. It will be interesting to see what happens next.”

— Ron Herzman


Congress, creating the Marco Polo dinnerto fundraise for needy children, givingaway huge chunks of his money to peoplein need, and supporting the education ofso many of his charges.In 1975, Bill and I took a group of

Geneseo students to Italy to study Dante. Atthe time, Bill was just beginning to do seri-ous research on St. Francis of Assisi and theFranciscan movement, research that hasbecome the central scholarly enterprise ofhis life. I was just beginning something ofthe same sort of journey with Dante. LikeCook and Herzman, Dante and Francismake a great team, and they intersect at anumber of places. One of them, not sur-prisingly, is Assisi, and we were there withour group one very hot August day to lookat the famous frescoes of the Life of SaintFrancis that adorn the walls of the upperchurch of the basilica to see what theymight have had to say about Dante.

On a scholarly level it was a very suc-cessful day. What we talked about therewith our students — the relationshipbetween the frescoes and the life ofFrancis written by St. Bonaventure —became the meat of the first substantialarticle that we co-authored. But the daysticks in my mind for another reason.Outside the entrance to the basilica, in

the blazing sun, Italian supermodels, orat least what passed for supermodels inthe 1970s, were busy modeling fur coats.You don’t need to know too much aboutthe life of Saint Francis to know thatthere is something seriously wrong withthis picture: Francis who talks withBrother Wolf; supermodels in ridiculousposes in front of one of the most sacredspaces on the planet who were, in swelter-ing heat augmented by the elaboratelighting that accompanies a photo shoot,wearing sister mink and brother fox. I

Summer 2012 11

Q: What would you tell students about the value of studying thedistant past in the 21st century?

A: We need people who see the big picture … to understand that thethings that happen in our society aren’t just based on a context of oneyear or 10 years, but sometimes on hundreds of years of patterns ofthought and institutional development. The number-one skill you needto succeed in the 21st century is to be able to see things from the viewof people who start with a different set of premises than you do.

Q: How does your personal research of medieval andRenaissance church history and the topics you teach informthe choices that you have made throughout your life?

A: People often ask me, ‘What is your hobby?’ My answer always is, ‘I don’thave hobbies, because a hobby in some way means to get away fromwhat you do most of the time and I never want to do that.’ My life as aperson of the church, as a citizen, as a campaigner for Congress andlots of other things has been thoroughly informed by the things I’vestudied. I don’t need a hobby. I live my hobby.

Q: What are your proudest moments as a Geneseo professor?A: What measures a college is your student body in general. What are theirlives like and how are they contributing to society? Everywhere I go Imeet alumni who are doing good things, not just professionally but intheir communities. It’s wonderful to have that sense of how many of ourstudents are doing good things in the world.

thought it was weird. Cook, going moredirectly to the heart of the matter,thought it was blasphemous. And so hebegan to scream at them.The moral I draw from this story is that

with Bill, more than with most of us,there is a direct line between sizing up asituation and doing something about it,and he is not afraid to get in your face ifhe thinks the occasion deserves it.I think we need to end with the clothes.

The intellectual and moral rigor that Ihave been describing here makes Billseem to be a very formidable person. Andthat he is. But there is also a sense withhim that what you see is what you get.When you see him, your first thought is,man, I don’t know what this is all about,but whatever it is, it’s going to be fun.For me and for generations of Geneseo

students, it has been great fun. It will beinteresting to see what happens next.

Q&A Parting Words: An exclusive Q&A with Bill Cook

Q: Have you had an epiphany while teaching at Geneseo?A: Lots of them. I went with Dan Schultz ’04 as he worked on his seniorhonors thesis in Latin American liberation theology in Lima, Peru. Apriest took us to the barrio, where people are living in makeshift hutswith no water, electricity or sewage.I said, ‘This is really depressing.’ The priest said, ‘You don’t under-

stand anything. This is a place of hope. These people move from thecountryside and know what they are going to have to live in but they’redoing this so their kids can get some education and have a chance tomove up in the world and live a better life. These people are makingextraordinary sacrifices. These people are hopeful.’That was an Aha! moment. I read it like I suppose most Americans

would, and I read it wrong. If I hadn’t gone with my student, I’d be asignorant today as I was in 2004 when I had that experience.

Q: If St. Francis of Assisi were on campus, what might he say? A: The first thing he would say is, “Peace be with you,” because that’s what healways said. He would not criticize people, I think, for having fancy clothesor a nice car, or anything of that sort. He would say that if you want to dis-cover in the deepest way what it means to be human, you need to putthose things aside. You need to — you need to go hug a leper. You don’tneed to send just a check to the leprosy society. You need to go embracesomebody who is radically other; someone who perhaps you’re afraid ofbecause the first time you embrace the leper, you embrace the leper. Thesecond time you embrace the leper, you embrace another human being.

To hear the complete interview with Bill Cook about his life and other questions about his 42 yearsat Geneseo, and to hear his farewell speech, visit go.geneseo.edu/cookinterview.

12 geneseo scene

:View our photo gallery and tributes to Bill Edgar atgo.geneseo.edu/billedgar

Summer 2012 13

During his 36 years at Geneseo, William J.“Bill” Edgar led individual students aswell as the philosophy department. His

groundbreaking innovations in interdiscipli-nary teaching and honors opportunities havebecome a lifeblood of Geneseo’s vision forextraordinary education.An award-winning teacher many times over,

acclaimed author and philanthropist, Bill wasrevered by his colleagues, students and alumni.In 2009, Geneseo renamed the honors pro-gram the Edgar Fellows Program in his honor.His death Nov. 10, 2011, was a deep loss.Bill Edgar was a Distinguished Teaching

Professor of Philosophy, as well as life. Those whoknew him continue to be inspired by his knowl-edge, his wisdom, his demeanor and the passionhe brought to everyone around him. He and hiswife, Associate Professor of Philosophy StaceyEdgar, who still teaches, often gave of themselvesso others could discover their own dreams.He was a visionary. Teacher. Mentor. Inspirer.

Dream facilitator. Those who knew himremember him as a true renaissance man.

By Kris Dreessen

Our socrates

Bill Edgar was a visionary

who quietly shaped the lives

of hundreds of students —

and Geneseo’s future.

14 geneseo scene

class discussions, it would have beenimpossible to remain unengagedwhen Dr. Edgar was at the helm. The main objective of the course

was to determine whether critical rea-soning is even possible, while usingcritical reasoning to carry out thisexamination. The objective itself wasparadoxical! This is emblematic of hisapproach to teaching philosophy:Look the problem in the eye, embrace any weirdness itentails, and get on with solving it.He presented the history of ideas as a great conversation,

driven by problems, attempts to resolve them, and critiquesof these attempts. The conversation might not lead to easyanswers, but progress could be made.As students, we never felt like spectators. We were invited

to join the inquiry. The goal was not just to learn about phi-losophy, but to do philosophy.Dr. Edgar “sold” philosophy by doing it brilliantly and hav-

ing fun while doing so. Although not a major, I took a fewof his courses and wrote my honors thesis on a philosophi-cal topic. I went on to get my doctorate in philosophy.I’ve been teaching at Gallaudet University for more

than a decade. My teaching style isn’t much like Dr.Edgar’s. Instruction at Gallaudet is done in American SignLanguage, which sets up a different physical dynamic, andtechnology is more prominent. But every now and then, Istep away from the PowerPoint, sit on the desk facing mystudents, and chat with them about some perplexingproblem. That’s when I think of Bill.

— Barbara Stock ’90

MentorThe first day of class, I was lying across the desk at the frontof the classroom, posing for friends. I was full of myself. Billwalked in; I scrambled to my feet and to a chair. He cast awry smile in my direction as if he understood clearly what Iwas all about. Then he offered a paradox or two to intro-duce us to ancient philosophy — probably Zeno. By the endof class I was captured, humbled and attached to what wasto become my lifelong journey and my profession.That summer, I helped Bill and

Stacey build an addition onto theirhouse. In the summers that fol-lowed, we built a garage with anapartment that would also be myoff-and-on home — first in the wan-ing years of my undergraduate daysand then, again, when I returned toteach at Geneseo for a year.Neither Bill nor I knew much

about building houses, but off wewent. Calm and patient in the face of unforeseen obstacles,Bill moved us forward, joking that the pharaohs would beunderwhelmed by our expertise. We talked of Parmenidesand Aristotle as if they were just around the corner.One afternoon, we were putting up a sheet of paneling.

We over-thought things and cut the hole for the outlet

TeacherDr. Edgar told us we could call him “Bill” but I never did.As a painfully shy undergraduate, I found all professorsand, frankly, most humans, to be scary. I strove for invisi-bility. Joining the first group of the honors program in1987 thwarted this goal. Although I rarely participated in

TOWSLEY

STOCK

ANDERSON

VisionaryWhen I joined the mathematics faculty in 1974, Bill and ahandful of others were team teaching a new course,Synthesis. Faculty from philosophy, music, history, physicsand other disciplines combined to help students findconnections between various areas of knowledge and toexplore themes across topical boundaries.What my colleagues were doing was extending the

boundaries of learning and initiating a way of looking atour educational mission.Geneseo’s two interdisciplinary humanities courses

grew out of Synthesis. Since 1980, every student has grad-uated with these courses, which are designed to approachsignificant issues from diverse standpoints and methods.As a member of the College Senate when faculty debat-

ed all aspects of this humanities curriculum, I saw Bill’svision. After the “new core” was approved, I was involvedin its implementation and worked closely with Bill. Iteam-taught with Bill on several occasions. Together wedeveloped the Roots of 20th Century Science course thatbecame part of our honors program, now called theEdgar Fellows program. Team teaching with Bill and watching his efforts over

the years showed me the importance of introducing stu-dents to important topics and issues that are not con-tained in one discipline, and showing the myriad waysyou can approach a subject. Looking at the list of inter-disciplinary majors and minors now offered at Geneseo, itis clear that I am not the only one affected by Bill’s vision.

— Distinguished Teaching Professor of Mathematics Gary Towsley


box in the wrong corner. It was the only time that I sawBill angry. He put his hammer gently on the floor,removed his nail apron, and, without a word, walked tothe house. It was a masterful display of self-control. Hisgood judgment, patience, calm endurance, sense of self,regard for others — all these things I saw in him through-out those summers and in the years that followed.Thanks to Bill’s courses, I entered graduate school with a

foundation that set me apart. His drive toward the rock-bot-tom fundamental questions explains it. But more importantwere the “building lessons” of those summers: how to bepatient with students — the meek, the arrogant, the unruly;how to gently guide off a wayward path to a path of promise.Early in my career, I would ask myself, “How would Bill

handle this situation?” I imitated. Eventually, his insightsbecame second nature and the core of my way of teachingand living with others. I am not a copy of Bill. I couldnever carry off the dignity with which he moved throughthe world. Still, the “building lessons” are part of me.This is my last semester in the classroom after nearly 40

years of teaching university-level philosophy. My kids areoff to college; I hope someone like Bill finds them, sees inthem whatever it was that Bill saw in me, and gives themthe kind attention and love I was so very lucky to receive.

— James Anderson’71

InspirerBy the time I arrived at campus more than 40 years ago, Billhad already mastered the art of teaching critical reasoning.During my years as a philosophy major, we were asked to takepositions on the vexing issues, which emerged from our read-ings and defend those positions. We were expected to supportour positions with logic or empirical evidence and discour-aged from relying on popular opinion, religious dogma orother commonly held beliefs we brought with us fromPalmyra, Plainview or Plattsburgh. For Bill, the truth was not

determined by a mere show of hands.One of the great things about his

teaching was that he never told ushe was going to train us to use criti-cal reasoning; those skills justevolved as a by-product of theSocratic method he employed. Bill’sstudents have gone on to pursue awide variety of careers. I am confi-dent that the one skill all of us havein common is our ability to use criti-

cal reasoning and empirically based decision-making in ourlives, regardless of our calling. In my case, the skills that Ilearned with Bill prepared me for law school and still helpme every day in my work as a courtroom lawyer.While teachers who can impart substantive knowledge

to their students are valuable, teachers like Bill — whocan guide their students how to think like rational humanbeings and solve problems — are priceless. By encourag-ing us to question our beliefs and to rely on reason, ratherthan blind faith, Bill helped enlighten us. After all, isn’tthat why we went to college?

— Dan O’Brien ’73

Dream facilitatorI did two smart things my first semester at Geneseo. I metBill and Stacey Edgar, and I asked James Kirkwood to teachme to play the double bass. He generously agreed. Over the years, I got more serious about music. As gradua-

tion approached, I faced a problem: I wanted to take a shotat music as a career, but I needed a lot of practice time.Bill and Stacey offered me the apartment over their

garage. "Take the place for free," they said. "Practice all youwant. We know you’re figuring out what to do and wethought a free place to stay would help.” What a year. While I put in practice time, Bill fixed the

place up. Stacey underestimated my share of the electricbill. They pretended this wasn’t any imposition, as if Billhad nothing better to do than thaw out frozen pipes orrepair the roof. They did whatever needed to be done —all of it with friendly smiles and big hearts.In the end I decided to pursue philosophy instead of

music. Bill and Stacey never pushed that option, but theyinfluenced my choice by having enviable lives.I learned a lot that year about music and about the power

of generosity and kindness. When I think of Bill, as I oftendo, I think of someone who would give his own time andenergy, even his own home, to help someone pursue adream. I don’t think he cared very much about what Iended up doing, but he gave me the chance to make thedecision in the right way.Over the years, Bill and Stacey offered that home to many

students and friends, giving them all a place to stay and,with that, a chance to follow a muse or re-examine life. It isone of the most valuable gifts we could have been given.

— David Merli ’94

MERLI reflects on a recent visit in the Edgar’s garage apartment.

O’BRIEN

Summer 2012 15


16 geneseo scene

BEYONDRINKTHE

The Ice Knights gather for an inspiring team huddle following an early-morning

walk and stretch in the hotel parking lot in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

PHOTOS BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

:View the entire hockey experience photo essay anda special video from the 2011 alumni game at:go.geneseo.edu/beyondrink.

Summer 2012 17

The first students Colin DeJersey ’13 meton campus were his hockey teammates.He immediately liked them.

Good thing.He spends most of his waking hours with

them — at daily practices, on Friday andSaturday nights skating in front of hundredsof cheering classmates, and taking marathonbus rides to face opponents across New York.They eat together. Study together. Win andlose together.“It feels like you’re living together,” says

Colin. “We’re really close.”His teammates have become confidants and

best friends. Being part of such a close-knit team has

changed Kaz Iwamoto ’13. He says he’s not asselfish; he looks out for his teammates and isa mentor for younger players, as upperclass-men were for him.“I grew up,” says Kaz.Then, like now, being part of a team was a

huge part of the Geneseo experience for players.“It’s hard to describe those four years. They

are a small snapshot of my life, but the impactthat they had on me was tremendous,” saysGeneseo Hall of Famer Jeff Stitt ’81.Since 1981, Jeff has reunited with Ice

Knights of all eras on campus for the annualalumni hockey game. “You might as well turnback the clock,” says Jeff. “It feels the same.”Intense training and countless hours spent

together foster a lifelong kinship amongKnights, which mirrors the treasured experi-ence many student-athletes have at Geneseo.College Photographer Keith Walters ’11 cap-

tured an intimate snapshot beyond the gameperiods on a road trip to explore how suchmemories are made.

— Kris Dreessen

Players joke as they gear up for the Potsdam

game. Home again in Geneseo at 3 a.m.

Teammates laugh on the bus trip to Potsdam.

Cory Gershon ’12, left, and Danny Scagnelli ’12 bump fists pre-game.

18 geneseo scene

Most of the team conks out on the way to Friday night’s

Potsdam game.

Players fit in a workout Saturday morning before reviewing

the previous night’s game tapes.

Carb-loading before the second away game of the weekend.

Teammates help each other stretch. Sharpening skate blades before the

Friday night game.

Coach Chris Schultz ’97 helps the team develop a strategy against Potsdam based

on what he knows about the team, in one of two away games the Ice Knights

played in a 24-hour period.

“I hope this remains aclose part of my life.”

— Colin DeJersey ’13

Summer 2012 19

Defenseman Peter Mott ’15 enters the game.

Carson Schell ’14 brings the puck around the

net at Plattsburgh.

Captain Jimmy Powers ’12 gives final strategy before hitting the ice against SUNY Potsdam in the

first of two away games. He was injured and didn’t suit up to play.

Coach Chris Schultz ’97, a former Ice Knight, delivers a final speech before the third

period against Plattsburgh. The team lost 2-0.

Players reflect on the 2-0 loss against Plattsburgh.

Peter Mott ’15 falls asleep on the trip home

in the wee hours.

20 geneseo scene

It could have been a sign — or merely acoincidence. Either way, the irony of eventson Jan. 19, 1982, is not lost on research sci-entist William Henzel ’76. The same daythat a 4.7-magnitude earthquake in NewHampshire rattled his home in Boston, hereceived a phone call for a job interview.In San Francisco.Unfazed by the East Coast tremor — and

the probability of more out West — Henzelvisited Genentech, a leading biotechnologyfirm. His goal as a protein biochemist was todevelop new tools for protein structuredetermination. After three years researchinginsect proteins as a senior research assistantin the biology department at the Universityof Massachusetts, he was ready for the nextchallenge.“During the interview, I sensed that every-

one at Genentech was pushing technologyto do creative things,” he remembered.“When I received an offer, something insideme told me I needed to do this.”Henzel went to California and never

looked back. For 21 years, he focused solelyon the future. As senior scientist, he man-aged his own laboratory research team atGenentech, concentrating on protein iden-tification research and exploring analyticaltechnologies to determine protein structurecritical to the discovery of new medicines.Henzel’s legacy is his concept of peptide

mass fingerprinting using mass spectrome-try to identify experimental proteins. In1989, Henzel’s lab determined the sequenceof a new protein enabling it to be cloned,

which allowedGenentech biolo-gists to develop ahuman antibody.The discovery led toAvastin, a break-through cancer-fighting drug thatprevents blood ves-sels from formingnear a tumor, thusstarving it.“I was on the cutting edge of science

because I worked in a company where allscientists were on the cutting edge,” he said.In 2002, the American Society of Mass

Spectrometry awarded him its DistinguishedContribution Award for his work in thefield. Given such success, Henzel could haveworked on virtually any project.Instead, he felt called to share his pas-

sion for science with young students. Hetaught biology during lunch at a nearbyhigh school until 2003, and then retiredfrom Genentech to devote all his energyto teaching. He continued teaching fortwo more years.Today, he volunteers at a local middle

school, teaching biology and earth science.For his exceptional professional achieve-

ments and contributions to society,President Christopher C. Dahl awardedHenzel the Medal of Distinction —Geneseo’s highest honor — at a SanFrancisco alumni event in March.“Like all scientists, Bill is constantly learn-

ing and for that we are very grateful,” saidDahl. “His research, evidenced by morethan 130 scientific publications and threeU.S. patents, has moved us closer to a curefor cancer.”Henzel attributes his success to more than

the firm academic foundation provided byGeneseo faculty. He also credits his faith,strengthened on campus through hisinvolvement with the InterFaith Center.Though he lives 2,700 miles away, Henzel

cherishes fond memories of his alma mater,where he met his late wife, Bonnie Crandle’76. In her memory, he has established ascholarship for students majoring in Englishand history.“Geneseo was a beautiful environment

and a wonderful time of learning,” he said.“It provided me with the basic knowledgeand confidence that all scientists need. I amhonored and humbled to have received theMedal of Distinction.”

One step closerto a cure

BY ANTHONY T. HOPPA

Geneseo awarded William Henzel ’76 the Medal of Distinction for his scien-

tific work that led to development of a breakthrough cancer-fighting drug

and for his passion to inspire future generations as a school teacher.

PHOTO BY MIHN TRIEU

Geneseo awards the Medal of Distinction to an alumnuswhose research led to a life-saving cancer drug this year.

The walnut base that holds the Medal ofDistinction was created exclusively

for Geneseo by Tom Moser ’60, president ofThos. Moser Cabinetmakers.

PHOTO BY BRIAN BENNETT

Bernadette Roughneen ’12 steps up to thecounter at Aunt Cookie’s Sub Shop andorders her favorite — turkey. She watches as Alyssa Wurzburg ’12 slides

a fresh roll into the oven until the edgesturn dark brown with a crispy, golden cen-ter. Wurzburg smoothes mayo across thebottom bun then adds onions, lettuce anda splash of oil. She sprinkles some salt.Pepper. Next up, slices of ruby red toma-toes and provolone. Finally, she layers themain feature — six juicy turkey slices.One more coating of mayo on top and

then she closes, cuts and wraps the warmsandwich before she hands it over.In a booth beside her sorority sister,

Roughneen dives in and looks out the win-dow, watching students walk past on MainStreet on their way to lunch or campus.Twenty-two years ago that could have been

Angie Sayles ’92. She ordered the sameexact sub from Aunt Cookie’s with herfriends all the time.“I was always a turkey person,” she says.

“Sometimes I would get the Italian mixed sub.

I guess that was probably after a crazy night.”For 41 years, Aunt Cookie’s has been a

beloved institution.Before Aunt Cookie’s, 76 Main St. was a

general store, a grocery store, then theNormal Grill in 1931 with a candykitchen attached. It finally opened as theGenesee Valley Restaurant in 1937. On Aug. 4, 1971, Aunt Cookie — less

widely known as Carolyn Yarnes —opened the eatery with a partner, special-izing in submarine sandwiches.“If I’m introduced to someone they’re like,

‘Oh, the real Aunt Cookie? I never knewthere was a real Aunt Cookie!’” she says.She’s been called Cookie since she was

2 and even worked at a sub shop on Mainbefore opening Aunt Cookie’s with herformer boss. She took it over and at onepoint operated four more sub shops — inBrockport, Ithaca, Alfred and Delhi.Cookie eventually sold those and kept theoriginal Main Street location.When she wanted to retire, her son, Scott

Yarnes, felt it had to be kept in the family.He took over the reins in 1999. “We have a good product and we’ve been

very consistent over the years,” says Yarnesabout its longevity. “We really haven’tchanged. We buy quality goods and put outa decent sandwich for a decent price.”Simplicity and consistency. They are the

magic ingredients. Even the menu hasn’tchanged much. “It’s never been broken so wehaven’t fixed it,” says Yarnes. “It just works.”Perhaps it’s not the toasted roll, or the

popular turkey sub that makes AuntCookie’s so important, but all the memo-ries that 76 Main St. has helped create.Aunt Cookie’s is embedded in Geneseoalumni’s memories and experiences.Whether it is their classic subs or toastedbuns, it seems the magic between twopieces of bread has played a part in aGeneseo student’s college experienceand has helped alumni to relive their college years.“Going back 20 years later, there’s some-

thing about it,” says Sayles. “You can go backand sit there in the same booth and lookout the window and remember.”

Carolyn Yarnes — the real “Aunt Cookie” — opened the Geneseo sandwich institution in 1971.

Her son, Scott Yarnes, now proudly runs Aunt Cookie’s Sub Shop.

Summer 2012 21

ICONS OF GENESEO

Aunt Cookie’s: A simple recipe for success, with a side of memories

Cookie’s quick bites

• Italian rolls ordered per year:More than 20,000

• Pounds of turkey gobbled per year:5,700. Poor turkeys!• Farthest-traveling sub:A gentlemanin the military flew a sub to Japan!• Sweetest Cookie’s moment:A marriage proposal. • How often people ask if there’s anAunt Cookie: Frequently. Most don’tbelieve there is a real Aunt Cookie.• Oddest order: Tuna with turkey.People like to be creative or can’tdecide which is their favorite sub sothey combine the order.• Aunt Cookie’s own favorite?Tuna on Italian roll with pickles. Hold the onion.

— Scott Yarnes, owner

BY VICTORIA SOTO ’12


22 geneseo scene

Bill Edgar changed my life. He showed me a different set of values, a different way of life. Through his rela-tionship with Stacey, with the college, and with his students, he showed me how loving and learning rein-force each other and impart lasting meaning to one’s life.

I didn’t come to Geneseo to have my life changed. I came to become a lawyer. I’d do my time at college, get mycredentials, and go about the business of making money. This was what my parents wanted; I had no idea that any-thing else was possible.I first met Bill in 1990 in his Welles Hall office, shortly after receiving a letter that invited me to join Geneseo’s

Honors Program. There was something immediately reassuring about him. This great man shook my hand, smiledat me, and knew who I was. The time he shared with me that day would be just the first of countless acts of gen-erosity from which I would benefit. Perhaps this is the appropriate place to dispense with the obvious: Bill was an exemplary teacher. He was a citizen

and leader of the college who left an indelible mark on all that he touched. He shaped Geneseo’s General Educationprogram, helping to found the Western Humanities sequence. He conceived of the Honors Program and had the willto see it put into place. He chaired the philosophy department for 27 years. Bill gave all of himself to the college in

PERSPECTIVES

A WHOLE-HEARTED COMMITMENTDavid Levy, associate professor of philosophy at SUNY Geneseo, is a 1994 alumnus. He didn't come to Geneseo

with thoughts of becoming a philosopher, but his experiences with beloved professor Bill Edgar profoundly

transformed him. He was hired to fill the faculty position vacated when Bill retired in 2005. As he guides

students to discover the nature and value of inquiry, he is hopeful that the life lessons Bill taught him are being

passed on.

PH

OTO

BY

KE

ITH

WA

LTE

RS

’11

By David Levy ’94

Summer 2012 23

these ways. He gave all of himself to hiscolleagues, and especially to his students.As a teacher, Bill gave — and inspired —

a whole-hearted commitment to inquiry.John Dewey describes the attitude ofwhole-heartedness, in part, this way:“Genuine enthusiasm is an attitude thatoperates as an intellectual force. A teacherwho arouses such an enthusiasm in hispupils has done something that noamount of formalized method, no matterhow correct, can accomplish.”It was impossible to sit in Bill’s class-

room, or in his office, or in Bill andStacey’s home, and not be inspired by hispassion for learning.I was fortunate enough to take a class

with Bill my first semester at Geneseo, asmall honors seminar called The Natureof Inquiry. I got to know a group of out-standing students as a result of Bill’s abilityto make us each feel comfortable askingquestions and challenging ideas. I thinkwe each also got to know ourselves: whatwe valued, what we took for granted, whatwe were willing to consider. By the end ofthat first semester, I was changed. Ideclared my philosophy major and startedto think about devoting my life to teachingthis most ancient discipline. (My father’sresponse was to send me magazine clip-pings, illustrating how much less moneyI’d earn during my lifetime if I were tobecome an academic, rather than an attor-ney. Those articles never addressed thetrade-up in terms of happiness.)My most vivid memory of Bill’s passion

for inquiry dates to the fall of 1993, whenhe first offered his new course in thePhilosophy of the Arts. Several of myfriends and I enrolled in the course. Onthe first day of the semester, we felt privi-leged to share the moment with Bill; weanticipated the skillful way in which hewould guide us to a deep appreciation ofbeauty and art.Bill began that first class meeting by invit-

ing us to consider the status of various aes-thetic concepts such as art, beauty and har-mony. One of my peers challenged Bill’sassumption that one concept in particularqualified as an aesthetic concept. Bill lis-tened — really listened — to this objection;he expressed openness to learning that hisown considered opinion was wrong.In that moment, Bill was not our superi-

or, though he remained our teacher. Bydemonstrating what it is to engage ininquiry humbly, Bill taught us all to keep anopen mind, and to find value in the processof inquiry itself. I remain grateful to Bill forthose lessons, and I do my best to presentmyself to my students in just this way.When I was fortunate to be hired for a

tenure-track position in Geneseo’sPhilosophy Department — to fill the facul-ty line that would be vacated when Billretired — I wrote to Bill and Stacey. Iexpressed my gratitude for all they haddone for me.I began, “I wonder if you know how

much you have shaped my life.” Today, Iwonder if Bill ever knew just how manylives he shaped. I suspect that he did, andI suspect that he felt privileged to havebeen entrusted with the opportunity to doso. In my classroom, in my office, I knowjust how privileged I am to have been

entrusted with the task of doing for mystudents what Bill did for me. Bill helpedme to realize that Geneseo is exactlywhere I am supposed to be.Whether I am teaching humanities, an

upper-level seminar on Plato’s moral psy-chology, or business ethics, I presentmyself to my students as sharing in theirprocess of inquiry. Yes, I have read thetexts many times before and have alreadyconsidered a range of arguments. Butthat doesn’t mean that I have all theanswers. What I do have is a passion forinquiry itself — a sense that there issomething valuable and transformationalin asking questions and carefully consid-ering a broad range of responses. I learnfrom my students as much as they learnfrom me. What I wish they could know is that I

didn’t always have this passion. It had tobe developed and cultivated; it requiredthe influence and model of my teachers. Itrequired Bill.Perhaps some of my students will devel-

op a similar passion and will use it toapproach whatever path of life theychoose. They will listen, consider, andhave the courage to create conditions thatwill have lasting impact. They will take apiece of Bill with them.

“I know just how privilegedI am to have been entrustedwith the task of doing formy students what Bill didfor me.”

— David Levy ’94

Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus Bill Edgar, left, Associate Professor Stacey

Edgar and Associate Professor David Levy ’94 at his Geneseo graduation. Levy keeps the

photo on his office desk at home.

PHOTO PROVIDED

24 geneseo scene

Never teach to a standardized test. You limit the scope and

depth of what you are teaching. A professor shared those

words of wisdom with Jim Colucci ’70/’73 while he was

earning his bachelor’s degree in special education at Geneseo.

He lived by the philosophy throughout his 31 years as a special

education teacher, helping children in elementary and middle

schools in New York and Kansas reach their potential — some-

times beyond what others assumed they could do.

“I treated each of them as individuals,” says Jim.

Jim earned two bachelor’s degrees at Geneseo — psychology and

special education. Geneseo, he says, “was the best of times for me.”

Of course much of that is attributed to meeting the love of his

life while hitchhiking from his apartment in Mt. Morris to campus.

His future wife, Janice Knox ’73, recognized him from class, and

offered him a ride.

“We were married that following August of 1972,” says Jim.

“We had a really good, almost 32-year marriage and I can thank

Geneseo for my wife.”

Janice passed away in 2004.

Jim and Janice both graduated in 1973 with special education

degrees. Jim taught in Ilion, N.Y., before they moved to Janice’s

native Kansas, where they each taught in Pratt and Wichita. Jim

went on to earn a masters’s degree in educational psychology.

Along the way, he helped hundreds of students with physical or

mental disabilities to catch up despite their challenges. Jim says

he made sure the students mastered a skill before moving on and

started with them at their level, not the grade level they were

placed. Maybe it took longer, but those students “got it,” which he

says is all that mattered. Many went on to earn college degrees

and have successful careers, and returned to express their thanks.

“Geneseo was the foundation for my own education, and when I

started getting experience I put up the frame,” says Jim. “I never

forgot that. A lot of my philosophy in teaching and my beliefs in

children came from Geneseo.”

The greatest reward, he says, was seeing a student’s excitement

when he or she learned something that seemed unattainable.

He will always remember a thankful call from the father of a young

girl. He told Jim that doctors said his daughter would never be able to

read. Despite that, he found her laughing in her room, with a book.

She told him, “Mr. Colucci is teaching me to read. This one is funny.”

Now retired, he focuses on his love for music and his children

and grandkids. He plays more than six instruments — mostly folk

and bluegrass — and enjoys experimenting with “finger style,” the

art of playing without a pick, which he learned from a Geneseo

professor nearly 40 years ago.

It’s another example of a small teaching moment that stayed

with him for life. In turn, Jim appreciates the foundation he laid

for his own students.

“I have no regrets. I think I have made a difference in some kids’ lives.

I planted a lot of seeds and a lot of those seeds grew,” says Jim.

Jim ColucciClass of 1970/1973

Home: Wichita, Kan.Graduation years: 1970 and 1973

Degree: Psychology (1970)and elementary education and special education K-12 (1973)

Family: Children — David,Ellen and Jay. Seven grand-children. Wife, Janice Knox’73, who died in 2004.

How you describe Geneseo:A close-knit campus wherestudents and staff havecamaraderie and care aboutone another.

Favorite campus hangout:The Student Union.

Best Geneseo memory:There are many but the bestone is meeting my wife,Janice, the love of my life.

Most important life lessonyou learned at Geneseo:Know how to work hard, playhard and keep the balance.

What you would tellincoming freshmen orgraduating seniors: Seniors: Never give up onfinding your dream job. Goout there to make a differ-ence but remember torespect your fellow workerswho have been there beforeyou. Their wisdom can add tomaking you a better person.

One Cup

ILLU

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RANDOM PROFILE

By Kris Dreessen

Inspired by the idea that

everyone has a story to share,

we offer the “random profile.”

Each issue, we don a blindfold

and throw a dart at a map of

the United States to choose

our state, then take aim again

to choose a lucky alum. We

catch up, relive memories and

share life insight, like we are

talking over coffee.

Up next ... Ontario, Canada.

Could it be you?

ONE CUP

QUICK FACTS

PH

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PR

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Summer 2012 25

26 Alumni event photos

30 Breast cancer fighter

31 The sky’s the limit

32 Class Notes

ALUMNI NEWS

ABOUT THE ARTIST:Dan DiBernardo ’73 loves photographing Americana and aspects of theAmerican culture. “Far Field” shows a landscape of Gettysburg NationalMilitary Park and the Statue of Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, who helpedturn the tide of battle by helping to capture Little Round Top.“I am blessed with being able to see the beauty of form, color and texture

in the everyday,” says DiBernardo, who manages national accounts forGannett Direct Mail Solutions in Lancaster, Pa.

DiBernardo has exhibited his photographs in juried fine art and craftshows in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as galleries in theLancaster area. His images have won several photo contests, including firstplace in the landscape photo category of the Annual Clipper Magazine FineArt & Photography contest.

See more of Dan’s work at www.photoartbydan.comShare your artwork with us! Send a short bio and a link or examples ofyour work to [email protected].

Alumni NewsP

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The Office of Alumni Relationsis always looking for regional event ideas and eventsponsors. Contact the office at [email protected] you would like to work with us on an event.

26 geneseo scene

Upcoming

Alumni Events

GENESEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Long Island region Family Ice Skating and Broomball Event hostedby Kristian Nielson ’99, Michael ’03 and Nicole McGowen ’04Dellavecchia

GENESEO ALUMNI REGIONS

• Albany Region

• Buffalo Region

• Chicago Region

• Colorado Region

• Florida - East Coast Region

• Florida - West Coast Region

• Los Angeles Region

• Long Island Region

• New England Region

• New Jersey – Northern Region

• New York City Region

• North Carolina Region

• Philadelphia/New Jersey –

Southern Region

• Rochester Region

• San Francisco Region

• Syracuse Region

• Washington, D.C. Region

• Westchester/Connecticut

Region

• Community Advocates for

SUNY Geneseo

See who you missed and view more photos of many events!go.geneseo.edu/alumniphotos

Visit our alumni homepage: alumni.geneseo.edu

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Alumni WeekendCoach Shawn Monahan, left, Karin Meuwissen ’03, Leslie Nieble ’11, TracyWangelin ’10, Alyssa Polosky ’11, Khadija (Kiki) Campbell ’11, BrittanyFinkle ’11, Arin Belden ’04 and Coach Scott Hemer.

July 13-15, 2012GENESEO CAMPUSSUMMER REUNIONCelebrating class years ending in 2 or 7 MTC Alumni and all former RAs. GAA Awards to be presented:Honorary MembershipBob O’Donnell

Excellence in Education AwardRoberta Ford ’62

Distinguished Service AwardJohn Gleason ’87

Outstanding Young AlumEric Hinman ’02

August 8, 2012ALBANY REGIONSaratoga Day at the Races

August 18, 2012LONG ISLAND REGIONLong Island Picnic

August 23, 2012ROCHESTER REGIONRed Wings Game (Family Friendly)

Events planned for fall 2012 includethe following regions: Buffalo, Chicago, New Jersey,Washington, D.C., Long Islandand New York City

Sept. 21-23, 2012GENESEO CAMPUSHOMECOMING WEEKENDFeaturing: • 2012 Sports Hall of FameInductees: Richard Woodward ’71 -men’s basketballStanley Janas ’72 - men’s basketballAmy Cleary ’97 - swimmingGriffin Coles ’00 - men’s basketball• Greek Hall of Fame • 140th Anniversary Celebration ofClio Sorority• Alpha Phi Omega AlumniWeekend

October 20-21, 2012GENESEO CAMPUSParents Weekend

Don’t miss out!It is very important that you keepGeneseo informed of your current mailing address. You will receiveevent invitations and notificationsbased on the address we have onfile, the address where this issue of the Scene was mailed. If theaddress on the back of this magazine isn’t up to date, youmight be missing out. Use the cardin this issue to update us, or [email protected].

Men’s Ice Hockey Alumni Weekend

Summer 2012 27

Omega Beta Psi Challenge Weekend and Greek Hall of Fame Recognition.

Men’s Rugby 30th Reunion Jeff Meadows ’82, left, team founder and Emeritus Professor of

English John Hoey, John Truehart ’83 and Jon Culpepper ’86.

Rochester region Geva Theatre Production andAlumni Reception hosted by Bruce Jordan ’66Geva Executive Director Mark Cuddy, left, Bruce Jordan ’66,Dan O’Brien ’73 and President Christopher C. Dahl.

New England region Alumni Networking Reception

Buffalo region Alumni Reception andSabres Game, reception hosted by SteveVanuga ’88 and Steve Sharkey ’95Steve Sharkey ’95, left, Ann Galbraith ’89, SteveVanuga ’89, right, and Michelle Walton Worden’92, Rose Anderson, Tracy Young Gagnier ’93 —all from Alumni Relations.

New York City region exclusive tour of the Museum of the City of New York and luncheon hosted by Carla Warne-Marino ’85

BostonExternshipReceptionhosted by DanSpiess ’90Student externsand alumniexternship volunteers.

New York City region Alumni and Parent Reception hosted by Joseph Carr ’82President Christopher C. Dahl, left, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, DistinguishedTeaching Professor Bill Cook and Joseph Carr ’82.

Arizona Alumni Happy HourMore than 25 Geneseo alumni and friends gathered in Phoenix, thanks to volunteers Sean Martin ’87,Chuck Parsels ’90, Tim Picciott ’08, Greg Fombelle ’06, Tim Tobin ’89 and Heather Bierley Picciott ’09.

28 geneseo scene

New York City region Alumni, Parent & FriendReception hosted by Dan Sharkey ’92Dan Sharkey ’92, Matt Mullaney ’88, Graham Bailey ’88

and John Camiolo ’86 P’14.

Los Angeles region Alumni Reception hosted byBill Simone ’83Jana Simone, left, and Bill Simone ’83.

Suffern, N.Y., Parent and Alumni Receptionhosted by Stephen and Ilene Smith P’14Ilene and Stephen Smith P’14.

New Jersey — Northern region Alumni Happy Hour

These photos are just a sample from the many events on campus and across the country.

To view the complete photo gallery, visitgo.geneseo.edu/alumniphotos

Geneseo alumni homepage: alumni.geneseo.edu

Summer 2012 29

Chicago region Campaign Launch Event and Chicago Externship Reception hosted by Jeff Burkard '89

Regional Campaign Launch Events

Los Angeles region Campaign Launch Event hosted by Robert Muller ’83Frank Vafier ’74, left, Lissy L’Amoreaux ’96, Bob Muller ’83, President Dahl, Ronna Bosko,Jeff Ross ’83, Ben Chin ’00 and Bill Simone ’83.

Right: Colorado region Campaign LaunchEvent sponsored by David Wolf ’97, KristinAllan, Esq ’99, John Rose ’73, Matt Rush ’89

and Lang, Allan & CompanyFrank Vafier ’74, left, Marlene and John ’73 Rose

and Zigrid and Matt ’89 Rush.

Florida — West Coast region Campaign Launch Event hosted by A.D. Scoones ’75David Miller ’90, left, Erin Cooper Parilla ’94, Kevin Gavagan ’75 andJim Sheehan ’71.

North Carolina region Campaign Launch Event hosted byDan Ward ’87, Domenic “Pony” Polzella ’86, John Spencer’86, Devin Van Riper ’05, Bob Hogan ’82 and GeorgeSpeedy ’71Devin Van Riper ’05, left, Brian Murray ’06,

Dominic “Pony” Polzella ’86 and Tom Matthews.

San Francisco region Campaign LaunchEvent hosted by Gerry Rhodes ’74 Chris Rolletta ’91, left, Zach Kearns ’89 and JohnBusher ’89.

30 geneseo scene

Being inthe rightplaces atthe righttimes inher careerhas been agenuineboon for

Dr. Christine T. Mroz ’68 andfor the many women she hascared for as a physician formore than 40 years.She is the medical director

and co-founder of the Mroz-Baier Breast Care Clinic inMemphis, Tenn., but the workshe is doing today as a highlyrespected breast cancer sur-geon was not on her earlycareer radar.Mroz says she planned on

being an English teacher, “butI encountered a couple of sci-

ence faculty members who gotmy attention and put me ontoa different path.”Among them were biology

Professor Daniel Meyer. Hisscience course was requiredwhen Geneseo was transition-

ing into a liberal arts college.Meyer saw her potential andasked if she had consideredmedical school. “I told him no,” said Mroz,

“but Dr. Meyer’s planting thethought into my head was all Ineeded for the turnaround.He convinced me I had theaptitude.”Geneseo had no pre-med

program so Meyer and othersput together a program for

Mroz, and she majored in biol-ogy with a minor in chemistry. At SUNY Upstate Medical

Center in Syracuse, a first visit tothe operating room hooked heron surgery. She entered the sur-gical residency program at the

Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, theonly woman in her class.“I really didn’t feel any dis-

crimination anywhere in mycareer because I was awoman,” said Mroz. “Therewas a general feeling thatwomen were just as capable asmen as physicians.”She pursued general surgery,

and after her residency joineda practice in Memphis withanother Mayo Clinic surgeon.

Because general surgeons typi-cally handled breast cancercases, that became her specialtyand her practice grew quickly.Mroz’s first husband passed

away, and at a grief supportgroup meeting she met busi-nessman Joseph Baier Jr.,whose wife had recently diedof breast cancer and he wantedto help other women survivethe disease. They married andcombined her clinical expert-ise and his business acumen tostart the Mroz-Baier BreastCare Clinic, which serves some6,600 patients a year as one ofthe most successful clinics ofits kind in the country. Mrozherself manages half of thepatients at the clinic each year.“It’s amazing the progress we

have made in breast care thepast couple of decades,” saysMroz. “Radical mastectomyused to be the only treatment,but we now have much lessinvasive surgical proceduresand targeted therapies that areproducing survival rates thatare better than before, andimproved mammography tech-niques are making a differ-ence. I’m quite blessed to beon the ground floor of helpingto develop these newapproaches.”Mroz says the world is winning

battles against cancer, but it’s atough war. About one in eightU.S. women will develop invasivebreast cancer in their lifetime.“It seems to be an ever-

changing disease and probablywill be a problem for a longtime,” she says, “but we are mak-ing strides, especially in breastcancer. Cancer is increasingly amanageable disease.”

— David Irwinclass of ’68Dr. Christine T. Mroz

ALUMNI PROFILE

ALUMNI NEWS

A leader in the fight against breast cancer

“Cancer is increasingly a managable disease.”

— Dr. Christine T. Mroz ’68

PHOTOS PROVIDED

High-flying entrepreneurTony Wiederkehr ’87 personi-fies one of those ubiquitousmotivational posters — thekind that promotes valuesthrough striking photos andpithy messages. In his case,attitude determines altitude.It’s an apt description for

Wiederkehr, who pilots gliderplanes when he’s not workingas president of AeroMech Inc.,the aviation consulting firmhe founded in Everett, Wash.,in 1995. “We focus on flight test

engineering primarily for the general aviation sector,”Wiedekehr said. “The businessjet community is full of indi-viduals who want to customizetheir airplanes.” AeroMech’s client list also

includes worldwide airlines suchas Air Canada and DeltaAirlines, the United States mili-tary, and aerospace companies.Growing up in Balston Lake,

N.Y., Wiederkehr developed hiscareer interest “watching mydad fix and build absolutelyeverything.” That included theircars, house — and a fiberglasssailplane built from scratch. “I remember when Dad

would announce that he wasgoing glider flying and askingwhich of the kids wanted tocome along,” said Wiederkehr.“Whatever was on my scheduledidn’t matter after that!”Not surprisingly, Wiederkehr

was determined to become anaeronautical engineer. As a highschool senior, however, heencountered a roadblock: asolid understanding of physics.His solution was to study physicsbefore going to engineeringschool. Once he discoveredGeneseo and its 3-2 engineeringprogram, his search was over. When he wasn’t in class, lab or

the library, he trained in the gymand weight room with his basket-ball and indoor track team-

mates. He worked in the biologylab, took photos for the Lamronand served as jazz director forWGSU. At night, he worked thedoor at the Inn Between andGentleman Jim’s Tavern. “I tried to do as much as fea-

sible and my professors encour-aged that,” he said.

He went on to earn hisbachelor’s degree in aeronau-tical engineering from TheOhio State University, whichled to his first job with theBoeing Co. in Seattle. Hecredits Geneseo with provid-

ing lifelong lessons, and formeeting his wife, AnnetteOrbinati Wiederkehr ’88, whoalso ran track. “Probably the biggest lesson I

learned is to identify opportuni-ties and take advantage of themnow,” he emphasized. “Don’twait and think the opportunity

will present itself later.”Following his own advice, he

obtained his glider license in1988. He earned a master’sdegree in computational fluiddynamics from the University ofWashington in 1994. Along the

way, he and Annette raisedthree children.In 2004, Wiederkehr discov-

ered a new passion: cross-country ski racing. He joinedhis father in Switzerland tocompete in the EngadinSkimarathon, the world’slargest cross-country skate ski-ing event — and has returnedevery year since. He also com-petes in adventure races in thePacific Northwest.Wiederkehr stays connected to

Geneseo as a Roundtable AthleticAssociation board member andphysics alumnus to help mentorstudents. In 2010, the GeneseoAlumni Association honored himwith its Professional AchievementAward.“Returning to campus is always

an enjoyable experience,” hesaid. “The memories come backquickly, almost overwhelmingly. Iremember the people most of all… they made Geneseo what itwas, and what it is, for me.”

— Anthony T. Hoppa

class of ’87Tony Wiederkehr

Summer 2012 31

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

“Probably the biggest lesson I learned is to

identify opportunities and take advantage

of them now … Don’t wait and think the

opportunity will present itself later.”

— Tony Wiederkehr ’87

:Watch highlights of the 2012 Engadin Skimarathon at go.geneseo.edu/engadin

32 geneseo scene

increase customer loyalty. DavidJuzwick was recently promoted toregional sales executive atBlueCross Blue Shield of NorthCarolina in Chapel Hill. ThomasKudarauskas and Karen DingaKudarauskas ’94 are happy toannounce their marriage on Dec.22, 2011, in Atlanta, where they live.

1991Jacqueline Ballard Fisher is thefounder and chief corporate offi-cer for KC Edventures LLC, awebsite that helps parents, educa-tors and visitors to Kansas City dis-cover fun and learning adven-tures. Pamela Nitto Kurkoskiwas recently promoted to curricu-lum specialist from speech-lan-guage pathologist/professionaldevelopment at Atlanta SpeechSchool in Atlanta.

1992Celebrating their 20th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Dr. Michael Cairo’s book, “TheGulf: The Bush Presidencies andthe Middle East,” will be pub-lished by the University Press ofKentucky. It is the inaugural bookin the new UPK series “Studies inConflict, Diplomacy, and Peace.”Cairo is an associate professor ofpolitical science at TransylvaniaUniversity in Lexington, Ky. KristiNiemeyer Graff recently accept-ed a position at NBC Universal inNew York City as executive assis-tant to the chief financial officer.

1993Christopher Dailey was recentlypromoted to deputy superintend-ent at Batavia (N.Y.) City SchoolDistrict and will become thesuperintendent of schools inJanuary 2013.

1994Jennifer Fosberry recently hadher children’s book, “Isabella:Girl on the Go,” reach numbereight on the The New York Times

1940sAnna M. Baan ’45, a longtimelibrarian for private and publicschools and corporate and mili-tary libraries, is enjoying retiredlife and connecting and playingbridge with alumni from the1960s who spend the winter nearher home in Sun City, Fla.

1960sJoseph Ridky ’63 recentlyretired from the MontgomeryCounty Public Schools inMaryland, where he was a psy-chologist and head of psychologi-cal services for 33 years.

1970sClass of 1972 — celebratingtheir 40th reunion and Classof 1977 — celebrating their35th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Jim Sanford ’72 retired afterserving more than 38 years withthe Department of the Army asmilitary and as a civilian. Hespent his career at AberdeenProving Ground in Maryland in avariety of positions and finishedhis career as director of risk man-agement for the AssembledChemical Weapons AlternativesProgram. Jane Edmister Penner’73 will serve as librarian for thefall Semester at Sea voyage“Atlantic Exploration,” in whichcollege students earn credits attheir home institutions by attend-ing classes while exploringEurope, South America andAfrica on a live-aboard ship. Janehas been a librarian at theUniversity of Virginia for 24 years.Dennis O’Connor ’79 recentlyearned professional accreditationas a certified member from theAmerican Association of AirportExecutives. After completingmanagerial staff positions at threeairports and a year of flight dutyfor a sightseeing tour overHollywood, he is the airport man-ager for the Hardeman County-Bolivar airport in Tennessee.

1980sClass of 1982 — celebratingtheir 30th reunion and Classof 1987 — celebrating their25th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Bill Shelp ’83 and BonnalinnMyers are happy to announcetheir marriage on Jan. 28, 2012.Denise Reed Lamoreaux ’84 isprogram director for HewlettPackard’s Learning andDevelopment Coaching andMentoring Global Connections,which she developed. Denise is acertified executive leadershipcoach and a senior-level trainer atHewlett Packard. HeatherGehring Garbarino ’86 traveledto Bhutan to participate in a med-ical mission. She worked with aninternational team of doctors andnurses as they performed cleft lipand palate surgeries. JenniferYost Kretovic ’86 was elected toCity Council in Concord, N.H.Sheryl Leonard ’86 was one of29 finalists for 2012 Oklahoma’sTop Executive AssistantsHonorees. Christopher Dufour’87 recently accepted a positionat The Sloan Consortium inNewburyport, Mass., as a businessdevelopment representative. Hewas previously employed at PennState University as an educationalplanning and strategy manager.Michael Chiulli ’88 and NanetteMiller are happy to announcetheir marriage on March 17,2012, in Geneseo, N.Y., wherethey live. Several other alumnifrom the 1980s and 1990s attend-ed the wedding. JacquelynHibbard ’89 was ordained as aminister in the United Church ofChrist and is serving as the clini-cal manager at ColoradoCommunity Hospice in Denver.

1990Gareld “Lee” Gallagher authoredhis second book, “PrecisionMarketing: Maximizing RevenueThrough Relevance.” It focuses onbest marketing practices in deliver-ing relevant marketing campaigns,which drive top line results and

ClassNotesbest-seller list during the week ofApril 1, 2012. The story is abouthow a day in Isabella’s backyardtakes her around the world.Karen Dinga Kudarauskas andThomas Kudarauskas ’90 arehappy to announce their mar-riage on Dec. 22, 2011, in Atlanta,where they live. Michael Rogersis the principal investigator on arecently awarded NationalScience Foundation grant of $1.2million to Ithaca College inIthaca, N.Y., to prepare 18 addi-tional physics and mathematicshigh school teachers who willteach in high-needs schools.Jason Smith was appointedsuperintendent of schools at theLyndonville (N.Y.) Central SchoolDistrict.

1995John Dow was recently promotedto vice president of the PressOffice at the John F. KennedyCenter for the Performing Arts inWashington, D.C. KevinGallagher is the chief financialofficer at the Cooney WatersGroup Inc., a healthcare communi-cations business in New York City.

1996Jonathan Hickey recently accept-ed a position with New York StateUnited Teachers in Rochester, N.Y.,as a labor relations specialist. AprilAndrews Kehoe is a high schoolEnglish as a Second Languageteacher and was recently recertifiedby the National Board forProfessional Teaching. PatrickKelly and Julie Bassett Kelly areproud to announce the birth of ababy girl, Evie Noelle, born on Dec.20, 2011, in Maine.

1997Celebrating their 15th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Stephanie Austria and JohnTigue are happy to announcetheir marriage on Oct. 15, 2011.Belinda Lincoln Cole andMatthew Cole are proud to

ALUMNI NEWS

Summer 2012 33

Scene around the world

Anna Mellace ’10 viewing the sunrise over Mt.Bromo in East Java, Indonesia.

Shannon Rabideau ’08 andKasey Hundt ’06 onProvidenciales, Turks andCaicos in May 2011.

Christine Anderson Williams’84 at the leaning Tower ofPisa in Italy.

Chip Ryan ’73 and his wife,Bobbie, in Red Square, Moscow,during a Russian river cruisefrom St. Petersburg to Moscow.

John Wischhusen ’90, left, and Dr. Jason Heller ’91 in Amsterdam.

Submit your images to [email protected] with a subject line of“Scene Around the World.” See the complete photo gallery atgo.geneseo.edu/goworld.

Carol Freund ’78 climbing the SolheimajokullGlacier on the Katla volcano in Iceland.

announce the birth of a baby boy,Brogan Finnegan (“Finn”), bornon June 27, 2011, in Rochester,N.Y. Danielle LangtonEllingston and Damon Ellingstonare proud to announce the birthof a baby girl, Persephone JeneferEllingston, born on Feb. 18, 2011.Danielle recently accepted a posi-tion at the Washington StateDepartment of Commerce inSeattle as a state trade and exportpromotion grant manager. TiffaniKaminski received a master’sdegree in secondary educationfrom the University of New Havenon Jan. 14, 2012. Her first mas-ter’s degree was in cellular andmolecular biology. RogerMattioli and Isabel Mattioli areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Diego Gonzalo, born onJan. 31, 2011, in Charlottesville,Va. Roger was recently assigned asthe U.S. Marine Corps ForcesEurope/Africa Staff JudgeAdvocate in Stuttgart, Germany.Jennifer Norton and MichaelGreenberg are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Jonah Nathaniel Greenberg, bornon Sept. 4, 2011.

1998Mark Backofen and his wife,Victoria, are proud to announce thebirth of a baby girl, Brooke Ann,born on July 5, 2011, in Dallas.Michelle Blakemore Faroniaccepted a position at TheFurniture Trust, a nonprofit organi-zation in Boston, as manager ofeducation and outreach. Sherecently was employed at Fort PointProject Management as projectmanager. Kristin Ford Cyre andJeff Cyre are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, Kaitlyn Ann,born on Nov. 5, 2011. DavidFriedman and Norman Candelarioare happy to announce their mar-riage on March 23, 2012, in Bronx,N.Y., where they reside. Todd Gohoand Lisa Goho are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Allison Grace, born on Dec. 9,2011, in Rochester, N.Y. Toddrecently accepted a position atAlfred-Almond (N.Y.) ElementarySchool as principal. MarybethPage Moses and James Moses areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Andrew James, born onFeb. 23, 2012, in Billings, Mont.

Sandi Gutmanstein Hoffman ’87 scuba diving in Belize at TurneffeAtoll, on a site called Aldo’s Anchor.

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI NEWS

34 geneseo scene

1999Cara McKay Barnwell and DanBarnwell are proud to announcethe birth of their daughter, MollyClaire, born on Dec. 25, 2011.Emily Clasper is the system oper-ations and training manager atSuffolk Cooperative Library Systemand was named by Library Journal asa 2012 “Mover and Shaker” forexcellence in technology leadershipwithin libraries. Maureen KesslerDiehl and Richard Diehl are proudto announce the birth of a babygirl, Abigail Marie, born on May 3,2010, in Buffalo, N.Y. MollyDinneen and Jordan Thomsen areproud to announce the birth of ababy girl, Avery Erin Thomsen,born on June 27, 2011, in New YorkCity. Kathleen Park West andBrian Ward were married on Jan.15, 2011, in Rochester, N.Y. Theyare proud to announce the birth ofa baby girl, Cecelia Mae, born onJuly 2, 2011, in Rochester.

2000Kyle Carter and Erin Carter areproud to announce the birth of ababy girl, Emma Rose, born on July17, 2011, in Lansing, Mich. ErickaUtegg Graves and Adam Gravesare proud to announce the birth ofa baby boy, Evan Joseph Graves,born on Feb. 6, 2012, in Corning,N.Y. Kelly O’Coyne Huss andJoseph Huss are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Joseph Blase, born on Nov. 16,2011, in Canandaigua, N.Y. GailLovette and Joseph Racine areproud to announce the birth of ababy girl, Violet James LovetteRacine, born on Nov. 27, 2011, inCharlottesville, Va. ChristinaLaycock Perrotta ’00 and TimPerrotta, of Rochester, N.Y., arepleased to announce the birth oftheir daughter, Molly Angeline,born Feb. 1, 2012. Cristina is anevent coordinator for WegmansFood Markets, Inc. Anne PopeStacy and John Stacy are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Trinity Helen Margaret, born onNov. 21, 2011, in Rome, N.Y.Stephanie Janosick Vitale and

Nicholas Vitale are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Sophia Grace, born on Aug. 11,2011.

2001Kathryn DeFilippo received a mas-ter of science degree in higher edu-cation and student affairs adminis-tration from Buffalo State Collegeand accepted a position at MedailleCollege in Amherst, N.Y., as a finan-cial aid counselor. Erin Barry Lamand Joseph Lam are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,

Brayden Joseph. He was born onFeb. 6, 2012. Gary A. Marshall, Jr.is an associate with GoldbergSegalla LLP in the firm’s GardenCity, N.Y., office, representingclients in general litigation. His legalexperience includes personal injuryinvolving auto accidents and laborlaw. He received his law degree fromSt. John’s University School of Law.Adam Tabelski and RachaelTabelski are proud to announce thebirth of a baby boy, Adrian Matthew,born on March 13, 2012.

2002Celebrating their 10th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Kelly Crane Jobin and RobertJobin are happy to announce theirmarriage on June 18, 2011. Kelly isa housing coordinator forSchenectady Community ActionPartners in New York state.Christopher Kvam accepted aposition as an assistant district attor-ney with Monroe County inRochester, N.Y. Lisa Cloen Pratt isproud to announce the birth of a

baby, Kamden Christopher, bornon Jan. 1, 2012. Lisa also recentlyearned National BoardCertification in literacy: early andmiddle childhood. MeganCarlucci Zarchy is serving as theNassau Music EducatorsAssociation 2012 Division 2Orchestra chairperson in additionto serving as the Long Island StringFestival Association newsletter edi-tor for her second year. She begana two-year term as NMEA Division 2vice president last April. She isresponsible for organizing the 6thGrade All-County Music Festival.

2003Amanda Bogucki Caminiti andJordan Caminiti are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Mayanna Lynn, born on May 1,2011, in Rochester, N.Y. AnthonyCook III recently accepted theposition of principal at SetonCatholic School in Rochester, N.Y.He was previously employed atAquinas Institute as the dean ofstudents and an eighth-gradesocial studies teacher. KristineDugolinsky Cropper-Alt andZachary Cropper-Alt ’04 areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Chase Douglas, born onSept. 20, 2011, in Middletown,Conn. Amber Lynn StoiberMiller and Eric Miller are proudto announce the birth of a babygirl, Margaret Anne, born on Jan.24, 2012, in Buffalo, N.Y. CarrieEmery O’Leary and JonathanO’Leary are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, MaggieRose, born on Sept. 18, 2011, inNiskayuna, N.Y. Bradford Reidrecently accepted a position at

Ward Greenberg Heller & ReidyLLP in Rochester, N.Y., as an asso-ciate. Christine Crowley Scottand Mark Scott are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Liam James, born on Dec. 5,2011, in Rochester, N.Y. JeffreySmith Jr. and Linda Smith areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Jack Martin, born onAug. 30, 2011, in Rochester, N.Y.

2004Zachary Cropper-Alt andKristine Dugolinsky Cropper-Alt ’03 are proud to announcethe birth of a baby boy, ChaseDouglas, born on Sept. 20, 2011,in Middletown, Conn. SharonHysick Ambrose assisted as aresearcher for the book “BeingGeorge Washington” by GlennBeck. Johanna SchaeferDenniston and Dr. KyleDenniston are happy toannounce their marriage on Oct.15, 2011, in Albany, N.Y. Theyreside in Omaha, Neb. JillCarney Holcomb graduated witha master’s degree in businessadministration from JacksonvilleUniversity in Florida. TreJerdon-Cabrera and CristhiansCabrera are happy to announcetheir marriage on May 28, 2011,in Greenbelt, Md. They reside inLaurel, Md. Tre was recentlyadmitted to the University ofMaryland’s master’s of social workprogram, where he will concen-trate in management and commu-nity organization and specialize insocial action and communitydevelopment. Sara VosePhilipson and Brent Philipsonare proud to announce the birthof a baby girl, Jocelyn Belle, bornon Jan. 27, 2011, in Chapel Hill,N.C. Evelyn Rodriguez receiveda master’s degree in social workin May 2010 from City Universityof New York Lehman College.Rob Sanford is a sixth-gradeteacher at Honeoye Falls-LimaCentral (N.Y.) School District.

2005Jeffrey Chien recently accepted aposition at Bio-Optronics inRochester, N.Y., as an informationtechnology manager. He wasrecently employed at Windstreamas a product support technician.

2011 brought back more than 800 alumni!Register now at www.geneseo.edu/reunion or

Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at

585-245-5506 or e-mail: [email protected].

July 13 -15, 2012

SummerReunion

admitted to practice in New Yorkstate in February 2011. EmilyMcDonald McDonnell and JoeMcDonnell, a former U.S. Armyservice member, are happy toannounce their marriage on Aug.14, 2011. They reside in Albany,N.Y. Jaclyn Lemp Munio andJustin Munio are happy toannounce their marriage on July31, 2011, in Sayville, N.Y. Theyreside in Mansfield, Mass. JohnSeifts is a reading teacher at Rome(N.Y.) City School District’s StroughMiddle School. Andrew Sigond isa hospital and community servicesspecialist at the Center forDonation & Transplant in Albany,N.Y., where he works closely withhospitals and communities to pro-mote and enable organ and tissuedonation.

2008Heather Macaluso Di Fino andJoseph Di Fino are happy toannounce their marriage on Nov.5, 2011, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral inBuffalo, N.Y. Several Geneseo alum-ni participated. Maria Korogodskyand Joshua Manley are happy toannounce their marriage on Sept.17, 2011, in Hamilton, N.Y.Clayton D. Waterman, an associ-ate in the Global InsuranceServices Practices Group ofGoldberg Segalla LLP, has beenadmitted to the New York State Bar.He focuses his practice on insur-ance coverage analysis and reinsur-ance and is a frequent contributorto the law firm’s newsletter andblog. Caitlin Curran accepted aposition at New York StateInsurance Fund in Melville, N.Y., asa case manager.

2009Larkin Kimmerer received a mas-ter’s degree in nutrition and amaster’s degree in public healthfrom Tufts University in 2011 andis a programs manager atFoodlink Inc. in Rochester, N.Y.Denyel Beiter Koury and

Timothy Koury are happy toannounce their marriage on July29, 2011 in Gasport, N.Y. Theyreside in Lockport, N.Y. Denyelrecently accepted a position atNiagara County CommunityCollege in Sanborn, N.Y., as thealumni development specialist.Sean Roche received a master’sdegree in criminal justice fromNortheastern University in Bostonin January 2012. Jennifer Wolfe-Hagstrom will attend SilbermanSchool of Social Work at HunterCollege in the fall.

2010Natalie Thorpe recently accepted aposition at Lumsden &McCormick LLP in Buffalo, N.Y.,as a staff accountant.

2011Nicholas Duell recently accepted aposition at Chicopee ComprehensiveHigh School (Mass.) as a chemistryteacher.

IN MEMORIAMALUMNIClaribel Sutton Easton ’32,March 6, 2012Helen Howard Minster ’34, Oct. 7, 2011Dora Leach Ferguson ’37, March 3, 2012James Jackson ’38, Feb. 18, 2012Viola Keem Gorruso ’39, Aug. 13,2011Elizabeth Kniffin Johnston ’39,Nov. 29, 2011Mary Saunders Saeger ’39, Feb. 5, 2012Phyllis Fox Higgins’40, April 21,2012.Marian Murphy Hines ’42, Dec. 2,2011Marjorie Jayne McLymond ’43,July 1, 2011Frances Irvine Gage ’46, Jan. 29,2012Janet Rose Straub ’47, Dec. 22,2011Robert Hall ’51, March 8, 2012

Summer 2012 35

Submit your class note or notice atgo.geneseo.edu/classnote

Submit your class note or notice atgo.geneseo.edu/classnote

Carly Wisotzke Dlugoszewskiand Chad Dlugoszewski are proudto announce the birth of a babyboy, Mark Christopher, born onFeb. 5, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C.Jonathan Kaplan recently becamethe owner of LeRoy DiscountLiquor & Wine in LeRoy, N.Y.Logan Rath was recently promotedto resource sharing librarian fromdigital services librarian at TheCollege at Brockport, StateUniversity of New York. ZacharyStaff and Betsy Staff are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Hayden Andrew, born on Nov. 8,2011, in Binghamton, N.Y. JenniferStone Ward and Kevin Ward ’06are proud to announce the birth ofa baby, Chloe Justine, born on Nov.8, 2011, in Tampa, Fla.

2006Andrew Guignon and KatherineHinman Guignon ’07 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Sean Robert, born on Sept. 25,2011. Kevin Ward and JenniferStone Ward ’05 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby,Chloe Justine, born on Nov. 8,2011, in Tampa, Fla. AshleyWilson Wiese and Michael Wieseare proud to announce the birth ofa baby girl, Kimberly Claire, bornon Nov. 28, 2011, in Tampa, Fla.Ashley earned a master’s degree ineducational leadership and policystudies from the University ofSouth Florida in 2011.

2007Celebrating their 5th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Amy Williams Di Bari andJeremy Di Bari are happy toannounce their marriage on July23, 2011, in Lake George, N.Y.They reside in Cortland, N.Y. Thewedding party included other 2007alumni. Katherine Hinman andAndrew Guignon ’06 are proudto announce the birth of a babyboy, Sean Robert, born on Sept. 25,2011. Jenna Nigro Gutman andKevin Gutman are happy toannounce their marriage on Sept.24, 2011, in Montauk, N.Y. Therewere more than 30 fellow Geneseoalumni present. Lauren Holupkorecently joined Towne, Ryan &Partners, P.C. in Albany, N.Y., as anassociate attorney. Lauren was

Shirley Eaton ’57, Jan. 29, 2012Elizabeth Marshall McCadden’58, Jan. 8, 2012Jean Ahlers Witzel ’58, March 30,2012Judith Wolcott Stasch ’59, Nov. 3, 2011Gary Lavigne ’62, Feb. 24, 2012Joanne Reina ’66, Dec. 8, 2011Terrin Hover ’67, July 28, 2011Elizabeth Hubbell Sommerfield’68, Dec. 21, 2011Francis Basta ’69, Feb. 26, 2012Eleanor McDonald Frank ’69, July25, 2011James Howland ’69, Nov. 25, 2011Thomas Hempton ’72, Jan. 14,2012Donna Steele Wright ’73, Nov. 2,2011Janet Foster ’74, Dec. 13, 2011Teresa Craig Altmann ’75, Nov. 8,2011Barbara Thomas Russell ’75, July3, 2011Winona Snyder ’75, Feb. 28, 2012Alan Manning ’80, Sept. 20, 2011Michael Sementilli ’84, Oct. 19,2011Lori Waterhouse Cheal ’88, Feb.10, 2012Jennifer Amie Napuli Fraidstern’99, April 8, 2012George Stoltman ’03, Jan. 29, 2012

FACULTYHelen Foster, professor emerita,died Nov. 23, 2011. In her 36 yearsat Geneseo from 1957 to 1993, sheserved as acting chair and chair ofthe Special Education Department.

James Jackson ’38, professoremeritus of education, died Feb.18, 2012. He was principal of theformer lab school from 1965 to1971, when he became a full-timeprofessor in the Department ofEducation. He retired in 1973.

Linda Kirkwood, lecturer emeritaof music, died Jan. 19, 2012. Shetaught viola and chamber music inthe School of the Arts for 34 yearsand retired in September 2011.

Richard Reilly, associate professoremeritus in biology, died Feb. 8,2012. A faculty member for 35 yearsuntil his retirement in 1995, he wasinstrumental in establishing what isnow the Spencer J. RoemerArboretum.

36 geneseo scene

PH

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BY

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AIR

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A-D

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: View school photos and Jeanine’sNicaragua blog at go.geneseo.edu/minitas

Since 2006, Geneseo students havemade a difference volunteering in ElSauce, Nicaragua, living with families as

they gain new perspective helping with com-munity development initiatives as part of thecollege’s growing service-learning program. Most recently, students, alumni, staff and

supporters of the unique partnership unit-ed to help families in nearby Las Minitasrealize a dream — to open the first-everschool in their community.“It has been a really amazing experience

to come together for something so impor-tant to the future of another community,”says Kellan Morgan ’06, Geneseo’s residentdirector in El Sauce. “People in LasMinitas have been dedicated to improvingtheir lives for years and they’ve been suc-cessful with little formal education. Theschool brings a sense of pride.”Children from Las Minitas used to have

to walk at least 45 minutes on mountainpaths and roads to class in another settle-ment. Families — who are subsistence and

small-crop coffee farmers — petitioned thegovernment for four years to get their ownteacher. At first, he taught in a backyard.Fathers then built a shelter using salvagedwood, but without access to otherresources, families would never have a per-manent school.Morgan and Yacarely Mairena-Davila, an

El Sauce volunteer, headed up effortsthrough Enlace Project, a nonprofit organ-ization they created to assist economicdevelopment in El Sauce.Last fall, the group raised $11,500 —

$5,000 more than the goal — to build a one-room, brick school house for 37 children ingrades 1-6. Geneseo students held an a capel-la concert, backyard barbecue and a SpanishClub spelling bee to support it. Alumna Jeanine Stewart Lupisella ’87/MS

’92 and her husband, Robert Lupisella —who are elementary school principals nearGeneseo — created a Nickels for Nicaraguacampaign in their schools and raised thou-sands with bottle drives and other efforts.Inspired by Geneseo’s partnership with ElSauce, they not only raised money, theyspent a month with their daughters,Caroline, 6, and Elise, 8, building the schoolalongside Morgan, families and other volun-teers, including Scene editor Kris Dreessen.Jeanine’s son Brian also helped.“One of my lifetime goals has been to

help as many children as possible have theopportunity to receive a free education. Ibelieve it is one of the keys to understand-ing differences, tolerance and eventualpeace in our world,” says JeanineLupisella. “My family wanted to immerseourselves in the project. This experienceenabled us to learn in a way that cannot bereplicated in a school or our home.”Adapting to life without electricity or run-

ning water and a daily diet of rice and beanswas a challenge, but it became easy to over-come the lack of luxuries we take for grant-ed, says Lupisella. They have made lifelongfriends and will always reflect on the influ-ence El Sauce had on them, she says.“The experience is an anchor to our

family life,” says Lupisella. The Lupisellasare now leading efforts to build a school innearby El Guayabo.On Feb. 11, Las Minitas families gath-

ered for the official opening to share inthe celebration with Morgan, Lupisellaand other volunteers. It was rewarding,says Lupisella, to see the kids so excited.With the extra money raised, volunteerswere able to equip the school withresources not typically found inNicaraguan elementary schools — morethan 200 books, wall maps and other sup-plies. A latrine and fence are being built.It has been a true collaborative effort

that demonstrates Geneseo’s belief in giv-ing to others and being leaders in thecommunity. Each year, the experiencesthat students — and now alumni — havein El Sauce build interest in the vision tohelp a lesser-developed community achieveits goals, says Morgan.

Building opportunities in Nicaragua

By Kris Dreessen

MISSION DRIVEN

Geneseo alumni, students and staff unite to help open the first school in a mountain community.

Jeanine Stewart Lupisella ’87/MS ’92, left, Kellan Morgan ’06 and Scene editor Kris Dreessen celebrate the elementary school they and other volunteers built in El Sauce, Nicaragua, duringthe official opening in February.

Jane Mannheim Claud ’69/MLS’70

Giving back for thestrong foundationGeneseo provided

Jane Mannheim Claud ’69/MLS’70 wanted to

be a librarian since seventh grade. Her librari-

an was a role model and her guide to books,

which opened new worlds.

“There is always something different that is

given to you,” says Jane. “… Books take you every-

where you want to go.”

At Geneseo, Jane says she received the solid

education and mastered the skills to be successful

in her career for 33 years — flexibility, the ability to

understand other people’s perspectives, and will-

ingness to be a leader and team worker.

For many years after graduation, she helped

Geneseo High School students develop their love for

research and reading and proudly collaborated with

Milne Library staff. Jane later moved to Pompano

Beach, Fla., serving as a middle-school librarian until

2006.

“What I cherished most were the times I

turned a kid onto reading,” she says. “The times

when a kid who really didn’t think there were

any books for them found there was not just

one book but many.”

Jane has attended Geneseo alumni events since

1985. While attending a Shaping Lives of Purpose:

The Campaign for Geneseo event last fall, she was

inspired by a fellow alumna’s gift to the campaign.

“I felt I had a duty to give back. I decided

Geneseo is the best place. It gave me a very good

start in life,” says Jane. “Geneseo is not only my

college but it was my home for many years. It’s

part of my blood.”

Jane has arranged for a gift to the college

through her estate and makes annual contribu-

tions for initiatives at Milne Library. For 2012, she is

supporting LILAC2, the award-winning Library

Instruction Leadership Academy, which provides

intensive mentoring and training on teaching

methods to school, college and public librarians in

the region. Specifically, her gift will be put toward

fees for the lead presenter, an education professor

whose expertise in pedagogical theory provides

the academy's foundational structure.

Jane is proud to help a new generation of

librarians make the most of resources for students.

“It feels like a legacy,” she says.

By Kris Dreessen

PHOTO BY SUSAN STOCKER

:Make a difference ...visit campaign.geneseo.edu

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son’s or daughter’s Scene —and alums, use the information card

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