Lightning Summer 04 - Lehman College

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STUDENTS BRING HOME TOP PRIZES
IN NATIONAL COMPETITION ............ 2
ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER CELEBRATION
SET TO BEGIN ON CAMPUS .............. 3
‘04 GRADUATES SHARE ACHIEVEMENT
WITH THEIR FAMILIES ....................... 4
NEW SPEECH CLINIC HELPS
STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY .... 6
MORE STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD
AS LANGUAGE OFFERINGS GROW .... 7
‘LEHMAN HONORS’ AND U.N.
RECEPTIONS ................................ 8-9
AN AMAZING SEASON FOR LEHMAN
ATHLETICS–AND MORE TO COME ... 10
TWO LIVES CRISSCROSS IN STRUGGLE
AND RECOGNITION ........................ 13
ALUMNI NEWS ........................ 14-15
‘The Protectors’
This gargoyle rose to the occasion
for Lehman art major Patricia
Guardado. See page 2.
LEHMAN COLLEGE
The City University of New York
250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx, New York 10468
www.lehman.edu
L EHMAN
L I G H T N I N G ○
Summer/Fall 2004
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Lehman Honors Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi
President Fernández leads the applause at Lehman Center
as Shirin Ebadi accepts the Lehman Leadership Award.
World Peace was the focus at Lehman
this May with two back-to-back
events. At a United Nations reception
May 23, the College honored Iranian human
rights activist Shirin Ebadi, who was on her first
trip to the United States since winning the 2003
Nobel Peace Prize. The next day, a campus
symposium featured a keynote address by Mrs.
Ebadi as well as noted speakers from the worlds of
diplomacy and academia. During the symposium,
Lehman President Ricardo R. Fernández presented
Mrs. Ebadi with the Lehman Leadership
Award for advancing “the march toward peace.”
The College has also established the Shirin Ebadi
Peace Scholarship in her honor.
One of Iran’s first female judges, Mrs. Ebadi
was president of the Tehran city court from 1975
to 1979, but was forced to resign after the Iranian
revolution in 1979. She now works as a lawyer and
teaches at the University of Tehran.
With Islam as her starting point, she campaigns
for peaceful solutions to social problems
and argues for an interpretation of Islamic law
that is in harmony with equality before the law,
religious freedom and freedom of speech. She has
defended victims in several controversial political
cases.
Both the reception and the symposium were
cosponsored with the International Health
Awareness Network, which works to improve
women's healthcare in developing nations.
See page 9 for more on the U.N. reception ◆
‘It is only through awareness,
knowledge and education that
one can start to change
deep-rooted and wrongful
traditions….With every girl’s
school that is established, we are
taking one step toward the
higher and better civilization.’
— Shirin Ebadi,
Lehman College, May 2004
Double Lehman Degrees
For the Bucaj Twins
Like many twins, Violeta (left) and Vera
Bucaj have a lot in common, including
interests, friends and, in their case, two
Lehman degrees. The children of
Albanian immigrants, both Violeta and
Vera received psychology degrees from
Lehman in 1995, and this June they
earned their master’s in literacy studies.
After teaching first grade for five years,
both still work in local public schools, but
in different capacities—and different
schools. Each aspires to become a
principal or assistant principal. See pages
4 and 5 for more on the dreams and
accomplishments of the Class of 2004.

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2
Warren Rosenberg ‘76:
Helping Us Understand
Science and Technology
Dr. Warren Rosenberg ‘76, the
Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs at Iona College,
returned to his alma mater this
year to speak about science and
technological literacy, a program he
helped to implement at Iona.
“There is a difference between
science and technology,” he said.
“Science is an enterprise that seeks
to explain how the natural world
works and technology is the
application of scientific knowledge
to the solution of problems.”
He explained that using technology
appropriately to address social
problems requires citizens to engage
in civic debates about expected
benefits, risks and costs, while at
the same time understanding that
there will be unexpected benefits,
risks and costs.
As informed citizens, he said, we
aim to minimize risks and maximize
benefits, and this can be done
through either manipulating the
technology or regulating its use, for
example through legislation for
products like DDT, antibiotics,
cellular phones and automobiles.
Lehman College of The City University of New
York is located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard
West, Bronx, NY 10468. Anne Johnson, Vice
President for Institutional Advancement; Barbara
Smith, Director of Alumni Relations.
Lehman Lightning is produced in the Office of
Media Relations and Publications.
Editor: Marge Rice
Staff: Keisha-Gaye Anderson, Barbara
Cardillo, Linda Hargraves, Florian Penev and
Yeara Milton.
Lehman Students Bring Home Top Prizes
In National Arts Club Competition
Once again Lehman College art students
have walked away with prizes from the
National Arts Club Annual Student
Exhibition and Competition, which features
works from students in the tri-state area. Patricia
Guardado and Veronica E. Mason joined
previous Lehman students who have impressed
judges with their work. Patricia, who graduated
with a B.A. in art this spring, was awarded the
Wardine V. Frazier Award for “The Protectors,” a
gargoyle sculpture. “I’ve always liked gargoyles
because they depict a range of human emotion
and that’s what I wanted to capture in this
piece,” she says.
Initially a psychology major, Patricia changed
gears after just one art class. She served as
president of the Art Club at Lehman and intends
to pursue a master’s degree in education.
Veronica, who graduated this spring with a
Master of Fine
Arts degree,
received the
Marguerite R.
Jossel Award for
her work, “Biomorphic
Forms.”
She found
inspiration for
her work from
the life of her
mother, who
Veronica Mason and her sculpture,
"Biomorphic Forms."
died in 1984.
“My mother was
President Bush Thanks Lehman Center's Rich McKeon
For His Service as a 'Banker–Teacher'
President George W. Bush has honored Lehman
Center Chairperson Richard McKeon for his
service as a member of the "Banking on Our
Future HOPE Corps," a financial literacy
initiative of Operation Hope, a nonprofit
working in eight states and the District of
Columbia.
During school hours and in after-school
programs, Rich teaches fifth- through twelfthgrade
students about how to open and balance a
checking or savings account, create a budget,
maintain good credit and invest for the future.
The goal is to make them better able to manage
their own financial futures.
To encourage student involvement, he designs
projects in which students pretend to purchase
stock, follow the financial markets and report on
Patricia Guardado with her sculpture, "The Protectors."
full of vigor—tall and majestic,” she explains. “She
carried her weight with pride, and it is her
solidity, stature, and size that is reflected in my
work.”
Originally from Curaçao, Veronica grew up in
Antigua, but moved to the United States in her
early twenties. After the deaths of her mother and
husband, she decided to pursue a degree in
nursing but at the suggestion of a friend attended
a ceramics class and soon changed her major. She
plans to pursue a teaching career and will
continue to work on her art.
Professor Janet Skolnik, who teaches both
students, has been involved with the National Arts
Club competition for the past seven years. She
says that both women have been successful
because, like most artists, they create work with a
personal voice to explain their passion. Patricia
and Veronica credit the art faculty as a source of
guidance and inspiration. ◆
their investments
during the semester.
“Nothing is more
rewarding," Rich says,
"than seeing kids
understand the basics
of money and how
their eyes light up
when they get the fact
that this is information
they will use their
President Bush thanks Rich
McKeon for his service.
entire lives.” A 2003
survey showed that test
scores of 35 students in the Dearborn After-
School Academy improved by 700 percent
following four weeks of Banking on Our Future
sessions with volunteer banker-teachers. ◆

Photo courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center
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Campus Set to Join in National Celebration
Of Isaac Bashevis Singer Centennial
This fall, Lehman will celebrate the 100 th
anniversary of the birth of Nobel Prizewinning
author Isaac Bashevis Singer
with a series of movie screenings, lectures,
discussions and exhibitions, as well as a musical
lecture by the world-famous Yiddish folk music
authority Zalmen Mlotek. All events are free and
open to alumni as well as the community.
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Sixty libraries and institutions across the
country, including Lehman, have been awarded
grants for the program—entitled "Becoming an
American Writer: The Life and Works of Isaac
Bashevis Singer"— from the Library of America
and the American Library Association, with
support from the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Singer, the seventh American writer to win the
Nobel Prize for Literature, was born in Leoncin,
Poland, in 1904 and moved to Warsaw in 1923
and then to New York City in 1935. He wrote
numerous novels and short stories, dealing with
both the Eastern European Jewish experience and
Jewish immigration and assimilation in America.
“The universality of his characters as they
grapple with issues of immigration and assimilation
transcend ethnic boundaries and speak to all
immigrants, regardless of their country of
origin,” says Professor Rona Ostrow, Lehman's
Chief Librarian and organizer of the event.
Along with Professor Zelda Newman, she will
moderate a six-session discussion series that will
cover some of Singer’s most beloved works,
including Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, Gimpel The Fool
and Short Friday. The celebration will also feature
other events as well (see calendar below).
Dr. Ostrow feels that Lehman is the perfect
place to host the Singer Centennial. “Lehman
serves a predominantly immigrant population,”
she points out, “that is grappling with the very
same issues that Singer explored so profoundly
and sensitively in his writing.”
Additional funding for the Lehman series was
provided by the Friends of the Lehman College
Library and the Bronx Jewish Community
Council. ◆
Calendar of Events for Lehman's Singer Celebration
♦ Book and Film Discussion Groups, led by Professor Zelda Kahan Newman and
assisted by Professor Rona Ostrow. All groups meet at 2 pm in the Library Conference
Room (2nd floor). Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis, with ten seats
reserved for the Lehman College community and ten seats for community residents.
Contact the Library Office at 718-960-8577. Copies of Singer's Collected Stories will
be available (for purchase) in the College Bookstore, with additional copies on hand
at the Library Reserve Desk (for reading in the Library).
Oct. 4: “Gimpel the Fool”/ Oct. 18: “Short Friday” / Oct. 25: “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy”
Nov. 1: Yentl (film) / Nov. 8: “The Spinoza of Market Street” / Nov. 15: Enemies: A
Love Story (film)
♦ Oct. 20, 2:30 pm, Lovinger Theatre. Musical lecture by Zalmen Mlotek, executive
director of the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater, on “Becoming American: A Musical
Journey.” Free, but tickets required. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope by
October 6 to: Professor Rona Ostrow, Lehman College Library, 250 Bedford Park
Blvd. West, Bronx, NY 10468-1589.
♦ Nov. 22, 2 pm, Library Atrium, 2nd Floor (general seating). Lecture by Professor
Zelda Kahan Newman on “Singer and Becoming an American Writer.”
♦ August–December, Library Lobby. Exhibit, prepared by Professor Janet Munch,
featuring copies of Singer's books, as well as photos and videotapes.
Map by Lehman Student
Wins Judges’ Nod
Over Hundreds of Others
Lehman graduate student Janet
Norquist-Gonzales has earned an
honorable mention for her map of
the Jerome Avenue–Gun Hill Road
area in the Bronx in the 31st Annual
Map Design Competition of the
American Congress on Surveying
and Mapping (ACSM).
The ACSM is a cartographic and
geographic professional society with
members from all nations in the
Western Hemisphere. Ms. Norquist-
Gonzales’s map was judged alongside
hundreds of entries from throughout
North and South America.
Besides highlighting the locations of
neighborhood retail and service
establishments, the map depicts the
community's cultural landmarks
and recreational facilities.
“It's a beautiful example of how to
combine aesthetics and functionality,
with a harmonious use of
color, typography and symbols,” says
Professor Juliana Maantay, “and it
is composed with great clarity and
visual balance.” Prof. Maantay
heads the Geographic Information
Science program at Lehman.
Ms. Norquist-Gonzales was a
cartographer for The New York
Times for 20 years before moving on
to work for The Wall Street Journal.
She left that career because she
wanted to learn the new G.I.S.
technology and pursue her true
“calling,” teaching. Now she's a
fifth-grade teacher at a middle
school, where she enjoys introducing
maps to children.
3

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4
Shtembaris Credit Parents
and Each Other
For Their Success
Ornela (left) and Alkida Shtembari.
Fraternal twins Alkida and Ornela
Shtembari have been mostly inseparable.
Now, after graduating from
Lehman with degrees in business, their
career goals could land them in
different places.
The Shtembaris came to the U.S. with
their family from Albania five years
ago and graduated from a local high
school. But their fluency in English
became an obstacle to college. “Even
though we had good grades in high
school in Albania and here, people
thought we wouldn’t succeed in college
because we didn’t speak the language
that well,” explained Alkida.
Lehman took a chance on the
Shtembaris, and this past May both
sisters were inducted into the highly
selective Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Alkida and Ornela credit their parents
with instilling a strong work ethic and
a fierce determination to succeed—and
they also credit each other. From
learning a new language to adapting to
a new culture, the sisters have been a
constant source of companionship for
each other, so much so that they don’t
especially look forward to being
separated.
“If we could find employment in the
same company, we would be very
happy,” says Ornela. “We perform
better when we are together because we
encourage each other,” chimed in
Alkida. For now, the sisters plan on
obtaining some real-world work
experience before pursuing their MBAs
at Baruch.
C AMPUS NEWS
Kenneth Dinham ‘04: From
Homeless to Homeowner
Two days before graduating from Lehman this
spring, Kenneth Dinham became a homeowner.
For most, that’s a dream come true. For Kenneth,
who was homeless for 18 years, it’s nothing
short of a miracle. And he credits CUNY with
giving him that second chance at life.
In 1994, Kenneth was on Rikers Island,
awaiting trial on assault charges. At 47, he had
used drugs for 35 years, slept in subway tunnels
and foraged for food in garbage cans. But a staff
member from the CUNY Catch Program told
Mr. Dinham that CUNY would help him earn
his GED. And that changed his life.
Sentenced to five years on probation, he
entered a rehabilitation program, earned his
GED at LaGuardia Community College, became
a certified MICA (Mentally Ill and Chemically
Addicted) counselor and began a new career as a
Substance Abuse Counselor. In 2002, he
graduated from Bronx Community College.
Today, at 57, Kenneth plans to go on for his
master’s. He counsels the homeless on Ward’s
Island, where he spreads the message that
Danielle Wagner ‘04 Inspired by Her Father, Alvin ‘00
Danielle Wagner ‘04 and her
father, Alvin Wagner ‘00, share
a bond strengthened not only
by their alma mater (Lehman) but also
by their field of study (psychology) —
and even their research. Both worked on
similar projects with Psychology
Professor Alan Kluger.
Danielle recently outpaced her father
by becoming just one out of four
undergraduates in the nation to win a
Psi Chi/National Convention Research
Award for her research project.
“I count her as one of the five most
outstanding students I've taught in the
past 30 years,” says Dr. Kluger, whose
research focuses on the early detection of
Alzheimer’s Disease in the elderly.
Danielle's dad is not at all surprised by her
success. “She’s very hard working,” he says. Alvin
worked in construction for 14 years until an
injury led him into another career. Now he's a
research assistant in Dr. Kluger’s lab at New York
University's School of Medicine.
“My father has been a great source of
inspiration for me,” Danielle says. “He’s always
very encouraging and supportive.” As a research
Kenneth Dinham, joined by some of his family, on
Commencement Day.
“there’s hope after dope,” and on weekends he
works on his biggest goal of all—to “build homes
for the homeless instead of prisons.”
On June 1, with funds saved since becoming
employed, Kenneth closed on a three-family
"fixer-upper" in Pennsylvania. He hopes that one
day he’ll find a house large enough to convert into
studio apartments for the homeless.
Along the way, he has also been reunited with
his family—11 children, 21 grandchildren and one
great-grandchild. Four children are in college, and
every semester he would ask them, “So, how did
you do?
“After all, I couldn’t let them finish first.”◆
LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER: Dr. Alan Kluger (right) found
star pupils in Alvin Wagner ‘00 and his daughter, Danielle ‘04.
assistant to Dr. Kluger, Danielle’s father often
doubled as her boss.
For his undergraduate research project, Alvin
contrasted the cognitive and motor-skill test
results of educated and undereducated patients,
finding a significant difference between the
performance of the two groups in the cognitive test.
His daughter's study determined that there is indeed
a slight educational bias in the cognitive test and
that a non-cognitive test needs to be developed for
those with diverse levels of education.◆

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Commencement Day ‘04: Perfect for Celebrating Achievement
Despite a week with on-again, off-again
weather, the sun turned out in full
force for Lehman’s 36th annual
Commencement, giving the Class of ‘04 a
perfect day of spring-like temperatures.
Famed musician William Anthony Colón
Román—better known to his millions of
fans as
Willie Colón—
delivered the
Commencement
address,
telling the
1,900 graduates
and their
families that
William Anthony Colón Román “the better we
get to know
ourselves and exercise our minds and the
minds of others, the more potential we will
have for affecting our world. Make your mind
receptive, keep it strong and pure, don’t poison
it with drugs. It is your doorway to the
universe and all its riches.”
Congratulating the graduates, he noted that,
while they might forget half of what they
learned, they will never forget the experience.
“You won’t forget the time when you
focused your minds and were able to learn. It is
that self-discipline and sense of purpose that
you have developed here that will propel you
through the hard times in your life. The abilities
to dedicate yourself, to transform yourself into a
problem solver, to be social, are the bricks and
mortar of your character. My little brothers and
sisters, it is time for healing. It is time to build
bridges to unite and bring some sanity back to
this world before it’s too late.”
Honorary doctorates were awarded to Mr.
Colón and Dr. Sorosh Roshan, an Iranianborn,
Bronx-educated physician who founded
the International Health Awareness Network,
which has worked to improve the health of
women and children in several countries.
Lehman President Ricardo R. Fernández
presided at the Commencement and was
joined on the podium by two CUNY Trustees—Dr.
Hugo M. Morales and Rev. John S.
Bonnici—as well as by Ernesto Malave, CUNY
Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance.
Speaking for the Class of 2004 was Khadijah
Abdul-Latif, an English major and prospective
high school teacher.
“When I began at Lehman, there was still so
much to learn,” she said. “I was still fresh to
the words ‘experience, growth and success.’”
Virginia Wolfe claimed that a woman could be
successful with only two foundations. She
believed a woman must have a fixed income
and a room of her own in order to have the
freedom to create.
“To be successful in New York City,” she
added, “one needs motivation, determination,
and a Metro Card to move about. I’ve learned
that one can come very far with just those
assets.” ◆
Left: Grand Marshall Linda Keen (Mathematics & Computer Science), President Ricardo Fernández, Provost Anthony Garro, CUNY Trustees Dr. Hugo M. Morales
and Rev. John S. Bonnici, and other members of the platform party lead the way, as graduating seniors march with their departments in the traditional procession to the
South Field. Faculty, including (right) Professors Paul Kreuzer, Alicia Georges and Yi Sheng, take time to savor the moment.
Cheers and congratulations rule the day, as one department after another is recognized by the crowd, and individual awards are announced for academic
achievement.
Families make sure graduates are picture-perfect for the camera, which captures a wealth of smiles and hugs, including one between Provost Anthony Garro and
his sister, Rebecca, who received her master’s in education.
5

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6
New Support for History,
Math, Science Teaching
Lehman is the primary partner in
a three-year, $990,000 program to
add to teachers’ knowledge about
American history and to help them
transfer that knowledge to their
students. Faculty from Lehman’s
History and Middle and High
School Education Departments
will lead institutes for teachers in
East Bronx high schools.
At the same time, Lehman is also
partnering with Bronx Community
College to develop a teacher
education incubator program that
will identify and nurture science
and mathematics students to
become New York City teachers.
For Teachers, Summer’s
A Time for More Learning
A new cohort group of 160 middle
and high school New York City
Teaching Fellows began at Lehman
this summer, with another cohort
expected of 45 graduate students
from Teach for America. This
program helps to bring career
changers and recent college
graduates into the teaching field
through an alternative certification
route.
The Division of Education and the
Department of Speech–Language–
Hearing Sciences also held a wellattended
one-week institute this
summer on Autism Spectrum
Disorders.
New Speech Clinic Making a Big Difference
To Both Students and the Community
Graduate student Denise Cruz tries her hand at the controls.
Left: Maxene and Eugene Posman (center), who contributed their support to the clinic’s new library, are the principals
in their family business, Posman Collegiate Bookstores, Inc. The company has been the vendor of the Lehman
Bookstore since 1979, and that's where Andrew Efros (left), one of their sons, has his office. Maxene has also served on
the Board of Directors of the Lehman Performing Arts Center. With them is Lehman President Ricardo Fernández.
Right: Professors Sandra Levey (right) and Deena Bernstein, chair of Speech–Language–Hearing Sciences, try out the
child-sized furniture in one of the therapy rooms, used to treat the clinic's youngest clients.
From youngsters with delayed language
development to elderly clients with
hearing loss, Lehman's Speech and
Hearing Center has served a wide range of
individuals and families in the Bronx community—and
beyond—for over 20 years. The clinic
is also an important part of the curriculum in
the undergraduate and graduate programs
offered in the Department of Speech–Language–
Hearing Sciences.
But the clinic had outgrown both its space
and its technology. Over the last decade, a
national increase in speech and hearing disorders—accompanied
by a need for additional
well-trained professionals—has brought the
department not only more clients but also many
more students.
This spring, with dedication of a new clinic,
Anthony D'Elia, IVCi, LLC
both the community and Lehman's students
began enjoying a leading-edge facility equipped
with observation rooms, a viewing center, six
viewing stations, four monitoring stations and a
classroom linked to the viewing rooms.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE-
DISABLED VETERANS are offered under the
2003 Veterans Benefits Act, and the Small
Business Development Center (SBDC) at
Lehman is working to make sure New Yorkers
take advantage of the program. Alzie Glickstein,
SBDC's Veteran Business Advisor,
counsels veterans throughout New York City
(except Staten Island) on the new law, which
mandates that three percent of all government
contracts must be set aside for service-disabled,
veteran-owned businesses. Consultations are
free. For information, contact 718-960-8521.

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Studying Abroad—A Natural Corollary
To Lehman's Growing Language Offerings
Cindy Montalvo (center) samples the cafeteria food at Akita International University.
Cindy Montalvo has taken one step
closer to her dream. At Akita
International University in Japan, the
Lehman College junior immersed herself in
the Japanese culture and language that she
loves without breaking her
bank account.
“My secret passion is to
live in Japan,” Cindy confides.
A Bronx native who is
majoring in History and minoring
in Secondary Education and Japanese,
Cindy is taking advantage of the language consortium
Lehman sponsors with two nearby colleges,
Mt. St. Vincent and Manhattan.
She is one of several students—and the
first from Lehman—who took Professor
Asako Tochika’s Japanese classes this spring
In addition to a revival of Judaic
and Hebraic Studies within
Lehman's undergraduate
curriculum, introductory courses
in Arabic and Filipino (Tagalog)
will be offered during the Fall
semester as part of the Foreign
Language consortium. Lehman
students register for the courses
at Lehman and then travel to
Manhattan College for Arabic or
to Mt. St. Vincent for Tagalog. A
minivan service is available to
make the trip more convenient.
‘I thought when would I ever
get another opportunity like
this? So I ran with it.’
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Arabic and Tagalog
New This Fall
and decided to study in Japan over the summer.
(The interest in Japan is rooted in Lehman’s history.
In the early 1990s, the College ran a campus in
Hiroshima with a program that attracted a number
of both Lehman and Japanese students.)
“Study abroad in Japan is very
expensive,” says Professor
Tochika. “Most Lehman students
cannot afford to pay a lot of
money on their own.” But Cindy
got lucky. Akita International
University in northern Japan opened in spring 2004
and offered a special introductory rate of $300 for
tuition and $800 for room and board.
“I thought when would I ever get another
opportunity like this? So I ran with it,” Cindy
explains. Besides taking daily five-hour Japanese
classes, she explored Akita city, which she describes
as a “small Manhattan.” Other time was spent in
talking to Japanese students, visiting the mall and
exploring a nearby “jinja” (Shinto shrine). She also
enjoyed field trips and visits to a Japanese art
museum and “ogamari” (elementary) school, where
her class played with Japanese kindergarten students.
Cindy, who also speaks Spanish, chose Lehman
specifically because it offers both education and
Japanese. “At the time,” she notes, “it was very hard
to find a school with both those programs.”
Adjusting easily to her new environment, she says
that the experience “gives me hope that one day I
will be living in Japan.”◆
Two Lehman students also studied in Italy and
Spain this summer, and five more are headed to Paris
in the fall through the University of Paris–CUNY
exchange program.
President Lief
Celebrates 80 th Birthday
Family, friends and retired faculty
and staff surprised Lehman
President Emeritus Leonard Lief
on June 13 with a luncheon
celebrating his 80th birthday. Vice
President Emeritus Glen Nygreen,
Professor Emeritus of History
Jacob Judd and more than a dozen
others gathered at Encore Bistro
Français in Larchmont and shared
congratulatory words, fond
memories, and good food.
7

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‘LEHMAN HONORS’ RECEPTION
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Two anniversary celebrations culminated this
spring—the 35 th anniversary of Lehman
College and the 125 th anniversary of the
birth of Herbert H. Lehman—with a memorable
event that also saluted the College’s achievements.
In the Executive Dining Room of Lehman Brothers,
overlooking midtown Manhattan, Richard S. Fuld,
Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Lehman Brothers, hosted faculty, alumni and friends
at an elegant reception that raised over $150,000 for
the newly established Governor Herbert H. Lehman
Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., Chairman of the CUNY
Board of Trustees, served as Master of Ceremonies
and introduced CUNY Chancellor Matthew
Goldstein as well as New York Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz ‘75, who presented a proclamation
and told the audience that he owed his success to
Lehman College. Chairman Schmidt also introduced
two distinguished members of the Lehman
family, Robert M. Morgenthau, District Attorney of
New York County, and John L. Loeb, Jr., Ambassador
of the United States of America, Retired, who
helped to underwrite the event.
Like many others in his family, Herbert H.
Lehman was committed to personal philanthropy,
(Top): Dr. Jonathan
Bingham, grandson of
the late Congressman
Jonathan Bingham,
Sarah Morgenthau,
Susan Morgenthau,
Lady Celia Goodhart,
Robert P. Morgenthau,
and Lord William
Goodhart. The
Goodharts traveled
from London for the
reception.
(Center): The
Honorable Robert M.
Morgenthau, District
Attorney of New York
County, with his son,
Robert P. Morgenthau,
and daughter-in-law,
Susan Morgenthau.
(Bottom): Ambassadors
William J. vanden
Heuvel (left) and John
L. Loeb, Jr.
8
Saluting the College, its Achievements and its Namesake
From left: Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., Lehman
College President Ricardo R. Fernández, Robert A.
Bernhard, and Richard S. Fuld Jr., Chairman and
CEO of Lehman Brothers.
and Lehman College has benefited since its
inception from the family’s generous spirit. Several
members of the Lehman family— Susan
Morgenthau, Wendy Lehman Lash, June Bingham
Birge and Sarah Morgenthau—worked closely with
Lehman College Vice President Anne Johnson to
organize the reception, which drew over 30
members of this notable family, including several
generations.
Joining them were College administrators,
deans, faculty and staff. Corporate supporters
were also represented, as were officials from
other CUNY colleges and a number of civic and
non-profit organizations. Alumni were represented
by several members of the Alumni
Association Board of Directors: Gladys Comeau-
Morales ‘79, Victoria J. Friedman ‘95, Thomas
Gallagher ‘74 (President) and Susan Greenberg
Schneider ‘73.
President Fernández introduced two Lehman
Honors College students to the audience, as well
as two students from the High School for
American Studies, who presented excerpts from
their research on the life and legacy of Herbert
H. Lehman.
In his remarks, President Fernández noted that
three out of four Lehman students are receiving
some type of financial aid. “Supplementing this
assistance,” he said, “the Lehman College Foundation
this year is providing close to a half-million
dollars in scholarship support to undergraduate
students. This support provides a ‘make it or break
it’ difference in their lives. The Governor Herbert
H. Lehman Endowed Scholarship will help the
Lehman College Foundation increase those kinds
of awards. It will also honor the legacy of Herbert
Lehman.” ◆
(Top): Trent and Susan
Carmichael (standing)
with their son Brian, the
Honorable Orin
Lehman, Sage Lehman,
and Avery and Haley
Carmichael.
(Center): Dean of
Education Annette
Digby and Dean of
Adult and Continuing
Education Michael Paull
with Distinguished
Professor of History
Joseph Dauben and John
Mauk Hilliard, retired
Director of Testing and
Scholarship.
(Bottom): Director of
Alumni Relations
Barbara Smith ‘93,
Nicole Johnson, assistant
to the Executive Director
of the Lehman College
Foundation, and
Director of Annual
Giving Josephine Pirrone
with Ed Gooding and
Richard Genovese of
Coca-Cola.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULED AT HYDE PARK: Lehman College, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and
Museum in Hyde Park, New York, will sponsor a conference at the Library November 11-12 on Herbert H. Lehman. Scholars, authors, governmental representatives and
members of the Lehman family, including June Bingham Birge, will speak on various aspects of Governor Lehman's life and legacy. The conference is open to the public.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE LEHMAN WEBSITE (WWW.LEHMAN.EDU) OR CALL THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AT 718-960-8288.

• • • • • • • • • • • UNITED • • • • • NATIONS • • • • • RECEPTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Quietly yet dramatically, 2003 Nobel
Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi came to
the U.N. on May 23 and spoke of the
current world situation, the need for peace, and
the issue of human rights. Honored at a reception
held in the Delegates’ Dining Room and sponsored
by Lehman College and the International
Health Awareness Network (IHAN), Mrs. Ebadi
began by noting that this was her first visit to
New York since 9/11 and offering her condolences
to the people of the city and the nation for
their profound losses.
She went on to stress the importance of
education and international understanding in
promoting world peace and also called attention
to the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human
Rights as a fundamental document in the
struggle for human rights. In welcoming guests
Patrice Jackson, a
student from Juilliard
(top), provided just the
right music for the
elegant setting, as more
than 100 guests enjoyed
the evening’s highly
anticipated program,
which included remarks
by Lehman President
Ricardo R. Fernández
and Provost Anthony
Garro (center, left).
Among the guests were
Dr. Gregory Williams
(center, right), President
of CCNY, and his wife,
Sara. With President
Fernández (bottom, from
left) are June Bingham
Birge, graduating seniors
Sakinat Abdul-Wahab
and Khadijah Abdul-
Latif, and Vice President
of Student Affairs José
Magdaleno.
Honoring Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi
Mrs. Ebadi (right) greets Dr. Mini Murthy and
other guests.
to the event, Lehman President Ricardo
Fernández referred to the same document,
noting that efforts to draft its language began in
the Bronx, on the campus of what was then
Hunter College and would later become Lehman
College, during early meetings of the U.N.’s
‘There is a saying in our language (Farsi) that there are two worlds: the world within
and the world beyond us. It is through the world within that one can comprehend the
world beyond. We hear songs we love, music is composed, nature is observed, colors are
experienced, and beauty is felt. Would music be composed if human beings did not
possess the ability to hear? Would paintings be created if human beings were not able to
see? ....How can a society discuss peace without understanding the feelings [of peace]
from within. It is peace from within that creates peace outside.’
— Shirin Ebadi, Lehman College, May 24, 2004
Economic and Social Council. This historical
legacy, he said, “remains an inspiration to the
Lehman College community.”
Gathered were diplomats, educators, scholars
and other distinguished guests from a wide cross
section of fields, including administrators from
Lehman and CUNY, U.N. Ambassadors Anwarul
Chowdhury and Olara Otunnu, Dr. Vartan
Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Foundation,
playwright Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues)
and Time Magazine columnist Joe Klein.
Concluding the evening’s program, Lehman
Provost Anthony Garro told the audience about
Afsaneh Zendegani-Fartache, who was born and
raised in Iran and is a student in Lehman’s
graduate program in counseling. In the current
issue of Lehman’s Women’s Studies Review, she
recounts some of her experiences while growing up
and later, in different societies.
With her husband on the staff of the U.N.
Development Program, Afsaneh lived and volunteered
in seven different countries, from Fiji to
Pakistan, helping children to become educated and
women to become more economically independent.
Her experiences have demonstrated, Dr.
Garro concluded, “that differences do not inevitably
create conflict. They can also create beauty.”
Contributions from supporters of IHAN as well
as Lehman, are establishing the Shirin Ebadi Peace
Scholarship at Lehman. ◆
Other guests included
(top photo, from left)
U.N. Undersecretary
General Anwarul K.
Chowdury, Harriet
Weiss, who is President
of Strategy XXI, Mrs.
Chowdhury, and Dr.
Sorosh Roshan of
IHAN, which cosponsored
the reception;
(center photo, from left),
Dr. Vartan Gregorian
with Dr. Roshan and
President Fernández,
U.N. Undersecretary
Olara Otunnu and Mrs.
Gregorian; and faculty
(along with several
spouses) from Lehman’s
Women’s Studies
Program: Professors
Sharon Freedberg,
Bertrade Banoum,
Elhum Haghighat and
Jessica Klein.
9

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • C• AMPUS • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
10
Two More ‘Small Schools’
Opening This Fall
Small high schools are making big
strides in the Bronx, with the help
of Lehman College. Over the past
three years, Lehman has helped to
create nine small schools, and many
of them have already surpassed
their larger counterparts in
academic performance, parent
participation, teacher retention and
student attendance.
“These schools provide personal
attention to all students—they are
names, not numbers,” says Professor
Anne Rothstein, Director of
Lehman's Center for School/College
Collaboratives and Lead Partner
Liaison to two of the schools.
In 2002, Lehman was the first
college to partner with New Visions
for Public Schools, an educational
reform organization with funding
from the Gates, Carnegie and Soros
Foundations. Seven of the nine
schools have already opened, and
the other two will open this
September: Bronx Health Sciences
High School (partnered with the
Center for School/College
Collaboratives) and Marie Curie
School for Nursing Medicine
and Allied Health, which is
collaborating with the Nursing
Department.
Each of the small schools has no
more than 400–500 students. Class
size generally remains under 24.
Lehman faculty are very involved
with the schools through on-site
professional development and
regular meetings with administrators
and teachers. All the students
regularly visit Lehman’s campus.
“We’re seeing a resurgence in young
people beginning to look at nursing,”
says Professor C. Alicia
Georges, Chair of the Nursing
Department. Students at small
schools like Marie Curie will do
well, she says, because “they’ll have
exposure to the health professions
and role models early on that they
can identify with. We want to
impress upon these young people
the importance of the sciences.”
Lehman Athletes End Memorable '03-'04 Season
That Championship Season: The men's basketball team made Lehman history this year, helped by junior guard Andre
Bagot, who was named MVP in the CUNY championship game. Other teams and players also turned in outstanding
performances, including Latoya Spaulding in track and field and Shatasia Little, leading scorer in women's basketball.
The 2003-04 athletic season was a
memorable one for Lehman College
athletics. A clear season highlight
emerged when the men's basketball team
captured the CUNY championship and advanced
to Lehman’s first-ever NCAA tournament
appearance. But there were other reasons
as well to remember the season:
♦ Lehman finished second in both the CUNY
indoor and outdoor track championships.
♦ The women’s volleyball team advanced to
the CUNY Conference championship game.
♦ Lehman's success throughout the CUNY
Athletic Conference earned a fourth-place finish
in the prestigious “Commissioner’s Cup.”
THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM gave the campus
one of the most exciting seasons of its history.
After compiling a school record of 19-6 in the
regular season and a share of the CUNY North
Division regular season title, the Lightning
embarked on a quest for the 39 th annual CUNY
Conference championship.
After spectacular victories over CUNY
powers Hunter College and John Jay College,
the Lightning advanced to the CUNY championship
game. Led by the strong play of senior
Jonathan Rojas and junior guard Andre Bagot,
Lehman defeated New York City Tech 75-69 to
gain the crown and advance to the NCAA. In
the victory, Bagot was named the tournament’s
Most Outstanding Player, while Rojas was
selected by the CUNY conference as a first team
all-star.
The awards continued to flow for Rojas, as he
was selected as a Metropolitan Sports Writer allstar,
a D3Hoops.com all-star and an ECAC first-
team all-star. Rojas capped off his senior year by
being named Lehman College’s Male Athlete of
the Year.
In the NCAA Division III tournament, the
Lightning went on the road to take on Lycoming
College in a first-round match-up before a
capacity crowd. Lehman took charge of the game
in an early rally, jumping to an 11-point lead in
the first half that was sparked by the three-point
shooting of senior Cyril Belfor. The second half
proved to be a different story, though, as the taller
Lycoming team changed momentum and edged
Lehman for a 74-68 victory. Despite the loss, the
Lightning had brought pride to the University and
the men’s basketball program.
THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM struggled during
the season, although individual players excelled.
After being named the 2003 CUNY Rookie of the
Year, sophomore Melissa Escalera was selected as a
first-team CUNY all-star. Venturing into the
world of college basketball, former Lehman track
star Paulette Baldwin finished the season with the
admiration of her peers. After scoring 19 points
and pulling down 11 rebounds in her first-ever
collegiate game, Baldwin went on to finish the
season averaging eight points and nine rebounds
per game.
The Lightning also received a boost from
freshman forward Shatasia Little. Little finished
the season as Lehman’s leading scorer (16.7 ppg)
and was selected to represent Lehman in the
CUNY Goodwill Tour to Quito, Ecuador. The
tour gave 12 student athletes an opportunity to
compete abroad, learn another culture and serve
as ambassadors for CUNY.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • C• • AMPUS • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
... And Push Hard to Achieve Even More in '04-'05
In volleyball, freshman Yaniza De los Santos was one of four players named to the CUNY first-team All-Stars; in
tennis, both teams made improvements; and in swimming, senior Manny Pantigua (top) was selected as the CUNY
Conference’s Most Valuable Swimmer and freshman Juan Jose Villar (below) as the Conference’s Rookie of the Year.
THE LEHMAN CHEERLEADERS dazzled the CUNY
Conference this year with a surprising secondplace
finish in the cheerleading competition at
York College. The team also ventured outside
the CUNY conference and captured the College
Division championship in the Catskill All-Star
Cheer Competition.
THE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM finished one of
its most memorable seasons with an 18-7
overall record and a return to the CUNY
championship game. The game became a classic
thriller, as Lehman took CUNY power CCNY to
a four-set match, battling the top-seeded CCNY
for the entire match before an injury to setter
Esmeralda Camacho halted the Lightning’s
quest for an NCAA berth.
The strong season for Lehman earned CUNY
all-star selections for senior Josenny Hidalgo,
junior Esmeralda Camacho, sophomore Isabel
Lorenzo and freshman Yaniza De los Santos.
The quartet of Lehman players represented the
first time that four members of the same team
were selected as first-team CUNY all-stars.
THE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM fought back after a
disappointing start that saw losses in the first
seven games of the season and captured six of
its last seven games to advance to the CUNY
Conference quarter-finals. There they were
downed in the first round by York College in a
thrilling five-set match. 2003 CUNY Rookie of
the Year Rafael Vargas continued his strong play
for Lehman and was selected as a second-team
Conference all-star this season.
THE TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAM continued to
dominate in the women’s events. With the
graduation of Lehman’s greatest track star
Paulette Baldwin, the Lightning received a boost
from several surprising performers. Freshman
Latoya Spaulding rose to the challenge and
became the CUNY Conference’s Most Outstanding
Runner in both the indoor and outdoor
championships. Spaulding earned an appearance
♦ The men’s basketball team has high hopes of
continuing its success, with the return of senior
forward Miguel Jorge and sophomore center
Kevan Proctor.
♦ Sophomore forward Shatasia Little will look to
use her experience from the CUNY Goodwill
Tour to help elevate the women’s basketball team
to greatness. As a freshman, Shatasia averaged
17.9 points and 11.3 rebounds for the season.
♦ Men's and women’s volleyball will have a new
presence on the sidelines, as first-year head coach
Edwin González begins a drive to lead Lehman
back to the top of the CUNY Athletic Conference.
♦ Former Lehman standout tennis player Frank
Rivera takes over the reigns of the men and
women’s tennis squads. Rivera is the former head
coach at New York City College of Technology.
♦ Sophomore pitcher Olga Torres will look to
take the Lehman softball team to the upper
echelon of the CUNY conference.
♦ Sophomore Latoya Spaulding , who was named
Most Outstanding Runner during the indoor and
outdoor season, has her sights set on national
records.
in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships,
where she finished eleventh in
the triple-jump event and thirteenth in the
55-meter hurdles.
Sophomore Shelly Finnigan also won a
berth to the NCAA Division III Indoor
Championships and placed fourteenth in
the long jump. Meanwhile, senior Danielle
Howard set CUNY records in the outdoor
hammer throw and indoor 20-lb. weight
throw, and junior Claudeen Williams set a
CUNY record in the discus.
As the women garnered most of the
headlines, the men started to write a few of
their own. Freshman Marvin Rainford
captured the CUNY indoor 200m and
400m championships and led the Lightning
to third-place finishes in both the CUNY
indoor and outdoor championships.
In cross country, both teams finished
fourth in the CUNY championships.
THE MEN AND WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAMS both
showed improvements that are not reflected
in the overall records. The women played
through a rain-shortened season, finishing
with a 1-10 overall record and a seventh-
Continued on the next page
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
What to Look for in the Upcoming Season
Lehman Athletics Director Martin L. Zwiren (left),
Vice President of Student Affairs José Magdaleno
(center) and men's basketball coach Steve
Schulman receive their championship rings at a
ceremony honoring the 2003-04 CUNY
championship team.
♦ The men’s swim team will rely on CUNY
Conference Rookie of the Year Juan José
Villar to continue its recent success.
♦ The men’s baseball team has taken a
promising step toward returning to its
championship form by naming John
Mehling as head coach. Mehling is a former
assistant coach at Ramapo College. ◆
11

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • C• AMPUS • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
12
The APEX: Home to
Olympic Champions
Lehman’s swimming pool this year
became, once again, a training ground
for an Olympic champion.
In both 1996 and 2000, Christina Teuscher
went from practicing in the APEX to Olympic
glory, first by winning a gold medal in the 800meter
relay in 1996, and then by capturing the
bronze medal in the Sydney Games in the 200meter
individual medley.
This summer, Jenny Thompson was also
training for another Olympics. The most
decorated female Olympian of all time,
Thompson held 10 medals before the Athens
Games, eight of them gold, and also had won
11 World Championship medals, including the
gold for the hundred-meter butterfly.
The 31-year-old athlete put medical school
on hold to train for the upcoming Olympics—
where else, but at Lehman.
“We were happy that she was able to make
her fourth Olympic team,” said her coach, John
Collins, shortly after she qualified in July at the
trials. “That’s not done very often.” Collins,
who has coached Thompson since 2002, was
also Teuscher’s coach.
In 2001, Thompson decided to take a break
from competing and enroll in medical school
at Columbia University. She continued her
training with Coach Collins while in school,
but only for about an hour each day. As time
went on, however, Thompson decided that she
would try to compete in one more Olympic
swimming competition and started training
full-time again. “She missed it I think,” said
Collins, who trained Thompson in Lehman’s
APEX once or twice a day.
Above: Jenny Thompson and Coach John Collins.
Below: Meeting the press.
He added that Lehman’s Olympic-sized pool
was an excellent resource for Thompson. “It’s
great to have a 50 meter pool to train in,” he
explained. “We’re able to train long course for
the majority of the year, which is a great
advantage for people who are trying to swim
internationally.”
Collins, who coaches the Westchester-based
Badger Swim Club, has been instructing
swimmers in the APEX since 1995. Thompson
The Lehman College Alumni Association Presents
Family Day at Lehman College: Saturday, October 2, 2004
Come join fellow alumni and their families
for a fun-filled day. Activities will include:
♦ A day at the APEX for children and
adults. Swimming, water games, basketball,
baseball and softball clinics for children (all
supervised and all activities conducted by
trained personnel). Swimming, racquetball,
tennis and use of the Fitness Center and
Weight Room for adults. Personnel will
show you how to use the fitness machines.
♦ Arts and crafts projects in the Art Gallery
for children and a guided tour of the
exhibition for adults
♦ Salsa lessons and volleyball
♦ A barbecue on the oval
♦ Face painting, balloon figures and a
magic show
♦ Sassafras the Clown will provide entertainment
throughout the day, with free
popcorn and cotton candy.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The fee is
$10 per family.
For more information, call Barbara Smith,
Director of Alumni Relations, at 718-960-
8975 (barbaras@lehman.cuny.edu).
trained with the Badgers most of the time, and
in her spare time volunteered with Swim
Across America, an eco-friendly organization
that raises money for cancer research.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a program
that produces national caliber swimmers,” says
Collins. “She’s one of those exceptional
athletes.” ◆
Lehman Athletes End
A Memorable Season
(continued from page 11)
place finish in CUNY Conference play. The
team received strong support from sophomore
Mickey Tabing and freshman Cristy Reynoso.
On the men’s side, the highlight of the season
was a victory over CUNY Conference power
College of Staten Island. The men’s squad,
which finished in sixth place in the Conference,
was led by the freshman combination of
Tashius Mathurian and J.J. Villar.
THE SWIM TEAMS continued their strong development
in their quest for a championship. The
men’s team finished in second place, while
competing with some of the top teams in the
metropolitan area in a quest for an ECAC bid.
Senior Manny Pantigua was selected as the
CUNY Conference’s Most Valuable Swimmer
and freshman Juan Jose Villar as the
conference’s Rookie of the Year. Pantigua
concluded his career by being named the 2004
Lehman Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
THE SOFTBALL TEAM advanced last year to the
2003 CUNY championship game and then
graduated three CUNY all-stars. After nearly
two decades at Lehman, long-time Head Coach
Roxann Moraza also announced her resignation
and was succeeded by former softball player
Kim Santoiemma. With a new team and a new
coach, the Lightning struggled to a 9-14 overall
record in 2004. The team advanced to the
CUNY quarter-finals but was eliminated by
Conference power John Jay College, finishing in
fifth place overall. Senior Stephanie Rodriguez
ended the season with a .522 batting average
and a second-place Conference finish, which
earned her a spot on the all-Conference team.
THE BASEBALL TEAM faced an expanded Conference
line-up of eight teams and finished fifth,
not enough to qualify for the Conference
tournament. Junior Reggie Rivera turned in an
exceptionally strong performance and was
selected as a CUNY All-Star at first base. ◆
Eric Harrison of the Lehman Athletic Department
wrote this report.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • C• AMPUS • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Two Lives Crisscross at Lehman
In their Struggles, Achievements and Recognition
‘I was beat emotionally and
physically, but not beaten.’
— Saudia Sinclair
To receive the Education Fund Award of
the Women’s Forum, applicants have to
demonstrate their commitment to
improving the lives of those most needy and to
their education. This year, the Forum has chosen
Lehman students Mikki Hidalgo and Saudia
Sinclair for their struggle to overcome adversity
while continuing to help others.
Mikki, born and raised in New York City,
spent seven years in an orphanage with three
other siblings in Staten Island. When she was 12,
her mother returned for her, but for Hidalgo,
who had grown rebellious, it was too late.
By 13, she had dropped out of school and was
living on the street, or with anyone who would
have her. She began using and selling drugs,
which eventually landed her in trouble with the
law on three separate occasions. The last time,
she served four-and-a-half years in the Bedford
Hills and Taconic Correctional Facility.
While in prison, Mikki thought about what
she needed to do to change her life, and she
started by focusing on those around her. Noticing
the poor quality of health care in prison, she
and four other women founded the Counseling
and Research Education (CARE) program.
CARE began as a 12-week program of epidemiology,
risk behavior, sex education and education
on the stages of death and dying.
Clean and sober for 11 years, Hidalgo is
enrolled in the CUNY B.A. program and is
focusing on public health and women’s health
issues. She works as a housing coordinator for
Bailey House, which helps people with AIDS, and
Mikki Hidalgo relaxing at home (left) and Saudia
Sinclair on campus. Each will receive a $3500 award.
recently helped the organization win a $1.5
million grant. She also speaks at health fairs,
schools and hospitals and volunteers at prisons,
carrying a message of hope.
In 1984, Saudia Sinclair embarked on a
promising career at York College. Her hard work
and scholastic excellence even put her on the
Dean’s List. But in 1987, she learned she had a
rare form of muscular dystrophy called myasthenia
gravis. The disease causes severe muscle
weakness and made it impossible for her to
continue her education.
“I was beat emotionally and physically, but
not beaten,” says Saudia. Filled with a strong
work ethic, she focused on recovering. After her
recuperation, she met and married her husband
and soon had a child. The marriage did not last,
however, and in 1990, she was diagnosed with
Lupus.
After years of physical therapy and with the
help of a local support group, the Lupus Foundation,
and the staff of the Montefiore Medical
Center, Saudia managed to rebuild her life. Over
the years, she has worked to educate the public
about Lupus, even making an appearance on the
Black Entertainment Television news program to
discuss her struggle with lupus.
In 2001, Saudia returned to school. Right now,
she interns at the Fortune Society, which provides
housing, job readiness and life skills training for
men and women facing felony charges, as well as
at Dress For Success, which helps low-income
women transition into the work force.
Despite her struggles and other responsibilities,
she maintains a 3.7 GPA, belongs to the Psi
Chi National Honor Society, and has plans for
graduate school. Ultimately, she hopes to run her
own family intervention clinics tailored specifically
to single-parent households. ◆
Fall Shows in the Gallery
Worth a Long Look
Rhyme or Reason
October 15 – December 11
Edith Altschul Lehman Wing
This exhibit will feature the work
of a group of international and
local artists working in New York
City. Many of the artists work in
mixed media based in drawing.
The exhibition will include
installations and mixed-media
wall sculptures.
One of the elements in the Elba Damast
exhibit.
Elba Damast:
Memories of Things to Come
September 7 – December 16
Robert Lehman Wing
This multimedia installation is
based on childhood, present and
future, and includes several distinct
elements. The schoolroom setting
and the found school desks and
chairs (used in Bronx classrooms in
the early 1940s) are elements of
nostalgia.
Injected into this mix through the
ventricles of bronze heart sculptures
on the desks are videos of children
and passing strangers. On the desks
are mirrors in which they can view
themselves. This interactive
installation invites the viewer to
roam through the work and be a
part of it.
Damast is an important American
artist from Venezuela who has been
living and working in New York for
the past 20 years.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday,
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free admission.
13

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ALUMNI • • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
14
Alumni News
Upcoming Events—
Watch your mail and the Lehman website
(www.lehman.edu) for more information
Family Day: October 2, 2004 (see page 12
for details)
Homecoming: January 8, 2005
Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of
women’s and men’s basketball and a
tribute to the late Edwin Kramer, Lehman
Basketball Coach, 1969-1976
Reception for Lehman College Alumni
Employees: January 20, 2005
Annual Graduating Senior Brunch:
May 14, 2005
Fun at Sea —Spirit of New York Cruise
June 5, 2005
Alum Takes Beauty Business
To a Whole New Level
Traditional grooming techniques
have gone out the window. Richard
Rakowski ’74 is part of a growing
industry dedicated to dramatically
revamping how we look.
Rakowski, who recently purchased
the Georgette Klinger salons in
Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa and
seven other cities, has created a
one-stop approach to services
ranging from standard manicures
and pedicures to tummy tucks and
rhinoplasty.
The Los Angeles Times (7/11/04)
reports that last year he opened
Advanced Aesthetics Institute
(AAI) in West Palm Beach and two
other Florida locations. There,
clients can get massages, hair
treatments, pedicures and Botox
injections, with surgical procedures
like breast enhancement, eye lifts
and chin implants done at nearby
surgical centers. Both the surgeons
and the hair colorists are available
on site for consultations.
“Women are not satisfied anymore
with over-the-top, marketingbased
promises being made by
anti-aging creams,” Rakowski told
the Times. Noting that he spent $6
million in research before opening
the first center, he said he plans a
network of 44 shops here and
abroad.
Meet the Alumni Board and its New Officers
Three new officers of the Lehman College
Alumni Association were elected at the
Board's last meeting in May: Norman
Rosner ‘80 (President ), Gladys Comeau-Morales
‘79, ‘83 (Vice President) and Dora Villani ‘71
(Secretary). Each of the officers, as well as the
entire Board, is dedicated to both the Association
and the College, while maintaining a busy
schedule in their professional and family lives.
Juliet Annan ‘02
Juliet earned a BA in Social Work from Lehman
and an MSW from Columbia and is now
working in her chosen profession. Juliet was a
member of the Golden Key International
Honour Society while at Lehman. She is a new
member of the Alumni Board.
Shirley Bethune ‘93
Shirley Bethune was a student in Lehman's
Honors Program, earned a BA in Spanish and
has been teaching at Kennedy High School.
Shirley joined the Alumni Board in 2002 and
served as secretary until taking a leave of absence
recently to further her education.
Robin Brown ‘73
Robin earned a BA in Accounting and was an
officer of the Alumni Board in the 1990s. She has
agreed to work with the new Board for the '04-
'05 academic year.
Gladys Comeau-Morales ‘79, ‘83
Gladys graduated from Lehman with a BA and
an MSE. She was a teacher with the New York
City Board of Education for many years and has
been singing with the Lehman College Community
Chorus for 18 years. Now retired, she
teaches folk dancing at the United Federation of
Teachers to fellow retirees.
Victoria Friedman ‘95
Victoria earned a degree in Accounting at
Lehman and is an assistant teacher for toddlers.
She volunteers for the Women’s League and also
does fundraising for her Town & Village Shul.
She and her husband, Glen, are the parents of a
new baby, Caleb Elias, born April 12, 2004.
Thomas Gallagher ‘74
Tom graduated from Lehman with a BA and is
an electrician. Active with the Alumni Association
for many years, he served on the current
Board as Vice President and then for the past two
years as President.
Susan Greenberg-Schneider ‘73
Susan earned her BA from Lehman in Art
History and is president of an art consultant
firm. She and her brother sponsor The Charles
Greenberg Tennis Classic every year at Lehman
in memory of their uncle, who was a volunteer
extraordinaire in the College's Physical Education
Department. She also volunteers for
various activities at the United Nations International
School.
Andrea Rockower ‘73
Andrea earned her MA from Lehman and her
BA from this campus, which was then Hunter
College in the Bronx. She joined the Board in
2003. Andrea is the Associate Director of the
Performing Arts Center.
Norman Rosner ‘80
Norm was born and raised on Pelham Parkway.
He received his BA from Lehman and then went
on to Fordham for an MBA and Brooklyn
College for his law degree. Norm's practice is in
Westchester County. His volunteer activities
focus on world peace and international economic
development.
Margaret Smith ‘02
Margaret graduated from Lehman in 2002 with a
BA in Self-Determined Studies and joined the
Board that same year. A consultant for a large
company in midtown, she plans special events
and is interested in starting her own business.
Edward Sullivan ‘76
Ed earned a BA from Lehman and distinguished
himself in athletics. As a result, in 2001 he was
inducted into the Lehman Athletics Hall of
Fame. Soon after graduating, he began teaching.
He is the recipient of the Gannett Newspaper
Teacher Recognition Award and the Elizabeth
Ann Seton Compassionate Educator Award. Ed
is the Principal at Blessed Sacrament–St. Gabriel
High School in New Rochelle.
Dora Villani ‘71
Dora earned a BA in Spanish from Lehman and
her MA from Hunter. She taught at Kennedy
High School for many years before moving to
the High School of American Studies at Lehman
College, where she teaches Spanish and Italian.
While at Kennedy, she was named Teacher of the
Year. Dora has many fond memories of Lehman,
especially of the great professors in what was
then the Romance Languages Department. She
joined the Board in 2003.
Alumni Notes
1979
Jack Stryker is engaged to Lynn Parsons. A March
2005 wedding is planned.
Please send alumni news to Barbara Smith,
Lehman College, at barbaras@lehman.cuny.edu

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ALUMNI • • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Sayegh Family: Setting the Bar for Success
Among the millions of
immigrants who arrive in
the U.S. seeking better
opportunities, the Sayegh family
stands out. Not only have brothers
Nayel ‘71, Nabil ‘72 and Nader ‘73
realized their own dreams since
graduating from Lehman, they are
also helping others achieve success.
In 1955, their father, Jamil, came
to the U.S. from Jordan and worked
two jobs until he had enough
money to send for his wife and four sons.
The family settled in downtown Yonkers and
soon expanded to eight. Nayeh, Nabil and
Nader are the eldest of eight siblings (six
brothers and two sisters).
With the exception of Nader, who is an
elementary school principal and a lawyer
with his own malpractice office, all the
brothers are medical doctors. Nader holds a
master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson
University, a Ph.D. from Fordham University,
and a J.D. from Pace Law School. Their sister
Nancy, who also graduated from Lehman,
works as an educator, while their other sister,
Rima, works with her husband in his
engineering firm.
“We grew up in a time when the most
respected professions were medicine,
engineering, and law—these were our
choices,” explained Nabil, an urologist with a
practice in New City.
According to Nabil, it was Nayel who
began the medical trend in the family—a
trend that has moved well beyond the family
and spilled over into the community. Dr.
Nayel Sayegh, a physician with the Advanced
Urology Group of Westchester, was one of the
Remember?
Lehman alumni Nabil (left), Nancy and Nader Sayegh.
first Jordanian-Christians to practice medicine
in downtown Yonkers (today there are 20).
While they are now all successful professionals,
the road was not always easy. When their
father died suddenly in 1965 of a heart attack,
the oldest child was only 16 and the youngest
was just 3 months old. “In our family, there was
always an emphasis on hard work and a
determination to succeed, so we always worked
hard and looked out for one another,” says
Nader. While his two older brothers attended
medical school, it was Nader who held the fort
down early on, with his job as a high school
math and social studies teacher.
Not only did the brothers set the bar for
education and success for their family, they
have also extended their ambitions to their
community. Through their church, the Virgin
Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, the
brothers often serve as mentors to many young
men and women. Over the years, they have
established scholarships to help members of
their community pursue their education.
“In America, there are no excuses, especially
when you have your education,” says Nabil. ◆
Don’t let great memories and good times
slip away. The upcoming Lehman College
Alumni Directory will reconnect you with
old friends and classmates.
Use this exciting resource to keep in touch with Lehman alumni.
Don't miss your opportunity to be included—when the Alumni
Office contacts you, be sure to provide your latest information.
Graduating Seniors’
Brunch: The Door to
Lehman Never Closes
The Class of 2004 was welcomed
into the Lehman Alumni Association
at the traditional Graduating
Seniors’ Brunch, held on May 1,
before the start of final exams, and
was attended by approximately 150
students, as well as faculty and
deans. President Ricardo Fernández
congratulated the seniors on their
accomplishments, as did Thomas
Gallagher, President of the Alumni
Association, who stressed the
importance of always remembering
Lehman and how important it is to
become involved. Nancy Cintron,
Director of Career Services, gave tips
on interviewing skills and encouraged
everyone to make use of the
services her office can offer.
Thomas Gallagher urges the
seniors to stay involved with
Lehman.
Professor Norma Phillips (third from left)
congratulates some of her social work
majors.
A time to toast the future.
Photos by Margaret Klinesmith
15

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • C• AMPUS • • • • NEWS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
LEHMAN COLLEGE
The City University of New York
250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx, New York 10468-1589
16
Lehman Center Lifts the Curtain on a New Season of Music, Dance and Comedy
Friday, Sept. 10, 8pm
El Gran Combo and The Spanish Harlem
Orchestra
El Gran Combo is one of the most popular
salsa bands in the world. Generations of music
lovers have danced to their hits and seen them
perform in
every major
arena. Their
program will
include hits like
Timbalero,
Menú, Me
Liberé and
Nadie Como
El Gran Combo
Ella.
Fresh from releasing their newest CD with
Rubén Blades, The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
is one of the hottest Salsa bands around. With
“all-star” musicians, including Oscar
Hernández, Jimmy Bosch and Ray de la Paz,
the band creates hit after hit. Their first album
was nominated for a Grammy Award and their
newest, “Across 110th Street,” has sent early
sales soaring toward record-breaking numbers.
Tickets: $45, $40, $30, $25
Saturday, Sept. 28, 8 pm
Dion and The Shangri-Las
Exclusive NYC Appearance! Dion and the
Belmonts were one of the most successful dowop
groups of the 1950s, and Dion continues
the group’s legacy. Known for a string of hits,
including Runaround Sue, I Wonder Why and
Teenager in Love, Dion was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Across Long Island Sound, in Cambria,
Queens, four sisters formed The Shangri-Las,
one of the most popular Girl Groups of the
1960s. They will bring their favorite hits, like
Leader of the Pack and Maybe, to round out an
evening that will evoke memories and create
new ones. Tickets: $40, $35, $30, $25
Saturday, Nov. 6, 8 pm
"The Comedians" with Shelley Berman, Bill
Dana, Dick Gregory, Louis Nye and Mort Sahl
with host Dick Cavett
Lock your seat belts and
get ready for a wild ride as
politics and social commentary
get a good
working over when Dick
Cavett hosts an unforgettable
evening with
comedians Shelley
Berman, Bill Dana, Dick
Dick Cavett
Gregory, Louis Nye
and Mort Sahl. Each
has made his mark on
television, film,
literature and sound
recordings, and for
the first time they will
Mort Sahl
all come together on Lehman’s stage to deliver
a relentless typhoon of laughs on the Saturday
after the 2004 Presidential Election. Tickets:
$40, $35, $30, $25
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2 pm
Virsky: Ukrainian National Dance Company
The spectacular company of 85 has audiences
leaping from their seats with applause. Each
performance is a romantic, elevated, passionate
and exciting show, as audiences marvel at the
group’s precision and grace and their command
of their traditional folk form. Tickets:
$35, $30, $25, $20
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2 pm
Your Arms Too Short to Box with God
The Irving Street Rep
returns to Lehman with
a whole new production
of the Broadway
musical hit. This
critically acclaimed
two-act musical is
based on the Gospel of
St. Matthew. Special Guest performer to be
announced. Tickets: $15 or two for $25
Sunday, Feb. 27, 2pm
Trinity Irish Dance Company
Inspired by Celtic myths and stories, the Trinity
Irish Dance Company paved the artistic road
for commercial productions like Riverdance,
bringing traditional Irish dance to new
audiences. With high kicks, rapid footwork and
perfect synchronization, the company’s 22
dancers deliver a passionate, non-stop performance
that has earned international acclaim.
Tickets: $15 or two for $25
Saturday, April 16, 8pm
Smokey Robinson
The Grammy Award-winning Smokey
Robinson was crowned the “poet laureate of
soul music” with hits like Tears of A Clown, Ooo
Baby, Baby, I Second That Emotion and Tracks of
My Tears. Named “one of the smoothest tenors
in soul music” by People Magazine, he will bring
his golden voice to Lehman Center’s stage.
Tickets: $50, $45, $35, $25
Order tickets either over the phone
(718-960-8833) or on the web
(www.lehmancenter.org)
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