BIGGEST BIRTHDAY BASH! - SUNY Rockland Community College

For friends and alumni of
SUNY Rockland Community College Winter Summer 2010 2097
SUNY Rockland Community College
50 th Anniversary Luncheon
Friday, March 19, 2010
Noon–2:00 pm
Hilton Pearl River
For reservations call 845-574-4576 or email
dcairns@sunyrockland.edu
Celebrate with us at
ROCKLAND’S
BIGGEST
BIRTHDAY
BASH!
Inside
2.......Then & Now
2.......50 th Anniversary Events
3.......Tribute to Honors Founder
4.......Alumni News
6.......Relay for Life
7.......Young Scientist
7.......Anti-Slavery Action
8.......Scholarship winners
9.......Haitian Scholar
10.....Heritage Celebrations
12.....Upcoming Events

50th Anniversary Events
First Thanksgiving Luncheon
Then & Now
photo courtesy of Joan Silberman
1987
2009
Then & Now: International students sample traditional American foods at the Thanksgiving Luncheon for International Students.
The luncheon is sponsored by the RCC Foundation and DeCicco’s Marketplace and prepared by Hospitality students.
Maureen Haberer, member of the
founding faculty and Professor Emerita,
Psychology, discusses the adventure of
launching the College 50 years earlier
at the “Keepers of the Flame” reunion
luncheon on October 2.
Volunteers lay out a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the Fieldhouse.
The display was co-sponsored by RCC and TOUCH.
Dan Masterson, Professor of English and first Poet
Laureate, Rockland County, reads his poetry against a
backdrop of names of students from 45 years of poetry
workshops whose work was showcased at a November
poetry event.
SCENE is published by
the Rockland Community
College Foundation
Don Cairns, Executive Director
and
Campus Communications
Editor: Zipora Reitman,
Director of Communications
zreitman@sunyrockland.edu
Staff Writer: Lisa Saunders
Photography: Collette Fournier
Design: Ginny Apostolides
We invite your comments!
Rockland Community College
145 College Road
Suffern, NY 10901
(845) 574-4595
www.sunyrockland.edu
Visiting artist Robert Liberace paints a portrait of William Baitzel, Assistant Professor of Auto Technology, during a
Master Class for high school and college art students in November.
2

Honors Program
Honors Homecoming Pays Tribute
to Late Founder
Professor Sam Draper, 1925–2009
Sam Draper, retired Professor
of English and co-founder of
the Sam Draper Mentored/
Talented Students Honors
Program, lost his fight against
cancer just two days before his
planned special guest appearance
at the first Honors
Homecoming. He died on
October 22 at the age of 84.
“Sam Draper was a legendary
scholar, teacher, mentor and
friend who had a significant
impact on Rockland Community
College and the thousands
of students with whom he
worked,” said Dr. Cliff L.
Wood, President.
Prior to joining the College in 1968 as Professor of English, Draper
studied European literature at Columbia University and spent several
years in France and Belgium on a Fulbright fellowship. A true
Renaissance man, Professor Draper shared his interest in opera by
founding RCC’s Youth for Opera Club.
Draper said he was prompted by a lack in guidance during his own
academic career to co-found, with Professor Libby Bay, the RCC
Honors Program in 1977--with mentoring as the centerpiece.
“I made some big mistakes in my own academic career, and that’s
where mentoring comes in,” Draper said in an interview shortly
before his passing. “We take a very special interest in our students
in helping them decide what their future might be and what courses
they should take. In certain cases, we even bring them to the transfer
college for an interview.”
Draper recounted how he went to every Ivy League and Tier One
school admissions office where he could gain entry to tell them about
the Honors Program and the benefits of the strong mentoring component.
Draper was pleased to find that the admissions officers were
willing to consider any student for transfer.
“The wonderful thing about America is that the Ivy League never
showed any prejudice against a really bright honors student from a
community college.”
Draper’s commitment to the College extended even beyond the classroom.
He provided generous financial support to enable students to
participate in many cultural and educational programs.
Draper received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in
Teaching and the 2007 New York Community College Trustees
(NYCCT) Benefactor Vision for Tomorrow Award.
The Sam Draper Honors Scholarship has been established in his
memory. (Envelope provided for contributions.)
Alumni from Thirty Years of
Honors Program Gather for First
Homecoming
Honors graduates traveled from across the country to attend the first
Honors Homecoming held on October 24 in celebration of RCC’s
50th Anniversary. Retired Professor Sam Draper, co-founder of the
Honors Program, had spent a year planning the Homecoming and
was slated to make a guest appearance. In light of his passing just
days before the event, the Homecoming also served as a celebration
of his life.
Draper and other faculty members who played a vital role in the program
were featured in an Honors Documentary, “And so we did…,”
which debuted at the event. Produced by the College’s Multi-Media
Production Center, the documentary opens with Draper sitting in
his office recalling how and why he founded the Mentored/Talented
Student Honors Program along with Libby Bay, Retired Professor of
English. Draper’s goal for his students was to ensure that each would
get into at least one college of his or her choice and “if you did very
well, into the Ivy League.”
Jason Leopold, ’91
Guest speaker Jason Leopold of California,
an investigative reporter and author of
bestseller, “News Junkie,” was an Honors
student in 1991. Leopold recalled Draper’s
impact on his life, “He not only exposed me
to the celebrated 20 th century writers, but
also taught me how to read their prose
critically, a crucial aspect of my education
that directly shaped my career as a writer and
journalist. The Mentor/Talented Student
Honors Program has truly been the single
greatest educational experience of my life.”
More than 3,000 students have completed the M/TS Honors Program
and have transferred to Ivy League and Tier One colleges. More than
200 Honors graduates have transferred to Cornell University.
For a free copy of the Honors Documentary DVD or for more information
about the Sam Draper M/TS Honors Program, contact
Hannah Lowney at (845) 574-4796 or hlowney@sunyrockland.edu.
SUNY Rockland’s
first Annual Campaign
is off to a great start!
Join the hundreds of alumni, employees and friends of the College
who are already on board!
Your gift makes a difference.
www.sunyrockland.edu/go/campaign
3

Alumni Spotlight
Stevens, Stephens and a Dog Named Boozer
More than 40 years
after falling in love
at the College,
Jackie (Stevens)
’70 and Ted Stephens
’69
returned
to the
campus in
November
to visit
their old
classrooms
and
reminisce.
“We met
at a mixer after a
soccer game,” said Jackie, who was a twirler
during halftime at the games. “My maiden
name was Stevens, and I had heard there was a
soccer player named Ted Stephens.” Not realizing
that his last name was spelled differently, she wanted to meet
Ted to see if he was a long lost relative. Four years later, they were
married in the Viola Methodist Church adjacent to campus. Four
decades and four children later, Jackie recalls a prank Ted pulled on
her while they were students.
“Ted went to my house on Viola Road and got my St. Bernard,
Boozer. Ted put Boozer by himself in the elevator in Academic I and
pressed the button so it would go to the second floor. When the door
opened on the second floor, Boozer got out and followed my scent to
my stenography class. Although he sat right down beside me, I just
kept typing and pretended I didn’t know him, because dogs weren’t
allowed on campus. Soon after, Boozer became the unofficial mascot
at the home soccer games.”
Jackie worked in the Phys Ed office (the former County Jailhouse)
for her longtime neighbor, Joe Famellette, who was hired in 1960 to
build soccer and wrestling teams. Famellette was also a good friend
of Jackie’s grandfather, Ned Stevens. Famellette said, “Ned was in
charge of Ramapo roads, and one day, on the way back from a job,
he sent a road grader to the College’s tomato patch, where it rolled
the lumps out and it created our first soccer field (now the parking
lot behind Academic I).”
After Ted Stephens earned his associate’s degree, he went on to
earn a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of New Haven
in CT. Jackie and Ted moved to Iowa in 1974, where they spent 33
years raising their children. The couple recently moved to Southport,
North Carolina, where Jackie, a self-described “beach bum,” takes
long walks along the ocean and Ted is a Senior Account Executive
with 3M.
From West Point to RCC--then Harvard
After graduating Suffern
High School, Nelson Boyce
’90, marched straight to West
Point Military Academy, but
soon realized that military
training wasn’t for him. He
returned home and enrolled
at RCC.
”I didn’t want to repeat the
mistake that I made in high
school of applying to only
one college. RCC’s Honors
Program gave me the time,
resources and breathing room
I needed to sort things out
and prepare myself to apply to a number of top-notch schools.”
After completing two years of work in one year, he applied to Yale,
Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Georgetown, Morehouse, Howard and
Emory, gaining acceptance to all except for Yale. He chose Harvard.
“At Harvard, I wasn’t any less prepared than those who came straight
out of high school. I was right there, on par, among my peers, thanks
to RCC’s rigorous academic program.”
After graduating from Harvard in 1992 with a BA in government,
Boyce worked as a Financial Analyst with PaineWebber in Mergers
& Acquisitions. He then embarked on a successful career in advertising,
working at Money magazine and VIBE. Boyce was the Associate
Publisher of Honey and Heart & Soul magazines, published by
Vanguarde Media, which he co-founded in 1998.
Now Senior Vice President of Digital Ad Sales at Nickelodeon,
Boyce generates more than $80 million dollars in advertising revenue
for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group’s stable of websites.
Boyce attributes his achievements to the mentoring he received at the
College. “The mentoring was fantastic and helped me focus. It was a
driving force in my success.”
In an effort to “return the favor,” he now mentors prospective graduate
school students through Management Leadership of Tomorrow in
New York City.
Boyce lives with his wife, Michelle, and son, Ferro, in New Rochelle,
New York.
4

Alumni Reunion: Nyack Seaport, November ‘09
Carmen Abreu (right) and friend, Christine Cruse-Cohen ’94 & David Cohen ‘94 Help identify these alumni!
Alumni Notes
Doug Moss holds a hockey stick in his
office. (photo by Jim Poulin)
Doug Moss ’80, president of the
Phoenix Coyotes of the National
Hockey League, remembers his
time at RCC on the staff of
Outlook Student Press. “When
the editor suggested that I enter
a Sports Illustrated writing
contest, I jumped at the chance.
I wrote a piece about the NHL
and came in second place!”
Eric Langberg ’85 was named
Lead Consultant to Kevin Kennedy
Associates, a privately held
global engineering and scientific
consulting firm in Indianapolis,
IN. He is a consumer product
expert.
Scott Sklarin ’92 launched Sklarin Communications, a multimedia
production company, providing the full range of public relations services,
including satellite and radio media tours, b-roll and electronic
press kits, Web video, among other services.
www.sklarincommunications.com
Christie Cruse-Cohen ‘94 and Dave Cohen ’94 of Harriman, who
met at RCC in 1993, were married last June. Both have pursued
careers in higher education. Christie teaches Life Skills at RCC as an
adjunct and is also Assistant Freshman Year Director at Dominican
College. Dave, who earned a BA from Louisiana State University, is
a Graduate Admissions Counselor at Pace University. Christie earned
a BA in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo, an MS in Organizational
Leadership from Mercy College and is currently working toward
a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern
University.
Dr. Kenneth Blank ‘98, an Honors Program graduate, recently left
his chiropractic group practice in Westchester to open his own office
in Suffern. Blank earned a BS in biology from SUNY Binghamton
and a doctorate from the University of Bridgeport College of
Chiropractic. “The groundwork for my success in life thus far was
established by the Honors Program. Coming out of high school,
I was uncertain as to what my scholastic path would be, but after
many conversations with Professors Draper and Krasnow, I found my
path.”
Daniel B. Teich ’03 of Washingtonville, a graduate of the Management
Development Program (MgD) Honors Program, was promoted
in 2009 to Assistant Branch Manager at Enterprise Rent-a-Car in
Monsey. He earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY New Paltz in
Marketing in 2007.
Town of
Ramapo Police
Officer Ernst
Tenemille
’99 receives
the Haitian
Alumni Award
at the Haitian
Alumni Soiree
in November
from President
Cliff L. Wood
and Elizabeth
Solages,
Admissions
Recruiter and
organizer of the
event.
Share Your News!
Your fellow alumni would love to hear your
news. Tell us about YOUR recent achievements,
promotions or milestones, or simply
where life has taken you since your RCC
days. Please include your full current name
(and name at time of graduation, if different),
year of graduation and current address. You
can email alumni@sunyrockland.edu, mail
in the enclosed envelope or call us at (845)
574-4595. We also welcome suggestions for
articles that you would like to see in SCENE.
5

College Serves Community
College Provides Training
through SUNY Workforce Development Grants
ServSafe
Food service employees can now receive training at SUNY Rockland
in safe food handling at a reduced price thanks to a state grant. Restaurants,
hospitals and corporate food service require most employees
to have ServSafe Certification. The course covers purchasing,
receiving, storage, preparation, cleaning and sanitation, pest management
and safety training. A certification exam will be given at the
conclusion of the course.
On-site Training at Orange & Rockland
Managers at Orange & Rockland Utilities are receiving training in
construction management and customer service from the College’s
Center for Personal & Professional Development (CPPD). The training
is designed to promote a better collaborative work environment,
increase job retention and satisfaction, boost efficiency and improve
customer service. The program is funded by a $50,000 grant, with
Orange & Rockland paying 10% of the training costs.
The College’s Hospitality Department received a $40,000 grant to
train and certify as many food service workers as possible through
Servsafe in order to improve the safety of food served in restaurants
and grocery stores. DeCicco’s Marketplace contributed 10% to the
grant, and in return, will receive onsite training for all 150 employees
at their seven locations.
Upcoming ServSafe courses and exams are offered in February and
March through the RCC Center for Personal & Professional Development
(CPPD). To register, call CPPD (845) 574-4151 or register
online at: www.sunyrockland.edu/go/servsafe.
Fun & Learn
Kindergartner Valerie plants a garden during the after-school program at the Fun and
Learn Child Development Center at RCC, which is open to the public. Vacation care
is also available. Open House: February 27 and March 7, 10 am- 2 pm. Contact Kyle
Miller at (845) 574-4561 or www.sunyrockland.edu/go/childcare
Members of the
Professional Landscape
Association of Rockland
County donate their
services to beautify the
campus.
For more information about customized workforce training, contact
Rich Syrek, Dean of Continuing & Professional Education, at
rsyrek@sunyrockland.edu or (845) 574-4465.
Four Rockland Colleges Join
Forces to Fight Cancer
Several hundred students from SUNY Rockland, St. Thomas
Aquinas, Nyack and Dominican Colleges will gather in RCC’s
Fieldhouse for an all-evening relay to benefit cancer patients
on Friday, February 19, 6:00 p.m. until midnight (snow date,
March 12) in the sixth annual American Cancer Society College
Relay for Life. Organizers from the American Cancer Society
hope to raise at least $30,000.
The event brings together cancer survivors, families of those who
have lost a loved one to cancer and community members. The
inspirational speaker will be RCC student and cancer survivor
Samantha Botwinick, who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer
at the age of four. Now 14 years in remission, Botwinick will
graduate in May and was recently named to the Phi Theta Kappa
International Honor Society.
This year’s Relay is in memory of Dorothy Keeley, mother of
Dan Keeley, RCC’s Director of Arena Management & Athletics,
and Kathleen Hanlon, mother of Kevin Hanlon, RCC’s Assistant
to the Director, who both lost their fight against cancer in fall
of 2008.
For more information about participating or donating, contact
Diana Carey, RCC Athletic Trainer and Instructor of Physical
Education at dcarey@sunyrockland.edu, (845) 574-4025.
6

Sixteen-year-old homeschooled student Yudi Pardo
conducts research at SUNY Rockland on making solar
panels through an environmentally-friendly biological
option.
Students of Note
Sixteen-Year-Old Conducts Environmental Research at RCC
An 11 th grade homeschooled
student is
conducting graduate
school level work at
the College to alter a
common blue-green
algae in order to
make biologically
derived solar panels.
Yudi Pardo of
Wesley Hills is enrolled
in a program
at RCC that allows
homeschooled and
high school students
to take college courses before they have finished their high school
graduation requirements.
This past summer, at the age of 16, Pardo began his scientific research
project under Dr. Kristopher Baker, Instructor of Science,
who said, “This PhD level project was largely Yudi’s idea. He came
to me with questions and a basic plan and I got him started.” Pardo
believes that if his work is successful, it will provide an alternative
to the chemical solar cells currently used, and therefore improve
the environment.
Three sophomores, students Tarik
Abdelqader, Andrew Newmark and
Mark Svensson, accompanied by
Dr. Cliff L. Wood, President, met with
elected officials in Washington, D.C.,
to discuss the students’ work to end
modern-day slavery.
The students met with Congressman
John Lewis of Georgia at the US Capitol
on October 6 to present their campaign
to enlist citizens to sign letters in support
of anti-slavery legislation. The students
also met with Congressman Eliot Engel,
Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand’s General Council Michele Jawando.
Svensson of Orangeburg, Treasurer, Student Government Association,
said, “Congressman Lewis showed us pictures of himself with
Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and the Kennedys. He spoke to us
in depth on the issue of human rights and social justice.” Congressman
Lewis encouraged the students to continue their campaign to
raise awareness of the issue of modern-day slavery. The students’
goal is to present more than 100,000 signatures to Congress in
Spring 2010.
RCC President Cliff L. Wood and student leaders meet legendary
civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis of Georgia in
Washington, D.C., to discuss ending modern-day slavery. (L to
R) Dr. Wood, Tarik Abdelqader, Congressman Lewis, Andrew
Newmark and Mark Svensson.
Pardo also enrolled in Calculus I Honors and Intermediate Spanish.
He started at RCC at age 14 taking Honors Biology. He subsequently
took Spanish, Sculpture, Ceramics, and a Computer Studies course.
In Spring ’10, Yudi plans to continue his scientific research and take
Honors Calculus II.
He is also involved in RCC’s campus life as press secretary to the
Organic Gardening Club. At home, he studies physics, advanced
chemistry, American history, US government, American literature,
and art.
Yudi isn’t the first in his family to take advantage of learning opportunities
at the College. His older brother, 18-year-old Mickey, was
the first of three gifted brothers to enroll. Now a freshman at SUNY
College of Environment Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse,
Mickey was accepted at every college he applied to, including Cornell.
He entered ESF with a year’s worth of credits.
Yudi’s younger brother, 14-year-old homeschooled Jeremy, is in 9 th
grade and just completed his first course at the College in Computer
Studies. He plans to take Physical Geography in Spring ’10. Jeremy
serves as vice-president of the Organic Gardening Club and as a
contributing writer to the student newspaper, Outlook.
For more information about high school students taking courses at
RCC, contact Admissions at (845) 574-4224.
Students Lobby in Washington to End
Modern Day Slavery
Svensson was selected as one of only
40 students across the country to serve
as a delegate to the Human Rights
Conference at Northwestern University
(January 21-24), the largest student-run
human rights conference in the United
States.
“Meeting with elected officials has
further inspired me to advocate for the
rights of our citizens along with the
citizens of the world,” said Abdelqader
of New City, President, Student Government
Association.
Newmark of Airmont, Student Representative to the College Board
of Trustees, is a member of the Anti-Slavery Committee, of which
Svensson and Abdelqader are Co-Chairs.
The anti-slavery letter is available for signing at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/freedomforall.
For more information about the Rockland Community College Anti-
Slavery Committee, contact John Marra, Coordinator of Student
Activities and Volunteer Services, at jmarra@sunyrockland.edu or
(845) 574-4302.
7

Achievements
Forty Under 40
The 8 th Annual Forty Under 40 Program, sponsored by Rockland
Economic Development Corporation and Provident Bank, honored
40 dynamic individuals under the age of 40 for their commitment
to growth, development, professional excellence, and community
involvement. Dr. Cliff L. Wood, President and Sr. Mary Eileen
O’Brien, President, Dominican College, co-chair the selection committee.
Three members of the College community were selected:
Elyse G. Fuller, Assistant Professor of Science. “I am fortunate
to be able to share and enjoy the marvels of the natural world not
only with my family, but also with my students. It’s thrilling to see
students passionate about something so important.”
Kevin Hanlon, Assistant to the Director, Athletics & Arena Management.
“I feel fortunate to work with great people and to live in Rockland.
I strongly feel there are so many caring, generous and talented
people living here. I am truly blessed.”
Cathlene Cruz, Director Liberty Partnerships Program. “I am the
product of a program similar to LPP. It brings me great joy to give
back by directing a program that ensures excellence for Rockland
County youth.”
Campus Communications received the Bronze Medallion of Merit
Award from the National Council on Marketing & Public Relations
District I for the Print Advertisement Series, “My First Choice,”
which features photos and quotes from outstanding alumni about
why SUNY Rockland was their “First Choice.” Recognized with this
award were: Zipora Reitman, Director; Collette Fournier, Photographer,
and Lisa Saunders, Writer.
Reamy Jansen, Professor, English, has been appointed editor for
creative nonfiction and editor of author interviews for Hamilton
Stone Review.
Elizabeth Sayles, adjunct faculty, Art,
illustrated the newly published book,
“The Very Little Princess,” (Random
House 2010).
Dr. Cliff L. Wood, College President,
and his wife, Wylene Branton Wood,
educator and advocate for social justice
and equality, received the Nyack
College 2010 Social Justice Award
(Nyack College, Jan. 15).
Students
The 2009 issue of the student literary magazine Impulse won first
place in the Eastern Region of the Community College Humanities
Association (CCHA) Literary Magazine competition, making it the
ninth year Impulse has won an award. Design student Vladimir Jean
received the Judges’ Merit Award in Art from the CCHA for his cover
art. The 2009 issue was co-edited by Sheela George, Christina
Autiero and Patrick Bergquist. David Pirell, adjunct faculty, is the
art advisor and Reamy Jansen, Professor, English, is the literary advisor.
Michal Lemel and Ephraim Tauber won $1,000 for their proposed
business plan in a business plan competition sponsored by the
Rockland County Chapter of the New York State Society of Certified
Public Accountants and the RCC Business Department in December.
Thomas Swift, adjunct faculty, Business, was their advisor.
The Student Government Association’s (SGA) Blood Drive brought
134 people, mostly students, to donate blood (Nov. 10). The Blood
Drive Committee was chaired by Farwah Sheik, Vice President of
SGA. Debra Balestra, Director of Student Involvement, is the SGA
advisor.
Hispanic Heritage Achievement
Awards
The following students were honored at the Hispanic Heritage Student
Achievement Awards ceremony in October. Each will receive a
$200 scholarship. David Mateo, Academic Achievement; Gianna
Accattato, Artistic Talent; Kimberly García, Athletic Achievement;
Paola García Cardenas, Leadership Activities; Christian Alvarado
and Christian Salcedo, Personal Accomplishments.
RCC’s Got Talent!
As part of the College’s 50th Anniversary celebration, America’s
Next Great Star Production Company hosted “RCC’s Got Talent,”
on December 3 at the College. The first place winner was the band,
Sexy Heroes, which walked away with a $500 gift card and a chance
to become “America’s Next Great Star.” The band includes RCC
student Nicholas Everett, as well as Mike Schrew, Chris Watts and
Mike Watts.
In Passings
Sally S. Cunneen, Retired Professor of English, died on
October 31 after a long battle with cancer. She began teaching
part-time at the College in 1970, retiring in 1993 as a full
professor. A writer, she published extensively on women and
Catholicism, including four books. Cunneen is survived by
her husband of 59 years, Joseph, and four sons. She is buried
at St. Anthony’s Cemetery in Nanuet.
8
8

Foundation News
Foundation Awards $65,000 in Scholarships
to Entering Freshmen
Freshman scholarship recipients were recognized by the Rockland Community College Foundation Scholarship Committee at a reception in
October. Scholarships totaling $65,000 were awarded to incoming students from area public and private high schools.
The largest award went to Daniel Stimpfle, a graduate of Monroe-Woodbury High School, recipient of the newly established $10,000 scholarship
called “The Deal Scholarship,” established by Chris Carucci ’97 of Tarrytown, Vice President of Equities Technology. Carucci wanted
to motivate a Monroe-Woodbury High School student whose graduating grades did not reflect his/her true academic potential. Stimpfle
received full tuition, fees and a book stipend for the Fall ’09 semester.
A Monroe-Woodbury graduate himself, Carucci, identifies himself as not having reached his full academic potential. Yet, as a result of working
hard under the guidance of the faculty at RCC, he turned himself around and was accepted to Pace University with a scholarship. He said,
“Seeing how much I’ve leaned on my experience at RCC, I wanted to give that opportunity to someone else. It’s a chance to ‘reset.’”
Twenty-five scholarships were awarded, including many for full tuition for two years, a $6,800 value. The scholarships, which were made
available by the Rockland Community College Foundation, were for children of alumni, minorities, art students, nursing students, honor
students and more.
For further information, contact Don Cairns, Executive Director of the Foundation, at (845) 574-4576
Scholarship recipients with President Cliff L. Wood (center).
College Welcomes First Haitian
Studies Scholar-in-Residence
Dr. Jean A. Francois, RCC’s first Haitian Studies
Scholar-in-Residence, will share scholarly
perspectives on the Haitian experience in special
seminars and as a guest lecturer in classes during
the Spring 2010 semester. He will also help plan
and participate in the College’s Haitian Heritage
Week in April.
Dr. Francois is Assistant Professor of French
at York College, CUNY, and a widely published author, playwright
and poet. He earned a PhD in French at the CUNY Graduate Center,
a Master of Arts in French literature at Hunter College, CUNY, and
a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering at the Institut Supérieur
technique d’Haiti.
The Haitian scholar-in-residence program is funded by a grant secured
by New York State Senator Thomas P. Morahan.
Reception for Haitian Studies Scholar-in-Residence
Thursday, February 18, 3 pm
Free and open to the public
Art Underground, Library Media Center,
lower level, RCC Suffern campus
Join New York State Senator Thomas P. Morahan
and RCC students and faculty in welcoming
Dr. Jean A. Francois,who will give a presentation
on the Haitian experience.
9
Sculpture Donated
to College
A metal sculpture, “Nana,” by Juan Nickford (1925-2001),
was recently donated to the College through the RCC
Foundation by his widow, Jene, of Tappan. Juan
Nickford was a faculty member at the College in the
Department of Art.
Standing on a pedestal in the President’s Office reception
area, “Nana” is made of brass and nickel silver
and stands 44” high. Juan’s work includes commissions
from Ford Aerospace and Communications
Corporation, several buildings in New York City
and a cruise line. His work can also be found in
major museums and galleries throughout the US.
Though diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in
1983, he was able to complete his “farewell” piece,
a large relief sculpture for the Robert Yeager Health
Center in Pomona in 1998.
Juan taught at several colleges including Vassar and
RCC and ended his teaching career as a full professor
at City College of the City University of New
York.

Heritage Celebrations
SUNY Rockland celebrates diversity throughout the year, in and out of the classroom. Below are highlights from some of the upcoming
celebrations. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Refreshments are served at many events. For a complete
listing of heritage events, visit our website at www.sunyrockland.edu or contact event organizers as indicated.
African American History Month – February
Dr. John Bracey of the University
of Massachusetts will discuss the
history of the NAACP (Feb. 2)
The life of journalist and
feminist Ida B. Wells will
be celebrated through
music, dance and oratory
(Feb. 23)
Whitley and the Hard Times Band will present “Forever Ray,” the music of Ray Charles (Feb. 27)
For more information, contact African American History Month Co-Chairs,
Lisa Schachter at 845-574-4396, lschacht@sunyrockland.edu or Jeanne Howell at 845-574-4229, jhowell@sunyrockland.edu
Celebrating
Irish Culture – March
Women’s History
Month – March
Step-dancers will perform at the
CrossRoads Ceili (Feb 25)
Book discussion (March 24)
Renowned Belfast playwright Brenda Winter will
discuss and present her work (March 11 & 13)
For more information, contact Irish Heritage Committee Co-Chairs
Patty Maloney-Titland at (845) 574-4380, ptitland@sunyrockland.edu,
or Maire Liberace at (845) 574-4276, mliberac@sunyrockland.edu.
10
For more information about the events,
contact Women’s History Month co-chairs,
Dr. Christina Stern at cstern@sunyrockland.edu, (845) 574-4438 or
Dr. Kristie Morris at kmorris@sunyrockland.edu, (845) 574-4434.
10
RCC faculty members Nancy Pietroforte and Christina Stern will
discuss, “The 1970s: A Decade of Change and Challenge”

Jewish Heritage Month:
Celebrating
Global Jewry – March
Hispanic Heritage
Highlights ‘09
Talk by Doron Kornbluth, author of
“How to Raise Kids Who Love Being
Jewish” (Mar. 16)
“Jewminicana” Aliza Hausman will discuss
her multiple identities (Mar. 9)
Holocaust
Commemoration: – April
Felipe Luciano, the first Puerto
Rican news anchor for WNBC,
speaks about, “Leadership in a
Multicultural 21st Century.”
Dr. Jocelyn Santana, author of, “Dominican
Dream, American Reality,” reads passages
from her book.
Musical performance, “The Undying Flame:
Ballads of the Holocaust,” by musicologist
Jerry Silverman (April 15)
For further information, contact Jewish Heritage Month co-chairs
Zipora Reitman, zreitman@sunyrockland.edu, (845) 574-4595 or
Shevy Oliver, soliver@sunyrockland.edu, (845) 574-4422.
11 11
Sergia Perez portrays several characters in a one-woman performance of
“I Didn’t Cry,” which highlights problems of abusive relationships. The
production was co-sponsored by Rockland Family Shelter.

Non-Profit Organization
Presorted Standard
US Postage
PAID
Monsey, NY 10952
Permit No. 302
RCC Foundation
145 College Road, Suffern, NY 10901
Upcoming Events
March
2 Discussion, “Gender, Sex, and
Violence”
4 Lecture, “Women in the Civil Rights
Movement”
4-7 World Fishing & Outdoor Expo
9 Lecture, “Jewminicana”
11 Presentation, “Outreach in the Out
back”
11 Lecture, “When Sheils Met Liberace”
12 Construction Career Day
13 Play, “Just Shiels”
14 YouthFest
14 Rockland County Concert Band
16 Lecture, author Doron Kornbluth
16 Hudson Vagabond Puppets
16 Lecture, “The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
New Historical & Psychological
Considerations”
18 Lecture, “The 1970s: A Decade of
Change and Challenge”
19 50th Anniversary Birthday Bash
23 Global Jewry Fashion Show
24 Book Discussion, “Half the Sky”
25 Book discussion, “Sarah’s Key”
25 Open Mike Night
26-28 Boat Show
February
1-28 African American History
Month Exhibits
2 Lecture,“NAACP: Myths
and Realities”
3 Presentation, “A Mighty
River”
5-7 Home & Garden Show
9 -10 Black Achievement Awards
12-15 Northeast RV Show
12 Gospel Concert
14 Rockland Symphony
18 Lecture, “Black New Yorkers
and the Struggle for Civil
Rights”
18 Reception, Haitian Scholar-in-
Residence
19 American Cancer Society Relay
for Life
20 Hudson Vagabond Puppets
23 Dance Presentation, “Ida B.
Wells”
23 Lecture, “Colette Khoury: A
Prominent Arabic Poet and Writer
Who Rebelled”
25 Crossroads Ceili
27 Concert, Whitley & the Hard
Times Band
27-28 Rockland County Kennel Club
Dog Show
For details, check
calendar of events online at
www.sunyrockland.edu or
call (845) 574-4032.
April
6 Lecture, “Conquering Math
Anxiety”
7 Volunteer Fair
8 Cornell Cooperative
Extension
8-11 Performance, “Jesus Christ
Superstar”
12 Film, “As Seen Through
These Eyes”
9 “The Lighter Side of
Nursing”
13 Lecture, “Seeking Enhanced
Literacy at the Community
College”
13 Holocaust Survivor Talk
13 Admissions Open House
15 Performance, “Ballads of the
Holocaust”
14-16 Astro-Imaging Conference
17 Great American Clean-up
17-18 Northeast Astronomy Forum
& Telescope Show
20 Haitian Lecture
20 Earth Day
21 RCC Video Festival
22 Haitian Cultural Day
22 Haitian Lecture
24 Countywide Food Drive
29–30 Spring Dance Concert
50th Anniversary Events: www.sunyrockland.edu/go/50