Winter 2007 - Eagle Online - Niagara University

■ V O L U M E 2 3 , I S S U E 2 ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 ■
A Few
Minutes with
Eddie Friel
Iraq: Is There
a Way Out
Vinnie: “Not Even a Call
from Willard Scott”

PR E S I D E N T’S ME S S AG E
Ih a ve tried throughout this sesquicentennial ye a r
to talk about St. Vincent de Paul on as many
occasions as possible in an effort to highlight
Vincentian spirituality and the mission of Ni a g a r a
Un i ve r s i t y. After all, if it we re not for Vincent, his
c o n f re res and others who followed him, there would
be no Niagara Un i versity — at least the one we have
k n own these last 150 ye a r s .
The words that describe St. Vi n c e n t’s spirituality
apply most directly to those who follow his way of
life, the Vincentian priests and brothers, as well as
the Daughters of Charity. But Vi n c e n t’s spirituality is
for eve ryone and anyone who wishes to follow his
w a y, his model of life. And that certainly would apply
to all the students who have graduated from this
Vincentian unive r s i t y.
St. Vincent told all his followers that they must
f o l l ow Jesus Christ, the one who eva n g e l i zed the
p o o r. Vincent spoke of how the church and the world
need people who are simple, humble, gentle, selfsacrificing,
and filled with effective love. He said that
w o rds are necessary in one’s work, but it is a person’s
life that is most striking and most influences others.
As Father Ro b e rt P. Ma l o n e y, C.M., notes in his
book “He Hears the Cry of the Po o r,” St. Vi n c e n t
always wanted his followers to be aware that we are
all called to be holy, even if that word today is not
ve ry popular, or does not feel appropriate to us. T h e
holy person is the one whose life is filled with Go d ,
and only that person can be effective and perseve r i n g .
We all seem to fear many things in life, but, as
Vincent saw it, the only thing that we really have to
fear is the loss of fire in our hearts. That fire, that
l ove in our hearts, Father Maloney says, is Christ’s
own love, and that is what other people see and need,
and what will have the greatest effect on them.
Niagara Un i ve r s i t y, as a Vincentian unive r s i t y, has
always had St. Vi n c e n t’s spirituality at the heart of its
purpose and mission. When one studies what Vi n c e n t
taught and wrote in his life, one finds certain core
values. One of the most important core values that I
would like to stress is that a Vi n c e n t i a n / Ni a g a r a
education strives to integrate the importance of
s e rving the poor into the educational process. Eve ryo n e
at a Vincentian university should keep the primacy of
this vision alive, especially in our students and alumni.
Graduates of a Vincentian university should always
re m e m b e r, as Sister Louise Su l l i van, D.C., wrote in
“The Core Values of Vincentian Education,” that
“education was the most far reaching form of serv i c e ,
for it enabled the poor to break the cycle of pove rt y,
find meaningful employment, and thus enhance their
s e l f - respect and confidence.” By providing quality
education, Niagara Un i versity has been able to give this
vision of service to others to influence the manner in
which they live their own live s .
In the name of St. Vincent, our patron and
inspiration, I wish all our alumni a ve ry happy 150th
a n n i ve r s a ry. May he continue to inspire and guide
your lives, for you are clearly a ve ry important part of
the future of the university and, there f o re, part of the
next 150 years of its life. Thank you for your love ,
s e rvice and perseve r a n c e .
As always, I welcome your thoughts and
suggestions at jll@niagara.edu.
J o s e ph L. Leve s q u e, C . M .
Pre s i d e n t

Niagara University
The Eagle
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Lisa McMahon
Editor
Office of Communications
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Niagara University, N.Y. 14109
OF F I C E O F
CO M M U N I C AT I O N S A N D
PU B L I C RE LAT I O N S
Linus L. Ormsby, ’88
Director
Lisa M. McMahon
Associate Di rector for Pu b l i c a t i o n s
Jason R. Mollica
Assistant Director
Suzanne M. Karaszewski
Graphic Designer
Jean H. Spence
Secretary
CO N T R I B U TO R S
Michele J. Schmidt
Assistant Athletic Director/
Media Relations
Arthur Cardella
Director of Alumni Relations
Katie Schneider
Photography
ED I TO R’S OF F I C E
716-286-8747
lmcmahon@niagara.edu
ALU M N I RE LAT I O N S OF F I C E
716-286-8787
cardella@niagara.edu
www.niagara.edu
1 4
1 6
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departments
inside cover
CONTENTS
Iraq: Is There a Way Out 13
A historian, a political scientist and a criminal justice scholar discuss
the options.
Cover Story:
A Publication for
Alumni and Friends
VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2
WINTER 2007
A Few Minutes with Eddie Friel 14
Niagara’s expert-in-residence discusses tourism, the Niagara region,
and what he hopes to accomplish during his time at NU.
Vinnie: “Not Even a Call from Wi l l a rd Scott” 16
NU’s director of communications and public relations “chats” with
St. Vincent’s Hall about its 100th anniversary.
NU’s 150th Anniversary Celebration 20
Photos from the Pre s i d e n t’s Dinner and the Nov. 21 birthday celebration.
President’s Message
2 Around Campus
7 NU People
9 Mission Central
10 Sports Section
12 Advancement Matters
24 Alumni Notes
28 Alumni NUws
29 A NU View
on the cove r
Eddie Friel, a native of Londonderry, No rt h e rn Ireland, has spent
m o re than 35 years in the tourism industry in the United Kingdom,
the United States and Canada. He was appointed the first chief
e xe c u t i ve of the Greater Gl a s g ow Tourist Board and is cre d i t e d
with developing the policies that helped tra n s f o rmGl a s g ow fro m
a perc e i ved decaying industrial city to a major tourist destination.
Friel joined Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y’s Hospitality and Training Ce n t e r
in Ja n u a ry to help implement the Buffalo Ni a g a ra Cu l t u ral As s e t s :
Re s e a rch into Action In i t i a t i ve, an Oishei grant-funded project that
will enable the university to provide leadership for cultural tourism
re s e a rch, as well as industry training. “The funding provided by
the Oishei Foundation provides an excellent platform on which to
build for the future ,” said Friel. “I am looking forw a rd to work i n g
with all stakeholders in helping to create self-sustaining growth for
the sector in the coming ye a r s .”

2 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
NEW LECTURE SERIES LAUNCHED AT NU — The Rev. Thomas P. McGourty,
C.M. (pictured, right, with
the Re v. Joseph L. Leve s q u e ,
C.M., Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y
p resident), a re t i red professor
of religious studies at
Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y, has
established a $100,000
endowment fund to support
a lecture series related to
“ Religion in the Mo d e rn
World.” The He n ry and Gra c e
McNulty Memorial Lecture
Series, which will be pre s e n t e d
a n n u a l l y, is named for Fa t h e r
McGourty’s late aunt and
uncle. The series will focus
on issues related to religion in the modern world, with pre f e rence given to topics of
social justice and inter-religious dialogue.
The first lecture of this series, “Solving Our Im m i g ration Crisis: The Catholic Pe r s p e c t i ve , ”
will be presented by Kevin Appleby, director of migration and refugee policy for the
U.S. Co n f e rence of Catholic Bishops, on Ma rch 27 in Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y’s Ca s t e l l a n i
Art Museum. The event is free and open to the public.
Prior to his current work in advocating and implementing the Catholic bishops’ policy
objectives on immigration, Appleby worked for U.S. Sen. Russell Long (D-LA), the
U.S. Senate Committee on Ira n - Co n t ra, and for the U.S. Senate Arms Co n t rol Office.
Niagara University
Army ROTC
Earns Honor
Niagara University’s Army ROTC
program was recognized for its
success in contracting future
Army officers at the annual U.S. A r m y
Cadet Command Eastern Region
c o m m a n d e r’s senior workshop, held in
Nashville from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1. Lt.
Col. Patrick A. Soos, professor of
military science at Niagara University,
accepted the award, which was given
for the academic year 2005-’06.
In all, 104 of Eastern Region’s 132
Army ROTC programs at colleges
and universities across the eastern
half of the country were honored for
the number of individuals in their
programs who have signed a legally
binding agreement outlining their
desire to become an Army off i c e r
through Army ROTC.
NU PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE RECEIVES GOLD AWARD FROM CASE
Niagara University’s Office of
Communications and Public
Relations re c e i ved a gold
a w a rd from the Council for the
Ad vancement and Su p p o rt of Ed u c a t i o n
at its District II conference in New
York City Feb. 12.
The award, in the category of
Individual Institutional Relations and
Alumni Relations Publications, is for
a special edition of the university’s
alumni magazine, the Eagle, which
was dedicated to Niagara
University’s sesquicentennial
anniversary. The 48-page edition
of the magazine, which was
published in August of 2006,
was edited by Lisa McMahon,
associate director for publications, and
designed by Sue Karaszewski, the office’s
graphic designer.
“This special anniversary edition of the
Eagle has drawn many compliments from
alumni and friends of the university, and
we’re delighted that our peers in the
communications field have deemed it
worthy of gold,” said Linus Ormsby,
NU’s director of communications and
public relations. “Lisa and Sue presented
the university’s 150-year history in a very
readable, graphically pleasing format.
We’re delighted to see their work
recognized in this manner.”
The CASE Accolades and Aw a rd s
Gala was held in the Rainbow Ro o m
at Rockefeller Center.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 3
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY CMAA HELPS TOYS FOR TOTS
CAMPAIGN — Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y’s Club Managers As s o c i a t i o n
of America student colony, in support of the New York state
CMAA chapter’s Christmas service project, donated toys to the
Toys for Tots campaign. Each member of the NU student colony
donated two new toys for a total of 56 toys, which were
delivered to the Buffalo-area collection point at Brookfield
Country Club on Dec. 12.
NU’s student colony of CMAA, the professional association for
managers of membership clubs, was started in August 2006
under the guidance of faculty moderator Dr. William Frye,
CME, associate professor in the College of Hospitality and
Tourism Management. There are currently 23 members in the
g roup, which is one of only two student chapters/colonies in the
New York state CMAA chapter. Pictured with Frye are Laura
Stevenson (left) and Vanessa Schultz, members of NU’s CMAA.
NI AG A R A IN K S AG R E E M E N TS W I T H TWO
RE G I O N A L CO L L E G E S
Niagara Un i versity re c e n t l y
signed agreements that will
bring students from two
regional colleges to campus to finish
their degre e s .
The first, an articulation agre e m e n t
with Niagara College in On t a r i o ,
Canada, gives graduates of its business
administration–accounting pro g r a m
a d vanced standing in Ni a g a r a
Un i ve r s i t y’s BBA/MBA pro f e s s i o n a l
accountancy program. The second,
signed with Tompkins Cort l a n d
Community College in Dryden, N.Y. ,
guarantees academic scholarships for
graduates of certain academic pro g r a m s
at TC 3 .
Under the NU/Niagara College
a g reement, students who graduate
f rom Niagara College’s business
administration–accounting adva n c e d
diploma program with a minimum 70
p e rcent academic average can enter the
t h i rd year of NU’s five - year BBA/MBA
p rogram, and complete both degre e s
with two years of additional study.
They are then qualified to sit for the
C PA exam.
The TC3 agreement covers five
majors at the college: hotel and
restaurant management, re c re a t i o n
l e a d e r s h i p, sport management, business
administration, and liberal arts and
sciences–general studies. Graduates of
these programs will be able to transfer
into Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s College of
Hospitality and Tourism Ma n a g e m e n t
with a class rank of junior, and be
guaranteed scholarships based on their
grade point average. The guaranteed
scholarships would be in addition to
any other financial aid available to
the student.
JUNIOR AC H I EVEMENT HONORS
FATHER LEVESQUE — The Re v.
Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., Ni a g a ra
Un i versity president, was honore d
in November by Junior Achievement
of WNY at its annual Bu s i n e s s
Leadership Hall of Fame and Spirit
of Ac h i e vement Aw a rds dinner. Fa t h e r
L e vesque accepted the org a n i z a t i o n’s
Educator of the Year award .

4 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
Adaco Donation
Strengthens
Hospitality and
Tourism Program
Adaco Services LLC, through
alumnus, co-founder and former
president Thomas Metzen, ’71,
has made a substantial donation of its
flagship software and training services to
the Niagara University College of
Hospitality and Tourism Management to
enhance its foodservice management
program.
Adaco Eclipse, the donated
software, provides a complete
p r o c u r e m e n t , materials management,
inventory and operational control system
handling food, beverage and all other
hotel items. The software has been
installed in the College of Hospitality and
Tourism Management’s computer lab
and will be an integral component of the
college’s foodservice purchasing, food
and beverage cost control, and menu
planning and commercial food
production courses, according to Dr.
Gary D. Praetzel, dean of the college.
Adaco is also donating all software
training costs through Adaco employee
Adam Shine, a 2003 graduate of the
College of Hospitality and To u r i s m
Management.
NU LEARNING ENVIRONMENT EXCEEDS
NATIONAL NORM
Anationwide study of effective
educational practice has found
that Niagara Un i versity seniors
rank their institution higher than the
national average in four of five benchm
a rk areas and equal in a fifth.
The 2006 re p o rt from the Na t i o n a l
Survey of Student Engagement, which
was based on information from 260,000
randomly selected first-year and senior
students from 523 four-year colleges and
u n i versities, found that senior students ranked
NU above the national averages in active and
c o l l a b o r a t i ve learning, student-faculty interaction,
enriching educational experiences, and
s u p p o rt i ve campus environment. In the fifth
c a t e g o ry, level of academic challenge, NU
Niagara Un i versity student Candace
Miller has re c e i ved the distinction
of being named a junior fellow of
the American Academy of Political and
Social Science.
Mi l l e r, a junior with senior-class
standing, was among a group of senior
students nationwide who fulfilled the
a c a d e m y’s criteria for ranking as a junior
f e l l ow. The criteria are: an outstanding
grasp of a discipline’s theories and methods,
as demonstrated through prior course
work in the student’s major department;
an enthusiasm for understanding social
issues; and the promise of making
equaled the national benchmark .
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching sponsors the
annual re p o rt, which is part of an ongoing
e f f o rt to improve collegiate quality. Fi n d i n g s
provide faculty and staff with information
that can be used to strengthen the learning
environment, give schools an idea of how
well students are learning and what they
put into and get out of their undergraduate
experience, and offer students
and parents information that is helpful in
choosing the right college or university,
according to officials.
For more details about the report, go to
www.niagara.edu/news/printnews.php
id=1378.
NU ST U D E N T NA M E D JU N I O R FE L LOW O F AM E R I C A N
AC A D E M Y O F PO L I T I C A L A N D SO C I A L SC I E N C E
substantial contributions to the social
sciences in the future.
A Syracuse resident who graduated as
valedictorian of the class of 2005 at
Onondaga Central Junior/Senior High
School, Miller is majoring in political
science at NU.
The American Academy of Political
and Social Science was created in 1889
to promote the progress of the social
sciences by creating a forum in which
research on contemporary political,
economic, and social issues could help
inform public policy, as well as enlighten
the intellectually curious.
ACCLAIMED PLAYWRIGHT AND AUTHOR VISITS NU — Pamela Gien, playwright and
author of the OBIE award-winning play “The Syringa Tree,” visited Ni a g a ra Un i versity on
Jan. 24 to talk about her work and the process of writing with students in the unive r s i t y’s
Introduction to Literature and Writing for TV classes.
Gien talked about her growing-up years in South Africa during Apartheid, which she chronicles
in “The Syringa Tree,” a one-woman show that has been performed in London, Toronto, Los
Angeles, Boston, and Cape Town. The play, which was inspired by an exercise in an acting class,
is the story of a love between two families, one black, one white, and the two children that are
born into their shared households in the early 1960s South Africa.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 5
RECORDING HISTORY — Dr. Zdenka Gredel-Manuele, chair and professor of
h i s t o ry at NU, and seve ral NU history majors presented David Schoen, dire c t o r
of libraries, with a bound survey of students’ reflections of current events and
h ow they have
affected their
l i ves as NU
college students.
The survey,
which was done
as part of the
u n i ve r s i t y’s
sesquicentennial
c e l e b ra t i o n ,
will be placed
in the libra r y’s
a rc h i ves. “It is
common for an
institutional
a rc h i ves to contain a lot of official re c o rds, but your effort is different and import a n t
in that it helps tell the story of what it was actually like to be a student at NU at
this time,” Schoen told the students. “We appreciate your efforts.” Pi c t u red with
Schoen ((third from left) are some of the students who participated in the pro j e c t :
(l-r) Lindsay Zamniak, Joe Ko p n i t s k y, Philip Ge r retsen, and Sa rah Ge rm a n n ,
with Gre d e l - Ma n u e l e .
ACTIVE AND INTEGRATIVE LEARNING THE
FOCUS OF CONFERENCE
Approximately 100 educators from several Western New York colleges attended
the sixth annual International Conference on Teaching and Learning, sponsored
by Niagara University’s College Committee on Teaching and Learning. The
conference showcased various facets of active and integrative learning, and explored
practical ways to build this learning into curricula within and across fields of study.
Dr. Randolph Smith, chair and professor of psychology at Kennesaw State
University, presented the keynote address, “Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of
Teaching,” at the conference, which was co-chaired by Dr. Paul Vermette, professor of
education, and Dr. Mary Ellen Bardsley, assistant professor of education.
“The presentations provided college faculty and staff with ideas to apply to their
classes and offerings,” Bardsley said, adding that “the conference allows people to
network and discuss common concerns about designing, implementing, and assessing
in higher education in active and integrative ways.”
Follow the progress of Niagara
University’s new academic
complex at www.niagara.edu/
pr/AcademicComplex.htm.
GR A N TS AWA R D E D TO
TWO NU PRO G R A M S
Niagara University’s College
of Hospitality and To u r i s m
Management and the NU
d e p a rtment of nursing we re re c e n t
recipients of two substantial grant award s .
The hospitality college received a
$202,000 grant to support practical
industry applications from the Statler
Foundation. The grant will help fund
student attendance at the two largest
hospitality industry events in New
York City and Chicago, and reinforce
the college’s practical industry focus
through a visiting-experts program,
allowing Niagara to bring top lodging
executives to campus to work with
students. It will also enable the college
to develop joint degree programs with
partner schools of The Leading Hotel
Schools of the World in Lima, Peru;
and Bad Ho n n e f, Ge r m a n y. Ed u c a t i o n a l
and training programs for industry
will also be developed and expanded
through the college’s Hospitality
Training and Research Center as a
result of this grant.
The New York State Health
Department awarded the university’s
department of nursing a workforce
retraining grant of $119,825 to
support two programs designed to
foster the continuing education of
nurses. The first project will offer
registered nurses holding an associate
degree the opportunity to complete a
baccalaureate degree in nursing. The
second project will offer RNs holding
a baccalaureate degree the opportunity
to complete certificate programs.
The grant, which was received
under the state’s Health Workforce
Retraining Initiative, was sought in
partnership with Roswell Park Cancer
Institute and the Niagara County
Department of Health to address
training in shortage occupations and
expansion of educational capacity.

6 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
NU’S BUSINESS COLLEGE SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY
Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s College of
Business Administration and
the faculty of Bu s i n e s s
Administration at East Africa
Un i versity of Bosaso, Somalia, have
signed a five - year agreement to
p romote international cooperation.
The agreement calls for educational
e xchanges among faculty and students
in an effort to promote cooperation
and mutual understanding, accord i n g
to Dr. John A. Helmuth, dean of NU’s
business college. Both universities will
p romote educational and re s e a rc h
cooperation among faculty members
and encourage students to take courses
and/or pursue graduate degrees at their
sister institution, Helmuth said.
Helmuth noted that the agre e m e n t
is an outgrowth of the re l a t i o n s h i p s
d e veloped by Dr. Ab d i weli M. Ali, an
assistant professor of economics at
NU. Ali has been working under a
U N - s p o n s o red program to help re b u i l d
the Somali government, which
collapsed in 1991 as a result of a civil
war that all but destroyed the country’s
educational system.
“After the collapse of the Somali state,
the first casualties of the civil war we re the
institutions of higher learning,” Ali said. He
noted that one of the major constraints to
the development of educational institutions
n ow is the limited availability of we l l -
qualified professors and teachers. “To
i m p rove the access and quality of secondary
and tert i a ry education in Somalia, the
rehabilitation of the university system is of
utmost importance, including the training of
teachers and university professors,” he said.
“ E AU is already filling this vacuum, and
this agreement will contribute to that noble
and necessary objective,” Ali continued.
“This is really a part and parcel of our
Vincentian mission,” he added.
East Africa Un i ve r s i t y, which was
established in 1999, accepted its first
class in October of 2000 after prov i d i n g
six months of pre - u n i versity courses to
p ro s p e c t i ve students. The unive r s i t y
c u r rently has faculties of business
administration, computer science,
Islamic law and education.
VISITING FAC U LTY — Ern e s t o
Carriazo-Osorio, professor at
Javeriana Jesuit University in
Bogatá, Columbia, visited the
Niagara University campus in
November to meet with the
students in his course on contemporary
Latin American culture,
a distance-learning class offered
at Niagara University. “It is an
incredible experience because it
opens doors on both sides,” he
said of the opportunity to teach
a long-distance course. “They
(the students) are able to travel
to the country virtually and
know about our realities and
vice versa. Students must have
a different view of Columbia just
because they have taken this course. It gives them the opport u n i t y
to re a l i ze that Latin America is not the same — you find cultura l
d i ve r s i t y, even within a country. And it also opens my perspective
about the United States.” While at Niagara, Carriazo-Osorio
gave a presentation on his research into the Yurupary myth, a
s t o ry told by the Tukano Indians in the Am a zo n .
KE L LY CO- AU T H O R S
BO O K O N PO L I T I C S
Dr. Sean Kelly, associate
p rofessor of political
science, is the co-author
of a new book that discusses the
t h e o retical and practical aspects
of political mark e t i n g .
The book, “Campaigns and
Political Ma rketing,” is co-written
by Dr. J. Mark Wrighton,
assistant professor of political
science at the Un i versity of New
Hampshire, and edited by Dr.
Wayne P. St e g e r, associate professor of
political science at DePaul University in Chicago.
Kelly and Wrighton explain the real world of campaign
politics and elections, presenting the everyday issues that
political consultants face in the field. Political crises and scandals
are discussed in detail, with research and historical studies that
illuminate practical ways to deal with any problem.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 7
BLANCHARD’S INFLUENCE CONTINUES AT NIAGARA AND BEYOND
In 1983, Niagara University junior
Debbie Curtis was among six students
from throughout the United States
who won scholarships to travel to
Seoul, Ko rea, to attend the 53rd world
conference of the American Society of
Travel Agents. It proved to be one of
those life-altering experiences, but for
reasons other than the obvious. It wasn’t
so much the conference as it was meeting
Robert W. Blanchard that helped to shape
her career.
When their paths crossed again after
Bl a n c h a rd was hired, in 1987, to head
N U ’s Institute of Tr a vel, Hotel and
Restaurant Administration, he exhibited
the same qualities that left such an initial
i m p ression on the young student.
“ It was 1987 or 1988, and I was speaking
at an industry meeting,” recalled Curtis,
who was then working in the hotel
i n d u s t ry. “He sensed that I was nervo u s ,
and was ve ry encouraging and helpful.
He really made me feel comfort a b l e .”
As the years passed, Bl a n c h a rd continued
to mentor Curtis in her career and in her
pursuit of a doctoral degree, telling her at
one decision point, “Hold on, I have a
D.C. (Debbie Curtis) plan.”
The plan eventually evo l ved into her
replacing him at NU’s Hospitality Tr a i n i n g
and Re s e a rch Center, which she now
directs. After leaving his post as director
of the ITHRA in 1996, Bl a n c h a rd
returned to the university in 2001 for
two years to launch the college’s Center
for Community Economic De ve l o p m e n t
t h rough Hospitality and Tourism, now the
Hospitality Training and Re s e a rch Center.
Be f o re returning to NU, he chaired the
hospitality department at Johnson & Wa l e s
Un i ve r s i t y’s Charleston, S.C., campus.
“Bob was a ve ry positive man who was
interested in everyone else. He was very
generous with his time and advice,”
Curtis recalled fondly.
Even after he was diagnosed with a brain
tumor at Thanksgiving time, Bl a n c h a rd ,
72, remained his usual positive self. “I
talked to Bob a
couple of we e k s
b e f o re he died,
and he asked
about my husband
and how our four
kids were doing.
On his deathbed.
The way he
carried his life was
very impressive,”
she said, adding
that she has told
her current
students about
the wonderful
example he set for
others in life and
in death.
In the time
since his death Dec. 30 at his home in
Campobello, S.C., others, too, have
shared stories about the positive impact
Bl a n c h a rd had on others. Dr. Ga ry
Pr a e t zel, dean of the College of
Hospitality and Tourism Management,
noted that Blanchard was very proud of
his work with the Statler Center in
Buffalo, where he developed a 13-week
curriculum to pre p a re individuals who are
blind, visually impaired, or physically
handicapped for work in the hospitality
and tourism industry. He continued this
work in South Carolina until his death.
Dr. Praetzel said that wherever Bob
and his wife, Marianne, lived, a favorite
community activity was helping physically
and mentally disabled children ride horses.
The family has asked that memorial
donations be made in memory of Ro b e rt
W. Bl a n c h a rd to the Therapeutic Riding
Organization of Tryon, 3381 Hu n t i n g t o n
County Road, Tryon, N.C. 28782.
During his tenure at NU, Blanchard
developed the study-abroad program with
Schiller International University campuses
in Strasbourg, France; and Engleberg,
Switzerland. In 1993, he was recognized
by Schiller, which awarded him the
Bob Blanchard and Debbie Curtis at the 2004 Leading Hotels
of the World annual convention in Palm Beach, Fla.
honorary degree of doctor of humane
letters for his leadership in education and
community service. That same year, he
was honored for his work in hospitality
education by the New York State
Department of Economic Development.
In 1995, he was a gubernatorial appointee
to the first White House Conference on
Travel and Tourism. He also served for a
time as chairman of the Niagara Falls
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Bob brought respect to ITHRA
when he assumed the directorship in
1987,” Pr a e t zel said. “He had a
t remendous reputation with industry
on a national basis, developed thro u g h
an outstanding industry career and an
academic career that was closely aligned
with industry,” Pr a e t zel said. “Bob put
us on the track to become a leading
national and international program in
hospitality and tourism.”
Bl a n c h a rd is surv i ved by thre e
daughters, two sons, and 12 grandc
h i l d ren. A memorial service was held
Jan. 13 at the United Methodist Church
in Landrum, S.C. Ex p ressions of
sympathy can be sent to Marianne, his
wife of 50 years, at 23 Royal Tro o n
Dr i ve, Campobello, S.C. 29322.
— by Linus Ormsby

8 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
BIELECKI NAMED VP
FOR ADVANCEMENT
Donald P. Bielecki has been
named Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s
vice president for institutional
advancement. Formerly the associate
vice president for advancement, he
had been serving for the last three
months as the interim vice president.
“ Do n’s broad experience, the
success he has enjoyed as associate
vice president, his dedication to his
w o rk, and his harmonious re l a t i o n s h i p
with the advancement staff bolster
my confidence that Don is the right
person to lead Niagara’s advancement
sector at this important time in the
u n i ve r s i t y’s history,” said the Re v. Jo s e p h
L. Levesque, C.M., Ni a g a r a’s pre s i d e n t .
Bielecki holds both bachelor’s and
m a s t e r’s degrees from the St a t e
Un i versity of New Yo rk at Albany,
w h e re he was earlier employed and
twice honored as administrator of the
ye a r. He is a member of the Na t i o n a l
Society of Fundraising Exe c u t i ves and
the Council for the Ad vancement and
Su p p o rt of Education. Prior to
joining the unive r s i t y, Bielecki had
s e rved for 10 years in various fundraising
positions at Re n s s e l a e r
Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
DR. DAVID TAYLOR RECEIVES CARITAS MEDAL
Criminal justice professor Dr. David Taylor
received Niagara University’s Caritas Medal
Jan. 25 at a Mass marking the opening of a
weeklong “Vincentian Spiritual Renewal.” Taylor was
selected for the award, which honors contemporary
leaders who exemplify the charity of St. Vincent de
Paul in an extraordinary way, for his untiring efforts
to improve the local community and the lives of those
who live there.
Since joining the unive r s i t y’s criminal justice faculty
in 1999, Taylor has become intimately invo l ved with
several of the university’s community service
initiatives. He serves as director of the university’s
Border Community SERVICE program, which has
d e veloped a core of volunteers trained to respond to
natural or man-made emergencies. He is also
coordinator of ReNU Niagara, a grant-sponsored
Community Outreach Partnership Center program
that is concentrating on inner-city problems. He has
served as coordinator of the Niagara Falls Weed and
Seed anticrime program and as co-chair of the
university’s Committee to Assist in the Revitalization
of Niagara Falls. He is a member of the advisory
boards of the Highland Community Revitalization
Committee Inc., the Local Law Enforcement Block
Grant for the city of Niagara Falls, and Niagara
County’s Family Violence Intervention Project.
“Although at NU less than a decade, Dr. Taylor is
one of the most widely known and respected persons
in the Niagara Falls region,” said the Rev. John T.
Ma h e r, C.M., university chaplain, in a letter nominating Taylor for the honor. “This is
due to his passion for spearheading innovative projects to empower people in the local
community,” he said.
THREE RETIRE FROM NIAGARA — Ni a g a ra
Un i versity celebrated the careers of three re t i r i n g
p rofessors at the unive r s i t y’s annual Christmas
p a rt y. From left to right, Dr. Frank Ca l z i ,
associate professor of education; Dr. Phil S c h e re r,
p rofessor of commerce; and Dr. Michael Is h m a n ,
associate professor of management. Calzi had
been with Ni a g a ra since August of 1990, while
S c h e rer joined the university in 1980. Is h m a n
spent more than 20 years at Ni a g a ra as both a
g raduate student and faculty member.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 9
In the center is the core. From the core
come strength, power and the seeds
of new growth. Living out one’s
purpose requires this source of
strength and power.
For the past few years, as we
have prepared to celebrate our
150th anniversary, we have been
alluding to values that stem from
the very center (or core) of who
we are as a Vincentian and
Catholic university.
Last fall, a group gathered to study
the life of St. Vincent de Paul, discuss
the virtues and accomplishments of his
life, and formulate from these discussions
what might come to be accepted as core
values for the university. The process was
engaging, and the result inspiring. We
p resented five core values to the unive r s i t y
community in November, and correlations
were made between these values,
the vision of our president, the Rev.
Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., and the
mission of Niagara.
By choosing to live by core va l u e s ,
our mission gets accomplished: Ni a g a r a
Un i versity educates its students and enriches
their lives through programs in the liberal art s
and through career preparation, informed by
the Catholic and Vincentian traditions.
If our mission is to serve, to enable and
to enrich, this is how we will do it. We
will do it with:
Knowledge: We are committed to the
lifelong pursuit of truth and excellence.
Integrity: We will be true to who we
say we are. We will keep our word.
Always. Everywhere.
Compassion: We will allow ourselves
to feel the pain of those we serve. We will
allow that pain to keep us focused on
what is most necessary. We are open to
relationships with others, accepting and
respectful. As Vincent discovered, “The
poor are our masters.”
Spirituality: We will embrace the
harmony that comes from moving with
God’s spirit, as individuals and as a
university. We are attentive to the spirit
that connects us to the world around us.
We will continue to bring our students
face to face with those who are poor,
because Vincent taught us to see the face
of God there.
Creativity: We will not settle for
mediocrity. We will not simply do what
has been tried before and found not
adequate. We will follow Vincent’s advice
and be “creative to infinity.” We will be
innovative and practical in our response
to the needs of others.
These are our chosen core values. T h e y
are the source of our power to make
choices that are consistent with our
purpose, our mission. When we live our
mission well, it’s contagious.
A good example of the inspiration
that comes from core values can be
found in the example of Ma ry
O ’ C o n n o r, a Niagara Un i ve r s i t y
s o p h o m o re who was ve ry seriously
i n j u red in a car accident last Fe b. 27.
The car in which she was a passenger
was struck head on by a tractor trailer
on Interstate 190. Courtney St e ve n s o n ,
the drive r, also seriously injure d ,
returned to school for the fall semester.
Ma ry continues to make wonderf u l
p ro g ress in a rehab program at St. Ma ry’s
Hospital in Ro c h e s t e r, about an hour’s
d r i ve from her family home in Sy r a c u s e .
She recently wrote an article about her
experience, and I have her permission
to share some of that letter with yo u .
As you read, you will re c o g n i ze that
Ma ry truly embodies the core va l u e s
of Niagara Un i ve r s i t y.
“Although I knew it would take maybe
up to a year to be restored to health, and
although I wanted to give up, I will
never. Life is too important to give up
on, and I will never take it for
granted again, nor should anybody. I
am happy with my life now, even
though I get frustrated with my
(physical limitations), but at least
I’m alive. You can look at me and
know that I will never give up on
myself or this life that I have been
blessed with. God gave me and
Courtney a second chance at life, and I
would never disappoint God. From this
point on in my life, I want to help others
who were once in my position or who get
frustrated, as well. That’s why I’m
volunteering at St. Mary’s Hospital
(Rochester) and doing what I can.
“Take each day one day at a time and
keep a positive attitude, knowing that you
are on this earth for a reason. Live your
best life now and be a positive person. I
am going to be okay, and I hope to make
a difference in many people’s lives.”
We embrace these values, and we live
the mission. We share the responsibility
and are accountable for continuing what
was begun some 150 years ago here on
Monteagle Ridge. Together, we are the
“Vincentians” for the future, whether
vowed or nonvowed, trustees and
advisers, alumni and administrators, staff
and faculty, students, in the footsteps of
Vincent, whose vision, articulated for us
at this time in history by our president,
Father Levesque, pulls us into our future.
C o re values can help us to live out of
the center of who we re are, and at Ni a g a r a ,
that is what makes mission central!
— Sister Nora Gatto, D.C.
Executive Director of University
Mission and Ministry
The Niagara University core values can be
accessed at www.niagara.edu/mission/
corevalues.htm. In addition to the list of
values, you will find a description of how
this value is lived on campus and the
correlation between that particular value
and Father Levesque’s vision.

SportsNite
10 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS BOOST NIAGARA’S IMAGE AND CONFIDENCE
By Matt Schmidt
The past 10 seasons have seen a
dramatic rise in Niagara Un i ve r s i t y
athletics in terms of NCAA postseason
appearances. Since the Ni a g a r a
Un i versity softball team made a trip to the
NCAA Tournament in 1998, the Pu r p l e
E a g l e s’ men’s hockey team has made two trips
(2000, 2004) as has the women’s tennis team
(2003, 2005). The women’s hockey team
a p p e a red in the 2002 Fro zen Fo u r, the men’s
basketball team qualified for the 65-team
field in 2005, and the women’s soccer team
reached the NCAA postseason this past fall.
Prior to this run of success, the only Ni a g a r a
team to reach the NCAA postseason was the
1970 men’s basketball team.
The 2005 women’s tennis team with
coaches Kevin Blair (back row, left)
and Paul Calkins (back row, right).
One characteristic these teams have had
in common was tremendous leadership,
especially from their senior classes. This,
coupled with a commitment made by the
Niagara administration to create stability by
hiring and retaining coaches, add scholarships
and assistant coaches, and increase the
overall budget, has helped turn around an
a t m o s p h e re Greg Ga rdner noticed when
he first stepped on campus as a fre s h m a n
in 1996. Ga rdner was one of 15 seniors
on the 2000 Niagara men’s hockey team
and its starting goaltender. He now serve s
as an assistant coach with the pro g r a m .
“When I came here, Niagara didn’t
f a re ve ry well in many sports,” he said.
“T h e re was a losing atmosphere and low
expectations for all of the teams.”
But things started to change after the
softball team won the 1998 MAAC To u r n a -
ment and advanced to the NCAA field.
“We had some luck but we had a stro n g
team with a lot of dedicated players, a lot
of people who were in the program for a
long time,” softball coach Al Dirschberger
said. “They were my first recruiting class,
led by players like Joni Sontrop and Kelly
Cruttenden. It took them a while to learn
the system, believe in it, show their maturity
and have a better focus. It all came together
that ye a r.
“Now our athletes expect to win,”
Dirschberger continued. “When I came
here, there was a losing atmosphere. It
was one of the hardest things to break.
Now the expectations are you’re going to
have a good year and that’s where you’re
supposed to be.”
Another break was when the men’s hockey
team beat defending national champion
Michigan, 2-1, in Ann Arbor, Mich., on
Oct. 17, 1998.
“After that monumental win ove r
Michigan, we changed our level of
expectations,” Gardner said. “We then
expected to win eve ry game we played, not
just to compete anymore. I still get shive r s
thinking and talking about that game.”
The NCAA success has paid off in
e x p o s u re not only for the athletics depart -
ment but for the entire university.
“When men’s basketball won the MAAC s
and then Joe (Mihalich) was featured in
USA To d a y, that was the biggest moment
in my time at Niagara,” men’s hockey
head coach Dave Burkholder said. “That
helped everyone at the school for name
recognition. Any time any team has
success, I think there’s trickle-down effect
t h roughout the department. We’re a closeknit
department and are ve ry happy for
the other programs. I think it adds a little
to our competitiveness as we l l . ”
That competitive level extends beyond
the department.
“I think (the 2005 berth) goes back to the
attitude we had,” men’s basketball head coach
Joe Mihalich said. “We had a ‘no exc u s e s’
attitude that ye a r. We didn’t want to hear that
the other schools in the league are better or
had better facilities. We we re committed as a
staff to getting better players and having a
championship appro a c h . ”
Ni a g a r a’s commitment to the athletics
p rogram has also played a significant part in
its success.
“The university made a commitment not
only to athletics and but also to the unive r s i t y
in general,” women’s basketball head coach
Bill Agronin said. “When I started here
(1982), the athletics focus was men’s
basketball and naturally, that was the only
thing that counted. Now, the university
made a commitment so that we have full-
NU Debuts
“SportsNite Niagara”
“
Niagara,” a new sports
show sponsored by the Niagara
University athletics department,
debuted Monday, Jan. 8. The half-hour
show provides Purple Eagle fans news
and information on Niagara’s 17-sports
teams, and features interviews with
coaches and student-athletes.
WKBW Channel 7 sports director
John Murphy and sports anchor Jeff
Russo host the show, which airs Monday
nights at 7 p.m. on WNGS-TV, RTN 11 in
the Buffalo-Niagara area. Nationally,
“SportsNite Niagara” airs Friday at 9 a.m.
on College Sports Television (CSTV)
which is available on DirecTV Channel
610 and Dish Network Channel 152.
“SportsNite Niagara” is also available
each week on Niagara’s official athletics
Web site, PurpleEagles.com.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 11
The 2004 men’s hockey team with head
coach Dave Burkholder and associate
coach Jerry Forton.
time coaches, more recruiting money and
an increase in the overall budgets. It’s not
that money brings you success, but it helps
you achieve. It helps get you to the point
w h e re you can be successful.
“ Second, Niagara went out and hired ve ry
good coaches in Da ve Bu rk h o l d e r, Ma r g o t
Page and Joe Mihalich. They are thre e
e xcellent coaches. And Peter Veltri is one of
the best soccer coaches around,” continued
A g ronin, who served as interim athletics
d i rector this past summer. “Not only has
Niagara hired great people but it’s also kept
them here. When you look at the pro g r a m s
that have been successful, they have had the
time to build a program. Niagara also was
ve ry fortunate to hire someone like Pa u l
Calkins, who is a part-time coach but
t reats it like a full-time coach would.”
For Calkins and the women’s tennis
program, the 2003 NCAA berth was a
culmination of a building process centere d
on Milena Matijevic, who posted a 104-9
career singles record and was a Verizon
Academic All-American. After just missing
an NCAA berth in 2004, the 2005 squad
rallied in April and won its second MAAC
Championship in three years.
“There were no expectations in 2005,
as Milena had graduated,” Calkins said.
“ Howe ve r, I felt all along that the talent
was here, we just had to get them to believe
in themselves. We identified a few things to
w o rk on and dedicated ourselves to
w o rking on those.
“When you look at the six years we have
put together, 80-plus wins and two NCAA
Tournaments, that has more of an impact in
re c ruiting. The re c ruits definitely know who
we are now,” he said.
Veltri and the women’s soccer program
had come close to reaching the NCAAs
previously before qualifying in 2006.
“The biggest difference over the last four,
f i ve years has been our ability to attract better
student-athletes to Niagara,” Veltri said.
“ Our re c ruiting base has increased and we
a re attracting better players from around the
c o u n t ry. As the saying ‘success breeds success’
goes, we’ve been able to get into differe n t
re c ruiting doors that previously we re shut.
Re c ruits want to go to a school that will
g i ve them an opportunity to be successful.
Because we have been to the MAAC
Championship finals three of the last four
years, we can give them that opport u n i t y
to be successful.”
The NCAA berths have also paid off
on the recruiting trails.
“It’s a huge bonus. The additional
exposure that the university received with
our men’s basketball and men’s hockey
teams making the NCAAs make
recruiting much easier,” Veltri said.
“That exposure can be the icebreaker
with recruits, or it can be the difference
whether or not you get into a recruit’s
home to speak about the university and
the athletics department. Every time one
of our teams makes the NCCA
Tournament, it helps get our name out to
student-athletes and it makes everyone’s
job a little bit easier.”
“The biggest change for me was
recruiting. We no longer had to explain
who Niagara was and where we were after
the first trip to the NCAAs,” Burkholder
said. “When we went the second time, it
opened things even more nationally.”
“I remember back when the program
started, people didn’t know where Niagara
was or that we were starting a women’s
hockey program,” Page said. “And some
of those people lived in Niagara Falls or
other places in Ontario. Success has put
Niagara on the map. They know about
you when you speak about Niagara. They
now know it’s a solid university with
Division I athletics.”
But it was Page’s first recruiting class
that left a legacy.
“Half of the team had been together
since the very first day we had hockey
here at Niagara,” Page said. One of those
student-athletes, Allison Coomey, now
serves as one of Page’s assistants. “They
had an ambition of going to the Frozen
Four before they left Niagara. When you
have people with that vision and passion,
great things can happen.”
Plan to Attend the 10th Annual Ray Kist Golf Outing
Spring is right around the corner, so pull
out your golf clubs and get ready for
the Ray Kist Memorial Golf Outing on
June 11. This annual event benefits the
Purple Eagles sports teams.
Individual golfers and foursomes are
welcome to the 18-hole tournament, which is
held each year in honor of Ray Kist (1948-’95),
the head trainer at Niagara University for 16
y e a r s . The tournament will be held at the
N i agara Falls Country Club, home of the
N i agara University men’s golf team and host to
the annual Porter Cup, the second-ranked
a m ateur tournament in the United Stat e s . T h e
club boasts a par- 7 0 , 6 , 6 2 1 - yard course
f e aturing 90 treacherous sand trap s .
The event will be played in scramble format ,
and the driving range and putting green will
be av a i l a b l e . The NU athletics department
has contests and prizes for participants.
Registration and lunch are at 11 a.m., a n d
the shotgun-start will be at 12:30 p.m. C o c k t a i l s
and light appetizers will be served follow i n g
the event. Cost for the outing is $225 per
person and includes golf, lunch and a cocktail
r e c e p t i o n . Hole sponsorships are also av a i l a b l e
for $125.
To register for the Ray Kist Golf Outing,
contact the Niagara athletics department at
7 1 6 - 2 8 6 - 8 6 0 0 .

12 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
IRA ROLLOVER
LEGISLATION PASSED
We’ve all been in situations
where we’ve been asked to
help, or needed to ask for help
o u r s e l ves. And we can remember the feeling
of accomplishment we experienced when
we worked with others to achieve a
common goal.
This is the essence of what we do in
a d vancement. In the interest of “a d va n c i n g”
and moving Niagara Un i versity forw a rd, we
join with others to ask for help. We ask for
help from alumni, students, parents, faculty,
s t a f f, friends, corporations, and foundations.
And with this help, we have been able to
accomplish great things — adva n c e d
technology in our classrooms, new pro g r a m s
to meet the needs of today’s work p l a c e ,
scholarship aid for our students. We keep yo u
informed of these accomplishments thro u g h
such means as this magazine, the Eagle’s Ne s t
online community, and alumni gatherings.
We are pleased to announce that
Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s yo u n g
alumni have created a new club
called “GOLD” (Graduates of the Last
Decade). The GOLD Club is designed to
re c o g n i ze recent graduates who give eve ry
ye a r, give any amount, and give anywhere
within the unive r s i t y. It is your chance to
make Niagara Un i versity a better place for
f u t u re students!
It’s easy to become a Niagara GOLD
Club member!
• Be a graduate of Niagara within the
last decade.
• Make a gift of any amount to any
area at Niagara University.
Why give back
You may think that you don’t have the
time or money to give back to Niagara.
By Don Bielecki, vice president for institutional advancement
But there’s always more to be done, and
it is our responsibility to tell you how yo u
can help. Help comes in many forms —
financial support, advo c a c y, referrals to others
who might help, participation on campus
b o a rds and committees, input, feedback and
m o re. We are excited and energized by the
realization that the university re c e i ves help in
abundance, and that our alumni understand
that their help makes a difference, has an
impact, and is appreciated. That’s why we
ask for help with great confidence and
enthusiasm. We know our alumni realize
that they needed help at one time, and
are now eager to help someone else in a
similar way.
In this special year, as we remember
our past and look to our future, we invite
you to help us advance your alma mater
to greatness.
GOLD (GR A D UAT E S O F T H E LA S T DE C A D E) CLU B
But a gift of any amount to the unive r s i t y
is an easy way to stay connected, no
matter where you live. This is your
chance to make a positive impact on
current and future NU students by
supporting scholarships, academic
p rograms and student life. Your gift
also helps Ni a g a r a’s annual alumni
p a rticipation rate, an important factor
in obtaining grants and improv i n g
Ni a g a r a’s national ranking.
Get involved!
It’s vital that our young alumni
continue to support and be invo l ve d
with the Niagara University campus and
community. If you would like to become
a GOLD Club volunteer please contact the
Office of Annual Giving at 716-286-8776
or e-mail lnoce@niagara.edu.
Under the Pension Protection Act
of 2006, you can make a gift to
Niagara University using funds
transferred directly from your individual
retirement account without paying taxes
on your distribution.
Gifts can be made from a traditional IRA
or Roth IRA — but not pension, pro f i t -
sharing, or other forms of re t i rement funds.
You many contribute funds in this way if:
1
• you are age 70 2 .
• the gift is not more than $100,000
per year.
• the gift is outright and not to a gift
annuity or charitable remainder trust.
• you make your gift on or before
Dec. 31, 2007.
• you transfer funds directly from a
traditional IRA or Roth IRA to Ni a g a r a
University, but not a supporting
organization or donor-advised fund.
It is important to keep in mind that under
this legislation you may not re c e i ve a personal
benefit back from the university in exc h a n g e
for your gift.
A ro l l over gift (or payment of a pledge)
f rom your IRA allows you to avoid paying
income tax on the withdrawal, but it does
not afford you a charitable tax deduction.
This legislation expires Dec. 31, 2007.
Niagara Fund Update
Niagara Fund Goal $1,500,000
Total
Niagara Fund*
$1,322,126.29
Annual Fund $762,609.53
Athletics $42,990.38
Other $516,526.30
*As of Feb. 9, 2007

Iraq: Is There a Way Out
A historian, a political scientist and a criminal justice scholar discuss the options
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 13
They agree that the United States
p robably cannot withdraw its
t roops from Iraq in the fore s e e a b l e
future. However, their exit strategies
differ considerably. At a forum held
on Nov. 14, sponsored by NU’s De l t a
Epsilon Sigma chapter, Dr. Ro b e rt
Kane, assistant professor of history ;
Dr. David Re i l l y, assistant pro f e s s o r
of political science; and Dr. Craig
Rivera, assistant professor of criminal
justice, discussed the way out of Iraq.
Comparing the current situation in
Ir a q with past events during which U.S.
p residents have tried to spread American
ideals overseas, Kane noted that, at pre s e n t ,
“the best interests of the United States are
s e rved by staying engaged.” However, he
advised that the nation’s focus should
shift from establishing democracy in
Iraq to stabilizing the situation via
expanded diplomacy. “The United St a t e s
does much better for itself when it bases
its foreign policies on interests instead
of far harder to define ideals,” he said.
While extending democracy to Ir a q
might be noble, it might also be
implausible at this point, he added.
Limiting outside interf e rence is vital
to the diplomatic process in Iraq, Kane
continued. To that end, he s u g g e s t e d
i n volving Syria and Iran in the U.S.-led
e f f o rt at protecting Ir a q’s territorial and
a d m i n i s t r a t i ve integrity. The Un i t e d
States might work with these two Ir a q i
neighbors to “c o e rc e” the Sunni, Sh i a
and Ku rds into “some sort of a federation
that can work out differences through
negotiation over time,” he said, n o t i n g
that this would serve to limit the pursuit
of Syrian and Iranian self-i n t e rests in
Iraq through their engagement in a U.S.-
defined framew o rk .
While Kane advocated that the Un i t e d
States should continue to stay engaged
in Iraq until some kind of stability is
a c h i e ved, Reilly argued that stability can’t
be reached until the United States exits
Iraq. “We have never had legitimacy in
the (peacebuilding) process,” he said,
“and legitimacy is cru c i a l .”
Howe ve r, Reilly acknowledged that
several things
would have to
happen before the
United States
could leave Iraq.
Noting that prior
peacebuilding
e f f o rts have
g e n e r a t e d
instability and
violence because
democratic and
market reforms
h a ve been
i n t roduced more
quickly than countries could adapt to
them, Reilly said institutions that can
manage the strains of liberalization
must first be established. But that can
happen only if the United States lets
others assist in the process, he said, so that
it is perc e i ved as legitimate. “We have to
step back and let others take an active ro l e
in the process,” he said. “Our presence
there at this point is c o u n t e r p ro d u c t i ve . ”
Once these institutions are in place,
work can begin to create a marketoriented
economic model with minimal
government intrusion and maximum
freedom for private investors. “Wealth
builds tolerance,” Reilly said. “If you
create a middle class, they’ll be more
re c e p t i ve to democracy.” The key, in
his view, is to provide economic
assistance at the grass-roots level for
small businesses and communitybuilding
pro j e c t s .
While pulling out of Iraq is the
ultimate goal, doing so before institutional
and economic reforms h a ve taken place
could lead to civil or regional war, Re i l l y
warned, noting that assistance from other
countries and international organizations
is crucial to the transformation of conflict.
R i ve r a’s approach to exiting Iraq is
“radically differe n t” from those posed by
Kane and Re i l l y, he noted. Asserting t h a t
we have a “moral obligation” to stay and
help improve the conditions in Iraq, Rive r a
suggested that a criminal justice concept
k n own as “re s t o r a t i ve j u s t i c e” could be
e m p l oyed to move the c o u n t ry tow a rd
Dr. Craig Rive ra, assistant professor of criminal justice;
Dr. David Re i l l y, assistant professor of political science;
and Dr. Ro b e rt Kane, assistant professor of history, discuss
their differing approaches to a U.S. withdrawal from Ira q .
s t a b i l i t y. The goal of re s t o r a t i ve justice,
according to Rivera, is that the groups
in conflict reconcile so that they can
peacefully coexist. This involves taking
responsibility for past wrongs and offering
reparations to encourage forgive n e s s .
This approach is most commonly used
in criminal justice settings, but Rive r a
noted that it was employed, with differing
d e g rees of success, in South Africa after
the end of apartheid and in Rwanda after
the genocide of 1994. In South Africa,
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
o f f e red amnesty to individuals in exc h a n g e
for full disclosure of past crimes, while in
Rwanda, the re s t o r a t i ve approach betwe e n
the Hutus and Tutsis utilized both punitive
and re s t o r a t i ve tactics.
In Iraq, it would be up to key leaders of
the three factions to determine the terms
by which reconciliation can be achieve d .
The United St a t e s’ responsibility would be
to provide, as part of a multinational forc e ,
the secure environment that is necessary for
the process to succeed. Because their ro l e
would be reduced, as compared to their
c u r rent one, and more responsibility would
be undertaken by the multinational forc e ,
R i vera predicted that “a near immediate
decrease in our troop levels” could be
possible. Once the reconciliation pro c e s s
advances, Rivera said that the violence
would decrease. When that occurs, he
noted, “we will have found our way out of
Iraq, and will be leaving behind an Iraq on
the path to peace.”

A Few Mi
Ed i t o r’s note: The John R. Oishei Foundation award e d
Ed w a rd Friel was invited to Ni a g a ra Un i versity as an
the tourism industry in the United Kingdom, the Un i t
As part of the Oishei Fo u n d a t i o n
g rant, yo u’ve been invited to
be an “expert-in-residence”
at Niagara University for the next
t h ree years. What does that entail
The title is somewhat intimidating
as it appears to promise much.
Having moved 18 times, I would
h a ve been more comfortable with
“e x p e rt - i n - re s i d e n c e s”; maybe I
should consider being a re a l t o r.
My wife, El e a n o r, refers to us
a s p rofessional gypsies!
Howe ve r, I understand
that the designation is a
visa category and not a
job description.
What are your goals for
your time here at NU
To work with the excellent faculty
and staff at NU to add value to the
e f f o rts of the arts and cultural tourism
organizations in the Bu f f a l o /Niagara
region, and hopefully to incre a s e
a w a reness of the importance of tourism
as an engine of economic re c ove ry.
You once said that your proudest
career accomplishments were “being
asked back.” What does being asked
back to NU mean to you
Well, I hope it is not to apologize for my
last visit! It is not only a great honor, but also
a kind of homecoming for me insofar as the
values and standards of Niagara Un i ve r s i t y
are those my parents instilled in me and
those which I continue to aspire to but
consistently fail to achieve. In today’s secular
s o c i e t y, Niagara Un i versity is providing a
foundation for young people that will sustain
them throughout their lives. There is no
better way to spend the rest of one’s life.
How are tourism issues in America
d i f f e rent from those in Eu rope How
a re they similar
The biggest single difference is one of scale
in relation to the internal market in the
United States. At present, I understand the
p e rcentage of Americans holding a passport is
21 percent, although that is likely to change
g i ven the proposed legislation. Americans

nutes with Eddie Friel
Ni a g a ra Un i versity a $600,000 grant to implement the Buffalo Ni a g a ra Cu l t u ral Assets: Re s e a rch into Action In i t i a t i ve. As part of the pro j e c t ,
“ex p e rt - i n - residence.” Friel, a native of Londonderry, No rt h e rn Ireland, has spent more than 35 years in both the public and private sectors of
ed States, and in Canada. He officially joined the Hospitality Training and Re s e a rch Center on Jan. 2.
h a ve an enormous variety of choices about
w h e re to travel within the United States 365
days a ye a r. Howe ve r, we are now living in a
global marketplace where eve ry destination
is competing for the discre t i o n a ry dollar.
T h e re are many more destinations adding
their voices to the clamor for attention (e.g.,
China, the Eastern European countries,
etc.), proving that no destination has the
divine right to be visited, but instead
demonstrating that there will be a grow i n g
demand for professional place marketing
and branding strategies.
The mechanisms for gove r n m e n t
intervention are different in the United
States, where you have political appointees
to senior positions rather than pro f e s s i o n a l
e xe c u t i ves with proven track re c o rds in the
re q u i red disciplines. I suspect such a system
is fraught with opportunity! I have always
maintained the view that tourism should be
apolitical, and although it should not be
d i vo rced from the economic strategy of the
region it serves, the mechanism for delive ry
should be free to form the necessary
partnerships that are vital to success.
What are those partnerships
T h e re are instances where the public sector i s
the best vehicle for delivering objective s ,
p a rticularly in the area of social policy; on
other occasions, the private sector is better
equipped to deliver wealth creation. Bu t
t h e re are many areas, particularly in tourism
and the arts, where a partnership is the ideal
way forward, and one must not forget the
significant contribution of the voluntary
s e c t o r, without whom many projects would
fail. Building trust is critical, and this means
being honest enough to re c o g n i ze where the
real skills and competencies for delive ry of
p a rticular projects lie, and being pre p a red to
stand back where necessary. T h e re is nothing
m o re destru c t i ve to economic re g e n e r a t i o n
than organizations wasting re s o u rces on “t u rf
wars.” Too much concentration on political
dogma can be the enemy of pro g re s s .
What similarities are there betwe e n
We s t e rn New Yo rk and Gl a s g ow
What are the differe n c e s
Both regions have suffered the ravages of
deindustrialization and have had to reexamine
their strategies to compete
e f f e c t i vely in a global “know l e d g e” economy.
Eve ry place is different and must be able to
define its unique competitive advantage
over others. Places are in the business of
marketing the difference, which is their
h i s t o ry, heritage and culture. The challenge
is to commercially organize the assets into
a purchasable proposition that is easy for
customers to buy. My initial impression is
of too many organizations getting in each
o t h e r’s way and all purporting to do the
same thing!
In 1990, Gl a s g ow was named “the cultura l
capital of Europe.” Can you see WNY
earning a comparable designation
Yes, but there is still a lot that has to be done.
Such as
Some excellent work has already taken place
in re n ewing the tourism infrastru c t u re in
Buffalo, as well as repositioning the city
using its design and architectural heritage.
But there is an enormous opportunity to
d e velop the waterf ront, and projects such
as the Erie Canal Harbor are ve ry exc i t i n g .
Niagara Falls is really quite a sad demonstration
of a lack of investment in the right
kind of facilities to effectively compete in
the service economy. We need to accept
that improving investment in the right
i n f r a s t ru c t u re is primarily about improv i n g
the quality of life for residents first. If a
place is great to live in, it will be equally
great to visit. Niagara Falls, New York,
has fabulous potential, which curre n t l y
appears to be fru s t r a t e d .
You have been director of marketing a n d
public relations and served as a board
member for the Scottish Opera, yo u’ve been
c h a i rman of the Theatre Royal, you are
founding director of the Gl a s g ow In t e r -
national Jazz Fe s t i val, and you love opera .
Does this love of the arts run in the family
Yes, my mother was an actress and perf o r m e d
in most of Brian Fr i e l’s plays back in Ire l a n d .
She also appeared in the BBC “Play for
To d a y” series, in Jennifer Jo h n s o n’s “Sh a d ow s
on our Skin.” My father was a singer with a
g reat operatic baritone voice who was one of
the first singers to appear on radio in Ire l a n d .
However, he chose not to pursue singing
as a c a reer — which was a shame given the
quality of his voice — but I benefited
f rom him being available and pre p a red to
sing at home immediately upon request! I
am totally without talent, but persuaded
a Scottish radio station to allow me to
contribute to a live radio program eve ry
Sunday evening for four years. I was a n x i o u s
to promote opera and classical music to
a wider audience, and I managed to
i n t e rv i ew many famous musicians and
singers including Tito Gobbi, Mi rella Fre n i ,
Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Paul To rt e l i e r.
If talent skipped my generation, it happily
passed to the present. Our three sons
(Edward, Greg and Eoin, pronounced
Owen) have a variety of talents between
them, but Greg is a professional musician.
He is a singer/songwriter/producer who has
written an album for a Scottish “boy band”
( Pacific Avenue: w w w. p a c i f i c a ve n u e . c o. u k) ,
and I am reliably informed that they are
going to be “big.” The album is scheduled
for release soon. He has also written for other
a rtists, and composes soundtracks for T V
c o m m e rcials and videos.
You were recently invested into the
Order of the British Empire for your
contributions to Scottish tourism. What
kind of an event was it
It was terribly grand and in some ways
quite intimidating in that there are cert a i n
p rotocols to follow. I almost made a hash of
it but corrected myself just in time.
What happened
The master-at-arms explains how you are to
a p p roach the queen and also how to take
your leave. Having re c e i ved your award, yo u
a re expected to take several steps backward ,
then bow and exit to your right. Rather than
step backward, I almost turned immediately,
but happily I re c ove red and exited correctly! I
could almost hear my wife El e a n o r’s sharp
intake of bre a t h !
And the queen and the Irishman got
along well, did they
Ve ry well! The queen is most gracious,
possessing that rare gift of making you feel
that you are the only person in the ro o m ,
and that you are having a quiet fireside chat.
It was a most enjoyable experience.

16 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
Vi n n i e :
“ N o t
Even a
C a l l
f ro m
Wi l l a rd
S c o t t ”
By Linus Ormsby
Had there been
a conversation,
it might hav e
gone something
like this:
V i n n i e : So where have you been I
turned 100 in 2006 and no interv i ew.
Not even a call from Wi l l a rd Scott.
Yo u’d think a building my age would be
w o rth a mention, at least, considering
all I’ve been through and the great shape
I ’m in for my age.
L i n u s : You got trumped, Vinnie. T h e
u n i versity turned 150 and yo u’re …
V i n n i e : What Only 100! You know, the
way they build things today makes me
look like the modern-day equivalent of
the Colosseum. For crying out loud,
they tore a cathedral down in Bu f f a l o
that didn’t last nearly as long as I have .
Western New Yo rk winters can be tough
on the exterior, you know.
L i n u s : Yes, but …
V i n n i e : Forget it. I just had to get that
off my chest. The other kids along the
f ront line here we re giving me a bad
time. What do you want to know
L i n u s : Well, why don’t you tell me about
yo u r s e l f. And don’t be shy.
V i n n i e : I got over being shy a long time ago.
I ’ve had more facelifts than Phyllis Di l l e r.
Nothing about me is a secret anymore .
L i n u s : Yo u’re a bit cranky today, Vi n n i e .
Be nice. Tell our alumni how your life
has gone. After all, most, if not all of
them, have walked your halls and used
your various facilities.
V i n n i e : OK. My birthday was quite an
occasion. Let me recall Vi n c e n t i a n
Father J. P. Mc Ke y’s 75-year history of
the unive r s i t y. It’s so flattering I’ve
m e m o r i zed it. Qu o t e :
“ On the occasion of the unive r s i t y’s golden
jubilee Sept. 26, 1906, it (meaning me)
opened its doors. The alumni saw a
beautiful, gigantic, medieval castle of the
Rhine transplanted to the shores of the
Ni a g a ra. Its floor space almost equaled
that of all the other four buildings
combined. Its gymnasium was fitted for
indoor baseball. Its swimming tank was
the second biggest of any college or
u n i versity in the country. Its dorm i t o r i e s ,
b owling alleys, billiard rooms and
c l a s s rooms surpassed all wildest dre a m i n g s .
It was the New Ni a g a ra making her stately
c u rtsy to her chivalric sons.”
L i n u s : “ Her” Your name is St. Vi n c e n t’s
Hall. Vincent was a guy.
V i n n i e : His, her. What difference does
it make
L i n u s : None, I guess. Well, go on.
V i n n i e : It was a great start. I loved doing
what I was doing. I was a multipurpose
c e n t e r. Students could swim, bowl, ru n
track, play basketball, sleep in the dorms,
sleep in the classrooms — excuse me, study
in the classrooms. They could do it all.
They first called me “The New
Gymnasium,” then formally christened me
“ St. Vi n c e n t’s Ha l l” in 1909. I liked the
change ve ry much. “Vi n c e n t” is such a
s t rong-sounding name, and it has such
significance for a Vincentian university … .
But I digress. Anyway, until 1950, when
the Gallagher Center opened, they played
intercollegiate basketball in my fourthfloor
gym. Lots of people would trek up
my four floors to see the games. At one
time, my dorm on the second floor housed
150 students.
L i n u s : A n d
V i n n i e : Well, times change, as you know.
When Varsity Village went up in 1939,
the kids moved out. I missed them and
all their pranks. Gr a d u a l l y, I became
m o re and more a classroom building,
and then the gym was remodeled to
house the Institute of Tr a vel, Hotel and
Restaurant Administration. My pool was
filled in and became the Learning Center
for a while. Academic computing and
other computer operations then arrive d .
Lots of things changed over the ye a r s .
L i n u s : Remember St e ve Pe r r i g o
V i n n i e : Su re I do. He helped rip my guts
out … in a nice way, of course.
L i n u s : Right, St e ve was the pro j e c t
superintendent for Turner Constru c t i o n
when they took you apart and put yo u
back together again in 2001. Most of the
w o rk was done in less than nine months.
It was really amazing.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 17
V i n n i e : It was. I know because I lived it.
Did he tell you about the four layers of
flooring that had to be re m ove d
L i n u s : He did. Tile, carpet, plywood,
vinyl. He also told me about the thre e
ceilings and the gas lines and gas
chandeliers they uncove red in the highest
ceilings. And about the concrete floors
that we re out of level by three to five
inches. St e ve said workers had to be
c a reful not to fall through the floors,
which in some places we re two-and-ahalf
inches and in other places five. T h e y
actually found footprints of the work e r s
in the floors. You know, they had much
smaller feet back then.
V i n n i e : My walls. I’m sure he told yo u
about my walls.
Linus: He sure did. He said they ran from
four-feet wide at the bottom to eight to 10
inches at the top. You were built sort of
pyramid style, Vinnie. Eve rything was
supported by the walls.
V i n n i e : So now you know why I’m still
standing. I’m really a pretty strong guy
— gal — whateve r.
L i n u s : I liked St e ve’s story about the
bats. The four corner towers we re filled
with them.
V i n n i e : Those spooky little critters
s c a red the heck out of the heating guys.
They ended up opening holes in the
roof hatches and grills to get rid of
them. I don’t miss the bats.
L i n u s : I heard some other funny things
f rom teachers.
V i n n i e : Like what
Linus: Well, Dr. Marilynn Fleckenstein,
the philosophy professor, said she was
giving a test one day in the mid ’80s when
a pipe in the ceiling burst, showering the
class. And part of the ceiling fell on a kid
who happened to have his leg in a cast.
V i n n i e : I remember that. But you know,
you get a little older and the plumbing
d o e s n’t work as well as it once did.
L i n u s : Then there was the classroom full of
pigeons that greeted two professors one day.
St. Vi n c e n t’s Hall underwent an ex t e n s i ve re n ovation in the summer of 1952.
A study hall in
St. Vi n c e n t’s Ha l l
c i rca 1956.
A chemistry lab in
St. Vi n c e n t’s Ha l l .
“
The summer of 1952 was a time of remodeling … St. Vincent’s Hall …
underwent extensive complete changes. The nineteen-foot-high second
floor was reduced to a height of twelve feet. The old large windows were
replaced by glass brick in which were installed smaller, steel-framed
openings. Each of the eleven newly-done classrooms had an airconditioning
system, new greenboards, tiled floors, acoustical ceilings, and
sound-proof walls and doors. So radical was the transformation that faculty
and students alike found it difficult when classes had resumed in the Fall to
believe that this was the same classroom building in which they had taught
and studied but a few months before.
”
— 1956 Niagaran

18 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
V i n n i e : Do n’t blame me. T h a t’s what
happens when you ignore holes in the ro o f.
L i n u s : Tell me about the pool.
V i n n i e : Well, for me personally, it was
like standing all day in wet shoes.
L i n u s : Se r i o u s l y.
V i n n i e : OK, they hyped it quite a bit
when I first opened. It was 60 feet by 20
feet. The only one larger was in the New
Yo rk Athletic Club, I’m told. By today’s
s t a n d a rds, it was small, but it served us
well for a long time.
L i n u s : Dr. Tom Sheeran, who started the
w o m e n’s team in 1970, has some
i n t e resting stories.
V i n n i e : The guy who left his front teeth
on the bottom of the pool, right
L i n u s : T h a t’s one of them.
V i n n i e : Look, the standard depth for a
one-meter board at that time was eight
feet. He dove more than eight feet.
Simple as that.
L i n u s : And he said the divers could
actually push off the ceiling with their feet.
V i n n i e : The good ones could. It’s what
they call a home-court adva n t a g e .
L i n u s : It was two lanes, and one was
longer than the other.
V i n n i e : By an inch and a quart e r. Bi g
deal. At least they knew enough to use
the longer lane when going for a re c o rd .
And the women set six in 1970-71.
L i n u s : T h a t’s right. Great memory.
V i n n i e : It’s easy. It’s all carved in stone.
And the heat, or lack of it, in the pool
I ’m sure he told you about that.
L i n u s : Yeah, he said they sometimes had
to hose off the swimmers with cold
water to cool them down when the
water was too hot. If it wasn’t that, they
we re using the hose to run hot water
into the pool to warm it up.
Vinnie: Hot. Cold. Again, it’s the age thing.
L i n u s : What about the eleva t o r
Eve ryone seems to have a story about
the eleva t o r.
V i n n i e : It was an afterthought, put in,
uhhh, probably in the ’60s. I was an
early advocate of physical fitness, so I
was happy the elevator was so scary that
most people pre f e r red to walk the stairs.
Four flights is a pretty good work o u t .
L i n u s : I understand it used to get stuck a lot.
New foyer (top) and corridor in
St. Vi n c e n t’s Hall circa 1953.
“
Niagara University ... marked the re-opening of its newly renovated St.
Vincent’s Hall with a community-wide open house on Oct. 13 (2001).
The landmark building, constructed in 1906, recently underwent a nearly
nine-month long, $10.75 million renovation.
While the exterior of the four- s t o ry building has changed little except for a
new entrance and window s , the interior has been entirely re b u i l t , p r ov i d i n g
state-of-the-art computer labs and classrooms equipped with ceilingmounted
projectors controlled by a touch screen at the faculty teach i n g
stations. Students can access the campus computer network and the
I n t e rnet from their seats. The fourth floor, headquarters for Niagara ’s College
of Hospitality and Tourism Management, f e a t u res an atrium similar to those
in major hotels, a teaching kitch e n , a formal dining room, a distance-learn i n g
c l a s s r o o m , and a computer lab.
”— October 2001 On Campus newsletter

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 19
V i n n i e : Yeah, I did that. At first, only
faculty members had keys to it. T h e n
the students started using it and they’d
overload it. When it started going up, it
was like someone was pulling my hair.
So I’d just suck my gut in a bit to jam it.
Wo rked eve ry time. You know, there
we re more acts of contrition said on that
e l e vator than in most confessionals.
L i n u s : So how are you doing today
Vinnie: Great! I feel like a brand new
building. I am a brand new building. But
you know what When I first heard about
the renovation, I said, “Here they go again
— another layer of flooring, another deck
of ceiling.” But no, they did it right. Took
everything out of me and put me back
together again. They call me “state of the
art,” and I am. I’m like that medieval castle
on the Rhine again. I give the College of
Hospitality and Tourism Management a
commanding view of the gorge from what
used to be the gym. I’ve got classrooms
with all kinds of instructional technology
and computer labs where students have
access to the whole world. They couldn’t
have found a better way to spend $11
million, and I was worth every penny of
the investment. I’m a signature structure.
Just look at me.
L i n u s : You are looking fine, Vi n n i e .
Thanks for the interview. I’m sure they’ll
talk to you again in 50 years.
Vinnie: Forty-nine years. Remember, you’re
a year late.
Linus: OK, it’s a deal. The office will do
another interview when you reach 150.
Vinnie: I’ll be here. And don’t be late.
St. Vi n c e n t’s Hall as it looked
b e f o re being re n ovated in 2001.
St. Vi n c e n t’s Hall as it looks today.
The building’s name was carve d
in stone above the entrance in 1909.
The hotel-like atrium on the
fourth floor of St. Vincent’s Hall
is part of the College of
Hospitality and Tourism
Management.
The fourth floor also features an auditorium.

20 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
Nov. 11, 2006
The 2006 President’s Dinner
The Seneca Ni a g a ra Casino Hotel was the setting for the 2006
Pre s i d e n t’s Dinner. The black-tie gala was attended by more
than 500 people who enjoyed cocktails, dinner and dancing in
the hotel’s spacious ballroom. This annual event benefits the
u n i ve r s i t y’s scholarship pro g ram and provides an opportunity for
guests to learn more about the impact of the educational, economic,
and service roles of the university in the local community.
President’s Dinner emcees Brendan Powers, ’96, artistic
d i rector of Ni a g a ra Un i versity Theatre (left), and Ma ry a l i c e
De m l e r, ’86, WGRZ-TV anchor (right), join the Re v. Jo s e p h
Hu b b e rt, C.M., ’73, Vincentian religious superior and associate
p rofessor of religious studies at Ni a g a ra (second from left), and
Brother Ma rtin Schneider, ’78, assistant to the director of the
NU theater department, in a rousing rendition of “Ol d
Ni a g a ra,” the unive r s i t y’s alma mater.
Bob and Connie Dwyer, members of the Class of 1965 (pictured
with Maryalice Demler), served as chairpersons of the event.
The Re v. Joseph L. Levesque, Ni a g a ra’s president, presented Bob and
Connie Dy wer with the Founders Aw a rd at the Pre s i d e n t’s Dinner in
recognition of their service to the university and to the community.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 21
Niagara University athletics director Ed McLaughlin (left),
men’s basketball head coach Joseph Mihalich (center), and
head men’s golf coach Kevin Miller pose for a photo.
The Re v. Thomas McKenna, C.M., provincial of the Ea s t e rn Prov i n c e
of the Co n g regation of the Mission (pictured right, with Fa t h e r
L e vesque), re t u rned to Ni a g a ra to attend the dinner.
President’s Dinner attendees included Eddie Fr i e l ,
NU ex p e rt - i n - residence, and his wife, El e a n o r,
p i c t u red here with Ni a g a ra Un i versity students
Christy Pi e roni (left) and Evan Ha n rahan (right).
The sesquicentennial executive committee took
time out during the celebration to take a photo
in front of the anniversary banner: (l-r) Linus
Orm s b y, director of communications and public
relations; Sa n d ra Orm s b y, director of u n i ve r s i t y
e vents; Lisa McMahon, associate director for
publications; Dr. Timothy Os b e rg, professor of
p s yc h o l o g y and co-chair of the committee; Dr.
Sh a ron Watkinson, chair and p rofessor of the
theater and fine arts department and committee
co-chair; Fred He u e r, assistant vice p resident for
m a rketing; and Claudia Fl e c k e n s t e i n ,
a d m i n i s t ra t i ve assistant to the pre s i d e n t .

22 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
Nov. 21, 2006
150th Birthday Celebration
Father Leve s q u e
s h a red his thoughts
on Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y’s
sesquicentennial at
the annive r s a ry Ma s s
in Alumni Chapel.
Sister Nora Gatto, D.C., executive
director of university mission and
ministry, presented the five core
values that Niagara University
recently adopted at the university
fall meeting, which preceded the
birthday celebration.
A highlight of the birthday celebration was the pre s e n t a t i o n
of the Re v. John J. Lynch, C.M., Aw a rd. Dr. John St ra n g e s ,
u n i versity professor (pictured third from left), was given the
honor for his outstanding contributions to the unive r s i t y.
St ranges is the author of “The Ra i n b ow Ne ver Fades —
Ni a g a ra Un i versity 1856-2006,” a history written for the
u n i ve r s i t y’s sesquicentennial. The book, a compre h e n s i ve
and intimate look at the unive r s i t y, offers the unique
p e r s p e c t i ve of one who has observed the life of the unive r s i t y
as a student, history professor and administrator over the
last half century.
Dr. Stranges is pictured here with (l-r) Drs. Osberg and
Watkinson, sesquicentennial committee co-chairs, and
Father Levesque.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 23
Father Levesque led the
university community in a
toast to Niagara University.
A special birthday cake
was served at the event.
Dr. Stranges autographed copies of his book for
those in attendance.
The contents of a time capsule that will be
encased in the new Academic Co m p l ex we re
on display at the birthday celebration. A
vast array of items, including university and
a n n i ve r s a ry publications, bobbleheads, and
messages from the university community,
will be enclosed in the capsule, which will
be placed behind a plexiglass panel in the
complex’s atrium.

24 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
CLASS NOTES
CA&S = College of Arts & Sciences
CBA = College of Business
Administration
CE = College of Education
CN = College of Nursing
CH = College of Hospitality and
Tourism Management
ITHRA = Institute of Travel, Hotel &
Restaurant Administration
(pre-CH)
TTT = Transportation, Travel &
Tourism (pre-ITHRA)
1960s
Frank Delany, ’66 (CA&S/History), Av o n
By The Sea, N.J., retired in January
2007 from his position as vice president/
corporate rate counsel with Public Service
Electric & Gas Co. in Newark, N.J., and will
reside in Florida and New Jersey.
1970s
Rosemarie Mariglia, ’75 (TTT), Niagara
Falls, N.Y., is the owner of The Romantic
Rose boutique in Niagara Falls and is also
the morning talk radio co-host on WJJL.
David Rosinsky, ’75 (CA&S), Costa
Mesa, Calif., continues to grow his
food service business. He now has five
restaurants and contracts to operate
two cafeterias in WalMart locations.
Mary (Welch) Beer, ’77 (CN), Rochester,
N . Y., has been hired as director of clinical
services at Visiting Nurse Service of
Rochester and Monroe County. She is
responsible for overseeing and supporting
clinical operations.
1980s
Clayton Ehrenreich, ’80 (CA&S/Political
Science), Medina, N.Y., was elected
mayor of Medina.
Mary Pat (McCune) Devine, ’81 (CBA),
Watervliet, N.Y., has been promoted
to vice president, portfolio/credit
o fficer for Key Bank’s public sector in
A l b a n y, N.Y. She is responsible for
research, analysis and structuring of
credits for colleges and universities
and state/local municipalities in the
northeast region.
Angelyn (Fabiano) Carlson, ’85 (CN),
Grand Island, N.Y., has accepted the
position of director of nursing with
Associated Healthcare Infusion
Pharmacy in Buffalo, N.Y.
Kevin Constantine, ’85 (CBA/Business
Administration), Boston, was selected
as the 2006 FBI Boston Paul F. Cavanagh
Award recipient. This prestigious award
is given to the special agent whose
contribution to the mission of the FBI
exceeds expectations and whose overall
performance has been in keeping with
the very highest traditions of the FBI.
Constantine currently specializes in
public corruption investigations.
David Matthews, ’87 (CA&S/Political
Science), Duxbury, Mass., graduated
from Boston College with a master’s
degree in administrative studies. He is
a vice president/regional director in the
corporate real estate group at Bank of
America, Boston.
Fran Zupo, ’89 (CBA/Accounting), North
Tonawanda, N.Y., has been named
upstate regional operations manager by
New England Motor Freight. His area of
responsibility encompasses northern
and western New York state and
Ontario, Canada.
1990s
Paula (Siejka) Bowers, ’90 (CE),
Lockport, N.Y., has been named
business development consultant by
Encomia, a provider of end-to-end
eMortgage technology. She will be
responsible for expanding the
company’s presence in the warehouse
lending and custodial markets.
Jill Archunde, ’93 (ITHRA), Las Ve g a s ,
has been promoted to director of hotel
operations at the MGM Grand Hotel &
Casino in Las Vegas. She has been with
the hotel since it opened in 1993 and is
currently completing work on a master’s
degree in business administration.
Josephine Alexander, ’94 (CE/
Spanish), Vallejo, Calif., is the director
of campus and residence life at Cal
Maritime, a campus of the California
State University system.
Heidi Pfeiffer, ’96 (CN), Decatur, Ga.,
is working at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in the bioterrorism
and emergency preparedness division —
strategic national stockpile. She works in
the New England states.
George
Stamoulacatos,
’96 (CA&S/
International
S t u d i e s ), Rochester,
N . Y., has been
named sales
manager of the
Gerard P. Smith
Insurance agency.
Kimberly Schwenzer, ’98 (CA&S/
E n g l i s h ), We b s t e r, N.Y., has been singing,
acting and dancing professionally since
1998. She has performed in a European
tour of “Grease,” a U.S. tour of “Seussical,”
and some off-Broadway productions.
THE MARSHALL PLAN
— Ni a g a ra Un i versity alum
Marshall Wingate, ’72,
re t u rned to campus on
Nov. 30 to speak with
members of the College of
Business Administra t i o n’s
Co n t e m p o ra r y Is s u e s
in Management class.
Marshall is president of
Dynacom Industries Inc.
in Johnstown, Pa.
All submissions to the
alumni notes section of the
Eagle magazine are edited
for space and content.
Carly Gerretson, ’99 (CN), Buffalo, N.Y. ,
works at Roswell Park Cancer Institute
and recently passed the certified perianesthesia
nurse exam. She also
completed the family nurse practitioner
MSN program at SUNY Stony Brook.
2000s
John J. Varga, ’01 (CA&S/Biology),
Germantown, Md., graduated in
December from Virginia Tech with a
Ph.D. in biological sciences and began a
postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for
Genomic Research in Rockville, Md.
Monica Marie (DiSanza) Dvoranchik,
’02 (CE), Herndon, Va., graduated with a
master’s degree in deaf education with a
focus on multiple disabilities from
Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.,
in May 2006.
Kristin Nylen, ’02 (CA&S/Biology),
Fulton, N.Y., graduated from the
University at Buffalo School of Dental
Medicine. She has accepted a position
at the VA Hospital of Buffalo where she
has been practicing dentistry since
July 2006.
Sean Fitzgibbon, ’03 (CA&S/Political
Science), Portsmith, R.I., passed the
Massachusetts bar exam in July 2006.
David Rogge, ’03 (CA&S/Theater
Design/Technology), Valencia, Calif.,
has been hired by CalTech in Pasadena,
Calif., as an audio technician for its
public events department.
Amber Zito, ’03 (CA&S), North
Royalton, Ohio, is employed by In-House
Hospice Solutions in the Cleveland
area as a hospice social worker and
bereavement coordinator. In addition to
clinical responsibilities, she is responsible
for program development and facilitating
trainings on psychosocial topics.
Sarah (Pempsell) Hummell, ’04 (CH/
Hotel & Restaurant Administration),
Hamburg, N.Y., has been promoted to
general manager of Red Roof Inn,
Buffalo Airport.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 21
Did You Know
R
Robert De Niro’s character in
the movie “The Good
Shepherd,” General Bill
Sullivan, is partly based on General
William “Wild Bill” Donovan. Donovan,
a Niagara University alumnus, was
head of the Office of Strategic Services
during the second World War.
Source: IMDB.com
MILITARY NOTES
Jeffrey Williams, ’84 (CA&S/
Criminology & Criminal Justice),
Festeville Trevose, Pa., was selected for
promotion to colonel. He was the chief of
civil military operations in the Al Anbar
Province in Iraq from 2003-2004 and is
currently the chief of the government
team for the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade.
MARRIAGES
Tina O’Neill, ’95, Atlanta, to Thomas
LaCorti, Atlanta, July 29, 2006.
Lori Lynn Granchelli, ’97, Williamsville,
N.Y., to Richard Joseph Panaro Jr.,
Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2006.
Angela Carlson, ’00, Snyder, N.Y., to
Christopher S. Connor, Oct. 14, 2006.
Michelle Speice, ’00, Pittsburg, to Kenneth
Schmidt Jr., Pittsburg, Sept. 23, 2006.
Monica Marie DiSanza, ’02, Herndan,
Va., to Stephen Dvoranchik, Erie, Pa.,
June 3, 2006.
Sarah Ann Telatnik, ’04, Alpine, Calif.,
to Michael Ambrosia, ’03, Niagara
Falls, N.Y., Sept. 30, 2006.
Kelly Kowalski, ’04, Rochester, N.Y., to
Timothy Howe, Rochester, Sept. 9, 2006.
BIRTHS
To Mr. and Mrs. Mark Flynn, ’86 (Dawn
Metro, ’89), Colorado Springs, Colo., a
daughter, Hannah Alice, Oct. 31, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bill Kellick, ’89 (Nancy
Hardwick, ’92), Colorado Springs, Colo.,
a son, William, Sept. 30, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy ( M a r g a r e t
K e a r n e y, ’90), Pittsford, N.Y., a son,
David James, March 30, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Burns ( Te r i
D u f f y, ’91), Syracuse, N.Y., a daughter,
Cassondra Joyce, Nov. 16, 2006.
To Penni Evenden, ’91, Orlando, Fla.,
a son, Joshua Paul, Aug. 22, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Stier (Lori Mead,
’91), Stafford, Va., a daughter, Dahlia
Joanne, Nov. 22, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dean Bowman, ’92
(Gail Rosinski, ’92), Haymarket, Va .,
a daughter, Sara Ann, Aug. 19, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tosi (Michelle
Lazarczyk, ’93), Framingham, Mass.,
a son, Alex Michael, Sept. 22, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jason Stein, ’93,
Charlotte, N.C., a son, Joseph Paul,
June 20, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brian Steitz, ’94,
Warners, N.Y., a son, Henry James,
Sept. 26, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ko (Stephanie
Oliva, ’95), Scottish Plains, N.J., a
d a u g h t e r, Caitlin Alexandra, Sept. 21, 2006.
To Julie Schroth, ’95, and fiancé David
D’Ovidio, Rochester, N.Y., a son, Davin
Donald Joseph, Aug. 29, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Manley (Tracy
Muckler, ’96), Cheektowaga, N.Y., a
son, Aidan Timothy, Sept. 5, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rob Garven (Kristine
Adamczyk, ’97), North To n a w a n d a ,
N . Y., a daughter, Delancy A m e l i a ,
March 22, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jason Hisington ( J e n n i f e r
Bowden, ’97), Syracuse, N.Y., a daughter,
Victoria Barbara, Nov. 18, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Johnsteven Melfi, ’97
(Michelle Szczechowiak, ’97), Clay, N.Y. ,
a daughter, Sophia Nicole, Aug. 17, 2006.
Name
What’s new in your life
For your convenience, you may update us via the Eagle’s
Nest (www.niagaraalumni.com) or send your completed,
signed form in the enclosed envelope.
Address
First
Maiden
Middle
Married
__________________________________ Check if new
City ____________________________________________________
State __________________________
Zip ____________________
Seasonal address __________________ to ____________________
Phone (____) ____________________ Class of ________________
E-mail __________________________________________________
College
______________________ Major ____________________
Signature ______________________________ Date ____________
Employer__________________________________ Check if new
Title____________________________________________________
Address
________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________
State __________________________
Zip ____________________
Business phone ( ____) ____________________________________
Business e-mail __________________________________________
Wedding Announcement (within the last six months)
Married to ______________________________________________
NU Class of ____________________ Date __________________
City ________________________________ State ______________
Birth/Adoption Announcement (within the last six months)
Birth of a Daughter Son
Date of birth ________________
Name __________________________________________________
Spouse __________________________________________________
Career Notes/Retirement Update/Community Service (within the last
six months). Please submit one or two brief sentences.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
A ll inform a t i on submitted for publica t i on must be signed
by the alumnus/alumna listed.
We also encourage alumni to send photos along with class notes.
(If yo u’d like your photo re t u rn e d , please include a
s e l f - a d d re s s e d , stamped enve l o p e . )
Due to the volume of submissions re c e i ve d , we cannot guara n t e e
p u b l i ca t i on of class notes or ph o t o s .

26 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
ROTC HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
Alumni and friends of Niagara
Un i versity are invited to nominate
NU Army ROTC alumni for the
2007 ROTC Hall of Fame class. A panel
of university and ROTC officials will
select three to four inductees from the
nominations re c e i ved. Nominees must
h a ve graduated from Niagara Un i ve r s i t y
and participated in NU ROTC with
m i l i t a ry service ending in an honorable
discharge, re t i rement or funeral. In
addition, they must meet one or more of
the following criteria:
1. Performed military service that set a
standard as an exemplary model.
2. Lives or lived in the model of St.
Vincent de Paul (embracing service
to the community, the poor and the
downtrodden).
3. Made a significant contribution to
the betterment of society.
4. Reached a high-level position of
authority, either civilian or military,
that is worthy of recognition (ex.
general officer, congressman, etc.)
To make a Hall of Fame nomination
for 2007, please send a narrative of the
individual’s achievements, any corroborating
documents, and a 5”x7” photo of
the nominee (digital pre f e r red) to:
Master Sgt. Stephen Ba ze m o re, P.O. Box
2024, Niagara University, NY 14109, or
e-mail to scb@niagara.edu no later than
May 1, 2007. Please include contact
information with your nomination.
Awardees and/or their family members
will be notified in June, and the induction
ceremonies will be held during
Alumni Weekend 2007, Oct. 5, 6 and 7.
Cu r rent members of the NU ROTC
Hall of Fame include: Lt. Col. Te r ry K.
Crowe, ’82; Maj. Vincent J. “Coach”
L o m b a rdi Jr., ’88; Brig. Gen. James G.
Shanahan, ’42; Lt. Col. James R.
Ke l l m u r r a y, ’40; 2nd Lt. William K.
Bruce, ’51; 2nd Lt. Samuel J. Rangatore ,
’51; and Col. Fredrick J. Scullin Jr., ’61.
The Office of Career Development
has established a new policy pertaining to
the retention of credentials files. Effective Sept. 1, 2006,
credentials files established with the university that have
had no activity (e.g., updating materials, requesting to
send credentials, etc.) for 10 years or more will be
destroyed and discarded. Alumni who established
credentials files in 1996 or earlier and wish to keep their
files active may do so by submitting a signed written
request by May 31, 2007, to the Office of Career
Development, P.O. Box 2041,
Niagara University, NY
14109-2041. The OCD
provides a wide range of
services to alumni, including
resumé critiques, practice
interviews, career counseling, and more.
See www.niagara.edu/career for more information.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jason Wetzel (Heather
Pearce, ’97), Columbus, Ohio, a son,
Jack, Aug. 2, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Todd Janicki, ’99
(Jennifer Celebucki, ’99), East A m h e r s t ,
N . Y., a son, Brendan Peter, Sept. 4, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Mark Taylor (Elizabeth
Woodard, ’99), Missouri City, Texas, a
son, Jack Robert, Sept. 9, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brady Jr. (Carly
Crisafulli, ’00), Niagara Falls, N.Y., a
son, Tiernan James, Oct. 4, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Phillips ( S h a n n o n
Mariah Haller, ’00), Webster, N.Y., a
son, Alex Joseph, Dec. 12, 2006.
To Mr. and Mrs. Troy Banks (Catherine
Herman, ’02), Hope Mills, N.C., a daughter,
Allison Elizabeth, Oct. 15, 2006.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Puzzella (Tracie
Lannen, ’04), Tonawanda, N.Y., a son,
Lucas Peter, Oct. 31, 2006.
DEATHS
To have a Mass celebrated at
Alumni Chapel, call NU’s campus
ministry office at 716-286-8400.
Donald J. Rick, ’38, Webster, N.Y.,
Sept. 29, 2006.
John M. Wood, ’39, Rome, N.Y. ,
Oct. 29, 2006.
Harry John Agnew, ’43, Pennsville,
N.J., Oct. 25, 2006.
Edward E. Gillick Jr., ’43, Youngstown,
N.Y., Sept. 25, 2006.
Monsignor Chester A. Meloch, ’43,
South Wales, N.Y., Oct. 10, 2006.
Michael A. Carnevale, ’47, Ballston
Spa, N.Y., Dec. 1, 2006.
Bernard G. Check, ’47, Niagara Falls,
N.Y., Nov. 10, 2006.
Walter J. Slazyk, ’47, Lewiston, N.Y.,
Oct. 12, 2006.
Edward F. Saroney, ’48, Liverpool, N.Y.,
Oct. 1, 2006.
Peter T.L. Lu, ’50, Washington, D.C.,
Sept. 9, 2006.
Roger T. English, ’51, Lexington, Ky.,
Oct. 8, 2006.
Richard Francis Craig, ’52, Edinburg,
Texas, Dec. 11, 2006.
James Sotis, ’52, Bennington, Vt.,
N o v. 4, 2006.
Joan E. (Murphy) Martin, ’53, Niagara
Falls, N.Y., Dec. 11, 2006.
Richard R. Hatton Jr., ’54, A l b u q u e r q u e,
N.M., Jan. 3, 2007.
Norbert J. Boron, ’55, Lancaster, N.Y.,
Nov. 12, 2006.
M s g r. Antoine P. Attea, ’58, Jamestown,
N.Y., Jan. 8, 2007.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 27
TALKING POLITICS — John R.D. Celock, ’03, and Kyle R.
An d rews, ’02, participated in a panel discussion on Nov. 29 at the
Columbia Un i versity Club of New Yo rk. Celock moderated the session,
which discussed the topic of young elected officials, while An d rews, a
Ni a g a ra County legislator re p resenting the towns of Wilson, Ca m b r i a
and Newfane, joined his fellow panelists in discussing why people under
the age of 35 run for elective office, what challenges they face, and how
their age impacts their views on public policy. The other panelists we re
Rockland County legislator David Fried, Je r s ey City councilman St e ve n
Fulop, and New Yo rk City councilwoman Jessica Lappin.
Celock, a freelance journalist and a 2004 alumnus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, serves on the
board of governors of the Columbia University Club of New York, the university’s alumni club in midtown Manhattan. He is
currently writing a book on the subject of young elected officials.
Pictured (l-r): Kyle R. Andrews, ’02; David Fried; Jessica Lappin; John R.D. Celock, ’03; and Steven Fulop.
James B. Sheehe, ’61, Tr o y, Pa.,
Sept. 16, 2006.
Daniel Kinsley Amigone, ’65, Fall River,
Mass., Oct. 7, 2006.
John J. Cwiklinski, ’66, Southington,
Conn., Oct. 18, 2006.
John L. Curtis, ’68, Redmond, Wash.,
April 8, 2006.
James Duquin, ’69, Bonita Springs,
Fla., Dec. 2, 2006.
Gerald C. Tubinis, ’72, Niagara Falls,
N.Y., Nov. 16, 2006.
Patrick J. Kane, ’75, Williamsville, N.Y.,
Nov. 23, 2006.
Sister Jean Catherine Larkin, ’77,
Stella Niagara, N.Y., Dec. 20, 2006.
Patricia S. Hughes, ’79, Clarence
Center, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2006.
Stephen M. Ventry Sr., ’85, Lewiston,
N.Y., Oct. 10, 2006.
Tammy (Paonessa) Conway, ’88,
Southbury, Conn., Dec. 12, 2006.
Robert L. Schuman, ’94, Niagara Falls,
N.Y., Sept. 25, 2006.
Julie Burdick, ’03, New York, N.Y. ,
Jan. 26, 2007.
WITH SYMPATHY
To John R. Tracinski, ’63, Clearwater
Beach, Fla., on the death of his father,
John J. Tracinski, Oct. 3, 2004.
To Gabe Zanche, ’64, East Rochester,
N.Y., on the death of his wife, Rosemarie
Zanche, Oct. 19, 2006.
To John A. Lindsay, ’67, Manteco, Calif.,
on the death of his mother, Catherine
Lindsay, Sept. 9, 2006. Catherine was
predeceased by her son, Peter M.
L i n d s a y, ’74, a longtime member of the
Niagara University admissions off i c e .
To Gerald Bisgrove, ’68, Scottsdale,
Ariz., on the death of his wife, Debi
Bisgrove, Jan. 3, 2007.
To Joseph Sheridan, ’69, Wilmington,
N.C., on the death of his mother,
Elizabeth O’Shea Sheridan, Dec. 8, 2006.
To Patricia (Stoyell) Young, ’71,
Lewiston, N.Y., on the death of her
husband, Thomas W. Young, ’85,
Sept. 29, 2006.
To Jeffrey Dann, ’74, Tonawanda, N.Y.;
to Michael Dann, ’75, Grand Island, N.Y. ;
and to Kathryn (Dann) Moreland, ’79,
Lewiston, N.Y., on the death of their
m o t h e r, Ann M. Dann, Nov. 13, 2006.
To Timothy Sheridan, ’75, Albany, N.Y.,
and to John Sheridan, ’77, Pittsford,
N . Y., on the death of their mother,
Elizabeth O’Shea Sheridan, Dec. 8, 2006.
To Dave Lefeber, ’80, Riverton, Conn.,
on the death of his mother, Lois Lefeber,
Oct. 23, 2006.
To Mark, ’82, and Laurie (Pero)
Napoleone, ’82, Batavia, N.Y., on the
death of their son, Michael Napoleone,
Batavia, N.Y., Dec. 30, 2006.
To Robert Dann, ’83, Frederick, Md.;
and to Rosemary Dann, ’86, Lewiston,
N.Y, on the death of their mother, Ann M.
Dann, Nov. 13, 2006.
To Kerry Conway, ’88, Southbury,
Conn., on the death of his wife,
Tammy (Paonessa) Conway, ’88,
Dec. 12, 2006.
To Kenna Jean Liddell, ’90, Middletown,
Ohio, on the death of her mother, Joyce
M. Liddell, June 25, 2006.
To Gary LaLiberty, ’90, Grand Island,
N.Y., on the death of his wife, Deborah
Jacobs-LaLiberty, July 21, 2006.
Thomas W. Young, ’85, Lewiston, N.Y.,
Sept. 29, 2006.
150,000 HOURS OF SERVICE 150,000 HOURS OF SERVICE
Join other members of the
Niagara Un i versity community
in a special service project to
commemorate Niagara’s 150th
anniversary. Whether it’s serving
food at a local soup kitchen or
shoveling your neighbor’s walk,
each hour spent helping others
continues Niagara’s mission in our
communities. To participate in
this project,
simply complete the form to the
right and mail it to:
Learn and Serve Niagara
P.O. Box 1906
Niagara University, N.Y. 14109
To date, 39,269 hours of service
have been completed by NU
students, employees and alumni.
Name (optional) ______________________________
Name of organization/place where service was completed:
__________________________________________
What was done ______________________________
Number of hours ____________________________
Month of service______________________________

28 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE
Wondering what’s going on with Niagara alumni Here are the latest updates.
Save the Date
Don’t forget to add these upcoming
events to your calendar!
Location
Date
Cleveland Feb. 27
Fairfield March 2-5
(MAAC Basketball Championship)
Tri-state March 8
Central New York March 11
Atlanta March 18
Western New York March 21
Rochester April 26
Western New York April 28
For more information on these events,
please visit the Eagle’s Nest, Niagara’s
online alumni community. New to the
Nest Your first-time login code can be
found above your name on the mailing
label of this magazine.
We Need You!
Planning for Alumni Weekend 2007 is
underway and we are looking for class
agent volunteers. Class agents serve a vital
role in Alumni Weekend and class reunion
planning. They motivate classmates to
attend Alumni Weekend, reconnect with
each other and the university, and s u p p o rt
the reunion giving campaign. It’s a great
way to be involved and make sure that
Alumni Weekend 2007 is fun, exc i t i n g
a n d record-setting for your class!
If you are interested in becoming an
agent for your class, please contact Jennifer
Coppola, associate director of alumni
relations, at 716-286-8773 or by e-mail at
jcoppola@niagara.edu.
Alumni in the Philadelphia area closed out 2006 watching our men’s basketball
team take on LaSalle. This event was hosted by the Delaware Valley chapter.
The Grape at Vinings was the
setting for our Atlanta chapter’s
holiday wine-tasting eve n t .
The evening featured food,
fun and great wine.
Niagarans went global this fall with our alumni tra vel program. Alumni traveled to
Italy in October to see the sights and sounds. Have a location suggestion for an
upcoming trip Please e-mail the alumni relations office at alumni@niagara.edu.
Close to 100 alumni were on campus in
mid-January to cheer on the Purple Eagles.
Western New York alums spent a day as
part of the N-Zone, watching the men’s
basketball and hockey teams and enjoying
a spaghetti dinner between the games.

A NU View
By John B. Stranges, ’59, University Professor
Author, “The Rainbow Never Fades: Niagara University 1856-2006”
OOne of the most illuminating experiences of
my search through 150 years of Niagara’s
h i s t o ry was the re d i s c ove ry of “Old Ni a g a r a .”
Within a few decades of the founding of the
u n i versity in 1856, the term “Old Ni a g a r a”
had already gained wide acceptance on campus
and among alumni as an affectionate re m i n d e r
of the early days’ struggle for surv i val. “Ol d
Niagara,” by which I mean Niagara Un i ve r s i t y
from its founding until the 1920s, was a
remarkable blend of charm, toughness and
insularity. Professors not only taught their
classes, but regularly joined the president in
issuing detailed and wide-ranging injunctions
on eve rything a student must do in order to be
s m a rt, honorable, gracious and we l l - b e h a ve d .
“ Old Ni a g a r a” stood as a counterweight to
what it saw as the unwholesome practice at
many secular universities of redefining morality
as a set of agreements among people, a mere
c o n ventionality without divine sanction.
By the first decade of the 20th century, the
f a i l u re rate among small independent colleges
since the Civil War had reached an astonishing
80 percent, among them a Vincentian college
in Los Angeles. Niagara, howe ve r, had learned
to re g a rd hardship and criticism as ro u g h l y
proportional to the nobility and success of
its work. Appeals to “Old Niagara” could
evoke powerful feelings of admiration
among students, faculty and alumni for
having overcome problems — fires, debt
and death — that would have devastated
other institutions. Ni a g a r a’s hold on tradition
was firm enough and its religious sentiments
ran deep enough to create overlapping
attitudes of independence and inwardness.
Today, as I watch faculty trying to
incorporate the rapidly growing practice of
“outcomes assessment” into the design of
courses without harming spontaneity in the
c l a s s room, I am reminded of how far Ni a g a r a
has come in its acceptance of mainstream
pedagogical and curricular trends in higher
education. But I say this with restraint, and
not open-ended endorsement. “Old Ni a g a r a”
was suspicious of much that had emerged
in American higher education; it had to
b e convinced that the newer trends were
worthwhile, permanent, and, above all,
consistent with the university’s view of its
mission. Sometimes, its persistence was hard to
“OLD NIAGARA” REDISCOVERED
distinguish from sheer stubbornness.
Niagara clung to the classical curriculum
and the recitation method in class long
a f t e r both had vanished from the leading
universities. It refused to cater to the
intellectual and vocational pre f e rences of
students by adopting the elective system. It
believed that memory was the path to
intelligence and needed to be raised to the
l e vel of a high-precision instrument. We l l
into the 1920s, Niagara allowed students to
“specialize” only in broad areas such as
classical and modern languages, English and
social sciences, mathematics and natural
sciences, and philosophy and education. T h e
d i s c rete academic departments with which
we are all familiar today did not appear until
the post-World War II era, and the modern
comprehensive library, sophisticated
laboratories, and highly specialized faculty
who could use these facilities to their fullest
made their appearance even later.
Stubborn it may have been, but “Ol d
Ni a g a r a” remained unshaken in its beliefs
and unapologetic about its behavior. It s
faculty and students stood for compassion
and against sentimentality; for candor and
against excuse-making; for competitive n e s s
and against self-satisfaction; for curricular
c o h e rence and against the indiscriminate
mixing of courses that plagued the
i n t roduction of the elective system at many
colleges. Its presidents spoke constantly of
“c h a l l e n g e” as something not to be avo i d e d
and “o p p o rt u n i t y” as something not to be
wasted. A central theme dominated opening
a d d resses to freshmen: “t h e re are few times
in your life when you can start off with
v i rtually a clean slate. This is one of them.
Use it to your advantage. We want you to
do well for yo u r s e l ves and for others.”
“ Old Ni a g a r a’s” educational experience,
like that of most of its peers, did little in
the way of formal on-the-job training or
internships. Si m i l a r l y, the university might
encourage students as individuals to
p e rform community service, but it neve r
o r g a n i zed a broad compre h e n s i ve pro g r a m
such as exists today. In most academic
departments, the homiletic character
of the classroom had not yet begun to
accommodate social activism, where being
something and doing something outside the
university becomes almost as important as
saying something in the classroom. Still,
community service alone cannot replace
sustained intellectual thought on, say,
the causes of poverty or violence. Socially
i m p o rtant issues we re discussed in the
c l a s s rooms, aided immensely by the numero u s
l i t e r a ry and debating societies and a vigoro u s ,
e ven occasionally formidable, Niagara In d e x .
The range of issues discussed or re p o rted on
was impre s s i ve: world events, domestic politics,
racism, prejudice, immigration, curricular
re q u i rements, events at other unive r s i t i e s ,
p o e t ry, and humor. While it is true that fro m
its first days, the editors of the Index, under the
watchful eye of a faculty censor, rejected, in
their own words, “anything that smacked of
r a d i c a l i s m” and described themselves as “f i r m
a d h e rents to conservatism,” they felt free to
c r i t i c i ze and even condemn when issues fell
outside the purv i ew of strict Catholic teaching.
What is important to remember about
“Old Niagara” is that ideas mattered most.
O ver time, novel adjustments to the
a rt and practice of teaching and learning
h a ve made instruction bolder and more
experimental at Niagara. Re s e a rch has become
respected for its inherent disciplinary value as
well as its utility. Yet, whether formed thro u g h
discussion, reading or re s e a rch, ideas must still
occupy first place as the indispensable forc e
behind change in the way students value
people and institutions.
“ Old Ni a g a r a” managed to escape the battles
waged at small independent colleges in the
United States between the formation of
character and the development of intellect as
the primary purpose of a college education. It
tried mightily to have them both — character
and intellect — in the same person. That
tradition continues today in the university’s
efforts to differentiate itself from its secular
peers by its clear and unambiguous re c o g n i t i o n
of the intellectual, spiritual and moral unity of
its students. No part of this whole can be
abated or ignored. High academic standard s
must join with high moral purpose if the
k n owledge, ingenuity and material re s o u rces of
the university community expect to be used
e f f e c t i vely in the quest for a fairer world. T h a t
is exactly how “Old Ni a g a r a” would have it.

Alumni Weekend ’07
Come celebrate
with fellow
classmates this
October and
make this
a reunion to
remember!
Rooms have been blocked at the Crowne
Plaza in Niagara Falls (300 Third St.). Call
1-800-95FALLS to make reservations. A
special rate of $119/night has been
arranged. Please reference Niagara
University Alumni Weekend when making
your reservation. Space in the block is
not guaranteed after Sept. 10.
Oct. 5, 6 and 7, 2007
Niagara’s Alumni Weekend 2007 celebrates classes
with years ending in 2s and 7s. As always, we
welcome all alumni back to campus for this fun-filled
weekend. Mark your calendar now, and look for a
formal invitation this summer.
If you are interested in assisting
with the planning of your reunion, please
contact Jennifer Coppola, associate
director of alumni relations, at
jcoppola@niagara.edu or 716-286-8773.
Office of Institutional Advancement
Niagara University, NY 14109
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