The Extra Mile - Spring 2009 - SNHU Academic Archive - Southern ...

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F S O U T H E R N N E W H A M P S H I R E U N I V E R S I T YS P R I N G 2 0 0 9On the CoverA Look Back Fondly 14Letters to MyselfUniversity faculty and staff are in a unique position tocounsel students, act as mentors and provide direction.Today they offer advice to their younger selves.FeaturesGoldsmith’s Gorillas 12Dr. Michele Goldsmith’s research focuses on howecotourism in Uganda is affecting the embattledmountain gorilla.DepartmentsMy Top 5 3Office Hours 4School of Business 6School of Community Economic Development 8School of Education 10School of Liberal Arts 12Sports 24ContentsWrite to Us!Our Top 10 24The SNHU Athletic Department has compiled atop 10 list of the greatest games in Penmen history,covering a cross-section of sports. See if you agree.Alumni News 30Class Notes 34Letters to the editor of The Extra Mile are welcomed and encouraged. Submission does not guarantee publication, and those letters that arepublished may be edited for style and length. Please include the writer’s name, the year of graduation if you are a graduate, a daytime phonenumber and a return address. Letters may be sent by fax to 603.645.9676, by e-mail to snhumagazine@snhu.edu or by mail to the Office ofMarketing and Communications, Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 North River Road, Manchester, NH 03106-1045.The views expressed in The Extra Mile do not necessarily reflect those of the university, its trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and/or students.page 4 page 8 page 12page 24 page 36

Dear Friends,Welcome to the latest issue of The Extra Mile.With commencement coming up we have at this timeof year become accustomed to speakers at campusesall over the country offering their advice to earnestyoung graduates. The speeches typically provideadvice about how to live the lives ahead of them, andare sometimes humorous and sometimes poignant andsometimes pedantic.In this issue, the editor has asked members ofthe SNHU community to write letters to theiryounger selves (and include photos of themselvesthen) with advice based on what they havelearned in the intervening years. A funtwist on the Commencement Day speech.Last fall our men’s soccer team won theNortheast-10 Championship; that got usthinking about some of the great gamesplayed by SNHU teams over the years. So inanother kind of look back we have reviewedfor you 10 of the best games in our wonderfulathletic history.There is lots of inspiration in the pages ofthis issue as well. You will read about Schoolof CED alumna Anne Bandema ’07, a Rwandanrefugee who helped found Women to Women tohelp Manchester refugee families acclimate toour society and culture. Another alumna, HeidiJanson, has organized a bridal gown giveawaynetwork for soldiers’ families. You’ll alsoencounter the story of veteran P.J. Audley who, 30years after his service in Vietnam, has discoveredthe impact of post-traumatic stress disorder.Readers have come to enjoy the “My Top Five” featureand in this issue we turn to communications AssociateProfessor Justine Wood-Massoud for her list. Speaking offavorites, many of you turn first to the alumni pages andas usual you will catch up with old friends and classmates,including four alumni from our culinary program.Speaking of food, if you live near campus I urge you todrive by and see the progress being made on our newdining hall and academic building. These are marvelousnew structures, bold in design, and the campus isbeing transformed through their addition.Sincerely,Paul J. LeBlancPresident

Office HoursHave a question? We’ll ask our faculty experts. Send your questionto snhumagazine@snhu.edu with “Office Hours” in the subject line.Assistant Professor Steven Booth chairs theOrganizational Leadership Department in the Schoolof Business and is a business and probate lawyer.What is the difference between a layoff and a furlough?A layoff is the permanent terminationof an employee’s services. It can betemporary due to financial or economiccircumstances, but normally it’s a permanenttermination. All the terms that theyuse – “reduction of forces,” “downsizing,”“right-sizing,” – euphemisms tomake it sound a little softer when it takesplace. The reason it takes place might befor changes in the economy, changes infinances for a particular company,technological changes that allow forthe reduction of forces, or transferringjobs to other facilities or overseas.A furlough is a temporary absence fromemployment … usually a cost-savingtechnique for employers. A “temporaryleave” would probably be a better term.During those furlough days you might beallowed to use your vacation days or yourpersonal time so you don’t lose out on pay.So is a furlough preferable to a layoff?Yes, a furlough is preferable to a layoff asthe employee has a job and is working,just not as many hours and therefore notearning as much income. But you reach apoint in time in which it is uncomfortablefor the employee because the employeeneeds to have some degree of permanenceregarding their job and know whenthey’re going to receive their next paycheck.If I’m telling you that you’re onfurlough for a couple of days, but you’recoming back in on Monday, you might beunhappy because you’ll be losing a coupledays’ pay, but you are coming in onMonday and you are still employed witha possibly more positive economic futurefor the company. When I’m telling youthat you’re being laid off and we’re sendingyou to unemployment, at that pointin time the only thing that is certain isthat there is uncertainty in your life dueto lack of income and not knowing whenyou will have another job. With a fur-4 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Gown GiveawaysBy Ashley Liadis, School of BusinessAfter hearing a female soldier speaking on National Public Radio aboutfeeling undervalued and forgotten by the public, Heidi Janson ’86 wasmoved to find a way to show her appreciation.Bridal BountyBridal boutique owner Heidi Janson ’86 hasfound a way for the bridal industry tohelp military brides and fiancés.Janson, a bridal boutique owner and retailmanagement graduate, has married herinterest in the bridal industry and herdrive to “be a business about a cause.”“My theory in life is what you give out youget back. Business is the heart of Americaand if each business took a part in helpinga cause, America would be more prosperousand stronger,” she said.Janson, who has worked in the industry for25 years, has organized a wedding gowngiveaway through The Bridal StockExchange, her bridal boutique in Seabrook,N.H., to help active-duty soldiers serving inIraq and Afghanistan and their fiancé(e)s.“We have so much opportunity to give,” shesaid. “It seemed like a good time, as I wasopening up my bridal shop. (It) spiraled intosomething bigger than I ever imagined.”Janson began working in the bridal industryat age 12 in her mother’s shop, The BridalLoft, in Salem, N.H. She opened her firstbridal salon in Rhode Island at 22 and asecond in Virginia at 24. She later sold bothstores and moved back to New England tostart her family. Her early entrepreneurialexperience helped her land jobs withMadeleine’s Daughter in Portsmouth, N.H.,and later at Vera Wang and L’élite in Boston.Today, in addition to owning a boutique, sheworks for a gown designer.The gown giveaway is not her first effort tosupport military brides. In 2001, she organizeda similar effort with her mother.“There’s a lot of excess in the bridal industry,”Janson said. “A lot of it has to do withshifting inventory around (that is) caughtup in the day-to-day business. Giveawaysare all donated. They could be samples or6 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

SCHOOL OFBusinessoverstocks. It could even be a new sample that gotdiscontinued.”Going NationalFor her latest attempt to show support to militarymembers and their soon-to-be families, Janson usedall her experience and connections to organize anIndependence Day gown giveaway last summer. Fiftygowns were donated to her store from bridal shopsall over the country. The event went so well that shedecided to coordinate a national effort and host similarmilitary-focused events aroundthe United States. To honor thetroops around Veterans Day,she coordinated giveaways at20 stores, from Arizona toGeorgia to Rhode Island. Theevents yielded more than 1,000gowns. She organized anothergown giveaway in Fall River,Mass., over the holidays andgarnered more than 150 gowns.Last summer, 22-year oldRachel Nelson of Haverhill,Mass., was busy planning herJune 2009 wedding while herfiancé was deployed to Japanafter serving in Afghanistan.She read about the bridal gown giveaway through alocal newspaper, and her reaction was pure excitement.“I couldn’t believe it. It really touched me to knowthat someone reallycares about us back“home,” Nelson said.“This act of kindnessthat Heidi[coordinated] wasso amazing. It tookone more load off of my shoulders.”Going GlobalMilitary brides from around the globe are benefitingand can even get dresses that match their specifications.During the giveaways, women can log on toJanson’s Web site, www.thebridalstockexchange.com, andHeidi Janson shows off one of the donated dresses.e-mail their specifications. Soldiers from Iraq andGermany have contacted her with their style, sizeand color preferences. Janson sends them picturesof various gowns from which they can choose.Janson profits from the giveaways, albeit not financially.“Philanthropy is a way for me to give back all the goodthings that I benefit from. Why not make a differenceand try to help those in need? I want to spread the wordso that other women can help, empower themselvesand, most important, help someone in need,” she said.Beyond BridesJanson has since expandedher philanthropic effortsoverseas by focusing onbridal parties after thewedding. About a year agoshe founded an online store,The Bridesmaid Party, thatfeatures a recycling programfor bridesmaid dresses.“What female doesn’t havean extra bridesmaid dress ortwo hanging in their closet?”she said.Janson sends the fabric fromdonated bridesmaid dressesoverseas to Africa and Afghanistan, where poor womenwith HIV make napkins, linens, sheets and more andare able to sell them for a 100-percent profit.My theory in life is what you give out you get back. Business is theheart of America and if each business took a part in helping a cause,America would be more prosperous and stronger.– Heidi Janson ’86Photo by Ben Laing/Newburyport Daily News”“This is more rewarding than anything I have everdone. I love doing the charity part … it just makesyou feel good,” Janson said.For more information about upcoming gown giveaways for militarybrides, contact The Bridal Stock Exchange at 617.877.6396 or e-mailinfo@bridalstockexchange.com.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 7

Women for WomenBy Woullard Lett, School of Community Economic DevelopmentOn any Saturday afternoon in Manchester, N.H., you can find a short Africanwoman with a ready smile and sparkling eyes directing the children of Africanrefugees to their tutoring sessions and answering their mothers’ questions.Reaching OutRwandan refugee Anne Bandema ’07 understandsthe culture shock refugees face. Today she helpsrefugees in Manchester, N.H., as they createnew lives for their families.Anne Bandema ’07 is equal parts gradeschool teacher and life coach to parents.She’s uniquely positioned to help refugeefamilies because she was a refugee herself.Bandema grew up in a middle-class familywith her mother, father and five siblingsin Gisenyi, Rwanda, in Central Africa.Following school, marriage and children,she, like her father, became a high schoolteacher in her hometown. Her husbandworked for the United Nations.Then the horrible tragedy of the 1994Rwanda ethnic genocide erupted, withTutsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered.Concern for the family’s safety becauseof their Tutsi ethnicity led Bandema, herhusband and their two children into theDemocratic Republic of Congo. Two weekslater, they returned to Rwanda and founda changed social and political landscapedrenched with the fear and trauma of theinternecine conflict.UnwelcomeConcern for their safety prompted them toleave Rwanda for Uganda in 1996. But thewhispers and shadows of the tragedy followedthem; other Rwandese immigrants there werewary and groups realigned along ethnic lines.Bandema’s hopes of returning home weresuffocated by the thick air of lingeringresentment, fear and hate in the communityof survivors.8 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

SCHOOL OFCommunity Economic Development“We all agreed that empowerment of women is the best way to support families. So wewanted a name that reflected our mission.– Anne Bandema ’07“The Rwandans in Uganda did not know who to trustbecause the genocide pit neighbors against each other,”Bandema said.The family officially registered as refugees in 1998.The U.N. moved them to a camp in nearby Kenya in1999. They spent five years in Nairobi, waiting to beselected for resettlement through the United NationsHigh Commission for Refugees.Starting AgainIn 2004 they were told to prepare for a new life inthe United States. They arrived at the Manchester,N.H. airport anxious and relieved and were placed ina modest apartment on the east side of Manchester.Readjustment wasn’t as difficult for them as it was formany, as they had lived in cities in Rwanda and hadperfected their English in Kenya.Bandema’s attempt to return to teaching was frustratedwhen her qualifications were not accepted. She appliedfirst for professional, then administrative and finallyservice positions; after a year-long job hunt, her enthusiasmbegan to fade. To console herself, she beganhelping others.“I met many refugee women who had stayed yearsin refugee camps and had never lived in an urbansetting,” she said. “I was able to help them navigatethe system.””“My effort was to help African refugee women navigatethe American system and achieve their potential,”Bandema said. “This was one way to bring back theirself-esteem and confidence taken away due to theirdark experiences.”Bandema and Kirega began recruiting other womenfor their joint initiative. At their first meeting, inMarch 2007, they named it Women for Women.The organization faced a litany of concerns, fromemployment and education to health disparities anddomestic violence.“Refugee women have the same problems that allwomen face: not enough time, not enough money andproblems with men,” Bandema said. “But we alsofaced problems like the lead poisoning of 20 refugeekids from paint in apartments.”Women for Women youth programs, such as theafter-school program and a weekend African drumminggroup, have opened the way to work withrefugee mothers.“I know how difficult it is to be torn from your homeand the surrounding social supports ripped away,”Bandema said. “That is part of my journey here and itaffects women deeply. Many people don’t know there isan initiative for women and it is time to know.”A New Partner, A New PurposeBandema completed her graduate studies at the Schoolof Community Economic Development and began workingas the AmeriCorps VISTA refugee coordinator forthe Manchester mayor’s office. She met GeraldineKirega ’03, an SCED alumna from Dar es Salaam,Tanzania, who shared her passion.“Geraldine was running an after-school tutoringprogram for refugee children. She was paying forit out of her own pocket,” Bandema said.They soon began talking about an organization thatcould address family issues from a woman’s perspective.Anne Bandema ’07The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 9

Old Dog,New TricksBy Michelle E. DunnThe nightmares stopped after a few years. But the aftereffects of whatSchool of Education student P.J. Audley experienced during the Vietnam Warwould dog him for years, though he didn’t know it.An Ongoing BattleSchool of Education student P.J. Audley wrestledwith post-traumatic stress disorder for 30years without knowing it. Now he wantsto help soldiers returning home.Audley entered the Army in September1969; he was in Vietnam the followingMay, installing and dismantling radarunits for artillery firebases.“It was a very maturing experience to be acombat soldier at 21,” he said.It was common to see lines of bodies alongthe roads during his regular rides with militaryconvoys, transporting equipment. Abase where he spent much of his time gothit just hours after he left; 38 were killedand more than 80 were wounded. He sawfellow soldiers die from enemy fire andeven heroin overdoses.“I saw the results of war almost every day,”he said. “Those types of experiences affectyou; I don’t care who you are.”One Tuesday in 1971, he was told he wasgoing home the next day. A week later, hewas back in the U.S.“No debriefing, no nothing, just ‘go home,’”he said. “We were just expected to resumenormal activity, go back to work, go back to10 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

SCHOOL OFEducationschool, do whatever you were doing and forget aboutit. And I tried to do it, but it didn’t work out that way.”Within a year, his wife (and high-school sweetheart)died in her sleep, leaving him to care for their babydaughter.“I come out of Vietnam and I’m traumaticallystressed because of that, and then my wife dies at23, and there’s another traumatic stress,” he said. “Itwas just go from there, keep going.”UnsettledBefore heading to Vietnam, Audley hadworked for his father’s business, AudleyConstruction, and helped build NewHampshire’s interstates as a generalcontractor. Though he tried going backto college, he ended up returning to constructionafter the war. (One job was withPro Con construction, helping buildStark and Exeter halls, two of the firstbuildings on SNHU’s main campus.)He jumped from job to job, clashing with bosses andwrestling with a restlessness and impatience he didn’tthoroughly understand. He worked construction,drove a tractor-trailer, sold trucks and eventuallyheaded to Texas and later California, leaving hisdaughter with family so she could attend school inManchester. He never remarried, but stayed close tohis daughter.“I could not settle down – go, go, run, run,” he said.“It was a very secure feeling for me, to be constantlyon the move.”He saw friends from Vietnam die – from suicide,alcoholism and drug overdoses.“It was like I was on the outside looking in; therewas nothing I could do to stop it,” he said.An Answer and New HopeIt would be 30 years after his return from Vietnambefore Audley finallylearned why healways felt off.In 2002, the nightmaresand flashbacksP.J. Audley in Vietnam.returned. One night he woke, thinking he was having aheart attack. It turned out to be an anxiety attack. Atthe hospital, he saw a flier seeking Vietnam vets for astudy and contacted the research department at theVeterans Administration Medical Center inManchester. After meeting with a psychologist, helearned he’d been suffering from post-traumatic stressdisorder for decades without knowing it.“It was a huge relief. I always knewI was so, so different from what weconsider normal people … but Inever understood why,” he said. “Iwent through many, many years, nodirection, no real hope. They havesaved my life.”A New Sense of PurposeAbout a year and a half into histherapy, someone from the VeteransAdministration contacted him andoffered education benefits and careertesting. He learned he was well suited for teaching.This eventually led him to SNHU’s School of Educationwhere, 41 years after he first attempted to go to college,he is earning his degree.“The day I walk in May ’10 is going to be a major,major win for me,” he said. “And I know that withmy degree comes some credibility.”After graduation, Audley wants to help soldiers returningfrom Iraq and Afghanistan.“Knowing what I know now … has given me a directionthat I’ve never had before in my life. A lot of guys cameback from Vietnam and needed help immediately and itwasn’t there. It’s there now,” he said. “I want to showthat someone cares when these guys get home. I don’twant them to go through 30 years of struggle, of goingfrom relationship to relationship, from job to job, bossto boss, state to state; always kind of running.“And I don’t have to run anymore. It’s great.”“The day I walk in May ’10 is going to be a major, major win for me. AndI know that with my degree comes some credibility.”– P.J. AudleyThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 11

Goldsmith’s GorillasBy Ian Nicholas, School of Liberal Arts“Oh my God,” someone whispered. Involuntary murmurs of disgust fillWalker Auditorium as the slideshow advanced.Protecting PrimatesDr. Michele Goldsmith’s research focuses onhow ecotourism in Uganda is affectingthe embattled mountain gorilla.Up on the screen, projected larger than life, aseries of photos showed a dismembered gorilla,her head sitting incongruously on a dinnerplate, a distant look in her eyes. This wassupposed to be just a light lecture in whichthe new professor at SNHU would introduceherself and her work to the university.“I’m sorry,” Dr. Michele Goldsmith said,not sounding sorry at all. “This is reality.”The reality to which Goldsmith referredis poaching, just one of several modernthreats to the dwindling population of thewild gorilla, an animal strikingly similar to12 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

“IfI don’t keep doing what I’m doing, who’s going to speak for the gorillas, and who’s going tostand up for their rights and well-being?– Dr. Michele Goldsmith”ourselves but one which we are just beginning tounderstand. What little we know is thanks in partto Goldsmith’s pioneering field research on gorillabehavior. This year she joined SNHU’s faculty as anassociate professor of science who teaches anatomyand physiology, environmental issues, and ecology.After only one semester, her office in Robert Frost isalready distinctly her own – the walls and bookshelvesare decorated with African artwork, from carved woodenpanels and bowls to paintingsand figurines of gorillas. HerFulbright scholarship certificate sitstucked behind a broken printer, andone of her diplomas is marked witha Post-it Note from a student:“Thank you for changing my life.”Far AfieldGoldsmith has spent more than16 years researching the influencehumanity has had on the gorillas inthe Central African Republic andUganda. She has called the bluffsof charging gorillas; pushedthrough tangled jungles while shewas aware that a hunting leopardcould be as little as 5 feet away;suffered repeated bouts of malaria,one of them nearly taking her life; and had friendsgored by buffalo and burned to death by RwandanHutu rebels. She plans to return to Africa this summer.Dr. Michele Goldsmith“If I don’t keep doing what I’m doing, who’s going tospeak for the gorillas, and who’s going to stand upfor their rights and well-being?” Goldsmith asked.Since 1996, as a National Geographic researcher,Goldsmith has focused on the impact that ecotourismis having on gorillas in the Bwindi ImpenetrableForest in Uganda. International tourism makes up asignificant portion of Uganda’s economy, due in largepart to the attraction of the wild gorilla, and theneed to protect this income drives Uganda’s governmentto help preserve the gorilla and its habitat. Butecotourism is at the same time the gorilla’s key tosurvival and the source of many of the threats to itsexistence, for the increasing contact with humanshas had unforeseen negative effects, Goldsmith said.Ecotourism:The Flip SideFrequent contact with tourists has made the previously“wild” gorillas comfortable withhumans, and they are now more apt towander into human territory – volatileterritory, Goldsmith said. Outside oftheir protected national parks, gorillasare more vulnerable to the devastationof civil wars, the violence of poachersand of farmers protective of theircrops, encroachment through illegalmining practices and epidemichuman diseases.“We’ve given the gorillas measles,we’ve given them skin diseases,we’ve given them the flu,” Goldsmithsaid. “The introduction of one infectiousdisease can wipe out the entiregorilla population.”Goldsmith has been working toexamine this flip side of ecotourism to help usbetter understand why the gorilla stands on thebrink of extinction.She believes that, as with any extinction, we face therisk of fundamentally upsetting an ecosystem vital toour own survival in ways we cannot predict. But beyondself-interest, she says we have a moral responsibilitynot to allow these animals to go extinct.“If we let one of our closest genetic relatives die out,what does that say about our nature, our values?”she asked.SCHOOL OFLiberal ArtsThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 13

A Look Back,

ondly

Dear Diane,So you’re 18 and you’re trying to decidewhat to do with your life – where to go tocollege, whether to stay in Europe andkeep working. Your family needs you alittle too much, and right now you’refeeling really pulled between what youshould do, what everyone expects youto do, and this voice that’s all your own,that’s screaming so deep inside you,you can barely hear it. I know whatyou’re going to do, what you’ll keepdoing for a long road ahead, and Iwish you wouldn’t. Instead, discoveryour solid ground by standing moreindependently of others’ needs,even though itmeans youmight makemistakes.One of these daysyou’re going to beliving in Colorado. You’regoing to be high up in themountains with a bow,hunting elk. Imaginethat – dressed in camouflageand covered in elk piss.Actually, you’re going to do thisa lot – take off by yourself,and that’s a good thing. Butthere’s going to be thisone particular morning where an elkwill be bedding down in the timberacross a river. You and he are going tostart bugling back and forth. You’regoing to anticipate him approachingyou from a certain direction. You’regoing to be so sure of it, that thereyou’ll be standing on that 45-degreeincline, aiming your bow through anopening in the brush toward just theright spot where you think he willemerge. You’ll think you’ve calculatedeverything perfectly, worked so hardfor this one shot. And just as thingsget quiet for a moment, he’s going tocome crashing down from behind you,charging at you like you’re the toughestbull he’s ever fought. You’re goingto swing that bow around, completelycaught off guard, and miss the biggestelk of your life.What I’m saying here is that you’regoing to spend a lot of your life tryingto make the wrong things work. A lot oftime is going to be wasted in doubt andconfusion. That’s time you can never getback. Continue to get away by yourselfso you can hear that voice that’s all yourown. Allow yourself time to imaginelife, as Thoreau says, and trust yourselfto live that life you imagine. You havethe compass within yourself, a piece ofGod, if you will. Choose light, live fullyengaged, and others cannot help butto feel buoyed upward, including thebeautiful sons with whom you will oneday be blessed.Joy and peace on the journey!Your older and wiser self,Diane Les Becquets, age 45Assistant professor and director of creative writingAssistant director, M.F.A., in fiction and nonfictionContact Diane Les Becquets atd.lesbecquets@snhu.edu.16 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Dear Nicholas,It is strange to get to write this letter toyou from the future – I know that at 11you already believe time travel impossible,but please don’t worry about thatand just read this.You are used to a pretty unpredictableworld already. Growing up moving todifferent countries every few years willdo that, and where you are right now inItaly is certainly leaving a mark, whatwith Red Brigade terrorists killing majorpoliticians and bomb scares at schoolevery few weeks. Nonetheless, you havea sense of personal safety and comfort …life might be a bit crazy out there, butat home and in your semi-mythologicalhomeland of Canada, you know thateverything is safe, predictable and stable.You learned to read when you were 7, butsomehow being way behind your fellowstudents (they stuck you in grade threeclasses in the British school in Rometo be with your age-mates) did not dentyour confidence much. You just learnedto read “Dick and Jane” and went on tothe encyclopedia – but somehow younever could figure out what order theletters went in the encyclopedia, so youjust flip through the pages to find interestingarticles, don’t you?As your future self, I warn you of twothings: the first is that your world isgoing to crash very soon. Your dadwill walk out and you will learn awhole lot of new things, almost noneof them good. At least you willknow what poverty is and nevertake too much for granted later inlife. You will also be an adultwell before your time.The second is thatyou are dyslexic –that is why you cannotmemorize anything andwhy you cannot figureout what order the lettersrun in the alphabet.School is always goingto be a struggle. Neverforget that you are neitherlazy nor stupid. As a fewof your teachers willnotice, there just mightbe something differentabout you that explainswhy you seem so smartbut do so badly.Learning things thehard way will serve youwell in the end. Don’t worry,you’ll survive it.Good luck, and see you in 30 years.Nicholas Hunt-Bull, age 42Associate professor of philosophyDirector of the Honors ProgramContact Nicholas Hunt-Bull atn.hunt-bull@snhu.edu.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 17

Dear Paul (age 26),So, you’re in graduate school and it’s thedepartment’s Halloween costume partyand you decide to go as the rabbitfrom the movie “Harvey.” Seemslike an excellent idea. You’reup to your ears – your normalears, never mind the white furryones – in research, reading anda thesis. You’re not thinkingthat one day you might hold aresponsible leadership position,one that requires a certain gravitas.Say, university president,for example.If there’s a picture of youdressed up as a 6-foot-8bunny, you’ll definitelywant to keep it lockedaway. It is not the kindof thing you’ll want colleaguesto see. It is notthe kind of thing thatinspires confidence and “I’ll-follow-theboss-wherever-he-leads”loyalty. No, myadvice to you is to keep such pictureshidden away and be grateful you didn’tgo in drag (I’m talking to you, RudyGiuliani) or in Nazi uniform (What wereyou thinking, Prince Harry?).On the other hand, I might also suggestthat you hold onto whatever impulseinspires one to dress up like a rabbit.There is something to be said for goodheartedsilliness, even in one’s 50s.Too many of your colleagues, perhapsyou as well, will be prone to confusingthe seriousness of the work they do withwho they are as people. They will forgetto laugh at themselves. They’ll forgetthat the dignity of a title is enrichedwith a little self-deprecation.I am rethinking my advice, youngerself. I suggest you take out the photoof you in a bunny suit and keep iton your refrigerator. When you startyour day by reaching into the fridgefor your orange juice, let it remindyou not to take yourself too seriously.And while you’re in there … can yousee if there are any carrots?And finally, think about a razor, my friend.Dr. Paul LeBlanc, at 51SNHU presidentContact Paul LeBlanc at The President’s Corner atpresident.snhu.edu/leblanc.18 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Dear Mark (age 11),Live your life like you will. It is whatmakes you what you are and, accordingto your family, you are doing a good job.It is their opinion that counts.Measure your success by your own criteriaand don’t get caught up in what therest of the world thinks you should do orbe. Try to find your own balance betweenfocusing on yourself and helping others.You are no good to others if you haven’ttaken good care of yourself.Your education is key, but it is notwhat you learn; rather, learn how tolearn about yourself and the worldaround you. Be skeptical, not cynical,and embrace critical thinking early.Science will help explain much moreabout the world than adhering to dogmasand prejudices of childhood.Challenge your thinking habits.Don’t be afraid to ask Melinda to thedance.Live the life you imagine. Make sure tosay “thank you” to those who help youmake this possible. Choose to do theright thing, not the easy thing.When you are working for dad on top ofthe hot industrial roofs in Miami duringthe summer, you are going to learn somegreat lessons. These will also help youfinish your first Ironman in Hawaii. Dadwill see both.You will fail your first organic chemistrytest, no matter how hard you study.This will really piss you off and youwill come back on the second one.Welcome to perseverance. This willhelp you become Dr. Hecox one day.Mom really liked that graduation.Don’t eat the tequila worm, it doesn’thave the effect they said it would andit was gross.You will wear your heart on your sleeve,and it will be painful. Melissa was a greatgirlfriend, but marrying your wife was themost important decision you will make.She makes you.Follow your wanderlust and travel theworld – it is in your Norwegian blood.It will open your worldview and be fun.When in Moscow, focus on the caviar,lighten up on the vodka and yes, Maxis former KGB.One of the best decisions you will befaced with is to leave a high-paying jobfor your love of teaching and for yourdaughter. It is easy. Spending time withher is what makes you happy. OK, sodoes going for a run on a beautifulfall day, but that is different.Appreciate learning tae kwon doand snowboarding with her.Your time is limited; buy a nicewatch to remind you not towaste it or let others waste itfor you.Live in the moment. Taketime to plan when appropriate.Volunteer andsupport efforts for humanrights. Your dad was aMarine; show gratitude forthose who have sacrificedfor our freedom.Ask your dad and mom to share theirlife stories before they die.When you win your first golf tournament,give your trophy to your coach, Bill.Thank Mrs. Congelo, in seventh grade,for moving you out of your comfort zoneto grow, before she dies. Start writingpoetry earlier in life; you enjoy it. Learnnew things.When running the marathon during theHawaiian Ironman, do not eat the bagel;it tastes worse coming up.Stay in touch with your authentic childhoodfriends, like Maryanne and John.Work hard, but smart; have fun, but becareful; stay fit and help others; leave theworld a better place than youfound it.Lots of love,Dr. Mark Hecox, age 44The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 19

Dear Bill (age 38),When you began doing anti-povertywork in New Bedford, Mass., yousaw “the system” as the problemall too often. The so-called trickledownfrom the larger economynever really lifted many boats inthis old seaport city. Eventually youbuilt a network of more than 100 NewBedford microbusinesses, run by peoplewho loaned each other money andoffered moral support in peer groups.Fishermen, mechanics, dollhouse purveyorsand hot dog restaurateurs aregetting credit – even though none wascreditworthy, according to the bank.But something was wrong; somethingdidn’t quite make sense. How couldyou be using the tools of capitalism toundermine the rules that the systemhad erected to protect itself? As the criticfrom the Chamber of Commerce said,“Five-hundred-dollar loans are lunchmoney, and lending in groups is kind oflike socialism, isn’t it?” Somehow thismust all make sense, but you weremissing big pieces of the puzzle.The irony will never be lost that itwill be in New Hampshire – land of“Live Free or Die” and the rightwingicon William Loeb – where theanswers to your questions will befound. You will join the communityeconomic development master’s programat then-New Hampshire Collegeand immediately find yourselfimmersed in a great, extended familyof community activists and leadersfrom Wilmington and Atlanta, fromNova Scotia and Iraq, and fromEthiopia and Boston.The synapses will start snapping; themany questions will turn into fascinatinganswers. You will learn that communityeconomic development uses businessstrategies, such as the small businessloans of your New Bedford program, tocreate participation, equity and sustainabilityat the neighborhood level. Whenyou finish you will have earned a Masterof Science degree in CED and also theknowledge that you are not alone inimagining that a better world is possible.And now, 15 years after those daysof uncertainty, you are flying overthe red ochre expanse of the Africancontinent. The microenterprise developmentexperiment you were a partof in New Bedford has blossomed intoa movement that touches the lives ofmore than 100 million people all overthe globe. You are on your way toJohannesburg to build a network offellow seekers and activists who in factare “the system” and wield the tools ofcapitalism to create trickle-up opportunitiesfor poor communities that sharemuch in common with New Bedford.This path will seem far-fetched to youin 1994, but the pieces of this intricatepuzzle of your life will all fall intoplace, trust me!William Maddocks, age 5320 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Dear Cathy (age 22),Congratulations! Tomorrow you willbegin a new chapter in your life, one youhave dreamed of since you were in firstgrade. You will stand before your firstgroup of third-grade students as MissAllgaier – their teacher. You are thinkingyou have finally reached your goal. Theicing on the cake? The $9,200 salarymeans you can buy your first brand-newcar. Do me a favor, think sporty, racy …anything but sensible. You have manyyears of sensibleness ahead. Go for it!I have been given the opportunity toreach back through time to share somewords of wisdom earned over years ofexperiences. After much contemplation, Ihave decided the best way to do so wouldbe to share the following list. I call it,“You may not believe this now, but …”• You will use something called“Blackboard” without ever pickingup a piece of chalk.• Wearing a Christmas bow in yourhair may be the height of fashion toa second-grader, but it is perceivedmuch differently on the campus of auniversity.• You will experience the Yogi Berra“déjà vu all over again” syndromewhen you are given the opportunityto once again teach students youtaught as second- and third-graders.Instead of teaching them to readand write, you will prepare themto become teachers, joining youas colleagues in your profession.• Having a student jump on you frombehind to deliver a big bear hug isconsidered a compliment in elementaryschool. It is defined as assaulton a university campus.• You will learn more from 7-year-oldsthan from any book you read.• You will beaddressed bymany names:Miss Allgaier,Mrs. Stavenger,Mrs. S., ProfessorStavenger, Cathy.Treasured above allothers: Mom and,yes, Grammy.• The Red Sox willwin a World Series –more than once!Enjoy your first day ofschool tomorrow, Cathy. You haveso much to learn, but fortunatelyfor you, your future studentsare prepared to teach you.Fondly,Professor, Mom, Grammy, CathyStavenger, age 52The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 21

A younger Dr. Ravi PanditHi Ravi (age 18),I am writing to you from the future,which has turned out to be not asbad as you had imagined. Whyfrom the future? The answeris in Bernard Shaw’s quote,“We are made wise not by therecollection of our past, but bythe responsibility for our future.”You will read Bernard Shaw next yearin your English literature class, but youwill understand and appreciate the readingsin midlife.In the middle of “life” there is a big“if.” That means you should follow yourdreams and ambitions; otherwise, thebig “if” will haunt you (“If only I haddone that;” “If only I had pursuedthat”), resulting in multiple midlifecrises. Life is long but the livinggoes fast.I have had great experiences, but ifyou take some pointers from me, youcould have greater ones:Getting an education is notjust getting a degree or a diploma,which might or might not give yougreat earning potential (as your parents,friends and advisers will tellyou). Education is about acquiringthe tools for learning (self-teaching),because learning never ends.You gain knowledge not just from thecourses or subjects you enjoy but fromsubjects and courses you might findboring or “useless.”You might live to be 90,and if you don’t pursue and do whatyou love to do, it will be 90 years oftorture. There will be people who willalways pull you down. They climb onyour shoulders to achieve their success.They seem to be collegial and friendly,yet don’t be fooled. But these are veryfew. Most people have integrity.There is a message for you inthe two pictures of what you looked likewhen young and what you look like now.We tend to try to imitate personalitieswhen we don’t have self-knowledge.Don’t live in the images of your heroesor idols. It is self-defeating. Be comfortablein who you are.There will always be compromisesin personal as well as professionallife. That’s the nature of things. Butremember, compromise on strategies,never on principles. Focus on theactions (karma) and not on the rewardsor outcome (fruits). Do good withoutexpecting the rewards; the more youexpect, the more you suffer.And on the sensitive topic of religion,have faith but keep one eye closed whenyou listen to religious zealots. Religionand politics have become the playgroundsof the power-hungry, whichhas undermined world peace. Whenthe power of love overcomes the loveof power, the world will know peace.Big hugs,Dr. Ravindra Pandit, 50-plus22 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Dear Bink,Keep your head up. I am going togive you a few pieces of advice thatare going to sound like trite, sillyplatitudes, but pay attention!At 25, with four-and-a-half years at abusy, successful corporate hotel andtaking on your first exec chef’s position,you are looking to break out. Beopen to new opportunities. Take risks.Life is an adventure; live it that way.When you have the opportunity for joy,take it and run with it. Don’t worry thatit will be fleeting or will not last. Thetruth is, it won’t, but nothing does, noteven sadness.Some of the stuff you’re going to faceis going to be hard and horrible. You’llget through it. The family will get throughit. What seemed like “certainties” –relationships, jobs, friendships – canand sometimes will disintegrate. Theyare going to make you into the personyou will become. You’ll need them totake the edges off. I know you think youare mellow as a fellow. Believe me, youhave some edges, and they’ll need somelarge-grit sanding!Be tolerant of others and their shortcomings.This doesn’t mean be a patsy. Whenpeople in your life are saying one thingand doing another, believe what they do.Don’t get too tied to one vision/versionof the future. Some of the greatest joysin life are the unexpected ones. Youwill be surprised how much better“the universe” can choose for youthan you can pick for yourself. (Andlose the smug know-it-all-ness; it’sreally unattractive).Let stuff go. Share. Yes, doing thingsfor others does bring joy. However, youneed to be sure your needs get met, too.Asking for what you need is NOT beinga pushy wench.Do not let money worries plague you.You will be fine. And if you’re workingin restaurants you’ll never be hungry(at least not for food).So just follow your heart. You have adecent moral compass. You maynever get a Nobel Prize, but if youfollow that compass, you’ll never beincarcerated, either.Explore. Travel. Let people in.Love freely, openly and often. Don’tbe afraid of your feelings and caringfor people. That’s what makes you whoyou are.You’re a good girl. I love you.M. Brigid Flanigan, age 48 (and believe me, itdoesn’t seem so old from this end)The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 23

Our Top 10By Greg Royce, Sports Information DirectorThe 10 Greatest Games in SNHU Athletic History Instead, fans and alumni can rank the 10games on the SNHU athletic Web siteWhat’s on your top 10 list?Should the men’s soccer 2008 Northeast-10Championship Game make the top 10 list ofgreatest games in SNHU athletic history?Weigh in online at www.snhupenmen.com.One of the hallmarks of sport is debate. Fanscontinually debate which team is better, if ateam from today could beat a legendary teamof yesteryear or if players 50 years ago werebetter than players today.With that in mind, the SNHU athletic departmenthas compiled a list of 10 of the greatestgames in Penmen history. Only two gamesfrom any one sport could appear on the list,but with nine sports represented from alleras, the list represents a broad cross-sectionof the university’s athletic history.The games are presented in order fromoldest to most recent and are not ranked.(www.snhupenmen.com) and the resultswill appear during the summer. (If youdon’t agree or think a game that is not listedshould be, you will have an opportunityto do that as well online.)Men’s Basketball – 1981 New England Regional Final –SNHU 81, Sacred Heart 80SNHU was hosting the NCAA Regional in1981 for the first time, after going 20-6during the regular season. The Penmentrailed much of the second half and weredown by as many as 10 points. Bill Dunnput SNHU on top for the first time in thehalf with 1:13 left at 79-78, but Sacred24 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Heart’s Cam Farrar put the Pioneers back on topwith 54 seconds left. Dunn had the last laugh, as hisbasket with four seconds left gave SNHU the leadand the win. Dunn finished with 26 points and wasthe regional MVP.Softball – PenmenSweep Sacred Heart(April 19, 1986)Sacred Heartwas the standard-bearerinNew EnglandCollegiateConferencesoftball in the1980s, makingthree straightNCAA FinalFour trips from1983 to 1985and six NCAA appearances. One April afternoon,the Penmen swept the Pioneers in a pair of 2-1,extra-inning games. Heidi Schuberth drove in thewinning runs in both games, bunting home CaseyBalzano in the bottom of the 10th in game one,then singling in the bottom of the ninth to scoreBalzano in the nightcap. Debbie Andersen allowedjust five hits for SNHU in the opener, while TerryMcDonough posted her 10th consecutive win witha six-hitter in game two.Men’s Soccer – 1989Division II NationalChampionship – SNHU3, UNC-Greensboro 1The 1989 men’ssoccer team capturedSNHU’sfirst and only (todate) nationalchampionship bydefeating tournamenthostUniversity ofNorth Carolina-Greensboro 3-1.The game got off to a quick start, with Ike Ofoje givingthe Penmen a 1-0 lead. The Spartans tied the game atthe 13:20 mark, but 2:10 later, Archie Harlow scoredwhat would turn out to be the game winner. Harlowthen added an insurance goal with less than six minutesto play to cap off SNHU’s 22-1-2 season.Women’s Basketball – Julie Dabrowski Scores 45 Against Molloy (Jan.8, 1990)A 107-55 win over Molloy College in early Januarymay not seem particularly noteworthy, but JulieDabrowski’s performance that game certainly was.In just 28 minutes, Dabrowski torched the nets for aschool-record 45 points, going 17-25 from the floorand an amazing 10-13 from three-point range. Theonly All-American in SNHU women’s basketballhistory, Dabrowski also grabbed 12 rebounds as thePenmen opened up a 58-19 lead at halftime.Men’s Basketball –1994 NortheastRegional Final – SNHU79, PhiladelphiaTextile 78 (2OT)In a game withplenty of twistsand turns, the1994 regionalfinal pitting hostPhiladelphiaTextile (27-1)and SNHU(26-4) livedup to the hype.The Penmen trailed by as many as 15 in the secondhalf, but took a two-point lead with 6.5 seconds lefton a layup by Rob Paternostro. The Rams would tiethe game at the buzzer on a tip-in to send the gameto overtime.The Penmen trailed late in the first overtime, but athree by SNHU’s Baris Kacar as time expired sentthe game into a second extra frame. The theatricsweren’t over, as Textile took a 78-77 lead with 7.2seconds to play. Matt Ripaldi would be the ultimatehero for the Penmen, hitting a 10-footer as timeexpired to give SNHU the win and catapult it to itssecond straight Elite Eight appearance.PENMEN PRIDESportsThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 25

Women’s Soccer – 1996 ECAC Division II Championship –SNHU 2, Keene State 1 (OT)The Penmen women’s soccer team captured its record seventhEastern College Athletic Conference Division II championshipwith a 2-1 overtime win over intrastate rival Keene State College.No one knew what to expect, as the Penmen and Owls had battledto a 2-2 tie in Manchester during the regular season. Playing onKSC’s home pitch, Becky Dorunda provided the game-winninggoal in overtime, with Kelly Landon and SNHU Hall-of-FamerHeather Swabowicz assisting in her final collegiate game. The winalso capped a season-ending, seven- game win streak for SNHU.Men’s Golf – 2002 Northeast-10 ChampionshipAfter capturing its first Northeast-10 golf championship in 2001,SNHU successfully defended its title in 2002 with a record-settingperformance at Syracuse’s Drumlins Golf Course. As a team, thePenmen posted a single-day score of 281 on day two and a two-dayscore of 578, which both remain conference records. Chris Rivardshot a 66 on day two, another single-round record, and finished witha two-day total of 138. Matt Arvanitis finished fourth overall with atwo-day total of 143.26 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Men’s Lacrosse – Penmen Win Twice in OneDay (April 22, 2003)Typical New England spring weather created a situationwhere the men’s lacrosse team had to play two games inone day. The Penmen were up to the task, posting a 13-7 win over Franklin Pierce in a 3:30 p.m. opener beforeedging Assumption 10-9 in the nightcap. SophomoreBrian Flaherty was the star of the lax twin bill, scoringwith nine seconds left in overtime against FranklinPierce for the game-winner and totaling four goals andfive assists in two games. Kyle Hintlian led SNHU withfour goals and three assists in the Assumption win.PENMEN PRIDESportsIce Hockey – SNHU Beats Saint Anselm for the First Time (Feb. 7, 2006)The Penmen had enjoyed little success againstSNHU’s crosstown rival on the ice, going 0-17-1against the Hawks entering an early Februaryshowdown at The Ice Den. In fact, Saint Anselmhad dealt SNHU a 10-1 loss earlier that season.SNHU trailed 3-2 entering the third, but DominicDiMarzo tied the game 3-3 at 1:29 into the period.Josh Douglas scored 2:50 into overtime to giveSNHU a 4-3 win, its first over the Hawks, in frontof a crowd of more than 500.Women’s Lacrosse – 2008 Northeast-10 Semifinal – SNHU 22, Bryant 14The first home spring postseason game in school history turned out to be a successful one, asthe women’s lacrosse team earned its first trip to the Northeast-10 title game with a 22-14win over Bryant. The Penmen jumped out to a 12-5 lead over the Division I-boundBulldogs and never looked back. Carole Lee led SNHU with fivegoals while Sherry Darrell added four goals and apair of assists.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 27

Penmen SPORTSbytheNumbersSHORTS0.42 – Goals-against averageposted by senior men’s soccergoalie Sean Lambert, ranking himfirst among Division II goalkeepersin 2008.20 – Length of C.W. Post’sunbeaten streak when the women’ssoccer team defeated the Pioneers2-1 on Sept. 20. At the time, it wasthe longest unbeaten streak inDivision II.291 – Score posted by thegolf team in the second round ofthe SNHU Penmen Invitational inOctober. It marked the secondlowestsingle-day score in programhistory.1,200 – Career digs bysenior volleyball player BriannaDoucet. In 2008 she became the thirdplayer in program history to post1,000 career digs.Sam CareySam Carey First-Round Draft Choice of Manchester MillratsThe Manchester Millrats selected formerSNHU star Sam Carey ’08 with the sixth pickin the Premier Basketball League Draft,held Oct. 16 at the ESPN-Zone in downtownChicago.The 6-foot-8 Carey led the Penmen inscoring (16.8 points per game), rebounding(8.7 rebounds per game) and field goalpercentage (.629) as a senior. He was oneof just three players in the Northeast-10Conference to rank in the top 10 in bothscoring and rebounding.Chandronnait Wins ITA RegionalSophomore Amber Chandronnait made historyfor the SNHU women’s tennis team theweekend of Sept. 19, when she capturedthe singles championship at theIntercollegiate Tennis Association EastRegional held at Chestnut Hill College inPhiladelphia.Chandronnait, in her first season atSNHU, entered the tournament as theNo. 5 seed in the 48-player field. Afterreceiving a first round bye, she did notdrop a set in her five matches and lostjust eight games, outscoring opponents60-8 and posting a pair of 6-0, 6-0 victories.In the finals she defeated MariaMendes of Queens College 6-1, 6-0.Her win earned her a berth in the DivisionII singles draw of the National SmallCollege Championship held Oct. 16 toOct. 19 in Mobile, Ala. After dropping herfirst match, she finished fifth with a 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 win over Irene Squillaci ofAbilene Christian University in the fifthplacematch.28 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Sophia Saint PaulMatt DelaneyEmma LundbergPENMEN PRIDESportsHonors and MilestonesThe SNHU athletic department had a successful fall season, and thePenmen received a multitude of accolades for their accomplishmentsMen’s Soccer Tops List of Fall SuccessThe SNHU men’s soccer team had its most successfulseason in several years in 2008. The Penmen posteda 15-3-4 record, captured the Northeast-10 regularseason and tournament titles and made the 14thNCAA Tournament appearance in program history.SNHU surrendered just nine goals all season en routeto being the top-ranked defense in Division II.Individually the Penmen received a multitude ofaccolades. Four players were named to the DaktronicsDivision II All-America team, led by Matt Delaney, whowas on the First Team. Adrian Schippers, Sean Lambert andRichard Kentish were also All-Americans. Schippers wasalso the Daktronics East Region Player of the Year andthe Northeast-10 Player of the Year, while Lambert wasthe Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Year. First-yearhead coach Marc Hubbard was named Coach of the Year bythe NSCAA/Adidas East Region and the Northeast-10.Delaney was also honored for his academic work, as thesenior was a First Team selection to the CoSIDA/ESPNthe Magazine Academic All-District Team.The Best of the RestAn additional five soccer players were namedNortheast-10 All-Conference: Gabe Mercier, PaulsonEdum and Kevin Woods were Second Team selections,while Jayme Kapinos and Ethan Lapierre were named tothe All-Rookie Team.Women’s soccer reached the Northeast-10 Tournamentfor the first time since the 2005 season and wasranked nationally for the first time since 1998. SeniorsSophia Saint Paul and Cary Rivett were Northeast-10 FirstTeam selections as well as NSCAA All-Region performers.Saint Paul, Rivett and Nicole Ebner wereselected to compete in the NEWISA Senior Bowl.Ebner and Emily Mongeau were Second Team selections,while Mongeau and Ariel Teixeira were named to theAll-Rookie Team.The volleyball team narrowly missed a berth in theNortheast-10 Tournament for the second straight year.Freshman Danielle Coffey was named to the Northeast-10All-Rookie Team after leading the Penmen with 102blocks while ranking fourth in kills with 104.The men’s golf team had several strong showings in thefall, placing fifth at the Northeast-10 Championshipand second among Division II schools at the NEIGANew England Championship. John Devito, D.J. Lantz andAndrew Maziarz were Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference selections following their performanceat the championship.The women’s cross-country team was bolstered by theaddition of a pair of standout freshmen, Emma Lundbergand Jacquelyn Dussault. The duo combined to post four ofthe top five times in program history last season, withLundberg posting a season-best 19:59 5K time andDussault a 20:11. Senior Svea Dellea-Messner ran a careerbest20:33, the 12th-best time in program history. Inmen’s cross-country, senior Alex Brown wrapped up hiscareer with the top six times in program history,including a school-record 26:41 8K effort at theUMass Dartmouth Invitational.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 29

Honoring AlumniDuring Alumni & Family Weekend, the Alumni Association presented its annual awards torecognize graduates for their work with the university and the community.Hall of Fame AwardThe recipientof the 2008Alumni Hall ofFame Award wasRobert J. Finlay ’92.The award recognizesan alumnusor alumna whograduated 10 or more years ago andhas made outstanding contributions tohis or her profession, the communityand the university.Today Finlay is a businessman dedicatedto nurturing the entrepreneurial spiritof this country, investing in businesseswith the potential to change the worldand giving back to the communitythrough various volunteer and charitableendeavors. Finlay is the managing partnerof Hillcrest Management LLC, which hestarted in 2006.Finlay’s business success is built on a15-year foundation of experience onWall Street, during which he held positionsof increasing responsibility withmajor firms and specialized in capitalmarkets and commercial real estate.Finlay serves on the boards ofFriends of Forgotten Children andthe New Hampshire Higher EducationAssistance Foundation. He is a formerSNHU trustee and has endowed ascholarship for students.He resides in New Hampshirewith his wife, Karin, and their fourchildren. Together they lead the FinlayFoundation, a nonprofit devoted toimproving the quality of life for GraniteState residents by assisting children andfamilies in need and promoting an arrayof cultural and educational initiatives.Alumni DistinguishedService AwardThe recipient ofthe 2008 AlumniDistinguishedService Award wasRobert P. Schiavoni ’72.The award is givento an alumnus,alumna, faculty member, staff memberor friend of the university to recognizeleadership, dedication and loyal serviceto the university and its objectives.Schiavoni has been an active member ofthe Alumni Association and has servedas director of the Office of ResidenceLife for 20 years.Schiavoni previously has served onthe Alumni Board of Directors andthe Alumni Weekend and StudentRelations committees. As a FreshmenExperience Seminar instructor andadviser, he has been an excellent rolemodel for hundreds of students. He isa “behind-the-scenes” person who getsthe job done without a lot of fanfare,according to Michael DeBlasi, directorof alumni and major gifts.Schiavoni donates annually to theUniversity Fund and has been aleadership donor at the President’sCircle level for 10 years.Young Alumni AwardThe recipient ofthe 2008 YoungAlumni Award wasJason F. DeMarzo ’03.The award recognizesyoungeralumni whograduated notmore than five years ago who havedemonstrated leadership and havesupported the Alumni Association,the alumni board and the university.A leader on campus, DeMarzo was amember of the Ski Club, president ofthe Crew Club and student governmentpresident. As a student in the 3YearHonors Program in Business, he completedan extensive internship at NewYork Life; it turned into a job offer.He has since reached several careermilestones at New York Life, includingmembership in the firm’s President’sCouncil and in the Million DollarRound Table, and was promoted topartner in 2006.DeMarzo has participated in numerousSNHU alumni panels and networkingopportunities for students and alumni, hasprovided internships and job opportunitiesfor students and has given generouslyto the University Fund.30 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

Alumni NewsUpcoming EventsReconnect with classmates, friends, staffand faculty at alumni and university events.May 16SNHU CommencementVerizon Wireless ArenaManchester, N.H.June 12Women’s Leadership Summit 2009:Winning Strategies for New RealitiesSNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.June 1519th Annual President’s Cup Golf TournamentSky Meadow Country ClubNashua, N.H.Oct. 229th Annual Alumni Golf TournamentPassaconaway Country ClubLitchfield, N.H.Oct. 2 to Oct. 3Alumni Weekend 2009SNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.Oct. 16President’s Circle Gala and FoundersSociety ReceptionC.R. Sparks, Bedford, N.H.Please visit www.snhu.edu/alumni and clickon “Alumni & Development Events” forcomplete event information and online registration.We look forward to seeing you.Alumni Tuition AssistanceProgramGraduate school can be a great choicefor those who want to bolster their professionalcredentials in a tough economy,especially after losing their jobs.Southern New Hampshire Universityis offering half off graduate course tuitionfor alumni and their family members whohave recently lost their jobs.The offer is good for up to two graduatebusiness or education courses takenduring two consecutive terms, beginningwith the June 2009 term. Coursesmay be taken on campus, on locationor online.Please contact Scott Durand or Amy MacDonaldat 603.644.3102 or visit snhu.edu/alumni for moreinformation.Be in the KnowDon’t wait for the next magazine tofind out what’s happening on campus.Provide us with your e-mail addressand we’ll make sure you stay connectedto the university all year long.The alumni office sends a monthlye-newsletter that includes alumniprofiles, upcoming events, campusupdates, promotions, giveaways andathletic news. On occasion you alsowill receive invitations to specialevents and campus announcements.Sign up now by sending your e-mailaddress to alumni@snhu.edu.SNHU Alumni BoardPresidentDavid Lee ’87, ’93Vice PresidentPeter Perich ’76, ’85TreasurerK. Brian McLaughlin ’88SecretaryMeghan (Cotton) Dalesandro ’00Executive DirectorMichael DeBlasi ’70, director ofAlumni and Major GiftsDirectorsNeil Donahue ’82Janice Fitzpatrick ’93Tim Gerardi ’04Steven Gore ’90, ’02Robin (Sorenson) Kazes ’97Ashley (Adams) Liadis ’02, ’05Tiffany Lyon ’00, ’02Katie McKenney ’03, ’05Jeff Penta ’05Seth Wall ’00, ’01Student Government RepresentativeAlexandra Malvey ’10President EmeritusChad Mason ’98, ’00For more alumni news, visitsnhu.eduThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 31

Where Are They Now? By Gail DexterInstitutional AdvancementThe Extra Mile caught up with some culinary/hospitality graduates who talkedabout what they’ve been doing in the kitchen and offered some career advice.Brad Lichtman ’07, BML CateringFood and beverage managementThough a recent graduate, BradLichtman ’07 already has 11 yearsof experience in the restaurant industry.After gaining great experience inmanagement at large chain restaurants,Lichtman came to SNHU and nowoperates a catering company.Raised by a family of entrepreneurs,Lichtman was comfortable with thenotion of starting his own business.Established in March 2008, BMLCatering does everything from romanticdinners for two to holiday parties for 300.Lichtman’s advice for budding entrepreneurs:Formulate a goal and vision, setand stick to a plan, and even in toughtimes don’t drop your standards or morals.His advice: “Become involved in yourcommunity for networking opportunities.Word-of-mouth is an extremely importantpart of marketing for a new company.”William Kovel ’00Four Seasons HotelHospitality administrationSince graduation,cooking has takenWilliam Kovel ’00to a lot of differentplaces, includingIceland. He movedto the West Coast, then to Boston, then to32 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

London, then back to Boston, all the whileworking for prestigious chefs at top-ratedrestaurants, such as chef/owner Traci DesJardins at Jardinier in San Francisco, chefSylvan Portay at The Dining Room/RitzCarlton in San Francisco, chef/ownerMichael Schlow at Radius in Boston andat Orrery in London.Kovel now works for the Four SeasonsHotel in Boston as the chef de cuisineat Aujourd’hui, the hotel’s fine-diningrestaurant. He is amazed every day thathe gets to cook great food and work withtrue professionals. He also enjoys teachingnew chefs and watching them moveon to do great things with their careers.Kovel’s advice: “Knowledge is power;there are no shortcuts to experience.Take your time and learn slowly. Workand surround yourself with positivepeople that will help you grow.”David Warshaw ’07NANA ServicesHospitality administrationDavid Warshaw ’07worked severaljobs after graduation,but was notsatisfied with hisexperiences.While job searching, he came acrossan ad promising “the experience of alifetime: Come work in Antarctica as asous chef.” A month after sending hisresume on a whim, he was on his wayto the South Pole to work for NANAServices, which is contracted by thefederal government to oversee quality-of-life issues for employees stationed inthe South Pole.“I stepped off the plane to realize what a(minus) 60-degree wind chill feels like,”he said. “My executive chef greeted mewith a ‘Welcome to the South Pole!’ Ihave had plenty of great moments workinghere, but stepping off that plane wasliterally breathtaking.”Warshaw is a morning sous chef whosupervises breakfast and lunch servicessix days a week. He loves the people heworks with and the people he serves, andhas learned three important lessons whilesurviving in the one of the harshest environmentsin the world: work hard, haverespect for yourself and never be tooscared or too shy to take responsibility.His advice for job-seekers: “Never thinkthat you have to find a shirt-and-tie jobright out of the starting gate. As I havefound, there are great experiences outthere, if you want them, with great pay,both monetarily and experientially.”Anthony Mazzotta ’00SassoHospitality administrationAnthony Mazzotta’00 can’t imaginebeing anythingother than a chef.From his collegeexternship workingat the upscale American eatery EVOOin Somerville, Mass., to working at theworld-renowned French Laundry inNapa Valley, Calif., Mazzotta has madeit a point to learn from some of the bestin the industry.While working in pastry for FrenchLaundry owner/chef Thomas Keller,he worked more than 70 hours a weekfor little pay. The real payoff was thateveryone who worked at French Laundrywas a superstar and he made great contacts,he said. After two years at FrenchLaundry, he helped Keller open Per Sein Manhattan, where he worked as a chefde partie, or station chef. Eventually hewas ready to be a little closer to home,and helped Chef Ken Oringer open Torroin Boston.Today Mazzotta is the executive chef atSasso in Boston, where he has been ableto hire the staff that he wants and designa dramatic menu, reinventing Italiandishes from his childhood.Mazzotta’s advice for aspiring chefs:“Work at the best restaurants that youcan regardless of the pay. You will keeplearning and the contacts you receivefrom those restaurants will stay withyou throughout your career.”Where areyou now?Let us know:E-mail updates andClass Notes to alumni@snhu.eduor visit www.snhu.edu/alumni toupdate your profile.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 33

Class NotesAchievements’84James Kazangian, of Boston, is president ofJKX Global Inc. in Rockland, Mass.Suzanne P. Lang, of Venice, Fla., was electedvice mayor.’85Peter C. Willey, of Brookfield, Conn., is aglobal alliance director for CB RichardEllis in Park Ridge, N.J.’86Joanne D. Mayo, of Cary, N.C., was awarded“fellow” status at The AmericanSociety for Quality.’90Gerry Young, of Haverhill, Mass.,is chief information officer for theCommonwealth of Massachusetts,Executive Office of Consumer Affairsand Business Regulation.’92Marcell R. Cruz, of Manchester, N.H., isthe director of sales and marketing forMembers First Credit Union.Candie C. Weadock, of Bolton, Mass., is afinancial relationship specialist forSovereign Bank in Shrewsbury.’96Cindy E. Carter, of Winston-Salem, N.C., isthe human resources systems managerfor Forsyth County.Victoria Chapman, of Manchester, N.H., isthe director of elder services forCommunity Bridges in Concord.’03Jessica A. Brennan, of Manchester, N.H., isthe director of institutional and alumnidevelopment for Nashua CommunityCollege in Nashua.’06John H. Danfort, of Hooksett, N.H., is asocial studies teacher and the teamleader for the eighth grade atEpping Middle School.Allison K. McKay, of Somersworth,N.H., was promoted to publicist forBisson Barcelona.’07Marybeth P. Kellerman, of Hampton, N.H.,is manager of the Origins cosmeticcounter at Macy’s in Salem.Bradford M. Lichtman, of Manchester,N.H., is the owner of BML Catering.’08Allison M. Arbo, of Patten, Maine, is anassociate producer for WABI-TV 5/The CW in Bangor.Corie Mae Callaluca, of Westford, Mass., isa cheerleader for the New EnglandPatriots.Ryan S. Carter, of Raymond, N.H., isa financial advisor for BancnorthInvestment Group in Plaistow.David M. Douglass, of Topsham, Maine, isa territory manager for RJ ReynoldsTobacco Company in Winston-Salem,N.C.Jennifer L. Gecawicz, of Danvers, Mass., isan exhibits coordinator for PRRI inBeverly.James D. Heavey, of Union, Maine, is afinancial advisor for Waddell & Reed.Donald M. Layden, of Hudson, N.H., isa reporting analyst for ComcastCorporation in Manchester.Amanda L. Nason, of Sandwich, N.H., is anadministrative assistant of training anddevelopment for Airgas East in Salem.Victoria P. Nedza, of Manchester, NH., is anassistant technical writer for VetteCorporations.The HolcombsMarriages’84Nicholas C. Raizes married Sarah B.Rawson.’01Margaux Veilleux married Robert Holcomb.Rama O. Atiya married Hadi Wassaf.’04Lisa M. DeCosta married Richard W.Marzonie.’05Timothy Callahan married Julie Hautanen.Ryan S. Fay married Jennifer T. Hogan.Elizabeth M. Morse married Robert M. Wade ’06.’06Allison K. McKay married Chris Marcotte.Robert M. Wade married Elizabeth M. Morse ’05.’08Ashley E. Bedard married Jason Martin.34 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2009

New Arrivals’96Melora (Hanka) Hosler and her husband,Brady, announce the births of theirtwin sons, Caleb Jackson and DeclanMichael, on May 20, 2008.Shawn McNamara and his wife, Amanda,announce the birth of their son,Donovan Edward, on May 14, 2008.Kristen M. (O’Connell) Waterman and her husband,Jeffery, announce the birth of theirson, Gavin Michael, on July 15, 2008.’99Amy J. LaBossiere and her husband, Jason’00, announce the birth of their daughter,Lindsay Ruth, on June 26, 2008.Joshua Matthews and his wife, Jennifer ’01 and’05, announce the birth of their son,Cohen Christopher, on Jan. 17, 2009.’00Meghan J. (Cotton) Dalesandro and her husband,Brian ’04, announce the birth oftheir daughter, Carly Joan, on April 24,2008.Adam N. Davidoff and his wife, Peggy,announce the birth of their daughter,Jayna Taryn, on Dec. 3, 2008.Jason A. LaBossiere and his wife, Amy ’99,announce the birth of their daughter,Lindsay Ruth, on June 26, 2008.Seth P. Wall andhis wife, Kim ’07,announce thebirth of theirdaughter, GraceNathalie, onNov. 7, 2008.Alumni filled out the Karter-Cronin wedding party. Pictured (left to right) are: Debra Page, Hadleigh Matthews,Julie Higgins ’06, Jennifer (Schoenig) Matthews ’01 and ’05, Sheba Karter-Cronin ’01 and ’06, JohnCronin Jr., Jeffery Ham, Michael Schulz, Samuel Stone and Fredrick Schulz III.’01Sharon E. (Smith) Giles and her husband,Craig, announce the birth of their daughter,Hannah Rose, on April 9, 2007.JenniferMatthewsand herhusband,Joshua ’99,announce thebirth of theirson, CohenChristopher, onJan. 17, 2009.Cohen Christopher Matthews’04Brian Dalesandro and his wife, Meghan ’00,announce the birth of their daughter,Carly Joan, on April 24, 2008.Laurie (Murphy) Greene and her husband,Ryan, announce the birth of their son,Steven Bryan, on July 12, 2008.’07Kim Lamarre-Wall and her husband, Seth ’00 and’01, announce the birth of their daughter,Grace Nathalie, on Nov. 7, 2008.’08Andrea L. Wyka and Brendan Josephannounce the birth of their son, HunterThomas, on Aug. 26, 2008.In Memoriam’42 Cleo Pagones’56 Wilfrid A. Lachance Jr.’67 John E. Layton’68 Bobby L. DienerGilbert L. Rubeck’69 Joseph H. Welby’72 Robert J. Grasmuck’73 William V. Barber III’74 Dennis J. Flannery’83 Joyce M. Weldon’87 Jon E. Johnson’04 Katherine M. PrunierGrace Nathalie WallThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 35

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Go-Getters Challenge 2008Jenn Allen could hardly believe her good fortune. Two years into researching M.B.A programs and frustratedwith the process, she discovered SNHU’s 2008 Go-Getters Challenge, a national campaign offering a candidatewho best exemplified what it means to be a go-getter a chance to earn a free Global M.B.A.Allen was deeply committed to her work with MexicoCity-based Amextra, an organization focused on communitydevelopment in marginalized areas. She felt anM.B.A. would provide her with knowledge she coulduse to lessen her organization’s dependence on donations.Yet she was also adamant about staying in Mexicoto continue delivering workshops for women, speaking todonors and recruiting volunteers.“That is when I found the Go-Getters Challenge, just twodays before the essay deadline,” she said. “After conductingmore research on SNHU and the Global M.B.A., I wasconvinced this opportunity was the perfect fit.”SNHU staff and faculty judges reviewed all contest essaysand narrowed the field to six semifinalists. Allen impressedthe judges during her phone interview and advanced to thefinal three.The three finalists were required to appear live on Fox 25in Boston to articulate why they were the best candidate.Getting to Boston from Mexico on her nonprofit salary wasa challenge unto itself for Allen.“So many people gathered together to help me,” she said.“My parents paid for meals, my brother paid for airfare,friends found a place for us to stay, I covered the rental carand gas and Amextra provided some ‘just-in-case’ back-upfunds. Would you believe that two friends even loaned meclothes, shoes and even jewelry to wear for the interviews?”TV viewers and the SNHU judges were impressed withAllen’s message of personal and professional transformationand voted her the Go-Getters Challenge winner. She ispursuing her degree through SNHU Online, the university’sdistance education program.“I really am determined to show SNHU a true return on itsinvestment; probably not financially, but in other impactingand global ways,” she said. “You have now provided methe means for my continued personal transformation andto make a greater international impact.”2008-2009 SNHU Board ofTrusteesChairmanAndrew “Mickey” Greene ’72Vice ChairmanMark A. Ouellette ’77SecretaryBradford E. CookPresident/CEOPaul J. LeBlancBoard MembersHoward BrodskyCathy Champagne ’88Clayton M. ChristensenStephanie CollinsRobert J. DeColfmacker ’78Theresa Desfosses ’72Thomas Dionisio ’76Rob Freese ’89Donald R. Labrie ’71David Lee ’87, ’93Frederic “Rick” LoefflerRobert McDermott ’81Kyle NagelL. Douglas O’BrienJune SmithScott Truncellito ’93Carol WestKimon S. ZachosStudent ObserverDouglas HowardTrustees EmeritiJacqueline MaraRaymond TruncellitoThe Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 37

2500 North River RoadManchester, NH 03106-1045Nonprofit orgU.S. PostagePAIDPermit No. 781Burlington, VT 05401Address Service Requestededucation, your wayIn class? Online? Both? You decide at Southern New HampshireUniversity. We offer programs, certificates, and courses in business,education, liberal arts, IT, social science and more.• You can take online courses and evening/weekend courses at ourcenter locations in Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth and Salem(and Brunswick, Maine).• Mix it up even more with our part online and part in-class courses.• Earn professional credits or work toward an undergraduateor graduate degree or certificate.on campus. on location. online.For more informationVisit www.snhu.edu, call 1.800.668.1249or e-mail ce@snhu.edu to learn more.