Commencement 2007 - Villanova University

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Alumni ReunionWeekend 2007A record 135 couplesrenewed their marriagevows.Irish step dancers delighted guests at the Alumni Gala.Still going strong: Russell F. Hurst ’33 C.E., the oldest alumnusin attendance at Reunion, shares a light moment with FatherDonohue. Hurst, a retired manufacturing executive, lives inDevon, Pa.To qualify for the award, alumni must have completed their undergraduateeducation at Villanova within the last 15 years.This year’s Young Alumni Medal was awarded to MatthewD. “Matt” Nespoli ’04 A&S, of New York City. He is thefounder and director of Water for Waslala. Nespoli conceived ofthe project while on a student service trip to Nicaragua throughCampus Ministry. His program is dedicated to providing clean,drinkable water to Waslala, a rural area hobbled by pervasivepoverty. Besides serving as its director, Nespoli works as aresearch assistant with the Federal Reserve Board of Governorsin Washington, D.C.Alumni Gala: the pinnacle eventStill to come on Saturday was what is for many the pièce de résistanceof Alumni Reunion Weekend: the Alumni Gala. Guestsarriving for the 6:30 p.m. event at the Pavilion stepped into a laidback,life is good atmosphere, characterized by bright summerycolors, tables with Gerbera daisies and Villanova pennants, andmusic. Villanova Singers alumni provided roving acoustic musicduring the cocktail hour. Rosemarie Timoney’s troupe of Irish stepdancers provided entertainment. A signature moment came whenFather Donohue and a group of Villanova Singers alumni led thesinging of the “Alma Mater.”Those with energy to spare when the Gala ended headed to theinformal social on the Klekotka Hall Patio on the West Campus.Until next time...On Sunday, with the time approaching to bid adieu until theirnext reunion, Villanovans were welcomed to parish Massat the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. A Farewell Brunch atSt. Mary’s Dining Hall was the scene of hearty handshakes andheartfelt hugs before checkout. Once again, alumni departedrefreshed, renewed and satisfied in the knowledge that whenyou’re a Villanovan, life is good.34 Villanova Magazine
Black Alumni Strengthen Tieswith the VUAABY IVANLEY NOISETTE ’08 A&SThis year’s Alumni Reunion Weekend included a robust scheduleof events. Among them was the Black Cultural Society/Black Student League Reception. It was held from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on June 9 in the Presidents’ Lounge of the ConnellyCenter. Those attending were members of Villanova University’salumni, staff and student body.In his remarks, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., ’75A&S, University president, outlined the importance of diversityon Villanova’s campus. “We must strive to be a campus communitythat is representative of the world our students will live inafter graduation,” Father Donohue said. His words were greetedwith head nods of approval.Facilitating the event were Walidah Justice ’96 A&S, assistantdirector of student development; Meredith Fitzpatrick,assistant director of admission; and Amy Layman ’05 G.S.,senior director of program development and technology forAlumni Affairs.As co-editors of The Culture, a student publication focusingon raising awareness about humanitarian issues, Oscar Abello’08 A&S and I spoke about the magazine’s history and futuregoals. In my role as acting president of the Black Cultural Society,I outlined our organization’s progress and illustrated theneed for strong alumni relations.Dr. Teresa “Terry” Nance, assistant vice president for MulticulturalAffairs, reiterated Father Donohue’s words, stating theimportance of a diverse campus community and outlining theprogress of the Diversity Blueprint she has been spearheading.Referring to the last few years, Nance said, “Many goals havebeen achieved and progress has been made. We have thenumbers; now we need to engage in the second phase, gettingstudents to understand the meaning of authentic diversity.”The authenticity, she emphasized, goes beyond the numbersto include mutual understanding and acceptance.The reactions from alumni to the changes at Villanova sincetheir years there helped spark vigorous networking after the event.“I was the president of the Black Student League 30-plusyears ago,” said Lionel Knight ’72 A&S, now a financial consultantin Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. “Thechanges that have taken place are truly remarkable,” he added.Knight and a host of other alumni all expressed interest ingetting more involved with the Villanova University AlumniAssociation (VUAA).Meredith Fitzpatrick introduces participants as Oscar Abello ’08 A&S(maroon shirt) and Ivanley Noisette ’08 A&S (white shirt) prepare tospeak at the reception for black alumni on June 9.Dr. Teresa “Terry” Nance (gesturing), assistant vice president forMulticultural Affairs, and Father Donohue emphasize the importanceof a diverse campus community.Dr. Chauncey Fortt ’73 A&S, who chairs the VUAA’s diversitycommittee, expressed his commitment to facilitating a “lasting andhealthy” relationship between black alumni and the Villanovacommunity. Last fall, he was awarded a College of Liberal Arts andSciences Alumni Medallion.Ivanley Noisette ’08 A&S, who is interning in the Office of Communicationand Public Affairs, is a political science major and co-editorof The Culture magazine.JOHN WELSH (BOTH)Summer 2007 35
Page 2 and 3: A Word from the PresidentWhat You C
Page 4 and 5: Institutional AdvancementPAOLA NOGU
Page 6 and 7: “Why did I decide on Villanova? W
Page 8 and 9: Guidance Center in New Rochelle, N.
Page 10 and 11: The vision behind a visual artscent
Page 12 and 13: For the 164th year—and the first
Page 14 and 15: Commencement2007Four Extraordinary
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Page 18 and 19: Commencement2007sack-swilling Jack
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Page 24 and 25: “It Is Possibleto Reach theHighes
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Page 35: underserved, including the homeless
Page 39 and 40: James R. Giordano (A&S)Karen P. (Pl
Page 41 and 42: Praxis Honoree Is Nobel by Name,Nob
Page 43 and 44: and could imply the potential non-p
Page 45: children are smart and normal and a
Page 48: JIM MCWILLIAMSAmong his many activi
Page 51 and 52: from the University of Notre Dame a
Page 53 and 54: life scenes often also provide spac
Page 55 and 56: Focus on the College ofLiberal Arts
Page 57 and 58: At Villanova, “I learned to learn
Page 59 and 60: Philosophy Graduate Students Organi
Page 61 and 62: Law School Symposium Addresses Huma
Page 63 and 64: Three Alumnae Receive Nursing’s H
Page 65 and 66: EssayA Close Brush with Burt Wasser
Page 67 and 68: Scholarships and Awards Go to Three
Page 69 and 70: eaching his objectives. Such except
Page 71 and 72: The Story of Benedict XVIfor Young
Page 73 and 74: Alumni Chapter Events CalendarVUAA
Page 75 and 76: Robert Manning ’75 VSB, Acct. (le
Page 77 and 78: Chuck Kahler ’95 C.E., ’00M.C.E
Page 79 and 80: Jeanine Chiaffarano ’06 A&S,Bio.
Page 81 and 82: William R. Noonan ’52 A&S,Gen., o
Page 83 and 84: Do you have a child who will beappl

Commencement 2007 - Villanova University

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