Called to Holiness - Fairfield University

FairfieldNow
THE MAGAZINE OF FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY / FALL 2008
Called to Holiness
Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer’s new series of books
celebrates women’s spirituality, in and out of the pews

The Acropolis in Athens
p h o t ographs of the classic works
In April, Greek photographer Socratis Mavrommatis, who
has devoted much of his career to documenting the classic
works of the Acropolis in Athens, donated 23 of his evocative
photographs to the University’s Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery,
a fitting home for his life’s work. “I think now they are in the
proper place, in an arts center,” he told those gathered for
a master lecture in the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.
Mavrommatis made the official presentation to Academic
Vice President Orin Grossman and Dr. Diana Mille, director
of the gallery. His continuing relationship with Fairfield has
spawned two exhibitions and a collaboration with schoolchildren
in the Diocese of Bridgeport, some of whom met him at an
earlier reception. Dr. Katherine Schwab, associate professor
of art history and a colleague and friend of Mavrommatis,
said such partnerships forge international links, an important
part of the University’s strategic plan.

Commencement 2008
By Meg McCaffrey
Changing the World
By Meredith Guinness
From used sneakers to microloans,
Fairfield students find unique ways to
help others.
Ambassador of Hope
By Meg McCaffrey
Photography by
Jean Santopatre
Fairfield celebrates its first ordination at
the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola.
Illegal Immigration
By Nina M. Riccio
The Fairfield Community weighs in.
contents
cover story
Called to Holiness
By Virginia Weir
Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer’s new series of books
celebrates women’s spirituality, in and out
of the pews.
Carla Supersano
Sullivan ’88
By Virginia Weir
Meet the new Alumni Association
Board President.
Fairfield athletes win big, on
and off the field
By Jack Jones
Getting out the vote
By Nina M. Riccio
Republicans and Democrats on Campus
gear up for November.
Class Notes
Nick Macol ’55 – page 41
Ellen Whitehurst ’80 – page 43
Bill Murphy Jr. ’92 – page 45
FairfieldNow
The Magazine of Fairfield University
Fall 2008 • Volume 31 • Number 2
A.M.D.G.
Editor
Alistair Highet
Designer
Nancy (Gelston) Dobos ’91
University Photojournalist
Jean Santopatre
University News Editor
Meredith Guinness
Class Notes Editor
Barbara Guenette
Vice President for
Marketing and Communications
Rama Sudhakar
Fairfield Now, the Fairfield University
magazine, is published four times
(November, February, May, August)
during the year by Fairfield University.
Editorial offices are located in:
Bellarmine Hall, Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
(203) 254-4000, ext. 2526
e-mail: magazine@mail.fairfield.edu
Printed at The Lane Press
Burlington, Vermont
PHOTO CREDITS:
All photos by Jean Santopatre except:
B. K. Angeletti: page 7 (top right),
11 (top & bottom), 39 (middle right)
Carolyn Arnold: page 5 (left)
John Ollwether: page 11 (middle)
Gus Powell/Generation: page 28
Peter Sarawait: page 4 (top)
Carlisle Stockton: page 32
Susan Warner: page 39 (top right)
Submitted photos: pages 23, 29, 43, 45
www.fairfield.edu

President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., told the
more than 1,200 graduates at Fairfield
University’s 58th commencement exercises,
“The very best advice we can give you in
these times of uncertainty, and the very best
thing you can do, is to abide in a loving and
trustful anticipation of what is to be.”

BY MEG MCCAFFREY
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Commencement 2008
On May 18, the University awarded 1,233 degrees to the Class
of 2008, including 890 bachelor’s degrees, 321 master’s degrees,
19 certificates of advanced study, and three associate’s degrees.
Under sunny skies on Bellarmine Hall Lawn, Fr. von Arx
reminded the new graduates of the “strong and steady current in
Jesuit education” of personal moral responsibility. “It is far from
inevitable that our confusing and uncertain world will be a better
place, but it will be if you accept your responsibility to make it so
and act on that responsibility.”
It was a full circle moment for Fr. von Arx, as he addressed the
Class of 2008 — the class that arrived on campus just after he was
named the eighth president in July 2004. He has said he wanted to
speak to “my graduating class” at their Commencement and share
in their accomplishments, because they had been so welcoming
and helpful to him during his years at Fairfield.
He expressed his hope that graduates’ lives will be infused with
faith, hope, and love — and not just romantic love.
“I also mean love of neighbor and love of God and, most relevant
to our task here as educators and yours as learners, the love
of something that you will do with your lives: your passion, your
vocation.”
Stacey M. Molski ’08, an art history major and theater minor from
Middletown, N.J., delivered the valedictory address, urging graduates
to find their passion in life. “Your Jesuit education has enabled
you to develop personally so that you now have the power to do
what you wish with what you have been given. Do not allow yourself
to wait for that day in the future to create your happiness.” ■
Clockwise from top left: 1) President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. confers
an honorary doctor of laws degree upon Francis (Fay) T. Vincent Jr.
2) Gleeful grads Joy Polignano and Emily Faherty. 3) Marketing major
Joey LaCroix holds his diploma aloft. 4) Honorary degree recipient the
Rev. John Halligan, S.J., with Fr. von Arx and Dr. Elizabeth Gardner.
5) Members of the Board of Trustees pose with Fr. von Arx before the
ceremony. 6) Honorary degree recipient Sr. Julianna Poole, S.S.N.D.,
who retired after 60 years of teaching (the last 20 at Fairfield), with
Fr. von Arx. 7) Engineering graduate students process onto Bellarmine
Lawn. 8) The Class of 1958 is all smiles as they proceed to their chairs.
9) Stacy Marie Molski, an art history major, delivers the valedictory
address. 10) Ravdeep Singh Chanana receives his bachelor of science
degree from the University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business.

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Called to Holiness
Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer’s new series of books
celebrates women’s spirituality, in and out of the pews
BY VIRGINIA WEIR
“The time is ripe for ‘ordinary’
women to become grassroots theologians,”
said Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer,
professor of religious studies and editor
of a forthcoming series of eight books
focused on women’s spirituality entitled
Called to Holiness: Spirituality for
Catholic Women. “As laity, we have a
responsibility to call each other forth in
our journeys toward holiness. Women
have always loved God, served others,
and struggled to be holy, but the historical
context has often been less than
friendly in terms of women’s dignity,
acknowledgement of female gifts, and
empowerment by church and society.”
“Women in and beyond the pew”
are the target audience for the Called
to Holiness series, to be published over
the next year by St. Anthony Messenger
Press, with the first three volumes in
print this September. The books are
meant to be practical tools, for use
individually or in groups, to inspire
women to look more closely at their
own spiritual growth and needs. Each
book is short — about 100 pages —
portable, and accessible (see sidebar for
a full listing of the series). “While the
series is grounded primarily in the
Roman Catholic tradition,” said Dr.
Dreyer, “it is our hope that Christian
women from many denominations
will hear about the books, and benefit
from reading them. The authors are
committed to a truly ecumenical,
global perspective.”
The books cover a broad range of
topics, including: the intertwining of
spirituality and theology; creating and
nurturing family; taking action for social
justice; prayer; Latina spirituality; and
dealing with the loss of loved ones. Care
was taken to include perspectives from
the whole lifespan of a woman,
including a volume focused on the
middle years and another by a young
adult. As a scholar and author of
many books on spirituality, Dr. Dreyer
is a frequent lecturer at conferences
across the country. Speaking with
diocesan directors of education, women’s
concerns, and family life, she found
that most popular spiritual and theological
resources for women were
evangelical or ultra-conservative. “I
was hearing that women were hungry
for theologically informed, accessible
material that would speak to their
experience as women and help them
develop and explore their faith.” Dr.
Dreyer hopes that Called to Holiness
will help enhance and celebrate
women’s spiritual journeys.
“Grassroots theology”
“Spirituality and theology are partners
that together assist us to live fully
as Christians,” Dr. Dreyer writes in
her own book in the series, Making
Sense of God: A Woman’s Perspective.
Describing spirituality as “the journey
of falling in love with God and living
out that love in everyday life,” and
theology as “ordered reflection, in
which we interrogate our experiences
in order to name and make sense of
them from a faith perspective,” Dr.
Dreyer explores this intersection. All
Christians are called to do theology,
she contends, and she invites women
to begin to view themselves as “grassroots
theologians” who are informed
and reflective about their faith, and
willing to be challenged.
A statue of St. Catherine of Siena in
an Italian church. Studies of medieval
mystics have helped Dr. Dreyer to a
deeper appreciation of God, revealed
through relationship.

“THE GOAL OF THESE BOOKS IS TO GIVE WOMEN IDEAS,
ENERGY, AND CREATIVITY to continue on their journey
toward holiness” said Dr. Dreyer. “The world needs the
voices of women — their virtues and their gifts.”

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
The world has persistently identified
women with the body and feeling, and
men with the mind and reason, Dr.
Dreyer observes, and she encourages
women to explore theology from their
own unique perspective, asking questions
and reflecting on the responses
in light of their faith tradition: How do
I experience God? How do I treat others?
What work am I pursuing? What kind of
family am I helping to nurture? Who are
my friends? How do I deal with difficulties,
illnesses, setbacks? “Grassroots theology
is for everyone who asks questions
and seeks to understand their faith
more deeply and broadly.”
Women in particular must explore
the many faces of God in language and
imagery. “The naming of God influences
our identities, the ways we do and do
not value ourselves, our outlook on the
world, and how we relate to others,”
Dr. Dreyer writes. “When God is seen
in exclusively male terms, the tradition
has often concluded (wrongly) that men
must be more like God than women.”
Dr. Dreyer’s studies of female
medieval mystics — Julian of Norwich,
Hildegard of Bingen, Clare of Assisi, and
Catherine of Siena — have helped her
come to a deeper appreciation of God
Boston – September 23, 2008
Arsenal Center for the Arts,
Watertown, Mass.
Elizabeth A. Dreyer, Ph.D.,
author of Making Sense of God: A
Woman’s Perspective
and Joan Mueller, O.S.C., Ph.D.,
author of Living a Spirituality of
Action: A Woman’s Perspective
revealed through relationship and community.
The Called to Holiness books
reflect a renewed theological interest in
the Trinity as a “community of love.”
Self-sacrifice and virtue — two
thorny issues for women’s spirituality
— are also examined. Besides looking at
how Christians might respond to living
in a consumer culture, Dr. Dreyer
explores the asceticism of everyday life
found in dealing with illness, aging,
and the long-term “giving up” that is
fundamental to parenting. Women are
also called to be prophets — courageous
individuals who are willing to take risks
— in spite of much social conditioning
to be silent. “With the cross as a central
Christian symbol, we should be asking
ourselves what is wrong if we are not in
some kind of trouble. Standing up for
the truth, for the poor, for the outsider
or the abused always exacts a price.”
Evolution of the project
In 2005, Dr. Dreyer was asked to
speak at a conference focused on the
role of women in the church hosted by
Foundations and Donors Interested in
Catholic Activities (FADICA), an
organization of philanthropists based
in Washington, D.C. The mission of
CALLED TO HOLINESS
Spirituality for Catholic Women
Meet the authors — join the discussion!
Washington – October 7, 2008
Copley Hall, Georgetown University
Dolores R. Leckey,
author of Grieving with Grace: A
Woman’s Perspective
and Elizabeth A. Dreyer, Ph.D.
For more information, visit
www.fairfield.edu/calledtoholiness.
the 30-year-old network of donors is
to inform and involve its members so
they can effectively address the needs
of church and society.
“One area that funders wanted to
explore was what resources women
were using for their theological and
spiritual formation,” said FADICA president,
Dr. Francis J. Butler. “Elizabeth
was able to show the shockingly wide
gap between the vision of the church as
a community of disciples and the reality
on the ground today, where so many
hunger to tap into the rich spiritual
tradition of Catholicism, but cannot do
so because the tradition needs constantly
to be brought forward and communicated
in ever-changing circumstances,
cultures, and generations.”
“They heard my appeal for a renewed
focus on women’s spirituality, especially
in the context of significant religious
changes in the 20th century — and
the challenges of the 21st,” noted Dr.
Dreyer. Further conversations with the
FADICA board led to a grant proposal,
and within six months the University,
FADICA, and St. Anthony Messenger
Press formed a collaborative partnership
with funding of $73,500 from
FADICA donors to produce the series.
“It’s been a unique project,” said
Noël Appel ’80, Fairfield’s director of
foundation relations, who shepherded
the initiative and without whose guidance
and support, Dr. Dreyer said, it
would not have gone further than her
first presentation at the FADICA conference.
“What is especially exciting
about what Elizabeth, FADICA, and
the various authors have accomplished
here is the partnerships that informed
every aspect of the project from its
earliest design phase, through the
process of securing funding, and the
ongoing implementation.”
St. Anthony Messenger Press was
chosen as publisher because of its
effective marketing to a wide audience
of women, and a highly developed Web
division within the company. In spring

of 2006, Dr. Dreyer and her associate
editor, catechetical expert Jean Marie
Hiesberger of Kansas City, Mo., put out
a request for both themes and authors,
eventually whittling the list from 30 to
eight themes. Since the audience is
primarily Catholic lay women, it was
important that themes be pertinent to
women’s everyday life and spiritual
concerns. Chapters are peppered with
thought-provoking questions and
conclude with suggestions such as
describing the roles of Jesus or the Holy
Spirit in one’s spirituality, identifying
positive and negative associations with
“power,” and expanding one’s vocabulary
and imagery of God. Prayers and
rituals that readers can pursue on their
own, or use to generate a group conversation,
as well as additional resources
on the topic, are also included.
The Press will launch a Web site
dedicated to the series, with pages
for each of the authors and short
articles published throughout the year.
Electronic greeting cards are in the
works, and will be available at
www.catholicgreetings.org. A double
CD with music selected by liturgical
composer David Haas from the library
of songs of GIA Publications in Chicago
will also be created to complement
themes and accompany specific rituals
in the books.
Editing eight books over the past
two years, and writing her own, which
is among the first three volumes to
appear this fall, has been a pleasure,
said Dr. Dreyer. “Authors were generous,
open, and truly committed to the values
behind this project. It has been a
genuine experience of sisterhood —
women helping other women… I think
each of us sees it as part of our mission
to the wider church.”
Gatherings for Fairfield alumni
This fall, Dr. Dreyer and two other
authors in the series — Dr. Joan
Mueller, O.S.C., professor of theology
at Creighton University, and Dolores
Leckey, senior fellow at Woodstock
Theological Center — will go “on tour”
to talk about the Called to Holiness
series. “A Fairfield education involves
life-long learning, and so we thought it
was natural to get Elizabeth ‘on the
road’ to share her work, and engage
with alumni,” said Janet Canepa ’82,
director of Alumni Relations. Alumni
gatherings will be hosted in Boston on
September 23 with Dr. Dreyer and
Dr. Mueller; in Washington, D.C. on
October 7 with Dr. Dreyer and Ms.
Leckey; and on the Fairfield campus on
October 25 during Homecoming/
Parents’ Weekend. (Check the website
for more information on these events:
www.fairfield.edu/calledtoholiness.)
As short presentations in an interactive
format, the gatherings will both
generate conversation about women’s
spirituality and facilitate new connections
among Fairfield graduates. “I’m
grateful to Fairfield for providing me
with an education, but more importantly,
with a foundation and network
of wonderful women friends,” said
Cindy Stack ’80, who is hosting the
September event in Boston which will
also feature University President
Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. While at
Fairfield, Stack observed, students may
or may not think about spirituality.
“But after college, many of us have
experienced life’s ups and downs —
the death of a child or spouse or parents;
battles with disease and cancer;
raising children with special needs;
financial instability — all of the experiences
of life that make you reach
deep down inside yourself and choose
how to go forward.” Stack hopes the
gathering will foster new relationships
among women who live close to each
other.
“The goal of these books is to give
women ideas, energy, and creativity
to continue on their journey toward
holiness,” said Dr. Dreyer. “The world
needs the voices of women — their
virtues and their gifts.” �
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
The eight volumes of Called to Holiness:
Spirituality for Catholic Women, edited
by Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer, will be published
by St. Anthony Messenger Press in 2008
and 2009.
Fall 2008
Making Sense of God:
A Woman’s Perspective
Elizabeth A. Dreyer, Ph.D., professor of
religious studies, Fairfield University
Grieving with Grace:
A Woman’s Perspective
Dolores R. Leckey, senior research
fellow, Woodstock Theological Center
at Georgetown University
Living a Spirituality of Action:
A Woman’s Perspective
Joan Mueller, O.S.C., Ph.D., professor of
theology and Christian spirituality,
Creighton University
Spring 2009
Embracing Latina Spirituality:
A Woman’s Perspective
Michelle A. Gonzalez, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of religious studies,
University of Miami
Awakening to Prayer:
A Woman’s Perspective
Clare Wagner, spiritual director and
retreat leader
Fall 2009
Creating New Life, Nurturing Families:
A Woman’s Perspective
Sidney Callahan, Ph.D., author,
psychologist, and distinguished scholar,
The Hastings Center, Garrison, N.Y.
Weaving Faith and Experience:
A Woman’s Perspective on the Middle Years
Patricia Cooney Hathaway, Ph.D.,
associate professor of spirituality and
systematic theology, Sacred Heart
Major Seminary, Detroit, Mich.
Finding My Voice:
A Young Adult Woman’s Perspective
Beth M. Knobbe, campus minister,
Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern
University
To purchase the books online, go to
www.catalog.americancatholic.org.

Over the years, many
Fairfield students have been
inspired to put off the work
world and join the Peace
Corps, the Jesuit Volunteer
Corps, and other established
service organizations,
providing crucial help to those
in need around the world.
And every year, a few
others — struck by a particular
dilemma they run across in
class or during their life’s
journey — come up with their
own unique way of making
the world a better place.
Here are four of their stories.
Sneakers for Senegal
Mamadou Diakhate ’08 has gone
through a lot of sneakers in his basketball
career. Even before he joined
the Stags squad during the 2005-06
season after a year at Eastern Kentucky
University, he had to continually replace
shoes worn to disintegration by the
intense heat and concrete courts of his
native Senegal.
Sneakers are in very short supply
there, leaving aspiring players with
nowhere to turn.
“I went home with new shoes for
my family and close friends,” Diakhate
said of the situation. “But others came
up to me while I was home and asked
me if they could have the shoes I was
wearing. The shoes were used, but they
were still in good shape. I gave away
the used shoes that I had with me and
everyone was very appreciative.”
And Diakhate was inspired: He
�
Changing the world
From used sneakers to microloans,
Fairfield students find unique ways to help others
BY MEREDITH GUINNESS
decided to collect sneakers from his
teammates and other players to bring
back to Senegal each summer. In the
last four or five years, that added up to
about 1,000 pairs.
It isn’t as simple as it sounds. In the
beginning, Diakhate footed the bill for
shipping costs and, while some friends
ship their own, he has often used all
his spending money and paid for overweight
suitcases full of shoes. The last
time he traveled home, airport personnel
remembered him and his overstuffed
bags. “They said, ‘You’re the one
from last year with the shoe thing!’
“But then one day, I saw this kid
playing basketball wearing a pair of
shoes that I brought over. It made me
feel good about what I was doing,”
said Diakhate, who has attained local
celebrity status in his hometown. “I
decided that I would continue as long
as I had money in my pocket.”

Some clubs have sent back African
clothing and handmade jewelry to
thank donors, though payment is not
requested. “It’s not much, but it’s all
they have to give,” said Diakhate, who
spent this summer working at the Ed
Cooley Basketball Camp on campus.
“And those who receive the thank you
gifts are just as appreciative for the
thoughtfulness. I think that’s when
they realize how much those shoes
mean to the players in Senegal.”
StagShare
At the end of the school year, the
urgency to pack up and get home can
outweigh a student’s care for what
might get left behind. And so it goes
that when the dust settles, campus
staff often face dumpsters full of castoff
furniture, clothes, and old appliances
left in and around the dorms.
After a January mission trip to
impoverished regions of Jamaica,
Katie Waters ’08 and her 11 fellow
volunteers saw opportunity in these
trashed treasures. “Students throw
away a lot and some of it’s really good
stuff,” said the Denver, Colo., native.
So they created StagShare, a collaboration
with Bridgeport-based Salvation
Army in which students bring gentlyused
furniture, computers, clothing,
and even non-perishable food to drop
off points at the RecPlex and Alumni
Hall. In May, Salvation Army made its
first run to campus, picking up the
goods and distributing them to people
who could use them in Bridgeport.
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Mamadou Diakhate ’08
The program, which also included
members of Students for Social Justice,
the Environmental Club, and Residence
Life, helps others and is environmen-
“One day, I saw this kid playing basketball wearing a pair of shoes that I
brought over. It made me feel good about what I was doing. I decided that
I would continue as long as I had money in my pocket.” — Mamadou Diakhate

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
tally sound, Waters said. It also saves
the University the cost of disposing of
the items. “We were overwhelmed by
the response from students. There were
piles of stuff!” said the communication/
art history major. “It was our final
hurrah to give back to both Fairfield
and the community.”
Sustainable equity for women
around the world
It’s estimated about 1.2 billion people
around the world live on less than one
dollar a day — and 70 percent of them
are women and girls. Faced with these
grim statistics, the nine seniors in Dr.
Gita Rajan’s Women’s Studies capstone
group created “Sustainable Equity for
Women: Impacting the Present and
Building the Future” (SEW).
The SEW Fund is a micro-lending
initiative that loans funds to women
entrepreneurs. The person-to-person
venture focuses on empowering individuals
to make small loans directly to
women in Central and South America,
and South Asia. Administered through
Kiva, a well-known micro-lending
channel, the project will continue,
even though all the students graduated
in May.
Lauren Campbell ’08 initiated the
idea in Dr. Rajan’s group. “I am thrilled
that Sustainable Equity for Women
emerged as a collaborative effort,”
she said. “This is our legacy to the
University, and the precious gift that
Women’s Studies has given to us.”
J. Farrell Lewis ’08 was part of group.
She said that the Women’s Studies
program and the SEW project helped
her reshape and contextualize her years
of study at Fairfield. “As a business
major, I have learned so much from
the SEW project that I am surprised
Women’s Studies is not a central part
of our education here,” she said.
“When women are afforded economic
opportunity, the results are
astounding: They send children to
University President Jeffrey P. von Arx,
S.J. (at left) stands with Dr. Mary
Frances Malone and the members of the
SEW project. At right, Dr. Gita Rajan and
Academic Vice President Orin Grossman.
school, run successful businesses, live
healthy lives,” said Kathryn Barry ’08,
a participating student.
“At the heart of SEW stand women
who are dedicated to educating young
girls who will one day become
mothers,” added Kristie David ’08.
“Creating a future of justice begins with
educating the women who will learn
from past generations and teach their
children, serving as a valuable link
between generations.”
Loans average $50, and each
woman is expected to repay the debt
within 18 months. The University’s
administration has praised the effort,
and several campus departments and
centers made donations to the project
at an April reception with its creators.
“This project demonstrates a deep
awareness of Fairfield’s mission to use
our intellectual gifts to design and create
sustainable projects to assist those in
need,” said Dr. Mary Frances Malone,
associate academic vice president.
The project has already raised thousands,
and the Women’s Media Center,
a non-governmental organization,
highlighted SEW on its Web site. The
entire process has been eye opening for
the Fund’s creators. “I was fascinated
by the SEW Fund as it transformed
academic theory into action,” said
Michelle Holmberg ’08. “Effecting
change on a global scale was no longer

elegated to the pages of a book.”
“Communicating my passion to
work on social justice issues and using
theories from global feminisms has
yielded very rich and satisfying results
with this group of amazing young
women,” said Dr. Rajan. “[They] have
created an imaginative and sustainable
legacy for Fairfield University.”
The Global Response to AIDS
Marco Ambrosio ’07 is a firm believer
in hope. And that’s even more astounding
when you consider what he’s seen
in the last year. Inspired during a
study abroad trip to Nicaragua, the
New Jersey native is writing a book
about global HIV/AIDS that focuses
attention on successful and renowned
HIV organizations around the world.
Since his Commencement he’s traveled
to India, Thailand, Rwanda, Nicaragua,
and San Francisco and, at press time,
was planning a trip to a needle
exchange program in the Ukraine.
After volunteering at each locale, he
interviews the directors and people
living with HIV. Many of the questions
address individual empowerment, social
justice, and hope. Ambrosio believes
that hope — the most important
outcome of a successful program —
receives little publicity in the global
fight on HIV/AIDS.
In the meantime, he keeps friends,
family, and even strangers up to date
with photos and writings through his
blog (regionalhiv.blogspot.com), the
success of which caught Ambrosio by
surprise.
“I want to convey to the average
person that hope and HIV/AIDS share
much in common. Both transcend
race, creed, and culture, and both
require action,” said Ambrosio, who
designed his own major.
Ambrosio said much of his inspiration
came from his Jesuit education
and he credits his connection to
Fairfield, including critical logistical
assistance from Jesuits on campus,
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
“When women are afforded economic opportunity, the results are astounding:
They send children to school, run successful businesses, live healthy lives.”
Marco Ambrosio ’07 (second from right)
stands with friends in Nicaragua.
— Kathryn Barry ’08
such as the Rev. Richard Ryscavage,
S.J., and the Rev. Michael Doody, S.J.,
and others around the world. It was
also at Fairfield that he met Dr. Paul
Farmer, the 2006 Convocation speaker
who has dedicated his life to providing
medical care for the poor. The relationship
allowed Ambrosio to do research
at Farmer’s clinic in Rwanda.
“Above all, this book is meant to be
about ‘the doers,’ the ones enacting
change,” he said. “There is great work
being done around the world that is
making a difference and my objective
is to shine a light on it.” �
Carolyn Arnold and Jack Jones contributed
to this report.

The Rev. Thomas Regan, S.J., the Provincial
Superior and a former Fairfield professor, joined
the many priests present at the ordination of the
Rev. Joseph Palmisano, S.J. in invoking God’s
spirit upon him during the laying on of hands.
“The Diocese and Fairfield Jesuit Community
have had a wonderful relationship over the
years. I felt the ordination was in a way a great
occasion to honor the bonds between the two,”
said Fr. Palmisano.

Ambassador
of Hope
BY MEG MCCAFFREY, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEAN SANTOPATRE
The Rev. Joseph Redfield
Palmisano, S.J., took the long
way home. It had been 15 years
since he graduated from Fairfield Prep.
Since then, his calling to be a Jesuit
priest had taken him to Boston, Syracuse,
the Bronx, Dublin, Jamaica, and again
to Dublin. He returned to Fairfield on
June 14, where his Jesuit education
began, to become ordained.
It was the first ordination to be held
on the Fairfield campus. More than 400
people, including about 120 priests,
gathered to celebrate Fr. Palmisano’s
rite of ordination by the Most Reverend
William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport.
Family, friends, teachers, priests from
the Fairfield Jesuit Community and the
Diocese of Bridgeport, and Jesuits from
the New England Province of the Society
of Jesus, as well as several from Ireland
and Jamaica, all came to the Egan Chapel
of St. Ignatius Loyola to participate.
“I was in the middle of this circle of
support and hope,” Fr. Palmisano said.
Fairfield celebrates its first ordination at
the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola
“I was surrounded by all who had
encouraged me on my journey toward
becoming a priest.”
That journey began at Fairfield Prep.
“I felt called as a child, but my call to
be a Jesuit started in high school. I saw
men willing to always be there for you
and the community. Their love of Jesus
spilled over.”
Born in New Haven, Conn., Fr.
Palmisano, age 33, grew up in Monroe,
the elder of two sons of Joseph and
Delores Palmisano. After graduating
from Prep in 1993, his Jesuit education
continued at Boston College, where he
earned a B.A. in theology in 1997. He
worked at the college’s Campus School
for children with learning disabilities,
and took part in a program there that
taught students about social justice. A
semester abroad in Rome was “very
confirming” of his calling. “The big
questions just grew,” he said. He entered
the Society of Jesus on August 23, 1998,
and pronounced vows on August 12,
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
2000, embarking on a life of graduate
study, apostolic outreach, and spiritual
growth.
Later, at Fordham University, Fr.
Palmisano did First Studies, earned a
M.A. in philosophy, and went on to
attain a M.Phil. in ecumenical theology
from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland
in 2003. He taught religion and was a
campus minister at Campion College
in Kingston, Jamaica, while serving
pastorally at St. Anne’s Parish and in
the community of Annotto Bay. In
2007, he graduated with a Licentiate in
Sacred Theology degree in systematics/
missiology from The Milltown Institute
of Theology and Philosophy in Dublin
and took part in a two-year spiritual
direction training program there, sponsored
by the Manresa Jesuit Retreat
House. This summer, Fr. Palmisano has
been immersed in a spiritual direction
program at the Eastern Point Retreat
House in Gloucester, Mass., and in the
fall he will move to Belfast to complete

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
research for a doctorate in theology
with a concentration in Jewish-
Catholic dialogue that he is pursuing
from Trinity College.
In June, Fr. Palmisano addressed the
2008 graduating class of Fairfield Prep,
praying for them to find passion in their
lives, something similar in intensity to
his faith. Echoing the Jesuit mission of
being men and women for others, he
expressed his hope that they “live large.”
“To me, that means tending to the
brokenness in the lives of others through
healing and raising them up,” he said.
When the most solemn moment of
the ordination came, the laying on of
hands, Fr. Palmisano was surrounded
by the men from the Fairfield Prep
community who had inspired him,
including the Rev. George Gallarelli, S.J.,
and the Rev. William Eagan, S.J.
Bishop Lori put his hands on Fr.
Palmisano’s head and prayed, invoking
the Holy Spirit upon him, ordaining him.
All the priests present did the same.
His deacon’s stole was then removed
and he was clothed in the vestments
of priestly office by the Rev. Richard
A. Deshaies, S.J., a former Fairfield
campus minister who served as his
formation director.
As Fr. Palmisano stood as a Jesuit
priest for the first time, he thought of
something the Rev. Thomas Regan, S.J.,
the Provincial Superior of the New
England Province of the Society of Jesus,
Counterclockwise from top left:
Fr. Joseph Palmisano, still a deacon,
was presented to Bishop Lori as a
candidate for ordination. He received the
paten and chalice from the Bishop to
serve Holy Communion for the first time
as a Jesuit priest. Later, Fr. Palmisano
blessed University President Jeffrey P.
von Arx, S.J. “I’m thrilled with the life
that is ahead of me,” he said.
once told him. “He said, ‘We stand on
the shoulders of giants.’ At that moment,
I remembered that and realized the
world — now more than ever — needs
men and women to be people of hope
and compassion to send a message about
the love of Jesus Christ. I’m thrilled to be
one of those ambassadors of hope.” �

Illegal Immigration
The Fairfield University community weighs in
BY NINA RICCIO
It’s estimated that there are 12 million people living in the
U.S. illegally, and there are many voices within the country
calling for tougher laws to regulate this flow — voices that
grow louder as we approach a Presidential election.
Fairfield Now asked three members of the Fairfield University
community— each with a different area of expertise — what
needs to be considered in any discussion of further social
policy regarding illegal immigration as far as economics,
social, and human rights are concerned.
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Dr. Mark LeClair in one of Bridgeport’s
increasingly diverse neighborhoods.
The Economics of Immigration
By Dr. Mark S. LeClair, professor of
economics. He was the co-coordinator
of Fairfield’s 2005 migration/immigration
conference. Dr. LeClair teaches a servicelearning
class in conjunction with the
International Institute in Bridgeport.
There is no question that immigration
— whether legal or illegal —
on a scale seen in the U.S. causes
seismic shifts in sectors of the economy.
Taken together, however, many
of the negative consequences are
balanced with the positive.
For example, both legal and illegal
immigrants may place increased
economic pressure on communities
through the use of local services, such
as schools. Conversely, immigrants
plug gaps in the labor market.
Americans simply do not aspire to
pick fruit or vegetables all day at low
wages. Despite the rhetoric, the U.S.
government openly tolerates the
presence of these workers, and little
or no enforcement of employment
restrictions has taken place.
For example, it’s common for
many illegal immigrants to use the

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Immigrants plug gaps in the labor market. Americans simply
do not aspire to pick fruit or vegetables all day at low wages.
The U.S. government, despite the rhetoric, openly tolerates
the presence of these workers. — Dr. Mark LeClair, economics professor
same Social Security number (the
record is 81!), and little is done until an
employer is found to be aggressively
abusing the system. By allowing both
legal and illegal immigration, the U.S.
has largely avoided some of the problems
associated with the rapid aging
of the population now taking place in
Europe and Japan. For instance, illegal
immigrants pay into the Social Security
system, helping keep it afloat, yet will
never draw on those funds.
Some Americans worry that the
flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.
may worsen localized problems with
unemployment, particularly during
this current economic slowdown, and
produce downward pressure on wages
for low-skilled workers. However, data
suggests this latter impact is minor,
with approximately a 2.4 percent
reduction in earnings. What is true is
that illegal immigrants are more likely
to send remittances back to their home
countries, which can be viewed as a
drain on the U.S. economy.
In a country that is nearly entirely
comprised of immigrants or their
descendants, immigration has become
a significant political issue partly due
to perceived differences in the current
wave of arrivals (it has to be remembered
that earlier waves of Irish and
Italians also generated similar concerns).
This round of immigrants seems less
integrated into society and, in fact,
many intend to be in the U.S. only for
a defined period of time. It is common
for illegal immigrants to work extreme
hours at very low wages in order to
support themselves and to remit funds
back home. Such a situation nearly
guarantees that integration, in terms
of language, culture, and economics,
will be delayed. The legislative response
to the situation is likely to make things
worse. Whether it is the Senate bill,
which supports a guest worker program,
or the House bill, which turns
all illegal immigrants into felons, the
result will be less integration and more
problems in the U.S. labor market.
The Catholic Commitment
to Educating Immigrants
By the Rev. Rick Ryscavage, S.J., director
of the University’s Center for Faith and
Public Life and former director, Jesuit
Refugee Services.
By the end of the 19th century,
there were 63 Catholic colleges and
universities in this country, schools
founded and funded by first or secondgeneration
immigrants. These Catholic
institutions became instruments for
preserving Catholic intellectual tradition
while preparing new generations
of students for civic life in America.
The colleges also provided important
avenues for the socialization of
immigrants. In fact, one of the great
achievements of Catholic higher
education was the creation of a cadre
of Catholic intellectual and social
leaders not far removed from the
immigrant experience. Today, these
Catholic descendants of immigrants
often ignore present-day immigrants.
Now, as we look at the 21st century,
we find the U.S. facing another influx
of immigrants, and most come from
countries with large Catholic populations.
But in today’s climate, the
response of the Catholic colleges to
these new immigrants can be considered
tepid. Because of high private school
tuition, most Catholic universities and
colleges today are educating middleand
upper-income Americans.
At the other end of the spectrum,
undocumented students pose a special
challenge when, legally cut off from
public scholarships and in-state tuition,
they must forgo tertiary education
Fr. Rick Ryscavage:
“Catholic universities …
could become the front line
for the interdisciplinary
study of migration.”

even when they are at the top of their
graduating high school class. Some of
the brightest and most hard-working
high school students are undocumented
and therefore ineligible for public
scholarships.
Unlike public universities, private
ones can legally offer scholarships to
these students. Is it unrealistic to suggest
the creation of a national Catholic
endowment of scholarships for the
undocumented?
The Catholic social values that our
schools stand for — protecting human
dignity, enhancing the common good,
promoting human solidarity, taking the
side of the poor — must be inculcated
through teaching, research, and reflection,
not through institutional lobbying.
In fact, Catholic universities, if they
worked together, could become the
front line for the interdisciplinary study
of migration.
Migration is all about decisions
made by humans. The ultimate test
for Catholic colleges and universities
will lie with the young immigrants
themselves. If schools reach out to
Aamina Awan ’07 meets with
students in Bahrain.
them and help Americans understand
them, the new immigrant will bring
the gift of renewed life to Catholic
higher education for the new century.
In Bahrain, migrant workers
also face inequities
By Aamina Awan ’07, a Fulbright scholar
teaching in Bahrain and researching
women’s economic empowerment.
My experiences during my junior
year abroad in Spain and now, living in
Bahrain, have opened my eyes to the
fact that immigration — legal or otherwise
— is not a uniquely American
problem.
Bahrain is a wealthy Gulf nation
where the number of expatriates is
approaching the number of local
Arabs. Many of these expatriates are
labor workers from South Asia. Most
enter the Persian Gulf countries on
work visas and have the proper documentation,
but there are some who
enter and then flee from their employer
and are considered runaways and illegal
immigrants. Based upon my observa-
Today, these Catholic descendents of immigrants often
ignore present-day immigrants. — The Rev. Rick Ryscavage, S.J.
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
tions as a Fulbright in the Persian Gulf
region, I have found that some companies
or sponsors will even confiscate
their employees’ passports upon arrival
in the country in order to prevent them
from leaving without the sponsor’s
permission. In many cases, the worker
is abused by the sponsor and subjected
to poor working and living conditions.
I asked my Bahraini students at
the University of Bahrain whether or
not migrant workers are considered
second-class citizens. All were unanimous
that the immigrants’ social
standing appears to be inferior to
those of Bahrainis, and that the living
and working conditions of migrant
workers are grave issues that should
be addressed. Many of the immigrants,
for example, live in labor camps with
hundreds of cots lined up, poor kitchen
facilities, and barely enough water.
Just as in U.S., there are jobs that legal
and illegal migrant workers do in
Bahrain and Moroccan immigrants do
in Spain that local citizens would not
even imagine doing.
Recently, there was an article in the
Bahrain Tribune (a widely popular
English newspaper) noting that some
Bahraini companies had violated labor
laws by having employees work from
noon until 4 p.m. in the scorching heat.
Summertime in Bahrain is extremely
hot — 114 degrees Fahrenheit is not
unusual — so laboring in that heat is
downright dangerous. A Bahraini would
never be subjected to such abuse.
The United States is a melting pot
of diversity, and Americans in general
have made progress towards accepting
the cultural differences of others and
enabling labor laws that protect workers.
By setting a strong and just policy
on the illegal immigration issue, the
United States can serve as a model for
other countries to follow. �

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Meet the new Alumni Association Board President
Carla Supersano Sullivan ’88
BY VIRGINIA WEIR
A FAIRFIELD EDUCATION is a
family affair for the new president
of the Alumni Association Board of
Directors, Carla Sullivan ’88. She credits
her grandparents for encouraging her
to follow in the footsteps of her
father, Alan Supersano ’64, to attend
“The U,” as they called Fairfield.
During her four years at Fairfield,
students would find Sullivan in the
basement of Loyola Chapel every
Sunday, singing and playing her guitar.
“My connection with music and my
relationship with Carole Ann Maxwell
(director of the University Glee Club)
was by far the most influential of my
Fairfield experiences,” Sullivan said.
She was the last president of the
Women’s Chorale and a member of
the first governing board of the
combined Glee Club.
Sullivan graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in communication, and went
on to earn her master’s in elementary
education at the University of Bridgeport.
In 1991, she and her husband Sean
were the first couple to be married in
the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola,
where they have served as liturgical
ministers for the past 17 years. Sullivan
balances part-time employment with
extensive volunteer work. She is a
consultant for two local non-profit
organizations, an active community
leader, and a busy mother of three.
“My Fairfield education and life experience
since college have prepared me
well to lead the Alumni Association at
this time.”
When a position for the Class of
1988 became available five years ago,
Sullivan joined the Alumni Association
Board of Directors. The Board structure
has been reorganized, and last year,
Sullivan was approached by the nominating
committee to consider the position
of president-elect and accepted the
challenge. “Carla is the right person
to lead us right now,” said Dr. George
Lacovara ’56, P’87, Board president
for the past two years. “She’s talented
and energetic, and she has the drive
and determination to make the new
structure work.”
“I guess I’m not afraid of change,”
Sullivan said. “I’ve been taking things
apart and putting them back together
in new ways for a long time.”
Carla Sullivan ’88 talks
about the new direction of
the Alumni Association
What is the primary function of the
Alumni Association? And how does
the new structure of the Board relate
to the University’s strategic plan?
The purpose of Fairfield’s Alumni
Association hasn’t changed. As our
bylaws state, we are here to “promote,
strengthen, and perpetuate relationships”
among alumni and the entire
University community, to encourage
volunteering and participation, and to
support the University’s goals and
objectives. I’d say that our purpose
relates most closely to Fairfield’s focus
on living and learning, which continues
past the college years. The new Board
structure — getting away from Class
representation to a new diversity in
membership including geography, demographics,
age, and gender — is in line
with the University’s focus on diversity.
What is the role of alumni in the
new structure?
First, every alumnus of Fairfield
University is a member of the Alumni
Association. We need the involvement
of all alumni to make the Association a
dynamic organization that will engage
alumni and create opportunities for
active participation, both on and off
campus. In order to do that, we will
build an organizational structure to
accommodate expanded chapters and
committees, and create as many volunteer
opportunities as there are areas of
interest among our alumni.
Why are you taking a leadership role
at this time?
George Lacovara ’56, P’87 (former
Alumni Association Board president)
has a strong commitment to his alma
mater. He recognized the need for
changes in our bylaws and he worked
hard to build consensus. The time was
right for the organization to change to
truly reflect our growing and changing
alumni population. I am excited about
the chance to play a major role in this
transformation and to work on behalf
of Fairfield University.

Carla Supersano Sullivan ’88 and Dr. George Lacovara ’56, P’87
What do you hope to accomplish in
your two years as president?
I plan on working with the Alumni
Relations team at the University to build
strong regional programming for
Fairfield alumni. Together we want to
engage more alumni in University-sponsored
activities. In addition, we want to
provide opportunities for alumni to
connect with the institution and become
involved in areas that are meaningful to
them — such as admission interviewing,
career networking, community
service, and life-long learning.
What does your “presidential”
schedule look like over the next
several months?
Over the summer I made contact with
Alumni Association presidents at peer
institutions to talk about their best
practices. This fall, we’ll host a retreat
for members of the Board’s Executive
Committee. Our first official board
meeting will take place on campus in
conjunction with Homecoming and
Parents’ Weekend on October 25-26.
Throughout the year, I’ll be on the
road attending as many alumni events
as possible, and working hard to
recruit regional volunteers.
How can Fairfield alumni help you
fulfill these goals?
We need the involvement of all alumni
to make our Alumni Association vibrant
and relevant. If you haven’t already,
please join the Online Community
by going to www.fairfield.edu/
alumnicommunity. This is the primary
way that we will all be able to stay in
touch, share news, and keep you upto-date
with what is going on at the
University and in your community. �
E-mail us at alumni@mail.fairfield.edu
with your thoughts about the types of
programming you would like to see
from your Alumni Association. Let us
know if you would be interested in
volunteering in your local community.
We need your talents, expertise, and
wisdom in order for the Association
to be truly representative of all the
graduates of Fairfield University.
The Alumni Association
Board of Directors
Carla (Supersano) Sullivan ’88, Shelton, CT
President
Joan (Mazzella) Alvarez ’89, Glen Head, NY
Michael Basta ’07, Simsbury, CT
Kevin Bennett ’02, Jersey City, NJ
Bronwyn Black-Kelly ’81, Huntington, NY
Dorothy (Stassun) Costello ’76, Wayne, PA
William Crean ’91, Hingham, MA
James Davidson ’64, West Lafayette, IN
Marc D'Angelillio ’06, Hoboken, NJ
Vicki Deluca, M.A.’04, Westport, CT
Maureen Errity ’90, New York, NY
Gabbi (Bruni) Ferraro ’98, Port St. Lucie, FL
Michael Fitzgerald ’79, Bethesda, MD
Tabitha Fortt ’90, Stamford, CT
Laura Incerto ’82, Fairfield, CT
Tom Keefe ’00, Santa Monica, CA
Anthony Khamvongsa ’00, MBA’01,
Bridgeport, CT
Sean Klock ’04, Chicago, IL
Kevin Kuryla ’88, Darien, CT
George Lacovara ’56, P’87, Fairfield, CT
Gregory Magner ’81, Chevy Chase, MD
Amanda (Betz) Marano ’02, Hoboken, NJ
Kelly (Garrney) McClure ’81, Dallas, TX
Jose Merheb ’03, Guaynabo, PR
Phil Neugebauer ’91, Fairfield, CT
John O'Connell ’55, Stratford, CT
Christopher Pilkerton ’95, Bethesda, MD
Matt Pitucco ’98, Flemington, NJ
Jonathan Reddy ’96, Fairfield, CT
Michelle Schmidt ’07, Manchester, CT
Steven Schmitt ’95, Boston, MA
Stephane Skibo ’77, Orange, CT
Jim White ’64, Shelton, CT

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Mary Vallely ’08 tears downfield during a game with Mount St. Mary’s at Alumni
Field. Vallely was among the nation’s elite in caused turnovers.
The spring sports season starts out
with cold, blustery winds and
ends with warm, gentle breezes.
Somewhere in between those extremes
comes a moment of transition, when
hope begins to stir as athletes and fans
alike get a glimpse of the start of spring.
It was during this spring transition
that something else began to stir on the
Fairfield University campus — an excitement
that captured the attention of
Stags fans and regional and national
sports communities.
Lacrosse
The women’s lacrosse team captured
everyone’s fancy with a season that will
go down in Fairfield history as one of
the most successful campaigns for any
sport. After dropping the season opener
to nationally ranked Yale University, the
women’s team put together a 17-game
winning streak that began with a onegoal
win over Sacred Heart University and
went straight through to the final game of
the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
(MAAC). The winning streak was the
longest of any women’s lacrosse team in
the nation during the 2008 campaign.
Fairfield won games against opponents
from the Big East (Connecticut) and the
Ivy League (Columbia). The team even
beat a couple of Gaels — St. Mary’s
(Calif.) and Iona.
The Stags posted an unbeaten record
in MAAC play at 6-0 to win the regularseason
title. Fairfield advanced to the
MAAC tournament championship game

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Fairfield athletes win big, on and off the field
To follow the action during the season,
visit www.fairfieldstags.com.
following an 11-8 victory over Iona, but
had its dream of an NCAA tournament bid
snatched away with an 11-10 loss to
Marist in the tourney final.
The men’s lacrosse team played its first
season as a member of the Eastern College
Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lacrosse
League, which includes Georgetown,
Loyola, Penn State, UMass, St. John’s,
Rutgers, and Hobart. The Stags posted a
win in their first-ever ECAC lacrosse game,
knocking off Rutgers on the road by a
10-7 count. The victory was also the third
in as many games as the team started
the campaign with a 3-0 mark. Despite a
losing season overall, the Stags set
themselves up for a good start to their
second ECAC season.
Tennis
The spring also brought success to
other athletic programs in 2008, including
the men and women’s tennis teams. Both
squads enjoyed solid seasons in MAAC play,
posting a 5-2 record against conference
opponents. But the Stags peaked at the
right time and put together a strong run
in the MAAC tournament that sent both
the men and women to their respective
tournament final. While the teams lost to
Niagara in both tournaments, the MAAC
coaches saw the season as a successful
one for second-year Head Coach Ed Paige,
who was voted the MAAC Coach of the
Year by his peers.
Golf and Rowing
Paige was not the only Stag head
coach to garner such an award. Rowing
Coach David Patterson and Golf Coach Len
Roberto were also recognized as MAAC
Coaches of the Year during the spring season.
Patterson earned the accolade after
BY JACK JONES
The women’s lacrosse team held the longest winning streak in the nation last season.
leading the men’s and women’s rowing
teams to a runner-up finish at the MAAC
championships in May. Under his guidance,
the Stags performed admirably at several
regional events this season, which included
a gold medal for the men’s varsity four
at the New England championships.
Meanwhile, Coach Roberto picked up
his second Coach of the Year award —
his first was in 2004 — after leading the
women’s golf team to a second-place finish
and the men’s squad to a fifth-place finish
at the MAAC tournament.
Softball and Baseball
The softball team advanced to the
MAAC tournament and took third place in
the four-team event. The Stags started
the season in tournaments in Florida and
South Carolina, but really warmed up when
they returned to New England. Fairfield
won 20 of 31 games it played after its
southern swing, including an 11-4 mark
against non-conference foes.
The baseball team faced another challenging
schedule that included a nationally
ranked opponent as well as some of the
region’s top teams. The Stags battled 20thranked
Kentucky as part of its southern
trip, and also played traditional rivals such
as Fordham and Connecticut. The squad
also made a run at one of the coveted
MAAC tournament spots, falling just
short of its goal.
And in the classroom…
Besides their prowess on the field,
Fairfield student athletes also excelled in
the classroom. Twenty-eight student
athletes earned All-Academic honors from
their respective conferences this season
— baseball (4), softball (4), men’s golf (1),
women’s golf (1), men’s tennis (3),
women’s tennis (5), rowing (5), men’s
lacrosse (4), and women’s lacrosse (6).
Also during the spring, the NCAA
announced its team public recognition
awards, which honors individual teams for
having an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in
the top 10 percent for its respective sport.
Fairfield University had seven teams
receive this award: baseball, women’s golf,
women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming,
women’s rowing, and men’s tennis. �

ELECTION 2008
Republicans and Democrats
on campus gear up for November
Getting out
thevote
BY NINA M. RICCIO
IF THE FAIRFIELD CAMPUS REFLECTS THE MOOD ACROSS THE
COUNTRY THIS FALL, there may be a surge in political enthusiasm
among students that hasn’t been witnessed in over a decade. In March, a
story in U.S. News & World Report reported that more than 5.7 million
voters under the age of 30 participated in the primaries and caucuses, a
109 percent increase over the last presidential election.
“You can say whatever you want, but it doesn’t mean anything if you
don’t vote,” said Carol Cirota ’09, president of the College Democrats, about
her drive to increase voter turnout among her fellow Fairfield students in the
next three months. “We’re not promoting one candidate; we’re promoting
awareness.”
Karla Carpenter ‘09, president of the College Republicans, said her
group is doing the same.
“I feel tremendous excitement in my classes, and that’s particularly
because Barack Obama is running,” said Dr. John Orman, professor of politics.
Indeed, the upcoming presidential election is real-world experience at
its most basic level. Getting students to care about national and global
issues like healthcare and illegal immigration and the war in Iraq when they
have classes to attend and papers to write and sports to play is a challenge.
That’s why both the College Democrats and College Republicans are
gearing up to get their supporters registered…and involved.
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Politics for the Public
This fall, the University plays host to
a roster of political heavyweights, all
speaking before the November elections.
Monday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. Historian
and author Douglas Brinkley, professor
of history at Rice University and Fellow
in History at the James Baker III
Institute for Public Policy, discusses
presidents past and future.
Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. CNN
legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin discusses
the inner sanctum of the Supreme Court
— giving us a peek into the men and
women whose judicial opinions shape
our nation's destiny. Toobin’s latest
book, The Nine: Inside the Secret World
of the Supreme Court, spent more than
four months on the New York Times
best-seller list.
Monday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Actress and
humanitarian Mia Farrow speaks on
her efforts to raise global awareness on
the crisis in Darfur by tying China’s
support of the Sudan with its hosting
of the 2008 Olympics. New York Times
columnist Nicholas Kristof once spoke
of Farrow’s role as a “game changer”
for Darfur.
Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. Retired
General Wesley K. Clark gives his views
on leadership in the 21st century. The
four-star general, who led NATO forces in
Kosovo, has been considered a possible
running mate for Barack Obama.
Monday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Liberal
MSNBC news anchor Mika Brzezinski
and conservative political affairs analyst
Monica Crowley square off in a preelection
debate, sparring over the
Democratic vs. Republican platforms.
Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. Fareed
Zakaria, editor of Newsweek
International joins Fairfield University
students in exploring “America’s Future
vs. Global Commitments.”
For tickets, call the Regina A. Quick
Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010 or
visit www.fairfield.edu/quick. General
Clark’s talk is sponsored by the Carl
& Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic
Studies and Bank of America.

FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Biology major Carol Cirota ’09,
president of the College Democrats
Getting students to vote for a
particular candidate is not the exclusive
goal of either party association,
both said. “We’ve helped in the
Christopher Shays [R-Conn.] for
Congress campaign, manned the polls,
and got a group together to see John
McCain when he was in Fairfield,”
said Carpenter. “But we’ve also done
Relay for Life [to raise money for the
American Cancer Society] and sent
greeting cards to the troops. It’s not
just about politics.”
Maybe not, but Carpenter noted
that students are concerned about the
war, now well into its fifth year, and
that is second only to their concerns
about the economy. She conceded
“it’s a bad time for Republicans. Some
students are Republican but are
afraid to make their views known.”
Holding a forum or dialogue in the
fall – something both clubs would
like to do – may help all students
feel more comfortable exploring and
acknowledging their opinions.
There’s no lack of passion for
politics as far as the larger campus
community goes, as evidenced by
the standing-room only crowd at the
Super Tuesday Women’s Forum lunch
at the kick-off to the primaries. Five
of Fairfield’s most dynamic and quickwitted
professors from different fields
spoke about what issues they felt
would be important, and those
attending wrapped up the hour by
voting in their own mini-primary.
(For the record, Barack Obama won
handily, Hillary Clinton and John
McCain tied, and Mitt Romney and
Mike Huckabee trailed with a vote or
two each.) That same week, 70 political,
civic, University, and church
leaders came to campus for a breakfast
meeting to discuss the way issues,
values, and the media affect elections.
“All Catholics have a responsibility
to vote and engage in the political
process,” the Rev. Richard Ryscavage,
S.J., director of the University’s Center
for Faith and Public Life, told the
group. “You cannot separate private
spirituality from public responsibility
for the common good of society.”
Catholic social teaching, he added,
dictates that Catholic voters should
not vote solely in their self-interest.
In March, the Office of Residential
Life sponsored Rap Sessions, a
“townhall meeting,” moderated by
journalist and political analyst Bakari
Kitwana, which attracted approximately
60 students for a dialogue with
four hip-hop activists and community
leaders. And in April, a studentwritten
theatrical performance and
a Remembrance Wall to honor those
in military service focused attention
on the humanitarian issues of the
ongoing war.
Regardless of who one votes for,
“if we could increase the percentage
of voter turnout in this age group
from its normal low of 27 percent to
about 33 percent, that would be significant,”
said Dr. Orman.
Making new voter registration
as easy as possible is key, and that’s
something both Carpenter and Cirota
are eager to work on this fall. �
Karla Carpenter ’09, president
of the College Republicans and
a communication major

Donor Profile
John (Jack) G. Munro ’55
PROFESSION
Having spent most of his 40-year career at The Celanese
Corp., Jack held technical and management positions in a
number of product areas including fibers, nylon resins,
polyester film, liquid and powder coatings, epoxy resins
and low-energy radiation curing. He was instrumental in
developing powder coatings that could be color matched
to automotive specs by a process of spray drying. Jack also
championed Celanese’s entry into low-energy, solvent-free,
radiation curing, in which the company became a world
leader. He holds four patents in conjugate fibers and
powder coatings.
MOST INFLUENTIAL FAIRFIELD FACULTY
The late Dr. John Barone, professor of chemistry, and later
provost. “Dr. Barone was enthusiastic about his subject,
always had time for our questions, and was very supportive
of my interest in engineering.”
FIRST GIFT TO FAIRFIELD
$80 in 1982
FAIRFIELD NOW FALL 2008
Pictured in the atrium
of the Rudolph F. Bannow
Science Center.
MOST RECENT GIFT TO FAIRFIELD
$100,000 in 2007 to endow the John G. Munro
Scholarship Fund. Jack accelerated his bequest to Fairfield
by taking advantage of federal legislation that allows tax-free
withdrawals from IRA accounts for charitable purposes.
ALSO SUPPORTS
• University of Detroit Mercy
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Colonial Symphony Orchestra (New Jersey)
STATEMENT
“Next to life itself, education is high on the priority list of
items that allow us to live to the fullest. In today’s world, it is
difficult to imagine how the average family can afford college
for one child, let alone multiple children. I was fortunate to
have the benefit of a very good education and I believe it is
time to help those who are now entering this phase of their
lives. ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ ”

T
here’s nothing fancy about
The University School
(TUS) in Bridgeport, Connecticut
— no big sign, just plain classrooms
and simple décor. But for
many of the 80-some students
who attend this private alternative
high school, located on the
University of Bridgeport campus,
it is an opportunity to get their
educations on track, and for
some it is a last chance at a
diploma.
Managing TUS has been a life’s
calling for its owner, Nick Macol ’55,
who gave up his Bridgeport Public
Schools’ pension to buy TUS in 1973
— becoming its fourth owner since
the school was established in 1892.
“TUS was a gamble for me — a
good gamble. I wanted a business I
would love,” Macol said. “I love
teaching, and I love inner city kids.”
Macol’s students consist of a wide
spectrum of boys and girls who, for
multiple reasons, have had a hard time
succeeding in the large, comprehensive
high schools. These students on the
edge require the formula of structure,
discipline, predictability, and empathy
that TUS offers.
Macol is a man of the neighborhood,
having grown up just a few
blocks from TUS, in Bridgeport’s South
End. His grandparents found their
way to the city in the early 1900s,
having lost seven of their eight children
to starvation in a tough journey
from Turkey and Syria. Macol’s father,
George, was popularly known as “The
Banana Man,” from his daily deliveries
Class of ’55 profile:
Nick Macol: Taking the Good Gamble
BY VIRGINIA WEIR
Nick Macol ’55, in the computer
classroom at the University School.
of the fruit to mom-n-pop grocery
stores from boats in New York
Harbor. Macol has written a manuscript
(as yet unpublished) about his
life, Nick, the Son of the Banana Man.
Macol credits his father’s work
ethic, his mother’s faith, and the time
he spent at Fairfield as the foundation
of his success. The affection he feels
for the other 89 graduates of his class
is evident. Most of them came from
Bridgeport, Fairfield, or the Naugatuck
Valley. “The men that I graduated
with, we were family… We all had
part-time jobs; $500 a semester was
tough and we were brown-bagging it
all the time… We all had the same
foundation of hardworking parents who
felt that education was important.”
Macol appreciated the Jesuits,
“great men, with their black cloaks
and their great sense of humor… My
mother would always have them over
to the house to eat Arabic food,” he
reminisced.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in
social science in 1955, as well as the
nickname “90-over-90” because
he was last in his class. Nevertheless,
at graduation he received
a standing ovation. “Why?”
Macol laughed. “There I was, of
Arabic descent, non-Catholic,
shaking the hands of the Catholic
bishop [Lawrence J. Sheehan],
and the Jewish governor
[Abraham Ribikoff]. The guys
went crazy.”
After graduation, Macol
went west, mining for gold and
uranium in New Mexico, but returned
to Connecticut when his father became
ill. He tried teaching and became a
permanent substitute in the City of
Bridgeport for $12.50 a day. “I fell in
love with the profession,” he said. He
got a teaching certificate, and landed a
job at Whittier School, where he met
his wife of 46 years, Dottie. They have
three daughters, one of whom, Lynn
Ford, is the principal at TUS.
A member of a group of 1955
alumni, the ROMEOs (“Retired Old
Men Eating Out;” see Fairfield Now,
Summer 2008 issue), Macol still gets
together regularly with his good friends
from Fairfield, and lunch is no longer
in a brown bag!
At 75, Macol doesn’t seem to be
slowing down, and remains grateful
for his successes, his family, and his
close-knit community. “The good
Lord just lets me keep on going.
Sometimes I go down to Seaside Park
and I talk with The Big Guy, and I
feel so good. I’m not perfect, but I’m
trying to do the right thing.” �

D
Class of ’80 profile:
Ellen Whitehurst: The Empowered Lifestyle
o you want to have a sweet and
happy New Year? Refill all your
sugar bowls! Do you want to stay
ahead of the flu season? Drink lots of
green tea. Do you want a more prosperous
life? Place a purple orchid on
the dining room table. These simple
Feng Shui tips go a long way to
creating health and happiness in life,
said Ellen Whitehurst ’80.
Health, happiness, and prosperity
are fixtures in Whitehurst’s life. With
a new book, Make This Your Lucky
Day, a monthly column in Redbook
Magazine, and articles online and in
print, she is practicing The Empowered
Lifestyle principles that she preaches.
A professional focus on the rules of
fortune and luck wasn’t on Whitehurst’s
mind post graduation. She got a job on
Wall Street working for E.F. Hutton as
a writer in their Commodity News
Department and eventually moved
beyond writing the nightly wire to
managing millions of dollars for
corporate accounts and individual
investors. “The job was so exciting,”
said Whitehurst, “but ultimately not
my destiny.”
Whitehurst’s decision to change
careers came when both of her parents
became chronically ill. At the time,
there was little focus on palliative
care in mainstream medicine, so
Whitehurst took the opportunity to
study holistic therapies. The subject
piqued her interest and she eventually
became immersed in alternative
methods and the ways that they could
complement mainstream medicine.
Through her studies, she found
BY CAROLYN ARNOLD
Ellen Whitehurst ’80
strong connections between holistic
healing, Feng Shui, and aromatherapy,
which she combined into her own
unique brand.
Soon, her outlets encompassed
everything from teaching and private
consulting to web journals and TV
appearances. By partnering with a
Fortune 500 company, she created the
popular “Feng Shui In A Cup” mugs,
soon to be available in the Starbucks
cafes of all Barnes and Noble bookstores.
She wrote tips for getting a job
on Monster.com’s message board and
is currently a monthly contributor to
Redbook Magazine, writing a column
called “Shuistrology” (Astrology +
Feng Shui).
Writing about inspiration and
motivation is something Whitehurst
is particularly fond of. A look back to
her days at Fairfield even shows a
glimpse of her future interests. “Upon
reflection I see the connections between
my interests and what I do now,” she
said. Her favorite courses included
English with Dr. Leo O’Connor and
“The Philosophy of Religion” with
Dr. King Dykman, which “completely
enthralled me,” said Whitehurst.
She believes that every challenge
holds the seed for great opportunities
and believes we can create those same
opportunities in our lives. As she said
in her book, “Some people have all
the luck. The rest of us make it.” She
does, of course, deal with skeptics of
her work. “They are vocal, but not
educated on the topic; I’ve had to
develop a pretty thick skin as a way
to dismiss their dismissals.” Her
response to them is that, ultimately,
these ancient disciplines are based on
theories and philosophies. Using
energies around us for support can
be ascribed to a premise surrounding
quantum physics. For example, scientists
theorize that everything in the
universe is made of energy. Feng Shui
is a 5,000-year-old theory that supposes
that anyone can harness the
energies in their environment to support
their own intentions. “Energy is
all around us. Attract it. Use it. Now,
how easy is that?” said Whitehurst.
And what is Whitehurst’s top tip
for good luck? Clearing out the clutter
in your space. “Think about it, the very
first thing you see in the morning has
an impact on the entire rest of your
day,” said Whitehurst. �

M
any journalists will tell
you they chose their
profession because they were
inspired by reporter Bob
Woodward, who, with his fellow
reporter Carl Bernstein, broke
the Watergate story for The
Washington Post. Not nearly as
many can say they’ve worked
with the Pulitzer Prize winner.
And only one, Bill Murphy
Jr. ’92, is mentioned in the
foreward of Woodward’s 2006 bestseller
State of Denial. “Honest,
straight-forward and insistent on
fairness and the truth, he is a natural
reporter, winning the trust of a number
of key sources,” Woodward wrote of
Murphy, his research assistant on the
book. “Authors only rarely get such
maturity, skill and wise counsel from
one person. Without him, I never
would have finished this book, which
is as much his as mine.”
In September, Murphy will celebrate
the publication of his own book,
In a Time of War, which began as a
memo he wrote to Woodward about a
pivotal 2002 commencement speech
President Bush gave at West Point.
Standing before a sea of freshly
christened officers, Bush outlined a
new foreign policy doctrine — one that
would eventually lead to the war in
Iraq. Murphy proposed tracking down
some of those graduates and telling
their stories — and his book was born.
Class of ’92 profile:
Bill Murphy Jr.: In a Time of War
BY MEREDITH GUINNESS
Bill Murphy Jr. ’92 (center) posing with
Army privates in Baqubah, Iraq.
“It just struck me that he chose
to give that speech not at a civilian
college or in front of his political
supporters, but to those who were
going to soon be leading people into
war,” said Murphy, a lawyer and former
Army Reserve officer who started his
reporting career at the New Haven
Register. “I wanted to track them
down and write something personal.”
Murphy worked on the book
nights and weekends around his
research job based in Woodward’s
Washington, D.C. home. With a
brother in the Marines, he understood
the stakes for his interview subjects
— even more so when he traveled to
Iraq to report for The Washington Post
for about a month. He was with the
1st Cavalry Division and reported on
several units, traveling to Baghdad,
Tikrit, Baqubah, and the border
of Syria. The experience informed
his book, as did the estimated 200
people he interviewed to create
his narrative.
“I could have written 15
books,” Murphy said, “but I was
looking for stories that represented
the class as a whole and how
you can go through things that are
very hard or terrible and still be
very proud of what you’ve done.”
In his research, Murphy
found quick-witted Lt. Todd
Bryant, an armored platoon leader
who faced fierce fighting in Iraq’s Anbar
province, a world away from his new
wife; and Tricia LeRoux Birdsell, a
medical platoon leader, who followed
her mother into the military and kept
a diary of her time in a medical aid
station. “Nowhere is safe,” she wrote
one night. “Not even where you lay
your head at night. But in the end, we
cannot let the fear run our lives.”
Murphy’s ability to take on such a
monumental — and emotional —
project may stem from his years at
Fairfield, where he was an English
major. In interviewing men and women
10 years his junior, he remembered the
close friendships that formed back in
college and the man he was becoming
in those four years. “Looking back at it,
the classes I took, I think they were
developing very critical thinkers,” he
said. “I won’t claim I always did every
reading assignment, but I learned to
be skeptical without being overly
cynical.” �