Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
TT hh ee MM aa gg aa zz ii nn ee oo ff SS aa ii nn tt XX aa vv ii ee rr UU nn ii vv ee rr ss ii tt yy ii nn CC hh ii cc aa gg oo
Spring/Summer 2003 www.sxu.edu
SAINT XAVIER
Connectedto
ChicagoThe programs and people that link Saint Xavier to the city it calls home�
Alumni News
Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
This past February, Saint Xavier inducted GlennWood ’91, Dr. Tom Regan, Jim Panozzo ’77 andCarol Vargos ’75 into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
The inductees were joined by many current Hall of Fame members for dinner and dancing on behalfof the Cougar Club, the fundraising arm forintercollegiate athletics at Saint Xavier.
Athletic Hall of Fame members and inductees at the 2003ceremony. 1st Row (L-R):Glenn Wood ’91, Dr. Tom Regan, Jim Panozzo ’77, Carol Vargos ’75, Gary Hickerson ’75, Ed Stearns ’84, Dr. Steve Murphy, Dean Kornacker ’832nd Row (L-R):Henry Barsch ’94, Pat “Andy” Devine ’75, Linda Droba ’75,Bob Hallberg, Dennis Wills ’75, Marge Sefcik ’93, Kevin Sefcik ’94, Mark Benson ’77
Under the Guidance of a Mentor…
Alumna Colleen Carrol ’86 received her degree inSpeech Pathology and in 1996 she returned for herMasters in Education. Colleen is a kindergartenteacher at Barnard Elementary School in Chicago andsince 2000 she’s been active with Saint Xavier’sAlumni Mentoring Program.
In January 2001, Colleen was matched with TiffanySkala ’03 an Early Childhood Education major. Fromthe begining they made a great connection andTiffany found Colleen to be a wonderful resourceduring her last two years at Saint Xavier.
When Tiffany began looking for her studentteaching, Colleen requested that Tiffany work withher during her kindergarten rotation at BarnardSchool. Knowing each other prior to the studentteaching made it easier for them to work as a team inthe classroom. Confidently, Tiffany was able to createlesson plans, sit in on parent-teacher conferences andcreate innovative ways to help manage the dailyassignments in the classroom.
The Alumni Mentoring Program helped Colleenreconnect with SXU and it has been a wonderfulresource for Tiffany.
Colleen is looking foward to mentoring more SXUstudents, while Tiffany is looking foward to the daywen she can become a SXU alumni mentor.
If you would like more information about theAlumni Mentoring Program, contact AlumniMentoring Program Coordinator Jamie Manahan, [email protected] or 773-298-3135.
Alumna Colleen Carrol ’86 (right) and current graduate TiffanySkala ’03
Call the Office of Alumni Relations and shareyour success with your friends, classmates and former faculty members. Also, if you’ve had anew addition to the family, call us to get anofficial Saint Xavier Cougar bib.
If you haven’t visited Saint Xavier lately, youhaven’t seen the exciting changes on campus! Ifyou’re in the neighborhood and would like totake an informal tour of the campus, stop by theOffice of Alumni Relations, located in theAlumni House. We’ll be glad to welcome youhome and show you all the sights of Saint XavierUnivesity.
Call the Office of Alumni Relations at (773) 298-3329, or e-mail us at
Wh
at’s
New
?W
ew
ant
tokn
ow
.
32
Ph
oto
by A
leja
nd
ra To
rres ’0
0
Ph
oto
by
Krist
in Y
an
iko
ski ’
03
It will be a very special homecoming weekend forthose Saint Xavier classes celebrating anniversaryreunions during Homecoming Weekend 2003. OnFriday, October 3, reunion dinner gatherings will beheld for the Classes of 1963, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988and 1993. The Schools of Arts & Sciences, Education,Graham School, and Nursing will host the reunionactivities in the Warde Academic Center. The eveningwill begin with an all-alumni cocktail reception startingat 5 p.m., followed by school dinners at 6:30 p.m. Allalumni are invited to attend. Those classes celebratingreunion milestones will be the honored guests. Theevening will be a great opportunity to meet formerclassmates and faculty members, and learn more about
the exciting changes at SXU. Saturday October 4 is Homecoming Day, as the
Cougars take on the University of Saint Francis. Allalumni are invited to join the Class of 1998 as theycelebrate their 5-year reunion at an Alumni TailgateParty in the Shannon Center parking lot. All footballalumni are invited back to campus for a specialcelebration marking 10 years of Cougar Football.
The reunion activities will conclude on Sunday,October 5 at the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony andHomecoming Brunch. All alumni are invited to jointhe reunion classes as we present the winners of theDistinguished Alumni Award, the Sister Dorothy MariePeschon Award, and the Faith in the Future Award.
The planning for all these activities is alreadyunderway. If you are celebrating a reunion this year,and you want to help with the planning for your classor school, or if you want to volunteer an hour to helpwith the Homecoming activities, contact the Officeof Alumni Relations at (773) 298-3329 or by e-mailat [email protected].
REUNION CLASSES TO
CELEBRATE AT
HOMECOMING 2003!
Classes of 1963, 1973, 1978, 1984, 1993, and 1998
Alumni Award Winners to beannounced June 1
Be sure to check the Office ofAlumni Relations website atwww.sxu.edu to see who will bethe 2003 Alumni Award Winners.The awards committee will makethe announcement on June 1,2003. The awards will bepresented at the Alumni AwardsCeremony and HomecomingBrunch on Sunday, October 5,2003.
Alumni Association to watch theWhite Sox and look for ELVIS!
The Saint Xavier UniversityAlumni Association is hosting analumni outing to see the ChicagoWhite Sox play the Texas Rangers
on Friday, August 22nd at 7:05p.m. This is also Elvis Night, sothe chances are good that youmight be able to see “The King.”The cost is $24 per person, whichincludes a reserved seat ticket andbus transportation from the SXUcampus. For more information,call the Office of Alumni Relationsat (773) 298-3329 or by e-mail [email protected].
Keep informed Subscribe Free to X-Cerpts.
Know what’s up at your almamater by getting a freesubscription to X-Cerpts, theelectronic newsletter of the SXUAlumni Association. X-Cerptscomes out bi-monthly, and has the
latest news about upcoming eventsand programs for alumni and theirfamilies. For more information onhow you can receive X-Cerpts,contact the Office of AlumniRelations at (773) 298-3329, orby e-mail at [email protected].
Want to hear what the students are saying at SXU? You can nowsign-up for a fall subscription to The Xavierite, the official studentnewspaper at Saint XavierUniversity. You’ll be able to followstudent news, Cougar Athletics,and University special events. Thecost is $20/year for 22 issues. Formore information, contact TheXavierite at (773) 298-3375. Besure to mention that you are analumnus/a of Saint Xavier.
Staying Connected
33
We’d like to hear from you…May we include news about you in the next issue? It’s a great way to let your friends and classmates know what you’re up to! If you don’t already receive mail from Saint Xavier University or if you have moved, please fill out this card and send it to the Office of AlumniRelations, 3700 West 103rd Street, Chicago, IL 60655.
❏ Please check this box for change of address information.
Mr. Mrs. Ms. Name: ______________________________________________ Name at graduation (if different): ____________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________ City: ______________________ State:________________ Zip: __________________
Phone: ____________________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________________________
Year of Graduation:__________________________________________________ Degree: ________________________________________________________________
News: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you know a classmate who hasn’t received news from the University in awhile, please pass this on to them.
Margaret Ahern ’48Geri Rice Baker ’53Theresa Davis ’53Lydia Armstrong Ellison ’53Delphine Ciesel Esner ’53Nola Dausman Farley ’53Rita Ferguson ’45Catherine Ffrench Fitzgerald ’53Nanette Franz ’45Elaine Gallagher ’51Ave Hayes Green ’51Joan Guilfoyle ’39Dorothy Kelly ’45Patricia Chess Klecan ’53
Christine Konstant ’41Sister Mary Venarda Lance RSM ’45Emily Manz ’47Marie Nahnsen McDonough ’53Mary Margaret McNicholas ‘48Moonyeen Meehan ‘42Margaret Miller ‘45Margaret Moran ‘49Bernardine Maslankowski Nash ‘53Sister Ramon Naughton R.S.M. ‘53Norinne Nicholson ‘49Joan Kenny O’Connell ‘53Betty Bernat O’Connor ‘53Mary Jo O’Connor ‘53
Mary Joan Stegman Range ‘53Betty Riley ‘49Sara Villanueva Santoyo ‘53Roberta Smith ‘53Mary Spatz ‘46Marie Zakes Squires ‘53Sister Rosalie Steinmiller R.S.M. ‘53Nargaret Trefo Sykora ‘53Winifred Wagner ‘46Marietta Battaglia Walsh ‘53Cordelia Weber ‘48Catherine Maloney Wirtz ‘53Gloria Steinken Wisz ‘53
Golden GraduatesThe 2003 GoldenGraduates Societycelebrated its 50-yearReunion last month.The Society, whichincludes any alumnaewho graduated morethan 50 years ago,meets annually tocelebrate and reminisceabout their Saint Xavier.Current members listedalphabetically are:
Learn how
Saint Xavier’s
connection to
Chicago goes
beyond the
classroom.
Connectedto
ChicagoPhoto by Tara Holton ’97, Chicago Neighborhoods Photo Contest winner 9
10
In an effort to stem the nationwide shortage ofnurses, Saint Xavier University’s School ofNursing is working with ten organizations in theChicago-Mexico Nurse Initiative (CMN), acollaborative partnership designed to prepareregistered nurses educated and licensed in Mexicoto reenter the profession in the United States.
Dean Mary Lebold, School of Nursing, alongwith Assistant Dean Darlene O’Callaghan andProfessor Michele Poradzisz, serve in a mainlyadvisory role for CMN, but also work andcollaborate with the project coordinator andpersonnel, and provide non-personnel resourcessuch as testing services, faculty, and computerassisted instruction and educational media.
Experts say that many nurses from Mexico arenot working in the healthcare field in the U.S.because their previous education was either not
recognized or not utilized. On average, they workin low paying jobs in industries other thanhealthcare due to governmental and other barrierssuch as the complicated U.S. licensing processes,language, and a general cultural bias. The CMNInitiative is a call for Mexican nurses to reclaimtheir original career of choice in the UnitedStates. The program allows students toparticipate in health care settings throughout theAmerican Hispanic community. According toexperts, this approach is quite effective and iswell liked by students. More than 66 percent ofthe U.S. Hispanic population is Mexican and Illinois has the third largest Mexican populationin the U.S.
In order to qualify for the CMN Initiative,individuals must be legal residents or U.S.citizens living in Chicago and registered nurses in
Connected to Chicago: Unique Initiatives
LA INICIATIVA BILINGÜE DE ENFERMEROS*
*The Bilingual Nursing Initiative
11
their previous country of residence. They mustprovide extensive documentation from Mexicoand from their respective nursing programs.Those who qualify go through a highlycomplicated process in order to meet the State ofIllinois requirements for RN licensure. Accordingto Lebold, there are several hurdles for a foreign
graduate to become licensed in the United States.This program is designed to help the nurses withthis process by offering English and readingcourses, as well as courses to prepare them for thenursing-licensure exam including educationaland clinical classes in nursing, test taking skillsand U.S. health care technology.
There is also social support to assist thecandidates in obtaining their transcripts and otherrequired documents. Currently 22 candidates arein pilot courses preparing them to sit for theCommission of Graduates of Foreign Nurses(CGNFS) exam and the NCLEX-RN (the nursinglicensure exam). The candidates are currentlyworking on courses in English proficiency toprepare for the advanced CGNFS and NCLEX-RN prep courses. While this program takes about2-3 years to finish, SXU hopes to start adding asteady stream of experienced bilingual nurses tothe Chicago area by 2005.
The University’s commitment also includesparticipation from other departments in theUniversity. Associate Vice-President forAcademic Affairs Dr. Richard Venneri has actedas a consultant on the international educationaspects of this project. Venneri and Leboldrecently met with the National AutonomousUniversity of Mexico (NAUM) and discussed thepossibility of fostering an agreement for anexchange program between NAUM and Saint
Xavier. And, through the collaborative efforts ofMercy Hospital and Medical Center, Saint XavierUniversity’s School of Nursing and Colleen Sehy,director of Government and FoundationRelations, grant proposal work has resulted in$300,000 from the Chicago Community Trustand $100,000 from the MacNeal Foundation.
Other organizations involved with the CMNInitiative are: Mercy Hospital & Medical Center,Alivio Medical Center, West Side TechnicalInstitute, National Autonomous University ofMexico, the Mexican Consulate, ChicagoDepartment of Public Health, the IllinoisDepartment of Public Health and the IllinoisDepartment of Human Services, The NationalCouncil of La Raza, and The Illinois HispanicNurses Association.
According to several surveys, the factorscontributing to the shortage of nurses arehospital merging; ensuing cost cutting andheavy workloads prompting many nurses toleave the profession. In one survey of nursesdescribing their last shifts, 31 percent said thattheir patients did not receive necessary skincare, 20 percent did not receive oral care, and 28percent were not able to provide patients andtheir families with necessary education andinstruction. According to the Bureau of LaborStatistics, more than 10 percent of nursing jobsin Illinois are unfilled, while the nationalaverage hovers at 13 percent. It has beenestimated that in the next twenty years thecountry will be short 400,000 nurses.Emergency rooms were shutting down,surgeries were delayed, and most disturbing wasthat almost all of the patients were not gettingthe critical care they desperately needed.
“Due to language and political barriers there are many Mexican nurses
working in the United States in industries that do not use their nursing skills,
including factories, food services and housekeeping,” says Dean Mary Lebold of
Saint Xavier University’s School of Nursing. “When there is this critical
shortage of qualified nurses, we need nurses employed in nursing.”
12
THIS BOTTOM LINE IS BLUE
Connected to Chicago: Innovative Programs
“[Today, the Police] are required to meet more
demanding challenges. It is all the more important that
our officers continue to receive their education and
training from an institution such as Saint Xavier.”
- Superintendent Terry Hillard, Chicago Police Departmentat the 2002 Commencement Ceremony
13
Work smarter, not harder” is a tried and truemantra these days among businessmen andwomen. But for the past three years, the ChicagoPolice Academy has taken this lesson into theirAcademy classrooms with a little help from SaintXavier University.
The Graham School of Management’s AcademyMBA program is the only one of its kind currentlyoffered at the Chicago Police Training Academy,located on west Jackson Blvd. According toprogram director Kate Watland, what makes thiscourse of study unique is the way it appliespractical frameworks to the real life work ofpolice business.
“We wanted to design a creative and customizedprogram that addressed the goals of the officerswhile incorporating the disciplines of the MBA,”Watland says. “We spent months listening to thepersonal and organizational needs of the ChicagoPolice Department. We gathered our informationfrom surveys, interviews, and countless informalconversations at numerous gatherings withprospective students and managementrepresentatives. We, in essence, penetrated thepolice culture so we could better understandindividual and organizational interests andconcerns.”
When the course was first offered three yearsago, roughly 20 officers enrolled. Dependinglargely on word-of-mouth advertising andpromotion, there are currently more than 200officers applying per semester and morethan 100 officers have already earnedtheir MBA degrees.
Unlike MBA programs located oncollege campuses, the Academy MBAprogram deals with applying productivebusiness and communication practicesto the business of police work. Anexample of the program’s adaptabilityto respond to current trends in lawenforcement can be found in theFinancial Fraud Management certificateprogram, which focuses on investigation
and prevention in the wake of scandals like Enronand Arthur Andersen.
But the cornerstone of the program is thebusiness philosophy called Communities ofPractice, or, ironically, COP. The program designemphasizes the importance of collaboration andprovides opportunities for modeling and practiceof interpersonal skills. The opportunity todevelop these learning communities contributesto the growth of individual students and expandsthe boundaries of an organization.
“As an educator, my mission is to create anenvironment where knowledge can be shared in acomfortable atmosphere,” Watland says. “Whenthe officers walk in the door, whether they are asergeant or a beat officer, all are equal. That kindof mood can help with the flow of communicationand establish a very productive tone that goesbeyond the classroom and into the districts andstation houses.”
Watching her students succeed in the classroomis very satisfying for Watland. But she is mostsatisfied to see project solutions put into actualpractice.
“I am honored and privileged to work inpartnership with such exemplary professionals,”she said. “These men and women sincerely wantto help protect the citizens of Chicago and Ibelieve we are aiding them to better serve theentire city.”
Photo by Alejandra Torres ’00
Financial Fraud Management Class
Connected to Chicago: Alumni
Like millions of people around the world, BarbaraSharres (Art ’69) loves movies. But one movie inparticular changed her life forever. As part of herfreshman orientation at Saint Xavier (then-College),the school’s film society ran a print of the 1962British film “The Loneliness of the Long DistanceRunner,” the story of a rebellious youth, sentencedto a boy’s reformatory for robbing a bakery, whorises through the ranks of the institution through hisprowess as a long distance runner.
“Before the movie I was a little skeptical. I realizedthe film society wanted students to contributemoney and join up,” Sharres says. “But during thefilm I was totally transformed. That’s when Irealized I had a genuine interest in film. Afterwards,I literally ran to give them my money.”
Her love affair with movies was born. As Directorof Programming for the Gene Siskel Film Center,Sharres develops projects and program series forone of the city’s premier movie houses. The GeneSiskel Film Center is part of the Art Institute ofChicago and its mission is to “exhibit movingpictures” from around the world.
“Professor Tom Deegan developed the firstcourse in film studies for Saint Xavier,” Sharressays. “After taking that course I wanted to do more.
Professor Deegan purchased some equipment andthe school allowed me to take an independent studyin filmmaking. I am still very grateful to SaintXavier for all they did for me.”
For the past 28 years, Sharres has worked for theFilm Center, helping develop its unique catalog ofnational and foreign films. The center holds morethan 2,000 showings annually on two screens andincludes a variety of film festivals, including theEarly American, European Union, Korean andHong Kong.
“We’re never sure what will be a hit withaudiences and what won’t,” she says. “Of course wepublicize our films but we’ve had four-star filmsand no one comes and on the other hand we’ll havevery little publicity for a small film and we end upturning people away at the door. Everything is asurprise.”
A lover of movies first and foremost, Sharres hasalways been keenly interested in cinema from Asiaand particularly Hong Kong. Long before AsianCinema was fashionable, Sharres and the FilmCenter decided this brand of filmmaking deservedattention.
“The Film Center was a pioneer in the area ofHong Kong films,” Sharres says. “When we startedother venues looked down on the idea. But I amvery proud to say that we were the first in the nation
Photo by Kevin Crabtree, senior,Chicago Neighborhoods Photo Contest winner
Movie Business
14
to pay attention to the amazing world of HongKong films.”
In the early 1990s, Sharres and the Film Centerinvited Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat anddirector John Woo to special programs focused ontheir careers. Other famous names that have visitedthe Center include Jackie Chan, Nicole Kidmanand, recently, Adrian Brody who came to discusshis role in The Pianist.
“Our goal continues to be to vary theprogramming to give a complete picture of worldcinema to the people of Chicago,” she says. “Ibelieve we are the only cultural venue in theMidwest with such sophisticated digital projection.This includes High Definition [HD], Digibeta and avariety of other formats. This is the wave of thefuture and I believe the Gene Siskel Film Center isfar ahead of the other theaters in Chicago.”
Sharres prides herself on keeping abreast ofnational and international changes in film. One ofthe newest developments is the widespread use ofdigital cameras in movie making. With a drasticreduction in cost versus film, digital cameras areallowing more voices to be heard and more storiesto be told, she says. This is particularly true incountries where government censorship stiflescreativity.
“I was in Tehran, Iran recently for the Fajr FilmFestival and although there is still censorship inthat country I saw many more digital andindependent films,” Sharres says. “The digitalrevolution offers a kind of freedom that peoplenever had before.”
Sharres says her greatest satisfaction comes whenan audience has a genuine experience watching amovie. “What’s exhilarating is watching peoplerespond to a film,” Sharres says. “Seeing them pourthrough the doors and then make a connection anddiscovery. It’s wonderful to know that you’vebrought something to the audience they didn’tknow was there.”
George Shimko (’79 Business) learned a lesson ata very young age that he never forgot: Whether insports or in life, be a gracious winner, a good loserand always try your best. The lesson resonated sodeeply with Shimko that his life is spent sharingthis insight with young people.
As General Manager of Basketball Operations forthe Chicago Bulls Training Academy, based inLisle, Illinois, Shimko says he is living his dream. He oversees three seasons of basketball campsannually, peaking during the summer season withan average high of 2,100 players spread out among112 teams. Planning, scheduling and coordinating44 games on one day isn’t unusual for Shimko.
But no journey worth taking is without itschallenges. Shimko’s basketball career as well ashis character development faced challenges early on.
BarbaraScharres
“Our goal continues to be to vary the programming to give acomplete picture of world cinema to the people of Chicago,”
Hoop Dreams
15
Photo by Lloyd DeGrane
Connected to Chicago: Alumni
“I suppose I could have turned bitter after highschool, but instead I remembered what mygrammar school basketball coach taught me. Neverquit,” Shimko says. A strong player in grammarschool, Shimko tried out for his high school club allfour years but never made the team.
“If I’d quit then, there’s no telling where I wouldhave ended up,” Shimko says. “But I rememberedthe example set by my coach at St. Basil’s, BobHouston. He taught me what it meant to be a player.He taught me about discipline and respect everytime I stepped on the court. So I kept improving.”
And people began to notice his abilities as a pointguard. While playing in the Chicago Neighborhood
Basketball League (CNBL), at Washington Park,Shimko was offered a scholarship to a stateuniversity. Two years later, he transferred to SaintXavier University.
“I really loved my years at Xav’s,” he says. “I hadgreat teammates like Kenny Styler. It’s now myson’s dream to play for Xav’s.”
After graduating, Shimko played for a semi-proteam based out of Toronto, Canada, which offeredhim the opportunity to play throughout Europe andthe former Soviet Union.
“That was an incredible experience,” Shimkosays. “I was fortunate to play with some incredibleathletes, like Arvydas Sabonis, currently thestarting center for the Portland Trailblazers.”
Shimko returned to Illinois and began working asan audit supervisor for the USDA where he helpedregulate the price of milk. But his passion forbasketball never waned. Nor did his respect for thegame, which he saw as being tarnished by proplayers who, he says, were focused on individualattention.
“I didn’t like the way the pro players were beingportrayed in the media,” Shimko says. “I wanted toteach kids the same respect for the game that I had.”
In 1995, Shimko approached the Oak Lawn ParkDistrict with a plan for a basketball camp for kids.The George Shimko Basketball School (GSBS)began to take shape with help from the Oak LawnSchool Board.
“Before I knew it we had 100 kids,” he says. “Allof the courts were full and the camp kept growingand growing through word of mouth.”
In December of 1998, the Chicago Bullscontacted Shimko to see if he was interested instarting a summer program for them using the samestyle and philosophy that made the GSBS sosuccessful. Shimko agreed, seizing the opportunityto take his approach to a bigger audience. In July of2001, after retiring from a 20-year career with theUSDA, Shimko started full-time with the ChicagoBulls and he hasn’t regretted the decision for amoment, he says.
“The game of basketball allows you to developrich talents that last a lifetime,” Shimko says.“Those skills will stay with you long after you stop bouncing a basketball.”
16Photo by Lloyd DeGrane
GeorgeShimko
The Business of FaithAlthough he began his studies at Saint Xavier
University believing that one day he would be whitecollar, one SXU alumnus found the Roman collar tobe a better fit.
Father Michael M. Boland (’82 Business) is theadministrator of Catholic Charities of theArchdiocese of Chicago, which is the largest providerof social services in the Midwest. The agencyemploys more than 3,000 professionals and supportshundreds of volunteers who serve more than 600,000people in need every year.
With 170 programs and 160 sites in Cook and Lakecounties serving the homeless, women and children,the elderly, immigrant families and others, theagency’s tagline “Compassion in Action” is not onlyappropriate, but succinctly accurate.
But as a young man attending Saint XavierUniversity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Boland
saw his future behind a large desk somewhere and notnecessarily behind an altar.
“Before attending Saint Xavier, I was just thinkingabout a life of ministry, but I was focused on a careerin business,” he says. “When I began to seriouslyconsider my calling, Sister Dennis O’Grady [RSM]helped me prepare my schedule so I could enter theseminary after graduation.”
Boland saw a unique role model in Sister Dennis — aprofessional person who is also dedicated to a life ofservice. She not only taught, but also held a law degree.
After graduating with his degree and a theology andphilosophy minor, Boland entered the seminary. Asadministrator of Catholic Charities, he is able toblend both the charity of his faith and the expertise ofhis management abilities to best serve the needy ofCook and Lake counties.
Boland has seen the need for services grow by ten-fold in the past ten years, while additional stateand federal funding has grown only incrementally.
Photo by Griselda Romero ’02,Chicago Neighborhoods PhotoContest winner
17
Connected to Chicago: Alumni
And in the current economic atmosphere, Bolandsays that the demand for services has never beengreater.
“As an agency that depends greatly on state andfederal funds to provide programs and services tothe needy, this is a very stressful time,” he says.“We are working very hard to secure the fundsneeded to continue providing quality services toour clients.”
Chicago is one of the largest and most complexcities in the nation and a main port of entry for newimmigrants, Boland says. So the agency’sphilosophy focuses on teaching its clientsindependence, self-sufficiency and problem-solving skills they will need to live long, healthy,productive lives.
“Providing front-end services may be moreexpensive in the short term, but providing peoplewith these life skills is far better in the long term,”he says. “I believe that thinking in the long term
can be difficult, but it’s essential to solve currentproblems and avoid problems in the future.”
Using not only his compassion but also hisbusiness sense, Boland has steered CatholicCharities to stay aware of the growing needs of theimmigrant groups by developing programs that aresensitive to the cultural needs of its clients.
“Certain programs are not only bilingual but alsobicultural,” Boland says. “Within a certaincommunity, say the Hispanic community forexample, there are different cultural experiencesfor Mexicans than there are for Guatemalans. Wehave seen the need for cultural sensitivity growand we continue to respond to it.”
The agency is addressing this need by providingvarious programs in 26 different languages and byemploying professionals regardless or race or religion.
Boland says staying aware of growing needs andresponding to them isn’t just the religious missionof Catholic Charities, “It’s also good business.”
“I believe that thinking in the long term can be difficult, but it’sessential to solve current problems and avoid problems in the future.”
Ph
oto
by D
avid
Joe
l
Father Michael Boland (front center) with members of Catholic Charities JuniorBoard, an organization ofyoung adults committed topromote Catholic Charities’work.
18
Sweet Home ChicagoThe Second City prides itself on being second to
none; whether in our pizza, our softball, our skyline,or, as the new book written in part by GrahamSchool of Management Associate Professor CharlesShanabruch suggests, our homes.
“Chicago Bungalow” (Arcadia Publishing) tracesthe origins, development and eventual dominance ofthis uniquely Chicago-style home. The era of theChicago bungalow began in the early 20th century asthe demand for housing grew with the city’spopulation. The standard Chicago bungalow is a oneand one-half story single-family freestanding brickhome that included such modern amenities aselectricity, indoor plumbing and central heating. Theallure of the bungalow was manifested in roughlynearly 100,000 units built across the city between1910 and 1940. This amazing growth gave birth toentirely new neighborhoods, most notably the various“Bungalow Belt” neighborhoods across the city.
“Chicago Bungalow” introduces readers not only tothe economic and social reasons behind the growth,but also to the personalities behind the phenomenon.The book is also filled with pages of old photographsand delightful advertisements from the age.
“Chicago Bungalow” is available at Amazon.comand in most major bookstores.
City Hall Meets the MysticChicago’s first Mexican mayor, a supernatural
skull and a colorful underworld of unusualcharacters await readers of “Skullduggery”, the firstnovel by SXU speech professor, Silvia Foti.
An accomplished journalist and teacher, Foti(Mass Communications ‘??) draws upon herexperiences and her imagination to create a worldwhere Chicago politics collide with themetaphysical. The story opens with cynicalsupernatural reporter Alexandria Vilkas pinned tothe ground beneath the weight of the freshly deadMayor of Chicago. As the prime suspect in hismurder, Vilkas must establish her innocence bypiecing together the clues, unearthing the scatteredbits of truth and reevaluating her skepticism about alegendary Crystal Skull that may be a whole lotmore than an interesting artifact.
“Skullduggery” is a rich blend of fantasy andreality told in a confident voice by an author whoknows just what a reader wants from a mystery:suspense.
“Skullduggery” (Creative Arts Book Company) isavailable on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, andthe SXU bookstore.
Connected to Chicago: Faculty Books
Photo by Austin Schaefer, senior,Chicago Neighborhoods PhotoContest winner
19
Stories by Bill Britt, a Chicago area freelance writer
overcoming
24Photo by Monte Gerlach
The runner at second, should she tagup, can get in prime scoring position.One wild pitch or a well-positionedinfield grounder and the SXUCougars could see their 12-gamewinning streak foiled by a Stritchteam that won only 11 games lastyear.
However, as soon as SXUsrightfielder looks the ball into herglove, she hurls the ball as if it wasshot out of a cannon towards thirdbase. It’s a perfect strike to MichelleAbraham (Midlothian/Bremen) atthe hot corner. The runner at secondtook a few steps after the ball wascaught, feinting an attempt attagging up. But in reality, with thearm and ability that SamanthaEyman (Palos Hills/Stagg) possessesas the everyday rightfielder for theCougars, the runner really wasn’tgoing anywhere.
Head SXU coach Myra Minuskintakes one look at me and said, “That,right there, is why we recruited her.”
For some softball teams, anoutfielder with a cannon arm whocan gun down a runnner isn’t toouncommon. However for Eyman, agirl born without a complete leftarm, it’s pretty remarkable.
“You could tell in high school thatshe had the ability to play at thislevel,” Minuskin said. “She’s got
great foot speed, a great arm and she’sa fierce competitor. She’s anoutstanding defensive outfielder. Iknew she could play at this level.”
Eyman does have a left elbow andmost of the forearm. Her situation iscomparable to former major-leaguebaseball player Jim Abbott, who wasborn without a right hand but spent10 years in the big leagues, includingone with the White Sox.
“I was born with no thumb,” Eymansaid. “They made a thumb out of myhip bone to make the hand moremaneuverable. They thought itwould help me out and it does. I cantie my shoes with my thumb and useit for some other things.”
Eyman actually had the chance to
meet with Abbott when she was nineand he was playing a road game atComiskey Park.
“My dad called the ballpark and setup the interview,” Eyman said. “Ihung out with him in the dugoutand he showed me how he does themitt switch. He just kind of talked tome and said to keep going and nevergive up. He said ‘don’t let anybodytell you you can’t do anything.’”
Eyman had a similar chance to tutora youngster this past January at theSXU girls softball camp.
“A parent called and inquired aboutSam,” Minuskin said. “She had a sonthat had a similar situation as Samand she wanted him to meet her.She’s great with kids. She’s just a greatperson.”
It’s no coincidence that Eyman’sability to relate and entertainchildren coincides with her major atSXU, elementary education. A fewweeks after tutoring the young boyon how to throw like she does, theparent sent a thank-you note sayinghow excited the boy was aboutplaying baseball now.
“I guess like anybody you don’t reallyknow if you can make it playing atthis level,” Eyman said. “I’ve alwayswanted to, and I just kept trying it.And I guess I’ve made it.”
all obstaclesIt’s a lazy fly ball. Hit ever so easily directly to the rightfielder. It’s an easy catch - a “can of corn”
some might say. However, with a runner at second base and powerhouse Saint Xavier deadlockedwith massive underdog Cardinal Stritch University (Wisc.), this lazy fly ball possesses much
bigger implications.
by Josh Henricks
“They made a thumb
out of my hip bone to
make the hand more
maneuverable. They
thought it would help
me out and it does.”
25
Sports News
Thirty wins, a victory at the nationaltournament, a conference tournament title:those are just a few of the many
accomplishments achieved by the 2002-03 SXUmen’s basketball team.
“Winning 30 games is always fantastic,” saidSXU Coach Tom O’Malley. “We also won ourconference tourney, the tourney in Arizona againstsome very good NCAA Division II teams, and ourown Christmas Tournament.
“Individually, Mark Telander (Evergreen Park/Brother Rice) was the CCAC Player of the Year, Mike Rojas (Burbank/Reavis) and JeremyHolmes (Robbins/Eisenhower) were all-conferenceand Phil Watson (Chicago/Von Steuben) washonorable mention. We had a lot of greataccomplishments.”
SXU finished with a 30-7 record, tying the schoolmark for most wins in a season. And with an 82-56 win over Oklahoma City University in thefirst round of the NAIA NationalTournament, the Cougars advanced tothe Sweet Sixteen for the first time infive trips.
“It was a goal we had set since thebeginning of the year,” O’Malleysaid of reaching the tournament.“We not only won, but we won ina very fashionable way. I thoughtwhat we did really well this seasonwas recruit to our needs. Eric Regan(St. Charles/St. Charles) and RaphaelMorris (Chicago/Bogan) steppedright in and did a great job.”
Telander, a 6-2 junior guard,
finished the season with averages of 19.9 points pergame (ppg)on 47 shooting from the field, 39percent from three-point range and 83 percent fromthe free-throw line. Rojas, a 6-7 sophomoreforward who was also a First Team selection,averaged 16.2 ppg and led SXU in rebounding with7.8 per game (pg). He also shot 53 percent from thefloor, 38 percent from three-point range and 83percent from the line.
Holmes averaged 11.0 ppg and finished as SXU’sleader in assists (3.7 pg). Watson posted averagesof 10.8 ppg and 4.1 rebounds per game (rpg). Otherbig contributors included sophomore Rick Romeli(Lansing/Marian Catholic), sophomore JasonReiter (Lemont/ Lemont) and senior Jim Hillock(Orland Park/Sandburg). Romeli averaged 7.1points and 3.4 rpg off the bench, Reiter 3.6 ppg andHillock started 25 games, leading the team in
charges taken.The only other player the Cougars lost
is senior Demond Brown (Woodridge/College of DuPage). Also returning areKamil Chmielewski (College Station,Texas/A&M Consolidated), Alex Freer
(Wheaton/Wheaton-Warrenville South),Jamon Dorsey (Chicago/Vocational),Brice Amelianovich (Naperville/Neuqua Valley), Jabari Saunders(Plainfield/Joliet West) and Ed Thullen(Evergreen Park/Brother Rice).“All in all, we’ve got 13 of the 16
players we have returning,” O’Malleysaid. “Hopefully we can find anotherplayer to replace Jeremy and have anothergreat season.”
Cougars cap
successful
seasonMen
’s B
aske
tbal
l
26Photo by Monte Gerlach
Mark Telander
What started out as an improbable dreamjust a few years ago became realitythis season when the Saint Xavier
women’s basketball earned a berth in the NAIANational Tournament. Just three years ago, therewas no women’s team and tohave come so far so fast isquite the accomplishment.
“We’ve gone from noplace to 20th in the nation,”said SXU Coach Bob Hallbergof his team’s ranking in the finalNAIA Division I poll. “There aresome teams in the NAIA that havebeen playing for over 20 years andnever made it to the nationaltournament. This was a great yearand we had a lot of fun. Our goal is tomake it an annual thing.”
The Cougars set a school recordfor most wins in a season (28-6) andconference season (11-1). SXU wasthe Chicagoland Collegiate AthleticConference (CCAC) regular-seasonand tournament champs.
There were a number of individualaccolades as well. Junior guard/forward Mary Cain (Chicago/Maria)was again honored as the CCAC Playerof the Year after leading the Cougarsin scoring (15 ppg.), steals (4.2 pg)and assists (3.5 pg) while finishingfourth in rebounding (4.5 pg). She was also anNAIA All-American Honorable Mention selection.
Joining Cain on the All-Conference First Teamwas junior forward Jayme Brown (Palos Park/Stagg).
Brown averaged 11.0 ppg and led SXU in fieldgoal percentage (.470) while finishing third inrebounding (5.35 pg). Named to the CCAC SecondTeam was junior forward Rachel Merkell (Munster,Ind./Munster). Merkell led SXU in rebounding
(6.85 pg) while averaging 8.8 ppg. Freshman guard Jackie DiMaggio (Bartlet/
Glenbard North) was named the CCACFreshman of the Year. The 5-9 frosh was
second on SXU in scoring (11.2 ppg) andrebounding (5.4 pg).
The team also received valuablecontributions from junior guardMargoth Rodriguez (Chicago/Maria),freshman guard Jen Belmonte(Darien/Hinsdale South), juniorguard/forward Maureen Nelson (TinleyPark/Andrew), freshman centerVeronica Kristie (Willow Springs/Argo), sophomore guard SaraZembrzuski (Lockport/Lockport),sophomore forward Lauren Novak(Oak Forest/Oak Forest), junior guardMaureen Bowes (Oak Lawn/MotherMcAuley), junior guard Jessica Joyce
(Hickory Hills/Stagg) and juniorforward Stephanie Wright (Burbank/Reavis). Nelson canned 37 three-
pointers and Zembrzuski 39. Wrightaveraged 7.0 ppg off the bench.
“On every level, there’s only one teamthat can end the season with a win,”
Hallberg said. “We have to look at our season as awhole and not just our last game. We’ve got noseniors so everyone’s coming back. We’veestablished a foundation for the future.”
SXU HASRECORD-BREAKING SEASON
WWoomm
eenn’’ss
BBaass
kkeettbb
aallll
27Photo by Monte Gerlach
Mary Cain
