AlumNews November 2010 I Volume V, Issue 2
Mark Your Calendar
FEBruary 27, 2011
We were busy this fall!
Buffalo, Amherst and Rochester Brand Launch Parties Medaille celebrated its 135th birthday on the Buffalo Campus with a party for students, alumni and friends and the unveiling of a new marketing and branding campaign. Events to launch the new campaign at the Amherst and Rochester campuses followed.
“‘Change Your Mind’ exemplifies how Medaille helps its students expand their horizons,” said Dr. Richard Jurasek. “Medaille students grow and change through education, building relationships, community involvement and leadership opportunities.” “Medaille’s new marketing/branding campaign is “fresh,” “innovative” and “creative.” Writing ‘change your mind’ on your mind, (forehead), is ingenious. It’s almost like reading the person’s mind. Having the launch party built excitement.” – Yvonne Thorne ’04 MBA “I think the campaign is brilliant. The message is loud and clear – change your mind about feeling unqualified and stuck in a rut and become the educated, qualified leader you want to be. The striking blue captions in the pictures and the catchy tunes in the commercial are unforgettable. It’s a refreshing, modern way to spread the word about higher education. And I shall not forget to comment on the Medaille bug – love it!” – Lori Polisoto ’09 BBA Busy this Fall continues on next page >
Shrek the Musical at Shea’s Join the Alumni Association on February 27, 2011 for Shrek the Musical at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. A pre-performance reception will be held at the Smith Theatre prior to the 2 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $40 for alumni and $50 for non-alumni. Tickets are limited so get yours today at alumni.medaille.edu.
“Based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on the stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek. A BIG FAT HIT!”
Photo by Greg Wlosinski ’07 VDA
USA Today proclaims SHREK THE MUSICAL “ALTOGETHER IRRESISTIBLE.”
Lori Polisoto ’09 BBA and “The Bug,” Brand Ambassador, at the Amherst Launch Party. Follow “The Bug” on Twitter or join the Facebook page.
spotlightbusiness
Busy This Fall continued from front page
Bills Game On September 12, 2010 over 50 alumni and friends met at Lot 5 Pole 5 at Ralph Wilson Stadium for a tailgate party to kick-off the Bills Home Opener against the Miami Dolphins. The tailgate party included food, drinks, snacks and lawn games! “It was a wonderful experience, a lot of fun, and well organized. I would love to do it again!” – Darlene Donohue ’02 MC
NPR’s Scott Simon Comes to Medaille Scott Simon, author and host of National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Saturday, spoke at Medaille’s Buffalo campus on September 27, 2010. Simon delivered a talk on the themes covered in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers. A book signing for his newest work, Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other, followed.
Chris Baumgarden ’03 SS
Building an Online Business For Chris Baumgarden ’03 SS, what started as a joke with his friends has blossomed into a promising new business. After four years of development, Textivia launched as a text marketing tool and trivia-based prize game. An estimated five billion texts were sent over wireless networks each day in 2009, and Textivia now capitalizes on the burgeoning text messaging industry. To play on the Textivia service, players answer a daily trivia question, sent via text message to their phone, and are entered to win the daily $25 or $50 prize chosen randomly each night at 9 p.m. Within each “right answer” reply message, players receive a discount code to a local business. “I was blown away to find out how much small businesses are pressured into spending [on marketing] for little to no results,” explains Baumgarden. “I thought that attaching a discount to a large amount of local ‘players’ would be really effective.”
Business Leadership Series Medaille’s School of Adult and Graduate Education and Buffalo Niagara 360 joined forces to offer a series of Business Leadership events through the 2010-11 year. The first event, held on September 20, featured William Weeks, clinical associate professor and chair of the Management and Leadership program at Medaille, who presented on “Why Should Anyone be Led by You, or Me?” Visit alumni.medaille.edu for more information on this series. “Leaders look to the fringes of the present for clues about the future. Leadership is about preparing people for a future that has not quite arrived.” – William G. Weeks, Clinical Associate Professor and Chair of the Management and Leadership program
View more pictures from these events at www.facebook.com/medaillealumni.
With the largest concentrations of players residing in Buffalo, Fredonia, and Dunkirk, NY, and Raleigh, NC, Baumgarden’s market continues to grow. “We started with around five [players], then 10, then 400, and now we’re at 2,500 [players] and by the time this is printed we should be around 3,500,” says Baumgarden. “I’m still blown away at some winners we’ve had recently in California, Nevada, and Colorado. I don’t even market there!” To market Textivia, they use Facebook and set up booths at local events. “We just finished up a ‘refer a friend contest’ that paid out $200 in Best Buy gift cards, the prize was awarded to the customer who had the most referrals. [This] worked really well,” explains Baumgarden. To join Textivia, text “Join” to 27367 to receive the free daily trivia question. Textivia can also be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/textivia. 2
Jessica Colvenback ’05 SPM and Ryan Tracy ’06 SPM
Scott Simon
Join Our online community today!
Downing Golf Tournament On August 16, 2010 alumni and friends of the college enjoyed a day of golf at Transit Valley Country Club and supported the Allen Lee Downing Memorial Scholarship Fund helping to raise over $25,000.
FIND OUT About events your Alumni Association offers throughout the year. Take advantage of the extra benefits offered to all members of the Online Community.
Photos by joe cascio
KEEP IN TOUCH with your classmates.
The Allen Lee Downing Memorial Scholarship benefits students, undergraduate and graduate, who mirror Allen’s commitment to education and community service. This tournament is the main event raising funds to benefit Medaille College’s endowment, securing the long-term success of the College. View pictures from the golf tournament at www.medaille.edu/giving/events/downing.
Update us on what is happening both personally and professionally.
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The next golf outing is August 15, 2011 at Transit Valley Country Club. We hope you’ll join us!
Call (716) 880-2315 or rsvp@medaille.edu
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alumni associationEVENTSCALENDAR November 15, 2010 Business Leadership Series “Leading from Within” 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
February 27, 2011 Shrek at Shea’s Performing Arts Center 12 p.m. – Reception 2 p.m. – Matinee
November 18, 2010 The GLOW Project 6 – 9 p.m.
April 11, 2011 Business Leadership Series Topic TBA
December 4, 2010 Reindeer Run 10 a.m. February 7, 2011 Business Leadership Series Topic TBA
April 13, 2011 Founders’ Day 6 p.m. April 26, 2011 Comedy Show with Myq Kaplan from Last Comic Standing 7 – 9 p.m. 3
classnotes 1980
1997
Alyssa Hillger ’80 MC is taking distance learning classes at the University of Cincinnati to obtain her master of science in nursing. She plans to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) with a specialization as a nurse educator. Lucinda Weakland ’80 MC has been appointed as Operations and Training Coordinator for Potter County Department of Emergency.
1988
Kim (Charnock) Gordon ’88 MC recently published her first novel, A Modern Christmas Romance. The book is available in paperback or as a download. Visit www.lulu.com.
1991
Kathryn Seweryniak ’91 LS is the Director of Veterinary Technology at Genesee Community College. Most recently, Seweryniak was a technical associate in the Environmental Medicine/ Lung Biology and Disease Program at the University of Rochester.
1994
Scott Heigl ’94 BRD ’05 MSED is a Training Consultant specializing in team building and increasing productivity.
1995
Lori Salisbury ’95 VT recently received her BT from SUNY Canton. 4
Jennifer Bergstrom ’97 ED and husband, Ernie, welcomed their son Brian Edward into the world in May 2010.
2004
Henri Muhammad ’04 MSED received the Service to Humanity Award from Masjid Numan in July and the Community Service Award from the Paramount Chapter No. 57 Order Eastern Star in October.
2005
2002
Robin Needham ’02 BA joined SKM Group, Inc. as Media Director. She previously worked as a Media Supervisor at Eric Mower & Associates. Erin Nelson ’02 HHS is the Team Coordinator for Aspire of Western New York. Sarah Quezada ’02 BIO is a veterinary technician at the Buffalo Zoo. Cecelia Raine ’02 BBA is a recipient of the Buffalo Business First “Women of Influence” Award. She was also promoted earlier this year to Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Lender Processing Services, Inc. Stuart Schnettler ’02 MBA is the District Director for the Boy Scouts of America - Greater Niagara Frontier.
2003
Chris Baumgarden ’03 SS and Tonja Merz were married in October 2010 at All Saints Chapel in Raleigh, NC. A reception at All Saints Chapel followed. The couple honeymooned in Cancun, Mexico.
Cameron (Stelmach) McGowan ’05 MSED and John M. McGowan were married in August at St. Louis Church in Buffalo. A reception followed at the Buffalo Historical Society. Erik Saladin ’05 SM was recently promoted to Senior Claim Consultant at The Hartford in Syracuse.
2006
Erin (Finn) DiCanio ’06 ED and Matt DiCanio were married on July 30, 2010 at St. Philip the Apostle Parish. A reception followed at Lucarelli’s Banquet Facility in Lackawanna. The couple honeymooned in Jamaica. Anthony Marasciulo ’06 BA started his own business, CarePackage ETC. For more information visit www.carepackageetc.com.
classnotes Robert Spoor ’07 HHS and Jessica Fisher were married on September 18, 2010 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo.
Hugh O’Donnell ’06 MC is a local writer and podcaster; he hosts and produces The Way of the Buffalo podcast, which features literary fiction and interviews. His work can be found online at thewayofthebuffalo.blogspot.com. Chris Phillips ’06 LS recently joined the sales department at Alternative Information Systems in Buffalo.
Deborah Terzian ’07 BA is the owner of Dragonfire Designs, an airbrush design company. For more information visit www.dragonfireairart.com.
2008 2007
Thomas J. Burns ’07 MBA is the Associate Vice President for Public Relations, Communications, and Marketing at Niagara University. Tera (Tinti) Domaradzki ’07 BIO and Alex Domaradzki ’06 BIO were married on February 10, 2010 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The wedding took place on Emerald Beach and the couple was joined by their families. A reception followed in July 2010 in Auburn, NY. The couple resides in North Tonawanda. Heather Jones ’07 VT works for the Town of Hamburg Police Department as a Dog Control Officer; she also accepted a position with the Cattaraugus County SPCA. LaTarcia Kenner-Daniels ’04 ASB, ’07 BBA, ’08 MOL is the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at UNC Charlotte in NC.
Brittany Burchett ’08 MC received her Master’s in Television, Radio and Film from Syracuse University. Since graduating, Burchett worked as a casting associate for The Bad Girls Club and The Real World and worked as a production assistant for Bret Michael’s new VH1 reality show. Now, Burchett is moving to New York City to work with MTV on the show True Life, and with a television development company that produces Whose Wedding is it Anyway?, A Baby Story, and Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Megan Ohnmeiss ’08 MC was chosen to be a spokesperson for Chevrolet and will be traveling around the world to auto shows. Additionally, Megan has her own PR Event Entertainment blog where she gives an in-depth look at PR entertainment event planning -www.preventertainment.wordpress.com. She is currently a graduate student at Kent State University studying public relations and communications.
2010
Jennifer Pacyon ’10 PSY is an adjunct professor in the Social Sciences Department at Medaille. Pacyon will teach Introduction to Psychology and Sociology. Angela Twentyfive ’10 BA joined SKM Group as an accounting clerk. Previously an accounting intern, Twentyfive will now be responsible for the day-to-day accounting functions of the company.
Charles Killian ’08 MC joins the 2010 UB Football Video Crew for the third season. Killian films and edits footage from UB football games. David Ricardo Lopez ’08 VT is a Laboratory Animal Technician at the University of Arizona-Tucson. Shannon O’Brien ’08 SM received her MS in Student Personnel Administration from Buffalo State College in May 2010. She is the Associate Director of the President’s Athletic Conference in Wexford, PA.
Wedding anniversary? Marriage announcement? Receive an award? Employment announcement? We want to know! Share your news with us and classmates... alumni@medaille.edu
Lisa (Vanderlinden) Dziewa ’76 ED and David Dziewa ’76 ED met at Medaille College in 1972 and married in 1977. 5
rochester report
Jim with David Letterman
james doyle ’78 mc
A Life in the Media Industry How many political commercials have you seen, scrutinized, and watched this fall? Have you ever wondered what a news room is like in the midst of the political season? James Doyle ’78 MC, former news coordinator for ABC News and production assistant for NBC TV, shares what his experience was like in the news room in the 80s. During Doyle’s time at ABC and NBC, he was in the middle of events that changed lives. “I covered presidents, popes, wars and natural disasters,” explained Doyle, who covered political elections. “What more can anyone ask for? Those were the times of my life.” “Elections were the times you lived for; everything was a buzz,” said Doyle. “[There was lots of ] people and traveling, and looking for the one story that would beat the other guy.” In political news coverage today, they have news-gathering organizations that combine resources and distribute to members of the broadcast pool to edit and use freely. “[Pool coverage] keeps costs down and is a better way to [report] some of the bigger staged events,” adds Doyle. When reporting on politics you never know what can happen. “Look at some of the past stories like Gary Hart, Mike Dukakis, and Howard Dean,” explains Doyle. “They were all brought down by news coverage. Good or bad, news is always there. It just depends on how they [the reporters] spin it.” In the past 20 years, money has changed everything in the news industry. “News used to be just a service of providing factual information, explains Doyle. “They still have what they call ‘first news or hard news,’ but everything else is show or producer opinions.” Doyle also adds, “I am not sure that we will ever see the true news reports of the Cronkite, Jennings, Brinkley, Chancellor or Newman. They were what real news reporters should be: just report the news and nothing but the news.”
6
Since his time in the news industry, Doyle’s career trajectory has included advertising, politics, and lobbying. And, he has continued to manage JD Associates Consulting, a media relations company. “At the present, I’m looking to write a book,” said Doyle. “It seems like I may have more than one [idea] in my head so, we’ll see.”
Spotlight on Medaille College Rochester Campus Lecture Series On October 21, 2010 the Rochester campus hosted its first Spotlight on Medaille College Lecture Series. The goal of the series is to make the community aware of our knowledgeable faculty and to see them as a resource. Adjunct faculty member Fernan Cepero spoke on “The Relevancy of Human Resources in Shifting Times and Economic Challenges.” Throughout his discussion he expressed that Human Resources is a catalyst for change as well as a facilitator of change and it is important to remain relevant during shifting times. He also stated that HR professionals should begin the dialogue, listen and build rapport. Furthermore, it is key for HR professionals to be able to manage both culture and change. Overall, HR is a vital partner in organizations. The campus is working on putting together another lecture in February 2011. Visit alumni.medaille.edu for details on upcoming events.
AlumNews Editor Summer Handzlik ’08 Graphic Design Carla Kestner Contributors Jenna O’Hara ’12 MC Laura Masse AlumNews is published quarterly. For submissions please email alumni@medaille.edu.
“Few other college sports teams in the nation can boast a record like Medaille’s.” Pete Lonergan, Medaille College Director of Athletics
Support the Medaille Mavericks and Participate in this Year’s Reindeer Run Join us on December 4, 2010 for the 16th Annual Reindeer Run. This ever-growing annual race will once again feature a scenic course through the streets of Buffalo and Forest Lawn Cemetery along with a lively post-race party on Medaille’s Buffalo campus. The first 525 registered runners will receive a highly coveted Reindeer Run windshirt! So bring your jingle bells, your Santa hat and your antler headbands as we go dashing through the snow to raise funds for Medaille’s athletic program.
Gary Boughton ’09 SPM
www.medaille.edu/reindeerrun
Few other college sports teams in the nation can boast a record like Medaille’s. For the fourth year in a row, Medaille Maverick teams improved their winning percentages, finishing at 62%, up from 51% in 2009-10! Twelve of our 14 sports teams qualified for playoff games, with four earning trips to the ECAC Tournament, and three qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
From the Desk of
Pete Lonergan Medaille College Director of Athletics
With that kind of record, the “state of the union” for our athletic programs has never been stronger, and this strength comes, in part, from the support generated by our Maverick Family program. Your donation will have a significant impact on the student-athletes at Medaille College. By encouraging them with your attendance at games and events, our teams and our coaches see how much you care. Our long list of achievements is made possible thanks to the support of donors and fans like you. We appreciate your enduring support, and look forward to creating and sharing many more highlights during this current year. You can make a gift online at www.medaille.edu/maverickfamily. 7
Office of College Relations 18 Agassiz Circle I Buffalo, NY 14214
A guest at the Amherst launch party snaps a picture of our new sign! photo by greg wlosinski ’07 VDA
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