About Saint Michael's
Saint Michael's in the News - 2005 Archives
Local woman offers comfort to refugees
By Susan Morse
smorse@seacoastonline.com
December 2005
"SEABROOK - A Seabrook woman’s work resettling refugees attracted the attention of her college, which nominated her for the fifth annual Vermont Student Citizen Award.
Robynne Locke, 21, a senior at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., became one of eight finalists for the award sponsored by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company.
She is the daughter of Brian and Robin Locke of Seabrook and a 2002 graduate of Winnacunnet High School.
Locke, a sociology and anthropology major, is an intern for the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program in Burlington, near her college."
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Selling an ideal of lipstick and lace
By Lyn Mikel Brown and Sharon Lamb
December 21, 2005
Professor Sharon Lamb co-authors an editorial on the way dolls are marketed to young girls.
"Dolls rarely make it onto dangerous toy lists for the holiday season, unless a 3-year-old bites a head off one and swallows it. But don't be deceived by a pretty face. If massive toy stores are the front lines in America's gender wars, dolls should be on the list of land mines. Go to the war front, and staunchly march down aisles of pink and glitter. It ain't pretty. Well, actually, it is pretty, very very pretty. And, increasingly, sexy."
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Vermont political debate takes to cyberspace
By Terri Hallenbeck
December 20, 2005
Professor David Mindich quoted on the pros and cons of blogs:
"David Mindich, chairman of the St. Michael's College Journalism and Mass Communications Department, said he worries that the anonymity that comes with debating politics online poses a danger to democratic debate. In a traditional town meeting, people are forced to face their adversaries. Online, those same people might drop a political bomb and walk away from the debate...With that caution, Mindich said, blogs probably do more good than harm. 'Any time we have more information and more views, it's probably a good thing.'"
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Frisoli hosts St. Michael's radio show
December 15, 2005
"Lawrence Frisoli, son of Lawrence and Kathryn Frisoli of Winchester hosts a weekly, two-hour radio show called 'Cannonball Run' on 88.7 WWPV-FM, the student-run radio station of Saint Michael's College. Frisoli is a sophomore journalism major at the liberal arts Catholic residential college located in the Burlington area of Vermont. He graduated from Winchester High School before coming to Saint Michael's."
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Holy Monophony!: William Tortolano's early-music enchantment
By Casey Rea
December 14, 2005
"You can't kill a good melody, they say. Gregorian chant, a type of musical prayer established by and named for Pope Gregory I in 590 AD, certainly bears out this adage. While The Beatles' 'Yesterday' has had a remarkable shelf life, its timelessness can't hold a votive candle to 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo.' Dr. William Tortolano, a professor emeritus at St. Michael's College, knows his chant, and he shares his wisdom in a new instructional manual, A Gregorian Chant Handbook. Written in clear, concise language, the guide will help monophony enthusiasts learn, among other things, the difference between a podatus and a quilisma. As director of the Vermont Gregorian Chant Schola, Tortolano leads his venerable chorus in a Christmas concert at St. Michael's College Chapel"
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Adopt-a-Family at Saint Michael's
Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m.
The story covers people who gave to the Adopt-a-Family project, including Jordan Smith, a student organizer. The sotry was repeated during the 11 p.m. news show and the next morning during the 6 a.m. news.
"A group of college students is making sure that needy families will have enough presents for their kids on Christmas morning. Without the help of such generous people, the holiday season would be a bleak one. Andy Potter explains.
A van pulled up -- loaded with the results of over a hundred generous donors, all of them from Saint Michael's College. ((NAT: rear doors are opened)) The bags are full of Christmas presents that will be given to clients of the Baird Center for Children and Families -- which makes up an important part of Chittenden county's community-based mental health services. ((Jordan Smith/St. Michael's Adopt a Family Volunteer: 'I think the whole stressful part was getting it all organized and cramming it into one van.')) The presents were carted upstairs to a long hallway where Baird center case workers do much of their work. Each bag of presents is destined for a specific family, matching a wish list submitted by each family. So far there are enough presents for 195 families."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Charlotte pastor, New Orleans school and St. Michael's connect
By Dorothy Pellett
December 13, 2005
"St. Michael's College in Colchester has focused recent relief projects on Bishop Perry Middle School, St. Peter Claver parish in New Orleans and St. Joseph the Worker School in Marrero, La.
Bishop Perry school, the college and the church share a common founder -- the Society of St. Edmund, known as Edmundites. Two former Bishop Perry pupils, William Sledge and Tyronne Walker, are attending St. Michael's College.
Students held fund-raising events after the hurricane, including a Walk for Katrina on Nov. 18. Ten teams of students, faculty and staff walked for 12 hours on the college indoor track. St. Michael's students have made service trips to the Bishop Perry school each year since 1994, according to the Rev. Richard Myhalyk, an Edmundite.
Heidi St. Peter, director of St. Michael's Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts program -- MOVE -- said 10 alumni traveled to New Orleans over Thanksgiving week and helped to clean St. Peter Claver Church.
'During Christmas vacation, 13 faculty members will work at the church and the Bishop Perry School, and in January two faculty members and 11 students will go,' St. Peter said."
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By Lauren Ober
December 11, 2005
"The "Pulse of Vermont" study, prepared by Vincent Bolduc, Ph.D., and Herb Kessel, Ph.D., social scientists at St. Michael's College, has been conducted every five years since 1990. About 400 Vermonters were polled by telephone survey about quality-of-life issues...
...For researchers Bolduc and Kessel, this study, the only statewide quality-of-life-survey in the country, is essential for understanding the lives of Vermonters at various points in time.
'It's important to identify the context in which we live. We want to know if people are more satisfied with life, are they happier, do they feel safe,' Kessel said."
Jobs, health top list of Vermonters' worries
By Bruce Edwards
December 7, 2005
"'The Pulse of Vermont: Quality of Life Study 2005' reinforces the image of the state as having a high quality of life, with most of the 400 Vermonters surveyed expressing satisfaction with their lives.
And compared to other Americans, they feel safer in their neighborhoods and are more than twice as likely to believe that most people can be trusted.
Survey respondents ranked the state very favorably in the areas that are most important for quality of life, including health.
For example, the state's death, obesity and teen birth rates are extremely low, while rates for seatbelt use, immunization and health insurance coverage are high."
Digital divide resonates through Vermont
By Bruce Edwards
December 7, 2005
"Only 27 percent of respondents who earned less than $25,000 a year were connected to the Internet at home. The percentage goes up dramatically from there with usage going up to 48 percent for those who earn between $25,000 and $45,000; 83 percent for those who earn between $46,000 and $75,000; 97 percent for those who earn between $76,000 and $100,000. The figure drops to 90 percent for those who earn more than $100,000.
One of two St. Michael's College researchers who worked on the survey said that making the Internet readily accessible to all income levels is critical to the state's economy and job opportunities.
'Our concern would be children coming from less educated families,' said Herb Kessell, a professor of economics. 'You would want to provide opportunities for them to have good coverage so that they don't face what we call the digital divide.'"
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Winter months turn residents blue
By Megan Mcswain
December 08, 2005
Dave Landers was recently quoted for his expertise on seasonal affective disorder and its affects on people's overall health and well-being.
"The symptoms of SAD are increased sleep, less desire to go outside, increased appetite and a feeling of depression, which subside in the spring and summer.
'People with seasonal affective disorder just don't want to go out of their rooms,' said David Landers, professor of psychology at Saint Michael's College in Vermont."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Women's and Men's Basketball victories highlighted
By Jeff Pinkham
December 1, 2005
The women's team is highlighted for ending a losing streak to Bentley:
"'That's the thing about this year's team; we have depth,' Niebling said. 'It took every kid in that locker room to win that game.'"
And the men's team win beat Bentley 80-71:
"'We got tremendous play from everybody,' SMC coach Tom O'Shea said, 'and that's what you need to beat a team like that.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------All Christmas all the time on Colchester radio station
By Matt Sutkoski
November 24, 2005
Below is an excerpt on the appearance of Christmas decorations and music in the public arena in early November.
"Star 92.9's November Christmas format is part of a trend toward an increasingly early holiday season. Retailers, spooked by rising interest rates and consumers maxed out on credit are advertising holiday wares earlier in the season, said Robert Letovsky, director of the masters of science in administration program at St. Michael's College. Advertisers try to get people thinking about buying gifts early, so that they can spend some of their available pay on gifts.
Some people might think an early start is a sign of an over-commercialized Christmas, Letovsky acknowledged. 'But people will still feel an imperative to buy a gift.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------My Turn: Gender gaps, old and new
By Vince Bolduc
November 25, 2005
"The bulk of the wage gap is rooted in child bearing and child rearing decisions. Women’s “wage penalty” for having children is more complex than the Census data suggested. The gap starts much earlier in the childhood socialization of both little girls and little boys. Young women still tend to seek jobs that allow flexibility for anticipated child-bearing responsibilities and young men seek jobs that virtually guarantee inflexible long hours and relentless competition. It’s obvious which jobs will pay more. It is telling that we so rarely hear of men struggling over how to combine marriage, parenthood and a career, but it is a common issue for women.
Women bear a disproportionate share of the burden for society’s need for reproduction and child rearing. This task is unpaid, undervalued and of relatively low social status, yet today’s young women — tomorrow’s mothers — are also the highest achieving, most responsible and promising students in our schools and universities. How much of a price can society ask them to pay for being bearing and rearing children and for how much longer?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------My Turn: The Iraq war and Nuremberg precedent
By Frank Nicosia
November 23, 2005
"The many revelations by former administration and government insiders, coupled with the Downing Street Memo, the Lewis Libby indictment, and numerous other sources since the invasion of Iraq almost three years ago leave little doubt that the Bush administration deceived Americans and the world before invading a country that threatened no one.
Many Americans now believe that Bush's real reasons for war were the removal of Saddam Hussein and control of Iraq and its oil, and not alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction or ties between Saddam and al-Qaida.
But there is another tragedy in all of this, the consequences of which we have not really begun to ponder. If the war was not for self-defense, or defense of others through treaty obligations, then United States has violated the very legal precedents that it was so central in establishing at Nuremberg after World War II."
-----------------------------------------------------------------The Walker party line
By Sally Pollak
November 23, 2005
An article about Sutdent Association President Tyronne Walker highlights his accomplishments, inspirations and future goals - a glowing review!
"Walker first found his way to the college in eighth grade, when he participated in a sports camp at SMC. The two-week summer program was the first time Walker had spent more than an hour on a college campus and it made a wonderful and lasting impression on how he thought about college, Walker said. 'I loved the food,' he said. 'I loved the whole thing.'
He returned two years later as a summer camp chaperone, and started to think about going to St. Michael's. The idea of attending a college in another part of the country appealed to him.
'Everyone that I knew who I really cared about and who cared about me,' Walker said, 'thought St. Michael's was the best choice.'"
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Defensive leader
November 23, 2005
"Saint Michael's College senior Meagan McCarthy of Lunenburg was recently named to the 2005 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II All-American Second Team.
McCarthy, a co-captain in 2005, anchored a Purple Knights' defense that allowed two goals or less in more than half of the team's contests.
McCarthy started all 19 contests and finished with one assist and one defensive save. Last year she started every game as well, led the team in assists, was eighth in points and had 14 shots on the season. She played in a total of 69 games over her college career and participated in a 10-day tour of Italy as part of a traveling field hockey team representing the United States earlier in July."
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Purple Knights Look Inside
By Jeff Pinkham
November 18, 2005
The St. Michael's College women's basketball team plans to move inside for the winter.
The Purple Knights, often out-rebounded and worn down in the paint during last season's 8-18 campaign, hope to return the favor in their third year under coach Jen Niebling.
The Knights put the new theory to the test beginning with Saturday's annual DoubleTree Tip-Off Classic at Ross Sports Center. St. Anselm faces University of the Sciences at 4 p.m., followed by St. Michael's vs. Queens (N.Y.) at 6. The tournament concludes Sunday. "We're really focused on inside first," Niebling said. SMC appears to have the tools to succeed at it.
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The End of News
Michael Massing
November 18, 2005
The full extent of this problem is described in Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News, by David T.Z. Mindich. A former assignment editor for CNN who now teaches journalism at St. Michael's College in Vermont, Mindich writes that while more than 70 percent of older Americans read a newspaper every day, fewer than 20 percent of young Americans do. As a result, he writes, "America is facing the greatest exodus of informed citizenship in its history." Of twenty-three students asked to name as many members of the Supreme Court as they could, eighteen could not name even one. It is frequently argued that young people are always less interested than their parents in following the news; as they get older, they'll undoubtedly become more engaged. Mindich thinks not. In the 1950s and 1960s, he observes, "young people were nearly as informed about news and politics as their elders were." If young people aren't reading newspapers now, he argues, there's a good chance they won't as adults.
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By Matt Sutkoski
November 15, 2005
Zafir Bludevich, vice chairman of the Colchester Planning Commission, has served the town for more then 20 years. He was one of 104 Chittenden County residents recognized Monday with Vermont Public Service Awards.
Zafir Bludevich took his mother's advice.
"My mother always used to say, 'If you can help people, help them.'" Bludevich said.
Bludevich decided in 1984 to help by volunteering for town boards in Colchester. First the Recreation Committee, then the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Development Review Board and the Planning Commission. He's put in more than 20 years on the panels.
Bludevich, 53, was one of 104 Chittenden County volunteers who were honored Monday in Williston for their years of service. Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz hosted the event, which feted people who served their towns for more than 20 years. She said she wanted to showcase the volunteers as a means of encouraging them to continue and to prod others into serving their communities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Knights get back to work
By Ted Ryan
November 15, 2005
The numbers from the 2004-05 St. Michael's College men's hockey season were not what the Purple Knights coaching staff expected: Records of 8-16-2 overall and 7-14-2 in ECAC East; An average of 5.5 goals allowed per game; Over 25 minutes per game spent in penalty boxes; A penalty-killing success rate of 72.2 percent.
"It was a tough year last year coming off winning the Northeast-10 and we really didn't do as well as we expected," coach Lou DiMasi said as he prepared for his 24th season.
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By Mike Donoghue, Journalism Adjunct Professor
November 15, 2005
Ryan Dulude is quoted in the following story on the new mascot and name, the Lake Monsters, for Vermont’s professional baseball team.
"Ryan Dulude of Berkshire, a St. Michael's College baseball player, thinks the uniforms are spiffy.
"The new uniforms look really good. The one of the three I like the best is probably the home uniform just because I am a fan of white uniforms. The batting practice jerseys looks great. I think it was a great idea with the Green Mountains and everything. I thought the overall logo change was excellent.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------St. Mike’s students photograph Jessica and Nick Simpson
November 11, 2005
Celebrity photos taken by two St. Michael’s College students were published in the Oct. 31 issues of People magazine and US Weekly.
Sara Randolph and Amanda Gallagher, journalism majors who are studying in Ireland, were in Italy with a tour group when they saw Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. The two students took pictures of the couple as they walked around a crowded square.
A member of the students’ tour group, Toronto Star assignment editor Patrick Ho, helped the girls sell the pictures to photo agency LDP Images, according to a reort published by St. Michael’s on-line magazine, The Echo. Randolph and Gallagher didn’t reveal the amount they were paid for the pictures, but said that each received more than $2,000 for the photos, according to The Echo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------The student-staffed St. Michael's Fire & Rescue squads
November 10, 2005
"The colorful new station on College Parkway houses the student-staffed St. Michael's Fire & Rescue squads. The over one and a half million dollar building offers the volunteer organization opportunities it did not have before -- when the squads were divided between three different locations. ((Beth Thomas/St. Mike's Rescue Squad: :26: I love it. It's fantastic compared to where we came from.)) The station boasts a fully-equipped kitchen, and luxurious space for students who want to study while on-duty. First responders also have private bedrooms when working the overnight shift. Tuesday night was the first time they were used. ((TJ Coolidge/St. Mike's Fire Department: 3:12: From a fire department standpoint, we can get where we need to get to quicker.)) ((Peter Soons/Chief of St. Mike's Fire & Rescue: 11:54: Currently, we answer 2500 calls a year, and we turn over 30 calls a month because we're out and busy. So when we get staffing in place, we'll be able to run two ambulances at once.)) So as workers put the finishing touches on the station -- the volunteers who mix learning and life-saving say the facility will make their group even more tight-knit. ((Charlie Carroll/St. Mike's Rescue Squad: 7:30: The culture of the organization will be the same: helping the community and having fun doing it.)) Jack Thurston, Channel 3 News, in Colchester. "
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Slaven switches to field hockey with ease
November 11, 2005
The Salem (Mass.) News of Oct. 22, 2005, featured first-year student Andrea Slaven, who was recruited for basketball at St. Michael’s College in Vermont.
"The former Bishop Fenwick athlete has been making quite a name for herself in field hockey.
Slaven, who lives in Danvers, was named Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week recently after scoring goals in back-to-back wins over Assumption and Franklin Pierce. ……….she is tied for the team lead in goals with five.
'I was very nervous at the beginning of the season, and didn’t know how I’d fit in. The girls were all so welcoming, and we really have great team chemistry. I wasn’t even recruited for field hockey, but after I decided on St. Michael’s I talked to field hockey coach Carla Hesler. I really wanted to do both sports.'"
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“Memories of Murrow”
November 3, 2005
Page one of the Free Press Living section titled “Memories of Murrow” quotes Saint Michael’s journalism department chair, Dr. David Mindich. In an account of the new film, “Good Night, and Good Luck” about the McCarthy era in American history, Professor Mindich is cited in the following context that starts with a quote from Edward R. Murrow’s son:
“The picture brings to light once again an era that was fairly sordid and needed people to take a principled stand,” he explains. “My father was one who did.”
Professor David Mindich, chairman of the journalism department at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, agrees. “The historic significance of (Edward) Murrow is that he had broken out of the stenographer mode prevalent with reporters then,” he says, “but those who don’t know the story well think he was a trailblazer in taking on McCarthy. Progressive and even some mainstream journalists had already done that. The difference is, Murrow was a really big name.”
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Theatre Review: "Woyzeck"
November 3, 2005
Free Press highlighted a photo and announcement of the Saint Michael’s play “Woyzeck,” directed by Professor Peter Harrigan. See Best Bets on page 34 of the “Weekend” section.
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Uganda Journals
November 3, 2005
Photos and the Uganda Journals involving Saint Michael’s students and Professors Robert Lair and Adrie Kusserow, are available in the Online Uganda Journal of the Burlington Free Press.
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Artwork: The Luminous People and Land," paintings of South Africa by Sally Linder
October 27, 2005
"Sally Linder is a local artist with global concerns. In the late 1990s she painted portraits of apes and buried them in Asia and Africa to raise awareness about the plight of primates in captivity. More recently she helped create the "Ark of Hope," the repository of a papyrus copy of the "Earth Charter," an internationally drafted document regarding sustainable development. That project has been shown around the world as a clarion call against environmental degradation."
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Dr. Traci Griffith hosts "Switchboard" on VPR
Canadian Media
October 27, 2005
Traci Griffith hosted VPRs program “Switchboard” on 107.9 FM. The show is focuses on Canadian Media. Guests compared prominent issues in American and Canadian media, their interaction and impact one on the other. Guests are David Gutnick, a documentary producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; Phil Authier, a reporter with the Montreal Gazette; and Professor of Canadian Studies at UVM, Paul Martin.
Marketing in Media - How to Decifer
October 20, 2005
Marketing techniques in media and how to decipher the message. Dr. Griffith's guests are Rob Williams, president of Action Coalition for Media Education and Koen Pauwels, marketing professor in the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
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A couple of outstanding teachers - Williston husband and wife awarded
October 26, 2005
By Kim Howard
What are the odds that two of Chittenden County’s most outstanding teachers live in the same Williston household? Apparently the odds are pretty good, as Pat Troxell and her husband, Dr. William Grover, recently found out. In the last month, each has been recognized for their exceptional teaching abilities.
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Professor Ron Millier’s book Facing Human Suffering in review
October 24, 2005
The lengthy review concludes with this sentence about Professor Miller and his book: “His arguments, and his book, are highly recommended, and I would beg their consideration by any and every university involved in the sculpture of mental health professionals from the clay of their philosophical and moral feet.”
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Bishop Perry Middle School
October 17, 2005
Tune your online radio for a powerful audio account of the good work and very difficult situation of the Edmundite mission in New Orleans—the Bishop Perry Middle School in New Oleans:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/noscript.shtml?/radio/aod/fivelive_aod.shtml?fivelive/flreport_neworleans
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Uganda Journals: Homecoming
October 17, 2005
Robert Lair, religious studies instructor, and family, co-workers and friends traveled to Uganda this summer - through out their journey, they reported on the lives of people they met along the way. The moving account of their trip and the reunion of Atem Deng with his family after an 18-year separation is told in their journals, parts of which were reprinted in the Burlington Free Press.
Participants included Lair, his wife Adrie Kusserow, associate professor of religious studies, and students Ruth Shattuck Bernstein, Jenna Katz, Katie Hatch, Dawana Whyte, Ashley George, and several others whose accounts are not reprinted.
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The Global Water Crisis Symposium
October 17, 2005
Lester Brown’s presentation on the Global Water Crisis that took place on campus October 5. It is rebroadcast on Channel 17, cable access, Adelphia, at the following times: October 17 at 10:57 p.m. and October 18 at 3:57a.m. and 9:57 a.m.
Saint Michael’s partnered with VCWA to bring worldwide eco-expert Lester Brown to lecture on “The Global Water Crisis”
With the Vermont Council on World Affairs (VCWA) and a number of other sponsors, Saint Michael's College brought Lester Brown, founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute, and winner of a famed MacArthur “genius” Award, to give a free, public lecture on “The Global Water Crisis” in the Ross Sports Center.
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Forecast: High and Dry
Eco-guru Lester Brown sounds a water warning
By Pamela Polston
September 28, 2005
Seven Days highlights the important speaker, Lester Brown, who is coming to campus Wednesday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m., in the Ross Sports Center.
"It's easy to understand why the Vermont Council on World Affairs would invite Lester Brown to be the keynote speaker for a symposium entitled "The Global Water Crisis." The puzzle is how Brown managed to squeeze it into his schedule. World-renowned as the founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Policy Institute -- a nonprofit aimed at providing a vision and road map for achieving an environmentally sustainable economy -- he also travels the Earth. A lot. A critical part of the message he delivers worldwide is essentially this: You think we have an oil crisis? Look at what's happening to water. "
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Eastern Ski Writers Association to Offer Internship in Snowsports Journalism
September 28, 2005
"The Eastern Ski Writers Association is sponsoring a new internship in snowsports journalism in conjunction with St. Michael's College in Vermont.
The internship will be offered during the 2005-06 season at ESWA's four seasonal meetings: Dec. 2 through 4, 2005 - Bretton Woods, N.H.; Jan. 6 through 8, 2006 - Belleayre Mountain, N.Y.; Feb. 4 through 6, 2006 - Loon Mountain, N.H.; and March 10 through 12 2006 - The Balsams, N.H."
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Starksboro Gets National Recognition
By Kristen McCarthy
September 22, 2005
“'As part of the curriculum, art engages students,' said Jonathan Silverman, an arts education professor at St. Michael’s College and a member of Robinson’s art leadership team. 'It gives them a personal investment in learning. Students can feel successful in learning through the arts.'
Silverman, along with Ryersbach and other members of the art leadership team, prepared the application for the Kennedy Center award. Through essays and a 15-minute video that included clips of dancing, music, drama, and other art projects at Robinson, the school explained about its efforts to integrate art into all classrooms as well as its commitment to professional teacher development and community involvement."
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Playing all night long: St. Michael's students 24-hour theater festival
By Steve Ouellette, Features Editor
September 22, 2005
"Friday will mark the beginning of the third annual 24-Hour Play Festival at the McCarthy Arts Center recital hall. Three or four dozen students will be given exactly one day to write, cast, rehearse and perform eight 10-minute plays.
'I've been looking forward to this all summer,' said senior Jon van Luling, who has participated in every festival thus far, working as a playwright, director and actor. "It's a great way to start the year.
'I've never experienced anything else like it ... the first year it was a real culture shock; I didn't know anything like this was possible.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------By Jeff Pinkham
September 16, 2005
"Downhill ski racer. College field hockey goalie. The two are rarely seen together in the same sentence, let alone in the same person. Yet that's just the role St. Michael's College junior Tina Nardi played until last year, when loyalty to teammates and a serious leg injury forced her to make a choice.
'I broke my leg at the end of my freshman year, and it kind of messed me up for field hockey,' Nardi said. 'I had to make the decision to keep ski racing or not, and I decided to give it up because I didn't want to get hurt again and let my teammates down.'
She made the right decision.
The Rupert native is coming off a successful week that has helped the Purple Knights wipe out a tough start and vault into the top 10 in the Division II national field hockey rankings. SMC is ranked ninth in the latest STX/NFHCA poll."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Dr. Valerie Bang-Jensen, assistant professor of education, published a review in the September 11, 2005, issue of The Burlington Free Press of the book Casa Azul, for young readers, written by Laban Carrick Hill, former adjunct faculty member in the Saint Michael’s English department. Professor Bang-Jensen says she is much happier about the fact that her daughter Nell Bang-Jensen won the Vermont Honors Competition for Excellence in Writing than about the appearance of her own article.
-----------------------------------------------------------------WCAX station must turn over tapes
By Candace Page
August 27, 2005
Dr. Traci Griffith, assistant professor of journalism, is cited for her expertise on media law. The story pertains to recent news that the Vermont Supreme Court has ordered WCAX-TV to give police videotapes of rioting University of Vermont students.
"'The danger is that members of the public -- particularly those who want to blow the whistle on government wrongdoing -- will become fearful of speaking to the press,' said Griffith, the St. Michael's College professor."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Students arriving back on local campuses will encounter some changes
By Jill Fahy
August 26, 2005
"Summer is over, and it's back to business for local colleges and universities. Many have gone through major transformations since they were last in session. Some of the new stuff is in-your-face obvious; some isn't.
St. Michael's College
Wireless classroom technology has spread to two floors of Jeanmarie Hall, where faculty and students will be able to use college laptops in a high-tech lab situation.
Sixteen classrooms throughout campus have been retrofitted with new desks and new technology, including computers and VCR/DVD combos in every room.
A new fire and rescue squad building will open this fall on Vermont 15, across from the main entrance to the college. The complex will house vehicles and training rooms for St. Mike's rescue squad and fire department."
Photo: St. Michael's College orientation leaders, senior Amy Powers and sophomore Colin Boyd, welcome incoming students in Colchester on Thursday. Photo by Andy Duback, for the Free Press.
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Saint Michael's College joins the Princeton Review's
Best Colleges series
August 23, 2005
Saint Michael's College has been selected amongst the nation's top colleges and universities. To be published in September 2005 by Random House, The Best 361 Colleges will feature eleven schools receiving The Princeton Review’s “Best” designation for the first time. Saint Michael’s also ranked 12th in their “Town-Gown Relations Are Great” list.
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Inspiration From Beethoven’s Sixth
By Mark J. Nigrini
August, 2005
Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Accounting Mark Nigrini recently published an article in the Institute for Internal Auditors magazine, August 2005, Volume LXII:IV. The article's tagline follows:
"The flawless performance of a symphonic masterpiece, and the lessons it offers, can be music to an auditor’s ears."
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Saint Michael's Playhouse produces one hit after another
The summer series' sold-out seating and Broadway talent has created a media stir with "Stones in his Pockets," "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and most recently, "I Love you, You're Perfect, Now Change." A sampling of media coverage is below.Review: You'll love 'I Love You'
By Brent Hallenbeck
August 3, 2005Playhouse troupe shines in Simon's 'Brighton Beach Memoirs'
Burlington Free Press
July 23, 2005Box office bonanza in Colchester
Burlington Free Press
July 19, 2005'Brighton Beach Memoirs' is more than a comedy
July 21, 2005Luck of the Irish
By Elisabeth Crean
July 13, 2005St. Mike's spoofs American movies and the Irish
July 8, 2005
'Stones in his Pockets'; get your tickets!
July 7, 2005
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In the Soup
By Elizabeth Inness-Brown
July 7, 2005
Professor of English Liz Inness-Brown's, short story In the Soup appeared in the Arts section of Seven Days.
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Friendly Rivals
By Mike Donoghue
July 15, 2005
"Kyle Fredette of Mill River Union and Chris White of Salem (N.H.) High will be basketball teammates starting this fall at St. Michael's College, but Saturday the two will be playing for home-state bragging rights in the 25th annual Twin State Basketball Classic. "
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No jet lag for Burlington star
June 26, 2005
Burlington High School student, Molly DiMasi, future Saint Michael’s student and daughter of Lou DiMasi, director of residence life, jetsets from one competition to another.
Molly played in the Twin-State Field Hockey game Saturday in Keene, N.H., was driven by her dad from there to an airport where Peter Soons, chief of security, flew her to Burlington, where she was met by her mother, Nancy DiMasi, and driven to Gutterson Field House for the All-Star Hockey Classic. She scored the first goal and led Vermont to a 5-3 victory in ice hockey. New Hampshire won the field hockey game 3-1.
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Poll: 41 percent of Vermonters support public insurance
June 17, 2005
"'I think it's actually significant that roughly half the people are willing to go with a publicly financed system,' said William Grover, a political scientist at St. Michael's College. 'It's a recognition that people understand that we have a health care crisis, and people know what it means to be uninsured,' Grover said."
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Major Media Organizations are Tuning into Tuned Out
Dr. David Mindich, chair and associate professor of the journalism department is receiving widespread acclaim due to his book Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don’t Follow the News.
His interviews, speeches and notably poignant quotes have been picked up by leading news organizations across the nation. He was also the keynote speaker at the Vermont Press Association annual awards presentation.
Vermont Public Radio, July 14, 2005
Fox News, June 21, 2005
Poynter Online, April 22, 2005
The Boston Phoenix, April 14, 2005
American Journalism Review, April 2005
The New York Post, March 2005
Indy Star, March, 2005
Ithaca Times: March, 2005
The Oregonian: January 14, 2005
Columbia Journalism Review: Jan./Feb. 2005
C-SPAN 2: November 13, 2004
LA Times: November 12, 2004
Burlington Free Press: October 17, 2004
USA Today: October 13, 2004
Buffalo-News: October 13, 2004
Seven Days: October 13, 2004
The Chronicle Review: October 8, 2004
The Baltimore Sun: October 3, 2004
The Associated Press: September 28, 2004
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St. Mike's musical brings Mark Twain to life
By Jim Lowe, Times Argus Staff
June 23, 2005
"What gives the musical "Big River" poignancy and relevance is its sensitive treatment of slavery – both in terms of its time, and the 20th century."
More praise for Big River:
North Country Public Radio, June 24, 2005
Burlington Free Press, June 21, 2005
Seven Days, June 29, 2005
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Future of Private Colleges
June 2, 2005
An interview with President Marc vanderHeyden on Vermont Public Radio:
"Vermont is home to numerous private liberal arts colleges. Thursday on Switchboard, Steve Zind and his guests talk about the challenges these institutions face - from rising tuition costs to the changing demands of prospective students."
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Colchester’s Peter Soons leads St. Mike’s students down the right path
Peter Soons, director of safety and security was featured in an excellent page-one story in The Colchester Sun, May 19, 2005. His photo also appears in the story.
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St. Michael's College nearing $52 million campaign goal
By Jill Fahy
June 7, 2005
An article with a break-down of the donation increases and its significance to the college can be found in the Free Press Archives.
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St. Michael's College nearing goal of fund-raiser
WCAX-TV also ran a news story on the success of Saint Michael's fund-raising efforts. An excerpt follows:
"Saint Michael's College in Colchester is close to reaching the 52 million dollar goal of a seven-year-old fund raiser. More than 50 million dollars has been raised so far. Saint Michael's Vice President Anne Hansen says she's optimistic the goal will be met.
The money will be used to augment the college's endowment, fund capital projects, increase financial aid, classroom improvements and student life programs.
Hansen says 13-thousand people have contributed, including 14 gifts of one million dollars or more."
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Get Thee to a Website
By Leonard Jacobs
June 3, 2005
"Hamletworks.org is the brainchild of academicians: Bernice W. Kliman of Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Eric Rasmussen of the University of Nevada at Reno, Frank Nicholas Clary of Saint Michael's College in Vermont, and Hardin Aasand of Dickinson State University in North Dakota. The group has worked for 10 years to create a website compiling as much scholarly writing as they could find about all 3,474 lines of 'Hamlet.'"
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Online Database Will Hold the Mirror Up to 'Hamlet,' Gathering Every Commentary on the Play
By Jeffrey R. Young
May 10, 2005
As one of four principal editors, Nick Clary, professor of English, has collaborated with nearly 40 graduate student over the last decade to produce the most comprehensive Hamlet documentation ever.
"The mammoth project, supported by some $1-million in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is nearing completion -- although editors plan to add to it as they find more material."
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Guard commander Rainville considers run for U.S. House
By Adam Silverman
May 6, 2005
Political Science professor Bill Grover is quoted in an article about Martha Rainville possibly running for Congress:
"'She's a dream candidate for the Republicans,' said Bill Grover, a political-science professor at St. Michael's College in Colchester. 'She's going to be marinated in national GOP money. They're going to worship her.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------Roberge Stands Tall
By Ted Ryan
May 5, 2005
"Sometimes, Meggan Roberge concedes, she’ll see opposing teams start chuckling as she walks out to the pitcher’s mound.
Let’em laugh. At 5-foot-3, Roberge isn’t going to intimidate any college hitter; she just gets them out.
The former Missisquoi Valley Union High School star-turned-St. Michael’s College ace sends batters back to the bench, mumbling to themselves, with astonishing frequency. She sports a 20-5 record with a 1.07 earned-run average and she does it on pitching smarts, grit, an arsenal of pitches and her teammates’ defensive prowess."
-----------------------------------------------------------------What a Feeling: Dance is a way to get in shape and have fun, too
By Susan Green
April 15, 2005
Saint Michael's College and Professor of Education Jonathan Silverman are highlighted in an article on health and the educational benefits of dance.
"Jonathan Silverman believes he has been able to weave the demands of dance, such as creative problem-solving, into academia through his job as a professor in the St. Michael's college education department, 'and it's made me a more alert, more energetic teacher,' he contends."
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By Jeffrey R. Young
April 22, 2005
Dr. David Landers, director of the student resource center and psychology department faculty member, is quoted in this article within The Chronicle of Higher Education.
"'The amount of information that goes into a young person's head today is incredible,' says David H. Landers, director of the student resource center at Saint Michael's College, in Colchester, Vt. His main concern is that students have replaced face-to-face contact with instant messaging and e-mail. 'They're not going to have the same quality of interpersonal relations that will help them in a work environment,' he argues.
He says colleges should encourage students to get involved in community projects where they see what life is like outside of their high-tech campus bubble. 'We recognize technology,' he says, "but we can't become slaves to it.'"
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Ten Administrators Nominated for Prestigious Katherine Ley Award
April 20, 2005
"Established in 1983 for the purpose of honoring an eastern woman athletics administrator who exemplifies the values and characteristics displayed by Katherine Ley, the award honors someone of demonstrated leadership ability, a proponent of women's issues and a role model for women coaches and administrators.
This year's nominees are Brown University's Joan Taylor, Fairleigh Dickinson University's Ann Gulino-Thompson, Dartmouth College's Jo Ann "Josie" Harper, Kean University's Kim Culligan, Janice Quinn of New York University, Cheryl Cole of Plattsburgh State University, Geri Knortz of Saint Michael's College, Paula Sullivan of Stonehill College, Kristen Foley of Temple University and United States Military Academy's Mady Salvani."
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Student Perspectives on Women & Gender Studies
By Margaret Michniewicz
April, 2005
The Radical, The Practical: Women’s Studies in Vermont
By Amy Lilly
The cover stories in this month’s issue of Vermont Woman centers on Saint Michael's faculty and students. Featured are Carey Kaplan, professor of English; Kim Swartz, director of the women’s center, and many students.
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"Into the Woods" gets rave reviews
By Brent Hallenbeck
April 7, 2005
Saint Michael's College's spring performance, three-time Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, "Into the Woods," is the college's first student-directed, designed, acted and produced main-stage production.
-----------------------------------------------------------------St. Michael's College Receives National Recognition
April 7, 2005
"According to a new report, St. Michael's College in Colchester is one of the best colleges for undergraduate education.
The Princeton Review has included the liberal arts school in its "Best 361 Colleges: 2006 Edition". Only about 10 percent of the colleges in America are in the book. The school was recognized for its academic programs and extra curricular activities it offers."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Into the Woods: Theater at Saint Michael's College
March 31, 2005
Almost three years of preparation have gone into the first student-directed, designed, acted and produced main-stage theater production of the Saint Michael’s College fine arts department and drama club. The show, “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine is detailed in the Burlington Free Press Arts and Entertainment section.
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SMC to celebrate life of Archbishop Oscar Romero
By Cori Fugere Urban
March 11, 2005
This front-page story in The Vermont Catholic Tribune quotes our own Dr. Marta Umanzor and describes her connection with the late Archbishop who was her priest and mentor in El Salvador.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks in Vermont
March 31, 2005
"Human rights activist and Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke in Burlington, following a presentation of honorary degrees from the University of Vermont and Saint Michael's College. In his address, he advocates embracing diversity as the way to achieve world peace."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Saint Michael's Playhouse auditions more than 500 professional actors
March 4, 2005
"Record numbers from the country's greatest pool of acting talent auditioned for Saint Michael's Playhouse producer and directors at the Actors' Equity Association headquarters in Times Square in New York City this month."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Teaching about teaching
February 26, 2005
The following is a book review excerpt written by Saint Michael’s assistant professor of education, Dr. Valerie Bang-Jensen.
"'The Art of Teaching' begins with the fresh promise of every school year. For anyone who has ever been to school, his opening provides an immensely satisfying recognition of the rhythms of the academic year, particularly when he notes that "... even old colleagues somehow look new in September." It ends with similarly resonating college commencement exercises during which professors contemplate their role in their students' lives. "
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Beloved Valentine: Icon of romantic love remains popular despite loss of official sainthood in Roman Catholic Church
By Lee McAuliffe Rambo
February 12, 2005
This article from The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, quotes Saint Michael’s assistant professor of religious studies, Dr. Donna Freitas:
"Donna Freitas, professor of religious studies and gender at St. Michael's College in Burlington, Vt., focuses on another group that Valentine supposedly favored: couples in love. 'We definitely need a patron saint of lovers,' she said. 'Single people are craving spirituality and craving relationships.' The church, she said, offers little guidance for couples who are more than friends but not engaged."
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James Sorrentine shines his first year at St. Michael’s
By Terry Nau
February 2, 2005
"James Sorrentine's jump shot has served him well over the years. Last March, St. Michael's College basketball coach Tom O'Shea offered Sorrentine a full scholarship after watching the St. Raphael Academy senior light up LaSalle for 27 points in a state championship playoff contest.
'I love it,' he said. 'St. Michael's has been a perfect fit for me.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------The Legacy of Madeleine Kunin: A Roadmap for Redefining Power
By Rickey Gard Diamond
February, 2005
The cover story and photo for this month’s Vermont Woman is an interview with Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, the Hon. Madeleine Kunin. An excerpt follows below:
"Vermont Woman:
I love your idea that politics is nothing more than taking your personal experience and transforming it into a public agenda. You’ve been teaching at UVM and St. Michael’s most recently. What of young people’s experience needs to become part of a public agenda?
Madeleine Kunin:
Each generation has to set its own agenda. I think some of the issues keep coming back, though. We still haven’t solved some of the issues that were there 20 years ago, like childcare. There’s still a scarcity of good childcare. It’s always up to the woman to find it. The whole issue of violence against women is still powerful. And economic issues are important for women, as women are in the workforce to stay now, most of them. So I look at my students and it’s hard to know. I think they don’t realize the battles we fought; they assume a lot of freedoms and opportunities they have are just there. They don’t think feminism is an issue.
I do see a level of self-confidence and a level of ambition that my generation didn’t have, and I think that’s exciting. It’s become so mainstream. Young women do think they’ll do something significant with their lives. What none of us knew before hand, for those of us who had children, was that this would be complicated!"
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Measuring nature and fraud
February 3, 2005
Dr. Mark Nigrini, assistant professor of business and accounting, was interviewed on BBC 4's "More or Less" program. BBC 4 radio describes the show's content as "intelligent speech."
In the interview, Benford's Law was described as well as applications of the law to financial data.
-----------------------------------------------------------------The Gospel According to Bridget Jones: Getting schooled on the spiritual ins and outs of dating
By Ken Picard
February 2, 2005
Bridget Jones finds religion: Or maybe it's vice versa as a St. Michael's professor puts a spiritual twist on modern womanhood
By Robin Palmer
January 30, 2005
Religious Studies Assistant Professor Donna Freitas, and her two books were featured in Seven Days and the Rutland Herald. Both articles offer a previews of Freitas' witty look at Christian norms on dating.
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Blogging for Prospects
February, 2005
The following excerpt is from a short article that appeared in University Business:
"Call it the cutting edge of personal expression or the ultimate vanity press--blogging is now part of higher ed culture. Students have taken to blogging in the same way they have to personal websites, chat rooms, IM messaging, P2P downloads, and all other internet technologies that have gone before.
Many schools, including St. Michael's College (Vt.), already have such blogs up and running. Here prospective students get an inside look at how freshman Jordan set up his dorm room, how he feels about the World Series (the headline 'Go Sox' says it all) and his campus experiences."
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By Cate McQuaid, Globe Correspondent
January 28, 2005
A review of Saint Michael's College Professor of Arts Will Mentor's painting, ''Bionic Deere:"
"For years, Mentor has examined the manufacture of landscape, the incorporation of land, and particularly farming. He has made geometric abstractions using colors from the corporate logos of businesses like John Deere, painted over grids that recalled bar codes."
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Media failures fan rival bias charges: The CBS News and Armstrong Williams cases highlight rising claims--from the left and the right--that news isn't played straight
By Naftali Bendavid
January 16, 2005
Journalism department chair, Dr. David Mindich, is quoted in the Chicago Tribune and the story has been reprinted in 14 other newspapers (identified so far) across the country, including The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"'All of the same publications--The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, CBS News--that get accused of bias were also right on top of the Clinton story, the impeachment story, and arguably pushed it as hard as they pushed anything against Bush,' said David Mindich, the chairman of the journalism department at St. Michael's College in Vermont."
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They bankroll Bush inaugural
By Larry Bivins and Ledyard King
January 14, 2005
Political Science Professor Bill Grover is quoted in a story about the Presidential inauguration. Gannett News Service supplies their stories to scores of Gannett-owned papers around the country.
-----------------------------------------------------------------At Vermont schools, brothers are keepers
By Marvin Pave, Globe Staff
January 11, 2005
"Last Saturday, University of Vermont senior point guard T.J. Sorrentine scored 25 points -- including five 3-pointers -- to help the America East co-leaders defeat Maine, 67-66, in Burlington. Just across the Winooski River in Colchester, his brother James was doing his thing for St. Michael's as the freshman sank eight 3-point shots and scored 30 points as the Purple Knights held off Franklin Pierce, 80-73.
'It's great to have him up here and at a great program like St. Michael's,' said T.J., who is averaging 18.1 points and 4.7 assists for UVM. 'It may be better for him to be close by since he is in his first year of college. Our parents love it and could not be happier with us being here. So many times we play on the same weekend they can catch both games in one trip.'"
-----------------------------------------------------------------Help is on the way
By Sally Pollak, Free Press Staff Writer
January 8, 2005
The following exceprt appeared in the Burlington Free Press, citing the work of economics assistant professor, Dr. Tara Natarajan.
"Classes aren't in session at St. Michael's College, but Tara Natarajan, an SMC professor, was in her office Wednesday. She was working on a project that is meaningful to her for personal and professional reasons.
As children, corporations and countries mount fund-raising efforts of monumental proportions, and humanitarian groups such as the International Red Cross assist people in this time of emergency, Natarajan is focusing her effort on the long-term. She is hoping that "the village of Vermont" will forge a sustained connection with ruined coastal villages, perhaps adopt a village in Sri Lanka, and commit to long-term rebuilding -- helping with schools, the economy, orphaned children and more."
-----------------------------------------------------------------Vermont Notebook
January 5, 2005
Ralph Halbach, assistant Saint Michael’s women’s softball coach since 1996, was inducted into the Vermont Sports Community Hall of Fame Jan. 22. Ralph gives countless free pitching clinics around the state, including to Saint Michael’s own softball pitching phenom, Meggan Roberge.
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Critics call for smaller inaugural festivities
By Raju Chebium, Staff Writer
January 4, 2005
Political science Professor Bill Grover's quotes appeared in the many versions of this story sent out on the Gannett Wire Service nationwide. This one comes from the Citizen Times of Asheville, N.C.
"'What the inauguration has become is yet another corporate lobbying opportunity,' Grover said. 'Given the international suffering of the world, it is a little unseemly.'"