... upon the College's Facilities grounds crew along with nature and the weather to bring campus into its optimal beauty for this weekend's Commencement ceremonies. Pattrick Bohan of the Marketing/Communications team captured these lovely images mid-week.
SAINT MICHAEL'S NEWS
Nearly 500 graduates are expected to 'walk' for Class of 2022 Commencement ceremony
The Commencement for the Class of 2022 will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 10 a.m. in an outdoor ceremony (rain or shine) on the Saint Michael’s College campus. Plans are dependent on health and safety protocols at the time and can change. More information will be released as it becomes available, but plans call for the ceremony to take place on the central green facing the Durick Library steps. Marnie Owen, registrar & assistant dean for Academic Affairs, said as of mid-week, 409 undergraduates and 73 graduate students are expected to participate as “walkers” in the ceremony. The Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2022 will be Dan Misleh, founder of the Catholic Climate Covenant -- a partnership of 20 national Catholic organizations engaged in a serious and sustained conversation about climate change, focused on promotion of the common good, protection of the poor, and the exercise of prudence.
Graduates and their families are invited to attend the Baccalaureate Mass on Saturday, May 14, at 4 p.m. in the Chapel.
No academic robes are worn for the occasion and students sit with family and friends. For Sunday's Commencement, graduates must be at the Alliot Student Center no later than 9:15 a.m. to robe and form the academic procession. The procession steps off from Hoehl Parking lot at 9:50 a.m. Recessional will continue to the reception area on the lawn if weather is conducive to an outside reception.
In order to help Residence Hall and Physical Plant staff prepare for summer occupancy, all rooms should be cleared of student belongings by 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 15.
Senior Awards brunch: Community joyfully resumes cherished tradition
“We last did this in 2019,” said Sydney Rybicki ’18, the master of ceremonies for Thursday morning’s Senior Awards Brunch in a packed Green Mountain Dining Room. The powerful emotions of returning, finally, to such an important campus tradition after the toll-taking challenges of two-plus pandemic years surfaced throughout a joyful ceremony punctuated with laughs and not a few tears. Before the speeches and awards presentations, the hundreds of students, faculty and staff packing the large Alliot Hall dining space enjoyed a fine meal put on by Sodexo that included ham, turkey, pastries, quiche and other treats. Sodexo staff drew a well-earned extended ovation. Seniors chose beloved retiring economics Professor Reza Ramazani, top right, to speak, and his wise and warm words brought a standing ovation. The photos show a sampling of other awardees: Top left, Daneroy Lawrence received the Elizabeth Durick Award, with presenter Jerome Monachino '91; at right, "Oni" Finsterer receives the Saint Michael's Award from Dawn Ellinwood, Student Affairs VP; below that, Daniel O'Malley receives the Rev. Gerald E. Dupont Award for a student from Fr. Brian Cummings, S.S.E. '86. Below, President Lorraine Sterritt was busy around campus this Senior Week -- lower left, with students at the traditional cookout Wednesday evening under a tent in the 300s field; and below right, with a stuffed dog at Thursday's brunch, a gift from seniors who signed their names to the pup. She reminded seniors that they were "her class" in a special way since they arrived at Saint Michael's at the same time four years ago.
Lucky sevens: Rugby women are regional Division II champions in spring style of tournament play
The Saint Michael’s women’s rugby club team became champions of the Rugby Northeast Division II “sevens” tournament on April 9 at Stonehill College, beating Colby College for the title after going undefeated at 5-0 at the championship tournament. Their road to the title over a long day included victories over such competitive schools such as Stonehill, Colby, Emerson, University of New England, and Southern Connecticut State University. Coach Charles Cisco explained the context: "Rugby fifteens is our fall competition, which runs from August to November. Rugby fifteens – generally just called rugby — runs the competition as a traditional sport, playing a game weekly and culminating in a record to see if you qualify for playoffs,” Cisco said. “Rugby sevens is our spring competition. The Rugby sevens competition consists of a number of tournaments that culminate in a conference tournament played on one day to crown a champion." A few weeks after the women’s success, the men’s team had notable achievements too at the New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC) Sevens Championship at Springfield College in Springfield, MA, on April 24. The team won a shield trophy at the conference representing the fifth place team in the tournament, which is the first piece of hardware won by the men’s team since 1991. (Bottom photo at right).
Philosophy major Meghan Geouque '22 has essay appear in Georgetown journal
Congratulations to philosophy major Meghan Geouque '22 on the publication of her essay, "Exploring Environmentalism through Heidegger," in Cura Terra: Georgetown's Undergraduate Journal of the Environment. The editors write in an “Opening Letter” to the issue: “In ‘Exploring Environmentalism through Heidegger,' Meghan K. Geouque brings a philosophical approach to the evolution of the environmental movement. Geouque introduces us to a history and contextualization of the Bright Green and Deep Ecology movements while considering their deeper implications for environnmentalism.”
Summer will see Saint Michael’s students learning around the globe in study travels
Peggy Imai, director of Saint Michael’s College’s Study Abroad Office, recently shared with faculty and staff about students heading out for the coming summer and fall semesters of 2022 for exciting study-abroad programs, as well as the sizeable spring semester cohort who are freshly returning with new perspectives and insights to enrich classes next year. This year’s spring 2022 study destinations for those 25 returning students had included Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Panama and Kenya. The largest group heading overseas for summer 2022 consists of Freeman Foundation Internships for 14 students who will work with various agencies in Seoul, the South Korean capital city. Their majors range from international relations to economics, political science, music, business, public health, French and philosophy. Other students heading abroad for Summer 2022 include Timothy Beaver and Samil Love (Global Cities London Program, London, England), Shaun Clem, Mackenzie Costello and Peyton Edwards (Florence Global Education Center, Florence, Italy), Christopher DeNegre (French Language and Culture studies in Grenoble, France), Eliza Masteller (Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Stockholm, Sweden), Lucas Pereschino (Buenos Aires, Argentina, internship), Sadie Pratt (biodiversity & conservation in Bali & Borneo) and Mackenzie Rowbotham (Universidad de Granada, Spain).
Taylor Galgay '24 goes on Burlington radio station, shares her philosophy paper
Taylor Galgay ’24, a Saint Michael’s College neuroscience major from Windsor, VT, on Wednesday, May 4 was the guest speaker on 99.3 FM WRTV Burlington to discuss her final paper for philosophy Instructor Patrick Standen's Philosophy of Disability class. Her paper’s tile is "Disability, Eugenics, Genetic Engineering, Human Enhancement and Morality." In her on-air self-introduction, Taylor said: “After college, I hope to attend medical school. At St. Mike’s I will be going into my third year as a resident assistant as well as my third year as the president of the Student Disability Advocacy Alliance (SDAA), a club I founded on campus for students with disabilities and our allies. I am also the co-leader of the Vermont Ehlers-Danlos Society, and I passed a bill (H.C.R. 170) in 2019 making May Ehlers-Danlos Awareness month in Vermont. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the DREAM program in which I was a mentee from 2008 to 2014. I was blessed to have the same mentor for most of that time who transformed how I thought of myself and the world around me.” The DREAM Program INC. is a 501(c)(3) service organization established in the winter of 1998 and developed as a nonprofit in 2001. Its goal is to bring high quality mentoring and activity programing to at-promise youth through Summer Enrichment, Academic Enrichment, Village Mentoring, and Adventures Unlimited, and it has had an ongoing relationship with Saint Michael’s along with other colleges. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect connective tissues — primarily skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Taylor proceeded to share her paper on the air exploring ethical issues of genetic engineering and related topics. “I was so appreciative to have been invited to the show and to help spread awareness,” said Taylor.
Seniors Kaider, Downs recipients of Good Prize
The Glenn T. ’56 and Susan C. Good Prize for Excellence in Business Administration and History award ceremony was today, Friday, May 13, 2022 at 9 a.m. in the Pomerleau Alumni Center Fireside Lounge. After a welcome from Krystyna Davenport Brown, vice president for institutional advancement, Paul Olsen, chair of business and associate professor of business administration and accounting, presented the business award to Alexis (Lexi) Kaider ‘22 (top photo at right), a sociology major from Wallingford, CT, who has excelled in her business administration classes. Presenting the History Award then to James Downs ’22 of Winchester, MA (bottom photo at right), was Kathryn Dungy, chair of the History Department and Associate Professor of Caribbean and Latin American History. Downs carries a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average as a triple major in English, history and religious studies, with a minor in medieval studies. Davenport Brown explained how the Good Prize was established by Mr. and Mrs. Good to recognize academic excellence in Business and History. They established these awards to honor Glen’s success as a businessman in banking and Susan’s continued interest in and commitment to the fields of history and business administration, she said. The award honors their belief that Saint Michael’s College students should be exposed to and excel in a true liberal arts education. Glen graduated from Saint Michael's College in 1956 over 60 years ago, and in 2017 Glen and Susan created this award. Glenn served in the Navy before a very successful career in banking in Houston, Texas. He also was a superb distance runner, completing 62 marathons with 10 percent of them completed under three hours. He also was an avid swimmer. He died from ALS in July of 2020, but his legacy and love for Saint Michael’s is carried on through this award, Davenport Brown said, adding that the Saint Michael’s community and the Saint Michael’s alumni network stayed with Mr. Good and he committed to supporting and honoring today’s graduates.
ALUMNI NEWS
Poppenga '21 to be youth conservation leader
McKenna Poppenga ’21, who has spent the past year on campus as manager and technical coordinator of the Saint Michael’s College MakerSpace in Dion Family Student Center, shared by email with the community this week that she recently accepted a leadership position at Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, starting in just a few weeks. “In this role this summer, I will be leading a crew of young adults in a variety of conservation projects in water restoration, invasive species removal, and forest management. Following this, I will be traveling to Alaska this September to complete my artist residency for Alaska state parks (at Ernest Gruening and Point Bridget),” McKenna says. “ I am so excited to be moving my career in this direction, and to be continuing to do what I love. My last day overseeing the MakerSpace will be Friday, May 13.” She adds, “ I am so grateful for all the friendships and connections that I've made here.”
Cara Chapman '15 joins North Country Public Radio in reporter role
News of a 2015 Saint Michael’s graduate came from North Country Public Radio this week: Here’s the introduction to an interview with Cara Chapman ’15 posted May 11 on the NCPR website: “We’re all very excited here in the NCPR newsroom because there’s a new voice you’re going to start hearing and reading a lot in regional news. “Cara Chapman started work Monday as NCPR's new Champlain Valley reporter, based in Plattsburgh. Chapman is a native resident of the Champlain Valley. She most recent reported on county and local government for the Plattsburgh Press-Republican … Chapman joined NCPR's Monica Sandreczki on Northern Light to introduce herself to the NCPR audience. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.” (photo at right from NCPR website post of interview with Cara at right). Following is part of a transcript of that interview with Cara mentioning Saint Michael’s: “CARA CHAPMAN: I grew up with my family in Schuyler Falls, but my sister and I attended the Plattsburgh parochial school, so if you're St. John's Irish or Seton Catholic Knights, I'm one of you. Go Knights! Go Irish! And then after Seton, I attended St. Michael's College over in Colchester, Vermont, so I've basically lived in the Champlain Valley my entire life. After college, I joined the Plattsburgh Press-Republican. I did take a break, working in education for a bit, but I came back to the paper because reporting is really what I love doing.” (Photo credit: North Country Public Radio)
Michael Seaver '81 has been named Vermont Regional President and Head of Commercial Banking across the state for M&T Bank, a role he has held with People's United Bank since 2009. Seaver will ensure collaboration across all lines of business and community banking activities, providing value for customers, businesses and communities across the region, according to a bank press release. It continues: "Seaver currently serves as first vice chair of the Vermont Bankers Association, board member of Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, and member of the Executive Committee of the Vermont Business Roundtable where he co-chairs the Early Care and Learning Committee and is a member of its Racial Equity Committee. Seaver received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont."
Downs (cross country) and McKenna (tennis) are winners of 2022 Roger Keleher Award
Saint Michael's College men's cross country senior James Downs (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) and women's tennis senior Elly McKenna (Lowell, Mass./Lowell Catholic) were both presented with the Roger F. Keleher '15 Award on Thursday during a senior ceremony in Alliot Student Center. The duo drew the Department of Athletics' oldest annual award, which has been earned by outstanding scholar-athletes of the College's graduating class who maintain high scholastic averages since 1954.
Saint Michael's This Week is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications and
written by Mark Tarnacki, Staff Writer, Marketing and Communications.
Visit Saint Michael's online at smcvt.edu
