TH UNI U VE O R M S I N T Y O ’ S M th A 25 N Y N R I V E R S A Celebrating 25 years of university status. See p. 12. PEEL-OFFSee reverse COVER side. Help us celebrate 25 Years of U. SHOW YOUR PRIDE. GIVE A GIFT. On March 25, 2020, the whole Monmouth community will be celebrating 25 Years of U. You can make our birthday wish come true when you participate in our 24-hour day of giving. TH UNI U VE O R M S I N T Y O ’ S M th A 25 N Y N R I V E R S A MARCH 25 , 2020 givingday.monmouth.edu THE MAGAZINE OF MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY » SPRING 2020 BLAST FROM THE PAST What Archie Bunker can tell us about politics today. Page 06 RAISE A READER DRIFTING Turn your kid into a bookworm. Page 09 INTO CRISIS HEALING 7 takes on climate change and its effects WITH HORSES Helping combat vets through page 32 equine-assisted therapy. Page 26 GRADUATE STUDIES YOUR FUTURE: MASTERED Graduate Open House 4/18 @ 10 a.m. Continue your studies by pursuing a graduate degree at Monmouth University. Programs include: • Addiction Studies • Anthropology • Clinical Mental Health Counseling • Communication • Computer Science • Criminal Justice • Education - Teaching, MSEd, MEd, and EdD options • English • History • Information Systems • MBA • Nursing (MSN, DNP) • Physician Assistant • Social Work • Software Engineering • Speech-Language Pathology Graduate scholarships available for eligible students. REGISTER TODAY @ MONMOUTH.EDU/INFO NEW PROGRAMS: • MS in Athletic Training 732-571-3452 | West Long Branch, NJ • MFA in Creative Writing GRAD_Ad-8x10.5_Generic.indd 2 1/17/20 4:15 PM GRADUATE STUDIES Contents Features | Spring 2020 YOUR FUTURE: BACKSTORY » MASTERED A kick from her first horse, Tristan, gave René Stone a traumatic brain injury, but also led to her realizing the power of Graduate Open House equine-assisted therapy. Story, page 26. 4/18 @ 10 a.m. Continue your studies by pursuing a graduate degree at Monmouth University. Programs include: • Addiction Studies • Anthropology • Clinical Mental Health Counseling • Communication 22 • Computer Science ALL IN A DAY’S WORK • Criminal Justice Our readers recall tales of triumph, tragedy, and the • Education Talking Heads in our round- - Teaching, MSEd, MEd, and EdD options up of college job memories. • English • History • Information Systems • MBA 26 HEALING WITH HORSES • Nursing (MSN, DNP) René Stone found salvation • Physician Assistant in a saddle. Now she’s passing the reins to veterans in need • Social Work of their own healing. • Software Engineering • Speech-Language Pathology Graduate scholarships available for eligible students. 32 OUR WARMING PLANET Seven expert takes on what climate change means—and REGISTER TODAY @ what it reflects about us. MONMOUTH.EDU/INFO NEW PROGRAMS: • MS in Athletic Training 732-571-3452 | West Long Branch, NJ • MFA in Creative Writing photo JOHN EMERSON Spring 2020 MONMOUTH 01 GRAD_Ad-8x10.5_Generic.indd 2 1/17/20 4:15 PM Contents Departments | Spring 2020 MONMOUTH » VOL. 39. NO. 2 06 10 20 Monmouth magazine is published thrice annually by the Monmouth University Division of Enrollment Management. Vice President for Enrollment Management Robert D. McCaig, Ed.D. The Front Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications currents » RESEARCH & REFLECTION Tara Peters ’94, ’99M Editor 06 09 Tony Marchetti NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS KNOW How to foster a love of Assistant Editor Tracing the rise and fall of reading in your child. Breanne McCarthy the Religious Left. Design & Layout Dog Ear Consultants TIDES » CULTURE & COMMUNITY Contributing Writers 10 12 14 Pete Croatto Nick DiUlio CROSS TALK HOW MONMOUTH CAMPUS Steve Neumann A college bridge program at WAS MADE BRIEFS Molly Petrilla Monmouth is increasing The story of how The scene at West Long Greg Viscomi access to higher education Monmouth College became Branch. for first-generation students. a university. Photographers Tina Colella PLAY » SPORTS & FITNESS Anthony DePrimo John Emerson Matt Furman 18 20 21 Tom Lozinski MORE THAN ONE FOR MAKING THE MOST OF Karlee Sell JUST A GAME THE AGES A FIRST IMPRESSION Illustrators Midfielder Esther Wellman is Looking back on football’s Field hockey wins regular Davide Bonazzi making the most of her Mon- historic season. season championship. Josue Evilla mouth experience. Mark Matcho Alex Nabaum The Back The Rest On the cover » Class notes ALUMNI LIFE President’s Note, 3. Illustrator Alex Nabaum’s take Letters, 4. on the climate crisis. A Day at the Beach, 16. 42 50 Alumni Roundup, 44. THE FINDING HER In Memoriam, 55. CHANGEMAKER ELEMENT Remembrance, 56. Sophia Lewin is not your How Ishita Bhattacharya average football coach. went from pre-med to 400 Cedar Ave. pioneering choreographer. West Long Branch, NJ 07764 732-571-3489 • monmouth.edu 02 MONMOUTH Spring 2020 President’s Note “ In the 25 years since Monmouth attained university status, we If we can have been on a steady march to unleash becoming a first-rate academ- academic ic institution. That progress has excellence certainly accelerated in recent years. At the same time, we are and also proud of the fact that one- continue third of our undergraduate stu- to open our dents receive federal Pell Grants, awarded to students with the doors to greatest financial need. that kind At Monmouth, nearly half of of access, our students—45 percent—are the first in their family to pur- Monmouth sue a four-year college degree. will stake Twenty-nine percent of our stu- its claim to dents self-identify as diverse. Taken together, these measures a national of access are very uncommon for reputation a private Division I institution and as an will continue to inform our ongo- ing strategic planning process. institution If we can unleash academic ex- that is both cellence and continue to open highly our doors to that kind of access, ranked Monmouth will stake its claim to a national reputation as an and highly institution that is both highly accessible. ranked and highly accessible. I am pleased that this issue of ” Monmouth magazine showcases areas where our intellectual heft and our commitment to access shine. In “Our Warming Plan- et,” Breanne McCarthy gathers diverse perspectives on climate change from a cross section of faculty in different disciplines. Closer to campus, in “Cross Talk,” Tony Marchetti profiles two students who are the first to matriculate to Monmouth as a result of our Future Schol- ars program, in which gradu- Success and ate interns from the education- al counseling program mentor 6th through 12th graders in the Momentum Long Branch public schools. A LOOK AT MONMOUTH’S GROWTH There is so much about our 25 YEARS INTO ITS UNIVERSITY STATUS. University that makes me proud, from our championship ix months into my tenure, several elements have athletic programs, to our engag- ing thought leadership, and to come into clearer focus that I think really shape so many alumni success stories. the character of the University. What stands out This issue of the magazine covers S them all. Enjoy! to me is a special blend of academic excellence and Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D. access to opportunity for our students. President photo MATT FURMAN Spring 2020 MONMOUTH 03 letters Most of the audiences were stu- withey chapel, dents from various acting classes or there by personal invitation TELL two takes: from Lauren Woods. As I can One of the creepiest places on recall, some of the plays we did US campus, but in a charming way. were The Bald Soprano, Death @HarlonJugo via Twitter of a Salesman, and The Glass Menagerie. WHAT One of my favorite spots on Across the hall from the Chapel campus. Studio Theater was the Wilson Hall YOU @jellybellyspinelli via Instagram Bowling Alley. It was the perfect place to do makeup and store cos- THINK Remembering tumes for each show. No one within the college administration seemed Email us at Kenneth Stunkel Our fall 2019 issue featured stories to care if we used the chapel or the magazine@ I was saddened to read of the about Withey Chapel. bowling alley. For two years, that monmouth.edu, passing of Dr. Kenneth Stunkel was a special place for the drama (“Remembrance,” summer 2019). group. Our only other venue in or write What a great man and educator those days was the little theater he was! I have many enduring Setting the scene us at Monmouth on the lower level of Wilson Hall. It magazine, memories of Dr. Stunkel, but two There is another story to tell was a totally different time in the stand out. The first is the very first about Withey Chapel (“How history of the school. Monmouth class that I attended in September Monmouth Was Made,” fall 2019) There was one little problem University, 1976: Western Cultures, co-taught that I think should be added to its we had doing our shows in the by Dr. Stunkel and Dr. Prescott Alumni House, history. In 1964, members of the chapel though. The chapel is right Evarts. How fortunate to be taught Monmouth College theater group behind and next to the former 400 Cedar by two such esteemed titans of and our favorite professor, Lauren ladies’ room (now the men’s room) Ave., West academia at Monmouth. The way “Woody” Woods, took over the on Wilson’s lower level. Every they worked together was truly chapel and renamed it the Chapel flush clearly resounded during Long Branch, inspiring! And, of course, both had Studio Theater. It was a perfect each play. The actors got used to NJ 07764. such incredible senses of humor as little venue to produce plays for it, but the audience always had a Submissions well as intellectual brilliance.