Volume XXXIV • Number 2 Summer 2018 Keene State Today THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

FUN & GAMES Keene State Today Volume XXXIV Number 2 Summer 2018

Editor Jane Eklund [email protected]

Designer Tim Thrasher, Thrasher Graphics

Director of Creative Services and Production Laura Borden ’82 [email protected]

Photographer William Wrobel ’11 [email protected]

Contributors Grace Pecci ’18, Kerry Kelley ’18, Liana D’Attilio ’18, Will Wrobel ’11, Laurie O’Hara, Abigail Shepherd ’19

Interim President Melinda Treadwell [email protected]

Interim Director of Alumni Relations Steve Fortier ’86 [email protected]

Alumni Association President Scott Kuhnly ’88 [email protected]

Keene State Today is published twice a year by the Marketing and Communications Office, Keene State College.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Keene State Today, 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435-2701.

Address change: Make sure you don’t miss the next issue of Keene State Today. Send information – your name, class year, spouse’s name and class year, new address including zip code, telephone number, and email address – to Alumni Center, Keene State College, 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435-2701 or [email protected]. THE FUN AND GAMES ISSUE Contents The Summer 2018 issue of Keene State Today takes a look at the lighter side. We talk with alumni, students, and faculty members about their pursuits that fall into the categories of fun and games. Some are serious (like making sure the NBC Sports crews are safe from danger at the Olympic Games), some are silly (like acting with a student improvisational theatre troupe), and some are pure pleasure (like writing and reading romance novels). Sit back, relax, and have fun! The First-Person Project highlights three Keene State graduates who live and work 4 in New England. Look for them in the back of the magazine and on our website at keene.edu/first-person.

FROM THE INTERIM PRESIDENT Realizing Your Dreams ...... 2

FEATURES 6 Fun ...... 2 Games ...... 10 Faculty & Staff Accomplishments ...... 18

ALUMNI NEWS Fall Alumni Weekend...... 18 Class Notes ...... 20 In Memoriam ...... 29 8 Alumni Relations Update ...... 30

FIRST-PERSON PROJECT Amy Oelkers ’97 ...... 31 Jesse Hurwitz ’00 ...... 32 Danielle Gagne ’97 ...... 33

On the Cover: You’ll never get bored when there are board games around! 10 Photo by William Wrobel ’11; design by Tim Thrasher

Inside Cover: Mary D’Orvilliers ’18 manages a board game café in her home town. Read about it on page 10. Photo by William Wrobel ’11

Online Only Visit keene.edu/mag for special online-only content, links to more information on the features in this edition, and a downloadable pdf of the issue. 16 FUN

Realizing Your Dreams Melinda Treadwell ’90 Interim President, Keene State College In Love with Writing About Love n May 5, I had the honor of conferring degrees on 900-plus undergraduate and graduate students, and urtis Herr ’86 was appalled when, about a decade welcoming them into the ranks of Keene State College ago, one of his graduate students wanted to write Alumni – now more than 30,000 strong. Among the her master’s thesis on contemporary romance. “I Opieces of advice I shared with them: thought it was a terrible idea,” remembers Herr, Can English professor specializing in Victorian literature • “Believe your dreams are worth at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. “I thought, everything: It is easy to have a ‘absolutely not.’ I was being an obnoxious academic.” dream; the challenge is in believing strongly enough that you will Herr is still an academic, but he’s no longer obnoxious dedicate yourself to doing what is when it comes to romance novels. In fact, he’s the necessary to realize that dream.” author of three published romances with two more under way – thanks to that grad student. After he • “Step into the unknown: You have dismissed her thesis plan, she came back with a draft of no idea how many challenges, the first 30 pages and slammed it on his desk. “She was opportunities will come your way very angry, and rightfully so,” he says. in the life ahead but the biggest and most important moments in He read her manuscript, found it positive, compelling, my life have come when I dared to Melinda Treadwell, PhD and “beautifully influential,” Herr says. “Some of the just step forward into the unknown best things about teaching are what we learn from and commit myself to the effort.” our students.” He picked up his pen – after devouring 10 Harlequins and Romance Writing for Dummies. “It’s • “Be confident enough to fail: … Failure is how we grow a blast,” he says of and how deep, meaningful learning happens. If we writing romances. “I don’t innovate and try new things to solve problems get consumed in the – particularly in our challenging world today – we imaginative process.” will stagnate, we will sit comfortably by while others willing to take chances and explore unknown areas of Herr sent his first understanding will pass us by.” manuscript, The Fortune Teller’s • “Be a difference maker: I believe individuals can create Garden, to Harlequin deep, meaningful change in the world. Take our motto Romances, where an forward: you have ‘entered to learn’; now you will ‘go editor worked with forth to serve.’ You are incredible individuals and you have him for a few months made such a difference to this community.” but ultimately turned down the I could echo that last phrase to our alumni population: you book. He submitted are indeed incredible individuals who have made a difference to numerous other to the Keene State community and the world. I hope to greet publishers and many of you in September at our new Fall Alumni Reunion eventually landed – an event designed to let Keene State grads from all class with Black Lyon years re-experience the campus energy while school is in Publishing, which is session and students are on hand. now the home to that book and the second in the series that takes place in the made-up New Hampshire town You can learn more about Reunion, scheduled for September of Cobweb Corners, The Girl With Flowers in her Hair, 14-16, on pages 18-19. Please come – it will be a great both under the pen name Frances DeleCourt Winters. weekend to be an Owl. Wild Rose Press published Surfacing, a gay romance Herr wrote under the name Daniel Stephens.

2 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu FUN

It’s no coincidence that the that series now, a romantic ghost Cobweb Corners books are set story set in Jazz Age Harlem. in New Hampshire. The sights, sounds, and smells trace Herr focuses on his teaching during back to Herr’s days at Keene the fall and spring semesters State. Main Street in Cobweb and writes romances during Corners is loosely based on the summers and over winter Peterborough; the book he’s breaks. It’s a bit of a double life currently writing features an – as demonstrated when he met old vaudeville theatre that calls the owners of the Ripped Bodice to mind Keene’s Colonial. romance bookshop at the Romance Writers of America conference. The College holds a special “They said, ‘Frances DeleCourt place in Herr’s own romantic Winters! Somehow we were life: he met his husband, Rich expecting somebody very different!’” Stockwell ’85, on his first day on campus. Herr came of age as a gay man during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in New “I laughed so hard,” Herr says. And why not? Romance novels York City. He and his gay friends, he says, did not expect to are fun. live long lives. He decided it would be great to “go out” with a master’s degree. Because he earned that degree, in English, a N Love romances? Visit Keene.edu/mag for a list of resources friend of his who worked at a community college asked him to for readers and writers of the genre. jump into a position there. “I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll give it a whirl,’ and the job was a blast.”

At the same time, Herr and Stockwell put their “We all want to feel Keene State theatre arts degrees to good use, our hearts aflutter.” managing a community playhouse, The Langhorne Players, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They stepped down when Herr was finishing his PhD at Fordham University. The PhD led to the position he holds now, coordinating the Graduate Program in English at Kutztown University and teaching Victorian literature – a genre that has some pretty clear connections to contemporary romance.

“We all want to feel our hearts aflutter,” says Herr, whose books focus on “the awakening of the heart” rather than sex and eroticism – and loosely follow the structure of classic fairy tales. Compared to the stress of academic writing, romance writing is consuming and meditative, he says.

His Daniel Stephens series got its start at a conference of the Romance Writers of America, where a group of women urged him to write gay romances. “I literally said to them, ‘Oh, please, you do not want to hear about my fireman fantasies.’ They all said, ‘Yeah, we do.’” Turns out the biggest audience for gay male romance is women aged 40 to 60. He’s at work on the second in Curtis Herr ’86. Courtesy photo

SUMMER 2018 • 3 FUN

Improvisational Students

t’s one thing to be funny in members of 3 Ways ’Til Sunday make an I fell off, I felt a sharp cut on my neck. conversation and another to perform effort to leave their dialogue open ended I looked up and saw she was holding a funny material. But being funny off the so they can feed off of each other. “It’s pineapple can with the lid hanging off.” top of your head while on stage? That’s the difference between being a solo artist Since the monologue had plenty of detail, Isomething completely different. and being in a barbershop quartet,” she it was easy for the other members to says. “You are working with each other to contribute to the scene, pretending they “We are constantly figuring it out as create a more visceral piece of art.” were hosts of the party. we go,” says Dominique Pascoal ’18, president of 3 Ways ’Til Sunday, a student 3 Ways ’Til Sunday members practice “It’s easy to take life too seriously,” says improv group at Keene State. “We never weekly and perform in residence halls. Pascoal. “We all do it. It’s not so easy to know exactly how a show is going to go, Most are theatre majors, but that’s not a take a step back and just look at it for but if the energy is there everyone helps requirement. The group also includes an what it is, and laugh. We stick to humor each other out and there are a lot of education major and a psychology major. because humor helps us heal. It helps us laughs.” They typically start off a show by asking to realize that it’s not all bad, that there the audience to suggest a word or phrase. is always room for laughter.” Pascoal, a theatre major who graduated That prompts one actor to step forward in May, says improv is a great way for and offer a funny monologue. Then the – Liana D’Attilio ’18 actors to hone their craft. It forces them others jump in and turn it into a skit. to think on their feet, act fast, and get N Visit keene.edu/mag for links to 3 immediate audience feedback. Take, for instance, the time when Ways ’Til Sunday on social media. someone shouted out the word Improvisation is collaborative creation. “pineapple.” Pascoal did a quick scan of Pascoal notes that actors who walk into her pineapple-related memories, and Members of 3 Ways ’Til Sunday in action a performance thinking they’re going to came up with one. “I got up and talked make jokes on their own, and just throw about a time I was at a high school party out funny one-liners, are actually failing and jumped on my friend’s their scene partners. To keep back,” she remembers. “When things funny, the

4 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu FUN

Rhymes with Humor eff Friedman, an acclaimed poet and a lecturer in creative writing at Keene State, is author of seven collections – and is known for the humor in his work. He calls himself a “poet, fabulist, and storyteller”; the poet Gerald Stern calls him “a great liar and an even greater comedian.” Friedman, whose course Jofferings include a class on Writing Funny, says he began incorporating humor into his poems when he realized he was leaving a big part of his personality out of his writing.

Sometimes it’s more about being playful than being funny, he notes – about building a reality around something that couldn’t happen in the “real” world, as in the way Kafka’s masterpiece The Metamorphosis is shaped around the concept of a man turning into a giant bug.

Friedman’s prose poem “Chair” takes that approach: he’d been noticing how once healthy people begin to become hunched over and unhealthy looking after working long days in front of a computer. The result: this piece about a man who turns into a chair. What’s most funny about it, he says, is that the man’s wife doesn’t seem to mind.

Chair When the man rises from a chair, after reading the newspaper, his body is shaped like a chair. Must be stiffness from sitting so long, he thinks, and stretches toward the ceiling, but his arms won’t reach and his lower half squats. He shouts for his wife to help him. She sweeps in from the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” she asks. “I’m shaped like a chair,” he says. “You’ve been hunching down like that for a while now,” she answers and sits on his lap. “And you’re very comfortable.” “I can’t go to work like this,” he says. “Why not?” she asks. “You sit all day. No one will notice, and besides you’re off for the week, so don’t worry.” She brushes her lips against his. She kisses his nubby cheek, purring. “Your upholstery is lovely,” she says. “It’s not funny,” he snaps and tries to get up, but his wife yawns and stretches her legs over his arms, settling in for a nice long nap.

– Jeff Friedman

N Visit keene.edu/mag for a video of Jeff Friedman reading one of his poems and a link to his website.

Poet Jeff Friedman SUMMER 2018 • 5 FUN

Yep, the Beard is Real ave Callender ’02 has the Christmas prior to growing out his white whiskers. at the fifth hole. Snow is going all over spirit all year round, so much so that “When I was working at National Grange the place. That gig was really something he recently arrived at Keene State’s Mutual Insurance, they asked me to play cool,” he says. Alumni Center with jingle bells on, Santa at the holiday party,” he says. “It Dillustrating just how much fun he has as was a lot of fun, so I kept doing it year Families also invite Callender into their a professional Santa Claus. after year. It just evolved from there.” homes. He’s been visiting two families in the Keene area for the past five A resident of Surry, New Hampshire, Callender, a nontraditional student years, becoming a part of their holiday Callender was freshly returned from who majored in computer science at traditions. “I love making people happy Denver, Colorado, where he attended Keene State, typically makes 25 Santa and making kids smile,” says Callender. “The happiness is my favorite thing about the holiday season.”

One of the most surprising things Callender has noticed is that the old adage about getting coal in your stocking doesn’t resonate with this new generation. “Kids don’t know what coal is, so it doesn’t have the same meaning that it used to have,” he notes. “Instead, I say, ‘If you’re not good you’ll get socks and underwear.’”

“Santa also never says ‘yes.’ He always says, ‘I’ll see what I can do, we’ll try,’” he adds. “You don’t want to make promises parents can’t keep because you don’t know the situation at home.” Callender goes on to say that he wishes parents would also indicate that the more expensive items come from them rather than from Santa. “When kids return to school and compare their new toys, and some get nicer things, that can cause a problem,” he says.

The most important part of being a professional Santa is staying in character. “You don’t want to ruin the magic,” he Santa Claus, aka Dave Callender ’02 says. “Parents come up to me and ask me my name. I always answer Santa Claus, the biannual International Brotherhood appearances a season. The most notable St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël.” of Real Bearded Santas – yes, “real is the Keene Tree Lighting, which bearded” is an important distinction. At takes place annually the day after While most don’t realize there are this conference, Santas from around the Thanksgiving. “I like the tree lighting professional Santas (the New England world (one came because that’s Santa Society has nearly 100 members), all the way from the start of my it’s hard to picture Dave Callender as Norway) gather “Are you being good this year?” season,” he says. anything else. He’s donned real leather to share tips and “It’s just so much boots, a red and white outfit, and is to learn. There were 40 different Santa- fun. I arrive on a fire truck, everyone is carrying a strap of jingle bells. Even his inspired workshops over the two-day cheering, you feel like a rock star.” laugh is jolly and joyful. He certainly event. Callender enjoyed the American convinced a wide-eyed little girl he Sign Language workshop, where he He certainly felt like a celebrity last crossed paths with as he left the Alumni learned to sign “Merry Christmas.” December when he arrived in a Center after his recent visit, asking her, helicopter at an event in Fitchburg, “Are you being good this year?” He’s been a real bearded Santa since 2010, Massachusetts. “We take off, we fly though Callender started playing Santa around the golf club, and then we land – Laurie O’Hara 6 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu FUN

The Business of Fun In fact, travel spending supports 37,000 jobs in New Hampshire. In 2016, it totaled $5.35 billion from 10.6 million visitors to the “WHILE IT’S A FUN TOPIC, IT’S VERY SERIOUS state. Cimino and her team, via their award-winning marketing BUSINESS FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,” efforts, are responsible for bringing in $831 million in annual says Victoria Cimino ’00 of travel and tourism, an industry she’s visitor spending. That’s tax money for the state, she notes, but in the business of promoting. it’s also revenue for the lodging, restaurant, retail, and outdoor recreation sectors. As director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development, Cimino, with her staff, is responsible A management major and French minor at Keene State, Cimino for marketing the state to potential visitors from around the held a public relations position with the Greater Manchester country, Canada, and overseas locations. Her division also Chamber of Commerce before landing her first job in the oversees New Hampshire’s 12 safety rest areas, including the tourism sector – as communications manager at the agency Hookset welcome centers. she now directs. That led to work as director of international marketing for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Appointed to her position in 2014 by then-Governor She’d also held PR and marketing jobs when the Maggie Hassan, Cimino sharpened the focus of the opportunity to lead the New Hampshire Division of advertising produced by New Hampshire Travel Travel and Tourism Development arose. and Tourism. Out went static images of covered bridges and maple trees in muted colors; in Cimino’s work keeps her busy, but she spends came brightly clad skiers barreling down the her free time enjoying the leisure offerings she slopes and white-water rafters plunging their promotes. Food and beverage are passions, so paddles into a churning river. she visits wineries, breweries, and restaurants, and partakes in agricultural experiences like The current campaign represents an pick-your-own produce farms. intentional shift away from the “sleepy, passive stuff,” says Cimino, who notes that “I love outdoor recreation,” she says, “but while the earlier images are lovely and iconic, I have to tell you, if it’s summer and it’s they don’t exactly project energy. “Would nice out, you will find me at Wallis those images make you want to come to New Sands State Beach in Rye. It’s Hampshire?” she asks. my favorite of the 93 state parks – I’m a sucker for The state agency takes a multi-pronged the ocean.” At the end approach to tourism promotion, of a day at the beach, capitalizing on the variety of leisure she heads across the activities available in what’s a relatively street for a lobster. small geographic area – from the beaches of Rye to the mountains of When the work week rolls the North Country to the museums around again, she’ll be back and nightlife of Manchester. “We at the Travel and Tourism have a robust program designed to Development headquarters in communicate that we have diversity Concord, refining the message and within proximity,” says Cimino. the New Hampshire brand.

Through television commercials, digital Luckily for Cimino, the business of fun is display ads, social media ads, transit advertising, fun in and of itself. “I’m very lucky to be in billboards, and more, NH Travel and Tourism reaches out a position where I’m responsible for the to potential visitors in the target markets of Boston, New promotion of a destination as amazing as York, Toronto, and Montreal. Judging from the increases New Hampshire,” she says. “I consider in revenue from the Rooms and Meals Tax – 5 to 7 percent myself very fortunate.” each year over the last couple of years – the strategy is Victoria Cimino ’00 working. That tax is the second largest revenue generator Photo by Grace Pecci ’18 for the state, which is why tourism is often called the state’s second largest industry.

SUMMER 2018 • 7 FUN

Introducing Kids to Art, Literature Through Comics

Emily Drouin ’04,

By day, she’s a mild-mannered ophthalmic For the past four years she has been creating spaces, called Kid assistant; by night she’s a creator of superheroes. Zones, at comic cons for children, and now runs Kids Con New Emily (Watts) Drouin ’04, a graphic design major at Keene England, the first – and largest – kids comic event in the region. State, is all about promoting art education and literacy through Drouin writes, “I believe that comics are a fun and great way to comics. A resident of Raymond, New Hampshire, she attended get kids excited about reading.” her first comic con (short for “convention”) in 2010, and since then has been creating comic books, including EPLIS, a sci-fi N Visit keene.edu/mag for links to Drouin’s websites. series on which she collaborates with her husband, Jeremy Drouin ’03, and Hyperdork, a romantic superhero series, plus coloring and activity books.

Images courtesy Emily Drouin 8 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu FUN SOFTWARE

he first time Erin Spencer ’09 got And pointing out the humor in them. up on stage to try out a comedy ENGINEER Here’s a sample of her joke-writing Troutine, she bombed – on purpose. process: “One of the things you can do as a transwoman is change your voice,” she “Everyone always says you bomb says. “Right now I’m purposely speaking the first time you do stand-up; you in a higher tone of voice, but I can go really don’t get any laughs,” she says. BY lower if I want. I thought that was funny “So I waited for an open mike night and would do that among friends.” That when the audience wasn’t laughing got her thinking about ways a trans at anything.” person could take advantage of that particular talent. The reaction? Let’s just say they DAY didn’t exactly burst into laughter. She came up with a scenario in which “But, hey,” says Spencer, “I was just she was on a phone conference call for as good as everyone else.” And not work, and she’d suggest an idea and no discouraged from trying it again.

A computer science and management double- “I’m just talking about my personal experiences.” major, Spencer, who lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, is a one else on the call would respond. Then, software engineer by day. Hired after in a deeper voice, she’d say, “Great idea, graduation by a software company Erin! Good job!” After which everyone based in nearby Cambridge, she else would jump in with their own words now works remotely for a New of praise. So Spencer’s voice-dropping York City startup doing application COMEDIAN trick became a pointed joke about gender development. and the way women’s contributions can be overlooked in the workplace. She’d been out of college for a few She practiced it at open mike sessions, years before starting her standup got feedback from other comedians in career, but she honed her comedy BY attendance, and made some tweaks skills working at a summer Boy Scout before rolling it out for a “real audience.” camp while still in school. She loved being on stage there, being funny and She typically has routines in mind making people laugh. She missed that when she gets up on stage, but she’ll part of her life, so she checked out NIGHT mix things up on the fly if the humor the Boston-area comedy scene, wrote isn’t working for a particular crowd. some bits, and took the plunge at an All comics occasionally bomb, she open-mike session. notes. Some compensate for a bad joke by acknowledging that it wasn’t Her material? Everyday life as a very funny, or by making fun of the transgender woman. Spencer, who audience for not laughing. Spencer transitioned post-Keene State, Erin Spencer ’09 takes another approach. “I just stay in opens by telling the audience she’s the space and stay confident,” she says, transgender. “When I get up there,” and reminds herself that even if everyone isn’t laughing, she says, “I want to make sure I actually talk about being trans, they’re all being entertained. because if I don’t talk about it they’re going to think about it and get distracted and not hear any of my jokes.” And when they are laughing? “That’s the best,” she says. When the crowd laughs even before she gets to the punchlines, she She likes the idea that her comedy may open people’s minds, knows they’re right there with her, and that gives her leeway to and is aware that she is the first transgender person some experiment a little, to embellish the joke and make it even funnier. audience members may have encountered. She doesn’t try to speak for the transgender community, though. “I’m just talking “Comedy is the thing for me,” says Spencer. “It’s one of my about my personal experiences,” she says. favorite things. The feeling of getting people to laugh while I’m onstage – it’s just wonderful.”

SUMMER 2018 • 9 GAMES

Retro

The Board Room is lined with shelving that holds more “You will not get bored than 500 games ranging from classics like Connect Four and at the Board Room,” says Mary D’Orvilliers, a May ’18 graduate backgammon to some of the oldest games known like Shogi to who spent school breaks and occasional weekends managing a card games such as Magic and Cards Against Humanity. For $5, board game café in her hometown, Middletown, Connecticut. customers can have access to any game from open until close, even if they leave the café and return. A board game café is just what it sounds like – a café stocked with Monopoly, Sorry, and the like, where patrons are Games are sold at the Board Room as well, so customers encouraged to put down their cell phones, set aside their who try out a new one there can purchase their own and laptops, and sit down across a table from actual people and bring it home. enjoy some old-fashioned entertainment. The Board Room also has a designated area full of books D’Orvilliers, who was looking for summer work, was hired by available to read and a kitchen offering food and drinks such as the Board Room’s owner when he first opened the café two chicken tenders, paninis, mac and cheese, snacks, sodas, tea, years ago. Her job was to stand by the door and greet customers. and coffee. Now, as a manager, she creates schedules and weekly and monthly events for the café. In those two years, she says, the The café attracts mostly people in their 20s and 30s, but business has really taken off. the ages range. School kids tend to show up during school vacations. A gaming café is a fun place to go for people who want to try something new, D’Orvilliers says: “It’s a different

10 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu GAMES

activity that’s not going to the movies or going the middle, and if they crash into each other roller skating. It’s very inexpensive but can you’re out. So it’s all thinking about where last the entire day.” you’re going and what your strategy is,” D’Orvilliers says. The Board Room also has In a time when people tend to connect dedicated game nights, like Dungeons and and to play games virtually, a board Dragons, a role-playing game, on Wednesdays game café is a way to reconnect with and Friday Night Magic, a trading card game. the actual world. “Everyone is so attached to the technology of having D’Orvilliers, a secondary education and games on their phone, so if you come Spanish major who did her student teaching with a bunch of your friends and get to in a Spanish classroom at Keene Middle School play games, you forget about your phone last semester, says that whether she’s at the because you’re so into talking to an Board Room or in a classroom, she’s always using actual person and playing a physical game her teaching skills. “When I’m talking to people in front of you,” she says. about their likes and dislikes and trying to see if they’re interested in a game or event, I’m definitely She tends to recommend games that are trying to use the communication skills I use with easy to learn and addictive. “My favorite kids,” she says. “Teaching how to play a board two- to eight-person game is called Tsuro, game is the same as trying to teach something in in which you build a path and you have to another language.” keep your pawn in the middle while your opponents are trying to keep their pawns in – Grace Pecci ’18 Mary D’Orvilliers ’18

Mid-game at the Board Room. Courtesy photos

SUMMER 2018 • 11 GAMES

More Than Fun and Games

hink back to your physical Tag, in which children run to and from student who can take on a challenge education classes in elementary colored cones. The game tests the in their life, whether it’s being the school and beyond. If you recall youngsters’ ability to move methodically tagger, or answering a question in front only playing games or doing tedious while under a time constraint. After the of the class, or being able to accept Texercises, you’re not alone. However, game, Tiani sits down with her losing a spelling bee or losing a today’s physical education classes are class, talks to students about the race. Physical education gets different, more exciting, and about much benefits of getting their heart students ready to take risks more than fun and games. rates up, and teaches them how and to push themselves to be to find their own pulse. Next, she a better person.” “Enjoyment, or fun, is only part of the asks her students to brainstorm five standards of physical education,” ways get active at home. Games, the aspect says Eric Carpenter, assistant professor typically associated of human performance and movement “We teach the with physical sciences. “Fun and games is a whole student; education, are used stereotype. The goal is to help the whole we’re not to apply learned child learn.” just teaching skills, but these them to play skills can also be At Keene’s Symonds Elementary School tag,” says Tiani. applied in fitness you might find PE teacher Michelle “It’s about creating activities, dance, Tiani ’03 setting up a game called Color a well-rounded lifetime activities

Tod Silegy and his middle-schoolers at South Meadow School.

12 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu GAMES

(such as biking or hiking), and sports. pursuits, from rock-wall climbing to Physical education classes also provide Class structure typically centers around skateboarding to mountain biking. an opportunity to help students build learning or reviewing a new skill, self-confidence. “The accomplishments practicing it, and then implementing “Our ultimate goal is to help students they make might be the only success newfound abilities in a rhythmic activity be movers for their lifetime,” says Dr. they have all day,” adds Silegy. “My class or game. Donna Smyth, professor and chair of gives them an opportunity to succeed.” Keene State’s Human Performance and Tod Silegy ’76, a PE teacher at South Movement Sciences Department. “To lead “By starting physical education with Meadow School, a middle school young children, you teach them to value in Peterborough, New Hampshire, “Our ultimate goal is to movement from a young age up through builds upon learned skills. For high school,” says Smyth. “By the time example, his students master help students be movers for these students leave high school, they’re Pickleball, a paddle sport, and their lifetime” proficient, they appreciate movement, NitroBall, a volleyball spin-off, and they enjoy it.” before moving on to tennis and a healthy, active lifestyle, you need to be volleyball. He begins his classes with a competent mover. You’re not going to – Laurie O’Hara a short fitness circuit to warm up like moving around if you don’t have the students before starting team building knowledge or skills to be proficient and N Read more about the physical and problem-solving activities to enjoy movement.” education program at Keene State at that culminate in learning lifetime keene.edu/mag.

Keene State students training to be physical education teachers make their way through the woods as part of an orienteering exercise in Professor Donna Smyth’s Outdoor Pursuits class. Photo by Grace Pecci ’18

SUMMER 2018 • 13 GAMES

Soccer Playing Girls Wanna Have Fun

lison Foley ’92, the woman at the will be more likely to continue playing helm of the powerhouse Boston sports as they grow up, Foley and Wenjen College Eagles Division I women’s note in the book’s introduction. soccer team, is clear on where she Astands on the topic of fun and games. How to Coach Girls is just one extension of Foley’s work with Boston College’s “Games are fun,” she says – something youth soccer camps and clinics. She’s she emphasizes in a just-released book also developed Soccer on the Mat, a she coauthored with Mia Wenjen, How to program for 10- to 14-year-old girls that Coach Girls. The statistics are clear: girls’ incorporates soccer moves into yoga participation in sports drops radically techniques. It’s taught at a yoga studio in over the course of their youth. Of 100 girls Watertown, Massachusetts. who play a sport in elementary school, only two are still playing in college. Girls “I noticed a lot of injuries in kids who play soccer. Knee injuries, strained are six times more likely to drop out of where her father was involved in groins, Achilles tendon issues. Injuries sports than are boys. coaching. Her brother, Eric Foley ’95, that typically happen much later in life,” played for Keene State’s men’s team. Her sister played for Curry College. Her daughter Sidnie, a ninth grader, plays on her school team and a club team.

Foley parlayed her love of soccer into a career while she was in grad school at James Madison University. A psychology major and soccer standout at Keene State, she was working as a graduate assistant coach while attending a counseling master’s program. JMU Head Coach Dave Lombardo, who’d recruited her to play for the Owls and then moved down to the Virginia school, said “You know, you could coach for a living if you wanted to. You have a knack.”

She switched into a kinesiology master’s program, went on to a full-time assistant coach job at JMU for three years, served as head coach at Angelo State University in Texas for a year, and then was hired as head coach for the Boston College Eagles Boston College soccer coach Alison Foley ’92 talks to her players. women’s soccer team – a position she’s Photo courtesy Boston College Athletics now held for 21 years.

The antidote to that dropout rate, says she says. That led to the pilot program Is she still having fun? You bet. Foley, is “keeping it fun.” Girls are social that mashes up soccer and yoga, beings by nature, and the way to keep featuring core strength and stabilization, “I’m still doing what I love,” she says. them engaged is to celebrate not just the breathing techniques, stretching and “I tell people that one day I’ll get a victories, but also other accomplishments holding poses, and meditation along with real job. This job is really, really fun. like mastering skills – and even birthdays. soccer movements. “It’s also empowering My occupation is the game that I love If coaches can develop the right trust- to girls,” she says, who struggle with and teaching the game that I love and based relationships with players, viewing confidence in middle school. recruiting for the game that I love. That’s them as whole human beings and not been a blessing.” just athletes, and nurture the chemistry Soccer is a family affair for Foley, who on their teams, the girls they work with started playing at 6 on youth soccer N Link to more information about teams in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Foley’s book at keene.edu/mag.

14 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu GAMES

A Passion for Karate and an International Win melia Gallup ’16 is no stranger to A tournament is not like a fight, winning martial arts tournaments she notes. “You’re not kicking and – she’s won the top spot in five punching someone. I present a form or regional competitions. But when a preset arrangement of movements. Ashe went to New Mexico to compete In the final round, I used partners to in the United States Association of demonstrate the application of those Martial Arts Grand Internationals movements to show that I knew what I tournament, she was just hoping to put was doing.” in a good showing. Instead, she ended up becoming the first woman in 20 Gallup had prepared for the Grand years to win the grand championship – International tournament diligently for an award given to the top scorer in the three months, and went in hoping for tournament. the best but expecting nothing.

Gallup has incorporated karate into “I think mindset is important, being her daily routine as a way of giving able to find that sweet spot of being back to her community, de-stressing, nervous but also relaxed and focused and creating lasting relationships with on the task. I’m just there to present other martial artists. what I do, and hopefully it’s clear how hard I’ve worked,” she says. An EMT and volunteer firefighter, she also teaches karate in Sunapee, When all was said and done, Gallup New Hampshire. “I like to joke that placed at the top of a list of over 200 sometimes there’s a child hanging international competitors, both male off each limb, but I wouldn’t have and female and from every age bracket. continued doing it if it wasn’t fun,” she says. “We’re very careful about teaching “They told me that I was the first woman to win at the tournament in 20 the kids the safe way to do things and Amelia Gallup ’16 on the podium at a recent be respectful, but we also try to make years, which gives me chills to think competition. Courtesy photo things as fun as possible,” she says. about,” she says.

Gallup has been studying karate Even when at a tournament, Gallup is since she was a child; she says the able to find ways to make relationships “fun” aspect was what attracted with her fellow competitors. Some even her originally. When she came to assisted her in later rounds after she Keene State, where she majored in defeated them. film studies and minored in safety and occupational health applied sciences, she began to seriously consider competing, and started in the We’re very careful about teaching the kids the tournament circuit. safe way to do things and be respectful, but we “It’s what I do. I started karate when also try to make things as fun as possible. I was 6 and got my adult black belt when I was 16. I’ve always trained in the martial arts,” she says. “Anytime I have a bad day I can come home and “I went out to New Mexico knowing train or go work with the kids, because maybe two people, and by the time they will require all my attention. It’s I left I had met all these awesome a passion of mine, so anytime I’m people, and made some really great practicing it, I’m happy.” friends,” she says.

Practicing karate and competing – Will Wrobel ’11 in a tournament, however, are two completely different beasts.

SUMMER 2018 • 15 GAMES

Tyler Dabrowski Two 2013 Grads at Work at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang TYLER DABROWSKI: Speed Skating Coach fter four years of working with US Speedskating, Tyler Pretty good for a guy who knew almost nothing about speed Dabrowski ’13 had been on hand for a number of world cups skating when he started an internship with US Speedskating in in both European and Asian countries. Still, accompanying 2014. He did know quite a bit about strength and conditioning, the national team to the 2018 Olympics in South Korea though. Dabrowski’s Keene State degree helped him land an Awasn’t exactly just another day – or, rather, month – at the office. internship with the Williams College strength and conditioning coach right after graduation, and that led to an internship at the “It was truly a great experience,” says Dabrowski, who, University of Florida, where he worked with the football, track as strength and conditioning coach for the team, walked and field, swimming, baseball, and lacrosse teams. alongside the athletes in the opening and closing ceremonies in Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. “I don’t know that I’ll have Those experiences brought him to US Speedskating for a paid many things in my life that will compare with that,” he says. internship and then the full-time job he currently holds – doing something he’s loved since he was a kid growing up in Adams, The US skaters picked up two medals at the Olympic Games – a Massachusetts. Silver in the men’s 1,000-meter short track and a Bronze for the women in team pursuit. Dabrowski was on hand at Gangneung “When I was younger, I played a lot of different sports,” he says, Ice Arena for the winning races, and watched the athletes do a “mainly soccer and basketball, and then I injured my back victory lap carrying the American flag. The skaters work so hard, when I was 14 and I wasn’t able to try out for the basketball he notes, in a sport where everything is focused on a competition team because of the injury. So I started weightlifting, and I saw that comes only once every four years. That made it all the positive results especially gratifying to see them win medals. from it. Going into my “It was truly a great experience.” freshman year in high Beyond that, just being at the Games was special in school, I got hooked on and of itself. Dabrowski lived in the Olympic Village and had the it. I really enjoyed it, how it gave me confidence, and how much chance to sample some of the other sports – including seeing it helped with my rehabilitation. I played varsity as a freshman the Gold-medal winning US women in an ice hockey match – on the soccer team, and I saw that I was able to compete with and to partake of South Korean hospitality. the juniors and seniors just because I spent so much time weightlifting and training.” A health science/exercise science major at Keene State who is currently working on a master’s in sport coaching, Dabrowski His desire to continue to improve, mentally and physically, and is responsible for about 60 athletes who make up the three to help others do so as well led him to his health science major developmental teams and three national teams that train at US and then his career – four years with US Speedskating that Speedskating’s Salt Lake City facility. He works with the athletes landed him at the Olympic games. “Growing up, I never would in the weight room and on warm-ups, and works with coaches have imagined being part of that,” he says. “To be able to go as a and physical trainers on structuring individual workout and coach with these athletes is something I am really thankful for.” rehab programs for skaters.

16 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu GAMES

JULIA BRENKER: Sports Production Safety Manager ulia Brenker’s job as an environmental health and safety She and her team worked hard, she says, but they were also manager for NBC Sports landed her a front-row seat to able to enjoy some of the events. From a safety perspective, some of the events at the 2018 Winter Olympics. “I saw the the most critical issue was the cold. Luckily, they planned for it US Women’s Gold Medal hockey game,” she says, “which in advance. “We saw that Pyeongchang is the coldest place on Jwas amazing, and I climbed up the half pipe to watch Shaun earth at that latitude in January and February,” she says. The White’s Gold Medal as well.” safety team countered that by purchasing and bringing along heated vests for the crew to wear outside, during events, and Brenker, a safety and occupational health applied sciences during the opening ceremonies – when the wind chill brought major who graduated in 2013, travels to sporting events as temperatures down to minus 25. part of her work. She’s not there to watch sports – that’s just a happy side benefit. She shows up early and stays late for the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, Sunday Night Football, “We saw that Pyeongchang is the and more to make sure that the set-up required for NBC to coldest place on earth at that latitude broadcast the event is safe and that all local, state, and federal regulations are followed. in January and February.”

Two 2013 Grads at Work at the Brenker and her team are there in advance to oversee “It was sunny during the day,” she says, “but the minute you lost construction, check, inspect, and make fixes to structures and the sun, it was crazy cold. About 50 percent of our staff worked Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang equipment, and have medical plans and crisis plans in place in outside. So we stocked up on toe and boot warmers, and mountain case of an emergency. gear – spikes for shoes. We had people on the side of a mountain, on the half pipe. We had all sorts of cold weather gear.” “Sports productions are a lot like live music venues,” she says. “We have camera platforms and a lot of scaffold platforms, and Brenker has been working in the production end of the safety personnel that are working from heights in order to get the field since before she graduated from Keene State, getting work shots that everyone at home sees on their television. There’s a experience during an internship at SeaWorld Orlando. She lot of pre-show work that we do by serving the location about followed that up with a job as safety production manager for ESPN, two weeks before our crew gets on site. Our crew can range then spent a year as a safety specialist with AAA Southern New from anywhere from 50 people to about 250 employees on site.” England. She’s been working with NBC Sports Group, based in Stamford, Connecticut, for two and a half years. In the case of the Winter Olympics, 2,345 NBC employees were on hand in South Korea, with roughly half in the coastal She’s also working on a master’s degree in safety through Keene area where the Olympic Village was located and half in the State’s online program, which she hopes will introduce her to mountains, the venue for alpine events. Brenker was based some other areas in the field. “I owe a lot to Keene State,” says in the mountains, staying at a hotel and working out of the Brenker, who arrived on campus planning to become a teacher and International Broadcast Center. She spent five and a half weeks switched majors after taking a safety class with Professor Wayne there before, during, and after the Games. Hartz. “It has been a fun career.”

Julia Brenker. Courtesy photos

SUMMER 2018 • 17 FACULTY & STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS Reunion 2018 September 14-16 REUNION 2018 Reconnect Rediscover Shannon Mayers Christopher Swist Meg Henning Kirsti Sandy elive Kirsti Sandy, English R Winner of the 2017 Monadnock Essay Collection Prize from Bauhan Publishing in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Bauhan will publish her See old friends and make new memories full-length collection, She Lived, and the Other Girls Died, in the fall. while enjoying a weekend of packed events. Visit familiar places and explore what’s new on Patricia Pedroza González, Women’s and Gender Studies campus while meeting today’s vibrant students! Honored as one of five recipients of Keene State College’s Outstanding See You in September! Women of New Hampshire awards. This year, the award recognized New Hampshire women who persisted in fighting discrimination against women. eene State will be hopping with activity the third weekend of September, and our graduates will be a Meg Henning, Public Health big part of it! We hope you’ll join us for the official Received a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research on healthcare for launch of the College’s new fall Alumni Reunion, adolescent and adult mothers in Zambia. Kwhich is designed to take advantage of the energy on campus when school is in session – and give alumni Christopher Swist, Music and students a chance to connect. Through a survey His piece “Cities at Twilight” was Bachovich Music Publications’ featured conducted a couple of years ago, hundreds of alumni composition for May. suggested the best time of year for Reunion is fall. George Smeaton, Institutional Effectiveness & Institutional Research Was lead author of an article, “Generation Cohort Differences in Male “The idea to move reunion to the fall was really to and Female Use of Tactics to Gain Sex from an Unwilling Partner,” provide an opportunity for alumni to make new published in Journal of Sexual Aggression. connections, to celebrate and revisit their college days, and to engage with currently enrolled students,” Shannon Mayers, Redfern Arts Center says Kristin (Mehalick) Brooks ’11, a member of the Received a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts to attend Alumni Association Board of Directors who is part of arts festivals in New York City. the organizing committee.

Jose Lezcano, Music The event’s theme: Reconnect, Rediscover, Relive. Performed the world premiere of his “Mojito, Guitar & String Quartet” Festivities begin with a kick-off party the evening with violinist Jennifer Ellowitch and members of the Portland Chamber of Friday, September 14, continue with a full slate of th Music Festival at the Maine Academy of Modern Music, Portland activities on Saturday the 15 , and wrap up with the Chamber Salon Series, and the Portsmouth (NH) Athaneum Series. traditional President’s Brunch with Interim President Melinda Treadwell ’90 at 9 a.m. Sunday the 16th. Kate Tirabassi and Cynthia Smith, Center for Writing Presented, along with three writing tutors, at the 2017 National Conference What can you do at Reunion? on Peer Tutoring in Writing at Hofstra University. Their topic: “What’s History Got to Do With it?: Revisiting our Past to Revise Writing Center Practices.” Get active: Climb Monadnock; enjoy a scenic bicycle ride; join the Walk to End Alzheimer’s; cheer for the Kate Tirabassi, Center for Writing, English men’s soccer team. Hosted the Northeast Writing Across the Curriculum Consortium’s (NEWACC) fall meeting. She is currently serving a two-year term as vice Get smart: Like TED Talks? Take in a KED Talk (Keene chair of the consortium. Educational Dialogue with Keene State Faculty). Choose from “Disability History and the Civil War” Zachary Giroux, Mason Library with Dr. Graham Warder, “Intro to Epidemiology: The At Northeast Historic Films Symposium in Bucksport, Maine, premiered John Snow Story” with Dr. Margaret Henning, and and discussed a series of home movies from Keene State’s Louis de “Anthropocene: The Age of Humans” with Dr. Priyanka Rochemont Film Archive that were recently preserved and digitized Roy Chowdhury. Later, you can check out a panel of through a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation. alumni who were leaders during their student days – they’ll be talking with students about their Keene State experience and how it helped them become successful.

18 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu REUNION 2018 SEPTEMBER 14–16

See You in September!

Get art: View an exhibit of artwork by Keene State alumni – and meet the artists. See what’s on display at Reunion 2018 Schedule the Thorne Sagendorph Gallery, and try your hand at making your own art. Friday Catch up: Tour campus and check out the changes. Reunion Launch Party 7 p.m. Take part in an interactive scavenger hunt that incorporates some campus history. Browse photos Saturday Morning from days of yore. Join with your classmates in the Mt. Monadnock Hike 7 a.m. traditional Parade of Classes. Registration 8 a.m. Continental Breakfast 8 a.m. Eat up: Visit friends old and new at Saturday’s Scenic Fall Bike Ride 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast, luncheon and Alumni Awards Walk to End Alzheimer’s 9 a.m. ceremony, Ice Cream Social, and Saturday Night Sizzlers. KED Talks 9-10:15 a.m. Class meetings 10 a.m. Stay up: Dance the night away and then hobnob with your fellow alumni in Monadnock Hall, where you can KED Talks 10:30-11:45 a.m. book affordable overnight accommodations and sleep Class Photos 12:30 p.m. like you did in the old days. (For those into creature Luncheon 12:45 p.m. comforts, check out www.keene.edu/alumni/ and click Annual All-Alumni Meeting 1:30 p.m. on Reunion 2018 for info on local lodging.) Saturday Afternoon “We are hard at work putting together a weekend See, Explore, & Make Art at the Thorne 2 p.m. that will be a great time for alumni of all ages, and Men’s Soccer Tailgate Tent 2 p.m. that will offer a wide range of activities in addition Scavenger Hunt 2 p.m. to time to hang out with friends old and new – and Ice Cream Social 2:30 p.m. that lively Keene State vibe that you all remember SAC Activities 2:30 p.m. from your days on campus. We’re working with Keene State Leaders Today 2:30 p.m. downtown merchants as well; they’re looking forward Campus Tour 3:30 p.m. to welcoming you back to Main Street,” says Andrea Vickers-Sivret ’01, alumni reunion coordinator. Saturday Evening Saturday Night Sizzlers 4 p.m. Come back to Keene State in the fall! Our students Keene State Volleyball 4 p.m. are eager to hear about your experiences on campus Owl Artists Fly Home 4:30 p.m. and post-graduation. And what better time to visit the Class Dinners 4:30-7 p.m. Monadnock Region than the opening days of autumn! Dance 7 p.m.

To register, visit www.keene.edu/alumni/ and click on Sunday Morning Reunion 2018. President’s Brunch 9 a.m.

SUMMER 2018 • 19 Class Notes

100 CANDLES FOR KEENE NORMAL SCHOOL ALUMNA

Golden Circle ambassador Norma Walker ’51 and alumni magazine editor Jane Eklund took a trip to Rochester, New Hampshire, in the fall to visit a very special alumna. Helen Marison ’39 graduated with the last class of Keene Normal School. She’s also a graduate of Keene Teachers College, having earned a master’s degree in 1961.

Marison became a centenarian November 15, 2017. In honor of that auspicious milestone, Walker presented her with a certificate from Helen Marison ’39, left, and Norma Keene State Interim President Melinda Treadwell, along with a medallion Walker ’51. Photo by Jane Eklund recognizing her membership in the Golden Circle, which is made up of Keene State alumni who graduated 50-plus years ago.

Growing up in Barrington, New Hampshire, she says, “I did want to be a teacher. Even when I was small and playing with dolls, all I wanted to do was play school. I didn’t think I would be able to go, because my mother was left with three children to bring up. She lived on a farm, she worked as much as she could, she took care of my grandparents, and when she couldn’t work anymore she didn’t have much income coming in.”

But someone from Marison’s high school told her mother, “Somehow, she’s got to go to Keene Normal School.”

“So I borrowed money,” Marison remembers, “and worked all the time I was there, and that’s the way I got through school.”

After college, Marison embarked on a long teaching career, starting at the helm of a one-room school where she served as janitor as well as teacher. She taught many grades, but came to love first grade best.

She’s now long retired, and lives on her own in a mobile home retirement community with friends and family nearby. Her 100th birthday has occasioned a party at the community and a posting on the Red Sox jumbotron, in addition to the visitors from Keene State.

To what does Marison attribute her longevity? She likes to quote her sister-in-law, who jokes that Marison has had a long life because she never married.

1942 was an active volunteer with the be remembered by a former “I enjoy the holidays because I Keene State Alumni Association, teacher. hear from some of the alumni who Peggy Smith Campbell a proud member of the Golden did their practice teaching at my Rosina Digilio Stark 143 Walton Rd. Circle, and a delightful presence “ always high school. Doris Johnson East Palatka, FL 32131 when she visited the Alumni sends a beautiful holiday card. Blanchard was one of my teach- [email protected] Center. She and her husband used to be ers and always writes a message. regulars at the Golden Circle lun- She states that she enjoys cards 1943 1944 cheons.” from the Alumni Office and news We are sad to report that Class Keene State’s Golden Circle Am- 1945 about the College. This time she Secretary Caroline Nichols Pre- bassador Norma Wright Walker wrote that she had four wonderful Norma Wright Walker ’51 gent died November 14 at her ’51 writes: “I always look forward writes: years at Keene Teachers College. home in Keene. “Nickie” began “Carolyn Wynott Goodwill always to hearing from Janet Joslin Chin “Brigida Saladino Mosley (best her teaching career in a one-room sends a wonderful card with a every Christmas. Janet did her known as ‘Breeze’) and her hus- schoolhouse in Goffstown, teach- delightful message. Her home is practice teaching at Hancock band, Al, got their beginning ing grades one through eight, and at Havenwood in Concord, NH.” High School when I was a student teaching experience at Hancock went on to teach in various there. She lives in Burlington, MA, High. Later, Al became principal of schools, including 26 years at 1946 and is delighted to have family the high school. Seeing that she Symonds School in Keene. She living nearby. It is always nice to From Norma Wright Walker ’51:

20 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu lives in Keene, she is often called located in the Mason Library. This upon to volunteer at the Alumni scrapbook is a wealth of informa- Office. Breeze often attends the tion for her four years at Keene. Golden Circle Luncheons Golden Circle luncheons, and at Maurice ‘Moe’ Bowl- one in Manchester, NH, several of “Leave it to Keene State’s Golden Circle – alumni who graduated 50 er the alumni present remembered to send a typical Florida Christ- or more years ago – meets for lunch, conversation, and mas card. It had a bright orange having her husband as a teacher a speaker several times over the summer and into the at Keene State.” sun complete with sunglasses, a Santa hat, little sailboats in the fall. Golden Circle members receive notice of the events 1947 distance with holiday lights deco- rating their sails, and a message: by mail, but anyone who wants more information Ruth Washburn ‘Merry Christmas from Florida.’ or reservations should contact the Alumni Office at 75 Pleasant St. A207 East Longmeadow, MA 01028 “Some classmates had been 603-358-2369 or [email protected]. [email protected] asked to help locate the houses that were used as dorms for men June 20 – Concord, NH: The Common Man 1948 when they were students. Vincent July 19 – Keene State: Centennial Hall Russell Ellie Smith Butler replied that the west end 9 Muster Ct. of Fiske Hall facing the Butterfield August 8 – Meredith, NH: Hart’s Turkey Farm Vocational Building had been Lexington, MA 02420-2001 August 22 – Merrimack, NH: The Homestead [email protected] omitted from the list. He lived there his first year at Keene From Norma Wright Walker ’51: Teachers College. His other years September 26 – Kittery, ME: Warren’s Lobster House “I always enjoy receiving holiday on campus were at Kappa House. October 24 – Claremont, NH: The Common Man cards from various parts of Vincent, you weren’t the only one the United States. This year I that reminded me I had left other received one with palm trees from houses off the list. She took part in Homecoming Rochester, NH, where we visited Marjorie ‘Maggie’ Parker, who Weekend at the University Baptist Helen Marison ’39 and helped “Paul Hewitt was delighted to lives in Honolulu. Church, which was celebrating its celebrate her 100th birthday. We help in locating the houses that 100th year. It was a very special delivered a certificate from the “The class sends its sympathy out were used as dorms for the men. time for her because she recon- Alumni Office, signed by our to the family of Shirley Bacon He, too, had lived in the west wing nected with people she knew Interim President Dr. Melinda Manna. A longtime elementary of Fiske. That was the year many there 25 years ago. Margaret is Treadwell. Looking back at photos educator, she taught in Cohasset, veterans were returning to school, still active in the church in her taken at the Golden Circle lun- MA, for over 30 years. She and plus there were recent graduates hometown, and she helps set up cheons I found Helen had joined her husband, Sal, were living in who needed a place to stay. Paul, craft fairs in her community. us at Yokem’s in Portsmouth a few Florida when she died January 14. because he has a sense of humor, years ago. apologized for his handwriting, “Our sympathy goes out to class- “Edna Mayberry Styles writes saying he was using his knee as a mate and my roommate Rita “Barbara Sullivan Brooks is one from Groveton, NH, that she en- desk and adding that it was happy Hayes Evans on the loss of her of the busiest members of our joys the cards and news from hour in Texas.” husband, Arnold. They attended class. She recently joined the Keene State College. She is a the Golden Circle luncheon in Belknap County Button Club. The retired teacher who worked in the 1951 their hometown of Enfield, CT, last group gathers once a month in Nashua School District.” Norma Wright Walker May. I hadn’t seen them in a while. either Rumney, Lebanon, or Sand- 1949 19 Eaton Rd. wich. Her most exciting news is “Also, our thoughts and sympathy that she and her son have adopted Swanzey, NH 03446 Richard Ellie Hughgill Muldoon goes to the family of a yellow lab mix called “Digger.” [email protected] Rogers 3D Melville Ct. , who died last December. Barbara is involved with the He- Lily Pond Overlook Norma Wright Walker writes: “I Last fall he had gone deer hunting bron Library with fundraising. Last Pocasset, MA 02559 am sad to report on the passing of with his boys and bagged a deer. year’s event was Cow Patty Bin- [email protected] Charles Manos on January 25. I Dick was married to my cousin go, which was very successful. think we all remember this hand- Margaret. “I always hear from Ruth Bickford 1950 some classmate and the beautiful Elaine “I enjoyed a long call from Peck at Christmas time. Bicky Norma Wright Walker ’51 writes: Elizabeth ‘Bette’ Berry ’49 as a Schmidt Chesley during the holi- lives in Maine but is limited in her “Priscilla Holmes Roberts joined couple who were married in 1950. day season. She had decided to driving. She misses joining other other Keene State alumni and Our thoughts go out to Bette and stay north to be near family this alumni at the luncheons. Maybe guests for a Golden Circle lun- her family. winter. Elaine hosts the family this year she can attend the one at cheon at the Common Man res- “Margaret Rhoades Bost had a gathering of 14 at Christmas. Warren’s Lobster House in Kittery. taurant, Claremont, NH. She special visitor, a big black bear Once again, she has agreed to be It would be wonderful to see her brought a huge scrapbook with who walked up her driveway to a host at the Golden Circle Lun- again. clippings, pictures, and all kinds of the porch where she was sitting. cheon to be held at Hart’s Turkey notices that she had kept through Sounds like it didn’t want to join Farm in August. “I finally heard from Delma Lang- her days at Keene Teachers Col- ille. He lives in Nashua and would her for tea. Margaret had a won. “Jane Eklund, editor of Keene lege. Priscilla wanted to donate it derful time visiting in Maryland. enjoy hearing from classmates. to the College Archives Room State Today, and I drove over to

SUMMER 2018 • 21 Class Notes

“A gorgeous holiday card arrived houses were located. Ralph also please let me know. June Haymon writes: “Norma from Dorothy Zekos MacPher- told about working on one of the Walker ’51 got a call from Jesse son. Her grandchildren, like mine campus clubs, which was located “Also taking part in this project Evangelou for a name of a former Francis Sorger and yours, are spread around the across the street from Parker Hall. was , who lives in teacher he had in high school, United States. Dottie does have a I’m still looking for all of them and New York State. He gave informa- knowing the teacher had gradu- couple nearby so she can enjoy trying to get a time line for each tion on Merrimack and Kappa ated from Keene Teachers Col- their company often. one. Ralph reminded me that I’m houses. lege in 1946. Norma took care of to meet him and Helen ’49 at Kim- this, as she usually does. You can Pauline Bullard “Bruce Parent was able to locate “I t was a have ball’s in Jaffrey for ice cream this always count on Norma; what a Brown not only Alpha and Kappa houses and her husband, Clayton, summer. gem! Jesse was planning to go to join other Golden Circle members but Blue Spruce, Hillsborough, and Cheshire houses. His wife, his Newport High School Class of and alumni for lunch at the Town “A beautiful holiday card arrived 1950 reunion. Nice to hear Jesse Elsie Bowes Brenner Irene, told me Bruce has kept and Country Resort, Gorham, NH. from . It is doing fine. They made it a mini vacation by wouldn’t be Christmas without busy with a shovel, keeping the spending a couple nights at the hearing from her. paths to the mailbox and car open. “I tried reaching out to some of inn. They also had brought along She also said he chops some our classmates since I had heard a bag of delicious apples that I “Just a reminder that you have my wood. from no one. I received the follow- address, phone number, and email received. Yummy!!! Richard ing from Jane Kingsbury Corri- so please let me know what is “Always nice to chat with Chambers, who lives down in gan and her husband, Dean ’53: “I love to receive phone calls like new with you and yours. Our class ‘Dean and I still meet Beverly Patricia Parent sunny Florida. We did discuss the the ones from is dwindling and it makes me sad. Blasenak Slocum for lunch. We O’Donnell, who lives in Clearwa- Would love to hear from you and I passing of Claire, which was sad for many of us. He told about liv- catch up on our kids and their ter, FL. Soon she will be moving to won’t put your news in this column families. We miss Joy Johnson a senior living facility, which must if you wish.” ing in the brick house at the cor- ner of Main and Water Streets, a Falkenham, who passed away in be huge because she will be on 2016. (Jane and Joy went to a the fifth floor. Glad she will have 1952 little ways from campus. I think Don Carle mentioned living there private kindergarten together in an elevator. Pat is always inter- Winifred Woodbury Langtry Groveton, NH.) Dean and I do not ested in what’s new at Keene too. Dick also stated he was se- 50 Evergreen Lane lected to be house father at one of travel far now but we keep busy State, so I try to fill her in on the Contoocook, NH 03229 here with old friends from the Uni- changes, any events, and staff the houses. He said it was a sur- [email protected] prise and an honor to do it even versity of Vermont, where Dean visiting Florida, and we also talk a was dean of the College of Edu- Irene DiMeco Parent though he was the same age as lot about our memories of Keene cation and Social Services years 27 Lashua Rd. the fellows living there. Teachers College. ago. With assistance from the Ashburnham, MA 01430 “Winifred Woodbury Langtry Jeffords Research Center, he re- “When I put together a display on [email protected] campus buildings and their history keeps very busy with her church cently put together his papers for for the lobby of the Alumni Center, Norma Wright Walker ’51, stand- and the people in her community. the Special Collections Section of I wondered about the houses the ing in for Winnie and Irene, writes: She always seems to be there the UVM Bailey Howe Library. men lived in before the dorms for “The Class of 1952 sends its sin- whenever there is a need. As of They are available on Google: men were built. I wrote to a num- cere condolences to the family of this writing she was having a Dean Corrigan Papers. We have ber of men to ask about them, and Claire Waterhouse Simensen, health problem but hoped to be great neighbors, our church and several from our class were most who passed away during the holi- able to attend an upcoming Class our Vermont family nearby. June, helpful. day season. Claire will be remem- Secretaries meeting. I hope she thanks for all you do for the Class bered as a dedicated classmate, a can because she and Irene of 1954.’ “Bill Remick of Lancaster, NH, strong supporter of the Keene DiMeco Parent are good at their “The other member I heard from sent back information with lots of State Alumni Association, and job of contacting classmates for was Bill Parker, who lives in diagrams and notes about several most of all a loving mother and news. Stamford, CT, not far from where of the buildings. He also added grandmother to her family. Her “Remember, classmates, if you my son Kris lives, in Norwalk, CT. that he served as a state repre- smile and sense of humor will be have news about yourself, your Bill writes: ‘I was a commuter for sentative from his district between missed by all. 2004 and 2008. He served on the family, etc., send it to Winnie or my first three years at college, Education Committee and the “Interim Alumni Director Steve Irene or [email protected].” living and working with a veteri- Technology and Energy Commit- Fortier ’86 and I made a visit to narian on Blake Street. After grad- tee. Now Bill is on the Board of Donald Carle. I have started a 1953 uation I was able to travel, inex- Directors at the McAuliffe- project of locating the houses on Donald J. Johnson pensively, as a guest of Uncle Shepard Discovery Center. campus where the men lived when 695 Clement Hill Rd. Sam and the Air Force, to such we were students, and knew Don Deering, NH 03244 places as Texas, California, and “Glen Falkenham wrote on his would be a font of information. We [email protected] Anchorage, AK, which at that time response that he has moved to had only a short time to talk with was still a territory, not yet a state. Jefferson, NH. Thank you, Glen, him because he had to get to an 1954 I really enjoyed being in Alaska. for the information you sent. It is appointment. I will check in with June Haymon Using the GI bill, I attained my first appreciated. him a little later in the spring. I also 3247 Lucerne St. master’s at UConn and two later “A phone call came from Ralph was able to get some locations of Bronx, NY 10465 ones at the University of Bridge- Dwire, who answered several of the various campus clubs. If any- [email protected] port. After being discharged, I my questions about where the one reading this has information, returned to KTC briefly, then ac-

22 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu cepted a position in Stamford, CT, always seems to call when it is 70 tary education, nursing, safety “Betty Bennett Schofield cer- teaching drafting and electricity at or 80 degrees down there and studies, sustainable product tainly has lots to celebrate. Five of Stanford High School, eventually zero up here. Jack has already design and innovation, and her eight grandchildren will be in moving to Dolan Middle School reserved places for himself and architecture.” college – they’re studying nursing, for various positions until my re- his daughter at our Golden Circle medical research, pre-med, and tirement. In one year I’ll be retired luncheon at Hart’s Turkey Farm, 1960 environmental studies. I’ve spot- for 30 years. My wife, Deborah, Meredith, on August 8. Always Gail Spevack Sheldon ted a couple of her grandchildren and I still sing in the church choir look forward to seeing them.” 241 Blucher Street on Facebook: they are good look- and have for many years. We are Manchester, NH 03102 ing as well as bright. blessed in having a lot of our im- 1956 [email protected] Richard Simensen mediate family living locally. I par- “ wrote: ‘I had Minot Parker Charlie and ticularly enjoyed a recent alumni Gail Sheldon writes: “Norma a pleasant visit with PO Box 370540 Jackie Hayward Jepson article about the old Elliot Hospi- Turcotte McShane of Benning- as they Montara, CA 94037-0540 stopped by on their way to Florida tal, now belonging to the College, [email protected] ton, VT, feels she is always on the as I wonder if I ever occupied one go as her 10th-grade grand- for the winter. However, it would of those beds and if one of those 1957 daughter Kyla is still living with have been better if they did not nurses was with me when I was her. bring New Hampshire/Massachu- Cynthia Randall Faust born in February 1930! As an setts weather with them to South 77 Sand Hill Road “Irene Plourde in Florida is also aside, years ago I made a two- Carolina.’ Thanks for the fun note, Peterborough, NH 03458 busy doing what she calls ‘fun’ person kayak with a friend, and Richard. [email protected] things like golf, bowling, horse- used to paddle to some of the shoes, bocce, and various card “As our outstanding Golden Circle Norwalk Islands. Had a sailboat in Cynthia Thompson Doten games. She has something going leader, Norma Wright Walker ’51, the water there for a good many passed away on December 21, every day – whew! Her one-eyed is cutting back on her volunteer years and would go to Huntington, 2017, in Tucson, AZ, where she cat Willie misses her when she is work with the Golden Circle, we Long Island.’ had lived during her retirement out. welcome Madeline ’64 and Allan ’63 Saulnier Bob Saulnier “Many thanks to Dean, Jane, and years. Cyn had many interests, ( ’s “Sr. Claire Coll is now living in Bill for adding some interesting including a love of music and the brother and sister-in-law) as they Manchester and adjusting to news re their journey in life. Re- outdoors. She was an accom- take a more active volunteer role changes after 24 and a half years member – your classmates love to plished pianist who learned to fly in organizing the successful lunch of living in Pittsfield, NH, at Ber- hear about what you are doing. small aircraft as a young woman. programs for all of us. Continua- akah House. She moved in De- One last thought: our 65th re- She taught in New Hampshire tion of this program that Norma cember and is now administrator union will be in the year 2019, so schools, in US Department of started is v ery essential to our at Holy Cross Retirement Center. plan ahead. News of it will be sent Defense schools in Turkey, Tai- alumni work. It keeps us current She looks and feels wonderful and out ahead of time so do try to at- wan, and Labrador, and, with her with KSC and friends together. has a visible joy of living. tend. Good health and happiness, husband, Harry, in American and And, of course our love, Norma, Canadian Indian schools in British will still be active. and keep going, June.” “You should delight in and be Columbia and Arizona. Our sym- proud of your contributions to our Jeanne La- pathy goes out to her friends and “Travel is still high on 1955 1960 Endowed Scholarship Fund. chance Erickson family.” ’s list as she Norma Wright Walker ’51 writes: The recipient students have writ- went on a Caribbean cruise and “I was delighted to receive a holi- 1958 ten letters of thanks to you to ex- then to Hilton Head, SC, for a day card from David Staples, press their gratitude. It is a plea- nephew’s wedding. She and Den- Jacqueline A. Abbott who lives in Florida full time now. I sure to know we are contributing nis still play golf, go camping, and 7 Keeney Dr. was sad to have missed David’s to our future teachers in their edu- visit family. Bolton, CT 06043 phone call. He was married to my cational pursuits.” [email protected] “Ray Clark picks up and delivers classmate Betsy Walker ’51. 1961 groceries to his local food pantry. “Richard ‘Dick’ Feeney helped The College was saddened to He also drives for Home Ports, a Dorothy Bean Simpson out with a project to pinpoint the hear of the passing of former col- nonprofit that coordinates trans- John PO Box 1373 sites of the houses that men lived league, retiree, and alumnus portation to medical appoint- F. Faust Center Harbor, NH 03226 in on campus before the men’s , who passed away on ments, grocery stores, and other [email protected] dorms were built. He was quite December 22, 2017. John worked errands for elderly residents who as a vocational project director at sure of the locations of Sullivan, From Dorothy Bean Simpson: can no longer drive. Ray and his Keene State, providing vocational Hillsborough, Cheshire, and “Our classmate Janet Healey wife, Pat, still live in Maryland. education and support to school Rockingham houses. He and Dow passed away August 27, They enjoy their grandchildren and administrative units throughout nearly everyone else knew Kappa 2017, in Henniker, NH. She taught spend time in Ft. Meyers, FL. New Hampshire. John and his wife and Alpha Houses. elementary school in Fishkill, NY, Cindy ’57 set up the Faust En- “Please keep sending me news. and then, returning to New Hamp- “It’s always great to receive a dowed Scholarship, the purpose There is a time delay in publication shire, she managed the League of phone call from John ‘Jack’ Burn- of which is to provide recognition due to the work it takes to put out. New Hampshire Craftsmen shop ham, who lives in Florida. He was and financial assistance to Keene We care and we are the Class of for many years. Jan enjoyed gar- able to help locate Blue Spruce State College juniors and seniors ’61!” dening, music, and playing the and Hillsborough houses as well who have declared a major in one cello. We remember her with love. as Kappa and Alpha houses. He or more of the following: elemen-

SUMMER 2018 • 23 Class Notes

1962 standing individuals for their hu- mouth and are now living in a to garden and is a member of the manitarian and volunteer activities, high-rise apartment in the heart of Delta Kappa Society International. Stephanie Heselton Baute named in honor of Dr. Thomas F. downtown Portsmouth, a bustling Her oldest grandchild is a sopho- 515 E. Surry Rd. Frist Sr., the Founder of Health vibrant city filled with fine restau- more at UNH. Her youngest Surry, NH 03431 Cooperation of America. Ports- rants, theatre, and the arts. They granddaughter plays ice hockey, [email protected] mouth Regional Hospital awards have been enjoying the Golden and the others are involved in the Frist in several categories, Circle luncheons along with Mag- three season sports. Martha Crowley Morse including volunteer. Betty Butter- gie’s brothers and sisters. 131 Case St. Alfred Banks fly Gilman was given the volun- “ of Milton Mills North Canton, CT 06019 Rene and Janet Clarke teer award on February 27 to rec- “ have writes that he is retired and helps [email protected] ognize over 2,000 hours as a hos- continued to be busy. In June with the restoration of the Milton 1963 pital volunteer since 2005 as well 2017 they toured America’s Cow- Town House. He enjoys eating out as her many other educational, boy Country (Teton and Yellow- with family and friends. He has Elizabeth Butterfly Gilman religious, and community volun- stone National Parks; Cody and two new great-granddaughters. Al 277 Coolidge Dr. teer efforts. Joining her at this Sheridan, WY; Rapid City and was a married student while at Portsmouth, NH 03801-5740 celebration were two daughters Deadwood, SD; Crazy Horse Me- KSC and worked at the Big Boy [email protected] and two grandchildren. Retire- morial and Mount Rushmore). In restaurant and garages. December 2017, they saw the Betty Gilman writes: “Shortly ment has opened many new “Loisanne Sargent Foster of doors, bringing meaningful pur- Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In Janu- after the last publication an email ary, Rene competed in the Mas- Marlow, NH, writes that she over- arrived from Ray Gradual. After pose to every day by helping oth- came stage IV cancer, works with ers. ter’s World Cup cross-country ski attending three semesters with races in Minneapolis. In February, the local historical society, writes our class, he transferred to UNH, “Over the past year, two deaths they celebrated their great-grand- poetry and stories, and is working thinking he would become a min- have occurred among our class- daughter’s first birthday. In March, on a novel and watercolors. Lois- ister. Ironically, he became a mates. David O’Haire, our senior they went to Florida to celebrate anne never forgot Malcolm Keddy teacher, teaching everything from year class president, who lived in Rene’s dad’s 98th birthday. In and Cornelius Lyle for their wise grade two through college includ- California after graduation, June they are visiting the National help in writing. ing a few years in Germany. Over passed in June 2017. Charlie Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, WY.” “Bev Kovacs Spaven of Mechan- these years Ray obtained four Merrigan, who taught English in icsville, VA, writes that she works master’s degrees in various disci- Nashua, NH, after graduation, 1965 part time as a middle school math plines. He has fond memories of passed this February. We extend Richard E. Doyle tutor. She headed to Japan last classmates, many of whom he has our condolences to their families.” 1101 Plantation Island Drive year as part of a sister city teacher stayed in touch with, and he South exchange. She managed to travel hopes to attend our 55th reunion 1964 Apt. 300 up north to see the ice sculptures to reconnect with others. His Helen I. Jette St. Augustine, FL 32080 in her four-week trip. daughter, Sara Gradual ’95, was 37100 Neukom Ave. [email protected] featured in the winter 2017-18 “Julia Jakobiec Fudala of Char- Zephyrhills, FL 33541 issue of Keene State Today. Dick Doyle lottesville, VA, writes that she is [email protected] writes: “Fifty-five years ago we met at KSC. We had corporate secretary of her home “The same edition of Keene State Bill Doolan a great time in and out of classes. owners association and editor of Today included an article about 9189 William Cody Dr. After commencement we went our the quarterly newsletter. She has our very own Pat Plante Zemi- Evergreen, CO 80439 separate ways. She married and season tickets for UVA women’s anek and her running. Pat contin- [email protected] taught elementary school in Ports- basketball and has taken many ues to race in the Steve Zemianek mouth, NH. She and I got together courses there. She spent 16 days Bennington Road Race, which her Philip Clay writes: “It is with great to plan a class reunion and we in Poland doing genealogy re- late husband organized, as well as sadness that I have to report to my started to date. Twenty years ago search of her family. Her youngest several other races around New class members the passing of my we were married and last fall she grandchild graduated from UTenn England. ‘Giving back to my com- wife, Karen. She left for a peaceful died suddenly of a heart attack. with a public relations major and munity and making a difference spot where she could be free from Barbara Loughlin Hopley Doyle her oldest will graduate with an makes me happy,’ she says. Alzheimer’s, a dreadful affliction. I leaves a wonderful legacy. She English major. would pray that everyone that is “Linda Woodward Geiger moved was very active in local, state, and capable contribute to the research “Mary Sullivan Mallery of St. back to New England after resid- national education associations. of that disease; we must end its Louis, MO, writes that she volun- ing in Georgia for 32 years. She She raised two children and en- affliction on the victims and their teers a lot at church for various has given permission to share her joyed her three grandchildren. families and friends. I was her groups. She plays bridge and contact information, which is: PO Anyone who knew her instantly caretaker right up until the very canasta. She exercises three Box 184 East Woodstock, CT liked her and she became a new end. I do not wish this on anyone. times a week and enjoys dining 06244 or [email protected]. friend. I was very fortunate to have We did have many happily married out with friends. She loved her Many of us have enjoyed her pho- loved her and we enjoyed life. (57) years together that kept us Caribbean cruise and visiting tography, which focused on going at the last. Bless you all.” “Joanne Dubuque Stroshine of South Carolina. Four grandchil- southern images, and we look Swanzey, NH, writes that she dren graduated from high school forward to new images from the Bill Dool- From Class Secretary subs at Monadnock Regional last year. Northeast. an Maggie McGettigan McAu- : “ High, volunteers at CASA/GAL, liffe and her husband, Len, have “Ed Brookshire of Eastham, MA, “The Frist Humanitarian Award and was chair of the Swanzey Old sold their properties in Ports- writes that he has served for 16 was created in 1971 to honor out- Home Day Committee. She likes

24 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu this month. Fred does all the main- for classes to give a Class Gift to tenance of their home/grounds/ the College upon their 50th re- outbuildings, all of which they union. A classmate has let us designed and built themselves know that he has already started beginning in 1972. He taught contributing to the Class of ’75 woodworking for 30 years and Gift Fund. His thought was that it had his own woodworking busi- is easier to donate an amount ness for 17 years, and continues annually rather than a larger sum to build whatever they need. Carol all at once in 2025. It has not yet teaches wool-spinning and related been decided what the 50th re- crafts, and has a small plants/cut union gift will be, but any sugges- flowers business at their home in tions are welcome. We will be So. Duxbury, VT. They help care discussing it at our 45th reunion for Carol’s mother, Wanda John- in two years.” son ’64, who is 103 years old. “Happy to hear from anyone who Henry also sent an update on remembers us,” they write. Reach what he’s been up to: “I retired them at [email protected]. June 2, 2017, and by June 5, the den showed no signs that I was an 1970 educator. My professional library is now in my old department’s Susan Campbell professional library. My computer Carol and Frederick Collins ’69 on a quick getaway to Toronto 15 New Acres Rd. is void of any file, form, training Keene, NH 03431 last summer. Catch up on their news in the 1969 section of Class materials, or case files. My leather Notes. shoulder case and leather folder 1971 went to Goodwill. I gave away years on the school committee 1968 Maureen Sheehan Hall three dozen Brooks Brothers ties there. He enjoys building model 69 Crescent St. to two previous bosses and a planes and ships. He travels to Jan Temple Metoxen Hooksett, NH 03106 former co-worker. Friday, June 16, Florida each year. He has four 330 Maple Rd. [email protected] was the last of several very small grandchildren ranging from 9 to Longmeadow, MA 01106 celebratory events, one with staff I 17. He and Joyce remember trav- jantemplemetoxen68@yahoo. 1972 worked with for 14-19 years at com eling to DC when JFK was assas- Debra Davis Butterworth one school and two small dinner sinated in 1963.” parties with friends. Thankfully, all Jan Temple Metoxen writes: 21 McAuley Rd. agreed to my request not to have “Dear Classmates, I haven’t heard Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 1966 a big event. I continue to get up from any of you, but I know you [email protected] early (not as early as I used to), go Nancy Coutts have heard from Alan Hodsdon Roger Hartwell downstairs to the gym, and then 175 Jaffrey Rd. and me about our 50th in several 198 Palermo Pl. go for my walk. It takes me over a Marlborough, NH 03455 letters over the past few months. The Villages, FL 32159 bridge that goes over the bay. I am Please try to get those question- [email protected] also enjoying my Sundays and 1967 naires back to me and to join us evenings – more time for social- for our reunion in September. Norma Wright Walker ’51 re- 1973 izing, reading, movies, crossword ceived a note from Bob Stevens, We’d love to have a large turnout, Kathleen Pickford Stacy puzzles, and not having the stress who is professor of education at especially from all of you who live 190 Old Hancock Rd. of planning and everything else the University of Texas at Tyler and in the Northeast! For those of you Antrim, NH 03440 that went into the job.” is a writer of scholarly articles as who are too far away to come, [email protected] well as fiction. “I published my first please join us in our book by shar- From class secretaries Eileen award-winning novel at the age of ing your news, and we will then Oechsli Bohigian and Dianne 68, Master Robert,” he writes. send you a copy so you can join 1974 Reidy Janson: “What have you “Mac Keddy would be surprised. I us that way. Remember to join our Jane Cappuccio Stauffer been up to? Your classmates received a D in his creative writing Facebook page for updates and 1 Washington St. would love to hear from you, too.” class.” Bob and his wife, Gina, pictures!” Salem, MA 01970-3239 plan to stay in Texas until Gina [email protected] 1976 retires in a year, after which they 1969 Philip Bellingham will move to Maine. “When I re- Barbara Hamilton 1975 20 Transit Ln. flect on my life, it has been amaz- 27 Kingswood Dr. Eileen (Oechsli) Bohigian East Hartford, CT 06118 ing,” he writes. “I am 74, still work- Manchester, CT 06040-6744 [email protected] ing, which includes restoring old [email protected] The Rev. Carol Hancock has houses, collecting paintings (I Dianne (Reidy) Janson been called as rector of St. John’s have 96 original paintings in my Carol Johnson Collins ’69 and [email protected] Episcopal Church in Centreville, her husband, Frederick Domey VA. She graduated from Virginia home), and running three miles From Henry Maier re the Class of Collins ’69, married in 1970, a Theological Seminary in Alexan- most days.” ’75 50th reunion gift: “As you may year after graduating. They are dria, VA, in 1985 and has served celebrating their 48th anniversary know, it is historically customary

SUMMER 2018 • 25 Class Notes

Cathy Stuart Zurek some of you would send in a little 78 Morse Ln. something that I could include in Boxborough, MA 01719 future Class Notes. You could tell [email protected] everyone what you’ve been up to, ask about a long lost classmate ... 1981 This is one of the first things you Nancy Colciaghi Pallas look at when you get your Keene 6153 W. Fallen Leaf Ln. State Today, right? Why not send Glendale, AZ 85310 me a note – email or Facebook – [email protected] and help me make sure our class is represented in every issue? 1982 “And now . . . Janet Carsten Shaffer Melissa Orestis Robertson [email protected] “ writes, ‘My husband, Andrew 1983 Robertson ’87, and I recently had lunch with Rick Larson and his Patricia K. Hodgeman Bush wife, Sharon, and caught up on Berkshire School life events. Larson’s daughter, 245 N. Undermountain Rd. Jessica, is going to school in Chi- Sheffield, MA 01257 cago to become a physical thera- [email protected] pist. Our daughter, Rachel, is go- Jacqueline Haight DeFreze ing to school in Utah for her MBA, 502 Portsmouth Ave. and our son, Frazer, is a sopho- Greenland, NH 03840 more at Keene State College, [email protected] majoring in art and loving KSC. It was great to see Rick and Sharon Valerie Belanger McKenney again. Next time we won’t wait 46 France Rd. that long!’ Barrington, NH 03825 [email protected] “And from Lisa Lounsbury: ‘I have Keene State’s TKE chapter held its annual meeting and formal dinner been living in Maine for the past on campus March 24. John Hasay ’77 writes: “The TKE alumni were 1984 30 years. As I have had my fill of out in full force recently as the Lambda Sigma Chapter celebrated snow, I am hoping to eventually Mary Beth Lucas Connors our 50th anniversary with our founders! They heard us coming move back to Delaware. I currently 295 Megan Dr. work in special ed at an elemen- wherever we went and knew we had been there when we left! All of Manchester, NH 03109-5924 tary school. While I enjoy working the 1973-1977 masters were there: Pete Leyden ’74, Barry Stetson [email protected] with children, I also enjoy getting ’76, J. B. Byrnes ’84, Dan Deke Decourcy ’74, Roman Mrowsinski, my summers off! I take full advan- John Hasay, Gary Brand ’78, Wayno Quiet ’75, Vito Fredette ’75, Louise Perron Tetreault 61 Manville Hill Road, Apt. 16 tage of that time and travel with Norm Larochelle ’75, Anthony and Ken Slattum’76, Jim Gardner Cumberland, RI 02864 my three sons to tropical loca- ’74, Mike Demers ’76, Rob Peach ’73, Ken Karamanoogian ’75, [email protected] tions. Not sure where we are go- Mike Kinson ’75, Rob Comeau ’75’s brother Ron, Mark Sowa ’73, ing this summer, but it’s all good!’ and Woody Woodward ’74. With tears in our eyes we raised our 1985 “Lastly, Sam Johnson writes, ‘I glasses to Marc Watkins, Paul Metzger ’75, and Don Camire ’75. Alison Ahmed live in southern Vermont. Anyone Energetic TKEs by the hundreds, we were there and wished you [email protected] in the area, come visit – Sam’s were too!” Wood Fired Pizza!’” Lisa A. Gagnon churches in South Carolina, [email protected] 1510 Old Cape Saint Claire Rd. 1987 Washington, DC, and Virginia for Annapolis, MD 21409 the past 32 years. She has two 1979 [email protected] Lisa Corrette Livingstone [email protected] adult daughters, Kimberly and Bill Reed Kathryn. 1986 54 Regan Circle 3 Mayfair Ln., Apt. 206 Raynham, MA 02767 Nashua, NH 03063-7645 Tori Berube 1977 [email protected] [email protected] Samantha Barrett McKinlay Sabrina Brown Maltby 2400 County Line Rd. Michael Trabucco 13 Main St. 1980 Ardmore, PA 19003 [email protected] Raymond, NH 03077 Allison Ashley-Bergstrom [email protected] Michael Trabucco writes: “Hello, 8 Dockham Shore Road Michelle Morris Ayer 1978 Classmates! Michael Trabucco Gilford, NH 03249 41 Hemlock Rd. here, wondering if you’re getting Dianne Glaser-Gilrein [email protected] Hingham, MA 02043 tired of reading notes from me. I P.O. Box 1391 [email protected] East Dennis, MA 02461 hope so! Because I’d love it if

26 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu Seth M. Klaiman 2000 2 Sweet Fern Trail Saunderstown, RI 02874 Danielle LePage Zimmerman [email protected] [email protected] 1994 2001 Melissa Sawyer Bowler Christine Leland Williams 158 Shaker Rd. [email protected] Canterbury, NH 03224 Jedd Pellerin recently began a [email protected] job as project architect with St. Dawn Deurell Louis-based PGAV Destinations. 17 Chestnut Cir. Merrimack, NH 03054-6611 2002 [email protected] Jessie Gannett Heath 59 King Road Penny Rioux Joyal Chichester, NH 03258 106 N. Adams St. [email protected] Manchester, NH 03104 [email protected] 2003 1995 Angela Watson 55 Davidson Hill Rd. Joshua Terrell ’89 was on campus in March for a TKE reunion and Cara H. Staus Westminster, VT 05158 a reception for Greek organization alumni. While he was here, he [email protected] presented a workshop for active and alumni e-boards of Keene angela_watson7579@yahoo. Erin Delude George com State’s Greek organizations. 9 Bigelow Hill Rd. Danielle Popyk Troy, NH 03465-2106 [email protected] 1988 1991 [email protected] Jeffrey LaValley Karen Dicey Erin Zaffini won the 2017 Keene 187 County St., #1 [email protected] 1996 State College Excellence in Attleboro, MA 02703 Karen Holmes Reinhold Teaching Award, an honor be- [email protected] Amy Eshelman 102 Newberry Rd. [email protected] stowed annually on an adjunct Susan Lundgren Regan East Haddam, CT 06423 professor. In addition to teaching Aaron Kay Sales Parker 79 Winthrop Rd. [email protected] at Keene State, Erin, who has a 5832 Wooded Acres Dr. Guilford, CT 06437 master’s degree from Temple Uni- Kathleen Kerr St. Germaine Knoxville, TN 37921 versity and a doctorate from Bos- 1989 19 Great Woods Rd. [email protected] ton University, teaches music to Plymouth, MA 02360-1826 toddlers at Manchester Commu- Maribeth Marsico Gesler 1997 nity Music School and to continu- [email protected] 1992 Danielle Dearborn Gagne ing ed students at UNH-Man- Debbie Belka Baker has been Kate Shepard Dugan 1587 Waterwells Rd. chester. hired by NutriStudents K-12 as 42 Middlefield Dr. Alfred Station, NY 14803 in-house registered dietitian to West Hartford, CT 06107 [email protected] 2004 oversee certification and USDA [email protected] Alison (Thompson) Cizowski compliance of the company’s 1998 7 Chisholm Way Scott McPherson and Kelly school lunch menus. She has Deb Clogher Burleigh Wilmington, MA 01887 O’Connell McPherson had dinner worked for 20 years as a clinical 44 Clinton Ave. [email protected] with Scott’s Keene State room- dietitian in hospitals and nursing Budd Lake, NJ 07828 mate Brian Clark in Atlanta, homes and for five years in public [email protected] 2005 health, and lives in Minnesota. where Brian has been living since the mid-’90s (interrupted by a Lisa Demers Harvey Valerie Nettleton 1990 short sojourn in Colorado). Brian [email protected] 14420 Kittridge St., Apt. 12 was recently married and is living Van Nuys, CA 91405 Lauren Aborjaily Griffin in the Atlanta suburbs, where he Kristen Cranson Nelson [email protected] 17 Monhege Path works in multimedia content pro- P.O. Box 208 Marlborough, CT 06447 duction and distribution. Greenvale, NY 11548 2006 [email protected] Shelly Brodeur Masson 1993 Adam Wefers [email protected] 1999 154 Sagamore St., Apt. 2 Shelli Bienvenue Cook Manchester, NH 03104 Maureen Cicchese Musseau 18 Heathrow Ave. Jason Hindle [email protected] 75 Pinehaven Dr. Manchester, NH 03204 8 Spruce St. Whitman, MA 02382 [email protected] Somersworth, NH 03878 [email protected] [email protected]

SUMMER 2018 • 27 Class Notes

Jessica Morissette Tuliano ’15 married Joshua Tuliano ’11 October 13, 2017, in Somersworth, NH. Their wedding party included, from left, Celeste Ponce ’15, Brittany Adair ’15, Kathryn Thomas ’15, Leighanna Dumais ’15, bride Jessica Tuliano, groom Joshua Tuliano, Steve Theleen ’11, and Shawn Curley ’11. Jessica and Joshua met in 2013 when she was enrolled in the nursing program. Shawn Egan ’14 and Nicole Fiorey Egan ’15 were married May 19, 2017, in Sarasota, FL. Nine other Keene Staters were on hand for the 2008 2010 happy day. From left are Keith Simpson ’16, Katelyn Grodski Kelly A. Mullane Matt Gill (attended 2011-12), groom Shawn Egan, Bride Nicole Egan, 532 King Street 69 Conleys Grove Road Nick Vita ’14, Molly Selvidio Vita ’15, Tanner Chase ’15, Chappaqua, NY 10514 Derry, NH 03038 Lindsay Shapiro ’14, Luke Whitmore ’14, Matt Boulay ’15 [email protected] [email protected] and Hayley Grove ’16.

2009 2011 2014 Kelly Payeur The Keene Sentinel won a region- Emily Reed NEXT CLASS NOTES 766 Ocean Ave wide journalism award for a series [email protected] DEADLINE: Meghan Foley wrote about Portland, ME 04101 AUGUST 3 strains to the area’s emergency [email protected] 2015 medical services system. The Contact your Chelsea Harris annual Publick Occurrances 2013 class secretary or Awards are presented by the New [email protected] Stefanie Diskin [email protected] England Newspaper & Press As- [email protected] sociation. Meghan started her career at the Sentinel as a staff reporter and was promoted to copy editor last summer. COMMENCMENT 2018 COMMENCMENT

28 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu

In Memoriam

Charles L. Manos ’51 Astrid Olson DiMeco ’63 Evan T. Nystedt ’75 January 25, 2018 January 2, 2018 May 24, 2004 Richard E. Rogers ’51 David J. O’Haire ’63 Henriette Mayer Olmstead ’75 December 12, 2017 June 15, 2017 June 13, 2017 IN MEMORIAM Wenona B. Schoolcraft ’51 Marion Weston Frazier ’63 Bruce K. Ellis ’76 November 7, 2017 March 1, 2018 January 27, 2018 Elizabeth Girardet Krynski ’37 February 20, 2015 Roger C. Whipple ’52 Charles R. Merrigan ’63 Susan Manning Rooney ’76 October 3, 2017 February 13, 2018 June 21, 2017 Esther Hussey Prescott ’37 January 2, 2018 Edwin W. Curtiss ’53 Eleanora Knudsen Cropley ’64 Denise Galante Nolan ’78 July 15, 2017 January 28, 2017 Elizabeth Scribner November 6, 2017 Skowlund ’37 Jane E. Marett ’53 R. Bruce Smith ’64 Thomas J. Pinard ’78 February 17, 2018 February 9, 2018 December 26, 2017 September 29, 2017 Anita Scott Killian ’38 Carolyn Coughlin Beecher ’54 Sandra Rolfe Turner ’64, M’75 Debra Dawson Broderick ’79 May 5, 2009 October 28, 2017 July 24, 2017 August 19, 2017 Ruth Maker Worrad ’39 Shirley Witham Hyde ’54 Peter W. Ksjold ’65 Fay O’Brien Johnson ’79 October 30, 2017 February 27, 2017 September 13, 2017 November 25, 2010 Eileen Mehlhorn ’40 Amy Bond Simpson ’55 Claire C. McMurphy ’68 Henry J. Callahan ’85 April 22, 2011 December 11, 2017 December 26, 2017 October 28, 2015 John E. Regan ’55 Duncan A. Rand ’68 Elaine Brown Felton ’41 Ronald Bailey ’88 April 22, 2011 July 14, 2017 June 21, 2015 Date of death unknown Marianne Marshall Baker ’56 Kathryn Herold Woods ’68 Alta Gillmore Kimball ’41 John F. Bourgoin ’88 August 5, 2017 December 14, 2017 January 18, 2018 June 8, 2015 Carol Roy Boucher ’57 Thomas Russell Burns ’70 Jessie Dutrizac Lombard ’41 Stephen C. Geratowski ’88 August 13, 2017 June 1, 2017 February 23, 2011 October 22, 2010 Barbara Jeffery Stimson ’41 Cynthia Thompson Doten ’57 Sally Dewolf Dempsey ’70 December 21, 2017 July 13, 2017 Lisa M. Tousley ’90 April 28, 2017 October 1, 2017 Caroline “Nickie” Nichols Frederick Fosher ’57 Linda Ewing ’70 Stephen S. Bates ’92 Pregent ’43 July 31, 2017 August 30, 2017 July 26, 2017 November 14, 2017 Eugene W. Ross ’57 Ernest Jenkins ’70 Christine Rice Doiron ’92 Eleanor Strobel Bullock ’44 October 12, 2017 July 6, 2011 July 22, 2012 May 7, 2017 John R. Faust ’58 Joan Pickering Swett ’71 Joshua R. Davidson ’99 Priscilla “Robin” Chick December 22, 2017 February 27, 2018 July 31, 2017 Sargent ’44 Morton A. Shea ’58 George D. Hanna ’72 July 8, 2017 December 24, 2017 June 29, 2009 Ryan F Kerley ’08 July 2, 2016 Barbara Manning Gregoire ’45 William “Bill” Thomas ’60 Virginia Merrill Marrotte ’72 August 31, 2017 December 27, 2017 July 17, 2017 Andrew P. Koiopoulos ’09 August 5, 2017 June Rollins Tilton ’45 Janet Healy Dow ’61 Robert R. Devoid ’73 January 4, 2017 August 27, 2017 January 8, 2014 Jane Taylor-Husemann ’09 July 26, 2017 Shirley Bacon Manna ’48 Brian K. Bogle ’62 John Hartman ’73 January 14, 2017 October 4, 2017 November 29, 2017 Nicholas C. Seymour ’10 Francis D. Hackett ’49 October 4, 2017 Michael Korsak ’62 Carolyn L. Ryan ’73 September 26, 2017 August 25, 2014 October 16, 2017 Tyler G. Gammans ’12 Jean L. Hebert ’49 October 6, 2017 Harold S. Pike ’62 John M. Stokel ’73 February 14, 2018 October 25, 2017 September 7, 2017 Kenneth F. Hadley ’15 Kenneth R. Swift ’49 October 7, 2017 John E. Regan ’62 David P. Konigsburg ’74 March 21, 2018 October 5, 2017 August 22, 2017 * Deaths reported as of March 29, 2018

SUMMER 2018 • 29 Update from Alumni Relations Steve Fortier ’86 Interim Director of Alumni Relations

s our fellow Keene State alum and Alumni from the ’50s through the ’10s Please join our alumni community president of our alma mater, Dr. are giving back to their alma mater on online – at Keene State College Alumni Melinda Treadwell ’90, is known to our collective behalf. They are serving on Facebook and Twitter as well as your say, “It’s a great day to be an Owl!” I’ll on the Reunion Planning Committee class’s group on Facebook (if your class Aadd one word to that and declare that it is and have connected with graduates doesn’t have one, create one!). Several a great day to be an Alumni Owl! and their families at our annual Senior “affinity groups” also have Facebook group Dinner and Dessert, served as ushers at pages – Athletic Training, Journalism, Before some updates, I want to welcome Commencement, members of the Class of 2018 to our Keene planned events for State College Alumni Association. I’ve been their affinity groups, Come rediscover, reconnect, and relive! amazed by your individual and collective organized Golden contributions to the College, our region, Circle Society luncheons throughout New Safety, Lacrosse, Baseball, and more. Plug and the world. I am excited to follow all of England, and hosted regional Alumni your club(s) into Facebook’s search engine the great things you will do in the future. meet-ups, among many other things. to see if a group exists and join your fellow teammates and club members there. The Alumni Association has had a very Alums are also contributing to the vitality active first six months of 2018 and this will of Keene State College on the whole, not Please vote for your new Keene State roll right into the second half of the year. just the alumni population. Two recent Alumni Association Board of Directors. Here are a few highlights from where I sit: examples are a pilot partnership with the Information is pinned to the top of our Admissions team this spring in which Alumni Facebook page. Our fellow alums are reconnecting in a alumni who live in the Northeast worked variety of ways – some organized by the with admissions counselors at college After three decades as an Alumni Alumni Engagement team, some self- fairs in their region and an expanded volunteer, it’s been a pleasure and honor organized and supported by our staff. As partnership with the Athletics Department to serve for the first half of the year as our examples, President Treadwell and I made to co-host alumni and parent events before Interim Director of Alumni Relations. It’s a traditional visit to Florida in March where away games throughout New England and allowed me to reconnect with more than we met with alums from the ’50s and ’60s at the teams’ Florida pre-season games. 1,000 of my fellow Alumni Owls through who live in the Naples area, with alums We are bringing an alumni presence to various events. At from across the decades at a Red Sox pre- Admitted Student Days, donating to the the same time, I season game, and with parents and alums President’s Challenge and other fundraising look forward to at Keene State baseball and softball games. drives to support current students’ success, soon returning all We brought Class Secretaries together presenting in the Career Speaker Series and of my attention in April to refine the process of keeping in classrooms, welcoming student groups to to my role as the classmates connected. In other cases, an their workplaces to help them learn about College’s director alumni group organized their own event their industries, serving as mentors, and of external with our support. In the first half of this posting job openings at their companies on relations. More th calendar year, TKE had a wonderful 50 the College’s JobWISE webpage. about that in the anniversary of their founding; journalism next edition of alums held a reunion for alumni and These are just a few ways that hundreds of Keene State Today. Steve Fortier ’86 current members of WKNH, KSC-TV, and our fellow alums are reconnecting with – The Equinox; we’ve helped Athletic Training and giving back to – Keene State College. It’s always a great day to be an Alumni alums plan a gathering that will be held in Owl! the third week of July; and, on our Florida I leave you with three calls to action: trip in March, alums from the Class of ’77 met at one member’s home in Kissimmee Please join me and hundreds of other (the first time they’d all been together since Keene State alums at Reunion 2018. Come graduation day!) and we joined them in the rediscover, reconnect, and relive! celebration.

30 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu FIRST-PERSON PROJECT

Amy (Brassard) Oelkers ’97 Ridgewood, NJ Vice President of Revenue, VOGUE, New York City Major: Psychology Associate’s Degree: Chemical Dependency

“What I do on a daily basis is about human connection and human behavior. What I fell in love with wasn’t so much the fashion (although, a nice perk!); it was the story being told. Allure, Glamour, Seventeen, Teen Vogue, VOGUE – all of these powerful brands connect with people on a daily basis in different ways. It is my job to show the connection from brand to consumer.”

ad Amy’s oral history at keene.edu/first-person

SUMMER 2018 • 31 FIRST-PERSON PROJECT

Jesse Hurwitz ’00 New York City

Senior Director of Monetization Products, Jump Ramp Games Major: Communication

“I applied for a job and was rejected, so I wrote a 10-page business document on industry trends and what I’ve seen, and submitted that. I was called back, and they said, ‘Wow – after you took the time to do this, clearly we have to give you an opportunity to at least interview.’ And from there I got the job. In my first job out of college, I was on the phone making a hundred sales calls every day. Doing that, you get a lot of ‘No’s. One more ‘no’ wasn’t going to stop me from pushing back.”

ad Jesse’s oral history at keene.edu/first-person

32 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu Danielle (Dearborn) Gagne ’97 Alfred Station, NY

Associate Professor of Psychology, Alfred University

Major: Psychology Associate’s Degree: Chemical Dependency

“I had great personal relationships with my professors at Keene State. That set the stage for me becoming a professor. I try to cultivate that same relationship with my students. I have a very open-door policy with them. I tell them, ‘I’m going to get to know you.’”

ad Danielle’s oral history at keene.edu/first-person

SUMMER 2018 • 33 229 Main Street Keene NH 03435

Do you know any students who are good fits for Keene State?

It’s not too late for them to start college this fall! We’re also looking for high school seniors to enroll in fall 2019. If you have a candidate in mind, please contact Admissions. [email protected] | 1-800-KSC-1909 or 603-358-2276 For more information, please visit www.keene.edu/admissions.

34 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu