FALL 2019 Magazine EMPATHY TEST DEFINE DESIGN THINKING PROTOTYPE IDEATE The Doers and Thinkers of the New CENTER FOR DESIGN THINKING PG. 20 VALIANT PERFORMANCES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MANHATTANVILLE’S FALL PRODUCTION OF A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING INCLUDED THE COMIC SONG “HONEY BUN” FROM THE MUSICAL SOUTH PACIFIC, WITH STUDENTS SAMANTHA ALTMAN ’22, SUZANNA BUTTERFIELD ’21, GORDON EVANS ’22, MARINA KOLITSAS ’22, AND ALI MOUNKARY ’22, SARAH BLAKE ’22, KARISA CAMPBELL ’20, AND MORGAN WICKSON ‘19; AND MANHATTANVILLE’S RECENT PRODUCTION OF THE HIGH-OCTANE BROADWAY HIT, THE "MOTHER" WITH THE HAT, STARRED SENIORS PEDRO NUNO SILVA AND VICTORIA NAVARRO. What’s Inside Features 14 Castle Conversations 16 Professor Jimmy Jones 18 First Generation Inspiration 20 Designing Success 24 Meet the Design Thinkers Departments 4 Letter from the President 8 News 28 Athletics 31 Alumni Spotlight 32 Class Notes A GRAND REUNION Nineteen years after Valiant sweethearts Aimee Bouchard ’02 and Honor Roll Michelle Driscoll ’01 performed in Manhattanville’s A Grand Night for Singing, they returned to campus—this time as a married couple 41 Acknowledging with three children—to watch their former directors, Mark Cher- Donors: ry and Beverly Meyer, reprise the production. Left to right: Aimee Bouchard, Mark Cherry, Beverly Meyer, and Michelle Driscoll. 2017-2019 2 MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE FALL 2019 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT Manhattanville CALENDAR Magazine nd Dear Alumni and Friends of Manhattanville, Fall 2019 Upcoming Events 22 Annual History 2020 Alumni Barbecue As I prepare for my fourth year at Manhattanville College, President Saturday, April 25 | 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. I reflect with great pride on the ambitious goals we laid Michael E. Geisler ON Campus out in our Strategic Plan as well as the persistence and Lower Terraces Interim Vice President teamwork that brought many of these ideas into reality. for Institutional Alumni Volunteer Workshop I am pleased to share that in September we officially Advancement Reunion Weekend opened the Center for Design Thinking on campus. Tracy Muirhead Saturday, February 8 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Housed in the former President’s Cottage, it is one Assistant Vice President Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14 of few such centers in the nation located on a liberal for Communications Center for Design Thinking arts college campus, and it is the first of its kind in and Marketing Cara Cea Westchester County. See the multiple features on Center for Design Thinking OFF Campus pages 20-27 to learn about the concept of Design Editor Thinking and the role Manhattanville’s Center will play in preparing our students for the Kristin O’Callaghan Showcase and Alumni Reception workplace of tomorrow. Alumni Day at the Bronx Zoo Creative Director Wednesday, February 26 | 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Kaya Phillips Saturday, September 26 The Strategic Plan also furthers the mission of the College by outlining key initiatives that Center for Design Thinking leverage its rich history and roots in social justice. As you know, the diversification of the Contributors and Photographers student body began more than 80 years ago in 1938 by former President Mother Grace Francheska Kola '20 Dammann, who affirmed the right of the first African American studento t be admitted to Manhattanville in an address that made national headlines. This year marks the 50th Cristina Masi '20 anniversary of the Brownson Takeover, a student protest that took place in December Justin Capalbo '10 of 1969. The desire of the students to see more diversity on campus was supported by James Frank then President Elizabeth McCormack. John Vechiolla While much has changed since 1969, one commitment remains the same: Photography Manhattanville continues to be a nurturing community of engaged scholars and teachers Joe Gaylor producing independent and creative thinkers. Our pride in the current diversity of the Photography institution is reflected in multiple articles, including one about first generation alumni and Sean Gardner the Center for Inclusion’s pilot program called, “Manhattanville First” (pages 18 and 19); Photography another showcasing writers Elijah Fulton ’12 (page 8) and Tiffany Fuller ’12 (page 10); a Elizabeth piece highlighting Diane Fraher ’72 (page 12) a filmmaker of Native American heritage Chit-Sanchez '20 who filmed scenes from her upcoming feature on campus this year; and a special feature commemorating the retirement and lifetime achievements of Professor Jimmy Jones Emily Mann '22 (pages 16 and 17). Nicolette Christopoulos '22 As we take pride in our past, we also look to the future. In the spring, we hope to receive Lazaro Rabanales '20 approval from New York State to launch our new School of Nursing and Health Sciences. And I am pleased to announce the relaunch of Castle Conversations, our series of public Roxane Byegeka '20 forums in Reid Castle; the inaugural event in September featuring novelist Richard North Janelle Tapia '20 Patterson and political columnist Bret Stephens was a rousing success (see pages 14 Director of and 15). The evening was a perfect example of Manhattanville’s liberal arts ethos offering Alumni Relations a public space to cultivate critical thinking through civil, bipartisan dialogue. Polly Schmitz As always, I recognize that we would not be able to carry on the great tradition of Design Rose Creative Group Manhattanville and forge a path for the future without all of you. Please be sure to see our latest Honor Roll (pages 41-57), which stands as a wonderful testament to the generosity of our alumni and friends and their continued belief in our mission. All of you make all of Manhattanville Magazine is this possible and I thank you. distributed free to alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College. Sincerely, Please send correspondence at [email protected] alumni.mville.edu Michael E. Geisler Copyright © 2019 President Manhattanville College 4 MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE FALL 2019 5 n November 13, Manhattanville Geisler also applauded McCormack, who created a hosted its 13th annual Human Rights number of special scholarships for African Americans Awareness Day in the Berman Center. from Harlem and the Bronx. This year’s theme was Youth Activism, A LOOK BACK which dovetailed with an evening event During her remarks, Hill spoke about the context of the AT THE BROWNSON TAKEOVER commemorating the 50th anniversary of the times – the unrest of the civil rights movement and the Brownson Takeover. The events were organized Vietnam War. She spoke about the role of activism and by students and Manhattanville professors Anna Yeung- the importance of participating on many levels including EIGHTEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT Cheung, PhD, and Binita Mehta, PhD. voting, protesting, and organizing to fight the inequality PROTESTERS OCCUPIED BROWNSON HALL, DECEMBER 8–13, 1969. DOORS AND WINDOWS OF that still exists. THE BUILDING WERE BARRED WITH CHAIRS AND The daytime program began with 23-year-old keynote OTHER OBJECTS. THE ACTIVISTS REFUSED TO LEAVE UNTIL THE ADMINISTRATION PLEDGED TO MAKE speaker, Nathan Law, Hong Kong’s youngest legislator Hill fondly remembered McCormack and her willingness CHANGES TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS. who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. In to address the activists’ demands, which included more his presentation, Law narrated video footage from the financial support for African American students and to recent clashes in Hong Kong, recounting the harrowing raise the percentage of non-white students to 10 (today, the violence and his own arrest by the police. College has 38 percent). The protesters felt that the College WHILE THEN PRESIDENT had the resources necessary to meet their demands, Hill ELIZABETH MCCORMACK BARRED Law then joined a panel discussion with American recalled, although in retrospect she realized they were OUTSIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FROM INTERVENING, youth activists Sarah Clements, Nazira Cisse, and Noely young and had little concept of what the College could offer. THE TAKEOVER STILL CAPTURED Jimenez. Clements became a nationally recognized gun PUBLIC ATTENTION AND BECAME A NEWS ITEM BEYOND THE PAGES violence prevention activist after her mother survived the McCormack touched on this in her taped interview. OF THE CAMPUS PAPER, THE shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012; Cisse “It was a difficult job because they were hard times at TOUCHSTONE. IT EVEN ELICITED AN OPINION PIECE PENNED BY colleges,” she said. “Of WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY FOR THE course, I happen to agree NEW YORK POST. with the desire of the students, but most African Human Rights Awareness Day American students at that moment needed big financial aid.” According to McCormack, these funds is part of the Teen Activist Project, which advocates for came primarily in the form of institutional aid and the racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights; and Jimenez is a theatre College extended as much aid as could be afforded. major at Manhattanville who works as a coordinator, teaching artist, and actor in the People’s Theatre Project McCormack recalled that, in order to meet with the AFTER THE in Manhattan. protesters, she had to climb through a window in what is BROWNSON now the faculty area in Brownson. “I was nervous. But as TAKEOVER, MANY STUDENTS AT In the evening, the spotlight turned to 1969 and the I stepped into the room, they were all at the table. I heard MANHATTANVILLE Brownson Takeover, a notable campus protest by 18 one student say to the rest, ‘Don’t let her fall.’” She recalled COLLEGE WERE INSPIRED TO African American students who barricaded themselves in thinking, “If they don’t want me to fall, they don’t want to PARTICIPATE IN Brownson Hall to demand greater diversity on campus. hurt me. So I relaxed and we had three evenings of talking MOVEMENTS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS LOOKING THEY BELIEVED The night’s event, held in Reid Castle, featured a video to one another.