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Sacred Heart University 5151 Park Avenue A WORD FROM Fairfield, CT 06825-1000 [email protected] THE PRESIDENT ISSN 1547-6219 Copyright ©2020 Sacred Heart University “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch MAGAZINE STAFF of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season Creative Director Deborah Chute of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of Art Director Tim Oliver hope, it was the winter of despair ...” Executive Editor Deborah Noack Editor Tim Deenihan hese are the opening lines of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. With the value Contributing Illustrators Mark Hooper, Jim Luft, Martin Schmetzer of hindsight, Dickens was able to look back on T the period of the French Revolution between Contributing Photographers 1775 and 1792 and explore the connections Brendan Capuano, Mark F. Conrad, between historical events in Paris and the Tracy Deer-Mirek, Don Hamerman, conditions he observed in the London of his era. Sean Kaschak We have no way of knowing, of course, how historians and novelists will view what is transpiring today. These the front lines, be they doctors, nurses and other health- Contributing Writers Meghan Allen, Meredith unparalleled, trying times are testing our resolve, strength, care professionals; law enforcement and civil servants; ed- Guinness, Jill Jones, Sarah Pfeffer, Kim tenacity and compassion. As I write, I reflect on how ucators and those providing food, shelter and other critical Swartz, Gina Pribaz Vozenilek, Melissa Zarik quickly and relentlessly the coronavirus pandemic has services in their communities. They exemplify our mission spread. So fast, in fact, that this publication was already re- and are living examples of our goal to send out into the POSTMASTER Send address changes to: searched, written and designed before coronavirus became a world compassionate human beings with a desire to help University Advancement household word. And by the time you read this, it is likely the most vulnerable. Sacred Heart University Magazine that everything will have changed again. A commitment to service, caring and faith embodies Sacred Heart University While all of us at Sacred Heart University share your all we believe in at Sacred Heart University. Dedication to 5151 Park Avenue concern, anxiety and worries about the future, I am proud, the welfare and care of our students, alumni, educators and Fairfield, CT 06825-1000 as well, of how our University has responded to this crisis staff continues to be our first priority. We also are doing and how we have met many challenges with professional- all we can to support our communities and to work with ON THE COVER ism, empathy and resolve. local, state and federal officials in whatever capacity Business and technology forge a new SHU was among the first universities in the country to is required. partnership at SHU. Photo illustration bring our students home from overseas and then send all We are a campus that is known for “opening doors for by Willyam Bradberry. Story, page 24. our students home for online distance learning. With our one another.” As we observe safety protocols, we continue annual spring break earlier than most, and the information to reach out through all possible electronic, telephonic and Sacred Heart University Magazine is published by the Division of Marketing and on community spread of the virus changing day to day, we virtual means. Amidst the worst of times, there has been, Communications. Every effort has been made did not have the luxury of taking a week to make decisions and will continue to be, many tales of selflessness, heroism, to ensure its accuracy and completeness. and preparations. Our students had just gotten back to sacrifice and hope. I hope we can share some of those in Locations of towns and cities are indicated campus on March 9 when we made the difficult decision a future issue. except for those in Connecticut. to send them back home. We took just one day to ready In the meantime—and again in the words of ourselves for online teaching. I am proud of the way our Dickens—God bless us every one. Opinions expressed in this publication may faculty and staff rose to the occasion and did what was not necessarily reflect those of Sacred Heart needed for the safety of our students and community. And University, its faculty or administration. I am proud of the way our students handled the disap- pointment of leaving their friends and teachers and took twitter on the task of a very different learning style that I know @sacredheartuniv has been challenging for many of them. I am also very proud of the many SHU graduates on dr. john j. petillo, president facebook facebook.com/SacredHeartUniversity

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1 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 c o n t e n t s ALBERGUE sacred heart university magazine • spring 2020 THE PYRENEES FROM A MOUNTAINTOP , OR HOSTEL, CALLED “THE REFUGE” ON DAY ONE OF SENIOR DANNY MCCARTHY’S 500-MILE TREK ALONG THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO (PAGE 18).

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FORWARD LEADING FINDING ‘ALEXA, WHAT A DECADE OF NOT YOUR AMAZING AN IMAGE OF SPIRIT FROM THE Navigating our Turning ideas THE WAY TIME IS THE JOY AND HOPE MOTHER’S GRACE HAPPINESS Heart is always ARCHIVE differences, into realities and SHU senior REVOLUTION?’ Celebrating the LIBERAL ARTS Dr. Grace Flannery: A deeper look at central to Sacred Kevin Nealon ’75, sharing our questions into Danny McCarthy Business and 10th anniversary of Weighing marine biologist, SHU’s ranking as Heart University. from SHU to SNL humanity, answers. and 500 miles of technology come the Chapel of the the value of University one of America’s ... and back again. embracing the Camino together in a new Holy Spirit. a liberal arts ambassador, “Happiest Schools.” uncertainty. de Santiago. College with education. raconteur a dynamic new dean. extraordinaire.

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 2 3 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 v o l u m e 1, i s s u e 2 | s p r i n g 2020 f o r w a r d “I WANT TO STAND AS CLOSE TO THE EDGE AS I CAN WITHOUT GOING OVER. OUT ON THE EDGE YOU SEE ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU CAN’T SEE FROM THE CENTER.” — KURT VONNEGUT, PLAYER PIANO

A DEDICATION RETURNING Sacred Heart University was founded with a mission to members of the SHU community working to serve their in the fall of 2018, Michael W. Higgins, distinguished educate students “in mind, body and spirit to prepare families, their communities, their God and each other. professor of Catholic thought, was concerned that them personally and professionally to make a difference To you medical personnel, one and all; to you truckers, CIVILITY in the global community.” Arguably, never since that you cops, you clerks and comedians; to you soldiers, students never witnessed healthy debate—only the founding have we been called upon to be so dedicated small business owners, you sisters of the poor; to vitriol and point-scoring of talking heads on television. in mind, in body and in spirit as we are today. It is with everyone whose sacrifice, whether great or small, stems TO CIVIL To remedy this, he approached Michelle Loris, professor heartfelt thanks and appreciation that we dedicate this from the knowledge that we are strongest together, and associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine to all the even when we are six feet apart, we say, Thank you. DISCOURSE about the idea of having a debate on campus. ➜

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PROFESSORS MICHAEL W. HIGGINS AND GARY ROSE AT THE GREAT DEBATE

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

The newly named Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing grows a new generation of nurses by starting at the root of care.

reatness often begins with little things. Last ➜ from previous page October, Dr. Susan L. With encouragement from Loris, a Davis, R.N., urged such year later, Higgins went to Gary Rose, G greatness when she longtime political science professor, and addressed nursing students suggested an open debate on the topic at the dedication of the College of of religion’s place in public policymak- Nursing which now bears her and her ing. Rose accepted and, before a room husband’s names. Her voice was quiet packed with students, faculty and staff, but strong, and her message clear: the Great Debate lecture series was nurses can “go and change health care.” born. Her vision for the potential of the This past September, a panel of “I never lose an profession to take on such a daunting professors met to weigh in on what task is shared by Mary Alice Donius, economic system is best for the country. opportunity of dean of the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Amanda Moras, sociology professor; urging a practical Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Lucjan Orlowski, economics and fi- Donius has a plan for where to start. nance professor; Burton Spivak, history; beginning, however It may seem like a little thing, but it’s and Bill Yousman, communication and everything: “We must begin where the media studies, all met before an even small, for it is patient is,” she says. larger crowd to present their arguments wonderful how Where is the patient in the modern for the second Great Debate: Socialism health-care system, which becomes ever versus Capitalism. often in such more technologically advanced and It’s important to create “an envi- mechanized? In such a climate, Donius ronment where people can engage in matters the believes it is crucial to teach nursing stu- democratic debates without scorching mustard-seed dents that patients are not diagnoses or each other,” Higgins says. To that end, data charts, but suffering persons. a third Great Debate is currently in the germinates and Donius unpacks her way of under- planning stages for the fall. shu standing the unique combination of roots itself.” skills that make a nurse such a powerful — florence nightingale help in healing patients. Compassion is (Letter to a friend, quoted the means by which nurses connect with in The Life of Florence the common humanity of the patient; Nightingale Vol. II (1914) by empathy moves toward understand- Edward Tyas Cook, p. 406) ing and interaction with the patient;

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“I use storytelling with my students and elicit stories from them as well. I find that students want to share their stories and ask questions,” Goncalves says. In addition to the concept of compassion, she stresses the need to display caring be- haviors, such as pulling up a chair to sit at the bedside with patients and families, who often are at their most vulnerable. “Sometimes a patient doesn’t want to hear about their diagnosis, treatments, etc.,” says nursing student Benjamin Harrell. “Sometimes all patients want is for someone to hold their hand and listen to their story. In a world so full of technology and objective-driven tasks, we should take a step back and think about why we are studying to be nurses ... to care for people.” In reality, a nurs- ing education that forms nurses who ask themselves those kinds of questions is a big step forward. shu Physics professor Frank Robinson would and altruism is putting into action the needs. She is perhaps most excited for like to see his students knowledge and skills that can relieve the the opportunities the gift affords for patient’s suffering. program development focusing on car- work a little harder at Donius is delighted to have Davis ing and compassion, which Goncalves getting it wrong. and husband Richard Henley as partners believes are the essence of nursing and in the work of preparing the next gen- central tenets of the College of Nursing eration of nurses to be compassionate, mission and philosophy. “It is an honor caring and competent practitioners in to have our College named after a nurse uess how many an ever-evolving health-care system. who embodies these beliefs,” she says. stalks of hay there Davis’ impressive career in health care Goncalves has seen a growing level of are in a haystack. spans from bedside to boardroom, and discomfort with the interpersonal skills Go on. Guess. she received an honorary doctorate from necessary at the bedside. Using a “back- G Or how many Sacred Heart University in 2012. Henley to-basics” approach, she teaches nursing ping pong balls it has also been a health-care executive students how to incorporate caring and would take to cover a football for more than 30 years. Both have led compassion in their nursing care. field. organizations through the technological These are the sorts of chal- transformation and financial upheaval of lenges Frank Robinson sets for the health-care delivery system. But Do- his students—partly, of course, nius is most inspired because, through to test their problem-solving all of their accomplishments, Davis and skills, and partly to develop Henley never lost sight of caring as the A HANDS-ON APPROACH in his students one skill in moral imperative of nursing. TO NURSING, FROM particular: their willingness to “To have the College of Nursing NEONATAL CARE PRACTICE risk being wrong. named for a nurse and leader in health (PREVIOUS PAGE) TO THE Without speculating on the care is absolutely thrilling and very ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE reasons, Robinson, assistant meaningful to us as faculty and stu- HANDS CEREMONY (TOP, professor of physics and direc- dents,” she says. “Davis so profoundly LEFT) TO PASSING THE tor of SHU’s 3+2 engineering remains a nurse at heart and an advo- COLLEGE’S GONFALON program, laments that students cate for equitable health care.” (ABOVE) STUDENT TO are currently much too focused Susan Goncalves, assistant professor STUDENT, HAND OVER on finding a right answer. The in the College of Nursing and faith HAND. AT LEFT, DR. community nurse coordinator, concurs. SUSAN L. DAVIS, R.N., AND She is grateful that Davis and Henley’s RICHARD J. HENLEY AT THE gift will support students and faculty SAM IL MAXIMUS ET VOLUPID COLLEGE’S RENAMING in scholarships, teaching and research MOLORESTRUM DERIO BESTRUM DERIO CEREMONY. MAKING PHYSICS A BREEZE

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 8 9 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 f o r wa r d l e a d i n g “SO OFTEN WE LEAVE THE SELFLESS SIDE OF OURSELVES FOR NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, FOR OUR CHARITY WORK. “Students are IT IS OUR DUTY TO INJECT THAT INTO OUR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS, INTO THE WORK THAT WE DO, result is a strong aversion to uncertain- afraid of making properly accounted for in global climate TO IMPROVE CORPORATIONS, TO IMPROVE CIVIL SOCIETY, AND TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENT.” ties. Indeed, this physicist (who recently models—impact convection, so as to — LEILA JANAH was awarded a three-year quarter-mil- mistakes, but being draft better, more accurate models for lion-dollar research grant by the Nation- weather and climate forecasting. al Science Foundation) would like his wrong is good for A key element of both Robinson’s students to take a note from artists. learning.” application and the award itself is the “Artists make mistakes,” he says, involvement of his students in the accenting the sentence to show admira- — frank robinson research. There will be mountains of tion rather than admonition. “Students data to analyze, countless mutations are afraid of making mistakes, but being more, as Robinson says, “wibbly.” of models, each with only the tiniest wrong is good for learning.” Case in point, the two giant con- tweak of one variable out of many For context, Robinson spends the verging circles drawn in red dry-erase (after all, we are talking about sea majority of his time working in what marker on his office whiteboard. They breezes here—those miniscule puffs of most would consider tortuous uncer- represent convection cells (“Convection wind you may only notice as a candle’s tainty. He teaches quantum mechanics, is my thing,” Robinson says) and are, in flame flickers) and each needing to be that brand of physics that seems almost fact, the reason for the NSF grant. compared to recorded satellite and ra- purposefully contrary, and is intro- You see, convection itself is reli- dar observations. Adjusting the micro, ducing calculus-based physics to the ably predictable. Warm fluids (be they observing the macro—perhaps not so engineering curriculum. The school has liquids like water or gasses like air) rise, unlike adding ping pong balls one at a taught algebra-based physics up to now, then cool, then fall in a reassuring, time to the floor of a stadium. They’ll which is entirely adequate when solving self-perpetuating cycle. That’s how be awash in uncertainties, mistakes and issues with a constant rate of change. it’s supposed to go. Unsurprisingly, wrong answers. But physics, like life itself, is uncer- Robinson is intrigued by the “wibbly” But if it feels like searching for the tain—or, in the language of the science, part of convection: turbulence. More proverbial needle in a haystack, no wor- non-linear. Thus, employing calculus specifically, he’s studying how sea ries. Robinson’s been teaching his team gives the problem solver a wave of possi- breezes—typically too light and appar- how to face that kind of uncertainty bilities, allowing for things that are a bit ently too random to be measured and from the very start. shu

THE SPACES growing up behind the Iron Curtain in Gdańsk, Poland, Wojciech “Voytek” Wloch, SHU’s executive WE ENTER director of global affairs, saw family and friends broken apart because of political differences. So when it was PREVIOUS PAGE time to pursue higher education, his “gene of freedom” AND LEFT: SHU’s Council for Internationalization compelled him to travel—a lot—and talk to as many ROBINSON IN HIS is committed to bringing the world to SHU people as he could along the way. “I wanted to feel I OFFICE—A WAVE —and SHU to the world. was a member of the world,” he says. Now he is driven OF POSSIBILITIES AND A WALL OF to share that global experience with students through IDEAS exposure to other cultures. ➜

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This is not educational tourism, Wloch is quick to point out. This is true education. “It is about understanding, not just seeing,” he says, and it cannot be done without dialoguing openly with n educational move- tation is particularly in demand, in part all over the country and all over the others of different backgrounds. SEAL TRAINING, ment that began as far because several states now have learning world—lots of superintendents are Provost Rupendra Paliwal sees back as the 1980s has standards related to SEL. And as teach- looking for district-wide support on Sacred Heart’s location—on the border A gained momentum in the ers and school leaders know, school SEL,” says Justina Schlund at the between Bridgeport and Fairfield—as THE SACRED past decade and soared in safety involves more than just building organization CASEL: Collaborative for a microcosm of the cultural divides in the last few years. Called security enhancements; it requires en- Academic, Social and Emotional Learn- the larger world. When confronted with social and emotional learning (SEL), it’s suring that every child develops coping ing, which publishes a popular guide to such a dichotomy, it is easy for the fear HEART WAY the process through which children and skills. Many students come to school evidence-based SEL programs. As direc- of “otherness” to seep in. But he views adults understand and manage emo- having experienced trauma, the rates of tor of field learning, Schlund oversees this crossroads as an opportunity to tions, set and achieve positive goals, feel mental health conditions among youth resources and professional learning to discuss, learn and enter a space to unite Social-Emotional-Academic-Leadership forms and show empathy for others, establish are up, and media headlines warn of support systemic implementations. in thought. “We are of many faiths, but and maintain positive relationships and increases in suicide among teens and More than 70 percent of schools have we believe in the common good,” Paliwal the core of SHU’s new Ed.D. program. make responsible decisions. even preteens. developed or at least partially implemented says. “We are engaged in an intercon- These days, systemic SEL implemen- “We’ve been getting calls from an SEL plan, according to a 2019 CASEL nected world; we embrace radically principal survey, and 80 percent believe different viewpoints.” SEL is really valuable for all students. Of course there are those who, for any The experiences of Michael P. number of reasons, are either unable or Alfano, dean of the Isabelle Farrington unwilling to travel. Still, SHU views global College of Education at Sacred Heart, engagement as so integral to higher educa- echo the statistics. Alfano had worked tion that it hosts students and hires faculty with the parents of some Sandy Hook from as many as 32 foreign countries. Elementary School victims, which made That’s why, on a given day in Fairfield, one a powerful statement about the need to can see a peer tutor in the English Lan- better help students to follow a positive guage Institute getting to know a classmate path throughout school and life. Later, from another country. Or a global student while a dean at Central Connecticut ambassador sharing with her nursing State University, he was tasked with cohort what she learned on a health service establishing a Center of Excellence in trip to Guatemala. Or a Fulbright scholar Social & Emotional Learning. That in- sharing his worldly knowledge through volved speaking to a range of educators lessons as a Sacred Heart professor. and administrators. “There’s a pretty And while the University wants significant blind spot in terms of prin- to continue growing the number of cipal and superintendent preparation,” students actually studying abroad, the he says. “These folks get really good reason goes beyond satisfying the expec- exposure to school finance, curriculum, tations of a nationally ranked institution. instruction and personnel. Then in the Meaningful international travel teaches SEL space, they’re learning on the job people to embrace otherness. It changes in real time, with real problems and them. It often inspires them to give back limited experience and expertise.” through service. “This is why we travel; this is why we pioneer into the destina- SEL ON THE SYLLABUS tions few have explored—the destina- Sacred Heart is at the forefront in tions of human interaction; not places we changing that reality. This fall, the meet, but spaces we enter,” Paliwal says. Doctor of Education Program in Travel is a mindset—a recognition, as Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) Wloch notes, that freedom often exists launched, with an initial cohort of 18 “only within certain boundaries.” Put students—some from as far away as another way, there comes a realization Arkansas—all of them already working that the very boundaries that protect us in schools, most of them administrators. also confine us. “We begin to understand They study online most of the year and these boundaries more when we interact with others,” Wloch says. True global en- SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES gagement is doing something that might IMPROVE, NOT TO MENTION ACADEMIC scare us—looking outside our own world LEARNING RESULTS, WHEN THE MIND and entering another. shu ITSELF IS HEALTHY AND PREPARED.

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participate in two residencies throughout academic leadership. But it’s focused on the three-year program, leading ultimately the social-emotional piece as well.” to a dissertation in practice that involves The combination of academic and THE working to directly improve a problem social-emotional expertise speaks to the they’re seeing in their schools or districts. fact that SEL initiatives change lives in When CASEL did a scan of myriad positive ways, even if that full UNDISCOVERED master’s-level teacher prep programs, effect may not be widely recognized yet. growing attention on SEL was evident. Schlund finds herself debunking the Professor Christel Manning explores meaning-of-life Anecdotally, principal prep programs myth that SEL is “kind of wishy-washy,” COUNTRY are focusing on it as well. At Sacred she says. “It’s based on a large body of narratives among atheists preparing for death. Heart, the six-year program for educa- evidence. On the research side, it’s been tors interested in becoming administra- found to have a significant impact, tors has been updated to include SEL including on academic achievement.” t was the birthday are no atheists in foxholes. But, as and serve as an on-ramp to the new In a 2011 CASEL study of more than party of a friend. A Manning notes, the assumption Ed.D. program. 270,000 students, those in schools mathematician and that one instinctively finds faith CASEL is working with AASA, The with SEL programs experienced an 11 computer scientist, in preparation for death, or that School Superintendents Association, to percentage-point gain in test scores. I he’d once held a one cannot properly ready one’s develop resources for district leaders as A follow-up study in 2017 found that well-paying job self for death without religion, well. “They are increasingly realizing that the impact on academic performance, that he left to go teach math in is exactly that: an assumption. SEL is foundational to a lot of work that as well as on behaviors and emotional a developing country. When he Secularism is on the rise among they do,” says Schlund. Plus, adminis- stress, was long lasting, beyond the years returned, he took another job in all age groups, but research into trators need to support veteran teachers, of SEL programming. Other research computing while continuing to its impacts on meaning-of-life the majority of whom haven’t experi- has shown long-term impact on factors volunteer with inner-city youths, questions—particularly in the enced SEL-based academic programs. such as employment, criminal activity teaching them chess. He cared “foxhole” at the end of life—is and mental health. deeply about the world and essentially nonexistent. CUTTING THE LINE But for such systemic improve- committed himself every day to Two years and nearly a hun- Sacred Heart’s Ed.D. program aims ments, SEL has to be strategically making it a measurably better dred interviews later, Manning to fulfill administrators’ need to not implemented and relies on a principal place. And he was dying. And he has arrived at some captivating just understand SEL but also guide who demonstrates strong social-emo- was atheist. observations on the topic. their school communities. “We can’t tional skills, adds Schlund. “They There should be nothing “Our view on the meaning of find another doctoral program with a can align school goals and priorities jarring about any of the above; life seems very closely connected curricular focus on SEL,” says Alfano. to SEL,” she says, which in turn “can death comes to us all, with no to our sense of community,” she “We made a decision to be bold. We’re help build the relationships between preference for one’s beliefs or says. In other words, to be a part looking to cut to the front of the line as students and school climate and adults. résumé. But for Sacred Heart of a community is to assume, to leaders in this space.” It can help students become change Theology and Religious Studies at least some degree, the narra- One related action was coining the agents in the world.” shu Professor Christel Manning, tives unifying that community, acronym SEAL for social, emotional the moment framed a question. including those related to life’s and academic leadership. Alfano ex- DEAN MICHAEL P. ALFANO OF “What does it mean,” she won- meaning. But what if that’s just plains, “It gives a signal to potential and THE ISABELLE FARRINGTON dered, “to not be religious and it? Is it possible it’s the company current students that this is still about COLLEGE OF EDUCATION think about life and think about we instinctively crave, and the death?” narrative is part of the package? For context, remember that Consider that firstborns and only humans are innate storytellers. children are more likely to create Narratives—of right and wrong, imaginary friends; company— of love and adventure, of dis- community—is essential to covery—are how we understand humanity. “And,” Manning notes, the world around us. For the “religion does community really religious, this extends to ques- well.” tions of the meaning of life and The notion forces us to even what-comes-next projections consider the possibility, at least, at the advent of death. that “foxhole conversions” might But what about atheists, have a much simpler explanation such as Manning’s dear friend? than an individual weighing and If humans naturally use stories reversing a lifetime of theological, to find order in the chaos, what philosophical, historical and/or are the stories atheists tell as moral conviction in the crucial they approach the end of life to instant of their last breath. Per- answer meaning-of-life questions? haps when facing that moment There’s an old saying that there that is every bit as unknowable

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as it is universal, there is simply a very SO MUCH MORE THAN FUN AND GAMES. human desire to not face the unknown PROFESSORS SHANSHAN WANG (TOP alone. SECOND FROM LEFT), JON WALKER AND Religion also offers the faithful MARY TRESCHITTA (BOTTOM) APPLY AR TO what she calls a “meaning-making EVERYTHING FROM ART TO ANATOMY. framework.” As noted above, it provides a narrative to order the chaos you didn’t know to call it that at the and answer the questions of why time. One of AR’s earliest applications things are the way they are (albeit with was the distance guide in your mini- different answers depending on the van’s backup camera. These days, AR religion). is having an enormous impact on art, In this instance the atheists seem technology and education. not at all disadvantaged. They simply Invisible to the naked eye, AR is value the physical narratives of science everywhere. Singapore airport crews over the projective narratives of reli- don AR glasses to safely load aircraft, gion. And this, it would seem, brings while financial analysts routinely visual- with it a pervasive humility quite the ize complex business analytics. Shoppers opposite of the stereotype of the scien- at the online furniture store Wayfair tist, often seen as elitist and arrogant. “see” how their next sofa fits in the Unlike faith perspectives where one family room. It helps sportscasters is promoted to God’s own image and better illustrate key plays and neurosur- likeness, the science narrative positions geons to visualize tasks in brain surgery. the human journey as a very small part In the marketing world, the sky’s the of a thing much larger than one’s own limit. Buy an Eminem poster and watch self. This demands an accountability the rapper lay down rhymes live in your of the individual. For the atheist, there bedroom. Point your app-armed phone is no external higher power, only the at a bottle of 19 Criminals wine and the moral obligations associated with a criminals-turned-Australian-colonists higher intellect. Nature tossed us the will tell you their stories. No, really. keys. It’s our job to earn the privilege. Even when you’re sober. With much work yet to be done In January, SHU opened its state- analyzing her research data, one key of-the-art lab for AR and its sister takeaway at this stage of the process technologies—Virtual Reality (VR) and is that it’s not what differentiates the Extended Reality (XR). The dedicated secular from the religious, but what space will be a boon for students from we share that is most striking—an several disciplines itching to experiment innate sense of the importance of with the technologies’ possibilities for community, a deep-seated desire to connecting with others, says Assistant make sense of it all. Some turn to Professor Shanshan Wang, the lab’s God. Some to science. Some to both. director. “[AR] is not just about magic,” Some to neither. But none, it would she insists. “It has to be meaningful. It’s seem, are as different from the others all about communicating to another.” as we might think. shu Mary Treschitta, chair of the Art & Design department, sees correlations to upert brooke, dashing young British voice imagines his own chance to illuminate. the Bauhaus movement of the 1930s. and young, gazes off to his battlefield end in Brooke’s 1914 sonnet Step into the world of Augmented AR is bringing mediums together in left and out of Scarlett “The Soldier.” Reality (AR). Simply put, AR incor- new ways that impact art, marketing, Raven’s digital painting “If I should die think only this porates a computer-generated image merchandising, manufacturing—com- R hanging in the Art & of me: That there’s some corner of a on a user’s view of the real world. Seen munication itself. Design Gallery at Sacred foreign field that is forever England,” through a tablet, smartphone or AR “Augmented Reality is one of the Heart. Students hurry by, talking, he says as the crows evolve into white goggles, things that are part of our biggest technology trends right now,” AS REALITY laughing, rushing to their next classes. doves. world are joined by flights of fancy says Walker. “[It’s been] lauded as One pauses to pick up the tablet Brooke morphs into nine of his dreamt up by everyone from NASA ‘The Eighth Mass Medium,’ and it’s stationed in front of the print, aiming baby-faced brothers-in-arms, some in scientists to NASCAR enthusiasts. only going to get bigger as AR-ready EVOLVES it at the arresting likeness of Brooke, crimson-splashed soldier’s garb, set “It’s mainstream. It’s here right now,” smartphones and other devices become who volunteered to fight in World War against an impossibly serene French says Jonathan Walker, the SHU Art & accessible around the world.” I not long after he himself left college. river scene as the poem reaches its apex. Design professor who created the recent “This has been like a rollercoaster,” Art, Design, Technology and the Rise of AR The static image bursts to life as swirling Nearby portraits of Leonardo da Vinci AR exhibit. Indeed, you’ve probably Treschitta says. “And it just keeps get- brushstrokes form black crows, and a and Jean-Michel Basquiat wait for their already interacted with AR, even if ting faster.” shu

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 16 17 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH ... THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO AND THE COUNTRYSIDE OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF BURGOS IN NORTHERN SPAIN.

500 MILES.

ONE STEP AT A TIME.

ONE PILGRIM IS

FINDING THE WAY.

FALL 2019 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 18 19 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 “THE HUMAN BODY IS CAPABLE OF A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK.” Their stories fascinated and moved Danny. They were stories of people at a crossroads in their lives—people newly widowed or divorced, survivors of can- cer, those walking in place of friends DANNY McCARTHY sat at a long wooden table in who could not. He listened to his fel- low pilgrims with awe and a twinge of a hostel in the shadow of the Pyrenees. Outside, a road embarrassment, unsure of what he and waited. The sun was setting over the Basque countryside, his friend Matthew would declare as but Danny’s focus was inside. There were people in that their purpose. Like many college students, Danny room from all over the world: Spain, Portugal, Japan, had found himself in “a time of real Korea, Australia, Canada, Texas. One after another, they transition, looking for a sense of di- rection.” A history major in secondary stood and shared why they were about to do this crazy education, Danny had recently moved thing: a month-long trek from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, from a different university to Sacred Heart. Upon hearing about the Cami- France, to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. no de Santiago, he says he “became in- fatuated” with the concept and knew he had to do it. His parents supported the idea but wanted him to find a bud- dy to accompany him. Right away he called Matthew, his best friend since the fourth grade, who immediately agreed to go. “I’m walking because Danny made me,” Matthew joked when his turn came around. “He had no idea what he was com- mitting to,” Danny now chuckles in retrospect, then recalls his own turn to speak. Danny quietly stood and lis- tened to his heart. “I want to figure out how to be a real adult,” he said.

the first 15-mile section up and over the Pyrenees into northern Spain is arguably the physically hardest por- tion of the 500-mile Camino route that starts at a medieval city gate in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and concludes at the Cathedral of Santia- go de Compostela. Neither Matthew ABOVE LEFT, PILGRIMS WAIT IN LINE TO GET THEIR CREDENTIALS IN nor Danny was an experienced hik- SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT AT THE HEAD OF THE 500-MILE CAMINO DE er, but they were up for a challenge. SANTIAGO (TOP). ABOVE RIGHT, A SHRINE AT A HOSTEL WELCOMING TRAVELERS OF ALL FAITHS. OPPOSITE, A “SHORTCUT” ON DAY 12 They planned to finish the Camino in OUTSIDE OF BURGOS TURNED OUT TO BE ANYTHING BUT. 26 days. That’s more than 19 miles a

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day on average, which approximates meals together. In a gesture poignant stories from the Camino continue to that all of them “knew there is some- walking from Sacred Heart Universi- and Christlike, strangers from Texas, pile one on another. In 2017, Patrick thing there.” ty to downtown New Haven. Every whom he had met on the first night of Gray and Justin Skeesuck made a doc- For Danny, a practicing Catholic, the last footsteps on the Camino day. With a heavy pack. For most of a the pilgrimage, helped him fix his feet umentary and published I’ll Push You: the Camino offered a unique oppor- echo through an arched stone tunnel month. Put another way, it’s like back- so that he could continue. A Tale of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, tunity to deepen his relationship with that opens onto a wide plaza. Pilgrims packing from campus to Quebec City. Like Chaucer, whose colorful Can- and One Wheelchair. God. A chaplain for a senior youth emerge from that tunnel like newborns, But this ancient pilgrim path known terbury Tales tell of pilgrims journeying The Camino is calling, and pilgrims group, he had collected the intentions and like newborns, they often cry. as “The Way” is no mere hiking trail. to a different shrine, Danny has stories are answering. In 1985, the number of of many of his friends and was bear- “I can’t even describe my feelings as It is a palimpsest of the stories of seek- of a cast of characters who made their pilgrims who walked at least the min- ing them along the way. He prayed I looked at that cathedral,” Danny says. ers, written in countless footsteps all RUINS OF THE OLD TOWN, impressions on him: the nun they en- imum 100 km required to earn their decades of the rosary as he walked. Danny and Matthew dropped their across the Iberian Peninsula. For more NEAR THE SMALL VILLAGE OF countered in a roadside chapel who compostela, or certificate of comple- When things got especially tough, he packs in the Plaza del Obradoiro and than a thousand years, pilgrims have VILLAFRANCA MONTES DE OCA kissed their cheeks and gave them Mi- tion, was 1,245. By 2018 that number offered up his suffering. “My struggles lay down on the cobblestones. They been drawn to Santiago de Compos- raculous Medals, the mother pushing had ballooned to 327,378. This phe- are not so big that God and I can’t stayed there like that for five hours, tela in Spain’s northwest province of her 3-year-old in a stroller who handed nomenon is remarkable in that this overcome them,” he says. In his being not knowing what to do with them- Galicia, where the bones of St. James them cookies at a moment when they walk is, frankly, no walk in the park. broken down, he explains, God could selves. It was over. The rhythm of the Apostle (Saint Iago) are enshrined. by day five, danny’s feet were one were hungry and had nothing to eat. The Way often takes a month or more fill him back up. simple forward motion, beat day after The Camino, to be precise, is actual- continuous blister, heel to toe, and be- “On your first Camino, you carry all with pilgrims willingly subjecting He talks about submitting to the day into bone and muscle, mind and ly a network of routes: the Camino came emblematic of two of the lessons your fear in your backpack,” she said themselves to prolonged physical and Camino as if it has a will and a plan for heart, was stilled. Francés, or the French Way, which he learned on the Camino. The first is sagely with a nod to the heavy gear they psychological discomfort—a fact that the pilgrim who cedes control. “Give On the east side of the plaza where Danny and Matthew took, is the most personal resilience. “Every single day I carried. They had 30 pounds each on perhaps speaks to some deep need the in to it,” he says, “and let it take you.” the friends rested, twin baroque tow- popular; the Camino Portuguese is was tempted to turn back. I had to push their backs—two or three times more pilgrimage experience satisfies. To that end, he and Matthew made a ers of the cathedral frame its massive the second most commonly traveled, through the breaking point each day,” than they should. It’s a common mis- Modern minds are often stripped conscious choice not to call ahead and 12th-century Romanesque Portico da starting at the cathedral in Lisbon or he says. “The human body is capable take of new pilgrims who think they from their bodies, spending inordi- reserve space at any albergues. It was a Gloria, designed to welcome pilgrims. coastal Porto further north; the oldest of a lot more than you think. It’s the can pack all they need for themselves. nate amounts of time mentally gone risk: a town might be full at the end of Hundreds of sculpted angels, apostles, is the Camino Primitivo, which saw mind that’s weak. The Camino really She taught them that the Camino, like elsewhere through our omnipresent a long day, but that only meant that prophets and saints—a “cloud of wit- the first pilgrims in the ninth centu- strengthens that.” God, always provides. screens. The Camino, perhaps, is an es- they were supposed to continue on to nesses”—crowd the entrance to the ca- ry. Layered beneath these routes lie A second lesson follows closely on cape from that elsewhere, a rediscovery the next town. “It’s humbling to sur- thedral. In the Middle Ages, the doors hidden roads of Roman stone. Now, the first. “What gets you through is of here and of now. In all conditions, render,” Danny says. were never closed, day or night. modern pilgrims add their private and the people around you, the commu- The Way demands the daily duty of Pilgrims continued to stream into MATTHEW AND DANNY AT THE CATHEDRAL often spiritual reasons for making the nity you find,” Danny says. For all in medieval times an estimated 250,000 simply putting one foot in front of the the plaza all around Danny and Mat- OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA AND journey. When you walk a Camino, the private sorting out that happens Christians each year would journey to other. “There’s something incredibly thew, but none who arrived that day THE END OF THE CAMINO your feet don’t just follow history. in pilgrims’ hearts, pilgrimage is not the tomb of St. James as penitents and pure about how difficult could go inside the cathedral, which They contribute to it. a solitary endeavor. Their bodies are adventurers, braving discomfort, dan- it is,” Danny says. The was closed for repairs for the year. It thrown together on The Way in a ger and even death. If they made it all pilgrim reintegrates with didn’t really matter to Danny. Origi- kind of interdependence. They gen- the way, they would continue to the sea the present as the Cami- nally he had wanted to walk in on his VILLAMAYOR DE MONJARDIN. erally sleep dormitory style in pilgrim at Finisterre and collect the proof of a no unfurls mile after knees to deliver the petitions he carried “A TINY PLACE,” McCARTHY RECALLS, “BARELY A TOWN, BUT EXTREMELY hostels called albergues, sharing bath- scallop shell, which became the symbol mile beneath his aching all the way from home. Now, at the end BEAUTIFUL.” rooms, washing laundry and taking of the pilgrim. feet. of The Way, he was struck by the old Modern resurgence of the Camino’s saying that the Church isn’t a building. popularity started in the 1980s, when When he tries to explain his joy, his the now ubiquitous blue and yellow sense of accomplishment, the touch of scallop shell signs and arrows to aid in “whether or not you sadness that the Camino was over, Dan- wayfinding were added to the ancient find God,” Danny says, ny turns instead to one short sentence markers seen sunk in tilework and cob- “you end up getting a lot he remembers Matthew saying as the blestones. Interest in the Camino was more than you bargained friends lay there on the stones amidst piqued by the 2010 movie The Way for.” He met Jews, Mus- their fellow pilgrims. Leaning on his starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Es- lims, Christians—peo- pack, Matthew turned to Danny and tevez, as well as by Paolo Coelho’s book ple of all faiths and no said, “This is how I know God is real.” The Pilgrimage (2008). Inspirational faith—and he contends — gina pribaz vozenilek shu

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‘ALEXA,WHAT TIME IS THE REVOLUTION?’

Technology’s integration into every aspect of business isn’t just next generation—it’s a whole new world.

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IN 2002, the sidekick was president of academic affairs, to consider the brought to market as the world’s first “hip- University’s direction. Traditionally, business top” computer, and the age of the smartphone education programs have operated in a reactive was upon us. Before long, it was eclipsed by manner, adapting their curricula to corporate the BlackBerry, which became nicknamed the management practices of the time. While there “CrackBerry,” recognizing that along with the is still value in a curriculum that reflects con- age of the smartphone also came the age of temporary management practices, preparing smartphone addiction. Then in 2007, Apple un- students for success in the jobs of the future veiled the first iPhone. These devices have come requires a novel approach. to replace not only our wallets and our watches, “Technology is an integral part of every but our library cards, our maps, our radios and business,” Paliwal observes, yet the disciplines our televisions. Today we are at the advent of 5G of business and technology in higher education connectivity. In just the lifespan of our Universi- have historically been seen as independent of ty’s freshman class, humanity has developed the one another. This does not reflect what grad- capacity to carry the world in its pocket. uates are likely to encounter in industry, where And that’s just smartphones. employees from multiple departments often Yet while some sit back and marvel at the work together in cross-functional teams. pace of evolution, others look forward, eyeing Accordingly, Paliwal created a proposal to its direction and its potential. As articulated integrate the business, computer science and by the World Economic Forum, this “is about engineering programs and faculty, driving a more than just technology-driven change; it is cutting-edge curriculum that will stay ahead of an opportunity to help everyone ... to harness industry developments rather than follow them. converging technologies in order to create an Key to the success of this newly integrated Welch inclusive, human-centered future.” 1 College of Business & Technology (WCBT) That same sense of opportunity is what would be a leader with a depth of knowledge inspired Rupendra Paliwal, provost and vice and experience across all these disciplines. Pali- wal found this leader in Dean Martha Crawford. DEAN MARTHA CRAWFORD OF THE JACK With an MBA from Paris’ Collége des In- WELCH COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY génieurs and an M.S. and Ph.D. in engineer- ing from Harvard, not to mention 20 years in France as a senior VP leading research and de- velopment at such multinational corporations as Areva and L’Oréal, followed by a return to the U.S. to teach the legal and ethical aspects of corporate accountability in Harvard’s MBA program, Crawford has made a career out of in- tegrating business and technology. As she points out, most jobs of the 21st centu- ry will require some technical skills, and everyone will need to have some level of technical knowl- edge “even if they are not coders.” Thus, under her leadership, the WCBT is driving digital in- novation throughout the previously siloed disci- plines of business and technology, giving students “the tools and experience they will need to thrive WITH COLLABORATION AND HELP FROM FELLOW STUDENTS LIKE in the rapidly changing economy of the 21st MATTHEW FATSE AND ADAM PULCYN (TOP, SEATED, LEFT AND RIGHT), PROFESSORS AND ADVISERS, SHU FINANCE AND ECONOMICS SENIOR century, where digital technologies have pretty WILDER RUMPF (STANDING) LAUNCHED FINTRON INVEST LAST YEAR TO much transformed every aspect of business.” ACCELERATE THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH However, to keep pace with this real-world EDUCATION, TRANSPARENCY AND GIVE-BACK PROGRAMS.

1 www.weforum.org

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integration of technology in business, more must principles of a liberal arts education, the mission change in education than simply a college name to “prepare [students] for lifelong learning and and office numbers. Gone are the days when ed- a cross-disciplinary mindset,” as Paliwal puts it, ucation came strictly at the end of a pencil. Theo- is nothing new. What is exceptional about the ry is important, but it is practice that gives theory newly integrated College is the way it opens itself context. Recognizing the College’s opportunity to the rest of the University, allowing interdisci- to meet multiple demands at once, the WCBT’s plinary learning campus-wide. West Campus home also houses the Verizon Within the WCBT, business students will iHub and a co-working space for Connecticut now experience, firsthand, engineering students’ startups. Cultivating relationships with regional approach to problem solving. Engineering stu- resources like CTNext and international startup dents will now have to consider not only the accelerators like Techstars, the College gives its technological elements of their solutions, but students—indeed, all students across every disci- also their viability in complex market situations. pline in the entire University—the opportunity This is exactly the kind of cross-functional col- of real-world experience working for and along- laboration that graduates will encounter in their side fledgling businesses and entrepreneurs. careers. But experiential education and proj- “These are not people just renting a hot ect-based learning are educational trends that desk in a co-working space,” Crawford says. could serve students campus-wide. To be clear, if desk space is all the entrepreneur To accommodate the needs of the entire wants, that’s fine, too. But the larger opportuni- campus, the state-of-the-art lab spaces within ty is that startups “now have access to the entire the College of Business & Technology are not SHU-sphere; they have a place in the ecosystem assigned to any single department. Several of here,” making the Welch College of Business SHU’s other colleges are already taking advan- & Technology a major reason for businesses to tage of resources such as the Idea Lab/Maker consider Connecticut as their launchpad. It’s a Space, artificial intelligence lab, problem-based veritable win-win-win: startups benefit from Sa- learning lab, cybersecurity lab and game design cred Heart’s depth of talent and resources, Sacred lab. Thus, educational technology students can Heart gives its students unparalleled real-world work on gamification, an important trend in hands-on experience, and Connecticut proves pedagogy. Students studying broadcasting and itself not only fertile ground for new businesses communication in Arts & Sciences can collabo- but also home to a world-class business school. rate with sports management students from the business program to work on eSports projects. Cross-campus accessibility of the labs fosters he benefits of this new integra- genuine innovation and collaboration. tion, this new alignment, are not all so There is no doubt the changes to come will dramatic, however. There are also those present as many challenges as they do oppor- Tintangible elements of growth, of understanding, tunities. The economy as we know it will con- hard to quantify on a spreadsheet or categorize tinue to evolve. Some jobs will go due to au- in a slideshow, because the measure of success is tomation or artificial intelligence; others will not only first jobs and first promotions. To fu- develop and grow. Cultivating digital innova- ture-proof the workforce—and citizens—of to- tion in today’s student—marrying the savvy of morrow, an aptitude for working with technol- business with the opportunities of technology, ogy must be developed alongside, as Crawford fostered in an environment embracing critical calls it, one’s “peripheral vision,” the soft skills of thinking, teamwork and creativity—will see critical thinking and communication currently in them best equipped for the new world on the such high demand in the business arena that will horizon. With its newly integrated College of only continue to increase in value. Business & Technology, SHU is preparing its WEST CAMPUS PROVIDES OPEN WORKING SPACES SUCH AS THE Of course, for a university such as Sacred students to thrive both now and in the future. MAKER SPACE (MAIN IMAGE ABOVE) WHERE STUDENTS OF ALL Heart, with its core curriculum built around the — jill jones shu DISCIPLINES CAN COLLABORATE TO TURN IDEAS INTO REALITY.

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HOPECELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHAPEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FALL 2019 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 30 31 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 JOY f i n d i n g h i s way

tanding at the center of campus, The sentiments of Gaudium et Spes perme- the Chapel of the Holy Spirit cannot ate every aspect of the chapel, from its archi- be ignored. As a beacon of welcome tectural design to its artwork and other details. that ties together the University’s ac- Built to resemble a Bedouin tent, the chapel Sademic community and spiritual life, the chap- suggests the gracious generosity of nomadic el “speaks to who we are,” according to Father people while welcoming visitors of all faiths. Tony Ciorra. That sentiment is echoed by SHU Coppola points out that the dominant meta- Senior Vice President David Coppola, who em- phor of the design is that of “the pilgrim peo- phasizes the chapel’s role as an oasis of hospital- ple of God.” While the notion of believers as ity: “That’s at the heart of the SHU mission.” pilgrims was emphasized during the Second The palpable sense of welcome in the chap- Vatican Council, the concept of religious pil- el embodies the intentions of the committee grimage is an ancient one and not exclusive to that conceived it. Just as the University was Christianity. The metaphor of the tent iden- founded in response to the Second Vatican tifies the chapel both as a place where visitors Council, the chapel “reflects the vision of the will be embraced and as an oasis where a pil- Council, which is the vision of the University,” grim may stop on the journey to heaven. It is a according to Ciorra. The Council recognized place of both human community and spiritual that the most important place of the Church sustenance. is among humanity. Consequently, the design The metaphor of the Bedouin tent was of the chapel builds upon the connections be- brought to life by Boston architectural firm Sa- tween the spiritual life of the Church and the saki Associates. The interior ceiling is made of intellectual and social life of the campus. Its art cloth while the copper that falls into folds on and design cause it to feel more relevant and the exterior of the building is meant to emu- accessible to visitors, which in turn helps visi- late the same. Both suggest a nomadic dwell- tors understand the role they might play in this ing. The overarching theme of the building is academic and religious community. complemented by small oases and meditative One of the most successful examples of this sites around the chapel: the chapel’s gardens feeling of inclusion is the Chapel of the Nativ- and benches encourage peaceful reflection; the ity. A smaller chapel that seats about 50 peo- messages in the stained glass invite contem- ple, this space is a favorite with visitors. One plation; tidings of life, hope and newness are of the most notable elements of this intimate continually available to the visitor within the chapel is the mosaic of Mary’s parents, Joachim chapel and around it. and Hannah. The mosaic represents the Vir- The mission of the Chapel of the Holy Spir- gin Mary’s parents in an embrace, undoubted- it, integral as it is to that of the University as a ly contributing to the space’s sense of warmth whole, is not only reflected in its design but ex- and comfort, providing a concrete example of tends to its physical location within the broader the relationship of the Church to humanity. campus. The chapel faces the library, symboliz- By relating to the emotions and simple human ing the Church’s dialogue with the world, and gestures—in this case a loving hug—in the ARCHBISHOP of our community to be able to minister ac- should play in it. The opening sentence of this POSITIONED AT THE explicitly connects it to this place of learning. Lord’s own family, chapel artist Fr. Marko Ivan CHRISTOPHE PIERRE, cording to their means and desires,” Coppola constitution states, “The joys and the hopes, the FOCAL POINT OF The western exterior wall, which resembles the Rupnik gives the observer an opportunity to THE VATICAN’S PAPAL observes. This conscious expression of the rela- griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, THE QUADRANGLE, pages of a book, further emphasizes this rela- NUNCIO TO THE U.S., THE CHAPEL relate to the greater spiritual community. CELEBRATED A MASS tionship between the experience of the people especially those who are poor or in any way af- SERVES AS THE tionship. Ciorra observes that the SHU cam- The design of the larger chapel, liberating OF THANKSGIVING and the experience of the Church is consistent flicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs UNIVERSITY’S HEART pus is a place of academic focus with religious in its expansiveness, is meant to impart a sense AND BLESSING IN with the teachings of Gaudium et Spes (“Joy and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” The IN MORE WAYS and spiritual underpinnings. By maintaining of welcome and refuge to all who enter its THE CHAPEL OF THE and Hope”), one of the four constitutions of constitution goes on to state that the Church THAN ONE. a continuous dialogue between learning and HOLY SPIRIT THIS doors. Coppola points out that the space was the Second Vatican Council that informs the must address itself to the whole of humanity and spirituality for the past decade, the chapel has PAST SEPTEMBER. designed to accommodate all people, and that vision of the University and the chapel. not just to the followers of Christ. All human continued to embody the principles of “Joy this includes making all parts of the structure Gaudium et Spes addresses the concerns of beings are linked to one another, and can—and and Hope” that were its inspiration—a place accessible. “We want all visitors and members the modern world and the role that the Church must—share in the same joys and concerns. of unconditional welcome for all. shu

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it’s no secret the liberal arts are often asso- cation and the real-world application of skills ciated with esoteric topics that hold little rel- and knowledge.” 1 evance to the world today. To pretend other- Answering that call, our history faculty travel wise would be disingenuous. Indeed, it was to Virginia with students to experience firsthand surely this image, that of the academic giving the opulence of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, long soliloquies (as likely alone in an office— juxtaposed with the slave quarters located on the or paneled study—as in the lecture hall) about plantation; they then must grapple with the ide- irrelevant works with no real-world experience als of freedom espoused by the architect of the or application that prompted then-governor of Declaration of Independence and how those Florida, Rick Scott, to say in 2011, “If I’m go- square with the impact of slavery on present-day ing to take money from a citizen to put into America. Sociology students broadly learn about education, then I’m going to take that money disparity, and then roll up their sleeves to work OM FOR A to create jobs, so I want that money to go to with local groups where they meet and interview RO FO E OOM R A degrees where people can get jobs in this state. residents of low-income housing communities in AV R Is it a vital interest of the state to have more Bridgeport. Art students articulate the impact of H E anthropologists? I don’t think so.” severe weather on global communities through D V Fortunately, these misperceptions—both graphic design, while psychology students use L A R H about what a liberal arts education is as well as data-driven analysis and best practices to maxi- O D an understanding of its usefulness and market- mize student-learning outcomes in our elemen- W L ability in the workplace—are woefully outdated tary schools. Biology students (yes, biology stu- R and out of step with the reality of today’s uni- dents—the natural sciences are our liberal arts; N OCLASSICAL EDUCATION? ER versities and the demands on today’s workforce. without the application of critical thought that DO D W Employers consistently and overwhelmingly is the very essence of the liberal arts, a scientist ES T MO N CLASSICAL EDUCATION? point to broad learning and cross-cutting skills is not a scientist so much as a technician fulfill- HE R as central to career preparation. The outcomes ing a task) are pushed to design tests exploring D E they highlight as most important are “oral com- science’s unanswered questions, practicing the OE OD munication, critical thinking, ethical judgment, techniques they’ve learned in the course. S THE M working effectively in teams, written communi- In every case, the liberal arts of today are best defined as asking and answering questions 1 Pasquerella, Lynn. “Yes, Employers Do Value Liberal Arts Degrees.” that privilege the search for human freedom Harvard Business Review, Sept 19, 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/09/ yes-employers-do-value-liberal-arts-degrees and what is best for humanity by using the

ILLUSTRATION BY MARTIN SCHMETZER 35 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 l i b e r a l a rt s varied intellectual approaches of the arts, hu- IT IS NO EXAGGERATION Of course, prior to Humboldt was the Re- themselves with the possibilities of artificial manities and social and natural sciences. Per- TO SAY THE LIBERAL ARTS naissance, and prior to that were the Romans, intelligence and virtual reality and what this haps no better example of this exists than the and prior to them were the Greeks. Remember 5 means for privacy and autonomy. Genetical- PROVIDE THE CRITICAL discovery, development and impact on the that it was a Greek historian who launched our ly modified foods may offer an end to world world of vaccines. ANALYSIS, SCIENCE understanding of modern vaccines. hunger, but how do we protect local communi- Scholars trace the development of vaccina- AND MORAL COMPASS And while the specific disciplines that com- A ranking by ties in exclusionary distribution of patents and tions to, of all vocations, a historian. In 430 FOR GREATNESS. prise the liberal arts may have changed over time the National large-scale farming? What does ethical growth Association of BC, Thucydides observed that people who sur- from the Greeks through the Renaissance to a Colleges and look like in this moment of environmental cri- vived many of the most contagious diseases did present-day university, the liberal arts at their Employers shows sis? How do we teach “truth” in an era of nihil- not contract them again. By the Middle Ages, core have remained the same: education for a that five of the 10 ism, where many Americans are distrustful of the practice of exposing healthy people to vari- effectively at work, participate meaningfully in free society. So, contrary to what our title might majors most likely the press, and “fake news” (or the assertion of ations of diseases for the purpose of immunity community and civic affairs and pursue learn- suggest, the liberal arts we teach today are, in to receive job it) is used to undermine science and knowledge 2 4 offers by the time was not uncommon. By the late 1800s Louis ing throughout their lifetimes.” They go on fact, not just your mother’s liberal arts; they students graduate (such as, ironically, the current “debate” around Pasteur (among others) had developed effec- to cite research suggesting that while applied are also your great, great, great grandmother’s are liberal arts the use of vaccines) and the democratic process? tive vaccinations using the scientific premises fields/job-related skills education is beneficial in liberal arts. If they appear at all different, it is degrees. Given the accelerating power of technology that continue to underlie modern vaccination. finding jobs early in one’s career, over time, the only because—as perhaps their most defining and technological singularity, we will soon be — Forbes Since then the medical science of vaccinations graduates of such an education are more likely characteristic—the liberal arts are so adaptable. facing a world of questions most of us cannot Magazine, “The has improved immeasurably. Life expectancy in to be unemployed and have lower salaries com- They lead us to and through change. Some de- College Degrees imagine today. the U.S. was 47 at the turn of the 20th century; pared to those with more general academic edu- tractors might suggest those liberal arts are out That Get the Most Ironically, in this moment where the liber- today it is 79. In offering an argument for the cations. This argument is made time and again: of touch and irrelevant for the future, but they Job Offers” al arts are so needed as a guiding light, we are value of vaccinations, Rappuoli et al write, “Up job training will prepare you for your first job; miss the central point: the liberal arts have de- defending ourselves at every turn, eternally to very recently, decisions about vaccine imple- the liberal arts will prepare you for the next 10. livered us this future. It is our artists, mathe- demonstrating our value proposition. We need mentation were simple to make. When three of That said, liberal arts programs should likewise maticians, scientists and philosophers who have not shy away from that opportunity; the data is five children were dying before the age of 25, be taught through applied and hands-on mo- led us to each precipice, and theologians, his- on our side. having succumbed to smallpox, polio, tetanus, dalities, emphasizing the connections between torians and social scientists who grapple with Indeed, one need only look at, of all places, diphtheria or other infectious diseases, it did the theories and methods of the discipline and the ethics, implications, harms and joys at each Florida. As the state races the clock to prepare not take sophisticated health economics calcu- technical skill sets. In other words, we need turn to guide us through. for the economic costs of infrastructure rein- lations to decide whether vaccines to save their English majors who code and computer science So it is that we teach the students who will forcements and fortifications as well as current lives should be used.” Further, the science of majors who write. continue to lead this change, who will use their and future migration of residents in response vaccination is democratizing in itself; develop- But before the detractors of the liberal arts mothers’ liberal arts to create a world that we to rising sea levels and extreme weather phe- ing vaccinations for a society at large reveals the 80 rejoice too loudly that the discipline is final- may not recognize. nomena, it very well may be the economists values of science and the once radical idea that ly waking up to reality, let us articulate clearly And while we argue that these are those and demographers, the biologists and sociolo- all children are worthy of protection. 3 Further that it has ever been thus. same liberal arts at their core, specifically what gists and, yes, their liberal arts colleagues, the shu still, modern technology and democracy would Percentage In 1810, Wilhelm von Humboldt, founder and how we teach has certainly evolved—and anthropologists, who are needed most. not be what they are if these communicable of employers of the University of Berlin (widely considered will continue to do so. Ethical theorists concern diseases hadn’t been almost eradicated. It is no who say all the forerunner of the modern university today exaggeration to say the liberal arts provide the students should in North America), noted, “There are undeni- ● ● ● acquire broad critical analysis, science and moral compass for knowledge in ably certain kinds of knowledge that must be mark jareb is an associate professor of greatness. the liberal arts.* of a general nature and, more importantly, a biology and the associate dean of faculty Turning our attention forward, in a recent certain cultivation of the mind and character affairs and graduate programs for the College piece on the future of undergraduate educa- 2,3 Vaccines, new opportu- that nobody can afford to be without. People of Arts & Sciences at Sacred Heart University. nities for a new society. Rino tion, the Academy of Arts and Sciences sug- Rappuoli, Mariagrazia Pizza, obviously cannot be good craftworkers, mer- Giuseppe Del Giudice, and gests that the line drawn between a liberal arts Ennio De Gregorio. PNAS. chants, soldiers or businessmen unless ... they amanda moras is an associate professor of August 26, 2014. 111 (34) sociology at Sacred Heart University and education and applied education is no longer a 12288-12293. are good, upstanding and—according to their WE WILL SOON BE FACING useful distinction. “College graduates in every condition—well-informed human beings and A WORLD OF QUESTIONS the associate dean of student success for the field need to master a blend of so-called soft 4 https://www.amacad.org/ citizens. If this basis is laid through schooling, College of Arts & Sciences. Her research sites/default/files/publication/ MOST OF US CANNOT and hard skills,” they write, “technical training downloads/Future-of-Under- vocational skills are easily acquired later on, interests include racial and ethnic relations, graduate-Education.pdf as well as socio-emotional, problem-solving and a person is always free to move from one IMAGINE TODAY. sociology of violence and trauma, gender, *Source: Council of and critical thinking skills, so they can perform Independent Colleges occupation to another.” sexualities, labor and immigration.

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 36 37 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 AMAZINGGRACE

DR. GRACE FLANNERY, PH.D., PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AND COASTAL AND MARINE SCIENCE AT SHU IN DINGLE

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From the halls of academia and the jungles of Borneo to saving the natterjack toads and surviving Ireland’s only shark attack, SHU-in-Dingle’s professor of biology and coastal and marine ecology has a few stories to tell.

he best way to explain the Irish paradox to the Irish that is per- word craic to an American au- haps their most defining char- dience is to say that, though the acteristic: however vastly more word is technically a noun, it’s complex they are than their best thought of as a mindset. Essentially, it’s the “begosh ‘n’ begorrah” stereo- quality of the fun, the good times, shared. It’s les type, they will never be the ones Tbon temps in New Orleans or the bonhomie of to tell you so. a Parisian café. Except it’s neither of those, be- For example: cause the craic is quintessentially, inexplicably Not only does Grace Flan- Irish. Ask any Irish person to explain the craic in nery teach biology and coastal English and your definition will have as many and marine science at Sacred variations as people you query; they all know what Heart’s campus on the Din- it means, but what it means is what it is, and to gle Peninsula on the southwest define it as something else—to translate it—is to coast of Ireland, but she is also, diminish it in some way, to leave something out. in the words of Mark Beekey, co-director of the EVERYWHERE The same can be said of Grace Flannery. program and chair of the department of biolo- A CLASSROOM There is an Irishness about Grace that befits gy, the “primary reason” the courses even exist. PROFESSOR FLANNERY IN THE FIELD WITH HER every stereotype you might expect, and even Not only is she the program’s academic coordi- MARINE AND COASTAL more so the ones you don’t. She is of course nator, but she’s Dingle born-and-bred and thus SCIENCE STUDENTS devilishly charming (she’s Irish, after all). And also serves as go-to ambassador for the students, (ABOVE AND TOP there’s that genetic inclination for wanderlust introducing them to their new surroundings, RIGHT); AT DINGLE and adventure. She’s unabashedly outspoken helping them transition to life in this tiny, OCEANWORLD (RIGHT), THE AQUARIUM and unfailingly reliable. In short, she is exactly quaintly rugged outpost of a town. FOUNDED AND RUN the sort of person you want sitting across from The words “not only” and “also,” one quickly BY HER FATHER, KEVIN you in the pub, laughing, telling stories and realizes, are essential tools when attempting to FLANNERY; AND AT generally raising the quality of the craic from describe Grace Flannery. HOME ALONG THE good to great to, better still, deadly. Because not only is she Grace Flannery, lo- CLOGHER STRAND, CO. KERRY, IRELAND But if that’s all you know of Grace Flannery, cal girl, daughter of a former fisheries officer (PREVIOUS PAGES) then you’ve missed the point. Because there’s a who is since founder and current director of

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consider her options, disregard every- everyone who meets Grace Flannery swoons at marine biology from University College Cork thing we’ve already covered above and least a little bit. There’s no pretense with her. is hard to overstate. That she should bring that instead tell you she’s the only person None at all. Grace seems genuinely to fail at re- discipline to bear on such a wildly varied eco- to have been attacked by a shark in alizing there’s anything remarkable about what system as the Dingle coast where, as Beekey ex- Ireland. Because that, she knows, will she does or how she does it—which, of course, plains, “You can be in the mountains and then be a story. just makes it all the more remarkable. It’s like on the beach in minutes,” is a gift. Having such It begins with her father, Kevin Indiana Jones discovering the Chachapoyan an individual on faculty for whom those differ- Flannery, the fisheries-officer-turned- Fertility Idol, losing it to an unscrupulous ri- ent environments are not only a scientific curi- aquarium-founder-and-director. val, fleeing the Hovitos of the Peruvian Amazon osity but also the local fabric of her upbringing “We’d forever have townspeople and escaping in an open-cockpit seaplane with is nothing short of a godsend. knocking on our door, bringing us a boa constrictor in his lap, but deciding that Meanwhile, Grace—being Grace—down- sick animals they’d found on the beach story would be too braggadocious to tell and plays the fanfare and instead defers to the allure or telling us about some seal cubs that looked like they needed help,” she says. “Growing up, my bedroom “Growing up, my bedroom was filled withaquarium tanks was filled with aquarium tanks of sea in various stages of rehabilitation.” turtles in various stages of rehabilita- of sea turtles tion. The whole reason he started the aquarium was because we’d run out of opting instead to inform you he’s named after of the Dingle coast. “I’m a bit of an Irish boo- space in the house. “There’s countless the family dog. merang,” she says. “I love to travel, sure, but hon- pictures of me as a child, lying on the Actually, it’s a lot like that. What do you estly Dingle is still one of my favorite places in beach next to some dead animal so my think of when you think of vacation? Grace the world. I can’t even put it into words. There’s father could document its size.” Flannery thinks of traveling deep into the jun- just something magical about it in the air.” The shark story was just such an gles of Borneo and staying at a rainforest re- Now, teaching with SHU in Dingle, that in- occasion. A shark had washed up on search center so that her room and board can nocent exuberance crosses over into her teach- shore and needed to be documented. directly fund the study and conservation of ing. Working with students, she says, “You Her father had it hoisted on a fork- the natural habitat. They say it’s not work if it’s can either use a carrot or a stick. You can be- lift with young Grace positioned next what you love, which might explain why the rate them for what they don’t already know or to it for reference when a stabilizing trip had no official tie to any grant or project you can invite them to look at something with rope snapped and the beast swung she was on other than her own innate thirst for you, share with them what’s exciting about it.” free, clobbering the child. “Sent me exploration: the natural product of a scientist’s She plainly takes the latter approach, having flying across the floor,” she says, her curiosity borne in a wanderer’s heart. learned the art of teaching from her father. “He eyebrows raised in resolution to this For all her credentials, there’s nothing pre- just loves showing people things. Even now, he’s ... epic ... tale. cious about her. If there’s doing that needs to like a little kid.” That’s an Irish shark attack: a fork- be done, Grace is the first to roll up her sleeves. Indeed, there is an infectious glee both lift, a dead shark and a bit of bad teth- She’s every bit as much at home taking students Flannerys seem to have running through their ering. on a cycling tour of the Dingle Peninsula as she veins—a delight in curiosity, inherent as a birth- But also that’s the Irish for you. is taking creek bed samples to study and pro- right and cultivated through practice. “We’re They are, it would seem, genetically tect the health of the native oyster population. messers,” she says, speaking of the Irish in gener- Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium; she is also predisposed to talk about essentially any other An environmentalist, she’ll just as happily wade al, but her unapologetic grin seems to recognize Doctor Grace Flannery, with a Ph.D. from thing than their own accolades, to the extent into an argument with environmental activists a personally specific reference as well. University College Cork, one of Ireland’s top that they are, in fact, often distrustful of any- over the resources wasted and litter generat- The result, whether by nature or nurture, is academic institutions, revered worldwide. one who seems too keen to self-promote. Thus ed pushing paper handouts into the hands of that Grace Flannery is a brilliant conundrum of And she’ll tell you almost none of it. when forced to do so (when cornered for, say, people who don’t want them (this happened) a woman, a paradox born of logical conclusions, Ask an American professor to tell you his or a university publication), there’s a cheeky iro- as she is to show her students how to harangue making her as engaging as she is (one last time her accomplishments and that’s exactly what ny ever present, ready to undercut any sense of any pub landlord for single-use straws (this also now) quintessentially Irish: the disciplined sci- you’ll get—a résumé of degrees, publications, ostentation by completely ignoring the relevant happened). entist with a love of whimsy; the lifelong stu- responsibilities and interests. Ask Grace Flan- whilst gleefully overselling the insignificant. And yet, however down to earth she may be, dent as inspiring teacher; the wanderer so deeply nery the same and she’ll pause uncomfortably, It’s also a perfect example of why just about the credentials remain. The status of a Ph.D. in rooted to home. shu

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 42 43 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 AN Sacred Heart’s ranking in The Princeton Review IMAGE as one of the top 20 “Happiest Schools” provides OF an opportunity to consider a bigger picture. HAPPINESS by timothy deenihan

last year, The Princeton Reviewasked 140,000 students scale with the statement “I am happy at my school.” on 385 campuses across the nation—from tiny colleges to The difference may seem small, but it is significant. (And megalithic state schools to military academies and the Ivy to be clear: that so many students aligned with the survey League—80 questions in four categories to determine a statement “I am happy at my school” is not to be dimin- ranking of the colleges from the students’ perspectives. The ished in any way.) But at the risk of splitting hairs, being survey makes a solid attempt to cover every aspect of college “happy,” as per the ranking’s title, is not the same as being life, asking students about everything from access to profes- “happy at my school,” which was the question asked in the sors and availability of financial aid to the quality of the sci- survey. Indeed, the two are fundamentally different. It is ence labs and the palatability of the food. entirely possible to be happy at one’s school (doing well in The result, announced last fall, is that the 2020 edi- class, succeeding in sports, socially involved ...) and at the tion of The Best 385 Colleges by The Princeton Review pegs same time to be struggling with very real—and potentially Sacred Heart University as one of the top 20 campuses in catastrophic—mental health issues. the nation (#10 to be exact) in the category of “Happiest This cannot be stressed enough. Consider the story of Students.” It’s a terrific recognition of a campus that has Madison Holleran, the University of Pennsylvania track star steadily grown in stature and impact in the larger world profiled by Kate Fagan for the ESPN article “Split Image.” over the past number of years while continuing to feed the From the outside looking in, Holleran’s life and Instagram excitement and passions of its students within. account were, as Fagan writes, “very nearly the epitome of In many ways, it is no surprise that the school scored so what every young girl is supposed to hope she becomes.” highly here. Building a community, establishing a direction Holleran and a teammate followed a group of Penn upper- for one’s emerging adulthood, making the world a better classmen on social media, agreeing with one another that the place, helping students discover and articulate a sense of place lives they witnessed there were lives they wanted for them- and purpose in the world—each and every one of these is fun- selves. What’s more, even as she and her family knew she damental to SHU’s mission, and all of them, research seems was struggling personally and the offer was made to transfer, to indicate, at least correlate to happier individuals. 1 Plainly Holleran herself chose to return to Penn after the holidays. Sacred Heart is doing something right. Then, on January 17, 2014, after buying presents for all her However, celebrations aside, there is an important caveat to family to remember her by, Madison leapt off the ninth story this accolade worth noting. Of all those 80 questions of a Philadelphia parking garage. on that survey, one question The Princeton Review Yet examples need not be so tragic to still be did not ask was “Are you happy?” What they did ask cause for concern and attention. Very nearly two- was for students to agree or disagree on a five-point thirds of college students surveyed nationally by the American College Health Association report having experienced “overwhelming anxiety” with- 1 Lyubomirsky, S. Jul 8, 2010. What Determines Happiness, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_URP3-V1sY4 in the previous 12 months.

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And, contrary to The Princeton Review’s headline, there particular, often feel keenly handicapped in that in-between s p i r i t is no empirical evidence to suggest Sacred Heart bucks that where change is coming, just not coming yet. national trend. So while SHU’s happiness ranking as a mea- Then there is the elephant in the room: social media. As Fa- “I AM NOT AN OPTIMIST. I AM A PRISONER OF HOPE.” — ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU sure of students’ satisfaction with the school and its impact gan notes in her article on Holleran, presenting an edited image on their lives is well earned, the implication of a ubiquitous of ourselves and our lives for the public is nothing new. What is personal happiness in any general sense as articulated by that new is the volume and pervasiveness of those images and, too, headline is at the very least misleading and at worst poten- the increasing sense of imperative to keep up. Mason sees it tially damaging and dangerous. frequently with the students who turn to her for counseling— It’s also an opportunity. students who feel almost obliged to post images of their happy “Happiness is a fluid concept,” says Mary Jo Mason, di- and enviable lives even as they struggle internally with issues rector of student wellness services at Sacred Heart. “It’s tran- as dark as suicidal ideation. Happiness is seen as strength and, sient. It shifts. It’s often reactive. It’s a mood that can change by dint of sheer volume, is perceived to be the norm. Ironic, as in a heartbeat, especially for those who feel a high degree of most are fully rationally aware that social media is life through a uncertainty in their lives. And for today’s college students, filter. The problem is, when it comes to personal experience, uncertainty is the name of their game.” rational thought can be hard to employ. That’s not to say uncertainty is a bad thing. In and of itself, To right this perspective, we need to exercise a degree of it’s neither good nor bad; it simply is. We live in an uncer- empathy and a willingness to acknowledge some complexities. tain world; to pretend otherwise would be to delude For a start, we might remember that mental health oneself. And so in that sense, the modern college stu- is simply a subcategory of health in general. Nothing dent’s recognition of uncertainty is spot on. less and nothing more. There should be no more stig- But uncertainty can be unsettling for anyone, even ma attached to mental health issues than to anything those best equipped to handle it. And it’s pervasive. from, say, a broken wrist to cancer—nor should there Over the last decade, developmental psychologists such be any less willingness to treat it. It would be absurd as Jeffrey Arnett have identified an age of life they call to consider leukemia an individual failing. In this “emerging adulthood.” Studying how identity takes way, depression, anxiety and the like are no different. shape, it seemed ridiculous to separate life into stages, Diminishing the stigma attached to mental health referring to the first 18 years of life as “childhood and adoles- issues is imperative to their prevention and treatment. cence” and then lumping the remaining 60-plus years together Also, we can dial back the emphasis on the value of hap- as “adulthood”—particularly as the 18-29 age bracket has come piness, as ironic as that may seem. to be characterized by nothing so much as essentially constant Sonja Lyubomirsky has spent a career researching happi- change. Identity exploration that used to be the hallmark of ness and has found that happiness appears to be roughly 50 adolescence now extends deep into the 20s, and the average percent the product of one’s genes, 10 percent the product of American changes jobs seven times in this decade of their lives, life’s circumstance and 40 percent the product of intentional not to mention any periods of unemployment in between. 2 activity, such as cultivating gratitude and philanthropy, estab- And as for being in between, Arnett points out that the lishing goals, but also savoring the moment one is in. Perhaps majority of 20-somethings don’t have a straight answer to the greater takeaway, however, is that, in all, happiness is a the straight question “Are you an adult?” Quite simply, there product. It’s not the thing itself. It’s a side effect. It’s smoke— is a sense among many of those in their 20s that perceived the product of an action somewhere else. If you want smoke, definitions of adulthood—stability, responsibility, commit- you don’t go out looking for it; you build a fire. ment—do not apply to them. At least not yet. And while Lastly, we can recognize the pervasive impact of nuanc- some embrace this as freedom, others can’t help but worry es—such as those missed by The Princeton Reviewin their that the delta between expectation and reality is a failing. eye-catching headline. Underscoring this cognitive dissonance between the per- “I’m okay that happiness is sometimes oversimplified as a ception and experience of adulthood is that campus life very question,” says Jessica Samuolis, Sacred Heart associate pro- RED after defeating Yale 6-2 (above) in the preliminary round, the Sacred Heart Pioneers went much provides a bubble for the student that the approaching fessor of psychology, “as long as the answer is not.” on to best Quinnipiac 4-1 and claim the first ever CT Ice Tournament Championship. “real world” will not. Mason noted that upperclassmen, in The answer, as she notes and we reiterate, is complex and HOT The event also included UConn to round out Connecticut’s four D-1 teams. “This win interdisciplinary. And we—especially here at a liberal arts and championship will be at the top of the greatest accomplishments of my career,” said university—for the sake of research, for the value of integrity, Head Coach CJ Marottolo of the team’s victory in the SNY-sponsored event. Adding to the 2 Arnett, J. December 21, 2014. Emerging Adulthood: A New Feature of 21st Century Society, shu ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=regXEzt7cYo for each other, must embrace that. ICE sweetness of the title, senior forward Jason Cotton was named tournament MVP.

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 46 47 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 s p i r i t s p i r i t FLYING HIGH here’s a saying that goes “Athletes lift weights. Cheer- leaders lift athletes.” T Well, this year the Sacred Heart cheerleading team got to lift something more: its first ever Universal Cheerleaders Associ- ation National Championship trophy as they earned the crown in the All-Girl Division I category at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL, in January. The division featured 15 teams, including Morehead State and the University of West Georgia, who have dominated the competition for many years. It was the Pioneers who came out on top, however, posting a top score of 90.3 (out of 100) in the final round to bring home the title. “We never thought for a second that receiving this title for Sacred Heart University was attainable,” the team posted on Instagram. “Today, we are living a dream with shu THE PIONEERS, our eyes wide open.” ALONG WITH TOURNAMENT MVP JASON COTTON (#9, ABOVE, FRONT ROW AT CENTER), CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST CONNECTICUT ICE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP. ebecca armand, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in accounting, explains the num- REFRAMING bers over which she has some control. “The sport of bowling only allows individuals to impact the R result of their shot until 60 feet before the pins,” TEAMWORK she says. “Then, for the entirety of those 60 feet, teammates have to trust that the player has done everything in CT ICE TOURNAMENT her power to throw the best shot possible.” FIRST ROUND — JAN. 25 With a top-20 national ranking, Trust in your teammates is fundamental in practically any Pioneers Bowling is hardly the sort of collegiate sport, but the Pioneers bowling team takes team- SACRED HEART 6 YALE 2 building beyond the bowling alley and into just about every team to drop the ball ... until that’s aspect of their lives on campus. The athletes and coaching CHAMPIONSHIP — JAN. 26 exactly what they’re supposed to do. staff have a unique relationship with each other and with SACRED HEART 4 QUINNIPIAC 1 service to their community, bonding in their volunteer work

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Half a century after his graduation, Martin Swist still feels his connection to Sacred Heart.

n 1965, Sacred Heart wanted a change. was just in its beginning We had back- stages—still a commuter packed through school just three years Europe before and I old—and Martin Swist, we wanted that then a senior at Andrew feeling of immer- Warde High School in Fairfield, was sion.” deciding what local college he would They started attend. Eventually he found himself teaching in Saudi taught in the American School. Swist with Sacred Heart’s dean of students, Arabia. Swist worked as a library co- was the middle-school librarian. “I feel John Croffy. ordinator while his wife taught mid- very fortunate to have lived in four dif- “He was a fantastic guy,” says Swist. dle-school art. “We were supposed to ferent countries with different cultures, and strengthening their spirits while SYNCHRONIZED SPIN “Mr. Croffy took me on a tour and be there for two years,” he recalls. “We communities and lifestyles,” he says. pushing each other to their full poten- COACH BECKY KREGLING made me feel like [the school] wanted stayed for 17.” The school was owned “Each one was just right for us in our tial in practice. CULTIVATES A UNIQUELY me, that it’s where I belonged. That was by an airline, which made the couple stage of life.” The team, formed in 1993, is one TIGHT BOND AMONG HER it. It was a done deal.” airline employees. This meant they When Swist’s son, Jason, graduated of only 83 women’s teams competing TEAM MEMBERS. From its earliest days, Sacred Heart could spend the weekends traveling and from SHU in 2007, Swist was thrilled in the NCAA Championship and was put an emphasis on social justice, Swist exploring the world. to walk by his son’s side at Commence- recently ranked 19th in the first recalls. As one of the first Jewish stu- Their next big move was to Manila, ment. It is a long Sacred Heart tradition regular-season poll. “We are a team room, supporting other teams on cam- dents to attend and graduate from the where they taught for two years, and that if a graduate’s immediate family with rich history, coaching experience pus and volunteering locally allow the Catholic school, that meant a lot to him. then on to Tokyo, Japan, where they member is an alumnus, faculty or staff and past and present talent,” Armand student-athletes to spend a lot of time Now, approaching his 50-year class member, he or she can process with says. “Since we are considered an estab- together to become a good, supportive reunion, we had the opportunity to the graduate on stage to assist with the lished team, the players, as well as the team on and off the lanes,” she says. catch up with Swist and marvel a little awarding of the diploma. coaching staff, have a strong under- In the last five years, the women’s at the road between 1970 and 2020. The couple returned to Fairfield standing of what is needed to make this bowling team has logged more commu- The English major enjoyed his writ- in 2017, but while shoveling their team successful.” nity service hours per student-athlete ing classes and also took a number of driveway after a big storm, Swist turned What is needed from a successful Bamford, a junior studying chemistry than any other sports team at Sacred philosophy courses. His favorite profes- to his wife. “What are we doing?” he team is more than just talent in the and biology. Heart University. Recently, the team sor, Philip “Doc” O’Shea, made him a asked. bowling alley; watching a ball roll down Group activity beyond practices has worked at the Jewish Home for better student and a better man. When Martin and Jessica Swist now reside a lane together is not enough to make improves communication, increases the Elderly, the Discovery Museum, he wasn’t writing or studying, Swist in Naples, FL. a top-20 team. According to Armand’s collaboration and offers a support Save Our Strays and nearby churches played intramural sports, volunteered in Whenever possible, Swist makes sure teammate, Rachel Bamford, a tight-knit structure for the athletes. Coach Becky making perogies for fall festivals. the Big Brother program and frequently to check in with SHU. When in town and diverse group of student-athletes Kregling does all she can to participate “We educate the student-athletes in ate at Jerry’s Pizza. He graduated in visiting friends and family, Swist will is what makes the Pioneers a threat on in and encourage the team’s various their sport, but also to be good, caring 1970 and went on to get his master’s in attend a basketball or football game. the lanes. “The format of our sport, our ways of bonding. In her strategy, a people,” Kregling says, cultivating a educational media. “I had a lot of good times on campus,” responsibilities and our tournaments keen academic focus and community sense of family, a dedication to giving Swist taught in Shelburne Falls, MA, Swist says. “Hundreds of people from cause us to spend lots of time togeth- involvement are just as important as one’s all and a sense of trust strong a gorgeous town near the Berkshires—a SHU had an impact on me. er—full three-day weekends at a time— practice with the pins. “Working hard enough to carry a whole team of Pio- “really great place to live,” he says—but SWIST AND SON, JASON, AT SHU’S “It’s not difficult to stay in touch,” he so as a team, we’re like a family,” says on the lanes, working hard in the class- neer women those final 60 feet.shu he and his wife wanted more. “We 2007 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY adds. “It’s part of me.” shu

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 50 51 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 l e a d i n g s p i r i t THE ART OF THE TARTAN

As the official Sacred Heart University tartan turns 2, we take a quick look back at its journey from bagpipes to bookstore favorite.

t all started when then-prospective students Anthony Frawley and Shane McLaughlin ap- I proached Keith Johnston, Sacred Heart University The tartan itself needed to be red, of puns are very much intended. director of bands, with a one-word course, tying it to both Pioneer colors Once the design was approved, the KEVIN NEALON enrolled at Sacred proposition: bagpipes. and, as always, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacred Heart University tartan was Heart University in 1971 to begin Johnston quickly recognized the “That’s the common thread that connects registered with the Scottish Register of working toward a degree in marketing opportunity to grow the band. He wel- all we do and defines who we are as an Tartans (reference number 11939) on and—yes, that’s him —playing varsity comed Frawley and McLaughlin into institution,” Kaschak says. “The Sacred October 12, 2017. Announcement of soccer. After graduating in 1975, the fold, first as their own entity in the Heart University tartan displays diversity the tartan was held back, however, until Kevin headed west to begin a career organization, but with the intention to and complexity working in unison, which the following March when the bag- in comedy that would ultimately make expand their numbers and incorporate is the very fabric of the University.” And pipers, Frawley and McLaughlin, were his a household name via (amongst them into the Sacred Heart marching yes, however heartfelt the sentiment, the finally outfitted with their uniforms numerous credits and accolades) band in the near future. and kilts. The delay was because there a then-record nine seasons in the In the meantime, a secondary chal- FROM FIELD TO FASHION— are no manufacturers of tartan fabric in cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live lenge immediately presented itself. For ACCESSORIES FEATURING THE SHU the U.S. Indeed, there are only two in and the award-winning Showtime series what is a traditional instrument like the TARTAN ARE AVAILABLE FROM the world, both in Scotland, designing Weeds. He maintains active ties to the bagpipes without the traditional attire COLLEGIATE TARTAN APPAREL OR for everyone from universities to Ralph University still, and in 2013 received the to accompany it? The men would need ONLINE AT COLLEGIATETARTAN.COM. Lauren. So you can imagine the backlog. Alumni Achievement Award. We look kilts for their band uniforms and, of Now that the official tartan exists, forward to welcoming Kevin — and, course, those kilts would need a tartan. there is of course the opportunity to in- indeed, all our alumni, as well as our But a true tartan isn’t just a pattern corporate it into all sorts of apparel and faculty, staff and current and prospective of intersecting lines and colors. Those merchandise. SHU tartan scarves and students – back to campus soon. intersections, called setts, are rather ties, for example, are available for order like a coded coat of arms telling the online at Collegiate Tartan Apparel story or sharing some meaning for the (www.collegiatetartan.com). clan whose tartan it is. Thus the job of Chute insists, however, that the writing that story, in word and design, project was never intended as any kind FROM fell to Deb Chute, director of creative of marketing ploy. There was just an services, and Sean Kaschak, multimedia organic need to outfit the bagpipers in manager for the University. traditional kilts. THE Central to each sett of the tartan (just “I’ve always loved tartan,” says as it is to the University itself) is the cross. Chute. “I really enjoyed working on To form each cross, six threads are woven every aspect of this project, from design ARCHIVE into each of three lines, as homage to the concepts through to production. Now, Holy Trinity as well as a reference to the getting to see the tartan finally take the Kevin Nealon, SHU ‘75 year of the school’s founding: 1963. field is the icing on the cake.” shu

SPRING 2020 | SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 52 53 SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 Nonprofit Organization US Postage 5151 Park Avenue PAID Sacred Heart Fairfield, CT 06825-1000 University Change Service Requested

It’s one thing to read a magazine. It’s another to walk the campus, visit the chapel, take in a game or a show, maybe catch up with a former professor or an old friend. Or just marvel at how we’ve grown.

Come back to SHU. We’d love to see you.

Plan your visit to campus by contacting Todd Gibbs, executive director of development & alumni engagement, at 203.365.4526 or emailing [email protected].

We are Pioneers.