Northampton Magazine Winter 2012
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WINTER 2012 NorthamptonCommunity College Magazine www.northampton.edu The SHOW from the editors The NCC presidential candidate stood in front of a room fi lled with college staff, answering questions about his leadership style. Just outside the closed conference room door on the Laub Lounge piano, a student began playing, earnestly but rather bumpily, a classical score. During the whirlwind two-day tours, each of the three presidential fi nalist candidates encountered editors spontaneous moments like this that revealed their temperaments and tested their reactions. For a few heidi BRIGHT BUTLER minutes, this candidate strained to hear the questions and had to raise his voice over the piano music, but paul JOLY he took it all in stride, showing no irritation at the interruption. After all, the student pushing the limits of personal performance is part of what defi nes the essence of the college experience. contributing writers Which brings us to the theme of our winter issue, titled “The Show.” Performance, whether it be music, paul ACAMPORA theatre, broadcast or fi lm, “washes from the soul the dust of everyday life,” as Pablo Picasso said about art. Even geoff GEHMAN a student performer inadvertently interrupting a would-be college president’s everyday life interview session helps james l. JOHNSON ’89 to wash some dust away so we all can get a little clearer view. Entertainers intrude on the ordinary. katherine NOLL dr. christine PENSE When we set out to include Northampton alumni, students and staff who are in show business — on myra SATUREN shannon SIGAFOOS sandy STAHL sharon TERCHA cynthia TINTORRI Artistic performance “washes from the soul alumni notes coordinator nancy HUTT the dust of everyday life.” happenings coordinator patricia CANAVAN proofreader kelly LUTTERSCHMIDT stage, on camera, behind the scene, making music or any of the other aspects of putting on the show — our challenge became one of making some hard choices about who to include and who to leave out. art director One whom we had to leave out this time was our Oscar Award-winning documentary producer, Roger traci ANFUSO-YOUNG Ross Williams. We’ve written much about his accomplishments in previous issues. Like Williams, there are so many others who can trace their start back to this college and are now making names for themselves on production coordinator stage and screen. In this issue, you’ll meet some of them. marianne ATHERTON There are two veteran NCC faculty members who have launched hundreds of show business careers, and contributing photographers their names always come up with near-reverent overtones when we talk to their former students who went adam ATKINSON on to fame and success. Mario Acerra, head of the College’s radio/TV program, and Norman Roberts, founder douglas BENEDICT of the theatre program, now retired, have both inspired more performers and broadcasters than anyone can david w. COULTER count. Not all of those we talked to had gone through one of these two programs, but of those who have, randy MONCEAUX you hear universal acclaim for their former professor mentors. john STERLING RUTH Finally, as proof that the performing arts are alive and thriving today on the NCC campuses, you need look philip STEIN no further than the center calendar in this issue. Whether you are a current or former student, staff member PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYNN or one of the thousands of friends throughout the area who value and support NCC, you’re invited to come hub WILLSON to “The Show.” We hope to see you soon. ◆ president dr. arthur SCOTT vice president institutional advancement susan k. KUBIK northampton community college foundation board chairman bruce a. PALMER publisher on the cover: NCC theatre student Andrea Cameline northampton community putting on the role of the theatre student who college foundation 3835 green pond road has dreams of making it big bethlehem, pa 18020 Photos by Adam Atkinson contents 8 Behind the Curtain Producing a play can involve a lot of drama backstage prior to opening night. By Cynthia Tintorri 14 Stage & Screen From the Philadelphia Fringe and Live Arts Festival to DreamWorks, NCC grads are making art and a living as actors, directors, producers, videographers and editors. By Geoff Gehman 20 On Air Radio and TV are not undergoing an evolution. They’re in the midst of a revolution. That’s part of the fun for grads of NCC’s popular radio/TV program. By Myra Saturen and Shannon Sigafoos 02 pulse 22 The Art of the Dance 02 Professor of the Year, Times Two What’s one of the most active clubs on campus? 03 A Message from NCC’s Next President And why does it have a Latin name? 04 Breaking Ground By Katherine Noll 06 Holding On to Hope 07 The Meaning of Freedom Events 24 NCC Live: 36 Now That’s Entertainment! ncc seen Enjoy live entertainment at NCC this spring. 38 notes 26 Chaos Rules 39 Melissa Gundersen ‘09 If you like predictability, this job is not for you! 40 Alumni Association Honors By Sharon Tercha 41 Jessica Lewis ‘00 43 Jordan White ‘05 44 Sean Bradley, Horizons for Youth 28 When Music Is Your Life … 46 Athletic Hall of Fame Have you heard these noteworthy NCC musicians? 47 Memoriam If not, listen up! 48 Daniel Becker ‘10 By Paul Acampora 32 Star Power 49 Stars are born every day. Some are born on billboards! refl ection By James L. Johnson ’89 On the importance of art, by Dr. Christine Pense, dean of humanities and social sciences pulseCampus NEWS and Scuttlebutt Caliber of NCC’s Faculty Wins National Recognition — Again! For the second time in three years, a faculty member from NCC was deemed one of the most out- standing college faculty members in the country. This year the honor went to Dr. John K. Leiser, an associate professor of biology at NCC’s Monroe Campus. In 2009 it went to Dr. Vasiliki The streams and fi elds of the Poconos become a classroom for students enrolled in Dr. Leiser’s courses. Anastasakos, assistant professor of political science on the Main Campus. instructors in the country — approach to teaching and learn- Professor of the Year in three Both were named Pennsylva- those who excel in teaching and ing; contribution to undergraduate years is something of which NCC nia Professor of the Year in a pro- positively infl uence the lives and education in the institution, com- can be very proud,” says Pamela gram sponsored by the Carnegie careers of students.” munity and profession; and sup- Russell, director of communica- Foundation for the Advancement Nominees come from private port from colleagues and former tions for CASE. “Northampton of Teaching and the Council for and public two- and four-year undergraduate students.” should be very proud of that.” Advancement and Support of Edu- colleges and universities in all Leiser and Anastasakos both Indeed we are! cation (CASE). 50 states. They are judged on aced the test. Readers of the NCC magazine The program “salutes the “impact on and involvement with “To have two faculty members are familiar with Leiser’s work. most outstanding undergraduate undergraduate students; scholarly from the same institution named A feature in the fall of 2009 2 NCC WINTER 2012 PHOTO BY HUB WILLSON w described research he conducted with students in biology, fi eld ecology and environmental biology to determine the effect of invasive species and residential and com- A Message from NCC’s Next President mercial development on streams in the Poconos. The article also At the end of last semester, NCC trustees unanimously chronicled their involvement in chose Dr. Mark Erickson, president of Witt enberg an international study of survival College, to become the next president of NCC. He will take rates and population dynamics of offi ce on July 1 following President Scott ’s retirement. North American land birds, specifi - Erickson is no stranger to Pennsylvania or to cally Northern Saw-whet owls. Northampton. He earned his doctorate in educational Speaking about his research- leadership at Lehigh University and served in several oriented approach to teaching, key positions there, including dean of students, associ- Leiser says,“The roots of scientifi c ate vice president and executive assistant to the presi- inquiry are not new, but science dent and vice president for administrative and govern- itself is transitive, ever-plastic, ment aff airs. As you will see below, he also spent time growing. Pursuing science, edu- at NCC. cating beyond lectures, beyond We asked him for his thoughts on being named pres- facts and obtuse text, I aim to ident. Here’s what he had to say: provide students with the courage to experiment, to excel.” Leiser has embraced service Honored, humbled and excited. learning and cross-disciplinary These are the words that best describe my feelings about being selected as the fourth president of Northamp- studies, too, teaming up with ton Community College. My original decision to apply was prompted by my long-standing admiration for the Associate Professor of Sociology work of the College, coupled with my lifelong passion for education and community engagement. As some of Erin Reilly to involve students in you know, my wife, Lin, worked for NCC for nine years in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and through that experi- learning about plant growth, food ence, I developed a deep appreciation for the extraordinary work of the College. Lin loved working at NCC, and production and distribution, and we enjoyed being part of the extended NCC community. As residents of the Lehigh Valley for 22 years, we also sustainable agriculture by working attended numerous NCC events and saw the impact the College had on the community.