Mulberry Tree | Winter 2014 | 1 a Letter from the President
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ST. MARy’s College of Maryland winter 2014 A HISTORY OF CREATIVITY PLAYINGPLAYING HISHIS CCARDSARDS The Legacy of [Former Student] Paul Reed Smith and the Guitars that Built Him [ page 14 ] JUMPSTARTED! Alums Share How the St. Mary’s Project Helped Their Careers [ page 6 ] St. Mary’S College of Maryland winter 2014, vol. xxxv, no. 1 www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree Editor Lee Capristo Alumni Editor Kathy Cummings Design Skelton Design Photographer Bill Wood Editorial Board Karen Anderson, Mary Wheatman Body ’79, Lee Capristo, Kathy Cummings, Elizabeth Graves ’95, Nairem Moran ’99, Karen Raley ’94, Maureen Silva Publisher Office of Advancement St. Mary’s College of Maryland 18952 East Fisher Road St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686 The Mulberry Tree is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland’s public hon- ors college for the liberal arts and sciences. It is produced for alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, the local community, and friends of the College. The magazine is named for the famous mulberry tree under which the Calvert colonists signed a treaty of friendship with the Yaocomico people and on the trunk of which public notices were posted in the mid-1600s. The tree endured long into the 19th century and was once a popu- lar meeting spot for St. Mary’s students. The illustration of the mulberry tree on the cover was drawn in 1972 by Earl Hofmann, artist-in- residence when St. Mary’s College President Renwick Jackson launched the magazine. Copyright 2014 The opinions expressed in The Mulberry Tree are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the College. The editor reserves the right to select and edit all material. Manuscripts and letters to the editor are en- couraged and may be addressed to Editor, The Mulberry Tree, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 18952 E. Fisher Rd., St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Photographs and illustrations may not be reproduced without the express written consent of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. CONTENTS winter 2014 SMCM ALUMNI COUNCIL JULy 2013 – June 2014 FEATURES Executive Board page 6 Danielle Troyan ’92, President The St. Mary’s Project Todd Purring ’86, Vice President Angie Harvey ’83, Secretary “The culmination of the whole of the Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03, Parliamentarian student’s education and not simply the Jim Wood ’61, Treasurer capstone for the major.” Elected Voting Members Mary Wheatman Body ’79 page 14 Emily Brown ’10 Camille Campanella ’12 Playing His Cards Debbie Craten Dawson ’94 [ page 6 ] Donna Denny ’81 The legacy of Paul Reed Smith and the Barbara Dinsenbacher ’56 guitars that built him. Laurel Tringali Eierman ’84 Mark Fedders ’74 page 28 Missy Beck Lemke ’92 S. Jae Lim ’09 A Window into the Ryan McQuighan ’05 Laurie Menser ’01 19th Century Jeremy Pevner ’09 Archives Receives Papers of 1885 Allan Wagaman ’06 Female Seminary Valedictorian. Student Member Bill Sokolove ’14 Chapter Presidents Annapolis: [ page 14 ] DEPARTMENTS Erin O’Connell ’91 Baltimore: 2 President’s letter Dallas Hayden ’06 Jayson Williams ’03 3 College news Boston: 19 Alumni Connection Tashia Graham ’09 27 Philanthropy D.C. Metro: Matt Schafle ’10 28 From the archives Denver: Alisa Ambrose ’85 New York: Christelle Niamke ’05 San Francisco: Anne Marie Metzler ’09 [ page 28 ] Southern Maryland: Cathy Hernandez Ray ’77 Western Maryland: Kristi Jacobs Woods ’97 Cover: Paul Reed Smith’s limited-edition Staff Carlos Santana SE One Abraxas. David Sushinsky ’02 Photo by Ashley Stopera Beth Byrd oppoSite: Lawrence MacCurtain ’11 Archway outside Kent Hall. Photo by Bill Wood St. Mary’s College | THE MULBERRY TREE | winter 2014 | 1 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AN ATTAINABLE GOAL ooking out over the river on a lovely sunny and clear Editor’s Note winter day, I marvel at the beauty of the St. Mary’s setting. It is one of the reasons why our students fall in love with our College. And, as iberal arts institutions and L supporting organizations like the I have quickly discovered, there are many other reasons for our attractiveness L Phi Beta Kappa Society spend a lot – our faculty, our staff who do of time defending the value and relevance of Graduating on time has the liberal arts. It seems that no matter the so much for our students outside many benefits! It is this economic climate, the liberal arts as a value of the classroom, and our own proposition are always under scrutiny. students’ successes. “value proposition” that At St. Mary’s, a capstone experience in the senior year of study was envisioned in This fall, we were gratified to means so much in these 1995 and implemented as the “St. Mary’s learn that the federal Department difficult economic times. Project” beginning in 1997-98. In its plan- ning stages, Provost Mel Endy argued that of Education statistics ranked St. by having students “choose and refine a Mary’s third highest of all public topic or creative project, assemble the neces- sary resources, carry out in disciplined fash- colleges in the nation for graduating our students on time. To my mind, this ion the required tasks alone and/or with one statement encapsulates what is great about the College. Our faculty and others, and present and defend publicly the students have a very close relationship, and the faculty and staff do everything results, the College [would] be inculcating the leadership skills that are a fundamental possible to help the students achieve success. Many other liberal arts colleges purpose of a liberal arts education.” have small classes and close interaction with faculty. But none (the two ranked Patrick Meade ’14 is doing his part in defense of the liberal arts: his St. Mary’s above us were military academies) have our record of success. There is some- Project is on whether or not the liberal arts thing going on here that is real and measurable. are still relevant in America. Patrick partic- ipated in a campus meeting of the Middle A corollary to this achievement is our low ratio of student debt. Although States Self-Study working group this past our tuition is much higher than all of the other public Maryland universities October. At this meeting, we discussed and four-year colleges, our students have the least amount of debt. Graduating how we’d assess if College operations, on a daily basis, are informed by the stated on time has many benefits! It is this “value proposition” that means so much in mission and values. Patrick’s interest was these difficult economic times, and you can be certain that we let prospective in learning how we felt invested in the mission and values. He’ll complete his students and their families know this. smp in the spring, responding to the ques- Finally, a few words about our enrollments. Our new Vice President Gary tion of whether or not the liberal arts in Sherman has built on the innovations this summer to implement the latest tech- America are still relevant through a series of nonfiction essays he’s writing, plus an niques for recruiting students and for converting applications into admitted oral history he’ll put together with the help students and, finally, into students attending. It is early yet, but many indications of his faculty adviser, English Professor Ruth Feingold. are positive. Admissions staff are using social media a great deal – texting, What can you do with a liberal arts Facebook, Twitter and the like. Students communicate in many ways (they think degree? Anything you like. Read about the smps and the careers of 10 alumni that email is impossibly slow!) and they use the web. Nationally, some 70% of high who are living their bliss and the faculty school students search for a college with their smartphones. It is a new world. advisers who mentored them along the way. Read too, about Paul Reed Smith, world-famous guitar maker, who found his calling through a one-semester indepen- dent study with a professor who believed Ian Newbould in the power of the liberal arts. Interim President, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Lee Capristo, editor 2 | St. Mary’s College | THE MULBERRY TREE | winter 2014 Adler Gets College Book Published Charles Adler, professor of phys- ics, has written his own version NEWS of “Myth Busters.” In Febru- ary, Princeton University Press will release Adler’s new book, “Wizards, Aliens, and Starships: Physics and Math in Fantasy and Science Fiction.” Adler says the book is about the scientific criticism of the genre. “I wrote the book to my 15-year old self, a voracious science fic- tion reader. I always wanted to know more about the science in any book I was reading.” Two of his favorite chapters are “Why Hogwarts is So Dark,” concern- ing the problems of lighting a huge castle using only candles; and “Why Computers Get Better and Cars Can’t (Much).” MURAL ART PROJECT McDaniel and Rawlings-Blake SHOWS WHO WE ARE Join Board of A visual representation of the College community is the Trustees newest mural art project on campus, located between the Alumni House and the site of the former Anne Arundel Hall. Governor Martin O’Malley ap- Inspired by community art programs such as the Mural proved two new trustees to the Arts Program in Philadelphia and UrbanPromise in Camden, St. Mary’s College of Maryland New Jersey, the project was facilitated by Carrie Patterson, Board of Trustees. Ann L. Mc- associate professor of art, whose “Art for Educators and Daniel is senior vice president Community Activists” class organized the project. at The Washington Post Com- pany. She previously worked for Newsweek for 17 years as Witman and managing editor and editor in Garrett to chief.