March 2008 Newsletter The mission of Chestnut Hill College is to provide students with holistic education in an inclusive Catholic community marked by academic excellence, shared responsibility, personal and professional growth, service to one another and to the global community, and concern for the earth. Let’sTalk Aboutit:collegecounselingcenter GrowsWithcampus Fadlullah Ba’th ’09 practices on the violin he’s had since the age of 11, a French-made Sebastian-August Deroux. MAJORFOCUS:MUSIC By Anne Vey Stewart When Fadlullah Ba’th ’09 began violin lessons at the age of three, he’d already absorbed a year’s worth Lisa Johnson, Psy.D., Sheila Kennedy, Ph.D., and Sandy Montano Bumgardner, Psy.D. (left to right), all graduates of the College, offer a warm welcome to the Ann Durkin of instruction by watching other Montano Counseling Center. people play. Before he was even On Sunday, December 2, 2007, the grandmother, (who) was committed born, his mother, a voice major at College’s counseling center on the third to higher education and personal Catholic University, simply fancied floor of St. Joseph Hall was named integrity, as well as the cultivation of the image of a child violinist, and in honor of Ann Durkin Montano, individual human potential and she decided then that her future child “A devoted wife, mother, and exemplified those values throughout would be a violin player. “She just thought it was cute,” continued on page 2 smiles Fadlullah, now a junior at $527,000Grant AnnouncedforsEPCHEcolleges Chestnut Hill. “She says now she never thought it would go this At a press conference held at and K-12 institutions, while ensuring far!” But the Washington, D.C. Cabrini College on Wednesday, that faculty are teaching and students native (Fadlullah translates to “By January 9, Senator Robert Casey (D, are learning with state-of-the-art the grace of God” in Muslim) has Pa.) announced that the Southeastern equipment and methodologies. indeed embraced his destiny. “I can’t Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher The SEPCHE Institute for imagine not playing the violin,” he Education (SEPCHE) will receive a Mathematics and Science prepares says simply. Private music lessons $527,000 federally funded grant in the next generation of leaders in two and an accelerated schedule had support of the SEPCHE Institute critical fields of world competitiveness. him ready to start college at the age for Mathematics and Science. Through this federal funding, of 16. “I visited a lot of schools Congressmen Patrick Murphy (D, SEPCHE colleges are able to offer where you’d just be a number,” he Pa., 8th); and Jim Gerlach (R, Pa., 6th) summer graduate workshops for says, noting that he took a class joined Casey at the announcement K-12 teachers in the Delaware Valley one semester at the University of along with the eight presidents of the to help enhance the quality of math Maryland, where “the teacher never SEPCHE schools. and science curriculum and teaching even learned my name.” Established in 2001 through a grant resources. Luckily, Chestnut Hill made the from the Department of Housing and “What brings us all together today is decision to reinstitute their once Urban Development, the Institute’s that we really believe that inside every popular music major in time for efforts are directed toward advancing child is a bright light burning within Fadlullah’s enrollment. Kathleen math and science literacy and them…..it is our basic obligation to McCloskey, SSJ, chair of the music accomplishment in the region’s college make the investment so that bright, department, explains the departure continued on page 3 continued on page 2 1 Let’sTalk Aboutit:collegecounselingcenterGrowsWithcampus continued from page 1 When asked what problems trouble her life. The Chestnut Hill College today’s students, Dr. Kennedy allows Counseling Center, whose mission is to that generally, “We’re helping with encourage lifelong human growth and stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, development, is thus a fitting tribute and time-management issues.” The to her extraordinary warmth, empathy counseling center has established a series and personal generosity.” of “psycho-educational workshops” So reads the plaque to mark the with sessions on grief and bereavement; endowment made by the late Ann relationships; body image concerns; Durkin’s husband, Arthur Montano, coping with transitions for first-year Esq., in recognition of her dedication and transfer students; and having to Chestnut Hill College and the Sisters healthy holidays. All three psychologists of Saint Joseph. recently underwent BASICS training Sandy Montano Bumgardner, one of Arthur Montano, Esq. at the December dedication of the Ann Durkin Montano (an acronym for Brief Alcohol Screening the College’s three therapists, earned Counseling Center named in honor of and Intervention for College Students), three of her degrees from Chestnut Hill his wife. as part of a campus-wide program. College (B.A., 1976; M.S., 1989; and If the counseling center has a motto, Psy.D., 2003) and says with a smile to add to a staff that already included offers Dr. Kennedy, it’s on a sign in that her mother Ann was so committed Lisa Johnson, Psy.D. ’04 (M.S. ’92). the waiting room: No matter what to the Sisters of Saint Joseph that Dr. Johnson, also a double degree- happened yesterday, today is full of hope neither she nor her three sisters (Sharon holder from the College, knew Dr. and promise. “We’re here to strengthen Montano Adams ’74, Cheryl Montano Kennedy from a clinical internship at and support the positive aspects of Hughes ’80, and Bernadette Montano CORA Services, Inc. The addition of personality,” says Dr. Johnson. Dr. Dronson ’84) “ever really had a choice Sandy completed the team. Bumgardner agrees, “One goal is to about where we went to college. My Dr. Bumgardner focuses on identify patterns of negative thinking mother used to drive us up here when adolescent development and and replace them with the practical we were girls to show us the campus.” assessment, Dr. Johnson specializes in orientation of developing coping Sheila M. Kennedy, SSJ, Ph.D., also gender and racial identity issues, and skills and problem-solving skills.” a graduate of the Class of 1976, didn’t Dr. Kennedy’s studies concentrated on She adds thoughtfully, “This center is know Sandy well then, but connected counseling issues. The schedules of all really a fitting tribute to my mother, in the halls of the College, where Sandy three are quite busy since the counseling who believed in lifelong growth and was an adjunct psychology professor and center went to “full-time service” in development, that we could always seeking additional work. Fortunately for 2006, operating from Monday through become better people. That embodies her, Sister Sheila Kennedy had assumed Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from August the spirit of this counseling center.” full-time directorship of the counseling through May, when the School of center in August 2006 and was looking Undergraduate Studies is in session. MajorFocus:Music continued from page 1 and the subsequent return of the music As a music major, Fadlullah practices Sinphonia. He minors in computer major. “With the Class of 2004, the two to three hours a day and takes private science and plays basketball with friends final music education majors graduated violin lessons at an outside studio, for exercise, but his consuming passion from the College. That fall, there were which the music department located, remains the violin. “I go to College for several inquiries concerning the major to meet his needs. He commends what I have fun doing.” Mother knew even though it did not exist. The his academic advisor, Sister Kathleen best, after all. addition of young men on campus McCloskey for her ready availability You can hear Fadlullah and other strengthened the interest. During the and responsiveness, even moving the students play at the spring recital on 2004-2005 school year, we lost several students’ concerts from midweek to Sunday, April 6, at 4 p.m. in the East students because of no music program. Sundays so Fadlullah’s family have time Parlor of St. Joseph Hall, and on Sunday, So with the support and approval of to travel from Maryland to hear him April 27, at 4:30 p.m. in the College President Carol Jean Vale, SSJ and the play. It’s a reward he treasures. Auditorium. College’s board of directors, the music Fadlullah belongs to the Chestnut program was reinstated in the fall of Hill College Orchestra as well as the 2005.” city youth orchestra, Philadelphia 2 $527,000Grant AnnouncedforsEPCHEcolleges Formed in 1993, SEPCHE is a nonprofit consortium of eight independent higher education institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region who engage in a collaborative approach to the challenges of higher education and work together to promote quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach, through sharing a range of activities, services, technology and information. Member Front row, left to right: Brighid Blake, executive director of SEPCHE; Dr. Kathleen schools of SEPCHE include Arcadia Owens, president, Gwynedd-Mercy College; Antoinette Iadarola, Ph.D., president, University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Cabrini College; Francesca Onley, CSFN, Ph.D., president, Holy Family University; Hill College, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Rosalie M. Mirenda, D.N.Sc., president, Neumann College. Back row: Congressman Patrick Murphy; Congressman Jim Gerlach; R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, Ed.D., Holy Family University, Immaculata president, Immaculata University; Jerry M. Greiner, Ph.D., president, Arcadia University, Neumann College, and University; Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, Ph.D., president, Chestnut Hill College; Sharon Rosemont College. Latchaw Hirsh, Ph.D., president, Rosemont College; and Senator Robert Casey. Collectively, SEPCHE awards more continued from page 1 master’s degrees in education than any scintillating light inside of a child have to make the investment and make other institution in the State and is the can burn ever brightly,” said Casey.