Femmes d'Esprit Spring 2002 Issue 1

19 Pages·2002·9.1 MB·English

by  College of New Rochelle

Femmes 0 Esprit
1
Here's tbe winning oesign b~ Kimberli R1ngel-Kane
for
class of 2.004 tbe NE-NCHC Regional Conference:
Tbe Aoironoacks:
\''• I
Tbe
Sagamore on Lake George Apri[ 18-2.1 2.002.
1
SAS Honors Program Tbe coUege of New RocbeUe Spring 2.002. Issue I
C. N. t,
4rCIJh'Q
Staff
EOitor-in-QJief:
Heatber Wilson
La~out:
Kimberli Ringel-Kane
Hillar~ St. Pierre
Columnists:
Richelle Fiore
Erica Pitts
Faitb Racette
........ ~~~~t. R~~1
1!1! ....... .
Kimberli Ringel-Kane
Cara West The cover design oft his issue was created by
Emil~ Williams Kimberli Ringel-Kane '04 for the NE-NCHC 2002
Regional Spring Conference at The Sagamore.
Kimberli's design won .. We would like to congratu-
T~pists: late her both for her initiative, her achievement, and
Tamra sbeeban for representing the CNR Honors Program so
wonderfully.
Cara West
2 • Honors Program Newsletter
ialJle of Contents
Curtain Lifted Upon Self 4
Dear Readers,
Emily Williams
I hope the fall semester went as well for you
as it did for me despite the tragedy with which it
A Speech to Remember 5
opened. I am looking forward to this Spring semes-
Kimberli Ringel-Kane
ter and to all oft he promises the Spring holds.
In this issue: we look through Emily's eyes as
Student and Fa cuity Forum 6
the star ofa play; Richelle tells us what she learned at
Erica Pitts
th~ most recent NCHC conference held in Chicago;
Faith tells us how we can 'Be All We Can Be'; and
'Be All We Can Be' 7
two campus events held on campus, the Academic
Faith Racette
Convocation and the Student/Faculty Forum, are
covered by Erica.
Cara's Thoughts 8
This issue also pays a special tribute to the
Cara West
events ofS eptember 11, 2001. This tragedy has made
us all see this as an important moment to reestablish
Worlcing Through Transitions 9
contact with former friends and faculty, which we see
Richelle Fiore
in emails that were sent to Dr. Raia from CNR Hon-
ors Alumnae. Some wrote in about their experiences
Academic Convocation Lifts Spirits 10
down at ground zero as volunteers and some just
Erica Pitts
wrote or called to check in with everyone.
The staff and I would like to dedicate this
The Morning My Heart Was Broken ... 11
issue to the victims, their families and all of us who
Kimberli Ringel-Kane
have been affected by this tragedy.
Opportunities! 12
Sincerely,
We Are America 13
Alumnae Check In 14
Continued Stories 18
Heather Wilson
UNITED WE
STAND
We Are Changed Forever • 3
A Curtain Lifted Upon Self vidual actors and as a group. The pain of tragedy
seemed to inhibit life and activty; the United States
By: Emily Williams and the world was in a bewildered state ofm ind that
caused people to both think and act differently.
"It was the best oft imes, It was the worst of
Casting Call ... "The Fantasticks" ... Auditions times." "The Fa ntasticks" provided a source of es-
tonight... Available female role ... Luisa (The Girl)-a cape and healing through artistic expression. The very
16-year old romantic. Featured female vocalist (lyric dialogue and score of the musical correlated to the
soprano), some dancing required. Be prepared to changes and emotions the world was experiencing
read extensively from the script and sing a ballad and which continues as we heal. . . "Tty to remember the
an up-tempo song .. . kind of September. .. Without a hurt the heart is hol-
Step ... Step ... Hi, welcome to auditions. Fill low ... The fire ofS eptember that made us mellow ...
out this form. Polaroid ... Okay, smile ... snap, flash! Try to Remember and ify ou remember then follow."
Thanks, good luck ... Breathe ... Breathe ... Enter, These lyrics hit home and urged the entire production
walk ... Hi, my name is Emily team to reflect on the deep es-
Williams ... Breathe ... sence of life through meta-
Breathe ... Here it goes ... phor-through drama
Little did I know as I The demands ofs choolwork
walked into Romitaauditorium and the performance forced me
for an audition that evening in to maintain a balance and man-
early September what the next age my time wisely. What I pre-
two months had in store for me conceived would be a tremen-
and the impact the experience dous struggle to stay focused
would have upon my upon my schoolwork, while at
life ... New to the college as a the same time developing my
freshwoman and still in the pro- character in the play, memoriz-
cess of orienting myself to the ing lines, and learning songs, ac-
different environment ofc ollege tually proved to be an example
Ii fe at CNR, I was eager to oflife's relativity and how one's
embark upon this journey of involvement in an activity can
my college education and ex- benefit and diffuse in a positive
perience with stigmata! I took way into other areas of life. I
a chance in trying out for the would find concepts, ideas, art,
musical and am grateful I chose to. By serendipity and literature I was learning about in my classes to
and because of a solid background in the dramatic relate to something I was working on in the perfor-
arts, music, and voice, I was cast as Luisa, greeting mance and vice versa.
the opportunity with passion. The journey from myself to my character,
October brought both challenge and joy. The Luisa, required an enonnous amount ofe nergy, time,
production of"The Fantasticks" was scheduled for and commitment 1be translation ofm yselft o my char-
performance in one month's time. The aftershock of acter in the play and the way in which I interpreted
the September 11 tragedy had lessened the impor- and tried to enter her psyche was a challenging and
tance of trivialities in life and suddenly a rush to re- rewarding process. With the expert coaching of my
hearse, perfect, and perform urged the cast and crew director-my "drama mama"-Laurie Castaldo, and
of "The Fantasticks" to evolve and emerge as indi-
cont. on pg. 18
4 • Honors Program Newsletter
A Speech to Remember
By: Kimberli Ringel-Kane
Every year the Office do things like that here at CNR!). You see, I am inter-
of Admissions holds Open ested in a career in architecture, for which a strong
Houses for prospective stu- background in math is a necessity-as necessary as
dents to visit the college. This my decision to attend a liberal arts college for women.
year Honors student Kimberli Along with my studies I have also elected to
Ringel-Kane '04 spoke to join The Honors Program. As a scholarship winner, I
these students and these fami- received an invitation in my senior year ofhigh school
lies about CNR and The Hon- and decided that it was a path I wanted to try. I never
ors Program. felt challenged enough in high school. I rarely studied,
finished homework in a couple ofm inutes and still
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ended up with A's. After reading the brochure sent to
Good afternoon. Can everyone hear me all me and learning how the students in the Program chal-
right? It is my pleasure to welcome you again to The lenged themselves academically and socially, I enrolled,
College ofNew Rochelle. I've been asked to speak a little nervously, I might add Would I be good enough,
to you today about what it's like to be a student in The smart enough, and able to handle the workload? I
Honors Program at The School ofA rts and Sciences. quickly learned that the answers to all oft hese ques-
Who am I, you ask? My name is Kimberli tions were definitely, "Yes."
Ringel-Kane. I am a member oft he class of2004 and Aside from taking classes for their specific
reside in one of the four residence halls on campus. I major, students take eight Honors Seminars. There
live in Brescia Hall, home oft he survivors! are some classes that are prerequisites. A first year
I am from Columbia, MD, a busy little sub- seminar, Honors Critical Writing, and Junior/Senior
urb, very much like New Rochelle. I came to The Colloquia. After that, each semester offers optional
College of New Rochelle not because I found it on seminars that students may choose. Since the women
the Internet or heard about it through my highschool oft he program are so involved in academics, they make
counselors. I have heard about CNR most ofm y life. suggestions for the different seminar offerings. I, of
In a sense, I am part ofCNR's history-my grand- course, have put in a suggestion to have an architec-
mother graduated from CNR in 1945. She has a lot ture course on the historical buildings in NYC. Semi-
of stories to tell about the College as it was in those nars rotate each year, making for a fascinating and
days, from having waitresses in the cafeteria to send- very broad liberal arts education.
ing laundry home to mom and dad on the weekends;
cont. on pg. 18
(both ofw hich I think we should reinstate). My grand-
mother and I also share a sad connection as well. While
here at CNR she was active in praying for peace dur-
" ... students in The Program
ing WW II as I am now praying for world peace after
challenged themselves
the attack on the World Trade Center.
academically. .. "
I am majoring in Communication Arts with a
specializ.ation in graphic design and layout. I am con-
sidering a minor in Math (I know, you must be think-
ing I am crazy, given expectations for women, but we
We Are Changed Forever • 5
Student and Faculty Forum
By: Erica Pitts
Students and faculty heatedly discussed issues ulty was a touchy one,. faculty panelists encouraged
ofr esidential life, student governance, faculty and the the discussion. They discovered that many students
cafeteria, at the first student-faculty forum held in the were dissatisfied with their professors, considering that
Student Campus Center on October 30th at the Col- some seem unknowle:dgeable about what they are
lege ofNew Rochelle. teaching. Students also have complaints about the lack
The faculty panel included Theodora Ierides, ofp rofessors in certain departments. Even though
Nick Smart, Sue Canning, and Nilda Hernandez. Fairley McCaskill was not at the forum, she admitted
According to Ierides, the idea of this forum was that ''taking courses from the same professor all the
"brought up amongst the whole faculty last spring," time can cause problems ify ou and the professor don't
because they have "always been concerned about stu- get along .... variety is always good."
dent issues." In addition, Ierides said that having a The cafeteria was the last topic mentioned.
forum where students can express themselves and While one freshman s:tudent raved about the great
address their problems is "a part oft he college expe- quality oft he cafeteria, another argued about the re-
rience." cent health issues that she has been having. The un-
The first and longest topic ofd iscussion was identified freshman has: been throwing up every bit of
on residential life. Students argued about the unclean- CNR food that she has eaten. She suggested that the
liness oft heir living environment, where unsanitary head chef inspect facilities and the food to make sure
bathrooms and filthy kitchens are a part oft he norm. that they are sanitary.
Although many students agreed that punishments for When asked if the forum was worth one's
messy people were necessary, they still believe that while, Senior Selena Colding remarked, "At least they
the Resident Assistant's usual punishment oflocking know how we feel." With a slightly different take on
kitchens and bathrooms and taking away garbage cans things, Caribbean Student Organization President
is unfair. Students like Merica Neufville admit that if Kibebe Francis commented that, "It is only going to
they have any problems with messy residents, they be worth it ifs omething happens."
will respectfully approach them about their mess. In Liana Roman, an upset student at the forum
contrast to that, a Brescia Resident Assistant advised questioned the panel on President Stephen Sweeny's
that students use their RAs as mediators for any prob- whereabouts. "He needs to be here!" she argued. In
lems that they may have. The topic of residential life response, Sue Can-
was ended with a student suggestion of making resi- ning explained that
dents fill out a sign-up sheet any time that they use the Dr. Sweeny and his
kitchen facilities. administration were
Talks about Student Government Association not available to attend
governance led to statements about clubs and com- the meeting. She
mittees, and the lack of student participation in them. went on to say that
Marie McGillicuddy, committee head for the SGA, everything said that
argued that the students do not help out when they are day was being re-
needed: "If a board or committee needs people to corded so that school
serve for any given reason, and they don't serve, then officials could view it
there is really no room for students to complain." and give some an-
Although many thought that the subject off ac- swers.
6 • Honors Program Newsletter
that ofa small private institution, I was quite surprised
'Be All We Can Be' to find the most similarities with the largest school of
our group, The University of Dallas. Its campus sup-
By: Faith Racette ports a student body off ifty thousand and is constantly
battling with the lack ofp articipation in activities and
At the beginning ofNovember, I, along with student government.
a fellow senior, Deborah Hedricks, was given the op- Each group was given the task ofd eveloping
portunity to attend The National Conference on Eth- an ethical code, which could be adapted to any col-
ics in America. It was a rewarding experience that lege or university. We found that the only way to in-
taught me a few very important lessons. I realized clude the range of institutions represented was to ad-
that there are two kinds ofp eople in this world: those dress broader issues. Our hope was to encourage
who can endure living on an army-issued cot that is students, though a commitment to ethics and honor,
six inches shorter than their body, who enjoy being to take greater initiative in their own education and to
woken up to the cacophony oft rumpets at six thirty in cultivate a loyalty to their school. The following is the
the morning, who like to visit honor code which our
their friends while marching in group developed:
formation to breakfast every Code of Ethics for Generic University Statement of Purpose
As members oft he GU community, we strive
morning, and those who do By upholding these
to uphold the values of honesty, fairness, re-
not. I am definitely one oft he core values, we hope to
spect, integrity, and responsibility.
latter. Maybe this indicates • Honesty includes representing the whole create a community oft rust
that I am lazy and undisci- truth to the best of your knowledge in all for a positive learning en-
plined, but I can accept this written, verbal and implied communication. vironment, to promote ethi-
• Fairness includes judging everyone by the
about myself cal behavior, to uphold
same reasonable standards and providing
The conference also equality ofo pportunity, to
equal opportunity for all.
taught me acceptance for those strengthen the integrity of
• Respect should be given to all persons,
who chose different paths than property and prevents the infringement of the institution, to graduate
my own. There were over one other people's rights and personal free- honorable students, and to
doms.
hundred and thirty students inspire an individual to a
• Integrity includes consistency in actions
from sixty different schools all life-long commitment of
and in words.
over the nation. The students • Responsibility includes talcing ownership devotion to honor.
came from military and civilian for your actions and their consequences Our group also
colleges, which were both developed a short section
large and small, and although suggesting how our "ge-
the differences were obvious, especially with issues neric university'' might implement such an honor code.
of rules and discipline, the respect and consideration It incorporated a highly active promotional board that
that each participant showed for one another's ideas would encourage student support, through advertis-
encouraged me. ing and lectures.
We were separated into several small focus Overall, this conference helped me to expand
groups that reflected the diversity ofbackgrounds. My my sense ofr esponsibility in every aspect of my life.
group consisted of four women and four men, three The honor code project allowed me to take into con-
of whom were attending military colleges. These sideration the views ofo thers, while supporting a com-
groups allowed us a wonderful opportunity for a com- mon goal of improvement. As members oft he CNR
parison of our schools' weaknesses and strengths. community, we need to do the same. It is time to take
Although I was prepared to present a set of issues a serious look at the issues we are supporting on cam-
that were uniquely "CNR" or at least belonging to pus and reflect on whether they are devoted to aca-
demic and social honesty and excellence.
We Are Changed Forever • 7
Cara's Thoughts
By: Cara West
"Growing into the Moment" by Martha
Nussbaum begins with :a briefd escription oft he events
of September 11, 2001. We grieve as a nation for the
lost lives--the lost American lives. In our lifetime, we
"We' re much too young to deal with these problems,
have never previously seen anything to compare to
but they keep thrusting themselves on us until, finally,
the horrors oft he World Trade Center. We have never
we're forced to think up a solution, through most of
seen our own cities in min. Now we have seen and felt
the time our solutions crumble when faced with the
what it is like to live with this threat ofv iolence over
facts. It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams
our heads. It is a much different type of threat than
and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed
anything we have ever known. We have seen pictures
by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all
of Dresden and Berlin,, of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I
and ofP earl Harbor. Dieing on our own territory, we
cling to them because I still believe, in spite ofe very-
respond in a different way to the images ofP earl Har-
thing, that people are truly good at heart.
bor than to the others. Ofc ourse we feel compassion
" ...A nd yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel
for the victims in Somalia, Kosovo, and Kabul. How-
that everything will change for the better, that this cru-
ever, it is nothing to the extent of what we feel for
elty too shall end, that peace and tranquillity will return
those lost in the World Trade Center. Those were
once more. In the meantime, I must hold on to my
Americans, not foreigners with unpronounceable
ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I'll be able to
names and accents that are difficult to understand.
realiz.e them!"
Americans are seen as different. They are a different
-Anne Frank, July 15, 1944
kind ofp eople and different breed ofh uman. The oth-
ers do not quite measure up to us. White American
lives are defined as just that- American. Japanese-
American, African-A.m,erican, Native-American-all
those who are recognizably deifferent are
classified ·with the hyphenated name. No
group is designed as English-American,
German-American, or French-American;
only the groups with a visual recognition
as being different have this hyphenation.
The forces most in line to be able to edu-
cate us about other societies and other
people do not lead the way to enlighten-
ment. The educational system fosters an
Amerercen1tric look at the world. We need
to learn that: other groups and cultures do
have much 1to offer. Whether children die
in New York City or Kabul, they are just
as dead and as trajic.
8 • Honors Program Newsletter
Working Through Transitions
By: Richelle Fiore
Life is full oft ransitions. Some are recognized academia. I interacted with many different types of
and supported, such as the transition from high school students and professors from several different regions
senior to college freshman. Others are glossed over, oft he country. One oft he many workshops I attended
leaving the person to stumble through this awkward was a presentation on "Western and Non-Western
period of her life alone. "Sophomore slump" is an Mysticism" by students from Tennessee Tech Univer-
interesting tagline to the phenomena that my peers sity. I walked away with mixed reactions to the pre-
and I face. We are no longer freshmen, and not quite sentation. I found the topic intriguing because I am
yet upperclassmen. Where do we fit in the scheme of currently talcing "Alternative Ideologies" and have been
things? We're just there, in the middle. After an inten- exposed to the same topics that the presenters were
sive year ofF reshman Studies, looking into ourselves, talking about, such as Zen Buddhism. However, I felt
discovering new quirks, ideas, beliefs that are part of a million miles away from the information that the stu-
the construction of our dents were offering.
identities, we are thrust While it was obvious that
out ofo urselves and into the students' lives were
the department-oriented affected by the content of
world of academia. Our their class, they were un-
bearings are thrown off able to share even what
with the need for decla- was taught to them. I felt
rations of majors, as ifl was watching lip-
completion of core service testimonies about
classes, and selection of exploring other ideolo-
electives and minors. gies.
Advice is offered Jennifer
to help us, but the iden- Crowhurst, Vera Cher-
tity that we spent a year nysheva, and I presented
constructingisnolonger a workshop on "Discov-
as relevant as it was be- ering the Leader in You."
fore. We are no longer college freshmen. This sudden Nervousness gnawed at me before it was time to
loss is both good and bad. We, as Sophomores, are present. How was I qualified to tell people how to be
now closer to discovering who we are and what we a good leader? I felt that my resume ofleadership could
will be. On the other hand, we're lost. For the past not compare with my fellow presenters, let alone the
semester, I have been grappling with this unexpected people that would come to listen to my presentation.
transition. New responsibilities mingle with old hab- My foot twitcherl with fear as I faced the mostly friendly
its, disrupting my balancing act. This realization came collection ofp eople. Our presentation was divided in
during the NCHC Conference in Chicago, from Oc- three parts, in which I presented the middle section,
tober 31-November 3, 2001. on the collaborative aspect ofleadership.
After conquering my newly-formed fear of Once I finished speaking, I took a deep breath
airplanes, I stepped onto the cold cement of "the and realized that I had just made it through another
windy city" and entered into an entirely new aspect of transition. I was qualified to talk on the topic of
cont. on pg. 18
We Are Changed Forever • 9
Academic Convocation
ening the impact oft ragedy- but to no avail. People
Lifts Spirits wanted answers. People wanted protection. People
wanted their spirits lifted, and according to Chaplain
By: Erica Pitts Brother Jack, they surely got the latter.
Whether it was the humble words of Bro.
This year's Founders Day included an aca- Jack's prayer, or the 1encouraging words of CNR
demic convocation that honored Denyce Graves (a n alumne Mary O'Connor Donohue, Lieutenant Gov-
internationally acclaimed opera singer), Bernard B. ernor of the State ofNew York, the atmosphere of
Kerilc (Police Commissioner oft he City ofNew York) the chapel on Thursday, October 25th was one ofg rati-
and Thomas Von Essen (Fire Commissioner of the tude. When Bro. Jack led his prayer, he said that he
City ofNew York). Although the oonvocation itself is was thanking God for His gifts ofb ravery which en- )
a relatively familiar concept, the honored guests were abled people like Kerik and Von Essen to lead in re- )
by far among the most intriguing visitors that CNR has storing NYC and the hearts of those in it. He also
greeted in a while. gave thanks for the artistic talents oft hose like Denyce
The tragedies that occurred on September 11th Graves, who uses her voice to lift depressed spirits.
had left many feeling somber and hopeless. In weeks Bro. Jack says that this oonvocation has served
prior to this convocation, just the mention of some- its purpose. It has given the CNR community a new
thing as simple as the NYC skyline would lead to de- sense ofhope, while "allowing CNR to exhibit its best
pressing moods and far-away stares. Grief oounsel- qualities: welcoming, honoring, and celebrating
.in.g .an.d. g.ro.u.p .di.sc.u.ss.io.ns. w.e.re. h.e.ld. in. e.ff.o.rts. a.t .le.ss.- ..p.eo.p.le..". ....... ................ .
,
Each year the Honors Convocation is held to award
the students of CNR who have achieved the Hon- Alumnae Awards: Michele Dola
ors Student List and Dean s List. The Convocation Joan Cook Alumnae Awards: Kerri Hellwig, Amy
also recognizes those students who have recieved Perry, Alana Ruptak, Tamra Sheehan, Hillary St.
scholarships from the college. Many of the Honors Pierre, Smnantha Young
Program students were recipients this year.
Continuing Student Scholarship Recipients
Honors Students: Presidential Scholarships: Sarah Bixler, Kadiatu
Sarah Bixler, Amanda Cartagena, Vera Conteh., Laura Cook
Chemysheva, Laura Cook, Odessa Davis, Richelle Dean's Scholairships: Jordan Russ
Fiore, Marcela Kacmarova, Elizabeth Lasek, Faith Honors Scholarships: Amanda Cartagena, Odessa
Racette, Kimberli Ringel-Kane, Jordan Russ, Cara Davis, Sharon Matthie, :Faith Racette, Sadia Rehman,
West, Heather Wilson Laura Wiltshire
Dean's List Students: Academic Scholarships: Sara Cross, Richelle Fiore,
Jennifer Crowhurst, Allison Jarosz, Ria Morrison, Allison Jaroz, Patricia Liege!, Ria Morrison, Cara
Sadia Rehman West, Heather Wilson
Departmental Scholarships: Sadia Rehman, Heather
Freshman and Transfer Scholarship Recipients ,MJson
Presidential Scholarships: Maria Gonzalez, Amanda Service/Leadership Scholarships: Amanda Cartagena,
Peck, Jennifer Pinheiro Faith Racette, Sadia Rehman, Kimberli Ringel-Kane,
Honors Scholarships: Amanda McGuirt Meghan Toomey
Academic Scholarships: Vanessa Ceron Transfer Scholarships: Vera Chemysheva
Departmental Scholarships: Allyssandra Pane- Tatler Awards: Vera Chemsheva, Richelle Fiore,
Berrios Kimberli Ringel-Kane
Art Awards: Emily Williams Art Awards: Kadiatu Conteh
10 • Honors Program Newsletter