HarHarHarHarHartftftftftfororororord Hall: Authentically Americand Hall: Authentically Americand Hall: Authentically Americand Hall: Authentically Americand Hall: Authentically American

JUNE, 2008Published by the Westchester Community College Foundation Valhalla, New York

SRO Audience TSRO Audience TSRO Audience TSRO Audience TSRO Audience Turns Out furns Out furns Out furns Out furns Out for "Dror "Dror "Dror "Dror "Dr. R. R. R. R. Ruth"uth"uth"uth"uth"

Dr. Ruth Westheimer enjoys a laugh with the author,Francine Regan (r.) and Janice Adams, '98.

Do any of these words remind you of someone: Dy-namic, enthusiastic, humorous, vibrant, prolific, unique,nonjudgmental, and of course, sexually informed? All theseadjectives can only describe one person: Dr. RuthWestheimer, the sexual guru to thebaby boom generation.

On March 26, President Hankinwelcomed Dr. Westheimer to ourcampus as the guest of honor forWomen’s History Month. Her lec-ture was held in the Academic ArtsTheater and needless to say it wasstanding room only!

As I researched Dr. West-heimer’s background, I came to un-derstand why she is so success-ful. She was born Ruth Siegel inFrankfurt, Germany on June 4,1928. She grew up in the wake ofthe German Depression which ledto Nazism and the rise of AdolfHitler. In 1938, SS soldiers tookher father away. Ruth's family

By Francine Regan, ‘73made the difficult decision to include her with a handful ofJewish children being evacuated from Germany. She hadno idea that she would never see her family again.

By age 17 she was living in Palestine where she joinedthe Haganah and was trained as asniper. On her 20th birthday shewas seriously injured by a shellexplosion. Her recovery was slowbut eventually she was able towalk again. She went to Paris tostudy psychology at theSorbonne, then to New Yorkwhere she completed herBachelor's degree at the NewSchool for Social Research. In1959 she received a Master’s de-gree in sociology.

After two marriages and onechild, Dr. Westheimer spent thenext decade studying for her doc-torate in education which she re-

Hartford Hall, a National Historic Site,currently provides office space for nearly 30 people

Hartford Hall, the stately Tudor-style mansion on thecollege's Valhalla campus, turned 75 last year. There was nofanfare to mark the occasion, and nobody made a speech.The graceful and beautiful old house, which has come tosymbolize Westchester Community College, doesn't needspeeches or fanfare. Even while the new, ultra-modern Gate-way Center is being eagerly awaited, no one disagrees thatHartford Hall will always be the crown jewel of the campus.

The house was designated a National Historic Preser-vation Site in 1979. Yet many connected with the collegeknow nothing about the building or its significance in Ameri-can history. So now might be a good time to tell the story.

Hartford Hall was built in 1932 by John A. Hartford andhis wife, Pauline (Polly) as the centerpiece of a 370-acreestate known as "Buena Vista Farm". The couple chose thename because the land has one of the highest elevationswithin 30 miles of Manhattan. In the 1930's it provided viewsof the Empire State Building and George Washington Bridgeto the south, and Long Island Sound to the southeast.

The Hartford family was prominently identified with theA&P food retailing colossus. In 1859 John’s father, GeorgeHuntington Hartford, founded the Great Atlantic and Pa-cific Tea Company; in 1912 it had 480 stores. John Hartford,who joined the Company at age 16 and later succeeded hisfather as president, increased the number of stores to 15,737in 1930, thus creating the largest retail food store chain theworld had ever seen and making “A&P” a household word.

A&P food markets were highly efficient cash and carrystores, using low markup to generate high sales and prof-its--a revolutionary concept in its day, but well suited toAmerican family budgets in the Depression Era. When JohnHartford died in 1951, A&P was second only to GeneralMotors in annual sales volume of American companies.

John and Pauline's residence was an elegant 8-room suiteat the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, but they longed for moreprivacy and open space. In 1930 they purchased 370 acres

Continued on page 4

of land in Valhalla and built a home where they could getaway for summers and holidays and entertain friends, with-out having their every move reported in the newspapers.

The home they built, now known as Hartford Hall, is ablending of many architectural styles, with English Tudorpredominating. Unlike many mansions of the DepressionEra which were austere and cold, this home was planned forcomfort and warmth as well as beauty. Wedgwood sconcesand light-filled rooms, five massive fireplaces and plasterceilings adorned with hand-carved medallions--all reflectthe character and exquisite taste of the Hartfords, who oc-cupied the house for nearly two decades.

Their estate contained many other structures, includingthree greenhouses, a dairy, a huge indoor polo ring withstables, turkey and chicken coops (fowl were raised as gifts),a blacksmith’s shop, a boat house and cottages for the staff.There was a private 9-hole golf course for diversion, alongwith the Hartfords' extensive collections of fine horses, vin-tage cars, and rare horticultural specimens.

John Hartford died in 1951, and Pauline died severalyears later. Ownership of Buena Vista Farms passed to thefoundation they had established for philanthropic purposes.

On August 6, 1957, The New York Times reported thatWestchester County and the Hartford Foundation hadreached an agreement on use of the land as a campus forWestchester Community College, "a school which offers

AlumnAlumnAlumnAlumnAlumnus Honorus Honorus Honorus Honorus Honors Mentors Mentors Mentors Mentors MentorWith A $200,000With A $200,000With A $200,000With A $200,000With A $200,000

ScScScScScholarholarholarholarholarship Fundship Fundship Fundship Fundship FundWhen Doug Birdsall entered WCC in 1964 he had no

idea what he wanted to do with his life. He had no careerplans and wasn't even sure why he was in college. Then hemet Angelo Delgrosso, who was Dean of Students at thetime. From that point on, Doug's life was changed forever.

Dean Delgrosso recognized theyoung man's potential. He took DougBirdsall under his wing and becamehis mentor, helping him to focus hisgoals and study hard to achieve them.When Doug graduated from WCC in1966, Delgrosso saw to it that he con-tinued his education by helping himget a scholarship to NYU. Through-out Doug's years in college and hissubsequent ca-reer in the avia-

tion industry, Angelo Delgrosso was al-ways there to offer advice, guidance,and friendship.

In 1997 Birdsall, then Vice Presidentof Northwest Airlines, decided to honorhis mentor by establishing a scholar-ship in his name at Westchester Com-munity College. He started the fundwith a gift of $5,000 to the WCC Foun-dation, and has continued to make regu-lar contributions ever since. Last month the amount of theAngelo Delgrosso Scholarship endowment reached$200,000--all because of the generosity of an alumnus whowanted to say "thank you".

Today Doug Birdsall is retired from Northwest Airlines,owns his own consulting firm, and is a member of the WCCFoundation Board. He chairs the Board's Alumni Commit-tee, which seeks to network with and involve alumni in col-lege programs, including mentoring. He is still in frequentcontact with his dear friend, Angelo Delgrosso. And heplans to continue increasing the size of the Angelo DelgrossoScholarship Fund.

Here is the official description of the scholarships avail-able to students through the generosity of Doug Birdsall:

"Established by alumni in honor of the College’s retiredDean of Students, these awards recognize students whohave demonstrated academic achievement while making con-tributions to the enrichment of the quality of the studentexperience through participation in a major extracurricularactivity."

The number of scholarships presented each year hasgrown from one in 1998 to 12 in 2007, and that number isbound to increase. Thank you, Doug Birdsall.

Before there was a WCC campus, the Hartfords'mansion looked out over Buena Vista Farm

Doug Birdsall, '66

Angelo Delgrosso

REGISTER NOW!REGISTER NOW!REGISTER NOW!REGISTER NOW!REGISTER NOW!

mysunywcc.org

Westchester Community College has made a commit-ment over the years to keep in touch with its alumni in anumber of ways. First and foremost is our excellent semian-nual publication, AlumNews. Mailed to more than 24,000alumni, AlumNews has kept you informed with the latestnews concerning WCC and has highlighted your accom-plishments as alumni of the College. The "AlumNotes"section continues to be a popular forum for our Alumni andwe appreciate your sending us the latest news concerningyou and your family.

Now we are ready to move to the next level! With sup-port from the WCC Foundation, we are launching a newinteractive website: mysunywcc.org. We encourage you toregister at the site and give us your feedback as to what youwould like to see in this "online community". Mysunywcc.orgwill be “growing” over time, featuring an online memberdirectory (so you can track down old friends), creation ofyour own personal web page that can be linked to othersites such as Face Book and My Space, event and reunionmanagement systems, fully searchable career center, classyear and chapter homepages, alumni-generated blogs, andmuch more. Mysunywcc.org provides all the tools neededto keep you connected to the College and your old friends!

Communication is key to keeping our alumni base en-gaged, and we hope you will help us build a powerful AlumniCommunity at mysunywcc.org.

Please register today!

WCC Launches InteractiveWCC Launches InteractiveWCC Launches InteractiveWCC Launches InteractiveWCC Launches InteractiveAlumni WebsiteAlumni WebsiteAlumni WebsiteAlumni WebsiteAlumni Website

Continued on page 4

TheTheTheTheThePresident'sPresident'sPresident'sPresident'sPresident'sCornerCornerCornerCornerCorner

JUNE, 2008

ARE YOU

INTERESTED IN

MENTORING?

"Golden Gir"Golden Gir"Golden Gir"Golden Gir"Golden Girls" Star als" Star als" Star als" Star als" Star attttt2008 Commencement2008 Commencement2008 Commencement2008 Commencement2008 Commencement

Faculty News

Photo by Kim Mason, '97

The Alumni Committee of the WestchesterCommunity College Foundation Board is

seeking qualified alumni who are interestedin helping current students in their educa-tional and personal growth at Westchester

by offering guidance and support.

Sharing your personal and professionalexpertise with a student is a wonderful way

to give back to the institution that helpedput you where you are today.

For further informationabout becoming a mentor, please contact

George Thom (class of '66) at 914-764-4708.

REST IN PEACE(written tongue in cheek)

A piece appeared in Harvard Magazine as follows:“We have learned that the obituary for Erik Humphrey

Gordon, ’95, which appeared in the July-August ’01 issue,was based on false information provided by the subjecthimself in an effort to get off Harvard’s mailing list. Mr.Gordon is alive and well in New York City. We apologize forthe error.”

Some people will do anything to escape the correspon-dence and contacts from the Alumni Office! They evenfeign their demise!

We hope you do not feel that way. Our Alumni Office istrying to keep in touch with you, not to get you to contrib-ute (though that would be most welcome too), but to letyou know of services available and to help you keep incontact with your friends and classmates.

Several colleges have gone to great lengths to keep incontact with alumni, even after their individual demise. Forexample, the University of Virginia has long had a cemeterywhere distinguished faculty members and administratorsare laid to rest, but until recently the options for alumniwere few. The University of Notre Dame has had a cem-etery since 1843, and recently decided to expand it and sellburial options to its graduates. At Vermont’s Norwich Uni-versity, originally an all-male military institution, a cem-etery was created in 1988 and a 1.2 acre hillside site over-looking the campus and the Green Mountains, offers 1,075burial locations. At some institutions burial options canrange from $700 for cremated remains to $2,000 for a plotthat can accommodate two people. Some colleges, likeOhio State University, offer another option: you can getburied at a cemetery of your choice, but in a “Buckeyecasket” complete with the school colors marking it. TexasA&M does likewise. We don’t!

But remember, you may change your name, even yourvisage, move to a desert island, or in other ways try toescape, but you are stuck with the alumni office trackingyou down. The CIA could learn a thing or two from Bar-bara Christesen and others! The short message is: don’ttry to hide. We will find you, so enjoy it. Enjoy also read-ing the AlumNews to learn how successful your classmatesand other graduates have been. This issue is no excep-tion. Be proud you are part of us—we are proud of you.

The word “alumnus” comes from the Latin word mean-ing “to nourish.” Here you were nourished at an impor-tant time in your life, and we hope you always find it apleasure to return here, by mail, if not in person. And, justfor the record, we hope you have a good, long life! Andthen, Rest in Peace.

Cordially yours, Joseph N. Hankin

Shahriar Saadat has a Bachelor's degree in MechanicalEngineering and a Master's in Energy Management fromthe NY Institute of Technology. He is presently workingon his Ph.D. in Electrical Engi-neering at Brooklyn Polytech.And while doing all this,Shahriar just received hisfourth degree from West-chester Community College.

Shahriar started his educa-tion at WCC by signing up foran ESL class in 1999 during hisfirst month in the U.S. Inspring 2002 he graduated fromWCC with an Associate's de-gree in Engineering Science.The following year, whileworking on his Bachelor's at NYIT, he managed to also earna Certificate in CAD (computer aided design) from WCC.

In 2004 Shahriar was diagnosed with MS, but this hasobviously not interfered with his plans to continue his edu-cation in the field that he loves. After receiving his Master'sin 2005 he returned to WCC, completing an Associate'sdegree in Electrical Technology in fall 2007. And he keptgoing. This past May he received yet another Associate'sdegree, this time in Telecommunications Technology.

"I love this school", said Shahriar, who is Manager ofthe Engineering Department at Diebold Enterprise SecuritySystems in White Plains. "This college has changed mylife so much that it stops me from leaving the school."

Now 31, Shahriar hopes to complete his Ph.D. within 2to 3 years and then teach evening classes at WCC. Hiswife, Prof. Maryam Alikhani, is presently teaching here.

In addition to his wife, Shahriar is grateful for the sup-port of Mr. David Fernandez, a Vice President at Diebold."He has been like a brother and best friend to me," saidShahriar. "He has helped and encouraged me over the past8 years and I truly couldn’t have done it without his help. "

PETER M. WOYCIESJES, Ph.D. (1989) has been namedto the ASTM International Boardof Directors for a three-year term.An ASTM fellow and Award ofMerit recipient, Dr. Woyciesjesis the worldwide Research andDevelopment Manager -- Cool-ants, for Honeywell in Danbury.

Established in 1898, ASTMInternational (originally known asthe American Society for Testingand Materials) is one of the larg-est voluntary standards develop-ment organizations in the worldand plays an important role in the information infrastructurethat guides design, manufacturing and trade in the globaleconomy.

Dr. Woyciesjes chairs a 130-member committee on En-gine Coolants, and has been active in the development ofcoolant standards, including recycled coolant performancespecifications. He has managed multiple R&D programsand holds a number of U.S. and foreign patents. In the lastseveral years, he has worked on applying his extensive Six-Sigma experience – master black belt Six-Sigma leader andmentor – to both technical and non-technical areas. Dr.Woyciesjes, who lives in Woodbury, Connecticut, receivedhis Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Illi-nois. And of course, he received his Associate's degree inChemistry here at WCC.

Alycia M. Guichard, Supervising Attorney and New Jer-sey Bar Fellow for the Street Law Program at Rutgers Schoolof Law–Newark, was selected to receive the Young Lawyerof the Year Award by the New Jersey State Bar Association.

The award salutes a young lawyer whose personal andprofessional achievements merit special recognition and who

has made significant communityand public service contribu-tions. The award was presentedon May 21 in Atlantic City dur-ing the opening session of thestate Bar’s annual meeting.

“Alycia is passionately com-mitted to using the law to im-prove the lives of youngpeople,” said Rutgers DeanStuart L. Deutsch. “Her inspir-ing leadership of our student-initiated Street Law has ex-panded the reach and servicesof the program and demon-

strated the impact of effective advocacy to our students.”In addition to supervising Street Law, which trains law

students to teach lessons about the law and civic responsi-bility to teenagers in Newark and surrounding communi-ties, Guichard serves as interim director of the law school’sMinority Student Program & Externships.

Guichard, a former foster child, has been a guest speakerat numerous conferences on children, families, and childwelfare issues. In 2007 she was invited by New York ChiefJudge Judith Kaye to serve as a speaker and facilitator at “ASummit on Children: A National Judicial Leadership Summitfor the Conference of Chief Justices.” She is a law guardianwith the Office of the Public Defender in Newark, providinglegal representation to children in family court matters.

Before joining the law school in January 2007, Guichardwas a teaching fellow and summer law faculty member withthe Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center.She received her A.A. from Westchester Community Col-lege, B.S. from New York University, J.D. from FordhamUniversity School of Law, and her LL.M. in Advocacy fromGeorgetown University Law Center.

AlyAlyAlyAlyAlycia Guiccia Guiccia Guiccia Guiccia Guicharharharharhard, '99d, '99d, '99d, '99d, '99HonorHonorHonorHonorHonored bed bed bed bed by NJ Bary NJ Bary NJ Bary NJ Bary NJ Bar

Chemist Named toChemist Named toChemist Named toChemist Named toChemist Named toInternaInternaInternaInternaInternational Boartional Boartional Boartional Boartional Boarddddd

DoctorDoctorDoctorDoctorDoctoral Student Earnsal Student Earnsal Student Earnsal Student Earnsal Student Earns4th WCC De4th WCC De4th WCC De4th WCC De4th WCC Degggggrrrrreeeeeeeeee

Shahriar Saadat

Jo Robbins, Mort Clark Honoredfor Lifetime Achievement

Professors Jo Robbins and Mort Clark were among therecipients of the 2008 Cab Calloway Lifetime AchievementAwards, which were presented on May 19th at theWestchester Broadway Theatre. The special guest presenterwas WCC alumnus John Treacy Egan, who performed se-lections from his new solo CD (see story p. 4).

Cab Calloway, a legendary American entertainer, was aresident of Elmsford for approximately 34 years. His careerspanned over six decades and included work in stage, film,television and the recording industry. The awards were es-tablished to honor his commitment to excellence in the per-forming arts as well as his dedication and support for young,rising talent. Recipients of the award are recognized fortheir body of work, dedication and contribution to someaspect of the performing arts in Westchester County.

Prof. Jo Robbins joined the Dance Faculty at WCC in1974 and has succeeded enormously in building and en-hancing the college's dance course offerings. In 1979, work-ing with Mollyann Franzblau, she conceived and createdDanceworks, the WCC dance company. She has created aDance Residency and The Spring Dance Day, where profes-sional dance companies offer classes, demonstrations andperformances. She is dedicated to bringing outstandingcompanies such as Ailey, Momix and Philadanco to the WCCcampus so that students and community residents alike canexperience the wonder of dance.

Prof. Emeritus Mort Clark (1928-2007) was honoredposthumously for his tremendous contribution to Americanand international amateur theatre. From 1966 to 1997 hetaught Theatre and Speech at WCC. He began a series ofInternational Theatre Festivals in which amateur theatregroups from all over the world came to the Valhalla campusto perform, join in workshops, and engage in a cultural ex-change that gave the college worldwide recognition. Hewas the first president of Theatre USA, former president ofthe American Association of Community Theatres, and VicePresident of the International Amateur Theatre Association.In 1993 he was awarded the Chevalier Medal of Culture byPrincess Caroline of Monaco and was thereafter referred toas "Sir Mort". Three years later he was inducted into theInternational Thespians Hall of Fame and that same yearreceived the NYS Theatre Education Association's highestaward. His impact on the lives of his students was evi-denced by the presence of one of them, John Treacy Egan,at the awards ceremony.

Iris Cook Honored by InternationalEducators' Organization

Dr. Iris Cook, chair of the WCC Biology Department,received an award for “Innovative Excellence in Teaching,Learning and Technology” at the 19th Annual InternationalConference on Teaching and Learning held on April 16th inJacksonville, Florida. Dr. Cook also delivered a paper at theconference, which was attended by more than 700 collegeteachers from American and foreign institutions.

Rachael Field, a Professor of Biology at the college from1948 to1970, celebrated her 100th birthday on June 19th witha party at the Oneida Healthcare Center’s Extended CareFacility, where she has lived since 2003.

We know that many of our alumni remember RachaelField with great fondness, and she would love to hear fromher former students. You may send birthday greetings to:

Miss Rachael FieldOneida Healthcare Center - Extended Care Facility

321 Genesee StreetOneida, NY 13421

315-363-6000

Dr. Peter Woyciesjes

AlyciaGuichard

HaHaHaHaHappppppppppy 100th Biry 100th Biry 100th Biry 100th Biry 100th Birthdathdathdathdathdayyyyy,,,,,RRRRRacacacacachael Fhael Fhael Fhael Fhael Field!ield!ield!ield!ield!

On May 22, members of the class of 1958 held their50th reunion on campus. Following a reception in

Hartford Hall and a buffet supper in the Student Center,the ladies donned caps and gowns and joined the class of

2008 at their commencement ceremonies.Pictured on the Hartford Hall patio with Dr. Hankin

are, left to right, Rae Hudson Rylander, Mary ZucksHick, Dolores Raffaele Brett, Betty Jane Hansen

Ladley, Maureen Manning Fanning

Photo by Kim Mason, ’97

Alumnotes1952JAMES MONKS, SR. is keeping up a hectic pace as a

volunteer with numerous organizations, especially AARP.He is president of Chapter 4561, a spokesman for the "Di-vided We Fail" Program, instructor for the Driver SafetyProgram, and Zone Coordinator for Dutchess/Putnam Coun-ties. Jim also delivers Meals on Wheels in Hyde Park, NYwhere he lives, and is a member of the board. He is retiredfrom the U.S. Naval Reserve for 30 years and is very activein the American Legion. He volunteers with several moreorganizations but did not have time to mention them all!

1955BARBARA DiSTASIO, who retired several years ago

from PepsiCo, is an extremely busy member of WCC's Vol-unteer Corps. In addition to being a Sr. Writing Tutor, Barbis now also a Reading Tutor for three hours each Thursday.She also works at the front desk in the Academic SupportCenter one and a half days per week, and volunteers onehour per week to work in the Conversation Partner program.Barbara wrote an article on “The Wonderful World of TutorTalk” which appeared in the Academic Support Center’sspring publication, “Learning Advocate.”

1957CONRAD BREMER and PATRICIA PETRICH

BREMER will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary inJuly. They met at WCC, got engaged on Valentine’s Day,and were married on July 5th, 1958. Conrad ("Dutch")Bremer was on the WCC basketball team, and Pat Petrichwrote for The Clipper News and was a member of theNewman Club. The happy couple will be celebrating with asmall family party this summer.

1958GEORGE SEPE and his wife, Vivian, recently moved

from Connecticut to Richmond, Texas to escape the coldand the annual fall leaf pickups. George wrote: "As I sithere at my desk it is 72 degrees outside. It's February andmy daughter in Connecticut just informed me that they arehaving freezing rain there. WOW...now I know why wemoved. Selling our old home was hard, but the home webought here is twice as big and half the price. My wife andI (and our two dogs) now live in a 4- bedroom home with 12-foot ceilings. We are retired and feel very fortunate. A wordof wisdom to the new graduates: Invest heavily in yourretirement and PLAN for it; no one will do it for you! Myemail is geosep@comcast.net. Hope to talk to yah...!"

1960JOHN VASZKO writes: "I graduated so long ago I was

at the Battle Hill site; the Valhalla site only had secretarialclasses. Since then I graduated from SUNY College ofEducation at Oswego, moved to Maryland and had threekids. Have remarried to the best woman in the world. Had acareer in education for 40 years and now that I'm retired Iwrite Mystery stories. I'm about to be published for the firsttime and the book should be on the market soon. My pub-lisher and I are finalizing changes and workng on the coverdesign. The name of the story is Mystery at the Inn, and ittakes place at a bed and breakfast in Somerset, Pennsylva-nia. The setting is real and the story uses the building as abackdrop. I expect to get a few more published so someday when I’m on the Oprah show I’ll tell them that I was agraduate of WCC. Thanks for the chance to tell my story toanyone that may have been in my class back in 1960."

1962JOHN W. ROBSON, former Director of Corporate Risk

Management and Insurance at Anheuser-Busch, is enjoy-ing retirement immensely. John lives on Horseshoe CreekFarms, a 37-acre horse ranch in Missouri which he builthimself. He raises and trains horses and gives lessons aswell. John was a business major at WCC and would likevery much to get back in touch with some of his friendsfrom 1961-1962. His e-mail is johnwrobson1@yahoo.com.

1976 GARY GIONE is a highly-decorated NYPD Lieutenant

with 20 years of service. Now retired, he owns and operatesElite Defensive Tactics, a martial arts school in YorktownHeights where he is head instructor. Gary received his asso-ciates degree in Criminal Justice at WCC and went on tograduate from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. During

his NYPD career he spent 15 yearsin undercover assignments and 11in the renowned Organized CrimeControl Bureau, Narcotics Divi-sion. Gary has spent over 35 yearspracticing and teaching the Mar-tial Arts. He has taught police of-ficers and Tactical Instructors,Navy Seals, Correction Officers,and has been a guest instructor atthe Rockland County’s Sheriff’sDepartment. He holds a Rokudan6th degree black belt in Kenpo Ka-

rate as well as the rank of Hachi-Kaidan 8th degree blackbelt in Police Tactics Jujitsu and Taijiquan. He was inductedin the Masters, Pioneers & Legends Hall of Fame in 2001.Read more about Gary at www.elitedefensivetactics.com.

1980STEPHEN FRALEY, Program Coordinator of Fathers

Count, a Family Services of Westchester program, recentlycompleted a book entitled Community Integration Work-book, a guide for individuals in transition and for thosewho counsel and advise them. The Workbook was de-signed to provide guidance to persons caught up in thevicious cycles of unemployment, homelessness, chronicwelfare, drug addiction, criminal behavior, and mental healthchallenges--and who are making a serious attempt to changetheir situation. The book offers counseling to those in tran-sition from such institutions as halfway houses, prisons,and homeless shelters, with the goal of helping them be-come productive members of society once again. It is equallyuseful for the counseling professional who provides indi-vidual or group counseling to persons transitioning intomainstream society from an institutional setting. The bookcan be purchased from Biddle Publishing Company in Maineand will soon be available at Barnes & Noble stores.Stephen Fraley teaches continuing education courses atWCC and works in the Academic Support Center.

1985BOB CONGIONTI is Director of Operations for Eluci

International, Inc., a Japanese cosmetic component manu-facturer in East Rutherford, NJ. Bob recently wrote to theAlumnews: "I attended WCC from 1982-1985, graduated withan Associates in Business Marketing and played for theMen’s Soccer Team for 2 years under Coach Yasinsak.

"I can honestly say they were 2-plus memorable years,from an athletic and educational perspective to having agreat time with many friends, both old and new. The profes-sors we had at the time were fantastic and I am sure it stillholds true today. One professor that my friends and I stilldiscuss on occasion today is Professor Frank King – whatan excellent teacher! Playing soccer was my passion (nowI can only watch it!) and at the time I attended WCC I wasextremely proud to be part of a team full of talented playersand WCC always did have great talent playing the sport.Although it was a dream of mine to one day become a pro-fessional in the sport, I did not receive the recognition manyon and off the field believed I deserved in order to advance.

"Now I live in Rockland County close to family andfriends, have a great wife, 3 daughters and a career that hasallowed me to achieve success through hard work and aneducation from WCC."

ALISON PINSLEY reports that she has been acceptedfor membership in the Anne Hutchinson Chapter of the DARand was installed at their annual meeting in May.

1987CHRISTOLYN WILLIAMS, an

Associate Professor in the Behav-ioral/Social Science Department atWCC, received her Ph.D. in Historyfrom the City University of New YorkGraduate School and UniversityCenter (CUNY-GC). Dr. Williams re-cently published a chapter on Child-hood in Antigua and Barbuda in theGreenwood Encyclopedia ofChildrens Issues Worldwide (2008).

1990ROSE A. SICKENIUS, former treasurer for the village of

Ossining, is the new director of finance for the Town ofLewisboro in Westchester County. Prior to her new ap-pointment she was treasurer of Ossining from 2003 to 2007;

treasurer of Port Chester from 1999 to2003; deputy comptroller of MountPleasant from 1998 to 1999; anddeputy treasurer of Croton-on-Hudson from 1989 to 1998. In addi-tion to her many years of municipalfinancial experience, she has alsoworked in private industry, holdingchief accountant positions at the Cro-ton Time Corporation and Andlinger& Company Inc.

Rose majored in business account-ing at WCC and holds a bachelor’s degree in business andpublic administration from SUNY Empire State College.

1993JULIANA HUGHES HANBRIDGE, R.D., M.B.A. is a

graduate of WCC's Food Service Administration - DieteticTechnology Program. She went on to Marymount Collegefor a B.S. and then to Pace University for her M.B.A., butshe says that "WCC was my best educational experienceever!" She recently moved to Oneonta, NY and is anadjunct professor in the Food/Nutrition Program at theSUNY college there. Her long-term goal is to be a collegeprofessor and she is currently exploring Ph.D. programs.

1994THOMAS AMMAZZALORSO, a teacher of United

States History and Government at McKinley TechnologyHigh School in Washington, DC, is the author of a $100,000grant from AARP. The Ethel PercyAndrus Legacy Award, named inhonor of AARP's founder, wasgranted to MTHS for continued sup-port of their programs addressing thechallenge of connecting generationsand fostering greater civic engage-ment among their students and theircommunity. The award is part ofAARP's 50th Anniversary celebra-tion.

On hearing the great news, Tomstated that he and MTHS were"deeply honored and humbled" to have been chosen byAARP for this award. "A spectacular future is now unfold-ing for DC Public Schools," he said, "and the students ofMcKinley Technology High School represent a new gen-eration of leadership for the entire Washington, DC Metro-politan area. This is an award which will greatly assist themin developing that leadership."

1995ANTONIO CORREIA and his wife Doris moved to Bo-

nita Springs, Florida last year. Antonio is now working for anew TV station, Channel 12 in Bonita Springs, while Doris isworking hard at being retired after 33 years of teaching.

JACQUELINE GREENFIELD, ADN ('95) is a CertifiedNurse-Midwife at Metropolitan Hospital Center in New YorkCity. She has been on staff there since 1999 and providesfull-scope midwifery care including well-woman gynecol-ogy, family planning, prenatal care and labor and deliveryservices to the women of East Harlem. She is currentlypursuing a Masters Degree in Midwifery from SUNY Down-state Medical Center.

1996GINA FARLEY HIGGINS, who earned an AA in Liberal

Arts from WCC, has received her Master’s Degree in Nurs-ing from the U. of Rochester, and is now a board certifiedpsychiatric nurse practitioner in Connecticut.

1998FLAVIE BAGNOL, former TV news producer, has joined

Thrillist as a director of communications. Thrillist is a freee-mail lifestyle guide for successful young men. Each edi-tion of Thrillist features a fun and fresh take on the bestfood, drinks, services, travel, gadgets, the latest men's fash-ions, and more. Flavie invites WCC alumni to subscribe tothe free email at www.thrillist.com.

2002EVANGELINE NEUFVILLE graduated from the WCC

nursing program with an AAS degree and is now pursuingher Bachelors in Nursing. She is attending the UNCW/RNAccess online part-time program and plans to graduatein May 2009. Evangeline is currently working in a level fourpsychiatric hospital in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

2005MICHAEL ANTHONY CUBRIA graduated with an

A.A.S. in Human Services. He went on to Lehman Collegeand in 2007 received his Bachelors in Social Work. He ap-plied and was accepted into the advance standing programat Fordham University, and on May 19th of this year hegraduated from Fordham with a Masters in Clinical SocialWork. He plans to take the NYS licensure exam in July orAugust. Michael currently works as the Director of Opera-tions for the Maitri Center in Yonkers, New York, a divisionof Greyston Health Services.

2005THERESA MATOS graduated from WCC with an hon-

ors AA degree in Social Science and in 2007 she received aB.S. in Applied Psychology from NYU. For the past yearshe has been earning graduate credits toward a Master's inHealth Education while working as a graduate assistant atthe U. of Connecticut teaching freshmen about health andwellness. Theresa was recently accepted into ColumbiaUniversity Teachers College Doctoral Program in HealthEducation and has been awarded a scholarship; she willbegin her doctoral studies at Columbia this fall. "I credit myacademic success to my WCC education", said Theresa."WCC was the key stepping stone to my academic career."

2006RENATA KELLY graduated from Columbia in May with

a 3.3 GPA. She happily reported that in her final semestershe got A's for research in the Neuroscience Lab and theDept. of Psychiatry Behavioral Research Program. "I'm cer-tain that I would not have a degree from Columbia if I didnot go to WCC," she said. "I would not have applied with-out all the people who assured me that I was capable ofgraduating from an Ivy-League school. I want you to knowthat I am extremely thankful for the whole institution."

Dr. Christolyn Williams

Rose Sickenius

Gary Gione

Tom Ammazzalorso

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PAIDWhite Plains, NYPermit No. 9519

Alumnews is published byWESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION75 Grasslands RoadValhalla, New York 10595Barbara Christesen, Alumnews EditorWCC.alumni@sunywcc.edu

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Har Har Har Har Hartftftftftfororororord Halld Halld Halld Halld Hall

ceived from Columbia Teachers College in 1970. During thistime she met Fred Westheimer and they married and had ason, Joel. In the late 60’s she took a job at Planned Parent-hood and there found her true calling as a sex therapist. Sheopened her own practice in 1975 and as they say, the rest ishistory. In 1980 she was given her own radio show, and thecultural phenomenon of “Dr. Ruth” began. She found thatpeople were extremely thirsty for honest, straightforwardanswers to their questions about sex. Her frank discus-sions of sexual topics--the things that people thought aboutbut never spoke about--became her signature. People im-mediately realized what an important impact she was makingon society. She was, and still is, truly “one of a kind.”

Dr. Westheimer began her talk by dispelling some of thesexual myths that have been around for ages, including theone that says that when you masturbate hair grows in thepalm of your hand, your eyesight deteriorates, and so on.And penis size has nothing to do with sexually satisfying awoman; it’s quality not quantity that counts. And there's nodifference between a vaginal and a clitoral orgasm. She tellsit like it is, in a humorous, informative way and you can’thelp but smile and think, this woman really knows her stuff.

On the day Dr. Ruth addressed our WCC audience thenews was filled with stories about Gov. Spitzer and Gov.Paterson, so one might think she would have commented onthese gentlemen. But she refused to speculate on their situ-ations since she had no direct knowledge of either man.Ethical would be another word that comes to mind in de-scribing this 4’7’’ powerhouse of sexual information.

I really enjoyed Dr. Westheimer encouraging the audi-ence to say the words “orgasm” and “ejaculation” in uni-son, and I got a real kick out of watching Dr. Hankin and thefaculty taking part in this request.

As Dr. Westheimer said, “sex sells”; and she has provedthis over and over again. Her book entitled Sex for Dum-mies has been translated into 27 languages. She is a veryprolific writer with over 32 books to her credit. Her otherpassion is producing documentaries on family life. Hermost recent documentary is entitled The Olive and the Tree:The Secret Strength of the Druze, which aired on PBS sta-tions across the country in April and May. Believe it or not,Dr. Westheimer still makes time to meet with patients atleast 5 hours a week. She does this in order to keep up withtoday’s changing sexual environment. The more I learnabout this amazing woman, the more I truly admire her.

Dr. Ruth's talk lasted one hour, but I could have listenedall afternoon. She makes you feel like she is talking to youpersonally and somehow passes on that awe-inspiring en-ergy that, at 80 years of age, still comes through. She makesit crystal clear that sex should be discussed in a straightfor-ward, honest manner with respect for all people and theircultures and values. Dr. Westheimer knows that without adoubt people of all ages, young and old, can have a mostfulfilling and enjoyable sex life. The last thing she said was,“You can enjoy sex until you are 99 years old”.

Don’t we all hope we get that chance?

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My thirty-seven yearsas a faculty member (andalumna) at WestchesterCommunity College havebeen wonderful. I've hadgreat students and won-derful colleagues. ANDI've had many opportuni-ties to travel around theworld; in fact, I have vis-ited over 60 countries on 6continents. But that 7th

continent, Antarctica, hadeluded me.

When I realized that Iwas missing a continent, Ibegan to look for a way to rectify the situation. I found a tripto Antarctica run by Norwegian Coastal Voyages leavingon December 31st, 2007 and returning mid-January--just intime to get ready for the spring semester. The cruise on theMS Fram, a new luxury ship, would take me from Ushuaia,Argentina all through the “White Continent” with landingsscheduled via polar circuit inflatable boats each day.

Cruising in Antarctica! Was I excited! I would actuallysee penguins in their native habitat and be able to watchthe little dears in their “formal suits” as I stood in their midstand picked my way among their colonies. There would beseals, and ice, and rare birds, and ice, and many other amaz-ing sights never to be equaled anywhere else. And ice. Iwas hooked.

I booked the cruise and started telling everyone I knewthat I was going on a cruise in Antarctica. I noticed that Iwas getting some strange looks. I promised Barbara a pic-ture of me and the penguins for the Alumnews and I toldeveryone at the alumni holiday party to watch for it. AgainI noticed those strange looks. I decided that they had allhad too much wine.

I admit I had gotten a little jolt around Thanksgiving asI watched a TV news report about a ship that sank in thewaters of Antarctica. Shades of the Titanic, I thought. Buteveryone on this ship was saved; after 5 hours of waiting inrubber life rafts, they were picked up by another ship. Itwas the MS Fram--my boat--the “hero ship”! As I watchedpictures of the passengers being rescued after hours ofbobbing around in freezing water studded with chunks ofice, it occurred to me that they must have been quite chilly--and scared. Hmmm...I guess there was more risk there thanI had thought. But I finally concluded that "all’s well thatends well", and I continued my shopping and packing anddaydreaming. “Penguins, here I come."

My excitement grew asthe fall semester came to aclose and I began to gatherup the waterproof pantsand other warm outerclothing I would need. Allwas at the ready!

And then, on Decem-ber 29th – two days beforeI was to leave--I got aphone call from my travelagent. “We’re very sorry,but your trip has been can-celled due to technical dif-ficulties”. “What?", Igasped. “The cruise line

has informed us”, said my travel agent, “that the December31st trip has been cancelled due to technical difficulties”.

I was aghast!!!! The penguins were waiting for me, mywaterproof clothes were packed-- how could this be?

The next day I got my answer when a friend called fromArizona and said, “Wow, that’s really something aboutyour ship!" His local newspaper had reported that the MSFram had lost power in the Southern Ocean and was pushedby wind and water currents into a glacier!!!!! The ship hadlost its electricity and its heat and had sustained damage toits railings and lifeboats. The Fram--my hero ship--had to discharge itspassengers and get them airlifted backto South America, and then had tocancel the next two-week cruise(mine!) so the ship could be put intodry dock for repairs.

Needless to say I was disap-pointed. No little penguins for me—not this year at least. I also felt a bitrelieved, maybe even a tad shaken up.The company did send back all mymoney with a big letter of apology and a special discountoffer if I wanted to go on the cruise next year.

So now I’ll have to consider what I should do. Mean-while, I can visit the penguins at the Bronx Zoo. And I canalways travel with Professor Sclafani and the Italian Club.They make it back alive every time!

CrCrCrCrCruising Among the Puising Among the Puising Among the Puising Among the Puising Among the Penguins--Almostenguins--Almostenguins--Almostenguins--Almostenguins--AlmostBy Dr. Iris Cook, '54

"When the MS Fram hit a glacier in the Southern Ocean, mydream vacation had to be canceled.....or maybe just postponed..."

two years of training in trade technologies to 500 youngmen and women". The Foundation agreed to sell the es-tate, then valued at $3.5 million, to the County for $750,000to help reduce the cost of sending young people to college.

Almost immediately the exodus began from the BattleHill School in White Plains, which had served as the college'smakeshift home since it opened in 1946. The move tookseveral years during which classes were held in both loca-tions. In Valhalla, classes were taught in a greenhouse, inthe riding stable, and in the "main house"--Hartford Hall.

As new buildings were being constructed on campus,the mansion was occupied by various administrative of-fices and campus services including the mail room and themain switchboard. Even though these services have beenmoved to other buildings, the demand for space in HartfordHall has increased over the years as Westchester Commu-nity College has grown at a phenomenal rate.

Today, every inch of the Hartfords' beautiful summerhome is used for offices and meeting space. The housewas originally described as having 20 rooms, but with bath-rooms, closets, alcoves and nooks converted into offices,the present number of rooms is more like 30.

Because of its status as a National Historical Site, noalterations can be made to the house which cannot be re-versed. Any hardware that is removed, such as doorknobsor hinges, must be stored and labeled so that it can bereplaced if needed. Bathtubs and toilets have been cov-ered with wooden frames that can be removed. Thehandpainted wallpapers, which are showing signs of age,may not be altered by anyone except an artisan trained inrestoring antique paintings. Because of this careful preser-vation, the house could easily be restored to the conditionit was in when the Hartfords occupied it.

At present, however, the couple might be a little con-fused if they were to visit. Their living room, with its carvedplaster ceiling and carved oak walls, is now the President'soffice; the adjacent domed projection room houses his staff.One of the deans works in the library, where faux book-cases conceal a hidden door opening to a Chinese lacqueredbar. Another dean works in the circular breakfast room offthe solarium with its hand-painted animal scenes, fauxmarble, vintage wall sconces and more hidden doors.

A broad spiral staircase with massive oak railings leadspast stained glass windows to the second floor, which isoccupied by the WCC Foundation and the office of Col-lege-Community Relations. Here the shortage of space isevidenced by the fact that two bathrooms and several clos-ets are being used as offices in addition to all the bedroomsand dressing rooms. Mr. Hartford's blue-tiled bathroom(the "blue loo") serves as a kitchen/mailroom/coatroom/supply closet. Mrs. Hartford's pink bathroom with its hand-cut full length mirrors and a scale built into the floor, is nowan office, as is her octagonal dressing room, containing themost elaborately-carved ceiling in the house.

It is a unique environment in which to work, beautifulyet occasionally problematic. With no central air condi-tioning, offices are individually cooled in summer but thehallways feel like furnaces. In winter the old heating sys-tem sometimes decides to take the day off. Pipes may burst.The roof may leak. Critters may seek shelter inside, like theraccoon that raided Dr. Hankin's secret chocolate supply.

Several years ago a groundskeeper working outside thebuilding accidentally attached a garden hose to the wrongfaucet. When he turned it on, a bathtub on the secondfloor began to fill with water for the first time in maybe halfa century. The tub (hidden from view by a wooden frame)overflowed, flooded two offices, and destroyed a closetfull of Foundation files before the water could be shut off.

But despite the problems, it is a privilege to work here.Hartford Hall is an authentic American home. It reflects

the taste and discernment of a family symbolic of Americanenterprise in the early years of commerce in our country.And because John Hartford, unlike many millionaires of theperiod, employed only local artisans in the building of hishome, he created a superb showpiece of American crafts-manship that could probably not be duplicated today atany cost. It is an authentic piece of American history, a truehistoric site that has been carefully preserved and main-tained by Westchester County and its community collegefor the past half century.

The college administration has pledged to retain for Hart-ford Hall, as far as is humanly possible, the structure, lookand atmosphere that it had in the time of John and PaulineHartford. There are plans to refurbish and restore the house,both inside and out, including the antiquated plumbing andheating system, the rare handpainted wallpapers and theclassic slate roof. There's even a rumor that maybe, justmaybe, central air conditioning will come to Hartford Hall.

But then again, maybe it's just a rumor.--Barbara Christesen

"Dr"Dr"Dr"Dr"Dr. R. R. R. R. Ruth"uth"uth"uth"uth"

Dr. Iris Cook

John TJohn TJohn TJohn TJohn Trrrrreaceaceaceaceacy Egy Egy Egy Egy Egan'san'san'san'san's"Ca"Ca"Ca"Ca"Cabarbarbarbarbaret Fet Fet Fet Fet For A Cause" Willor A Cause" Willor A Cause" Willor A Cause" Willor A Cause" WillBenefBenefBenefBenefBenefit Scit Scit Scit Scit Scholarholarholarholarholarship Fundship Fundship Fundship Fundship FundBroadway star John Treacy Egan (class of 1983) will

bring the music of The Great White Way to Valhalla onSunday, October 5th at 7:30 p.m. in the Academic Arts Build-

ing Theatre.John will performa cabaret-styleevening of stan-dards and Broad-way tunes, to befollowed by adessert recep-tion.

The eveningwill benefit theWe s t c h e s t e rCommunity Col-

lege Foundation Scholarship & Program Fund.Since January of this year, John has been knocking

them dead as Chef Louis in Disney's The Little Mermaid onBroadway. Prior to this role he led the Broadway cast ofThe Producers as Max Bialystock. He was an original castmember of the Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde andhas toured in productions of Cats and Kiss Me Kate.

John, who loves to sing as much as he loves to act, hasjust released his first CD entitled "Count the Stars". Copiesof the CD will be available at the "Cabaret" and John will behappy to autograph them.

Tickets for "Cabaret for A Cause" are $60 for unreservedseats and $100 for reserved seats (including a copy of thenew CD). For information and reservations please call theFoundation at (914) 606-6558.

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