HNUTODAY

ISSUE 2 I 2015

A M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F H O LY N A M E S U N I V E R S I T Y

A Virtuous
Commitment
HNUs dedication to SNJM values makes the
University a model of social responsibility

Contents

HNUTODAY
A MAGA ZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
ISSUE 2 I 2015

HNU students
have a ta-da
moment in
front of the new
Kennedy Arts
Center mural.

The University
uses non-potable
water to irrigate
campus plants.

EDITORS
Kevin Hyde, University Communications Manager
| Lesley Sims, Director of Marketing and Public
Relations

ALUMNI REPORT

Message about the social responsibility demonstrated

by Holy Names University

Patrick Turner 12 and Bianca Frediani, Co-founders

of Bed Bandits, Speak on Taking a Chance and
Making a Difference
Holy Names University Honors Exceptional Alumni
and Faculty at 41st Annual Alumni Awards

Passionate Leaders in Social Entrepreneurship

Class Notes and In Memoriam

HNU Community Raises Funds for Water-Improvement

Projects in Tanzania

16

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Sonia Nazario Visits HNU

6
STUDENT STORIES
Mural Class Paints Kennedy Arts Center and
Skyline High School
HNU Students Volunteer to Help Beautify
Oaklands Rose Garden

8
FEATURE STORY

HNU Celebrates a Successful #GivingTuesday

Donor Appreciation Event Brings Together Students,
Alumni, and Friends
Ever Forward Fundraising Campaign Update

CONTRIBUTORS
HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD |
Richard Ortega, Vice President for University
Advancement | Kevin Hyde, University
Communications Manager

A VIRTUOUS COMMITMENT

HNU engages in socially responsible practices in the

course of executing its mission. The University not
only provides an excellent and accessible education to
a diverse community of students, but also has made
significant strides in preserving natural resources.

HNU student Shelby Alvarez

poses for an unselfie photo
as part of a #GivingTuesday
event on campus on
December 2, 2014.

William J. Hynes, PhD | Stuart Koop, Vice

President for Finance and Administration |
Lizbeth Martin, Vice President for Academic
Affairs | Michael Miller, Vice President for
Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
| Richard Ortega, Vice President for University
Advancement | Carol Sellman, SNJM, Vice
President for Mission Effectiveness

16

HNU President Hynes Received as SNJM Associate

Sister Sophia Park Publishes New Book of Essays

10

HNU SCENES

FACULTY WATCH
Professor Martivn Galindo Awarded the
Irene Woodward Professorship

21

HNU Writer-In-Residence Belo Cipriani Publishes

New Novella, Midday Dreams

HNU reel-to-reel films discovered

LAST WORD

ALUMNI EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT

Ana Raphael-Scott 89

HNU students and

Sisters enjoy a
picnic on the lawn
of the Lake Merritt
campus during
Mixer Day in 1945.

Photos of student activities from the Universitys past

Or in writing to:
Editors, HNU Today
Office of Marketing and Public Relations
Holy Names University
3500 Mountain Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94619

UNIVERSITY OFFICERS HNU President

SNJM UPDATE

Sister Pat Parachini, visiting SNJM Scholar, and

HNU Faculty Discuss Religion Versus Spirituality

The opinions expressed in HNU Today do not

necessarily represent the views of the editors nor
policies of Holy Names University. Comments
for the editors may be sent via email to:
media@hnu.edu

Update your contact information online at:

www.hnu.edu/alumni

18

20

HNUs Redesigned Creative Writing Program

Maria Theren, University Graphic Designer

GIVING NEWS

A Virtuous CommitmentSNJM values make the

University a model of social responsibility

Biology Faculty and Students Collaborate on

Research Paper Published in Integrative Biology

DESIGN

Feature

Alumni spotlight, Kathy Donovan Perez, EdD

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Holy Names University Rated the Most Diverse University

in the Nation for the Second Consecutive Year

12

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

HNU Today is published biannually by the Office of

Marketing and Public Relations at Holy Names University.

20
On the cover from left: Mayra Acosta-Villegas, Nancy Acosta-Villegas, Dorian Escobar, and
Destany Charles help paint a mural on the Kennedy Arts Center.

Holy Names University is a private, co-ed university

located on 60 acres in the hills of Oakland,
California. An academic community committed to
the full development of each student, HNU offers
a liberal arts education rooted in the Catholic
tradition, empowering a diverse student body for
leadership and service.

Presidents Message

Campus Highlights
PASSIONATE LEADERS IN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
THE 201415 JAMES DURBIN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SPEAKER SERIES

IN THIS ISSUE, in his excellent article A Virtuous

Commitment, our editor, Kevin Hyde, notes

that U.S. News and World Report again named
HNU as having the most diverse student body of
any U.S. university. Also, for the first time, the
New America Foundation named HNU as one
of the 24 most affordable private U.S. universities.
Affordability was measured by 1) a high incidence
of Pell grants (45% for HNU), grants designed
to assist the lowest income families, and 2) a
net tuition of under $10,000 ($8,752 for HNU).
Of the 24 institutions selected, 20 have larger
endowments than HNU. Of these 20 institutions,
11 of them have endowments in the billions.
HNUs endowment is a mere $14 million.

Lacking a large endowment, the HNU financial

aid that covers 50% of our tuition cost comes
largely from our operational budget. We can
do this first by being lean and emulating the
values of the Sisters, especially living modestly,
and secondly by being stewards of our resources.
During the time that Stu Koop has served as vice
president for finance and administration, he and
Luis Guerra 02, MBA 04, assistant vice president
for facilities and events, have led the effort to
replace our half-century old infrastructures with
more modern ones so that we can use resources,
such as water, gas, electricity, etc., far more
efficiently, gaining considerable financial savings
that help us fund financial aid.

This years James Durbin Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, which focused on the theme of passionate leaders in
social entrepreneurship, included fascinating discussions with Kat Taylor, CEO of Beneficial State Bank; Father John
Baumann, SJ, founder and CEO of PICO; and Patrick Turner 12 and Bianca Frediani, co-founders of Bed Bandits.
Most people in the world go to bed at night and wake up and see problems. A smaller group of people, when they
wake upthey see opportunities. Each problem is something waiting to be solved, HNU President William J. Hynes,
PhD, said. And, in this way, all entrepreneurs seek to solve problems. However, social entrepreneurs use principles of
entrepreneurship to work for social good. Its common for people to think of their own good, but not as common to think
about the good of all, and social entrepreneurs are thinking about that larger good.

Thanks to our great friends and generous

donors, in the quiet phase of our first
comprehensive campaign, we have raised
$21 million overall, and $8 million of our
$15 million goal for the endowment.
HNU President
William J. Hynes, PhD

Socially Responsible Banking

FATHER JOHN
BAUMANN
founded PICO in
1972 to help people
redevelop their
communities and
actively engage
in the democratic
process. From its
humble start in
Oakland, PICO
now has more than
1,000 member
institutions and
is one of the
largest faithbased community
organizations in the U.S.

KAT TAYLOR and her husband, Tom Steyer, founded

Beneficial State Bank with a triple bottom-line mandate to
be financially sustainable, to produce meaningful social
justice results, and to enhance environmental health.
After raising a family with her husband, Taylor decided,
in 2004, that the time was right to start the bank. She and
her husband did extensive research by visiting several
prominent socially responsible banks throughout the U.S.
and the world.

Father John Baumann, Founder of PICO

Baumann opened the discussion by speaking about some

of the experiences that influenced his decision to create
PICO. After his first year of theological training was over,
Baumann was assigned to the field in Chicago, where he
encountered Saul Alinsky, the man regarded as the father
of modern community organizing.

At the same time, we are seeking to double our

endowment. Thanks to our great friends and
generous donors, in the quiet phase of our first
comprehensive campaign, we have raised $21
million overall, and $8 million of our $15 million
goal for the endowment. Most endowment gifts
are bequests that will come to us only after the
donors death. When these gifts are all in hand,
they will be invested with each $1 million yielding
$50,000 annually. Going forward, this will help
us move some of the cost of financial aid from the
operational budget to being covered by the income
from our larger endowment.

Baumann story continued on page 7

Providing a Good Nights Sleep

HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD

2 I HNUTODAY

Community Organizing

PATRICK TURNER 12 and BIANCA FREDIANIS

company, Bed Bandits, manufactures fire-resistant and
hypoallergenic mattress toppers and donates one custommade topper to a homeless shelter for every three that
are sold. The couple spoke about their personal journeys
and described the transition from being college students
to becoming social entrepreneurs. Turner and Frediani
discussed their inspirations, their goals, and why they felt it
was important to take risks in order to make a difference in
the world. (See more of their story on pg. 12)

Taylor spoke in detail about the mission of Beneficial

State Bank and the banks efforts to provide economic
resources both to socially responsible businesses and to
individual customers who
might be disregarded by
mainstream banking.
She also discussed
how the bank has
sought to provide the
community a helpful
alternative to local
check-cashing
establishments
and payday
loan
lenders.
Taylor story
continued on
page 7

Kat Taylor, President,

Beneficial State Bank

HNUTODAY I 3

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR SONIA NAZARIO VISITS HNU

This fall, the Asia Pacific Peace Studies Institute

(APPSI) and the Associated Students of HNU (ASHNU)
organized a fundraiser to accompany
the Universitys Water Justice campaign
in cooperation with the nonprofit
WaterBridge Outreach: Books + Water.
Chiho Sawada, PhD, assistant professor of
history and executive director of APPSI,
and MariaFernanda Cuevas, an HNU senior
and religious studies and philosophy
major, led the effort to raise funds for
WaterBridge Outreach to expand its waterimprovement projects in Asia and Africa.

Sonia Nazario, the Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Enriques Journey,

visited campus on November 6 to
discuss her book and its themes.
Enriques Journey, the 2014 Common
Reading selection, chronicles the
quest of a young Honduran boy
traveling to the United States in
search of his mother.

Ministry, the Peace and Justice Club,

students in the Intercultural Peace
and Justice Studies classes,
the Student Success Center,
the Integrative Studies Across
Cultures program, and from
HNU Athletics, the campaign
raised over $2,000 to donate to
WaterBridge Outreach.
The money raised by the
campaign will be pooled with
funds from other organizations and
used by WaterBridge Outreach for projects in
Tanzania, Africa. The proposed projects include
repairs for an existing water system at one
school and the establishment of a new rainwater
catchment and purification system in another
an improvement that would provide access to
healthy water for more than 600 children.

Cuevas had the idea to sell reusable

HNU-branded water bottles to students,
faculty, and staff as a way of driving the
fundraising campaign. As an added
Above: HNUs new hydration
benefit, the environmentally friendly
stations around campus help
bottles could be used with HNUs newly
save the environment by using
installed hydration stations throughout
Water bottles from the campaign are still
less plastic.
campus to reduce the number of
available to purchase at the Student Success
disposable plastic bottles used at HNU.
Center in Brennan Hall and any additional funds raised
APPSI and the students in ASHNU set the initial goal
will be used to support a program for an HNU student
for the campaign at $1,000. With help from Campus
internship with WaterBridge Outreach.

Holy Names University Rated the Most Diverse University

in the Nation for the Second Consecutive Year

as one of the top five western regional universities in its diversity rankings multiple times

We are honored to be recognized

once again. Because of our diversity,
our students have the advantage of
understanding different cultural
perspectives, enabling them to be
more effective global leaders.

since 1998, when the diversity rankings were implemented.

HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD

U.S. News and World Report has again recognized Holy Names University as the most
diverse university in the nation for the 20132014 academic year, the second consecutive
year in which HNU has achieved this distinction. HNU has demonstrated a long-standing
commitment to diversity. U.S. News and World Report has included Holy Names University

Nazario spoke first about her

childhood, her experience with
immigration, and the struggles she
faced in becoming a journalist. The
inspiration for Enriques Journey
came from a conversation Nazario
had with Carmen, her housekeeper,
who had emigrated from Guatemala.
Nazario was moved by the dilemma
faced by women like Carmenwho
must leave their families in order to
provide for themand she decided
to investigate.

I think this moment is a

true test for the U.S. How
does a great nation behave?
Will we rise to the level of
humanity that is required
of us? I know that we are
capable of amazing things
in this country if we come
together with a shared
purpose to change things
for the better.
Sonia Nazario
Author of Enriques Journey

During her investigation, she

encountered Enrique, a 16-yearold Honduran boy who was on his
eighth attempt to cross into the U.S.

To more fully understand what Enrique and

other migrants had endured, Nazario took
the same journeytwicefrom Honduras to
the border, riding the same freight trains that
Enrique and others had used to come north.
Along the route, she encountered gangs
and bandits, corrupt police officers, and
dangerous conditions on top of the freight
train.
Nazario concluded her presentation by
discussing the current immigration crisis
and the solutions that she believes the U.S.
government should pursue. Nazario believes
that the traditional means of curbing illegal
immigrationguest worker programs,
border patrol, and amnestyhave not been
successful and that a different approach is
needed to address the current crisis.
I think this moment is a true test for the
U.S., Nazario said at the end of the evening.
How does a great nation behave? Will we
rise to the level of humanity that is required
of us? I know that we are capable of amazing
things in this country if we come together
with a shared purpose to change things for
the better.

Author Sonia Nazario speaks

to the HNU audience.

HNUTODAY I 5

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

HNU COMMUNITY RAISES FUNDS FOR WATER-IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN TANZANIA

Top: HNU students

and other volunteers
spread new mulch.
Below: HNU students
Ashley Brice-Dignam,
Sydnee Leveston,
MariaFernanda
Cuevas, Maribel
Gutierrez, and
Luke Chesworth
prepare for their
day of volunteering
at Morcom Rose
Garden.

STUDENT STORIES

Student Stories

To create the Kennedy mural, Langs

class began by brainstorming visual
representations of the Bay Area and
Oakland; students in the class also
discussed their own inspirations. As
soon as one of the students came
up with an idea that was tangible,
we grabbed that and we started
working around it, Lang said. One
of the students came up with the oak
tree, for Oakland. We had an idea of
what we wanted to do and we decided
on the go what were going to be the
colors.

time that might stay there.

After finishing the Kennedy mural,
the class embarked on another
ambitious projectworking with
students at Skyline High School
to create a mural for one of their
campus buildings. Lang explained
that the project originated from
wanting to help a local school with
their art program.

The Skyline mural is larger than

the Kennedy mural, and more than
50 Skyline students were involved
in the painting process. Students
in the HNU mural class began
the collaboration by designing a
From left to right: Destany Charles, Dorian Escobar, Mayra
Acosta-Villegas, Nancy Acosta-Villegas, and Carmen Lang
questionnaire to ask the Skyline
pose by their campus mural.
students for their ideas about
the project. The Skyline students
created sketches for the mural and the HNU students
came up with a visual motif to unify the murala BART
train passing through the panels and stopping at stations
Two students in the class, juniors Mayra Acosta-Villegas
named for HNU and Skyline.
and Dorian Escobar, spoke about the experience of
painting the Kennedy mural. It was nice because this is
Lang remarked on the cooperative dynamics of mural
the first time HNU has created this class for us to paint
painting. You start painting and people walk by you and
a mural, Acosta-Villegas said. Although the mural is
they want a brush, they want to participate, she said. All
in a secluded area, there are a lot of people who know
of a sudden youre sharing a story or listening to someone
about it now, so they want the class to continue. Escobar
elses story. Right there youre building up a community
explained that, It was cool to paint something for the first
and getting to know your neighbor better.

6 I HNUTODAY

Baumann, continued from page 3

The experience in Chicago really opened

me up too. I reflected on my studies and on
theology. Part of our spirituality as Jesuits is the
whole notion of seeing God in all things and that
became much clearer to me, Baumann said.
In 1972, Baumann started his first communityorganizing group in California, the Oakland
Training Institute. That group later expanded
and, as a result of the expansion, the organ
ization changed its name to the Pacific Institute
for Community Organization, or PICO for short
(while the organizations name is no longer an
acronym, it still retains the name PICO).

MURAL CLASS PAINTS KENNEDY ARTS CENTER

AND SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL
HNUs new mural class, led by
Carmen Lang, painted a mural on
the north wall of the Kennedy Arts
Center and partnered with students
at Skyline High School in Oakland to
paint a new mural on one of the high
schools buildings.

PASSIONATE LEADERS IN
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HNU STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TO HELP

BEAUTIFY OAKLANDS ROSE GARDEN
Several HNU students spent the morning of October 26
spreading mulch and weeding the grounds of Oaklands
Morcom Rose Garden. HNUs Center for Social Justice and
Civic Engagement (CSJCE) and the Associated Students
of HNU (ASHNU) helped to organize the volunteer
opportunity for the students.
HNU students Ashley Brice-Digman, Luke Chesworth,
MariaFernanda Cuevas, Nadine Ghammache, Maribel
Gutierrez, Sandra Lacayo, and Sydnee Leveston were
among the volunteers. Maribel Lopez, a graduate assistant
within the CSJCE, helped with the arrangements and
participated in the service event as well.
MariaFernanda Cuevas, a senior religious studies and
philosophy major, enjoyed the time spent maintaining
and repairing the Morcom Rose Garden. It was great
to connect with other organizations and go out in the
community to help out, Cuevas said. While we were
helping out in the Rose Garden, it started to rain and my
first instinct was to run for shelter, but then slowly I started
to realize the beauty of nature. This community service
project made me mindful of different things around me
and how important it is to connect to others.

At the end of the evening, Baumann reflected on

what he sees for the future of the organization.
Over the next six years, PICOs priority is to
restore the role of religion as a force for inclusion
and equality, and to place economic dignity and
racial equity at the center of our work, he said.
PICO is multicultural, its faith-based, its about
the promotion of justice, its non-partisan, and it
makes democracy work.

Taylor, continued from page 3

When asked about her outlook for the

future, Taylor was optimistic. Were hurtling
through space on the same planet, almost
9 billion of us now, and without some
coordination and some commitment to the
common purposes that we all have, its going
to be really unpleasant, she said. Join in
social enterprise, make it your careernot
just after you work or after you retire.

HNUTODAY I 7

Feature Story

HNU offers a path to a

great education that does
not come with harmful
financial burdens.
HNU is a member of the
Yes We Must Coalition,
which strives to increase
degree attainment of
low-income students by
promoting the work of
small, independent, notfor-profit colleges and
universities committed
to this purpose. HNU
Trustee Sister Kathleen
Ross, PhD, is the board
secretary for the Yes We
Must Coalition.

The VCPA solar array

will generate

162,000 kWh
annually. This is enough
energy to provide
power for

15

households for
an entire year.

Part of what makes an HNU education

so accessible is the Universitys effort to
keep costs low by utilizing sustainable
practices in campus operations.

A Virtuous
Commitment
BY KEVIN HYDE

Stuart Koop, vice president for finance

and administration, has led HNUs
sustainability efforts, along with Luis
Guerra 02, MBA
04, assistant
Top: Installing the
vice president for
new boiler.
facilities and events.
Middle: DroughtThe campus
resistant plants on
community,
campus help HNU
individually
conserve water.
and collectively,
Bottom: Students
continues to
enjoy the new Frank
and Rosa DeLuca
embrace the values
Rose Garden, which
of the Sisters of the
is landscaped with
Holy Names of Jesus
drought-resistant
and Mary to care for
plants.
the environment,
Left: New solar
Koop said.
panels on the VCPA

This is a new chapter in

the Universitys journey
to steward our resources,
respect nature, and
lighten our footprint
upon the earth.
HNU President
William J. Hynes, PhD

roof.

IT IS ONE of the enduring truths of Holy Names University

history that, regardless of external or internal challenges,

the University remains dedicated to operating in a socially
responsible manner. HNU provides an outstanding education
to all who desire it and it is able to achieve that feat because
of its continued adherence to SNJM values. The University
maintains a virtuous commitment not only to offer a firstrate education, but to do so while maintaining a respectful
relationship with the environment and its natural resources.
This past fall, the New America Foundation, a public policy
institute and think tank, named Holy Names University as
8 I HNUTODAY

one of the top private nonprofit colleges that demonstrate

a commitment to ensuring that higher education remains
accessible to low-income students.
In its report, Undermining Pell, Volume II: How Colleges
Pursuit of Prestige and Revenue is Hurting Low-Income
Students, the New America Foundation examined the
enrollment data from the 201112 year for 828 private
nonprofit four-year colleges. The foundation listed HNU
among the nine colleges that both enrolled a high percentage
of Pell Grant recipients and kept the average net price per
year below $10,000 for low-income students. For the 201112

year, HNUs student body included 45%

Pell Grant recipients, and the University
maintained an average net price of
$8,572 for those students and their
families.
This report highlights our ongoing
dedication to ensuring that a Holy
Names University education is
accessible, HNU President William
J. Hynes, PhD, said. In keeping with
the values of the Holy Names Sisters,

Since 2007, HNU

has successfully
increased the
efficiency of its on-campus systems by
installing new boilers and replacing
piping insulation; reviving the on-site
spring water storage and irrigation
systems; installing low-flow showerheads
and toilets; switching to droughtresistant plants for landscaping; using
LED lights for street and parking lot
lighting and by moving towards a
compact fluorescent lighting minimum
standard.

[Average therms usage for winter months in Illinois: 953 therms. Source: Citizens Utility Board of Illinois]
[Average U.S. annual household kWh usage (for 2012) : 10,837 kWh. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration]
[Modern water tower average capacity: 500,000 gallons. Source: survey of available nationwide water tower data]

HNUs natural gas use during

2013 was down 47 percent
overall and 58 percent per
capita from 2007 levels; its
East Bay Municipal Utility
District water use was down
36 percent overall and 40
percent per capita from 2007,
with an estimated further
drop in usage this year; and
its electricity use was up one
percent overall but down 17
percent per capita from 2007.

In addition to these changes

the University, in cooperation
with Solar Technologies
and Pacific Gas & Electric,
installed a solar panel array on the roof
of the Valley Center for Performing
Arts (VCPA) and connected it to the
power grid in early October 2014. The
solar panels will produce approximately
162,000 kilowatt-hours for the
University and will ensure that the
VCPA is energy self-sufficient.
Water usage has gone

DOWN by
14,480,000 gallons,
which is the equivalent of

29 average water towers.

The solar array project is the latest step in
the Universitys long-term sustainability
plans. This is a new chapter in the
Universitys journey to steward our
resources, respect nature, and lighten
our footprint upon the earth, President
Hynes said.

Natural gas use

has decreased
by 124,000
therms, an amount
that would be
enough to heat
approximately

130 homes

through an entire
Chicago winter.

HNUTODAY I 9

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSOR MARTIVN GALINDO AWARDED

THE IRENE WOODWARD PROFESSORSHIP
Holy Names University Professor MARTIVN GALINDO,
PhD, was recognized for her outstanding contributions
to the University and was awarded the Irene Woodward
Professorship during a reception in
the Cushing Library in August 2014.
The Irene Woodward Professorship
provides an award for a faculty member
to use in pursuit of scholarly or creative
interests. The professorship was
initiated by the Class of 1970 in honor
of Irene Woodward 55, PhD, professor
emerita of philosophy and president
of Holy Names College from 1972 to
1982. Professor Galindo is the second
recipient of the professorship, after
Sister Sophia Park, who received the
award for the 201314 academic year.
It is a great honor for me to accept the
Woodward award, Professor Galindo
said. I am grateful to Holy Names for
this opportunity to have some extra
time to work on my creative projects in
art and writing.
Vice President for Academic
Affairs Lizbeth J. Martin,
PhD, said, Martivn is a true
renaissance woman. Since she
has been on the faculty at HNU,
she has brought her artistry,
writing, literature, history, and
language talents to each student
she touches.

Martivn Galindo, PhD, and Irene

Woodward 55 in front of McLean Chapel.

Anything that
makes us grow as
human beings will
come back to our
students through
our teaching.

Martivn Galindo, PhD

Professor Galindo, who has
Professor of Latin American
taught at HNU since 1996, is a
and Latino/a Studies
professor of Latin American and
Latino/a Studies. She began her
professional life in El Salvador as an architect, but went
on to earn a Licenciatura en Letras from the Universidad
Centroamericana Jos Simen Caas, in San Salvador, El
Salvador and has been publishing both poetry and prose
since that time. After immigrating to the United States,
she received her masters degree in Spanish and Latin
American literature from San Francisco State University
and her doctorate in Hispanic languages and literatures
from the University of California, Berkeley. Her most
recent book is Para amuestrar un tigre, a collection of
short stories.

10 I HNUTODAY

FACULTY WATCH

Faculty Watch
HNU WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
BELO CIPRIANI PUBLISHES NEW
NOVELLA, MIDDAY DREAMS

BIOLOGY FACULTY AND STUDENTS

COLLABORATE ON RESEARCH PAPER
PUBLISHED IN INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

BELO CIPRIANI, HNUs Writer-InResidence and the author of Blind:

A Memoir, has had his new novella,
Midday Dreams, published as an
e-book. The novella is about the
relationships among the members of
a family living on Sao Miguel Island in
the Azores, and Cipriani wrote it while
at HNU.

LAURA MCLAUGHLIN, PhD, assistant professor

of biological science, and two students
from her undergraduate biology research
class, Samantha Fisher and Monique Reyes,
collaborated on a research project about
Salmonella and its ability to inhibit immune cell
migration, along with scientists from Stanford
University and the Stanford Cardiovascular
Institute. Their research was published as an
article entitled A microfluidic-based genetic
screen to identify microbial virulence factors
that inhibit dendritic cell migration in the April
issue of the peer-reviewed journal Integrative
Biology (issue 4, 2014).

During the first year of my

appointment, my office used to be
housed in the school library, Cipriani
said. So, I had the wonderful staff
help me find movies, music CDs, and
books about the Azores. Despite the
fact I had visited Sao Miguel (the island
where Midday Dreams takes place) as
a teen, I was hoping that immersing
myself in Portuguese content would
jog my memory. After all, it had been
more than a decade since I set foot on
the tropical island.
The novella represents a chance for
fans of Ciprianis work to experience
his aesthetic in a different form, and
Cipriani is hopeful that readers will
take something positive from Midday
Dreams. We live in a society thats
data drivenpeople like to make
decisions based on quantifiable
figures, Cipriani said. However, not
all decisions should be made with your
head. I hope
Midday Dreams
reminds people
that some
decisions are to
be made with
their hearts.

The impetus for the research project arose

from the work that McLaughlin did with Denise
Monack, PhD, during her postdoctoral period
at Stanford University. McLaughlin and Monack
had discovered that Salmonella can block cell
migration and they wanted to characterize
the effect in more detail. In order to observe
the effect, it was necessary to use microfluidic
chambers to culture and infect mammalian cells
in a stable and neutral environment. McLaughlin
was able to make time-lapse microscopy videos
of the relevant cells.
Using the videos, students Fisher and Reyes
were able to help track the cells that had been
infected with Salmonella and compare those with
uninfected cells. The research showed that there
were several Salmonella-specific factors that were
responsible for inhibiting immune cell migration.
McLaughlin explained that the research is an
important step in the development of more
durable vaccines. If we can figure out how
Salmonella inhibits immune cell migration, the
next step would be to disable this pathogenic
mechanism and develop a better and longerlasting vaccine, she said.

The Writers Craft

HNUS REDESIGNED CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM
Holy Names University has reopened its creative writing
program, The Writers Craft, under the interim direction
of ANNE F. WALKER, PhD. The Writers Craft includes a
redesigned curriculum and offers
a program for students to pursue
This program will
a masters degree in English with
create a space in which concentrations in creative writing,
professional writing, and the teaching of
students can choose
writing.

how to develop their

writing and where they
want it to go.
Anne F. Walker, PhD
Interim Director of
The Writers Craft

I am delighted to direct the newly

redesigned Writers Craft program.
Being able to create this individualized
experience in the greater San Francisco
Bay Area, within the Holy Names
University environment, is just amazing,
Walker said.

Walker earned her MFA in creative writing from Mills College

and her PhD in American culture and literature from UC
Berkeley. She has published four books of poetry, Six Months
Rent, Pregnant Poems, Into the Peculiar Dark, and The Exit
Show, and a critical
poetics text, American
Urban Poetics. Walker
previously taught as a
member of the writing
faculty at UC Merced.
The Writers Craft
provides a flexible
curriculum to ensure that
students can choose
the area of emphasis for
their degrees, meet their
personal and professional
goals, and prepare
themselves for writing
careers, teaching careers,
or for further graduate
studies.

Anne F. Walker, PhD

Interim Director of The Writers Craft.

This program will create a space in which students can

choose how to develop their writing and where they want it
to go, Walker said. In the program, Ill have the opportunity
to work with students one-on-one, to facilitate their work in
the Holy Names University community, and to support their
growth within the world of writing.
In addition to Walker, Belo Cipriani, HNUs Writer-InResidence, will teach within the program, along with other
visiting faculty and writers.
HNUTODAY I 11

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Patrick Turner 12 and Bianca Frediani

BA 71 I ELEMENTARY TEACHING CREDENTIAL 72

ALUMNI REPORT

Alumni Report

Kathy Donovan Perez, EdD

MS IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY,

CO-FOUNDERS OF BED BANDITS, SPEAK ON TAKING A CHANCE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

EAST BAY, 1977 I EDD, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION,

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, 1983

For the third installment of the 201415 James

Durbin Entrepreneurship Speaker Series,
PATRICK TURNER 12 and BIANCA FREDIANI,
co-founders of Bed Bandits, spoke with HNU
President William J. Hynes, PhD, on November
6. Bed Bandits manufactures fire-resistant
and hypoallergenic mattress toppers, and
Turner and Frediani donate one custom-made
mattress topper to a homeless shelter for every
three that are sold.

[We] are helping

someone in our
community, were
doing our business,
were doing it
ourselves, and this is
what we stand for.

On the plane ride back to Oakland, I was

reading this book called Start Something
That Matters, written by the guy who started
the shoe company TOMS, Blake [Mycoskie],
Frediani said. I couldnt figure out what I could
create though. But then I remembered this
mattress topper that Patrick had come up with
when he was in college.

Frediani was excited about the possibility

of giving back to the community through
product donations, and when Frediani told
Turner majored in marketing and sports
Bianca Frediani
Turner about her idea, they worked together
management at HNU and, when he started his
Co-Founder of Bed Bandits
on figuring out their next steps. Turner went
marketing classes, decided to pursue a solution
back to the research he had done as part of his
to the problem presented by the flimsy mattress
marketing class at HNU.
toppers he had seen in the dorms. Turners family owns and
operates FloBeds, a mattress company based in Fort Bragg,
In short order, the couple quit their jobs and moved to Fort
California, and so he had some familiarity with the bedding
Bragg, where they worked flexible hours at FloBeds in order
industry. He decided he would formulate a better product.
to learn the bedding industry and have time to devote to
So, in my marketing class, I wanted to design a topper that
their own company. Bed Bandits has signed contracts with
could be secured to your mattress and not fall off. That was
both HNU and Dominican University; the company will also
my original concept, he said.
partner with both universities to donate its mattress toppers
Frediani majored in marketing and minored in retail studies
at Santa Clara University. She said that she was convinced
that she wanted to go into retail as a career, and after
graduation she quickly found a job at the Gap, Inc., working
within the finance department of the companys
San Francisco offices.
It was during a trip to
visit one of her sisters
at Loyola Marymount
University in Los
Angeles that
Frediani had
the inspiration
that provided
the catalyst
for the
founding
of Bed
Bandits.

to nearby homeless shelters.

Frediani explained that, although she and Turner were
excited about giving back to the community by donating
one mattress topper for every three they sold, many of
their business advisors tried to dissuade them
from giving away profit. It took a lot of
courage for us to say to people who have a
lot of experience, This is going to work and
this is why, and youre going to have to trust
us and have a little faith, Frediani said. All
our products are handmade and handsewn in the U.S. by a local business, which
means our prices are higher. But we are
helping someone in our community,
were doing our business, were
doing it ourselves, and this
is what we stand for.

At HNU you get much more than an education

you get a way of lifetransforming yourself and others!
Kathy Donovan Perez, 71, HNU Alumna

KATHY DONOVAN PEREZ, EdD, is a tenured professor of education at Saint Marys College and an acclaimed international education
consultant. At Saint Marys, she serves as director of the masters program in teaching leadership and as director of external relations. She is the
author of the best-selling books More Than 100+ Brain Friendly Tools and Strategies for Literacy!, The Co-Teaching Book of Lists: A Practical Guide
for Teachers, and The New Inclusion: Differentiated Strategies to Engage ALL Students!, and she has been contracted by Solution Tree Press to write
two new books on strategies for struggling readers. The International Reading Association recently inducted Perez into the Reading Hall of Fame.

How do you feel your HNU education has changed your life?

My education at HNU transformed my life personally and

professionally. On a personal level, I learned true compassion
to reach out to underserved communities and individuals less
fortunate than I was. On a professional level, my education
at HNU inspired me to become an agent of change in my
classroom, school, district, and broader community.

special education at the University of Swansea in Wales. I was one of

three recipients in the U.S. Last year I was a featured presenter at the
International Conference on the Education of Teachers at Cape Coast
University in Ghana, Africa. And this past February, I was an invited
presenter at the World Literacy Summit at Oxford University, England.

How do you feel your HNU education has impacted

your career?

There were so many influential mentors at HNU. Irene Woodward

stands out as particularly influential. She was our dorm monitor
and I really got to know her as a caring and dedicated professional. As
my philosophy teacher she was amazing! Her perspectives on life and
learning really opened my mind. Other notable faculty members that
made a real difference for me: Dr. Velma Richmond (English), Dr.
Richard Yee (Philosophy), and Sister Mary Luke (Art).

My education at HNU was the launch pad to my learning

for life. So many of lifes lessons were learned from my
years at HNU. My degree in English helped propel my
career as a best-selling author of three books on education.
The innovative and relevant curriculum of the teaching
credential program set me apart early on as a curriculum
leader and a champion for struggling students.
What professional achievement are you most proud of?

There are so many milestones in my career that make me

proud. In 1979 I was awarded an International Rotary
Fellowship to do post-graduate studies in counseling and

Who is the person who influenced you the most at HNU?

What excites you most about HNU?

I am thrilled with the continued growth and development of HNU.

I am so proud of the diversity of the campus community and the
recognition that HNU has received because of this. The focus on social
justice is also very exciting. At HNU you get much more than an
educationyou get a way of lifetransforming yourself and others!

Bianca Frediani and

Patrick Turner 12,
co-founders of
Bed Bandits.

12 I HNUTODAY

HNUTODAY I 13

ALUMNI REPORT

HNU held its 41st Annual Alumni Awards

Ceremony on October 3 to recognize
exceptional alumni and faculty for their service
to the University and the community.
The Faculty Award was bestowed upon
DOLORES GRUNBAUM, PhD, professor of
chemistry, for outstanding service and loyalty to
the University. Grunbaum, who lives in Berkeley,
taught at HNU from 1975 until her retirement
in June 2014. She was recognized for her
consistent excellence in teaching and for her
contributions to the field through her research
and publications.
The Alumni Recognition Award for Professional
Achievement was given to two alumni, JOSEPH
J. DEVNEY 93, a linguist and writer from
Oakland, and PAT MCDOW ZONCA 51, a
teacher and counselor from Santa Cruz. The
award for professional achievement is presented
to alumni who have distinguished themselves
through professional service to church or
community. Devney is a technical writer and
communications consultant, and has also been
named as an Associate Fellow in the Society for
Technical Communication. Zonca is a teacher
and counselor at the Santa Cruz Adult School.
She also helped start the Gemma program in
Santa Cruz, which assists women in reintegrating
into the community after incarceration.
The Alumni Recognition Award for Service to
the University was bestowed upon KATHY
KUSTERS HERRINGTON 64, a retired teacher
and volunteer from San Jose. Herrington was
recognized for her exceptional devotion to
her class, and for her service both to the HNU
Alumni Association and the University.
The University is grateful to all the members
of the Alumni Awards Committee for the work
they did to recognize outstanding HNU alumni
and faculty at the ceremony. The Alumni Awards
Committee members are Anne C. DunlapKahren 88, chairperson of the committee, Julie
Nelson Echaniz 75, Beth Harris Hoenninger 88,
Patricia McLoughlin McMahon 64, PhD, and
Frances Renty Williams, director of alumnae/i
relations at HNU.

Pictured from top: Dolores Grunbaum, Joseph J. Devney,

Pat McDow Zonca, and Kathy Kusters Herrington.

Class Notes

IN MEMOR I A M

EVELYN KOHL LATORRE 64 can now

RACHEL JUNE HISCOCK VIXIE, MM 06 would

share her love of travel in her new position

as Independent Travel Consultant with
Overseas Adventure/Grand Circle
Travel (OAT/GC). OAT/GC is a leader in
adventure and discovery travel. Evelyn has
traveled with the highly rated company
13 times (fellow classmate Pat Taormino
64 has gone on 48 trips with OAT to over
100 countries). Evelyns goal is to help
everyone check off travel destinations
from their bucket lists.

like to share Gods newest blessing to her family:

Ezra Samuel Vixie, born Sept. 24, 2014, on Rachels
birthday. Ezra joins brother Thaddeus Douglas
Vixie and sister Clara June Vixie. She and husband
William Douglas Vixie are building a home in Walla
Walla, Washington. Since the birth of her daughter,
Rachel has been a stay-at-home mom, supervised
student teachers from Walla Walla University,
taught an occasional music course at Blue Mountain
Community College, and served as an accompanist
for a local middle school choir. Rachel misses her
wonderful year of study at the Kodly Center and
sends best wishes to the faculty as they continue to
enhance the skills and lives of music teachers.

DIANNE FAGAN, SNJM 66 turned

80 this year and celebrated 60 years
of consecrated religious vows in her
religious community of the Sisters of
the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. In
addition, nine days before Christmas, her
stored furniture was moved to her new
one-bedroom apartment in Santa Clara.
Three days a week she is committed to
driving her elderly and frail Sisters to
doctors appointments, and she is on
a roster to do ER driving or visiting on
weekends as needed.

REMIE ORQUIZA, MA 11 has been spending

time in Melbourne, Australia, with her 92-year-old
mother, her youngest sister, Rose, and her family.
Remie is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in
pastoral community counseling at Argosy University.
She hopes that she can pass her comprehensive
exams before the end of this year so that she can
continue her dissertation courses.

KIMBERLY ERTEM 12 found a job that she loves

sworn in as a council member for the

City of Albany.

after graduating from HNU. Shes been working for

U.S. Bank in Pleasanton as a small business specialist
since July 2013. Her position allows her to assist
business owners with all of their financial needs.

BARRY COSTA 74 retired from

NINA DIAMZON 13 serves as a Right of Way

teaching due to a severe injury and an

extended convalescence in the hospital.
He is in physical therapy now and enjoys
visits from Shirley Sexton, SNJM 52, Toni
Vella 76, Marianne Landis 75, and Ben
Grace 76, and he enjoys interacting with
his HNU friends on Facebook.

Agent with Caltrans, which means that she is a

realtor for the state of California.

PEGGY MCQUAID 71 was recently

Class Notes have been edited for length and style. For
more Class Notes go to: hnu.edu/classnotes

IN MEMOR I A M

MARY LOU BYRNE DAWE 75 has

enjoyed a wonderful career as a speech
and language pathologist thanks to
Sister Paul Francis, who directed the
undergraduate program at HNU. Her
bachelors degree led to a masters
degree at The University of London,
where she met her husband of 37 years.
Although she is still working, she finds
time to relax with her daughter Hannah,
who is a yoga instructor, and walk her dog
along the beaches in Laguna.

THOMAS H. PAYNE 86 celebrates 15

years as a financial advisor and the owner
of Prosperitas Wealth Management. He
and his wife recently welcomed their
seventh child, Olivia Therese.

Betty Bertaux, MM 75, was a talented musician,

conductor, and teacher. She was a faculty member at the Peabody

Conservatory and, in 1976, she founded the Childrens Chorus
of Maryland to provide sophisticated singing instruction to
students in the Baltimore County area. Later, in 2001, she
established the American Kodly Institute at Loyola University
Maryland. Bertaux was awarded the Organization of American
Kodly Educators Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for her
outstanding work in the field of music education. She passed away
on October 10, 2014.

HNU fondly remembers longtime friend and

generous supporter of the University
Leah Bigelow 50
September 3, 2014

Eleanor Matson Camara 38, July 4, 2012

Harold Moore, January 20, 2013
(father of Vicki TomHNU staff,
grandfather of Robyn Tom 04)
Roy J. Shaw, November 14, 2013
(husband of Margaret A. Martin Shaw 51)
Carmel Kelly Ross 52, December 1, 2013
Alberto Anselm Benzi 67,
December 22, 2013
Patricia Watts Ceely, February 1, 2014
Thomasine McMahon, SNJM 59,
February 20, 2014
Richard Yee, PhD, March 9, 2014
(former faculty)
Audrey Erlene McElroy Gross 48,
March 10, 2014
Betty Caryl Campbell Montgomery,
March 22, 2014 (former student)
Alicia Ramirez Brewer 64, March, 2014
Jacqueline Y. Sowers, MA 95,
April 15, 2014
Marilyn Murphy, SNJM, April 18, 2014
(former student)
Sylvia Magallanes Baroni 69,
April 21, 2014
Kathleen Johnson Dullum 31,
April 21, 2014
Patricia Papachristos, April 23, 2014
Diane Wertz Lawson 50, April 27, 2014
Josepha Rose Thompson, SNJM 56,
April 29, 2014
Winifred McKinnon 65, May 14, 2014
Melba DeMingo Fazzio, May 19, 2014
(former faculty)
Mary Theresa Vinson Anderson 44,
May 20, 2014
Rose Eleanor Ehret, SNJM 56,
May 21, 2014 (former faculty)
Annamarie Vierra Barros 53,
May 21, 2014
Albert H. Donabedian, May 26, 2014
(husband of Marie Nichles Donabedian 73)
Sally Thompson, SNJM 58, June 2, 2014
Sumiko Kusumoto, June 2, 2014
Doris Thrall Ross, July 6, 2014
Marie Patricia Souza Penland,
August 13, 2014
Judith Sherrill Yarbrough 56,
August 18, 2014
Florence Lenihan McHugh 90,
August 22, 2014
Patricia Mary Dooley Murphy 45,
September 4, 2014
Alice McGrath Frayne 55,
September 14, 2014

Elizabeth Ann Cox Scott 77,

September 14, 2014
Elizabeth Betty Phillips Fulgham 47,
September 16, 2014
Barbara Carroll, SNJM 62,
September 18, 2014 (sister of Collette Carroll,
SNJM 62 and Rosemarie Carroll, CSJ)
Felice Marie Kolda, SNJM 53,
September 27, 2014
Margaret Ann Schwarz Puccioni 54,
October 4, 2014
Regina A. Tabacco Mastrantonio 53,
October 21, 2014
Greg Alemania, November 2, 2014
(father of Benjamin Alemania 16)
Gerald Walker, November 2, 2014
(father of Anne Walkerfaculty)
Marian Reardon OConnell 50,
November 4, 2014
Barbara Jean Hutchinson OConnell 67,
November 5, 2014
Jeanne Vargas, November 8, 2014
(former staff)
Carol Hestikin Ehlers, November 20, 2014
(former student)
Mary B. Looney Cale 54,
November 21, 2014
Margaret Ann Marge Riordan Bader
53, November 22, 2014
Joanne Quinlan Meloni,
November 22, 2014 (former student)
Shirley Marie Lilienthal Freeberg 43,
November 28, 2014
Leo Dinneen, November 30, 2014
(brother of Anne Dinneen, SNJM 65 )
Ellen Maffit Buckley 87, December 1, 2014
Ann Griffin Adams 76, December 10, 2014
Rosalie Isabelle Rogers Rienzo,
December 15, 2014 (former student)
Beatrice Bedoya, December 23, 2014
(mother of Rita Bedoya Shue 79)
Florence Olivera 49, December 30, 2014
(sister of Arlene Olivera Vetlesen 58 )
Neil Moran, December 31, 2014 (brother of
Virginia Moran Rarig 48 and Nancy Moran
Buckley 54, brother-in-law of Margaret
Connolly Moran 47 and Jacqueline
Blanquie Moran 47)
Patricia Pinnick 54, January 7, 2015
Michael V. Forese, January 8, 2015
(father of Anita Forese Waldron 76)
Toni Locke, February 8, 2015
(former faculty)
Sheila Dowd 47, March 2, 2015
Della Stanton, SNJM 58, March 6, 2015
Mary Gabriel Kennedy, SNJM 37,
March 8, 2015
deceased

continued next page

14 I HNUTODAY

HNUTODAY I 15

ALUMNI REPORT

HOLY NAMES UNIVERSITY HONORS

EXCEPTIONAL ALUMNI AND FACULTY
AT 41ST ANNUAL ALUMNI AWARDS

GIVING NEWS

Giving News
HNU Celebrates a Successful
Holy Names University participated
in the global #GivingTuesday
campaign on December 2 as
a way of bringing together the
Universitys community in a
partnership of philanthropy and
service. HNUs designated project
for #GivingTuesday was a scholarship
for first-generation HNU students.
Thanks to the generosity of alumni,
parents, friends, faculty, staff, and
students, more than $11,000 was
raised on #GivingTuesday.

DONOR APPRECIATION EVENT BRINGS

TOGETHER STUDENTS, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS
HNUs donor appreciation event on November 16
honored alumni and friends who have contributed to
the HNU Fund. More than 50 donors attended the
event, which preceded an HNU Orchestra performance
of works by Bruckner and Saint-Sans.
Several HNU students, many of whom
work in the Universitys phonathon
program, assisted with the event and
welcomed donors to the reception.

In addition, on December 2, the

University held a #GivingTuesday
event to celebrate the importance
of philanthropy. More than 100 students, faculty, and
staff attended the event in the Mealey Living Room to
contribute to the #GivingTuesday campaign, enjoy free
hot chocolate and coffee, and share in the celebration.
Many attendees also took unselfies during the event to
highlight their reasons for giving back to the community.
#GivingTuesday at HNU was organized by Maureen
Nikaido, director of the HNU Fund, who helped coordinate
HNUs outreach efforts. It was wonderful to see
such great participation from
alumni, friends, faculty, and staff
on #GivingTuesday, Nikaido
said. There was a lot of
enthusiasm among the
students and everyone who
came to the event that day.
#GivingTuesday is a great
initiative and it provides
a counterbalance
to the hustle and
bustle of Black
Friday and Cyber
Monday.
HNU joined 15,000
nonprofits in 68
countries in the
2014 #GivingTuesday
movement, and it is
estimated that $45.7
million was given on
#GivingTuesday this year.

16 I HNUTODAY

#GivingTuesday
is a great initiative
and it provides a
counterbalance to
the hustle and bustle
of Black Friday and
Cyber Monday.
Maureen Nikaido
Director of the HNU Fund

Ever Forward Campaign Update

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends
of Holy Names University, the Universitys
first comprehensive campaign has received
significant support to endow scholarships,

Director of the HNU Fund Maureen

Nikaido thanked donors for their
generous contributions to the University
and spoke about the importance of
philanthropy. Your contributions to the
HNU Fund support the highest priorities
of the University, including scholarships,
she said. And your donations help us to
make a Holy Names education available
to all students.

complete a new nursing simulation laboratory,

Nikaido also spoke about the enduring

positive influence that donors have
upon current HNU students. Through
your giving, youre an inspiration and a
model of generosity and giving back,
and youre setting that example for our
students and for generations to come.
And really, thats priceless. So thank
you so much.

an aging campus infrastructure and emerging

HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD,

also thanked the donors and provided
an update about both the University and
the Ever Forward campaign. President
Hynes highlighted the early success
of the campaign and spoke about the
importance of increasing the Universitys
endowment.

and make a promising start on the campaigns

main capital project, The Gateway Commons.
Including gifts, pledges, new estate
intentions, and federal grant support, over
$21,000,000 has been received in support of
the campaigns initiatives.
Through the construction of The Gateway
Commons, HNU will address the challenges of
shifts in both academic programs and student
demographics. The Gateway Commons will
house innovative learning spaces alongside
student services that will help guide each
students experience at HNU.
Top to bottom:
Patricia Walsh, Christine Bonavolonta
93, and Domonic Bonavolonta.
HNU students Danniela Duran,
Kristal Harrison, and Taylor Barajas
assisting at the event.
Donors mingle at the reception.

It has been over 20 years since Holy Names

has built a permanent addition to the campus.
The original 1957 campus was designed
to accommodate 300 students. Today, the
student population has grown to 1,200
students. This building is in keeping with the
campus master plan to build a multifunction
building that meets immediate demands
and anticipates future growth. A key design
element of the building is to reflect the charism
of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and
Mary and perpetuate their effort, involvement,

Above: HNU students write

about why they give back.
Left: Students pose in prop
hats and costumes for their
unselfie photos.

love, and caring for the University.

HNUTODAY I 17

Sister Pat Parachini

HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD

VISITING SNJM SCHOLAR AND HNU FACULTY DISCUSS RELIGION VERSUS SPIRITUALITY

RECEIVED AS SNJM ASSOCIATE ON SISTER MARIE-ROSE DUROCHER FEAST DAY

as religiously unaffiliated. This is up from 15% just five years

SISTER PAT PARACHINI, DMin, this years Visiting SNJM
ago and the percentage goes higher the younger you are,
Scholar, was welcomed to campus during the week of
up to 72% for generation Y.
October 6. Sr. Pat, an affiliate professor
of pastoral studies at Loyola University in
Professor Conlon offered a nuanced
Maryland, offered lectures to students
perspective on the difference between
The word religion means we
during the week and participated in
the roles of religion and spirituality in our
bond ourselves together in
a special panel, Are You Religious or
lives. The word religion means we bond
Are You Spiritual? along with two HNU
a community. We dissolve
ourselves together in a community. We
faculty members, Jim Conlon, PhD,
dissolve loneliness. We challenge our
loneliness. We challenge our
professor of culture and spirituality,
fears. We feel the impact of the great
fears. We feel the impact of
and Sister Sophia Park, PhD, assistant
dramas of our lives. Religion is a place
professor of religious studies and
the great dramas of our lives.
to stand; a community of people held
philosophy.
together in a common trust. Religion is a

ON OCTOBER 6, the HNU community

celebrated the feast day of Blessed Marie-Rose
Durocher, SNJM, Foundress of the Sisters of the
Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, with a special
evening Mass held in McLean Chapel.

institutionalization, in order to pass it on to others, Sr. Pat

Sr. Sophia likewise discussed the state of religion and
said. So I dont think the problem of religion is institution.
spirituality in the U.S. and spoke about how demographics
I think the problem of religion
have influenced the shift away
is the way that institutions are
from organized religion towards a
embodying the religious tradition.
more general spirituality. Today,
one of the most popular themes
Sr. Pat earned her MA in religion
in our society is being spiritual
and religious education from
but not religiousin fact, this is
LaSalle College in Philadelphia,
even referred to by the acronym
Pennsylvania, and her doctorate
SBNR, Sr. Sophia said. A
of ministry from the Catholic
significant and growing number
University of America in
of Americans are not identifying
Washington, D.C. Her research
themselves as members of any
and teaching interests include
religion. According to a 2013
the ministry of spiritual direction,
From left to right: Sister Sophia Park, James Conlon, and Sister
Pew report, 20% of Americans,
retreat
ministry, and pastoral
Pat Parachini. The panel listens to comments from the audience.
which means one-fifth of the
supervision.
population, describe themselves

18 I HNUTODAY

community through prayer and action. Sr.

Maureen then presented President Hynes with
his Associate pin, and Sister Mimi Maloney
presented Friedrich with her Associate pin.

Sister Sophia Park

PUBLISHES NEW BOOK OF ESSAYS
Beauty of the Broken, a new book of essays by Sophia Park, SNJM, PhD,
assistant professor of religious studies and philosophy at HNU, was

Religion is a place to stand;

gift passed on to each of us, Conlon said.

Sr. Pat opened the panel by discussing
a community of people held
the urgency of the topic and why the
The central discussion of the panel
together in a common trust.
relationship between spirituality and
came to a close with Sr. Pats analysis
religion is such a complex issue. Ill tell
Religion is a gift passed on to
of the causes and possible remedies
you why the question came up for me
for the perceived conflict between
each of us.
first, Sr. Pat said. I had several students
institutionalized religion and individual
Jim Conlon, PhD
come up to me through the years, almost
spirituality. Religions are born in an
Professor of Culture
apologetically, saying, You know, Im in
intense revelatory experience of a
and Spirituality
a course about spiritual direction, but
founding figure or group who encounter
Im not really religious, Im just spiritual.
the divine, and it usually implies a
In the U.S. today, it is common to hear
community of people that is involved
people speaking about spirituality as something positive
in this foundational experience, and to share this
and religion as something negative.
experience, they have to have some structures, some

SNJM UPDATE

SNJM Update

recently published by Marianist Publisher, in Seoul, South Korea. The

book collects essays that Sr. Sophia wrote, in Korean, about her spiritual
reflections and her daily life for Catholic News in South Korea.
Sr. Sophia also contributed a chapter to a Korean-language anthology
called Social Spirituality, published by Hyun Am in Seoul, South Korea.
In her essay, Social Spirituality: Definition and Methods, Sr. Sophia
provides a rigorous analysis of the terms social justice spirituality and
social spirituality and proposes a
HNU President William J. Hynes, PhD, receives a hug from
Sister Marcia Frideger.

methodology for better defining

those concepts.

During this celebratory Mass, HNU President

William J. Hynes, PhD, and Stephanie
Friedrich, of Santa Cruz, were received as
SNJM Associates. Associates are lay women
and men who share the SNJM dedication to
the full development of the human person
through spirituality, education, social justice,
contemplation, and the arts.

Sr. Sophia continues to write

President Hynes reflected upon his reasons

for wanting to become an SNJM Associate.
Sr. Maureen Hester asked me why I had never
joined the third orders of any of the other
religious orders for whom I had worked, and I
responded that, in knowing that grace builds
upon nature, I had been waiting for one that was
a custom fit.

Contemplative Encounter and

The Associates declared their promises to strive

to live the spirit and charism of the Congregation
of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in their
daily lives and to share in the mission of the

the Global Sisters

reflections for the Global Sisters

Report, a publication of the
National Catholic Reporter. She is
working on a new essay that will
be published soon. Her previous
essays, Global Sorority: a
A Reflection on Religious
Vocation: the Wine
Is Ready, but the
Wineskin Is Not are
available to read
on the website of
Report.

HNUTODAY I 19

Last Word

HNU Scenes
Historical HNU
IN two additional still frames taken
from the newly discovered HNU
reel-to-reel films, students engage
in recreational activitiesfar from
Oakland in one instance, and right
next to campus in the other. In the
top picture, HNU students swim
in a pool located near Rancho
Higuera Historical Park in Fremont,
California, during a picnic in the fall
of 1941. In the bottom picture, a
group of HNU students are shown
canoeing, in the fall of 1945, on the
placid waters of Lake Merritt, which
was only a short stroll from the
Holy Names campus.

Still frames from the HNU films. Left: Looking out at Lake Merritt from the roof of the old campus. Right: the sign at the entrance of College of the Holy Names.

Reels of HNU History

Last year, Sister Carol Sellman found a cache of HNUrelated 16mm reel-to-reel films in the Bay Vista room,
but since the University does not have a reel-to-reel film
player, she was unable to check the content of the films.
She reached out to Susan Eggett 02, who works at Pixar,
to determine whether Pixar might have the necessary
equipment. They did. Sr. Carol was able to watch all the
films, which contained footage shot at the old Holy Names
campus near Lake Merritt.

The films are composed of short segments of ceremonies

on campus, student field trips and picnics, weddings, and
other gatherings from the 1940s and 1960s.
Sr. Carol sought out Movette, a film transfer company
based in San Francisco, to digitize the reel-to-reel films for
preservation purposes. The University is working to edit
the footage to make it more easily viewable.

Do you have an idea for an HNU scene,

whether historical or modern, that you think
should be featured in HNU Today? Email
your thoughts to media@hnu.edu or post
your idea on Facebook at www.facebook.
com/HolyNamesUniv.

20 I HNUTODAY

HNUTODAY I 21

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