WINTER 2001
VOLUME IV NUMBER II
Northampton
C O M M U N I T Y
C O L L E G E
M A G A Z I N E
“You sense the resilience & beauty
in the human spirit, even in the most
desolate of times...”
CAROL GUZY ‘77
A unique world view — pages 12-18
L E T T E R
T O
T H E
E D I T O R
Northampton
was touching to
me was that I
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MAGAZINE
knew her late
truly enjoyed
husband, of whom
reading the
she wrote. Brent
Northampton
and I struggled
Community
through Speech
College Magazine
OOKING
101 and other
with the “Looking
ORWARD
classes. He was a
Forward —
good friend.
Looking Back”
OOKING
Northampton
article (Issue —
ACK
Community
Fall 2000 — Vol.
College was, to
IV, No.1).As a
me, a LIFESAVER!
graduate of NCC’s
My father at that
second class (’70),
time (1969-1970)
I related to many
became disabled, and money was a
of the memories your “grateful gradumajor problem in our home. Added to
ates” recalled.Your fine magazine
this, I did not want to be too far away
evoked pleasant, nostalgic thoughts
at any college with my dad so ill.
for me.
NCC’s closeness to my hometown and
I especially liked Earl “Dutch”
its reasonable tuition was the perfect
Ihrie’s profile since he’s a Phillipssolution.Thank God for those Army
burg, N.J. High School graduate like I
barracks! Without them I could not
was, and Joann Kostenbader’s, because
have become the English/Drama
she and I share similar, happy recollecteacher I’ve been for the last 20+
tions of Northampton’s past president
years. I transferred to West Chester
and professors. I, too, remember Dr.
State College (now West Chester
Richardson’s open door policy —
University) after NCC to complete my
a wonderful thing for the befuddled,
education. Northampton Community
confused freshman that I was! (Mary
College provided me with a wonderJane Hook, Daniel Larimer and Fred
ful start, a great foundation for all my
Thomisser were three other great profuture academics — not to mention
fessors that I’ll also always revere).
the lifelong friendships I acquired
Like Mrs. Kostenbader, Dr. de los
there. I’ll always be grateful.
Santos was a favorite of mine, too,
Therefore, because of all this, and
mainly because of two things: he
the other interesting profiles and NCC
lovingly had a framed picture of his
news, you can see why I really loved
4-year old child’s crayon drawing in
this issue of your magazine. I intend to
his office; and, we would often test
save it. As Bob Hope sang,“Thanks for
each other’s Shakespearean knowlthe memories!”
edge. He could recite and quote
verbatim numerous passages from the
Weda M. Mosellie
Bard’s plays like a true scholar!
Phillipsburg, NJ
Another reason Joann’s profile
Dear Editor,
I
Northampton
L
F
L
B
Volume IV No. II
Editor
Paul Joly
Contributing Writers
Marlene Bayer
Heidi Butler
Emily Eider
Carol Guzy ’77
James W. Harper
James L. Johnson ’89
Michael E. Nagel
Sandy Stahl
Alumni Notes
Brian Leidy
Design
Susan Williams & Associates
Photography
David Coulter
Carol Guzy ’77
Thomas James Hurst
Randy Monceaux
Philip Stein
◆
President
Dr. Robert J. Kopecek
Vice President
Institutional Advancement
Susan K. Kubik
Northampton
Community College
Foundation Board Chairman
Paul J. Mack
Publisher
Northampton Community
College Foundation
3835 Green Pond Road
Bethlehem, PA 18020
F R O M
T H E
E D I T O R
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
T
he scene is the Northampton
Community College alumni awards
a few weeks ago. In the room are
some people who have lifelong relationships
with the college. There are a few like me
who are fresh initiates to “The Northampton
Way.” And there are others in the room, like
the world-traveling three-time Pulitizer Prize
winning photo journalist, Carol Guzy, and
C.F. Martin, the unassuming CEO of Martin
Guitar, who I figure are there to graciously
accept another award from yet another
community organization ...“Thank you so
much ... this place has always been very
special to me, good night.”
But that’s not what happened.These
famous professionals we were honoring
were in awe of what we have accomplished.
Carol Guzy, The Washington Post photographer who documents wars, disasters, and
unimaginable human atrocities, was overcome by emotion at the podium. She
couldn’t finish delivering the remarks she
had been writing minutes before on a
spiral steno-pad in a quiet corner of the
reception room.
Then C.F. Martin gave a personal testimonial about how much Northampton’s
extended influence on him and his employees has meant for the international growth
and success of the Martin Guitar Company.
Their remarks and those of the other
alumni awards recipients made a realization
snap into focus. Northampton isn’t a place
to them like the colleges I attended are for
me. These people weren’t talking about
hallowed halls; they were reflecting on
Northampton more as a personality or a
way of thinking — more as an attitude than
a place.
If Northampton is an attitude, it’s a darn
confident one. It’s the sort of attitude that
ignores boundaries and apparent obstacles.
It’s the sort of attitude that makes the whole
world its backyard.
Our theme for this issue of the magazine is Northampton in the World. Think of
Northampton as an attitude instead of a
place, and the theme makes perfect sense.
FEATURES
9
FACULTY CONTRIBUTION: KEEP MOVING
Read about the world travels and teachings of several Northampton
faculty members.
12
MYSTERY AND HORROR; POETRY AND WONDER
Step into the shoes of Pulitzer winner Carol Guzy as she documents
powerful moments in time with her camera
DEPARTMENTS
2
CAMPUS NEWS
21
ALUMNI NOTES AND PROFILES
31
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
These images of compassion, refugees, and nomads show the range
of emotion witnessed by three-time Pulitzer Prize winning
photojournalist, Carol Guzy, ’77. Her work is featured in this issue.
Cover background photo, photos on this page are by Carol Guzy, copyright The Washingtn Post. Cover
color photo by Thomas James Hurst.
1
C A M P U S
N E W S
COLLEGE HONORS ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
D
r.Arnold Cook summed it up well.
After listening to the reflections of
this year’s other Alumni Award winners
he observed,“This is a mutual admiration
society.We all love the school.”
Cook was one of seven people selected to receive the Alumni Association’s
highest honor this fall.All seemed genuinely moved by the recognition.As the
Alumni Association paid tribute to their
achievements, they paid tribute to the
role the College has played in their lives.
Winners are:
Paul & Eileen Colahan ’72:
Distinguished Service to NCC
Paul and Eileen have been involved in
many activities at the College, both as
alumni and as parents.Their son Trevor
graduated from NCC in 1999; Ryan
enrolled this fall. Like their mom and
dad, both boys intend to go on for
bachelor’s degrees.They may return.
Since earning a bachelor’s degree in
engineering at the University of Akron,
Paul estimates he has taken close to
50 credit and non-credit classes at NCC.
The former president of the Alumni
Association credits the College with
keeping him at the top of his field. Eileen
concurs.“NCC gave us the foundation to
go on with our education and our
careers.” She too was a founding
member of the Alumni Association.
Marta Boulous Gabriel ’83:
Distinguished Service to the
Community
As director of community relations at
Binney & Smith, and now as manager of
community relations and philanthropy at
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Marta has
made working for the good of the community a career. But she also devotes
much of her personal time and energy to
fostering the revitalization of downtown
Easton, helping cultural organizations
like the Allentown Art Museum and the
State Theatre, promoting the Crayola
Visitor’s Center, and chairing Easton’s
Heritage Day.“When my
family and I came to
this country and to
the Lehigh Valley,” she
recalls,“the community
embraced us. We feel a
responsibility to get
involved.”
Alumni Award winners from left to right: John Michael, Carol
Guzy, Christian Martin, Marta Gabriel, Paul and Eileen
Colahan, Dr. Arnold Cook.
Carol A. Guzy ’77:
Professional
Achievement Award
Professor Emeritus
John Michael:
Educator’s Award
Carol Guzy’s former nursing professor
remembers her as a quiet, unassuming,
unpretentious, hardworking student.
Today she is an unassuming, unpretentious, hardworking Pulitzer Prize winner,
with not just one, but three Pulitzers to
her credit. Her career as a photojournalist has taken her around the world. Carol
credits her nursing education with giving
her photos of the victims of war and natural disasters their edge.“I like to think
that photos heal wounds,” she says.“You
can see the attributes of a good nurse —
compassion, attention to detail, caring for
humanity — in her work,” says Barbara
Roper, the former director of nursing at
NCC.
“A kind and caring individual who
made the complex simple.”That’s how
former students describe the man who
built NCC’s architectural technology
program.They also remember his integrity, the respect students had for him, his
dedication to NCC, and his ability to
multitask “well before the age of computers.”A practicing architect who taught at
NCC for 29 years, John Michael has
received awards before for his teaching
and for his architectural designs, but this
one has special meaning.“To have your
students give you the award, it can’t get
better than that,” he beams. He gives a lot
of credit to people who worked with
him.“You don’t do this alone,” he insists.
Christian F. Martin IV:
President’s Award
Dr. Arnold A. Cook:
Honorary Alumnus Award
Chris Martin began his college
education at UCLA. He finished at Boston
University’s School of Management.
Along the way he attended NCC at night
while working in the family guitar factory.“I love the school,” he says.“I got so
much out of it.” Chris put what he
learned to good use. At 30 he became
chairman and CEO of the Martin Guitar
Company, producers of acoustic instruments deemed the finest in the world.
He came back to NCC to share his
expertise with students through the
“Executive-in-Residence” Program, and
his company continues to be a “rapid
user” of the resources available to
employers through the Center for
Business & Industry.
A well-known orthodontist, Dr.Arnold
Cook has studied at Temple, Northwestern, Loyola,Tufts, the University of
Southern California, Fairleigh Dickinson,
Penn and Pitt. His reaction to being
named an honorary alumnus of NCC?
“I finally have arrived.”The fact of the
matter is, he earned the distinction. In
addition to serving on the board of
trustees, he started the dental hygiene
program, raised money for the dental
clinic, established the College’s first
endowment, and helped to organize the
Foundation and the Alumni Association.
Like other alumni,Arnie may be just a
little bit biased when it comes to NCC.
“This is the most wonderful school in
the country,” he says.
2
C A M P U S
N E W S
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION IN MONROE
D
espite good plans and the best
of intentions, major construction
projects often lag behind schedule.
Not so with the $4 million renovation
and expansion of NCC’s Monroe Campus.
The “new and improved” facilities
opened on time this fall to thumbs up
from students and the delight of the
community. The latest changes triple the
size of the blouse factory the College
converted to classrooms in 1992, adding
10 new classrooms and computer labs,
a modern science lab, a spacious community room, a student lounge, on-campus
child care, and a library outfitted with the
latest technology.
At a dedication ceremony held in
October, Janet Weidensaul, former chair of
the Monroe County Commissioners, called
the completion of the project “a tribute to
what can be done when people work
together.” Weidensaul described the commissioners’ commitment to contribute
$1.5 million towards the expansion as an
“investment in human capital that is a nat-
ural step for a county that is pursuing a
healthy economy.”
Mario Scavello, current chair of the
commissioners, hailed the opening of
the expanded facilities as a “milestone
in the history of Monroe County” and
predicted that NCC will “be an intricate
piece” in the county’s future.
Speaking for students, Casey Melcer
captured the excitement she and her
classmates experienced when seeing plant
cells projected from a microscope onto a
big screen in the science lab. She also
acknowledged that students appreciate
being able to get a real meal on campus
rather than having to “stave off hunger
with a candy bar.”
Enrollment at the Monroe Campus
has been growing rapidly. Close to
900 students now take credit courses
in Tannersville, an increase of 15
percent from a year ago. The College
also is a major provider of adult literacy
classes and of customized training for
local businesses.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
If you visit the Monroe Campus you will see the latest in educational
technology. You will also see a rocking chair. The chair holds a place of honor
in the child care center that opened this fall.
Here, teachers and early childhood education majors read stories, sing
songs, and provide lots of TLC for the youngest students on campus: the
preschool set. The new center serves as a safe haven and stimulating learning
environment for little ones while their moms and dads attend classes or work.
It also provides a learning lab for NCC students preparing for careers in early
childhood education.
The rocking chair and other equipment in the center were made possible by a gift from the Hannig family. A Monroe County businessman, Chuck
Hannig has been involved with NCC since the College first began offering
classes in Tannersville.
As construction began on the latest addition to the Monroe Campus,
Chuck decided he wanted to do something special to celebrate NCC’s success. He talked it over with his three grown children and they were of one
mind: endowing the child care center seemed like the perfect choice.
The only family member not in on the plan was Joan Hannig — Chuck’s
wife and the children’s mother. A guidance counselor, Joan had been devoted to children all her life.The rest of the family wanted to surprise her by naming the child care center in her honor.
They pulled it off.When the “Hannig Family Children’s Center” sign was
wheeled out in a wagon midway through the dedication ceremony, Joan said
she was “shocked.” Had she needed to sit down, the rocking chair was handy.
3
The business community and private
donors provided generous support for
the expansion project. Contributors
honored at the dedication ceremony
included Aventis Pasteur, Bell Atlantic
Foundation, East Stroudsburg Savings
Association Foundation, Instrument
Specialties, Inc., the Hughes Foundation,
PPL Corporation, PenTeleData, the Pocono
Record, Spread Eagle Associates,Weiler
Corporation, Joan and Chuck Hannig,
Mario Scavello, and Sue LaRose and
Roy J. Starner.
Speaking on behalf of the faculty,
Elizabeth Bodien paid tribute to the
workers who toiled through all kinds of
weather to complete the project. The
sociology instructor said she was reminded of a West African proverb which
describes risk-taking as “mouth does not
know that its owner is afraid.” Bodien
said,“This was a big undertaking. It
happened because many mouths said so
and planned it. This is the community in
community college.”
C A M P U S
N E W S
FEEDBACK
Grads Grade NCC
Six months to a year after graduating
from NCC, 96 percent of the members of
the class of ’99 who responded to a survey conducted by the office of planning
and human resources were employed or
continuing their education. Of those
going on for further study, 99 percent said
NCC prepared them adequately or better.
Eighty-seven percent of those in the
workforce gave the College a similar
rating. Overall, 97 percent of the survey
respondents ranked the quality of education at Northampton as equal to or better
than that of other colleges, with 34 percent saying better.
High Praise
from Middle States
Reviewers from an outside accrediting
agency gave NCC high marks during the
College’s most recent evaluation.The
team appointed by the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools found
Northampton Community College to be
“a treasured resource throughout its
entire service region,” according to its
written report.
“The college’s academic and non-credit programs are viable and responsive, fiscal management and accountability have
been demonstrated; much progress has
been made in delineating institutional
objectives; and ... administrative leadership exists at Northampton to ensure the
college’s continuing excellence and
responsiveness,” the reviewers concluded.
Students Excel
in Licensing Exams
Graduates of NCC’s allied health programs continue to find themselves well
prepared for national licensure exams and
state boards.The most recent graduates of
the dental hygiene, radiography, and veterinary technician programs all achieved
100 percent pass rates on their exams. A
pass rate of 88 percent for RNs and LPNs
also topped the statewide average.
RIDING THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE
T
his fall Time magazine hailed
community colleges as ‘the place
to train for dotcom jobs,’ noting that
postgraduates are ‘flocking’ to them
for technology training. NCC is no
exception. Enrollment in computer
information technology has doubled
in the last two years. New concentrations have been added in networking
and software development.A third
option — web development —
will come on line soon.
The growth of these
programs has been
aided by a $228,000
Link-to-Learn grant
that enables the
College to provide
specialized advising
and internships for
students interested
in high tech careers.
NCC has also
moved quickly to
respond to a critical
shortage of electronics
technicians. Nationally,
the Semiconductor
Industry Association
estimates that 17,000
4
technicians will be needed in the next
two years. Over 1,400 of those openings may occur locally.Working with
firms like Lucent Technologies, NCC
has put together an accelerated
electronics program to prepare
students to enter the job market after
six months of full-time study. Once
employed, they can complete their
degree on a part-time basis.The next
class starts in February.
C A M P U S
Nursing is
also a career in
which demand
is expected to
exceed supply
in the next few
years. When
officials at the
Monroe County
Area VocationalTechnical
School decided
to discontinue
the licensed
practical nursing program
there last
spring, NCC
stepped in.The
College now offers an LPN program in
Monroe, as well as in Bethlehem.The
College is also giving RNs an opportunity
to further their educations through a
new partnership with Temple University.
Temple officials have agreed to accept all
credits from NCC’s RN program towards
its bachelor’s degree program and to
offer all the additional coursework
required for the BSN degree on the NCC
campus.
Another allied health field experiencing shortages is radiography.According to
Skip Zile, director of NCC’s radiography
N E W S
GOING GLOBAL
W
program, salaries are increasing and some
hospitals have begun offering signing
bonuses to attract qualified candidates.
Zile fields many calls from employers
looking for radiographers because NCC
is the only college in the area to offer
an associate’s degree in this field.The
closest other programs are in Reading
and Wilkes-Barre. NCC recently began
offering advanced skills internships for
students who want to specialize in
computer tomography (CT), magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), interventional
radiography (IR), or nursing skills.
5
hen it comes to learning
English, practice means
progress. Caregivers in families
who come to the United States with
young children often have difficulty
mastering the language because
they are isolated at home while
their spouse is at work. NCC's
family literacy programs give parents
and children a chance to become
comfortable communicating in
English by pairing literacy classes for
adults with childcare. While their
moms, dads or grandparents work
on their reading skills, children
become bilingual by interacting with
other youngsters in NCC’s early
childhood education program.
“Parents are a young child’s primary
teachers,” explains Program Manager
Nancy Leary. “By working with the
parents, we can develop literacy in
both the adults and children at the
same time.” State grants enabled
the College to start family literacy
programs in Wayne and Pike counties and helped fund the addition of
a second site in Bethlehem.
C A M P U S
N E W S
SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME
N
CC students, faculty and staff had some hard choices to make
this fall.
Finding it impossible to “do it all,” they had to pick and choose
among the many tempting programs and activities that took place on
campus last semester.
Beginning in August....
Quadfest got the
new academic
year off to a lively
start as some of
the hottest bands in
the Lehigh Valley
performed in the
Quad during the first
few weeks of classes. NCC’s version of
Musikfest also featured free food.
Rumor has it you
can look forward to
a reprise toward the
end of the spring
semester.
On to October...
No one got voted out of the dorms, but
residence hall students formed strong
alliances with their hallmates as they
competed in a monthlong series of
challenges in the NCC version of
“Survivor.” Victory went to the “Tabun,”
but other tribes are busy plotting new
strategies for this spring’s
sequel. Stay tuned!
◆
The Cohen Lecture
brought liberal political
commentator Jeff Cohen
and his conservative
counterpart Cliff Kincaid
to NCC for a spirited
debate about the presidential campaign just
weeks before Election
In September....
Close to 300 guests savored a taste
of Southern elegance at “Music,
Menus & Magnolias,” a black-tie
dinner sponsored by the NCC
Foundation. The soiree showcased
the skills of NCC’s culinary arts and
hotel/restaurant management students and raised more than $30,000
for scholarships, lecture series, faculty development, and other enhancements to the academic program.
◆
Classical musician Martha
Curtis inspired an awestruck
audience with her virtuosity on
the violin and the true tale of
how she risked losing her
musical ability and her life by
undergoing radical brain
surgery to stop epileptic
seizures that impeded her
training and performing.
6
Day. One thing on which they agreed
was the importance of students getting
involved in the political process. “A
good economy has caused young
people to think politics doesn’t
matter,” Kincaid said. “We have the
illusion of peace and prosperity, but all
that can easily change.”
C A M P U S
Students took over the
world at the World
Game Workshop, negotiating to solve problems ranging from
drought to disposal of
toxic waste. In this
interactive exercise,
which has been staged
in 35 countries around
the globe, students
learn the realities of
interdependence.
Being a world leader is
“stressful,” said one
participant. “I had to
make hard choices.”
Still, most left the
“game” more optimistic about the future
than they had been
when they started.
N E W S
And in November....
NCC’s theatre season opened with a
production of “Three Sisters,”Anton
Chekhov’s classic drama about coping
with change and lost dreams.
◆
The first-ever “Chef-in-Residence”
program brought Jack McDavid of
“Grillin’ & Chillin’” fame to NCC’s
kitchen. Known as “Philadelphia’s
most colorful restauranteur,” McDavid
had a capacity crowd drooling in
Lipkin Theatre as he demonstrated
techniques for preparing dishes
like “Sweet Potato and Chipolte
Quesadillas” that have made his
restaurants so popular. The next
day, McDavid shared more of his
secrets with culinary arts students
as they worked with him in
preparing a $100 a plate dinner
that showcased his innovative
approach to American cuisine. The
Chef-in-Residence program has
been endowed by The Wood
Company, a Lehigh Valley-based
leader in hospitality and food service management, to enhance the
education of
students in
NCC’s culinary
arts and
hotel/restaurant
management
programs and to
highlight the
College’s role
as a quality
provider of
employees in
the field.
◆
The golf team brought home a state
championship, edging out Penn StateMont Alto in a match played under blustery conditions in Happy Valley. All four
NCC golfers — Chris Gebhart, Mike
Moran, Mike Pankovits and Jake Stefani
— earned berths on the PCAA’s all-state
team. Pankovits was selected from
golfers in the eastern conference as the
first winner of the Wes Olson Memorial
Award.The award recognizes good charactors, honorable behavior and an appreciation for the values of the game.All the
college’s sports teams
posted impressive
records.The baseball
team finished its
regular season with a
perfect 18-0 record and
won the EPCC title, and
the women’s volleyball
team and men’s soccer
both reigned supreme in
the EPCC’s northern division.Way to go, Spartans!
7
C A M P U S
N E W S
PINCH ME NOW
By Heidi Bright Butler
I
magine this:
You’re 20 years old. You’ve worked
hard for as long as you can remember.
You started helping out on your great
grandfather’s farm when you could barely lift a hay bale.
When you turn 16, you get hired at
Wendy’s. For 3 years you go directly
from high school to work every afternoon, flipping burgers until closing time.
You buy your own clothes and scrape
together enough money to buy a 1987
Tempo.
Although your job doesn’t leave much
time to study, you manage to graduate.
You always wanted to go to college, but
you assume it’s financially out of reach.
Instead you find yourself working at a
series of temporary jobs.
One day at work your manager pulls
you off the line. You put down the box
you’re assembling and step outside,
where cameras are rolling. They
announce you are one of four finalists eligible for the $10 million grand prize in
an Internet contest you entered.
The next week you board a plane for
L.A. with your mom and dad and your
kid brother. When you land, there’s a
chauffeur holding a sign with your name.
They put you up at a hotel on the
Avenue of the Stars. President Clinton
checks in a little later.You don’t hang
around for his autograph because they
gave you $1,000 spending money to “do
the town” before the drawing.
After a stop at Universal Studios, it’s
on to Mann’s Chinese Theatre where you
discover that your hands are a perfect
match for Clint Eastwood’s.
Lunch at the hotel the next day costs
$65.The food is good, but what a waste.
You lose your lunch because you’re so
nervous about the drawing. It’s going to
be on national TV, and you don’t know
how to act.
At the
rehearsal you get
to meet talk
show host Leeza
Gibbons. She’s
nice. And down
to earth. They
tell you a model
will escort you
on the set. She’s
so skinny you’re
afraid to take her
arm for fear
you’ll break her.
The moment
has arrived.
You don’t win
the $10 million,
but...You do win
a brand new
baby blue
Mercedes 2000
SLK convertible.
After the
show, you get
whisked off to a
Hollywood party where you run into
Adam Carolla of “The Man Show.” You
know some pretty perverted people, but
“this guy is 100 times worse.” You meet
one of the show’s Juggy Girls who’s
wearing a pink thong. Here comes
Cameron Diaz. She’s not perverted.
She’s fine.
About this time you’re saying,“Pinch
me now. I must be dreaming.”You’re not.
But you’ve got other dreams.
Before heading home, you thank the
producers. You tell them you want to
sell the car and use the money to go to
college. They give you a chance to test
drive it, but you know that car won’t
take you where you want to go. You
stick with your decision, and they
respect you for it.
Not only do they sell the convertible,
they offer to pay the taxes for you. You
take your winnings and invest some for
8
retirement and some as a “nest egg,” so
you’ll have it when you’re ready to start
a family.
When you get back to Bangor, you
go back to your job at Wendy’s. You’ve
always worked. You believe people
enjoy life more when they earn their
own way. “It teaches responsibility,”
you say.
Over the summer you enroll at
Northampton Community College. Sadly,
your mother dies before she gets to
see you start classes.You dedicate your
education and all you hope to accomplish to her.
She would be very proud.
Your name is Dave Achenbach. And
this wasn’t a dream.
Dave Achenbach is studying criminal
justice at NCC with the goal of becoming a state trooper.
F A C U L T Y
C O N T R I B U T I O N S
KEEP MOVING
“Keep Moving! Steam, or Gas, or Stage,
Hold, cabin, steerage, hencoop’s cage —
Tour, Journey, Voyage, Lounge, Ride, Walk,
Skim, Sketch, Excursion, Travel-talkFor move you must! ‘Tis now the rage,
The law and fashion of the Age.”
BY LEN ROBERTS
Professor of English
T
he phrase quoted above was
written by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge in 1824, long before
travel tourism sprang up as an industry
that annually sends millions of people to
near and distant destinations around the
globe. The impetus for such travel, however, remains the same these days as it did
back then: to put considerable distance
between us and our homes so we can see
our lives from a fresh perspective and
return renewed.
In the past several years, four professors from Northampton Community
College joined this traveling show, but
with a particular goal: education.
Elizabeth Smith, professor of chemistry;
Craig Kilpatrick, professor of psychology;
Duncan Howden, professor of culinary
arts; and I took to the road to teach and
to absorb what we could learn, bringing
back our experiences to enrich our own
and others’ lives.
Liz Smith visited the
64th latitude in Joensuu,
Finland, during March, just
managing to escape the 18-hourlong nights by about a month,
although she couldn’t avoid the
dwindling, 10-foot-high remains
of snow piled everywhere she
looked. The winter over, Liz
recalled, the Finns were ecstatic
to see the sun and such small
snow mounds!
During her two weeks
of teaching chemistry to
environmental/ engineering
students and culinary/nursing
9
students at the University of
Joensuu, Liz also experienced
the personal silence which
the Finns are famed for
internationally. “Although my
students were hard working
and intelligent, they didn’t
talk or laugh much,“ Liz said,
adding with a wry smile that,
with the help of Tastykakes,
Lance crackers and Hershey
Bars, she managed to “melt
the ice,” so to speak, and get
the students not only to warm
to her lectures but to speak out
during class sessions.
Craig
Kilpatrick
visited several colleges
and universities during his
sabbatical leave in order
to evaluate possibilities
for student and faculty
exchanges with
Northampton Community
College. His travels took
him to England, Ireland,
Spain, Italy, Austria,
Germany, and the
Netherlands.
Although his days were
filled with meetings with
faculty and administrators,
and in some cases with
students, Craig also managed to see some sites, one
of his favorites being Freud’s home
in Vienna. During his visit there he
attended a lecture in Freud’s former
living room along with other psychologists and psychiatrists from many parts
of the world. “It was a highlight of my
trip,” he said, adding that “Freud,
although neither alive or generally
doing very well, is apparently doing
better in mainland Europe than in the
United States.”
With international contacts made
Professor
Len Roberts
(third from left)
with students
in Finland.
I have also had the good fortune
to travel and teach abroad: twice as a
Fulbright Scholar and once as a
Fulbright translator of Hungarian poetry. My first teaching appointment was
for a year at Janus Pannonius University
in Pécs, Hungary; my wife, Nancy, and
two sons accompanied me, which made
the excursion as personally delightful as
it was academically stimulating.
Although the overall experience was
exciting, sometimes frightening, and
always renewing, there are particular
images which stand out, such as one
afternoon in mid-winter — it seemed it
was always winter there — when I was
teaching on the fifth floor of the university building. It was about 4 p.m., bitterly cold, the sky blue-red with approaching sunset and the wind whistling
through several broken window panes.
Wearing coats, hats, scarves, gloves, the
10
for possible student and faculty
exchanges, Craig returned home
bearing a new-found love of Austrian
ale as well as new and exciting perspectives he intends to integrate into his
work at the College.
students bundled up, hunched over
their desks. Steam rose so thickly from
their mouths that, when a discussion
occurred, the classroom air seemed to
be one big cloud. And still they listened
intently to the lecture, wrote notes with
those gloved hands, and learned as
much as they could, grateful to be
there, not one complaining.
Or another image: 24 graduate students in my American poetry class came
to our apartment weekly to watch
videos about major American poets. (I
was the only instructor at the university
to have the American Embassy’s one
color television set in my apartment, so
I used it to full advantage.) The first
night each of the students, who were
generally so poor they slept six to a
dorm room and hung their food out the
windows in winter to keep it refrigerated, brought a gift, as is the custom in
Hungary when visiting someone at
Duncan Howden, professor of
culinary arts at Northampton
Community College, also had a terrific,
albeit cold at times, teaching experience
during his stay in China. Based at the
University in Tinjin, Duncan taught various “Western” cooking techniques to a
four year Hotel/Restaurant Management
class and a two year culinary arts class.
His hosts and students were
welcoming and warm, he recalled, but
the building that housed the teaching
kitchen had no heat at all. This
kitchen/classroom also had several
broken windows, so, when it snowed —
which it did often — the flakes would
sweep in gusts across the room. One
afternoon the snow fell so heavily, and
there was such a strong wind, he and his
students spent most of their time sweeping and shoveling the aisles so the snow
would not settle and ice over. Still, they
persevered and learned, Duncan said,
even when it came to cleaning up, having to wash the pots and pans in cold
water, for there was no running hot
water in the entire building.
When he wasn’t teaching, Duncan
spent much of his time shopping for the
food products needed for his classes.
Hopping on his bicycle, snow or no
snow, he would peddle to the local outdoor market with at least three Chinese
colleagues — an interpreter, a money
manager, and a member of the cooking
program. One time Duncan pointed to a
live fish which the vendor instantly
picked up and delivered,
wildly flapping, into
Duncan’s hands. Another
day, in the same market,
Duncan selected a particular cut he wanted from an
entire carcass of beef lying
on a table, and the butcher
hacked it off, bone and all,
and once again plopped it,
dripping, into Duncan’s
hands. Luckily, members
of his group were prepared
for such fresh goods, carrying plastic bags and paper
wraps.
“In the history of my
career I have never had the opportunity
to do such teaching and traveling,”
Duncan said, and then added that
“these memories are still very clear to
me. I feel privileged to have had such a
terrific experience.” I can only nod my
head in agreement, as I know Professors
Smith and Kilpatrick would, grateful to
have lived and taught in other cultures,
to “keep moving,” snow and all.
home: flowers, a handmade card, a bottle
of wine which probably cost the student
a few days’ wages, etc. The remarkable
image that stays, though, is that, when I
offered the students pizza and Cokes,
each student took only one slice and
only one can of soda — for the entire
night. I well remember going from each
to each during our break, asking if he or
she would like another slice, another
can, and all 24 politely saying no.
My wife and sons have their images,
too, but one that stands out, and will
relate to some of Duncan’s experiences
in China, concerns bananas. A local market had tacked posters up announcing
that a truckload of bananas was coming
to town, and, since we had not eaten
fresh fruits or vegetables for a few
months, Nancy determined she would
lay her hands on some of these bananas.
So she and my sons, Josh and Brad, rose
the next day at 4 a.m. to stand in line for
the store to open and the fruit selling to
begin. Now this was in January, bitter
January, and when they got there, they
found a good hundred hardy Hungarians
in line before them. After waiting for
five hours, they watched as the last three
bananas were sold to a woman just in
front of them. To this day, we all remember the banana story, and resurrect it at
those times when we say we need a half
dozen éclairs or $20 to eat at the mall.
Would a banana do? brings us back to
our senses.
I found the same love of learning,
the same work ethic, during my sixmonth Fulbright to Finland, although
the students were much better off,
with intact windows, refrigerators in
their dorms, and yes, somehow, plenty
of bananas. Because, as in Hungary, only
the top eight to 10 percent of all high
school students are given the
opportunity to attend university, and
because, as a Fulbright Scholar, I was
given the top 15 literature majors in
their fifth year (equivalent to our first
year of graduate study), I had terrifically
intelligent and motivated students.
I, as Liz, found the students to be quiet
initially, but once they got used to the
“talky”American, the discussions flourished. One of the personal highlights of
our six-month stay there was a four-day
dogsled safari on the Arctic tundra
during the darkest nights of the year,
December 20-23. My sons and I drove
our own dogsleds from station to station, our nightly lodgings consisting of
canvas pole tents with a hole cut at the
top where our fire smoke escaped and
we could espy the brightest stars —
at 30 degrees below 0 Farenheit — we’d
ever seen in our lives.
— Len Roberts
11
B Y C A R O L G U Z Y ’ 7 7
Photojournalist, The Washington Post
genuine courage.You sense the resilience and beauty in
the human spirit, even in the most desolate of times.
That moves you deeply.And you continue to record
their plight.
It’s haunting to voyage into so many different souls.
What we witness never leaves us. It clings to us. It
changes us, sometimes in a small way, sometimes greatly.
We see people’s most intimate moments — their joys
and sorrows, their triumphs and tragedies. Always, trying
to translate what you experience becomes a challenge.
It’s never, ever the same as being there, walking in someone else’s shoes.
But if we capture those moments and communicate
them successfully, it can provide greater knowledge and
enrich the spirit. It can strengthen our sense of purpose.
It gives us a deeper compassion and respect for all life.
Black and white. Rich and poor. Men and women.Yes, it
draws us closer even to the animals with whom we
share this earth — the most silent of victims.
We’ve proven selective compassion doesn’t work.
There’s a quote I love. It goes:“Tell me, I’ll forget. Show
me, I may remember. Involve me, I’ll understand.”
Lately, new technology has grabbed everyone’s
attention. Digital cameras. Faster computers. But
remember, they are merely tools. It’s eyes and minds and
hearts, passion, and commitment that make the most
compelling images. It’s the people in the pictures and
those who view
them that are
the important
ones.
Photographs
can be an important tool in these
times of increasing divisiveness
and separatism.
They can build
bridges of
empathy.They
can show our
differences.
They also can
T
he more time passes, the more I realize what a
privilege it is for us to bear witness to history
— both the major news events and the small
moments of humanity. Photographers spend a lot of
time looking for the right light. But the most important
light we glimpse and attempt to capture is the radiance
within every being.
They call it soul.
At times I reflect on just why we do this.There’s
certainly an emotional
toll from witnessing
man’s inhumanity,
especially covering
stories in places like
Haiti and Rwanda.
I’ve seen wretched
poverty there. Men
beaten to death by
mobs. Refugee children
watching their parents die on the side of a road, their
raspy moans giving way to eternal silence. Children
suffering for politics and ethnic hatreds they do not
comprehend.
In my life I’ve seen the eyes of evil, the hands of
injustice, the face of repression.
I hear people say,“Oh, no. Not another story
on Haiti!”
“We’ve seen enough of refugees.”
“Cliché; been there, done that.”
But it’s hard to tell that desperate woman holding
her starving child she’s a cliché.These people can’t turn
the page when they don’t like the story.They can’t
change channels.They remain mired in reality long after
the headlines fade away.
There’s guilt:You know you can get on a plane and
fly home to comfort while others remain trapped in
their own personal hell. How many pictures can you
take until someone really sees? How many times can
your own heart break? Are there any lasting answers?
But then you see a gesture of tenderness. Or witness
12
Photo by Carol Guzy © The Washington Post
MYSTERY AND HORROR;
POETRY AND WONDER
show the qualities that make us all part of the human
family.
Seeing too much death and destruction can generate
a helplessness that numbs or angers readers, and fingers
start pointing at the media for running those disturbing
images. It’s easier to criticize a photographer or editor
than to address the root of the problem. But there is a
great danger in censoring reality.
As long as abuse and conflict and inequality remain,
it is our responsibility to have a social conscience and
bring these issues to light, for others to judge and make
educated choices. As Eugene Smith once said,“Let truth
be the prejudice.”
A photograph can be a powerful witness and an
eloquent voice for those who have none. Pictures
inform, educate, enlighten, captivate, spur governments
into action.They are historical documents and poignant
reminders of our human frailties. Sometimes they touch
our very souls.
And, yes, at times they make a difference. Perhaps a
small difference to one person for one moment on one
day, but meaningful nonetheless.They’re our life’s work,
our legacy.
Sometimes on the pages of a newspaper we see
things that tear at the very fiber of civilization.We are
repulsed at the sight of a man’s brutal death at the hands
of a vigilante mob in Port-au-Prince, desperate for
revenge after the killing of their beloved community
leader.We taste his fear, hear his last heartbeat, and
mourn the loss of hope in a land where the only justice
is that of the streets.
We join in the revelry of a democratic convention,
and journey into the world of nomads, living with grace
and elegance on the harsh desert sands of Africa.We
smile at the tender innocence of a baby’s bare bottom
wrapped in the warmth of family.
With pictures we can weep for Rwanda and rage
at injustice everywhere.We also celebrate the daily life
around us. It’s mystery and magic. It’s poetry and
wonder.
13
Photos by Thomas James Hurst
The photojournalist regularly works in conditions others would find impossible. These photos of Carol Guzy in the field were
taken by a freelance associate, Thomas J. Hurst. In the page 12 photo, a Haitian man’s trial and sentencing is carried out by
an angry mob.
Ethnic Albanian families were
put to flight by the Serbs’ policy
of “ethnic cleansing.” The flood
of humanity into neighboring
Albania and Macedonia was
massive. Fenced camps became
small communities with evidence
of the tenacity of the human
spirit in the strong family bonds
that endured the hardships.
14
Photo by Carol Guzy © The Washington Post
15
“Remember”
Photo by Carol Guzy
© The Washington Post
Photos by Carol Guzy © The Washington Post
In Zaire, Rwandan
refugees, many
of them children,
are fed by
international aid
workers (above).
In Haiti, the
photographer
bears witness as
American soldiers
step in to stop mob
violence (right).
S T U D E N T
F E A T U R E S
NIGERIA TO NORTHAMPTON
B Y S A N D Y S TA H L
W
hen Fatima Adamu arrived in this
country from Nigeria to start
college, she pretty much kept to
herself. “When I got here in the
spring of 99, I was just terrified.
I was a very shy person, very
introverted. I used to be miserable because you’re adjusting to
people, and the way people
communicate is very different,”
she explained.
“Over there (in Africa),
people are more quiet. Here,
people are more vocal.
Something as simple as common
courtesy — when you pass
someone you smile at them —
was hard to deal with.The first
time someone did that I was like,
‘You don’t know me.What are you
smiling for?’ I thought that was
extremely weird at first.”
These days, you’d never know that
Adumu had any trouble adjusting.The
bubbly 19-year-old has integrated herself
well into student life at Northampton.
She is the current chairperson of the
student senate, and is planning to transfer to Temple, Lehigh or Drexel to study
electrical engineering or architecture.
“I knew I was going to be applying
to other colleges, and a good GPA is
not enough.You need something more,”
she said of her decision to join the
senate.“I’m starting to feel comfortable
in the role. I was so used to being
passive and not being the one who
has to control everything.The first
meeting I wondered what had I gotten
myself into, but by the third meeting
it was much better.”
Though Adamu was born in
Philadelphia and is an American citizen,
she considers herself an international
student. She moved to Nigeria as a preschooler, and lived there until a week
after graduating from high school at age
16. Her American mother and Nigerian
father had met in college in the U.S., so
Adamu says it was always assumed that
she would come to the U.S. for college.
“When I was little and I would
visit the states, my grandmother would
always bring me to NCC,” she said.“It
seemed like a natural progression to
come here.”
When Adamu graduates, she will be
the third generation to attend
19
Northampton: both her mother,
Kathryn Holmes-Adamu, and her grandmother, former NCC coordinator of
tutorial services Louise Johnson,
preceded her.
Growing up with American
ties in Africa has afforded Adamu
the ability to speak three
languages: English, Nupe and
Hausa, the most widely
spoken language in West
Africa. It has also allowed her
to explore two different
schooling systems.
On a return trip to
Nigeria last summer,Adamu
discovered that her friends
were jealous that she could
pick out her class schedule at
Northampton.
“They thought I was so
lucky. In Nigeria, they just hand you
a schedule and you have to be
there,” she said.
Though she said she’s enjoying her
time in the States,Adamu misses the
food she grew up with.
“There’s a certain flavor you can’t
replicate.When we used to cook, the
tomatoes would be blended fresh.Then
you’d have to go to the market, buy the
spinach and cut it up,” she said.“Most of
the time you’d buy a chicken, then
bring it home and pluck it and clean it.
The taste is totally different. I mean,
when we had lamb it was fresh because
my dad killed it!”
Adamu tentatively plans to live in
the U.S. after graduation, because she
feels she’ll have more opportunity here.
She said she’d love a job that would
allow her to travel, especially to Europe.
“I think I got it from my mom, who
was in the Peace Corps,” she said.“I
want to see the world!”
S T U D E N T
F E A T U R E S
A STUDENT LEADER
AND A
WORLD AMBASSADOR
J A M E S W. H A R P E R
A
ltaf Visram finds himself in
Pennsylvania, a long way from
his home in Kenya. Vishram is one of
many students on the NCC campus
who come from abroad.
Natural questions arise. How did
he get here? Why did he enroll here?
What are his impressions and where
will he go from here?
Altaf’s brother left Kenya for
Kutztown University in 1995. Only a
third of the 60,000 high school gradu-
ates in Kenya are accepted by Kenyan
universities. According to Visram,
they must be the “top level exceptional”
students.
Many serious students seek
opportunities in the United States.
The older Visram brother searched
many schools, and found Kutztown
offers both the international student aid
and curricula he was looking for.
So when Altaf was ready for college,
he came to the Lehigh Valley to live
with his brother so that he might
apply to a school that met both his
educational and financial criteria.
20
It was Northampton that was the
clear winner. Computer science has
always been his career choice, and he
was impressed by NCC offerings. He
also met a friend who studied at NCC
and encouraged him to apply. It has
been a positive match.
Visram plans to complete the
Northampton associate degree program
in 2001, then transfer to an area four
year college to complete his bachelor
of science degree. Then he would like
to return to Africa and do “community
work.”After all, he states,“Citizens of the
world have no option about where they
will be born. It’s time to help move us
all toward one community.”
What has been the most difficult
transition from Africa to Bethlehem
Township? “Cold weather,” is an
immediate response. Next most
difficult — food. Altef is a Muslim and
his diet is of necessity determined by
his religion. He and his brother shop in
New Jersey for the specialties they
need, but attempting to eat on campus
has been a real challenge.
Currently, Altef serves as president
of the International Students
Organization and as a member of the
Student Senate. He has also developed
a Web site for Northampton students to
buy and sell used books.
Altaf Visram is clearly an
international student who is taking a
leadership role while he is here in
America and a person who believes in
giving back to the world in which he
finds himself.
A L U M N I
ACCOUNTING
◆ 1996 Janis E. Strohl has received a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from
Muhlenberg College in May 2000. Janis lives
in Allentown with her husband.
◆ Ana Silva Martins obtained a civil engineering degree from Villanova University in
1988. In 1994 she obtained her Pennsylvania
P.E. license. Currently she works as a senior
project manager/engineer at The Newton
Engineering Group P.C. in Allentown. She
lives in Bethlehem with her husband,
Fernando Martins, and their two children,
Ashley and Nicole.
◆ Richard Allen Beegle, Jr. and Jean Ann
Henshaw were united in marriage in St.
Anne’s Catholic Church in Bethlehem on
September 2, 2000. Richard is employed by
RC Cement. The couple lives in Bethlehem
Township.
◆ Cathy A. Williams is an administrative
assistant for Armenti Planning Company in
Allentown. She resides in Hellertown.
◆ 1973 Stephen J. Raykos is an audit manager for Sovereign Bank,Wyomissing. He and
wife Barbara live in Northampton.
◆ 1978 Susan (Seiple) Michalek is
employed by the state of Delaware’s
Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control, Division of Water
Resources. The division of water resources
awarded Susan the 1999 Award of
Recognition in the Office Support
Professional Field for her leadership and
commitment to the division’s accounting
branch.
◆ 1993 Judy Ann Brimmer-Stoll is
employed by the U.S. Postal Service and is
married to Robert Jeffrey Stoll ’95 (criminal
justice). Robert works in the customer service department at Intermedia Marketing
Concept in Whitehall.
ADVERTISING DESIGN
◆ 1994 Theresa Ann Butler of Bethlehem
is employed as a secretary in the alumni
office at Lehigh University.
◆ 1995 Amy Hrizuk of Northeast Harbor,
Maine, is a graphic artist at The Ellsworth
American newspaper in Ellsworth, Maine.
She works in the composing room, specializing in ad building and page layout. She also
does design/layout work for the monthly
newsletter of the Ellsworth Area Chamber of
Commerce. Amy, who received a bachelor’s
degree at Millersville University, has been
very successful in her career and credits this
to her education at NCC.
N O T E S
◆ 1996 Janet Jensen is a graphic designer
for Silhouettes in Easton and lives in
Riegelsville with husband, Eric.
ARCHITECTURAL
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1976 Scott M. Higgins of Northampton is
employed by Lucent Technologies.
◆ Warren F. Knight of Mashpee, Mass.,
works in Sagamore, Mass. as a landscape
architect for Atlantic Design Engineers. He is
professionally associated with the ASLA of
Massachusetts.
◆ Bryan Allen Silva and Dana Lynn
Dominko were married on October 1, 2000
in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Catasauqua.
Bryan works at the Jack Creek Steakhouse
restaurant. Bryan and Dana live in Allentown.
◆ 1982 Carla M. (Frable) Binder is the
owner of Creative Framing by Carla,
Palmerton. She lives in Palmerton with her
husband, Philip.
◆ 1986 Todd Ginder is a drafting instructor
at the Wilkes-Barre Vocational Technical
School. Todd and his wife’s new baby,
Stephen Todd, was born March 24, 2000.
AUTOMOTIVE
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1982 Stephen T. Duna of Quakertown is
attending Villanova University graduate
school in pursuit of his master’s degree. He
graduated cum laude in 1999 from Cedar
Crest College, where he obtained a bachelor
of arts degree.
◆ 1992 William Strubinger is employed by
Kovatch Chevrolet Cadillac in Lehighton. He
lives in Lehighton with his wife, Jessica.
◆ 1995 Jason A. Kornhausl and Julie A.
Woolever exchanged vows at Sacred Heart
Church in Bath on September 25, 1999. Jason
works for Saturn of Route 33 as an automotive technician. The couple lives in
Danielsville.
◆ 1996 Kevin Ferenchak and Michelle
Shope ’95 (early childhood) were married in
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in
Whitehall in September 2000. Michelle
works for Adams Outdoor Advertising as an
administrative assistant. Kevin is an automotive technician at Saturn of Route 33. The
NCC couple lives in Northampton.
◆ 1987 Brian Beck is an automotive technician employed by Rentschler Chevrolet,
Slatington. He and his wife, Victoria Ann, live
in Palmerton.
◆ 1995 William Rodriguez of Allentown
21
works as an automotive technician at the
Strauss Discount Auto store, Bethlehem.
BANKING
◆ 1992 Donna Jean Roseberry Weaver is
the owner/partner of the Nazareth Hardware
Company. She and her husband, Bruce, live in
Nazareth.
◆ 1996 Dava S. Krall has a new job at First
Union National Bank in Allentown. She is an
assistant portfolio manager at its financial
center, and is professionally associated with
AIB as a director. Dava continued her education at Penn State University. Dava and her
husband, David, live in Andreas.
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
◆ Maureen E. Winch lives and works in
Bangor. She is a physical therapist at Lehigh
Valley Physical Therapy.
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
◆ 1975 Mitchell R. Huston, Northampton,
is a marketing supervisor at Ingersoll-Rand,
Washington, N. J.
◆ 1977 Viera M. Hummel is a supervisor
for D’Angelo’s Services, Bethlehem. He lives
in Bethlehem with his wife, Debra.
◆ 1988 Dolores Stanton, Bethlehem, works
as an operations director for Lehigh County.
◆ 1994 Duane W. Morris and Michele L.
Kneller ’93 (fashion merchandising) were
married on October 2, 1999. Duane is
employed by Applebee’s Restaurant. Michele
is a graduate of Centenary College and is
employed by M&T Bank.They live in Fishkill,
N.Y.
◆ Jennifer Brockman is an adoption social
worker for Adoptions From the Heart,
Hellertown and is a graduate of Pennsylvania
State University.
BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
◆ 1989 Trevor J. Hahn is enjoying his new
home in Macungie with his wife, Kathryne.
Trevor has landed a great job with Mack
Trucks, Inc. of Allentown. In addition to his
education at NCC,Trevor attended Allentown
College of St. Francis de Sales and has completed training at the Dale Carnegie Institute.
◆ 1995 Christine Marie Holland Sleeman
and Dr. Geoffrey Scott Holland were married
September 18, 1999 in Palmer Moravian
A L U M N I
N O T E S
CHEMICAL
TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTER INFO
SYSTEMS
◆ 1995 Debra D’Alessio of Nazareth is
working toward her bachelor of science
degree in business at Allentown College of St.
Francis de Sales. She also works as a precision technician for Binney & Smith, Inc. of
Easton.
◆ 1996 June A. Crane lives in Orlando,
Florida, where she is employed by Parkway
International, Orlando.A licensed realtor, June
specializes in vacation ownership packages.
◆ 1993 Helen F. Lakatos of Bethlehem is
employed by Lehigh University as a senior
computing consultant in the information
resources department at the Linderman
Library. Helen was a former member of the
NCC computer services staff
◆ 1995 Hatice Adar, her husband, Nihat, and
their two children live in Eskisehir, Turkey.
Hatice is employed by Anadolu University in
Turkey.
◆ 1996 Debra Kaczmar of Walnutport
reports that she is very content working for
the Bureau of Information Systems in
Harrisburg. She pursued her associate’s
degree after working 23 years with the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1998, she
took a job doing COBOL mainframe programming without any classroom experience. She loved it but knew that her real love
was fixing computers. She transferred in
September of 1999 to the Commonwealth’s
user support area as a distributed systems
specialist, where she is today.
◆ Peter Golian of Freemansburg works at
InfoNXX, Inc. in Bethlehem as a developer.
COGNITIVE
RETRAINING
Dale Knisley, a former Northampton
nursing student, was profiled in the
Neighbors section of The Morning Call,
October 19, 2000.
◆ 1991 Dusty Draffen Browne of
Wimberley, Texas, is employed at Texson
Management Group in Austin, Texas. Since
graduating from NCC, Dusty has earned a
bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a Ph. D in
psychology. She is doing an internship at a
treatment center for drug and alcohol abuse
and plans to work as a counselor in this field
when her internship has been completed.
COMMERCIAL ART
Church, Palmer Township. Christine works
as a human resources representative for
Elementis Pigments, Inc. of Easton.
◆ 1999 Kimberly E. Davis is employed by
Altec Lansing Technologies, Inc. in Milford.
She is doing marketing and product development research. In addition, Kimberly is
attending Penn State University, pursuing a
bachelor of science degree in business.
◆ 1989 Trevor J. Hahn of Macungie works
in the marketing/distribution department of
Mack Trucks, Inc., Allentown.
◆ 1992 Melissa F. (Manazer) Hess is married to Christopher Hess ’93 (criminal justice). Christopher is a member of the NCC
Alumni Association board of directors. They
live in Easton.
◆ 1995 Duane Hoch of Northampton is a
mail handler for the U.S. Postal Service at the
Lehigh Valley office.
◆ 1998 Lisa J. (Heath) Bledsoe and husband, James, live in Mount Bethel. Lisa is a
brokerage margin clerk, Summit Financial
Services.
◆ 1998 Kristen Sterner is assistant manager for Party City, Bethlehem. She lives in
Bethlehem with husband, Jeffrey.
◆ 1985 Lorri (Kulp) Woodward has
recently become the art director at Lehigh
Valley Magazine in Bethlehem. She and her
husband, John, and their two children,
Rebecca and Lindsey, live in Bath.
COMPUTER AIDED
DESIGN
◆ 1991 Donald Lynch and his wife, Doris
Lynch ’00 (medical transcription), are residents of the city of Easton. Donald’s new
employer is Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. of
Lebanon, N.J., where he is a project engineer.
Donald continued his education at Fairmont
State College in Fairmont,W.Va. He graduated
in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in
engineering technology.
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
◆ 2000 Jacqueline Karpow of Bethlehem
is an editorial assistant at Rodale Press in
Emmaus.
COMPUTER INFO
SCIENCE
◆ 1995 Victoria (Fritzinger) Alban of
Whitehall is an information analyst employed
by EDS of Bethlehem.
22
COMPUTER INFO
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1998 Nereida DeJesus of Bethlehem is
employed as a clerk typist II by the County of
Northampton in Easton.
◆ 1999 Lisa Paffrath of Effort is working for
Sales Plus, a division of Dendrite
International, in Stroudsburg. She was certified as an A+ technician at NCC in May 2000.
Her plans are to go back to school at Penn
State University to receive a bachelor’s
degree in either information technology or
systems management. Lisa is married to Rudy
Paffrath.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
◆ 1997 Richard Michael Bauer of
Bethlehem is employed by Pentamation in
Bethlehem.
◆ 1994 Christopher Charles Boscia is
employed by the Harleysville Insurance
Companies, Harleysville. He and his wife,
Julie, live in Alburtis.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
◆ 1994 Daniel C. Reenock of Northampton
was a member of the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society Team in training. He par-
A L U M N I
ticipated in a 100-mile bicycle ride at Lake
Tahoe, Nev. in June 2000. Daniel is employed
by Progressive Insurance in Allentown.
◆ 1997 Gary Michael Infante of
Bethlehem is working for Flores Air
Conditioning in Catasauqua.
◆ 1999 Cory A. Marsteller of Easton was
sworn in as a police officer by Allentown
Mayor William Heydt at a July 2000 ceremony
at City Hall. Cory is attending the Gerald M.
Monahan Sr. Police Academy in Allentown.
◆ 1999 Michelle Richie and her husband,
William, are the very happy parents of
Sabrina Nina, born on February 18, 2000.
Michelle works for Warren Hospital and
Northampton County. She and William are
residents of Saylorsburg.
◆ 1998 Ella Kiefer of Bethlehem graduated
Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales with
a degree in criminal justice in January 2000.
CULINARY ARTS
◆ 1997 Kelsey M. Strohl of Emmaus is a
chef for the Wood Company at Air Products
and Chemicals, Inc.
DATA PROCESSING
◆ 1980 Thomas R. Miller is employed as an
information services application manager at
Pechiney Plastic Packaging in Washington,
N.J. Thomas and his wife, Mary Beth, live in
Pen Argyl.
◆ 1985 Philip Maro is working in his field
of study. He is a computer network administrator at the Virginia Baptist Children’s Home
in Salem,Va. Philip is a resident of Moneta,Va.
DENTAL ASSISTING
◆ 1993 Rebecca (Shaffer) Remaly and her
husband, Craig, live in Allentown. Rebecca
works for Lehigh Oral & Maxillofacial
Surgery.
◆ 1987 Denise L. Melvin, Allentown, is a
staff therapist at Lehigh Valley and
Muhlenberg Hospitals.
◆ 1981 Sheila (Groeger) Miknyoczki,
Ph.D. is a research scientist at Cephalon Inc.,
in West Chester. Sheila makes her home in
Easton with her husband, Jules.
◆ 1990 Amy Sue Walkiewicz is employed
as a dental hygienist and lives in Allentown.
◆ 1991 Amy (Evans) Cziraky’s full-time
job is raising her children, Emily, 4, Megan, 2
and newest family member, Sara, born May 8.
Amy and her husband, Mark, live in
Wilmington, Delaware.
N O T E S
◆ 1998 Angie Lee (Knepper) Fureman is
married to Patrick Fureman. They live in
Dallastown. Angie is employed as a hygienist
at North York Family Dental.
DENTAL HYGIENE
◆ 1980 Gail M. (Zmarzley) Kucherich is
an employee of the Bath Area Dental
Associates in Bath. She lives in Coplay with
her husband, Thomas, and their two daughters, Rachel and Melissa.
◆ 1982 Kathy (Fehnel) Watters is a dental
hygienist for Dr. Robert Brennan in
Bethlehem. Kathy and her husband,Thomas,
live in Easton.
◆ 1985 Jane Halley and her husband, Lewis,
live in Easton. Jane works as a dental hygienist at Easton Periodontal Associates.
◆ 1986 Lotti Tobin-Deiter of Pottsville has
two working careers that she enjoys. She is
employed by Dr. David Wasilewski in
Minersville and is also employed by her husband David’s roofing company.
◆ 1987 Lisa Rennick Kurilla is employed
by Dr. H. Bruce Fellows and Associates in
Pottsville. She and her husband, Jim, live in
Port Carbon.
◆ 1989 Jennifer S. (Dierwechter)
Hollister and her husband, Joseph, are
Orwigsburg residents. Jennifer works in the
dental office of Dr. J. S. Hottenstein in
Leesport.
◆ 1989 Heather (Mitzel) Leiphart is the
mother of Hannah, 8, Paul, 6, and Olivia, 2.
Heather and her husband, Craig, celebrated
their 10th wedding anniversary with the family at Disney World in October. She is
employed by Dr.William Baile of York.
◆ 1989 Deena Rae (Valeriano) Weise is
employed by David M. Causa, DDS in
Mohnton. She and her husband,William, live
in Oley with their daughters Courtney, 3, and
Sydney, who was born on May 22.
◆ 1990 Claudia (Mastrolia) Clark has
been working for Dr. Kerry Wentling as a dental hygienist for the past 10 years. Claudia
and her husband, Steve, have recently moved
to the countryside of Fredericksburg. They
enjoy their seven-acre property with their
boxer, Gretchen.
◆ 1992 Kimberly M. (Fritz) McFarland of
Zionsville married Jason Robert McFarland
on May 13, 2000 in Macungie. They spent
their honeymoon in Tortola, British Virgin
Islands. Kimberly is employed by Dr. Bonano
of the Red Hill Dental office.
23
◆ 1992 Sherry Marie McDonald-Menet
lives in Reading with her children, Christian
and Michal. She is employed by Jon M.
Kanegawa, DDS.
◆ 1993 Jackie (Finlayson) Crane, RDH is a
surgical assistant for oral surgeon Dr. Gary
Vitale. She and her husband, Chester, are the
parents of Benjamin G., who was born on
December 30, 1999. Jackie lives in Westfield,
N.J.
◆ 1993 Tracie M. Brunner and David W.
Lembach were married in Easton on
November 13, 1999. Tracie is employed by
the dental office of Dr. Christopher B. Hill.
◆ 1993 Wendy (Bittner) Sensenig and
Brian Sensenig (’93 Business Management)
are living in Bernville. Wendy is working for
Harold Fries, DDS. Brian has completed his
master’s degree in business from Allentown
College of St. Francis de Sales. He is working
at Lucent Technologies in Allentown.
◆ 1994 Melissa Booth of Willow Street is
preparing for an October 27, 2001 wedding.
She works for Charles King, DDS in Willow
Street.
◆ 1996 Sandra J. (Davies) MacIntosh and
her husband, Fred, live in Lansdale. Sandra
works for North Penn Pediatric Dental
Associates.
◆ 1998 Michele L. (LaBar) Leon works on
the dental team of Dr. VanDragt as a dental
hygienist. She and her husband, Christopher,
relocated to Traverse City, Mich. in 1999 so
that Christopher could open a nuclear pharmacy in partnership with PharmaLogic MI.
Both Michele and Christopher are planning
to continue their educations.
◆ 1998 Angie Fureman and her husband,
Patrick, are the proud parents of a new
daughter, born on September 7, 2000. Angie
works for Dr. Christopher Paluch in York. The
Furemans live in Dallastown.
◆ 1999 Jennifer A. (Wilson) Marakovits
and her husband, Jason, live in Northampton.
She is employed by Dr. Daniel Milavec.
Jennifer also received an associate’s degree in
general studies in 1997.
◆ 1999 Shannon E. (Altorfer) Pysher and
Neil Pysher exchanged wedding vows in
Trinity United Church of Christ in Mount
Bethel on April 29, 2000. Shannon is a dental
hygienist at Rose Dental Center in Easton.
She and her husband reside in Martins Creek.
◆ 2000 Kathy Cortright and her husband,
Wayne, live in Germansville. Kathy works as
a dental hygienist.
A L U M N I
M
N O T E S
decided to immerse myself in
the culture.” Armed with a
three-month scholarship for
a language school in Mérida
on the Yucatan Peninsula,
Facciponti set out on a voyage
of self-discovery. Her three
months turned into a two-year
odyssey in Mexico and
Guatemala that went beyond
learning Spanish.
By the time she returned
she had also honed her storytelling skills and decided to
make it a full-time profession.
“Everybody’s got their own
shows going on in their head,”
says Facciponti.“Tell a story
and everyone hearing it sees
different images.Yet there’s an
energy going on between the
listener and the teller.That’s
the special thing about the
oral nature of storytelling.”
In addition to spreading the gospel of responsible
ecology, Facciponti is an active community volunteer. In
1998, she established the Lehigh Valley Storytellers Guild.
Facciponti also teaches dance, from folk to ballroom,
African and Caribbean hand drumming, and the art of
storytelling itself.“I love to teach anything I’ve learned,”
she says.“Right now I teach non-credit courses at
Northampton — earth science to kids and dancing and
drumming to adults. I’ll also be teaching storytelling at the
College in the spring.The College gave me my start. I
share what I’ve learned to increase social tolerance and
for the stewardship of the earth.”
— By James L. Johnson ‘89
aster storytellers can
throw a spellbound
hush over a crowd.
Their stories draw us in,
entertain us, make us laugh or
cry.The best stories also teach.
For more than 10 years, Lisa
Facciponti ’82 has been telling
stories to teach people to care
for each other and our planet.
Passing along her green
message has always been
important to Facciponti.
Storytelling, however, was not
her first choice of career.“I
always thought I’d be able to
work in the earth sciences,”
says the former NCC environmental studies major.“I wanted
to do something for the earth
— to teach others that its wellbeing is our responsibility.”
Toward that goal she continued her education at East
Stroudsburg University, where she carried a dual major in
marine science and biology.
But after nearly a decade of teaching in environmental programs in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Facciponti
came to a hard realization about her chosen field.“I found
the jobs I was attracted to were low paying and very
confining,” she says.“I needed time to grow the rest of my
life — to take care of family, friends, my body, my spirit.
What I was doing just wasn’t flexible enough for me.”
So Facciponti served notice at her job, packed a
backpack and took off for Mexico.“When I was a kid I’d
listen to Spanish language records my mother had,” she
explains.“I was fascinated by it. But even though I studied
on my own and in college, I never was fluent. I finally
24
A L U M N I
DESIGN ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1973 Raymond Gilberry of Bethlehem
works as a valve technician at Hydal
Corporation in the Lehigh Valley.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
◆ 1974 Dot Butler Dmytryk is a certified
professional community association manager
for Mid-Atlantic Management Corporation.
Dot and her husband, John, are residents of
the city of West Chester.
◆ 1977 Susan Mary (Mitchell) Kish and
Robert Kish have been married for 18 years.
They have two children, Jamie and John.
Susan works in the special education department of the only elementary school in the
Philomath School District in Oregon. Susan
enjoys travelling. In 1999, she and Robert visited Germany, and they plan to go to New
Zealand.
◆ 1978 Karen Klein was the recipient of
the 2000 Mae DeJesus Award given by
Community Services for Children of
Bethlehem. The award is for excellence in
preschool teaching. Karen teaches at the
children’s center at NCC.
◆ 1979 Betty Hepburn and her husband,
John, have been married for 54 years and
have four children. She started college as a
49-year-old employee of Head Start. Betty,
who taught at the Hamilton School in
Bethlehem and taught preschool at the
YWCA in Bethlehem, is retired. She spends
her time as a volunteer and mentor at the
grade school level.
◆ 1983 Lori B. (Stoudt) Kotze and Michael
A. Kotze of Bethlehem have three children:
Elizabeth Ann, 7 years old, Samantha Jean, 3
years old and Amanda Nicole, 2 years old.
◆ 1983 Cathleen D. (Drescher) Campbell
and her husband, David, live in Easton.
◆ 1984 Linda W. Clark of Phillipsburg, N.J.
works as a certified program assistant at the
Third Street Alliance Adult Care in Easton.
◆ 1992 SuzAnne Messer of Cartersville,
Ga., has been a special education teacher for
the past three years in the Bartow County
School District in Georgia. After graduating
from NCC, she continued her studies in education and received a bachelor of science
degree. She is planning an April 2001 wedding.
◆ 1993 Ira Ghosh and her husband have
become new residents of Richland, Wash.,
where Ira has a new job teaching kindergarten at the Children’s Garden Montessori
School.
N O T E S
◆ 1994 Staci M. (Falcone) George of
Bangor continued her education at East
Stroudsburg University, graduating in 1998.
Staci is a substitute teacher in the Pen Argyl
Area School District. She and her husband,
Robert, were married on October 2, 1999.
◆ 1994 Amy Strauss works for Lehigh
Valley Hospital in Allentown. She plans to
return to NCC to continue her studies in early
childhood education.
◆ 1995 Deborah Ann Lamson is employed
by Ark II Nursery School of Christ Hamilton
Lutheran Church in Stroudsburg. Deborah
was promoted from nursery school teacher
to director in September 1998. She and her
husband, Bruce, live in Saylorsburg.
◆ 1996 Deidre Sacco received a bachelor of
arts degree in English/elementary education
at Moravian College. Deidre, who lives in
Easton, works for the Easton Area School
District.
◆ 1998 Natalie Klinepeter is a teacher at
the Citicorp Family Center in Hagerstown,
Maryland. Natalie lives in Big Cove Tannery.
◆ Janet Auman and her husband, Harry, live
in Easton, Md. In 1990, Janet received a
degree in general studies from Chesapeake
Community College in Wye Mills, Maryland.
Janet, a recipient of a kidney and pancreas,
writes articles for the newspaper concerning
transplants and organ donations.
◆ 1974 Jane (Ganssle) Ronyack is a 3rd
grade teacher in the Bethlehem Area School
District. Jane and her husband, Robert
Ronyack ’99 (Safety, Health and
Environmental Technology)
live
in
Bethlehem.
◆ 1994 Staci M. (Falcone) George and her
husband, Robert E. George, Jr., live in Bangor.
Staci is a substitute teacher for Pen Argyl
School District.
◆ 1996 Maria R. (Lancellotti) Picarello is
a senior at East Stroudsburg University. Since
graduating from NCC, she has worked as a
secretary and daycare teacher. She will student teach in fall 2000. Her son, John, is a student at NCC.
◆ LouAnn (Bray) Fehr is a 5th grade
teacher at DeFranco Elementary School,
Bangor. She and husband, Robert, live in
Bangor.
EDUCATION
◆ 1969 Susan C. Kovacs of Bethlehem is a
systems representative at Sungard Pentamation, Inc., in Bethlehem.
◆ 1970 William R. Johnson works for the
Mechanicsburg Area School District. He is a
1972 graduate of Bloomsburg University. In
1997, he received the Business Teacher of the
25
Year Award from the Pennsylvania Business
Education Association, and in 1998 he was
named the Educator of the Year by the
Eastern Business Education Association.
Currently, he serves on the EBEA board.
Johnson was named conference chair for the
2002 National Business Education Association
Conference, which will be held in
Philadelphia. He and his wife, Janet, also an
NCC graduate, live in Mechanicsburg.
◆ 1970 Weda M. Mosellie is a retired high
school English teacher who lives in
Phillipsburg, N.J. The year 2000 has proven to
be a rewarding year for Weda. She has
received numerous poetry and essay awards
and has won some cooking contests. She also
enjoyed a cruise to Bermuda.
◆ 1976 Curt Wesser of Northampton is
working for Dun & Bradstreet in Bethlehem.
He has been recently promoted to project
analyst for information quality.
◆ 1990 Carol A. Manzi and her husband,
Jeffrey, live in Mount Bethel. Carol has been
working in the Bangor Area School District
for the past eight years as a special education
teacher in the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate
Unit 21. Carol also teaches classes at NCC
and East Stroudsburg University.
◆ 1990 Gregory A. Cook and his wife,
Andrea live in Whitehall. Gregory is
employed by PPL in Martins Creek.
◆ 1991 Tina Louise (Mammana) Schutt
and John Schutt ’95 (accounting) live in
Easton. Tina pursued a bachelor of science
degree after NCC and works from her home.
John has a new job as an internal auditor for
Victaulic Company of America.
◆ 1992 Holly Gambler of Nazareth is a 7th
grade social studies teacher in Nazareth
Middle School. She is a graduate of East
Stroudsburg University.
◆ 1992 Heather Helfrich of Bethlehem is a
graduate of Cedar Crest College in Allentown.
She is employed by the Hopewell Elementary
School in Center Valley as a 1st grade teacher.
◆ 1992 Lila J. Metz of Pen Argyl teaches special education for Allen High School in
Allentown. She earned her graduate degree
from East Stroudsburg University.
◆ 1995 Maria (Parmigiano) Perna of
Phillipsburg, N.J. teaches 2nd grade at the
Holland Township School in Milford, N.J. She
graduated magna cum laude from East
Stroudsburg University in 1998. Maria and
Giovanni Perna were married on May 6, 2000.
◆ 1997 Marlen Ramona Elias of Easton is
a 2000 graduate of East Stroudsburg
University, where she received a bachelor of
science degree in secondary education mathematics. She is working in the Phillipsburg
School District as a substitute teacher.
A L U M N I
◆ 1997 Jason L. Harhart of Nazareth is
employed by Moore Township in Bath.
◆ 1999 Marlene Michelle Hargrove was
hired at Saints Tabernacle Christian Academy
as an after-school program assistant, and was
promoted to an academy teacher within one
month. She lives in Philadelphia.
◆ Nicholas Geary and Julie M. Stuck were
married on April 29, 2000 in Christ Lutheran
Church in Allentown. Nicholas is employed
by Lafayette Ambassador Bank. The couple
lives in Lehigh County.
◆ 1970 Fred J. Gainer is employed by Cape
Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C.
Fred and his wife, Nancy, live in Wilmington.
◆ 1972 Richard S. ‘Dick’ Arnold is a captain with U.S. Airways. He is also owner of
Arnold Estates, a 50-acre log home development. Richard lives in Sevierville,Tenn.
◆ 1974 Luz N. Jorge-Rosario is a 7th grade
teacher at East Hills Middle School,
Bethlehem. Luz lives in Bethlehem.
◆ 1976 Gary F. Toth and his wife, Rosalie,
live in Bethlehem. Gary works in Bath as an
estimator for A. J.Trunzo, Inc.
◆ 1987 Mary Louise Hutchinson of
Bethlehem received a bachelor of science
degree in elementary education from
Kutztown University. An English teacher for
eight years at Whitehall Middle School, she is
now assistant principal.
◆ 1993 Kathy L. (Epperson) Krause and
husband, Nikolas, live in Nazareth.
◆ 1996 Jennifer (Luisser) Griffin and husband, Joseph Griffin ’98 (Criminal Justice)
live in Northampton. Jennifer is a dental
hygienist.
◆ 1997 George S. Apostol, Jr. is a senior at
East Stroudsburg University, is majoring in
elementary education and special education.
◆ 1997 Jamie L. Nastasee works as a therapist for Moss Rehab DBIC-CRP, in
Philadelphia and resides in Bethlehem.
ELECTRONICS
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1969 Michael W. Sandbrook is a retiree
of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company
located in Cementon, N.Y. He received a
bachelor of science degree from the
University of New York. Michael and his wife
live in Saugerties, N.Y.
◆ 1987 Nancy G. Reinbold of Bethlehem is
a 2000 graduate of Moravian College, where
she received a bachelor of science degree in
computer science.
Nancy works for
Electronic Data Systems of Bethlehem.
N O T E S
E
aston resident John Allem was one of the non-traditional, older students
who brought their life experience with them as they entered the first
class at NCC. During the Vietnam War,Allem was stationed on an aircraft
carrier at sea, repairing the electronic systems of planes damaged in the war. In
the Navy he got his career training start, working on aviation electronics.
Allem came home in 1967 and spent his first year out of the service
working as a laborer for local manufacturer Bell & Howell, but he soon wanted a
better job.
“With my electronics background, I wanted to get into Metropolitan Edison
(Met-Ed) Power and Light (now GPU), and not as a laborer,” said Allem.“I had a
friend who had been accepted to NCC, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Allem entered the electrical engineering program, which he remembers as
being very competitive. “The program started with almost 20 people. By graduation, we were down to four,” he said.
The VA paid for Allem’s tuition. But he was married and had a child, so Allem
went to school from 8 am-4 pm and worked 5 pm-12 am at his laboring job to
support his family.Telling, perhaps, of the kind of man Allem is, he mentions
working full time and going to school full time as being a favorite memory of his
days at NCC.
One of the four electrical engineering graduates in 1969,Allem realized his
goal of being hired at Met-Ed.
Allem worked at Met-Ed in engineering and construction for over 10 years,
then went on to work for several electrical manufacturing firms. He is currently
a senior sales representative at Joslyn Manufacturing Company based in Chicago,
selling to major utilities like GPU Energy,Verizon, and cable TV stations, covering
◆ 1974 Wayne D. Mabus is a glass worker
at Triton Services, Inc., Easton and lives in
Easton with wife, Frances.
FOOD SERVICE
◆ 1993 David M. Chabak is serving an
assignment at Kunsan Air Force Base in South
Korea until June 2001. He has been promoted
to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
◆ 1987 Amy Jo (Swartz) Korpics is
employed by the Schuylkill Valley School
District in Leesport. She was promoted to
supervisor of the Schuylkill Valley Middle
School cafeteria for the 2000-2001 school
year. Amy and her husband, Michael, live in
Mohrsville with their two children, Samantha,
8 and John, 6.
ENGINEERING
FUNERAL SERVICE
◆ 1978 Gary J. Stolz of Northampton is
employed by Lucent Technologies in
Allentown.
◆ 1996 Mark J. Hummel of Bethlehem is a
funeral director at Bean Funeral Homes in
Sinking Springs.
◆ 1998 Christina Kulik of Emmaus is
EMERGENCY INSPECT
26
A L U M N I
a wide territory of east coast states.
“Now I sell to the utilities,”Allem said. “Since I
worked for a major utility company like GPU, it really
breaks the ice.
In fact, Allem had a part in the utility industry’s most
notorious disaster — the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor failure in 1978.
“I was working there in construction management,”
Allem said, “overseeing the electrical contract, installing
and maintaining the security devices that were meant to
keep people outside the area of the two nuclear units.
When the accident happened, we were all told to leave
the island. But I went back and for the first week for
about 100 hours I helped set up the electronics for the
“trailer city” that was constructed for the people still
working out there.”
All of his experiences not withstanding, Allem is
most proud of the fact that with his associate degree from
NCC he has always been able to raise a family as the sole
breadwinner. He credits his wife of 33 years, MaryAnn,
for his success, saying “Behind every good man there is a
wonderful woman!”
Allem has been back to the NCC campus over the
years for several reasons, to take a computer class, or even
once to look up his former electrical engineering teacher,
Reg Tauke, who now serves as a dean and registrar. He
said,“The campus is 100 percent different now — there is
no comparison.”
Allem and his wife have two grown children, Scott (32)
and Nicole (29), both of whom attended NCC. He has two
grandsons with whom he enjoys fishing.
employed as a funeral director/supervisor at
the Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral
Home in Emmaus.
◆ 1999 Jeff Harvey and his wife, Mary, live
in Hughesville. Jeff is a registered nurse/manager of the nursing service at Susquehanna
Health System in Williamsport.
◆ 1987 Maurice J. McDonald and wife,
Cheryl, live in Benton with their three children, Connor, Kieran and Cullen, born
November 3, 1999. Maurice is employed at
Kriner Funeral Homes of Benton, Bloomsburg
and Danville.
◆ 1989 Grace S. Keller is vice president of
Keller Funeral Homes, Inc., Fogelsville and is
married to Gilbert F. Keller.The couple lives in
Fogelsville.
N O T E S
He is a serious hunter and fisherman, and owns a cabin
with friends in the mountains of Wyoming County where he
spends his free time. He also creates stained glass and
crafts with his wife, but said “it’s all just a giveaway, like at
the holidays. If I sold them, it would become work!”
— By Marlene Bayer
◆ 1994 David M. Sitbon is a forensic technician with the Philadelphia medical examiner’s office with responsibilities for autopsies,
taking forensic photographs, transporting the
deceased and computer data entry.
◆ 1997 Harold C. Schisler is a funeral
director at the Schisler Funeral Home Inc., in
Northampton. Harold’s home is in Palmerton.
GENERAL EDUCATION
◆ 1971 William T. Frey and Jane Lipsky
Frey ’72 (registered nursing) are residents of
Hellertown. William is employed by the
Hellertown Post Office as a letter carrier and
Jane is the director of nursing at Lehigh
County Cedarbrook in Bethlehem.
27
◆ 1973 Peter Klotz is a staff engineer for
Raytheon System Company in Baltimore, Md.
Peter and his wife, Deborah, live in York.
◆ 1977 Gayle F. Hendricks presented her
graphic designs at the AMFA Exhibit in
Easton. A reception was held on June 14 at
the CentreSpace Gallery in Easton.
◆ 1978 Richard A. Bartholomew is a project architect on the Sprint World
Headquarters Campus project in Overland
Park, Kansas. He is employed by The Hillier
Group. Richard received a bachelor’s degree
from Kansas State University and is affiliated
with the American Institute of Architects.
Richard and his wife live in Overland Park,
Kansas.
◆ 1978 Gloria V. Kristof Pavlik continued
A L U M N I
her education at Moravian College after graduating from NCC. She is married and lives in
Bethlehem.
◆ 1981 Donna Marie Moore is employed
by the Richmond Public School District in
Richmond,Va. Donna, a resident of Highland
Springs, Va. graduated from the Virginia State
University with a bachelor of science degree.
◆ 1974 Dianem (Hofstetter) Jenny is
director of Westgate DayCare, Bethlehem. She
and her husband, Douglas, live in
Coopersburg.
◆ 1983 Maureen C. (Negrete) Bruneio is a
senior teller and customer service representative at Summit Bank, Easton. She and her
husband, Charles A. Bruneio, Jr., live in Easton.
GENERAL STUDIES
◆ 1995 Denise A. Schwab of Portland
received a bachelor of arts degree in
American and British literature from New
York University in 1998. She works for Waste
Management, Inc. in Pen Argyl.
◆ Beth Lynne Ritter and David James Guth,
Jr. were married on April 29, 2000 at St.
Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Whitehall
Township. Beth is employed by NCC,
Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales and
the Pennsylvania State University. Beth and
her husband live in Fountain Hill.
◆ Mary Ann Zakeski of Breinigsville works
in sales as a territory manager for Fort Dodge
Animal Health.
◆ Nicholas Parmigiano and his wife,
Virginia, were married on July 2. They live in
Long Island, N.Y. Nicholas is attending Stony
Brook University, where he is a student in the
physical therapy program.
◆ Coleen Joswick of Bath received an associate in applied science degree from Lehigh
Carbon Community College’s occupational
therapy assistant program. She works at the
Nazareth Area Middle School, assisting in the
special ed department. Coleen is also pursuing a bachelor degree in education.
◆ 1992 Carol T. Perez, Easton, is a manager
in the bakery department at Laneco, in
Phillipsburg, N.J.
◆ 1995 Marianne (Lota) Wied works for
Jim Bobal Appliance Service, Bethlehem. She
is married to Kevin Wied ’94 (Education).
They live in Allentown.
◆ 1997 Richard H. Blumberg, Fogelsville,
is an electronic assembler for ABB
Automation, Allentown.
◆ 1998 Kathleen A. Decker,Allentown, is a
junior at Drexel University, Philadelphia.
◆ Jody M. Kerr is a staff accountant at the
Book-of-the-Month Club, Mechanicsburg.
N O T E S
Jody’s home is in Mechanicsburg.
◆ Lori McCarthy is a student/counselor at
East Stroudsburg University. Lori resides in
Tobyhanna.
◆ Chad Erik Horvath and Jocelyn Merie
Graham exchanged wedding vows in
September 1999. Chad is a manager of Party
City, Lancaster.They live in Dover.
HOTEL/RESTAURANT
◆ 1991 Michele Sciascia married Matthew
John Burnard on July 17, 2000 in Packer
Chapel at Lehigh University. Michele works
for Dr. Robert F. Chisdak.
◆ 1997 Ronald William Hand and Jeanna
Rose Spezzacatena were married at First
United Methodist Church of Westfield in
Westfield, N.J. Ronald is employed by
Applebee’s in Livingston, N.J. The couple
lives in Flanders, N.J.
INDIVIDUALIZED
TRAINING
◆ 1998 Jan E. Berry is a 2000 Cedar Crest
graduate, where she received the Lecie G.
Machelle prize in social work. She is attending Marywood University in Scranton, working toward a master’s degree in social work.
She is also doing an internship at Good
Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital.
INTERIOR DESIGN
◆ 1995 Jo Anne (Richardson) Rodgers
obtained a bachelor of arts degree from
Lafayette College with honors in history. She
was a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda
and Phi Alpha Theta honor societies while
attending Lafayette. Jo Anne and her husband, Ron, live in Easton.
◆ 1998 Maria Dontas of Bath graduated
from the New York Institute of Technology
summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts
degree in interior design. There, she received
an Outstanding Service to the Department
Award and the Presidential Honors Award
from the New York Institute of Technology.
LIBERAL ARTS
◆ 1969 Earl J. Ihrie and his wife, Mary Ann,
live in Ringoes, N.J. Earl is a quality assurance
manager for Merial in Iselin, N.J.
◆ 1972 Anthony Altenbach has worked as
a licensed psychiatric social worker for the
past 24 years in San Bernardino, Calif.
Anthony graduated from Kutztown
University with a bachelor of arts degree, and
28
obtained his master’s degree in social work
from Scranton University. He lives in
Redlands, Calif. with his wife.
◆ 1978 Sharon D. McGeehan and Carmen
Gerrone exchanged wedding vows on
February 26, 2000 in St. Magdalen’s Catholic
Church in Flemington, N.J. Sharon, a graduate
of Penn State University, is an assistant manager at ProSource of the Lehigh Valley. Sharon
and Carmen live in Flemington, N.J.
◆ 1987 Dawn Duckworth Carl and
Dennis Carl ’90 (Math/Physics) are residents of Giddings,Texas. Dawn received her
bachelor of science in education/math from
Kutztown University. She is teaching calculus
for the 2001 school year in Lexington,Texas.
Dennis received a bachelor of science in
computer science from Lamar University. He
is working for the Texas Department of
Public Safety in Austin,Texas. He was recently promoted to a network specialist III, whose
responsibility it is to oversee and design a
statewide area network and all local area networks.
◆ 1991 Suzette B. Reilly of Bethlehem is
employed by the Family Guidance Center in
Washington, N.J. as an intensive family support services specialist.
◆ 1992 Gracinda Glick of Bethlehem is the
community affairs administrator at Just Born,
Inc. of Bethlehem.
◆ 1995 Jodi Quick of Easton received an
undergraduate degree in history from Cedar
Crest College in 1997, and a master’s degree
in political science from Lehigh University in
1999. Jodi works for Rodale, Inc. of Emmaus
as a copywriter in the creative department.
◆ 1995 Jennifer Burke is employed at
Software House International, Inc. in
Somerset, N.J. as a marketing assistant. She
lives in Highland Park, N.J.
◆ 1996 Jeffrey D. Fenstermacher married
Ellen Elizabeth Moyer on May 21, 2000 in
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Bath. Jeffrey,
who is employed by Voice Stream, and his
wife, Ellen, live in Pen Argyl.
◆ Ed Bloss completed his master’s degree in
social work. He is a licensed social worker
for Monroe County. He also conducts a private practice in his home for family and individual therapy, and facilitates a domestic violence group for men. Ed and his wife, Patti Jo,
live in West Easton.
LIBRARY ASSISTANT
◆ 1983 Marie Frances Sterlein of
Bethlehem is employed by Bethlehem Steel
Corporation.
A L U M N I
MARKETING
DISTRIBUTION
◆ 1973 Richard T. Olah is a fleet manager
for Werner Enterprises. He is the former president of the Lehigh Valley Traffic Club.
Richard and his wife, Kathleen, are residents
of Bethlehem. Richard’s son has continued in
the footsteps of his dad with a college career
start at NCC.
MATH/PHYSICS
◆ 1987 Patricia M. Hann of Bethlehem is
employed as a quality control supervisor in
the Waste Water Treatment Plant by the city of
Bethlehem. She received a bachelor of science degree in 1996 from Lafayette College.
MEDICAL LAB
TECHNOLOGY
◆ 1986 Joseph A. Cugini lives in
Breinigsville with his wife, Sandra, and their
two children, Kayla and Natalie. Joseph
works for Health Network Laboratories in
Allentown.
MEDICAL OFFICE
◆ 1999 Candace E. (Stecker) Frasier and
her husband, Arthur, are residents of
Phillipsburg, N.J. Candace works as a personal care coordinator in Washington, N.J.
MEDICAL
TRANSCRIPTION
◆ 1982 Linda Morone-Silfies of Bath
returned to school in 1991 to obtain a massage license. She is working at NCC teaching
a massage program that she developed. She
is also working part-time toward a general
studies degree.
◆ 1997 Shannon A. (Rogers) Roberts is
employed by the Northwood Surgery Center
in Easton. She also manages her own business, which provides transcription services to
three area doctors. Shannon and her husband, Scott, were married on October 9,
1999. They live in Bangor.
◆ 1998 Leisha M. Otto of Beverly Hills, Fla.,
is working full-time at Citrus Memorial
Hospital and part-time for Dr. Dalkallitsis.
MICROCOMPUTER
SPECIALIST
◆ 1995 Felix VonBaldas and his wife,
Maria, live in Bethlehem. Felix spends his
days enjoying retirement.
N O T E S
NURSING/PRACTICAL
◆ 1974 Beth L. (Yeakel) Holsinger is a
staff nurse at the Maine Medical Center in
Portland, Maine. Some of Beth’s time is spent
teaching nursing clinicals at the University of
Maine. After NCC, she continued her education and received a bachelor of science in
nursing and is working on a master’s degree
in nursing education. She is a very active
member of Sigma Theta Tau International
Honor Society for nurses. She is also running
for president-elect of Kappa Zeta Chapter-atLarge. Beth and her husband, Robert, live in
Waterford, Maine.
◆ 1977 Lisa (Feldman) Retorico is a
neonatal nurse at Memorial Herman of the
Woodlands Hospital in Woodlands,Texas. She
was the recipient of the nursing clinical
excellence award. Lisa and her husband,
Henry, are residents of Woodlands,Texas.
◆ 1995 Amy E. Fehr is employed as a
charge nurse by the Cedarbrook Nursing
Home of Lehigh County. She is engaged to
Joseph K. Bleier of Bethlehem. Their wedding
date is planned for September 22, 2001.
◆ 1996 Karen E. (Valentine) Neas and her
husband, Robert, live in Trexlertown. Karen
returned to NCC in August 1999 to pursue
her degree in registered nursing. She will be
graduating in December 2000.
◆ 1997 Jennifer Lynn Cox of Whitehall is a
licensed practical charge nurse at HCR Manor
Care Health in Bethlehem.
NURSING/REGISTERED
◆ 1970 David Kenneth Moyer of
Allentown works for the City of Allentown in
its health bureau. He is the current president
of F.A.C.T. (Fighting Aids Continuously
Together). He is retired from the U.S. Naval
Reserve career of 30 years.
◆ 1971 Virginia V. (Wieder) Slocum is
employed as a manager, infection control by
Shore Health System in Easton, Md. She
enjoys traveling, and one of her latest adventures has been a cruise/land trip to Alaska.
Virginia lives in St. Michaels, Md.
◆ 1972 Debra A. (Dankel) Getman of
Mays Landing, N.J., works at the Mainland
Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in
Pleasantville, N.J. She is the director of staff
development/infection control.
◆ 1975 Richard Lee Fuller and his wife,
Karen, live in Gainesville, Fla. They are the
parents of Nicholas Samuel. Richard works
for Survey Associates, LLC in Birmingham,Ala.
◆ 1979 Marcia R. Smith is a certified registered nurse practitioner. She works for
Planned Parenthood in Johnstown, where she
also resides.
29
◆ 1985 Stephanie A. (Kerbacher)
Malitzki of Bethlehem is an operating room
nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown.
She married John P. Malitzki (general studies)
on May 20, 2000, in Northampton. John is the
director of career placement for Berks
Technical Institute in Wyomissing.
◆ 1986 Kathleen Bernini Knapp and her
husband,William, live in Slatington. Kathleen
is a registered nurse.
◆ 1988 Marie Murling is a staff nurse at the
Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg.
She and her husband, John, live in
Saylorsburg.
◆ 1990 Lisa (Caesar) Fehnel is currently
working towards a bachelor of science
degree in nursing. She is employed by the
Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg.
Lisa and her husband, Randy, live in Pen Argyl.
◆ 1990 Gloria Wagner works at Lehigh
Valley Hospital in Allentown. She and her
husband, Charles, live in Walnutport.
◆ 1991 Anne Williams of Lancaster is a
nurse at the practice of Drs. May Grant
Associates in Lancaster.
◆ 1991 Laura L. (Bruch) Michael of
Northampton is the proud parent of Anthony
Joseph Christiano, who was born on June 4,
2000 in Easton Hospital. She is employed by
the Easton Nursing Center.
◆ 1992 Susan Elise Fitch and Richard
Charles Walk, Jr. were married on July 7, 2000
in an outdoor ceremony at Saucon Valley
Acres. Susan is a registered nurse for the
Visiting Nurses Association of Eastern
Pennsylvania. Richard is attending NCC’s registered nursing program. Susan and Richard
live in Nazareth.
◆ 1994 Karen (Simons) Schaller is
employed by St. Luke’s Hospital in
Bethlehem. She and her husband, Steve, live
in Danielsville with their son, Seth.
◆ 1995 Cynthia L. Engler is working as a
nurse aide instructor at Harrisburg Area
Community College. She received her bachelor of science in 1997 from Hahnemann
University. Cynthia also received an associates’s degree from NCC in 1973 in secretarial
science. She and her husband, Francis, are
residents of Bangor.
◆ 1997 Jean Bronson Conway works at
the Cancer Specialists of Tidewater in Virginia
Beach,Va. In 1999, she passed her boards and
became certified in oncology nursing. She
and her son, Mat, love living near the ocean.
◆ 1998 James Tunnessen is a Reading
Hospital and Medical Center employee, working in the surgical intensive care unit. He has
completed training of the open heart patient
and is a board member of the Greater
Reading Chapter of Critical Care Nursing.
A L U M N I
OFFICE
ADMINISTRATION
◆ 1991 Cathleen A. Minardo and Brian C.
Strohl were married on June 3, 2000 in the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Catholic Church in Slatington. Cathleen is an
administrative assistant at Ashland Chemical
Company. The couple lives in Slatington.
◆ 1994 Jennifer Marie (Gardner) Galvin
and her husband, Michael, live in Bethlehem.
Jennifer works in the billing division at St.
Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem.
◆ 1994 Kristi L. Van Horn and Larry A.
Angney II of Exton were married on May 27,
2000 in Christ Lutheran Church in
Hellertown. The bride is an account assistant
for an insurance company in Malvern.
OFFICE
ADMINISTRATION —
LEGAL
◆ 1989 Debra A. Smith of Allentown is
employed as an administrative assistant to a
director at Merck & Co., Inc. of West Point.
She is continuing her education at Cedar
Crest College in the business administration
program. Debra has received awards in 1998
and 1999 for excellence in her departmental
work at Merck.
RADIOGRAPHY
◆ 1987 John C. Posh works in the MRI
Department of St. Luke’s Hospital. John and
his wife, Dorothy, are residents of the city of
Bethlehem.
◆ 1998 Maria H. Kistler and her husband,
Brian, live in Rochelle Park, N.J. Maria is
employed by the Hackensack University
Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J.
RADIO/TV
◆ 1991 Marie S. Ford Clemens of
Coopersburg is the director of public relations for Hospital Central Services, Inc.
(HCSC) in Allentown. She received a bachelor of arts in communications from
Muhlenberg College and is an MBA candidate
at De Sales University. She married Matthew
Clemens on October 30, 1999.
◆ 1994 Marc Fisher and his wife, Mona, live
in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Marc is employed by
Multi Image Group of Boca Raton, Fla.
N O T E S
◆ 1994 Matt Griffith works for The
Trentonian. He lives in Langhorne with his
wife, Jeanne, and their sons, Gabriel and
Noah.
◆ 1996 John C. Schroter II lives with his
wife, Kimberly, and daughter, Hannah, in
Bethlehem. He is self-employed.
of Dr. Lauro S. Geronimo of Bethlehem. She
also works-part time as an independent
kitchen consultant for The Pampered Chef.
Terri and her husband, John, live in
Bethlehem.
SECRETARIAL SCIENCE
◆ 1997 Michelle L. Kucheruck of Easton is
an assistant business manager at Citadel
Communications in Bethlehem.
◆ 1998 Frank Charles Huch of Bethlehem
is employed at the Lehigh Valley Racquet and
Fitness Club in Allentown.
◆ Jason Brown of Nazareth continued his
education at Allentown College of St. Francis
de Sales. He is employed at Lehigh
University. He is planning an October 2001
wedding to Michelle L. Geiger of Whitehall.
◆ 1976 Sharon (Mohring) Hippensteal
has been an employee of Bethlehem Steel
Corporation for 18 years in the accounts
payable department. She and her husband,
David, live in Bethlehem. Their daughter,
Jennifer, is a 1999 graduate of Liberty High
School.
SECRETARIAL SCIENCE
— ADMINISTRATIVE
◆ 1980 Jennifer P. (Giles) Gifford and her
husband, Peter, live in Bethlehem. Jennifer
works at G&S Fastening Systems, Inc. in
Whitehall.
SECRETARIAL SCIENCE
— LEGAL
◆ 1979 Candace A. (Brown) Hoffman is
employed as a program evaluator at the Ben
Franklin Technology Center in Bethlehem.
Candace and her husband, Kurt, live in
Bethlehem.
◆ 1980 Patricia S. Jones is an alumni coordinator at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.
Patricia lives in Bethlehem with her husband,
John Flenner.
◆ 1983 Marta Boulos Gabriel of
Bethlehem has recently made a change in her
professional career. Formerly employed at
Binney & Smith, Inc., she is now the manager
of community relations at Air Products &
Chemicals in Allentown.
◆ 1989 Diana (Tosdevine) Page works as a
marketing coordinator for Century 21
Alliance Realty in Springhill, Fla. She and her
husband, Joseph, have been married for seven
years and are the proud parents of Samantha,
3.They live in Springhill, Fla.
SECRETARIAL SCIENCE
— MEDICAL
◆ 1987 Terri (Sigley) Wykosky is a full
time office manager for the medical practice
30
SPORT MANAGEMENT
TRAVEL/TOURISM
◆ 1990 Michelle (Schramel) Laky has
worked for the medical practice of Dr. Melvin
L. Steinbook for the past 10 years. She has
been promoted to administrative assistant in
the office. Michelle lives in Walnutport with
her husband, Bill, and their one-year-old son.
◆ 1991 Lisa Marie Weaver Epler is
employed by Dataworks International of
Bethlehem. She and her husband, Jim, are residents of Bethlehem.
I N
M E M O R I A M
◆ Raymond Rawson Sr. Raymond, a
volunteer at Northampton, served as
director of plastics technology at the
College after retiring from Pfizer Inc.
He died Nov. 10.
◆ Robert V. Haas Robert was a faculty member in the Business Technology
Division of Northampton Community
College, until retiring in 1992. He died
Oct. 10.
◆ Robert L. Brotzman Robert, who
passed away Sept. 26, was a custodian
at Northampton Community College,
Bethlehem, for three years before retiring in 1990.
D O N O R
MICHAEL E. NAGEL
B
ruce Palmer believes in being
of service, both in business
and in the community. As a
shareholder in the accounting firm of
Buckno Lisicky and Company, where he
specializes in freestanding and hospitalbased medical practices and 20-40
employee entrepreneurial companies,
Bruce strives to give his clients the
highest levels of service.
“I enjoy my area of practice
because of the challenges and diversity,”
says Palmer,“Medical practices are being
redefined through a variety of factors
and working with entrepreneurs gives
me a chance to literally see ideas evolve
into companies.”
Palmer earned an associate’s degree
in accounting NCC in 1977 and a B.A.
degree in business with a concentration
in accounting from Kutztown State
College in 1979. He joined Buckno
Lisicky & Company in January of 1980,
qualified as a CPA in August of 1984 and
became a shareholder in 1989.
“It was fairly clear to me, early in
my college career, that I was going
to pursue accounting,” recalled Palmer.
“I was very influenced by Professor
Dan Bayak, who was my advisor at
Northampton. Upon completion of my
two-year degree, he encouraged me to
enroll at Kutztown, where they were
just beginning a new accounting major.
I enjoyed the program and consider
myself fortunate to have gotten the
opportunity to start working in the
field upon graduation.”
S P O T L I G H T S
Why does
Palmer support
Northampton
Community
College in so
many ways?
“I think the
college has a
track record of
doing good things
for students,
which in turn
benefits local
employers,”
says Palmer,
“Northampton
is part of the
community
infrastructure,
and employers
depend
on the college as
a source of
skilled, dedicated
employees.”
Palmer’s commitment to the
community is impressive. He serves
on the College’s board of trustees as
the Nazareth area school district
representative, the board of the
Northampton Community College
Foundation, as treasurer of the
Bethlehem Rotary Club and as co-chair
of the Rotary Foundation Committee,
and on the board of the Bethlehem
Boys and Girls Club, among others.
Historically, he served as a director,
treasurer and president of the Kutztown
University Alumni Association, where he
also served as alumni liaison to the
31
Kutztown University Foundation board
of directors.
“I’m a firm believer in the Rotary
motto of service above self.While it’s
important to support your causes financially, it’s also important to devote your
time”, says Palmer.“Once I take on a
challenge, I don’t stay on the fringes. I
take pleasure in accomplishing goals,
and I’m very results oriented, which is
an outlook that has served me well,
regardless of the endeavor.
Northampton Community College
has helped me to achieve results in my
life, and I’m very happy to be a part of
making sure it can happen for others.”
P A R T N E R S
LEHIGH VALLEY AUTO DEALERS
TEAM UP WITH NCC
BY MICHAEL E. NAGEL
A
ndy Scott brings a unique
perspective to the auto business.
Intense, focused and engaging, he
describes doing business with the Scott
dealerships in terms of a total buying
experience whose parts make up the
whole. It is the quality of those parts
that Scott obsesses about.
Most car dealers have difficulty in
recruiting and retaining skilled service
technicians. Scott and other dealer
representatives are keenly aware of the
problem and of the leadership role that
Northampton Community College’s
automotive technology program is
playing in meeting the need for service
technicians.
Working in partnership with
Daimler Chrysler, Northampton offers
CAP (Chrysler Dealers Apprenticeship
Program), which offers students
employment at a local Chrysler dealership while they complete an intensive
course of technical study emphasizing
Chrysler vehicles and service practices.
General Motors technicians are trained
through the Automotive Service
Education Program (ASEP), which
features 32 weeks of diverse classroom
instruction and 32 weeks of service
experience, offered in alternating eightweek segments.
“Repeat business is the key to
success for our dealerships,” said Scott.
“How the customer is treated over the
long haul often has as much or more
bearing on their loyalty to a dealer than
their original experience in buying the
car.” A critical aspect of this relationship
is the service department. As the president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto
Dealers Association, Scott has a great
Andy Scott poses with two of his employees, Jason Smith and Steve Nederostek, who are
also students in the GM program at Northampton.
respect for the service department,
and the power that it has over customer
relations.
“The association’s initial project
was the Lehigh Valley Auto Show, and
our continuing success with this event
has demonstrated the benefits of working collaboratively,” he said.The experience has encouraged the association
and its members to turn their attention
to other issues.
The dealer association members are
sensitive to the need for skilled service
technicians and they recently voted to
provide scholarships for students in the
program.“This is a initial step for the
association, and one we hope will lead
to other collaborative training in the
years ahead,” said Scott. “We’re convinced that excellence in the service
department pays dividends for the
entire dealership, and we’re pleased
32
that Northampton Community
College’s automotive technology
program is helping us achieve results
in an area that is critical to our continued success.”
The service department has come
a long way from grease pits and
wrenches. “The mechanic has become
the service technician, and service itself
has entered the high-tech world,” notes
Scott. “Customers expect their cars
to work, and if they don’t, they expect
the problem to be resolved with a minimum of inconvenience. Trained technicians are a must to succeed in the face
of these expectations, and meeting this
standard is a day-after-day issue for any
dealership. Simply put, each visit adds
or detracts from the whole relationship.
Keep in mind that our goal is 100
percent customer satisfaction in every
aspect of our business.”
An Opportunity to Make a
Difference for Northampton
D
r.Aaron Litwak appreciates opportunities.
“Throughout my college years, I worked full-time at
Bethlehem Steel to support myself ,” recalls the retired
Easton area dentist. After graduating from dental
school, he interned at St. Luke’s hospital before
beginning his practice in Easton.Although his
early career was interrupted by a stint in the
Air Force, he eventually returned to Easton
where he developed a practice to which he
devoted five decades of what he refers to as
“delightful” service.
Dr. Litwak is grateful to those who helped
him and he wants to help others. “Through
provisions I’ve made in my will to help favorite
charities, of which Northampton Community
College is one, my lawyer was aware of my desire to
lend a hand. He suggested that I explore gift annuities
which help the charity while also benefiting the donor.
I quickly realized that annuities are a great opportunity to do
something special for others while also helping to secure your
future,” said Dr. Litwak.“I strongly recommend that everyone take the time to find out more
about gift annuities at Northampton Community College and why an annuity might be the
ideal gift to consider.”
For information on bequests or for assistance in creating a planned gift,
please contact Michael E. Nagel, senior planned giving and major gifts officer at 610-861-5449.
Northampton
Community College
Foundation
H A P P E N I N G S
JANUARY
9
25
26
Financial Aid Night for High School Students, 6:30p.m.
Opening Reception: Chloe Hansson Art Exhibit, 11a.m.
Classical Cuisine: “An Evening of Jazz,” 6 p.m.
FEBRUARY
7
24
Winter Play Opening: “Lysistrata,” 1 p.m.
Doo-Wap Concert, 7:30 p.m.
MARCH
10
22
26
30
Spring Crafts Fair, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Opening Reception: Chris Christofo Art Exhibit, 11 a.m.
Open House: Arts, Education & Social Work, 6:30 p.m.
First day of Kraus Drawing Awards Exhibition, 8 a.m.
APRIL
2
4
6
Open House: Business & Office Systems, 6:30 p.m.
Poetry Day: Herbert Martin, Noon
Spring Play Opening:”Saturday, Sunday, Monday,” 7 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE: May 6 SpringFest (formerly Family Day Expo)
Visit our new web site at www.northampton.edu
For additional information and details, please call the Information Center
at 610/861-5300.
Northampton Community College
3835 Green Pond Road
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18020-7599
www.northampton.edu
Change Service Requested
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #513
Bethlehem, PA