Around c a m p u s
The Purpose of Catholic Education:
Newman, John Paul II and Neumann
Is the purpose of education to build a skilled
mind, to integrate faith and reason, or to
permeate every subject with a philosophy
of life? These are the subtle but telling differences in approach to education among three
giants of the Catholic intellectual tradition
as explained by a trio of modern scholars
who visited campus on March 16.
The panel discussion, entitled The
Genius of Catholic Higher Education: The
Legacies of Pope John Paul II, Blessed John
Henry Cardinal Newman and Saint John
Neumann, took place in the Meagher
Theatre as part of the University’s 46th
Charter Day celebration.
Dr. Edward Miller, a professor of theology at Gwynedd-Mercy College, explained
John Cardinal Newman’s philosophy of
building a skilled mind by using a famous
metaphor from the Cardinal’s Idea of a
University, published in 1873. If reality is a
tapestry, a skilled mind sees the creation
from the front, able to discern the colors,
shapes and meanings that the artist intended. An unskilled mind views the tapestry of
life from the back, unable to see the patterns
and connections that are clearly visible
from another perspective. “A university is a
place for teaching universal knowledge, not
truth,” said Miller, defining the Cardinal’s
Dr. Edward Miller
4 Accent Magazine
position. It values “openness, not control;
process, not packaging.”
For Pope John Paul II, according to
Dr. Michael Galligan-Stierle, president of
the Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities, a Catholic university must be
true to its identity, mission and the norms
within which it must operate. GalliganStierle called Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John
Paul’s encyclical on higher education “the
Magna Carta for Catholic universities.” He
emphasized John Paul’s integration of faith
and reason, which the Pope called “the two
wings on which the human spirit rises in
contemplation of the truth.”
Rev. Richard Boever, author of St. John
Neumann, His Life and Spirituality, characterized the saint as a pastor rather than an
educational philosopher. In response to an
enormous wave of immigration by Catholics
to America, John Neumann “did not theorize,” Boever explained. “He responded to a
need.” In the six years that Neumann served
as bishop of Philadelphia, the number of
Catholic schools skyrocketed from two to
400. Neumann wanted to balance the “irreligious disposition of the teachers” in other
schools by creating instructional environments that would “permeate every subject
with a philosophy of life.”
Dr. Michael Galligan-Stierle
During the Q&A portion of the program, an audience member asked the panel
members what subjects they thought should
be stressed at universities today. Miller drew
applause from the gathering of approximately 250 when he answered “capitalism with
a human face, educating students who are
economically savvy with values.”
In response to a question regarding
whether Cardinal Newman would believe
that Ex Corde allows “elbow room for
thought” (a phrase often used by Newman),
Miller replied that Newman favored “elbow
room in matters of thought, not faith.”
Galligan-Stierle believes that Pope John Paul
would embrace both elbow room and devout
faith. “In issues of application,” he said,
“there is room for development.” Boever also
weighed in on the question, stating that St.
John Neumann believed that “the teaching
of the Church should be strictly enforced.”
The panel discussion was the 2011 version of the Dr. Dorothy A.P. Leunissen
Presidential Lecture Series, an annual event
established in 2004 to address current topics
of interest about Catholic Franciscan higher
education. The series has been endowed
thanks to the generosity of Dr. Dorothy A.P.
Leunissen, Ph.D., M.D., her husband R. L.
Abraham Leunissen, M.D., and friends.
Rev. Richard Boever
Students Skip Florida,
Spend Spring Break in Camden, NJ
Around c a m p u s
Students stand outside of the
greenhouse where they
worked on their spring break
trip to Camden, New Jersey.
Visit our YouTube channel to see a
video of the students helping!
Student volunteers arrange cinderblocks while setting up a greenhouse
in Camden, NJ. They volunteered at the Center for Environmental
Transformation in the Waterfront South area.
This spring break, Cancun and Panama City beach were not the
places to be, at least for eleven Neumann students. The group gave
up their spring break to travel to Camden and stay at the Center for
Environmental Transformation with their advisor Melissa Hickey
’07, director of campus ministry at Neumann.
“I believe the students had an eye-opening experience to what
we now call the ‘real’ Camden. This Camden is very different from
the city often portrayed in the media. In Waterfront South, which is
the neighborhood we served, there is a community and beauty and
a sense of pride. Many young adults and their families have moved
into this area because they believe in the transformation that is
occurring, mostly though the vision of Fr. Michael Doyle and other
area pastors,” said Hickey.
The trip came about through insight from Ann Baiada, a board
of trustees member at Neumann. She mentioned to Sr. Marguerite
O’Beirne, OSF ’70 the work that Fr. Doyle is doing in Waterfront
South and asked the vice president for mission and ministry if
Neumann would be interested in collaborating. “I contacted Helene
Pierson, director of Heart of Camden, last summer and met with
her and Fr. Doyle,” said Hickey. “We had a tour of the new retreat
center, and I asked if it would be ready by spring break. Neumann was
the first group to stay there in March of 2011. It truly was a moment
inspired by the Spirit, and through the grace of God became a reality.”
“The students worked mostly in the garden and in the greenhouse,
and that was very meaningful. In an area that is stricken with
poverty, many families cannot afford to give their children healthy
food options. It’s often more affordable to go to McDonald’s. This
area greenhouse and gardens are taken care of by the community,
and families have an opportunity to grow their own food and thrive
from the harvest,” Hickey explained.
Students who volunteered their time included William Hickey Jr.,
West Chester; Jessica Koronik, Wilmington, DE; Ariel Scott, Camden,
NJ; Erin O’Shea, Lincoln University, PA; Brittany Schafferman,
Middletown, DE; Brittany Henson, Randallstown, MD; Re’Alle
Harold, Philadelphia, PA; Elizabeth Blevin, Newark, DE; Timothy
Schmitz, Langhorne, PA; and Melanie DiMaio, Stratford, NJ.
“The reflections offered by the staff of the center and the
accommodations were outstanding. We were embraced by the people
of Sacred Heart Parish and welcomed into their community,” said
Hickey. “Some of our students are still going there for services. We
have already asked to be put on the books for March of 2012 for
another ‘urban plunge.’”
Summer 2011 5 Around c a m p u s
Senior Lands Job with The Rachael Ray Show
Senior Jessica Sabato is a production assistant for The Rachael Ray Show.
Jessica Sabato always knew she wanted to
work in television. Now she does. When
it came time to look for internships last
year, the senior from Hamilton, NJ, knew
just where to start. “I started looking at all
the talk show websites, and I applied for a
summer internship on the CBS and Rachael
Ray websites. The next day I had a phone call
to come in for an interview,” said Sabato.
Sabato took the train to New York City
to meet with a production coordinator from
The Rachael Ray Show. “She basically asked
me about my background at Neumann;
what I do with Neumann media, and how I
became the president,” she said. “Her main
concern was whether or not I would like to
be a spring intern since the show is on hiatus
in the summer, and I agreed. It’s a great
opportunity to work for such a well-known
show. I got in a cab to Times Square for
lunch, and I had an email right after, telling
me I had the internship!”
To get to her internship, Sabato takes the
train from Hamilton, New Jersey, to Penn
Station, then gets on the subway to Times
Square, and hustles to catch a shuttle to
Grand Central Station, only a block away
from the studio. “I started in January, in a
snow storm, and my mom was so worried
about me. I didn’t want to make a bad
impression on my first day, so I went,”
she said.
6 Accent Magazine
Rachael Ray tapes three to four shows
in one day. “We tape Tuesday through
Thursday, so I had the opportunity to
always be there on a tape day. I was doing
different things, from selecting clothes for
makeovers, going on production runs, and
getting props for the arts department.”
Sabato was also asked to cover desks for
the executive assistants. “I think many
interns don’t realize how important it is to
do those little things. It’s a good chance to
get to know the executives,” she said.
“We also had to work with food
services and make sure the food was
replenished for the cast and crew, which
gave us a good chance to see everyone.
Rachael is so nice, she’s such a busy person
and in passing she makes sure to say hello
and ask how you are doing,” Sabato said.
Sabato’s Neumann background also
came in handy on the set. “Since I had
classes that taught me all aspects of media,
I was able to go to different departments
and help out. Neumann media was the
best thing I could have done,” she said.
Sabato serves as Neumann media’s
president, and has hosted her own radio
show on Neumann radio, as well as
serving as a senior writer and now editor
in chief of the Joust student newspaper.
She also worked with the Neumann Sports
Network.
“Going on field shoots was my favorite
experiences. When we are in the studio, we
don’t get to sit in on taping because we are
doing other things. It was so cool to see the
interviews and everything come together.
I had the opportunity to work on one shoot
from start to finish, even watching the
editor in the editing bay. He asked for my
input on the type of music and what shots
to use. It was really cool,” she said.
Sabato was recently hired as a
production assistant at The Rachael Ray
Show for season six. She will again be
working with all the different departments
filling in where help is needed in August.
She will be taking online courses through
Neumann to complete her degree.
From Tuesday
through Thursday
each week, Sabato commutes to the
Rachael Ray studio in Manhattan.
Around c a m p u s
Cyberbullying Summit Draws Huge Crowd
More than 300 people filled Community Hall to hear experts discuss the growing
cyberbullying and sexting trends.
Kathleen Conn, Ph.D., J.D., LL.M., assistant
professor of education, was the featured speaker
at the Cyberbullying Summit.
Neumann University, in collaboration with
Delaware County District Attorney G.
Michael Green, hosted a free Cyberbullying
Summit on Tuesday, April 12. The program was designed for educators, school
administrators, wellness professionals, law
enforcement personnel, high school student
leaders and chaperones, and all individuals
interested in curbing the current problems
associated with cyberbullying.
More than 300 people filled Community
Hall to hear the presentations and another 260 viewed the proceedings online,
thanks to a live broadcast arranged by the
University’s media services department.
The program included sessions on
“Recognizing and Reducing Cyberbullying
in K-12 Schools,” presented by Neumann’s
Dr. Kathleen Conn, an attorney and
nationally recognized expert on
cyberbullying; “Criminal Investigation
and Prosecution of Students Involved in
Bullying/Cyberbullying,” presented by
Joseph Lesniak, assistant district attorney
for Delaware County; and break-out
sessions for student leaders and their
chaperones.
Conn defined cyberbullying as “willful
and repeated communication of insulting,
humiliating or intimidating messages,
sent electronically.” She explained that
an old-fashioned bully is usually more
physically powerful than the victim or at
least has superior status. “These roles can
be reversed in cyberbullying,” she warned,
“because of the anonymity of electronic
communication.”
Lesniak emphasized the critical importance of parental involvement. “Thirtythree percent of 13- to 17-year-olds reported
that their parents knew very little or nothing about what they do on the Internet,” he
told the audience.
Participants also learned the reasons
why youngsters cyberbully, signs that a
student is being cyberbullied, the forensics
of collecting evidence in cyberbullying
cases, the potential liability for school
personnel, details of criminal prosecutions
currently underway, and methods to
combat the problem.
In their break-out session, student
leaders and their chaperones discussed
what schools should be doing to control the
effects of cyberbullying. Michael D’Angelo
and Donna Liu, both licensed professional
counselors with the University’s Counseling
Center for Wellness, and officers from
the Delaware County District Attorney’s
Internet Crimes against Children Task
Force facilitated this discussion.
Summer 2011 7 Around c a m p u s
Alumni Share Their “Neumann Experience”
For the past two years, the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies
(NIFS), in conjunction with the Mission and Ministry Unit, has provided faculty, staff, and administrators the opportunity to participate
in half or full days of reflection based on the University’s yearly mission theme. During the 2010-11 academic year, the theme was Live the
Truth in Love: Reverence and Integrity.
“As the Neumann Institute committee discussed plans for the
year, we considered that integrity means being true to who and what
you say you are and what you stand for,” explained Sr. Pat Hutchison,
OSF ’70, director of the Institute. “Someone on the committee raised
a question about what our graduates experienced when they were at
Neumann. Were they treated with reverence? Did they believe that
we were, in fact and in deed, ‘uniquely personal’?”
The answer to these questions became clear when 14 alumni responded to an invitation to return to campus and participate in one
of the days of reflection. Below are comments that a few of the alums
shared about their Neumann experience.
Debra Gebbia ’05
My experience at Neumann was invaluable in providing a framework and foundation and reference for ongoing personal and
spiritual growth. The instructors mirrored a life rooted in liberating
Gospel values, and their own authentic commitment to growth while
supporting a space for students to do so as well.
Sarah Kurpel ’02 ’10
I stumbled across Neumann by a complete accident in 1997 and the
institution has brought me boundless blessings ever since. I love
sharing my experiences with recruits and current students as well as
passing on our traditions with my players on the field [Kurpel works
for the NU Athletic Department]. Neumann’s core values are found
in the actions and words of everyone who calls this place home.
Scott J. Kirkland ’96
Neumann has given me so much personally and professionally . . .
a wonderful family, cherished values, colleagues with whom I have
great friendships, memorable experiences and a world class educa-
In addition to the graduates who participated in the days of reflection for
Neumann personnel, four alums shared their Neumann experience with
graduating education majors. Pictured with Dr. Joseph Gillespie (center),
dean of Education and Human Services, are Alan Trotty ’05, Kimberly
Walmsley ’06, Bernadette Kutufaris ’99 and Vincent Vassallo ’08.
tion. It was a driving influence in shaping me into the person I am
today, and I am forever grateful and indebted.
Melody McHugh ’88
Every day I drive by Neumann to see the sign that says Uniquely
Personal Experience and I have to agree that during my time at
Neumann that is what I found.
Regina Moran ’09
I will forever be grateful to the staff, faculty, and administration of
Neumann because without them, I would not be the person I am
today. Every time I come back it is like coming home, and no matter
how long I may be gone, I am always welcomed back with open arms.
Other graduates who shared their stories included Linda Branco
’04 ’08, Michael D’Angelo ’05, Cathy Johnson ’09, Maureen Joos ’10,
Donna Liu ’05 ’08, Dorian Long ’10, Shirley Puccino ’09, Christopher
Reger ’06 ’08 and Ronald Tello ’08 ’10.
Now a University “Forevermore”
Ronald Tomalis, secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, granted Neumann University
final approval to operate as a university within the state on May 10, 2011. Neumann was first granted provisional
university status on April 24, 2009.
At the 2011 Commencement Exercises, Dr. Rosalie Mirenda, president of Neumann, shared the good
news with the graduates and their families. “Neumann is now a university forevermore,” she said.
Detailed reports regarding Neumann’s transition to a university between 2009 and 2011 were required by Harrisburg prior to the
granting of final and permanent university status. Jonathan Peri, Esq., vice president and general counsel for Neumann, supervised the
research, writing and organization of the final report, which he delivered to the Pennsylvania Department of Education in April 2011.
In his letter to Dr. Mirenda, Tomalis wrote, “I thank the university for its contributions to date to the higher education of this
commonwealth, and I wish it continued success in providing students excellence in education.”
8 Accent Magazine