Political Science Cyber Newsletter

Number 25 - June 4, 2006

Well, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, here we go again. Another class walked across the stage into the world of alumni. Given their past, and the cumulative record established by our alumni, it is certain that we look forward to many interesting updates. President Gamble’s comments at graduation this year suggested that for faculty and the college, like parents with their children, we must love and celebrate all who graduated equally. In that spirit, I would like to list and congratulate all the Poli Sci majors and minors equally. Wherever your path takes you immediately; whatever roads you choose eventually; whether your career takes you: to graduate or law school; to the world of work in the public or private sector; or into the non career world of service to family and community; congratulations. Your accomplishments up to this point cannot be taken from you and if previous alumni are any indication, you leave well-prepared for the twists and turns, and opportunities and challenges, life will throw your way.

Majors                                               Minors

Kristen Barone (Hoag)                        Rob Englert

Dan Benoit                                         Craig Fisher
Ashley Cagle                                      Lucas Krasowski
Matt Chodaczek                                 Krystle Lacher
Ramona Ramos                                  Grant Marshman
Dan Spagiare                                      Nick Piazza
Jamie Winters                                     Corrine Pitts
                                                          Amy Sterling

In terms of congratulations, it also would not be right or acceptable to ignore JoEllen Taylor, a very active co-President of Pi Sigma Alpha, though her other commitments and major made it impossible for her to complete the minor. Additionally, Lindsey Kole qualified as a minor, but she is coming back next year to turn her minor into a major (and to run the Ambassadors). Lindsey also was the co-winner of the Alumni Recognition Award (following in famous poli sci footsteps) and was one of our five summa, magna, and cum laude honorees (Rob, JoEllen, Lindsey, Lucas, and Ashley).

Also, in terms of congrats, at the Saturday graduation the day before, two poli sci alumni, namely Aaron Clepper ’04 (Major) and Mike Beerbower ’03 (Minor), graduated with their Masters from Mercyhurst in (respectively) the Administration of Justice  and the Applied Intelligence programs. (As you will see, completing a Masters is a powerful current running through the alumni updates.) Truthfully, virtually all the alumni deserve congratulations for the lives they are living, but we do try to note advanced degrees, jobs, special honors received, marriages, and children for commendation. Speaking of which, not too long ago the local paper reported that Jody Robinson ’01 (Double Major) is still playing hockey in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and he was recently named as the Tigers Man of the Year (and a finalist for the AHL Man of the Year Award) for his outstanding contributions to the community.

Interestingly, this graduating class was small enough, and the tentative incoming class of freshman large enough, that we will begin the 06-07 academic year slightly larger than we ended the 05-06 year.

Also of interest is the date for HOMECOMING ’06 which is the weekend of September 23rd. Mark your calendars now and plan on a poli sci gathering prior to joining the official sideline tailgate party. Watch for more details early in the Fall.

Finally, you can rest assured that, like proverbial clockwork, the Summer Reading List is attached to the end of this. A couple of alumni also mentioned good books in their updates, and I want to add to the list an interestingly written book being marketed for young adults (I don’t qualify, I know), and while I agree that it is a good book for that market segment, it is also a good book for adults of any age (the best book of the three I’ve read since classes ended). Namely, the book titled “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak that innovatively uses Death as the narrator and which is set in  Germany during World War II. While reading it I did not believe it a great book, but since finishing it I’ve discovered it is sticking in my mind. So, consider it one more addition to this year’s list of recommendations.

And, (just to show you nothing has changed from lectures you may have endured) finally, finally, you can also rest assured that once again the Seniors/Faculty team won the coveted (though invisible) Volleyball Champions of the Universe Trophy, defeating (okay….crushing) the underclassmen and women.
 

WHO’S DOING WHAT (Alumni):

Caitlyn Miller ’04 (Double Major) – reported in from Texas and as you will see by reading her note, she is due double congrats, first for completing her Masters, second for landing a Presidential Management Fellow.  Says Caitlyn: First, I graduated on May 19th with my Masters in Public Service and Administration.  The two years flew by, but I had a chance to meet some great people and study under some impressive scholars. I suggest you route some more Lakers down here, the Bush School has a lot of resources to fund graduate study.  I will be in Texas until the end of June, enjoying the heat and trying to get all the sightseeing done I want to do before I head to DC.  In April, I was named a 2006 Presidential Management Fellow, and despite offers from several consulting firms, decided to pursue a job in the public sector.  On July 10th I will be starting as a program analyst for Health and Human Services in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness.  The fellowship seems to be a perfect fit for me, because it is 2 years long, and while I have been encouraged to get my Ph.D., I think I need to work for awhile.  I hope to make it to Homecoming this year and take part in the Poli Sci tailgate.

Stephanie Davison ’04 (Major) – is also due for double congrats (Masters and new job) and correctly surmised that “I guess it is time for me to start sending my own updates after two years of grad school, although I don't know if I will be telling you anything you haven't heard already.  I finished at SPEA in Indiana a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't think I would be so excited to finish school, but after all the work I think I'm ready to join the real world.  I moved to Alexandria, VA over the weekend.  As you probably know, Kristen Hudak and I are living together.  I'm starting work at the General Service Administration  (GSA) in a couple weeks.  With all the 'Hurst people around, it is going to be a great summer.  Did you hear about our softball team?  It is mostly comprised of poli sci and RIAP people.  Anyway, I hope things are going well in good 'ole Erie, PA.  I'm looking forward to seeing the summer reading list.

Joe Delgado ’04 (Major) – also joins the double congrats crew from ’04 for completing his Masters (Ohio State) and landing a job in (where else) D.C. Joe notes that he “was looking forward to getting your request for alumni updates because I actually have something worth reporting this time around.  I'm happy to report that my four month job search ended successfully in my accepting a position as a development associate with a nonprofit called CentroNia in Washington D.C.  The organization is a community center located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C, which is an area that is heavily populated by Latino and African immigrants.  CentroNia provides much-needed social services to these individuals, including before and after school day care, tax clinics, food and clothing giveaways, ESL classes, after-school tutoring, and emergency services, in addition to operating a bilingual charter school.  My job in the development office involves writing grants, attending lots of meetings, and doing more mundane tasks such as updating the ‘funder’  database and organizing files that are out of date.  Overall, I'm enjoying my job very much and am happy to have completed my M.A. thesis right before I moved out of Columbus at the end of April.  Also, I've read a couple of books recently that I thought would be great additions to the summer reading list if they're not already included.  The first, titled "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," by John Perkins, is a deeply penetrating look at the how the IMF, World Bank, multinational corporations, and the US government exploit underdeveloped countries by granting them huge loans that they will never realistically be able to repay in the interest of expanding American influence around the globe.  The second is George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris and London," a book that I found comforting when I was desperately searching for a job and couldn't seem to get an interview.  At any rate, I'm looking forward to getting this summer's list and am happy to hear that things are going well at the Hurst.” 

Jen (Kraus) Bach ’94 (Major) – includes a chance to lobby in her update: “I continue to work for the American Cancer Society -- 3 years.  While I work for a non-profit, I still use the political training I received at Mercyhurst.  I can only keep quoting Tip O'Neil "all politics are local."  While cancer is a health issue, it is a political one as well.  It doesn't see people as Republicans, Democrats, Independents or whatever party one may be.  It affects everyone.  And, that includes our state and national issues.  This year, we were able to pass the patient navigation bill and expand the Healthy Woman program to include all women over the age of 40.  We successfully defeated S 1955 which would have wiped out mandated coverage for mammograms and other important health screenings.  Next, we are looking at making PA smoke-free, like all of our neighbors.  We can only get our legislators attentions by letting them we care about cancer and we vote!  Feel free to visit:
http://capwiz.com/acs-national/pa/issues/alert/?alertid=8777146  On a happy note -- my husband and I are expecting our first child in August!!!  Please keep the air conditioning running.”

Kristen Hudak ‘05 (Major) – just finished year one of her four year ride at Catholic and sent in the following update: “I can't believe I'm already one year into graduate school. It was such a great experience for me once I got settled into DC and grew more comfortable. I really enjoyed most of my classes and I felt very prepared for graduate school. TA-ing was mostly positive, though I had a few challenging experiences.  I'm taking two summer classes, one now and one in July.  This one is Congressional Party Leadership and the later one is a directed readings on interest groups. For the summer, I'm also working full-time as a head cashier at Barnes and Noble. And I'm still volunteering a few hours a week at Evan Bayh's leadership PAC.  I also recently moved into a new apartment with Stephanie Davison and we're really excited. It's also nice to have so many Mercyhurst alumni in the area.  I believe there is even talk of a summer softball team of DC Lakers in the congressional softball league, though I don't believe it's formalized quite yet.  Maeve Kelly will also be living with us for the summer.”

Billy Byrnes ’02 (Major) – hope’s all is well at the Hurst and agrees it is hard to believe another year has come and gone. Congratulations head his way as well because, as he explains: I am happy to report that I have finally completed my Masters and graduated just two weeks ago.  I finished my thesis earlier this year.  It was titled, "Economic Justice For All: The Challenge of a Preferential Option for the Poor."  (There was an effort to bridge the religious and secular gap).  In two weeks my second year of teaching will have finished and I am secretly thrilled about that.  I do love teaching, but we get burnt out by the end.  The burn out is also due to my job in Student Activities. I have accepted the position of Director of Student Activities for the following year, which I am excited about, minus the burn out factor.  I have remained as politically active as I can, both by marching in the Anti-War march in San Francisco, the Immigration Rights march in San Jose (2X), and by protesting the death penalty when Stanly "Tookie" Willliams and Clarrence Ray Allen were executed.  I have been going to mass at San Quentin Prison as well, and the men there have really taught me a lot about life and the system.  There is much going on here in California and I hope much gets done in the near future.  Blessings on your summers.  Peace.

Zach Smith ’05 (Minor) – is keeping very busy outside of work, noting that: life in the greater DC metropolitan is as good as ever.  Work is extremely busy. I'm currently working a predictive model to analyze sub-national leader and group interaction and the possible influence options for those groups.  In addition its the proposal time of year where us government contractors earn our keep so I've been writing proposals for work as well.  As far as my non work life goes I've become a big brother for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America mentoring a boy named Patrick, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience thus far.  Additionally I'm volunteering with the Alexandria Archaeological Museum and Historical Society on developing a database and analysis process for their data on the African American Civil War hospital, which once completed (whenever that is) will be the most extensive data set on Black Civil War medicine.  Other then that I'm enjoying life, and the city (except the traffic).

Jamie Winters ’06 (Double Major) – who complete her degree in Religious Studies last year, graduated early and is already working in DC. Jamie told us that she is “finding DC to be a great place to live and work. I am working for the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and my pet issue is the movement of people world wide. This has proved to be a very heated topic with all the debate in US on immigration right now. Overall though I am preparing our office for a High Level Dialogue Conference at the UN in September and Informal NGO Hearing in July that I will take part in (very exciting). Also I am working at Starbucks to help pay the bills (one of the perks of living in DC). All in all things are really good and I am adjusting to life after the Hurst very well.”

Jule Gardner ’95 (Major) – sent a nice note and this update: “Recently, I found out there are few things as liberating as a crummy job with a worse boss and a bad commute. So I jumped off a career cliff to get back on a path I never should have left -- I'm back doing public radio stories. My friends from my days at WNYC in New York have been really helpful. It pays to leave jobs on good terms, as it turns out. I've had several freak-out moments about the lack of a regular paycheck, including a short-lived career at Trader Joe's, but things of late have settled in. I've set up a makeshift studio in my DC apartment and am producing pieces for a couple of shows, including Splendid Tale and Weekend America, both distributed by American Public Media to about 170 markets throughout the country. I spend my days pitching stories, interviewing old lady historians and boys on bikes who deliver snacks, among others. I cut tape and write scripts and talk with my cat between her naps, which, I've found out, are frequent. I also work evenings as the copy editor at The Express, the pithy commuter tabloid put out by the Washington Post. It's a fun job with interesting people and provides the aforementioned regular paycheck. I'm happy. I like my work. It's all very odd, this career happiness. So for anyone in a hated job, I have some advice: Don't do that. Things will work out if you let them… Looking forward to the reading list! I just finished "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk. After his getting arrested and all of the controversy, it was not what I expected: sweet and pessimistic, realistic and completely impossible, godless and religious. Which is to say I recommend it.”
 
Emily Howard ’03 Major - began her message with words the editor loves to hear: Wow, you're right if I don't sit down to write as soon as I get the email it falls quickly by the wayside. Thanks, as always, for sending the updates out and attempting to stay connected. It's important.  I've just made travel arrangements to attend a one day journalism conference in D.C. on June 2nd hosted by The Nation magazine. It should be fun to meet other young people trying to have their voices heard, learn and share skills. As for school, I have finished my class work for my Master's here at New College. I will begin working on my thesis project this fall with an estimated date of graduation of December. I had an intense semester. After traveling back from two weeks in Venezuela I found myself knee deep in an investigative reporting class, audio production class, and an internship with a news magazine show called Flashpoints. Last week, my partner and I turned in a 2,600 word investigative report on transportation in SF that can be found at www.newcollegeclarion.org. Also, we had a 'listening party' for our audio production class where I played a 15 minute audio feature on the community radio movement in Venezuela. All of the audio was taken from interviews, ambient sound and the infinite wisdom I had the privilege of witnessing while there. The radio show has been an amazing opportunity for me on many levels. The show, again, is called Flashpoints! and is aired on KPFA through the Pacifica Network out of Berkeley. It is a one hour news magazine that can be accessed for those out of the area at www.flashpoints.net . We have been covering the immigration rights issue here in the city and I had the opportunity to air two radio collages from separate marches. I have also run the boards during  shows up to three times a week, depending on the need. There are amazing people who come through and talk to us, from leaders of the immigration rights debate to reporters traveling with the Zapatista's Otra Campaigna. This summer I will be working closely with the show and filling the gap left by the executive producer while she is in Palestine for a few weeks. Otherwise, I am exhaling from this crazy year. Taking a couple of classes at a community college, Spanish  and dance. And looking forward to reading some books I picked up while in Venezuela through a publishing house called Ocean Press. For summer reading books I would suggest Silvia Federici's 2004 Caliban and the Witch.  The perspective is Marxist, but her historical research is fantastic. She illustrates the timetable in which women's bodies have been enclosed, along with enclosures of land and some would argue imagination, and what implications those  enclosures have had on women and society. It a heavy read, but absolutely thought provoking.  [Ed. Note: I’m just guessing, but probably not a relative of my colleague. J]

Rob Vescio ’96 (Major) – has had no choice but to pay close attention to the unusual outcomes of the recent Pennsylvania primaries. His observations are part of his update (and he is also in the congrats category): The voters of Pennsylvania have spoken...that is the message the media through-out the Commonwealth are saying after the two highest ranking members of the State Senate lost re-election in addition to 15 incumbent House members.  While it will take a few months before the dust settles and we know for sure who the true winners and losers are, it is important that people understand that the system can work.  The legislators pushed the pulse of the people one step too far and the people responded. Challengers to these incumbents were outspent almost 8 to 1, but they still prevailed.  This bodes badly for incumbents going into November. My world has also been shaken.  All of us lobbyists are scrambling after the recent primary election trying to determine the next Senate leader.  This is only the beginning since we expect more incumbents to lose in November.  However, all of this pales in comparison to an even bigger life altering  event...I am going to be a father.  My wife Charlene and I are expecting our first child in late October, early November (Possible Election Day Baby).  We are very excited and have already begun the preparations.  We will find out the sex of our child this Saturday and family classes are booked for August.  That having been said, I am still a go for Homecoming.  So keep me posted on any poli sci  get togethers.  Hope you have a good summer.  I know mine will be crazy between working on the state budget and preparing for the expansion of my family.   [Editor’s Note: Having previously announced Rob’s appointment as director of recruiting for the class of 1996’s 10 year reunion at homecoming next fall, after reading this I think I’d better add Rich Wagner on as co-director of recruiting. Speaking of which….]

Rich Wagner ’96 (Major) – comments that he “cannot believe it has almost been ten years since I graduated.   Not sure when the last time I sent an update over so, I guess I will pick it up from last July… I finally had the surgery for my back in July and the pain and numbness in the legs associated with the disk damage has been (mostly) alleviated.   I am back to playing hockey three or four times a week – which is good news.  In addition, I have been named assistant coach the US Ball Hockey Women's National Team (ball hockey is simply hockey on foot) – the national team will play in the World Cup tournament in Ratingen, Germany in June of 2007. Work is going well – I am a Project Manager at Anteon Corporation, a defense contractor that is soon-to-be-acquired by General Dynamics.  I currently work on a Department of Defense contract that assists the DoD's Business Transformation Agency (BTA) in modernizing its operations and processes.  Other than work stuff, my wife Lisa and I are doing fine.  We started a real estate service corporation – Blue Cat Capital, LLC – in January to provide service, property management and maintenance support to residential (apartment) sites within the DC Metro area.   I think that about does it – nothing all that event on my end.  Most of my days are spent working, playing hockey, and trying to grow grass in my yard – which apparently takes more smarts, patience and "agri-talent" than I seem to posses.   Life is pretty quiet. I hope all is well with everyone over there.  Please tell Dr. Federici I said hello and that I am pretty confident his Redskins are going to stink again this year, even though they managed to take Randell El away from the Steelers.   Strangely enough – and a testament to the small world theory – my house (Silver Spring) is about five minutes or so from his Alma Mater: Catholic University and I pass it every day while on the Metro going to work.”

Jo Ann Hanes ’03 (Major) – reports that she is “still down here in Winchester, VA wrapping up the school year.  My 10th grade Modern World History students just took their SOL (nice name-right?) tests. These tests put more pressure on us teachers than on  the students it seems--and if you have a low passing rate for your classes then, you are in fact, SOL--please excuse the pun.
My department head is pleased because my pass rate for 3 regular ed. classes and 2 special ed. classes was about 95%.  This 1 of 4 things: I kind of know what I am doing even as a first year history teacher, that I am just really good at teaching to the test :-),that my students really knew the material and were well prepared for the test or that my students are just really good test-takers.  So really-the scores prove nothing.  Now--if I was one of those teachers who actually took credit for good grades and good scores that students earn, then I might be more excited.  It's funny how everyone likes to take credit for good scores, but no one wants to take the blame for bad scores.  But enough about test scores. In other news, I am currently teaching about September 11th.  This is a topic that has created such great discussion in all of my classes. I have students whose parents commute to D.C. and were there the day the Pentagon was hit, I have a few students whose parents work at the Pentagon and I have one student who was in school only a block from the Pentagon and remembers feeling his school building vibrate when the plane hit and watched the flames and smoke coming out the Pentagon.  I want the kids to know how historical that day truly was and that years from now they will be able to recall exactly what they were doing when they heard about the attacks-just like all the people who can recall where they were when they heard about JFK's assassination. Otherwise, I am looking forward to summer break.  I have some curriculum work to do here at Millbrook High School and then I will be coming back to Erie for a few weeks.  I also have plans to go to Virginia Beach--but that's about it.  The only challenge I have now before break begins is to keep the students interested and on-task until the end of the year.  We'll see how that goes.  I am glad to hear you made it through another year.  Can't wait for the Summer Reading List!”

Adam Blahut ‘02 (Minor) – offered us a couple of kudos in his message: “Well, I just finished my first year of course work on my PhD in history.  Took a seminar this semester about the federal presences in the American West, and your public administration course and Dr. Morris's American Congress course paid off. “

Alyson Pinter ’05 (Double Major) – brings us up to speed on her classes (improved and sounding downright exciting next fall), her horse (better), and work. [Ed. Note: Thanks for the help on the visit. The students appreciated it!]
“One year down, one to go before finish my masters degree at Georgetown.  After a first semester glitch with some less than wonderful classes, I hit my stride
second semester.  Even better, I found a great mentor--my Terrorism/Counterterrorism professor, Bruce Hoffman, who is a terrorism expert and the director of RAND's Washington office.  His expertise is in Palestinian terrorism (he often trains the Israelis in terrorism) and the Tamil Tigers, but he is often quoted in the media regarding UBL, al-Qaeda, and Iraq, given his research on suicide terrorism (how he made his name in terrorism at RAND).  I'm looking forward to next fall as well, in addition to having Paul Pillar (former CIA, author of "Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy") as my faculty advisor, I am taking “Al-Qaeda," a class taught by Michael Scheuer, the Anonymous author of "Through Our Enemies Eyes" and "Imperial Hubris."  More on that next fall.... As for work, after a year, I decided to try a different, more high-profile office, though by the time this newsletter is sent around, I will have only been at the new office for a couple of weeks, so I don't know how much there would be to add--or what I could actually tell any of you! (Sorry!)  I'm really excited about the move--my old office was ok, in fact I just won an award for one of my intell. products, but I was just ready to try something different.  Hopefully I like it, because in a couple of months, I have to apply for full-time staff, which means redoing my whole background application, polygraph, the works! (Yippie...or NOT!) I hope everyone from the poli sci trip enjoyed the tour--let me know if you want me to try to get another one for next year! Other than that, just gearing up for another fun summer--any other Hursters joining the annual Hurst at the Capitol 4th of July bash?  My horse is doing well after a difficult winter, thank goodness.  It seems like I've finally found a good spot for her, which is a big relief, though I don't know if I'll be showing her anymore (still worried about that leg), but it’s more important that she's healthy.”

J..J. Mikulec ’05 (Triple Major) – kept it brief, arguing that “I'm afraid that I don't have a lot to report.  I made it through my first year of graduate work.  GW gave an honorary doctorate to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan this spring, so I was happy to see him speak on campus after my years in Model UN at Mercyhurst.  I'll still  be in D.C. for the summer, but I am looking forward to a break from the  normal routine of school for a few months. I hope that all is well with you and as always, look forward to the summer reading list.”

Melissa  (Poliseno) Burke ’03 (Major) – reports from law school in Michigan, that “With each passing graduation I feel "older and older!"  Anyways,  this summer I am working in a law firm in Buffalo which does corporate defense work.  One of our big clients is CSX Railroad - so every time you are sitting at those darn tracks and see "CSX" on the side – that’s me. Other than that, all is well - I will be married for almost two years.  I cant believe it! Time flies - no kids yet  - those won’t be for a while.”

Gretchen Ulery ’95 (Major) – understates quite a bit with her opening sentence: “Nothing much is happening with me. I started my new International position at the beginning of the year and was given the crash course in sales by taking on a maintenance renewal in 9 countries for support of all Wal-Mart International Stores. I am delighted to report (and exhausted) that we won the bid so now we are in the contract phase. It's a huge chunk of our business and a strategic opportunity for IBM as it retains our position in all of the geographies. I have scheduled my first international session with my team and will be traveling to Brazil and Argentina in mid June. It just happens to coincide with some World Cup games so I am really looking forward to meeting with the teams both at work to discuss our initiatives and after work to um, talk strategic initiatives I guess. Other than that, settling into the house and enjoying the warm weather, the lake and the pool when I can. “

Lilly Gehres ’05 (Minor) – is another one of the many, many examples of alumni both doing well and doing good; and our third recent Americorp volunteer. Lilly wrote that “I contact you just hours before departing Sacramento, CA for Cameron Parish, LA.   I find that my first year as a contributing alumni has come full circle as I made my first submission from Waveland, MS and now I make my last heading back to the Gulf.  Interesting how it all works out.  So, as I mentioned, I am departing in 4 hours for Cameron Parish, LA.  Located in the Southwest of the state, it was 99.9% wiped out by Hurricane Rita and the subsequent storm surge.  The only building not receiving structural damage was City Hall and the only business in a 1 hour radius is a one pump gas station that is running out of a FEMA trailer.   My AmeriCorps*NCCC team and I will spend our last 2 months of this 10 month program living in a yurt, mucking houses and clearing debris.  Of course we will keep a weary eye out for alligators as they are just every where, and an ear tuned to the radio as we are living 500 yard from the ocean in a tent at the beginning of hurricane season.   The fabulous and exciting live of a volunteer!   But really, it's been a fun ride.  I've made it to such exotic places as the Mississippi Gulf Coast to work with FEMA, Green River, UT to tutor the children, Covington, LA to build houses with Habitat, Bolinas, CA to do non-toxic mosquito abatement, Santa Rosa, CA to do environmental work with the parks, creeks, and trails, and finally I head to Cameron, LA for disaster relief.  I would say that my first year outside of the Hurst's gates has been rather successful.  As far as next year, I'm taking this adventure on the road to Portland, OR where I hope someone realizes the fantastic skills I posses as a result of 4 years under the guidance of a particularly perspicacious Political Science Department.”

Albert Veverka’05 (Major) – may have given up too soon on the Pirates, who are fighting to become a .500 ball club, but he noted that he is “currently clerking for Justice Baer of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for the summer.  The work has piled up fast and furious but the Justice is really nice and I imagine I will be learning a ton.  Otherwise not much else to report other than another terrible season for the Pirates.  This summer promises to teach me more about the law than I think I can learn from reading case books.  I am working with real cases and real issues which is extremely rewarding.  That is about it from here, I hope everyone has a terrific summer!!!”

Dana Hyland ’05 (Major) – scored points by stopping in for a visit. She continues to work on her Masters at Indiana University and stated that: I can't believe my first year of graduate school is over already- it flew by. I made a lot of great friends and learned a TON. I am really enjoying my program and the contacts that I am making at Indiana. I'm actually really looking forward to returning in the fall and I can tell already that this time next year will be tough to say goodbye to everyone. Losing Steph at the end of this year was hard enough! After a wonderful visit in Erie last week I'm currently at home and moving to DC on Friday for the summer. I have an internship with the Environmental Literacy Council, a small non-profit on K Street in DC that works on environmental education. I realized the other day that I have Kristen Hudak to thank for my entire summer in DC- not only did she email me the link that ended up getting me my  internship, but I am also going to be staying in her professor's house for the summer while he is out of town! (Sweet deal, I know) We are also in the process of putting together a Mercyhurst softball team to play in the Congressional league this summer, of which I have volunteered to be co-captain with Stephanie Hancock! Ha ha. But seriously, if anyone is going to be in DC for the summer and wants to play, send me an email ASAP (DanaEHyland@yahoo.com). Right now life is really great- 2006 has been crazy so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else it has in store for me. Alright, I'm off to ransack my house for all my (and my sisters') old softball equipment!  
[Ed. Note: an example of what she is doing this summer can be found at http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1320.html

Kristen Brown ’03 (Contract Major) – shows that even after a Master’s from Maxwell (Syracuse) more schooling still has appeal, and that she did not steer her boyfriend away from a class taught by a certain professor. It is either a compliment for the editor, or she is angry with her boyfriend…Whichever, she says that “All is well with me.  My boyfriend is still enrolled in the teaching cert program at Mercyhurst, and looking forward to quitting his job and going full time in the fall (of course; I won't lie, I am a bit jealous)...As for me, I am okay.  I am doing the half marathon this summer so I am excited about that.  I tried to enroll in the dietetics cert at Mercyhurst but they cancelled it so I guess I am still being a business person of some sort. By the way...my boyfriend is taking geopolitics with you in the fall.”

Ahmed Omerhodzic ‘00 (Minor) – has his own distinctive style, that fits well with emailese and defies editing, even if his prognostication skills fell, like the Sabre’s puck shots, just short of (or off)the mark. Here goes: “Ahmed is WONDERFUL....... and doing far and above what he has set out  to do in his life.  As an aspiring social science/ poli sci major at mercyhurst, i never thought my private liberal arts degree would catapult me like it has in my starving socieconomic teaching facility.   Inner city kids are just like private spolied.... volvo driving...... college school kids.......they stay up late, skip classes because they are hung over,  hand in shotty, or close to crappy work, copy or cut and paste research essays from the internet, and spend more time on their myspace accounts than learning more about the 4 causes of world war I!!!!!  ( One who owns the rim land.......will own......the.....)   SO i leave you  with that sweet morsel of love as i have to go, im real busy and i have to upload a picture on myspace account.  Go SABRES......Stanley cup here we come!!!”

Casey (CJ) Kilroy ’03 (Double Major) – is still on the national tour of Care Bears Live as Grumpy Bear until the end of July and reports that she is “not sure if I will continue to tour with this company next year, look to new performance opportunities, or even take a break and hit the political scene during this intense PA General Election that is fast approaching.  I'm taking everything day by day, and I'm still enjoying the ability to visit different parts of the country - right now we're just north of Boston, then off to Philly, followed by Chicago.  I'm also anxious to hear about this years graduation award winners, hoping that Political Science is still holding a record! Looking forward to the summer reading list and will continued to keep you updated.”     [Ed. Note: As all good alumni should so I don’t get grumpy.]

Tony D’Abruzzo ’03 (Major) – is one of the alumni whose updates always capture his sense of style and humor and so I avoid editing. Go Tony:
Dear Ole Doc, It’s always good to hear you made it through yet another year at the hurst without an anthrax scare.  Thought I would wait til the last minute to email you, much like how I procrastinate on doing schoolwork.   Seriously, this is all the jokes I have and it took me two weeks to write them.   I do not have anything of interest to report.  Grad school is going surprisingly well.   Finished up the spring term a few weeks ago and just started summer classes last week.  One note of interest is I'm taking an elective called Crime and Drugs.  In the first class, we watched an informative video on how to make crack.  I'm not sure how this relates to anything of relevance for a potential career, but its nice to learn new skills.  Well, I hope all is still well at the Hurst and hope everyone has a good summer. 

Andrea Hashim ’04 (Minor) – is yet another multiple congrats person who sent in some interesting information about her life: I graduated from the Univ. of Arizona this month  with my Masters of Fine Arts in Dance- Choreography.  I have accepted a job teaching at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, AZ..  I will be teaching dance classes (ballet) as well as a lecture class- Intro to Dance (primarily a dance history class) that is part of the humanities core for the college.  I have also accepted a few freelance positions around Phoenix as a teacher and choreographer. I remain active on the political side as well.  The Royal Academy of Dance sent me to National Arts Advocacy Day in March as the representative for their organization.  I spent two days lobbying on the hill for a few bills that were passing through the house and senate pertaining to the NEA and Arts Education.  I am happy to say that our job was well done, for the bill asking to increase funds for the NEA passed with flying colors.  I continue to stay active with the National Dance Education Organization, and other organizations working towards Arts Education. This summer will find me dancing in San Francisco at  the San Francisco Conservatory for Dance.  I will also be spending countless hours by the pool working on my tan.

Brad Rybczynski ’97 (Major) – was another alum who earned bonus points by coming by for a visit. (Actually, all bonus points go to Walt and Madeline who accompanied him and may some day be able to cash them in.) He hopes to make homecoming and be able to talk to students about the opportunities and benefits of involvement in local politics, government, and unions. Anyway, Here’s some of the news: “Andrea, Walt, Madeline and I welcomed Luke Julian Rybczynski into the world today (May 25th) at 2:36 p.m. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 12. oz. and is 20 inches long. All is going quite well with mother, baby and twins.  I had almost forgotten how fun it was to have a baby in the house.  Sleep depravation has been interesting, but it does allow me to catch up on work in the wee hours of the night. Work is going well.  We are on the brink of passing two laws that will require apprenticeship training.  One in Buffalo and the other in Erie County.  The County bill if not vetoed (or with a successful override) will be the culmination of almost three years of work.  This is one of the first things I started on when I became Executive Director of the Council. [Ed. Note: of the Buffalo Building Trades Council]  St. Francis baseball is also doing great.  We clinched first place today and are going into the play-offs with a full head of steam.  The team is also ranked in the top ten in Western New York.  This is my eighth season with the program.”

Patrick Fore ’02 (Major) – sent word up from Florida. Pat rick explains that  “After a brief stint as a Financial Advisor (capitalized for pseudo-importance) I find myself now back where I began, in the restaurant business for a growing Tex-Mex concept out of Orlando.  We each wear quite a bit of hats here, but the one that sticks most is director of development (lower case to accent the relative unimportance of titles).  I must say that this, of my short life, has been the best job I have had.  From real estate to lease negotiations, to running a department, I'd say the Hurst provided an "interesting" foundation, one which I use daily.  I'd throw in a plug for our own HRIM dept. were I schooled there, but I will say that a political science background has proved "surprisingly" useful in this field.  Other than work, not much else to report. Please relay my best to the department.  And yes, Law School is still a possibility (note the ironic use of capitalization).” [Ed. Note:  Florida is also where Brian Fromknecht ‘00, recent  visitor to campus, is settling in after finishing law school  (University of Miami) and other pursuits]

Gina Giachetti ’93 (Major) – has not yet finished her graduate thesis, but did have success in recruiting “a young Afghan man into the DEA from grad school and I am now his training officer. So work takes a new spin as I am now working some cases in that arena if you know what I mean. Can't be very specific unfortunately. Also as the President of my local community horse club, Circle D, our first horse event went off this Saturday (May 20th) a success except for one ambulance visit when a rider fell from her horse but she turned out to be just fine. I also now teach 7th grade through high school level classes - health class that is and the drug portion of those classes of course. The homestead is great and life is busy as usual!!”

Perry Wood III ’01 (Major) – sent in the following highlights: “In February 2006: I left the Downtown Improvement District to become CEO of the Technology Council of NWPA. In March of 2006: I was the recipient of the 2006 Generation E-Leadership Award.  The award is given to the top 10 young professionals (under 40) of Erie County.  I was sure to thank my Poli Sci Professors during the acceptance video. Sunday, April 16, 2006: Isabella Grace Wood was born on Easter Sunday. Carlee went through 5 weeks of bed rest at Hamot; it was all worth it.  Isabella weighed just under 3pds at birth.  Although she still isn't home, she is doing very well.  She weighs 4pds now, does not require a ventilator and breaths at room air oxygen levels.  She's a little miracle and we thank God everyday for her. I'm excited to say that the Tech Council is embarking on an initiative called the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) that will bring the 4 Universities of Erie County together to strengthen the local economy.  Professors who possess knowledge that can be commercialized to start a business or can help an existing business to innovate, will be assisted through grants, small business development agencies and private industry to take their R&D to the world.  Talented individuals with creative business concepts are the future of economic development in the global economy.  The Tech Council has become a leading advocate for innovating how advanced manufacturers, information technology, environmental science and homeland security companies innovate in Erie County.  Read your Thomas Friedman!”

Beth Stoessel ‘01 (Double Major) – reminds us that even in the face of troubling news, there are different ways to interpret it. To wit: “Well, there isn't much new down here.  Drew and I are still in the DC area, in the same house, with our dog.  Not much new otherwise.  Daily grind and all.  Saddened by the recent press reports that I cannot comment on, and glad that we are still a country where we can make accusations against our government (true or untrue), and where people get upset at the thought of classified information being unnecessarily revealed.”

Tim Krysiek ‘05  (Minor) – seems to still be carpe dieming: “I'm happy to report that I've had a great year at St Andrews.  Through a frustrating and time-consuming process of trial and error I've managed shave quite a few strokes of my golf game.  I can proudly say I've now visited all the pubs in St Andrews, so I'm attempting to expand my horizons with a whiskey tour of the Highlands next week.  Ahh yes, the academics...how could I forget?  This semester I took courses in Central Asian politics and Islamic political thought.  Overall I've enjoyed my master's course, but I'm looking forward to doing more research and less coursework in the future.   I'll be flying home in early June and visiting friends in DC from 8-10 June.  If you are in the area that weekend please send me an email. (timothy.krysiek@gmail.org).  This summer I'll be working for Google at their corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California (just outside San Francisco).  This has been an unexpected, but most welcome, development.  I'll be working on the Google Earth digital mapping program; Google Earth is engaged in negotiations with former Soviet governments over mapping sensitive areas (military complexes, energy infrastructure, etc.) and thought I could assist them in these efforts.  While I'm in northern California, I plan to enroll as a visiting student at Stanford and complete my dissertation for my master's program at St Andrews.  I'm doing a comparative study of Caspian energy geopolitics; I plan to examine the ways in which Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have used major hydrocarbon deals to promote their national interests.   As for the second year of the Marshall, I've accepted a place at St Antony's College, Oxford for 2006-07. I plan to read for a second master's degree in Russian and East European Studies and continue my study of Eurasian energy issues through an internship at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.   As much as I'll miss the lifestyle in St Andrews, I'm looking forward to studying at Oxford and enjoying all the advantages of being closer to metro London.

DEPARTMENTAL NEWS:

As I normally do, I invited current students to send in a report on Who’s Doing What and three accepted the offer. They give a nice picture of some of what our students are doing.

Maeve Kelly ’07 - I am working for the New Democrat Network (NDN) as an intern and my duties include regular intern tasks, but more specifically I will be working on our Gala and Annual Meeting on June 22nd. Looking forward to meeting with Senator Clinton, Rahm Emanuel etc. I also help plan events such as breakfasts with Congressmen/women and our high donors. This year is different from last years in that, NDN's contributors are individuals rather than unions. I regularly see checks on my desk written for $200,000!

Adam Hammer  ’09 - Over the summer I will be working with Assemblyman Jim Hayes, a Republican who represents my home district.  Mr. Hayes has dedicated himself to fixing New York's embarrassing fiscal crisis.  Hopefully, I will assist him in his endeavors.  In addition, I was recently appointed the new President of the Mercyhurst College Young Republicans.

Lindsey Kole ’06/07 - This year I was honored to receive the Alumni Recognition Award at Graduation!! I will be in DC doing an internship with Northrop Grumman for the summer. All of us 'Hurst people in DC have joined a Mercyhurst softball team to play the Congressional offices. While the rest of the team is playing, I'll be teaching Maeve gymnastics in the outfield :) I will be back in Erie to finish my Political Science degree in the fall, then I'm off to grad school (hopefully). I am also taking over the Ambassador Club next year and will be putting together an Ambassador Alumni network...for any of you former Ambassadors out there, keep your eyes open for information about this! That's all I have! Have a good summer! Oh Elise and I plan on doing some Cleveland sports themed decorating in Preston and wearing Browns gear to Dr. Ripley's class everyday in the fall!

Spring term once again featured two great Ad Hocs. The first one featured Dr. John Olszowka discussing immigration and the second featured Dr. Stafford Thomas who focused on life after getting your political science degree. Dr. Thomas is one of the top academics in the field of intelligence, and a consultant to the CIA who was the speaker for this year’s Pi Sigma Alpha Induction Dinner. (16 students were inducted!)

A clear highlight for many students was the trip to DC led by Dr. Morris. 24 students were able to tour the capital city, including the CIA, the capitol, and the monuments. Special thanks go to the students who did virtually all the organizing, to Alyson Pinter, and to Dr. Morris for once again being willing to make time so that students could seize this opportunity.

On Wednesday, April 19th, at an event we co-sponsored, Dr. Gary Orfield (Harvard) spoke on the changing nature of segregation in the United States. Dr. Orfield is one of the foremost experts on this topic and some of his work was heavily relied upon by Jonathan Kozol in his recent book The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. Dr. Federici’s grants also resulted in talks in May by two very prominent historians and authors, Dr. Thomas Fleming and Dr. Walter McDougall.

FACULTY NEWS:

Dr. Morris has been busy planning a new course he will be teaching next year titled, Contemporary Environmental Issues.  In addition to working on this class this summer he will be giving several lectures to high school teachers for Project TEACH, a program designed and administered by Dr. Federici.  Dr. Morris plans to kayak as much as possible between now and the start of the 2006-07 academic year.

Dr. Ripley presented a paper, "Over a Barrel: OPEC, Cartel Behavior, and Relative Gains," at the International Studies Association conference in San Diego in March. He has also recently reviewed manuscripts for the journal Foreign Policy Analysis and for Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. He encourages any current, returning Political Science majors or minors to consider participating in the Model UN program in the fall. Even if you are not planning a career in the field of international relations, Model UN is good experience for anybody considering a career in law or politics, and it is fun. Jim Kelly and Lindsey Kole will serve as head delegates for the Model UN next year. Contact Dr. Ripley via email over the summer or at the beginning of the fall term if you are interested in the program.

Dr. Federici completed four book reviews in the past year: 1) Eric Voegelin’s Dialogue with the Postmodern: Searching for Foundations (Perspectives on Politics, vol. 3 no. 4 December 2005); 2) John Lukacs’s Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred (Modern Age, viol. 48, no. 1, Winter 2006); 3: Peter Viereck’s Conservatism Revisited (The University Bookman, forthcoming); 4) Ian Crowe’s An Imaginative Whig (Modern Age, forthcoming). He attended a conference in Indianapolis on “Capitalism and Freedom: Milton Friedman and the Economics of Liberty” (April 21-22).  On May 4 he attended a dinner and lecture by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in Wilmington, DE. Dr. Federici organized lectures by Thomas Fleming on April 26 (“Washington’s Secret War”) and Walter McDougall on May 12 (“Republic of Pretense: The American Civil Religion and Civil War”) as part of his two Teaching American History Grants from the U.S. Department of Education.  As part of these grants, Dr. Federici has organized and will conduct two three-week conferences for high school and middle school American history teachers in June and July.  As part of the conferences, participants will travel to Philadelphia and Gettysburg.