Monday Morning Update

November 26, 2012

Armenia Report: On a Fulbright Fellowship in her native Armenia, Associate Professor of Political Science Anna Ohanyan is working on her second book, a study of regionalism in politically divided areas such as the Balkans and the South Caucasus. She is also teaching global issues & international organizations to Armenian university students. As such, she is working to change how Armenian students learn, challenging the passive lecture format, which is dominant there, while encouraging critical thinking, analytical skills, and problem solving. For more on Professor Ohanyan's approach, read a recent profile of her in the Armenian Mirror Spectator.

Service Award: Former Alumni Council President Mark Mulligan '88 received the 2012 Alumni Service Award at the annual Alumni Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on November 18. For 12 years, Mulligan has been a volunteer and leader on many committees and projects. As Chair of the Alumni Council's Academic Committee, for example, he was instrumental in the launch of the Alumni Travel Program. Now in its sixth year, the program offers alumni the opportunity to explore the world with Stonehill faculty providing historical and cultural insights along the way. For more, visit here.

Prayers of Thanks: After the Alumni Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Alumni Chaplain Rev. Robert Wiseman, C.S.C. celebrated the annual Alumni Mass of Thanksgiving in the Chapel of Mary. Close to 1,000 alumni sent Fr. Wiseman intention cards, which he prayed over at the Mass.

113 Days: With Athletic Department support, filmmaker Katie Shannon '04, with assistant director/producer Betsy Greer, is making a film called 113 Days, which will profile the women's lacrosse team during its recent season. Due out in March, the film documents the program's history and what it means to be a female collegiate athlete at Stonehill. For a 113 Days sneak peak, visit here.

Santa Hats: Brockton civic booster John Merian '81 makes things happen. Four years ago, he started the Santa Hat Challenge in honor of local merchant James Edgar, who became the first department store Santa in 1890. The challenge has filled downtown Brockton with upwards of 2,000 people wearing Santa hats, setting records for doing so in a single location. This year, the owner of Tuxedo's by Merian, got Mullingar, a town in Ireland, to join with Brockton in setting a new joint record for Santa hat wearing. Next year, he hopes to add an Australian town to the contest. For more, visit here.

Tying it Together: Students recently hung purple bows across campus and, according to Vice President for Advancement Francis Dillon '70, they are "visual reminders of what philanthropy has brought to this campus. The students put purple bows on each building erected through a gift, like the MacPhaidin Library and Stanger Hall as well as in each named room. Over 200 ribbons outside the Student Financial Services offices represent the number of named scholarships we have." To see the students hanging the bows, visit our Philanthropy Snapshot.

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