Category Archives: For Alumni

Joanna Saidel ’85

Joanna Saidel ’85 Delves Deeply into Nazi History in “Deal with the Devil”

For Alumni, Uncategorized,
Joanna Saidel ’85
Joanna Saidel ’85

Towards the end of WWII Hitler ordered his killing machine into overdrive to exterminate the Jews. Joanna Saidel ’85 has written a fascinating article, “Deal with the Devil,” for The Times of Israel that delves deeply into clandestine efforts to thwart Hitler’s orders—a little known story that saved perhaps tens of thousands of European Jews.

Saidel received a master’s degree from Keene State before going on to get a Ph.D. in History from UNH Durham (her dissertation topic was “Revisionist Zionism in America: The Campaign to Win American Public Support, 1939-1948”). “My work at Keene definitely helped pave the way for the current article,” Saidel explained. “At that time I studied with Charles Hildebrandt. If I remember correctly, he was in the process of establishing a Holocaust Studies program then (probably around 1984?). He was my mentor for my master’s thesis, Jewish Life in Latin America. I enjoyed working with him very much; I could sense his genuine dedication—his emotion and spirit—as he undertook his mission to develop a Holocaust center at Keene.”

Saidel currently live in New Hampshire with her family, writing for The Times of Israel and occasionally for the Jerusalem Post.

Dana Hilliard ’95

Dana Hilliard ’95: Somersworth’s New Mayor!

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Dana Hilliard ’95
Dana Hilliard ’95 receiving congratulations at Somersworth’s Teatotaller Tea House after he won the mayoral race on Nov 5. (Photo courtesy of John Hunt, staff photographer for Foster’s Daily Democrat)

Somersworth Middle School Principal Dana Hilliard ’95 had been bitten by the political bug back when he was active in student government while he was on campus. His success, and his willingness to serve, reached a new high on November 5 when he was voted in as mayor of Somersworth, NH. Mayor Hilliard is a former KSC Alumni Board member, and he is still active in Seacoast alumni events and promotes the College whenever he gets an opportunity.

Read the announcement of his mayoral win in Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Granfa Grigg Had a Pig

Alumni Authors Featured at the Alumni Center

For Alumni, For Parents, Uncategorized

Granfa Grigg Had a PigJD Salinger once said, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.” Unless you’re part of the KSC community, of course—then you have a connection to a whole host of great authors who would love to meet you and chat. Maybe the next time you’re at the Alumni Center, or at a College event.

Who are these authors? Come on into the Alumni Center between now and early next spring and check out the dozens of books that Norma Wright Walker ’51 has gathered in the display cases just inside the main door. The driving force behind the Golden Circle Society, Norma took on the task of creating a KSC alumni authors library for the Alumni Center.

“The outpouring and response from the alumni authors was wonderful; I had no idea we had so many. The books keep coming by mail—it’s terrific!” exclaimed Walker as she added more publications to the display.

Some are works of non-fiction, historical in nature, such as those by William Marvel ’79, Joe Citro ’71, Alan Rumrill ’79, Don Johnson ’53, and Marcia Lusted ’84. Others are compilations of poetry by Wes McNair ’63 (Poet Laureate for the State of Maine) and Jean Saunders Duling ’68, or children’s books by Wallace Tripp ’62. Vincent Russell ’50, Ruth Doan MacDougall ’61, Ernie Hebert ’69, and Angie Frazier ’00, to name a few, have novels in the collection. Several nonfiction works explore contemporary subjects such as youth leadership (Steve Fortier ’86) and computers (John Barry ’71). Again, this only names a few, and we’re sure there are others out there that we don’t yet know about. We look forward to the collection growing. Have you written a book? Let us know about it!

Ronn Cabaniol ’68

His Time at KSC Prominent in Ronn Cabaniol ’68’s First Kindle Novel

For Alumni, Uncategorized
Ronn Cabaniol ’68
Ronn Cabaniol ’68

Ronn Cabaniol ’68, a former English major who taught American lit and drama for 35 years, has recently published his first novel on Amazon’s Kindle: Journey from Blue: the Life and Times of a Baby Boomer, and his days at KSC in the 60s have a big part in it. The story “is a memoir that I wrote in the third person giving the main characters fictional names,” Cabaniol explained. “Almost everything in the novel is true, probably about 95 percent. Besides my wonderfully adventurous four years at KSC from 1964 to 1968, there are other parts of the novel about Keene when we moved back for a year in 1985 when I was a reporter at WKNE and published a short story with Yankee Mag called “The Monadnock Roar,” which can be found on the magazine’s website under “Classics.” We also lived in Peterborough in 1976 and several notable New Hampshire celebs play a part there. If you go into the Keene State archives, you should find that I drew a popular cartoon in the school paper for many years called “Roscoe.”

Cabaniol has already followed his first novel with a second, Forgotten Angels, which is set around Buzzards Bay and is also available for Kindle.

Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere

Dom Smith, Former Study Away Student from England, Releases App for Alternative Music News

For Alumni, Uncategorized,
Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere
Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere

If you were on campus in the fall of 2005, you probably remember Dom Smith, the exchange student from York St. John University in northern England. He made quite an impression—and he made the Dean’s List.

“During my short time at KSC, the whole place made a massive impact on me,” Dom recalled. He took a journalism class with Rose Kundanis, whom he remembers as rewarding hard work and accuracy. “I learned my work ethic from Rose, and my fellow students. I did my very first face-to-face interview around a story on Pumpkinfest ’05. I got some feedback from Rose about “leading questions,” which I like to think I’ve taken forward! I also volunteered at the radio station to get more experience, and now I am a regular contributor to BBC Radio North Yorkshire. As a person, my experiences in Keene made me more confident, more worldly-wise, and also more competent as a journalist. … I am incredibly proud of my experience there.”
Continue reading Dom Smith, Former Study Away Student from England, Releases App for Alternative Music News →

Chepina Rumsey ’05

Chepina Rumsey ’05 Wins Kansas Math & Science Partnership Grant

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Chepina Rumsey ’05
Chepina Rumsey ’05

Chepina Rumsey ’05, now in her first year as an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at Kansas State University, is the principal investigator of a $450,000 mathematics and science partnership grant from the Kansas State Department of Education. This three-year professional development project, titled “Improving Mathematics Instruction through Lesson Study,” aims to deepen the mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge of elementary school teachers in order to impact student learning and strengthen the partnership between elementary school teachers (K–6) and Kansas State University.

Holding a BS in Math and a BS in Education, Rumsey noted that she’s integrated what she learned from both degrees in her current position working with elementary school teachers and pre-service teachers in the area of mathematics. “Having the mathematics background was helpful in my graduate work and now in my job as I work with mathematicians and mathematics educators,” she said. She’s also using skills she learned outside the classroom as an athlete at KSC. “I ran cross country and track, so I had to learn to manage my time well and stay organized. I have used those skills in graduate school and now in my first year at Kansas State University.”

Her success has already gained her notice in K-State Today. Read all about it!

Award-Winning Motion Picture Music Editor Jennifer Dunnington ’93 to Share Her Craft

For Alumni, Mark Your Calendar, ,
Jennifer Dunnington ’93, winner of two Motion Pictures Sound Editor Awards for her work on Hugo and a documentary on George Harrison. Courtesy photo.
Jennifer Dunnington ’93

Jennifer Dunnington ’93, who won an Emmy and several Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel awards for her work on such movies as Hugo, The Departed, Cosmopolis, Shutter Island, and Boardwalk Empire, will be on campus on March 26 to share her expertise with KSC film and music students. We would have had her here earlier, but she was in London applying her talents to The Hobbit.

During the day, Jennifer will be visiting classes, holding master classes and offering her professional experience to students planning to enter the film industry. At 7 p.m., the College will host a reception for her in Centennial Hall, where she will show some examples of her work.

Interested in knowing more about what Jennifer does as a motion picture sound editor? Check out the article the Sentinel did on her last December.

Heidi Welch ’96 One of Four Finalists for National Teacher of the Year

For Alumni, Uncategorized
Heidi Welch ’96, maybe the next National Teacher of the Year
Heidi Welch ’96, maybe the next National Teacher of the Year

Remember Heidi Welch ’96, New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year? Well, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has selected her as one of the four finalists for the 2013 National Teacher of the Year (NTOY). This prestigious program allows teachers from across the country to collaborate with policy makers at every level and advocate on behalf of the teaching profession.

For the past 14 years, Heidi has been teaching a variety of music courses, including band and chorus, at Hillsboro-Deering High School. If she’s chosen NTOY, she’ll be taking a year off from her classroom duties to travel nationally and internationally as a spokesperson and advocate for the teaching profession. NTOYs are frequently requested to sit on national and state commissions and policy advising bodies, and sometimes to represent American educators to audiences in other nations.
Continue reading Heidi Welch ’96 One of Four Finalists for National Teacher of the Year →

Pro Snowboard Announcer Nelson Wormstead ’05

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NelsonWormstead2
Nelson Wormstead ’05 at the X Games

You might say Nelson Wormstead ’05 is living his dream. For one, he married his KSC sweetheart, Crystal Moriarty ’05. And he’s the principal New England sales rep for Oakley, and he’s a professional announcer and TV commentator for snowboard competitions around the world. Oh, and he co-owns a snowboard wax company with professional snowboarder Pat Moore.

What does he do as an Oakley rep? “A typical day is getting out on the road and servicing my dealers,” Nelson explained. “I have just under 200 accounts in New England, and daily activities include filling sunglass and apparel orders, meeting with buyers and store owners, and creating events, sales contests, and advertising to help market Oakley within my territory.”
Continue reading Pro Snowboard Announcer Nelson Wormstead ’05 →

Amy Sullivan ’89 Brings Effective Agricultural Practices to South Africa

For Alumni, Uncategorized
Amy Sullivan ’89 on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.
Amy Sullivan ’89 on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.

Keene State’s motto of “enter to learn, go forth to serve,” has had a profound effect on many of its students, Amy Sullivan ’89 among them. A few years after she graduated with a degree in Political Science, Amy joined the Peace Corps, arriving in Senegal in 1994 as an agricultural extension volunteer.

“I was attached to the Winrock Rice Productivity Enhancement Project that was meant to increase productivity of small-scale rice producers by introducing improved varieties, bred to be highly suited to local conditions,” Amy explained. “Women were the rice farmers in that part of the country, so they were my primary contacts, farmers, and connections. I had to learn enough of the local language, Fulani, in order to live and work and have some fun.”
Continue reading Amy Sullivan ’89 Brings Effective Agricultural Practices to South Africa →

Lauren Miller ’05 Selected for Dartmouth College Today

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Lauren Miller ’05
Lauren Miller ’05

Lauren Miller ’05, the assistant director of the MBA Program at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, has been selected to participate in the Dartmouth College Today program. Offered by the College’s Office of Human Resources, Dartmouth College Today is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of Dartmouth’s goals, priorities, and programs. The program helps participants understand Dartmouth’s internal operations and its key administrators and examine complex issues affecting the institution.

George Barbor ’11 on How I Met Your Mother

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George Barber ’11
George Barber ’11 (Photo by Paul Smith)

Film production assistant, actor, freelance writer, and American Studies major George Barbor ’11 appeared in the Nov. 19th episode of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.

George was also on the first Keene State Alumni panel in the fall of 2011, sharing his professional advice and experience with students and other alums. If you know George, drop him a line of congratulations.

Andy Soucy ’72 Leads Londonderry Marching Lancers to 2nd Obama Inauguration

For Alumni, Uncategorized
Andy Soucy ’72 (photo courtesy of James Chesebrough)
Andy Soucy ’72 (photo courtesy of James Chesebrough)

Under the directorship of Andy Soucy ’72, the Londonderry High School Marching Band has racked up an impressive array of awards and guest performances. For example, they’ve toured Beijing, China, and represented New Hampshire in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade four times. Each March, they travel to New York City to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. And on the 21st of this month, the Lancers have been invited to Washington, DC, to perform at President Obama’s inauguration—for the second time. The band was also invited to Obama’s first swearing in ceremony four years ago.
Continue reading Andy Soucy ’72 Leads Londonderry Marching Lancers to 2nd Obama Inauguration →

‘Tis the Season for Alumni Awards Nominations

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Former education faculty member Raymond Jobin ’63 (second from left) receiving the 2011 Outstanding Service Award.

The Alumni Association is accepting nominations for four of its prestigious awards:

  • The Alumni Achievement Award — given to one whose professional achievement in his/her chosen field brings honor to him or herself and Keene State College. Recipients must be bona fide alumni of Keene State College.
  • The Sprague Drenan Award — given to one whose participation in and support of alumni activities and events is worthy of recognition.
  • The Alumni Inspiration Award — recognizes the exceptional accomplishments of an alumnus/na who graduated from Keene State College not more than 15 years prior to the year of the award.
  • The Outstanding Service Award — given to an individual or organization that has provided outstanding service to Keene State College through leadership, commitment, and influence in programs and activities of the College. Recipients may be alumni, staff, faculty, friends, or associates of Keene State College.

If you know of an alum who deserves one of these awards, please let us know; we’re currently accepting nominations for this year’s recipients. Visit the Alumni Awards page to see a list of past honorees, to review the criteria, and to download the nomination form. The deadline is February 8th.

The Jimmy Stewart (’83) Orchestra’s Christmas Single

For Alumni, Uncategorized,

The Jimmy Stewart Orchestra — featuring James Stewart ’83, and his wife Samantha ’88 —  have released their new Christmas single, “There’s Nothing Like Christmas,” just in time for the holiday season. And a portion of the proceeds go to the Connecticut Humane Society!

This neo-swing song blends the likes of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Michael Buble, and Harry Connick Jr., and features 13 swinging musicians, two great vocalists (Ron Drago and Amanda Carr), and a group of kid singers.

James Stewart ’83, and his wife Samantha ’88, still making beautiful music together!

Some of the better-known musicians who contributed to this recording are Joshua Levy, arranger (pianist/arranger for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy); Roger Ingram, lead trumpet (formerly with Harry Connick Jr., Ray Charles, Tom Jones, and Maynard Ferguson); and Bill Holloman, tenor sax (who has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Elton John, and Les Paul). Jim plays trumpet and that’s Samantha on alto sax.