Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, February 27th

Father Theodore Hesburgh

The Catholic community lost a giant late last night with the passing at the age of 97 of Father Theodore Hesburgh, former president of the University of Notre Dame. I just said yesterday, before the news, what a long and productive life he has led. Not only did he bring Notre Dame from a small Catholic university with a reputation for good football teams and a strong theology program to an institution nationally recognized for its strong academic programs—and football—but during his tenure, he transferred governance of Notre Dame from the Congregation of Holy Cross to a mostly lay board.

Affectionately called “Father Ted,” he always considered priesthood to be his primary role. He also never compromised his values—whether he was dealing with Presidents (he held 16 presidential appointments) or popes (he served four). For me, one of his most influential acts was when he gathered a group of Catholic educators in Land O’ Lakes, Wis., in 1967. The group issued a landmark policy statement declaring that the pursuit of truth, not catechesis, was the ultimate goal of Catholic higher learning in the United States, changing the entire landscape of education in this country.

For the past 10 years, SHU has proudly offered the annual Hesburgh Lecture, which honors Father Ted, and has provided lectures from Notre Dame faculty on a variety of fascinating topics.

“The Catholic university should be a place,” Father Hesburgh once wrote, “where all the great questions are asked, where an exciting conversation is continually in progress, where the mind constantly grows as the values and powers of intelligence and wisdom are cherished and exercised in full freedom.” He was a shining light and will be sorely missed.

My wife and I attended the Elements concert last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the talents of our performing arts students. They are incredibly talented, and this event gets better every year.

Elements

Student Philanthropy Week was a great success with more than 400 students participating in the thank-a-thon by writing approximately 1,200 thank-you postcards to donors. In addition to tags all over campus to demonstrate the importance of our generous benefactors, faculty and staff who participated in last year’s campaign were invited to a “Donuts for Donors” event. My thanks to everyone who participated. I especially want to thank Gary and Mary Anne Levin for sponsoring the Second Annual Levin Challenge where they agreed to match student donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. When the students again blew through that goal, the Levins generously increased the challenge amount to $12,500. In addition, the Levin match supports whatever area the student supported. For example, if a student donated $20.15 to the library, the Levin match will give $20.15 to the library.

Student Philanthropy Week Thank-a-thon

Wednesday evening was the opening of the multimedia show “Crossroads: Rural Health Care in America” at the Art & Design Gallery in the Edgerton. It includes an exhibition of photographs and editorial work by Professor Rick Falco, a screening of a related documentary film by Professor Joe Alicastro and large-scale text graphics designed by Professor Jonathan Walker. The exhibition follows the doctors, nurses, community organizers and patients who are part of an innovative and well-planned health-care network in the Mississippi Delta. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out.

Professor Rick Falco talks with student Edward Garrity during the show opening.

Yesterday was Delta Tau Delta fraternity’s second annual White Ribbon Campaign here on campus. The campaign is an international push—the largest in the world by men working to end violence against women with a goal of engaging men by having them sign pledges, review literature and hear the stories of victims. Fairfield First Selectman Michael Tetreau and Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara were among the speakers at the event. It is great to see our students working with community leaders to bring such an important issue to light.

White Ribbon Campaign

Our men’s rugby team left today for their Spring Break Ireland Tour. During their trip, they will visit and play matches in Dublin, Limerick and Dingle. Team member Jason Libertelli is going to write a daily blog of the trip, so look for it on our website in the coming week.

Men's Rugby Team Send-off

Congratulations to Holly Johnson, whose illustration was accepted in the Society of Illustrators of New York’s nationally juried annual student competition. Holly’s piece was one of only 200 accepted from more than 8,000 entries from 86 schools.

"Pure Pull" by Holly Johnson

Congratulations are also due for our vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity, Michael W. Higgins, on his newly-released Thomas Merton CD (Now You Know Media). In recent national and international ads, Fr. Anthony Ciorra, SHU’s associate vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity, is quoted as saying, “Thomas Merton was a literary genius and so is Michael Higgins.”  You can be your own judge. 


For those of you who will still be around over the weekend, there are several opportunities to come to campus and cheer on your Pioneer sports teams. The men’s volleyball team will be on the court against Penn State at 7 this evening and against St. Francis at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have a doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn tomorrow with the women on the court at 1 p.m. and the men at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, the women’s lacrosse team takes on UMass Lowell at 1 p.m. Go Pioneers!

Whether you are heading to sunnier climes, participating in a service learning trip, enjoying time at home with family and friends or sticking around campus, I want to wish everyone a fun and rewarding spring break!

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, February 20th

Although my time in Europe was wonderful, it feels great to be back on campus. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet with the president of John Cabot and taking our students to dinner at Costanza. It is located in such a beautiful part of Rome. I wish even more students would take advantage of it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

President Petillo with John Cabot University President Franco Pavoncello,
dinner with students at Costanza and Campo Dei Fiori at night

It was another busy week on campus, beginning with a presentation of traditional and modern Cuban songs by the Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine, from Havana, Cuba. By all accounts, they gave a tremendous performance. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to hear it.

Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine of Havana, Cuba

Tuesday night was also the opening of the art exhibit at the Stamford Graduate Center. The guest list included some of Stamford’s Who’s Who, including Mayor David Martin; Rosa Colon of the Loft Artist Association; Alice Knapp, president of the Ferguson Library; and Ashok Vasudevan, CEO and founder of Preferred Brands International. Also on hand were Fernando Alvarez, who owns the gallery that is lending us the art, and featured artist John Bedoya, who came from Columbia for the festivities.

On Wednesday, there were several colloquia covering some fascinating topics: A panel discussion with faculty on the Brown and Garner cases; a showing of FTMA Professor Justin Liberman’s latest film, Broken Badge; and a talk on “The Challenge of Forgiveness in Northern Ireland” by Peter Warrian, economist and senior research fellow from the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. He discussed the work the Lupina Foundation—an organization founded by his wife and him—is doing to help the residents of Northern Ireland  recover from the violence and death toll of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.

Peter Warrian

Thursday night, the third in a series on big data took place at our Stamford campus. A panel of experts discussed big data, analytics and metrics as tools that enable companies to create a more personal experience for buyers, deliver more sales leads and determine the return on investment from marketing campaigns. This is a hot topic as 37 percent of large organizations say that analyzing big data is their greatest challenge.

Wednesday was Resident Success Assistant Appreciation Day, which meant special treats and surprises for all our hardworking RSAs. That said, it’s never the wrong time to let your RSA know how much you appreciate him or her.

Those students who were playing Bingo Tuesday night had a big surprise when they were interrupted by a “flash mob” performance by students in the performing arts program. The singers and dancers were celebrating the new theatre major that will begin here next fall.

Performing Arts Flash Mob

If you are in need of neckwear, you can find reasonably priced bow ties and neckties designed especially for SHU on sale in the bookstore. They were designed here and produced by Beau Ties of Vermont, where I get many of my ties. You can join the Bow Tie Brigade for $25.95.  Not bad at all. 

President's Pick at the bookstore

We are barrelling toward commencement—it’s the end of February already!—and if you don’t believe me, stop by Red’s and check out the Countdown to Graduation Clock that was unveiled to seniors this week.

Commencement Countdown Clock at Red's

Congratulations are in order for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for making it into the NEC tournament. The men clinched their first berth since 2012 with a hard-fought battle against Robert Morris last night.

Next week is Philanthropy Week, which means you will see tags on classroom doors, lab equipment, televisions, gym equipment, entryways, dorm rooms and more to signify the many ways donations to SHU are used to improve the student experience. On Wednesday, Phonathon, Forever Pioneer and S.T.A.T. students will have tables set up in the area of the HC Lounge and on the third floor of the Linda E. McMahon Commons to give students a chance to thank a donor. All students who participate by writing thank you notes will receive a Student Philanthropy Week T-shirt. Many of our students would not be here without the generosity of donors, so I encourage everyone to participate.  

There is plenty to do on campus this weekend. Wait Until Dark concludes its run in the Little Theatre tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. The sixth annual Element Concert is Sunday afternoon. This is always a tremendous show with performances from all areas of our performance arts program. On the athletics side, the men’s hockey team will be on the ice against Holy Cross at the Milford Pavilion at 7:05 tonight; tomorrow the women’s lacrosse team takes on Holy Cross at 1 p.m., and the men’s volleyball team goes up against Coker at 7 p.m. Go Pioneers!

Enjoy the weekend!

Wait Until Dark in the Little Theatre

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, February 13th

I have been traveling in Europe this week. I came to Luxembourg for the presentation of an honorary doctorate to Pierre Gramegna, Luxembourg’s minister of finance, although I missed the actual ceremony because of a change in scheduling after I had already made a commitment to move on to Rome to visit our students at John Cabot. During the ceremony, Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Morley brought greetings from the Fairfield campus and conferred the degree on Minister Gramegna. Minister Gramegna later spoke to the students, dignitaries and friends about what his role as Minister of Finance of Luxembourg could look like in 2030. He covered such topics as technology advances, population increase, climate change, taxation and more.

The highlight of this trip has been interacting with our students in both Luxembourg and Rome. It reinforces my strong belief in the importance of an international experience for all students. Sacred Heart offers a great many study abroad opportunities to students, and I encourage everyone to investigate their options and spend some time overseas if possible. In today’s global economy, the value of this type of experience cannot be overestimated.

There was also a lot going on stateside. First, I want to share how much I enjoyed Gospel Fest last Saturday evening. The music was fantastic, and it was truly a special event. As always, our own students were outstanding as were the students from UB, who sang true gospel songs. I was a little disappointed that more members of the faculty and staff did not turn out for it. You missed a memorable evening.

Also on Saturday, Bobby Aanonsen and Abby Hecht, both of the class of 2009, became engaged on campus in front of the library. I wish them much happiness in their life together.

Tuesday evening, we continued the Civility Lecture series that we have been co-sponsoring in Stamford for the past two years. These lectures have featured an incredible cast of guest speakers, and this week was no exception. Henry Timms, who established Giving Tuesday and runs the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City, discussed how to leverage social media for the public good. He noted that the media is often criticized for its incivility, but can be used to spread civility, adding that it will take work, just like civility does in all aspects of life. Those of you who have been attending these lectures regularly know how impactful they have been. 

Tuesday also brought Yankee first baseman, Mark Teixeira, to campus for a fundraiser sponsored by the Cardinal Shehan Center. Attendees were treated to a private reception, lecture and autographed baseball. The funds will be used to support the center’s after school and Saturday programs, as well as the McGivney Center. Our students have been involved with all these programs for many years. 

On Wednesday, we had two special colloquia. The first was a performance of The Show Must Go On, and it Does, which portrays a dinner party where the conversation turns to the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder. Following the performance, a discussion took place between the actors and the students in attendance. The second was an interfaith conference with the goal of opening up dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims. The topics included “Unity and Peace through Music” and “Love and Dialogue through Literature.”

Wednesday was also the annual career fair for students and alumni, and this year’s event was a tremendous success with 101 exhibitors and more than 700 students and alums in attendance. The fair is a terrific opportunity for students to market themselves, regardless of year in school or major. The hands-on networking that takes place provides a rare chance for students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the skills and commitment needed for a job or internship they may be seeking. Exhibitors ranged from major accounting firms, financial companies, ESPN and Subway World Headquarters to nonprofits and medical institutions. Another great job by the Career Development team. Congratulations!

Congratulations are also in order for Sally Schettino and her Wellness Program team. We learned this week that SHU is a gold award recipient in the Business Council of Fairfield County’s annual Healthy Workplace Employer for the fifth consecutive year. SHU was recognized for its outstanding commitment to promoting a healthy work environment for its employees. 

And a huge round of applause to the men’s fencing team for winning their sixth consecutive NEC title. The men clinched the title when they went 5-0 on Saturday against Boston College, Dartmouth, UMass, Tufts and Vassar. The men’s 9-1 record, along with the women fencers’ 11-1 season, gave SHU a tie with Brown for the combined conference crown. The men will be back in action February 21 at the New England Collegiate Tournament Championship at Vassar.

I want to mention a report that came out this week from Bloomberg entitled “Why the U.S. Might Run Out of College-educated Workers.” It notes that the unemployment rate for college-educated workers is at 2.8 percent, which is three points lower than the overall rate. This is a six-year low for college-educated applicants and means there may soon be more jobs than there are unemployed workers with college degrees. With all the talk of the expense of a college education—which is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed—it’s nice to get some confirmation of the value that a degree actually has.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend—with or without your Valentine—consider checking out Wait Until Dark at The Little Theatre. There are performances tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Or you can join Connecticut’s Own Mardi Gras Celebration in the Edgerton tomorrow night with Jen Durkin and the Bizness featuring Funky Dawgz. Now that’s something I never imagined writing in a blog! On the sports scene, the women’s ice hockey team takes on Rhode Island tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. Both those games will be at the Sport Center in Shelton.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, February 6th

Another Monday, another snowstorm. Once again, I want to thank the folks who were here during the storm to clean up the snow and attend to the safety and comfort of the students. Yet another storm is predicted for this coming Monday. We will have to wait and see what develops, but it is good to know that we have a dedicated team on call whenever they are needed.

We had some exciting programs on campus this week. On Wednesday night, Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs in the blast that day, recounted his story as a bystander cheering on his girlfriend who was running in the race. By all accounts, he has humbly accepted the hand he’s been dealt and strives to see the positive things that have come out of such a horrible incident. A true hero in my book.

From left are SAAC Treasurer and baseball team member Jake Friar, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, his wife Erin, baby Nora and SAAC V.P. and softball team member Kelyn Fillmore.

We also had some colloquia sessions on some interesting and relevant topics, including one on student loan debt. The discussion was based on the award-winning documentary, Ivory Tower. And for those in need of a music fix, Kathleen Conneely was on hand last night to entertain on the Irish whistle.

We also have some great programs going on at the Stamford Graduate Center. Last night the Fairfield County chapter of the American Marketing Association conducted its 13th Annual Super Bowl Ad Review at the Center. Before a large crowd of marketing professionals and students, the panel discussed the various types of ads and the emotions they evoked. The program provided not only a chance to break down and critique the effectiveness of the ads, but also a chance for networking.

Another great partnership in Stamford has been forged with the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery and its innovative FLAG+Up program. FLAG+Up brings challenging, thought-provoking work from emerging contemporary artists to corporations, organizations, schools and commercial and residential developments. SHU is the first higher-education institution to participate. We will exhibit a rotating collection of works. Currently four gallery artists are being showcased.

"Area H" by Rex Prescott Walden and "Tierra, acrilico, machetes y residuos" by John J. Bedoya

Our students, faculty, staff and alumni continue to do the University proud. This week we learned that Spanish Professor Pilar Munday has won an international award for integrating social media (Instagram) in a global context as part of her digital teaching initiatives. This first-time award was given by Difusión, a publisher of Spanish as a foreign language teaching materials, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain. Congratulations!

Kudos also to Katie Bottini, an alumna of our exercise science program, whose fitness routine, was featured in an article in Vogue magazine. Katie is a triathlete, personal trainer and Wilhelmina fitness model who recommends mixing up your exercise regime and eating healthy whole foods. Sounds easy, right?

Finally, congratulations to the Web Development team and all who contribute to our website. We recently received two Education Digital Marketing Awards—a silver award for Social Media Hub and a merit award for Institutional Website. The awards are determined by Higher Education Marketing Report and recognize the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media.

I also want to take a moment to thank the admissions staff for their hard work in getting more than 5,000 early decision letters in the mail. (This includes pending decisions and rejections on early action.) The interest of incoming freshmen in Sacred Heart is great news, but it also means extra work for the admissions team. Great job!

Admissions staff with more than 5,000 early decision letters

And thanks to all the students, faculty and staff who turned out for the Red Cross blood drive this week. A total of 120 usable pints were collected—up from 96 at last February’s drive. Great job by the Student Nurse Association in organizing the drive and volunteering over the two days.

Later this month, the men’s rugby team will leave for their Spring Break Ireland Tour where they will play matches in Dublin, Limerick and Dingle. Sophomore Jason Libertelli has volunteered to write a daily blog during the trip. We will provide a link once it has been set up on our website. I, for one, am looking forward to reading about the trip from Jason’s perspective.

I noticed a lot of folks decked out in red around campus today in support of the American Heart Association’s Wear Red Day. Among them were the nursing students who donned red scrubs for the occasion. (Our tweet with their photo was “favorited” by the American Heart Association.) Tonight the Art & Design Gallery at the Edgerton will be lit up in red in support of this cause and in celebration of the strong partnership between the AMA and the Art & Design department.

Students, faculty and staff from the Nursing department wear red in support of the American Heart Association’s annual Go Red for Women day.

This is Siblings Weekend, and I hope you all have a great time with your visiting siblings. There is a lot to do this weekend. If you are into sports, the men’s volleyball team plays Harvard at the Pitt, and the men’s ice hockey team takes on Air Force at the Milford Ice Pavilion at 7 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow is action packed with the women’s basketball team playing Bryant at 1 p.m. and the men’s team taking them on at 3:30 p.m. In addition, the men’s volleyball team goes up against New Paltz and the men’s hockey team is back on the ice against Air Force at 7 p.m.

I also encourage you to check out Gospel Fest in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at 7:30 tomorrow night. You will hear from the Liturgical Choir, 4 Heart Harmony and SHULOVE, along with local choirs. This is always an inspirational and uplifting evening of praise and beautiful music. Even better? Admission is free.

Whatever you decide to do, stay safe and enjoy the weekend!