Letter From the Dean

We published the first issue of Suffolk Arts + Sciences last year with the word “Encore!” splashed across the cover, in reference to the lead story on Suffolk’s C. Walsh Theatre. We did not quite expect the applause that followed: words of appreciation from across the Suffolk community-”Bravo!” “Knockout!” “Congratulations on an outstanding publication!”-plus five national awards. What means most to us, however, are the kudos and suggestions from our alumni, who responded with enthusiasm.

This fall we bring you the second issue of Suffolk Arts + Sciences. The “Journey” of the cover story refers literally to the Alternative Winter Break trip to El Salvador undertaken by a dozen Suffolk students and staff members, under the leadership of history professor Chris Rodriguez. In addition to completing the construction of an outdoor arena for community gatherings in the small town of El Sitio, the Suffolk delegation commemorated the work of the late Massachusetts congressman and Suffolk University alumnus Joe Moakley JD’56, whose efforts helped to facilitate an end to the civil war that wracked the Salvadoran nation from 1980-1992.

As Maxine Hong Kingston, the renowned author, repeat visitor to the College, and 2008 recipient of an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University, has remarked, “success means effectiveness in the world, that I am able to carry my ideas and values into the world-that I am able to change it in positive ways.” This is precisely what the volunteers on the trip to El Salvador did: they harnessed their classroom learning to their passion for social change and, continuing the legacy of Joe Moakley, shared the “success” of their Suffolk education.

This issue of Suffolk Arts + Sciences pulses with the “journeys,” the success stories, of our alumni, faculty, and students: Gregory Hazelwood BA’98 teaches African American history at Brockton High School, where his mentorship truly matters; Coach Jim Nelson models self-respect and decorum as surely as he demonstrates a sweeping hook shot; and recent theatre graduates Rachel Kelsey and Purnima Baldwin make a bold and important statement about homelessness in Boston with their play, Infinity. The “Standout Talent” section this year features seven students who have taken the injunction to “learn beyond the classroom”-a value literally embedded in our new curriculum through the Expanded Classroom requirement-seriously as they spread across campus and into their communities, applying what they have learned in our classrooms to the world as they find it.

As you will see in these pages, and as I have witnessed throughout my 30-year career at Suffolk University, some of the most precious rewards of a Suffolk Arts and Sciences education take form in civic engagement, in serving others and making a positive change in the world. Let us bring you down a few of the paths, passages, and byways explored by members of our community over the years as they have journeyed toward “effectiveness in the world,” as they have taken their education and built “success.”

And let us know how your Suffolk education has shaped your years since graduation. How have you brought the ideas and values that took form during your time on campus out into the world?

I hope that your journey allows you to stop by campus this year to experience the College in full swing. Believe me, you will leave invigorated.

Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Government Grads

With his office situated just steps from the Massachusetts State House, Professor John Berg has an interesting perspective on the civic interaction that Suffolk shares with its Beacon Hill neighbor. “We try to encourage enthusiasm for public service and politics,” he says. As chairman of Suffolk University’s Government Department, he has seen decades of students progress through their studies and into a life of public service.

ALAYNA VAN TASSEL

A passion for politics led Alayna Van Tassel BA’01 to the State House, where she interned while attending Suffolk and worked full time after graduating for State Representative David Linsky, State Senator Henri Rauschenbach, and State Senator Jim Marzilli. “The idea of getting involved and working to make a difference in the community was instilled in me at a young age. I pursued a career in public service because I am passionate about, and committed to, progressive social change. Whether it’s improving access to homecare services for seniors, working for women’s access to reproductive health services, or ensuring that marriage equality remains legal in Massachusetts, I know that the work I’m doing is going to impact someone’s life for the better.”

ARTHUR BERNARD

Arthur Bernard BA’80 recalls becoming a Senate page in 1977 and credits that experience with “really opening me up to a whole career of possibilities.” Now, as a senior adviser for Governor Deval Patrick, he has devoted his career to public service. Other prominent positions include serving as chief of staff for Senate President Robert Traviglini and vice chancellor for the University of Massachusetts Boston. He thanks his professors in the Government Department—John Berg, Judy Dushku and Judy Elmusa—for leaving a big impression upon him through their teaching. “Suffolk was the right place to be because it gave me a chance to grow,” he says, “and the Government Department let me feel as if I could do anything and was always there to connect me back to the school.”

BOB GIBBONS

After five years of manual labor directly out of high school, Bob Gibbons BS’78 followed his own path to Suffolk University. Professor John Berg recommended him for his first government job as a legislative aide to Thomas Brownell in 1979. He continued to work as vice president at a private lobbying practice, “a job that provided me with a new perspective on challenges facing the private sector,” he says. He currently works as a senior vice president at Massachusetts Hospital Association, overseeing state and federal relations for all hospitals in Massachusetts. His late entrance to Suffolk University and adaptation to a new career are obstacles he believes no one can be prepared for in life, but “at the end of every challenge, there lies an opportunity.”

THOMAS BROWNELL

As a government student in the early 60s, the Honorable Thomas Brownell BS’63, JD’66 never imagined becoming a judge. Working at Purity Supreme supermarket to pay his way through college, he immersed himself in the world of politics and government. First he became a lawyer, then a legislator and later a part-time professor at Suffolk University. Now in his current career as 1st Justice of Plymouth District Court, he is able to reflect on the importance of his education. “Continuing education is essential; people must never stop learning because the only constant in life is change.” Retirement lies in the future for Judge Brownell, yet he hopes to stay active with a community service job or more teaching. “My father always said, ‘If you help one person a day, then you have done a lot.’”

In the Community

A SPRING DAY WITH SENIORS
Early rising students spent their morning preparing spring baskets with flower seeds, plant pots and fun trinkets for the elderly residents of the Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD), a neighborhood center that provides housing for low-income seniors. Another group of students delivered the baskets and hand-made cards to ABCD at the “Villa Michelangelo” in Boston’s North End, staying to chat and share stories with the residents.

FIGHTING HUNGER WITH “Best Buddies”
Suffolk students grabbed their Best Buddies and visited the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) in South Boston. The Best Buddies program provides one-to-one friendship opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Students and their buddies spent their day in the GBFB warehouse taking in shipments and preparing food to be sent throughout New England.

DESIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
New England School of Art & Design students in Professor Karen Clarke’s Sustainable Design for Interiors course hosted “Design for the Environment,” a green/sustainable design trade show in the atrium of 10 St. James Avenue. The trade show educated visitors about green design—maximizing the efficiency of energy and water systems, using recycled materials in construction, and minimizing the environmental impact of construction and operation. (see story pg. 10)

SPRING CLEANING ON THE ESPLANADE
Down by the banks of the River Charles, Suffolk University students got their hands dirty in an effort to clean up the Esplanade in time for spring. Their time was spent raking leaves, cleaning up trash, and beautifying one of Boston’s most famous locations.

More images available on these pages of the digital edition.