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Alumni News

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Tell Us Your Stories About Sister Patricia Hogan, OP

The Alumni Office wants to expand its memory bank about Siena’s early faculty. We have dates and titles, but we want your input—anecdotes and personal stories to bring those teaching legends to life. In the last Reflections, we asked about Sister Leonilla Barlage, OP. This time the spotlight is on Sister Patricia Hogan, OP. Here’s what we know: Taught philosophy and history, 1966-73. Director of philosophy program from 1979-91. Known for her sense of humor and commitment to international students. What you can add? Bring this picture to life.

Send your recollections to: SHU Alumni Office, 1247 E. Siena Heights Dr., Adrian, MI 49221,
or email alumni@sienaheights.edu.

Tootie Horn ‘68 and Sister Maura Phillips, OP ‘39
Tootie Horn ‘68 and Sister Maura Phillips, OP ‘39

100 Reasons to Celebrate:

Sister Maura Phillips, OP ‘39, who directed musical activities at Siena Heights for many years, celebrated her 100th birthday on April 25, 2014. Now living in the Dominican Life Center on the Adrian Dominican Sisters cam- pus, Sister Maura is currently the oldest living Adrian Dominican. She is “still very alert and mobile and does use a walker for stability,” according to Tootie Horn ‘68, who helped organize a birthday party for Sister Maura. SHU Music faculty member Dr. Beth Tibbs and her choir performed for the occasion. “I saw Maura’s toe tapping,” Horn comment- ed after the celebration. “Her head was down a lot, then would pop up and she would be smiling. I know she was honored!”

Read more . . .

Life Upon the Little Stage…

Memories of Sister Leonilla Barlage, OP

By Jennifer Hamlin Church

Life upon the wicked stage ain’t nothin’ for a girl,” according to the Broadway musical Showboat. But Siena’s Little Theater stage? Now that was something else!

Students at Siena Heights from the 1940s through the ‘60s found inspiration, encouragement, hard work, even careers
in The Little Theater in the basement of Sacred Heart Hall. And also in the classroom, in the radio and later TV studio, and on the Walsh Hall (now Sage) stage—all under the direction of speech and drama teacher Leonilla Barlage, OP.

The late Betty Theisen ’44, a pillar of the SW Michigan arts community as the St. Joseph High School drama teacher for 40 years, found her life’s work on Sister Leonilla’s stage.

Virginia Robertson Buckle ’53 did, too. Under Leonilla’s demanding direction, she appeared in almost every Siena production including the annual Passion Plays (right). As seniors, she and fellow thespian Phyllis Coscarelly ’53 co-starred in “Their Hearts Were Young and Gay” and in the senior drama recital. But even the stars shared in the hard work of theater; Sister Leonilla made sure of that. “We would sit in a circle with the huge, black velour theater curtain on our laps re-hemming or repairing rips in the heavy fabric—then lug it back to Walsh Hall to rehang it,” Virginia remembers. With Leonilla’s recommendation, Virginia received a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where she earned a master’s in radio and television. Almost six decades later, she continues to act on stages near her home in Ventura, Calif.

Read more . . .

Class Notes—Spring 2014

Doug Mello
Doug Mello

Notables:

Carroll (Mont.) College named Siena Heights Athletic Hall-of-Famer Doug Mello ’86/MA the school’s first men’s soccer head coach in March 2014. Mello has coached a national collegiate record 1,154 soccer matches (men’s and women’s combined) and has won over 700 games (712-384-58 overall). Mello helped start both the men’s and women’s programs at Siena Heights as well as at Luther (Iowa) College. In his six years as the Saints’ men’s coach, Mello led Siena Heights to five district titles, one regional championship and their first appear- ance at the NAIA national championship tournament in 1985. After starting the women’s program in 1986, Mello’s team won three district titles and were nationally ranked from 1986-88. In his final season in 1988, the women’s team was ranked first in the country and made its first appearance at the NAIA national tournament, where they placed third.

Connie Binsfeld
Connie Binsfeld

Former Michigan Lt. Gov. Connie Berube Binsfeld ’45, the first woman to hold leadership posts in Michigan’s House, Senate and executive branch, passed away Jan. 12, 2014. She was 89. Binsfeld was a 1945 Siena Heights graduate who got her start in politics by serving in student government during the war years of 1941-45. According to an Associated Press article, Binsfeld championed chil-dren’s issues during her time in politics, serving in the state House and Senate before becoming a two-term lieutenant governor under John Engler from 1990-98. According to the AP, the former schoolteacher was first elected to the House in 1974 and won a Senate seat in 1982. During her time in politics she led the fight to ban surrogate pregnancy for pay, sponsored bills on domestic violence and protection of environmentally sensitive sand dunes and served 10 years on the Great Lakes Commission, according to the AP. She wrote in the 1945 Siena Heights yearbook, “The Valiant Woman,” that, “We face a chaotic world that has wandered far from standards of Christianity, a world where modern sophistication has supplanted virtuous life. The motive of hate has replaced the driving force of love and a greed for power has caused individual and national strife. Man in the shadow of confusion is groping blindly for security. The security he seeks unknowingly is the priceless gift that we possess. We rise to the challenge that is offered and face the future unafraid. We shall go forth with the torch of truth lifted high.”

From The Sites:

SHU—Benton Harbor

2010
Felix Clarke is currently employed as a mechanical planner with Constellation Energy Nuclear Group. He and his wife, Tamara, and their three children live in Great Mills, Md.

SHU—Monroe

2013
Jeff Evans was promoted from fire marshal to fire chief at the Trenton (Mich.) Fire Department in Novem-ber 2013. Evans has worked as a firefighter more than 20 years at the Trenton and Riverview (Mich.) fire departments, and is certified in fire inspection and investigation. He also is a state certified paramedic.

Read more . . .