Alumni News

Alum gives theater majors the gift of Shakespeare

Senior theater majors Vanessa Goonan and Giselle Rodriguez couldn't believe they were given free tickets to "Romeo and Juliet" at the well-known McCarter Theatre in Princeton.

Rodriguez said it was the best play she had ever seen, and Goonan, who had never been to an onstage production of the Shakespearean classic, said the experience was an opportunity to study her craft.

"As a theater major I like to see plays for more than solely the entertainment value," she said.

The tickets were a gift from alumnus Richard Kelly '67, who enjoyed the theater so much as an undergraduate that he wanted to share the experience. "It was the best theater I had seen, besides Broadway, performed for a small audience in a relaxed, elegant atmosphere," he said.

Kelly donated two tickets to a series of five plays in the theater's 2001-02 season -- "Romeo and Juliet," "The Vienna Notes," "All Over," "Don Juan" and a new play not yet selected.

"It allows students to go beyond general education and experience theater culture in a setting I know is of exceptional quality," he said.

Eric Diamond, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, is grateful to Kelly for his generosity. "The department is lucky to have alumni like Mr. Kelly," he said.

Two other friends of the University, Josh Weston and Joe Laraja, also have provided tickets to theater and opera events to students in other disciplines.

Diamond chooses students based on academic performance and financial need. "Vanessa and Giselle are excellent students and talented actresses who I thought would benefit from the experience at McCarter," Diamond said.

After seeing "Romeo and Juliet," Rodriguez said she has become more interested in production. "It was wonderful to see the play at this point in my college career," she said. "I was already interested in dabbling in directing. Now after going to the McCarter Theatre, I want to learn more about it." Goonan recited a Juliet monologue for class after seeing the character's performance at McCarter. "The actress made the character come to life for me," she explained. "After witnessing acting of that caliber, I am striving to better myself both as a student and as an actress."

Both students are thankful to Kelly for making the experience possible for them and other students. "I think it was a great idea," Goonan said. "I would like do the same one day for other students."
–Shanelle Davis '02

Alumni Association hosts appreciation luncheon

On a beautiful autumn Sunday afternoon, the Alumni Association hosted a luncheon to thank those who have given so generously to the Association during the past year. Contributions from members provide financial support to many of the Associations programs including scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students, the Legacy Scholarship, the restoration of amphitheater on campus, Alumni Green and much more.

	Robert Zschack '58 and Marlene Jaorsky Zschack '58
Dolores Hrobak Pinski '49 '52 M.A., Francis X. Sutman '49 '52 M.A. and Mabel Sutman
	Kathy Hurling and Gwenyth Hill Hurling '69 M.A.

Lather Up

Graduate student Michele Samarya-Timm '99 B.A. admits there are those who consider her "a bit paranoid" when it comes to cleanliness. She counters, however, that her preoccupation is predicated on a health education background that has focused on food safety.

The consumer concern Samarya-Timm refers to as her passion got some healthy recognition in March when she won the gold medal in the world's only international hand-washing competition.

Sponsored by Kimberly-Clark during a Food Safety Summit in Washington, D.C. attended by more than 1,300 people, the event drew industry professionals who competed to see how well they could remove doses of artificial germs from their hands. Upon completion, hands were inspected under UV light and judges scored each hand wash from one to 100. Samarya-Timm scored a perfect germ-free 100.

A health inspector for Franklin Township in Somerset County, Samarya-Timm says she does a lot of one-on-one training in her job.

"The problem of contamination is a growing one," she said. "Even though people are more aware than they once were of the risk of salmonella and other forms of food poisoning, we have to be concerned about the safety of the food we eat. Consumers need to know there is danger lurking in food -- from farm to table."

The hand-washing champion visits fast food restaurants to talk with employees and customers about misconceptions that could lead to health risks. "Many people wash their hands routinely and neglect important hazards, such as dirt that clings to the crevices around rings, under fingernails or between fingers," she explained. "We need more public education to alert people about risks."

The Food Safety Summit, featuring keynoter U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Venneman, included more than 100 exhibiting companies demonstrating technologies to detect e-coli, salmonella, listeria and other microbes, as well as methods of cleaning, sanitizing and pasteurizing through steam systems, ozone devices and food irradiation.

"Understandably, many people reacted as if the competition were frivolous," Samarya-Timm said. "But that's OK because it gave me an opportunity to promote the importance of cleanliness to food safety. I did a number of radio interviews after getting the award and I found that once people are informed of the risks, they become interested in what they can do to avoid them."

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