Sr. Mary Boys

Sister Mary Boys, dean of academic affairs and professor at Union Theological Seminary, joined Holy Names University as a Visiting Sister Fellow in March. Sr. Mary is the first participant in HNU’s fellowship program for Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, which promotes the mission and charism of the SNJM on campus. Her visit is supported by a Lowell Berry Foundation grant.

During her visit, Sr. Mary moderated a panel about the influence of Vatican II on Catholic higher education, participated in a meet and greet with the campus community, and lectured students on a variety of topics, including troubling biblical texts, Christianity and women, and racial discrimination and the Holocaust.

A noted theologian on Jewish-Christian relations, Sr. Mary also presented “Redeeming Our Sacred Story: The Death of Jesus and Relations Between Christians and Jews” at a

public event held in McLean Chapel. She argued that Catholics have an ethical obligation to acknowledge their historical role in promoting anti-Semitism, and that this hostility can be tied to how the New Testament has been interpreted by Christians.

“I am going to step back and ask what the consequences have been over time,” Sr. Mary said at the March 19 event. “I am going to suggest that the way that the New Testament tells the story about Jesus . . . has provided us with raw materials for hostility to Jews. It doesn’t mean that the New Testament itself is the great problem; it is what is done with the raw materials.”

She suggested that Catholics consider Jesus’ crucifixion in the context of that time period, when the Roman Empire crucified many as a way to assert their power and to inspire fear in slaves and peasants.

Sr. Mary has published more than 80 articles, and is the author of five books including

Christians and Jews in Dialogue: Learning in the Presence of the Other (Skylight Paths Publishing, 2006), with Sara S. Lee. Her forthcoming book, Redeeming Our Sacred Story: The Death of Jesus and Relations between Jews and Christians, will be published this year.

She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from Columbia University in a joint program with Union Theological Seminary. Sr. Mary has received honorary doctorates from the Hebrew College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Catholic Theological Union, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and Gratz College, and was the recipient of the Sternberg Award from the International Council of Christians and Jews in 2005.

From left to right: President William Hynes, Sr. Mary Boys, Sr. Carol Sellman

The award, which was presented to Epstein at the annual conference of the Urban Affairs Association in April, recognizes an urban scholar who has engaged in field-based research that incorporates direct engagement with local residents and organizations. The Urban Affairs Association is a professional organization for urban scholars and researchers. SAGE publishes academic and professional journals, books, and electronic media.

“Organizing and analyzing with the other folks who live in my city is a great privilege,” Epstein said. “If we all do a lot more organizing, we might eventually be able to end the racial wealth gap and sustain humanity in joyous, equitable cities all over the world.”

Epstein served as director of educational policy and resident engagement for former Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums. Her publications include Organizing to Change a City (Peter Lang Publishing, 2012) and A Different View of Urban Schools (Peter Lang Publishing, revised edition 2012). She also hosts the biweekly KPFA radio program Education Today, which regularly features Holy Names University students.

Born in Ethiopia, Aklilu has demonstrated resilience, determination, and courage in building her successful career. She has faced many hardships on her journey to becoming a restaurant owner. As a child, she witnessed and survived the murder of her mother. She lived with her brother in high school, and after graduation she pursued an acting career. Aklilu married and moved to Italy with her husband to continue pursuing her dreams of acting. She endured an abusive relationship with her husband until she found sanction and gave birth to her son in a women’s shelter in Rome.

In Italy, Aklilu worked as a maid and in restaurants to support her son. Ten years later she visited her nieces in the United States. “I saw my nieces, what they are doing here and I said, ‘Wait a minute, you know if I came to America I am sure that I could be somebody.’ I didn’t expect it to be like this but a little different than Italy,” Aklilu said.

One week after moving to the U.S. in 1995, Aklilu visited Salute e Vita and impressed the owners with her ability to speak Italian. Although she didn’t have a car and couldn’t speak English, she began working at Salute e Vita as a hostess. Through her hard work, Aklilu became the assistant manager in eight months and later became the manager and general manager. When the owners of Salute e Vita decided to sell the restaurant in 2002, a regular customer approached Aklilu with the offer of a loan to purchase the restaurant. Aklilu accepted the offer and purchased Salute e Vita.

Recently she said to herself, “OK, I paid my loan. My son he (was) born homeless, but now he is at NYU getting his doctorate . . . and now I have to give back.”

In 2011, Aklilu opened her restaurant to 300 homeless individuals for a Thanksgiving lunch. Last Thanksgiving, she served 600 homeless, and this year she plans to close the restaurant completely and serve 900 people. She has also helped pay for the purchase of a local church and has supported girls in the community by hosting etiquette dinners and financing tuition for Northern Lights School.

Her life story will soon be a book and her keynote address will be filmed during graduation for an upcoming movie of her life. HNU President William J. Hynes said, “Menbere’s personal story is one of successive conquering of tragedy, deprivation, and loss—by faith, industry, and courage. When she spoke at the Durbin Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, there was not a heart that had not been warmed nor an eye that had not been moistened. Her story is quite amazing.”

The more than 200 graduates of 2013 will also hear from student speakers Thomas Davies ’13 and Priscilla Elendu ’13. Eribert Tan Cayaba, who is graduating from the Master of Science in Nursing program, will deliver the invocation.

The March trip was part of the Spirituality and Social Justice class taught by Sister Sophia Park, and included visits to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Sr. Sophia accompanied the students on the trip with Assistant Director of the Center for Social Justice and Civic Engagement Javier De Paz, Faculty Coordinator for Community-Based Learning Sister Maureen Hester, and Graduate Assistant Maribel Lopez.

Students said that spending time in Mississippi was an enriching and emotional experience.

“For all of us it was a really rewarding experience. I’m really thankful for the opportunity that Holy Names, Sr. Sophia, and everyone has given us,” Jillian Boland said at the HNU community presentation about the trip.

The focal point of the trip was helping to build a home with Habitat for Humanity in Tutwiler. Students insulated the home, cut and installed sheetrock, and nailed wooden frames. Upon its completion, the house they worked on will be presented to a family who has been waiting for a home for seven years. “It was a great honor and privilege for us to help them obtain that dream,” Vinson Johnson said.

Students also visited the Tutwiler Clinic, which was reopened by Sister Anne Brooks in 1983. She shared stories of reopening the clinic—a challenging time that included threats by the Ku Klux Klan in the predominantly African American community. Dr. Brooks has worked to improve the health and wellbeing of local citizens for 30 years.

The students spent time at the Tutwiler Community Education Center, which grew from outreach efforts at the Tutwiler Clinic by Sister Maureen Delaney. The center moved from the clinic to a building in town in 1992 and now serves the people of the Tutwiler community with intramural sports programs, weekly senior programs, afterschool programs, quilting programs, and other vital services.

The group also visited the Jonestown Family Center for Education and Wellness, founded by Sister Theresa Shields, and Jonestown Durocher Service Development, founded by Sister Kay Burton. Both are located in Jonestown, Mississippi.

Phillip Polk, a student who participated in the trip, said that Tutwiler has a lack of employment opportunities. The average household income in Tutwiler is $22,000.

Despite the lack of economic opportunities, students said that the community was inspiring due to the graciousness and welcoming nature of people who lived there.

“It inspired us a lot to see how hospitable they were,” Lauryn Barbosa said. “Even though they were part of the poorest city in the United States, you would have never known because of their love.”

This was the ninth year that HNU students have visited Tutwiler during spring break.

“We are very excited to welcome Bryan Parker, Agnieszka Winkler, and Soraya Wright to the Holy Name University’s Board of Trustees,” said James D. Falaschi, chair of the board and managing partner of Jack London Square Partners. “They bring a breadth of financial, legal, personal development, marketing, and risk management experience to our team.”

Bryan Parker is vice president of DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500 company that provides dialysis services in the United States for patients with chronic kidney failure. Prior to joining DaVita, Parker volunteered for nine months with the Obama presidential campaign’s finance committee and served as the chief operating officer of Affinity Media, a global digital media company. He has twelve years corporate experience in finance, legal affairs, technology, and marketing, and was recently appointed a commissioner for the Port of Oakland. Parker received a bachelor’s degree in political economy of industrial societies from the University of California, Berkeley and a juris doctor degree from New York University School of Law.

Agnieszka Winkler, a 1967 graduate from Holy Names University,has served as a regent for HNU and on the university’s marketing advisory board and campaign steering committee. Winkler is an acknowledged expert in marketing and founder of The Winkler Group. She is the author of Warp Speed Branding and was named Woman Advertiser of the Year by McCall’s magazine. Since selling her company, Winkler has become a leader in the movement to incorporate spirituality into business.

Soraya Wright is the vice president of global risk management at The Clorox Company in Oakland. She has held roles of increasing responsibility in risk management, including leading and executing risk finance strategies, directing self-insurance and claims management programs and leading Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) programs. Wright is a 1986 graduate of Holy Names University and active in the Oakland community. She co-chairs The Clorox Company’s African-American Employee Resource Group and has served on the boards of the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Foundation and the East Oakland Youth Development Center, which develops social and leadership skills in youth to prepare them for employment and higher education.

In anticipation of the board’s expansion, HNU trustees have created several new committees, including a board development committee, a mission effectiveness committee, a marketing committee, and an investment committee.

“These new board committees are essential in meeting the challenges that face higher education institutions today,” HNU President William J. Hynes said. “The new trustees are not only trusted community leaders, but wonderful role models for our students. Their work with other HNU leadership will further the university’s commitment to educating students to their highest potential.”

For additional information or to schedule an interview, contact HNU Director of Marketing and Public Relations Lesley Sims at 510.436.1405 or sims@hnu.edu.

President Hynes addresses the luncheon attendees.

More than 60 donors, scholarship recipients, and staff attended the Holy Names University 2013 Scholarship Luncheon on February 21. The program included a welcome address and blessing by Sister Carol Sellman, a message by President William J. Hynes, and a student testimonial by scholarship recipient Maura Granados.

“Through the generous gifts of our benefactors we are able to fulfill our mission of education,” Sr. Carol said.

In the president’s message, Hynes said that scholarships help not only students but also the University and the greater community. “We salute the common good our donors represent,” he said. “We celebrate the uncommon love of the common good.”

Maura Granados, who is expected to graduate in 2016, said that she was blessed to receive support and is inspired to give back to the community.

“I am honored to be one of the recipients of the HNU Catholic High Schools Scholarship. It is because of your generous support that I am able to attend college,” said Granados, who migrated to the United States from Mexico when a child. “Your assistance is supporting not only my dreams, but the American dream of my family for me to go to college.”

From left to right: Vice President for Academic Affairs Beth Martin, Former HNU President Sr. Rosemarie Nassif, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services Michael Miller

Claws & Saucers is an encyclopedic guide to classic science fiction, horror, and fantasy films. It covers nearly every film of the genre from 1902–1982. Goldweber introduced the book to a salon audience in July 2012 at the Paul J. Cushing Library.

A full house at the Valley Center for the Peforming Arts

This month community members and city leadership gathered at Holy Names University to discuss public safety in Oakland.

“We want to welcome the leadership of the city and our community neighbors to Holy Names University,” said Vice President for University Advancement Richard Ortega to a standing-room-only audience of about 300 people. “We look forward to this event and other events as we celebrate Oakland, and, in our common interests, work together to create better lives.”

Robert Wasserman, a consultant to the Oakland Police Department, outlined his  suggestions for a crime reduction plan focused on neighborhood-based policing and community involvement. Mayor Jean Quan and Chief of Police Howard Jordan also participated in the event.

Robert Wasserman, consultant to the Oakland Police Department

Wasserman emphasized a policing structure in which officers would work in particular geographic regions to increase police presence in neighborhoods and interaction with community members. He stressed the importance of strong neighborhood organizations and community involvement in police training. The downside of community policing is that officers may not be able to immediately respond to all requests. “In the best (policing) . . . , the community is brought into the process to be sitting there at the table as the problems of the neighborhood are discussed with the commander,” he said.

In addition to community policing, Wasserman said that there is a need for domestic homicide research and greater problem solving that assesses long-term problems. He called for sophisticated training for field officers, victim support, community orientation for new officers, increasing the age of new recruits, and other “best practices” to address crime issues in Oakland.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan

The February 10 event was the first in a speaker series addressing Oakland’s safety issues. The series is being organized by Oakland City Councilmember Libby Schaaf and will be hosted by Holy Names University.

“I think we would all agree that Oakland is a city worth fighting for—that every neighborhood, every resident, every family, every worker deserves to feel safe in this city,” Schaaf said.

For more information on the speaker series, click here.

Mark Wexler, executive director and co-founder of Not for Sale

About 300 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended the Third Annual Bay Area Social Justice Forum at Holy Names University on February 2. The theme of the forum was “People of Hope, Agents of Change.”

“Anytime you gather . . . 300 people who are passionate about justice and care about making a positive difference in the world, there is a natural positive energy that is generated,” said Sister Susan Wells, director of the Center for Social Justice at HNU and organizer of the forum. “That is what we had hoped for when we envisioned this event three years ago and we are so pleased to have the amazing collaboration of so many different organizations who, together, create the space for learning, sharing and acting to create a just world.”

The morning keynote address was delivered by Mark Wexler, executive director and co-founder of Not for Sale, an organization dedicated to combating modern slavery. Modern slavery is one of the fastest growing industries, generating profits of approximately $32 billion per year and enslaving more than 30 million.

Wexler said that while individually assisting those who are enslaved is compassionate, broader efforts are needed to address the roots of slavery and achieve justice. “You can be the agent of change within your community,” he said, calling for business methods that empower exploited communities. “What we have learned about the abolitionist, anti-slavery . . . (movement) is that compassion alone does not bring justice.”

As an example, Wexler described how Not for Sale is helping to reshape the impoverished Madre de Dios region of Peru, which he said is at the crossroads of environmental and human exploitation.

Not for Sale and Madre de Dios community members assessed how local resources could be utilized for sustainable change. With input from leading academics, professionals, and spiritual leaders, they developed REBBL, a tea that is harvested in Madre de Dios and sold in the United States and elsewhere. New jobs have been created, and a portion of the tea profits is reinvested in community social programs.

Led by the Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the afternoon keynote addressed immigration.

“We want people to live in genuine security. We want people to have all (of) the necessities that they need for life,” she said. “Keep the big vision about the kind of world that we want. There is so much that is unsacred about the world that we live in. How can we bring about sacredness?”

Her address included a panel of four young adults—Wardah Chowdry, Wei Lee, Mario Lio, and Yvette Jimenez—who shared how the immigration system has affected their lives and the lives of their families.

Chowdry is an American Muslim who moved to the U.S. from Pakistan in 2011 and has faced anti-Muslim sentiments at her high school.

“Please do not focus on what divides us, rather focus on what binds us as human beings,” she said.

Workshops dealt with a broad range of social justice issues including poverty, restorative justice, and youth homelessness. Representatives of the Covenant House, Food and Water Watch, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, United Way of the Bay Area, and other organizations led the workshops.

The leadership at Holy Names University thanks the forum co-sponsors: Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, JustFaith Ministries, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Saint Mary’s College of California, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Saint Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Sisters of the Holy Family, St. Anne Catholic Community, Stop Slavery, United Religions Initiative, and URI North America.

A DVD of the keynote sessions and an immigration workshop facilitated by Jose Arreola of Educators for Fair Consideration is available for $14. For more information, contact Sr. Susan at wells@hnu.edu.

From left to right: Rev. Deborah Lee, Yvette Jimenez, Mario Lio, Wei Lee, and Wardah Chowdry