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SPORTS
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John Meagher
Endowment Fund
Continues to Climb
To ensure that students with documented disabilities and
accessibility needs continue to meet their fullest potential,
St. Lawrence University seeks to raise $1,000,000 to establish
the John Meagher Endowment Fund to support its Office
of Disability and Accessibility Services. Several alumni,
parents and friends have made generous commitments to this
important effort, and the fund total stood at about $362,000
in mid-July. For more information or to discuss a gift: Chad
Tessier, or 315-229-5519.
Chapel Restoration Fund Helps Launch Project
Immediately following the October 2013 fire that destroyed the Gunnison Memorial Chapel spire and
damaged much of the chapel’s interor, students, alumni, parents and friends began to ask how they could
help restore the chapel. In response, the University started a restoration fund to help with costs above
and beyond what the University’s insurance would cover. Since that time, over $59,000 has been contrib-
uted. The first phase of the restoration efforts has begun; for details, see page xx. For more information:
Kim Hissong, or 315-229-5837.
A portion of the funds raised has been contributed by parents of members of the Class of 2014, through
the Senior Parent Initiative, whose goal has been to maximize support from parents of seniors by creating a sense of identity and
enthusiasm for a single project. Last year’s chosen project was Gunnison Memorial Chapel. A drive led by University Trustee George
Cochran, parent of four Laurentians including Charles ’14, contributed nearly $13,800 by mid-July to the chapel restoration. Parents
of 2014 seniors continue to donate. For more information: Chad Tessier, or 315-229-5519.
Endowment Sought
for Sustainability Semester
The Sustainability Semester
semester) embodies St. Lawrence’s commitment to reflective
thinking and experiential learning. The students delve into
complex and challenging environmental issues through
intensive study and hands-on experience and can further their
knowledge through a paid, project-based summer internship.
Foundation grants funded the first two years of the program.
Now, the University seeks $2 million to endow it. For more
information: Sue Regier,
or 315-229-5915.
KDS Alumnae Fund Growing
Since its inception approximately two years ago, the KDS
Alumnae Fund has received over $62,500 in gifts and an
additional $12,000 in multi-year pledges. More than 25 percent
of the goal of $250,000 by the house’s 50th anniversary in
2019 has been reached. KDS sisters have fully met the dollar-
for-dollar $25,000 challenge match made by Chris Koski ’79
and Hilary Valentine ’89 at the fund’s inception, allowing,
among other projects, expansion of and renovations to
the upstairs bathroom, and window coverings throughout
the house. For more information: Kim Hissong,
or 315-229-5837.
Beta Temple
Restoration Fund Closes in on Goal
With over $450,000 in commitments, the Beta Temple
Restoration Fund nears its established goal of $500,000.
Work is slated to begin soon and the restoration is scheduled
to be completed by May 2015. All donated funds in excess
of the construction costs will establish an endowment that
will provide for future maintenance and enhancements.
For more information: John Pezdek, jpezdek@
stlawu.edu or 315-229-5540, or Allen Splete ’60,
To-Do List
philanthropy in action
I'll be training hard to go into that
meet fully prepared,” she exclaims.
“The NCAAs have been an amazing
experience,” she adds. “In track and
field there are a lot of extenuating
circumstances; it doesn't matter what
you did prior to a championship meet.
The only thing that matters is how
you perform on the day. So to finally
have it all come together at the right
time is amazing.”
Her goals in track and field estab-
lished, she has embarked on a new
plan for her professional future. “I
came to St. Lawrence hoping to pur-
sue a career in medicine, but over the
past year I have made the decision to
switch to finance,” she says. “I chose
St. Lawrence because I thought it had
a lot to offer as a close-knit campus
but also academically in addition to
having an outstanding track and field
program. Being able to do research as
an undergrad is basically unheard of at
most bigger schools. Most important,
though, I recognized that I'd be able
to make a direction change because of
all the resources our school has to offer
and how helpful all the staff are, and
finally because the alumni network is
incredible.”
And when there is some down time
in a very busy life, she enjoys hiking.
“I also really enjoy tutoring chemis-
try,” says the biology major. “But my
favorite would have to be fishing.” n
Divya’s track season did not end with
the conclusion of NCAA competition
in May. She headed to New Brunswick
in late June to compete in the Cana-
dian National Championships, where
she finished fifth in the triple jump. A
fall semester in New York City with an
internship at the investment firm Angelo
Gordon, arranged through the firm’s
Fatma Luy ’12 and made possible by
John Angelo ’63, precedes the start of
her final collegiate indoor track and field
campaign in January.
Having won a title and competed in
four straight NCAA championships,
Biswal is looking forward to more, par-
ticularly since St. Lawrence will host the
2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships
in May. “My last meet as a Saint will be
defending my national title on my home
track, which is more than anything I
could have ever hoped for. Until then
“Divya is a phenomenal talent and a
tremendous competitor,” says women’s
head coach Kate Curran. “She brought
out her best when the chips were
down. She’d spent all season putting
herself in a position to fire on all cylin-
ders when it counted.”
Divya Biswal '15
joined a long line of
Laurentian women
track and field
individual national
champions when
she captured the
title in the triple
jump last May.
“My last meet as a Saint
will be defending my
national title on my
home track, which is more
than anything I could
have ever hoped for.”
Divya Biswal '15
Be Our Guest, Twice
St. Lawrence University is proud to announce that it is hosting not one but two national
championship events in spring 2015: men’s and women’s alpine and Nordic skiing, at Lake
Placid, and men’s and women’s track and field, on campus. For more:
left Photo by: d3photography
st. lawrence university magazine | fall 2014