Chestnut Hill College

The head of the religious studies department at Chestnut Hill College has been named to succeed Sister Matthew Anita MacDonald as president of the school, officials announced yesterday. Sister Carol Jean Vale, 46, an assistant professor and a 1978 graduate, was appointed to a five-year term by the college's Board of Directors on Monday night. She is scheduled to assume office July 1 when Sister MacDonald steps down after 12 years as the school's president. "Sister Carol Vale is a scholar of vision and creativity who values communication, cooperation and collaboration," said Sister Margaret Fleming, who chairs the Board of Directors and is superior general of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill, the religious order that operates the college.

A former adjunct professor of religion at Chestnut Hill College who was dismissed from his post because he is gay announced this afternoon that a settlement has been reached between himself and the Catholic-based institution. Father James St. George, 45, said in a statement issued by his publicist that he had reached "an amicable resolution with Chestnut Hill College that will end this controversy. " The resolution reached over the weekend was "consistent with the religious beliefs of each party," the statement said.

Three things are clear after a meeting yesterday between Father Jim St. George and officials of from Chestnut Hill College, which had fired the former adjunct professor for being gay. He will not be reinstated at the college, there will be no legal action on his part and both sides agree it?s time to move on. ?I am pleased to announce that I have reached an amicable resolution with Chestnut Hill College that will end this controversy,? St. George said in a statement released after the meeting at the Center City firm of his attorney, George Bochetto.

Sister Matthew Anita MacDonald, who has presided over Chestnut Hill College since 1980, will close out her tenure on June 30, school officials have announced. Sister Matthew Anita said yesterday that after completing two five-year terms, she decided at the end of 1990 to extend her contract for two years rather than agreeing to another five-year term. She said the extension will have enabled her to remain to see several important items completed, including the college's evaluation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the college's first capital drive.

A former adjunct professor who was forced to leave Chestnut Hill College because he is gay is co-teaching a course at the University of Pennsylvania. The Rev. James St. George said Thursday night that he had co-taught several of the Monday classes in the course Religion, Social Justice, and Urban Development with professor Andrew Lamas. St. George said Lamas had invited him to co-teach the course this semester and was directly compensating him. He said Penn had not hired him. Penn spokesman Ron Ozio said Thursday night he was unaware of the arrangement until informed by reporters and could not immediately comment.

An adjunct mathematics professor died Wednesday after he reportedly dived off the second tier of a rotunda to the ground floor of a building at Chestnut Hill College in front of students and staff, a college source said Thursday. A statement on the college's website identified the professor as Rudolf Alexandrov and described his death as the result of a fall, but did not elaborate. Philadelphia police confirmed that there had been a suicide at the college, but declined to release any further information.

Mark DiRugeris tried to get a little better every year. He worked on his defense and ball handling after his freshman season, his use of screens and spacing after his sophomore year, his quickness and explosiveness after his junior season. By the time DiRugeris was a senior, he was prepared to put the finishing touches on one of the best careers in Chestnut Hill College basketball history. "It was the best four years of my life," said DiRugeris, a Woodbury High School graduate who will be honored as the small college player of the year by the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey at the organization's annual banquet April 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill.

Mark DiRugeris tried to get a little better every year. He worked on his defense and ball handling after his freshman season, his use of screens and spacing after his sophomore year, his quickness and explosiveness after his junior season. By the time DiRugeris was a senior, he was prepared to put the finishing touches on one of the best careers in Chestnut Hill College basketball history. "It was the best four years of my life," said DiRugeris, a Woodbury High School graduate who will be honored as the small college player of the year by the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey at the organization's annual banquet April 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill.

Chestnut Hill College said Friday that its decision to dismiss an openly gay priest as an adjunct professor had been "sensationalized and distorted. " At the same time, the Roman Catholic school said it did not do a good job of communicating its decision to part ways with the Rev. James St. George, a priest in a Catholic denomination with no ties to the Vatican. St. George learned Feb. 24 that he would no longer be teaching world religion, and justice and ethics. When he questioned the move, the college said comments he had made about being gay defied church teaching.

Billy Cassidy knows the way all-star basketball games usually go. But that doesn't mean he has to like it. So when the conga line of alley-oops and off-the-backboard dunks ended, and it came down to winning time Sunday in the All Star Labor Classic, it's no surprise that Cassidy played a starring role. Cassidy sank a go-ahead three-pointer in overtime and pulled down a key rebound to help secure the suburban team's 118-111 victory over the city all-stars at Northeast High School.

Listed alphabetically. Statistics are from last season. Alex Barr, Haverford High. A first baseman and pitcher, Barr was a second-team all-Central League pick. He batted .396 with 16 RBIs. A.J. Bogucki, Boyertown. The righthander, a North Carolina recruit, went 6-1 with a 2.94 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 521/3 innings. Steve Born, Conestoga. The junior centerfielder hit .400 with 11 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. He committed only one error. Steven Cohen, Penn Charter.

Southeastern Pa. Baseball Players to Watch Listed alphabetically. Statistics are from last season. Alex Barr, Haverford High. A first baseman and pitcher, Barr was a second-team all-Central League pick. He batted .396 with 16 RBIs. A.J. Bogucki, Boyertown. The righthander, a North Carolina recruit, went 6-1 with a 2.94 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 521/3 innings. Steve Born, Conestoga. The junior centerfielder hit .400 with 11 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

Mark DiRugeris tried to get a little better every year. He worked on his defense and ball handling after his freshman season, his use of screens and spacing after his sophomore year, his quickness and explosiveness after his junior season. By the time DiRugeris was a senior, he was prepared to put the finishing touches on one of the best careers in Chestnut Hill College basketball history. "It was the best four years of my life," said DiRugeris, a Woodbury High School graduate who will be honored as the small college player of the year by the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey at the organization's annual banquet April 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill.

Mark DiRugeris tried to get a little better every year. He worked on his defense and ball handling after his freshman season, his use of screens and spacing after his sophomore year, his quickness and explosiveness after his junior season. By the time DiRugeris was a senior, he was prepared to put the finishing touches on one of the best careers in Chestnut Hill College basketball history. "It was the best four years of my life," said DiRugeris, a Woodbury High School graduate who will be honored as the small college player of the year by the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey at the organization's annual banquet April 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill.

Archbishop Ryan High School in the Northeast and Holy Family University today unveiled a new partnership that includes a dual-credit program. Archbishop Ryan students who complete Holy Family courses offered on Ryan's campus on Academy Road will receive both high school and college credits for their work. "Today marks an historic moment in our school's 47-year history," Ryan's President Michael McCardle said at a signing ceremony carried live on the websites of both Ryan and Holy Family University.

Jessica Kahn remembers how she felt when she learned Emlen Elementary in East Mount Airy had no library. "It broke my heart," said Kahn, 66, a reading specialist and professor of education at Chestnut Hill College, who loves to read. Kahn collected 7,000 books and, with the help of her students, cataloged them, attached pockets and cards, and affixed little white squares with call numbers. The college donated book shelves. And Emlen had a library. Over the last four years, Kahn - now known as "the book lady" - has made it her mission to help other Philadelphia public schools create libraries.

B. ELIZABETH Furey has a will of steel, as anyone knows who has watched her battle cancer these past six years. On Thursday, her will was only strengthened when she learned that Chestnut Hill College will let her participate in commencement ceremonies May 12. Surprisingly, she's not sure if she'll accept the offer. "I so dearly appreciate and am grateful that the administration at Chestnut Hill is providing an exception for me to walk at commencement ceremonies," she told me after she got the good news.

In Palm Harbor, Fla., Padraig Harrington posted the lowest official score of his life, a 10-under 61, to set the course record at Innisbrook in the Transitions Championship on Thursday. Harrington made 10 birdies, including a 75-footer late in his round, to build a three-shot lead. At the LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix, Yani Tseng finished with a 7-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead with Hee Young Park , who closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth.

William H. Copperthwaite Jr., 49, of West Chester, a lawyer and educator, died of a heart attack on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at home. For more than a decade, Mr. Copperthwaite had a law practice in West Chester providing tax and estate advice. He was also an assistant professor at Rider University's College of Business Administration and assistant professor of business at Chestnut Hill College. Previously, he taught in the graduate tax program at the Temple University School of Business.