Stevenson University

Perched on a wooded bluff in rural southeastern Carroll County, the old Henryton State Hospital bears silent witness to the ravages of decades of neglect and vandalism. First opened in 1923, the 18-building complex that once housed the sick and handicapped now appears beyond hope of recovery itself. Windows gape. Trees reach to the sky through roofs that have caved in or burned. Graffiti and vines cover stucco and brick walls. Broken glass and beer cans litter the ground, along with debris from the crumbling structures.

Expectations are high for this year's commencement speakers at Maryland universities - an august crew that includes the Obamas and their team of writers as well as funnyman Bill Cosby and Hollywood director Jason Winer. But to stand out - or simply be remembered - isn't a guarantee, no matter how high the profile of the speaker. "The commencement speaker has to perform. He or she has the responsibility to inspire both students and graduates to make something of their lives" without falling back on cliches, said Steven D. Cohen, managing director of the oral communication program at the University of Maryland.

The 41st annual Baltimore Catholic League tournament will take place at Stevenson University, making the move from its recent home, Loyola University. The tournament begins on Feb. 24 with quarterfinal-round play and runs through the championship game on Feb. 26. Quarterfinal-round games will start at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 24, followed by semifinal games at 5 and 7 p.m., Feb. 25, with the championship game slated for 1 p.m. Feb. 26. All the games will take place at the school's new athletic complex located on Owings Mills Blvd.

On April 19, psychology major Kaitlin Ames of Churchville participated in Stevenson University's Relay for Life Event. More than $38,000 was raised to support the American Cancer Society. More than 500 Stevenson University community members gathered together in the Owings Mills Gymnasium to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, a 12-hour overnight event, symbolizing a night in the life of someone fighting cancer, a disease that never sleeps. Relay teams made up of friends, family, classmates, clubs and local businesses raised funds throughout the year and at the event to support American Cancer Society programs in cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services.

A Baltimore County woman had about $340,000 in student loan debt discharged by a federal bankruptcy judge this month because Asperger's syndrome prevents her from holding a job. Carol Todd of Nottingham pursued college degrees "as a stepping stone toward a measure of liberation … and perhaps to help her achieve something closer to a normal life," according to the May 17 opinion of Judge Robert A. Gordon, a bankruptcy judge for the District of...

Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III has joined the criminal justice faculty at Stevenson University, the school announced today.  The move comes after much speculation about what arguably the city's most successful top cop in recent history would do after retiring this year. Bealefeld will serve as a full-time distinguished professional in criminal justice and instructor, teaching coursework for undergraduates and helping develop a center for criminal justice.

A student at Stevenson University has been hospitalized in stable condition with a suspected case of bacterial meningitis, an often contagious and potentially deadly infection that causes inflammation in the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. School officials have contacted other students who may have been exposed and treated them preventatively with Cipro, according to Linda Reymann, associate dean and director of Stevenson's Wellness Center. High fever, headache and stiff neck are the most common symptoms, which can develop over several hours or a day or two, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As one who had the privilege of working under Stevenson University president Kevin Manning when the school was still known as Villa Julie College, I read with interest the article "Stevenson pay gap tops for private schools, report says" ( Dec. 6). As the school's board of trustees points out, the salaries quoted in the report are misleading. I have the highest regard for Mr. Manning, the administration and the outstanding faculty and staff of Stevenson University. If it were not for Mr. Manning, Stevenson would have gone the way of hundreds of small private colleges that have gone out of business over the last 10 years.

Stevenson University has bought the Shire Pharmaceuticals plant next door to its Owings Mills campus, a $10.5 million deal that a school official said will expand the grounds by a third and help meet the goal of increasing full-time student enrollment to 4,000 in the next two years. "It was just a great opportunity we couldn't pass up," Tim Campbell, Stevenson's executive vice president for financial affairs and chief financial officer, said of the sale that closed Tuesday, expanding the campus in northwestern Baltimore County from 74 to 102 acres.

Carl Pettis was frustrated after he got his first test grade in Susan Slattery's college calculus class. "It was not good," he said. "She chewed me out for silly mistakes. " But Pettis credits Slattery's tough instruction at Alabama State University as a big factor in his rise to academic success. Slattery, who had moved onto a position as mathematics department chairwoman at Stevenson University, died in an Ohio car accident Monday. At Alabama State — where Pettis is now the interim chair for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science — and at Stevenson, the academic community is mourning her loss.

Perched on a wooded bluff in rural southeastern Carroll County, the old Henryton State Hospital bears silent witness to the ravages of decades of neglect and vandalism. First opened in 1923, the 18-building complex that once housed the sick and handicapped now appears beyond hope of recovery itself. Windows gape. Trees reach to the sky through roofs that have caved in or burned. Graffiti and vines cover stucco and brick walls. Broken glass and beer cans litter the ground, along with debris from the crumbling structures.

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY: Villanova University named the following students to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester: Ava Calvano, from Forest Hill, pursuing a bachelor's degree in the College of Engineering; Chelsea Chu, from Forest Hill, studying biochemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Nicole Arcodia, from Fallston, studying comprehensive science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Villanova University dean's list recipients are honored by their college's respective dean.

John and Claudia Copsey of Bel Air announce the engagement of their daughter, Kathleen Elizabeth Copsey, to Frank Crisafulli Jr., son of Frank and Jaylene Crisafulli Sr. of Middle River. Copsey is a 2006 graduate of C. Milton Wright High School and Stevenson University and is a second-grade teacher in Baltimore County, pursuing her master's degree as an elementary math specialist. Crisafulli is a 2005 graduate of Eastern Technical High and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III has joined the criminal justice faculty at Stevenson University, the school announced today.  The move comes after much speculation about what arguably the city's most successful top cop in recent history would do after retiring this year. Bealefeld will serve as a full-time distinguished professional in criminal justice and instructor, teaching coursework for undergraduates and helping develop a center for criminal justice.

MIAA officials have had to switch Saturday's A Conference football semifinals from Stevenson University to Archbishop Spalding, because Stevenson had to reschedule a home football game for Saturday. The new schedule has No. 2 Calvert Hall kicking off against Mount St. Joseph at 11:30 a.m., followed by No. 1 and defending champion Gilman facing McDonogh at 2:30 p.m.

Times have been set for the MIAA A Conference football quarterfinal games, which will both be played Saturday. McDonogh will play at Loyola at 2:30 p.m., and Mount St. Joseph will travel to Archbishop Spalding at 6 p.m. This marks the first time all the A Conference teams advance to the postseason tournament. Top-seeded and defending champion Gilman and No. 2 seed Calvert Hall have byes for the quarterfinals. Spalding is seeded third,  with Loyola fourth, McDonogh fifth and Mount St. Joseph sixth.

Viewers see first the beast's ravenous mouth, with six fangs increasing in size and as pointed as daggers. The fiend is wearing a "Vote" button with an image of the American flag, and its tail snakes into a dollar sign. Even before gallery-goers scan the caption — "Monstrous costs: Total House and Senate campaign expenditures" — they have a good idea which dismal fact of modern life is being illustrated. Moreover, they know exactly how artist Nigel Holmes feels about the increase.

On April 19, psychology major Kaitlin Ames of Churchville participated in Stevenson University's Relay for Life Event. More than $38,000 was raised to support the American Cancer Society. More than 500 Stevenson University community members gathered together in the Owings Mills Gymnasium to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, a 12-hour overnight event, symbolizing a night in the life of someone fighting cancer, a disease that never sleeps. Relay teams made up of friends, family, classmates, clubs and local businesses raised funds throughout the year and at the event to support American Cancer Society programs in cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services.

Although I have never met John Plevak, I like him. No, I take that back - I love the man ("A night to remember for Kauffman," Oct. 24). Mr. Plevak is the men's soccer coach at Stevenson University. Being the sensitive, compassionate man he obviously is, he allowed the team manager to play in a match against Hood College. For those who are uninformed, the manager, Kyle Kauffman, has cerebral palsy. Coach Plevak saw the bond that Kyle, a senior at Stevenson, had forged with the members of the soccer team.

For Kyle Kauffman, cerebral palsy is a hurdle, not a wall. He has a high school diploma, a Facebook account and a dorm room at Stevenson, where he majors in public history and manages the men's soccer team. "Soccer is probably the most beautiful sport there is," said Kauffman, of Lancaster, Pa. But for his physical disability, he would have played the game. Tuesday night, when Stevenson hosts Hood at 7 p.m., Kauffman will get that chance. To honor their manager, the Mustangs will suit him up, introduce him with the starters and play the 21-year-old senior at forward for the first few minutes of the game.