Meditation Pond Dedicated to Departed Friend
Mary McComsey
Issue date: 11/10/03 Section: Student Life
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"To know Amanda was like standing in the middle of a meteor shower," close friend, Shawn McFarlane-Goldman described her friendship with Sancataldo.
The pond was chosen to honor Sancataldo's memory because she so loved the spot, According to Dr. Chris Bursk, who organized the event.
"She came here to fume and fuss about injustices in the world," Bursk said. "It was also a place where she could find peace and tranquility."
Sancataldo's mother, Sandy Gwinn, was pleased with the choice.
"She loved this campus and she loved this pond," Gwinn said. "She often came and sat here on one of the benches. She would soon be surrounded by 15-20 people. That's the kind of person she was."
"Amanda was one of the greatest human beings who ever lived," Bursk said. "She was feisty, brilliant, generous, cantankerous, and authentic."
Bursk and Gwinn highlighted some of the many causes Amanda embraced as a student at Bucks.
She spent a week with other protesters taking over Tyler Hall, trying to avert a teacher's strike. The effort paid off.
She joined a group that slept in cages on campus to call attention to the plight of the mentally ill and slept in a cardboard box to speak out about the homeless.
As speaker after speaker came forward to honor Sancataldo's memory, a portrait emerged of an amazing young woman - a woman of courage, determination, passion, warmth and caring.
McFarlane-Goldman typified the experience of knowing Amanda.
"I met her in class here at Bucks," she said. "At first she did not seem very different from other students. But soon I was drawn to her by her power and magic. We became very close friends. She infected me with her passion for learning. I received many accolades at Bucks and I attribute it all to Amanda. She showed me it was possible."
Her father, Dick Gwinn, spoke in a voice choked with emotion. As he struggled to share beloved memories of his daughter, his wife went to his side offering comfort and support.
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