Io Triumphe! The magazine for alumni and friends of Albion College

Vol. LXXIV, No. 1

Leslee Fritz, ’94, Puts Stimulus Funds to Work for Michigan 13 It’s the Thought That Counts in New Campaign 19 Plan Now for Homecoming ’09 26

IoTriumphe!

summer

2009

T he M agazine

for

A lumni

and

F riends

of

A lbion C ollege

Digital Delivery At 27, Sam Hogg has already created three Internet ventures, with more to come.

“Albion had everything I was looking for in a college —small classes, great science facilities, and campus activities that meshed well with my interests. However, there was one obstacle standing between me and the opportunities at Albion—cost. I still remember the evening I returned home from high school track practice, and I learned from my financial aid package that I could afford to go to Albion.

That was an incredible feeling. I would like to express my thanks to the generous donors whose scholarship gifts have made it possible for me—and many of my fellow students— to receive what I consider to be a world-class education.”

Brandan Walters, ’11

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office of institutional advancement 611 e. porter st. albion, mi 49224 517/629-0242 advancement@albion.edu www.albion.edu/giving

A physics major who plans to pursue a career in biomedical engineering, Brandan Walters is also an Admission Office student coordinator, an active member of the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute, and a member of Union Board. He hails from Blissfield, Mich.

Your generous support of the Annual Fund provides all of our students with the life-changing experience of an Albion College education.

Please make your gift to the Albion Annual Fund today. For more information, go to: www.albion.edu/giving/ or call 517/629-0242.

IoTriumphe! Staff Editor: Sarah Briggs Contributing Writers: Stephanie Green, Bobby Lee, Nikole Lee, Jake Weber Class Notes Writers: Nikole Lee, Luann Shepherd Design: Susan Carol Rowe

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Office of Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224.

World Wide Web: www.albion.edu Albion College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability, as protected by law, in all educational programs and activities, admission of students, and conditions of employment.

About Our Name The unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer, Horace. Some phrases were taken from other college yells and others from a Greek play presented on campus during the period.

In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart:

IoTriumphe!

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Web Manager: Nicole Rhoads Io Triumphe! is published three times annually by the Office of Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224.

It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.

summer 2009 The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Albion College

Features

8 ’Net Returns These alumni have brought intellect and energy to the creation of their online businesses.

From Box Scores to Balance Sheets It’s all about the numbers for Detroit Tigers CFO Steve Quinn, ’89.

19 People Who Can Think Can Do Anything Albion launches a new branding campaign.

13 Building Michigan’s Future At the Michigan Economic Recovery Office, Leslee Fritz, ’94, matches billions in federal stimulus funds with key state projects.

Columns

2 Presidential Ponderings 23 Your Alumni Association

Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe!

Haben swaben rebecca le animor Whoop te whoop te sheller de-vere De-boom de ral de-i de-pa— Hooneka henaka whack a whack A-hob dob balde bora bolde bara Con slomade hob dob rah!

Al-bi-on Rah!

Cover photo by David Trumpie

16

Departments

(Top) Rainy weather on commencement day in May brought out a sea of umbrellas on the Quad.

3 Briton Bits 21 Alumni Association News 28 Albionotes 41 Li’l Brits Summer 2009 | 1

Pres!dent!al ponder!ngs

‘At Home in the World’

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will see the interrelationship of local and global issues, and how their actions may have an impact on the world in ways they would never have anticipated. Albion, with its tradition of interdisciplinary study and service-learning, is already making such connections—I can point to a first-year seminar that sparked a successful drive to build an elementary school in Senegal as just one example. And we are well-poised to carry this approach across the curriculum.

Exposing students to diversity in the classroom is only the beginning, however. They also must experience diversity, preferably through an off-campus program that immerses them in an environment or culture that is far different from their own.

We are currently exploring ways to encourage many more of our students to take

advantage of these experiences. And when they return to campus, we need to open up even more avenues for them to share their new insights with the rest of the campus community.

One only has to listen to the daily news reports to know that the state of world affairs today demands our engagement— as partners, mediators, investors, healers, leaders. And this need will only grow as the world’s peoples become increasingly interconnected. We are committed to readying our students for their role as active participants in this global society.

Donna Randall President drandall@albion.edu

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PHOTO COURTESY OF L. CARDENAS

This fall, Albion College will welcome some 30 international students as members of its first-year class. While this number in itself is impressive—it is the largest contingent of international first-year students in at least three decades—what is also striking is the list of countries from which these students will come, countries including Azerbaijan, Nepal, Myanmar, and China. This diversity reflects America’s expanding involvement in all parts of the world, and not just in those nations that share our Western heritage.

As we contemplate Albion College’s future, we know that an appreciation for global diversity must be central to our thinking. Indeed, one of the principal themes of our strategic plan, “Albion 2015,” is that Albion will educate students who will be “engaged, courageous, and responsible citizens prepared to lead in a diverse and global society.” Our research team charged with fleshing out this theme, and imagining how it might play out in the curriculum, has noted: “[W]e are living in a world of dynamic change not only demographically relative to migration and immigration issues, but technologically relative to immediate information access around the globe, with ideas having no inherent national boundaries and flowing freely around the globe.”

So what does all this mean for Albion College? We must ensure that our students gain a fuller understanding of diversity— cultural, racial/ethnic, spiritual, political, and economic. Our curriculum should reflect diversity in these spheres by including a broad range of traditions and world views. With this exposure, our students

A college fair in Qatar was one of many stops Albion admission representative Lewis Cardenas made this past year under an expanded international student recruitment effort. In addition to visiting with prospective students in the Middle East, Cardenas spent five weeks on a recruiting tour in Asia.

Students from Albion, France, and Germany (pictured with Albion adviser Mike Frandsen at right) collaborated in developing an international business plan which they jointly presented during this spring’s Isaac Symposium.

It was the culmination of a yearlong “entrepreneurial exchange.”

T he latest news around campus

Br ! to n B ! ts the Rock

S. Briggs

Government in action is what Operation Bentley is all about. In late May, 76 Michigan high school sophomores and juniors in this government simulation program debated local issues such as city growth, crime, and zoning decisions, wrote legislation and participated in mock party caucuses, and met with Michigan legislators and a Michigan Supreme Court justice. Operation Bentley is just one of many conferences, camps, and other programs to be held on Albion’s campus this summer.

Chemists Awarded Major Research Grants

By Bobby Lee Vanessa McCaffrey and Kevin Metz, a pair of young chemistry professors at Albion, have each received $50,000 grants from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF) to support their research.

McCaffrey, a physical organic chemist, is studying magnetic exchange in small metallic complexes. Her research has implications for magnetic storage devices and magnetic motors.

“Traditional recording media rely on materials such as metals or metal oxides for their bulk magnetic properties,” McCaffrey explains. “The presence of millions of atoms . . . creates magnetic domains capable of storing information. However, as you shrink recording media there comes a point at

which they are no longer magnetic, and we are fast approaching this size limit. If we as consumers are going to continue to demand smaller and smaller storage devices, new technologies must be developed to create magnetic materials that overcome this size barrier.”

Metz, an analytical chemist, is looking for new ways to fabricate nanoscale catalysts, which could be used to remove pollutants from the environment. He believes his work is particularly well-suited for Albion since “the College has listed sustainability as one of the key pillars in its vision.” He hopes to engage students in his research.

Metz will spend the next two years trying to synthesize nanoparticles directly onto a support substrate. Once in place, these particles can lower the energy needed

McCaffrey

Metz

for a variety of reactions, with applications ranging from energy production to environmental remediation. The challenge in Metz’s research is the desired size of the particles, 10 billionths of a meter in diameter.

McCaffrey and Metz were among only 26 scientists at undergraduate institutions nationwide to receive one of these ACSPRF grants in this cycle.

Summer 2009 | 3

Br!ton B!ts

Advancement Staff Named

By Bobby Lee Albion College’s Office of Institutional Advancement recently appointed new staff to two key posts.

Shannon Duvall joined the College as associate vice president for development in May. She is charged with the management and oversight of the College’s comprehensive development program, supporting major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, prospect management, and advancement research.

“Shannon brings prospect management and strategic planning experience which is essential as we support President Randall’s vision for Albion in 2015,” said Joshua Merchant, vice president for institutional advancement.

Prior to joining the Albion staff, Duvall had served as a member of the University Development team at Michigan State University for the past 10 years. In her most recent appointment as the Midwest gift planning advisor, she worked with donors on estate commitments and other forms of future gifts. During her tenure at Michigan State, she also held roles as a development officer in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Office of Donor Relations.

Duvall received her master’s degree from Michigan State in 2003 and is a doctoral

Duvall Baczewski candidate there in higher, adult, and lifelong education administration.

Mark Baczewski was appointed director of alumni engagement in April. He will build and strengthen relationships with alumni, parents, and friends through establishing regional chapters and designing programs for young alumni and other constituent groups.

He will also oversee College events, including Homecoming, Family Day, commencement, and off-campus activities.

“Mark brings considerable marketing experience to his role which will be essential in broadening our programming,” Merchant said.

Baczewski was a founding member and has served as president of the Central Michigan University (CMU) College of Business Administration alumni board, and he pioneered an alumni mentoring and jobshadowing program there.

He also brings 10 years of experience in marketing and program development in the corporate world, having served as an account

SPENT magazine was produced by 16 journalism students in a workshop class on magazine editing offered this spring.

Geared to a twenty-something audience, it includes advice columns and features on coping with the economic recession, all wrapped up in a very hip, full-color package. This course is one of several journalism offerings reflecting new trends in the field.

manager for national clients at Entertainment Publications and, before that, as an account executive at Ford Racing.

To learn more about the Institutional Advancement team and the services they provide to alumni, parents, and friends, go to: www.albion.edu/ia/.

Lacrosse Added to Varsity Roster

By Bobby Lee Beginning in spring 2010 Albion College will offer men’s and women’s lacrosse as varsity sports. The addition will bring the athletic department to 21 sports—10 men’s and 10 women’s with equestrian hunt seat listed as a co-ed program. Albion students have previously competed in men’s lacrosse as a club sport.

Jacob DeCola, who will coach the men’s team, has hit the ground running since arriving on campus in May. The assistant coach at Guilford College in North Carolina since 2004, DeCola has started filling the roster for the inaugural team, making contact with members of Albion’s club team as well as recruits. The opportunity to play lacrosse is 4 | Io Triumphe!

another incentive for prospective students to consider Albion, he noted.

DeCola says that interest in lacrosse has exploded in the Midwest. He plans to divide his recruiting evenly between camps in the Midwest and on the East Coast this summer.

The Britons, who will join Adrian, Carthage (Wis.), Fontbonne (Mo.), the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio), and Trine in the fledgling Midwest Lacrosse Conference, will open the season with an indoor match against Carthage on Feb. 13. The curtain will come down on the season with an April 24 contest against the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Non-league dates against Ohio schools Denison and Wooster are planned.

“Wooster and Denison are big-time programs, and most teams are a full year ahead of us in terms of recruiting,” DeCola said.

“Every game will be a pretty good challenge, but I expect us to be in shape and be able to run with our opponents.”

Hiring of a women’s lacrosse coach is under way, and women’s athletic director Lisa Roschek expects to fill the position early this summer.

For updates on lacrosse and other sports news, go to: www.albion.edu/sports/.

Commencement 2009 The Quadrangle was covered in a sea of umbrellas for Albion’s May 9 commencement ceremony, but spirits still soared as the 450 members of the Class of 2009 received their diplomas. Long-time Jackson Community College professor Maria Orlowski and Domino’s Pizza CEO David Brandon were the featured speakers, and both received honorary doctorates. Orlowski, who has authored a memoir on her experiences as a hidden child during the Holocaust, charged the graduates to pursue “active goodness.”

Brandon urged them to persevere and never lose sight of their goals.

He treated each member of the class to a free pizza with a coupon under each of their seats. Hannah Scheiwe offered the greeting from the senior class, and Keith James, ’86, welcomed the newest alumni on behalf of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Among the notable destinations for this class is Teach for America, which recruited six Albion graduates to serve in schools in low-income areas.

(Top left) David Van Haren, Ashley Van Esley, and Jovan Turner were still smiling in spite of the dreary weather.

(Bottom left) Timothy Rambo and Spencer Channell ham it up during the traditional “sounding of the senior class horn.”

Alumni Association board member Keith James, ’86, welcomes the new graduates to the ranks of the alumni.

Our Students Run with the Best

By Jake Weber Across campus and disciplines, Albion College students continue to compete for— and win—top national and international awards. Some recently recognized students include the following. n Yume Nakamura, ’10, is the first athletic training major from Albion to receive a scholarship from the National Athletic Trainers Association Research and Education Foundation. From Miyazaki, Japan, Nakamura is one of 40 scholarship winners chosen from more than 350 programs around the country. Nakamura, who will graduate from Albion in December, is completing an internship at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., this summer. n In the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) International Mathematical Contest in Modeling, the Albion team of Yang Chen, ’11, Chris

Creighton, ’11, and Sophia Potoczak, ’12, received the prestigious Meritorious Winner award for their work on a complex problem related to cell phone usage and energy consumption. Only nine teams in the world scored better than this Albion team in the competition, which included 1,675 teams from 14 countries, working online from their home institutions. The students attributed their success to the fact that they drew on their strong preparation in economics and physics, as well as mathematics, in designing their solution to this problem. Albion shares the Meritorious Winner designation with institutions including Harvard University, Cornell University, the United States Military Academy, Harvey Mudd College, and Tsinghua University of Beijing. n Despite the added challenge of applying for the award while studying in Mexico, Erica Tauzer, ’10, was named a Udall Scholar

by the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation. The award includes a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to attend a conference with policy makers and legislators concerned with environmental issues.

Tauzer is completing majors in biology and TransAmerican Latino/a studies with a concentration in environmental science. n Margaret Leiby, ’09, will spend the 2009-10 academic year teaching English in Germany, as the latest in a streak of Albion College Fulbright winners. Nine seniors over the past six years have been named Fulbright fellows in education or research.

Leiby, a German and women’s studies major, graduated magna cum laude and with Albion College honors. Additionally, Rachael Lyon, ’06, an M.F.A. candidate at George Mason University, received a Fulbright research grant which will take her to Vienna, Austria, this fall.

Summer 2009 | 5

Br!ton B!ts

short takes

Two Minutes with . . . Poet Helena Mesa

By Jake Weber

Io Triumphe!: Which students are the greater challenge—the bad poets who love to write or the good writers who don’t want to try poetry?

Mesa: The challenge in working with these different students is what they have in common: I ask them to distance themselves from their work so they can see if what they’re saying matches what they’re trying to say. They need to figure out the best way of conveying their idea, emotion, or experience in terms of its imagery, its rhythm, its line breaks, its turns and surprises. Both sets of students have the same issues, regardless of how much they love poetry or how much they loathe it.

What have you gained from teaching visual poetry and working with artists?

It’s amazing to see how poets and artists feed off each other and teach each other when they all have different skills. It reminds me that it’s important to find ways to challenge students, so the basics are always interesting, no matter how you come to them. If you’re in my class and have been writing poetry for years, I have to challenge you to push your understanding of image and metaphor while still giving those basic concepts to the student who has never written a poem.

Do you define yourself as a Latina poet?

I’m of the generation where I have the liberty to draw on that identity—or not—because of my predecessors. But who my parents are and where they came from helped my unconscious decision to become a poet. I’ve always loved stories, but my parents only told their stories in pieces, and there were gaps within that narrative.

Poetry is a way of capturing the gaps in stories, even when poems don’t tell you the whole story.

What advice do you have for poets?

Your Visual Poetry class—what does “visual” give to poetry and what does “poetry” give to visual?

Anne McCauley and I work with students to create small books and broadsides [large-scale reproductions] of their poems. This alone makes us “see” the poem differently, as it becomes an art object, maybe hanging on a wall. It takes so long to design the page, set the type, run the press—suddenly publishing a piece is a commitment; you have to put that much more care into your poem to make sure it’s exactly what you want it to be.

6 | Io Triumphe!

Anyone who decides to be a writer of poetry or anything within the literary genre—you’re facing a lot of hard work that doesn’t necessarily come with recognition. But there are poetry readings that pack coffee houses across the country. If reading your work is equal to a publication, why not? If you’re writing a personal poem to share with a loved one, why not? Poems do so many different things, depending on what your purpose is, who your audience is, and what you’re looking to say. So, write and write and write.

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Assistant professor of English Helena Mesa teaches creative writing and Latina/o literature, and team-teaches a visual poetry class with art professor Anne McCauley.

The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Mesa had her first collection of poems, Horse Dance Underwater, published earlier this year.

Okay, 10 seconds are left. . . . Give us some tips on how to write a good poem.

Think about an image or experience. A poem must have some sort of relationship to the senses, no matter what kind of poem it is. Read your poem out loud and listen for the music. A poem should move someone or try to transform them in some way—to do this, be willing to dwell in uncertainty. . . because if you aren’t willing to be uncertain in writing the poem, if you know where it’s going from the get-go, chances are you’ll shut down that poem before it can actually open up into something else.

Go Br!ts!

Top Form

By Bobby Lee The adage, “the apple never falls far from the tree,” certainly applies in Katie Spencer’s case.

The St. Ignace native first became intrigued with a career in sports and fitness while taking an eighth-grade health class taught by her father, Marty, who has since become athletic director at LaSalle High School.

A May graduate of Albion’s athletic training education program, Spencer is now moving on to graduate work at Western Michigan University, where she will combine her course work with an athletic training position at Otsego High School.

“Athletic training has been rewarding in ways that I would never have imagined,” Spencer says. “The athletic training field allows me to gain confidence by making major decisions about injuries, creating rehab programs for athletes, and gaining knowledge with each different case. It is very rewarding to see athletes who are injured progress each day during recovery, and they appreciate our hard work to get them back into competition.”

Spencer’s two-year graduate assistantship will help determine her career path as it is her first experience working at the high school level.

Katie Spencer, ’09, topped the MIAA field in the discus in 2008 and finished third in the league meet this spring. She was one of several women’s track athletes to win honors this year, including Dori Williams, ’09, who earned the MIAA title in the 100-meter hurdles, and discus thrower Chelsea Anthony, ’12, who became the first member of the women’s track and field team since 1986 to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships.

“It’s going to be a test to see what I like,” she says. “I like the Division III college experience. I think I would like to work at a high school or a D-III college. After I work a couple of years, I’m going to go back to school for my doctorate and then teach.”

Despite attending a college that was a considerable distance from her hometown, Spencer says her involvement in athletic training and as a member of the women’s track and field team kept her from getting homesick. These commitments, especially the requirement to log 900 hours of athletic training experience, filled her time and enabled her to make connections with her fellow Britons in ways she might not have otherwise.

“I would have to say the women’s soccer and women’s basketball teams were my

Briton Sports on the Web Did you know that you can find all of the following on the Albion College sports Web site?

• Sports news and results

• SportsNet broadcast schedules

• Schedules and rosters

• Sports archives

Follow the Britons at: www.albion.edu/sports/.

It’s the next best thing to being here!

To receive regular sports updates, sign up for Briton SportsNews at: www.albion.edu/sports/ or e-mail Bobby Lee at blee@albion.edu.

C. AMOS PHOTOs

MIAA discus champion helps her fellow athletes achieve their goals.

favorite ones to work with,” Spencer says.

“They were smaller teams, and I liked getting to know the athletes personally. I developed relationships with them when I was the athletic trainer in the training room, but I could talk to them on a personal level when outside [of the athletic arena].”

Her bond with the other “Yoopers” on campus also helped her feel at home at Albion. “It helps to have other people from the U.P. here because there is a different culture up there,” she explains. “We are more laid back and go with the flow. I’m always going to be a Yooper at heart.”

As she leaves Albion, Spencer can take pride in the footprint she has left in the women’s track and field program. She became the first Briton woman to win an MIAA individual event title in nearly a decade when she popped a throw of 130' 9" to stand atop the podium in the discus at the league meet in 2008. Spencer reached the awards stand in the 2009 MIAA Championships hosted by Albion with a third-place finish, throwing the discus 132' 3".

“I went into the 2008 championships only wanting to do my best, and I ended up winning,” Spencer recalls. “I don’t like bragging about being an MIAA champion, but I am very proud of what I did.”

Summer 2009 | 7

’Net Returns

These alumni have brought intellect and energy to the creation of their online businesses.

By Stephanie Green, ’09

Sam Hogg, ’05 Hate to shop? Well, Sam Hogg may have the answer for you. On the way to earning his M.B.A. at Michigan State University, Hogg was challenged to create a business built around efficiency and sustainability. In response, he launched GiftZip.com, a virtual gift card kiosk, last November. No more running to the store— now you can select a gift card, from among hundreds of retailers, right from your PC and e-mail it on its way.

Not only did GiftZip get 10,000 hits within the first three weeks of its launch (1,000 on Christmas Eve alone), but the site was also the runner-up in the new-business category of the fall 2008 Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business plan competition in Ann Arbor.

Digital gift cards purchased through GiftZip can be redeemed either online or in stores. “The more I looked into it, the more I found out how nasty plastic gift cards are,” Hogg says.

“The goal of GiftZip.com is to do to gift cards what PayPal did to checks, what the wall posts on Facebook have done to greeting cards, and what Amazon’s Kindle is doing to books—digitization is very real and once you ‘cross the chasm’—very enabling.”

According to Hogg, a boss explained that he bought his whole office staff gift cards on GiftZip in 20 minutes this past Christmas season from a variety of retailers—purchases that would have taken him much longer in person.

“His staff was just as happy to receive them via e-mail,” Hogg says. In fact, an online marketing study done by The Gift Card Café found that 82 percent of people would prefer an instant e-gift card if given the choice between a plastic or digital gift card.

The GiftZip site is—and will continue to be—a free service and offers cards from both large retail chains like Target and Sears and upscale stores like Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. The GiftZip revenue model is similar to popular sites like Google,

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D. TRUMPIE PHOTO

GiftZip.com

Sam Hogg’s online business, GiftZip.com, is the latest of his Internet-based ventures, and certainly not his last.

As a college student, he sold products on eBay ranging from closeout sporting goods to specialty automobiles.

E-commerce, he says, is “a true proving ground for creativity. It levels the capital barriers so even the little guy can have a shot.”

Yahoo, and Amazon. GiftZip gets paid for driving traffic to its retailers’ gift cards. The business has been highly successful, forging partnership agreements with hundreds of retailers since its inception. The operation now has four full-time employees with more growth to come.

Hogg says the goal of GiftZip is pretty simple: eliminate the need for wasteful plastic gift cards and become a market leader in instant giving.

“When GiftZip transitions from a noun to a verb (think Google), I’ll know we have made it there.”

An earlier version of this article appeared in the Albion College Pleiad.

Emily Vance Beynon, ’70 Gratefulimages.com

“Who would have thought . . . ?” It’s a question that Emily Beynon asks herself often. Who would have thought that a simple box of note cards bearing her inspirational artwork would have led to a company that’s now a prominent player in the world of Christian-oriented retailing? Or that she would have teamed up with her daughters to make it happen?

Beynon’s online business, Gratefulimages (www. gratefulimages.com), offers stationery and other gift merchandise, along with limited edition prints, all focusing on images of hope and healing. The products feature reproductions of Beynon’s original watercolors as well as photography by her daughter, Julia Pettus.

Julia is the “voice” of Gratefulimages online and in

To market her inspirational artwork, in 2002 Emily Beynon (left) launched Gratefulimages.com with the help of her daughter (and now business operations manager) Megan Carfagno (right). They complement their company Web site with appearances at trade shows and representation in over 300 retail stores nationwide.

PHOTO COURTESY OF E. BEYNON

A environmental science major at Albion, Hogg was a member of the College’s Institute for the Study of the Environment, but he often approached the subject of sustainability very differently from his peers.

“I was a very atypical Environmental Institute student, insisting that the business world wasn’t always the enemy, but could rather be part of the solution,” Hogg explains. “I think years of playing devil’s advocate on the Institute field trips honed my ability to prove that market and environmental forces could be synergistic.

So much of both are centered around efficiency in processes. GiftZip.com was spawned from those ideals.”

Throughout the development of GiftZip, Hogg was driven by a desire to reduce the environmental impact of gift cards.

“Seventy-five million pounds of toxic plastic goes into the waste stream every year because of gift cards,” Hogg says. “When you think about how much material and energy goes into manufacturing a card, packaging it, printing it, repackaging it, sending it to a distributor, resending it to a store, stocking it, having someone drive in to buy it, driving home with it, likely wrapping it or packaging it again, and possibly sending it again, you start to realize that is absolutely nuts.”

Hogg says if he can help eliminate some of the gift card waste, GiftZip will have done its part.

Since GiftZip’s launch in November, the Web site has continued to add new lines of gift cards, and Hogg has plans to further build the business.

“We’re currently developing an iPhone application where you can send, receive, and scan gift cards directly from that device,” Hogg says.

The GiftZip Web site nets thousands of new users each month. While his marketing plan deserves some of the credit for this growth, Hogg believes social networking is also playing a key role in GiftZip’s popularity.

“We [GiftZip] are finding that it is very recommendable,” Hogg says. “It is a cool, free tool with no catch, and it saves people time and money. There’s not a whole lot to dislike about that.”

According to Wesley Dick, professor of history, the public will be hearing more about Hogg’s contributions in the field of “green” products.

“The news that Sam’s Web site has captured the public imagination does not come as a surprise,” Dick says. “From the beginning of his time at Albion College, Sam combined talent for getting the job done with a commitment to changing the world for the better.”

Summer 2009 | 9

all other marketing materials, and is the company’s official photographer. Beynon’s other daughter, Megan Carfagno, designed the original Gratefulimages Web site and serves as creative director, overseeing new product development and business operations.

“When the girls were little, we did ‘art’ projects together in the summer time . . . papier-mâché in the backyard, that sort of thing,” she recalls. “Now our work is about constantly creating—a painting, a photograph, new products, catalogs, Web sites. It has been amazing for me to be able to share this experience with my daughters.”

A studio art major at Albion, Beynon spent the summer after she graduated studying in a Spanish and art program, run by the College, near Guadalajara, Mexico. There, she painted pottery, worked on her Spanish, and developed a deep appreciation for Albion printmaking professor, Paul Stewart, who was teaching in the program. “He was encouraging and valued me as a woman artist,” she recalls.

After she married and started a family, Beynon continued to paint as an avocation. Her family relocated to Houston, and in the late 1980s she earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of Houston. For the next 10 years she worked with adults in an outpatient setting, focusing on couples therapy and mental health issues. She says her experience as a clinical social worker, helping people who were struggling to get their lives back on track, still influences her art.

Then in 2000 a life-changing experience prompted Beynon to return to her artistic roots. During a riverrafting trip in Colorado, she was tossed out of her raft and plunged into the icy rapids. Though soon rescued, those moments in the water caused her to rethink her life’s direction and filled her with ideas for new paintings.

She went on to produce a series of 12 watercolor pieces called “Breathing Water,” which were exhibited at a gallery in Houston.

“These paintings, people would see them, and they would be touched,” Beynon says.

After the successful exhibition, she decided to share her work with a broader audience, and Gratefulimages.com soon followed in 2002. The enterprise began as a means simply to showcase images of her paintings. However, after a family friend reproduced her art on note cards for a youth group fundraiser, Beynon and her daughters saw the potential in developing an entire line of stationery and related products.

Gratefulimages grew rapidly through licensing agreements with DEMDACO, an international home décor and gift manufacturer; Anchor Wallace, 10 | Io Triumphe!

a publisher of church bulletin covers; and Red Letter Nine, a T-shirt company. In addition to its online presence, Gratefulimages is now represented in over 300 retail stores nationwide, and its products are on display in permanent showrooms at wholesale gift markets in Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles with sales representatives covering most of the United States. The company has five full-time employees.

Emily and Megan often go on the road to promote Gratefulimages at international gift and home furnishings trade shows, and the Christian Booksellers Association honored the company for excellence in marketing at the 2008 International Christian Retail Show. Gratefulimages has also received a grant from the state of Texas, which will further support its marketing efforts.

Sales revenues have more than doubled since 2005, Beynon reports, and she points to a number of factors in the company’s success. Buyers are impressed, she notes, with the quality of materials used and the attention to detail in product packaging. Gratefulimages is also in regular communication with wholesalers and listens to their requests for new products that will fill their customers’ needs. Social networking also helps spread the word about the business. Gratefulimages maintains a blog and a Facebook page.

“We’ve found that including our picture and story in our marketing materials (both print and online) makes our company more personal,” Beynon adds.

“Potential customers realize that there are ‘real’ people behind the gifts that Gratefulimages creates, and we feel that, in this digital world, that is an important connection.”

Beynon credits the liberal arts for much of her success in life and with Gratefulimages. “The liberal arts were a part of my culture growing up as a child, and I really valued that,” Beynon says. “I never considered any other kind of education.”

According to Beynon, the liberal arts prepared her to open her mind to all the different possibilities that come along in life. “You’re able to listen to both sides and see things at different angles,” she says.

Having an open mind and looking at life from different perspectives has helped with the creation and further development of Gratefulimages.

“When my daughters and I have an issue we’re working on, we’re able to brainstorm our way through it and come up with something that’s bigger and better than what we started with,” Beynon says. “The liberal arts education has to do with that kind of mind-set.”

She believes Gratefulimages’ hopeful messages particularly resonate in these difficult economic times.

“Since those first note cards, we have sent over 165,000 images out into the world,” Beynon says. “We are excited about the next steps and look forward to what the future holds with great anticipation.”

Who would have thought . . . indeed.

David Anderson, ’72 As he typed out papers for his college courses on a Smith-Corona Electric, Dave Anderson never dreamed that one day he would be using a different kind of keyboard to launch a “virtual” business and communicate with customers from around the world.

“New tricks can be learned by the seasoned,” he notes wryly.

Now, more than 40 years after enrolling at Albion, Anderson is president and owner of Wildlife Wonders (www.wildlifewonders.com), an online retailer that offers jewelry, sculpture, furniture, and an array of home décor items, “all with an authentic wildlife or nature theme.”

Wildlife Wonders began in 1998 as a brick-andmortar store in Seminole, Fla. “Our average daily traffic was in the teens, and our annual gross sales reached a plateau. It became apparent that our financial goals would never be met in a single retail store,” Anderson says. “We started experimenting with an online business offering only about 25 percent of our available product lines.” Still, he admits, “we knew little about the ways of the Internet road.”

In 2004, Anderson took his Internet business to the next level. He formulated a marketing plan and changed the breadth and value of the products that Wildlife Wonders offered. With the expanded offerings and bolder marketing, Wildlife Wonders’ sales took off: revenues more than quadrupled in the next four years, and by 2008 annual gross dollar sales were in the millions. (He notes that the company contributes a portion of its earnings each year to wildlife conservation organizations.)

“I now have over 5,500 products represented on my Web site and over 3,000 unique visitors per day,” Anderson says. “Ninety-eight percent of my revenue is Internet-driven, and all of my time is dedicated to analyzing marketing activities, searching for new products, and responding to the very dynamic nature of the Internet business world.”

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Wildlifewonders.com

Anderson, who majored in economics and business administration, believes his Albion education kindled his entrepreneurial interests and shaped the success of his business.

“My Albion experience has to be taken as a whole,” Anderson says. Treasurer of Union Board and his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, Anderson was also a resident assistant at Albion. “Being a resident assistant really helped me develop some leadership and management skills,” Anderson says. “And so when you put all of those experiences together, Albion provided a pretty substantial foundation for me to be an independent businessman.”

As a freshman, Anderson enrolled in a Basic Ideas course taught by economics professor Maurice Branch, who was also Anderson’s adviser and mentor. A selfdescribed “inside-the-box” thinker, Anderson says the course encouraged him to see the world in new ways and to become more open-minded and adaptable— traits that are essential for an entrepreneur. “When you run a small independent business you really have to think outside the box,” he notes.

With people skills developed in his past work in the real estate, executive search, and hospitality industries, Anderson says he tries to replicate the experience of a brick-and-mortar retail store, even for customers who may live halfway around the world.

As he has expanded his brick-and-mortar retail operation with a powerful online presence, Dave Anderson has also expanded his business vocabulary to include such terms as “search engine optimization,” “pay-per-click,” and social networking—all fundamental to Internet marketing today. “New tricks can be learned by the seasoned,” he reports.

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“We treat every online customer with the same concern for exceptional customer service as in our Florida store,” Anderson says. “Our online customers appreciate the fact that we are not just ‘an Internet business.’”

He expects that the capabilities available through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter will allow for further personalization of the customer experience.

While Wildlife Wonders’ corporate client base includes many Fortune 500 companies, Anderson says his typical customers are discerning American wildlife enthusiasts. However, orders come in today from nearly every part of the globe. He recounts how a hotelier in Dubai decorated his hotel in copper sea life décor, all identified online, and a yachtsman in Norway purchased a bronze eagle sculpture for his 48-foot sailboat.

With time, patience, flexibility, and the remarkable possibilities of the Internet, Anderson has embraced new technology to create a successful small business that still remains strong in the current economic climate.

“I believe that in today’s economic circumstances, the definition of ‘success’ has changed,” Anderson says.

“Wildlife Wonders has managed to maintain a strong market share, a strong customer base, and a respectable net profit, and in my opinion, given the times, that’s success.”

Stephanie Green is a freelance writer from Hillsdale, Mich.

And there’s more . . .

Here are some additional success stories from Albion’s Internet entrepreneurs.

Toby Rogers, ’90, and Joseph Rogers, ’67 DestinationRx.com Eight years ago Toby Rogers and his father, physician Joseph Rogers, created an Internet-based tool called Rxaminer (now operating under the corporate name DestinationRx) allowing consumers to compare the effectiveness and cost of prescription drugs. A concept that at the time was given little chance of working is now available to more than 100 million Americans and has changed the way people purchase prescription drugs. “Rxaminer was on the cutting edge,” Toby notes, “and was the first organization, by several years, to help patients find lower-cost prescription drugs.”

The buzz: Rxaminer has been covered in major media including The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, and NBC Nightly News.

Josh Fales, ’06, Chad Eckert, ’07, Chris Mathews, ’04, and Nick Shelton, ’08 CreateMyTee.com Josh Fales began selling custom-printed T-shirts while still an Albion student. He was determined to take the business online and in fall 2008 launched CreateMyTee.com, offering both one-on-one design consultation and quicker turnaround than the industry standard. “The site has automated the process of quoting, buying, and processing orders, and allows 12 | Io Triumphe!

for complete scalability,” Fales says. “We focus on delivering a unique experience for students, athletes, and businesses.”

The buzz: CreateMyTee recently entered into a partnership with the Chicago Tribune to print the company’s special event apparel, with the first event, “Printer’s Row Lit Fest,” held June 6-7.

Philip Dietrich, ’97 ACLens.com Phil Dietrich became a co-owner of AC Lens, an Internet provider of national-brand contact lenses and associated products, nine years ago. “We offer lower prices, a large inventory which leads to fast shipment, and an expert staff of professionals who know contact lenses and prescription law,” Dietrich explains. The company, which has multimillion-dollar annual sales, has about 30 employees and is based in Columbus, OH. Dietrich reports that two years ago to diversify out of the health care field he founded Baseball Rampage (www.baseballrampage.com) as a purveyor of performance baseball equipment for players of all ages.

The buzz: AC Lens is ranked nationally in the top 500 Internet Retailers, and has received customer service awards including a 2008 BizRate Gold nomination.

Building Michigan’s Future At the Michigan Economic Recovery Office, Leslee Fritz, ’94, matches billions in federal stimulus funds with key state projects.

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By Sarah Briggs

Leslee Fritz has become the public face of the federal stimulus program in Michigan. She was appointed to head the Michigan Economic Recovery Office in February, and as a member of Governor Granholm’s executive team, consults on proposed projects ranging from construction of a lightrail transportation line to an electrical “smart grid.”

It’s not everyone who gets to play tag-team with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. But in her role as director of the Michigan Economic Recovery Office, Leslee Fritz, ’94, has partnered with the governor on numerous occasions to share information about the federal economic stimulus package with citizens across the state. The duo began in March with a 15-city tour, meeting with local government officials, economic development groups, non-profit organizations, and concerned citizens to let them know how they might tap into the $787 billion that has been made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law in February.

The provisions of the act are complicated, Fritz says, and frequently misunderstood.

“A lot of responsibility was put on local communities to go get the stimulus money,” she explains. “We want to make sure nobody misses out. . . . We’re doing a lot of outreach.”

The dollar amounts of the allocations and the pace at which those dollars are being distributed has everyone taking notice. Michigan is slated to receive $18 billion under the recovery program and Summer 2009 | 13

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Leslee Fritz (center) and Governor Jennifer Granholm discuss oversight of recovery act spending with Vice President Joe Biden prior to a groundbreaking event for a Kalamazoo-area road project in June.

could see even more funds coming in if additional grant applications for specific state and local projects are approved. “We are essentially receiving the equivalent of several years’ worth of federal appropriations in the span of just a few months,” Fritz points out. In the first 90 days following the act’s passage, Michigan received $3.8 billion in funding, including more than $1 billion for roads, bridges, and mass transit systems, $931 million for K-12 education, and $183 million for worker training. There have also been increases in health care and food assistance programs. Every county in the state has received funding of some sort, all of which is detailed on the Recovery Office’s Web site. (To learn more about the allocations within Michigan, go to: www.Michigan.gov/recovery.)

Much of the stimulus money is being distributed according to previously established formulas within existing programs. Through more than 30 economic recovery coordinators representing nearly every state agency, Fritz says the state government will send the dollars where they are most needed or can make the greatest impact. “We’re really working enterprisewide here at the state level to ensure that the dollars are flowing smoothly and that regulations are being met.”

Fritz, who heads a staff of eight in the Michigan Economic Recovery Office, is the linchpin that holds all the pieces of the program together.

Since she was appointed to her role in February, she has made several trips to Washington, D.C., to learn how the money would be distributed and what the federal reporting requirements would entail. Working daily with the state agencies handling the funds, she also spends a large share of her time conducting public forums, offering Webinars for potential grant applicants, and doing media interviews. In addition to a comprehensive Web site, the Michigan 14 | Io Triumphe!

Economic Recovery Office was the first in the nation to create a Facebook presence keeping citizens apprised of developments in the recovery program, and the office’s number of Twitter followers grows daily.

In her communications she tries to make clear what her office can and cannot do.

“The Economic Recovery Office is not the decision-maker for where these dollars are going,” she says. “We are a matchmaker to ensure that the right projects are tapping into the right funding streams and that we’re doing it the right way.”

Of the $18 billion that Michigan will initially receive, $11 billion will go to state residents as tax cuts and credits. Additional monies are allocated for increased unemployment benefits and job retraining, and for nutrition programs.

Michigan citizens can already see the stimulus money at work in local communities, particularly in road, bridge, and other infrastructure projects.

“Over the course of the summer,” Fritz says, “citizens will really see [the impact of the stimulus]. Those infrastructure projects are the focal point for most people. . . . We have certified more than 500 road projects. There’s a lot that will happen in every community.”

Many provisions of the stimulus package are intended to spur economic development and job growth. “The Recovery Act will not solve all of our problems,” Fritz maintains, “but it presents a tremendous opportunity to make some long-term investments.” Michigan should be able to take advantage of the act’s focus on developing renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency, she says, “since that aligns perfectly with what we have been trying to do.” The state already is courting companies that conduct advanced automotive battery research and development and that manufacture wind turbines, areas which could benefit from the stimulus funds.

Planning is under way for grant requests to support a statewide broadband network, bringing highspeed Internet service to every county in the state, and a “smart grid” to make electric power delivery more efficient. Both will advance high-tech job creation here, Fritz notes, and require an investment that the state cannot make on its own.

Health care delivery could be just one beneficiary of the technology improvements.

“We all recognize the need to move toward an electronic health records system,” she says. “But how do you fund the initial infrastructure that’s required?

The Recovery Act gives us the opportunity to invest in those long-term pieces. Those jobs won’t be created immediately, but they will be created over the life of the Recovery Act and will be sustained beyond it.”

Governor Granholm has also teamed up with governors from eight other Midwestern states to put together a proposal for a high-speed rail system that would link the region’s major cities, with Chicago as the hub, and ultimately reduce energy consumption.

“We feel we have as well-developed a plan as any of the regions,” Fritz says. Not only would the construction of a high-speed rail network provide jobs in the short-term, she adds, but the economic development that goes along with such a rail system would create even more jobs in the future.

Getting her head around the complexities of the Recovery Act has been one of her chief challenges— that and making sure that Michigan goes after every bit of funding for which it might qualify.

“The opportunity that the Recovery Act presents to a state like Michigan that has been suffering for so long is just incredible,” she says. “There are so many needs—it’s hard to focus on which ones go first.”

Staying on top of it all requires Fritz to put in 70-hour work weeks. Even then, she says, “there is more to do in a day than we have time to do.”

However, the rewards of the job make it easy to look past the long hours. “It’s an unbelievable personal opportunity for me in my career, and it’s an unbelievable opportunity for the state. It is unlike anything I ever expected to do.”

Previously a member of Granholm’s executive communications team, Fritz had also worked as a staff member for the Michigan Senate and in the state Budget Office. Her knowledge of state government made her a logical choice when it came time to name the top administrator for Michigan’s economic recovery program. “I think the governor tapped me for this role because I had a unique combination of experiences that she thought were going to be necessary for this job.”

Fritz’s communications expertise, which helped her handle tough questions about the state’s budget woes over the past few years, has been invaluable in her current role as well. As the stimulus dollars flow in, more difficult questions will arise about how and why the money is being spent as it is.

Fritz maintains it was “an accident” that she wound up in a public service career, since she had originally intended to head to law school after graduating from Albion. An undergraduate internship with Howard Wolpe’s gubernatorial campaign, arranged through the College’s Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, changed her mind. She worked on several political campaigns after that, both in and outside of Michigan, and in 2000 returned to Michigan for good. She joined the state government in 2001.

Albion’s emphasis on self-directed learning and problem-solving “really set the foundation for what I am able to do now,” she says. In Charlie Schutz’s political science classes, she recalls, “I learned how to think and craft an argument.”

Her multifaceted work responsibilities represent only one of the commitments she juggles day-to-day.

In fall 2005, Fritz became a foster parent to Dustin, and adopted him 18 months later. Now 13, Dustin also keeps her on the move with all the activities typical of a young teen. And she somehow manages to squeeze in playing time on not one but two Lansing area softball teams, as well as foreign travel with her extended family.

In spite of the intense pace of her work, Fritz remains calm and wholly focused on what she hopes will be achieved through the economic stimulus program.

“At the end of this process, there are two things that I would like to look back on that we did,” she says. “The first is that we were an effective help to citizens in need. And the second would be the economic development pieces that we put in place.

There is an opportunity here in large and small ways to help communities transform themselves into what they want to be. I’m hopeful that we will be able to look back and say, ‘We helped bring those dollars here, and they’re making a positive difference.’”

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Detroit Tigers CFO Steve Quinn, ’89, watches the ball club’s numbers

From Box Scores to Balance Sheets

By Nikole Lee Steve Quinn has always been a Detroit Tigers fan.

He grew up watching them, and he cheered for them when they dispatched the San Diego Padres in five games to win the World Series in 1984. That would explain why Quinn, who was on a fast track as a financial manager in the wireless communications industry, jumped at the chance to take a job with the team he has always followed.

“It was a great transition,” Quinn says. “It was really an opportunity to take what I had been able to learn in the business world [and apply it] to the sports world.”

A CPA, Quinn became the senior director of finance and chief financial officer (CFO) for the Detroit Tigers organization in 1997. Two years later, he was promoted to vice president of finance and CFO, a position he has had for the past 10 years.

Reporting to David Dombrowski, Tigers president, CEO, and general manager, Quinn manages all financial activities related to the organization’s operations, and he oversees human resources and information technology. He is also in charge of the Tigers’ Lakeland (Fla.) business operation, where the club maintains one of its Class A minor league affiliates and where the Tigers play their spring training games.

A typical work day is all about the business side of baseball, Quinn says. “Every day we are trying to execute the plan we’ve spent the off-season preparing.”

He oversees budgeting issues for the major league and minor league player payroll as well as budgets for the annual amateur draft. The 2009 payroll for the Tigers’ players is $115 million, the fifth largest in major league baseball (MLB). With the payroll being what it is, the challenge for Quinn and the rest of the Tigers’ front office is to keep ticket prices affordable as the organization strives to draw three million fans to Comerica Park each summer.

Steve Quinn says his job as CFO of the Detroit Tigers is a “dream job” allowing him to combine his business know-how and his passion for sports.

“It’s a process of trying to cater to our fan base and get folks excited about the product that we’re putting out on the field and trying to deliver the best value that we can,” Quinn says. “From a professional sports perspective, we know that we are the numberone sports value in Detroit, and we work very hard to keep that position with our fan base and to create affordable family fun.”

Quinn came to the Tigers after four years as vice president of finance for Metrocell Inc., a wireless communications specialty retailer in Sterling Heights.

At Metrocell, he was responsible for all financial and many operational areas of the company. He also worked for four years as a senior associate for Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).

“I think this is kind of a dream job,” Quinn reflects. “I started out in public accounting, and thinking back on what job I would like if I wasn’t in that field, a job as CFO of a sports team was really at the top of my list.”

So with one foot in business and one foot in sports, what’s the first thing Quinn reaches for when he opens up his newspaper in the morning? “The sports section,” Quinn says. “I’ve always loved sports, and they were a big part of my life growing up.”

The fans and their experience at the stadium are always on Quinn’s mind as he runs the financial side of Comerica Park. “There’s always a lot going on,” he says. “What I enjoy the most is to see people come down here and witness firsthand how much fun they’re having.”

He works with the director of purchasing to make arrangements with all the Comerica Park vendors, which currently number over 1,000.

Major league baseball is a $7.5-billion-a-year business, and despite the troubled economy, experts believe revenue will continue to grow with new stadiums coming on line in New York and the launch of the MLB Network on cable TV. There are 30 teams, with the revenues for each team ranging anywhere from $150-$300 million each year.

Summer 2009 | 17

Following each game, items used during the game, including bats, balls, and jerseys, are authenticated by an MLB representative and signed by the players who used them. The memorabilia are then put on the Authentics Web site, where the public can bid on them. Twenty percent of the earnings go back to the Detroit Tigers Foundation, which funds educational and recreational programs in metropolitan Detroit.

Quinn says that his time at Albion College helped prepare him for his role with the Tigers. “Albion College was a great experience for me. I originally went there with the idea that I was going to play football and found out I wasn’t a great football player.

Once I got there I realized that the [liberal arts] environment was very appealing to me.”

Even though his football career was short-lived, it was a memorable experience to play under the late Pete Schmidt. “He was a great coach, and he had great success,” Quinn recalls. “It was a good time, and our teams were always really competitive.

“I didn’t play a lot, but I had the best seats at a lot of good football games,” he jokes.

Accounting professor Scott Cracraft also was influential. “I remember lectures with him most fondly,” Quinn says.

Coming to Comerica Park to watch a baseball game is a great way for most people to unwind at the end of the day. So what does Quinn like to do when he leaves Comerica Park after he’s worked there all day? Not surprisingly, he turns to sports for recreation too.

“I love the outdoors,” Quinn says. “My wife and I have two children. We enjoy boating and water skiing in the summer. I also love snowmobiling in the winter.”

Nikole Lee is a freelance writer from Albion, Mich.

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“Baseball has become a very large business,” Quinn says. “Since I started with the Tigers in 1997, the revenue side of the business has more than doubled.” It’s Quinn’s job to monitor the bottom line, tracking cash flow and determining along with senior management when and how funds should be reinvested in improving the organization.

The Tigers doubled their season ticket base in 2007 following their appearance in the 2006 World Series. They doubled their season ticket base again in 2008 following the signings of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, which took the team to the third highest in season ticket holders among major league teams.

“That was a tremendous feather in our cap,” Quinn says. “We’ve been fortunate over the past three years to reintroduce very competitive baseball to Detroit.”

Season ticket sales fell back into the “middle of the pack” in 2009 as the organization tries to overcome its last-place finish in the American League’s Central Division last season, but even more challenging is the state of the economy both locally and nationally.

The Tigers organization has responded with $5 deals all summer long at Comerica Park. Fans can come to the ballpark and enjoy $5 tickets, $5 parking, and $5 meals.

“We know that folks need to find ways to enjoy some recreation in these trying economic times,” Quinn says. “We think baseball can provide that outlet.”

One of the newer ventures Quinn has been involved in is Authentics, a memorabilia business that was launched by the organization in 2007.

People Who Can

Think Can Do Anything

Albion launches a new branding campaign.

As high school students and their parents become increasingly savvy consumers of higher education, colleges and universities across the country are looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the marketplace—to identify and promote the distinctive qualities that set them apart from their peers. Over

Some colleges are for geeks, others for rebels.

Some are for average Joes.

We’re for thinkers.

The right-brained ones and the left-brained ones, the free-thinking and the forward-thinking, the abstract (and sometimes distracted) thinkers.

We’re for creators and debaters, artists and activists, cogitators and collaborators.

If there were ever a place where it’s the thought that counts, this is it.

the past year, Albion College has worked on developing a branding campaign that captures its values and personality and communicates those in a compelling way. The new campaign positions Albion as a place that celebrates thinking, and especially thinking that leads to active engagement in the workplace and in society at large. Under the tagline, “Albion: Always Thinking,” the College has begun sharing this message with prospective students, the campus community, alumni, parents, and friends through all kinds of media, including a newly crafted Web site (visit www. albion.edu to see the dramatic changes we’ve made).

The accompanying photos tell you more about the branding campaign as it was launched in April. (continued on next page)

Albion is the ‘thinking person’s college.’

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“Bright ideas” abound in the new branding effort.

Summer 2009 | 19

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During the launch of the branding campaign in April, the campus community participated in a series of themed activities including “Thinking about Sustainability Day,” coinciding with Earth Day. Participants in a recycling drive received a reusable tote bag in return for a bag of recyclables.

The College has already begun rolling out publications like these directed at prospective students.

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Albion’s redesigned Web site (www.albion.edu) reflects the “Always Thinking” campaign.

Providing “food for thought,” quotations from the world’s great thinkers are featured in wall signs across campus.

A l um n ! A s s o c ! at ! o n N e w s Getting to Know You B O A R D U P D AT E 2009 Board Appointments Announced The Alumni Association Board of Directors has appointed two new members and reappointed two incumbents to fill terms beginning July 1, 2009. Continuing on the board for a second threeyear term are: Cheryl Henderson Almeda, ’91, and Wanda Read Bartlett, ’60. Retiring from the board this year were: Lyn Ward Healy, ’72, Michael Morgan, ’06, and Metodi Pogoncheff, ’72.

The new board members are introduced below.

Olivia Gardner, ’09. Gardner completed majors in psychology and organizational communication and is currently employed as the research, communications, and development coordinator for the Owen Group in Kalamazoo. While a student, she was active in the Student Alumni Association, Alpha Xi Delta sorority, and Order of Omega (a Greek leadership fraternity). As a recent graduate representative on the Alumni Association board, Gardner will serve a two-year term.

Henry Wineman, ’92. A graduate of the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University, Wineman is a partner in the Bloomfield Hills law firm of Frasco, Caponigro, Wineman, & Scheible, PLLC. He focuses his practice in the areas of business/corporate, intellectual property, real estate, and sports and entertainment law. He is a board member for the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Anti-Defamation League. A running back for the Briton football squad, he was inducted into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Wineman remains active in sports. He and his wife, Heidi, live in Birmingham with their two children, Jack and Jane.

To see the entire Board of Directors roster, go to: www.albion.edu/alumni/.

Interested in joining the Board of Directors? Send an e-mail to alumniengagement@albion.edu for more details on the board as well as the numerous on-campus and off-campus committees.

Almeda

Bartlett

By Mark Baczewski Director of Alumni Engagement The phrase “jumping in with both feet” summarizes my time at Albion College thus far as the newly appointed director of alumni engagement. Since my first day on campus back in late April, I have had the privilege of working on programs as well as engaging with numerous Albion alumni and students. In particular, I was fortunate to be a part of commencement where I greeted our newest alumni as they received their diplomas on the steps of Kresge Gymnasium.

While it may be easy to put current Albion students into a different bucket than Albion alumni, I consider the two directly connected. Of the alumni I have met so far, each one has stressed the strong desire to be out in front of the students. And as I have talked with students on campus, the underlying theme has also been a quest for additional opportunities to engage with Albion alumni.

In an effort to partner students with alumni, we have a wide variety of programming planned for the next year that will provide a fulfilling experience for both groups. New programs that the Office of Alumni Engagement will roll out during the 2009-10 school year include: • Creation of alumni chapters in Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Southern California; • Young Alumni Awards tied in with the Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium in April 2010; • A more informative Alumni Engagement section on the Albion College Web site (www.albion.edu/ alumni/); • Reinvention of the Albion College Alumni Association which will include membership cards as well as exclusive discounts on commonly used services just for being a graduate of the College.

(Membership will remain free.)

There are a lot of positive things happening at Albion College, and I am honored to be a part of this exciting journey. The next time you visit campus, I encourage you to stop by the third floor of the Ferguson Building to say hello. Or feel free to contact me with your ideas and suggestions for improving our programs at 517/629-0247, or via an e-mail to: alumniengagement@albion.edu. We’re here to serve you.

Go Brits!

Gardner

Wineman Summer 2009 | 21

A Lum n ! a s s o c ! at ! o n n e w s

Under the direction of Russell Larimer, ’79 (far left), Allison Larimer, Ashley Larimer, ’09, Jacque Larimer Pavlosky, Laurie Larimer Connin, ’81, Jennifer Larimer, ’95, and Christy Larimer-Compson, ’77, performed “Lift Thine Eyes” from Mendelssohn’s Elijah in remembrance of their father and grandfather.

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Alumni and friends from across the country gathered in Goodrich Chapel on April 26 for a musical tribute to former choir director Melvin Larimer, ’53. Larimer passed away March 27, 2008.

Performing in the concert, which featured some of Larimer’s favorite works, were the Albion College Concert Choir under the direction of music faculty member Douglas Rose and the Traverse City West High School Chorale under the direction of Russell Larimer, ’79, as well as an ensemble comprised of more than 70 alumni and friends.

The alumni singers’ class years ranged from 1953 to 2009.

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A Tribute in Song

JoAnn Larimer (front row, far left) joined the singers at the Larimer Memorial Concert including: (front row, left to right) Ashley Larimer, ’09, Kimberlee Heath Streby, ’94, Cheryl Henderson Almeda, ’91, Heramil Almeda, ’91, Jill Martindale Barr, ’93, Jennifer Hill Buehrer, ’90, Geoffrey d’Allemand, ’77, Matthew Keck, ’96, Andrew Keck, ’91, Clayton Parr, ’80, William Gallagher, ’99, Dawn Rickard Roberts, ’83, Betsy Owen Marsh, ’72, Merrilynn Bradford Gay, ’53, Elizabeth Ford Wolber, ’92; (second row) Patricia Sanford Brown, ’53, Maggie Mahaffey d’Allemand, ’77, Deborah Walter, ’95, Virginia Fallis, ’84, Bradford Mellor (Olivet College), David Stringer, ’84, George Ransford, ’63, Timothy Morgan, ’81, Eric Ives, ’95, Kent Wood, ’07, Karen Lincoln Coy, ’85, JoAnn Tiedemann, ’79, Jennifer Larimer, ’95,

Christy Larimer-Compson, ’77, Laurie Larimer Connin, ’81; (third row) LuAnn Erbes Hayes, ’81, Holly Bringman Olszewski, ’96, Shakyra Eady, ’98, Rosemary Smith Zander, ’64, Marla Hendrickson Weed, ’80, Richard Peavler, ’85, Tom Brown, ’56, Alex Brown, ’80, Raymond Roberts, ’83, Russell Larimer, ’79, Julie Vaughn Olson, ’99, Bridget Force Siedlecki, ’95, Laura Gessford Kiernan, ’01; (fourth row) Lois Carpenter Costello, ’83, Wendee Wolf-Schlarf, ’84, Caroline Brown Cheeseman, ’83, Kevin Ray, ’87, Douglas Jenkins, ’87, Richard Huttenlocher, ’81, John Stoddard, ’87, Kathryn Cloutier Murrenus, ’81, Sarah Cowie Piper, ’88, Heather Jones Sano, ’87, Christine Richards Peavler, ’86.

Try Out Our New Alumni Engagement Web Site!

Take a look at Albion College’s newly redesigned Web pages for alumni. Here are just a few of the features you’ll find: • Stay Connected Update your address, create your new Google Mail account, surf the online alumni directory.

•

•

Get Involved Mentor a student, make a gift, start an alumni chapter.

Show Your Spirit Refer a student, get the latest Briton gear, send an Albion e-postcard.

Plus coverage of past events and details on upcoming events.

www.albion.edu/alumni/ 22 | Io Triumphe!

D. TRUMPIE PHOTOS

Coach Turner, with his wife, Peg Mitchell Turner, ’69, at his side, enjoys his players’ reminiscences.

Turner Testimonials Among the many friends and former players who spoke were: (from left) Marcus Gill, ’06, Andrew Holms, ’09, and Michael Thomas, ’06.

Some 185 alumni and friends turned out for a May 2 event honoring retiring Briton basketball coach Mike Turner, ’69, for his 39-year career as a teacher and mentor.

Accolades were offered in abundance during the evening which also saw Mike Turner inducted into the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Former players, assistant coaches, and family members on hand included: (front row, left to right) David Valkanoff, ’85, Peter McKnight, ’82, Zachary Silas, ’07, Tracy Turner Wolford, Mike Turner, ’69, Peg Mitchell Turner, ’69, Amy Turner Thole, Andrew Holms, ’09, Marcus Gill, ’06; (second row) Tony Harris, ’87, Stan Heath, Kevin Randall, ’87, Michael Williams, ’78, Eric Harvey, ’80, Jim Flack, ’74, Brock Peters, ’99, Kevin Kropf, Eric Petroelje, ’01; (third row) Tony Daniel, ’82, Michael Thomas, ’06, James Clegg, ’83, John Costa, ’79, Dennis Frost, ’77, Joseph Pergande, ’76, Matthew Essell, ’95, Brian Jamison, ’95, Jeffrey Burgess, ’04, Peter Aerts, ’93, James Cash, ’08; (fourth row) Dean Raven, ’08, Che Jones, Steve Minton, Milton Barnes, ’79, Paul Cryderman, ’77, Scott Clement, ’74, Gregory Rankin, ’74, Christopher Hawkins, ’03, Patrick Moultrie, ’03, Kenneth George, ’90, Jody May.

Y O U R A L U M N ! A SSO C ! A T ! ON Albion Needs You Now More Than Ever

By Wanda Read Bartlett, ’60 Alumni Association Board of Directors Many years after the memorable freshman day that I set off an alarm, while innocently exiting a “Pajama Lounge” to the courtyard of “Susie” with my destined-to-be husband, I now regularly return to campus as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. What memories this evokes!

Albion is still a special place where lifelong friends are made with faculty and students, and frequently life partners are found.

The “Rock” still stands as a joyful monument to spontaneous expression. Students still hurry through familiar old doorways, as

well as some leading to beautiful new facilities. The campus and buildings are better than ever, and we have a lovely woman of integrity as our president. Though President Donna Randall finds herself at the helm during challenging times, she is determined to bring Albion through rough economic waters, even though that entails some difficult decisions. Budget cuts, staff changes, innovative student recruitment, and college/community relations are all part of her daily routine. Last time I saw her, she was still smiling.

We alumni are more important than ever, so come back to stroll the campus and bring a son or granddaughter to see what Albion has to offer them. Volunteer to help with campus events.

Offer ideas for helping the town. Share your expertise and talents.

Come back for reunions and rekindle old friendships. (If you are in my Class of 1960, get ready for our 50th coming up next year.)

If you are able, please make a generous donation to help smooth the waters for Albion’s future. Remember what Albion College has done for you. Chances are, it played a significant role in who you are and where life has taken you.

If you have questions or comments about Albion College today, please know that our new director of alumni engagement, Mark Baczewski, is a willing listener! You can contact him at: alumniengagement@albion.edu .

Summer 2009 | 23

A Lum n ! a s s o c ! at ! o n n e w s B. Rafaill Photo

Never Forget W. Rafaill Photo

(From top) After arriving in Warsaw, the alumni and friends on the Holocaust Studies Trip traveled to the site of the Treblinka extermination camp northeast of the Polish capital. The parallel stone bars represent the rail line that led into the camp.

The group’s stay in Wrocław included a visit to the colorful Rynek, the market square.

The alumni and friends spent a half-day working with Albion students, faculty, and staff on the restoration of the New Jewish Cemetery in Wrocław. The restoration has been a continuing commitment for the College since 2001.

24 | Io Triumphe!

By Jake Weber Led by Albion history professor Geoffrey Cocks and Holocaust survivor Maria Orlowski, the alumni and friends trip to Poland (May 9-18) offered the 20 participants a uniquely multifaceted view of the Holocaust, combining the academic and the personal, historical study and present-day service.

The trip was conceived by Cocks through his association with Orlowski, who lost her entire family to the Nazi genocide. Cocks invited Orlowski to help lead the trip, which was designed to include many significant places from her childhood. It was Orlowski’s first trip back to Poland since emigrating to the U.S. in 1969.

The group visited Treblinka, where Orlowski believes her parents died. “Many parts of the trip were difficult for all of us, but Maria said the group made it possible for her to face these places,” Cocks W. Rafaill Photo

J. SHUMAKER Photo

W. Rafaill Photo

explained. “As much as she did something of inestimable value for us, we did something for her as well.”

The group also benefitted from its wide diversity of participants, which included five alumni, two current parents, College staff, and a three-generation family who saw the trip advertised in a Jewish publication. Jewish travelers, some with a rich Polish heritage, and other travelers with a passion for history added poignant insights as well as historical perspective to many of the trip’s activities.

A half-day was spent with Albion’s Holocaust Studies Seminar students, restoring a long-neglected Jewish cemetery in Wrocław. “Having the generations working with each other reminds us all that you never stop learning, never stop teaching,” said Cocks, who has led three previous student trips to the site.

“Both groups were very impressed with each other.”

Participant Anne Goldman, the child of a Holocaust survivor, brought her daughter, Erin, ’11, on the trip. Goldman met some second cousins in Wrocław and noted that one significant impact of the trip was telling her father about the beauty of Poland, in sharp contrast to his childhood memories. “It was a chance of a lifetime for everyone on the trip,” Goldman said. “Many of the people travel a lot, and they said they didn’t think their future trips would ever be able to come near what this experience was.”

As Judith Jamieson, ’58, reflected on her experience in Poland, she said that the trip “captured, eloquently, some themes in life that truly matter . . . friendship, remembrance, and our common humanity.”

For more perspectives and photos from both student and alumni trip participants, please visit the blog at: http://campus.albion.edu/poland09/ .

B. Rafaill Photo

(Clockwise from top left) The travelers visited Oskar Schindler’s former factory in Kraków, and are pictured with the plaque donated by Albion College in commemoration of Schindler’s efforts in saving the lives of his Jewish workers during the Holocaust.

This stark memorial honors those held in Płaszów, a forced labor camp near Kraków.

The group visited Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter in Kraków. Kraków, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been Poland’s intellectual and cultural center for centuries.

B. Rafaill Photo

Maria Orlowski (center), a hidden child during the Holocaust in Poland, shares experiences with an eyewitness to the Nazi persecution of Jews in .

Ozarów, the town where Orlowski’s family gave her over for safekeeping.

She lost her entire family in the Holocaust.

Summer 2009 | 25

A Lum n ! a s s o c ! at ! o n n e w s

HOMECOMING 2009 What Are You Thinking?

At Albion, it’s a question we can’t stop asking. We wonder.

We ponder. We stay up all night discussing, debating, and discovering. No idea is too impossible to go un-thoughtabout.

Why all the thinking? Deep down inside, we have the unbridled curiosity of little children—with bigger brains and better vocabularies. And now, we want to know what

Schedule of Events Friday, Oct. 2 6 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony, Baldwin Hall Help us honor this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to athletics as students or alumni.

9:30 p.m. Alumni and Student Bonfire and Pep Rally, Beese-Havens Boathouse Join alumni and students as they show their school spirit at Albion’s traditional pep assembly.

you as Albion alumni are thinking.

As part of our Homecoming celebration of Albion’s new branding campaign, “Albion: Always Thinking” (see related article in this edition), we are offering you this opportunity to reflect on your experience at the College. Stop by the registration area in the Kellogg Center on Saturday of Homecoming Weekend to fill out a “What Are You Thinking?” card. Or you can submit your comments as indicated below. The top submissions will be posted on the Albion Web site throughout the 2009-10 school year.

Please include your name and class year, and answer one of the following questions: 1. Name an issue you are passionate about and explain how learning about this issue has helped you think differently about the world. 2. Describe an experience you had at Albion and how that challenged you to think in a way you never had before. 3. Talk about a faculty member who encouraged you to think in a new way and how that impacted your Albion education.

Electronic Submissions: E-mail to: alumniengagement@albion.edu and indicate that the submission is for “Alumni: What Are You Thinking?”

Mailed Submissions: Mail to: Office of Alumni Engagement, Attn: “Alumni: What Are You Thinking?,” Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion MI 49224.

26 | Io Triumphe!

2009 Homecoming Award Recipients Albion College will honor the following individuals during Homecoming Weekend for their contributions to and passion for Albion College, their communities, and their professions.

Distinguished Alumni Award Maynard C. Bowers, ’56 William R. Goudie, ’63, and Janet Matilo Goudie, ’64 Wilbur S. Hurst, ’61 James D. Rogers, ’69 Molly Ann Swart, ’82

Meritorious Service Award James W. Cook, ’54

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Individuals Ronald P. Dawson, ’94 (Football) Douglas R. Goudie, ’92 (Cross Country & Track) Susan Lang Higgins, ’92 (Basketball & Field Hockey) Christopher S. King, ’89 (Baseball) Kristov M. Knobloch, ’93 (Football) (Deceased) Bruce A. Miller, ’67 (Golf) Michael P. Montico, ’94 (Football) Stacey Portenga Schlegel, ’99 (Women’s Tennis) Jeffrey D. Robinson, ’95 (Football) Robert G. Smith, ’82 (Men’s Swimming) Teams 1993 Football Team

Saturday, Oct. 3

Sunday, Oct. 4

8 a.m. Golden Years Breakfast, Bellemont Manor All alumni who graduated in 1959 or before are invited to this complimentary breakfast.

11 a.m. Worship and Praise Service, Wesley Chapel Sunday worship services at First United Methodist Church of Albion: 9 a.m., Contemporary; 11 a.m., Traditional. All are welcome. For more information, contact the church at 517/629-9425 or the Office of the Chaplain at 517/629-0492.

8:30 a.m. Alumni Band Rehearsal, “A” Field (behind the Dow Center) Join the British Eighth as an alumni band guest. For more information, please contact Sam McIlhagga, director of bands, at smcilhagga@albion.edu.

10 a.m. Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony, Kellogg Center A reception and program will honor this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.

12 noon All-Class Picnic Luncheon for Alumni, Faculty, and Students, Bernard T. Lomas Fieldhouse, Dow Recreation and Wellness Center All alumni are invited to a pre-game luncheon. There will be designated seating for reunion-year classes.

1 p.m. Football vs. Olivet College Pre-game festivities include presentation of the Hall of Fame inductees. The halftime program will feature the Homecoming Court, the British Eighth, and the Alumni Band.

Open Houses/Receptions Please go to www.albion.edu/homecoming/ for more information about open houses and receptions. The following groups will be hosting Homecoming events during the day on Saturday: Albion College Fraternities/Sororities Chemistry Department Education Department English Department Geology Department Gerstacker Institute Mathematics/Computer Science Department Music Department Psychology Department

4 p.m. Homecoming Choir and Orchestra Concert, Goodrich Chapel The Albion College Choir and Albion College Orchestra will present their traditional Homecoming Concert.

Highlights Thirteenth Annual Briton Classic Golf Tournament, The Medalist Golf Club, Marshall Start off your Homecoming Weekend with a great day of competition and camaraderie on the beautiful Medalist course at 10 a.m. Friday. All alumni, parents, and friends are welcome. You can line up your own foursome or join with other players on the day of the event. More information is available at: www.albion.edu/sports/britonclassic/.

Art Exhibit, Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Photographs into Graphic Paintings, Works by Charles Wallschlaeger, Munro Gallery Botanical Prints: Art and Science Cross-Pollinate, Dickinson Gallery Luggage Tags When you are filling out your “What Are You Thinking?” cards in the Kellogg Center, don’t forget to stop by the registration desk to get a set of personalized luggage tags. Simply drop off two of your business cards at registration before 1 p.m. on Saturday, and we will make two custom Albion College luggage tags for you that will be available between 3-4 p.m. at the registration table.

Saturday Class Reunions For classes ending in “4” or “9,” 1949-2004. Please see reunion information below. More details will be available at: www.albion.edu/homecoming/.

2009 Class Reunions Class reunions are located in Albion, Jackson, and Marshall this year.

Class of 1949 Baldwin Hall, Albion Chair: Betty McLaren Gross Class of 1954 Bellemont Manor, Albion Chairs: Barbara Carne Riehl and Barbara Kinzel Williamson

Class of 1959 Schuler’s Restaurant, Marshall Chairs: Larry and Sally Klang Robson, Larry Manning Class of 1964 Schuler’s Restaurant, Marshall Chair: Robert Hetler Class of 1969 Ismon House, Albion Chairs: Tom Tarvis and Wynn Miller

Class of 1974 Duck Lake Country Club, Albion Chair: Stephen Greenhalgh

Class of 1989 Davan’s, Albion Chairs: Mary Buday and Stephen Tupper

Class of 1979 Bella Notte Ristorante, Jackson Chair: Tina Cummings Lemon

Class of 1994 The Medalist Golf Club, Marshall Chair: Joe Rowley

Class of 1984 Hampton Inn, Marshall Chairs: Amy Serra Albright, Kathleen Quinn, Karen Bach Cance, and Jenny Banner Rone

Class of 1999 Norton’s Country Lanes, Albion Chairs: Jadon Hartsuff, Jen Bujdos Lathom, and Davia Cox Downey Class of 2004 Cascarelli’s, Albion Chair: Erin Laidlaw Summer 2009 | 27

L ! ’l B R ! T S

Our National Pastime: Hit a Home Run with These Activities

Spelling Bee Baseball

Base Runner

Major League Scrapbooking

Everyone can enjoy this version of baseball: you round the bases just by spelling words correctly. Start by drawing a baseball diamond with chalk on a sidewalk, and set up two teams each with a pitcher and batters.

The pitcher tosses out words to spell (based on age and ability of the batters), and the batter “takes a swing” at spelling the word right.

Each correct answer moves the batter around the bases. An incorrect answer is recorded as a “strike,” and the baseball rule applies: “three strikes and you’re out.” Three outs and the other team comes up to bat. An “umpire” can be designated to check correct spellings in a dictionary. (To move the game indoors, simply draw the diamond on heavy paper and use coins or pebbles to mark progress around the bases.)

This variation on baseball helps children develop fundamental baseball skills and have fun at the same time. Set up bases about 30 feet apart on a large lawn or grass field, and supply a small rubber ball. Designate two players as fielders, each covering one base.

The rest of the players are runners. The object is for a runner to move directly from base to base without being tagged as the fielders toss the ball back and forth, luring the runner off base during throws. (As in baseball, to make an out the fielder must be on the base and touch the advancing runner with the ball before the runner reaches the base.) Runners must run at least every second time the ball is thrown by a fielder. Any runner tagged becomes a fielder, and the fielder who tagged the runner then gets to run the bases.

Help your child follow a favorite baseball team or the career of a favorite player by building a scrapbook of clippings, baseball cards, and other memorabilia. When going to a major league game, be sure to save ticket stubs, programs, and other items for the collection, and take plenty of photos documenting the outing. Of course, you can also create a scrapbook of your child’s own baseball activities from Little League onward. Obtain baseball-themed scrapbooking supplies at your local craft store or search the huge variety of online sources for these items. Search the Web for other baseball-related projects, such as creating individualized baseball caps and decorating T-shirts with baseball-themed iron-on transfers, and for paper-and-pencil activities.

Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/baseball-activities.htm

Take Me Out to the ‘Base Ball’ Game

Baseball Books for Kids

Relive the early days of America’s national pastime by attending a vintage “base ball” game (yes, in the 19th century, it was written as two words). Vintage base ball teams, all playing by rules dating from the 1850s to the 1880s and wearing uniforms modeled on those of early teams, have sprung up around the country, and they welcome fans to their games. In Michigan, much of the activity is centered around Greenfield Village (Dearborn), which sponsors two teams: the Lah-de-dahs (two-time world champions) and the Nationals. However, there are other teams in major cities across the state. (Visit the Vintage Base Ball Association Web site at wiki.vbba.org to find a team near your hometown.) The Greenfield Village teams play every weekend during the summer months and on Aug. 8-9, 2009 will host the Fifth Annual Tournament of Historic Base Ball (based on the 1867 World’s Base Ball Tournament held in Detroit). For schedule information, go to www.hfmgv.org and search on “baseball.”

Brad Herzog, Seventh-Inning Stretch: Timeout for Baseball Trivia Greg Jacobs, Everything Kids’ Baseball Book: The All-Time Greats, Legendary Teams, Today’s Superstars—and Tips on Playing Like a Pro (Everything Kids Series) Sue Macy, A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Jack Morelli, Mark Chiarello, and Monte Irvin, Heroes of the Negro Leagues Denise Lewis Patrick, Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out (Time for Kids Biographies) Bill Staples and Rich Herschlag, Before the Glory: 20 Baseball Heroes Talk about Growing Up and Turning Hard Times into Home Runs Guernsey Van Riper, Babe Ruth: One of Baseball’s Greatest (Childhood of Famous Americans Series)

Summer 2009 | 41

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID RAVENNA, MI PERMIT NO. 320

Communications Office 611 E. Porter Street Albion, MI 49224-1831

D. TRUMPIE PHOTO

Address service requested

On Two Wheels Albion College this year created the Brit Bike Library, providing an alternate “green” means of transportation around campus and town for interested students. The project, spearheaded by Erica Tauzer, ’10, as part of her National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Fellowship, is just one of a number of campus-wide sustainability initiatives under way.

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