Aquinas Magazine :: Fall 2007

Fall 2007

The magazine of aquinas college

C. Edward Balog, Ph.D. Sixth Aquinas President

Page 6

Editorial Team Marty Fahey M.M.’06 Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95 Rene Palileo ’98 Sally Reeves Contributing Writers C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., President Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95 Terry Bocian ’70, staff Eric Bridge ’92 M.M.’05, staff Cecilia Cunningham, staff Katey Davis, staff Cindy Dorman, staff Cheri Dykhouse, staff Gary Eberle, faculty Jessica Eimer ’05, staff Marty Fahey M.M.’06, staff Linda Nemec Foster ’72 JoAnne Gorant, faculty Kristel Heinz-Ciullo M.M., faculty Brenda Hennink ’96, staff Margie Kindel M.M., staff Crystal (Lubbers ’01) Laska, staff Kristin Leamon ’93, staff Taber LaFleur, student Rabbi Albert Lewis, staff Barbara Witham McCargar M.M., faculty Jeffrey McKelvey, Ph.D., faculty Paula (Bacarella ’75) Meehan, staff Noddea Moore, staff Rene Palileo ’98, staff

John Pinheiro, Ph.D., faculty Sally Reeves, staff Sarah L. Swart ’89 The Grand Rapids Press The Detroit News Ronda Varnesdeel ’01, staff Dave Westermann ’07 Sr. Alice Wittenbach, O.P., Ph.D., ’60, staff Layout/Design: D & D Printing, Grand Rapids Silvija Visockis, staff Design/Photo Archive Silvija Visockis, staff Photography: Jean Baird, staff Eric Bridge ’92 M.M.’05, staff Val Ciullo Cecilia Cunningham, staff Cindy Dorman, staff Brian Kelly Katy Moore McAvoy ’01, staff The Grand Rapids Press - Lance Wynn The Detroit News – Todd McInturf Mark Schmidbauer ’07, staff Andris Visockis, staff Silvija Visockis, staff

Aquinas magazine is published in March and August by the Aquinas College Office of College Relations. It is created for alumni, friends and benefactors of the College as well as parents of enrolled students. Aquinas is a private, four-year Catholic Dominican liberal arts College. Letters, comments and suggestions are encouraged. Change of address requests can be made through the channels listed below.

E-mail: collegerelations@aquinas.edu Mail to: College Relations Department 1607 Robinson Road, SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 Web site: www.aquinas.edu Alumni news: www.aquinas.edu/alumni Main number: (616) 632-2844 Fax: (616) 459-2563

Aquinas Announces Two Key Appointments Paula Meehan, a 1975 Aquinas graduate and dean of admissions since 1987, was appointed in July to Vice President for Enrollment Management. Paula will be responsible not only for recruitment and admission of new students, but she will also direct the new campus-wide retention program that the College will begin developing this fall. In making the announcement President C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., stated that Paula’s experience and demonstrated success in admissions and her years of dedicated service to Aquinas provide unique qualifications for this position.

Donald Chaffee, Jr., Ph.D., Professor In-the-College, has been appointed to the position of interim Provost for the 2007-08 academic year. Chaffee served as the College’s Academic Vice President from 1989 to 1992 and fills the post vacated by Dr. Balog when he became president on July First. Balog said Don’s experience as Academic Vice President and his familiarity with the curriculum and policies of the College will allow for a smooth transition year as we search for a new Provost.

MISSION STATEMENT

Aquinas College, an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition, provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective, emphasizes career preparation focused on leadership and service to others and fosters a commitment to lifelong learning dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the common good.

Fall 2007 vol. 6 no. 2

The magazine of aquinas college

TABLE OF CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE........................ 4 CAMPUS NEWS

AQ Gets Artificial Turf...................................... 5 Q & A with Dr. Ed Balog: Aquinas’ Sixth President....................................................... 6 Feature: School of Education .......................... 8 AQ Launches Google Partnership................... 12 2007-08 Contemporary Writers Series Speakers Announced.................................................. 13 2007 Commencement Day Remembered ...... 14

Alumnus Pete Bishop ’58 Earns PGA Membership at 70....................................... 32 2007 Alumni Award Recipients...................... 33 Alumnus John Otterbacher ’66 Publishes “Sailing Grace”......................................................... 37 Westdorps: AQ Couple Retire After 48 Years as Church Worship Leaders............................. 38

ADMISSIONS

Begin a Legacy................................................ 39

EMERITUS COLLEGE

STUDENT NEWS

Emeritus Award: Lyle Morrison ’52 ............... 41

Students Unveil Independent Study Projects from Van Andel Research Institute ..................... 19 Michigan Campus Compact Honors Five AQ Students for Service..................................... 21 Business Etiquette at the Dinner Table............ 23

FACULTY NEWS

English Professor Gary Eberle Examines Religious Language in New Book............................... 26 History Professor John Pinheiro, Ph.D., on Democracy and The Citizen Soldier............ 27

ALUMNI

Dino Paganelli ’90 Makes NFL History........... 30

ADVANCEMENT

2007 Evening of Elegance............................... 43

ATHLETICS

2007 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees............. 45 Spring Sports Wrap-Up................................... 51

TRUSTEES

Emeritus Trustees: Tom Church and Lyle Morrison...................................................... 55

CLASS NOTES...................................... 56 CALENDER OF EVENTS....................... 60

Balog Named Sixth AQ President Pg. 6

School of Education Pg. 8

2007 Commencement Pg. 14

NFL History Paganelli; ‘90 Pg. 30

Emeritus Award Lyle Morrison ‘52 Pg. 41

Campus News

4

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

President’s Message

Assignment, Assessment, Accountability C. Edward Balog, Ph.D.

These three words are among the most

frequently used measurement devices in contemporary education. Nearly everyone is convinced that the American education system is broken and that some formulaic or mechanical solution can easily be found. But, while it may be easy to reach a consensus about the processes and products of manufacturing or retail enterprises, it is more difficult to find any common agreement about how education takes place.

If we view students as raw materials, we may be able to accept the notion that they are molded or shaped or transformed through the application of some external force into the desired product. We can measure the force; we can identify the shape; and therefore we should be able to predict the final appearance or effectiveness of the product.

So we design tests that will encourage students to learn specific material that we can then measure as outcomes of this molding process. The measurement can be as narrow or as broad as the testing instrument.

We can then take those scores and compare them with others in the nation or around the world and see how we stack up with the competition. But that’s only if we accept the notion that students are raw materials ready to be made into products.

Another way to measure the effectiveness of education is to consider students as customers. They enroll in our institutions and select the products we have to offer (our courses) and pay for a certain desired result. If the customer is always right, then we should be willing to alter our products or our sales force (faculty) to reflect the desire of the consumer.

Perhaps this discriminating consumer might opt for one semester of a foreign language rather than two or more - this is more cost effective and suits the tastes of the student. But would you shop for health care

or legal assistance this way? I suspect not. You would want the most complete service available from an expert provider.

I think if we pursue this analogy and view students not as raw materials or customers but as clients, then measuring the effectiveness of education becomes a different and more manageable task. Certainly it would differ from the current national trend of teaching to the test and standardizing the curriculum.

As a client, the student would come to college to obtain the very best expert knowledge available.

He or she would be paying for the expertise of the faculty. So in this scene, the faculty would make the assignment and would assess the effective level of the student’s learning - not presumably the student’s ability to accumulate the prescribed of nuggets of knowledge, but a genuine understanding of the topic.

The outcome would, however, be measured a little differently. The way the student uses the knowledge in his or her life, what contribution the college experience has made to his or her moral, ethical and social outlook, and whether there is evidence of continuing learning and development would be more tangible and long - term measurements of the effectiveness of education than some of our current quantitative methods.

Aquinas College’s educational philosophy confronts this current national emphasis on assessment and accountability by offering the very best education possible from a well prepared faculty who are willing to provide the personal and personalized attention to students which they would not receive if they were considered raw materials or customers. This is the difference between education and training. It is also the difference between the kind of education I believe we offer and the linear accumulation of those knowledge

nuggets I mentioned earlier. This method seems designed to provide an acceptable quantitative system of measurement so that “outcomes” can be compared. But education should nurture the ability of the student to think, read, write and speak clearly, creatively and knowledgeably. How does one measure these characteristics? The “outcome” of this process can be seen in the way our graduates live their lives.

Even a cursory examination of Aquinas alumni

5

suggests that the kind of education they received produces graduates who contribute value to our society and lead productive and fulfilling lives. These are the most important outcomes of education. As we look forward to what promises to be another exciting year at Aquinas College, let us remember the value of a liberal arts education directed at career preparation and welcome another record freshman class as it begins its adventure in education.

Aquinas Soccer Field Goes Synthetic A

quinas College is the first Wolverine-Hoosier

Athletic Conference (WHAC) member to install artificial turf on its campus. Installation of the ProGrass turf began in July and was scheduled to be completed by the start of the new academic year.

The installation of the new year-round synthetic surface to the soccer field at a cost of approximately $600,000 means the College will have a multi-use field that can be used for many activities in most all weather conditions without concern for field damage.

More importantly, perhaps, is the opportunity the new surface presents for adding men’s and women’s lacrosse as a club sport, beginning in spring 2009.

“This project will have significant impact on recruiting and retaining students to Aquinas,” according to Paula Meehan, vice president for enrollment.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams were the only groups to use the natural grass field because of the amount of damage and maintenance required.

Athletics Director Terry Bocian said the single use of the field was impractical.

The Board of Trustees approved installation of the new surface in May. “The (Board’s) decision was one of the most practical decisions ever made. The new artificial turf will allow us to use the field for purposes other than just soccer, including lacrosse and intramural sports, as well,” Bocian noted.

The sport of lacrosse has become very popular around Michigan and since it is played in the spring, it will be a nice complement to our soccer teams that play in the fall. Bocian hopes to have a men’s lacrosse coach hired next year and begin club-level play in spring 2009. The women’s club team would begin in spring 2010. The Admissions Office is confident that the addition of a lacrosse program will help attract new students to Aquinas.

Contractors begin clearly away the natural grass from the AQ soccer field in preparation for the new ProGrass synthetic turf.

Athletic Director Terry Bocian is looking forward to having multi-use flexibility the new athletic field surface will provide.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

6

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., Aquinas College’s Sixth President Looks Ahead

Just a few days after receiving the news that the Aquinas College’s Board of Trustees had unanimously voted to appoint him as the College’s sixth president, C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., sat down with Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95 to share his thoughts as he looks ahead to the new academic year and the future of Aquinas.

Following are excerpts from that conversation.

LBK: Congratulations! What are your thoughts on being appointed president of Aquinas?

CEB: Being president of a college that is in the middle of some significant changes – all colleges in the nation are for a variety of reasons – is something that may seem like a problem, but really can be taken as an opportunity to see how liberal arts and career preparation and individual development can all be nurtured and encouraged on a college campus in the 21st century. So it’s an exciting time to be embarking on that.

LBK: When did you realize you wanted to pursue this presidency?

CEB: I don’t know that I can actually pick a date for that…

I was very happy as a chief academic officer and felt very comfortable with my grip on that material and knowledge base, and I had a very high level of job satisfaction.

But as the year [as interim president] went on, and I began to see what the possibilities were, particularly offcampus, in helping to raise the visibility of the College in the local community, that seemed to me to be an intriguing way to spend some time that could benefit the College in a lot of ways.

LBK: You’ve said the future of AQ is bright. What are some factors that led you to say that?

CEB: I think our general financial situation is steadily improving, maybe more slowly than some people would’ve hoped, but actually we’re moving along at a fairly rapid clip. We will have another sizable balance this year for the budget that we’ve proposed to the board and it also shows a surplus for next year. We’re headed for our third consecutive record freshman class in the fall and we have been able to attract a number of very bright and capable young faculty that I think will form the core of our educational program for the next several years. And we are working on a way to really improve facilities. [Describes remodeling the second floor of the Academic Building and a probable future residence hall and artificial surface on the soccer field.]

LBK: Specifically, what is your vision for the College?

CEB: I think there are three areas. I think we have to look at improving the endowment of the College so that there will the ability to withstand economic difficulties that inevitably occur… Everybody needs a reserve.

But more than that, I think the endowment has to be at the point where we can draw some money not only to support students financially who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come here, but also to support the faculty and faculty development. We have a very talented faculty and their salaries are not at the level they should be compared to similar institutions, and the only way we can really do that is to make sure that we have a reliable source of income to supplement faculty and staff salaries. So that would be the second area.

The third area would be to ensure that some of that endowment income is also used to support the development of academic programs. I think that, although most people come to a college like Aquinas because of the package (in other words, a small college with lots of personal attention and quality instruction), we really do need to have programs that will bring the name Aquinas to people’s minds.

I think we have a couple possibilities already. Our sustainable business degree, since it was the first in the country, is already serving as a model. We have some very solid programs in the humanities, particularly history and English. We are engaged in a very substantial science initiative right now, having raised over half a million dollars. With that I think we will be able to offer very solid programs in health profession preparation. And our school of education has a wonderful record of placement and success for our graduates.

LBK: Have you identified challenges or issues that need to be addressed?

CEB: A lot of things just need to be reinforced and continued. I think there’s some good effort in connecting the alumni to the institution. Alumni are very loyal, but it’s on a more personal level rather than on an organized basis. And colleges like this really need alumni support for a variety of reasons [Describes financial support, graduates as representatives of Aquinas in the community and personal and technical expertise that can help the College develop programs].

So that’s an important item I’d like to concentrate on.

And I think it’s difficult to build endowment because people want to see more immediate payoff, but people who have longer range perspectives will understand the importance of it. Part of the challenge is finding those people.

Also, to recruit and retain the quality of the faculty that we have. There’s a lot of competition for faculty in many fields, and that’s always a challenge.

Eventually, the big challenge the College will face will be enrollment. In the next five to ten years, I expect the College to reach physical capacity. Our ability to support additional students would be seriously limited, so when you do that and you can’t depend on growth, then retention and management of resources is important.

LBK: You’ve spent most of your time at AQ as provost. What do you consider some of your successes in that position?

CEB: I think the development of the new degree in sustainable business, the science initiative, the successful visit in 2004 from North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [accreditation agency], the Grace Hauenstein Library and revising the budgeting process so that we have a more realistic and dependable budgeting system in place.

LBK: In what ways do you see your values and personal beliefs align with those of Aquinas College, as well as the Dominican tradition?

CEB: The College has a commitment to a liberal education, and my own background is a very good example of a liberal education. As an undergraduate [at West Virginia University], I had a degree in history, but I also had minors in English literature and political science. I also took courses in economics and chemistry, so I was spread across the academic map, if you will, and I always thought that served me very well.

I think the students here have a better opportunity to take those kinds of courses than I did at a larger university, so I enjoy the idea of students having academic exploration opportunities like that. Academically, I think I align very clearly with what we offer.

In terms of the values outside the classroom, I think that the notion of community, service, contemplation, of being hospitable in a Dominican sense – that is, inclusive in sharing what you have – all of those things I’m very comfortable with and it is very easy for me to pursue these in conjunction with the traditions of the College.

LBK: So many books have been written about leadership.

What do you consider important when it comes to being a good leader?

CEB: I try not to read very many of those books. But I have read some, and I’ve listened to speeches about how to do it, and I’m not certain that there is a good prescription for how to be a leader. [The definition] changes every time a new book comes out, so my feeling about that is, being a good leader is like being good at anything you decide to do. If you understand what you’re doing, if you understand the purpose of the organization that you’re doing it in, and you get along with the people who are doing it with you,

7 somebody will emerge as the person who will be identified as the leader – All that really means is someone who’s had the capacity to understand what everybody else wants to do and be able to find the best way to get that done.

That’s really how I think I tend to operate. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to people… It’s a good way to find out what people are thinking. I also go to a lot of meetings and get group ideas. But I think the best thing, once the path has been identified and once you believe that there is support for it among the rest of the group (whatever group it is), then it’s not that difficult to say, we’re headed in this direction and if you think we made a wrong turn, let me know, because this is the way we’re going.

LBK: When you received your undergraduate degree in history, what were your goals?

CEB: By that point, I had decided I wanted to be a history professor, so that was the path I pursued and I never really left college. I went straight to graduate school, and received a master’s degree, and from there went straight to University of Illinois, and then to my first faculty job in St. Louis, and I’ve been doing that every since… I confess, I’ve been very lucky. I picked a career that no one in my family would ever have thought of, and it worked.

LBK: Do you teach now?

CEB: Since I’ve been here, I’ve taught one course each semester in history. I’m going to teach a course in the fall.

Spring is more difficult, because there are other events that come up so that I would have to miss too many classes, and that’s not fair to the students. But I want to at least teach every fall.

LBK: Do you enjoy that?

CEB: That’s the reason I got into this business in the first place. I think it’s important. It goes back to your question about leadership, I guess. And I don’t intend this as a conscious effort to identify myself as a leader. But one of the things that you talk about for anybody who’s leading an institution is to understand how things are going internally, at levels that you don’t always see on a daily basis. The important constituency here is the students, and [teaching] keeps me in contact with them. And the students are not shy about telling me what they think about what’s going on in the College.

LBK: On the day of the announcement, I heard you tell someone that that was one of the best days of your life.

CEB: Yes, it was. It was one of the best days of my life to be able to be offered an opportunity to do something that can have such an impact.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

8

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Lessons Learned in the School of Education

By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer “State education graduate programs are seeing declining enrollments due to a number of causes,” said School of Education Dean Nanette Clatterbuck.

“We are looking at ways to deliver what we have – and we’ve got a good product.”

Susan Lukaart, principal, works with students at the Child Discovery Center.

N

ationally, Michigan teachers are known for being exceptionally well-trained. Appropriately, Aquinas College School of Education (SOE) graduates have contributed to that reputation.

For example, from 2003 to 2006, 91 percent of AQ education students passed the stringent Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) the first time they took it; cumulatively 95 percent passed the test.

This places the Aquinas SOE in the top five programs in the state.

The School of Education has been growing and adapting to continue meeting not only state and federal requirements like the MTTC and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate, but also student needs.

A top priority, Aquinas President C. Edward Balog said, is making programs “more convenient and more consistent with the students’ needs.”

With offerings varying from traditional semesterlong classes to Web-based, weekend, and summer formats, classes are scheduled to meet the needs of full-time, part-time, undergraduate and graduate level students. For example, this fall an English Language Learners (ELL) graduate program will include onsite afternoon classes at Rogers High School in Wyoming, so teachers there don’t have a long commute or a late night at school.

Meeting mandates The No Child Left Behind mandate caused a ripple effect from the federal level down to the state, college and grade school levels, Clatterbuck said.

The State of Michigan, which is in an economic crisis, is being held accountable for its schools, and the colleges, universities and grade schools are being held accountable for their programs and assessment methodology.

With NCLB, “teachers must have endorsement showing they are ‘highly qualified,’ and that shifted things,” Clatterbuck said. “We are driven by federal mandates and limited by state budget constraints.

Nonetheless, our students are still doing well and finding placements in Michigan and other states.”

Collaboration and outreach Aquinas College has always been active in its community, and the SOE is working harder than ever to collaborate with its neighbors.

“One of our main focuses now is recruitment and training of minority students,” Clatterbuck said,

(L-R) Tutor Rachel Sneller, SOE learning disabilities major, Kelli Estevez, SOE assistant professor, and Walter Griffith enjoy a board game.

The Aquinas Reading Clinic provides tutors to elementary and high school students.

“so we want to establish mentor programs and help the students secure funding through scholarships.

We want to recruit urban students [in our education programs] and then get them back into urban schools where they’re needed the most.”

Another urban association is with Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS), where Aquinas places many of its student teachers. As a Collaboration Council member, Clatterbuck has joined school of education deans from Grand Rapids Community College, University of Michigan-Flint, Grand Valley State University and others to assist GRPS “with the many challenges that they are committed to solving,” she said.

The Aquinas SOE is also assisting the YMCA in setting up physical fitness programs for their members who have special needs, and it has partnered with Holy Name of Jesus School to provide professional development to teachers and help middle school students with college preparatory issues and career decisions.

Students helping students Also, the Aquinas Student Senate will begin mentoring GRPS high school student councils this fall, and through a grant obtained with the Aquinas Women’s Studies Center, a pilot program at Central High School will teach high school girls about leadership and culminate in a film the students will produce through the Community Media Center.

In addition, the Aquinas Reading Clinic gets SOE students volunteering as reading tutors and provides diagnostic and instructional services to area

9

students from kindergarten through high school levels. Aquinas students also volunteer at the Child Development Center, which is based on the early childhood educational system founded in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, which was chartered by Grand Rapids Public Schools, and the Aquinas Child Development Center are both located at St. Adalbert Basilica in Grand Rapids and are closely aligned with Reggio Emilia philosophies.

Another important program is the POHI (physically and otherwise health impaired/conductorteacher preparation) program, which began in 2001.

POHI places Aquinas students at the Conductive Learning Center (CLC), where they work with children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other motor challenges. The only program in North America directed by the International Peto Institute of Conductive Education in Budapest, Hungary, the CLC was founded by Aquinas in 1998 and is now an independent not-for-profit organization.

“There are many things we are doing,” Clatterbuck noted. “I want to use the resources AQ has available. We have so many bright people right here on campus.”

Child Discovery Principal Susan Lukaart reviews teaching objectives with staff members (l-r): teachers Sarah Cooper and John McNamara and administrative assistant Rachel Harth.

For more information on the School of Education, visit http://www.aquinas.edu/education.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

10

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Nanette Clatterbuck: New Dean of the School of Education

By Laura Bennett Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer

I

n spring 2007, then-interim president C. Edward Balog named Nanette Clatterbuck the new dean for the School of Education (SOE). A woman with a life-long interest in education, Clatterbuck has served Aquinas College in numerous capacities for more than ten years.

In the late 1990s, she began teaching at Aquinas as an adjunct education instructor. Over time, she became more and more involved with the College, serving as the self-study coordinator for North Central Accreditation in 2003-2004, director of the Inquiry and Expression freshman program, and chairperson of the assessment committee from 2004-2006. She received tenure in 2003 and became the chairperson for the School of Education in 2006. Clatterbuck is the third dean of the SOE, following Mike Williams (2004-2006) and Jim Garofalo (1999-2004).

Balog said he asked Clatterbuck to be chief administrator of the School of Education last year when Williams retired. “We talked about different plans, particularly graduate programs. I told her that I wanted someone to go out into the community – particularly, to public and parochial schools – and let them know about our program and how it can help them.”

As SOE chairperson, Clatterbuck proved herself to be a committed leader. “She is a wonderful representative of the College,” Balog said. When it came time to look for a dean, Balog didn’t have to look far. “She has a background in public and private schools and in learning disabilities; she is recognized as an expert in the field, and speaks often on the subject.”

Already, Clatterbuck has made changes. From on-site graduate classes to collaborations with local schools, SOE programs are connecting Aquinas with its community. And, importantly in this age of the No Child Left Behind Act and changing Michigan Department of Education certification requirements, “she has a very good grasp on how the state bureaucracy works,” Balog noted.

From shy little girl to dean of the College’s largest school, Clatterbuck has maintained an interest both in how teachers teach and in making things happen. She said when she was a child, she watched how some of her teachers treated the other children and thought,

“if I was the teacher, I wouldn’t do that.”

Clatterbuck wants to be involved in creating solutions. To get things done, “I like to be in the driver’s seat,” she added with a smile. “Coming in as dean, I can begin and follow through with – consistent with the research – early intervention to meet the needs of all kids. Now, I am able to operationalize my ideas. I’ve got a gifted faculty and staff here. I don’t have to do it all myself.”

Clatterbuck, who also founded and was the executive director of Lake Michigan Academy from 1985 to 1996, concentrated on the area of learning disabilities in her undergraduate and graduate education. She brings that sensibility to her overall teaching philosophy.

“Students can benefit if all teachers were trained the way we were trained to meet their needs, to maximize their potential. [As dean] I am thrilled to have an impact in being able to help our students meet the needs of all their students, who may have various cognitive, emotional and social needs,” she said.

In the inclusion class she teaches at AQ, Clatterbuck said, “I ask my students, do they think their students are in service to them and need to fit into their program, or do they think they are in service to their students and need to fit into their programs?

It’s their students. As teachers, they are there to meet their needs.”

And as the new dean of the School of Education, Clatterbuck will continue that philosophy, serving her department to better serve its students.

11

AQ Establishes the Nation’s First LDA Student Chapter T

he Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) began more than 40 years ago to support anyone who deals with learning disabilities, be it individually or professionally. The national organization has chapters in every state. One of its newer chapters is the Aquinas College Learning Disabilities Association, which began in 2005 when then-student Kellie Burnett ’06 came up with the idea for an on-campus affiliate and contacted School of Education Dean Nanette Clatterbuck, the current president of LDA of Michigan.

With her approval and support. Burnett began researching how to set up a college affiliate of LDA. She quickly discovered she was traveling uncharted waters. “There were a lot of state chapters and local city chapters, but no student chapters,” she noted.

This didn’t stop the learning disabilities major, however. In the 2005-2006 school year, she and other education students founded the nation’s first student LDA affiliation, and she led the group as its first president. Today, the affiliate maintains about 35 members who are learning disabilities majors as well as general education majors.

The AQ chapter has been contacted to mentor other college student groups that want to form chapters. This isn’t the only recognition the group has received. In October 2005, it was first place winner of the national LDA Proud Project award.

After Burnett’s term ended, the Aquinas LDA chapter next was led by Gina Zambo in 2006-2007.

This summer, incoming president Maegan Malone was busy preparing for the 2007-2008 school year, Clatterbuck said.

Local School Superintendent Talks About Education Issues I

n February, Professor Glenn Barkan’s Education

Policy class explored current issues of the policies of education up close and personal when Grand Rapids Public Schools superintendent Bernard Taylor spoke to the class.

Taylor’s visit was close to two hours, Barkan recalls. “He talked and we asked questions about specific issues involving urban education and school funding, with reference to Grand Rapids, of course.

He was extraordinarily frank.”

Taylor presented an overview of the district and its progress. He also covered issues the district faces, such as public perceptions, financing, and charter school competition. Much of the discussion revolved around the hot topic of funding and running an urban public school system when students have three alternatives to public schools: charter schools, private schools and district transfers.

A primary goal of the Education Policy class is to get students talking and reading about issues in public education from both academic and practice perspectives, Barkan said. Having school administrators like Taylor avail themselves to share their experiences and knowledge strengthens their understanding of the education field.

In addition to Taylor, three other local educators talked with the class over the course of the semester:

Former GRPS superintendent Pat Sandro, Excel Charter Academy principal Bill Knoester, and Kent Intermediate School District assistant superintendent for Organizational & Community Initiatives Ron Koehler.

GRPS and Aquinas have a solid connection through Aquinas students who volunteer, mentor, and student-teach in the public system, yet Taylor sees room to broaden and deepen that relationship.

“Aquinas is a supporter of Grand Rapids Public Schools, and I think there’s room for a closer working relationship between GRPS and Aquinas.”

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

12

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

A Match Made in Tech-Heaven: Aquinas Switches to Google Apps for Education

By Taber LaFleur, ITS Technology Assistant

W

hen Google offered its applications to colleges and universities last year it coincided with the end of support for Aquinas’ faculty and staff e-mail client, Pegasus Mail. Following an in-depth evaluation process conducted by the ITS department, it soon became apparent that the union of Aquinas and Google was a match made in tech-heaven.

Google Apps for Education, as it is called, offered Aquinas the ability to move all students, faculty, and staff onto the Gmail client, which was available on and off campus, unlike Pegasus. With significantly more storage space, more effective organizational features, and the ever present Google Search, Gmail was a significant improvement over Pegasus and the student Mailbox, and by bringing the entire Aquinas community onto a single client, e-mail has become more efficient and simplified. Through this partnership with Google, Aquinas is able to provide a level of innovation and content which it could never do on its own. In addition, Google Apps was offered to colleges across the U.S. and Canada at no cost.

But Google offers more than just e-mail. Google Apps for education also includes a new calendar application which ITS chose to replace the aging Calendar Express. Google Calendar’s interface is more user-friendly and includes important Calendar–sharing features – allowing users to see coworkers’ calendars, create new calendars for room reservations and other scheduling, and download calendars from the Internet. Multiple calendars are viewable at the same time, allowing users to easily see available times and scheduling conflicts.

In addition to Gmail and Calendar, Google Apps includes a third, entirely new application: Docs and Spreadsheet. An online document collaboration tool, Docs and Spreadsheets allows users to upload word and excel documents to the Internet and share and edit them with others. Users can view the original document and every change made to it throughout the editing process as well as who made the changes.

This helps to reduce multiple versions of the same document or spreadsheet.

Aquinas College is the first college in the state and one of only a handful of colleges and universities

Aquinas’ employees and students were the first college group in Michigan to use the new Google Apps for Education.

in the country to have switched to Google Apps for Education, but there has been a growing interest in the product among Michigan colleges. In May, shortly before the official launch of Google Apps at Aquinas (June 9 and 10), the ITS staff traveled to Google’s new offices in Ann Arbor for an information session. The session, which drew representatives of more than 20 Michigan colleges, included Aquinas alumni ITS staff members Joyce LaFleur and Greg Vedders as presenters of Apps in Action, describing their experience in implementing Google Apps. AQ’s early adoption and implementation of Google Apps for Education has cemented our place as a leader of information technology in higher education. Soon, other colleges will follow Aquinas’ lead in making the switch to Google.

13

AQ Hall of Fame to Receive Three Inductees

Ralph Bennett, Ph.D. is an emeritus professor of accounting and economics who taught at Aquinas from 1960 - 1996. He was a fighter for innovative programs, like Career Action Program, a first in making college degrees available to full-time workers.

Rosemary F. Deen ’46, Ph.D. is being honored for her longtime service in the field of education as a teacher of English, literature and writing at Queens College and Aquinas and as an author of two highly acclaimed books on writing.

Sister M. Mildred Hawkins, O.P. [†] played a major role in the early history of the College. She came to Catholic Junior College with a doctorate in classical studies from the Universities of Fribourg and Munich. As academic dean, she helped it grow into a four-year college and later to expand its residential and academic facilities.

Contemporary Writers Series Begins Another Exciting Season

T

he Contemporary Writers Series (CWS) at

Aquinas College recently completed a very successful year celebrating its tenth anniversary. The 2007-08 season promises to be just as exciting, with the focus on four Michigan writers who have achieved national and international acclaim.

On September 20, the College will host Jack Driscoll, Writer-in-Residence at Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is the author of four books of poems, a collection of short stories, and three novels. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award.

Thomas Lynch presents on November 1. Lynch is a celebrated poet and creative nonfiction writer whose work is often based on his real life experience as director of a funeral home in Milford. The creator of HBO’s series Six Feet Under credits reading Lynch’s book The Undertaking as “most helpful” in developing the series.

Janet Kauffman, Professor of English at Eastern Michigan University, will read on March 27, 2008.

She has authored three novels, two volumes of poetry and three collections of short stories. Her work centers on environmental concerns; she is involved with Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan.

The eleventh season will conclude with Laura Kasischke on April 17, 2008. She has published six collections of poetry and four novels and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Michigan.

Her work has garnered many awards including a fellowship from the NEA. One of her novels is currently being produced as a film with actress Uma Thurman.

All readings take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Wege Student Center Ballroom. For more information, contact the Series’ director, Pamela Luebke, at (616) 632-2127 or go to the CWS Website at www. aquinas.edu/library For information about sponsorship benefits and the CWS Endowment Fund, contact Bill Weitzel, director of Planned Giving, at (616) 632-2820 or weitzwil@aquinas.edu.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

14

2007 Commencement C

ommencement 2007 proved to be another memorable day in the life of Aquinas College. The weather was perfect as 294 of the College’s 527 eligible graduates and their families took part in the 66th annual graduation ceremony in the Field House.

Then-interim president C. Edward Balog presented graduates with their ceremonial diplomas.

Three individuals received honorary degrees.

Bert Bleke, former Grand Rapids Public Schools superintendent received an honorary Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) degree for his 38 years of commitment and dedication to the field of education. Kathleen Keller Muir was recognized for her longtime community volunteer service and dedication to public education with a Doctor of Public Service (D.P.S.) degree. Mary Alice Williams, interim director of Advancement, also received a D.P.S degree for her longtime service to the Grand Rapids community, serving in many capacities as an advocate for human rights and as a public servant.

Gary Eberle, chairman and professor in the Department of English, offered the commencement address, “Fighting Fire with Fire,” which provided an analogy of life illustrated through a story of a dove that perished in its attempt to extinguish flames of fire that engulfed the world using small amounts of water it gathered in its beak from nearby oceans.

Relating the demands on individuals today, Eberle posed what he calls the fundamental religious question of life: “How can we maintain the delicate balance between our individual dreams and the world’s infinite needs?”

Eberle offered graduates four universal suggestions that he believes is a summation of the world’s wisdom in response. The four, he said, are: learn to meditate or pray; learn to live peacefully; learn to love greatly and finally, learn to work with mastery.

Eberle, an author of several books (see related article on page 30), told graduates that they should be “walking out of here with some knowledge and skills that will enable you

to make your way in the world.” He added, “As a faculty member, I hope that one of the things you’ve learned here is the value of good work, how to recognize it and how to produce it.”

“In short,” he concluded, “we must learn to bring the inner fire of our passion and compassion to fight the world’s fire, no matter what we end up doing for a living.”

Campus News

15

Campus News

16

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Aquinas Celebrates Earth Day

By Megan Cramer, Sustainability Initiative Intern & Jessica Eimer ’05, Program Director of the Center for Sustainability

L

ive Sustainably...the Choice Is Yours! This was the theme of the Aquinas College Earth Day Celebration on April 23, sponsored by the Center for Sustainability.

And what a celebration it was! Good food, friends and music all added to the joyful atmosphere and energetic celebration in the Wege Student Center, with students, staff, faculty and local community members in attendance.

Led by head chef Brett Hurley, the Chartwells food service staff planned a meal option consisting of local organic and humanely raised food for the event.

Delicious beef pot roast, golden potatoes, tender carrots, and freshly made wheat bread made this meal the hit of the cafeteria’s menu.

Three local farms supplied the food. Beef was provided by Nathan and Andrea Creswick from Creswick Farms in Ravenna, Mich. Creswick Farms specializes in grass fed, open-pastured cows raised without antibiotics and hormones. The potatoes and carrots were grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides on Freeport Flyer Farm by April and David Food Waste was collected and reused Nicholson as livestock feed. in Freeport, Mich. Finally, the kitchen’s food waste from the meal preparation and plate scraps were collected and donated to Crane Dance Farms in Middleville, Mich. for livestock feed.

All the farms are members of Farms Without Harm—an organization that supports and assists in the building of local, sustainable and humane food systems by providing resources to the unaware consumer and connecting ecological farmers with conscientious consumers in West Michigan.

Supporting farmers in our state and region keeps money circulating within our local economy.

Beyond increasing Michigan’s prosperity and wealth, purchasing food from local farms also decreases the environmental impact from transportation. The typical food item in America travels 1,500 miles on average from farm to table according to the Worldwatch Institute. The pot roast dinner served at Aquinas on April 23 traveled an average of only 28 miles! That means fresher, better tasting and more nutritious food for the Aquinas community and a greatly reduced “carbon footprint.” A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases released directly or indirectly into the air from an orginization’s operations, giving indication of an orginizations contribution to global climate change, typically through the release of carbon dioxide.

Volunteers representing local groups, such as Tom Cary from the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Cynthia Price from the Greater Grand Rapids Food System Council and Connie Udell from Farms Without Harm were on site to provide individuals with resources on supporting sustainable farming operations.

Alongside program director Jessica Eimer, Center for Sustainability students Ben VanGessel, Kalee Mockridge and Megan Cramer participated in coordinating the event. Sustainable Business student volunteers Peter Gole and Hannah Herington generously lent helping hands and time, sorting food waste, hanging posters and setting up informational displays.

To top off the evening, the meal was accompanied by live entertainment provided by Aquinas adjunct faculty member and Sustainable Business certificate student Deb Eid and her talented family who make up the group Kinsfolk!

Many students showed excitement and interest in the local and organic food option and commented that the Center for Sustainability should host similar events on a regular basis. Much interest was also generated from the food waste collection, as it is a simple way AQ students can reduce landfill waste and help a local farmer. Put simply, the Earth Day Celebration was a success and someday soon, local and organic food may be a staple food source on the Aquinas College campus. Remember, Live Sustainably…the Choice is Yours!

Earth Day Founder Speaks at AQ D

enis Hayes believes personal behaviors must change and alternative energy sources must be implemented in order to protect our planet from its own destruction. Hayes, national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1971 and selected by TIME magazine as a “Hero of the Planet”, appeared at Aquinas College as the eleventh lecturer for the annual Wege Speaker Series.

Hayes shared his concerns about global warming with an audience of several hundred attending his March 27 lecture. He told the group that to avoid a potentially unmanageable change in global warming caused by harmful CO2 emissions, the build-up of greenhouse gases must peak by 2020 and begin decreasing. A part of that effort, he noted, comes with rapid development and deployment of alternative energy sources.

Hayes said by the year 2050, the average citizen of the world will use about one-fifth as much commercial energy as the average American uses today. In order to meet the energy demand and reduce greenhouse gases, the world must rapidly deploy alternative energy sources, including hydropower, biofuels, wind and geothermal energy in addition to coal, nuclear and solar power.

In addition, Hayes said the world not only needs to be developing superior technologies to meet the challenges ahead, but must deploy the technology to the poorest countries that are generating energyintensive waste.

It’s easy to talk about energy alternatives, he pointed out, but in the end, our personal behaviors and the choices we make in our homes, with our families and at our businesses are what really count.

“If you’re not leading a life that has a high degree of integrity to it and not trying to live the life that you’re trying to convince others to adopt, then you will necessarily fail,” Hayes told the crowd.

Denis Hayes, Earth Day founder, says changes in personal behaviors are needed to save our planet

17

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Campus News

18

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

“Contemplating the Heavens” U

pon completion of the poems for her chapbook, “Contemplating the Heavens,” Linda Nemec Foster ’72, the first poet laureate of Grand Rapids, commissioned Steve Talaga to compose a musical companion piece with the same title. The world premiere of “Contemplating the Heavens” was performed on April 20 in the Kretschmer Recital Hall of the Art and Music Center. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening poetry reading by Foster and the music Talaga had created in response to

Steve Talaga, adjunct assistant professor of music at Aquinas and well known jazz musician, directs musicians for the “Contemplating the Heavens” performance.

her poetic imagery. The multi-media event has been nominated for a Nobel Prize.

There are 16 poems in the chapbook and the musical accompaniment has the same number of movements. The poems are nine lines in length, reflecting the nine planets (before Pluto was demoted) and the music was written for a nine-member ensemble. The piece is an engaging mix of music – jazz, classical and new age.

Poet Laureate Linda Nemec Foster ’72 reads from her poetry chapbook “Contemplating the Heavens.”

Musicians perform the music written to accompany Nemec Foster’s compositions.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

19

By Jeff McKelvey, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

V

an Andel Research Institute (VARI) in Grand Rapids conducts biomedical research with a focus on cancer and Parkinson disease and with an emphasis on translating scientific research results into clinical applications. VAI (www.vai.org), has gained worldwide recognition for its research.

Aquinas College is fortunate to be able to partner with VARI to ensure internships and independent study opportunities for its students. This past spring, seven biology majors were involved in independent study projects.

Each student spent ten hours per week working on a project under the guidance of a VARI mentor, while also meeting regularly with an Aquinas faculty supervisor. The students summarized their work at a poster symposium on April 25 attended by several VARI mentors and coworkers, as well as Aquinas students and faculty.

Each of the students expressed appreciation for the opportunity to experience graduate-level research using equipment they would not have had access to at Aquinas. “[Our VARI experience] was a great opportunity”, Natalie Kent said. “We were able to apply knowledge we gained at Aquinas in a research setting.”

Krysta Collins added, “The experience exposed us to different ways of learning about science and scientific protocols than we can learn in the classroom.”

“The VARI experience was like a bridge between science and the classroom,” said Rebecca Trierweiler.

Pictured with Louis Tomatis, M.D., Aquinas Trustee, (from left) are: Sara Kunz, Elizabeth Block, Natalie Kent, Krysta Collins, Rebecca Trierweiler, Audrey Sanders and Mien Nguyen.

Audry Sanders answers questions about her VARI Project

The AQ participants were excited to be involved in graduate-level research, with most of them working to characterize (or find ways to tag) abnormal cellular proteins associated with the development of various cancers. Other students studied the genes that code for such proteins.

The students not only felt that their Aquinas course work had prepared them for their VARI experiences, but also that their research will enable them to better comprehend scientific concepts during the next academic year.

“This will help me to have a better classroom learning experience next semester. I can bring knowledge back to Aquinas,” stated Mien Nguyen.

Audrey Sanders agreed, “The experience will be helpful for future classes. My confidence level among other students in my classes has been raised.”

Elizabeth Block also appreciates the selfconfidence she gained through her work. “We confirmed to VARI and to ourselves that Aquinas students are as good as students from any other area college or university.”

Apparently researchers who worked with our students concurred, as all four who applied (Elizabeth, Krysta, Sara and Mien) were awarded Frederik and Lena Meijer Student Internships to continue their work at VARI this summer. Natalie, a track and field stand-out at Aquinas (and 2007’s Outstanding Biology graduate), will work at VARI as a full-time research technician until she begins medical school in August 2008. The other students will continue to broaden their scientific backgrounds as well, Audrey in a summer research project with

Student News

Students Share Their VARI Research Experiences

Student News

20

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Dr. Tom Bahl at Aquinas and Rebecca in medical school at Michigan State University.

We hope this collaborative program will enable future Aquinas students to complement classroom learning with hands-on experience in this worldclass research facility. Dr. Jennifer Hess, assistant professor of biology at Aquinas, and Dr. Troy Giambernardi, research scientist at VARI, developed opportunities for the students. We want to thank him for his help in setting up this opportunity and the principal investigators at VARI for their willingness to mentor our students.

Sara Kunz explains her independent study project.

AQ Biology Major Receives Summer Environmental Research Grant

J

AQ junior Molly Soper (l) and Dr. Summer Silvieus (r) received a grant to conduct environmental research at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute.

unior Molly Soper, Aquinas biology major, planned a summer-long trail walk after learning last spring that she was one of 16 college students selected for a research grant through the Undergraduate Research Grants for the Environment (URGE) program at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, a biological field station located near Hastings, south of Grand Rapids.

Soper, a Tri County High School graduate (Howard City, Mich.),.and her faculty mentor, Dr. Summer Silvieus, planned to create an interactive plant identification key that is specific to common plants along Pierce Cedar Creek trails. To do this, they will explore the plant communities near trails through the use of relevĂŠs and take detailed measurements from samples of plants of each species represented (A relevĂŠ is a useful technique that allows the researcher to quickly classify the diversity of plant cover in an area). By the end of the trail, the various measured and observed characteristics for each species will be compiled in an electronic database called DELTA. From the DELTA software, the files will be exported to Inteky and Navikey, which allow the information to be displayed via the Web. With this Web interface, the interactive plant key created by our input of measurements will allow a person to choose characteristics to examine and enter in their measurements from their unknown plant species sample.

The interactive key will than automatically eliminate unlikely species of the unknown based on their entry. In this process of entering characteristics and eliminating unlikely species possibilities, the identification of their unknown plant species will be revealed quickly along with a color photograph of the plant and its locations along the trails. The resulting plant identification key program is simple to use and would be available to the public via the Internet.

The URGE program, in its third year, provides a $3,000 stipend for students conducting summer research at the Institute, along with up to a $3,000 faculty mentor stipend that can be used for equipment purchases, general expenses, travel, or training needed for conducting the research project. Additionally, each grant award allows for up to $4,000 in room and board expenses for the student and faculty mentor. The student research work was scheduled between May and August.

The Biological Field Station is made up of a consortium of 13 Michigan and Indiana colleges and universities.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

21

F

ive AQ students were recognized last spring for their dedication and commitment to community service. The awards were presented during the eleventh annual Outstanding Student Service Awards hosted by the Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) on April 14, at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, Michigan.

Senior Justine Rau of Sparta, Michigan, received the Commitment to Service Award, which is given to one student per campus in the state of Michigan for

his/her breadth and/or depth of community service.

Sophomores Jessica Coffelt, Johanna Kessel, Claire O’Neill and Heidi Swihart received Heart and Soul Awards, which are given to students in recognition of their time, effort and personal commitment through service.

MCC annually awards students from the 25member colleges and universities across the state for their outstanding commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

(l to r): Amy Smitter, executive director of Michigan Campus Compact; AQ senior Justine Rau who received the Commitment to Service Award; and Don Tuski, chairman of the Michigan Campus Compact Board and president of Olivet College.

(l to r): Amy Smitter; sophomores Heidi Swihart, Johanna Kessel and Jessica Coffelt; who recieved Heart and Soul Awards and Don Tuski. Not pictured: Sophomore Claire O’Neill who also received a Heart and Soul Award.

CE Grad Recognized for Two Achievements For Marilyn King, a continuing education graduate in the School of Education, the May 5 commencement ceremonies concluded an exceptional week. Two days before receiving her degree, King was honored as a community hero by the American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids. Utilizing her first aid training, she resuscitated a student who had collapsed during her son’s cross country meet. King is currently teaching in Greenville Public Schools.

King with her crystal award from the American Red Cross.

King is hooded at commencement.

Student News

AQ Students Honored for Community Service by MCC

Student News

22

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

2007 Outstanding Adult Learner Award Stephen Vander Laan, a senior theology major,

was honored by the Grand Rapids Higher Education Network (GRAHEN) at its Eighth Annual Outstanding Adult Learner Award ceremony on April 11. Vander Laan was selected as AQ’s Outstanding Adult Learner for the 2006-2007 academic year. Pictured with VanderLaan is Brenda Hennink ‘96, director of adult student recruitment.

GRAHEN is a consortium of 14 west Michigan schools that offer degree-granting programs for adults.

Aquinas is one of GRAHEN’s founding members.

AQ Honors Outstanding Continuing Education Students On March 14, four outstanding continuing education scholars were inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society.

Attendees were entertained by the AQ Chamber Strings in Bukowski Chapel. The ceremony was presided over by: C Edward Balog Ph.D., Interim President; JoAnne Gorant, Chairperson of the CE committee; Monica Tyler, Iota Iota Chapter member of Alpha Sigma Lambda and Deborah Wickering Ph.D., faculty advisor.

The Iota Iota chapter was established to acknowledge the academic achievement of CE students and their ability to overcome the barriers of work and family to return to school and advance their education. To join the honor society, students must have completed 24 graded semester hours and be in the top 10 percent of the group of qualified students. Aquinas College is one of two colleges in Michigan recognizing adult learners in this manner.

Inductees pictured with President Balog(r) are (l to r); Lisa Townsend, Jeremy Block, David Feddes and Kim VanderLende.

Sigma Beta Delta Inductees – 2007 S

everal students were inducted into the business honor society Sigma Beta Delta on May 4. Family members, friends and individuals from the Aquinas community attended the ceremony. Members of the Business Department faculty planned and took part in the ceremony held in Bukowski Chapel. The inductees were (L-R):Douglas N. Reinholtz, Angela Marie Matzke, Maureen E. Hanley, Joshua B. Fassett, Mariel Cecelia Borgman, Tanja Barunovic and Steven Joseph Bonventre.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

23

W

hat happens when you combine AQ alumna Cindy Brown ’88, 25 Aquinas students and The 1913 Room at the Amway Grand Plaza?

No, this isn’t one of those odd essay questions and it’s easily answered! The annual AQ Business and Accounting League Etiquette Dinner results in great advice on manners in a truly fine dining atmosphere.

The dinner has become a fixture on the League’s annual calendar after it occurred to the group’s officers that there isn’t a class entitled “Knife and Fork 101.” Helpful tips include what to do with that pesky olive pit, how to butter rolls correctly, and – of course – which fork to use.

Brown, who also helps with the AQ Student Ambassadors, offers helpful advice beyond these tips, designed to make the business dining experience a pleasure, not a chore.

This year’s dinner set a new standard, with The 1913 Room staff doing everything possible to make the evening memorable. The group received a warm welcome from Amway Properties CEO Joe Tomaselli, stellar treatment from the wait staff and an overview of the fine dining experience from maitre d’ Denis.

From the amuse bouche to the crème brùlee, all agreed that a spoonful of really great food and advice from a devoted alumna make a great lesson all the more memorable!

Students learn dining etiquette in fine fashion.

Joe Tomaselli, CEO of Amway Hotel Properties, welcomes members of the League to the 1913 Room restaurant, as Cindy Ann (Grembowski ’88) Brown, the League’s program coordinator and Human Resources Manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, listens.

Members of the AQ Business and Accounting LeaguVAe pose in the Amway Grand lobby.

Student News

Business and Accounting League Etiquette Dinner

Student News

24

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

SIFE Takes on the Nation

By Ken Czop, NaviLife Team Leader, Junior

E

verything’s bigger in Texas, especially the trophies. Fresh off a Regional competition victory in Chicago (March 19), the Aquinas College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team traveled to the Lone Star State for the 2007 SIFE National Exposition.

The pickings were slim, with more than 100 teams whittled down to only one in two days. The heat of AQ SIFE’s regional the Dallas sun was more championship trophy than a fitting metaphor for the competition’s spirit, with Aquinas’ SIFE team sweating it out while preparing for battle.

The competitive format consisted of an annual report (detailing the club’s exploits for the year), and a live audio/visual presentation where the teams elaborated on the impacts made on five topics: market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, personal success skills and business ethics.

The first-round draw for Aquinas was tough, forcing the Saints to face-off against the third-ranked team in the nation, the University of Arizona.

“Big schools don’t scare me,” said junior Brad VandenBroeck, “they just fall harder.”

His words echoed the sentiment among the AQ team, who knew they had a few secret weapons up their sleeves. These included Toyota Production Systems (the new way of supply-chain management), NaviLife (ensuring orderly exiting in a fire by LED lights), Clean Water (working on a bacteriostatic unit for holding water), Nutrition (keeping Kent County on the right track), Wind Energy (providing a residentially safe, renewable source of energy), and Dollars and Sense (working with children to ensure financial literacy). Other schools boasted budgets

One of the SIFE teams is working to develop a fully– recycleable wind turbine.

larger than $300,000, but Aquinas’ $3,000 went a long way in providing for the highest quality of projects to woo the judges.

When all was said and done, Aquinas singlehandedly eliminated four other teams before being edged out by the behemoth that was the University of Arizona (who ultimately placed second in the nation). Although the competition may have ended prematurely for AQ, the judge’s comments showed that the Aquinas SIFE team is a force to be reckoned with. One judge even noted on her comment card to SIFE officials that if Aquinas stays on the same track they’ve been on this year, they’ll be “absolutely unstoppable.”

The placement of first runner-up earned Aquinas a ranking of 26th in the nation, which will be tested in next year’s Regional Conference, taking place in early 2008. Until then, in keeping with the Texan saying, AQ SIFE will be looking to make a bigger impact on the SIFE organization, the metro Grand Rapids area and the world.

The 2006-2007 SIFE Project Team Members TPS Team Bradley Vandenbroeck, junior Roland Vandenbroeck, senior Colin Knue, junior Chris Somers, junior Mitchell Hoffman, freshman Matt Coppiellie, senior Mac Piggott Bryan Smith, freshman Eric Tanis, junior

Wind Power Ben VanGessel, senior Peter Gole, senior Hillary Bisnett, junior Justin Malone, senior Katie O’Brien Finance Literacy Paola Moncada, freshman Jeremy Walker, junior Matt Werksma, sophomore

NaviLife Lindsey Skinner, junior Katie Seastrom, junior Blaire Baker, junior Ken Czop, sophomore Nutrition Katie Lehman, sophomore Caitlin English, sophomore Jamal Beydoun, junior

Clean Water Isabel Nelson, freshman Brad Bosserman, freshman Mary Duprie, sophomore Jeremy Walker, senior Rebecca Goh, freshman Dan Perkins, freshman

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

25

FACULTY NOTES… Dr. Michaeleen Kelly, chair and professor in the Department of Philosophy,

Dr. Michaeleen Kelly

Dr. Roger Durham, chair of the political science department, and Dr. Eric

Zeemering ’01 will publish a chapter entitled “Expanding the Scope of Policy Leadership through Networks: Grand Rapids, Michigan.” This research on Mayor George Heartwell and Grand Rapids politics will appear in the text The Facilitative Leader in City Hall: Reexamining the Scope and Contributions edited by James Svara of the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. The book will be published by Taylor and Francis publishers. Dr. Zeemering finished his Ph.D. at Indiana University in spring 2007 and has accepted a tenure-track position with San Francisco State University.

Dr. Roger Durham

A

quinas says thanks and best wishes to two retiring employees. Chuck Frydrych ’63, professor of physics, was recently honored by the Board of Trustees with the designation “professor emeritus.” Frydrych came to Aquinas in 1967, thus completing 40 years of teaching. Also retiring this past academic year was Susan Gerrity ’68, who came to back to Aquinas in 1990 to serve as director of the Child Development Center, which opened in 1989.

Susan and husband, Dan Gerrity, also a 1968 Aquinas grad who is retired, plan to travel.

Susan Geritty and Chuck Frydrych

A

quinas welcomes Randy Wyatt to Grand Rapids as the College’s visiting assistant professor of theatre, replacing Tony Guest, who left for a position in Virginia. Wyatt received his MFA in Directing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is a playwright as well as director and has a collection of short plays that were recently released. He also has monologues and scenes published in various anthologies. His plays have been performed and have won recognition in many places around the nation. Randy has taught theatre and improvisation at several universities and has coached improv teams for more than 12 years.

Randy Wyatt

Faculty News

traveled to Prague in May to present her paper “A New Paradigm for Understanding the Right to Asylum: Responses to Arendt and Derrida” at the colloquium on Philosophy and the Social Sciences. The event was held at the Institute of Philosophy at the Czech Academy of the Sciences in Prague.

26

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Faculty News

English Professor Examines “Dangerous Words” of Religious Language

By Gary Eberle, Department Chair/Professor of English Dangerous Words: Talking About God in an Age of Fundamentalism (Boston: Trumpeter/Shambhala, 2007)

R

eligious language can be the linguistic equivalent of nitroglycerine. A little three-letter word like God, for example, is so complex, so intertwined with various identities, so ultimately indefinable, that using it can be like throwing a hand grenade, regardless of your intentions.

I started working on this book four years ago, but I have been thinking about this subject for a long time. As someone who considers himself spiritual, I have long been disturbed by the way religious language has been used in our culture and in the world to create division and enmity rather than peace and harmony. I decided to study and think about how we use certain “dangerous words” like God, truth, religion and so on. I then tried to get at what those words really mean, where they came from, and how they went so wrong in many cases.

An early reader has written, “Others have noted the linguistic problem in religious discourse, but no one has approached it in Gary Eberle’s way: taking a few of the more

Gary Eberle with his published works

problematical words and wrestling with them until he comes to understand their history and etymology deeply. Getting there with him is fun, but it also provides a sound foundation for anyone involved in the culture wars today, by tracing the meanings of the words that cause so many problems for us, and in some cases revealing surprises

Over the course of the book, the author examines the following problematical, lightning-rod words, one per chapter: truth, modernism, fundamentalism, myth, religion, tradition, God, and silence. He concludes in his final chapter, ‘Silence’, that the way religious discourse can best proceed is when its partisans, on both sides of the issues, understand the limitations of words as they debate them.”

My original idea was to examine how fundamentalists use these words, but in the last two years a new movement has arisen called “neoatheism” led by writers like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. I think these modern atheists are as wrong, in their way, as the fundamentalists in their approach to God and God-language. I hope that my book will serve as a bridge between fundamentalism and atheism, enabling us to really talk with each other instead of just shouting and lobbing bombs.

Eberle will speak on the subject at the September 11 Aquinas Lecture Series Program, 12:30–1:30 p.m., Wege Center Ballroom.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

27

Democracy and the Citizen-Soldier

By John C. Pinheiro, Ph.D., Professor of History

I

“Manifest Ambition” examines relations among the president, Congress and the U.S. Army during the war in light of Jacksonian democratic politics and the citizensoldier tradition. A host of factors, but especially political ambition, marred these relationships. In the end, President Polk’s ability to overcome his partisan leanings, along with his micro-management of the war effort, helped avoid both a prolonged occupation and the annexation of “All Mexico.”

By 1848, Americans had come to realize that in their burgeoning democracy, generals and politicians could scarcely resist the temptation to use war for partisan gain.

You can check out the new book at http:// www.greenwood.com/catalog/C8409.aspx

Faculty News

n 2003, I accepted an offer from the editors of Praeger’s In War and Peace: U.S. Civil-Military Relations series to write their Mexican War volume. The resulting book, “Manifest Ambition: James K. Polk and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War,” was published in March 2007.

The Mexican War of 1846–1848 is perhaps best known for the invaluable experience it provided to future Civil War officers and as an example of America’s drive to fulfill her “Manifest Destiny.” Yet it was more than a training ground or bold imperialist move. The Mexican War tested civilian control of the military and challenged traditional assumptions about the army’s role in American society.

28

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Alumni News

Alumni Director’s Message

Dear AQ Alumni,

B

efore I start my letter to you, I’d like to offer congratulations. On May 23, the Aquinas College Board of Trustees announced Dr. C. Edward Balog as our sixth president of Aquinas College. On behalf of over 18,000 alumni, we congratulate President Balog and look forward to the very steady hand he will provide us as we continue to “make all the difference in the world.”

On May 5, we welcomed over 500 new AQ alumni to our ranks. As I congratulated every new graduate with an AQ Alum pin, my head started to put together a wonderful image. I could be congratulating the future CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I could be passing along an AQ Alum pin to the next researcher who will discover the cure for a deadly disease. I could be looking right in the eyes of someone who will see the world four or five times over on business or service trips. I could be shaking the hands of someone who will write the next best selling novel. I could be hugging the next Teacher of the Year award winner.

Proudly, an AQ alumni~ Rene Palileo ’98, Director Alumni and Parent Relations

All I could do was smile.

I write this because that image is what Aquinas College alumni have done already. I get a chance to hear those success stories on a weekly basis. The Alumni Office receives tidbits of information in the mail, when I send out an AQ Leaflet, I ask for people to get reconnected with Aquinas College.

And I sit in awe of the landscape.

I have had the chance to congratulate our new alumni and welcome them to our ranks at the last four commencements, but what an even better feeling is it to sit and be proud of the other alumni that have walked these halls.

So, I take this opportunity to stop and congratulate all of you who have graduated from this great school we know as Aquinas College.

Congratulations on your accomplishments and successes and on the life you have chosen to live.

We are very proud of you and we welcome you back home, anytime.

Thanks for continuing the good work that has begun.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

29

AQ Bites into the Big Apple A

Manhattan to find ways to reconnect with the college.

Plans are already being made for next year’s alumni gathering. For information or the opportunity to provide suggestions, or if you would like to help organize an alumni reception in your area, please call (616) 632-2493 or e-mail alumni@aquinas.edu.

Thomas Brayman ‘92, Patrick Hennesy ‘71 and John Messer ‘91 at the New York area alumni reception.

Brian Malone ‘69 and wife, Nancy, reconnect with Sr. Lucianne Siers ‘72 (C) at the NYC-area alumni reception.

Alumni News

Q alumni from the New York area gathered June 8 for beverages, food and a lot of reminiscing about Aquinas College. Almost two dozen alumni and friends joined Sr. Alice Wittenbach ’60, coordinator of Alumni Reunions and René Palileo ’98, director of Alumni and Parent Relations, in downtown

NYC-area AQ alumni gather in Times Square.

30

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

AQ Alum Makes NFL History

Alumni News

By Marty Fahey APR, MM ’06, Staff

Most sports spectators are guilty of it at one

time or another. You know what I’m talking about.

“What kind of call was that, ref?” “Where did he get his officiating credentials? I could do a better job.”

It might look easy from the stands or from the sofa in front of a television screen, but it’s not. Ask Dino Paganelli ’90, a physical education teacher and coach at Rogers High School in Wyoming, Michigan. He knows first-hand what it’s like in the middle of it all and what people say. Last year, he joined an exclusive club, becoming one of 120 officials in the National Football League (NFL).

His promotion to the top officiating ranks not only placed him in a tie as one of the youngest NFL officials, but also got his name in NFL history.

His older brothers, Perry, 49 (uniform #46), and Carl Jr., 47 (#124), are long time league officials.

Together, the three Paganellis became the first trio of brothers to work an NFL season.

Dino, 39 (#105), who officiated ten years in the Big Ten, recalls his first year in the professional ranks as memorable. He said the speed and athleticism in the NFL versus college-level play surprised him the most.

“The season was fun, exciting, challenging, but long,” he said. For officials, each season begins with training in July, followed by pre-season, the regular season and then the Super Bowl in January/ February. Staying sharp and productive for 17 weeks, he admits, is tough.

“To think you’re going to go 17 weeks without any errors or struggles, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “You know you’re going to hit a wall.

And when you do, the goal is not to drop your performance, but work through it.”

Dino said his goal was always to become a Big Ten official. He never imagined officiating in the NFL. Dino finished his Big Ten career working the 2006 NCAA Rose Bowl game between USC and Texas. He said he misses the Saturday afternoon college games-the fans and the excitement that’s generated in college stadiums.

From an officiating standpoint, he says the difference between amateur and professional football is that college officiating is a career, the NFL a job.

In the NFL, each official is assigned to a ninemember officiating crew for the season. The day before a game each crew reviews video tapes, NFL memos, prepares for the assigned games and review rules. Crew members also review tapes and memos in the days that follow each game, too.

It’s a Saturday through Wednesday job, Paganelli noted.

“Travel is tough. It will wear on you and you have to deal with it,” Dino said. Often it can take a toll on family life.

Dino Paganelli ’90 during his first NFL pre-season game between Chicago and San Francisco in August 2006.

Photo Credit: Bill Nichols Photo Service, All Rights Reserved

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

for the NFL as a supervisor at Ford Field and is a supervisor of officials for the Mid-American Conference.

It’s unlikely that the Paganelli brothers will ever work a regular season or Super Bowl together, since Dino and Perry are both backfield judges.

However, he says, it could happen in a specially assigned pre-season game.

As this magazine hits the mail, Dino’s second season as an NFL official is just getting underway.

He wants to stay in the NFL and works hard to maintain a high level of excellence.

“You’ve got to perform on the field,” Dino said.

“You have to stay physically fit, current with the rules–a combination of things.” And, he adds, “As difficult as it is to get in, once you get in, it is as difficult to stay, what with league’s performance standards and pressure–it’s a job.”

And about those questionable officiating calls?

Dino said the officials on the field do their best to stay sharp. “Work on rules,” he said. “You can never stop getting better on rules. There’s a need to continue to strive to understand the game and its complexity.”

(l to r) Carl, Jr; Dino; Carl, Sr.; and Perry Paganelli.

Credit: Photo by Lance Wynn. Copyright 2006 The Grand Rapids Press. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission

Paganelli brothers Carl Jr. (l) and Perry leave the field following the 2007 Super Bowl.

Alumni News

“Without my wife’s support, I wouldn’t be successful,” he confided. Dino and his wife, Christy (Jaklinski ’93) (pictured above), have three kids: Brady, 8; Jake, 6; and Katelyn, who was born in February.

“They know the sacrifices. The kids are good with it,” he notes, adding, “I can’t say enough about my wife, my best friend and supporter.”

He holds a special place in his heart for Aquinas, too. He found it to be a warm, inviting campus community during the late 1980s/early 1990s that provided memorable experiences and some great life lessons.

Still, the greatest influence on his life, Dino said, came from his parents, Mary and Carl Paganelli, Sr. “They were supportive of everything we (brothers) did, were always honest and set a positive example for us to live by as role models.”

Dino’s father, Carl Sr., began the family’s officiating tradition back in the early 1960s. He worked in the United States Football League, the XFL and Arena Football. He, too, works

31

32

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Pete Bishop ’58 Earns PGA Membership at 70

By Vartan Kupelian, Reporter for The Detroit News Reprinted with permission from The Detroit News

Alumni News

L

loyd “Pete” Bishop, an Aquinas graduate from the class of 1958, says he’s an overachiever.

“I’ve always played athletics,” said Bishop, who has survived leukemia for 30 years. “I’m a little guy, so there was always some big guy knocking me down. I had to figure out ways to get around that.”

For Bishop, that meant a lifetime of setting goals and beating the odds. But even he acknowledges his latest quest was a little more daunting than he had anticipated.

Bishop, 70, was the oldest in a class of 86 new PGA professionals from 37 states to “graduate” at the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., last February.

He is the fourth-oldest apprentice to gain membership in the PGA of America, and the oldest since the opening of the PGA Education Center in 2001.

In the last six years, 3,094 candidates from 48 states and seven countries have graduated. Bishop’s pursuit easily is the most unique and inspirational.

“If I knew five years ago what I had to go through, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” he said. “I’m very proud that I finished it. Finishing is very important to me.

“I’m a Class-A, card-carrying PGA professional.”

Bishop spent a career in education. He is an adjunct professor at Saginaw Valley State (kinesiology). He began that career when he retired after 32 years as a principal, athletic director, coach and teacher in high school, the last 20 at Saginaw Buena Vista.

Bishop has suffered from leukemia and shingles for three decades. The illnesses have been controlled by chemotherapy, medication and high-protein infusions to help his immune system. That he has survived and conquered says everything about his spirit and will.

After Bishop retired, he became a partner at Green Acres Golf Club in Bridgeport, near his home in Frankenmuth, Mich., where he lives with his wife, Pam. His job description was chief cook, bottle washer, general manager, head pro – everything and anything.

Three years later, Bishop sold his interest in Green Acres, and having no desire to get out of the golf business, went to work at The Fortress (Frankenmuth) for head professional Mark Black, a Master PGA professional.

Bishop became an instructor on the range at The Fortress in 2001, and one thing led to another.

“I always wanted in the back of my mind to be a member of the PGA – not a playing member,” Bishop said. “I thought, ‘if I’m going to be here at this place, I’d better have the right credentials.’ I decided to go ahead and get into the program.”

In the early 1990s, the PGA of America revamped its business school program to more closely resemble a college curriculum. The goal was to better prepare young professionals for the challenges of the 21st century. There are three components of the program: people, business and the game.

“I enjoyed being part of the program,” Bishop said.

“It’s a wonderful organization. I’m fortunate to be able to put that (PGA) logo on my bag and my business cards.”

Because of his physical limitations, Bishop was allowed to split his required 36-hole playing ability test (PAT) into four nine-hole rounds at Sawmill Golf Club in Saginaw (“He had to petition the PGA because the disabilities from the blood diseases won’t allow him to play 36 holes in one segment,” Black said.).

The target score for passing is 155. Bishop shot 3939-38-37 for a 153 total.

In addition to his degree from Aquinas, Bishop earned a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in higher education from Michigan State.

“I have always loved the game of golf,” Bishop said.

“As a teacher, it is a natural fit for me. I wanted to give back to the game.”

Bishop had to attend three schools and study at three levels consisting of seminars and 130 hours of preparatory work. A final project is to solve a golf industry problem. Bishop’s study was on skin cancer.

When the final presentations were completed and membership was bestowed on the successful candidates, Bishop received a standing ovation.

“When they called my name, the kids went crazy,” Bishop said. “It was very emotional, just a wonderful experience.”

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

33

2007 Alumni Award Honorees

Three alumni will be honored for their contributions to Aquinas and their communities. This year’s recipients will be honored at the Hall of Fame Gala on Friday, September 28, 2007, in the Wege Student Center Ballroom. They are:

Alumni News

Paul Winchester ’75 Outstanding Alumni of the Year

Dr. Lee E. Jacokes ‘61 Distinguished Service Award

Paul is a retired senior vice president for Irwin Seating, Grand Rapids. His commitment to community and professionalism propelled Irwin Seating into the outstanding position it is in today.

Dr. Jacokes dedicated 40 years of his professional life to Aquinas College.

He retired three years ago, but has maintained active involvement in the College.

He continues to assist Aquinas in fundraising and development activities.

John Rice ’99 Alumni Association Board Member of the Year

John Rice has been recognized by the Alumni Association Board of Directors as the Board Member of the Year 2007 for his work as chairperson of the Alumni/Admissions Committee and his overall work on behalf of the Alumni Association.

34

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

41st Annual Alumni Association Golf Outing 2007

Alumni News

Neither the threat of rain nor the approach of strong winds

materialized Monday, June 4, creating a memorable day for golf at Grand Rapids’ Thousand Oaks Golf Course. That just happened to be the time for the 41st Annual Alumni Association Golf Outing. Thousand Oaks was filled with Aquinas College alumni, trustees, faculty and staff, recording one of the largest turnouts for the event in five years.

Through the generosity of presenting sponsors, Tom and Joyce Wisner, and a special entertainment venue that can only be described as amazing, the outing achieved new levels of excitement. Michelle Bottrall ’97 graciously sponsored the entertainment portion of the golf outing, which showcased golf trick-shot artist and long distance champion Ben Witter (left), who dazzled the participants with 370–yard drives from the back of the driving range and 300–yard drives with a bent putter. And just when the crowd thought the skill was limited to distance, Ben balanced himself off a fitness ball and tossed the ball up with a sand wedge, in one hand and with his driver in the other, hit the golf ball in mid–air for around 300 yards.

All in all, participants enjoyed an afternoon of fun in an event that has become a classic summertime routine for Aquinas’ alumni.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

35

Alumni News

AQ board chairman Pat Miles Jr ’88 (l) partners with his dad, Pat Sr. ’95, for the annual outing.

AQ business professor John Hogan slams one down the fairway.

A championship pose (l to r): Matt Eldred, Justin Smith ’98, Peter Smith, Ryan Smith ’00.

Alumni News

36

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

37

Alumni Breakfast: More Fun in Store T

he spring Alumni Breakfast has become a wonderful tradition, drawing in approximately 180 alumni from around the community. Get your pen out – the 2008 breakfast is already scheduled for Tuesday March 18, 2008. You do need a reservation to attend. We anticipate over 200 alumni attending next spring. The spring event has become so popular

there has been a suggestion of beginning a fall “Happy Hour” event. We are forming the planning committees now. If you are interested, please call Cecilia A. Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund, at (616) 632-2816 or Julie Marchese, coordinator of the Aquinas Fund, at (616) 632-2804.

John Otterbacher, Ph.D. ’66

“After eight visits to surgery in eight months, ‘heart transplant’ is working its way into conversations with John’s doctor. John and Barbara are talking about going sailing instead.”

Sailing Grace ( www.sailing-grace.com), a recently published book by Aquinas alumnus John Otterbacher ’66, chronicles his family’s journey from his first heart attack to their dropping anchor in Schull Harbor, Ireland, 31 months and 3000 miles later. In John’s words, “This is a multi-layered story of hope and survival. It is also a love story and a metaphysical adventure. Death is a very clear mirror.”

“While it may seem counterintuitive to go to sea with a damaged heart, Barbara and I saw it as an invitation to spend all of our time with our two youngest children and to explore not only faraway places, but also that deeper, unimagined life.

Writing it down helped me realize how love heals, dreams energize and trauma can be a wake-up call.”

In this spirit, the Sufi mystic, Rumi, appears with words very appropriate to Sailing Grace:

“The morning breeze has secrets to tell you.

Do not go back to sleep.”

Alumni News

Sailing Grace: An Interview with John Otterbacher

38

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Homecoming/Reunion Weekend 2007

Alumni News

S

o, what is on everyone’s calendar for the last weekend in September? What is that big red AQ on Sept. 28, 29 and 30? Well, it’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend! It’s a time when campus is filled with hundreds of alumni who return to visit with their classmates, their favorite faculty and staff members and to see the next generation of AQ alumni making their way to graduation. For those who are members of the classes of 1962, ’67, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97 and 2002, the weekend will be filled with AQ memories revisited. For more information, please see the insert in this magazine or go to www.aquinas.edu/alumni

Retirement is Sweet Music for AQ Alums F

or 125 years, the Basilica of Saint Adalbert has stood as a pillar church in the heart of Grand Rapids.

And for almost 50 of those 125 years, the parish has benefited from the talents of Joseph A. Westdorp as the organist and director of the adult vocal and handbell choirs, and his wife, Kathleen, as the director of the children’s vocal and handbell choirs. Now, after 48 years, the couple decided to retire from their church responsibilities at the end of July 2007.

Joe attended Aquinas College after Catholic Central High School, but left just shy of graduation.

He later came back, to graduate in 1999 with a degree in Organ Performance. Kathy also graduated from Catholic Central, but went to the University of Michigan for two years before returning to Grand Rapids and Aquinas College. She also left before graduating and came back later to finish her degree in Music Education, graduating in 1980.

Being music directors, and for Joe, also the organist, requires a commitment that goes beyond the average 9-to-5 job. In the past nearly half century, the church has celebrated such milestones as being elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica in 1981 by Pope John Paul II; having the organ rebuilt and then dedicated to and in the name of Joe in 1999; and

celebrating the parish’s sesquicentennial (125 years) in 2006. All of these celebrations, as well as the dayto-day functions of the parish, involve the music department. There are rehearsals to run, performances to plan, conduct and accompany, as well as regularly scheduled Masses every Saturday, Sunday and holiday.

Asked what they will do with their “free” weekends, the reply was simply “be able to visit other churches. And just take retirement one day at a time.”

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

39

Begin a Legacy

By Paula (Bacarella ’75) Meehan, Dean of Admissions

(l to r): Amanda, Rick and Ashley

proudly of their dad, who was an All-American baseball player for AQ. (see the story on page 48.)

Both Amanda and Ashley themselves were and are AQ athletes. Ashley is a 2006 Aquinas graduate who played basketball for AQ and Amanda is a member of the current softball team.

“Our dad loved his experience at Aquinas and is so excited and proud to have both of his daughters attend his alma mater,” said Amanda.

We continue to grow. Record-setting enrollments for the last four years are an indication that the college is thriving. Alums and their children form a bond after a family visit to AQ. They begin to feel part of the family tradition when they enroll at AQ. Bring your children back to AQ. They will indulge your reminiscing and begin to understand their own place at your alma mater. Best of all, we have a scholarship reserved specifically for them, because of you. Check out the 2007–2008 AQDays dates at Aquinas.edu, and bring your children to campus. We will roll out the red carpet.

Admissions

Those college years at AQ sure were great, weren’t they? Four amazing years of classroom challenges, debates with faculty, hours in the library, three squares in Wege cafeteria, IM football, cheering for the Tommies, all nighters in Regina or St. Joes, dissecting frogs in Albertus or traying down Regina Bowl. The list is endless.

Rarely does a week goes by without an alum calling, dropping by or e-mailing me to let me know how much they would love to have their son or daughter attend AQ. We, in Admissions, love to meet with legacy students. They already seem to have an affinity for the College. Alums who bring their children back to visit are like kids in a candy store. As they move through the tour, they all have favorite places they want to check out again for old time’s sake. Invariably, they end up at the bookstore looking to replace a sweatshirt from the seventies that they never quite could send to Goodwill.

When alums visit campus after a long hiatus, their mouths usually drop when they see all of the facility changes. Most notably, the Performing Arts Center, the Grace Hauenstein Library and the campus apartments. And, the looks on their faces when we stop by the Cook Carriage House to treat them to a cup of coffee at the newly renovated Moose Café are absolutely priceless. Many remember that as being a building that had, at one time, been condemned.

Best of all is the affirmation from the legacy student themselves. We hear things like “visiting here helps me understand why my parents really love this place.” The next thing you know we are talking about majors that didn’t exist when their parents were here, housing options that are unique to AQ and study abroad programs that have grown way beyond Ireland, France and Spain. Giving service in Oaxaca, Peru, Appalachia and Honduras were not options when we were students.

Amanda and Ashley Heuvelman are two examples of AQ legacy students. Their dad, Rick, is a 1979 graduate of AQ. When I talked with Ashley and Amanda recently, they lit up as they spoke

40

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

AQ ADMISSIONS ACTIVITIES 2007 – 2008 GENERAL AQ DAYS Friday, August 24, 2007: Ballroom – 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Friday, November 2, 2007: Ballroom – 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Friday, November 16, 2007: Ballroom – 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Admissions

Friday, April 18, 2008: Ballroom – 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

SPECIAL AQ DAYS Friday, November 9, 2007: SCIENCE/NURSING/MATH AQ DAY– Ballroom – 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, December 7, 2007: LEADERSHIP AQ DAY – Ballroom – 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 19, 2008: ATHLETIC AQ DAY – Ballroom – 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, March 28, 2008: FINE ARTS AQ DAY – Performing Arts Center – 9:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

CLUB AQ Sunday – Monday, November 18-19, 2007 - Ballroom – Sun., 2:30 p.m. – Mon., 1 p.m.

Sunday – Monday, January 20-21, 2008 – Ballroom - Sun., 2:30 p.m. – Mon., 1 p.m.

Friday – Saturday, February 15-16, 2008 – DONNELLY UPPER – Fri., 8 a.m. – Sat., Spectrum Competition Sunday – Monday, March 16-17, 2008 – Ballroom - Sun., 2:30 p.m. – Mon., 1 pm SPECTRUM SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION Saturday, February 16, 2008 – SPECTRUM SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION – ALL CAMPUS – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

41

Emeritus Evening Honors Longtime AQ Supporter

By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer

May was a significant month for Lyle Morrison

Dr. Ed Balog congratulates Lyle Morrison ’52 on receiving The Emeritus Award.

Morrison’s daughter Susan Vander Veen also spoke. She said there are two words to describe her dad: generous and selfless. “My father always put others first and always gives back.”

Before reading the Emeritus College citation commending Morrison’s leadership, generosity and spirit of service in the community, Aquinas president C. Edward Balog reminisced about his first interaction with Morrison.

“Lyle was on the board of trustees search committee when I was hired as provost,” he recalled.

“I thought, if this college has trustees like this, this is where I want to be.”

Morrison, in his acceptance speech, thanked everyone for their kind words and expressed his great pleasure in having his wife, Gail, and his family there with him. He recalled that he was one of 144 returning veterans in his 426-member freshman class at Aquinas, and that he had chosen the school because he wanted to attend a Catholic college. And, “where else could a 5’6” guy make the basketball team?”

“I’ve probably known Lyle longer than everyone in this room. I knew him as a student at Aquinas,” said Sr. Mary Aquinas Weber, O.P. during her speech.

“We are here to honor you, Lyle. This world, this community, needs more Lyle Morrisons.”

Emeritus College

this year. Not only did he reach trustee emeritus status after serving on the Aquinas board of trustees for nine years, but he also received the Emeritus Award at a sold-out dinner given in his honor.

Morrison, a 1952 graduate of Aquinas College, has a long and committed relationship to the College that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Lyle Morrison was a very deserving recipient of the Emeritus Award, especially given his longstanding service and devotion to Aquinas College,” said Patrick Miles, AQ board of trustee’s chair. “He is passionate about Aquinas.”

Trustee Luis Tomatis, M.D., backed up that statement. “If they operate on him, they will find ‘AQ’ on his heart,” he said during the reception.

“I’m so overjoyed and humbled, I can’t stand it,” Morrison said with a broad smile as he mingled with well-wishers at the reception. “Really, it’s such an honor.”

Morrison found out he was this year’s recipient when Dr. Albert Lewis, director of the Emeritus College, invited him to lunch. “I was completely surprised. One minute I was eating soup, and the next I learned I was receiving the Emeritus Award.”

Emeritus Evening speakers included friends Ron Urbanski, who told a heartwarming story about Morrison as a young and enthusiastic life insurance salesman, and Mike Jandernoa, who first met Morrison in 1974.

“He didn’t preach about his faith, but he led by example and action. He would be in the dictionary when you talk about being a Christian,” Jandernoa said.

42

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Emeritus Student Digs the Past

Emeritus College

W

hen Emeritus student Joanne Wood signed up for a course on the archaeology of the Grand River Valley with Grand Valley State University (GVSU) archaeologist Dr. Janet Brashler, little did she know that she would soon have an opportunity to work on a real archaeological dig. Joanne has long had an interest in archaeology that began in her childhood when her father discovered prehistoric stone tools in his garden in Gun Plains Township in southwest Michigan. After many years of wondering about the people who left these objects, Joanne was delighted when the Emeritus College began offering archaeology courses several years ago.

In the summer of 2006, Joanne joined a group of avocational archaeologists under Dr. Brashler’s direction for two Saturdays when they excavated a portion of a prehistoric settlement in Muskegon County. In addition to learning how to identify artifacts like stone flakes produced when tools are made, and small potsherds that look like clumps of dirt to the untrained eye, Joanne also learned the painstaking process of excavating with a trowel and how to measure and record data for later analysis.

Now she’s hooked. Joanne looks forward to future opportunities to work with Dr. Brashler as they “dig the past.”

Joanne records soil color and features of an excavation unit.

GVSU archaeologist Dr Janet Brashler works with an unidentified volunteer in the background.

Joanne screens excavated soil in search of artifacts.

Mardi Gras Fundraiser

A mardi gras party, chaired by Rosie (Hickey ’58) Zant and Nancy Erhardt was sponsored by the

Emeritus College on February 16, 2007. The party drew over 120 participants who dined on heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts and special chocolates. A cash bar and the piano music of Aquinas professor Roger MacNaughton brought a joyful lightness to the evening. The ticket price for the event included a raffle, with a 50” Hitachi Plasma TV as the top prize. A Steelcase Think Chair and a gourmet dinner for eight prepared by Rabbi Al Lewis and Father Mark Przybysz ’83 were among the other prizes. An added auction rounded out the evening with auctioneer and mistress of ceremonies, the Honorable Sara Smolenski, Grand Rapids District Court, aided by Ron Urbanski ’56 and Al Lewis “encouraged” the crowd. While the evening was a financial success, it was even more successful in acquainting more people with the Aquinas Emeritus College programs.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

43

A Night to Remember

Trustee Monsignor Bill Duncan addresses the crowd as Paulette and Robert Israels listen.

T

here is something magical about the Evening of Elegance. The 2007 spring event, held at Fairhill Estate presented by Robert and Paulette Israels and Steve and Cindy Van Andel, was another sold out affair with an extraordinary menu and guest list.

The creative delicacies designed by Chef Andrew and Karin Smith ’04 of Foodsmith transported guests to the East Coast shore with lobster rolls, oysters in champagne jelly and duck confit with cranberry chutney, among other tantalizing treats. The signature wines offered by Mr. and Mrs. Brys from Brys Estates, on Old Mission Peninsula were the perfect complement to the gourmet carte du jour.

The April 26 event raised nearly $140,000 toward

student scholarships through the Aquinas Fund. This year, the Founding Sponsor – The Wege Foundation – joined Presenting Sponsors Huntington Bank, Robert and Paulette Israels and Steven and Cindy Van Andel, along with nearly 60 other sponsors to make the event spectacular.

The Evening of Elegance 2007 was an exceptional experience. Not only did this event raise a significant amount for scholarships, but proceeds from the sale of the home where the event was held will be committed to the Child Discovery Center, a preschool and daycare center operated by Aquinas College and chartered under the authority of the Grand Rapids Public Schools. The estimated value is $3.8 million.

Florida Reception Brings out AQ Alumni and Friends

A

wonderful group of more than 70 alumni and friends of the College gathered at Mike and Sue Jandernoa’s beautiful Naples home at Grey Oaks in Febuary. Mike and Sue come by their passion for Aquinas naturally. Mike is a former trustee of the College. Sue grew up hearing her parents, Tom and Dorothy Zoellner, both of the class of 1950, extolling the virtues of their alma mater.

President Ed Balog and Chancellor Emerita Sr. Aquinas Weber traveled down to join in the festivities. Our deep gratitude goes to Huntington National Bank for underwriting the lovely evening.

Jim Dunlap, Huntington’s West Michigan President,

and his wife Kathy were special guests for the evening. Alumni living in the Naples area have started a terrific new tradition and we are already planning for the next Florida reception at the distinctive home of Bill and Karen Palmore ’89.

Karen is a current trustee of the College and is co-chair of the Comprehensive Campaign. We are targeting winter 2008 for the reception with details to follow. If you are interested in participating or receiving an invitation, please contact Cecilia A. Cunningham at (616) 632-2816 or e-mail her at cunnicec@aquinas.edu.

Advancement

President Ed Balog addresses more than 70 alumni and friends of Aquinas at the Naples reception.

(l to r) Maureen Nowak, Sue Jandernoa and newly elected Board of Trustees member Lt. General John Nowak ’63.

44

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

The Taste of Music Music department supporters enjoyed student art projects and lunch in the Art and Music Center before attending the Annual Spring Concert.

The Art and Music Center was the setting for

the annual Music Department Luncheon, April 22.

Department alumni and friends, current students and faculty enjoyed lunch before attending the Annual Spring Concert in the Krestchmer Recital Hall. Highlights of the lunch program included an

Music Department Luncheon guests included (l to r)(standing) Jean Hopkins Farrell, June Law Marshall, Bob Marshall, (seated) Eugene Hopkins, Joe McCargar, Barbara (Witham ’77) McCargar, Joe McCargar, Sr. Nathalie Meyer, O.P. ‘58 and Sr. Margaret Hillary, O.P. ’63.

announcement by chair Barbara Witham McCargar that a bequest had been received from the estate of Joanne Gnida ’90 that would provide over $200,000 to an endowment fund that will support department activities.

Aquinas Fund: The Wonderful Life at Aquinas!

Advancement

M

ost people are familiar with the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life in which George Bailey learns through adversity that his life really does have meaning. With George, we see the impact one person can have on others. Aquinas alumni are the George Baileys of communities across the nation – men and women who work hard to make a difference. They are business executives, educators, medical doctors, scientists, communications specialists, business owners, coaches, artists, attorneys and nurses, to name a few. They are you! Pause for a moment and think of the people, professors and other students, who made your experience worthwhile. Think of how you tried to juggle a job (or two) with your studies and perhaps an active social life as well! Current students face similar challenges, yet they know that an Aquinas

education will make all the difference, so most work hard to finish. Historically, even a full-pay student at Aquinas covers only about 60 percent of the actual cost of that education. So where does the rest come from? Alumni play a vital role in the financial support of the College and in particular the support of student scholarships. Please continue to support the Aquinas Fund, which raised nearly $1.8 million this past fiscal year. You are already making a difference in your family, at work and in the community. Make a difference here at Aquinas by contributing to the Aquinas Fund. Contributions are easy to make online at www.aquinas.edu/giving or call Cecilia A. Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund at (616) 632-2816.

Alumna Bissot ’50 Bequest Creates New Scholarship A

quinas students pursuing studies in math or science who are in need of financial aid will find a new scholarship opportunity available to them.

Barbara A. Bissot, a 1950 Aquinas graduate, passed away in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan in May. She left a bequest to the College, stipulating the money be used to aid students with interests in science or math. After receiving her B.A. degree from Aquinas, Bissot went on to earn an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She taught in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, a Department of Defense school in Germany and at Central Michigan University. Currently, about 90 percent of all Aquinas students receive some type of financial aid to attend Aquinas.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

45

2007 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Named The Aquinas College Athletic Department will

take place on Friday, September 28 as the kick-off induct five former athletes into its Hall of Fame to Homecoming Weekend festivities (September during the sixth annual Hall of Fame Gala, which will 29 – October 1).

The newest class consists of:

Dave Bartels ’78 (cross country and track) was an outstanding track and cross country performer from South Haven, Michigan.

Ann (Biermacher ’86) Stegehuis (women’s basketball) is the fifth leading scorer in AQ women’s basketball history.

Dan Pupel, Sr. ’58 (golf lifetime achievement award) has compiled a lifetime of achievement in golf as a player, coach and professional.

Rick Vryhof ’84 (men’s basketball) was an outstanding scorer in the early 1980s and was the fifth leading scorer in AQ men’s basketball history.

Athletics

Jesse Young ’75 (baseball) was a two-time NAIA All American as an outfielder leading the Saints to its first state championship and regional appearance in school history in 1974.

46

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Champion of Character Efforts Recognized

By Ronda Varnesdeel ’01, Staff

A

Her hard work and commitment to the softball team have helped set a precedent for the future of Aquinas softball. It is because of players like McCall that the Aquinas softball program has been so successful.

McCall graduated in May with honors and will continue her education at Central Michigan University, where she is pursing her master’s degree in Athletic Administration.

The Champions of Character team award was presented to head coach Dave Hammer and the Aquinas men’s basketball team. For the second consecutive year, the team advanced to the NAIA Division II Basketball National Championship in Branson, Missouri. The road to Nationals wasn’t easy for the Saints as they experienced numerous injuries and challenges throughout the season, thrusting many new and inexperience players into prominent roles. Despite the setbacks, the team was able to claim its first WHAC tournament championship in school history as well as garner more than 20 wins for the third consecutive year, an Aquinas first for the men’s basketball team. The team members and coaches exhibited true character as they persevered throughout the season, overcoming numerous challenges that resulted in a history–making season for the Saints.

Athletics

quinas College athletics is a part of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program, which focuses on the five core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership.

Each year the Aquinas College Athletic Department selects one student-athlete and one team from Aquinas that best exemplifies these five core values. This past spring the Aquinas Athletic Department honored senior softball player McCall Kleinfelt and the 2006 – 2007 Aquinas men’s basketball team.

Kleinfelt, a first baseman, team captain and fouryear starter on the AQ softball team, has exhibited continued leadership and commitment to her teammates throughout her career. McCall has proven herself as an outstanding athlete, being bestowed with All-Conference, All-Regional honors and NAIA Academic All-American McCall Kleinfelt honors, as well setting numerous Aquinas softball records, but more importantly, McCall has proven herself as an exceptional student and individual.

2006-07 WHAC Tournament Champions

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

47

Athletic Department Selects Senior Awards

By Ronda Varnesdeel ’01, Staff

T

The final recipient of the Sr. Helen Louise Brogger Award is Ravenna, Michigan native Jacki Braspenninx. Braspenninx, a four starter on the women’s basketball team, is a double major in business administration and sports management.

Braspenninx has been a WHAC All-Conference, WHAC Academic All-conference and NAIA All-American performer while at Aquinas. Braspenninx Braspenninx completed her career at second place on the all-time scoring list with a career total of 1,966 points. She served on the Student Athletic Advisory Board and also completed an internship at Comstock Park High School.

This year’s recipient of the Joseph Baker Award is Brian Keilen of St. Johns, Michigan. Keilen has been a member of the cross country team as well as the indoor and outdoor track and field team.

Keilen, a NAIA Scholar Athlete, is majoring in English with a minor in journalism. He has been a member of the Insignis Honor Program and the Lambda Tau Game Club. He also Keilen held an internship at WOOD-TV (Channel 8, Grand Rapids) as a Web intern.

Athletics

he Sr. Helen Louise Brogger and Joseph Baker Awards are given annually to a male and female senior student-athlete who meet the three requirements established by the alumni board. These requirements include academic strength, service to others and athletic involvement and success. This year’s recipients are exemplary in meeting these requirements.

There are three recipients of the St. Helen Louise Brogger Award. The first is McCall Kleinfelt, a senior from Grand Ledge, Michigan who was a stand out fouryear letter winner on Aquinas’ successful softball team.(see story on page 50.) She has served as a student worker in the athletic department assisting in planning numerous events such as the athletic department Kleinfelt golf outing and the sports camps. Kleinfelt, a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Club, is a sports administration major with a minor in athletic coaching.

Senior Natalie Kent of Lowell, Michigan is also one of this year’s recipients. Kent, a member of the Aquinas track and field team, has excelled in both the classroom and the playing field. Kent, a NAIA All-American and NAIA scholar athlete performer, holds six track and field records at Aquinas.

The biology major is a member of the PreMed Club, the Biology Club and the Student Kent Athletic Advisory Board. While serving as integral part of the track and field team, Kent is also serving as an intern for the Van Andel Research Institute.

48

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

It’s a family tradition for the Heuvelmans

By Ronda Varnesdeel ‘01, Staff

Athletics

The saying goes, “like father, like son,” but for

Rick ’79 and Ashley Heuvelman ’06 the saying needs to be rewritten to say “like father, like daughter.”

Rick Heuvelman, father of Ashley Heuvelman, was honored in 1979 as a NAIA All-American athlete during his playing days at Aquinas and his daughter followed his footsteps and later garnered the same honor herself.

Rick Heuvelmen set the bar for his daughter Ashley as a standout baseball player at Aquinas during the late 1970s. Rick, like his daughter a Wyoming Rogers High School graduate, led the charge for the 1979 Aquinas baseball team that racked up a State Championship, a runner-up finish in regionals, and a top 16 final national ranking. Rick, a catcher and first baseman for the Saints, earned All-State, All-Regional and All-American honors in his senior campaign.

Ashley, a senior guard on the Aquinas women’s basketball team, received her award for garnering AllAmerican Honors last winter at an Aquinas Athletic Department event.Ashley capped off her stellar Aquinas career with a selection as an NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-American Honorable Mention selection.

Ashley also etched her name in the Aquinas women’s basketball record book as the Saints’ new single season assist leader (156 assists), single season steals leader (97 steals) and fifth in the single season rebound category (267 rebounds). Heuvelman also surpassed the 1,000–point mark in her senior year, bringing her career total to 1,181 and placing her eleventh on the all-time leading scorer list.

Ashley Heuvelman and father, Rick.

But the All-American tradition is still pending for the Heuvelmans as the youngest daughter, Amanda, this past spring finished a stellar sophomore year for the Saints softball team. Amanda, a shortstop, helped lead the Saints to their third consecutive WHAC Championship. She finished the year with All-WHAC and All-Region honors. The sophomore shortstop also etched her name in the record books as she became second on the highest single season batting average list with a .423 average.

So if you see the Heuvelman name duplicated in the Aquinas Athletic record book, it is not an error, just a family tradition.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

49

Men’s Basketball Returns to National Championship F

or the second consecutive year the Aquinas men’s basketball team made the trip to Point Lookout, Missouri to compete in the NAIA Division II National Basketball Championship, March 7–13.

The team earned the automatic berth after beating cross-town rival Cornerstone 82-72 in the WHAC Tournament Championship game.

The Saints took the lead early and never looked back while paving the way to their goal of returning to Missouri. The team drew the number nine - ranked team, Indiana Wesleyan (26-3), in the first round and took an early exit from the tournament.

Coach Dave Hammer and the Saints battled through numerous injuries and illnesses all season long, but never gave up or gave in. At one point the team had seven players in uniform for a conference game. Coach Hammer himself missed a game due to illness.

Through all of this, the team kept pressing and finished the season with a 22-12 record.

Athletics

50

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Lady Saints Slug Their Way to Third Title I

Ashley Aspinall

percentage (.522); home runs (14); RBIs (52), and total bases (126).

Fellow sophomore Amanda Heuvelman (Wyoming, Mich.) and Jacki Plough (Jenison, Mich.) also added their names to the record books.

Heuvelman is second on the single season batting average list behind Aspinall, with a .423 avgerage and third in on-base percentage (.481). Plough is third on the all-time slugging percentage list with a .512 mark.

The Saints finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the NAIA in eight offensive categories.

Athletics

t was another history-making year for the Saints softball team. The Lady Saints (31-19) team broke the team homerun record for the second consecutive year, hitting an incredible 49 round-trippers this season.

Last year, the Saints slugged their way into the record book by setting a number of offensive records that included 46 homeruns, which topped the previous record of 21 set in 2005.

“These kids set the bar high for one another. They continued to amaze us day in and day out with their relentless work ethic,” stated WHAC Coach of the Year Ronda Varnesdeel.

The Saints grabbed their third consecutive Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Championship this past spring. The new single season homerun leader (14), sophomore Ashley Aspinall (Middleville, Mich.), set the team’s season-record pace, helping the Saints surpass the 30–win mark for the third consecutive season. She belted a three run homer in a post-season win over Indiana Tech.

Among the other Saints records that fell this past season: highest batting average (.362), slugging percentage (.536), on-base percentage (.428), runs scored (350), runs batted in (312), most hits (530), most doubles (93), most walks (150) and total bases (784).

Aspinall, honored as both the WHAC and Region VIII Player of the Year, set a number of individual softball records, including the single season batting average (.452), slugging percentage (.803), on-base

Women’s Softball Team

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

51

Spring Sports Wrap...

S

pring in Michigan always plays havoc with the outdoor athletic activities. This spring was no different as Mother Nature forced cancellation or rescheduling of games and practices. Despite the unpredictable wintrylike spring weather, this season was still one to be remembered for the Aquinas Saints.

Women’s Tennis Team The women’s tennis team fell short in regional play, winning their round one match up in a 5-2 victory over Marian (Ind.), but then suffered a 5-4 loss to number 14 Indiana Wesleyan. The Lady Saints finished the season 9-7 with a number 24 ranking in the NAIA. Men’s Golf Team The men’s golf team led by junior standout Brian Hayward capped off a promising spring season.

Hayward highlighted the season with a selection on the All-Region team. He also was the top finisher in the Furniture City Classic, shooting a 67, a Brian Hayward, Junior competitive course record for the Byron Center, Michigan course, and outdistancing the field by 10 strokes. Aquinas finished in third place in the Classic.

On a personal note, Hayward won the Grand Rapids City Match Play championship in June at the Grand Rapids Highlands Golf Course. This event is one of the four “major” summer golf events in the area. Brian, the captain of the AQ golf team, will return next fall for his senior season. He also was the number one golfer in the WHAC conference this past year and finished third in the NAIA Region eight tournament.

Aquinas Track and Field Teams The Aquinas track and field teams sent 23 student-athletes to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in Fresno, Califprnia. The Saints closed the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Brian Keilen Championships with a school record tenth place finish on the women’s side and two outstanding performances on the men’s side. On the men’s side, Brian Keilen ran to a new school record in the marathon (2:29:11) to earn AllAmerican honors with his seventh place finish. Chris Roberts finished seventh in the 5000 Meters (15:09.64) to earn All-American honors as well. Aquinas closes out the 2007 outdoor season with nine AllAmericans highlighted

by Natalie Kent’s two runner-up finishes in the hurdle events.

Women’s Track

Athletics

Women’s Golf Team Head coach Dan Pupel’s women’s golf team finished the season with a fifthplace showing in regional tournament held in South Bend, Indiana. Early in the spring, the Lady Saints Women’s golf team garnered a second place in the Madonna Invitational. Senior Nikki Benoit’s fourth place finish at the Madonna Invite led the club efforts.

Aquinas Baseball Team The Saints (27-27) squeaked their way into the WHAC tournament with a late season sweep of Concordia that help the Saints solidify a fourth place conference finish and the final spot in the conference tournament.

The Saints bowed out of Baseball Team the tournament in day one as they fell to Madonna and the tournament and conference champions of Indiana Tech.

52

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Aquinas College Sports Schedules—Fall 2007 Bold = Home

Italics = Away

MEN’S SOCCER Wed., Aug. 22, 5:00 p.m.

Calumet College

Wed., Aug. 22, 3:00 p.m.

Calumet College

Mon., Aug. 27, 5:00 p.m. @Saginaw Valley State University

Fri.-Sat., Aug. 24-25, TBA @Univ. of Saint Francis Tournament

Aug. 31 - Sept 1, TBA @University of St. Francis Tournament

Sat., Aug. 24, 6:30 p.m. @Univ. of St. Francis

Fri., Aug. 31, 4:00 p.m. @University of St. Francis Sat., Sept. 1, 2:00 p.m. @Huntington College Tues., Sept. 4, 7:00 p.m. @Indiana Tech University Sat., Sept. 8, 3:00 p.m. @Siena Heights University Tues., Sept. 11, 4:00 p.m.

St. Xavier University Sat., Sept. 15, 3:00 p.m.

Madonna University Tues., Sept. 18, 4:00 p.m.

Cornerstone University Sat., Sept. 22, 3:00 p.m. @Concordia University Tues., Sept. 25, 4:00 p.m. @Davenport University Sat., Sept. 29, 3:30 p.m.

Indiana Tech University (Homecoming)

Athletics

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Tues., Oct. 2, 4:00 p.m.

Siena Heights University Sat., Oct. 6, 1:00 p.m. @Spring Arbor University Tues., Oct. 9, 4:00 p.m. @Madonna University Sat., Oct. 13, 3:00 p.m. @Cornerstone University Tues., Oct. 16, 4:00 p.m.

Concordia University Sat., Oct. 20, 3:00 p.m.

Davenport University Oct. 27 - Oct. 30, TBA WHAC Tournament Nov. 3 - Nov. 7 NAIA Regional

Sun., Aug. 25, 12:30 p.m. @Bethel University Fri., Aug. 31, 4:00 p.m. @Goshen College

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Sat. - Sun., Sept. 1-2, TBA @Cornerstone University Tournament Fri. - Sat., Sept. 7-8, TBA @Illinois Institute of Technology Tournament Tues. Sept. 11, 7:00 p.m. @Siena Heights University Fri. - Sat, Sept. 14-15, TBA @Taylor University Tournament

Wed., Sept. 5, TBA @Indiana Tech University

Tues., Sept. 18, 7:00 p.m.

University of Michigan Dearborn

Sat., Sept. 8, Noon @Siena Heights University

Thurs., Sept. 20, 7:00 p.m. @Davenport University

Wed., Sept. 12, 4:00 p.m.

Hope College

Tues., Sept. 25, 7:00 p.m. @Cornerstone University

Sat., Sept. 15, Noon Madonna University

Sat., Sept. 29, 1:00 p.m.

Indiana Tech University

Wed., Sept. 19, 4:00 p.m.

Cornerstone

Tues., Oct. 2, 7:00 p.m.

Madonna

Sat., Sept. 22, Noon @Concordia

Thurs., Oct. 4, 7:00 p.m. @Concordia University

Wed., Sept. 26, TBA @Davenport

Fri. - Sat., Oct. 5 - 6, TBA @Cornerstone University Tournament

Sat., Sept. 29, 1:00 p.m..

Indiana Tech (Homecoming)

Tues., Oct. 9, 7:00 p.m.

Siena Heights University

Wed., Oct. 3, 4:00 p.m.

Siena Heights University

Thurs., Oct. 11, TBA @ Madonna

Sat., Oct. 6, Noon Calvin College

Tues., Oct. 16, 7:00 p.m.

Davenport University

Wed., Oct. 10, 4:00 p.m. @Madonna University

Thurs., Oct. 18, 7:00 p.m. @University of MichiganDearborn

Sat., Oct. 13, Noon @Cornerstone University Wed., Oct. 17, 4:00 p.m.

Concordia Sat., Oct. 20, Noon Davenport

Sat., Oct. 20, 1:00 p.m.

Cornerstone University Tues., Oct. 23, 7:00 p.m. @Indiana Tech University Fri.-Sat. Oct. 26 - 27, TBA @Calvin College Tournament Tues., Oct. 30, 7:00 p.m.

Concordia University

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Fri., Nov. 2 , 7:00 p.m. @Calumet College of St. Joseph Tues., Nov. 6, TBA WHAC Championships - 1st Round Fri. - Sat., Nov. 9 - 10, TBA WHAC Championships Finals

MEN’S GOLF Aug 31 Olivet Inv. @Bedford Valley TBD Sept 1 Olivet Inv. TBD Sept 12, 11:00 a.m.

Cornerstone @Quail Ridge GC Sept 15 , 1:00 p.m.

Siena Heights @Lenewee CC Sept 18, 8:50 a.m.

Concordia @Polo Fields CC Sept 21, 1:00 p.m.

Davenport @Thornapple Pt GC Sept 24, 11:00 a.m.

Aquinas L.E. Kaufman GC Sept 29, 12:00 noon Indiana Tech @Cherry Hills GC Oct 6, 11:00 a.m.

Madonna @Fellows Creek GC

Sat., Nov. 3 @Judson College Tues., Nov. 6 @Grace Bible College Fri./Sat., Nov. 9 - 10 @Goshen Tournament Tues., Nov. 13, 7:00 p.m.

Spring Arbor University Fri. - Sat., Nov. 23 - 24 Van Andel Tournament @Cornerstone University Mon., Apr. 23, 3:00 p.m. @St. Mary’s

Tues., Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m. @Alma College Sat., Dec. 1 @Wayne State College Tues., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.

Calvin College Fri. - Sat., Dec. 7 - 8 @Hope Tournament Fri. - Sat., Dec. 14 - 15 @Robert Morris Tournament, Chicago Thurs., Dec. 21 @GVSU Fri. - Sat., Dec. 28 - 29 6/8 p.m. @Ashland Tournament Wed., Jan. 2, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

UM Dearborn Sat., Jan. 5, 3:00 p.m. @Cornerstone Wed., Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. @Madonna University Sat., Jan. 12, 3:00 p.m.

Concordia University Wed., Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. @Davenport Sat., Jan. 19, 3:00 p.m.

Indiana Tech Univ.

Wed., Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. @Siena Heights Univ.

Sat., Jan 26, 3:00 p.m. @UM Dearborn Wed., Jan 30, 7:30 p.m.

Cornerstone University Sat., Feb 2, 3:00 p.m.

Madonna University Wed., Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. @Concordia University Sat., Feb. 9, 3:00 p.m.

Davenport University Wed., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.

Indiana Tech Sat., Feb. 16, 3:00 p.m.

Siena Heights Universityw

Athletics

MEN’S BASKETBALL

53

54

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

WINTER AND SPRING ATHLETIC HONORS Men’s Basketball All Conference: Jeff Jayson and Jeff Wierzbicki All American: Jeff Jayson Women’s Basketball All Conference: Jackie Braspenninx, Claire Hogan and Joslyn Narber All American: Jackie Braspenninx and Joslyn Narber Women’s Indoor Track and Field All American: Natalie Kent, Nicole Parker, Chaney Robinson, Allison Strouse and Hillary Wheeler Men’s Indoor Track and Field Academic All American: Brian Keilen, Josh Robach and Chris Robertz All American: Brian Keilen and Chris Robertz

Athletics

Women’s Track and Field Academic All American: Amy Drenthe, Lianne Griffith, Stacey Hoffman, Natalie Kent and Allison Strouse All American: Sue Change, Amy Drenthe, Natalie Kent, Jesse Lord-Wilder, Siobhan Martin, Chaney Robinson and Amanda Strouse Baseball Academic All American: Dave Dinallo, Todd Peters and Kevin Scholten All Conference: Lee Moser, Brent Serba and Matt Soergel All Region: Lee Moser

Softball All Conference: Ashley Aspinall, Amanda Heuvelman, McCall Kleinfelt, Courtney Miles, Jacki Plough and Karissa Saterlee All Region: Ashley Aspinall, Amanda Heuvelman and Karissa Saterlee WHAC Player of the Year: Ashley Aspinall Region VIII Player of the Year: Ashley Aspinall Men’s Golf All Region: Brian Hayward Academic All American: Brian Hayward Women’s Golf Academic All American: Nicki Benoit Men’s Tennis Academic All American: Jason Beydoun All American: Patrick Bruining and Michael Rose NAIA National Senior Player of the Year: Michael Rose Women’s Tennis Academic All American: Lindsey Skinner

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

55

Former AQ President O’Connor Dies A

quinas College’s third president, Dr. Peter D. O’Connor, 71, died May 22, 2007 in San Antonio, Texas. Friends say O’Connor had been ill for some time and died of natural causes. O’Connor served Aquinas as president from July 1986 until his retirement in April 1990.

During O’Conner’s four years at Aquinas, the College remodeled several buildings, installed a computer lab and implemented a new campus-wide telephone system. O’Connor also purchased the 17-acre Reformed Bible College property that now encompasses the east end of the campus.

Before coming to Aquinas, O’Connor served as vice president of Academic Affairs at Incarnate Word College, now the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Two years after leaving Aquinas, O’Connor returned to his New York roots to be dean at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkhill, N.Y., where he retired as professor emeritus.

O’Connor’s wife of 46 years, Patricia, died in 2006. Shortly after her death, he moved back to San Antonio to be with family. They had six children during their 46 years of marriage - three daughters and three sons. One son, David, graduated from Aquinas in 1990.

Trustees Honored with Emeritus Status

T

he Aquinas College Board of Trustees applauded two of its members who completed their three, three-year terms of service to the Institution.

Both Tom Church and Lyle Morrison ’52 joined the Board in May of 1998 following a vote of the Trustees.

During his tenure, Church served the College in several leadership capacities including vice-chairman,

Lyle Morrison ’52 chairman and co-chairman. Morrison has served the college in many capacities as a member on several board committees and has volunteered his time with the alumni association, as well.

At its May 22 meeting, the Board of Trustees granted each the status of “Trustee Emeritus” for their longtime service to the College.

Trustees

Tom Church

56

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

MARRIAGES ’01 Peter James Zeedyk and Katie Tiggleman October 21, 2006

BIRTHS

’55 Dr. Walter Moleski February 6, 2007

’92

Molly (Miles) and David Rizor, a daughter, Catherine Marie January 17, 2007

’56 Elizabeth “Betty” Ann (Grandy) Bice January 20, 2007

’99

Tina (Lohman) and Bryan Wright, twin sons, Gavin Wayne and Ian Dennis, March 7, 2007

’56 Sr. Yvonne Richard March 24, 2007

’99

Elizabeth (Martin) and Douglas Sink ’02, a daughter, Tessa Leora March 8, 2007

’00

Julianna (Hilton) and Brian Morano, a daughter, Emma Lynn February 8, 2007

’01

Anne Marie (Schlichting) and Tom Ferratt ’00, a son, Daniel April 4, 2007

’03

Mandy (Schneider) and Mark Pittman ’01, a daughter, Bethany Rose, April 2, 2007

’03

Mary Beth Stuart, Chartwells employee, a daughter, Audrey Francis, March 20, 2007

IN MEMORIAM

Class Notes

’51 Joan (Kobza) Hefferan December 9, 2006

’56 Marcia (Erazmus) Wendell March 1, 2007 ’58 Thomas Sorrelle March 4, 2007 ’62 Maureen O’Donovan June 5, 2007 ’63 Sr. Marjorie Ann Kendall April 14, 2007 ’76 Denise (Holbrook) Grover February 27, 2007 ’76 MaryLynn (Paul) Hellberg May 25, 2007 ’73 Russell Newton January 20, 2007

Alumni Deaths

’77 A. Raymond Bres April 9, 2007

‘35

Thad Bukowski February 17, 2007

’77 Sandra (Moore) Prangley May 25, 2007

’41

Sylvester Steinmuller February 1, 2007

’42

William Campbell January 4, 2007

’80 Hattie Lee (Thrower) Thorne April 5, 2007

’96 Eugene Proctor March 23, 2007

’43

Dorothy (Rozek) Erazmus April 21, 2007

’99 Perry Long Diep May 28, 2007

’45

Corrine Burns June 3, 2007

’05 Tricia Berger March 30, 2007

’47

Mildred (Jablonski) Marin February 27, 2007

’50

Helen (Burgstahler) Boss March 9, 2007

’50

Barbara Bissot May 26, 2007

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

57

DEATHS OF FRIENDS AND RELATIVES Adreana Ahlberg, grandmother of employee Mary Shuma April 11, 2007

Julius (Joe) Duthler, father of Patricia Duthler ’00 April 27, 2007

Patricia Mikowski, mother of employee Tom Mikowski ’89 May 25, 2007

Lucille Alt, aunt of James Alt ’64 and Richard Alt ’68 February 27, 2007

Marian Fournier, mother of Sr. Roxane Dansereau January 24, 2007

Margaret Robinson Moss, mother of Rev. Robert H. Moss ’66 December 26, 2006

Mary Stimers Bakes, wife of former employee Hiram Bakes (deceased) and mother of Walter Bakes ‘87 April 18, 2007

Dorothy Brousseau, friend, daughter of Sr. Nancy Brousseau ’73 July 19, 2006

Vera Frayman, mother of Professor Bruce Frayman December 25, 2006

Lois Mulhall, sister of employee Mary Jo Czarnecki February 2007

Henry Gignac, grandfather of student Lauren Gignac March 22, 2007

Donald Raaymakers, father of Robert Raaymakers ’89 December 28, 2006

Bernadine Gilbert, great grandmother of student Scott Kirchner February 7, 2007

Paul Rouse, brother of Sr. Marie Therese Rouse April 22, 2007

Daniel Heintzleman, brother of Tom Heintzleman ’80 March 24, 2007

Joseph S. Russo, father of Matthew Russo ’93 May 13, 2007

Stella Kolenda, retired employee January 21, 2007

Blanche Schafer, mother of Sr. Josine Schafer ’69 December 20, 2006

Ernest Bates, father-in-law of employee Rick Freehafer and grandfather of students Sarah and Alyssa Freehafer April 2007

Richard Clark, father of freshman Ember Clark December 11, 2006 Elizabeth Block, mother of Sr. Jude Block ’72 May 4, 2007

James Burke, brother of John Burke ’88 April 2007 Roy A. Chambers father of Roy Chambers ’94, March 15, 2007 Thomas Chrusciel, brother of Sr. Irene Chrusciel, O.P. ’61 February 19, 2007 Prudence Denhof, mother-in-law of Nancy Shirey Denhof ’82 November 4, 2006

Patricia Kopp, mother of Sherry Howlett ’94 May 13, 2007 Ernest Kostrzewa, brother of Sr. Ann Kostrzewa ’57 January 18, 2007 Arlyss Kremer, friend, mother of professor Kathy Kremer April 12, 2007

Esther Krupiczewicz, mother of Thomas Krupiczewicz ’73 February 13, 2007

Johnny Coyne, longtime friend of the Ireland Program January 2007

Thomas Mais, father of Karen (Mais ’87) Benchich February 2, 2007

Betty Damstra, mother of Cornelius Damstra ’73 January 12, 2007

Joseph McCrackin, brother of Sr. Marie Kathleen McCrackin ’63 January 20, 2007

Fr. Robert Davey, brother of Sr. Joanne Davey ’62 December 19, 2006

Richard Mead brother of Nancy Poggi ’81 March 2007

Richard Deja, father of Randall Deja ’80 May 28, 2007

Ben Meadows, father of professor Deb Steketee May 2007

Carolyn Sokolowski, aunt of student Lorae Sokolowski March 2007 John Steers, father of Tara Steers ’06 and brother-in-law of Sr. Judith Ann Barber’59 February 4, 2007 Richard Wagner, brother-in-law of Sr. Aquinas Weber ’58 March 21, 2007 Paul Weber, brother of Sr. Aquinas Weber ’58, father of Carissa (Weber ’92) Wilkins, and uncle of Jeanine Weber ’82 and Timothy Weber ’83 January 20, 2007 Nancy Williams, mother of Michael J. Williams ’85 January 8, 2007 Anthony Zainea, Jr., brother of Barbara VanderWerf ’87 May 29, 2007

Lawrence Zomberg, husband of Ellen (McCormack ’56) Zomberg February 1, 2007

Class Notes

Francis Edward Cooper, grandfather of Nicholas Cooper ’07 January 15, 2007

Michael Kupiecki, father of Michael ’71, father-in-law of Shirley (Smith ’72), and grandfather of Katie ’99 and Rebecca (Kupiecki ’01) Early March 16, 2007

Catherine Schrems, mother of Sr. Kateri Schrems ’62 December 1, 2006

58

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Class Notes 1958 Lloyd “Pete” V. Bishop, 70, became the oldest in a class of 86 new PGA professionals from 37 states to “graduate” at the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida in February 2007. (See the article on page 32.)

1958 Dan Pupel’s coaching career is back where it started. He started coaching golf at Aquinas in the late 1950s, turned pro and worked as an assistant pro at Kent Country Club for four years. He moved on to teach and coach at Forest Hills Central High for the next 30 years. He coached many championship teams, was named Michigan Coach of the Year three times and received the University of Chicago “Outstanding Teacher Award.” Dan also served as a Kent County Commissioner for four years. Dan and his wife Sheila (Smith ‘58) had five children graduate from Aquinas. After the death of his beloved Sheila, he accepted the job of Aquinas Women’s Golf Coach and is in his sixth season. He is also on the Board of the Aquinas Emeritus College. Dan would enjoy hearing from any of the great people of his era. He can be contacted at the Aquinas College Field House.

1964 Dennis M. Echelbarger marked the 30th anniversary of his accounting firm, Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm and Co., in February 2007. EHTC invites you to visit their Web site at www.ehtc.com to sign their guestbook.

Class Notes

1970

Reunion weekend. Linda was also recently selected to be the first place winner in the 2007 Springfed Arts/Detroit Metro Writers Poetry Contest. The regional contest (which also honors short fiction) is an annual event that recognizes individual poems submitted by members that encompass the upper Great Lakes area. Foster won the top prize for her poem, “A Sign from God,” which was selected by judge Clare Rossini, a nationally acclaimed poet who teaches at Vermont College.

1980 Joseph ‘99 and Kathleen(Driza) Westdorp retired from the Basilica of St. Adalbert at the end of July 2007. (see the article on page 38) 1985 Bruce W. Thompson, vice president of corporate development for ObjectVideo, a video technology company based out of Reston, Virginia has partnered with Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center to work on a video-based system of monitoring commercial buildings in hopes of saving energy through lighting, heating and air conditioning systems. ObjectVideo is a nearly 10-year-old technology company producing “visionbased intelligence” products for mainly security and loss prevention.

Mary Ann (DeWyse) Necoechea has been the head scientist at Rose Elementary school in Milpitas, California for 19 years. Her creativity and the ways in which her challenging questions have stimulated her 4th – 6th graders to develop their research skills are the basis for her selection as the Milpitas Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year Award. “My goal is to have kids love science…to see themselves as scientists.” (Photo courtesy of The Milpitas Post (Calif.))

1986 Shelly (Pierce) Loose MAT ‘93, was crowned as Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2007 in March at the Southfield, Michigan Civic Center. Shelly gives motivational speeches on living with disabilities and encouraging others to persevere through their own struggles. You can read more about Shelly and the Ms. Wheelchair America program at mswheelchairamerica.org.

1972 Linda Nemec Foster’s 2001 poetry collection, Contemplating the Heavens, was put to music by pianist and composer Steve Talaga in his 16-track compilation of the same name. Linda and Steve will have a musical presentation of this compilation at Aquinas at this year’s Homecoming/

1989 Pamela Crays joined Ozburn-Hessey Logistics in the newly created role of vice president of carrier development. She will be instrumental in developing and expanding relationships with the company’s 600+ carrier partners. Crays has over 25 years of logistics experience and is relocating to corporate headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee

1988 Todd Jacobs has accepted the position of planned giving director at Ferris State University.

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

1990 Daniel Scheid received his M. Div. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois in 2006 and was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church on June 24, 2006.

He serves as Rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

1991 John R. Morris, Ph.D., an associate professor of chemistry at the Virginia Tech College of Science, will lead his research group of graduate students in building an instrument that can be used to study the chemistry of gases that will decompose both chemical and biological warfare agents on surfaces.

The U.S. Army Research Office has awarded the university with a $680,000 grant over two years. Beyond building the instrument, the objective will be to develop a better understanding of chemical reactions that may be used to decompose toxic agents on surfaces.

1994 Rebecca Kenny received first prize in the Festival 2007 Regional Arts Exhibition for her painting “Aftermath of a Tea Party.” Festival of the Arts is a free showcase of the Arts that takes place in June every year in downtown Grand Rapids. It is the largest all-volunteer event in the nation. (Photo Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press.

Used with permission.)

59

2000 Rebecca Martin has been hired to coordinate the afterschool programs for the new TRIAGE middle school science program (which stands for Team Researchers in a GLOBEal Environment) at Calvin College. Rebecca is currently an energetic science teacher at East Grand Rapids Middle School. This scientific research program will help the students involved develop data entry and analysis skills, design and execute their own research projects, and engage in teambuilding activities using resources, games, and exhibits in the Bunker Center at Calvin. It is funded by a $720,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Robert Shefferly joined the law firm of Plunkett and Cooney, P.C. in April 2007 and will focus his practice primarily in the area of title insurance. Established in 1913, Plunkett and Cooney is one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest full-service law firms with 150 attorneys in 10 Michigan cities and Columbus, Ohio.

2005 Elizabeth “Elissa” Sangalli became Local First of West Michigan’s new executive director in January 2007. Local First was formed in 2003 as part of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), a national organization of local business owners, nonprofit organizations and individuals dedicated to nurturing communities through personal, social and ecological well-being. Prior to her appointment, Elissa worked as an admissions representative for Aquinas College.

1998 Tim Laskowski was appointed as an account manager to McLaren Health Plan in East Lansing in January 2007. He is responsible for assisting in the development of MHP’s commercial markets. He and his wife, Jennifer, and their three children live in Howell.

Michael Barkey joined Fifth Third Bank’s International Corporate Lending Group as a relationship manager in April 2007. Fifth Third is the first bank in West Michigan to hire someone in this position dedicated exclusively to serving nonUS owned companies.

Class Notes

1999 Kyle Dutkiewicz became the managing director of Actors’ Theatre in Grand Rapids in June 2007. As a local choreographer, she is known as the Grand Award-winning choreographer of such shows as Urinetown: The Musical and Rocky Horror Show.

60

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

Aquinas College Calendar of Events—Fall 2007-08 Au g u s t 20

24

26-9/30

Aquinas Adult Learner Orientation 5:15 - 7:15 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free Join us to learn about Aquinas’ programs and services for the adult learner.

RSVP by Friday, August 10 Questions? (616) 632-2923 hennibre@aquinas.edu www.aquinas.edu/continuing AQ Day 9 a.m., high school juniors, seniors and families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

Aquinas College Homecoming Art Exhibit.

AMC Gallery, Free Opening Reception: Sat. Sept. 29, 4-5 p.m.

M - Th 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; F 10 - 4:30 p.m.; S&S 2 - 6 p.m.

Paintings and other Hangings Mary Reusch ‘99 NOTE: Gallery closed Saturday, September 1 - Monday, September 3.

18

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

“What’s the Deal with Deal or No Deal?

The Mathematics Concerning the Game” Joseph Spencer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mathematics

20

Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series 7:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free Jack Driscoll, Poet and Author

22

Aquinas Chamber Choir Concert 7:30 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free

28-30 28

Aquinas Hall of Fame Gala 6 pm cocktails, 7 p.m. dinner, Wege Ballroom $65 per person RSVP by Sept. 21 to halloffame@aquinas.edu

29

Music Department Events Battle of the Bands 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: AMC Amphitheatre, Free AMC Open House 1-4 p.m.

Aquinas Jazz Band 2 p.m.: “In the Tent,” Free Directed by Dr. Paul Brewer

September 6

Aquinas Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center (JHIWSC) Event 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free Putting on Your Air Mask: You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have Tim Cusack, Laughter that Matters

6

Campus Ministry Event 8 p.m.: Bukowski Chapel, Free Gospel of Mark Performance by Frank Runyeon

10-14

11

Calendar of Events

16

Aquinas JHIWSC Event and Career and Counseling Services 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: Lower Level Wege Center, Free Building Positive Relationships Sharon Smith, M.S.W., C.S.W., Director, Career and Counseling Services Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Dangerous Words: Talking About God in an Age of Fundamentalism Gary Eberle, Professor of English Aquinas Music Faculty Joint Recital 4 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free Featuring instrumental piano and voice faculty Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room. Free Breast Health and How You Can Help with the Susan G. Koman Foundation Kim Quigg, RNC, NP and Veronica Beitner, Health Center

Aquinas Homecoming Weekend

October 2

4-6

7

7-11/9

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Intervention as Nonprofit Mission Bruce Nanzer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Political Science Director of Community Leadership Aquinas Theatre Department Gimme, Gimme…That Thing Called Love!

by Amy Pearsons and the Musical Theatre Workshop Aquinas Performing Arts Center For time and tickets, call (616) 456-6656.

Aquinas Fall Choral Concert 4 p.m.: Location TBA, Free Chorus, Chamber Choir and Valenti Handbell Ensemble Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening Reception: 2–4 p.m. AMC Gallery, Free TBA Opening Reception: Sun., October 7, 2–4 p.m.

M - Th 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; F 10 - 4:30 p.m.; S&S 2 - 6 p.m.

NOTE: Gallery closed October. 13–21

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

9

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free Eating Disorders: A Crisis in Eating and Weight Barbara Homrich, Clinical Psychologist & Substance Abuse Program Director, Claystone Clinical Associates

26

Presidential Inauguration Details TBA

28

Aquinas Chorus Concert 4 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free

28

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Sustain Your Brain: The Power of One Deborah Steketee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sustainable Business, and Rob Bajema, Ph.D., Association. Professor, Biology

61 15

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free The Price of Activism Roxanne Walker, radio activist

16

AQ Day 8:30 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

18-19

Club AQ 2:30 p.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

18

18-12/14

Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening Reception: October 7, 2–4 p.m. AMC Gallery, Free TBA M - Th 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; F 10 - 4:30 p.m.; S&S 2 - 6 p.m.

NOTE: Gallery closed November 22–25.

19

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30 p.m.: Mary’s Shrine located on south end of Holmdene lawn, Free This Land Was Their Land Native American Land Spiritual Land Blessing Ceremony Paul Bienemann, Ph.D., Proffesor of Geography, and Sara Leland, Ph.D., Adjunct Association Proffesor of Philosophy

N ov e m b e r 1

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free Does Depression Really Hurt...Facing It Head On Christy Buck, RSW, Executive Director, and Susan Meehof, Education Coordinator, Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan

1

Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series 7:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free Tom Lynch, Poet, Essayist, Commentator

2

AQ Day 8:30 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

4

7

9

9

December 1

1-2

Science/Nursing/Math AQ Day 8:30 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit: aquinas.edu/admissions.

Annual Hammel Music Piano Sale Steinway Fundraiser AMC Lower Level By appointment, call (616) 632-2413 or e-mail zimmekat@aquinas.edu Jazz Jam at the Moose 9:30 p.m.: Moose Café, Cook Carriage House, Free

Aquinas Theatre Department The Arabian Nights A fantasy adapted by Mary Zimmerman November 28, 29, 30: 8 p.m.

Aquinas Performing Arts Center For tickets, call (616) 456-6656.

7

Aquinas Music Department Event 7 p.m.: Cathedral of Saint Andrew, 267 Sheldon S.E. A Service of Lessons and Carols Aquinas Theatre Department The Arabian Nights A fantasy adapted by Mary Zimmerman December 1: 2 and 8 p.m.

December 2: 2 p.m.

Aquinas Performing Arts Center For tickets, call (616) 456-6656.

Leadership AQ Day 9 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

Calendar of Events

14

28-30

Aquinas Music Department Event MacRaven and Embellish, Guest Artists Concert Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC Steven VanRavenswaay, cello, Roger MacNaughton, piano, and Stephanie Wiltse, director For ticket information, call (616) 632-2413 or e-mail zimmekat@aquinas.edu Aquinas Fall Jazz Night 7:30 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall, Free Featuring the Aquinas Big Band, Improv Class and Vocalists

Aquinas College Band and Chamber Strings in Concert 4 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free

62

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

7

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–2 p.m.: Wege Lower Level, Free Sister Santa is Comin’ to Town Deborah Wickering, Ph.D., Assistant. Proffesor. of Anthropology

9

Aquinas Music Department Event 4 p.m.: Aquinas Performing Arts Center, Free 1703 Robinson Road S.E. Music for the Holidays

Ja n u a r y 13-2/8

Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening Reception: Febuary 13, 2–4 p.m. AMC Gallery, Free Crime Stories Works by Diane Zeeuw & Patricia Hendricks Constantine M - Th 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; F 10 - 4:30 p.m.; S&S 2 - 6 p.m.

19

Athletic AQ Day 10 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

20-21

Club AQ 2:30 p.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families.

For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

25

Aquinas Music Department Event (Tentative) Music in the New World – A Benefit Concert Aquinas students and faculty Tickets: student $5, adults $10 Information: (616) 632-2413 zimmekat@aquinas.edu

12

15-16

16

15-17,21-24

17-3/20

29

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m., Wege Center, Loutit Room Free Women Writers in the Middle Ages Rebecca Coogan, Ph.D., Associa tion Professor of English

5

Calendar of Events

7

10

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Lower Level Wege Center, Free Exhibit: The Clothesline Project: Bearing Witness to Domestic Violence

Club AQ 8 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

Aquinas Spectrum Scholarship Competition 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

Aquinas Theatre Department The Misanthrope, a classic comedy

by Moliere, translated by Richard Wilbur Feb. 15-16: 8 p.m.

Feb. 17: 2 p.m.

Feb. 21, 22: 8 p.m.

Feb. 23, 24: 2 and 8 p.m.

Aquinas Performing Arts Center For tickets, call (616) 456-6656 Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening Reception: Febuary 25, 2–4 p.m. AMC Gallery, Free Annual, All-Media Juried Student Art Show M - Th 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; F 10 - 4:30 p.m.; S&S 2 - 6 p.m.

NOTE: Gallery closed March 1–9

19

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Light From the East: The Witness of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Robert Marko, Ph.D., Professor of Theology

20

Aquinas Music Department Event 9:30 p.m., Moose Café, Cook Carriage House Free Broadway Revue

Fe b r u a r y 1-15

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 10 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Academic Building Lobby Equality Bake Sale: Highlighting the Continuing Gender Gap Income All proceeds go to a local women’s organization.

March 2/17-9/20

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free The Cutting Garden: From Ground to Vase, Pleasing Plants for Year-Round Enjoyment Cynthia Miskura

Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening Reception: Sun., Feb. 25, 2-4 p.m.

AMC Gallery, Free Annual, All-Media Juried Student Art Show M-Th 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; F 10-4:30 p.m.; S&S 2-6 p.m.

NOTE: Gallery closed March 1-9

13

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m., Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free The Faith of Our Mothers: Black Women’s Jesus, White Women’s Christ Rev. Dr. Michelle R. Loyd-Paige, Interim Dean for Multicultural Affairs at Calvin College and Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Wege Center Loutit Room, Free Appreciation Luncheon in Honor of International Women’s Day Katharina Häusler-Gross, Ph.D., Associate Professor of German

14

Aquinas College Alumni St. Patrick’s Day Party Details to be announced.

16

Aquinas Music Department Event 4 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC Spring Choral Concert

Aquinas Music Department Event 4 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free College Chorus Concert

Aquinas College Magazine – Fall 2007

16-17

18

18

20

Club AQ 2:30 p.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Women Composers Music Department Event Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room, Free Sustain Your Brain: A Hands-on Demonstration about What Individuals can do for Sustainability Dr. Deborah Steketee, Assistant. Professor of Sustainable Business Aquinas JHIWSC Event 7 p.m.: Cook Carriage House, Moose Café, Free The Faculty Tandem Poetry Reading Michelle DeRose, Ph.D., Michaeleen Kelly, Ph.D., Miriam Pederson, M.F.A., Pamela Dail Whiting, M.F.A., and the student winner(s) of the annual creative writing contest

27

Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series 7:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free Janet Kauffman, award-winning author

28

Fine Arts AQ Day 9:30 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions.

30

2-6,10-13

5

6-5/4

8

12

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Wege Center Ballroom Eighth Annual Resourceful Women’s Conference Your Very Best Shirley O. Corriher, food scientist and author Visit www.aquinas.edu/womenscenter for information

17

Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series 7:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free Laura Kasischke, author of five books of poetry

18

AQ Day 8:30 a.m.

High school juniors, seniors and their families.

For information, visit: aquinas.edu/admissions.

20

Aquinas Music Department Event 2 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free Spring Concert

21

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30p.m.: Wege Center, Loutit Room. Free STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections) What, How, Where and the HPV Vaccine.

Kim Quigg, RNC, NP, Aquinas

24

Aquinas College Evening of Elegance (Tentative date)

May 1-4

Aquinas Art Exhibit AMC Gallery, Free Bachelor of Fine Art Exhibitions M-Th 10a.m.-7 p.m.; F 10-4:30 p.m.; S&S 2-6 p.m.

Aquinas Music Department Event 4 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free College Band and Chamber Strings in Concert

3

Aquinas College Baccalaureate 10 a.m.: The Cathedral of Saint Andrew

April

3

Aquinas College Commencement 2 p.m.: Field House, 1580 E. Fulton Street

Aquinas Theatre Department Dimly Perceived Threats to the System A dark comedy by Jon Klein Aquinas Performing Arts Center For tickets, call (616) 456-6656 Aquinas Music Department Event 7:30 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free Student Honors Recital Aquinas Art Exhibit Opening reception: Sunday, April 6, 2-4 p.m.

AMC Gallery, Free Bachelor of Fine Art Exhibitions M-Th 10a.m.-7 p.m.; F 10-4:30 p.m.; S&S 2-6 p.m.

Aquinas Lecture Series 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom, Free “Manifest Ambition: Democracy and Expansion in Jacksonian America” John Pinheiro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History Aquinas Music Department Event 7:30 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free Spring Jazz Night

Calendar of Events

10

63

1607 Robinson Road, S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 Address Service Requested

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit NO. 101